Chapter 4: The Barony of The Damned.

'Why is it whenever something bad happens to me, I end up here?' Bolt cursed to himself.

Keep moving.

'Oh, you again.' Bolt muttered.

Don't sit still, you fool. Get moving. You know this maze better than anyone else... and Sora's friends need your help.

'I know that. But if I get to them too late...' Bolt was cut-off in mid-sentence.

You won't. Now go.

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'What the hell happened to us?' Max asked himself as he looked at the medieval labyrinth that stood before him with webs under the torches which provided only dim flames.

'Max?' A familiar voice called.

'Donald?' Max asked back.

'Yeah. Where are you?' The wizard quacked back to the younger Goof. Max then glanced once again at his surroundings.

'I wish I could tell you. Where's PJ and Bobby when you need 'em?' Max sighed to himself. He took a deep breath and suddenly... a flash of light appeared in his hands.

To be found... is also to be lost. To be lost... is also to be found. You have been chosen to wield a Keyblade... and a wielder's destiny awaits you.

The voice subsided along with the flash of light to reveal a Keyblade in Max's hand. It was a meaner looking version of Sora's Kingdom Keyblade with a buzzsaw at the key part of the blade. A small golden buzzsaw was at the end of the keychain.

Now, a test.

Suddenly, Nobodies circled Max in numbers. Max, looking down at his keyblade, dropped into a fighting stance and went into battle. Max began to fend off the Nobodies using both his Wielder's Destiny Keyblade and his fighting skills. He was quick to kick one in the chest, before delivering a strong slash. No Nobody could withstand the Wielder's Destiny Keyblade. Two more Nobodies moved in unison, both kicking Max while he was still crouched. He rolled away, now getting back up to continue the fight. Max concentrated on the multiple Nobodies rushing towards him. He executed a swift roundhouse kick to one, before punching another that tried to rush in. Wielder's Destiny Keyblade still in hand, he then flipped backwards, quickly shifting into a twist and swiped his weapon straight across a Nobody's neck. The blade effortlessly severed the head, sending it bouncing away into nothing, where it belonged. Max then jumped in the air and backflip-kicked the last three Nobodies back into darkness.

Well done, young one. Your friend awaits.

Max's keyblade disappeared and the stone wall beside him lifted up in the air to reveal Donald. The court wizard was alarmed.

'What? How'd you do that?' Donald quacked.

'I do not know. I just want out of here.' Max replied.

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'Namine, where is everybody? I can't see nothing in this darkness.' Roxas requested, looking for his significant other.

'Roxas, Kairi is right next to you, just a few feet down. I must ask... what happened to you? Your pattern looks different.' Namine asked.

'Bolt got me outside of Sora using the Candle of the Thirteenth or something like that. He has his ways, and I'm not one to judge.' Roxas replied.

'Okay, keep walking down. You'll see Kairi eventually.' Namine told him.

Roxas opened his eyes and began walking down the hallways of the stone labyrinth he was now in. He came to a stone staircase and began to walk down it until he saw the pink dress of the seventh princess of heart come into view.

'Kairi!' Roxas called out.

'Oh, it's you, Roxas. Did you see Sora on your way in here?' Kairi asked.

Roxas shook his head: 'No. We just fell in here and got seperated. Namine led me to you. Let's keep moving. We aren't going to find anyone else by just sitting here.'

'Right.' Kairi responded. They continued walking until they came across a large gang of Nobodies & Heartless, which didn't take long.

'Why do they always know where we are?' Kairi wondered.

'The Nobodies are drawn to me, no doubt. But there seems to be a thing between you and the Heartless that I just can't put my finger on.' Roxas responded sarcastically. Then a voice infiltrated their minds.

To have dwelled in the twilight for so long... is to be willing to cut ties with the darkness completely. You have been chosen to wield Keyblades... but it is up to you to prevent Oblivion and keep your oaths.

Roxas's Oblivion & Oathkeeper Keyblades appeared in his grasp once again.

Someone who cannot be evil, someone who would be willing to lose her own heart to regain one that belongs to another... that is why you have been chosen to wield a Keyblade. Now go, Flower of Fate.

Kairi's Keyblade materialised in her hand, and the two wielders prepared for battle. The Nobodies & Heartless, along with a Heartless in the shape of a Jellyfish, began to advance. Roxas was ready for them, quick to slam his fist into one of their heads. Moving down to leg-sweep another, he then rolled back towards another. He reached up with one hand and grabbed the Nobody's arm, and grabbed his knee with the other. A quick pull, and the solider was flipped over his shoulder. Kairi began to fend off the Heartless using both her Flower of Fate Keyblade and her fighting skills. She was quick to kick one in the chest, before delivering a strong slash. No Heartless could withstand the Flower of Fate Keyblade. Two more Heartless moved in unison, both kicking Kairi while she was still crouched. She rolled away, now getting back up to continue the fight. More Nobodies attacked, but Roxas defended himself expertly, kicking one in the chest then knocking over another with a spinning sweep of his Keyblades. They disappeared.

'Is that all of them?' Kairi asked.

Roxas shook his head, pointing to the Jellyfish Heartless: 'Nope.'

Kairi turned to see the Heartless move towards her, but it was suddenly shot. Roxas turned his head to see Bolt running in with the Crosshammer drawn. Bolt pulled out 3 cards.

'BLIZZARD CRUSH!' The warrior called out, freezing the Jellyfish Heartless and then smashing it with a devastating scissors kick. The Heartless dwindled to the floor lifeless, with it's keyhole appearing. Bolt tossed a Heartless Prison card through the keyhole, sealing the Heartless. Roxas & Kairi scooted 'round to Bolt's side to see the new card the Heartless had created.

'Seven of Clubs: Gel Jellyfish. Five cards left to complete the clubs deck. Let's move. The others need us.' Bolt advised as they began running through the halls.

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'Ow, my head hurts.' Sora moaned.

'Quit your whining. You aren't the only one.' Riku said from behind him. Sora turned around to see his friend sitting against a wall under a dimly-lit torch.

'That was some fall.' Goofy commented as he got up from the ground.

'Nothing we can't handle. You guys okay?' Mickey asked.

'We will be when we get out of this place.' Sora said... before he grabbed his chest and stared into the ground again. He could see darkness once again. This pain was excruciating. Sora reached into his pocket and grabbed a couple of tablets. He was quick to swallow them, and the pain slowly subsided.

'Are you okay, Sora?' Riku asked in concern as his friend returned to verticality. Sora nodded lightly.

'I think we should make those torches a little lighter, so we can see where we're going better.' Goofy suggested. Mickey raised his Golden Kingdom Key into the air and pointed it at the torch, making the flames reach higher. The whole room was lit up. And then suddenly, the four ran into something...

'ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!'

'Not good!' Riku quipped. There were two gigantic Heartless monsters in the room with them! One was shaped like a minotaur with flames and molten lava flowing out of its eyes and the other was a deranged twisted version with large fangs.

'Definitely not good!' Goofy responded.

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Max & Donald heard the roar.

'What the heck is that?' Max wondered.

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'Oh, no. It has been awakened!' Bolt panicked.

'What has been awakened?' Kairi wondered.

'Yeah, what are you talking about?' Roxas asked.

'Ebony Fang, the Lost Two's personal executioner!' Bolt answered as the three continued running through the labyrinth.