Empty Twilight
Review Responses:
Lion5589- Thank you, I hope I can keep it up. About the updating, what's your definition of soon?
13NeverForget14- Good to know that some people like this thing. Well, Roxas didn't really have much of a reason to stick around, he wants to live his own life. But if there was a reason for him to join the group… I'm sorry about all the apologizing. Sorry, I guess I just have low self esteem, sorry. And yes, I am doing this for laughs right now.
Grandshadowseal- Well, Riku and Roxas DO have good reasons to hate each other. Riku took away Roxas's freedom, stopped him from attacking Organization XIII, and pretty much forced him to do an equivalent of suicide for a guy whom Roxas didn't even know. Roxas was a member of Org. XIII, part of the reason Sora was comatose for a year, nearly lead to Xemnas getting Kingdom Hearts, etc. Plus Riku was unconscious when Roxas saved everyone. Don't worry though, they'll resolve things, eventually, maybe, if I want to.
Venjess- I'm responding here because chapter 3 is already up. I try, but pairings are going to have to be dropped if I don't feel like I can do them justice or if they will take away from the plot. Right now they are on, and I hope to keep them that way. As for Xion, wait and see, wait and see. I think what I have planned will be epic. Don't worry, I like the massive reviews and I try to make this fic high quality. I probably fail, but I try.
HeartsMockingjay- As I said in my response above, Xion's coming, and it will be epic. Hopefully.
If I owned Kingdom Hearts it would suck, it does NOT suck. I'm sure that you understand the logic behind all that.
The reason why this is only coming out now is because of Hurricane Sandy. I got hit, lost power for ten days and didn't have school for a total of six days. Surprisingly that gave me time to write, so go figure. To those still without power, internet, etc. I wish you a swift recovery. To those who have lost family, friends, loved ones, you have my deepest condolences.
A fair amount in this chapter involves a quick summary of Birth By Sleep, for that I am sorry, I didn't want to have an 'After the Explanation" time skip. I kept it as brief as possible.
Italics – Thoughts or big techniques (Drive forms, command styles, Limit Breaks, etc.)
"Italics in quotation marks" - Telepathy/Nobody and their Somebody talking
Kairi couldn't help but look around in wonder, the Gummy Ship was a strange sight, especially for first timers. The cockpit had only a few stations in the center, the piloting system, weapons system and navigation, communications and status systems. Only three people were necessary to fly this particular gummy ship, but there was room for more people with benches near the back of the room so others could look out the windows without obstructing the view of the crew. The ship shouldn't have been able to contain everyone, but somehow everyone fit with room to spare. Of course Mini spells probably helped things out. In the back there were several bunks, a small kitchen unit, a storage chamber and a small bathroom.
Sora, Riku and Mickey placed Terra in the corner near the storage and Sora turned around, throwing his arms out in a grand gesture to Kairi. "Welcome aboard miss, I hope that you enjoy your voyage on air Gummi." Riku rolled his eyes and shook his head muttering, "Really Sora, that's just lame." Kairi on the other hand giggled at Sora's exuberance.
"I'm sure I'll enjoy the flight." Kairi said graciously with a bright smile, "how long is it supposed to take?"
After securing Terra with a powerful Magnet spell combined with a Sleep spell and Stop spell Mickey bounded up to the piloting seat. He sat down and began activating the various systems. He was the very picture of command, or would be if the chair hadn't been twice his size. "The flight won't be too long, about half an hour to forty five minutes." He then turned to his long time friends, the knight captain and mage. "Would ya mind giving a fella a hand here? Master Yen Sid is expecting us soon."
"Yes your majesty!" They both saluted and went right to their preferred positions, Donald took the guns, everyone took a step back as the duck began cackling maniacally, and Goofy to the navigation, communication and status systems. The King then turned to the human friends, "Make yourselves comfortable and get something to eat. You guys look exhausted, and should get some rest."
As Riku shrugged and started looking through the fridge, Sora and Kairi looked at the pilots. "Are you sure?" The Princess of Heart asked, "We could help."
Goofy chuckled, "Gawrsh, it's real nice of ya to offer but we haven't been doin any fightin. You guys could use it more."
Donald rolled his eyes as the two began protesting, "You heard him; we'll be fine. Besides, all you'll do is crash the ship again, Sora." He declared haughtily.
Hey," Sora protested. "It's not my fault, you were also tugging on the controls."
"Shuddup ya big palooka! Here I was trying to be nice and you were trying to…" He muttered incomprehensibly for a minute. "Why I outta." Donald glared at Sora for a few minutes before the two burst into hearty chuckles.
Sora smiled and folded his arms behind his head. "Alright if you insist." Sora and Kairi walked over to Riku who handed them both a microwave pizza, cooked courtesy of fire magic. After the three were done eating they turned in for the rest of the flight.
