Chapter VII
Time to Say Goodbye
“I can’t feel her anymore.â€
“Then her heart has fully become one with yours.â€
“Who are you?â€
“I wouldn’t say that I am anybody. I simply am.â€
“I’m really tired of getting vague answers to straightforward questions.â€
“Alright, I’ll be more direct. I have many names but you know me as Kingdom Hearts.â€
“So you’re the one responsible for all this.â€
“No, I have done nothing to lead you to this point.â€
“But you started everything. If it wasn’t for you none of this would’ve happened.â€
“If you wish to blame anyone, blame Sóror and Arumon.â€
“But you let them do what mess around with the timelines, and hurt so many people.â€
“I showed them the path they could take, but I didn’t force them to walk down it. They could’ve stopped anytime they wanted to, even now they could stop if they chose to.â€
“Yeah, they could, but then you would reset everything.â€
“Is that such an awful thing?â€
“It is when my friends will disappear.â€
“If you were me, what would you do?â€
“I would make a world where everyone is happy.â€
“How would you do that? Would you erase all of the tragedies that have happened until now?â€
“Of course I…â€
“You know better than anyone. One cannot appreciate joy unless they’ve felt sorrow.â€
“That’s true, but there has to be a limit. No one should have had to suffer as much as they have.â€
“Yes, but without those tragedies to shape them they would not be the people they are now. It is because they were able to move past those events that they became stronger.â€
“Still, I don’t like the thought of them hurting.â€
“Pain is a natural part of living. It is as important to the heart as happiness is.â€
“I understand that, I really do… but there’s still some things I don’t.â€
“When the time comes you will.â€
“What makes you so sure?â€
“Because you’re human, Sora. Like all humans you were gifted with near infinite potential, and it is thanks to that potential that you’ve come here. It’s that very reason my daughter loved humans so much, and why my son despises them.â€
“…Arumon hates humans?â€
“Yes, but I’m sure you’ll learn why, in time.â€
“Why are you talking to me, anyway?â€
“There aren’t many who can hear my voice, and I haven’t had anyone to talk to in some time. The last time I was able to speak with someone like was when my daughter told me she planned on shattering herself.â€
“You must mean when X decided to break the X-blade.â€
“Yes. As I said, she loved humans, and is that love that led her to breaking herself.â€
“That’s something I never understood. Couldn’t she have fixed everything with the X-blade?â€
“You’re correct, with her power taming the world would’ve been as easy as speaking. But she shared my view on how her power should be used.â€
“Is that why she wanted to leave everything to Atra?â€
“Yes. She believed that humans had the right to decide their own fate, which was why she only kept the flow of light and darkness in balance and never interfered in the affairs of humans. Even if it led to their destruction, if that was what they decided to do, then she would accept whatever path humanity took. And who better to decide that path than an ordinary boy?â€
“But how can you say you let humanity choose its path when you’ve been interfering this whole time? The constants, the Catalysts of Fate, those things are all your way of making sure things turn out the way you want them to.â€
“You make a fair point, but let me ask you this: If I truly wanted the world to be a certain way, wouldn’t it be that way? If I wanted to stop Sóror and Arumon, wouldn’t I? True, there are rules that even I cannot break, but not resetting the world whenever I wish isn’t one them. Even now, I could take everything back to zero, and foil the plan they’ve worked so long to achieve. Yet I don’t. Why do you suppose that is?â€
“…Because you don’t want to?â€
The sun poked through Ven’s eyelids and pried them open. He looked around, and even though his vision was blurred and a throbbing pain pulsed across the front his skull, he knew where he was; the smell of saltwater, and the sounds of the late afternoon crowd were a dead giveaway.
“Ven? Ven, are you awake?â€
Her voice was as sweet as it ever was, even though it was filled with so much worry. “Yeah, I’m awake.†He ran his hand through his hair, across the numbing, pulsating pain that was fading as the moments passed. “How long was I out his time?â€
“About twenty minutes, I think.†Naminé replied.
“They’re getting longer,†Ven said. His vision returned to normal and the pounding in his head stopped. He and Naminé were sitting across from each other at a local café. Since the weather was perfect they decided to sit outside. They were talking about what their plans for the summer were, when sleep suddenly stole him away.
“It’s happening more often, too.†Naminé touched the straw of her water and stirred; the ice cubes had melted completely, and the glass was thick with condensation. She still chose to wear simple white dresses; though some did have patterns on them. Ven, however, didn’t wear the suit given to him by Vanitas, its power used completely, and since he didn’t have to fight a simple T-shirt and short fit him fine.
