Finally… took me forever.

But I got the chapter out right before ReMind! GIVE ME ALL THE SOKAI FEELS GAME!

Sorry, really hyped over here!

Enjoy the chapter!

Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!

OCs © to me!

Chapter 19: The Shattered

Riku stared at the broken shards of the Cornerstone for a moment, his mind racing. No time to think, just time to do.

"Goofy, Donald, Max, PJ! Get as many reinforcements as possible and tell everyone else to get in their homes. Hurry!"

"Yes Your Majesty!"

Their feet thudded up the stairs.

Sora held Patria in his arms. The girl clutched at his shirt, her face contorting in pain as she muttered. "I-I didn't mean to… I didn't mean to… It's not my fault… It's not my fault…"

"Patria. It'll be alright! We can fix this!"

Could they? Was it fixable?

Riku glanced over at his friend and niece. This had to be stopped. And fast. "Minnie, take Hara and Kuro to the library and seal yourselves in."

"But Riku-"

"Go. I need to handle things here."

His wife stared at him for a moment before giving a resigned sigh. She held little Kuro close as she and the former queen fled up the stairs and out of the room.

Immediately after, the king knelt beside Patria, laying his hand on her shoulder. "Patria, tell me what happened…" His voice dropped to a gentle whisper, as if speaking loudly would frighten the poor girl.

"H-he did it. He made me do it. I didn't mean to…"

"Sora, get Patria out of here." He helped the sobbing girl stand. "If we are able to fix the Cornerstone, she needs to be far away from here. Take her to my underground training grounds."

"Got it!" Throwing one of his daughter's arms over his shoulder, Sora helped the girl upstairs.

However, as they left the castle grounds, stepping out of the residual cornerstone energy lingering in the air, every step from Patria left behind a black footprint on the ground.

Dark tendrils sprouted from each footprint, digging into the ground like roots. Spreading. Growing.

As they grew bigger, dark copies of Patria began to crawl out, long fingers, sharp as knives, took the place of her Keyblade. The Shadow Patria Heartless(1) began to slink around the city, spreading darkness with every step.

Like a poison infecting a wound, the darkness crept across Disney Town.

"But, can we fix the Cornerstone, Daddy!?"

"Kairi," Riku turned to his old friend, "if I am able to put the pieces together with magic, do you think you could use your light to bring them together?"

"I could try. But will that work?"

"I don't know, but I figure that a pure light can reform the Cornerstone if nothing else can. Mickey, I'll need your help."

The two men summoned their Keyblades, pointing them at the shattered orb. The pieces began to glow softly, coated in a pale purple light. The pieces floated together, melding into their original places.

Time magic could repair the structure, but not the light inside. The two lowered their weapons as the orb fell perfectly back into place. Kairi stepped forward, laying her hands on the orb.

Light blossomed from her fingertips, surging into the orb itself. It began to pulse with a dull light, but the light looked nothing like it had before. The swirling lights within moved slowly, around the inside of the Cornerstone.

"I don't know if it's enough." Kairi looked up at the magical item before her. Her breathing started to come heavy and fast; this world was relying on her. If she failed who knows what would happen to Disney Town.

She felt a strong hand on her shoulder. "Kai, you are strong. It might just be the Cornerstone itself. Mickey, do you think her power is enough?"

"The Cornerstone has been in existence for nearly as long as this world has. I don't know if she can do it alone."

Hikari clutched the hilt of her Keyblade tightly, eyes closed slightly. "What do we do? If we can't fix the Cornerstone, our world is doomed."

Riku glanced over at his daughter, eyes brimming with confliction. "We need another Princess of Heart." His eyes shut, as a long sigh escaped his lips. "And I know where to find one…"

"Well, I can't let you do that." A smooth voice purred.

Riku felt a sharp pain erupt on his back. Everyone turned to see Holly, perched on the staircase, leaning against the wall, face half covered by her fancy hat. The flower on her hat, a massive rose, glittered with soft magic.

"Holly!?"

The woman straightened up, cracking her whip with a smile. "I came to claim my kingdom."

