Hey, wow it's been long! Sorry I haven't updated in ages, but my internet was down…Okay, this is the last chapter to this story, *Sniff sniff* but enjoy it! Who knows, I may even make a BBS version…
Disclaimer: Why do these words torture me so?! Nay, I don't own Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts…Oh the tragedy!!! Alas, I have also used the title of the song "Heart Station" By the singer Utada Hikaru in this fic, but nay, I do not own it.
Chapter 4- Echoes Beyond Time, Love beyond the Boundaries of a Broken Heart
"WAAAAAAAA! LETTUS OUTTA HERE!!"
Donald ran at the door of the stone dungeon, only to be hit square in the head by to opening door.
"Gawsh, Good ta see ya!" said Goofy with rush to the door
* * *
Kairi and Minnie stepped out into the large stone room. Black snakelike heartless writhed along the walls, entrapping tree boys…
"SORA!!" cried Kairi, running up and breaking the boys' bonds. "Riku, Mickey! You're all right!! What is this place?"
Sora shook his head, "Don't you remember? This is where we made our first promise…"
"What? Who the hell would do all of this!!" said Kairi, mad that some freak tried to kill her friends.
Suddenly, there was a familiar scream, followed by a crash and Goofy's voice. Minnie Returned with Donald and Goofy.
"Minnie!' cried Mickey, "why are you here?"
Minnie laughed and held his hand, "Would you believe… Saving you?"
"Kairi…" Sora was crying, " I-I'm so sorry, I-"
Kairi wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, "For what? For being kidnapped?"
"no, I promised-"
"Sometimes, I gotta make the promises, Hmm? I'm still a Princess, right?"
Riku was obviously getting annoyed, "uh guys? We're still not outta the woods yet! Traverse Town was meant as a temporary retreat during the first battle…Now it's crawling with heartless…"
"Right!" said Sora, "let's get outta here…Together!"
"the waterway leads to the town, but that way leads to Merlin's house, right?" said Kairi, gesturing towards the lift that was carved onto the stone wall, "maybe there we can find out who's behind this!"
"There shall be no need for that" came a voice as a figure of a tall hazel-skinned woman appeared before them. She was there yet she wasn't: as if she were a ghost. Her long silvered purple hair vaguely reminded Riku of-
"Hey!" he called out, "do, I mean did you know Xehanort's Heartless?"
"ha! Do none of you remember? You always were dim, Terra. Xehanort's forms were taken as a combination of my love's and my outer appearances…"
"Your lover?" asked Sora, "who-"
"Oh please, Ventus! Don't tell me you don't know my dear Ansem? I'm his wife, Aelia!"
"Wait a minute!" said Kairi, "Who do you think we are?"
Aelia laughed, 'don't play that game with me, Aqua! I won't be kept in the dark again…I know all about the three Keyblade warriors!"
Minnie shook her head, "Yes, they are the warriors, but they're not who you're talking about-"
"SHUT UP!!" Aelia screamed, "Ansem dedicated his life to his experiments and ended up sacrificing his life for you!"
"Aelia!" said Mickey, untouched by her outburst, "look at me! It looks like you know all about the council…then you know why Ansem didn't tell you the truth! The same reason he sent Kairi away… to protect you!"
"Kairi? The little girl…"
"yes, these are not Terra, Aqua and Ven" said Mickey.
"The castle under attack…they never came…I called your name, Ansem…YOU LIE!!!"
Aelia's eyes glowed gold and heartless began to crawl in from all directions.
"Minnie!" cried Mickey, "Get behind me!"
"No!" she replied curtly, "I've made it this far…"
Mickey nodded, "Right everyone…Together!"
Sora, Riku and Kairi slashed away endlessly at the heartless while Mickey wove nimbly in between. Donald and Goofy protected Minnie while she readied Faith.
Amongst the chaos, all the limit breaks could be heard in vain:
"Whirly-Goof!"
"Fantasia!"
"Hope!"
"Faith!"
"Eternal Session"
"Seventh Light!"
"Trinity Limit!!"
Seven orbs spiralled around Kairi and repelled all Aelia's spells. Sora leapt into the air as runes appeared on the ground and crushed all the heartless. Donald pummelled them with rockets and Goofy, Well, Whirled! Riku's Eternal session and Mickey's Hope kept them away, but not for long…They just kept coming!
