Kingdom Hearts: Intertwined Souls
By AnimeDutchess
Chapter 2: Thinking and Finding
A/N: YAY! I got reviews! I'm so happy!
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Just a little heads up on this chapter: It's with Sora, Riku, and Kairi the day before and the day they find Lilith. Enjoy!
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"Please Sora, just talk to him again today!"
"Kairi, listen to me. Riku doesn't want to talk. We've tried every day since Kingdom Hearts and he still barely says a word about it!"
Sigh…Here they go again…and I can hear every word they say… Riku thought as he reached the rickety dock of the island all the kids had gone to all the time; ever since they were all really young. He saw his two best friends under the bridge to the little island just off the coast. He decided to sneak up on them.
I guess they figured out where I go so early in the morning…took them a while he thought, walking as quietly as you can when walking on sand, which is pretty quiet. Their backs were turned to him, and they kept bickering like the married couple they were destined to be.
"Sora, he's not telling us something! What if it's important? What if he's depressed?"
"Kairi. Riku is our friend. If something was bothering him, he'd tell us. Don't think I'm not concerned."
"You don't have to be."
Sora and Kairi jumped slightly, and turned around. Lo and behold, there was Riku. He wore what he usually wore, except his gloves were more like Sora's gloves, but black. Kairi had long ago asked him about his sudden change in fashion, but Riku hadn't said anything.
"Oh we don't, do we?" Kairi retorted, putting her hands on her hips. Sora took a step towards Riku.
"Riku," Sora said, "You've been sulking for the two months since Kingdom Hearts. You rarely say a few sentences. You sit around thinking more than you did before Kingdom Hearts. You come here really early in the morning and leave really late at night; I saw you walking home at 12:30 last night. Your mom has been freaking out because of it; she asked us yesterday to talk to you."
"What he means," Kairi said, "is that we're concerned about this…this stuff you've been doing. Why are you so…so…"
"Depressed?" Riku finished for her. Kairi and Sora nodded. Riku sighed and sat down, his two friends doing the same.
"Look," Riku started, "I've just…had some bad dreams for the past few weeks. So…don't be concerned, okay? I'm fine."
Sora and Kairi exchanged doubtful looks, but nodded all the same. Kairi got up from the spot she was sitting in, looking happier and dusting off her skirt.
"I'll meet you guys at the Paopu tree!" She said, running towards the Seaside Shack. Sora got up as well, dusted off his pants, and held out a hand to Riku. Riku took his hand and Sora pulled him up.
"Sora, can you tell Kairi I'll be there in a few minutes or so?" Riku asked, "I just need to do something." Sora nodded and ran off towards the Seaside Shack. Riku frowned and turned the opposite way, towards the cove. Why didn't I tell them everything? Riku thought as he walked to the cove.
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Riku sat on the far side of the cove, on an outcropping of land over the ocean. He reached into his pocket and took out a pocketknife, flipping the blade open. The blade glistened in the early morning sun. He set the blade down next to him and took off the glove on his left hand, and examined his inner wrist. Small, crisscrossing scars looked dark against his pale skin. He picked up the pocketknife in his right hand, and, with shaky breath, pressed the blade against his skin.
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Riku sat on the trunk of the Paopu tree, watching the sunset. Sora and Kairi had left about an hour ago. He was thinking about what happened in Kingdom Hearts…something he really didn't want to think about, but watching the sunset always brought back the dark memories he mostly kept in the back of his mind…
…Flashback…
He felt so weak…physically and emotionally drained, lying on the dungeon floor. The cold, metal chains binding him to the dungeon wall were so heavy…everything felt hopeless as he lay motionless. He didn't hear Ansem first. He sensed him.
"Hello, my dear Riku," Ansem said in his creepy voice when he entered the dungeon. Riku shivered. He never knew he could be so scared. Ansem leaned over him, their faces too close for comfort. Riku could feel Ansem's breath on his face. It was sickening.
"What do you want?" Riku managed to say. Ansem chuckled softly. "Isn't it obvious, Riku?" The madman said, "I want you…"
Riku never thought he could scream so loud until that night.
