And here's part two, folks, with three fights going on at once. :x So, I apologize if things seem too jumpy, but I wanted to cover all three scenes at once…
Part 2: Still more Fighting
In the Dungeon
Once again, the deep, colorless chasms of the Dungeon were lined with white hot surges of electricity. Each and every one of the prisoners, from Ms. Potts to Lumiére had to avoid being shot down by the terrifying power of the Savage Nymph. The wardrobe screeched, as she hobbled about, complaining on how this couldn't be good for her complexion, while Coggsworth ranted and raved about how furious the 'master' would be when he found out. Belle herself merely sobbed, fearing the rage of the blonde haired female cackling in false glee, as her kunai bounced around the walls.
"What's wrong, scared of a little lighting?" Larxene snickered, tossing another one of her sharp weapons at the stone wall, causing it to bounce forward and just narrowly miss nailing Coggsworth in his lower region. "I tell you, even Naminé wasn't as fun to torment as you freaks! Watching you all squeal like babies is just too priceless!" Again, she gave a maniacal snigger before chucking another kunai after another, leading to every prisoner but Belle, who sat on the floor looking miserable, to dash about like chickens on a chicken farm. However, this wouldn't last very long.
In the corner of the room, Axel's portal opened, though it was quite silent and unnoticed by the naughty Nymph who was preoccupied with tormenting household objects who just so happened to possess the ability to speak. The two partners in crime stepped out of their little gateway, only to see sparks flying about, strands of high voltage lining the sides of the chamber, and, of course, kunai flying about like bouncy balls. VIII himself looked, well, AMAZED. There, in the center of the room was Larxene, who was alive. That alone was enough to surprise him.
Roxas sighed quietly at this, turning to his friend and whispering, "Never mind that, Axel. She doesn't see us right now, so let's have some fun with this. I could use a bit of payback after what she did last time." The hothead remained a bit confused at all this, but he couldn't help but agree. Sure, it was crazy to find Larxene alive, but right now they had to focus on the main goal, which was getting this done so they could cure Sora and LEAVE. That said, VIII reached out both arms, as a bright array of oranges, reds, and yellows in the form of flames materialized into his dual chakrams. He leaned back, flinging both weapons forward, as Roxas charged, his Kingdom Key ready to make contact with that heartless mistress's spine.
To say the least, Larxene wasn't expecting the sharp ends of two flying disks, let alone the pressure of an oversized key, to knock her forward without even a chance to think. Her very being was tossed forth, the back and of her cloak singing, due to the heat of Axel's attack, and it wasn't long before she was caught in her own electricity. Though this didn't necessarily hurt her as much as the dual weapons or Roxas' key, it did give the prisoners, and even Belle, the chance to move out of the way. However, that didn't exactly matter to XII anymore. Right now, her eyes were locked on both Axel and Roxas, a wide beaming smirk spreading like wildfire, her eyes glittering with mischief.
"Well, what a pleasant surprise," she exclaimed, pulling her somewhat scorched self away from her lightning wall. "If it isn't the little Keybearer that never was, and Axel? You have got to be kidding me. He's got you playing hero now? How unlike you, spiky." She continued to smirk, as VIII simply stared, amazed that, even now, the Savage Nymph hadn't changed in the least. Despite being taken down by Sora, among other things, she still retained her snappy attitude and sadistic disposition. Though, he figured that he might as well play along in this banter of sorts, thus Axel too began to grin.
"What can I say, sparky?" he snickered, "Organization XIII just isn't my thing anymore. Besides, who said I was a hero? Just because I'm helping my pal here doesn't mean I'm still not the same fiery jerk from before. Besides…" here he paused, grabbing his chakrams, which had conveniently made it back into his gloved hands, "I always wanted to do…THIS!" WHOOSH! Both chakrams shot forward again, but this time with a path of blazing flames trailing closely behind, ready to nail the traitorous member with incredible heat. To this, she simply cackled again, all before warping above the two, with her kunai at the ready, causing the two spiked Frisbees to ricochet back and nail ROXAS, who was flung right into his ally's chest.
"As much as I'd love to sit around and let you have your payback for what Flower Boy and I did back at the big white castle, I think I'll pass on this one," Larxene giggled, tossing her knife-like weapons downward, though this time they were sparking like mad. Why, Both Axel and his now ignited partner didn't even have time to come up with a decent comeback before rolling to the side. When this happened, the sharp weapons bounced up and down from ceiling to floor, though that didn't stop Larxene from unleashing ANOTHER array of kunai.
Roxas' eyes widened, as he pulled himself to his feet, dodge rolling in order to avoid his attacker's assault. His body burnt from Axel's chakrams, yes, but right now, he would have to focus on the main goal, which was fighting. Groaning, he held up his Keyblade and gave a running jump, while VIII tossed both chakrams again. Sadly, just as last time she had been confronted in this very area, XII continued to teleport herself about without hesitation, making both weapons, again fly back. Though, this time, both were prepared enough to leap out of the way, leaving the weapons on the ground.
This wasn't working at all. As they fought Larxene, the two were missing the big point, and that was the fact that they failed to pay attention to the buzzing in the air. Why, last time they fought, Roxas had been able to nail her because he used his head instead of simply being offensive. Looking to Axel, he quickly exclaimed, "Hold on, I know what to d—" before he found himself being grabbed by XII and flung down at the static wall, his being surged with an immense concentration of high volts. But that wasn't all. Following this, she shot down an assortment of lightning at VIII, who had been too stunned by this attack on Roxas, not to mention being evasive, to notice until it was too late.
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
The Library
Seated at the table in the middle of the library was, of course, Zexion, whose eyes were glued on what appeared to be an old, not to mention lengthy book. This novel wasn't of the library, though, as it was clearly filled with information that could not be uncovered within the boundaries of this world, not to mention that much of the writing appeared fresh. This was because, well, the book belonged to the Cloaked Schemer himself, who was busy looking over the countless pages, keeping himself occupied for the time being.
