KH2- Search of the Legendary Keyblades.
Chapter 1 part d The beginning
By Aer_seph4eva
Disclaimer.......
Kingdom Hearts doesn't belong to me, no matter how hard I dream or wish. If it did, Riku would wear black leather trousers instead of his blue stocky ones and Cloud, Squall, Yuffie, Cid, Aerith and Sephiroth would have played on your team instead of Goofy and Donald.
Hey everyone! I've updated ^_^
Thanks for everyone who has reviewed and supported this fic. I really do appreciate it. Sora and Riku will be present in this chapter and there is a certain OWA who is up to no good with an innocent Cetra.
Well I think I should this finish my blabbing cause I know most of you didn't click on this link to read my A.N
So without further delay, on with the fic.
In the last chapter.....
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"No! I'm staying here!" Aeris exclaimed.
The warrior shook his head with mock regret. "Traverse Town will be no more soon,"
"No!" Aeris screamed.
Sephiroth liked her reaction. "Well I may save the villagers. It depends on your answer."
The brunette fell silent."............."
"It's you're choice....I can wait, but I don't think the Heartless can.." Sephiroth finished, and then soon after he said it, there was the sound of scraping of claws echoed across the floor, and before Aeris knew it, there was a line of Heartless upon the scene. Their antennae's straight and alert, their eyes wide with lust for food as they dived forward.
Aeris knew it was either now or never. She look from the swarms of Heartless and then back at the swordsman and said the first thing which came out of her mouth.
"You better not be lying."
Sephiroth chuckled at the unexpected exclamation and readied his Masamune into a fighting stance.
"Whatever you say Cetra, whatever you say." And then no sooner than he spoke the words, the silver haired warrior disappeared from sight, before reappearing upon the battlefield, his once calm mask had gone and had now changed into the face of the famed heinous warrior. His eyes blazed with the taste of battle, while his lips curled up with vengeance, and then with a battle cry the legendary warrior dashed forward, and beheaded a the first row of Heartless on contact. His body moved faster than that of what Aeris had ever seen, watching as Heartless after Heartless were hacked, stabbed or sliced by the ever growing power of Masamune. The young female couldn't help but gape in awe as she watched the colours of the sky disperse into rays of colour, which thundered down upon the battlefield, decimating the shadow demons upon impact. All around Aeris, she felt the heat of the flames, licking at her skin although the battle was so much further away. Her eyes wide from the sheer terror of battle. Yes, she had experienced and watched many battles in her life, she had seen Cloud and her friends purge their guilt and pain with the adrenaline rush that gave their lives purpose in the dying worlds they were living in. She could never understand the excitement that rushed into them during every battle of defeating the yellow eyed demons, as she could only feel the onrush of fear when she clutched her staff in her slender hands and watched as the mass of Heartless headed towards her. But as she watched way Sephiroth thought, defeating hundreds of Heartless as if he was born and bred to do it. Aeris stared at the way his body twisted and turned, the way his footsteps quickened and slowed as if moving in a complex dance, the dance of death. He twirled Masamune over his head and struck down yet more of the yellow eyed shadows.
'He is so unbelievably amazing....so....strong...'
And she hated that fact, for she, Aeris, knew she was relying on Sephiroth to protect her. She bit her lip tightly, knowing that either way the battle ended, she had no chance of winning. If the Heartless managed to get to her, it meant instant death, while with Sephiroth.....
She shook her head, trying to dispel the thought.
'Maybe I could run away before Sephiroth sees me...' But soon after the idea crossed her mind, she saw Sephiroth do a mighty arch before slashing down, expelling a ring of fire which burnt his enemies on impact. His face then suddenly turned in her direction and she could clearly see the smouldering desire burning within the aquamarine depths. She felt too frozen to move. She didn't know how long she sat there upon the ground, nor did she remember when she closed her eyes in fright, listening to the sounds of Masamune slashing through air and the heavy thumping that was coming from her own chest.
And then the heat around her increased to the point where she could hear inhuman screeches and wails of pain. Aeris tensed her body as she heat fluctuated yet somehow it failed to burn her skin. She cracked an eye open in confusion expecting to feel herself within a ring of fire. But what she saw shocked her. There on the battle field were charred remnants of what were the Heartless lying in scattered pieces across dancing flames. Aeris couldn't help but have the taste of bile which from her throat at the scent of the burnt demons, the taste soon disappeared as she raised her eyes towards the living lone figure on the battlefield.
Sephiroth had defeated the Heartless single-handedly.
Although he was quite a distance away, Aeris could see the wet drops of perspiration glistening off his face, as his coat flapped over the dying embers. She was awed yet alarmed at how his eyes slowly turned towards her, glinted with after battle fervour. Sephiroth held Masamune at his side before sheathing it, his gaze totally fixed upon Aeris all the while. He stalked towards her, kicking the remnants of Heartless out of his path
The swordsman smirked knowingly at himself. He knew that the battle was rather pointless and that he could have ended it much sooner. He could have used his newly acquired abilities to summon the Heartless away, yet he wanted to have the thrill of battle and he didn't want Aeris to know he possessed such a power.
'Perhaps the foolish girl will now accept my demands, since she has tasted a essence of my true power.' The swordsman curled his lips up at the thought. 'And then I can find Sora and acquire the knowledge I have always longed for in existence.'
"So have you made your decision?"
Aeris turned her head away, gnawing at her lip. "I don't want anyone to get hurt....and I...want to know what is going on.." Aeris said quietly as she played with the silver bangles on her wrist.
Sephiroth raised a slight eyebrow in curiosity. "You want the power of knowledge? Interesting. I expected one such as you to have other needs in mind," he said as he rubbed his chin.
The brunette blinked, unsure of his words and what he was trying to imply.
"What do you mean?"
The swordsman's lips twitched slightly and Aeris was swore she saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It doesn't matter...it just shows how different you are compared to all these other pathetic creatures in this world."
Aeris furrowed her eyebrows in bemusement. 'Did he just compliment me?'
Sephiroth snorted in amusement, folding his arms over his broad chest. "It wasn't intentional." He said coolly. "It makes sense that you both would have countered the same as her, as you are her clone." A smirk began to grow on his face as he watched the way the girl bristled at his final word.
"So what do 'normal' people want then?" Aeris questioned sarcastically turning her head away from him and looking over at the lamppost.
Sephiroth chuckled at her response, his chest rumbling with mirth. "Who is normal?" he countered rhetorically before shaking his head at the look the Cetra gave him.
He turned away to look out in the distance, watching the glowing embers begin to dissipate into the sky leaving only the traces of what once were Heartless down the path. But although the sight reeked of suffering and battle, the swordsman could not see death. How can there not be death upon a battlefield when all soldiers have fallen to rest? In the greatest heat of battle, there always lies the greatest splurge of blood. But all that lay there were black ashes that had became a part of the sky, and shadows which had became part of the shade of the houses. Sephiroth looked down at his blade and saw no blood, no sign of loss of life, no victory. It was a massacre, yet it wasn't. There was no stain, no mark of crimson positioning the enemies fall.
He gripped his blade tightly, frowning tightly. He knew what was going to happen, he knew what was going to fall. He had experienced it all of his life. He was told the victor was the one who spilt the most blood, survived the most battles. But he was fighting creatures, that did not bleed, which did not feel pain. These warriors could only increase in power when a normal army would fall. They could not die as death was not apart of their lifecycle. They held absolute power. An ability that he once sort after in another life, another story.
