Prism Hearts Chapter 16Addicted to You by Amazoness Duo amazonessduo@hotmail.com “Come stop your crying, It will be all right.Just take my hand,Hold it tight.I will protect you from all around you.I will be here, Don't you cry.For one so small,You seem so strong.My arms will hold you,Keep you safe and warm.This bond between us can't be broken.I will be here,Don't you cry.Cause you'll be in my heart.Yes, you'll be in my heart.From this day on, Now and forevermore...” Chaos. A surreal picture out of the mind of a disturbed artist. Reality on the very brink. This was the sight that greeted Kairi upon entering the doorway. This was the road to Kingdom Hearts, to the very heart of the universe. It was where all hearts were born. And here she was at the very edge of reality, where all the was existed in some cataclysmic dance. Roads traveled high overhead, twisting and turning this way and that. Upside down palaces hung in the distant sky. An ocean seemed to lay peacefully some distance to her right, climbing vertically into the heavens. So this was the End of the World. The road to Kingdom Hearts. Steeling herself, Kairi clutched the tiny key around her neck. Riku was at the end of this road. And somehow she knew that Sora was somewhere close by, too. She needed to move forward. They needed her. This time, she was all alone. There was no one to back her up or to save her if she got in trouble. The absence of Yuffie and Relm hung heavily on her, as if something were missing. But too many had already been hurt because of her. It was time for her to end this. Once and for all. Images of Yuna and Rikku came unbidden to her mind and she had to force back the thoughts before she lost the will to go forward. “I know you're stronger than that, Kairi,” Riku's voice called to her. “Remember what you said? I'll always be with you, too,” Sora's voice carried on the wind. A small smile crossed Kairi's lips. The brunette nodded, blinking tearfilled eyes open. “I'm coming. Just wait a little longer.” Here she was, finally nearing the end of her journey. It seemed like a lifetime ago when she had picked up the Keyblade and left to find the ones she loved. But now it was almost over. “I'll never get anywhere just standing here,” the princess whispered to herself. She could almost hear Riku sighing exasperatedly, joking about how lazy she and Sora were. Thoughts of Sora and Riku spun in her heart, her driving focus. They were the strength in her heart. Letting go of the key handing from her neck, Kairi ran down the path towards the end of the dream. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Got ya!” Sora cried out. His hand struck out as he tried to grab hold of Hikari. The darkly clad brunette giggled and barely brushed past him yet again. She danced playfully out of range, her dark violet eyes shimmering as she watched him. Both were breathing heavily. He moved to the right. She leaned to the left. Grabbing for her, the princess skittered out of the way once more. In their makeshift playground, Sora never took his eyes off of Hikari. Since they had played like this, so much time had passed. But now it felt like they were back on the Destiny Islands, playing their days away. All of his thoughts and worries were far in the background. All that mattered was their game and the mix of emotions it sent rushing through him. For the time being, all of the darkness that had tried to swallow him up in his battle against the Heartless was forgotten, replaced only with the sweet feeling of their chase. Even in the princess's mind, the end was far from her thoughts. Only the vaguest hint of the unshed tears in her heart tainted her otherwise playful thoughts. This was something she had never done before. And yet, because of Kairi, it was her fondest memory. The memories of a much crueler version of being chased by cruel, hateful classmates because she was different was pushed to the furthest depths of her memory. Now there was only Sora and their game. His heart was so pure. In her world of coldness and jagged shadows, being near him was like snuggling next to a fire on a frigid day. The days since he'd come to her in this palace at the End of the World, they had spent talking and playing. Memories from her life as Kairi flooded back with each moment she was with him. It made it all the more bittersweet. But in a way, that made it even better. She was just happy to be able to spend this time with him.So lost in thought was Hikari that she didn't get out in the way in time when Sora lunged at her. The spikey haired boy wrapped his arm around her, momentum carrying them both forward. The two of them landed in a heap on the grass, Sora on top of Hikari. The flowers around them pushed off of their stalks, soaring into the air as a multitude of different colored butterflies. Hikari gazed up at the boy over her, watching as the butterflies swirled up over his head into the treetops. So beautiful. Reaching out, she let her fingers gently stroke his cheek. She giggled softly when she saw his faint blush spreading over his cheek. How cute. Her fingers continued onward, playing with his spikey hair. She had... or had Kairi?... always wondered who would kiss her first. Riku or Sora. Too bad she had never had the chance to find out. But this was certainly nice enough. She shifted under him, feeling the Keyblade Master fall further against her. Very, very nice indeed. No wonder she... Kairi?... loved him. Sora swallowed as he felt Hikari's soft caress on his cheek. The beautiful princess smiled sweetly up at him, her violet eyes drawing him in, deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole until he wasn't sure that he'd ever get out. Or