A/N: So… fanfiction messed up my chapter last time, so two of my jokes, sadly, went missing… *sigh*
Also, I screwed up Aurora's quote. It was supposed to be "We should twist the theories to fit the evidence," not "We should twist the evidence to fit the theories." And, yes, she was quoting Sherlock Holmes, though I can't remember if he ever said that in the game…
Review Reply to Gamergirl: I… actually really dislike Tron's world in KH2, but love it in DDD. I don't know… maybe it's harsh on my eyes in KH2? But since Aurora's an avid gamer, I couldn't NOT have her go, plus a lot of people seemed to want to see Aurora go on an adventure with Sora. And I had that idea for their limit, so… As for Aurora's Attorney side, I realized that was lacking, and tried to fix it, haha. I'm sorry about Demyx… but don't forget what happened in DDD! As for the guy… you're right on both accounts. Think about it like this: Xigbar and Saïx's situations as of Dream Drop Distance, and think of someone from Aurora's world who had the reputation of always staying cool. Well, here you go!
Check out the ending note in this chapter for a way for you guys to interact with Aurora's story, by the way!
Now… ONWARDS!
…
Part Three – Reunions and Goodbyes
Chapter Eleven: Where Hearts Go
By the time Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Restoration Committee realized Aurora had gone missing, it was too late. Aerith had let Sora into Aurora's house to gather her stuff, so that he could return it to her once they found her.
It was just another friend Sora had to find and save.
…
Aurora didn't know how long she was here, nor did she care. It was a cell this time, not a room. The interior of the cell was dark purple, with only one exit, a panel of bars.
As soon as the hooded man had put her in here, Aurora had stumbled to the back, slid down, and buried her face in her knees.
(Edym…)
A few minutes later, Aurora felt something warm lean against her. She peeked up, and spotted a yellow dog, looking up at her with big, baleful eyes.
"That's Pluto," a soft voice said. Aurora lifted her head and saw a girl, around her age, with red hair. The girl came over and crouched in front of her. "And I'm Kairi."
"It's nice to meet you, Kairi," Aurora said softly. "I'm Aurora."
…
Two days went by before Kairi got Aurora to open up to her, then comforted her. Then Kairi told Aurora about what happened with her; how Axel had tried to kidnap her from the Islands, but a dark portal had opened, taking her and Pluto to Twilight Town. Then how Axel had succeeded there, only for her Saïx to take her and bring her hear.
Both girls were worried, and more than a little scared. Pluto constantly comforted them, and the girls took to sleeping back to back, with Pluto as their pillow.
Many more days passed, but without paper, Aurora lost count of how many. She began to fear that this would go on for as long as the last time did, until finally, Saïx came to visit them.
The girls were sitting in silence, petting Pluto, when he turned to the bars, suddenly alert. They glanced at each other before quickly getting up and moving closer to the bars.
Saïx stopped, turning to look at them.
"What are you going to do with us?" Kairi demanded.
"You're the fire that feeds Sora's anger," Saïx said, focusing on Kairi first.
"And me?" Aurora demanded. "It's not like you need me to control Edym anymore."
"Hmph. The Superior still has plans for you," he said, before turning away.
"No…" Kairi gasped, still stuck on his words to her. "Sora's in danger because of me…"
The sudden sound of a portal opening alerted the girls, and they turned.
"You!" Aurora gasped happily, darting towards the blond who leaned out of the portal. She smiled at Aurora, before turning her attention to Kairi and holding her hand out.
"This way!" she said. Kairi hesitated.
"Who-?"
"Believe in yourself. C'mon, hurry!" Naminé pushed. Aurora looked over at Kairi from where she stood next to the portal and nodded.
Nodding back to her, Kairi walked forward, and took Naminé's hand. Their joined hands flashed, and Aurora gasped slightly.
The feeling of them connecting, of their hearts connecting, was entirely different from her and Riku's hearts connecting.
But it was entirely similar to Sora and Roxas's hearts connecting.
(No… is Naminé… Kairi's Nobody?)
Naminé pulled Kairi through, then offered her hand to Aurora, pulling her through as well. Pluto jumped in after them, and the Portal closed.
Unfortunately, they were still in The Castle That Never Was.
"I'm sorry, I'm not that powerful," Naminé said.
"It's okay. We can still escape," Aurora replied. She activated her shield, just in case, and followed them as Naminé lead the way, hand in hand with Kairi. Pluto ran alongside Aurora.
As they ran, Naminé's form shifted, becoming blurry. Aurora frowned slightly at that, that only adding to her theory of Naminé as Kairi's Nobody.
Suddenly, Naminé stopped, pulling Kairi to a halt as well. Aurora skidded to a stop on Naminé's other side, scowling at the Berserker Nobodies that blocked their path.
"Naminé," Saïx's voice said as a dark portal appeared in front of the Berserkers. "There you are."
The blond glared at him, defiance written across her features.
"Naminé…?" Kairi asked.
"Kairi. Aurora. I'm afraid leaving is not an option," Saïx said, holding his hand out for the two girls. He focused his eyes on the red-head. "I'll take you to see Sora." Kairi took a step back. "You don't want that?"
"I do. More than anything," she admitted. "But not with you around." Kairi brought her fists up into a defensive posture. Naminé glanced over at her, before mirroring her stance. Aurora rose her shield up, taking up position between the girls and Saïx, dropping into her own fighting stance.
"If I had a heart, this would be where I die of laughter," Saïx said.
"Go ahead. I've already beat you once," Aurora snarled.
"Yes, but this time, you don't have Ro—" Saïx cut off at the sound of a sword striking one of the Berserkers. He quickly turned to see a hooded man defeating the second one.
"You…" he gasped. Aurora gasped slightly as well, recognizing the mixture of cold and warm air that swept over her at his appearance. The man stood up straight, and his Keyblade was in full view. "Didn't Roxas take care of you?" Saïx demanded.