The warrior clenched his teeth in anger as fragments of memories began to resurface, as if creating a story with missing chapters. Faces appeared with no names. Names appeared with no faces. He gripped his head in agony to rid himself of such pestering thoughts. Memories which were as useless as dreams to a warrior on a battle field facing death, and he couldn't seem to erase them from his mind.
'Why was I reborn?'
'Cloning. Why does that word seem to haunt me so?'
'The humans....It was them....it was they who caused me such pain...such....suffering...'
'This dream I'm reliving....what is its purpose......the revival of the dead......the plans of my future...I need to find out the truth!'
Aeris' eyes widened as she watched the change of the man before her. It was like in an instant, his guise had changed, his eyes transforming into an almost cold emptiness which sent shivers up the girl's spine. It was as if the swordsman didn't know that Aeris was there, and Aeris became suddenly aware of the situation she was in.
'I...maybe this is my chance....I can run away....' But although the words repeated themselves within her mind, her feet felt like they were stuck to the ground. And then they began to move with a life of their own, and Aeris only realised too late that she had moved towards the silent warrior, her hand reaching out to touch his arm. Then suddenly Mako eyes glared in her direction and before she knew what was happening, she felt a large hand clench around her neck and lift her off the ground. Her legs dangled off the ground as her hands clawed at his painful grip.
Sephiroth's face was murderous and Aeris thought in that fleeting moment that her life was soon to end. But then, as fast as the change that had happened within the dark warrior, his eyes lost the vigorous glow and the grip around her throat greatly loosened.
"Aeris?" His voice came out like that of a hoarse croak and then Aeris felt herself landing upon the floor rubbing her now bruised neck.
Sephiroth took a few steps back as he tried to clear his head. In those few moment, he lost control. It was like those times, when his body reacted without caution, without his mind...without his control. He stared at Masamune which he had somehow made its way into his hand without him being aware of the movement. His hands moved to the sides of his head causing his sword to clatter to the ground.
"What.....what is happening to me...?" The swordsman questioned as fear began to awaken inside him. He fisted his hair in his hands, ignoring the pain as he was too caught up in his emotions.
His hands began to feel unbearably hot and it felt like his whole body began to tremble with a need he could not fathom or understand. "....Don't you see, I need Sora to cure my insanity.....so I can gain the answer to my questions.....tell me where Sora is....." he gasped in panted breaths, as he clenched his fists around his head.
"I need the truth!" He roared, his eyes wide with fury and hunger as he stared down at Aeris with such malevolence that she couldn't help but cry out in horror. Aeris crawled back at the chilling look Sephiroth was giving her. The colour drained from her face as she saw him retrieve his sword and advance towards her, his calm demeanour was now lost from whatever transformation had taken place those few minutes ago.
"Tell me!" He commanded taking a slash at the air, his breathing harsh and uneven. "Tell me now Cetra!"
"........." Aeris bit back the urge to cry yet she couldn't help the tears which built up in her eyes. He stared at her silently, his body still seething with need from his earlier assault. Yet as infuriated as he felt, he began to gradually calm down as he looked into the girl's eyes. Her iris' which held a hue which looked as light and fresh as the lifestream.
The swordsman shook his head before turning away, his bangs drooping as his gaze fell to the floor. "I apologise for my lack of control............Now you understand why I need Sora so much....I have a feeling...... no...I know that whoever revived us has the power to stop this......this madness....going on in my head....It is making me lose focus.....controlling me in a way I have never felt before...." He cursed at himself for his weakness, his inability to find control. Although the seizures were not frequent. It was when his mind tried to think back to the past that he would lose all focus, as if it were a safety mechanism holding back his own knowledge.
Aeris placed a hand across her heart, her anger melting away as pity began to flow within her. "I did not know...." she gasped, her breathing starting to calm down to its usual beat.
Sephiroth just stared off into the distance, a look of passiveness upon his face. "I'll give you anything you wish for...." His voice was almost inaudible but when Aeris heard it, it caused her breath to hitch in her throat.
The brunette blinked, unsure as to how to answer to such a response. She wringed her hands lightly looking at the general's face, or more precisely his mouth. His eyes were just to penetrating for her to stare upon.
She unconsciously licked her own lips as she looked at the warrior's dark ones trying to think of a subject which would prevent any more revelations or surprises. Her thoughts ran upon the swordsman's previous cryptic words which confused her. "Could you first tell me one thing....what did you mean when you said about humans choosing other things....?" Aeris said slowly and in her usual calm tone.
Sephiroth turned and stared at her silently, just taking in her image feeling his temper soften within him.
"You want to know what the weaklings of the world want?" He then questioned after a moment, turning his head towards the direction where he once fought, eyeing the scene of destruction which had been created by his hand.
Aeris nodded slowly, feeling slightly relieved to have his glowing eyes off her form.
Sephiroth frowned as the men of the past flowed through his mind, igniting his hatred yet again for the human race. They were the very reason why his life was centred around fighting and bloodshed, where he grew the ability to not trust, and to survive on his own.
"They desire absolute power, wealth, a insatiable quench for dominance over others ....never wisdom, never answers to the unanswered questions in life." He snorted as a certain blonde president came to his mind, although other parts of his past was hazy, somehow the president of ShinRa never failed to shine and bring fresh anger upon him. It was he who had brought upon the beginnings of his suffering, by not informing him of the truth. Holding back the knowledge he so desperately needed.
"Yet their weakness is..." he said snidely, with a snort as his gaze fell to Masamune remembering how it felt when the blade sliced through ShinRa's chest, and the all amusing girlish squeal the ShinRa spoke at his last pathetic moments of life before landing on his desk. His blue eyes wide open with horror. He even had the same cigar handing from his mouth. Sephiroth chuckled quietly to himself. Yes that was indeed a pleasant memory.
Aeris tilted her head in question. "What?"
His eyes suddenly turned towards her. "Greed for power, money and riches.." he began "Mere trinkets from which they believe they can rule a world with.... seduce every foolish man...and why? just for them to become a gillionaire...they spend their wealth to gain more wealth....and they scheme of petty schemes of taking others money, and fear themselves of losing their own...for they want absolute power....their weakness..... and that then brings upon man's final weakness...they're greatest sin...." Sephiroth licked his own lips as he caught on upon the girl's main line of vision. "Lust...."
Aeris' eyes widened at the sudden predatory look Sephiroth had given her yet nothing shocked her as the way he spoke his previous word. He spoke it as if he was offering it to her. She shook her head, trying to dispel the thought, trying to think of a more realistic vision of the man before her, trying to strangle her, maul her, feed her into submission, crush her in his tight embrace. She couldn't help the red blush which crossed her cheeks.
Sephiroth's lip slightly twitched at the girl's obvious arousal. He only wondered if her strings were now malleable enough to move within his fingers, her mind to be controlled to his will. He tested out his theory as he silently shifted closer towards her till he was standing behind her.
'I only have one chance at this...' His gloved hands reached out to hold the girl's shoulders and he was pleased to see that she had made no retaliation except for a slight jump of surprise. His fingers growing bolder began to flow down the sides of her arms and hold her hands which she had suddenly grown quite fascinated with.
