Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Familiar Of Zero.
Rage Awakened
"Today is the day of your summoning." Professor Colbert happily said to the second year students. "This is the first exam of your second year, as well as the sacred day of your first encounter with your familiar spirit who you will spend the rest of your life as a part of an aristocratic family."
While most of the students looked bored or really happy, one certain pink haired student looked tensed. That student is none other than Louise Francoise Lu Blanc de La Valliere. Also known as Louise the Zero. Why 'Zero' you may ask? It is because that, every time that the young mage in training tries to cast any spell, an explosion accurse. Her fellow students accuse her of having 'zero' magical talent, thus why she is called 'Louise the Zero'.
Today however, she will finally change their minds about her. Once she summons her familiar spirit, whether it be a dragon, a griffon, or something beautiful and powerful, she will finally prove them wrong. She will show them the magical prowess of the Valliere name.
Unfortunately, while she was day dreaming of how power and beautiful her familiar spirit will be, her arch rival, Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt Zerbst, came up from behind her and says with a smug look on her face, "I can hardly wait to see how great of a familiar spirit you will summon." She meant this sarcastically of course, fully expecting Louise to fail the summoning ritual and cause another explosion, and living up to her name as 'the zero'.
"Leave me alone." Louise said with annoyance on her face. She looks away from Kirche, not really wanting to deal with her right now.
And so, as one by one, every mage, except for Louise up to this point, have summoned their familiar spirit. The first student had summoned a creature, known to all as a Bugbear, which is, believe it or not, a floating eye ball with light purple skin and with four antennas. The second student, a young man named Guiche, summoned a large moll. The students after him summoned snakes, birds, cats, and ext. Also, one of the students, Tabitha, had summoned a fully grown blue dragon, something of which is remarkably impressive in its own right.
As for Kirche, she had summoned a large flaming red salamander. She said her new familiar suits her perfectly, due to the fact that she excels in flame magic.
And now, it is finally Louise's turn. She will finally show them what it means to be a Valliere. With her small brown wooden wand held high above her she yells, "I beg you. My slave, who lives somewhere in the universe!" This chant of hers however, has brought confusion to all who are around her.
"What's that chant?" A young blond woman, Montmorency, who had summoned a small orange frog as her familiar, asks herself for not recognizing for what Louise is saying.
"Well, it is unique." Guiche said as he stood next to his fellow blond.
"Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit!" Louise yelled out as she continued her unique chant. "I desire and here I plead from my heart! Answer to my guidance!" And with a flick with her wand, and to the students' dismay and expectations, another explosion appeared, blowing some of the students into the ground.
"*cough* *cough*! I knew this was going to happen!" One of the students yelled as he coughed, who fully expected an explosion from Louise the Zero.
"*cough**cough*!" Guiche coughed out as well, due to the grains of dirt and specs of dust that entered into his lungs. Once he had stopped coughing, he kneels down to Montmorency, who had fallen due to the blast. "Are you all right, Montmorency?" His fellow blond, however, doesn't answer him. Instead, her face is in…surprise? Detecting something that may be wrong, he quickly asks, "What's wrong?" Her answer to him was lifting her hand and pointing in the direction in front of her, and he follows by turning his face to that direction.
As the smoke clears, all the students, Colbert, and Louise could not believe what her familiar spirit is. Louise Francoise Lu Blanc de La Valliere's familiar is…a knight? Not just any knight however, for he is wearing armor that none had ever seen before.
Black, red and bronze are the colors for the unusual armor. Black for the arms, neck, knees, fingers and boots. Red for the front of his upper and lower torso, gauntlets, for the front of the boots, for the horns sticking upward from the back of said boots, and for the next set of horns pointing straight up from the helmet. Bronze for part that separates the knees and boots, legs, knees, chest, shoulders, hands, for the back of the helmet and the helmet's lower jaw. Finally, a black visor, as dark as night, is protecting his eyes.
