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Oh goodness! >-< *fails about*
The fluff in the chapter mixed well! :3
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DeviantART: Karen-windwaker
Fanfiction.net/ Fictionpress.com : Karen Kano
Threw out the internet I'm just known as Karen. <3 so Call me it if you'd like!
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LOL really? Cool I have finally mastered the art of subtle!fluff!
Yay.
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^__^ Now I have a question~
D: Where the heck do I post my art-stuff on this site~?
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you can put in here i f you want
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LOL ras you read my story???
Why else would you randomly click on the thread??
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Chapter Eight: It's A Small World, After All.....
Karen Kano sat on the bed, holding her aching head in her hands. Emi had changed out of her band uniform and was now wearing a tight purple tee-shirt and ripped jeans. She glared at Sora. She didn't really know why she was angry. Sora stood at the window, watching the digital sky turn darker. The sunset had been beautiful, even if it was just a program. Riku sat in the desk chair, staring stonily in at the floor.
"Geez... can I at least bring my sticks?" moaned Emi. Sora muttered "Sure." Emi grabbed a pair from the bedside and shoved them into her back pockets. Sora turned. "Fifteen minutes and we're going. Do what you need to do." Karen stood up shakily. The Heartless battle earlier had left her brusied. She looked at Emi. "Are you ready?"
"I've been ready for seventeen years. Let's get our tails out of this place," said Emi stoicly. And it was true. She was leaving nothing behind. The way she saw it, leaving this place was the best thing she could do. She could only be moving towards something greater. There was nothing here for her anymore. No family, one friend... one friend who was coming with her anyway.
Emi looked away from the others, leaning against the door and bowing her head. She crossed her arms. Sora looked to Karen. "What about you, are you ready?" he asked. Karen shrugged. "I have to keep telling myself... there isn't anything here. This is all a facade. My friends, the school...everything is...a lie. It's kind of sad but... liberating at the same time. I can't wait to get out there and see everything, but... it breaks my heart to leave this place, even if it isn't real."
Riku had to point something out. He looked up. "Karen... you know this is more than just a sight-seeing vacation, right? There are going to be battles... it's going to be tough. I don't think you get the magnitude just of what we are doing." "I..... um..." said Karen, biting her lip. Riku leaned over. "We're going on a journey. To find and close two Doors, one of light and one of dark. If we don't... or if we don't make it in time... the darkness coming from the door will eat away at the heart and soul of every world. Even the light coming from the other door won't be enough, do you understand? The darkness... is already coming through and coroding the Door to Light. We don't have much time now."
"I knew we should have left when we had the chance before...." muttered Emi with a scoff. Nobody paid much attention to her. Karen wilted. "I know. I know...it's just that I...." she said sadly, turning her face away from Riku. Riku sighed. He hadn't meant to make her sad. Sora tapped his fingers against the window pane once and said "Well, in that case... let's get going now then. No reason to stick around."
Emi nooded once and stood up straight. Karen looked up and around the room. This was the last time she would see it. She took every detail into memory. Then, she squared her shoulders and stood up and nodded. "Okay, let's go." Emi turned and opened the door. She walked out and down the hall, not even waiting for the others. Riku rose from the chair and pushed it back under the desk. Sora walked from the window to the door, stopping for a moment to look at Karen. She was staring at the window over her shoulder.
"Karen..." said Sora, taking a step back into the room. Karen looked at him, somewhat startled, like she hadn't known anybody was watching. "No matter what Riku's says... you're going to be okay. I promise. Okay?" he said, walking to her. Karen nodded. "Okay," she said. They walked to the door together.
Emi and Riku were waiting at the top of the stairs for them when they finally rounded the corner. The sky was already dark and the moon was rising. The faint light coming through the massive stained-glass windows cast eerie yellow and red shapes onto Emi and Riku's skin. The yellow from one of the panes reflected in Emi's pale green eyes, giving them a kind of yellow tint.
Riku stared at her. He wasn't sure why, but there was that feeling again. Why did she seem so familiar!? Standing there in that strange light, the pull on his memories was so strong. He was certain he had never seen this girl before. That much was obvious if her story was true, that she had lived here for most of her life. Maybe, while he was with DiZ... he had controlled this place. Maybe he had seen her once, on the screen. No... that wasn't it.
It just wouldn't click. Sora and Karen joined them and Emi moved from the light, going down the stairs. Emi moved with a different kind of grace than the dancer Karen. Karen moved swiftly and gracefully, but Emi had an arrogant regality about her. Riku asked her "Do you know the way to the Old Mansion?"
Emi stopped on the middle landing of the stairs. "You mean the haunted one in The Woods? Yeah, sure... but why?" Sora laughed behind them. Emi looked over her shoulder and gave him a cold glare. Sora just shurgged. Riku continued, turning slightly to include Karen in the conversation.
"The way out of the digital Twilight Town, as well as the way in, in the real Twilight Town, is in the Old Mansion. In the library, under the floor, there's a basement lab. The computer there will get us out," he explained to them. Emi raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Oookay, whatever you say," she said, continuing down the stairs. Karen seemed a little wary, too. But she just smiled and said "Okay." She followed Emi down the stairs.
The front hall was deserted again. Their footsteps echoed around the huge space. The only light came from the windows, which cast the same yellow and red shapes on the polished stone floor. "Good bye, you stupid hall," said Emi, to herself. "Goodbye, stupid cafeteria. Goodbye stupid dorms. Goodbye stupid classes, and stupid teachers and ugly stupid Headmaster. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye." She said this all with a heavy contempt, almost spitting the words.
Karen thought something along the same lines, only instead of acid in her voice there was a heavy sadness. "It's not real, none of this is real, I am leaving nothing behind." But still, it hurt. Outside, they walked past the fountain for the last time. Emi's eyes flickered towards it for a moment and she smirked. Karen tried not to look at it, knowing it would bring fond memories to the surface and probably break her.
Through the lazy city they went. The city looked cozy at dark. It reminded Sora vaguely of Traverse Town. The lights gave off a soft glow and the few people that were out gave the town a sort of soft murmur. Nobody minded the four teenagers walking to the huge crack in the wall that would lead them to The Woods.
The Woods were frightening at this time of night, but Sora, Riku, Emi and Karen were old enough not to be afraid. Their feets crunched against the dead leaves and pine needles on the ground, but that was the only sound. No one spoke. This was sort of a...reverent event. A rite of passage almost. Not only that, but what do you say when you are leaving the only home you ever knew? A home you just discovered didn't exsist really in the first place.
Emi grunted gently when she realized something. "Hey, Riku," she said, asked. They both stopped and Sora and Karen, who had moved in front of them, kept walking. "Yeah?" answered Riku. "The people here? Won't they miss us? What's gonna happen when the headmaster nevers finds us? Or when we don't show up for classes and therapy and stuff?"
Riku sighed heavily. "Well.. I wasn't sure how you guys would take it if I told you before. But, since this is a computer generated town, it's possible to erase your existence. These people are just...programs. We could reprogram them to ignore your exsistence in this place? You got that?"
Emi nodded. "Yeah. Good. I don't care. Listen, I'm still sorry for tackling you earlier. I guess you know by now I have a bit of an anger problem." Riku smirked. "Oh, yeah, I noticed. You're forgiven," he said. Emi nodded and started back towards the mansion again.
Standing in the front of the mansion, Sora withdrew his keyblade. Emi and Karen gasped when he used it to unlock the front gate. Emi punch Riku in the arm. "Couldn't you have done that when we broke into the drama department? And save me from taking the hinges off the doors? Huh?" she mumbled. Riku smirked and shrugged. Emi stood there for a moment as the others walked in, narrowing her eyes at Riku. And then stomed on, following them.
The interior of the mansion was downright creepy. "On your toes, guys," warned Sora. "This place was crawling with Nobodies last time I was here." "Okay," they all said. Karen and Emi had already had Nobodies explained to them, so they knew they were something to look out for.
Up the stairs and down the carpeted hallway. Sora rested his hands on the heavy wooden door of the library and pushed. The door creaked open, and they filed in one by one through the crack. Emi was the last one end and she joined Emi in being awed at the giant hole in the floor.
"Yeah, that's still weird," chuckled Sora, jogging down the ramp. Emi and Karen glanced at each other and then followed him and Riku. Their feet made a metallic clanging noise against the metal. The lab door wooshed open eeriely. For a moment, Riku wondered who was maintaning this place in DiZ's absense. Then he remembered, this place was designed to run itself.
