14

Darkness Calling

Ocean air always smelled sweeter to me in the morning. By afternoon it was always muggy and heavy, but around seven in the morning it was light, fresh, and delicious.

I could still remember breathing deeply of it on my walks to school in the morning with Selphie. It was always cool enough to be refreshing, and yet warm enough that it didn't leave me chilled after it played across my skin. Mundane as it was, the ocean air was probably one of the things that I missed most about the islands when I first moved to Radiant Garden.

And so I smiled and breathed of its refreshing aroma, stretched until my back popped, and then exhaled contentedly. The thin white sheet that covered my body was identical to the one hanging in the doorway; when I opened my eyes I could see it fluttering in my peripheral vision.

I sighed again, then smiled even more widely as Sora's arms tightened around my body. His bare skin made up for what the raggedy sheets lacked in thread-count softness. Plus it smelled amazing. They could bottle that smell, slap a label on it that said nothing but "Sora," and sell it as designer cologne.

I peeked at him from beneath my eyelashes, rather inclined to think that he was only pretending to be asleep in spite of the fact that his breathing was deep and even. I ran a finger down the middle of his chest, then kissed him lightly on the cheek. The faint smile that spread across his face confirmed my suspicions.

I sat up, winced, and laid a hand over my lower back. Sleeping on a wooden floor with nothing but a sheet separating your body from an effusion of potential splinters is rarely a good idea. Plus, all my muscles seemed to be complaining from the hardness of the surface upon which I'd slept. Or maybe I was just… shell-shocked.

Sora opened his eyes a miniscule amount, wrapped his hands around my waist, and pulled me back into a reclining position against his chest. His eyelashes fluttered. "Sleep," he said drunkenly.

He was so beautiful and vulnerable like this. How long had it been since I'd seen him sleep? I wanted to touch each of his dark, trembling eyelashes and kiss his pale, sweet lips as softly and as silently as the morning light did. I wanted to lay my head against his chest, breathe the same air that he did, and become a part of him for the rest of forever.

But this little tree house in Destiny Islands did not hold that forever, unfortunately. A new day was dawning. And Radiant Garden was waiting.

I sighed. "We've got to go, Sora…"

"Hmm-mm," he disagreed, shaking his head haphazardly back and forth. A scowl appeared on his lips. "Sleep."

"I can't. I have to go home."

Slowly, he opened his eyes. A sad little frown twisted his lips. When he spoke, his voice was soft and lonely. "So… this isn't home anymore?"

I sat up, tucked a strand of sleep-tousled hair behind my ear, and hugged my knees to my chest. "In a way it is. It's a part of me," I said thoughtfully, staring at the light that had crept its way inside and made sharp little shadows on the uneven wooden floor. "It's where I found you. But destiny won't let me stay here anymore. It's given me a new home."

"Destiny?" Sora's eyebrows shot into his flyaway hair. He sat up a little; the sheet bunched up around his stomach and wiry forearms. "I didn't think you believed in that anymore."

I smiled faintly. "How could I not? It's come rapping on my door so many times."

He sat up all the way, a frown pulling at his lips. "So… I'm guessing this is the end of our vacation, huh?"

I laughed and scooted over to him; he wrapped his arms around my bare, slender body almost automatically. "What? You don't think one night is enough time to recuperate?"

"Funny, I don't feel very rested." Sora looked up at me, smirking.

I stuck my lower lip out. "Me neither. But you won't catch me complaining."

He laughed at my feigned sulkiness and rested his chin on the top of my head. "Seriously though… do you even want to rule Radiant Garden? Did anyone ever ask you that?"

I remembered a red-headed little girl who'd once stood on a balcony overlooking the city, asking herself that same question. She'd been so bitter—or more truthfully, so afraid. She was afraid of the destiny that had called her away from her loved ones. And she was afraid of the future that would take her even further away from them.

