Chapter 2
World: Traverse Town
The doors into the first district creaked open on old hinges as Skye sat down to one of the tables, staring at the flame-less candle in the middle. She smirked a little as she pointed a finger at the wick; the flames rose from the wax and provided a little more light to atmosphere. Movement caught her eye and her gaze went to the newcomer stepping over the square of cobblestones.
At first she thought it was Sora, but Sora wasn't that tall, neither did he have blond hair. The man met her gaze, and began walking towards her, the shredded, dirty red-colored cape floating a little with his movements.
"Are you Skye?" he asked rather calmly, it was than that she noticed the large, heavy sword strapped to his back wrapped in white bandages.
"Why do you wanna know?" she snapped back, her eyes untrusting.
"My name is Cloud, I am to help you find your brother."
"Help me? For what reason?"
"Your brother, quite a fighter. He is wielder of the Keyblade, and only he can break the crystal heart."
"The crystal heart?" Skye blinked, Sephiroth has never told her this.
"Sephiroth didn't tell you?" Cloud chuckled, and pulled out a chair. He took his sword off of his back and slammed it into the line between the well placed stone, the stainless steel blade sticking in it. With a swift movement he sat down onto the wooden seat, and looked at his new companion up and down slowly.
"Aren't you a tad young?"
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Nothing really, just that you don't look your age."
Skye raised her head and glared at him for a few moments. "Are you gonna tell me about this crystal heart or not?"
"Impatient too," he grinned, "The crystal heart; the powerhouse of the keyholes. It's the one element that can keep the worlds connected permanently."
"I thought the Seven Princesses of Heart."
"They just open the Final Keyhole, nothing more than that. The crystal heart, once set in darkness, will keep it flowing without any wards eternally."
Skye sighed, propping her elbow onto the table and resting her head in her hand. She looked at Cloud for a moment, "So where is this crystal heart?"
"I don't know, no one does. Some say it's an artifact, that it shattered into pieces and is hidden in some of the worlds, others say it's in the heart of someone. No one really knows."
"Just great." She muttered, "So many worlds. how will we find it so quickly?"
Cloud kept a demure face, "You forget the others."
"What others?"
"They're not all here yet, but you'll recognize most of them."
Skye raised an eyebrow. Should she trust this guy? Well, she would have no choice; Sephiroth came and went as he pleased. This Cloud person must be trusting enough if Sephiroth was gonna leave her with him.
"Hmm, there's three of them now."
Quickly, she swung her head about to see three people approaching the table she and Cloud were sitting at. The only male of the group had dark brown hair; a tad spiked at the ends, his face having a scar running across the bridge. He wore simple clothes; white T-shirt with black pants and a jacket. Attached to his belt, was a strange weapon that looked between a gun and sword.
The other two were female; one with dark brown hair that framed her young face, the other was taller and had longer hair in a large braid with a pink ribbon.
"Great to see you still alive," the man said, a smirk on his face.
Cloud only stared blankly at him, "Yeah, right. Skye, meet Leon, the girl in green is Yuffie and last is Aerith. They're friends of mine, and are going to aid in fighting the Heartless."
The three nodded as Skye greeted them calmly, and the table had three more chairs added to it. Leon looked about, as if someone was missing.
"Where's Sephiroth?"
"You know him, he always has some personal agenda to take care of." Cloud shrugged, "I'm not going to worry about him. He's the kind that helps when he feels like it and on his time."
"So, who's going to do what?" Yuffie finally asked, her head resting in her hand bored and trying to get the two men back on topic.
"Skye and I are going to find her brother. Riku and his group are doing the same. You all are going through the Disney worlds and try to put a ward on the keyholes to keep the darkness at bay or stop the flow as much as possible. James and Ahmara are searching for the crystal heart."
"Is that why they're not here?" Aerith asked softly, looking over at the big doors expecting to see Riku and his friends appear.
"Yeah, they called me earlier today. They've got some vibes in a world called Hyrule, so they're checking that out first."
"A new world?"
"No, not new. It just never been noticed before." Leon sighed and nodded, pushing back against his chair and it tilted back on the two legs.