Also, in his right hand, is a sword…if you could call it a sword that is. The guard is colored dark grey and is in an unusual shape. The sword, also in an unusual shape, is colored bronze like the knight's armor, has three blades near the edge, giving it a fancy looking "E" shape, while the edge is flat and half rounded like that of a half circle.
The reactions, of course, were no doubt understandable.
"What the heck is that?"
"Louise the Zero summoned that?"
"What's with that sword and armor? Is it an aristocrat?"
"Don't tell us that our Louise the Zero summoned someone from a member of some royal family!"
"That armor and sword are definitely both unique designs." Pro. Colbert said, studying the knight from afar.
And finally, for Louise's reaction. "Th-this is my…sa-sacred…beautiful…strong…familiar spirit? A plebian?" To say she was shocked was an understatement.
And just when things couldn't get any weirder, parts of the knight's armor suddenly ejected themselves off of his body. The parts of the armor now lay around him in shambles and his sword dropped to the side. Again, to say Louise was shocked, along with her fellow students, including their bald headed professor was an understatement as they now have a good look of him.
The knight is a young man, his skin is tanned, wearing a black t-shirt with two red straps that form an "X" on the front and back of his torso, brown hakama pants, black shoes, bronze pieces of armor on his right shoulder, arm and hand (how that could fit under the previous armor they have no clue), and has combed back dark silver hair. His eyes however are closed and his head is lowered forward.
Everyone was so shocked, they couldn't comment on how Louise actually summoned a uniquely plebian as her familiar. Not even Kirche could say anything. Actually, she would've said something if Louise summoned something else, but something about this man just told her to be quiet.
The pinkett however, who quickly got out of her own shock, still could not believe what she had just summoned…and she quickly got angry. Not to herself…but to the man in front of her. There is no way that she will allow this-this…PLEBIAN as her familiar spirit! If word of this gets out, she and her family will become the laughing stock of all of Halcheginia…maybe even the entire world! She could not allow that! Not with the proud name of Valliere on the line!
So she turns to the professor and requests, "Mr. Colbert. Please let me try the summoning ritual again."
He answers with a negative reply and says, "I can't let you do that."
"Wha-how come?" She asked.
"This is a sacred ceremony that determines a mage's life. Redoing it would a desecration of the ceremony itself. Regardless whether you like it or not, he has been decided as your familiar spirit."
"But I never heard of taking a plebian as a familiar spirit!" Her complaining had started a round of laughing from the students, who are now over their shock from before.
"Whether it's a plebian or not," Colbert continued, "there will be no exceptions. Continue with the ceremony."
Louise looks at him with devastation while pointing her wand at the man. "Ehhh? With this?"
"Now." The professor demanded. "Otherwise, you'll really be expelled."
Ex-expelled? Louise can't have that. Not when she finally has a familiar of her own. Even if it is a…plebian. Knowing now that there is no other way out of this, she sighs to herself and says in defeat. "…Okay…" She then turns to her soon-to-be familiar and walks over to him.
While she's walking over to him, one of the students, probably Kirche, or even that blond haired fat boy with an owl as his familiar, comments to her by saying, "Go for it, Louise." Some of them even started whistling, knowing very well what she has to do to claim him as her own.
As she now stands in front of him she says, "You better be grateful. You'd normally never get this from an aristocrat."
However, before she could commence the ritual to mark him with the ruins of a familiar, he speaks his first set of words since his arrival. "This heart belongs again to darkness." He said with a rough deep voice.
"…Huh?" She muttered, confused by his words.
"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it…it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature."
"What is that man talking about?" One of the male students asked. "Is he some kind of nut?"
"He's giving me the creeps." Said one of the female students.
"In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came." Once he was done speaking, he brings his back up and opens his eyes, revealing them to be a dark shade of yellow.
"What's…what's with this man?" Colbert thought who became a little disturbed by the man's speech.
