Chapter 6: The Grid- Hikari's Side
A/N: I gotta say this was probably my least favorite world to visit when I played this game. Mainly because I vaguely remember the film and because I just didn't like how they handled Sora's side of the story since he knows Tron. Oh well I'll just fix it with my version lol.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Heart's, I just own my Oc's.
Enjoy!
/
No matter what happens I will always, always love you
A lot can happen to a person in a year. At least that's what Tsukiko thought. Who would have thought that the girl from Twilight Town would go from just a simple city girl to one that fell in love with a Nobody when it was claimed that Nobodies couldn't love, befriend Roxas and Ankoku, finding out that she herself was a Nobody which made the theory of Nobodies not being able to love sound even more ridiculous to being one of the heroes to saved the worlds from darkness.
Surely she didn't and yet that's what happened.
After Xemnas was defeated and the Organization destroyed, Taiyouko offered to send her back to Twilight Town so she could go back to her normal life.
There was no going back to normal after everything she saw. Not only that but that world held so many precious memories of a certain redhead she loved deeply. A redhead that no longer existed.
Twilight Town wasn't the same without Axel there. She couldn't watch the sunset without thinking of him, or eat a Sea Salt Ice Cream and not think about sitting up on the Clock Tower eating it with him.
With a heavy heart, she decided to leave Twilight Town and went to live on the Islands with Hikari and the others. It wasn't so bad. The island they lived on was nice and quaint while the people were friendly. A stark contract from the bustling world of Twilight Town, but a nice contrast.
Not only that, Taiyouko was able to give Hikari's Nobody, Ankoky a heart so she could exist as her own self. Having the stubborn, foul mouthed Nobody was a welcoming distraction. She had a familiar face with her on the islands and Ankoku kept her distracted from thinking about Axel.
Even after a year, her heart still ached over the loss of her beloved. Not a day went by where she didn't recall how he sacrificed himself so she would be safe from the Organization. It was a noble sacrifice but a painful one. She made sure he was remembered daily by changing a few things about herself. No more was her hair pulled up in a ponytail. Instead her ravenous locks tumbled down her neck while she styled some of them to flare out a bit to look like her boyfriend's spikes. Her clothing consisted of warm colors that went on the border of being risqué looking-symbolizing the alluring, tempting way fire tends to do to a person.
Yes, these little changes didn't fill the gap in her heart, but they made the pain go away slightly. It tried to mend over time, but she knew deep down it would never be the same. Like all fragile things, all it took was a simple poke to shatter the most delicate of structures.
The King had sent a letter to the group saying that Xehanort was returning and that Sora, Riku and Hikari needed to see Yen Sid about something. Thinking about that madman made all the memories that she buried within her heart come back to the surface.
Memories of Taiyouko suffering, of Roxas having to return to Sora, of Axel…..it seemed that Xehanort wouldn't stop until everyone knew what it was like to feel pain.
Well, she wasn't going to let him get that satisfaction. That was why she found herself at Disney Castle with Taiyouko and Queen Minnie. Since King Mickey took Donald and Goofy with him to bring Sora, Riku and Hikari to Yen Sid, he asked the two of them to protect his wife. It was a honor and a good distraction for her not to think about Xehanort.
Staring out the window that faced the garden, she sighed.
'When is this madness gonna end?' she thought.
"You ok, there?"
Turning around, she saw Taiyouko approach her. She had to admit it, the sorceress was one hell of a woman. Not only was she Hikari's mother, but she was one of the few people who managed to get the upper hand on Xehanort. Not only that, she gave her and Ankoku a heart so they wouldn't have to suffer the fate that came to Nobodies. Taiyouko was surely one of a kind.
The sorceress tilted her head as she studied her Nobody.
"You're thinking about what's going on again, aren't you?"
Tsukiko snorted as she looked back at the garden.
"Kinda hard not to when the King sends a letter saying Xehanort might be coming back. It's like that man is a cockroach. You can never kill him"
Taiyouko laughed weakly as she joined her Nobody by the window.
