CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE | THE LIGHT FROM THE PAST
A single white cloud drifted lazily across the sky; a brilliant white smudge against a blanket of dazzling cobalt. The towering trees were dancing, their leaves whispering sibilant secrets to each other as they cast dappled shadows across the wildflowers below. Blossoming peonies intertwined with vibrant gerberas; a sea of pink and yellow and orange faces that turned towards the sun. Here and there, tenacious bouvardias pushed their way through the blooms, sprinkling the field with ivory stars that swayed alongside diligent dandelions and daffodils.
Someone was singing. The melody was soft and soothing, and the words familiar in a dim and distant way. I'll sing you a song about flowers in spring… Of the young sprouting buds and the birds on the wing… I'll sing you a song about summer's full bloom… Of flowers that only come out for the moon…
She didn't know how long she had been lying there, staring at the sky, listening to the trees and the singing, losing herself in the smell of flowers. Someone was running their fingers through her hair, and the action was so calming that it almost lulled her to sleep. It would have been easier to give in, she thought, but there was something that kept her from completely succumbing.
A light that refused to go out.
She wished she could ignore it and lie here amongst the flowers in an oblivious haze forever, but the more she thought about ignoring it the more she remembered. Memories worked their way back in to her heart – slow at first, until the trickle became a flood – and when her heart thudded heavily in her chest it sent a rush of fire coursing through her veins that left her gasping for breath. The singing stopped.
"Hey there." The woman's voice was soft and gentle, and Kairi blinked at the sound. She looked up towards the speaker but the woman was silhouetted by the sunlight, though Kairi did catch the hint of a smile. She tried to sit up and the woman's hands went to her shoulders. "Careful, take it easy." Slowly the woman helped her sit up, and Kairi was grateful for the woman's hands on her arms as the world began to spin and sway. It took a moment to pass, and once the feeling of light-headedness had faded Kairi turned to the woman to thank her.
The words died in her throat as she caught the woman's piercing blue eyes and the waterfall of crimson curls that tumbled over her shoulder. The familiar creases around her eyes as she smiled and the curve of her jaw – so similar to Kairi's – left Kairi speechless. She looked exactly like she did in the picture in Kairi's locket.
"Are… are you… my…" The word wouldn't come. Jiniya smiled, her eyes shining as she reached out to stroke Kairi's cheek.
"My Kairi," she whispered. Kairi's heart skipped several beats as her mother pulled her close, wrapping her arms around Kairi and holding her tightly. Kairi buried her face in her mother's hair, drinking in the scent of flowers as a tear rolled down her cheek. She hiccupped and her mother pulled back, using her thumb to brush away Kairi's tears.
"Look at you," her mother breathed. "So beautiful." Kairi felt her cheeks flush and her mother laughed lightly, reaching out to brush several wayward strands of hair away from Kairi's face. Her touch was electric, and Kairi leant in to it hungrily as her mother's smile became tearful. "I am so proud of you, Kairi." The words made Kairi's heart explode, and for several seconds she forgot how to speak. Her throat tightened and her eyes burned, and when her mother laughed again it was a half-sob as she reached out to dry Kairi's cheeks.
"How are you here?" Kairi asked. She pulled away a little, sitting up taller and glancing around at the flower field and the treeline beyond. "Where are we?"
"I promise I'll explain," her mother answered, "but I think there's someone else who wants to see you first." Kairi frowned, confused, and her mother smiled and lifted her chin slightly towards whoever was standing behind her. Kairi held her mother's hand fast, and after receiving an encouraging squeeze Kairi slowly turned.
"Hey, Kairi."
Sora was standing several paces away, his hands tucked in to his pockets and a goofy grin plastered across his face. The hollows of his cheeks were gone, the bags under his eyes banished. The mottled bruises that had littered his limbs were no more, leaving his skin it usual rich olive colour. Kairi's heart stopped as she drank him in, studying every detail, and when her eyes finally met his it restarted with a painful thud that sent her scrambling to her feet with his name upon her lips.
She launched herself at him, sending them both tumbling to the ground, and he wrapped his arms around her as they fell. She sobbed in to his neck, clutching at him like a lifeline and losing herself in the sound of his laughter, and when he finally released her she pulled back and pounded her fists against his chest.
