**This is a direct continuation of the previous piece. I'm not sure I would want to go with this if I ever do decide to write the entirety of Seeking Salvation, buuut there are a few moments I really love in this, so I figured I would share.**

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Muffled voices entered her consciousness, then the cold, jagged stone floor of the temple that always welcomed her after she'd been taken by the shadows. Hinata couldn't move, her eyes were heavy and body limp. The voices around her grew in volume and panic.

They sounded familiar…

Her thoughts were fogged, filled with whispers from shadows that spoke of things she detested. They wanted to kill the voices Hinata heard, to destroy everything and everyone that intruded their temple. Hinata knew that wasn't right.

Her eyes opened, though her vision was tunneled and blurred. The tattoos along her arm glowed as blackened blood filled the cracks in the stones beneath her.

"Hinata!" A familiar voice resonated around her, making her blink.

She knew that voice.

Her arms trembled, but she pushed herself to her knees. A lifeless body laid on the pedestal at the front of the temple. Someone Hinata knew, but she couldn't recall his name. There was something important about him and the voices in the temple with her.

"What's wrong with her?" Another voice called out, making Hinata twitch. It was a young man's voice, someone she knew.

If only she could think straight.

The voice of the Dormin filled the temple, laughing slow and deeply. "Thine mortals are foolish to come here…"

"What did you do to her?!" Another voice demanded to know. Their confidence caused the slightest hint of a smirk to Hinata's lip. Kairi never did let anyone intimidate her.

Kairi….

Kairi!

"Dormin…" Hinata tried to speak, her voice quivering and subdued. "Dormin… we had- we had a deal…"

Everyone fell silent when they realized she was speaking, though she doubted they understood what she was saying.

The whispers in her mind fell silent, helping her thoughts form clearer as she spoke. "I've done- everything that you asked… Let them leave… Then you can do as you wish- with me…."

The Dormin were silent, everything still around them.

"Hinata…" The young man- no, Sora, spoke softly as he came closer, but Hinata's back was still to him.

"Sora, don't." Someone stopped him, though Hinata wasn't sure why.

She couldn't see them, she could barely see the lifeless body that lay on the pedestal in front of her. Her heart lurched to see him lying there. All of this… it had been for him- hadn't it?

"Very well…" The Dormin granted her wish and the shadows and darkness disappeared from the temple.

Hinata took in a breath as a fleeting amount of strength returned. Her thoughts cleared and memories formed as her heart lodged in her throat.

She had to make everyone leave.

With a whimper, she pushed herself to her feet, staggering forward from her limbs not wanting to respond.

"Hinata!" Kairi called out to her, just before her arms wrapped around Hinata from behind.

Hinata stumbled, but remained standing as she realized Kairi was hugging her.

"We've been looking everywhere for you…" Kairi told her, tightening her hold around her.

"I'm sorry," was all Hinata managed to say in response as she placed her hand over Kairi's.

"What happens now…?" Sam asked, walking up to her side.

As Hinata turned her tired gaze to look at her, she saw the pain and uncertainty in her eyes as she looked Hinata over.

"Take him," Hinata told her, looking towards Riku. "And get everyone out to safety."

"What about you?" Sora asked.

Hinata blinked, stepping out of Kairi's embrace and walking up the stairs towards Riku's pedestal. The color had been returning to his face and something told her that once she took her last breath, he would take his first. The backs of her fingertips brushed along his hand, leaving a thin trail of black blood that she noticed as she reeled back her hand to her chest.

"Velcia…" Hinata nearly whispered her name as tears constricted her throat.

"Yes," Velcia stepped to Hinata's side, but made sure not to touch her.

"Do you still have everything I gave you…?" Hinata asked.

"I… I do," Velcia assured her. "Hinata… is there no other way?"

Shaking her head, Hinata looked back up to Velcia's green eyes that had a shimmer of emotion over them. Velcia couldn't hold her gaze, as she looked away and focused back on the others.

"We should do as she says." She told them, looking to Sam and nodding towards her.

"Wait, what about Hinata?" Sora asked again, this time with more authority as his brows furrowed.

"That's right," Kairi backed him up, stopping at his side. "Sora and I came here for all of you. Not just Riku."

"It's not that simple." Sam told her as she went over to Riku. "Hinata, where's Nia? She could help me carry Riku."

"Gone…" Hinata simply told her, walking towards the edge of the temple that overlooked the forbidden lands.

Sam and Velcia exchanged looks, but didn't say anything else as Sam moved to pick up Riku. She strained, but managed to sling him over her shoulder.

"Come on," Sam told the others as she passed them to leave.

