Date Started: 4.25.06
Date Finished: 5.1.06
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or the characters in it.
Authors Note:
Ah, the third chapter. I'm sorry for taking so long with updates, but a majority of my time has been spent sleeping, trying to get over this flu bug and trying to make up all the work I missed and then my editor took a while. So, with out further ado, here is the third chapter.
'I want to line up the pieces, yours—and mine.'
Riku awoke cold and aching from sleeping on the hard ground. The voice in his dream still echoing through his head.
'We pray for our sorrows to end…'
Shivering he hugged himself for warmth. It had been almost 4 months since he had been thrown in this dungeon, and he still hadn't seen any of the organization members except the red haired one who brought him his food. He didn't know what they wanted with him; all he knew was that they were using him to get to Sora. He felt a tear slide slowly down his cheek, if he missed anything it had to be Sora. His goofy smile, sparkling blue eyes, and the way he pouted when he didn't get what he wanted. Riku smiled at the thought of the younger boy, it made him feel warmer than he had in weeks.
"Hey"
Riku looked up to see the red head standing in the door.
"What are you smiling about?" he asked, "If I was in your position, I definitely wouldn't be smiling"
"Oh, and why is that?" asked Riku, hoping to find out something about their plan.
"Well—hey! Nice try, but I'm not authorized to tell you that" replied the red head. "Any way, I guess you're going to find out soon enough."
"Why?" Riku asked cautiously.
"Because, I've been sent here to collect you and take you to the boss," the red head said, walking over to Riku and casting a binding spell on his wrists.
"The boss?" asked Riku, "why? Finally decided to do something with me instead of leaving me to rot in this dungeon?"
The red head laughed, "I guess you could say that, although, I'd rather sit here in this dungeon then go to the boss."
Grabbing Riku by the arm, he led him out of the dungeon and down a long corridor.
"Now, no funny business," the red head said, as they reached the end of the dungeon corridor and walked through a heavy metal door. "I'm already on probation with the boss."
"Ok, ok!" Sora gasped as he collapsed at the top of the steps of the train station. "You win!"
"HA! I totally OWNED you, lamer!" Hayner gloated, as he danced around Sora at the top of the stairs.
"Ah, I guess I'm buying everyone Sea Salt ice cream when we get to the beach." Sora replied, still trying to catch his breath.
"Oh, Sora you lazy bum!" Kairi said as she sat down next to her brother at the top of the stairs, "Since when have you been that slow in a race?"
"Kairi! Don't be mean," Sora whined, as he started his pouting routine, "I'm just tired that's all!"
"Suuuree!" Hayner teased, "I think someone's a sore loser!"
"And I think someone's going to lose their head if they don't hurry up and get in here!" a voice from behind Hayner called.
Hayner, Sora and Kairi turned around to see Olette standing in the door with an angry look on her face.
"Come on! The trains about to leave!"
As the three of them got up and started to go into the station, Sora felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to find himself face to face with a hooded figure.
'Time is running out, key bearer. The boy you seek is growing weaker and weaker each day. Soon his light will be completely eclipsed by the darkness, and then he will be ours'
"What! Is Riku in trouble!" Sora yelled at the hooded figure.
"Sora! Hurry up! The trains going to leave!" Hayner yelled.
"Hold on, I'll be right there!"
Sora turned to look at the hooded figure, and found he was staring across the courtyard of the train station. The hooded figure was nowhere to be seen. Confused and scared, he turned and ran into the train station.
"Are we there yet?"
"No, we aren't, will you just chill out for a sec?"
"But we've been wandering around for like, an hour."
The red head pulled Riku down another corridor.
"Do you even know where we are going?" Riku asked, giving the red head a skeptical look as he trudged along beside him.
"Uh…of course!" the red head scoffed, as he looked around. "I just don't know how to get there." He muttered.
'Great…' thought Riku, as he was dragged down yet another corridor.
"Um…excuse me, uh…what's your name?" Riku asked the red head who was muttering to himself as he looked down a corridor to their right.
"Axel," he replied distractedly, as he turned and looked down the corridor to their left.
"Right, Axel, where are we?"
"Well, if I knew that, we wouldn't be lost," he replied haughtily.
"No, I mean, what world is this?"
"Ohhh" Axel said as he turned to Riku with a sparkle in his eye, "this is the World that Never was. A world where heartless and nobodies rule."
"Nobodies?" Riku asked, puzzled.
"Uh-huh," the red head replied as he chose the corridor to their right.
"What are Nobodies?"
"Those who are created from someone turning into a heartless. I expect your friend has a nobody somewhere. Most of the nobodies that are created are just mindless shells that can't think for themselves, but nobodies like the Organization members, were created when someone with a strong heart became a heartless. There for, we are able to live as if we possessed a heart."
"Wait, you said my friend has a nobody?" Riku asked panicking, "Is Sora ok! Did something happen to him?"
"Ha, you must not remember then. But don't worry, your little friend is fine, for now." The red head threw back his head and laughed.
"You better not lay a finger on my Sora, or I'll…" Riku yelled, his anger welling up inside him.
