Balancing Act

Chapter 9: Compromise

(Insert disclaimer here…)

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Seraph flipped onto his back after another jolt of electricity. Luke rubbed his arm silently and walked over to the darkling. Seraph's panting had gotten heavier and small black specks started to filter off of him around his back where he got hit. Luke crouched next to him.

"How is it possible that we were both born into this body?" Seraph shrugged as best he could.

"Idiot, you expect me to know these things?" Seraph let out a strangled sigh. "I can barely move, let alone think."

"Then why don't we fix that?" Luke offered hopefully. He could see the Tuzla-powered orbs ready to strike at any moment and, despite Seraph being 100% darkness, Luke just couldn't watch him suffer. The lightkin grabbed Seraph by his wrists and started lifting him up. The laser started humming and Luke knew what was coming.

"What do you think you're doing?" Seraph asked. Another bolt of electricity fired down. Luke twisted his body and took the bolt while dropping to a knee. He harshly sucked in air through his teeth at the bolt's contact but didn't drop any further. Once again he stood up and started walking while supporting his 'twin.' The bolts came at regular intervals so it was easy for Luke to intercept each one; though not entirely easy to take. Ten more bolts came before they made it up the first flight of stairs and out of range of the wall mounted weapon and small specks of white was drifting off Luke's side.

The duo struggled to get to the top of the stairs where they both promptly collapsed onto the couch -which Ansem had neglected to put away- with a loud 'HMPH!' "Thanks, but I still want my body back." Luke flinched while Seraph just laughed.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't try to take it back now. I doubt you have a way to give it to me, I don't have a way to take it from you, and, knowing me, our best bet would be one of those meddling old men. (Eraqus, Xehanort, or Ansem.) I'll bide my time."

"That sounds… cryptic." Luke said timidly. "I'm going to find a way out of here."

"Whatever, light bulb." Luke couldn't get away fast enough. Seraph may not have seemed evil, but he was still unsettling. Sadly, now he had to go into the pipe labyrinth… again. Joy…

-Timeskip-

"That took way too long." Luke complained to open air. If he kept the correct time then he was down there 'navigating' for a good hour or so. Boy was he glad to be out of there. Out the front doors he walked to find an abandoned courtyard. Or, almost abandoned. Braig came running up the stairs that led into the gardens looking quite tired. "About time I found you, squirt!"

"Ummm, Braig right?" You can't blame Luke's naivety for this one. Braig had a scar on his cheek and an eye patch covering his left side.

"Good boy, you remembered. Come on, my benefactor still wants to meet you." Feeling bad for running off earlier, Luke simply nodded and followed the Pirate with the surfer accent. (In how many stories can you write that that aren't Kingdom Hearts related?)

Seraph, meanwhile, felt a slight shiver while making his way through the castle basement. 'What was that?'

Braig led Luke through the seemingly empty gardens to the town square. He briefly glanced at two blonde kids running to meet up with a blue haired child. The blue haired kid locked curious eye contact with him before Luke disappeared down the stairs to the outer gardens.

Another shiver ran down Seraph and his head shifted slightly at the feeling. 'What is going on? There is nothing here but darkness! I shouldn't be feeling this way!' Upwards he continued out of the castle.

Braig couldn't hold back the smirk that came across his face. 'Everything is going perfect.' Just another couple minutes and everything will be set.' The pirate led Luke farther into the gardens, straight to a large beautiful fountain with a hole in its side. Luke was visibly shaking from the power exuding from the fountain entrance.

Another shiver ran down Seraph's spine. 'Okay, now I know it isn't me.' He stood in the inner gardens and waited for another shiver. It came almost instantly.

Luke hadn't expected this. The shock had been enough to knock him onto his rear and send him scrambling backwards. The hikari stared up at the bald benefactor with mixed amounts of confusion and fear. "Hello my boy." Xehanort greeted, "Good to see you again."

More shivers went down Seraph's spine as he entered the town square. He gaped at the sight that met him there. A blonde boy, blonde girl, and blue haired boy were beating away a group of Flood that was surrounding them while two tall men –one with an axe and the other with a spear- were beating back a Bruiser to little success. The blue haired boy spared Seraph a glance before beating in the face of one of the blue freaks surrounding them.

Seraph sort of liked the kid. He was scrappy. And that small bit of acknowledgement was enough for Seraph to intervene. A quick burst of energy sent the darkling at the group of kids where he stopped in the center. His weapon appeared in a flash of light and he spun in a quick circle, effectively vaporizing the small fry. The blue haired kid looked at him with respect and thanks. Seraph didn't look at him. He instead looked at his hand to find only a single blade. Black with red wings.

The guards each sliced at the Bruiser one more time and it fell with a thud before fading to shadow. Loud clapping could be heard and the blue haired boy was trapped in some type of cage made of the same material as the unversed.

"Well done. The geezer was right about you, but you're still not strong enough to beat me." A cocky voice called. A boy in a skin tight red and black suit and helmet continued walking forward as he clapped. "You did well, for a weakling."

Seraph pointed his blade at the boy. "Who are you calling weak!?"

Meanwhile, Luke dodged another blast of dark energy as he tried to run away from the geezer. Again he ran towards the stairs only to be kicked away by Braig. It didn't help that he could only summon a single blade, but he also felt weaker. Xehanort fired three bursts in succession and watched for what he thought would happen.

The old master knew that Luke shifted dramatically when around a source of great darkness and he was counting on this. Sadly he had let loose a dozen blasts already and there was no change. Xehanort was annoyed but intrigued. Xehanort saw a lot of himself in the young pupil. Others would have tried to fight; Luke ran because he knew he couldn't win. Other people would have given up early on; Luke didn't give up no matter what was thrown at him. Others would have tried the same thing again and again; Luke approached the situation differently after every failure.

He seemed to have a survivalist way of fighting and you usually didn't see that in light users. Another two blasts were loosed, hitting Luke in the back. Xehanort expected the boy to go flying but the blasts seemed to be absorbed by the pupil's body.

"Come now, boy! Show me that dark power you unleashed at the exam!" Luke nearly snapped. THAT was what this was about!? He didn't remember any of that! That was Seraph! Luke wasn't happy.

"That wasn't me!" Luke's voice sounded in triplicate as a powerful blast of light engulfed the entire underground area, blinding the old coot and gunslinger in the process. It ended just as quickly as it had started and Luke was gone when it cleared.

Seraph and everybody else in the town square could feel as the wave of light washed over them.

"Well, that's my signal," The masked boy said. A swirling hole of darkness formed next to him.

"Don't run from me!" Seraph yelled as he lunged at the boy. The mask turned to face the darkling. "Fool." In one swift movement the boy dodged the lunge and kicked Seraph through the dark portal.

"That should teach you. Enjoy the trip, idiot." The masked boy left through another portal, leaving two scared kids and two guards to break the blue haired boy out of the unversed cage.

Back underground, Xehanort was contemplating how to continue with his latest experiment.

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And that's a wrap. Thank you all loyal readers for staying with me, thank you newcomers for reading this fic, and thank you Square Enix for not sueing me. See ya next chapter.