Chapter 30

Piri's POV

We neared the entrance and heard shouting.

"Kairi, hurry!" Goofy's voice called out.

"We can't just leave them behind!" Kai yelled.

"We can't stay here!" said Donald.

"Guys, the heartless is getting closer! I can sense it!" Amara said.

"Hey." I yelled and they all looked at me. "Don't forget about us!"

"Piri! Riku! Claire!" Amara beamed and Donald and Goofy readied their weapons.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's okay, guys! He's with us!" I told them, stepping in front of Riku. We walked to them.

"Piri saved him." Light bluntly said.

Riku looked at his hands, "Even after all I've done. I still don't understand why...?"

"It's because I love you!" I held his hands, "There's nothing that will change that."

"Piri..." he looked in to my eyes. I was picking up his emotions from them- it was a mixture of relief and happiness... but somewhere in that, I sensed sadness.

What snapped me out of Riku's gaze was Amara. she gasped, "Hold on..." she looked around.

"What's wrong, Mar?" I asked her and she looked at me.

"I sense a familiar darkness. Not Xehanort's but..." she gasped, "Sora!"

A single shadow heartless jumped into view. Donald started hitting it.

"Confounded heartless! Get lost, will you?" the duck asked.

"Wait, Donald!" he stopped and looked at Amara, who walked closer to the heartless. She slowly placed a hand on it's head and closed her eyes. She opened them after a few seconds and smiled. "I was right."

"Wait, Sora?" I asked and she nodded. She was tackled by another heartless.

"Amara!" Me and Riku yelled and ran to her. I killed the heartless and picked up Amara.

"Are you okay?" she nodded at this and I hugged her.

"Riku! Reese!" I heard Light yell and looked around. We were surrounded by heartless. Riku summon his Soul Eater and I cradled Amara to my chest, trying to protect her.

"Piri!" Donald and Goofy yelled and they and Light charged to help us.

"Sora!" I turned to see Kairi being covered by heartless.

"Kairi!" me and Riku yelled. There was a flash of light and I defended Amara, knowing it would hurt her. Once it dimmed, the heartless were destroyed and Sora had been restored to his human self.

"Kairi, thank you." Sora said.

"Sora!" we all cried. Sora turned his attention to me and Amara.

"Sis, thanks for protecting-"

"Hey, your my brother. I could never let anyone hurt you!" he smiled at this.

"Who is that girl and why does she look like you when you were five?" he asked and Amara and I looked at each other. She looked back at Sora.

"Sora, it's me! You know, Amara?" she said and he tilted his head.

"She was there when you released my heart..."

Light gasped, "That would explain why she looks like you. Reese, she's your-"

More heartless appeared. Riku scooted me behind him and I held on to my heartless. He was protecting me along with Light. Sora protected Kairi with Goofy and Donald. That's when a huge roar shook the room. Amara gripped my shirt tighter and I stepped closer to Riku. The Beast jumped down and swatted the heartless away. He told us to leave and stayed behind while the rest of us took off.

khkhkh

We went back to Traverse Town and went to Leon's house. Leon, Cid, Yuffie, Aerith, and Serah was there.

"Lightning!" Serah ran you to her, crying, "You- you're safe f-from Maleficent!"

"Serah, I'm sorry for leaving you alone. I'm probably the worst sister, aren't I?"

Serah smiled and shook her head, "No, you followed your heart like I told you should. I'm just glad you're okay." we all smiled at the Farron sisters' reunion.

"Tell me what happened." Sora explained everything that happened in Hallow Baston. "So... the darkness is flowing out of that keyhole."

"No wonder there are more and more heartless. The only way to stop them is seal it." Aerith said.

"But no one knows what will happen once it's sealed." Serah said.

"Well, we can't just sit here! This is my fault!" Riku walked out of the house. I told Amara to stay with Sora and Kairi and ran after Riku. Outside, he looked up to the starry sky.

"Riku, it wasn't your fault." he lowered his head to the ground.

"It was. I was the one who opened the door back on Destiny Islands... and ruined everything. Then, I fell to darkness and hurt Sora and you..." he turned to me. "Especially you. I promised I wouldn't ever break your heart ever again... and look what I did..."

