Hollow Bastion
"So tell me, how did you get here? No vessel, no help from Heartless..."
It was reckless to come here without a vessel, Maleficent had told him. Relying too much on the darkness could cost you your Heart.
"I believed." the beast said. "I vowed to find her, no matter what the cost."
And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then, the man had told him. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love.
Riku bit back the memories and summoned the Soul Eater. "How pitiful."
If Dani hadn't know this world was called Hollow Bastion, she could have taken a pretty good guess. There was only one place safe to land, a gorge carved through the ocean. Though she could only see bits and pieces of what else remained on the world, she could figure out quickly that nobody had lived there for a very long time. Not never lived there; the ruins of houses and buildings proved that much. Oceans churned around them. Boulders, most suspended of their own accord, lead the only path Dani could see that didn't involve swimming. The path lead towards what was probably once a castle, more rust than metal but still standing.
"Well, looks like we're platforming." Penny said.
"I think I've been here before." Sora said.
"Good. Could you show us around?" Hanna huffed as she jumped to the closest platform.
"No, I mean..." Sora stopped as he jumped. "I feel this warmth, here in my heart."
"You're probably just hungry." Donald said. He had to flap his wings a bit to give him enough height, but he managed to get to the next platform.
"I'm serious guys!"
"So was I."
The platforms shook, nearly causing Dani to lose her footing. Noise shot through Hollow Bastion. It took Dani to realize it was a growl. A growl that another living being, probably not human, hopefully not human, was making.
"That sounds like something we shouldn't mess with." Hanna said.
"That sounds like someone that needs help." Katie said.
"If he's making that noise, then he probably doesn't need the help we can give he. He needs psychological help." Penny said.
"We'll never help if we just stand here!" Sora said.
It still took time to cross through the platforms, even with the need to rush. Eventually, Dani jumped to solid ground, at the foot of the castle. Riku watched from above, at his feet something big and hairy that Dani couldn't make out.
"I was wondering when you'd get here." Riku spoke up. "Here, I got you a present, Sora."
Riku tossed something at Sora's feet. Dani didn't care. Only Hanna's hand on her shoulder stopped her from punching Riku in the face right then and there.
"What do you want, Riku?" Hanna said. "Where's our brother, and where's Kairi?"
"Why should I bother telling thieves like you?"
That was...not what Dani expected him to say. Even Hanna was taken aback, the grip on her sister's shoulder loosening.
"What are you talking about?" Sora asked.
"While you were off playing hero, I was learning more about the Keyblade. The Keyblade War, the source of its power…how it chooses its wielder." Riku said. "The Keyblade was always meant for me. I was the one that took that oath."
"We didn't take an oath." Katie said.
"Exactly."
Riku held out his hand. In a flash of light, the Kingdom Key appeared.
"All this time, you were just borrowing my power. Apparently I wasn't strong enough to face you then. But I am now." Riku said. "And your four? Who knows how you got involved. But you were leeching off of my power too."
Dani had enough of this. She reached her hand down, summoning her Keyblade…only to feel nothing.
"What?"
A quick look around showed that everyone was having the same reaction.
"But we fought all the way here with our Keyblades!" Sora said.
"Looks like you were just the delivery boys." Riku said. "But your part is over. It's my turn to save Kairi."
With that, Riku walked into the castle, Kingdom Key in his hands.
"How did he do that?" Penny said.
"Who knows, who cares." Dani said. "Time to invest in a more practical weapon, like a gun—"
"We're sorry." Donald said. "But we have to find the King. And that means…we need to follow the Key."
Donald and Goofy stepped into the castle, not bothering to look back at them. And that was when Sora fell to the ground.
"Are ya sure we made the right move, Donald?" Goofy asked as they entered the castle.
"I don't know!" Donald squawked. "But we need to find Mickey. And you know what he told us."
"I'm not here to find your King." Riku said. "And I never asked you to follow me. If you're so concerned about them, go back now."
Donald felt his blood curled his wing feathers in a fist, ready to go into a full freak-out like he hadn't done in years, when a calming hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up at Goofy, but the Knight was staring at Riku.
"He doesn't look too good." Goofy said.
Donald calmed down enough to realize he was right. Riku moved slowly and heavily, like he was walking through water. His breath came out in heavy pants, as if walking through the castle was like running a marathon. His scowl, though a permanent feature for as long as Donald had known him, faded ever so slightly ever so often to show bits of pain.
