Simple Movements

Chapter 19

-Ends-

"You won't hurt anybody ever again."

Dumbfounded. It was the only word that could explain everyone's reactions. Pocahontas, who had embraced Riku from behind and had the transparent wing pressing against her cheek, the doctors who were staring intently at him as they carefully analyzed him with caring eyes, and even Sora with his arm carefully encircling Riku by the waist, all had failed to notice the wings that folded out from Riku's back. And then there was Lilo with her mountain of crispy, yet soft pancakes, staring at him with nothing but a normal, yet curious look.

"So, what's with the wings?"

She uttered the question a second time when Riku could do nothing but mouth off air. "Eh, uh, wha-?"

Everyone backed away a few feet and watched him with refreshed eyes. Pocahontas had a hand against her mouth in shock. "Riku, you-you've got wings!"

It was painfully obvious, but the words finally expressed what everyone was thinking. Dr. Sephiroth and his twitching professional eye immediately stuck out a hand and delicately touched his finger to the foreign material that jutted from his son's back.

"My god," he whispered, "it's real…"

"But how?" his mother came after also suddenly intent on studying the appendages, "Where did they come from?"

Sora remained a few feet from his side still recovering from the shock. But he quickly regained his composure and his mouth twisted itself into a downcast position. Sora did not appear happy. "Riku, what happened in your dream?"

Riku could see the tips of the wings out of the corner of his eyes before turning to the question Sora had uttered. There was a strained look where just seconds ago, relief had settled in. But part of Riku was telling him that Sora already knew of what had happened. Perhaps not in full detail yet, but Sora recognized the wings. If it wasn't his face telling Riku that, it was the fact Sora was keeping a reasonable distance. With everyone zeroed in on him, Riku spoke of what he dreamed. By the time he got to the part of him waking up to see everyone around him, Lilo was licking away at the sticky remnants of the maple syrup from her fingers.

After a terribly long minute of silence, Sora sighed. "This is serious."

He touched a hand to the orb at the base of his neck, the place where up until recently, nothing was there. It was glowing a violent blue and the prickling feeling coming from it was causing Sora a certain amount of pain. Lilo made to move forward, but Sora stopped her with a gentle wave of his fingers. "No, it's okay. But…this just proves how serious the situation's become. Because I am now fully conscience of my past and all my memories have returned, there is nothing that will keep Tinker Bell settled down. That's crystal clear from the fact she was able to enter Riku's dream and interact with him. If it weren't for your quick thinking Riku, who knows what may have happened."

Riku took a stand, the morning light flowing in through the windows penetrating the now fully extended wings. They shimmered, a feint ringing resonating as they sparkled brilliantly in the light. The small group couldn't help but admire the strange objects despite their origin. They were beautiful and feminine, yet didn't deter from Riku's tall and masculine form. With his long silver hair cascading around him, Riku was the spitting image of a heavenly creature. Everyone was in awe.

"Luxord had nothing on you," Lilo said through a grin, "he may have flown with Alexander's Wings, but you are the one that looks like an angel."

The mention of Luxord's name brought a sad flicker through Sora's eyes. Pocahontas was the one that caught onto this action. "Sora…"

"So what happens now?"

The angel Riku asked the question, his arms at his sides and face swerved at nothing in particular. "This Tinker Bell was hell bent on forcing me to side with her. She didn't give a crap about anything else but herself. I couldn't believe the things that she said. How could she not care about what The Council has done?"

Pocahontas was the former princess of The New World. It had been her life that had been uprooted from its place and cast out. If there was anybody that should be angry, saddened, broken inside, it was her. But the fervor with which Riku spoke clearly showed he was affected by that outcome more than she ever would have thought. Pocahontas felt the wetness lapping at her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away, a cough escaping her throat. Riku turned to her, his face contorted into a state that Pocahontas hated seeing: A state of sadness.

"Riku…no matter what we think, the past is the past. It's happened, and that's not something that we can change. What matters now is the future and what we can make of it. We've all become a part of something much greater. Be it good or bad, now's the time for us to make a difference."