Riku should be arriving soon, he thought as he flipped another page idly. His scent has grown much stronger than it was the last time we met… Now it reeks of the very darkness he feared. Quite ironic, to say the least. To this, he gave a slight, although quiet, laugh, amused by the logic of this whole charade with Riku. Back at Castle Oblivion, he had been fighting against the darkness for so long, yet, here he was, full of it. Then again, when they had fought back on the simulation of Destiny Islands, he had utilized the darkness as well. Therefore, while it was reeking with irony, Zexion supposed that there was some sense in this.
So, there he sat for a few minutes, analyzing his novel, as a creak sounded in the distance, from the library's entrance no less. And, just as he had contemplated, Riku emerged from the hall, his yellowed eyes examining the area, as he began to amble forward. From what it seemed, the place was far too silent to house any meeting at the moment, but, at the same time, the sixteen year old could sense that something, or rather, someone, was watching him from within the vicinity. His features tensed, and his grasp on the Soul Eater tightened as he stepped further inward.
Eyeing Riku with much fascination, VI's grin widened even more. No, it wasn't just because his prediction had been correct, nor the fact that he would finally get a chance to toy with the boy's mind again. Rather, it was his appearance, from his cloak to his heartless-like features. Even if he had expected the boy to have changed over a year, he hadn't contemplated something on this scale. Oh, this would be enjoyable. Still looking malicious, he prepared to greet his adversary.
"Hello, Riku…"
Instantly, Riku halted, his gaze lifting upwards only to find someone he had never expected to find…alive. Though, Mickey himself had said that they all were back, from Marluxia to Lexaeus, so there was no sense in being all too surprised. Still, of all the members, Zexion was the one he hated the most, after his countless illusions and attempts at mind games. And to just see him there, flipping through a book as if nothing had happened made things even worse. "…Zexion…" he hissed, lifting up his weapon. "I'm not in the mood for any games."
"Who said I wished to play games?" replied the Cloaked Schemer in a casual tone. "Why, I was simply enjoying some reading. Certainly there is no harm in that now, is there?" Riku simply spat, not amused by this behavior of his enemy. To him it was ridiculous how Zex was being so eerily quiet. The fact that he hadn't even attempted to mentally harm him yet made things worse.
"Don't try that with me," snarled the teenager, his eyes narrowing. "The King told me all about you and the others...and I'm not going to let you try and take me even deeper into the darkness! Because of you, Sora…he's…" He stopped there, not wanting to finish that sentence. It was bad enough that he was face-to-face with one of the members who had helped in Sora's capture, but for it to be the single most manipulative being he had ever met only worsened the situation tenfold. Zex sniggered again at Riku's discomfort, lifting himself from the chair. He was ready to have some 'fun' with the boy.
"Clever, aren't we?" he mused, holding out a hand, as the lights within the area suddenly began to dim. What was once a lively library began to become a sinister chamber of knowledge, as Zexion readied himself, a purplish aura of his own materializing in his hand, hardening into a Soul Eater just like Riku's, only with a faint glow. Various books began to hover in midair as opposed to sitting along their shelves, and the whole room seemed to widen, becoming far larger than it was intended to be. Everything became distorted as well, and it seemed as if this whole place was something from a psychotic dream.
"Very well," added the sinister being, his own yellow irises glowing in this shadowed arena, the circles surrounding them now looking more sinister, "if you honestly seek violence, vengeance, and ignorance, I suppose I mustn't decline you of your pleasure. Let me see how much you've grown in the past year…"
Riku looked to the nobody with shock, the illusions creating such a demented area. The worst part was, this time, it seemed like this whole room was about to swallow him, books and all. Still, how could he neglect this challenge? This was his chance to get back at him for everything! Besides, he was stronger now, even if it was from the darkness. Sure, Zex was impressive with illusions, but what did it matter? Last time they fought, he won, and this time wouldn't be any different, would it? Grinning as well, the teenager held out his weapon and prepared to strike…
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
The Beast's Room
"Sora and his friends wish to destroy you… they seek your rose for perfection, and they do not wish for you to return to your true form. Quite a shame, really, as they were once such close friends of yours."
Still within the Beast's room, Marluxia stood by the windowsill spreading even more lies about Sora and his allies. For several minutes, he had told long, detailed lies about why the Keybearer would go so far as to snatch something so precious, even if it meant preventing him from ever returning to his true form. The funny thing was, Beast believed every word, his anger growing to enormous proportions. Even now, he was close to being a heartless. In the past few minutes, his fur had darkened in color, and his fangs had become even more sharpened than before. Even his eyes were almost pure yellow. It wouldn't be long now until he was a pawn of the darkness…
At that precise moment, the door flung open, revealing both Donald and Goofy, weapons in hand. However, they halted immediately at the sight of the angered beast before them, along with a pink haired man, dressed in Organization XIII attire, who was twirling a mere rose within his grasp. He cynically grinned at them both, as they stared at him and especially the Beast, who looked so monstrous now, not to mention ticked off. In fact, the duo hoped that they weren't already too late!
"G-gawrsh, Donald," moaned Goofy, shivering slightly at this horrid display, "we gotta do somethin'!" The fowl nodded, totally agreeing with his partner in crime, so to speak.
"Something, hm?" intruded Marluxia, who was now not only holding a rose, but a card as well, one with pointed ends and a strange décor. "It's a shame that 'something' is not enough to save yourselves from the inevitable. Why, this creature is very disappointed in you…especially your Keybearer." That last notion involving Sora made no sense at all to the not so dynamic duo. What did he mean by 'the inevitable'? And why was the Beast so ticked over THEM? Something wasn't right…
"What're you talkin' about?!" Donald retorted, pointing a feathered finger at Marluxia in suspicion. "We didn't do anything! Heck, last time we were here, we were HELPING him by freeing the prisoners! And Sora got KIDNAPPED…and you must be the one who did it too!" Nodding with nonexistent glee, the Graceful Assassin, fingered the card some more before tossing it at the fowl.
