Hello everyone! thanks for all the love you've given this story so far! Now I don't wanna keep you waiting with my ramblings, so here's the next chapter of Darkness within Light!
Warnings: Some creepy dialogue and Sora not quite acting like himself at one point. Cliffhanger warning, but I can't bring myself to be sorry since I believe it necessary.
.o.0.o.
Even as they ran all the way, the sky is just getting dark when the group of heroes make it to the palace. They hide behind the wall and watch as bulky blue and red guards with stoic faces march in front of the entrance.
"There doesn't seem to be a lot of guards," Sora whispers.
"A couple of guards out here doesn't mean there aren't going to be more inside." Riku looks around the outside of the building until he sees a window that seems accessable, "I'll head in and check it out."
"What about if ya' get caught while yer lookin'?" Goofy asks.
"In all likelihood you'll know if I get caught." Riku deadpans. He jumps up to the window (that any normal human wouldn't be able to reach) and climbs inside.
He leans out the window and says just loud enough to be heard by the trio below, "if you don't hear anything in fifteen minutes then follow me in."
"If we do hear anything we'll follow you in anyway," Sora retorts crossing his arms with a defiant frown.
Riku chuckles but doesn't comment. He pulls his head back through the window, leaving the brunet and disney king's servants behind.
Seven minutes in and Sora is growing impatient, "come on guys, let's just go in!"
"Just eight more minutes, Sora," says Donald rolling his eyes.
"How do you know? You don't have a watch!"
Donald pulls a watch and chain from god knows where and gives Sora a deadpan expression.
"...That doesn't count," Sora says crossing his arms and glaring childishly at the white duck.
"Gee Sora, I know yer' antsy, but we gotta wait a bit more," Goofy says watching as the blue eyed boy fidgets, "what's got you so worked up?"
"I'm just wanting to help Pachu as soon as possible," Sora replies as his eyes dart around, "the empire doesn't need to hide in fear of their ruler if we can do something about it."
"Just wait a bit more Sora, the world isn't gonna end in six minutes," Donald says.
It hurts him to lie to his friends, but he couldn't very well tell the truth now could he?
"You smell it don't you?" The dark voice purrs, "the delectable darkness? There are heartless here and I know you want to taste them."
"Shut. Up." Sora hisses through clenched teeth, squeezing his eyes shut. Donald and Goofy look at him curiously but don't say anything.
"Why resist?" The voice goads, "I know you remember it; that delectable crunch; the thrill of cutting through them like they are nothing but thin paper; the squeaking noises they make when they fade..." the whispers feel like they're right next to his ear now, "showing them who the true predator is..."
'Shut up...'
"Letting your true instincts and urges out as you rip and tear and rend their black none flesh..."
'Shut. up!'
"I'll bet you still remember their taste too! Like hickory smoked meat and darkness, their little yellow eyes were the best part too...sweet as honey...'
Sora clenches his hands and teeth, accidently biting the inside of his cheek and getting a taste of copper on his tongue as pain shoots into his palms from biting nails.
Yes he remembers. Despite what he's told his friends he remembered being in that haze to some extent. The freedom he'd felt, the thrill of being able to tear anything and everything apart with his bare hands. The overflowing strength and numbness from pain and fear; and the taste...oh great Kingdom Hearts the taste...
Sora feels saliva pool in his mouth and swallows painfully, squeezing his eyes tighter in an attempt to block out the want. The need to get that dark thrill, that taste again.
"Sora!"
He feels someone shaking his shoulder and his eyes snap open to look upon the worried faces of his friends. Sora mentally pushes away the feelings and voice, giving Donald and Goofy a smile, though it looks more like a grimace, "I'm okay guys, sorry for spacing out like that."
Donald raises a brow at him in suspicion before shaking his head, "come on Sora, let's go."
Sora is the first to get through the window, followed by Goofy and lastly Donald who didn't quite make the jump as smoothly and had to get help from the others to get through.
They come face to face with black heartless with sun disk shaped heads and Incan warrior garb. Sora summons his keyblade and charges, whacking at heartless several times until they disappear. He tries to ignore the thrill he always gets during battle and actually focus on the mission at hand. They run through the palace halls, destroying heartless every once in a while andand taking down a guard or two, when Sora begins to wonder where Riku has gone.
They make it to a couple of huge doors, maybe half the size of the doors to the throne room in Disney Castle, and prepare to barge in when they hear voices on the other side. Sora holds up a hand to stop the others and presses his ear up to the door.
"So this is what's happened to you. You let darkness enter your heart."
"What do you care? This ain't your world."
'That sounds like Riku,' Sora thinks listening carefully, 'the other voice though...is that the emperor?'
"So you want to be like this?"
"Hey, I'm the Emperor, I always get what I want. And what I want right now is for you to leave my empire. Go on, shoo."
"And what if I said no?"
