Kingdom Hearts II The Untold Chronicles

Chapter Nine – The Awakening

Sephiroth guided Ashley to the peak of The Grand Maw. The area was pretty boring. Nothing caught her eye until she reached the summit. A girl with red hair and a black spaghetti strap mini-dress stood at the edge. She turned. It was Kairi. Ashley glared.

"I'd like you to meet Kairi." Sephiroth said. "She used your anger and malice to open a door for the Heartless on her island. She proved herself worthy by doing so, but I was more interested in your abilities. Your hidden rage for humanity is just gorgeous." Sephiroth said into Ashley's ear, his fingers resting on her shoulders. Ashley was starting to burn up on the inside. Kairi had used her. Not to mention everyone was blaming Riku for the sudden infestation of Heartless on Destiny Island when it was really her doing. It was the perfect plan. Kairi could be innocent and manipulate those that would allow her close enough because of it. Then, she could just blame Riku for all the Heartless. Ashley clenched her fist.

"What's wrong, Ashley?" Kairi smirked. Her eyes were yellow like a Heartless. Ashley didn't want to say. "Did I cause you and Riku to be at each other's throats the whole time? Ever since I kissed him he's been unforgettable." Kairi taunted.

"I wouldn't do that." Sephiroth warned. Kairi hissed.

"Like I care! I've been waiting to give her a piece of my mind. She doesn't scare me anymore with my newly acquired power of the darkness!" Kairi said. She walked towards Ashley with an attitude. "So you think you can beat me up? Open a can of whoop-ass on me? Well I got news for you; you stood a chance at Destiny Island. You should have killed me with that fire ball when you had the chance. But now, you don't have a chance in hell!" Kairi laughed. That laughing. It was what they all heard when they were sinking into the Heartless portals.

"That's it bitch, it's ON now." Ashley said, gently removing Sephiroth's hands from her shoulders. "Thank you for bringing me to her. Now I can settle an old score with this hooker."

"You gonna name call me to death?" Kairi mocked. Slowly, from Ashley's right side, a wing slid out. It was white. Ashley looked like a Yin and Yang symbol. She glared. Kairi could feel the power surging through the ground. Kairi couldn't back out now. Like Ashley said, it was 'ON'.

"Fight her." Sephiroth channeled into Ashley's mind. "Fight her with all your heart. Kill her if you must. You must teach that filthy skank a lesson, don't you? Become angry. I want to see what you can really do!" Ashley rushed Kairi and grabbed her face with her right hand. Ashley shot Kairi into the air. With a strong flap of her wings, Ashley was airborne.

Kairi crossed her forearms over each other in an X fashion to block Ashley's on coming attack. Ashley punched Kairi with great force, sending her backward. Kairi floated in mid air to combat with Ashley.

"Heh, not bad. Try this on for size! Ultima Cannon!" Kairi held her hand down as four casting circles went around her arm. She shot a mighty blast of blue light from her hand right at Ashley. Ashley dodged out the way. Kairi took another shot at her. Ashley knew she wouldn't be able to make it away in time. Kairi could see that and she smirked. "This was too easy!"

"Firagun no Enbu Firagun Rings!" Ashley threw out a fleet of fire rings. They were colored blue because the fire was so intense. The attack was similar to Cactar's 1000 Needles. Kairi was knocked out the sky as the sky turned vivid blue from the rings raining down at The Grand Maw. It was a noticeable site from the town.

"There is a battle at The Grand Maw!" Yuffie came shooting in from outside. Everyone turned. Everyone being: Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Shuku, Tidus, Sora, Sid, and Riku (damn a lot of people).

"Then what are we standing around for?" Shuku shouted. "Let's get going!"

They all rushed to the flat piece of land over looking the Ansem the Wise's castle. Shuku's heart throbbed. She couldn't bring herself to move forward. Even though she could see Ashley in the distance, the castle was bothering her.

"You okay, Shuku?" Sora asked. Shuku nodded.

"Sorry. It's just that, this is where Xehanort raised us…"

"Really?" Riku asked.

"Yes."

"Do you think Ashley noticed?" Riku was quite curious.

