Author's Note: Well, it's time for Chapter 3. I want to thank Princess of Fate for her pointers. I went back and made what changes I could find on the first 2 chapters. Now I'll try to not make those mistakes to begin with.
Chapter 3: A Deal With Darkness
Kairi was questioning her decision to take part in this quest. She wasn't the warrior that Sora was. She could barely take out those small heartless that had come with the Dark Leon. How could she face the stronger heartless to come?
"Leon, I think I speak for Kairi when I say...what the Hell is going on?!"
Aerith's gentle yet demanding voice brought Kairi back to reality. Leon began to explain the situation. "Well, I really don't know that much about what's going on. I do know that the heartless are back and..."
"No kidding," Kairi said sarcastically. It wasn't because she was bitter at Leon, but she was bitter at herself for getting into such a bind.
"Uh, yeah," Leon continued, "but now the heartless not only are stronger, but they also have the ability to possess not just people with darkness in their hearts. That would explain why I was after you Kairi. I'm sorry about that."
Leon's explanation reminded Kairi of her dream she had after leaving Destiny Island. "Leon, by any chance were you possessed after finding Sora?"
"...Yes, how did you know?"
Kairi's eyes grew wide. "Am I really able to see into the past," she thought, "I better not tell Aerith or Leon that...they'll probably think I'm crazy. I'm going to need all the help I can get to save Sora."
"Kairi? You okay?" Aerith's soothing voice once again brought Kairi back to reality from her thoughts.
"Um, yeah. I guess it was just a lucky guess Leon." Kairi said to explain her earlier question. "What else do you know about the heartless? How did they escape from the door of light?"
"Honestly, I don't know. King Mickey sent me off to find Sora, not giving me many details. He just explained to me what I told you. However, there is one person I know will know more than I do."
"Who?"
"Cloud. He was with King Mickey, so he should know more about what's going on. Aerith, where is Cloud?"
"When he came back from the Magic Kingdom, he said he had some answers to get. He left me here and then said he also had some revenge he wanted to get." Aerith replied.
"Revenge? I know where he is." Leon said. "Kairi, you come with me, we're going to the Coliseum. Aerith, you better stay here."
"Why?" she demanded not wanting to be left alone again.
"Because I wouldn't want to upset Cloud." Leon said with a smirk. With that, he looked over at Kairi who was still a little unsure about this quest. "Don't worry Kairi, we'll find Sora."
Leon's voice was pleasantly reassuring to Kairi. She looked up from where she sat on the hotel bed to see the genuineness in his eyes and she couldn't help but smile. She got up from the bed as Leon turned and left the room. "Good luck," Aerith said with care as Kairi began to leave the room.
"Thanks, I think I'm gonna need it!"
*****************************************************************************
Deep in the darkest place within the Coliseum, a man sat in the corner with his long, deadly Masamune sword in both hands. He was reflecting on his last battle with a pathetic fool who thought he could defeat him. The poor boy ended up covered in a pool of his own blood, begging him to stop the pain. He laughed at weaklings like that boy.
While he was brooding in the corner, the dark room suddenly got darker as black smoke filled the room. This all went unnoticed by the warrior, until a deep voice spoke from the adjacent corner of the room. "Sephiroth," the voice said.
Sephiroth looked up from where he was sitting and lifted up the Masamune. "Who dares to disturb me?"
"Sephiroth, the darkness in your heart is like none I have ever felt. You have pure evil running throughout your veins."
Sephiroth slowly rose to his feet, his eyes directly on a figure that's covered completely by the darkness. "What's your point?"
"What would you say if I told you that I could take your power and make you stronger than you ever have been before?"
"Impossible."
"Allow the darkness of the heartless enter you. You will experience power beyond your wildest dreams. I know you want it...and the darkness wants you too. It's a match made in Hell."
Sephiroth stood silently, thinking over an offer that seemed to good to be true. With such power, he would be able to get revenge on the one person who had ever been stronger than he was. He remembered the poor boy in the pool of his own blood, except this time he replaced the image of the boy with the image of Cloud. For the first time in years, Sephiroth smiled. "It's a deal."
The figure began to laugh as the smoke of the darkness filled the room once again and began to surround Sephiroth.
*****************************************************************************
Leon and Kairi exited their Gummi Ship and walked towards the Coliseum. What they found outside the Coliseum were thousands of people all crowded around the front gates. Most of them looked like warriors, but what were they all doing outside?
"Excuse me," Leon asked one person, "what's going on?"
"That short freak ain't lettin' us in!" the man replied enthusiastically. "Some kinda commotion goin' on in there."
"Cloud..." Leon said softly to himself. "Come on Kairi, we going in."
Leon ran through the crowd, pushing people out of the way as he went. Kairi, however, found if more difficult for her to make her way through. "Pardon me...excuse me..." she said as she slowly worked her way past person after person.
