Hey guys, sorry for not updating for so long. A lot of stuff's been going on over the summer, so I had to put down this story to work on so I could get all of that sorted out. Hopefully I'll get back to updating this series like I used to. Also, I've recently gone and redid some stuff in the earlier chapters so you might want to re-read it all. Just in case.
So enjoy!
OCs (c) Me
Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts
Sanctioned Soul
Chapter 14
Everyone watched as the crewmen prepared the ship to set sail, taking them and John Smith back to England. Thomas, who decided to stay behind and make a settlement using the fort, turned as the natives approached with offerings of food and medicinal herbs. Sora and the others stood off to the side, watching as the small boat that would take John Smith and some of the crewmen to the ship prepared to sail off to join the large ship.
"I wish…I wish there was something we could've done." Sora spoke morosely as he watched John Smith and Pocahontas bid their farewells to each other. Donald and Goofy sighed as well, feeling nothing but helplessness.
"Gawrsh, I know how ya feel Sora." Goofy agreed as he bowed his head. Axel was quiet as he leaned against a tree, his arms crossed. With a frustrated sigh, he looked at them.
"You guys can't always save everyone, no matter how much you want to. Sometimes…things happen for a reason, like this." he explained, his voice somewhat cold at the harsh reality that faced them. Demyx nodded as he looked at the couple.
"Yeah, it sucks but it's the truth. The best thing you guys can do is to make sure stuff like this doesn't happen to anyone else." he added sympathetically. The boys nodded solemnly in understanding, but they were still upset that John was forced to return to England or face an untimely death.
"Hey, John." all heads shot up as Miu approached, arms crossed with a scowl on her face, something out of character for the hyperactive girl. The blonde-haired man stared at her from his make-shift stretcher, eyebrow raised at what she had to stay. She stared at him levelly for a few moments, before speaking.
"You take care of yourself, okay? And you better come back and visit these guys once you're all better, you've got a great girlfriend and father-in-law waiting for you here. And if you don't, so help me I'll break your legs and annoy the heck out of you until you die! First I'll break your arms, then your legs, make sure to castrate you, break at least a couple of ribs-" she started, pouting as she placed her hands on her hips and continued to talk. Everyone stared at her with wide eyes as she continued listing all of the terrible things she would do to him if he didn't keep his end of the bargain, surprised at such violence coming from her. He quickly and weakly held up his arms in defense, trying to fight back a shudder of fear at the thought of her harming him in such a way.
"Oh, don't worry Miu, I will. Just as soon as I get better." John Smith assured her, trying not to smile uneasily at her words. She stopped at this, before smirking as she crossed her arms.
"Good! I'll hold you to your promise. And remember, you break it and I'll break your arms, then your legs, castrate you, break your ribs, and do everything awful to you until you're six feet under." she grinned, giggling as she did so. The man shuddered at this but smiled amusingly before turning to Sora and the others.
"Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, Axel; thank you. Without your help, things could've gotten a lot worse." Sora grinned as he held his arms behind his head, a bit bashful as he did so.
"No problem, it's what we do. You just take care of yourself, okay? So Miu doesn't have to carry out her threat." the boy grinned, laughing a little uneasily as the auburn-haired girl glared at him. The man nodded and with that, he was lowered into the boat and within moments it was in the water. They gave him one final farewell as his small boat floated across the water to join its bigger companion. Once it reached the ship, Chief Powhatan turned to them.
"I wish to thank you as well. If you had not helped my daughter, war would have broken out and many of my brothers would have perished. So I thank you, brave travelers." the chief spoke gratefully as he gave a small bow. Sora thumbed his nose and looked away, embarrassed.
"Aw, it wasn't anything, really. We just like helping people out." Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.
"Yeah!"
"We sure do, A-Hyuck!" Chief Powhatan smiled at this as he stared at them. These travelers were good, giving him hope for future visitors to this land and the future residents that were sure to arrive in pursuit of the Virginia company.
"If more people come here from distant lands, I hope they are as kind and brave as you, so that peace may thrive among our people." he commented, making the three blush a little in embarrassment. Axel rolled his eyes at their modesty, before approaching the chief.
