Disclaimer: I don't own anything about Total Drama or Kingdom Hearts
Xxx
"First thing you must know, my students is that the Keyblade are different from the metal swords." Master Eraqus held up hilt of his Keyblade. "You must learn the basics in how to understand how to use them. Are you ready?"
The three students nodded.
"Remember," Eraqus started. "Every feint, every dodge, every block is a trap to the unwary. The basics of the fighting style these swords revolve around are the body target zones: each for the head, arms, legs, and torso."
The three nodded in understanding.
"The three rings of defense consists of the outer, middle, and inner rings. The outer rings have diagonal defenses; the middle ring needs the blade to be held at approximate right angle. Horizontal blocks for upper and lower attacks and vertical blocks for right and left attacks. Inner rings needs defense positions for lunging attacks and you need to parry instead of block." Eraqus slowly instructed. "These blades almost have no weight when compared to metal crafted swords so they require a great deal of strength and dexterity to wield."
From that point on Eraqus would slowly instruct and fense his students on the basics Keyblade styles before they would create their own.
Shii-Cho: the basic building block of Keyblade combat. A form that balanced offense and defense. It was simplistic and raw that encourages deliberate tactics, calling for continuous, step by step advancement while cutting off the opponent's angles.
Makashi: a style that encourages precision and finesse as opposed to strength and aggression. It relies on feints to confuse and trap opponents but it is weak against long range or multiple opponents unless you were experienced enough and does not generate kinetic energy in its attacks, thus suffering a dangerous weakness.
Soresu: a style that focused purely on defense, blocking and defending against short and long range attacks and waiting to make a move when an opening was detected. However the pure defense could be your undoing as it you could tire out long before your enemy does.
Ataru: an extremely fast style, using aerobatics such as somersaults and leaping strikes that are enhanced by magic as opposed to fighting head on. The weakness of this style is that it doesn't handle well in enclosed space but it is effective against a single opponent.
Djem-so/Shien: a fairly aggressive sword style designed to maintain a proper balance between defense and offense. It's designed to block and then immediately counterattack, creating openings in an opponent's defense with brute strength and pure power.
Niman: a style that focuses on balance, a jack of all trades style that incorporates other styles and martial arts into it and yet lacks an advantage but at the same time it lacks any serious drawbacks.
Juyo: the most aggressive style of all forms that focuses completely on offense but keeps the opponent from exploiting any openings since they are too busy defending themselves. The style can be seen as chaotic and erratic but it takes heavy focus to master this style while using aggressive feelings to help make it unpredictable.
Terra seemed to prefer aggressive attacking styles like Djem-So/Shien and Juyo while Gwen was more profecint with Soresu, Makashi while utilizing a bit of Ataru and Niman while Mike was best suited for Ataru and Shien. In the end the three all branched out and slowly created their own personal fighting styles but kept studying on the basic forms of Keyblade combat. Terra's style was centered around using slow, but very heavy and hard-hitting attacks to decimate his enemies. Mike was the fasted and most agile, his primary fighting style consisting of dodging, quick movements, and swift combo attacks.
Mike's primary battle style consisted of very fast, wide backhanded strikes with his Keyblade in quick succession to deal damage. His single strikes weren't as powerful as Terra's powerful blows, but his ability to attack quickly made up for his lower attack power. Gwen on the other hand was balanced out of the three, with decent strength, speed, agility, and range. She was neither the slowest nor the fastest of the trio, but her thin frame made her a difficult target.
Unlike Terra and Ventus, she blocked using Barrier, effectively giving Gwen a 360° defensive zone. Her battle style relied on the economy of movement, utilizing precision and minimal energy for dodging and countering.
The three were well on their way to becoming Keyblade Masters.
Xxx
"Continuing from where we left the three main heroes arrived in Radiant Garden and fought off three Dark Keybladers before running off to face an unknown Unversed. What will happen? Find out as we continue on Total…Drama…Birth by Sleep!" Chris announced, spreading his arms out as he made the grand introduction.
Xxx
Radiant Garden
Mike had followed the large creature back into the courtyard that he had arrived in when he first came to this world. When he arrived he spotted the Unversed he was chasing coming towards an elderly woman with a golden cage holding a small yellow bird.
"How dare you?! Back off you fiend!" The woman waved her cane at the monster. "You won't be getting my money!"
Mike stopped and called out. "Look out!"
