Disclaimer: Not mine, yay!
Chapter 34- Hollow Bastion: Light
"Is that… Is that Hollow Bastion?" asked Sora wondrously, observing the world from above.
"Sure is," nodded Donald. "Let's see… That's bizarre, nothing on the world scanner about it."
"The sooner we land then, the better. Ahyuk." said Goofy eagerly.
The three touched down and exited into a valley made of blue floating rocks. Waterfalls surrounded the edge of the valley, but they fell up instead of down.
"Gwarsh, look at that!" Goofy gaped.
Sora stepped forward, staring at the castle. It towered majestically above them. "I know this place…"
Goofy raised an eyebrow at the castle and looked back at Sora. "Hm, that's strange."
Sora frowned. "I wonder why… I feel this warmth inside, right here." He placed a hand over his heart.
"Aw, you're just hungry." Donald scoffed and waves a hand.
"Hey! I'm serious!" retorted Sora. A roar from above interrupted them. In the distance, Sora was sure he could see someone he knew. "Let's go." He commanded and started leaping from rock to rock.
*****
"No vessel, no help from the Heartless… So, tell me, how'd you get here?" sneered Riku.
Beast glared at Belle's kidnapper with fury in his eyes. "I simply believed," he growled. "Nothing more to it. When our world fell into darkness by your hands and you took Belle from me, I vowed I would find her again no matter what the cost. I believed I would find her. So here I am. She must be here. I will have her back!"
"Take her if you can," challenged Riku.
Beast roared and plunged at the silver-haired boy. Inches before he could swipe at him with his claws, he heard the sound of wings and felt a pain in his side. Bellowing in pain, he fell to the ground. Blood dripped from a deep gash near his chest.
"I'm not letting you anywhere near him."
Beast looked up from his place on the ground. Black wings descended and landed next to Riku. The girl stood defiantly, looking for the world like an angel of death. Her dark eyes flashed dangerously as she twirled her weapons around as a warning to him.
Riku stepped forward, lording over Beast. "You should have let the darkness take you. It would have meant a less painful death." Riku pulled his bat-winged sword out and held it high.
"Stop!" A hand reached over the edge of the rock. Sora clambered up, followed by Donald and Goofy. "Don't kill him!"
Riku put his sword down and regarded Sora. "So, you finally made it. About time, Sora. We've been waiting for you."
Sora gripped onto his Keyblade harder. He didn't know what to expect.
Riku sighed. "We've always been rivals, haven't we? You've always pushed me as I've always pushed you."
Memories of their fights together on Destiny Islands floated through both their minds.
"Riku…" Sora lessened his grip on the Keyblade as he thought.
Riku clenched his fist and threw his sword to the ground. "But it all ends here! There can't be two Keyblade Masters!"
Sora's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
"It was here that I discovered who I was meant to be." Riku said, calming down. "The first time I told Iji how I felt for her. She showed me what I was meant to have." He stared at the Keyblade. The sides of his mouth curled up in a small knowing smile. "Let the Keyblade choose… its true master!"
Iji closed her eyes. There was a flash of light that temporarily blinded Sora. Donald and Goofy made sounds of disbelief. When Sora regained his eyesight, he gasped. The Keyblade had been transferred from his hand to Riku's. Riku looked the Keyblade over and made a few quick swipes, testing it and making sure it was for real.
"Maleficent was right." commented Riku. "You don't have what it takes to save Kairi. It's up to me and Iji. Only the Keyblade Master can open the secret door and change the world."
"Bu-but that's impossible!" Sora said, shocked. "How did this happen? I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!"
Iji reached down and held Riku's hand and looked over at Sora. "You were but the delivery boy, Sora."
'There's always a light, no matter how dark it is.' whispered a voice in Sora's mind as Iji spoke.
Riku interrupted Sora as he tried to understand the voice. "Sorry, your part's over now. Here," Riku threw a wooden sword at Sora's feet. "Go play hero with this." Riku side-glanced at Iji. "I'll meet you back up in the castle."
Iji nodded and spread her raven wings. She sent dust flying at Sora as she took off for the castle, Riku walked off in the same direction.
Donald trotted past Sora and looked back. "Goofy, let's go. We have to remember our mission."
"Oh! Well, I know the King told us to follow the Key and all…" Goofy slowly followed and stopped beside Sora.
"Sora, sorry…" Donald said sadly. He gave him a quick pat of the shoulder before leaving to join Riku. Goofy looked downtrodden as he trailed behind them.
Sora watched as they all disappeared onto a lift that floated up the castle.
"Belle, I'm coming." growled Beast. He struggled to his feet and staggered forward.
Sora quickly went to his aid. He pulled a potion out of his pocket. "Hey, don't move. You're hurt."
"Why… why did you… you come here? I came to fight for Belle." Beast breathed deeply as Sora poured some of the potion onto his wound. The wound slowly healed, allowing Beast to move again. He grunted a thank you as he got to his feet again. "And thought I am on my own, I will fight. I won't leave without her. That's why I'm here."
"Me too," Sora looked down at the wooden sword on the ground and picked it up. "I'm not gonna give up now. I came here to find someone very important to me. Kairi's waiting for me."
