Prism Hearts Chapter 14 Fly Me to the Moon by Amazoness Duo amazonessduo@hotmail.com “Is this the End of the World?” Sora asked. He stood on a small rock in the midst of a stream. The water was plummeting over a jagged edge into nothingness. And this was inside the upside down palace he had found Hikari in. It was as if this was an amalgamation of so many things, yet all of them incomplete. Everything was missing something. Everything was just a little warped, a little wrong. Like a dream that you couldn't quite tell was a dream. “Hmm?” Hikari sat near the edge of the stream, her bare feet in the cool water. She looked gorgeous in the black dress she wore. She wore a collar around her throat and two black ribbons around her wrists. She smiled at Sora, kicking some water at him. “I guess you could say that. This is at the end of the universes. This is where everything ends. Where Kingdom Hearts is locked away.” Sora grinned as he tried to dodge Hikari's light splashing. It was so nice to be with her again. He took another glance around. Some leaves that had been falling off the trees hung in midair, as if they had decided not to fall to the ground after all. “But this looks so different from the End of the World that Donald, Goofy and I went through before.” The water splished and splashed as Hikari walked over to Sora, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Her hands rested on his heart, feeling the flutter of it against her fingertips. It was almost an ironic feeling. She smiled despite herself, resting her head against his back. His smell, his clothes rustling against her touch, his heartbeat under her palms, it was all so very real. “That's because you were at a different End of the World, Sora. You sealed away the Doorway to the Darkness. This place leads to the Doorway to the Light.” Sora shook his head, his heart pounding against Hikari's hands. He tried to focus on the question to keep from getting too distracted. Kairi... He had missed her so much. He had almost felt lost before he had found her. Even in this faraway place, as long as he could be with her... Riku. No, he wasn't done yet. He had to find Riku. It wasn't complete without him. But he was halfway there now. Together, they'd find him. Focusing back on his question he tried to ignore the way her soft, smaller body felt pressed against his back. “But if both the Doorway to the Darkness and the Doorway to the Light are Kingdom Hearts, shouldn't it be the same place?” Hikari giggled against his back, letting her hands wander. “Yes and no. You sure are full of questions, aren't you Sora?” Leaning up on her tiptoes, she kissed the back of his neck. She grinned as she felt him tense up, knowing he must be blushing. This was more fun than she thought. She was becoming happier and happier that she had had Sephiroth bring Sora to her. Real or not, she still loved him. Pretending that she didn't realize his embarrassment, she continued. “They're the same place, but they're also different. Do you notice how when you go someplace and come back, it's longer on the way there than the way back? It's like that. The End of the World you went to led to the Doorway to the Darkness. Which is Kingdom Hearts. This End of the World leads to the Doorway to the Light. Which is also Kingdom Hearts. Much like we all have darkness and light inside of us, so does Kindgom Hearts, the heart of everything. So it all depends on where you're going. Once you know the secrets, there's very little you can't do, Sora. Everything is as far away or as close as you want it to be.” Sora shook his head trying to make sense out of too many things at once. “I don't understand.” “That's exactly the problem. You're trying too hard to understand. This isn't two plus two equals four. This is two plus two equals whatever you want it to be.” Her hands rested on his shoulders. How could she explain it? A fairytale her grandmother had told her came to mind. “A long time ago, Darkness began to spread throughout the worlds. No matter what people did, they couldn't stop it until everything was consumed by shadows. But out of the darkness, their came light. The worlds were reborn from the hearts of the children. If the worlds were reborn from these special hearts, then wouldn't it be different depending on which heart? That's why each world is so different. But this place lies on the outskirts of all the worlds, where everything is and isn't. This place is a little bit of everything. Or it's just what you want it to be. Or it's just what you don't want it to be. It's at the very edge of reality, of life, of everything. That's why it's the End of the World.” “I remember hearing that before. Your grandmother told it to you, right? But it was just a fairytale, wasn't it?” Sora turned to face Hikari, the petite girl looking up at him. “Every