Ch. 5: Truths

The newer characters that weren't in the game are mine and all the others belong to SquareSoft and Disney.

The young girl recoiled as the realization of what had just happened sank in. Fear took over her and she began to run again. This time, she didn't stop. She kept running. Her lungs began to sting as she took in the cold, damp air. Her legs ached and head pounded. She didn't know where she was running to, yet she kept going. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. She had lost everything she had held dear to her. Her cousin had left her. Her father had betrayed her. And she had been given a great power she did not desire. She kept running, hoping that it would make everything go away. Make everything disappear. Be erased from existence. But no matter how hard she ran, none of it could be reversed. Nothing disappeared. Especially the Heartless.

They kept rising from the ground and Ziddy kept dodging them within inches. But all hearts must return to darkness. A Heartless rose, and Ziddy fell to the ground. She lay there, motionless. Once again, the Heartless encircled her.

"Hotena shebeast loni."

Ziddy opened her eyes for the first time in days. She looked around helplessly, searching for something to tell her where she was. It was dark. It was cold too. So cold, she could see her breath and hear her teeth chattering together. This was somewhere she had never been before. It felt empty. She stood up, in hope that something other than the darkness would catch her eye. And that something did.

Ziddy approached what seemed to be a boy. His back was to her. She crept closer, wishing he would be able to help her.

"Hotena shebeast loni." he asid.

"What?" Ziddy questioned.

"All hearts return to the darkness. Do you not know the language of the Heartless?" he kept his back to the girl.

"I know it all too well. What is this place?"

The boy gave a small chuckle. "Have I not told you? Hotena shebeast loni."

"All hearts return to the darkness. That doesn't tell me where I am."

The boy sprung up and grasped his hand around Ziddy's throat. "The darkness. The darkness is where you are." he whispered. He released her throat and backed away. "Welcome to Kingdom Hearts."

Ziddy recoiled in fear. She quickly placed her hand on her chest. There was no beat. She placed her two fingers on her throat. There was no pulse. She was without a heart. Ziddy had become a Heartless trapped within Kingdom Hearts. "How does one escape from here?"

"Hm, escape? It would be a lot easier if you were on the outside." the boy mused.

"On the outside? What do you mean?"

"You currently reside in the room."

Ziddy paused. "The room? What's the room?"

"This is the room in the castle of Kingdom Hearts where the most precious of hearts are kept." the boy answered.

"Most precious of hearts? Why am I here then?"

"You hold a great power Ziddy." the boy said. "You are the one who will lead the Keyblade master to the door to the light."

--

The sweat ran down Ziddy's flesh. She jumped from her sleep and her eyes darted about the darkness. Riku snored loudly, lying only a few feet away from her. Sora lay next to her, the same glistening sweat pouring down his skin as he tossed and turned. Ziddy watched the boy sleep, his breathing quickening each moment that passed.

"Kairi…" Sora whimpered.

Ziddy looked toward the horizon. Only a few hours away. This would only last for another few hours.

"Kairi…" Sora whimpered a second time.

Ziddy got up slowly as to not disturb the boy next to her. She waved her hand over Sora's body, releasing a kind of gold dust.

"Sleep and worry no more Sora." She whispered.

With that, Sora quieted. The young woman walked over to the nearest tree and leaned up against it. She stared back at the horizon.

"This is the room in the castle of Kingdom Hearts where the most precious of hearts are kept.""Most precious of hearts? Why am I here then?"

"You hold a great power Ziddy. You are the one who will lead the Keyblade master to the door to the light."

"You are the one who will lead the Keyblade master to the door of the light." She breathed silently. "One that is born to great royalty but will lose it all. One that knows the greatest of love and will learn the greatest of loss. One that believes in such trust yet knows nothing but betrayal. One that will understand both the living and the dead, the heartfull and the heartless. One that will lead the true Keyblade master to the door of the light. One that will guard the door to the light. One that will change the fate of all powers of light and dark. The one. The only. So it is prophesized, so it shall be."

"Belesta quando Ziddy."

Ziddy turned to see one of the Heartless guards from Ansem's palace.

"What do you want?" She questioned in the dark language.

