Chapter 26: The Witchings' Hour
The morning risen after the hectic night that was last. Ash, Negi and their friends journeyed down a forest, thankful to have Konoka safe. "So down this road is your family's shrine, Konoka," Celes wondered.
"Yes," replied the raven-haired girl in front with Negi. Pikachu, Goofy and Asuna all came along, none of their free will to this shrine. They were all taken on a ride by members of a faction that wanted Konoka for a reason. Thanks to help from Setsuna, a half-demon, Ash was able to save the supposed target of Maleficent. "It's also where I met Setsuna and we became friends. We played together until I fell in the stream. She kept me from drowning that day but felt bad about not protecting me. Since then, I haven't seen her that much until we enrolled to Mahora together. Still, we didn't talk much, if at all." It troubled the keyblade wielder.
"You want us to help you two patch up old times?" Goofy guessed. Konoka scoffed at the good nature of the anthropomorphic dog with a shield.
"I would appreciate that." At least Ash could smile for that response. It helped more that Pikachu rested comfortably in her arms. "Ash, is it alright if I consider you my second friend that's a boy? You know, like Prof. Negi?" Ash didn't need a second to answer Konoka.
"You bet," he scoffed. A soft giggle from the other raven-haired complied the request. They soon arrived at a temple where young women in white robes lined up to greet the travelers.
"Welcome Prof. Negi Springfield and friends of Konoka Konoe," they introduced. "Welcome to the Kansai Magic Association." The sight of these girls had Ash stuttering.
"Talk about saying hello in unison," the mouse murmured. Just then, a man with glasses like Negi and dark brunette hair, also in a white robe, stepped forward.
"So you finally came over, Negi Springfield," he greeted. "Sorry for the welcoming committee. I'm Isshun Konoe, Kansai Magic Association's leader and Konoka's father." Konoka ran up and hugged Isshun, a heartwarming moment. While Ash, Goofy and Celes smirked at the father/daughter reunion, Negi, Asuna and the ermine gawked.
"Hold on a second!" Asuna gasped. "This entire area is Konoka's home?! With all these buildings?!" Somethings are hard to digest. Inside one of them, Negi gave the envelope to Isshun. Opening, he read the letter, bemused to what it read.
"Negi, you and your friends should get comfortable here. Not only do we have magical barriers surrounding the estate, we have trained magicians in case anyone evil like the Hoganji Faction or this...Maleficent tries to take my daughter away." The group breathed a sigh of relief...except for Ash. The keyblade holder wasn't comfortable in one spot. Exiting, he turned and found Setsuna working on her sword. Her swinging and her facial expression told Ash her stress level.
"Setsuna?" he called out. Setsuna stopped swinging and looked to the oncoming boy.
"It's you!" she realized. "I forgot to thank you and your friends for helping me and Prof. Negi save Kono-chan." Ash felt the sincerity from Setsuna's apology.
"It's okay. I was just helping out." That's when Setsuna remembered Tsukuyomi revealing who she was.
"Last night, you knew who I was; her mentioning that I'm a half-demon. My mother was human. My father... he's mentioned as demon of the crow tribe. I'm the result, their offspring: half-demon, half-human." Her thoughts were that someone of her background would drive anyone away. Not Ash.
"So?" That word made the sword wielding teen huff a concern.
"You...don't care that I'm not as human as you?" All Ash did was shrug his shoulders.
"I judge people for what they do, not what they look like. I never once considered a girl weak, or a Pokémon not trainable. So I won't start on people who are half-demons because of who they are...and from last night, I'd rather think of you as a partner." Hearing Ash, Setsuna smiled. To him, just because she's not completely human doesn't mean she's bad because of it.
"Somewhat of the same words as that one American who stood up to everyone." Setsuna turned back to the opening and drew her katana. "Anyway, I vowed to protect Kono-chan from all who want her power. The Kansai Magic Association is powerful but what came after us is in another league." The determination painted her face. Ash realized she was serious about her vow. That night, Ash kept watch above the temple for any danger. Despite Isshun's promise for protection, it didn't sit right for him. He wove the keyblade around. No reaction.