The woman looked at Mike as threw his Keyblade that spun through the air and hit the Unversed, not seemingly hurting it but convinced it to leave.
"Hold on…" The woman said, watching as Mike chased after it. "Wait a moment, young dear!"
Mike stopped, turning around his Keyblade vanished. "Huh?"
"Am I not allowed to repay you?" The woman asked as she approached him with a grateful smile on her face.
"Oh, you don't have to." Mike replied, anxious to chase after the creature.
"Not just hold your horses. I didn't mean with my money." The woman said irritably. "I was thinking more along the line of this. You came here from another world, didn't you?" She giggled at the surprised look on Mike's face. "Don't worry, deary. Your secret is safe with me. After all it is the same with me and my Tweety. I asked the wizard Papa Smurf to bring us here from another world. After all, it was so peaceful and quiet here."
"Great. Is that all?" Mike asked.
"Ah, I am holding you up." The woman held out three tickets. "These are lifetime passes to Toon Town. You'll have lots of fun there, or my name isn't Granny. Enough for you and two other friends."
Mike accepted the passports, looking them over and nodded at Granny. "Okay, thank you."
Granny watched as Mike ran off and sighed. "Young people, always in a rush."
Mike found the monster he was chasing and followed after it through the town until a voice stopped him. "Hang it all! Can't I get a moment's peace?!"
Mike stopped and looked to where the voice came from, gaping slightly to see a very small blue skinned old man come out of a house, even though he didn't look he had reached for the door. "Mister, get inside! It's not safe!"
"Oh? Order me about, now that's unsafe. After all, I am Papa Smurf, resident wizard of Radiant Garden." Papa Smurf said, smiling at Mike. "Oh oh…Another scamp looking to wake the powers inside him, is that it?"
"What? How did you know?" Mike questioned, surprised by the small man's perceptiveness.
"We wizards have a knack for knowing such things." Papa Smurf chuckled. "The book is inside on the table. You may have a gander if you like. I need to go find Beth, it's not safe for her out here alone."
Mike watched as Papa Smurf walked and stared at the door to his house, wondering if this was a good idea. "What book?"
Deciding there was no harm in just seeing Mike walked into the house, noting how clean the place looked and spotted the book Papa Smurf was likely talking about. The book was called Fusion Fall and when Mike opened the book there was a bright flash of light and he felt something awaken inside of him that made him feel stronger. The flash faded and the book was closed again so Mike simply put it back on the table, deciding he had done all he could do.
There was still a monster to chase.
Xxx
Terra had followed the mysterious creature from Papa Smurf's shop and came into a large area that looked industrial like. He heard footsteps behind and looked over his shoulder, surprised to see Gwen and Mike rushing up to him.
"Mike!" Gwen and Terra said at the same time.
"Terra! Gwen!" Mike said happily before looking up and seeing the three Unversed that they had had been chasing.
The first armor resembled a torso and head. Its head was diamond-shaped and grey with red eyes set in an angry expression. The front of its body was adorned with a large, light blue, U-shaped additive with black edges lined by four shirt spikes. Its "neck" was thin, black, and curled forward. The Unversed symbol was printed on the end of the neck. On either side of the neck, the Unversed had two red "arms" that end in black, triangular blades, each with a yellow stripe on them.
The second Armor was cone-shaped and red with black, spiked additives decorating it. The Unversed emblem was on its front. Its base was black with gold lining and four thin, black, propeller-like blades were attached to its top. These blades each had a gold stripe near their tips and the Unversed spun them in a helicopter-esque fashion to move. Its red eyes were on the small spike on its top.
The third Armor resembled a set of three, segmented, red legs with black and grey joints. The top of the center leg sports two red eyes and acted as the Unversed's "head". The Unversed emblem was small and on the center leg, right below the eyes. Each leg ended in triangular, black feet. As the three students of Master Eraqus summoned their Keyblades the three Unversed surprised them by transforming and coming together.
The first Armor changed very little. Only its head changed, becoming black and sleeker, and it gained a horn on the top of its head. The second Armor compacted and then split in two, forming a pair of arms. The black and gold base became armguards and its black and red body became two shoulder pauldrons. Thick, light grey arms and black, four-fingered hands revealed themselves from under the second Armor's plating.
