Chapter XLIX- End of World (Part 2)
"Sora... Kairi... Koga... I'm sorry."
Riku opened his eyes. He saw himself in a dark and empty place. Nothing in sight, just an grey road over an empty void. The last thing he remembers was holding back Ansem and telling Kairi to run. And now he's here.
"Is this the afterlife?" He asked himself as he walked forward. He immediately felt something wrap around and pull at him. He turned around and saw chains wrapped around him, and a Heartless holding the chains. The Heartless had a humanoid torso wearing a black robe with a heart shaped hole in it's chest. It held a staff in it's hand that must be what's controlling the chains.
Lich
It lifted it's staff and the chains glowed with dark energy, burning into Riku. It pulled him towards the edge of the road. He panicked realizing he's about to fall into the abyss.
"No..." He said planting his feet firmly into the ground and pushing against the pull of the chains. "I'm not ready, not yet." He looked angrily at the Lich. "So let me go!" He broke free from the chains and summoned Soul Eater and slashed at the Heartless. It hissed and fled from the resistant boy. Riku fell on his knees trying to catch his breath.
He hated to admit he's scared but the truth is that being trapped in a dark world, alone, weakened, with monsters all around you would make any kid afraid.
"I can't have it end here. Not until I see them one last time..." He said tear welling in his eyes. He wiped them away. "Please forgive me guys."
"Riku, can you hear me?" said a mysterious voice. It sounded high pitched and whimsical but held authority. Riku looked up and didn't see anyone near him. "I'll be there soon." The voice said again. It echoed throughout the area.
"Who are you." Riku demanded.
"I am a King that is looking to save the worlds. That's why I sent my royal mage and captain of the guards to look for the Keyblade of light and it's chosen wielder. I am looking for the other Keyblade. The one that belongs to this realm."
"So you're the one that Donald and Goofy were looking for." Riku said. "Well they already found the chosen one, and it's no longer me."
"...I know."
Riku paused. "You do? How?"
"As a king I have eyes and ears everywhere. I also have a trusty canine who relayed messages to me about all that's happening while I was gone. You, Sora, Koga, the princesses, Maleficent, and now Ansem. I've been trying to get through to you personally. But the darkness in your Heart kept me away?"
"But what happened to me, why am I here?"
"Your Heart won the battle against darkness, but it was too late for your body. That's why you're here in this place of darkness where Hearts are gathered. If you fall into the abyss you will be lost forever. When 'Ansem' is defeated your body should return to you."
Riku sighed in exasperation, this was a lot to take in. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "So what do I do?"
"The Door to Darkness will open soon, but it's a door we can't enter, only darkness can pass through. It has to be closed from both sides. To do this you need two Keys and two Hearts. Maybe you're here for the same reason I am. Maybe it was fate."
"Fate huh?" Riku chuckled. "So you want me to help you close the door? I was the one chosen to wield this Keyblade of light but I lost it when I gave in to darkness."
"That is true but that doesn't mean you can make up for it. The road to redemption is long and hard but it begins with the first step. Take that step, go to the Door of Darkness and help us close it."
Before Riku could say anything he heard the King let out a light gasp and murmur something. "It can't be, Aq-"
"Your majesty?" Riku asked concerned.
"I'm sorry Riku, I have to go. Please make the right choice. May your Heart be your guiding Key." Then there was silence. Riku could only assume that the King left.
He looked at the dark path ahead of him. He sighed. "Guess I got no other choice..." He said before running down the path.
When Koga and Sora opened their eyes they saw a hauntingly familiar sight.
"It's our home..." Sora said.
"What?" Donald asked.
"We're back at Destiny Islands." Koga finished. They were indeed back at their world, more specifically the mainland. He remembers what it looked like. A large mountain range with a single volcano made up the center of the island, long since dormant. The town was spread out across half of the island, the other half was an overgrown jungle. Along the beach was the homes and residence while the more urban parts of the town was closer to the base of the mountain, in between was the farmlands.
They were currently in what they remember being the town square, near the town hall where the mayor, Kairi's adoptive father, worked. But like the other worlds that have been lost to the darkness, this one was no exception. The street pavement was cracked, the trees uprooted, and several buildings were collapsed. In the distance half of the volcano was collapsed and purple smoke spewed from the top. Parts of the town looked as if the entire ground was lifted up only to be dropped from a high distance. The destruction conflicted with the peaceful blue sky they used to see everyday.
