Hey everyone,
I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last updated. Sorry about the wait. Anyway, thanks go out to Ragnarok Warrior and janus-juan for reviewing last time! On a side note, I won't be able to update for the next couple of weeks but to make up for it and my month of absence, the next update will be a minimum of three chapters long!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or the characters from a show I'm beginning to include but can't explain in the disclaimer because it would be spoiling the surprise. I do however own my own characters, plot and ideas.
Warning: This chapter contains spoiler scenes from Re: Coded, but you could always Google them or watch them on Youtube.
Hope you all enjoy!
EDIT: Dates have officially been added to clear up potential confusion and keep the timeline in order without any discrepancies.
Chapter Five: Reconnect
Monday, May 17th 4794 P.C.
As the sun slowly began to touch the sea on the horizon, casting gold and crimson rays across the sky, Riku lashed his boat to the dock of the play island and looked around for Sora and Kairi. The first thing that caught his eye was one of the palm trees, reduced to standing charcoal. Several places in the sand had turned to glass from intense heat. Dried blood dotted the sand in numerous places. The cliff face near the waterfall was cracked, pieces of the cliff lying on the ground near the pool of water at the base of the waterfall. Panic began to form in Riku's chest. First, no one on the island had seen Sora or Kairi all day and now he comes to the play island and finds evidence of a battle.
"I swear to god," Riku growled, "If you're dead Sora, I'll bring you back to life just so I can kill you myself!" He ran to the seaside shack, grabbed the edge of the low hanging roof and flipped himself up and over the shack to the bridge that led to the islet where the Paopu tree grew. Riku could make out the outlines of two figures lying on the islet, one on top of the other. Riku's fear worsened when he saw the Oblivion Keyblade embedded in the ground several feet from the figures.
"Sora! Kairi!" Riku shouted while running up to the figures, sliding on the ground for the last few feet and stopping next to them. Kairi was collapsed on top of Sora. Both of their eyes were closed. Sora's clothes were torn in numerous places and there was dried blood on his face and his clothes.
"Oh god," Riku gasped. He quickly grabbed Kairi and shook her. "Kairi. Kairi!"
Kairi groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She looked up at Riku and smiled sleepily.
"Oh. Hey Riku," she said. Her voice sounded as if she had been drinking all day. "What's up?"
"Are you okay?" Riku asked worriedly. Kairi looked at him in confusion.
"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"
Riku sighed in relief and turned his attention to Sora.
"What happened to him?" Riku asked as he quickly checked Sora for wounds. Riku's panic quickly changed to confusion. Sora was covered in dried blood and his clothes were torn. Where were his injuries? Riku almost cried out in surprise when Sora's hand grabbed Riku's upper arm.
"As much as I appreciate your obvious concern," Sora said as he opened his eyes. "I'd rather you not touch me there." Riku glanced down and realized his hand was dangerously close to moving below Sora's waist.
Riku cried out in disgust and leapt back several feet as Sora and Kairi laughed at him. Sora sat up and Kairi quickly leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder as the pair watched Riku stare at his hand in shock. Riku looked back at them.
"So you're both fine?" He demanded. Sora and Kairi quickly gave each other a once over.
"Why wouldn't we be?" Sora asked. Riku stared at him, dumbfounded, and gestured at the beach. Sora and Kairi glanced at the beach.
"Oh yeah! That…" Sora said, finally realizing just what Riku was talking about. "Well you see…"
And Sora quickly explained his battle against the silver eyed man and his warning to keep the Light close because of the Darkness' growing strength. Riku sat there for a moment thinking.
"I told you that guy wasn't normal," said Riku, "What do you suppose he meant by 'you've definitely shown the Mark'?" Sora shrugged.
"Beats me," he replied. "I'm just happy he didn't kill me." Kairi draped her arms around Sora's shoulders and pulled him closer to her.
"I'm glad he didn't kill you too," she whispered in Sora's ear as she drew him into a gentle kiss. Sora sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. He wrapped her up in his arms and held her tightly.
"I KNEW IT!" Riku shouted out in victory. Sora and Kairi broke the kiss to stare at their other best friend, who was fist pumping the air. "Ha ha ha! Now Wakka owes me three hundred munny!" Sora raised his eyebrows at Riku, who stopped his celebration dance when he noticed the newly formed couple was watching him. Riku blushed and attempted to act nonchalant.
"Why does Wakka now owe you three hundred munny?" Kairi asked as she got to her feet and placed her hands on her hips. Riku grinned.
"Well, while I was out hunting for you two, I ran into Tidus, Wakka and Selphie. At first they were excited that we were all back and they kept asking me questions about where we had been and what we had been up to," Riku explained quickly. "But I managed to avoid their questions by convincing them to hold off until you two were found so we could all tell the story together.
"Anyway, we started making bets about where you two were and what you two were up to. Wakka said you two were probably downtown at Club Vinyl. Tidus, Selphie and I each bet him three hundred munny that you two were on this island finally realizing that the pair of you were madly in love with one another." Riku high fived Sora and hugged Kairi. "This means that I am now three hundred munny richer than I was this morning! So thank you both!" He pulled them into a giant bear hug before releasing them and running back towards the docks.
"Where are you going?" Kairi called after him. Riku spun on his heel to respond while jogging backwards.
"To go tell Tidus and Selphie so we can go collect our munny!" He shouted back.
Kairi and Sora laughed at their friend. Sora grinned at Kairi and took her hand. Kairi blushed again, feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach.
"Come on, Kairi," Sora said, pulling her along after him. "Let's go see our other friends."
Kairi nodded and ran along with Sora to catch up to Riku.
