File 20: Night Of The Lunar Eclipse » Volume 1
Title is based on the video game, "Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse".
This story is finally back! Now this whole ghost trilogy will end and things can go back to normal. I really want to thank for those who have been reading this for over a year now. It really is a pleasure to be writing for this story.
Also, in case some do not know, I have made a new story called, "Our Lives Is Not a TV Show or Maybe". This time, the main character is Namine and different from this story. Check it out!
Now prepare for the longest chapter in the whole story!
Genre: Adventure/Romance
Disclaimer: The following characters of "Secret Agent Kairi" are from the video game, Kingdom Hearts. Square Enix and Disney rightfully own them. The setting-taking place in the story is original also and does not exist anywhere in Japan. The story, plot, and maybe some original characters are under my name. There will be some references to the game. Don't attempt to copyright.
Kairi, Yuffie, and Vincent walk out of the management office. As usual, everything seemed quiet. Time is not on their side this time as the lunar eclipse is approaching soon. Kairi questioned what are they going to do now. So many things seem to intertwine but nothing was leading her to find her missing father. Someone she hasn't seen years and barely remembers. Kairi just heads down the stairs without Yuffie and Vincent's consent feeling ominous. The three were supposed to head on up to meet Aerith and Cloud but Kairi did not want to go on. She just took a seat on the stairs holding onto the music sheet sighing. Yuffie walks to her side and sits with her. "What is going on Kairi? It is rare to see you sad and depressed."
"It's just… what are we supposed to be doing here? Why did we end up here?" she flailed. "I just don't get it."
"Kairi, you are not alone. We all are caught up in this mess," Yuffie advice patting her back. "We'll make it through. We are getting off this island one way or another."
"I want to see my dad after all these years. Maybe to even say goodbye if he is—"
"Don't say that!" Yuffie stopped. She knew what she was thinking and did not want her friend to think he is dead. "You don't know if he is. Just keep believing he is."
"My dad… I should believe you are alive and stuck somewhere on this island." Kairi stood up and said, "And we will find you and put in end to this curse!" she confidently said. Yuffie got on her feet looking at her.
"Corny but it works." The three then heard steps coming from above and got prepared to see what is coming. As the steps dawn near, they see two silhouettes. Yuffie bounces off the wall and onto the other kicking off a wall lamp and straight to the two black beings.
"Ow!" shouted a voice. One emerged to be Cloud and the other was Aerith. "What was that for?"
"Sorry," Yuffie apologized. "Quick reflex."
"You don't have against ghosts," Cloud reminded her. Not like there is some special training program at Kingdom Hearts.
"Anyways," Aerith interrupted. "Time is not on our side tonight and we need to get off this island, but before we can, we need to help set these spirits free from this misery."
"And how do we do that mom?" Kairi asked as her mom showed her a piece of something.
"By putting this mask back together and putting back on that ghost that started it all."
~ Secret Agent Kairi ~
Kairi and the others run down the stairs and while descending, the moans and cries of the ghost start to become more apparent now. All start to panic but continue down seeing ghost wandering around or coming towards them. Each avoids the attacks and is back on the first floor. Aerith, holding onto the key, runs back to the hallways where she and Cloud first explored. Her instincts were telling her that those big double doors would fit the key she has. While on the chase, she trips and drops it, sending it underneath a door. She cursed herself pounding the ground as Cloud picked her up.
"Don't worry, we will just knock down the door," Cloud reassured. Kairi goes to help him but the two are stopped when her mom stops them.
"Wait!" she yelled. She examined the door and felt a strange aura. It did not feel like when they encountered ghost. This one felt different. She squinted her eyes and a ghost emerged from the door. It is not ordinary ghost like the previous ones they encountered. It is a woman in red kimono floating of the ground and appeared to be a ghost with various ghostly faces appearing around her slowly approaching them. "Run!" Everybody runs away from the wicked ghost scared of what would happen.
Sora, Xion, Riku, and Namine travel the hospital as a group. Sora guided his friends staying in front holding the flashlight and flashing anything to see. No lights illuminated the place, besides the moon shining outside but it would slowly get dim. This is a sign that the lunar eclipse is approaching. It would seem they knew they had to do something. Soon, they heard footsteps like they were… running? Each try to find the source where it is coming from as it continues. A loud door slam made all look in one direction. "Is this where the noise is coming from?" Sora said looking at big double doors. He takes both handles but finds it lock. "Come on!" He struggled trying to open it but it would not budge or open.
