Awakening the Heart

Note: Well here it is, part one of the reunion. I ended it where I did because it seemed to just fit to end there. I'll have the conclusion up within a day at most. Promise.

Chapter 6

“There are moments in life, when the heart is so full of emotion That if by chance it be shaken, or into its depths like a pebble Drops some careless word, it overflows, and its secret, Spilt on the ground like water, can never be gathered together” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

'Soon,' the voice from before resonated inside Kairi's head. It was perhaps an attempt to comfort the girl who now was finding it harder and harder to stop the tears from welling up. Granted she hadn't really known either of them, one even having kidnapped her, but still. It wrenched at her heart, making her question even more what Sora was thinking. Xemnas looked at her, tears in her eyes, small hands clenched into fists infront of her chest. She looked as if any moment the damn holding her sorrow in her heart would break and let it out in a flood. Xemnas placed a hand on her back, motioning Saix to follow and led her to his personal quarters to sit before she collapsed. Once there her eyes looked to the floor, tears dripping down to meet the plain white tile.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, shocking Saix and even Xemnas a bit. "I'm sorry," she continued again,"I..I couldn't save them. I'm useless just like always."

With that Kairi started to fall to her knees only to never reach the floor. Xemnas caught her and brought her over to the bed to sit. She leaned against him, tears streaming down her face as she mourned the loss of Demyx and Axel in a way neither of them could. Saix hung back, a slight awkwardness present though he wasn't sure why. After a moment Kairi reached toward him, her eyes shining with tears as they met his.

"I'm so, so sorry," she said again, her hand falling to her lap as her head fell forward again, her hair shielding her face. Saix, unsure of exactly why he did it, moved over and seated himself to her right, as Xemnas was on her left.

"Kairi," he began, unsure of what to say as he hesitently put a hand to her shoulder, "You are not useless. Somehow things will work out."

A short time passed, her sitting between the two of them. Somehow over the course of the time she had manuvered one of their hands into each of hers. Neither man knew what to say. The proximity with her was erupting feelings, especially ones for her. Somehow though there was no jealousy present which perhaps may have been that neither of them voiced what they were starting to feel. After some time passed Kairi nodded and looked to each of them in turn.

"If I'm going to help you," she began, her tears no longer falling, "I need to be strong. I need to learn how to summon my keyblade to stop the sadness and save those who are special to me."

Meanwhile:

The trio entered got off the elevator and walked into the large open room. Looking around the place was mostly done in white, with trim in gray. Strange architecture was the only other adornment. There seemed to be no one around so Sora and the others kept walking forward. That's when the voice rang out.

"Well well, looks like you took a gamble coming here," Luxord shouted out as he stood on the ledge above, flipping a card around in his fingers. "Think it's time to ante up Roxas?"

"I'm not Roxas!" Sora shouted, summoning the keyblade immediately, "Why do you all keep calling me that?!"

"Heh," Was the only reply the blonde gambler gave him before flipping the card one more time and tossing it to Sora. It flew down to him and stopped infront of his face with the back of the card to him. "Care to make a wager Roxas? Are you feeling lucky today?" Luxord continued, egging him on. Sora growled and Donald interjected for him, "He's Sora! Not Roxas!"

Angrilly Sora reached a hand out and grabbed the card, turning to look at it. The face side of it was a heartless with a joker outfit on and a cheshire cat grin.

"Aw, tough luck, seems today wasn't your lucky day," The gambler said with a grin as he snapped his fingers and several heartless started to merge out of the walls. They kept coming and coming Sora battling off those who got too close.

"We can't keep this up," Sora said with a huff as he destroyed another shadow, "There's just way too many. If we could get rid of the guy controlling them..."

"Right!" Donald said as he fried yet another shadow that had gotten too close. Sora looked up to the balcony to find the blonde man gone and another in his place. This one had long hair in a ponytail, shaded between white and black with an eye patch over his right eye.

