Chapter 8: Aqua

I sat there paralyzed as I watched Sora's heart float into Ven and his limp body fell to the ground. There was nothing I could do now, all my friends were dead. All my effort was wasted. I came here to save them and I failed. I didn't care when Terra's evil yellow eyes locked on me and he started walking over. When he raised his keyblade to me to finish me off, I sat there numb. I deserved to die. As he was about to deliver a deadly blow when I heard a voice call out to me.

"Fight Kairi!" the voice said. It was a voice I never heard before. It was a females voice and I knew in my heart I should listen. I quickly grabbed my keyblade and blocked the attack.

He looked at me with an amused look on his face. I couldn't tell you the reason why I was fighting, but that voice put a spark in my heart, a reason, a purpose. It gave me reason to believe I could save my friends. Even if I had nothing left to fight for, I'd fight for her. With whatever spark possessed me I pushed him off me and sent him skidding back a couple feet, not the desired effect I was hoping for but at least I could stand.

Terra watched with amusement as I stood up. At first it was almost impossible stand up because body hurt so much, but as I pushed myself onto my feet the pain disappeared. I never noticed what happened until I decided to quickly scan myself once I got up and all the cuts and bruises were gone and there was a gently blue light glowing around my body. Was I doing that?

Once I was up he started coming at me but I was ready, when he swung his keyblade I did a quick back-hand spring and launched myself into the air, bringing my keyblade down to his with enough force to cause sparks and send him flying back.

"Just like her," Terra laughed to himself again. "But it doesn't matter, you'll both meet the same end."

I braced myself and in small trickles of light another keyblade appeared in my other hand. When he came at me to stab my heart, I brought both keyblades up. The block was successful, unfortunately I wasn't watching his other hand. When I thought it was safe his other hand came up glowing red and he punched me in the face, sending me flying backward and my back scrapping against the rough bricks. I ground when I came to a stop and my face burned, the punch was probably infused with fire magic.

Before I could get up Terra was already at my side and he kicked my ribs hard, causing me to scream out loud. I guess my cries of pain triggered something because he kept kicking me more and more up and down my body. After a while I closed my eyes and curled in a ball, hoping it would be over soon. After another minute of thrashing I was lifted into the air by my neck so I couldn't breath. I guess that was it for me. I was going to die in the hands of the man who killed my friends. I guess that was a fitting end.

After I minute I drifted off into a place that was made up of pure white light and the ground was covered in red flowers. It was a strange feeling being here and I could tell I was not alone. There was someone behind me who was crouched down tending to the flowers.

"Looks like you needed my help after all." the familiar female voice from earlier called from behind me.

"I don't know what you mean." I said still confused. I couldn't quite wrap my mind around everything that just happened.

"Well you're here so it must mean you need my help." she kindly said, still messing with the flowers. For some reason these flowers looked kind of familiar.

"I'm sorry, I don't even know where here is." I said looking around but never turning to look at her.

"Well I guess you could call this place the in between." she laughed slightly coming out of the crouch and standing very low on her feet.

"In between? This still isn't making any sense." I shook my head, looking straight in front of me.

"It's the area between life and death. Right now you just kind of hovering." she laughed a bit as she started to stand up.

"Am I dying?" I asked, not really caring if I was. "And are you hovering as well?"

She giggled and shook her head, for some reason I could feel what she did, "No, I'm dead and your going to live. I think the reason your here is because your heart is calling out for my help."

"My heart?" I asked placing my fist over it.

"Yeah, I'm deep inside your heart. Call on me and you can have all my power." she said standing up all the way.

"Who are you?" I asked turning to look at her now

As I turned the light started forcing me back to reality but before I left I saw a girl who was slightly taller than me with short blue hair and blue eyes. She looked about eighteen, "I"m Aqua." and that was it, I was back in reality.

I was still being chocked and I quickly called on Aqua's powers. I started to glow blue again, there must have been something there because he dropped me and backed away. I fell onto my knees and started coughing at the sharp intake of oxygen. He came at me again but this time I was ready. I quickly called on my keyblade and summoned a beam of light to the tip of the keyblade and shot it through his chest. He growled and started running at me, I still didn't have the strength to get back up.

I watched horrified as he charged. In the background I heard glass shatter but it seemed distant. As he got closer I closed my eyes tight and held up me keyblade. There was a clashing sound of metal on metal, but it didn't come from me.