'I have her now.'
His lips quirked and then in an instance he had turned her around so that her chest was facing his, only a finger's breath from touching. Her eyes had darkened to a forest green and were staring at his face although it seemed as if she was unaware of her surrounding. His grip tightened and then as if unaware from his own actions he felt himself being pulled towards the girl and his lips met his. Although the kiss couldn't have been called as being passionate, the effect it had took the pair's breath away leaving Sephiroth in a uncharacterised stupor and the girl in his arms in a refreshingly dazed manner. Then like being awakened from a dream, the girl in Sephiroth's grip had made an amazingly change from mindless puppet to an alarmed rabbit in his arms. She furiously kicked and slapped at his chest to let her go to which he reluctantly did.
'She even succeeds a humans weakness...'
Sephiroth smirked towards the flustered brunette. "See little one, a mere weakling human would have embraced such contact but you....that is why I know you are above them." 'That is why they chose you.....' he stated with pride as Aeris paced a few steps back in discomfort shaking her head as if it would rid her mind of the actions that had just taken place.
'I did not kiss Sephiroth. I couldn't have kissed him....He's a monster.....He's....'
She pulled back from the hand that was heading towards her which a frantic shake of her head and a half sob as she moved herself to her feet, oblivious to her earlier injuries.
'He almost took advantage of me...I...I'm losing control of myself....I.....'
Aeris gripped her own head in worry as she began walking backwards, trying to give herself as much distance as she could from the swordsman. "Please stop this...Go...go. away...please." she all but begged, shaking her head at how she had foolishly let herself loose control.
'This is his game. He is trying to control you. Remember Aeris that he is evil. He cannot be trusted. He isn't normal...Did you see how he killed all those Heartless all by himself?'
'But I am not normal either.'
'He is trying to seduce you. He just wants Sora, and then he'll kill you....He'll destroy this town, and kill your friends.'
"Stay away!" Aeris said weakly, frowning at the fear that rose in her voice as she continued to move back.
Sephiroth gave her a sad smile and advanced forward with long steady strides. "Not until I find Sora. I thought that we made a deal. You take me to Sora, and I won't kill your friends or the people of this town." He said coolly watching as Aeris shuffled further back, until she met wall behind her. She froze in horror at her predicament.
'I have her now. She has nowhere to run.'
He walked until he was guarding her means of escape, using his intimidating height to his advantage of her small one. "Didn't you see my power. Do you really want me to torch this town into flames?" His voice rising higher after each word.
Aeris shook her head frantically side to side. "No!" she cried out in protest as she tried to find a means of escape.
Sephiroth sighed to himself, it seemed that he had to do it the hard way. "You are still reluctant to answer....You don't believe me.. Then I'll have to show you.."
Aeris' eyes widened as she tossed her head side to side, tears pouring down the sides of her face. "Please don't kill them...I....I'll do what you say."
"But who says you won't back out of the deal later on?" The swordsman said raising an eyebrow in question.
"I....I won't..." Aeris cried, her tearful eyes wide with fright and an sincerity that it almost made the warrior want to believe the girl's words. Almost.
He shook his head sadly. "How can I trust you...perhaps we have to made you have a greater part of the deal. Make it more balanced for both of us..." 'Something I can blackmail her with, if she does rebel against me.'
"I...I do not want anything from you...." Aeris spat, although her voice didn't hold as much venom as she would have liked.
Sephiroth gave her a hard look. "Why don't I believe you..?" He took a slow step forward his abdominals grazing her chest.
"I..."
"You're heart is beating at erratic lengths..." he added softly being daring enough as to move a bang from the girl's vision. He couldn't help but smirk at how the girl shuddered in response.
"...stop it....you're scaring me..." she whimpered, trembling from the heat that was emanating from his form, and his possessive aura that was surrounding her, almost suffocating her.
He chuckled to himself and bent his head down so that his cheek was touching hers. His warm breath felt like it was burning her skin, but nothing pained her as much as the words which were then breathed in her ear. "Scaring you? Yes, I can feel the fear in your aura, but I can feel more interesting things. Much more personal, intimate things." His whispers were followed by a chuckle of amusement which sent shivers up the girl's spine as she renewed her struggles.
"Stop this...please..." Aeris all but begged, her hands moving to push the dark warrior away but that only proved to make Sephiroth laugh at her futile attempts, as she felt the tremble of his chest underneath her palms. She seethed with anger as she knew that there was no escape. And he knew it too.
He gave her a knowing smile. 'I have got her.' "Just say the words...Aeris..." he said huskily, his lips grazing her ear causing her to shudder.
"I...." She felt her resistance crumble slowly as gloved hands rose to her face, rubbing it softly.
'So close...' Sephiroth leaned his face at an angle so that his eyes met hers while he continued his administrations against her "You want me don't you. That is your desire.."
".No!" She gasped as she resumed struggling.
"So I was correct. Don't be upset little one. Your desire can only help me achieve what I want."
Her eyes flared and she pulled back with a strength that caused the swordsman's eyes to marginally widen with surprise. "Go away Sephiroth...I won't let you take Sora!" Aeris all but growled
"And how long would it take for me to change your mind?"
She bit her lip, bending her head down. She knew her resistance was futile, but she knew that she couldn't live with herself is she gave up on herself. Yet there were lives of other people resting upon her burdened shoulders. "Please don't.."
She shivered in fear as she felt his fingers run down the side of her neck. "I can feel your thoughts. The erratic swirl of emotions, condensing into one thing Cetra. Lust."
"You stare at my lips as if you want to touch them..." He whispered against her neck before pulling back and meeting her gaze.
"Do you?" Aeris felt at loss for words and then she lifted her gaze to meet his. And then their eyes locked and Aeris felt as if frozen in place. It felt like she was falling, getting lost within the swirls of passion. And then she felt the soft brush of his lips against hers. And she knew at that moment that this was what she had always wanted, what she had always dreamed of...She couldn't believe how fast her heart was racing, how quickly her oxygen depleted her as she vigorously tried to counter his lips against hers with equal passion...It felt intoxicating and almost overpowering. It was like she was drunk and was unable to control her lust that had poured from her being. She so desperately wanted to pull away, to hit him for touching her like he was now. But as much as she wanted him to go, she desperately yearned for him to hold the kiss longer, to feel his heat surrounding her into a calmness, of warmth and safety yet with an equal amount of danger. It was as if there was a part of her which enjoyed the thrill, a naughty side telling her to enjoy the taste and feeling of pleasure. She let out a moan of bliss as she moved her hand across the warm skin before clutching against the thickness of the leather. She didn't know how long her breath could last, but all she knew was that she wanted more. She pushed herself forward overwhelmed . Her frantic hands rose upwards, getting lost within the thick layers of platinum silver before trailing back down to the wide expanse of his back. Her digits running through soft velvet, that felt warm to the touch and rather fragile within her hands. Still not realising upon the new appendage, Aeris roamed her hands lower along the feathers delighting in the response gained from this man who was willing to be her love. Her mouth responded to his passionate kisses as her heart felt drowned with the delightful feeling of being fulfilled.
Sephiroth arched at the contact upon his wing, before shuddering, his eyes falling shut in rapture at the foreign touch, before moving the girl's hand away from the delicate wing to his hip. His hands then moved back into the girls hair, tangling themselves within the mass of honey kissed curls.