"Another one?" Sora asked, not realizing it was outloud. The man said nothing in reply, merely summoning his weapons, two guns before taking aim. Sora froze for a second, he was going to get shot. He didn't think the keyblade could really stop that. A moment later he realized that all the heartless that had been swaming them were being mowed down. Destroyed by this other organization member. 'Why is he helping me?' Sora wondered, confused for a moment before he realized it had to be a trap.

After the heartless were gone the man spoke, "Have you been a good boy?"

Sora growled in return, "Who are you?"

"Oh, it sounds like you haven't...," Xigbar replied as he looked down at Sora, "...Sora... Roxas!"

"Huh?" Sora was taken aback, what was with all these guys calling him Roxas.

"You've really put Organization XIII in a pickle," Xigbar continued, "Must be why the keyblade chose you. But man did it pick a dud this time. You aren't half the hero the others were."

"Are you done rambling?" Sora demanded, flinging his arm wildly to the side in an angry gesture.

"Rambling, as if!" Xigbar replied with a roll of his eyes, "What I'm telling you traitor is that your time is up!"

That said he brandished his guns and leapt down to engage Sora long enough to delay him.

"You're going to regret betraying us," He said as the fight began. Shots and swings mixed on the field, an intricate dance between the freeshooter and Sora. Occasionally Sora would get a good hit in and Xigbar would hop back to try and snipe at a range. Eventually the older man tired, his movements slowing. Xigbar slowed enough that Sora got a good shot in on him, a fatal shot. He was going to disappear he knew. That in his mind Xigbar knew he had to report back to Xemnas before he did disappear.

"Why did you call me Roxas?" Sora demanded as he watched the man start to fade infront of him.

"Wouldn't you like to know..." Xigbar said as he opened a portal through the darkness with what little energy he had left, disappearing through it to the Altar of Naught. The defeated man collapsed to the ground there as he portalled through. A grunt of pain escaped Xigbar's lips as he struggled to stand. He had to report to the Superior. He looked up towards where Xemnas' private quarters were to realize that the three were emerging from there. Apparently the sound of his arrival had alerted them to his presence. He grinned and after a moment winced as the pain flared up. That he did manage to feel and it wasn't pleasant. Immediately noticing his state Kairi launched her self forward.

"Oh no," She cried as she reached him and knelt beside him, examining his injuries, searching to see if she could somehow save him, somehow spare him from fading away also like so many others. Despite her efforts bits of him wafted away into the sky slowly. Tears welled in her eyes as she felt the crushing blow that she didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to stop this.

"Superior, sir," Xigbar managed to say, his voice strained, "He's on his way. I'm sorry I couldn't hold him longer."

Xemnas shook his head, silently absolving the other nobody of failure. He was watching as Kairi tried to tend to him, knowing there was nothing that could be done, unless she managed to awaken Kingdom Hearts fully. He was beginning to feel the stirrings of rage where his heart should be. There were less than a handful of members left and he was sure if Sora had his way no one would remain when he was done. His hands clenching to fists Xemnas strode over to look at Kingdom Hearts, his mind going a mile a minute trying to figure out how to do what needed to be done. Somehow Sora needed to be held up until Kairi could awaken Kingdom Hearts. That required her to summon her keyblade he recalled her saying, and they were still not sure to do that. Time unfortunately was running out for them. This was proven as footsteps on the stairs leading to the Altar of Naught drew Xemnas and Saix's attention. Xemnas looked at Saix who nodded in confirmation and both men stood to flank Kairi in a protective gesture. To Sora however as he rounded the corner of the last steps to the balcony it was not seen as protective.

"Kairi!" Sora shouted out, beholding his childhood friend on her knees trying to help the nobody who had attacked him. He looked between Xemnas and Saix standing beside her. How could they hold her captive and make her listen to them. How dare they make her work to save another nobody. "You guys are going to pay for everything you've done, especially kidnapping Kairi," Sora shouted, summoning the keyblade and whipping it into a battle stance. Kairi's eyes shot up to look at him, tears in her eyes which further cemented, in Sora's mind at least, that the she was being forced to their will.

"It's only fitting I suppose," Saix started, his eyes narrowing at the one who was causing Kairi pain, "that you should make it this far Roxas."