But, I suddenly realized, I wasn't that little girl anymore. And I wasn't afraid anymore. Because Sora was with me now. And this time he was with me for good.

"Yes," I said simply. "I want to rule Radiant Garden."

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. We merely watched the sunrise stretch across the wooden floor, sinking into the little cracks and divots like water. Every inch of progress that it made reminded me of the minutes that were passing—the few, precious minutes that I had alone with Sora. They were always so quickly spent.

"I guess we should go then," he finally said, loosening his hold on me. His hands rested on my knees as he buried his face in my hair and breathed of its aroma. "I'm sure Yuffie's got a busy day planned." His voice was slightly muffled.

I rested my hands on top of his and caressed the hardened skin around his knuckles. Yuffie would have a busy day planned. She'd be in her element—making calls, ordering food and fancy clothes, scheduling press conferences…

Yuffie.

"Shit!" I yelped, springing out of Sora's arms like a Mexican jumping bean. I stumbled across the room and nearly crashed into the wooden doorframe.

"Whoa," Sora said, jumping to his feet and catching me by the elbow as I screeched to a halt, wobbling dangerously. "Where's the fire?"

"Yuffie's going to be furious!" I groaned, clutching at my head, which was suddenly spinning.

"Probably. But there's nothing we can do about that now."

A possible scenario came to mind, in which Yuffie was storming through the city, bursting in and out of random doors and overturning trash cans like an angry tigress on the prowl. Now and then she emitted feral little snarling noises and seized hapless bystanders by the throats.

"Great," I murmured, pinching the bridge of my nose between two fingers. "I am so dead."

Sora laughed aloud; his eyes flashed with unsympathetic humor. "C'mon. She'll get over it."

"Easy for you to say," I muttered. I scowled at him.

He rolled his eyes, bent over, and kissed the tip of my nose. "Well, I take it you have no regrets, Princess?" There was a smirk in his voice.

I took his chin between my fingers and kissed him firmly on the mouth. "Only a few," I teased, craning my neck to get a better look of room. It was strewn with random articles of clothing. The board games and boxes of cookies that Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka had previously stacked lay on the floor in a jumbled heap. I noted, with some amusement, that my bra was dangling from the window frame.

My eyes swept the demolition site again. "Hmm. I can't see my pantsu anywhere." I frowned. "You'd better find them, or… or…"

"…Or what?" he snickered, giving my lips a swift peck.

I pouted. "Or I'll never be able to wear them again."

He cocked his head to the side, the sunshine spilling through his tousled, sandy-brown hair and falling upon his naked shoulders. His eyes were playful and bright in their oceanic blue; a smile twisted his lips. "Hmm. You make a good argument."

"That's what they tell me."

He took my hands in his and rested his head on my shoulder. Together we stood in the warm, sweet sunshine, savoring the moment. In the distance I could hear the wind and the roar of an ocean swell.

"Sora," I finally said.

"Hmm?"

"We have to go."

He sighed, took a handful of long, dark red hair, and let it fall through his fingers, piece by piece. "I know," he eventually murmured, resigned. Why did he have to sound so glum?

"And when Yuffie asks, it was all your fault. Okay?"

He burst out laughing. "Hey, don't drag me into this. She's your lady-in-waiting."

"Yeah, and the longer she waits the more dangerous she gets. So unless you want to be grievously injured…"

"Okay, okay," he muttered, releasing me and striding across the room. He began gathering his clothes—slinging them piece by piece across his arm with a sulking look on his face.

As I turned around, I caught a glimpse of white in my peripheral vision. There was something draped across the railing outside with a little red bow on it—aha.

I slipped outside and snagged my pantsu off the balcony railing, hoping all the while that the island was still exclusive to Sora and I. Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka had been known to come out here first thing in the morning, after all. Or at least they had three years ago.

"You ready?" I asked, once we were fully clothed. The patch of sunshine on the floor reached the back wall, now.