Sora tenses, waiting for the pin to drop.
"And what does a kid like you think you can do? I have the power here." The emperor says threateningly.
Sora takes this moment to throw open the door and walk in, "we can get rid of the darkness in your heart!" He proclaims.
"Sora!" Riku grins widely.
Kuzco does not look as pleased, "another peasant? For the love of me, they're like roaches aren't they?" He shakes his head and rubs the bridge of his nose, acting as if he can't understand why they are bothering him.
"Why don't worry your highness, I can handle this."
Yzma steps out, large tooth baring grin on her face and Sora reacts without thinking, "OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT?! IS THAT A DUSK OR SOMETHING???"
Riku snorts even as he closes his eyes with a grimace, "no, I don't think she's a dusk. But she sure is..." he tries to think of a word for it.
"Ugly beyond all reason?" Sora supplies.
"Yeah that."
They suddenly hear a bark of laughter and look towards the throne to see a chortling Kuzco holding his stomach. Yzma rolls her eyes in annoyance, "are you quite done your highness?"
"No! No wait give me a sec," Kuzco gasps waving her off. He wipes a tear from his eye and sighs, "that's exactly what I said a while back! Man, you're funny kid."
"Uh, thanks?" Sora replies slowly, looking slightly off-put.
"Yes yes, ha ha, loads of chuckles," Yzma cuts in with aggravation, "now, how about this?" She pulls down the front of her dress with a smile.
"My eyes! Riku help!" Sora exclaims covering said eyes while Riku pulls him into his chest and looks away.
"WAHWAKWAKWAK!!!"
"Garsh!" Both Donald and Goofy cover their eyes as well. Even Kuzco screws his eyes shut and looks away.
Yzma rolls her eyes again and reaches into her dress to pull out a little vial. Riku peeks before sighing, "False alarm."
Everyone breaths a sigh of relief, causing Yzma to roll her eyes yet again with a
huff before tossing the vial in the air. The bottle flips a couple and starts heading towards Riku.
"Riku look out!" Sora shoves the silveret out of the way and takes the full brunt of the potion, the bottle shattering on the ground by his feet and a pink cloud rising up.
"Sora!"
Sora coughs and hacks, the mist receding to show him to be perfectly fine. Kuzco raises a brow and leans towards Yzma, "uhhh, was that supposed to do something?" He whispers.
Yzma chuckles, the grin never leaving her face, "Oh it did something, nothing that need worry you, Highness."
Shaking off the scare, the four prepare for battle. Yzma summons a swarm of heartless and they lunge at the quartet. Sora and Riku handle a large cluster of them while Donald and Goofy offer support when needed. After finishing off the last wave, Riku raises his keyblade and a bright light shoots towards the emperor, hitting him in the chest. Kuzco yells, his eyes flashing yellow before he passes out, a black smog rising from his form.
"Well, this was anti-climactic," Yzma says, face blank. The four heroes slowly approach her, weapons at the ready and Yzma bolts, laughing all the way.
"You may have defeated me, but I always get the last laugh! AAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
Sora moves to follow but a groan makes him halt in his tracks. He turns and heads towards the throne, ignoring the cries of his friends to be careful.
"Your highness, are you-" He puts a hand on Kuzco's shoulder only for it to get smacked away.
Sora jumps back as the emperor jolts into a sitting position, hands waving in front of him, "No touch-y! Emperor does not like being touched!"
"Oops, sorry your highness, are you alright?" Sora asks his eyes sweeping the Emperor for any injuries.
"Aside from a bad dream and a nasty taste in my mouth, I'm fine." Kuzco blearily opens his eyes, focusing in on the brunet. "Who are you by the way?"
After introducing themselves and explaining what happened, Kuzco begins walking back and forth in front of the throne, hands behind his back and hunched forward slightly, "Oh no, what am I gonna do? None of my people are going to trust me now..."
"You could start by freeing the people from the dungeons and giving the villagers back their money," Riku suggests. Kuzco snaps his fingers,
"I got it! I'll just free the prisoners and give the villagers back there money! I'm a genius!"
"But-" Riku pauses for a moment be before shrugging, "great idea your highness. Wish we could stick around to help, but we have to leave."
"What? Come on guys I owe you one for saving my royal butt! At least stay for the party!"
Sora shakes his head and says apologetically, "sorry Emperor Kuzco, maybe some other time."
They left the palace, stopping at the village on the way to their ship to tell the people the news and once again declining any offers to stay. They didn't want to be rude, but they had to go back to Yen Sid's tower as soon as possible to see if the potion Sora got hit with had any ill effects, so they can prepare if anything happens.
As the gummy ship launches for home, Sora decides that it would be a good idea to take a nap in the back rooms. He usually couldn't get comfortable enough for longer than a couple of hours, so he is least likely to dream at that time. He doesn't realize how wrong he is though...