She looked to Sora, the immortal former member of The Council that took everything away from her. But Pocahontas now knew that The Council that brought about a calamity in her former country wasn't the same one he had been a part of. She couldn't look at Sora with anything but friendliness. After all, Sora was also a victim. Everyone was a victim of a system that was horribly flawed. And now, a victim of a Council with a tyrant acting as its leader. Pocahontas sighed through the strands of black hair that carried over her face. "Sora, tell us what to do."

Sora felt everyone's gaze on him. But there wasn't an inkling of discomfort. They were kindly pleading for his guidance over something that went beyond them. Riku, Drs. Sephiroth and Aerith, Pocahontas, all mortal beings that would continue to live into old age and be reborn as new people in a new generation. But what of that generation? What would that future look like? It dawned on him, the sun just burning that much brighter and casting its warmth upon him through the windows. Sora breathed in the sweet scents from the kitchen where Lilo had been cooking. "The wishing system will run out of power within the year. Everyone thereafter will be born as a Blank Point. But…."

It was here that he came to a realization. He glanced at his hands, opening them and closing. "But the wishing system will still exist."

Riku and his stolen wings seemed to shake just the tiniest of fractions. He felt the bitter taste in his mouth upon understanding what Sora meant. With a swipe of his fingers to pull at the silver strands over his ear, Riku shook his head. "Which means it's only a matter of The Council simply getting Tinker Bell back."

"Exactly," Sora concluded, "the wishing system runs out of energy and wishes don't reincarnate, thus everyone is born as a Blank Point. But, it's just like a battery. You put the battery back in and the system activates again. Everything goes back to the way it was."

Sora let out a chuckle while gripping his forehead with an angry hand. "How stupid am I? Why didn't I think about it? All I thought about was stealing the spell and running away. I didn't think about the system itself."

"You're not stupid," Lilo said as she approached him, her large round eyes gleaming. "Your feelings and heart were in the right place. Don't be so hard on yourself."

He tried to take in her words, but there was a wall keeping their warmth from reaching him. Sora was having a difficult time realizing the crucial mistake he had made. He hadn't been thinking, those hundreds of years as the ideas and feelings were boiling inside of him. Sora was so focused on simply stealing Tinker Bell from the system and thinking that would solve the problem when there was a much bigger one right in front of him.

If it was a matter of just waiting, avoiding, or running from The Council, that was something he could do for an eternity. The wishing system would fail, immortality-capable Blank Points would flood the world, and Sora would continue his endless run. But that had changed the moment he met Riku. By meeting him he had created a chain reaction to something that would forever change his path. Sora now had the lives of people he had grown fond of trailing at the edges of his shadow. They were wonderful people that cared for him when he was in a state where he was scared and knew absolutely nothing. There was no fathomable way Sora could continue to burden them, ask them to join him on a run that would never end.

"There's a reason I was able to bring these wings out of my dream."

Sora's head shot up, his blue gaze falling on the silver haired creature. Riku narrowed his eyes for a moment and the ends of his transparent wings shook slightly. The moment they did, golden dust began to fall. It was as if a harvest moon itself was crumbling into tiny fragments the way they cascaded. Lilo in her natural child persona smiled and giggled in fascination. "It's so pretty."

"These wings mean something," Riku continued, "Tinker Bell had this look of disgust when I first wished for a pair of angel wings in my dream. It was as if the mere sight of them were some kind of blasphemy against her. And then, when I wished for hers…well, if her looks could kill I'm sure I wouldn't have woken up."

Pocahontas had a finger underneath her chin, having listened to everyone for the last long while. Her lips twitched for a moment, the thoughts in her mind swiftly connecting. She took a few steps towards Riku and Sora who remained by the windows. They watched her with kind eyes, the raven haired woman slowly reaching behind her neck. With a quick movement of her right hand, she lifted the black drapery. Riku, her best friend in the entire world, realized what she was doing and immediately felt his stomach drop. "Pocahontas, what are-"

"I wish for a cup of chai tea."

