Well it was a long time coming but I finally finished the massive chapter 2.
Don't have much to say other than the fact that I'm really grateful to my co-author Apakoha for helping me with this and for being the one to encourage me to rewrite this. Without that nudge I doubt I would have gone back to make this chapter the way it is now.
So here's a big shout out to the totally awesome Apakoha. You rock!
Disclaimer: You all know the drill here. We fans don't own anything, but we can sure as heck dream.
(Kingdom Hearts is the sole property of the Square-Enix Corporation)
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Chapter two: Transcendence
The sun burned brilliantly as it hung low in the evening sky, setting the clouds aflame with hues of orange, red, and violet. The ocean breeze blew gently across the large palms as the soft waves licked at the sands of a small island. Sora sat upon the angled palm that grew from the outcropping of the small island from his childhood. Calm blue eyes gazing blissfully and obliviously out onto the horizon when with a flash of blue light, twin falling stars plummeted into the ocean.
Sora sat upright with rapt attention as he watched Riku and himself emerge from the waters. Smiling, he walked quietly down the beach as he saw the heartwarming embraces he shared with his comrades as they greeted him. He arrived next to Kairi right as she grabbed the hand of the other, younger Sora. "You're home." The smiling younger version of Sora smiled brightly as he held out the precious charm that Kairi had given him.
Suddenly, time itself stopped. The silent waves were still and the forms of Kairi, Riku, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey were frozen in place. Sora glanced about in confusion when he noticed the young Sora suddenly tilt his head in his direction. Sora jumped back in surprise and locked eyes with his younger self who beamed.
"I guess it's about that time," the young Sora said excitedly, still grinning as he turned his hand and let Kairi's keepsake drop. The trinket fell quickly then slowed as it neared the water, nearly halting completely as its tip touched the water. Without warning, the waves along the beach erupted into a towering wall of water that crashed into the tiny island, dissolving it in all its fury.
He tumbled end over end in the currents as he was swept about like a piece of driftwood in a storm. He held his breath desperately for fear that he may drown within the swirling waters when he suddenly felt the pressure of the ocean leave him only to be replaced by wind softly gusting past as he slowly fell in almost total darkness.
His descent began to slow and he instinctively righted himself before touching down onto a hidden floor. Sora swallowed hard, for the memory of the last time he was in this place was as strange then as it was now. Nevertheless, he cautiously placed a step forward as the floor predictably erupted into a flock of glittering white doves.
The large mosaic beneath Sora's feet caught him off guard as he let out a small gasp of surprise. It was a scene of carnage as the images of an epic battle of heavily armored soldiers filled the entire platform. Many were dead or dying as the warriors who were barely discernable from each other as they mutilated one another. It would have been a little less disturbing for Sora if the weapons the soldiers used were not an endless variety of Keyblades.
Sora's eyes scanned the mural sadly as he continued to gaze at it when something caught his attention. At the top of the mural was an all too familiar heart hanging high within the blood-red sky. Sora slowly walked towards the image in apprehension. Below it was another armored figure that was depicted larger than the rest with eight glowing Keyblades radiating from its sides. And in the figure's hands, a ninth Keyblade was raised high into the air pointed straight at the heart.
Sora let out a small gasp of disbelief and collapsed to his knees at the sight of the ninth Keyblade. With a shuddering breath, he ran a finger over the image.
"Th-this can't be… This is the… Kingdom Key?" Sora whispered, surprised to find his Keyblade within the bloody scene. His attention was suddenly shattered by twelve luminous spheres of energy that rose up from the sides of the pillar he stood on.
Scrambling to his feet, he watched the spheres fly high into the space above him, twisting as they arranged themselves into a circular pattern before descending rapidly back toward the mural. Sora immediately crouched low in a panic as he expected the spheres to explode upon impact. They hit the surface of the mural, immediately creating twelve pillars of light to rise up and into the endless black that made up this place.
A harsh wind began to blow and the tremendous boom of thunder echoed throughout. And then, seemingly all at once, the black was swept away like nothing more than a bit of dust on a table revealing a vista similar to a sunset only without any visible sun in an endless sea of clouds. The wind continued to batter a mystified Sora as he covered his face from the cutting winds just enough to see what was going on around him.
With a second boom, the pillar began to quake and the towers of light suddenly converged downward and into a point directly in front of Sora at the mural's edge. In a flash of radiating colors a massive bridge extended across the empty sky and stopped before a door of monolithic proportions.
Sora stared in awe at the sight, oblivious to the fact that the wind, thunder and quaking had all ceased.
Welcome back. A serene, feminine voice seemed to emanate from nowhere, causing Sora to jump in surprise.
Calm yourself, master. I mean you no harm. The voice resonated reassuringly. It seems as though it has been too long since our last… meeting.
Sora quickly glanced about the platform and saw no one around. "Last meeting? Who are you?"
The voice chuckled warmly at Sora's confusion as the Kingdom Key materialized in to his hands. Are you sure you do not recognize me? I, who guided you along the paths you chose on your journeys, who was your protector, and who gave you a means to battle the darkness.
Sora eyed the blade he carried in utter disbelief. "N-no… You can't be… the Kingdom Key, can you?"
The voice hummed with amusement. Is that really so hard to believe, master? How could you say that I possess no sapience when it was I who brought you here once before to prepare you for the nightmares that lay ahead? When it was I who chose you over my second master, the one you know as Riku, and I who allowed the princess to take refuge into your heart when she faced certain doom?