"The barrier surrounding the estate is strong alright." He could journey outside the estate to get a better chance to find the keyhole. Nothing better, he jumped back on the earth and started his way to the guest house offered by Isshun. That's when he spotted Asuna, Negi, Celes and Pikachu approaching from a different wing.
"I needed that bath," Pikachu chimed. "Never have I felt so refreshed and clean..." Asuna and Celes chuckled at the eased Electric Mouse Pokémon.
"Oh, Pikachu!" Asuna teased. Negi saw Ash coming, wondering why didn't he join the rest.
"There you've been!" he voiced. "Did you find anything?" A shake of Ash's head said no. That's when Setsuna arrived as well.
"Prof. Springfield," she called. "Do you know where Kono-chan is?" Asuna offered to speak for Negi.
"She's still bathing," she answered. This disturbed Setsuna.
"I'll go and make sure." One step later, she stopped and turned, a sense of evil trickling over. An invisible wave came passed them, a burst of wind blowing in their ears. When the winds blew through, the bells in Asuna's hair rang. All were puzzled with what occurred.
"What do you think that was?" Ash questioned.
"I'm not sure..." Negi shrugged. Suddenly, a hard footstep. All turned to see Isshun in distress. His body started turning to stone.
"Isshun!" The father of Konoka leaned on the wall for support.
"I...was...too confident...with our...security," he weakly stammered as the stone's morphing spread. "The...faction has a...white-haired...boy. He's...too powerful...on another...level. Please...protect my...daughter." Finally, the spread completed itself and Isshun was now a statue. The rest gasped at what happened.
"Isshun's been petrified!" Celes pointed out. "Let's see if this works. Heavens, heal this man of his ailment before it becomes permanent... Esuna!" A glow began illuminating from the stoned Isshun with all anticipating the results. A moment of glow later, the stone on Isshun was gone and Isshun appeared human. Esuna worked and cured Isshun of petrification. A stumble later, Isshun started regaining his senses.
"What happened?" he groaned. Celes and Goofy helped Isshun with his balance.
"Amazing!" Asuna awed. The remarkable ability of Celes had Ash plot a plan.
"Celes, see about using that Esuna and whatever else you got to help the rest in the temple," he instructed. "We'll go get Konoka." A nod from Celes and Goofy joined Ash, Asuna, Negi and Setsuna in finding the missing daughter. Soon enough, they found her with Chigusa, Tsukuyomi, that giant monkey holding Konoka and a white-haired boy in turquoise.
"There you are!" Negi bellowed, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Let Kono-chan go now!" Setsuna ordered. Chigusa scoffed at the approaching kids.
"If it isn't the half-demon and her friends," she teased. "You arrived in time for a big display. I'm just borrowing Konoka's power to simply revive Sukuna." She hopped on the lake but floated instead of fall in and getting wet. More, she chanted something while the water below her shone. That's when Konoka started levitating from the back down and writhing in pain but the tape over her mouth silenced any screaming. Emerging from the water, huge, muscular Heartless swam up to meet the kids.
"Hey, I was wondering where you guys were hiding!" Ash mocked as Chigusa and the monkey flew away. He brought out the anchoring keyblade to carve the beings. Asuna flashed a card.
"You're not leaving me out of this fight for Konoka!" she snapped. "Adeat!" The card started glowing for a second before the glow brought out...a giant paper fan? What the heck!
"I got this! Watch!" Did he know something else the keyblade from Port Royal can do? Ash dipped the keyblade in the water before yanking it out, a tube of water in pursuit. Suddenly, geysers of water spiked the Heartless and their hearts escaped. Negi and the girls gulped at the sudden attack and finish of Ash.
