Kagura Hearts
Chapter 30 ~ A Nightmare Intrudes
While in the forced dream Shiki forced him into for the Trial of Endurance, Sora was fighting the man who once kidnapped Kairi to control Sora, Saix.
Saix and Sora's battle shredded the Altar of Naught, leaving battle scars and exposed black pieces of cybernetic constructs that kept the tower up…
"Kairi will abandon you, she doesn't NEED YOU!" Saix then transforms into the wild beast he becomes when he builds enough rage, and then he begins to hammer the ground, forcing the Altar to wobble, and begin to tilt…
As Sora began to slip, he grabbed on for dear life on one of the edges of the falling Altar and ran for it, attempting to avoid falling and crashing with the tower…
But Saix's claymore tore through Sora's path, creating a huge metal gash that blocked Sora. The Keyblade Wielder turned around to see Saix, restored to his sanity while giving his opponent a toothy grin…
Sora stood his ground though and said to him, "...Organization XIII found ways to block me, distract me, even trick me into doing what they wanted…but despite everything, Kairi still found her way to safety, she was aided by Namine and Riku, while trying to save me. It's not always the Damsel who's in Distress, Saix…it's the Hero who cares so much for her that he is willing to stand his ground…even if it's against his worst odds."
Saix then asked, "If that is the case…would you be satisfied if she held the power and you didn't?" Sora nodded and explained, "Whether with or without the Keyblade, I know my power well enough to fight. It's not the Key that's my power, Saix…it's them…it was ALL of them, including the one you were once friends with. His name was Axel…but he was also Lea, while you were once Isa. I don't know what the two of you were fighting about, but your solitude and your selfishness were reasons enough for you to lose. Because betraying someone you once held dear to your heart…is the heaviest burden a former member of an enemy group can have…"
Saix then wondered, "You would endure the Past to build a future with enemies?"
Sora nodded, "You seemed to have restored a bit of that friendship after Lea beat you fair and square…so yeah, I would endure the Past for his sake…because Lea, he's my friend too. Honestly, it would be nice to see how an old enemy is doing after becoming human again. When I can see you again…will you and Lea be friends again?"
Saix hung his sword onto Sora's shoulder, while itching slightly near the neck…
"...my business with that fool is our business to begin with. None of yours. But how do you know I have changed? Can you really trust me? Can your heart trust a man willing to spill your woman's blood across your precious beach?" Saix asked. Sora answered, "...your game of frisbee…you enjoyed tossing that thing around with Lea…and even Pluto. If an old enemy can learn to play with old enemies, even their pets…would you feel like you can endure change?"
Saix then became enveloped in light…
…and his body changed into the form of Isa, the same one who appeared on Destiny Islands during the group's celebration of their victory over Xehanort.
Isa sighed and said, "...your forgiveness…has endured fear."
And with that, Isa vanished, leaving Sora to wonder what would be next…
Back outside, Sora's sleeping form was still watched by Asuka, Yomi, and the Gessen Girls, including Shiki, who smirked and said, "...little boy's smiling…what oh what does he have to smile about?" Asuka answered, "Hopefully, he's getting closer to the end of the Trial." Yomi however asked, "Tell us though…these 'tests' of yours…how many are there, and have you done these on anyone else since?" Shiki answered, "If you're worried THAT much about your stud bud, don't. I know how to use these illusions. Sora can only wake up AFTER completing the last test."
Yomi then repeated, "But we're just going back to my question, which was: HOW MANY TESTS ARE IN THIS TRIAL?!" Shiki thought for a while and said, "...ask him when he wakes up-." Asuka however grabbed Shiki and asked, "HOW MANY, SHIKI?!"
A frightened Shiki answered, "A-AS MANY AS HE HAS TO FIGHT! These tests depend on what he went through that traumatized or terrified him the most! No one here knows him well enough to know what hurt him the most, what scarred him the deepest, NO ONE KNOWS, for all I know, this dude has been suffering under Keybearer Duty for years before he even had a childhood!" Asuka growled, "YOU PUT OUR FRIEND IN A COMA WITHOUT A DEFINITE REASON FOR THIS TRIAL?! You might as well have fed him a Poison Apple!"