"Clever, I'll admit," he said, continuing to hold his rose as Donald examined the card in curiosity. "However, you will find that the Beast isn't willing to listen to your pleas. Something precious to him has been stolen, much like what happened when you and the Keybearer stepped inside a certain castle." Pointing to the card, he added, "You should give this to him once you return him to his former sanity. Perhaps it would clarify a few things. That is, if you survive once this Beast gets his filthy clutches on you…"
The Beast could hardly restrain himself, as he glared towards Donald and Goofy. His once peaceful nature had completely vanished, now replace with such an ill hate that even looking at him shot fear into the duo, and the way he stood, crouched down, his back arched, and his teeth bared clearly showed that he was in no mood for negotiations. Both the fowl and the Defender backed off slightly, their faces painted with worry, while Marluxia merely twirled a rose between two gloved fingers.
"My, my" he said, attempting to sound sympathetic, "it seems our little Beast is in an ill mood. I cannot help but wonder what you two have done to greatly offend such a 'poor creature'." He smirked as the all too familiar dark portal materialized within the room. "I do believe that I have other matters to attend to, so, farewell…" He vanished right after said statement, and the Beast charged.
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
WHAM! With the thrust of the Keyblade, Larxene found herself flying against the wall. Quite the twist of fate after the chaos that had been going on just moments before. However, Roxas had indeed remembered his strategy, the more tactile method of fighting, and due to this, both he AND Axel had been able to have a slight advantage in fighting. Once she was, again, stuck within her own web of lightning, Axel took the chance to simply toss his chakrams at her, leading to her body becoming more torched, though XII was quick to retort by sending a blast of thunder straight at them.
This time, however, they weren't so quick to evade, as both nobodies found themselves caught in an array of literally shocking power. Fortunately, though, they were both able to break free when VIII managed to counteract this with his own blazing embers. The two spells acting together led to a sudden cease in this madness, and the nobodies found themselves caught in a quiet room, each of them panting. Larxene had been growing tired from this fighting, and her skill lied in speed and vicious attacks rather than brute strength. The way she had been knocked around by the Keyblade in the gut had certainly weakened her, and, in all honesty, the Savage Nymph was unsure whether or not she would be able to continue this charade.
"Look, just let these freak show appliances go already," Axel huffed, still a bit jarred from the voltage from before. "It's obvious that you're losing your spark, and do you honestly want us to destroy you? I think not." He shrugged, as the twelfth member snarled, pushing herself to her feet. From the looks of things, she wasn't so interested in stopping this action quite yet.
"I don't think so," she retorted, fetching her kunai. "I'm not about to…to…" She didn't even know what to say. Fact was, Larxene was tuckered out from the brawl, but her stubbornness lead to persistence, meaning that, more than likely, she'd keep going 'til the end, which could have happened quite soon, if it weren't for a certain corridor of darkness forming in the corner of the room, as the eleventh member stepped out, looking quite casual. The sight of Larxene being stuck in a rut merely widened his beaming expression.
Marluxia shook his head, his deep, indigo eyes peering around. Huddled in one corner were the appliances and Belle, not to mention the Wardrobe, all trying to keep their distance from the fray, while, in the center of the enclosed room was, of course, Larxene, back arched, panting like a sick mutt. Then there was Axel, holding both of his chakrams, as if ready to strike, while Roxas held a single Keyblade at the ready. All in all, from Marluxia's perspective, things were rather one sided at the moment.
"Well, Larxene, what have we been up to?" mused the Graceful Assassin in fascination, his rose still within his grasp. "Have that wretched Keybearer and the traitorous snake been attempting to interfere?" When Larxene simply nodded, the eleventh member simply shrugged, looking towards Axel with a sudden vicious gleam in his eyes. "I'm quite surprised to see you here, Axel. However, your waste of an existence shall end soon enough…" Axel tensed up at this, hardly able to resist doing anything drastic. To see the one being he had tried to eliminate actually alive was irritating to no end.
"Oh really now?" mocked the Flurry of the Dancing flames in a sharp tone of voice. "Well, newsflash, Pinky, I may have let things slide last time, but now…Heh, let's just say I might have some fun with this…" Roxas looked up to his friend, a tad worried. Was this violence necessary? It was bad enough that Larxene was around, but now the very owner of Castle Oblivion? Surely things would get out of hand!
"Axel…" he pleaded, a concerned gaze upon his mug, "can't we just get out of here? I've got the Keyblade, so I could always just—"
"No… There isn't an easy way out of this, kid," said VIII shaking his spiky head. "Besides, who's to say that they won't just round up these guys again if we leave 'em? Sometimes you gotta fight, and I'd think you would know that…" Sighing, the blonde had to agree here. Besides, it looked like he had no choice regardless. He nodded at his fiery friend, holding his weapon at the ready, as Marluxia himself held out an arm, as a flurry of flushed pink flower petals whirled around his arm, forming a large, pink scythe which, despite its odd coloration, looked quite dangerous. At the same time, rose vines began to burst through the floor, twisting all around, lifting up each and every one of the prisoners.
At the same time, he motioned for Larxene to get out of his way, all before pointing towards Roxas. Basically, he was suggesting for the twelfth member to simply deal with the younger nobody, while he took care of Axel. At the same time, the two opposing nobodies quickly glanced at each other, all before readying themselves for the fight ahead, rose vines still engulfing the immediate area. Once he was ready to strike, VIII leapt forward, whirling his weapons about, as Marluxia held out his scythe, releasing a crescent blast. Larxene, although she was weak, managed to pull herself to her feet, tossing her kunai towards Roxas, who had been twirling his single Keyblade about.
CHING! Scythe met chakram, while kunai bounced around the room, causing Roxas to have to hurry and deflect each and every one. Marluxia dashed to the side as Axel attempted to torch him, and he shot his petals forward, knocking the flaming nobody back. At the same time, Roxas dove at Larxene's stomach, only to find his body being shocked with electricity. Afterwards, both opposing nobodies warped, and the room shook. The vines were breaking further through the foundation, now sticking out of the floor like nails in a damaged floor board.
