"Do you want the power to heal your loved ones? To alleviate their pain? To close their wounds?"
A voice in the Pond of Serenity was calling out to Kairi.
"Yes," Kairi answered.
"Then you must participate in an age-old ritual. I will ask you three riddles. You will have one minute to answer each. Succeed and you will gain the power to heal, fail and you will have to move to the next test. Are you ready?"
Kairi swallowed as butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. "I am," she answered.
"Then we will begin. What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the day, and three legs at night?" the voice asked.
Kairi brightened. She had heard this one before and knew the answer. "Man. When he is born, he crawls. When he is an adult, he walks. And when he is old, he uses a cane."
"Very good, young apprentice. Next question. What has a mouth, but never speaks, and a bed, but never sleeps."
"Um…" Kairi thought aloud. She had also heard this one before but, unfortunately, she didn't remember the answer. "You said I have a minute right?"
"Correct," the voice answered.
"Uh, oh yeah!" she yelled. "I remember. It was a river. A river has a mouth but never speaks and a bed but never sleeps."
"Again you are correct. Third, and last, question. This thing has no name, no face, and no age. It engulfs when it is alone, but is banished when accompanied by its equal. It has the power influence minds, and the will to destroy them. It has no fear, only the instinct to reign. It cannot be destroyed, only exiled. It is the source of strength, and the source of weakness. What is it?"
Kairi thought and thought. She couldn't figure it out. What could have all of those attributes? Everything about it was a paradox.
She looked around. Everything around her was bright light. Not a hint of darkness to be found. Darkness. Was that it?
"I think the answer's darkness," Kairi said.
"And why would you think something as absurd as that?" the voice asked.
Kairi answered, a little hurt, "Because, darkness has no name, age or face. When it is alone, it engulfs all. But when light is there, it's gone. It attracts people because of the power it promises, and destroys them because that's its nature. It doesn't fear anything, not even light because it knows it can't be defeated. Darkness can't be destroyed. It can be dismissed by the light for a while, but it always comes back. It is the source of physical strength and even mental strength, but it weakens the heart. That is why the answer's darkness."
"Very good. Here is your reward."
Kairi felt a new energy coursing through her body.
"This is the power of Curaga, a magic that allows you to heal your comrades."
"Thank you." Kairi looked up.
"Proceed to the next trial to continue your destiny, young apprentice."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
There are only two things you should know about the darkness, my friend.
One is that it is all-powerful and cannot be defeated by anything.
Light is just darkness waiting to happen. That is why neither can destroy
The other. They are one and the same, and are of equal strength.
Two, whenever someone is infected with darkness, it does not go away.
It is like a cancer, except when we succumb to the darkness,
We become reborn. We become something far greater than what we
Previously were. You may think you have gotten rid of the darkness in your heart,
But you are just suppressing it. It is still there, small but thriving.
It is just biding its time, waiting for you to show that sign of weakness.
Then, it will take over once more, and you will learn to love it.
You will learn to love it…
Riku woke up sweating. He has had dreams like this every night where someone is speaking to him. He's tried to ignore them, but can't help thinking about the dreams.
"I'll never learn to love the darkness…" Riku muttered.
He looked over and saw that Yuyami was still asleep. Riku knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anytime soon, so he got up and dressed. He noticed that Vincent's bed was unoccupied.
He got up and walked out of the room. He went down the stairs quietly, so that he wouldn't wake anyone else in the inn. He walked out of the front door and closed it softly behind him.
You will learn to love it…
Riku shook his head. Who was this person talking to him? The voice was kind of familiar. Or was it just the part of himself he didn't like? The part that drove him to take Kairi away from Sora, to take the keyblade away from Sora, and even to take his own heart away from him.
"I'm afraid…" he whispered. "I'm afraid of myself, this…dark part of me that still exists. Am I strong enough to face it? Should I even try?"
"Quite the dilemma, boy," a voice spoke out of the darkness.
Riku summoned his keyblade, a massive, sinister weapon with three sharp edges jutting out at the end and chains hanging from the hilt. "Who's there!"
"Don't worry, it's just me." Vincent stepped out from the shadows and gave a little wave.
Riku sighed. "Don't you ever just say 'hi' to greet people?"
Vincent smiled. "I've learned to stay hidden from people until just the right moment. I never had to say 'hi' to people I was going to kill."
"Whatever," Riku said looking up at the starry night.
"Many people have had the same problem you have, boy." Vincent looked at Riku.
"Would you stop calling me 'boy'? My name's Riku."
"It doesn't really matter what your name is when you are about to be taken by the darkness." Vincent favored Riku with one of his emotionless stares.
"What do you mean 'taken in by the darkness'? That's not going to happen to me…" Riku looked down.
Vincent chuckled. "You don't sound very convincing."
