Of Keys and Hammers

by zcritic88

In a realm beyond, the Four Chaos has taken notice of a realm tied close to the heart. They squirmed into the darkness and sought to corrupt if to reach a prize beyond the light. Will the Light of Order, be able to repel this ancient evil?

39. A Neat Trip

Outside of Castle Oblivion, Sora was given a text as he watched Donald give a heal to Riku and Kairi. He thought about it and texted back, feeling a little guilty as Riku managed a swollen cheek and Kairi asked with a hint of adrenaline. "Who was that?"

The spiky haired boy answered. "Ken, since he summons that goblin, he figured out about what we did to the Orruks before we got the chance to tell him first," Kairi sighed and smiled without worry. "They're fine, they are just out of everyone's way and won't cause anymore problems," Sora hummed. "That's what I told him and he's cool with it? He said something about a handy trick that we should hear from Aqua about?" Kairi was interested as Mickey answered. "They are probably learning some techniques for all of us. That was rather quick." Riku guessed. "Maybe because two events in that world were so interconnected to each other and were so straight forward that they have little reason to detour. Hey, do you want to ask him what he and Aqua saw to make it so quick?" Sora was on it and waited. "Who knew this was the place he found?" Riku felt bad about not knowing sooner. "Did any of us?"

In a ledge overlooking an undead town.

Aqua and Ken were astonished by the change in scenery, finding Jambert with a spear in hand and saying hello to Solaire, who was looking up on the light. "It's been a while Sir Solaire." The Warrior of Sunlight sighed in a day dream. "Hmm! Ah..." He noticed the three. "Oh...hello there. Forgive me, I was just pondering... about my poor fortune."

Aqua wondered what was wrong. "What happened?" Solaire sighed. "I did not find my own sun, not in Anor Londo, nor in Twilight Blighttown. Where else might my sun be? Lost Izalith, or the Tomb of the Gravelord?" Ken hummed. "They could be down there, what do you think Jambert?"

The knight guessed. "They are places with a soul of great power. In fact, I am about to head to the Catacombs to search for the Gravelords domain and to find some clerics who disappeared lost, don't give up Solaire," The warrior of sunlight faced them valiantly. "I cannot give up. I became Undead to pursue this!" He looked up to the sun above the grand structure. "But when I peer to the Sun up above, it occurs to me... What if I am seen as a laughing stock, as a blind fool without reason?" He looked down and away from the others. "Well, I suppose they wouldn't be far off,"

He laughed to himself, Jambert shook his head and answered. "I certainly don't. You partook in this adventure to find that reason, you just need a little enlightenment." He approached Solaire and patted him on the shoulder. "That sun is somewhere out there, you need to think about where." The keybearers sensed Solaire blushing under his helmet, the Warrior of Sunlight calmly sighed. "Thank you for your kind words. It lights up even the darkest of days." Jambert chuckled and tried to say something, the illusion faded. Ken and Aqua found themselves in front of the grand door.

Ken had a text message back and cringed. "Come on dude." Aqua hummed and Ken showed the message. "It isn't about the Orruks, I'll look at that myself. Do we really need to tell him what we saw?"

The keyblade master took the phone and texted. "Sora, this is Aqua. Me and Kendry went into a memory about a knight named Jambert, who among a few things, had to plunge into a place called the Abyss, a place of absolute Darkness, to confront four people that gave in to its power. We're never going back in that floor again." She gave a wink emoji and sent. Ken was embarrassed and wanted to open the doorway. "I hope they know that's really you. Now if that conversation is correct, we are going to some catacombs, the last one I been to was not exactly pleasant. But compared a hide out for people that MIGHT have a grudge against us to a catacombs in a world where being undead is a thing."

He licked his lips to the thought of discovery as Aqua had no knowledge of what a catacombs is. "What would make the catacombs more dangerous then?" Ken answered and had his hands at the door. "Catacombs are a bigger tomb, filled with dead things. I hope it isn't as gross." He opened the door and walked through, finding himself in armor and in a cavern with flowing water and scattered remains of skeletons, he saw Jambert stab a skeleton with a silver spear and dodge a fire ball from a foe in a cave way to the right. An undead mage in brown robe, the boy had his gun like blade prepared and snipped the mage, catching Jambert of guard and seeing both him and Aqua. "Goodness you came without warning. Threat not, this shouldn't be anything like New Londo. The Catacombs is but another obstacle we have to traverse down. To the Tomb of Giants, the realm of Gravelord Nito. That was a necromancer who reanimates the dead, that would have been an issue if it were not for this spear."

He showed it as Ken thought that was less unnerving. "The one you took from a silver knight? What does it do?"

Jambert answered and lead the two down a ledge and through a bridge into a crypt. "It holds divine power that will keep the skeletons dead, we just need to find the necromancer and no more will rise. Sir Kendry, Lady Aqua... would those keyblades suffice as divine weapons?"

Ken looked at his and thought it would as Aqua answered. "It depends on what lurks with in the heart, but if divine is light, then it would. Lead the way."