The third Armor's side legs remained largely the same as they were before, though the black feet are replaced with more ornate, red and black ones. The center leg retracted into itself and flips upside down. The completed Trinity Armor sported three Unversed symbols, one for each of its components. The three students quickly scatted, standing three corners of the battlefield, readying themselves to take down the giant monstrosity.
Terra was the first to make a move, charging at the Trinity Armor's legs and slashing at them while covering himself in electricity to enhance the damage. In the meantime Mike activated his Shotlock, Flame Salvo, sending a barrage of fire balls at the Armor. Gwen copied Mike's actions, using her own Shotlock known as Thunderstorm and sent bolts of electricity at the beast as it lunged forward. Terra took advantage of the distraction Mike and Gwen created and leapt up the Armor's legs, delivering several hits before ducking as the Armor swat at him and landed back on the ground.
Terra quickly jumped back as the Armor shot fire balls into the air and fell towards him.
"Freeze!" Mike shouted, shooting a shard of ice at the Trinity Armor's back and then jumped through the air, unleashing a whirlwind of strikes at its back.
"Hi-Ya!" Gwen leapt in, twirling through the air and demonstrating her own skills as she hammered at the Armor's legs with her Keyblade.
"Fire!" Terra shouted, shooting a few fireballs from his Keyblade that scorched the Armor's metallic skin as it turned to attack his friends.
"Diamond Dust!" Mike shouted as the icy white aura of the spell surrounded him and he attacked with Terra, slashing at the monster's body.
The Armor gathered a large amount of energy and released it from its torso in the form of a laser beam as it slowly spun in a circle to hit them. Each wielder responded differently to the attack. Terra ran ahead of the beam, keeping ahead of it barely while Mike leapt over the beam and Gwen rolled under it and then leapt up, activating her shotlock Thunderstorm again and hammered it with small lightning bolts. As soon the Armor's laser beam wore off it split itself back into its three smaller forms, possibly seeing that the three were too quick for its larger and more powerful form. The first armor went after Terra while the second one went after Mike and the third one took on Gwen.
Terra slashed with the first armor, dodging its bladed arms as they stabbed and thrust at him.
"Bring it!" Mike shouted as he activated his shotlock, Flame Salvo and unleashed wave after wave after wave of fire balls on the second armor as flew at him.
As Mike's attacks forced the second armor back Gwen chased the third armor as it hopped around the battle field. She first used several combo attacks before activating her Spellweaver Command Style, using the magic to enhance her speed, ability, and strength as she hammered away at the armored legs of the monster that was fighting all three friends at once. The first and second armors then moved to opposite sides of the battle ground and formed an energy laser that linked the two and spun around, to try and catch their enemies. Using his Diamond Dust ability Mike hammered at the second armor while Terra shot a few fireballs at it.
The second armor spun around, firing lasers in all directions with a few hitting all of the Keyblade wielders with Gwen being the worse. Gwen cried out as she stepped back but quickly cast a Cura, healing herself quickly. She then used her Thunderstorm for a third time and in a blast of light destroyed the armor that formed the legs of the beast. Just as she destroyed the legs Terra and Mike double teamed the armor that formed the arms and destroyed it under a few seconds. Seeing the other two parts of itself gone the final armor, the torso armor fired lasers in all directions and even charged and fired a massive laser as it now fought like an enranged beast to destroy the three enemies.
Mike ran forward and slipped under its guard, fired a few spells at it from below and seemingly hurting it. Terra jumped up, somersaulting down and delivered a few blows to the head while Gwen used a spell known as Blizzard Edge that allowed ice to be formed when the edge of her Keyblade made contact with an enemy. The armor spun around, releasing fireballs that forced them to retreat to avoid getting burned. Terra decided to fight fire with fire by using Fire spells against the armor while Gwen used Thunderstorm and Mike used Diamond Dust, all of them attacking at the same time and with one final attack destroyed the final armor in a blast of light.
Once it was gone the three Keyblade wielders walked up to each other in the center of the formed battlefield.
"Got 'em." Terra said with a smirk.
"We make a good team." Gwen commented.
"We sure do." Mike nodded in agreement and held three cards. "By the way, I picked these up."
"What are they?" Terra asked.
"Life time passes to a place called Toon Town." Mike answered.
"Toon-Town?" Gwen asked with a chuckle that Terra echoed before turning sober. "Mike, we need to get you home."
"It's all right, Gwen. The guy in the mask won't be badmouthing Terra again." Mike said.