LD
Less than an hour later, the trio was sitting in a booth in Destiny's. Kairi and Sora were joined together by the lips, separating for only brief moments to catch their breath. Riku sat opposite of them, pretending to retch while he checked the time against his new phone. Their waitress, Kyoko, glared at Sora and Kairi. Kairi opened one eye to give Kyoko a look that said he's-mine-bitch-back-off. Kyoko turned up her nose and stormed off. Kairi grinned and kissed Sora even more passionately. Riku chuckled after watching the exchange.
The front doors to the restaurant opened wide and four teens strode in. Kairi and Sora broke apart as the two of the teens, both female, squealed in delight when they caught sight of Kairi. Kairi quickly pulled herself off of Sora and stood up so Sora wouldn't be caught in the excitement that quickly ensued.
"Kairi!" The two girls cried as they grabbed their auburn haired friend in a group hug.
"Selphie, Kim, I can't breathe," Kairi gasped and her friends released her. Selphie gave her an apologetic look, running her hand through one of the large curls on the side of her head. Sora noticed that Selphie was dressed in the uniform from the high school, a white button up shirt and a blue, plaid skirt with matching tie. Selphie caught Sora's stare.
"What?" She demanded, approaching Sora. "I think it's cute." Then she tackled Sora in a hug. "So, where've you and Riku been, you knucklehead?" She ruffled Sora's spiky hair and continued speaking before Sora could open his mouth. "Wait! Don't tell me. It's better in my imagination." Sora and Riku's faces both contorted in disgust when they realized what Selphie was talking about.
"Seriously? Didn't we get enough of that in middle school?" Riku said exasperatedly. "Can't two guys be best friends without it having to be even more than that?" Everyone except Sora and Riku laughed.
"I know, I know," Selphie laughed. "I'm just giving you two a hard time." Sora and Riku rolled their eyes in unison.
"But in all seriousness," said Kim, one of their friends that always seemed to have every class with Sora and Kairi. She was about a foot shorter than Sora, with long brunette hair, streaked with blonde tied into a pony tail and sparkling emerald green eyes. She was dressed in a pair of shorts that barely reached mid thigh and an ocean blue bikini top restraining her mildly large breasts. "Where have you two been for the past two years?"
"Ya, man," Wakka said as he pulled up a chair and propped his feet up on the table. "One day you're here, then a weird storm hits the Islands an' suddenly you two are gone, everyone thinks you were killed in the storm an' to make things even crazier, Kairi here barely seemed worried. Almost as if she knew you'd be back, ya." Kairi glared at him.
"And I was right," Kairi said with a grin. "It doesn't matter that everyone except Riku's parents and Sora's mom gave up hope. I knew they were safe and that they'd be back. I was right. So there." She stuck her tongue out at him and Wakka rolled his eyes.
"Are you ever going to tell us?" Tidus asked as he and Kim took up seats in the booth on Riku's side. "Or do we get to have fun guessing until it gets absolutely pointless and you finally give in and spill your guts so you don't have to listen to our outrageous theories about you traversing the universe with a pair of unusual traveling companions, wielding a mystical weapon, fighting monsters and saving the world?" Everyone laughed except for Sora, Kairi and Riku who all shared very serious glances.
"Well you see," Sora began and together with Kairi and Riku, they told the story of their adventures across the worlds over the course of the next couple of hours. When they had finished, their four friends all had looks of disbelief on their faces.
"You're pulling our legs," Kim said after a few moments of silence. "That sounds like a science fiction novel."
"Or a movie plot," Wakka suggested.
"Or a series of videogames," Tidus added, while laughing. "Got any proof?" Sora grinned at him and held out his right hand.
"Of course I do," Sora said. He held his hand out over the table and the Oblivion Keyblade appeared in his hand in a flash of light. Selphie, Tidus, Kim and Wakka all nearly fell out of their seats in surprise. Riku and Kairi laughed as the Oblivion vanished from Sora's hand into a thousand tiny sparkles of light. Sora grinned at his friend's expressions of shock and realization.
"So it's all true then?" Selphie asked, seeming almost nervous to hear the answer. Sora, Kairi and Riku all nodded in confirmation. Selphie looked over at Kairi curiously. "And in all technicalities you're a princess?" Kairi smiled.
"In a way," She said. "As far as I know, I'm not royalty but because there's no darkness in my heart, I'm one of the seven Princesses of Heart." Tidus and Wakka each quickly knelt to one knee and bowed their heads.
"We are not worthy," they said in unison, both with huge grins. Selphie, Sora and Riku all rolled their eyes. Kairi laughed at them as Kim got up and smacked them both on the back of their heads.
"Morons," she said as she sat back down and grabbed Riku's drink from his hand and downed it. "So what does this mean?" She turned to look at Sora. "Now that you've got the Keyblade and what-not, does that mean you three are always going to be taking off without warning to go fight the forces of Darkness on other worlds?" Kairi glanced back and forth between Sora and Riku. Riku turned his gaze towards the window to the city night outside. Sora grimaced sadly.
"Most likely," Kairi said, looking back at her other friends. "It's inevitable, isn't it? As long as there's darkness in people's hearts there's going to be Heartless and there's going to be someone out there trying to use the Heartless to take over Kingdom Hearts and rule the worlds. So I guess that means that sooner or later we're going to have to take off again; probably without warning," The other four averted their eyes sadly. "But we'll always find our way back," Kairi added quickly. Selphie was the first to smile back at her.
"That's good enough for me," She said cheerily, "Just be sure to say goodbye whenever you do have to leave, 'kay?" Kairi and Sora nodded in agreement. Riku winked at Kim.
"But of course we will," He said as Kim's face blushed crimson.