Jambert did so, going down the ledge overlooking the cavern, finding two skeletons put themselves together and revealing white and red pattern round shields and shimitars. Ken shot one of the skeletons in the head as Aqua approached one, side flipped from the skeleton that shot himself to her like a missile and quickly struck it on the head, sending the skull into the chasm and leaving the body to collapse. Jambert lead them across the bridge and into the cave, entering a proper looking catacombs that was littered with skeletons and still corpses. The trio traversed through and slew what they could find. They went into a narrow room with three animated skeletons, quickly dispatched them and let Jambert search around, picking up a well conditioned shimitar and finding a body holding a spear that is part hammer, the knight pilfered and went back to the hall, nothing else was in their way of travel save for more athletic skeletons. They found an exit from one catacomb and found a bridge to their left, tilted side ways. Two skeletons and a necromancer awaited them on the other side should they undo the bridge. Ken took Cadia's Light and shot above the necromancer, causing a fire orb to form and rain down fire balls to clear them away. Aqua noticed the path to the right having three odd floating red heads and shot a couple fire spells to make them go off. Jambert lead the way and was quickly jabbed in his right by stone spikes erupting from a statue, gritting in pain and trying a better job in avoiding the statues entirely. The knight stabbed two more animated skeletons and took an intact round shield as his own. He found a contraption with a horizontal push lever and pressed it down as the keybearers went ahead to investigate and found nothing of importance, they turned back the way they came with the knight across the bridge to another section of the catacombs, fighting their way room to room and reaching one with a spiral stair way into the darkness. Going by each room that had animated skeletons ready to strike and through one particular room, Jambert was shot in the head by a fire ball. The knight rushed in and confronted a necromancer, he trusted his spear into the necromancer for an unceremoniously kill and noticed something glowing in its hand, a skull lantern held by hair. He picked it up as loot and hummed. "That would be useful."

Aqua noticed a push switch much like the one from above and pushed it in, hearing something moving from above. Ken looked down the spiral stair way, flicked a couple fire balls down and saw one land on a stone edge and one land in the roof of a tomb bellow. "Jambert, Miss Aqua, I think I found something," The knight and teacher followed, having doubts about jumping off a stair way into the unknown as the boy pointed to where he saw the stone ledge and shot another fire ball, revealing it. "There is a path way down we need to drop to, but if Nito is deep in here, this could be a short cut." He hummed as Jambert took the skull lantern and shined it bellow, seeing the pathway clear as another ledge was bellow the other. "I believe it does, if you looked down from out of this cave you would find plenty of bones in the cavern."

Aqua felt it made sense and made the first jump down, followed by her student, they jumped down again as they heard Jambert jump after them. Finding a hole in the roof of the tomb, they jumping together as one as Jambert followed behind. The three landed in a narrow crypt and heard something heavy approach. A large menacing, stocky skeleton with a massive pick axe in its right hand and having an odd bony beard across his chin. The three readied for battle as the skeleton went to a right wall and held the pick axe with both hands, raising it up for something. CRUNCH! He carved a wall open, turned to the three and yelled, using the pick axe to lead the way. "Be gone with you!" He turned back to the darkness. "You'll spoil my focus." That caught the three by surprise and Aqua had her free hand by her hip. "Wha... Ken, Jambert, don't leave yet." Tink! Tink!

The skeleton's behavior was the most that caught her by surprise, the skeleton went to his corner and was smithing away a variety of weapons. Aqua tilted her head and approached to ask. "We will be gone in a moment, but who are you?"

The skeleton heated metal by a casket like forge and looked at her in a grumpy manner. "Vamos, if you need some smithing, then produce me some wares!" Jambert ignited a nearby bonfire, took a shimitar, some shards of titanite and gave it to the black smith. "I would like this reinforced, it's a fine weapon for something laying around among the bones."

Vamos grumbled and went to work as he continued to answer Aqua's question. "I'm a mere blacksmith, it's just my weapons and my trade," He looked at the keyblade with an odd sparkle of light in his eye sockets and shook his head. "I would be of no help to a righteous warrior such as yourselves." Ken joined in the conversation and asked. "Doesn't it get lonely down here by yourself?"

Vamos continued his work and answered the boy. "If there is anything I have, it's my smithing and nothing more. Speaking honestly, I must say I am at my very limit. There's no more work to be done. Ahh, unless I had the flames of that legendary witch," He sighed. "But that would require a visit to Lost Izalith. Impossible." Jambert had an idea and asked. "But what if to say... someone gets those for you?"

Vamos doubted that. "Bah, the demon ruins bellow would devour you whole. But suppose that someone leave me those, Old Vamos wouldn't let em down, no, not ever!" Jambert felt it was an idea. "If we were not fools, we would have never came down here."

Tink! Tink! Tink!

Vamos reinforced the shimitar as Aqua asked. "I heard that some of these weapons can be infused to... certain properties. Just a while ago we found an club imbued with dark powers. Do you know of that?"

Vamos looked at her like she was talking of a wrong. "I don't deal with that kind. What has gone wrong with embers these days? I know a bit of fire though." Jambert chuckled like he was on a good guess. "I would like to see it enforced in the flame as much as you can, what titanite is needed?"

Vamos asked. "How much of the green do you got?" Jambert answered with ten. "I gathered some with in the swamp. Ha, ha." Vamos didn't quite care where it was from and went to work, causing a spark of flame as the knight explained. "Andre, the smith by the church, would know of the divine and powers associated with it. The giant forges weapons of thunder and the one that keeps himself locked up in New Londo knows of magical ascension. You give and you take. I have a project I would like to see done before my journey is over."

