The Sapphire Sorceress

Disclaimer: The rights to Kingdom Hearts belong to Disney and Square Enix.

Act 76: Disappeared

"Come on, Sora. We made it this far by sticking together. You can't go alone."

Radiant Garden: Castle Gate ( Kairi's POV )

I could remember myself running across the ground with some flowers in my hand while being chased by the Unversed as Aqua referred to those horrible creatures, and I was certainly frightened enough to really stand up against such forces at such a young age. My life's story would have come to an abrupt end for sure if I didn't come across that certain key blade wielder on that fateful day. She was able to defeat those monsters without much trouble, and I couldn't help but feel impressed by her skills in battle showing how far she's come in her own training.

Once the danger was gone I knew that she deserved some kind of reward for saving my life, so I provided her with these flowers in my hand.

"Are these for me?"

"I picked you some flowers. Thank you for saving me." We both were smiling at each other as I knew this woman became an inspiration for myself, a desire to better myself and become strong enough to defend myself began on this day unaware of how much this image brought me pain looking back at this moment now.

"Oh, they're lovely. You're so sweet."

"My name is Kairi. Nice to meet you!"

Yes, I was thrilled to have not only met Aqua, but the person who soon would call the "King" to Donald, Goofy, and even my best friend from Destiny Islands. Then, there was my grandma who was the closest family relative that I had in Radiant Garden as I saw her coming over towards me.

"Wait, Kairi, just a moment...I just cast a magical spell on you. One day when you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another. Someone to keep you safe." This was the second gift Aqua gave to me, which ended up being as important at the keyblade I would eventually use against the forces of darkness alongside another key bearer that I knew quite well.

"There you are. It's time to go." I knew that I wanted to spend more time with Aqua, learning more things from my new idol, but I also knew how important it was to be with my grandma.

"Hey, Grandma?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Could you tell me that story?"

"Again, dear?"

"Please?" No matter how many times I heard that story my mind wanted to reimagine those moments in my wonderful Grandma's tale of an older time, and it always kept making me feel happy to relive this story through the words of the woman who took care of me when I was younger.

"Very well, then. Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived, in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open and the true light will return. So, 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."

Destiny Islands

I didn't realize how important that story was to myself or the "chance" encounter with Aqua had been until much later on after going on a huge journey of my own when I traveled into whole new worlds as I was inside of my friend's body. I feel like I'd lost so many of these memories due to when I lost my own heart while my second home was sucked into darkness.

"Maybe... You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?"

My memories around those days when I was getting ready for that ride on our little raft that filled me with excitement; I was actually very frightened about the future ahead for the three of us. This place was my home ever since I went away from Radiant Garden along with my grandma when we were actually residing in Hollow Bastion, which actually was, in fact, Radiant Garden itself only transformed due to the incident revolved around Xehanort and those three students of his and Eraqus according to Aqua.

We would no longer be on the safety of this island surrounded by water, a dream shared by each of us to see whole new worlds would mean leaving the comfort or "prison" this place was for us growing up meaning we couldn't run around on the beach, catching things to play with and I knew Riku and Sora couldn't keep up their rivalry just for my attention.

"You know, Riku has changed."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...You okay?"

"Sora, let's take the raft and go - just the two of us!" Looking out at that last sunset with my friend made me want to leave on that night instead of waiting for our other friend even if I was joking about that last bit.

"No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?"

"Yeah, of course!"

I can only hope this time when I return that I wouldn't be alone once I come back to this world. Riku and Sora should be with me visiting the academy that I've been going to over this past year for school, which certainly would make Riku and Sora the talk of the town considering how everyone treated me when they learned about my "secret identity" as a keyblade user. That would overcome this last ordeal standing in my way of a happy homecoming, and that person was, in fact, the very woman who blessed me with this power to start with only now a shadow of her former self.

