Chapter 3

Emptiness' Claim

It's here. Sora's final thought as it came startled him. He felt like he knew it was coming, like he knew what it was. I've been here.

Sora recalled a day only a few weeks ago, before he and Riku had found each other after such a long time, before they had teamed up to stop Xemnas.

"Another Twilight Town?" Sora's voice was filled with confusion.

"Yeah, I'm interested in it too." King Mickey examined the computer in front of them. "I think this will lead us to Roxas' Twilight Town."

"Roxas is there?"

"I believe so. Pence, could you take a look at this please?"

Pence sat at the computer's large seat and began typing away. It was only a few moments later when he turned to Sora. "It says it needs a password. Any ideas?"

This is the computer of Ansem the Wise, thought Sora. "Sea-salt ice cream?"

Pence gave Sora a look of confusion and typed the password in. At first nothing seemed to happen. "Are you sure that's it?" Pence asked Sora and turned to him again.

Sora was about to answer when he heard a whirring sound behind him. A glowing beam of light was pointed straight at the ground inside of a metal cylinder in the wall.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then the King spoke. "Let's go."

That wasn't too long ago. Sora saw the Emptiness approaching them now, as if reading the note from the King had triggered its very appearance. It appeared as a massive wave that slowly made its way to the Islands, devouring every speck of Light as it went. Sora tried to remember when he had seen this. That's when he remembered. Betwixt and Between.

Axel was on the ground beside Sora, his life ebbing away with every passing second.

"Tell Kairi I'm sorry, I'm the one who kidnapped her," Axel said with a smile. "But now Sai'x has her. They're in the castle, that's where they'll be keeping her. Got it memorized?" With that, Axel held his hand up as it began to glow. "Go inside to reach the Organization's stronghold." Out of nowhere there appeared a small black hole.

Sora felt tears welling up inside. "You can't go! Not now!"

"Hey I'm fine. I've done my part, it's up to you and Roxas now." Before another word was spoken, Axel had vanished.

That also wasn't too long ago. Sora recalled stepping through the hole into the World that Never Was. The City of Darkness. Before he had stepped through, there had been something else, a feeling of dread and misery. In that horrible feeling he heard a voice calling out to him with one word. Emptiness.

Now it is upon us. Sora stood his ground with Riku by his side. It was almost there.

"Kairi, go to safety inside the Islands!" Riku motioned for her to hide in their childhood secret place, a cave under the waterfall of the Island. "We'll be back!"

"Promise me!" Kairi shouted. Small tears had formed in her eyes.

Sora grabbed her hand softly. "I promise we'll return soon." For a moment, he thought he saw Namine standing there, alongside Kairi.

"I know you will." Kairi reached into her pocket and took out the small Oathkeeper doll she had entrusted to Sora over a year ago. "Promise you'll bring it back again."

Sora took the small paper doll in his hand and stared at it, memories rushing into his head of the last year. "I promise."

Kairi hugged him again and quickly took off towards the secret place, leaving a trail of tears behind her.

"Here it is!" Riku stood firm and grasped Sora's hand tightly at his side.

"We go together this time!" Sora recalled again the day when everything had changed, when Darkness had come to Destiny Islands, when Riku had seemed so close, yet so far away.

The Emptiness was upon them in a few seconds, washing away everything they held dear, destroying the Islands themselves. In his last moment before fading into the Emptiness, Sora remembered that day when Darkness claimed him, and the last thing he heard in its binding grasp.

You will be the key that opens the door to Light.