"You stupid – stupid – selfless – reckless-" And then he was kissing her, his lips pressing urgently against hers as he uncurled her fists and placed them over his heart. He bombarded her with wave after wave of raw emotion – love, pride, hope, admiration – and once she had recovered from the initial assault she responded in kind, flooding their connection and tangling her fingers in his shirt, pulling him closer, losing herself in the feeling of his lips against hers.
When he finally pulled away he left her gasping for breath. He pressed their foreheads together, still holding her hands over his heart, and she felt hot tears splash against her wrist as his eyes bored in to hers with a desperate, unspoken plea. She wanted to smile and scream all at once.
"You're not forgiven," she whispered. "Not even a little."
"I kinda figured I'd have some making up to do." His lips curled in to a mischievous smile. "Do you think you could help me make it up to Riku? He's going to be so mad-" She narrowed her eyes and punched his shoulder, and he laughed. The sound made her heart soar and she found she couldn't stay mad at him, no matter how hard she tried, especially when he brushed the hair from her eyes and trailed his fingers along her jaw.
Her mother cleared her throat and fire exploded in Kairi's cheeks as she remembered that they weren't alone. She sprang back, her spine rigid as the flush in her face spread across her ears and the back of her neck. Her mother laughed.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said (and Kairi thought she truly did look sorry), "but time is of the essence. You really should think about getting back."
"Back?" Kairi asked. She glanced to Sora. "You mean, this isn't… we're not…" Sora tilted his head with a curious smile.
"Where do you think we are?" he asked gently. Kairi shifted, fiddling with the hem of her skirt as she tried to find the right word. Not dead – because Kairi was sure she was not dead – but she didn't feel quite alive either. Maybe she was Sleeping? She'd spoken to Sora in the Realm of Sleep before, but this felt nothing like their shared dream where the world around them had shifted and changed with a thought. It felt slightly surreal, yes, but in a constant, unending sort of way. Perhaps the Final World, she thought, only to quickly dismiss the idea. Sora had described it as an unending realm where the sky met the sea and stretched on for as far as the eye could see like a mirror. But if she wasn't dead, and she wasn't Sleeping, and she wasn't in the Final World, then where was she?
A seed of doubt took root in her heart as she glanced between Sora and her mother. It was, after all, too good to be true. Everything she wanted, in fact, or near enough. Too perfect to be a coincidence. As she drank in the warmth of Sora's hands around hers, she felt the cold sting of the Master's keyblade piercing her chest and she stiffened.
"Kairi?" Sora asked with a concerned frown. Kairi pulled back, turning sharply towards her mother.
"You said you would explain." Because if this was real (and she hopelessly, desperately wanted it to be) then there had to be an explanation. Her mother glanced briefly to Sora who shrugged.
"They can hold their own for a while," he said. Her mother's expression tightened.
"If you're sure-"
"Absolutely," he replied, though Kairi didn't miss how forced his smile had become. Her mother stared at him a moment longer before turning her gaze back to Kairi.
"This is…" she began, and then quickly thought better of it. She clicked her teeth shut and pressed her lips in to a thin line before continuing. "It's difficult to explain exactly what this world is, but it sits outside of the realms of Light and Dark. It's a realm almost entirely its own, like a bubble or a pocket, where hearts without vessels can continue to exist."
"How did you get here?" Kairi demanded, speaking to both of them though her gaze was fixed on Sora. He slowly slipped a hand inside his jacket and withdrew a small, silver card.
"With this." He held it up for her to see; the back was covered in a familiar grey and white pattern while the front bore a figure in a black cloak, his crowned head concealed by a hood as his hands cupped a gleaming crimson heart.
"This is one of Luxord's cards," she said, reaching out to take it. She ran her hand over the 'K' in the corner as Sora nodded.
"After I defeated him in Xehanort's labyrinth, he gave it to me. He called it a wildcard, but I… I didn't really know what that meant." He scratched the back of his neck with a half shrug. "I had it on me the whole time I was searching for you but I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do with it. After that day you all came back for me, when I… when Luxu made me…" His face paled and his eyes darted down towards her chest where the three silvery scars poked out over the collar of her undershirt. "Luxu gave me back my heart and kept gloating about how easy it had been to control me, how he couldn't wait to do it again, and… something changed. I felt the card calling to me after he left, and when I took it out to look at it, it opened a portal."
