Nice chapter. It does explain things well.
And the cliffhanger really makes me want to read the next chapter.:toungesmile:
Well done! xD
And the cliffhanger really makes me want to read the next chapter.:toungesmile:
Well done! xD
Fanfiction ► The Realm of Shadows
- Thread starter giuocob
- Start date
|
REGISTER TO REMOVE ADS |
|
- Status
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 4,728
- Awards
- 1
:O
Zomg, teh awesomeness. I'm so jealous of your writing, seriously! I love it, it's explanatory and clear, it's just.... perfection! <3
Zomg, teh awesomeness. I'm so jealous of your writing, seriously! I love it, it's explanatory and clear, it's just.... perfection! <3
Is it really clear? Whew...I thought most of that monologue came out pretty jumbled.
And your writing has always been a lot more descriptive than mine.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 4,728
- Awards
- 1
^ No, it was great! I liked it! :3
Aww, thanks! ^.^ I still think yours is better <3
Aww, thanks! ^.^ I still think yours is better <3
I'm going to construct an argument based on modern literary theory about why your fic is better than mine. :closedeyes:
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 4,728
- Awards
- 1
^ XD Aww, that's so sweet! <3
GREAT! i like the chapter, cant wait for the next one
umm...new chapter? soon please? i cant wait 
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 4,728
- Awards
- 1
^ Don't rush him, I'm sure he's real busy ^.^
Take your time <3
Take your time <3
Don't worry, I just had my last exam yesterday, and it's summer time! I'll be updating quickly for a very long time now, starting later today or tomorrow.
You're lucky. It's winter for me!
I look forward to the next chapter!
I look forward to the next chapter!
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 4,728
- Awards
- 1
^ Wow, really? I'd prefer winter right now...
More updates? Giu, you're spoiling us. I look forward to it, enjoy your summer <3
More updates? Giu, you're spoiling us. I look forward to it, enjoy your summer <3
hey, just dont want this story to be forgotten so posting a comment. not trying to rush you or anything but whens the next chapter coming?
so posting a comment. not trying to rush you or anything but whens the next chapter coming?when are you going to update? jw
I would tell you, but you can't trust anything I say on this topic, apparently. I keep telling myself I'll do it soon, and then I start procrastinating and procrastinating...but I promise it'll get done sometime.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 4,728
- Awards
- 1
Don't worry, Giu. I do that all the time xD
<3
<3
haha i do that too....ALOT
Haha...I FINALLY made myself do it! It's not that I didn't enjoy writing this...it was a lot of fun once I got the first couple sentences done. (That first paragraph is always the hardest.)
Personally, I think this went a lot better than the travesty that was my last chapter. It's not as long as some of the other ones, but a lot happens in it. Tell me what you guys think!
CHAPTER XV
Sora was still snarling in fury as he awoke. Bolting upright in his bed as though he had been pricked in the back of the head by a red-hot poker, he glanced around the room wildly. Donald, Goofy, and Ajedel were all gathered around his bed. “I saw her again!” His face was alight with an almost insane rage. “She’s up there in that realm, and Xehanort is the Shadow that has control of her! I’ve got to go back up there! I’ve got to save her! If I don’t, then she’s gonna…”
His voice trailed off as he realized that none of his friends were paying attention to what he was saying. They weren’t even looking at him. They all were gazing wordlessly in the direction of Riku’s bed, which at the moment held Kairi’s body. Something over there had a complete hold on their attention. Sora slowly got to his feet and peered over Ajedel’s shoulder, wondering what on earth could be so interesting. The shock that rippled through his body at what he saw surpassed anything that he had seen or heard in his dream that afternoon.
Kairi was sitting up.
“Kairi!” The name ripped involuntarily from Sora’s throat as he vaulted onto the bed and clutched both of her hands, staring at her face with eyes that were already beginning to water up with tears. “Kairi! Kairi!” He just couldn’t stop saying her name. Was this real, or was it merely a cruel continuation of his dream? No, Ajedel had said that this exact thing could happen…it had to be true. She was alive!
However, Kairi never opened her mouth once to talk. Her blue eyes gazed blankly at the boy kneeling over her, devoid of any emotion whatsoever. “Kairi!” cried Sora again, his elation instantly changing to alarm. “What’s wrong? Can’t you hear me? Oh, Kairi!” He furiously shook her by the shoulders, her head knocking harshly on the wall behind her.
