Quest for the Keyblade
Test Two: Starting Point - Shall We Save?
Arianna's POV, Olympus Coliseum
I ignored Chaos and gave the stupid purple-suit man a very annoyed look as he grabbed a microphone that he definitely didn't need.
"Each of you has been summoned from many different worlds for one purpose. The Keyblade needs a new Master, one with a heart stronger than anyone else's. You have all been called here because each and every one of you possess' a strong heart. It is now that you will be tested to prove who is stronger.
"For the winner, the honor of the title Master of the Keyblade shall be yours.
"And for the losers, a return to your world without any memory of this, death, or even life as a Heartless are all that awaits you." He smiled a bit too sadistically, and added mockingly, "Good luck.
"Also, you should know," added the man all of a sudden, "The dark Keyblade and the Unnamed Blade, both once wielded by Riku, have not been found as of yet. For those of you who have too much darkness in your hearts, these blades just may seek you out.
"Now," he motioned at a curtain and it rolled up, revealing what looked like a score board that each of our names on it, "This shows what your points are, the higher, the more likely you will get the Keyblade, the lower, you are more likely to be one of the losers.
"Now! Let's see what world our lovely contestants will be going to today!" a purple top-hat appeared in his hand, and he rummaged around in it for a moment, then pulled a piece of paper from within, "Drum-roll please! You will be going to... Destiny Islands! A lovely resort with sand, beaches, palm trees, beautiful sky and plenty of souvenir shop - except for the fact people worship the Great Sora and Kairi like gods and goddesses and cast spells that require sacrifice to repel the spirit and descendants of Riku and Ansem, and use anyone who is even the slightest bit different than the rest of the Humans as their sacrifices!"
"Let's see what the three groups are!" he spun what looked like a roulette board, with a crazy game-show host white smile on his face, "In group, number, one we have Chaos Black, Peter Phantome Gheist, Kage Misuo, Kat Honnaki and Erik Honnakai!" He grinned cheerily, "And group, number two! Aki Yuichi Shindou, Jean Lockheart, Amber Kaze, Drake Lionheart, and Soma Shindou! And our last, and final group, number, three! Arianna Black, Nick Night Shade, Ceil Avenir and Kimimaro Ryu! That it ladies and gentlemen! We, have our, winners! And losers... You will all stay here overnight, and then you will be transported to the Destiny Islands Sandal's Resort! Thank you very much."
"Now! I will introduce you to your great-great-grandparents." everyone stared at him incredulously at that.
"That is impossible." I said, and he and several others looked over at me, including Chaos, "Unless you are a Necromancer, or a Spirit Summoner."
"I am neither." replied the man cheerily, "But still."
Suddenly I heard the doors to the Arena open, and we all turned to see translucent figure walk through.
"Oh my God." said Aki.
I noticed several people besides myself had brought out there weapon, and were standing at the ready.
"Put those away!" said a girl, who had short, dark red hair, "It's not nice to point weapons at people!"
"Humph." I muttered, and I stalked away from the rest of the group, and sat up high above everybody.
"Ari." said Chaos, flying up to me, and sitting down, facing me, "What do you think about this tournament?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, standing up and pacing the length of the wall.
"Well... Do you think it...feels right?" he asked finally.
"I'm fine with it, why?" I asked, and we headed down back to the ground level.
"Its bugging me, there's something...sinister about it." replied Chaos with a sigh, "I just don't like it. Not at all."
"You're being paranoid." I said simply, and he gave me a look, "So, what are mother and father up to these days?"
"Referring to you as Her and She." replied Chaos, "And being extremely sadistic. And happy when I'm not around."
"Sounds like they haven't changed." I said, watching as Aki and Soma talked to a guy with spiked blonde hair and blue eyes, and to a woman with reddish-brow hair pulled back in a braid, "I think paranoia runs in part of the family." I stretched, and yawned.
"But seriously, Ari." said Chaos, "There's something weird going on. What about that purple suit guy?"
"Yick." I muttered, "What a cheerleader. Blech. He does give me the creeps."
"Ari, I don't think we should do this tournament." said Chaos, grabbing my arm.