"it's no use! My heartless will continue to come as long as I will it!" laughed Aelia at the sight of their futile attempts.
'Then we'll just have to stop you!" yelled Sora, but a sudden cry halted his attack.
"Mickey!" cried Minnie, pointing to the Golden gate. Heartless were pouring in and it was probably pandemonium on the other side.
"go!" said Kairi, "we'll handle things here!"
"Right!" said Mickey, "remember, if you ever need us, all you need is a message in a bottle!"
"We're staying!" cried Donald and Goofy nodded.
"Sorry guys, not this time" said Sora, "The castle needs you, And I'm sure Daisy's been worried about Donald long enough"
They nodded and Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie turned to run into the Golden gate. Mickey turned to look behind one more time,
Forgive us, Ansem.
"right, now what?" said Sora, killing two heartless in his way.
"We fight." replied Riku blatantly.
Kairi rolled her eyes, "Duh!!"
And the three turned to face the endless hoard. Sora slashed endless combos while Riku preferred to make a bang. Kairi used light as her weapon, but the creatures didn't cease in their approach.
"this isn't working!" cried Kairi
"We've got to do something else!" screamed Sora
"wait! Sora, use our powers!" said Riku, but Sora stared at him.
"Wha-"
"DO IT!!!"
Sora plunged Oathkeeper in the ground and turned it with a Click. the area began to cloud up with black fog and they were suddenly in a dream world, standing on a stained glass pillar.
"Heart Station…"
Came a voice from the shadows and Sora, Kairi and Riku raced around on circles, spinning their keyblades across to each other and entrapping the heartless in their own circle of light.
"Eternal Light!"
The pure white light engulfed everything and the scene returned to that of the waterway. There was not a heartless in sight. Panting, the three heroes fell to the floor, drained of all their energy.
"pathetic weaklings!" said Aelia, "to think my love suffered for you! You'll die here and feel the pain I felt all these years…"
The black writhing heartless on the walls suddenly flung out and grabbed them, pinning them against the wall.
"can't…Breathe…!" gasped Kairi as the serpent writhed over her neck
"Kairi!" cried Sora and he struggled against the restraints, but they tightened with a painful crunch of his ribs. His body fell limp in the heartless' grasp.
"No!!!" was all Kairi could gasp out before her vision faded away as well.
Riku watched his two friends fall to the restraints and struggled to grab Way to Dawn. Suddenly, something twisted his arm. He tried to kick the heartless serpent away, but a sharp crack followed that attempt. He could feel the restraints tightening around his body as his vision began to fade…
* * *
(Author's Note: in this story, The Radiant garden is made up of the different FINAL FANTASY lands in one world)
Back in Midgar, Aerith was lost to Cloud forever. He held her one last time, wishing he could've told her how he felt. He knew she knew it all along, but he just wanted to hear her voice. With nothing left but and hatred for the man he once revered, he remembered how Sephiroth dropped down upon Aerith and killed her in the midst of her prayer for holy. As she fell, a glint falling from her hair caught everyone's eyes…
* * *
Leon had cast off his Self-pity and taken on the name Squall once again. He left the Radiant Garden Restoration Project to a young monkeyboy named Zidane and left on an airship, Ragnorok, to find his missing comrades. He found Selphie first, though nobody noticed she was gone and those who knew thought it was for the best. He was lost as to where to look next, but found a letter marked with a pair of pink angel wings…
* * *
with Malificent's spell that gave them their pixie form broken, the Gullwings were well on their way, touring Spira for clues to find Yuna's missing love. They were deep underground in Bevelle when something went wrong and Aeon Yuna was previously forced to kill surfaced from the Farplane…
* * *
Back in the waterway, Aelia had won. "ha!" she smirked, "I will call upon time and space…Ansem-I'll revive you, my love!"
The three children encased in the writhing heartless began to stir and from each of them rose a new hero: Naminé from Kairi, Roxas from Sora and Xehanort's heartless, Ansem, from Riku. They picked up the three keyblades and let the colours dissolve until they had their own: Kingdom key, Radiant garden and Soul Eater.
Naminé turned to the other two, "we are not meant to exist without our true forms…we have to revive them!"
Roxas nodded, "Right! Ansem, Help me!"