Leon ran up to the door of the Coliseum and pounded on it. The door slowly opened and Philoctetes appears at the door. "Good, Leon, you've gotta help us out here. We got a tournament to do! We can't do a tournament with those two going at each other."
"I'll see what I can do." Leon said as Kairi finally makes it through the crowd and up the stairs to the door. She doubles over from exhaustion. "Man...people...here...sure...are...rude..."
"Yeah, well get used to it kid." Philoctetes said. Kairi straightened back up and began to follow Leon through the doors, but Phil stopped here. "Not so fast kiddo, where do you think your going?"
"It's ok Phil, she's with me," Leon said.
"Wow Leon, I didn't realize you liked 'em so young."
Kairi responded to Philoctetes's comment with a nice hard smack across the face. Phil rubbed his face where she slapped him. "Stronger than I thought...that stings."
"Get your mind out of the gutter Phil, she's here to help."
"Well, then right this way miss." he said as he let Kairi enter the Colisseum. Phil quickly got the door shut before the anxious crowd got a chance to rush in. Leon and Kairi quickly ran into the stadium where they saw Cloud, sword drawn, face to face with Sephiroth. Leon and Kairi immediately noticed the black smoke around Sephiroth's body.
"I know what you did to Tifa. I'm going to avenge her death!" Cloud said with feeling.
Sephiroth smirked. "Who said that she's dead."
"AAAAARRGGHH!" Cloud screamed as he swung his sword at Sephiroth. Sephiroth easily blocked Cloud's sword with the Masamune. "You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me!"
Kairi and Leon stood at the entrance to the stadium, watching everything transpire. "If Sephiroth is possessed by the heartless, then how come he still speaks with his same voice? You spoke with a much lower voice." Kairi whisped to Leon.
"...I don't know," Leon replied. "But right now Cloud needs our help!"
Leon and Kairi ran over to where Cloud and Sephiroth were fighting. Cloud saw the two out of the corner of his eye. "Go away! This is my battle!"
"You can't beat him alone Cloud!" Leon yelled. "It looks like he has some help!"
Sephiroth, using his right hand to hold the Masamune and keep Cloud's sword from slashing his skin pointed his left hand at Kairi and Leon. His hand began to glow a fiery red. Before anyone could react to Sephiroth's powering up, a small fireball shot from his hand with a path heading straight towards Kairi.
"KAIRI! LOOK OUT!" Leon screamed as he shoved her out of the way and took the fireball to the chest. The impact sent Leon flying across the stadium and he crashed into the bleachers.
"Leave my friends out of this," Cloud said as he drew his sword back. He then began to frantically swing his sword in rage at Sephiroth. But he was never able to connect because Sephiroth was just too fast and was always able to block.
"All I have to do...is aim the keyblade...and I can beat Sephiroth myself," Kairi said to herself as the battle ensued between Cloud and Sephiroth. Sephiroth grew tired of blocking Cloud, and decided to take control of the fight. He forcefully swung the Masamune so that it collided with Cloud's sword, knocking it out of Cloud's hand. The sword flew into the air and flipped several times before coming down and sticking straight into the ground next to where Kairi stood.
"Yipes!" she screamed as she jumped away from the sword. Cloud ran and tackled Sephiroth to the ground. The Masamune was sent to the ground as well with the impact from Cloud. Cloud began to punch away at Sephiroth's face, but Sephiroth seemed to enjoy the beating he was receiving. He put his hand in Cloud's face. Sephiroth focused his energy and shot a blast of lightning into Cloud's face. Cloud rolled off of Sephiroth and held his face in pain.
"Now's my chance!" Kairi said as she closed her eyes and pointed the keyblade at Sephiroth. "I hope this works."
Sephiroth slowly climbed to his feet and looked down at Cloud. He laughed and then proceeded to give Cloud an extremely hard kick to the ribs. "Pathetic," he said.
Just as Kairi had hoped, the keyblade emitted a white beam that went straight for Sephiroth. However, Sephiroth turned around in time to see the beam coming. He quickly did a back flip out of the way just as the beam was about the hit him. He picked up the Masamune and looked at Kairi. She opened her eyes, hoping that her plan had worked...but her greatest fear came true when she saw Sephiroth still standing and looking directly at her.
Sephiroth wiped off the small trace of blood from his lip. Kairi stood where she was, frozen with fear. Suddenly, Sephiroth teleported away from where he stood in the center of the room. Kairi desperately spun around looking for where Sephiroth went. She finally spotted him in the far left corner of the room.
"SIN HARVEST!"
Author's Note: *Gulp* The Sin Harvest, not good news for Kairi! Will this newer, stronger Sephiroth get the best of our heros? And what was this mention of Tifa? What role does her past play in the story? Hopefully these questions will keep you interested in the next chapter! And as always, review and suggest!