"What!" I snapped, "I didn't come all the way out here for nothing!"
"Ari," Chaos was squinting up the inch height difference into my eyes, "You've...changed. There's something...different about you."
"There's something different about you too." I said, a sharp edge to my voice, "You've grown paranoid and weak. Why is that?"
"I was a slave, okay!" snapped Chaos, "And I have to guard Jafar's lamp!"
"Ahhh," I said, "Father didn't...'punish'...you in anyway, did he?"
"No." said Chaos flatly, "He's not like that."
"Yeah, sure." I muttered, and I turned my back to him and began to walk off.
"Ari!" yelled Chaos, getting the attention of everyone in the Arena, "This tournament isn't right! How can you just sit here and let it happen!"
I turned around slightly, my hands in my pockets.
"I would like to see how things progress." I replied simply, "It'd be something different to study, something other than the Heartless, for the most part. There aren't many people living in Hallow Bastion anymore, after all."
"Ari! Do you even have a heart anymore!" yelled Chaos and I saw Aki wince and say something, and put her fingers to her temples as I turned fully to Chaos, "You don't, do you!"
I growled, and glared at Chaos. The one thing you never want to do, is accuse me of not having a heart straight to my face, or within hearing distance.
"I do have a heart." I replied dangerously, "But perhaps it's just been...frozen...by my family leaving me to die. Maybe its become frozen thanks to my so-called family leaving me, alone, in the dark, without any light, and nothing to do but to learn how to control," I held a hand out to the side, and what looked suspiciously like a Guardian appeared, "The Heartless."
Everyone was now watching Chaos and I, including the "Heroes" from two centuries ago.
"No one can control the Heartless!" said a voice, and I saw a translucent figure with shoulder length silver hair and bright blue eyes, "I tried, and the darkness swallowed me, but all I had wanted to do was to find and save Kairi! I was blind to anything else!"
"You fell because you had not been born with the ability." I replied, tonelessly, and the Guardian disappeared, "Even someone with the strongest heart cannot control the Heartless unless they were born with the ability, not given it."
"Ari!" said Chaos, glaring at me, "Prove to me you still have a heart!" Suddenly his form shifted back to the Demi-Elf form, and I saw him draw a scimitar.
"Do you really want to do this?" I asked, letting my form change completely, "You should have more respect for your older sister."
I held my hands in front of me, and the bladed staff appeared, and I saw the look of shock on both the opaque and translucent faces.
Chaos leapt at me, scimitar raised, and I caught the blade of the scimitar with the blade of my staff, and threw him a ways away from me, then twirled the staff around and brought it down, blade first towards him, and he barely managed to block it, but the force from my blow made him lower his arm and sword very close to his chest.
I withdrew and circle as he stood back up, and brandished his sword.
He leapt at me, and I dodged, barely, and felt the scimitar draw a line of blood across my cheek. I ducked, rolled, and came up on my feet behind him, and slashed at him, and he jumped back.
"You can't possibly have a heart anymore, if you have been acting like this!" snapped Chaos.
"And you have been tainted by father!" I retorted, "He did 'punish' you, didn't that ? Oh no, I know you won't admit it, you think its being brave, being a man to not admit it! You think that no one will understand, that people will make fun of you, that people will just say that you're a weak little snot who has nothing better to do than be you own father's little toy!"
Chaos roared and charged at me, and I blocked his scimitar, but he kicked my in the gut, sending me flying back wards.
This went on for a few minutes, and then Chaos finally got mad enough that he sent me flying across the Arena, the staff sticking into the wall above my head somewhere.
With a growl, I stood up.
"Darkness lend me your power!" I cried out, weaving patterns in front of me with my hands, and then I began saying things in an ancient, dead language, and the sky darkened, and a dark form of energy began forming in front of me, and I let it fly at my brother.
"Stop this at once!" yelled a voice, and suddenly, distracted, my energy projectile disappeared, and I saw a man with long silver hair and orange eyes standing between me and Chaos.
I scowled, and flew up the wall, and got the staff out of the rock, and began dusting it off.