Yomi held Asuka back while saying, "There's nothing we can do now, Asuka…and throwing tantrums aren't going to wake him up sooner!" Asuka however cried out, "But we let them harm him…we trusted Gessen knew what they were doing…we trusted them and they placed our friend into an eternal slumber without a DAMN!" Shiki felt pressured and broken by the conflicted Asuka and tried apologizing…
But Yumi simply said, "If he is smiling, he must have beaten several of Shiki's tests already. The boy will wake up, and when he does, he'll be rested enough to prove himself in the Trial of Heart. For now, all we can do is wait…we must be patient."
Yomi gave a VERY cross expression of dissatisfaction towards Yumi and said, " #$% it. I'm calling the one person who could wake Sora up."
Elsewhere…
"DUDE, THIS CHICK IS CRAZY! DITCH THE ZENNY, MAYBE SHE'LL LEAVE US ALONE-!"
A masked burglar and his friends stumbled and tripped as they ran away from a certain green-haired and light skinned girl…
"...Chicken Shits." Hikage said as she put away her knife and took several dollar bills before the police arrived to take the rest back to the bank. As she watched, Hikage sighed and said, "...I guess this counts as grocery money-." Just then, her phone started ringing…
"HI 'HICCUPS'! It's Haruka, I just received a call to aid our poor Yomi, but I'm kinda swamped here at the Arcade. Could you check it out for me? They told me Sora was under some kind of spell, and they needed an expert…"
Minutes later…
"-AND SO HARUKA SENT OUR DEADLIEST CRIMSON SQUAD MEMBER INSTEAD?!" Yomi angrily asked.
Hikage stretched her arms and fixed her shirt to keep her breasts from popping out while asking, "Hey, she called ME. I didn't want to anyway, I was busy looking for a few bucks to spend on supplies…but I only managed to take a small amount, enough…for two vials of toothpaste." Asuka shook her head and said, "You should really look for a job, Hikage, it would make Katsuragi feel a little better if her rival is doing well enough to earn money rather than steal it."
Hikage looked at Sora and asked, "...so, what's wrong with Sora?" Yomi explained, "Ask Shiki. SHE'S the doofus." Shiki however argued, "A DOOFUS WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO CAST ILLUSION AND SLEEPING SPELLS, YA JERK! I happen to be an expert at magic, thank you VERY much!" Yomi however argued, "You could have been less extreme with your spells! I mean, what's wrong with doing the same sort of Trial as Murakumo? All Sora had to do was defend against attacks! But NO, you thought a Nightmare-Inducing Slumber was a better idea!"
Noticing something poking out of his pocket, Hikage picked that pocket and pulled out Sora's Good Luck Charm, made with Theresa Shells…
Hikage couldn't help but ask, "...Asuka, Yomi, what is this?" Asuka answered, "I don't know, but…it is rather pretty. Looks like a Good Luck Charm." Yomi blushed at the charm's little face while saying, "IT'S SO CUTE THOUGH! I had no idea the Master was so gifted in craftsmanship…"
"...he didn't make it…" Hikage said.
Yumi then explained, "Your stab-happy friend may be right, 'Maid'. This charm, it's somewhat based off of him, and the boy isn't self-centered enough to make a charm for himself…what would even be the point of giving YOURSELF good luck?"
Asuka then noticed Hikage's eyes becoming somewhat entranced as her finger traced around the charm…
"...she made…this charm…to stay by his side…it's…her protection…" Hikage mumbled.
Asuka then wondered, "You said 'HER Protection', do you mean…Kairi? Kairi made this charm?" Hikage nodded, "...Kairi…yes…K-…Kai…ri…" Suddenly, Hikage collapsed, surprising Yomi, who tried to wake her up!
Asuka noticed that Hikage's grip on the charm was strong, preventing anyone from taking it from her unconscious form!
Asuka then turned to Shiki and asked, "Shiki, did you cast that same spell on Hikage just now?!" Shiki shook her head, "N-NO, OF COURSE NOT! Hikage suddenly zonked out the moment she looked at that thing! If anything sent her to 'Snoozeville', it's that thing!" Yozakura then said, "It's clear that these Trials have gone too far now, Yumi. WE'VE GOT TO WAKE SORA UP!"
Yumi then suggested, "Perhaps Shiki's spell was somewhat spread through Sora somehow into your Crimson serpent, which means maybe destroying that Charm may in fact be the key to waking up both him AND her!" Asuka however said, "But there might be a reason Sora never showed this to us, it was made by Kairi after all! It's too important to him…I think."