He looked up at me, suddenly speculative. There was a playful little smirk on his lips.

"What?" I asked, wondering if I looked as frightening as I felt. I ran a hand through the bird's nest that was my hair.

Suddenly he strode across the room, grabbed me up in his arms, and kissed me until I was breathless. His hands were hard against my back and neck, his breaths coming in deep, shuddering gasps.

"Sora," I moaned, twisting my head around so that I could breathe. He trailed a series of delicious kisses down my neck. "We have to go back."

"No we don't," he said huskily, fingering the zipper of my shorts. "We don't have to do anything…"

"But what about—"

He silenced me with his lips. When he finally broke the kiss, he muttered, "C'mon, Kairi. Five more minutes. Please."

I sighed and kissed his cheek. "Fine. Five minutes. But that's all you've got."

The grin that spread across his face was exultant. "No worries. Five minutes is plenty of time, Princess."

My tank-top seemed to fly over my head on its own accord.

~o~

The sun was rising fast in Radiant Garden; the long shadows that were draped across the road had begun to compact. Everything was hushed—and not a voice to be heard anywhere. I found it somewhat unusual.

"What time do you think it is?" I asked Sora.

He looked toward the sun, frowning. "It must be around eight…"

"Hmm…" It was late. Why was everything so quiet?

"Maybe everyone is still sleeping, 'cause of that huge party last night," Sora said. He sounded anxious, though, and I knew his thoughts were in tune with mine.

Something was wrong.

Our footsteps echoed against the high cottage walls surrounding us. I peeked into a window, and an unsettling sight met my eyes. A table was set, but gobs of cold egg and bits of toast littered the kitchen. A chair was tipped over on the floor. A broom lay on its side.

And there was nobody there.

"Look," Sora said.

I followed his gaze. There were two vegetable carts in the road, and one was tipped over. Beets and tomatoes littered the ground. Most of them were trampled on.

"What the heck…?" I ran over to a doorstep, and pounded frantically on the front door.

No answer.

I pounded again, this time louder.

Still no answer.

I ran from door to door, pounding and shouting and ringing doorbells. But there were no responses, no footsteps, no friendly hellos.

Sora watched me from the street. He was biting his lip.

I came to a door that was wide open, leaning on its hinges. Something bad had happened here. I walked inside, and the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up.

A vase was shattered, the sofa was tipped over, and there was glass all over the floor.

"Hello?" I shouted. No answer.

I walked into the kitchen. There were huge holes blown out of the tile. What on earth could have happened?

Suddenly, there was a rustling noise. I whirled around, and my eyes fell on a garbage can in the corner of the room. Plastic cups, paper bags, and apple cores were heaving up and down, as though the garbage were breathing. An empty can fell out and onto the floor, where it rolled, clattering, across the tile.

I took several steps backward, and my breath caught in my throat. "Who is it?" I demanded. "Who's there?"

The rustling stopped. For a moment, it seemed as though the garbage had never moved, and I was shouting at nothing but a bunch of trash. And then all hell broke loose.

The garbage can suddenly burst open, and a tidal wave of trash flew over the entire kitchen. I screamed and shielded myself from the worst of it.

A Heartless leapt from the remains of the trash can, twitching angrily, its yellow eyes flashing. And then, without warning, it leapt at me, claws slashing wildly. I didn't even have time to summon my keyblade.

I screamed as one of its long, sharp claws pierced my side and tore me open, all the way down to my waist. The pain was excruciating. I flung the creature off of me, gasping and clutching at my open wound. Hot, sticky moisture was seeping through my fingers.

"KAIRI!" I heard Sora shout. It sounded like he was in the living room.

"In here!" I cried out.

The Heartless was on its feet again. Suddenly, Sora burst into the room, keyblade in hand. He brought it down once, twice, on the Heartless's sniveling body, then slammed it against the wall, where it faded away in a cloud of darkness.

