Monthly updates seem to suit me for now. Maybe I'll keep this up, but if I can get some inspiration from somewhere, then I might be able to get back to fornightly updates, maybe even weekly updates. xD
To my reviewers:
Caged Bird in Demon Arms: Read the chapter again, I'm sure I pointed it out. xD As for whether they'll get together... No comment. :Grin:
Taeniaea: Thanks!
Pseudo-daemonum: I don't think I'm gonna worry too much about his name. Why? I have my reasons. I understand your point, and they're all valid. Sora and Kairi are going through a teenage phase right now. It's only natural that Sora's block-headedness decide to come through at the worst points. Character depth is incredibly important, I understand, but the Bleach characters need none of my own accord; Kubo did a good job with them, and I'm only taking his characters for my purposes. Which reminds me, I haven't put a disclaimer up for a few chapters. Mmight do so this chapter. And I WILL continue this story. By my name. xD
Scorch406: Darn you read fast. xD They're gonna be some of the toughest fights Sora and Co. have eveer seen, since they're utterly ruthless. Xemnas'll seem like nothing compared to them. As for who they're speaking to, Sora and Co.'ve met at least one before. Think back and you'll see what I mean.
RockCityRoadStar: Long? xD Thanks for that, but I'm nothing compared to some others on . It's my dream to reach their level. I'll be updating monthly, or close to that, so it might take a while, compared to the speed of my updates last year. Sorry!
BlackChaos105: Oh, things are heating up. Or at least, they will be soon. :Evil grin:
Gamergirl4567: Heh, thanks! Hope you like this chapter!
Well, with that, I invite you guys to read the longest chapter I've written so far! Hope you guys like it! Oh, and this time, I'll be inserting random Author Notes (A/N) that mostly relate to Japanese expressions or phrases, since Kurai and Co. are mostly Japanese in origin, as opposed to the American-ness of Sora and HIS Co.
"Did you know? Every world is governed by angels." Kurai looked up at the sky, his silver eyes misted with memories. "Every world, and then some. In fact, they are the same angels everywhere. You could say that every world is linked by the same sky, when you looked up at the sky. One sky, one destiny." Sora and Kairi looked at each other again, missing each other's glance by milliseconds. "And in that sky, the angels dwell. Remember what I told you? Last time? You three weren't there when I last told the story, Inoue, Uryuu, Yasutora, but you might've heard of the Castle of Blood?"
The three of them nodded, and Ishida spoke up. "That castle… It's out of Karakura, but we've all heard of it. When was it…? Five hundred years ago? Legends say that there were screams of unknown creatures, and no one dared ventured. Quincy tales told of an immense shockwave of reiatsu blasting out of the castle, so strong that no one, not even shinigami could get close. Nearby Hollows were evaporated instantly, and the screams were so piercing that even the living were affected. In fact, come to think of it, I think it could be what affected Karakura Town so much, how so many spiritual events seem to be drawn there."
Kurai chuckled. "So I was the cause of Aizen's betrayal? Nah, I'm kidding, that guy's slippery as a snake; I bet he planned it out centuries ahead. Anyways, I had a battle there, with some of my friends."
Orihime's eyes were wide. "Your… friends? Then they must be as powerful as Tenshi-kun! Imagine… a group of you… You could rule the world!" She was staring off into space, when Ishida clocked her gently on the side of her head. "Ittai! (A/N: Japanese for Ouch. You'll be seeing this a lot. Memorize it.) What was that for, Ishida-kun?!"
Ishida said nothing, but his eyes were on Kurai, whose eyes in turn were fixed on Orihime. "My friends…" Kurai started, a sad smile on his face, "…are dead." He smiled again. "Have been for a while now… Might be around five centuries if I counted."
Orihime's eyes widened again, this time in horror. "No… I'm… I'm so… Gomen nasai! (A/N: I'm sorry. Kinda formal, usually only Gomen is used, or Sumimasen.)" She bowed frantically, tears starting to leak out.
Kurai cocked his head to one side, bemused. "Eh…? Inoue, why so flustered? It's alright, I had a few centuries to come to terms with it."
Orihime shook her head. "It's not that, but I couldn't bear the thought of the ones I love being dead…" She looked up at him, her tears shining. "Are they in Soul Society…?"
Ishida shook his head. "According to ancient Quincy legend, there are times when the world is in danger, some warriors known as Wielders will come. Shinigami are almost limited to Nippon, while we Quincy are actually German in origin. Many other areas have their own defenders, but Wielders take care of world as a whole. Plus, they don't fight Hollows or other such creatures, they fight beings known as Heartless. What they are and what they do not even we know. But this we do know: Allowed to run rampant, the world as we know it will…"
"…Be destroyed." Kurai finished for him. "Correct, Uryuu. Souken taught you well." He glanced back up at the sky. "It's a very long story, but I won't elaborate here. Just know this, Inoue. When a Wielder dies, he or she is sent directly to Kingdom Hearts, the moon of hearts where all hearts are. Not to Soul Society. Anyways, like I said, every world is governed by angels, and are linked by the sky. This sky, as you can see if you were to enter space, is infinite, continuing across all the worlds, joining and merging all the worlds into one universe. In this sky the angels dwell. They aren't all as powerful as me when it comes to fighting, to be honest, since I DO have a dragon inside me, or should I say had, while I also used to be a Wielder. However, among these angels are some incredibly skilled warriors, one of which can tear a world in two with a single slash. Not someone I'd like to cross." He grinned at their shocked faces, especially on Sora, Kairi and Riku, who knew how large a world could be.
