Disclaimer: Yeah. I own Kingdom Hearts. Psyche! xD
A/N: Ahhmahhgawd. New chapter! This is the longest one... even longer than the previous one. This might even be the most dramatic chapter so far. Ohshizz. Did I just say that? Never mind. Forget that. Anyway, one more chapter after this to finish things off, and then an epilogue to wrap things up. Intertwined Destinies is indeed coming to its end. Oh, by the way, if you ever find anything too confusing, I'd be glad to explain it. Ask in your review and I'll reply... or e-mail me if you wish. Yeah. I'll answer you, no doubt. Just don't ask any spoiler-ish questions. (: AND, I have a few one-shots up that you could take a peek-see at if you wanna. Okay, okay. There's seven. Um... on with the chapter!
xoxo Bianca.
P.S; To clear some confusion, there will be some weird
'KSsHsk' sounds... that's to represent the sound of
white-noise. You know... that strange fuzzy, stuffy sound
you get from the TV or phone sometimes. And there will
be "random" numbers... erm. I guess you'll really find out
what those things mean if you get to play KH2. Yeah...
Intertwined Destinies
Chapter Twenty-Five.
"Here's your pay for this month, Miss Trinity."
"Oh—thank you... so, so much..." There was a pause. "Why, I don't believe I've earned this much, sir—"
"Believe me, you have. I reckon you got enough to bring that brother of yours to the doctor now."
"I... I do!" Trinity's eyes lit up with merriment, nearly welling up with tears of joy. "Finally, he'll get better... I know he will." A bright smile spread across her face as she captured her manager in a suffocating embrace.
"Eh—now, none of that mushy stuff. You best go now... erm, take care, you hear?"
Trinity nodded eagerly, her honey blonde curls bouncing over her shoulders. She could not speak—overtaken with bliss. She tightened her grip on the satin bag filled with munny, and whisked around to flounce upstairs where her younger brother, Akuji, should be awaiting her.
"Finally," Trinity breathed, pushing her way up the stairs and breezing through the hallways, taking care not to shove anyone to the side in her haste. "Finally... finally..."
Trinity fumbled with her keys, her hands trembling ecstatically. At last, the door swung open. "Akuji!" She rushed to her brother's bedside, her grin genuine, giggles bubbling in her throat. She took hold of the sleeping boy's wrist, gazing fondly at his mop of blonde hair—much like hers. "Akuji, I have... enough... um..."
… … …
"Akuji...?"
"The truth? I'll give you fools the truth. I would not want you all to die in such a confused state."
"He died—" Trinity brought her hands to her dampened, bloodshot eyes. "I was too late, sir—"
"Shh, it's... quite alright." Merlin reached out and assisted Trinity in standing. The dark, amiable eyes behind his spectacles glistened. "I am positive I can help you, dear Trinity."
… … …
"Oh, Merlin... how can I ever, ever thank you...?"
"When Sora lost his memory," Naminé sighed, her hand running along the slender windowpane, gazing dolefully through the glass, "everyone he forgot—forgot him as well."
She did not know whom she was talking to. Perhaps she was speaking to herself. Perhaps... she was explaining to the empty air.
"When Sora regained his memories, bit by bit..." Naminé turned around, her back flat against the cool glass. "Everyone who he was remembering... began to remember him, too."
Naminé shifted her gaze sideward, seeing a glimpse of the orange-tinted Twilight Town scenery behind the glass she leaned on. "Until recently, everyone had forgotten Sora. Even Kairi."
She reached backwards, pulling at a thick string, allowing a set of white curtains to swish in front of the window, concealing her from view. But it was not like anyone would want to peer into this house of hers. Many thought this mansion was haunted. Deep in thought, Naminé took a few steps forward, her right hand clasping her left forearm behind her. She reached the pristine table, where her pencil and open sketchpad sat.
"But now—now that he can remember them... they can all remember him."
Hey... Kairi!
"Miss—Miss Kairi?"
Did you forget me?
"Wha—?" Kairi brought a hand to her forehead, feeling the layered bangs brush against her fingers. Her eyes closed in pain as she clenched her pencil tightly, and she shifted uncomfortably at her desk. "That voice..."
"Miss Kairi, are you well?" The teacher crossed his arms in concern, wishing he could just resume the ever-so complicated lecture on Destiny Island history. All the other students turned to see, in aggravation, what was wrong with the strange redheaded girl.
That's mean, Kairi!
"Ah!" A jolt of remembrance thundered past Kairi's heart, and her eyes flashed open as she quickly rose from her seat. "That boy..."
"Retrieval level at 79 percent."
"The truth... is something no regular person could have the capability of understanding straightforwardly. But—until about a week before the fateful day everything changed," Mew's eyes shimmered in negative mirth, "everyone who held a connection to Sora could not remember him... at all. Of course, no one is very aware of that. It was all so sudden." Her claws pawed at the pebbles underneath her.
I can't be... Toshi closed his eyes, bringing his hand to his opposite shoulder, as if he were suddenly overcome with torturous feelings. It's... impossible. I don't have a sister!
"It was the same day Akuji was reborn as Toshi." Mew flicked her long, coarse pink tongue over her maw. "Akuji believed, not recalling anything from his past, that he was dubbed Toshi because of its obvious meaning."
Kairi, although in her state of being emotionless, lifted her head—remembering. She recalled the moment she was speaking with Selphie, conferring about the newcomer on the islands.
"Very funny." Selphie placed her hands on her hips. "I'm just really excited..."
"You mean like always?"
Selphie paid Kairi no heed. "... about that new boy. I never got his name, but it's all right because you're going to tell me all about him."
Kairi sighed. "Actually, I didn't get that much out of him. He was really secretive. He wouldn't even tell me where he was from. His name is Toshi, though."
"Toshi?" Selphie's eyes brightened. "You know, that name means 'Mirror Image.' Maybe that has something to do with him looking so much like Sora?"
And Kairi realized—if she had forgotten Sora until that certain day at school when she began remembering him, then Selphie and the others must have lost all inferences of Sora, too.
Sora then suddenly gave out a difficult grunt, wincing as he felt an aching pang flow through his head.
"Ah," Mew noticed Sora's movement in interest, "so it begins."
"What?" Riku shouted—anguished, confused, and not confused all at the same time. It was not a pleasant combination. "What begins?"
Sora caught himself from falling forward, reaching out and flattening the palm of his hand against the solid liquid wall in front of him.
Sora...
"Kai..." He winced, his eyes shutting closed. Mew smirked.
Whoa!
Gimme a break, Kai—
C 2 D 9 A 8 9 9
KSsHsk …
What's wrong, Sora? Giving up already?
7 1 8 6 E 3 2 2
KSsHsk …
If there are any other worlds out there...
Then ours is only a piece of something much greater.
KSsHsk …
F 3 6 9 4 D1 4
This world has been connected.
Wh-who are you?
Tied to the darkness...
8 90 7 — KSsHsk …
- — 42 2 9 5 6 0 2 2 8
Sora, don't ever change.
The door... has opened.
Riku...
You understand so little.
1 5 10 3 4 35 1 6 4 27
KSsHsk …
... Sora...
"Sora!" Riku turned to his friend and seized him by the shoulders, shaking him slightly in an attempt to return him to reality. "Sora! Sora!"
About eight feet away, Kairi reached up and felt her cold forehead. As Riku kept yelling Sora's name, she couldn't help but think... how familiar it seemed...
"Sora! Sora! Just... open your eyes!" Riku's voice was strained.