A Dark Corridor opened in one of the alleyways of Twilight Town so as to not startle the citizens. Roxas walked out and looked around. "Seems like not much has changed here." He smiled to himself, " Let's see, I think I have enough for a Sea Salt Ice Cream, and I can pick up my journal too." He walked towards the clock tower quickly, but relaxed.
As Roxas passed through the Sandlot he saw a few familiar faces and ran over. "Hayner, Pence, Olette!" They turned to face the familiar voice and flinched at the sight of his cloak. Roxas came to a dead stop, surprised.
Hayner was standing protectively in front of Olette brandishing his Struggle Bat at Roxas, "You're with that Axel creep aren't you? Get out of here before I make you!"
"But I-"
"Don't think that just because you're good at Grandstander that makes what your buddy did okay." Roxas bowed his head and walked away.
Olette began admonishing Hayner, "Wasn't that a little harsh. He looked hurt and he didn't seem so bad when we first met him."
Pence nodded, "Just because he wears the same stuff as that Axel guy it doesn't mean that they're friends or anything."
Hayner snorted, "If you didn't think he was a creep, then why didn't you say anything?"
Olette hesitated, then looked at where the boy in the black cloak left, there was a speck of water on the street. "I should have, at first I did think he was with that creep. But he seemed sad, somehow I don't think that he was a part of whatever Axel was doing." It hadn't rained in weeks.
The party of assorted Keyblade wielders, knight, and duck entered Yen Sid's round study with Terra slung over the shoulders of Goofy, Sora and Riku. "Welcome. Unfortunately there is no time for pleasantries at this moment. I am afraid that summoned you here because something grave is coming and it threatens all the worlds." Everyone placed Terra down near the old master's desk.
Sora smiled. "Don't worry sir, after Ansem and Xemnas, there's nothing that all of us can't handle."
The sorcerer and former Keyblade Master shook his head slowly, "I'm afraid that this is far worse than the two of them, far worse than anything you have faced before combined." He waved his hand and two transparent figures appeared, both tall men with silver hair, dark skin and orange eyes. One had an open long black and grey vest, white gloves, black pants and boots, a hulking shadow sprouting from his back, and a black and read heart symbol on his chest, Ansem Seeker of Darkness, Heartless of Xehanort. The other wore a cloak similar to Roxas's however this one was a mixture of various shades of gray and white, covered in black symbols resembling the symbol of Nobodies, the Superior of the In-between, Number I of Organization XIII, Xemnas, Nobody of Xehanort. "As a matter of fact, with the destruction of Ansem and Xemnas, Heartless and Nobody, this has allowed their original being to return. Master Xehanort has returned." The two images drifted towards each other andbecame the image of an old man, wearing similar clothes to Ansem with a twisted black Keyblade in his hand. The Keyblade resembled a mix of the Oblivion Keyblade, the Oathkeeper Keyblade and a tomahawk
Riku clenched his fists. "So, you're telling me that by getting rid of those two, we've just created something worse?"
Yen Sid nodded, "Yes, but you need to remember that were they not stopped the worlds would be devastated. Stopping them was necessary. However Master Xehanort is more powerful and far more cunning than both of them." As Kairi gasped, Sora bowed his head, and Riku swore, Yen Side held up a hand. "Do not despair, he has been beaten before." As the children looked up, the old man continued his story. "Please do not interrupt, what I am about to tell you is vital information. Eleven years ago there was an order of Keyblade wielders, with two masters, Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort. Each had apprentices, Aqua, Ventus and Terra were the apprentices of Eraqus."
The image of a tall blue haired girl appeared. Kairi's eyes widened at the older woman's image and she grasped at her necklace. "That's her," she murmered. "She's the one who-"
"Yes, Aqua, she is the one who saved you from the Unversed when you were a child." Yen Sid turned to Sora who was about to speak, "The Unversed are similar to Heartless, however they are born from negative emotions. While they are weaker than the Heartless, they are far more intelligent, controlled by Vanitas, one of Xehanort's apprentices." The image of a tall masked boy in a black jumpsuit appeared, he had a black mask and on the jumpsuit there were red lines resembling veins. He too held a keyblade, this one was reminiscent of a gear, with an eye on the pommel and with chains binding the shaft of the blade. "Vanitas was actually created from the darkness within Ventus, Master Xehanort's first apprentice who later became Eraqus's apprentice." The image of a boy identical in appearance to Roxas appeared, holding his keyblade in a reverse grip. "Eraqus's third apprentice was Terra, as I said before."