"Okay," said Sora. "That's it. All we have to do it touch that beam of light over there and we get transported to the real Twilight Town. Are you girls ready?" Both girls nodded solemly. Sora demonstrated, walking over to the beam and passing his hand through it. He dissapeared in a flash of data, leaving Riku and the two girls behind.
"Who's next?" asked Riku. Karen raised her hand and bravely stepped forward. "Go on," urged Emi, patting her friend on the shoulder. Karen looked up anxiously, but something in Emi's pale green eyes encouraged her. "I'm coming right after you," Emi told Karen.
Karen smiled. "I'll be waiting," she said. And then she touched the beam.
Emi and Riku were left alone. Emi straightened up and brushed her hair off her shoulder. Riku smirked because her hair was so bushy and it all seemed to move at once. She glanced at Riku, blowing her razored bangs out of her eyes. "See you on the other side," she said, raising an eyebrow. She turned her attention to the beam, reached out and touched it. She was gone before Riku blinked.
He laughed to himself then. It started out as a chuckled, but escalated into a loud, racous laughter. Wiping a tear from his eye, he stepped into the beam and was transported to the other side.
~
Sora was waiting for them next to the computer bank.Karen tumbled through and said "... it doesn't look any different? Did it work?" "Yup," said Sora with a bright smile. "Welcome to the real world, Karen Kano."
Karen smiled and felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and there was Emi, a puzzled expression on her face. "Don't worry," she reassured her. "Sora said it worked. We're... we're really here."
Emi blinked and then nodded. Riku stumbled through next, his face still bright from the laughing.
"What's so funny?" chuckled Sora. "I'm not...quite sure," replied Riku breathlessly. Emi looked at him like he was crazy and rolled her eyes, but Karen giggled. Sora looked around."It looks like Hayner and the others must've gone on home. Riku, what do you think we should do?"
"We should probably find a place to get some sleep and then figure the rest out tomorrow," said Riku. Sora nodded. "Okay, but where?" he asked.
Karen perked up. "Well... I don't know about in THIS Twilight Town, but in MY Twilight Town, Hayner and his friends had a kind of a hang-out in the Back Alley. Do you think the Hayner of this Twilight Town would mind if we stayed there?"
Sora thought about it for a moment, putting his hand to his chin. "Yeah, I don't think they'd mind, given the circumstances. Let's go," he said, starting towards the stairs. Karen, Riku and Emi all looked at each other, Riku shrugged and they followed after the spiky haired brunette.
~
"HEY! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU GUYS DOING!?" screamed a voice. Sora opened his eyes blearily and wondered for a moment where he was. Then he remembered and the voice booming from the door way registered. "Oh, Hayner..." yawned Sora.
Karen was sitting straight up on the sofa, absolutely terrifed. Emi was asleep on her stomach on the sofa, her head hanging off the arm rest. She was snoring. Riku was awake, too, rubbing his eyes. His silver hair was messed up, but he was staring at Hayner, Pence and Olette. Hayner didn't look happy.
"Okay, look, I don't mind if you guys spent the night here, but you could've left your girlfriends behind," he growled. Sora blinked and Riku muttered "They aren't our girlfriends. These are the people we were looking for yesterday, remember?"
Sora stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. Karen hopped off the couch and said "Sorry. I'll leave, I'll meet you guys out at the Tram Common," she said, speeding towards the door. Olette stopped her. "No, it's alright. Hayner was just startled, please... stay!"
Karen hesitated at first but then she nodded and fell back to stand next to Sora. Pence motioned towards Emi. "Is she okay?" he asked Warily. Karen nodded. "She's fine. She always sleeps like this. Do you want me to wake her?"
"I got it," said Riku. Karen's eyes widened "Are you sure? Emi was really angry the last time you..." But Riku had already grabbed her ankles. Karen covered her eyes and squealed as Riku jerked Emi off the couch. Emi tumbled off with a scream, just like last time, and Riku stood there and laughed at her.
She sat up straight, pulling hair out of her mouth and eyes and Karen ran over and helped her up. "Hey, you... didn't you learn last time?" hissed Emi, poking Riku's chest stiffly. Then she noticed Hayner and his two friends and covered her face.
Sora jumped in front of the whole scene with a nervous laugh. He grabbed Riku and Emi's wrists and said "Ooookay, we'll be leaving now, bye!" and dragged the two forward, pushing past Hayner and Pence. Karen squeaked and ran to follow them.
"Those guys get weirder and weirder everytime we see them," observed Pence with a shake of his head. Hayner and Olette laughed.
~
Sora and the others ran all the way to the Tram Common. When they got there, they leaned against a wall and laughed. Even Emi chuckled, even though she covered her smile with her hand. "What do we do now? We found Karen. What should we do?" asked Riku.
Sora thought for a moment and said "I'll bet Leon and his friends would help us out. We should go to Hollow Bastion." "Radiant Garden," coughed Riku, with a smirk. Sora punched him in the arm. Karen's eyes went wide. "A...another world? Again? Just how many are there."
Riku and Sora chuckled. "Several thousand, I'd guess," said Sora. Riku shook his head. "No. There are an infinite number of worlds," he said, as-a-matter-of-factly. Sora shrugged at Karen and Emi, and laughed. "How do you suppose we are going to get to this world," said Emi boredly. "Fly?"
Sora and Riku looked at each other and Sora replied "Yes, actually. We are going to fly."
Emi and Karen blinked. "Humans can't fly," Emi stuttered. Sora laughed at her and said "Trust me. I used to do it all the time. But where am I going to get my gummi ship? There's no way there is enough time to build a new one."
Sora paced as he thought. Emi leaned over and whispered into Karen's ear "What have you done? Dragging us along with two pyschos?"
Suddenly, Sora had it. "Yen Sid!" he yelled, grabbing Riku's shoulders and shaking him. Riku laughed and said "A what?" "No, no, Yen Sid. Riku, you should know him! He was King Mickey's teacher. He helped me and Donald and Goofy last time. He should be able to help us again."
"Oh, him," said Riku, sarcastically. "I don't get it," said Karen. "I'm hungry," said Emi, as ignorant as ever. Everybody looked at her and she said "Can't we at least get some breakfast before we go off adventuring?"
Sora, Riku and Karen laughed and agreed that they were hungry. "First, breakfast. And then, it's off to the train station!"
~
After breakfast, they walked all the way to the train station. The walk wasn't as silent as the one to the Old Mansion the night before. They all chatted and Sora explained. "Okay, we are going to get on this magic train, right? And then we're gonna go vist this really smart old guy. Hopefully he can help us in the transportation deparment. I have a hunch that King Mickey has already taken care of it."
"King... Mickey?" asked Karen. "What kind of name is Mickey for king? And who is this guy anyway?"asked Emi. Riku sighed and looked up at the sky. "King Mickey was this really great... king," he said, failing to find the words. "If it weren't for him, I really don't know where I would be now."
There was an awkward silence. But Sora broke it by saying "Yeah, the King is great. I'd really love him if he hasn't left us hanging."
They walked into the train station, and Karen and Emi gawked when the two boys walked right past the ticket counter. "Hey. Hey!" said Karenm running to catch up with them. "You can't just get on a train, you have to pay!"
"Not for this particular train, we don't have to, now hurry," said Riku. Emi sighed and joined them next to the empty tracks. "Not even the town line is here right now," she huffed. "Just wait," said Sora. They waited. Riku leaned over to Sora and asked "How exactly did you get this magic train to appear the last time?"
Sora blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, well... King Mickey did it, I think. It was just sort of...here. Aw, geez...Yen Sid is like... the Wizard of All Wizards, you would think that he would notice us standing here waiting."
As if by magic, the huge doors that let the trains in and out rumbled open. Emi jumped back, startled, but Karen bounced on her toes and clapped her hands. "Yay! Magic train time?" she exclaimed. Sora smiled and patted her shoulder. "Yeah, it's magic train time."
They boarded the train when the doors wooshed open. Karen and Sora sat on the plush benches happily. Riku leaned against the wall next to the door, propping his foot against it. Emi reached up and grabbed the hand hold, shoving her other hand in her pocket. She was used to the trains of Twilight Town. Karen rested her palms on her knees and leaned towards her friend. "Are you excited yet?"
Emi looked down boredly. "Yeah. Magic train... woohoo," she said, sarcastically. Karen smirked and smacked her friends elbow. Emi stuck out her tongue. Looking out of the window, Sora saw the flash that told them they were now in the world outside of Yen Sid's tower.