"...K-...Kai…ri…"
Hikage started mumbling in her sleep, forcing Asuka to say, "...it IS important to him! The Charm's not the problem, it's the Key! Hikage must have somehow been beckoned into Sora's dreams, she can help him!" Yumi however said, "Intrusion during the Trials is forbidden-!" Yomi however argued, "FORBID ALL YOU WANT, WE'RE LEAVING! It's evening already anyway!" Yomi and Asuka then took Sora and Hikage in their arms and vanished, leaving Yumi and the others concerned…
…Minutes later, the Hanzo Academy girls and the Crimson Squad arrived that night to see how Sora was doing, all while Hikage was placed next to him, with the charm still in her hand…
Inside the dream, Sora waited for the next part of the Trial of Endurance to start, until he saw someone approach him…
"You believe in friendship, you trust in the future, but…can you move on after your GREATEST failure?"
Sora answered, "Anything to get out of this dream already. Once I'm out, Shiki's gonna hear an earful-." Just before Sora could finish…
A white and red flash came up…
…and everything Sora saw was white…
…and bleeding.
Destiny Islands, Radiant Garden, Twilight Town, Olympus, Agrabah, Deep Jungle, Land of Dragons, Beast's Castle, Toy Box, Monstropolis, Arendale, Keyblade Graveyard, EVERY World was stained white and cut and scarred with bleeding injuries, a horrific event like such was never seen or experienced in all of Sora's life…
"...they're dead Sora…"
Sora trembled in horror as he turned around to see a woman in white and red robes covered in blood…
"...they're all dead…because they don't fit in MY reality. Disgusting…Accepting…Pure…all of it…just a bunch of cutesy and cuddly GARBAGE!"
The woman's scream tore through Sora's shoulder and right leg. The fear at this point was extreme since he was in a dream, and yet…the pain wasn't waking him up…
"...you're…you're not a part of the Trial…" Sora said. The woman turned towards him, revealing herself as a white-hooded figure whose eyes couldn't be seen, except for her uncomfortable large smile…
"...Trial? I am a Premonition. The truth of your future…you've been TRYING to get back to the world of the living…well, 'A' world of the living, so your 'FRIENDS' will find you. But is the future not fickle? Can there really be a future where YOU return to life…and not me?"
Sora then realized who the woman he was talking to was…
"...TOKI."
Toki nodded and said, "My name, I'll let you get away with…but I don't want to give TOO much away yet. (chuckle) We're gonna have some fun together before the finale, my Pure-Hearted Hero. Before I take that precious ring off your palm tree head, I want you to suffer…"
Sora then saw visions and clips behind Toki, showing crowds and people mistreat and scream at her, until their eyes lit up in fear and ran from her, until she was imprisoned within a Kekkai…
"...like I suffered."
Toki then pulled out an eyeball that looked strangely familiar…
She then said, "You think you're a Superhero with that Keyblade…you're just DIFFERENT! Differences are a CURSE to the unaccepting! And the 'unaccepting' will tie you and crucify you! YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT REALM?! I could make the realm a better place, wipe out ALL who fear what they can't understand! And no Kagaan, no Keyblade, and no Human-Made Weapon will even come close to the Godlike potential I can reach! UNLIKE YOU, I WILL REIGN TRUE JUSTICE! ONTO DARKNESS AND LIGHT, UNTIL ONLY TRUTH REMAINS…truth even SHE wouldn't deny…"
Toki then ATE the eye, grossing Sora out, while making him say, "I guess that means I'll have to keep you from coming back from the dead. Despite what you have…and what your issues are, lady, I can promise you this: I'LL NEVER SURRENDER THE WORLDS TO YOU!"
Pulling out another eye, Toki taunted, "You couldn't stop Xehanort from killing Kairi…how can you stop ME from killing ten million and more?"
At that moment, the worlds around Sora exploded, and many screams echoed throughout the area! As everything around him was destroyed, Sora yelled, "I'LL NEVER STOP FIGHTING YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING YOU!"
"SORA, ENOUGH! WE NEED TO LEAVE, NOW!" Hikage said as she wrapped her arm around Sora's and pulled him away! As the area began breaking and exploding, Sora's eyes started blurring, and so he rubbed his eyes while noticing something strange…
Hikage's green hair was changing to red…
End of Chapter 30