Authors Note:
So, my story from this point on will have cycling chapters including all of their plots with a focus on one of the main trio. For example, the main focus here is Sora's plotline, but Riku and Kairi are still being covered to a lesser extent. Next will be Riku, then Kairi and so on. :)
Also, thanks for the reviews so far guys. :) I really appreciate it and feel supported so feel free to continue whether it's support or constructive criticism. In response to HC: Sephiroth has been present in BBS, KH and KH2 for one reason or another. I feel like his arc with Cloud would logically have been completed in KH3 so I'm going to portray my interpretation in this Fanfic. :)
Enjoy this chapter! :D
"M-Master!? Sora exclaimed, eyes wide with shock and confusion. "That's impossible!"
"Um, why?" Ignis replied, an eyebrow raised. He appeared to be equally as confused about Soras reaction.
"Because!" Sora stated, his hands moving in the air as if he could just pluck an answer from nowhere. "The only masters that should be around are the King, Riku and Master Yen Sid!"
"King? Riku?" Ignis seemed far more bewildered now. "I know of that Yen Sid guy but the others are a mystery to me. Did you hit your head or something Kid?"
"Whadya mean did I hit my head? What about you?" Sora looked taken aback. "You can't seriously not know who the King is if you're a Keyblade Master. And don't be disrespectful to Master Yen Sid. He's retired now but still the most powerfu-"
"RETIRED!?" Ignis exclaimed before chuckling, amusement clear in his next words. "He's just barely hit thirty. What's he retiring from? Life?"
Sora looked at the male, mouth open with nothing there to say. Ignis clearly was convinced of what he was saying and the way he was speaking made it seem like he knew Yen Sid personally. Which wasn't possible was it? If there was another Keyblade Master around, then surely they would have been recruited to be a part of the Guardians of the Light by now. But then, he had just walked out of a Corridor to the Darkness and that could mean...
"H-how old do you think Master Xehanort is?" Sora questioned, remembering the anger that came from Ignis the last time he'd mentioned the aging dark Keyblade Master.
"Bout Yen Sid's age, I dunno. Next I guess you're going to ask if I know Eraqus so I'll just put it out there right now that I do." Ignis ran a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed by the questioning. "Also, Xehanort is not to be trusted."
"Gee thanks for the warning." Sora said, uncharacteristically sarcastically.
"What's that supposed to mean huh?" Ignis said, letting his hand drop from his hip back to his side. His fingers flexed as if he was preparing to summon his Keyblade.
"Wait!" Sora said, raising his hands in surrender. "It's just, why wouldn't I know Master Xehanort shouldn't be trusted? He's been threatening the worlds for over a Decade now and we're preparing to bring him and his Organization down!"
"A decade? You knew about what he was and you didn't tell anybody!?" Ignis anger flared up and Sora noted his eyes were suddenly hard. "If you knew what he was going to do and let him go ahead and do it, then that means you're sided with him and I need to bring you down before you can help him hurt anyone else."
"No way! I'd never side with him!" Sora protested, but it was all for naught.
Ignis summoned his Keyblade and Sora noticed his eyes changed from green to a fiery orange as the weapon appeared in his grasp. Summoning the Kingdom Key, Sora brought it up to block a strike and cried out as he was sent flying backwards by the power behind the blow. Recovering himself, Sora jumped to the side to avoid another slash but was too slow to react to the next attack. Ignis slammed his free fist into Soras stomach which caused the brown haired boy to choke and release his weapon. He fell to his knees and began to dry retch, unable to get out the words of explanation out. Not for the first time, he grew annoyed with the fact he'd lost most of his power in the Realm of Sleep.
"Whoever trained you, it wasn't Xehanort." Ignis stated, leveling his Keyblade at the downed boy. "Who is your Master? What is Xehanort planning now? Were my friends lives and the lives of all those at the Academy not enough for him!?"
"D-don't kno-" Sora managed before retching once more, unable to continue.
"Know that I don't take pleasure in this, but for the Light to prevail I MUST take you down." Ignis said, raising his Keyblade high above his head in preparation for a killing blow. Suddenly blasts of darkness infused smoke clouded the area and once they were clear the two were surrounded by dozens of Shadow Heartless. The red haired males eyes widened and he looked down at Sora accusingly. "What Dark power is this?"
"N-not me." Sora spat out, finally regaining his ability to speak. "They are Heartless and if they're here it means that this world is in danger."
"They aren't a problem for me." Ignis stated confidently.
A terrifying roar grabbed both of their attention and the ground started to rumble. Two more roars followed it and nearby trees began to fall down as something raced towards them. Out of the treeline, the Cerberus burst forth and made short work of several of the Heartless before three pairs of eyes set themselves hungrily on the two Keyblade wielders. Ignis raised his eyebrow and let out a humorless chuckle.
"Alright. THAT might be an issue."
Riku couldn't think straight. As he made a mad dash towards the Pureblood Darkside Heartless, he felt no fear. The voice of caution that usually whispered gently into the back of his mind was completely absent. Instead, he felt only anger. In fact, it was bordering on rage. He felt hot and cold at the same time and his muscles felt tight. His grip on his Keyblade was almost painful and he didn't feel in control of himself. He could hear Mickey protesting behind him but paid it no mind, focusing only on the giant before him.
"ARGH!" Riku cried as he leaped from the ground and slashed across its arm, gathering power in his free hand. Spinning in midair before he hit the ground, he threw a powerful purple flame fueled blast towards it. "TAKE THIS!"
The blast did little to affect the Darkside which only served to make Riku angrier. As a massive fist came in his direction, he took it head on with the flat side of his Keyblade. His feet slid back but quickly found traction and he soon stood tall against the powerful blow with gritted teeth, his hood having been blown back by the force. The Darkside was focused completely on him which gave Mickey the opportunity to leap up on its back and go for the head. The Heartless tried to correct itself but it was too late. Mickeys Keyblade tore through one side of its neck and the being let out a scream that shook the ground below. Knowing it would eventually recover, Riku leaped past the descending King and with both hands finished the job. His Keyblade completely decapitated the Darkside and as he landed on the ground, the now function less body exploded in a wave of Darkness.
Breathing heavily, Riku slowly straightened up and let his Keyblade disappear before he looked down at this hands. They wouldn't stop shaking and he could feel the adrenaline coursing through him. It honestly felt good but he knew what he had just done was a grievous misuse of the powers at his disposal. The quick and easy path, open to all who were tempted instead of the controlled route he had worked so hard to achieve. Guilt fell over him and washed off all feelings of joy at their swift victory over the creature.
"Hey Riku! Come look at this!" Mickeys voice came behind him.
"S-Sure." Riku replied, his voice shaking much like his hands.
