Kagura Hearts
Chapter 29 ~ Trial of Endurance
"Well-well, big boy, you just leveled up to the Mini-Boss. Congrats-Congrats, I'm almost sad our time will be all-too-short." Shiki said. Sora asked. "-Hey, out of curiosity, are you…gonna stab me with your weapon or something?"
Shiki's face lit up enraged as she said, "Christ-in-Heaven, ya dumbass, do you really think I'm so masochistic? Do you judge me THAT much?!" Yomi jokingly answered, "Well, a half-naked witch-reaper in the snow DOES present you as a more pain-adoring sociopath."
Shiki raspberries Yomi and looks to Sora with a smile while saying, "You have nothing to worry about, big guy. If anything, you're the most adorable hero-type outta the books I've ever seen. (wink) Let's hang out after this, handsome." Sora blushed and said, "N-no thanks, mam, I'm a one-girl kind of guy." Shiki looked at her Instagram account on her phone and asked, "Really? A few of your Girlfriends here say otherwise."
Asuka however said, "Shiki, you should know, there were some who were kinda…attempting."
"...Attempting? Y-you don't mean-?!"
"-Yes. Katsuragi included, several of us tried, got…'close', but did NOT." Asuka explained.
Shiki looked at Sora and said, "...sheesh. You, a STRAIGHT, 17 year-old Keyblade Master, single in the entire world, NO GIRLFRIEND, and yet, you're so hooked on your last relationship that you reject even TRYING to sleep with the girls throwing themselves at you?!"
Sora simply answered, "Well yeah, we shared a Paupu, and ate'em too."
Shiki walked up to Sora and curiously asked, "...are you open to having about 7 girlfriends and wives?"
"Kairi is enough."
Shiki complained, "(hmph) Maybe to SOME…damn it." Sora however said, "Hey, after the Trials though, if my proof of who I am convinces you guys enough…I'm still OK with hanging out and becoming your friend. Asuka and the Hanzo Academy Students are my friends, and through Homura and Yomi, you can say I became the Crimson Squad's friend as well, so, maybe I can be you guys' friend as well?" Shiki sighed and said, "...well…maybe a friendship would be better. I mean, from what I hear, Ikaruga's actions caused a bit of friction between you two."
Sora however said, "She's still a friend…just not…a-anyway, despite what she did, I still consider her a friend…just…try not to make 'sleeping with me' a goal. I prefer we be the old-fashioned kind of friends."
(kiss)
Shiki kissed Sora on the lips, surprising him while she said, "CAN'T MAKE ANY PROMISES, CUTIE! But…a friend is better than an enemy. Thanks, I'll wish you the best, and look forward to the future…Sora."
Sora nodded and said, "...Alright, so…what will my Endurance be tested against?" Shiki began to walk around him and explain, "Well…what indeed? Coldtits over there (Yumi: "WUT?!") would have been better suited for this test since she'd probably have you endure the cold with nothing but a…(plays with her swimsuit strap) Swimsuit, while I could flirt with LESS on to test how strong your heart really is…but ya know what? That's Yumi. So…what should little Miss ME do with little ol' you? Shall I force you to endure my scythe? Can your Keyblade even defend against it when it can block even Murakumo's blade? A Trial can't just be a repeat of another Trial, so what…OH WHAT…would be the best test for a Keyblade Wielder? Hmm…" Just then, Shiki grabbed Sora's face and whispered, "Can you 'endure' your greatest failures AGAIN?"
A sudden black mist covered his eyes, forcing Sora to go blind…
As he wiped his eyes, he tried to look around for the Gessen Girls and his friends…
…only to find a familiar setting.
"...my…MY ISLAND?!"
Sora was indeed on Destiny Islands, or at least the island where he and his friends played during their youth…
…while back in Kabukicho, Sora was unconscious while Shiki and the other Gessen Girls watched over him, with Asuka and Yomi looking worried…
"The ballsiest of Men can act tough and spout all the speeches they want…but inside of every great man is their lowest point. What better 'Trial of Endurance' is fit for the Keyblade Master than reliving his worst nightmares?" Shiki asked.
