Chapter 69: Clash of the Keys
The area was quiescent, ruminating over everything that transpired. Emotions were wanderlust; they meandered throughout the inexpressive room, in search of clarity. Luigi was struggling to imbibe every distressing image; the cogs struggled in making a complete rotation. He never thought this would occur. It didn't seem possible. And yet, the truism had delivered its laconic, incontrovertible speech.
The nectar of life had been desiccated from the Koopa King. His gruff, rage induced intonations no longer breathed down his neck, delivering a fiery, malodorous scent. And yet, it would take some time to accept this permanent aberration.
Yoshi was the only part not attached to this plaintive gamut. His attention was drawn to a peculiar item on the ground; it beckoned for him with scintillating shades of white. Yoshi approached the item, and recognized it as one of the summon gems. He picked it up, and tried to get everyone's attention. But their deportment demurred any semblance of good news at the moment. There was a deluge of thoughts to unload and sort through.
Yoshi placed the stone in his saddle, deciding to mention it later when this elegiac soliloquy ended.
Fox walked over to Luigi, gainsaying the silence with the concerning tone in his voice. "You okay? Thought you'd be relieved now that your worse enemy is gone."
"I should be," Luigi said, putting a bookmark on his perambulation through deep thought. "But, strangely, I feel bad for him. Deep down, it seemed like he was miserable most of his life. The princess was the only person who filled the void."
Fox understood how one's unhealthy obsession could bring grief towards others, making them feel the stigma of misery. He knew someone who had been consumed by that unconscionable mantra. And, as a result of his untoward actions, Fox's mother perished in a horrible explosion. How much of this behavior warranted forgiveness?
"Sounds to me like he was just stuck once he met her," Fox said. "That's pitiful."
Luigi dipped into the lake of his thoughts, causing small ripples to disperse. "It makes me wonder…was there something we could've done to change that?"
"Probably not," Fox said, as the grudge over his mother's killer would never surcease, no matter how immemorable time became. "Don't think a guy like him would reform anytime soon."
Luigi sighed, somewhat dejected. "I know. But when someone you've known for a long time is gone – regardless of your relationship with them – it makes you think."
"I understand," Fox said, able to see flicker of Luigi's views through an objective lens.
But Yoshi interrupted the conversation by waving an exigent flag. "Luigi, what we do about…" He gestured towards the Star Spirits.
"Mama-mia!" Luigi said. "I completely forgot!"
They both hurried over to check on the injured Star Spirits. Fox noticed Sora was still stuck in an inactive bog; only his free-flowing thoughts flew overhead, unrestrained by physical languor. Sora hadn't a smattering as to what befell Riku. Although a hint nudged at him, wanting to speak with candor. But he balked at hearing the axiom spelled out to him. Sora refused to accept the fact that not even an infinitesimal piece of Riku's soul still existed in his body.
He couldn't live with that discouraging revelation. It would devastate him. And Kairi, too.
"Don't worry," Fox said, placing a gentle hand on Sora's shoulder. "We'll figure out what's wrong with your friend."
"Fox…I'm sorry abut what he did to you earlier," Sora said, as an undergrowth of guilt grew in his stomach.
"Hey, it's fine," Fox said, with a firm tone in his voice. "But you know lamenting isn't going to help him."
Sora sighed and acquiesced. Mulling over the situation was a dilatory. He knew his only option was to confront Riku again. Their reunion was inexorable, as Riku was the final obstacle that had to be surmounted before Sora could save Kairi. He hated labeling his best friend in such a negative light, but options were stint at this point. For now, all Sora could do was efface the discouraging thoughts as he and Fox went to assist Luigi and Yoshi.
After Luigi cast Cure on everyone, it took a few minutes for the Star Spirits to be satiated with vitality again. Although it was incipient, as if the canister was from repletion. Aches and pains were having a nice, long sojourn through their bodies.
"How do you feel?" Luigi asked.
"Better," Muskular said, rotating one of his edges. "But still hurts like heck. Feels like I've floundering about in a hamster ball for hours."
"While our magic may be potent," Eldstar said, wincing from the homogeneous pain, "our durability is not. We will need time to recover."
"Fortunately, we have enough power to make the journey home," Misstar said.
Luigi was inspirited with the delicate weight of relief. "Good. You've done your part. Leave the rest to us."
"Once again, we cannot express our gratitude enough for saving us," Skokar said, as a look of gaiety peered out from his glasses.
"If Mario was here, he'd be very proud of you," Eldstar said.
Luigi blushed; he seldom received such high praise. It lifted him onto a pedestal of importance – reminded him that his efforts were not ineffectual debris glossed over with indifferent eyes. Golden nuggets teemed within the dross, leaving a lasting impact. That venerable sensation regaled his senses, and he would never let it falter.
"Thanks," Luigi said. "That means a lot."
"What about the Star Rod?" Sora asked.
Klevar hovered over to it, performing a sedulous inspection. He frowned, nettled. "Severely damaged, unfortunately. It'll need extensive repairs."
"You leave that to us." Eldstar glanced behind everyone, becoming distrait. "I sense a great power forming. And it feels…unstable."
"Probably the keyhole," Yoshi said.
Sora noticed that a small, dark portal had appeared in a nearby wall. It was akin to the one they used earlier – the one that Bowser created to lure them into his treacherous playground.
"Hey," Sora said, gesturing towards the portal, "I bet that'll take us back to the castle." His countenance was clamped together with urgency. "Let's move! If Riku is planning to do something to the keyhole, we gotta stop him!"
After good-byes were exchanged (and the Star Spirits took their leave), Sora and his friends headed towards the portal, hoping to desiccate the vestiges of Bowser's plans with their fervent teamwork.
Everyone couldn't circumvent the feeling of restiveness. Not when existence itself was still on an errant path towards destruction – a lemming that only they could guide away from inadvertently falling to its demise. The derelict halls mimicked the group's strident panting and footsteps, as if entreating for acknowledgement.
They continued running down the halls, demurring times offer of leisure. Heartless tried to surcease their crusade, but the group knocked them aside. It wasn't long before they arrived at the wonderous Grand Hall. They were not cajoled by its ornate architecture. At least, they couldn't be awestruck at the moment. Their path remained narrow. Not even the slightest distraction squirmed itself into their focused space.
