Okay, it's finally here, Chapter 5. I really really apologize. I was sick, sick again, had loads of make-up work in school due to the sickness, sick again, more make-up work, and then all my creative juices were tapped. But now the juices are flowing and don't want to stop. In fact, I added a special extra at the end for all my readers!
This chapter takes place in world created by a Role-playing board my friend and I used to be on before it died. Accordingly, I mention other people's characters and feel compelled to give them credit. Let's see, Soria belongs to 'soria', Faye and related characters belong to 'morbid,' aka Coughdrop Overdose, and passing mentions go to 'truthsayer,' 'sir fable,' 'alec,' and 'divinepilgrim.' Shara is my own creation, and thus is quite close to my heart.
Enjoy!
Chapter 5
(Scene 1)
Sora sat in the gummi ship, his eyes downcast and his face drawn out in a frown. He had not said a word since their departure from the castle, only stared at a spot on the floor. His gloom-laden mood spread across the ship, making Donald and Goofy shift uncomfortable. Goofy looked at Sora with a worried sigh, and opened his mouth to speak. Donald shook his head obliquely, and he shut it quickly, but as Goofy looked again at his friend, he set his face and went ahead anyway.
"Sora, you can't quit now. That's what Sashiro would want you to do!"
Goofy shut his eyes tightly and steeled himself against the expected wave of Sora's wrath. It never came. Sora remained silent, but Goofy knew he was listening because those blue eyes were turned in his direction. Goofy forged ahead.
"You've got to keep going and stop sulking! Get out there and get the rest of your memories! Show her just how strong your heart really is!"
Sora sat still for a moment longer, them smiled sadly. He spoke softly as he pulled the world map out, the gloom still lingering in his voice.
"You're right, I've got to keep searching. I guess I just needed a smack on the face."
He smoothed the map before him and gently pulled the pendant over his head to swing it around in an arc. It circled around, finally stopping to point towards a world labeled in curly script: Shizuka.
"Come on, let's go," Sora said, reaching for the wheel.
"Oh, no, you don't. Distraught drivers are hazardous to my health. I'll drive."
Donald grabbed the wheel before Sora could touch it, and the gummi began to cut a new course towards Shizuka.
(Scene 2)
A young woman stared out into the endless black of the Shizukan night, searching silently for the cause of her uneasiness. Her long red hair blew around in the breeze, and she swept out of her face as she leaned on the railing of the balcony. Another young woman joined her, walking up to lean as well on the railing.
"Are you alright, Shara? You have been up here for quite a while."
The redhead turned her eyes to her friend.
"Yes, I'm fine, Faye." She fell silent for a moment, once again gazing out at the stars. "But it is strange. I can feel darkness creeping near us, not unlike those of Chaos. And I sense a light, strong and pure, much like my own. I have never felt another light before, and it is strange to me. The light, whatever–or indeed, whoever–it is, is close tonight."
The two friends stood on the balcony, the lamps in the window of the inn behind them winking out one by one. A breeze blew again through their hair as both stared out into the velvety blackness of the night sky.
(Scene 3)
The gummi touched down in the late hours of the day, the light long gone. Its three passengers stepped out, and a tousle-haired teen pulled a charm from inside his shirt, and it glowed a soft blue against the black of the night. He began to walk into the woods and his friends trailed after.
"Sora, it's late and it's dark. What are you doing?" Donald asked from behind him. Sora ignored him, following the tug of his pendant, and Donald huffed in indignation. Goofy tried his luck.
"He's right, you know. Searching is a lot easier after a good night's sleep."
"Goofy, you said it yourself. I've got to keep going, got to find my memories, show Sashiro that I won't give up."
"But, Sora-" Goofy stopped as he looked into Sora's determined face, and he began to follow silently once again, shrugging helplessly at Donald. They trudged through the dark forest, and shadows flit through the trees teasingly at the edges of their vision. Sora flicked out the Keyblade, his sixth sense tingling, and he snapped on the Ultima charm. Sure enough, one of the Crimson Sorceress' monsters, one larger than any they had seen yet, loomed out of the gloom before the three.
In an instant, long tentacles waved in the air, striking out at them fast as lightning. Sora raised the Keyblade in time to block the heavy blow aimed at him, but from the muffled thuds that came from behind him, Sora knew Donald and Goofy had been knocked out instantly. He struck out at the tentacles, parrying quick strikes from the creature, but he soon became entangled, his weapon locked against two writhing arms. Sora pushed against them, trying to free the Keyblade when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He looked down to see a large barb sticking out of him, shot from some appendage of the shadow thing. The tentacles had been a distraction, Sora realized as he felt the poison seep through his body.
Within moment, Sora's knees gave way, his body collapsing to lay motionless on the ground. He was still conscious, and he watched through a blurry haze as the creature's long tentacles searched his body for something, he presumed it was looking for a memory shard. When it found nothing, the arms reached out cautiously towards his pendant, which still glowed brightly blue. The tip of the arm touched the charm, and it blazed glaringly against the dark, the thing shrieking in pain and withdrawing. Sora watched blearily as it ambled off into the night, but with every beat of his racing heart the poison coursed further through his veins. The poison finally reached his brain, and he succumbed to the oppressive darkness around him.
(Scene 4)
Sora's eyes fluttered open, his vision still blurred. He dimly heard a soft voice in his ear, and he recognized the shape of a pale woman's hand brushing the hair from his face. The hand pulled against a background of red robes, and his startled blue eyes looked up into amber cat ones.
Oh, no! Sashiro! He thought. Sora struggled against the woman, the Keyblade flashing to life in his hand, and she stepped back in alarm. He stood, amazed at how quickly he had regained his strength, and as he gave his full attention to the figure before him, Sora realized that, instead of Sashiro and her panther, she was a girl a few years older than he was. She had long, flaming red hair and fair skin. Over her petite frame draped a simple red cotton dress, flared at the sleeves with a modest scoop neck. Around her neck hung two necklaces; one, a simple affair with a black bat pendant, which seemed out of place, and one an intricately crafted piece of gems and gold tracings, strung on a spider's-silk of a gold chain. Her large, amber, cat-like eyes gazed worriedly at Sora from her spot just outside of the Keyblade's reach.
"Sora, you're okay!"
Sora started when he heard his friend's voice, and he looked around for Donald and Goofy. He spotted them to his right, waving happily at him from beside another girl the same age as the redhead. She had a many-layered dress beneath a corset, with long gloves on each hand and a string of flowers around her neck Sora recognized to be hellebore, nightshade, hemlock and aconite. Her hair was short and black with a large streak of shock blonde, and her eyes were mismatched colors, the right wine-colored, the left a milky orange. Everything she wore was dark, and her expression clearly mirrored boredom. Black succubus wings peeked out from behind her, causing Sora to stare involuntarily.
"What the-" he blurted out, quickly changing his question to "What happened? The last thing I remember, that shadow creature hit me with..." he glanced down at his shoulder, but the wound was gone, a small puncture in his shirt the only evidence it had ever existed. He stared incredulously at his shoulder.