Aeris pulled back as she felt hands move to the slender straps of her dress. Her breathing was ragged as she tried to control her rampaging emotions to no avail. "No stop it...I.....can't believe this....." she gasped placing her hand on her hot face and removing her other from Sephiroth's hip.
The face of him as a killer had disappeared and all Aeris could see was a loving beautiful man who wanted her.
'But what about Sora.....he....he...... he is beautiful.....He wants me.....He is letting me have him......But...no....this is wrong..'
Sephiroth nuzzled her cheek glad to see that Aeris was not attempting any means of escape as his arms loosened around her waist. "Who set the rules of wrong and right?"
"I....."
Sephiroth kissed her collarbone. "You want to kiss me again?" It wasn't a question, more like a statement. Aeris' body shivered at her loss of control. He was just too close, too tempting, and she felt too desperate for the fleeting chance of love. She turned her face and sighed regretfully but made no move to get out of the swordsman's embrace.
Sephiroth watched the mix of emotions that flashed across the girl's face. It was like she was having a battle of control of herself and not knowing which feeling to submit to. "I can sense the fear. Ahh yes, it is the fear of getting caught by your friends. Defying them. You only have to take me to Sora and I will grant you what you wish." His licked the lobe of her ear. "And so much more."
Aeris couldn't help but shudder in his arms.
"I can feel your desire. I will give you what you want...." he whispered, and then in an instant his touch was gone and he was standing a far distance from her. She blinked in surprise, then confusion at the sudden loss of contact and couldn't help but feel unsatisfied, although she would never admit feeling that to herself.
"This is wrong....I couldn't live with myself." She said quietly rubbing her arms in a notion to comfort herself, as Sephiroth stood silently watching her.
"But you have always longed for this experience. The feel of love." Sephiroth said nonchalantly with a fold of his arms. Aeris' shoulders drooped at how weak she was. Her weakness. It was like the Heartless had opened her chest and her heart was now exposed to this dark warrior who could easily crush it with his giant fists or embrace it in open palms. Aeris feared either decision.
"You know yourself that Cloud will never want you. His love lies with Tifa now." Aeris flinched at the words but she knew they were true. She had expressed her love to Cloud the day he returned to Hallow Bastion, but he merely denied her. Even apologised for making her feel such strong feelings for someone as undeserving as he was. It was then he spoke of his search for Tifa believing to himself that since he had found her, then there was a chance he would be able to find Tifa. Sephiroth continued his talk and each word he said was more heart breaking than the last. And she knew that there was no way to counter what he was saying.
"Her death meant more to him than your rebirth...." It was then the dam broke. It was that truth which had plagued her thoughts many time. That Cloud would not love her as he was still searching for his own heart by looking for his lost childhood friend. He told her that when Tifa was found, he would then gain back his heart to choose between his two closest friends.
"Forget him, you do not need to fawn over a man who loves a dead woman." He said coolly, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulder, listening to the way she hitched her breath in a sob. The brunette wiped her eyes, trying to hide her vulnerability although she knew that the swordsman could see right through her facade. Sephiroth knew every weakness she possessed and she couldn't do anything to stop him bending her to his will.
"I can give anything you wanted. I could even give you your deepest and darkest desire.... I could even take you back home to Planet."
Aeris looked confused, before gasping in realisation. "Planet?"
The swordsman nodded. "Yes....but you'll have to help me. I need to gain the wisdom, the power to do this....that is why I need Sora....the Unknowns will know how to take us back home."
Aeris turned her back to him as she chewed her lip in thought. "I still don't know. How do you know this greater power exists? Couldn't this all be a fantasy?" Aeris asked. She sure didn't feel like what had just happened was real. Everything had became so surreal...
"I have to know the truth," Sephiroth answered quietly.
".............."
"I won't kill him."
She turned at those words. "How can I trust you?"
"Doesn't the Cetra have the ability to know the difference between lie and the truth?" the swordsman countered. Sephiroth nodded, as if knowing he understood the girl's precaution. "If you are afraid of letting the others know you shouldn't be."
"But Cloud hates you." Aeris countered with a frown. "Don't forget that.."
Sephiroth brought his hand up to his chin. "Ahh yes... we weren't on the best of terms....on Planet....' He shook his head with amusement at the two different Clouds he remembered. The Cloud he knew on Planet was weak and easily manipulated by pulling a few mental strings... However the one he met at the Coliseum seemed so detached and empty, and there was an obvious essence of darkness that Sephiroth could see within the blondes aura.
'I guess he is just as weak as I remember him. He has cut his strings from me....just to end up tying them to the darkness.' Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh at how Cloud was still as pathetic as when he met him. He had frequently crossed paths with the blonde in the Coliseum, and Cloud had nodded in his direction once or twice. He smirked at how his greatest enemy and rival had taken such a great fall into the dark depths of Hades layer.
Sephiroth snorted in amusement. "I don't think I shall have problems with Strife. I have already met him many times in the Coliseum. He hasn't shown any signs of hatred towards me."
Aeris blinked in confusion. "Really....?"
He nodded. " Yes, perhaps the darkness inside him has made him realise that he has become as tainted as I. Or, perhaps he knows that he just wouldn't win. He would only further spiral down the path of darkness."
"................You know this isn't right." Aeris said after a moment with a regretful sigh.
The swordsman shrugged his shoulders. "You want to gain the power of knowledge too. The reason why only few of us are still here, while the rest of our planet perished with the Heartless."
"I do want to know....." Aeris answered quietly not meeting the warrior's eyes so that he wouldn't see her fear and her longing that sparkled within them.
"Then it is settled." Sephiroth stated with a nod.
"But there is one more thing that I would like to ask....Don't let Sora be hurt....and don't tell the others...." she pleaded knowing that she was asking for too much. She knew that she would never forgive herself for what she did, and she knew that none of her friends would. Cloud was going to be furious. He was going to hate her. Cid would think she was insane and more than likely swear at her for her stupidity. Squall would be his aloof self and not care, for that was what he was like. And Yuffie....she didn't know how she would ever look into her eyes again, knowing the scathing look that would lay in there. And she didn't even want to imagine Sora's response. It would be too painful to bear... Her decision had been already made and she knew that there was no turning back. She gulped uneasily, rubbing away at the tears on her face. She knew she must have looked a mess, but she knew that she had to use all of her courage to face the others.
"You want too many things Cetra." he said in exasperation but Aeris knew that there was an underlying kindness in his words, if anything related to Sephiroth could be called kindness.
She bowed down in appreciation, feeling a dead weight pulling down in her stomach at her choice of action. "Thank you...." She all but whispered, not feeling the gratitude for this man who had cornered her and manipulated her to his will. But it was too late to change her mind. She had more than guessed that Sephiroth was not one to break a deal.
"So will you take me to Sora?"
Instead of answering his question, Aeris turned towards the streets and idly noticed that a light was arising from the horizon. She felt a guilt inside of her at the thought of a certain Gummi block pilot who was still more than likely looking for her.
"I'm going back to my house to gain some supplies and medicine, first, and then I'll
see what I can do from there."
'Cloud. Squall. Cid. Please be home. I need your strength...'
"Fine." Sephiroth grunted and waited for Aeris to move.