But they remained circumspective as they took a step onto the red carpet in front of them. A speculum of vigilance kept their eyes wide open. They checked every inch of the quiescent vicinity for anomalies. So far, peace had residence in the dark room. But Sora knew their efforts would not debar Riku from appearing again. He had his own agenda, and Sora surmised that they weren't part of it.
Looking ahead, Sora could see the second floor, and the heart-shaped door surrounded by pipes. Purple electricity was discharging from its variegated maw like spittle. A spasmodic chill pulsated against Sora's face like an arrhythmia. He posited that the door led to the incipient keyhole. And it seemed to be growing unstable. Sora wasn't too keen to see what would happen if left unattended.
Before Sora could open his mouth, Yoshi said, "Look! It Samus!"
The group turned to see the bounty hunter in one of the pods, donning her blue jumpsuit. A concourse sang a harmonious symphony of relief in Sora's ears. He, Luigi and Yoshi had been hefting solemn manacles ever since leaving Planet Zebes. They wanted to believe she escaped the planet before its destruction. But, as time marched on, doubt would introduce its discouraging, laconic declaration.
They were glad to obviate such a depressing slogan.
"Thank goodness she made it off the planet," Sora said, exhaling as he rested a hand on his chest.
Luigi looked at the other pods. "Hey, I see Dixie and Zelda." He faced the next one that contained the woman with the red robes and crescent moon staff. "And…some other person."
"Krystal!" Fox said. He ran over her pod, being pulled along by a chain of elation. She was in sight now. Her beautiful lineament illuminated the dour room. But that light was still bedimmed by her unconscious state. The chain had been ripped from Fox's chest, leaving behind a painful, aggrieved mark. "Hey, it's Fox! Wake up!"
While Fox attempted to pry Krystal's mental status from a vault of torpor, Luigi and Yoshi noticed Princess Peach. They hurried to her side. Although they'd be cozen saying she was salubrious. Her and the other women had been cast with the homogeneous spell of sleep. Nothing could loosen its amorphous grip.
Concern festered in Luigi's chest like uncomfortable vines. His brother was still missing. He didn't want to be devoid of another important person in his life. The thought left him in a thick haze of discouragement. It seemed implacable, unable to emit hopeful phosphorescence; but he had to keep searching for that scintillation. Lamenting would keep the sadness obdurate. It would never leave.
Like Fox, Luigi and Yoshi tried to wake the princess with their voices. But her unconscious state would not accede to even a monosyllable. Sora was stuck in a distrait, cold tube, unable to offer his support at the moment. His eyes darted around the room, as if slipping across restless oil. Kairi had to be here, he thought. He wouldn't acquiesce to any other notion, even if logic expostulated the reasons for being wrong on a whiteboard. Sora had come too far for his efforts to be retrograded at the starting line.
Suddenly, he felt that strange warmth in his chest again. It regaled his heart with comfort. He found himself forgoing any questions as to why this was happening. The feeling pressed against his back, nudging him towards the stairs. Instinct impelled him to be obeisant towards this aberration.
He hurried towards the stairs without another word. Luigi and Yoshi noticed his sudden departure, and decided to follow. The princess would be safe in confinement for now. But Sora was out in the open; any moment Riku could make himself conspicuous from the shadows, and strike before Sora drew breath – a presage Luigi and Yoshi planned to prevent from being birthed into existence.
The two hurried after Sora, who had ascended the stairs, being guided by the feeling in his chest; it grew stronger with each step he took. He couldn't ignore the sensation, either, as it was eminent above every other thought and feeling. Somehow following this accruing warmth would explain its presence.
Sora soon reached the crest of the octagonal platform, and stepped onto its soft cranium. Luigi stepped onto the platform next. But when Yoshi tried entering, his nose collided with an invisible force field, and he fell onto the ground.
Luigi spun around, concerned. "You okay? What happened?"
"Ouch," Yoshi said, as he sat up, rubbing his nose. "That hurt."
The familiar rattle of Luigi's knees buckling began its instrumental interlude. "If THAT hurt your nose, then I'm not going to enjoy what comes next."
"Wait, wait," Yoshi said, standing up, undeterred. "Me got this." He rammed his head into the invisible wall. No avail. Next, he tried slamming his shield into it, hoping for even an infinitesimal crack to form. Still nothing. But that didn't deter him from continuing to slam the shield into the wall.
Luigi narrowed his expression. "No, no. Keep doing the same thing. I'm sure the local blacksmith is itching to increase the bill for a damaged shield." He paused upon realizing what he said. "If we ever come across one."
Ignoring their badinage, Sora looked to the center of the area. The warmth in his chest ceased in an instant, as if becoming frozen in a tundra of emotions. Sora's neck ran cold from the emission of said tundra. He should be relieved right now. But it belied with the immense worry that donned on his face.
"Kairi!" Sora hurried over to her lifeless body. Her skin remained pale, as if overexposed through an ailing lens. There wasn't a sign of movement; quiescent as a tattered tree. Worst of all, her eyes remained close, keeping those bright blue irises from absorbing light's nurturing aura.
Sora lifted Kairi and gave her a gentle shake. "C'mon, wake up! I'm here now! Open your eyes!"
He placed an ear to her chest. Not even a small murmur responded. Her chest was hollow – an empty hood deprived of the motor that purred with life. Panic accepted its approbation as the main emotion surging through Sora's body. One piece of his island had already been damaged – he couldn't afford to lose the other one.
Especially with the strong feelings he had for her.
Sora's breathing became rapid from the distressing thoughts that infiltrated his mind. "Guys! I-I don't feel anything! What do we do?"
Luigi ran over and kneeled beside Sora. Kairi was in the same condition as the others. He could see the anxiety grow like fungi on Sora's physiognomy.
"Hey," Luigi said, placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder, "we'll figure this out. Maybe someone back in Traverse Town can help."
Sora took a deep breath as Luigi's words provided a sting of reassurance. Perhaps he was right. There had to be a solution. Finding one was contingent on him staying focused. Just seeing Kairi in such a comatose state was upsetting. He had to forgo that negativity. Positivity provided Kairi the proper succor.
Before the two could plan their next move, a familiar voice (or rather, two voices) said, "It's no use."
Sora and Luigi spun around, looking above the giant heart, and saw Riku sitting on the edge, carrying his Keyblade.
"That girl has lost her heart," Riku said. "She cannot wake up."
Sora placed Kairi on the ground and stood back up with Luigi. For a while, the boy had been disinclined to open the envelope that contained the truth about Riku. But with the way he just addressed Kairi, Sora could no longer avoid the inevitable.