The World That Never Was: Grey Area

Landing on the surface of a room I could feel the ground and see that we were in another part of this gigantic fortress. Gathering myself to rise back off the cold floor I was tossed onto by Aqu- no by this point, she is merely Auxaq as she was now standing above me with her arrogant pride. Her superiority complex along with that devious smirk hardly resembled the face of that compassionate hero I met in Radiant Garden.

"Welcome to our group's personal meeting area, and sorry about the "rough" landing but that is the trouble in dealing with portals of darkness. Without a soul, it is much easier to travel through such a passageway without getting attacked, but even then nobodies like me need these cloaks to avoid detection." She waved her hand through the black portal that quickly vanished into thin air, even if I succeed in this battle I didn't know how to catch back up with Sora and Riku in this gigantic place.

"Oh, realizing that even if you emerge as the victor you will still be unable to help out those friends of yours on the higher levels of this castle? To join in with the other invaders fighting below us against our other forces." Was she telling me this was her plan all along? To lure me away from my friends and allies in this huge battle for the fate of the universe, so that I was forced into wasting my energy fighting her on her terms?!

"Argh!" Letting go of my self-restraint I lashed out at this nobody with all of the strength left residing in my body trying to simply beat her down out of anger and hatred for manipulating me so many times! My weapon lodged itself into some kind of lounging chair letting Auxaq kick me in the chest sending me back onto the floor in pain before tossing that chair right in my direction!

"We don't exactly need a tidy meeting room these days thanks to you and your friends," She barked out while I rolled on the floor to avoid getting hurt by that furniture aimed for my head. I tried using some ice spells for longer-ranged, but my attacks were easily blocked by a barrier. "Since myself and Xemnas are the only two left here!" That means once you two are no longer around Organization XIII is finished for good, which means the universe would be able to enjoy some amount of peace again.

Pulling my weapon out of the couch I slowly moved towards Auxaq ready for whatever trick she can pull out from those sleeves of her black cloak, and I saw her holding out her own dull-looking keyblade with a blank expression covering her face making me feel somewhat nervous about her next move. We were still wrapped up in our personal duel that's been in the making for quite a long time. Moving my feet forward, the steps I made towards my opponent were slow to not alert this nobody about my intention of trying to not fight here right now, but to run away and look for the others since by now they likely were in a load of trouble.

"You can't get away, the pathways are blocked by my powers, and the only way out of here is through a portal or by climbing out of that window over there!" She had to rub it in some more to get me upset enough to keep on battling her right now was my only real option left. I felt so helpless and useless to everyone else who likely was going through much worse than getting thrown around the place.

Rushing at her with a series of fireballs from my limited magical reserve to drive at her with all of my strength with this keyblade that kept getting deflected by her own weapon that seemed to out-maneuver my attacks each time. There has to be some kind of kink in her armor to exploit, a certain weakness other nobodies like her shared with Luxord in his game, Saix and his emotions, or Xigbar and those sniping points that he needed to use to fight to avoid close-ranged combat.

I jumped over her body when she lunged at my arm so that I could slash at her back when she was defenseless which seemed to do some kind of damage that I couldn't tell from the clothing that covers nearly her entire body. Then, I saw her pointing at me with her keyblade showing one of those light-up circles that sent me back into the window that surprisingly didn't crack when my thin form made contact with the glass.

"Don't worry that stuff was built to not break no matter what kind of pressure is put down on the surface," She "demonstrated" this fact by grabbing me by the throat and slamming me against the glass wall. "Look behind you at that wonderful sight in front of your eyes!" More like a horrible nightmare, the "moon" even with that beam stuck in the middle of it was nearly complete with the hearts stolen from many people and heartless throughout the universe. Trying to hold out my keyblade that was pushed back due to Auxaq's hand I gave this nobody a look of pure hatred.

"So many lost because of your warped desire of being complete!" Twisting her hand with my arms, her body was pushed back with my next move giving me a chance to fight back with a blast of light directly in her chest area. I knew this wasn't going to be enough to stop her, so I put her words about that window being unbreakable to the test as I grabbed a chair and putting all of my strength into holding it up high enough that it was sent right at her.