Naminé stood up straight with a smile. "You can take it from here, Riku," she said.
Both Aurora and Kairi turned to the blond. "Riku!?" they asked, before looking back at the hooded man. He de-summoned his Keyblade, before charging a Dark Firga blast in his hand and shooting it at Saïx. The older man crossed his arms in front of him, but was still thrown back by the blast. He did a backflip and landed on his feet, only for the unknown man to rush forward, grabbing the front of his cloak, and slamming him into the wall.
Saïx pressed his hand flat against it, summoning a Dark Portal behind him and sinking back into it. The unknown man went to follow.
"Wait!" Kairi cried, running forward.
"Please!" Aurora pleaded, right behind her, only vaguely noticing that Naminé had vanished.
The man paused. Pluto barked and ran over, backing him away from the portal. Aurora stepped forward before Kairi could, gently taking his arm.
"Riku… you're really here," Kairi muttered, moving up to just behind Aurora.
Those familiar visions tried to capture Aurora's attention at the physical contact, but she pushed them away, turning the man towards her and reaching up, pulling off his hood.
"I can't believe—" her voice caught in her throat.
It wasn't Riku's face that stared out at her, but the one from that painting in Hollow Bastion.
The Heartless that called himself Ansem.
(But it doesn't make sense! His heart… it's RIKU'S heart…) her thoughts grinded to a halt as she remembered that feeling, so long ago now, that she got, and just knew that Riku had given into the darkness.
Aurora put a hand over his heart. "Riku…" she said softly.
"You… still believe it's me?" he asked, not looking at either one of the girls. "Both of you?"
"Yes," they said at the same time. Aurora looked over at Kairi, who stepped forward.
"I might not have Aurora's ability to sense hearts, but… I just know, beneath this, it's your heart in there," she said.
"And she's right," Aurora added. Riku hesitated, then nodded, giving them a small nod.
"Now," Kairi added with a grin. "Let's go find Sora."
"Right," Aurora said. Riku winced slightly at that, but nodded all the same. Aurora smiled at him, taking his hand and walking forward with him and Kairi.
Kairi noticed, and couldn't help but grin at the interaction.
Those three quickly made their way through the castle, Pluto having run off again, until finally, they found a balcony like area. The walls were teeming with Heartless.
"But—Kingdom Hearts!" a familiar voice echoed from below. Kairi ran over to the railing, and gasped.
"Sora!" she called. Aurora followed her, and gasped, a large part of her guilt melting away. She was so relieved that the height didn't even bother her.
(Goofy! He's alive!)
"Sora! It's really you!" Kairi cried again, once the boy looked up.
"Kairi!" Sora called, getting distracted. Some of the Heartless immediately jumped on him.
"Huh?" Kairi gasped, before frowning. "You leave Sora alone!" she yelled, slamming her fist down on the railing. She then backed up.
"Kairi, what are you—no!" Aurora called as Kairi ran forward and jumped over the railing.
"Aero!" she cast on the girl so as to soften her landing. She then sighed and jumped over the railing as well, casting the same spell on herself.
As soon as they landed, the spells wore off and Heartless jumped on them both.
"Water!" Aurora yelled, blasting them off of herself. Riku slashed at the ones on Kairi and pulled her to her feet, handing her a Keyblade.
"Take it," he said.
"Mhm," Kairi said, doing just that. "This time… I'LL fight," she said, slashing the Keyblade through the air with determination. She then grinned at the other two. "You know Sora's completely hopeless without us!" she said. Aurora giggled at that. "Come on, Riku! Aurora!" Kairi rushed forward, slashing the Keyblade at any Heartless that dared come near her. Aurora grinned at that and followed after, Riku right behind her.
Those three fought the onslaught of Heartless. It wasn't that they were strong: they were just Shadows. But there was a lot of them, and when they defeated one, three more would take its place.
Eventually, Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrived and helped finish off the last of the Heartless. Aurora breathed a sigh of relief.
"Kairi, you were great!" Donald said, turning to the girl in question. Kairi turned with a grin, flipping her hair.
Suddenly, Aurora tacked Goofy in a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she said.
"Gawrsh, Aurora, we should be saying that to you," Goofy said, scratching his head in confusion. Aurora looked up at him and smiled weakly.
"It's just… the last time that I saw you… it was right after the boulder hit you in the head, after you pushed me out of the way. I thought…"
"Oh…" Goofy said, before giving her a squeeze. Aurora then stepped back and looked over to where Sora, Riku, and Kairi were having their moment.
"Why didn't you let me know you were okay?" Sora asked. "Or Aurora? She's been worried sick!"
"I told you," Riku said, and Aurora couldn't help but smile that it was his own voice, and not that of Ansem's. "I didn't want to be found." He looked away, shame crossing his features. "Not like this… I couldn't. I fought with Ansem. With… Xehanort's Heartless when it invaded my heart, and I won. But to use the power of darkness, I had to become Ansem myself," he explained.
"Does that mean… you can't change back?" Kairi asked.
"This battle isn't over. And until it is, I still need the power of darkness," he said. Aurora recognized the fact that he was avoiding the question, but didn't say anything.
"Then, let's finish it," Sora said with a grin. "You're still Riku, no matter what!"
"Exactly!" Aurora added, while the others nodded.
"So how 'bout it," Sora asked, turning to Donald and Goofy. "Think we can handle one last rumble together? The King's waiting!"
"Yeah! Let's get going!" Donald said.
The six moved forward. Aurora expected Nobodies to attack any minute but… that wasn't the case.
Instead, they found themselves in a silver room. In there, were twelve panels. Two were blue, and the rest were red. On each panel was a weapon.
Bile rose in Aurora's throat when she spotted a red panel with a Sitar.
It's… a grave yard," she muttered. Riku stepped forward, putting a hand on her back to steady her.
"I'm sorry about your brother," he said softly. Aurora shook her head, willing the tears to not come. Somehow, she succeeded.