"So what? It doesn't matter anymore. I know you will never make that mistake again, right?" I cupped his cheek and kissed him. He pulled away.

"Aren't you mad at me?" I gently smacked him on the shoulder and laughed. "Uh, what was that for?"

"My anger is released." I grinned and he chuckled.

"You never change."

"I promised, remember? I never would break my promises to you." he leaned his forehead to mine.

"And just so you know..." he kissed me, passionate but gente, then pulled back. "You are my light, too."

"Piri!" We heard Amara's voice and turned to her. "Sora and Kairi need you."

" 'Kay!" I said, "Riku, can you watch her for a minute?"

"Of course." he smiled and I hugged while he kissed me on the forehead. I ran to find them.

khkhkh

Riku's POV

After she left, Amara got my attention. "Hey, Riku? Do you remember when we first met?"

"Huh?"

"When you told me to protect Piri." she told said and my eyes widened.

"Wait, you've that heartless?" she nodded at this, sadly.

"I couldn't protect her. The reason I look like this is because her heart basically shattered into three pieces- one went to Sora, who gave it back and why she is awakened, and one went to me.

"You look like her because of that shard of heart?" she nodded.

"I have some of her memories and emotions and I don't know how to give them back. I'm afarid this will effect her... badly..."

"How?"

"...Well, any close to death problems would make it more likely for her to..." she trailed off. I knew what she was saying.

"Is there anyway we can prevent her from dying?"

"Gather the pieces together and... well, I don't know after that."

"Hold it, you said you and Sora had a shard. What happen to the other one?" she looked sadly to the ground.

"I don't know that, either..." I gasped at this.

"That would mean-"

"She'll be missing more of her memories and barely show emotion." she told me. I looked up to the sky.

"She's not going to die! I won't let her!"

khkhkh

Piri's POV

I found Sora and Kairi in the secret underground cavern. I noticed Kairi was staring at a mural that was on a wall.

"The light at the end of the tunnel..."

"Oh, your grandma's story, right?" Sora asked and Kairi nodded.

"That's right. We were together." Kairi said.

"How did you know that, Sora?" I asked.

While Kairi's heart was inside me, I saw a vision of her grandma telling her a story." Sora said. Riku and Amara arrived.

"Hey guys. So, what now?" he asked.

"We're finally together again." Sora said.

I sighed, "Do you think it will ever be the same again?"

"I don't know... but before Kairi saved me, I couldn't find my way through the darkness. I started forgetting things- my friends, who I was... the darkness almost swallowed me. But I heard voices. Yours, Kairi's, and Riku's. You guys brought me back." Sora said.

"Come on, Sora. We can't forget about you." he said and I nodded in agreement.

"Don't forget! Our hearts are connected. If we don't forget that, nothing can stop us... not light, nor darkness."

"Well, then, let's go!" Kairi said.

"Sorry, Kairi, but I think you should stay here." Sora said.

"Amara, you can't either." I told her.

"Why?" they asked.

"Because it's way to dangerous." I said.

"Plus, you'd kinda be in our way." Sora said.

"SORA!" Riku and I yelled. He nerously scratched the back of his head.

I sighed, "Sora's right, but he could have worded it differently..."

"Alright, you win... here, take this with you, Sora." Kairi gave him her thalassa shell wayfinder. "It's my luck charm. Be sure to bring it back to me!"

"Okay, I will." he held it to his heart.

"Promise?" he nodded at this. She closed her eyes. "Always remember..." she opened her eyes. "No matter where you go, I'll be with you."

I smiled at this. The way she looks at him... I know she cares for him a lot. And I know he likes her, too.

I knelt by Amara's side. "Amara, stay close to Kairi, 'kay?" she hugged me and cried a little. How can she cry? She is a heartless after all...

"I'll miss you..." I smiled and sighed. Focusing my magic, I made a charm from light and darkness. The charm was a small black sand dollar with a white heart in the middle.

"This will protect you from getting hurt from the light." I clasped the silver chain around her neck. "It's a little bit of my power, so I'll be back for it."

She smiled, "Promise?"

"You bet your life on it." I rustled her hair and stood up.

"I'll be sure she'll be here to get it back, too." Riku promised.

"...Thanks, you two." she smiled brighter.