All the Roads We Have to Walk: Chapter Fifty
They made it to Atlantica shortly after Terra's call. The sea was rapidly rising, the base barely visible up ahead. The water was already lapping against the building, reaching up to the windows on the ground floor. Hidden among the other ships, all of which seemed to be in working condition, to avoid attack (Tsuko's people had already used the base's outer defences to try and shoot the ship down once) the group were rapidly coming to a decision on their next course of action.
The plan was set out quickly. Tifa, Barret (who was muttering a lot about a great dislike of swimming) and Sora would try and break into the base on foot while Red stayed on the ship with Zidane and Yuna doing his best to back the party up from the air while wirelessly hacking into the base's security camera network to give the party on the ground live updates of enemy positions. Barret had also left Yuna the Ultima materia under the express order to only use it in emergency.
It was Sora who pointed out the flaw in that plan. "We can't use magic on Atlantica, remember? There's that weird anti-magic thing."
Everyone looked at each other, slowly recalling that critical piece of information from the depths of their memories.
"But aren't their rooms in the base where magic users practise?" Zidane said. "I'm sure I…"
"No, those rooms are for combat training." Tifa groaned. "I can't believe I forgot about the no magic rule!"
"Must be that Sin toxin thing," Sora suggested.
"Old age more like," Red smirked.
Zidane gave the four-legged creature a slap on the head. "Do behave!"
"I wanna come too!" Yuna burst out.
"No," Tifa said firmly. "Without magic you'll be in too much danger."
"You can stay and help me," Red patiently ordered Yuna. "Do everything I tell you and under no circumstances break my rules."
"Okay, okay! Do what Red says I got it! Hah, Red says… It kinda rhymes only it doesn't but it should!"
Red looked pleadingly at Tifa. "Are you sure you won't require her assistance?"
"Red how could you even suggest it? We're putting her in enough danger as it is!"
"Fine, fine. But if she drives me insane I shall, in what remains of my psyche, blame you."
"Stop complaining and get to work."
Tifa followed Sora and Barret off the bridge. Barret was opening the hatch, grumbling constantly that under no circumstances would he do any swimming because he had no intention of drowning. The real reason for his unending torrent of grumbling was to help him deal with his concern for Marlene who was somewhere on Atlantica. Everyone know Barret would single-handedly tear the base apart in order to protect his daughter. Her own concern for Marlene triggered Tifa's memory and she suddenly recalled the materia she had yet to give Sora. She walked to his side and tapped him on the shoulder.
"There's something I need to give you before you go." Tifa reached into a pocket and pulled out two orbs of materia – one red and the other blue. "It's Phoenix and Final Attack. We can't use it here I know but it may come in useful later on. If you're taken out in a battle this summon paired with Final Attack will revive you and anyone else on your side who's been taken out." She passed the materia to him. "I hope you never have to use it."
Sora pushed them deep into his pockets. "Same here. Thanks Tifa. I'll take good care of them."
Then they were following Barret who'd already jumped off the ship. Thanks to his great height the water barely reached his hips and the tides didn't affect him at all. Tifa went next, the water reaching her chest. She grabbed Barret's hand to stay standing as the water tried to pull her away. Then Sora took the plunge. He'd expected his feet to land on solid ground a lot sooner than they did. Instead he went under the water before his feet touched the ground. Standing up straight, his head broke the surface. The very, very cold water was up to his neck. Luckily he was a powerful swimmer and held his own against the tide. Nevertheless, Sora thought with a sigh, he really needed to grow.
"Ya look like a drowned rat!"
"Thanks."
"Come on, let's get moving. We've got a job to do," Tifa said firmly, although the twinkle in her eye betrayed her amusement. At least she wasn't laughing outright like Barret.
The trio waded (or swam) across the empty patch of land between the Chocobo stables and the base itself. Thankfully it was slightly sloped so it wasn't too long before Sora no longer had to swim to keep up with Barret and Tifa.
"So how do we get in?" Barret asked. "Ain't like we can jes' stroll through the front door."
"Don't worry, there's another way in. Terra and I came up with it a while ago in case of Heartless activity but we kept it pretty quiet. I hope no one's found it."
"More like y'better hope it ain't flooded."
Tifa's door was located in the rock the base was built upon. It was just barely above water level, uneven natural steps leading up to it. Tifa bent down to pick up a rock. Beneath it was a large black switch and after she pressed it there was a loud rumble as part of the rock slid away to reveal a long, dark corridor. The water crept up behind them as they entered the shaft.
"It won't be long before this place really is underwater," Sora commented from the rear. "I'm sorry. If I had realised…"
"You did the right thing Sora." Tifa called from in front. "Besides this world was once all underwater. You were just putting things back the way they belong."
