Chapter Eighteen:

Door to Darkness

“Why!? It was mine!”
    “Know this. A heart that is strong and true shall win the Keyblade.”
    “Who are you? Are you saying…my heart is weaker than his!?”
    “For that instant, it was. However, you can become stronger. You showed no fear stepping through the door of darkness. It held no terror for you. Plunge deeper into the darkness, and your heart will become stronger.”
    “What should I do?”
    “It’s really quite simple. Open yourself up to it. That is all. Let your heart, your being, become darkness itself.”

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

The trio kept advancing into the great hall. Suddenly, Kiera and Sora saw Kairi, lying asleep on the floor.

“Kairi!” Sora exclaimed as she ran to her.

Kiera looked around. There was a portal in front of the room, but this one was different. It was heart shaped, with electricity surging through it. She also noticed that a barrier was formed around the room.

“Kairi! Come on! Open your eyes!” Sora cried desperately, shaking Kairi.

“It’S nO uSe” said a voice.

Kiera whirled around. It was Riku, sitting above them.

“ThAt GiRl HaS lOsT hEr HeArT. sHe CaNnOt WaKe Up” he said.

Kiera summoned her keyblade.

“GIVE RIKU BACK YOU CREEP!” she shouted as she shot a surge of ice at Riku.

“Riku” deflected it, blowing Kiera to the side. He chuckled.

“SuCh FiRe, SuCh PoWeR aNd DeTeRmInAtIoN” he said.

“Riku” turned to Sora.

“ThE KeYhOlE cAnNoT bE oPeNeD, sO lOnG aS tHe LaSt PrInCeSs Of HeArT sTiLl SlEePs” he said, jumping down.

“The princess…Kairi’s a princess!?” Sora exclaimed.

“YeS, aNd WiThOuT hEr PoWeR, tHe KeYhOlE wIlL rEmAiN cLoSeD. It Is TiMe ShE aWaKeNeD.”

“I’ll ask you one last time” Kiera said angrily, “return Riku’s heart to him, or pay the price!”

“HmPh. FiRsT, yOu MuSt GiVe ThE pRiNcEsS bAcK hEr HeArT!”

.

Suddenly, it clicked. There was only one person other than Riku and Kiera that she was so close to.

Sora. 

“Sora! It’s you!” Kiera gasped, “She’s inside you! In the secret place! Before our island disappeared, she entered into your heart as a safe haven!”

Sora touched his chest.

“Kairi’s…inside me?” he asked himself.

“DoN’t YoU sEe!?” asked Riku, “ThE pRiNcEsS’s HeArT iS rEsPoNdInG! It HaS bEeN tHeRe AlL aLoNg! KaIrI’s HeArT rEsTs WiThIn YoU!” 

Kiera looked at Riku.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“It Is I, AnSeM, tHe SeEkEr Of DaRkNeSs” he said as he started walking towards them.

Kiera stepped in front of Sora and summoned her keyblade.

“No! Don’t you touch them!” she snapped.

Kiera rushed towards him with her keyblade, but he quickly brushed her aside. Kiera tumbled into the corner and her back hit the wall. She pulled herself up, her bones aching.

“Sora…no!” she cried desperately.

“I sHaLl ReLeAsE yOu NoW, PrInCeSs! CoMpLeTe tHe KeYhOlE wItH yOuR pOwEr! OpEn ThE dOoR! LeAd Me InTo EvErLaStInG dArKnEsS!”

.

“Kiera! Kiera! Please! You’ve got to get up! You’ve got to keep fighting in order to save your brother!” 

Kiera suddenly felt strength return to her. She stood up, rushed forward, summoning her Keyblade, she blocked Riku’s attack.

“Forget it! You’re not hurting Sora! Or Kairi!”

“WhY? SoRa AnD KaIrI nEvEr CaReD aBoUt YoU!”

“You’re wrong!” said Kiera, “They’re my friends! I was wrong and I was selfish. We have to stick out for each other, and I am not the center of the universe either! Tonight, you die! AND RIKU WILL HAVE HIS HEART BACK!”

.

Kiera pushed Ansem back and threw her keyblade into the air, summoning a snowstorm, she lashed out ice towards him. Ansem glared at Kiera.

“YoU fOoLiSh LiTtLe GiRl! YoU’rE fUeLeD oN yOuR hAtReD fOr Me! It WiLl DeStRoY yOu!” Ansem taunted.

Kiera whirled around into a tornado, tearing at Ansem’s shoulders. A big light shown throughout the room. Kiera’s eyes turned bright red as she continued lashing with fury.

“I need strength. Ventus, if you are still there, if you can help me, I need you” Kiera thought.

.

“Gee Kiera, do you have to ask?” 

Suddenly, green and red orbs began surrounding her, her hair waved in all directions. The wind roared throughout the room, books from the back shelves flying and pages being torn from them.

“WhAt!?” exclaimed Ansem, “ThIs PoWeR! SuCh PoWeR I hAvE nEvEr SeEn! NoT sInCe…” 

“And you’ll be seeing it a lot more from us!” Kiera shouted.

Sora, still crippling in pain, watched in awe. Kiera’s voice was interceding with another voice, not like Riku/Ansem’s voice. It was a young boy’s voice, slightly older than she was.

“WE ARE ONE!”

Kiera lashed out so much power, that Ansem was set right into the electricity and was electrocuted to death. He sailed to the floor, unconscious. Kiera fell on her knees, her eyes returning to normal.

.

“Kiera! Wow! That was amazing!” cheered Donald and Goofy.

Kiera caught her breath and suddenly remembered Sora. Sora was in an kneeling position, still clinging to his heart.

“Are you…and Kairi, alright?” Kiera asked.

“I’m okay. But Kiera, where did you get all that power from?” Sora asked.

“Remember that imaginary friend I’m always telling you about? The one you thought wasn’t real? He helped me. He’s real…and I’m going to find him!” Kiera said, beaming.

Sora smiled.

.

Then suddenly, he looked over Kiera’s shoulder and shouted:

“Look out!”

But it was too late. Kiera suddenly arched her back, a searing pain in her chest, and a loss of breath. There was Ansem, with his keyblade through her heart. Kiera gasped in pain, looking down in shock and horror.

“YoU sTuPiD gIrL. YoU tHoUgHt ThAt CoUlD dEfEaT mE? I wIlL aDmIt, YoU dId CrIpPlE mE, bUt DiDn’T kIlL mE. YoU cAn NeVeR fUlLy StOp ThE dArKnEsS, yOu CaN’t FuLlY dEsTrOy It. YoU’vE fAiLeD, KiErA, fAiLeD yOuR bRoThEr, AnD yOuR FrIeNdS” Ansem hissed.

Kiera grunted.

“No…”

“WhAt?”

Kiera slowly looked over her shoulder, still gasping to breathe.

“Sora…will…save…them…”

He pulled his blade out of her body. Multiple voices shouted her name in a distant echo. Kiera could see Sora, Donald, Goofy, all rushing towards her. Then, before she hit the floor, her vision faded to black.

.

“What…What’s happening to me?

Falling…

Falling…

Into Darkness…”