"Sora! Listen," Xion told him. Sora put his ear on the door and heard familiar voices. One he knew quite well. "Kairi! Kairi! Are you there?!" he yelled.
"Kairi?" Riku said holding Namine hand. He liked the fact he was holding hers the whole time but knew it was for comfort. It didn't matter to him because he felt close to the girl. "She is on the other side of this door?"
"Sora?" said a faint voice. "Is that you?"
"Kairi! Open up the door!" Sora demanded.
"I can't—aahh!" she screamed.
"Kairi!" he shouted.
Kairi was in the hallway again trying to avoid the phantom in front of her. She hid in a room but it found her instead going after her. She threw countless things at it, but nothing worked. "Of course, you're a ghost. Things go right through you," she thought in her head being stupid. Where are the others? Well, after her mother yelled for them to run, each one got into a panic and just found the quickest escape route. Kairi just picked a random room in the same hallway and the ghost went after her. Kairi had to think quickly. She put a smirk on her face thinking of an idea. "Hey ugly! Get over here!" she provoked. It worked as it approached her leading Kairi to a dead end, but this was the idea. Kairi ran from the ghost, and as it gets close to her, she runs up the wall and pushes herself up causing her to flip from above. She then did a perfect landing and sticks her to tongue out to the female ghost. "Loser!" she laughed running off. "Better luck next time!"
Kairi opens the door and back into the main lobby of the sanatorium. She had to the others but heard whimpering already by the receptionist desk. She giggled inside knowing who it was. "Geez," she said approaching the desk. "I wonder who that could be?" The whimpering continued and look down across of the desk. "Could it be the ones who left me for dead?!" She saw Yuffie and Vincent cuddling each other in fear. The whimpering stopped and the two looked at each other for a second. Quickly, each released the grasp staring in the opposite of each other.
"N-nothing happened!" Yuffie told her.
"I didn't say that something did," Kairi replied.
"Yeah, but I know you. You were going to ask after."
"Yep, pretty much. So, where are mom and dad?"
"The other desk across from ours."
"You guys are such wimps," Kairi judged. How could they be acting like babies? This is not the first time they saw ghosts. "Get up mom and dad." Aerith and Cloud show themselves holding both hands. Kairi rolled her eyes when she heard a familiar sound. The five see the same red kimono ghost coming to them and quickly gathered.
"I have an idea," Cloud said running to an elevator, sliding each metal door revealing a gray metal column in the middle.
"That elevator does not work Cloud!" Aerith told him until she saw him open a hatch.
"We can go down from here climbing down using the wire in the middle."
"Kairi! Over here!" Aerith her daughter and followed Cloud as he goes down. She looked to see a dark abyss like there is no end to the pit.
"Aerith, lets go!" Aerith gets on her knees and slowly goes into the hatch taking a firm grip of the wire. She thought of keeping a loose grip on the wire but cringed at the idea she could get rope burn and knock off Cloud. Later, Kairi, Yuffie, and Vincent came waiting for room on the wire. Vincent came last and closed the hatch above. It now is pure darkness and Yuffie cried out a scream.
"Oh my god! I can't see!"
"Hold on," Cloud informed rummaging through his pockets. "I have a—" He suddenly dropped the flashlight, he could not see, but could tell he did. "Never mind."
"I think I have one myself," Kairi said rummaging through her pockets for a flashlight she found. She does and tries to find the switch. When she does, she flashes the place with her free hand while the other held onto the wire. "That is a long way down. I wonder where it leads to," she said examining it but found it useless because she still could not see anything, not even Cloud's flashlight seem to have not turned on. "Lets go you guys," she says as the five of them descend to the unknown.
Sora and the other were banging on the door as Sora went into defense and raging mood scared of what has or what happen to his girlfriend. "Urgh! Damn it," he shouted punching the door with his right. "Oww!" He shakes off the hand trying to massage it.
"Whoa! Wait Sora!" Xion held him back.
"Let…me… go!" he struggled. Man, Xion seemed to be strong. "I have to open this damn door!" Sora made a small jump kicking the swiftly like there is no tomorrow.
"Did you not hear what she said behind the door. 'Better luck next time' and ran off," she said comforting him. "Did you not hear that?"
"No, I think I was too busy trying to knock down this door." Xion rolled her eyes.
"Obviously we won't open this door without a key, but we do not have time. I have a feeling we will see the others again."
"Lets head on out," Riku suggested. "We did agree to meet back at the lighthouse and that is what we should do." Now, the question is, where is the entrance? They have been running around spontaneously that not one of them remember which way they came from. "I do not remember which way is which." Sora used his flashlight looking at the place. Not a single ghost in sight gave good news. He started to walk to who knows where, and thinks. He later comes across the electricity room. The label on the door said so.