…End Flashback…
Riku blinked. He hadn't realized he'd been shaking so much. I really have to stop thinking about it he thought, sliding off the tree trunk. Something out of the corner of his eye distracted him. He looked up; meteors were falling, leaving streaks across the now completely darkened sky. He remembered the last time he had seen meteors falling…the night before Kairi came…
…Flashback…
The 11-year old Riku was over at Sora's house, since his parents had gone out somewhere and had asked Sora's mom to baby sit him. It was around 8:00 at night, and since the weather was so nice, Sora's mom let the boys sleep out under the stars. Of course, they weren't sleeping just yet…
"Riku! Look at that!" the 10-year old Sora shouted, pointing towards the sky. Riku looked in the direction Sora was pointing at. He saw a light streak across the sky.
"What is it?" Riku asked; he was naturally curious and had never seen moving lights in the sky, except for the occasional airplane.
"My mom said," Sora explained, "That lights like that are big rocks in the sky that shoot across the sky. She called them 'shooting stars', I think." Riku lay back on the grass as Sora rambled on.
"She said that if you see one, you should make a wish on it!" Sora said excitedly, "That means I can make a wish!"
"Wishing doesn't do anything," Riku said, "You haveta go out and do things; my dad says that's the only way things get done."
"Whatever," Sora said, "I'm making a wish and you can't stop me!" Sora closed his eyes and whispered something. Riku thought he heard some of what Sora said; something along the lines of "more friends to play with". Then Sora lay down on the grass as well and fell asleep.
That night little Riku saw many more of these 'shooting stars', but he didn't bother to make a wish on any of them.
…End Flashback…
Riku hadn't realized how long he'd watched the stars; he heard the clock tower way back on the main island ringing 12:00. He dashed towards his boat and started to untie it. As he got into the boat, he saw one particularly bright shooting star streak across the sky. Riku, feeling more depressed than ever, closed his eyes.
"I…wish that I could meet someone more like me," He whispered, "Someone who I can talk to and can help me." He then opened his eyes and started to row home, which was about five minutes away.
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"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Lilith was screaming as she plummeted towards a calm looking ocean. If being pulled into a vortex and coming out the other end in an extremely high place was Helena's idea of a joke, it wasn't funny.
Dammit, Helena! Next time you make me free-fall 100,000 feet and tell me not to use my powers, at least give me a parachute or something! Lilith thought, too scared to use her powers anyway. As she got closer to the water, she could make something out in the distance; a small, tropical island which looked like it had little tree houses on it. She looked down. The water was getting closer by the second. At 12:06, she hit the water.
The water pushed and pulled at Lilith. She could feel the currents moving her. She struggled as hard as she could to reach the surface, her clothes weighing her down. When she finally broke through to the surface, she was much closer to the little island than before. Already exhausted from the struggle with the water, she swam the short distance to a small stretch of beach near what looked like a very old dock. She crawled onto the beach and coughed up some water.
"Uhhh…" she moaned, collapsing on the beach. She shivered from the mix of being wet and the cool sea breeze. She breathed in and out very deeply.
I don't wanna move…she thought, closing her eyes. Maybe I'll just sleep here…not a very good idea, but I really don't care.
So the demon girl drifted into an uneasy sleep, having the strangest dream she ever had…
…Dream…
The darkness was everywhere. Lilith was falling, falling into the darkness. She didn't scream, though. For some reason she was unafraid, which was strange since she had developed an unusual fear of the darkness when she was seven years old. There was nothing but darkness…until she saw a light above her. The light got brighter and brighter, until it completely melted the darkness away. She was now falling into the light, and started to hear voices; familiar voices from her past, and ones she didn't know:
"Lilith Ann! Show some respect to the visitors this time!" Her father.
"My lady, it's best not to quarrel with your father." Her nanny.
"Lil, sweetie, why are you crying?" Her dear, sweet mother.
"You can't stop me, Lil. No one can." Her younger sister Mildred, or Mille for short.