Roxas and Ansem charged full on at Aelia while Naminé slashed at the writhing heartless. Suddenly, Aelia disappeared and the coils began to fall off the walls…they began to writhe together to form a human figure that reached out to grab the three warriors. They weaved in and out, swiping their keyblades and blasting it with spells. Roxas ended it by using his friends' magic in Trinity limit. The light blasted the heartless and it withered away, freeing the three heroes. As they fell to the floor, Roxas, Naminé and Ansem faded back into their alternate selves and the keyblades returned to the way they were.
Sora, Riku and Kairi woke. Riku got up immediately, pushing the pain out of his mind and limping towards the others on the ground. Kairi was gasping for air and Sora sat up and held her. Finally, she felt her strength coming back and stood up. She held her and out to Sora and he took it. He tried to stand up, but there was a sharp shooting pain in his ribs and he began to cough up blood.
"Sora! Wait, let me-" protested Kairi as he tried to stand up again, but he shook his head
"No, it's okay, See?" and he gave her a cheesy grin, but she could see the pain on his face.
"So you are not as weak as I expected…" said Aelia, appearing once again, " but the game ends here!"
She summoned Darkside, but it was different this time: it carried a large sword and hacked at Sora and co when they were in sight.
The three got up to fight, but Riku's arm took damage with his every attack. When Kairi saw the pain on Sora's face when he fought along with them, she called out to him:
"Sora! Stop…we've got to find a better way! you and Riku can't take much more of this!"
"I'm…Okay…" said Sora, but he didn't make much of an effort to mean it.
"you need to rest, Sora," said Riku "we've got to call someone to help us-we can't do this alone!"
Riku stepped forward and whispered "Heart untouched by Darkness, I summon you!"
A dark portal opened and out stepped a familiar face who'd they once fought against, then alongside… Maleficent!
"You fools! I'll show you how it's done…" and with that, the earth beneath her lifted up and she circled around the heartless, pelting with sorcery. Riku ran up to the creature and slashed it with everything he had.
"Riku…You've grown since we last fought together-and you have your own Keyblade! Impressive…" smirked Maleficent, "now move aside, and release my darker side one last time!"
Riku nodded and plunged his Keyblade into her heart, then ran back to Sora and Kairi. Maleficent began to glow with a luminous green light and she transformed into a great Dragon. With all her power, she put her heart into her flames and engulfed dark side before disappearing…and the monster still survived.
Kairi ran up in front of them and let the golden light of her Keyblade engulf her
"come forth, a Princess with a voice unheard…"
A Golden Gate appeared and half an ocean of water gushed out, along with a familiar red-haired mermaid…
"Ariel!" cried Sora.
Ariel swam down to Sora, the water creating a path for her as she swam, "Leave this to me…" she said and gave Kairi a hi-five. The water engulfed dark side in a perfect orb and Ariel swam in circles within, attacking it and casting Thundaga. The orb vibrated as the sparks jumped across the surface. Finally, the creature fell with a crash and the water fell with a crash. Ariel was facing the creature now and began to sing softly. The creature began writhe as the sound cut through its head.
When the water was all gone, Ariel winked at them, "Gotta go!" and disappeared with a twinkle.
"Right," said Sora, pulling out of Kairi's grip, "My turn…" as he walked painfully up to the Heartless:
"C'mon, A Hero Yet to Come!"
A blue portal opened just above Sora's head and a young boy no older than seventeen. He was about Riku's height with scruffy blond hair, leather pants, metal boots and a ready grin, "Hey! Name's Vaan!" as he looked towards the Creature waiting for him,
"Whoa! I'm up against that!" he said as he ran towards the Heartless and slashed away with his dagger. Darkside fell to it's knees, but that was as far as the dagger could go.
"I'm gonna need some backup!" called Vaan jokingly, and before Sora could go in to help, he began to make his own summon: "Ultima, you're up!" as a gorgeous green lady clad in white and gold appeared on a floating pedestal. Behind her were six flared out orange angel wings.
Vaan and Ultima danced around Darkside, with Vaan slashing endlessly at it while Ultima continuously cast holy at it. Soon, Sora joined in, followed by Kairi and Riku, all attacking in unison. Finally, it was time for Vann and Ultima to go, and Vaan ended with a bang: "Alright!" he cheered, "C'mon, Ultima, Cast PERFECT ULTIMA!"