A breeze lifted her hair on its invisible fingers, her eyes closing as the warmth spread from her neck. The green orb at the base of her neck flashed a brilliant jade before falling into a realm of quiet darkness. Pocahontas brought her hands forward, cupping them together with her fingers slightly turned inwards. Slowly, white began to materialize. It coiled together, an indentation forming until it created a closed off valley. With a swerve of a white coil, the handle of a teacup appeared. Within the newly created teacup, a beautiful, rich brew filled it. Pocahontas leaned over, her chin tickled by the sensation of the wafting threads of steam. She smiled as a tear left her eye and fell, plunging into the middle of the tea. A single ripple undulated outwards, finding their end at the white walls of the teacup. The once former princess looked up from her wish to find the shocked gaze of her best friend. "It smells wonderfull."

"Wha-Pocahontas, what did you just do?"

Riku ran the short distance and grabbed Pocahontas by her shoulder, his fingers digging themselves into her skin. She winced slightly and retaliated as the friend she truly was. Pocahontas slapped the side of Riku's head hard enough to send him tumbling over. He fell to the hardwood floor, a hand reaching for his head in complete surprise. "What the hell was that for?"

"You idiot, if you would just use her brain," she spat out with a hand now at her waist and the teacup in the other. The doctors stood a bit away with Aerith chuckling to herself at the sight of divine punishment. Riku looked at them as if they had betrayed him by laughing. But their quiet banter was overshadowed by Lilo who was rolling on the floor, hands clutched to her stomach.

"Oh-oh, I can't, I just-bahahahaha!"

"Lilo! This isn't funny!" he yelled with his cheeks growing red. "Forget about me, but Pocahontas just used her one and only wish!"

"I-I can, hahaha, see that-but, oh hahahaha, it's just quite possible!"

Before Riku could rail into them, he felt the touch on his shoulders. He was sitting, the presence above him. Sora leaned over, removing a hand from his shoulder and resting his forehead on it. Riku tried to glance to the side, but could only see the spikes of chocolate brown. "Sora?"

"Yes…it's just quite possible," he whispered the hot words into Riku's skin. The sensation forced a small gasp from Riku's mouth. "What is?"

"Riku, just do as I say," he said motioning with an outstretched finger for Pocahontas. She joined them, kneeling with the cup of tea still in her hand. Pocahontas, knowing exactly what to do, raised the cup up to Riku's line of vision. It was a foot away from him, the scent of chai so thick he could see every spice that made it. And without thinking, Riku let out a breath. Seafoam green eyes grew to the size of blitzballs.

The teacup sitting in Pocahontas' hand began to fly away in a flurry of white dust. It sparkled as if diamonds were engrained into each speck of dust. The white storm flew off before gravity ran its course. The particles began to fall like a waterfall onto Pocahontas' knee. They collected there for a moment before the light faded them away. It was as if nothing had ever been there. Riku finally found Pocahontas' face and her smile was soon mimicked by his own lips.

"I canceled your wish," he breathlessly said out, "and your orb?"

With a twirl, Pocahontas turned to them and right there on her neck, shimmering with the most brilliant of greens, was her active wishing orb.

"You were able to wish unlimitedly in your dream, a place you created. Tinker Bell was able to take advantage of it and do something that should be impossible. She canceled the effects of whatever you had wished for."

Sora's words floated around him, but weren't registering a hundred percent. Riku pulled himself up into a standing position, the transparent wings glowing brighter if it were even possible. Sora traced a finger along the edges of one of the wings. "For whatever reason, you were able to pull these from your dream into the real world. These aren't a figment of anyone's imagination. These are truly, Tinker Bell's wings. She is the power source that fuels the wishing system. Wishes are reincarnated through her. But she tapped into a power that only came into reality because of your dream. And now, Riku, they're yours."

Blinking rapidly didn't do anything to wipe the surprise from his face. Riku looked around him to the ceiling, the kitchen, anywhere he could possibly land his eyes on. He needed to know he was absolutely there. It sounded too fantastical, yet it was proven right in front of him. Riku had gained the ability to negate a wish. With a look that bestowed a sense of "I can't believe this" he flicked the tip of Pocahontas' nose.