Kairi's fingers ran down her cheek, her empty blue eyes suddenly filling with realization—a jingling of chains... a slight feeling of warm, gloved hands at the base of her neck—at the side of her waist. Someone... shaking her, gently, trying to beckon her to reality... trying to awaken her heart. Someone... a voice, a familiar voice, saying her name... needing her to regain life once more.
It was at Hollow Bastion.
"Kairi... Kairi! Open your eyes...!"
As Sora struggled, as Riku let him go and watched as his best friend slid against the force field-like wall—Kairi's eyes shifted towards... that boy.
"Sora," she murmured.
And, slowly, gradually... Sora's eyes opened.
Trinity gulped, steadying the large spell book in her arms.
"I must do this now."
She couldn't wait. She needed her brother. She needed his smile, his comforting jokes, and his crazed riddles. She needed his weak but assuring embrace. She was too alone. She couldn't take it anymore—
"Et very miun verellä..." Trinity's fingers trembled terribly as she cleared her throat, her hazel eyes widening and slowly pronouncing the words on the page. Her heart's pace increased rapidly... pounding violently in her chest. "Et liho miun lihalla."
Never shall my blood refresh you,
nor my flesh sustain your body.
After that previous incantation, something in the air started to whistle. A tremor ran down Trinity's spine, her frail shoulders shaking. "Mäne metsähän mäelle, pakene pajun vesoille. Luikerra kivien kolohon."
Find a hillside in the forest,
hide amongst the tender willows.
Slink into a stony hollow.
"Vie vaiva männessäs—"
Take my affliction with you—
"Kipu kova kulkeissas—"
Carry off the pain I suffer—
"Kairi, please, take your seat." The teacher's eyes narrowed. "You are disrupting the class."
Kairi's teeth bit into her lip in embarrassment, her eyes wandering around the room, taking in the image of all the annoyed faces. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she lowered herself to her seat, her head throbbing.
I'll give you a hint, if you want.
"Agh...?" Kairi clamped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Everyone had heard the strange sound drawl past her lips. She sank lower into her seat. "Sorry," she whispered, and the teacher raised an eyebrow before turning back to the chalkboard.
Kairi dropped her hand to her lap, grasping the hem of her white and blue school uniform skirt. It resulted to wrinkles on the fabric. She felt her heart heat up—an outrageously odd sensation. Now, she heard a new, different, unfamiliar voice echo in her mind.
Naminé...? Naminé!
Kairi felt her nostrils flare. "My name isn't Naminé!" she blurted out, and soon enough, once again—all eyes swerved to glare at her.
"Miss Kairi, if you cannot control yourself, I suggest you step out of the classroom. Do you need to see the nurse?"
Sora inhaled nimbly at the sound of Kairi's voice whispering his name. It caused his throbbing head to clear; it caused his nausea to lessen. She, she was trying to communicate. She was still here—her heart could still be here. Maybe. Perhaps there was a chance. Perhaps she could break through this newfound heartlessness—
Sora shook his head. Who am I kidding, anyway? He looked at Kairi, a grave expression on his face. No. She's lost her heart. She had lost her heart before, and now she has lost her heart for the second time. Maybe she wasn't meant to regain it.
Maybe they weren't meant to be together.
Maybe everything was supposed to be like this.
Wait, that isn't true. None of this was supposed to happen. Nothing. He was supposed to stay in the capsule, Kairi was supposed to stay at Destiny Islands, and Trinity should never have made the mistake of trying to revive her dead brother. Alexandra should not have been created, Mew should not have gallivanted at the memory restoration chambers, and Merlin was never meant to be in the dark side.
Their destinies were simply... tangled.
And it was up to him to fix it.
"Tell me," Sora whispered, to no one in particular, his gaze shifting towards the darkened sky. His voice was pleading—everyone watched as the Keyblade Master yearned for explanations... for rationality. Even Mew and Merlin paused in their diabolical manners to eye menacingly at the boy. "Tell me... how to fix all this! Tell me how to undo all these mistakes. Tell me... someone, tell me—give me a way—just one way... to set everything right. I can't think... of anything anymore. I want to fix all these problems so much—but I don't know how!"
Sora slowly sank to his knees, forcing himself to hold back any tears he might have. He shouldn't be crying. He couldn't let anyone see him shed a single tear. He let out a soft breath, moving his eyes from the heightened areas he was looking at—locking his eyes with Kairi. "I don't know what to do anymore."
Silence.
"Fight," said a voice.
"Mors mortis..."
Death...
Trinity paused, hesitating, her eyes blurring. For a split second, she could not see the spell written on the parchment of the spell book. Her cold fingers grasping the book shook uncontrollably as she attempted to pronounce the next few words of the spell. It seemed so hard now—with her vision clouding over in misery.
"Resurrectio, suscitat...?"
Awaken, awake—
Trinity gasped and dropped the massive spell book, hearing some pages rip in the process. She whirled around, facing the window, watching in sheer horror as the glass shattered forward while gusts of violent winds swirled into her room. She backed away, stumbling over the dropped book, collapsing to the ground. Her ankle seared with pain, her amber eyes widened as the vicious winds nipped at the curtains draping near the broken window—tearing degradedly at the fabric and shredding it to the floor.
Trinity struggled to push herself up, only to be shoved back down by the furious blasts of air. She shielded her eyes as the bits and pieces of glass rose from the ground and flew all over the room—and then... fog. Mist erupted out of nowhere and crept across the floor, swallowing Trinity in its murky, dense dampness. Trinity kept reminding herself to breathe—What is happening?
Everything turned black.
So... dark. Trinity felt her eyes grow heavier. She didn't hear herself drop backwards towards the floor. She didn't hear the impact of her head against the carpet. She didn't hear anything... nothing, at all.
Kairi's cheeks tinged pink. "No—it's okay—I don't have to see the nurse—"
Are you sure you don't need a hint?
Kairi gulped, once again bringing her palm to her forehead. Too familiar... who's voice was it? Why couldn't she remember? Was it someone dear to her? If she cared about the person who was trying to reconnect with her, then why couldn't she recall... him? She felt herself tipping over, drowsiness overtaking her, confusion building within her heart—
The first syllable is 'So.'
Realization hit her—and it hit her hard. It was almost as though it were a physical impact, for she gasped and fell to the cold classroom floor. She rubbed her head, which had bumped against her desk during the fall. Then she felt her eyes heat up, tingling, as she remembered. She smiled softly, looking like a lunatic to her teacher and fellow classmates. She... had found her best friend.
"Sora."
Sora felt someone hauling him up forcibly, strongly. He looked up and met Toshi's eyes. They were filled with something that was definitely not there earlier. Determination. Confidence. Strength.
Toshi was grabbing Sora, rather hurting him a bit as he helped his look-alike to his feet. Sora gave him a puzzled face, and Toshi glared at him. With a thrust of his hands he released Sora, almost pushing him against the abstruse wall. He snapped his words out one by one, each syllable dripping with absolute fierceness. "You are not just going to give up. You're not that dumb. Get your head in the game, Sora! It's not supposed to end like this—you're supposed to fight. What else is the Keyblade for?"
Sora stared back in mild shock.
Toshi did not just make sense. Oh, but he did.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sora saw something beside him glow an ethereal tint. He felt the warmth at his hand and looked to his right, seeing the Keyblade appear in coruscating shimmer. His lips tightened and constricted his grip on the Keyblade. He lifted it up and swung it in the air before him, sudden perseverance appearing upon his face.