Back in the dream, Sora looked around his old island hangout, the trees, the shack, the raft, everything was there, bringing memories back to Sora as he could only cry at the sight of the bent tree where he, Riku, and Kairi watched the sunset together…
"The islands never changed…but we changed. We found a different kind of way off the islands because we wanted to see the worlds beyond…yet this island keeps bringing us back. No matter how far we go, no matter where we are, our hearts brought us back together…" Sora said as he rested on the bent tree…
As he looked onward, he could faintly see the sun glimmer out of sight while he felt the cool breeze…
"The breeze…the warmth…like Riku and Kairi, they make the return all the more memorable…right guys?"
Illusions of Kairi and Riku appeared beside him and nodded while the sky became darker…
"I have decided…" Riku said as he walked away…
Sora looked at Riku, wondering where he was going, until Riku started to emit black mist around his body, making Sora remember what happened, "...despite our time together, I guess I should have seen this coming and acted. Riku…your wish to leave ended up calling the Heartless, who destroyed our islands…and because of all that…the three of us were scattered, in more ways than simply getting lost. Riku was lost in Darkness, I was lost in another world, and Kairi…she was…" Sora then turned around to see Kairi, limping towards the doorway hissen in the hideout of the Islands…
Sora followed Kairi, finding her, looking at him with a lifeless expression…
Sora then said, "...Kairi was literally torn in two. Her body became limp like a doll, and her heart…found its way into mine to stay alive." At that moment, as the door opened, Kairi flew INTO Sora, while casting Sora away from the Islands!
As the Islands went further away, Sora collapsed between Riku and Maleficent, who coerced Riku to come to her side…
Sora reached out to try and keep his friend away, but Riku summoned the Soul Eater blade and nearly sliced Sora's hand off, warning him to stay away as he disappeared with Maleficent…
"That darkness…she took advantage of your heart…turned you into an enemy while Kairi and I could only watch. The deeper you fell into darkness, the farther you were to reason with!" Sora said as Riku appeared behind him, emitting an aura of black, violet, and dark-blue smoke…
Sora summoned his Keyblade and prepared himself as the darkness surrounding Riku changed him into his Dark Armored form, who swung his sword at Sora, forcing him to defend and say, "I know this is some kind of spell…making me relive the worst moments of my life, Riku…but I never saw you as a 'moment'."
Sora pushed back against Riku, who unleashed black flame to blow Sora away, only for Sora to cut through it and engage in a sword fight with Riku while saying, "You were, and always have been, my best friend, my teacher, and possibly the only guy smart enough to wield the Keyblade when I'm not around."
"So, you don't mind me replacing you?" Riku asked. Sora answered, "...as long as nobody gets hurt, and Kairi is safe…I trust you to make things right, just like I did…in the end, you only thought you betrayed me to darkness…but Riku, you never wanted to lose us, not Kairi, and not me. We're a team of three, no matter what possesses us!"
What happened next was even more surprising as Riku dropped his sword…
…transformed into his present adult form…
…and hugged Sora like a brother.
"...your trust…has endured betrayal." Riku said as he disappeared.
Sora smiled, hoping to see Riku again after Sayuri's mission was fulfilled. Sora then looked around and yelled, "...hey Shiki, is there more to this Trial? Or can we end this now? As far as I can say, one may be enough to prove I'm worthy enough-."
"-Your best friend is taken by the Darkness…and you 'beloved' Kairi is caged like the weak little thing she is…and you think you're 'worthy' of being anything more than our Puppet?"
Recognizing the voice immediately, Sora prepared himself as the area shifted into the top of the main tower of The Castle That Never Was!
Sora then said, "...I almost forgot about the only person…who could tick me off even more than all of Organization XIII combined! You took Kairi to aggravate me, made up stories and rumors that my friends could care less about me…all while your pathetic master took advantage of the Keyblade's ability to release Hearts for a stupid and selfish desire! I remember Riku saving Kairi with Namine's help, and that she walked back in the same arena where we faced you…because I was the one who needed help against someone like you! Kairi and I…we could NEVER forgive her kidnapper…MY ENEMY…RIGHT, SAIX?!"
Saix appeared before Sora, while behind him appeared the Kingdom Hearts that Xemnas created from gathering all the hearts Sora released from the Heartless!
Saix then summoned his claymore and said, "Mock my master and our goal all you want, Sora…but Kairi is ours, while you cannot hope to see her again UNTIL we allow it. We will take the Hearts we deserve, while you disappear…with the rest of this World!"
End of Chapter 29