"Your kingdom!?"

"Indeed, King Riku. This is a coup."

Sora let Patria slump against a wall. They reached Riku's training ground.

Neither knew about the Heartless behind.

Sora knelt down, laying his hand on her head. "Hey kiddo. Don't worry, things will turn out alright." He pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead. "Wait here. I'll go keep watch."

He left her, his mind registering the horrified and depressed look on her face. That was a face that no father wanted to see their child wear. His foot stepped in a puddle, sloshing the liquid.

He didn't think about it.

Not until his foot almost stuck in the liquid.

"What…?" His eyes widened at the black goop that writhed and pushed its way across the ground, reaching for any light to swallow.

Was this… from Patria?

Ahead of him, another puddle grew in size, now as large as the Cornerstone itself. From it crawled a dark figure; Sora recognized his daughter's form, but the inky mass and yellow eyes told him a different story.

"Patria-"

Drawing his Keyblade, he slashed the Shadow Patria, swiftly scattering the darkness around, turning it back to goop.

"Patria!"

He ran back, now his feet sloshing in more darkness as it spread.

"PATRIA!"

The girl still sat against the wall, now her head resting on her knees. Sora slid to his knees beside her, his hands on her shoulders. Patria looked up, blinking; had she fallen asleep? She did look exhausted.

But now was not the time for that.

"Patria, get up. We have to fight."

She looked up, blinking. "What…?" Her eyes glanced behind her father at all the dark versions of herself gathering. "What's happening!? What did I do!?"

"Shh, it's not your fault. We just have to move." Sora looked down; a large dark puddle, already the size of the room, bubbling beneath them.

The puddle pulsed, a massive hand erupting from the darkness, red-tinted fingers clamping around Patria.

"DAD!"

Another hand rose up, and a head with red-tinged tendrils, popped out of the puddle. Sora jumped back as a Darkside, large, with red coloring on the tendrils, hands, and feet.

Letting out a groan, the Darkside Ω(2) drew back the empty fist, slamming it into the ground. Sora jumped up onto its arm, running across as quickly as possible. He jumped to the other arm, stabbing it. The Heartless didn't drop Patria, but its grip lessened just enough.

The girl pulled an arm free, summoning her own Keyblade. Over and over, she stabbed the hand until it dropped her.

Sora dropped down beside her, one hand on her shoulder.

"Dad… I didn't mean to. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry. This is all my fault!"

At her cry, the darkness bubbled more. Even more of the Shadow Patrias came crawling out of the ground.

Sora rolled to the side, as the Darkside Ω tried to squish him again. "Patria… This is your darkness. The more scared you are, the worse it gets!" He took her hand. "You need to calm down."

"I just doomed this world to darkness and you expect me to calm down!?" The girl slashed at the Darkside Ω, all her anger in every single strike.

Sora glanced around, noticing a small alcove. Casting Thundza, he grabbed his daughter's arm as the lighting pushed the Heartless back. Pulling her into the alcove, he cast Blizardza, a barrier of ice appearing between them and the dark creatures.

"Patria, sit."

"Dad, we need to fight!"

"Not until you calm down." He gently pulled her down to a sitting position, hands on her shoulders. "Patria." His voice, calm as it could be. "You're panicking and it's making things worse. We can take them, but not if you're freaking out. You're scared…"

Patria looked up at her father. "I'm terrified. I ruined everything… I'm going to kill this world." Her body shuddered as she clutched at her father's shirt sleeves. "Dad… would it be better for everyone if I just let the Heartless take my he-"

"NO!"

Was this truly the despair she felt!?

Would she rather die?

No!

"That is not my daughter! My daughter is loud, proud, and doesn't take crap from anyone! Right now… someone has been messing with her, trying hard to break that strong spirit that has always impressed me. I love my little girl, and I won't let her fall! I will do everything in my power to see that cocky little smile on her face once more. I will do whatever I have to so you can sleep at night without fear. But… I can't fight your demons for you." His hand grabbed hers, tightening as they heard the Heartless beating against his ice barricade. "But I can help you. You are strong. You are tougher than these things, and you are tougher than that thing trying to take you over. And while I can't fight them all for you, I can hold your hand, and stay with you. Encouraging and offering my support always."