fairytale has some basis in truth. But truth is subjective. It changes depending on what eyes you view it with. In one version of that story, everything was destroyed by the darkness. Then it was reborn from the hearts of some special young girls.” Sora's eyes went wide as pieces began to fall into place. “The Princesses of Heart? Did they rebuild everything? Is that why all of them were needed to get to Kingdom Hearts?” Hikari seemed to ignore him, continuing on. “And in another version, the lives of these specific girls were shrouded in darkness. So they escaped from the darkness and rebuilt their lives here, crafting out their own little worlds to get some light. Both versions are true in their own way. It all depends.” “But how can they both be true?” Sora looked down into Hikari's lavender eyes, watching how they sparkled. Even after all he had seen, he couldn't wrap his mind around it. “All of these different worlds. All of them separate, but all of them connected. Just because one is true doesn't make another false. One isn't mutually exclusive to another. Darkness and Light. Love and Hate. Even seemingly contradictory things can be so wrapped together that you can't tell the difference,” Hikari explained, gazing up at the taller boy. So cute. So loyal. Like a beloved puppy dog. Although his loyalty wasn't the same as Sephiroth's or Riku's. They would both do whatever was necessary for her. This boy followed his heart. He couldn't go against it, couldn't go to the extents that his friend would. But he was all she had right now. And she did love him, as foolish as that was. And until the end came, at least she could be with him. 'I hate you for not being real. For not existing outside of this dream. But I love you all the same.' Leaning up on her tiptoes, she kissed him. He nearly took a step off of the rock they stood on, but she clung to him with desperate fervor, with the need of someone who knew they were dying, running out of time. He slowly held onto her, kissing back. 'Love me, Sora. Please. Before I lose you.' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Kairi,” a voice said softly. It was warm and loving, soft and silky like flower petals on your skin. Memories that she couldn't quite recall were spun around that voice. It was comforting. Something that she could identify with hundreds of different emotions. Most of all, it made her feel safe. After all her travelling, that voice made her feel at peace. 'Mom!' Kairi's eyes shot open as the realization finally sunk in. That was the voice. She felt ashamed that she had nearly forgotten it, that she had every allowed herself to forget who it belonged to. The first thing she saw was her room. That immediately worried her. Plushies filled her bed just as before. Her heart began to race. 'Not here. Please, not here. Not this place again,' she thought desperately. A cold feeling seemed to pump through her veins as she kicked the blanket off. Why did she always have to end up in this place? It was a prison, neither here nor there. But something was different. Not wrong, but different. Her eyes finally travelled to the locked door only to find that it was no longer locked. A beautiful older woman stood in the doorway, smiling at her. “Mom!” The word sprang unbidden to her lips. It was her mother. She knew it. Springing to her feet, she dashed towards her mother and the open door. Her heart cried out as she waited for her mother to disappear just as Riku had so many times, for the door to come crashing shut. But neither happened. She found herself nestled in her mother's embrace, clinging as tightly as she could manage. “It's okay, Kairi. Everything is just fine. Don't worry, honey,” Kairi's mother reassured, stroking her hair. “You must have had a nightmare. It's gone now.” “Mom...” Kairi blinked tearfully as she buried her head against her mother's shoulder. Everything had been so confusing. But now she was here. With her mother. It really must've been a dream after all. She wasn't alone searching for something at the end of the universe through countless numbers of worlds. She was safe and sound at home. Home. This place that she'd been so frightened of, that had been a prison to her, now felt remarkably familiar in the way only a place you have lived your life in can be. The subtle reassurances of smells and sights and sounds all mixed with her mother's embrace all helped soothe her weary and battered soul. Her mother slowly pulled away to look into her eyes, stroking her cheek gently. She felt childish because of it but she was happy for it nonetheless. She looked into those eyes, remembering how they had seen her through so much. All those times she had come home crying. Whenever she was so very lonely. When she had hurt herself. She had always been there for her. Just like now. “Are