I was gasping for breath by time Sora was finished with it. Blood was running down my arms, hot and wet. It pooled on the floor.

Sora took one look at me, raised his keyblade into the air and shouted, "HEAL!"

A tickly feeling ran through my body, and I felt the edges of my cut pull themselves together. And then the agony went away, as quickly as it had come, and a gust of strength rushed through my limbs.

I gasped, peeking through the tear in my blood-soaked tank top. There was only a long red line where the skin had been slashed open.

Sora almost ran to my side. "Are you okay?" he asked. His face was pale, his mouth tight.

"Yeah," I said, looking curiously at the blood running down my side, which seemed to have no source.

"It's only Cura; I haven't mastered Curaga yet," he was saying fretfully. "Let me see it."

I grabbed the shredded tank top and pulled it up to my bra. Sora ran his fingers along the puckered red line. His face was lined with worry.

"It feels fine now," I said honestly. "It doesn't even hurt when you touch it."

"Sheesh, this must have been deep. I wish I'd used Curaga," he muttered. "Now it's going to scar."

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I don't care."

"Hmm," he said by way of agreement, "At least you're okay…" Then he scowled and said, "I should have just followed you."

"Or better yet, I shouldn't have come in here in the first place," I said, pulling my shirt down.

"Yeah, well… now we know who's behind all this," Sora said, and his mouth twisted in anger, "The Heartless."

"Why am I not surprised?"

Sora snorted. "We've got to find everyone. But where could they be?"

I thought for a second. "The Postern! That's the town's emergency gathering place."

"Alright, let's go."

We had barely made it out of the suburb when we were greeted by three Blue Rhapsodies and a Morning Star. The Morning Star was a giant, spiked ball with beady eyes and a wicked disposition.

"Stupid Heartless!" I growled, and felt a familiar weight in my hand just before the keyblade materialized.

Sora smiled at me. "You're really getting good with that thing. Maybe we could duke it out sometime, see who's the strongest."

"Okay, but no holding back."

He grinned. "Don't worry, I won't."

"I meant that I wouldn't," I said mischievously, looking up at him from beneath my eyelashes.

He smirked at me, and I felt another powerful urge to touch him—his lips, his neck, any part of him that I could reach. But there wasn't time for that.

So we plunged into the crowd of Heartless.

~o~

I was panting heavily by the time we reached the steps to the castle Postern. Sora had to grab my hand and pull me up the last few.

It was a good thing the Postern had been expanded, because there was a huge crowd of people there, huddled together, talking nervously. A few caught sight of us and shouted and pointed.

I was so glad to see them that I didn't even mind it.

Suddenly, I heard a yelp. "Kairi! Oh my gosh! Yuffie, they're here! Sora and Kairi!"

Sora and I looked up. Aerith was running through the crowd toward us, relief written clearly across her face. She was swaddled in a bathrobe, her bangs in curlers.

Yuffie came running around the corner with an even louder shriek. "Kairi!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. "It's okay, Yuffie, we're fine." I was still breathing heavily.

"Where—have—you—been?" She demanded, reaching out and catching my arm in a vice-like grip. Her eyes were like pools of molten lava.

I looked at Sora. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Erm… out."

"Well I guessed that much," Yuffie growled. Then her eyes widened as she caught sight of my wound. "Oh my gosh—what happened to you?"

I looked down at my bloody shirt and arms.

"A Heartless got a hold of her," Sora explained. "I casted Cura on her, but I don't know how well I did…"

Aerith lifted my shirt and examined the bloody area. "It looks decent. We should be able to take care of this scar later."

"Don't worry about it, it's fine," I said, pulling my shirt back down. People were staring.

"There're Heartless in town square," Yuffie said, reclaiming my attention. "More than the security system can handle. And we can't figure out where they're coming from!"

"Yeah, we noticed," Sora said, rubbing his shoulder where a Soldier had slammed into it.