"That was awesome!" they stuttered. The path clear, they raced to where a pillar of light emitted from a distance. The island with a boulder was seen and Chigusa chanted something to a glowing Konoka, lying flat on a stone pedestal. The pain on her face told how much she's suffering. The rest reached the bridge leading to the island, the white-haired boy standing in the way. Negi stood forth. He chanted something and his huge wooden rod, about twice as tall as him, was aglow. Then, light arrows shot out at the white-haired boy who didn't move a muscle. The arrows bounced off an invisible shield that appeared via contact.
"He didn't even flinch!" the ermine gawked. "I bet that's the boy Konoka's dad warned us about!" Setsuna spotted the struggling Konoka and charged, tunnel vision forgetting about the boy. She recovered her sight only to get her sword swing caught when the boy raced in. After the catch, he delivered an uppercut with a glowing fist.
"Setsuna!" Asuna cried out. Ash summoned the keyblade from DunBroch and concentrated, the flames appearing in different colors of red, yellow and blue.
"I've seen Magneton use this," he thought back. "Let's see you block this...Tri-Attack!" The flames were swung at the boy and merged to a triangle with the colors swirling. All the boy did was raise an arm.
"Pathetic," he murmured. Apparently, no one knew the capabilities of this keyblade as it grew and surrounded the boy. He flinched to see the triangle blocking all paths. Enter the sequence... Ice pillars shot up from the three points and fenced the boy in. Lightning zapped from the top of the pillars and met in the middle before a blast of fire rained down. Everyone, including Ash stood in shock.
"Now I know for sure that found a mark!" the ermine grinned.
"I didn't know this keyblade had that kind of Tri-Attack," he stammered before straightening out. He raced in at the triangle. The boy swung his arms and blew away the flames, a billow of smoke remaining from the attack. He saw Ash coming.
"Back away!" Asuna warned. Ash didn't back down. Unfortunately, the boy caught the swinging keyblade. Ash stood astonished at how fast he recovered from his attack.
"That was a nice display of magic, the combination of ice, fire and electricity," the boy coldly complimented. "However, it's too late. The arrival of Sukuna is absolute." The shaking ground told the rest of what was coming. A huge hand popped out of the lake and the eerie purple glow of its claws spelled doom. The rest of the body came out and it was as tall as a skyscraper. The entity that appeared a demon glared down at the rest.
"Behold, awaken from a 1,600-year old sleep is the demon god, Sukuna!" Chigusa announced. "The moment you pursued Konoka Konoe was the moment you sealed your fate!" The sight of Sukuna brought shivers to the girls, the ermine, Goofy and Negi.
"That's really huge!" Goofy barked in fear.
"There's no way we can win now!" the ermine cried out. Ash stood, thinking otherwise. He brought out the keyblade from the DigiWorld.
"Yes...we can," he smiled. That's when the keyblade reacted to the pedestal Konoka still lied on. The moment he realized the vibration from the keyblade, his goal bore fruit. "So that's where the keyhole is..." He charged at the pedestal and leaped, likely aiming for Sukuna. Chigusa saw the move, a fatal mistake in her eyes.
"Stupid boy," she mocked. "Offering yourself to Sukuna is a treat but he desires more!" Ash wasn't paying attention to the demonic god. He found the keyhole suspended in midair above Konoka.
"With this, the world of Mahora...is sealed!" A beam fired from the keyblade and hit the keyhole. Ash needed to hurry. A click from the keyhole ended the fiasco of finding it. Sukuna fired a beam of its own from the eyes at Ash but the keyblade allowed him extra mobility. He vanished and reappeared by the white-haired boy as Setsuna reached Konoka, removing the tape over her mouth.
"Kono-chan, are you okay?" she asked, deeply concerned. Konoka glared in Setsuna's eyes.
"Set...Setsuna," she weakly muttered. Reunion met, Ash, Asuna and Negi smiled.