"What? You…you're not Riku," Sora said.
'Riku' ignored his posit, and leaped off the medal heart, descending towards the ground. "The Keyhole cannot be completed so long as the last Princess of Heart still sleeps."
"The princess?" Sora glanced down at Kairi, and then looked back in surprise. "Kairi's a princess?"
"Yes," 'Riku' said, "and without her power, the Keyhole will remain incomplete. It is time she awakened."
Yoshi growled from the sidelines at 'Riku.' "Hey, you no touch Kairi! Any friend of Sora's is a friend of Yoshi's." He continued trying to push through the invisible barrier.
"Whoever you are," Sora said. He was recondite to everything going on around him. But that didn't matter. All he wanted was to be with his friends again, "let Riku go! Give him back his heart!"
'Riku's' deportment was taciturn toward Sora's pleas. He had no commiseration for anyone or anything. His goal was unconscionable. He didn't care who stood in the crosshairs; they would meet their end before darkness' omnipresence.
"But first," 'Riku' said, pointing his Keyblade straight at Sora, "you must give the princess back her heart."
Sora blinked in confusion. Every word in that sentence was scribbled over with a giant question mark. What kind pf nonsensical word salad had been mixed together? Well, he was about to receive clarity. And it wasn't going to ameliorate things for him.
If anything, it was about to get worse.
A small pink light flashed in front of Sora's chest like a firecracker. He gasped in absolute shock as a frightening aberration disrupted the mundane palpitations of his heart. It felt like something had punched against the chambers, trying to liberate itself from a prison of muscle. His body couldn't extrapolate this strange irregularity; it started growing weak, as if shutting down due to panic.
Sora gripped his chest, trying to appease this frightening sensation with comfort. But it was implacable to any gestures; all this feeling wanted was freedom, and it would continue this harangue until its demands were met. Sora fell over, but caught himself with one hand, as he continued clutching his chest with the other.
"Sora!" Yoshi said. He slammed his shield against the wall again, remaining defiant before its injunction of invulnerability.
Luigi rushed to Sora's side, placing both hands on his shoulders. "Whoa! What happened!? What did he do to you?"
"I…what is this…feeling…" He struggled to erect a cohesive structure of sentences. The sensation was unlike anything he experienced before; it relinquished command away from every desire to move, or think with rational clarity. His mind was muddled within an apprehensive crowd of thoughts.
"Don't you see yet?" 'Riku' descended the stairs. "The princess' heart is responding. It has been there all along. Kairi's heart rests within you."
Luigi, a man residing from a world that remonstrated the ideals of the impossible, gave 'Riku' an incredulous look. "This has to be a trick! How does that even make sense?"
"No." Sora closed his eyes, focusing on the strange sensation in his chest. "He's…right. I feel…another heart."
There was a gamut of questions tossed onto the desk in his mind, strewn about, difficult to reform. He didn't know how to start looking through them. Although one sheet was imperious among the crowd, having been coated in gloss. And upon reading it, Sora was able to answer one question:
Kairi's heart must've had taken refuge in Sora's the night she vanished in his arms. Still, his body wasn't accepting of this stowaway; the feeling was insuperable. It left him in a weakened state. All he could do was take deep breaths, trying to find quietude within an incongruous, restless parade.
'Riku' was stolid, indifferent towards Sora's plight. Right now, he had predilection for his own ego. "I know all there is to know."
"Tell me," Sora said, trying to engender a brigade of strength. "Who are you?"
For the first time since they met, 'Riku's' inexpressive physiognomy exited its comfort zone with a smug smirk. "It is I, Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness."
"Ansem?" Luigi asked, as if he needed confirmation over what was just uttered. And then, the realization rammed straight into him like a rhinoceros. "No. It can't be…"
"So, you've heard of me," Ansem said, still holding that smirk.
It was bad enough that Sora struggled to inure the improbable sensation of two hearts. But now he had invited an unwanted, untoward revelation into his restless abode. His best friend was possessed by the venerable monarch that ruled over the world where Leon and the others resided at one time.
The thought was sickening, and a little disheartening. Leon claimed that Ansem would hold the answers to defeating the Heartless – a sentiment that they carried with them to sleep like a security blanket. They knew that one day it would be sewn together in a quilt of hope. But now, it had combusted into inconsolable debris – remnants of a broken promise.
Life would never return to normal for any of them. Every supplication had become dilapidated from being ignored by Ansem's ignoble behavior.
"This…isn't right," Sora said, as ephemeral indignation parted the overgrowth of trepid branches. "My…friends…they looked up to you…
"You were the one who was supposed to stop the Heartless!" Luigi said, stepping into the same raft of thought with Sora. "Why are you doing this!?"
Ansem closed his eyes, reflecting on the string events that lead him to this moment in time. "Because I've seen the truth. Darkness…is absolute. And once the door is unlocked, all shall submit to its immutable power."
He started walking towards Sora, with the intent of solidifying his purpose; to let the darkness frolic in pure bliss, and not be concerned by light's sweltering presence.
"Over my handsome black moustache, it will!" Luigi said, as an eddy of temerity stirred in his stomach.
Luigi lunged at Ansem with an over the shoulder strike. The former monarch raised his Keyblade at a horizontal angle to catch the strike; he then pushed him off to the side, and retaliated with a kick to the back, causing Luigi to stumble forward.
Irked, Luigi spun around to deliver an inward swing. Only his target had become nothing but air, as Ansem vanished from sight. Before Luigi could comprehend anything, Ansem reappeared, punching him in the face. He then took his opposite hand and rammed it into Luigi's stomach, releasing a powerful burst of dark energy.
Luigi gasped as sharp air burst from his lungs like a cannon. The force was strong enough to send him flying straight into Yoshi. They both ended up plummeting down the stairs, landing on the bottom, covered in a leaf pile of aches and pains.
Sora tried to stand up, but he couldn't adjust to his current condition. Every wire was trying to find another outlet. None seemed compatible. It impaired his movement.
"Guys…" Sora said, in a weak tone.
He felt Ansem's presence looming over him. It was cold, as if breathing down his neck with malicious alacrity. Any moment he would strike, and Sora's existence would become lassitude within an inescapable, pitch black cellar of oblivion; where only remorse would keep him company with endless litanies about failure.