Sitting on the roof, eavesdropping was Sora, his back leaning against the wall, pitch-black wings folded over him to keep out the cold air that brushed softly at his skin. The silver and gold Keyblade lying still at his feet pulsing. He sighed with his eyes closed. He still had some goodness in him; he could hear his sister talking amongst the group. If it weren't for her and that he was drained from destroying the castle, he'd attack Traverse Town as well.
He didn't care if it stayed as a safe haven for those who lost their worlds. It would be out of harms way once the group talking below him left for their destinations. At least, Skye was safe, he trusted Cloud to take care of her.
"You ought to leave, before someone recognizes you." Sephiroth mused from the nearby roof, slightly above the Master. Sora sat up, glaring at him in annoyance.
"I have rights too, y'know?" Sora grumbled.
"Still, best not to leave that Princess alone for too long. She emits the light, and can break through any manacles you cast on her."
"What about the Heart that they're talking about?"
"Ansem seems to know more about it, pester him."
Sora blinked, "About it?"
"About who possesses it."
Sora looked down at the warped, cedar shingles. Could it be Skye? He took a deep breath, than let it out slowly before flaring his wings from his black garb. He picked up the Keyblade, and raised a gloved, it glowed with energy, before tearing a warp hole open and stepped through it.
"Keep an eye on Skye for me."
World: Traverse Town
The doors parted once again, Riku walking through first, being followed by Max and Elise. Seeing no one present the young man quirked an eyebrow in suspicion. No one was in sight, not even the pacing Moogle that greeted newcomers and invited him or her to tour the small shop his family owned. Elise moved closer to her boyfriend, not used to the frightening silence that set her on edge.
"Dude, a little quiet?" Max asked, looking around, being his first time away from the castle.
Riku nodded, "Yeah. We should check out the Item Shop, see if one of Donald's nephews are inside."
The trio started to move forward once again, but Elise didn't feel too comfortable. Her lovely evergreen eyes looked about, seeking any signs to cause the square to be so empty. It wasn't until they past the burning candle on one of the tables to their left that she finally noticed. A dark shadow, tall and foreboding stalking after them on the opposite wall where they're own shadows was casted. She stopped, standing completely still to watch the black figure pause behind her.
With a yelp, Elise was struck from behind collapsing heavily onto the stones, red blood trickling down the deep scratch marks. Riku immediately spun around, hearing the scream and lunged towards the monster. He brought his sword down, hitting nothing but air.
The Heartless shrunk back; it's eerie yellow eyes glaring angrily at them. It was humanoid shaped, dark blue armor covering its jet-black skin. Long, black spikes protruded from its forehead, shoulders and knees. Its fingers were replaced with long sharp claws, the right dripping with fresh blood.
"Whoa! What is that thing?" Max shuddered, but brought the short sword he trained with up, and ready.
"Must be the newer Heartless that have been appearing." Riku muttered, glaring back and stepping protectively over Elise. Elise looked uncomfortable; unable to reach the spot on her back from which she bled. She attempted to get back up, but the signal from Riku, palm facing her keeping it flat, told her not to move.
The Heartless, Spears, rushed forwards, bringing its claws down for a vicious swing. The power was enough to lop a man's head off; Riku caught the monster's hand with his sword and struggled to throw it off balance. Max took the opportunity, while the Spears was busy, he ran behind it ready to slash its back. A spike from its shoulder disappeared and launched out of its spine.
"Shit!" Max yelped, ducking underneath it, and lunged forward. With a downward cut the spike fell to the ground and disappeared. Spears shuddered falling back and relieving Riku of the weight from its attack. It turned to face Max, who gave it the one-finger salute. Riku took the chance to attack its back, slashing off the two remaining spikes from its left shoulder.
"The spikes, that's it's weak point..." Elise muttered, standing up despite the baleful stare from Riku. She placed her feet apart, balancing her weight out as she took her staff into a defensive position. The pale icy blue glow surrounding it began to trail up Elise's arm, making her appear as if she went under a bluish-purple film. She spun the staff above her head than fell to her knees, slamming the rod down. The blizzard attack dissipating away from her and collected again around the Heartless, pinning it to the ground.
Riku and Max both rushed forward, Max slashing the remaining shoulder spikes, and Riku cutting the two on its forehead. Due to Blizzard's magic, the spikes were too weak and shattered. The ice broke immediately due to the tremendous heat of the creature's death. It wailed a high pitch screech; the black shadow dissolved into thin air, while the armor fell and melted like it was in acid.