"You… You saved Kairi?" Sora choked on his words, unable to grasp what the voice had uttered.
Correct, master, the voice chimed euphorically. It is what you would have wished for me to do, is it not? However, your wife is not the reason that I brought you here, master.
Sora grunted in acknowledgment and nodded towards the doorway. "Let me guess, it has something to do with that door?"
My, my, sarcastic are we?
"Can I ask you something?"
Of course, master.
"Why is it that you can speak to me like this? I've never heard you before so… Why now?"
The voice chuckled merrily. It is because you have reached the age of transcendence.
"Transcendence?" Sora eyed his blade questioningly.
Master, when we believe they are ready, our wielders are granted the full extent of our power. The age of the wielder varies but this rite of passage is the same. Our bond has grown tremendously over the last five years. Perhaps because you have been doing what you believe in deep within your heart. A feat not easily performed by many.
"What I believe in?"
Your heart guides you along a path of altruism. You find joy in helping those in need, and so by helping the citizens of Radiant Gardens, you find happiness with your family and friends. The light within you grows so strongly because of this and thus our bond has also grown.
Sora blushed lightly at the compliment before his attention turned towards the mural on the floor. "What is this all about? It's so… disturbing…" His voice trailed off, once again absorbed by the bloody images.
That, master, is why I have brought you here. What lies before you is my recollection of times long since passed, the Keyblade War.
Sora was taken aback. He had read small references about the topic within the journal entries left behind by Ansem. But like the wise sage before him, only thought of the subject as a mere bit of folklore than an actual all-out war.
"So… There really was a war, Kingdom Key?"
My true name is Regna, master, but you may call me what you wish. Yes, there was a war. My brethren were pitted against one another by the wills of our masters in a bloody conflict. Those like me survived, which is more than what I can say for our masters.
"But why? If you and others had the power to decide who you belonged to, why didn't any of you decide to abandon your masters like you did to me!?" Sora demanded furiously. He had never been one to have outbursts, but what his blade was telling him boiled him to his very core.
That was... quite harsh, master, Regna replied, upset. The reason I, and my brethren, decided not to leave our masters was because we agreed upon their views. We fought for what our masters believed in because we believed in them as well.
"What could have possibly been so important that your masters would all kill each other to reach an answer!?"
That is better shown than told, master. If you wish to know, then through that doorway you will find the answer. So go, travel down into the darkness of your heart. Make your way to its nadir and face the full extent of your destiny. Regna's voice resounded with a tone of severity.
"But what about - "
Go! In the deepest recesses of your heart you will find some unbearable truths, but they must be known in order to prepare you for what lies ahead.
Without another word Sora made his way across the immense bridge of light before stopping to stand a few feet away from the massive door. The Kingdom Key quickly aimed itself at the door and fired a lance of white hot energy, unlocking the door with its magic. With a harsh grinding sound, the door opened slightly to reveal… nothing. The opening was filled with a radiating darkness and nothing more. Sora stared in apprehension, unsure of whether or not he should continue.
Regna sensed this and the Kingdom Key trembled in Sora's hands to gain his attention. Do not fear, master. Were you not told once before? Even in the deepest darkness, there still exists a glimmer of light. You shall be that light within the darkness and I, your protector.
Sora felt a slight touch of relief from Regna's words and grunted an acknowledgment before dashing into the blackness. With a sudden lurch in his stomach, he felt the ground give way beneath his feet and he plummeted into the void. The descent was short lived as another platform quickly came into view before Sora landed softly upon the stained glass of a second mural. On it was the depiction of a sleeping young woman with flowing brown hair encased in a glass-like bubble. The soft glow emanating from the floor seemed to amplify the woman's beauty as Sora stared in wonder.
Beautiful, is she not? Regna chimed wistfully, snapping Sora out of his daze.
"Hmm? Oh… Yes, I guess she is. Erm, who is she?" he wondered aloud, running a hand through the messy brown spikes of his hair.
She is my first master, and y -
A thunderous boom echoed throughout the blackness and the glass tower quaked violently for a brief moment.
Haa? Master, I'm sorry, but there is no time for this! The Kingdom Key forcefully aimed itself towards one end of the platform and fired another lance of energy. The beam collected on the floor before erupting upwards in the form of a second, smaller doorway.
Quickly now, enter this doorway and all will become clear to you! Regna's voice shrilled with urgency.
"What's going on?" Sora asked, rushing towards the opening.
He is trying to force his way in! Go now, you shall be on your own. I'll remain here and hold him off!
Sora stopped in his tracks mere inches from the doorway and turned back to the center of the platform. "What do you mean, 'force his way in'? Who!?"
Oh, blasted child! Regna shrieked and with a burst of energy the Kingdom Key wrenched itself from Sora's grip, sending him backwards into the door. Sora landed with a thud as the doorway before him sealed shut, leaving him in darkness.
For a few minutes, Sora adjusted to the sudden and absolute silence. He used the time to try and calm his heart. He didn't notice at the time, but the shock of that explosion felt like it should have hurt, in a distant way. There was only the quiet while darkness filled his senses before the intense quiet was broken by the soft sounds of cracking glass. Sora stood upright and searched about as the cracking grew louder when with a sudden explosion of color and sound the empty blackness shattered like a window pane. Sora instinctively covered his head as the shattering glass fell about and reformed into an image.