"But that's not the important thing here, is it?" Tidus said, twisting in his seat to stare at Wakka. Wakka gulped loudly as everyone followed Riku's lead and turned to stare at the orange haired teen. "The most important thing here is that Wakka now owes Selphie, Riku and I all three hundred munny apiece." Wakka groaned and pulled out his wallet as the three he owed munny to held out their hands expectantly.
After Wakka counted out the munny and passed it along to the winners of the bet, Selphie and Kim turned on Sora and Kairi and immediately began badgering them about every little detail of their love confessions and their first kiss. Tidus, Wakka and Riku all laughed at the couple as Selphie and Kim kept up the constant stream of questions at the pair about their relationship. After a few minutes, Selphie and Kim immediately abandoned the questions and started planning out the newly formed couples wedding, which led to an argument about which one of them would get to be Kairi's Maid of Honor. Sora and Kairi smiled embarrassedly at each other and Kairi took Sora's hand in hers. She gave him a brief kiss and rested her head on his shoulder while Selphie rattled off reasons why she should be given the coveted position (the most random of which included claiming to have Kairi's monthly cycle memorized and looking better in a dress than Kim, which only caused another argument). Sora rolled his eyes and glanced down at Kairi as she slowly started to drift off into sleep. Sora squeezed her hand softly and she responded by squeezing his. He smiled contentedly, closed his eyes, and felt himself drifting off into sleep.
LD
The metallic white halls of the Castle That Never Was echoed with a loud bang as two figures fell out of a gray oval that appeared midair. Maleficent and Pete fell out of the portal and hit the ground hard, both groaning in pain. Maleficent stood quickly, clutching her chest and using her staff topped with a green sphere to support her. She glared over at Pete.
"You worthless imbecile!" Maleficent shouted weakly at her lackey as he struggled to get to his feet. "Your plan almost got us killed!"
"It's not my fault the mouse king decided to erase the data while we were still inside," Pete grumbled as he popped the vertebrae in his back. "Oh, my achin' back."
"Just be thankful you managed to save us in time," Maleficent growled menacingly. "How did you manage to create that portal in time, Pete? What have you been hiding from me?" Pete looked at her in confusion.
"I didn't create no portal," he said, looking dumbfounded. He and Maleficent whipped around as footsteps echoed behind them. A woman dressed in a red dress with a black, gothic belt around her waist and a white overcoat decorated in a thousand red roses, with heavy, dark makeup, amethyst eyes and long green hair tied into a spiky ponytail on the top of her head except for her bangs, which mostly covered one of her eyes strode out from the shadows towards them.
"I was the one who saved you," The woman said, coming to a stop a few feet away from Maleficent. Maleficent's eyes widened in recognition.
"You're Echidna Parass, aren't you?" Asked Pete. The woman nodded. "What's an actress who's famous in several worlds doing here savin' us?"
"Is HE here?" Maleficent demanded of Echidna. Echidna smiled and turned to look behind her. Maleficent followed her gaze and identified the outline of a man standing in the shadows.
"Indeed I am," An eloquent male voice said, emanating from the figure in the shadows. "And I believe you owe me big time for this one, Maleficent." Maleficent swallowed hard and stood up straighter.
"Creed."
LD
After they said goodnight to everyone, Sora and Kairi started walking home, alone once again except for each other. They spent the trip to Kairi's house in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. Kairi walked close to Sora, her arm tightly intertwined with his. The entire time, Sora felt his heart pounding. Finally, the girl he had loved for as long as he could remember was on his arm. Sora felt like he was on Cloud Nine. Nothing could bring him down.
Kairi's heart was pounding equally as hard as Sora's. She finally was able to share her love with the guy she had loved ever since she came to the Islands. Here she was, arm in arm with the person who loved her so much; he sacrificed his heart to save hers. Kairi felt as if she was the luckiest girl in the world.
Both of them were disappointed when they finally reached the front steps to Kairi's house, she turned to face Sora and was quickly pulled into a tight hug by him. Kairi hugged him back just as tightly. They stayed like that for a long moment, lost in each other's presence. Sora couldn't help but catch the scent of vanilla gently drifting off of her. He bent his head down and rested his forehead against hers. Kairi sighed and clutched the front of Sora's shirt tightly. She slowly opened her violet-blue eyes and stared up into Sora's indigo ones for a few seconds lovingly, a small smile playing on her lips, before pulling herself up onto her toes and kissing him.
Sora hugged Kairi even closer to him as he deepened the kiss. They remained there as time seemed to slow around them, lost in a moment of eternal bliss. Kairi finally pulled away from Sora and rested her head on his chest.
"I love you, Sora," Kairi sighed happily. Sora smiled and briefly tightened his hug.
"I love you too," he whispered back, kissing the top of her head. "I wish I didn't have to go home. I just want to stay here and spend more time with you." Kairi smiled at him.
"I feel the same way. But, we'll see each other tomorrow, right?"
"Of course we will, Kairi," Sora said softly, running a hand through Kairi's auburn hair. Kairi made a sound similar to the gentle purring of a kitten. Sora chuckled and Kairi gave him a 'What?' look. Sora broke from the hug and gave Kairi a brief kiss. "After all, we only just got started with your training." Kairi grinned excitedly.
"I can't wait," She gave Sora one last kiss. "Goodnight!" Kairi whipped out her keys, unlocked the front door and slipped inside with a wink at Sora. Sora stood on her doorstep grinning like a fool for a moment before turning on his heel and heading home for the night, humming happily to himself.
LD
Friday, May 28th 4794 P.C.