Max sighed inwardly, sheathing the short sword and brushing his bangs back from his face. Riku nodded in appreciation to his friend, as he walked towards Elise. He knelt down next to her, moving her black hair from her face, and helped her back onto her feet.
"Come on," he muttered, walking towards the doors of the item shop. He motioned to the handles, trying to push it open. It wouldn't budge.
World: Destroyed Hollow Bastion
"Ansem! Where the Hell are you?" Sora yelled as he stepped into the laboratory just above Hollow Bastion's water tunnels. His dark blue eyes quickly scanning over the equipment that hooked up to the giant globe. He inadvertently shuddered; he hated the crawling mass of darkness locked up inside of it, its undulating form twisting in the most gruesome ways.
Sora stepped further in, trying to keep an interest on the test tubes and the read-outs on the computer monitor with no avail. Again, the gelatinous form of flesh and blood dipped in ink caught his attention. He didn't understand the significance of whatever that thing is, and he was certain he didn't want to know either. Still, something about it seemed vaguely familiar.
"What are you doing here?"
"Hojo..."
The aging scientist stepped out from the shadows, carrying an animal cage in one arm and a clipboard in the other. His glasses were slipping off his nose again, but he didn't feel bothered by it at the moment, his hair once black now showed signs of graying through his ponytail.
"I asked you a question." He warned as he set the cage down near the Darkness, it seemed to respond to the feeling of that man near it.
"Where's Ansem?"
"Up in the castle, the dungeon actually," Hojo paused while typing on the nearest console. "She got loose again."
With an agitated grumble, Sora smacked his hand to his forehead, "Not again."
"Those manacles are still too weak, she is the High Princess, remember?"
"I know that!"
Hojo simply snorted, he seemed focused on his experiment, opening a small hatch underneath the glass. He paused and eyed an empty hub, the word 'JENOVA' written above it, almost as a remembrance to what happened in his past. Sora never asked about it, nor did he seem to care; he still noticed the thing inside the glass.
Hojo had taken notice of it and smiled darkly. "Do you wish to know what that is?"
Sora blinked in surprise, but he didn't acknowledge continuing. So, Hojo decided to anyway.
"That is the Soul."
"The Soul? The 'soul' of what?"
"You realize, that in every heart there is light and darkness. Correct?"
"Yes."
"Depending upon the person, they can emit a greater darkness or light. Because of this imbalance of purity, there must be a counterbalance. That is where this comes from. The Worlds have them too."
"So this is Hollow Bastion's Soul?"
"Not quite, although Hollow Bastion is a part of it. This is a collection of many. You remember Sora? Wonderland, Coliseum, Deep Jungle, Agrabah, Atlantica, Halloween Town, and Neverland, their Souls are also being held within this glass chamber."
Now his interest was peaked, he glanced up towards the Souls squirming in their cramped confinement. They were what kept the Heartless from swarming into the Worlds when the Keyholes were opened.
"Without the Souls, the Heartless have free reign over the World," Hojo stated, a supercilious smirk on his face, "millions can swarm in without anything to repel them. The Keyholes however can still be locked, and that will stop the Darkness from enveloping everything."
Sora eyed the man; "There's something that can even keep the Keyholes from closing?"
Hojo nodded, pulling a latex glove on his hand, "Yes, which is why you want to speak to Ansem. The Crystal Heart. The ancient artifact that can keep the Keyholes forever unlocked, and the World's connected. The only thing that would be a problem, would be where it is. Many rumors, but Ansem believes it resides in someone."
"That's what I overheard in Traverse Town too." Said Sora, yawning a tad bit.
Hojo nodded, sticking his arm into the cage and pulling out a black and white furred rabbit by the scruff of its neck. He began walking towards the globe, and placed the rabbit in the hatch before shutting it.
"What a shame." he muttered, before pushing a button.
"How so?"
"Because, of the experiments I performed, the Souls have become carnivorous, and the person that carries the Heart." he discontinued his sentence, as the rabbit appeared on the floor of the globe. Within seconds the mass came down, tearing into the hare ravenously. Blood and guts were sprayed across the once clean glass, and Sora looked away, fearing his lunch would come up.
"Well, you can see for yourself." The madman said, unfazed.