that he ever wanted to. If he could just stay like this... No, he couldn't. He still needed to find Riku. It wasn't right until they were all together again. But in the meantime... Hikari leaned forward, her lips brushing Sora's softly. This time, Sora was more ready for the kiss. Lips melted together as Hikari continued to brush her fingers through Sora's hair. Despite the universes vastness and entirity, sometimes a single moment seemed to take precedence, glowing and taking up all that was. Hikari closed her eyes, kissing again, wishing she could freeze this moment forever but knowing all too well it would have to end. And so it did with the arrival of the message she had been awaiting. Noticing Sephiroth's arrival at the edge of the clearing they were in, Hikari slowly, ever so slowly, pulled her lips away from Sora's. Sora merely looked down at her, puzzled and still fuzzy from their kiss. She smiled up at him. “She's here, your highness,” Sephiroth announced. “She is?” Hikari shook her head to clear her own warm, love warped thoughts. She should have felt her arrival. She had been so lost in the moment with Sora that she had ignored it. Sephiroth simply nodded. Looking back up at Sora, she gazed into his eyes. “We have to hurry. The locks are gone now. We can open Kingdom Hearts.” A moment passed before Sora could fully understand the implications of what Hikari had told him. The wait was now over. Kingdom Hearts could be opened. It was only a matter of time now. Riku would be back with them soon. “That's great!” He pushed back, sitting on the grass. The princess pushed herself up to face the spikey haired boy, her haunting eyes still holding his own. The story was almost over. And yet... She didn't quite want to let go. Not yet. Her eyes shimmered with tears that brimmed but that she held back by force of will. She wouldn't let him see her cry. Not now. Not when she was so close. “You're everything I've ever wanted. Or half of everything I've ever wanted. The darkness and the light. Sora, you were my light. Riku was my darkness. I loved the light for the hope it always held out to me, no matter how far away it seemed. And I loved the darkness for the comfort it gave me and how close it was. The two of you kept me afloat when I'd all but lost hope. Thank you.” Before he could ask her what she meant, she got to her feet, smoothing out her black dress and hurrying to follow Sephiroth. “We have to get to Kingdom Hearts to open the door, Sora. It's almost over.”Sora nodded, a little confused by what Hikari had said. But at the same time, he was thrilled that he could be that important to her. Soon enough, everything would be complete again. 'Hold on just a little longer, Riku.' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The path seemed to decay the further and further Kairi went. It was as if reality was having more and more difficulty holding itself together. The pathway was much twistier now. Trees were nearly bent over. Land seemed to have curled up into itself. Here and there, Kairi could see gardeners sheers frozen in the process of pruning with no one to guide them or a twisted bike with no owner. There was a sword in the side of a blackened, gnarled tree she passed. Origami birds sat up in the branches of another tree. It felt as if they were watching her. On the side of the path was a blackboard. Rather than use chalk, someone had carved into it cruelly. 'The bearer of the Keyblade came and saved all that was.' Right under it, it went on in an alternate path. 'The bearer of the Keyblade came and brought ruin to all.' Both legends of the Keyblade. But which was true? It hardly mattered. She was here to put things right. She continued on her maddening path. Kairi stopped suddenly, her eyes fixing ahead of her. The dirt by her feet rose in a cloud and then stayed that way, forgetting the cause and effect of settling back down once again. It was her school, wasn't it? Only, it looked distorted, as if it wasn't entirely there. The fountain in front was empty, cracked. Books floated in midair, as if their owners had up and left them hanging. A cold pit formed in her stomach. Her memories of her other life were still distant, but she knew that she didn't have any good memories of this place. And yet there it was, waiting for her at the End of the World. “Surprised, Mademoiselle Kairi?” “Harle!” Kairi turned to find the harlequin watching her, sitting on a curved pillar that hadn't been there when she last looked. In fact, the entire direction she had come looked rewritten. The princess looked back the way she had come, the path having disappeared completely. Everything was different now. There were cliffs where there had been none before, a wasteland instead of a grassland path. “Silly girl. Zere is no going back. Only going forward now. It iz your Fate, after all. You have been meant to come here all along.” Harle hopped down from the tree, sauntering over to Kairi. “Oh, how I have missed such a pretty face brightening up moi's day.” She grinned as Kairi took a step back in embarrassment.Shaking off her embarrassment, Kairi faced Harle. “What's going on here? Why is this here? Isn't this the End of the World? This can't be what Sora went through to get here.”Laughing, the harlequin shook her head, bells jingling along with her laughter. “Of course not. Zis iz your path, not his. Zere are infinitely many ways to reach Kingdom Hearts just as zere are infinitely many hearts themselves.”Turning back to the surreal school awaiting her, the brunette thought over Harle's words. “So I have to make my own path to Kingdom Hearts? My own version of the End of the World?”