"Hey, can we ask you a few questions? Have you seen any strange-looking indentations, or seen a girl with white hair or a guy with tan skin and silver hair around here?" the chief looked at him, eyebrow raised, before shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, but none fitting those descriptions have come through here, and we haven't seen any strange indentations." the pyro nodded before Sora turned to him, confused.
"Huh? What kind of indentation are you talking about?" at this the man scowled, crossing his arms as he stared at the boy like a teacher ready to scold their student.
"Sora, we're supposed to be looking for the keyhole that leads to the soul of the world, remember?" he reminded the boy, causing him to cock his head to the side before he remembered the other part of their mission. At this Miu walked over, having overhead their conversation.
"The keyhole? Why are you guys looking for a keyhole? So you can seal it with your keyblade? Oh wait, maybe you want to make sure it's safe! Am I right? Huh?" she asked curiously, her eyes blinking as she stared at them. The boys looked to each other uneasily, before looking back to her.
"Well…Master Yen Sid said that we should seal the world's souls using the keyholes. He said it was important, but he really didn't say why." Sora explained, holding his arms behind his head as he stared at her. The girl was silent for a moment, before she blinked at them like they had grown two heads.
"You mean you don't know? If the world's soul is taken, then within days the world dies, and so does everyone and every living thing on it. It's not anything like if the heart is stolen, the world just fades into darkness and the inhabitants either get thrown to other worlds or are devoured by the darkness, too." they blinked at her, their eyes wide, as she continued.
"There's a chance to get the world back, but if the soul is taken, there's no bringing the world back." she explained as she shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, uneasy at the thought of the worlds dying. The boys gasped in alarm, surprised at the outcome.
"Then we better find this keyhole, and pronto! We can't let that happen!" Donald proclaimed. Everyone nodded, before Miu sighed as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, but where do we start looking? There's a million places where it could-" but she stopped, seeing a white silhouette beyond the group's shoulders, making them blink at her in confusion. Sora cocked his head to the side, watching as her eyes widened.
"Huh? What's wrong-" He started, but stopped the moment he turned. For a few feet away, there stood a familiar white-haired woman who wore an elegant silver yukata with a white obi, surrounded by a white aura. The villagers and the remaining crewmen gasped in surprise as they took a few steps back, not sure whether this person was human or not. Axel and Miu were the most surprised as they stared at the woman's translucent appearance. The pyro took a few steps forward, his hand outstretched to her.
"K…Kyrie…?" the woman turned to them, smiling a soft smile as she began her approach, ghosting over the ground as if she weren't walking at all. The villagers and the crewmen cried out in surprise, moving closer to the forest edge in an effort to get away from the ghostly apparition. The woman continued moving until she stopped in front of Miu, making the girl stumble in surprise and fall on her behind as she stared at the woman in shock and surprise.
"What is she? Who is she? And why…do I feel like…I know her?" the girl thought as she stared at her ghostly appearance, not sure what to make of her. She felt an unknown feeling welling inside her chest as she and the woman stared at each other, not once averting their gazes. After a few moments, the woman tore her gaze away to stare at Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Axel.
"Ah, it has been a while, young ones. This one is pleased to be able to grace your presence once again." she stated as she bowed gracefully, much to the surprise of the group. Sora took a step forward, shock clear on his features.
"You're…the woman who helped us defeat Xemnas!" he exclaimed as he pointed at her. She nodded, a small frown replacing the smile she had on moments ago. At this Axel stepped forward in front of the boy, his fists clenched.
"Why are you here? Where's Kyrie?" he growled as he glared at the woman. He knew that the last time they had seen her, she had used Kyrie's body to manifest herself. But that didn't explain how she was here now, with no physical body. The woman stared at him solemnly as a soft sigh left her lips.
"This one is here because you wish to find the keyhole, something only this one and one other know the location of." a small ball of light began forming on her palm, before it shot out and hovered a few feet away from Sora and the others. They jumped back in surprise, before she smiled at them. "Follow this light, it shall lead you to where the keyhole is."
"Really? Thanks!" Sora said gratefully as he turned his attention to the woman. She nodded, before looking to the girl behind her. With swift and graceful movements, she knelt down in front of Miu, before grasping one of her hands in her own.