Kairi turned around towards Sam with a scowl, "We aren't going-"

"Unless you want to destroy everything Hinata worked for and end up like her, you're going to leave!" Sam bit, stopping with her back to the others as her voice echoed through the vast chamber. Taking in a deep breath, she added with a calmer voice that was laced with bitterness. "She knew what she was doing when she came here. Least we could do is finish what she started. You want to come back for her after we get everyone else to safety, be my guest."

Without waiting for a response, she continued on her way towards the back of the temple. Velcia waited behind with Sora and Kairi, who exchanged looks, silently asking what they should do.

Sora let out a breath, "She's following her heart, Kairi." He looked to Hinata, who was sitting alone on the edge of the pedestal, staring out at the forbidden lands. "... Just like I did, when I went after you, remember?"

Kairi let out a breathless, bitter laugh, "I would have tried to stop you from doing that, too, if I was there." She looked to Hinata, before looking back to Sam walking away. "We'll come back for her."

"Yeah," Sora agreed, looking towards Velcia. "Can I- talk to her before we go?"

Velcia looked to Hinata with a small frown on her face. With a subtle nod, she looked back to Sora, who smiled his thanks.

He walked over to the pedestal, sitting down along the edge a few feet away from her. She didn't react to his presence, but also didn't send him away. He took the moment to look her over. The markings etched into her skin pulsed with dim, blue light, matching the face tattoo on her cheek that he recognized, even though it wasn't lit like the rest of her. The life in her golden eyes had faded, but they glowed with a fiery, unnatural light. Her skin had a gray, lifeless color and blackened liquid dripped from her eyes as she stared out at the world.

What happened to her?

"Was it… worth it?" She broke the silence between them, making Sora blink.

"What?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"When you went after Kairi…" She clarified with a soft, absent voice, "Fully knowing you would have to die in order to bring her back, you went anyway without hesitation… Was it worth it?"

Sora looked away, joining Hinata in looking out at the world that was beautiful, yet desolate. Letting out a breath, he admitted, "Yeah... I had to make sure she'd never be left behind again." He looked down at his hands. "What happened to her… it wasn't right. So- I had to fix it."

A soft laugh brought his attention back to Hinata, seeing a hint of a smile on her lips, even if it was sad. "That's exactly why I had to do this." She told him, "I've been asking myself the same question since I started… is this worth it…?"

"Was it?" He asked.

She swallowed hard, looking up towards the sky as a blackened tear escaped down her cheek. "Yeah. Every moment."

"Kairi, we have to leave, I'm sorry." Velcia urged Kairi towards the spiral staircase that would lead them out of the temple.

Kairi remained at the bottom, watching Sora talk with Hinata. She wished she had time to talk to her, time to figure out what was really going on. None of this seemed right.

"We can't just leave her here." Kairi objected with a soft voice. "It doesn't matter that she thinks this is the only way. As her friends, we should be there to stop her from taking it too far."

"I felt similar when I first arrived." Velcia told her, looking with her towards Hinata and Sora. "But seeing her drive, her determination… There was nothing we could do to stand in her way. If- this is the path she's chosen, we can't stop her from taking it. No matter how painful it is to watch her do so."

"Will Riku really come back?" Kairi asked, looking to Velcia.

Velcia was silent for a moment, her gaze downcasting. "I- don't know. The Dormin seem capable of it, but I don't know if they will fulfill their part of the deal. Given that they've allowed us to leave peacefully, I have hope that they will do as she asks."

"Hey! Want to hurry it up down there?" Lea's voice echoed from above, startling Velcia as she looked up. "Isa and I can't keep this door up forever!"

"Lea," Velcia said his name under her breath, "Who else came with you?"

"Just Lea and Isa," Kairi told her. "They wanted to rescue Hinata as much as we did."

Velcia hummed, looking back to Sora. "If you'll head up to them, I'll go retrieve Sora."

Kairi wanted to object, she wanted to put her foot down and force them to take Hinata with them, but there was also something in her gut that said it wouldn't happen no matter what she did. Instead, she nodded, taking one last look towards Sora and Hinata before heading back up the spiral staircase.

Each step was harder than the last, as her heart pleaded with her to stay and fight for Hinata's life. It didn't matter that this was what Hinata wanted, not when she was destroying herself. The fact that Sam and Velcia were readily leaving her behind didn't seem right. They were closer to Hinata than Kairi could ever hope to be, yet they were the ones advocating for them to leave.

She stopped midstep, about halfway up the spiral staircase as she looked behind her to see Sora and Velcia just beginning to come up. Velcia stayed back a few steps, wiping away a tear as she looked back towards Hinata. She was reluctant to leave, despite being the one saying there was no other choice.

Were they hiding something from her and Sora?