CHANG! Again, both flaming chakrams were tossed forward, though, this time they were more accurate. Right as Marluxia reappeared, he found the hot, singing disks digging into his cloak, tossing him against the now, not only electric, but spiked wall. He cringed, pushing himself forward, only to find, once again, his body being scorched by spiked disks. Seeing this, Larxene took the opportunity to jump out of Roxas' way before sending her weapons right at the eighth member's back, leading to Axel yelping in pain and Marluxia getting a chance to counter attack.
WHARP! The rose vines which had already broken through suddenly grabbed Axel with their sharp thorns and pinned him to the ground. This had all happened so fast that he was unable to react. That done, the Graceful Assassin unleashed another blast from his scythe, while, at the same time, Larxene began to use him for a pin cushion. This left the Key of Destiny untouched for the time being, allowing him to do, well, SOMETHING. He surveyed the scene. The whole area was being consumed bit by bit due to the vines. All the while, he had been relying on a single weapon. The blonde shook his head, deciding it would be best to use another plan of action…
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Books, books, books. All around the library, Riku found books flying about, shooting pages in various directions. The whole onslaught was so overwhelming that he had to constantly roll to the side in order to avoid being given massive paper cuts. All the while, he had to avoid being bashed by various copies of Zexion, each holding a Soul Eater, while the real one kept hiding himself inside books and striking when least expected. If one thing was certain about all this, it was that Zex was a LOT stronger than he used to be, library or not.
Riku groaned, holding his Soul Eater out, scanning the books for any sign of Zexion. He could see the clones spiraling around, diving his way, but he had gotten used to their pattern by now. In fact, right when they dove for him, he simply jumped out of range before diving right back and slashing with his weapon. Upon making contact with them, the illusions would vanish. However, he knew well that this was not the end of the showdown, as Zex was still hidden.
Various novels hovered about as if enchanted, each one of a different size and shape. The problem was that there were so many of them that it was difficult to figure which was which. To his right, he found a large encyclopedia, which he quickly struck with his sword, causing five Zexions to jump out, each trying to strike him. He had to be quick to evade this, rolling to the side and attacking with dark firaga. The purplish flame managed to hit the copies, making them disappear, though, right at that moment, Riku found himself being pushed against the ground, a blade slicing him in the back.
"Riku, Riku," mocked Zexion, swiping at Riku with his false Soul Eater, "you really have lost your touch. It's deplorable, really, considering that you were once a worthy adversary…" He lifted a hand, preparing to swipe again, but this time, Riku jabbed back, hitting Zexion right in the stomach before sending VI flying backwards. This gave the teenager a chance to get back to his feet and dive right back.
TWANG! The sharp edge of the weapon nearly hit Zex, but then Riku found himself being blocked by the imitation of the wing-like sword, as Zexion rolled over and snapped, sending a flurry of pages from one of the books behind him straight at his opponent. Caught of guard, Riku was, again sent flying back, though he didn't stay that way for long. Though the sharp pages began to dig into him again, the teenager could feel his darkness rising. True, Mickey had told him not to rely on the darkness, but now he had no choice. This fight had been going on for too long. It was only a matter of time before he could unleash Dark Aura.
For now, though, the teen struck back, his sword meeting Zexion's false one, as the two leaned against each other. Strangely enough, the nobody seemed to be doing just fine, pushing Riku back in an attempt to knock him to the floor. However, there was no way he'd let his enemy outdo him. Groaning, he removed his sword from Zex's and quickly slid to the right, attempting to send a blow into the sixth member's side. But, unfortunately, Riku found his arm being grabbed tightly, all before he was tossed violently into the air, feeling the pain of his own dark firaga, which, somehow, Zexion had unleashed.
Hitting the ground, Riku was overcome by even more anger than before. Sadly, though, he didn't have time to ponder over anger, as three more Zexion clones charged his way, hitting the ground with the mock swords, sending waves of darkness his way. He had to act fast to evade these, by jumping and rolling around, carefully attempting to avoid damage, though he DID feel the hurt, somewhat, due to one of the last waves just barely hitting him in the side. Still, he got up and struck the copies one by one, each of them vanishing upon being hit. It was then that he saw Zexion standing there, holding his own book and smirking. He held out one palm, a page in his other hand, as a jet of flames shot forth, astonishing the teenager, to say the least.
These flames did indeed hit Riku, though he didn't' care. Even if they burnt, he knew that this was just another one of Zexion's illusions. Due to this, he shrugged it off, all before lifting his weapon again, stepping towards the Cloaked Schemer. Right as he did, though, said nobody tore out another page, still looking as amused as ever. This time, though, Riku found lighting shooting down. Luckily for him, though, he was aware this time and managed to skid to the side, much to Zexion's dismay. At that moment, he was ready to unleash his Dark Aura. He had held it up long enough.
Clenching his fists, Riku suddenly charged at a rapid pace, jumping into the air and diving back down at Zexion, swiping at him rapidly. He did this at such a quick pace that the Cloaked Schemer ended up being stuck in the middle, and the odd thing was, he just stood there, taking the blows without even THINKING of dodging. SLASH! His body was sent flying sideways, as an eruption of purplish blue rose from the ground, and VI didn't care. He just sat there, while Riku finished the attack, and when he was done, he merely got up to his feet, grinning like a madman.
"Fascinating," he coughed, grabbing his chest tightly while staring Riku down. "Your use of the darkness has improved, though you seem to be far too reliant. However, if you honestly wish to see the full force of my abilities…" At this, he looked down, as the room began to shake and all of the various books began to spiral about with Zexion at the center, all before each of them shot forward, hundreds and hundreds of pages striking Riku at incredible speeds. It was like a tidal wave of text, smashing the teenager into the ground, while Zexion merely sat there, cackling nonstop.
