Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 6
"What a mysterious mural... It's almost hypnotizing," Kairi stared at the image on the wall as Sora approached it.
Sora studied it but then pressed a hand to his heart, looking up, for a second…he could have sworn he felt Riku. He looked back at the mural as it started to glow, changing into a crescent moon and a small gummi block floated out of it, landing in Sora's hands. Sora grinned and then returned to the group. "Let's go back, we should rest up," he told them.
"Okay," Kairi agreed as she stared at the mural of the moon while Donald and Goofy left the two alone after a worried look from Donald. "A light at the end of the tunnel..."
"Oh, your grandma's story, right?" he asked, remembering that strange waking dream he'd had, and she blinked before smiling at him.
"That's right. We were together."
"You know what's funny? I looked everywhere for you, but you were with me all along. Finally, we're together, Kairi," he smiled softly, walking closer to her. "Now, it's time to get Riku back."
"You think it'll ever be the same again between us? Riku's lost his..." she trailed off and he could smell her grief.
"But he's still in there Kairi, he pulled a killing blow when fighting me and then he kept Ansem back from you. His heart's still there, still fighting, and we will save him. Our hearts are connected," he pressed a hand to his chest, still finding the stillness unnerving. "And the light from our hearts broke through the darkness around him. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within. I guess it's more than just a fairy tale."
"Well, let's go," she grinned.
He shook his head. "You can't go," he hated to say it, but it was the truth. She couldn't fight, didn't have magic or a Keyblade, she'd never really even sparred with them back on the Islands.
"Why not?" she frowned, and he reached for her hand, wanting to be close while he could.
"Because it's way too dangerous."
Kairi pulled away, hands going behind her back and it hurt. "Come on, Sora. We made it this far by sticking together. You can't go alone."
"Kairi, even if we're apart, we're not alone anymore. Right?" he asked, and she looked down before glancing back up at him.
"I can't help?" She asked and he reached out to gently touch her cheek.
"Kairi…you'd kind of be in my way," he admitted, shocked when she giggled and smiled.
"Okay. You win." She grabbed his hand, pressing something into it. "Take this."
He looked down, seeing a star-shaped keychain made of thalassa shells.
"It's my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me," she told him firmly, and he looked up at her again.
"Don't worry, I will," he told her seriously.
"Promise?" She asked and he heard the slight shake to her voice that human hearing wouldn't pick up, so he moved closer, hugging her.
"Promise," he whispered. He would do everything he could to keep that promise, he would bring it and Riku back to her.
"Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you," she whispered in his ear in return, hugging him back.
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The way the Princesses' reacted to him hurt a little, but he knew why, and it wasn't any of their fault. They could subconsciously sense what he was, and it made them wary…so why had Kairi not reacted like them? He thought they were amazing and brave for staying somewhere so creepy to hold the Darkness back as best they could.
He fingered the keychain Belle had given him, wondering if it would work as well for him as she thought it would. Only one way to know so as they approached the hall where he'd faced Ansem, he swapped the chain, watching the Keyblade change and he was stunned to find that he felt a boost. The only Keychain that did that for him anymore was the one he'd gained in Halloween Town and he assumed it was because he was a vampire now. So why did the one Belle gave him react so well? She'd said he should use it to face the Darkness, like Beast, was that why it worked?
He stepped through the heart shaped entrance and saw the Keyhole in the distance but between them and it…was a behemoth. Wonderful.
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Donald looked towards Sora, worried. He hadn't taken the news of the Worlds separating again well and he didn't blame him. Yuffie had said everyone would return to their home…but what would count for Sora now? Would the magic return him to the Islands or Halloween Town? The thought of never seeing Sora again hurt, how would he manage alone?
If Sora returned to a tropical Island then he would spend eternity hiding, in pain from the sun or having to live indoors during the day. Yes, the illusion protected him and so did his clothing, but there was always the chance the illusion accessory could be damaged. And what would he do for food? Then again, in Halloween Town he would fit in and Jack would surely help him…but what about Her? If she found him again then they could lose Sora in an even worse way then just being in separate Worlds. There had to be some way around things, there had to be!