"I found you. Your friends were still unconscious, and you were in bad condition. I revived those two quite easily, but the poison had done a lot of damage to you. It took a while, but my magic eventually reversed the effects, as you are now aware."
It was the red-haired girl who addressed him, and Sora now turned to stare at her.
"Magic? What did you do? Who are you?" The words spilled out of his mouth, his brain still trying to process all he had heard.
"Oh, yes, please forgive me. My name is Shara Lumenos," she bowed gracefully, " and my friend is Faye Lydia Shinoaki XIII."
"Call me Faye," her companion said, blinking slowly and nodding in acknowledgment.
"I presume from your friend's outburst that you are Sora, and I have already met your companions. As for magic, yes, I do wield a magic of my own; more precisely, I control the element of light through my singing. One of my powers is to heal others, and I used this power to help you."
Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement with her, Faye still looking glumly bored beside them.
"Then I guess I owe you a 'thank-you,' Shara."
She smiled gently at this, bowing her head in response and her red hair swept down into her face. She tucked it back behind her ear.
"Do not thank me. It's nothing I would not have done for anyone else." Her cat-like eyes moved from Sora's face to the star-flecked sky, now lightening along the edge of the horizon. "Come, it is nearly daybreak and I am sure you have not slept tonight. Faye and I will take you to the inn."
Shara turned and headed off, motioning for the companions to follow her, Faye already rising to join her. Sora raised his hands in protest.
"Oh, no, I couldn't. You've already done so much; I don't want to impose-"
"It's alright. We don't mind. It's been a while since we last had visitors."
Shara continued on, leading the way with Faye at her back. As Sora turned to follow, he realized that the soles of Faye's shoes had metal spikes protruding from them. He gawked in surprise, and her mismatched eyes fell on him with a hint of disdain.
"For someone so polite, you are quite adept in the art of staring."
"You must admit, though, Faye," Shara said, smiling broadly, "that there are many strange things about you. Like your choice in hair accessories."
"Excuse me! Are you calling me strange?"
Shara laughed as a male voice came from Faye. Sora started as he realized that the voice came not from Faye, but from her hair clip, or more precisely, from the skull on the hair clip. He ogled, and Faye frowned irritably as the clip continued.
"Must you insist on being so happy this early in the morning?"
Shara laughed again, and the group walked on in silence, the woods thinning as they went. Fatigue caught up with Sora and he yawned tremendously, placing his hands behind his head as he traveled. As the black of night faded into the grey of dawn, the two girls spoke quietly, a large city coming into view before them.
"You really enjoy helping others, do you not?" Faye glanced back at the three exhausted figures behind them, Shara nodding in answer.
"Grim says to stop. You keep saving the souls she is trying to collect."
"Well, you can tell Ms. Reaper that if she really wanted them, you and I both know there would be nothing I could do to stop her."
Shara grinned, and even Faye's face cracked into a smirk. The girls turned down a path, walking through a garden to a large, three-story, homey-looking building. They stepped into a reception area, leading Sora, Donald and Goofy into a the warm glow of lamplight.
"Welcome to the Rosuto Kiryo Inn," Shara said as Faye scribbled something on the register. "Faye is co-owner, and I'm, well, what am I, Faye?"
"Do you mean besides a live-in moocher?" she muttered irritably as she searched for empty rooms.
"Ha, ha. Let's just say I help when help is needed. The other owner is Soria. Soria!" Shara shouted down a hallway to a balcony. "Soria, we've got new guests!"
A yelp came from the balcony and a girl toppled into view. Sora caught glimpses of cat ears and a tail before she landed in a heap on the floor. A thud reached his ears soon after.
"Ooh," Shara flinched. Sora looked worriedly down the hall, but Faye merely sighed.
"Not again..."
"Silly little klutz, I'm glad you don't fall over that much, Lovey," said the hair clip sleepily.
"Oh, hush, Lucien," Shara reprimanded. "Soria, are you alright?" she called down the hall. The heap disappeared as the cat-girl rose and she yelled cheerfully back.
"I'm okay!"
Sounds of movement followed, and then another crash broke the early morning silence. Shara flinched again, Faye rolled her eyes and Lucien laughed from his high perch.
"Still okay!"
"Come on," Faye said, starting down the hallway once more and turning onto a staircase."I believe there are some available rooms on the second floor."
Sora, Donald and Goofy followed her up, the girls opening three rooms and inviting them in. Shara smiled gently as she dimmed the oil lamp in Sora's room.
"The washroom is down the hall to the left. Breakfast will most likely be ready by the time you wake up." She motioned towards the bed, bowing slightly. "Sleep well, Sora. Oh, and," she mimicked Soria's high-pitched voice, acting as though she were reciting the rule book, "thank you for staying at Rusoto Kiryo Inn. Please enjoy your stay and come back soon!"
Sora laughed and she giggled as well as she softly shut his door. Sora yawned and stretched, the bed looking more inviting by the second. He kicked off his shoes and flopped down, fully clothed, to lay between the sheets. Within moments, he was sleeping soundly in the darkness.
(Scene 5)
Sora awoke to the sound of birdsong, a beam of sunlight shining cheerfully through his window. He rose, stretching and yawning, to put his shoes back on and to begin his morning routine. The room was a bit small, but that would only make his warm-up all the more challenging today. He brought out the Keyblade, instantly pulling it into position, striking out and just as suddenly spinning it back into a guard. It went on in this vein, the blade whistling lethally through the air, his movement silent and deadly.
Eventually, a knock came on his door. Sora ignored it, and the knock was repeated. A short silence followed, then his door opened slowly. Amber cat-like eyes peered cautiously in, followed soon after by the rest of Shara's willowy form. She shut the door quietly behind her.
"Good morning, Sora," she said in her soft, gentle voice. "Breakfast is ready downstairs when you are done."
She stood by the door, watching interestedly as Sora continued his workout, the tantalizing scent of home-made food drifting over to him from her clothes. Her eyes followed the rapidly moving weapon as it traced patterns before her.
"So, just exactly how good are you with that thing?" Shara asked teasingly, though she was clearly impressed. Sora said nothing, only smirked mischievously. The Keyblade flicked up to snag her jeweled pendant. With a twitch, the pendant was over her head and dangling from the blade. He continued on with the end of his workout, juggling the charm as he went, tossing the necklace in the air and catching it, sliding it down the length of the blade and then spinning it back up. As he moved into the last flourishes, the pendant played along the teeth of the Keyblade, then Sora struck out at Shara, stopping an inch from her widened eyes.
"That good," he laughed, tipping the blade to hang the charm back around her neck. Shara smiled.
"I stand humbly before you in awe."
The two walked down the stairs, Sora's stomach growling in anticipation of his first real meal in a long time. As he approached the table, however, he became quickly aware that not everyone shared his good mood. Donald and Faye were looking daggers at each other, both sitting with arms tightly folded, Faye wearing a silver mask over her mouth. Sora gazed perplexedly from one to the other, but Shara sighed and addressed the hair clip.