"Their sacrifices won't be in vain..." I smelt the burning embers that were a result of Auxaq's more powerful Firaga spell that reduced that chair into mere ash in seconds as I quickly remember how much power must be left in her tank. "That is the nature of this world and those who struggle to make a change. Lives will always be lost even during my time as a normal keyblade warrior of the light." Those losses must still be affecting her even if she's abandoned her old self completely. Is she desperate enough to reunite with her friends that she would stick with Xemnas until the end like this?

Holding out my keyblade-wielding arm my next move was to disarm Auxaq to get a better chance of fighting her without that keyblade, however, those mines she used again blew me back away onto the ground. No matter how I tried to attack, even if I was able to plan it out to her skills with that weapon she kept holding me back from defeating her.

"Despite all of your efforts and preaching you still can't defeat me," That may be, yet, the determination in my heart refused to surrender until my own heart stopped beating in my chest, unlike Auxaq. "At least you now realize that there are some things even a keyblade warrior can't overcome like the inevitable of the end of life for people like us. Either by the darkness or fighting to protect the light, the reality of despair awaits us all-"

"Argh!"

Before she could say anything else there was a huge flash of light that blinded us both for a couple of moments coming from the outside area.

Whatever was going on with that fake Kingdom Hearts must be why my eyes suddenly were unable to see anything but a blinding white light. Using my senses to move around the room, the next thing I felt was the sleekness of this long window that I was thrown into earlier meaning that once I was able to see again I would be able to figure out what just happened to me. Then, the light faded revealing that artificial Kingdom Hearts in the sky, but only now there was a huge hole in the middle where that beam of light was just being projected by Ansem the Wise.

"Is...did he really destroy that device in the sky?" I couldn't believe the sight myself, and when I looked closer I noticed several pink lights coming out of the once whole Kingdom Hearts.

'Are those the captive hearts being freed down below?' While I was in awe of this moment, the second I looked over at Auxaq her expression was vastly different; an emotionless being like she was looked horrified about what just happened to that huge device these nobodies planned on using for whatever scheme Xemnas had in mind with it.

"W-What just...happened..." I wasn't sure if that answer could be explained, but since Ansem was the one using that device to blast that fake moon in the sky could it be that he ended up-

"What the hell have you brats done!" She didn't give me a chance to even hold out my weapon before she started to slash at my body with her keyblade, such a rage must mean she was furious about what happened to that "moon" in the sky. Trying to fight back my attacks were able to connect with her limbs, but she quickly responded by teleporting around the place while creating eight glowing blue spheres of magic.

'Oh, yeah she is definitely pissed now...'

I tried to hide behind a chair for cover from this huge attack only to feel one of these huge blasts connect with my back knocking me through the room making me lose the senses in my limbs for a couple of seconds. This kind of power that was held back likely in restraint made me realize how strong this nobody truly is compared to the rest, and she might even rival Xion, Roxas, and Xemnas in sheer magical strength alone. No, it's more than just that it is like her reason for existing failing has driven her over the edge. This kind of push seemed impossible to overcome if she continued blasting me with these huge balls of energy I had no chance of surviving now.

In a bit of desperation, my keybade swung at one of these huge balls of magic trying to land on my body, and I knew that I had no time to dodge these next few attacks before they landed on me. This was not enough to stop this assault, but I had no other way of defending myself, so when I saw the ball of light that was about to smack my face suddenly fly away from my prone body on the floor made me gasp in surprise.

"How? What is keeping you alive by this point?!"

She roared out, the mask of a calm woman in control of the situation was gone replaced by the image of a rabid animal that seemed no different from the heartless she likely destroyed with her strange-looking keyblade. She charged at me while charging up her keyblade that made it glow blue in color forcing me to run while in my weakened condition. Still, this kind of outburst had to make Auxaq get tired eventually unless she ran on a seemingly endless supply of stamina like Saix. Her eyes darted at me, which were also glowing intensely blue in their shade that glowed in the light of this room.