The scraping and crackling sounds ceased as Sora found himself standing within a large amphitheater. All around him he saw men and women seated along the desks arranged in a semi-circular fashion around a staging ground and behind it, a massive bench that held eight older looking men and women.
For a moment, Sora didn't realize that more than half of the occupants within the amphitheater weren't human, or at least he had never seen humans quite like this. They were pale skinned with black tattoo-like markings across their forms, small fangs protruded from their closed lips, and all of them had jet black hair that complimented their glowing yellow eyes. Sora recoiled at the sight and for a moment believed them to be Heartless before his attention was brought to the fact that these creatures, along with the humans that sat with them, were all staring attentively at him.
He backed away slowly from the stares when he bumped softly into another figure behind him. He turned to see a younger looking version of the woman in the mural staring determinedly at the men and women who sat in the large bench. And all at once, as if someone had pushed the play button on a paused recording, the amphitheater was booming with the sounds of hundreds of arguing voices.
"How can you all agree to let a child face these nightmares!?"
"You've all gone mad! She is our hope for the future!"
"Us, mad!? It is you who would allow a child to commit suicide!"
These and other outbursts were all Sora could make out in the chaos when one of the men at the bench stood and yelled for silence. All at once the audience fell silent and the elderly man gestured to the young girl.
"It has not been an easy decision for any of the council members," the man began, "And, to be honest, putting a child at the forefront of our efforts against the Heartless is, to say the least, despicable. But try as we might, the Blade that has chosen this child of the light, Lilium Sonia, will not be taken from her. She has decided to fight against this plague of her own volition."
There was an uproar of protest at the elder's words, some siding with him and others against. It seemed as though a riot would soon break out when Lilium turned to face them and materialized the Kingdom Key into her grasp, silencing the crowd once more.
"I shall not mince words with you all since it is quite clear that many of you will still stand against this decision even if it is my own," Lilium declared, "But what Master Khael speaks of is true. This Blade, this…Kingdom Key…has chosen me to be its rightful wielder and it will not allow any other to use it."
Sora half expected the audience to break out once more in opposition but instead they remained silent as Lilium continued.
"Regardless if your opposition is for my personal safety or otherwise, I have been entrusted with an enormous responsibility. I wonder myself, how you would all view me if you knew I had the potential to stop this madness but I refused to do so out of concern for my own well being." Lilium stamped her foot and shot a finger at the audience. "You would all see me as a coward and a fool! Well, I tell you now that I am no fool! I shall throw myself at the heart of this plague and destroy it at the cost of my own life if I must!"
She sighed softly and looked towards the people imploringly. "True, I am still but a child. So I ask that the Grand Council grant me aid in my fight. I expect nothing however, and regardless of your decisions I will still go and fight the Heartless."
Master Khael, still standing, observed the audience and said loudly, "All who agree to aid this valiant soul, please stand."
The elders that sat alongside Khael stood immediately and watched as the rest of the audience followed suit without another word. Lilium beamed proudly at the men and women before bowing low.
"Thank you, elders. I swear to you, nay, the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness, Elysium and Nercodia, that I will destroy the evil that plagues our people."
Sora watched the young girl in admiration and smiled brightly as the elder man named Khael was about to say something when his voice was cut off by a sharp garbled sound followed by a thunderous boom. It resounded in Sora's chest like before, followed by the sensation that wasn't quite pain. The images distorted, colors fusing into others and shapes around Sora dissolving and reforming into another setting.
When all stood still once more, Sora was face to face with a massive Heartless upon a desert plateau. He immediately panicked and jumped back as he called the Kingdom Key into his hand… Nothing. The image started to play as the Heartless charged straight for Sora and for the first time in a long while, Sora felt completely helpless as he prepared for his demise when something glinted in the sky above the Heartless.
A young woman came hurtling downward and struck the Heartless' head, resulting in a massive explosion that disintegrated the monster. The dust settled quickly and the woman emerged crouched low in fatigue, victorious. Sora immediately recognized her as the young girl he had seen moments before, only she was now several years older and had grown into maturity. The clanking of metal resounded behind Sora and he turned to see an armored figure run past him towards Lilium.
"Miss Lilium, are you alright?" A young male voice emanated from within the visor of the armor as the figure attempted to help Lilium.
"I should be asking you that question. You were, after all, the one who sustained the brunt of that creature's last attack," said Lilium softly with a grunt, standing up while using the young man's hand and her Kingdom Key for support.
"Oh, I'll be fine, Miss Lilium, my armor's strong enough to keep me alive against those freaks." The man nodded.
Lilium chuckled softly at the man's reply, "Please, don't call me miss. It makes me sound so old, I'm only eighteen. Besides, you don't sound much older than me."
The young man laughed warmly and lifted the lower portion of his visor, exposing his mouth. "I figured I should show some respect to ya. You are still older than me after all since I just turned seventeen." He gingerly patted Lilium on the back with a smile. "I gotta say that you savin' my life like that and then blasting that creep to bits had to be the highlight of my day!"
Lilium beamed at the compliment and nodded. "Well, I'm glad to be of help to a fellow wielder… Uh, what was your name?"
The boy smiled and jabbed a thumb to his chest. "The name's Reivatia, sweetheart. But I want you to call me Rei, okay, Lilium?"
Lilium continued to smile as a light blush came across her face. "Alright then, Rei, then I ask that you address me as Lili if you don't mind. I'm actually quite glad that I've found you. Of course, I never thought I would have found what I was desperately searching for this far out in the Kimotoman Badlands."