"That's one way to describe him"
Tsukiko studied her a bit as well. It was a low blow for Taiyouko to hear that Xehanort was coming back. Out of all of them, she suffered the most at the hands of that man.
"So how are you holding up? I'm sure this isn't easy for you either"
Taiyouko gripped the window ledge tightly to the point where her knuckles turned white.
"As if there's an easy way of processing the fact that the man who made me loose everything is coming back. Thanks to him I lost my baby brother and father, he tried to use my daughter who now has to fight him and put one of my dearest friends into a deep…."
She closed her eyes as she thought of Lumen and how she was nowhere close to saving her.
"It's not easy, but I'm trying to will myself into making it so"
Tsukiko looked ahead, not really paying attention to the scenry.
"Guess this isn't easy for any of us…kinda makes you wonder if those three have what it takes to stop Xehanort"
Taiyouko sighed as she looked at the ground.
"As their companion and mother figure I wanna say they do…but knowing Xehanort I'm wondering if they can" she admitted.
"I just don't know what to believe these days"
"I believe in them"
Taiyouko and Tsukiko turned to seen Queen Minnie approach them.
"I may have not known them for as long as you both have but I believe they can stop him" she said.
"From what the King has told me and from what I've seen, those three will be the ones who will save everyone that has suffered at Xehanort's hands. We just need to believe in them and support them as best as we can"
The two women looked at the Queen for a moment before looking at each other. Minnie was right; they had to be strong and show that they were there for Hikari and the others now more than ever. They would have to be the ones who faced him so it was up to them and everyone else to show that they believed in them and would help them no matter what.
"Queen Minnie is right, those three will be able to handle this" Tsukiko said.
"They've stopped him before twice already, so this should be a walk in the park"
Taiyouko smiled softly.
"Yes, you're right"
Minnie smiled, glad that she was able to help on the home front. She may not have had a dangerous task like King Mickey, but she would be damned if she didn't help in some sort of way.
This was everyone's fight now.
"Oh yeah, why did the King send those three to Yen Sid? He never really explained anything only that it was urgent" Tsukiko asked.
Minnie looked at the ground as she frowned.
"To be honest I'm not really sure" she said.
"All I know is that it had something to do with Jiminy's journals and the message that was in it"
"Message?" Taiyouko asked.
Minnie nodded.
"Yes, apparently there was a hidden note that Jiminy never wrote down. When the King found out and figured out the hidden meaning behind it, he went to Yen Sid claiming it might be a clue to helping someone" she said.
So many thoughts ran through Taiyouko's mind as ideas and theories played out. There was only one person she could think of that needed their help more than anyone and she knew this person all too well. Surely this wasn't a coincidence. She wouldn't know unless she saw.
Putting on a fake smile she looked a Minnie sweetly.
"Is that journal still here by any chance? Perhaps if we looked at it, it might give us a clue on how to help Hikari and the others"
Minnie nodded as she started walking away.
"It's in the King's study, follow me"
The two women followed Minnie towards Mickey's study. Tsukiko looked at Taiyouko with narrowed eyes.
"What brought this up all of a sudden?" she asked,
Taiyouko looked serious as she stared ahead.
"I need to get to the bottom of something"
When they reached the King's study, Minnie went over to Mickey's desk and picked up the journal.
"Here it is. He found the message near the back of the journal. I don't know what it means but it seemed important to the King"
Taiyouko accepted the journal and flipped it towards the last page. The sentence she saw made her spine tingle.
Her slumbering will cease when you bring her back together.
Tsukiko peered over to read what the journal said with a raised eyebrow.
"Who is this 'she' that it's talking about?"
"Lumen…it's talking about Lumen" Taiyouko muttered.
"What are you talking about?" Tsukiko asked.
Taiyouko ignored her and looked at Minnie urgently.
