The Uprising
Part two has arrived! Sorry it took so long… An error prevented me from posting part one for a week, but thankfully the guys at Fanfiction fixed it! Your service has not gone unappreciated! This chapter is a direct follow up to the last one (similar to a multi-episode undeviating continuity on a television show, with the "to be continued" and such). If you can recall, Xigbar has kidnapped Kairi and brought him to the Altar of Naught following Namine's horrendous defeat at the hands of Aros. The Freeshooter's agenda is unknown to you at this moment, but it will be revealed very soon. Oh, and let's not forget Axel's trek through Betwixt and Between and subsequent meeting with DiZ, Delta, and both Twilight Town gangs.
I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review please!
!_!
DiZ, Axel, and Delta emerged from the Corridor of Darkness at the base of Memory's Skyscraper, stepping onto the shadowy streets of Dark City. The bandaged man reached into one of his pouches, a vapor of darkness escaping from its depths before the enigmatic operate fastened the pocket once more. A blue orb, no smaller than a marble, was held in his gloved hand, a swirl of binary codes floating throughout its spherical expanse. He outstretched his brown-sleeved arm and crushed the ball in his fist, sending a helix of numbers spiraling around his member before glowing briefly, leaving a large strange bazooka-like piece of machinery in its wake.
Delta gasped. "My lord, the Encoder? So soon?" DiZ laughed mirthlessly. "Thoughtless clone, do you assume I would execute my plot so early at such dire times? No, this is merely a prototype that releases flares of raw data that are lethal to beings synched of these realms." Axel felt pity for the poor Replica before him, so bent on winning the approval of his master, only to regularly receive the blunt end of his prejudice.
The rogue Organization member surveyed the Dark City, sighing in exasperation. "They could be hidden just about anywhere." With the power of darkness, Delta summoned a square of glowing green energy and passed it over the buildings of the metropolis, acting as a mystical X-ray that allowed the trio to see translucently into the constructions, revealing only the dark shapes of writhing Nobodies. After scanning the area thoroughly to no avail, the Replica sighed and raised his Soul Eater, dispersing a focused beam of green energy onto the overturned truck next to the skyscraper. Emerald flames spawned where the laser hit the rusted metal, spreading over its surface until a path was cleared to investigate the remainder of the megalopolis.
Repliku glanced furtively at Axel's face before turning to follow DiZ through the newly opened pathway. "We should split up. We'll cover more ground, Axel." The Nobody paused, frowning at his cohort's misplaced jealousy before turning towards the road leading to the Castle That Never Was. "Fine, Delta. Just remember why we're here in the first place. Roxas and Xion. Got it memorized?" The Flurry of Dancing Flames left the scowling Delta to join DiZ, moving below the neon glow of Memory's Skyscraper. The screens high above him were showing only static, casting a bright radiance that drew long shadows across the concrete, one of which was all too familiar to Axel.
"…Saix?"
The Luna Diviner was indeed standing but a few yards away, basking in the luminosity of the moonlight. "Where's Roxas?" Without bothering to open his eyes or acknowledge his former friend's existence, Saix spoke. "Hello, Lea. I always knew you would come slinking back to me, even if it would seem our plans have fallen through. I suppose you've returned for your youth and his pet." Unpredictably, the lieutenant spun around, his Lunatic Claymore pressed up against Axel's neck, who responded coldly and unflinchingly. Without giving away any emotion, Axel responded, his words deliberate and measured.
"Where are they?"
Saix laughed harshly, bringing his weapon back into a defensive position. "After I find them, they won't be anywhere at all." Axel swung his chakrams hostilely; continuing to strike at is foe only to be blocked by the blunt end of the Claymore. Saix brought his blade down savagely, sending out deadly shockwaves that were easily dodged by his assailant who leapt into the air, bringing his legs up to his chest as he flung his disks outward. The chakrams caught fire and spun into the bludgeon's hilt, sending off dangerous sparks as they drove the understudy of the Superior backwards before orbiting the foe recklessly, starting a fiery whirlwind around him. The cremating cyclone intensified, only unable to reduce its inhabitant to ashes because of the silvery aura surrounding him. Saix shot upwards and brought the Claymore down into the middle of the inferno, his blast disrupting the flow of the metal hoops and sending them clanging into one another clumsily.
Saix raised his weapon high above his head in order to demolish his aggressors, only to stop mid-swing as the chakrams soared towards their master, who was sprinting towards the Brink of Despair while converting his form into fire that winged upwards towards the Castle, followed closely by his smoking rings. Axel's flames shot ferociously towards Nothing's Call, swirling in place before materializing back into humanoid form. "Give it up, old friend. You never were one for races and this is one I can't lose." He saluted, mockingly. "Now commit it to memory." Saix leered darkly. "Perhaps your stay at Castle Oblivion has left you overconfident, Lea." Under the lunar influence of Kingdom Hearts, he rose into the air and shot forward in a wave of blue energy, reappearing above Axel and brining his Claymore down onto the spinning chakrams.