"You're joking…" muttered Riku.
Kurai grinned widely. "I assure you I'm not. But he's the Right Hand of Heaven, and he wouldn't do something like that unless needed. Anyways, the Lost Seraph was one of them. He's good at fighting, especially with that spear of his. And you guys know I'm the Fallen Angel. There're also the Valkyries, extremely powerful angels that're limited only to girls." He laughed. "We DO have gender equality. Valkyries are on the same level as Seraphs, but they're the elite, the strongest female angels in what we call the Aethersphere. The Fallen Angel is the title given to the strongest angel in the Aethersphere, and the title passes on whenever one is defeated, to the one who defeated him or her. At the moment, I'm the Fallen Angel. Big rep that. Only lately have I got some peace, with the ArchSeraph, the Right Hand of Heaven I've told you about, ordering them to lay off the challengers while we get this big quest done."
"Hey Kurai, if the angels are that powerful, why haven't they stepped in whenever things got out of hand? In fact, when I was fighting Ansem, Xenahort, Sephiroth, where were you guys?" Sora asked.
"Well, we angels have a very strict rule. We never meddle in the affairs of the worlds. In a way, we do govern them, but not in a way that's obvious. You could say we do everything indirectly. I've got special permission from the ArchSeraph for this mission. S'far as I know, I'm the first, and going to be the last angel to ever be this direct in helping. The hordes of Heartless are immense. We angels hold back the main force, so only a trickle can get through to you. And if only a trickle is the amount of Heartless the Wielders have dealt with so far, then think of the full might of the Heartless." Kurai laughed. "It's a pretty hefty job. Luckily, we're pretty good fighters, and even the weakest angel can kick some serious behind. Plus, we angels always have at least one battalion guarding the Wielders. Y'see, we can choose to be invisible if we want to, although invisible isn't the right word. We're just unseen. In a way we ARE invisible, but not at the same time. It's a little hard to describe. When you guys were unconscious, knocked out by a stray blow, why d'you think you've never died, or had your hearts stolen?"
He glanced up at the sky again, his silver eyes following the lazy flight of a seagull that had tentatively returned to the scene of a battle. "But for all the power we have, we're still killable. The numbers of the angels are changing all the time: A surprise force of Invisibles could cut down a whole battalion of angels if they sacrifice their own lives as well, and while Heartless are easy to create, angels are a little harder."
Riku said one word. "How?"
"When anyone but a Wielder dies, they are sent to Soul Society. From there, when they die again, those who are pure of heart are sent to the Aethersphere, where they can choose whether or not to take the initiation test. The test is hard too, not something your average run of the mill guys can take. Heck, half the testers die. And when they do, they're sent back to the worlds they came from, resuming the cycle. That's what happens when angels die too." Kurai explained.
"Everyone but Wielders…?" Kairi asked. "What about you? Weren't you a Wielder?"
Kurai shrugged. "I was a… special case. Apparently, the Lost Seraph, the guy I summoned in the Castle of Blood, was kinda high up in the ranks, like I told you. He came to me, and told me about the Aethersphere. Said he could bend a few rules to get me in there, to defeat the dragon." He chuckled. "He never did tell me why he offered to help me, or why he's risking so much. I think if I'd fail the initiation exam, he would've been demoted to maybe Dominion, or Cherub. In the worst case scenario, he would've been kicked outta the Aethersphere entirely. 'Course, I had no idea 'bout all this back then. I accepted."
"What was the test like?" Sora asked, entirely caught up in Kurai's story.
"Well, it was an interesting test. First of all, and most probably the most important, was the martial prowess of the applicant. With all modesty, I aced that one. We were pitted against about ten Invisibles each that angel scouts, called the Virphuos (A/N: Ver-fu-os), found. With Seraphs watching, we had to take them down. That was the part where most applicants got killed, to be reborn in their respective worlds, or dropped out of fear. Those that were maimed beyond repair were also sent back to their worlds. I got through it relatively unscathed, thanks to my Wielder powers, and passed. The other tests were just basic ones, such as endurance and strategic moves. We were also given small command over a group of Angels, the weakest type of angels, and given patrol in a certain world to eliminate Heartless. Nothing to it, I've been doing that with Kirin and Ruin since ages." He laughed.
Riku, Sora, Kairi, Orihime, Ishida and Chad were all listening intently, suddenly privy to a world that they hadn't been aware existed, one that spanned throughout time and space in the sky above them. "And your powers? When did you get them?" Ishida asked curiously.
"Ah… That's another story. One that I'll get to when I need to. We angels have a certain part of ourselves enhanced about acceptance into the Angelic Legion. It's not exactly random, but it's not choice either. Some people get a massive courage boost; those that were always shy before become the most outspoken angels in the Aethersphere. Others become incredibly smart, while those who were good fighters before become positive powerhouses, and get boosted almost straight into the Seraphim ranks, with females going into the Ophanim ranks. But being a Wielder, I had something that they lacked: Adaptability. Going into so many worlds, learning from them, both fighting styles and new powers, the part that was enhanced for me was my memory and my control over my internal energy, as well as… Oh this is hard to explain…" He fell silent for a while, looking up at the blue sky.