"I know who this journal is talking about and from what you told me about the King's reaction, he does too! I need to speak with the King to see what he knows"
"Oh? Surely you wouldn't mind sharing that information with all of us? It would be so rude not to:
Paling at the sound of a familiar voice, the three turned to see none other than Pete and Maleficent appear out of a dark portal.
The dark sorceress smiled evilly as Diabo rested on her shoulder.
"Hello beasties"
/
The next world Hikari arrived to was one that looked very familiar to her. Everything appeared to be digitalized and futuristic. Not only that but her outfit had changed as well to the one she wore when she went into Ansem's computer.
"This outfit…I'm in Tron's world!"
Looking at everything around her, she noticed that Space Paranoids was a lot different from when she was here last time.
"Looks like Tron made a few upgrades since last time. Then again, I'm sure he would since he's in control of Ansem's computer"
She noticed a strange looking ship fly over her as it slowly glided through the programed city.
"Those are new. Wonder if that was part of Tron's upgrade?"
Wondering if Tron was on that ship, she quickly followed it. The thought of seeing her programed friend made her happy. She hadn't seen Tron since she defeated Xemnas and she wanted to let him know how everything was going.
'Maybe he still has data on Xehanort from the DTD? That could really help us with the exams' she thought.
As soon as she thought of that, she stopped in her tracks. She was supposed to be in the sleeping realms so why was Tron's world here? She could understand Traverse Town being in the sleeping realm since it was a world stuck within realms, but Tron's world was a program…a program that was within a computer in one of the worlds residing in the realm of light.
"Computer based worlds can't dream…can they?"
She saw the ship starting to descent up ahead. Now having questions that needed answers, she went after the ship in the hopes that it would provide what she was looking for. When she reached the ship she saw a group of masked guards stepping out and searching the perimeter. That didn't settle well with Hikari. Why would Tron need to have guards when he was in control of everything?
The guards spotted her and marched towards her.
"State your handle, program" they ordered.
Hikari took a step back, not liking that they were getting close.
"I'm not a program. I'm a User. My name's Hikari"
That seemed to be the wrong answer cause the guards pulled out their weapons and aimed them at her.
"Strag program recognized. Isolate for quarantine"
One of them grabbed her by the arm and started to drag her towards the ship.
"Let go of me!" she cried.
She quickly whistled and summoned her Dream Eaters to help. Lulu head butted the guard that was holding her while Riki Bat slapped his wings at the other guards head.
Being free, Hikari jumped on Lulu's back and rode away from the guards.
"After her!"
Hikari simply urged Lule to go faster so the guards wouldn't catch them. She almost got arrested on the last world she was on, she didn't want to get arrested on this one as well.
/
When they felt like they weren't being chased anymore, Lule stopped in an open area.
"Boy that was close" Hikari sighed.
"Something is very wrong here. It's like when the MCP tried to take over the whole system…why would Tron let that happen?"
She had to get to the bottom of this. If Tron was letting things get out of hand then it was obvious he needed help.
She started walking, knowing that standing around wouldn't solve anything.
"Wonder where Tron would be? This place is like a maze with everything looking the-"
She brought her Keyblade up to her face when she saw a disc come flying towards here. Instead of falling to the ground, it bounced off her blade and zipped back to where it came from.
A masked guard caught it and went into a fighting stance, showing that they were ready to attack again.
"Damn, they caught up to me"
Hikari quickly went into a fighting stance as well and squared off with the guard. If she was going to get arrested again, she was going to put up a fight.
The guard got a better look at her Keyblade and tilted its head slightly. Looking at the weapon and Hikari for a few more seconds, the guard put the flying disc away and ran off.
Hikari raised an eyebrow and scratched her neck.
"Well that was unexpected" she muttered.
"Hey you there"
Hearing new voices, Hikari turned to see the characters Quorra, Flynn and Sam approach her. Like her, they were dressed the same way as a User, so it was obvious that they weren't associated with the masked guards.