"Child, this one wishes for you to accompany Sora and his companions. Master Xehanort is not aware of this yet, but he'll need you to accomplish his goal. For both your safety, and the safety of the sleeping heart of Ventus, you must go with them." the woman spoke, her voice grave as she stared at the girl while her silver eyes glimmered slightly. Miu stared at her, for once speechless. Without waiting for her answer, the woman got to her feet and turned her attention back to the group, as her already translucent body began to disappear.
"It is time that this one bids you all farewell. But do not fear, we will meet once again in a time of need." her appearance faltered for a second, causing everyone to gasp.
"Kyrie?" everyone exclaimed in surprise as they jumped back. Kyrie smiled sadly at them, her eyes soft and full of a deep sadness as she stared at them. She took a few steps forward, before reaching out her disappearing hand and lightly cupping Axel's cheek as he stared at her in shock.
"And don't worry, everything's going to be okay. I won't let Xehanort win. Goodbye, Axel." she smiled softly as a few tears fell down her cheeks and with that, she disappeared into thin air. Everyone was completely silent before the villagers began talking amongst themselves, then Chief Powhatan and Pocahontas approached them.
"Who was that?" the young woman asked as she stared at the spot where the mysterious woman had been standing moments before. The group was silent, but before they could answer her, the ball of light began to move in the direction of the forest. Sora gasped and started to go after it.
"We'll explain it later! C'mon, or we'll lose it!" he called. The other boys followed right after him, leaving Miu, the Chief, and Pocahontas standing there. The two young women turned to each other, before following after the boys.
"Bye, Chief Powhatan! This might be the last time I see you for now, but I promise to come back soon!" Miu called behind her as she and Pocahontas ran after them. The chief smiled as he waved his arm in farewell.
"Farewell, and good luck brave travelers."
-Forest-
The boys and two women chased the ball of light as it soared through the forest, moving past the trees and bushes with an amazing speed while it zigzagged back and forth.
"Geez, is this thing fast!" Demyx complained as he moved a tree branch out of his way. Everyone was in full agreement with his words; they hadn't expected the small ball of light to move to quickly.
"But where that light goes, the keyhole's sure to be there." Axel thought as he moved through the underbrush. The group pushed through the branches and bushes that blocked their way, until they got to Grandmother Willow's clearing. The ball of light hovered in the center of the clearing for a moment, before circling it. The group stopped at the center, watching the ball as it circled around them.
"Why's it doing that?" Donald asked as he cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms as he did so. Goofy shrugged his shoulders as he watched the light move.
"I dunno, Donald. Maybe it's lost." he suggested, smiling like a dope. Sora, Axel, and Demyx face-palmed at this but Miu watched the small light silently, almost pensive.
"It's like…the light is waiting for something. But what? What's it waiting for?" she thought as she watched it move. Instinct told her to move, but her body told her to stay where she was. Without a word she took a step forward, and the light stopped moving and hovered a few feet away from Grandmother Willow. Without warning, it shot forward, stopping just a few inches away from the girl. She gasped loudly, jumping back, but it only followed her.
"It's okay, there's nothing to be scared of. Don't hesitate, reach out." a voice soothed, making her relax. Instinctively she raised her arms, holding them a few inches apart like she was about to cradle the ball in her hands. But the light grew bigger, almost obscuring her, before she felt two hands take hers. Looking in front of her she realized that another girl stood in front of her, she had white hair that covered the right side of her face and brown eyes; she wore nothing but white. Looking back, she realized that Sora and the others had their eyes covered, the light too strong for them.
Turning back to the girl, she was about to ask what was going on and who she was, before it dawned on her. This was the girl that she had met not once but twice, the girl who was in the photograph with Axel and who stood in the clearing mere minutes before as she disappeared. This was Kyrie, the girl they were searching for. All thoughts leaving her mind, Miu felt her eyes close on their own as an unknown feeling washed over her, before she felt the girl's forehead press against hers.