"I shall drag you into oblivion!"
Delta stood outside the radiant yellow doors of Memory's Skyscraper. He and DiZ had long since split up to explore the larger portion of the Dark City more quickly; however the Replica's trek seemed to keep bringing him back to the building before him. Finally, he made up his mind to journey into the superstructure, despite its foreboding appearance. Taking a breath to calm himself, Delta put his white gloved hands on the metal handle of the gateway, its ice cold properties seeping through the fabric covering his scars. As he began to push, Delta stopped suddenly as a harsh wind blew against the back of his neck, ruffling his platinum spiked hair.
Spinning on the heel of his boot, the facsimile witnessed dark purple gusts of wind swirl into three tornados, the center much larger than the others. The lights of the tower shone with the same colored energy as the twisters swirled into form: Xaldin, accompanied by two Dragoon Nobodies. The Whirlwind Lancer inhaled deeply as the drafts cleared and gazed obsessively at the building behind his foe. "Through recollection…" He said slowly in a deep gruff voice. "I am given form! Reborn of memories, Xaldin shall rise again, a guardian to his new master." Lightning struck the television screens situated high above as each sprung to life, their static clearing to show not only images of the Organization member's life before and after his heart was lost, but also those of Delta. "A copy…" The Riku clone mused, his finger playing with his bottom lip thoughtfully. "You're nothing but a memory the skyscraper made to protect itself… Less real than even a replica, really. Your master shall not keep me from the secrets it holds."
The sentinel bore his teeth angrily. "I shall make you suffer for the disgrace you reek of, boy." Delta raised his hand fearlessly, the tips of his finger tips illuminating an acidic color. The gateway behind him shuddered fiercely as an energy beam of the same pigment began moving down the crack between the double doors. The line stood out among the purple, searing with power before the threshold blew open violently. The Dragoons shrieked as their lord scowled in rage, summoning more of the kind that dismounted off of the summit of the tower, spiraling downward towards their kinsmen, lances outstretched. Xaldin rose off of the ground, his dreadlocks whipping around his face and all six spears levitating around him, pointing towards their target. All at once, the memory shot towards Delta, who leapt backwards, flipping away from the fatal blow of the lances and into the skyscraper's vestibule, his agility allowing him to just barely miss the sharp blades.
Delta landed steadily, summoning his Soul Eater and raising his fist into the air confidently, a ring of emerald voltage crackling around his arm before flashing brilliantly. In its wake, a crossbow mounted to his appendage. The Replica aimed at Xaldin, who was reading himself for his next attack, and fired rapidly, a new arrow appearing right after one was discharged. Each projectile became caught in Xaldin's aero shield, orbiting him at high speeds. Right as the Whirlwind Lancer prepared to launch the darts back at his foe, each arrow exploded in a cloud of gaseous darkness, disorienting the guardian. Delta took a moment to analyze his surroundings: a black and white tiled lobby whose walls were covered in television screens of varying sizes, each displaying memories of those the tower had connected itself with. At the far end of the room was a high-tech elevator, emblazoned with a cyan yellow star outline.
Dragoons swarmed in like bees of a recently disturbed hive. Two of such Nobodies willed their weapons to float above them as their clawed hands lifted Xaldin from the ground. After righting himself, he grabbed two of his violet lances from the air, the other four gathering around him. He leapt into the air, the Dragoons mimicking his motion, and lunged at Delta, striking with his spears, which were deflected by the bat-winged blade of the Replica. The other weapons were being parried by the curve of the clone's crossbow, leaving wedge-shaped cuts in the wood that were quickly repaired by the midnight-colored darkness.
The Dragoon's were kept at bay by the sporadic firing of arrows by Delta's writhing arm. They hovered wasp-like above the brawl, stirring up the wind currents of the room. After a few moments of battle, Xaldin waved his arm horizontally before him, sending his lances swinging around him. The sharp blades caught Delta across the chest, shallow enough not to be life-threatening but just enough to draw dark red blood that seeped down his jacket.
Delta clutched the gash painfully, trying to staunch the flow as Xaldin backed away, smirking. His lances raised themselves around him and the Dragoons flanked him on all sides behind their overlord. Xaldin inhaled sharply, his arms lifting dramatically before clenching his fists. A terrible wind blew against Delta, pinning him to the wall. The clone tried to lift his arms, but found them almost unmovable due to the gale being sent by the keeper of the skyscraper. The dust and grit was lifted from the ground and hurled itself at Delta, its grains scratching his cheek, scarlet liquid filling the crevice. Delta continued to try to free himself until Xaldin raised his hand triumphantly. One of the lances sprang to life and launched from the air precisely, embedding itself in the Replica's abdomen.