"You dummy, why did you take such a stupid risk? That was your only wish. If this whole thing backfired, you'd be left with nothing."

Returning a venomous shot, Pocahontas rubbed her nose and grinned. "I took a chance. That's all I can say. Plus, if you remember, I'm pretty indecisive. You and I never really knew what we wanted to wish for."

Riku shook his head. "You would have been happy with just a cup of tea, huh?"

"Hey, you got a whiff of it too. Didn't it smell delicious?"

The two friends laughed. Sora could feel the chemistry they shared and the slightest bit of jealousy blossomed in his chest. But it was something he admired, and he was happy in knowing that such a friendship could exist.

"My sides hurts from laughing so much," Lilo said wiping away at her eyes, "that was amazing to see."

"It was," Sora said with a downcast view, "Riku, you've got the card we need to play."

"The card to play?"

"Yeah, in your possession is something I don't know how it came to be. But the fact is you now hold a power that The Council would be terrified of if they knew. More importantly, it puts you in the greatest danger."

Riku clenched his hand. "You thinking they'd go after me instead?"

"That's right, I'm afraid if they knew, they'd shift their gaze from me to you. Or in the worst case scenario, they'd just round the both of us up. At the moment, possessing Tinker Bell's wings tells us you have a portion of her power. Which means if The Council were to get her back, would the wishing system start generating energy again? I want to say that it wouldn't as Tinker Bell, the spell, is not complete. But that's only my theory. It's something I can't definitively answer."

"Then we need to figure out how to take advantage of this power," Riku replied, "if I've gained the ability to negate a wish, something that has never happened before, then there has to be something we can do about the wishing system itself. Like you said, I've got a card to play. It's just a matter of figuring out how."

The alignment of their mindsets brought a momentary sense of relief. Sora furrowed a brow, a finger to his chin. The word touched his tongue, forcing his lips apart. "We need to destroy it."

Destroying the wishing system, was such a thing even possible? Sora had explained that it had been a part of the world long before The Council came around. Its origins involved the gods that created the world, but that in itself was still a mystery. Sora's original intention was to simply force the system to use up its remaining power and flood the world with Blank Point children. But the act of destroying it meant the death of wishing. Yet, that didn't necessarily guarantee that the outcome would be what he wanted. Sora contemplated this as the group simply listened to their own breathing.

"Sora," came Dr. Aerith, "I sympathize with you, but this kind of thinking is even beyond my capability."

"I must agree with my wife," Dr. Sephiroth added, "to bring about the destruction of something so irrevocably engrained into society and the world? I can't imagine how that could be done. The system is flawed, I can understand that. But also understand this Sora: there are good people out there. Their desires and wishes mean something."

"I know Dr. Sephiroth," Sora expressed looking to Riku. "There are good people out there that wouldn't think twice before putting someone else before themselves. I know that so wholeheartedly it makes my chest hurt."

Dr. Aerith smiled at the young man, someone that appeared younger than she, but held centuries over hers. "You must do what you think is right, but keep that thought with you. We'll support you, even if saying it is all that we can do."

"I appreciate it doctors, I truly do."

"Then tell me Sora," Riku said raising his voice, "what can I do?"

He bit his lip in thought once again, shaking his head. "The wishing system is in The World That Never Was. Meaning in one way or another, the power you hold needs to be implemented over the system. But I can't say I have any desire to go there, let alone you Riku."

"I don't think we have a choice."

"We really don't," Sora replied with a sigh, "The Council may be an isolated group, but they are powerful and their reach is everywhere. For us to even step foot in the country without alerting them is a major challenge."

"Then how was it you escaped in the first place?"

Sora's eyes found themselves suddenly quivering. "Godmothe…she's the one that led our escape. Had it not been for her, we wouldn't have been able to make it."

"But Sora," Pocahontas joined in, "Godmother is probably still in the capital island in The Council's hands."