The blast of magical energy was amazing, and it blew Darkside away with a Click! It dissolved into a million hearts…
Finally, Aelia was back and angry as ever: "You BASTARDS!" she screamed, "You'll never live through this!"
She began to send orbs of dark energy at them. Blocking them was all they could do…they were completely drained and couldn't fight anymore.
"Aargh!" cried Sora as an orb hit him, "we can't go on like this!"
I'm all out of plans!" said Riku
Suddenly Kairi Remembered: What saved her. What saved Sora. What saved the Worlds…
"Sora!" she called and he ran to her side, "hold me…"
"wha- we don't have time for this!" screamed Riku as he deflected all the orbs.
Sora held Kairi close and she closed her eyes
Our Quest, our promise…
A glow radiated from her heart
Faith.
The blinding light halted all the orbs and brought Aelia to her knees, in tears.
"I-I don't understand! Light always overpowers darkness…then why can't I win?"
Kairi walked forward, "w-when did you die?"
"Wha-" gasped Sora but Riku smiled
"it all makes sense now" he said.
"Not long after you left" said Aelia, as if talking to herself, "one of Ansem's experiments backfired I was caught in an attack on the castle… I-I called for him, I called for you three- but nobody came! I sent everybody out the castle…then when I awoke, I was alone"
"Ansem… he died just a few months ago, protecting us…" explained Kairi.
"didn't he think…think about me?!" she screamed, "I'll get revenge!"
Riku jumped defensively up to protect Sora and Kairi as Aelia attacked. He countered, but his keyblade went right through her and had no effect.
"I'll kill the warriors of the keys! I'll use your powers to jump through time and save him-I WILL NOT FADE LIKE HE DID!!"
Aelia readied apocalypse, and pink and black glow formed in each hand. She ran up to the three children, but a new apparition formed.
Aelia gasped, "A-Ansem?" and anger seethed through onto her face one more time as she screamed, "I WON'T BE FOOLED!" and attempted to attack him. He caught her hand and pulled her close. The glow of apocalypse faded from her hands and she closed her eyes, "it really is you!"
Ansem smiled and stoked her silver hair back, " why did you need to do this, Ails?" he said sadly, "I've been waiting all this time…for you"
Aelia looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "I lost you! I-I couldn't f-find you! S-s-so I th-thought… the keys…" and she buried her face into Ansem's robes in tears.
Ansem shook his head, "these are not the children we knew…These are Sora, Kairi and Riku…Look!"
Aelia looked up and the veil of torment that had blurred the truth for all those years was finally lifted, "you… you're not Ventus, Aqua and Terra!" she exclaimed, "I-, I-"
"no, it's okay…just stop this fighting." said Sora as he held onto Kairi.
Kairi smiled, "yeah, we can't change what already happened."
"Th-thank you…" whispered Aelia and she turned back to Ansem.
"er, Ansem?" asked Riku and Ansem turned to face the three heroes.
"Yes, Riku?"
"what will happen to the council now…nobody will watch over the the worlds."
Ansem smiled, "there won't be any need for you to worry… Cosmos is there even when she isn't. but don't forget: you three are the warriors of the keyblades- wielding the powers of the darkness, light and the seven princesses. There is no turning back on your destinies now. You will all return to your island, but your powers are there and with it lies your duty to come forth when the worlds face such a danger again.'
Sora nodded. He understood what this meant: things were never gonna be the same.
"come now. Aelia" said Ansem and his wife looked up at him.
"all these years…and just to be apart again?"
"no, never again. Fade with me, Ails, and our hearts will join to be part of something bigger…are you scared?"
Aelia smiled through her evanescent tears and whispered "How can I, when I have an eternity of you being at my side?" and with that, Ansem pulled her into a kiss that waited twelve years as they faded into Kingdom Hearts.
Sora was on the floor now, still coughing blood with Kairi at his side. "Riku- c-can you find a way out?"
"we're not going anywhere till you're fixed up, Sora!" said Kairi stubbornly, "I fixed Riku up with a simple cure spell, why can't I do you?"
"hey guys!" called Riku from above in what used to be Merlin's room, "I found a gate Ansem left for us!"
"okay," whispered Sora, "go ahead"
Kairi took a step back and let the magic flow through her fingers: "Curaga!"