"You know how each world gives you a keychain to stick on your keyblade, Sora? To change its form?" he asked the Wielder of Light, who nodded. "In a way, that gives you powers from that world to use as your own, although your mastery over them was never very good. Me, I get the ability to absorb the very dimensional atmosphere of the world, granting me powers from them based on my own. For example..." He got up and held out his hand to one side, and Umou, the angel zanpakutou, appeared in a flash of white light. "This zanpakutou was formed by the melding of the dimensional atmosphere of Soul Society, mixed with the light I can control, since Betrayal had taken up the darkness."
Umou vanished as he laid it on his back, tip towards the ground, and muttered a single word. "Bankai."
White wings sprouted from his back, the same wings that had appeared when he fought the Vasto Lorde in Soul Society and the dragon-controlled Sora just last night, and directly under them, black wings formed as he summoned Betrayal, then dispersed it, making two pairs, one above the other. "I have many wings. About eight pairs at least, I think. I lost count. Each pair is made of the power I absorb, and each pair corresponds to a power and a sword I gained from each world." He clicked his fingers, and a rift opened, allowing five swords to fall through.
"Angel Lange, the sword of Innocence, bane of the Akuma." He took hold of a sword made entirely of humming blue energy, with the outline of a feather visible in the grip. It vanished in his grasp, and humming wings with feathers made of the exact same energy appeared on his back, above the white pair.
The next sword he grasped was black, with a silver edge, and was an actual double-edged sword instead of the other four single-edged blades in his arsenal. It was large too, almost a claymore, but Kurai held it easily with just one hand. Near the hilt, which was an ornate affair of winding steel, a small groove was cut, and a single white feather rested in it. "Etherios, the sword of Etherion, Endless' end." It vanished as well, and black wings similar to his other pair sprouted underneath the energy wings, but unlike the Fallen Angel wings, they had a silver sheen to them only visible under the sun.
"Fractal Delusion, the sword of the Digimon, illusionary victory." This sword was long and thin, and the blade was made of a metal that seemed to shimmer, making it hard to tell its exact length and width. As Kurai moved it through the air, the light reflecting and refracting off it made it almost impossible to tell where it actually was, and where it will be. It disappeared, melting away in his grasp, until Sora wasn't even sure if there had been a sword in his hand, but it was confirmed when rainbow wings with the same aura of illusion around them appeared under the black wings of Betrayal.
The fourth sword was a strange one, a golden winding blade that wound like a snake through the air, ending in the head of a dragon for the tip, with a gold hilt and grip. "Crimson Sabre, Tao's disperser, the fangs of the Gold Dragon." Golden scaly wings that resembled a dragon's more than an angel's formed between the silver-plated wings of Etherios and the Innocence wings of Angel Lange as the sword disappeared.
The fifth sword resembled a rapier, but the blade, instead of being smooth, was almost like sandpaper or sharkskin, rough and pitted, with a brownish sheen to it. "Dankuu, the Hougu that severs air, suffocating blade." Green wings with a brown edge appeared between the white wings of Umou and the black ones of Betrayal.
The six people were watching in slack-jawed-wide-eyed astonishment. The wings on Kurai's back were in order of Angel Lange, Crimson Sabre, Etherios, Umou, Dankuu, Betrayal and Fractal Delusion. Powers from at least seven sources were present, and the overwhelming sense of strength emanating from the Fallen Angel was enough to take their breath away.
"Holy…" Sora murmured. The other five just nodded.
Kurai rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I've got a couple more wings somewhere, but I don't think I'll be waving 'em around here. Save 'em for the baddies." He clicked his fingers again, and the wings disappeared, forming into seven separate swords floating around him in a circle. Then at a nod from him, they all disappeared, melting into rifts that formed and closed over in an instant. "My ability is to absorb the powers that are present in any world, and manifest them into swords, which in turn gives me some abilities. For example, I can use kidou, as well as jutsu. If need be, I can create Fuzetsu as well."
The three Wielders looked at each other, then back at Kurai. "Overkill." They laughed as they all said the word at the same time, as well as Ishida and Orihime, who had been thinking it. Even Chad had a small smile on his face although the looks on their faces as they tried to imagine what jutsu and Fuzetsu were conflicted with their laughs.
Kurai grinned. "Most of those powers I can only use in their respective worlds, since I draw upon the power of that world. The swords however are a permanent part of that world, that I can draw from my rifts whenever I need them. But that's enough of this. It's supposed to be highly classified anyways, but I doubt you guys'll go telling other people 'bout this." His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, although there was no implication of a threat.
Sora, Kairi, Riku and Orihime saluted smartly. "Yes sir!" Ishida looked torn somewhere between shock and outrage. "The Pride of the Quincy will NEVER do something like that!" Chad remained unmoved, but he placed his hand above his heart. "Promesa (A/N: Spanish for Promise)."
The Fallen Angel's rich laugh rang through the beach. "If you guys say so." Then he grew serious again. "The Vizard are coming." He pointed at the distant mountain after the short statement.
Instead of the whole team, only Shinji came. He looked supremely bored, but there was a glint in his eye and a tone in his voice that told Sora that he knew and guessed more than everyone except perhaps Kurai. "So, wassup? Got any ideas, Kurai?"
