Alright guys, the fourth installment. I hope you'll enjoy this one as much you did the other three.
Another Side, Another Story
Chapter4: Keyblade Master's Return
The blast shook the room, knocking the boy off balance. Mickey didn't even flinch as he stared directly into the light. Mickey tried getting closer, but a barrier had formed around Roxas and Riku. The boy stood up, scratching his head.
The light around Roxas and Riku began to fade, revealing them frozen in their slashing motions. It seemed as if their slashes had penetrated each other. Both their eyes were wide open, as if having seen or felt something. Mickey approached them once again, the barrier shattering as he touched it. They stood up, turning away so they were back to back. Soul Eater's glow began to dim.
Riku looked at his blade. The blade was starting to disintegrate, much like Heartless did as they were destroyed. The only thing missing was a Heart floating up to the sky. Soul Eater was gone.
Riku's hand was quivering. He looked back at Roxas, whom smiled. Roxas turned towards Riku, walking slowly towards him. Riku took small steps back, his face showed what he felt. Fear. Roxas charged, swinging Oathkeeper wildly as he did so. Mickey jumped in front of the Keyblader, parrying his attacks and letting loose a spell that knocked Roxas back.
"So, you need the King to protect you now," Roxas snickered as he charged once again.
"Your Majesty, run!" Riku opened a portal and pulled the King by his hood, leading them both into the darkness. Roxas stopped, looking straight into the dark portal. He attempted to get closer but it disappeared.
The boy in Organization XIII robed smiled, and walked into the room where Roxas, Axel and Riku fought. Roxas turned back towards Demyx, who snoozed on the floor. He sighed. Why IS he in the Organization? Useless. Roxas surveyed the area, scanning the room for his Keyblade, Oblivion. He found it lodged into the computer. Roxas pulled it out, bringing the computer screens crashing down. He took a second glance towards Demyx and left him there and entered the hall. The boy stood in the centre of the room, grinning at Roxas.
"I said we'd talk, but things have changed. See ya' round', Key-boy," he snapped his fingers and a portal of Darkness appeared under him, pulling him in. It disappeared as soon as the boy disappeared.
Roxas continued, slowly pushing further into the mansion. There was a door to his far right. Roxas walked slowly towards it. Through the door was a rather small corridor lined with strange crystals. Each crystal was larger than he, what purpose could it have? What are these things? Roxas held out his arm, trying to touch one. The crystals were cold, colder than ice. The fingertips of Roxas' gloves had frozen. Before the cold penetrated the gloves and froze his fingers, Roxas pulled back his hand, his fingers tingling. Roxas stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the last two crystals. Donald? Goofy? Donald and Goofy slept there, blissfully oblivious to the outside world. Roxas looked to his right; a single door was at the end of the corridor. Sora must be in there. Finally. Our heart… no. MY heart.
Roxas stepped stopped at the door. Should I really be doing this? Will I be myself after I get my heart? What if Sora… disappears? He is after all, part of me. Questions filled his mind. Then, something came into realization, I'm… caring? That proves it. Half his heart was always with me. Roxas smiled and slid the door open. In the centre of the room, a larger version of the previous crystals was placed. Roxas couldn't see through this one and noticed that it wasn't made of crystal, more like metal. Although it wasn't actually a crystal, it had that seem cold feeling as the others.
"Urgh… how do I get this to open…?" Roxas circled the pod. He found a console on the other side but had no idea how to operate it. He randomly pressed buttons but nothing
happened. Something flashed on the screen.
INSERT PASSWORD
He was so close, yet he had no way to unlock the pod and reveal the identity, who he assumed to be Sora, of the person inside. Enraged, he prepared for a blow to the console. This better unlock the pod. Un…lock! Roxas stopped. He jumped back and pointed both Keyblades toward the pod. A beam of light shot forward and the sound of a keyhole unlocking rang clear. The pod slowly opened, revealing Sora, whom floated in the air, as if in a dream.
"Sora…" Roxas' Keyblades began to glow. "Give me what rightfully belongs to me," Roxas pointed both Keyblades towards Sora's heart. He waited for a moment. Why isn't anything happening! "What do I need to do?"