"What happened, Lucien?"
Lucien laughed from atop the girl's head.
"Oh, you'll never guess! Ducky over there said Lovey would look good in pink! If you ask me, putting on a mask of silence to keep in those rude comments is just as rude as saying them, Lovey!"
He continued laughing as Shara sighed.
"Faye, you must remove that mask if you hope to eat this morning."
Faye frowned at her, but nevertheless reached up to untie the strings. Shara and Sora took seats at the table, Sora gazing at Donald and mouthing, Pink? with clear incredulity. Donald shrugged and they began eating. As the food rapidly disappeared from their plates, Shara watched silently, thinking to herself. She went to clean up when they had stuffed themselves.
"Wow, that was great," Sora said. "Who cooked it?"
"Soria did," Shara answered from the kitchen. "She'll be glad to hear you liked it, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait to tell her; I believe she's upstairs cleaning again." Her amber eyes flicked upwards for a brief moment, then returned to gaze at Sora and his friends.
"So, what brings you to Shizuka? I saw you tracking something through the woods; are you looking for something?"
Sora looked up, somewhat startled.
"Uh, yeah, we are looking for something. You haven't seen anything like a shooting star lately, have you?"
Shara shook her head slowly.
"No, I'm afraid not. Why do you ask?"
"I just thought...well, I'm looking for," he hesitated here, wondering if she would understand, "for my memories. They were scattered in...in a fight." He played with the pendant on his neck as he trailed off. Shara watched, understanding completely, then glanced at Faye, who nodded.
"I think we may be able to help you then."
Sora's eyes brightened immediately.
"Really? How?"
Shara gazed steadily at him, speaking confidently and directly to him, as if he was the only one listening.
"Recently, I felt a great light fall here, followed by an intense darkness. The night I found you, I felt an even stronger light, your light, and it is one like I have never felt before. I understand now what that first light was; your memory. Something so pure must be returned to your heart. If you believe, as I do, that you are strong enough of heart, the Mirror Pool can show you the way. But I must warn you, there is a price."
Sora stared, then grinned.
"Of course I'm strong enough! Let's go, right now!"
(Scene 6)
A black silhouette moved silently through the trees, slinking through the undergrowth like a whisper. It bounded down a hill and into a small, darkened clearing where the Crimson Sorceress waited. The shadow thing approached, bowing low to its master, stopping at her feet and carefully watching the swishing tail of her panther.
"Ah, yes. What news do you have of the Keyblade Master?" Sashiro drawled lazily. The shadow twitched its antennae and chittered madly. The Sorceress seemed to understand him perfectly.
"How delightful. He makes this far too easy for us, Rumor, my love. Heros are a decidedly predictable bunch. Try as they might, there are some things that they cannot change."
Her scarlet lips shone eerily in the half-light of the woods as she smirked cruelly, her hands waving to summon a dozen more shadow beings.
"Prepare the trap. The Keyblade Master will play right into our hands this time; he won't have a choice!"
The creatures moved off, fading into the surrounding blackness as Sashiro sat back to revel in her scheme.
(Scene 7)
The little group moved off down the road, passing through the large town, attracting very little notice. Sora was at first confused by this, but he soon realized that they fit right in. By the time they reached the edge of the woods, Sora had seen a winged boy carrying a 10-foot hammer, a dangerous-looking man who somehow reminded him of Cloud, and what he strongly suspected was a vampire glaring out through a shop window.
They traveled along the same road that the girls had brought them down the night before, though now it was lit, Sora, Donald and Goofy could see it for all its true beauty. They passed an old manor, and Shara gazed off at it absently until she caught Sora watching her. She blushed slightly, quickening her steps in an attempt to hide her discomfort. After half an hour of walking, they rested in the shade of the great oaks and cedars of the forest.
"So, what kind of price will I have to pay?" Sora asked as Shara passed him some water.
"That depends on the information as well as the seeker, I'm afraid. Sometimes the Pool only takes something of material value, but sometimes it takes something more intrinsic. I have seen both, and it is not always clear why it takes what it does. It may even be that you are not aware of what has been taken until much later." She stared off, seemingly remembering something private. When she looked back, her eyes were still distant.
"I must warn you, though, Sora; the price is often heavy."
"I can handle it. I've got to," Sora declared. Just then, the leaves behind him rustled and Sora turned, startled.
"Miss Faye, Miss Faye!" yelled the small girl who ran towards them, flinging herself proudly at Faye's feet.
"I got what you wanted! It took forever, but I got it, no thanks to Marie."
Sora gawked as the girl pulled some dried herbs and assorted odds and ends from a hole in her stomach. He then realized that her whole body had been stitched together, Frankenstein-like, and her skin was a mishmash of red and black, with matching, spiky hair and large green eyes. A smaller girl, looking not more than eight years old, followed behind her, long blonde hair covering dark brown eyes yet failing to completely hide the fact that half of her body was burnt. The blonde girl walked up and sat with Shara, humming and smiling.
"Thank you, Mortis," Faye said, and seeing Sora staring again, explained irritably. "This is Mortis and Marie. As a necromancer, I have certain powers. I created Mortis from cardinal and raven parts, and accordingly she may transform into a bird at will. Marie is what some would call a zombie; that is, I brought her back to life to help me and I can summon her at will. Does that help you?"
Sora nodded.
"Ooh, shiny!" Mortis said, reaching for Sora's chain and charms, but Faye gave her a withering look, stopping her in her tracks.
"I wasn't going to steal it, honestly! He's cool, I can tell." She ran over to him and climbed up his back, flopping down to sit around his shoulders with her chin resting on Sora's head. "Yep, he's really cool."
Shara laughed as she stroked Marie's blonde hair.
"It seems Morty likes you, Sora! Well, shall we go? The Mirror Pool is only a short way from here."
They rose, Morty riding on Sora's shoulders, Marie humming and holding Shara's hand. Soon, a small pond came into view, reeds growing along its muddy banks and the sun shining gently on its smooth surface.
"Welcome to the Mirror Pool," Shara whispered almost reverently. "Go ahead, you only have to look into its depths and it will show you what you truly want to know."
She nodded encouragingly, smiling, and Faye nodded as well, motioning him towards the pond as she took a seat on a log.
"But Shara," Lucien wailed from her head, "remember what happened when you looked in the Pool? How can you make Sora do that? You don't know what it could d–" The hair clip was cut short as Faye tore him from her head.
"Be quiet," Faye scolded.
"But Lovey, I'm just saying that–"
Faye scowled, pulling out her silver mask and stuffing Lucien into it, effectively silencing him. She stuffed him back in her pocket.
"I apologize. Please continue."
Sora hesitated, wondering what had happened to Shara, but she merely smiled that same smile, and he forged ahead. At the water's edge, he knelt carefully, looking deeply into his reflection, seeing only his own bright blue eyes. Then suddenly and without warning, the face swirled in a stormy vortex, and images flashed before his mind faster than he could process. Somehow, though, he could still clearly understand the message the Mirror Pool was conveying to him and a single tear trickled down his face as it all sunk in. He found that he had been clutching the ground so hard that he had created two large pits in the muddy bank. Six pairs of worried eyes and one mildly interested pair met Sora's as he rose and turned.