"World, reveal your keyhole to us. Let us soothe your wounded soul, let us erase the scars that mar it. Allow us to heal the hurt that has been caused." Miu and the girl said together, as if on pure impulse. With that the girl disappeared and the light shot out, wrapping around Grandmother Willow as if it were a veil. Sora and the others finally uncovered their eyes and watched in amazement as another light began to emanate from Grandmother Willow, a keyhole forming in the center of her trunk.
"Sora, the keyhole!" Donald exclaimed. The boy nodded as he summoned his keyblade, before pointing it at the tree.
"All right, here goes nothing!" with that, a light shot out of the keyblade, piercing the indentation as the sound of a lock locking echoed throughout the clearing. With that the light and keyhole disappeared, leaving the group amazed and perplexed as they turned to Miu, who was staring at her hands blankly.
"Wow…how did you do that, Miu?" Demyx asked. The girl was strangely quiet for a moment before turning to them, a goofy grin on her face.
"That was so cool…I wanna do it again! It was so surreal, like I was in a dream! But it wasn't a dream, it was real and it was so cool!" she exclaimed giddily, not really answering the nocturne's question as she turned her attention back to her hands. The group deadpanned at her hyperactivity, before Pocahontas stepped forward.
"What happened? What was that strange light?" she questioned. Sora turned to her as he thumbed his nose, a small frown on his face.
"It means we have to get going. Things are safe now, so there's nothing to worry about."
"You must go? I see. Then I wish you a safe journey, and I hope that you find your friend." the young woman spoke, biding them farewell. The others nodded as they began to wave.
"You guys take care, too. And tell your dad we said goodbye, okay?" the boy added. But before anyone could move, another voice spoke up.
"Now just a minute, young man." all eyes turned to Grandmother Willow as her face appeared on her trunk, smiling as she stared at them. Sora blinked. "Yeah?"
"This journey you're all about to start is going to be a hard and life-altering one. Finding your friend, saving those in despair, repairing all the damage that has been done to the worlds…all of these things are tied together by fate. To complete this journey, you must let the spirits guide you, and you must listen to your heart." Donald blinked at this as he took a step forward.
"Listen…to our hearts?" he questioned. Grandmother Willow nodded as she continued.
"Yes, that is the most important thing. Your hearts, when the time comes that you are lost and in need of guidance, will tell you what you must do and where you must go. Your hearts will lead you to the path you must follow, the right path to take. So good luck, young ones, and I hope that you find your friend." with that her face disappeared, leaving the group silent as they pondered her words. After a few moments Demyx scratched his head, confused since he was a nobody and had no such guidance.
"She sure is strange, isn't she?" Pocahontas smile and nodded, before turning to Miu. "Will you be going with them, too?"
"Nope!" Miu chirped, smiling from ear-to-ear as she stared at the woman. Axel and the others turned to her, scowls on their faces. Sora was the first to approach her as she stood there, hands behind her back.
"Please, Miu? Can't you come with us, we really need you!" the boy begged, giving her the puppy eyes. Unfazed by the boy's pleas, the girl turned and crossed her arms as she averted her gaze.
"Look, I don't do teamwork and I think you'll be better off finding someone who does. Besides, I'm searching for someone and I can't waste my time looking for your friend too. I also have to train to become strong, find an arch-nemesis, become a real hero, and a lot of other things too!" at this, Goofy stepped forward.
"Well we can look for your friend and do all those things, too! If ya come with us, we're sure to find them on another world, and it helps lots when you have more than one person lookin'!" the bipedal dog suggested. Miu was silent as she stood there, her arms crossed. She really didn't want to travel around in a group, but the dog's words made sense. And something else was bothering her.
"Child, this one wishes for you to accompany Sora and his companions. Master Xehanort is not aware of this yet, but he'll need you to accomplish his goal. For both your safety, and the safety of the sleeping heart of Ventus, you must go with them."
"What did she mean and who was she? Maybe if we see her again, I can ask her. Maybe she would even know where he is, so that I can find him and we'd be together again like before." after a few moments, she sighed as her shoulders slumped.
"All right…I'll go with you. But don't expect me to save your butts! You guys get in a snare, you're on your own!"
Ooooh...who's Miu's searching for? Will she ever accept Sora and the gang as a team? Will I ever get off my lazy ass and update this every other day? Who knows!
Anyways, enjoy!