'Gone'

A Fic by Naomi Wiflath

Theme: 'Heavens Not Enough'

Album: Wolfs Rain OST

Kairi's theme: 'Slipped away' by Avril Lavigne

Album: Under My Skin

---

"It's been too long, something's wrong." Said Leon, pacing back and fourth. This kind of behavior was not common of him. Not only that, but he was extremely edgy.

"That's what I've been saying! We should go after them!" Declared Kairi, hitting her fists onto the table.

Kairi had known that something was wrong the night before, when she felt as if something was ripped ruthlessly away from her. It left a gaping whole in her heart, and it ached badly. Although she tried not to think about it, deep down she knew. Something bad had happened.

She sighed, walking to the corner where a wooden staff was. It was etched with mystic carvings that wove themselves up to the top where there was a picture of a phoenix etched. It was a gift from Aerith, so she could train and be able to fight.

"Me and Cloud will go check it out." Said Leon, bringing Kairi back from her revere.

"I'm coming with you!" She said.

"No, we don't know what's out there." Replied Leon firmly. Kairi gave him a glare, her jaw set with determination.

"I don't care. I'm going. You might need my help, I know healing spells." She added, knowing Leon couldn't disagree with this logic. He sighed, and then nodded.

"We better hurry."

---

And so then they left, going to Twilight Town. It took them only moments to get there, for all they had to do was cross through the bell tower above the gizmo shop. There was a dark passage under the bell, where when taken, will lead you to the train station bell tower in Twilight town. However, when they got there, their fears intensified. There was a dark sense of sorrow and despair in the world. And the sky was not its usual bright spectrum of oranges and pinks, but seemed to be faded.

A shiver shot Kairi's spine as the emptiness in her heart intensified.

"W-we must hurry." She whispered.

"Where were they headed?" Cloud asked.

"On the outskirts of town, somewhere called Apache Hill. There was some dark activity there and they went to check it out." Replied Leon, managing to hide his shakiness. He couldn't help but wonder if something really did happen to their friends. This would lead of course to another horrifying thought. If it took them down… how would they stand a chance to what ever was waiting for them?

"Let's go."

---

They quickly made their way through the maze if city streets. The road they were on slowly worsened in condition, until it was as if it had been completely neglected. The neat stone now ragged and even missing.

"L-look there…" said Kairi, pointing to an ominous shadow in the distance. They slowly walked towards it as a foggy haze slowly settled around them. They got to the base and realized that they had made their destination. It was a large hill, and from what they could see through the mist; it was littered with old tombstones. They had found Apache Hill.

The emptiness in Kairi's heart intensified, and seemed to push her forward. Cloud and Leon followed in silence, knowing that something horrible was waiting for them. Yet it seemed to increase the urgency to find their friends and know that they were safe.

Kairi wove around and between the statues, all strangely glistening in the dim twilight. She stopped and took a closer look at one of the statues, which depicted a Celtic cross. Leon placed a hand on it but immediately drew it back. One look at his hand changed his calm demeanor immediately. The crimson substance still damp from the fog.

"Blood…" Kairi whispered in horror.

"Something's here." Cloud whispered to his friends. "We must keep moving."

Leon nodded and started leading, Kairi behind him and Cloud at their rear. Kairi tried to look into the gloom, but all she saw was looming shapes. They were almost at the top when the gravestones became less frequent, and the ones that were there were broken. A strong tangy odor filled their senses, Leon and cloud immediately recognizing it as blood. They realized that the ground was covered with it.

Kairi walked up beside Leon, and tripped. Leon caught her before she fell, and both turned to look what it was. A silent scream escaped Kairi's lips at the scene before her. There was a strange, mutilated creature with a corrupted heartless crest on its chest.

"What is that?" she whispered.

"Some type… of heartless." Leon swallowed hard. Never in his life had he ever felt such fear well up inside him. It took a lot of his effort just to will his legs to carry him forward. And this was made more difficult by the fact that more and more bodies of these strange heartless now littered the hill. They continued to search, but not daring to call out their friends names in fear more of these things to appear.

They had gotten to the top of the hill, and there were so many bodies that they had to step over them. The creatures' dark blood giving off a foul stench and making it hard to breathe. Up ahead at the very pinnacle of the hill, stood a great stone statue of an angel. Its wings spread out as if it was caught in mid flight.

A glimmer of something caught Kairi's eye, and her attention was drawn to the base of the statue. A figure lay there unlike any of the heartless, and there was again another silver glimmer beside it.

"Oh god… Sora." She whispered as she ran to the figure. She fell to her knees beside it, and her suspicions were correct. There at the base of the statue lay Sora. For a moment Kairi's heart swelled with joy, almost masking the empty pain it gave off. She put a hand on his shoulder and shook him gently, whispering his name. She got no response, and that joy immediately turned to fear. She shook him again, more forcefully this time and again got no response. Her hands were wet, and she looked to see them covered in his blood.