"I know where it is," he said softly. Donald and Goofy celebrated happily and Shara walked over to support him as he walked weakly over to sit. Morty jumped back on his shoulders.
"I knew he could do it, not like those other stupid people." She playfully messed with his hair, laughing and joking, but Sora stared at his hands. What have I lost? he wondered. He could not find anything missing in his heart and it worried him. Shara's words floated back into his mind; It may even be that you are not aware of what has been taken until much later. He hoped it was not something he would need to defeat Sashiro.
Sora was brought back to reality as Faye unwrapped Lucien from her mask. His loud, angry shouts put a smile back on Sora's face.
"How rude! You stuffed me in your pocket without so much as a good-bye! I almost suffocated in there! I don't think I want to talk to you any more!"
Faye calmly clipped him back on her head, shaking the blonde lock from her eyes.
"I highly doubt that."
"Oh, yes! I don't think I will talk to you for the rest of the day, and there is nothing you can do to change my mind, Lovey. Absolutely nothing!"
He continued chattering away as Faye ignored him, turning to Shara.
"There is something I must do today, Shara. Will you please take these three back to the inn alone? I am sorry for the trouble."
Shara smiled once again as she always did.
"Sure, Faye, you know I will." She released Marie's hand as the girl skipped over to join Faye, and Morty hopped down from Sora's shoulders.
"I gotta go now, but I'll be back, 'kay?" She grinned toothily at him, waved once, then turned into a bird to fly behind the girl's retreating back.
"Be careful, Faye!" Shara called after her, then the group turned back down the path to head into town.
(Scene 8)
As the two parties went their separate ways, golden, lamp-like eyes watched them from a high branch above the Mirror Pool. The large black panther purred from his perch, his tail dropping down to trail in the water. He yawned richly, taking a short break before leaping down to the bank below. She would be pleased to learn of the Keyblade Master's vision in the Pool. It was just as she had said; they were playing right into her hands.
The panther padded through the woods after his target, stalking off after his prey. Within minutes, a dozen shadow creatures were at his side, tingling in anticipation of the catch. Rumor's whiskers twitched and he glanced at the creatures, sending them off and into position. And so they waited for the moment to strike, as they knew it soon would come...
(Scene 9)
Faye continued on through the woods, making her way towards her private errand, Mortis flying behind her and Marie cooing at her side.
"Don't worry, Marie. This will not take long."
Her mismatched eyes widened slightly and she stopped, looking around slowly and then narrowing them.
"What is it, Lovey?" asked Lucien, his own beady eyes whizzing around in their sockets confusedly. Faye didn't answer; she merely stared out into the forest for a while before continuing cautiously on. A dead white hand rose into the air, summoning Mortis to her.
"Mortis, keep a lookout as you fly. There is someone following us."
"I know! But every time I think I've found them, they disappear! It's really annoying me!" Morty turned and stuck her pink little tongue out at the trees behind her impudently then took off again into the air. Marie clutched Faye's hand tighter now, whining in fear, and Faye reached down to stroke her hair. They walked on like this for a few minutes, silent and tense in the morning sun that filtered through the canopy of oaks and cedars. Then, shattering the silence came a small shriek.
"Mortis!" Faye cried, turning in panic. The tiny bird came hurtling towards her, closely followed by an enormous shadow, streaking behind on great black wings.
"Miss Faye, run!"
And she did, scooping Marie up into her arms and sprinting through the woods, but what was once one pursuer had morphed into a dozen, led by a large black panther. The rag-tag trio flew through the forest, rapidly covering ground. Faye began to tire, and even running flat out would soon be too slow. The horde of creatures followed swiftly behind, never tiring, always gaining.
"Plan B, Mortis," she said, and pulled herself beneath a loamy ledge of rock and branches, hiding behind a curtain of moss. Marie, Faye and Morty huddled in the crevice, their lead gaining them only a moment's time before the shadow beasts crept up to their location, sniffing for signs of life. The three breathed as quietly as possible, shaking in the shadows in fear and fatigue. The panther's nose appeared through the moss and Faye held her breath, sighing silently when it disappeared again. A few minutes later, silence reigned again.
"It looks like we have lost them," Faye whispered, crawling out from the ledge.
"Really, now."
An equally pale face smiled before the girl, crimson lips pulled tight perniciously. A gasp escaped Faye's own lips, and she turned to run, but the panther hemmed her in. Marie squeaked in terror as she ran into a great shadowy hound.
"It was so nice of you to help me out, my dear," Sashiro oozed sarcastically. "And now to help me further-"
Black ropes of magic snaked out towards Faye, but she dodged, dropping to the ground and pulling out a small knife. Dodging more shots of dark magic, she quickly sliced her finger, smearing the almost black blood into the dirt, drawing it into a pattern before her. Sashiro shot even more magic now, forcing Faye to roll away before she could finish. The sorceress cackled, her ropes now within reach of the teen, but Marie shot in front of them, and the little girl was bound tightly in a flash.
"Marie!"
Faye crawled back to her blood-circle, pressing her hand to it, two grey flowers blooming from the scarlet-tinged ground, dropping their petals as two figures emerged from them. Green-tinged and covered in stitches like Marie, they too were once dead, the other summoned servants of Faye. A tall, beautiful woman and a lean young man now stood between her and Sashiro, ready to protect her however they could.
"Come now, missy, give me more credit!" Sashiro laughed. The two guardians were beset by her minions within seconds, and they fought bravely, but in minutes the woman was bound in ropes of magic just like Marie, leaving only the man and Morty, still in her bird-form. The beasts closed in on Faye and her protector, and Morty dove to help, but the man intercepted her.
"Go get help, Mortis," he demanded.
"But Ruid-!"
"Now!"
And he threw the little bird like a feathery baseball away from the fray, the creatures tackling him an instant later. He was restrained as well, and Sashiro strode to Faye's side.
"And so, my dear, you fought bravely, but there are still some things I need you to help me with," she remarked. Her white hand dug around in Faye's pockets, withdrawing the silver mask and toying with it in her spidery fingers. She snapped, and the creatures began to drag off the three guardian summons. Her own face bent down to whisper in Faye's ear.
"We are alike, you and I. The darkness is our friend, we bend it to our will. But, my dear, in my darkness, there is no escape; no one will hear your cries of pain."
She snickered softly to herself, reaching down and tying the mask around Faye's mouth, smiling as she struck out with a blast of strong magic, Faye screaming silently in pain behind the silver.
(Scene 10)
"A graveyard? Are you sure?"
Shara, Sora, Donald and Goofy walked through the town, reaching the inn around noon. Her feline eyes watched Sora's face for an answer.
"Yeah, I'm sure. That's definitely where the memory shard is."
"Well then, we had better rest up before we head there. The Shizukan Burial Grounds are quite a walk away and if there is going to be as much of a fight as you say the other shards gave you, you three are going to need all the strength you can get."