"It's okay," she said softly, before standing and looking around. The exit was blocked, but one of the blue panels, the one with a card, had a portal over it.
"I guess this is the only way forward," Sora said, stepping through it. The others followed after him.
They entered a balcony like area. Overhead was the heart-shaped moon of Kingdom Hearts. A beam of green slight stretched from a higher floor to the moon.
"What's that?" Sora asked.
"It's the King and DiZ—" Riku said. Aurora frowned at the mention of the man in red, her eyes darting over to Sora, but her thoughts on Roxas.
She really didn't like that man.
"—I mean, Ansem the Wise," Riku corrected himself.
"Wait, what!?" Aurora gasped. From everything she had heard of Ansem the Wise, he had been a kind, benevolent, and, well, wise leader. That image cemented itself after the King explained that Ansem the Wise was a different person entirely from the one that Sora and his friends had fought.
So to find out that Ansem the Wise was actually DiZ, the man who trapped, insulted, and manipulated Roxas into giving up his individuality… It only made Aurora more confused. Riku mistook her exclamation for just pure surprise and nodded.
"They must be higher up. We better hurry." He turned back to the only exit, and the rest of the group followed. Aurora's thoughts were still on Roxas, so she stumbled into Riku as he came to a halt. Looking around him, she spotted a man in a black cloak standing in between Sora and the rest of the group, his dark portal still fading from around him.
With a snap of his fingers, large cards sprang up around the group that was separated from Sora, spinning around them.
"Whoa!" she cried. Riku quickly took her hand, grabbing Kairi's arm with his other hand.
Then, suddenly, nothing.
When Aurora came to, she was standing in between Kairi and Riku, her hand still clasped tightly in the latter's. Five large cards were slowly moving away from them, fading from existence. Riku looked down at her hand, before looking up at her and quickly letting go, his tanned cheeks growing darker. Aurora smiled, blushing as well and holding her hand over her heart.
Sora turned to face them, relief washing over his face. The group walked over to him.
"You okay?" Kairi asked. After all, it was obvious he had fought the guy that had showed up right before they blacked out.
"Yeah! No worries," Sora said with his signature grin. "Let's keep moving," he said, turning back to the portal that had bought them here.
As they stepped through, Aurora noticed that the previously blue panel was now red. She shuddered, but forced herself not to look over at the panel with the Sitar on it. Instead, she noticed another portal had formed, overtop the last panel, this one with a Claymore.
"Saïx," she breathed.
"Seems to be the only way forward," Sora said, before walking through. The other's followed after.
This portal took them to a large room. A pathway was separated by a wall with tall spines on it, but at the end of the pathway was an opening into the larger part of the room. Most of the walls were actually a large window that gave a beautiful view of Kingdom Hearts, covered by a black, sheer curtain. And standing in front of the window, was Saïx.
He turned to the group as they reached the center of the room, and smirked.
"Only you could have made it this far in one piece… Roxas," he said, looking directly at Sora.
"That's really getting old!" Sora complained, stomping his foot. Donald and Goofy jumped in front of him.
"Yeah! He's Sora!" Donald yelled.
Aurora's blood ran cold as the man held up his weapon, getting it ready.
"Different name, same fate," he said, flipping it so he held it in a reverse grip behind his back. He suddenly swung the Claymore, and a huge gust of wind slammed into the group. Sora, Donald, and Goofy held up their weapons to block from any incoming attack. Before Aurora could react, Riku jumped in front of her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and pressing her against his chest. Those two slid back, as did Kairi with them, until they were out of the larger part of the room.
As Riku let Aurora go and turned, a barrier appeared, separating those three from Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the fight they were about to endure.
The man was even more of a wild beast then when he faced Roxas and Aurora. He's movements were erratic, his Claymore swings wide and wild. It was torture to stand, trapped behind the barrier, and watch those three go up against Saïx without helping them.
It was too similar to the battle in Hollow Bastion, when— (No. Don't think about that.) she told herself firmly, before looking over at Riku and Kairi. They were watching in worry too.
Once Sora managed to knock Saïx out of that manic, Berserker state, he was a little weaker, but just as dangerous. What he lost in strength, he gained in strategic planning.
Sora was fast though, and for all of his thick-headedness, he was smart in a battle. He quickly figured out how to counter Saïx and his schemes, until finally, the man stumbled, backing away from the trio.
He wrapped one arm around his stomach and dropped his Claymore. He then turned, walking laboriously over to the window and looking up at the heart longingly. "Why… Kingdom Hearts… Where… is my heart?" he asked it, reaching for it as he faded into darkness.
The barrier dropped, and Riku, Kairi, and Aurora walked forward to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who turned to face them.
"I don't get it. Why's everybody been calling me Roxas?" Sora asked, looking up at Riku.
"Because he's your Nobody." It was Aurora who answered, surprising everyone.
"My… Nobody!?" Sora gasped, looking at her, then at the rest of the group. "But that's crazy. I never turned into a Heart…" He trailed off as he looked at Kairi. "Oh. Right."
"It was when you came to rescue me, remember?" Kairi said. Aurora smiled slightly at the romantic implication of that.
"Xemnas was the one who found Roxas," Riku continued, explaining to Sora about his other half. "He could use the Keyblade because he was your Nobody. That's why Xemnas brought him into the Organization."
"But Roxas betrayed them," Aurora said softly. "He saved me from them and took me to Twilight Town, where I met Hayner, Pence, Olette, and later, you three," she explained. Riku nodded.
"And after that, I fought him because I thought it would help you wake up," he said, looking back at Sora. "I lost, but the next time we met I made sure I was the stronger one." Riku was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, he looked back up at Sora. "Maybe I didn't need to fight him after all," he said, uncrossing his arms.
"You didn't," Aurora said. Everyone looked at her again. "The reason Roxas left the Organization was because he wanted to learn the truth about himself. He… he wanted to meet you, Sora," she finished, looking up at the brunette.