Kurai grinned, a look in his own eye that Sora didn't like. "Plenty. We take the battle to him. We fight in the sands of Hueco Mundo, outside the fortress of Las Noches. There, we will take the Espada, and the three traitors."
The Vizard cocked his head to one side. "Y'think Yama'll like that idea? Last I heard, he was tryin' to spirit Karakura away to Rukongai and t'hold the battle in a copy of the place."
Kurai shrugged. "If he won't come, then I'll have to take on more of the Vasto Espada by myself. At the very least, I'll have to take the Primera down to the Cuarta Espada. Sora, Riku and Kairi aren't nearly as strong as I'd like them to be yet, and you guys can't take more than one Vasto Espada each. In fact, I seriously doubt someone like Hiyori or Mashiro can take even one. They might barely manage one between them. I'm being honest here, Shinji. Hope you don't mind."
Shinji waved his apology aside. "No worries. Honesty's the best policy and all that. Get too carried away and we'd all end up dead. We'll listen t'ya, Kurai. 'Ven Hiyori knows she has limits, though she don't like it."
"Sora, Kairi, c'mere. I wanna talk to you two." Kurai beckoned at the two Wielders. "Over here. I wanna get out of earshot of the others." He looked up at the other people on the beach. "Shinji, I want you to go back to the other Vizard and tell them to prepare for war. Will you join in?"
Shinji nodded, a wide grin on his face. "Gladly, O Fallen One. The debt we owe Kisuke and the debt Aizen owes us ain't settled yet. We'll be there, and we'll have us some fun." He bowed slightly and vanished, a ripple of reiatsu that was barely noticeable all he left behind.
"Inoue, Sado. You two go back to Rukongai. I think you'll find that you've been accepted into the Gotei 13, under the 5th Division, now the Division for Spiritually Gifted Souls, SGS. You'll find other guys like you, with strange powers that cannot be classified into Shinigami, Quincy or Hollow. In fact, I think you'll find that they're very familiar." The angel grinned as he said that, then turned to Ishida. "Uryuu, how long and how much will it take to get a return trip to Germany and back with a four day lapse?"
Ishida, surprised, nevertheless answered with his usual unfailing accuracy. "A flight to Germany will take around half a day, give or take twenty minutes. So make it an even week and it'll be good. Why?"
The angel's grin widened. "It's time to get ready. I want you to go to Germany and scout out as many Quincy as you can. You guys originated from there, so a quick reiatsu flare should alert them to your presence. They'll probably be hostile at first, but just tell them I sent you for the Winter War."
"The Winter War?!" Ishida's eyes opened wide behind his spectacles. "So… you're serious…?"
Kurai scratched his head. "No, it might be an elaborate joke, but humour me, Uryuu. Which reminds me. Think you can persuade your old man to come along? He and I have a bit of a history together. Tell him we have an old game to settle."
Ishida managed to recover from his shock and nodded. "Right. So I get a gigai from Urahara and go to Germany? And see if Ryuuken'd like to come along?"
Kurai shook his head. "Make him come along. I don't have time for petty disputes. Just tell him it's from me, and that it's time to finish what we started way back. He'll understand."
Ishida shrugged. "If you say so. But how do you know the Quincy won't kill me straight off the bat? I AM dead after all."
As Sora's eyes flitted from one to the other, uncomprehending, Kurai replied, "I can't be sure. But chances are they won't. If anything, they can feel you're a Quincy as well. That should slow their bow fingers a bit. Plus, you can always shoot their arrows down. In any case, take a Seele Schneider or two along. Those huge ass arrows can double as a sword in a pinch, right? That'll be useful."
Ishida nodded. "Right. I'll get going now. Inoue-san, Sado-kun, I'll be back in a week. Tell Kurosaki-kun that for me, will you?" With that, reiatsu flared up around him as he wrapped reishi, the external spirit particles in the air, around his feet and flung it to his destination, which lay through a gate of darkness that Kurai had conjured, which promptly disappeared as he went through it entirely.
"Germany? Where's that?" Sora asked, confused, and the looks in the eyes of Riku and Kairi showed that they didn't know either. "I've never heard of it…"
Kurai shrugged a little. "Unlike this dimension, where each world is separate in its own little planet, the worlds in mine are all connected on one huge planet, accessible if you only knew where and how to go. Of course, most people don't know. Only a select few do, like me for example. In fact, most worlds actually overlap each other, but each is specialized, and so neither is aware of the other. Technically, Germany is a place in this planet that might have a few reinforcements."
Orihime and Chad looked slightly confused, but reasoned that it had nothing to do with them. "So Kurai-kun, do we go back now?"
Kurai nodded, "Yeah. Here y'go." He snapped his fingers again, and another swirling gate of darkness appeared. "Go ahead. Shinji, you two. I think you'll see that Kisuke's having a bit of a talk with Ichigo. Of course, he shouldn't be in there in the first place, but neither should you. So run along now." He smirked evilly, and Orihime couldn't help but smile as she bowed to him, then she left through the portal with Chad on her heels.
"Ya're an evil man, Kurai." The Vizard said it with a completely straight face.
Kurai bowed, still grinning. "One tries one's best."
