Chapter Twenty Five
Hollow Bastion
Merlin's House
When Roxas came flying out of the dark portal yelling and cursing Leon was at his side immediately. There was no sign of that loud mouthed red head anywhere and from the cursing Roxas was yelling Axel had gone and done something incredibly stupid.
Sora, Zell, Seifer, Vincent, Goofy and Donald had left for Agrabah soon after Axel and Roxas left. Aerith and Yuffie had returned from the computer room, both girls white as a sheet and shaking. They were about to give their report when Roxas came flying into the room via the dark portal.
Merlin was busy setting up various wards around the houses and buildings while Cid was trying to create a better defence system against Sokar. The Gummi mechanic had left a while ago to get some more machine parts and various other pieces of equipment for the system. Leon was gathering whatever weaponry he could find. Cloud helped Roxas up and the seething blond was sitting in a chair and cursing Axel's existence.
"He's an idiot! I'm gonna kill him!" Roxas seethed.
"What the hell is Axel doing now?" Cloud growled. That red head was more trouble than he was worth.
"What happened Roxas?" Leon asked calmly.
"That idiot Axel went to the castle to rescue Myde and Zexion." Roxas yelled as he stood up and paced the floor.
"Sokar has them?" Cloud asked with wide eyes.
"Axel and I saw Sokar taking Myde and Zexion. He mentioned going back to the castle." Roxas reported.
"We have to get them now." Cloud grabbed his sword.
"Hear us out first Leon." Aerith pleaded suddenly and Leon nodded.
"We found the files on the Watchers and Sokar. It's not good." Yuffie's expression and tone were grave.
"What is he?" Cloud asked even though a part of him really didn't want to know the answer.
"He's isn't a Heartless and he isn't a Nobody." Aerith gulped before she spoke the next part.
"So what the hell is he then?" Roxas demanded testily. Aerith looked him in the eyes before answering.
"He's a Hell-God."
The silence was deafening when Aerith told them about their new enemy. They were fighting a God but this thing was unlike any other God. Hades could be beaten and Sora had proven that but Sokar was an unstoppable force.
He only used his strength so far in battles and he was able to best Cloud, Leon and the Keyblade Master. Even the title, Hell-God, was enough to make Cloud and Leon feel a chill of fear. And now this thing had Myde in his grasp.
"What is that?" Roxas whispered but the title spoke for itself. They were battling a Hell-God and Axel was heading straight for him.
"Tell us everything Aerith." Leon said.
"When we pulled up the files Tron managed to get past all the security. We managed to find some files on the Watchers and then we found Sokar's." Aerith explained to the people around her.
"From what we found Sokar was one of three rulers of a Hell Dimension. The only information the Watchers gathered was that Sokar was banished to this realm and he was forced to share his body with a human." Yuffie filled in.
"And he wants the Key because he wants to go home?" Roxas questioned.
"It's more than that." Aerith shook her head.
"Sokar's power was sealed in his home dimension. He was becoming too powerful for the other two to handle so they banished him." Yuffie explained to the others quickly.
"We have to get Myde back. Sora's gone to retrieve Reno from the Cave of Wonders." Leon grabbed Lionheart.
"So what's the plan?" Roxas asked. Leon and Cloud looked at the small blond but he stared them down. "Don't you dare think I'm gonna sit here and wait."
"I'll try and give you a little more power with the Dagon Sphere but I can't promise anything." Merlin said.
"Do what you can." Leon nodded towards the wizard.
"We'll get them back Roxas." Cloud said when he saw the worried expression on the smaller blond's face.
"Yeah..." Roxas trailed off but the feeling of unease wouldn't leave his new heart. Damn you Axel...please be safe.
Agrabah
The Cave of Wonders
It took Sora a while but eventually he made it to the Treasure Room. The amount of Heartless within the ancient chambers was alarming but Sora, Goofy and Seifer managed to dispatch the creatures.