"I have to fight," Sora murmured, resting the Keyblade against his shoulder. "I have to make everything right again."
Toshi stepped back, hands folded over his chest, grinning—almost as if he were proudly examining his handiwork. "Now that's what I wanted to hear!" Then his grin faltered a little, remembering that he—himself—was not who he had thought he was. He wasn't Toshi. He was... Akuji.
Why can't I remember?
Sora whipped around, lightly scowling at Merlin and Mew. "Are we going to have a battle or not?"
"Or not," whispered Alexandra.
"Shut up, Heartless," snarled Mew. She veered her repulsive gaze towards the Keyblade Master, taking a few steps forward so she left the spotlight and disappeared into the darkness—her black coat merging with the lightless shades. "Step into the Darkness, boy—when you feel ready to die. You shall meet your fate."
Merlin tweaked a small grin, looking amiably at his curled handwriting. Then, a look of concentration appeared on his face as he scribbled some more elaboration into his small journal. He was writing about Trinity—Trinity, and her progression as to learning about necromancy and conjuring up the dead. He truly wanted to help his young lady.
The ink of his pen flowed fluently across the yellow-white pages.
Which also reminds me, she needs more practice in pronunciation—she is rather inexperienced in that area.
Enough about that. I shall review more about pronunciation in enchanted articulation and quiz her on ensorcelled prestidigitation tomorrow.
Merlin expelled a sigh and looked up curiously, sensing the slightest bit of a strange aura. He raised his tufted white eyebrows when he saw billowing white substances barely outside of his cave. He immediately looked down at his journal, continuing his writing. He might as well record this strange event.
Right now, as I look through my little window and across the water and out through the opening of the cave, it seems as though it is getting rather foggy outside.
A rush of cold air assaulted him, but Merlin kept writing, his fingers madly scrawling the pen through the paper.
The fog is entering my cave now.
Merlin glanced up, and glanced down every now and then. He kept adding more and more words.
Hmm. That is strange. Usually, Traverse Town is not one to be covered in fog and it makes me feel very
Something stopped Merlin from continuing his writing. He was frozen. He could not move. He could not even twitch his fingers in the slightest. His pen and journal dropped limply from his rigid hands. Only his eyes could roam around—roam around the fog-covered room and, suddenly, meet a pair of foul yellow eyes.
Such yellow eyes...!
"Why, dear Merlin. I don't suppose we have ever met." The eyes filled with a satisfied emotion. "I believe I need your help. Mandatory help, I suppose. Not that you can... decline. Or, rather—this matter involves... absolute acceptance."
The poor, old man could not breathe.
"Congratulations, wizard. I have picked you to control—with you, I will be able to unleash powers so damnable that Darkness shall reign... and all Light will be extinguished..."
Trinity stumbled unsteadily out of the Inn. She coughed, waving some unknown type of smoke away from her face. Light traces of fog were still resident on the ground. She rubbed at her eyes, looking around the desolate area. No one was in sight. It was completely... relinquished. Where had all the citizens of Traverse Town gone?
"Hello?" Trinity called out, having difficulty raising the tone of her weak, tired voice. But it still echoed—in the silent alleyways of the town. She walked around, seeking for anyone... anyone at all. "Hello? Hello, is anyone here?"
She felt her eyes well up with tears. No. It can't be... I can't be only one here!
But it seemed as though she was the only person in Traverse Town. Everyone was gone. She was the only one left. It was her fault. She had to do the spell. And... it had resulted in this.
She had removed everyone, but herself, from Traverse Town.
She was guilty as charged.
When you feel ready to die.
For some reason, the words had absolutely no effect on Sora. He stared past the transparent wall, his eyes gleaming and deep with an intense combination of every emotion possible. It seemed so unlikely to have the capability of containing so many feelings within one's eyes, but Sora was able to do so. He reached out, lightly touching the glass with the tips of his fingers, once again sending fluttering ripples throughout the stiff liquid-like substances. But this time... his fingers merged with the material and passed through the wall, so that his hand ended up reaching to the other side.
Sora slowly withdrew his hand, realizing something. He took a step back. No. He wasn't ready. He couldn't just leave like this. Something was unfinished. Something was still undone. He couldn't go on with the battle—he couldn't walk into the dark until he did one last thing.
Just one thing. Before leaving. Because he might not have any more chances after the battle. After the battle... he did not know what would happen. He wouldn't know how everything would end up—how he would end up. If he would die—or not. If he truly... really did have the strength to take on three opponents without any help whatsoever.
If he was sincerely meant to be the Keyblade Master...
He knew it; he was.
He had to do this... but he had to do something else first.
Before it was too late.
"Frightened, imbecile?"
Sora paid no heed to Mew's jeer. Instead, he pulled at the key chain on his Keyblade and turned around—drawing in a soft breath, feeling his heart throbbing with every step he took... towards Kairi. He met her light royal-orchid eyes, taking in the tinges of crystal ultramarine blue. He only saw emptiness and perhaps the slightest bit of inquisitiveness.
With his right hand, Sora took the redhead's right fingers. "Kairi—" He winced, the iciness from Kairi's pale hand penetrating his. She was too cold; so cold, in fact, that she seemed to have a temperature comparable to a being of hypothermia. He continued, his voice undeniably strained and partially tortured... but completely genuine. "Kairi, before I leave, I just have to tell you something."
He heard a grunt behind him, and soon realized that Mew might not approve of his current doings. Actually, it was not like she ever approved of his good-doings, so he brushed the thoughts of the wicked villain away. A few feet away, Toshi and Riku stared with equally large eyes. But Toshi's were most likely wider.
Dude, what the heck are you doing?
Sora smiled weakly, immediately answering Toshi's telepathic message.
Confessing.
Kairi raised an eyebrow, switching her glance from their entwined hands to Sora, and back again. She finally decided to keep her eyes locked with his. There was just something... captivating... about those eyes... something... but she couldn't recall, she couldn't find anything to explain, she couldn't think of a reason why his eyes seemed so... no. She was incapable. She couldn't. All certain thoughts of certain feelings were unable to connect with her. Kairi was not supposed to feel it. But she could not help but think...
"Kairi," Sora said again, his voice lower in tone this time. He didn't want Mew to hear. "I..."
Toshi's eyes narrowed. Time was running out. The guy had to hurry and fess up.
Sora felt an aching whirl pulse through his head, feeling as though a couple of daggers had left scrapes upon his brain. Something was happening—
You understand so little.
1 5 1 0 3 4 3 5 1 6 4 2 7
KSsHsk …
"SORA!" Toshi yelled, his fists clenching. If Sora wasn't going to say it, he was seriously going to pummel the dude into a bloody pulp.
Sora glanced back; eyeing Toshi strangely, and quickly whipped his head in the direction of Kairi once more. He nodded, slightly ashamed at himself for stalling. He let go of Kairi's hand and stepped back, biting his lip. He felt his shoulders rise and drop with his uneven, yet oddly calm, breathing. And he smiled a broken smile, searching for anything... anything in Kairi's eyes that would somehow prove that she felt the same way. He didn't find anything. He looked down... but suddenly whisked his eyes to level with Kairi's gaze. Just as Kairi had once drowned in the dark cerulean blue of his eyes—it was his turn to drown now.
…
"I love you."
KSsHsk …
With steady, barely trembling fingers, Sora reached out and pressed something into the palm of Kairi's hand.
The Oathkeeper.