“It iz a path zat has been in your heart all along, Mademoiselle Kairi. Waiting for you. Waiting for ze day zat you would travel down it,” Harle explained. “So...” Kairi took a deep breath. “If this path is different because of me, how much of this is real?” Harle laughed again, placing her hands on her hips. “Still you ask about zis realitie? Have you learned not'ing on your journey, Mademoiselle Kairi?” The harlequin disappeared, fading away. A tap on Kairi's shoulder nearly sent the already tightly wound girl jumping. Harle grinned at Kairi's surprise, now standing behind her. “Realitie and dreams all simply exist. Side by side. They are what you make of them. Izn't zat what life iz? All of our realities intermixing together? It happens everyday. What you see isn't necessarily what he sees. And what she sees is again different. And so on and so on, throughout it all.”Kairi nodded slowly, sighing. She had to let go of that worry. In the end, it wasn't important. “It really doesn't matter what's real, does it? I'm starting to wonder if 'real' even exists.”Grinning, Harle walked around Kairi. “Now you are catching on. Forget about zis 'real'. Simply follow your heart. Your heart and its connection to other hearts is much, much more important than whatever world you see around it.” Her expression turned more serious as she continued inspecting Kairi. “So you have made your decision?”“Of course she has,” another voice broke in. A young blonde girl in a patient's uniform stood on the edge of the fountain. “She wouldn't be here otherwise.”“So you've decided to come and see as well, Aya?” Harle asked wryly, raising an eyebrow. “What happens here affects everything. Not only the Dragon God are interested in how it all plays out, you know,” the little girl argued. Once again, the scope of what was going on was drapped in Kairi's lap. This wasn't just about her search for Riku and Sora. It involved all that was. All those many different worlds. All her friends. Everyone she had met and so many more. And if she couldn't close the door, it could all be consumed by the Heartless. She had to hurry. “Thanks, both of you.” She nodded to both women before walking through the large doors of the school. “I hope, for all our sakes, zat you are right about her,” Harle said softly, watching Kairi's retreating form.“She's very strong at heart. In the end, that's all we could ask for,” Aya replied. “I have faith in her.”“Yes, but the one she must face iz also strong at heart. If she fails, zere will be no escape from the Heartless,” Harle said grimly. “It will be as if God herself has died and left the entirety of existence to fall apart at the seams.” Aya smiled softly. “Then lets hope she doesn't fail. I don't intend on being away from Maya for an eternity.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Truth be told, Kairi hadn't come to a decision. Not as such, anyway. She still didn't know which world she belonged in. The one with her mother, Hollow Bastion, or the Destiny Islands. The gateway between worlds would close once she shut the doorway that had let the Heartless grow from her own original world. She missed her mother back in that sometimes cruel world. She missed her father and the kingdom of Hollow Bastion. She missed Riku and Sora and their carefree days on the Destiny Islands. The answer should be obvious, but she couldn't get herself to decide which. That gnawed at her as she went further into the lifeless school.The school looked mostly the same as she could remember it except for small details. Everything was curved sinisterly, misshapen. In some places, trees grew indoors. One of the classrooms seemed to lead into a crashed airship. It was all an amalgam of different realities along with a dreamlike quality. Or more accurately, a nightmare. The icey pit in her stomach wouldn't go away. Everywhere she looked, people may have been missing, but their shadows remained. Menacing, hateful. She felt like a scared little girl again, memories of the lonely, terrified feelings she had had spreading through her veins. She could hear laughter behind the locked doors, mocking and cruel. Clenching and unclenching her fists, the princess continued forward. She nearly stepped on a crumpled piece of paper on the ground. Hesitantly, she picked it up, already knowing it was a bad idea. It was the birthday party invitation her mother had made for her to hand out to her classmates so many years ago. Her mother had spent all night drawing each seperate invitation. Tears stung at Kairi's eyes as she remembered. Remembered how thrilled she'd been that her wonderful mother would make her such beautiful party invitations. Remembered how embarrassed she'd been when everyone had laughed at 'Princess Hikari'. Wasn't she too old for that sort of thing, they had asked? Remembered the shame and regret and anger and pain as she cried. She couldn't tell her mother what they did. She couldn't tell her mother that she had felt so ashamed as they'd called her princess and mocked her over and over again. Princess. What her mother called her. 'My beautiful princess Hikari.'Tears streaked down Kairi's cheeks as she leaned heavily against the lockers. “Mom... I miss you...” she whispered, clutching the crumpled invitation to her chest. Her body shook slightly as she sobbed. Bittersweet memories. Crafted of both darkness and light. They filled her existence. “I miss you, too,” the voice in Kairi's head whispered. “Mom?!” Kairi looked around quickly, her breath catching. She blinked away her tears rapidly, wiping a wristband over her eyes. “Mom, is that you?”