"And you just walked through it?" Kairi asked before she could stop herself (because who was she to judge anyone about diving head-first through unknown portals?). Sora's expression tightened and something dark flashed through his eyes.
"I couldn't bear the thought of Luxu making me hurt you again," he said. "When Mickey and I fought Luxord, he used a card like this one to trap Mickey. I don't know where he went, but he was safe enough. Luxord and the others couldn't touch him. I figured anywhere was better than where I was and it might buy you guys some time. Might keep you safe. That's when I met Ava and she-" Kairi sucked in a sharp breath at the name and Sora stopped, his brow furrowing in to a confused frown.
"Ava?" Kairi asked tightly. The thought of the fifth Foreteller sent a shiver down her spine as Sora nodded slowly, turning and glancing over his shoulder to where Kairi's mother's smile had fallen. Kairi felt her stomach twist, knowing what was coming before her mother spoke.
"Kairi-"
"No," Kairi blurted, shaking her head fiercely. Her mother's face crumpled with despair and Kairi felt her heart stutter. She swallowed thickly, but her mouth was dry. "You're not one of them. You can't be-"
"Kairi," Sora soothed, reaching for her hands, "it's not what you think. Just hear her out." The woman shifted uncomfortably.
"We might not have time-"
"They can manage without us for a few more minutes," Sora pressed before turning his attention back to Kairi. He squeezed her hands gently. "She's still your mother, no matter who she used to be." Her mother. The words rang through her mind as Kairi tore her eyes away from Sora's to the woman sitting across from them. She remembered her grandmother's photo album; remembered poring over pictures of her mother and committing them to memory. Her fingers fiddled with her locket, pulling the chain taught around her neck.
'We're you one of the Master's apprentices? Like Luxu?" Her mother nodded solemnly.
"I was," she answered, her eyes fixed on Kairi, "but we weren't the same. The Master chose us all together, but after a while he started keeping Luxu away from us. Then the Master started talking about how he might disappear one day, and he gave us all roles to fulfil."
"What was yours?" Her mother's expression grew grim and Kairi almost regretted asking.
"Mine was to select wielders to survive the Keyblade War and keep the light alive."
"To survive…" Kairi murmured. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at her mother. "So you chose who lived and who died?" Her mother flinched but nodded nonetheless, and Kairi felt her stomach drop as she thought of all the keyblades sitting abandoned in the Graveyard. Each one had belonged to a wielder that was long gone now; dead because her mother hadn't chosen to save them. She felt sick. "Why not just stop the war? If you knew it was going to happen-"
"It wasn't as simple as that," her mother replied, her voice firm but her face pleading. "We knew the war was coming but we didn't know how or when it would start. I saved as many as I could but… It's complicated. We trusted the Master, and our faith left us blind to his manipulations. He left us with a prophecy which spoke of a traitor amongst us-"
"Your master."
"We never considered it could be him," she pressed. We did our best to carry out the roles he had given us, but it was difficult when it felt like everyone was pointing a finger at your back. I refused to believe that it was one of us, and I became obsessed with the idea that Luxu was the traitor. I hunted him down and tried to find out more about his role – to find out if I was right – but before I could find my answers the Keyblade War was upon us."
A heavy silence fell between them. Her mother continued to stare and Kairi fought the urge to squirm. The woman looked so much like the picture in Kairi's locket, and yet Kairi couldn't find a way to connect the Foreteller who had let thousands of wielders die in a pointless war to the kind, gentle woman her grandmother had spoken of so fondly. Sora squeezed her hand softly.
"How did you survive?" Kairi asked at last. Her mother seemed to breathe a small sigh of relief, and something in her expression softened.
"My body was defeated, and my heart should have fled with the others," she said, "but my mind couldn't let go of the idea that Luxu had betrayed us. I tried to follow him but he was always one step ahead, constantly changing his forms. I realised I had to do the same if I wanted any chance of catching him, but in the time it took for me to take on a new form, he disappeared completely. That was when I met your father."
'I didn't mean to fall in love, but your father made it all sound so wonderful, and he was so charming… After a while I couldn't remember why Luxu was even important any more. His betrayal was complete, the war was over, and I had a chance to live a peaceful life. No keyblades, no roles… And then you came along and I knew I'd made the right choice, because any life that led to you had to have been a good one. I had four years of peace and happiness until…" Her voice pitched and a tear slid down her cheek. Her hands trembled in her lap.