KSsHsk …
"I really do." Sora struggled to feign back tears, suddenly overwhelmed with a violent surge of rushing heartfelt honesty. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He had to say it—he had to spill everything out. He had to tell her everything. Words tumbled out of his mouth, not even sure if it made sense, not even sure if he was still among rationality and logic. He just had to tell her... now. "I always have, Kairi. I always will. Every day—I didn't understand, really—but I slowly realized—my feelings. I never knew it could get this strong. But it did. It doesn't seem so simple—I always thought everything was simple. So simple... clean." Sora shook his head, not noticing Kairi's darkening pupils. "I always thought life was simple. Before everything started... I wish I could find better ways to prove I love you—but I can't. I can't... walk on water. I was only a little afraid of the future." A tear slipped down Sora's cheek, colliding with the coarse ground beneath them. "But then I got scared. I became afraid of losing you. That's when I knew—I loved you—and the intensity of those feelings weakened me and gave me strength at the same time..." Another tear dropped and plummeted to the pebbles, disappearing. "Maybe... maybe some things are that simple."
Sora looked away. "It's... hard to let it go."
Then his eyes met Kairi's again. Something seemed different about her eyes...
Sora couldn't bear it anymore. He saw the evident space between them—and quickly eliminated it. His hand gently touched Kairi's cheek before his mouth met hers—his lips gracing her own with a kiss so soft, so gentle, so passionate. It rendered everyone else around them absolutely speechless. He ran a hand through Kairi's luxurious cranberry locks, like it was his last chance to do so. He felt the porcelain-toned, smooth skin of her shapely chin, like he'd never see her again. He put his arms around her—embracing her—his hands nestling against her backside—holding her... like it was the end of the world and that he never wanted to leave her side ever in a thousand, million years.
hold me…
"I love you," Sora whispered again, imperceptibly bringing her closer, warming Kairi's layered strands of magenta with his breath.
whatever lies beyond this morning…
His fingers brushed against Kairi's cheek again... but this time, it was... warm?
is a little later on…
"Sora."
regardless of warnings…
Sora's eyes widened as he drew back in the slightest, staring into Kairi's eyes in sheer, utter shock. And before he knew it, she... she was smiling at him.
the future doesn't scare me at all…
"Kairi...?"
nothing's like before.
Kairi practically seized Sora in a death-like crushing embrace as she rounded her arms around his midsection—almost causing him to reel back in surprise and very much knocking the air out of him. She breathed deeply, feeling slightly unused to the feeling of her drumming heart—her regained heart.
"This isn't a dream," Kairi murmured, shutting her eyes, her voice echoing, her tone reflecting a thousand emotions. A thousand heartfelt emotions... devotion, cherishment, affection... passion. Then she repeated the phrase to herself, at the same time inhaling Sora's wonderful scent. "This isn't a dream."
"It's not." Sora smiled down at her, his eyes filling up with tears of relief—excruciatingly overjoyed that she had her emotions back. "It's not a dream."
Kairi squeezed Sora tighter, and felt his warm hands at her back.
Mew was enraged. Her citrus eyes narrowed to slits—but she contained herself. No matter. They had their fun with the whole emotionless scenario. Their love would not prevail. Darkness shall reign. It was too late now—too late for Light and Love to conquer.
Much too late.
Sora's grin faltered. He let go of Kairi and stepped back. A flash of light brought the Keyblade to his fingers. He watched, torn, as a glittering tear cascaded down Kairi's cheek. And he knew—that she knew. That he had to leave. That he had to fight.
For everyone's sake.
Kairi felt the need to reach out, to scream, to yell out her feelings for him—but she did not. She was not fully recovered—she still felt remnants of the curse lingering... drifting around her heart. She opened her mouth... and closed it. She shook her head, only finding herself saying, "Promise me one thing, Sora." When Sora gazed at her questioningly, she looked away and continued. "Promise... promise me you'll come home."
"I... promise," Sora whispered, his voice cracking. He turned around. "Riku, Toshi, Kairi... goodbye."
when you walk away…
This time, as Sora's fingers breezed past the liquid wall, so did the rest of his body. He felt a rush of freezing air twirl about him. Darkness curled at his ankles. He gripped the Keyblade harder. Kairi followed, but when she reached the wall, it did not allow her to pass through as it had let Sora. It became rigid again, like glossy, transparent stone. Her fingers pressed against the liquid-like, glassy wall—her eyes welled up with tears.
you don't hear me say…
"Please," Kairi's voice was completely inaudible to everyone but herself. Her volume remained hushed.
oh, baby…
"Don't go," Kairi mumbled, her hands slipping against the crystalline barrier. More tears fell. It never reached the pebbled ground. Instead, silver-tinted shimmer enhanced the liquid as it floated to merge with the pellucid wall.
She did not notice, and another tear fell—once again being pulled towards the wall and creating sparkling sensations, with the owner of the crystal droplet unaware.
Sora took another step forward, a step that showed no hesitation.
He did not even flinch when long, cold, hateful fingers grabbed his neck and tightened a deathly clutch. For he knew—he had figured it out. The yellow eyes...
"Mew," Sora choked out, lost in the shadows, feeling it engulf him. "You're..."
"The face of Evil," came the maliciously devilish voice, heated with desire for blood. A sickly green, sphere-shaped orb attached to a staff glowed in the middle of Sora's face and the yellow eyes. Sora's guesses were proved right when he did not see a jaguar's face... but instead... different but familiar feminine features. Sora held his breath, not that he was capable of breathing at the moment.
"... Maleficent," his voice hacked out again, his blue eyes squinting.
"Maleficent," whispered Riku, eyelids lowering in recognition.
"Maleficent," Alexandra said lowly, knowingly, "my true master."
"Merlin," Maleficent snapped, whipping her head in the direction of the wizard, "fetch me Akuji."
Toshi grew rigid.
"As you wish... Master," Merlin replied grandly, bowing deeply as his blue silken robes brushed against the ground. He strode into the Darkness and disappeared from everyone's sight.
"I won't... let you," Sora growled breathlessly, lifting his arm and swinging his Keyblade at the wrist that grasped his neck. Maleficent, taken by surprise, staggered backwards and shook her hand in the air as it burned with a hundred tiny explosions. She had forgotten the burning, agonizing power of the Keyblade. She had to remain even more cautious as ever.
All at once, the Twilight Path regained some of its luminosity, clearly displaying Sora, Merlin, Alexandra—and Trinity, who was still lying off to the side—so that the spotlights were of no further worth.
"Defiance?" raged Maleficent, raising her glowing staff in petulance. "I'll teach you how to defy Darkness!" She let out a roaring snarl as her staff glared purple and green—releasing deathly ribbons of shadows spinning in Sora's direction.
Sora stumbled to the left, barely dodging the dark attack. He fell to the rugged ground, tumbling a bit and hitting someone's leg. He gulped, his eyes trailing up the leg and meeting Alexandra's multicolored gaze. Alexandra gave him a sympathetic look.
"I am sorry," she whispered—then she squeezed her eyes shut before clasping her hands and bestowing red-tinged thunderbolts upon Sora. Her arms shook against her will, ignoring her wishes to stop hurting the boy. Sora grimaced in pain, turning over, feeling as though his bones were rattling uncontrollably—and maybe they were. Alexandra's thunder attacks were twice as powerful as Merlin's, he noticed with aching thoughts.
Kairi slammed a fist against the opal-tinted barrier, shouting Sora's name, her throat tightening and her voice slicing across the air. Riku approached her from behind, placing a hand on her trembling shoulder. He looked at Sora in equal misery, yet had determination on his face.