Sora's eyes widened as he looked up between Riku and Aurora. He then looked down sadly.
"Roxas… I wish I could meet him, too," he said.
Riku stepped forward, getting Sora to look up again. Once he had the boy's attention, he pointed to Sora's heart. Sora looked at him for a moment before putting his hand over his own heart.
That's when a thought occurred to Aurora.
She never saw, exactly, what Sora's heart looked like. It had to be interesting, with the addition of Roxas's heart.
She closed her eyes.
A path at high noon. To the right was a rolling, grassy field. To the left, it looked like there had once been a forest, but… all of the tree's had been ripped up by their roots.
A sunset over a peaceful city, the light spreading over the walls facing the sun, as long, deep shadows stretched away from the dark sides of those buildings.
A perfect mirror image of the previous heart, with just the same amount of light and darkness.
A sunny beach, the waves lapping at the sand rhythmically. The only shadows were cast by the spattering of palm trees further up the beach.
Each of these images were super imposed over each other, with the beach being the clearest.
(Whoa..) Aurora thought, opening her eyes in surprise. (That wasn't one or two hearts… that was FOUR…)
Suddenly, Riku turned towards the exit. "All right. Let's go," he said, leading the way. The rest nodded, following.
As they exited the portal, Aurora forced herself not to look down at the panel. That wasn't that hard though, when she realized the once light, icy blue color of the walls were replaced with an almost toxic looking purple. Turning, she realized the exit was unblocked. Their way was clear.
The six of them moved forward quickly, most of them taking the steps just inside the exit two or three at a time. The vice that had gripped Aurora's heart since they had entered that graveyard loosened, and she felt like she could breathe easier.
"But…" an all too familiar voice gasped from the landing at the top of the steps.
"Your Majesty!" Sora called, coming to the top. The king wasn't alone. Next to him, in DiZ's robe, but free of the facial bandages, was Ansem the Wise, trying to keep a grip on a machine that looked to be going haywire. It was the source of the green beam that was stretching out to Kingdom Hearts. Ansem the Wise turned to the group, his orange eyes glowing with untold emotions.
"Sora, the rest is up to you…" he said, before looking away. "And Roxas—I doubt you can hear me—but I am sorry."
The machine jerked. It was all the man could do to hold onto it.
"Ansem!" the King cried.
"My heart is telling me what I must do. Please allow me to do what it says!" Ansem said.
"No!" the King gasped, and it was in that moment that Aurora realized how close of friends the two must be. Riku stepped forward, kneeling to one knee and putting a hand on the King's shoulder. The King started and looked up at him.
"Riku!"
"His heart's decided. We can't change that," Riku told the King.
Suddenly, the coldest wind, even more bitter then the blizzard that haunted her nightmares, washed over Aurora as a dark portal appeared.
"I was wondering who would dare interfere with my Kingdom Hearts," a voice said from the portal, as a man stepped from it. He was broad – muscular under his cloak, with tan skin, silver hair, and orange eyes.
In fact, he looked very much like the form Riku was currently in.
The man turned to the group. "And look – here you all are. How convenient for me." His eyes trailed off of the group and to the man struggling with the machine. "Ansem the Wise… you look pathetic," he said.
"Have your laugh," Ansem said, not looking over at the Nobody. "I deserve as much for failing to see you for the fool you are."
"Students do take after their teachers," the Nobody said, something akin to amusement in his voice. "Only a fool would be your apprentice. After all, none of this would have happened without you." With those last few words, the amusement disappeared from his voice, and he motioned to his ex-master. "You are the source of all Heartless. It was your research that inspired me to go further than you ever dared."
"I admit… my disregard brought chaos to more worlds than one," Ansem said. "But what were you seeking?" he demanded. "You erased me from the world, only to take my name and continue research better left forgotten…"
(That's it! That explains why the Restoration Committee thought it was Ansem the Wise who betrayed them… and Tron…) Aurora's eyes widened slightly, and she clasped her hands over her heart. (I want to hate DiZ – Ansem – for what he did to Roxas, but… he really is just a poor old man…)
"Is this the answer you've been looking for?" Ansem continued.
"All that and more," Xemnas said without an ounce of shame. "I'm carrying on what you yourself began, and I'm creating a brand new world, one heart at a time."
Anger crept into his voice at this point. "I thought you'd praise me, but all you ever do is hold me back." He cooled off just as quickly as he flared up. "I understand, though. Unlike me, you have a heart. And you're powerless to control it. Consumed, by the jealousy you feel toward the student who surpassed you."
Ansem was silent for a moment.
"Xehanort," he finally said. "Foolish apprentice of a foolish man. You have surpassed nothing—only proved how little we both know. We may profess to know the heart, but its essence is beyond our reach. We're both ignorant—as oblivious as when we began. I'm afraid that any world you try to create," he finally turned to face his former apprentice, gripped by passion, "any world of yours would be an empire of ignorance. That is why you and your creation are destined to fall!"
The machine began to shake more violently, forcing Ansem to turn his attention back to it. "We've said enough! Riku, you know what to do!" He turned to face the King.
"King Mickey, my friend, forgive me! Farewell!"
The machine exploded right in Ansem's face. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Xemnas vanished, and Sora and Aurora both ran forward, trying to help the man at the center of the explosion. Riku caught them both.
Then the shockwave slammed into them.
…
The group slowly pushed themselves off of the ground with various groans. Aurora shuddered as breezes of various hot and cold temperatures brushed over her skin. Looking up, she saw that the once heart-shaped moon was now a heart-shaped hole in the sky, with hearts raining down everywhere.
"Riku?" Sora called in concern. Aurora's attention immediately snapped to the brunette. Following his gaze, her breath caught in her throat.
Riku looked different, even lying face down. His hair was layered, shorter, and silverish-purple instead of the silver gray. His proportions were completely different too.
Both Sora and Aurora darted over, reaching him and kneeling next to Riku at the same time.