The companions ate a hurried lunch, Sora eager to get back on the move. Shara insisted that he rest for a while, forbidding him to leave the inn until she felt he had sufficiently recovered from the physical and emotional drain of the Mirror Pool. Donald and Goofy took advantage of the break to sleep some, but Sora remained restless and fidgety, finally rising to swing the Keyblade through the air. The light outside began to fade along with Sora's patience. Donald and Goofy joined him in the sitting room, all three bright with the light of adventure. As they readied themselves to leave, a disturbance in the entrance hall caught their attention.
"Miss Shara, Miss Shara!"
Morty came rushing at them, crashing into Shara's knees and hugging them tightly. Warm tears fell in torrents from her green eyes and her voice wavered as she spoke.
"Oh, Miss Shara, they took Miss Faye!"
"What! Who took Faye?" Shara's face contorted with worry, and she dropped down to cradle the crying bird-girl in her arms.
"Some lady in red! Oh, Miss Shara, she got Marie, and Kikyou and Ruid, too!" The girl wept inconsolably into Shara's arms, shaking with racking sobs.
"Who are Ruid and Kikyou?" Sora asked.
"Faye's other guardians," Shara said, fear bright in her cat-like eyes. She rose, holding Morty close and carrying her to Soria, who had run in at the sound.
"We've got to help Faye, Sora. Please! If that woman is a dangerous as you say..." she trailed off, no one needing her to finish the sentence. Soria took the girl from Shara's arms, her tail twitching nervously.
"Morty, where did Sashiro capture her?" Sora asked, but he received no answer; the girl was still crying too hard.
"I can find her, Sora," Shara said.
"No; it's bad enough that she's in trouble because of me, I don't want you hurt as well."
"I'm going!" she declared. "Faye is my closest friend, she's like family to me! I can't risk losing her!"
Sora looked into Shara's determined face and saw that he couldn't sway her now.
"Alright, but I'm warning you-"
"I'll be careful, I promise."
The four turned to leave, the light of battle in their eyes, and Soria cried out.
"Shara, wait!"
Shara turned, a single tear in her eye, and she rushed back to Soria, embracing her tightly.
"We'll get her back, Soria. Please, stay here and take care of everyone else."
Soria nodded, tears in her own eyes as she clutched at Morty's tiny body. Shara's voice rose up through the room, and a small golden light appeared between her hands, glowing brightly as they ran into the town and out into the forest. Flying through the darkness, Sora rushed ahead of the group, Keyblade held before him and ready for battle. Shara was right behind, her eyes misty silver, her song holding a sharp edge.
Emerging into a clearing, they heard a noise, indistinct and low.
"Sora, wait!" Shara called. She bent down to the dirt, kneeling to see what the cause was. Her pale hand picked up what looked like a hair clip.
"Lucien! How did you get here?" Sora exclaimed from her elbow, recognizing the skull she was currently brushing earth from.
"Ptth, ptth, Faye–ptth– was taken–ptth, ptth– by some witch! Ptth– there was a– struggle, and– ptth– I fell out!" He said, spitting dirt out of his mouth and his blue eyes whizzing around violently. "We have to get my lovey back!"
Shara's eyes, still misted over in silver, turned down in sadness. She did not speak, as she was still singing her magic, but carefully tucked Lucien into her pocket. When she turned to Sora, her face said everything for her.
"Let's go," Sora said darkly. They headed out, unsure of where Sashiro had taken Faye yet ready to search all night. The group ran on through the woods, frantic as time ticked away and still they found no signs of their friend. Sora dropped to the ground to catch his breath, the others panting behind him.
"This isn't working!" he yelled through gritted teeth, slamming a fist into the forest floor. "She could be anywhere and we're just running around like idiots!"
Shara's eyes dropped down in sadness again and Sora immediately regretted his outburst. He stood up to continue the search once more, anger coursing through his veins, when he caught a silver flash. He dashed forward, thinking it was Faye's mask.
"Over here!"
The four rushed to the spot, but all that was visible was more trees. Sora stood for a moment in confusion, then looked up to see a faint figure further on.
"You," he whispered, recognizing the same silver-haired woman that had helped him at the lake. "You know where Faye is?"
The young woman nodded, turning to run off, waving at him to follow. Sora tore after her, Donald, Goofy and Shara a few steps behind him, somewhat confused as to who he was talking to.
"Sora, we're heading to the graveyard!" Shara sang through her magic. Sora couldn't help but think it was strange that the memory shard and Sashiro would be in the same place. She was up to something, he could feel it.
(Scene 11)
Sashiro waited for the Keyblade Master, knowing he would come for her captive. She smiled wickedly as she sat on a mausoleum, white feet tapping against the equally white marble, scarlet lips twisted in a devilish smile as she hummed a chilling tune. The large black panther had draped himself atop a large tombstone, tail twitching idly as it hung before the lovingly carved name and golden eyes dutifully watching the prisoner tied at the foot of a stone angel. The Crimson Sorceress stopped her musing and stared as well at the succubus girl.
"Come now, don't look so glum," she crowed, and Faye said nothing, her mouth still covered by the silver mask of silence, her head hanging down in pain and fatigue. A golden light appeared on the horizon of the graveyard. Sashiro's grin grew wider and more wicked.
"It appears my plan has worked," she said silkily, "the Keyblade Master and your friend the firefly are headed straight towards us!"
In a matter of minutes, Sora, Donald, Goofy and Shara came into view, their figures easily visible in the bright moonlight.
"Sashiro! Let her go!" Sora yelled from a few yards off, the Ultima Keyblade glittering in Shara's magical light, her own song growing stronger and gaining an even deadlier tone. He brought the Keyblade around into an intimidating stance, Donald and Goofy doing the same, Shara's light glowing brighter and flickering menacingly.
"Come and get her, if you wish, Keyblade Master," Sashiro answered in mock sweetness, bowing her head sarcastically and spreading her white arms wide. "But until that time, she is mine!"
She struck out into Faye's body once more with her dark magic, and Faye's body twitched and writhed against the bonds that held her to the statuary. Her screams of pain were hidden in the silver mask, and her mismatched eyes glinted dully back at her friend.
"FAYE!" Shara screamed, dropping her song in panic and terror.
"Sashiro, stop it!" Sora pointed straight at the sorceress with the razor-sharp edge of the Keyblade. "This fight is between me and you, not her!"
"Ha! Between you and me, is it? This girl aided you, helped you on your journey, became your friend! In my book, that makes her fair game!"
Sashiro cackled loudly, throwing an even stronger bolt of darkness into the girl, and Faye's dead-white body shuddered violently, then fell ominously still.
"No. NO!" Shara yelled, rushing forward, Sora doing the same, the fires of anger and rage burning behind his azure eyes.
Yes, get mad, let your rage flow through you, Keyblade Master! Sashiro thought. It will destroy your heart all the sooner!
Shara's voice rose up once more through the darkness, and a golden missile of light went streaking towards the unsuspecting Crimson Sorceress, grazing her right arm.