"He'll be just fine," Riku said softly, only for Kairi to hear. He himself was not completely sure, but Kairi was going into shock.
Enough shock to kill.
Toshi was biting down on his lip so hard he could taste the smallest amount of blood seep into his mouth. His eyes bore through the wall, watching Sora's every move. Sora wasn't getting up. He wasn't attacking—he was not making any progress whatsoever. Alexandra and Maleficent were continually attacking him, thrashing at him in a rapaciously menacing manner.
Get up! Toshi urged Sora. Don't be such a retard, dude! Get up and—
Someone tapped Toshi's shoulder. Toshi turned around, a yell stuck in his throat as he came face to face with Merlin.
He had no time to make a full reaction before he was veiled in Darkness.
Sora struggled to get up, but was assaulted by another fiery attack. His skin prickled and singed. He clenched his teeth. They're too strong.
He was about to close his eyes—but stopped himself midway. His heart pounded in his ears, echoing viciously. Then he listened to his heartbeats... straining his ears, focusing his mind on nothing but his heart. He forgot the pain for those few seconds, and heard exactly what he needed to hear:
Come on, lazy bum. Get up.
And he did.
"He's up," Kairi whispered, although her tears ceased to halt. The redhead still hadn't noticed that her tears seemed to gravitate towards the wall—no one had. Riku and Kairi exchanged glances and gave each other a nod of reassurance.
Maleficent gave out a shrieking howl as the Keyblade came in contact with her stomach, her black and purple ensemble partially ripping. She gripped her staff and deflected Sora's next blow, with a high-pitched shiiing issuing the contact between dark weapon and light weapon. Sparks flew as, again and again and yet again, the Keyblade struck against the neck of Maleficent's staff.
Sora looked up resentfully at the towering witch, ducking once and slashing at her legs—hidden beneath layers of black cloth. He breathed raggedly, reminding himself to keep breathing, keep breathing. As he quickly backed away and pivoted his stance, he once again encountered Alexandra.
"I'm sorry about this, too," Sora said with a deeply troubled tone, and cast Stopga on the Heartless girl. Alexandra froze for about two or three seconds before the spell wore off her, breaking off in black shards of glass-like material.
Alexandra screamed, "Run! Get away from me!"
Sora blinked, hesitating, before turning around—he very much felt the scorching blue flames at his heels. His head arched to look at Alexandra again. The tips of her fingers were glowing a scalding sapphire, threatening to throw clusters of intense, pestilential blaze at him.
"Move," Alexandra hissed through a pained expression.
Sora dodged the agile, rotating azure fireballs that were aimed towards him. He immediately pushed himself off the ground and into the air, twisting his body once in Maleficent's direction, attempting to send a tangle of pirouetting ice at the enraged woman—she easily blocked the arctic attack with knots of darkness emitting from within her staff.
Sora's feet collided with the ground, and at the same time, he felt a long piece of wood jab him sharply in the back. He froze for a second, delaying to turn around, before whirling to meet the owner of the wand. Merlin. Sora backed away, eyeing his three opponents: Maleficent, Merlin, Alexandra.
He drew in a vexing breath, invisible thorns piercing into his lungs.
"That isn't fair," Kairi fumed, her eyes narrowing, "three against one—"
"It's not supposed to be fair," Riku interjected, shaking his head. "Nothing is ever fair, when you're trying to set things right. It's supposed to be like this." His aquamarine eyes gazed in Alexandra's direction, watching in disappointment as she continued to attack his best friend.
It's supposed to be like this.
Kairi's right fingers curled even more—and she noticed, a sharp presence in her hand. Taken aback, she veered her vision downwards and saw the Oathkeeper practically pinched into the palm of her hand. Her eyelids instantly lowered as she tried to hold back any more tears, her left hand quivered lightly as it covered her mouth to muffle her dry sobs.
"Once we're back home, once we're able to run along the ocean shore... only then, that's when you can give it back. But until then, keep it with you."
He said he'd give it back when they were all safe at the island.
And it was then that Kairi knew—Sora was aware that this might have been his last chance of returning the charm to her... that he might not be able to return to Destiny Islands after this. She closed her fingers, tightening her grip on the trinket. But he promised—he promised that he would come home.
Some promises were meant to be broken.
"This battle will be short," Riku mumbled.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kairi breathed, jerking her head to quizzically focus her eyes on Riku's mystique expression.
"Nothing," Riku retaliated, diverting his gaze.
"Ugh!" Sora grabbed his shoulder as it panged with sufferable twinges after slivers and splinters of glacial ice punctured through his shirt. A drilling, penetrating chill gusted throughout his insides, but the coldness immediately left as soon as it was covered by an intense, stinging resonation of smoldering flames. His knees met the ground, the small stones crunching underneath his pained weight.
Sora's hand shoved against the ground, careening him back, sending him off into a swift flip and letting him land safely on his feet. He whipped around, raising the Keyblade, turning it in front of him in an arch, and extricated a fluttering fluster of implicated ice towards his three opponents. The ice seemed to expand, like a diamond web, stretching through the air and showering powerfully over Maleficent, Merlin, and Alexandra.
While the trio struggled to recover from the pinching sensation of icicles, Sora took this as an opportunity to electrocute them with a mighty multitude of flaxen gold thunderbolts—thundering down at them in caramel brilliance. A strained noise sounded from Sora's throat as tresses of purple, red, and blue-silhouetted threads purled towards him. It roped at his shoes, toppling him over mercilessly, then proceeded to wrap around his legs, midsection, and upper body.
Sora could not move. His right hand twitched, still clamping the handle of the Keyblade—but the strands of Darkness constricted him so tightly that he could barely lift a finger. His blue eyes swiveled in the direction of his three oppositions. He took a single moment to scan their faces.
Maleficent. She looked rather high and mighty, enjoying the glorious splendor of weakening the young Keyblade Master. A twisted smirk smeared across her pale face, looking more like a bitter gash. Her bright, deep bisque-yellow eyes stared hatefully at him—yet had a glint that showed he seemed to become a prized possession of hers... relevant to a trophy.
Merlin. He shared the same sneer as Maleficent. He pointed his long wand at Sora, ready to deliver another violent attack. His darkened eyes reflected nothing but desire to kill—except for one thing... one shining glimmer in the corner of his left eye, framed with glasses—there was something there. Sora could not truly depict what that eye held, but it held... the truth? And he knew: Merlin was being controlled. He had known that for a while. Was the real Merlin trying to break free?
Alexandra. She had clearly cracked. She had no control over herself—all her shouting and indignant comments did not stop her from blasting horrid attacks upon Sora's body. Her eyes finally held something—sympathy, wishing to be her own self. She had always wanted to be her own self. But she was a nobody...
Then something rushed into Sora's mind.
If everything could be set right...
He swallowed, squirming under the layers of murky string-like substances.
Then the mistake that started everything... must be fixed...
Where were all these statements coming from? Sentences with clear meaning erupted into his mind, but he could not find the source of it. But the voice was familiar. That one voice—the same voice, the voice that had so seriously informed him that he... he was the one who would open the Door to Light.
The mistake... the flaw...
At once, Sora recalled something he had read in Merlin's journal—a snippet of a line... something... in another language. Something Trinity was unable to say—that certain something being the certain part in a certain spell that caused everything to happen.
The words hurled into his head.
Resurrectio, suscitatio.
The words blurted past his mouth.