"Hmm…" Sora opens the door and looks at the place. Like the other rooms, nothing has been touched for years. There has been no power since they came in. He looks for a power box wondering if it would still works; that is if there is one. All is quiet and Sora knew something is always off when it is. Later, he founds the box all dusty and opens it having a web stretch out. He hated spiders and he shivered down his spine as his hand goes through the web flicking on each switch. The lights had turn on, but not to the max. Some lights flickered on and off and each one was dim lighted.
"Hello!" A ghost, who looked like a doctor, suddenly appeared from below in front of Sora sending off to the ground dropping his flashlight.
"Shit!" he cursed. The doctor ghost slowly approached him like a zombie. Sora backed up and finally gets on his feet grabbing his flashlight. He runs off shutting the door and tells his friends to run somewhere. "Time we get out of here!"
"What? Is it another ghost?" Riku asked.
"Why yes." Sora turned around to see the same bastard that scared him. His friends screamed running off with Sora behind. With each passing doorway, a ghost would appear trying to grab one of them. If one were to touch, he or she would slap their hand off despite it being something not of this world. Again, they come across the crossroads from before when they entered and stopped. Ghouls were coming from every direction. All of them were in a circle frighten. Sora randomly thought of using the elevators running to one, pressing the button. The door immediately opens and Sora tells his friends to get in. Xion, Riku, and Namine follow his orders as the door closes and Sora backs up a little unaware he just hit one of the buttons. "I think we are safe."
The elevator shakes a little and starts to move. "Sora, what button did you press?" Riku asked. Sora looks behind him and sees he pressed the button to the basement. Riku recalled something from before. "Didn't one of the articles say there is a path underneath here leading to the ritual site?" Everyone's eyes widen realizing the elevator they took was sending them to the ritual site.
~ Secret Agent Kairi ~
Kairi and her family, including Vincent, were still going down the wire. It felt like they have been at this for ten minutes when it really was five. It seemed there is no end to this but she thought how long can she hold onto to this. It was then she heard sounds coming from above. She was not the only one that heard it.
"What was that?" Yuffie asked. It continued and Yuffie asked Vincent. "Vincent, is that coming… from above." He did not respond. "Vincent!"
"Hold on! I'm listening! Keep it quiet," he snapped. He heard it all right and it was coming from above. He could not point what kind of sound it was. It was neither the sound of a ghost or footsteps or anything. Vincent kept on thinking and a light bulb flashed. "I think it's… the sound of metal." Everyone looked at each other and realized they were not safe in this hellhole anymore.
"Of crap, we should hurry!" Kairi ordered as she starts to go down faster as did the others. As they were, the sound of wires breaking apart could be heard. Kairi knew the elevator might come down any minute and there is no time to waste. The wire then shook scaring her loosening her grip but she held on tight. That is until she felt that she was floating in air and that Vincent and Yuffie came falling down hitting Kairi, Aerith, and Cloud in the process. She screamed scared she could die including the others. She was facing down holding the flashlight and saw the ground. Cloud hit it first, followed by her mother, herself, Yuffie and Vincent. They were all piled on each other.
"What… happened?" Cloud asked feeling crushed.
"I don't know," Kairi said but heard something coming down, fast. "We have to get out of here!"
"What?!" Yuffie said.
"Just get out!" Vincent gets out first and pulls out Yuffie. Kairi tries to regain her balance getting off her mom and pulling her out. Cloud looked above and saw the elevator approaching for his impending death.
"Cloud!" He looked to see Aerith holding her hand out and takes it as she pulls him out. The time he gets the out, the elevator crashes to the ground in ruin sounding a huge sound through the Cloud tries to catch his breath standing up. Kairi gets up and from what it seems, they look like they were underground. She looks to her side and sees a small river going into the island. She looks to see where it was coming from and saw it lead to the ocean. Though, she thought there is no point in going out if they found an underground path. She looks at her reflection, barely seeing it, and saw a few scars. She looks behind her and saw small wounds on the others stained with blood. Their clothes were now dirty from the dust of dirt.
"I think we should take a break," she said taking a seat by the small river. She goes through her pocket looking for her cellphone and pulls it out. She looks to if there is reception but there isn't. She looked at the time and saw it is almost eleven. She figured the lunar eclipse would happen at midnight.