Aqua had an interest in such a hobby. "Collect those kinds of weapons. Huh?" In a few moments, the shimitar gave off a warm glow, Vamos made sure his work was done and gave it to the knight. "That be all?" Jambert put the shimitar away and nodded. "We will be gone, your focus must not be interrupted."

He went through the hole and found himself in a creek filled with bones, the keyblade wielders followed him out with some enlightenment. Jambert heard something clank and looked around to find four skeletons in spiked wheels, rolling in the wheels and charging after him. He rolled out of the way as the keyblade wielders noticed and jumped high, finding themselves before floating red heads that let loose a scream. Aqua flowed to a lower ledge as Ken shot himself out of the blast range. Jambert ignited a chaotic fire ball and hurled it and the bundle of skeletons, causing the ground to head up into lava and burn the wooden wheels. Jambert jabbed at them and finished them off, exhaling as Aqua and Ken noticed a path down a canyon and traveled, they found a fogged gate. The knight caught up with them and together, they pushed through the fogged gate, finding an odd temple so deep in the canyon. The roof was tilted like an open coffin and they saw a small pool of water with in a temple filled with bones. They jumped down to find an odd hunched back figure in a black robe. The figure had six limbs and looked to be studying a skeleton and having a hills worth of books. The trio looked to find skeletons hanging from the ceiling and noticed that the creature noticed them. The creature turned around and revealed not one, not two, but three masked faces. On the bottom was a golden mask resembling a bearded man, on the middle left was a white feminine mask and at the top was a mask resembling a child. The six limbs had odd lanterns and the three masks looked at each of the three visitors in astonishment, Aqua sensed the emotions of three as Ken and Jambert saw the masks looking upon each other.

The masks gave a combined, distraught mumble, like they didn't expect nor wanted visitors. The creature glowed its lanterns and flickered out of existence, appearing above in the center of the room as two, then to four. Surrounding them in four corners and readying a fire ball from each. Jambert rolled out of the way to the middle as Ken and Aqua skid to the walls, left and right. Ken shot the one closer to the exit and caused it to fumble as Aqua flew to the upper right mage, both made quick work and caused the two to panic. Jambert tossed a fire ball at the upper left and caused it to fall down, the bottom right teleported behind him to shoot a fire ball at the knight that dodged and went to attacking the mage without much thought, causing it to become bloodied. It teleported away to the other end of the room and split into two to accompany the third, Jambert wasn't really fooled on account of how healthy the clones looked and rushed to the one on the right. The three masks looked to be begging for something, the lanterns swayed in the creatures desperate attempt to block. They were quickly stabbed in the chest by the spear. The figure went limp and its lanterns dimmed, the clones disappeared and Jambert found something with in one of the lanterns a lit, a red rite to kindling. He found a child like mask intact and picked it up. Ken sighed in pity for the creature as Aqua noticed a ladder to the right and spoke. "It wasn't prepared at any of us, what was it doing down here?"

Ken went to the table to have a look, finding a book and spoke out loud by the cover. "A log about taking the power of the Grave Lord by a... Pinwheel. That's the name of what we fought?" Jambert put the mask away at a guess. "I believe so. But we had to advance and Pinwheel acted too much on the defense."

Aqua looked at the corpse with sympathy. "I sensed three hearts in one body, but what is done is done. Maybe this would finally free them from this form. Come on, we have to close to Nito."

She dismissed her keyblade and climbed up the ladder as Ken did the same and Jambert followed. Out of the coffin like temple and left wandering into a dark cave that the teacher and student light up a path with their keyblades, like a set of torches. Jambert held his spear in his right hand and the lantern in his left. They found the roof of a sarcophagus to their left and used it to slide down into the Tomb of Giants. They kept close to the cave wall and saw a giant skeleton with a large curved sword, it lunged for them. The trio dodged in various ways and countered, causing the bones to scatter across the cave. They went down the cave and found another slide to use, along with another. Reaching to another skeleton waiting for ambush and quickly paying the price, with another getting a quick rush after the knight that rolled back and avoiding the slam of the large sword. Jambert stabbed it in the face with the divine spear and caused it to fall apart. They found another sarcophagus to slide down. Finding a close roofed passage ahead and to their left, a set of ladders that Jambert noticed. "Hmm, there has to be a bonfire somewhere." He went down the ladders and slid as the other two followed, he found a faint glow by giant skeleton laying and cheered. "Ah ha!" He rushed to the bonfire to light it up and had a seat by it, Ken and Aqua calmed their nerves and had a seat on a skull, looking at a red glow ahead and finding the ruins of a civilization surrounded by lava.

Aqua squinted her eyes and asked. "Is that the Lost Izalith Vamos talked about?"

Jambert looked ahead. "I think it might, beyond the home of the Fair Lady lies the aftermath of a disaster?"

Ken sarcastically smiled. "And we have to go in there soon and see what has happened. Great. This still beats the Abyss," Aqua agreed with that as Jambert fed dark shades of humanity to the fire, causing it to rise high and bright. "We didn't have to travel nearly as long and these are just skeletons."

Jambert gave off a faint glow and felt more clear in the mind. "And we are fortunate to have a bonfire in this place. Before we venture further," He stood up. "I am going to explore a few nearby crypts, will the two of you be rested enough?"

Aqua nodded as Ken crouched closer to the fire. "Don't get yourself killed. It's still a dark place." The boy agreed with that. "And those skeletons are looking to come at us from the shadows at every turn. Don't be long."