"Resurrectio, suscitatio..."
Awaken, awaken.
Maleficent stepped back.
Alexandra held her breath.
Merlin's eyes narrowed, and drew closer to Sora. "What did you say, boy?" When Sora did not answer immediately, Merlin spat, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
Sora, slightly blown away by Merlin's outburst, shouted, "Resurrectio, suscitatio!"
Plenty of feet away, the blonde lady stirred.
Awaken, awaken.
"She couldn't say the line." Sora found himself yelling. "Trinity couldn't pronounce that part correctly—that's what screwed everything up! That's what made all this happen! She did so many things at once—not only did she awaken her brother, she awakened trouble... she awakened Darkness. Resurrectio... suscitatio."
Hazel eyes flashed open.
"Where am I...?" Trinity whispered, attempting to sit up. She brought a hand to her forehead, her eyes barely open.
Everyone, taken aback, turned their heads to stare at Trinity.
She had awakened—for Sora had awakened her with the single ensorcelled phrase that she had difficulty saying herself.
With the trio distracted, the ropes that bound Sora slowly dissipated, fading as black pixels and disintegrating as white dust. Discreetly, Sora lifted himself up, wobbling, squeezing the handle of the Keyblade in his gloved hands. He inhaled deeply, reaching into his pocket, taking something out, and tossing it at Merlin's feet. Hearing the grinding sound of paperback against stone, Merlin took his gaze off the newly conscious Trinity and eyed the journal below him. His brows knitted, he bent down and picked up the small book.
Property of Merlin the Great Wizard.
"It's..." Merlin stopped himself from continuing, and glanced at Trinity. "I... I was helping her—"
"No," Maleficent cut him off, "you no longer serve for the good... do you hear me, slave? You sold your soul to eternal evil. You left the Light. You have nothing to do with the pathetic girl."
"But it says here—" Merlin was looking at a page in his journal. His eyes clouded over. Maleficent instantly snatched the book from his wrinkled hands, heartlessly flinging it up into the air and zapping it with a neon green ray—it immediately disappeared, nothing but ashes floating to the ground.
Merlin stared at Maleficent in shocked stupor.
"I suppose," Maleficent growled between her teeth, "that you serve no purpose to me any longer. You are worthless, Merlin. You have no purpose. I have had absolutely no benefit of choosing an old man like you to control."
With a careless flick of her wrist, Maleficent released an invisible aura of power vibrating towards Merlin. It hit him, hard and quick, knocking the wind out of the poor wizard. Merlin clutched at his chest, near his heart, stumbling backwards, almost falling—until Sora helped him regain a straightened posture.
Merlin looked confusedly at Sora... the wizard saw in awe as he received a weak smile from the boy. His eyes brightened, and he grumbled, "Thank you... Sora."
"Oh, shut up," Maleficent snapped, and brought the staff crashing upon the wizard's cranium. Merlin's eyes rolled back as he fell limply to the ground—Sora hurriedly bent down next to the wizard, knowing at once that Merlin had lost consciousness.
But not only that: Merlin had lost consciousness... forever.
"Riku," Kairi whispered, her eyes wide, her hands clenched at the wall, "Maleficent—she... she killed..." Her vision blurred, unable to take in the image of the river of blood that spilled down Merlin's temples.
"Don't look," Riku told her, taking her by the shoulders and drawing her back.
"No," Kairi gently pulled away, returning to the wall, "I have to."
Sora shook his head, feeling for a pulse... a heartbeat... anything. He felt nothing but cold within Merlin's skin. The wizard was gone.
Trinity was up to her feet, running in Sora and Merlin's direction.
"No!" Trinity screamed, her voice shrill, panting worriedly as she rushed to see what had happened to Merlin—the kind, kind wizard. "He can't be—"
Trinity stopped dead in her tracks. Someone blocked her way. Her eyes drifted upwards to meet a glazed yellow gaze. Maleficent glared down at the blonde, hatefully, and turned her head to the dejected Alexandra.
"Alexandra!" Maleficent beckoned, her voice shaking with bloodthirsty vengeance. "Kill this woman. Right now."
"What?" Trinity gasped, her fingers flying over her mouth.
"Wh-what?" Alexandra stammered, blinking.
"What?" Sora inquired in disbelief, stepping away from Merlin's corpse.
"You heard me, Heartless. Obey."
Alexandra's fingers began to glow that unearthly blue, heating up with deadly grim flames. She gulped and began shaking her head. "No—"
"No?" Maleficent echoed, almost mimicking, almost mocking.
Riku rushed to the wall. "Don't do it, Alexandra! Don't do it. Don't listen to her." His heart skipped a beat as Alexandra's eyes met his own. "Please, just... don't. You know better. You're not a killer anymore. You can't just kill Trinity."
"Oh," Maleficent raised an eyebrow. "She will." Her head jerked at Alexandra. "Do it. Now."
Alexandra's hands rose, blue fire spinning around her wrists. She looked away, whispering a light apology. Maleficent was too strong for her. Darkness was too strong for her. She had no choice. There was nothing left to do... but listen—listen to the orders that were bestowed upon her.
Kill this woman. Right now.
And Alexandra's hands swung down, slashing through the air, the fireballs detaching from her arms and spinning... aiming for Trinity's head.
"Don't!" Sora shouted, running towards the hurling flames, his shoes pounding hard against the ground—he reached the space between Alexandra and Trinity, barely blocking the attack with the Keyblade. It ricocheted off the Keyblade, spiraling skywards, dispersing in particles of glitter.
He looked up again, bewildered, as—in an electric-blue curve—balls of flame spewed past Alexandra's fingertips and rounded Sora... completely missing him. Instead, it looped towards Trinity and hit the young woman viciously, knocking her to the ground and burning her skin. Sora was about to run to her side, but Maleficent smacked her staff—hard—against the boy's back, causing him to wince and fall to the ground as well.
"Kill them both," Maleficent drawled simply, as if she were ordering a mere puppy to sit for her. She cackled cruelly, her bone-chilling laugh echoing across the path.
"No!" Kairi yelled, her left fist pounding once against the wall. "Don't, Alexandra!"
"Alexandra!" Riku shouted, touching the wall. "Please... not Trinity, not Sora. Not them."
Alexandra's raging eyes emptied of all emotion. She was left with a blank stare—the blank stare she had in the beginning of everything... the blank gaze that she had had from the start. She turned her head in the direction of Kairi and Riku, and monotonously whispered just one, single word.
"... Sorry."
And as that word left her lips, Alexandra clasped her fingers in front of her, mumbling an incantation under her breath. Suddenly, as Alexandra whispered the spell, Trinity screamed and rushed to stand up, scrambling to get away—to leave, to run anywhere but here.
She didn't get that far.
Golden spikes injected her from the back. She collapsed to the ground.
Her cherry, cardinal blood stained the pebbles.
Sora urgently shuffled to his feet, an unbearable weight of pain pulling him down. He tripped uneasily, falling at Trinity's side, watching as her hazel eyes closed, watching as her blood soaked the ground. He did not feel any oxygen whatsoever fill his lungs. He took Trinity by the shoulders, shaking her, shouting her name, his voice breaking each time. "Trinity... Trinity... Trinity!"
Maleficent laughed, tainting the air with her devious chuckles. "Well done, dear Alexandra."
Alexandra's head was bowed down, whether in shame or not—no one knew.
Kairi closed her eyes, biting down on her lip, turning her head. She couldn't bear to watch such a kind person bleed to her death. That person... that generous woman... Trinity—who had once provided her hospitality when no one else would answer their door.