He looked off into the crowd scattered around Destiny Island’s square for a moment. They were mainly young adults and children, going about their day, enjoying the end of the long summer day. He found it hard to believe it was already summer again, that it had been a year since Atra first appeared, and everything started.
The day Atra appeared was so clear in his memory that it felt as if had happened yesterday. When Atra came crashing out the sky and disrupted Sora’s wedding, he didn’t realize much everything would change because of that. At first it was simple, with Roxas at his side he would fight to protect his friends. They would face the darkness together, and purge it from the world. But as he fought more battles he began to understand that the darkness and light were no different. The darkness had things it wanted to protect, too.
The people he pegged as monsters, as creatures who wanted to nothing more than to tear his friends from him, were just like him. They had hurt, and lost, just as much as he did. And when the time came, those people were at his side, fighting with him to protect the world they all shared.
“Has Master Yen-Sid found out anything about it, yet?†Naminé asked.
Ven lifted his own glass of water and took a drink. His fingers shook against the slippery glass, and it took all the concentration he had to keep from dropping it. “No,†he said, taking a shallow sip before carefully put the glass back down. “Not yet.â€
She stirred her water again, watching as it went around. “I’m sure he will soon, though.â€
A fine tip of emotion poked at Ven’s heart. She knew, she probably knew the truth before he did, but just like him, saying those words allowed, acknowledging what they meant, would be too painful. Going on, pretending everything would be fine, was easier.
It was seven months ago that the blackouts started; two months after the battle at the Keyblade Graveyard. One moment he was leading the refugees to their new home, the next everything went black. He regained his senses a few seconds, though a vein throbbed in the corner of his eye. He chalked the blackout up to stress and lack of sleep; thought a terrible thought poked at the back of his mind. As the days went on the blackouts came more frequently, and lasted longer each time. By the time they lasted a full a minute Terra, Aqua, Roxas, and Mickey approached him, saying they were experiencing the same thing.
Their friends already knew something was wrong, and did their best to help find a solution, but none was found. It was then they went to Yen-Sid, hoping he would know what was wrong with them, and with a pained look on his face he told them.
He told them that there was one similarity between the five of them that separated them from the others: they were given Kokoro Eximo’s. Ven immediately thought back to when Keiran gave him the mark that unleashed his full power, and the cost of using. The pain that came with using the technique was an obvious side effect, but there was one other Keiran had told them about, one whose effect hadn’t been seen until then.
“Using the Kokoro Eximo will shorten your lifespan.â€
When he was told that, Ven’s heart sank. He thought using it would only shave a few years off of their lives, that they’d reach their twilight years and pass on, but the technique had actually taken decades from them.
There was only silence as they looked at each other, the reality of their immortality setting in. Though none of them said it, Ven knew without a doubt they didn’t regret taking Keiran’s power. There were so many times they’d said they would give up their own lives for the people they loved, and in the end they had done just that.
“I wonder what’s going to happen now.†Naminé said.
“I’m not sure.†That was another worry that showed its head every now again. When the border between the worlds finally stopped, and Atra took the Heartless under his control, everything was quiet. They were able to find other worlds that would take those whose worlds were lost to the darkness, and through the whole affair there wasn’t a single battle. Ven kept looking over his shoulder, waiting for the moment the peace he’d enjoyed for nine months came crashing down, but it hadn’t yet.
But in his heart he knew it would. He knew Sóror and Arumon weren’t done, and when they returned the world would come to an end.
It was just a matter of when.
And then, as the sun began to set, an all-enveloping, sliver light began to shine over the ocean.
“Thanks for helping me back there,†Terra said, running his hand over his forehead.
“No problem.†Aqua replied. “You’ve done it for me.â€
“Still, thank you.â€
Aqua smiled as the two walked down the streets of Radiant Garden. Even though the night was starting to come, the clicks and clanks of reconstruction echoed throughout the city. While some of the refugees chose to be taken in by other worlds, over a third of them stayed in Radiant Garden. They chose to make it their new home, and rebuild alongside Leon and the Restoration Committee. And thanks to their efforts the city soon became a sprawling metropolis; spilling out past the wall and into the canyons that surrounded it. In another year Radiant Garden would be fully restored, better than it ever was. But thinking of the future, a knot appeared in her throat.
She would never live to see that day.
Whether the world ended, of the side effects of the Kokoro Eximo caught up to her, Aqua would be dead. Not a day went by that she didn’t think of that future, the one she’d never see. But she never let those thoughts consume her. She chose to keep going forward, no matter how uncertain the future was, and find reasons to keep on smiling.