"Yeah and we don't wanna be here when it's all sea again."
"Ain't nothin' truer been said," Barret muttered, adding: "I don't swim. It ain't natural for people to swim when they can't breathe underwater."
They fell silent as they walked. The rocky wall was changing into a more manmade façade, smooth tiles pasted to the surface. The lights were white and growing harsher as they closed in on the base. Tifa reached the door that opened up onto the lowest levels of the building and pushed it carefully. To her gratification it opened without the slightest protest. She led Sora and Barret out into what appeared to be a maintenance cupboard. There were brooms, mops, cloths and chemical cleaning agents everywhere, the smells of which were making Sora's head spin. They hurried out, closing the cupboard and finding themselves lost behind the piles of disused equipment strewn throughout the base's basement.
"Figured it'd be a good disguise," Tifa whispered as she began climbing out. "No one would think to look down here."
Barret went ahead even more gingerly than Tifa. He was a big man and negotiating the tight spaces quietly wasn't easy for him. Sora had no trouble whatsoever and made it to the other side via crawling through the spaces between equipment. At fifteen he was taller than he'd been a year ago but had by no means reached his adult height. It was times like this being a little short came in handy. He was peeking out into the corridor beyond while Tifa and Barret were still only halfway across the room. He heard footsteps and caught sight of a shadow on the staircase at the far end of the hall. There came a buzzing voice but Sora couldn't make out the words. Whoever was on the stairs answered with an "All clear in the basement." The question, of course, was what side was the person on? Sora decided to take a risk and approached. Holding both the Keyblades he approached the stairs, wondering all the while what he was going to ask the person he was about to come across. When they're eyes met neither seemed to know what to do. Both hesitated but it was Sora who made the first demand.
"Whose side are you on?"
The young woman, probably only Zidane's age, reached instantly for the radio. Sora didn't let her speak. Oathkeeper slammed into her hand, breaking both bones and the radio. She let out a cry of pain, black hair falling across her face as she went down on her knees.
"Where's Tsuko?"
"Like I'd tell you."
"Why are you siding with him? He tried to destroy worlds with Metsu and Yuki!"
"So what? They were going to destroy the worlds the Heartless have taken. It means nothing to me!"
Sora was at a loss. He didn't know what to do with the girl. It wasn't really in his nature to harm someone who could no longer attack him. He stood guard over her until the others caught up with him. Barret took charge of the girl, grabbing her and knocking her out with a heavy blow to the head. Sora winced, as did Tifa, but neither protested as Barret threw her over his shoulder and lugged her up the stairs. After all, they couldn't leave her down there to drown when the water got too high.
The stairs led out onto the medical floor. It was deadly quiet, with only a few hushed voices drifting from some unidentifiable location. Barret dumped the girl on a bed before following behind Tifa and Sora. They were heading for the stairs that would lead them to the main level. Sora was painfully aware they didn't have a plan of any kind but he comforted himself with the knowledge that in his life he'd rarely come up with plans yet he'd survived plenty of troubles. However that didn't mean this was going to be a walk in the park or…
"Who goes there?"
Weapons raised, all three spun to face the voice that had spoken. When they saw that the head poking out the door was that of Shera, everyone relaxed. She beckoned them into her office, closing the door quietly. She quickly explained how, after evacuating Hollow Bastion, she'd wound up on Atlantica only to get involved in Tsuko's bid to take control.
"No one's entirely sure how he broke out of custody but he did. Now his people have me treating their injuries. If I don't they say they'll kill their prisoners."
"Do you know where he is?" Sora asked.
"Not exactly but I get the feeling he's in one of the offices on the top floor. I suppose he figures up there will be the last place to flood."
"What about Marlene?" Barret demanded, not quite controlling the anxious tone of his voice. "Have you seen her?"
Shera's smile was positively radiant. "Marlene!" she called. "There's someone here to see you!"
From a closet in the back of the office came an excited squeal and then a blur shot across the room and launched itself into Barret's chest. Sora blinked and realised a little girl with dark hair clutched the big man, smiling but crying at the same time.
"Daddy! You came!"
"Marlene!" Barret hugged her tightly. "You're awright? You ain't hurt at all?"
"I'm fine. I've been helping Miss Shera here and she's been looking after me."
Barret gave the doctor a nod of thanks. "Thanks."
"Any time."
There was a soft beep from Tifa's pocket and she pulled out her PHS. There was a text message alert on the screen. It was from Red. He'd hacked into the base's mainframe and taken all the weapons offline and made it so the security cameras only sent their live feed to the ship.
