Apologies, readers, on the one-day-late update. My internet was down all day yesterday and most of today. On a much more happy note, I start college tomorrow! Anyway, I present Chapter 9 of Ruin and Creation to you.
Chapter 9: The Mysterious Tower
Link played the lute again once they entered the Realm of the In-Between, this time thinking the name Yen Sid. In the crossroads, the mental nudge pointed him toward the darkness. They followed the dirt road toward it.
Soon, they found themselves in front of a tower. The tower was stone, with a blue roof that had white stars and a moon on it. The tower was not straight by any means. It went up, then bent, then straightened again. They entered it, following a staircase that led through many rooms, but then finally led into a study.
The study was large. Bookshelves lined the walls, a window behind a chair faced outside, and a table with a few instruments of knowledge sat in front of the chair.
A man dressed in blue robes sat in the chair. He was old, with a long gray beard, keen eyes, and a stern but kind look on his face. He wore the same design of hat as the roof of the tower.
"Ah. You must be Ryet's friends. I have been expecting you. Please, come in." he said in a deep voice.
As they filed around the table, he counted them.
"Ryet said that your number was eight, yet I only count six. Who is not here?"
Rytex stepped forward, then simply said "Axel and Demyx perished last night. Ganon sent two apprentices, Dalen and Vanitas, to attack our town. Dalen killed them both."
Yen Sid inclined his head.
"I am sorry for your loss." he said.
He closed his eyes momentarily.
"Do you know who Ganon is?" blurted out Link.
Yen Sid opened his eyes.
"I do. He served as my apprentice a great many years ago. He and Xehanort were the best of friends during their time here."
"Wha-?" started Link, but Yen Sid waved him off.
"Yes. I tutored them in the Keyblade Lore. Once they passed their Mark of Mastery, Master Xehanort followed my example and decided to tutor Keyblade wielders from his family's old castle. He worked a bit of magic with it, and he ended up creating the Land of Departure you are familiar with."
"But what about Ganon?"
"Master Ganon adhered strictly to a balanced lifestyle. Whereas Master Xehanort believed in a blinding devotion to light, Master Ganon came to rely on both light and darkness. This alone did not make him the way he is. The black cloaks that Master Ryet, Rytex, and the others wear are of a special make. They have the ability to keep darkness from corrupting the body as one uses corridors of darkness. Once, in a desperate attempt to escape from an enemy, Master Ganon used a corridor of darkness without using his cloak. The darkness that surrounded him as he fled ended up corrupting him, unbalancing his power, and turning him into the dark man he is today."
Rytex raised a hand slightly.
"Master Yen Sid, we tried to find Ryet, but when we used my Scrying Ball to locate him, we saw him in the prison of a strange castle."
Yen Sid nodded.
"Yes. This was the castle you saw, yes?"
He held a hand out and a ghostly model of the castle they had seen appeared.
"Yeah. That's it."
"That castle is called Hollow Bastion. Master Ganon has been using it as his stronghold. When Ryet was on his way back to find you, he had his two new apprentices that you mentioned, Vanitas and Dalen, attack you while he captured Ryet. It is from Ryet's memories that Vanitas is created."
"What?" asked Rytex.
Link felt a moderate fear. He knew Yen Sid was dangerously close to revealing Rytex's past, which would cause him to revert to his evil self.
"Rytex, it is time you came to terms with yourself." he said.
Rytex looked confused.
"What are you talking about?"
Yen Sid waved a hand.
The room went black.
They stood in the Keyblade Graveyard, in a flat area of it. No Keyblades stuck out of the ground near where they were.
Master Ganon stood nearby, but Ryet stood in the middle of a circle of Perversions. Master Ganon looked different. His eyes were a shade of brown, meaning that he hadn't turned to darkness yet.
"If you wish to survive, you will have to access the darkness inside you. Let it give you power, and let it balance you. Only in balance will you find true power."
Ryet looked wildly around, but the creatures converged.
Instantly, Master Ganon beat them back, his Keyblade flashing as he vanquished them. Ryet was lying on the ground, breathing heavily.
"Hmph. Neophyte. Your devotion to the light is more important than your life. I suppose it is to be expected. The monstrous darkness I sense in you would be hard to control. However, you must learn to control it. Force it to bend to your will. It is as much a part of you as the light is."
Ryet sighed, then jumped up.
"Yes Master."
He removed his Keyblade. It was solid, and it looked like Ryet's Keyblade in the present.
"Again." said Master Ganon, raising a hand.
Perversions appeared.
They converged on Ryet. Ryet gathered energy, then let it explode outward.
The Perversions were blown back and destroyed.
Master Ganon smiled.
"Yes! Good, Ryet!"
But something was wrong.
Ryet's eyes turned from blue to red. His pupils began to elongate.
