Fan Fiction ❯ He Who Opens the Door ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

He Who Opens the Door

Disclaimer-I don't own Kingdom Hearts or the characters

"The light, where'd it...? I don't know where........AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Kairi struggled awake, pushing all her weight against the something holding her down by her shoulders. A black figure stood over her, obscured further by the dark night, wide eyes staring at her with a pleading expression. Kairi sped into another panic attack, heart racing, breath heaving, but she didn't struggle, partly because the figure above her did not make any kind of move and she didn't want to startle the person into radical action.

"You've gotta calm down! Don't want anyone ta' hear us do ya?" The voice quieted with a giggle when the figure saw that Kairi's eyes had deflated somewhat and she had gained some kind of control over her breathing.

"King Mickey! Please don't...." Kairi breathed deeply relieved and throughly freaked, and sat up when Mickey moved to kneel next to her.

"You'd been struggling, and gruntin'. Ya even seemed like you were gonna scream, everything ok?" King Mickey put his gloved hand on her shoulder.

Kairi's eyes clouded in that instant, thinking back on that dream, "There was darkness." Suddenly, she looked up just acknowledging the fact that it was night and she shuddered, they were still on that same roof, "Endless darkness and I couldn't find my way out. I was always taught that there was light buried in the deepest darkness, but I couldn't find it. Like it didn't exist there." Kairi wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, "And then I couldn't find myself, like it was an out of body experience. Then...then there was the greatest pain I'd ever felt." Kairi gripped her shirt tightly and felt for a heartbeat, just to be sure it was still there, "It was like, like I'd been separated from myself. My own heart had just been ripped from my body, but I was still alive. And the worst part was..." tears spilled from her eyes and she made no effort to stop them. Mickey pulled her into a light embrace, saying nothing, just holding her calmly, "your highness, it wasn't my pain, it was, it was...someone else's."

Mickey made no soothing noises but just held her. Having to feel that, what could it possibly feel like? It didn't seem like anything could relate, having your very soul torn from your body and still remaining alive, unable to find yourself. Pure torture, cruel and evil is what the pertetrator must be to cause that kind of pain. And then to realize that it wasn't even you it was happening to you, the simulation was enough to mortify someone, but then find that it had ACTUALLY happened to someone. King Mickey knew there was something she wasn't saying, a guarded theory, and probably would not voice it unless Riku and her were alone, if then. The heartless and darkness were touchy subjects between all of them, and Kairi didn't seem like the person to openly speak of something like that unless she was immediately familiar with them.

"Where is Riku?" The question was not what had startled Mickey, Kairi'd managed to keep close tabs on Riku since they'd all come here. Even in that short span of time, Kairi knew where Riku was, whether he liked it or not. What surprised King Mickey was the incredibly light tone in which she asked the question, worry clouded it, but only slightly, like she'd just sprung from that black hole she was just in. Mickey let go of the hug and looked at her. The question was curious and her eyes shimmered in the darkness with an innoceent curiosity he thought only existed in small children these days. It was children who had brought light back, and ever since that incident, the human race had become different as they grew, it was certainly a pleasant surprise to see it glistening in the eyes of the woman in front of him.

"Heh heh, Riku'll be back soon. He just went to get some information. Sorry 'bout the rude awakening princess, but we couldn't have anyone-"

"Oh please don't call me that. I'm a Princess of Heart, not a real princess!" Mickey blinked at the sudden interruption and firm denial.

"But you are a princess, one of the most important princesses this universe'll have!" Kairi shrugged and looked out at the city. A small smile crept to her face, she couldn't deny she liked the title and the reputation. She'd live up to those expectations, it was vital to this universe, and Sora.

"So where exactly are we?" She gazed at the immense city before her, feeling slightly overwhelmed, it was bigger than Traverse Town!

"This is Twilight Town. A place where the sun never sets." Kairi turned her head quickly to King Mickey with surprise lighting her eyes, all around her was darkness, how could this-

"The heartless?" King Mickey nodded with grim determination to her question, "But King Mickey! I don't understand any of this, the heartless were sealed and Ansem destroyed."