Rei grinned slyly and made a gesture of mock surprise. "Desperately searching? Trying to find a knight in shining armor to sweep you off your feet? I think I can fit the bill."
"I don't think that is quite what I meant by that," Lilium giggled, "I meant I was searching for another wielder of the Keyblade. How long have you had your blade?"
With a grin, Rei materialized a white and gold blade into his grasp. The guard of the Keyblade was humbly designed with a teardrop shaped curve that encompassed the grip of the weapon with three blue, spherical crystals embedded into it. The blade that emerged from the hilt formed a wave-like pattern before ending in the shape of a sharp, curved tip that made it resemble the blade of a halberd.
"Lumen here appeared to me about three months ago. It sure does look a lot more intimidating than your Keyblade, that's for sure," he replied cockily.
"Such a shame all that intimidation is lost when the wielder is a reckless boy who can't control the power he possesses," Lilium retorted.
"Now that's a low blow to my ego," Rei muttered mockingly.
Lilium snickered at the comment. "I'm terribly sorry for your ego. But you do lack refinement in your skill."
"So how do you think I'll get better at this? Are you gonna teach me how to use my powers?" Rei asked hopefully.
Lilium shook her head quickly. "Oh, I am no teacher, Rei. But, perhaps you and I can work together? We may be able to learn a bit from one another."
"Suggesting we team up, huh? You don't have to ask twice, Lili!" Rei smiled brightly and held out his hand. "Partners then?"
"Partners!" Lilium smiled and shook Rei's hand.
"Now let's get back to Kimotama City, I'm beat," Rei said as he led Lilium off towards one end of the plateau.
"Do you have relations in Kimotama, Rei?" Lilium asked.
"You betcha. My mom, dad, and my little brother and sister, you'll like them." Rei smiled.
"You have quite a few loved ones that need your protecting, Rei. I trust you shan't let them down."
Rei hummed in agreement before facing Lilium beside him. "Do you always speak so formally, Lili? It's sorta buggin' me out."
"It's how I was raised!" Lilium laughed.
The images around Sora froze once more and distorted as another boom ripped the air before they reformed again into another setting. Once again, it echoed in his chest with the almost pain. This place Sora now found himself in was a dark landscape. The sky was a dark purple shade with blackened clouds lining the sky and the ground was a drab grey with odd plant life extruding from its surface.
Sora quickly scanned the area and found two armored figures standing in front of a trio of the pale skinned humans as they defended them against a small group of Shadow Heartless. The images began to play as Sora watched the two figures make short work of the Shadows.
"Oh, thank you, kind warriors. I feared for the worst just now; it must be a grace from fate that you two would appear in this place," a young, pale-skinned woman said.
The smaller armored figure removed their helmet and let their dark brown locks fall around its head.
"No trouble at all," Lilium replied.
"It seems your friend here has bitten off more than he can chew," she muttered, gesturing towards an unconscious young man.
"Lili, stop foolin' around! That big Heartless bastard is still out here, ya know," the other armored figure called out, scanning the landscape for any hostilities.
"Rei, be quiet. This one seems to be another wielder," Lilium shot back.
"Well, wake his ass up! That Heartless won't hide forever."
Lilium rolled her eyes and began to gently shake the unconscious man. With a pained groan, he began to regain consciousness as his golden eyes refocused on his surroundings. He sat up with a start and looked at his other two companions.
"Freya, Galvan, you're both alright," he sighed with relief when his attention turned to Lilium and Rei, "My, my, my. The great Lilium and Reivatia have come to our rescue."
"Great is too strong a word, my friend," Lilium smiled, "And what might your name be?"
"I am Khael." The young man smiled.
Rei scoffed at the name and turned briefly towards the man on the floor. "You're kidding. Khael as in, the Grand Council Elder, Master Khael?"
Khael nodded. "Yes, Master Khael is my great-grandfather."
"Strange, I had heard that you had died of illness," Lilium muttered, "How long have you had it?"
"Almost a year now," Khael sighed, "My family is nothing but a bunch of hypocrites! They learned of my gift and my grandfather ordered that I be put under lock and key for my safety!"
He snarled, bearing his fangs. "What fools they all are. I deeply felt that I had to follow in yours and Reivatia's footsteps and fight against the Heartless. So I did what I had to. I ran away and began traveling with my friends here. And what did my family do? They disowned me! The lie they made up about my death was proof enough. They couldn't accept the choice I had made!"
"That's a horrible story kid, I feel for you." Rei nodded. "But we've got bigger fish to fry right now. Ya mind telling me what you and your friends are doing in the Abyssal Plains?"
Khael grunted and helped himself up. "Freya, Galvan, and I hunt the Heartless in the dark realm. We heard rumors of a massive Heartless roaming the plains out here so we sought to exterminate it. I fear we may have misgauged its strength."
"Clearly," Lilium muttered, "We should get to safety, this is no place for mortals like us."
A loud roar in the distance grabbed the attention of everyone in the group, including Sora. Out on the peak of a distant hillside a massive Heartless reared its head towards the group, its glowing eyes burning brightly in the blackened sky.
"Alright, target sighted!" Rei shouted and grabbed Khael's arm, pulling him beside him. "Okay, Khael, are you ready for round two!?"
"Are you mad? That creature nearly killed me and my companions!" Khael shouted in opposition.