Hayner, Pence, and Olette pout near the lighthouse waiting for the others but there was no sight of them. "Where are they?" Hayner said kicking dirt. He was getting impatient worried what would of happen. He looks down on the ground when he saw something move at the corner of his eye. He saw something move in that small window of the door leading into the lighthouse. He goes to open it but sees nothing but a long spiral staircase attached to a column in the middle it lead both down and up, but he did not want to find what it leads downstairs.
"Hayner!" Olette said following him in. "What are you doing?" She notices him going up the staircase. "Are you crazy?! It would take a long time if you were to reach to top." Hayner ignored her seeing something or someone heading on up. "Pence, we mine as well follow Hayner." Pence came in as the three start to climb up. Along the past few minutes, Olette tries to talk to some sense into Hayner. "Listen Hayner, why are we heading up?"
"I saw something," he answered. "Plus, don't you find it weird why is the light at the top on? I want to see what is up there."
"Leave it to Hayner to always find something," Pence pointed out. It appeared to be a huge flight of stairs heading up. Not one thinks how long they would take other than the fact it would become a tiring task.
Ten minutes later…
Olette and Pence were wheezing tired of climbing. "Hayner! Do we have to do this?" Olette asked once again. Hayner kind of grew tried of his friend whining and stopped facing towards them. Their only break stops were when the stairs would lead to one full concrete floor. Right now, they could see the top thanks to the small lights on the wall. Sometimes, they would encounter a small piece of the stairs broken, one that they could not reach. Lucky, there another set of stairs attached to the walls that make an excellent route. However, they would encounter the same problem and head back the stairs in the middle and so on.
"Olette, put a cork in it!" he snapped. "You and Pence could have stayed at the entrance. You made this far so do not let me down." He looked down below and then up. They were half there and he planned on going still. He did not break a sweat. He is surprised Pence made it this far considering his weight. Pence put his hands on his knees catching his breath. A quick slash sliced in front of him shocked to see something sliced the handle bar.
"Pence!" Olette grabs him holding him in her arms when a ghost with an axe looks the three. They look at each other when the psycho ghost runs towards them as they run up. The ghost takes another swing at Pence, since he is last, but misses. Olette screamed at the sound of the axe striking the wall. The three run up the stairs, and while one would hope they could fight back, they couldn't because there is no point. Anyways, they continue to run up and despite the pain, they persevere holding on. They hold to take detours thanks to a section broken off and repeat this process.
After a few minutes, Pence looks back to see no one are behind. "Wait!" he screamed with his voice echoing.
"We are almost there Pence!" Olette told. "Almost there!" she looked to see the lights rotating and looked at Pence. He did the same in return and went ahead. Hayner heads to the top and sees broken windows and glass at the sight. He saw the rotating lights and covered his face when it would flash him. He looked at the view and saw the ocean, the island, and the cruise ship below from him. He gripped on the railing and looked up to see a crescent moon, but knew it really was not. Olette and Pence appear behind him with Olette helping him walk.
"Finally! We are at the top!" she said. She looks at Pence's watch and it read: 11:20 p.m. She lets go of Pence while he takes out the piece of the mask and looks at it. He looks up to see the same ghost from before, sending him off the railing. Hayner and Olette look behind to see him screaming and hanging onto the ledge.
"Guys! Help me!!!" he shouted. His friends come to his aide bending down taking one of his arms. As they tired to pull him up, Olette accidentally lets him slip from her grip. "Our souvenir!" He dropped the piece of the mask as it fell into the ocean.
"You're life is more important man!" Hayner told him struggling to hold him with two hands. "Olette!" Olette tries to reach for his other hand but his hand would slip when she would.
"Olette! Grab my hand!"
"I would if your hands weren't so sweaty!" she told him.
~ Secret Agent Kairi ~
Kairi wipes her hands in the small river when she saw her mom. "I'm fine," she stiffly said.
"You don't seem like it," she replied.
"Yeah, well, we have gone through so much that I rather be at home now."
"Look, if this is about your—"
"This is not about dad!" she interrupted. Aerith looked at her daughter roughly washing her hands and her hands. "I just… I mean, you tell me he has been here before and not a single trace of him has been found besides diary entries," she said and took up a piece of something. "And this stupid thing." Kairi threw it to the ground. "Its useless since it is only a piece of a mask." Aerith picks it up and remembered she had a piece. She gets it out of her pocket and pieces the two together. It fitted perfectly. She smiled but looked at her daughter. She put the pieces away and hugged her from behind. She could hear her sniveling.
"Kairi… I know you miss your dad. I do too you know." Kairi turned to face her shedding small tears.