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Goofy knew what Donald was thinking, how would Sora survive without them? Without Merlin and the group? He would have to tell Kairi, to have someone who could back him up, help him. But if he ended up in Halloween Town because he was now a vampire…Goofy fought back a shudder. There had to be a way to travel even once the Worlds were separated again…otherwise how had Keyblade bearers been found and trained before?
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Sora slumped against the wall, letting Donald heal his remaining injuries as he downed a blood pack. Merlin had made sure to upgrade his equipment…obviously he knew the Worlds would separate because Sora had enough blood packs to last a year at least! Well, so long as he didn't have to fight for the next few weeks straight. There was also books, potions, accessories …anything and everything he might need.
He'd heard the warning from the oddly familiar voice, that this was their last chance to rest and he figured there was no harm in doing that. They'd all told him that Riku's body now looked like someone else, Ansem they all assumed. But Riku was still in there, they would reach him somehow. If it came down to it…he…he'd bite him, take enough to knock him out and hopefully no more than that. He didn't think he could do to someone what she'd done to him to put him sleep although Merlin had only said he couldn't turn someone yet so maybe he could? Still, battle probably wasn't the best time to be experimenting.
He glanced at the others, seeing them ready, and straightened up, moving towards the door, opening it to step through.
"Is this... Is this my island?" he asked, bewildered. It looked like the Play Island but how was that possible? He'd seen it destroyed, and…there was no burn from the sun. Wherever they were, it wasn't real.
"This world has been connected," the hated voice intoned, and Sora spun, seeing the strange broken up land at the edge of the beach.
"What was that?" Goofy called his shield to hand.
"Tied to the darkness... Soon to be completely eclipsed," Ansem kept speaking blandly, as if discussing algebra.
Sora swallowed as the wooden area past the long bridge vanished into thin air. He searched the area, but even vampiric vision couldn't find him.
"There is so very much to learn," he kept speaking as the ocean frothed, turning a dark violet colour. "You understand so little. A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."
The island flashed and the sky ripped open, shattering the peaceful illusion. Beyond the gashing tears was a dark, mad world. The beach crumbled and lifted out of the water, revealing its rocky undergrowth as what once was a dock split in two. Ansem stood at the edge of the water, still in possession of Riku's body. They ran down to the beach where he stood motionless, staring out at the sea.
"Take a look at this tiny place. To the heart seeking freedom this is a prison surrounded by water. And so this boy sought out to escape from his prison." He raised his arms, looking upward, the wind gusting through his hair and strange outfit. "He sought a way to cross over into other worlds. And he opened his heart to darkness." Ansem turned and Riku's body melted away, revealing the true form of the man, the Heartless symbol emblazoned on his chest.
"Riku!" Sora called desperately, reaching for him as his form vanished. Seeing him change was maybe worse than watching him fade away before.
"Don't bother. Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His heart belongs again to Darkness. All worlds begin in Darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different," Ansem told him, voice gaining volume and maybe passion as he continued while Sora glared at him, fangs itching to rip his throat out. "Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came."
Sora spun at a whisper of noise, Keyblade appearing, swiping, before the others even realised Ansem had teleported behind them. He almost connected too, seeing Ansem's eyes widen slightly in shock at his speed. This fight, there'd be no holding back at all.
"You see, Darkness is the heart's true essence."
"That's not true! The heart may be weak. And sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!" Sora snarled at him, he had to believe that because if it wasn't true then he would be like her and he wasn't. He was still Sora even if technically he'd become what many would class as a creature of Darkness.
Ansem rose into the air, crossing his arms. He stared down at them through piercing orange eyes. "So, you have come this far and still you understand nothing. Every light must fade, every heart return to darkness!"
"Give Riku back!" he demanded and then he launched himself up at his enemy. He would get Riku back!
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All Jiminy could do was hang on tight to Sora's jacket as the vampire fought hard to save the World's and his friend. If he spoke, he would distract Sora and that would be disastrous. All he could do was pray they triumphed and then try to help Sora deal with the trauma later. He did his best to help Sora deal with the vampires instincts, with the effects battle after battle had on his mental state, but he wasn't sure what would happen at the end of this when the Worlds separated again. Who could he speak with back on his Islands?