Terra stiffened and put a hand on Mike's shoulder as he urgently asked. "You saw the boy in the mask?"
"Uh…Yeah." Mike answered, surprised by Terra's change in mood.
Terra scowled. "Mal."
Gwen's eyes widened. "Wait, did you say Mal?"
"Who is Mal?" Mike asked but Gwen ignored him.
"Terra, did you really just say Mal, as in…" Gwen trailed off, looking at Mike.
"Yes." Terra nodded solemnly.
"But that's impossible…Mal is dead and gone." Gwen shook her head. "He died years ago before I ever met you…Did…Did Master Xehanort tell you it was Mal?"
Terra nodded. "Yes, he explained what had happened and where Mal came from."
Gwen frowned and looked at Mike. "I should have known…Mike, it's even important you go home. You can't face Mal."
"But Gwen-"
"She's right." Terra agreed. "We have a dangerous task ahead of us."
Gwen looked at Terra. "A dangerous task? Is this what Master Xehanort told you?"
"Gwen…" Terra was surprised.
"Terra, did Xehanort tell you about the other wielders? The ones from our world?" Gwen asked.
"Our world?" Mike asked. "You mean those guys…"
Gwen sighed. "Yes, Mike. The Dark Keybladers are from our world and I suspect there eight of them, Mal included and I think they're working with Chris, a guy who was the one who brought us together on his show and I think Xehanort knew about it."
"Master Xehanort would never knowingly give the Keyblade to people like them. The one in the mask did it." Terra objected.
"Would he? He was the one who brought Mike to the Land of Departure and I knew there was something off about him. And then Heather, Courtney, Duncan, Alejandro, and Scott who were all part of the same team on the All-Stars attack me with Keyblades of their own. And I'm just now hearing that Mal who not only died but was wiped from existence before Mike and I got our Keyblades is back." Gwen retorted. "This isn't a coincidence, Terra. Something really bad is going on and Xehanort is at the heart of it. This isn't what the Master told us to do. And the other friends, the ones who don't have Keyblades, we've been finding them in the middle of these fights."
She held out the Summon Gems for Noah, LeShawna, and Trent.
"I've got some too!" Mike held out the Gem for Anne Marie.
Terra closed his eyes. "It might be a different route, but I'm fighting the Darkness."
"I'm not so sure. I've been to the same worlds as you and I've seen what you've done. Is it true that you helped Mumm-Ra steal Pumyra's Heart?" Gwen asked.
"Gwen!" Mike gasped.
"That was an accident." Terra looked away. "Mumm-Ra…He knew things about the Keyblade and about me. I was caught off guard."
"Terra…This is why the Master was worried about you." Gwen said sadly.
"You mean you've been spying on me?" Terra asked. "Is that what he said to do? The Master's orders?"
"He was worried about you, Terra. He didn't mean anything about not trusting you." Gwen answered.
"But Gwen, Terra's perfectly trustworthy. You know that." Mike said. "He didn't do it on purpose."
"I get it." Terra turned around. "Take Mike home."
"I can't do that now, Terra. Not with Mal on the loose." Gwen shook her head. "You have no idea how dangerous Mal is, especially if he has a Keyblade now."
"It's all right. I can handle it." Terra said as he started walking away.
"Terra!" Mike called out.
"Just stay put!" Terra said harshly, stopping both of them. "I'm on my own now, all right?"
"Terra, please! Listen!" Gwen said pleadingly. "The Master has no reason to distrust you! He was just worried about you!"
"Gwen." Mike put his hand on her shoulder. "Let it go. He needs to cool off. Who's this Mal person you are talking about?"
Gwen looked at Mike with a saddened look on her face. "Someone I thought you and I would never have to face again."
Xxx
"Master Xehanort is the only one I can still count on." Terra muttered, traveling down the depths of the industrial area of Radiant Garden.
It hurt that Master Eraqus did not trust Terra even though the Master had given him a second chance. Just as he made it to the bottom level a voice halted Terra in his tracks. "You must be Terra."
Terra stopped, seeing a man walked onto the path he was taking. He wore dark pants and black boots, a double breasted coat with the black belt and a red scarf over his neck while his hands were covered with white gloves. He had black hair neatly combed back.
"It's that old coot, he won't stop asking for you. I came all the way out here to get you just so he'd clam up." The man said with an annoying smirk on his face.
