Chapter 21: Destai

A/N: I'm such a mean author, aren't I? But yeah, Xehanort murdered Lumen's mother. That's pretty evil for someone to do, but then again, Xehanort is a very evil guy.

We only have to more worlds before this story comes to a close. I can just feel the tears in my eyes, knowing that the ending is drawing near.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts; I just own my oc's.

Enjoy!

/

She had to have heard wrong. There was just no way that any of this was true.

Xehanort murdered her mother? That couldn't be true, it just couldn't/

Lumen shook her head frantically as the tears spilled from her eyes.

"You're lying!" she cried.

"He couldn't have killed my mother!"

Yen Sid figured that she wouldn't believe him, but he never lied. He knew that this was going to be very hard for her to understand.

"Then tell me" he said.

"How did she die?"

Lumen wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled.

"She…I mean I heard…at least father said…" she stammered.

Now that she thought about it, she had no idea how her mother died. All she knew was that she passed away and was never coming back. Eraqus never went into detail as to how her mother died, only that she did.

Yen Sid closed his eyes gravely.

"It seemed your father didn't want to tell you that small detail" he said.

"But then again, who would have the heart to tell their five year old child that her mother was killed? I guess Eraqus didn't want to frighten you"

Lumen gave Yen Sid a harsh stare. He was making it sound that her father was stupid to be hiding stuff from her.

"Stop talking as if what my father did was wrong!" she cried.

Yen Sid just gave her an equal harsh look.

"Your father was foolish to hide this from you" he said.

"He should have told you how your mother died and who was responsible. The fact that he kept you in the dark just made Xehanort even more dangerous"

Lumen had angry tears pool in her eyes again. All of this information was really taking a toll on her mind.

"Why would Xehanort want to kill my mother?" she cried.

"What did she ever do to him? She never had a mean bone within her body"

Yen Sid propped his hand upon his chin in a tired matter. Telling this tale was taking a toll on him as well. He wanted to forget the past that he couldn't save.

"It was because your mother was his greatest threat" he said.

"And he had to destroy it"

Lumen remained quiet as she heard that.

His greatest threat?

Yen Sid simply looked at his tea as if the brown liquid held all of the answers he needed.

"Serenity was different amongst our group" he said.

"While your father and I sided with the light within our hearts, her whole essence was filled with light. She could purify anything that came within her path and could vanquish the darkness without even raising her keyblade. She held powers that made even her stronger than your father and I combined. She was a worthy candidate for the title of being a keyblade master"

He closed his eyes sadly.

"She was a mighty warrior…and yet she was Xehanort's greatest enemy" he said.

Lumen bit her lip as she edged closer to the table. What was so special about her mother that made her Xehanort's enemy?

"Your father and Xehanort were always considered enemies" Yen Sid continued.

"However, Serenity was Xehanort's polar opposite. She sided with the light while he sided with the darkness. She had the power to vanquish the darkness around him and Xehanort felt that was a threat to his plans"

Donald and Goofy were on the edge of their seats as well as they listened. They didn't know who Serenity or Xehanort were, but they felt that they would need to know later down the road.

"Xehanort wanted to control the heart of all worlds and by doing that he needed to draw out the darkness within them" Yen Sid said.

"He would have been able to do so, however Serenity's powers prevented him from doing so"

Lumen bit her lip the more she heard this.

"What was so special about my mother's powers?" she asked.

Yen Sid opened his eyes and gave her a grave look.

"She had the power to connect the light within all the hearts that she touched" he said.

"The chains of light"

Lumen gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. That was the power she possessed. The power that she used against the Unversed. The power her father begged her to never use.

Yen Sid looked at her.

"Oh, I know you would recognize that power" he said.

"It was passed on to you after all"

Donald and Goofy simply watched as Lumen went pale.

Yen Sid leaned back within his seat.

"At first, Xehanort sought that power out, feeling that it would help him obtain his goal" he said.

"But when he saw just how powerful Serenity was and that there would be no way for him to physically obtain that power, he decided he had to get rid of it"

Lumen whimpered, now knowing what he meant by 'get ridding' of.

"Xehanort felt that if he couldn't obtain that power, then no one should" Yen Sid said.

"So, to get rid of the threat that would ruin his goal, he murdered your mother and destroyed the obstacle that would keep him from his dreams"

Lumen cried a little as he repeated that Xehanort murdered her mother.

Goofy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder while Donald simply looked at the ground.

Yen Sid sadly looked at Lumen. He never wanted to tell her such a horrific tale, but it had to be told.

She needed to know in order to handle what was about to happen in the future.

"It seemed that Xehanort felt that he destroyed the obstacle that blocked his path, but he was wrong. There was another obstacle that was in his way"

Lumen looked at him with tears running down her face.

"What was it?" she sniffled.

Yen Sid looked at her before pointing towards her.