"Heh, you didn't have back up last time!" Rei replied, "Lili, I'd ask you to help but you'll probably just say 'these people's safety should be our concern'. So get those two back to town and Khael and I'll deal with this pest."
"Don't be foolish!" Lilium said, standing beside Rei, "Giruvegan is miles away. No, I'd rather fight alongside my friend."
"And don't think we'll let our little Khael fight with strangers," Freya announced.
"Freya and I may not be wielders but we can hold our own," Galvan added.
"Well, well. We've got ourselves a little group now, Lili. Looks like you've got more people you need to lead," Rei muttered.
"Don't remind me," Lilium sighed, "Alright, follow my orders and we may just live through this day!"
Another boom resounded, this time much more violent than the last as it shook the very ground itself. Sora seized his chest as it actually hurt that time; a sharp, anxious pain in his heart that set his body trembling. The image once again distorted and this time struggled to remain stable as it reformed once more. Sora nearly vomited at the sight he saw, hundreds of armored corpses littered a barren flatland, all surrounding a destroyed temple that stood upon the only outcropping for miles. And high above in the sky hung an ominous rift that seemed to be slowly expanding across the heavens. The image played and a sharp wind began to cut across the land and upwards into the rift in the sky.
There was a sharp crack of metal and Sora turned to see another armored figure hurtle backwards through the air and into a stone column. The figure stood quickly, lifted the lower portion of its visor, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and faced two other figures as it breathed raggedly.
"Rei, enough! You've lost your war so just give up already!" A male voice came from the taller of the other two figures.
Rei's mouth pulled into a vicious grin as he laughed scornfully. "Gee, Khael, I didn't know I was dead already."
"Rei, enough I say!" A woman's voice came from the third figure. "It's already begun. What could you possibly hope to do?"
"Oh, I've got a few back up plans Lili," Rei snarled, "Too bad they all end with both of you dead!"
Rei suddenly lunged forward in an attempt to attack Lilium but was impeded by Khael. The two exchanged a quick series of blows before locking blades. Sora felt an intense aura emanate from both men as they tried to overpower one another. With a sudden twist, the two men broke apart and Khael recovered the quickest, slashing horizontally at Rei's head. Rei, however, ducked, spun about, and smashed his Keyblade into Khael's chest, shattering his armor and sending him flying backwards.
"You're next, Lili," Rei grunted, and charged at the woman. Lilium stood her ground and reacted quickly to each of Rei's attacks, deflecting one after the other.
"Twenty years and you still lack refinement!" Lilium shouted, lashing out several lightning fast blows, one of which clipped against Rei's chest and ripped his armor to bits. Rei grunted in pain and lunged out at Lilium, grabbing her arm before she could let loose another blow.
"I don't need refinement to kill you, Lili." He sneered and smashed the guard of his blade into the side of her head. With a loud yelp, she collapsed to the floor, blood draining from the crushed portion of her helmet. Rei stood over her and raised his blade into the air ready to deal the finishing blow.
Sora watched in utter shock, unable to do anything for the woman that lay helpless on the floor when he noticed Rei's arm tremble. For a moment, Sora could not be sure, it seemed as though a tear escaped the upper portions of Rei's helmet as he hesitated to kill his longtime friend.
"I… I'm so sorry, Lili." Rei shuddered and brought his blade down.
With a loud crunch of metal and bone, Rei's arm was broken at his shoulder by Khael's blade. Rei screamed in agony as he dropped his Keyblade and turned to face Khael who was already mid-swing with a second attack. Khael's sword cut along Rei's exposed chest with such force that he spun wildly about as he fell to the floor in a heap. Rei clutched the chest wound tightly as he tried to scramble away but Khael was already bearing down on him. He turned his blade downward and raised it high to deliver a quick death to the bleeding man who tried to shuffle away.
"Khael, stop!" Lilium shouted, distracting Khael as he missed Rei's head by mere centimeters.
"'Stop', what do you mean, 'stop', Lili!?" Khael roared, "He almost killed you! Don't tell me to hesitate to kill our enemy!"
Lilium rose to her feet with a groan and removed her helmet before casting a cure spell on the gash on her face.
"Even you know that Rei isn't our foe," Lilium said softly and motioned for Khael to move aside who obliged with a grunt. Lilium stared at Rei imploringly with her calm blue eyes penetrating the visor he still wore.
"You hesitated. Why, Rei?" Lilium asked calmly.
Rei grunted in pain and coughed up a bit more blood. "Don't get me wrong, Lili. I will kill you. I'm just not a cruel enough bastard to do it without taking a moment to recognize that it's my friend I have to do this to."
"You don't have to kill neither I nor Khael," Lilium replied softly, "Please, won't you side with this cause?"
Rei laughed, repulsed, at the request. "I think you know the answer to that. I won't be a part of this crazy scheme you cooked up, Lili!"
"Why do fight so hard to reject this decision, Rei!?" Khael spoke up.
"Do you really… argh… really have to ask that stupid question? It's wrong! All of it! Is wrong!" Rei grunted as he slowly healed the injury to his chest so he wouldn't bleed out.
"How could the salvation of all beings in the realms be wrong, Rei!? Answer me that! What is so flawed about our choice?" Lilium's voice began to crack as tears welled in her eyes.
Rei's lips tightened in fury. "You call the extermination of every living person salvation!? Is that price really worth destroying the Heartless and the Nobodies!?"
"They won't be exterminated, Rei! Their hearts will be collected into the new realm that we have forged!" Lilium screamed and pointed to the expanding rift in the sky.