Patria swallowed, any emotion she felt like expressing fading in a moment.

Well, almost.

Her head rested on her father's chest. "Thank you, Daddy… Is it too much to ask that you help me fight this battle? I don't feel like I can win this right now."

"Always."

Sora grabbed her hand as they stood up. "Thank you, Daddy…"

"You're welcome. Now, let's do this."

Darkness spread from Patria's arm to her father's. It covered them both, but neither felt afraid…

Shatter.

The ice broke apart as Sora and Patria rushed to attack their opponents. Darkness coating them all. Hands clasped, Keyblades in hand. Sora's red eyes. Patria's icy blue ones.

Rage Form(3).

Despair Form(4).

Riku jumped back as Holly slashed with her whip, the rose on her hat wilting away, only to be replaced with a black hellebore(5) flower. Her whip began to glow with an ominous dark energy.

She dove into the fray, slashing with her whip. The weapon caught Mickey on the back, just for a moment. The mouse gasped as a fiery feeling surged through his veins. Holding up his Keyblade, the king cast Curza, the pain inside him ebbing slightly. But a lingering fire still pulsed inside him.

Holly's hellebore wilted and a datura innoxia(6) flower blossomed into its place. Now the whip glowed white.

"Everything one needs for a coup 'de ta. A blade to cut apart my enemies. Poison to rot them inside. And drugs to make them do as I say. A true queen."

"You are no queen!" Kairi stood up, her light still pulsing in the Cornerstone. Not enough to jumpstart the magical item. "You are a witch who feels that she is better than others and is willing to squish others beneath her! That is no queen!"

Holly glanced over, eyes glittering with malice. "And what are you, Princess Kairi? A failure of a mother who can't keep on child safe from anything. We have your son. Your daughter is on the verge of falling into darkness. And I heard that you had an unborn infant taken from you too." Her whip snapped low, hitting Kairi in the ankle.

The world swam before the princess' eyes before she cried out.

Holly laughed as her foe fell before her, screaming with visions of pain and agony.

"What did you do to her!?"

"Opened up her mind to her darkest fears. Of course, my preferred method of torture." Holly chuckled as she slashed at Riku, her whip and the flower changing colors as she attempted to kill the king in every way he possibly could.

"Aunt Kairi!" Hikari knelt down beside the screaming woman, hugging her tightly. "Please, don't cry!" As the little girl hugged the woman, light burst from both of them.

Kairi gasped, the vision around her eyes fading away. "H-Hikari…?"

"Aunt Kairi!"

Kairi placed a hand on her head. "Wait… what happened?"

"Holly did something to you with her whip. I… I don't know what I did to fix it."

The princess looked at the little girl, cocking her head to the side. How did she…? "Riku! I need to talk to you!"

"Now!?"

"Now!"

"I'll fight, you talk!" Hikari summoned her Keyblade, charging past her father to join Mickey in battle against Holly.

Riku ran back, helping his friend up. "Are you alright?"

"I am. And I know how to fix the Cornerstone. We need another Princess of Heart… and you know where to find one."

"But Kairi-"

"We don't have a choice! If we don't do this now, darkness will overtake this world. I'll handle Holly. You and Mickey do what you have to."

"Are you sure…?"

"Yes." Drawing herself up to her full height, Kairi's eyes flashed, full of anger and pain. "I'm distraught enough to use it now. Take care of the rest."

Flowery Keyblade in hand, Kairi charged forward, leaping over the whip, catching Holly's attention immediately.

"Back so soon? I thought you would have learned your place!"

"Never!" Kairi dodged another slash from the whip. "Now fight me!" The whip cracked, snapping against Kairi's blade.

All she needed.

Kairi felt light erupt from her chest, covering her whole body. Wings sprouted from her back as her Aura form took effect.

"An angel to fall before a queen!" Holly laughed, not even phased by Kairi's change as she leapt back into battle.

