Fullmetal Kingdom ~ Chapter 140

Chapter 140: Within you, I dream…

"…this feeling…am I dreaming again?"

Sora suddenly found himself in water, yet he wasn't drowning.

"Yeah…I remember this dream. This was how it started…I just float down until-…"

-Until you hear a voice, right?

Sora looked around and asked, "Hey, you're the same girl who's been talking to me through the whole dream. Are you even real?"

I'm as real as…the Keyblade.

Sora suddenly noticed the Keyblade, shining in the distance. He then asked, "You…you're the Keychain I attached to my Avenger…you're the Keyblade?"

I am…and yet I am not.

Sora was confused, so he asked, "Alright, I've dreamed about you and this place four times already! Are you going to tell me who you are already?! And why am I back here anyway?"

I was the original.

Sora wondered what she meant, so the Keyblade explained…

Before you, there was me, the predecessor of the current Keyblade Master.

"Wait, you're the one who had the Keyblade before me?! Sora asked.

I am.

Sora then noticed a platform approaching him, so he landed upon it. Sora suddenly noticed something strange about the Station of Awakening…

There were two children holding hands while walking towards a castle…

One child had spiky hair, and the other had short red hair. Sora looked at the Station and said, "…this…this is me, isn't it? And-…and that's…"

She never left your side, Sora.

Sora called out the name of the girl, "…KAIRI!"

Suddenly, Shadow Golems appeared and surrounded Sora! The Keyblade appeared in Sora's hands as he prepared to fight. Four came at him and were instantly sliced in twain! Two more tried to grab Sora's hands to keep him from moving, but Sora's strength surpassed theirs as he threw them over the platform! He then jumped above a Shadow Golem, and shoved the Keyblade through it's head! He then stabbed the nearest Golem, and cut another in half!

Keep your breathing steady, someone will think you're out for blood if they saw this side of you.

Sora took the Keyblade's word and took a few deep breaths.

"I knew…I couldn't remember, but somehow…somehow I knew Kairi was telling the truth!" Sora said.

So you know where you are then?

Sora answered, "…yes…this is Kairi's heart."

(R-R-R-R-R-RUMBLE)

Sora felt the floor tremble with rage, as it shook; Sora noticed the Station of Awakening was tipping over! Sora raced to the top, and grabbed onto the ledge! When he climbed up, he asked, "Any clue on why I'm inside of Kairi?"

The Keyblade's role is to restore the order of natural things. The reason you are here is the same reason you came to those other worlds…

"You should've heard them scream."

"Can't you see I was playing with your feelings?!"

"-and breaking your fragile human heart!"

"Call me…Wrath!"

Sora remembered Wrath's words coming from Kairi's mouth and asked, "…I'm here to restore Kairi?"

If you can, that is.

Sora smiled and looked at his Avenger, "Heh, who the Hell do you think I am?! I'm the Keyblade Master, OF COARSE I CAN!" Sora charged through the side of the Station of Awakening while knocking over any Golem that came his way!

"KAIRI, WHERE ARE YOU?!" Sora called out. Suddenly, Neoshadows emerged from the dark abyss and attacked! Sora just swung his Keyblade, knocking each one out of the way!

"You…don't…belong…"

Sora ignored Wrath's voice and pressed onto the end. As he ran, he called out, "COME ON, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, WHERE ARE YOU?!" Just then, the Station began to turn upwards, forcing Sora to dash towards the edge!

(R-R-R-R-R-RUMBLE)

Sora felt his footing slip as he rushed upwards to the edge of the opposite side, but he had no time to think about death! He succeeded in grabbing onto the edge and pulling himself up…

As he came up on the platform, he found the Station of Awakening he was on to be VERY different from the last one! The boy's shadow grew from his back and seemed to be destroying everything around him while the girl was lying on the floor before him…

"…that boy…it was me, wasn't it?" Sora asked.

"You have forgotten this…yet you know what it means. Good, this means you're returning."

Sora then noticed someone on a rocking chair in the middle of the area and asked, "Kairi, did I do this to you?!" The person on the rocking chair replied, "…yes you did…you were a small boy…and I was a small girl. I still remember how you collapsed on my doorstep. Grandma wanted to help you, so she brought you in and presented you with a bed and a warm towel for your head. Days later, you were healthy enough to walk again, but the only part of you that wouldn't heal was your mind."

Sora then guessed, "…it's because I had no memory of why I existed." Kairi nodded, "Yes…but I have to admit, (giggle) I was…no, never mind. When you were healthy enough, we spent the week together. We traversed through that long beach, looking for treasures and shells, we would watch the stars together while I or Grandma explained what the constellations were, and we even took that trip together to Destiny Islands, where we visited that small island…do you remember what we did there?"