"Ah!" she yelped in pain. Sashiro had not expected Shara to be so bold as to attack.
"Why you impudent little–!"
She shot her own retaliatory burst of dark magic at the redhead, but Goofy jumped in the way and blocked it with his sturdy shield. Grumbling and watching as Sora closed the distance, weapon flashing and getting dangerously near, she began to chant softly under her breath. The words were arcane and ancient, a dark glow starting to rise from the ground. Sora slowed only slightly at this, determined to reach the sorceress and free her captive.
Shara ran forward as well, throwing missiles of light at Sashiro as fast as she could, her eyes glowing bright, misted silver and narrowing in anger. She flung her arm in front of her, shooting out another golden blast, but just as it reached the tombstone before her target, it rebounded back, reflected by a barrier of dark magic.
"What the–!" Sora shouted, running up against it seconds later, flying backwards and landing on his butt. "Sashiro!"
Shara came to Sora's side, banging her fists against the barrier, shouting and crying in dismay.
"No! Let her go, please!"
She continued to fling herself at the dark magic, bouncing off time and again, each time getting more and more frantic, more and more panicked.
"Faye! FAYE!" Shara screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The four tried all they could to break through Sashiro's dark shield, Shara and Donald casting spells, Sora and Goofy bashing at it with their weapons. Soon they were panting with exhaustion, the Crimson Sorceress still safe and unharmed only a few tantalizing feet before them.
Ha! They're making this too easy! But you have yet to show me your true anger, Keyblade Master. I will break you into a rage and watch you flounder in your flooded heart!
Sashiro smiled cruelly and turned back to Faye.
"Don't think I'm done with you, my dear," she said. With a smirk and a wink at Sora and Shara, she let loose with the strongest blast she could muster, drawing out the attack as they watched, prolonging the pain of the poor girl. Something snapped inside Sora as he stared helplessly at this display, his blue eyes turning icy and his face contorting into a mask of fury. The Keyblade rose like a guillotine in front of him, and Sashiro inwardly celebrated. She had broken him! She would watch him drown in emotion!
Sora swung with all his might, the Keyblade striking against the black wall and stars exploded outward, showering down onto the ground. He struck again and again, as hard as he could, and Sashiro watched as a small scratch became etched into the barricade's surface.
Nothing should be able to damage my barrier, nothing! she screamed in her mind, but she smiled again soon enough. No matter, it will still take an eternity to break through that way!
"Let her go, now."
The white woman turned around, her spell finally wearing off, looking surprised. She had expected the Keyblade Master to speak, but it had been-
"Shara, stay out of this! I'll kill her!"
But Shara's look of hatred far surpassed that of Sora's, and something was alight in her eyes that had not been present before. Her song was so low, it echoed deep within Sora's body; it carried such an edge he almost thought his ears would bleed. Her golden light grew around her, gathering together in her hands. More and more, Shara's light grew, becoming brighter than the full moon until she held what resembled a small supernova before her trembling body.
"Shara, don't! It won't work!" Sora yelled, but she was deaf to everyone, glaring with rage at Sashiro. Her hands thrust forward with all of her might, sending the miniature star blasting into the barrier.
"You will let her go!"
The light and dark exploded together, lighting up the entire graveyard in a glaring flash, Sora and the others shielding their eyes instinctively. When they looked back, the barrier still held strong, Sashiro laughing with malice behind it. Shara stared in disbelief, her knees on the verge of collapse, but she pulled herself together and tried to run at the barrier one more time.
"Stop it! You're going to kill yourself!" Sora cried, catching Shara in his arms and holding her back. She struggled against him, but he had grown stronger since Destiny Islands, and the small young woman could not escape him.
"Let me go!" she pleaded. "She's my best friend! I can't lose her, she's the closest thing I have to family anymore!"
"You're going to kill yourself!"
"I don't care! I can't stand by and watch my best friend be taken by the darkness, I just can't! You could never understand, Sora!"
Sora spun Shara around at this and stared her straight in the eyes. He held her like this for a few silent moments, his face stony and set.
"I understand better than you think," he stated calmly, thoughts of Riku flashing through his mind. "Just listen to me. It's not what not she'd want."
The anger left Shara's eyes, and they returned once more to a sad, dull amber. She collapsed to the ground at Sora's feet, tears falling fast and thick.
"Yes, cry! Cry and give up, it is all you can do! You should follow her example, Keyblade Master!" Sashiro gloated. She took a seat on a tombstone, content that no one could break through, that Sora would be consumed by his anger as Shara had been. She began laughing, growing louder and louder, now ignoring the four in her assumed victory. For this, she missed the tingle of sparking magic behind her.
"Shara?" Sora asked. He watched as more tears fell to the ground from the redhead's eyes, noticing that they seemed to shine with the same light as her magic had. "Shara, what's going on?"
"Sora, get out of the way."
"What!"
Sora knelt down beside Shara, and she looked up into his face. He gasped as he saw some unnameable power within her, the rising magic almost tangible. Even Sashiro had noticed by now, her cackling ceased, her brow furrowed in annoyance.
"What now, you stupid song mage?"
Shara stood up slowly, her head hanging on her chest as though she was summoning something from deep within her heart. The jeweled pendant around her neck was alight now, the inner yin-yang blazing brighter than the others.
"You shall pay now, Crimson Sorceress," Shara stated, her voice unusually low and serious.
"Go ahead and try, all of you, I dare you!" Sashiro shrieked, losing her temper as she had hoped Sora would. Shara began to chant in a strange, ancient language.
"Inei ashita dumastei yatuwei elementia Lumen ya Umbrel!"
A whirlwind rose up around the redhead, spreading out and splitting into two tornadoes, one of light, one of dark. They swirled behind Shara, growing and growing. A pair of large, leathery wings stretched out from each, the storms beginning to solidify, forming themselves into two giant dragons. The left was a bright golden color, radiating an almost holy light; the right, a deep ebony black, so deep it seemed to suck in its partner's light and the surrounding light as well.
"Behold Lumen and Umbrel, the Elementia dragons of Light and Dark!"
The two dragons roared out a challenge to Sashiro, she staring in terrified awe at the creatures, Sora, Donald and Goofy doing the same.
"I can call the Elementia dragons only when I am at the end of my wits, so their summoning is really thanks to you. Just be thankful I didn't call the dragons of the other elements!"
The Crimson Sorceress shuddered in fear at these words, backing up slowly, leaving her unconscious captive tied to the statue.
"It doesn't matter," she cried defiantly. "You still have to get through my barrier!"
Her retreat halted as she regained her courage.
Shara called out to the dragons in the strange tongue.
"Lumen, Umbrel, brii'to!" -Lumen, Umbrel, attack!-
Both dragons swung their heads to look directly at the sorceress, opening their gaping maws and displaying razor teeth. Streams of blazing light and hazy darkness burst out of their mouths and streaked at the wall, blasting into it with legendary force. The barrier shuddered, rocking with the impact and shaking violently. As the initial glare died down, Sora gawked to see that the small scratch he had made had become a large crack.