Quorra gestured towards the Keyblade that was still in Hikari's hand.
"That weapon, can I see it?" she asked.
HIkari looked at her Keyblade and shrugged.
"You mean my Keyblade? I guess"
She held it up so they could see it better. She didn't have to worry about them stealing it since it would just go right back to her, so there was no harm in showing it.
Quorra looked at the weapon in awe and marvel.
"This is just incredible" she breathed.
"What a program-the weapon and the wielder"
Hikari chuckled as she dismissed her Keyblade.
"Oh, I'm not a program. I'm Hikari, I guess I'm what you would call a User…or at least that's what Tron called me"
That caught Flynn's attention.
"You know Tron?!"
"Well…yeah, I guess. He's one of my friends" Hikari said like it was obvious.
Flynn sighed wearily. It seemed that their situation was getting messier by the minute.
"Listen, that program you just saw…that was Tron"
Hikari felt her blood grow cold. Tron was really here and something was going on with this world.
"What happened to him?! He wasn't like this when I last saw him"
Flynn turned away as he stared off into the distance, reflecting over what happened.
"Tron used to be a good friend" he said.
"Together, we created this place, The Grid…but then CLU staged a coup. I was exiled and…Tron wound up getting derezzed…or so I thought"
He looked back at them looking wearier than before.
"CLU made him into a new program called Rinzler. That's the thing about programs. Mess with the code just a little and a memory can change"
Hikari gripped the fabric of her top tightly. How could this happen to Tron? He had done so much for her and helped turn Radiant Garden back to what it once was. To find out that her friend was being controlled like a puppet broke her heart.
"Tron" she whispered.
"I had a feeling something was off about this world…there's no way Tron would have let things end up like this…"
She looked at Flynn with a determined look, knowing she had to do something.
"If there's a way to help change him back I'm more than willing to help. He's helped me in the past so now it's my turn"
Flynn smiled a little for the first time since meeting Hikari.
"I think I'm gonna like you, kid" he said.
He rubbed his chin in thought, wondering if there was a way.
"If we're lucky, CLU kept a backup of Tron's source code. He's a program after all. He'd be methodical like that"
"So all we have to do is get this 'source code' from CLU and use it to fix Tron?" Hikari asked.
"That's the idea" Flynn nodded.
Hikari nodded in satisfaction.
"Then that's all I need to know" she started walking away and tried to form a plan on fixing Tron.
"Where are you going?" Flynn called out.
"To find the source code" Hikari said.
"I take it this CLU program has it so I might as well start with him"
"Do you even know where he is?"
Hikari shook her head as she continued to walk.
"No, but I'm not gonna find him by just standing here"
Quorra chuckled seeing the baffled look on Flynn's face.
"What a strange User. You're nothing like Sam of Flynn"
Hikari finally stopped and gave the program a lopsided smile.
"What can I say? I'm one of a kind"
Quorra was quiet for a moment before she finally decided on something.
"Come on, Hikari. I'll show you the way"
Flynn and Sam were shocked when they saw her walk towards Hikari.
"Quorra, we have to keep moving" he insisted.
"What are you gonna do if Rinzler attacks?" Sam added.
Quorra stopped when she reached Hikari and looked at her companions.
"If we're in a hurry, we need to take care of Rinzler first" she reasoned.
Hikari nodded and gave the guys a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, we can handle Tron"
Flynn sighed wearily, knowing he wasn't going to win this battle.
"Very well. Do what you can. Maybe you can help Tron"
With that, he and Sam headed off to continue with their mission.
Quorra looked at her new User companion with curiosity.
"It's just the two of us then. You ready, Hikari?"
Hikari nodded and pumped her fist.
"You better believe it"
Quorra chuckled and started walking again.
"CLU should be at the helm of his battleship, the Rectifier. We can get there with a Solar Sailor from the underground docks"
They headed towards the docks, hoping that CLU foolishly did have a backup of Tron's data on hand.