"You"

Lumen gulped and pointed at herself.

"Me?" she repeated.

"But how? I've never done anything to him. I've never really seen Xehanort"

Yen Sid just closed his eyes for a moment.

"It's because you inherited your mother's powers" he said.

"You have control over the chains of light"

Lumen gulped and looked at her hands. She was a danger to Xehanort?

"Eraqus must and known that Xehanort would be after you next, so he kept you hidden from him for many years" Yen Sid said.

"Since you're not nearly as strong as your mother once was, he feared that Xehanort would take control of you and use your powers to reach his ultimate goal"

Lumen looked at him as she felt her skin grow cold. Everything that she was hearing was spiraling out of control.

" What is it that he's after?" she asked.

"What is his ultimate goal?"

Yen Sid clasped his hands tightly together as he recalled his old friend's horrid plans.

"Kingdom Hearts" he said.

Lumen looked confused as she heard that.

"Kingdom Hearts?" she repeated.

Yen Sid nodded.

"The heart of all worlds" he explained.

"The one door that connects all worlds. To have control over that final door means one has control over all hearts. All hearts lead to one heart, one heart leads to multiple hearts. Kingdom Hearts"

Lumen felt herself shaking as she heard that. So she was the key in Xehanort's plan.

"So…you mean to tell me that he needs me in order to gain this Kingdom Hearts?" she asked shakily.

Yen Sid nodded.

"To have control over the chains of light, one has the ability to connect all worlds together" he said.

"And once that happens, then one has control over Kingdom Hearts; a door that should never be tampered with"

Lumen felt herself shake even harder as she heard that.

If her powers landed within the wrong hands, then all the worlds would be doomed.

"That was why father told me to never use my powers" she thought.

"He knew Xehanort would be after them!"

She quickly stood up from her seat and caused everyone to jump.

"The worlds are in danger because of me" she said.

"If I continue with my travels, Xehanort will be one step closer to getting me! I need to hide or go somewhere very far-"

She was cut off when she felt a stabbing pain within her heart. She clutched her chest and fell to her knees in pain.

Donald and Goofy rushed over to her and tried to make sure she was ok.

"What's wrong?" Goofy asked.

"Do you need me to heal you" Donald asked, holding up his staff.

Lumen let out shaky breaths as the pain intensified then slowly ebbed away. She was left with a numbing feeling as if she lost something, as if she lost half of her strength.

"I feel like part of me suddenly vanished" she said.

"I feel like my heart is shattering"

Yen Sid had sensed the dreaded feeling as well and he knew why.

"The stars bring me grave danger" he said.

"Master Eraqus's star has blinked out"

Lumen felt as if her heart could shatter. Her whole world came to a screeching halt.

Eraqus: her mentor, her protector, her friend, her father…was dead.

"N-no" she said.

"No, that can't be!"

Goofy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down.

Yen Sid looked at the stars gravely. It tore his heart that his dear old friend was gone.

"It means that he was struck down in battle" he said.

Lumen covered her mouth to suppress her sobs. Her father was faced off against Terra.

Could Terra have…?

"T-Terra…d-did he…?"

Yen Sid looked out at the stars and saw a group of four stars blinking close together-the same stars that Lumen saw with Terra, Aqua and Ven.

"No" he said.

"However, he is responsible for the one who did finish Eraqus off"

Lumen cried into her hands. She felt like she was at her breaking point.

"Who did this?" she sobbed.

"Who killed my father?"

Yen Sid looked at her.

"Master Xehanort" he said.

Lumen cried her heart out as she heard this. Not only did Xehanort murder her mother but now he killed her father. He took her parents away and left her with nothing. He ruined her happiness. He left her alone.

"NO!" she cried.

"Father! Father!"

Even though she was on her knees, she didn't have the strength to even sit up. She toppled forward and would have fallen to the ground had Donald and Goofy not caught her. They both held onto her and let her cry on their shoulders as she poured her heart out.

"Why?" she sobbed.

"Why would he do such a thing? Why would he kill my father as well?"

Yen Sid clenched his hand into a fist. His fears were starting to become reality.

"He was after you" he said.

Lumen held back a cry.

"You mean...for my powers?" she asked.

Yen Sid nodded.

"Eraqus has acted as your shield from the moment you were born. As long as he lived, Xehanort couldn't touch you"

Lumen gripped the fabric around her heart. Her father died because of her. He died trying to protect her.

"Father" she whimpered.

Goofy looked at Lumen sadly before looking at Yen Sid. Even though he hadn't known Lumen for a long time, he knew that she was a good person and didn't deserve this.

"Is she in danger, Master Yen Sid?" he asked.

With Eraqus out of the picture, that meant Xehanort could get to her easily.

Yen Sid shook his head.

"No" he said.

"She's not safe, but Xehanort cannot touch her. She is still protected by someone"

Lumen looked up at him. Who could protect her when her father was gone? Who else did she have left?