Emi's pale green eyes went wide. "What the he..." she started, but Karen smacked her on the arm roughly and said "No cursing. Not even on the magic train." Karen scrambled onto her knees and peered out the window. "Whoa, awesome," she squeaked. "Yeah, isn't it?" said Sora. Karen nodded. Emi still looked a little bit frightened. Her grip on the hand hold tightened.
The train stopped and the door next to Riku wooshed open. Karen went out first, excited, followed by Sora. Emi walked to the door and stared at Riku for a moment. "Are you sure you aren't crazy?" she asked, seriously. Riku smirked. "No," he replied.
Emi rolled her eyes and shoved him over a little. Then, she stepped out of the train and over to Karen and Sora who were running towards the door. Riku hopped out and no sooner than he had landed on the soft grass than the train dissapted behind him. "Oops," he said, looking over his shoulder. "Did I do that?" he asked to no one in particular. He dashed to catch up with the others.
Sora pulled open the giant doors and they peered up, up, up. "That's... a lot of stairs," said Emi nervously. "What, are you stair phobic or something?" asked Sora sarcastically. Emi glared at him dangerously. "No use in wasting time. Start climbing, you wusses," said Riku, starting up the stairs.
"Please no heartless, please no heartless, please no heartless," Sora prayed as they walked up the stairs. No heartless appeared as the climbed stair after stair, opened door after door.
Finally the reached the top. Sora almost barged right in but Riku stopped him and said "Geez, don't you know how to knock?"
Sora sighed and knocked on the door. "Enter," boomed a deep voice from behind the door. Sora's hands alighted on the door knob and he turned it. They walked in, and there was Yen Sid, sitting at his desk. Sora stood in front of the desk and bowed. Riku bowed as well, and Karen swooped down into her prettiest ballet curtsy. Emi, who was somehow even ruder than Riku, just waved and said "Hey."
Karen smacked her in the stomach and said "Bow, you moron" and so Emi copied Karen. Or at least she tried to. Her curtsy was a little...clumsy and she almost fell flat on her face. Her cheeks burned with blush.
Yen Sid stared at them stonily for a moment and said "Sora, Riku, Karen, Emi... I've been waiting for you."
Sora, Riku and Karen straightened up gracefully. Emi stumbled around a little, trying to untangle her feet. She finally managed to stand up and she shoved her hands into her pockets. "You have already explained to the young women about the journey," said Yen Sid. It wasn't a question.
Sora coughed. "Um, well. That depends. I told them about the heartless and stuff... but really, none of us sure what the heck is going on... uh,sir," he said. Yen Sid nodded slowly. "If you will walk through that door, you can prepare for your journey. Return here when you are ready and I will explain what is happening."
Sora nodded and said "Thanks, sir," and pushed his friends through the door. On the other side, three old women waited. Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. Red, green and blue, and bickering as usual. "Oh, God, please no," said Riku. The three fairies notice the four young people and shrieked with delight.
Emi's eyes went wide for the nth time that afternoon. "What the heck? Now there are fairies?" she muttered. "Master Yen Sid sent you in here for preparation, didn't he?" asked Flora. "Oh, yes. These two girls are in desperate need of some better travel clothing, don't you think, Merryweather?" asked Fauna. Merryweather nodded. "You first," said Merryweather, grabbing Karen's wrists and pulling her forward. Karen cried out and the others took a few steps back. "This could get violent," said Sora with a nervous laugh.
The fairies circled around the small, slim Karen. Poking her, prodding her. "I think she's look best in red," said Flora proudly. Karen coughed and said "I really don't think th--" "No, green!" intteruppted Fauna. Karen sighed defeatedly when she was interruped again when Merryweather yelled "Blue!"
After a few minutes of squabbling and even taking a few swipes at each other with their wands, Karen finally yelled "Will you old women PLEASE get me out of these jeans and shirt please? I want something cool looking and... in purple, please!"
The old fairies looked at her, somewhat tiffed and then they rememberd they were supposed to be outfitting her. They circled around her and Flora said "All right, all together now!" and with a flick of their wands... a brief flash of light and Karen looked down at her self. Purple skirt with black stitching. A purple coat with black triangles on the sleeves that buttoned at her collar bone, over a slightly belly-bearing lavender tank top.
"Wow, it's great," exclaimed Karen, kicking her new purple and black boots. "You next, Emi-chan," she said to Emi, walking over to join Sora and Riku. "One more thing, Karen, dear," said Flora. "We've endowed that necklace around your neck with very special powers. We're leaving it to you to figure out what they are."
Sora leaned over. "They said the same thing to me, and I got my drive forms," he said. "Drive forms?" asked Karen. "Yeah, I'll explain later."
The fairies were a little quicker with Emi. "My, my..." said Fauna. Emi sighed. "Whatever. Just not pink, please," she said. "I've got a marvelous design," said Fauna. The three fairies consulted for each other privately for a moment and then turned to Emi. They flicked their wands and there was the bright flash again.
Emi looked down at herself nervously, but heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that it wasn't pink or lacy or poofy. Slightly baggy black jeans under a green mesh wraparound, around her waist. She was also wearing a purple and green striped quater length shirt that bared her shoulders and collar bone, under a short sleeved jacket made of light brown, soft leather. Pieces of purple, silky fabric came off the jacket and hung around her knees. "Cool," she said, peering down at her purple and green sneakers. "We also endowed your necklace with special powers. Although they are unlike the ones given to your friends, they will still help you in your journey."
Emi pulled at the black leather cord around her neck nervously as she went to join her friends. Karen elbowed her in the ribs. "Oh, you get special powers."
"Good luck on your journey," said the old women. Sora thanked them and they all turned and walked through the door.
Time for this adventure to get rolling.
~~
It gets KH-y!
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Chapter Nine: In the Palm of a Hand Making a Fist
On the other side of the door, Yen Sid stood menacingly in the middle of the room. It made them all, (Sora, Riku, Karen and Emi) stop in their tracks for a moment. The door shut behind them with a small thump and click. Riku cleared his throat in Sora's direction, and Sora bowed deeply.
"Sorry to rush you, sir, but..." he tried to say but he was interrupted in mid-sentence by Yen Sid.
"Your vessel awaits outside," he said calmly. There was a sigh of relief from the four teenagers. Yen Sid continued. "Mickey has already visited this place, and left a vessel for you. He also left instructions. You are to go to Hollow Bastion and get help from the people living there. Squall and his friends. Mickey said he would meet you there."
Sora was so relieved. He was so happy that Mickey was one step ahead, it gave him a sense of security. Yen Sid motioned towards the door. Sora began to walk towards the door, followed by Riku and the two girls. Sora stopped at the door and turned around. Riku turned around in mid-stride, and the two girls were already facing him. Yen Sid turned around to face the young brunette.
"Thank you, sir," he said, simply. He had nothing else to say. He opened the door and walked out. Riku nodded at Yen Sid. Karen curtsied and laughed and skipped out. Emi was last. She raised an eyebrow at Yen Sid, nodded and walked out.
There, right outside... the Gummi ship. Sora almost squealed like a little girl when he saw it, jumped up, and ran towards it. The others were close behind. Sora boarded the ship first and ran his hands over all the instruments.
"Hello, beautiful," he sighed, sitting in the pilot's seat and resting his cheek against the on-board keyboard. Riku smacked the back of his head and said "Let's get a move on, lover boy. The darkness is waiting for you to get reaqauinted with a machine."
He noticed a piece of paper lying off to the side.
"The gate has already been open" it said
Sora sat up and started pushing buttons. The door whirred closed behind Emi, who grimaced lightly. Karen sprinted up to Sora and stood behind him. Sora looked up as Riku sat down in the co-pilot's seat with the note and passed it to Sora. Sora read it and smiled. Emi was still standing by herself, watching the entire soon with raised eyebrows.
Sora looked up at Karen playfully. "Are you girls ready to go to a whole new world?" he asked. Karen nodded rapidly.
"Cool," Sora said. "We're off!"
~~
Sora knew Hollow Bastion when he saw it. Karen peered out of the window and gasped. "That's where we're going, isn't it?" she squeaked.
Emi was sitting off to the side. She rolled her eyes and blew her bangs out of her eyes before standing up to join her friend. She, Riku and Karen all crowded around the window as Sora brought them down. They landed and the vessel shook a little under their feet. Sora spun around in the pilot's chair, pushing a button on his way around and the door flew open.
