Chapter Fourteen: The Gatherer
Sora looked up from the ruins of Zanarkand. He gripped his Keyblade tightly in his hold. He closed his eyes as the soft breeze combed his hair. He looked over his shoulder at Yuna. She had dropped her kimono look, wearing shorts and a tank top. She carried her summoning staff, and also had cut her hair, so it had stuck out much like Tidus's. She came up beside him and looked at Zanarkand and nodded. "You ready?"
"Yes." Yuna replied. "Let us get this over with, shall we?" she smiled and jumped down into the ravine, Sora following. The two ran into the decayed streets of the city. It was the fifteenth of March, the day that Yunalesca had told them to beware of. They now turned, looking around. Sora turned to his right, seeing where a great stadium once stood. He started off for it, Yuna running behind him. They entered the stadium, looking around. Sora led the way through, finding his way into the stands. The peered around.
Moon-bugs appeared, and danced across the air of the stadium. Sora and Yuna turned to what seemed a stage. A glowing figure took shape, a female. She seemed to be singing. They stared in wonder before the scene changed to a Bliztball stadium. A blond man played with his team, kicking the blitzball up into the air, sending a large shout from an invisible audience.
"It is wonderful, isn't it?" a voice asked from behind. "How time is just a passing reflection. The now reflects the past, since mortals are so foolish in thinking of their own needs, and not of the past nor future." The male voice chuckled. "Yes, the time now most certainly begins to mirror what could have taken place nearly one thousand years ago."
Yuna turned quickly. She found a cloaked figure. "What do you mean mirror the past?"
"You shall see, Yuna-sama. The Great Summoner whom destroyed Sin and Yevon-Ju." The cloaked man said. He reached in his cloak and pulled out a long silver object. Sora gasped. "Yes, Sora the Keymaster. This is another Keyblade..the Key of Light. Where as you bear the Keyblade of darkness. Odd, isn't it? You are the hero yet you wield the item of great darkness."
"Why have you been attacking Spira?" Sora questioned. "You have no right here!" the cloaked man let out a low chuckle. Sora gripped his Keyblade tightly; no doubt this fiend was working for the Heartless. The cloaked man studied the two then swung his Keyblade back at Sora. Sora jumped back clumsily and regained his composure, attacking the cloaked man. The Keyblades met each other, making a large clang through out the stadium. The two blades sparked with energy before the cloaked man pushed Sora back. Sora stumbled, feeling weak due to his unhealed energies. He glared at the man.
"I see you have hatred for me, Sora." He said. "It should not surprise me…since I hold the hearts of your friends within my grasp…and also the Summoners." He glanced at Yuna as she tightened her grip on her staff. He swung his Keyblade again, the blade coming down. Sora jumped out of the way, and the Keyblade landed into the cement of the ruins, cracking them farther. Sora jumped back, throwing his hand into the air. The water left in Zanarkand rose to a giant tidal wave, crashing into the broken pillars of the ruins. A large serpent appeared; its large screeching roar caused the man to back up. Kida jumped to the figure, her spear in hand. The man blocked her spear, but was kicked back as she swung around.
The man fell back on to the wall, letting out a painful yelp. Kida pulled her spear again, diving for her. The man quickly slashed his Keyblade at her, making Kida fall back. Yuna held her staff out and lights from under and around her shot up into the sky. A roar came, and Bahamuet flew down and landed beside Kida, roaring. The man chuckled and summoned Heartless.
"Who are you!?" Yuna shouted.
"I am merely a messenger, and a collector, and a gatherer." He smirked. "I have gathered the lost souls, and collected them for the heartless…and now I'm bringing you a message." He looked at Sora. Sora charged, while Kida jumped for the man, striking him in the shoulder with her spear. Sora jumped and swung his Keyblade into the mans face, sending him, twirling, upon his front. The moved quickly, ripping Kida's spear from his shoulder and pulling forth his own Keyblade again. "I have warned you, now! Do not trifle with me!"
"I was sent to this world to keep its people safe! You have stolen the lives and hearts of many people." Sora growled. Sora watched as the man pulled a second Keyblade from his cloak.
"This is the Oathkeeper and the Oblivion." He explained. He smiled and launched at Sora, tackling him to the ground. Yuna raised her hand and Bahamuet dived at the man, tossing him down onto the rocky terrain. Before the man hit the water swallowed him as Leviathan let out a squawk, and dived into the water. Leviathan then arose, countless of heartless formed upon him.
Sora frowned, watching as his Aeon was trampled by the heartless. A song came to him. It was a soft hymn in a wind, with a jingle. Sora turned to Yuna, finding the bell on her staff letting out the jingle. He then jumped up onto one of the higher stands and held his Keyblade up high. "I…no..re…yo…e…bo..n…ju…yu…me..mi…yo…i…no…ri..go…ha…te…na…ku…sa..ka…e..ta…ma…e." he said loudly. Yuna turned to him, her eyes large in wonder and the reciting of the hymn that the Church of Yevon had used.
"Pray, Yevon-Ju. Dream, Praying Child. Until eternity, bring glory." Yuna whispered, watching as the wind suddenly picked up and then stiffened. The man crawled from the waters, his coat dripping and the Keyblades beside him. There was a blast of light that went to the sky, as pysflies flew gently around, then formed a woman, Yunalesca then formed, glittering stars and lights around her.
"Ah, so, I have finally found the Princess." The man smiled. "I see now, I just had to attack the boy…it could have been much simpler that way…" he stood and went to attack Yunalesca. The Princess of Zanarkand raised her hand and the man flew back into the wall of the stadium. He growled and summoned his heartless as they went to attack her. Yunalesca brought the twinkling stars and lights about her and formed it into a giant life stream, ripping through the heartless. The screamed in pain and the man barely dodged the attack.
The man stood, eyeing the three. Bahamuet hovered above Yuna. The man looked at Yuna, studding her as if a piece of artwork. Yunalesca went to attack him again, but he swung his Keyblade, the Oathkeeper, at the air and ripped a time seem. He jumped inside it, and smiled. "Don't worry, we'll meet again!" he cried out. The heartless then piled in after him, while bright lights escaped from the hole, exploding everywhere over Spira. Sora ran forward and jammed his Keyblade into the hole, twisting it as if he locked it. The hole then disappeared and he turned to Yuna.
Yunalesca disappeared in a brilliant flash, while Kida and Bahamuet began to face. Yuna watched. "There is no need for Aeons now. The threats have gone, and now they can finally return to the Fareplanes." She watched as Kida and Bahamuet's pysflies went into the sky, disappearing.