"Let me at her!" yelled Chaos, pulling against several of the boys, trying to get at me.
"Guardian," I said, and Guardian appeared, and I saw the silver haired man narrow his eyes, so in a lower tone I said, "Find out something on that man in the purple suit and yellow bow tie. And tell Nightmare and the other that I think there may be another side like ours, which is competing with us."
The Guardian disappeared.
"Ari!" said Aki, and she stalked right up to me.
"What's up, shorty?" I asked, linking my fingers together behind my head, ignoring the slit on my cheek.
"Why are you and your brother fighting!" she yelled, and with that, she slapped me across the face and stalked away.
"Didn't hurt." I muttered, then with a grumble, I leapt/flew to the highest wall around the Arena, and began pacing it, ignoring the man who I knew was my great-great grandfather who was on the ground.
"Power," I muttered, and I drew my finger across the air, fingers splayed, and a trail of blue-white energy formed after them in daggers, and I grabbed them, sat on the wall, and began playing around with them.
"What was that all about?" asked a voice, and I turned to see Ansem was now sitting on the wall.
"Chaos thinks there is something sinister about this tournament, and is upset that I am not trying to stop it." I repliedsimply, crouching on the thin wall and looking down into the Arena, thinking, "He and I have been separated since out fifth birthday."
"Separated?" asked Ansem, looking over at me as I let my form shift back to normal.
"Our 'parents' didn't like me much." I said tonelessly, "Said I had unhealthy interest in the Heartless. Said I was too much like you. Apparently they refer to both of us without using our names."
"How did you and your brother get along before that?" asked Ansem, watching as a Wyvern perched next to me.
"He followed me around everywhere." I replied with a small laugh, "We used to be inseparable."
"And that girl who slapped you?" asked Ansem.
"I've known her since I was about ten." I replied simply, "Cloud and Aeris over there are her great-great-grandparents. The boy who looks like Cloud is her cousin, Soma."
The Wyvern looked at Chaos, who was stalking up the bleachers towards us, and hissed.
"Oh shush," I said, looking at the Heartless, "Just because he hates Heartless doesn't mean he's a...good kid."
"Your friend," said Chaos, looking at me pointedly, "Knows how to get a point across."
"I know." I replied, "That's why I tend to hide from her near the top of the castle. That way, she gets lost, and I can laugh about it." I shrugged, and then grinned slightly.
"Ari, I want to ask you a question, and I don't want you to get mad at me for it, and I want you to tell me truthfully," began Chaos, "Have you lost your heart?"
"Do I look unconscious to you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "No." I looked behind him to see Guardian sneaking up on him, "Guardian! Enough! Chaos, why is it that the Heartless hate you so much?"
The Guardian began making sounds, and I raised an eyebrow slightly.
"What did that...thing-" Chaos spat, "-Say?"
"Nothing complimentary." I replied flatly.
"Am I not here?" asked Ansem boredly, and Chaos jumped, and turned around.
"Uhm...I...eh..." stuttered Chaos.
"Sit down, take a load off your feet-" I began, then the Coliseum Gates opened, and my mother and father stalked in, and I bristled.
"Chaos, hunny-" started our mother, the she fell silent.
Aki's POV
I looked at the two adults who had just walked in, and then up to Ari, and nearly jumped at the look of utter loathing on her face.
"Hello!" Arianna said, standing up on the wall, and Chaos put his face in a hand, and I groaned, "How have you two been? It's been a while, mother, father. Looks like you've been doing...well..." Arianna let her form shift and she flew down to stand in front of them, "I have been just grand."
"Ari-Ari-Ari-Arianna!" yelped Arianna's father, staring at Arianna in shock, "We thought You were dead!"
"You wished I was dead!" Arianna snapped, and the Wyvern and Guardian came to hover on either side of her, "But," her voice went back to being smooth, "Not only did I get help from the Heartless," she smirked at the look on their faces, "I got help from some interesting people, and from a girl who moved to my world."
"It's my world!" yelled my father, and he slapped Arianna across the face.
Arianna turned her head to him, her eyes turning red finally, "You left it. You no longer own it. I do. It's my world now."