'When did I become so weak?' She muttered to herself as she led her past murderer down the streets to her house, praying to herself that this was indeed not a trick and that she wasn't putting the rest of her friends in danger.
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He knew he should have expected the monstrosity. The burning of the houses. The screaming of the children.... It only seemed like seconds since he had left the town on his ship, where there had been only a few sightings of Heartless here and there. But now.... Cloud's eyes narrowed in anger as he watched a Heartless look up from his feasting. Blood and saliva was splattered across the creature's face as it gorged upon its most recent victim body which lay underneath the shadow's talons.
"The bastards..." Cloud growled, getting ready to draw his blade before a sound of disapproval stopped him and he turned to see Squall holding Yuffie in his arms.
"No...don't.....It'll only cause the rest of them to swarm here," The brunette said quietly although his eyes sparkled with the same anger that the blonde warrior was feeling. And as much as wanted to pull his own Lionheart out to fight, he knew he had other things that were more important, more especially the fainted girl in his arms.
Cloud's eyes hardened but nodded reluctantly, turning his head from the scene. "Lets get Yuffie back to the house and see how Cid and Aeris are doing." He said tightly, jogging towards the third district and the main door which had been bolted shut.
"Just great, some gonzo has locked the door...." The blonde growled as he fisted inside his pocket for a pick, before ramming it into the lock and turning.
'As if a locked door could hold back creatures which can crawl through walls...' He sighed at the towns stupidity but another part of him reprimanded himself at his callousness. The townspeople only wanted to do what was best to defend their home and prevent their world from falling into darkness.
"It's Unlocked." Cloud said gruffly, fisting the tool back in his pocket.
"Hnnn." Squall nodded and repositioned the ninja in his arms.
And when he opened the creaking doors he swore he heard a familiar voice cursing followed by the obvious sounds of battle. In curiosity, the blonde widened the door a fraction to see in horror that Cid was fending off a ring of Heartless that had him cornered.
'Where's Aeris?'
The wellbeing of the flower girl was the first fear which ran in the blondes mind before he realised that his blonde friend needed assistance. Knowing Cid, he probably locked Aeris in the house so that she couldn't escape.
"Squall get over here. Cid is being attacked!" Cloud called over the shout of battle as Squall immediately complied, sprinting with Yuffie in his arms.
"What?" He exclaimed as his storm blue eyes widened to see the pilot staggering to his feet after a rather painful Lightning spell. Squall took one look at Yuffie and bent over to place her on the floor......before being stopped by Cloud.
He shook his head, his posture stiff with anger. "No. Keep a hold of Yuffie. When I open these doors fully, I want you to ignore the Heartless and head for home. Destroy the ones which get in your way." Cloud commanded coldly as he inched the door wider.
Squall nodded reluctantly as he moved Yuffie so that she was resting over his shoulder so that he had his right arm free for his Gunblade. "What about you?" he questioned gesturing to the mass Heartless flying, crawling, bouncing their way in his vision.
"I'm getting Cid out of there."
"Now on my mark...Ready, go." And with that Squall was off, sprinting to the slope, decimating the Heartless which were in his way. Cloud waited a moment as the Heartless found interest within Squall's escape. He waited until just the right time before dashing forward and forming one deft slice of Sonic Blade, before pivoting on his foot and finishing his technique with a combo, destroying the Shadows on contact. He gave a thumbs up to the dark haired swordsman who gave a nod of thanks before running around a corner and out of sight.
He turned to see but all he could see was a swarm of darkness from where Cid once stood. "Ah damn it!" he cursed as he ran to the fallen pilot dodging and diving across the battlefield in an attempt to reach Cid.
'I'm not going to make it...I'm not going....'
Cloud roared in fury as his left wing ripped its way out of his back. Black feathers fluttering to the ground as he went upon a mad rampage, slashing and hacking everything which came into his reach, feeling his mind finally lose control as he battled through the endless rows of Heartless not stopping until the very last damned demon fell.
"Those mother fucking Heartless, why if I had the strength I would have bloody smashed their...."
Cloud's lips quirked in amusement as he heard a few crude curses from the older blonde who pulled himself out of the pile of dead creatures, brushing off the various limbs of Heartless which had fallen upon him the swordsman's recent kata.
He panted heavily as he leaned on his Buster Sword for support, trying to regain his breath back.
"Took you long enough Spike." Cid groaned as he pulled out a rather painful talon from his waist and threw it out of site in disgust, gripping his wounded side.
Cloud brushed away his bangs from his sweaty forehead and loosened his red cape around his neck. "Why are you out here in the first place Cid?" Cloud countered, sheathing his sword and helping the pilot to stand.
Cid scratched the back of his head. "Well....I...."
He then told the swordsman what happened about how Aeris ran out to help the villagers and that he has been looking for her ever since, ".. and then all these Heartless ganged up on me, and the rest is history" Cid finished with a sweat drop. Cloud clenched his fists and said nothing. Cid swore he saw the Mako in the warrior's eye intensify in what seemed barely controlled rage.
"How long have you been looking for her?" he asked tightly, clenching his hands around his sword, trying to collect his feelings before they unleashed the raging demon quaking inside of him.
Cid looked down at his watch and cursed at how much time had passed then looked up at Cloud fearfully. "Well....she ran out the house about 2 hours ago... heading towards the second district..." he stammered.
The blonde's eye twitched and Cid swore he saw fear flash upon the blonde's face. "She's been missing for all this time?" he questioned to himself as various images crossed his mind at how Aeris had been caught by the Heartless, attacked and laying bloodied and dying in some dirty street not too far away from where he was standing.
"Cid go back to the house where Squall and Yuffie are." Cloud commanded. "I am going to look for Aeris..." he said as he ran towards the door leading towards the 2nd district.
"I'm going with you..." the pilot protested as he jogged up to meet the other blonde.
Cloud frowned as he paused mid stride. "You're too weak."
Cid flinched. "No I have to look for her. It is my fault that she is out here. I kinda said a few hurtful things. You know how women are..." he said with a shake of his head although his eyes showed the guilt that he was feeling.
The swordsman sighed. "Fine. You take the first district, while I'll take the second. Return to the house if you find her or if the battles get out of hand."
The pilot nodded. "Gotcha leader." he stated as he turned in the direction towards his shop.
Cloud still felt uneasy with letting the pilot go, but he knew he had other things to tend with. Cid could take care of himself unlike a someone else he was searching for. "Cid. Be careful." Cloud warned as he gave his past friend a final farewell.
Cid turned his head and gave a small salute to him. "You too Spike, you too..."
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As the sun began its descent to rest and the golden beach became a reddish hue, a lone figure walked across the sands enjoying the cool winds which swept across his bare torso and played with the many locks of hair. This was yet another day that Sora had snoozed the day through, but now that the sun was setting, the brunette couldn't help but feel more alert than usual, and somewhat un at ease with himself. He felt as if something was about to happen that he wasn't going to be ready for. He yawned loudly to himself as he aimlessly kicked the sand beneath his feet with his slow steps, turning behind him to stare at the trail of footprints that he had made upon the sand. Marks which would soon be erased from the sea which was coming ever closer.