"Um, it's pretty beautiful." Goofy said, trying to be nice.
"No it's not." Koga said. He bowed his head as his body trembled. "They're all gone."
"Koga?" Sora asked.
"I... we need to go home." He said as he ran down the street. It was eerily quiet as they ran through the ruined streets. It felt like only yesterday where people were here. Adults going to work and kids going to school. And now it's a ghost town.
They reached the flat farmlands where most of the place has collapsed into sinkholes. Not a single Heartless in sight.
"Where is your house?" Goofy asked.
"It's along the shore." Sora said looking around. "Its the one closest to the island we used to play at." He looked at a clay path leading up a hill. They walked up it. "Actually it should be right... over..."
"There." Koga finished. Once they got over the hill they got a good view of the beach. The ocean has receded and what's left of it was this nasty purple ooze. The entire beach has crumbled, cracks spread across it with purple rock jutting out. In the distance they see the crumbled remains of their island. It was floating several stories in the air, with smaller islands floating off of it. The houses along the beach looked like a hurricane has hit them. Including a particular house right next to the docks, their house.
"No..." Koga whimpered, collapsing on his knees. His fingers dug into the sand. Seeing his house, the place he grew up in destroyed, it makes him want to throw up.
"Koga." Sora said putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know this is really painful, trust me I know. But there's a bigger problem. Look at the docks." He whispered that last part.
Koga turned his gaze towards the broken dock. There, watching over the murky purple ocean, was Ansem. The starry eyed boy felt his blood boil. He stood up and the four of them approached the seeker of darkness.
Ansem did not face them instead looking to the ocean.
"Ansem, turn around and face us!" Koga growled.
"Take a look at this tiny place. To the Heart seeking freedom these islands are a prison surrounded by water. And so a boy sought out to escape from his prison. He sought out a way to get to other worlds and he opened his Heart to darkness." He turned and smirked at them. "Behold..." He gestured to the ocean. The group looked and saw the ruins of their play island. Heartless were surrounding it, a large group of Shadows grouped together like a tidal wave of darkness. It looked like they were attacking something or someone.
"What is that?" Koga asked.
"Just your precious King fighting off the Darkness."
"The King?!" Donald and Goofy ran forward but Ansem stood in the way.
"Do not worry about him, he has a lost light on his side. It's none of your concern." He said turning back to them. "After all, there is someone else you are looking for correct?"
"Riku!" Sora growled summoning his Keyblade. "What did you do to him?"
"Don't bother yourself over him." Ansem laughed. "He made his choice and now belongs to darkness. After all, all worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The Heart is no different." He raised his arms as he continued explaining. "Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is it's nature."
They couldn't explain how but suddenly he was floating behind the group, arms crossed. "In the end, every Heart returns to the darkness whence it came." He grinned as he clenched his hand intensely. "You see, darkness is the Heart's true essence."
"That's not true!" Sora shouted putting a hand to his chest. "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!"
"That's right!" Koga said stepping in front of the group. "The worlds may be scattered by the dark depths of space but they still shine bright across the blackness with an undying light. And just like the star's light, ours will not go out!"
Ansem's smile dropped, turning into a disappointed and frustrated frown. "So you've come this far and still you understand nothing. You are still the ignorant fools you were before your journey began."
"We may be ignorant fools but we're ignorant fools with giant key swords meant to fight Heartless." Koga said pointing his Keyblade at Ansem. "And you seem to be the biggest Heartless of all."
"Must this all end in violence?" Ansem sighed.
"You're the one who started this. Prepare for a swift hand of justice Ansem, Destiny Island style!" Sora said.
"Very well... Every light must fade away, every Heart return to darkness!" Behind Ansem a dark figure appeared. It had a muscular humanoid form similar to that of a Neoshadow or a Invisible. It face was partly bandaged, acting as a gag for it's mouth. It's lower body fades into a tail that seemed to be 'attached' to Ansem.
Sora summoned his Keyblade and threw it at Ansem. But the Dark Figure appeared in front of the Seeker of Darkness and stopped the coming blow. It caught the Keyblade in it's hand, looking at it curiously. Ansem grinned. "Useless useless useless." Everyone's jaw dropped.
"T-that's not possible." Koga said, shock clear on his face.
"You have no idea what is possible boy." Ansem said as the Dark Figure threw the Keyblade back at Sora. Ansem laughed as he floated up and the Guardian throwing dark energy disks at the group. They all put up their guards trying to deflect the shots but there was too many. They didn't prepare for the rising dark shockwave that knocked them off their feet.
