Chapter Fifty Three: Zanarkand

I kept limping across the endless void of the End of the World until I came upon the semblance of a city that we had appeared in. I recognized it now that I had some time to think about it... I'd just rushed off after Jake as soon as we got here.

"Zanarkand..." I muttered to myself. "This could only be... Zanarkand..."

A long pathway leading to a huge dome stood before me. The path itself was half sunk in water, and was in ruin along with various pieces scattering the landscape. A few pyrefiles swarmed about; no doubt they were the last remaining fragments of light apart from Sora, Riku, Kairi, Jason, Serenity, and... me...

I staggered across the long path, using what little strength I still had to fend off some of the strongest Heartless I'd ever fought. Even so, that long, solo trudge gave me time to reflect on everything that had happened across the past six years. My head felt light and my heart felt heavy as I kept limping down the path, but I felt calm... at peace.

I used to feel that way all the time. What happened to me...?

My vision was hazy and out of focus when I finally reached the dome, where everyone was waiting. They all ran up to catch me just before I lost consciousness...

I came to at the same place. The sky was bleach white, with the only thing coloring the horizon being the dark dome. Everyone was sitting on the stairs into the dome, but I was laying on the ground a few yards away. I staggered to my feet, using my sword to help a little, before limping over to them.

"Finally awake, eh, Roy?" Jason asked. "For a while, there, we thought you were dead."

"Well..." I said, still feeling a little sore, "I'm tough, not invincible. Everyone has an Achilles Heel."

"So what's yours?" Sora asked.

I didn't answer.

"So, who was that guy we fought... the one you chased?" Jason asked. "He must have been important... you totally ignored everything else when we got here."

"He... he was..." I said slowly, before taking on a grave tone. "He was my brother."

"WHAT?!" everyone said in unison.

"Yeah..." I said, hanging my head. Several angry outbursts from everyone ensued, but they didn't understand... they could never understand...

They calmed down eventually.

"Look... guys..." I said slowly and with the same grave tone, "he had fallen to the darkness. He even lost the inner struggle against his inner darkness, and killed the person that he held dearest. What other choice did I have...?"

"You could have let us help him," Serenity chided me. "I'm sure... with all of us..."

I shook my head.

"When someone loses their inner struggle, it's over," I explained. "It's like what happened to Riku. Xehanort had taken over his body, but Riku grappled with his inner darkness... and overcame it. Jake... he couldn't do that, and he didn't want to be saved, anyways."

"I'm a Princess of Heart," Kairi said. "If I can't do it, nobody can."

"Trust me... that power would not have been enough. Maybe if we had all seven Princesses of Heart, his heart could have been be purified, but..." I said. "It's too late. We have to look forward... there's only one thing left to do."

"Amy..." Riku said, rising slowly off the steps. "She's the one we need to beat."

"Why?" Kairi asked.

"She's absorbed Kingdom Hearts... or, at least, its darkness. As a result, there's no light flowing out of it, and you can see the result," I explained. "If we can free Kingdom Hearts... if we beat Amy..."

"The light will start flowing again, and the worlds will be restored," Sora said.

"But then... what'll happen to us?" Jason asked.

"We'll go back to wherever we came from. We'll go home," Riku said. "It's like before; if we want to, we'll automatically reappear at our own home. We won't be able to see each other anymore, but..."

An eerie silence pervaded the area.

"So, then, what is this place?" Kairi asked. "It's in ruins. Why is this place here and nowhere else is around?"

"There are a few landmarks," I said. "I saw a couple of statues when I fought Jake. I think the entire world doesn't completely fade away... there's just a tiny fragment of it left when it gets sent here."

"What world's fragment is this?" Sora asked.

"Auron's homeworld. Spira."

"Auron?" Sora asked incredulously. "Auron's from this world... Spira?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "This was his final destination... it's the place he died."

"What's inside?" Sora asked. They all stepped back to gaze upon the huge dome.

"Our last sanctum. Everywhere else is filled to the point of overflowing with darkness," I said.

"Well... let's go," Sora said, going in through the ruined door. Everyone went in, but I trailed behind. I was having a hard time rationalizing my murder of my own brother... even if it was necessary.

The inside was just as I thought it would be; terribly decrepid, with ruined pieces of pathways leading in winding paths down to the inner dome, and pyreflies floating around everywhere. I was still conflicted when we reached Zaon's Chamber of the Fayth.

"What's this?" Kairi asked.

"A fayth," I said. "It's what allowed summoners from Spira to summon special creatures."

"Like Simba... and Stitch... and Bambi?" Sora asked.

"You could say that," I muttered.

They're even similar in concept... hearts and pyreflies... fayth and summon gems...

"Let's press on," I said.

"Something's troubling you," Jason said, but left it at that. We kept going, eventually reaching the Great Hall. It was a lot brigher than normal, but was still in ruins.

At least the banners are still red...

"So, here we are. Our sanctum... one of the last places that still has some fragment of light," Jason muttered, sitting down on the steps. "Now what?"

"Why don't we rest for a day or two, then we'll tackle Amy?" Serenity asked.

Everyone agreed. I agreed first, since I was still exhausted and suffering from grievous wounds.

"I'm gonna go mediatate," I said, walking up the stairs to the starry, ethereal room. "I'm gonna sleep in there too, so nobody bother me."

"Yeah, yeah..." Riku said, waving his hand as I went through the door. The inside was just how I expected it to be: there was no ceiling, the sky was dark and starry, and what structure there was was in ruin.

"I don't get paid enough..." I joked, chuckling at myself. I staggered a bit, eyes drooping, before I collapsed from exhaustion...