"We, their protectors, will remain intact as we pass on into our new world. There… we will build life anew. A new existence devoid of pain, suffering, or evil! The Heartless and the Nobodies will be no more!" Khael smiled proudly at Rei who still lay on the floor.
"Khael's right, Rei, don't you see that what we strive for is paradise and not damnation?" Lilium pleaded.
Rei remained silent for a moment before slowly breaking into a fit of hysterical laughter, "You're both completely nuts! Heeheehahahaha! We will build life anew! An existence devoid of pain, suffering, or evil! Bah! Yeah, that'll really work! What about the people whose hearts you gather huh!? How do expect to give them new bodies after their originals die!?"
"With the power of the Keyblades, we can grant new life to the hearts that would be sheltered there, Rei!" Lilium replied sharply.
"Yeah!? And what about the darkness that exists within every heart!? That darkness is what makes evil! How do you stop that!? How do you stop the Heartless from coming back!?"
"Simple… We'll only allow the purest of souls to live. The others are just garbage that shouldn't be allowed to exist! We'll dispose of them and the Heartless will never return," Khael said with an air of satisfaction.
"What gives you the right?" Rei said in an almost inaudible whisper, before his voice built to a roar, "What gives you the right!?"
"We are creating an Eden in which to live, Rei. We cannot allow any impurities to surface if we are to - "
"We are not gods, Lili!" Rei screamed, cutting Lilium off.
"We are their protectors, nothing more! It's them who should decide how to live their lives! Not us!"
"Don't be stupid, Rei. If we do that, then people will lead evil lives and that evil will grow again. It's too late for this existence to do anything this drastic. We need to start with a clean slate," Khael interjected.
"No order without chaos, Khael. All this talk of a life without pain or suffering is just a dream! All you'd get is a hollow existence from this. Is that what you both really think is needed for the realms?"
"Yes, we do Rei. It's is our only option to rid ourselves of this never-ending plague and you know this!" Lilium said with a shudder.
"You have kids, Lili! They won't survive this either. Do you think they'll be the same when you bring them back in that twisted world of yours!?" Rei scathed.
Lilium could not hold back the few tears that ran down her face. "Shut up! Do you think this is easy for me!? To know what I can lose through this!? I have no choice! The Heartless have never been completely destroyed no matter how hard we've tried! And the Nobodies are only making each day that much harder to live through! This is the only way to be completely rid of them once and for all!"
"You'd even sacrifice your family…" Rei scoffed, "You're crueler than I ever thought you could be, Lili."
"What would you know about sacrifice!? You have no family, Rei!" Khael snarled and aimed his Keyblade at him. "Because of you, Freya is dead! Your actions killed the woman I loved and you lie there talking of sacrifice when you have known no one to love."
Rei scowled. "You're wrong… I have known love. But that love died when the person I knew to be so strong, to never give up in the face of despair, to put everyone's life before hers, decided that the easy way out was the destruction of our existence. But it only makes it that much harder to kill you, Lili."
Lilium clenched her fists tightly and let out a ragged sob. "Please Rei, reconsider. I beg you… This won't have to end like this. You can help us build our - "
"Enough, Lili!" Rei yelled, "I won't be a part of this! That is my final answer! So you and Khael can both go to the hell you create and rot in it!"
Lilium's eyes opened wide and stared menacingly at Rei. With an outstretched hand she materialized the Kingdom Key and raised it above her head. "Goodbye… Reivatia."
She began to swing downwards when Sora heard Regna shriek suddenly. The Kingdom Key forcefully aimed itself at Khael, blasting him with a lance of energy and sending him flying backwards. The Blade then dispersed and reappeared in Rei's grasp.
"R-Regna, you…" Lilium stammered as Rei rose to his feet and faced Lilium.
Regna! An unfamiliar voice roared and the memory was shattered under the force of a tremendous boom that knocked Sora to the floor. With a flash of lightning, Sora reappeared on the platform he left the Kingdom Key on to find it sliding across the floor.
He quickly stood up and recovered the sword and was met head on by a large globe of light. A wave of energy sent him flying back across the platform where he crashed to the floor only a few feet away from its edge. Sora quickly got back on his feet and faced the light only to be grasped by an invisible force and lifted into the air.
Do not harm my master, Lumen! Regna yelled and the Kingdom Key in Sora's hands dispersed into a beam of light and shot out at the sphere. There was massive burst of energy from the sphere and the Kingdom Key was shot back to the floor, causing it to slide with a sickening scrape.
Don't be foolish, Regna. I have no intention of harming this one, nor do I intend to harm you. I just came to observe the transcendence for it is inadvisable to perform it alone. I wonder, though, why you tried to keep me from coming in. You know that I have very little patience for such games. A deep voice emanated from the sphere.
"Lumen…" Sora muttered and quickly recalled the memory. "You're Rei's Keyblade!"
How… do you know of this? Lumen questioned threateningly.
Oh, master… You foolish boy… Regna muttered dismally.
Regna… Pray tell me how your master knows of your past. Lumen asked sarcastically.
I shall not lie to you. I was showing him my memories of -
Did I not specifically instruct you to never show him such things!? Lumen shouted.
You do not command me, Lumen. Nor do you intimidate me. Regna replied sharply.
That is not the point, Regna. Why, why do you go against the plan Rei set into motion? Lumen sighed, attempting to maintain a calm demeanor.