Ansem laughed as he floated away, back towards the town. "You are no threat to me. Farewell." He waved flying off towards the center of the island.
"H-Hey, get back here so I can kick your butt!" Koga said clenching his fist as the group got back on their feet and ran after him. They made it back to the town as they followed Ansem down the destroyed streets. They noticed the sky slowly started getting darker and the clouds started thundering. "Stopga!" Koga shouted pointing his Keyblade at Ansem. The Dark Figure got hit by the spell but they didn't freeze in time, their body vibrated for a few seconds before brushing the spell off. Ansem turned his head back unamused. The Dark figure grabbed a overturned car and threw it at them. The group scattered as they avoided the sharp metal and broken glass.
'Alright, time for a different approach.' He and his brother shared a looked before looking back at the enemy. "Fire!" He said launching three shots of fireballs that the Dark Figure blocked. But the impact created a smokescreen that gave Koga enough cover to sidestep around them and jump at Ansem. Ansem shot dark lightning from his hand and knocked the Keyblade out of his hand. Koga growled and tried to punch him in his stupid smug face. Right before his fist made contact with his face the Dark Figure grabbed his wrist. Koga reacted and quickly summoned his Keygun and blasted Ansem in the face before he was pulled back. Ansem growled and covered his eye.
"You have a lot of nerve, striking me like that!" He yelled changing dark energy from his hands. "Submit!" He said pressing his hand on the boy's chest. Koga cried out as he was blasted with dark energy.
While he was distracted Sora ran up behind and slashed at his back. Ansem grunted in pain as the Dark Figure dropped the singed boy. Donald used Curaga on him healing his burns.
The Dark Figure took a swing at Sora but Goofy intercepted it with his shield, the recoil knocking both parties back. Donald ran up and launched a thunder spell at Ansem while Koga shot him with his Keygun.
Ansem glowed with a dark aura as he floated up, out of reach. The Dark Figure vanished as the whole area seemed to darken. "My strength returns."
Then the group sensed incoming danger and jumped back when a dark portal appeared from the ground and the Dark Figure erupted from the ground in a blast of darkness.
"What do you even hope to accomplish?"
Another portal opened and the Dark Figure came out of that one as well.
"Do not deny your fear."
Again and again the Dark Figure bursted out of the ground keeping the group on their toes.
"The Final Darkness is nigh!"
Ansem charged up a blast from darkness that was impossible to avoid. Everyone got hit and knocked back. Then a large portal appeared overhead and two giant hands came out and grabbed the entire group.
"Now become one with the darkness!" Ansem laughed as he pulled them into the portal.
All around them there was pitch black darkness. They no longer felt the grip of the giant hands and they felt like they were floating in empty space. They all felt dizzy as they lost their center of gravity. Then they heard a maniacal laugh.
"Behold the endless abyss. Within it lies the Heart of all Worlds."
Then in the far distance a large white door appeared. They could feel it's intense power from where they were at but they couldn't tell what kind of power it was.
"Kingdom Hearts!"
"Look as hard as you are able. You'll find not even the smallest glimmer of light. From those dark depths are where all Hearts born. Even yours."
They then felt something looming over them. They turned and saw the biggest Heartless they saw. It looked like a battleship made of dark flesh, orbs of darkness covering it's body in the shape of artillery cannons. It's front had a giant beast-like face that snarled, it's yellow eyes glaring at them. The core of the ship was inside a dark cage at the middle of the ship. Above the core was the Dark Figure, now much larger and powerful looking than before. And attached to the Dark Figure was Ansem, just as large as the creature it's attached to. His shirt was missing as dark tentacles came out of his back and attached itself to the battleship. He held a giant dual bladed halberd, it's blades resembling Riku's Soul Eater sword.
World of Chaos
"DARKNESS CONQURES ALL WORLDS!"
They felt a invisible pulse of darkness hit them, knocking them back in the zero gravity. Koga turned around and saw several dark portals to drag each of them in. Reacting quickly, he pulled out his bag of Pixie Dust and tossed it to Sora.
"Don't give up S-" Koga said before he fell into the portal. Donald and Goofy fell into one as well. Sora felt himself falling towards the last portal, about to be lost to the darkness.
"Giving up already, come on Sora, I thought you were stronger than that."