Jambert promised he won't and left, giving the student and teacher time by themselves. Ken was wide eyed and awake as he noticed the Firekeeper sitting by the fire. "Is the actual Jambert like the guy we traveled with? He has to be a long memory." The Firekeeper nodded. "He is much the knight thou has seen. The only difference is he met thou as well."

Aqua sighed and looked upon the path with admiration. "Despite how brutal the world is, he kept a bright heart that became even brighter." The admiration became sorrow, the Firekeeper looked like she was aware of something and Ken asked. "Did linking the Fire change anything about the world? Or did things get worse like what I really saw?"

The Firekeeper answered and tried to look upon the boy. "The Knight of feeble origins, became a Lord that preserved the Fire. Yet the world continued to grow darker, if thou expels Garland from the Castle and has yet ascended to the highest point... thou should heed this warning," Ken guessed what it was. "Turn back before we see more? It does feel like this adventure is getting close to ending."

Aqua was feeling suspicious, yet agreed. "If both Garland and Braig are gone, I can get started. The sooner the better." Ken felt a curiosity in his mind and tried to bury it, he focused on the burning ruins and counted the moments away.

In a world that had a vast lake.

Pete squinted his eyes to a far distant sight, seeing an undead dragon dripping in darkness. It flew above the lake as its rider, a red robbed figure with horns, readied a spell. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the Horned fella was from this world." "Indeed, the pathetic attempt of a god's grasp upon the worlds," Maleficent stepped out from a corridor with the skull pendent in hand, a raven on her shoulder and with a vile plan in mind, sensing that the distant figure noticed her.

She gave the pendent to her raven and had it fly into the unknown, Pete asked as he felt a great evil emerging from the water. "Are you sure about distracting this creep?"

Maleficent saw them, a vast legion of reconstructed skeletons in rusted weapons, she took her scepter and spun it in the air to form a crackle of dark magic. "Forest of thorns shall be their tomb. Born through the sky as a fog of doom," She aimed her spell upon the shore. "Now go with a curse and serve me well. Cast thy spell upon the damned!"

A massive storm blew upon the marching army on the shore, lightning struck and thorns erupted from the ground, snaring the undead, the dragon flew after the forest and inhaled, breathing a miasma of decay as the Horned King glared at the two. "You dare intrude upon my work?!"

He raised two hands in the air and caused purple energy to form. "Gaze of Shyish, take form in your unholy light, ravage their bodies and deliver them to Nagash." The energy took the form of a purple sun that had the face of a skull, the Horned King unleashed it upon the two, Pete made a run for his life as Maleficent disappeared in green fire and teleported to a ledge, she shot lightning from her scepter upon the Horned King's dragon.

The dragon took the hit and shook it off as the Horned King felt the shock and caused the Purple Sun to float after her. "Shackle this wretched soul, make her feel the pain of all she had crossed." The ledge cracked upon and Maleficent teleported to another ledge, feeling rather bored as she watched chains shoot out and snip.

She taken an interest in the kind of sorcery before as she watched a swirl of magical power she created fly after the Horned King, she taunted the necromancer. "You know Nagash has no claim to the worlds. Kingdom Hearts does not belong to him and it never will,"

The Horned King had his dragon dodge the magic, the necromancer laughed bitterly. "And you find yourself any less entitled? To claim such a dominion for yourself is your wish?" The Horned King felt himself being choked as Maleficent laughed loudly in spite. "The heart of all worlds, such a dominion must be mine!"

Pew! Pew! Pew!

A swarm of bat like heartless appeared and flew after the Horned King, keeping him distracted as he was trying to plea to someone. He felt something flutter on the back of his neck and caused his spectral chain to glow, Maleficent chanted. "Undying Lord, hear my spite, your grasp upon this fool will at long last cease." She aimed her staff as the Horned King looked back to find a raven with a skull like pendent, it gave a glow and caused the choking to become worse. The chains gave off a flowing energy that floated to her, taking the form of a skull with a crown. "You dare oppose me? Fool! Only I can stem the tide of Chaos, for what will the souls of the worlds do if they run rampant?"

Maleficent didn't care as she saw the chains dissolving. "And what did your pawn speak about? I know the Chaos gods seek Kingdom Hearts as much as we, but do I need another complication?"

The skull's eyes glowed bright green and shrieked in anger. "YOU ARROGANT WRETCH! THE CHAOS GODS HOLD POWER OVER THE LOST AND THE DAMNED, YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THEM. YOU ARE NOTHING TO THEM."

Maleficent kept a smug smile and focused her staff upon the purple sun for a dispel, causing it to vanish. "And what are you but a powerless skull? How have you been reduced to this state? Perhaps from trifling with one with a keyblade?"

The Nagash screamed in blind rage, Maleficent realized and cackled in amusement. "Or because you found yourself face to face with a Keyblade Master and underestimated her? Now where suppose did all that ire came from?" The chains dissolved and Nagash went into a tantrum as he faded away, the undead dragon and the skeletal army pushing through the thorns stilled and clattered, falling apart in bones and fading into shadows.

The Horned King dropped to the ground and collapsed from being constantly strangled as Maleficent dispelled the chains and ordered Pete. "Take him, we are finished with this miserable world." She welcomed her proud raven as Pete shivered and picked up the Horned King. "Sheesh, Nagash got some issues. You riled him up, that's for sure," Maleficent agreed with that. "For a god of death, he underestimates much. But his influence upon his servant could be a use to us."