Donald could not tell what was going through his head, but he did know the tell-tale signs of magical fatigue. He could only image how much worse it could feel if it was fatigue from relying on the powers of Darkness too much.
"Go Keyblade Go!"
"Fly!"
"Up up and away Keyblade!"
"Shazam!"
"Go!"
"Go!"
"GO!"
"Give it up." Penny said. "It's not going to work."
Dani didn't listen. If she listened now, then that meant she had to admit that she lost the Keyblade, her brother was lost to Darkness, and the entire universe was about to be destroyed. At least she could spend her last few moments practicing every silly hand gesture she could think of in an attempt to summon her Keyblade again.
"Maybe we should just move on?" Katie said.
"Where? This place is swarming with Heartless, and all we have is a wooden sword. We won't make it through them all!" Penny said. "Man, I wish I had a toaster right now!"
Dani slumped to the ground and sat next to Sora. Sora hadn't moved since Riku had left. And there was also the beast thing beside them, who was finally beginning to stir.
"Hey, wait, you're hurt…" Hanna said.
"Why did you come here?" The beast growled.
Hanna did not answer, her shoulders slumping as she looked to the ground away from the beast.
The beast growled and stood.
"I'm here to find Belle. And I won't leave without her. No matter what tries to stop me."
He had a point. She hadn't come here just to be put down by a white haired pretty boy. She came here to find someone, too.
"I'll go with you." Dani said.
"Are you crazy!" Hanna said. "You have no weapon, no plan—"
"Then you think of one! And I'll find a way to keep us safe!" Dani said. "Riku said something about how we were just borrowing power, right? But whether he meant that literally or metaphysically, I know I couldn't have come this far without you guys. And I'm not leaving without Charlie, so we might as well stick together a little longer."
"You're going to get us all killed." Penny said.
"No, she won't." Sora said. He reached for the wooden sword and stood on shaking legs.
"I'll keep you safe." Sora said. His smile was forced, but it was still there. "And you'll keep me safe, too."
True to Hanna's fears, storming the castle proved to be difficult. Even without the hordes of Heartless, the castle was old and complicated to navigate through. Penny managed to solve most of the puzzles before the Beast simply knocked through them. Likewise, the Beast, Dani and Sora carved through the crowds of Heartless for them, with varying degrees of success. Sora wasn't half bad with the wooden sword, but the Beast's raw strength was greater.
The Beast's pace slowed as they entered a new room. That cued the others to jump off of his back.
"They're close. I can feel it." He said. Penny would have added a gruffly, but she was pretty sure he never said anything not gruffly. "Are you ready?"
There was no way she was ready for this, but there was nothing that could happen that would make her leave, either.
"So do you want to split up into teams, or should we-" Hanna started.
"Belle?"
Penny looked just in time to see something vaguely humanoid melt into a Heartless. The Beast roared and charged into a different room.
"Got it. Play it by ear. Cool."
"Why can't you quit while you can?"
Hanna spun around. Riku stood behind her, at the top of the balcony, a cold look on his face. Behind him were Donald and Goofy, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"You did that?" Sora asked.
"Relax. Belle is still alive. I wouldn't rid of her until she fulfills my plans. So is Charlie, if you're really curious." Riku said. "But I would be more worried about you. This isn't a game. Get lost."
"I'm not leaving without Kairi." Sora said.
"And I'm not leaving without Charlie." Hanna said.
"Very well. Let the Darkness destroy you." Riku said.
Darkness formed at Riku's hand. He launched it like a cannon blast, hurdling it towards the five. Hanna did not have time to dodge, but she didn't need to. Goofy's shield caught most of the blast for her.
For just a second, Riku's face twitched. A slight break in his calm and collected persona. "You'd betray your King for them?"
"Not on your life! But I won't betray them, neither. They're my best friends." Goofy said. "Donald, could ya tell the King I'm really sorry?"
"That's not fair!" Donald shouted from the sidelines. "We'll tell him together."
He grabbed his staff and rushed over.
"Sorry for leaving you behind before." The duck mumbled. "I shouldn't have turned on friends for a friend. The King wouldn't want that."
Riku's expression twitched again, this time long enough to notice.
"I've realized something, Riku." Sora said. "What you have isn't real power. It just eats away at you. You aren't yourself anymore. But my heart has only grown. With every new experience, and with every new friend, our hearts have become one. My friends are my power!"