"Is that why you evacuated the town?" I asked anxiously, looking around at the crowd.

She nodded. "There were too many of them. They were overpowering us, and they were going into people's houses. We didn't have a choice."

"Sora," A low, nasally voice said. "Where have you been? There're Heartless everywhere."

We turned our heads, and there was Leon, walking toward us as calmly as if this were only a drill.

I was embarrassed to see Sora blush and duck his head. "Umm… Y'know, around."

"Well I wish you'd been around here. It's not like we don't have enough to do without having to look after stupid teenagers all the—"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A colossal explosion rent the air. I glanced up in time to see a mushroom cloud rising fast above us, blotting out the sun, before a shockwave threw me on my butt. Pieces of brick and stone flew in every direction. People were falling all around me; Sora and Aerith tumbled over and landed on top of me. Several screams rang out. Then everybody was talking at once.

"What in the world—!" Yuffie exclaimed, still hanging onto Leon's arm, which she had grabbed for support.

Leon's eyes were on the sky, which was already filled with smoke. "This is bad," he murmured.

"Ya think?" Sora said, disentangling himself from Aerith and me.

I peered anxiously through all the smoke. "That sounded really close!"

"What was it?" Aerith wondered, still managing to keep her voice soft, though her bright green eyes were wide with fear.

"The Heartless," a flat, monotone voice answered.

We looked up in time to see a tall blonde figure approaching us. A black cape rested lightly on his broad shoulders. His deep blue eyes were angular, shadowed, and intense, like the rest of his features. His mouth was like a gash on his face, always flat and dangerous. And he carried a long, heavy sword.

"Cloud!" Yuffie, Sora, and Leon shouted at the same time.

He nodded at us, and then his eyes found Aerith. She stood there, her hands clutched to her breast and her eyes wide.

"Hey," he said slowly.

She just stood there, mouth trembling slightly. And then finally her lips parted, and a single word escaped them. "Hey."

"I came back," he said evenly.

She nodded slowly, and the corners of her lips curved upward. "Again," she murmured.

"Again."

Time passed, and no one said anything. A tear glittered on Aerith's eyelashes, then streaked down her cheek.

Sora put his hands behind his head.

Then Leon cleared his throat and said, "So… er… Cloud. What do you know about this?"

Cloud looked away from Aerith, a little unwillingly, and said, "Not much. Just that a giant Heartless appeared and smashed its way out of your castle."

My breath caught in my throat.

Leon and Sora exchanged startled glances. "Well that explains the explosion…" Leon muttered.

"Don't worry," Sora said, and he tensed himself for the keyblade that materialized in his hands. "I can take 'im!" He turned toward the steps, his eyes fierce.

"Hold on partner," Leon said, grabbing him by the collar. "We don't even know how 'giant' this thing really is."

Sora raised an eyebrow at him. "I think I've defeated my share of giant Heartless," he scoffed. "I can handle it."

"Not without my help," Cloud said flatly. He raised his sword.

"And mine," I said, summoning my keyblade.

"Me too," Aerith said gently.

"And don't forget the great Ninja Yuffie!" Yuffie crowed, drawing her long, lethal-looking shuriken from her belt. Her fury seemed to have been forgotten.

Leon rolled his eyes and exchanged glances with Sora. "Well, I guess that means I have to come along to keep these guys out of trouble."

Sora looked around at all of us. He seemed to debate for a moment, eyes roving appraisingly over each of us. Finally he shrugged. "Alright. I guess it's your choice."

Suddenly, there was an earsplitting crash, and fragments of blue crystal came thundering down the cliff. Screams pierced the air, and there was a mad scramble to get out of the way.

"Defense!" Sora cried, and a shield swelled from the tip of his keyblade until it encircled the entire postern. With a crash and a clang, the fragments of crystal were repelled and sent tumbling into the chasm below. I shivered as the air around us shimmered with the force of the blow.