Chapter 3: A Deal With Darkness
Kairi was questioning her decision to take part in this quest. She wasn't the warrior that Sora was. She could barely take out those small heartless that had come with the Dark Leon. How could she face the stronger heartless to come?
"Leon, I think I speak for Kairi when I say...what the Hell is going on?!"
Aerith's gentle yet demanding voice brought Kairi back to reality. Leon began to explain the situation. "Well, I really don't know that much about what's going on. I do know that the heartless are back and..."
"No kidding," Kairi said sarcastically. It wasn't because she was bitter at Leon, but she was bitter at herself for getting into such a bind.
"Uh, yeah," Leon continued, "but now the heartless not only are stronger, but they also have the ability to possess not just people with darkness in their hearts. That would explain why I was after you Kairi. I'm sorry about that."
Leon's explanation reminded Kairi of her dream she had after leaving Destiny Island. "Leon, by any chance were you possessed after finding Sora?"
"...Yes, how did you know?"
Kairi's eyes grew wide. "Am I really able to see into the past," she thought, "I better not tell Aerith or Leon that...they'll probably think I'm crazy. I'm going to need all the help I can get to save Sora."
"Kairi? You okay?" Aerith's soothing voice once again brought Kairi back to reality from her thoughts.
"Um, yeah. I guess it was just a lucky guess Leon." Kairi said to explain her earlier question. "What else do you know about the heartless? How did they escape from the door of light?"
"Honestly, I don't know. King Mickey sent me off to find Sora, not giving me many details. He just explained to me what I told you. However, there is one person I know will know more than I do."
"Who?"
"Cloud. He was with King Mickey, so he should know more about what's going on. Aerith, where is Cloud?"
"When he came back from the Magic Kingdom, he said he had some answers to get. He left me here and then said he also had some revenge he wanted to get." Aerith replied.
"Revenge? I know where he is." Leon said. "Kairi, you come with me, we're going to the Coliseum. Aerith, you better stay here."
"Why?" she demanded not wanting to be left alone again.
"Because I wouldn't want to upset Cloud." Leon said with a smirk. With that, he looked over at Kairi who was still a little unsure about this quest. "Don't worry Kairi, we'll find Sora."
Leon's voice was pleasantly reassuring to Kairi. She looked up from where she sat on the hotel bed to see the genuineness in his eyes and she couldn't help but smile. She got up from the bed as Leon turned and left the room. "Good luck," Aerith said with care as Kairi began to leave the room.
"Thanks, I think I'm gonna need it!"
*****************************************************************************
Deep in the darkest place within the Coliseum, a man sat in the corner with his long, deadly Masamune sword in both hands. He was reflecting on his last battle with a pathetic fool who thought he could defeat him. The poor boy ended up covered in a pool of his own blood, begging him to stop the pain. He laughed at weaklings like that boy.
While he was brooding in the corner, the dark room suddenly got darker as black smoke filled the room. This all went unnoticed by the warrior, until a deep voice spoke from the adjacent corner of the room. "Sephiroth," the voice said.
Sephiroth looked up from where he was sitting and lifted up the Masamune. "Who dares to disturb me?"
"Sephiroth, the darkness in your heart is like none I have ever felt. You have pure evil running throughout your veins."
Sephiroth slowly rose to his feet, his eyes directly on a figure that's covered completely by the darkness. "What's your point?"
"What would you say if I told you that I could take your power and make you stronger than you ever have been before?"
"Impossible."
"Allow the darkness of the heartless enter you. You will experience power beyond your wildest dreams. I know you want it...and the darkness wants you too. It's a match made in Hell."
Sephiroth stood silently, thinking over an offer that seemed to good to be true. With such power, he would be able to get revenge on the one person who had ever been stronger than he was. He remembered the poor boy in the pool of his own blood, except this time he replaced the image of the boy with the image of Cloud. For the first time in years, Sephiroth smiled. "It's a deal."
The figure began to laugh as the smoke of the darkness filled the room once again and began to surround Sephiroth.
*****************************************************************************
Leon and Kairi exited their Gummi Ship and walked towards the Coliseum. What they found outside the Coliseum were thousands of people all crowded around the front gates. Most of them looked like warriors, but what were they all doing outside?
"Excuse me," Leon asked one person, "what's going on?"
"That short freak ain't lettin' us in!" the man replied enthusiastically. "Some kinda commotion goin' on in there."
"Cloud..." Leon said softly to himself. "Come on Kairi, we going in."
Leon ran through the crowd, pushing people out of the way as he went. Kairi, however, found if more difficult for her to make her way through. "Pardon me...excuse me..." she said as she slowly worked her way past person after person.