"Master Ansem sends word." It replied.

"Is that so? Regale me, what does the great Ansem say?"

The Heartless paused, knowing it would annoy the young woman.

"Speak now or die." Ziddy threatened, her gaze still toward the horizon.

The Heartless gave a small squeak of a laugh. "Master Ansem says to stop stalling and get to the door. Do the job you were blessed with and finish it for good."

With that message, the guard disappeared into the ground.

"Blessed?" Ziddy mused, lifting her eyes to the sky. "If this is a blessing, I welcome eternal damnation in the next life."She said to the stars, her anger growing. "You want me to finish it? You want me to do my job?"

"Who are you talking to woman?"

Ziddy whipped her head around to find Riku standing behind her.

"Every time I find you alone you're always talking to the wind or the stars." He said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I… erm… well I was just… aa…." Ziddy stuttered. How much had he heard? Had he seen the Heartless guard?

"Don't explain, I fear I'll become even more confused." He laughed, approaching the young woman. "So, what are you doing up at this late hour miss?"

Ziddy smiled. "None of your business."

"All right then." Riku placed his hand up against the tree and leaned over Ziddy. "I can't sleep either." He said, giving off an awkward smile.

Ziddy put her back up against the tree. "I never said I couldn't sleep."

"You may not have said it, but your eyes gave it away."

Ziddy could not resist the urge to give a small giggle. "Is that so?"

"Oh definitely." Riku replied, leaning in closer.

Ziddy felt her heart leap. Her skin heated as he drew closer. She felt her legs become weak with a sensation she had never felt before.

"We shouldn't do this." She whispered, her breathing becoming louder and harder.

"No we shouldn't." Riku smiled, still drawing closer to her.

"Sora-"

"Will never know." He finished.

"We still shouldn't." Ziddy repeated as the pit of her stomach gave off such an odd sensation that only made her want Riku more.

"I know." Riku breathed, stopping only an inch away from Ziddy. "That's why you're not pushing me away."

The sensation rushed from her stomach through her entire body. Grabbing the back of the boy's neck, she pulled him in and laid her lips upon his. Ziddy had never felt anything like that. It was different from the feelings she experienced when Sora has kissed just a few days ago. She felt as if her heart had burst within her and pieces were flowing through her blood to every part of her body. And as the pieces came to each of muscles, such pain and pleasure engulfed her. Riku placed a hand on the small of the girl's back. Try as hard as she could, Ziddy could not find a reason why Riku's kiss felt so familiar. This was only her second passionate kiss of her life and there was something about it that gave off a sense of resemblance.

Ziddy stepped back into the tree, lightly shoving Riku away from her. He looked the same, yet didn't at the same time. Something felt wrong.

"What's wrong?" he asked, smiling.

Ziddy stared at the boy. But try as she could, she could not see any differences in him. Until she caught his smile. That smile she knew all too well. Her pain and pleasure were instantly replaced with anger and hatred. Ziddy placed her palms on Riku's chest and pushed away. White light burst from her hands and Riku was sent soaring into the air. The loud thud his body made when it collided with the earth woke Sora with a start.

"What's going on?" Sora asked as his eyesight came into focus.

"What the hell was that for!?" Riku yelled, picking himself up from the ground.

Ziddy moved her eyes from Riku to Sora and back to Riku.

"Jeeshno haruba." She spewed.

Riku and Sora's chests snapped forward. From each young man, a glowing sphere popped out. The spheres floated above the two boys for a moment before Ziddy burst with fury. The young woman threw two flame balls at the spheres and they exploded immediately. Riku and Sora stared at the pieces of spheres that had just come from their chests and their mouths dropped.

"What the hell was that?" Riku whispered, placing his hand under Sora's chin and closing his mouth.

"Okay, you wanna play dirty?" Ziddy asked.

"What?" Sora said, looking over at her.

"Let's play dirty."

"This doesn't sound good." Riku whispered.

Ziddy strode over to Sora and knocked him down to his knees.

"Ziddy, what are you doing?" Riku questioned, trying to pull Ziddy away from Sora.

The young woman placed her fingertips on Sora's temples. Before Sora could squirm away or Riku could snatch her away, Ziddy's head reared back and she let out a scream of pain.