As for Louise, the moment he looked into the man's yellow eyes, she felt like as her body just froze on the spot.
To make matters worse, a shroud of darkness appeared over his right hand, which then brought forth a grey demonic double bladed sword, replacing the one he held just moments ago. With the shock returning to the students, some of them cried out of fear and ran behind their teacher's back, along with their new familiar spirits, hoping he would protect them while asking themselves, "What is that?" or "Where did he get that?" and even "Is that man a mage?" Colbert's face grew serious, and then assumed a battle position, in case the man were to attack him and his students. Louise, however, was too stunned to even move a muscle.
The man took a single step towards Louise, now even closer to her than before. "I do not know how I have arrived here." The man said to her. "But getting myself back to the Key Blade Graveyard will be of no consequence. Besides," he says as his face grew a smirk, "I could use this as an excuse to test out this new body of mine."
Those words didn't go unnoticed by Professor Colbert. "Ne-new body?" He thought frantically. The idea of one being able to transfer themselves to another's body is unheard of. "That's impossible! Is there even such an evil spell out there in the world?"
The man then raises his dark doubled bladed sword over their heads and says, "Congratulations…you get to be the first victim of the new Key Blade War. Now then, before you die, allow me to tell you my name…My name…is Xehanort. Fare well…little girl."
"Valliere! Run away!" Colbert yelled out. No matter how many times Louise caused explosions, he wouldn't want her to die. Colbert's voice, unfortunately, could not reach her, for Louise's body has been frozen by fear itself.
Suddenly, just before the man, now introduced as Xehanort, could strike Louise down…something unimaginable happened. The sky suddenly turned into orange, and golden chains lingered within the new orange sky.
"What?" Xehanort asked himself as he stopped his attack. Everyone looked around in either awe or fright, for they have no idea what had caused this.
"By the Fonder!" Kirche exclaimed. Who in the world could have this kind of magical power to change the sky like that?
"Aaaaaahhhhh!" Montmorency squealed out in fright while holding her frog close to her.
"Montmorency? What's wrong my beloved?" Guiche asked in concern.
The girl points to something behind Xehanort and frantically says, "Be-behind him! Th-the armor!" Guiche, including everyone else now saw what it was that scared her so much. Even Xehanort turned to see what it was, and he had a feeling what it was too.
No…! Impossible! He was sure that he completely merged with the young man's body! A few yards away from them, all the parts that make the armor have now come together, as if someone was wearing it. It is now kneeling down on its legs while keeping itself up by placing its armored hands over the sword's dark grey guard while the edge of the blade had placed itself a few inches within the earth.
If one were to look closely, they would be able to see helmet's black visor behind the blade's handle and guard. If you were to look into it, it would be like it was staring into your very soul. The students were now more than frightened. How could a suit of armor put itself together like that? Was it done by magic?
Xehanort looks at the armor with anger in his eyes, knowing full well who was using it. "Your body submits. Your heart succumbs…so tell me this, Terra. Why does your mind resist!"
As if in response, the armor…placed its left foot forward and slowly stood up to full height…all on its own…
"It's-it's-it's…it's moving…" The student who spoke quickly fainted after that, his body no longer able to deal with all the events that have been happening.
The armor then grabs the blade's handle tightly; it then began to slowly pull it out of the earth. It then moved into a standard battle pose, ready to attack and destroy Xehanort for all the terrible things that he has done. Xehanort has taken a battle stance very similar to that of the armor. These two warriors are filled with so much hate for the other they don't care who would get in their way now. They're both daring to the other to make a move, so they could start their, perhaps, final battle.
"Unbelievable…" Colbert again thought. "The armor is moving as if someone is wearing it. What in the Founder's name is going on here? Just what had Miss Valliere summoned in the first place? And this change to the sky…is the armor responsible for this?"
Louie's thoughts were different to Colbert's however. "Why? Why is this happening? I just wanted my own powerful familiar…but this happens instead. Why? Oh Founder, why?"
