The Uprising

Okay, now that we've crossed that long nearly 3,000 word bridge of Chapter 16, it is time to move onto Chapter 17, which I am actually really excited for. In case you are in need of a recap, Kairi is still on Destiny Islands, struggling to remember her past life due to Namine's memory manipulation, although before the whole Aros incident, she had been secretly working on reversing it, leading to Kairi recovering not only memories of Sora and Riku, but also of life on Radiant Garden. Whew! Speaking of Aros, I've decided to give him black hair because I decided I really like Vanitas. And let's not forget about our twisted Loyalist faction which consists of the scheming Zexion, his closest cohorts (the ever-quiet Lexaeus and the Darkness-wielding Riku), Vexen Replica Number 44, Saix, and Xigbar! Okay, I think we're all up to speed now…

Oh, and please imagine Kairi as she appeared in Kingdom Hearts II… I hate her original design…

You all know the drill . . . Don't sue me or steal my work (I don't own the characters, but I do own my ideas) because neither will work out for your benefit.

!_!

Zexion meditated in his study, lights dimmed and lexicons lying open around him. His lips muttered incantations and weaved illusions, evidenced by his glowing purple eyes and the similarly luminescent ancient symbols revolving around his sitting form. Even now the Schemer could feel his power growing. In his mind's eye he saw the army of Lesser Nobodies he had summoned through mysticism pace the corridors of Castle Oblivion and felt time slow down and speed up in his wake. Levitating above the floor, his books swirling around him in a cyclone surrounded by the hieroglyphics, Zexion further fortified his keep. Illusions weaved themselves around Castle Oblivion, obscuring it from view and detection, making the memory fortress invisible to those who did not know how to find it. At last Lexaeus silently entered the room, signaling his master to end his flex over reality and return to the solid ground beneath him.

"Xigbar has been prying in the archives once more."

Zexion sighed, telepathically stacking his lexicons and taking a seat at his desk. "I feared as much. He is far too unpredictable to control and his loyalty lies only with himself. It's only a matter of time before his treachery backfires on our plan. Saix too will one day cease to be useful when it becomes clear that I have no intention of releasing Xemnas." The Silent Hero's face hardened as he further explained the Freeshooter's unusual behavior until a dark figure blocked the light coming through the doorway.

"My lord," Riku entered, his dark keyblade in hand. Zexion smirked thoughtfully, taking a liking to Riku's thick flattery. "I've brought the data you requested." The wielder of darkness laid out a wide assortment of files, data projectors, flash drives, and most importantly a vial containing a single red strand of hair. With a wave of his hand, the Cloaked Schemer organized his desk. Grinning, Zexion brought the vial to his face, examining it carefully.

"Go fetch Number 44. We have an experiment to run."

"A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory. A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream. I want to line the pieces up... yours and mine."

Kairi was falling through the darkness, its vast liquid expanse swallowing her. Flashes of remembrances played through her head: the familiar woman in blue battling strange creatures, a blonde girl drawing in a room as white as snow, and finally a sunset, the most beautiful the princess had ever seen, being watched by three figures cloaked in black. The stream of memories was becoming more and more constant, so much so that Kairi could no longer dismiss them as simple dreams. More visions came: a girl with short black hair smiling followed by the ever-recurring brunette and platinum-haired teens that sat on the sandy beach.

What do they mean? She continued her descent, her falling upside-down body righting itself before landing on a hidden platform, back-to-back with a young woman, who had similarly been grounded. Kairi tried to turn to see this mysterious figure, but found she didn't have the willpower to move. The Princess of Heart stifled a gasp as doves spiraled from the empty ground, revealing a beautiful stained glass window.

Her Dive into the Heart had begun.

Don't be afraid. Step forward. Your hearts have connected you to one another; now let them guide you to salvation.

Kairi moved forward as the mysterious voice instructed, truly looking at the Station of Awakening for the first time. One half of the pillar contained the sleeping image of herself and was mostly a dark pink in coloration. The outer circle-filled border contained the familiar crown worn around the neck of the brunette in her dreams. Sora. On the opposite side, upside-down compared to the Princess of Heart, was the all too familiar likeness of the blonde girl, her half was a silvery-blue, the border made up of Nobody insignias. In the larger disk between the young women were representations of those most strongly connected to their linked hearts: Sora, the platinum-haired adolescent, the woman with blue hair, a cloaked teenager with short black hair, and finally a boy with a spiky light colored mane that Kairi had never seen before, but was obviously on the blonde girl's side of the station. Beneath this was a seaside home on Kairi's half, morphed into Castle Oblivion on the adjacent portion.

Kairi turned, suddenly in total control of her body, to face the other entity and wasn't surprised to see the girl represented on the pillar. "Who are you?" She wore a plain white dress that went down to her slender thighs and simple blue sandles. She looked just as puzzled as Kairi was. The girl spoke, almost in awe. "I'm Namine… I never thought I'd meet you…" Upon seeing the confusion on her other's face, the witch elaborated. "It's a long story. Think of me as another part of you. I've… I've been the one bringing your memories back… And I'm the one that messed them up in the first place." Kairi was silent as her companion explained what she could of her situation. "There is one thing I don't understand, though." She concluded, her eyes betraying her inner sadness. "The voice said we're here because our hearts connected, but that's impossible… As I don't have one." The voice interrupted them once more before Kairi could respond.

