Chapter 18: Destiny Islands

AN: I. Have rewritten. These fucking platform chapters. 12. Fucking. Times. You don't. Fucking know. How done I am. You don't even know.

-April 8, 2009-

Kassy's POV

Darkness.

"Hey, no fair! That was a cheap shot!" I heard a boy's voice through the abyss.

"It's your fault for being in the line of fire." Another boy's teasing voice broke through.

"Ha! See you at the finish line, boys! I win!" A girl's shout pierced through and I gasped through the light to consciousness.

"Oh!" The girl rushed closer, "Guys she's awake!"

I groaned quietly at the piercing light from overhead. She ordered over her shoulder to shut off the lights. When the room dimmed considerably I carefully opened my eyes. A short redhead smiled, sitting beside me, "Are you feeling better? Your clothes were soaked so I gave you some of my stuff. Don't worry it was only me who changed you. The boys were locked away until I was done. Would you like some water?"

I swallowed thickly, nodding from the slight soreness. A glass was held to my lips and a hand gently cradling my head to assist. After the glass was empty, I looked around the room.

I was sitting on a fairly sized brown sofa in the middle of a living room with a fireplace mantle, scattered pictures on top and hanging on the walls and a TV on the other room with some kind of video game on pause.

The redhead's smile never wavered, "What's your name?"

I glanced at her, then at the boy with chocolate spikes, and finally at the boy with silver hair to his shoulder, "...Kasandra..."

"I'm-" I cut her off with a small shy smile, "Kairi. And you're Sora and Riku."

It was no surprise that each of their jaws dropped, eyes widening. The silverette composed himself the quickest, "Who are you? And why do you know us?"

I swallowed, "Um... I-It's a really long story... I-I'm sorry... Where am I? I-I know... t-the island... B-But..."

"My house!" The brunette grinned widely after finally picking up his jaw from the floor, "We would have woken you up earlier, but you were mumbling like you were just talking in your sleep so we left you alone."

I used the couch to claw to a sitting position, "What happened? M-My friends..." I could feel tears burning behind my eyelids. I squeezed them shut, clutching my hands together.

"Hey, hey... It's going to be alright..." Riku put his hand on mine. I looked up through blurred vision, "Tell us what happened."

Kairi nodded, "Maybe we can help!"

I took a shaky breath before stuttering out my answer, "My friends and I had these strange dreams a few days ago... And then... One by one... Everyone's in the hospital... Oh god... Sylvia... Hazel... Elena..."

"We'll help you!" Sora shouted almost immediately, "We have a raft we're building! Come with us and we'll find them somehow! I promise!"

I giggled weakly through hiccups, "T-Thank you..."

Kairi's smile grew, "It'll be great to have another girl! I won't be stuck with two boys!"

My eyebrows furrowed, remembering a specific quote of hers that had her wishing for only two. I grinned weakly. Maybe she changed her mind, "Thank you..."

I tuned back into the warmth on my hand. Riku hadn't removed his, "Where are you from?"

I bit my lip, "Um... I'm from..." I paused. Should I be indulging this information? "I'm from faraway... Earth."

All three pairs of eyebrows furrowed in collective confusion. Kairi tilted her head, "What's it like?"

"It's big... Actually that's the name of the whole world. I lived on a smaller part. An island as well." I brushed a hair behind my ear, looking down at our hands. I thought of my home, tears burned behind my eyelids. I blinked them away, swallowing thickly.

"A new world! I knew they were out there!" Sora crowed cheerfully. I closed my eyes and gave him a tight smile.

"Hey... Let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm sure you're tired." Riku cut in, squeezing my hand gently.

"Yeah!" Kairi said cheerfully, but eyed me in a concerned manner.

Sora nodded, "Everyone was already sleeping over tonight anyway so it's fine for you to stay on the couch."

The boys both bid their goodnights and disappeared around the corner and up a set of stairs according to the sounds of their footsteps. Kairi stood up with a goodnight. I bit my lip and stopped her, "W-Wait... K-Kairi... C-Can you... Can you stay in here with me...?"

Her expression was a bit surprised but she quickly composed herself and nodded with a smile, "Let me just go grab my sleeping bag and stuff!"

00000

I awoke to the feeling of insistent shaking. Yawning I sat up quickly, rubbing my eyes, "Syvy... Whassa maner...? Whas wron...?"

When my vision cleared up and yesterday's events came crashing back, I jumped, "K-Kairi?"

Her eyes were glazed over, almost as if she were hypnotised. She tugged on my wrist without a word. I stumbled off the sofa, trapped in the blanket. I untangled myself and whimpered, "K-Kairi, what's wrong?"

She remained silent. She stared at me for a few moments and slowly stepped to the front door and out. My eyes widened. I scrambled after her, stumbling over my unused legs. I followed her, shivering in the stormy night air. We walked down the street until we came to the shoreline.

I swallowed thickly, eyeing the rickety dock, "K-Kairi... W-Wait a second... I-I don't-" Without a word, she gripped my wrist, tugging me onto the wood and into a small rowboat. I gasped, clinging to the sides of the boat, squeezing my eyes shut. I opened them only when I felt the boat bump against a solid surface. Kairi tugged on my wrist, helping me onto the dock. We scaled around the large tree before she stopped. Slowly she spun to face me.

I stepped back, nervously eyeing her raised hand. She pounced on me before I could determine what she was planning. With her hand to my head, I slumped forward, darkness overtaking. Before I lost consciousness completely, I noted she was running towards a small opening in the rocks between the waterfall and large tree, an elaborate silver door materialising behind her.

I awoke to rough shaking accompanied by a worried boy's voice, "Kasandra! Kasandra, what happened?!"