World: Traverse Town
The doors into the first district creaked open on old hinges as Skye sat down to one of the tables, staring at the flame-less candle in the middle. She smirked a little as she pointed a finger at the wick; the flames rose from the wax and provided a little more light to atmosphere. Movement caught her eye and her gaze went to the newcomer stepping over the square of cobblestones.
At first she thought it was Sora, but Sora wasn't that tall, neither did he have blond hair. The man met her gaze, and began walking towards her, the shredded, dirty red-colored cape floating a little with his movements.
"Are you Skye?" he asked rather calmly, it was than that she noticed the large, heavy sword strapped to his back wrapped in white bandages.
"Why do you wanna know?" she snapped back, her eyes untrusting.
"My name is Cloud, I am to help you find your brother."
"Help me? For what reason?"
"Your brother, quite a fighter. He is wielder of the Keyblade, and only he can break the crystal heart."
"The crystal heart?" Skye blinked, Sephiroth has never told her this.
"Sephiroth didn't tell you?" Cloud chuckled, and pulled out a chair. He took his sword off of his back and slammed it into the line between the well placed stone, the stainless steel blade sticking in it. With a swift movement he sat down onto the wooden seat, and looked at his new companion up and down slowly.
"Aren't you a tad young?"
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Nothing really, just that you don't look your age."
Skye raised her head and glared at him for a few moments. "Are you gonna tell me about this crystal heart or not?"
"Impatient too," he grinned, "The crystal heart; the powerhouse of the keyholes. It's the one element that can keep the worlds connected permanently."
"I thought the Seven Princesses of Heart."
"They just open the Final Keyhole, nothing more than that. The crystal heart, once set in darkness, will keep it flowing without any wards eternally."
Skye sighed, propping her elbow onto the table and resting her head in her hand. She looked at Cloud for a moment, "So where is this crystal heart?"
"I don't know, no one does. Some say it's an artifact, that it shattered into pieces and is hidden in some of the worlds, others say it's in the heart of someone. No one really knows."
"Just great." She muttered, "So many worlds. how will we find it so quickly?"
Cloud kept a demure face, "You forget the others."
"What others?"
"They're not all here yet, but you'll recognize most of them."
Skye raised an eyebrow. Should she trust this guy? Well, she would have no choice; Sephiroth came and went as he pleased. This Cloud person must be trusting enough if Sephiroth was gonna leave her with him.
"Hmm, there's three of them now."
Quickly, she swung her head about to see three people approaching the table she and Cloud were sitting at. The only male of the group had dark brown hair; a tad spiked at the ends, his face having a scar running across the bridge. He wore simple clothes; white T-shirt with black pants and a jacket. Attached to his belt, was a strange weapon that looked between a gun and sword.
The other two were female; one with dark brown hair that framed her young face, the other was taller and had longer hair in a large braid with a pink ribbon.
"Great to see you still alive," the man said, a smirk on his face.
Cloud only stared blankly at him, "Yeah, right. Skye, meet Leon, the girl in green is Yuffie and last is Aerith. They're friends of mine, and are going to aid in fighting the Heartless."
The three nodded as Skye greeted them calmly, and the table had three more chairs added to it. Leon looked about, as if someone was missing.
"Where's Sephiroth?"
"You know him, he always has some personal agenda to take care of." Cloud shrugged, "I'm not going to worry about him. He's the kind that helps when he feels like it and on his time."
"So, who's going to do what?" Yuffie finally asked, her head resting in her hand bored and trying to get the two men back on topic.
"Skye and I are going to find her brother. Riku and his group are doing the same. You all are going through the Disney worlds and try to put a ward on the keyholes to keep the darkness at bay or stop the flow as much as possible. James and Ahmara are searching for the crystal heart."
"Is that why they're not here?" Aerith asked softly, looking over at the big doors expecting to see Riku and his friends appear.
"Yeah, they called me earlier today. They've got some vibes in a world called Hyrule, so they're checking that out first."
"A new world?"
"No, not new. It just never been noticed before." Leon sighed and nodded, pushing back against his chair and it tilted back on the two legs.
