Chapter Two

By The Edge

It is said in the first book at the ninja academy that you have one of two destinies. One is the easy route that you except the darkness and take the destiny that is planned out for you. The other you have to brake through the darkness and take hold of your destiny making what you want it to be. That is the way of the ninja. Believe it!

In the end people say that winning is everything. Well I have won every one of my battles why do I feel so empty. Rain was pouring hard on the dark street. I watched lightning hit the clouds, and then vanish, leaving a red orange glow behind. All I could think about was her safety. These feelings inside of me are getting to strong for me to bear.

I felt my eye lids begin to drop. And then I fell into a dreamless abyss.

Dream

Darkness. Clouds flying by. Drifting along the waves. I was alone in another nightmare. Surrounded by nothingness, darkness. A void within a void. I was so lost in my dream of silence that silence was becoming a sound to me. My whole body began to shake uncontrollably like I was having a seizure. I felt like I was in the middle of where dreams, nightmares, and reality meet.

"A meaningless effort."

I heard those words in an echoing voice in the distance. The voices in my dreams were never clear but this one was.

"One who knows nothing, can understand nothing"

The voice began to get louder, and clearer. Like it wanted to be heard and listened to. I looked down at my feet and saw that I was floating on a cloud of darkness. Then I heard the voice continue.

"Tied to the darkness."

I felt the chill of the air glide across my cheek sending a chill down my spine. The voice was dark a menacing.

"Soon to be completely eclipsed."

"there is so much to learn."

"You understand so little."

"A meaningless effort."

"One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

"The heart will return to the darkness whence it came."

"Darkness is life's true essence."

It faded away this time leaving me alone. The sound of silence returned, but it was a New Hope for me.

End Dream

My eyes flew open. I stared at the endless abyss out side, wondering if I was the only one out there. 'Darkness is life's true essence.' Was this a sign on how I am supposed to live my life?

I was sitting against a wall in a place called Traverse Town.

Thinking of my friends that I sacrificed to save him. The lost of Goofy and Donald. The ones that understood my need to find my friend; at the cost of everything.

I ran my hand threw my blood soaked spiked hair, a broken smile appeared across my face as I remembered what my friends that I lost always told me. "Keep smiling." It was hard to smile after I had lost everything. Here I was sitting here waiting for death to take me, waiting to go see my friends. Friends? I could return home.

I turned to a cut on my arm. I knew my wounds should hurt a lot more then what they were, but I had lost all hope for anything right now. The blood from the wounds seeped threw my shirt and gradually pooled on the floor. The drip of the blood was silent like everything else around me. I looked back around at the sound of footsteps, nothing.

I felt no pain now, because all was lost and it didn't matter anymore. Everything was gone. I was alone right now and I hated it.

Why now?

It's been a while hasn't it? Two years, five months, three weeks, four days, fifteen hours, sixteen minutes, and fifty four seconds. I haven't seen her forever it seems, but also like I have always been with her. It feels like she is still in my heart. The last time I talked to her I remembered my promise. Like a broken record repeating over and over again and again in my head, 'I'll come back'. It hurt the thought of leaving her to save him, but that was what she wanted wasn't it. But I heard he had come back two years ago. Making me seem like an ass. Lately I've been thinking about my lost hope, my lost dreams. I thought about how life can do many things for you. Like for me it brought her into my life. My world had changed when I had her in my heart. It was strange feeling her feelings. I feel the darkness rising up my spine ready to take over my mind. At least I kept one promise.

Is this the end?

I felt like I was falling away from my light that held me together. "How can this be my life?" that was the question ramming against my brain over and over, again and again. I felt like I couldn't get out of this world I was in. This mess I am in. Instead of getting out I felt like I was going deeper inside the darkness. I was walking in the dark, blind because I left the damn flashlight in the bathroom after I just took a piss. Hitting every thing on my way back into bed and into safety's arms that are finally stretched out for me. But now I can't feel anything, I can't see anything and I can't touch anything. That hurts. The feeling of not feeling. I pushed off the ground fighting the pain I felt all over my body. I looked up, as the stars seem to swarm in an osmosis of colors. Seeing the complexion of life before my eyes. I started to have a little hope that I could be saved from this life I am living. That there might be hope for me yet.