Riku groaned and slowly pushed himself up. Aurora gasped when seeing the familiar blindfold and creamy skin.
"Riku…" she said, happy tears entering her eyes.
Once on his knees, he looked up as the rest of the crowd gathered around him, seeming surprised. Aurora smiled warmly, trying to keep the tears from trailing down her face.
"Riku!" Kairi said excitedly.
Riku quickly turned to Mickey, as though expecting him to have the answer. The King smiled.
"Ansem did say 'anything could happen'…" he said.
Riku pushed himself up to his feet, and Aurora and Sora stood too, looking forward. Then, Aurora noticed Riku was still wearing the blindfold.
"Do you still need that?" she asked softly.
"Hm?" Riku asked, before looking at her. He smiled slightly. "No, I don't think I do…" He reached up to take it off, but Aurora caught his hand.
"May I?" she asked. A wider smile crossed Riku's face, and he nodded. Aurora slowly reached up, slipping her fingers under the cloth, against the skin of his cheeks.
They were a little chilly, but warmed under her touch as his face tinged pink. She smiled at that and slipped the blindfold up and off his head, revealing his beautiful teal eyes underneath. Aurora smiled up at Riku, who smiled back.
That's when the snickers from Sora, Donald, Goofy started. Even Kairi was giggling! Aurora blushed brightly and hid her face in Riku's chest. He patted her back a little awkwardly.
"What was that?" Sora asked once he was done, motioning to the blindfold still clutched in Aurora's hand. It was Mickey who answered.
"His eyes couldn't lie."
"Lie?" Sora asked as Aurora finally let go of Riku and took a step back. Kairi smiled at her, bumping her with her shoulder. Aurora smiled weakly back at her.
"And just who were you trying to fool? Huh? Huuuhh?" Sora demanded.
"Myself," Riku answered. Aurora sighed softly at that.
"Riku… C'mon, man! Why did you try to do so much on your own?" Sora asked. He ran over to where the rest of the group stood, spreading his arms out to indicate all of them. "You got friends… like us!" Each smiled at him, until Riku moved over to Sora.
"Have you forgotten?" he asked, making Sora look at him in confusion. "I'll tell you why." A smile broke across Riku's face. "'Cause I'm not a total sap like you."
Aurora burst into a fit of giggles at that.
"Say that again!" Sora dared.
Sudden movement caught their eye, and they all turned to look at the hole that used to be Kingdom Hearts. The hearts were beginning to swarm towards it, slowly building it once more.
"Uh-oh!" Donald gasped.
They moved closer to the railing and looked down. Hearts by the hundreds were climbing the walls.
"What should we do, Riku?" Sora asked, looking up at him. Aurora looked over as well.
"We must defeat Xemnas. He's the Organization's last survivor," Riku said.
"Then… one of you managed to defeat the one with the rapier?" Aurora asked. Everyone looked at her, confused, except Riku.
"No… he's went into hiding. I searched, but I can't find him. Although… he was never with the Organization to begin with," Riku said.
"Wh-what?" Aurora gasped.
"I'm sorry, Aurora," Riku said softly. She shook her head and took a deep breath.
"No, it's fine. If he's not part of the Organization, we shouldn't worry about him. Xemnas it is," she said, looking forward with determination. After a moment, there was a rustle of clothing. Looking back, she smiled to see that Riku had discarded the cloak, showing off the clothes she had helped him pick out.
(I think he's even more muscular then before…) she thought with a blush. He turned to Mickey.
"Do you still have that locket?" he asked. Mickey turned and looked at Sora.
"Oh! You mean this one?" Sora asked, pulling the silver star-shaped locket out of his pocket. Riku smiled warmly, taking it and attaching it to the chain that still hung from his belt. He looked at the picture inside for a moment, before looking up at Aurora with the warmest smile she had ever seen on his face and putting it in his pocket.
He then looked forward in determination. "C'mon!" he said, leading the way. Aurora smiled and followed after him, the other's on their heels.
It almost seemed like the Nobodies were getting nervous. The more powerful ones, like Berserkers and Sorcerers, attacked as they moved higher through the castle, forcing them to waste time fighting if they wanted to get past. Aurora could tell Riku was impressed by her fighting skills, which made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside (though she had to force herself to focus even harder because of it).
Beyond the walkway was an interior room. The large room was full of platforms, connected by see through bridges, and it was not fun. It took all of Aurora's will power not to get dizzy or nauseous. Or both.
Finally, though, they got to the top, and Aurora breathed a huge sigh of relief, sagging against Riku, who chuckled slightly, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"And here I thought you got over your fear of heights," he teased quietly. He had figured out her fear when they had went to the carnival, and she had closed her eyes and clung to his hand the entire time on the Farris Wheel, nearly breaking the bones.
"I feel like I should have, by now…" she grumbled.
"Sora! Riku! Aurora!" Kairi called from behind. Aurora pulled back from Riku and turned, just as the two boys did. Kairi was pointing up at one of the windows. Looking up at it, they saw hundred – no, thousands – of Shadow Heartless spilling into the room.
They charged forward, stopping just before the last transparent bridge. Aurora's attention, like the others' was riveted on the black mass moving towards them.
"There's gonna be no end to this!" Riku said. Aurora grew cold at the sound of fear in his voice.
"Together we can stop 'em!" Sora said optimistically.
"Hmph," Riku huffed with a small smile. Even Aurora smiled at that.
Suddenly, a burst of smoke appeared just between the boys and the heartless. From it stepped Maleficent and Pete.
"Be gone from here! Leave these creatures to us!" the dark fairy commanded.
"But there's no way we can take 'em all!" Pete said.
"I will be sending them after Xemnas," Maleficent said, motioning to the group behind her at the word 'them.' "Or, perhaps, you would rather fight them yourself?"
Pete looked thoughtful for a moment, glancing between the Heartless and the group behind him. "Frankly my dear, I'd rather RUN!" he cried.