'There's always a light, no matter how dark it is.'
Sora turned his sights to the castle. "I hope you're right, Iji."
*****
A dark smile rose from Maleficent's twisted mouth. The room was lined with coffin-like pods and filled with six females, the Princesses of Heart. In the centre of the room Kairi's body laid in a similar structure. The pods glowed with an eerie blue light. Maleficent walked past her, thinking about what a waste of space she was and why the boy was so keen on keeping her even though her Heart had been taken.
"Oh purest of Hearts! Reveal to me the Keyhole!" Maleficent commanded, raising her arms and laughing.
From the Princesses on the walls, six beams of light erupted from their chests. The beams shot up into the air and ran into each other, deflecting up into another part of the hall and to a large empty keyhole-shaped frame. Dark cloudy colours burst into being as the beams of light pierced it. The colours swirled sickeningly. The beams of light from the Princesses flickered suddenly and died. Maleficent shot a look back at them and glowered.
"It seems seven is needed after all to finish the Keyhole." Maleficent scowled. She looked back at Kairi's unmoving body. "No…" she whispered in disbelief. "It must be her." Maleficent strode over to stare over Kairi. "Well, last princess, you can't hide forever. Your Heart will be mine."
*****
The door slowly creaked open, revealing a foyer. It had the air of once being a magnificent sight. Now pieces of plaster littered the floor and dust covered the faded murals that once vibrantly shone with colour. Beast and Sora crept into the foyer, careful to alarm anyone to their intrusion.
"Be on your guard," Beast warned Sora. "They're close, I can feel it. Are you ready for them?"
Sora nodded bravely and walked into the centre of the foyer.
Beast turned around and his eyes widened with shock and tears. "Belle…?" A beautiful woman in a golden gown stood in the doorway. She winked and smoke swirled around her. She was replaced instantly by a Shadow Heartless. It jumped up and down teasingly. Beast roared furiously at its taunt and ran after it.
"Beast!" Sora called after him. The door swung closed and locked. Plaster cracked under heavy footsteps. Sora whirled around. Riku had been waiting for him.
"You should quit while you're ahead." Riku threatened him, resting the Keyblade on his shoulder.
Sora frowned stubbornly. "No. Not without Kairi and Iji."
Riku returned the look. "Iji doesn't want to go back with you. You heard her before, she loves me. She let the darkness swallow her just so she could be with me. She can't come back with you now!" He swung the Keyblade off his shoulder. "It may have swallowed us, but it will destroy you!" Riku's clothes crackled with purple tinted lightning as he yelled. Slowly they melted into a dark coloured body-suit with the Heartless symbol emblazoned on the front.
"You're wrong, Riku." Sora replied, glaring. "The darkness may destroy my body, but it can't touch my Heart. My Heart will stay with my friends. It'll never die!"
Riku laughed. "Really… Well, we'll just see about that!" In a fluid motion, Riku released a globe of dark energy at Sora.
Sora stood his ground defiantly at the attack. Inches from him, Goofy leapt out from nowhere and raised his shield, guarding Sora.
"Goofy!" exclaimed Sora joyfully at the sight of his friend. He also saw Donald, standing off behind Riku.
"Sora ain't gonna go anywhere!" Goofy told Riku.
He raised his eyebrow. "You'd betray your king?"
Goofy shook his head. "Not on your life! But I'm not gonna betray Sora either, 'cause he's become one of my best buddies after all we've been through together!" Goofy looked over at Donald and waved. "See ya later, Donald! Could ya tell the King I'm really sorry?"
Donald ran over to him. "Hold on! We'll tell him together. All for one and one for all!"
Goofy laughed. "Ahyuck! I guess you're stuck with us again, Sora." He grabbed his friend up in a one armed hug.
Sora grinned, happy for their return. "Thanks a lot… Donald, Goofy."
"How will you fight without a weapon?" Riku yelled at Sora, interrupting their reunion.
Sora stepped forward to confront Riku. "I know now I don't the Keyblade." He threw away his wooden sword. "I've got a better weapon; my Heart!"
Riku laughed darkly. "Your Heart?! What good will that weak little thing do for you?"
Sora ignored his taunts and continued. "Although my Heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience, and it's found a home with all the friends I've made. I've become a part of their Hearts just as much as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then… if they don't forget me… then our Hearts will be one. I don't need a weapon. My Friends are my power!"
'There's always a light…'
There was a flash of brilliant light as the Keyblade transported over to Sora's hand. He smiled at it.
Riku's face twitched furiously. "Why? Why did the Keyblade choose you over me?! I'm the True Keyblade Master!"
Sora looked up at Riku blankly. "When you choose the darkness, you make an enemy of the light."
The older boy stared at him in a kind of strange shock. "Iji said that once…" Riku shook himself out of his memories. "So, then you know too?"
Sora nodded. "Iji has my darkness,"
"And my light." Riku finished. With the Keyblade no longer in his hand, he summoned his bat-winged sword. "She's mine, Sora. And so is Kairi! She doesn't deserve to be with the likes of you! Not after how you betrayed us! We'd all be better of without you!"
He yelled sharply and ran at Sora, determined to win.