She opened a corridor and lead the way, Pete chuckled to that. "Heh, ha, ha, ha! It's like having the ol gang back together, does it?" Maleficent wished that was the case. "That-" She thought of a plan as she crossed through the corridor. "is possible."

In the Tomb of Giants

Ken and Aqua were nearly hypnotized by the fire as the Firekeeper felt a ripple in the flame and disappeared in ashes. "He is coming."

The key bearers woke up from the trance and watched an orange glow appear, Jambert took form and was on his knees panting, holding into a large, radiant ember, giving off divine light. The Undead, took out his box and put the ember inside. "That was almost a death sentence," He greeted the two comrades. "Andre would like to see such an ember. Are you rested up."

Ken got up and went to climb the ladder up. "We were thinking about things." He reached the top and jumped over, drawing both keyblades and looking to the tunnel to find an odd purple glow. Aqua jumped after him and answered the knight. "Is there anything going on at the Shrine we should know about?"

Jambert had one and climbed. "Besides Siegmeyer? Logan took off on a venture to the Duke's Archives and because I grow a tad tired of the dark caves, it could be my next venture. If you are fortunate enough, he might have found more advanced sorcery for you to know about." Aqua turned to the knight and asked. "As well as anything magical for you to take?"

Jambert hummed and looked to his spear. "Mmm, mmm. Perhaps, but I am seeking the Lord Soul fragment first and foremost." He took the skull lantern out and illuminated the way, the three found an odd sight with in a cave full of bones, a bald human in dark clothes, holding an eagle shield and a winged spear.

Jambert asked. "Oh, hello. What are thou doing in a place like this?"

The man looked at the three and greeted them in a friendly manner. "Good day! You all look reasonably sane! What are you doing in the Catacombs? Are you clerics or something?"

Ken and Aqua looked to each other confused as Jambert answered with his head shaking. "Oh, no. I'm a knight and perhaps a pyromancer." Ken answered. "I believe in a light, but I don't go preaching any of that." Aqua answered with her own. "We don't do things like that. Why did you ask?"

The man was confused back. "Huh, that's strange," He disregarded the question and greeted himself with a thumb aimed at himself. "I'm Trusty Patches, the one and only. I have no qualms telling you." He looked over a ledge. "There is something or someone right down that hole. I found them first, but-" Aqua asked. "There is another person alive down there?!"

Patches thought so. "I remember seeing a cleric and her friends wandering in the dark. Since you all look like the rescuing type, why don't you take a peak? After all, we're friends now."

Aqua squinted her eyes suspiciously as Jambert took a look to find something glittering in the dark. "I believe that cleric might be the missing Rhea? But what else is down there?" Ken went to his left side to have a look. "Hmm, nothing but dark, Miss... should we take the jump?" Aqua followed to the knights right side and felt it was rather dangerous. "There are too many giant skeletons here, but we can't just leave someone. Jambert what do you know abou-" Tip! Jambert was kicked off the ledge from behind as Ken and Aqua felt a shove.

They fell into the lower grounds, trapped in the unknown dark and heard a laughter comparable to a hyena up above. "Heh, heh! It's what I do, my friends. You can go on and be the heroes for those damn clerics, while I go rescue the trinkets off your corpse. Nyah, hah hah hah!"

They looked above to find Patches taunting them and walking away, Ken nearly ignited and was given a tug from Aqua. "We will deal with him later. We need to get out of here." Jambert agreed and looked around for three corpses, taking two flickering souls and finding a spare skull lantern as Ken and Aqua went to the left and found still bones, sitting by a pillar near those bones is a woman a white robe, praying for something.

Aqua found it very convenient and asked. "Are you this Rhea?" The cleric looked up at the two figures and sighed. "Thank goodness." Jambert followed and asked like a knight would a lady. "We came falling down after a hyena in human's clothing pushed our limit, did you meet the same fate?"

Rhea wondered that. "My friends Vince, Nico and Petrus all disappeared in the tomb, I believe Vince and Nico were fooled by that lout Patches and I slipped looking for them. But Petrus... did he abandon us?"

Jambert gasped and answered. "That wasn't what I was told up above. He said he searched and found no trace of you." Ken felt part of his heart burning and asked. "But we found Rhea just by looking down here. That's a pretty half backed job unless-" Aqua tensed, saw her student realize something and had him stop talking as Jambert asked the cleric. "What can we do to help you Milady?"

Rhea shivered and warned them. "There are two fierce Hollows not far from here. They were once brave knights... my former escorts. Who would let strong spirits become Hollowed so? Heavens... Is there nothing... nothing that can be done?"

Jambert sighed and went ahead. "There is only one way to put a Hollow to rest. I will be back shortly."

Aqua followed him and asked, far away from the cleric. "What are you trying to do for her?"

Jambert answered as he saw two zombie like knights, one with a crescent axe, the other with a mace. Jambert reached for a small shield and rushed after the two, dodging the axe wielding zombie and parrying the mace wielding knight. He riposte the knight with a swift stab through the heart, knocking the dying body to the ground and rolling out from an axe swing, Aqua aimed a fire ball at the Hollowed knight and let Jambert stab it dead. The knight felt the deed was done and answered. "Ma'am, what I heard was beyond an injustice. Petrus not only left her down here to die, but lied to me about it. I will have a word with that scum when we are finished here. We need to make sure Rhea is safe before we get going," He marched back and asked. "We just need her to reach the bonfire and we will be on our way. Will you leave him to me? You and Sir Kendry don't want to see me give him... quite a mouthful."