“Sora!” yelled Ajedel. “Don’t do that, you might hurt her!”
Sora looked up at the scientist, tears now streaming down his cheeks. “What’s wrong with her?” he whispered softly. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to know.
“What in the name of Kingdom Hearts happened while you were asleep?” asked Ajedel. He sounded immensely confused.
“Well…well…” stammered Sora. He choked back an agonized sob before continuing. He gave Ajedel a brief account of what had transpired between him and Kairi, but he wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying. Throughout the entire description, he stared at Kairi, propped up against the wall, who stared back at him. Not once did she show astonishment or delight at being alive, at seeing Sora again. She was completely indifferent to everything going on around her. To Sora, after a full year of wishing and even hoping that she might come back, the sight of her in this zombie-like state was almost enough to make him break down right there on the bed.
After Sora finished his narrative, Ajedel seated himself on the unoccupied bed and fell into deep thought for several minutes. “I think I know what’s going here,” he said eventually. “You say that a heart left your body when that Shadow possessing Kairi…your friend, possessed by the Shadow…tried to steal it. Obviously, that wasn’t your heart…it must have been your friend’s. I can’t believe that I never thought her heart might be inside you!” He physically slapped himself upside the head. “Well, her body is completely unharmed, meaning that her heart was perfectly able to reside inside her. That is why she is now alive.”
“But why is she…like this?” cried Sora, gesturing wildly at the unresponsive girl, who continued to gaze emotionlessly at the scene.
“I was getting to that,” explained Ajedel. He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, trying not to hurt Sora any more than necessary. “Her heart is inside her body, yes, but her soul is not. That Shadow still has that. Without her soul, she has no personality whatsoever. I am sorry to say that she has no idea who you are.”
It was too much for Sora. “Then it’s no use,” he sobbed, pounding his fist repeatedly into the wall so hard that it shook the entire room. “There’s nothing we can do, is there? All this time I’ve been hoping has been for nothing. That Shadow has Kairi’s soul, and it’s not going to give it back!”
Donald and Goofy stood at a distance, silently watching Sora’s grief. Even though neither of them knew Kairi very well, seeing Sora like this caused Goofy to turn his head and sniffle a little himself. Even Donald was deeply moved. “Aw, come on, Sora,” he said comfortingly. “I’m sure it will all work out well.”
“No, it won’t!” shouted Sora fiercely, accentuating each word with a pounding strike of his fist on the wood. “She’s lost, and there’s nothing we can do to get her soul back. Right, Ajedel?” He mentally prepared himself for the crushing ‘no’ that was sure to follow.
Ajedel, however, said nothing. His eyes shone with far more hope than anyone else in the room had. He knew very well what it was like to lose a loved one, and he could see plainly that Sora was as close to this girl as he himself had been to the Kairi he had lost years ago. The only difference was that, in his eyes, Sora’s position was far from hopeless. “Actually, you’re wrong,” he said, causing to sharply cast his gaze toward him. “I know, I told you that it would be nearly impossible to resurrect her. But the hard part is already done; her heart is safely back inside her body. Now we need to find that Shadow again. If it ever comes into this castle again, I have the means to capture it…and then, while it is helpless, I may actually be able to retrieve the soul that it holds captive.”
Sora couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Really?” he said, drying his eyes. “Can you really do that? Would you do it for me?”
“Of course!” exclaimed Ajedel. “I owe a lot to you, Sora. You have kept me wonderful company these past weeks, and with your help, I have made enormous progress in my research. The least I can do in return is help revive your friend from the dead!” He laughed heartily. “It’s not something I do every day, anyway. I’m quite excited about it myself!”
“Thanks,” said Sora, rubbing his eyes again. In truth, he didn’t know exactly what to say. Words could not describe the incredible gratitude he felt toward the scientist. Ajedel, had earned great respect in Sora’s heart, and there were few people whose word he trusted more than his. If Ajedel said that Kairi’s soul could be rescued…then Kairi’s soul could be rescued. For the past year, Sora had moped around the castle, spending his type wishing and hoping that Kairi could somehow come back. Now, however, it was different. After that one, simple promise from Ajedel, Sora no longer wished that it would happened…he believed it. For the first time since Kairi’s death, Sora took heart in the fact that she would actually return. He felt his resolve strengthening with each passing moment as he rose boldly to his feet. “Thanks a whole lot,” he repeated. A grin even began to spread across his face. “I really can’t tell you how thankful I am for this.”