He crossed over to where Mickey stood, where the Darkside had been located only moments before. Its residual Darkness remained behind and just standing in the place made Rikus skin crawl and his Heart beat faster in anticipation. Letting the Darkness in years ago had conditioned his Heart to respond eagerly to any form of Darkness and it was a constant battle with his mind to control his urges. He'd thought that control had finally come to him but apparently he was wrong. Rikus eyes studied what Micky held. an orange charm shaped like...
"It looks like a Paupu Fruit." Riku stated, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Actually, the more I look at it the more I'm reminded of Kairi."
"Aqua made these for herself, Terra and Ven before their Mark of Mastery exam. This one is Terras." Mickey explained, sadness in his voice. "She told me they were supposed to keep them together forever. Instead, they were all ripped apart."
"What's it doing here?" Riku asked. "Isn't Terra's body the reason Xemnas looks like that and not the Young Xehanort? From the photos I've seen, he was the one who was Apprenticed under DiZ. And that all happened in the Realm of Light."
"I dunno but it's not a good sign." Mickey stated, putting the charm gently in his pocket before standing up. The King's gentle eyes fell on Riku. "Ya lost it a little back there."
"I don't want to talk about it." Riku said, pulling his hood back up over his face and clenching his fists. "Let's just carry on."
"Okay." Mickey replied, following after his friend with concern clear on his face.
Sora jumped backwards to avoid the snapping jaws of one of the Cerberus' head's and glanced at Ignis as the older male laughed gleefully as he kicked one of its paws back. He was almost in awe. The apparent Keyblade Masters power was so far beyond Soras at this point. Sure, if Sora was at his full strength he'd probably be less impressed but the sheer fact that Ignis wasn't struggling at all while Sora fumbled around was outright embarrassing. Letting his concentration shift back to the beast of the Underworld, Sora rolled to dodge another attempted bite and smacked his Keyblade into the beasts eye. Instead of receiving a pained yelp like he'd hoped, Sora found fear slipping into him as the beast let out a deep growl.
"Uh oh..." Sora muttered and leaped over a swift paw.
"This is great!" Ignis exclaimed, dancing around the beasts other paw and batting away one of its heats nonchalantly. "Come on puppy. Give me some love."
"How can you be having fun!?" Sora demanded, grunting as he was sent flying.
"I like fighting!" Ignis explained, landing near Sora and defending him. "Once I get in my rhythm its all uphill from there."
"Right." Sora said, picking himself up. "Well if you're so good, finish him off."
"I want to tame him." Ignis stated, glancing towards Sora with a gleam in his orange eyes. "Dont think I've forgotten about you. Once I have this thing under control, we're going to get back to where we left off."
"Oh... yay." Sora grumbled.
"Sora!?" A familiar voice called.
Sora and Ignis looked up to the sky as Hercules came racing towards them atop Pegasus. The demi god leaped off his companions back and landed directly in front of them, receiving a hate fueled roar from each of the Cerberus' heads. Ignoring the beast, Hercules offered the two Keyblade wielders a welcoming smile.
"I was hoping it was you! Your friends are up at the Colosseum." Hercules said to Sora before looking at Ignis. "We haven't met. I'm Hercules."
"Ignis." Ignis replied, offering a slight nod. "If you don't mind, I was just in the middle of making this thing my new pet."
"Unfortunately, Cerberus only answers to the ruler of the Underworld. In this case, my uncle." Hercules stated, amusement in his tone at the prospect of somebody taming the beast. "I'll handle this."
Without waiting for confirmation, Hercules turned around and marched over to the beast. He dodged several rapid attacks before letting out an awe inspiring yell and punching the beast square in the chest. It yelped and was sent flying so far into the distance that they almost lost track of it. When its body finally hit the ground, it felt like a small aftershock. Rubbing his hands together, Hercules crossed back over to them. Ignis stood with his mouth open in shock while Sora gave him a round of applause.
"Now then," Hercules began, whistling for Pegasus. "Shall we go meet up with the others?"
Kairi and Lea followed the rest of the group out into the walled off Courtyard of the Castle which was set up like a kind of Keyblade Boot camp. Training Dummies and targets were set up as well as an obstacle course and a dueling ring. They all crossed to the dueling ring and Merlin stated that Cloud and Kairi would be going first.
"Remember, this is simply for me to gauge your current skillset. It is not a test and nobody will judge you." Merlin said calmly. "The session will continue until a ring out is achieved or I say otherwise."
"Alright." Kairi replied, stepping into the ring and summoning Destiny's Embrace.
"Are you sure about this old man?" Cloud asked, looking to Merlin. "I don't wanna hurt her."
"Please, you couldn't even hurt a fly." Sephiroth quipped, his arms folded over his chest and a smirk on his face.
"..." Cloud summoned his massive sword and dropped into a battle ready stance, his cool gaze turning on Kairi.
Taking a deep breath, Kairi dashed towards Cloud and swing widely. Despite the size of his weapon and his lean body, Cloud moved deceptively fast and easily blocked the first strike. As Kairi spun to try the same from the other side, Cloud kicked her solidly in the rims and caused her to fall to the ground with a gasp. As her Keyblade clanged on the ground nearby, Kairi looked up at Cloud with a surprised and pained expression.
"Get up." Cloud said in a monotone.
Kairi did as asked and leaped back just in time to avoid a slash from Clouds sword. Summoning her Keyblade back to her hand, Kairi found herself on the defensive and knew she wouldn't last long. Dodging two more strikes, she found herself on the edge of the ring. Cloud didn't hesitate and his sword slammed into Destiny's Embrace, the force of the blow knocking the girl well out of the ring. Lying on the ground, she felt tears filing her eyes. Not at the pain but the fact that she'd been so handily beaten in front of so many people. As she sat up, there was silence except for Tifas footsteps. The older girl knelt beside her and place a hand on her shoulder.
"You did well. Cloud's not one to hold back, even against beginners." Tifa said, an encouraging smile on her face. "Remember, you can only get better from here."
"R-right." Kairi nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. Letting her Keyblade disappear, she joined the rest of the group in the viewing area.
"It may not seem like it now, but you have the makings of a fine duelist." Merlin stated calmly. "Strength is by no means your forte but you have speed and agility on your side. Combine that with your magical potential and you shall soon be an opponent to be feared."
"I agree." Sephiroth stated simply, heading towards the ring. "Coming Lea?"
"Right behind you big guy." Lea said, shooting Kairi a sympathetic look.
Kairi watched as they entered the ring and her eyes widened as Sephiroth summoned a thin sword that she was sure was longer than his entire body. He dropped into a battle ready position and his trademark smirk appeared on his face. Not one to be intimated, Lea chuckled and summoned his Chakram's to his hands but glanced at Merlin as the wizard cleared his throat loudly.