Aqua trusted the words and saw her student giving the depressed cleric a hug. Jambert grunted to Ken, the boy let go and apologized. "Sorry, I needed to get that out of my system." He stepped out of the way and went to his teacher, who silently told him what transpired.

Jambert let a comforted Rhea know. "The deed is done, those two can rest now," The cleric sighed. "It pains me to think of the trouble my failings have caused. I'm certain both Vince and Nico would be grateful to you." She took out a scroll and presented it to him. "Thank you so much. Here, this belonged to them, you deserve it much more than I." Jambert took the scroll and noticed the key bearers taking off into the darkness. "Give my companions a moment and we will try to find a way out of this hole."

Deeper in the hole.

Aqua and Ken carved their way through towers that were a mixture of skeletons and rocks, the student made sure there wasn't any more in the area and slowly kept watch as he explained. "Miss, I knew that was uncalled for, but she was blaming herself for what happened."

Aqua saw a small path near where they dropped and lead. "Kendry, she needed it, don't ever stop sharing the compassion in your heart and always listen to what it wants to do." Two more skeleton towers risen up, Aqua shot a fire ball to knock them down and saw a set of ladders. She went to climb up as Ken followed. "If Patches is still here, what are we going to do with him? He's awful."

Aqua didn't wish to think about it and reach to the top, finding a dead end as Ken reached the top, was dumbfounded and squinted. "Wait Miss, I think-" He readied to hit it and Aqua asked. "What are you doing? That's solid," She stopped and drew her blade. "Wait," She hit it and watched her blade slip through, the illusion of rock faded. Ken gasped. "Ah ha! Just like back in Anor Londo.

" Aqua petted his head in affection and kept going, finding a familiar path that was lit by a nearby bonfire. The two saw Patches waiting something out, the man noticed something, looked to them approaching him and stuttered. "...Oh, you... I...well, let's just calm down. Talk about things." Aqua wasn't having any of that. "You kicked people down that hole in hope that they die down there, just so you can steal from them. Give us a reason why we shouldn't toss you down there." Patches confessed with a plea. "I...I know I did you wrong. But, I didn't mean it. These... temptations, they can, well, overcome me... You know what I mean, don't you?" Ken growled and looked Patches in the eye. "The Darkness in your heart and all that? You were laughing at us." He drew his blades. "That's not an excuse for doing that, how would you like it if someone kicks you down that hole?"

The two were ready to give Patches what he deserves as Jambert arrived, looking back at Rhea climbing down a ladder and back to Patches. "That's not necessary fellows," Patches was cornered and asked. "Please, forgive me." He asked Jambert. "You and me, we're jolly Undead outcasts, aren't we?"

The knight agreed with that. "That we are and if it wasn't for you, we would have never found Rhea and the revelation that among her companions, was a dirty cleric," He looked to his companions, who were agreeing with his facts. "Surely that is enough reason for us to... not deliver karma."

Aqua and Ken lowered their weapons, the woman kept a glare at Patches. "It isn't worth the effort. What are you suggesting?"

Jambert coughed as the two stood aside, the knight ordered Patches. "I think it is best you leave these catacombs and because I will be watch you leave, you are to leave Rhea be. If you see Petrus up above, tell him that I would like a chat with him. Do this and you will be absolved of this... misdemeanor."

The vagabond gasped and thanked him. "Oh, brilliant! A second chance! Wonderful! I had a feeling you'd understand, I did!" He had two twin black shades taken out and gave them to the knight in good will. "But now we're friends again eh? Heh, heh, heh," He offered sincerely. "Here, take this, as a token of my apology," Jambert didn't say no to a valuable find as Patches did as he was told, went past the group and reached a set of ladders leading up. "All's well that ends well!"

He left laughing and the key bearers calmed down, they and Jambert went down the cave and found a fogged gate glowing, Jambert took out his skull lantern and saw in the darkness, a skeletal beast on all fours. It roared and pounced at him, Aqua back flipped as Ken jumped back and flipped his gun like blade to shoot the skeletal beast off of a laying, critically mauled Jambert. It sprinted after him and readied to bite as Aqua flew at it and smacked it to pieces, Jambert had the wind knocked out of his lungs and he pulled himself up. He drank from his estus flask and approached slowly to the fogged gate as Ken realized. "Oh crud, there is more like that waiting to jump us if we get too close?"

Jambert nodded, took a deep breath and pushed through the fogged gate, finding a black armored knight with a halberd and a large arrow coming his way from the upper left. Jambert rolled back to lure the knight into attacking, Ken took the chance, jumped over the black knight and look at where the arrow's feather was aimed. He aimed his gun and shot into the distance as Jambert dodged a thrust, switched to his shield, parried the knight and riposte him. The knight got up and was stabbed in the throat, ending it's life and leaving behind a black halberd and white chunk of rock for Jambert to pick up. Aqua listed to lasers and bones falling apart, taking the lead and finding a nearby skeletal beast prowling, it leaped at her as she made an elegant jump to dodge and aimed downward, firing a barrage of magic shots to put the beast down.