"I lost my ONLY chance to become human again because of your stupid friends, that stupid old man, and because of YOU!" Pulling out my keyblade when hers slammed down to collide with my chest, so I sent a fire blast into her hollow body while defending myself against her relentless assault. Striking at my former idol-turn mortal enemy I knew that this was no more holding back on my end meaning I had to end her even if she didn't want to fade out of existence like the other nobodies that had fallen.

'You are ready to push onto the next stage of your development, but you must be ready to walk through that door.' Door? I'm trying to keep this nobody from not only removing strains of my hair but this head that was attached to these red locks of my hair.

'The hesitation to open this pathway is understandable, regardless your very existence along with the souls and hearts of your friends is on the line in this conflict. Running away from destiny is not possible anymore...'

"Wake up, you damn, naive child!" Auxaq's bark was just as loud as her bite as she kept hitting and kicking at me while moving that weapon around like it was a razor-sharp knife. It was hard to even keep up with this flurry of anger before she managed to knock my weapon out of my hand while pushing me up against this wall behind my back.

'The path to the light must be overshadowed by the trials of the dark. There cannot be one without the other, which is why the keyblade along with its bearer is meant to keep a balance of both elements.'

Meaning someone like Aqua who's lost her sense of balance can't be allowed to exist?

"This...is all YOUR fault!" Her keyblade slash at my face causing blood to pour down my cheek making me wince in severe pain, the next stab came down on my shoulder causing myself to cry at this sensation while I struggled to reach out and summon my keyblade back into my hand. I needed to defend myself in this situation while Auxaq keeps torturing me for "ruining" everything that she had left in her current life by stabbing me several more times in the left side of my chest resulting in some more blood to come out.

'You must push yourself further to defeat your opponent, her time has passed and now is your moment to push through this final barrier that holds you back!'

Namine?

'That power that wasn't complete will now FREE you from this pain along with Aqua's own misery!'

My body started to glow in a bright light, such a thing surprised even myself along with Auxaq.

'Take this power and defeat the darkness that plagues you!'

Suddenly, the weight of my keyblade entered my hand with this sudden boost of either confidence, power, and or a mixture of both things giving me the strength to cut back at my opponent forcing her back. Taking hold of my weapon I felt a huge wave of magical energy rushing through my body, a surge of light that I haven't felt before came over me while Auxaq looked even more enraged.

"I can't fall HERE...not when I haven't found my other friends! I've already lost so many things, so you won't take away this remaining shell of mine!" Aqua...I don't have any other alternative solution. Her body also began to charge up in a blue aura, then she began to fire off several blue-colored spheres that were smaller than the ones she used while teleporting around this space. This time I refused to run or dodge this attacks rather I created several pillars of light that kept those projectiles from hitting me.

"Just like Roxas and Xion..." I didn't see those two nobodies and their connection with this ability rather I saw my friend Sora use this move while he was in that new Drive From that he obtained after his encounter with his other self. Looking at the fully-powered nobody that once saved my life I directed these pillars to move after her while I noticed my keyblade began to blossom a weird series of flowers on this weapon.

'Could this be some kind of new ability as well; did I already know about this power but couldn't use it yet?' Moving towards Auxaq who was using barriers against my light pillars I saw the vines come out from my keyblade like a series of plant limbs wrapped around the nobody's arms to keep her from attacking. I also noticed that flowers were blooming on Auxaq's body that was actually sucking up her magical power and giving it back to me?

"You're trying to drain me of my power? I I can't an-nd...won't lose to someone WEAKER than me!" While I wasn't sure if this was something I knew in advance or this was instinct kicking in my injuries from before were actually gone as the scars and wounds had disappeared while I felt this new source of magic flow into me.