The next week flew by fairly quickly for Sora, Kairi and Riku. Kairi excelled quickly at everything Sora taught her. After the second day of training, Sora had reached the conclusion that Kairi was more adept at magic than he was when Kairi cast a basic level Gravity spell and created a crater in the sand that Sora could only accomplish by casting several Gravira spells in rapid succession. Her strength and endurance also improved rapidly. Her strength and stamina were improving on a daily basis.
Sora decided to test Kairi on everything he had taught her. She was clearly a natural Keyblade wielder, so on the second Friday after they had returned to the Islands, Sora met with Kairi on the play island for her test.
Sora stared out at the ocean while he waited for Kairi to arrive. So far, this had been the best week of his life. He had spent almost every waking moment with Kairi: training, hanging out in the city together and finding themselves frequently joined together by the lips. A smile crept onto Sora's face as Kairi's laughter reached his ears. He turned towards the docks and saw Kairi running towards him while Tidus, Selphie, Wakka, Kim and Riku stepped out of their boats and onto the island.
"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed as she reached him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing briefly but passionately. Sora laughed and lifted Kairi off her feet and spun her around in a circle. Kairi giggled as Sora set her down and kissed her on the forehead.
"I missed you, Princess," he whispered.
"I missed you too, Handsome."
"I see you brought along a cheering squad," Sora teased. Kairi rolled her eyes.
"It's your own fault, you know," Kairi said, nuzzling Sora's neck. "If you hadn't told Tidus about today, Selphie never would've found out and you know how she gets when she wants something." Sora nodded in understanding. He broke away from Kairi and walked a few yards away.
"You ready?" He called to Kairi over his shoulder as he determinedly stared at a rock embedded in the sand.
"Go Kairi!" Selphie and Kim shouted.
"Kick his ass!" Tidus called. Kairi summoned the Destiny's Embrace Keyblade to her hand and took up a fighting stance.
"Yeah, I'm ready," Kairi said, already beginning to watch Sora for any potential openings. Sora grinned.
"Then let's go!" He shouted. The Oblivion Keyblade appeared in his hand as he spun around, crouched and sprang at Kairi. Kairi raised Destiny's Embrace in a defensive stance, carefully watching Sora approach at an almost inhuman speed. Sora drew back his Keyblade when he was in range and swung it at Kairi's midsection. Kairi grinned and held up her left hand.
"Reflect!" A spherical shield of light surrounded her and deflected Sora's attack, breaking his attack and leaving him open.
"Burst!" Kairi shouted. The Reflect spell shattered outward, knocking Sora off balance. Kairi saw her opportunity to strike and didn't hesitate to take it. She rushed at her boyfriend and swung her Keyblade at his feet. Sora recovered from the aftereffects of the Reflect spell and jumped up above Kairi's Keyblade and planted his feet on the blade. Kairi's eyes widened in surprise as Sora used the Destiny's Embrace as a springboard, propelling him several dozen yards into the air. Tidus and Wakka cheered from the docks. Kairi grinned and hurled her Keyblade at Sora. Destiny's Embrace rapidly spun towards Sora.
"Nice move, Kairi!" Sora said as he twisted midair to dodge the attack. He snatched Kairi's Keyblade out of the air right as it was about to zip past him, eliciting gasps of surprise and disappointment from Selphie and Kim. "But you're going to have to try harder than that!' Sora shifted his grip on Destiny's Embrace and hurled it like a spear back at Kairi. Kairi quickly did a reverse somersault to avoid being impaled by her Keyblade. She summoned it back to her hand and aimed the tip at Sora, who was slowly beginning to descend back to the beach.
"Burn!" Four fireballs burst into life at the tip of her Keyblade and honed in on Sora. Sora swung his Keyblade in a wide arc and created a massive ice shard midair which intercepted the fireballs before falling to the ground and shattering. Kairi growled in frustration. Sora laughed and sent a charge of lightning coursing through his Keyblade.
"Try this!" Sora shouted as he hurled his Keyblade at Kairi when his feet touched the ground. Kairi held her ground as Sora's electrically charged Keyblade hurtled towards her. When it was just a few feet away from her, she aimed her Keyblade and imagined it crashing suddenly to the ground.
"Force!" She shouted. A heavy gravitational field formed around the airborne Oblivion and forced it into the ground before it could reach Kairi.
"Nice one, Kairi!" Tidus shouted. Sora smirked. Electricity burst from the Oblivion in a dozen directions. Kairi threw herself out of the way of the majority of bolts of lightning. One of the smaller ones however, struck her foot as she leapt. Kairi cried out in pain as the electricity coursed through her body. Sora forced his face to remain straight. He didn't think the electricity burst was actually going to hit her and now he felt bad.
That's what you get for being careless.
Shut up, Roxas.
Okay, fine. By the way, you might want to duck.
Sora realized that Kairi had fired off a series of fireballs and ice shards towards him and was charging up an aerial assault with lightning. Kairi was grinning triumphantly. Sora glanced up and saw sparks crackling above his head.
"Son of a bitch," Sora said. Selphie and Kim cheered as Kairi's attacks collided together and exploded.
I sure hope I didn't hurt Sora too badly. Kairi thought. She still couldn't see anything through the smoke of the explosion. Do you think I overdid it, Naminé? The smoke slowly began to fade. Kairi squinted, attempting to see if Sora was okay or not.
I don't think you even scratched him. Naminé replied. The smoke cleared, and there was no sign of Sora anywhere. Kairi looked around in confusion.
Where did he-
Kairi! Behind you! Naminé shouted in her mind. Kairi spun around and barely managed to raise Destiny's Embrace to deflect the Oblivion as Sora attempted to strike her from behind. Sora's attack broke her guard and knocked her Keyblade from her hands. Kairi ducked under Sora's next strike and did a back flip to put space between her and Sora. She held her hand out towards where her Keyblade now lay in the sand. It vanished in a flash of light and reappeared in Kairi's hand.