The males followed the slow, cautious path that lead to a ledge. Jambert hovered the lantern over and saw something for them to drop on. JUMP! They jumped off and continued to a dead body with a silver ring looking like a serpent. Jambert picked it up and five skeletal towers risen. Aqua aimed her keyblade in the air and brought down lightning as Ken side stepped behind a tower at the edge of the circle, aimed his burning blade and swiped a long range whip of fire. Causing two to collapse as Jambert stabbed one tower into dust and rolled avoid spinning. Ken fired at the two towers for a quick kill and saw to the right, two wisp like eyes, he aimed and felt his nerves reaching its limit. "We need to find a way out of here soon. This is getting on my nerves." Aqua agreed, focused on her blade and aimed high, an orb of light formed from the tip as she watched the laser beam kill another skeleton.

PEW!

Light shined across the tomb and more was revealed, an odd path over an edge and a prowling skeletal beast that was blinded. Jambert saw a small hole, rushed by a narrow ledge and used his spear to take the beast down. The teacher and student followed his lead and reached the other side of the hole as the light faded, they followed him to the path across the ledge and found a bonfire. A place to rest up and calm down.

Jambert fed black shades into the fire and used it to fill his estus flask to brimming. "We should focus close to the wall, we have to be close to an end by now."

The key bearers took a deep breath and turned with the knight, keeping close watch and finding themselves at two roads, one leading down and another where they came from. They went down and let Jambert take what he wants from any thing of value, they kept close to the wall and reached a ledge that gave them a few of a vast lake of water. They kept close to the path and walked to the downward path, finding a skeletal beast that was quickly taken out by combined ranged fire balls. They found themselves out of the darkness and close to a two forked path, in view of the vast lake and seeing a cave to their right. Jambert noticed a red specter appearing from the far end, one resembling a paladin with a giant grant and a shield. Jambert approached the odd paladin, parried him, riposte him and knocked him to the ground, he rolled behind the paladin and used his recovery as a chance to ready a harsh thrust, taking out the invader and taking his stuff. Ken dismissed his burning keyblade, feeling there wasn't a need for a constant light and went into the cave, finding a ledge leading to a deep fall and finding skeletal towers trying to ambush him, he quickly shot the one ahead of him into dusk as he heard another behind him be swiftly kicked over the edge. Looking back to find Aqua nearly looking determined at what seems to be a light in a tunnel and Jambert tagging along. The boy took the lead, noticed a skeletal archer and aimed. Burst! Skeletal towers risen to block the way, the boy sprinted in flames after one tower for a quick kill and saw the archer leaning behind another tower. Ken fired two burning shots, one breaking the tower, the other shooting the skeletons skull off. Aqua and Jambert took the tower blocking the rear out as the boy rushed to less narrow ground, finding a large curved sword swinging at him and missing, the boy spun and saw the second skeleton, he fired and returned it to dust.

Letting Aqua and Jambert reach to another cave way and following behind, the knight asked to himself. "How much longer is this going to go?"

The adults of the group saw a cave littered in bones and having three mages resembling Pinwheel syphoning something. The mages turned rather shocked that someone arrived and hissed. Aqua rushed to the closest, floating over a pool of water. Ken snipped one to the furthest right of the cave and Jambert rushed across an edge above the water, the clone the knight was focused on shot a fire ball and was quickly cut down, fading away into nothing as Aqua finished hers off and jumped off the clone to land on a platform, watching her student make just as quick work of the clone and noticing another clone firing a fire ball at her, she flipped to the left and dispatched the clone, feeling there wasn't much left, she took a path up a ledge and found a gate covered in wooden poles. She cut it through and looked back to find Jambert looking up to the gate and back down into the water. "Hmm," Ken followed him and asked. "If there is something down there, go get it, but know this fog gate is a bit fishy."

Jambert agreed and jumped, finding a swarm skeletal midgets emerging from the water and trying to bite him. The knight rolled away and slew as many as he can, making a rush in the water as Ken walked up the ledge to find the wooden poles covering the way. He swiped his blade against the poles and cleared a way. "Phew, Miss... anything I'm going to expect once all this is over?"

Aqua was looking forward to a long overdue reunion. "Besides Ven getting use to being awake. There is something I wish to talk with your mother about," Ken tilted his head as Aqua sighed. "Ven has been asleep for so long that he needs to catch up once he recovers. He is very skilled, but most of us are going to be learning more," Ken's imagined it. "But by then that wouldn't be the big thing we need to worry about as soon as possible?"

Aqua wasn't certain about that. "When Ven wakes up, that would cause a chain reaction. You need to work on putting together what you learned and saw here, because the things out there are going to be faster."

Ken didn't mind and heard Jambert rushing through the water. "Oh, no, no, no, no!" He looked back to find Jambert running from ten skeletal midgets, he reached dry ground and the midgets stopped and fell apart, the boy in the armor of a silver knight understood. "They might not be as lethal in one blow, but try saying that when there is about a thousand heartless or if we run into you know who again. I really don't want to do something stupid and blow myself up."

Jambert heard that, panted and asked. "Who are you speaking of?"

Ken answered without a thought. "Someone as fast as Ornstein, scarier than the Capra Demon and about as evil as those like Lautrec. You'll see him a mile away when you find a guy in black and red."