His loved ones would also suffer a similar fate: the darkness would become a livid mob, pummeling the light into submission, and forcing everyone into its cult of misery. But Sora, who was usually adroit in any situation, struggled in quelling the overwhelming sensation in his chest. Paralysis had become the captain of the ship, and refused to relinquish command.
A dew of excitement glazed over Ansem's eyes as he pointed the Keyblade at Sora. "With that bit of tomfoolery out of the way – the time has come. I shall release you now, Princess. Complete the Keyhole with your power. Open the door, lead me into everlasting darkness!"
Ansem raised the Keyblade, with his smile widening in delight. He was inspirited by the thought of reaching the end of his crusade; to see the universe settle into a safe spring of darkness. His vision was moments away from being projected into the real world.
And no matter how hard he tried, Sora couldn't stop him. It was over. All of his sufferance was for nothing. He'd never see the smiling faces of his friends again. Especially Riku and Kairi. What started as an idealistic dream to see other worlds had descended into a nightmare. No one could ever awaken from it.
But, before hope tapered off into a miniscule fragment, unable to reform, Kairi's voice spoke out from within his head in urgency: "Sora!"
The feeling in his chest was gone. Motivation had been set ablaze within his body. His stamina had been satiated from her words. Did she lessen the sensation through her own volition, or was hearing her voice the incentive Sora needed to fight through it? Either way, he wouldn't let the short fuse of opportunity detonate. He would never ignore Kairi's pleas.
As Ansem brought the Keyblade down, Sora raised his own, catching the strike. Small sparks of light and darkness discharged from both Keyblades, hissing at each other like two ferocious lions prepared to fight over their territory. Ansem's expression warped into immense bewilderment and disappointment. He had won. Earlier, Sora's body was obeisance. Where did he find this new strength?
Ansem pushed against Sora's blade, but the boy wouldn't budge. Determination kept a steady grip on him. Ansem was then shocked to see Sora pushing him back. Nothing would stop Sora from seeing his friends again. He'd fight to the bitter end.
"Forget it!" Sora said, with a rock-hard expression of confidence. "There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!"
He pushed Ansem back, although the dark monarch was quick to regain his balance. A minor setback, he thought. Darkness was inevitable. It could only be delayed, not destroyed – an eclipse that will overtake the light of life and never leave its location. Sora delivered an over the shoulder strike. Ansem brought his blade up at a horizontal angle to block it.
Next, the boy tried thrusting straight for Ansem's chest, but he swung his blade downward, knocking Sora's blade towards the ground. Ansem then swung upward – at a diagonal angle – but Sora leaned back to avoid the tip from piercing his chest. To snatch away Kairi's heart with its ravenous tooth.
Ansem went on the offense with an inward swing. Sora denied another successful opening by bringing his blade up at a diagonal angle – with the tip facing the ground – and blocking the strike. Both combatants swung inward from opposite ends, and their blades collided, then passed by one another. They swung back, clashing again, yielding the same result.
Sora brought the hilt of the Keyblade up to his face, holding it with both hands. He tried another thrust, and was met with disappointment, as Ansem rotated his torso, and hopped back to avoid the strike. Fortunate had beseeched him with an opening: Ansem swung upward into Sora's Keyblade, forcing the boy's arms to rise in response.
Ansem – while holding his Keyblade with one hand – swung inward. Unfortunately, luck had become distrait at the last moment; Sora brought his Keyblade straight down, close to his chest, and caught the strike with the hilt. Sora pushed Ansem backwards, and then countered with a downward, diagonal slash.
Gripping the hilt with both hands, Ansem swung inward, tapping Sora's Keyblade to cease movement. The scion of opportunity appeared, imperious before the field of battle. Ansem delivered a sweeping kick, knocking Sora onto his back; it was ague from becoming intimate with the hard ground.
Sora winced in pain, but ignored its strident call of acceptance. Ansem tried thrusting at the boy's chest. He leaned right to avoid having his and Kairi's heart become meat on a dark, cold skewer. Sticking his head right at Ansem, he unleashed a Fire spell that didn't miss. Ansem shouted in pain, and leaped back onto the stairs leading to the heart-shaped door.
He brushed the vestiges of the spell off his clothes, but still felt the scorching pain perform its aggressive dance. Ansem gritted his teeth in frustration; Sora's persistence was an indelible stain that could never be cleansed. But Sora still donned a mortal body; a flawless suit that that was easy to tear through.
Sora kicked his feet to stand up, and then threw the Keyblade straight at Ansem; he jumped onto the top of the heart-shaped door. The former monarch countered by launching a dark fireball from his hand. Sora deflected it with one swing of the Keyblade. Looking over his shoulder, Sora saw Kairi right behind him.
Nervous sweat took a nosedive down Sora's skin like the massive drop of a roller coaster. He couldn't afford to lose Kairi's body in the crossfire. Even if her heart was set free, it would forever perambulate, unable to find a peaceful sanctuary – an incomplete specter. He had to find a safe spot for her before that prescient kicked down the door into reality.
Ansem threw his Keyblade at the boy; it spun at a vertical angle like a saw. Sora caught Ansem's Keyblade with his own, holding it at a horizontal angle (with one hand pressing against the tip). He struggled against the relentless force for a moment. His legs and arms felt a paroxysm of aches rapping against every struggling muscle.
But he kept the image of Kairi close to the top of his vision, as if viewable through a rearview mirror – motivation that would not falter. Using all his strength, he knocked Ansem's Keyblade into the air. Ansem vanished, and reappeared in the air, right next to his Keyblade. Upon grabbing it, he defied gravity's orders by readjusing his position, and charged straight for Sora.
The boy leaped back over Kairi, landing in front of her, just missing the attack. Ansem's Keyblade ended up jabbing the carpet's pink scalp. Sora raised his Keyblade into the air, conjuring a Thunder spell. Ansem once again vanished. Sora concentrated on the air's circulation, searching for an inconstant within the gentle stream.
And he felt it right behind him.
Ansem appeared, about to strike, when Sora used Stop to freeze his opponent in a temporal icicle. But Ansem was far powerful than any other foe he had faced. He wouldn't hold for long. Sora lifted Kairi into his arms, hurried over to the corner of the arena, and placed her back against a wall.
He pressed his forehead against hers, taking a moment to find the center of stability. She was cold, but her presence still conciliated his nerves. "We're going to get through this," Sora said, between breaths. "I promise. After we find our way home, we'll try again and visit every world. With Riku. Just like we dreamed."