you all right, Kairi?” her mother asked gently. Kairi nodded, blinking her tears away. “I'm just fine, mom. I missed you so much.” She bit her lip after the last part. What a stupid thing to say. She hadn't really been gone. But it sure felt like it. Laughing, Kairi's mother shook her head. “I missed you, too, honey. Glad to have you awake again.” She kissed her forehead before stepping back. “You should get dressed. Breakfast is almost ready.” Nodding, Kairi pulled her hands to her heart. Something jostled against her hands. “I'll be down in a few minutes.” She watched her mother head back towards the kitchen, leaving her alone in her room to try to figure things out. Her hand clasped the necklace she wore, feeling it's grooves. The Keyblade. Then... She gazed down at the tiny key in her hand. But if the Keyblade were still with her, then how could it have just been a dream? It had to have been real. A sudden terror and hope gripped her at the same time. If it was a dream, then Riku and Sora had just been in her head. All of her friends had been part of her dream. But if the Keyblade was still with her, it couldn't have been a dream. She had to know. If it was a dream, then she had just lost both the boys she loved more than anything. If it wasn't, then how could she be home? Her mouth suddenly went dry as she came up with a way to find out. She licked her suddenly dry lips, staring at the open doorway for a long moment. This could plunge her back into the prison her room had so often been. But it might be her only way to find out if it was a dream or not. Part of herself begged her not to try it, to run downstairs to be with her mother again. But she couldn't. She couldn't just leave it alone, let it die. They had to be real. She'd come too far to give up on them now. Steeling herself, she closed her door. Nothing. But that didn't prove anything. That door had been locked so many times. And there was often a voice on the other side of it. That strangely familiar voice. And Riku was trapped behind it. “Riku?” she called out at last. “Riku, are you there?” Her heart thundered as she waited for his reply. 'Please. He has to be there. He has to. It can't just be a dream. I love him.' “Riku?” she begged. “What is it, Kairi?” Kairi stared wide eyed at the door. Her mind couldn't comprehend it for a moment. His voice had come from behind her. She spun about to face him. And there he was, smiling the smile she'd grown to love, the salty ocean air sending his silver hair fluttering in the wind. Salty ocean air? Her shoes crunched on the sand as she stepped towards him. She was back on the beach, back on the Destiny Islands. She was home. This... This was home, too. “Riku...” She gripped his shirt, her hands nearly shaking. Real. He was real. She hugged him fiercely. “Riku! Don't you ever leave me again!” Her voice was mixed with anger and fear and joy and love. He was real. He was in her arms. She didn't care about the how and why at the moment, only on what was. “Hey! What did Riku do?” Sora asked, his hands behind his head. His face was a combination of jealousy and surprise. Kairi laughed, letting one arm go to drag Sora into a big group hug. The boys didn't hug, instead both standing in her grasp. Silly boys. Riku's gloved hand rested on her back while Sora merely stood there a bit embarrassedly. “You're both here. It's been so long since we've all been together like this.” Sora looked at her curiously. “What do you mean? Here on the beach? It's only been since this morning.” “Speaking of that, have either of you gotten any work done on the raft or do I have to do all the work by myself?” Riku asked, raising a silver eyebrow. Kairi shook her head quickly. “No! I mean... Let's not do that. Let's just stay here. The three of us. Always.” This seemed to perplex Riku. “You don't want to go travelling? To see all the worlds out there? To see what lies beyond our Islands? I was sure you did, Kairi.” Shaking her head, Kairi held her boys closer. “I think I've had enough travelling for a very long time.” She leaned closer, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial hush. “But I do think I could travel over to the dock before either of you can.” Giggling, she pushed away from the two boys and began running towards the dock. She could hear them both running behind her. The sound of laughter filled the crystal blue skies above. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kairi stumbled over her mattress and nearly landed face first on the floor of her bedroom. What had been sand mere moments before was now carpet, the ocean now her blanket on the floor. She was back in her room, she knew. But how and why? What was going on? She was used to travelling back and forth, but not so suddenly. “Kairi, breakfast!” her mother called from downstairs. Walking slowly to the door, Kairi stepped over where she remembered seeing herself bleeding to death on the floor. Though there was no indication of that here, the memory was still frightening. Pausing for a moment, she looked and her wristbands, wondering if her scars would still be there. Slowl reaching for one of them, she could see her hands shaking. No, there wouldn't be, she told herself. There couldn't be. She wasn't dead, was she? Opening the door, which she half expected to be locked, she headed out her door. “Kairi.” Kairi nearly jumped at the voice. How did people continually sneak up on her? Was her peripheral vision that bad? She looked back over her shoulder from where she was halfway down the hallway. Behind her, near her room, stood the blindfolded silver haired boy she had met before. He had his hood up this time, but bits of silver peaked out from underneath it. What was he doing here? And who was he? He couldn't be Riku. Riku was trapped behind Kingdom Hearts. “Who are you?” He didn't acknowledge what she said, 'looking' directly at her despite the blindfold. “Kairi, you can't stay here. You're running out of time. We're all running out of time. You're the only one who can stop her.” “I... I don't know what your talking about. Stop who? How can I stop her? I just want..” Kairi shook her head. “I don't know what I want anymore. I want to be with my mother. I want to be with Sora and Riku. I want my friends.” “Kairi? Are you almost ready?” Her mother called from the kitchen. “Yeah, just about,” Kairi called back. When she turned to ask the boy again, he was gone. She stared for a moment longer before heading to the kitchen. What had he been trying to tell her? And why did he look so much like Riku? When Kairi reached the kitchen, her breakfast was already on the table. “Oh, mom... It looks delicious.” She kissed her mother's cheek. The older woman beamed as she sat down. It had been so long since they'd had breakfast together. Or had it? She was still under the assumption that she had been on the Destiny Islands for years now. But that couldn't be the case if she was here. Whatever the case, breakfast was wonderful. “I was working on that Princess Mint costume for you, Kairi. I should have it finished for you by the convention. I'm going to stop by the store later for some gold paint so I can make you her rings,” her mother explained. “Mom... Thanks so much.” Kairi felt her throat constricting and her eyes blurring. Her mother had always supported her love of videogames. The older woman had made so many different costumes for her over the years, trying so hard to get them down beautifully for her only daughter. It had only been the two of them for so many years. They were all the other had. Kairi's mother had driven her all over to conventions, sometimes making a costume for herself so she wouldn't 'look too much like a goofy parent'. She felt ashamed for having torn up her mother's birthday cards after the children at school had ridiculed her over it. This world could be so cruel, but never her mother. 'I want to be here with you, mom. But I also want to be there with Sora and Riku. I.. I can't choose. I can't pick which one. I can't give you up. But I can't give them up either.' If she was supposed to stop the Heartless by either going back through the door and shutting it or staying and forgetting her mother, how could she do either of them? But if she didn't, then the Heartless would consume everything. But that was only if she believed there were Heartless. And those things surely didn't exist here, where normalicy ruled. But wasn't her depressing lonely real life where the Heartless were born? 'Stop thinking about it,' she commanded. The fact that she was home was what mattered. Picking up the dishes, Kairi brought them to the sink. “I'll clean up breakfast.” It was the least she could do. She felt guilty that she could have thought about killing herself. How could she? Everything was fine, wasn't it? She felt a little funny as she admitted that. But it was true, wasn't it? Gloved hands wrapped around her thin waist, holding her close to a warm, well built body. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the hands move up, caressing her breasts through her shirt. Riku... She didn't know how, but she knew. Somehow, she wasn't surprised when she saw they were in the secret cave back on the Destiny Islands. She could feel his hands mold against her skin, his fingers tracing circles around her nipples, the cloth suddenly feeling like very little protection against anything at all. “You don't have to, Kairi. I'll put them back in the picnic basket and clean them up later. My mom knew I was having a picnic today anyway, so she won't mind,” Riku's voice said behind her. She could only nod, her breath still caught in her chest. “And I don't want to let go of you just yet,” he whispered in her ear. His breath was warm against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. Though her thoughts were still a bit fuzzy as to how she had gotten here, she didn't want it to end. She turned to face him, looking up at the silver haired boy. “Riku... I don't want to, either.” Her hands reached up, stroking his cheeks, her eyes gazing up into his. How long had she wanted this, if only as nothing more than a fantasy? But now... She could feel his hands slide under her shirt, could feel his palms press against her breasts. Each move was slow and deliberate, sending sparks throughout her. She looked out through half lidded eyes as he bent down to nibbled on her neck. The ground seemed to reach out for her as she found herself sitting with Riku on the picnic blanket, moaning softly from his touch. Her hands slid up and down his sides, carressing whatever part of him she could. “Kairi, I love you,” Riku whispered, leaning forward and kissing her softly. And again. And again. Kairi kissed back, yearning for his kiss. Her tongue teased his even as he began to pull her shirt up. They seperated as he pulled the doubled white and black sleeveless shirts over her head. Blushing deeper, she went back to kissing him, his hands now stroking her stomach and then her thighs. Her own hands moved over the smooth expanse of his back, stopping down at his behind as she pulled him closer. “Riku,” she whispered into his ear. Nibbling on his ear, she could feel his hands beginning to pull off her skirt and underwear. Sitting up, she helped him to get rid of it. Gazing back at him, naked except for her choker, necklace, and wristbands, she went to work getting rid of his clothes. It wasn't fun if she was the only one naked, after all. Running her hands up and down his bare chest, she slowly began to work her way down his stomach, kissing him as she went. Her hands hesitated for a moment at the zipper of his pants. Slowly unzipping it, he helped her pull them off, leaving him gloriously naked before her. He was beautiful. Just as she'd always imagined him. She couldn't believe this was happening. She had fantasized about this before, and now she was finally with him. It was... wonderful. He cupped her cheek, gazing into her eyes. She felt safe with him. She knew he'd do anything for her. Taking his hand, she kissed his fingers gently, never pulling her eyes away from him. There was concern in his eyes, but she simply smiled and nodded. How sweet. He didn't want to hurt her. But she wanted to be with him in this perfectly romantic way. Laying down on the blanket, she shifted about, gazing up at the boy over her. Reaching out for him, she pulled him down on top of her, feeling his body against her own. Every inch of his skin that came into contact with hers felt so wonderful, leaving her with a thousand different sensations. Her hands buried in his hair as he kissed her throat, right above the choker. His hands finally rested on her hips. The feeling of him at her entrance nearly made her hold her breath. It felt like an eternity as she waited. This was it. She didn't regret this at all. She loved him. She had always loved him. They kissed as he began to ease his way into her. Her breath was quick and rapid, her excitement mixing with her anxiety as she waited for him to go deeper inside of her. It took a force of will to get herself breathing anywhere near normally again. Fingernails scratched against Riku's back as she felt him tear past her barrier. Tears stung her eyes as she clutched his naked body closer to her own. He froze simply holding onto her. Gradually, the pain began to dissipate. She slowly began to move against him. He took the hint, starting to move inside of her again. It was... Delicious. She loved being so close to him, feeling him with her, inside of her, around her. Her hands wandered everywhere they could, wanting to feel all of him. They moved in unison, their pants and moans forming a soft chorus that filled the silence. Her eyes closed tightly, her head moving on the blanket. “Kairi...” Sora's voice moaned above her. Blinking bleary eyes, Kairi strained to see in the dim cave. Had Sora seen them? Sudden guilt blossomed inside of her. How hurt was he to see this? But that wasn't it at all. She was looking up at him, her hands on his chest. Sora moaned as he continued to push inside of her. “Sora?” But... Wasn't Riku? She shifted against him, her body burning up. What the hell was going on? Nothing. Nothing, she told herself. It was Sora. She'd been here with Sora all along. The panic slowly ebbed away. Of course. She loved them both. She must have imagined it was Riku as well. Moaning softly, she let her hands carress up and down his chest and stomach as they moved against each other. “Sora...” she