Jambert quaked at the word Capra Demon. "That stiffened my hair. These Catacombs are getting to us, come, let's proceed forward." He went through the fogged gate as Ken and Aqua followed, finding a hole to drop down on, they saw a wet ground bellow and jumped the rather far drop. Ken used his air magic to slow the fall and Aqua sensed a great power in the cave, they were in a dark cave with stalagmites blocking the way of something. Skeletons clattered and the group heard something large crawling from somewhere.

Two skeletons rolled and went after the group, Jambert riposte one as Aqua spun her keyblade and shot it at the skeleton, breaking them down into bones that did not get up. "AAAAAAAH!"

They heard a wail like scream and a red blade shot from underneath them, sending them flying to the ground and feeling pain. They got up and Ken looked ahead to find a large form slowly coming for them. A skeleton wearing a suit of skeletons and a black cloak, it had a scythe like sword on its left hand and its other hand pointed towards them, like it was calling them out for intruding. The trio separated if to avoid that bladed attack, the skeleton gave a scream and stabbed the ground again, Jambert rolled to avoid the blade and gave a rally. "Come on, let's send Nito back into his slumber and get that Lord Soul."

Nito was astonished and readied to sink his blade into the ground again, Ken fired Cadia's Light and shot him in the primary skull.

Nito backed away from the automatic shots and blocked with his blade, he screamed and stabbed his glowing red blade into the ground. Ken cringed and sprinted away from an erupting blade, Nito pulled out and watched the boy try to fire, he jabbed again and caused another blade to erupt. Forcing the boy to shoot less than accurately as Jambert and Aqua charged after Nito, going into melee. Nito crouched and readied something, Aqua back flipped as Jambert knew something was being done and sprinted far. Nito let loose a howling pulse of darkness that knocked everyone off their feet, Ken stood up and fired, Nito stabbed the ground and the boy jumped back. Aqua and Jambert got up and tried to get back into the Gravelords personal space, the Gravelord swiped his sword at them, missed, and tried again. Jambert and Aqua rolled under his cloak, the knight stabbed like made as Aqua gave a burst of magic and went wild. Nito tried his burst attack again, Jambert ran to Ken as the boy glowed in fire and shot a barrage of fire balls, Aqua back flipped far to try and get as far away from Nito as possible. WOOSH!

Ken was knocked on his rear and Aqua nearly fell to the ground, her mystical glow became a deep blue, she cart wheeled masses of energy, faced her keyblade side ways and spun it like a wheel, causing masses of arrows to fly through Gravelord. Nito tried out and Jambert took his spear away, he clenched his hand in a red glow and caused it to ignite in chaotic fire. He rushed after the Gravelord and flung a great fire ball at his face, Nito flailed with his face burned off, gave a gasp and fell forward in a loud thump, lava oozed from the wound and caused the body to burn. The three sighed at an achieved victory, Aqua landed and let the magic fade as Ken got up and heard skeletons collapsing. "And that's that."

Jambert agreed and saw a glowing, fiery soul on Nito's free hand, he took it and showed it before them. "The Great Lord Soul is ours."

The keyblade wielders felt a satisfaction as the undead searched the tomb, finding a bonfire in the back left of the room, right in front of a large coffin, the knight took a deep breath and felt enlightened, he placed a bottomless box down and placed the spear with in as Ken and Aqua joined him to relax in the spooky location. Aqua asked. "Jambert, you won't mind if I ask, where did you learn that fire spell? It's hot enough to melt stone."

Jambert answered with a heavy heart. "I was taught this by the Fair Lady after I made a vow to ease her pain. The flames of chaos are quite potent."

Ken and Aqua gasped and asked in unison. "Chaos?!"

Jambert cringed at a questionable choice. "The other side to pyromancy and something I been noticing, fire warms us, guides us and even feeds us... but the other side of it... what they call chaos... what the Witch of Izalith commands... simply burns and destroys. I couldn't just leave the Fair Lady as she is and there is but one request." Aqua tried to control herself and asked. "What did she need?"

Jambert showed her the black shade. "Humanity, it is something that I could use to heal myself on the spot, without using an estus flask... and I have plenty. I should search the swamp bellow before I travel to the archives, for I heard of a powerful pryomancer that could show me towards a brighter fire."

Ken was thinking it made sense. "So if the Fair Lady has some humanity, she will heal from her sickness? But who does she and the other lady have that connection with Chaos?" Jambert shrugged and stilled. The key bearers noticed a white door in front of the coffin, it was time to leave.

They did so without hesitation and were at the ninth floor of Castle Oblivion. Ken was cursing. "Chaos! That power he had was from Chaos?"

Aqua had her hands at the boys shoulders and she advised. "Kendry, you and I know that the Chaos he is talking about and the Chaos we know of are two different things," The boy tried to calm himself down. "They are, but it's no wonder that fire ball was more destructive than we thought. We need to know that came to be before I do something stupid."

He faced to the hall, went away from his teacher and screamed in anger as Aqua realized. "You wanted to learn how to use fire spells like that too? Ken, if this kind of fire magic is that dangerous, it's better off forgotten."

Ken yelled in a debate. "But Miss, we wanted to learn that and use it. I wanted to use it, we were that close to doing something that would have peeved Ana off," He shivered and Aqua gave him a matching, angry frown. "It was that easy for us to fall for it. I hope Jambert knows what he is doing. Come on, we got four more floors."

Ken obeyed and marched to the next door. "There is so much to learn whether we want to or not. I'll ask Jambert about anything else when we see him again."