Yuyami looked at the hundreds of SOLDIERS and wondered how he should handle them. His keyblades were out and ready to go, but he didn't want to kill them all.
"SOLDIER, fall back!!!" a voice called out through the night.
The SOLDIERS looked at each other, puzzled. Surely their commander was joking? Why should they fall back? They had the guy outnumbered a thousand to one.
"I repeat, fall back!!!"
The army walked back, slowly, all eyes on Yuyami. They went into a huge, armored building with ShinRa inscribed on it.
Yuyami was puzzled. Why would they suddenly retreat, he wondered. I'm a keyblade master, sure, but as many as there are, I'm sure one of them would have got a hit off of me. He still held his keyblades ready, wary of a trap. His head snapped up when he heard footsteps approaching.
"Yuyami, never thought you'd come back here."
Yuyami recognized the voice, which was undeniably male, but couldn't put a name or face on it.
"Who are you?"
The voice laughed. "How soon we forget our friends."
"I don't have friends."
"Ha, ha. You haven't changed a bit, have you?"
Yuyami gripped his keyblade tighter. "Why don't you just show yourself?"
"Very well. I'll come down."
Down? Yuyami looked up and saw a man jumping from the top of the ShinRa building. When he landed on the ground, the cement ripped apart with the force of his power.
Yuyami looked at him and smiled. He recognized that jet-black hair. That blood-red cape. The vicious claw on his arm. And those crimson eyes…
"Vincent."
Vincent laughed again. "So you do recognize me. I'm surprised." He twirled a long rifle in his hand.
Yuyami sighed. "Where is he, Vincent?"
"Where's who?" Vincent asked innocently.
"The other keyblade master. I know he's here."
"Why are you so sure he's here?"
"Don't worry about it, just give him to me."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but he actually escaped a few days ago."
Yuyami held his keyblades in attack position. "If you don't want to tell me where he is, then I guess I'll have to make you tell me."
Vincent smiled and held up his rifle. He pressed a button and two wicked sickles came out at the end of the barrel.
"I guess I'll have to convince you that I'm not lying."
Yuyami ran forward to attack and so did Vincent. Before they met, however, heartless began appearing out of nowhere. Instead they began to fight the common enemy.
Yuyami used a Firaga spell to dispatch a group of Heartless and destroyed another batch with his keyblades.
Suddenly, he sensed the power of another keyblade master present. Yuyami closed his eyes and, while continuing to fight, tried to pinpoint the exact location of the keyblade master. He knew he was around, and all he had to do was…
Look up.
On the roof of the building, stood a silver-haired boy of about seventeen. He wore a coat similar to Yuyami's. His hair was waving in the wind and covered most of his face, except for a smirk.
Yuyami began to run toward the building. Without stopping, he cast a light Graviga spell on himself and began running up it. With the power of gravity holding him down, Yuyami continued up the building, taking out heartless that were appearing in his path. He then threw his keyblade to destroy the rest of the heartless in his way.
The boy stepped forward and looked down at Yuyami. Without warning, he jumped off the building and, in midair, caught the thrown keyblade. On the way down he passed Yuyami, who was still running up the building, and winked. He then began destroying the heartless following Yuyami on the way down. He landed lightly on the ground and destroyed the remaining heartless his area.
Yuyami jumped down from the building as well and landed next to the silver-haired boy.
Vincent was finishing off the remainder of the heartless.
"What's your name?" Yuyami looked at the boy. He summoned his keyblade back to his own hand.
"My name?" The boy's blue-green eyes gleamed. "My name is Riku."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Kairi awoke and looked around her. She was in a warm, comfortable bed and she decided to enjoy it while she could. She turned over and gasped at the sudden pain in her side. She inspected the point of pain and saw a bruise. That was where the main force of that Thundaga spell had hit, she thought.
"You'll be okay. Its just a bruise."
Kairi looked up and saw a girl about her age standing there. Her skin was tanned a light brown and her shoulder-length hair had been bleached white by the sun (the sun?). Her violet eyes looked at Kairi with interest.
"Yeah, but you're not the one who has it," Kairi answered.
The girl brushed hair from her eyes and smiled.
"I guess I did overdo it. But you'll live."
Kairi shrugged. "I guess. Wait a minute, that was you I was fighting in there?"
The girl's smile widened into a grin. "Yeah, and you weren't that bad. If I didn't know magic, we might have fought to a standstill. What's your name, again?"