"Maybe if I take a dip, it may cool me off," Sora pondered to himself as he changed his direction to the waters, watching the waves oscillate gently upon the sands. He moved one step, then another and before he knew it he felt his whole body engulfed in the sea and the salty scent rise up into his nostrils. He dived under a wave before resurfacing, flicking out various droplets of water which drenched his hair. The brunette idly swam around for a few moments, his eyes staring out to watch the softening sunset which calmed his breathing.
"How long has it been since I have felt so relaxed?" he questioned to himself as he stared at the range of reds which harmonised with each other. The sky was like a pallet of colours which splayed across the horizon to reflect upon the water. Sora sighed contentedly as he felt his eyes begin to close, his pupils darkening with relaxation as he floated across the water.
"Riku always loved the water." Sora mused as he stared at his submerged hands, taking in the clearness of the water and his dismal reflection. His eyes began to blur and the Brunette swore he saw in a sudden flash that his sapphire eyes had became an ice blue, and chestnut locks melded into platinum locks. He rubbed at his eyes and the image in his reflection disappeared as quickly as it came. Giving a grave sigh, Sora tried to slap his reflection away, only gaining an distorted image as the ripples dispersed in an attempt to calm itself.
"He used to look at the sea for hours on end watching the waves lap over one another, staring at the vibrant colours they held at the beginning of dawn, to the fall of dusk." The brunette spoke to the winds, aimlessly letting himself drift across the soft waves enjoying the beautiful sight although it was beginning to make him feel the painful feeling of nostalgia.
"He used to say that if he were to have a house, he would have it beside the sea, where no-one else would come to ruin his private paradise.... and that he would share it with me if I didn't tell anyone..." His chuckle turned into a sniffle as he turned towards the dying sunset.
"And then he said that he wanted an adventure....he had so much passion... that was what he lived for...to search for new worlds...to gain experiences which could only be created in another person's fantasises....that we would all go together..." But the tragic irony of it all, was that fate had other plans for him, for Riku. Riku achieved his goal of going to new worlds, seeing new sights, having new adventures. But he lost his freedom the day he first took a step into attaining his dreams, thus losing contact with his own world and the ones that he cared about.
Sora felt his body quake with anger and misery. "And it was all because of the darkness...Those damned Heartless.....no.....it wasn't the Heartless....It was Ansem!" He was oblivious to the tears which trailed a path down his cheeks as he pulled at the ends of his hair.
"Why were you such a fool Riku? Why?" He cried out as he slapped and punched the surface of the water, as if the sea was to blame for his loss.
"Why did you want to go to new worlds? Why wasn't this island good enough? Why were you always searching for an adventure? Why were you dreams always too farfetched?" He questioned as his eyes fell shut and he felt himself drift further from the shore.
"Why couldn't your dream have been.....me?" He called out to the sky as if the stars would answer his cries.
"Why couldn't you have been happy with staying with me?" He screamed out to the heavens before weeping to himself, rolling himself up in a ball within the water and letting out small choked up gasps of pain.
He wasn't aware of the wave as one eye opened slight to then dilate in shock to see a wave crashing down onto him. Sora could only find the time to hold his breath as he was swept under the waves which crashed over the surface. The brunette stared openly at the surface of the water as he felt himself sinking lower in the water but no matter how much he wanted to rise to the surface and safety, there was a part of him inside that was wishing that he would fall lower into the dark depths, where he could end his pain and suffering and let the water determine his fate.
A tear slipped down his cheek and dispersed in the sea as he felt his oxygen deplete him yet he made no move to swim upwards to live. For what was the purpose of living if there was no-one there for when he resurfaced? What would be the point of....
'Giving up so easy Sora...I thought you were stronger than that?'
The brunette's eyes widened in surprise as he remembered Riku's famous words. He had heard them when he fell into the pits of darkness, when the battles had became to great. When Ansem had become too strong, and when his friends had fallen too into darkness. Riku had spoken those words to him into his mind, or perhaps he had said them to him in a past memory. Whatever the case, his voice was what made Sora gain his will back to fight the darkness and defeat Ansem once and for all. It was then Sora realised what he was doing. What he was trying to do. And then with a sudden rush of energy, Sora violently kicked his legs upwards using all of his speed and energy to swim upwards. He broke the surface, taking a large uptake of air into his lungs. He panted heavily as he swam back to shore and dropped upon the damp sand, taking in deep and heavy breaths.
He had almost let himself die. He had almost given up if it weren't for the memory of Riku. Even though the silver haired teen was not with him in body, he was surely with him in heart and that was where Sora was gaining his strength to live. His eyes threatened to close as Sora had a battle with his fatigue to stay awake. But soon his strength left him and he the last thing he heard were the waves crashing behind him as his world fell to darkness.
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There could have been no word to describe the emotion Riku was feeling when he gazed around at the walls which bared no form of light. It was like he had fallen into a dark abyss where the only form of illumination was fading upon the path to nothingness. It was a truly chilling sight where there was no lack of comfort or warmth. Riku knew what it felt like to be alone ever since he let his heart become swallowed up with darkness. But never had he experienced a darkness which almost resembled death itself. It was a fearful experience and Riku was never afraid of anything.
"Sora. Kairi..." His words were hesitant and almost held the traces of fear as he gazed upon the lone path that stood before him to the darkness. It was them who he was truly fighting for, what was giving him the hope to live on ever since his life took a spin for the worst. 'Yet why am I so hesitant to step forward...I am not afraid of the dark...' He brushed his pale platinum locks out of his vision, just for them to fall back into place again.
'How can such a lonely place hold a thing such as breeze?'
He ignored the prickling wings which brushed across his bare arms, trying to forget his dark and sparse surroundings, and focus upon the goodness inside of him. He knew that he had chosen the wrong path at the beginning, that there was something inside of him at the very beginning of his journey, his conscience which warned him of his fateful decision. He wished he never saw his first damned heartless or that damned door in his secret place. But he was tempted by the power. The utter raw strength which presented itself to him on Destiny Islands where Sora could only watch as the darkness surrounded him, engulfed him....It was only now that he realised that that darkness did not come to him, it had always been apart of him, that he kept locked away in the corners of his heart. He couldn't help who he was.
"I guess the darkness was just too enticing..." Riku murmured, his ice blue eyes staring at the ground where the light met darkness showing the end of his path.
"I guess I always had the darkness within me all along..." he mused as he stared down at his somewhat tattered yellow tank top which looked like it had seen better days.
"It was like when Sora and me fought. I would always eagerly be the villain while he would want to be the hero. Sora must have known that the hero would end up with the princess...while the villain...."
"the villain ends up with nothing but utter loneliness....." he half whispered to himself as he stared over at the horizontal plane of void which was laid out in front of him.
"I guess I deserve this...then...." he said with a regretful sigh blinking away at the moisture which glistened in the corners.
"I'm sorry," he said gravely, his voice half breaking yet he refused to become a pathetic weeping wreck. He had to stay strong.
'No I am strong...' he thought sternly trying to raise his head high before slumping downwards.
'Who am I kidding? I'm a pathetic weeping coward..' Riku said dejectedly to himself as he half walked half stumbled across the gloomy path.
"Is this....the world of death?" he questioned to himself as he gazed around at the empty nothingness. He wouldn't be surprised if it was, due to the lack of sound. He could just about hear the faint beat of his heart and the soft whistling of the wind which swayed his hair into tangled strands of molten locks.
