Chapter 26

Link

I figured death/being trapped in the darkness would be cold, and numb to any other sense. Yet it was pleasantly warm. The smell of the forest filled my lungs.

Ah, the forest. I grew up there, and had so many dear friends. I felt my mouth subconsciously twitch up in a smile.

"Hey, I think he's awake now!" A young voice piped. I'd heard that voice before...

"S...Schizo...?" I opened my eyes, and found myself back at the Glade of the Hero. There Schizo was, in Green's guise, sitting right next to me. He tilted his head, an amused smile spreading.

"Schizo? Nah, I'm Zephyr, Hero of Winds. Though it's alright, everyone gets us confused at some point." He answered my question before I even got the thought of asking. Now that I had the energy to think of it, they were slightly different.

"Hey, are you alright? Not drowsy or anything?" This newer voice was a little richer, mellower.

I sat up and looked over, seeing another "me", thought it looked like he was barely older. Or younger, his face still had a boyish look about it, so it was hard to tell. He held out his hand with a smile. "I'm Ciel." I nodded in confirmation, then sighed and lied back down.

"...I'm dead, aren't I?" Ciel laughed, but it was weak with dark humor. "No, not yet." He pulled me back up. "Your heart is safe and sound here."

"My... Heart?" Ciel nodded.

"The moment we sensed your heart and body falling into darkness, we started removing your heart. To keep it safe." I spotted Wolfos a ways off, chatting with another young man. Apparently arguing about training. Then the young man proceeded to shrink, and eventually became a boy no older than thirteen.

"Oh, that's Kairos. He was Wolfos's mentor." Ciel chuckled, "Still insists on making sure he's ready for anything. Oh, and that kid you were with, what's his name?"

Ciel shifted over, revealing Riku, still asleep. "...What's he doing here?" Ciel laughed again. "Jeez, you held onto that boy like your life depended on it. You were so determined to save him that his heart flew in right along with yours. And speak of the devil he's waking up."

Riku stirred, mumbling about darkness. He sat up as well.

"Don't recall the darkness being this-" He must've noticed the large number of clones, because he stopped abruptly. He then held a hand to his face, sighing.

"That's it, I'm either high, or dead."

"You're neither, kid. What's your name?"

"Riku."

Ciel nodded in approval. "Nice name, very stable and a little earthy, and I'm willing to bet you're the same. Names have power and meaning, you know." he rambled a bit more, ignoring us both. Something about Goddesses and islands in the sky. Riku looked at me "So, where the heck are we?"

"The Glade of the Hero. We're pretty much out of the battle for awhile."

Riku flopped back against a nearby tree.

"I hope Sora and Kairi can hold that freak off."

"I just hope they can get out alright..." I whispered, "Farore help us all..."

A young woman's voice rang out from behind me, vibrant with life "I believe I can grant you some help, being a Goddess."

Ciara

Soranitas (what can I say? Sora-Vanitas gets old) started advancing.

"Normally it'd be plain bullying to beat up a cripple and harass a young, naive little girl, but who cares? Besides, maybe I can have some fun with the two of you when I'm done."

He held out his hand, and Kairi screamed as she flew up into the air.

"Put me down you jerk!"

"Let her go!"

Soranitas grinned, and unclenched his hand. "If you say so."

"AIEEE!"

I held out my hand to catch her. Not literally with my hand, but with magic. I gently set Kairi back on the ground.

She immediately began backing away from Soranitas.

"Aw C'mon. I won't bite." I shuddered: no, he won't bite, but he certainly will hack and slash you to bits.

"Kairi! Think you can get me back on my feet?"

"No! I can't! The bone might not grow back right-"

"I Don't care! Just do it!"

"But-"

"Kairi if you really care about Sora enough to see him again you'll just do it!"

She shut her eyes, and waved her Keyblade at me. "Curaga!"

I felt the dull throb in my legs swell and ease into something more like the soreness after you've been running non-stop. I quickly got to my feet, and with my legs burning in protest, swiped up my sword and charged at Soranitas.