"Really? You seem too nice and innocent to be a demon." Helena the first time she met her.
"I've never seen a weapon like that before. What's it called?" An upbeat, male voice.
"Are you serious? You don't like pink?" A cute, feminine voice.
"…Lilith…that's a nice name." A very dreamy, slightly depressed male voice that almost made Lilith melt when she heard it.
Lilith noticed the light growing dimmer. She looked around. Sure enough, the darkness was coming back, and this time Lilith was beyond afraid.
"NO!" She screamed. The darkness was going to get her…and she couldn't stop it…
…End Dream…
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Riku woke up the next morning at 6:00. The sun was almost going to rise, and there were a few clouds glowing a golden color when he looked out his bedroom window. And for the first time since Kingdom Hearts, it actually felt like a good day. He got dressed and grabbed his pocketknife. After all, he knew that a good day can go horribly bad.
When he reached his boat tied up to the dock he always tied it up on when he came home from the small island he hung out on, he noticed that Sora and Kairi's boats were still tied up as well. That was good; he could relax and get a head start on his usual musings. As he got in the boat, he remembered the strange dream he'd been having for the past few weeks…
…Dream Flashback…
Riku was standing in a dimly lit room. He could see a strange silhouette of a person in front of him. The person was about five inches shorter than he was, and seemed to have bat-like wings. The person then spoke in a mysterious, seductive voice.
"Hello Riku," The person said, their voice sounding feminine. Riku blinked in surprise.
"How do you know my name? Who are you?" he demanded. The person chuckled softly, and walked towards him. Riku instinctively took a step back.
"I," The person said, "Am your greatest dream and your worst nightmare…If only you would give in to the darkness in your heart…Then your true power would be fully realized!" Riku blinked, dazed, and then narrowed his eyes, trying to look more confident.
"No way in hell!" He snapped, turning around and walking away from the person, "I'm not making the same mistake again!" The person snorted in disgust.
"I guess," It said, "That the Keyblade Master has already converted you…pity, really. You could have made a great ruler of Hell, if it weren't for the light…"
"Huh?" Riku said, turning around, "What are you talking about?"
"…Guess I'll have to use force." It said, holding Its hand up in the air. Something materialized into it; it looked like a Keyblade…but not just any Keyblade…
The Oblivion Keyblade! Riku thought, backing up as the person slowly walked toward him, Keyblade outstretched. Riku bumped into the wall as the person moved closer. It swung the Keyblade up, ready to strike. Riku closed his eyes, not wanting to see the attacker, and…
This is where the dream would usually end, with Riku almost getting killed, but tonight the dream went on:
A clash of metals was heard above Riku's head. He opened his eyes, and saw a figure in front of him, blocking the other figure with a staff shaped like a skeleton key. This new figure was about Riku's height, and emitted a low growl at the first person.
"Don't you DARE." The new person said a dangerous voice. Riku could tell by the voice that this person was a girl as well. The new person swung her staff, unlocking the two weapons, and aimed the part you put the key into the lock at the first person's chest. The first person backed up, a black portal opening up behind them.
"Sorry, Big Sister," The first person said, "but I must cut this visit short." The second person started to run towards the first person.
"Wait! Get back here!" The second person said, but it was too late. The first person had already gone into the portal…
…End Dream…
Riku hadn't realized that he was already at the island's dock until his boat bumped into it, snapping him out of his thoughts. He got out of the boat and tied it up. He looked up from his tying work and his eyes settled on a dark mass on the beach. He raised an eyebrow and climbed up onto the dock to get a better look. No matter how much he looked at it, the mound looked like…a person.
Riku gasped and ran over to the mound. Sure enough, it was a person, a girl in fact, lying on her side in the sand. From what he could make out that wasn't covered in wet sand, the girl was wearing a lot of black. She had on a short black skirt, a black shirt which looked like a tank-top with mesh sleeves, and strange boots; the foot part was oversized, and the tops were folded over, but they still reached her mid-thigh. Her jet black hair was in short pigtails that were pulled together near the top of her head in black elastics. She looked like she once had makeup on, but it was probably washed off from the ocean. An old-looking ribbon was tied around her neck, the bow in the back. A strange, key-shaped pendant glinted around her neck, despite the fact that it had lots of wet sand on it. Her pale skin not covered in sand looked almost pure white in the morning sun.