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Sora was exhausted, body screaming in protest, as he threw himself against one side of the door, Donald and Goofy shoving at the other. They had to close it! "Come on!" he called, but he knew they had to be even worse off than he was, in the end he'd been casting healing spells on them and not himself, relying solely on his vampiric healing even as he lost more and more blood. He was starving but there was no time.
Goofy peered through the gap and gasped in horror but Sora didn't look, not wanting to see what they were trying to trap
"Stop staring and keep pushing!" Donald snapped but then looked as well and Sora saw his eyes widen. "Huh?!"
"The Heartless!?" they yelled in unison and Sora grimaced, throwing everything he had left into closing the door.
"Hurry!" Donald urged.
Sora continued to push, but the enormous door hardly budged, even under his enhanced strength, or what he had left of it. "I can't..."
A hand appeared from beyond the door, wrapping around it just above his own, and Sora looked up, eyes going wide.
"Don't give up!" Riku told him.
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"Come on, Sora! Together, we can do it!" Riku told his best friend as he pulled on the door. Although after everything he'd done, he wouldn't blame Sora for hating him.
Sora just stared blankly at him for a second before nodding. "Okay!"
He continued pushing the door closed as Riku pulled from his side. It killed him to do it, to close a door between them, but there was no choice, he didn't belong to the Darkness and so couldn't pass through the Door back to Sora. The door slowly began to close as stronger and stronger Heartless appeared in the dark realm behind him, he could feel them.
"It's hopeless!" Donald wailed and Riku ignored him, solely focused on Sora.
Seeing him awake was such a relief. When he'd seen him crumpled against Kairi he'd been terrified he'd lost his heart and then when it had taken so much longer to sense him than her… but there he was, worse for wear sure, but alive and still fighting for what was important.
"Huh?" the two asked as someone began destroying the forming Heartless. Riku didn't turn, he knew who it was. "Your Majesty!"
"Now, Sora! Let's close this door for good!" King Mickey called and Sora broke eye contact with him to look at the King.
"Close it, quick!" Donald urged and Sora's gaze moved back to Riku, understanding dawning, and Riku managed a small smile.
"But..."
"Don't worry. There will always be a door to the light," the King said to reassure him.
"Sora, you can trust King Mickey," Goofy urged as Sora hesitated.
Riku looked back to the King. "Now! They're coming!" it had to be done, no matter what it meant for the two of them.
"Donald, Goofy, thank you," the King told his people.
"Riku…" Sora choked out and Riku met his eyes, seeing the grief there. He didn't hate him?
"There's no other way," Riku told him as he continued to pull, seeing a tear fall from bright blue eyes.
The doors were beginning to close and Riku reached out for Sora who reached back. To his utter shock, their fingers brushed, Sora's hand somehow passing through but then they were forced to pull apart as the gap shrank too small. He stared into tear filled blue and made himself smile, to let Sora's last sight of him be of him at peace. He couldn't let him know how scared he was.
"Take care of her," he told him, and Sora nodded.
"We'll find," Sora called but the door shut before he finished and Riku fell to his knees, leaning against the door, tears finally falling.
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Sora leapt back and held the Keyblade into the air, light forming at its tip, energy gathering. The door began to glow brightly and soon disappeared, revealing a long winding pathway
behind it.
He hoped Riku knew what he'd been saying, they would find him, somehow. Sora's thoughts drifted to Riku and their life on the Islands; when they talked for hours on the dock, when they gazed out at the sea from the Paopu tree, when they used to play fight or race along the beach, laughing at each other. Life was much so much simpler, before the Heartless. When it was just Sora, Riku and...
Sora felt a presence behind him and turned, seeing Kairi at the edge of the world, staring around in confusion. Sora rand towards her as fast as he could, suddenly terrified, he'd just lost Riku, he couldn't lose her too.
Kairi took a few steps backward, her shoes digging into the soft sand on the tiny piece of beach she'd appeared on. It seemed to be floating off the floating island into the abyss. Kairi
looked up, her eyes catching Sora.
"Kairi!" he ran up to her.
"Sora!" She stepped closer and the two worlds shook, separating from each other. Kairi shrieked as Sora stopped her fall. They stared into each other's eyes, even as they clung to each other's hands.