"You don't know anything about having to suppress a dark part of yourself."
"Hmph. I know more about it than you ever will, boy."
Riku began to get angry. "Then tell me, Vincent! Tell me how I'm supposed to defeat myself!"
"If you have to ask me that, then maybe you need to be taken
by the Heartless. You're a waste of
space."
Riku bristled. "Yeah, well at least this
'waste of space' has feelings and emotions!"
"Congratulations, you are now a female," Vincent replied.
"I don't care what you say. If have to sacrifice my feelings to suppress my dark half, then I would rather let my dark side take over. At least I would be human till the end. If you ask me, Vincent, I'd say you're safe from the Heartless."
Vincent smirked. "And why do you say that?"
"Because they don't attack their own kind," Riku answered, walking back in.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Kairi waited for her next test with impatience. She wanted to be out of this 'Pond of Serenity', and back into the cool, everlasting night of reality.
"Apprentice, are you ready for your next test?"
"Of course!" Kairi answered.
"Then let us begin. Your test is to not get hit."
Kairi cocked her head and asked, "What? What do you mean-?"
Kairi was rudely interrupted by something that flew past her face with lightning-speed.
Suddenly balls of energy were being fired at her from every direction. One whizzed by her face again and she pulled her head back just in time. She found herself dodging every time she moved. Whenever she stuck a leg out, she would have to pull it back to avoid contact. Whenever she tried to run, she would have to duck to avoid one. It seemed like the only time she was safe was when she stood still. Maybe that's the key, she thought.
Kairi stood there, as rigid as a board, with her eyes closed. She was afraid that she would be bombarded by these objects, but none of them touched her. After a minute, they stopped and she opened her eyes.
"You have passed the second test. This one teaches you that it's okay to run. But sometimes you have to stand strong and face your fears. You will now be endowed with the power to protect your friends. Aeroga."
Kairi felt a new force going through her body as a strong wind whipped around her. So this is the power of Aeroga, she thought. Well just one more test and I resume my mission.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It was morning and the white moon, Luna, was just peeking over the horizon. The Highwind speeded toward Midgar, carrying inside it Cloud, Shadow, and the pilot, Cid.
Cloud was standing at one of the windows looking out into the black, nothingness of space. Walking toward the cockpit, he was thinking about his role in this new, upcoming battle. He felt it was unavoidable and the keyblade masters would probably need his help. He had been reluctant to leave Aeris, but figured that she should stay back in Nibelheim where it was safe.
"We're here," Shadow said. He began walking toward the cockpit.
Cloud smiled. He had met Shadow under less friendly circumstances. He had been hired to kill Cloud and instead, when they fought each other to a standstill, he hung around. He always came and went as he pleased, but Cloud knew that deep down, he was an okay guy. Just a little cold, but he had dealt with that from Vincent Valentine so he was used to it.
"Ha, ha, ha. Wasn't that the smoothest %#$@*#^$ ride you two have ever been on!?" Cid's voice called out from the cockpit.
Cloud shook his head in amusement. The ride to Midgar had been interesting when Shadow and Cid met. Where Shadow was silent and comtemplative, Cid was loud and boastful. It was funny to see them bumping heads because of their opposite nature.
Cid slapped Shadow on the shoulder yelling, "Aren't I the best damn pilot you've ever scene!?"
Shadow stared at Cid's hand, which was still on his shoulder. Slowly, Cid took it off.
Shadow said, "Let's go." He walked out of the door.
Cid looked at Cloud and muttered, "Damn, he's a &#*#@$#@ zombie."
"That's just how he is," Cloud replied.
"Whatever, I'm through with the niceties. That damn Spectre won't see anymore Mr. *&#%@$% Nice Guy!"
"It's Shadow."
"Who gives a damn!?" Cid yelled, walking out the door.
Cloud paused for a minute to grab his Buster Sword and followed Cid.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"This is your last test young apprentice. This trial will try everything you need to become an excellent keyblade master. If you pass, you will gain one of the most powerful spells ever known.
"What is it?" Kairi asked.
"If you continue, there is a big chance your life will cease," the voice continued as if Kairi hadn't spoke. "Do you want to continue?"
""Yes," Kairi said after a moment's hesitation.
"Then, good luck."
The ground began to shake and a black claw burst through the floor. It was at least as long as her and twice as wide.
"Wh, what is that!?" Kairi screamed, backing into a barrier that had appeared to stop her or the beast from running.
The monster pulled itself out of the cavern it had created and roared. It had black armor all over its body, which was an even darker black than the armor. Its tail flicked back and forth in anticipation of prey and its emerald-green eyes gleamed.
"This beast is called the Opaque Weapon. Many have tried to destroy it and those attempts ended in failure. However, where they have failed, you may succeed," the voice said as Kairi eyed the orb in the middle of the Opaque Weapon's chest. It was the same color as its eyes and flashed with the timing of a heartbeat.