The image of a tall boy with brown hair appeared in place of the unconscious Lingering Will. Yen Sid turned to Riku, "He is the reason why you are able to wield the keyblade." Riku's eyes widened. "Eraqus's three apprentices defeated Xehanort at a great price to each of them. Terra lost his body, becoming Xehanort's vessel. Aqua was trapped in the realm of Darkness. And Ventus clashed with Vanitas, and as two parts of a whole, the battle shattered his heart. In the battle between the two, Xehanort sought to create the X-Blade, the most powerful Keyblade and with it, unlock Kingdom Hearts. He wished to see-" Yen Sid's eyes widened and he abruptly stood up. "You all must leave for Twilight Town at once! Xehanort is moving faster than I had anticipated. He has sent Vanitas after Roxas."
Mickey, Donald and Goofy ran down to the Gummy ship immediately. Sora jumped in realization. "Twilight Town, that's where-"
Kairi finished for Sora, "Roxas is!"
Riku protested, "He can take care of himself, can't he? Besides Xehanort is the priority here, we should go after him."
For once in their lives Kairi and Sora raised their voices at their friend. "Riku!" He actually flinched at their tone.
Riku hung his head. "I'm sorry, I just-"
Yen Sid raised his hand. "This is irrelevant, you will need Roxas's power in the final battle against Xehanort. Without his aid, without the power of all Keyblade wielders available, I fear that Xehanort will crush all of you, whether it is one at a time or all at once. You must save Roxas!"
Riku hesitated, and Kairi's look of anger turned into a look of sadness as her hair seemed to become slightly lighter. "Please, Riku," the Memory Witch said through Kairi. "You have to let go of your hatred, otherwise Dawn will turn to Dusk." Riku nodded and the three from Destiny Island ran down the towe's staircase."
Yen Sid sat and watched the Gummi ship fly out of sight before it rapidly accelerated into warp speed. "It seems as though Xehanort still has his clutches deep inside of Riku's heart," he mused. "I pray that he will have the strength to fend off the Seeker of Darkness once more." Yen Sid turned to the conscious armor, Terra had been awake from the moment Yen Sid began telling Sora and the others of Xehanort's return. "Will you allow your successor to make the same mistakes that you did, will you allow him to become a vessel of Xehanort?" The phantom of Terra's will shook his head. "If you truly wish to repent for failing your friends eleven years ago, you will aid the new generation, they have need for your experience and strength." Terra rose and nodded, as Yen Sid smiled for an instant, then his expression became grave once more. "Good, however before you leave there are things you need to know. You must not tell Riku that Xehanort's Heartless still dwells within the recesses of his heart, lest he act before he is strong enough to face his darkness." Terra began walking towards the door. "And, your friends are not as unreachable as you may believe; Xehanort's trickery has revealed one absolute truth. Sora is the key to saving Ventus and Aqua." Now the Lingering Will ran, his armor seeming to shine as if the news had revitalized him.
Roxas sat at the edge of the Clock Tower, his Sea Salt Ice Cream melting as he barely ate it. "It's too salty today." Suddenly he heard screaming from the town below and jumped up. "What!? What are those things?" He could see several tiny creatures, resembling purple bugs from his height, attacking the town. Roxas pulled up his hood, "Whatever they are, they've made a huge mistake." He jumped down from the tower, opening a Dark Corridor and using it to land at the bottom, turning the several hundred feet drop into a mere twenty feet. Summoning his Keyblades in dual flashes of light and darkness Roxas charged the herd of what looked like strange Heartless.
The battle was a blur of slashing, explosions and magic. The creatures weren't that strong, but they were smart, always attacking in groups from multiple directions simultaneously. No matter how many Roxas destroyed, the creatures kept on coming without an end in sight. Actually it was worse now; they weren't attacking the town as much anymore, but instead they were actually targeting the Nobody and herding him into the Sandlot. There in the middle were three unconscious kids, the very same trio Roxas greeted and in turn was spurned by. He ran over to them and cast Curaga, "It doesn't look like they're in bad shape, that's a relief."
"Well, well, well, you're finally here." Roxas spun around, eyes darting everywhere for a glimpse of the mocking voice from nowhere. "You sure took your sweet time. I guess that I can finally see how you compare to your lookalike."
He finally appeared, lying on the bench lazily as if he had been there the whole time. "Sora!?"
The boy with features so similar to Roxas's Somebody snorted and jumped up. In an instant he moved across the clearing, so quickly Roxas only saw a black and red blur. "I guess that you're both as stupid. Well, let's see if you're as weak as the idiot."
And I'm stopping there. Cruel, I know, but it keeps things interesting. I'll give the usual speech, reviews and criticism please. They'll help me improve; I am still new at this and could use all the advice I can get.
Worlds can still be submitted under the same rules. Can't be too strong, can't be too dark, go nuts.
I'm not too satisfied with my summary, or my title. Any suggestions anyone?