Riku's facade cracked. He grabbed the Keyblade, as if pulling it closer to him. In a flash of Light, it faded, and Hanna found herself holding her Keyblade again. Everyone was holding their Keyblade again.
Riku's face contorted into an expression of rage. He held out his hand to summon a new weapon. He charged towards them, and stopped short.
And then Hanna realized just how terrible he looked. His breath came out in audibly ragged gasps. His eyes darted left and right erratically. His hands shook violently.
"What's happening...?" He gasped. "My heart...it's going to explode!"
His sword fell to the ground. Riku fell into Darkness.
Sora almost immediately dropped his battle stance and turned to them. "We have to go find him!"
"Are you crazy? He was going to kill us!" Penny said.
But Hanna did not care. She gave a curt nod to Sora and followed his lead.
"O Princesses of Heart! Reveal to me this world's Keyhole! Unlock the Powers of Darkness!"
Light, with a capital L, filled the chamber. The six hearts shimmered with light, as the door in front of her opened. She could see the Keyhole, and all the Darkness that flowed from it. But it hadn't unlocked. Why would that be? She had the Princesses, she had the power...
"The path has emerged."
Maleficent turned to face him, and tried to hide her shock. That blade...she knew that blade…
"I see. You've had your Heart destroyed by the Darkness. Good job." She turned her gaze back to the Keyhole of Darkness. "It does not matter. You were never meant to wield these powers. Only I may truly use the Darkness."
"Such confidence."
The Keyblade to People's Hearts pointed towards her.
"We'll see about that."
"For what strength you may have gained, you have lost your wisdom. I shall not hold back simply because you helped me."
"That's exactly what I was hoping for."
Maleficent smiled, and let herself transform.
"Riku, let me he—WOAH!"
Inside the next chamber was a cover of a metal album. Darkness filled the room, pouring from a doorway in the back of the room. Riku was there, and in a noticeably different outfit from before, but that wasn't the important part. The important part was the 10 foot fire breathing dragon. Through all the commotion, Katie could barely see someone else on the floor.
"Kairi!" Sora rushed towards the figure. She didn't react, even as Sora picked her up and rested her head in her lap.
The fight above was more pressing. Katie let her attention shift to Riku and the dragon.
"Should we come back later to finish our fight, or—?"
Riku smirked at them. His sword shot through the dragon's chest.
"Open your heart and surrender to darkness! Become the darkness itself!"
The dragon roared in what sounded like pain and anger. Darkness engulfed it. When it faded, there was nothing.
"Evidently not." Katie said.
"In the end, her heart was too weak to handle the Darkness." Riku said. But that wasn't Riku's voice.
Sora noticed it too. "You're not Riku, are you?"
"So you've noticed. I am Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness."
"Ansem, as in the Ansem from the reports Ansem?" Hanna asked.
"Of course. There is only one of me, after all."
Sora's eyes drifted back and forth to Ansem and the glowing portal of Darkness. "And what's that?"
"That would be this world's Keyhole." Ansem said. "But it cannot be completed so long as one of the Princesses of Hearts sleeps."
"But..." Sora trailed off as he looked back down to Kairi. "Are you saying that Kairi is a Princess?"
"She is one of the Seven Princess of the Heart. Her heart is key to opening the Keyhole. But her heart resides in you." Ansem said. "If you want to seal it, you must use the Keyblade of People's Hearts to unlock your heart and return it to its owner. If not, you risk letting the Keyhole spiral out of control and destroying not only this world, but every world around it. Either way, the world will be consumed by Darkness."
Sora looked at Ansem.
"No," Katie said. She tried to step forward, do something, but she collided into a wall of magic.
Sora looked to Kairi.
"No no no," Hanna said.
Sora looked to the sword that Riku used, still laying on the floor from when it left the dragon.
"No no no no no no no-" Dani stopped as Sora's wood sword fell at her feet.
"Make sure Kairi gets out of here okay, alright?" Sora asked, slipping into a silly smile. "I'll leave the rest up to you."
The room became an indistinguishable chorus of no's. Sora placed the Keyblade to his heart, and breathed.
Light, the kind with a capital L, exploded from Sora's chest and filled the room. Katie had to shield her eyes from the glare, but she could just make out the crystalline hearts—the kind released by Heartless, but never as bright and gold as these-, float and fly through the room. Once she could see properly, Katie summoned her Keyblades and clawed through the magic barrier. It didn't matter. She wasn't close enough to catch Sora when he fell. There wasn't even a body to catch when he fell. His body was consumed in a sea of golden Light.