Sitting on the roof, eavesdropping was Sora, his back leaning against the wall, pitch-black wings folded over him to keep out the cold air that brushed softly at his skin. The silver and gold Keyblade lying still at his feet pulsing. He sighed with his eyes closed. He still had some goodness in him; he could hear his sister talking amongst the group. If it weren't for her and that he was drained from destroying the castle, he'd attack Traverse Town as well.
He didn't care if it stayed as a safe haven for those who lost their worlds. It would be out of harms way once the group talking below him left for their destinations. At least, Skye was safe, he trusted Cloud to take care of her.
"You ought to leave, before someone recognizes you." Sephiroth mused from the nearby roof, slightly above the Master. Sora sat up, glaring at him in annoyance.
"I have rights too, y'know?" Sora grumbled.
"Still, best not to leave that Princess alone for too long. She emits the light, and can break through any manacles you cast on her."
"What about the Heart that they're talking about?"
"Ansem seems to know more about it, pester him."
Sora blinked, "About it?"
"About who possesses it."
Sora looked down at the warped, cedar shingles. Could it be Skye? He took a deep breath, than let it out slowly before flaring his wings from his black garb. He picked up the Keyblade, and raised a gloved, it glowed with energy, before tearing a warp hole open and stepped through it.
"Keep an eye on Skye for me."
World: Traverse Town
The doors parted once again, Riku walking through first, being followed by Max and Elise. Seeing no one present the young man quirked an eyebrow in suspicion. No one was in sight, not even the pacing Moogle that greeted newcomers and invited him or her to tour the small shop his family owned. Elise moved closer to her boyfriend, not used to the frightening silence that set her on edge.
"Dude, a little quiet?" Max asked, looking around, being his first time away from the castle.
Riku nodded, "Yeah. We should check out the Item Shop, see if one of Donald's nephews are inside."
The trio started to move forward once again, but Elise didn't feel too comfortable. Her lovely evergreen eyes looked about, seeking any signs to cause the square to be so empty. It wasn't until they past the burning candle on one of the tables to their left that she finally noticed. A dark shadow, tall and foreboding stalking after them on the opposite wall where they're own shadows was casted. She stopped, standing completely still to watch the black figure pause behind her.
With a yelp, Elise was struck from behind collapsing heavily onto the stones, red blood trickling down the deep scratch marks. Riku immediately spun around, hearing the scream and lunged towards the monster. He brought his sword down, hitting nothing but air.
The Heartless shrunk back; it's eerie yellow eyes glaring angrily at them. It was humanoid shaped, dark blue armor covering its jet-black skin. Long, black spikes protruded from its forehead, shoulders and knees. Its fingers were replaced with long sharp claws, the right dripping with fresh blood.
"Whoa! What is that thing?" Max shuddered, but brought the short sword he trained with up, and ready.
"Must be the newer Heartless that have been appearing." Riku muttered, glaring back and stepping protectively over Elise. Elise looked uncomfortable; unable to reach the spot on her back from which she bled. She attempted to get back up, but the signal from Riku, palm facing her keeping it flat, told her not to move.
The Heartless, Spears, rushed forwards, bringing its claws down for a vicious swing. The power was enough to lop a man's head off; Riku caught the monster's hand with his sword and struggled to throw it off balance. Max took the opportunity, while the Spears was busy, he ran behind it ready to slash its back. A spike from its shoulder disappeared and launched out of its spine.
"Shit!" Max yelped, ducking underneath it, and lunged forward. With a downward cut the spike fell to the ground and disappeared. Spears shuddered falling back and relieving Riku of the weight from its attack. It turned to face Max, who gave it the one-finger salute. Riku took the chance to attack its back, slashing off the two remaining spikes from its left shoulder.
"The spikes, that's it's weak point..." Elise muttered, standing up despite the baleful stare from Riku. She placed her feet apart, balancing her weight out as she took her staff into a defensive position. The pale icy blue glow surrounding it began to trail up Elise's arm, making her appear as if she went under a bluish-purple film. She spun the staff above her head than fell to her knees, slamming the rod down. The blizzard attack dissipating away from her and collected again around the Heartless, pinning it to the ground.
Riku and Max both rushed forward, Max slashing the remaining shoulder spikes, and Riku cutting the two on its forehead. Due to Blizzard's magic, the spikes were too weak and shattered. The ice broke immediately due to the tremendous heat of the creature's death. It wailed a high pitch screech; the black shadow dissolved into thin air, while the armor fell and melted like it was in acid.