"Off with you then!" the woman said impatiently, before turning back to the Heartless. Pete backed up a few steps, before noticing King Mickey.
"Well, if it ain't the boat-boy King," he said.
(Huh? 'Boat-boy'?) Aurora thought.
"Time to weigh anchor, Captain Pete!" the King said.
"What, like 'abandon ship'? I don't think so!" Pete snapped.
"Sora! 'Your Majesty'!" Maleficent said, sneering the title. "Do not forget—when I've destroyed them all, this castle shall be mine!"
"Now lookie here. Opportunities like this don't come along every day, ya know," Pete said to the King. He then turned and walked back over to Maleficent, standing next to her. They both got ready to fight.
"Bring'em on!" Pete challenged, and they both rushed forward.
"We gotta hurry," the King said.
"But…" Sora began.
"We can't just leave them," Aurora said. She knew they were supposed to be evil, but…
"They're doing what their hearts command. We can't interfere," Mickey told both her and Sora, before turning to the exit. Aurora hesitated, the height of their platform not even bothering her as she watched those two try to take on the swarms of Heartless by themselves. Riku walked over and put a hand on her back.
"Come on. We need to get going," he said softly. Aurora finally sighed.
"Alright," she muttered, turning and letting him lead her to the exit, his hand lingering on the small of her back.
The exit lead to a set of stairs that spiraled around the tallest tower of the castle. Riku made sure Aurora was between the wall and himself, so that she wasn't close enough to the edge to see just how high up they were. At the top, though, those thoughts flew out the window when they spotted Xemnas, his arms raised, his gaze glued to what used to be Kingdom Hearts.
"Ohh… my Kingdom Hearts… ruined," Xemnas muttered. "Now I'll have to start all over again." He lowered his arms. "Warriors of the Keyblade!" he suddenly said, as though sensing them there. He turned to face the group. "Go forth, and bring me more hearts!"
"No!" Sora, Riku, and the King all yelled, summoning their Keyblades and pointing them at Xemnas. Aurora, Donald, and Goofy got ready to fight, standing behind the trio.
"Denizens of light, answer this: Why do you hate the darkness?" the man demanded.
"Aw, we don't hate it," Mickey said. "It's just kinda… scary. But the world's made of light and darkness. You can't have one without the other, 'cause darkness is half of everything."
Aurora smiled slightly at that, glancing over at Riku. (Everything, huh?)
"Sorta makes ya wonder why we are scared of the dark," Mickey realized, looking down.
"It's because of who's lurking inside it," Riku said, his voice made of steel.
"Then allow me another question," Xemnas said, as though they had a choice. "You accept darkness, yet choose to live in the light. So why is it that you loathe us who teeter on the edge of nothing? We who were turned away by both light and dark—never given a choice?"
"That's simple," Riku snarled. "It's because you mess up our worlds." He glanced back slightly, meeting Aurora's eye, before looking forward again. "And our families." If possible, his voice was even harder.
"That may be… However, what other choice might we have had?" Xemnas asked.
"Just give it a rest!" Sora snapped. "You still remember your life before you lost your hearts. You know right from wrong!"
Xemnas laughed. "Very good. You don't miss a thing. Yet knowing right from wrong means nothing when I cannot feel guilt. No matter what misery befalls the worlds at my hands. No matter what you think, what you feel, or how you exist." He suddenly threw his arms into the air, and light rose from the ground, blinding all of them.
When the light faded, he was gone. Aurora's stomach dropped to her feet, though, when she realized Sora was too.
"Sora!?" she gasped.
After a few minutes of searching, they began to panic.
"Sora! Where are you?" Kairi cried, looking around.
"Sora, answer me!" Riku called.
Light suddenly appeared from above, and there was a dull thud from behind. The group quickly spun around to find Sora lying face down on the ground. He pushed himself up as the others ran over, quickly looking around.
"You're okay!" Mickey said, relief evident in his voice. Sora nodded and stood.
"Where's Xemnas?" he asked.
Aurora quickly stretched her senses out, before feeling that icy breeze wash over her. She turned towards the source, and gasped.
"There!" she called pointing up to Kingdom Hearts. Xemnas was floating in its center, holding his arms up towards it once more.
"Hear me, Kingdom Hearts!" he called. "It seems we must begin anew. Ah, but know this: I will give to you as many hearts as it takes. Mark my words! You can no more be complete without me than I without you. Heed me, Kingdom Hearts! Lend me your power, so that we may be complete! The power to erase the fools that hinder us."
"Xemnas! No!" Mickey yelled.
"Hearts quivering with hatred…"
"Xemnas! Don't!" Sora called.
"Hearts burning with rage…"
"You'll never win!" Donald shouted.
"Hearts scarred by envy…"
"You're wrong! There's so much more to a heart!" Aurora cried.
"That fool Ansem said the heart's true nature was beyond his understanding. But it's not beyond mine! Hearts are the source of all power!" He began to shine with a bright light, causing the entire group to cover their eyes.
When the light faded, Xemnas was gone.
"Xemnas! You can't hide from us!" Sora yelled.
"We're not gonna let him get away now!" the King said confidently. Kairi glanced to the side and gasped.
"Look at that!" she said, pointing towards the side of the tower. The entire group turned.
Light was gathering in a spot a few yards away and above the edge of the tower, growing denser and brighter for a few moments, before forming something solid.
A large door, the same color and design as most of The Castle That Never Was, with two Nobody Symbols on it and a third on the top. The group moved closer to examine it.
"What's goin' on?" Goofy asked.
"Kingdom Hearts…" Mickey said.
"Let's go. Xemnas must be inside," Riku said.
"The worlds gave us this doorway," the King continued, seeming in awe. "They want us to be the guardians of their destiny!"
Sora hummed in agreement with a nod.
"Once we go through, there's no turning back. It's victory… or oblivion. So, guys… are you ready?" Riku asked, only to be met by numerous nods.
