"Aargh!" Sora cries out, slashing downward to neatly bisect an Armored Knight. Grunting, the boy turns to the left and raises his blade, neatly intersecting the strikes of three more Heartless.
He turns the blade aside and leaps forward, slashing horizontally through them with his blade. Taking a step back, he bashes in the face of another enemy behind him.
Slash, stab, block, dodge… Slash, dodge, block, stab… Slash, slash, slash…
A sudden stinging pain intrudes on his battle haze, and without thinking Sora cuts through the Armored Knight that delivered the blow. Looking down, he quickly assesses that the shallow cut shouldn't be too much of a hindrance. That done, he turns back to the fight and lets the pain fade away from his senses.
He's not sure how long he's been doing this, lost in the ugly, madcap rhythm of battle. Minutes, hours, he can't say. All he knows is the fight. With Heartless surrounding him on all sides, stopping even for a second to properly think could prove deadly.
Stab, block, slash, stab, slash… Block, stab, slash, slash, slash, block, stab… Slash, stab, slash…
BOOM
The sudden noise, deeper and louder than any of the small but plentiful footsteps of the Armored Knights, finally snaps Sora out of his haze. Looking towards the noise's source, he spots a Dual Blade making its way through a crowd of lesser Heartless. Surveillance Robots hover around its body like royal attendants.
The Keybearer grits his teeth and slashes through two more Armored Knights, taking a step back and trying to come up with a plan that goes further than reacting instinctively. Last time he'd fought a Heartless of this type he'd has his friends' assistance, and the useful environmental features of bookshelves. There's nothing but bare blue rock now. Well, and hundreds of Heartless.
They surround him once more, forcing the Keybearer back into his instinctual mode, all thoughts of plans and strategy for the Dual Blade forgotten in the rush of battle. Until a heavy footfall not five feet away finally snaps Sora to attention.
He cuts down an Armored Knight and snaps his head up to the huge opponent, its crystal blue blade already raised. Gritting his teeth, Sora raises the Keyblade and hopes it's enough to save him…
Until a loud, familiar battle cry cuts through the air. Sora turns to see Azlyn, as bruised and bloody as he is himself, flying towards the Dual Blade's face. Her fist is reared back, and her eyes glint with steely determination.
Her bellow attracts the Dual Blade's attention as well. Its head snaps around just in time to meet Azlyn's fist head on. Its neck snaps to the side, and the creature stumbles back. To Sora the whole thing seems to happen in slow motion. Then Azlyn cries out again, in pain this time instead of rage.
She falls back toward the rocky blue ground, face muscles clenched. Her left hand grips her right arm tightly, drawing it close to her chest and keeping it there. She turns to land on her back, kicking up blue dust and pebbles as she impact against the ground.
Sora rushes towards her, competing against nearly a dozen Armored Knights to get there first. He leaps the last few feet, horizontally swinging his blade with enough force to bisect nearly all of the Heartless. He turns midair and manages to land on his feet. He plants them firmly and slashes again, driving back another enemy group.
Azlyn shakes her head to clear it and attempts to rise, but cries out once again halfway through her attempt. She falls back once more, still clutching her arm.
The Armored Knights have cleared out, but the Dual Blade has recovered from the heavy blow it received. It stalks towards the pair, and Sora can see minute cracks in its armored head, spreading out from Azlyn's point of impact. A deep dent can be seen right at the point where fist met head.
Sora almost makes a quick quip down to his friend, but decides better of it as three Surveillance Robots break off and shoot toward him. They fire some lasers, but Sora quickly holds out the Keyblade and spins it twice in his hands, deflecting the shots. The Heartless are in front of him now, and he snaps out three quick swipes that take care of them.
Then the Dual Blade is back, rushing at him with speed that would shame the Behemoth. Sora grits his teeth and charges right back at it, though what he'll do once they clash he has no idea.
He quickly gets one just as the creature is approaching, thinking back to how the king had handled an enemy of superior size. He quickly angles himself so that he runs under the Heartless, then turns and quickly slashes through the back of its legs.
The Dual Blade makes no sound of pain, only stumbling and losing its footing. Sora takes advantage, bringing the Keyblade down on its right leg once more. The blow manages to cut straight through, and the creature falls as it loses its balance completely.