whispered, closing her eyes once more as one of his hands went to her breast, pinching and rubbing her nipple. Shifting against him, the blanket underneath her seemed to shift as well. The ground underneath it was suddenly much, much softer. His fingers continued to pinch at her nipple while he began to speed up his movement inside of her. Shifting again, Kairi felt the ground move beneath her again. Something rolled against her head. Blinking swiftly, she tried to find out what it was. The sooner it was out of the way, the sooner she could get back to focusing on Sora. Staring at the plushie of Yuffie staring back at her, Kairi could only blink dumbly. How had it gotten to her? Had it fallen from somewhere. She looked up to ask Sora, but she couldn't see him. Her heart froze. If he wasn't there, then why could she still feel him? Her gaze slowly went down. Her fingers pinched and rubbed at her hardened nipple. Her other hand was between her legs, her fingers rubbing up inside of herself. Her hands stopped their motions as she stared in abject horror. It was her. It hadn't been Sora or Riku. It had been her. The hands, everything she had felt, it had all just been her. She suddenly felt sick. Pulling her hands away, she curled up into a ball on her bed. It felt like she had just woken up from a beautiful dream, only to have life remind her she could have none of it. “No!!” she cried, digging her fingernails into her skin. “No!!!” Why? What the hell was wrong with her? What was real? And what was her own mind? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kairi stared at the screen of her tv hours later. She had quickly pulled her clothes back on after finding them all in a pile on the clothes. Random battle music played in front of her. FF7 had been playing on her screen for the past few hours now, lighting up her otherwise dark room as she tried desperately to drown out her fears. There was only the game in front of her. Nothing else. Only it was real. This had been her only solace for so long. She would come home from school and do exactly this, pretending the outside world wasn't there at all. She couldn't even look at herself in the mirror. It only filled her with repulsion. It wasn't that she had a problem with doing things to herself. It was that she had honestly believed it was Riku or Sora doing thos things to her. And the fact that it wasn't scared the hell out of her. That she could have lost herself that much frightened her. And so she played. And played. Reaching out, Kairi grabbed a glass, taking a sip of stale water. Going downstairs could resolve that problem with a fresh glass of water, but if she did that it would risk thinking again. And thinking was not on her agenda at the moment. She was going to put that off as long as possible. Her wary, tired eyes blinked in the dark room as she read the screen again. She must have misread what Aerith had said. FF7 was one of her favorite games. She knew it backwards and forwards. Dialogue shouldn't be surprising her this time through. But even upon closer inspection, it still felt off. 'She's lost in someone's spell, Cloud. I can't get her back on my own,' Aerith said on screen. “What?” Kairi leaned forward, staring at the screen. Clicking forward, Cloud was given a choice. 'There has to be some way that we can wake her up.' Or; 'It's up to her. Only she can break the spell. We can't reach her there.' Dropping the controller, the chestnut haired girl stepped away from her tv. They weren't... They couldn't be... talking about her? Could they? It wasn't possible. But how many other impossible things had she seen? For some reason, being home made it all seem outside the realm of possibility once more. Things she would've been forced to accept in the other world felt so foreign here. Throwing her door open, Kairi walked to the bathroom. She was exhausted and scared. They were preying on her mind. Maybe sleep would be a good idea after all. If it could hold the specters at bay, then it would be worthwhile. Taking a handful of ice cold water, she splashed her face, trying to force her weariness away. Her wet bangs clung to her forehead as she looked back up. Her eyes shifted to someone behind her. It was him. The cloaked boy again. She whirled about to face him, but to her surprise, he wasn't there. “Kairi,” he said from the mirror. Turning to face him, she rested heavily against the sink. She suddenly felt very, very weak. It was as if the strength had been sapped from her body. It felt like she had lived eons and eons. It all felt so hopeless. She wanted to give up. “You can't give up. The you of this world gave up. But deep in your heart, I know how strong you are, Princess. You can handle this. You can handle anything. You're stronger than this. You can fight through her spells. You can't spend eternity