"You're right Pocahontas, she is. Right now I think our priority should be getting Godmother out. We're going to need her help if we have any shot at doing this. Plus, with no way of knowing how to use Riku's power it'd be pointless to make a half assed attempt."

"Do you think she'd have any idea?"

Sora nodded as he faced Riku. "Godmother was the first person to join The Council after Zack created it. She's wiser than anyone else I know. If there's anybody that can figure it out, it's her."

"So then we have a plan."

"We'll have to figure it out, but yeah, that's our plan for the moment."

With something in the shape of a goal at the end of the tunnel, the group dispersed. The doctors found a full library down one of the hallways none had ventured through and holed themselves up with newfound material to read through. Lilo being Lilo was trying to figure out what they would have for lunch and was scurrying around the kitchen making all kinds of noise. Pocahontas watched from the dining counter as the little girl worked her magic on whatever she could find in the fridge. It was apparent from her expression that Pocahontas had grown fond of Lilo. She and Riku were only children, but in her case, it was a little different.

Having lost her mother at a young age, Pocahontas always felt as if a part of her was missing. She was too young to remember her, but the feelings and sense of emptiness was clearly there. It was a relationship she couldn't fully grasp. Perhaps it was for this one reason that Pocahontas' father was so adamant about her finding a proper suitor and marrying. It wasn't so much to fulfill his own hopes, but that by Pocahontas having a family of her own she'd be able to fill in that hollow area of her heart. Riku knew without a doubt that one day she'd be the best mother to any child in the world.

"Everything okay?"

Riku was out on the unexplored balcony of the house, his eyes watching Pocahontas and Lilo in the kitchen through the glass sliding doors. Sora was at his side, a leg pulled up against his chest on the wooden bench. The question stirred all the emotions and thoughts coursing through his mind, a slight smile touching his lips.

"A lot on my mind I guess. Watching those two is something else though. I don't think I've ever seen Pocahontas like that. She has a pet raccoon and an annoying hummingbird that she loves like her own family, but she doesn't have any brothers or sisters. I think she's a natural at being a pseudo big sister."

Sora chuckled. "I think it should be the other way around. Lilo's the big sister. Remember she's been immortal for almost 100 years now."

"Heh, you're right, I almost forgot. She's older than all of us actually. But you know what I mean from what I said."

"I do. Lilo's still a child at heart, that hasn't changed. No matter how much her powers grow and time passes, she'll still be a little girl."

Riku cupped a hand over his knee. "Just like the current Council leader Rinoa."

Sora felt his stomach twisting at the sound of her name. "No, Lilo will never be like Rinoa. They're worlds apart."

Sora didn't divulge much information about Rinoa or the remaining members that made up The Council to everyone. Rinoa was a Blank Point born to a war torn country and had suffered her entire young life. To someone in such a situation, the idea of immortality and leaving that painful life would be a godsend. But the manner in which she so easily and greedily agreed to her immortality was what made his insides twist. This was all told to him after the fact, of course, as Sora was the last Blank Point to have joined The Council. However, the moment Rinoa laid those empty blue orbs called eyes on him Sora could almost taste the black aura that exuded from her tiny body.

"Black…black…"

Sora was mumbling to himself. Riku watched him for a moment, arching a silver brow. "What did you say?"

The brunette flung his head upwards, his eyes almost watering. "That's it. I've got it."

"Care to share what's got you all excited?"

He turned to Riku a sly smile tugging at his lips. "I know how we'll get Godmother out."

"Seriously? What's the plan?"

But the smile quickly disappeared. "It's risky as hell, but it's the only thing that will work. We can't waltz in without alerting everyone we're coming. But…yeah, it should work."

Sora got to his feet and walked over to the glass door before tapping on it. Inside, Lilo was mixing something up in a bowl when she caught onto Sora trying to get her attention. She cleaned off her hands and ran over to Sora before opening the door.

"What's up?" she asked looking up at him.

"Lilo, I need your help. We're going to get Godmother out."

The smile on her face could not grow wider. "Really? You thought of something? Oh I'm so happy! Do we do it now? What should I do?"