"Summon your Keyblade. You are here to train in it's use, not to rely on a weapon you have already mastered." Merlin stated in a strict tone.
"Oh yeah, right. Of course." Lea said, letting his Chakrams disappear and summoning his Keyblade to his hand in a brilliant burst of flame. Letting his sword arm drop to his side casually, he raised the other in a taunting fashion towards Sephiroth. "Come on then."
"As you wish." Sephiroth said.
Kairi gasped as Sephiroth disappeared from his spot across the ring and reappeared in front of Lea within an instant, bringing his large sword down towards the red head. Lea blocked it but it was clear he was just as surprised by Sephiroths speed. The next three strikes were ones that Kairi couldn't follow with her eyes and only seen a blur, hearing the strikes of sword meeting Keyblade almost as one. Lea attempted to counter attack with a swift strike towards Sephiroths neck but the silver haired swordsman merely leaned back and chuckled, flipping backwards suddenly and landing far more gracefully than Kairi had ever seen anyone do.
"Not bad." Sephiroth stated, his tone calm and amused. "Should I actually pay attention now?"
"H-hey!" Lea protested, a look of annoyance on his face. "You're not that good man, get over yourself!"
"Not? That? Good?" Sephiroth said each world slowly and carefully before a dark chuckle briefly escaped his lips. "Very well then."
Kairi wasn't sure what happened. In fact, she was sure nobody did. One second Lea was standing there in his battle position and the next he was lying on the ground with his Keyblade outside the ring. Sephiroth was prone on top of him, his sword held in a reverse grip and pressed to the former Nobodies throat. The silver haired mans smirk was smaller than it had been and his eyes held a serious gleam to them. As if he really was about to kill Lea. The tension was palpable and several seconds passed until finally Sephiroth dismissed his weapon, stood up and left the courtyard with a wave over his shoulder.
"You know where I'll be when you next require my assistance." Sephiroths words filled the now silent courtyard and Kairis gaze went back to Lea who was still lying on the ground in shock.
Luckily, Hercules could freely summon a nicely sized wagon for Pegasus to draw in order for them to reach Olympus. The three of them piled in and Hercules busied himself with directing his companion towards the clouds. Sora looked at Ignis, who was staring off into the distance with his arms folded. From the way his shoulders were tensed, Sora could tell the Keyblade Master was by no means comfortable with their situation and uncomfortable. A warm sensation came from his chest and Sora raised a hand to it, looking down surprised. His Heart was trying to tell him something. To talk to Ignis perhaps?
"Sora was it?" Ignis said, breaking the silence before the brown haired boy could. His eyes fell on Sora, having returned to their green coloration. "I will never trust somebody who collaborates with Xehanort, but this man seems to be pure and he clearly trusts you. Why?"
"I told you before, I'm not working with Master Xehanort." Sora replied, slightly annoyed he had to defend himself yet again.
"You summoned those dark creatures when I had you in a difficult position." Ignis countered.
"Sora? Summon the Heartless?" Hercules let out a hearty laugh, keeping his eyes on the skies ahead. "No way. Sora's helped me fight them off so many times now that it was about time I returned the favor."
"Heartless...?" Ignis said the word carefully before speaking once more. "And you've fought alongside him before against these things?"
"Yeah." Hercules nodded. "Sora and his friends have done so much for us, they are true Heroes."
"Heroes ae?" Ignis stated, clearly not convinced. His gaze swung back to Sora. "You're aware of the rules correct? No interference with the other worlds for any reason. If they are to fall naturally, we cannot challenge fate in such a way. It would upset the balance."
"The Heartless invading the worlds isn't natural. They are controlled by Master Xehanort and Organization Thirteen!" Sora protested.
"Xehanort is their master?" Both of Ignis' eyebrows went up.
"Well, more like he influences them. Just like with the Nobodies and not long ago the Dream Eaters." Sora explained, looking down. "Every time we beat one of his incarnations, Master Xehanort just returns with a new kind of enemy and more allies."
"How many times has he threatened the worlds?" Ignis asked, clearing his throat before adding. "Recently."
"Well, Master Yen Sid say's he tried to destroy the worlds 13 years ago but failed. Then I fought against Ansem, who was his Heartless, who was allied with Maleficent. We beat him, then Xemnas came back with Organization Thirteen and the lesser Nobodies." Sora held up one hand, three fingers raised. "Then he attacked me and Riku during our Mark of Mastery Exam with the New Organization and the Dream Eaters. But we've stopped him each time and I freed the Dream Eaters from his control. so I count four."
"Hmm..." Ignis raised a hand to his chin and was silent for a few moments. "It seems I was trapped within the Realm of Darkness for far longer than I anticipated. I knew nothing about these attacks, not even the one from 13 years ago."
"You seem to have fought him before as well." Sora pressed, glad that the older male was finally done accusing him of things. Well, at least for now.
"I have. But when I did, he didn't have access to armies of these other wordly creatures." Ignis replied, letting out a soft sigh.
"Sorry to interrupt guys. But we're here." Hercules stated.
Sora and Ignis both turned to take in the Colosseum, Ignis appearing particularly impressed. It looked the same as it had throughout Soras many visits, however this time you could see down past the clouds to the forests below. Pegasus soared over the arena itself before gently setting down. As they disembarked, Sora smiled as he noticed Donald, Goofy and Phil all standing there waiting for him.
"Sora!" His two companions roared and raced over to him.
"Donald! Goofy!" Sora replied and embraced his two companions until someone cleared their throat.
"Yeah, yeah nice to see you and all. But if you don't mind me askin, why are you here?" Phil questioned, looking grumpy as always. "Theres no threat to our world that we can't handle."
"Oh that." Sora felt a wave of sadness wash over him but clenched his fists and smiled through it. "I've lost all my power."
"What!?" Hercules and Phil exclaimed. "How?"
"I was in a... test to see if I could become a Master of the Keyblade." Sora explained, doing his best to leave out as many details as he could. "A fallen master caught me and corrupted my heart. Now I can't access my powers. We came here to see if you guys could help me get them back."
"Of course we can." Hercules immediately replied.
"Uh, nuh ah." Phil said, crossing his arms with a snarl. "I haven't got the time. What with Hades on the loose again. I don't even know who the red head is."
"I am Master Ignis." Ignis cut in, politely nodding his head.
"Yeah great. Cool for you." Phil said dismissively. "Look, I'm sorry for your loss and all Sora, but you can't just come here expecting a reboot of your powers. You're only young anyway, you've got plenty of time to naturally get them back."
"But you don't understand. I NEED them back. The worlds ar-" Sora began but was cut off by a female rushing over to them.
"Herc!" She called, reaching them and gasping for air.