"Sora, wake up. You gotta wake up Sora, please…" Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized the one thing she had dreaded. Maybe he's just unconscious… yea, that's it. She thought to herself, scrambling for any hope for her heart to cling to. She looked at Sora's wounds. They were very bad, and he was covered in blood. But she didn't care, she knew he was alive. She wanted him to be alive, he wouldn't leave her. There was no way he could be gone, it's impossible. Her mind couldn't comprehend it in any other way.

She put a hand on his cheek, and pulled it back in shock. It was cold. More tears welled in her eyes as she put a hand on his chest and waited. But she felt nothing.

She trembled and gave a heavy sob as she reached out and pulled her love into a desperate hug.

"Sora… Sora! Oh god no… Sora." She called, knowing he would never answer her calls again. It was now she understood that emptiness in her heart. She and Sora were connected, and if something were to happen to him… then a piece of her would forever go missing with him.

She continued to be wracked with sobs as she held onto him tightly, for dear life.

"I found Riku!" Cloud called nearby, although it seemed far away to Kairi. She slowly turned her head towards the direction of his call, and saw the two figures; one kneeling next another.

Riku… Surely he's alive too? A little shred of hope appeared once again, but she couldn't bear leaving Sora. Cloud stayed there for a moment, and then slowly got to his feet.

"Riku?" Kairi called hopefully. Cloud shook his head.

"I'm… I'm sorry Kairi." He said softly, although you wouldn't think he could express such an emotion by looks alone.

Kairi went numb as her blood ran cold. More crystal tears poured down her face as she shook her head. This couldn't be true, it just couldn't. It was a bad dream…yeah. It had to be a bad dream.

She laid Sora gently back down and wiped away her hears with the back of her hand. But just one look at Sora made her break down allover again with sobs. She felt so alone, so isolated with nothing but her pain.

Something caught her eye, and she looked closer. Sora's left hand was at his chest, with something clutched in it. She carefully pried the object from his hand, he had been holding onto it for dear life. Her breath got caught in her lungs as she held the precious object in her hands. It was her good luck charm, also covered in blood.

"Kairi…"

"Sora?" She asked, but got no reply. She coulda swore she had heard him call her name. Having the charm in her hands somehow dulled her pain. She felt numb inside, unable to cry anymore.

"Kairi… " Kairi was once again shook from her revere as Leon called her again. She looked up to him, her eyes strangely dull and sad. It disturbed him more then he already was. He looked sadly at Sora, and almost immediately had to look away.

"Kairi." He spoke again, his voice alittle scratchy. "I'm… Sorry." Leon couldn't think of a sadder sight then this.

"Leon!" Cloud called again, much farther away this time. Leon pulled himself away from the scene and walk to where Cloud was calling.

"Where are you?" He asked, trying to see through the ever thickening fog.

"Here." He said, leading Leon around another large tombstone. Cloud was kneeling next to another figure, which Leon could only guess was Naomi.

"Is that… Naomi?" he asked, dreading the answer. Cloud nodded.

"She's alive." Leon's eyes widened in surprise, and he kneeled down beside cloud and Naomi. Sure enough, he could hear her labored breaths. She was lying on her stomach and was in very bad shape. Her silver Keyblade clutched tightly in her hand.

"Naomi… Naomi." Called Leon, seeing if he'd get a response. The girl moved slightly; her eyes opened halfway and were out of focus.

"S-Sora… Riku… I-m… coming." Naomi whimpered, no louder then a whisper. She then feebly struggled to move.

"Don't move, Naomi." said Cloud calmly, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder. She fell still again, the little energy she had wasted and she immediately fell back into unconsciousness.

"We gotta get her outta here. I doubt Kairi's in any condition to use magic." Leon nodded in agreement to this, and stood up. Cloud carefully picked Naomi up, and they both walked towards where Kairi was. They found her still kneeling next to Sora, gazing down at him sadly.

"We better hurry. Something's here." said cloud again, his gaze following one of the shifting shadows in the fog. Leon took a deep breath, knowing that it would be a feat in its self to get Kairi to leave…

---

'I miss you, Miss you so bad.

I don't forget you, oh it's so sad.

I hope you can hear me, I remember it clearly.

The day you slipped away.

Was the day I found it won't be the same.

I didn't get around to kiss you goodbye on the hand.

I wish I could see you again.

I know that I can't. I hope you can hear me.

Cause I remember it clearly.

The day that you slipped away.

Was the day I found it won't be the same.

I've had my wake up, won't you wake up, I keep asking why.

And I can't take it, it wasn't fake, it happened you passed by

Now you're gone, there you go, somewhere I can't bring you back.

Now you're gone, there you go; somewhere you're not coming back...'

Lyrics from Avril Lavigne's 'Slipped away.'