And then Heartless began pouring from the top of the ridge, where the crash had come from. At first there were only a few, but it quickly morphed into a steady stream. The stream became a torrent, and the torrent was coming right at us.

"Yikes!" Yuffie yelped. "Okay, change of plans—protect the people!"

"Right," Sora and I agreed, keyblades raised.

They hit like a tidal wave. Not only Armored Knights and Surveillance Robots, but Shadows, and Heartless with long spears and a certain horsey odor whose name I didn't know. There were Soldiers, and floating Heartless with books. There were Heartless wearing long purple robes, cringing and moaning and clutching with their crooked, undead fingers.

I lunged at one, but it was too quick for me. It met me with its long, scratching fingers extended and sent me sprawling. I gritted my teeth, leapt to my feet and gave it a sharp jab.

Meanwhile Sora was mowing them down. I watched as a Heartless with a book tried to throw a fireball down into the crowd. Its green cap bobbed and its yellow eyes gleamed.

"Freeze!" Sora shouted, bracing himself, and three giant shards of ice shot out of his keyblade, dousing the fire and knocking the Heartless out of the sky.

"Aiee!" Yuffie screamed, leaping through the air and darting into a pack of Shadows. Just before she could slice them down, they melted into the ground and crawled around on the ground. One came scuttling toward me; I kept an eye on it, and when it popped back up into the third dimension I beat it down until it faded with a sigh.

The crowd was running down the steps and away from the castle. There were hundreds—probably thousands—of them, all in a mad scramble. Children wailed in their parents' arms. Fragments of brick and ash were tumbling down on us. Heartless poured in from the opposite side.

"Where are they going?" I shouted.

Cloud was the only one close enough to hear. "They're going to the Bailey. Merlin's going to try and set up a force field there."

"Oh, I hope they'll be safe!" I wailed, imagining their panic.

"They'll be fine; just worry about yourself!" Cloud advised, taking a heavy swing at several Heartless at once.

I was unpleasantly surprised that he would say such a thing. "That's a cowardly thing to do."

He narrowed his eyes. "It's not cowardly. It's smart. The one who looks out for himself is left standing."

I stared at him, uncomprehending. And after that moment, I didn't like him as well as I had before.

Suddenly something hit me, hard. The breath was crushed from my lungs, and I was sent sprawling. I looked up, head spinning, to see an Armored Knight, its sword raised high over me.

I opened my mouth and tried desperately to gasp for breath, but nothing would come. My lungs seemed to be paralyzed. And yet they screamed for air.

I rolled out of the way just as the sword came crashing down. Then I leapt to my feet. The keyblade in my hands seemed to lunge at the Heartless all on its own. With a clang, it made contact with the metallic beast, which promptly faded away. A heart, sparkling faintly, flew skyward.

Finally, I was able to draw breath; the air tasted sweet.

Suddenly, amid all the shouts, screams, and mayhem, I heard an odd noise. An echoing whistle.

Fiiihuuuwhoot.

It seemed to resonate through my memories. I could almost see the yellow dog, barking and wagging its tail, and I could almost feel the burns on my arms. And I knew there would be a portal of darkness around here somewhere, waiting for me to leap into it. It was though I was being summoned.

I hesitated for a moment, chewing on my lip and looking nervously about. And all in a moment I was dashing through the crowd, pushing my way through the people who had more pressing matters on their minds than a runaway princess. I wove my way in and out of the approaching Heartless, who also seemed to be too preoccupied to chase me.

And then I saw it—the portal. It was twisting and writhing by the back door of the castle. I hesitated, about six feet from its black and purple depths, and goosebumps prickled their way up my arms and legs. I could already smell the damp and the chill that seemed to be coming from the Realm of Darkness.

And then it came again. The whistle. Fiihuuwhoot, it said. Fiihuuwhooot.

Oh Riku, I thought to myself, don't make me do this.