Roxas thought for a moment. He was too close to give up. It was now or never. Obtain his heart and become whole, or continue living as a Nobody, fated to return to the darkness. Darkness! Roxas concentrated then snapped his fingers. Nothing happened.
"OH COME ON!" What can I do? What can I… It worked for them … Roxas remembered other Organization XIII members calling heartless to do their bidding.
Roxas thought for quite a while, thinking of what to do.
I am a creature of Twilight. Both darkness and light reside within me, right? He told himself. He held out his left hand, which was covered in a dark aura. He moved his fingers in a strange fashion, as if constricting something. Sora began to react. He was thrashing about within the pod, as if resisting something.
A Keyblade can unlock anything ringed a voice in his head.
Roxas ran towards Sora, his Keyblades now glowing brighter than ever. He thrust Oblivion into Sora's chest. Nothing happened yet his Keyblades were glowing and even started vibrating.
"W-what's happening?" Roxas tried to pull out his Keyblade but it seemed locked with Sora's heart. Roxas dematerialized Oathkeeper and held on to Oblivion with both hands. He pulled as hard as he could with all his might. His heart demanded Sora's be set free and they merged.
Sora opened his eyes. There were no pupils, his eyes were pure white. Roxas was startled. Sora frowned. His face showed sadness, then fear. With one powerful pull, one powered by his heart, Roxas set free Sora's heart. Sora's eyes closed, perhaps forever. Roxas fell off the pedestal holding the pod up.
The heart floated in between them, occasionally swaying to its left or right. The heart had a small but noticeable hole on it. Roxas stepped forward. The heart was within reach, he would finally be whole. His happiness turned to fear as darkness started to surround the heart.
"NO! THAT IS MINE!" Roxas reached for the heart, Keyblades now in hand. With his Keyblade, Roxas banished the darkness with a single swing. Roxas landed and quickly turned towards the heart.
More darkness was trying to envelope the heart. Roxas pointed both his Keyblades towards the heart and beams of light once again shot out. The beams pierced the heart, banishing all darkness around it. The heart slowly made its way to Roxas. The heart hovered around Roxas. Why isn't it…?
Roxas dropped to the floor, his heart was in pain. Slowly, it agonizingly separated itself from Roxas. Roxas attempted to reached out and grab it but he was too weak. Roxas' heart was smaller than Sora and malformed. The two hearts circled around him.
The two hearts slowly grew ever closer. They were glowing with more light than Roxas' eyes could handle. The two hearts touched and faded into each other, forming a full heart. The heart lingered in the air for a moment and then shot into Roxas' chest, knocking him down on his back.
Roxas felt complete. He could finally feel; happiness, sadness, anger, hate and love filled his heart. He smiled.
"Do you remember that boy that used to hang around with me and Riku?" asked a young red headed teenager. Her friend nodded. "What was his name? I can't remember…"
"Hmm…? You sure you're not making him up?" her friend scratched her head covered in brown hair.
"Positive. But… what was his name…?"
It used to start with an S.
"Who…? So… Sor-"
Sora isn't here anymore.
"SORA!" yelled the red headed girl as she collapsed.
Roxas stood, finally happy with himself. He 'remembered' all the emotions from Sora. He started walking out of the room but as soon as he took a few steps, his Keyblades appeared without warning.
"What..?" they began glowing. A small light emerged from his chest, more specifically, his heart. It took the form of a small sphere, smaller that the tip of his finger.
It started to expand and grow, taking shape. The light was strong, yet somewhat inviting. Roxas extended an arm to grab the light, but his hand passed right through. It was light, the purest form of light. Roxas waited for a moment, his heart racing with anxiety. What would happen next? From a fourteenth Organization XIII member to a Nobody who reclaimed his heart, anything could happen.
The sphere of light had grown large, about the size of Roxas' head. it slowly stretched out, thinning itself and forming some soft of shaft. The two ends began stretching, forming a handle and prongs. Although still molding itself, Roxas knew what the light was. The Kingdom Key. Sora's Kingdom Key.