Master Ganon's eyes widened, and he leapt at Ryet and stabbed him in the chest with his Keyblade.
An orb of light flew out of him. Master Ganon separated two orbs of light from the one.
One flew back into Ryet, but the second resolved itself into the evil Rytex Link had seen when Master Ganon had shown them the Gathering.
Link looked over at his friend. The good Rytex was watching the proceedings with a mixture of horror and interest.
The evil Rytex attempted to attack Master Ganon, but Master Ganon grabbed Ryet and opened a corridor of darkness hastily, then ran inside.
Their vision followed them.
Ryet had been cleaned of darkness, so no dark powers tried to invade him.
However, essences of darkness flooded into Master Ganon, who tried to fight them off with light, but to no avail. His eyes turned amber, and he emerged into the path to the Land of Departure looking torn up.
A young version of Panadorf walked over to him, then ran back inside for Master Xehanort.
The vision vanished.
"In short, Master Ganon gave Ryet to Master Xehanort to train." said Yen Sid simply.
Link's attention was more focused on Rytex, however.
"Rytex, are you okay?" he asked.
Rytex sank to his knees, groaning in agony.
He gripped at his hair in a very pained sort of expression.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" he screamed.
His eye pupils rapidly changed from slits to circles and back.
Yen Sid rose from his chair, walked over, then knelt beside him.
"Rytex, listen to me. The darkness inside you is no cause to fight. The light Ryet bestowed on you from his heart will protect you. Let your true past give you power." he said.
Rytex finally let out one final yell.
Then his eyes stopped changing.
They were vertical pupils.
Link bared his Keyblade, ready to return Rytex to the way he had been, but Master Yen Sid smiled and motioned for him to drop his weapon.
"He is alright."
Rytex was breathing heavily, then he got up.
"I remember everything now." he said.
A flame of darkness appeared in his hands. Link bared his Keyblade, wary of the newly freed Rytex.
"Darkness isn't something to fear. Master Ganon was right in that. It cannot be destroyed; it can only be channeled."
Yen Sid nodded.
"You are correct, but even so, great care must be taken to not fall into the depths of the abyss while relying on that power."
"Everyone here has that black cloak that prevents the dark powers from flooding them. Link, I know you had one at one point. Where is it?"
"Destroyed. I left it in my house when we set off to meet Bahamut. Then Pravoka burned down."
Yen Sid nodded.
"Very well, then. I shall let you use this one."
A black cloak like he had worn when he reentered Hyrule appeared in the air.
Link donned it quickly.
"Hollow Bastion was once the castle that served as Capitol of the Realm of Balance, a world that exists perfectly in between the Realms of Light and Darkness. It is NOT the Realm of the In-Between." Yen Sid said, conjuring up the castle once more.
He manipulated his illusion to where it showed the base of the castle.
"The castle is surrounded by rising waterfalls. At the base of this castle is a hidden entrance to the lower waterworks of the structure. It requires some magic to enter and manipulate, but once in, it should be smooth sailing. A dungeon exists off to the side of the main entryway, and a stone platform in there will take you up to the main areas of the castle. From there, it is a straight path up to the Great Hall in the top of the tallest tower."
"Master Yen Sid, where would we rescue Ryet?" asked Rytex.
"Ryet will be hidden in a separate dungeon called the Dark Depths. It is located in the very heart of the Great Hall, and only those with Keyblades may enter."
He relaxed in his chair.
"Once you have Ryet, return here for more instruction. You still have much you need to know if you want to destroy Master Ganon." he said.
Yen Sid stood, then opened a corridor of darkness.
"Luck be with you. This Corridor will take you to the Realm of Balance. From there, you will have to find your way to and into Hollow Bastion. Be aware that Master Ganon may be aware that you are coming to rescue Ryet. He may have even captured him in order to provoke you into doing so in order to fight you now, Link, to forge the χ-Blade. As such, there will likely be certain enchantments placed on the castle to make it hard for anyone but you to enter."
Link nodded and they all entered the corridor of darkness.
The corridor vanished and Yen Sid sat again.
"Hmm... Should I have told him?" he pondered aloud.
He sat in silence briefly.
"Yes, I probably should have, but I will tell him when they return."
This chapter wasn't too bad, and it really starts making Rytex much more of a beast. Anyway, you'll see more of him next chapter. On to review responses. Or just response, courtesy of tehepicnessoffail.
tehepicnessoffail: Yeah, it was a lot more of a filler. But we learn more about Axel and Demyx. But anyway, how was this chapter?
Preview for next chapter: Rytex and co. head to Hollow Bastion to rescu Ryet, but Master Ganon is waiting for Link, and Vanitas and Dalen are eager for a rematch with Rytex, but Exsan and Sean want in to avenge Axel and Demyx. But all will not end well...