"Keep your guard up, babe," Sora said as he charged her again. Kairi grinned. She was ready this time. She sidestepped Sora's initial strike and attempted to stab him as his momentum provided her with an opening. Sora brought the Oblivion back around and deflected Kairi's attack. Kairi pressed on, forcing Sora to give ground as he parried Kairi's offensive onslaught. Sora stumbled in the sand as Kairi swung her Keyblade rapidly yet skillfully.
Sora couldn't help but grin. The way Kairi moved across the sand as she attacked him, she almost seemed to be dancing. No movement was wasted, and every attack she threw at him was nothing but graceful. Sora felt himself falling further in love with her.
Focus, lover boy, Roxas said inside his head. She's actually doing pretty good so far.
I know. She's definitely ready to take on some Boss level Heartless. For only a week's worth of training, she's doing very well. Sora ducked under another of Kairi's strikes and disarmed her. Kairi's eyes widened in shock as her boyfriend snatched up her Keyblade, crossed it with his and placed them against her throat.
Damn. Naminé said. And you were so close. Kairi sighed sadly as the Keyblades vanished into a thousand shimmering lights.
"I guess this means I failed your test," She said, feeling defeated. Selphie, Tidus, Kim and Wakka groaned. Sora smiled at Kairi and gave her a brief kiss. Kairi blushed in surprise.
"You pass, Kairi," he whispered as he rested his forehead against hers. Kairi gave him a quizzical look.
"But I lost," She said sadly. Sora chuckled and hugged her.
"The test wasn't about winning, Kairi," He said comfortingly. "I just wanted to see how good you've become since we started." Kairi grinned at Sora and hugged him tightly. She turned her head to look at their friends and flashed them a huge smile. Selphie and Kim jumped up and down excitedly, cheering for Kairi while Wakka handed Tidus a small stack of munny, looking dejected while Tidus had a look of triumph. Kairi giggled and turned back to Sora.
"So what now?" Kairi asked him. "Does this mean my training's done?" Sora considered this for a moment.
"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "Well, not for the most part. Your fighting abilities and strategies definitely don't need any more work. But I still have several spells I can teach you. So no, we're not done with your training." Kairi smiled at him and gave him a kiss. Sora kissed her back eagerly.
"Hey, lovebirds!" Kim shouted. Sora and Kairi broke apart and glared at Kim. "Selphie and I have to get going. My mom needs our help cleaning the shop so we'll see you two later." Selphie, Kim, Tidus and Wakka began walking to the boats.
"Tidus? Wakka? Why are you two leaving?" Riku asked. Tidus stopped and looked back at the silver haired teen.
"We came in with them. We need to go back with them or swim back. And I don't really feel like swimming back to the Island," He explained. Riku nodded in agreement.
"I hear you, pal. See you guys later."
"Peace out, Riku. Don't let those two be alone for too long. God knows what they might do." Tidus and Riku laughed for a moment before Tidus ran off to catch up to the others. Riku chuckled to himself and glanced out at the sunset. They'd been back for over a week now and he still had yet to watch the gorgeous sunsets that took place on the Islands. He turned his attention to Sora and Kairi, who were dancing and giggling like school children. Riku smiled at them.
They won't notice if I slip away for a while. He stealthily slipped past the couple and headed for the islet where the Paopu tree grew. He hoisted himself up onto the trunk of the tree and sighed contentedly. It's good to be home.
Meanwhile, Kairi's phone began buzzing in her pocket. Kairi groaned when she saw the caller ID. She looked at Sora apologetically.
"It's my mom, I've gotta take this," she said. She gave Sora a peck on the cheek and walked away while flipping her phone open. "Hey, Mom. What's up?" Sora smiled at her and looked around for Riku. He spotted him sitting alone up on the Paopu tree.
What's he doing up there by himself?
Beats me. How about we go keep him company while Kairi talks to her mom.
What about Naminé?
I can't talk to her when Kairi walks away like that. The farthest we can be apart while still being able to talk is about half the length of this beach and look; they're practically on the other side of the island by now.
That's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?
That may be true; but my point is that I can't talk to Naminé, so let's go keep Riku company.
Sounds good. Sora walked over to the seaside shack and hoisted himself on top of it with ease. He jogged across the wooden bridge and slowed back down to a walk when he reached the Paopu tree. He placed both hands on the trunk and used them as leverage to jump over to the other side where he leaned against it. He placed his hands behind his head and stared out at the setting sun.
"Nothing's changed, huh?" Riku said after a little bit, still staring out across the water.
"Nope," Replied Sora. "Nothing will."
"What a small world," Riku chuckled. Sora remembered how Riku once believed that the world was too small, which led him to open his heart to Darkness so he could escape.
"But part of one that's much bigger," Sora said.
"Yeah." Agreed Riku. They stared at the sunset for a few more moments in silence.
"Hey, Riku," Sora said, turning his head to look up at his silver haired friend and asked the question that had been burning in the back of his mind for a few days now. "What do you think it was? The Door to the Light?" Riku laughed and climbed off of the Paopu trunk so that he was standing in front of Sora. He pointed at Sora's heart.
"This," He answered. Sora glanced down in confusion.
"This?" He asked, placing a hand over his heart.
"Yeah. It's always closer than you think." Sora smiled at this, knowing that Riku had a point.
"Sora! Riku!" Sora and Riku turned their heads in unison as Kairi called their names from the bridge. Kairi ran up to them, waving and panting. She stopped just short of them and doubled over, gasping for breath. Sora took a step towards her, concerned.