The Door is shut, but it shall not remain so. The darkness can always find a way to return to its source. Summon the power sleeping within you and give it form. Only through the Keys can the fate of the worlds be decided.

"The power within me…?" Kairi clenched her fist and brought it up to her chest. Concentrating on the light inside of her and the memories of Sora and the blue-haired woman, she summoned her keyblade, heralded by a flash of illumination. It was beautifully designed after Destiny Islands, but that did not mean it was ineffective. "This time… I'll fight." Kairi smiled as she swung her floral weapon. No more would she be helpless and totally dependent on Sora and… And Riku. She could protect herself this time, unless of course she woke up, finding that this was just another one of her elaborate dreams. Namine on the other hand was having no success at summoning the power within. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, arm outstretched and fingers wiggling with anticipation. After a few moments, she pursed her lips and ceased her attempt, sighing in exasperation. "It doesn't work. I suppose I'm just lacking on 'the power within.'" Kairi bit her lip thoughtfully and extended her hand, palm up, summoning a beam of pure light cutting through the nothingness. When the ray dispersed, the islander held something tightly in her grasp. "Here," She said closing Namine's hand over her own. "This might help." In the Nobody's hand lay a new good luck charm, a Wayfinder woven from the fabric of light. It took on the appearance of pure white Thalassa shells. "It's a good luck charm." The princess smiled warmly at her other, and Namine truly saw how she could have a heart of pure light.

"It's no wonder he loves you."

Once again the voice interrupted their conversation.

There will be times that you must defend yourselves. The Shadow lingers amongst your light. It cannot be destroyed, just as Light cannot be consumed by the Darkness; however you have the power to keep the it at bay.

Bestial Shadows rose from the stained glass platform, twitching and writhing as they came towards the girls. Kairi instinctively swung her weapon, taking out a line of foes which were quickly replaced by a new line of Heartless. The Princess of Heart stepped in front of her Nobody, protecting her from the oncoming adversaries. Namine watched defenseless and continued to try to summon "the power within." This system continued with only a few minor hitches until Kairi raised her hand, sending out a destructive shaft of light that cut through the Heartless with ease, reducing each to an inky puddle. Namine was the first to break the silence.

"Thank you, but I fear that was far too easy."

Namine's dread was not without reason, as shortly afterwards the dark liquefied remains of the Heartless took shape once more. Rising from the depths was a small army of Neoshadows, convulsing in place and preparing to take out the two dreaming maidens. Kairi held her keyblade outstretched, keeping the creatures of darkness at bay. One brave Heartless ignored her warning and lunged forward, slicing through the surface of the islander's exposed leg. A flow of dark crimson blood dripped onto the once flawless glass stage. Kairi cried out in pain and immediately surged into battle, parrying the swiping claws and taking advantages of openings.

Namine, now left defenseless, screamed as a Neoshadow tackled her, pinning her to the ground. Its blue veins and shining eyes pulsed with the power of Darkness as the Nobody tried to free herself from its grip. Snarling, the beast slowly opened its jagged mouth, revealing a long repulsive tongue that thrash about in the maw of the monster. As it leaned in for the kill, Namine closed her eyes and pushed away her fear, knowing that if she could not, her existence would be forfeit. Releasing all of the rage and frustration built up inside of her, the witch twisted her feet from the grasp of the other foes and brought up between herself and the assailant, crying out in relief as she kicked the brute into the air and away from her body. As the Neoshadow sailed in the opposite direction, chains materialized from the expanse of Nothingness and wrapped themselves around the flying creature, binding its flailing limbs and were unyielding as it rolled off of the edge of the station.

Breathing heavily, Namine evaded more attacks and watched in awe as a limitless staircase appeared spiraling up into the obscurity, each silver ethereal step unattached to anything. Pulling Kairi by the hood, she led her Somebody upward, the Neoshadows trailing not far behind. The Princess of Heart took the lead, knocking the spawning Heartless from their path, while Namine attempted to control her newfound powers. They continued up the twisting incline, knowing that they could not return to the now darkened stage below. An advancing Neoshadow clawed at the exposed heel of Namine's foot, causing her to stumble. A small band of Heartless took the opportunity and lunged at her fallen form. Shrieking with fear, the Nobody held her arm out in protection, only to spawn a host of dark chains that shot out in front of her. Many Neoshadows were immediately shackled, sending them sprawling from the staircase. Others were automatically dissolved into gaseous shadows by the sheer momentum of the attack.

