Chapter XL: Kai's Inner Conflict: Darkness Resolved

Nightshroud: Yes, it is sad to see Fayt go, but I had to make room for someone...oh, not telling! Hehe. Anyway, here's Kai's finale! I think you're going to like:)
Mirage-

An inhabitant of the Kingdom in the Clouds. She is a technical genius, and a great fighter with her fists. She's rumored to be even better that her love interest Cliff.

Cliff-

An inhabitant of the KitC. He is laid-back and easygoing. He enjoys a good fight with his fists and is never too far from his sweetheart Mirage. He gets easily annoyed with Roger, as does everyone else...

Nel-

An inhabitant of the KitC. She is good friends with Mirage, and loves to make fun of Cliff. She is constantly being violated by Roger, who she smacks very often. She fights with daggers and symbology.

Roger-

An inhabitant of the KitC. He is a bit lecherous for an eleven year old, often peeking up Nel's shorts. He fights with an axe and likes to implement his crazy pranks in battle.

Maria-

An inhabitant of the KitC. She is storng willed, and is close friends with Sophia. She fights with geomancy in battle.

Sophia-

An inhabitant of the KitC. She is sweet and gentle girl. She is good friends with Maria, and has a thing for Fayt. She can summon fearsome monsters into battle.

Raphael-

Number II in the Org. He easily overcame the combined efforts of Reyna, Tyson, Fayt, and Maria, then crushed their spirits by revealing their imperfections. He wielded an Angel Sword and the element of light in battle

Reyna sat silently as the gummi ship flew toward its destination. She was thinking about what Raphael had said to her. Something no one else had heard.

"Just because you don't have darkness in your heart, don't think you're perfect either."

"What do you mean?"

"That boy Kai, wasn't he supposed to be your friend? And yet did you ever once look for him, or go back to help him? No, you didn't. You abandoned him. Would you even care if you knew that he was dead?"

"Of course! But...he can't be...I do care about Kai! I think about him all the time!"

"Then why did you betray a friend in need? You chose your quest over your friend."

"I didn't! But I...I wanted to believe he could make it. And...I was afraid of facing him..."

"If you can't face your own feelings, do you really think you can stare into the face of darkness itself?"

"...I don't know anymore."

"Kai...where are you?" she whispered.

Kai opened his eyes as the light faded away. He felt his heart leap, as he looked around the familiar landscape.

"It's the Destiny Islands..."

He had come through the door in the Secret Place. He walked out of the cave and into the open air. He breathed in the fresh sea air and sighed with contentment. He looked up at the sky, dark just like the night of the storm. As he stepped forward, shadows began to move along the ground and Shadow Heartless appeared. Kai pulled out Soul Eater and slashed his way through to the Seaside Shack. He took the stairs and came out on the bridge. He looked out to the small island to which it was attached. On there was a person he had waiting to see.

"Reyna!"

He ran forward, and stopped as he saw that she was being held in midair by shadowy chains. Vanessa suddenly emerged from behind a palm tree and smirked at him.

"Hello, Kai. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"What are you doing here?" he asked angrily. She smiled and walked next to Reyna, who was struggling in vain against her shadowy bonds.

"I heard you were trying to find the light. So I came here to stop you before you could."

He growled and gripped Soul Eater. "You're not going to stop me!"

She laughed and snapped her fingers. "Up till now you've had to defeat a dark being in order to save the manifestation of light, right?"

Suddenly shadow billowed forth and a being stepped out in front of her.

"So what if the dark being of this world is you?"

In front of Kai stood a perfect imitation of himself. Kai's eyes widened and he took a step back. Vanessa laughed and the shadow Kai stepped forward with a cruel grin on his face.

"Kai, you have to fight it! Don't accept her lies!" Reyna cried from her place. Vanessa glared at her and slapped her across the face.

"Shut up!"

Kai saw that and felt anger rise up within him.

"Don't lay a finger on her!"

He stepped forward towards the dark Kai facing him.

"I won't let your mind games work on me again."

He stepped through the other Kai, dissipating him into nothing. Vanessa bared her teeth and stepped in front of Reyna.

"If you're so determined to save her, then you'll have to defeat me!"

"Fine by me!"

He looked at Reyna and smiled sadly.

"Sorry, Reyna, but I need to use darkness one more time."

Vanessa summoned dark energy to her hands and shot a dark blast at Kai.

"Dark Bolt!"

