Chapter 4

Sora tumbled onto the soft grass of the courtyard, near the gummi hangar entrance. He hadn't expected the travel by portal to be so smooth, considering his previous

experiences. Kairi had fallen next to him, but she had a harder time getting up. Being weightless in air is not a high one gets over very quickly. "So this is the castle, huh?" she

said, observing the cut bushes and neat pathways. "Yup. Cool, huh?" Sora said, and helped her to stand properly. Soon after, Riku and Yuffie arrived, but with much more force

then usual, Riku landing heavily on his feet and crumpling to his knees, with Yuffie simplf falling on top of him. She jumped off in fright. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" She fairly squeaked.

But Riku didn't seem to mind. He smiled and brushed himself off. "It's okay." he said. Sora was a bit puzzled. When had Yuffie become so skittish? She was always tough, and

quick with the wisecracks, but now…Aerith arrived much more gently, still rubbing at her eyes with balled fists. "Have You been crying?" Sora asked, running to her. Aerith

shook her head and tried not to meet his kind eyes. "It's nothing. I just feel so awful, taking you away from a beautiful home, just so you can be in danger again…It doesn't seem

fair…" Sora took her hands in his. "Don't think of it like that! You're helping us keep our home safe, by destroying everything that threatens it, right guys?" He turned to the

others, who gave hasty agreements. "See?" Aerith smiled. "You have a heart of gold, you know that?" Sora blushed. "So I've been told…hehe.." "Come, let's go to the library.

I'm sure the Queen has much more to tell you!" and they all headed off to the hallway that branched off the library. But once they got inside, Sora heard Donald's voice shouting

"Take that!" and Goofy's shield clanging. Riku and Sora bolted ahead, to find the hallway infested with the very enemies Yen Sid had talked about! They didn't seem very

threatening, as they more or less toddled about as Donald and Goofy laid them a fearsome beating, then quietly vanishing into dust. Sora unsheathed his key blade and started

fighting. Butthen a figure materialized at the end of the hall, just before the library doors. A very familiar figure in a black and white robe…"It's Xehanort!" he cried, and leaped at

him, avoiding all else in his way. But once he reached him, he discovered with a swipe of the key blade that it was a hologram, the blade slicing through pixels. Something deep

inside him was greatly angered by this, and he struck uselessly at the hologram. Kairi heard his grunts of frustration, and after a few more swipes of her own Keyblade, she ran to

stop him. Grabbing his arms, she realized the hologram was speaking. "STOP! It's saying something!" everyone paused to listen. Unofortunately, it was already mid-message.

"…that if I get the cooperation I need, there will be no reason for violence. Only give me and my master what we desire, and we shall leave you, to trouble your worlds no more.

For we will be complete, whole beings, and then nothing will stop us!" the transmission ended, and the figure vanished. "I thought I killed Xehanort…TWICE!" Sora groaned.

Kairi was still holding his arms, and blushing, released him and backed away. Goofy came up, scratching his chin. "I don't think that was Xehanort, sora, I think that was the

NotQuite Leader, Master Yen Sid told us about…Haznortex!" Sora looked up at his friend. "But does he HAVE to look like Xehanort? Why must he look like that jerk?"

Aerith ran ahead. "Oh my goodness, the Queen!" she cried and flung open the library doors. "You were really good, Kairi…" Sora said sheepishly, kicking at the red carpeting.

"Thanks…It was kind of fun, actually…" she answered. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Fighting had never seemed that fun to them. "The novelty wears off after a while,

trust me." Riku said. Aerith came running bck out, a paper in her hands. "The Queen is gone, and I think he might have left this note on the desk!" Sora took it and then

proceeded to read it aloud.

Dear friends and colleagues,

It would seem that my master now holds the cards to your fates. We have possesion of 6 of the princesses of heart, and your dear Queen. We only have need for one

more thing to make our plan complete. The princess of heart you have in your possesion…Give her to us and you will have peace in your worlds. Decline our offer,

and suffer the direst of consequences. All doorways between the worlds will be shut, imprisoning you on one world, helpless to stop us. Do not drive us to unleash

such a restriction. All we ask is for your continued cooperation in our endeavor.

Haznortex

"he can't have Kairi! I won't let her go!" Sora barked. "It may be our only choice…" Aerith sighed. 'Can he really close all the doorways to the worlds? That can't be

possible…there are too many." Riku reasoned. Yuffie cleared her throat. "It's true that the worlds are bound by darkness and light, two things this guy seems to be in total

control of, the freak. It's quite possible he could close all of the known doorways to us, yes." She hoped her analysis had impressed him. He only sighed. Kairi had remained

quite silent as they literally contemplated her fate. "I'll fight him! Let me go!" she screamed. Everyone looked up in shock. Kairi wasn't prone to outbursts. "No, you know we

can't let you do that!" Sora yelled back. "Then come with me…" Kairi whispered, holding out her hand. Something wasn't right, and Sora sensed it. He looked right into Kairi's

eyes and saw what he feared would be there…nothing…"You aren't Kairi!" he hissed, and struck out with his Keyblade. "Sora! No!" Goofy cried. Too late. The Keyblade

passed right through Kairi, and she dissolved into black dust. "Damn! They already have her!" Riku growled. Before the others could properly react, he and Sora were already

running back to the Gummi hangar.