"Now then…Terra…let us end this…right here right now."
[Play Rage Awakened]
With that said, Xehanort quickly charges at the armor, now known as Terra. Xehanort's blade connects with Terra's, and with so much force behind it, he was able to push Terra to the wall behind him. He wasn't done yet however; he still had some strength left, so he was able to break through the wall while using Terra as the battering ram. The two landed outside the academy, and into the plain fields.
Professor Colbert, the students, even Louise, ran out to see the fight. No doubt wanting to see what will happen.
The two warriors clashed with the other, their blades causing sparks every time they come into contact, the two moving in an awe inspiring speed that no one thought imaginable.
"Enough!" Xehanort yelled, as he began to, to the shock of the mages, launch purple-black orbs at Terra from the tip of his blade. The possessed armor jumps into the air and suddenly becomes a blur as he dodges all of them.
Once the attack had stopped, Terra becomes even faster as he quickly strikes at the evil man with multiple unstoppable slashes to his body. After that, the voiceless armor floats in the air for a second, and then quickly comes back down, shattering the earth in the process. Some parts of the earth launched up from the ground due to the sudden impact, and launched Xehanort in the air.
Terra jumps after the man, hoping to end him once and for all. Xehanort, however, quickly recovers from the attack, and launches a counter attack by swinging his blade, which then creates a slash of darkness. Terra was too close to dodge, but he was able to block it with his own sword.
The force of the attack forced him to land on the ground, and Xehanort quickly landed as well. As the battle had dragged on, Xehanort now looks like he's getting tired, while the possessed armor looks like it's still ready to go at it. And of course, they're fight did not go unnoticed.
"This is unbelievable!"
"How can a suit of armor fight like that? Heck, how can those two fight like that at all?"
"That man is definitely a mage! You saw what he did right?"
"There's no way that armor could be possessed! It must be something similar to Guiche's valkyries, or maybe it's enchanted!"
"No…" Guiche said in response. "That thing's nothing like one of my precious valkyries. It moves too life-like to be one."
"These two obviously have some kind of history." Colbert predicted. "But what was it that made these two to be such enemies?"
"*sigh*" Kirche sighed, deciding to ad her own two-cents. "It just goes to show you how much trouble that Louise the Zero can come up with you know."
Louise, for her part, ignored her rival's comment about her. She has become too focused on the battle that has been happening in front of her. Throughout the whole battle though, she had been internally wishing for the suit of armor to win, because there's no WAY that she would want that man as her familiar. Not to mention he just tried to kill her a few moments ago.
"Hm hm." Xehanort chuckled. "I must admit, it has been fun fighting you like this, Terra. But I'm afraid that our little game has to come to an end." He raises his weapon into the air and says, "This…is where you shall fall!" He flicked the weapon, and in response, the edge sparked with a purple glow.
Suddenly, the earth that they're all standing on has begun to shake. All around Xehanort, large flaming boulders began to lift themselves from the ground, now hovering around him in the air.
Just when the mages couldn't get any more shocked, THIS happens! "He can use both Earth and Fire magic? So he really is a mage!" Guiche yelled, being surprised that this man is an Earth mage like him.
"He's combined the two elements really well." Kirche said as she observed Xehanort's powerful magic. "His flames are probably stronger than my own."
"Now, Terra," Xehanort yelled out, "fade away into nothingness!" He swung his weapon forward, launching all of the flaming boulders at the voiceless armor.
"You idiot!" Louise yelled to the armor. "Get out of the way! You'll be crushed!"
The armor, Terra, is not going to run away from this. He has already lost his humanity to that monster, Xehanort. It is because of him that his master is now dead, and it's because of him that his two best friends are in danger, and he's not gonna let them down now!