Sora replied, "…well, I'm not sure if I can…but I remember using small stones to carve drawings into the walls. (chuckle) I drew a Chocobo and a hero fighting a dragon…there was someone else there with me. I'm not sure if it was you, but she-."

"Let me guess, she drew a cute wizard and an angel?"

Sora suddenly remembered the drawings in the cave and said, "…you…drew those things?" Kairi nodded, "Yes…but we drew something together…remember?" Sora thought about what it was…

Meanwhile, in a white room, Namine was still, watching what was shown through Sora's eyes in her drawing pad. She said, "…remember…please remember-!"

"Remember what, that he was your friend and that this 'Kairi' never existed?"

The cloaked man appeared out of a flock of rose pedals and approached Namine, "Do I have to remind you what would happen if he remembers? I think the words I spared you were 'if a knight doesn't come to rescue you, then you'll be locked away forever'." Namine trembled in fear as the hooded man spoke while brushing through her hair. "Is this your destiny I wonder, to be alone, useless, forgotten, with no one to shed a single tear for you? This MUST be your destiny if that one boy leaves you for another. Do what you must…get him back to our side…ERASE HIS MEMORIES-."

"MARLUXIA…don't you have better things to do then harassing a 14 year-old girl?" Axel asked.

The hooded figure turned around to find Axel leaning near the doorway. The hooded figure then threw off his hood and revealed the face of a feminine young man in his 20's, with shoulder-length hair, rose pink with ruffles, and dark-blue eyes.

Marluxia asked, "How did the phone call go?" Axel answered, "He's still hanging in there. Right now, he and another rookie are fighting off the Golems by Mother's orders." Marluxia then asks, "Hmph, 'Mother', it's strange how important we are to her. Do they even know why she requires us?" Axel replied, "I'm sure I don't need to remind you, 'leader'. But getting back to the subject, shouldn't you leave the girl alone?" Marluxia answered, "Sora's the 'Key' to our future's succession. If we could keep him motivated with our little 'captured princess', then he'll-."

Axel interrupted, "-'Then he'll be willing to be a puppet for his beloved Namine', right, I get it. But you're wasting your time with that strategy." Marluxia asked, "How so?" Axel replied, "I've seen him…and I fought him. He won't forget Namine even if his whole life flashed before his eyes. Sora is loyal to his friends and won't hesitate to protect what's important to him; he WILL find and protect Namine from you." Namine was surprised by Axel's words, but Marluxia said to him, "Are you…defending a simple 'knife'? Sora is meant to be used, he can't just develop feelings of his own, it's already too late for him, he is now an opportunity to invest in! Our master will find more use for this knife than an emotionally compromised humanitarian! I'm not letting an ounce of his past come back to him…he is no longer a human being…he is a slave…a knife…a thing to control and grasp…and I will slice him open before allowing him ANY joy being a free-thinker…is that clear Namine?"

Namine trembled at Marluxia's merciless glare. Marluxia then said, "…no more free-thinking…no more Pinocchio…this time, we pull the strings. Wipe his brain clean until he responds to the simplest orders."

Namine slowly nodded, "…yes…" Namine then began to draw, but unknown to her, a spark of darkness was about to change the plan…

Crimson watched from the shadows of bot the White Room and Kairi's heart and said, "He'll become chilled monkey-brains if this continues…but Namine's hold on him is almost similar to another creation of mine…all I need to do is form that hold of hers into a creature that can be encountered…after all, a Witch's Coil is a Golem curse!"

As Marluxia left with a sinister grin on his face, Axel pondered, "Why they would make this bastard my superior is beyond me. But at least I didn't complicate things by telling the 'Red-Head' about Larxene. Plans should remain in the dark, especially when they involve rooting out the weeds. Got it Memorized Nami-? W-WHAT THE, NAMINE?!"

Suddenly, Namine's hands were steaming with darkness. Axel rushed to Namine to check what was wrong with her, but when he looked at her, he noticed her eyes were darkened, like she was hypnotized!

Back inside Kairi's Heart, Sora said, "…did we…draw a face?" Kairi answered, "Two faces, we drew two faces. Both were looking at one another. One was you…and the other was-." Suddenly, Sora grasped her hand. Sora then asked, "…I did this to you…I hurt you…and left you dead! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED, ISN'T IT?! DID I KILL ONE OF MY FRIENDS?!"

"You…sure…did…bastard!"