"Well, I guess I'll be seeing youse later then, guys'all." Shinji turned to look at the Wielders with a critical eye. "They're strong, Kurai. But they're divided. Not good, old pal. Not good at all. I'd say ya give it to 'em straight, y'know what I'm sayin'?"
Kurai nodded, his grin melting away like it had never been there. "I know, Shinji. I know. I know what to do, or at least, I hope I do. And he'll help too, although he doesn't know it yet."
The Vizard shrugged. "If ya say so, feather boy. 'Neeways, I'm off." He raised his hand above his head, and a sudden rush of power ripped through the beach as Sora looked on with wide eyes, completely immobilized. In Shinji's casually raised hand, shreds of white material started to form, until Shinji was holding a mask that resembled an Egyptian pharaoh's.
"Vizard, assemble. Let's go." Shinji's lips were curved upward at the tips, and with a flourishing pull, he dragged the mask over his face. The power rush stilled for a split second, then exploded outwards, nearly suffocating Sora and Kairi, with Riku leaping forward and shielding them with his body, summoning darkness from the very ground to wrap around them. The Vizard's eyes gleamed gold, and he raised his head to look towards the mountains he had come from, waving his hand in front of his face to banish the mask.
"You could've chosen a more casual way of summoning them, y'know," Kurai said in a conversational tone. "Sora, Riku and Kairi didn't really like that." He laughed. "You three should've gotten used to things like this by now. Ichigo has unrestrained reiatsu, and it's one of the highest natural levels recorded by Soul Society. However, other people have higher reiatsu, even if they aren't natural, but trained. Plus, Shinji here's an ex-captain. With that comes a tendency to show off a bit."
Shinji bowed, mimicking Kurai. "One tries one's best."
The angel slapped him on the back. "Get going now you old fox." He looked around, and the three Wielders suddenly found that silently and without warning, they had been surrounded by the Vizard. "You guys too. You know what to do. To your respective divisions. I'm afraid none of you will be re-instated, but you'll have considerable influence on them. Especially since Kisuke put in a good word for you guys. Most of the mistakes have been cleared up now, although the mountain isn't too happy. But Soifon joined in after Yoruichi said something to her, and even Byakuya's giving the nod, so with a complete majority, with pretty much Yama being the only one not sure, and with the Central 46 still in a state of disarray even after fifty years, he didn't have much of a choice."
Hiyori was starting to fume again. "That old geezer! Even after we've left we kept having to run away, just in case patrolling shinigami found us! And now after so long, he's just gonna say 'Okay, you can come back now'?! Who does he think he is, the Soul King?!"
"Calm down, Hiyori." Hachigen placed a huge hand on the fiery girl's head. "Tempers will get us nowhere. I think we should return, and take stock. It HAS been more than a century, after all."
Shinij grinned and clicked his fingers. "Well, let's go then." He led the way, striding off into the black portal that Orihime and Chad had left through before, the one that led them to Soul Society. Just before stepping through it, he glanced back over his shoulder. "You there. The one with the brown hair. You'd better get your ass back on track; else you ain't gonna like life very much, y'hear me?" Without explaining his cryptic words, he continued into the portal, followed by the Vizard, each who bowed to Kurai as they passed, save Hiyori, who tried to behead him with her geta. Failing and spewing profanities, she left as well, and the portal vanished.
"So… It's just us again." Kurai sighed a little wistfully as he spoke. Then he glanced back at Sora and Kairi, and his eyes were hard, which surprised them both, as well as scaring them a bit. "You two." He pointed at Sora and Kairi. "Come."
He turned and strode away without any further comment. Sora and Kairi, more than a little scared now, glanced at each other, then away, then at Riku, who was doing some very quick thinking and didn't want to be interrupted, then sighed. Sora glanced uneasily over at the Princess. "Well… Coming…?" Kairi nodded, not saying anything, and they followed Kurai, who was by now nearing the fringes of the trees, near where the papou tree stood.
"What's going on?" Kurai asked, a note of steel in his voice as he glared at the Wielders of Light and Love before him, both refusing to look at each other or at him. "Look, what happened before the dragon took over, Sora?" He turned to Kairi. "Kairi, what happened?"
Silence greeted his words, and the angel's eyes became flints of cold stone. "Oathkeeper. Oblivion. Oathgiver. Eternity. Out. Now." He barked each word almost like a command, and Sora and Kairi started as their keyblade spirits came out, almost unwillingly. But Kurai wasn't finished. "You two as well, Roxas, Namine."
Sora heard a sigh in his head. 'Sorry, Sora. But I don't want to be erased from existence, if you get my meaning.' A gold shimmer enveloped him just as a red one surrounded Kairi, and their Nobodies stepped out, immediately moving to stand by each other, their hands clasping.
Kurai stood to his full height, towering above every single one of them. His eyes sought out Kairi's and held them against her will. "Look at me Kairi. Look at me." Then as she did, the tall man made a small gesture, and she wasn't there under the papou tree with the others, but was in an empty space, with no one around her. She darted fearful glances around, now terrified. "Kurai…? Kurai?! Kurai! What happened?! Where am I?! KURAI!"
"What happened, Kairi?" Kurai's voice thundered everywhere, yet came from nowhere. She couldn't place where it originated, where it could be next, where it was. It just was. "Tell me. You said Sora didn't love you. When and why was this?"