The world blurred and spun around her. She traveled days into Sora's past. Then weeks. Then more. Finally letting go of her power, Ziddy found herself in front of two huge white doors. She remembered these doors; she'd seen them many times over the passed few months. These were the doors that led to her current home: the castle within Kingdom Hearts. Ziddy glanced at her surroundings until her crystal maroon eyes fell upon Sora and Kairi.

"Kairi!"

"Sora! Umph…"

She watched as the two joined hands and the ground between them began to separate.

"Wait for it." Ziddy breathed, trying to stay out of their line of sight as well as avoiding Donald and Goofy.

"Kairi, remember what you said before. I'm always with you too. I'll come back to you. I promise!"

The ground continued to split.

"And… now." Ziddy began to run toward the two.

"I know you will!"

Their hands were pulled apart and they drifted further away from each other. Ziddy ran straight at them. Before Kairi drifted too far away, Ziddy leapt from where Sora stood onto the sandy ground Kairi was on.

"What the hell?" Sora asked.

"Ziddy? What are you doing here?" Kairi asked just as confused as Sora.

"Kairi, you need to trust this time." Ziddy held her hand out to the young girl.

Kairi took Ziddy's hand and allowed her to pull her in close. Ziddy wrapped her arms around the red-head and looked over at Sora. Tears fell from his eyes.

"I don't understand! What's going on!?" Sora yelled.

Ziddy reached into her pocket and pulled out a small blue vial of liquid. She tossed it over to Sora, who caught it and stared at it in even more confusion than ever before.

"What is that?" Kairi whispered, clinging onto Ziddy.

"Something to calm his mind. I'm not going to hurt him anymore Kairi." She whispered, laying her cheek on the other girl's head. "We need to go now."

Kairi nodded. "Okay."

Ziddy shut her eyes tightly, allowing her magic to take control of her again. In an instant, the two young women disappeared into the shadows. Sora watched as they vanished. The vial in his hand began to heat up. He glanced down at the vial. On it was an inscription. Out of pure curiosity, Sora read it aloud.

"Memory gone, forgotten this… until a time, will bring you bliss."

As soon the words were done, the small blue glass shattered. The glass did not penetrate the boy's skin though. It didn't even hurt. White smoke rose from the shattered pieces of glass, surrounding Sora's body. He inhaled deeply, taking in the awkward smelling smoke.

Ziddy fell onto the ground where she had left Riku and present-day Sora, landing on her hands and knees.

"Ziddy?" Riku started to move toward her, but stopped as she began to vomit uncontrollably.

Just as soon as Ziddy began to vomit, another form appeared a few feet away. Kairi stumbled to her feet, shaking her head as though it ached. Sora and Riku looked over at who had arrived along with Ziddy. Their mouths dropped and their eyes began to weld up with fresh tears.

"Boys…" Kairi whispered and moved toward Riku. But then her eyes fell upon Ziddy, who was still vomiting. "Ziddy…"

Kairi ran to her and came to her knees. Ziddy held back the vomit, feeling Kairi's hand on the back of her neck. She picked up her head, and smiled the best she could. Tears came to Kairi's eyes.

"What did you do?" she whimpered, seeing how much pain Ziddy was in.

"We don't have much time." Ziddy said, spitting out small amounts of vomit. She tried lifting herself from the ground, but failed. "I need you to help me up."

Kairi assisted Ziddy to her feet and allowed her to put most of her weight on her.

"I don't understand. I thought you said she was dead." Riku cried softly.

"She was." Ziddy answered.

"How come I remember all that?" Kairi asked, looking at Ziddy.

"I'll explain later." Ziddy let go of Kairi and balanced herself as best she could.

Ziddy unsheathed her Keyblades and tossed one to both Sora and Riku.

"Why?" Sora whispered, tears still falling from his eyes.

"Because what I'm about to tell is going to make you really mad." Ziddy knelt down on both knees and spread her arms to the sides. "I'm hoping that in doing this you won't attack me until after I'm through with the entire story."

"How is she here? Where did you go?" Riku asked, chocking back the urge to cry uncontrollably.

