kingdom hearts: ETERNAL FATE - Page 2 - Final Fantasy Republic Forums

shonenchicklets

leaving for summer

Posts: 1,099

Reg: Nov 16 2007

ID: 11784

RP: 0

	Dirge of Cerberus, Kingdom Hearts 2
	Demon Hunter, August Burns Red
	Cloverfield, Advent Children
	From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz
	PS2, DS

02.04.08, 17:19:43

Post #26 (permalink)

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!