"She did it." Riku dropped his gaze. "She... killed her."
Sora carefully set Trinity's still body down. No life remained within the lady. Overwhelmed with the two sudden deaths, Sora used the Keyblade to help push him up into an upright stance. His nose flared as he looked at Maleficent—his eyes afire, broiling with frantic tears.
"I can't believe you," Sora fumed, directing his words to Maleficent. He shook his head once. He then let out a low grunt before charging towards the sorceress at light-speed, feeling a warm aura form about him. The Keyblade bashed against Maleficent's arm, causing her to shrill at him and thrust her staff against his already-aching shoulder. Sora groaned, but refrained from collapsing. Instead, he high-jumped, casting Firaga and soon afterwards delivering a numerous amount of swatting blasts upon Maleficent's tall frame—swiping this way, striking that way. Maleficent doubled over, breathing heavily, hoarsely. She refused to let it end like this.
Besides, she already had the end planned out.
A large bubble-shaped force field formed around Maleficent, pushing Sora out of the way. As the Keyblade made contact with her transparent-purple shield, it caused no effect whatsoever to Maleficent. It only weakened Sora, which led him to drawing back the Keyblade and panting tiredly.
"I won't... let you kill... anyone else," Sora heaved, gulping for air.
"It is not me who has killed Trinity," Maleficent mused carelessly.
"But you forced Alexandra... to... to do it," Sora shot back, his breathing wheezed. "You were behind everything!"
Maleficent sniffed pretentiously. "I have no time to be dealing with this pointless matter—it is not like you have much longer to live to dwell upon the situation."
"I'm not going to let you kill me," Sora countered, pointing the Keyblade in her direction. "I'm not going to let you kill Riku, Toshi, or Kairi. I'm not going to let you kill anyone else I care about. And I'm definitely not going to let you kill the girl I love."
Like a habit, Maleficent examined her manicure. "Oh?" An amused look played on her features. "Well. Here's one question..." she paused, sighing with full-on exasperation. "Does she love you back?"
"She—" Sora stopped himself. In fact... he didn't really know...
Kairi's eyes heated up, another reason to shed tears. She had never told him. She had never told him her feelings. She had never said she loved him. She never kissed him back. She never, ever spoke of her affection for him.
And now he was in doubt.
Slowly, Sora turned his head to find Kairi behind the glassy wall. He tried to read her facial expression but failed. Sora looked away.
"I don't know."
"Exactly," Maleficent taunted. "And so, how can you be so dependent of love that is not purely requited? How can you live on love that is not returned? How can you expect to have so much faith in a girl who cannot even reveal her true feelings towards you?"
Sora's defenses shot up. "She doesn't have to say it." He shook his head. "She doesn't have to tell me if she doesn't want to."
Kairi opened her mouth... but it always seemed as though something was in the way of letting her open up. Something was always stopping her from telling Sora how she really felt. Her feelings. Her confession. The truth.
The curse had not fully been depleted.
Riku's hand was on Kairi's shoulder again. "Say it," he urged her. "Fix it."
Kairi did not turn to look at Riku. She couldn't. "I can't," she whispered.
"You do not have to live!" Maleficent shot at him scornfully. "No matter how hard you try to deplete Evil, you will remain incomplete. Your memory will remain unchained."
Sora's knees suddenly gave way as he crumpled to the ground. A surge of nausea swept over him, terminal numbers flushing his mind, faded flashbacks eructing his mind.
Tied to the darkness...
8 90 7— KSsHsk …
"Face it," Maleficent sneered, looking down at the suffering boy. "You were never of any worth. Give yourself up to the Darkness."
"Never," Sora breathed, veering his gaze upwards to meet Maleficent's leer.
"Fine," Maleficent shot back simply. She reached to the side with her staff—it began glimmering with the familiar radiating purple. As if summoning someone, the outline of a being slowly began to appear—a human being. Everyone watched as the identity of the person became clear.
Toshi.
Akuji.
"If you will not give your soul to the Darkness, then I'll have to take his instead." Maleficent laughed contemptuously, ridicule evident in her voice. Her eyes pierced into Toshi's face. "Ready to die, Akuji?"
Toshi looked straight at Sora. No feeling came from his face. For once—he was pure seriousness. He was solemn. He slowly shook his head, refusing to look anywhere else but the Keyblade Master. "Whatever happens, Sora," he said monotonously, "don't let her kill you."
"I won't let her kill you, either, Toshi!" Sora growled stubbornly, struggling to lift himself up. When he returned to his feet, Sora swung the Keyblade once in determination. "You won't die, I promise."
"Stop promising," Toshi replied, his voice strengthening a little, but he stayed relatively stern. "It doesn't matter what happens to me. You're the one who's supposed to survive." Toshi finally looked away. "Let me die."
"Shut up!" Sora scolded Toshi. "I'm keeping all my promises."
"Impossible," Maleficent quipped, eyes flashing. "Now, if you excuse me, I must exterminate Akuji." She turned to face Toshi.
"No!" shouted Sora. He raised the Keyblade, flicking his wrist and letting it leave his fingers in a propelling manner—his weapon catapulted and dashed in the direction of Maleficent. It was too late for the elevated enchantress to move out the way. The Keyblade revolved and rapidly circled her, swiping and slapping against her body. She let out a vulgar groan when it blitzed against her stomach. The Keyblade recoiled, and with a flitting skim it swiftly maneuvered its way back to its owner.
"Alexandra!" shrieked Maleficent.
Sora ran forward and grabbed Toshi, shoving him out the way as Alexandra's blue coruscating flames sailed past their bodies. They both tumbled to the ground, earning small grazes and little cuts on their cheeks and arms from the skidding fall. Sora felt a light amount of blood trickle down the side of his neck as a larger rock gashed slightly through his face.
He jostled to his feet, pulling Toshi up with him. Practically dragging his look-alike, Sora led them farther away from Maleficent and Alexandra. Sora directed the Keyblade at his two opponents, glancing at Toshi and saying, "Get back."
Confused and rather flustered, Toshi backed away.
Alexandra's hands glowed that lethal blue as Maleficent's staff reflected its savage purple. Their powers seemed to merge together in an interlacing entanglement, weaving within each other and soon enough launching towards Sora. Eyes wide, Sora stared at the mesh of azure cords and plum wisps, creating a substantial vein-like streak of amethyst. It continued to advance Sora in heated pursuit, rocketing with a strange aura saying that it would not miss.
And it didn't.
The force blasted and erupted against Sora, hitting him and hitting him hard. Sora let out a lament, tumultuously lurching back and crashing to the rough ground. He felt his skin searing, scorching, incinerating with both sensations of glacial surges and fiery swells. He did not get up. He lay still, staring emptily at the dark shadows above him.
"Sora!" Kairi cried out, feeling stupidly helpless as she saw the practical explosion that had taken place. As she saw that Sora was no longer moving, the life practically drained out of him, his face and arms and legs covered in dirt and blood... tears streamed down her cheeks. "Sora..."
"Sora," Riku whispered, looking away. He closed his eyes. He wanted to help. If there would be just a single thing he could wish for, he'd wish to take everything that had happened and rewind.
Alexandra and Maleficent readied themselves to repeat the icy-flared attack of fulmination.
They both knew the same thing.
One more delivery of this attack would finish him up.
And Sora knew it, as well.
"Toshi," Sora coughed out, his voice ragged. "Run... away."
