Redemption Frägment

Chapter Fifteen: Confrontation

Kairi wandered the halls of the Hallow Bastion castle, calling out for a reply. She received only her own echo until she reached what had to be the throne room, remembering the room with startling clarity as the place she’d woken from her heartless stupor. This was where Sora had rescued her from Riku – no, Ansem. He’d rescued her from Ansem and Riku had rescued her too. But…
Her fists clenched at her sides.

Riku had taken over Sora’s heart before she’d even had a chance. Her heart had been in Sora’s body, her heart was Sora’s heart, so why was Sora choosing Riku over her? That wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

She stepped up the stairs to where a throne had been set, freezing at the sight of who was sitting in that throne. Chin propped on a fist, aquamarine eyes on hers, silver hair falling around thin shoulders, he sat with one leg draped over one armrest, just smiling at her.

“Hello, princess.” Riku said. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Where’s Sora?” Kairi demanded, moving closer to the throne and Riku. The silver-haired boy shrugged.

“Somewhere. How should I know where he’s at?”

“He’s your best friend!”

“Fine thing to say coming from you. Aren’t you Sora’s friend too?”

Kairi scoffed but she didn’t reply, only moving closer to the silver-haired youth. She lifted a hand to her lips, tapping them gently as she circled the throne and Riku. When she came to stand before him, she bent at the waist, hands at her hips, smiling into Riku’s eyes.

“I’m going to be more than Sora’s friend. All I have to do is get rid of you.”

“I’m afraid that’s going to be a little difficult because,” Riku said as he inspected his nails. His eyes downcast, he simply avoided looking at her until her temper frayed enough to strike him. Her hand never made it to his cheek, Riku’s hand grabbing onto her wrist and squeezing tight. Kairi gasped and struggled against Riku’s hold as butter yellow eyes looked up at her through silver bangs, the boy rising to his feet with her held tightly. “I’m not Riku.”

Kairi gave a shriek as she struggled against the iron hold on her wrist, trying her best to tug on the hand holding her, trying her best to get free. But her captor wouldn’t let her go, instead dragging her to the center of the throne room.

“Ansem, I don’t think we wanted to scare her.”

Kairi froze, staring at Sora as he and the real Riku materialized out of the shadows, her eyes going wide at the syllable of the name. She turned to face the one holding her, swallowing. “Ansem?”

“Did you really think I’d let Riku confront you?” Ansem asked lowly. “If anything, he’d go off the moment you tried to hit him and then where would we be?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Well, we talked while we were waiting for you.” Sora said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Riku hit me when I called you a bitch, which you are, and said that I should’ve explained to you instead of just leading you on.”

“I’m not a –” Kairi frowned, glaring up at Ansem from beneath her bangs. “Okay, so maybe I am. But Sora, your heart was mine.”
“It was yours, yeah, but my heart was Riku’s.”

“It’s difficult to really explain in a coherent way, Kairi.” Ansem said softly. “Feelings can’t be explained. Sora and Riku are connected together on a far deeper level than you are connected to Sora. Think of it this way; Sora’s just your knight.”

Kairi frowned again, rubbing her wrist when Ansem finally released her, and stared at her own feet for a while. She was a princess of Heart. She had been protected by Sora throughout their adventure. He hadn’t once mentioned how much he loved her, and even though the clues had been there, staring her in the face, she’d ignored them. Damn. Dammit.

“It’s not fair I lost before the contest even started,” she whispered, arms folding over her chest as she stared at her two best friends. Sora gave her a lopsided grin and Riku’s mouth just twitched once into what constituted as a grin for him.

“Don’t be so upset, Kairi.” Sora said a little laughingly. “You can’t predict these things.”

“Still, if we can set the rivalries aside for now, we need your help.” Riku moved toward her, hands on his hips. “Can you use magic?”

“If I concentrate enough, why?”

“Because we can’t use Donald or Goofy right now. We can’t let them or anyone else know what we’re going to do.”

“What are we going to do?” Sora questioned. Ansem let out a soft sigh and moved forward a little, summoning up Redemption, holding her out to the three.

“We’re going to find out what this entity thing is. I have a quest to finish, and I know my answers will be there at the end. I want to know why I was affected so much when we fought that thing, I want to know why I’ve been having those nightmares, those visions. If anyone else goes with us, we won’t find those answers.”

“But what’s all that got to do with me?” Kairi asked, hands on her hips as she stared at the blade Ansem held out before her.

“It’s a well known fact that every adventuring group needs a healer.” Ansem deadpanned as he drew back his Keyblade and let it vanish.