But how was I going to get out of this mess of feelings that I cannot feel. Is it down to this? Making this life make sense to me was hard enough with out the problem, with struggling with these random emotions. But can I do this. Can I make this new life work? Huh, it's funny how a simple thing like life can come so tough and a hard choice like killing comes so easy to me.

I lost my reason to live; I lost that reason for me. A reason to start a new. That reason is gone.

"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing." I looked at my feet thinking about those words. Ansem once told me these words before he left. The one thing on my mined as I begine to fade to the death that awaits me is the journey that brought me to this place.

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He stood near the edge of the riverbank thumbing the pebbles he had cupped in his hands as he gazed out into the water. The wind's current was strong; it blasted effortlessly through the trees and rippled over the river's glossy surface. Sora chucked a pebble onto the water, easily ricocheted it over the surface for several meters, until in finally sunk into its dark depths. He stole a glance toward Kairi as he prepared to launch the next rock. She sat gracefully upon a white boulder, wearing a pale blue summer dress that ran just below her knees. The dress was carefully tucked under to keep the wind from blowing in out of place, but she did not seem the slightest bit concerned with that possibility. She exuded a carefree elegance, something that was becoming more characteristic of her with each passing day. Her body welcomed the windy embrace, smiling lazily and enjoying the way the wind surged over the naked flesh of her limbs, neck, and face. Her hair seemed to dance behind her, daring to defy the natural pull of gravity. Sora smiled sadly and wondered if Kairi had always been this lovely.

He cast the next stone into the water and watched it fly and skip over the river's surface. Lately there had been a growing silence between them. Kairi and him. They would spend long afternoons and evenings together with no more than a dozen exchanges between them. The words were becoming fewer and the moments of silence grew endless, stretching onward like a sky full of stars.

"Moments like these are bound to fade, aren't they?" Kairi said softly, just audibly over the wind's roar.

"Hm?" Sora turned away from the riverbank, his eyes brimming with wonder.

"Peace," she answered.

He nodded. The last five years had been like a whirlwind bursting through and out their village. War had invaded their lives with the brevity of a spring, and left it with a blink of an eye, yet they had lost so much. Their childhood had lost much of the brilliance that usually shines with innocence and youth. Friends, comrades, and mentors were forever laid to rest in the depths of the earth.

"Yeah," he answered. "The moments don't last. But it's good to enjoy them while we still have them."

Kairi laughed playfully at his reply. Sora tilted his head and stared at her with a confused and bemused expression. Lately, he had discovered that Kairi was also becoming prone to reacting in surprising and unpredictable ways. As they grew older, she was becoming more of a mystery to him.

Kairi exhaled deeply as her laugher died down and rested her head back, her lips curled up in a satisfied grin. "I was just thinking," She said, "how funny your words are compared to the Sora I remember. When did you get so wise? Whatever happened to that oblivious boy?"

"He died many years ago." He threw another rock watching as it sailed through the air before hitting the surface of the water and skipping towards the other side, but falling short as it sunk. "I have a question to ask you."

"Yes."

He looked over at her to see that she was starring at the sky with a content smile across her face. "How about a date?"

The jerk of the head wasn't a surprise to him. Which was more a surprise was that he had had enough courage to ask her in the first place. He shook off the feeling of dought and starred at the girl, the question was asked with determination, and he waited patiently.

"Sora, I…I love…" he watched her every move waiting for her to say his name, to smile at him with that smile that he reserved for the person that she love and then the world shattered. "Riku."