Arianna waved a hand in front of her face, and dark colored sparkles appeared, and formed into the bladed staff, and shock spread across her mother and father's faces.
"You ought to be nicer to your daughter." said Ansem, coming to stand next to Arianna, "And not treat your son like a slave."
"What would You know!" snapped my father.
Arianna was, needless to say, growing angrier by the second, and if she got angry enough, I knew Guardian and Wyvern were going to attack her parents.
"What are you two doing here?" Arianna asked, coldly, and several people eyed her warily, including myself - I had never seen her like this.
"Now, now, is that anyway to talk to your parents?" asked a voice, and Arianna turned to glare at a tall man with long silver hair and a black blindfold.
"This is none of your concern, Nightmare!" Arianna snapped, her eyes flashing, "And I suggest that if you want to live a bit longer, you get out of here right now."
"I just came to watch the fun." said Nightmare innocently, and I noticed Nightshade was looking from Arianna to Nightmare and back, confused, like he was trying to tie it all together, "And to continue to try and bring Nightshade to our side."
Arianna looked like she was going to strangle Nightmare for opening his "damn mouth", as I knew Arianna would say.
"Oops." said Nightmare mockingly.
"Arianna!" snapped Ari's mother, "Y-you're on the evil side!"
"Call me a chaotic-neutral!" Arianna snapped, "Darkness," she began and she began to float off of the ground, raising her arms towards the sky, "Show us all the true intention of these people's hearts and bring the Heartless and their power to me!" The sky went pitch black, and everyone was backing away from Ari, "Show these people what it means to betray me, and hurt my brother, and what happens when," Her eyes snapped open and her mother and father yelped at the literally completely ruby red eyes, "When they decide to try and kill their own kith and kin!"
Arianna's hair whipped into the air, and an uncountable amount of Heartless appeared, and they began to merge, until they were one huge Heartless, which picked Arianna up and sat her at its shoulder as dark energy crackled around me.
"Arianna!" I yelled, "Don't!"
"She's not Arianna, at the moment," said Nightmare, boredly, looking at a watch.
"Darkness, unleash your and mine power unto those who betrayed me, and sought to destroy me!" Arianna screamed into the air, and suddenly the sky and ground both split, and darkness fell onto both of her parents, and they screamed in agony, "Let only those who are being controlled, and who should be innocent live!" she added in a snarl, surprising us all.
Arianna's POV
Suddenly, blinding light came out of nowhere, and I winced at the sudden change, and saw that my father was lying on the ground, eyes half closed, looking like a life-less puppet, skin smoldering, and my mother was sitting, shaking, on the ground.
"What- Ughn!" I fell to one knee exhausted, for some reason, "What...Happ-?" I began, but then the ground rushed up to me and everything went black.
Aki's POV
I paced around the room that Ari was currently laying in, unconscious.
"Why did she ask what happened?" asked Chaos, who was sitting next to the bed.
"She sometimes becomes possessed by the darkness." replied Nightmare with a shrug, "Always amusing, though."
Chaos and I both glared at him, and he shrugged and walked out.
I was currently biting my nails, worried. Ari was on the Heartless' side...?
"Oh...ow..." moaned Ari, and I saw her open her eyes, and she sat up, and immediately clutched her head.
"Ari?" asked Chaos, waving a hand in front of Ari's face, "Oh hi, Chaos, Aki." She said cheerily, grinning, "How long have I been asleep?" asked Arianna, yawning.
"Two hours." replied Chaos.
"Oh, is that all?" asked Ari, looking surprised, "Because I don't remember going to sleep."
"Is She awake?" asked a voice, and suddenly her and Chaos' mother walked in.
"Oh, hi mom!" said Ari cheerily, "What are you doing all the way out here?"
Again she was looking unusually cheery.
"Uhhh..." her mother looked confused, "Doesn't she remember-?"
"Remember what?" asked Ari, then she squinted at the three of us, "You three sure are acting weird." She yawned again and stretched, the popped her back, making me wince.