Sora turned around and saw a dark image of Kairi, whose face was filled with murderous intent while her hands became like claws! Just then, Sora noticed a few more Dark Kairis climbing up to the Station of Awakening! They all said, "…you killed me…you lied to me…you betrayed me…you slaughtered me…you're dead to me…you tortured me…you left me…you…me…you…me…YOU…ME-!"

Sora pulled Kairi out of the rocking chair and looked at her, to his surprise, her face was dying and in tears! Sora's tears came down as he looked her in the eyes and said, "…never again…I will NEVER hurt you again!" Sora then cradled her in his arms, making Kairi ask, "You mean…you mean I can be with you?" Sora answered, "With Ed, Al, and me, for as long as you want. I want to keep you safe, I want to give you back what you lost, I want us to heal the broken bonds, I WANT YOU AND I TO SHARE OUR PROBLEMS AND FIGHT THEM ON TOGETHER!"

Kairi asked, "T-together…with you?" Sora nodded, "Together…with everyone!"

At that instant, Sora and Kairi were surrounded by friends and family! Edward and Alphonse Elric, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Riku, Winry and Pinako Rockbell, the Hughes Family, Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Alex Louis Armstrong, King Bradley, Tidus, Yeul, Wakka, Tina, Lulu, Selphie, other Y. O. U. T. H. orphans, and many more! Kairi looked around and saw every person Sora has befriended…

"Kairi…I want you to be a part of my heart…just as I became a part of theirs." Sora said. Kairi asked, "Can I really…stay with you?" Sora nodded, "W-well, there will be times when some of us need our space, so try not to be the 'stalking type', OK?" Kairi pouted, "DUDE, YOU JUST RUINED THE MOMENT!"

"OH CRAP, I'M SORRY!"

As Sora slipped on the floor and sweated from Kairi's fury, the girl's skin and body started to change back to normal. In a few seconds, Kairi looked like her old self again. Kairi twirled to face Sora, smiled, and then said, "You know, I wanted to be by your side again. Despite what happened, I had a hunch that this was not your fault." Sora asked, "You-…you still wanted to be my friend, even after what I did to you?" Kairi nodded, "We both went to Hell and back Sora, we faced these things together and we were rewarded with a second chance in life. You became a protective hero, and I was allowed to remain by your side…I couldn't be happier to come with you." Kairi helped Sora up, and the two smiled at one another proudly.

After the touching moment, Kairi bragged, "I can understand the boundaries part, but if I'm going to come with you, let's get one thing straight, I WILL BE HEARD!" Sora wondered, "Y-you what?!" Kairi explained, "YOU HEARD ME, I want my opinion to be sound and respected as much as the Elric Brothers! That means when Edward croaks, I squawk, and when he makes a plan, my opinion has to be known or understood. If a reason is made to disagree with me, say it to my face and don't just ignore me! And most importantly, if I want you and them to hear my words, I want you boys to remember that my feelings matter, and that the only reason I would ever oppose is for the intention of the group…and not my own. Can you respect that Sora?"

Before the Keyblader could answer, the Dark Kairis attacked them, grabbing them and holding Kairi down while the others were Hell-bent on killing Sora, who then said, "KAIRI, I WILL RESPECT YOU AS MUCH AS I DO THE OTHERS, FROM NOW ON, YOU MATTER!" The Dark Kairi that was about to impale Sora with her claws then said, "She doesn't need a human or ANYONE to 'matter'!" then the Dark Kairi that held Sora's left side said, "She is my body, she is my face!" The Dark Kairi holding Sora on the right side then said, "She's no longer 'Kairi' she is me, she is WRATH, now and forever one of many servants of the superior race-!"

"GET OFF MY MAN YOU BITCHES!"

(BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-)

Half the Dark Kairis were blasted away by Kairi and her Guns! She picked Sora up on his feet and said, "What kind of lazy bum allows his enemies to shove a hand through his chest?!" Sora replied, "WOULD YOU DROP IT ALREADY?! Wrath clearly wants you all to herself!" Kairi stood by Sora's side as he pulled out his Keyblade. She then said, "Well this is MY body, and I'm not giving it back to her, no matter what she uses!"

(R-R-R-R-RUMBLE)

Suddenly, Sora, Kairi, and the Dark Kairis noticed a large gathering of black, purple and red strands of dark matter gathering up! And to everyone's shock, the form the darkness took was an enormous, grotesque-looking, green glowing witch-worm hybrid! Then on it's forehead, Sora noticed a familiar red and black emblem appear, "Did Wrath just summon a Golem?!"

"…Ssssssssssssssssssooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…"

The Golem spoke Sora's name, making one of the Dark Kairis inform Sora and Kairi, "Uh…that ain't mine."

End of Chapter 140