"It's a bad day for you! 'CAUSE I'M ONE LUCKY BITCH!" I proceeded to slash at Soranitas with all the training and proficiency that Link had taught me. Strike here, strike there, analyze his movements for tells... He would be so proud right now. I felt my confidence swell for the first time in years: I was actually putting up a good fight!

"We'll take him together!" Kairi joined me, adding even more magical and combat expertise to the fight.

"Sora..." I whispered under my breath, "we're with you all the way...!"

Sora

I was falling in that same darkness again, but everything was far more tense. There was an intruder in my heart, I could tell.

I landed, opening my eyes- and felt them widen in horror at the scene in front of me.

The Destiny Islands, that night that changed my life forever. A kid brushed past me- no I brushed past me. Two years younger, still unaware of the Keyblade. I looked panicked, glancing back at the Shadows that trailed me with wide eyes, wooden sword cracked and broken in my(his?)hand. It reminded me of how much of a novice I was then. I shook my head slightly: what was I thinking? taking on Heartless with a plaything?

My younger self called out for Riku, and I cringed. Riku was going to give into the darkness in his heart any moment now, and Kairi had already lost hers, if I remembered right.

"It was your fault, you know." I stiffened.

There he was, Vanitas, holding an entirely new kind of Keyblade. It looked a lot sharper, and could probably do some serious damage.

He grinned at me, and it looked far from friendly. "You're the one who destroyed your home, Sora."

"No!" I instantly objected. "No! I didn't do it! It was the Heartless!" I felt the urge to blame Riku, but we both knew he didn't mean to... if it was him. Riku's memory of the event was blank and blurry.

Vanitas laughed. "Of course, blame it on the Heartless. But wasn't it you who played around near the Keyhole to the islands? You probably made it weaker. You were a child, an inexperienced child who had a Keyblade-"

"NO!" I yelled again. How was he squirming into my mind? Placing unwelcome doubt in my heart?

"Maybe if you didn't exist, Riku wouldn't have had so much darkness in his heart-"

"LIES!"

"Kairi wouldn't have lost her heart-"

I blindly swung my Keyblade "SHUT UP!" I knew I missed. I felt my body being brushed away by the dark winds that were now tearing my beloved home apart...

And found myself back at my Station of Awakening. Vanitas raised his blade.

"Let's keep this short and sweet."

We locked blades instantly. Though something was off: Vanitas was stronger. "I hope you realize that by being in closer proximity to my dear other half, I've grown more powerful."

He brushed me away easily, then managed to slash my side open. I instantly wanted to respond with a potion, but I couldn't find one.

"Cure!" There, that did it. Dang, he was good.

A kick at my heels threw me to the ground. I rolled away, the tip of that odd Keyblade missing me by inches. I held my Keyblade up to repel a flurry of dark bursts. Riku wasn't even close to this mastery of the darkness.

As he knocked me aside again(this time I nearly fell off) I realized I had little to no hope of beating him.

"You're giving up already? That's very uncharacteristic of you, you know." He then lodged the tip of his blade into my grip, causing me to let go of my Keyblade. He flicked it away, and I watched as it tumbled into the darkness. I tried summoning it again. It didn't come. How was I going to beat him now? Vanitas had that scary point aimed right at my neck.

"I control this heart now. You're too weak, just a vessel that channels everyone else's power." Vanitas leaned in, once again getting far too close for my comfort. "And guess what? Here, you're on your own."

"My friends... What are you going to do to them?" I asked. Vanitas laughed "Oh all sorts of things! It's fun to see people in pain, and between you and me, Kairi is pretty hot."

That's when I got possibly the craziest idea ever.

"Vanitas, you like making deals, right?" Vanitas lowered his blade a bit. "Yeah, what do you have in mind?" I swallowed. "First, what I want: I want you to leave the Realm of Light alone, that includes every world, and every friend of mine." Vanitas's interest dropped. "But here's what you get: Me, Ven, Roxas, and anyone else who I could be harboring in my heart."

Vanitas had that crazy gleam in his eyes again.

"So I get to do whatever I want with you?"

I nodded "Just as long as you don't hurt anyone in the Realm of Light."

Vanitas raised his Keyblade again. "Then I accept as a being of pure darkness."