Sora sat up quickly realizing he was reliving the painful events of stupid seventh grade when he asked Kairi out. This dream was different though. Instead of the seventh grade version of himself and Kairi there was the tenth grade versions. He shook it off as a stupid dream before sitting up and grabbing his cloths. He was surprised he wasn't in pain from the grueling training Cloud Strife had put them through. But now he had a mission to do. So he grabbed his white shirt and black vest. He already had his red shorts on before he ran out the door.

It was raining never ever going his way as he watched it poor down. He walked down the street slipping on his hood over his head as he received glares from the people that were brave enough to walk in the rain. He finally reached his destination, stopping at the edge of the ocean. Man did he wish he could get away from this world, the hate of it all. Why was it that everyone hated him. He shook his head in disgust with himself. His hood slipped off revealing his watered down hair which seemed to fight the weight of the water.

In a flash his arm was stretched out with his sword in hand. The tip not touching, but dangerously close, to the intruders throat. A slight gasp was heard and without looking to see who it was he lowered his weapon.

He stood trembling as the rain beat down upon him. His shirt, soaked and heavy with rain, clung to his torso and his usually spiky hair was beaten down flat by the water. It had even managed to so thoroughly seep into the fibers of his shorts that they barely managed to cling onto his hips.

Not five feet away, Kairi stared sullenly at the boy. An umbrella lay near her feet where it had fallen just moments before. Unlike him, she was only damp but the cold had already percolated into her bones. But then, there was also the heaviness that spread from her chest to the rest of her body. The weariness in her eyes matched the lassitude that he exuded.

He gazed down at the umbrella, recalling how it had dropped.

"Sorry."

"You came early." The intruder spoke softly.

"I was going to train." Sora responded without looking at them. He just stared at the ocean as it darkened from the rain.

"Sora, what's the full story?"

His cerulean eyes shifted to the female who noe moved to his side to stare at the ocean. She wore a white tank top, with belts wrapping around her arms. He shorts were rolled up

Hiding some of the tears in them.

"Kairi, it hurt." Sora whispered as the rain seemed to pore even harder.

"Who did?" she said now looking at him.

"My mother taught me all the fables about this village and the surrounding villages, about kingdom hearts and the four horsemen of apocalypse, she told me how in the end all the sinners have to pay but..." Sora's eyes seemed to shrink at these word. "But she lied to me.

"My father, he worked so hard his bones were breaking, he wore them down but long ago he lost the feeling, his good intentions leave me shaking, showing me how I don't ever want to end up like he did and...

"He died lying to me. They were never really my parents. They were hired to watch over me because no one else did. I was a burden to them. They were looked down on for taking me in." He finally turned his head so he was facing her. "i don't wanna live like my mother, I don't wanna let fear rule my life, and I don't wanna live like my father, I don't wanna give up before I die."

"Your stronger then that Sora."

Sora shook his head. "Not strong enough." He turned back to the dark ocean before he spoke again rubbing his wrists. "When I have kids I won't put any chains on their wrists, I won't I'll tell them this there's nothing in this world that you can't be if you want it enough."

She stared at his wrist seeing the bruises and that he meant the chained part literly. "Sora I…"

"Since we are all here we can hurry and get this mission over with." He interrupted her before she said something she would regret in front of "him",

Riku and Cloud booth stepped onto the beach. "I was wondering if you would sence us?" Riku spoke winking at Kairi. Who blushed. Sora and her eyes caught and she saw his eyes drop.

"Well then let's get a move one." Cloud said. "First, mission Beast's Castle."

Cloud started walking, followed by Riku and Kairi. Sora took one last glance at the ocean before he whispered. "I will always love you…Kairi."

The girl stared at the solemn figure trying to hold back the tears. 'But, I love Riku.'

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A/N:

Final Thought from Riku:

What were those two talking about?

Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Sora): I do not claim any rights to Kingdom Hearts I or II or the characters associated with the game/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Disney and Square Enix. I do offer my thanks to them for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

War Slayer