Donald and Goofy quickly bumbled toward Sora and Ajedel. “If you ever need help with anything at all, just ask us!” proclaimed Goofy proudly. “We want to help get Kairi back, too!” Donald heartily nodded his agreement.
Sora smiled broadly at them. “Thanks a lot to you as well!” It was just like the days before the fall of Organization XIII; he, Donald, and Goofy were all united and together again.
The four of them stood together silently for a few moments, reveling in the wonderful bond they had just successfully created between each other. For Sora, this was the first time he felt he could really call Ajedel his friend. “Well, it’s late,” said Donald eventually. He gestured toward the open door at the darkening sky outside. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m tired. Goodnight!” He waddled out the door and was gone.
Goofy nodded his head. “G’night!” he called cheerfully as he left the room.
Sora now turned to Kairi, who was still sitting upright on the bed. He locked eyes with her. “Kairi, we’re going to bring you back. I know we will. The promise I made you all those years ago still stands…I’ll never leave you like this.” Sora didn’t expect her to understand what he was saying, but he could have sworn he saw Kairi nod slightly.
“Well,” said Ajedel, patting him kindly on the shoulder, “it’s been a very long day. We both need to get some sleep. I’m going to…”
He was abruptly interrupted by Donald and Goofy, who came crashing back into the room, staff and shield in hand. “Heartless!” shouted Donald wildly. “They’re everywhere! I haven’t seen so many of those little things in years!”
“What?” cried Sora. He rushed out the door onto the balcony and stared into the courtyard, fifteen feet below. The fading light in the sky revealed that the entire place was completely thick with Heartless, milling around in the garden, staring at the group on the balcony with their pale yellow eyes.
“I’ll go fetch the cadmium accelerators!” yelled Ajedel, as he dashed down the corridor toward the library.
“Alright,” commanded Goofy, the familiar light of battle burning in his eyes. “Sora, you stay up here. Donald, you stand here on the balcony and kill as many as you can. I’ll go down the stairs and…Sora, look out!”
Sora spun around to see a single Heartless flying through the air directly at him. It was positively massive, at least ten times the size as a normal Heartless. It had scaled the balcony while Sora, Donald, and Goofy were distracted, and was now intent on tearing Sora to shreds. Sora instinctively threw up his hand to block his face, although this effort was obviously pointless.
Whack. There was a sickening thud of flesh striking metal as the Heartless fell to the ground in two halves and melted away into the air. There, held tightly in Sora’s outstretched hand, was his keyblade.
“Oh my gosh!” cried Goofy, staring at Sora in astonishment. “You got it back, Sora! How did you do it?” Sora did not reply, his gaze also fixated on the keyblade. He slowly waved it back and forth; it sliced through the air perfectly, as if he had never stopped using it. He had no idea why it had decided to come back to him at this moment, but it didn’t matter. Looking at his old weapon, feeling it in his hand, he felt more powerful and bold than he had felt in a very, very, long time.
But there was no time to ponder this at the moment; the rest of the Heartless were beginning to snake their way up the columns to where the three friends were standing. Sora glanced at Donald and Goofy, power and adrenaline rushing through his veins, a gigantic grin plastered on his face. “Just like the old days, huh?” Before either of them could open their mouths to respond, he had vaulted the railing and plummeted fifteen feet, down into the waiting sea of Heartless.
Personally, I think this went a lot better than the travesty that was my last chapter. It's not as long as some of the other ones, but a lot happens in it. Tell me what you guys think!
CHAPTER XV
Sora was still snarling in fury as he awoke. Bolting upright in his bed as though he had been pricked in the back of the head by a red-hot poker, he glanced around the room wildly. Donald, Goofy, and Ajedel were all gathered around his bed. “I saw her again!” His face was alight with an almost insane rage. “She’s up there in that realm, and Xehanort is the Shadow that has control of her! I’ve got to go back up there! I’ve got to save her! If I don’t, then she’s gonna…”
His voice trailed off as he realized that none of his friends were paying attention to what he was saying. They weren’t even looking at him. They all were gazing wordlessly in the direction of Riku’s bed, which at the moment held Kairi’s body. Something over there had a complete hold on their attention. Sora slowly got to his feet and peered over Ajedel’s shoulder, wondering what on earth could be so interesting. The shock that rippled through his body at what he saw surpassed anything that he had seen or heard in his dream that afternoon.