"So," he folded his arms as his Keyblades disappeared, "the Keyblade from the realm of Light." The light finally molded itself into the Keyblade. Roxas extended his arm out once again, only to find Oathkeeper materializing within it. Oblivion appeared almost simultaneously in his right hand.
Roxas stared at his Keyblades. They were glowing as they did before. He felt something pulling away at the Keyblades. At first, it was weak but the force became stronger as time passed. Eventually, Roxas had trouble holding the two Keyblades steadily. They slipped out of his hands and darted towards the Kingdom Key, circling it.
Kingdom Key was glowing brightest of all three. An explosion of light emanated from the tip of the key. Roxas shielded his eyes. Nothing happened. He peered through the gaps between his fingers. A connection was made between the Keyblades; a thin beam of light connected Oathkeeper and Oblivion to Kingdom Key. Kingdom Key slowly faded away starting from its prongs. As it faded, the connections of light grew larger and brighter. Kingdom Key had fully faded and the light from it had merged with Oblivion and Oathkeeper leaving the two Keyblades floating in the air. They darted back into Roxas' hands.
"What just… happened?" Roxas could feel a surge of power coming from the two Keyblades. Was it the power of the Kingdom Key?
"Amazing… they feel… more powerful. A little heavies though," Roxas' happiness was short lived as an army of Neoshadows started coming in from the ground. They moved smoothly above and within the earth. Where'd they come from?
Within seconds, Roxas was surrounded. Shadows, Neoshadows and the like had appeared, blocking all means of escape. Roxas surveyed his surroundings; he was outnumbered a hundred to one. A small Shadow jumped at him and landed on his hooded head. It was rather small, even for a normal Shadow. It scratched Roxas' head, barely doing anything to the cloth.
Roxas jolted his head in an upward direction, launching the Shadow into the sky. Roxas bounced it on his head a few times like a soccer ball. The shadow squeaked and yelped; a rare sound indeed. A large Neoshadow lunged towards Roxas. Roxas jumped back, dodging the attack. The shadow slowly fell to the ground, slow enough for Roxas to ready an attack. Roxas swung Oblivion around, hitting the Shadow like a baseball into the Neoshadow, killing them both. Where'd that come from?
Roxas assumed his usual stance, still eyeing the crowd of Heartless. They were after the Keyblade, that much he knew. Roxas threw Oathkeeper into the sky, distracting some of the Heartless. Roxas hurled Oblivion at close range towards a Neoshadow, slicing it in half. Something rose up from the Heartless' disintegrating body. A Heart!
Roxas looked up, awed at the sight of a Heart. Never before has a Heart actually appeared when he destroyed Heartless. Then, why did Sora's Heart appear? A Neoshadow struck Roxas in the back, knocking him into the air. Another blow came from above, knocking him towards the waiting arms of a group of Shadows. Roxas spun Oblivion like a windmill as he fell. The Shadows died, releasing a flurry of Hearts into his face. Roxas caught the earth with his Keyblade and flipped, landing gracefully. Roxas spun around, killing what Heartless remained around him.
He looked at the remaining Heartless whom mainly comprised of Neoshadows. Roxas looked straight into the eyes of a Neoshadow directly in front of him. He took a step forward, and even to his own surprise, turned to his left and hurled Oathkeeper, killing a Heartless, and many behind it, poised for an attack. Oathkeeper returned to him quickly, and Roxas swung the Keyblade in the direction of the Heartless he originally faced, lobbing its head off. The other Heartless were startled but pressed on, hoping to overpower the Keyblade Master with pure numbers.
Roxas himself knew it was becoming hopeless to continue fighting so many. With each Neoshadow killed, another three appeared. Soon, there was barely any room to swing his Keyblade. Roxas swung his Keyblade around, giving himself some room. He hurled Oblivion and snapped his fingers. As he caught Oblivion, the heartless ten meters around him disintegrated. Five Samurai stood in their place, all looking in different directions, leaving space for Roxas, whom immediately took his place.
All six of them charged, slaying Heartless after Heartless.