And Kairi, awake for the first time that Katie had ever known her, watched it all with wide eyes.
"Welcome back , Princess." Ansem said. "The Keyhole is open, and your purpose fulfilled. Now, return to the Darkness."
Ansem raised his hand, and hordes of Heartless appeared before him. Penny rushed in front of Kairi and released a hail of magic bullets.
"Get Kairi, get the other Princesses, get the Beast and get to the ship!" Penny said. "We'll think of another plan when we get there!"
"But-" Dani started.
"Dani, do you really want to sit around and weigh the pros and cons of this plan right now? Go!" Penny snapped.
"But what will happen to this world? What will happen to Sora?" Hanna asked.
Penny didn't have an answer, so she released some more bullets.
Katie took one look at Penny, to remind herself she could handle it, and took Kairi by the arm.
What's happening to me?
It feels familiar...falling into Darkness…
I've been here before, but why can't I remember it?
Kairi saved me before…
"Let me keep you safe."
...and Riku saved me after that.
"Sora, I believe in you. You won't give up."
But when was that?
"Inside people's memories, I can live forever."
Who's going to save me now?
"I'm surprised you had it in you to fight back. But you won't get your body back. Return to the Darkness."
"Why the hell are you talking to that Heartless?" Penny asked.
Ansem turned his attention back to her, and smiled widely. "I assure you, I will not keep your death waiting."
Ansem charged towards her, and in a blur of motion grabbed the Keyblade Sora had used (to kill himself) off the ground. There was no time for her to escape. She blocked the attack with her Keyblade, and pushed him off. Ansem jumped backwards.
When he landed, there was no mistaking he wasn't Riku anymore. He was much older, looking like a man in his thirties compared to 16 year-old Riku. His skin was dark; red in a sense that it resembled blood more than it did any human skin pigment. His hair was still white, but longer and better kept than Riku ever had it. Even his clothes had changed, but considering he was wearing two trench coats and still had his bare chest exposed, not for the better.
"Good. I was beginning to tire of that body." Ansem said. "Consider yourself fortunate. You are one of the few who has seen me in my true form."
"All I can see are your pectorals! Put some clothes on; it's drafty in here!"
"Fine. You won't see me for long."
Ansem took a step forward, and froze.
"No! You won't use me to hurt any of them!" She couldn't tell where it was coming from, but she knew that was Riku's voice. "Escape now while you can! I can't hold him off forever!"
Light formed over Ansem. She couldn't quite make it out, but there was definitely something humanoid in there.
"Meddlesome brat!" Ansem muttered.
"Tell him I'm sorry!"
The light was fading fast. Penny had to move, and move quickly.
She never would have noticed the Heartless leaving before her.
"What's going to happen to this world?" Katie asked.
"Let's not stand around and wait to find out!" Dani answered. "Donald, where's the ship?"
"It hasn't moved since we got here!" Donald said. "It's still outside the castle, by the platforms!"
"Oh great!" That was at least an hour's worth of backtracking, not to mention all the Heartless they would encounter on the way…
"I don't want to leave without them!" Hanna shouted.
"I…" Dani stopped. "I know."
The world was ending around her, but dammit, she needed time to think. They had to find the other Princesses and the Beast. They couldn't leave without Sora and Penny, or Riku and Charlie. There was no way she could make those two work, and even if she did, she did not have time to think of it.
"I don't know what else to do." Dani said. "I should have done something. I could have done something! But…I don't know what I can do now."
Hanna took a few steps forward, probably to try and comfort her. But that's when Dani saw...something. It was human, certainly, but was covered head to toe in a black cloak. She could not even make out a face on the figure. But however human he was, there was something about him, and Dani couldn't figure out what it was, that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and her heart beat faster. The same kind of responses whenever she saw a Heartless.
The figure noticed her, and everyone else noticed it. It walked towards her, footsteps sounding more like static. It walked towards her—
"Pull yourself together, Sora! We haven't lost them yet. They still have their Hearts. But we have to protect them."
"We stand together."
"It can't be…no…"
A rush of shadows, and then nothing.
"They're gone. Kairi, Donald, Goofy, the King…gone forever…what do we do? Without them, I…all my strength comes from them. Alone, I'm worthless."