Sora would never let that optimism fade. Finding his strength, he turned around to resume the battle. But Ansem was gone. Sora focused on the air again, which was still, as if holding its breath, threatened to not utter a word. Wooden bars of concern pounded against Sora's chest like it was a xylophone. Had Ansem figured out how to keep the obtrusive chill at bay?
Well, Sora's theory, much to his disappointment, proved true, as Ansem appeared to the side of the boy, smacking him in the face. Ignoring the meandering pain in his cheek, Sora turned to face his opponent. He leaned back to avoid an incoming upward, diagonal slash from Ansem. Sora spun around, moving backwards somewhat, and thrusted his Keyblade out to deflect another strike.
Ansem then punched Sora in the face, following up with a knee to the stomach. Unruly air burst from Sora's windpipe like smoke in a chimney. He pushed through the uncomfortable sensation to raise his Keyblade, catching a strike from Ansem.
"Good strategy," Ansem said, trying to push his Keyblade down on Sora's. "But I have mastered the darkness. I can rectify any of its flaws. Your only chance at victory has been stifled."
Sora chuckled, starting push back against Ansem. Discouragement had been debased from a conflation of courage and determination. "Nah. It's just gonna make things more satisfying for me when I beat you. Afraid you're not the only one with some tricks."
Sora made his Keyblade vanish; he side-stepped Ansem's downward strike, rematerialized the blade in his opposite hand, and slashed at the dark monarch's chest. Ansem reeled back, clutching it from the eruption of pain. But he took a deep breath, dousing the flames of agony.
"You realize you're harming the boy, too," Ansem said, forming a small smirk.
Sora frowned. "First of all: his name is Riku. I plan to make sure you don't forget that. And second…he'd have me do whatever it takes. Just as long as Kairi's heart doesn't end up in your hands."
"How noble for a bunch of children with such frivolous outlooks on life," Ansem said, with condescending film moving across his eyes like a projector. "If you have no qualms in hurting your friend, then why don't we make things a bit more…intense?"
Sora didn't like those words crawling through his ear canal with sharp, concerning claws. He gripped the hilt of his blade, preparing for the worst. If he was going to win, Sora had to be worse than Ansem himself.
Ansem clenched his left hand. "Welcome oblivion."
A purple aura appeared around Ansem for a brief moment. His left hand was engulfed within a light blue sphere; the rim was coiled in pure darkness, like a snake hugging an egg. Mauve electricity discharged from Ansem's body. But Sora wouldn't be intimidated: the comforting thoughts of his friends was an impunity from fear. He would never lose sight of them, irrespective of his odds.
Ansem swung his blade, releasing a spinning energy disk. Sora leaned left to avoid it. It was close to his cheek. Every hair stood to attention in anxiety. With incredible speed, Ansem dashed straight for Sora, preparing to strike. Holding both sides of his Keyblade, Sora swung downward, deflecting the attack.
Sora prepared to thrust the Keyblade straight into the seeker's chest. Ansem spun backwards to gain some distance; upon facing Sora again, he, too, thrusted his Keyblade forward. Both of them were knocked back as a result of the clash.
Ansem launched another spinning disk at the boy. Sora leaned to the side, dodging the disk, and Ansem, who dashed by him, too. But Ansem was purport in his attack. He spun around and tried to deliver a horizontal strike. Sora turned around, pointed his Keyblade towards the ceiling, holding the hilt with both hands, and caught the attack. He tried to counter with an inward slash; Ansem vanished again, and reappeared behind him.
But Sora remained assiduous to Ansem's tricks. The boy rested the Keyblade on his back to deflect the next strike. Sora spun around, going on the offense with an inward slash. Ansem thrusted his Keyblade out at a horizontal angle to block. He then tried another fireball attack. Sora jerked his head to avoid it, and responded with another. Thunder spell. Ansem leaped back a great distance to avoid being struck the sky's lethal, yellow rain drop.
Growing irritated with the boy's persistence, Ansem vertically threw his Keyblade straight at him. Sora did the same. Upon colliding, both blades bounced off each other, and were called back to their owners' hands. The two threw their blades again; this time, at a horizontal angle. Once again, it yielded the same result. Only the sound barrier suffered from the painful vibrations of the high-pitched clashing noises.
The two threw their blades at each other again. But Ansem planned to introduce variety into this interminable boomerang game. Before their blades could clash, Ansem recalled his, allowing Sora's to spin right towards him. He knocked it aside with his Keyblade, and responded by launching another spinning disk.
Caught off guard, all Sora could do was roll aside before becoming sliced in two. Ansem tossed his Keyblade into the air, vanished, reappeared behind Sora, and grabbed him.
The boy struggled to release himself from Ansem's grip. "Hey, no fair!"
"What, you think this is one of your childhood scuffles?" Ansem asked, chuckling over his advantage. "Time to leave your idealistic bubble and face your end."
Sora looked up to see the Dark Keyblade spinning in place. Through the power of his mind, Ansem commanded it to cease movement. The tip was pointed right at Sora's chest. Any second it would fish for its prize: Kairi's Heart. Exhibiting a confident smirk, Ansem gestured his Keyblade to fly straight for the boy.
But Sora recalled his own, raised it to his chest, and deflected the Dark Keyblade. The boy jerked his head back, hitting Ansem straight in the face. After breaking free, Sora spun around and tried swinging at him, but Ansem vanished again. He appeared in the air, hovering over Sora, and called the Dark Keyblade to his hand.
"Surrender!" Ansem said.
He slammed his Keyblade into the ground; dark bolts of electricity rained down from the sky. Sora ran forward, dodging each one, although there were some close moments; so close that he felt the blasts harsh, cold breath against his skin. Sora swung inward at Ansem, who pointed his blade straight up to block. The boy tried breaking down the defensive paling Ansem had constructed. But it was anything but threadbare.
Ansem repositioned the Keyblade at a diagonal angle, with the tip facing towards the ground, catching another attack. Sora tried bringing his Keyblade in low, but Ansem did the same, stopping its path. With a quick, clockwise motion, Ansem spun his Keyblade around, and knocked Sora's to one side. He then elbowed the boy in the chest.
Ansem tried an over the shoulder swing, but Sora leaped back just in time. He landed, gripping his chest from the last attack. Sora's sonorous panting prevented silence from claiming the property of cacophonous noise. Fatigue had splattered its uncomfortable ointment across every muscle. Ansem was by far his toughest foe.