“A healer.” Kairi said blandly. “Do I at least get a staff, huh? Maybe a white robe?”

“Don’t go all white mage on us, Kairi.” Sora said with a laugh. “Come on, I’ll take you to the armory and we can find you something there while Riku and Ansem pack our stuff. Sooner we leave, the less time any of the others have time to stop us.”
Kairi shrugged with a grin. “Well, at least I’m not being left behind again. Fine.”

“She’s certainly taking this a lot better than I thought she would’ve,” Ansem said to Riku as the brunette girl disappeared with Sora. Riku gave a sigh.

“I don’t know how the minds of women work, but I think she’s given up because she’s a closet yaoi fan.”

“Christ, what did we do to deserve this?”

“Hell if I know. Come on, before my parents figure out I’m plotting something dangerous,” Riku said, pulling Ansem with him toward the kitchens. They spent most of their time talking quietly, with Ansem discussing his nightmares, his dreams, his visions and what he saw and heard in them, sighing after a long while. It made no sense to him, but then, it made no sense to Riku either. Still, the two had a wonderful analytical conversation that neither Sora nor Kairi understood when they appeared in the kitchen to help finish the preparations.

“Well,” Kairi said, drawing back from her backpack, which was stuffed full of healing items instead of food like the boys’ packs were, “that seems to be about it.”

Sora grinned. “Let’s get going then.”

“Not yet.” Ansem said. “Wait an hour and then come to the throne room. Make sure you’re not followed and not seen.”

“Why an hour?”

“Because if we suddenly disappear now, they’re going to catch us,” Riku said. “Like on Destiny Islands, when we’d all disappear together to go to the play island.”

Both Kairi and Sora made an understanding noise.

“Okay.” Sora said with a smile. “An hour.”


Ansem guided the group through the tunnel beneath the throne, each moving at a quick pace to get as far from the main part of the castle as they could. It wouldn’t be long before the adults discovered they were missing, and Ansem hoped they’d be far enough away that none of those looking for them would be able to find them easily. They didn’t speak as they made their way down to the base of the castle through the secret passages, emerging onto the waters that somehow supported their weight. They hurried then to where Kairi had left the transport and stowed away before the final boarding call. The ship was away a few moments later and the four emerged from their hiding place to watch Hollow Bastion shrink into the distance.

“What do we do now?” Kairi asked.

“I don’t know,” Ansem replied softly. “I guess we just get off where this ship stops.”

“That’s a good way to get lost.” Sora said with a grin. “And a good way to find an adventure.”

“Do we have any more clues than that?” Riku asked. “I mean, really, if we’re just wandering around without an idea of what the hell it is we’re doing, we might as well just have stayed here.”

Ansem shrugged a little bit. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”

The three Destiny Islanders just looked at the silver-violet haired young man and shrugged in unison. All they could really do was wait now for something to happen, and hope that something would point them in the right direction.

The ship remained in space for hours, drifting leisurely along as the few passengers on board moved about, staring at stars and far off worlds, giggling and laughing and pointing. The only passengers that weren’t as excited were the Princess and the three Keyblade Masters. They sat in a secluded little area of the ship they’d claimed as their own and sat talking or, in Ansem’s case, sleeping. Kairi learned of all she had missed while Riku and Sora were away, staring at her staff and her repertoire of spells as she talked with her two best friends. Ansem twitched only once in his sleep and then was still.

-Crumbling rock, running as fast as possible to avoid the strike. A high leap, a twist, metal crashing against metal as the two combatants fought.-

-Look! Look at the power you would have! Just come back to me!-

-Never! I won’t go back!-

-You don’t have a choice, little fragment. I’ve already collected your brothers.-

-My… my brothers…?-

-Did you think you were the only one? No, no you’re the most important piece. I couldn’t let you come to harm before the others could…-

-Important…?-

-Can it survive?-

-Will it survive?-

-Can you survive?-

-I will survive. I will beat you. I will be free.=

-A harsh laugh, darkness and fear and hatred swirling within the evil sound. Sure, says the darkness, sure. Come here, come here to me, little fragment, and I will tell you how truly a slave you are.-

Ansem’s eyes opened, dull gold staring into Sora’s exquisite blue eyes. Riku and Kairi were hovering over his shoulders, and Ansem slowly sat up, looking startled that he had been lying on the floor of their small space. He shook his head at the unasked question that the three wanted to answer, and kept quiet as Kairi cast a quick Cure spell on the small cut on his forehead.

“What was it this time?” Riku asked.

Ansem gave a grim smile. “I know where we have to go, and you’re not going to like it.”