"Let's go," he said happily. "I haven't seen Squall and Yuffie and Aerith and Cid and Merlin and those little fairy people and the shop attendents and the moogles and all those ducks...in a really long time." He took a deep breath and jumped out. Riku went out, and Karen looked at Emi with a bright smile. Even Emi had to smile, a small smirk, but a smile none-the-less.
They found themselves in the market of Hollow Bastion. Sora didn't see anybody he recognized at that moment, so he motioned for the others to follow him. "Come on," he said. "They're probably at Merlin's house."
They all walked to Merlin's house. Karen and Emi were trying to absorb things as quickly as possible, not knowing how long they were going to be here. Everything was happening so fast! They reached the strange-looking cottage and were greeted with a loud thump. Karen and Emi looked at Sora and Riku expectantly. Maybe it was normal....?
Sora knocked and Yuffie flung the door open, looking slightly out of breath. Cid was lying on the floor in the fetal position, moaning. Yuffie smiled brightly. "Sora, it's been so-o-o-o long! How have you been!? Come in, come in!"
They stepped over Cid and into the cottage. Yuffie noticed the two girls. Karen was attempting to hide behind Sora and Emi was... being Emi. Her arms were crossed and she looked around the room disdainfully. But she didn't look TOO dissapointed.
"Who are they?" asked a deep voice. Definetly NOT Yuffie. Sora recognized it as Squall Leonheart, aka Leon, coming in through the door they had just walked in, followed by the lovely Aerith. They all looked at Leon, who was staring piercingly at the two girls. Emi looked at Leon for a few seconds, up and down, and studied his face. Didn't get any sort of evil-bad guy-vibes so she got bored. He scared Karen almost as much as Yuffie had.
"This is Karen and Emi..." Sora said, pointing to each girl. Karen waved sheepishly and Emi nodded his way. Aerith perked up a little, and so did Leon. "King Mickey has us on another journey, can you believe it?"
"Yes, I can," said Yuffie, slapping Sora's shoulder. She looked at Riku and gasped. "You found him?!" she screamed. Everyone jumped back a little and Sora laughed nervously. "Oh, yeah. I did. Everyone, this is Riku. You remember, then one I was looking for last time?"
There was an affirmative murmur. "So, what are you here for?" asked Cid, weakly, picking himself up off the floor and slumping into the desk chair. Sora wondered what he had done to deserve a beating from Yuffie.
"King Mickey sent us a letter in a bottle. He told us to go find Karen, which we did. Because..." started Sora.
"...because the Door to Light was never locked. And the darkness from the other side is bleeding though, slowly but surely, infecting all the worlds yet again..." continued Riku.
"And apparently, I'm needed. For my parents' research, I suppose but.... why?" asked Karen.
The four teenagers thought for a moment. Sora gripped his head in his hands and screamed. "CRAP! Why does it always get so confusing? Why the heck do we need your parents research again?!"
Emi looked up. "Well, obviously, you don't. You said Karen's parents researched the links between worlds, right? That information isn't exactly relevant."
"Sure it is," argued Riku. "If we are looking for the Door to Light, information on links between world might come in handy."
"That still doesn't explain why I'm so important," Karen added, raising her hand a little. "I don't know anything about my parents, let alone their research."
There was an awkard silence.
"King Mickey needs to get his head on straight before he gives me a stroke," moaned Sora.
"Okay, now that STILL doesn't explain why you're here," said Cid.
Sora, Riku, Karen and Emi all looked at him strangely and Sora said "We're here to look for information. He need to go poke around in Ansem's computer I guess. See what we can find about the Kano's research."
"Or better yet, what the heck His Royal Highness King Confusion is trying to tell us," said Riku.
"And we aren't going to be able to do anything if we don't get a proper game plan," added Emi.
A nod of agreement and Leon said "I'll bring you guys up there. You said the darkness was coming through.. who knows when it will begin to affect this world or how fast it's spreading. Keep on your toes."
So they all followed Leon out of the tiny house. Going up the steps in the Borugh, towards the Bailey, Karen felt content. Like she was getting something done. They were finally getting somewhere in this search. The search for her parents. Her parents research would help in the search for the Door to Light. And if they could close that, then the darkness would stop contaminating the light in the world.
Karen stopped right before they walked into the Bailey. She got it now. She understood what was going on!
She wondered if Sora and Riku even really understood.
She repeated it to herself as Emi brushed past her.The darkness out side the Door to Light, the darkness that would never cease so long as there was life and hearts on any world, was leaking into the Door to Light, and thus contaminating all of the light in the worlds. That was BAD.
Karen blinked. She hoped all of the light could get clean again.
Karen decided she would ask Sora about it later. He seemed to be very well learned in that area.
She ran to keep up with the others. They walked through the restoration site and down the stepsinto the Postern. Emi slowed down a little so that Karen could catch up with her. Emi turned to watch her friend round the corner and bounce down the steps.
"This place is so BIG compared to Twilight Town," she huffed. She straightened up and looked at the others walking down the stairs. Emi looked, too. A small breeze blew and Emi shut her eyes and breathed in.
"Smells the same..." she murmured. "Hmm?" asked Karen, looking up at her friend. Emi shook her head and started to walk across the Postern to join the others. Karen smirked and jogged after her.
Emi stopped at the door, for a moment. Riku looked back at her as he stepped through. The footsteps of Sora and Leon echoed off the walls, and Karen's foot steps were getting closer. "You okay?" asked Riku.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just spaced out a little. Sorry," replied Emi as Karen came up next to her. Riku shrugged and held the door open for the two girls. Karen giggled as she followed Emi past him. "Such a gentleman," she said. Riku rolled his eyes, shook his head and chuckled.
Sora and Leon were waiting for them just around the corner. "Good, now that we're all together," said Leon. "Karen, Emi... stay close. These corridors are confusing and they might be crawling with Heartless or Nobodies."
Karen and Emi nodded. "Okay, we're looking for a big white door... it should be this way," said Sora. They all took off in the direction Sora pointed out.
They wandered through the corridors, turning this way and that until they found the door. Leon pointed to it as they walked up. "There it is. Remember, Sora. Don't touch the computer, please. Not until I tell you. You don't know how..."
"TRON," yelled Sora happily as he burst into Ansem's study. Everyone sort of blinked as Sora ran for the door to the computer room. Leon sighed and put his hand to his head. "Is he always this hyper?" he asked.
"Yep," said Riku, walking into the study.
"What's a Tron?" asked Karen, gazing around the room.
"Leon, you cleaned this place up," called Sora from the computer room.
Leon was standing next to the desk now, but Emi was taking her sweet time entering the room. She squinted around warily. Again, Riku asked "Is there something wrong?"
Emi shook her head. "No, nothing," she said. Leon looked over his shoulder. "I should go check on Sora. You guys be careful in here, please," he said. He moseyed on into the computer room. Karen squatted in front of one of the low bookcases, running her long fingers across the binds of the books. "These are nice," she said.
"Don't touch them," said Emi, adruptly. Her voice wavered a little. Riku and Karen both looked at her. She was staring straight ahead, her pale green eyes slightly glazed over and her thin lips parted slightly. "He doesn't like... it... when you touch.. the books,” she continued, murmuring quietly.
“Emi,” said Karen, standing up. She took a few steps toward her friend, and Emi snapped out of it. “What was I saying?” she asked, confused. “Something about the books,” said Riku.
“Oh, those. They look dusty. Don’t touch them, Karen. They’ll upset your allergies,” said Emi, as if the strange trance had never come over her. Karen and Riku stared at her for a few more seconds until she said “I want to see this computer thing.”
“This way,” called Leon from the computer room. Emi brushed past her two friends and into the computer room. She peered over the ledge, into the huge cravass where so many machine type things were bolted to the wall. And then she walked over to be with Leon and Sora.
Sora was pouting while Leon brought up the right program. “OKay, Sora. Type in whatever you want to look for and the computer will give you a list of all the related topics,” he explained. Sora nodded.
Emi watched over his shoulder as Sora typed, using only two fingers, “Kano”.
Several files came up, but they were all locked. “It needs a password,” Sora told Leon.
Leon shrugged. Sora sighed and type “Sea Salt Ice Cream” into the field.
Nothing happened. “Crap,” he moaned, slapping the keyboard. “What could the password be?”
Leon, Sora and Emi were all silent for a moment as they thought.
“Karen, Riku, get in here,” called Emi. Karen and Riku came running. “What’s wrong?” asked Riku, skidding to a stop next to Emi. “All the files are locked and we don’t know what the password is,” explained Sora. “Riku, you spent so much time with him... do you know what it could be?”
