Chapter 22

“This doggy likes you, though,” she pointed out. Axel dropped his gaze, and indeed, Pluto was right there with his tail whipping back and forth. “Just because dogs like someone doesn’t mean they’re a good person, y’know. Got it memorized?” “I don’t know what you’re trying to say.” “Well…me neither.” He’d dragged Kairi along with him, but he wasn’t sure how to explain why. At a loss, he cocked his head. “Uh, I mean… Don’t you want to see Sora?” “Yes!” she replied firmly. “That might be a problem,” said another voice. They both started, and Saïx emerged from a rent in the space behind Kairi. “Kairi—!” Axel tried to reach her first, but Saïx snatched her up a fraction of a second earlier. “Let go—!” Kairi began to scream. It all happened in an instant, and Pluto barked ferociously at Saïx. “Kairi!” Axel shouted again as the girl struggled against Saïx’s hold. He readied his chakrams to hurl at Saïx when a powerful shock wave hit him. “Traitors like you deserve to lose everything,” Saïx said. Axel grunted and collapsed to his knees in pain from the direct hit. After only one strike, he felt his consciousness fading. His vision was going black. He couldn’t even tell whether he saw Saïx disappear with Kairi into the dark portal or whether that was only his own eyes closing. Is this how I get turned into a Dusk…? Hayner and Olette huddled together in the station plaza, deep in conversation. Then Olette noticed Sora and his friends. “Sora…!” “So you did come back, huh?” Hayner said. “Pence was just telling us about Kairi… How do you guys know her?” Sora asked. Hayner and his two friends looked at one another, then down at the reddish stone pavement. “C’mon, tell me!” Pence spoke up first. “Kairi came here to Twilight Town.” Goofy was so astounded he nearly dropped the trophy. “And?” Sora nearly pleaded. “She said she was looking for you,” Olette replied. “Tell me where she is!” He pressed closer. The other trio exchanged another glance. “This guy in a black cloak came and took her away with him…,” Hayner explained glumly. “Sorry.” Sora hung his head. “We’re really sorry,” repeated Hayner. He bit his lip, genuinely regretful. That made Sora look up. “It’s not your fault,” he told them brightly. “C’mon, cheer up!” “But…” Olette stared at the ground, apparently ready to burst into tears. “Yeah, guess I’ve got no room to talk…” Seeing her so upset, Sora mirrored her posture. Why would the organization take Kairi? And how did they know who Riku was? There were too many things he didn’t understand. It was so frustrating. “Sora…?” Goofy leaned over, peering anxiously into his brooding face. “I gotta help Kairi!” Sora burst out. “A-hyuck?!” Alarmed, this time Goofy actually dropped the trophy, which in turn startled Donald. “Wak!” The four crystals in the trophy fell from their settings and rolled away over the paving stones—blue, red, green, and yellow. Sora, Hayner, Pence, and Olette each picked one up. “This is…,” Sora murmured absently, holding up the blue crystal. “What is it, Sora?” “Nothing, it’s just…” He held the crystal up to the light of the setting sun. It shone, refracting the red beams. Behind him, Goofy took out the blue crystal from the purse that King Mickey had given them. Hayner, Pence, and Olette all held their crystals up, too. Five crystals sparkled, two of them blue. “More treasures for us to share.” Sora spun around, feeling as if he’d heard Hayner’s voice somewhere far away. But the Twilight Town kids were quiet, gazing at their crystals in the last of the sunlight. “Promise?” Right—he had promised Kairi that he’d find her again. No…wait. Who had he made that promise to? To split the prize between the four of them… Four? “Sora!” “Sora?” Donald and Goofy were both watching him with worry. “Huh? What…?” Sora looked around, not quite sure what was going on. What just happened to me? He was holding a crystal in his hand. Just a pretty little stone he’d never seen before… As he examined it more closely, it began to shine. Donald backed away. “Quack!” The light from the crystal formed a big keyhole in the air, and Sora thrust the Keyblade toward it. A beam from the weapon met the keyhole, and a lock opened with a click. “What is that?” Pence stared wide-eyed at the glow dissipating in the air. “A new road is open,” Sora said, inspecting the blue crystal again. “And Kairi and Riku are somewhere along it.” “Then you’d better hurry.” Olette smiled at him. “You’ll be back again, right?” Hayner said. “You bet!” Sora gave them a grin and faced the setting sun once more. Somehow, this town was always full of mysteries… But he knew he wanted to come back. It was a special place, different from Hollow Bastion or Destiny Islands. “I’ll see you guys later!” Sora waved to Hayner and his friends. They squinted at the boy backlit by the dazzling sunset. But it wasn’t just Twilight Town itself that was special—Hayner and Pence and Olette were, too. They were different somehow from any other friends Sora knew. Was it because he’d been sleeping here? Or something else…? Sora clutched the crystal tightly. One more treasure to share.