"Into Sora's past. I took Kairi forward with me the day the doors closed after you defeated Ansem." Ziddy explained.

Sora's eyes widened. "Memory gone, forgotten this until a time, will bring you bliss."

"Oh I'm good at this potion shit." Ziddy breathed, a wave of pain causing her to sway.

"You disappeared with Kairi. The weird smelling smoke." Sora stumbled over his sentences, barely making any sense.

"You weren't meant to remember until this moment. I couldn't have you go searching for Kairi and the strange looking girl who took her. Everything after that moment when the vial exploded had to be the same so it would lead you here exactly how it was before."

"I remember now."

"Listen, we don't have much time. He'll soon find out what I've don't and he'll come after me." Ziddy began to panic. What had she done?

"Who?" Riku snapped, annoyed by all the mystery.

Ziddy paused, hanging her head.

"Ziddy, don't tell me you're still obeying him." Kairi sobbed.

"Him who?"

Ziddy took a deep breath and shut her eyes. "Ansem."

"Ansem's gone." Sora said.

"No. He currently resides in the castle within Kingdom Hearts. The Heartless recognized him as a creator and allowed him to take control. He's still weak, but he's slowly getting back his strength and powers."

"What did she mean by still obeying him?"

Ziddy opened her eyes. "I'm working for Ansem. I was sent to bring you to the door so he could destroy you and take control over the light as well."

Riku and Sora stepped back in shock.

"Now you see why she gave you her Keyblades?"

"Kairi, how could you-"

"Listen to what she has to say." Kairi demanded.

"Didn't you hear what she just said!?" Riku yelled in anger.

"Yes. And now you're going to listen to the rest of the story."

Kairi placed a hand on Ziddy's shoulder.

"When I was young, my father was unwillingly taken control of by Ansem. Ansem used my father to manipulate the Heartless. He even used the dungeons of the castle we lived in for his experiments. One day, he tried to experiment on my cousin and me. My cousin lived with us for a time. My father didn't allow Ansem to use me, but reached my cousin while Ansem was half way through the experiment. After that, my cousin moved far away to a small island where she befriended two young boys."

"Kairi?" Sora looked up at the red-headed girl in disbelief.

She nodded. "Ziddy is my cousin."

Ziddy continued. "A few weeks later, the Heartless completely consumed my father. That day, I was given a very special gift: the power of both light and darkness. It's an old prophesy. One that is born to great royalty but will lose it all. One that knows the greatest of love and will learn the greatest of loss. One that believes in such trust yet knows nothing but betrayal. One that will understand both the living and the dead, the heartfull and the heartless. One that will lead the true Keyblade master to the door of the light. One that will guard the door to the light. One that will change the fate of all powers of light and dark. The one. The only. So it is prophesized, so it shall be."

"Wh… what?" Sora stuttered.

"I was meant to guide the Keyblade to the door to the light. And I'm always supposed to protect it against you. Do you understand why I said the grey side now?"

Sora and Riku did not respond. This was all too much to take in.

"What about the room? You said you were trapped in the room with Kairi." Riku finally asked.

"That was my heart. The day I was given my gift was the day my heart was stolen by Necolekon."

"And the dream? With Kairi and the gold light?" Sora posed.

"That was me. I brought Kairi to Ansem that night. Well, my shell did at least."

"The spheres?"

"A love charm. Ansem must have cast it."

"Why?" Kairi asked.

"To make the betrayal more unbearable."

"Donald and Goofy?"

"I had nothing to do with that." Ziddy snapped. "That was all Ansem's dealing."

"Dealing? What do you mean dealing?" Sora grumbled.

Ziddy breathed deeply before answering. "Ansem made a deal with Adaman to get rid of Donald and Goofy because they were getting on his nerves."

Silence fell for a short time.

"Why?" Sora whimpered.

"It was the only way I was ever going to get my father back." Ziddy sobbed quietly.

"All this time, you were doing nothing but lying."

"Well I'm not lying now."

A few feet away, a small Heartless appeared. Ziddy nearly fell backwards upon seeing the Shadow.

"Ziddy, quanta sorro?" the Heartless asked.

"Ansem hescaba zinnia?" she asked in return.