"We'll have to wait until night time. But for now, your part is really important."

Riku watched as Sora kneeled, taking Lilo by the shoulders and placing his mouth up to her ear. "Lilo, I need you to start chanting the Scriptures of Anima."

The happy, giddy Lilo fell silent. Sora retracted his head and faced the solemn looking Lilo. This expression was so foreign to Riku who was simply the onlooker that it caused him a slight sense of alarm. He made to join them, but was settled back down with a shake of Pocahontas' head from inside the kitchen. Lilo fidgeted with her fingers, mumbling her words.

"Sora…are you sure this is okay?"

"Have faith in me, Lilo. We'll get her out."

"That's not what I'm afraid of. I trust you Sora, with my entire heart. But…"

He patted the top of her head softly. "You're afraid for me?"

Lilo's eyes watered. "Sora, you're going to walk the corridors within Anima's Chamber?"

"Yeah, I need to connect a corridor through Anima's Chamber in order to reach Godmother. I'll walk through, grab her and head right back. It will be okay, I promise."

"But that's where Zack is."

Sora chuckled while ruffling Lilo's hair. "Now how did you know that?"

"Promise you won't get mad?"

He nodded. "Don't you remember what I told you on the beach back on Destiny Islands?"

Lilo wiped at her eyes. "I do."

"Then don't be afraid. So, how did you find that out?"

"Umm…your memories. When I protected them inside Scrump, I took a peek."

"And you saw my memory of when I sealed him off?"

"Mmhmm," she replied shyly,

Sora remained where he was for a few moments, his demeanor quiet. He then took a hold of Lilo and hugged her tightly to him. "Do you think it was wrong of me? Did I do a bad thing?"

"No, you weren't wrong. I know that for sure."

"Really? And how are you so sure?"

She left his embrace and cupped her stubby hands to his cheeks. "Because I could see it in Zack's eyes."

Sora blinked. "His eyes?"

She gripped his face. "How much he loved you."

His heart quickened. Lilo brought a hand down and settled it against his chest. She could feel the deep, thumping beat resonating up her small arm. "Think about it Sora. It wasn't so much that you sealed him inside Anima's Chamber, but that Zack allowed you to do it."

He was left speechless. Lilo let out a small sigh and brought a hand to her forehead as if she was addressing a navy captain. "Alright! I'll start doing my part. I'll help you bring Godmother back to us. Leave it to me!"

She ran off as her lips began relaying silent words at alarming speed. Sora was left kneeling by the sliding glass door, his expression unreadable. It was here that Riku deemed it appropriate to leave his seat and got up. He glanced back, the pair of translucent wings throwing his rhythm off slightly as he hadn't gotten used to them yet. After several wobbly steps, Riku came to Sora's side. "I'm coming with you."

Sora lashed out, taking a hold of Riku's hand. The action was quick, like lightning, but the touch and hold was soft and gentle. Sora looked through an opening in his chocolate spikes and found Riku. The eyes were pleading with him. "I need you now more than ever."

The skies were burning with the colors of sunset by the time the preparations were made. With her orders in place, Lilo had spent the entire day chanting the Scriptures of Anima. Her role was to summon the metallic door that would lead into Anima's Chamber and keep it materialized. While Sora was able to do this when he sealed Luxord, keeping the door materialized for a longer length of time required a colossal amount of magical energy. By having her chant all day, the energy had accumulated to a point where they could achieve that goal. Lilo would open the pathway, but it was up to Sora to find the right corridor within the chamber that would lead to Godmother. And when the number of corridors mimicked the amount of stars in the sky, finding the right one was the ultimate challenge.

Riku laced his fingers with Sora's, the pair standing in the shallow waters of a beach. They stood side by side, looking upwards into the night sky. They were transfixed on the metallic door hanging in empty space, the material quivering with its almost lifelike heartbeat. Lilo lay a few yards away, her eyes closed as the Scriptures continued to pour from her lips. Pocahontas, in her own efforts, cradled the praying child in her lap as they sat in the sand. She was hoping that by simply being there with her, Lilo would continue to hold strong and keep the door materialized. Pocahontas would remain there, humming a soft melody for the almost sleeping girl.