"Not by the looks of it! Look at that!" Shuku pointed up to the sky.

Ashley was flapping her black and white wings. Ashley was looking down at Kairi on the ground, smoking from her Firagun attack.

"She got her other wing back…" Shuku said, but she sounded confused.

"So she's not going to end up like Sephiroth after all, but this is weird…" Cloud said.

"You guys! She's beating up on Kairi!" Sora shouted, watching Ashley swoop down and throw out more Firagun based attacks.

"Firagun Arrow!" Ashley crafted a bow and arrow out of the blue fire. She let Kairi have it with waves of Firagun Arrows. "You'll pay for what you did to me! You'll pay with your life!" Sephiroth smiled. That's what he wanted to see. Ashley would be a great asset to taking over Kingdom Hearts. Even though she didn't have the crystal in her body anymore, Sephiroth believed that she had what it takes to open Kingdom Hearts.

"She's going to kill Kairi!" Sora shouted. Shuku glared at Sora for caring about Kairi.

"Let her do it." Shuku said, crossing her arms. "I don't feel any bad vibes from Kairi dying."

"You're making that up!" Sora said.

"Yeah? What if I am?" Shuku was pissed. Riku rushed forward to save Kairi.

"Don't!" Riku called out, jumping in front of Kairi with his arms spread to protect her. Ashley looked hard at Riku.

"Riku?" She eased herself to the ground. "Riku, stand aside!" Ashley ordered. Sephiroth walked towards Ashley. He wouldn't have Riku ruin his plans for his new prodigy. Kairi raised her weak hand for Sephiroth.

"Help me…" She said to Sephiroth. Sephiroth stepped his shiny black boot on her hand. He grinded his boot, deep. Kairi yelled out in pain.

"You are no use to me, anymore. You got your 'ass handed to you', if that is the expression. I knew you would. You have no idea what the power of true darkness can do to a person. Ashley is so close, she can probably taste it." Sephiroth said. He laid his hand on Riku's shoulder to move him aside. With a gentle push of Sephiroth's hand, Riku went flying. Riku skidded on the ground before coming to a halt, lifeless.

"God damn!" Shuku shouted. "Riku get up! You're the only one who can help her now! Pick your scrawny ass up and teach Sephiroth a lesson for letting him do that to you!" Sephiroth looked at Shuku. She looked back with stone cold eyes. "YEAH? What of it?" She shouted at Sephiroth with no fear.

"Ri-ku… Ri-ku… Ri-ku…" Aerith slowly started to chant. It slowly caught on with the others. Soon, everyone was chanting his name for him to get up.

"RIKU! RIKU! RIKU!" They all shouted. Sephiroth rolled his eyes.

"Are you ready to leave this place?" Sephiroth asked Ashley. She nodded.

"Y-You aren't going anywhere w-with her!" Riku was lop-sided but he was on his feet. The party cheered for him, giving wolf whistles and catty cries. It seemed like Riku was a stripper rather than a fighter the way they were going about cheering for him.

"Oww Owww! You show that man whose boss!" Shuku tried to pump him up.

"Stop it! Sephiroth will kill him!" Cloud said.

"Stay down, human. Or I'll do something to you that is a fate worse than death." Sephiroth didn't turn around to tell Riku that.

"I d-don't care. No fate is worse than being without her." Riku said. Sephiroth smiled. It was creepy.

"I'll make you eat those words, human." Sephiroth said. He whispered something into Ashley's ear. She lifted her hands and formed the Firagun Arrow. "One shot from her will end your life. Your magic cannot compete with hers. By the time you even cast Reflect it'll be too late."

Riku gulped. Sephiroth was right. He definitely made Riku eat his words. He never thought it would come to this. Being shot with an arrow by his love interest.

"Ashley, listen to me…" Riku began. Ashley fired a warning shot that whizzed past his head. She loaded another Firagun Arrow and took aim right between his eyes. "I came across many worlds to find you. Do you know why I did that…?" Ashley drew back ready to release and take Riku's head clear off. Riku was getting nervous. "I came because I'm your friend, and I love you."