"What is it Antiope? Whats wrong?" Hercules replied, concern clear on her face.
"It's Meg." Antiope replied, her blonde hair mopped with sweat. "She's gone and all that was left in her room was some scorch marks."
"Hades? How?" Phil's shock was clear on his face.
"We need to get her back!" Sora exclaimed, determination on his face.
"Kid, you've just got done explaining about how you've lost all your strength. We ain't sending you." Phil rolled his eyes.
"But I can help!" Sora tried again.
"Hes right!" Donald joined in. "We're Heroes too!"
"Yeah! We'll protect Sora and get Meg back." Goofy added.
"Ya can't fight at your fullest while looking out for someone elses safety. It doesn't work that way." Phil said stubbornly as Hercules and Antiope looked on.
"I'll go with them." Ignis cut in.
"You? We don't even know you!" Phil said with exasperation. "You're no Hero."
"Perhaps, but I am a skilled warrior." An eager smirk spread across Ignis' face. "Besides, I want to meet that Cerberus again."
Riku was tired of being in the Realm of Darkness. They had only been there for maybe a day in the outside world, but he was done. Already, he could feel his carefully placed blocks on his inner Darkness being pressured again and he felt like he would only be a burden to Mickey. But then, there was no way Mickey could successfully find Aqua alone and get her out. Not with the Organization out there. He clenched his fists and carried on walking, spending all of his brainpower focusing that he almost walked straight into a Corridor of Darkness that had opened. If not for Mickey quickly pulling him back, he may have been lost to the Guardians of Light. As he summoned Way to the Dawn and Mickey summoned Kingdom Key-D, Riku narrowed his eyes as a tall figure stepped out in an Organization cloak. His hood was down and he had white hair, amber eyes and darkened skin.
"Xemnas!" Riku snarled.
"Terra!?" Mickey gasped at the same time.
The figure's eyes narrowed and a frown appeared on his face but he made no move to attack. Instead he seemed to freeze up for a moment, before reaching for his head and letting out a series of protests and growls. After a few moments of this, Riku felt it was time to seize the advantage and attack but Mickey held up a hand in caution. Looking down at his regal companion, Riku noticed the concern on Mickeys face and wondered why. His eyes snapped back to the man who straightened up and opened his eyes, now a startling blue.
"Terra, it is you!" Mickey exclaimed, letting his Keyblade disappear.
"Mickey?" Terra said cautiously, shaking his head. He sounded tired. "What are you doing here? Where are we?"
"The Realm of Darkness." Riku provided, his Keyblade still drawn.
"Of course. It's coming back to me." Terra clenched his fists. "I wonder how long I'll remain in control this time..."
"Whadya mean?" Mickey asked.
"Xehanort merged his heart with mine to take control of my body 13 years ago." Terra explained, his voice shaking as he spoke. "I've been fighting him for control ever since. The things he's made me do..."
"I know the feeling." Riku said dryly, relaxing but keeping his Keyblade materialized. "You can see everything they're doing but can't stop them."
"I can sometimes. Like now for example... but I wasn't trying to." Terra looked to Mickey and concern crossed his face. "Aqua, is she okay?"
"We're actually here looking for her." Mickey stated, a look of remembrance crossing his face as he pulled out Terras way finder and holding it up towards him. "We found this earlier."
"Here?" Terra's expression changed to one of worry and he stepped backwards. "Get back! He wanted you to be here! Save the fallen worlds!"
"Wh-what?" The King asked, clearly confused.
Riku threw himself in front of Mickey and his Keyblade clashed with a black one as Terra lunged forward suddenly. Their eyes locked briefly and Riku felt a shiver of fear run down his spine as the glowing amber orbs glared at him. They were the eyes of a predator, looking at its prey. Terra let out a growl and attacked, his voice sounding deeper than it had before. Riku blocked the strike, grunting under the sheer strength behind it and then another. Fearing he was going to be overwhelmed, Riku breathed a sigh of relief as Mickey jumped forward and together they put the dark figure on the defensive. Riku blocking each attack with gritted teeth while Mickey moved in each time to counter.
Their movements were fast, increasing in speed as the duel went on and slowly but surely they were pushing the man back. But something still seemed off. Riku could feel himself struggling to keep up with the attacks and the power behind them, but for some reason Terra had a smirk on his face even as he defended against Mickeys attacks. In the same breath, Terra would bat aside one of the Kings blows to try and strike Riku down and it didn't seem like it was bothering him all that much.
"Ahh boy..." Terra said, his tone matching the smirk on his face. " I can sense the Darkness within you. If half of your concentration is spent on keeping it contained, how do you plan on besting me?"
"Don't listen to him Riku!" Mickey yelled.
"Why hold back such impressive potential?" Terra continued, almost casually blocking a strike from Mickey before disappearing from view. Riku smelled the Darkness coming behind them and managed to dodge just in time but Mickey was not so lucky and cried out as he was sent slamming into a nearby rock. He stirred on the ground, but didn't get back up immediately. As Riku took several small steps back, Terra chuckled and stared him down. "Fear? No, you don't seem like the type to run from something that scares you. Perhaps your regret over what you did to your friends fuels this insipid notion that you need to keep it sealed away?"
"Don't analyze me!" Riku yelled, jumping forward to bring his Keyblade down on Terras. "I don't need the Darkness!"
"Foolish child." Terra held the blade lock and leaned in so that his face was close to Rikus. "If you will not unleash the power repressed within that shell of yours, then I will just have to break you open!"
Riku's eyes broke from the stare to the space behind Terra where a figure of Light was forming. It had the same face, but his hair was brown, his skin a fairer complexion and his eyes blue. He lunged forward and grabbed onto the physical Terra, pulling him backwards and away from Riku. Stunned by what had just happened, Riku glanced to the side as Mickey joined him. The Mouses coat was in tatters but he didn't appear to be wounded.
"RUN!" The Light Terra cried, grunting as he struggled to keep a hold of the physical one.
"WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE AGAINST ME!?" The physical Terra, who Riku now realized was Xehanort, grunted.
"Riku we have to go." Mickey stated, regret clear in his tone.
"Y-yeah." Riku replied, turning his back on the scene before him. Together, the pair ran and didn't look back.
Maleficent stepped out from behind a tree, almost surprising Hades who was sitting on a rock located on a cliff side that overlooked a massive valley. The God of the Underworlds upper lip curled in distaste at the sight of the Dark Faerie, memories of his previous allegiance with her rushing back to him. Turning his gaze back to the valley, he pointedly ignored her as she approached.
"It has been some time." Maleficent spoke up, her voice holding an elegant quality to it.
"Not long enough." Hades stated dismissively, waving his hand. "Go irritate somebody else with your honeyed words and failed plans."