Vincent, Donald and Zell were in the main city taking care of any Heartless or Dusks that were still causing problems for Jasmine and Aladdin. Seifer proved to be an expert in swordplay and he could handle himself in a fight. The Treasure Room was free of any Heartless and Dusks which gave Sora and the others enough time to look for the hidden chamber.
Pulling out the map Sora began to go over the details. From what he could see on the paper there was a red marking within the Treasure Room somewhere along the western wall section.
Goofy and Seifer were looking around the chamber, shoving gold and jewels out of the way in an attempt to find the switch to reveal the hidden doorway. Sora glanced at the map again then made his way towards the west wall of the chamber. He brushed his fingers over the smooth, flawless golden rock then smiled when his fingers pressed down into the stone.
From the east, near the entrance into the chamber, the stone wall slid away slowly to reveal a passageway. The passage was dark save for the torches that lined the walls.
Sora motioned for Seifer and Goofy to follow him into the tunnel and their kept their weapons drawn just in case. The air in the passageway was musky and stale, as if the tunnel hadn't been exposed to fresh air in years. Sora led the way down the stone passageway until they came to a stone door.
Seifer nodded for Sora to open the door while he and Goofy got ready for any Heartless to emerge from the chamber within. Sora took a deep breath then he shoved open the door.
With his Keyblade drawn Sora entered the chamber but stopped when he took in the sight before him. The chamber looked exactly like the one back in Twilight Town where Myde had slept. The vast white chamber held only one capsule and within that capsule slept a man with vivid red hair.
His hair was long and swirled around his lithe body. His arms were crossed over his chest. Bubbles danced around his body as he slept on, the computer console nearby keeping him alive and well.
Seifer was the one to move towards the computer and find some way to awaken Reno. Sora knew that Reno would be fine once he was extracted from the capsule. Even though he possessed no heart he would be fine once released from the capsule. Kairi had been comatose when her heart was taken but otherwise she was still alive and well.
"We'll take him back to Leon." Sora said as Seifer tapped the console.
"We need Myde back to restore the heart." Seifer pointed out. He found the switch to empty to capsule of water.
"Do you think Sokar will make his move?" Goofy asked.
"He doesn't know Reno's the Key and Myde will never tell him." Seifer said with conviction.
"Will he be ok?" Sora asked when the glass was removed and Reno collapsed into Seifer's arms. The red head was then wrapped up in Seifer's trench coat.
"He's breathing steadily. We need to leave now." The tall blond held Reno close to his chest.
"Let's go." Sora motioned for Seifer and Goofy to follow him back out.
Because they had already taken care of the Heartless and Dusks the pathway was cleared for them and they made it back to the exit without any incidents. The cool night air that seemed to be eternal around the Cave of Wonders was soothing to Sora.
He spotted the Magic Carpet nearby and Seifer quickly ran to the carpet with his quarry in his arms. Goofy and Sora soon joined him after taking care of some stray Heartless. The carpet flew them back towards the city of Agrabah where Vincent, Zell and Donald who were standing at the Palace Gates.
The city was relatively safe since Sora, Donald and Goofy took out the evil Genie Jafar. Some guys just didn't know when to quit. Thanks to that idiot Pete Jafar almost destroyed Agrabah. Jafar was tougher to fight than ever, mostly because he had been trapped in that lamp for over a year. In the end Sora along with the Magic carpet had to stop Jafar once and for all. Hopefully that was the end of this world's problems.
"Reno..." Vincent breathed when he saw the red head in Seifer's arms.
"Is he ok?" Zell asked.
"Once he gets his heart back he'll be fine." Seifer assured them.
"Did you guys have any trouble?" Sora turned to Vincent. The red eyed gunner shook his head.
"Aladdin helped us to clear out the remaining Heartless. Aside from that the city is safe and quiet." Vincent reported.
"Do you think the others are safe?" Zell spoke up as he fixed his metal Dragon Skin gloves.
"Let's head back to Hollow Bastion and check it out." Sora motioned for the others to follow him back to the Gummi Ship.
Sokar had never tasted a mind like this before. It was full of fire and passion and a single name…Roxas. This mind was fixated on one person and this creature's fire was directed at that person completely.