"Hey, what's up?" He asked worriedly. Kairi held up a glass bottle sealed with a cork containing a scroll of paper.
"Look," she panted. Sora's eyes widened in shock. On the scroll were three concentric circles that resembled the head of a certain mouse king.
"From the King?" Sora asked excitedly. He took the bottle from Kairi, uncorked it, forced the scroll out and unrolled it. Riku and Kairi stepped closer to Sora so they could read over his shoulders.
I wanted to tell you right away,
About memories from the past that sleep within you,
And about the pieces that will tie you to your future.
Sora, Riku, Kairi,
The truth behind the Keyblade,
Has found its way through so many people,
And now I know that it rests in your hearts.
Sora,
You are who you are because of those people, but they're hurting,
And you're the only one who can end their sadness. They need you.
It's possible that all your journeys so far,
Have been preparing you for this great new task that's waiting for you.
I should have known there were no coincidences, only links in a much larger chain of events.
And now the door to your next journey is ready to be opened.
-Mickey
LD
Meanwhile, King Mickey stood facing Yen Sid in the sorcerer's chamber of the Mysterious Tower. The elder, former Keyblade Master stared at the mouse king.
"Yen Sid!" said Mickey. "I think we're finally close to figuring out where Ven's heart is." Yen Sid smiled slightly.
"Is that so?" He said. "Then that leaves only Terra."
"Right," Mickey said excitedly. "And we've gotta save all three of them!" Yen Sid sighed and ran a hand through his long gray beard.
"The question is, what does Xehanort intend to do next?" The sorcerer said.
"Xehanort?" Mickey asked, confused. "But his two halves are gone! There was Ansem, who commanded the Heartless; and Xemnas, who commanded the Nobodies. Didn't Sora defeat them both?"
"Correct," Yen Sid said, entering the lecturing attitude he had developed over the many years he had spent training Keyblade wielders. "Those two met their end. However, therein lies exactly our problem. Their destruction now guarantees the original Xehanort's reconstruction." Mickey cried out in shock. "Xehanort's heart, once seized by his Heartless half, is now free. And his body, which had become his Nobody, has been vanquished. Both halves will now be returned to the whole. In short, this means that Master Xehanort will return." A shiver ran down Mickey's spine.
"And you think…" the mouse king spoke, hesitating long enough to swallow the lump that had quickly formed in his throat. "You think that maybe he's going to try something?" Yen Sid frowned and stared at his folded hands.
"A man like Xehanort will have left many roads open," He replied ominously.
"Well, it doesn't matter what he cooks up," Mickey said, "Me and Sora, we'll be ready. And Riku too." Yen Sid pondered this briefly.
"Yes, they are indeed strong," He said slowly. "But not true Keyblade Masters like you. Tell me, would a single one of you suffice if what you faced was not a single one of him?" Mickey's confidence vanished in an instant and look of shock crossed his face.
"What?" He asked his former teacher. "What do you mean?" Yen Sid ran his hand through his beard again. He stood up and brushed a hand over his blue robes.
"Mickey, please summon Sora here. Riku as well." Mickey looked up at Yen Sid in confusion.
"Of course. But why?" He asked. Yen Sid stared down at his former pupil.
"To show us the Mark of Mastery."
LD
Sunday, May 30th
A few days after they had received the letter from the King, Sora was sitting on the Paopu tree watching the sunset. In his hands, he held the King's letter. He had spent the last few days thinking almost non-stop about the letter, considering his options and talking them over with Roxas. Sora sighed. They had barely been back two weeks and already they find out that the worlds already needed them. How were they going to explain this to their parents?
"Sora."
Sora turned around on the tree and saw Riku walking onto the islet, his gaze fixed on the setting sun.
"Riku."
"Your mind's made up?" Riku asked. Sora nodded.
"Yeah."
"Sora," said Kairi softly as she followed Riku onto the islet. Sora turned to look at her.
"Kairi," Sora jumped off of the tree trunk. "I-" He wasn't sure what to say. Kairi nodded sadly as she folded her arms behind her back. Sora smiled comfortingly and walked over to the auburn haired girl of his dreams. "It's just-. They really need me. I have to go. I am who I am because of them." Riku smirked. Kairi smiled, forcing herself to keep her face straight so Sora didn't see how much this was hurting her. She took his hand in hers and placed the good luck charm she had made two years before in Sora's hand.
"See you soon," she said forcing her voice to stay even. Sora stared at the charm in his hand. He looked up at Kairi.
"I can't take this, Kairi," Sora said, placing the charm back in Kairi's hand. Kairi felt her heart shatter. Her calm composure broke and tears began to run down her face. Riku pinched his nose between his fingers. Sora immediately began to panic when he saw the look of hurt on her face and the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Kairi, let me explain-"
The air resounded with a crack as Kairi smacked Sora. Sora's head whipped to the side. His eyes widened in shock. Kairi's look of hurt had become a look of anger. When Riku saw this, he took a few steps back.
"Idiot!" Kairi shouted at him. Her voice cracking in anger and pain. Sora's cheek began to turn scarlet. Kairi ran off towards the bridge. Sora continued to stare at where Kairi had been standing moments before.
That went well. Roxas said sarcastically. Sora stared after Kairi as she ran into the Secret Place.
Kairi…
"You better go after her," Riku said, smacking Sora on the back of his head. Sora nodded in agreement and took off at a sprint after her. He ducked low so he could fit into the Secret Place. Kairi was kneeling in front of the drawing of her and Sora. Her fists were digging into her knees while tears dropped steadily onto the dirt. Naminé knelt next to Kairi, doing her best to comfort Kairi by hugging her, despite being a spectral image. Naminé glared up at Sora when she caught him standing there.