The impact of the Dual Blade against the ground nearly causes Sora to lose his footing, and Azlyn actually bounces up two inches into the air. She mutters some kind of obscenity as she lands, but Sora can't make it out. He steps forward and plunges his weapon straight down, cutting through the Dual Blade's chest. It fades into Darkness, and its pink crystal heart floats upwards through the air.
Sora turns to check on Azlyn, but halfway there he hears a loud boom that sounds more like an explosion than an enormous footstep. He turns a little more and looks up, to where Telary is backing down a ridge, pursued by a large phalanx of Heartless. The wizard mutters something and shoots the largest fireball Sora has ever seen him make straight into the air. The fireball rests above the Heartless and proceeds to explode, dozens of tiny flaming spheres descending on them.
It's quite a disruption for the group, and Telary takes advantage of it to turn and race down the ridge. The Heartless remain dazed and off-balance, and Sora rushes to assist his older friend.
"Telary, down here!" Sora calls as he runs. The wizard takes note of the younger boy's position and adjusts his course to meet him. "You've gotta come this way, Azlyn got really hurt!"
Telary grimaces, then looks over to his girlfriend. The grimace only grows, and he sighs resignedly, tapping his fist against the head of his staff.
"I don't have much left in me, Sora," he explains balefully. Up on the ridge, the Heartless have reorganized. It's only a matter of seconds before they pursue. "If she really needs it, I think I've got a potion…"
"Go to her," Sora says, his voice commanding but undeniably weary. He pats his friend on the arm a few times. "I can hold off the Heartless here."
Telary looks the Keybearer over, still frowning. After a moment, he shakes his head. "No, I'm sorry Sora, but you can't. None of us are hardly in any shape to fight, not with all the Heartless coming our way."
Both boys look up to see the horde once again charging, still at least two hundred strong. Against three battered and tired opponents, they'll win easily.
"We can't give up!" Sora says, already tugging Telary towards where Azlyn is resting. "We just need to regroup and figure out a plan. Do you have any spells left that could keep the Heartless back?"
Telary shake his head, but all the while he's looking Sora over. "I'm out, but I think I've got one you could use."
He quickly explains the concept, and for a few seconds the boys outright ignore the horde coming after them. It's a very dangerous play, but if the spell doesn't go off correctly they're doomed anyway.
As soon as he's sure he's got it, Sora lets Telary run back to Azlyn, stepping up to face the approaching foes. The Keybearer concentrates, focusing on the enhanced Magnet spell that is this larger spell's cornerstone.
As he concentrates, a sphere of silvery light forms at the Keyblade's tip, surrounded by a bright halo of energy. Closing his eyes, Sora focuses on connecting the spell to the metallic materials of the Hollow Bastion rock.
He raises the Keyblade, and the earth moves up with the motion. Columns of blue stone and dirt rise from the ground around the Heartless. Only a few make direct contact, sending the creatures hurtling into the air. But the main effect of the spell is solid, the shaking of the earth throwing the dark beings off balance. And even once the magic has faded, there's still a veritable maze of pillars to navigate, hampering the group's speed.
Sora doesn't even wait around to see the fruits of his labor, sprinting back to his friends. Azlyn is sitting upright when he gets there, Telary helping her to down the potion.
She only gets a little in before she coughs, sending most of the green liquid back up to land on the canyon floor. The aura that surrounds her is faint, but at least she stops wincing so hard.
"You okay?" Sora asks tentatively.
"Oh, yeah, I'm just great here Sora," she shoots back venomously. "I mean, I only just broke my arm saving you, no big deal. Not that it did any good, mind you, since that Heartless horde is gonna stomp over here and eat our hearts, or whatever it is they do exactly. So, hey, I'm doing great."
Sora sighs, slumping down and letting his head fall listlessly. "I know, things aren't looking good right now."
Azlyn snorts. "An understatement, buddy."
Telary gives his counterpart a sharp look. "Azlyn, c'mon. We're all feeling the pressure here, not just you."
The knight sighs. "Yeah, I know. Sorry Sora."
The boy in question gives her one of his signature smiles. "It's okay, Azlyn."
"Not a bad twenty four hours to go out on, to be honest," she continues, sounding almost wistful. "I mean sure there's this shitshow, but at least I took a crapton of Heartless with me."