“Kairi... I used to call you that when you were little. I didn't know you'd use that nickname for yourself. And you always were my princess,” the voice answered. For once, Kairi didn't mistake it's familiarity. “Mom... Where are you?” Kairi asked, a knot forming in her throat. “I'm at home, Hikari. Just like I've always been. Waiting for you.”“But... I'm... I'm dying..” Kairi said at last, fresh tears slipping forth. “... I know. But I'm your mother. I can't just let you go. I have to try. Even if I can't do much. I wanted to be here to lead you back home,” the voice whispered. “Mom...” Kairi placed her face in her hands, suddenly feeling very, very weak. She felt dizzy. The locker felt cold against her clammy skin. Slowly, the princess slid down the locker. Everything looked so blurry. She was having trouble focussing. “..mom...?” she tried to ask, frightened. The word barely came out as a whisper. It felt so hard to do anything. Everything felt so heavy. She felt so tired. She tried to raise a hand to try to pull herself up, but it hardly moved. Blood stained her wristbands, dripping to the floor beneath her. 'No!!!' Kairi screamed in her mind. 'Not now! I'm not ready to go yet! Just a little longer! I can't die now. Not now!!' “Hikari... Please open your eyes, Hikari. Please. Mommy's right here.” A sob punctuated her mother's pause. “Please, Hikari. Don't leave me. Don't go away, baby. Please don't go.” Her mother held onto her dying form brushing her hair with shakey, panicked hands. “Please...” Slam!Kairi looked up suddenly, the noise from the locker over head startling her. Looking back down, everything was back to normal. The blood was gone. Her mother was nowhere to be seen. She was alone in the distorted school hallway. “Mom?” No answer. “Damn it.” Kairi sighed, standing up. At least she had more time. But how much more? She was dying. She had to make her decision soon. Would she try to wake up in the world where she was dying in her mother's arms? Or would she sever her ties with that world and remain on the Destiny Islands? She was running out of time. Slam!Kairi turned her attention back to the strange noise. It was coming from a locker. Her locker. She remembered that much. But what was coming from it. Almost drawn to it, she reached forward, her heart pounding as she did. Before her fingers could touch it, the locker flew open. Small creatures piled out, falling into a heap on the floor. Kairi stepped back, rady to draw her Keyblade. But they were all the plushies she had made back home. Her mother had taught her how to sew. Her mother had made all of her costumes, and Kairi had sewn together plushies of different characters. And Riku and Sora. Bending over to examine the plushies, Kairi was disturbed to find all of them had the Heartless symbol sewn onto them. Whatever it meant, she knew she was getting close. A rustling noise sounded behind her. Kairi froze. Another. And another. She felt as if she were being watched. The brunette turned slowly. Her eyes fell upon a strange Heartless where a shadow had been a moment before. And then another. And another. The shadows of the students were becoming misshapen Heartless versions of the students she had gone to school with. All of them watched her with malevolent yellow eyes. Her heart froze for just a second. Standing up, she pulled up the Keyblade. How many of them were there? Could she get through them all? She had to. No matter what.“Kairi, hurry. You need to reach the Doorway to the Light. I'll hold them off.” The cloaked boy stood in the hallway in the midst of the Heartless. He slowly pulled out his two demon wing shaped swords, seeming to know precisely where everyone was even under his blindfold. Kairi stared for a moment, trying to decide if she should leave him alone to face the growing number of Heartless. “Go! Now!!” he yelled, magic surrounding him as he prepared for the oncoming Heartless. “Thank you,” Kairi said in return. With a last look back to the cloaked boy, she ran. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The hallway got more and more shadowed, turning sharp corners as it went along. Everytime Kairi would look back, the path she had just walked had changed entirely. Forward was the only way she could go or she knew she'd be forever lost. It was as if she was being led forward, the ground behind her shifting as soon as she had moved over it. It had to be leading her somewhere. She only hoped it was leading her towards her goal. And suddenly, it ended. The cracked, broken ground beneath her feet ended directly in front of her, leading into a deep chasm. Frustrated, the princess turned back the way she had come. But there was no way back. Directly behind her was only a wall. There was no way back and no way forward. “This can't be happening. I don't have time for this. There has to be a way out of here. Please hang on, Riku and mom.” Gazing around the small corridor she was in, Kairi couldn't see anything to use to get past. There were no handholds to climb along the wall over the chasm. And there was no way back. So there was just... The princess listened closely. Footsteps? But they sounded so close. In the same corridor she was in. But where? Listening intently, she could tell it was coming from right in front of her. Over the chasm? It sounded as if someone was walking directly in front of her, right over the chasm. She looked down and saw something aside from the deep drop. Dusty footprints marred the air, as if someone had stepped on something invisible and left their footprints behind. Kairi's eyes followed the footprints. She heard another footstep and saw another form several feet ahead in the air. And another.Taking a deep breath, Kairi scooted close to the edge. Maybe there was an invisible walkway. She had to hurry. And this looked like the only way. Taking a tentative step forward, Kairi was overjoyed to feel something solid, if invisible, under her foot. She slowly took another step, careful to follow the dusty footprints. Good. There was a path. She just hoped it would lead to Kingdom Hearts. How long did it go on into the darkness? She took her next step, placing her foot right over the dusty footprint. And fell right through. Too shocked to utter a proper scream, Kairi plumetted.