"We need to split up," Sora said. "We need to find Terra, Tsuko and make sure the escape route stays safe in case we need to get out quick." He was quick to delegate. "Tifa find Terra. She can fill you in and then you can meet up with Barret who'll keep the route out safe. If that one gets flooded…"
"It will," Barret calmly interposed, placing Marlene back on her own feet.
"Then I guess you can join with Terra's side and fight off Tsuko's people."
"And meanwhile you're gonna go after the final boss hi'self?"
"Sure."
"What will you do with him?" Tifa asked.
Sora gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah I'm working on that."
"Terra will probably be in the living quarters," Shera provided. "It's where she was last I saw her."
"All right, let's go," Tifa said. "Shera, you didn't see us."
She waved one hand dismissively, taking hold of Marlene's with the other. "Patients to see. We'll be ready to go soon."
"Stay safe Marlene."
"I will Daddy."
"Yuna's on the ship. She'll be glad to have a friend."
"Great! I can't wait to see her."
Barret went back downstairs, leaving Tifa and Sora alone to head upwards. Once they were on the main level they went their separate ways. The dormitories had a separate set of stairs leading up to them. The idea had been to protect people from a Heartless attack if one occurred in the middle of the night. Now it was just acting as a stronghold for one of Atlantica's factions.
"We'll join you as soon as we can," Tifa promised. "Don't get in too much trouble."
"And when do I do that?"
Tifa gave him a playful shove on the shoulder. "Don't go there."
Sora headed up the same stairs Zidane had taken him up so long ago. This time the door wasn't shut. In fact the door was gone altogether, blown off at the hinges by some kind of explosion. All the meeting rooms were in a terrible mess, furniture strewn everywhere. There was blood in places too. Keyblades in his hands, Sora moved onwards. The blood was getting thicker and fresher but the silence beyond the rising waters never broke. Sora headed up another floor but there was still nothing beyond the abandoned kitchens and empty training rooms. Where the hell was everyone?
Sora was running out of places to find people. Before he really wanted to he found himself on the top floor. There was his answer. He found everyone.
Dead. They were all dead. Dead and still bleeding with faces frozen in horror or agony.
The PHS began vibrating in his back pocket. Pulling it out, Sora answered Tifa's call. "It's not good," he said by way of greeting. The air was tainted by a metallic smell. "It's really, really not good."
"They're all dead."
"Yeah. They're very dead." Before Sora could go on he heard something up ahead. It sounded like someone knocked something onto the floor. "I gotta go Tifa."
"Sora wai-"
Hanging up Sora pushed the phone back into his pocket and disengaged his mind as he began stepping over bodies to make his way towards the noise. His boots left bloody prints on the floor. At times the grip on the soles gave out, his feet skidding so badly Sora opted to walk with his hands touching lightly on the wall. He winced when his fingers brushed through blood, leaving warmth trickling down his fingers.
"This can't be good."
"Depends on your definition of good I imagine."
By now he should've been able to anticipate all and any unexpected visitors. But he never did. So when he turned and saw her walking out of an office, Sora couldn't quite keep the surprise off his face.
"I thought you were dead."
Reina's haggard face arranged itself into something resembling a smile. "Oh, I am. But people have a funny way of not staying perfectly dead these days." Her greasy, messy pink hair fell over her gaunt face. "Did you miss me?"
Sora's hands tightened around the Keyblades but he remained silent.
"I met your friend. We got on very well. I'll show you what he gave me." Reina held out her emaciated arms, her hands crossed over one another. Her fingers began to meld together and within a heartbeat her hands were guns, flesh and dripping with blood.
"Where's Tsuko?"
"Behind you."
Sora looked. She wasn't lying. Tsuko was there. He stood with his head bowed. "Is he…?"
"Dead?"
"Yeah."
Tsuko's head moved. It moved down. Down, down. Down until it wasn't on his neck anymore. Down until it fell. Tsuko's head was on the floor. Moments later his body, blood gushing like a river from the neck, was there too.
"Is he dead enough for you?" Reina asked, twisted humour in her tone. "I wouldn't know how to make him deader." She aimed both her guns at Sora. "Perhaps you'll teach me how."
Her bullets ricocheted off the Keyblades as Sora spun them in front of him, backing up closer to Tsuko's body. "Why are you here? The Heartless can't come here."
"But the Fallen can."
"Fallen?"
"I'm not allowed tell you about us. Your friend told me to let you figure it out for yourself. You'll get there eventually won't you Sora? You've always been a little slow right?" She raised the guns again. "I can tell you that I need you and all the others to die though. Tell you what, if I kill you I'll let you in on the secret right before you die okay?"