"I don't know…" She shook her head. "I don't know, Kurai. I don't want to remember it, I don't want to… It hurts, it hurts, Kurai!"
Then a soft hand lay on her shoulder where she was slumped on the ground, and she turned to face the owner of it. Her eyes widened as she beheld the short woman who stood there, with a mass of brown hair that fell just below her shoulders. "Ru… Ru… Ruin…?"
The woman said nothing, but smiled, her eyes twinkled as she did, lighting up the empty space of nothing around her. As she looked around, she saw that she was in the Secret Place, cool rock on her back, with the woman standing next to her, looking at something above her head. Kairi craned her neck back to look at the 'thing', and her eyes brimmed as she saw the woman slowly stroking the crude etching of the exchange of papou fruit between her and Sora.
"It's a beautiful picture, Heir of Love."
Kairi looked back again at the woman, who was now looking at her, and she reached a hand out to try and touch her. To her surprise, the woman moved back, shaking her head sadly. "You cannot touch me, Love. If you do, you will be forced to Kingdom Hearts as well, and that isn't a road for you, not now, not soon."
"How…?" Kairi's eyes were wide.
The woman laughed, a twinkling sound like stars blinking merrily in the night sky. "How? A question many ask. I don't know myself. But Kurai called, and so I came. He visits us often, you know, me and Kirin. An angel can visit Kingdom Hearts and leave as he wishes. He's very dear to us. An angel indeed." She laughed again, then she frowned slightly and bit her lip. "But I'm not sure about the title he uses. Fallen Angel? It just doesn't have that 'ring' to it." She made a face. "But Kirin says it sounds kinda cool. Men!"
Kairi couldn't help but laugh. "Men indeed," she agreed. "Never know what they're thinking." Then she remembered what had happened the night before, and her eyes filled again.
Ruin nodded. "It hurts, doesn't it? I know how you feel; although Oathgiver and Eternity, and even Astaldo insist on saying I had it worse." She frowned again, and Kairi found herself drawn to this woman who wore her expressions and emotions so frankly and without any embarrassment.
With a sudden sob, she launched forward, grabbing the woman around the waist and started to cry, tears that had taken their time to mature inside her, a grief so full and sudden she was overwhelmed and swept along before it.
Ruin cradled her heir, sitting on the warm earth floor, softly stroking her hair as Kairi fell into an exhausted sleep of nothing. Ruin's smile was sad, so sad that it would have wrenched the heart of any who saw her. Oathgiver and Eternity shimmered into existence next to her, and she gave them a questioning look. They nodded, and she replied in kind, before settling contently into the shape of the rock, continuing to stroke the sleeping Princess's hair as Oathgiver and Eternity stood vigil around her, reunited once more.
Kurai was furious. He had delved into Sora's mind, and seen what had happened, and he was NOT happy, by Odin and Yamamoto, by Yggdrasil and the Guze. What made it even worse for the quailing Sora was that even though he knew Kurai wasn't pleased with him, outwardly, Kurai showed no sign but a slight tightening around his eyes, his face carefully neutral.
"I HAD to, Kurai! I couldn't let her get hurt! If she did, if she got hurt because of me, I don't know if I can take it!" The Wielder of Light tried to justify himself, but deep inside, he could feel already that he was in the wrong. This was soon justified as a sudden force picked him up from behind and spun him around, before slamming his back against a tree, and he found himself staring into Riku's blazing blue eyes.
"You did WHAT, Sora?!" Riku yelled into his best friend's face. His grip tightened, and Sora was in very real danger of being suffocated.
"I didn't want to hurt her! I have the dragon inside me now, Riku! If it were to suddenly go berserk, and I…" he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Riku continued to press Sora into the tree, then he let go and turned away in disgust. "I thought I knew you, Sora. But I guess I don't." His words were spat out onto the sand, and Kurai, watching from a ways off, listened, his face sombre. "The Sora I knew would never have done such a thing. The Sora I knew would've put his friend's life before his own would never have let the dragon go berserk, even if it met his own death. The Sora I knew would NEVER hurt Kairi."
His words struck home, and Sora knew the truth of what the Wielder of Dawn had said. But he was afraid. "But I'm afraid, Riku."
"I trust you." Riku said those three words simply. "Once, I had power, immense power. Yet I used it for the wrong reasons, and you were able to defeat me because you were fighting for what was right. Now, you have power. If you used it for something wrong, then I'm pretty sure I can beat you." He turned back to face Sora, a slight grin on his face. "After all, I AM better than you."
But Sora couldn't smile. All of a sudden, he was confronted with the enormity of what he has said to Kairi, what he had done to the heart of a Princess of Hearts. He buried his face in his hands and moaned. "What do I do…?"
Riku glaned at Kurai, who shrugged. The angel pointed at Kairi, who was passed out on the floor, then at Sora, who still had his head in his hands, and although Riku didn't understand what he meant at first, he soon did as Sora slowly slumped to the ground, out cold as well.
"Well, we're in a bit of a pickle, aren't we?" Kurai muttered.
Riku shot Kurai a look. "You know, you should get that habit of understating things under control."
"One does one's best." Kurai bowed again.
"Idiot." The single word was spoken with a sense of fond-ness and rebuke, but not at all in fury. "Well, at least this'll let some things run through. Hope Kurai's happy."