But he couldn't let that conclusion ruin his concentration. Darkness was waiting to pounce from the shadows and shred through the light like foliage. And it would do so once the sound of Sora's own heartbeat was silenced. He couldn't let Ansem bring that harrowing notion to fruition.
Ansem himself was also catching his breath. His stoic demeanor began to erode from the crashing waves of Sora's persistence. Nothing but aggravation was left within its wake.
"I'm perplexed," Ansem said, struggling to keep himself from lashing out like a wild animal. "I've watched your many battles against Bowser's so-called associates. And yet, every time, you managed to overcome them. How do stand no matter how many times you fall?"
Sora grimaced, as an uncomfortable knot tightened in his stomach. "So, first you possess my best friend's body, and now you claim to have been spying on me? Man, being creepy must be a fulfilling hobby of yours. But, if you must know: most of Bowser's 'friends' had nothing to lose. No loved ones to consider when attempting to plunge their world into darkness. Why worry when nothing of value is lost? It kept them at ease."
Sora griped the hilt of his Keyblade harder. "But not me. There are so many people I care for. I have to stay focused, knowing their lives are on the line. I couldn't let them down. That's just not my style. It makes me work harder. Which surprises me that you of all people are following in the footsteps of everyone I 've faced. There were so many that respected you. How could you cast them aside? Are you even who you claim to be?"
"Naïve as ever," Ansem said, forming a small smirk. "Your ignorance amuses me. My subjects only leeched onto my wisdom when they thought it benefited them. They disregarded anything that didn't challenge them in the slightest. Especially when I had the answer to peace and prosperity: the darkness. I had to take matters into my own hands."
"And look where that got you," Sora said, as reproving groves appeared on his face. How could he do something so sordid as ruining the lives of his own people? The thought tightened his throat in repugnance.
"The ends justify the means," Ansem said. "All will soon understand why the darkness is our salvation. And entering that new era is contingent on your defeat. Let me show you why it is immutable."
Ansem was covered in a thin, white, glowing outline, and he raised himself into the air. He pointed the Dark Keyblade towards the ceiling, as if supplicating the powers beyond comprehension to be satiated with unfathomable strength. Ansem flew straight at Sora like an indefatigable, ignoble knight in a life or death jousting game.
Sora rolled out of his way to avoid a head on collision. Ansem flew straight into the wall, vanished, and reappeared on another side of the room. Once again, he rushed Sora at incredible speeds. This ascribed to Sora forgoing his dodging skills in favor of blocking. But he couldn't deflect every strike. Ansem slashed at Sora's shoulders, hips, and legs.
Tears of agony rushed down his eyes like a miserable waterfall. Still, he wouldn't succumb to any injuries. A recapitulation reminded him of why he shouldn't quit. Ansem reappeared in the sky again, and thrusted the Keyblade into the platform's scalp, as if performing an unpleasant acupuncture.
More dark electricity discharged from his Keyblade, and moved in on Sora. The boy's only option was to brace himself. Although it wasn't a direct hit, some of the sparks managed to hit him. Sora groaned as the shocking pain slithered through his body. The force was strong enough to knock him onto the ground.
He laid there, arms outstretched, in a state of exhaustion, immovable, as if fatigued glued him to the floor. His chest was heavy; breathing was the equivalent of lifting heavy weights. But his mind continued giving a litany of commands to the body. None of which was heard. Ansem approached Sora, dragging the Dark Keyblade along the ground; he was delighted to see his goals becoming ajar. In just a moment, it would spread wide open.
"Now you understand why this must be done," Ansem said. "You're about to be a part of history."
Sora closed his eyes. Still couldn't move. Was this the end? He refused to believe it. But his body had averred to the notion through mournful silence. Sora was starting to concur with that sentiment. He couldn't delineate a rousing comeback. All possibilities seemed unobtainable. It was hopeless.
But then, his mind's eyes opened wide, projecting images of the halcyon past. Time granted him permission to meander through this memory at a pace of leisure. He was back on his island. The sun had shut its tired eyes, revealing the dark lids of the night sky. They were replete with bright, shining stars that looked down upon the tranquil island.
The scene of tropical air snuggled its way into Sora's nostrils. For a moment, his chest became weightless from the comforting smell. He was a bit younger in this unexpected, yet welcoming respite of the mind. Sora was still on his back, in a restful state; both arms were behind his head. He glanced up the bright stars, engaging in a staring contest with them.
An orange, flicking glow rested on his chest like a warm blanket. It belonged to the fire that he had made upon arriving on the beach. Sitting next to the content fire was Kairi, enjoying the serenity with him.
"Man, this might be prettiest night ever," Sora said. "Riku's missing out."
Kairi giggled. "And who's fault is that? Last I checked, I wasn't the one that gave him a sprained ankle."
"Aw, c'mon," Sora said, sitting up, looking somewhat irked. "I was so close to beating him this time. What do you expect from a couple of guys that like to roughhouse?"
"Uh, to not make me pull my hair out in frustration," Kairi said.
Sora grinned. "Very funny. I was doing him a favor. Now he'll be the coolest kid in school. Everyone will want to sign his cast."
"Oh, so it was all part of the plan, huh?" Kairi said, giving him a light push. "Well, I'm sure he'll return the favor one day, just like a good friend would."
Sora froze, somewhat fearful. "Well, he doesn't have to. Sometimes just being grateful is its own reward?"
"Shut up!" Kairi said, laughing.
Something unexpected interrupted their conversation. The sky was covered within a mystical veil of purple light, which reflected off the ocean. It was like they had been whisked away into a strange, alien world. Mysterious, but exciting to witness. And soon, a meteor shower was unveiled, dazzling Sora's eyes with wonderment. He couldn't even blink; its slow descension was hypnotic, filling his mind with questions about the shower's origins.
"Whoa," Sora said, in awe. "This is incredible. We haven't had one of these in a while. Right, Kairi?" No response. "Kairi?"
He spun around, and was surprised to see Kairi on the verge of a panic attack. She stared at the shower with frightened eyes. Her breathing became rapid. She didn't move, as if trapped within a statue of absolute terror. No matter what, she couldn't run. Nor could she close her eyes. Rational thought had been strewn about in the sand.
"Are you okay!?" Sora asked, riddled with concern.