"I just want my dad back! To see him again would mean the world to me!" she told her. "Did you know I wished to see him one day every birthday? I knew the story you told me, but in some way I wished I could." Kairi cried on her mom's chest. Aerith wrapped her arms around her comforting her child. Behind the scene, Cloud could not help but feel hurt. Kairi wasn't his daughter and wished he were. He always wanted to have a child of his own, but he didn't. This was the closest he got and the feeling felt real too.
Aerith continued to console Kairi and noticed something in the water. She slowly lets go of Kairi and picks it up. It was another piece of the mask but how did it get here she thought. Now there was one piece left and the whereabouts were unknown. "Kairi, I need you to be strong. We have gone this far and you can't go feeble on us." Kairi nodded taking her words wiping her eyes. "Lets go." Kairi keeps close to her mom walking by her side and lights the way.
Later on…
Kairi and the others explore the tunnels trying to see where it goes. Yuffie and Vincent stayed side by side walking and Cloud was last. No lights were around but the flashlight in her hands did that to help navigate the place. She stayed in front looking at the place. As the minutes pass and she flings her flashlight around, she saw a door. She points back to see big double doors. She leaves her mom's side gripping the handles looking down on it. She begins to open it as it slowly moved but the sound that went 'ding!' made her let go and turn back. An elevator opens it and she holds her breath wondering whom it is. The doors open and she saw Sora. "Sora!" she ran to hug him.
"Kairi!" It is a special reunion for seeing him again. "I was so worried about you!"
"So was I!" She felt relieved to see them again. She looks behind him to see Xion, Riku, and Namine too. She lets go of Sora and says, "I'm glad you guys made it." Namine runs to her hugging her. Someone missed her as much as Sora. "Good to see to Namine."
"What about to you guy?" Xion asked examining how they looked.
"Oh this," Kairi said referring to her scar. "This is just a scratch. Now, let me open these doors." She continued to open them and what is revealed is a circle and light shining down from beyond. There were four torches around the circle creating the shape of a square. In the light, there is something laying on the ground. Kairi walks to it but Sora stops her thinking something might happen. She tells him its okay and goes into the middle. She looks down to see an item on the ground. It is the final piece of the mask. She picks it up and examines it.
"Kairi!" Sora shouted. Kairi looks up to see the same ghost they have been playing cat and mouse with. Frighten, Sora had to pull her away as they leave. Cloud and Riku close the doors as everyone exits. They all back up when it goes through the door.
"Lets get out of here!" Vincent pointed out as the group runs off in some random direction. They come across a maze as the flooring changed into cement like a sidewalk. "Great…"
"Where do we go?!" Xion yelled.
"How bout this way?" Yuffie said. They followed her and what seemed to be a great idea leads them to a dead end. Another ghost, a normal one, emerged and they run off. Everyone felt like the Scooby-Doo gang and those chase scenes in the cartoons, which is what it seemed like. Turn after turn, dead end after another, and going back once seeing the red kimono ghost just kept on happening over and over. Finally, after what seemed to be a ten-minute chase, Kairi found a door. She opens to see a spiral staircase as everyone goes up.
Hayner and Olette were on the floor catching their breath after pulling up Pence up from his close death encounter. "After we get out of here, I'm so taking you to the gym."
"I wish I brought my camera for this moment," Pence said.
"This is one memory I do not want to remember," Olette told her friends. She got up looking around the place. "Hey, I see a ladder." She saw it on the other side of the lights and heard Pence groan and said, "Yes, we are going. Now am curious what is above us." She got up and pulled Hayner and Pence up. She goes ahead of the boys and walks forward of the walkway. Once she gets to the ladder, she climbs up and the boys followed her. As she reaches the top, she saw that there is a something. "Is that a piano? Or an orchestra?" she asked getting on the ground. Hayner comes out as did Pence and see the same thing as her. Also, it felt like there were in a cage. Metal bars made it up.
"What is it doing here?" Pence asked. It looks like the piano or orchestra was like in a shrine. Lanterns were hanging from each edge point lighted up. He went up the small steps and examined it. Later, the three heard large footsteps approaching below. "Oh no! More ghosts!" Olette runs to the ladder and looks down but see her friends. "Guys! Up here!"
"Olette!" Kairi called out grabbing on the ladder. It appeared she and the others were in a hurry. Olette got out of the way as now the place is filling up the place.
"How did you guys get here?" Olette asked Kairi.
"I don't know. We were running away from this ghost the whole time and found these set of staircase. We went up and continued as the stalker psycho ghost continued to chase us. And now that is why we are here."