Kairi quickly pulled Namine to her feet and led her to the top of the seemingly endless staircase. A large silver door stood before them, obviously with nothing behind it, however both girls knew that nothing was as it seemed in this dream world. Out of instinct, the Princess of Heart summoned her keyblade, shooting a beam of energy out of it and into the iron lock before them. Without hesitation, they stepped through the frame.

They were now standing upon a new station; this time purple with three pure white Wayfinders displayed largely, perfectly matching Namine's. The silence hung over them thickly as they examined their new empty surroundings. It soon became apparent however, that they were not alone. Stretching across the shimmering platform was Namine's shadow, which suddenly grew a will of its own, moving and coming to life. It raised itself from the ground, red eyes shimmering dangerously. Unlike its original form, the shadow wore a tattered Organization cloak several sizes to large that somehow retained its feminine shape, with a shimmering keyhole on each side of its torso. Its skin was as black as midnight, matching its dark and unhealthy gray hair. Slowly and with inhuman and jerky motions, it turned to Namine, opening its jagged mouth that reeked of carrion and death.

"Witch."

Shrieking with wraith-like laughter, it shot into the air, a cyclone of darkness and Nobody chains spiraling downward in its wake. "Your false existence shall meet its end. The judgment of the witch is at hand." It rasped. "Fall to the shadow from whence you sprung!" Kairi grabbed onto her other's quivering hand, giving her a sisterly squeeze for support as Dusks teleported around their mistress.

Kairi was the first to attack, dodging the whip-like limbs of the Nobodies while looking for openings to use do a Reversal and land an attack. They murmured incoherently, speaking to one another in a language incomprehensible to human ears. Meanwhile, Namine was dodging the constant assaults of her shadow. Screeching out insults and cries of condemnation, the demon clenched her talons together, draining the color of the station and leaving it a dark gray and black color.

With a flick of her clawed hand, the shadow summoned dark chains from the dark sky that wrapped themselves around Namine's arm and fastened themselves around her slender waist. The shackles pulled the special Nobody into the air, allowing her to be level with her tormentor. With force, the shade grasped the witch's pale face with her sharp nailed hand. Pulling her close, it spoke with the breath of a corpse. "We're abominations, you and I. Never meant to exist… And I shall correct the mistake. It's ironic that you shall be strangled by your own twisted chain of memories. Of course when it comes to erasing people, we cannot be too careful, so I'll have to wipe out your original atrocity of a sister." Namine heard a scream from below, followed by Kairi being lifted into the air upside down by a tangle of manacles. The creature cackled, summoning orbs of darkness that orbited its body. The speed of their flight increased as more chains lowered themselves from the heavens, intent on choking the life from the captives.

"You will not touch her!" Namine's outburst caused the shade to hesitate, interrupting her fatal attack, but its surprise would not last long. The memory manipulator summoned all of her courage and spoke again, facing her fears. "The darkness inside of me is mine to command." The Nobody extended her free arm causing it to glow a bright purple. Clenching her hand into a fist, Namine summoned a keyblade, white as snow, intricately designed, and ending in large crown-shaped teeth. "You will never have control over me again." Kairi, who understood what was about to happen, raised her own weapon. Simultaneously, beams of energy shot from the ends of both keyblades and entered the two matching keyholes on either side of the shade. The demon shrieked in pain and rage as it dissolved into nothingness. Gracefully, the two young women floated back down to the pillar below as the chains and orbs broke up and dissipated, landing on the stage that was now void of Dusks.

At last, color returned to the station and a large golden door appeared at the edge. The two girls embraced, happy that their nightmare was finally coming to an end. Kairi stepped towards the gate and unlocked it with her floral weapon. It opened slowly and soundlessly, revealing pure white illumination beyond it. The princess stepped through the entrance and paused. "Ready to get out of here?" Kairi turned to see her other step back, looking pained.

"It's all my fault."

Kairi started to reenter the Awakening, only to find that the doorway was a one-way journey, a shimmering line blocking her from her Nobody. "I don't belong in the light…" Namine continued to move away from the door. "The shadows came here because your heart was connected me. I'll just taint things further. Even this keyblade is from the Realm of Darkness, I can feel its power pulsing within it. I was chosen for a reason, it's my destiny. I can't thank you enough for your help, but I can't come with you. I'm sorry, but I won't ruin Sora's life any more than I already have… Especially since it's you." Tears were now rolling down Namine's face.

"Good bye… Kairi."

With that, Namine stepped backwards off of the platform, plunging into the darkness. Kairi shouted her name as thick chains pulled the heavy doors shut.

!_!

Well that chapter actually had a whole section, but since it was getting so long and I personally like to keep my chapters relatively short to retain interest, we'll just have to hold off on that until chapter 18. Speaking of which, the next addition to The Uprising will be an immediate follow up to this one. Sorry if you're tired of Kairi already, but I really want to write this next scene. I am SO GLAD I'm done with the Awakening. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be… Oh well. If you were wondering how Namine got there while she's really up on Mount Aros, it's because she dozed off after a while. One can only remain conscious while tied to a supreme Nobody for so long… Please stay tuned and review! I always read them and respond. Until next time!