"YOU. WILL. NOT. WIN!"

A huge spike in power cut off this connection between myself and this nobody who cut through the plant vines that were holding her arms with that keyblade of hers. She bore her eyes in my direction with a look of fear combined with deadly determination as she began to spin around to volley more projectiles at me. This time around I pointed my keyblade outward, which made the flowers that grew on my weapon peel off the tool as they began to spin around in the air.

"Impossible..." Those words didn't come from my lips, but I had to agree with Auxaq when I saw the flowers protect me from her homing projectiles that almost hit me if this new power hadn't protected me from harm. Holding out my weapon to move it around, each of the flowers began to spin around to fire at the intended target of Auxaq who countered with a trio of Firaga spells to keep them away from her. While she was doing that I moved in close enough to stab her with my keyblade, the vines continued to wrap themselves around her body while she was impaled in the arm.

Looking at the vines crushing her right arm, the next thing I did was pull out the blade that left behind those plant vines that were still wrapped around her limb until it suddenly exploded in a burst of light catching the both of us by surprise.

"ARGH! Go-...damn it! You stupid, arrogant, bitc-" Firing a blast of light in her chest again I knew that I had to end this before she regained control of the tide of this battle. Looking at my keyblade and its chain, the yellow star hanging off it was beginning to brighten up as I heard that voice belonging to my nobody speak once more.

'Speak its name to seek out its true power!'

"Destiny?' Destiny's Embrace?" My words seemed to cause a reaction, which explains why I felt the blade begin to grow more bright in color, and the flowers on it now were blossoming into a weird form revealing a star-shaped form come out from the edge of this keyblade. Was this that hidden potential that I had never shown itself to me?

"NO! NO! NO!" Auxaq's shouting got louder and suddenly her own keyblade began to flash rapidly as she cut through those vines on her arm while ramming her keyblade into the ground creating several pillars of blue light around the room blowing up many sections of this room, even smashing that "unbreakable" window area creating shards of glass that I tried to avoid. She was trying to bring this roof down along with me in a desperate move to finish this fight, but I can't afford to fall in this place not when I finally realize what this power inside is meant for!

"This is the end of your journey, the role you've played won't be forgotten..." Seeing the huge star-shaped orb appear in front of my keyblade this attack would have to be the last as I ran past the beams of blue light coming down to hurt me.

While I could see where they were coming from their impact was still powerful enough to cut up my body leaving several more scars over my legs, arms, and face. Trying to run up to blast her directly was made difficult when she cast a wide-ranged barrier over the front of her body while she was levitating in the air. I tried moving over to the back of her only to feel one of those beams come right down over my body causing me to cry out in severe pain while slamming me onto the floor creating a small crater in the floor.

"Hahahaha! So much for trying to blast me with that little star of yours! There is no way you can hit me now, and with that, you have failed your final exam. Let me crush that heart of yours that took away mine..." She was charging up her keyblade likely planning on hitting me with more spheres to finish me off while I couldn't move as I couldn't even move any of my limbs due to that last blast of energy, her eyes glowing brightly while she kept giggling and twisting around.

"I am the Sapphire Sorceress! Number XV! Auxaq of Organization XIII and you my dear are my worthless student! You should have stayed in that pitiful school of yours instead of dying in such a worthless fashion!" She left herself wide open.

"You have taught me one last lesson, sensei! Never let range hold you back!" With all of my remaining strength, I pointed my keyblade at the nobody firing off several flower petals that burned through her barrier while my keyblade had been fully charged with this final attack left that I could use.

"Embrace the light!" Roaring out that phrase, a long beam of stars began to shoot through the air landing directly through Auxaq followed by my keyblade that I threw into the center of her body. A direct hit resulted in the keyblade's vines swarming over her body making a huge blast of light magic that caused her to scream out in pain while the keyblade was stuck in the place where her heart once resided in. With this final blow her suddenly grow stiff while her body dangled in mid-air putting an end to this nightmare.