"Funny, we had the same issue when ascending this lighthouse from a ghost with an axe," Hayner told them. Kairi then noticed the something.
"There is an organ on top here?" she said going to it.
"That's an organ?" Pence said feeling dumb. Kairi looked at it feeling the keys of the organ with her hands. She started to plug in something in her head and almost forgot she had another item in her pocket. She takes out the music piece, "The Lunar Melody", and puts it on the organ and takes a seat. Playing the organ, she had some lessons, but not much. "What are you doing?" Pence asked.
"Playing," she replied. "I think this will end this whole madness of this god forsaken island."
~ Secret Agent Kairi ~
Meanwhile, Aerith tries her attempts to putting the mask together but failed. She knew the pieces fit together but it would not even stay together. Where is the glue when you need it? She looks to see the lunar eclipse already setting in and then felt the hairs on her back stand. It was that feeling again she had from before. "Everyone! Stay by the organ where Kairi is!" she ordered. She trails behind last as the ghost chasing them the whole time appears in front of everyone.
"Kairi! The damn ghost is here! Do something!" Yuffie demanded.
"Can you jus wait?!" Kairi moved her fingers trying to remember which key is which. Yes, she played it on the piano only but the organ and piano are the same… right? She decided to take chances, looked at the music sheet and pressed the first key, but it was the wrong one. She looked behind her to see the specter in mid air approaching them.
"Damn it!" Aerith yelled. "What does it take to put you together?!" Again, she felt another presence, but this one felt different. She looked at her surroundings but saw nothing besides the spirit in the air. She felt something touch her hands when light illuminates in front of her. She felt blind and when it faded, she saw that the mask is fixed.
"Now do it," said a familiar voice.
"Zack?" she looked but did not see him. Was that really he? Is he here somewhere watching them over? She snaps out of it and goes to her daughter pushing everyone out of the way. "Kairi! The mask is put together!" she said but then looked at what she was doing. "What is this?!"
"Remember when I was young, you taught me this." Aerith looked at the title of the music sheet and recognized it.
"But you barely played on the organ."
"Let me just concentrate!" she begged. She closed her eyes and put her hands and fingers on the keys. She opens them and looks at the music sheet again. She begins to press on the one of the keys and continued. Everything feels silence except the fact the organ is playing. The ghost stopped and everyone noticed. A small pause came as Kairi played the organ. Then unexpectedly, a gush wind passes through almost sending everyone off. Everyone stayed together as the moans and cries of the ghost come out with her face covered in bright white light. Kairi continues to play until the end. Once she stopped at the end, she grabbed the mask from her mom and ran towards the spirit.
"Kairi!" Aerith yelled. Something in her gut told her to put back the mask on, knowing it would end everything. She runs fighting the strong gust of wind but trips and drops the mask. Everyone gasped and Kairi begins to reach for it, someone else appears grabbing it. She looked up and did not know him until she saw spiky black hair with an aura of light picking up the mask. Cloud and Aerith eyes widen realizing who the person is. Cloud begins to feel lightheaded and slowly falls down. Everything was coming back to him now.
Zack and Cloud run up the stairs of the lighthouse running from a group spirits with weapons. They missed the usual ghost that was chasing them. At least that one did not have weapons to harm them. "Watch out!" Zack pushed Cloud as arrows were shot into the wall. Especially weapons that are long range. "Lets go!" Zack grabbed Cloud as they head on up. Once they reach the top, Zack just knocks down the door and closes it shut. There is no contact and no help they could reach and were alone. Everybody is dead and getting almost killed every time single time they encountered phantoms. "I think we are good."
"What about us?" Cloud asked. "We are heading nowhere. You are leading us to a dead end. There is only one way in and out of this place."
"Not entirely," Zack replied looking out into the ocean and down below. He looked thinking math on where and what angle should they jump to get off this lighthouse. He is good at math and was a math wiz in high school. He also had to consider that he and Cloud were close to a cliff, or on a cliff. There are rough waters by the rocks. "We can jump but not at this side. There rocks below."
"We are on a cliff," Cloud pointed out. "There are rocks and killer waves of water." The two stopped talking until Cloud spoke up again. "What about your wife and daughter? Have you considered about them this whole time?" he asked. Zack did not respond but a minute later, he did.
"Yes Cloud. I have, the whole time we have been here. Come on, we knew what stakes were."
"Yeah but, ghosts and killers were not in the report I read. It was supposed to be just an investigation. Anyways, what do you expect to happen in the future if we do not make it?"