She fired again. Sora dodged the bullets and moved to attack. He couldn't knock the weapons out her hands. Maybe he could just break her hands off instead?
He almost baulked. What was he thinking?
There wasn't time for hesitation. Sora swung Oblivion round in time to knock Reina's arms off target. Her bullets shot through a window, shattering the glass. Suddenly the sea could be heard roaring. Sora risked a glance. The water had risen to a higher level. It really wouldn't be long before the whole base was underwater.
"What good will this place do you anyway?" Sora asked, looking back at Reina. "Soon it'll be flooded."
"You should know better than anyone, that's what he says." She lashed out so quickly Sora couldn't stop her. Her foot caught his chin, sending him into a twisting fall.
"I can't believe I'm asking this but…why can't I hear him?"
"Are you jealous?" Reina smirked. "Fear not. Even if you can't hear him here," she tapped her head. "He's always with you in here," and she patted her heart. "Never forget."
"Why did you kill Tsuko?" Sora demanded, wishing he'd never asked. "He wasn't the nicest person but…"
"Revenge of course. The master wished for his death and I was only too happy to oblige. Tsuko betrayed him as much as Yuki and Metsu. It was only a matter of time before he was killed too. You side with scum and you'll die with them too."
"What about me?" Sora finally stood up again, trying to ignore the ringing in his ears. "What will you do with me?"
"I want to kill you, really I do, but I've just been informed that I can't kill you, if that's what worries you."
"Not so much. But you're not having this world. You're not having any of them."
"I came to clear the rubbish. This world will be ours but we have no place for the people already here." Reina smiled, her hands changing into silver blades. The edges were so sharp all she needed was one well-aimed strike and someone's head would roll. That certainly explained Tsuko. "But you're not quite done yet. Beat me and I'll give you something. Lose and let's just say the pain will make you wish I was allowed to kill you."
Their weapons met with a resounding clang in midair, sparks glittering and blood spurting as the Keyblades pounded again and again on the weapons made from Reina's body. She fell back under Sora's relentless assault, her feet pulling her away whether she wanted to go or not. But she wasn't out of tricks yet. She ducked down but stabbed upwards at the same time, forcing Sora to defend himself from her blades and taking his attention away from her feet. Down low she swept her right leg in an arc, knocking Sora's legs from beneath him. He crashed to the ground, too surprised for a moment to comprehend how it had happened. Then before he could get up Reina was there, knives aiming to stab him through the eyes. Sora threw her blades off course with Oblivion and rolled upwards, kicking her out the way as he moved. Both recovered their balance and met head on, Sora moving just that bit slower. Reina's daggers were pressing down heavily on Oathkeeper and Oblivion but he wasn't going to lose to a girl. With a growl of effort he pushed her off and moved into Ars Arcanum, the hallway barely big enough to accommodate both the Keyblades attacking in tandem and he brought down huge chunks from the ceiling and out of the walls. Reina collapsed under the furious attack and the raining debris. She tried to fight back but she was blinded with dust. Sora finished her off with a spinning blow, twisting round and slashing into her first with a low cut across the chest from Oblivion and a high gouge down the face and neck from Oathkeeper. She fell to her backside and didn't get up.
As the dust began to clear Reina started laughing, the sound hardly joyful. "When you fight you are a completely different person, aren't you? All that cheerfulness and optimism is gone and in its place is a determined killer. Are you really the right person to rest in between light and dark? Maybe you didn't go far enough when you left the other place behind."
"What are you…"
"Talking about? It hardly matters. Here." She tossed him a small box. The design was identical to that of the boxes that had come out of the Keyholes. "That's the last part of the message. You would've found it in Hollow Bastion but you failed that world, didn't you? Master doesn't mind. He hates that world and it's pathetic traitors." Reina sat a little straighter, tilting her head back. Her lumpy hair slunk off her sweaty forehead. "Go on then, finish me off."
"No. Reina you can't be…"
"Fallen? Yes I can. Snow White did kill me you know. This is what I get for killing one of the Master's beauties. I see how erroneous my ways were now. So go on, kill me."
"No."
"Fine. Have it your way." Reina pulled herself up. Sora raised the Keyblades, ready for another round. "I'll see you when you go home."
"Go home?"
But before he could do or say anything else Reina threw three silver pellets to the ground. Each one exploded into choking smoke, leaving Sora blinded. Coughing, he groped his way downstairs where the air was fresher. Reina was gone without a trace. And yet Sora knew exactly where he'd find her. And when he did he'd…
Would he really have to kill her? Was it really killing when the one dying was no longer quite human?
Eyes dry and itching, Sora grabbed his PHS and dialled a number as best he could through squinted vision. The line connected.