"What do you mean?" Terra asked.
"Ha! Do I have to spell it out?" The man asked dryly. "Xehanort, whatever he's called. You know, he's my prisoner."
Terra didn't look like he was taking the man seriously. "You're apparently not a very good liar. Master Xehanort would never let himself be caught by a thug like you."
"As if!" The man retorted. "I've got the old coot at my mercy, see for yourself. I'm holding him underneath the Outer Gardens." The man turned around. "You better show up before I lose my patience. Ciao."
Terra watched as he walked away, putting a hand to his chin. "There's no way it's true…But no harm in looking."
He followed in the direction the man went off, readying himself whatever might be waiting for him.
Xxx
"You're saying Mal used to be me?" Mike asked, flabbergasted by what Gwen had told him.
"Back around Total Drama you had a condition called Multiple Personality Disorder where certain things caused you to manifest a personality completely different from you as you are now. There was Chester who acted like a cranky old man, Svetlana who acted like a Russian Ballerina, Manitoba who acted like an Australian geologist, Vito who acted like a typical muscle head and then there was Mal, the malevolent one." Gwen explained carefully as she tried to remember it all. "Out of all of them Mal was the most dangerous and the most evil. My ex-boyfriend Duncan once said that he and Mal were in Juvy at the same time and Duncan actually avoided Mal because of how dangerous he was and how he liked to cause trouble just for the fun of it. None of us believed him at the time because you were the nicest person around so when we found out the hard way we were all shocked. Mal tried to kill Zoey and you stopped him by absorbing him and your other personalities into your subconsciousness forever."
"So…If Mal used to be a part of me how did he get out?" Mike asked, slowly taking it all in.
"I don't know how but I think something happened to you before you came to the Land of Departure and Master Xehanort knew the whole time. Mal was supposed to be gone for good but if he is the masked Keyblade wielder he's more dangerous then ever especially to you, Mike. He tried to lock you up in your mind and nearly succeeded. If not for Zoey who was part of the reason you were strong enough to stop him he'd have won and maybe killed Zoey during the final challenge." Gwen answered, becoming anxious as she remembered. "Mal wasn't just a personality of someone who was a jerk he was pure evil and ruthless. And I think he's working with the Dark Keybladers, Chris and maybe Master Xehanort."
"But why?" Mike asked.
"I don't know…Yet. But Mal with a Keyblade means bad news for all of us, especially you and Zoey. I think he'll try to kill the two of you like he did before." Gwen said.
"We got to help Terra then. We can't let him face Mal alone." Mike said, looking in the direction Terra went. "I'll got and give Terra a hand. You keep finding the others, especially Zoey. If she's on his hitlist she'll need you to protect her."
"Mike wait!" Gwen tried to protest but Mike already took off in the direction Terra had went. "Don't let Mal control you like he did before!"
Xxx
Terra found his way to the passage leading under the Outer Gardens that was hidden in a large fountain. He walked down a ramp that led onto a large platform that overlooked the massive water works for Radiant Garden. He looked down at the water and saw a reflection, but not if himself. He spun around and looked up, seeing Master Xehanort chained to a pillar.
"Master Xehanort!" Terra called out and was relieved to see Xehanort opened his eyes, alive and hopefully not too badly harmed.
"The old coot certainly knows how to take punishment." Terra looked back at the entrance and watched as the man he encountered earlier walked down the ramp. "Just like I know how to deal it out."
"You monster!" Terra shouted and summoned his Keyblade. "What are you after?"
"That thing right there." The man pulled out a silver weapon, resembling an advanced crossbow and pointed at Terra' Keyblade. "It's called the Keyblade, isn't it? Yep, it seems like these days everybody's got one of those…Even grandpa up there." The man gestured up to Xehanort. "When I nabbed him, he told me all about it, what a weapon like that could do. How could I not want one?"
"Well, you'll find they're picky about their owners." Terra retorted.
"Ha, if I heard the old guy right, you're what they call Keyblade Master material." The man said thoughtfully. "So if I defeat you, that makes me the real keyslinger, if you catch my drift. Not the most polite way to go about it but what can you do?" Terra charged forward but the man hopped back and held up a hand. "Ah-ah, one more step and the coot goes boom. You think I'm going to fight fair? As if! They key's too powerful for us to go mano a mano."
Terra gritted his teeth, realizing he couldn't attack without risking Master Xehanort's life.
