Destiny Awakens

Chapter 12: My Friends are My Power!

After Sora, the beast, and I had found a way to unlock the gate, which conveniently stood between us and the castle, and for some reason my keyblade was able to unlock it pretty quickly, we were able to enter into the depths of the castle.

"Be on your guard. They're close, I can feel it. Are you ready for them?" the beast informed us in his gruff voice.

Sora and I nodded in agreement.

I still wonder how the beast even got here in the first place. I know he told Riku and me earlier that he just believed and the next thing he knew, he was here, but it seemed like there was someone else had helped him get here. After all, you can't just follow someone by just believing in them, can you?

While I had been thinking the three of us had made it to an open room. Riku, Donald and Goofy stood at the center.

"Belle?" the beast called out, looking past the three who stood in our way, and towards the opening behind them.

"Quit while you can." Riku's voice echoed through out the room.

"No. Not without Kairi." Sora answered.

"The darkness will destroy you." Riku warned,

Wow, clearly no one ever told Riku much about the darkness. I thought, Sora is in no danger of being corrupted, Riku on the other hand...

I shook my head, clearing the thoughts away, there had to be some way we could save him, besides, we needed Riku to help us locate Kairi. Well, actually, Sora could probably find her pretty easily, but in order to bring Kairi back we would need to extract her from Sora's heart, and that in itself was dangerous. If not done correctly we could lose both Sora and Kairi!

"You're wrong, Riku. The darkness may destroy my body, but it can't touch my heart. My heart will stay with my friends. It'll never die!" Sora shouted,

Man that kid has lot of confidence...

"Really... Well, we'll just see about that!" Riku responded by charging up a ball of darkness and launching it at Sora.

I didn't even bother to stop it. For one I knew Sora's heart would protect him, though I wasn't sure how and knew that, and for two I also knew that if the ball got two close Ven, who was still inside of Sora, would probably activate his keyblade armor, out of reflex mostly. I have no idea how or why I thought or knew these things, I just, did. Plus, I figured, Donald and Goofy will probably see that their friendship with Sora is more important then following a stupid key around. Especially when said key is being used for the wrong things.

So I wasn't at all surprised when Goofy popped up in front of Sora, using his knight's shield to block the in coming ball of darkness.

"Sora ain't gonna go anywhere!" Goofy called out, now standing in front of Sora.

"You'd betray your king?" Riku inquired,

Man, what happened to Riku while I was gone? Did he just get dumber or is that just my imagination?

"Not on your life! But I'm not gonna betray Sora, either, 'cause he's become one of my best buddies after all we've been through together!" Goofy replied, "See ya later, Donald. Could ya tell the king I'm really sorry?"

"Hold on, Goofy! We'll tell him together." Donald shouted back, rushing over to join his friends, "Well, you know... All for one and one for all."

Welp, guess Sora doesn't need my help anymore.

Goofy turned around to look back at Sora, "I guess you're stuck with us, Sora.

"Thanks a lot... Donald, Goofy." Sora replied, looking at his friends with tears in his eyes,

Yeah, now is probably a good time for me to disappear. Then again, Sora still hasn't gotten his keyblade back yet, how is he gonne fight without a keyblade?

"How will you fight without a weapon?" Riku asked Sora, voicing my thoughts out loud.

"I know now I don't need the Keyblade." Sora replied, "I've got a better weapon. My heart."

I mentally palm faced, what was Sora thinking? At most his heart could form a shield of light around him or create keyblade armor... but that was it!

Looks like Sora still needs me after all, I thought, summoning my keyblade, Don't think I can keep him from doing anything stupid though...

"Your heart? What good will that weak little thing do for you?" Sora's silver haired friend scoffed.

"All though my heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience, and it's found a home with all the friends I've made. I've become a part of their heart just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then...if they don't forget me...then our hearts will be one. I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power!"

As Sora said that last part, about how 'his friends were his power' the keyblade that Riku had stolen from the brunette suddenly attempted to pull itself away from Riku. Before dissolving into light partials and reappearing in Sora's hand. The fight then began.

I have no idea why we were even fighting, but immediately after the keyblade returned to Sora heartless appeared everywhere. I was trying to keep my eye on Sora and his friends at the same time as fighting the heartless, but before long I got separated from the groups protective circle around Sora (despite the fact that he know had his keyblade). Suddenly the heartless I had been fighting cleared away and Riku now stood in front of me.

"So, you betrayed me then and joined with Sora?" he inquired,

"Only because its the only way to save you." I replied stubbornly, I glanced around the room, noting the heartless were now forming a protective barrier around the two of us.

"Why did you join Sora?" Riku inquired,

"I just told you why." I replied, "What happened to you Riku? After finding Kairi, you've become obsessed with the keyblade and darkness. If your not careful your obsession is going to ruin you."

"The darkness can't hurt me." Riku answered, ignoring my warning.

Before either of us could say anything more, Sora and his friends broke through the barrier and started fighting Riku once more. I moved away from the fight. Destroying as many heartless as possible, I fought my way through them, and away from the battle. Away from the heartless. Away from Donald and Goofy. Away from Sora and his keyblade. Away from Riku.

I decided I would wait on the side lines until the battle finished. Then I'd decided who I needed my help more. Sora, or Riku?