"Brii'to kha!" -Attack again!-
The dragons attacked once more, shooting beams of magic toward Sashiro with deadly grace and accuracy. The burst of darkness slammed into the wall, substantially weakening it and draining its power, the light then breaking upon it like tsunami waves. The crack widened, more spreading outward in a spider-web of fine lines.
"Brii'to kha!"
Time after time, the two dragons heeded Shara's words, throwing all of their magical might behind their blasts, each time creating more cracks, getting ever close to breaking through. And then, Shara spoke a single word more, and Lumen and Umbrel reared up onto their hind legs, readying themselves for what Sora believed would be the final, finishing blow. The creatures looked as determined as Shara, and they seemed to be gathering all their remaining strength into one last attack. Two giant streams burst from their mouths, ripping towards the black magic barricade.
For what seemed like an eternity, the dragons held their attack, then, with a great cracking sound, the barrier shattered into thousands of dark magic shards.
"No!" Sashiro screamed. She raised her hands and shot black missiles of her own magic at Shara and the dragons. The light around Shara raised into a shield and repelled them, and Shara began to walk purposefully towards the sorceress. A large streak of light rocketed from the girl's hand and slammed into Sashiro, bowling her over.
"Ah!" she yelled in pain. "Stay away, I warn you!"
But Shara merely threw another ball of light at her, knocking her back into the ground again. Time and again, Shara launched her magic in the Crimson Sorceress. She turned her magic to form a glowing saber, slashing with maddened grace into the scarlet robes and pale skin of her friend's torturer. Red gashes blossomed on every part of Shashiro's body, her clothes tore in myriad places. Soon, the woman was tattered and beaten, Shara's light-sword pointing with its tip in Sashiro's throat.
"But my plan was perfect!" she gasped, staring up into the amber eyes now so full of that strange light.
"Nothing is perfect," Shara said simply. She glared down at the woman, but did not strike the final blow. "Leave."
Sashiro rose, bruised and bloody, weak and injured, her panther leaping to her side like a shadow and the two of them disappeared in a cloud of darkness.
"This is not the end, Keyblade Master!"
Sora ran up to Shara, eyes still wide at her display. She turned softly to face him.
"Forgive me, I lost control of myself."
"What! You just blasted the living daylights out of Sashiro!"
Shara merely smiled sadly and wearily, collapsing into Sora's arms as the rest of her strength left her. He threw an arm around her shoulders and they walked that way over to the stone angel, Faye still unconscious at its feet. Shara knelt and gently cradled the young woman, softly singing a song, a small light flickering into life, her magic healing Faye now instead of Sora. Mismatched eyes fluttered slowly open again, gazing blearily into amber ones as Shara untied the silver mask.
"Sh–shara?" Faye mumbled, falling to hug the redhead tightly. The two cried into each other's arms, Lucien shouting in delight from Shara's pocket. Sora smiled at Donald and Goofy, stepping away to give them some personal time.
"Sora, look," Donald whispered, pointing at the pendant around his neck. It was glowing crazily and tugging like mad on its chain.
"Oh, I'd almost forgotten!"
Sora followed its pull in a hurry, seeing a glow behind a tombstone to his left. There, glittering in the night like a tiny falling star was a large memory shard. His gloved hand reached out and grasped the shining crystal. He winced slightly as it sunk into his flesh then gasped aloud.
"Sora! You alright?" Goofy asked in alarm.
"Kairi."
"Huh?" both wondered.
"Kairi. Her name's Kairi!" Sora's face burst into a wide grin and he stood and pulled the two into a bear hug. "Her name's Kairi! Kairi! KAIRI!"
(Scene 12)
The fire flickered slowly, spreading a warm glow around the room. All were happy, Faye brought safely home by Sora, Shara and the others, her guardians rescued as well. After a large amount of hugging and crying on behalf of the girls and a few excited crashes on behalf of Soria, everyone settled down in the sitting room.
Talking, laughing, recounting of the battle, everything ensued in the happy reunion. Great food was shared, now only crumbs on the forgotten plates, and Sora felt truly happy since his first encounter with Sashiro. The night was now fading into another grey dawn, the group still gathered in the sitting room. Faye had pulled out a violin and was playing a sweet, calm song, Shara singing softly along.
Come dreaming with me, sweet child of mine
To a place 'tween tonight and tomorrow
Where the world is much softer and calmer and slow
And the crickets sing along with the swallow
Together we'll gather the stars from the night
And bundle them up with a string
Or soar through a sky of sapphire blue
On our own glist'ning butterfly wings
We'll slide down the rainbows and chase rays of sun
Then talk with the swift summer breeze
And sit down to tea with the man in the moon
Up high past the tops of the trees
So close now your eyes of emerald green
And your lips of light cherubim pink
On your pillow of clouds and your bed made of roses
With a smile, a nod and a wink
Come dreaming with me, sweet child of mine
As I sing you to sleep with my song
I'll rock back and forth and cradle you close
And stay by your side all night long
Shara finished and gazed over at Sora, smiling at the sight of him. He was sitting in a chair by the fire, Marie in his lap, Morty on his shoulders, all three fast asleep.
"I think Sora's made some new friends," she remarked to Faye, who nodded slightly. All shuffled off to bed, Shara tucking a blanket around the sleeping boy's form and gently pulling Marie off his lap, Faye relieving him of Morty.
Sora, Donald and Goofy spent most of the next morning relaxing in the Rusoto Kiryo Inn, enjoying a brief respite before heading out. Sora stood on the balcony, gazing out at the beautiful landscape and sighing.
"Something still troubles you," Shara said, coming up behind him and leaning as well on the balcony.
"Yeah."
Sora said nothing more, but Shara already knew, watching him finger the white-pink pendant.
"You miss her so much, don't you, this Kairi?"
Sora gasped, then nodded.
"The memories I'm looking for, they're of her."
"You left her behind to protect her, moved farther away for her safety."
"How'd you know!" Sora sputtered, thinking Shara had read his mind, but she only smiled that mysterious smile again and pulled out the jeweled pendant from around her own neck.
"Because I do the same. So long as this pendant is safe, my friends are as well. I fled from my home to protect them all, never to see them again."
"I'm...I'm sorry..."Sora mumbled apologetically.
"Keep her in your heart, Sora, and that will give you strength. Something tells me that, unlike me, you will meet your friends again."
Sora's blue eyes widened to stare at these words, but Shara only reached out and ruffled his brown-blonde hair.
"Be careful, Sora."
"You too, Shara."
(Scene 13)
Everyone from the Rusoto Kiryo Inn walked the trio to the gummi to say good-bye. Morty jumped one more time onto Sora's shoulders, hugging his head tightly.
"You come back and visit us again, 'kay?"
"I promise," Sora laughed.
"Sora, wait. Faye and I have something for you."
The redhead and the succubus girl walked to the tousle-haired boy.
"We want to thank you for rescuing me," Faye said, bowing her head graciously.