Not even the Soul Eater or any of Riku's dark moves could stop this. The incredible velocity of this torrent was astounding, and it wasn't long until he was entirely covered by the pages, his being sliced, while he crouched down, feeling oddly…scared. He felt himself being attacked by all of his fears. Surrounding him, he saw Maleficent, glaring down with evil in her eyes, a large, black raven sitting on her shoulder and cackling. Next to her was Ansem himself, who glared down and began speaking of darkness in his monotonous voice. All the while, the pain of massive paper cuts sent Riku down on his knees, cringing in pain. They continued to speak to him, telling him to give in, to surrender his heart to darkness, and to let true power flow through his veins. For the first time in a while, Riku was truly frightened by all this …and he found himself closing his eyes tightly, hoping that this burst of pain would cease…and it did.
After a short moment, the sixteen year old opened his eyes, only to find himself kneeling on the floor without any pages attacking him. The twisted form of the Library had ceased to be, and instead it was back to its brighter appearance, all of the books sitting on the shelves as if nothing had happened. He looked up, curious, spotting Zexion sitting at the table as he had been before, writing on a slip of paper with a slight smirk. It was as if none of this had even happened. But, that was impossible.
Looking down at the startled teen, Zexion casually exclaimed, "As I was saying… If you wish to see the full force of my abilities, you will have to wait. I'm not one to let violence motivate me. Besides, this whole experience was merely a test, and, as you can see, this library has returned to its original state." He stopped briefly, writing something down on his note. "I fail to see why you wasted your time here. Then again, perhaps you had nobody to blame on past endeavors other than myself. It's deplorable. For someone who claims to have a strong heart, you sure are intent on bloodthirsty hatred. You've let the darkness devour you."
Riku couldn't believe this. All of the fighting he had done had been an illusion. None of that even occurred. Worse off was that the Cloaked Schemer was taunting him still, proving quite annoying. The fact that he brought up darkness only made things worse. "My heart's not weak," he growled, pushing himself to his feet. "And the darkness doesn't control me. Just because I let myself become a puppet once doesn't mean it'll be the same this time…" To this, the sixth member merely scoffed, not exactly impressed.
"So you think…"
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
The Beast was furious, though such was obvious by his vigorous movements, as he pounced about, striking his claws into anything and everything he made contact with. Why, his speed and strength had caused Donald and Goofy to continuously keep themselves moving in order to avoid the heavy blows of the creature's claws. And at the present moment, this was quite difficult, considering the small space. However, that did not stop the defender and his magic smart companion from keeping up a good fight.
WHAM! The Beast hit his fists against the ground in raw fury, drool sliding down his face. He narrowed his gaze, staring right at Donald in particular before charging forward. It was sheer luck that the fowl was aware of this, lifting up his rod in a flash, as several jolts of electricity shot through the ceiling, hitting the Beast with a KZRT! This outburst, led to the large creature flying back against the wall, though this didn't hold him for long. In fact, within two seconds at most, he was up on all fours again, running forth. Eyeing this, Goofy reached for his shield, pulling his arm back and tossing the weapon like a Frisbee.
"Gawrsh, Beast!" he shouted, as the disk impaled his attacker in the chest, "You gotta control yerself! That Organization XIII feller was lying! Sora'd never do a thing like THAT!" He watched as the Beast snorted, clearly unconvinced. Whatever the Organization had done to him, it sure wasn't a pretty sight. The fact that his will was blinded by rage was so strange, yet logical in a way. However, Donald wasn't being NEAR as friendly as Goofy was with the matter.
Lifting up his staff again, the fowl exclaimed, "No sense in talking to him, Goofy! He's just as bad as Sora is, so we're gonna have to fight!" That said, he held on tight, as a blazing red glow enveloped his wand, right before a stream of flames was unleashed right at the Beast's stomach. However, the former prince rolled out of the way, and instead of hitting his chest, the blazes ignited his tail, leading to a extreme amount of growling and yelling, as he rolled around on the floor, attempting to douse the inferno.
Watching this with a puzzled expression, Goofy said, "Gee, Donald, doncha think there's a way to, I dunno, stop him? I don't wanna hurt the guy, 'cuz it's not his fault if he's mad. I blame that flowery guy who gave ya that trading card!" Reluctantly, the feathery smart mouth nodded, thinking of a way to hold Beast down. If he could just get him to stop struggling, maybe they could calm him down enough…or at least prevent him from causing any more ruckuses.
Finally, as the large mass of fur got back on his legs and charged again, Donald's face lit up. He had figured out a way to at least keep him still, all thanks to the display of Yen Sid and the other magicians from before. A grin forming along his beak, he held out his staff again, a pale aura, somewhat translucent, etched around the very tip, reaching out towards the creature, RIGHT before he could sink his teeth into any of them. The Beast's eyes widened, that once fierce look temporarily replaced by shock, as he found his body being encased by a barrier, though nowhere near as astounding as the one made by Merlin and the others. At least it would hold him still for now, though.
"That'll keep him for now," said the magician smugly. "Now we just gotta wait for Roxas and the others to get this over with…"
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
There was little fighting space in the dungeon now. Due to Marluxia's control over nature, the face had become full of large thorns jetting out from the walls, floor and ceiling. Strange plants, much like Venus fly traps had already engulfed the prisoners, and more were on the way. This wasn't exactly pleasant news for Axel and Roxas, who had already gotten tired of this game by now. But, on the other hand, it was a nice plus having a fire powered nobody around. Why, now that Axel had struggled free of the grasp of Marluxia's vines, he had found himself tossing his chakrams constantly in order to eliminate this pesky garden.
SCHWHIR! Flames began to dig into the thorny roots within the area. The blazes caused the vegetation to split and dissipate, freeing up some more space. Right now, Axel was at the top of his game, and so was Roxas, who had finally managed to summon BOTH of his Keyblades. Yes, there they were, each able to stand up against their opponents. When Larxene dove down with her kunai, Roxas struck back, knocking her around with both of his keys. Whenever Marluxia shot forth his deadly petals, Axel would counterstrike with flames.