"I hope that my daughter becomes a wonderful women who has a man she can depend and stay with the rest of her life. To also become intelligent and strong where others can rely on. I also have faith in my wife Aerith to take care of her, even without a father figure in her life. And to… find someone else who makes her happy and adventure."
"Huh, being in Kingdom Hearts Zack, I'm sure the others will help her raise Kairi," Cloud told him.
"Hey, if I don't make it and you do, please look after them," Zack offered. Cloud knew he could not turn that down. It was like Zack's dying wish. He nodded his and gladly accepted it. Cloud would say something to him too in case he does not make it and Zack lives, but he could not think of anything. After all, he left his home and family to be in the agency. Cloud got out of his thoughts when he heard their friends coming up the steps. He told Zack and the two run far, but not really, and find a ladder. Each goes up and found no exit. Zack checks at some of the sides and found a spot where they could jump off. It is close to the beach and it should be deep enough to dive in.
"I think is good enough," he said climbing on the ledge and holding on a bar. Cloud did the same and looked down.
"Can I say I'm afraid of heights?" he asked making Zack laugh.
"Don't worry. We just jump off and dive correctly. That we—urgh!" Zack was push back and back on the ground.
"Zack!" Cloud goes after him but an invisible force pushes him off, this time off this his demise but hanged on. "Damn it! What the hell is going on?!" He could not see what is happening as he was really hanging on to dear life. He heard Zack struggling and fighting and wondered what is going up there. He tries to bring himself up but still felt weak. "I should hit gym more often!" He groaned trying lift himself up and slowly but surely, he begun to life himself up. He pulls up on the ledge holding the metal bar shaking.
"Cloud! Get out of here!" Zack yelled. "Aah!" Cloud saw Zack struggling using one of the metal pipe as the specter proved to be stronger when he got send to a set of steps of a shrine in the area. "Just go!"
"But—"
"You lived!" Zack was out of breath gasping for air as sweat drenched his face. "Now go!" Cloud does not look and turns to see the deep drop to the ocean. He closed his eyes and opens looking back and saw Zack the phantom charge at each other. He closes his eyes and jumps off using the swan dive heading into the rough ocean waters. Once he hits the waters, he swims back for air but is welcomed by waves and that was the last thing he remembered.
Cloud was unconscious in the water holding onto driftwood. A boat comes by him with the label on the side saying: Kingdom Hearts. Helicopters came near the area sending its winds to the waters and the sound of the propellers woke him up. He slowly begins to open his eyes and saw a few people having on the side of the boat about to bring him aboard. He gets pulled onboard and takes a seat on the ground given a towel for heat and comfort. He could even see his breath since it was cold. He saw a woman with blue hair approached him and he looked above. "Agent Strife, we are pleased to see you in peace. Where is Agent Fair?" she asked.
"Agent Fair?" he asked.
"Yes, he was assigned to you to do the mission."
"I'm sorry, but I don't who he is or what the mission was." The women stared him tapping her shoe thinking of a solution.
"Uh-huh… please file in a missing person report and send a search team to the island," she ordered one of the people by her, who appeared to be her assistant. "Agent Strife is given the classic case of amnesia but the only thing he does not remember is last night only. Got that?" she asked.
"Um, yes Aqua, I mean Miss Toyoguchi," her assistant replied. The blue haired women, supposedly named Aqua, put her hands on both sides of her hips sighing.
"How do we tell Aerith about this?"
Kairi looks to see the man walk up to the ghost and places the mask on her face stopping the harsh gusts. All went quiet and Kairi continued to look at the man, whom did not turn to face her but stayed in front of the spirit. She slowly gets up still looking at the man as Cloud and Aerith appear by her side looking at him.
~ Secret Agent Kairi ~
Olette, look to side in front where she can see the ocean staring at the lunar eclipse and noticed something going on in the waters. She walks off and holds the guarding rail. She narrows her eyes seeing that the lunar eclipse made a huge hole in the ocean and saw water-going in. "Hey you guys! Look over here!" Everyone gathered around the railing looking over yonder trying to see as they formed a line and had to look over the person in front. Soon, small orbs of light begin to fly above the island like butterflies. Each guessed it was the spirits of all the dead spirits on the island. Soon, they all started to come towards the lighthouse. No one panics as all of them come but not to them. It goes into the spirit that man put the mask on and up into the black starless night going to the left.