He bit his lip tightly as he struggled to concentrate on the simple of act of walking, which seemed to have grown increasingly difficult with each step. He whimpered fearfully to himself when he swore he saw his hand flicker in and out of existence. If this was life, he thought to himself, he hoped that death would take him soon to a never ending peaceful slumber, but as much as he thought that, there was another part of him that was rebelling against his other side. Another side which wanted him to take those next few steps, to see how far he could go, how far he could get to overcoming darkness. But as strong as his heart had grown, his legs could not keep up with the determination and stumbled, causing his knees to buckle beneath him as he fell to the ground. The flaxen haired teen shuddered to himself as he felt a cool wind wrap around him in an almost ominous blue hue. It felt like it was sucking upon his air supply, painfully drawing the last traces of life out of him. He clutched his hand to his chest, grating his teeth in pain trying to rationalise his thinking.
"I can't disappear yet." Riku barked out, his nails fisting into the fabric of his top as if the pressure would hold his heart in place and not let it relent to the darkness. But as much as the darkness pulled at his threads, Riku's will gave him the strength to fight on till the very last dark tendril loosened and retracted itself from his form.
The silver haired teen wasn't aware to the fact that he had closed his eyes until he felt the aura around him dissipate into nothingness and he could finally breathe again.
"Not until I've met Sora and Kairi one more time," the teen panted closing his eyes. The faces of his closest friends flashing in front of him so vividly that he could almost believe they were standing right in front of him both beaming at him in their usual childlike manner. A weak cracked smile slowly rose to his lips at the thought of his brown haired rival, and his memory gave the platinum haired fighter the will to take another agonising step forward, his form solidifying with every step he continued to take. He paused only once to collect his breath before proceeding further in the darkness. It felt like the further he walked, the heavier his legs became. It was like his body was trying to move through a substance which resembled black syrup... but he refused to give in. There were still too many things he was living for.
Riku, can you hear me?
Green eyes bolted upwards towards the direction of his voice as his raised his head fractionally as if further movements would lurk out a monster in hiding. He turned his head to the side warily expecting to see amber orbs staring back at him in the distance or some other demonic creature which wanted to relieve him of his suffering.
I'll be there soon.
Riku's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he fisted his leather gloved hands at his sides.
"Who's there?" he called out to the darkness, his lips turning into a frown as he still searched for the form of the voice. But he only faced the empty darkness.
At first he was given no reply and he was starting to question his own sanity if he dreamt up the voice. He jumped slightly when it came to him again, somewhat loudly and with an underlying amusement within its tone.
I've been talking to you all along.
But my words were hindered by the darkness covering your heart.
Riku blinked in confusion "????"
Another Keyblade...
I've gotten the Keyblade for this side.
"Keyblade?" Riku tasted the word in his mouth, unconsciously flexing his right hand as if he were holding the mythical blade. He shook his head dispelling the thoughts.
"I don't know who you are, but... What's happened to me?" the teen shouted back, his eyes focussing upon a specific point in the darkness from where he assumed the voice was coming from.
Your heart has overcome the darkness.
But you couldn't take back your body.
So only your heart was left behind
In this dark side where stolen hearts are gathered.
Riku closed his eyes as he let the information sink in. As much as he hated it to be so, he knew what he was hearing was true. He had lost his heart and body when he let Ansem consume his form with eternal darkness. It was only through the sightings of Sora that he fought his way back into gaining the possession of his heart from the darkness. He knew what had happened, but the past wasn't important anymore. He needed to know what was happening now. How he could heal his unfortunate situation.
"What should I do?"
The door of darkness that is soon going to appear...
That door, through which we cannot pass...
In order to close it,
Two keys and two hearts are needed.
The teen blinked. "What?"
Perhaps you too, like me, come here for that purpose.
Maybe it was fate.
"Fate..." Riku repeated the word out loud, his lips twisting upwards at a certain thought.
"You know everything, don't you? If that's so, I want you to tell me one more thing... Are Sora and Kairi safe?" He questioned, his eyes darkening in hope.
You yourself should be able to feel their hearts.
Riku frowned at the response and was about to retort when he saw a light flash from the corner of his eye. He turned around quickly and to his amazement he saw from the distance, his childhood friend sprinting in his direction. The teen's mouth slackened in surprise as he watched a red clad teen run closer, each feature becoming more prominent after every second the figure got closer.
How you perceive your friends...
Is dependent on your own heart.
Riku took one step then another towards the brunette who had came considerably closer that the Riku could see pearly white teeth being bared in a characteristic smile and the swinging of a familiar looking crown keychain.
'Sora...' Riku raised his arm out in elation to see his friend running towards him, his own eyes feeling uncharacteristically tearful as he lunged over to close the gap between his childhood friend... only to touch nothingness.
Riku wasn't aware that he had closed his eyes until he opened them again and Sora's image faded into darkness.
He worked his mouth a couple of times feeling shocked to the core. "Was Sora my imagination?" But although he thought he would have been confused, upset and angry, it felt like his emotions had cleared and the simple emotion of acceptance had cleared all his negative and conflicting thoughts. He sighed deeply to himself feeling much more at ease. He didn't know what had happened but it felt like he had undergone a transformation in those few moments. Everything had became so simple. It was like he was viewing everything in a new light, the darkness didn't look as scary anymore not as menacing and threatening. To him it seemed no more harmful than a pigment of ink etched on a piece of paper. His eyes stared in awe at the revelation as if looking around in a new light. He had no fear of the darkness for even in the most darkest depth, he still knew that Sora was out there, alive and safe and possibly even looking for him. That thought brought more happiness than Riku had ever felt within his very being.
As the transformation in Riku passed into his heart, the many labyrinths of darkness within him had suddenly became many shades lighter that even the abyss surrounding him had lightened with purity. Riku then after a moment raised his head taking in a deep breath of the lighter hue of his surroundings, and the warmth which was expelling upon his skin, soothing his thoughts. His eyes had became more of a soft crystal blue, expressing all the emotion and relief he was feeling within his soul. He couldn't help but crack a smile at his transformation. His eyes stared openly into the light with a soft smile as he felt the walls brighten further. The blonde raised his hand with a slight wave.
"Thank you." Riku breathed in the last seconds before his world became light, swearing to himself that he could feel the voice grinning in response.
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"WHOA?!!?"
Sora spurted out water from his mouth and looked up in confusion.
"What happened?" Sora questioned to himself as he coughed up water from his mouth and stared up at the sky which had became pitch black. There wasn't even a single star in the sky.
The brunette shook his head as he brushed the damp sand which clung to his cheek while he had rested. "God that dream. It seemed so real.....so strange....Riku..." the Keyblade wielder gasped, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as fleeting images from his dream crisscrossed over one another to a point where Sora was having problems even remembering the order the problems took place.
"What does it mean?" Sora questioned as he stared down at the sand beneath his gloved palms, shuddering slightly at the image of happy tears trailing down Riku's cheeks.
"What is going on?" The thought immediately disappeared when he felt a slight tugging on his leg. Thinking it was only a bird or something, Sora paid no heed to it until dark clawed claws drew open and slashed across the exposed skin.
"Agh!" The brunette jumped in pain and surprise, wrenching his injured leg away and turning around to see his opponent.