"Telak."

"Mence." Ziddy whispered and from the palm of her hand came a ball of ice that shattered the tiny Heartless. "He'll send more once that one doesn't return. He'll come after me. He'll kill you two and take Kairi back to the room."

"Was anything you said the truth?" Riku spoke soft, his voice filled with pain.

Ziddy reached her arms out to Kairi. Kairi grabbed her cousin and helped her to her feet.

"Anything?" he repeated.

"You have to run." Ziddy stumbled as she attempted to stand on her own.

"We're not leaving you here." Kairi retorted.

"Like hell we aren't." Sora snapped.

"She's risking her life for you! She's giving up her father to save you!"

Ziddy motioned her to be silent and the young woman complied.

"Don't get caught. Whatever you do don't get caught. If Ansem finds you, it'll all be over." Ziddy reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial filled with green liquid. She handed the vial to Kairi. "Take this and use it if you get into any trouble. Just throw it down on the ground."

"Zid-"

"Kairi, do what I tell you please. Now, do you remember any words in the Heartless language?"

"What are you talking about?" Sora interrupted, but his question was ignored.

"I think so." Kairi answered.

"Kairi, are you mad?"

"Do you remember the rhyme we used to say when we were young?"

Kairi nodded.

"If you use the vial and they're still coming, say the rhyme. It'll make them go away."

"How?"

"I can't believe this." Riku said, becoming impatient.

"Just trust me."

"What's gonna happen to you?" Kairi asked, tears falling from her eyes.

"Oh, I'll be fine. With me, Ansem won't be able to focus mainly on you three. He'll be distracted, giving you just enough time to get away."

Kairi let go of Ziddy and moved over to Riku and Sora. Riku looked at Ziddy in such hatred and confusion and Sora did the same. Although he looked at her this way, it was not how Sora really felt. Somewhere inside, maybe unconsciously, he knew what Ziddy was doing for him and he thanked her for it. Even after she had explained everything, he could not hate her. But fear is a powerful thing that leads to confusion and hatred. So he looked at her like that, although it was not what he really felt.

"Think of it as the only dissent thing I've done for you guys since I came along." Ziddy smiled slightly.

Kairi touched the boys on the shoulders and they turned around. Riku felt his stomach drop. He wanted so to be mad at Ziddy for what she had done, but no matter what kind of act he put on outside, inside he could not lie to himself. Feeling that way felt wrong though; after everything she had done, he did not know how he could feel this way about her and that confused him. It scared him.

'It was only a love charm…' he kept telling himself, thinking it would help.

It didn't.
Ziddy watched as the three moved further away from her.

"I'm gonna be in so much trouble." Ziddy said to herself.

As soon as Kairi, Sora, and Riku were far enough away from her, Ziddy placed her hand on her heart.

"What's been kept safe inside of me… What doesn't belong, return to thee."

Ziddy's hand began to glow a bright red. Pulling her hand away slowly, something seemed to emerge from her chest. She faced her palm to the three, focusing on Sora. The red light pulsed in the young woman's hand. Letting out a quiet yelp of pain, Ziddy fired the red light toward Sora. The light traveled quickly to its destination. Sora fell forward as the light impacted with his body. He felt something begin to surge through his body, filling him with a heat he had not felt in months. The young man placed a hand on his chest and felt his heart beating within him.

Ziddy stumbled and her vision blurred. "Oh boy, that hurt."

Sora looked back at Ziddy and watched her fall to the earth.

"Ziddy!" Kairi yelled as she saw her cousin fall.

Heartless began to rise around Ziddy's unconscious body. Behind her, gold light appeared and a figure came forth from it. It stood over Ziddy in shock.

"What have you done?" it asked.

"Go, go, go!" Riku yelled, helping Sora to his feet.

Ansem watched as the three ran off down the path.

"Genn a san." He shouted and the Heartless began to chase down Kairi, Sora, and Riku. He looked back down at Ziddy and an expression of panic took over him. "What have you done?"

AN: Will they be caught? Will they get away? What will happen to Ziddy? Is this the end to Ansem's evil plot? Or just the beginning? You'll never know unless you keep reading! Mwha!