"Until I disappeared," Kairi said. Her mother nodded and Kairi swallowed thickly. "How… How did it happen?"
"It was Xehanort, he-"
"I know that part," Kairi blurted, a little firmer than she intended. Sora squeezed her hand again and she bit the inside of her cheek. "I meant… How did he find me? And how did he…" The word stuck in her throat as her mother grimaced.
"You loved the castle library," she said. "You would go practically every week with your grandmother, and sometimes you even went by yourself. Some days we would come home and you would have a whole new stack of books. I can only assume that Xehanort must have seen you during your visits to the castle. Your heart shone so brightly, but Radiant Garden was so safe we never even thought to worry. By the time we realised you were missing, we were already too late. I found a way in to the laboratory's holding cells to look for you, but instead I found Skuld."
"Skuld?" Kairi asked, glancing to Sora to see if it was a name she should have known. He shook his head slightly.
"Someone from my past," her mother continued. "Someone I thought I would never see again. She couldn't remember who she was, but she knew you. She told me what had happened to you, and we have no way of knowing that you had survived. Not after what had happened to the others before you. It was my fault she was there – my choice that ended with her locked in a cell with no memories – and I knew I had to help her. I thought maybe what she knew might lead me to you, but Luxu found us as we were fleeing the castle. I tried to fight past him but it had been so long since I'd used my keyblade that I didn't stand a chance. Luxu couldn't risk us interfering with his plans, so he tried to cast us in to the Realm of Darkness, but we ended up here instead thanks to Ephemer." Kairi glanced to Sora again and he grinned.
"Maybe it's time Kairi met the others," he said, rising to his feet. Her mother hesitated slightly.
"If you think you still have time," she said uncertainly. Sora nodded and offered his hand to Kairi.
"They'll be all right," he said, his eyes fixed on Kairi as he pulled her up out of the grass. "Besides, this could be her only chance to meet them." Her mother nodded sombrely and stood to lead the way towards a nearby copse of trees. As she disappeared in to the shadows Kairi hesitated, bringing Sora to a stop beside her. He squeezed her hand gently.
"Kairi?" Her heart skipped a beat and she tore her eyes away from the tree line to stare in to his, searching them for some sort of sign; an answer to a question she didn't want to ask.
"Tell me this is real," she whispered. "Tell me I'm not dreaming – that this isn't all some kind of trick." Sora's concern melted in to a smile and he answered by taking her hand and pressing it over his heart. She latched on to their connection, to the now golden thread that no longer disappeared in to shadow, and when she found his heart waiting for her at the other side the shard in her chest exploded.
"This is real," he said, resting is forehead against hers as his free hand brushed away a rogue tear that was racing down her cheek. She cupped his hand against her jaw, leaning desperately towards it, and he laughed lightly and placed a delicate kiss on the tip of her nose. "C'mon, I need you to meet the others." Reluctantly she let the hand on her face fall away, though she kept her fingers tightly intertwined with the hand that had pressed hers against his heart as he led her into the grove.
The trees were tall and slender, towering tightly together, and the dense canopy of leaves overhead allowed only the occasional sliver of light to pass through, casting dappled shadows on the thick undergrowth below. Sora led her deeper in to the forest until at last they came upon a small clearing where her mother was waiting with a young woman at her side. A river of dark hair spilled across the shoulders of her dark cropped jacket, and when she saw Kairi her face lit up with a smile.
"Kairi!" she breathed. Kairi froze, and she felt Sora give her hand a reassuring squeeze as the girl smiled bashfully. "I guess you don't remember me."
"I'm sorry, I don't." The girl shrugged and tilted her head, hazel eyes gleaming.
"That's all right," she said. "I almost envy you. Sometimes I wish I could forget what Xehanort did to us. I only saw you once or twice, but I remember finding out that you were gone. I'm so glad to see that you're all right. I'm Skuld."
"It's nice to meet you," Kairi replied, because she wasn't sure what else she could say. It earned her a smile in response.