Grinning, the Flurry of the Dancing flames dove towards XI, holding out both of his weapons, preparing to shoot more flames. At the same time, Marluxia swing his scythe, hoping to knock his attacker back to the ground in order to weaken him. Sadly, this was not the case, as VIII was swift enough to dodge this all before kicking the florist in the shin and setting his cloak ablaze. All the while, the Savage Nymph lazily tossed six kunai at once, two actually hitting Roxas in the back, while the others were blocked by the twin Keyblades.
It was plain to see that both Marluxia and Larxene were almost too tired to fight. XII had already been tuckered out prior to her flowery ally's appearance, and now she was barely able to keep up with her warping. WHAM! Oh, she felt the double blow of Oblivion and Oathkeeper, but there wasn't a thing she could do. Both blades caused her to shoot back without a counter attack, her body hitting Marluxia's.
"Just give up!" shouted the Flurry of the Dancing flames stepping back for a moment. "Really, I'm surprised you guys didn't retreat by now. Then again, I guess it's because you're not as wimpy as some other members…like Demyx. Still, I don't think you'd want to go down in such an embarrassing way, eh?" He sniggered, watching both Larxene and Marluxia panting, though neither looked all too amused. Fact was, they weren't the types to call it quits…though, maybe Axel had a point.
"Look, Spiky…" Larxene grumbled, trying to push herself away from the eleventh member's being, "I'm…I'm not about to…to let some freak like you ruin my reputation here. I'll…I'll make you WISH you didn't mess with me…" Turning her head to XI, she added, "You're not a coward, right, Flower Boy?" Surprisingly, Marluxia shook his head, all before relinquishing his scythe. He wasn't in the mood to squabble any longer, it seemed, as he wanted to stay ALIVE.
"Unfortunately, Larxene," he said, leaning his body, torched cloak and all, against the wall, "I must decline. We've certainly had our share in this charade, and I'd rather not die, especially at the hands of him. No, I believe our best plan of action would indeed be to retreat. Let them free their worthless prisoners." Still panting, he closed his eyes, as his body was pulled into the relentless vortex of darkness, just like that.
Larxene stopped for a moment, stomping her foot in annoyance. WHY did she bother with this? WHY did she have to see THEM? As much as she hated to admit it, Marluxia was right. If she kept this up, surely she'd end up defeated again. After all, that was one of the reasons why she was destroyed in the first place, was it not? Grumbling, she looked towards Axel and Roxas, both of which who were simply grinning at her. She shot a glare, one like cold ice, all before shrugging and following suit in the portaling…
Once again, the dungeon was devoid of anything harmful. Even the thorns and vines were sinking back into the walls, almost as if they had never been there to begin with. The Venus fly traps opened wide, releasing Belle, Lumiére, Coggsworth, and the others, while any sign of damage seemed to vanish without a trace. All in all, both nobodies had done a good job with the rumble, even if it had been a bit chaotic. So, sighing in relief, both Roxas and Axel made their way over to the others in a flash.
"Hey," said Roxas, looking down at the rather shocked appliances, "are you guys alright? Sorry about those two…" Each of the objects smiled at them, well, aside from Coggsworth, who was still a tad worked up by all this. Even Belle, who had been sulking before, couldn't help but lighten up slightly, glad to be rid of the horrid insides of the giant plant.
"We'll be fine, monsieur" said Lumiére, waving his hands, or the candles that represented them, rather, about. "Thanks to you, the castle is safe! But, the master…" At this, Coggsworth broke in, waving his own arm stubs around, his expression filled with worry.
"The Master!" he shouted frantically, hobbling about. "Oh, oh no! We must hurry, we must hurry! Who knows what those scoundrels have done to him?!" Rolling his eyes, Axel stared down at the paranoid clock, not exactly impressed by his behavior. He was obviously freaking out over nothing, right?
"Look, it'll be fine," said VIII in an irritated tone of voice. "The King's lackeys are up in his room, so if you're really that steamed up about it, go see for yourselves. Really, nothing to wet yourselves over." He sighed, watching them converse among each other quickly, all before turning towards Belle, who was frowning once more. Even her eyes shone with worry and concern, more than likely due to the beast. Puzzled, the pyromaniac whispered to her, "Hey, if you're really that worried, I can do you guys a favor. You see, I just so happen to know a quick and easy way to travel. If ya want, Roxas and I can take you right to that Beast of yours."
Nodding, the blonde added, "Yeah, it's the least we could do. I mean, I really doubt that Donald and Goofy will be able to calm him down on their own, especially with THREE members of Organization XIII around. So, what do you think?" Again, the group of objects, and, of course, Belle looked towards one another, contemplating on what to do. Obviously, these two were strangers to them, but, on the other hand, last time Roxas was around, they were able to free them, even if only temporarily. Besides, the Beast needed help right now. Therefore, using a portal would be the best plan of action, really.
Finally, it was decided that they would go. Ms Potts herself was the one who smiled sweetly while saying, "Alright then, dearies. We'll go speak to the master, and maybe have a nice spot of tea." And with that, things were settled. There was no more need for words when a certain hairy Beast was in trouble. Therefore, without a second thought, both nobodies opened up a corridor of darkness, motioning for the others to follow. Now was the time to settle things.
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Luckily, the portal had opened just in the nick of time, as right in the center of the room, the Beast continued to struggle within the barrier, which was just about ready to shatter. Why, even Donald's magic couldn't hold it up, and certainly Goofy was no help in this field. His strength was too much for the magic to contain, and at any moment now, he would break through and begin tearing the place up once more. His anger was in control, and there was no way to convince him otherwise. After being spoken to by three clever, yet sadistic nobodies, it seemed as if there was no way to save him now.