"Oh, YOUR Sora, is he?" the red head smirked at Riku, "it seems that the silver haired brat has a weakness."
"I uh…" Riku stammered, blood rushing to his cheeks.
He was cut off, by a man with blue hair and a scar in the shape of an X on his forehead.
"AXEL! Where have you been! The boss is getting angry!"
"Shit…" the red head muttered. "Ah, I'm sorry Saïx. I got lost, and I…"
"Don't give me any of your dumb excuses," Saïx sneered, "just give the boy to me, and I'll take him to the boss."
"But if I don't show up with him, the boss will know I screwed up again. And then he'll eliminate me." Riku could sense the fear in the red heads words.
"Fine, but I'll escort you there, and don't think that you're off the hook." He glared down at the red head, and for a moment Riku felt sorry for him.
"Phew, thanks a million Saïx!" the red head sighed, "What do I owe you?"
"Oh, I'll think of something," Saïx said unpleasantly, "but now we must hurry and deliver the brat to the boss, he is tired of waiting."
Riku and Axel followed Saïx down a smaller corridor to their left and then to a large white double door.
"Wait here," he growled.
"Is he always that angry?" Asked Riku, as he watched Saïx disappear behind the door.
"Naw, he's kind of an ass when you first meet him, but he's not that bad." Axel whunispered back, "He's just kind of…misunderstood."
Saïx reappeared and motioned for them to come in.
"The boss is ready to see you now," he announced.
Axel nudged Riku in the back and started to pull him forward. As they passed Saïx, Riku heard Axel whisper something to him.
"You didn't say anything about me being lost did you?"
"No"
"Ah, thanks Saïx! You're the best!"
Riku saw Saïx glare at Axel.
"I hope you get your ass handed to you." He sneered, as he turned and walked away.
"See, he's not an ass at all," Axel whispered sarcastically to Riku as they walked through the door.
"Welcome," a voice called from across the room, "I have waited a long time for this."
"Oh, the ocean is so beautiful!" Olette sighed, temporarily forgetting her anger at the two boys.
The seven friends gazed out the windows as the train neared the station.
"I can't believe that we haven't been to the beach all vacation," Kairi exclaimed, smiling.
"I know!" said Pence, pressing his face against the window. "I can't wait to get one of those pretzels, I've been waiting all year for one!"
"Aww Pence! All you ever think about is food!" Hayner said, turning and giving Pence an exasperated look.
"Give me a break Hayner! I haven't eaten since breakfast!"
"Well, save room for ice cream, because Sora owes us all a Sea Salt ice-cream bar!" Hayner yelled, pulling Sora into a headlock and giving him a noogie.
"Yeah, yeah, I remember." Said Sora, as he ran a hand through his hair and resumed staring into space.
"Aw, your no fun! What happened to your good mood? You too Roxas, why are you guys so quite! HELLO?" Hayner waved a hand in front of Roxas's face.
"Cut it out Hayner!" Roxas snapped as he batted Hayner's hand out of his face. "I'm trying to think."
"Well, pardon me Einstein!"
Laughing at Roxas and Hayner's argument, Kairi looked over at her brother. She had noticed how quiet he had been the whole train ride; she got up and went to sit with him.
"Hey, you're awfully quite, is everything ok?" she asked.
"Hmmm? Oh, yeah." Sora said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
"That doesn't sound very convincing you know." She said, "If your not going to tell me what's wrong, then at least make up a better excuse."
Sora sighed and looked at his sister.
"You didn't see him did you?" he asked her, his face darkening.
"See who?"
"The Organization XIII member, the one who stopped me when we were about to get on the train."
"There was an Organization member outside the train station?" she asked, fearfully
"Yes…Kairi, I think Riku's in trouble," Sora's eyes began to cloud over with tears.
"Oh, Sora…"
"Hey are you guys coming?"
They both looked up to find the train empty; Pence poked his head through the door.
"Yeah," Sora called, wiping the tears from his eyes, "we'll be right there"
Sora stood up and turned to Kairi with a determined look in his eye.
"I'm going to help him, I don't know how and I don't know when, but something tells me that he's in trouble, and needs my help. I can't sit by and wait while he may be in danger, I have to find him."
"We'll go together," Kairi said, standing up and taking her brothers hand.
Sora nodded and squeezed Kairi's hand.
"We'll go together."
Babbling
AWW, such a touching moment! As much as I hate Kairi in the actual game, I am enjoying writing her character. It just seems to make more sense that she's Sora's sister, I mean come on! Sora TOTALLY is the type to have a sister complex!
PHEW! That was a LONG chapter, but it was well over due. I decided that I wasn't actually going to write about them AT the beach, it seemed right to end the chapter here. So many cliffhangers in this chapter, what does the boss want with Riku? Why is Roxas acting weird? I guess you'll just have to wait to find out! But, before that, I have a small contest for you guys. Sora's going to be traveling among the collection of worlds from Kingdom hearts I and II, and I want to know what worlds you want to see him go to. So, leave a review with suggestions for worlds, and how many he should travel to.
So, thanks for reading, please leave reviews, and I hope you enjoyed it!
Hayner