Leon ran up to the door of the Coliseum and pounded on it. The door slowly opened and Philoctetes appears at the door. "Good, Leon, you've gotta help us out here. We got a tournament to do! We can't do a tournament with those two going at each other."
"I'll see what I can do." Leon said as Kairi finally makes it through the crowd and up the stairs to the door. She doubles over from exhaustion. "Man...people...here...sure...are...rude..."
"Yeah, well get used to it kid." Philoctetes said. Kairi straightened back up and began to follow Leon through the doors, but Phil stopped here. "Not so fast kiddo, where do you think your going?"
"It's ok Phil, she's with me," Leon said.
"Wow Leon, I didn't realize you liked 'em so young."
Kairi responded to Philoctetes's comment with a nice hard smack across the face. Phil rubbed his face where she slapped him. "Stronger than I thought...that stings."
"Get your mind out of the gutter Phil, she's here to help."
"Well, then right this way miss." he said as he let Kairi enter the Colisseum. Phil quickly got the door shut before the anxious crowd got a chance to rush in. Leon and Kairi quickly ran into the stadium where they saw Cloud, sword drawn, face to face with Sephiroth. Leon and Kairi immediately noticed the black smoke around Sephiroth's body.
"I know what you did to Tifa. I'm going to avenge her death!" Cloud said with feeling.
Sephiroth smirked. "Who said that she's dead."
"AAAAARRGGHH!" Cloud screamed as he swung his sword at Sephiroth. Sephiroth easily blocked Cloud's sword with the Masamune. "You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me!"
Kairi and Leon stood at the entrance to the stadium, watching everything transpire. "If Sephiroth is possessed by the heartless, then how come he still speaks with his same voice? You spoke with a much lower voice." Kairi whisped to Leon.
"...I don't know," Leon replied. "But right now Cloud needs our help!"
Leon and Kairi ran over to where Cloud and Sephiroth were fighting. Cloud saw the two out of the corner of his eye. "Go away! This is my battle!"
"You can't beat him alone Cloud!" Leon yelled. "It looks like he has some help!"
Sephiroth, using his right hand to hold the Masamune and keep Cloud's sword from slashing his skin pointed his left hand at Kairi and Leon. His hand began to glow a fiery red. Before anyone could react to Sephiroth's powering up, a small fireball shot from his hand with a path heading straight towards Kairi.
"KAIRI! LOOK OUT!" Leon screamed as he shoved her out of the way and took the fireball to the chest. The impact sent Leon flying across the stadium and he crashed into the bleachers.
"Leave my friends out of this," Cloud said as he drew his sword back. He then began to frantically swing his sword in rage at Sephiroth. But he was never able to connect because Sephiroth was just too fast and was always able to block.
"All I have to do...is aim the keyblade...and I can beat Sephiroth myself," Kairi said to herself as the battle ensued between Cloud and Sephiroth. Sephiroth grew tired of blocking Cloud, and decided to take control of the fight. He forcefully swung the Masamune so that it collided with Cloud's sword, knocking it out of Cloud's hand. The sword flew into the air and flipped several times before coming down and sticking straight into the ground next to where Kairi stood.
"Yipes!" she screamed as she jumped away from the sword. Cloud ran and tackled Sephiroth to the ground. The Masamune was sent to the ground as well with the impact from Cloud. Cloud began to punch away at Sephiroth's face, but Sephiroth seemed to enjoy the beating he was receiving. He put his hand in Cloud's face. Sephiroth focused his energy and shot a blast of lightning into Cloud's face. Cloud rolled off of Sephiroth and held his face in pain.
"Now's my chance!" Kairi said as she closed her eyes and pointed the keyblade at Sephiroth. "I hope this works."
Sephiroth slowly climbed to his feet and looked down at Cloud. He laughed and then proceeded to give Cloud an extremely hard kick to the ribs. "Pathetic," he said.
Just as Kairi had hoped, the keyblade emitted a white beam that went straight for Sephiroth. However, Sephiroth turned around in time to see the beam coming. He quickly did a back flip out of the way just as the beam was about the hit him. He picked up the Masamune and looked at Kairi. She opened her eyes, hoping that her plan had worked...but her greatest fear came true when she saw Sephiroth still standing and looking directly at her.
Sephiroth wiped off the small trace of blood from his lip. Kairi stood where she was, frozen with fear. Suddenly, Sephiroth teleported away from where he stood in the center of the room. Kairi desperately spun around looking for where Sephiroth went. She finally spotted him in the far left corner of the room.
"SIN HARVEST!"
Author's Note: *Gulp* The Sin Harvest, not good news for Kairi! Will this newer, stronger Sephiroth get the best of our heros? And what was this mention of Tifa? What role does her past play in the story? Hopefully these questions will keep you interested in the next chapter! And as always, review and suggest!