"Kairi, remember what you said before? I'm always with you, too," he rushed out, trying to pull her across but there was something stopping him, they could touch but neither could cross. They continued to drift apart, leaving them leaning more and more, desperately trying to hold on to each other. "I'll come back to you. I promise!" he swore
"I know you will!" she managed a teary smile.
Their hands were pulled apart and Kairi drifted away from Sora, who reached out to
her. She folded her hands together as they continued to stare, unwilling to look away and miss one second of seeing each other. Sora's un-beating heart was breaking, he'd lost them both again.
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Kairi looked down when a small point of light floated down into her hands. She looked up and the sky was filled with tiny points of light, the essence of Worlds. They floated down around the both of them as the Destiny Islands began to reassemble around her. Trees burst through the ground as the wooden platforms at the beach reformed to the way they used to be. Kairi watched in awe as the ocean rolled in.
She looked back at Sora and he was so far away…Sora smiled and called out to her as the World barrier formed, finally separating the two of them, but she couldn't hear him or read his lips.
Kairi looked down to the water as the light around Sora fell back...he was gone, just like Riku…she was alone. She looked up suddenly as the light burst into shooting stars which flew into the sky, reclaiming their proper places. As the Worlds were restored, Kairi's smiled slightly as she gazed at the beauty around her.
Eventually, the sun and the clouds returned, and the island was as she remembered. A soft wind blew through the trees and seagulls flew in the air as Kairi walked away from the beach and towards the Secret Place. A ray of light shone through the hole in the ceiling, illuminating the many drawings on the walls. She walked through the cave, touching the rough rocky walls, fondly recalling the memories with her friends.
She reached the furthest wall and knelt, seeing a new drawing of Sora giving her a Paopu fruit. Emotion welled up inside her as an image of Sora drawing on the walls appeared before her. He stared back at her and smiled, and then Riku was behind his shoulder, smiling at her too, before they disappeared. She held out a hand, smiling, and then started to cry. She went to work, adding to the drawing. She drew in an image of Riku and added two more of the fruit as well. They would all be together again one day, she had to believe that.
Sora had promised and she would believe in him. Of course, if she found a way to leave the Islands before they returned then she would be going after them rather than sit around and wait. She needed to find Tidus and Wakka too, get them to start showing her how to fight. She was done being defenceless.
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They walked side by side down the dirt road, all a little shocked they were still together and not back where they came from. The worlds had separated, they should be home too, but they weren't. Donald was honestly relieved, they hadn't wanted to say goodbye to Sora, absently wondering how Daisy would take it if he told her they were adopting the boy.
"Well, now what do we do?" he asked, glancing at Sora who walked between him and Goofy, his hands behind his head.
Thankfully once they'd appeared in whatever world they were in, there'd been plenty of time for Sora to feed and replace what he'd lost in the previous battles, all of them taking the time to rest.
"We've gotta find Riku and King Mickey," Sora answered, voice hitching a little on his friends name.
"But, uh, where do we start lookin' for that there door to the light?" Goofy asked.
They stop and sighed, bending towards the ground. Sora straightened, scenting the air, and they readied for a possible fight but then they saw Pluto crossing the road up ahead, his tail wagging.
"Pluto?" Donald stared in disbelief.
Pluto looked over at them, tail wagging faster.
"Hey, Pluto. Where have you been?"
"Hey…he woke me up in Traverse Town!" Sora said, and they looked at each other, remembering the dog wandering off when they'd arrived. If they'd followed him they would have found Sora even faster! "Huh? What's with the envelope?" Sora asked.
"Gawrsh, that's the king's seal!"
Pluto just blinked at them.
"Hey, have you seen King Mickey?" Sora called softly, taking a step closer, reaching for the envelope.
Donald was shocked when Pluto shied back, yes, most animals could tell Sora was a predator, but he hadn't expected Pluto to react like that and from the look on his face, neither had Sora. He glared at the King's companion for upsetting the young vampire, he couldn't help what he was! Pluto started running down the road and Sora looked back at them.
"Guys, let's go!"
They raced after Pluto, Donald keeping his hat from flying off, and laughed together as the road wound ahead of them. Sora could easily overtake Pluto but seemed happy enough to simply follow him for now.
TBC…
Now you all have to wait for me to write out chain of memories. going to do what I did for this part and write it all out before posting it. So it may take a few weeks or so.