"Speed helped you escape Sukuna's power, a brilliant decision," the white-haired boy mulled. "However, you sacrifice strength for speed and now you can't stop me. You're good..." His hand emitted the red energy that he used on Setsuna. "Just not good enough." He threw as Ash got his arms up to block. Not necessary as a hand lurched out and snagged the fist. The white-haired boy jumped from the block and looked down, green glowing eyes darting up at his. "Shadow teleportation?" Unbelievably, who appeared from the shadow...
"Your confidence isn't nearly enough to disguise your weakness...little boy," Evangeline snickered before jumping from the shadow in a magenta gown and heels and blasting the white-haired boy with an energy boom. He was sent across the lake from Evangeline's immense power. Ash stood by Evangeline with a smirk.
"I don't know what impresses me more," he giggled. "That power or that entrance?" A chuckle from Evangeline had him believe she left a rather big impression than either choice.
"You'd be surprised what hundreds of years can teach you these days, cutie." Chigusa scoffed at who saved Ash's neck.
"It's a little late for your reinforcements to arrive!" she laughed. "No one can defeat the mighty Sukuna!" Ash and Evangeline glanced to Chigusa and the almighty Sukuna, not bothered one bit.
"Look who the stupid one really is?" Ash mocked. "You say no one can take that thing down? Someone gave Sukuna a 1,600-year nap! Never ever say never!" Chigusa didn't let a little notion like what Ash blurted get to her. How about rocket fuel from Chachamaru who was flying with a huge rifle.
"Master," she called. "Barrier Bomb setup is complete." Hearing her partner, Evangeline gave Chachamaru the green light.
"Fire away!"
"Yes, master." Chachamaru shot a grenade from the rifle which blew up and created a barrier coating and shocking the demonic being. Think Sukuna was the only one suffering? Chigusa couldn't get out and she felt the power. Evangeline flew up and her hand, held an orb of energy as she chanted something else. She released a massive blast of freezing power and encased Sukuna in a glacier. Chigusa couldn't believe her eyes.
"She uses a lot of advanced spells so quickly!" she shuttered. "I've never seen anything like that!" There's a reason and Ash, thanks to Tinker Bell offering him the ability to fly, joined Evangeline in the sky.
"Apparently, neither of us knew what kind of power she had up her sleeve," Ash taunted.
"For I am the vampire, Evangeline McDowell," she introduced herself. "The mightiest vampire in the world!" As she let out an evil laugh, Ash brought out the hammering keyblade. Evangeline decided to let Ash finish this ordeal. "Shall we?" A nod from Ash said he's ready.
"Let's do this." Evangeline took Ash's hand and hurled him toward Sukuna. The throw gave Ash extra momentum as he readied the keyblade. "Hey, Sukuna! Bedtime!" He smashed the keyblade at the glacier with a blazing strike. The explosion sent Ash flying back which Evangeline caught him. Chigusa fell in the lake unconscious. She won't be getting up for sometime, maybe enough for the Kansai Magic Association to take her in custody. As they regrouped, a question popped up in Asuna's head.
"I thought you were forbidden to leave the campus," she recalled. Evangeline scoffed at Asuna's discovery.
"Don't be so naïve, silly girl," she huffed. "The headmaster basically signed a permission slip saying I can come by and help you out." Even Negi felt appreciated with Evangeline's help.
"We're very grateful you appeared when we needed someone of your pedigree," he praised. The compliment brought a wicked smile to the vampire.
"Well, now. I'd say that makes us even, Negi." Asuna shook her head and Negi nervously chuckled. Ash glanced over to where they appeared from. Only instead of Celes telling Ash the good news...
"How long were you waiting to show up?" he questioned Maleficent. All turned to the fallen fairy approaching the bridge.
"I must applaud you, keyblade wielder," she sneered. "Only you could guard the princess and seal the keyhole to this land." If only this wasn't the witch trying to destroy Ash, he'd take it in stride. Asuna got in front of Ash with her fan.
"There's no way you're getting Konoka, Missy!" she roared. Maleficent chuckled at her futile effort...or that Konoka wasn't her target.