“No... I don’t. Just start typing stuff in,” offered Riku.
Sora typed in “heart”. Nothing.
Sora typed in “darkness”. Nothing
Sora tried “light”. Nothing.
Sora tried “door”. Nothing.
Emi pushed him out of the way. “You are such a slow typer, let me. Give me words to type.”
“Try ‘heartless’,” said Riku.
“Try ‘nobody’,” said Leon.
“Try... um.. try ‘portal’,” said Karen.
Emi tried all three. Nothing.
“There has a to be a clue somewhere,” said Sora, heaving a sigh.
“Emi, Riku, you stay in here and keep trying. Sora, Karen, come with me. We can look around the study for clues,” said Leon. They all nodded, and Sora, Karen and Leon all walked out.
“Ansem. So paranoid. So many passwords,” moaned Riku.
Emi was typing away, trying everything that popped into her mind.
Back in the study, Karen was going through book after book. Sora was raiding the desk and Leon was... supervising.
Karen came across a book a little different than the others, hidden behind one of the thick red tomes. It was small, black, made of leather and it had a lock on it. “Weird,” she said, reaching far back to grab the book. She pulled it out and said “Hey guys, I think I found something.”
Leon and Sora ran over. Karen handed the journal over to Leon, who turned it over in his hands, shrugged and handed it to Sora. “It looks like some kind of diary to me,” he said. “Yeah,” added Sora. “I wonder where the key is. Was there one hidden with it?”
“Nope,” said Karen. “Not that I could see. Just the journal.”
Sora glanced around the room and handed the journal back to Karen. “You keep a hold on that. Maybe the key is in the desk,” he said, dashing back over. He stared tearing drawers out. Leon shook his head. “I’ll go look too. Karen, you keep looking in those bookcases and tell us if you find anything else.”
“Okay,” she said, as Leon was walking away. She looked down at the dark book in her hand. Who’s diary was this? What kind of secrets were scribbled on its pages? She shook it a little and a photo fell out. It fluttered to the floor and with a small “Oh!”, Karen knelt to pick it up. At the same time, Sora yelled in pain.
“What happened?” asked Leon. “This box thing fell on my foot. Ouch! That hurt!,” whined Sora. Leon stooped to pick up the metal box. It was also locked. Leon and Sora moaned as Karen ran over.
“You guys, look! This fell out of the journal!” she cried, waving the photo in the air.
Sora and Leon leaned over and looked into Karen’s hands. The photo was of a pretty woman, holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. The woman had thick black hair cascading over thin shoulders, and the prettiest green eyes. Such long lashes. The baby was sleeping, similarly thick lashes resting on round baby cheeks.
“Oh, what a cute baby! I wonder who this woman is,” asked Karen. “Maybe she wrote the journal.”
Leon’s eyes went wide. “Oh my... that’s Lady Saila.”
“Who?” asked Sora and Karen, simultaneously.
“Lady Saila,” repeated Leon, slowly. “OH MY GOD. EMI! GET IN HERE!” he screamed.
Emi ran in. “What’s wrong? What did I do?”
Riku was right behind her.
Leon strode up to her and grabbed her sharp chin his hands. He stared at her for a moment and said “Oh my god... its you. It really is. I thought you were dead.”
Emi’s eyes went wide and wild. “What the heck are you talking about, you psycho!?” she yelled, pushing Leon away.
“I’ll explain later. Karen, grab that journal. Sora, grab the box. We need to get back to Merlin’s house, now,” he said, taking long hard strides to the door.
Emi was shaking, enraged. “WHO AM I?!” she screamed at him.
Everything went silent. Leon turned and stared at Emi.
“You don’t know, do you?” he asked, slowly.
“No, of course not! What are you saying!?” asked Emi, harshly.
“Heh. You look just like her,” said Leon, shaking his head. “Act like her too. She was so stubborn and forward.”
“Who!?” asked Emi, almost pleading.
“Lady Saila. Emi... do you know who your parents are?”
“No. I’m a ward of the state. I was abandoned at birth at the school and...”
“Oh. That makes plenty of sense.”
More silence. Emi stomped up to Leon and said “Tell me. Now.”
~
Well, FINALLY. Thought I would never get done.
Cliffhanger.
You think nine chapters is long enough to get into Emi's backround?
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Chapter Ten: Enigma
More silence. Emi stomped up to Leon and said “Tell me. Now.”
Leon started Emi down and said "We shouldn't talk about this here."
"Yes, we should. If it's so important I want to know now... I need... to know. Right now," argued Emi.
Karen caught the slight changed in Emi's usually strong voice. It wavered again, as if she were pleading. It kind of scared Karen. She had never heard Emi quite so... vulnerable.
"Sit," said Leon. "In the desk chair. This is going to take a while to explain."
Emi sat in the desk chair. Sora, Riku and Karen circled her and Leon stood in front of the desk. He planted his palms on the hard wood and leaned it.
"Lady Saila... was like our queen. Just like Ansem was like our king," started Leon.
"That woman in the picture was the Queen of Hollow Bastion?" asked Sora.
"She was married to Ansem?" asked Karen.
Leon huffed and nodded. "She didn't come out in the public eye often and no one knows much about her. We only know she was married to Ansem for a really long time, and from the few public appearances she made, she seemed to be much younger than him. But they were very much in love, you could tell. Even if they didn't show it."
Emi raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with me?" she asked.
"Well... an heir was needed. As usual. Ansem would one day have to hand the leadership over to someone," said Leon.
Emi looked confused.
"On July 17th, about 17 years ago, there was... a birth announcement. Nothing big. Everybody was really excited about it though. But then news got around that Lady Saila was... dying... complications from childbirth, an infection or something like that," continued Leon.
Emi's eyes went wide. "July 17th... that's... my birthday..."
Leon went on. "No one ever saw the kid. People started actually thinking it was some sort of hoax to cover up the real reason of Saila's death. Some people even thought it was to cover up her murder. We never saw Saila again after that. Afterwards, Ansem started dabbling in all that dangerous heart buisness. And then, I guess to try and prove it wasn't a hoax, we were told the kid was sent away to some distant relatives of Saila's because Ansem couldn't handle a kid on his own. It was really a messed up and confusing time."
Emi was speechless. She finally mustered up the strength to say "So you think... I'm..."
"Emi, you look just like her. It's scary how close the resemblence is. Look at the photo..." said Leon.
Karen looked at the photo in her hand, and then at her friend. "It's true, you guys do look alike. And look, Saila is holding a baby." Emi snatched the photo from her friend's hand and stared at it.
"But...why... would he send me away!? If he was my father, he wouldn't hate me like that," she choked out, slamming the photo down. Leon shrugged. Karen put a hand on Emi's shoulder. Leon thought for a minute and asked "Emi, what's your whole name?"
"Emiline. Emiline Soleil DesCoteaux," she said, mumbling. Leon nodded. "That was the name on the birth announcement. It's true then."
Emi stood up adruptly. "No.... NO! I can't... it's not... I don't understand. Why did he hate me!?" she screamed, pushing past Karen and Riku harshly, running for the door. Riku grabbed her shoulder Emi turned and glared at him. The tears in her eyes were about to spill over. It shocked Riku, and Sora too. But it scared Karen. None of them were used to seeing Emi crying like she was now.
Riku decided to say something. "He didn't hate you Emi... he probably just couldn't handle the grief. You do look a lot like Saila and maybe it just drove him crazy to see you when she was dead."
Karen asked "I still don't understand. Emi was abandoned at birth at the school. How could she be an infant in both places?"
Leon shrugged. "I don't know. But I have a feeling that journal will explain everything. If only we could get it open."
Riku left Emi to pick up the journal where Karen had left it on the desk. Karen rushed up and wrapped her arms around Emi.
Emi squeezed her eyes shut and tears spilled down over her cheeks.
Riku looked at the journal and said "You don't need a key. This strap is made of leather, it shouldn't be too hard to just cut through it with some shears." Leon nodded. "You're right. Let's get this journal back to Merlin's, and that box too."
Sora knelt and picked up the box. "It might be a little harder to get this open. Heh... I wonder if the Keyblade would open it."
Everyone, even Emi, laughed. Although for Emi it was thin "ha". Leon motioned for them to follow him. "Let's go," he said.
Back out into the halls they went. Karen held Emi's arm the entire way, looking up every once in a while to make sure she was okay. Emi stared ahead, trying to keep her face blank. But Karen could see the thoughts swirling, it reflected in Emi's pale green eyes.The same exact eyes... as Saila.