The voice was familiar somewhat, but Sora couldn't place it. Come to think of it, where was he? It didn't feel like he was under the papou tree, near the beach where a battle had been fought just last night. Where was Riku, who had in his usual dry way, smacked some sense into him? Where was Kurai, who had guided them for so long?
As he thought of Kurai, the same voice that had spoken gave a dry chuckle. "Ha! So he HAS kept his promise to me. Not that I couldn't see. Ruin kept going on and on about how Oathgiver and Eternity had been passed on to her heir, but Lorenze and Metor said you weren't for them."
The words made Sora look up sharply, and the cerulean eyes of the Wielder of Light widened as he gazed at armoured figure standing above him. "Oh? So you're really alive? That's good." The figure laughed, reaching down and offering him his hand. "C'mon, let's get you up."
As Sora took the offered hand, he felt a surge of light pulse once, and energy rippled through his very being. The man grunted once, and reached up to take his helmet off. His brown hair was ruffled and his eyes were as blue as Sora's, but there was a notable difference: Centuries of experience lined his face, and there was a hard set to the otherwise childish-looking face that told of the harsh decisions he had been forced to make. All in all, it was both like and unlike Sora.
"Who… are you…? Sora asked fearfully, feeling the first fingers of panic on his spine. He glanced around, but saw that he was in a black place, completely devoid of light except for a small alcove surrounding the man, and in essence, himself, as he was standing so close.
"Man, you're really slow, y'know?" The man rubbed the back of his head in a kind of nervous gesture, startlingly like Sora. "Isn't it obvious? I'm Kirin, Heir of Light. It's been a long time."
Sora cocked his head to one side, his eyes widening even more. "Ki… Kirin?!" He leapt to his feet and stumbled backwards into the darkness, shrinking away from the armoured man.
Kirin looked disconcerted. "Hey, calm down, I'm not a ghost, jeez." He put a hand to his forehead. "The things I do for Kurai…" he muttered. He knelt down, so that he was more or less on Sora's level. "Look, I came here to have a bit of a talk with you, from Kingdom Hearts. Your little princess is getting something from Ruin, although what it is she ain't saying. Kurai's having a chat to the current Wielder of Dawn. Which leaves you and me."
Sora approached, slowly, warily, his hands ready to summon Oathkeeper and Oblivion in a moment's notice. Kirin threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "Look, just trust me, okay? Caution's all well and good, but it never gets things done."
Sora stepped back into the circle of light Kirin casted around him, trying to see if there was any malice or if it was a trick by some unknown enemy. Kirin sighed.
"Look, Light, I know you're suspicious, and I'm supposed to be dead and all that. But Kurai called me, so I didn't have much of a choice. Ruin says that your little princess, Love, didn't seem surprised at all, so why don'tcha do the same?"
"Well, I DO have random people trying to kill me at very odd times, so I DO have to stay on guard." Sora's reply held the hint of a grin, but his face was serious. "Why did you want to talk to me?"
Kirin's face grew serious. "It's about Love. The Princess, not the actual thing. We Wielders past usually say the Wielded instead of the full title." Sora nodded to show his understanding, and Kirin continued. "Anyways, I'd like to ask you something. What exactly were you thinking when you told Love that?" The way he said it was entirely casual, unlike the vehemence of Riku or the thinly veiled fury of Kurai.
Sora was starting to get tired of this. "I want her to be safe! I don't want her to be hurt; I just want her to stay at the sidelines! Is that so wrong, huh?!"
Kirin waited patiently, no emotion on his young face, then spoke. "To you, no. But to her, it's as bad as saying that you don't trust her."
Sora gaped. "So she wants to be out here risking her neck, fighting for something that not even I understand?" He looked utterly confused. "She actually WANTS to get hurt?"
Kirin slapped his hand to his head. "Tell me," he asked no one in particular. "Was I that dense back when I was young? I bloody well hope not." He leant forward slightly, muttering, "Kurai did the right thing when he called me, and not a moment too soon." He fell into silence for a second, then asked the Wielder of Light, "Tell me, Light, have you ever been in a relationship?"
Sora looked dumbfounded for a second, then shook his head. "N… No. Never. I mean, I'm not the kind of guy, y'know what I mean?"
Kirin laughed. "I didn't think I was, and now I have the most beautiful woman in all the worlds as my… well… not wife exactly, but it's a closer kinship than something as physical as that." He smiled softly, and his face was transformed, making him look younger than he was. Then he grew serious again. "Now, I don't know how to be subtle. That's one thing Ruin and Kurai are very good at. So I'll tell it to you straight, no holds barred. You ready?"
Sora nodded again, remembering as he did Shinji's words: They're strong, Kurai. But they're divided. Not good, old pal. Not good at all. I'd say ya give it to 'em straight, y'know what I'm sayin'? You there. The one with the brown hair. You'd better get your ass back on track; else you ain't gonna like life very much, y'hear me?
"Love loves you." Kirin was as blunt as he said he'd be. "She wants to be worthy of you, Light. You listening? She doesn't want to be a burden, a piece of cloth thrown to the side when you don't need her anymore. She's the greatest mage among you guys, right? She doesn't think that's good enough. She's the least experienced, the least powerful, and she can only fight properly after getting a power-up of one sort or another, right?"