"What?" Toshi said in disbelief, taking a step towards Sora. Sora glared at him, and something within Toshi told him to listen. Still not completely sure if it was the right decision, Toshi turned on his heel and ran off into the distance. Maleficent let him go. They would make do with the Keyblade Master and the Keyblade Master alone.
Sora...
Whoa!
Gimme a break, Kai—
C 2 D 9 A 8 9 9
KSsHsk …
The vessel of orchid-amethyst began to take shape once more, looking stronger than the previous one. It sizzled and popped with a nearly uncontrollable power, darkening and strengthening within every second. It finally formed to its fullest, looking like a buoyant and hovering river. Simultaneously, Alexandra and Maleficent lifted their hands gracefully and then waved their power in Sora's direction. The force began to soar towards the boy once more.
Kairi and Riku knew that it had the very capability of killing their best friend.
"No—" Kairi screamed, her voice wearing out. "Sora—"
…
The last thing Sora saw was the spiraling vortex of Darkness oscillating towards his paralyzed body...
The last thing Sora tasted was his own blood, leaking past his soft, pale lips...
The last thing Sora heard was Kairi... her voice, crying his name out in misery... saying his name over again, her voice evident that she wished only for him to survive.
The last thing Sora felt was a whirlwind of severe, tempestuous energy... blasting into his body and ripping past his muscles and broiling his blood and skewing at his bones.
Kairi's yell was cut short. Her eyes grew wide as the second explosion took place, erupting as viciously as a volcano minus the lava. Soon, all of Twilight Path except for the area behind the force field wall clouded over in smoke and billowing spurts of vapor. The path became eclipsed and bathed in a foggy mist-like substance.
No one could see a thing.
But something within Kairi disappeared.
Something within Kairi told her something had ended.
And she knew...
"SORA!" Kairi's voice rang out throughout the muddled path like a clear, yet broken, bell. Now, it seemed as though her tears would never come to a finish. Her cheeks soaked with tear stains and her eyelashes shimmering with tears yet to shed, Kairi shook her head vigorously and refused to believe that Sora had come to his death.
Suddenly, she felt her body falling forward... falling, falling. She caught herself from landing on the ground, awkwardly regaining her balance—watching through a bleary vision as the wall she had been pressing herself against decided to shatter in a million liquid droplets, winging into the air and cascading downwards like crystalline droplets of watery-opal rain. Rain. Kairi's geranium hair quickly lay flat against her forehead, damp and moistened. Kairi could not see a thing as the fog enraptured her, almost clawing at her, wishing to engulf every inch of her being. Kairi heard Riku's voice behind her, calling her, but she refused to go back—she refused to turn away from the direction she was facing—the direction towards Sora.
Although the dense mixture of fog and smoke prevented her from seeing anything, she sought out navigation from within her heart to lead herself to where the boy she cared about so much laid. Her shoes scuffed against the pebbled ground, stumbling past the smog, tears still flowing from her ultramarine eyes.
Finally, at her feet, she saw the blurriest glimpse of jagged sienna hair. Kairi fell to her knees at once, feeling Sora's shoulders, bowing her head and pressing her cheek to his chest. She held her breath, waiting, waiting—yearning for a sign of a heartbeat, even the slightest, tiniest thump.
But she heard nothing.
Kairi pulled Sora's body to her, drawing him close, sobbing into his limp shoulders, still in deep denial. Sora can't be dead. It wasn't supposed to end like this. It wasn't supposed to. As she held him, her garments beginning to stain with his scarlet blood, she thought he had never looked so determined, innocent, strong even in death. With the tears still twinkling in her eyes, she pressed her lips to Sora's still-warm, soft mouth.
…
"I love you."
She always seemed to be too late.
She loved him.
She always had.
The kaleidoscopic water still showered down from the sky, somehow clearing some of the smoke and fog—but not all. Kairi gazed, heartbroken and torn, down at Sora's forever-closed blue eyes. She could no longer drown in those passionate, tender eyes. She could no longer see the upward curve of his handsome lips, delivering her a smile, a smile just for her, sending a wonderful flurry of shivers down her spine. The rain seemed to transform Sora, drenching his hazelnut spikes, flattening his hair down to cover his forehead, his eyes. Kairi reached out with trembling, cold fingers, pushing his wet hair away from his closed eyelids. She shivered, the rainwater leeching through her clothes and reaching her skin—still holding Sora close to her own body.
Clenching the Oathkeeper in her fist, Kairi weakened her clasp on the charm and felt for Sora's cold hand. She pressed it into the skin of his palm and curled his fingers around it with her own hand.
"I'm always with you," she whispered, her warm breath brushing against his ear.
... Something started to glow.
Feeling something warm beside Sora and herself, Kairi expelled a shaky breath, gently setting Sora down against the ground. She squinted in confusion, seeing that the Keyblade in Sora's right hand was flushed with golden radiance—it grew brighter and brighter until... it disappeared in a blinding flash. Kairi's eyes widened, wondering in a flustered state of mind as to where the Keyblade had gone.
She felt a metal-like texture suddenly gripped into her right fingers.
She felt her heart skip a beat.
She looked down.
She now held the Keyblade.
And Kairi stared in awe, using her left wrist to thrash away her tears in order to clear her vision, as the Keyblade began to take a different shape. The handle curved into a more feminine arch, part of the gold disappearing and fading into a sky-blue, curling slightly comparable to the outline of a cloud. The other side of the handle grew longer as a soft honey color, partially wrapping around the base of the weapon. The neck of the key turned red, symbolic flames appearing in a twinkle, dashing vertically through the Keyblade's frame. At the top of the blade, several well-polished summery flowers blossomed, the petals appearing razor-sharp and ready to slice anything in its way. A long, red ribbon strand was attached to the end of the weapon, and Kairi fingered the saffron-yellow charm that dangled there—the shape of a single luminous star.
Her eyes shifted from the Keyblade in her hands to Sora, and back again. Part of the sorrow from her face melted away as it was covered with perseverance and bravery. She leaned down and embraced Sora once more, savoring the touch of her body against his. She pressed her mouth to his one more time, holding his hand one more time, gazing at the Oathkeeper in his fingers one more time.
Then she let him go, and pushed herself up to her feet. Her shoulders tensed as she looked around, finding the crude silhouettes of Maleficent and Alexandra, their dark figures only barely visible through the shrouding—yet slightly subsiding—mist and smoke. Her clutch on the Keyblade tightened, feeling her cold fingers pinch into the palm of her hand. She lifted her new weapon, somehow familiar with the feeling. That's when she figured: Sora was here. In her heart. Fighting with her. Because he would always be with her.
Always.
Kairi swallowed hard, one last crystal droplet slowly running down a pink-tinged cheek.
She gazed fondly at Sora before looking onward, blinking the fluid raindrops out of her eyes... and only four words passed her lips.
"This time, I'll fight."
SPECIAL THANKS TO...
Sweet Raine, Sorasgirl333, paopu, Shelly, Daaku, thesrazrbladekisses, Shirozora, sorakairi forever, Aikokanei, rockbeast212, Mysterious Prophetess, KairiGurlPaupo, Aiko Moonchild, heartsoblivion, the angel ninja, Iridaceae, KatarasHomegirl, Ravey13, Heavenly Demon, kingdom219, Shugotenshi Sakura, Kanbashii, HeartlessSanuka, Cherdafred, FernClaw, firemagnet, YOURxLITTLExNINJA, & Chibi Neko-Chan2.
Please don't hate me.