"Its nothing." said Chaos quickly, and Arianna shrugged and stood up out of bed and fell flat on her face, "Are you...okay?"
"I'm fine!" said Arianna, and she stood up, "The floor tripped me. I'm going to go train!" She walked out of the room.
"What was That all about?" asked Arianna's mom.
"She doesn't remember what happened at all." said Chaos with a shrug.
Nick Night Shade's POV
I glared at Nightmare as he casually walked towards me.
"So, have you changed your mind yet, Nightshade?" asked Nightmare, slinging an arm around my shoulders.
"No." I replied flatly, shrugging his arm off, "And I'm not going to. I have no intention of joining the Heartless!"
The doors to the Arena opened and that girl Arianna walked through, whistling like nothing had happened earlier.
"Don't mind Dark Angel." sighed Nightmare, "She got possessed by darkness again, and when that happens, she doesn't remember anything she said or did, so she doesn't think anything happened."
"Possessed by darkness?" I asked incredulously.
"It happens." replied Nightmare, "It comes with her ability to control the Heartless, because if she gets mad enough, she'll get possessed."
"Why don't you ladies and gents go and get some rest before your big day tomorrow!" called the guy in the purple suit, "You don't want to be exhausted, do you?"
"It's only, like, ten thirty!" protested Arianna, "which is, like, five hours before my bed time! You're crazy, like!"
"She...gets...a bit girly after being possessed." said Nightmare, wincing slightly.
Arianna's POV
I was now the only one left in the Arena, and was practicing with my bladed staff, and wondering what the charred area of the Arena was from.
I brought my staff around in a full circle, brought it down, and hit a black blade.
I looked up, startled, into incredibly bright, azure blue eyes.
"Xander?" I asked, startled, and I stood up straight, bringing my staff to my side, "What're you doing here?"
Xander was a blue-eyed, black-haired, six foot two Vampire on the Heartless' side.
"Nightmare said you had a little fun today." said Xander.
"Fun?" I asked, thinking, "If you call having fun bringing all of these idiots to this world - you're crazy."
"Ahhh, so you don't remember." he said, toying with my hair, "As usual."
"I wish you all would stop trying to drive me crazy." I muttered, whacking his hand away from my hair, "What do we know about that man in that horrid purple suit?"
"Not much." replied Xander lazily, leaning back against a wall, "His name is Zeuxis. Known to be a bit...schizophrenic. He seems to be helping out another group of people who are interested in gaining the Keyblade."
"He's completely weird." I muttered, "And annoying, and has no fashion sense..."
Xander raised an eyebrow at my muttering.
"Ari!" called a voice, and I saw Aki and Chaos running through the gates.
"Hi, guys!" I said cheerily, and Xander raised his eyebrow again, looking slightly amused.
"See you la-ter," said Xander in a sing-song tone, "Good lu-uck."
He teleported, and Aki and Chaos yelped.
"I hate Vampyres. Especially him" I muttered, scuffing a foot, "What's up, guys?"
"Are you ready to go inside yet?" asked Chaos, "You can't stay out here all night!"
"Yeah, I guess." I sighed, "Let's go."
No One's POV
"Well?" asked a tall Vampyre with electric blue hair and bright orange eyes as Xander Leukos walked into the throne room of the first Vampyre's castle.
"Well what?" Xander asked tonelessly.
"The slaves are saying that you've been disappearing from this world quite a bit, but you aren't bringing anyone back," the Vampyre rested an elbow on the arm rest of his throne and propped the side of his face against it, "So what are you doing? You're obviously not finding more Humans to bring to this world to use as slaves."
"I've been helping the Heartless." replied Xander tonelessly, "There's a girl there you might be interested in. They will all be coming to this world in a few days or more."
"Really?" asked the Vampyre thoughtfully, "I have been wanting to get some interesting slaves."
"You'll have a hard time with her and the other ones." said Xander flatly, "They're the ones who are on the Quest for the Keyblade." Without another word Xander strode off to his rooms, "Oh, and the girl." Xander looked back at the blue-haired Vampyre, "Hates Vampyres. Probably my fault, after all, I did cheat on her." He turned around and left.