"Jackass!" Naminé quickly got to her feet and rushed up to Sora while drawing her hand back. Sora flinched as Naminé went to slap him, but her hand passed right through them. Sora almost sighed in relief until he heard Roxas cry out in pain. There was a flash of blue light and Roxas appeared next to Sora, collapsed on the ground with a red handprint on his cheek.
"The hell, Naminé? What'd I do?" Roxas shouted at her. Naminé stood over him shaking with rage. She grabbed Roxas by his collar and dragged him to his feet and proceeded to shake him violently.
"HOW COULD YOU LET SORA BE AN ASS TO KAIRI?" Naminé roared at him. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" She glared at Sora as she shouted the last part. Sora averted his gaze and looked at Kairi, who was sniffing as she stared determinedly at the drawing of her and Sora. As Naminé continued shaking Roxas, Sora walked slowly over to Kairi. Kairi wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand as he drew near.
"What do you want?" She demanded, her voice cracking from attempting to stop her tears. Sora knelt next to her, and looked sadly into Kairi's heartbroken and accusing stare. Sora felt pain grip his heart. He swallowed hard.
"I didn't get to tell you why I can't take your charm," Sora explained. Behind him, Naminé stopped shaking Roxas and both were watching Sora and Kairi. Kairi continued to glare at him.
"What?" Kairi demanded, wiping more tears from her eyes. Sora sighed.
"I knew one day we would have to leave. And that's mostly why I agreed to train you and that's why I tested you today. I can't bear to be apart from you for a single day, Kairi." Kairi blushed at this and realized her tears were beginning to stop. "I would die if I had to go save the worlds without you. I can't take your charm because… I want you to come with us. I don't want to leave you behind."
Kairi's heart skipped a beat. Her blush deepened and she felt her sadness and her pain vanish in a second. Sora continued to look at her worriedly. Kairi smiled and bowed her head, feeling stupid for overreacting. Her bangs slipped and hid her eyes. Sora lifted them out of her face and stared into her violet-blue eyes.
"Kairi?" Sora and Kairi stared at each other for a long moment. Then Kairi chuckled and tackled Sora as she lunged forward to kiss him. Kairi lay on top of Sora as the couple lost themselves in a world of happiness. Naminé and Roxas both smiled at them and looked at each other before sharing a kiss of their own. Sora broke the kiss and stared up at Kairi.
"I love you, Kairi," He said, running a hand through her auburn locks. Kairi grinned, and kissed Sora deeply and passionately.
"I love you too, Sora," Kairi panted, barely taking her lips off of Sora's to speak. "I'm so glad that's the only reason why you wouldn't take my charm. I was worried you didn't love me." Sora kissed her again.
"How could I possibly not love you, Kairi?" he asked, gently caressing Kairi's face. Kairi purred at his touch and kissed him again.
"I love you, Roxas," Naminé sighed as she hugged the spiky haired Nobody. Roxas smiled and hugged Naminé tighter.
"I love you too, Naminé," Roxas said. He glanced over at Sora and Kairi who were once again joined by the lips. Roxas smiled.
I wouldn't be able to love her if it weren't for you, man. Thank you.
LD
Riku sat on the Paopu tree, watching the moon slowly rise in the sky above him and swinging his legs back in forth in boredom.
"Well this is exciting," He said, sighing heavily. "Can't something exciting happen while they're off doing their thing so I don't go crazy?"
There was a flash of bright light several dozen yards out over the ocean. Riku cried out in shock and shielded his eyes with one hand while he summoned his Way to Dawn Keyblade to his hand.
The first thing he noticed when the light faded and he could see again was a glowing green railroad track suspended midair and running straight up to the islet where the Paopu tree grew. A purple and gold train car slowed to a stop on the tracks next to the islet. Riku stared dumbfounded at the train.
"I'm so fucking confused," Riku said nervously. There was a loud hissing noise and one of the doors on the train opened slowly. Riku raised his weapon as he heard footsteps from inside the train. He shifted his stance ready to attack. The train's occupant stepped out onto the islet. Riku dispelled his Keyblade and took up a more casual stance.
"Oh, it's you."
LD
Back in the Secret Place, Sora and Kairi remained joined together by the lips. Sora's jacket lay in a corner and Kairi's dress was unzipped to just below her white halter-top. Kairi moaned in the kiss as Sora's hands ran along her back.
"Sora," she moaned softly, breaking the kiss to nip Sora's neck lightly. Sora let out a low groan. There was the sound of a couple of people clearing their throats from the Secret Places entrance. Sora and Kairi quickly broke apart, Kairi zipping her dress back up. Both of their faces turned a deeper red than what should've been physically possible when they realized that Riku was standing there, with a look on his face that screamed "Well, well, well. What have we here?" Then they realized that standing next to Riku, tapping his foot was-
"Your majesty!" Sora and Kairi cried out in embarrassment. Riku doubled over laughing and placed a hand on the nearest wall to support himself. Sora and Kairi quickly scrambled to their feet, still blushing a deep crimson.
"We're not interrupting anything I hope," Mickey said smiling at the two teens. Sora and Kairi chuckled nervously.
"No sir!" Sora replied quickly. Riku rolled his eyes.
"What are you doing here, your Majesty?" Kairi asked as she attempted to make her hair look less frazzled than it did at that moment. Sora quickly began to attempt to put his jacket on. Mickey turned to look at her.