"What in the world happened to them?" Sora cut in, "To Lilium, to Rei, and Khael? They looked like they were close friends, so why did Rei betray them?"
Humph! That's not for you to know. Or perhaps you do know and are confused. Tell me, how much did you learn, what did you see? Lumen asked.
"All I saw was bits and pieces, something kept breaking the memories apart before I could learn anything," Sora muttered, "I saw Lilium as a little girl in front of some sort of council. When she met Rei and then Khael. And then…" Sora broke off as he pondered the final bloody images. "I saw so many dead, and the three of them were in the middle of it all. Something was in the sky, I don't know… Lilium called it paradise before she tried to kill Rei. Regna… You betrayed Lilium. Why?"
Stay your tongue, Regna, your master has fortunately learned nothing of Lilium's insane design. It is better left alone, young man. Said Lumen.
Do not presume that this is better left alone, Lumen. He has a right to know, to be prepared for what lies ahead. You've said it yourself, the time is drawing near, and even I have felt it. Regna replied.
Your master has a right to nothing! Rei insured their survival but that does not mean he needs to know of it. No, just follow Rei's instruction and this will be done without any difficulty.
Rei is dead, Lumen! I shall not allow my child to go blindly into this madness without preparation. Regna's voice was stern, her decision made.
Lumen began to laugh mockingly. Oh, yes... My master is well and dead, I personally saw to his eradication by his own wishes. Your feelings betray you, Regna. You care quite deeply for your master. A flaw you still carry after this entire time, very well! The invisible bonds that held Sora released him and let him fall back to the ground.
Your actions lead me to question if your master is really ready for the transcendence. So let's make a wager, Regna. If your master really is ready, then by all means, show him what you believe will aid him. If not, then we will follow Rei's design and your master will be denied that truth. Lumen said with finality.
Regna remained silent for a moment. Very well, Lumen. A test of strength it is, then?
Of course, there is no other way to gauge this. Lumen replied.
The sphere began to distort and with a flash of light, a tall armored figure stood high. This form of my wielder should do suitably for this test. Lumen muttered, materializing himself into the figure's hands.
The Kingdom Key appeared in Sora's hands. Master, do your best but do not expect to emerge victorious. Lumen is like I and will not tire as you would. But do not fear. This is a test. He will not kill you but make no mistake; he will not hold back and any mistakes on your part will result in extreme injury. Make me proud.
"Great…" Sora muttered dejectedly and took a defensive stance.
Are you ready yet? Lumen grunted impatiently.
"Bring it."
Without another word, Lumen dashed forward and unleashed a blinding flurry of slashes that were quickly deflected one after the other. Sora began back-stepping as he continued to block the attacks when he unleashed a small burst of energy from his body. The energy blasted against Lumen, causing him to stumble back, giving Sora a chance to strike. Sora lunged with a heavy swing as Lumen leapt back across the platform to avoid the attack.
"Freeze!" Sora yelled and fired a large sphere of ice across the battleground at Lumen. Lumen ran at the spell and let it crash into his blade. The ice spread quickly across the Keyblade as Lumen ran it across the ground and releasing a massive trail of icicles back at his opponent. Sora immediately rolled to one side, narrowly avoiding the ice when Lumen's blade cut through the barricade between them and shattered it into a chaotic storm of glittering pieces. The two continued to exchange blows, neither giving into the other, until they locked blades.
Very impressive, boy, you've developed quite a bit of skill. Lumen grunted, still trying to overpower Sora.
"Heh, you haven't seen anything yet! Fire!" Sora yelled, causing large spheres of flame and magma to erupt around him and pummel Lumen senseless. Lumen was thrown backwards in a heap as Sora brought the Kingdom Key close to his chest while crossing his arms.
"Light, give me strength!" He roared and a massive surge of energy erupted from his being. The Kingdom Key suddenly fragmented into the Oathkeeper and Oblivion blades which hovered closely around Sora who levitated a foot off the ground.
Lumen began to laugh proudly. Now I see why Regna puts so much faith in you. Being able to perform something of an incomplete transcendence is quite an accomplishment. Bravo. Now let me show you what a full transformation looks like.
Sora suddenly felt a strong surge of power gather rapidly into Lumen. "Regna, what's happening?"
Exactly as he told you, master. Now you've done it, this is going to get very dangerous, master, so take caution, Regna replied.
Lumen roared loudly into the darkness as the armored figure began to change dramatically. Large wing-like protrusions erupted from its ankles and angled upwards along the outside of its legs as similar protrusions emerged from its wrists in the same fashion. And from its back, nine small teardrop-shaped blades surfaced in a U-shaped array and hovered a small distance away as the armored figure began to levitate.
Sora decided not to hesitate and soared at Lumen, Keyblades spinning rapidly in front of him. The blades were stopped short by the nine fragments that launched forward and smashed into them. Lumen suddenly grabbed Sora by the throat and blasted him away with a surge of light. Sora recovered quickly and brought his blades to bear as he fired multiple blasts of ice at Lumen. Lumen charged headlong at Sora, blocking the frigid blasts with the blades he commanded before sending them out to attack him.
Sora snaked around the blades and blocked others as the two warriors clashed in midair. Finally Sora noticed an opening and launched the Oblivion into Lumen's face, breaking his concentration and causing the small blades to fall away. Sora did not give him reprieve as the Oathkeeper smashed into his chest and propelled him above Sora. Then both blades hammered into him rapidly before releasing a final surge of energy that blasted him even higher.