"You...have actually surpassed...this master..." With my eyes barely being able to remain open along with the red crimson blood pouring down my face I knew this "victory" was not earned so easily, but Auxaq floated down while she dropped down from the air onto her knees.

"Well...done my chosen heir..." She gasped out as I watched her body start to fade away like all the other nobodies who were defeated, but I noticed she wasn't angry at me anymore. More like there was a feeling of acceptance about her demise...

"My Lore abilities couldn't truly manifest a keyblade. Only project the shape of one that was capable of drawing out the hearts from the heartless nothing but a hollow fake of the genuine one you have, Kairi."

"Your power wasn't anything that...I would consider being fake..." I wheezed out as the wounds inflicted on my body were indeed quite real, but when I tried crawling over to the fallen nobody she used a Thundara spell to ward me off.

"You are needed...elsewhere. Don't waste your remaining strength on the dead..." Her keyblade slowly disappeared while her eyes were back to their usual shine that resembled my own however I didn't want her to be alone during her final moments despite everything she has put me through just now.

"Go on, you fool! This room is falling apart, so go find your friends and defeat Xemnas with that new strength of yours." A heard the sound of a Portal of Darkness opening up, and to my surprise, Auxaq was the one who created this pathway out of this collapsing room for me to escape through before it was too late.

"Forgive me, Terra and Ven. It would seem that...I was the failure out of the three of us in the end..." I looked over at her hands that were clutching some kind of pop stick in her gloves, a clear sign of those sea-salt ice cream bars that were sold in Twilight Town. Was she going to remain here while allowing me to leave this room despite wanting to kill me a few seconds ago?

"What are you waiting for?! You don't care that my meaningless existence is over, he's waiting for you higher up by now so go and find your PRECIOUS friend while leaving me to die here," She hissed while grabbing hold of my body with her hand to push me over to the portal that was slowly closing behind my prone body that still was struggling to move. "Although when I think about it I never was truly alive, to begin with in this heartless shell of mine."

"No, that can't be true! Even without a heart, these emotions your expression have to mean you are still alive even without a soul..." I shook my head to her cynical nature that she's had ever since our last few conversations. The roof over our heads continued collapsing, but I had to speak my mind to her while I still had the chance.

"I'm sure that even without Kingdom Hearts you could still be that Aqua who saved me all those years ago." My eyes were watering up with tears as I saw her body continue to fall apart with the darkness blanketing her being with each second.

"Heh. I would have probably said those things to you if I never lost my heart, to begin with. Perhaps it was your destiny, after all, to surpass and overcome me like this..." My hands tried to reach out to her despite our distances growing apart, but the last image I saw was not Auxaq, the nobody who tried running my life along with my friends' hard work but Aqua that keyblade warrior who inspired me to begin this journey of mine.

"Goodbye, Master Aqua..."

I whispered as the portal closed up leaving me in the pathway between worlds still very wounded and hurt, and yet, the beating heart in my chest was proof that I was alive. Sacrifice, misery, pain, endurance, and progression floated in my head as my thoughts faded into unconsciousness once more knowing that my past with that woman disappeared along with her existence leaving just one Nobody left to destroy.

"Xemnas...you will pay for the crimes you've done to the universe..."

[ At last, we come to the conclusion of the KH 2 saga with the Xemnas battle up ahead. This has been a long road for us all, but the finale is within sight meaning we are close to the end of this story. I can't state enough how much I've enjoyed working on this story and building up to this moment of Kairi dealing with her past to help shape her future. Aqua made the perfect foil and opponent to help her reach that next phase in her life as a keyblade warrior, and also to show her that she would need to change and evolve in order to combat the darkness more effectively. I hope neither character came off as too strong in this battle, but I knew, in the end, Kairi would emerge the victor while Aqua would die? Anyway, thank you all very much for reading up until this point. ]