"How many?" Sora asks.
"About a thousand."
The boy rolls his eyes, chuckling. "Oh, yeah right. I counted six hundred and ten, by the way."
"So, that's what you've liked most about your last twenty four hours?" Telary asks playfully.
Azlyn lets out a matching laugh and reaches out, taking his hand. "No, not by a longshot." The pair come together for a quick but meaningful kiss.
Sora smiles at the pair, thinking of how deeply their hearts are connected…
"Wait a minute!" the Keybearer declares, springing to his feet. Behind him he can hear the Heartless forming up for another charge. "That's it, why didn't I think of it!"
Azlyn and Telary give him puzzled looks. "Think of what, Sora?" the wizard asks.
Sor grins down at the pair, sticking out his hand palm-down. "All for one," he says through a grin.
The Disney Castle duo don't hesitate to put their hands atop his. Sora closes his eyes and concentrates, the point of contact between the trio beginning to glow with a golden light.
The Heartless have regrouped, and begin sprinting en masse for the heroes. They can practically feel the hearts they are about to consume.
"And one for all!"
"Okay, I'll go with you guys."
"You won't. Not without me, anyway."
"No matter what, guys… I love you both. Thanks."
The Light extends out in a wave, engulfing the trio as it molds them into one being, linked together by their many memories.
It fades out to reveal Sora standing alone, dressed in yellow with silver saltires decorating the hems of his sleeves. In his right hand he grips the Kingdom Key as usual. Oathkeeper floats just inches above Sora's left hand, slowly spinning as it waits for a command.
Sora turns to face the Heartless horde, full of a power like he's never known before. The power of friendship, wired directly into his body like the Hollow Bastion Reactor. Magic, physical strength, agility… All his to command.
Grinning with the spirit of three beings, Sora charges forth. He closes his eyes as he goes, already preparing a spell that will easily break the enemy line.
"FIRAGA!" he yells as he leaps at the leading Heartless. Flames surround his body in a nimbus of heat, burning through the Heartless before he can blink.
The enemy charge breaks, the Heartless feeling as much fear as their simple minds can comprehend. Sora takes advantage and attacks physically, the Keyblade in his hand slashing outwards as the one floating around him shoots forward as if thrown.
He chops and slices and dices, even his kicks managing to shatter Heartless bodies. A stream of crystal pink hearts fly into the air so fast one couldn't possibly count them. After a particularly devastating combo, Sora begins spinning in a circle, the still whirling Oathkeeper matching him like a moon in orbit. As he spins he can feel the Heartless drawing closer, losing their footing and flying towards their destruction.
Seven, eight, ten Heartless are destroyed in the blink of an eye, still more being drawn in. Every Heartless down only increases Sora's power, until finally the buildup is so intense that the energy explodes outwards. The blast of Light chews through a dozen Armored Knights at once, and throws back even more.
Still feeling the power of magic in his bones, Sora raises his hands and calls down a deluge of lightning strikes around him. They fall from the sky and crash into the remaining enemies, disintegrating them easily with their powerful heat.
When the last sound of thunder fades, the battlefield is empty. Standing along, Sora can only laugh as he surveys the empty valley. Even after all of the devastation and battle, it looks as if he'd only just walked into a calm canyon.
And with a flash he's not alone, though he never really was. Azlyn and Telary stand beside him, neither one looking any worse for wear. All of their wounds have healed completely.
"That was…" Azlyn begins, then just shakes her head as she realizes that she doesn't have the words for what they'd experienced.
"We do our best work together, that's for sure!" Telary chimes in, smiling broadly.
"C'mon, we gotta find the king!" Sora declares, turning for the ravine at the valley's far side.
As they go, Telary notices Sora frown, his entire brow crinkling. "What's up, Sora?"
The Keybearer looks back at the wizard, gives him a small grin. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering if there was a way to explain that whole form-change thing without using the words 'Azlyn and Telary were inside of me."
KH-KH-KH
They catch up to the king on the other side of the ravine. A large blue cliff, rounded like some kind of natural balcony, overlooks a vast field deep below. Across that gap is a plateau, and out from its peak rises Maleficent's tower.