/
Meanwhile on the Rectifier, CLU was viewing the data Rinzler had gathered when he encountered Hikari.
"So this is a Keyblade?"
He closed the disc and handed it back to Rinzler.
"Keep an eye on this one. She might be perfect for our little tournament"
Rinzler nodded and walked away. When he was away from CLU, he activated the data again to see Hikari's image. The girl looked familiar but he couldn't recall seeing such a program.
Even so, seeing her image made him lower his head sadly. He didn't like the thought of CLU using her for one of his little 'games'.
/
Back with Hikari and Quorra, the two girls were able to make it to the underground station. They ran into a couple of CLU's guards and Nightmare's, but they were easily taken care of.
They were able to get on one of the Solar Sailors without any trouble and had it take them to CLU's ship.
Hikari flopped down on one of the seats and ran a hand through her hair.
"I hope we can find Tron's source code fast. I don't like the idea of him being used like this"
Quorra looked at her with innocent curiosity.
"Why do you want to help him so badly?" she asked.
Hikari looked at her dumbfounded, wondering why she would ask such a silly question.
"He's my friend. Why wouldn't I help him?" she said obviously.
"But he's a program. He's not a user like you" Quorra pointed out.
"Why would that matter? Friends are friends no matter who or what you are. User, Program, duck, dog, mouse, as long as you share a bond with one another that's all that matters. Tron helped me out in the past and now it's my turn to help him. That's just what friends do"
She looked at her lap somberly as she thought of something.
'If I can't help a friend that I know then how can I help Lumen and her friends?' she thought.
Quorra chuckled quietly.
"You really are a fascinating User"
She looked up and saw they made it to CLU's battleship.
"We're here"
They quickly got off the ship and headed inside CLU's ship.
"Hang on, Tron. I'm gonna fix this"
/
Sneaking onto the main bridge, the girl's searched high and low for Tron's source code. After a while, Quorra sighed in frustration.
"It's not here. CLU must have it with him"
Hikari groaned in frustration.
"I shouldn't be surprised. With something that important, there's no way he would leave it just laying around"
"Maybe we should try somewhere else?" Quorra suggested.
"Might as well. It's not here so there's no point staying here"
They headed for the door, only for it to open on itself. Standing before them was Tron or as he was now known, Rinzler.
Quorra pulled out her disc and went into a fighting stance. Hikari held up her hand, signaling her to stop.
"Let me try talking to him"
She slowly approached Tron and offered him a soft smile.
"Tron…do you know who I am?" she asked.
"It's me, Hikari. Sora, Donald, Goofy and I helped you get rid of the MCP and put Ansem's computer back to normal. You helped turn Rardiant Garden back to what it once was. Don't you remember?"
Tron was quiet as he stood motionless. Then just like a switch, he quickly pulled out his disc and threw it at her. Quorra got in front of her and blocked the disc with her own.
"I don't think that's the Tron you know anymore"
She lunged for the Tron and the two of them started to fight. Hikari watched helplessly as Quorra tried to get the upper hand of the fight but was failing horribly. It got to the point where Tron knocked her out and threw her over his shoulder. Hikari panicked and ran for them as Tron started to leave.
"Tron, no!"
The last thing she saw before the doors closed was Tron staring at her over his shoulder.
Hikari weakly slammed her fists against t he doors as she pressed her head against its cool surface.
"Tron…why?" she whispered.
"That's what we do"
Hikari whipped around to see the mysterious figure step out through a dark portal.
"Put the most precious memories in the back of our minds where they stay safe. Or in your case, the most precious…hearts?"
Hikari scowled and gave him an annoyed look. She didn't have time to deal with this now.
"Are you seriously going to follow me to every world I go? If you're gonna talk about my heart being a prison or something alone those lines, I don't have time to hear about your stupid riddles"
"Oh, come now, Hikari" a new voice said.
Xemnas stepped out of the portal with an oily smile on his face.
