Chapter 11
The Land of Dragons
I woke up in the middle of the night to find Sora sleeping on the edge of my bed, I understand why he would stand guard. First we find out something might of happened to Riku, then Kairi is kidnapped, and on top of that we got separated from the King. With everyone disappearing Sora's probably afraid he'll lose me next, especially not that the Organization had said they have plans for me... what are they planning? why are they using Sora to collect hearts? and what does any of this have to do with me? I shake my head around to stop mu thoughts from spinning out of control. I shake Sora's shoulder to wake him up. he lifts his head and looks at me with eyes half asleep.
"Go to bed, you still have some time to get some sleep." I told him
"Ok..." Sora said climbing into my beg and laying down.
"I meant your bed silly." I said pulling the covers over him.
"Then how will know you'll still be here when I wake up?" He asked, still half asleep. I couldn't tell if he was talking about now or back when we were kids, this must be how he felt the night before father took me away.
"Sora, were in a flying gummy ship, traveling through space... I'm not going anywhere." I said laying my head back down and we both fall back asleep.
The next morning I woke up with Sora already gone, he must be eating breakfast. I got dressed and went in the kitchen to see Sora Donald and Goofy sitting at the table talking with a full plate of food in front of an empty chair.
"So what world are we heading to now?" I asked sitting down.
"I thought we could check up on worlds we've already explored." Sora said, I begin eating.
"Why's that?" I ask
"The entrance to the Organizations home world must be on one of the worlds we've already been too," Sora explained, that would answer why they are showing up on specific worlds, "... And I promised to visit." He said, which was the real reason.
"Well then, what world are we headed too?" I asked
"The Land of Dragons," Sora explained that their first visit to this world they met a girl named Mulan who disguised herself as an imperial solder to protect her family honor, without it taking her father's life. eventually she got caught, but when they helped her defeat this man named Shan-yu, she reclaimed her family honor.
"So we're checking up on Mulan?" I asked clearing off my plate,
"That's right." Donald
"We should be there any minuet," Goofy said,
"Yeah I was wondering... Whose flying the ship?" I asked
"Auto pilot," Donald explained after opening a pathway to a world the ship has that location stored in its database.
"That's good," I said as we arrive in the Land of Dragons. I look around to see we landed in a town on top of a mountain that has burned to the ground. "What happened here?" I asked.
"Long story..." Sora said, he'll tell me later.
"I wonder how everybody's doing?" Goofy asked,
"Look!" Donald pointed over at a hooded man in an Organization XIII cloak. The man turns around and quickly runs up the mountain path ahead of us.
"Wait!" Sora yelled as we just start to run after him,
"Sora!" A woman's voice yells from behind us and we stop. We all turn around to see a woman wearing very simple clothing runs up to us. She stops to catch her breath.
"Mulan, hey. No time to talk. We gotta catch that guy!" Sora said trying to hurry us along, she straightens back up and looks at us seriously.
"I'm fallowing him too." She said,
"Then let's go!" Donald demanded as we all quickly run up the mountain path. We get to a fork in the road where we can head up the mountain or head into a cave, none of us could decide which way to go.
"That way!" I said pointed at the hooded man running up the mountain trail. we quickly run after him, the pain comes back pulsating four times making it hard to breath, I gasp for breath as everyone runs ahead of me,
"Are you alright?" Mulan asked me
"It's nothing," I said as the pain went away, "Come on," I said as we run and catch up to the others at the top of the mountains peak. Now there's nowhere for him to hide... but where'd he go?
"Looks like he got away," Mulan said still looking around.
"How come you're after somebody from Organization XIII?" Goofy asked
"What is that?" She asked
"The guy in black." Sora said
"One of the bad guys." Donald added.
"I knew it!" Mulan said, "There's a rumor in the Imperial City about a spy in black, lurking in the mountains." She explained, "I've been up here tracking him, but when you arrived, I lost him."
"Sorry," Goofy said
"Don't apologize, anyway, with how rushed we all were I forgot to ask who your friend is?" Mulan asked.
"My names Sara, I'm Sora's twin sister," I introduced myself,
"Nice to meet you, my names Mulan," She said,
"I wonder where he went?" Sora asked looking around. The hill above us quickly becomes swarmed by heartless, and their headed straight towards us.
"Again?" Donald said with a loud sigh,
"This has happened before?" I ask as we all quickly pull out our weapons
"Yeah this happened last time we were here," Sora said
"You forgot to mention that!" I said,
"Well, we can talk more after we get rid of them." Sora said everyone charges ahead but Sora and I turn around to see the hooded man standing behind us.
"Hey you!" Sora said pointing his Keyblade at him, "Quit sneaking around!" he demanded, the man just simply points to behind us and we quickly turn around to see that the swarm of heartless had already reached us. Now we have to deal with the heartless, and the hooded man. I decide it was my turn to put one of the organization members in his place.
"Sora! Keep the heartless busy," I said turning around to the hooded man, "I'll deal with him." I said
"Be careful," Sora said,
"You too," I replied as we run off un opposite directions. the hooded man takes out a weapon that looks sort of like a Keyblade, but the teeth were angel wings where the base is a bat wing. I thought all Keyblade's looked the same, like Sora's and mine, The hooded man blocks my attacks, we keep fighting with neither of us making any hits to each other, we kept going until I noticed he was holding back, I stopped right next to the edge of the cliff, the man also stops lowering his weapon.
"If you really wanted to fight me why are you holding back?" I asked, the hooded man puts away his weapon,
"You attacked me first," He said, his voice was deep, but it seemed familiar...no, it couldn't be.