Upon exiting the portal, each and everyone one of them, from Axel to Mrs. Potts were SHOCKED. To say the least, none of them had expected things to be THIS terrible. Why, Belle herself couldn't handle it. To think that someone who had once been so kind to her was now filled with rage and hate was just too much to bear. The mere thought took control, and she found herself rushing over towards the shield, crouching down right next to it. And she wasn't the only one either. Why, right as she made her move, the others did to, and soon the whole barrier was surrounded by beings who were quite worried about all this.
"Oh, Beast!" exclaimed Belle, gazing at his vicious form. "Please, don't do this… This isn't you!" At this, he let out a loud, ferocious growl, still shaking within the force field. Clearly Belle's words meant nothing to him, after the use of Zexion's illusions, not to mention the long speeches about how nobody could ever truly care about a 'monster' like him. All the same, the princess of heart was persistent and wasn't about to give up. "Please, listen to me… I know that people call you a monster, but deep down I know you're more than that…"
Still shaking, the Beast growled, "…The Rose…" His eyes then turned up towards Donald and Goofy accusingly. It seemed that he STILL thought this was all their fault. "They stole it…now…now I'll NEVER be more than a MOSNTER!" That was the last thing he said before the shield CRACKED. Beast was still enraged, and he was ready to do ANYTHING to deal with the accused thieves. However, what he found once the shell surrounding him broke was that he was being, well, hugged, by Belle no less. How could he fight with her in the way like that?
Stepping back slightly, Goofy exclaimed, "Gawrsh, Beast, doncha get it? We're yer friends! No way would we steal yer rose! A-hyuck!" Hopefully, the Beast would calm down, now that Belle was glomping him, but, at the moment, he was still struggling in an attempt to break loose. Right now, the Beast wanted nothing less than to make the supposed thieves regret the crime they didn't even commit. All this rage caused each of the appliances to shout and rave, all in an attempt to sooth him.
"Master, please control yourself!" Coggsworth cried, still wiggling his arm stubs about. "This is no good! No good I say! Don't blame the girl, or even these strangers for this!" Beast stopped for a moment, looking down at the clock, who was exasperating currently, still trying to tame him. To him it was crazy to think otherwise about the thieves. If it hadn't been Sora and company, who ELSE could it have been?
Growling, the former prince said, "But…those men, they said that…" He stopped, as Belle's grip tightened, trying to show that she wanted him to calm down. It was already beginning to work as well, considering the fact that the Beast was no longer struggling like mad and was able to speak intelligently, for the most part. Axel and Roxas were both a bit confused by all this, obviously, as they had JUST come in here…but the way he was blaming Sora just didn't seem right.
Frowning, Roxas explained, "Look, Beast, I know Sora well enough to know that he wouldn't pull a stupid stunt like that. I mean…you'd think that someone who's saved plenty of worlds would know not to get on your bad side, right?" Hearing this, Beast forced a nod, sighing deeply. He hated to admit it, but they all had some sense. "As for those 'men'," added the Key of Destiny, lightening up a bit, "they're part of Organization XIII. You can't just go and trust them like that. All they wanted to do was turn you into a heartless…"
"So, I was letting them take advantage of me…" confirmed the ball of fur, his gaze shifting downwards, ashamed of his rash behavior from before. "By using my fear, my rage, my sorrow, they nearly turned me against those most important to me. How could I have been so foolish?" To this, Belle tightened her embrace and, this time, Beast returned it as well, wrapping his long, furry arms around the girl, a slight smile forming along his mug.
For a few moments, the residents of the castle took the time to simmer down, each of them speaking about what they had experienced since the arrival of Organization XIII, as Donald, Goofy, Axel, and Roxas sat and listened intently. Belle had told, with the assistance of each of the objects, no less, about how she and her friends had been discovered almost instantly upon the arrival of the three cloaked figures. She said that they were far too powerful, and it didn't take long for them all to be imprisoned in the dungeon. At the same time, Beast explained how one of the members had disguised himself as Belle and the others and tricked him into thinking he was unwanted. That mixed with the harsh attitude of Larxene, not to mention Marluxia's own convincing words, were what had led him into nearly losing himself.
All the while, though, one thing remained unclear, and that was…where exactly had the rose gone if it hadn't been stolen by Sora? Certainly it couldn't have disappeared, and Beast sure didn't remember removing it from its rightful position upon the table, but the Keybearer swiping it, as Marluxia had said. If anything, that was the most puzzling part of it all, as there was no way anyone would have been able to sneak past him, right? It just didn't make sense…
"Maybe," said Goofy, scratching his head, "one of those Organization XIII fellers did it to ya. Coulda easily been the one who made himself look like yer friends here." This explanation did have some merit, as Zexion was quite the clever individual. In fact, the possibility that he had simply disguised himself as Sora, fought the Beast, and snatched the flower in a snap. "Besides, I don't think anyone else woulda done that. A-hyuck!"
"It all makes sense," replied the Beast, looking incredibly fascinated now. "The boy who had used his illusions…he was the last one I saw before my rose vanished! But…what if he and the others have already escaped? How am I supposed to be rid of this curse without the rose?!" Anger returned to him, though this time it wasn't near as extreme. All the same, he had every reason to dislike the Organization, now that his most precious item had been snatched.
Puzzled, Donald simply stated, "Well, I dunno. The way I see it, that Organization XIII is a lot more clever than the heartless or even Maleficent! But, that's all the better reason to stop them! It's part of our mission, after all." Beast thought over this briefly, pondering over these words. If fighting the Organization was their mission, then perhaps they would be able to retrieve the rose? Such would be perfectly logical in a sense, not to mention that these guys had dealt with this kind of ordeal in the past.
At last, the Beast said, "I would like to ask you all a favor. You see, since you are fighting those strangers, I would appreciate it if you could find the rose and return it to me." Donald and Goofy, of course, both obliged to this, giving the hairy prince a salute. It was their job to prevent meddling within the worlds, so surely letting the Organization get away with the enchanted blossom would be no good. If anything, it'd make things WORSE!