Riku grabbed Mickey and Hikari, pulling them back toward the Cornerstone. "We need to fix the Cornerstone now. Kairi's light is there, but it's not enough to jumpstart it. We need another Princess."

"But Dad, where can we even find one so fast?"

The king and former king shared a glance, the mouse silently questioning his named heir. A nod answered it all.

"There is one living here, but Mickey and I, to protect her placed a seal on her heart to disguise her status. Not even she knows her own power."

The little girl blinked. "Where is she!? Do I know her? Let's go find her fast!"

"She's right here."

Riku laid his hand on his daughter's chest. A magic seal under his hand. For a moment, it glowed a soft gray before cracks webbed across the seal, shattering.

Hikari gasped, her heart thudding. "Wh-what… you mean…?

As Riku removed his hand, Mickey's replaced it, a new seal, one glowing yellow appeared. "You are the Princess of Heart."

The second seal shattered.

Light erupted across the room, flooding every corner. Holly stopped, turning around to see Hikari gasping. A soft blue light covering her entire body as her eyes glowed bright blue.

The girl's outfit changed to a soft blue dress, flowers draping over it as blue and white wings sprouted from her back.

"Hikari… Princess of Innocence(7)."

"Two of them!? How did we not know!?"

Kairi, dropping her Aura form, rushed forward, grabbing the handle of Holly's whip. "Riku, hurry!"

"Hikari," Riku turned to the little girl, who floated in her own Aura form, forced by the sudden explosion of light within her, "I need you to listen. Focus your light into the Cornerstone! Hurry!"

The little girl, wordlessly, held out a hand toward the Cornerstone. A beam of light smashing into the orb.

The pulsing orb flashed, the light within it pulsing quicker and quicker. A soft boom shook the room before a wave of light erupted from the Cornerstone; the ground lighting up.

Across the world, light burst from the ground disintegrating the Heartless and Shadow Patrias across the world.

Underground, Sora and Patria, slashing at the Darkside Ω felt the light all around them, causing their dark forms to fizzle away with the Heartless.

Patria fell to her knees, gasping as the light touched her. "Tria!" Sora ran to her side, helping her sit up as every breath came slowly to his little girl. "Are you alright?"

"I-I think so… Looks like they fixed the Cornerstone."

"I told you everything would be alright. I knew they could do it!"

"You were right, Dad. Thank you… you never give up."

"And I never will." He helped Patria stand up. "Let's head back, but this time we'll stay out of the Hall of the Cornerstone."

"I agree."

The two walked back slowly, Patria hugging her dad's arm. She smiled, happy to have someone so optimistic, someone who would never give up on her, in her life. A dad who loved her and would stay with her through thick and thin.

She felt loved.

She really, truly felt loved. And for once, she felt grateful for her father's never-ending smile and never-ending optimism.

Riku gently reached over and took his daughter's hand, waiting as the light streamed off her. Hikari's Aura form slowly melting away as the girl collapsed into his arms.

"There you go… it's alright."

"D-Daddy…?" Hikari blinked. "What did I…?"

"I'm sorry I never told you." Riku picked her up in his arms. "I just wanted to protect you. I was going to tell you when you turned thirteen, but fate forced my hand today. Kairi was right… we needed you."

Turning around, he saw Kairi and Holly wrestling over the whip. "THIS ISN'T OVER!" The hellebore bloomed again, the poison-laced whip lashing out just enough to catch Kairi's arms. The princess let go as the fiery pain erupted in her veins. Holly jumped back, jumping through a partially formed corridor. The only corridor the Cornerstone of Light could allow with that amount of light so close.

Mickey cured Kairi as the darkness faded. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be ok."

"But… what Holly said-"

"She can say what she wants." The princess stood up, brushing off her arms. "We won. That's what matters." Her eyes turned to Hikari. "How do you feel?"

The little girl blinked, glancing from Kairi to her father. "Confused."

"We'll explain everything." Riku smiled. "I promise. But first, let's let your mother and Minnie know everything is alright."