"Riku?" Sora asked. Was that him or just his imagination? Either way it reminded him to not give up yet.
"Sora quick, use the pixie dust!" Jiminy exclaimed, holding onto his hat as they fell.
Feeling invigorated by the voice of his friend he sprinkled the pixie dust onto him and he flew back up and towards Ansem. He will free his brother and his friends, no matter what.
"Still you fight?" Ansem questioned. "Turn to darkness foolish boy!" He slammed his blade down, clashing with the smaller Keyblade. Ansem might be stronger but Sora was faster as he flew around and attacked when there was an opening and flying away when Ansem swung his blade.
He then raised his hands as dark violet spheres flew around Sora making a high pitched sound. They unleashed a thin yet powerful beam of energy that stung like hell.
While Sora was distracted Ansem sunk his body into the Dark figure, encasing himself in a magic coffin with a Heartless insignia. There was no way he could break through that defense.
"Coward." Sora muttered. He then noticed a dark portal appear in front of the core of the ship.
"That looks like the same portal the other's fell into." Jiminy stated. "We should go in and find them."
Sora flew into it finding himself in a dark room with the only light coming from a glowing Heartless emblem from the ground. Koga was currently running around the room blasting all the Shadows that came out of the ground.
"Come on, you want some!" Koga said firing again and again. He looked like he was having a lot of fun. "Well have some more, one for you, and another for you, and I can't forget about you!" He then noticed his brother barging in. He sweated, embarrassed. "Oh, h-hey."
"Don't stop on my account. I came to rescue you but it seem like you are handling things rather well." He flew next to his brother as they engaged the swarm together. As they fought the Heartless they defeat swarm together to form an strange thread of energy, it jiggled in it's place like some kind of rubber band. Koga shot at it and it exploded, breaking the room they were in and returning them to the World of Chaos.
Sora grabbed his brother's hand before he fell and poured some pixie dust on him. Koga took the bag back and inspected it.
"It looks like there's only enough for Donald and Goofy."
"Alright then I got a plan." Sora said with a smirk.
Koga pouted. "I'm the one who comes up with plans... alright, tell it."
"We got to take down this ship piece by piece so we can free Donald and Goofy and make Ansem come out of his hiding hole."
"I like it, so what are we going to destroy next?" Just as he said that they narrowly avoided magic blasts from the ship's artillery. Then the front face of the ship shot them with lightning spells. The twins split up Koga taking on the large cannons while Sora fought the giant beast head. Sora flew through lightning bolts and lasers as he slashed through the monster, trying to avoid it's bite. After one final blow to the head, the beast get's knocked unconscious with it's mouth hanging open. Another portal appeared inside it's mouth as Sora flew into it and found Donald fighting Invisibles.
"Sora!" Donald said happily as he destroyed a small group of Heartless with a graviga spell and then taking on another with a thundaga spell.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Sora said joining his side. They destroyed this room's core and it caused the head of the ship to explode, leaving a big stump.
While Sora was working on one side of the ship, Koga was taking care of the other. He destroyed the cannons revealing a portal where Goofy was fighting Darkballs. It caused the back part of the ship to blow up. The damage revealed the core of the ship, a bulbous, deformed, blue organ that pumped energy like a heart pumps blood. More cannons spawned near it to protect the vital part of the ship.
The group reunited and flew together towards the core. Goofy was in the front blocking the shots from the cannons while Donald attacked with his magic. Sora and Koga thrusted their Keyblades into the core, making it explode. It caused a chain reaction as the ship lurched to the side and parts of it exploded. Ansem was forced out of his cage a faced the other's with a furious look on his face. It quickly changed to one of terror when he saw Sora and Koga aiming their Keyblades at Ansem. Light gathered on the tip of their Keyblades as they unleased a powerful beam of light that joined together to create an even bigger light. It shot right through Ansem's chest as he clutched his chest in pain.
"No. This is impossible!" He roared as the entire ship begins to compress itself into an orb of darkness before exploding in a spectacular light. All that remained was a beaten and exhausted Ansem, back to his original size. His original clothes were torn and tattered, his body battered and bruised. He glared as his opponents with a hinge of fear in his eyes.
"It is futile." He said. "The Keyblade alone cannot seal the Door to Darkness. And even if I fall it will not be the last we meet."
Koga cocked his head. "What does that mean?"
