Chapter 9

"There's only one world?!" Sora exclaimed as we sat in the Gummi Ship.

"Well, that's no good!" Donald said.

"Hey, you never know!" I chimed in, "It may be a world you guys know! Or even Hollow Baston. Don't be all negative, got it?" I crossed my arms.

khkhkh

"You were right on the munny, there, Irix. It's Hollow Baston!" Sora said. "Where's Piri? You said she was here!"

"Be patient, I don't know myself!" I said, "All I know is she is here somewhere."

"Garwrsh, it looks kinda different now." Goofy said and I looked at him. Suddenly I heard clacking metal and turned to the source. It was an Armour Heartless and it almost instantly disappeared.

"Looks like we got some fighting to do!" Goofy sighed.

We ran in circles in the town. I sighed and looked around, I had no Idea where I was.

"Irix, wait up!" I heard Donald yell and I turned around. It was only him.

"Donald, where's Sora and Goofy?" I asked.

He turned and looked around, "Wak! Guys, this ain't funny! Come out!"

Silence.

"Great, that's the last thing we needed." I sighed, "Guess it's kinda my fault we got lost, Donald."

"It's okay. We should get to higher ground." Donald said.

"Good idea! That's scale the rooftops."

khkhkh

No one's POV

Irix told Donald to wrap his arms around her neck while holding on and she started to climb.

"I hope your good a climbing..." Donald said, looking down.

"Don't worry! I used to climb things higher than this all the time in the Organization." she said, concentrating on the climbing. Once they got to the top, Donald looked down.

"How are we going to make that jump?" Donald gulped.

"Are you afraid of heights?" she asked, trying not to make it sound like she wasn't making fun of him.

"Heights? No." Donald said, "Gravity? Very much so!"

She giggled, "It's going to be okay. Just hold on tight!"

"What are you- WAAAAKKKK!" I from roof to roof. She stopped as she saw Sora and Goofy being cornered. She jumped off with Donald holding on for dear life. She land with a graceful crouch and summoned Nightfall.

"Donald, you can get off, now!" he nervously laughed and let go. She turned her attenion to the Dusks. "Hey, underlinings!"

They turned to her and hissed. They instantly lunged at her but she somersaulted out of the way, "Stopza!"

The enemies stopped and I quickly slashed through them. As soon as they disappeared, I turned to Sora. "Are you okay?" he nodded.

"Hey, guys! Long time no see!" a girl ran up to us. "Who's this?"

"Irix, if you please." I said with a smile.

"Oh, you're the one Amara was talking about!" Irix raised an eyebrow. "I'm Yuffie."

"Nice to meet ya." she said with a smile.

"How are Leon and the others?" Donald asked, a lot calmer than he was.

"Great!" she said.

"Hey Yuffie, have you seen the King, Piri, or Riku?" Sora asked.

"I haven't seen the King or Riku at all." she said, "But Piri's at her grandmother's house. I'll take you there if you want."

"Really?" Sora brighten up but Irix was very nervous.

"Yeah, follow me!" she lead them to a two story house that had a flower garden and a koi fish pond. Irix smiled as her heart became warm.

She sighed, "This... this is it!"

"I'll run ahead to Leon and the others and let them know you're here!" Yuffie ran off.

Sora looked at Irix, who was really nervous and scared. "You know, now that I'm here, I'm kinda scared to find out what's going to happen. After I'm gone, will I become Piri?"

Sora shook his head, "There's only one you in the worlds. You deserve to be your own person."

Irix giggled, "That sounds like something Piri would say..."

"Yeah, she taught me that everyone deserves a chance to live... well, not directly..."

Her smile disappeared and she looked at the house. She thought about that girl she saw back in Twilight Town.

'What was her name? ...Xion?' she wondered, 'Gah! I know I meet her! I feel bad I can't remember her... But she does deserve to live, too...'

Sora walked forward with Irix following him. He turned around facing Irix, "Are you ready?"

She sighed and nodded with a determined face. He knocked on the door. They heard Serah's voice.

"Amara, can you get the door, please?"