"Why do I get the feeling you've been through all this before?" Sora commented wryly, to which Kirin grinned and raised his hands in mock ignorance. The Wielder laughed, then his face became thoughtful. "I've never thought of it in that way before, Kirin… Now that you've said it though, I think I know what you mean…"
'Geez, took you long enough.' Roxas' familiar voice echoed throughout the nothingness, and the Nobody appeared out of nowhere beside Sora, settling down with no trace of nervousness or embarrassment whatsoever. "Hey. So you're Kirin? You look a lot like Sora and Oathgiver."
Kirin winced. "I've been getting no end of it from Kurai and Ruin. Apparently, it's funny."
Sora laughed, then his face became thoughtful again. "Well, I guess I should have a talk with her…"
Roxas twacked him soundly on the back of his head. "Not a talk. Just go ahead and tell her you love her, then it's training time."
Kirin was grinning. "Couldn't have put it better myself." He surveyed the Nobody with a critical eye. "Aren't you a Nobody?"
Roxas nodded. "Yeah. Sora's. It's a long story."
"Ah. Well, that explains how you managed to get into the sealed dimension." Kirin laughed. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he added, "And what THAT is… Is a secret."
Sora sighed. "Secrets… That sucks. Well, guess I'll be going then…" Roxas nodded and vanished, and he stood up, glancing around at the darkness surrounding the small halo of light the three of them we sitting in. "Nice place you got here. Don't suppose you could brighten it up? As a good luck omen or something?"
Kirin raised one eyebrow. "Kurai's been rubbing off on you." He laughed. "Might be a good thing though. He's got a way with words." He looked around as well. "Highly classified stuff here, Light. I say no." He grinned impishly. "But… I could accidentally let slip of my control, y'know what I'm saying? Not that you'd be interested in the place though."
A bright flash lit the room for a split second, and Sora saw he hadn't missed much: The room was completely bare of anything, with white walls and no source of light, which he now saw to be emanating calmly and steadily from the ex-Wielder sitting sedately on the floor. If he had taken a few steps more when he had retreated in his initial confrontation with Kirin, his back would've met the wall. There were no doors or windows, no openings, and as Kirin moved his hands in a graceful dance, a white portal appeared out of nowhere next to him. Sora was fascinated; he had only ever seen portals of darkness, light ones were new to him, although he guessed the principle was similar. Nodding farewell at the ex-Wielder, who returned the gesture, he stepped through it, and it closed behind him.
Sora's last thought before he fell into sudden sleep was that had they been in another time and place, they could've become good friends, if only for their shared ability to wield Light.
"Whadaya think, Kurai?"
Good one there, Kirin. Hope he wakes up with a good head. You were just a little bit blunt though."
"Yeah, you were. And did you have to bring up the past again?"
"Yeah Ruin, what are you exactly? His wife?"
"Sh- Shut up, Kurai!"
"Hahahahaha! I was kidding, I was kidding!"
"Mou (A/N: Japanese exclaimation of frustration)! You guys insist on treating me like a kid!"
"Well, you're short enough to be one."
"Kurai, I think that's enough. She's starting to have steam pouring out of her ears."
"I do NOT!"
"Heh… It was a nice little reunion, wasn't it…?"
"…Yeah… We'll miss you, y'know."
"Very much. When will you be coming to join us?"
"What, you want me to die, Ruin? How unkind of you! And to think I trusted you!"
"You KNOW I don't mean it that way!"
"When's the ArchSeraph gonna give you the go ahead, Kurai?"
"I don't know, Kirin. I DO have a job to finish here. You saw how they're like, like us in the distant past. I wasn't to guide them. Besides, they'll be facing enemies, and they won't be strong enough. I have to fight."
"What do you think WE did when we were fighting, Kurai? You're going to have to train them sooner or later. If you just coddle them, they won't be able to stand on their own two feet!"
"She's got a point there."
"Well, Sora's got the dragon inside him. I'll travel with them until I destroy it. That'll be the earliest I'll leave them, although I might not. Even then, my duties lie clear. I AM an angel, after all."
"But you were a Wielder first. You have many titles, but to us, you will always be Kurai, our friend from the Fated Islands."
"Yeah… That's what we called it back then, didn't we? Fated Islands… Now it's the Destiny Islands. Sounds like the place won't be letting go of Wielders anytime soon…"
"…Well… We have to go now, Kurai."
"…Yeah. Right. Go on then."
"We…"
"Shut up. You know this was a one-off. Don't go making promises you can't keep. Well, I'd better get back to the kids then. I'll see you, maybe soon, Kirin, Ruin."
"…Yeah…"
"…Right…"
"Don't look so down, guys. I promise you, I'll be there. One last journey, then the Dragonlord departs."
"…I HATE goodbyes!"
"We all do. But they always come. Only with parting can there be meeting. Now, you guys better get along before the ArchSeraph gets pissed at me."
"…See ya then, Kurai."
"Heh… right. See you two, Kirin, Ruin."
Interesting conversation, isn't it? So, the preparations have started. War is to be joined against the Espada. And they have to be taken down fast, within a fornight, or the Queen... Well, you guys can find out yourself. Even I don't know what I've got in store for you, so be happy I'm as confused as you are! Read and review!