Ansem smiled, knowing something that they will not. He turned towards the Door with a maddening gaze in his eyes. "Kingdom Hearts! Fill me with the power of darkness!" Ansem roared. "Supreme darkness!" He heard chuckling behind him. He looked and saw Sora and Koga with a smug grin. "What do you find so humorous?"
"Well it's just that me and Sora realized something. And all I can say is that you brought this upon yourself."
"He's right because I know now, without a doubt. Kingdom Hearts is light!" Sora declared.
Then out of nowhere, light spilled from the cracks of the door, causing everyone to cover their eyes. Ansem took the full force of the light as he covered his eyes. The light burned like a thousand suns to him but to everyone else it felt warm and radiant, like a sunny day on Destiny Islands.
"The... Light!?" He screamed. He looked at his hands turning to dust, his body beginning to fade. All his planning, all his work, all his research, being destroyed in front of his very eyes. "But why...?" Were his last words before he faded away.
"His hubris was what destroyed him in the end." Koga commented.
"So it's over?" Sora asked.
"No!" Donald pointed. Despite the light that came out, darkness was also spilling out of the Door to Darkness.
"Oh no!" Jiminy exclaimed. "If we don't get that close then nothing's gonna stop the Heartless!"
"Hurry!" Sora said as they all flew towards the white door and try to push it closed. But physics were not on their side. It's size and the force of the Darkness was making it difficult. Even Jiminy was trying to help push it close, though his small body made little difference but the help was appreciated.
As they were pushing Goofy peered through the crack between the doors and gasped.
"Stop staring and start pushing!" Donald yelled pushing his back against the door. He took a peek and saw ALOT of Heartless, ALOT. "The Heartless, hurry!"
The kept pushing but it wouldn't budge.
"No... please... We can't lose here." Koga said.
"Don't give up!" The boys looked up and saw a familiar silver haired boy's hand sticking out of the other side of the door.
"Riku!" They exclaimed in shock.
"Come on guy's! Together, we can do it!"
"Riku, come over to this side and help us!" Sora shouted grabbing his hand and pulled. There was obviously enough space for Riku to slide through the door but as Koga pulled an invisible force was blocking the older boy from getting through.
"It won't work Koga." Riku grunted pulling his hand back. "Only darkness can go through."
"Well that works out well Mr 'I'm not afraid of the darkness so I gave in to the darkness'." Koga said sarcastically.
Riku frowned. "Look, Koga I'm s-"
"No." Koga cut him off with a glare. "Save your apologies. You brought this onto yourself." The others frowned at the coldness of Koga's words but kept pushing the door.
"And your still going to help me?" Riku asked confused.
"Well why wouldn't I?"
"Because I what I've done! I..."
"You betrayed us." Koga stated. "You betrayed my trust, our friendship, even my brother. You let me down Riku!"
Riku bit his lip, he could not defend what he did at all. "So then why are you helping me?"
"Why?" Koga rolled his eyes. "You really think I care about you so little that your betrayal would make a difference."
Riku was not expecting that reply. After everything he did Koga still see's him as a friend. It honestly touched him a bit.
"Stop crying, you're really an ugly crier." Koga grimaced.
"There has to be someway to get you over here." Sora said.
Riku shook his head. "Sorry but I'm going to have to find another way through."
"You won't last long on your own in the realm of Darkness!" Sora argued.
"Look!" Donald pointed to a large group of Darksides approaching the door from Riku's side. "It's hopeless, we won't get the door closed in time!" Just then a flash of light and a figure zipped through the chest of one Darkside, destroying it, and then quickly zoomed through the other's at quick speed. "Wak?" The other's looked in confusion.
"Don't worry." Riku smirked. "I'm not alone."
The figure landed on a ledge as they could see who it was. It was hard to see them but they can make out it's silhouette. They were small, around Donald's height. They noticed it's large head and even bigger round ears.
"It's the King!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed at the same time.
The King pulled out a Keyblade that looked exactly like Sora's but colored differently. "Now Sora, let's close this door for good!"
"Hurry, we got to close it now!" Donald said.
"But Riku, and the King..." Koga objected.
"Don't worry Koga, there will always be a door back to the light." The King said.
"Koga, you can trust King Mickey." Goofy said confidently.
Riku grunted when a Shadow grabbed him from behind. King Mickey reacted and sliced it with an agile swing of his Keyblade. More Heartless were creeping towards the door.
"Now! The Heartless are coming!" Riku said. He summoned his Soul Eater and pushed them back.
