Kingdom Hearts: Warriors of Light
Making Amends- Chapter 20
If it was hot in the city, it was definitely hotter in the desert. The journey to the keyhole seemed to take forever riding under the scorching sun. "Are we there yet?" Riku asked looking beat.
"Almost," Genie said sounding energetic. Apparently the sun had no affect on him. In only a few moments, something in the horizon came into view. "Wow, the keyhole is here? This is my cave."
"Your cave?" Ni-Ne asked.
"Yep, where Al found my lamp," Genie explained. "The Cave of Wonders."
"It's out in the middle of the desert. What could be so wonderful about that?" Donald asked.
"The treasure of course," Genie said.
"Treasure?" Donald shouted drooling.
"Don't get your hopes up too high," Genie warned. "It's forbidden to touch."
"Oh fewy," Donald said folding his arms in disappointment.
"We're here!" Genie said as everyone landed in front of the cave. It's opening was a large tiger head with an open mouth.
"You sure that's safe?" Ti-Day asked looking into the mouth.
"Al made it in and out ok," Genie explained. "Course he did get stuck for a while when the cave shut him in, but that was when I came into the picture!" Everyone was staring at Genie like he was crazy to assume they were going into the cave now. "What?" he said looking at them. "I can get us out again. I promise. But don't touch the treasure!"
Sora seemed brave enough to step forward and head into the cave first. "Come on guys. There's a keyhole to find. Everyone followed including Genie and Carpet through the tiger's mouth and down into the cave. It was lit by torches inside that flickered an eerie light. Soon enough, huge mounds of treasure where visible.
"Oh baby!" Donald yelled, his eyes meeting the tons and tons of gold and jewels. He started to dart towards a pile.
"Not so fast!" Kita said catching Donald by the collar with her key blade.
"Donald, it's forbidden to touch," Goofy reminded him.
"Fine," Donald said looking like some one took away Christmas.
"Come on, we're following the beam of light," Sora said pointing out the way. The light pointing to the keyhole lead deeper and deeper into the cave. Everyone picked up the pace to find the end. After passing through several rooms of treasure, they ended in a large circular room. A keyhole was glowing across the way from the entrance. "There it is!" Sora pointed out starting in a run towards it. But before he could get there a swarm of heartless filled the room instantaneously.
"Go figure," Ti-Day said holding up his staff. "Let's do this. FIRE!" Streams of fire were shooting out at the heartless. Ni-Ne started whacking the heartless left and right just like she had saving Jasmine. Riku and Sora did the same.
"Genie, can you fight heartless?" Kita asked.
"You bet I can!" Genie said looking excited. He spun around in the circle and huge machine guns appeared on his shoulders. "Just say the word."
"Genie, I wish for you to destroy them all!" Kita said smiling vengefully.
"Let's lock and load. Hiii-ya!" Genie said now shooting bullets around the room. The heartless were gradually disappearing until there were hardly any left.
"Go Sora! Seal it, we'll take care of the rest," Kita shouted cuing Sora. Sora ran for the keyhole and planted his feet in front of it. He raised the Key Blade and a beam of light shot out and covered the keyhole. After hearing the locking sound, the keyhole stopped glowing and vanished entirely. When he turned around, Sora found everyone staring back at him, no more heartless in sight.
"Let's get out of here," Sora said. He ran back to the entrance of the round room with everyone else. Ni-Ne whispered something in Ti-Day's ear that made him look really happy. The two of them slowed down to the back of the group and hid behind a column by the entranceway. Ni-Ne smiled devilishly. Ti-Day leaned in to kiss her, but instead was hit so hard by Ni-Ne's key blade, that he fell unconscious to the ground.
Ni-Ne turned to face the wall where the keyhole had been before. Her eyes were glowing yellow. She walked towards the wall and held up her key blade. The keyhole unlocked. She smiled devilishly again and turned back to Ti-Day and laughed. "So naïve," she said. She bent down and picked him up. "Let's get you back before they come looking for you." She carried Ti-Day out and hurriedly walked through the treasure rooms. "As you were…" the heartless Ni-Ne said pointing her figure at Ti-Day. He snapped back to consciousness as well as Ni-Ne.
"Wah, how'd we get here?" Ti-Day asked feeling lost. "I thought we were just back in the keyhole room."
Ni-Ne looked at him strangely. "No… we were following everyone else. But, they seem to have gone far ahead of us. I'm so confused."