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And so she fell like a shooting star, dropping through the air towards the world below. The sun shown off of the beautiful ocean waves. She could feel the Keyblade inside of her heart. It was deep inside of her, nearly unlocking her heart. The water rose up and enveloped her. Water surrounded her, encompassing. She was too weak to swim, her journey having been so very long. It felt like a lifetime had gone by. Her mind felt so far. Was she going to drown? Here in this tranquil ocean? No... They needed her. But she was so weak... It was hard to move. Thankfully, someone had dove in after her. Arms grabbed onto her, dragging the dazed princess out and onto the beach. She slowly caught her breath, gazing up at the side of the person as she lay there, unable to get herself to move. Slowly, a face looked down at her. She smiled faintly as she understood. Her own face. It was time. She was too exhausted, too weak. She was dying. But she could keep going for her. The other Kairi sat up, staring at her in shock. “What?” So many thoughts were rushing behind those violet eyes, thoughts that Kairi could remember for they had once been her own. Thoughts about whether or not this was a dream and just who she was.Finally noticing the handle of the Keyblade sticking out of her chest, the shocked Kairi took hold of the handle. “It will be okay, Kairi. I’ll always be with you. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You just have to reach out and take my hand.” Riku stood over Kairi, telling her this. Kairi smiled up at him. He was always there, right beside her. She understood that now, too. The other Kairi stared, still in awe. “Riku... I...” She reached out for his hand, but he was already gone. “Riku...” She looked back down at Kairi, her hand still on the grip of the Keyblade. “Find them,” Kairi whispered to her confused self. “They need you. They can’t do it alone.” The confused Kairi slowly nodded. “We should be together. We need each other.”Smiling softly, Kairi closed her eyes. She could finally rest. This version of her would take care of it. She would help Sora and Riku. It wasn't over yet. She could feel the other her take a firm grip on the handle, pulling it out, not unlocking her heart. She could feel everything shift as she was engulfed by sparkles, leaving the other Kairi alone with the Keyblade. “Open the door,” a voice whispered in the lone Kairi's head. Who was it? She couldn’t quite tell. Looking up, she could see a lone door standing on the beach, apparently leading to nowhere. It had a large keyhole on it. It almost seemed to beckon her. Kairi slowly stood up. If she stayed here, her friends might be in danger. She knew they could handle anything if they were all together again. Sora and Riku were both lost out there. Maybe she could find them. She would find them. Wherever they were. Stepping forward, the young princess used the large, unwieldy key to unlock the door awaiting her. As the door slowly opened, she knew there would be no turning back. This was it. But her choice was simple. She had to find them. Anything could have happened to them out there, lost on any one of countless worlds. Without a glance back, Kairi plunged through the door. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Standing before Kingdom Hearts, watching the stars swirl about it, Hikari took Sora's hand. It was beautiful. It was, after all, the very heart of existence itself. Sephiroth stood behind them, as always keeping an eye on the princess he had sworn to protect. She could feel it. It was almost time. Her heart pounded. Soon... Just a little longer. Kairi had almost reached it. “Don't worry, Riku. We're coming.” Sora promised, one gloved hand on the huge Doorway to the Light. Nodding, Hikari squeezed Sora's other hand. “It's almost over.” There. She could feel it. Kairi was ready. “Now. It's time, Sora.” Letting go of his hand, she stepped back from the boy. He was the Keyblade Master. It was up to him to unlock the Doorway to the Light. Of course, the Doorway needed two keys to open. The other key was being inserted right now.Holding up the Keyblade, Sora pointed it at the door, letting it's light pulse forth. Turning the Keyblade, he unlocked the door. Now they'd all be together. He was already with Hikari. Now they'd have Riku. And the Light would end the Heartless once and for all. Hikari watched as the light started to spill forth. “The Light. It's beautiful,” she whispered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kairi stepped out of the strange doorway, trying to piece her thoughts together. She'd just been on the Destiny Islands beach again. But she'd been there at the point in time when her journey had begun. But which one had she been? The one lying on the beach with the Keyblade in her heart? Or the one who had taken the Keyblade to start her journey? Both, it seemed. She could remember her entire journey. So now she had reached it's end. It had led her full circle. She was back in her room. Shooting stars flew past her window. Her plushies sat in a comfortable pile on her bed. Turning in a slow circle, she took in her room again. All of her video games she had played countless