"You cannot regain access to the Underworld." Maleficent replied, more a statement than a question. Hade's eyes snapped to her immediately and he glared at her. "A touchy subject?"
"What do you want, Maleficent?" Hades growled, his temper threatening to overtake him.
"Your assistance of course." Maleficent came to stand beside him, now the one looking out at the Valley. "There is a war coming, one that will decide the status quo of the Worlds. I intend to be the victor but I cannot do it alone."
"Aren't you supposed to have supreme control of those Heartless of yours? Use those as your canon fodder." Hades let out a short breath.
"Unfortunately, there is another who shares that ability now." Maleficent's tone made it clear she held a deep hatred for this person. It almost brought a smile to Hades' face to see it. "But if we were to work together, I'm certain we could overcome this obstacle."
"I'm just gunna speak frankly, because clearly you're not getting it." Hades stood up. "Whatever you're selling, I ain't buying. Not after the last time."
"Not even if I can get your access to your precious otherworldly domain back?" A sly grin appeared on the females face.
"... I'm listening." Hades let out an irritated sigh, annoyed at himself just as much as her. It WAS a problem he had yet to come up with a solution to and Maleficent was known to be a cunning strategist.
"A simple bargain." Maleficent waved her hand and a cloud of smoke appeared in front of them. It shifted to a room where Megara was lying on a table, out cold. "Her life for access."
"Blackmail huh? A little old fashioned, but effective." Hades stroked his chin before rolling his eyes. "I've tried stuff like this before. The Heroes always manage to get the upper hand."
"Not this time." Maleficent let the smoke disperse. "I will keep her in a secure location while you draw them to the table. "
"Fine fine, but one more thing. You being here, that means that Sora brat is here too right?" Hades narrowed his eyes. "He's a problem."
"Not anymore. It appears he's had his powers stripped from him by the very person who keeps me from achieving my goals." Maleficents shook her head. "In another time, we would be allies. However, snuffing out his light here is important to the plan. It shouldn't be a problem for you."
Hades was about to continue but frowned as she disappeared from view in a cloud of green smoke. Letting out a sigh, he rubbed his face with his hand and groaned loudly.
"Hades, you're an idiot." He grumbled to himself before whistling. Almost immediately, the ground began to shake.
Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ignis had been brought back down to the surface after Hercules convinced Phil to let them help out. Hercules and Pegasus were off to check that the entrance to the Underworld was still secure while the team began their search. As they walked, Sora found himself looking at Ignis again. The man had a thoughtful expression on his face and Sora wondered what he was thinking about. He supposed he should just be grateful that the Keyblade Master wasn't attacking him anymore. If their last confrontation was anything to go by, Ignis would easily beat him in this state. Looking down at one of his hands, Sora wished again that he hadn't lost his abilities. He was starting to feel like such a burden.
"Whats wrong Sora?" Donald asked, the Duck moving to walk beside him.
"N-nothing." Sora replied, forcing a smile onto his face.
"Come on Sora." Goofy appeared on the other side of the boy. "Only real smiles here."
"I'm sorry." Sora let out a heavy sigh and his expression dropped. "Its just... I feel like I'm back at square one."
"With Phil's training, you'll be back in top form in no time!" Donald said encouragingly.
"Yeah..." Sora replied, not convinced.
Before the conversation could continue, the ground began to shake furiously. Everybody summoned their weapons and just as they dropped into their battle positions, Cerberus burst out of the treeline and went straight for Sora. Goofy jumped in front and raised his shield, casting a powerful Protega spell enchanted within the shield that stopped the beast dead in its tracks. Briefly stunned, Cerberus was defenseless as Donald raised his staff and called a series of Thundaga spells down upon it. Crying out in pain, the hellhound was left open to Ignis who leaped high into the air to land on the beast back.
"Nice to see you again!" Ignis laughed, pointing his Keyblade towards the beasts middle head. "Now heel!"
Ignis' Keyblade lit up and a series of chains made of Light burst forth, wrapping themselves around the beasts necks like a leash. Sora, Donald and Goofys mouths dropped open in awe as they had never seen Light Magic used in such a frank way before. Ignis gritted his teeth and began to struggle, the Cerberus proving to be far more than his physical match. As the best kicked up suddenly, Ignis was thrown from its back and crashed into the ground. Rolling up to his feet, the Keyblade Master smacked away its paw with his weapon and frowned.
"Bad dog." Ignis said, looking towards the other three. "Hey duck! Use Graviga!"
"My NAME is Donald!" Donald called back grumpily but raised his staff. "HAH"
Cerberus yelped as it was suddenly lifted off the ground and into the air above them. It snapped desperately in all directions but to no avail. Sora looked at Ignis who, in a flash of light, was covered in a strange armor that resembled something they had previously fought not long before the battle against Xemnas. His eyes widened as an aura of Firaga surrounded the male and he dashed into the air. Striking the beast again and again, Ignis continued to assault the beast with his speed increasing each time he landed a hit. This continued for several more blows until Ignis hit the ground, dismissed his Keyblade then leaped back again and kicked with so much momentum that it sent out a brief shockwave. Cerberus crashed into the ground and Ignis landed in front of the boys, his armor disappearing and his breaths coming fast.
"W-wow..." Sora, Donald and Goofy said in unison.
Cerberus got up slowly, roaring at them before limping back into the forest. Ignis let out a sigh of relief before turning to the boys with a victorious smile on his face. Upon seeing their expressions, Donald and Goofy of admiration and Sora's of something resembling envy, he raised an eyebrow.
"What?" He said, scratching the back of his head with his right hand.
"That was INCREDIBLE!" Donald replied.
"Thanks." Ignis chuckled before noticing Soras expression had gone blank. "Whats wrong Sora? Are you hurt?"
"I... I couldn't do anything." Sora replied quietly, his eyes having fallen to the ground.
"Hey now." Ignis said. "I was just showing off. You can have your turn next time."
"Next time?" Sora whispered before his body relaxed and he looked up with a wide smile. "Yeah of course! I'll show you what I've got!"
"Why don't we follow Cerberus' footprints?" Goofy suggested. "Maybe it will lead us to Meg?"
"Good idea." Sora stated, leading the group after the hellhound.
"I told you he shouldn't be trusted." Cloud's quiet voice broke the silence that had been left in Sephiroths wake.
"Come now my boy." Yen Sid turned to look at him. "If you'll take note, he didn't harm Lea at all. Well, his ego might be bruised but that will heal quickly."
"Thats true." Aeleus stated with a harsh chuckle. "Though in the Organization he was considered one of our best. To see him get smacked around like that? Sephiroth is a beast."
"He's definitely impressive." Kairi added.
"DONT compliment him!" Cloud snapped, anger evident in his voice. "He's a monster who cares about nothing except himself!"