She wanted to ask, and almost did as Velcia turned and caught her gaze. Her lips parted to speak, but Velcia's eyes widened and she shook her head, causing Kairi to pause. Of course they had something up their sleeve. She smiled to herself, nodding shortly in understanding as Sora reached her side. His eyes were sullened from the usual brightness they held. He could barely hold Kairi's gaze as she reached for his hand.

"We'll come back for her." She reminded him with a whisper.

Sora nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips before it fell and he shook his head. "I- don't know if we'll be able to."

Kairi blinked, watching as Sora continued up the stairwell without another word. Her heart cried for her to run back down to Hinata, to drag her along with them. Whatever Sam and Velcia knew couldn't be more important than keeping Hinata safe. As Velcia reached her, they stared silently at each other, both of their eyes flooded with a mixture of emotions.

"Promise me she'll be ok." Kairi pleaded.

Velcia swallowed, shaking her head. "I-I don't know if she will…"

"I can't leave her behind then," Kairi shook her head, emotion constricting her voice as her hand went over her heart. "No one gets left-"

The temple rumbled around them, cutting Kairi short as she and Velcia clung to the wall to keep themselves steady. The whispers of the shadows returned, echoing through the chamber as the black shadowy figures rose from the ground.

"Go!" Hinata's voice yelled at them, though they could no longer see her. "Please!" Her voice cracked with emotion.

"There's no more time." Velcia grabbed Kairi's arm, gently pulling her with her up the stairwell. "I'm sorry."

Kairi followed Velcia for a few steps, before tugging back her arm and walking backwards up the stairwell to see the shadowed figures watching them leave.

What fate were they leaving Hinata to?

"Kairi! Hurry up!" Lea's voice called out from the top of the stairs. "The whole place is coming down!"

Clenching her hands at her sides, Kairi turned around and rushed up the stairs to meet up with the others. She had to crawl through the opening of the door that was closing down on top of them and sealing everything inside. Sora and Lea helped pull her through before it shut behind her, locking Hinata away. Kairi struggled to keep herself together as she had to face the reality that they were truly leaving Hinata behind. None of the others would meet each other's gaze, spare for Sora's that were silently asking if she was alright, even though he knew the answer. She wanted to bury herself in his arms, let out the storm of emotions bottled in her chest, but they had to keep moving.

Lea and Isa were there with the horses. One for each of them and a few extra for anyone they brought back from the forbidden lands. Sora helped Kairi onto the one they had ridden there, before he got on behind her. Isa helped Sam secure Riku to a horse. He was wrapped in intricately patterned cloth, but it didn't hide the fact that he was still limp. Sora whipped the reigns of the horse, reaching a gallop and leading the way back across the bridge that closed the gap between the real world and the forbidden lands.

The temple rumbled, pieces collapsing in on itself and shaking the bridge. It shattered behind them with bursts of light, the stone falling to the world below and preventing safe passage back to the temple. Kairi looked back, eyes widened and lips parted at the sight.

They reached the other side just before the last brick of the bridge fell. The Dormin had fulfilled their promise of their safety, all that remained was… Riku.

Sora slowed the horse to a stop along with the others along the edge of the forest that overlooked the forbidden lands and the crumbling temple . Kairi got off first and rushed to the edge of the cliffside. The others came to her side, each of them looking out at the temple.

"Is she still there?" Isa asked, glancing over to see them nodding. "I see." He took in a deep breath. "There was no way around the ritual then?"

"You knew about it?" Lea asked, getting the other's attention.

Isa nodded, "Hinata came to me about it, shortly after Riku's passing."

"His passing," Sam repeated with distaste. "As if he wasn't murdered in cold blood to appease some creature."

"Sam, please," Velcia muttered softly.

"When can we go back for her?" Kairi asked, ignoring the others.

She looked up when she felt Sora's hand gently brush against her own. He smiled sadly at her, despite the pain in his eyes.

"Kairi's right," Sora spoke up. "We can't leave Hinata behind forever. She didn't give up on Riku, we shouldn't give up on her."

"Hopefully we won't have to." Isa murmured, crossing his arms. "If the Dormin are true to their word, Riku should come back to us any moment now."

Sora and Kairi gasped, looking at each other before rushing back to his body still secured to the back of the horse. They carefully detached the latches holding him there and lowered him to the ground. Kairi pulled back the cloth from his face, blinking back tears at seeing him there. He appeared as if he was asleep, rather than lifeless. There was color in his cheeks and a softness to his expression. A reddened scar was across his chest, the wound that had been his last. As she studied him, she noticed his chest rise and fall.

"Sora," she whispered, "is he-"

She looked up when she heard Sora hiccup, seeing tears pouring down his face as he grinned broadly. "Riku, he's back."