They find no evidence of the witch, however. Mickey is engaged in fierce combat, hopping around and slashing his Keyblade through a group of Armored Knights. The silver-haired man known only as Xehanort's Nobody watches, his face impassive.
Finally Mickey cuts through the last Heartless. He lands, facing off against Xehanort's Heartless across the blue stone protrusion.
"Don't worry Your Majesty!" Telary calls as the trio rush up behind the Keybearer king. "We're here!"
"You ain't getting away this time, Xehanort!" Azlyn declares, her fists balled up in rage.
Xehanort's Nobody tilts his head the slightest bit to the left, looking almost puzzled. "Xehanort… How long has it been since I cast off that name? Years, it must be."
"You can save the weird speeches for later!" Sora says, gripping the Keyblade tightly in anger and defiance. "Right now, you're gonna tell me where Riku and Kairi are!"
The Nobody seems only more puzzled now. "Kairi? Hm, I'm afraid I have no knowledge of that person." He smiles, a sickening joyless grin. "As for Riku, well… If you're interested in his whereabouts, I suggest you consult with your king. He would know far better than I."
Sora's jaw suddenly drops, and he moves his gaze from the Nobody to King Mickey. "But, he said that he didn't know about Riku!"
"Did he now?" Xehanort's Nobody gloats. "Well, that's all very interesting, isn't it? It seems that your wise and revered king is keeping something from you."
Mickey actually growls, stepping forward with his Keyblade brandished menacingly. "That's enough outta you!"
"For once," Organization XIII's leader says with a slight, hollow laugh, "I believe you and I are in agreement."
A dark portal rises up around the man, and without hesitation Mickey leaps after it. By the time the trio recover from their shock, the dark doorway is gone.
"Aaargh, again!" Azlyn rages, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Every time we see the king he pulls this disappearing act. Every time!"
"Now, now, Azlyn," Telary interjects calmly. "The king must have had his reasons."
"Yeah," Sora agrees, his voice cold and sharp. He whirls to face his companions, scowling. "Like getting out of telling me about Riku."
"Now, Sora, we don't know…"
"Yeah, that's it exactly!" Sora declares, kicking at the ground. "We don't know anything! Nobody will tell us!"
"Funny you should phrase it like that."
Sora recognizes the voice, and the others are just keyed up in general, so they all turn to see the Nobody Sora recognizes as Axel. The one who kidnapped Kairi!
"What are you doing here?" Sora demands, stepping past his friends to get closer to the enemy. He opens his mouth to say more, but is cut off.
Axel smirks, leaning back against a blue rock wall. "Well, primarily I'm here to congratulate you for falling right into Organization XIII's trap." The smirk becomes a full grin, and the red-haired man actually has the gall to clap.
"What trap?" Azlyn asks, looking around warily for any threats.
"C'mon, guys, you're being played like a damn fiddle!" Axel exclaims, exasperated. He pushes off the rock, losing his calm demeanor entirely. "Xemnas actually has you completing his master plan!"
"Xemnas?" Telary says, frowning. "That was that guy we just saw, wasn't it? Xehanort's Nobody?"
Axel nods. "Yep. And with every Heartless destroyed, his goal inches closer to completion. Every slain Heartless releases a heart, and then he nabs them! Y'know, for a bunch of so-called 'heroes', you sure…"
"Where's Kairi!" Sora demands, not wanting to hear one more single word from this Nobody's mouth. "What did you do with her?"
"Tell us now!" Telary adds, stepping up beside Sora.
Axel looks between the pair of heroes and winces. His whole body physically recoils, and the smug look runs off his face like water off an umbrella.
"Look," he says, turning his head to avoid the boys' glares, "about Kairi… I'm sorry, okay!"
"If you're so sorry, tell us where she is!" Sora yells, his teeth practically grinding together. "Now!"
"Sora," Axel says slowly, his voice measured. He even makes eye contact. "And Telary, I suppose. The thing about Kairi is that…"
The rushing sound of a dark portal opening eats Axel's words, and when the shadowy energy fades, Saïx stands between him and the trio.
"I'm beginning to wonder how you managed to evade us so long," the blue-haired man says, his face as still and impassive as ever. "You didn't even bother to get offworld."
Axel shrugs, inexpertly faking nonchalance. "Well, I still had some stuff to do, y'see."