trapped in this spell or you'll never set Riku free. You'll never see Sora again. Or your mother. You'll only see this illusions of them. They all need you, Kairi. You can't let them down.” The boy pressed his hand against the glass. “Only you can free yourself of this prison. Only you have the strength to come and set them all free.” Very slowly, Kairi nodded. “I'll fight. For them. I'll set them free.” The boy smiled faintly. Walking to the bathroom door in the mirror, he opened it. “I know you will, Kairi.” With that, he stepped out, disappearing. Clutching the Keyblade necklace in her hand, she stepped out of the same door on her own side of the mirror. “So they're still out there. This isn't home.” If she was going to save them, she had to escape. There would be no one to come to her rescue. She could feel that things were... off. It was all real, but it had the same feeling as dreams and memories. Part of her still wanted to stay here. It was safe, wasn't it? Images of Riku, Sora, her mother, and her friends filled her mind. Tidus's name on a gravestone in the Graveyard of Dreams. They needed her. She couldn't let them down. Walking down the empty hallway, Kairi made her way to her mother's room. The light was on and she could hear her mother in the other room, still sewing the costume for her daughter. For a moment, Kairi's will faltered. Could she deny her mother? Even if she was only an illusion? She had to. If she had a real mother, then she needed her elsewhere, not in this spell. Kairi stepped through the door. “Oh, Kairi, you're awake.” Looking up, the older woman smiled gently. “Maybe you could try this on for me. I want to make sure it will fit well.” Taking a deep breath, Kairi closed her eyes. She wanted to speak, but her throat closed off painfully. It still felt like her mother, or her memories of her mother at the least. “What's wrong?” A soft chuckle. “You don't think you're getting fat do you? Not that again. You're beautiful the way you are, Kairi.” That halted Kairi for a moment. 'Do I even look the same in the other world? If what Sophie said was right, that I'm what I want to be in this world, do I look different, too?' She pushed the thought away. There would be time for thoughts like that later. Much later. Right now she had to escape this dream. “You aren't my mother, are you?” Looking up, her eyes locked on her mother's. The older woman was still smiling. “I can be. If you want me to. Just like Riku and Sora can be here, too. With you, Kairi. Think about it. You could all go to conventions together and play games and never have to worry again. Never grow old. Never be teased again. I'll always love you. They'll always love you. No need to bleed to death in your room. Just live. One beautiful, everlasting moment,” the woman promised. Tears dripped down Kairi's cheeks. The princess shook her head. “I can't. I just can't. They're all waiting for me. I can't stay here and leave them.” The woman laughed, shaking her head. “So you can't do it now, but you could do it when you were only leaving your mother? You sure are altruistic when it's for the boys you lust after, aren't you? Your mother, on the other hand, will just have to deal with her daughter's suicide. No big deal, right?” “No!! It wasn't like that!” Kairi shouted, her hands clenching against her heart. “I wouldn't...” “But you did! So what's the problem with doing it again? You escaped the life with your mother only to find even more pain. But here, there is no pain. Only everything you've wanted.” The older woman smiled gently at her, standing up. “She's right, Kairi. We'll always be here with you,” Riku stated, standing to her mother's right. They were still in Kairi's mother's room, but the floor was now sandy and the ocean was lapping behind them. “We'll never leave your side again,” Sora replied, to her mother's left. Kairi laughed a small, sad laugh, smiling despite herself. “Thanks, guys. I love you all for that. But you've never left me.” She pressed her palm against her heart. “We'll always be together because our hearts are always together. No matter how far apart we are. That's why I can't stay. I need to go find you both. The real you. Whatever 'real' is these days. But it doesn't matter. I need to see you both again.” Turning to the woman who was not her mother, she shook her head. “I'm sorry. I can't.” The woman nodded, her facade disappearing. She sighed softly. “I know.” Pulling up her Keyblade, Kairi plunged it into the heart of the woman, unlocking it. The illusion around her dissolved into nothingness, the light carrying her away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She was moving. At least, it felt as if she were moving. The brilliant light made if difficult to see motion. The light moved around her in a stream, flowing ever forward, twisting