"Sora?"
"Yeah, it's me. Did you find Terra?"
"I did," Tifa confirmed. "But there were a lot of dead bodies on the way here. How about you? Have you dealt with Tsuko?"
"I didn't have to."
"You mean he just listened to what you had to say?" Tifa sounded highly sceptical.
"No I mean he was already dead. Tifa… I have some bad news." Without beating around the bush Sora filled her in on Reina.
"And she's gonna be waiting on Destiny Islands?"
"I think so."
"Okay. Get back to the ship quick. The water's rising a lot faster. Don't worry about the others – Barret and Shera have already evacuated the survivors to some of the other ships."
"Got it."
Sora hung up and looked at the box he still clutched in his hand. He could hear the water behind him, growing louder with each breaking wave but his curiosity was, as always, overpowering. He opened it and pulled out the scrap of paper. The words were no surprise but they still gave Sora's stomach a funny turn.
The one who wields the mightiest weapon of all,
The Keyblade's Master…
The fallen one will take all he holds dear.
There was no time to stand there and ponder the blatant meaning. Sora reached the stairs that would take him to the main level and hit a major snag. The floor was flooded. There was only one choice. He had to go back up and climb to the roof.
Running as fast as he could Sora returned to the top floor. He stepped uneasily through the bodies, trying not to disturb any of them although he wasn't entirely sure why. A silly childish notion in the back of his mind quivered with terror at the thought of seeing so many dead people. But he didn't have time to freeze with fear. Using Oathkeeper to smash a window, Sora leaned out and looked down. The water was racing upwards, smashing through windows and flooding the lower levels. Sora reached out to a drainage pipe that climbed to the roof and pulled himself up, using all his strength to not skid back down. It was tough going. If he fell into the water he'd go under and never be found in time. Straining every muscle Sora managed to pull himself onto the roof. In his pocket the PHS gave a shrill ring. He grabbed it and ran to the centre of the roof. It was the last safe haven. The water was almost on his level, tides ripping it in every direction.
"Sora where are you?" It was Red.
"I'm on the roof. I can't get to the ground."
"We're coming! Hold on!"
There was nothing other than a satellite dish to hold on to and the water was creeping onto the roof, racing to reclaim the world. Cold and wet, Sora clung to the satellite as he looked out over the rough sea. Waves began to sweep up over his head, crashing down and leaving him spluttering. But never once did he let go of the satellite. Not even when his fingers grew so cold he could barely feel them. Not even when he was left underwater for several heart-stopping seconds until the water levelled out. Not even when…
Silent.
It was always silent.
A familiar landscape frozen solid. The people have gone. The one he loves the most has gone. She's nowhere to be seen. Everything has just stopped. Even the sea has fallen still. Maybe he'd never make it move. The only thing that did move was the blizzard, screaming furiously across the grim sky. Maybe he'd just…
"…on! Grab my hand!"
Jolted back to reality Sora looked up. Zidane was above him, hanging from the ship by a harness and a strong rope. His hand was outstretched…so familiar… and Sora reached, letting go of the satellite. But…just like that other time… he couldn't reach. Another wave crashed into him, sending him sidelong into the surf.
Maybe he'd just freeze as well.
The water tugged him down. No matter how hard he fought he couldn't reach the surface. He hadn't had time to breathe deep before the waters rushed over his head. This was it.
Blizzaga.
The underwater world of Atlantica had always been blue. But Sora's eyes saw it all in a new colour. Black. Everything was as black as if it were made out of shadows. He looked down to his left hand and saw Oblivion. Everything suddenly became clear in his head.
No.
You owe me.
No!
But Oblivion wouldn't go away. Sora couldn't dismiss it.
Darkness is my greatest strength. Light is yours but it's hard to use light in a place where it is all but gone. So you walk in between, guarding and separating the opposing forces. But right now if you don't use the darkness you will die.
I won't!
But he would. He really was going to die.
Do it.
A black light shot out the Keyblade's tip. Sora felt something almighty wrench in his heart.
How are you making me do this?
It isn't me. You're doing this yourself. Your heart knows what it must do. The Keyblades know what they must do.
Something solid met Sora's feet and propelled him upwards. He was out of the water and standing on a column of ice but he couldn't pull air into his lungs. All his vision could see was darkness. The water below him wasn't receding.
It was freezing.
The ship, with his friends on board, waited above him. "What are you doing!" Zidane hollered. "Sora!"
What am I doing?
Freezing this world of course.
"No."
Done.
The world around him grew darker.
"No!"
The world died.
"NO!"
Sora had never screamed so loudly in his life.