Xxx
Mike hoped he would find Terra but he was nowhere in sight as Mike looked through the town. He just came upon the courtyard he arrived in when he spotted someone, not Terra, in trouble. A small boy by the looks of it, surrounded by four Unversed.
"Run!" Mike shouted, rushing past the boy and summoning his Keyblade.
The boy turned around and started running just as Mike slashed at the first Unversed, taking it out with just a few hits.
"Wind!" Mike shouted, releasing a gust that destroyed two more and leaving one left which Mike took out quickly.
Once all of them were gone Mike turned to the boy who stood back and watched the fight. He looked to be about ten and wore a white lab coat which was odd.
"Ienzo, where are you?" Mike turned around, seeing another man wearing the same white coat as the boy enter the courtyard with a young woman next to him with orange hair tied in a bun. "Answer me."
The boy walked up beside Mike, earning the other man's attention.
"Ah, there you are. Didn't I warn you not to wander off, child?" The man asked, walking past Mike.
The girl seemingly greeted him. "Greetings carbon life-form known as Mike."
Mike was surprised. "You know me?"
"Of course. I am familiar with you from our time on Total Drama." The girl said.
The man just seemingly noticed Mike. "I see we owe you our thanks. We have done our best to raise the boy…since his poor parents are not here to do it."
"Oh. You're on your own huh?" Mike asked but got no answer. "Sir, I'm looking for a friend of mine. He;s a tall guy dressed kinda like me. Have you seen him?"
"Hmm…Perhaps I did see him in the Outer Gardens." The man answered thoughtfully. "Just follow this road."
Mike looked in the direction the man was pointing. "Thank you."
"No, thank yo, for keeping Ienzo out of harm's way." The man said, the condescending look never leaving his face. "And…Well, let's say I have a feeling we are destined to cross again."
"Goodbye carbon based life form known as Mike. Good luck on your journey." The girl said, leaving with the man and Izenzo.
"…Nice people." Mike smiled awkwardly.
Xxx
Terra grunted as he blocked another shot from the man that had taken Master Xehanort hostage. He could only block with his Keyblade and it wasn't getting easier as he shot pushed him until one even knocked him down.
"Hmph. For a Keyblade Master, you're not very…What's the word? Good." The man commented casually shrugging at the downed Terra.
As he glared up at the man he heard a voice shouting at him. "What are you doing, Terra? Fight!"
Terra looked up, see that it was Xehanort who spoke. "But Master, you'll-"
"Nevermind me! You must fight! You can't let this ruffian win. Think of your Master, Eraqus, the shame he and your fellow pupils would be forced to bear!" Xehanort shouted. "Use the Keyblade."
Terra felt he shouldn't be doing this but Xehanort's words had an effect on him, as if a furnace inside him had finally awoken and releasing the fire inside that spilled out. He stood up, taking deep breath as the power he felt rushed through his veins.
"Pfft, so much for the bluff." The man said with a shrug.
As soon as Terra stood up, the man disappeared, warping up to a high platform that was out of attack range for Terra.
"You better start running! "The man then proceeded to fire energy bullets at Terra from afar like a sniper. "I can see you!"
Terra quickly started running, dodging the crystal shaped energy shots at the rained down on him from above. Another came to Terra's mind as he chose to stand in the line of fire, and used Guard. This action deflected the bullets back at the man, damaging him and decreasing the time he stays on the platform. The man warped back down to Terra's location, and fired a series of bullets at Terra, deflected the shots with Guard, dealing damage.
"Fire!" Terra shouted, sending a fire ball at the man who teleported out of the way.
Seeing that Terra was deflecting his bullets the man started to seemingly charge power, becoming open to attack. Terra rushed forward and quickly slashed at the man, knocking him back and cancelling the attack.
"Come on!" The man started then to alternate between firing shots from both the ground and air at Terra who used Guard, to block and deflect the bullets.
Occasionally, he fired bullets while running at an incredibly high speed, forcing Terra to block with his Keyblade and the Guard spell.
"Gotcha now!" He repeated these actions several times over the course of the battle until finally the man came down to the ground after shooting from the air, and began to charge up for a big shot.
Only Terra leapt up into the air, a dark aura surrounding him as he took a deep breath and shot a blast of pure Darkness at the man who screamed as the blast collided with his face and fell to the ground.