"Cloud..." Tifa tried but was cut off.
"NO. I wont work with him. I WONT!" Cloud snarled before storming out of the area.
Everybody watched him go in silence once more. Kairi looked to Tifa, Aerith and Yuffie, the two who had been standing closest to him, and took note of their concerned expressions. Although Tifas was softer. To Kairi, it was a familiar look to her. She recognized the gaze of someone watching somebody they loved walk away. Too many times had she used the same expression in regards to Sora and Riku. Lea, who had recovered himself, made his way over to them and let out a soft chuckle.
"So whats the verdict boss?" He asked, looking at Merlin.
"Room for improvement I'd say." Merlin stated. "That's enough for now. I'll leave you all to get better acquainted and return tomorrow to begin the training in earnest."
"Okay..." Lea stated, watching the wizard disappear in a blast of light. Turning to look at Aeleus, his expression changed to one of concern. "How are Dilan and Even?"
"Still unstable. Ienzo is in the lab pouring through Xehanort and Ansem's notes." Aeleus replied. "He actually wanted to see you when you got back. About Isa."
"Right." Lea's expression hardened for a moment before he turned to look at Kairi. "I'll see you later?"
"Sure." Kairi replied politely, watching as the two former nobodies left the courtyard. Turning to the remaining people, she frowned. "Why does Cloud dislike Sephiroth so much?"
"He's the embodiment of Clouds inner darkness." Leon stated simply.
"And his rival." Yuffie added.
"The embodiment of it? Like a Heartless?" Kairi asked, confused.
"Not exactly." Aerith spoke up, her voice calm. " Technically Sephiroth existed before Cloud but ever since meeting, he's had this strange fascination with him. He even followed Cloud here from another world."
"What world?" Kairi asked.
"Cloud wont' tell us." Tifa sighed, folding her arms over her chest. "He's not one to open up about his past."
"How does Sephiroth know you girls?" Kairis mind was working overtime to piece together the story from the information she had.
"We've figured out that we all came from the same world. Except for Leon." Yuffie said. "Everything's still fuzzy, but when we first met Sephiroth we all instantly recognized him."
"I'm going to go find him. Sephiroth I mean." Kairi replied, turning towards the exit. "If he's fascinated with Cloud, I think it would be for the best if we know why. It might help them come to an understanding of eachother."
"I don't think thats a good idea." Leon cautioned the girl.
"I'll be fine." Kairi stated confidently as she headed for the exit.
It didn't take long for Sora and company to reach a cliffside overlooking the valley below, following the footprints left behind by the massive hellhound. The beast was curled up beside Hades who was casually standing there with a hand on one of the heads in a small show of affection that Sora felt was out of character for the villain. As they approached and summoned their weapons, Hades finally turned to take them all in with a smirk on his face. Beside him, Cerberus whimpered and one of his heads began licking at a patch of fur that was obviously injured from their previous run in.
"First you hurt my dog and now you barge in to my personal space with your weapons drawn." Hades chuckled, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "I don't remember doing something to warrant this aggression."
"We know you have Meg!" Donald accused the God, pointing his staff towards the deity. "Give her back!"
"Me?" Hades placed one long fingered hand over his chest in false innocence.
"Yeah, you!" Goofy added, his shield already raised. They had battled Hades before and he knew better than to let his guard down.
"I'll have you know I haven't touched little miss sassy pants." Hades rolled his eyes. "For your information, I've been here all day."
"There's scorch marks in her room from when you took her!" Sora stated, his voice as accusing as Donalds.
"So suddenly I'M the only person who uses fire? Right." Hades smirked again before continuing. "Look, I don't have the girl but I CAN negotiate her release. But I'll only talk with loverboy, not his little sidekicks."
"Sidekicks!?" Sora, Donald and Goofy all exclaimed.
"This is taking way too long." Ignis interrupted, stepping forward and pointing his Keyblade towards Hades. "Hand her over or I'll smack you around a bit til you do."
"Are you threatening me?" Hade's smirk disappeared and beside him Cerberus' heads all turned towards them and growled.
"I'm just making a promise of aggression." Ignis replied coolly.
"Aggression huh?" Hades narrowed his eyes before he suddenly exploded with power. His skin turned red, his hair from blue to green flame and his eyes took on a glowing quality. Beside him, Cerberus stood up. "I'LL SHOW YOU AGGRESSION!"
Hades disappeared and appeared in front of Ignis, raising his hand to block a swift attack from the Keyblade Master. Sora watched Ignis' eyes widen in confusion as his weapon bounced harmlessly off the Gods forearm and tried again only to have the same effect. Hades chuckled and disappeared, only for Cerberus to race forward with one of his heads aiming to chomp the red head up. Ignis jumped backwards, only for Hades to appear beside him in midair. Donald raised his staff and fired a Firaga at the God, who held up a hand to block it, and Ignis retreated to stand beside the others. Hades appeared to the left of his Hellhound, a dark smile on his changed face.
"Get them!" He ordered.
Cerberus attacked and like before Goofy jumped to the front and cast Protega. This time however, Cerberus barged it's shoulder into the barrier instead of its heads and a noticeable crack appeared in the magical shield. As Hades looked on, Cerberus began to assault the barrier with its powerful paws. Each strike created more and more cracks until it was on the edge of breaking.
"Do somethin!" Goofy cried out, clearly struggling.
"Take this!" Donald cried, raising his staff to the sky. However, a hand wrapped around his staff and all eyes fell on Hades who was now standing there.
"I dont think so." Hades stated, lifting Donald up and tossing the magician aside. He then summoned a ball of fire in his palm and looked to Sora. "This is for foiling my plans too many times!"
The God threw the flame at Sora and it approached at a surprising speed. Sora dodged to the side but it followed him and a game of cat and mouse began as Sora tried to keep up his dodging without being struck by it. Ignis jumped in front of him and slashed through the attack, but it exploded and surrounded the area in dust and smoke. The shockwave threw Goofy aside and so his spell broke and Sora's eyes widened as he was enveloped by the cloud of smoke. After a few seconds, the cloud began to clear and Ignis stood there with his armor activated through there was a slight dent in the chest piece.
"Aren't you full of surprises?" Sarcasm and Annoyance laced Hade's words and he summoned two more fireballs, one in each hand.
"You have no idea." Ignis replied, his voice altered slightly by his helmet. He turned his head to look at Sora. "You guys handle the puppy. I'll take the old man."
"R-right." Sora said, putting his back to Ignis and facing down the Hellhound. On either side of him, Goofy and Donald arrive with their weapons raised. "Lets go!"