times, sharing in the adventures of heroes and villians. Her pictures of the Destiny Islands lined the walls. Costumes were probably hanging in her closet. And yet, this wasn't home. She could feel it. “This is Kingdom Hearts.” And she knew it was. Like Harle had said, her journey through the End of the World had been different from Sora's. And much like their journey had been different, so was their version of Kingdom Hearts. Kairi's was the one doorway that had remained locked for her this whole time. She'd been so close to Kingdom Hearts everytime she'd revisited this room. The princess turned her attention to the locked door in her room. She swallowed. She was finally here. Through chaos and tragedy she had come, but she had made her way there all the same. This time the locks on Kingdom Hearts were gone. She could unlock the doorway and see Riku. But then what? What would become of Riku? He was dead and was only clinging to this world to see her one last time. And what of her? She was dying as well, her mother begging her to go back to another world. She didn't know. But she couldn't stop now. “Riku?” Kairi asked, walking to the doorway. “Kairi!” Riku's voice filtered through the door. The brunette could hear him hurry to the other side of the door, placing his hand on it. She placed her own hand where she imagined his to be. “I'm here, Riku. I'm finally here. To set you free.” She licked her dry lips, closing her eyes. “I always believed in you, Kairi. I knew I'd see you again.” Riku rested his head against the door, smiling faintly. No matter what had gotten in her way, Kairi had triumphed. She had made her way to Kingdom Hearts. To him. He knew she was strong. Now he knew just how strong. “Riku...” Kairi whispered. There was so much she needed to tell him. But not through a door. Not anymore. She had finally reached him. Her journey had come to a close. She had reached her treasure. Stepping back, she pulled up the Keyblade. At that very same moment, Sora was unlocking the door as well. Kairi could feel him almost as if he were there with her. She smiled. They were all together again. Together, she and Sora unlocked the Doorway to the light. Slowly, ever so slowly, the locked door in Kairi's room opened, light shining forth behind it. The light blinded Kairi for a moment. When she could focus again, the door had regained it's splendor. It was no longer the door in her room, but the gigantic double doors of Kingdom Hearts. Her heart soared as she saw Riku's silouhette in the light. “Riku!” And someone else was beside her. She wasn't alone anymore. Turning to the side, she saw Sora, holding out his Keyblade just as she was holding out hers. “Sora!” They were together again. All three of them. The light spilled over her, warming her. She laughed. It was over. They were all together again. This is what she had wanted, what she had always dreamed of. “Kairi?” Sora looked over, astonished to see Kairi opening the door with him. She was wearing her old outfit from the Destiny Islands rather than her black princess's dress. And she seemed so surprised to see him. His eyes slowly went behind Kairi. Hikari grinned, standing behind Kairi like a shadow. Sephiroth stood watch further behind them. And then, all hell broke loose. The Light began to dim. Shadows began growing in intensity, growing larger and more menacing. The shadows shot into the Doorway, going deep into the core of the Light, into the very heart of the universe. The light grew dimmer. Bigger, monstrous shadows grew in the Doorway to the Light, obscuring out the light. “No!!!” Sora yelled, loss and frustration robbing him of the joy he'd held just seconds earlier. “Damn it! Kingdom Hearts is Light!!” But it was too late. The shadows kept growing. The Heartless were poisoning the Light of the universe at the heart of the Galaxy. Kairi could only stare. She had come to end the Heartless. She had come to save everyone. But that was gone now. Soon, everything would be. “No...” she whispered, broken. “No...” Shaking her head, the princess tried to understand. “But... The Light...”“Beware, Kairi,” her voice came from behind. “The closer you get to the Light, the greater your shadow becomes.” Kairi slowly turned to face herself, Princess Hikari grinning in her black dress. “Who are you?” “I'm your shadow,” Princess Hikari explained. “The Doorway to the Darkness is shut. The Heartless are dying out because of that. But you had to come and stop them. You unleashed the Light. Which would have killed the Heartless. If not for one tiny detail. You're my light. So I'm the darkness. With you directly in the Light, I'm more powerful than I could ever be in the darkness. Thanks to you, I've resurrected the dying Heartless. They'll consume the Heart of the Universe and start anew. We'll make the Doorway to the Light into a new Doorway to the Darkness.”