There was no mistaking it. The pale green, the way the pupil stood out and the way iris was not circled in darkness. The same long lashes. The same size and space. Emi looked too much like her, there was no way they weren't mother and daughter. On the way out of the room, Karen had looked back just long enough to see Emi sneakily grab the photo and shove it into her jacket pocket.
Riku stared at the back of Emi's head the entire way. Trying to see if he could see inside her mind and find some way to make her feel better. If he could make her feel better, it would make himself feel better because... in all truth... this whole thing was reminding Riku of some stuff in his past he really didn't want to remember...
The walk back to Merlin's house wasn't nearly as good as the walk from. Karen has been feeling very...completed and helpful. Everyone had seemed to be happy with finally getting some answers. But the trip to Ansem's study had only brought up more questions.
And I still have to bring up that issue with Sora... thought Karen, more worry creeping into her mind and quickly dissolving the happiness there like acid. As they were finally getting back to the Bailey, Sora stopped. He was leading the group, and Leon stopped just after him. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Sora brought out his keyblade just as five Shadows burst out of pools of darkness that had appeared on the ground in front of them. Everyone else had their weapons out only seconds later and they rushed the Heartless... all but Emi.
She observed the dark beings, her brow furrowed. The Keyblades leapt into her hand, though, as one Shadow slipped past the others and ran at her, yellow eyes glowing maliciously. With a single swipe of her hand, the shadow went flying up into the air at an angle. Emi's knees were bent, and the Heartless exploded, the small pink heart floating away.
Karen glanced at her as she brought up her own blade to deflect an attack and saw Emi do anway with the heartless in one stroke. She was amazed. It usually took a lot more, even for the small ones.
Emi locked her sight onto another. The one that was leaping at Karen. Using both blades, Emi slammed it into the ground. A cloud of dust rose and out of it floated a heart.Karen coughed and waved her free hand to clear some of the dust away. Emi had already turned her self around and slammed down on top of another Shadow by the time the dust was cleared enough to see.
"Emi..." mumured Karen. Then she blinked and ran to help. Only two more to go.
Emi got to the last two before anyone got a chance. Sora, Leon and Riku had backed the remaining Shadows up into a corner. Emi wanted to get them so bad.... before anyone had a chance to move, Emi lifted her blade level with the small Heartless.
A single bolt of dark energy blasted from the tip of the blade and flew like a missile straight into the Heartless, taking them both down with one hit. The three young men leapt back, wondering what the source of dark energy was. Riku's heart sank low as he turned and stared Emi in the eye. She hadn' t moved a muscle, the Keyblade was still level with the place the Shadows had been previously. She didn't bat an eyelash and there seemed to have been no recoil at all from the blast.
"Emi.. did you just..." blubbered Sora, unable to believe that Emi could cast a dark spell like that.
Karen's eyes went wide and filled with tears, realizing that her revelation from before had been correct.
The darkness coming into the light... contaminating everything it touched...
touching the light inside a heart... choking it... corroding the light as acid....
...leaving a place for the darkness to settle and seep into the heart's own rythm...
...until the person knew nothing of light or goodness... only knew pain, doubt and blinding darkness...
Karen didn't think it could happen to any of them, they all seemed so strong.
Could it be that Emi's heart, damaged by pain and left wide open... could have possibly weakened enough to let that darkness come into her?
"No..." Karen said. "Please no. Not her... not here, not now..."
Emi lowered her blade and it exploded in a flurry of data. With a flash of light that seemed ironic, both blades were gone. Emi turned silently and began walking towards the Bailey steps. She left everyone behind, mouths hanging open in shock. The only sounds in the Bailey were the sounds of her footsteps echoing off the stone walls.
Karen looked at Sora pleadingly, her huge blue eyes searching his for answers. Sora had nothing to give her. Karen bit her lip, and shuffled around so that she was facing the steps. Emi dissapeared past the last step when she did. Karen stiffened and ran up the stairs. Riku pushed past Sora, just a gentle shove of the shoulder, and ran, following Karen up the stairs.
At the top, Karen stopped, her feet scuffing against the stone walk-way. "Emi!" she screamed. Her friend paid her no mind, only kept walking. Riku slid up next to Karen and screamed Emi's name as well. Emi seemed to stumble at his voice calling her name, but only for a second as she started down the other set of stairs. Karen looked at Riku. "I just don't understand," she said, simply. "Neither do I," Riku replied, trying to be of some reassurance.
The others showed up behind them. Leon asked, blindly, "Is she going to be all right?"
Sora looked to Karen. Karen said, "You know... I'm really not sure. Not this time."
"Let's go after her. Maybe if we can get that journal open, and the box too.... maybe when can get some answers for her," offered Sora. Karen nodded once. "Yeah. I think she'd like that. Let's go."
~
Back in Merlin's house, Emi sat off in a corner by herself. She had marched into the house, ignored Yuffie and Aerith's cheerful greeting, and dragged a chair off into the dark corner where she sat now. Yuffie, Aerith, Cid and Merlin were staring at her, confused, when Sora and the other three burst in.
"What happened?" asked Aerith. "Yeah, Emi's being all... anti-social. What's up?" added Yuffie.
"Gather up, everyone," announced Leon in his best leader voice. Aerith and Yuffie glanced at each other but then gathered in as Cid and Merlin were, around Leon.
"I'm not exactly sure where to start," murmured Leon.
Sora took the initiative. "Emi is Ansem's daughter," he said, bluntly.
Riku butted in. "We think," he added.
"This might be able to give us some answers," said Karen, brandishing the journal.
"Have any shears?" asked Riku?
Aerith nodded and ran off to find them as the rest of them passed the journal around.
"Wow," said Yuffie. "Ansem really did have a kid!"
Cid glared at her. "You were one uh tha' ones that believed in that conspiracy crap?" he asked.
Yuffie wilted. "Yes...... it just seemed so mysterious."
Aerith returned with the sisscors and Sora took them and walked over to the table up on top of the pedestal. He sat down and started wrestling with sisscors, trying to get then in between the strap. He finally managed to wrestle them in.
He cut the strap.
Emi looked up hopefully.
Sora's crystal blue eyes scanned the pages as he fanned them out. "Yeah," he said. "This is going to help a lot."
Karen looked at Sora and held her hands out for the journal. Sora nodded, and with a gentle smile he closed the jounal and placed in in Karen's smooth palms.
Emi looked down at her knees, more than slightly dissapointed.
But Karen turned around and hopped off the pedestal. She plopped her book down on Emi's knees and said "Go on. Read it. Take all the time you need. Me and the others... we'll go to the Marketplace for supplies. Okay?"
"Okay," said Emi, quietly. She didn't make a move for the book. "We'll worry about the box later," said Riku to Sora. Sora nodded. "Yeah, let's just leave her alone for a bit. She needs it."
Everyone turned quietly and left the silent and stony Emi behind in her chair in the corner.
When the door had shut behind the last person, Emi finally looked up. Her eyes rested on the matte leather of the journal.
"Well.... I guess this is it then. It's finally time... to understand," she said quietly to herself as she opened the journal.
~
July 17th
Today was a glorious day. And yet filled with unholy sorrow.
Today, my daughter was born. She is perfect. Born with a headful of thick black hair, just like her mother's.
Her name is Emiline Soliel DesCoteaux. Emiline because Saila and I are going to raise her to be a hardworking part of this world. Soleil because she came into this world as the sun rose over this radiant garden. She took her mother's last name, DesCoteaux. It's a beautiful name.
I have begun this journal so that my Emiline can, when she is old enough, know everything about her life through someone else's eyes.
Like, now even as I right this, you are sleeping in your mother's arms as she calmly awaits death...
~
Emi stopped reading there. Being held by her dying mother....
it sent chills down her spine.
Gotta keep going, she told herself.
~
...she knows she is dying.
The pain she feels is the pain of the life force slowly draining, like blood that stains those sheets.
We can't stop it and she is so weak.
The doctors say that it's possible she could get an infection, but it would only speed up the rate at which she is already dying.
There is no way we could replace all the blood in time.
One life, newly exsisting, as one fades away. It's so ironic.
~
Emi skipped ahead a few pages. Apparently, Ansem hadn't written since her mother died.
Because the next entry was two years later.
~
September 12
Emi is growing nicely. She's tall for her age, and a very smart two year old. She enjoys sitting in my study with me and observing all the many things. The cook has given her a spoon and bowl and she enjoys banging them together.