"Riku?" I asked putting away my Keyblade. was it really him? right as I begin to walk towards him the entire mountain begins to shake, a large dragon heartless fly's out of the mountain and heads towards the city. the ground beneath me breaks off from the cliff and I begin to fall. the snow flew up around me blocking my vision, I see the hooded man jump after me and grabs my hand. he pulls me close to his chest and wraps his arms around me protecting me from the fall, we slide to the ground, when we finally stopped, I looked up and gaze into his golden eyes, they looked so concerned.
"Are you alright?" He asked, I nodded my head in response,
"Sara!" Sora's scream echoed down the mountain, I quickly jump away from the man and look up as Sora, Donald and Goofy looking down at me, "Are you alright?" He yelled
"I'm ok!" I yell back, the man grabs me by the wrist and opens a corridor of darkness and begins to drag me towards it. "H...Hey!" I yell aw we go through and arrive in a pathway, I look around. I don't remember any of this, then again every time I go thought the corridor's of darkness I pass out.
"Sorry, I couldn't let him see me." He said letting go of my arm, "But I wanted some time to talk to you." He said. I walk over and pull back his hood, he looks like an old man with silver hair spiked back.
"It's really you isn't it?" I ask, he just looks at me, I begin to tear up as I embrace him tightly, "I finally found you!" I said, the tears flowing down my face onto his cloak.
"I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner," Riku said as I let go and rub the tears off my face,
"No, It's alright. But why do you look so different?" I asked, yes we haven't seen each other in years. But he looks nothing like the Riku I remember, if my math is correct he should be eighteen, he almost looks thirty.
"It's because I opened my heart to darkness," he explained, I just look at him confused, he laughs. "You look like Sora when you make a face like that." He said as I also begin to laugh. we begin to walk down the corridor of darkness.
"Why did you open your heart to darkness?" I asked
"It was the only way to save Sora," he answered,
"What?" now I'm really confused,
"A year ago, Sora and I ended up at a place called Castle Oblivion," Riku began to explain, "Sora met a witch names Namine who rewrote his memories because Organization XIII forced her to. But after Sora rescued her, Namine had Sora, Donald and Goofy go to sleep so she could put their memories back together." Riku said,
"Hmm... But that doesn't explain how you became like this." I said as Riku chuckles.
"I'm getting to that," He said, "Sora's Nobody Roxas was holding onto important memories that Sora needed. But I couldn't defeat him with my own strength, so I opened my heart to darkness and transformed into the person you see now. the reason why I look so different is because on our first adventure my body was taken over by a heartless named Ansem, who embodies the darkness in my heart. that's why I look like this."
"you did all that for Sora?" I asked
"He is my best friend," Riku said
"Do you think you'll ever turn back to normal?" I asked... Honestly I couldn't care less if he was stuck this way. As long as were together, I'm happy.
"I don't know," Riku said holding onto my hand, "I'm just glad we finally get to talk," I begin to blush, "So, where have you been?" he asked
"Father took me to a world called The Land of Dreams, only a little while after we got there the entire planet was attacked by heartless and I got my Keyblade. After that Father spent all his money on having me studied... I was a lab rat ever since. that is until Maleficent helped me escaped." I explained,
"Maleficent?" Riku was surprised,
"Yeah, she told me she mad you a promise to find me. even if you were no longer allies." I explained, "Also the reason why you couldn't find me was because Father hid me inside a barrier."
"that explains a lot, but how did Maleficent find you?" Riku asked
"I don't know," I said, "All I know is after all these years my Father was hiding something from me and I want to know what." I said.
"That might have to wait till we get rid of Organization XIII," Riku said, as we continue along out path. "But we need to warn the castle about the giant dragon heartless coming their way."
"Sounds good," I said Riku lets go of my hand and turns me around to look me in the eye.
"Sara, you can't tell Sora about this," Riku demanded,
"Why?" I asked
"Because it isn't the right time, I have my own path... and it still needs to be traveled alone." he said, I understood, we quickly came up with a plan for me to be left in the palace unconscious, where Sora will find me. Riku swept me off my feet and I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. we exit the corridor of darkness and Riku lays me down on something, and places something in my hand, "Hold onto this for me." He said and he left after warning the Emperor. I decided to sleep until Sora shows up.
"Sara!" I hear Sora yell, I was still sleepy and didn't want to wake up.
"What?" I asked opening my eyes to see him holding me up with his arms. "Hi Sora..." Where the only words that would come out of my mouth, maybe I should of spent a little more time on a cover story...
"I'm so glad you're ok!" Sora said holding me tightly
"Can't breathe..." I said as he lets me go, I remembered that I was still holding onto the object the Riku left in my hand. I look over to see that it's a Paopu fruit, Sora looks at it and he smiles,
"So it really was Riku!" Sora said,
"What?" I asked, trying to play along.
"The man in black who rescued you," Sora said
"All I remember is falling off the cliff, everything else is hazy," I said
"But Sora," Goofy interrupted, "What's Riku doing with the Organization?" he asked
"I don't know... But at least we know he's ok." Sora said happily.
"So... what did I miss?" I asked changing the subject,
"We defeated a dragon's heartless and saved the day... you know, the usual," he explained as I smile, I stand up and we give our respects to the Emperor before we leave,
"Sara, you need to be more careful," Donald lectured me on our way back to the gummy ship.
"I'm sorry that I worried everyone." I said still holding tightly onto the Paopu fruit. I knew that, that was Riku telling me that no matter how long it took, he did find me. And even though we had to part again, we will always be connected.