"Who?"

The side of Yen Sid's mouth turned upward a little.

"Your fiancée, Terra and your friends" he said.

Lumen gasped and looked at her engagement ring. She was so lost in her sorrows that she nearly forgot about Terra. She thought that he was responsible for everything that happened, but it appears that he wasn't. He was just as much of a victim to all of this as she was.

Even Aqua and Ven were victims to Xehanort. They lost their master because of him.

She smiled weakly. She thought that she was alone since she lost her father, but in reality, she still had her fiancé and her friends.

Her smile vanished when she realized something. If her friends were the only ones left to protect her…then that meant Xehanort would be after them as well!

She paled in horror when she realized they weren't out of the woods yet.

"He's going to go after them next" she said.

She quickly stood up and faced Yen Sid. All of her pain and sorrow were cast aside at the fear of losing her friends. She lost her parents, she couldn't lose her friends or fiancé.

"Tell me, where can I find them!" she pleaded.

Yen Sid closed his eyes for a moment, trying to sense their presence.

"I feel their hearts leading them to the ancient Keyblade Graveyard" he said.

Lumen nodded. So that was where she had to go in order to stop this. She had to reach them before Xehanort did.

"Ok, I'm going there then" she said.

She started walking towards the door, preparing for her showdown with Xehanort.

"I'll stop Xehanort once and for all before he harms anyone else"

Yen Sid watched as she headed for the door. He couldn't let her leave when her mind was so clouded with pain.

"Be careful" he said.

"A heart full of forgiveness accomplishes more than a heart full of vengeance"

Lumen stopped and spun around to face him.

"You expect me to forgive him after what he's done?" she asked.

"Do you want me to act like it's alright that he murdered my mother and father?"

Yen Sid shook his head.

"No, even I cannot forgive him for what he's done to your parents" he said.

"All I ask is to not allow the darkness to blind you. Vengeance is like a poison that will cover everything. If you let just a little out, it will catch like wildfire. Xehanort will expect you to come at him with hatred and if you do, you'll fall right into his trap. You hold the power to connect the worlds Lumen…you are the chain that will link everything together"

Lumen gasped as she heard that. Those were the same words that she heard in her dreams.

"My dream" she whispered.

Now it as starting to make sense. The riddles, the chains, the figure in the picture. It was all her. She was the answer to the riddle. She was the person in the picture.

She summoned her keyblade and looked at it for a moment. Everything that was about to unfold rested on her shoulders.

If she went down the wrong path, then many lives would suffer. The fate of the worlds were in the palm of her hand.

"I'm the one who will connect everything together" she said.

She dismissed her keyblade and looked at Yen Sid. Her resolve was set now.

"I'll defeat Xehanort" she said.

"Not because of revenge…but because if he lives then many more lives will get hurt. I'll stop him before he's able to fulfill his plans"

Yen Sid closed his eyes. He knew that she would say this, but he prayed that she wouldn't.

If she left for the graveyard now, then she was dooming herself.

But it couldn't be helped. Her heart was telling her that she needed to do this and he had to respect that. He had to respect Eraqus and Serenity's final wish.

"Then I pray for your safe journey" he said.

"Xehanort is no pushover so fight with all your strength. Your powers are the key to this battle, so use them wisely"

Lumen nodded.

"I will" she said.

"Thank you for everything, Master Yen Sid. I'm sorry you had to be the one to tell me all of this, but I feel grateful that you did"

Yen Sid closed his eyes.

"I just pray that it's put to good use" he said.

Lumen nodded and headed out the door.

Donald and Goofy looked at each other with worry before looking at Yen Sid.

"Are you really going to let her go?" Donald asked.

Yen Sid sighed.

"Oh, I'm sure my pupil Mickey is heading there as well" he said.

"I just pray that he makes it there in time"

Goofy looked at the ground sadly.

"I hope she'll be ok" he said.

"Me too" Donald said.

Yen Sid closed his eyes.

"I hope so too" he thought.

"You've already taken Eraqus and Serenity from me, Xehanort. Will you take away their living legacy as well?"

He looked out the window to see Lumen fly off on her keyblade glider.

He sighed sadly as he watched her fly off.

"The stars are growing dimmer" he said.

"That must mean Kingdom Hearts is growing near"

He closed his eyes when he realized that the darkness was drawing near and that those four souls were going to suffer greatly.

"Curse you Xehanort"

/

A/N: More like curse me right? I feel like kicking myself for making Lumen suffer like this. No one should feel the pain of losing their parent.

But sadly, her pain will result in Hikari's resolve as a keyblade master in the future. She's the key to her future.

So now we draw near to the epic and tragic episode in our four heroes lives. How bad will it be and will Lumen be able to push forward after this?

Please review and tell me what you think!

Ja ne!