"You betcha we'll get that rose!" shouted the poultry mage eagerly. "It's part of the mission to stop these jerks, so why would we just sit there. Besides, there's not a chance we'd let the creeps who kidnapped Sora get away." Grinning, the oversized bird gave the appliances, Belle, and Beast a quick wink. "We'll even beat those guys up nice and good, just for you." To this, Beast gave a slight snicker, while Belle giggled, and each of the appliances, bar Coggsworth, were greatly amused.
All the while, Roxas watched how Donald and Goofy seemed so…giddy with a half smile. How they could stay so cheery in such dire situations was beyond him, but for now he'd just shrug it off. "So, I guess that's it then?" questioned the nobody, shrugging. "I mean, Riku's probably waiting, right? Shouldn't we go see what's up so we can get back to Hollow Bastion?" Pausing, the two followers of King Mickey passed each other glances. It was a good time to head out, now that things had been taken care of. And, as the boy said, Riku was probably growing impatient by now.
Nodding, Donald exclaimed, "Yeah, you're right. What was I thinking? We've gotta get going!" He turned his attention to Belle, the Beast, and the others and gave a quick wave, smiling through his yellow beak. Goofy followed suit, obviously, as such was his nature, flailing a single arm about while keeping his dopey grin. Their response was nothing short of a similar motion from each and every one of the beings in the room. Lumiére gave a bow and a wink, his flames glowing in the dark, while Mrs. Potts simply nodded. Belle smiled approvingly, as Beast himself found his large, fur coated arm waving back. Why, each and every one of them was biding ado to the group.
"Farewell," said the solemn creature known only as the Beast, "and good luck in finding the rose…" And with that, no more words were needed. Things had been taken care of, and there really was no need to stay any longer. Therefore, both the magician and the defender about-faced, strutting towards the doorway, Donald kicking it open with his large foot. Both Axel and Roxas remained still for a moment, looking back at the cheery group of household objects, and then they followed quietly stepping out into the hallway. Though, as far as the two nobodies were concerned, it was good that they'd be leaving now…
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Riku sighed, as he leaned against one of the walls in the entrance hall. After his encounter with Zexion, he wasn't exactly in the best of moods. Sure, the fight had only been an illusion, and he wasn't in too bad of shape now, but right now, lingering thoughts of darkness disturbed him. The way Zex had said that the darkness had overwhelmed him just wasn't a welcoming thought. Why, he remembered when Naminé had told him the exact same thing. Even Saïx had brought this up, and, at times, King Mickey. Was he really that steep in the shadows? Riku could only look down at his own gloved hands, wondering if what they said was true.
I know I shouldn't just give in, he thought, still looking down at the ground, almost ashamed, but I can't help but feel like…they're right about me. I've always been bothered by the darkness. Back when I was taken by Ansem, at Castle Oblivion, and even now, more than ever, I look like a pawn of the very thing I used to claim I didn't fear. He sighed, still a bit annoyed. Why did all of this have to happen? Why couldn't fate have been different? If he hadn't gone and opened the door to Destiny Islands that night, things wouldn't have been this way.
He could hear voices of people he had met speaking to him, telling him about the darkness. It was like a lingering voice in the back of his mind, trying to pull him back into the light. But, the sad irony was, he had been in the dark for so long that the light was blinding. And even now, he wondered if he could make his way back to Twilight—or rather, the road to dawn. Closing his eyes, the teenager thought this over, as the voices echoed on.
Gosh, Riku, you're thinking too much. You gotta believe in yourself!
What's wrong, Real Thing? Still afraid of the darkness?
C'mon, Riku, you can't give up. Remember, deep down there's a light that never goes out!
Easier said than done, he confirmed inside his mind, as he opened his eyes once more. The way he figured it, this was enough internal worrying for now. Besides, he could already hear the others coming back, Donald's footsteps in particular causing a lot of racket. Turning his attention away from the floor, the silver haired adolescent shoved himself away from the wall and headed towards the center of the room, right as the four others materialized.
"I was waiting for you," he said, tapping his foot impatiently. "C'mon, the longer we stall, the worse Sora gets. So, let's go already…" At this, Axel rolled his eyes, somewhat annoyed by the boy's impatience. As far as he was concerned, if he knew what had been going down in the dungeon, or perhaps in the Beast's room, he wouldn't be so snappy. Then again, the former member of Organization failed to realize that Riku wasn't exactly in the best mood right now, especially after dealing with the Cloaked Schemer. Regardless, they HAD been stalling…
"Look, kid," Axel said, simply standing in place with a blank expression, "we're so sorry we held you up from seeing your friend. But, the fact is, we sorta got held up with things, so if you wanna blame anyone, go complain to Organization XIII. Got it memorized?" Riku merely scoffed at the fiery nobody and said no more, while both Donald and Goofy headed for the door.
"Actually, Riku's right," mused the fowl, pushing against the exit with all his might, though it was mostly Goofy who managed to get it open. "We've gotta deal with Sora, especially now that we have a cure. There's no sense in arguing either, since the Gummi Ship's right outside." VIII growled somewhat at the fowl, but, for the most part, he kept his cool, trying not to make a bad impression especially around his best friend.
When the door was fully opened, the two residents of Disney Castle motioned for the others to follow, all before slinking outside. It was time to leave now, and there was no sense in staying any longer with the Keybearer waiting, back in Hollow Bastion. With Riku joining them now, turning the once cheery lad back to his old self seemed pretty darn simple. So, with things wrapped up in the castle, Riku trudged outside, preparing for the inevitable, as both numbers XIII and VIII slowly followed. It was time to finish things…
End of Chapter
-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
AN: Well, that was a long chapter, but it's finished now. Hope it was a good one.
Now, about Zexion using his book to create that weird magic… Well, I got the idea from reading a Zexion topic at KHU, as one person brought up the idea of him basically using his book to create any attack/illusion he wants. I thought it would be a nifty thing to use, even if only briefly, so yeah.
Anyway, next chapter is going to focus entirely on dealing with Sora, so I'm not sure how long it will be, but hopefully I'll get it done soon!