She's sitting with me now, banging on the bowl. My apprentices find it irritating at times, but the youngest, Ienzo, rather likes little Emi. In fact, he is the one who started calling her Emi. Which is strange for Ienzo, he's usually so distant.
Unfortunately, the research that my apprentices and I are conducting could become very dangerous. Much too dangerous for a two year old to be any where in the vicinity.
I know what I must do. It will not be easy but it must be done.
~
He wanted to protect you, said a voice in her head. But as much as she wanted to believe that, Emi's hardened heart still hated her father. Seventeen years of hating him for abandoning her could not be broken so easily in a few moments.
But she wasn't so stubborn as to blame her mother. Emi understood that concept and knew that if her mother hadn't died bringing her into this world, her life would've turned out so much more differently.Emi knew better than to blame her Saila for abandoing her. There was no stopping death when it already had it's iron grip wrapped around you. And Emi knew better than to blame herself for inadvertenly killing her mother.
But still... Ansem had been selfish. Even though he knew the research, whatever it was, was dangerous, still he continued. He continued and broke away from her. Emi couldn't understand the complex emotions behind such a decision. Her own emotions were blunt and clean cut, clear. Nothing complex about then.
She almost closed the journal. Almost. But she couldn't stand not knowing....
~
August 5th
Today is the day. Today is the day that I send my daughter away.
The experiments that I and my apprentices are conducting, involving the heart, have evolved into more than we can imagine. It is so amazing but I do not know how this will end. For now, I will put my daughter, Emi into a place I have made for her. Inside one of the computer, I have created a data based enviroment for Emi to stay for a while. I will break her down into data and submit her into the world. It is an exact replica of this world and to avoid confusion, I will alter her memories using the computer, just until I can bring her back when it is safe again.
~
Emi just sat there and stared. So that's why I don't remember, she thought. It all makes sense now, at least that matter. There's still so many things to be answered. How I ended up in Twilight Town, and how Karen got there too.
So she kept reading. However, the dates stopped after that day. As if he had just stopped caring.
~
Today, something very peculiar happened. Two scientists from another world simply appeared quite literally on my doorstep. Their names are Brixey and Jordana Kano and they were studying the links between worlds. They have built a miraculous machine that can transport you to another world. It differs from my own research on the subject. Tomorrow, I will help them study this orld so that they can bring back data to their own world, a place called Traverse Town. They leave in less than a week, howwever. Not much time at all.
Quite unusual indeed.
~
Aahh... Karen's mom and dad knew my dad. Strange. They were all here at one point of time. So surreal. I'll have to ask the others about Traverse Town. I still want to know more, though, thought Emi.
The last few pages blew her mind. It's like her father knew she was going to be in this very position at one point in time, trying to figure everything out. Because everything was written in that journal, just as plain as day.
And so much more than she could have ever imagined....
things that would make this journey to find the Door so much more...
interesting.
~
It's only been about six months or so since the last time the Kano's appeared at my door. Time has begun to flow so randomly, I can hardly tell as it passes.
The Kano's are in trouble. They have brought their oldest daughter, Karen, to me. She is deathly ill with some unknown disease and no one on their world could understand it. This is all too supernatural as it coincides with some theroies I have been developing on the Keyhole of the Door to Light, and all keyholes.
I think Karen may be the Keyhole to the Door to Light.
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Chapter 11: Peaches to Plums
I think Karen may be the Keyhole to the Door to Light.
Emi read those words over and over again, unable to believe.
She flipped the pages. Naturally, knowing her luck, she was beginning to get angry and couldn't concentrate on the words anymore. They all melted together. She cursed loudly, knowing Karen wasn't around to stop her and slammed the book shut.
She picked up the book and threw it across the room, throwing herself up out of the chair as she did it.
The door to the house opened, and Emi jerked her face towards the door. She was getting very angry. She hadn't had an outburst like this in a few years. Usually Karen was there to stop it before it go too bad.
Emi felt the familiar burn of blood in her face, her heart thumping in her chest. Her jaw began to ache because it was clamped so tightly shut. Her fingernails dug into her palm, nearly breaking the skin. Her chest felt as if were shrinking from the pent up screams.
Sora, Karen, Riku and the others walked in and witnessed Emi totally lose it. With an animal like snarl she knocked over the things on the table next to her, with a single swipe of her arm. She screamed, and whirled, moving with a punch. She cried out in anger and pain as her fist collided with the wall. The punch dented the wood.
"Emi!" yelled Karen, shocked. Emi whirled again, dropping her injured hand. She narrowed her eyes at the group, and the swung her foot around, connecting with the small table and breaking one of the legs. The table fell, further adding to the mess.
She shot across the room, pulling down everything she got get her hands on.
Karen started running for her.
"Guys, help me!" she said, grabbing Emi's wrist.
Emi easily flung her hand away, very nearly slapping Karen as she did.
Riku was the first to run over to help. Emi twisted away from him, trying to get away.
She swung at him, almost punching his face but Riku grabbed both her wrists and held her.
"What do I do now?" he asked Karen.
"Just wait. This happens sometimes. Just wait, she'll calm down," Karen said, wrapping her fingers around Emi's arm.
Emi struggled against Riku's grasp. She threw her head back and pulled and when he still didn't let go, she stopped struggling as much and looked him in the eye. She was sweating now, and she seemed a little calmer. "Let... let me go," she said. Riku dropped her wrists and Emi stepped back.
Karen pulled on her arm. "What happened?" she asked.
Emi pointed at the journal lying on the floor.
"Everything," she panted. "...everything is... in there."
Karen dropped Emi's arm and walked over to the journal.
"What was THAT all about?" asked Yuffie.
Aerith has gasped and ran over to clean up the mess, followed by Merlin who was complaining about Emi destroying his delicate equipment. Leon looked set to kill and Cid, too.
"Emi can tell you what "that was all about". Tell 'em, Emi," said Karen as she walked.
Emi blushed a deep red and turned her face away.
"No... it's so embarrasing," she said.
"You know you have to though," said Karen, bending to pick up the journal. "It will help you cope with it."
Emi sighed and crossed her arms, hanging her head.
"Okay. Ever since I was little I had these attack things. Sort of like seizures almost. I'll just get so mad and have to just... hit and destroy stuff. When I was younger, they had to basically restrain me because I threw really bad tantrums. As I got older, I would get in trouble for getting into fights, beating people up. After I beat up a store owner about a year ago,I got arrested and now I have... had to go to anger management and therapy, plus I had to be in the city band for community service," she explained.
Everyone looked at her. They didn't doubt it.
Emi stiffened when Karen turned back around to face her, holding the journal open.
"I'm.. I'm sorry," Emi choked. She pushed Riku out of the way and ran to the door.
Riku reached out to grab her arm but she twisted away.
She flew out the door, slamming it behind her.
Karen looked up from reading the first few pages of the journal and said "It's true. She just totally gives in to anger. And she's really strong too, so when she gets mad... she just totally loses it and could hurt some one. When we were younger, I used to have to hold her down, with help from some of the other boys in our class, until a teacher could come."
"That's scary, for a little kid to have to deal with," said Sora.
"Yeah, it was. She was doing really good for a while. She hasn't had a spell like that since she was thirteen and she's almost seventeen now," added Karen, sitting down and continuing to read the book.
Sora and Riku sat down on the little bed.
Aerith had finished cleaning up, and with the help of Merlin, Yuffie and Leon they were trying to fix the broken equipment and table. Cid was at the security computer, checking up on things.
"Oh," said Karen. "This is so sad. Emi's mom died right after Emi was born. And it says here that Ansem... sent her away. Inside the computer... but it says here that it was an exact replica of this place, not Twilight Town, so it still doesn't make much sense."
Sora took the journal from Karen and continued reading.
"Wow," he said. "Karen, listen to this."
He read out loud to the group.
"Today, something very peculiar happened. Two scientists from another world simply appeared quite literally on my doorstep. Their names are Brixey and Jordana Kano and they were studying the links between worlds. They have built a miraculous machine that can transport you to another world. It differs from my own research on the subject. Tomorrow, I will help them study this orld so that they can bring back data to their own world, a place called Traverse Town. They leave in less than a week, howwever. Not much time at all.
Quite unusual indeed..."
"My parents!" cried Karen, bouncing a little. "They were here. They knew Ansem? That's so weird."
"Karen, do you remember this machine Ansem mentioned?" asked Riku, urgently.
Karen thought for a moment. "No, I don't. Nothing."