Sora stood up, but he was greeted with a familiar sharp pain and more blood.
"Why-why doesn't it work?!" gasped Kairi, Confused by her spell's failure, "lemme see that wound, Sora!"
Sora was struggling to breathe. Kairi un zipped the front of his top and nearly screamed when she saw what was the problem: a piece of the heartless slithered under his clothes and was impaled into his ribs, and the skin around the wound was turning a deathly black as it tried to drain his heart.
"oh my god…"she whispered, "RIKU!"
Riku came running down but then he saw what was wrong with Sora, he turned white, "What the HELL!!"
Kairi was panicking as Sora coughed up more blood, "Riku, what can we do!"
Riku stared, "I-I dunno what to do!" but he tried anyway. He tugged at the black serpent but it only went deeper.
"use…use your keyblade…" gasped Sora, barely breathing.
"Wha-
"but that'll kill you!" argued Riku
"do it…" insisted Sora and he held onto Kairi's hand.
Riku pulled back his keyblade and struck at the heartless. Sora screamed and jerked backwards, landing on the cold stone floor. The heartless disappeared with a click! But Sora was still bleeding at an alarming rate.
Kairi was still crying as she held onto him. She moved her hand over his chest and a soft golden light radiated over his skin. The wound began to close and colour flushed back into his skin. He sat up and smiled. Kairi zipped up his clothes and said, "All better!"
"Kairi!" he whispered as he reached up the kiss her.
"Sora…" she replied and kissed him back.
"Riku?" added Riku, standing and observing the lovers and feeling left out, but he instantly wished he hadn't, because the two reacted with a smile at each other and both dog-piled him with a group hug.
Riku led them up to the portal, and, hand-in-hand-in-hand, the three stepped into the portal that ended their third adventure together.
* * *
In Midgar, the team fought alongside Cloud against Sephiroth…For Aerith
* * *
Squall was onboard the Ragnorok when Selphie came skipping in. "Hey Squall! Look who I found wandering around…" and a gorgeos sorceress walked in, her evanescent veil fluttering behind her
"matron…"
* * *
Yuna was slowly discovering the secrets of Spira, and the story of a songstress much like her who died so long ago for the man she loved…
* * *
In another part of the Radiant Garden, Dalmasca, Vaan looks up at the sky and dreams of flying an airship and living the life of a sky pirate…
* * *
Back on the island, Riku was staring out at the sea. Sora sat down cheerfully next to him.
"nothing's changed, huh?" said Riku blatantly.
"Nope," agreed Sora, "nothing will."
Riku shrugged, "what a small world."
"yeah…" agreed Sora nostalgically, "but part of one much bigger"
There was a moment of silence until Sora asked Riku a question about when their second adventure ended and they made it back to Kairi and the island, "hey Riku, What do you think that was… the door to the light?"
Riku chuckled, "that's easy…This" he said and he poked Sora in the chest.
"This?" asked Sora, confused.
"Yeah, it's much closer than you think!"
"HEY!" cried Kairi, running in from the other side of the island, "Sora! Riku!"
"What's up?" asked Sora
"Look!"
Sora gasped as he saw the message in a bottle she was holding-the scroll bore the king's seal…
"From the king?!" he asked as he hastily shook the note out the bottle and unrolled it. Riku stood up and gazed at the note while Kairi peered over Sora's shoulder…
And with that, the three friends knew that their roles as the keyblade warriors was their new identity…and that regardless of what anyone could say, this was just the beginning of their adventures…
And remember:
you are the one
Who will open the door
to the light
End Adventure
And so ends my first story. Thanks to everybody who read the story from the start and left reviews! Just to put it out there: the last part on the island is taken from the scene after the credits in KHII (i.e. first is the KHII ending with the song Sanctuary-after battle- then comes my fic then the scene with the note). Sorry if that caused any confusion! I was thinking of writing another fic about what Ultimecia said about Aelia or maybe Terra Aqua and Ven's Relations to "The Council of Cosmos"…good idea? I really need advice to improve for my next fic… PLEEEEEZ REVIEW! I SAW MY HITS AND I KNOW YOU ARE READING THIS!!! REVIEW! (on that note, thanks to the few people who did give me reviews- it's a great boost to keep me writing!) Remember: No Axel + No flame=!
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