Sora and Goofy dashed forward, the Knight jumping in to block a strike from the paw while the Keyblade wielder leaped over him and slashed at one of its heads. It seemed to have no effect and the beast batted Sora away before being shocked by a Thundaga cast by Donald. At the same time Donald cast Aeroga, giving Sora a comfortable landing. Behind them, Ignis cut through the Fireballs and dashed towards Hades, seemingly unaffected by the explosions that happened when the spells made contact. Ignis finally got in close and slashed across Hades chest but instead of doing damage, his attack bounced off as it made contact. Hades laughed and punched him square in the face, grabbing his leg as he was lifted into the air by the strike and slamming him down into the ground hard. Holding his hand to the Keyblade Masters face, Hades narrowed his eyes with his smirk widening.
"Lets see how that armor stands up to a point blank blast." Hades said, releasing a blast of fire which sent out another shockwave.
"Ignis!" Sora called, but was forced to concentrate on his own fight.
Sora, Donald and Goofy had made their way to the other side of the beast in an attempt to flank it but that proved to be the wrong decision. Now standing on the edge of the cliff, they found themselves herded in by Cerberus' viscous jaws. As Goofy blocked another attack, three pairs of eyes watched as Hades picked up the still armored form of Ignis and casually tossed him overhead and past the edge of the cliff.
"No!" Sora cried.
"Enough of this!" Hades said, casually blasting the trio off the edge of the cliff as well.
It was a short and fast fall. Donald, being the quick thinker that he was, used Aeroga to cushion their fall so that when they hit the ground they didn't sustain any fall damage. Ignis however slammed into the stone floor and created a small crater. Sora rushed over and knelt beside the male, looking down at him with concern. The left half of Ignis' mask was gone and a single orange eye was staring up at the top of the cliff where a now blue Hades and Cerberus stood.
"I'm..." Ignis coughed before letting out a short breath and continuing. ".. going to get him back for this."
"I'll only negotiate Megaras release with the 'mighty' Hercules!" Hades announced from his elevated position. "But since you insist on fighting, I present you with a partner who is more than up for the challenge!"
The God of the Underworld snapped his fingers and almost instantly a body began to grow from the ground comprised of rocks. Hades laughed and disappeared in a flash of blue flames alongside Cerberus as the rock being grew larger and larger. Once it was finally the size of a large building, it stood up and looked down at the four of them. It had two heads and each of them let out a ferocious roar as Ignis stood up and dismissed his armor. He summoned his Keyblade and shook his head in disbelief.
"This day just keeps getting more interesting..."
Kairi entered the Library and was surprised to see that her instinct was correct. Sephiroth stood beside one of the many bookcases, holding a black covered book open and reading a passage from it thoughtfully. Summoning her courage, Kairi crossed over to the male and his blue eyes shifted slowly from the pages to her face. She almost stopped in her tracks under the scrutiny of his keen gaze but pressed on until she was standing beside him.
"What are you reading?" She said, using the most generic conversation opener ever.
"One of Ansem the Wises journals. It details the effects of the Darkness on a... normal person." Sephiroth replied, closing the book and tucking it under his arm. "You followed me here?"
"I did." Kairi nodded.
"Why?" Curiosity was clear in the mans clear blue eyes.
"I had some questions for you. About your past." Kairi replied, choosing to sit down at a table and gesturing at a seat opposite her.
"Very well." Sephiroth let out a dry chuckle before taking his place and raising an eyebrow. "What would you like to know?"
"The others mentioned that you were Clouds 'Darkness'." Kairi began. "What do they mean by that?"
"It's fairly self explanatory. Ever since I've met Cloud, something has changed within me. Before him, I was just another contestant in the Coliseum. Every day I would fight and every day I would win. Easily. He gave me my first real challenge" Sephiroth explained, chuckling again. "He hated me from the first day. I killed the person he looked up to. Hades once told me that Cloud was present for the match and that started him down his path for revenge. Truly, it's one of the greatest flaws in the human Heart. The forming of bonds and the effect on a persons mind when those bonds are forcibly taken away."
"You speak as if you're not human." Kairi replied, tilting her head to the side curiously.
"Do humans have these?" Sephiroth gestured to the wing growing from his shoulder blade. "I don't remember the world I'm originally from but I believe that there I was some kind of God or Deity. From Tifa, Yuffie and Aeriths reactions to me, I also believe that my role was that of the villain."
"You don't remember?" Kairi asked.
"No. Cloud is the same." Sephiroth stated simply. "According to one of Ansems journals, it's possible that the Heart of our world was destroyed or perhaps corrupted. He speculates that the destruction would result in the breakdown and disappearance of all those who hailed from that world while its corruption could result in amnesia. Obviously, we're all here so I lean towards the latter explanation."
"Everybody would just fade away?" Empathy flowed into the young womans Heart.
"Only those who's Hearts were not strong enough to survive without it. For example, you Princesses of Heart would remain unaffected by it." The man's tone was patient, nothing like Kairi had expected from the way Cloud and the others spoke about him.
"We do have many unique abilities." Kairi agreed.
"What about you?" Sephiroth stood up and crossed to the center of the room, staring out the massive window calmly. "Where do you come from?"
"A place called Destiny Islands." Kairi replied, a smile on her face as she too stood up. "It's the most beautiful place in all the worlds. It once fell to Darkness, but Sora and Riku brought it back."
"Sora..." Sephiroth said the boys name slowly. "I've met that one. Not that long ago, I battled him right here when this world was known as Hollow Bastion. I won, but he gave me an impressive challenge."
"He's won so many great battles. He defeated Xehanorts Heartless, Xemnas and the Organization." Kairi smiled affectionately as she spoke. "And now he's somewhere in the Worlds, building up his strength to face down Master Xehanort."
"You admire him." Sephiroth stated.
"I..." Kairi paused and considered his next words. "I want to be like him. Somebody who can protect their friends and not be the one who needs to be rescued all the time."
"Then that is your weakness. Focusing on being like somebody else instead of building up your power based on your own merits and skill." Sephiroth turned to her, a frown on his face and his tone suddenly cold. "You and Cloud are so similar. Held back by your need to live up to expectations set by others."
"But Cloud is so strong." Kairi frowned, surprised by the change of emotions in the man.
"Yet he continues to fail in his goal of destroying me, because of his own hubris. It's pathetic quite honestly." Sephiroths eyes narrowed and he summoned his sword.
"Wh-" Kairi started, eyes widening in fear as the swordsman leaped towards her with the intent to kill written all over his face.
Sora, Ignis, Donald and Goofy all dashed back up the side of the cliff, Sora happy that at the very least he hadn't lost that ability. They dodged out of the way of several boulders that the Rock Titan was hurling down at them and reached the top quickly. Goofy raised his shield to defend himself as the Titan suddenly swung its hand down towards him and the Knight let out a cry of pain before falling unconscious as he was thrown violently back off the cliff side.