And so, tightening his grip on his weapon, he charges towards Xehanort, not really caring about the boulders heading his way. That monster is the cause for all his pain, and not just his pain, but the pain of his friends. Aqua…Ven…they're suffering because of HIM! They wouldn't have had to go through all that they did if it wasn't for him! Today, that senile evil old man will pay for what he's done! Today, he will die! He's right there! Just asking to be stricken down! Nothing could stop him now! Not even these god damn boulders!
One by one, as he passes by them he cuts through all of them with a signal slash from his blade for each boulder, cutting them all in half in the process. There he is! With nothing left to hide behind! This is his chance! If he doesn't take it now he may never get another chance like this again! That man dies now! XEHANORT DIES NOW!
Within Xehanort's mind, he could've sworn that he heard Terra's voice as he charges towards him. "XEHANORT!"With no time to block the incoming strike from the rage filled armor…Terra quickly, and strongly, strikes Xehanort across his chest…and destroyed something in the process. Within his chest something felt like it just went…*pop*. With that…Xehanort drops his weapon, vanishing within another dark shroud. All of sudden…his back started to feel really heavy…so he falls on top of a field of grass with his back against it. He would never admit it…but Xehanort…the lord of darkness…had lost.
[Stop playing Rage Awakened]
To the students, it looks like that the man has been defeated and the possessed armor had won. But alas, Terra knew that he hasn't won just yet…Xehanort is still alive…but not for much longer. Just before his final strike, he saw some things within the man's chest. Two glowing orbs…two hearts to be precise. When he saw them, he knew which one belonged to him and the other belonged to Xehanort. So during his attack, he did more than just slashing him through his chest…he destroyed Xehanort's heart.
He looks down at the former old man, now feeling disgusted with himself looking at Xehanort's body. Or more like HIS body. Damn that Xehanort! Damn him to hell! That man used him and got him close to the darkness, just so he can take his body later and use for himself! He cannot believe that he once respected the man! If he could, he would kill him over and over again just to satisfy himself!
"Ha ha ha." The dying man laughed as his body began to glow. "I don't know how you did it, but now, you have a body of eternal life. Not only that, but by killing me you have destroyed your only chance of getting your body back. You know what that means right? You're going to be stuck like that for all of time. Your heart may return but you'll NEVER be a human being again. Ha ha, oh, and also…just because you have destroyed my heart doesn't mean that I'll be entirely gone. My spirit will ALWAYS be with you. You can never change that. Good bye Terra…has an enjoyable existence. Ha ha ha ha ha…"
If Terra's anger had a limit, than it just exploded through the roof. Taking his weapon in both hands, he raised it high in the air, all the while yelling out a silent roar. "Rrrraaaaaahhhhhhh!"With this final strike, he swings it down on his former body, only for it to shatter in millions of golden specs of dust. The only thing that remained is a golden glowing orb…a heart…his heart.
The heart slowly floats up to him, and then pauses, as if it were seeing it was really his. The heart continues onward, by floating through his chest armor and placing itself there.
Suddenly, he armor started to glow gold as well, the light intensified as it began to blind everyone who had come to see the fight. The light had died down, revealing the possessed armor. Terra had dropped his weapon, a magical weapon known as a Key Blade, named Ends of the Earth, to the grassy ground below while the bright light was shinning. He brings his hands up as he looks down at them as he contemplates what just happened.
Xehanort, that bastard…was right. He may have his heart back…but his body is gone forever…In a sense…he is no longer a "human", but a living suit of armor now. The voiceless armor quickly tightens his hands into fists; he tilts his helmet back and, revealing to all that he is no longer voiceless, roars to the heavens above in hollowed agony. "Rrrrrraaaahhhhhhh! Damn you Xehanort! Damn you! Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!"
As he screams out, the golden chains and orange sky have begun to vanish, returning it to its normal blue color. His anger getting the best of him, he kneels down on left leg, and punches the ground with his left fist, creating cracks in the ground around him.