and turning. Whether she even had a body in this place, she couldn't be certain. Everything was light. “You have unlocked the light in the heart of Longing,” the voice that existed in this light said from all around her. Whether it was part of the light or part of herself or something entirely different, she didn't know. “I wanted to use your power to bring back the one I love. I wanted to live in a beautiful moment forever with him. He was one of Ansem's first test subjects and I thought I could bring him back through you. Time is our enemy. It robs us of those we love and forever heads forward, crushing all in its path. I wanted to stop time, to live out one beautiful moment forever. Now.. Now that my body and heart have been separated, we'll go our different ways, I guess. But.. Now I can be with him. Forever. Thank you.” “I...” Kairi closed her eyes tightly, if she had them. She could feel a tear slip out into the light. “Thank you for letting me see my mother. Goodbye.” She could almost feel a gentle carress before the light began to fade. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Kairi!!” Relm hugged her as she sat up in bed. “You're okay!” She smiled brightly. The artist looked as if she'd been hugely panicked. “I told you she'd be fine,” Yuffie said nonchalantly. “A few spells won't do in our princess, will they?” Grinning, the ninja placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder. “You did manage to fight off Ultimecia's spells. We were all worried.” Aerith winked. “Even Yuffie.” “Was not!” Yuffie retorted, crossing her arms. Kairi closed her eyes, her head tilted back. She was back. There was still a chance. Blinking her eyes open, she looked over at Aerith. “I need to get to the Destiny Islands. I'm running out of time. They need me.” Aerith nodded. “Then we better hurry.” Standing up, the flower girl led the way out of the room. Relm slid off the bed to follow. She placed a kiss on Yuffie's cheek before hurrying. “We're coming! Wait up!” Kairi gave Yuffie a curious glance. “Don't ask. Just don't ask.” Yuffie blushed faintly and helped Kairi to her feet. “Let's get going. Seems like we still have a few things to do before we get our nice, well deserved vacation.” Kairi giggled, nodding. “A very long vacation.” The two followed after Aerith. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At the large port behind the castle, Squall, Rinoa, and Cloud waited. “She's ready!” Aerith called as she stepped up to the rest of them. She smiled brightly at them before poking Cloud playfully. “Cheer up. It's almost over.” “Well... Yeah... But is it wise to bring the princess if we'll be dealing with her former private guard? Sephiroth isn't going to leave her alone,” Cloud admitted. “That's why we're coming, silly. She won't be alone on this,” Aerith reasoned. The rest of the girls finally arrived behind her. Kairi glanced around at the huge ocean open in front of them. “How are we going to get to the Destiny Islands?” “With the Invincible. It was King Ansem's personal Gummi ship. He was preparing it before he left. Cid fixed it up for us.” With that, a giant mechanical airship soared into view. The wind whirled about, but none seemed to notice as they stared in awe. The boarding ramp opened, settling on the side of the dock. “Everyone on board!” a blonde haired woman dressed in a black business suit called. “Well, well. If it isn't the gorgeous Princess Hikari,” a spikey haired brunette man said, wearing a similar buisiness suit, albeit untucked. “What are you doing here?” Cloud asked, crossing his arms. “The Turks work directly for the royalty of Hollow Bastion. With King Ansem gone and Princess Kairi newly returned to us, we decided we'd keep her company to the End of the World and beyond. You know, company policy and all that.” Reno winked, eliciting only a sigh from Cloud. Cloud nodded at last. “Is everyone ready for this? It's only going to get worse from here on out. If anyone wants to stay, now's the time to say it.” Yuffie shook her head. “I lost my home once. I'm not letting them do it again.” Relm clung to Yuffie's arm, nodding assent. “And I'll go anywhere with Yuffie.” Yuffie blushed darkly. Aerith laughed. Kairi shook her head. “Riku and Sora need me. The Destiny Islands need me. I have to go.” She smiled, looking at those gathered around her. “All of you... Thank you so much.” “You don't think we'd give up on you now, do you Kairi? You've wounded my pride.” Yuffie winked at the princess. “Are ya comin' or aincha?” Cid yelled from the ramp. “We're coming, Cid,” Squall said brushing his hair back from his eyes. “Then let's go,” Rinoa said, smiling at the gunblade bearer. “To the Destiny Islands,” Kairi said, gazing out to the sea. Destiny waited out there. And she would be returning to it, whatever the consequences.