Saïx spares the trio a blank look. "I see. It seems that one betrayal of the Organization just wasn't enough for you, was it?"
Another shrug from the redhead. And with that, he disappears into yet another portal of Darkness.
Sora yells and rushes forward, but Saïx turns and backhands the Keybearer as he passes. With a grunt, Sora lands on the ground.
Reacting instinctively to seeing their friend hurt, Azlyn and Telary rush Saïx as well. The Nobody takes a single step back and summons two Dusks, who immediately swoop down and knock the pair away.
"If it's revenge against Axel you're looking for," he informs the fallen heroes, "then worry not. When the Organization catches him, I'll ensure he receives the maximum punishment. It's no less than he deserves."
Sora sighs, shaking his head with abject weariness. He looks up at the blue-haired Nobody, a pleading expression on his face.
"I don't care about any of that!" the boy declares, his voice cracking in sorrow. "I only want to see Riku and Kairi again, that's all!"
"So, it's Kairi you're worried about, then," Saïx says passively. "Well, you don't have to worry on that score, Sora. We are taking quite good…"
A fireball impacts against Saïx's chest, sending the Nobody stumbling back several paces. When he recovers he sees Telary on his feet once more, teeth gritted. The wizard's staff is still smoking from his spell.
"Take us to her now!" he declares, already prepping another spell. With a grunt he lets it fly, and this time the ball of flame burns bright white, heat coming off it in waves.
Saïx barely reacts, sidestepping the flaming orb as if it is merely a child's ball. Sora comes in on his left, and the Nobody thrusts out a stiff arm that catches the Keybearer in the chest, pushing him back onto the ground. Azlyn attacks from the air then, while Saïx's attention is on Sora. She snaps out a kick, but Saïx catches her ankle and easily throws her back several feet.
"I can see that you're all very passionate about this matter," Organization XIII's Number VII states, looking over each member of the trio in turn. "That's very good indeed. Take that passion, the anger and rage. Direct it against the Heartless."
A snap of the man's fingers summons a line of Armored Knights. "Only the Keyblade can release the hearts these creatures mindlessly horde. Those hearts float together, masterless and free. Until they can be weaved together. Until they form Kingdom Hearts."
"Kingdom Hearts?" Sora asks, thinking back to the realm beyond the Door to Darkness. "What are you…?"
"We are nothing," Saïx states. "Until we have Kingdom Hearts. Only with its power can we truly exist."
"You're crazy!" Azlyn declares, snarling at the Nobody.
"For once," a familiar imperious voice suddenly interrupts, echoing off the surrounding rock, "I find myself agreeing with you, child."
A sudden rush of green flames rises up, Maleficent appearing within. She gives a brief over-the-shoulder sneer to Azlyn, then turns her full attention to Saïx.
"You speak of things you have no hope of understanding, imbecile!" the witch announces haughtily. "Kingdom Hearts will belong to me! The heart of all kingdoms, of all that lives. A dominion fit to be called Kingdom Hearts must be my dominion!"
Sora opens his mouth to discourage the witch from summoning more Heartless, but his warning is lost in sound of a wave of green flame sweeping towards Saïx. The Nobody watches it come impassively, and at the last second before the wave hits, a Berserker appears in front of its master. The flames crash harmlessly against its chest, dissipating into emerald flickers.
"You should have remained in the Darkness beyond, witch," Saïx says, gesturing his minion onwards.
Maleficent shoots out another torrent of fire, and though it doesn't eliminate the large Nobody, it does send it staggering back. In a few moments, more of its kind join the battle.
"Hearty foes, to be sure," the jade-skinned woman mutters to herself, breathing just a touch heavier than usual.
Sora rises, shakes off his fatigue and rushes to Maleficent's side. Telary and Azlyn follow suit. Maleficent gives the trio a quick look, a small smile decorating her face.
"You would enter an alliance with this witch?" Saïx asks, actually looking stunned.
"Seems like she's just as motivated to stop you as we are," Telary says with a slight shrug. "For evil reasons, sure, but…"
"We can always kill her again later!" Azlyn finishes cheerily.
Maleficent actually throws her head back and laughs. She raises her hands and more green flames sweep up around her. The heroic trio quickly stumble back, just as the flames coalesce into a solid wall between them and Maleficent.