Riku stared at her for about a minute. She's…really pretty… he thought, a slight blush rising in his cheeks. He then blinked and shook his head. What am I doing standing around? I've gotta help her!
Riku knelt down on the sand near the girl and put two fingers on her neck; he felt a pulse. He turned her on her back and put his ear to her chest. Sure enough, she was breathing. Riku sighed in relief and picked his head back up. He looked at the girl with increasing curiosity.
Who is she? Where did she come from? Riku thought. He stared at her for another minute before another question popped into his head. Wait…what if she's from another world? Riku shivered at the thought. Maybe I should wake her up… Can't leave her here…
Riku put a hand on the girl's shoulder and gently shook her. He could hear the girl stir from her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open; Riku thought that even though they were a deep crimson color (which was sort of creepy), they looked innocent, sad, and happy all at once. The girl blinked a few times to focus her vision, and saw Riku. Her eyes immediately widened with fear and, with lighting speed, got on her feet and shielded herself with her arms, peering at Riku through them. Riku fell backwards in shock and surprise.
"Hey, what the heck?" Riku said, getting up. The girl blinked as he stood up, and relaxed a bit; her arms lowered to her sides and she sighed in relief.
"Sorry," She said in a sweet, apologetic voice, "I'm just really jumpy right now." Riku nodded in understanding. She giggled softly.
"Well, can you tell me where I am?" The girl asked, looking around in awe.
"This is Destiny Islands," Riku said, "Welcome…uh…" The girl immediately gasped.
"Sorry; I've been so busy lately I've forgotten my manners," She said. She curtsied quickly. "My name is Lilith; and you are?"
"…Lilith…that's a nice name," Riku said, "I'm Riku. So, uh, if you don't mind me asking…where are you from? And how did you get here?" Lilith's eyes widened in surprise a bit, but she then just giggled a bit.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," She said, "But trust me; I'm not from here. As for how I got here," Lilith pointed to the sky, "I fell."
"You must've come in the meteor shower," Riku said, amazed, "So that means I was right; you ARE from another world!"
"I guess so…" Lilith said. Her brain then fully processed what Riku had said.
"Wait a minute…how do you know about the other worlds?" She asked taking a step towards him.
"Well, you wouldn't believe ME if I told you," He said. Lilith looked confused, then nodded her understanding.
"…So…"
"So."
Riku bit his lip. C'mon, Riku! Think of something to say! He thought as he watched Lilith absentmindedly play with her key pendant. A thought then sprang up in his mind.
"So, ah, my friends are going to come soon…wanna meet them?" He asked. He saw a soft blush creep onto Lilith's face as she looked up, and could feel a blush come onto his face as well.
"Well…yeah, okay," She said, "I can't really do anything else." She then giggled. Riku laughed a few times too. She really seems nice, Riku thought, Sora and Kairi will like her, too.
"So, where are they?" Lilith asked, looking around for anyone else. Riku was about to tell her when he heard two very familiar voices.
"Hey, Riku!"
"Who's your new friend, Riku?"
Riku sighed in slight annoyance. "They're here…"
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A/N: Aha! A cliffhanger! I know; I hate cliffhangers too, but this is how you keep people coming back for more…at least, that's what I've heard…
Anyway, sorry if Riku, Sora and Kairi are OOC. I'm trying my best to make a very cool story. And on that note, I've got a question for you reviewers:
Since I'm trying to make this story a bit like KH1, I want the cast of this story to travel to different worlds, just not the Disney worlds; you know, 'worlds' as in different animes, videogames, and cartoons. And I want to put my personal favorites in here. I've already got the idea for it and everything. So…do you guys think that would be good? Please review! I really do want to hear your opinions!
Remember: nice reviewers get digital cookies! Lots of nice reviews new chapter! Ja Ne! -AnimeDutchess