"You ready?"

"I'm ready," Riku replied flapping his wings. "Lead the way."

Their feet slowly left the water's surface. They rose up together, the sight of the metallic door growing bigger and bigger. Riku watched it, a smirk playing across his face before letting out a laugh. Sora turned his head, beckoning for him. "What's so funny?"

"The door, it's like I'm staring at the walls of the inner district. Those same, metallic walls that once told me to stay out."

They were parallel to the door now. Sora heaved a breath as it began to open. "You're a genius Riku."

With a quizzical look, Riku asked. "And why is that?"

"Because I know exactly what corridor to take now."

The door opened its dark depths. It was like looking at everything and absolutely nothing at the same time. There was something there, but within that black pitch, there was also nothing. Taking a final look over their shoulders, they saw Pocahontas in the sand waving at them. They waved back and with a collected breath, plunged into the darkness.

"Fwa!"

It was cold. Riku was not prepared for the sudden blast of iciness that prickled his skin. The frigid surprise almost made him let go of Sora's hand, but he wasn't sure if he would have been able to release his grip even if he tried. It literally felt like their hands were frozen together.

"It's freezing!"

Their feet met solid ground which only made it feel colder. It was as if they were standing on an iceberg. Sora pulled on Riku and they took a step forward. They were now walking in the black abyss, yet for whatever reason Riku was able to see in front of him. It was like walking down a hallway that was just barely lit.

"Anima's Chamber can be opened from any point in the world if the person has mastered its Scriptures. But depending on what point it's summoned from, the entrance and environment may vary slightly. In this case, the point was cold. But it will always be dark. That never changes."

"I should have brought a sweater," was all Riku could say with his teeth chattering, "makes me more eager to find the exit."

"Well, like I said earlier, I'm sure of what corridor to take. You mentioned the inner district walls of the capital island. Godmother is more than likely being held there."

"That sounds too easy."

"I spent a century in the capital. I saw those walls every day. All I need to do is envision myself there again and the right corridor…"

He trailed off and the cold suddenly vanished. Sora was looking in a direction the darkness could not reveal to Riku. He followed Sora's gaze, the barely lit hallway appearing.

"There it is."

Riku got a sense of dejavu as they walked. The environment was nothing but black, a stark contrast to the bleak white of the dream he had the previous night. He kept thinking to himself that he should be more nervous, but the hand gripping his like a deathly vice kept him calm as they continued walking. "Sora, what exactly is this chamber?"

Sora didn't stop their pace. "The god Anima was detested by the other gods. Out of anger and frustration, Anima created a void where it could hide anytime it felt threatened. This space is endless if you don't have a clear place in mind. It's the perfect prison, but also the vastest of walkways."

"If that's the case, couldn't we use this chamber to reach The World That Never Was?"

"I thought about that when I first realized we could use the chamber to get to Godmother. But I quickly found out that wasn't an option worth taking."

"Why not?"

"Anima's Chamber connects various points. But a door to the chamber has already been established in The World That Never Was. When I sealed Zack inside, that point was created. Another entrance summoned from anywhere else in hopes of reaching The World That Never Was would connect to it automatically. We'd be walking right into their hands the minute we stepped out. It's the only flaw in an otherwise perfect system."

"I see."

"Don't get discouraged," Sora replied, "Godmother will be able to think of something we haven't. We just have to get her out."

"Then how is it any different the way we're going now? Won't there be Council members where she's being held?"

"Not the core members. Rinoa would never leave her little paradise in The World That Never Was. I can deal with whatever subordinates they have waiting."