Lumen, finally given a chance to recover, righted himself and summoned the blades back to him before diving down at Sora. The small blades swirled about Lumen as he fell, enveloping him in a swirling mass of light. Sora dashed away from Lumen's trajectory before he impacted into the ground, resulting in a massive explosion of flames that scorched the entire platform. Sora managed to avoid being burned and realized Lumen was not in the epicenter of the blast.
Lumen suddenly appeared behind him as he turned to face the swarm of blades that sought to tear him to pieces. He continued to block the chaotic storm of attacks as the two flitted about the area in frenzy. Another opening made itself known to Sora and he wasted no time attacking Lumen's weak point but instead his blade met air as Lumen teleported away.
He reappeared just off of the platform, his nine blades glowing intensely with white-hot energy. Sora let out a small gasp as the blades fired simultaneous lances of light at him. He dodged about the arena as the lances met the floor and detonated in small but violent explosions. His efforts continued for what seemed like minutes as the never ending barrage of lasers attempted to strike him. One finally clipped his thigh and seared his flesh causing him to cry out in pain. The blades finally ceased firing and Lumen returned to his original state as he alighted onto the platform.
"Bastard…" Sora snarled and leapt into the air and began to twirl his entire body about. The Oathkeeper and Oblivion followed closely and began to spin as well, charging themselves as Sora's body started to glow with the same intensity as Lumen's blades. The three spinning figures slowly merged to into one massive sphere of light and began to pulse rapidly, firing arcing orbs of energy that homed in on Lumen.
It was the others turn to dodge now but was met with less success as one of the orbs collided with him, allowing the others to follow suit and batter the entity as well. Finally, the sphere of light imploded into Sora's body as his Keyblades reverted back into the Kingdom Key. He grasped the blade tightly and aimed at his opponent.
"Take this!" he roared and fired a dozen red and gold beams simultaneously.
The beams spread out before converging on Lumen. The beams impacted, however, on a reflecting spell Lumen casted a second before impact and ricocheted back at Sora and blasted him back across the floor. Sora landed hard on his chest and grunted in pain as he watched Lumen walk slowly towards him.
I do believe your master is in quite a predicament, Regna. Why not try and help him now? Lumen chimed mockingly.
Right… Master, this may be painful the first time around but should you manage to accept this gift, my full power will be yours to command. Regna whispered and the Kingdom Key suddenly burst into tiny globes of light that entered Sora's body.
There was a loud humming sound as the light began to spread slowly around Sora's body. He began to feel a strong burning sensation in his arms and legs and gritted his teeth against the pain. His ears began to pop and he heard something in him snap as the pain began to increase.
"Argh! Re-Regna… wha-? It hurts! It hurts!" he yelped, and clenched his fist as he started to scream, "Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it! Ahhh! Please! Stop it!" He howled continually and the humming increased. Sora's pain threshold was shattered and he let out a blood-curdling cry as he writhed in pain.
Regna, his body is rejecting it! Stop this now, you are going to kill him! Lumen ordered.
I-I can't! My power is going out of control! Regna shrieked.
Lumen quickly knelt in front of Sora and placed a hand against his forehead. He muttered an indiscernible phrase and Sora felt the pain quickly recede from his body. Sora felt sick as his vision began to blur and focus over and over again in his daze.
Master, I am… I'm so sorry! I did not wish to cause you such harm. I-I believed you were ready. Regna's voiced cracked.
His heart is ready, Regna. Of that you can be sure and proud of, Lumen reassured her, but his body still requires tempering. You should both be proud, for not even my master or even Lilium was capable of reaching this point at such an early age.
He… failed didn't he? Regna asked dejectedly.
Lumen sighed softly. I'm afraid so. I do believe he will be fine on his own, though. Even without your knowledge of the past, he still has the support of his allies and more importantly… you, Regna. I must go. Again, I do apologize.
Sora felt Lumen's presence vanish and he was left alone with Regna, still nauseous from the painful experience as he lay on the floor. He felt something warm press against his forehead and felt immediate comfort as he drifted quickly to sleep.
Master, please rest. You did so well… I am very proud of you. Regna sighed softly. You remind me so much of her.
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Phew! That was fun. Took a long time to write this one out because of all the revisions I made to the original plot and because of the fact that college and work are consuming any free time that I have during the day that I only spend 30-40 minutes adding a little bit to my chapters at night.
I hope you all like this version of chap.2 better than last time's. Oh, I should get this out of the way right now…
Any readers who find a slight continuity error with this fic in accordance to the KH games please note that I am going by the storyline shown in KH and KHII and not their remix versions. I love KH but I will never shell out another 60$ just to get a few more scenes and whatnot that should have been there in the first place. Anyone who is hoping to see those three from the KHII special ending should know that I used their concept as inspiration only and will not have them appear whatsoever because I have no idea about what they are like and where they would fit into this fic.
Also, I know a lot of you out there are hoping to see Roxas or Namine or any other Org. XIII character but sadly the organization is dead and Roxas and Namine are really just Sora and Kairi. But don't worry though, those of you that read the original version of this fic should know that there are new Nobody characters to wreak havoc on Sora and company. You can read their profile descriptions in my profile.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and I would definitely appreciate a review from you. Also, if you like Tales of the Abyss then I ask that you check out my co-author's profile and read her fic. It's great stuff, in my opinion; her penname is Apakoha.