The three Keyblade wielders pointed their blades at the door, and in another flash of light, a blue, translucent bridge appeared, and the door unlocked. They moved forward, only for Riku to stop and look back at Aurora. She could see the worry – no, fear – in his eyes.
(He's going to tell me to stay behind. For my own safety. If he thinks-) her train of thought came screeching to a stop when he held out his hand for her.
"Since you're still not good with heights," he said with a small smile, glancing up at the door.
"You're not going to stop me or try to make me stay behind because it's too dangerous?" she asked. Riku snorted at the thought.
"Even if I tried, you'd still come. No, I know you can handle it," he said with a smile. Aurora smiled back and took his hand, walking with him to the door.
The area they walked into once they crossed the threshold was surreal. It was like a city, but the buildings had odd designs on them made of white, glowing lines. Ahead was a large, white tower with a black Nobody Symbol on it, and a white dragon hovering over it. Gasps escaped all of them, especially once they noticed Xemnas on top of the tower.
"So… it seems your hearts have led you to obliteration." His voice was magnified, echoing all around them. "Perhaps it doesn't pay to be too loyal to one's heart. I will have to be sure to remember that." He made a forward motion with his hand, and a building fell towards them. They turned and ran back towards the door, falling to the ground as it shook with the force of the building slamming into it. Aurora pushed herself up and looked forward. Mickey and Kairi were on the other side of the door, which was closing, leaving Sora, Riku, Aurora, Donald, and Goofy on this side.
"No!" Riku yelled as they all rose to their feet. Sora turned his back on the door, summoning his Keyblade.
"We can take him on our own!" he yelled. Riku and Aurora nodded, and the rest of them summoned/activated their own weapons.
The issue, first, was getting to him. They ran forward, keeping an eye out for more falling buildings, Sora taking the lead. Suddenly, buildings sprang out of the ground, blocking their passage. Sora skidded to a halt, spun his Keyblade, and rushed forward, slashing his way through them. The buildings broke, falling before his strength. Aurora gasped softly at that, but didn't stop running forward, jumping through the rubble with the others. They ducked through a tunnel that had more of those designs on it. When they came out of the other side, they finally got a clear view. The tower was being held in the air by two large engines.
The dragon and tower flew higher into the air, before dropping heavily onto the ground in front of them, causing it to shake. The portion they were on suddenly shot into the air, getting them almost level with the creature as it took to the air again. A path laid before them, and they ran forward.
Unfortunately, it was at the same time that a large number of buildings fell towards them. Sora stopped, looked up, then launched himself into the air, slicing through each building before it could land on them. He used the building pieces as stepping stones, making his way towards the engines.
Aurora felt power surge through her, and she lifted her hand.
"Aerora!" she yelled. A whirlwind appeared around the remainder of the group, launching them into the air and onto the building pieces as well, allowing them to follow after Sora.
Floating Nobodies appeared around them as they landed on a platform in front of the right engine unit. Riku looked around, before pointing at the engine. "Throw them at it!" he called.
"Gather!" Sora called, using a Magnet spell. The Nobodies were sucked into the spell, and Riku batted them towards the engine. Following his lead, Donald cast the same spell a little further away to trap the Nobodies that were outside of Sora's area of effectiveness, allowing Aurora and Goofy to do the same as Riku.
In no time at all, the entire unit lit up.
"Get out of here!" Sora yelled, and Aurora cast another second level Aero spell, shooting the group up and over to the other engine. As soon as they were clear, pure energy shot out of the engine, and Aurora knew it would have fried them if they were still there.
Landing on the platform in front of the left engine, they repeated the same strategy – Sora and Donald using Magent spells, with Riku, Aurora, and Goofy smacking the Nobodies into the engine. This side lit up, and small explosions could be heard from deep inside. Aurora cast her Aero spell again, and the group landed on the other platform just as the left side blew up.
They used the same strategy for a third time, until this side started to explode as well.
"Aurora, there!" Riku yelled, pointing towards a small entrance.
"Right! Aerora!" she yelled, launching them up and to it. Each member of the group rolled (or tumbled, in Goofy's case) in as they landed, coming face to face with what could only be the energy core.
"If we brake that, we might be able to stop him from flying," Sora said.
"Right!" the others called, launching themselves at it. After a few seconds, a barrier covered it, and Creeper Nobodies appeared. Aurora launched herself towards them, chaining water and lightening spells until they all vanished, and the barrier dropped.
"You guys focus on the core! I got your back!" Aurora yelled. The boys nodded and wailed on the core again. Any Nobody that appeared quickly fell to Aurora's spells as she made sure they didn't get close to the boys. After a few more minutes, it was like the room itself decided to start attacking. A spike shot out of the ceiling, about to hit Riku. It was only because of a well-timed, desperate Reflega spell from Aurora that he didn't wind up crushed. Goofy and Donald fell back from the core, telling Aurora to focus on the Reflect spells while they watched her back too, until finally, the core crashed and grew still. The room stopped attacking too, and the Nobody Symbol on the core glowed brightly, becoming a portal.
"C'mon!" Sora called, diving through. The others quickly followed.
They appeared on top of the Dragon's head. Before them sat a mighty suit of armor in a throne made of the different weapons used by each member of the Organization. The only one missing was Roxas's Keyblades.
The group dove forward, attacking the armor. Unfortunately, different weapons jumped off of the throne and attacked them, in combination with the barrier spells their opponent used. It was all Aurora could do to keep up a constant stream of Cure and Reflect spells to keep them on their feet, having backed away from the battle.
Just as she downed her last elixir to replenish her magic reserve, Sora landed the finishing blow. The dragon glowed brightly, until the group was once more transported back to the top of the tower. King Mickey and Kairi were with them, and across from them was Xemnas, who dropped to his knees, clutching at his chest.
"I need… more rage… I need more… hearts…" he gasped.
Sora narrowed his eyes for a moment, before standing up straight.
"Xemnas. There's more to a heart than just anger or hate. It's full of all kinds of feelings. Don't you remember?" he asked.