A voice from behind startled Kairi. Riku came to a graceful landing at the edge of the roof, letting go of an obscured shape that flew off into the night as soon as it was free, making no sound at all, "Ansem wasn't the orginial creator of the heartless, merely a tool to set them free." Kairi blushed slightly as he seemed to give her a piercing glance, though still veiled by the blindfold. She could swear Riku could see through that thing, which only served to make her wish to tear it off more vehement. She was calmed immediately as Riku continued, "Ansem wanted to escape it more than anything, but he was only a tool, a pawn just like each who thought they had control of those forsaken beings." Riku threw his head to the side in disgust, perhaps with himself Kairi thought to herself. "It was all a distraction to keep the keybearer from opening the Door."

"But he closed that door!" Kairi was confused, Sora had to close that door, not open it! To open it was to allow the heartless access to all worlds, locked or not.

Riku sneered, "He closed Kingdom Hearts, but the Door to the Light still remains closed, thus the balance remains uneven. As long as the Light is sealed behind that door, the balance is tipped in the direction of darkness. Pretty soon, if we don't do something, all worlds will end in darkness."

"But what about the light in our hearts?!!" Kairi's eyes sparkled with anger, he couldn't just be giving in like that! There was something they could do until Sora could find the Door. The worlds would not end if they could find a way to stave off the darkness. Riku could not just dismiss everything she'd been taught like that!

"The light burning in the hearts of the pure are what hold the darkness back from completely taking over. But with the increasing heartless, the worlds are losing hope, and thus, light."

"Light still burns in the deepest darkness Riku! No matter what, someone cannot lose all of their light! Darkness cannot exist without the light-"

"And light cannot exist without darkness. The next thing you will tell me is all that is darkness is not evil," Kairi nodded with a smile, "but the important thing is, that this darkness IS evil, and lacks light because the Door is not open."

"So we'll help Sora by keeping our light strong and encouraging everyone we see to do the same." Kairi smiled triumphantly, her body language screaming faith in her plans. Riku smiled genuinely and nodded, confidence seeping into him, into his heart, where he thought nothing was able to enter any more.

King Mickey was standing apart, listening to the exchange patiently and smiled at the pair. "Your light burns bright within the two of you. Quite the inspiration!" He laughed.

Kairi glanced at him and suddenly frowned. Riku placed a hand on her shoulder concerned and asked gently, "What's wrong? What have you not told me?"

'So he can see through that thing!' Kairi pushed the thought away and looked from him to Mickey uncertainly before sighing and telling Riku of her dream. "It wasn't my pain Riku! It wasn't even me, but it hurt....so badly!" Kairi once again placed her hand over her chest to be sure her heart was still there and still beating.

"Sora." Riku barely whispered and looked to the star-studded black sky.

"It couldn't be Sora! With the keyblade-"

"He's not invinsible Kairi," Mickey cut in, "strong, but not invinsible."

"But he can't be dead! Sora can't be!"

"He's not dead Kairi. If you could still sense him, he's not gone. Somehow he's still alive, I know because I can feel it too. He's in danger, so we've got to find him as soon as possible. He can't face this alone." Wistfully, Riku looked to the eastern sky,"We'll find you Sora." Kairi smiled and put a hand on Riku's shoulder.

"So let's get outta this town and find 'im!" Mickey beamed and Kairi and Riku nodded.

"Kairi?" Riku crouched down and gestured for her to climb onto his back, "I'm afraid we'll have to travel like this often to avoid the streets. We've got to stay as far from the heartless as we can." Kairi no soon as climbed onto Riku's back than they were off, leaping from building to building. Kairi was as much startled as she was amazed, since when was Riku capable of this? Things had changed, but she'd find another time to worry about that. Beside her, Mickey kept pace with Riku, and sometimes they crossed paths mere centimeters from eachother.

Riku smiled when he heard her gasp. This had gotten easy for him, but he had to admit it was different having to carry someone, it slowed him slightly but that couldn't be helped and he didn't mind. "Our ship lies in the far corner of the city. Not a pleasant place I'm afraid and we'll encounter heartless, but nothing more than shadows." Kairi nodded in grim determination. This is where it all started again, and she wouldn't give in to fear like she had last time, she'd changed and wasn't necessarily dissatisfied with it.

A/N: oOh, more questions. I've got no reviews so far, is this liked? Some feedback is welcomed!