The world spun as Delta felt the life being drained from him. Another spear was shot through the storm, slashing into the captive's arm, piercing his flesh painfully. The Replica screamed in agony as sharp pains rocked his body. Another two of Xaldin's weapons pierced the duplicate's forearm and calf, crimson blood splattering onto the shiny tiles from each gash. The memory-displaying screens behind him were either destroyed by a spear jutting through the clone or splattered in the life-giving blood spurting from each wound. The penultimate spear rammed itself into Delta's hip, the life depleting from him rapidly. The Replica's breath became shallow and forced, his pulse beating erratically.
The last lance levitated before Xaldin, level with Delta's beating heart. It paused there as the man basked in the glory of his victory. "And so ends the pitiful life of a sham." Delta's acid green eyes grew large as Xaldin lifted his hand to initiate the murder, only for him to stop suddenly, time seeming to slow down. The air around the spear rippled, the projectile halting midflight. A cold voice hissed in the back of his head, icy and cruel. Fight back, you fool! I did not choose you only to have you impaled by this memory! I may still have purpose for you yet, but you are useless to me dead. Delta recognized the voice as Maleficent's, the witch who had almost robbed him of his existence before giving the copy a new one. A vision of a fragmented and beaten world flashed through his mind, reconstruction efforts focused throughout it. Maleficent's voice returned, this time alluring and oozing with temptation. Hollow Bastion… You shall assist me there. I gave you life, and even in death I can just as easily take that away from you, boy. Now go!
Delta felt the dark power and influence of the witch intensify as time sped up once more. Almost instinctively, he flexed his shadowy abilities, the fired lance splintering under his control, causing the chips to hit the gore-covered screens mounted upon the wall. The spears embedded in the teenager's body melted away into thick black tar, the wounds mending themselves into scarred pale flesh.
Xaldin gasped in astonishment as arrows were shot from the crossbow and into the white torsos of the Dragoon legion, each exploding into typhoons of darkness that dispersed into the atmosphere. The protector backed away, surprised at the fear he was experiencing. Delta snapped his gloved fingers, the scars beneath radiating with Maleficent's power. Dark thorns wrapped themselves around Xaldin's limbs and torso, intertwining themselves within his dreadlocks. The vines hung him in a crucifix, tightening their grip as their captive thrashed about, throwing off his concentration enough so that the memory could not summon his weapons.
Delta smirked auspiciously as the barbs constricted, putting a halt to their prey's writhing. The boy raised his blade up to the man's throat. "Speak, remembrance. How did you come into being?" Xaldin paused for a moment before laughing callously. "Foolish facsimile. Memory's Skyscraper holds the ancient power of memories within its walls; collecting, absorbing, and reliving each one. It was only a matter of time before it became sentient. It does not permit trespassers within its hallowed halls, so it drew together the memories of the former Xaldin to create me, a guardian to its keep." Delta pondered this for a moment, gazing at the swift flow of reminiscences playing upon the haphazardly placed screens.
"What schemes has this sentient tower?" The memory Xaldin smiled knowingly, the fear now gone from his fake heart. "The tower waits for its ultimate prize, the guardian that will replace me, freeing me of its service. She is the true keeper of memories and the tower knows that this is where she belongs. It whispers promises of power to her, speaking of the immeasurable abilities lying behind her 'angelic features.'"
Delta narrowed his eyes at his detainee before crossing over to the elevator, leaving Xaldin strung up in the center of the room, laughing disturbingly. The doors to the lift slid open soundlessly, revealing a hi-tech enclosure covered in buttons. The skyscraper was made of much more than the outside hinted at. After scanning the lift keys quickly, Delta pressed the topmost button, decorated simply with a five-pointed star that now glowed a shade of cyan. The elevator lifted smoothly and with a simple whirring noise. After a moment of ascension, the elevator stopped, opening its doors to release the inhabitant within.
Delta strode into the top floor, unsurprised at the countless much larger monitors plastering the walls. The largest of which in the center of the farthest rampart, a message typed largely across its screen.
For Naminé
An underscore flashed steadily beside the note, signifying that the skyscraper itself was trying to communicate with anyone who passed by. Below the screen was a large red button encased in glass. Delta approached it cautiously before the monitor changed, playing back the moment in the basement of Castle Oblivion, when Namine freed the Replica from the control of the Organization. A tear ran down his cheek suddenly, surprising the boy. He brushed it from his face with his scarred hand, gazing at the damp spot on his finger tips.
"Maybe… I still have a debt to pay… To a friend."
Delta approached the button and, after lifting the case, pressed it down forcefully. All of the screens flashed brilliantly as the apprentice turned to leave. His mind flashed to the image of Hollow Bastion imprinted into his mind. He hesitated and then punched the coordinates into the navigational device secured around his wrist.
"Forgive me."
!_!
Okay, so there's a lot more to that, but I decided just to wait and have a "Dusk: Part Three" … Sorry! But now that I have a new AC adaptor for my laptop, chapters will be coming in more quickly.
Oh, and I was not comparing Xaldin to Jesus! I just liked the dramatic posing.
Please review and stay tuned!
EDIT: I'm now changing the name of the chapter. I decided not to just reuse "Dusk" over and over again…