Kairi sat up, wincing at the pain. "I'm Kairi. Pleased to meet you."
The girl walked over to her and
shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you
too, my name's Fayne."
Kairi nodded. "So, Fayne, how did you learn magic?"
"Actually, the Archmages taught me how to use magic. I can only use black magic, though, because that was what was in my blood."
"What do you mean, 'in your blood'?"
"Everyone has latent magic potential in them. Some people have the ability to use white magic, some have the ability to use white magic. A few also know how to use blue and red magic, which is pretty rare these days."
"Do you think I can learn magic?" Kairi thought that if she could, it would really help her in her quest to find Sora.
Fayne took her hand and helped her out of the bed. "We'll see. I'll take you to the most powerful Archmages. They'll be able to tell you whether you can use magic or not."
Kairi nodded and, holding Fayne's hand, they walked out of the room and through the palace.
"So what's your story, Kairi?" Fayne looked at her with interest.
"My story?"
"Yeah, like how you got your keyblade? Why you're here. Stuff like that."
"Oh okay, I guess I'll tell you my story but it's not a happy one."
Kairi then told Fayne all about how the keyblade chose Sora and how he had to battle Ansem. She told her about the princesses of heart, Riku, and how she got her keyblade. She also told about Yuyami and their adventures until their separation.
"Wow, you're right. That isn't a happy story. Do you know where this Sora is?"
Kairi shook her head. "His voice…I don't hear it anymore."
"You'll find him."
"Yeah, sometimes it gets me down, but I know that I'll find Sora and we'll be together again."
Fayne stayed silent looking at the ground. She's probably going to want to hear my story now, she thought.
"Well I've told me my story and now it's your turn. So what's your story, Fayne?"
Fayne sighed. "I was born on a planet that was all desert. The only living things that could survive on that planet were my people and I…and the monsters. We stayed there, moving from place to place, looking for 'The Oasis'. 'The Oasis' was a myth that our people had. It said that if we kept looking for it and believing with all of our hearts, we would find 'The Oasis', a beautiful forest with plenty of water and fruit for all."
Kairi looked at her as they walked down the street. "Did you find it?"
"It didn't exist. I tried to tell them that instead of moving from place to place, we should settle and build our future. They didn't listen and kept looking for paradise. Finally after a few years, they had grown sick of my disapproval of their wild-chocobo chase. They said that I was the reason that we couldn't find 'The Oasis', because of my lack of faith. They then banished me, thinking that would reveal 'The Oasis'."
Kairi shook her head. "That's horrible."
"Heh, yeah. I had to live on my own, so I built myself a shelter and lived. There were monsters on the planet so I had to use a stick to defend myself and catch game."
"That's why I'm so good with a sword," she added as an afterthought.
"So how did you get the keyblade," Kairi asked.
"One day I was sleeping and I had a dream. A voice told me that I would be the one to help destroy the darkness. It asked me if I wanted to wield the keyblade. I accepted. When I awoke the keyblade was in my hand and heartless were all around. I destroyed them and thought that was the end. But then this huge black thing in the sky brought me to this world. And here I am."
Kairi gave an empty laugh. "Guess we both have sad stories, huh?"
"Yeah. Anyway, here's the place." They stood in front of what looked like a gothic castle. The stone was black with ivy creeping up it, and the whole building seemed to lean to the side.
Kairi shivered. "This doesn't exactly look like a fun place."
"No one said it was. Let's go." She opened the huge door and walked in.
Kairi looked around. The room was brightly lit with torches that hung from the walls. She saw for thrones and, on each one, was a hooded figure.
Fayne nudged Kairi. "Go talk to each of them and see what they have to say."
Kairi nodded and walked up to the first one. He (she?) was dressed in a black robe. The figure touched her face and shook its head. It then pointed to the next figure.
Kairi was confused and looked back toward Fayne, who nodded her encouragement.
Kairi shrugged and went to the second one, who was dressed in a dark-blue robe. The figure, like the first, touched her cheek and shook its head. It then pointed to the next figure.
Kairi, who wanted nothing more than to just leave, quickly went over to the next figure, which was clothed in a blood-red cloak. Once again her face was touched and she was sent to the final figure.
What's the point of this, Kairi wondered. She walked over to the last figure, which was dressed in a white robe and waited. The figure touched her cheek and nodded. It then got up left the room to a door leading to the back area. It motioned for Kairi to follow.