For a moment, he looked about the area with frantic eyes, unsure what to do in this situation. They were the only ones around. Kairi's rapid breathing continue to pinch his inner ear. It was despairing to see his friend in this unstable state of mind. He took a deep breath to calm his thoughts. If there's one thing he learned from sparring with Riku, it was being able to improvise in dire situations.
It was his only chance.
With gentle motions, he sandwiched Kairi's hand between his palms, stood in her line of sight, and said in a low tone, "It's okay. I'm right here. Just look at me."
Kairi focused on his calm blue eyes. The flickering light from the fire reflected off the corneas. She continued staring at the way it moved in contentment, without a care in the world. Sora took slow, deep breaths, which Kairi soon followed. All irrational feeling was carried out into the calming ocean. Her chest no longer felt tight. It felt empty, like a pitcher pouring out every drop of stress.
She was safe now.
After a few minutes, she regained her composure, saying, "S-Sora. I-I'm sorry…"
"No need to be," Sora said, with his famous grin. "Nobody's going to try and scare my friend. Not even some dumb meteor shower."
"Thanks," Kairi said, taking a deep breath. "I don't know why. It's just…I'm afraid it'll snatch me away from this place. And I'll never see any of you again."
"Oh, is that so?" Sora said, with a serious expression. "Well, no one's going take you away! I promise to always protect you! And that starts now! That shower is toast!" He grabbed his wooden sword and pointed it at the meteor shower. "You hear that!? I'm going to teach you a lesson in trying to kidnap Kairi!"
He ran towards the shore with unwavering courage, swinging his toy sword. On the way, he fell into the sand, prostrated for a brief moment. But he stood back up in an instant, shaking the sand off his face.
"Invisible booby traps, huh!?" Sora said. "That's low. Well, you better be ready for the biggest splinter of your life!"
As Sora charged towards the ocean, he heard Kairi's uncontrollable laughter. That sound flited through his chest; he was happy to have helped a friend with their troubles. Especially Kairi. Her laugher breathed positive energy into his soul. It was a sound that should forever be carried in the wind. He remembered now: on this day, he vowed to project her. To keep that smile from faltering.
And as his mind made the reluctant trip back to the present, he would never abandon such a strong declaration. A sweep of energy brushed through Sora's body. He opened his eyes, shouting, "Wind!"
Before Ansem could strike, white wisps emerged from Sora's body, and struck the dark monarch with indignation. Ansem's only course of action for this incommode was to brace himself. Sora hurried to his feet, delivering a powerful slash right across the chest before Ansem could counter. He slid backwards, letting out a painful shout. Clutching his chest, he glared at Sora; his persistence hurt more than anything else.
Sora cast the Cure spell to revitalize some of his stamina. He responded with a small smirk. "Guess I'm not the only one who's naïve. Wasn't kidding when I said fighting for the people I care about keeps me going."
"Silence," Ansem said, trying to keep his temper from losing balance on a precipice. "You don't have to threat. They will soon join you in oblivion."
Ansem prepared the same attack hovering attack he used earlier. Sora's confidence didn't fain before the threat. "Afraid that won't work a second time."
As Ansem lunged forward, Sora used his dash attack to counter. After stopping, Sora spun around, thrusted the Keyblade forward, and clashed with Ansem again. Their strenght grew with each strike. Eventually, they were enveloped within their respective sources of power (Sora became a golden silhouette, while Ansem was pure black). When they clashed for the final time, the arena exploded into a dome, divided by light and darkness.
When it vanished, the two were in an intense blade lock. Neither one would budge. Sora gritted his teeth so hard; any moment they would've cracked. It was standstill that wouldn't yield a conclusion. Both combatants leaped back, and prepared for one final clash. Ansem ran straight at Sora, full speed, overcome with the single mindset to defeat him. He had waited long enough to dive into the vast void of darkness.
Sora ran at him, too, but not as fast, for he had one last strategy waiting to be tagged into the ring. He stuck out his hand, shouting, "Freeze!"
He launched ice right onto the ground, in front of Ansem. His eyes widened in horror as his boot touched the patch. He was unable to stop himself from slipping out of control. In an instant, a single move had put the king in checkmate. How? He had total command of the darkness. No one should be able to oppose it.
But, as anyone with a passion for knowledge should know, there would always be a variable introduced into the equation.
Sora closed his eyes as he prepared to strike. The images of Riku flashed before his eyes; for a moment, he seemed to be reliving every moment they shared together. But he needed to do what was right. Riku would've agreed with his sentiments.
To protect Kairi.
"Riku…I'm sorry…"
He slashed right through Ansem, coming to a stop moments later. Sora took a moment to catch his breath. A part of him wasn't amenable in seeing the damage done. But the critical part of his mind needed to asses the situation through empirical means. Spinning around, he saw blue electricity discharging from Ansem's torso.
He was barricaded within inescapable paralyses. His body started fazing in and out of reality, questioning its spectral state of being.
"My…skills have failed me," Ansem said, in a weak tone.
He dropped the Dark Keyblade, fell onto his knees, and started to disappear.
"Riku!" Sora said, hurrying over; he hoped there was still a chance to save his friend. But before the boy could reach Ansem, he vanished from sight.
Sora stared at the spot in solemn silence. Every lurid imagine he witnessed couldn't be real. He wanted to believe it was a fabrication from his tired mind. But the longer he stared, the easier it became for acceptance to lull denial into a permanent slumber; its faux, reassuring voice was silenced. Sadness traced itself around Sora's heart.
The situation with Riku was worse than ever. His chances of reuniting with him were thin like a loose thread. Sora could feel Kairi's heartbeat in sync with his own, as if commiserating their loss. The barrier around the arena vanished. He heard the urgent footsteps of Luigi and Yoshi pounding against the stairs. They both recovered from their fall, and hurried over to check on him.
"You okay?" Yoshi asked.
Sora continued staring at the same spot. In a depressed tone, he said, "I am. I…beat him."
The two became a part of the esoteric grief. Without a word, they understood the heartache he was experiencing right now.
"Yes," Luigi said, expressing sympathy. "Yes, you did."
Yoshi licked Sora on the cheek in comfort. But lamentation received a tight curfew. Luigi heard the intense sounds of crackling, spun around, and saw electricity discharge from the door in rapid, frequent succession.
"Hey, I know you have a lot to unpack," Luigi said, endued with a shrill of worry, "but we have to close the keyhole! It's growing quite unstable! Not sure I want to see what happens if we leave it be."