The edges of the portal began to shiver and fade. I knew that the whole portal would close soon; I had only moments to act.

I crept closer and closer, but my body began to tremble. I was so afraid. Finally, I closed my eyes and whispered, "I trust you." And then I stepped into the blackness.

There was nothing at first. Only darkness. It swirled around me, making the hair on my arms stand straight up. My throat constricted with fear.

And then I saw him. He stood there, his hand extended toward me, his face glossed over and his eyes empty.

Somehow, he looked different. "Riku…?" I murmured, suddenly afraid of him.

He didn't speak, only nodded. Then he motioned with his head for me to follow him as he began to walk even deeper into the gloom.

I followed him, but I wasn't as sure as I had been before. There was just something strange about him. Even his posture looked different…

I heard the portal behind me close. Now I was stuck here, in this horrible, chilly, dank place…

I looked around, startled that I couldn't see Riku's bright figure in my peripheral vision. I was shocked to find that he was submerged in a cloud of pulsating darkness.

"Riku!" I screamed, dashing toward him.

And suddenly the darkness was gone. But so was he.

A man in a black cloak stood there, facing away from me. "Riku…" I murmured, wondering if I'd see the face of Xehanort's Heartless when he turned around.

But as the man turned, I could see the sharp angles of his face, his big, high cheekbones, and his pointed goatee beneath the shade of his hood. I gasped.

"You're even more gullible than I had imagined," he said, with a dark chuckle.

I balled my hands into fists; anger boiled at my insides. "Chancellor Tsukada!" I growled.

He snorted. "Wrong. The man you call Chancellor Tsukada is dead now, obviously. How else would he have a Heartless?"

"A Heartless?" I cried, narrowing my eyes. "What are you talking about? You are Chancellor Tsukada!"

"No I'm not," the man said impatiently. "I'm his Heartless. How else would I have impersonated your roughish friend?"

"What?" I gasped. "That's not possible…"

And then I remembered Sora telling me about a Shadow Heartless who'd pretend to be Belle to lure Beast away from him. Could this be the same type of situation…?

"Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless…?" I whispered.

He rolled his eyes at my distress.

"What happened to my uncle?" I shouted. My voice echoed in the vast expanse. "What'd you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything to him," the man said. "He did this to himself."

I shook my head. "He couldn't have! He was Ansem The Wise's brother!"

"Your father said it himself," the Heartless man said, examining his fingernails. "No matter how pure the heart is, even a drop of darkness can spoil it. This was the case with your uncle. Jealousy, pride… well, you get the idea."

"No," I whispered, more to myself than him. "No…"

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then, Princess," Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless said. And then a portal of darkness opened up behind him, and he began to ease himself into it.

"No!" I shouted. "Wait! Where's Riku? What did you do with Riku?"

But the man only smirked at me and slid away into nothingness. I ran towards him, but the portal faded before I could reach it.

And then I was alone. The obscurity of this place was suffocating me, closing in on me, cold and pulsating and thick… I curled up in a ball.

"How long?" I murmured, to no one in particular. "How long did I know the real Chancellor Tsukada? Or… did I ever even know him at all?"

The silent gloom did not reply.

Suddenly, there were bright yellow eyes winking at me through the blackness. I leapt to my feet, and with a clang, my keyblade materialized.

"Here we go," I said, baring my teeth. Shadows crawled forward to meet me, their antennae twitching and their eyes bulging.

And I plunged into the darkness.

~o~

The pain was excruciating. I could feel warm blood trickling in rivers down my skin, but since my entire body was screaming in agony, I couldn't locate the wounds from which they sprung.

Still, I managed to swing the keyblade. And still it managed to find its target. Even if I couldn't see through the darkness, it could. Again and again and again it came down on my foes, and they withered away into nothingness.