"Dear god, he has a death wish. He just said 'friend' and 'I love you' in the same sentence. She's gonna kill him!" Shuku said, covering her eyes. Ashley lowered the bow made of fire.

"You what?" Ashley spoke. This was not pleasing Sephiroth. Shuku uncovered her eyes and smiled big. Ashley's left wing was turning white from the bottom up. The white slowly worked its way up her black wing.

"I said, I love you." Sephiroth didn't know what to say to make her turn her attention only towards him. Kairi struggled to her elbows to be heard.

"He made out with me, Ashley! And then we had hot and crazy monkey sex on the kitchen counter that night when you ran away!" Kairi shouted. She couldn't stand the thought of Ashley being happy. Even though Ashley whooped on Kairi, she got her revenge at that moment.

Ka-BOOOM. Both of Ashley's wings turned black so quickly there was a sonic boom. The Firagun Arrow went back up at Riku's head.

"Damn you!" Ashley cursed at Riku.

"You know what happened that night! Don't doubt my words to you!" Riku reasoned.

"Don't do it, Ashley!" Shuku cried out. Her words reached Ashley. She was holding back, but a part of her wanted to do it.

"Do it! He betrayed you! If your love was so strong how could it have been broken by Kairi?" Sephiroth said, brainwashing her. Ashley's arm shook unable to keep it steady any longer. Riku had already made his peace with death and was ready to die if Ashley had made the wrong choice.

Instead, Ashley turned the bow on herself.

"Somebody end it!" Ashley said, putting the arrow under her chin. She let go of the fire draw string and her head snapped backwards.

"No!" Riku and Shuku cried together. Ashley fell backwards into Sephiroth's arms.

"This won't be hard to turn her heart to my ways in a state like this." Sephiroth scooped her up in his arms. Kairi yelled to him.

"Wait what about me? If it weren't for me she'd be lost to you!"

"Oh I suppose I should thank you." Kairi smiled big waiting to get her spot back at Sephiroth's side. "But I'm not going to." Kairi went stone faced. Sephiroth jumped to great heights with Ashley. His one wing allowed him to glide across the sky. He was getting distance on them with Ashley.

"Shuku, go after them!" Tidus shouted.

"I know I'm the only one able to chase them, but if Sephiroth gets angry with me for tailing him, I might not be as lucky as Riku was." Shuku frowned. "Every time she decides for herself, things just go wrong. Then she has a ton of people trying to tell her what to do. I don't want to give up on her, but this is just becoming hopeless."

"Let's regroup and relax." Cloud said. Riku grabbed Cloud by the collar.

"How can I relax? The spawn of Satan just took my girlfriend and I'm supposed to relax?"

"She's your girlfriend?" Cloud asked with a smug look. Riku let go and turned red.

"Well I—I guess she is." Riku poked his fingers together.

"So childish." Shuku said. "But I think Cloud is on the right path."

"We'll just have to wait till they show up, reeking havoc." Cloud said.

"What if people die because we waited?" Aerith asked.

"That's just a sacrifice the worlds will have to make. Now let's go back to Merlin's house."

"He betrayed me…" Ashley recited. Sephiroth walked around her. They seemed to be in a cellar-like area.

"You want to get back at him, yes?" Sephiroth said.

"No." Sephiroth slapped her. She flew into a near by wall. It seemed like it would have done much more damage to such a fragile girl, but she stood back up and spit out a little blood.

"You want to get back at him." Sephiroth tried again.

"It wasn't his fault. It was that bitch's Kairi. I'll kill her." Again, Ashley received a brutal slap across the face. Sephiroth grabbed her by the neck.

"You don't want me to do this, the hard way. You really don't." Sephiroth threatened. Ashley glared.

"I'm not scared of you, Sephiroth. Don't you know that arrogance is part of the darkness package?" Ashley smarted. Sephiroth punched her in the gut. She keeled over, coughing out a good helping of blood.

"Are you going to keep making this difficult? You know you want to rule beside me, than fight against me." Sephiroth said. Ashley was his free ticket to Kingdom Hearts; he just needed her back in her state of emotional distress. Ashley had got a grasp on her value to Sephiroth and also got a grasp on the darkness.