“Hikari!!” Sora cried out, betrayed. How could she have done this? How could she have sacrificed everything to the darkness? Hikari shook her head a little sadly. “Thank you, Sora. For everything. I know why Kairi loves you. She loves you because I loved you. Just like Riku. That's why she was willing to suffer so much to get him back.” She looked into his eyes, her own torn with pain and torment. “I'm glad I got to spend this last bit of time together. It's bittersweet, but I think that makes it an even better note to go out on. I got to see one of the things that meant the most to me.” She looked back towards the darkening Doorway to the Light. “But now it's time for the dream to end. From Darkness we all come, and to darkness we will return.”Kairi shook her head, her heart feeling as if it were being shred to pieces. All of her work for nothing. Everyone would be consumed by the Heartless. She couldn't save anyone after all. “Who are you? You can't do this. You can't! I was going to save everything!” Hikari shook her head sadly. “You don't get it, do you? I'm two people. Just like you. I'm Princess Hikari, daughter of Ansem, the ruler of Hollow Bastion. When my father was overcome by the Heartless, I followed him. I was worried about him and I knew his research was driving him mad. My personal guard, Sephiroth, came with me. We reached the Doorway to the Darkness where my father had become one of them. I joined soon after. But I realized there was a problem with my father. We all have darkness in our heart. But we also have light. He didn't understand that. So when I gave myself to the Heartless, I got rid of the light in my heart. That was you, Kairi. I sent away the light in my heart to find the Keyblade Master so I could keep track of him, whoever he may be and to keep you away so that there would be no chance of the light ruining me as it did my father.” Clenching her fists, she grew bitter. “And then there's another me. A me who grew up with only her mother. A lonely girl who never quite fit in. Who was always teased and a bit away from everyone. Like I never really belonged in that world. So I spent all my time in fantasy worlds, watching movies and playing video games. And I spent a lot of time in one fantasy world in particular. On an island where I had lots of friends and I was beautiful and two boys adored me. Sound familiar, Kairi?” Kairi felt the Keyblade drop from her hands. This... This was wrong... “Don't.... Please...” She knew about the two realities, but now this girl... “But it was only a fantasy. I could never really be on that island. I could never really be beautiful with lots of friends and the boys I loved.” Hikari laughed, an anguished sound. “I couldn't be with the boys I loved because they were only make believe. My real life was pointless and my fantasy life was just that, a fantasy. So I finally decided I wanted neither. So one night, I took my mother's shears and I slit my wrists so I could finally escape the pain and the longing for that which I'd never have.”Kairi held her head, trying to force it all away. “Then why are you doing this? Why can't you live here with them? Why can't you stay with mom? Why... Why?”Hikari glared at Kairi. “You are pathetic. No wonder I got rid of you. You always did make me indecisive. I was always so wishy washy when I had you inside of me. I won't live in a fantasy world. What's the point if none of it is real? And I won't live in a real life that's nothing but tears and pain. I'm going to die. And I'm going to tear down this fantasy world with me. I'm finally going to get my rest. I am the queen of the Heartless now, Kairi. I've set loose the horrors of the real world here and I'm going to use them to tear it apart. It's all just a lie.” She shook her head. “But you still don't understand. Kairi, I'm the real Hikari. I'm both Princess Hikari and Hikari in the real world. You're just a part of me. A sliver. And illusion. You're the small light in my heart that I sent away. You aren't real. Just as light is only an illusion, so are you.” Hikari reached forward, placing her hand over Kairi's heart. All of a sudden, Kairi couldn't breath. She gasped panfully, her body blurring and disipating. She shook, but couldn't move as Hikari went about dispelling the illusion that she was. It couldn't be... No... She could feel herself fading quickly. Riku... Sora... She had only wanted to be with them, to save them. Her mother... Soon it would all be gone. Just like her. Arms wrapped around Kairi tightly, trying to force her back into being. “Kairi, you have to fight it,” Riku told her, holding on as tightly as he could. “You have to believe. I know it's hard. But hold on. Please.” Hikari frowned as the dead boy tried to bolster her other self. It didn't matter. She was growing in power as the seconds ticked by, as the darkness grew. Within just a few moments, she'd be strong enough to dispell Kairi offhand. A swift blow knocked her hand away from Kairi. “Stay away from her!” Sora practically growled, holding the Keyblade towards her. Pain erupted in Hikari's heart again. Even the boys she loved were turning against her. Even if they were only figments of her imagination, it still hurt unbearably. “Sora...” Sephiroth gripped his sword. Remembering his earlier battle with Sora, this would be rather simple. The boy didn't even have back up this time. Pulling up the Masamune, the SOLDIER started towards the boy.“Don't, Sephiroth.” The cloaked boy watched Sephiroth through his blindfold. “King Ansem. How nice of you to join us,” Sephiroth bowed. Smiling faintly, he nodded towards Hikari. “I'm sorry to inform you, but I am Princess Hikari's royal guard. My loyaltly lies to her and her alone.”“Don't try and stop me, father. I'm ending this tonight. Everything will die,” Hikari said, not deigning her father worth a glance. Her pained eyes remained fixed on Sora. She'd known that he wouldn't follow her plan, but it hurt nonetheless. But he was only a dream, she told herself. That helped fill her resolve. It would all be over soon enough.Kairi leaned heavily against Sora, Riku's ghostly arms still around her. “Ansem?” So Ansem had survived. No wonder he looked so much like Riku. He was still in Riku's body. Then... That was her father. “Don't do this, Hikari. I let my curiosity overwhelm me. I let the Heartless consume me. Don't let them do the same to you. There is light in our hearts. Darkness isn't the only thing our hearts are born from,” Ansem pleaded.Hikari laughed. “I know that, father. That's why I sent my light far, far away. The Light gave me the power to destroy it all. Darkness is reality. Light is dreams. It's fragile and full of lies. So I'll put an end to all of it.” Raising her hand, the darkness in the Doorway to the Light pulsed. Shadows spilled out, engulfing all. In moments, there was nothing but darkness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harle and Aya watched as Darkness began spilling out, Heartless growing everywhere. The Darkness was overtaking all in it's path. It was enough to wash over all the universe. Harle shook her head. “Surely she has damned us all.