"I think I know why," said Sora, quietly.
He handed Karen the journal and pointed with one finger to the last entry in the journal.
Karen read it slowly.
It's only been about six months or so since the last time the Kano's appeared at my door. Time has begun to flow so randomly, I can hardly tell as it passes.
The Kano's are in trouble. They have brought their oldest daughter, Karen, to me. She is deathly ill with some unknown disease and no one on their world could understand it. This is all too supernatural as it coincides with some theroies I have been developing on the Keyhole of the Door to Light, and all keyholes.
I think Karen may be the Keyhole to the Door to Light.
In order to fully examine her, I'm going to put her in the same virtual world as my own Emi. I'm hoping that, with this action, Karen's heart will stop trying to defend itself. My theory of why Karen is so ill is that her heart, which contains the keyhole to the Door to Light, is defending itself against all of the darkness in her world.
I fear I may be the cause of some of that darkness,or at least the surge of darkness that put her in the position she's in now. I am asking the Kanos' permission today and after that I will break Karen down into data, place her in the virtual world, alter her memories to avoid complications, and observe her. Hopefully, in a data-based, neutral, false world that Karen will be well again.
The only problem is... what happens when I try and return the girl to her parents? Will the darkness begin attacking her heart once again? Or maybe, in a sterile enviroment, her heart will strengthen and she will be able to fend off these shadows without becoming ill.
"That's... that's all. That's the last page," said Karen, her voice wavering.
She fanned the pages, trying to find something else, those few missing pieces.
She was starting to feel that same hate the Emi did, that contempt of herself for not even knowing her own past.
The desire to want to know know, so bad you could taste it.
And it tasted metallic, of blood, as Karen bit down hard on her tongue to keep from crying in front of all these people.
Sora took the journal she was frantically searching through out of her hands and said "Just stop. We'll figure it all out, somehow. There's still the box and the computer file."
Karen nodded slowly and looked around. "Emi's not back. Someone should go look for her."
"I will," said Riku.
Karen made to protest, but Sora held her back with a hand to the shoulder.
"Stay here with us. You just need to...rest," he said quietly, and nodded at Riku. Riku turned and hurried out of the door.
Sora lead Karen to a chair and made her sit. "This is a lot to take in, okay?" said Sora, kneeling in front of her. He looked up at her as she hung her head, with a gentle smile. Karen smiled sheepishly, but there was nothing of that smile in her eyes.
Sora stood up and patted Karen's shoulder. "Just rest a bit for now. Let's get that box open."
~
Riku stopped outside Merlin's house and looked around. No sign of Emi anywhere.
He took off for the Bailey.
~
Sora picked up the box from where he'd thrown it on the table.
He turned it over in his hands, studying it.
He tossed it to Leon. "What do you think?" he asked.
Leon looked at it. "The lock looks very simple. Possibly we could pick it... hey, Cid?"
"On it," Cid called, pulling a wallet of lock picks out of his pocket and chucking them at Yuffie.
Leon handed the box to the young kunoichi, who plopped onto the floor and started going at it with the picks.
"I'll have this piece of crap open in no time," Yuffie crowed, wrestiling with the picks.
Sora laughed, Leon chuckled and Karen sat quietly. Waiting. Waiting to see just how many more pieces of this puzzle they needed to finish it.
At this point, she just wanted to go home.
She was half-way regretting even coming because of the pain it was causing herself, and Emi.
And she hated making everyone work so hard JUST for her.
~
Riku flew up the steps and called her name loudly.
"Emi!"
No answer as he came to a halt and saw her scurrying down the ruined steps down into the Bailey and making her way towards the restoration site.
She was going to Ansem's study, and he knew it.
"Emi, hey Emi! Wait up, wait for me," he said, racing for her. She turned and looked at him her pale green eyes intense. Burning with a different light than usual. It was that glare that stoped Riku in his tracks. All he could do was watch her run.
~
Emi ran until her legs hurt and she still wasn't there. She finally got to where she wanted to be, the large round pavilion right outside the entrance to the corridors, the Postern. She collapsed against the wall there, her chest heaving. She pressed her nose against the wall and let the pent up sobs escape.
She hadn't cried like in... well, she couldn't remember the last time she had cried so hard, so bitterly.
Her father... abandoned her. Her mother... dead.
Emi wanted to find her father, Ansem, and ask him to explain everything.
She heard footsteps approaching her and sucked in a sob, using the backs of her gloved hands to wipe the tears streaming down her face away. It was Riku, watching her from afar, from where he had stopped about ten feet away. She held back sobs, her body jerking from the hard inhales and exhales.
Riku began to walk towards her again, but Emi hissed "Don't come any closer."
"No, Emi, please. You know I just want to help you out, okay?" said Riku, softly.
Emi sneered. "Back there... when we were in the study... Sora said you spent a lot of time with... with... with him. Where is he? Tell me now."
She was climbing to her feet now, her hands curled into tight fists next to her thighs. Riku didn't want to tell her. "Come on, Emi, let's go back to the house. Karen needs you back there, she's having a hard time."
"STOP TRYING TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT AND TELL ME," screamed Emi, adruptly, flinging her fists.
Riku swallowed. "He's gone... he was trying to collect data from Kingdom Hearts... and there was an explosion. He dissapeared." "Is he dead?" asked Emi, her voice lower and quivering. "I... don't know. I really don't know."
"Riku," moaned Emi, covering her face and stomping a fit as if there was something she wanted to tell him but couldn't. "Is he dead?" she asked again. Riku swallowed again, and held out a hand as if he wanted to comfort her. "...probably, but Emi, Emi, listen to me."
Emi lost it again. She tilted her head back at the sky and screamed, a single keening call that made Riku's heart ache. The scream turned adruptly into a choked sob, and Emi fell to her knees, putting her head on the ground between her knees and covering her ears with her hands.
Riku started to take the few more steps to reach her, but was stopped when he noticed that around Emi was a dark aura. The purplish-black, smoke like substance seemed to come from the ground beneath her. "Oh, god," breathed Riku. "God, no."
Emi raised her eyes. Riku's heart sank when he saw they were no longer pale green, but a deep amber gold.
She stood up, the dark aura swirling around her. She tilted her head, looked at him through new eyes, almost gently. Studying him. But she she blinked, held out an arm and let loose a dark spell that headed straight towards Riku.
Riku cried out and summoned his keyblade, casting a reflect spell before the energy could reach him.
Emi was a totally different being now. She looked at Riku blocking her sudden attack, turned and climbed onto the wall.
Riku's eyes went wide and she dashed to grab her. But he was too slow and she stepped off.
"NO!" he screamed, his hand just brushing against her ankle.
He scrambled to get further over the wall, his eyes searching frantically.
But she was gone. Vanished.
~
It was raining when Riku opened the door to Merlin's house.
It had been down cast all day. Everyone glanced at him, expecting to see Emi standing next to him. They took a double take at the teenage boy standing in the door, water drippng off his hair and eyelashes.
Karen sensed something very wrong, and made to get out of her seat.
Sora grabbed Riku's arm and dragged him inside as Leon closed the door.
"Where's Emi?" asked Karen from the chair.
Riku looked at her sadly.
Yuffie, still fooling with the lock, looked at them.
Cid turned in the stool.
Aerith looked up from comforting Karen with a pat on the shoulder.
Merlin looked over.
Leon stared at Riku.
They all looked at him as he slowly said...
"She's gone."
~
Emi found herself in a very dark, unfamiliar and cold place.
Am I dead?
"No, you are not," said a voice behind her. A man's voice.
Emi felt hands on her shoulders, thumbs brushing against the gentle curves there.
"Hello, princess," whispered the same voice, so close to her ear she could feel his lips moving against her ear.
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Last edited by shonenchicklets; 04.22.08 at 19:54:21..
Reason: I ought to proofread more.
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Oi, your Kingdom Hearts bull**** has knocked my thread off the top spot. Make sure it doesn't happen again.
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Bastard
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Oie, perhaps instead of insulting my hard work you should work hard to keep your thread in the top spot, if you want it so bad.
No need to come in here and spam up my best fanfiction.
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Just count yourself lucky that I let you off with a warning
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Please don't spam my page.
And your website doesn't even belong in the Republic Harbor, but in the Webmaster's Pub.
If you have a comment about the story, you are welcome to post. I put a lot of work into this story and would appreciate it if you didn't spam my page with really stupid stuff.
Thanks and sorry if it sounded rude.
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Last edited by shonenchicklets; 04.24.08 at 19:00:15..
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