"The day we fight side-by-side is not yet at hand, children, and hopefully I shall never find myself so desperate," she mockingly declares. "I will keep these creatures at bay. It is on you to devise a way to vanquish them, forever!"
Sora opens and closes his mouth, completely at a loss for words. He has experienced many strange things since he began to travel the worlds, but Maleficent holding the line to buy him time… Never had such a thing crossed his mind. Even now it seems hard to believe.
"Maleficent…" Telary tries, though he sounds just as tongue-tied as Sora feels.
"Do not misunderstand my intentions here, fools!" the witch cuts him off, hooking her right hand into a fierce claw and tugging at the air in front of her. A geyser of flame shoots up from beneath a Berserker, roasting it in emerald flames. "I will have my revenge yet, make no mistake! Now, go."
Sora opens his mouth to protests, but before he can even make a sound he notices that his feet are sinking. The boy looks down to find himself and his companion sinking into a murky portal of inky Darkness that has to be Maleficent's doing.
The Keybearer looks back up just in time to see a swarm of Dusks descend on his longtime foe. The last thing he sees is a dogpile of stretchy silver-white bodies, obscured by a curtain of green.
Then he finishes sinking, and sees only Darkness.
KH-KH-KH
"Lousy witch!"
Sora raises his head at Azlyn's venomous declaration, slowly taking in his surroundings. The trio stand on a small grey platform in a black abyss, with a single thin path of similar terrain wandering off in both directions. Odd black protuberances shoot up on either side of the road, glowing a faint purple to provide the barest illumination. Despite its strange makeup, the place looks familiar. Scarily so.
"This is the Realm of Darkness," Telary says, absolute certainty in his otherwise shaky voice. "I mean, it's gotta be, right?"
"Well where else would a 'dark portal' go?" Azlyn points out, hands on hips. "Even when she tries to help us out, Maleficent ends up screwing us."
"Seems that way," Telary agrees with a sigh. "What do you think, Sora?"
The wizard turns to see the Keybearer sitting on the stone floor, resting his chin on his hands. He looks sullen.
"Do you think it's true?" he asks, barely loud enough to be heard. The boy's head whips up to look at his older friend. "Does slaying Heartless really help Organization XIII? Have I just been playing into their hands this whole time?"
"Of course not!" Azlyn immediately answers, shaking her head. "That creep was just trying to mess with you! He did kidnap Kairi, if you'll remember."
"I don't know," Telary speaks up, taking a seat beside Sora. "I mean, that's twice now that Saïx has told us point blank to fight Heartless. Not to mention that I've always wondered what happened to those released hearts."
"So that's it then?" Sora says, an unmistakable edge in his voice. "I can't use the Keyblade anymore?"
Telary sighs, putting an affirming hand on his young friend's shoulder. "Look, Sora, the truth is that that isn't even an option. Remember that Heartless tried to get to the Keyhole in the bug world. As long as they show up, we have to try and stop them. You do."
"You're right," Sora admits.
"And if you're really that worried," Azlyn chimes in, standing over the boys with a confident grin, "you can always leave 'em to me to finish off!"
The Keybearer looks up at his friend and laughs. "I knew you'd be happy about this!"
The knight shrugs. "What can I say, I…"
Azlyn turns quick as a whip, shield drawn in a flicker of movement Sora barely registers. The boys follow her gaze, but find nothing but the empty darkness waiting for them.
"What was that all about, Az?" Sora asks, rising to his feet.
"I thought I heard something," the knight mutters, still looking around cautiously. "In fact, I'm almost sure that I…"
"I believe you, Azlyn," Telary says suddenly, moving to the center of the rocky platform. A small white box sits on the ground there, and he cautiously picks it up. The others gather around him, and he cautiously opens it.
Cold air rushes out of the small container. The reason for the chill is obvious: a small blue bar of ice cream on a thin stick sits rests inside. Behind it the trio can make out some of a photograph.
Azlyn draws out the ice cream, and Sora grabs the photo. The snapshot is of a place he recognizes, the front gate of the mansion he and his companions had awoken in in Twilight Town. The gate is closed, and four figures, familiar teenagers, pose in front of it.