Kairi summoned her keyblade and held it in an attack position. Seeing this, the monster screeched and Kairi saw its black, razor-sharp teeth. She was shaking and it seemed like the monster could sense her fear. It gave what looked like a smile and darted toward her with unbelievable speed.
Kairi jumped as the Opaque Weapon's claw shot toward her. It crashed into the ground below and the sheer force of the impact sent Kairi farther than where she wanted to land. She landed on both feet and began running toward the beast. She saw the tail coming at her with lightning-speed and jumped in the air. The tail landed on the ground and she began to run up it. The Weapon flicked its tail and sent Kairi flying. Quickly, she cast Aeroga on herself and landed without a scratch.
What can I do against this thing, she thought panting. It has this thick armor and it won't let me near its body anyway, so I can't destroy it close range. I guess I'll have to stay back and fight from a distance.
Kairi threw her keyblade at Opaque in a powerful Strike Raid and was surprised to see the monster catch it in midair. It opened its hand to inspect its treasure, but grunted in surprise to find it wasn't there. Kairi had already summoned it back to her and had thrown it again at the beast's face. It looked up just in time to a catch the weapon right in the face and screamed in pain.
Kairi covered her ears as the monster screamed its agony and rage. It looks really mad now, she thought. The Opaque Weapon's claw began to glow and it hurled a large ball of dark energy at her. It stopped a couple of yards short of her and began to bounce, destroying everything in its wake. Kairi cut to her left and narrowly avoided the projectile but was surprised to see the beast lunging toward her. It jumped in the air and would have landed on top of her if she hadn't have ran toward it to. She ended up behind it and threw her keyblade at its back. The monster landed and the force of it sent shockwaves and debri in all directions. Kairi's Aeroga spell was bombarded by the rocks and energy created by the landing. Kairi tried to hold it up as best as she could, but it broke and she was battered by the shockwaves and debris.
She lay on the ground, trying to get up before the Opaque Weapon attacked again. She remembered her Curaga spell and used it to cure herself. She instantly felt better and jumped up just in time to avoid the tail that was sweeping low. She threw her keyblade once again, this time aimed at the monster's orb. The Promise Keeper struck true and the beast staggered momentarily, obviously stunned by the blow.
Kairi saw her chance and jumped on the monster's foot. She began running up its leg toward that sensitive heart-like orb. The monster saw her and gave a backhand that sent her flying into one of the corners that the barriers had created. Dazed, she looked up and saw that the Weapon's orb was glowing. She saw its mouth open and start to glow, as well as its eyes. She also didn't notice before, the hundreds of holes in the beast's armor. But she did now, because they began to shine as well. She cast Aeroga on herself and tried to cast Curaga, but found she was too weak to do so. Black energy with a faint green hue began to shoot out of the holes, the mouth, the eyes, and the orb on its body. They were all directed at Kairi and she tensed waiting for the blast.
Kairi…
"Sora?" Kairi thought that the blast had hit her and she was dead. She was in a dark place with no light or sound. Is this what its like to die? she thought.
"You're not dead, Kairi."
"Sora!!!"
"Kairi where are you?"
"I'm here, Sora!! Try to find my voice!" Kairi yelled into the darkness.
"Kairi…I'm so cold…"
"Please Sora, hold on! I'm coming for you!"
"…can't…too dark…"
"Sora, where are you."
"…Oblivion…"
"Oblivion?"
"…use Ragnarok…"
"Ragarok?"
………
"Sora!!!"
Suddenly, everything swam into focus. The energy beams that had been about to destroy her had slowed down enough for her to dodge them easily. This must be the power of Ragnarok, thought Kairi as she ran toward Opaque Weapon. It was moving as slow as its beams and Kairi realized that she was moving way faster than either of them. The beams slowly went by her as she ran up its leg and began to slash at the monster's orb with her keyblade. Her attacks were unbelievably fast and after she felt that Opaque Weapon was weak enough, she backflipped off its knee and began to charge up the Promise Keeper for a final attack.
Opaque Weapon, seeing that its demise was in hand, roared in defiance. Kairi concentrated on making the blast as powerful as possible and the keyblade glowed bright blue. She let loose a volley of electric-blue energy blasts that began to bombard the monster with cataclysmic force. It screamed as it was engulfed in bright blue light. When the energy dissipated, Kairi saw that the Weapon was lying on the ground, clearly dead. The orb on its chest was shattered to pieces and had ceased flashing.
Kairi looked at the monster she had slain and swayed. Everything began to grow dark as she struggled to stay conscious. She tried to fight it, but realized that there was nothing she could do, so she submitted to the exhaustion and fainted.