Sora watched curiously as she sliced her finger, red-black blood flowing down her hand. He started as Shara sang a sweet song at his side, and she smirked as she reached out a glowing hand to touch Faye's bloody one, golden magic flaring against the blackness. Dark swirled with light, the blood disappearing as the golden glow solidified. The two hands flashed brightly, and when Sora could see again, there was only a small charm.
"For you, the Llenari keychain," Shara said, placing the charm in Sora's palm.
Sora gazed at it in wonder, the charm glittering in the noontime sun. It was in the shape of a yin-yang, but instead of the usual opposing spots of black and white, there was a slash within the middle, the black a deep onyx, the white a sparkling opal.
"It...it looks just like the middle of your necklace!"
"Yes, that is what I modeled it after. In the language of the dragons, llenari means harmony. That charm is made of the dark magic in Faye's blood and the light magic of my own power. The dark half will protect you from the shadow creatures, the light will of course help you defeat them."
"Thank you, thank you both!" Sora exclaimed, immediately clipping the Llenari onto the Keyblade. It flashed once, and all were amazed at its transformation. Around a glittering blade, a thread of onyx and one opaline thread, matching those on the charm, twined down the length, the black curving out the top in a scythe-like shape, the white splintering into four sparkling teeth. The two threads snaked together at the bottom to form a dragon, reaching around the leather bound grip to form the hand catch.
"It's ...it's wonderful!" Sora breathed, turning it in the sun.
"It gives you a new power as well, Sora, one of my own."
Shara whispered a word in his ear, the trigger for the new spell.
"Flare!"
A blast of the same golden light Shara had wielded shot from the Keyblade and impacted in a great blaze on the nearest tree, incinerating it instantly.
"Coooo-ooooool!"
Shara smiled, both she and Faye bowing once more. The three climbed into the gummi ship, sticking their faces out the windows as it rumbled upwards into the blue sky.
"Bye! Don't forget us!"
"Sure was nice meetin' ya'll!"
"Sorry about the pink thing!"
Everyone on the ground waved fiercely, shouting their own farewells, and the ship fired its engines and blasted off into the unknown.
And now for a special surprise, a short story about Naminé. If you haven't played KH: Chain of Memories yet, stop reading now and go play it. It's good and has a great story. That, and you'll be lost beyond all belief.
She watched the figures in the stone blooms before her, pale blue eyes tracing the sleeping forms nearly obscured by the petals. Naminé rose a hand to the white marble around the tousle-haired boy. He had found the light within his heart, the links of his memories slowly falling back into place. I hope you find your light in real life, Sora, she thought, her own heart containing no light, only a glimmer of hope. All who knew her soon forgot her; that's how it always was. Somehow, though, she knew Sora would keep his promise.
A loud noise made Naminé's hand recoil, a black shoe retreating from the marble bloom to a black trenchcoat at the edge of her vision. Supposedly, only those who knew of these flowers' contents could see them, and Naminé breathed a silent sigh of relief to see this was indeed true. Silver hair and a sneering face now accompanied the trenchcoat in her field of sight.
"Still spending time with your friends the statues?" Zexion crowed, a tone of superiority dripping from every word. His grey eyes stopped on her, lingering for a moment before turning cold.
"I've been charged with retrieving you from this wreck of a castle. What the Organization wants with Marluxia's old toy is beyond me..."
A flush rose to Naminé's cheeks and she burst out in uncharacteristic rage, flying at the man in anger with fists raised.
"Marluxia's old toy! How dare you–!"
Zexion grabbed one swinging arm, pulling her into his grasp.
"I thank you. We can now leave and I didn't even have to move."
A cruel smirk crossed his face as Naminé scowled. As he gripped her tighter in preparation to leave, her pale blue eyes moved back to gaze at Sora. He and his friends were still encased in their marble blooms, dreamlessly sleeping as their memories chained back together. They were all almost done, almost back to normal. She held in her heart the hope that they would be fine without her; Naminé had faith the three could find their way out of Castle Oblivion now that the Organization had abandoned it.
I'm so sorry, Sora, she whispered in her mind. You fought so hard to free me from the darkness and I have slipped back to it so easily. Naminé remembered his cheerful smile, so bright and sunny, and a small smile graced her own lips before she disappeared along with Zexion.
It all seemed so long ago, so very far away in the distant corridors of her mind. Naminé pulled absent-mindedly at her flaxen hair, the strands permanently laying over her right shoulder, pulled there and twisted, just as they were now, in so many times of happiness, sadness, confusion, boredom or nervousness. Her pale blue eyes searched from her wrought-iron table, interrupted by the smiling waiter's arrival with her soda.
Naminé smiled sweetly back, both face and clothing falsely innocent. As he left, she resumed her search from the quaint café, seeming only a kind little girl out for a bit of sun. Her eyes hooded over darkly, as her mind turned once more inside.
Is nothing sacred to you, Naminé? she chided herself. Do you not respect the sanctity of the mind?
Her head shook as if trying to dislodge these thoughts from her mind. It was useless, she knew, for she could not escape from her captors.
Run away? They would find her. Fight back? They would fight back as well, often physically, to the point of near-death. Naminé had once tried, in an effort of desperation, to remove links from her own mind, erase the memory of her power. What bliss it had been, ignorant of her destructive potential! What freedom! But the Organization had found out, and they dove deep into her heart as only they could, retrieving the vital link and forcing it back into her chain of memories. No, even that had failed. There was no escape for one such as her.
Wrenching her mind somewhat guiltily back to reality, Naminé resumed her search of the street. Slowly, she sipped her soda, secretly savoring the sensation of innocence and freedom it brought to her lips, the feeling shattered as her target came into sight. A small sigh escaped her as she steeled herself for the task at hand.
It's him or you, Naminé, him, or you.
With an ease that made her shudder, Naminé reached out to the man's mind and heart, intangible chains appearing in her hands. She removed a link here, added one there, twisted a few and rearranged others. Her hands held the chains a few moments after she had finished, warming the links as a token of remorse. And then Naminé released the chains, letting them fade back into the man's heart.
He stopped, by chance, immediately beside her porch-front table. Blinking, he stared around, disoriented as the new memories made themselves known.
"Are you alright, sir?" she asked, her face the picture of worry and concern.
"Yes. I mean, I think so..."
He trailed off, his mind puzzling things out, and the man strode off, a dazed look on his face.
Naminé sighed openly. Just one more mind I've corrupted. She was too far gone to be pure and innocent now, no matter how hard she wanted to be. Yet in her heart, she knew she was not evil, was unlike the monsters she worked for. Naminé was a creature of twilight, of dusk, slowly edging towards the darkness of night whether or not she went willingly. A tear came to her eye at this realization, but she held it back as an oily voice whispered in her ear.
"Come, the deed is done. Back to your cage, girl."
Zexion's dark form appeared in the shadows behind Naminé as she dropped a few coins nest to her half-finished soda. His pale hands drew her to him and began to pull her back to the prison once more.
I'm so sorry, her heart whispered to no one, its apology lost to the darkness around her.