"You're going to have to kill me, first!" She spat blood into his face. Sephiroth didn't expect the darkness to be so strong in her. It was as if it was driving her crazy and she had lost all logical reason. Everyone knew never to raise a hand against Sephiroth; yet she incited on being so difficult.

"That's it." Sephiroth said calmly. He grabbed Ashley's arms and pinned her against the wall.

"What are you doing?" Ashley watched his hand slide down her tummy. "What are you doing? She grew louder. Sephiroth's hand slid up her thigh and under her skirt. She felt his finger wrap around the side of her panties. She heard him rip them off. "HOLY…"

Riku looked up at the night sky, sitting on Merlin's balcony. Shuku came over to him with a soda. She handed it to him.

"Thanks." Riku said, popping it open. Shuku rested her rear on the stone banister.

"Riku, I know I haven't been the best of people towards you…" Shuku began.

"It's alright. I wouldn't be nice to me, either." Riku said.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry. I'm really sorry. I also want to thank you for caring so much about my friend." Shuku said. Riku sighed, recapping.

"It was like a romantic comedy when we first met. The way her eyes watched me all the time, made me feel appreciated. In that short time we were together she showed me more kindness that any one I've known." Riku told Shuku. Shuku took Riku's soda and took a sip. Riku didn't mind.

"You never told the full story of what happened between you and Kairi that night…" Shuku said in a manner that implied that he should tell her now. Riku crossed his arms, huffing.

"Well Kairi came back home with me on Halloween. Before I could even shut the front door, Kairi sprang on me—tongue and all. I hit the kitchen counter because of it. At little after that Ashley came out to check on me. And you know the rest…" Riku said.

"No, I don't." Shuku knew there was more to the story.

"...I don't want to talk about it." Riku turned his head away.

"You had better. Ashley is this way because of this. I want to know everything about what happened." Riku's heart ached.

"Well… I… I was…"

"You were what?" Shuku started to glare. "You'd had better tell me, if I have to find out from her, you'll rue the day that I did."

"You know what Kairi said about the monkey sex on the kitchen counter…?"

"OH my god! You didn't!" Shuku wanted to rip off her ears, but it was too late.

"We did, we did it. And I think Ashley saw."

"What do you mean you think she saw! She didn't eat for four days; I think she saw! Well, how do you think she caught you?" Shuku calmed herself.

"I think she was coming back to apologize for running out. We heard a rustle by the window but no one was there." Riku said.

"And you guys didn't stop after that!" Shuku shuddered. "Shame on you both."

"I know…" Riku said as a tears streamed down his face. "But I couldn't help myself. It was Kairi and I've always had a place for Kairi in my heart. And I wasn't thinking!"

"You're fortunate Ashley didn't speak a word of it to me before."

"She probably didn't know for sure until a few hours ago. When Kairi confirmed it. If she had known—she would have submitted herself to the darkness much earlier." Riku tried to dry his eyes but the tears wouldn't stop. "She's like this because of me. I don't know how much more guilt I can take. But I think about it all the time, how she might have known. Yet she didn't stop her kindness. She pretended to be angry with me a lot of times, but she gave me tons of hugs telling me how much she hated me. We laughed together because of that. We never spoke 'I love you'; we just kind of knew we did."

"Well, your words snapped her out of Sephiroth's brainwashing. Riku don't be so hard on yourself." Shuku gave him a big hug, not letting go for a while. "Things happen and people get over them. She's cope with what has happened and I know she'll come running back to you with a big smile." Shuku comforted. She petted Riku on the head as he bawled like a child. She smiled at him because he was starting to be true to himself. And that's all Shuku wanted all along…

Ashley lied on the floor curled up in fetal position.

"Why am I so angry…?" She thought. "I don't remember why. Riku and Kairi? Is that why? What am I supposed to do now? I've gotten myself into a heap of trouble and no one wants to help me out. Shuku is busy with Tidus and Sora and Riku… He has Kairi. Am I supposed to help Sephiroth, Xehanort? Am I supposed to abandon Riku, Xehanort? Please tell me what to do. I'm so scared…"