"Damn you…damn you…" His body of armor shuddered. His voice is still that of a young man, but it has become hollow, due to the fact that he no longer has a voice box. He wants to do nothing more but to cry…but he can't…he doesn't have the eyes to produce the tears anymore…And the worst part of all, he can still hear Xehanort's laughter echoing in his ears.
Those who had watched the fight had different opinions on the matter. Some thought it was awe inspiring, some thought it was terrifying, while some just thought "That was awesome!".
Prof. Colbert, after having his own thoughts on the matter, remembered why this happened in the first place. "Louise." He called to the Valliere, who turned her head to him in response. "Now that the…crisis…has been diverted, I think it is time to claim your familiar spirit." She looks at him for moment until she remembered what this whole thing was about. The Summoning ritual! Now that she had summoned something, she must now commence the Familiar Binding ritual. So he takes hold of her wand once more and walks over the kneeling suit of armor.
This is it…the moment of truth. She will finally have her own familiar spirit. So what if it's a suit of living armor? Her wish came true! It may not be beautiful or sacred, but it is a powerful being. Both the armor and its weapon, with their uniqueness, can tell anyone that she's no mage to trifle with! She will finally live up to her family's name! No doubt, everyone in her family will be proud of her, and everyone else will no longer call her Louise the Zero! This is her chance to no longer be a Zero and be somebody for a change!
Now that she's standing in front of the possessed armor, Terra, if she recalls correctly, who is still knelling on its leg, begins the final ritual. With her wand held up she announces, "My name is Louise Francoise Lu Blanc de La Valliere." She taps the forehead of the armor's helmet and continues. "Pentagon that governs the five powers, give this living suit of armor your blessing and make it my familiar spirit."
With the first half of the ritual done, she gets on one knee and kneels forward, and then she kisses the helmet's forward, completing the second half. Now all there is left is the ruins to appear, to show proof to all that it is her familiar.
He couldn't feel it, but then he noticed there was a large amount of steam being produced from his body. His left glove suddenly started glowing as strange symbols began to appear. Once the bright light had vanished, the strange symbols, or more like ancient ruins in the color black, have taken their place on said glove.
Yes! She has done it! She has claimed Terra, the living armor, as her familiar spirit! Let's see her fellow mages call her Louise the Zero now, even that damn red headed girl, Kirche, with this powerful being as her familiar!
"What do you want?" Terra asked to her with his hollowed voice. His voice breaks her out of her day dream as she looks down at him. He tilts his helmet upward and looks at her and says, "Can't you see that I have suffered enough? What else do you people want from me?"
Apparently, Louise's new familiar doesn't have any clue as to why he called here. Looks like she has some explaining to do, and the armor, Terra, has some things to explain to her as well.
Later that night, the two are now sitting in Louise's bed room, a single candle light filling the room with a small amount of light. Louise is sitting on a chair next to a table, while Terra is sitting on the floor with the wall against his back. His Key Blade, Ends of the Earth, is standing up against the wall as well, standing right next to him on his right side.
She has told him all the things he needed to know. He is in the kingdom of Trysting, on the mainland known as Halcheginia, in the magical academy, and he has been brought here to be her familiar for the rest of his life…or more like HER life, if Xehanort was right about him using a body of eternal life.
"I see." He said with his helmet lowered. "So I'm to be your slave then, and do all the chores around here…Hmm…that's fine. It's what I deserve anyway, after what I've done…"
Not wanting to press into the matter for now, she asks him, "So, what I should I call you? That man from before said your name is Terra, correct?"
"…I no longer have the right to be called by that name…besides…Terra's dead."
That spooked her out a little bit, considering that 'Terra' is only sitting a bit away from her. "Well then, if not Terra, then what? I can't call you Familiar all the time unless I have to."
He tilts his helmet upward a bit and looks at his 'master' and says, "If I need a name…then call me…Sentiment…for that is what I have become."
Author: I really had fun writing this one, and I hope you enjoyed it.