"Well, Kairi," he said, "my former master, Yen Sid, sent me." The three teens all looked at him quizzically. Mickey chuckled. "Master Yen Sid says he wants Sora and Riku to take the Mark of Mastery Exam." The teens looks became more confused. Sora's more so than the others when he realized his jacket was on inside-out and upside down. "So I'm here to take you to Yen Sid's tower to take the Exam." Kairi spun to Sora and hugged him tightly.
"Congratulations, Sora!" She said excitedly. Then she paused and looked back at Mickey.
"Um, what's the Mark of Mastery Exam?" She asked him. Mickey laughed.
"The Mark of Mastery Exam is a trial all Keyblade wielders must go through to truly become Keyblade Masters, as long as they display the Mark, that is."
Sora's eyes widened in surprise and he remembered what the silver-eyed, cloaked man had told him after nearly killing him the week before.
"The forces of Darkness grow stronger with each passing moment. You will need to keep your light close. Don't let her go. In my opinion, you've definitely shown the Mark."
So that's what he meant. Who was that guy? Did he know that this was going to happen?
"And Yen Sid wants us there, pronto," Mickey continued. "So we need to leave immediately." He turned around and exited the Secret Place, closely followed by Riku, who paused long enough to say "Sorry for cock-blocking you, dude," before ducking out of the Secret Place and following Mickey.
Sora and Kairi exchanged embarrassed looks before they followed Riku and Mickey outside. They ran to catch up to Riku and Mickey, who were almost to the train. Kairi stared at the train.
"Um, is the train floating midair?" She asked nervously.
"Yup," said Sora, Riku and Mickey in unison. After they had boarded the train and sat down, Mickey snapped his fingers and the door hissed shut and the train began moving.
"Wait!" Kairi exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at her. "What about our parents? Shouldn't we at least tell them where we're going?" Mickey laughed.
"Don't worry, Kairi," He said with a chuckle. "I already explained the situation to all of your parents." He looked from Riku to Sora. "They all wish you two the best of luck." Sora and Riku grinned. After a few minutes of silence, all of them had fallen asleep.
LD
Monday, May 31st 4794 P.C.
They all were woken up the next morning when the train came to a screeching halt, sending all of them tumbling head over heels into a tangled pile of limbs and appendages.
"That was one hell of an alarm clock," Riku groaned as he untangled himself from the others.
"I'll say," Mickey said, rubbing his head. "Sora, Kairi, are you two-" He turned to look at the other two teens and stared in surprise. Riku burst out laughing.
"That's an awkward way to land," Riku laughed as he took a picture of the couple with his phone.
Kairi groaned. Her head was still pounding from the rude awakening. She felt the flesh of someone beneath her. She opened her eyes slowly and found her face buried in Sora's groin. Kairi immediately felt her heart begin to race and her face grow rapidly hot. Her face grew even hotter when she felt Sora's breath against her womanhood.
Sora slowly opened his eyes at the sound of Riku's laughter, wondering what could possibly be so funny, and found himself staring at Kairi's pure white panties. Sora's heart rate skyrocketed and he knew his face must've been colored a deep shade of red.
Kairi squeaked at the feel of Sora's breath against her privates and quickly pulled herself off of Sora. Sora couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he was still more embarrassed about the situation as a whole. Riku and Mickey continued to laugh as they exited the train, closely followed by the embarrassed couple.
They stepped out of the train and onto the lawn outside of the crookedly shaped tower that Master Yen Sid called home. The former Keyblade Master was standing outside the base of the tower, smiling as they drew nearer.
"Sora. Riku," Yen Sid said as they drew nearer. Kairi gave Sora a good luck kiss and allowed herself to be led by Mickey to the top of the steps leading up to the tower. "Two of the wielders of the Keyblade. Today, I shall administer unto the pair of you the Mark of Mastery Exam. Be warned, this is not a competition or a battle for supremacy. Not a test of wills; but a test of heart. You both might prevail, or neither of you may prevail." Yen Sid snapped his fingers and several human shapes composed of light appeared.
"The first stage of the Exam is a test of your strength," Yen Sid gestured to the light figures. "Defeat the figures of light by any means necessary." Sora and Riku grinned at each other, summoned their Keyblades and charged the light figures.
In less than a minute all of the light figures had been defeated. Mickey and Kairi cheered for the pair. Sora and Riku high fived each other. Yen Sid smiled proudly.
"For the second stage of your Exam," He said. "The pair of you will demonstrate the strength of your heart by fighting each other." Sora and Riku raised their Keyblades, each preparing to strike. "On my count. Three, two-"
"I have a better idea," A male voice spoke, interrupting Yen Sid's countdown. A shiver went down Sora's and Kairi's spines. There was a flash of bright blue light that none of them could bear to look at. When the light faded, a man stood in the center of the lawn, dressed in the black cloaks of the former Organization XIII. Sora's heart began to race and a burst of fear coursed through his veins.
Oh shit. Not again.
"Who are you?" Yen Sid demanded. The cloaked man turned to face the elderly sorcerer and lowered his hood, revealing shoulder length bronze colored hair and glowing silver eyes. Kairi cried out in surprise. The man smiled.
"Who am I? I am one of the few who survived to pass on the true story."
LD
Who is the man in the cloak? What is the true story he survived to tell? Who are Echidna Parass and Creed? Why am I asking you? I already know the answers! But I promise at least two of these questions will be answered in the next chapter! I hope you enjoyed this latest installment and are looking forward to the next chapter! Until next time, my firends!
-Shadow Horizons
P.S. I enjoy hearing feedback so feel free to review (not required but welcome) and if you have questions, I will be happy to answer them clearly (as long as it doesn't lead to spoilers: in which case, I will answer with a confusing riddle or rant about something completely off topic instead).