Revenge of the Hearts

Chapter XXXIV

"If only we could go through life, without making one single mistake..." ~Yuki Sohma (Fruits Basket)
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Running up the stairs and onto the second floor balcony there stood Kairi, with her Keyblade out still and Ansem. "Kairi, you were great!" Donald complimented her.

"Oh?' Kairi smirked as she did a little hair flip. Kairi and Sora approached each other, a look of relief on Sora's face. "You are different, Kairi, but I'm just glad you're here!" Sora smiled .

"You and Riku never came home," Kairi said. "Then, Saki went missing. So, I came looking for you."

"I'm sorry," Sora replied guiltily looked away. Kairi ran up  to him and gave him one big hug and Sora took a couple steps back, unsure  what to do.

"This is real..." she sighed. Then, Sora awkwardly wrapped his arms around Kairi. Donald gave an approving nod while Goofy laughed quietly to himself. I rolled my eyes and smirked at Sora.

Once Kairi pulled away from Sora, it was my turn. I bolted straight to grabbed Kairi and pulled her into a hug. "Kairi!" I cried.

She hugged me back tightly. "Oh Saki," she sighed. "I miss you a lot!"

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"Sorry?!" Kairi gasped, exasperated. "What are you sorry for?!"

"For what I said to you, of course," I buried my head into her shoulder, tearing up. "I was frustrated and angry, Kairi. I blamed you for my problems and lashed out at you. Forgive me for my actions."

"Are you kidding me?!" Kairi shouted at me. "You were right all along, Saki! I was the one in the wrong, I just wanted things to be normal again and go back to the way it used to be just to cover up the fact at how helpless I felt. After you went missing, the strangest thing happened. I forgot about you. Like, period. You were wiped from existence in my memory." Kairi began to tear up as she continued, "I didn't know who you were, Sakura. I remember every day walking pass your room after school and wonder 'Huh, when did I have another sibling living around here?' And then I forgot about Sora as well. When I remembered the both of you again, I felt horrible. I thought I was so angry at you and so upset that Sora and Riku went missing that I erased you both from my memory so I wouldn't have to think about it. I'm the one who needs to be apologizing, silly!"

"...You wanna know what?" I said. "Let's just acknowledge that both of us were wrong and say sorry and forgive each other, okay?"

"Right," she laughed.

Ansem opened a Corridor of Darkness and was about to steep through it when Sora stopped him. "Wait, Ansem!" He cried. "I mean, Xehanort's Heartless...I never thought for a second that I'd would see YOU again. Just thinking about all the things you did makes me really mad. But...but, you did save Kairi, right?. And I'm grateful for that...thanks."

Ansem turned back around and continued on his way when Kairi sprinted towards him and grabbed Ansem's hand. "Riku, don't go!" Kairi begged.

Sora's and Donald's eyes widened with shock and confusion as Goofy asked with confusion, "Huh?"

"Kairi, what did you just say?" Sora said.

"Riku," Kairi repeated.

"I'm no one-just a castaway from the darkness," Ansem snapped.

"Sora, Saki, come here," Kairi pleaded. "Say something to him."

I sighed and stepped forward. Sora watched me as I calmly made my way forward and he followed. Kairi took our hands, "Here. You'll both understand." She placed all our hands to the middle and gave Sora and I a knowing nod. "Close your eyes."

Sora did as he was told but I still stared straight at Ansem. "Are you ready?" I asked him softly.

He nodded without a response. I closed my eyes as well, and in the darkness, I saw Riku, tall with his silver hair and his aquamarine eyes that I could get lost into whenever I stared at him in the place of Ansem.

Sora opened his eyes and realizing the truth, collapsed to his knees, still holding onto Ansem's hands. "Riku..." he cried. "It's Riku...Riku's here. I looked for you!" Sora shed a tear as he looked away.

"C'mon, Sora, you got to pull it together," Ansem said with Riku's voice.

"I looked everywhere for you!" Sora sobbed.

"I didn't want you to find me," he replied, shocking Sora.

"But it was him that was helpin' us, wasn't it?" Goofy asked.

"Huh?" Donald replied, confused.

"Those clues we've kept findin'," Goofy explained. "That musta been Riku."

"I was starting to worry you guys weren't ever gonna catch on," Riku sighed, almost laughing. "Sora never did pick the brightest friends. Well, except maybe one." He stared directly at me and I scoffed at rolled my eyes, cheeks flushed.

"What do you mean by that!?" Donald demanded.

"Why didn't you let us that you were okay?" Sora yelled.

"I told you," Riku muttered, looking away as he lifted his hands and stared at them. "I didn't want to be found. Not like this...I couldn't. I fought with Ansem. With...Xehanort's Heartless-when it invaded my heart, and I won. But, to use the power of darkness, I had to become Ansem myself."

"Does this mean...you can't change back?" Kairi asked.

"This battle isn't over," Riku shook his head. "And until it is, I still need the power of darkness."

"The...let's finish it," Sora encouraged. "You're still Riku, no matter what!" Donald, Goofy, and Kairi gave a nod, showing their support for Riku. I smiled and gave a closed-eye nod as well. "So how 'bout it: Think we can handle one last rumble together? The King's waiting!"

"Yeah!" Donald nodded. "Let's get going!"