Sora's eyes dilated and he had to blink his eyes twice to see what he was seeing was real. There in front of him was a dark little creature bearing sharp claws and curled antennae. Sora immediately recognised the ominous beady eyes which expressed the expression of amusement within their amber depths.
"It can't be...." Sora gasped as he crawled backwards watching as the Shadow creature tilted its head to the side in question. "A...a....Heartless..." the brunette cried out in surprise as his blue eyes were held fixed upon the black creature which had appeared out of no-where.
Sora whipped his head around for a form of weapon, unfortunately finding one. It was at that moment that he wished he still possessed the ability to summon his Keyblade yet the magic he once had had distinguished itself from lack of use.
Quickly jumping to his feet while ignoring the stinging pain which throbbed from his left leg, Sora narrowed his eyes and then with a harsh battle cry, charged at his enemy. "Take that!" The brunette exclaimed as he pulled his fist back and punched the Shadow directly in the face, watching in amusement as the Heartless went flying for a few yards across the water before sinking into the sea.
The smirk soon slipped off his face as he saw four other Heartless suddenly appear out of nowhere and Sora soon saw himself being cornered as more Heartless' seemed to crawl out from the sea and edge towards him.
"What the hell?" Sora cursed as he tried to kick away the Heartless which had gained to close a distance towards him. But every time he defeated one, three more moved in its place. It was like the Heartless were rising from the sands and held infinite armies of soldiers and Sora knew that if this kept up, that there would he would have no chance of survival without his Keyblade weapon. The image of his wooden sword at his shack sprung in his mind, and then no sooner than he thought of it, he was sprinting to his home.
"Why are the Heartless here? Have the worlds been reconnected?" Sora questioned as he dodged and dived against the dark demons which tried to block his path with their sharp claws and fangs. He leapt over the first row, landing none to gently on his wounded leg which caused him to wince in pain, yet he kept up his pace. He knew that if he slowed down now, it would be too late.
He cried out in pain as he felt his body collide into what he first thought was a rock but when he saw the emblazed symbol of a heart adorning the fat bandit's chest, Sora knew he was doomed. Although the Heartless could bear no expression on their faces, the brunette knew that this certain Heartless must be inwardly smiling as he had him cornered. The brunette's face dramatically paled when he watched the fat bandit inhale deeply and that only meant one thing. Sora quickly tried to roll out of the way in an attempts to save himself before the napalm fire fell upon him, but as he found out earlier, he was trapped as the wide stomachs of his enemies held no space for escape.
"Now this would be the best time for a miracle...." Sora said out loud, hoping that some deity would hear and come and aid him or at least make his life end in a not so painful manner. And then suddenly, to Sora's amazement, as if an answer to his prayers, he saw Donald and Goofy charging towards him with their weapon's raised in fury, Donald's fingertips crackling with magic.
"Donald! Goofy!" Sora cried out with surprise and excitement as the fat bandits before him disintegrated within the magician's flames while Goofy knocked a line of Shadow Heartless to the ground.
"Hey Sora!" Goofy waved as he ran to aid his unarmed partner, attacking various Heartless which managed to cross his path.
"What are you guys doing here? What's going on?" Sora questioned over the sounds of battle elated to see his friends were alive, as he dodged a concentrated lightning spell from a yellow opera who seemed more than unhappy at its miss.
"The worlds have been reconnected." Goofy shouted back as he rammed through a line of Heartless in order to get to the brunette's side, Donald following up in the rear.
Sora blinked in amazement. "They have?" He opened his mouth to say more before being rudely intercepted by the duck mage.
"There's no time to talk. Goofy we have to get back to the ship." Donald snapped raising his Violetta and chanting a mid Blizzard spell upon one of the more defter Heartless, causing it to fall flat on its back.
'Ship?' Sora began to feel queasy from the mixture of feelings he felt as he still tried to get over the fact of that everything he always wanted was happening. And where there was Heartless, there was Darkness... and where there was darkness there was Riku.... Sora couldn't contain his excitement although a sharp slash on his leg brought him back to reality. "What Ship....?"
"Why King Mickey's Kingdom ship." Goofy replied as he re-energised his Aeroga spell, watching with relief as the Heartless bounced off the defensive walls.
Sora nodded in understanding before a sudden idea rushed through him at the sound of Mickey's name. And before he knew it, he felt himself dashing off towards his seaside shack, hearing Donald and Goofy squeak sounds of surprise and follow their red clad friend.
"Sora!" Donald exclaimed in surprise watching as the brunette headed in the opposite direction of the ship. "Where are you going? The ship is the other way!"
Sora turned his head quickly towards the mage's direction. "I have to go and get King Mickey's letter!"
"What?" he barked in confusion, pausing only once to bat a Heartless out of the way.
Sora rolled his eyes as he weaved and manoeuvred through the mass of Heartless, somewhat surprised that his agility had not lessened even after though he hadn't really trained. "Wait a second. I'll be right back...."
"But Sora....." the duck protested but Sora if anything, ran faster leaping over a obese Heartless and out of the Donald's vision.
"Sora!" The duck said in indignation as Goofy came up panting behind, who was turning in all directions to find where his brown haired friend had gone.
"Donald where's Sora?" the dog questioned, yelping as a Arabian Heartless almost jammed a sabre in his back.
"I don't know, all we have to do is fol........" Donald paused as a dark shadow crossed the floor that seemed all too familiar to the mage's liking.
"Um Goofy?" Donald squeaked, his face paling as a large figure rose from the shadow, taking form. Two ominous yellow eyes blazed underneath black tendrils which twitched and unfurled in a rather disturbing manner.
"Yes Don...Donald?" Goofy replied, his eyes gazing in horror at the demon's torso which held an empty space as if it's heart had been cut out with a knife.
"Please say that isn't the same Heartless which Sora fought against when we fought Ansem?" Donald questioned hesitantly, unconsciously taking a few steps back.
Goofy's eyes flicked over to his smaller partner and gulped with fear. "urrr....okay I won't say anything."
And there towering over 30 feet above them stood the mightiest of all Heartless. Its hands and feet at least the size of a human while its eyes blazed stronger than that of any Heartless Donald and Goofy had ever seen in their lives.
Goofy and Donald both looked at the towering Heartless above then at each other, fear evident on their faces, both sharing the same thought
.
"HHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!"
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Man that was long (28 pages) ...I have actually cut quite a few bits out of this chapter so that I could have it updated much quicker. I actually wanted Sora and Riku to meet in THIS chapter but then this chapter would be twice as long.
Well I think that this is a nice place to leave the story. Have I confused anyone yet. Well, there is only one more section before the Reunion takes place.
Humph, it seems that Sephiroth has got Aeris wrapped around his little finger. Is the flower girl going to join Sephiroth's quest and what the hell is Sephiroth going on about with Aeris being a clone and a balance between light and dark?
And what about Riku? I guess most of you guys are thinking. How the hell can he be in to places at once? first he is with Sephiroth wearing all of his dark clothes and then he is back in his Destiny Island clothes! How can he be in two places at the same time? There would have to be at least two....*urrr**ahem*** I have said too much.* laughs nervously** anywho.......
what do you guys think? Don't forget to read and review.
Ja ne
Aer_seph4eva
Any questions or comments, email me at
Aer_seph4eva@yahoo.co.uk