Kairi went over to Fayne and asked, "What was that all about?"
"Each of those figures is the master of each form of magic. The first controls black magic, the second controls blue magic, the third controls red magic, and the fourth controls white magic. They are the most powerful practitioners of their respective magic."
Fayne put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you. Just go in there and see what happens."
Kairi nodded placing her trust in Fayne. She walked into the room that the white mage had entered and gasped. There was a pool in the middle of the room and it was filled with what looked like spirits and white magic.
The figure spoke, "Enter the Pond of Serenity. There you will learn all the magic you need to know to help you reach your goals."
My goals, Kairi thought. I only have one goal and that is to bring Sora back. If this will help me bring him home, then I have to do it.
Kairi walked into the pool and was engulfed by the powerful magic and spirits that resided in it. The white mage folded its arms and waited.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Riku…" Yuyami nodded. "Yes, you must be Kairi's friend."
Riku's eyes widened in surprise. "You know Kairi? How?"
"I met her here in this world. Apparently her will to find you and the other boy was far stronger than the walls keeping the worlds apart."
Riku looked down in confusion. "She still wants to find me? After everything I did?"
Yuyami looked and saw Vincent walking slowly toward them. "Kairi didn't tell me much about her past with you two, but then again I didn't ask."
"Well, where is she?" Riku looked at Yuyami expectantly.
"We separated," Yuyami answered.
"What!" Riku grabbed Yuyami by his front and screamed, "We have to find her! She's not safe here! It's too dangerous! She'll die!"
Yuyami noticed that he wore a thick black glove on his right hand, but a white, fingerless glove on his left. Odd.
"Relax. Kairi is a lot stronger than when you last saw her. She's a keyblade master also."
Riku looked surprised. "Kairi's a keyblade master?" He let go of Yuyami's coat.
"Yes, her determination and strong heart brought the keyblade to her," Yuyami answered.
"Well we have to find her," Riku said. "She could be in danger."
"You're starting to sound like a broken record," Yuyami, as calm as always, said. "Don't worry, she's in Salom."
"Okay, and what's the deal with this Salom place?"
"It's inhabited by Archmages, the forgers of all keyblades," Vincent said walking up. "They will not harm a keyblade master."
Yuyami asked a question that had been eating away at him for some time. "Why couldn't Kairi sense your heart? As keyblade masters, we all have the ability to sense each other, but even Kairi, who has a link to you both, couldn't sense you."
Riku's face turned downcast as he spoke, "Sora and I were together in Kingdom Hearts. He had come to get me and after a while, we found a way out. We ended up in Twilight Town."
Vincent was intrigued. "Go on."
"Well…"
*****************
Riku was walking with Sora in Twilight Town, and they were trying to figure out what to do next. King Mickey had left them, only saying that he had business to take care of.
Riku walked with his head down. He didn't want to be in another world anymore. He just wanted to go home.
"Hey Riku, chin up! Now that we're back together it'll be a cinch to get back home." Sora walked cheerfully next to Riku.
"I don't think we're ever going to get back home." Riku sighed and continued looking at the ground.
Sora shook his head. "That's not true. As long as our hearts are true and out will is strong, nothing will stop us from going back home."
Riku chuckled. "It's ironic, isn't it?"
"What's ironic?" Sora looked at Riku, smiling.
"We wanted to travel to other worlds and look what it got us. Nothing but pain, sorrow…and darkness."
Sora slapped Riku in the back of his head.
"Hey! What was that for!?" Riku rubbed his head, smiling.
"That's completely wrong! We got new friends, new strength, new abilities, and a stronger friendship." Sora grinned. "And we each wield a keyblade."
"I didn't ask for this. I didn't want the keyblade, at first. I just wanted to explore new worlds." Riku's good mood disappeared once again.
"You don't always get what you asked for, Riku."
"Aren't you mad?" Riku looked at Sora expectantly.
"About what?" Sora looked at Riku.
"About everything!" Riku exploded. "About me taking away your keyblade, your friends, and the girl you love!"
"No."
"No?" Riku was surprised. "Why not?"
"Because it wasn't you, at least all of you," Sora answered. "You were being controlled by Ansem."
Riku looked away. He didn't like being reminded about how easily he was taken in by Ansem. It sickened him that he was so powerless.