Kai dodged to the side as the blast crashed into the bridge/walkway. He jumped and slashed at her, but she flew back and threw fired another Dark Bolt at him.

"Dark Shield!"

He summoned a dark shield to block her attack. She took the dark energy in her hands and stretched it to form a dark whip.

"Shadow Crafting!"

"You like it? I made it out of fondness for your little love," she said while looking venomously at Reyna. Kai frowned and ran at her. She jumped into the air and lashed at him. He blocked with Soul Eater and threw it at her, cutting across her shoulder. She dropped down, clutching her wound.

"Why you little..."

"Had enough?" he asked.

"Hardly!" she spat back.

She lashed her whip out and cut him across the chest. He ran forward and slashed at her, but she blocked with her whip and kicked him in the face, the heel from her boot digging into his cheek. He fell back, and rolled aside in time as she lashed again at him. He got up and jumped back, firing dark blasts at her.

"Dark Aura!"

She put her arms up to shield her from the attack. Now distracted, she didn't see Kai sneak around behind her and elbow her in the back. As she fell forward and her hands touched the ground, she kicked her legs out and grabbed Kai's neck. Then she pulled and tossed him over her. He hit the ground, and immediately had to put up Soul Eater to stop the lashes of her whip. When she stopped, he tried to uppercut her, but she flipped backwards and threw a Dark Bolt at him. He slashed through the dark blast, then held his sword in the air and charged himself with dark energy.

"D-Charge!" (D for darkness, of course)

Now, glowing with darkness, he ran forward and slashed rapidly at her. She put her whip up to defend, but after countless blows, it dispersed under the attack. She cried out as she was slashed multiple times by Soul Eater's dark attacks.

"Give it up, Vanessa. You've lost."

"No, I won't! I'm going to stop you!"

She lifted her hands up and smiled wickedly at him.

"Black Speech!"

Kai suddenly heard an ear piercing cry and suddenly felt as if something had ripped through him. He was thrown backwards, and sank to the ground clutching his head. It was like the worst nightmares were flashing through his mind.

"Fool! Did you think you could win? I'll kill you now!"

She stood in front of him and charged her hands with darkness, ready to strike him down with the next attack.

"This is it...this is what I've been working for, and I won't lose now!"

He summoned Soul Eater and lashed at her. He cut her across the chest, and her flashed black. She staggered back as darkness began to leak out of her.

"No! How could I lose?!"

Vanessa inched backward as Kai approached her.

"Go, Vanessa. Before I have to kill you."

She dug her nails into her palms and cast a hateful glare at him.

"Don't think this is over. We'll meet again. And next time, I'll make you lose all that is precious to you. Then you'll fall into darkness and despair again."

She opened a dark portal and disappeared, freeing Reyna from her shadowy bonds. She fell down, but Kai caught her in his arms.

"You okay?"

She smiled and nodded, and he helped her stand up.

"Are you ready, Kai? After this, there's no going back."

"I wouldn't have defeated Vanessa if I had planned on going back."

She smiled and went to place a hand on his heart, but he grabbed her hands and looked at her sadly.

"I...I wanted you to know how sorry I am. I-"

He was cut off as she placed a finger on his lips.

"That's in the past. But you still have work to do. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. But...will I be able to do it without you?"

She placed a hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes.

"You'll find me. We're bonded together. But until that time, I'll always be in you heart."

She gently placed her lips on his. As soon as they touched, she glowed and turned into particles of light that floated into Kai's heart. He smiled and placed his hand on his heart.

"Reyna...I'll find you.I promise."

His heart glowed white, and he suddenly found himself on the ground floor of Twilight Impasse. He opened the large doors and sighed as he took in the outside worlld.

"Where do I go from here? I guess I'll just let my heart lead me."

He disappeared in a flash of light.

As they got off the gummi ship in Twilight Town, Reyna's heart glowed and she got a strange feeling.

"What's wrong, Reyna?" asked Namé.

"I'm not sure, but I feel like something is nearby. Something familiar..."

Nightshroud: Good? I hope so! Now we can finally leave behind Twilight Impasse. I hope you liked the action, and the fluff. :) Keep in mind, that was only a manifestation of the light, not really Reyna, although they are linked in a way. Anyway, next chapter the three are going to explore Twilight Town, gain some new abilities, and some new clothes! Review and read on!

Next chapter: umm...I'm not sure of a good title. Recommend one if you can think of it.