"Surely your mother and I taught you to have better manners than that?"
Hikari took a step back as she gripped the door behind her. Why was Xemnas here? How was he here? He was defeated when Sora, Riku and herself fought him in the World that Never Was…or at least that's what she thought happened.
"Xemnas..you…but I thought…."
Xemnas chuckled, clearly enjoying seeing her so shaken up.
"Try to piece a few memories together" he taunted.
"Rub a few memories together and you get a spark of emotion, a feeling. But in a digital world, memory does not work like that. Nothing is felt. You can hold a thousand, a million times the information, but there is still no heart with which to parse it. Once your grandfather, Ansem the Wise, found an old system and made a copy of it's Master Control Program…and used it to serve his own ends. This is the original data of that system. Here, data can be copied. Memory can be changed and easily manipulated. Tron is a digital entity, so why would he be any different? He obeys the rules of this-OOF!"
He was cut short when Lulu headbutted him in the gut, causing him to grab his stomach. The Pegaslick appeared to be on edge as she dug her hooves into the ground and snorted loudly. She stood in front of Hikari, making sure she was covered so Xemnas wouldn't touch her.
"Apparently my Dream Eaters think you talk too much" Hikari said dryly.
She looked at the Nobody who pretended to be her father when she was a child with such disgust. She knew he was trying to play one of his mind games on her and she wasn't falling for it.
"You're wrong about Tron, though" she said.
"He may be a program but he's more than just something made of ones and zeros. No one programed him to help Sora and I destroy the MCP. No one told him he had to help us. That was all him. He may not have an actual heart like I do, but he sure does act like he has one"
"If he acts on his own, then how was he turned into someone's puppet?" Xemnas asked.
He turned to the portal and headed towards it.
"Remember, Hikari. Just because you were destined to save lost souls doesn't mean you can save ALL of them"
With those parting words he left, leaving Hikari alone with the mysterious figure. He gave off this chilling vibe about him and always seemed to wan to talk in riddles.
"Let me guess? You're gonna go on about my heart being a prison and I should set it free? Or are you gonna talk about making dreams and nightmares come true?" Hikari asked dully.
The mysterious figure walked past her as he stared out the ship's window.
"You think this is the realm of dreams, but there, you are mistaken" he said cryptically.
"Data does not dream, cannot dream. This world is real. You haven't the slightest idea where you are-that you have already wandered off the path"
Hikari narrowed her eyes.
"And I take it you're here to bring me back to the main road so I won't get lost again?"
The mysterious figure chuckled, making Hikari's skin crawl.
"You could say that"
He opened up a portal behind him and held his hand out to her.
"Would you like me to hold your hand to make sure you don't get lost again?"
Lulu pushed Hikari back, still acting as a shield. Hikari stood her ground as she glared at the mysterious figure.
"I think I'm more that capable of finding my way back. Besides, taking a couple detours never harms anyone"
"Suit yourself" the mysterious figure said as he dropped his hand.
"Just make sure you don't get too lost that it'll be impossible to find you. You wouldn't want to worry your friends"
Hikari watched as he walked towards the portal.
"You're wrong about Tron, by the way" she called out.
The mysterious figure stopped and looked at her over his shoulder.
"You're completely wrong about him" she repeated.
"True, someone made him and had him programmed to act a certain way, but everything else about him was created by him. No one programmed him to help me when I needed it, no one programmed him to decide to restore my grandpa's computer and most importantly no one programmed him on how to make friends and form unbreakable bonds. His heart may not be like mine but it functions like any other heart. You just can't see it"
The mysterious figure was quiet. Instead of making a whitty remark, he simply went through the portal and closed it behind him.
"There's something about that boy" she said to herself.
She felt the ship jolt before it went up in the air.
"Oh, that's not good"
Rushing to one of the windows, she saw the ship leaving the docks. Knowing there was no way to leave a moving ship, Hikari decided to see where her next destination would take her.