He put a hand over the left side of his face, especially his eye. He looked up at Terra and visible trembled as Terra fired another shot at him that burned his right cheek and shot up towards the pillar Xehanort was chained too. Xehanort grunted as the chains fell to the ground and looked down at the platform, seemingly impressed by Terra. The man stood up, clutching his face and quickly retreated, preforming high jumps up the ramp and ran out the exit.
"This power…" Terra whispered, staring down at the ground in shame.
"Well done, Terra." Terra glanced up, seeing Master Xehanort now on the platform and walking towards him. "You have taken another step forward."
"But I was consumed by anger…Hatred. That was the power of Darkness" Terra said miserably.
"Darkness that you channeled." Xehanort spread his hands out in gratitude.
"No." Terra replied as his Keyblade vanished. "I succumbed to it. Just like when I stole Pumyra's heart of light. I can never go home now. I'm a failure"
"Then don't. You can be my pupil." Xehanort offered.
"Huh?" Terra's eyes shot up in surprise.
"Master Eraqus, you see, is so afraid of Darkness that he too has succumbed." Xehanort said as he stopped in front of Terra. "Not to Darkness, but to Light. It shines so bright, he forgets that Light begets Darkness. And Gwendolyn and Micheal, their hearts too shine too bright." Xehanort pointed at Terra's chest. "It's only natural that they cast shadows on your heart."
Xehanort sighed as he walked past towards the railing. "Eraqus, he is such a fool. Light and Darkness, they are a balance, one that always must be maintained. Terra…You are the one who shows the true Mark of Mastery, but he refuses to see it."
Terra looked down on the ground in silence.
"And I know why. It's is because he fears you. Join me." Xehanort turned around, facing Terra and grasped his had. "You and I can do the Worlds much greater good, by wielding Light and Darkness in equal shares."
"Master Xehanort…" Terra whispered as he looked at the older man in awe.
Xehanort smiled and nodded before walking away. "See more worlds. Seek out the Darkness that upsets the balance. Seek out Mal and bring an end to him…" Xehanort looked over his shoulder. "Master Terra."
Terra was shocked but managined to regain his composure and bowed to Xehanort, grateful for his counsel.
Xxx
Terra had just left the chamber below the Outer Gardens and was ready to leave when a voice called out to him. "Terra!"
Terra looked at the entrance and saw Mike running up to him. 'Mike?'
Mike stopped just in front of Terra, seemingly taking a breath before speaking. "Take me with you."
Terra turned away. "I can't do that, Mike."
"Why not? The two of us could take down Mal easily." Mike stated.
"I just…" Terra looked over his shoulder. "When I really need you, Mike. I know you'll be there."
Mike was disappointed but smiled. "Why wouldn't I? You're my friend."
Terra looked away for second but then looked back with a smile. "Yeah. You're right. Thanks, Mike."
Terra activated his armor and transformed his Keyblade into its glider form, taking off to the next world.
Xxx
Down below the Outer Gardens Master Xehanort gazed calmy down at the flowing waters.
"Hey you old coot!"
Xehanort barely glanced as an energy arrow hit the invisible barrier he had cast. He slowly turned around, facing the man who had chained him earlier, his face now bandaged over the wounds from his fight with Terra.
"You said I wouldn't get hurt! I didn't sign up to be collateral damage!" The man shouted, continuing to shoot at Xehanort even though his bullets were useless against the barrier and stopped when his gun was pointed straight between Xehanort's eyes.
Xehanort gazed calmly as the man brought his face in. "No way! As if!"
Xehanort clenched his right hand and in a flash of dark light his Keyblade appeared, pointed straight at the man's throat.
The man gulped, knowing what Xehanort could do. "Okay! Okay, fine. Fine! Just…just put that thing down!
You still need me! You still need me to do something, right? And all I'm asking is that you hold up your end of the bargain."
Seeing the man was now calm Xehanort dismissed his Keyblade which was a big relief.
"Heh, I mean, what's a little scratch to my face, huh? All things considered. I'm just lucky he didn't steal my heart like what's her name. That would have ruined my week for sure." The man said with nervous smile.
Xehanort turned away. "Unlikely. A powerful light still lives inside of Terra. You see,people like him…They don't have the power to steal hearts."
The man was now confused. "So wait…You mean…He's not the one who stole her heart?"
"Hmph." Though the man couldn't see it Xehanort smirked at the question.