"Hayner, Pence, and Olette?" the Keybearer mutters. His eyes slowly turn up to the forth figure, a blonde boy dressed in black, white, and grey. Sora stares at him, an odd sense of familiarity creeping up on him.
"That's weird," Telary says, unnecessarily. "Okay, I mean, of course it is in general but… Who's that fourth guy?"
"Not sure," Sora lies, staring into the mystery boy's piercing blue eyes.
"Mmmm!" Azlyn's pleasured noise jolts Sora out of his thoughts, and he turns to see the knight licking the ice cream bar.
"Azlyn!" Telary admonishes the girl.
"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it!" the knight declares, giving it another lick. "This is freaking good! I mean, it's like salty, but sweet at the same time. I could eat a million of these! Makes me feel like a kid again."
Telary groans in exasperation. "I don't care how good it tastes, Azlyn. It really isn't a good idea to just start licking things you find in the Realm of Darkness!"
She rolls her eyes, holding out the bar to her boyfriend. He sucks in a nervous breath and steps away from it, prompting further eye rolling. "Just give it a try, okay. It won't kill you. I'll be your best friend!"
"Azlyn…"
"Just one, Tel. Please? For me, your girlfriend?" A devious look crosses the girl's face. "Besides, you owe me a lick anyway. If you catch my…"
"Ew!" Sora shouts, shaking his head and trying to erase the knight's words from his mind. "Just try it Telary, please. If nothing else, it'll get her to shut up."
Telary sighs, mentally conceding that that's reason enough. He gingerly takes the bar from his girlfriend, staring at it cautiously for a moment.
"C'mon!" Azlyn urges, pushing at his hand.
Telary takes a deep breath, raises the bar to his lips, and lets it out. He gingerly sticks his tongue out, just barely grazing the frozen treat. His eyes light up immediately, looking down at the bar appreciatively.
"Y'know," he admits, nodding once, "that's actually not half… Blegh!"
Suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, the mage bends over and pukes.
Sora and Azlyn make grossed out noises and quickly turn away, grimacing even at the sound.
"Huh," Azlyn finally says after a long moment of silence. "I guess maybe you had a point about being careful with Realm of Darkness food."
"Seriously, are you okay Tel?" Sora asks his older friend, rubbing a hand lightly against his back. The ice cream bar lies discarded on the ground.
"Yeah, I think so," the wizard says, still obviously a bit disoriented. "I don't know what happened. One second I was thinking about how good it tasted, the next I was throwing it back out. Like some kind of involuntary reaction."
"As long as you're sure," Sora says, patting Telary once more.
"Now the real question," Azlyn interjects, scratching thoughtfully at her chin, "is how that box ended up here. Somebody put it there."
"Riku," Sora states definitively. "It had to be Riku."
"What makes you say that?" Telary asks.
The Keybearer shrugs. "Just a hunch. Besides, who else do we know that hangs around in the Realm of Darkness and would want to help us?"
Telary nods. "That makes sense, I guess."
"Now what?" Azlyn asks, looking around. "How are we supposed to get out of here? Unless one of you has been holding out on us with the dark powers."
And just like that, as if summoned by the knight's words, an Organization standard portal opens up at the edge of the peninsula. Sora and Telary look at it, then back to Azlyn.
She has a thoughtful look on her face, slowly turning her gaze down to examine her palm. "Huh, maybe I've been holding out on us."
"Well if you are," Telary says, leading the way to the portal, "you make sure to practice those dark fireballs far away from me!"
The Disney Castle pair lead the way, Sora trailing behind. He takes another look at the photograph from the box, eyes locked on the blonde-haired kid.
"Roxas," he says after a moment, surprising even himself. He stops short as he speaks, struck by a sudden urge to turn around. He just barely moves his head, sparing a single glance over his shoulder.
Something moves, and the Keybearer fully turns around. Just in time to see a man in black, fading quickly into a portal of his own.
Took a little longer than I thought, but at least it wasn't a month!
For a while, to be honest, I was just too darn happy to write such an intense scene as the opening battle. On the bright side, I thought up quite a few gags for the next round of world visits!
Shoutout (as usual) to Crescent Sunrise, Stardust902, and Crescent Sunrise again just in case you didn't get the first one! Until next time, for a brief interlude before things get weird!