/
The next destination turned out to be a battle arena where she was smack dab in the middle of the stage. The whole area was filled with cheers as programs sat around the arena, waiting for the next event that was to unfold.
'This is not gonna end well, I just know it' Hikari thought.
To prove her point, CLU and Rinzler appeared on the stage. CLU wore a smug smirk as he looked at her.
"Greetings, Hikari. I've been waiting for you"
Hikari could already tell that she wasn't going to like him just by the way he spoke.
"Who are you?"
"I am CLU"
Now she knew why she didn't like him. He was the one who changed Tron.
"So you're the one who turned Tron into Rinzler!"
CLU nodded.
"Correct. I had to repurpose his code"
"Well un-purpose it! Tron was fine just the way he was!"
CLU just shrugged, showing he didn't care.
"I'm willing to under the right parameters"
He gestured to her Keyblade that was firmly gripped in her hand.
"You have a little item called a Keyblade. It can open any lock, isn't that right? Hand it over, and I'll change Rinzler back into Tron"
Hikari looked down at her Keyblade. Would giving it up really save her friend? Gripping her keyblade tightly, she shook her head. CLU would never turn Rinzler back into Tron. He would just use the Keyblade to cause more harm.
If anyone could save Tron and bring him back, it was going to be her.
"You're not getting the Keyblade" she declared.
"This is what lights the darkness. It's a beacon of hope for those who are lost and afraid"
"Ha! Flawed reasoning" CLU scoffed.
"Very well, I'll just take it by force"
He left the arena, leaving Hikari and Tron alone. Tron wasted no time and started attacking Hikari head on. Hikari dodged his attacks and moved around the arena to keep away. She didn't want to fight her friend but she knew Tron wasn't thinking the same.
"Tron! Snap out of it! Please!"
Tron simply continued to attack, not caring that he was trying to hurt his friend.
"What am I going to do?" Hikari said wearily.
"Fight Hikari!"
Quorra ran to the edge of the stadium.
"You can do it!"
"Quorra! You're alright!"
Quorra smiled as she nodded.
"I am thanks to you. Tron heard you. Long enough for me to escape. He's still in there. You can do it, you can get through to him! You have to fight him!"
"But how can I-"
Quorra smiled gently.
"He's your friend, right? You'll know how to save him. Just help him remember"
Hikari was quiet for a moment but nodded. Quorra was right. She was Tron's friend. If anyone could bring him back, it would be her.
"Hang on, Tron. I'm going to save you"
She gave Lulu and Riku Bat a serious stare.
"You two stay out of this one. This is something I need to do alone"
Tunring to Tron, she summoned her Keyblade again and went into a fighting stance.
"Alright, Tron. Let's rumble"
The two clashed as they charged at each other. If talking to Tron wasn't working then Hikari had to force him to remember. The two kept exchanging blows as Hikari tried to find a way to make Tron remember. When they jumped back, she tried to figure out what would make her friend remember.
'Come on, think! Talking isn't working and hitting him in the head might make things worse. Come on, Hikari, you promised him you would help him' she thought.
That's when it came to her.
Promise.
After they defeated the MCP, both she and Sora explained the concept of a hug to Tron and what it meant. How it acted as a promise between friends.
Dismissing her Keyblade she ran for Tron, hoping her idea would work. Surely he wouldn't have forgotten such an important promise?
When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. Tron froze in place. His programing was telling him to attack but his body refused to move. As if it was telling him to listen.
"Don't you remember what Sora and I said?" Hikari said softly.
"This isn't what friends do when they're sorry to say goodbye…it's a promise that they'll see each other again soon"
Tears fell from her eyes as she squeezed Tron tightly.
"I know you're in there, Tron! Try to remember, please!"
Tron didn't move or say anything. He simply stood still. Hikari was beginning to think that maybe Tron really was gone when very slowly arms wrapped around her and pulled her into the hug.
"Hikari…thank you"
Hikar let out a little laugh as she smiled. She finally got to him. She finally made Tron remember.