Max sighed inwardly, sheathing the short sword and brushing his bangs back from his face. Riku nodded in appreciation to his friend, as he walked towards Elise. He knelt down next to her, moving her black hair from her face, and helped her back onto her feet.
"Come on," he muttered, walking towards the doors of the item shop. He motioned to the handles, trying to push it open. It wouldn't budge.
World: Destroyed Hollow Bastion
"Ansem! Where the Hell are you?" Sora yelled as he stepped into the laboratory just above Hollow Bastion's water tunnels. His dark blue eyes quickly scanning over the equipment that hooked up to the giant globe. He inadvertently shuddered; he hated the crawling mass of darkness locked up inside of it, its undulating form twisting in the most gruesome ways.
Sora stepped further in, trying to keep an interest on the test tubes and the read-outs on the computer monitor with no avail. Again, the gelatinous form of flesh and blood dipped in ink caught his attention. He didn't understand the significance of whatever that thing is, and he was certain he didn't want to know either. Still, something about it seemed vaguely familiar.
"What are you doing here?"
"Hojo..."
The aging scientist stepped out from the shadows, carrying an animal cage in one arm and a clipboard in the other. His glasses were slipping off his nose again, but he didn't feel bothered by it at the moment, his hair once black now showed signs of graying through his ponytail.
"I asked you a question." He warned as he set the cage down near the Darkness, it seemed to respond to the feeling of that man near it.
"Where's Ansem?"
"Up in the castle, the dungeon actually," Hojo paused while typing on the nearest console. "She got loose again."
With an agitated grumble, Sora smacked his hand to his forehead, "Not again."
"Those manacles are still too weak, she is the High Princess, remember?"
"I know that!"
Hojo simply snorted, he seemed focused on his experiment, opening a small hatch underneath the glass. He paused and eyed an empty hub, the word 'JENOVA' written above it, almost as a remembrance to what happened in his past. Sora never asked about it, nor did he seem to care; he still noticed the thing inside the glass.
Hojo had taken notice of it and smiled darkly. "Do you wish to know what that is?"
Sora blinked in surprise, but he didn't acknowledge continuing. So, Hojo decided to anyway.
"That is the Soul."
"The Soul? The 'soul' of what?"
"You realize, that in every heart there is light and darkness. Correct?"
"Yes."
"Depending upon the person, they can emit a greater darkness or light. Because of this imbalance of purity, there must be a counterbalance. That is where this comes from. The Worlds have them too."
"So this is Hollow Bastion's Soul?"
"Not quite, although Hollow Bastion is a part of it. This is a collection of many. You remember Sora? Wonderland, Coliseum, Deep Jungle, Agrabah, Atlantica, Halloween Town, and Neverland, their Souls are also being held within this glass chamber."
Now his interest was peaked, he glanced up towards the Souls squirming in their cramped confinement. They were what kept the Heartless from swarming into the Worlds when the Keyholes were opened.
"Without the Souls, the Heartless have free reign over the World," Hojo stated, a supercilious smirk on his face, "millions can swarm in without anything to repel them. The Keyholes however can still be locked, and that will stop the Darkness from enveloping everything."
Sora eyed the man; "There's something that can even keep the Keyholes from closing?"
Hojo nodded, pulling a latex glove on his hand, "Yes, which is why you want to speak to Ansem. The Crystal Heart. The ancient artifact that can keep the Keyholes forever unlocked, and the World's connected. The only thing that would be a problem, would be where it is. Many rumors, but Ansem believes it resides in someone."
"That's what I overheard in Traverse Town too." Said Sora, yawning a tad bit.
Hojo nodded, sticking his arm into the cage and pulling out a black and white furred rabbit by the scruff of its neck. He began walking towards the globe, and placed the rabbit in the hatch before shutting it.
"What a shame." he muttered, before pushing a button.
"How so?"
"Because, of the experiments I performed, the Souls have become carnivorous, and the person that carries the Heart." he discontinued his sentence, as the rabbit appeared on the floor of the globe. Within seconds the mass came down, tearing into the hare ravenously. Blood and guts were sprayed across the once clean glass, and Sora looked away, fearing his lunch would come up.
"Well, you can see for yourself." The madman said, unfazed.