"Yeah!" the door clicked and opened. Amara was indeed the one who opened it.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" she gleamed, inviting them in. "Come on, I'll show you to the living room! Serah and Grandma Akira's there as well as Kiyoko!"

"Piri had her baby?" Irix asked.

"Yep!" Amara said, "You must be Irix!"

"And you are Amara, Piri's heartless and good friend..." she nodded and they went to the living room. Akira was bottle feeding the baby while Serah was waiting by the phone.

"Hey, guys!" She greeted with a smile then Serah looked at Sora. She still didn't like him but she was still friendly.

"Hey, Serah!" Sora said, "How are you doing?"

"Fine, I'm waiting for Claire to answer the phone." Serah said.

"Who's Claire?" the spikey-haired boy asked.

"That's Lightning's real name!" the young heartless said, sitting on Serah's lap. "But she only let's family call her that."

Irix looked over to Akira and Kiyoko.

"Hey there!" Akira looked up with the brightest of smiles. The baby looked at Irix and giggled.

"Mommy!" she clapped her hands reached out for her. Sora widened his eyes.

"Wait, how old is the baby?" he asked.

"About four months." Akira said.

"How can she speak?" Goofy asked.

"It's telepathy. Something she was born with." Serah said.

"She also has Piri's abilities of seeing memories." Amara said, "Piri passed on the title of Princess of Memory."

Akira's eyes began to water, "At such a time and young age."

"Can we see her?" Sora and Irix said in unison and Amara looked at Akira. She nodded and Amara sadly smiled.

"She's... in her room..." she said, letting Sora, Irix, Donald, and Goofy follow her. It was deadly quiet in her room. Darkness was only penetrated by the light coming from the covered window. Amara slightly opened it and Sora spotted Piri on the bed.

"Piri!" he ran to the bed side. She didn't respond and Sora panicked. "Why isn't she responding to me?"

"Well..." Amara trailed off and sighed. Sora breath came out shakey, him at the verge of tears.

"That's what I'm here for!" Irix stepped closer. "What do I need to do?"

"We need to give back her heart fragments." Amara said, "Donald and Goofy, can you wait downstairs with the others?"

"S-sure we can!" Donald said, worried for Piri's safety, "Let's go, Goofy."

"Oh..." Goofy lowered his head and they exited.

"Do I need to go?" Sora asked and Amara shook her head.

"No, you have to be here for Piri when she wakes." she looked at Piri.

"I'm not sure if this is going to work, but things are looking up!" Irix said with a smile and went to the other side of the bed. She held Piri's hand. "Piri, I'm not sure if you can hear me but... please wake up! Sora's here and Riku may not be here but he'll be destroyed inside if he finds out you didn't wake up. He... he loves you to the end."

No response or pulse erupted from the dead girl. Irix sighed and looked at Amara. "Are you ready... to go back?"

"I was destined to as well as you, Irix." Sora looked between the two girls and they looked at him.

"Sora, always remember to be yourself... no matter what happens." Irix smiled at him and Amara glowed along with her. Piri started to glow, too. "...It's the only way to see you again, Roxy."

Something inside Sora clicked and he started crying, "Ice! Please don't go!"

Amara disappeared and Irix sadly smiled and said to Sora before she disappearing, "I'll be in your heart, Roxas. I love you!"

"I love you, too!" Sora went to hug her but she disappeared. Sora snapped out of it and rubbed his forehead, "What... what was that about? And why did she call me Roxas?"

He only heard that eerily dead silence and turned to Piri. "Piri, please you gotta wake up!" no response. He gently curled next to her, in tears, "P-please... I-I'm sorry for everything! We need you!" Sora sobbed into her shoulder as he hugged her. "... I need you, Piri! Please..." he lifted his head up and looked at her face. She looked a little more mature then she used to and her hair was longer, free from a braid. He sighed; she was beautiful and he was sad his best friend and crush was dead.

'I... I love her...' he realized and tears streamed down his face. Was it wrong to love her?

He continued looking at her face, a red hue graced his cheeks. He leaned closer to her lips and stopped.

'S... Should I?' he gulped and closed his eyes.

He was kissing her passionately and he enjoyed it. He felt her kissing back and he instantly pulled away.

"Sora...?"