"Sounds good."

"Kari is a Princess of Heart!? Like Mom!?"

"Patria, inside voice please…"

"Yes, Mom."

Riku nodded, poking a piece of his dinner with a fork. "Yes. A year or so after I adopted her, the light in her heart suddenly spiked. Turns out, the former Princess of Innocence, Alice, passed away. Her light ended up passing on to Hikari(8); at first, we thought Princesses of Heart were born with hearts of pure light, but Master Yen Sid said that it could just pass on. I was afraid that Kari would be targeted like Kairi once was, so Mickey and I placed a seal on her heart, creating a light layer of darkness around her, so that her abilities would be tempered, and others couldn't sense her."

"Dad, you said you were going to tell me."

"Yes," he nodded, "the plan was to tell you when you turned thirteen. But that didn't happen." He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Kairi, while you're here, could you train Hikari? I'll continue training Patria for a few days, but since Kari knows the truth, I think she should get a little help."

Kairi nodded. "I would be happy to."

Patria glanced down at her cousin; the little girl swirled her fork around the pasta on her plate, not really eating. Just thinking.

Patria couldn't blame her. Talk about a revelation… Patria's darkness coming to light, and now Hikari's pure light.

Talk about irony.

Things would never be the same. Not for Hikari. Not for herself. Not for anyone sitting around the table with them…

"Wake up!"

Pith jumped up at the yell, startling Angel as well. The two sat up, rubbing their eyes as Holly entered the cell.

The hellebore on her hat and the whip glowed with dark energy. Her eyes burned with fury.

She also looked like she'd just gotten out of a battle.

"Your mother does not deserve to live, Kumo! She is a pathetic creature who dares hold a title of 'princess'!"

Pith blinked. Did Holly and his mother fight?

"She refused to bow before me, so you will instead!" Raising her whip, she brought the poisoned weapon down. Pith flinched, but the strike never came.

"Move you brat!"

Pith opened his eyes. Angel stood before him, the whip wrapped around her arm. The poison pulsed through her veins as Holly pulled it back, the girl falling almost on top of her fellow prisoner.

"Angel!?"

"Ugh! Whatever!" Holly shuddered, turning away. "Not worth my time and energy anyway…" She strode away, leaving the two alone.

"Angel, are you alright?"

"I-I'll be alright… it won't kill me." She grimaced. "I've been poisoned by her before."

Pith laid her down, taking off his hat to use as a pillow for her. "You knew it was poisoned…"

"I didn't want you to suffer anymore than you already had."

"But you've suffered more now! You didn't need to do that. I can take it."

The girl closed her eyes. "I wanted to…"

"Well, I guess I owe you now." The boy smiled softly. "Next time, I get to save you, ok?"

Angel shook her head. "Consider this my punishment for hurting you when we tried to run."

"Nope. I won't accept that. I owe you now. And I'll be the one to save you next time."

The girl blinked, her cheeks heating up slightly. "I-If you want to. I doubt I could stop you if I wanted to."

"Yeah, I'm a lot like my dad in that way." Sitting back, Pith laid his hand on her shoulder. "Rest. I'll be here."

All I want is freedom,

A world with no more night;

And you, always beside me,

To hold me and to hide me…

Hope you enjoyed this roller coaster of a chapter!

Footnotes:

(1) This is similar to the Shadow Sora Heartless from KH1.

(2) This is a boss from UX.

(3) Sora's dark form from KH3. It's not like anti-form where Sora is tainted by darkness. This is Sora tapping into his pure rage.

(4) Very similar to Rage form, but Patria is tapping into the pure feelings of anguish that she is feeling.

(5) Black Hellebore flowers are a medicinal flower that can be poisonous. They are also called Christmas roses.

(6) A white trumpet-shaped flower. The while plant has strong deliriant properties and a high overdose potential.

(7) In my game, the Princesses of Heart each embody a part of light. Kairi represents purity. Hikari represents innocence.

(8) This is combining my first idea of the Princesses being born with the light and the KH3 thing of them passing on their light.