So it was possible for a Nobody to love. Sokar cried out in pleasure as he retracted his fingers and Axel slumped to the ground. Draining the red head's mind was better than sex. It's a pity that Sokar couldn't get another treat from Axel. The pyro would've been a lot of fun to play with.
"Now that was good." He sighed as he left the red head on the floor. "And I think I'll do the same thing to Zexion."
"Ancient Ones, here my plea…" the voice that belonged to the blond sobbing Sorcerer was now laced with rage.
"You're gonna cast a spell on me?" Sokar smirked.
"I owe you pain." Myde hissed as he stood to his full height then raised his head. Sokar took a step back when he saw, instead of aqua eyes, two pitch black orbs staring right back at him.
Myde had watched helplessly as Sokar drained Axel of his sanity. The pyro had screamed and tried to claw at Sokar's arms but to no avail. His broken hand hung limply at his side and Sokar just dug his fingers in deeper.
When Sokar finally released Axel the red head collapsed to the floor and he stayed there, unmoving. Zexion was unable to move because of his broken body and then Myde felt something burst within him.
He felt something dark awaken within himself and it began to claw its way to the surface. Myde didn't bother fighting it. He let his rage feed this new power he felt coursing through his weak body.
He wanted to hurt Sokar…he wanted the blond monster to die by his hand. Myde started to chant as he stood to his full height and faced the Beast. Myde held his arms out from his body as energy began to gather at his fingertips.
"You can't kill me." Sokar smirked as he approached the black eyed Sorcerer.
"No, I can't…" Myde agreed. His black eyes flashed with an unholy red light then he unleashed red bolts of energy upon the Beast. "But I can make you hurt."
"AHHH!!!" Sokar screamed when the red energy hit his body and sent him across the room. His back slammed into the wall hard enough to break the stones.
"I'm going to kill you." Myde snarled as he released another red bolt. Sokar cried out again as he was thrown back into the wall.
"Myde…" a choked whisper sounded from nearby. Black eyes fell on the broken body that belonged to Zexion.
"Zexy…" the blond murmured quietly. He quickly cast a Curaga but it didn't seem to have an immediate effect.
"Get…Axel…" Zexion hissed in agony. Myde felt the rage beginning to leave his beating heart as he fell to Axel's side.
"Axel…" Myde choked back his tears. He lifted the red head up and approached Zexion.
"I can…get us…out of…here." Zexion gasped as he grabbed Myde's hand. He waved his hand and brought up a dark portal then he collapsed against Myde.
"Thicken!" Myde screamed when Sokar came near him. The shield prevented the enraged creature from coming any closer.
"I'm so sorry guys." Myde pulled them into the portal leaving Sokar screaming as he hit the shield again and again.
"This isn't over! Do you hear me! It isn't over!"
Leon, Cloud and Roxas were ready to depart for the castle with the newly charged Dagon Sphere in their possession. Hopefully it would have enough power to repel Sokar and help them rescue Myde and Zexion.
Roxas couldn't help but worry for Axel. The pyromaniac usually acted before thinking and with the knowledge that Sokar is a Hell-God Roxas could only pray that Axel and the others were safe. As they were about to leave a scream sounded from outside.
"Oh gods…" Cloud trailed off when he opened the door and found Myde with Zexion and Axel.
"Aerith, Merlin, get Potions and Cure spells ready." Leon ordered.
"Sokar…" Myde was sobbing. "He…Axel…"
"What happened Myde?" Roxas yelled when he saw the state Zexion was in.
"They're all over me." Axel hissed suddenly as he got on his knees and stared at the group with wide, red eyes. "My skin…it burns…the darkness is all over my body!"
"Axel…" Roxas choked as he fell on his knees in front of the red head.
"Bad things…I've done bad things… they all know about me…I'm a bad man." Axel sobbed as he pulled at his red spikes.
"I'm sorry Axel." Roxas didn't stop the tears from flowing down his face as he gathered a shaking Axel into his arms. "I'll make him pay. I swear I'll make Sokar pay."