"Now why would I want her?" The rest balked at Maleficent's denial. "It's you, the princess that nullifies magic." She's after Asuna. "And you'll be coming with me." Just as Maleficent stuck her hand out for Asuna, a dagger jabbed at her back.
"It would be easier to forget her and your dream of Ansem's return," Celes warned. Maleficent was surrounded. Ash had her flanked in the front and Celes had her back. Let's not forget Setsuna who can use a sword of her own. Even Asuna knew the help around her.
"As you were saying..." she sneered herself. Maleficent bobbed, knowing she lost this round.
"If I use my magic, her bells will extinguish them. I'll be back for you, Asuna Kagurazaka." In a puff of smoke, Maleficent vanished. Gone, the group relaxed.
"That old hag is certainly bent on getting Asuna for herself," Evangeline studied. "And what in the world did she mean by a princess?" Goofy offered his experience to spread information.
"Apparently, Maleficent seeks the princesses to resurrect an old enemy in Ansem," he explained. "He used to run the Heartless around the universe before Sora and the rest stopped him." It's now that Negi understood the ordeal at hand.
"So Maleficent wants to revive Ansem and absorb his power," he theorized. It's a possibility but no one was sure. Setsuna, held up by Konoka, came up to Ash.
"So are you going?" she asked. A nod from Ash told the rest that more Heartless were out there, and he needed to exercise them.
"More worlds to explore, more Heartless to defeat," he proposed. The need to press on fueled the hope to stay free of Heartless.
"Then take this as a good luck charm," Negi offered a rod with a star on top. "I've grown powerful with my students that I might not need this anymore." Ash wasn't sure about accepting this trinket as a souvenir. But like all worlds before, that wouldn't stay that for long. The flash of light from the item...
"Let's see this new keyblade." The flash gone, the rod was now a keyblade with a bit of a star theme: the hilt had a four-point star, the shaft decorated itself in stars and the prongs had a triangle of three five-point stars. The other thing was the weight: light as a feather.
"Another keyblade?" Setsuna gasped. "Just how many does he have?" A lot? After their goodbyes in the morning, the group left for new adventure. How many more worlds are left? Ash and Celes were on the bridge of the Gummi Ship.
"Chigusa reminded me of Kefka a little," Celes opened up as she wore her leotard and cape again.
"How so?" Ash wondered. Celes rested her chin on her knuckles.
"The lust for power to ascend. With Kefka, it was the Warring Triad at the summit of the Floating Continent. To Chigusa, the power within Konoka." Power...it dawned on Ash about what consequence power held.
"Power...it corrupts." A nod from Celes confirmed Ash's fear.
"It's the three traits of the first test when I dove to my heart," male Sora voiced to Ash. "The powers came as a sword, also known as the Power of the Warrior; invincible courage but terrible destruction. The shield was labeled the Power of the Guardian; kindness as an aid to friends but one that repelled all. Last was the rod, best described as the Power of the Mystic; inner strength, it's one of wonder and ruin. Each weapon had an upside and a downside. No choice with me, I wanted the sword and gave up the shield. I wanted to stop the threat and hold nothing back." Sora was lucky. He had a choice to have one and throw the other away.
'I never had my dive.' Sora figured about the problem.
"If you did, what would you have wanted? And what would you give up?" Ash pondered that for a moment before coming up with a conclusion.
'The opposite of you. Knowing now how power corrupts, I'd rather have the shield and toss away the sword. I would want to protect my friends.' Hearing Ash's mind and his heart, Sora believed him.
"To each his own, I see what you mean. The more I hear of your work, the more I realize the shield would've been the wise choice. Keep defending...my friend." Head cleared, Ash and the group pursued more adventure.
TO BE CONTINUED...
(Thank you for all your patience and to make up for the hiatus, I will give all you readers one more world before Hollow Bastion. You don't need to vote for this, I'm offering it to you. The last world will be Arendelle and if you don't know what movie that is, look it up. My treat to you.)