CLU appeared on the stage looked enraged. He was not expecting some little User to turn Tron back to the way he was. Seeing as how his puppet was defected, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Wretched little User" he spat.
He pulled a disc from his back and flung it at Hikari. Tron saw the disc and quickly pushed Hikari out of the way, blocking the disc with his own. It bounced all over the walls before slamming into the glass floor beneath Tron's feet.
Hikari watched in horror as she saw her friend fall through the floor.
"Tron!"
She dove for him and grabbed his hand before it was too late.
"Don't worry, Tron. I've got you!"
She tried to pull him up but his weight was slowly pulling her down. Tron looked beneath him, seeing nothing but endless darkness then back at Hikari. Using his other hand, he placed it over hers and gave it a squeeze.
"Hikari…thank you for keeping your promise"
He ripped his hands from her and let himself fall.
"NO!"
As he fell, he gave Hikari a thumbs up. It was as if he was trying to tell her he was going to be just fine. CLU scolwed in disgust as he retrieved his disc.
"I'll deal with you later. I have to retrieve Rinzler"
He left, knowing Hikari was no use to him.
Quorra slowly approached Hikari when CLU left. Hikari simply stared at the spot Tron fell, almost as if she was trying to spot him.
"He finally remembered…Tron is still there" she said.
"And thanks to you, he's not gonna let CLU mess with his data anytime soon" Quorra said.
"You actually did it. You were able to save your friend"
Hikari smiled weakly. She didn't feel like she saved Tron, but if he was finally free from CLU then maybe that would count as being saved.
"I suppose I did"
She turned to Quorra and gave her a grateful smile.
"And you helped too. If you hadn't said those things, I wouldn't have been able to help Tron"
Quorra tilted her head in thought.
"So, does that mean we're friends?"
Hikari nodded as she laughed.
"Of course! Like I said, it doesn't matter who or what you are, as long as you have a bond, you're friends"
Quorra smiled wistfully. Who would have thought Users and Programs could be friends?
"I have to go. I need to let Sam and Flynn know Rinzler won't give us anymore problems"
Hikari nodded in understanding.
"Be careful, Quorra. Don't let CLU destroy what Tron fought to protect"
Quorra left which gave Hikari time to ponder over what happened. Tron may have been a program and didn't think or acted like a User, but he still suffered like one.
Xemnas and the mysterious figure were wrong. This world may have been a program but still acted like the others. It lived and breathed like the other worlds, and it felt pain when someone tried to hurt it. Just because it functioned differently didn't mean it didn't know what suffering was. That's why they never knew Tron was hurting and needed help. Yes, he was a program, but Hikari knew he felt pain like a User.
'That's why I was able to save him…because I didn't see him as an object'
She started walking away. There was nothing more she could do here. She knew Tron wasn't going to let CLU take over this world now that he remembered. This world would be safe in his hands.
"I guess Tron did make me realize something about this exam" she said to herself.
"It's not just people who need help…everyone and everything needs to be saved. As long as they can think and know that they're hurting, they need to be saved. Human or not, I promise I'll always be there to save them"
/
A/N: This is how I felt Sora should have saved Tron. Not this whole 'Tron snap out of it' speech. If you want someone to remember you, you gotta show them, don't just say it.
Even though Hikari didn't save Tron from falling, she at least saved him from being in CLU's clutches. Now he can protect his data from being tampered with again.
And Xemnas has returned! Why is he back? How is he back? And most importantly, why is he still talking and acting like he's Hikari's father when he knows the truth is out? Is there a reason behind it or is he just messing with her head?
And Tsukiko and Taiyouko are back! It looks like things are about to get hairy since Maleficent showed up but they should be able to handle her…right? Seems like Taiyouko is gonna have to reveal that she knows where Lumen is and that she's kept her hidden this entire time. Wonder how everyone is gonna react to that?
Please tell me what you think!
Take care!