She looked up at Terra from the corner of her eye, making sure he didn’t notice her. Having him by her side definitely gave her a reason to smile. When they first put down their Keyblades, and traded their armor for normal clothes unsuited for battle, part of her was afraid. She had been fighting for so long that she didn’t what do when she didn’t have to anymore. Thankfully she had someone who was just as unsure as her. So, with doubts and uncertainty in their hearts, they moved forward. They lived their lives the best they could, free from the burden of the Keyblade.
And she was happy.
But she knew her peaceful life would come to an end, one day.
And as she looked up at the dim, azure sky, and saw the silver light growing brighter, she knew that day had come.
“You know you two have all summer to get it done, right?†Lea said, leaning against the door to his brightly lit living room. He looked down at Roxas and Xion, still in their wrinkled uniforms, and the mess of papers scattered on their coffee table.
“Of course we do,†Roxas said, looking over a sheet then tossing it back into the pile. “But we’re both already so far behind that we a ton of catch up work to do.â€
“Yeah,†Xion adjusted her blue plaid tie and snatched up a stack of papers. “Okay I’ve got my notes for chemistry, do you have yours?â€
“Over here,†Roxas reached to his left, picked up two loose sheets and handed them to Xion. “What about the ones for math?â€
Xion nodded. “They should be right here.â€
Lea could only smile at the two as they became so absorbed into their attempt to organize their notes that they completely forgot he was there. It had been six months since they moved into that tiny apartment in Radiant Garden’s newly constructed residential district. After everything was said and done, and things finally cooled down, there wasn’t anything left for them to do. Since Roxas talked about it before, Lea suggested Roxas and Xion got to school; one was put up pretty fast thanks to help of the refugees that stayed. Though a little reluctant to do so, Roxas and Xion agreed to go.
The memory of when he dropped them for their first day had become a favorite of his. When they arrived before the newly constructed school, where the grass around it haven’t even grown up yet, they blended perfectly with the mess of white dress shirts and blue plaid skirts. The crowd was funneling its way into the towering building, with many of the teenagers who attended looking for familiar faces.
But no one seemed to recognize Roxas and Xion, and walked past them.
Lea chalked it up to not recognizing them without their armor on, though it was probably for the best; they didn’t need anyone treating them differently because they were Keyblade wielders. He wanted them to go to school so they didn’t have to think of that, and for once be normal teenagers.
“You two ready?†Lea said, giving them a firm pat on the back.
Roxas looked back, and gave his friend a grin. “Yeah, did you think I’d chicken out?â€
“We deserve some credit, don’t you think?†Xion, shooting a similar grin up at Lea.
“Fair enough, now go get em’.†Lea gave them one bright smile and watched as they walked ahead.
“Yo, Roxas!†A group of kids rushed past Lea and up to Roxas and Xion.
“Hayner, Pence, Olette.†Roxas greeted the gang from Twilight Town with the brightest smile Lea had seen him make in months.
“Good see you, buddy.†Hayner said, tapping Roxas in the arm with his fist. “I had a feeling I’d see soon.â€
“What made you think that?†Roxas ask.
“Just a feeling.†Hayner replied, and turning his eyes to Xion. “Who’s your friend?â€
“Oh, this is Xion.â€
“Hello, it’s nice to finally meet you,†Xion said, smiling at the trio. “Roxas has told me a lot about you guys.â€
“All good things, I hope.†Pence said, shooting Hayner a look.
“What’re you talking about? Like Roxas has anything bad to say about us.†Hayner said.
“Maybe about you, but I think Olette and I are safe.
“True, you didn’t exactly give him a warm welcome when you first met him.†Olette said.
Hayner took a step back. “What did you want me to do? I barely even knew him, and he’s talking about being friends.â€
“Still, you could’ve been a bit nicer.†Olette said.
Hayner sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “But we’re friends now, and isn’t that all that matters?â€
Lea continued to watch the group banter as they walked toward the building, and out of ear shot. He kept his eyes glued to Roxas and Xion, and their smiling faces. For so long he wanted them to smile like that. To smile like they didn’t know the world wasn’t going to end. Like they didn’t know nothing did meant anything since it was all going to be taken from them. And they did. As they walked into the building, joking and laughing with their friends, they did.
They kept on smiling that for six months, even when the stress of school set in, even when Roxas started to have blackouts, neither let up on their blinding smiles.