"Goofy!" Donald cried, casting Aeroga to keep his friend from futher injury. As Goofy gently rested back down on the ground below, his shield disappeared and he didn't stir.
"No!" Sora looked down and was thrown to the side by Ignis who grunted as he blocked a strike from the Titan and slid back several meters.
"Focus on the enemy in front of you! We can just cast a healing spell on him once we win." Ignis instructed, raising his hand and firing a Firaga at the Titans body. It seemed to have little effect. "I can't summon my armor back yet. It needs time to mend. Any ideas on how to handle this thing?"
"I'll try this!" Donald called, raising his staff towards the beast. "RUINGA!"
A small ball of light magic was shot from his staff and quickly impacted against the Titans chest. The power erupting from it as it made contact exploded outwards and the Titan actually took a step backwards to recover its balance. Donald made to charge up the attack again but was caught off guard by a deceptively swift kick from the Titan. Taking the full impact, Donald slammed into a nearby rock and fell to the ground with a groan, not getting back up.
"Donald!" Sora cried in despair at the sight of another friend being so violently attacked. He looked down and tears filled his eyes, thoughts of his inadequacy and inability to protect his friends racing through his mind. "I..."
"Sora!" Ignis called but the voice was swept away from Soras focus by the boys thoughts. His next words were completely muffled as Sora fell to his knees and clutched his head.
"I... I can't do anything..." Sora's tears fell from his eyes and he trembled.A pang of pain hit his chest and his mind suddenly went blank.
"Release me." A voice whispered in the back of his mind. "I can help."
"Who are you?" Sora whispered in return.
"A friend." The voice stated. It sounded almost playful. "Your friends are your power remember?"
"Y-yeah..." Sora agreed before nodding. "Okay. Help me."
A dark chuckle filled his mind and suddenly power exploded outwards from Sora but it didn't feel nice. It slithered over his entire body slowly like a million spiders and quickly covered most of him but his head. As it came up to cover his head, he began to regret his decision but it was too late for that now. It covered him completely and he stood up slowly. Everything was heightened. He could hear Donald and Goofys heartbeats, slow but there. He could feel the ground trembling under the weight of the Rock Titan and Ignis' calls for help. However, they stopped and Sora could feel Ignis staring at him. But he didn't care. Whatever this was, it was going to help him keep his friends safe. The Rock Titan attempted to kick him and Sora let out a chuckle that didn't sound like his own voice, raising one hand. It impacted powerfully but he felt no pain and didn't move one bit. Looking up at Ignis, Sora's mouth opened and a dark being from within let out a gut wrenching scream of anger.
"Wh-what is that?" Ignis asked himself, looking upon Sora. It was like Sora had been covered completely with Darkness, from the tips of his wild hair to his somewhat oversized shoes. A small crown sat on the left side of his head and his eyes were wide and yellow. Like a Heartless. Tendrils of darkness were leaking off him and he casually held the Rock Titans foot in place. "This can't be real. That power. That Darkness... from him? Where was it hiding?"
The Rock Titan's fist hit the ground where this Anti-Sora had been standing but the Darkness empowered boy was faster, skidding to a halt near to Ignis and perched on all fours. It glanced at the Keyblade Master and snarled but turned its attention back to the Rock Titan, clearly the bigger threat at that moment. Ignis watched in shock as Sora scaled it's legs, up to its body and finally its head in the blink of an eye. He punched one of its heads so hard that it went flying off before leaping into the air high above it. Coming down hard, he slammed his fist into the Rock Titan and went straight down the middle. The Rock Titan let out one final roar of pain before each side of it fell to the ground and ceased to move. Anti-Sora landed gingerly and turned towards Ignis.
"Crap..." Ignis muttered, raising his Keyblade.
As Anti-Sora appeared beside Ignis, the Keyblade Master brought up his weapon to block a punch and twisted to the side to avoid a follow up kick. Skidding to a halt, he attempted to round house kick the being of darkness in the face but the impact did little more than receive an irritated growl from his opponent. Ignis dodged another attack but failed to move out of the way of a playful kick from Anti-Sora, bringing up his arms to shield himself. Sent flying backwards, he recovered and landed on his feet to stare down his new enemy.
"This can't be the same person. His technique went from predictable to wild and savage." Ignis stated, bracing himself as Anti-Sora let out a howl.
However, the attack he prepared for did not come. As he howled, the Darkness began to strip itself away from Sora until he was standing there staring up at the sky with a blank expression on his face. His clothes had been burned away for the most part and there were gashes in his skin where the Darkness had clearly latched onto him. Letting out a whine, Sora's eyes rolled back in his head as he tumbled to the ground. Ingis rushed over to him while Pegasus flew overhead, drawn to the location of the epic battle.
Riku and Mickey bent half over, each of them gasping for breath. They had run for a time that was unknown to them after their encounter with Xehanort and Terra and finally felt it was safe to stop. Well as safe as it could be in a realm where literally everything wanted to kill them. Looking himself over, Mickey discarded his coat. His outfit consisted of a short sleeved black jacket with golden stars scattered across it, red shorts that had mesh across the lower half and of course yellow shoes. The jacket had a hood shaped like his head and he wore white gloves. The King pulled out Terras Wayfinder and stared at it sadly.
"I can't believe hes had to live like that for thirteen years..." Mickey said with regret in his tone. "If I had know, I woulda done something."
"A reckless rescue attempt huh?" Riku said ironically.
"That was different. We had no way to get here to save Aqua. But I could have saved Terra." Mickey put the Wayfinder in his pocket and sighed. "I'm sure Ansem the Wise coulda figured something out to separates Master Xehanorts Heart from his."
"Take it from me Mickey, you can't let yourself fall into what if scenarios. Especially in the Realm of Darkness." Riku counseled his friend, slightly amused by the change in their roles. Tearing off his own damaged coat, he looked at the ground. His new clothes were fitted dark purple jeans, a white tank top and a black and yellow vest that reached past his waist down to the back of his knees. He wore black combat boots and white finger less gloves. Kneeling down, he ran his fingers across the ground and was surprised to find it was sand. "Hey Mickey... the ground has changed."
"Look." Mickey said, pointing towards the distance.
Riku looked up and his eyes widened as he took in the entrance to the Cave of Wonders, clenching his fists in anger. This meant that Aladdins world had fallen to the Darkness and was now trapped within the Heartless' domain. He wondered how this had happened but shook his head. They needed to go and see if they could help. If Jasmine was also trapped in this place, it could mean catastrophic things for the worlds at large. Setting his face with determination, he began to walk towards the Cave of Wonders' entrance with Mickey following close behind. He would save their world from the Heartless and restore it to the Realm of Light.