"Ephemer's this way," she said. She led them in to the clearing where Kairi was surprised to see a young man lying in the grass, his hands folded neatly atop his chest. Silvery curls spilled around his head like a halo, while a thick red scarf snaked around his neck and disappeared behind his shoulders. A small plush doll sat near his head – a striped grey body and stumpy arms and legs, with a white muzzle beneath two blue eyes, wearing a short cream cape and a delicate pink purse hanging from a golden chain around its neck – and Kairi swallowed a surprised squeal when it lifted its head and blinked at her.
"Finally!" it exclaimed. "For a minute there we thought you might not make it!" It pushed itself to its feet, teetering slightly as it found its balance. Kairi tried not to gawk at the sight.
"Are you… Ephemer?" she asked. The creature shook its head and gestured to the sleeping boy.
"He's Ephemer," it answered. "I'm Chirithy." Kairi felt an embarrassed flush flood her cheeks.
"It's nice to meet you," she murmured, stumbling over the words. Chirithy folded its arms.
"You too, but we don't have time for pleasantries," it said, turning its attention to Sora. "You should have gone back by now." Sora scratched the back of his neck with a quiet, half-laugh.
"I know," he said, "but this was important. I needed to explain everything."
"Well you should do it quickly," Chirithy replied curtly. It tugged at its collar and readjusted the purse around its neck. "The connection between this world and yours is fading fast, and if you don't get back soon then you and Kairi could be stuck here forever."
"I know," said Sora. "Just a few more minutes." Chirithy fixed him with a hard stare and Sora answered with a broad grin.
"Fine," Chirithy grumbled at last, folding its arms again and sitting down heavily in the grass, "but you need to be quick." Sora took Kairi's hand again and led her closer, kneeling down next to Ephemer and gently pulling her down beside him.
"Is he all right?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded.
"He's fine," Sora answered, "he's just sleeping. He needs us to wake him up."
"Us?" Kairi asked. She glanced at him and he smiled back at her. She pursed her lips, wondering how long he would keep leading her along before finally offering an explanation. A little while longer, she guessed, judging by the wry smile pulling at is lips and the mischief in his eyes. "How do we wake him?"
"We get his heart back."
"And where is his heart?"
"Luxu has it." Kairi sucked in a breath for her next question before the words had registered, and she found herself holding on to it as the pieces fell in to place. Luxu had Ephemer's heart… Luxu had Ephemer's heart! Her eyes widened and the breath finally escaped in a sudden rush, and Sora's smile became a proud grin.
"So… your heart…"
"Was here the whole time," he said. The smile fell a little then and he placed a hand over his chest. "It's why you couldn't reach me. I could feel you trying, but I couldn't answer. If Luxu realised that he didn't really have my heart, he might have traced the connection back to us here and I wouldn't have been able to keep you safe."
"That's why Luxu couldn't control you," she said. Sora nodded and Kairi found herself frowning again. "But the heart that Luxu does have… Ephemer's heart… it has a piece missing, just like yours."
"Luxu knew that I'd given a fragment to you, so Ephemer carved out a piece and kept it here, enough to keep him tied to this realm and then Ava made the switch – she disguised his heart as mine and sent it back through the portal in to my body." He turned his gaze back to Ephemer and smiled. "It's the second time he's saved my life."
"The second time?" Kairi asked. Sora glanced at her from the corner of his eye and she pursed her lips.
"Sora…" Chirithy admonished. Something was bubbling along their connection and Kairi tugged at it, finding her mind filled with memories of the fight against Xehanort – of the demon vortex that threatened to swallow them a second time. She remembered Sora diving headfirst in to a flash of light, and the legion of keyblades that helped him defeat the looming swarm of heartless.
"The light from the past," she breathed. Sora flashed her a grin before twisting towards the others.
"I told you she was smart!"
"Sora, you really don't have much time left," her mother pressed. Sora chuckled.
"I know, I know," he said through a grin. He turned back to Ephemer and tapped their knuckles together before standing. "Just one thing left to do." He held out a hand to Kairi and she accepted, letting him pull her up again. They stood face to face and Sora took both her hands in his with a broad smile. "I believe you have something of mine."
Kairi's heart leapt to her throat. She wanted to be sure – to trust that she could make the right decision – and yet a persistent doubt whispered in the back of her mind. She swallowed thickly, closing her eyes and taking a deep steeling breath. The grass moved behind her and a gentle hand squeezed her shoulder.
"May your heart be your guiding key," her mother said softly. Kairi's stomach twisted nervously.