Lea walked across the living room, neither Roxas nor Xion paying him any mind, and opened the sliding glass door that lead to their small balcony. Their apparent was thirteen floors up, with rapidly growing city stretching out beneath it.
The sun was starting to set, and the lights that littered the city were coming on one by one; like stars in the sky.
He leaned against the thin, metal railing, and let the cool summer wind blow through his hair. It wouldn’t be long, he thought. He knew it was only a matter of time before Arumon and Sóror finished what they started, and the world ended. But, whenever that thought crossed his mind, he was never saddened by it. He’d look up at the sky, at the red light Novus Caelum shinning bright, and know everything would work out.
Which was why, when the silver light shone brighter than any star in the sky, and he knew the time had come for the world to end, Lea smiled.
“Well, it’s all up to you now, Sora.â€
“Your Majesty,†Chip said, running up to Mickey’s feet. “I’m happy to report that the additions to Disney Town are complete.†The little chipmunk saluted his king.
“What Chipper said.†Dale said, saluting as well.
Mickey looked back at his tiny home with giant mouse ears, built where his castle once stood. Without the Cornerstone of Light to keep safe they didn’t need such a large castle. Instead, he redirected all construction to Disney Town, to make the town larger for the refuges. And besides, walking through those long halls everyday were quite tiring.
“What do we do now?†Donald asked, walking up behind Chip and Dale, with Goofy at his side.
“Just say the word,†Goofy said. “We’re ready, wishing, and able.â€
“Willing!†Donald quacked.
Mickey chuckled at his longtime friends, and smiled. “Donald, Goofy, Chip, Dale, thank you. I know I couldn’t have gotten this far without you guys helping me. Which is why I hereby relieve you of your duties.â€
“What!†Chip squeaked.
“But you just thanked us!†Dale shouted. “Why are you firing us?!â€
“No, no, no, I’m not firing you. I’m saying that you’re free to go. You do whatever you want.â€
Chip went to speak up, but Donald cut him off. “So you’re saying we’re free to do whatever we want?â€
“Of course.â€
Donald stomped his foot and looked Mickey in the eye. “Then I’m staying right here.â€
“What?†Mickey’s foot slid back a few inches.
“Me too,†Goofy said. “I’m gonna stay here.â€
“Don’t forget about us,†said Chip and Dale in unison.
Mickey took a breath and composed himself. “But you don’t have to anymore, you can do anything we want.â€
“Weren’t you listening?†Mickey turned around to face the source of the sweet voice, his queen. She no longer wore her gown and grown, instead she sported a blue dress and pink bow. “What they want to do is stay with you,†she said, chuckling at him.
“Yeah, h’yuck, you can’t get rid of us that easy.†Goofy said, smiling that gigantic smile of his.
"You're stuck with us whether you like it or not." Donald said.
Mickey looked at the smiling faced that surrounded him. They never stayed at his side because he was their king, they stayed because they were his friends. He always went off on his own, choosing to battle the darkness in secret, to protect them. But he had forgotten something important: his friends wanted to help him. They didn’t want him to fight alone. They wanted to be by his side, and protect him the same way he protected them.
It was Sora who taught him that.
And Riku, who had forgotten that as well.
He looked up at the red light star burning in the sky, when suddenly a brighter, silver light appeared. Though he could feel no power coming from the light he knew, without any doubt that it belonged to his lost friend.
So he would go to see his friend, even if it was the last time.
He wouldn’t try to talk to Riku, to reach out to his heart and change his mind. No, he would go there to see him, and show him that he still had friends. Even if he had fully given into madness, and become a beast, Mickey would still give him one last smile.
Thought he didn’t look from his chair, the sliver light leaked through Yen-Sid’s window and spilled into his room. He could hear the start crying out, warning him of the coming danger, but he paid them mind. He knew the day would come that the world came to an end.
He stood up from his chair, and closed the tome in front of him. It once served to show him the whereabouts of the next generation, as well as glean secrets from the past that might serve the future. But that book was no longer needed.
He turned toward his window, looking out at the silver light shining over the universe. His thoughts drifted to the past, to the legends of the Keyblade War. It was told that when the world was in peril, and darkness bathed the land, a light would appear and safe all those lost hearts.
But that light, that blinding silver light, was not the light of salvation, but the light of destruction. It would destroy all, leaving nothing in its wake. Yet, Yen-Sid was not at all frightened by that possibility. He had lived long enough to notice the ebb and flow of the universe. When darkness appeared, light would follow. When sorrow swallowed everything, joy would come after.
And with destruction came rebirth.