The pair continued for a long while until Sora stopped his stride. There was no indication of anything being different. They were still surrounded by black. But Sora raised his free hand and pointed to what was the tiniest of slivers of light. Riku couldn't believe his eyes. As he adjusted his vision, the solid sides of a door appeared. Much like the green exit signs in the club district of Destiny Islands, the tiny light was shining on the door to the chamber's exit. Riku could feel his stomach coiling in on itself. He had faith in Sora, but the thought of not knowing exactly what was on the other end was scaring him. Sora squeezed his hand and offered Riku a smile that told him it would be okay. With a nod, they proceeded towards the door. With a slight push, it opened for them.

The light blinded them at first. They raised an arm to block the offensive blaze until the sheer brightness dissipated. Then suddenly, all they could smell was the thick, sweet scent of tea. Sora's face twisted in horror. "How?"

There was green foliage everywhere. Glass panels lay in perfect structural unison above them with a dark starry night beyond it. And right in front of them, sitting in a perfect little clearing surrounded by exotic flowers, was a marble table and chairs. Sora's mouth was like a desert.

"Sora, what is it?"

"No, how did this happen?"

A giggle. A giggle laced with a fake sweetness permeated through the closed off garden. From out of the foliage, cupping a bouquet of blue flowers, Rinoa Heartily appeared. Her veil was gone, the deep reddish scar that blemished her face doing very little to hide her maddening glee. She took a deep whiff from her bouquet and let out a long, breathy sigh. "Oh Sora, it's been much too long. Welcome to my garden, shall we have some tea?"

"Tsk!" Sora clicked his tongue, his brows veering into dangerous angles. "Rinoa!"

"I see words are not currently your forte. But I understand. The surprise comes as a shock, doesn't it?"

Sora was standing in front of Riku, an arm thrown back in a curve around the silver haired man's body. "Riku, do exactly as I say. The moment you hear my signal, you run back into the chamber. Think of Lilo and Pocahontas and the pathway will be there. Get back to them and run."

"I'm not doing that!" he spat out in a hushed tone, "I won't leave you."

"We don't have a choice! This changes everything."

Rinoa brought their attention back to her with a laugh. "And here I was, ready to welcome you back with tea and flowers. Isn't it a little rude to be whispering to yourselves when your host is offering such kindness?" She nuzzled her nose in the blue flowers a second time, breathing heavily as her lashes batted at Sora. "Don't they look familiar?"

A cold sweat rushed from every pore on Sora's body. His fingers were numb, mouth dry, and heart pulsing like a torrential waterfall. Rinoa's red lips pulled back as she waved an arm in front of her, the motion revealing something that wasn't there before. Sitting in the marble chairs, bound by invisible chains, was Godmother and Zack Fair. His face was cast downwards, his onyx spikes drooping sadly. Sora couldn't decipher the feelings coursing through his body. His breath was so irregular he felt like he could pass out at any moment. All he could concentrate on was the thin line of blood that dripped from Zack's chin. With every falling drop that stained the ground, a blue flower erupted from it. There was nothing but a sea of blue.

"Aren't they beautiful?"

Rinoa skipped through the little clearing in the garden, her feet trampling through the bed of blue flowers. She was giggling, throwing torn petals into the air and watching them as they drifted in a frenzied storm. There was a beauty to the act, yet ugly at the same time. Rinoa finally stopped, falling into the bed of flowers and raising a hand. "Relaying from the Scriptures of Odin."

"Riku, run!"

Sora pushed Riku back before the presence of a massive black blade. It flew in a crescent slash, meeting Sora and passing through his body. There was no physical damage, no torn flesh or spraying of fresh blood. Riku watched as Sora fell to his knees, his mouth agape. "Sora!"

The blue orb at the base of Sora's neck shattered and a bright flash enveloped everything in white. Even Rinoa was forced to hide her eyes. The light died out and the stars overhead blinked back into existence. There, in Rinoa's twisted little garden, something unexpected occurred. A wingless Tinker Bell was struggling in Riku's outstretched hand, his fingers clutching her tightly. Rinoa's gaze zeroed in on the captive fairy and snarled.

"Hand her over, child."

At this, Riku peered through his silver hair, a scowl on his lips. "You won't hurt anybody ever again. This ends here."

-0-

A/N: The conclusion next chapter.