"Donald, Goofy, thank you for completing your mission." Mickey said with a smile. "You too Jiminy." Those words encouraged them all to push harder. They felt the door begin to budge.
Riku turned back to them one last time with a sad smile. "Guys, take care of her." The two looked at him solemnly, knowing who he was referring to, nodding. Together they did one last push as they finally got it shut.
"Now Sora!" Koga shouted.
Sora jumped back and summoned his Keyblade at the Door to Darkness. Light covered his body as the Door started to glow. From the other side Riku saw Mickey point his Keyblade at the Door with the same results. They then heard the sound of a lock clicking shut. With it the Door vanishes, and Kingdom Hearts returns to the Darkness.
Koga and Sora leaned against each other tearfully. After everything, they finally felt relief that it was over.
"We did it." Koga said.
"You ever had any doubts?" Sora said.
"Honestly I kind of did halfway through." Koga confessed.
"Sora? Koga?"
They turned around and saw none other than Kairi at the edge of the chunk of land they were on.
"Kairi?" They shouted in confusion.
The two wasted no time running towards her. Donald and Goofy were about to follow but Jiminy stopped them.
"Wait here fellas, let them have a moment." Jiminy said.
Koga and Sora wrapped their arms around Kairi. Neither of them caring what was it that brought her here, just happy to see her.
"Guys, where's Riku?" Kairi asked.
"I'm sorry Kairi." Koga said sadly. "But he couldn't come with us."
Suddenly the ground started to shake. The ground beneath Kairi started to turn into sand as it started to pull her away from them.
"What's happening?" Kairi asked startled.
"The worlds..." Sora said. "They're being restored." He turned back to Kairi and then to the others. He frowned. "I'm sorry Kairi, but we can't come with you. We have to find Riku and the King."
Kairi was drifting farther away, being at arms length.
"He's right." Koga agreed. "But Kairi, remember what you said before? That you will always be with us? We're always with you to."
"We'll come back to you, I promise!" Sora said.
Kairi tries to hold on to them as her arm strained to maintain her grip. She looks at them with a smile. "I know you will." She says as she lets go. Koga and Sora were crying, sad to say goodbye to their friend. They watched as she drifted farther and farther away from them.
"Please, take care our our parents. Riku's mom as well." Koga shouted.
"I will!" Kairi nodded. "Good luck!" She was now too far away for them to hear each other. A tear fell from her as she watched them vanish into light.
All around her the sand expanded, spreading farther and farther. Palm trees rose from the sand, splinters gathered together to make the wood planks they were before, and water vapor returned to the ocean it came from. Kairi looked farther out and saw the main island reform, the buildings and possibly with all the people in it. In the sky she saw the endless black abyss twinkle as the stars returned.
"They did it." Kairi smiled. She felt fatigue cover her, she didn't know why, it's not like she was the one doing all the fighting. She fell back into the sand and fell asleep with a smile on her lips. Her last thought was how were her friends from the other worlds doing?
Everyone in Traverse Town were looking at the sky, seeing it light up again with all the worlds. Everyone except Geppetto and Pinocchio who were in their little house distracted by a different shocking news.
"Father, look!" Pinocchio shouted shocked. The wooden boy was different, such as him no longer being wooden. He had flesh and bones, like a human. He broke out into a wide grin. "I'm a real boy!"
Geppetto jumped for joy. Figaro and Cleo danced around in glee. The old man picked up his child and spun him around laughing. "You are a real boy! This calls for a celebration!"
"If only Jiminy was able to see this." The boy said, missing his friend.
The two stepped out the front door, ready to share the news with the others, only to see something. Each of the residents were covered in a bright glow before they vanished in light.
"Father?" Pinocchio asked confused by what's going on. Suddenly the two of them and their animal friends glowed as well. Before another word can be said they vanished, being returned to where they came from.
And like that the now empty world of Traverse Town fell into a deep slumber, fulfilling it's purpose for existence.
"Alright, I think that's everyone!" Yuffie said running back into the main hall of Hollow Bastion. "All the others returned to their world."
"And people are popping up in the town ruins." Aerith said.
"Then that mean Sora and Koga did it." Leon said. He let out a sigh of relief before turning to the others.
"So what's the plan now?" Cid asked. "The castle's a shell of it's former self and we got a whole lot of frightened people out there."
"We rebuild." Leon said. "It will take awhile but in time we can restore this place. The people out there is going to need a leader."