I groaned, rubbing my head, letting Sora help me to a sitting position. I pointed in the direction of the opening in the rocks, "S-She went in there..."

"Who? Kairi?" He frowned, "Are you going to be okay?"

I nodded weakly, "I'll be fine... Go after her... Just give me a minute..."

He hesitated for a few moments before nodding and running towards said direction. After a few moments, I wavered on my feet, a hand on my head with a groan. I walked further along the pathway and stopped, waiting for Sora. It was only a few moments later that the doors flew open, sending Sora flying rapidly in my direction.

He landed on top of me, both of us tumbling over both edges and down on to the beach. I groaned weakly as he scrambled off, "Kasandra! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"I'm fine, Sora..." I accepted his hand to help me. He all but dragged me to my feet without any effort at all.

"Hey... Isn't that...?" Sora frowned, staring over my shoulder.

I looked behind me with wide eyes, "Riku!" I tore through the shack and across the wooden bridge, the brunette hot on my heels.

The two of us stopped a few feet from the silverette. Sora frowned, "Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!"

Riku was looking up at the stormy sky, his back to us, "The door... has opened..."

The brunette's frown deepened with his confusion, "What?"

"The door has opened, Sora! Now we can go to the outside world." Riku turned around, a determined glint in his eye.

I bit my lip for a short hesitation before speaking to the brunette beside me, "Sora, y-you should go with him..."

Sora's gaze narrowed on my person, "What are you talking about? We gotta find Kairi!"

"Kairi's coming with us! Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

"You must embrace the darkness..." I breathed out. I quickly put my hands over my mouth. Where did that come from?

Riku stared at me silently. Emotionlessly. Sora looked too shocked for words. Finally the brunette whispered our names.

Swallowing thickly, I stared at Riku's outstretched hand. I reached for him hesitantly. He took a hold of my hand, pulling me closer, and wrapped an arm around me, pressing me against him tightly. He held out the other hand for Sora.

"Please, Sora..." Those were the last words I heard before blacking out.

00000

When I slowly gained consciousness, I weakly clawed at the floor beneath me. It took slight difficulty to pry my eyes open fully. I looked around.

Endless darkness surrounding the stained glass platform I resided on. The Station of Awakening? I slowly back up to get the full image.

There was a girl sitting with her legs bent slightly, looking off to the left with a neutral expression, her eyes a glowing golden yellow. She had chestnut hair to her shoulders. She wore an ankle blood red halter dress with black slits around the bottom to her thighs and a golden yellow metal ring attached around her neck, as it flared around her like water.

The girl resided on a platform with the outer layer of black, the middle layer of blood red, and the third layer of black. The platform contained smaller circles of blood red alternating what looked like a paint brush, paint, clay, a clay knife, a pair of scissors, a pencil, an eraser, a sharpener, a sketchbook, a pen, a tissue, a red colored pencil, an orange colored pencil, a yellow colored pencil, a light green colored pencil, a dark green colored pencil, a light blue colored pencil, a dark blue colored pencil, a light purple colored pencil, and a dark purple colored pencil. The entire platform's background looked to be of rainbow paint splatters.

"Don't be alarmed, Princess." I gasped, falling to the floor. I looked around in search of the familiar voice, "All will be well."

"W-Who's there? I-I know who you are but I-I can't remember... W-What's happening?" I whimpered, "Where are my friends?"

"Do not worry. Your questions will be answered soon enough." Three short pillars rose from the ground at different edges of the platform with floating weapons. One with a sword, another with a shield, and the third with a staff.

My eyes widened, "Oh my god... T-This is actually happening..."

"It is." The voice answered solemnly, "You know what you must do."

I rushed clumsily and gripped the sword. My lip curled into a pout when it disappeared, "Now what will you give up in exchange?"

I walked a bit more leisurely and grasped the staff. I sighed sadly when it disappeared as well, "You've chosen the power of the warrior. You've given up the power of the mystic. Is this the form you choose?"

A grin spread across my lips, "Yes!"

I was hoping for different answers. But unfortunately, the only answer I received was the sound of shattering. I slowly glanced down as the glass shards of the platform began floating away. Fear clutched my heart like a vice. My screams caught in my throat.

It was quite awhile before I had calmed down enough to open my eyes. When they were open, I observed my surroundings. Another platform. This was a of a dark ocean blue surrounded by a lavender ring, and a dark violet ring outside of the light one. On the inside were seven circles. The top contained a human-dog like figure in a hat on a bright yellow background. Next was of a young female with dark forest brown hair to her chin with eyes the color of snow on a silver background. Next was a young female with long black hair, her eyes as black as night, on a dark, almost black, background. Next was of a white duck in blue clothing on a bright orange background, next was of a girl with long golden brown hair, her left eye black, the right eye white, on a snow white background. The sixth contained a girl with chestnut hair to her shoulders, her eyes glowing a golden yellow, atop a blood red background. The middle circle contained a familiar boy in red with chocolate spikes.

I gasped as shadows began seeping up from the floor, eyes glowing a golden yellow, "H-Heartless..."

A light floated down in front of me. I shielded my eyes from the blinding brightness. When it had dimmed, I lowered my arms to see two small silver hand guns with black patches on the handles. Hidden on each, in blood red calligraphy, read, Heartless Maiden.

I grasped them each with a finger on each trigger, "Your powers will grow the more you do in turn."

I breathed out my disbelief, watching the shadows almost dance in place. Their antennas twitched. I swallowed before aiming and shooting at one. The bullet shot a hole through the shadow's stomach. Each of their eyes fell on the holed one until the hole all but crawled together until it looked like it had never been there at all. The shadows switched their gaze back to me. They pounced. No matter how much I shot at them, they were untouchable.

They pounced once more. My screams faded as blackness overtook my senses.