Hello! Here is Chapter 21, a few days early, chapter 22 should come within the next week and a half. Hope you enjoy!
I got to 50 reviews! I'm so happy right now! Also thanks to Miano53 for following this story.
Namine Rose25: I'm glad you enjoy this story, thank you for reading it.
TheOtherGuest: I think you will be happy with the outcome (hint, hint) :)
BelieverofManyThings: Thank you. Aqua will appear in this chapter.
Guest: Thank you. Pence will live through this chapter at least.
Chapter 21: Lightless Oblivion
Seven weeks before Second Dark Days
Ventus drowned in the wave, his lungs gasped for air and his skin burned, the sickly white wave receded, revealing the massive Pence-monster, wallowing in pain and collapsing into the darkness. Specks of darkness flew up to the sky, revealing another form underneath, that of Pence. Ventus walked over to the boy, and held out his hand. Pence reached out for the hand before another portal opened swallowing both of them up.
"Pence, you have to wake up! Pence!"
Ventus opened his eyes and saw the old mansion, with the rusted gates wide open, Ventus ran to the doors, when he pulled they shattered into pieces, inside the same white sickly tide had flooded the floor. Ventus looked up to see a shrouded figure running into the room on the top right.
"I see him Roxas, I found Sora..."
Ventus took his Keyblade and threw it onto the liquid, then (miraculously) surfed on it to the staircase. About a Keyblade-length from the staircase, his foot slipped, and it slipped into the water. Before that moment, Ventus had never truly known the meaning of pain, but that liquid taught it to him, whispering to himself, "That, must be death or whatever the Heartless do to people, embodied... I don't have too much time left. Hang in there Pence, hang in there." Ventus made a leap and landed a few steps up on the staircase, he crawled up, narrowly dodging the liquid as it ascended, trying to grasp the boy. Ventus reached the top to find the water completely engulfing the lower level, nothing could be seen below but the sickly liquid. Ventus turned and entered the door...
"Roxas let me go, save yourself, we want to stay, we think we can help Sora... please Roxas, let go."
...And found himself in a white room, with a hollow egg like container in the middle. The container was fogged over, Ventus traveled to the egg and removed the fog from the outside to find, a lively green liquid, Ventus turned around to see the liquid sealing over the door. The whole chamber shook, as Ventus heard the sound of crying, "Pence... no, don't die... please don't die..."
"We see the world, entire, Kingdom Hearts, it's within our grasp! Roxas, leave now! Before it's too late."
Ventus looked again at the egg and saw the vague form of a human, taking a deep breath, Ventus smashed his Keyblade against the egg, and let the liquid wash over him healing his wounds, his burns and relaxing his body. Pence slid out of the egg, coughing. The liquid flowed out of the egg and encountered the white liquid; they met together and annihilated each other. Ventus watched the world fade into oblivion, as stained glass returned to the floor. Taking a second he looked at the red glass, in the center a picture, of Pence, Olette, Hayner, and Sora in front of the mansion, beside the photo was the image of a sleeping Pence, and surrounding the entirety, Sea-salt ice cream, in small circles. Then Ventus emerged from Pence's body, to see Hayner, Olette, Fuu, and Rai huddled over Pence's sleeping form.
The group stood over Pence, until he awoke. The first words he said then were, "Who, who are you?"
"Ventus, call me Ven. Do you remember any of us?"
Pence's forehead wrinkled as he thought, "No. Should we?"
Olette spoke softly, "We're your friends, Pence, we-" she fought back tears, "We love you..."
"What happened to us?"
Hayner clasped Pence's shoulder, "You had an accident buddy, but you should be okay..." Hayner's watery eyes did not provide much comfort to the amnesiac boy.
Fuu spoke, "What do you remember?"
His voice started off barely a whisper and proceeded to get louder and more dramatic as he continues, until by the end he is shouting at the top of his lungs, "Well, we remember expanding beyond this shadow-form; we remember seeing the rock-land from millions of eyes. We remember feeling connected to our brothers and sisters, millions of them all over. We remember all of us eying up at the Great-sky-chest-beater wishing to devour. We could hear their thought-speak, comforting and helping us, and we felt the urge, to consume more chest-beaters. Now, we cannot hear them, the thought-speaking is silent. We feel alone but the hunger remains!" he paused, "The pain is the worst part. We-I feel my chest-beater empty, and the only thing I can do to help is to feed!"
Nervous glances were exchanged between the groups, looking down, Ventus said, "Take him to the base, lock him up there if need be."
Rai and Fuu nodded, and grabbed Pence by each arm and led him off, turning, Pence spoke, "Do you know a lock-opener named with spiky brown top-fur?"
After taking a few moments to process the Heartless lingo that Pence was speaking in, Ventus replied, "Yes! Where is he?"
"At the land of high-spires, the great shadow-lands, home to all our brethren, there he is where he hunts us."
Riku stared at the old wizard, Merlin. The wizard was in the middle of a particularly boring explanation for the Shadows or Heartless as they are called, "...so you see these creatures manifest themselves as darkness when in fact they are a representation of the constant struggle within..." Riku could not help but yawn, granting him a small jab of disapproval from Kairi. Riku chuckled, and walked off, following his nose and the aroma of freshly baked bread, it was only then that Kairi noticed how hungry she was, her last meal being at Twilight Town at least a day ago. The pair of them walked off on their way to find whatever cafe was open.
Aqua wandered through the burned village the third such place so far, the smoke clouding her vision and nose, the only light from a moon. This place was a trading outpost well known for its jewelry and exotic fruits. Despite her searching Aqua could not find anybody, living or dead. Aqua looked down and saw a small star shaped fruit, a Paopu fruit; she picked it up and placed it in her pocket, and proceeded to walk off, letting the remainder of the village burn. Unknown to her, from the burning rubble, Shadows were arising.
Ventus walked to the surface by the clocktower, to find Seifer running around with a gunblade. Behind Seifer a group of the Heartless, several small ones such as the ones that were on Pence and a few larger ones that stood and ran. A streak of light passed through the skies and hit the ground, the lightening destroying the Heartless brigade, Ventus looked around and saw Vivi deep in a trance, summoning Thunder spells to save the town. Another group arrived, before a more powerful spell erased the group. Ventus ran to Market Street, Seifer following, gunblade ready.
Rai and Fuu emerged leading Pence to the "usual spot." Pence stopped walking and turned, his gaze to a squadron of Heartless, Rai and Fuu prepared themselves for combat, Pence walked forward, saying, "No, I will handle this." Pence reached out his hand and the Heartless jumped onto him, his body soon became covered in a dark shroud formed from the Heartless. Pence spread his arms out and released the Heartless. The Heartless returned to the Shadows. Pence turned his face in a puzzled look, he said, "What am I? Who am I?"
Around Twilight Town, the Heartess receded, all at once, Pence's action having saved the town. The citizens of Twilight Town rejoiced at their 'victory' even though soon enough it would be proven hollow, as another legion approached the gates.
Aqua ran at her fastest speed, away from the approaching darkness. She ran past the point of exhaustion to a see a bright light in the distance, in the distance Aqua saw, "Twilight Town?"
End Chapter 21
Next Chapter: More information on Pence's 'condition' will be revealed...
Author's note:
The Lexicon of Heartless speech, for now and the immidiate future Pence will be speaking with n 'interesting' vocabulary
here are the primary parts of this speech:
Great-sky-chest-beater - Kingdom Hearts
chest-beater - Heart
Top-fur - hair
Shadow-form -body
much more will be revealed in the chapters ahead. Hope you enjoy.