"Yeah, me too," Ti-Day said. "This place isn't called the Cave of Wonders for nothing. We're wondering what just happened. Come one, lets get going." Ti-Day took Ni-Ne's hand and they walked fast to catch up to the rest of the group who hadn't seemed to notice their absence. Just as the group was finally about to leave the cave, Donald decided to hang back. He was eyeing the treasure again, licking his beak with greed.
"Come on Donald. You know you can't have it," Goofy said seeing him. Donald however wasn't listening and as fast as he could, snatched a diamond right off the top of a treasure chest.
"AHHHH, YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE FORBIDDEN TREASURE!" the voice of the cave shouted. Everyone was shaking as though stuck in an earthquake.
"You and that Abu," Genie said swooping down to pick up Donald. "What are we going to do with you?" Everyone ran for the entrance and managed to escape before the mouth of the tiger closed.
"Do you have ADD or something!" Kita shouted at Donald. "You almost got us all killed!"
"He he, sorry," Donald said blushing.
"We should get back," Riku said. "It's getting dark out." The once sunny desert was now fading into the darkness of night. It was much cooler now and the breeze made for a refreshing break after almost being eaten by a cave. Everyone jumped on either Carpet or Genie who was now a super sonic jet. "I wonder if we can stay here tonight. I'm pooped."
"You'll have to ask the Sultan on that one," Genie said. "He's a great guy though."
"I'm sure," Ti-Day said. "Has to be better than that Jafar would have been." The return trip to Agrabah seemed much shorter in the night air. Everyone was tired from fighting all day.
"You're back," Jasmine said running out to great everyone. "I've just asked my father if you could stay the night and he said it would be alright." It was as if she had known what they were all thinking. There was a sigh of relief from everyone of them and they all fell to the ground. Jasmine laughed. "You must be tired. But I thank you all for what you've done for us."
"My king, there has been casualty at war," a man said bowing in respects to Ansem the Wise. Kita, only six years in age, was hiding behind her father as he sat on the throne of the Hallow Bastion throne room. Today was cloudy and the castle seemed dark and dreary. King Ansem had been receiving word of the war that had been taking place in recent times. So many of his people had left to fight, and unfortunately, not all were coming back.
"Who is it this time?" Ansem said getting up to walk with the man. Though Ansem was a busy man, he always wanted to keep the gloomy things in life away from Kita so that she wouldn't have to know how cruel the world could be.
Kita sat behind the throne thinking hard. She didn't understand most of the things her father dealt with on a daily basis. She was trying hard not to pay any attention to what her father and the man were talking about at the moment, but something did reach her ears. "They had a son. He's orphaned now." Kita turned her head to peak out from behind the throne. A little boy was out there all alone. His parents weren't coming home anymore. Tears were forming in her eyes to think of such a thing.
Ansem turned his head to see his daughter watching him. "I'll go look for him," he said. "Kita?" Ansem said holding out his hand waiting for Kita to come take it. She scurried from behind the throne to her father and they departed from the castle together.
Kita had not too often been into the town below the Hallow Bastion castle. She looked and looked for anyone who might be the orphaned boy. She let go of her father's hand to run ahead and check all the ally ways, until she found him. There was a boy sitting on a pile of boxes. Tears were coming from his eyes. Kita approached him slowly trying not to scare him away. It took him a moment to realize she was there, but when he did, he wasn't shy about letting her see his tears.
Kita looked at him curiously. He stared back at her. Before she could say anything, Ansem showed up. The boy looked a little frightened of him at first since he was the King. "I'm sorry," Ansem said. "I know I can't replace them, but you can't live out here on the streets alone. I'd like you to come with me." Kita put a little smile on her face to encourage the boy to come along. She stuck out her hand and waited for him to take it. When he did, he hoped down from the boxes and walked beside Kita behind Ansem. None of them said a word until they returned to the castle.
"You may stay here now," Ansem said. "This is your new home." The boy looked stunned to have been offered so much. Kita, still holding the boys hand, smiled. "If you'll excuse me, I have business to tend to." Ansem finished heading back to his throne room.
Kita pulled the boy down a hallway. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Ti-Day," the boy replied still sounding rather sad.
"Welcome home Ti-Day," Kita said.
Ti-Day's eyes opened suddenly. "Where did that come from?" he said aloud.
"What?" Kita said rolling over. Everyone was rolled up in sleeping bags in the same room. It was something like camping indoors. Ti-Day was laying at Kita's head. She seemed to have been awake as well.