"And I'm guessing you're the one that's going to lead them?" Cid said, flicking his burnt out cigarette.
Leon shook his head. "No, we will lead them as a committee."
Each of the princesses returned to their respective worlds and reunited with their loved ones. All of the people Koga and Sora freed returned to their worlds as well. Everyone returned to their worlds as the sky glittered bright with starlight. The Heartless didn't leave but their numbers dwindled so much that they are almost considered harmless.
But unbeknownst to everyone, even though some worlds returned and the people returned as well, they didn't fully come back. Instead they fell into a deep slumber but that's a story for another day.
When Kairi woke up she realized it was daytime. She looked around and saw herself laying on the beach of the islands she played with the others. There was no trace of the world ever being destroyed.
She then frowned, remembering who's missing. Then she felt a urge to inspect something. She walked towards the Secret Place, ducked her head and went through the cave cautiously, last time she was here she lost her Heart. She entered the main cavern and stood in the center.
She looked at the drawings that she, Koga, Sora, and Riku drew when they were younger. She smile at one where Koga drew himself with the body of a very muscular man, he had abs on his biceps. There was another where Sora drew his first grade math teacher as a demon, it was probably after that time he blew up the school computer on accident. Riku's was a drawing of all three of the boys holding swords with Kairi behind them, facing some slime monster.
Then her gaze went to a drawing she remembered well. It was a drawing of her, Sora, and Koga. But then she noticed the new addition to the drawing, a Paopu fruit connecting the three of them together. Based on the crude art style she could guess who were the two numbskulls who drew it.
A tear feel down her cheek.
"Those dummies." She whispered as she picked up a piece of chalk that was left on the ground. She began drawing something to add to the picture. "No matter how far apart we are..." She set the chalk down showing off the drawing of another Paopu fruit connecting them once again. "I'll find you both again."
"...Okay, I'm officially bored." Koga complained. He and the other's were walking down a long winding dirt path on a expansive grassland.
How they got here was a really good question. One minute they were on a world of darkness that was falling apart, the next they were here. With no gummi ship and no way to contact their friends they decided to just go down the path since it was their only option but that was five hours ago. Goofy tried to lift everyone's spirit's by playing I-spy but that quickly ended after the answer was grass for 50 turns.
"Come on Koga, we're all tired but we need to keep going." Sora said.
"I-i-I A-am calm!" Koga shouted but quickly covered his mouth. He glared at Sora who was struggling to not burst into laughter. "Not one word..."
"Alright Brother." Sora said smugly putting on a deep voice.
Koga's eyebrow twitched. "Just you wait, once my voice stops cracking it'll be the deepest voice you ever hear."
"So what is the plan?" Donald asked changing the subject.
"Me and Koga talked about it." Sora said. "We find the nearest place with people, figure out a way to cross the worlds, and from there we try to find Riku and the King."
Goofy scratched his chin. "But, uh, where do we start looking for that there door to the light?"
"You don't have to worry about that." Koga said. "If I know Riku he be already looking for a way out. He hates staying in one place."
"So where do we find them then?" Jiminy asked. "There are countless worlds out there like-"
"Pluto?"
Jiminy scratched his chin. "Well, I don't really think that's a world anymore."
"No, Pluto!" Koga pointed ahead and the other's saw the King's trusted canine up ahead on the road, about 50 feet. He was holding a letter in his mouth with a seal in the center.
"Gawrsh, that's the King's seal!" Goofy exclaimed.
"Maybe he knows how to get to King Mickey!" Donald said.
Pluto dropped the letter on the ground before running off further down the dirt road.
"He-E-y, get back here!" Koga shouted, voice cracking. They ran up to the letter and decided to read it first. He frowned when he discovered that the writing was smudged to the point where it was ineligible. Guess whatever the King wrote is gone forever.
"Koga, c'mon!" The boy looked up and saw the others were already up ahead on the road. "We gotta catch up to Pluto!" Donald shouted.
"Race you bro!" Sora said to him before sprinting down the road up a hill. Koga smirked, dropping the letter and running after them. He jumped off the hill and used his glide ability to get ahead of the others. The others left in the dust cried out that he's cheating. Koga giggled in amusement.
The group continue down the road, towards their next adventure...
Thank you guys so much for reading this story! I enjoyed writing it.
If you find an error in the story, PM me.
If you like it remember to leave a comment.
Until next time...
HAVE FUN!