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She sailed about in a sea of darkness. It was everywhere, and yet it felt like nowhere at all. It imprisoned her in it's painfilled memories of the past, lacing her with cold wracking sobs and blazing hot desperation. She had failed. Because of her, everything had ceased to be. Now there was only darkness. No dreams. No love. No Light. And this is all it would ever be. Because of her. 'Even in darkness... There will always be light...' Her grandmother had told her that, hadn't she? No, it was her mother. She had come home crying. Her mother had come in and smoothed down her hair and had told her that. 'Just... take my hand...' But what could she do? It was too late. It was all over. If she hadn't been blinded, if she hadn't been so stupid, maybe she wouldn't have forfeited everything.'Kairi, please...'So she could only float in the darkness, curled up into a ball, broken and lonely. Always so lonely. It wasn't so different from hiding in the bathroom at school crying, was it?'Kairi... reach out... take my hand...' But... But there was light, wasn't there? Even in the very deepest darkness. Because... without light, there could be no such thing as darkness. And without darkness, there could be no light. Kairi reached out for Riku's hand. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Kairi...” Riku knelt near her, watching the weary girl slowly push herself up. “Are you okay?”“Riku!” Kairi tried to hug him, but he shook his head. He was only a spirit. Ansem had his body. She couldn't hold him. She placed her hands on her knees in an attempt to keep from trying to touch him. She nodded slowly. “I'm... I'm okay.” “Good.” Riku smiled softly. “Where's Sora? And Ansem? And...” Kairi looked away. Hikari was her, wasn't she? So this really was her fault.Riku shook his head. “I don't know. I followed you into the darkness. You managed to fight it off. I think Hikari and Sephiroth went into the Doorway to the Light. I don't know where the others went.” “Thanks, Riku.” Kairi slowly looked back up at him. The silver haired boy gazed back into her eyes with his dazzling aquamarine gems. The princess smiled weakly. “I missed you so much.”“I missed you, too, Kairi. I wanted to see you one last time. I'm glad I got to.” Now that Riku could see Kairi, he could at last pass on. As long as he knew she was all right. “No!!” Kairi blinked back tearfully. “I need you! This isn't the last time! You're coming with me,” she demanded.“You don't need me, Kairi. You made your way here without my help. You're stronger than you know.” Riku smiled, placing his hand over her cheek. He wished he could feel it. Just one last time. “Maybe I should ask you to take care of Sora for me instead of the other way around.”“I do need you!” Kairi insisted. “I never would have gotten here without you. You were with me every step of the way.” Tears spilled freely down her cheeks. “I don't want to be without you, Riku. I love you. Don't go.” The last part nearly broke Riku's resolve. She loved him? How could he leave her? But he didn't have a choice. But... at least he knew that. He'd be able to hold that with him when he passed on to the other side. “Kairi, I love you, too. I always have. I'd stay with you always if I could. Always and forever.”Kairi finally noticed the dark haired girl behind Riku. The girl who had called herself Sophie. Death incarnate. She had come to collect Riku. “No...” She looked up pleadingly, but the angel of death shook her head simply. This was her job. “Riku...” Tears blurred her vision as she watched him stand up. “I won't let you go. I won't!” She pushed herself to her feet, reaching out for him. “Just...” She licked her broken lips, trying to see him through her tears. “Just take my hand. And it will be all...” Her voice broke, her throat painful now. “And it'll be all right. Just take my hand...” She held it out, her hand shaking. “Because... Because we'll always be together. Always. I believe that Riku. Please, please believe in that with me. Always....” Sophie placed her hand on Riku's shoulder. He looked back at the angel of death and then to Kairi. He was dead. Sophie was going to take him away. But Kairi wouldn't let go. She had a terribly strong will. “I told you that you're stronger than you know.” Riku smiled at Kairi, taking her hand. In a flash of light he was gone. Kairi closed her eyes, placing her hands over her heart. Riku was gone, and yet, she didn't feel alone. She felt... She felt as if he were close by. With her. 'Because you aren't alone,' his voice said in her head. “Riku!” Kairi's eyes lit up as she opened them.Riku's heart... When her heart had been separated from her body, she had ended up in Sora's body. Now Riku was without a body, but she had taken him into her own. He hadn't left. She let out a deep breath, relieved. Sophie turned away from her, walking back into the darkness. “You're running out of time. Hurry. I have to collect you next, you know.” With that, Death herself was gone.Kairi nodded. “Let's go, Riku. To end this.”