"Look, Riku." Sora grabbed him around the shoulders and looked him square in the eye. "You may beat yourself up about being taken control of, but it wasn't you. It's time to move on and realize that I forgive you for everything. You hear me? I forgive you."
"Sora…thanks." Riku smiled, really smiled for the first time in months.
A meaningless effort…
Both of the keyblade masters' heads snapped to attention.
One who knows nothing can understand nothing…
"It can't be…" Sora looked around trying to pinpoint the voice.
There is so very much to learn, you understand so little…
"No…" Riku summoned his keyblade.
The keyblade can't help you now…
"Show yourself, Ansem!", Sora yelled.
A black hole appeared in front of them. Out of it stepped a man dressed from head to toe in red robe. The only visible parts of his body were one of his eyes and his mouth. A belt was wrapped around his head and he had an arcane symbol on his chest.
"I assume you do not recognize me, keyblade master." The figure looked at Sora.
Sora summoned his keyblade, the Oath Keeper. "I recognize your lame voice though!"
Riku smirked. "Ansem, if I didn't know any better, I'd believe you were trying to start a fashion statement."
"Quiet, you weak little puppet." Ansem turned to Sora. "Let me show you what you did to me."
Ansem began to take the take off the belts and then removed the cloth.
Sora gasped and Riku just looked away, disgusted.
Ansem's face had degenerated to something that looked like raw meat. His skin was inflamed and there were sores all over.
"Do you see what you did to me?!" Ansem touched his face and blood trickled down his cheek. "I don't know how you did it, but that light from Kingdom Hearts disfigured my body!"
"It actually makes you look pretty," Sora grinned.
"Kingdom Hearts is pure darkness. I don't know how you changed that, but I assure that it was a fluke." Ansem wrapped the cloth around his face and strapped the belts back on.
"Kingdom Hearts is light and your ugly face proves it!" Riku yelled.
"Then answer me this, puppet," Ansem sneered. "If Kingdom Hearts is light, then why is it crawling with Heartless, the very creatures of darkness."
"Because, I now know, that wherever there is light, there is darkness," Riku answered. "And wherever there is darkness, there is light. Neither of the two can be destroyed."
"Ha, ha, ha! Come, I'll prove you wrong. Here is a world without light, without hope, without heart." Ansem raised his hand and the portal he stepped through widened.
"Welcome, to Oblivion!!" Ansem laughed as dark thunder struck and a black wind began to suck them in.
Riku grabbed a lamppost and held Sora's hand with his.
"Sora, don't let go!!!" yelled Riku as he struggled to hold on.
"I don't know if I can!!" answered Sora feeling his hand slipping.
Ansem laughed. "Join me in everlasting darkness, you ignorant, young fools."
"Sora…Sora I can't hold on!!" Riku felt Sora's hand sliding more and more.
"Riku!!" Suddenly Sora's hand slipped out of his glove and he was sucked
into the darkness.
"Ssssoooorrrraaaa!!!!!" Riku screamed letting go of the post to follow his friend.
Ansem walked into the portal, laughing. "I'll leave you to feel the pain of loneliness."
The portal disappeared instantly and Riku, instead of plunging into the portal, smashed into the wall of a tavern.
"No, Sora!" Riku cried as he began to punch the side of the tavern. "Sora!!"
He collapsed to the ground and lost himself in the pain.
*****************
Riku shook his head. "I walked through Twilight Town, trying to find some kind of clue. When I got nowhere, I left and ended up here in Midgar. That's when I was captured."
"But you allowed yourself to be captured and I wondered why." Vincent said.
"How did you know that?" asked Riku.
"I know when people are holding back and I wanted to see what your reason was."
"Well none of that matters now," Yuyami said. "We have to find Kairi and the last two keyblade masters. The other one is in Salom with Kairi."
"Then lets go," Riku said.
"Actually, would you mind staying for the night?" Vincent looked at them both.
"Why?" Riku asked suspiciously.
"Believe me, there is no malice behind this offer. Cid Highwind will be arriving tomorrow along with a man named Cloud Strife and a guy called Shadow. It will be easier to get to Salom by airship and we are all in this together." Vincent shouldered his rifle. "At least that's what Cloud says."
Yuyami looked at Riku, who shrugged. "Alright, Vincent," Yuyami said. "We'll stay. But don't try anything funny or we won't hesitate to kill you." He looked at Riku who nodded.
Vincent smiled. "Don't worry, I won't kill you unless I'm paid."