"Will I see you again?" she asked, her eyes still firmly shut. Her mother's silence was deafening.
"No," she answered at last. "But I'll be here until this world fades away, and I'll always be watching over you." Kairi bit the inside of her lip and tore her hands from Sora's, spinning on her heel to throw her arms around her mother's shoulders. Her mother hugged her fiercely, holding her close. "I am so proud of you, Kairi." A sob rose in Kairi's throat and her mother ran her fingers through Kairi's hair before pulling away, holding her at arm's length.
"Can't I stay here with you?" Kairi asked, knowing the answer already. Her mother laughed and brushed the tears from her cheeks.
"How I wish you could, but your friends need you." She ran her hands down Kairi's arms and laced their fingers together. Kairi shivered at the thought of the Graveyard and what was waiting for her; she felt the Master's keyblade spear her chest anew, sending ice through her veins.
"How do we defeat him?" she asked, a feeling of panic bubbling in her gut. She swallowed bile. "He's so strong, and now he's controlling Luxu and the others-"
"Do not lose hope, Kairi," her mother soothed, stroking her cheek. "The Master is strong, but his attention is divided between fighting your friends and keeping control of the others. He will have to focus on one or the other if he wants to win."
"So we need to make him choose," Kairi suggested. Her mother nodded.
"He won't make it easy for you, but don't give up. He can't stay focused on both fronts for long."
"And if we defeat him-"
"When you defeat him."
"Will he stay gone?" Kairi asked. "Or can he come back, like Xehanort did?" Her mother's expression tightened.
"I can't say for certain," she murmured. Her eyes flashed and she glanced over Kairi's shoulder – to Sora perhaps – and muttering, "Unless…"
"The box," said Sora. Kairi twisted, glancing at him over her shoulder
"The box?" she asked. He nodded, a thoughtful hand resting on his chin.
"He designed it to trap a heart," he mused. He lifted his head, meeting her gaze with a shrug and a grin. "We'll just put his heart in it instead of mine."
"It could work," her mother agreed. "Trap him inside, and seal him away for good. Once the others are free from his control, they can take care of him and make sure nobody ever releases him." There was a sort of poetic justice in that, Kairi supposed.
"Would they really do that?" Kairi asked. "Would they really turn on their master and keep him imprisoned." Her mother's smile tightened a little
"I can't say for certain, but after what they've heard today… I don't think they'll let him carry out his plans." Kairi's stomach twisted and her heart fluttered nervously in her chest. There would be no getting to the Master without defeating the Foretellers, and when coupled with the thought of trying to convince them to turn completely on a man they had been so devoted to… What had been a challenge before suddenly seemed insurmountable, and Kairi shivered.
"Can't you come with us?" she asked. "You could help us – help convince Luxu and the others-" Her mother smiled sadly and squeezed her hands.
"I wish that we could," she sighed, "but our bodies perished long ago. We would have no form in the Realm of Light."
"But Ephemer-"
"Used Sora as a vessel," her mother countered. The word vessel struck a chord in Kairi's heart and she squeezed back.
"We could make you vessels!" she exclaimed. "Like Roxas and Xion and Vanitas. Even and Ienzo could-"
"Kairi," her mother murmured, stroking her cheek and smiling sadly, "there isn't time. You and Sora have to go back, and once you leave you won't be able to return. You both belong in the Realm of Light." Kairi wanted to scream – to stamp her foot and tear out her hair and hold tight to her mother and never let go. Instead she bit the inside of her cheek and clutched her mother's hands tightly.
"It's not fair," she sobbed.
"Life rarely is," her mother whispered.
"Kairi." Sora's voice was thick and heavy. Her mother stepped back, pulling their hands apart with a sad smile. Skuld stood by her shoulder with Chirithy in her arms, both of them watching in somber silence as Kairi took a deep breath and dried her tears on her gauntlets. Then she turned to Sora, finding him waiting patiently behind her, a hand outstretched. She felt his heart calling, and she felt the shard in her chest answering. She stepped forward, placing her hand in his, and the world disappeared behind a blinding flash of light.
I am so sorry that this chapter took so long to update, I really did not mean to leave you on that cliffhanger for so long. A lot has happened in the last few weeks and it kept me from writing what has quite possibly been the most difficult chapter of this story so far!
I'll do my best not to keep you waiting so long for the next one. See you then!