Kairi was sitting up.
“Kairi!” The name ripped involuntarily from Sora’s throat as he vaulted onto the bed and clutched both of her hands, staring at her face with eyes that were already beginning to water up with tears. “Kairi! Kairi!” He just couldn’t stop saying her name. Was this real, or was it merely a cruel continuation of his dream? No, Ajedel had said that this exact thing could happen…it had to be true. She was alive!
However, Kairi never opened her mouth once to talk. Her blue eyes gazed blankly at the boy kneeling over her, devoid of any emotion whatsoever. “Kairi!” cried Sora again, his elation instantly changing to alarm. “What’s wrong? Can’t you hear me? Oh, Kairi!” He furiously shook her by the shoulders, her head knocking harshly on the wall behind her.
“Sora!” yelled Ajedel. “Don’t do that, you might hurt her!”
Sora looked up at the scientist, tears now streaming down his cheeks. “What’s wrong with her?” he whispered softly. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to know.
“What in the name of Kingdom Hearts happened while you were asleep?” asked Ajedel. He sounded immensely confused.
“Well…well…” stammered Sora. He choked back an agonized sob before continuing. He gave Ajedel a brief account of what had transpired between him and Kairi, but he wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying. Throughout the entire description, he stared at Kairi, propped up against the wall, who stared back at him. Not once did she show astonishment or delight at being alive, at seeing Sora again. She was completely indifferent to everything going on around her. To Sora, after a full year of wishing and even hoping that she might come back, the sight of her in this zombie-like state was almost enough to make him break down right there on the bed.
After Sora finished his narrative, Ajedel seated himself on the unoccupied bed and fell into deep thought for several minutes. “I think I know what’s going here,” he said eventually. “You say that a heart left your body when that Shadow possessing Kairi…your friend, possessed by the Shadow…tried to steal it. Obviously, that wasn’t your heart…it must have been your friend’s. I can’t believe that I never thought her heart might be inside you!” He physically slapped himself upside the head. “Well, her body is completely unharmed, meaning that her heart was perfectly able to reside inside her. That is why she is now alive.”
“But why is she…like this?” cried Sora, gesturing wildly at the unresponsive girl, who continued to gaze emotionlessly at the scene.
“I was getting to that,” explained Ajedel. He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, trying not to hurt Sora any more than necessary. “Her heart is inside her body, yes, but her soul is not. That Shadow still has that. Without her soul, she has no personality whatsoever. I am sorry to say that she has no idea who you are.”
It was too much for Sora. “Then it’s no use,” he sobbed, pounding his fist repeatedly into the wall so hard that it shook the entire room. “There’s nothing we can do, is there? All this time I’ve been hoping has been for nothing. That Shadow has Kairi’s soul, and it’s not going to give it back!”
Donald and Goofy stood at a distance, silently watching Sora’s grief. Even though neither of them knew Kairi very well, seeing Sora like this caused Goofy to turn his head and sniffle a little himself. Even Donald was deeply moved. “Aw, come on, Sora,” he said comfortingly. “I’m sure it will all work out well.”
“No, it won’t!” shouted Sora fiercely, accentuating each word with a pounding strike of his fist on the wood. “She’s lost, and there’s nothing we can do to get her soul back. Right, Ajedel?” He mentally prepared himself for the crushing ‘no’ that was sure to follow.
Ajedel, however, said nothing. His eyes shone with far more hope than anyone else in the room had. He knew very well what it was like to lose a loved one, and he could see plainly that Sora was as close to this girl as he himself had been to the Kairi he had lost years ago. The only difference was that, in his eyes, Sora’s position was far from hopeless. “Actually, you’re wrong,” he said, causing to sharply cast his gaze toward him. “I know, I told you that it would be nearly impossible to resurrect her. But the hard part is already done; her heart is safely back inside her body. Now we need to find that Shadow again. If it ever comes into this castle again, I have the means to capture it…and then, while it is helpless, I may actually be able to retrieve the soul that it holds captive.”
Sora couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Really?” he said, drying his eyes. “Can you really do that? Would you do it for me?”