"I'm not Roxas!" Sora shouted, brandishing the keyblade again, "That's getting really old!"

Kairi looked up to Saix for a moment, confused as to why he had called him Roxas. Before Xigbar who was laying still in her lap gave out another groan. Her attention back on him fully she tried frantically to think of what she could do. Nothing coming to mind she prayed to Kingdom Hearts. Imploring it to guide her, for strength, to save the one before her who had really wanted nothing more than a heart.

'Please,' she silently prayed, 'I know I don't have my keyblade, and I know I'm still so unsure of what to do but save him. Please, don't let him suffer for my inability. I don't want anyone else to disappear.'

A warmth flooded her chest and before her eyes Xigbar stopped fading away. His form becoming more solid again as behind them, high in the sky Kingdom Hearts pulsed and let off a warm glow. The pulse had a secondary reaction as elsewhere in the castle Ansem the wise, the true Ansem, and King Mickey were watching as a machine tried to reencode Kingdom Hearts as data. The pulse flooded back through the machine, shattering the core that powered it. Both gasped and looked at the now broken machine.

"Ansem..." Mickey began, looking to the older taller man, "What happened? What now?"

Before Ansem could reply though a soothing voice flooded into both of their minds. 'All will be well,' it spoke, somehow having a calming effect on both mouse and man, 'The princess of the heart will ensure that what needs done is done. Trust in her and the power of her light.'

As both Ansem and Mickey looked at each other the voice faded from their minds, the pulse of Kingdom Hearts fading back to it's normal glow. Clearly something was going on elsewhere in the castle, the question was just what.

Back at the Altar of Naught:

Xigbar put a hand to his chest, he had stopped fading, he was no longer disappearing back to the darkness. What had the little princess done, he wondered. Regardless he owed her, big time. Sora meanwhile stared on in shock and horror. He didn't know if he could take all three nobodies at once but he would die trying if that's what it took. They had to pay for imprisoning Kairi and bending her to their will.

"Let Kairi go!" Sora shouted as Kairi stood, still between Xemnas and Saix, now with a sitting upright Xigbar infront of her. The one eye'd man stood, moving to stand beside Xemnas as Luxord portalled in to the right of Saix. Facing off with Kairi in the middle Sora growled. The odds were really not in his favor now but he had to do something. However the straw that broke the camel's back came from the blonde haired man as with a slight sigh and a disapproving look he asked, "How could you Roxas?"

"I don't get it. I'm not Roxas!" Sora shouted, preparing to charge forward, "I'm Sora and I'm gonna save Kairi no matter what!"

As Sora rushed forward toward them, a tear fell from Kairi's eye as she, who had been quiet til now whispered, "I don't need saving Sora. Not in the way you think."

As he got closer to them, keyblade poised to strike Kairi lurched forward coming between Sora and his prey. She flung her arms out to her sides forming a wall between Sora and the others with her body. A cry of 'Sora Stop!' tore from her lips as her eyes closed. As her left hand flung out, forming the wall however something happened. With a pulse a keyblade appeared in Kairi's hand. Soft colors accented by flowers and a heart shaped guard she didn't realize it at first, nor in enough time to use it. The others noticed and the organization members hoped that she would bring it up to block. However Sora's keyblade was already set in it's path to strike and too late he realized that with his swing he would strike down the one he was trying to save. He tried to backpedal, to alter the course of the weapon but he could merely watch wide eyed as the strike came closer and closer to Kairi. His eyes closed, not wanting to see what he was about to do as behind him both Donald and Goofy shouted his name out. Eyes closed he never heard or felt the keyblade reach her. Instead a clang met his ears and opening his eyes quickly, praying he'd just missed he noticed another cloaked figure standing between him and Kairi blocking his weapon from her with it's own. Sora's eyes widened as did Kairi's as both beheld the figure who had blocked the blow. A keyblade esque weapon in his hands with angelic and demonic wings making up the handle and general design held Sora's keyblade at bay with ease. A pulse resonated in Kairi's chest as she looked at the figure and somehow she knew, without seeing him, hearing him, any other physical proof she knew.

"Riku..."