Sora concurred with a silent not. There was no point in pondering his next course of action if they fell victim to the darkness. The three approached the door; purple electricity continued discharging, hissing at the unwanted intruders. Sora summoned the Keyblade and pointed it straight at the door, hoping to quell the irritable keyhole.
But nothing happened.
Sora looked down at the Keyblade, and gave it a light shake. "C'mon, do your thing."
"I forgot!" Luigi said, with an annoyed groan. "The keyhole isn't complete yet!" Panic's grotesque form started leaning over his shoulder. "Now what!?"
"Maybe we should call locksmith," Yoshi said. He noticed the two glaring at him. "What? Yoshi serious!"
Luigi recounted their encounter with Ansem, and managed to harvest an important detail from the soil. "Well, that kook said Kairi's one of the princesses. Maybe we just have to wake her up."
"You're probably right." Sora placed a gloved hand on his chest. "We need to free her heart." He contemplated over this dilemma for a moment. Ideas met him on the streets, but each one passed by him, refusing to make eye contact. He sighed in aggravation. "But how!?"
His eyes soon met with the Dark Keyblade Ansem had dropped. A crowd started forming around him, chanting the same idea in unison. He stared at it for a long time; his head became enveloped by the encouraging noise.
Yoshi turned to Luigi, "Well, you a doctor. Think of something!"
"Are you crazy!?" Luigi asked, taken aback. "I just throw L shaped pills at viruses. Besides, who's ever performed open heart surgery to remove…a second heart." He paused to reflect on that bewildering sentence. "And now that I say that, I feel like resigning from the medical field altogether."
"Luigi," Yoshi said with an exasperated sigh.
But before the page could turn, to continue their meaningless conversation, they heard Sora say something rather peculiar: "A Keyblade that unlocks people's hearts. I wonder."
The two turned to see Sora approaching the Dark Keyblade. Curiosity rattled in their heads over his course of action.
"Sora?" Yoshi asked.
Sora kneeled over, staring at the Keyblade in deep thought. The chant was growing louder in his head. Meek, remonstrance voices were drowned out by the vocal crowd. Sora's fingers trembled he wrapped them around the hilt. It pulsated in response, startling him for the moment. But it reminded him of soothing sensation from a summon gem – an innocent being calling out for help within a world of isolation.
He could feel Kairi's heart beating in harmony with the pulsation, as if confirming his extrapolation. Sora picked up the Keyblade, staring at it, frozen in a state of contemplation. Frozen in time, to make sure his decision was absolute. Because it was irreversible. But he couldn't let his friends be washed away like trash from the tides of darkness. Or allow the purest hearts to forever meander in a cold prison, unable to inhale life's natural beauty.
He especially couldn't keep Kairi contained within his heart. She deserved to lead a good life. Sora took a deep breath, knowing he can never reach the end of the path set before him. But at least he'll be able to have a brief glimpse of his friends arriving at it.
The boy's intentions became salient to his friends. Unmitigated terror and dread harnessed itself to Luigi. "Hey, don't you even think about—"
"No, wait!" Yoshi said, his emotions swimming up the same frantic stream with Luigi's.
Sora continued staring for a few more moments, turned to the others, and responded with his famous grin: an expression that said more than a thousand words. Ignoring the tug of hesitation, Sora struck himself in the chest with the Dark Keyblade. Luigi and Yoshi felt their world dilapidate around them. They were in complete shock; even the smallest syllable was trapped in their throats, frozen, unable to thaw from the intense cold rush of emotions.
A sphere of light consumed Sora's chest. The only sound uttered was the loud clank of the Dark Keyblade hitting the ground. It then evaporated, revealing six hearts; they had been liberated from their sullen imprisonment. Like butterflies, the six hearts fluttered above the group, inspirited with a sense of freedom.
They flew out towards the first floor, and soon entered the six-sleeping princess, as if snuggling deep into their chests, feeling safe and warm. Fox was in awe by this phenomenon. It was like fireflies dancing in the sky, illuminating the brooding room, filling every corner with elation that had long since been missed. He noticed one of the heart's entering Krystal's chest. Perhaps she would awaken now.
But a sudden feeling of dejection brushed through his forehead like a wet comb. He heard Luigi and Yoshi's cries of dismay. Something went wrong to make things right. And he had a strong hunch as to who took up the mantle.
Another heart flew out from Sora's chest, and flew back into its proper owner: Kairi. She opened her blue eyes; the irises breathed in the beauty of light again. Color filled her pale body with the antidote of life. Movement flowed through her body like a gentle stream. She had returned from the depths of slumber, becoming part of the waking world.
Sora felt no pain. He glanced over to see Kairi regaining conciseness. That's all that matter to him:
Her freedom.
The purple energy vanished from the door, and flashed a bright gold for a brief moment. With all seven hearts reunited with their owners, the keyhole was whole. But Luigi and Yoshi's hearts didn't share that same notion. Sora begin falling backwards, although at a slow pace, as if someone was putting him to sleep. He closed his eyes, accepting fate's sentence to oblivion.
Yoshi broke free from the shackles of shock, and ran to Sora, calling his name. Tears streamed down his face. He was terrified to lose his best friend. No, his big brother. Kairi regained feeling in her body; her vision returned, just in time to see Sora's decent into an unknown, everlasting slumber.
Instinct didn't turn an attentive eye towards Kairi's gossamer. She didn't care if dizziness took over from standing up at a fast rate. Right now, helping Sora was all that matter to her. After rising to her feet, she hurried over to him.
"Sora!" Kairi said. She tried catching him, but vanished from sight. Fragments appeared in his place. They ascended into the air, departing towards the heavens, where the unknown waited to beckon them into its abode.
Kairi was too stunned to form words. He saved her life. And now, he was gone? Why? Her mind struggled to believe the reality laid out like a torn, withering diagraph.
"Sora!" Yoshi said, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Come back, Sora!"
But his voice would not reach beyond even this room alone. Filled to the brim with despair, he collapsed onto the ground, releasing uncontrollable sobs. His face was pressed against the floor, which muffled every painful sound…
…and caught every heartbroken tear.
Nothingness surrounded him with its stoic expression. He didn't even know how to feel. Every sensation was being drained from his body. He was stuck in a pitch-black limbo, descending into its form. Its destination: imperceptible. But he continued sinking, unable to swim against the darkness' current.
All he had were his thoughts:
What's happening to me?
Falling….
…falling…
…into darkness.
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