“Of course!” exclaimed Ajedel. “I owe a lot to you, Sora. You have kept me wonderful company these past weeks, and with your help, I have made enormous progress in my research. The least I can do in return is help revive your friend from the dead!” He laughed heartily. “It’s not something I do every day, anyway. I’m quite excited about it myself!”
“Thanks,” said Sora, rubbing his eyes again. In truth, he didn’t know exactly what to say. Words could not describe the incredible gratitude he felt toward the scientist. Ajedel, had earned great respect in Sora’s heart, and there were few people whose word he trusted more than his. If Ajedel said that Kairi’s soul could be rescued…then Kairi’s soul could be rescued. For the past year, Sora had moped around the castle, spending his type wishing and hoping that Kairi could somehow come back. Now, however, it was different. After that one, simple promise from Ajedel, Sora no longer wished that it would happened…he believed it. For the first time since Kairi’s death, Sora took heart in the fact that she would actually return. He felt his resolve strengthening with each passing moment as he rose boldly to his feet. “Thanks a whole lot,” he repeated. A grin even began to spread across his face. “I really can’t tell you how thankful I am for this.”
Donald and Goofy quickly bumbled toward Sora and Ajedel. “If you ever need help with anything at all, just ask us!” proclaimed Goofy proudly. “We want to help get Kairi back, too!” Donald heartily nodded his agreement.
Sora smiled broadly at them. “Thanks a lot to you as well!” It was just like the days before the fall of Organization XIII; he, Donald, and Goofy were all united and together again.
The four of them stood together silently for a few moments, reveling in the wonderful bond they had just successfully created between each other. For Sora, this was the first time he felt he could really call Ajedel his friend. “Well, it’s late,” said Donald eventually. He gestured toward the open door at the darkening sky outside. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m tired. Goodnight!” He waddled out the door and was gone.
Goofy nodded his head. “G’night!” he called cheerfully as he left the room.
Sora now turned to Kairi, who was still sitting upright on the bed. He locked eyes with her. “Kairi, we’re going to bring you back. I know we will. The promise I made you all those years ago still stands…I’ll never leave you like this.” Sora didn’t expect her to understand what he was saying, but he could have sworn he saw Kairi nod slightly.
“Well,” said Ajedel, patting him kindly on the shoulder, “it’s been a very long day. We both need to get some sleep. I’m going to…”
He was abruptly interrupted by Donald and Goofy, who came crashing back into the room, staff and shield in hand. “Heartless!” shouted Donald wildly. “They’re everywhere! I haven’t seen so many of those little things in years!”
“What?” cried Sora. He rushed out the door onto the balcony and stared into the courtyard, fifteen feet below. The fading light in the sky revealed that the entire place was completely thick with Heartless, milling around in the garden, staring at the group on the balcony with their pale yellow eyes.
“I’ll go fetch the cadmium accelerators!” yelled Ajedel, as he dashed down the corridor toward the library.
“Alright,” commanded Goofy, the familiar light of battle burning in his eyes. “Sora, you stay up here. Donald, you stand here on the balcony and kill as many as you can. I’ll go down the stairs and…Sora, look out!”
Sora spun around to see a single Heartless flying through the air directly at him. It was positively massive, at least ten times the size as a normal Heartless. It had scaled the balcony while Sora, Donald, and Goofy were distracted, and was now intent on tearing Sora to shreds. Sora instinctively threw up his hand to block his face, although this effort was obviously pointless.
Whack. There was a sickening thud of flesh striking metal as the Heartless fell to the ground in two halves and melted away into the air. There, held tightly in Sora’s outstretched hand, was his keyblade.
“Oh my gosh!” cried Goofy, staring at Sora in astonishment. “You got it back, Sora! How did you do it?” Sora did not reply, his gaze also fixated on the keyblade. He slowly waved it back and forth; it sliced through the air perfectly, as if he had never stopped using it. He had no idea why it had decided to come back to him at this moment, but it didn’t matter. Looking at his old weapon, feeling it in his hand, he felt more powerful and bold than he had felt in a very, very, long time.
But there was no time to ponder this at the moment; the rest of the Heartless were beginning to snake their way up the columns to where the three friends were standing. Sora glanced at Donald and Goofy, power and adrenaline rushing through his veins, a gigantic grin plastered on his face. “Just like the old days, huh?” Before either of them could open their mouths to respond, he had vaulted the railing and plummeted fifteen feet, down into the waiting sea of Heartless.
- Status