"Unfortunately… I don't," Xemnas said. Aurora's eyes grew wide at that.
(What…what kind of life did he have before becoming a Nobody?) she wondered, before hesitating. (Then again… there are some people out there who have everything… and yet, in their heart is nothing but hate and rage. Like Manfred von Karma… or Kristoph Gavin…)
Xemnas faded into darkness, and everyone finally relaxed, de-summoning/de-activating their weapons. Sora turned to his friends with a grin.
"Gosh, you all did great!" Mickey said happily while Sora did something akin to a victory dance. Riku, on the other hand, turned and walked a bit away. Aurora noticed first.
"Riku?" she said, following him. Hearing that, Sora sobered up and turned, following them as well.
"You're coming back with us, right?" Sora asked, putting a hand on Aurora's shoulder, looking up at his best friend, who had his back to them.
"I had given in to the darkness," Riku said, not turning. Aurora didn't need to have Athena's ability to hear the shame and regret thick in his voice.
"Riku," Aurora said, reaching forward and taking his hand. He gave her fingers a squeeze, then pulled his hand away like it was the hardest thing he ever had to do. Aurora bit her lip at that.
"How am I gonna face everyone?" he asked softly, looking at his hand, before turning to look at Sora.
"Like this!" Sora said, squeezing his face with his hands and pulling the goofiest face he could.
Riku started laughing, unable to help it, and the tension broke. Aurora reached forward, taking Riku's hand again as she laughed as well. She squeezed his fingers has hard as she could, sending him a silent message.
And together.
He squeezed her fingers in response, and this time, he didn't let go.
Suddenly, the whole building shook, nearly throwing everyone off balance. The shaking stopped, and King Mickey ran over to the three of them. "Hurry!" he cried.
"I'll open a path!" Riku said, lifting his free hand up. Nothing happened. "Huh?" he gasped, lowering his arm and studying his hand.
"You don't belong in the dark realm anymore, Riku," the king said. Aurora smiled at that, thankful.
"How do we get out of here, Your Majesty?" Donald asked, turning to the King. Mickey didn't have the answer though.
Sora and Kairi suddenly spun around. Riku and Aurora glanced behind them, but saw nothing.
Suddenly, a dark portal opened. Mickey and Donald ran over to it.
"Who did this?" Donald asked.
"Welp, I'm not sure. But we'd better hurry and get through," Mickey said. Suddenly, Pluto came running over out of nowhere, barking. He ran first around Donald, then the King, then shot into the portal.
"Wait for me!" Goofy cried, running over, before going through as well. Mickey followed.
"C'mon!" Donald yelled to the four, before following through as well.
Kairi and Sora walked over to the portal, but stopped in front of it.
And that's when Aurora sensed it. A heart of pure light, just like Kairi's, was between them and the portal.
"Thank you, Naminé," Kairi said. Aurora gasped softly, while Riku jumped.
"Their Nobodies," Aurora said softly.
"They must be able to see them," Riku muttered, letting go of Aurora's hand and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He gave her a hug. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you from the Organization," he said softly, and so suddenly, like it had been weighing on his heart all this time. Aurora shook her head with a small smile.
"It's okay. I think… it had to be someone from the inside. Like Roxas. Otherwise… well, there would have been too many for you to fight your way through," she said. Riku nodded, then suddenly pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on top of her head. Aurora's eyes widened, but she melted into it, resting her head against his chest. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat was comforting.
"You're probably right. But still," he muttered.
They both stood like that for a few moments, enjoying each other's warmth, before they pulled away from each other and glanced over at Sora and Kairi. A blue light was fading from around Sora, and he was studying his hands. Riku smiled walked over to the other two, Aurora at his side. He glanced over at Sora, stopping next to him, while Aurora walked up to the portal.
"Don't worry. You're all still you," he told Sora. Kairi smiled at that and met Aurora over at the portal.
"Hey, let's go home!" the red-head said, turning to the boys.
"Riku, c'mon," Sora said warmly.
"Yeah," Riku said, and the boys started forward. Aurora and Kairi stepped into it.
The portal began to close behind them. The boys gasped, rushing forward, causing the girls to look back.
"Sora!" Kairi called.
"Riku!" Aurora cried, before the portal closed completely. Blinding sunlight suddenly shone down on them, and Aurora had to cover her eyes.
"Where…?" she began.
"Home," Kairi said softly. "We're back home. Destiny Islands. But… without Sora or Riku…"
…
A/N: Tada! I love all the fluff I put between Aurora and Riku. It was just way too much fun, heh.
Also! As this story is coming to a close, I've began planning on the next one: Turnabout Hearts – Distance. This time, Aurora has her own adventure and travels to different worlds then what Sora and Riku go to, since she's not participating in the Mark of Mastery. I originally had worlds picked out… but then realized that some of the Disney worlds might show up in Kingdom Hearts III, so I should probably branch out from Disney.
I'm thinking Sword Art Online, Inuyasha, and RWBY for some of my non-Disney. I need one more, or if enough of my readers don't know these shows, give me suggestions.
Really, I need four extra worlds in general.
Rules
1) Can't be Disney/Pixar/Marvel/Star Wars, since any of those are up for grabs in up-coming Kingdom Hearts games. It can be from a movie, show, cartoon, video game.
2) It can't be anything that can be easily crossed over with Ace Attorney. For instance – no Danny Phantom, Uncharted, Professor Layton, BBC Sherlock, or Miraculous Ladybug. I have crossovers written/planned for these, and these are all on The Legal Age (Aurora's home world), as ALL OF MY STORIES happen in the same universe/continuation.
3) Finally, please don't get upset if I don't choose your suggestion. It could be for a number of reasons: I don't know the fandom well enough, I don't think it'll fit in with the rest of the story, there was a better one, or I plan to make it part of The Legal Age at a later date.
I'll probably do a voting kind of thing in the last chapter and decide from there. Thanks, guys!