For what could have been hours—but what felt more like days—I fought onward, fought for my life. And still there were Heartless everywhere. They appeared in little circles, twitching and eager to attack. I didn't know what it was—maybe the place, or the hopelessness that was beginning to grip my heart, but something was sapping my strength. Or maybe I was just tired… my arms felt like jelly. My shoulders ached from carrying the heavy keyblade. When a Shadow leapt on top of me, it was even harder to throw it off and get back on my feet than before.

And suddenly there were Neoshadows, walking on slender legs and twitching their long, lightning-shaped antennae. These swung their heavy claws at me and slashed into my skin. Then, with odd twirling movements, they vanished into pools of darkness beneath their feet.

"He was trying to kill me," I said, blocking a heavy blow but receiving an equally painful one from behind. "That was his plan all along. He lured me here to kill me…"

A screech from a nearby monster seemed to confirm it. I cried out as a set of claws raked across my shins. Droplets of blood showered my toes.

Where was the glory? The glory of battle that I had experienced yesterday—the thrill that ran from my head to my toes? The shouts and the cheers?

Certainly not here.

"He wants me to die," I moaned. "And he's going to get what he wants…"

I was gasping for breath. But still I managed to swing the heavy blade and dodge what I could of the onslaught of attacks.

And then something heavy caught me in the back. I fell to the ground and struggled to get up, but an uncomfortable weight seemed to be pressing down on me, keeping me from ever rising again…

I was going to die here. Here in this dark, horrible place, I would lose my heart for the second time in my life. But this time, Sora was nowhere nearby to catch it in his own, to shelter it and keep it from the Heartless. And after my Heartless was born, Riku might try, once more, to save my empty shell from the darkness… but there would be no point… my heart would be gone, and my body would become a Nobody… wouldn't it?

I tried to fight. I tried to throw the creature off of me, to worm my way out from beneath its claws. But I was so weak…

Suddenly, something bright and transparent began to flow out of my body. It glowed silver through the darkness, writhing and turning, and then it took form.

It was a girl. She wore a white dress, and had long blonde hair that seemed to coil around her neck. She gave me a serene smile, then turned and walked away.

"Wait," I whispered. "Naminé… come back…"

She stopped, raised an arm, and opened a portal. The darkness inside it was warped and churning, most unlike the silent black walls surrounding us. Did she want me to step into it? Was it a way out of here?

"I can't," I moaned, trying to toss the Heartless off of me, but only succeeding in twitching my pinky finger. "Oh, Naminé, I can't…"

She strolled, casually, back to my side. Then she put her finger to her lips, as though to shush me, and touched my forehead.

I gazed up at her, confused.

She took my hand and lifted it high above my head. "Your turn now," she said simply, sweetly.

And suddenly, I understood. Using my last bit of strength, I willed the walls of this dark and dreary place to split. The resulting flash of light was absolutely blinding.

Naminé glanced at the portal of light, then beamed at me like I was a kindergartener who had drawn a particularly pretty picture. Still smiling, she vanished like a puff of smoke.

I gasped and looked around for her, but I was alone again.

Both portals, one of light and one of darkness, continued to warp and pulsate, but I couldn't reach either of them. I couldn't even get up. The darkness had begun to coil around my arms and legs. What had Naminé expected me to do?

Before I could find an answer, I began to slip under. It was the easiest path. The darkness was like nothing—nonexistence, a world much more cold and lonely than sleep, where memories and thoughts occasionally drift across the surface of the mind.

I fell into the coldness, the nothingness. My fingers twitched, then went still.

I wondered if my heart was gone. It felt like it. Funny, how vital that little organ was, that little shimmering gem. I was nothing without it.

But then, from somewhere inside me, a voice penetrated the blackness… a voice from long ago.

"Kairi!" It called out. Someone was searching for me.

"Oh—Grandma!" a tiny voice sang out, a tiny voice that was mingled with my own.

"…Listen child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power, and push the darkness away."

"Mm-hmm!"

And then light began to seep back into my heart, one buttery, sunshiny drop at a time.