"Sora, you don't believe that. I know you don't."
—it walked through her.
Dani stumbled as the figure drew past. The only reason she didn't fall was because of Hanna catching her. Her head snapped backwards to the figure, who had paused. Her mouth hung open and noises came out of her mouth, but they were not nearly as coherent as she needed them to be.
Ah, it seems you are special, too.
The voice was not said out loud nor in her head but it was there. Existing in empty space.
"Who are you?" Dani managed to gasp out.
In this reality, I am what's left. Or, maybe, I was all there ever was.
The figure turned to her.
This world is only an illusion, bound to the Darkness. The things that have happened here have happened before. I have seen it all before, but I have not seen you.
"Well now you're just being silly." Katie said.
"He sounds a bit like Ansem…" Hanna said.
The name rings familiar.
"Are you trying to say you're Ansem too?" Hanna asked.
I was called that once, but no longer. You will find that there are many of us who try to take on the mantle of the Wise, as well as those who try to break away from it.
The floor shook under them, reminding Dani of their current situation. "Listen, unless you're the Ansem that Riku was, we want no part in what you're selling. Now let's try to leave before the world explodes, yeah?"
A bolt of magic that looked like, but was not quite, a Thunder spell was sent Dani's way in response. She summoned her Keyblade to block it. But it didn't stop. She buried her feet into the ground and swung her Keyblade back, redirecting the spell only just.
The person that was not quite Ansem seemed surprised at that.
I came to visit him. But perhaps you are the Key to ending the Dream.
The figure held out their hand. Lightning and energy crackled about it, and forged into a blade that ebbed with energy that was not quite Light or Dark.
Allow me to test your strength.
"Is now really the time-"
The figure charged.
"Apparently it is!"
Dani blocked one blade heading towards her, but not the other. She was knocked backwards. Hanna stepped in between them, two Keyblades working in tandem to hold his weapons off of her. That left him wide open for Katie's attack. She jumped above him, swinging her two Keyblades down. But the man raised his hand, shielding himself with a wall of energy before Katie could land. She stumbled as her feet collided with the magic shell, stumbled even more as energy exploded out of it and she was knocked to the side. The shell was growing bigger now. Not only that, but beams of energy began to fire out of it towards her. Dani only had enough time to pull Katie off of her feet and get her out of there. But she didn't need to do much else. A Fire spell shot overhead, colliding with the shell and causing it to shatter.
Dani turned towards the source. Penny was practically gliding towards them, magic carrying her feet more than her legs were. Dani would have to pick that up when they weren't in mortal peril.
"I thought I told you to try and escape." Penny said.
"We are!" Dani said.
"Then who is he?"
"We don't know!"
"Then why are you fighting him?"
"He started it!"
"And where is Kairi?"
Dani glanced behind her. She was gone.
"That one's not my fault!"
No more time to talk. The man had set her sights on her again. He charged towards her, swinging his blades in a flurry. She did not want to strike blindly, so she stepped back, and back again, and soon she found herself in a corner. No more time to think. Dani lunged.
Her Keyblade went through him. But not in a gorey way. It phased through him, as easily as cutting air.
Nobody moved for a minute. Eventually, the man straightened out, as if being sliced through had caused some minor discomfort.
Impressive. This will be enjoyable.
"What are you talking about?" Dani snapped.
It is beyond your comprehension for now. But we will meet again.
"Well, why don't you cut the crap and tell us who you are?" Hanna snapped.
The man had no face, but Dani could tell it would be smirking if he did.
I
am
nothing
but
a
mere
shell.
And just like that, the figure was gone. No sound or fury, no portals into Darkness or portals into Light. If Dani had blinked, she would have missed that.
"Is he gone?" Penny asked.
"Or was he never there to begin with?" Katie said ominously.
"Whatever. We'll deal with that later. Right now, let's get to the ship!" Penny said.
"Miss Kaitlyn? Miss Penelope?"
Dani's head turned. Alice, the same Alice in Wonderland, rushed towards her. A group of women followed her, and following them was a very confused-looking Beast.
"Oh, these are the people who helped me before that I told you about!" Alice said to the other women. "Though, where is that boy and those animals you travelled with?"
Dani winced. That was—
"I'm right here!"
She recognized that pre-pubescent voice as well. All heads turned.
"And I'm not going anywhere anymore." Sora said.