The sight was actually scenic to watch as the orbs had a tail like a comet. It looked like a bunch of shooting stars traveling across with the lunar eclipse in sight. Pence rummaged through his pockets and found one. "Oh, so I did have mines the whole time!" He had an expensive one, so the quality would be HD. He positions the camera and takes the picture. He felt satisfy as the picture turned out great. All the spirit goes into the hole, the Otherworld. Everyone felt at ease knowing there is now peace.
Kairi looks at the sight with Aerith and Cloud's hands on her shoulders. Once all the orbs of light were gone, the spirit she turned into one as the mask dropped on the floor. The man grabbed the mask and turned to face the three.
"Zack," Cloud and Aerith both said. Kairi looked at both adults and on the spiky black hair man.
"Dad? Is that really… you?" she asked.
"Kairi," Zack said. Kairi felt tears coming in her eyes and runs towards him. What surprised her was that she did not go through him. Kairi laughed at the thought. It was like he is actually alive. Is he? Her friends turn to watch the scene. Some did not know what was going on or who the guy was but only Yuffie and Vincent knew.
"Are you really here?" she asked. "Not some illusion. Don't tell me your—" Zack hugged his daughter tight as the light around him begin to fade. "Dad…" The tears finally broke out of her eyes and down her cheeks. "I missed you so much!" she begins to sob crying in his arms and chest.
"But how?" Aerith asked. She felt a little surprise when she saw her husband look at her still holding onto Kairi. The question still floated in her head. Is he dead and just her a spirit?
"Are you alive or dead Zack?" Cloud asked. A long silence moment followed as Zack looks at his wife Aerith and friend Cloud. The others did not say anything but continue to watch the scene. Kairi continue to cry but her sobs begun to die down and she looked up.
"Answer the question dad. Are you?" she asked looking at in the eyes. Zack looked at her eyes. She looked like a crying puppy with the look on her face. "If so, how are you alive?"
"To tell you the truth, I have been alive for years," he finally answered.
"What?" Cloud said in disbelief.
"Look, I know it is hard to believe but that night when you jumped off… I… she, the spirit somehow trapped me, using me to lure people. It was not for evil use. It was to free everyone out of pain and suffering and I would be granted freedom if it did happen." Kairi felt like this whole thing is a fake. Moments like this sound like out of a movie. "So yes, I'm really here and ecstatic to have meet my daughter again."
"Oh dad!" she begun to cry.
"Its okay sweetie. Its okay," Zack comfort. Aerith slowly walks to the two about to cry in tears.
"I can't believe it is you. You are… really here," she said. Zack took her in as she joined the tearful reunion. They were a family again. The others around felt like crying themselves. There were a few sobbing and sniffling going around. "It really fells great to be back in your arms again Zack."
"Me too," he happily said. Zack then noticed Cloud standing by himself. "Cloud, man! Come over here!"
"Me?" he asked. "I don't think I should intrude this."
"You should because you are part of this. You did what I asked you to do, so come over here," he offered. Cloud smiled and joined on it. The four of them were now hugging as the moon finally starts to move again. The sound of nearby helicopter came as it emerged in front. In plain sight, they saw Leon and Terra.
"Heeyy! We came to rescue you!" Leon shouted. Kairi, Aerith Zack, and Cloud smiled in return finally happy helped came. "Is that you Zack I see?"
"Zack? Where?" Terra said. "Oh hey man! Where have you've been this whole time?!"
"Trapped!" Zack replied.
"Hey, meet us down because we are not getting on the chopper from here," Aerith told him.
"Roger that! Pilot, bring us down," Leon ordered.
"Finally, we are together," Kairi told her parents and Cloud. "A whole family." She closed her eyes feeling the warm bodies surrounding her. She got her birthday wish. She finally got to her dad by her side. So many things filled her head on how he should catch up the passed years. All in all, she just felt relived to have her dad, getting off this island and that her friends are okay. Well, except for her and felt sympathy for the people who lost their lives on this night. She just hoped no one got scarred for life from this experience.
Damn! The longest chapter I have ever written in my life! I did not want to break up this chapter again and I did not want to delete any of the scenes you guys have read. It was all just important. I know there are a few plot holes but this ghost storyline is now wrapped up! It is time to move on and other things.
There are five chapters left in volume one and I promise you won't be disappointed when I start to bring in Aqua and Ventus into the story. Each story will start to unravel and new ones will rise. Some things might shock you in the end and it will be more action oriented. I know you readers you want that!
If you want spoilers, on the last five, go to my page and go to the bottom for the synopsis for Files 21 – 25! Go now if you want to!
Thanks for reading this chapter and review please!