"I had a dream about that day we met," Ti-Day explained.
"Really?" Kita said. "That's kinda random."
"Yeah, I know," Ti-Day said. "Maybe it's a curse from the Cave of Wonders."
"Was it that bad to call meeting me a curse?" Kita laughed.
"No but… what really happened that day…" Ti-Day said looking down. Even though it was his most painful memory, it never seemed to make him sad enough to show. Perhaps he was just really good at putting the past behind him.
"I'm really glad we met," Kita said. "Having you around to hang out with was so much fun."
"I really miss playing pranks on Leon," Ti-Day said. "I hope we run into him soon cause I have a couple good ideas ready to go." Kita laughed hard. Ti-Day had to reach his hand over and cover her mouth from laughing so loud and waking anyone up.
"Sorry," Kita whispered.
"Well, I'm still tired so I'm going back to sleep," Ti-Day said. "Night."
"Night Ti-Day," Kita said rolling over again. She put her hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling of the palace. She wasn't really feeling tired for some reason. Something caught her attention and caused her to look up and out towards the balcony that attached to the room.
"I have often dreamed of a far-off place. Where a great warm welcome will be waiting for me. Where the crowds will cheer when they see my face, and a voice keeps saying this is where I'm meant to be. I will find my way. I can go the distance. I'll be there someday if I can be strong. I know every mile will be worth my while. I would go most anywhere to feel like I belong," someone sang. Kita walked out onto the balcony. "Hercules?" she asked surprised to see him there. "Oh gosh!" Hercules said sounding panicked. "I didn't know you where there. You scared me." "Sorry," Kita said. "I just heard you out here. I didn't know you could sing. That was beautiful." Hercules was rubbing his head and blushing to have been commented by Kita. "Um, it's nothing," he said. "You know. Couldn't sleep…" "Me neither," Kita said. Hercules sat up on the balcony railing. Kita followed him but she looked a little unsure about sitting in such a dangerous place. Hercules held out his hand to pull Kita up. She didn't grab it. "It's ok, I'll make sure you don't fall." Finally Kita did take his hand and he pulled her up with little effort. Kita immediately grabbed the railing for security. It was a long way down in front of her. "If Riku even comes out here and yells 'boo' and I fall… I'll kill him if I survive," Kita said looking at the distance below. "Do you really hate him that much?" Hercules asked. "He acts like he's two sometimes," Kita said making it sound obvious. "So does Ti-Day, but you guys get along really well," Hercules pointed out. "That's different," Kita said. Hercules couldn't see how. "Well, Riku seriously thinks you have a thing for me," Hercules said. "He's always asking me about it." "Punch him the face next time," Kita said coaching him. "You could probably send him flying." Hercules let out a little laugh. "Even though I am a demi-god, I don't use violence to solve my problems. You should try talking to him sometime. Serious talking. He's not really that bad." "Are you trying to set me up with him?" Kita said looking shocked. "No," Hercules said. "Aren't we talking right now? Do you feel like I'm hitting on you?" Kita looked reluctant to say it, but she had no other answer. "No." "See," Hercules said. "He's human too. Give him a chance." "I suppose I could… try," Kita said. She didn't really want to, but something about tonight made her feel like it would be a good idea. "Thanks Hercules," Kita said extending her arm to shake his hand. Hercules took it looking like it was the biggest honor he had ever received. "By the way. What's the song about?" "Oh," Hercules said. "Well, when I was little, I was kidnapped from Mt. Olympus and turned mortal. My dad is Zeus. He's a god, and so is my mom. But since I'm not a god anymore, I have to earn my way back to Mt. Olympus because only gods are aloud. I'm trying to become a true hero. And I sang that song the day I left home cause I promised my dad I was gonna do my best." "I'm sorry I laughed at you before," Kita said. "You were serious about being a hero in training weren't you?" "Yeah, but it's ok," Hercules said. "I get laughed at a lot." "Well I'm not gonna laugh anymore," Kita said. "I've been a real jerk to everyone lately. I'm sorry." "It's ok," Hercules said. "We all make mistakes. I knocked down my whole school on my first day of high school." "Wow, how'd you ever live that down?" Kita asked sounding truly interested in the story. The two talked late into the night until they nearly swayed off the railing and decide it was a good idea to go to bed. Together they returned to the heap of sleeping bags.