Destiny Islands......
Sora laid on his bed that evening, thinking through the day in his mind. He was a little nervous, knowing he would leave for the unknown tomorrow.
'I just can't wait!" he heard Kairi's voice. 'Once we set sail, it'll be great!'
Sora smiled slightly. Then a thunder clasp broke him out of his thoughts. He sat bolt upright. Sudden thunderstorms were no surprise this close to the ocean, but there was something about this one.....
"A storm.....? Oh, no!" gasped Sora. "The raft!" He raced down the stairs, thankful he hadn't bothered to change into is PJ's.
His mom called out to him, "Sora dinner's ready! Come on down." But Sora was already racing out of the back door. "Sora?"
Sora made it to the beach of Destiny Island faster than he ever had before. That was a surprise, considering how awful things were becoming outside. As he tied down his rowboat, he spotted two others also docked.
"What's that?" Sora asked himself. Then he recognized them. "Riku's boat! And Kairi's!"
There was little time for him to wonder about this, though. The sky, which had been full of swirling black clouds, had changed. They had begun to swirl into one massive void, forming a sinister sphere in the sky.
"Huh?" gasped Sora. As it left his lips, the shadows beneath his feet sprang to life. They surrounded him, bearing sharp claws.
"Oh, no!" gasped Sora. "The creatures from my dream!" His head jerked form left to right to over his shoulder as he realized how many of them there was. There was only one thing Sora could do. He pulled out his wooden sword and waited for them to charge him.
They did, and it seemed like all at once. Sora swung into the darkness as the darkness itself attacked him. He made contact with one of the shadows and heard a loud SNAP!
Sora pulled back his wooden weapon and looked at it, while shielding his face from a shadow. His sword had snapped clean in half right by the hilt.
"Oh, shoot!" exclaimed Sora, now realizing the situation had just gotten worse. Before it had been so bizarre it could have been a nightmare. Now it was beyond even the logic of a nightmare.
The shadows dove in for another attack. Sora, not having another choice, turned and ran. His feet lead him to the ledge where he had watched the sunset with Kairi and Riku. It wasn't easy getting there, though. It seemed like everywhere he went the shadows were coming to life, clawing and covering everything in darkness.
Sora looked up and realized he was not alone. Riku was standing with his back to him, looking at the vortex in the sky. Sora looked around, realizing Kairi wasn't there.
"Where's Kairi?!" demanded Sora to Riku. "I thought she was with you!" Probably not the brightest thing to say, but it wasn't a good situation to begin with.
"The door has opened..." replied Riku, sounding distant.
"What?"
"The door has opened, Sora!" repeated Riku, eagerly. "Now we can get to the outside world!"
"What are you talking about?!" demanded Sora. "We have to find Kairi!"
"Kairi's coming with us!" answered Riku, who was starting to sound annoyed. Then he dropped his tone. "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I am not afraid of the darkness!"
"Riku!" exclaimed Sora, hoping for a second that this was all a dream. It was a bit like the last one, what with the shadows and his friends not making any sense and all. But there was one difference. This was too real to be a dream.
"AGH!" cried Sora as shadows began to form under them. Sora tried to fight to get away from them, but Riku didn't even flinch. Riku turned and reached out his hand. Sora continued to fight. It seemed like he would be overcome for a moment, then he found the strength and fought free.
FLASH! A blinding light penetrated the thickening darkness. Sora raised a hand to shield his eyes and felt something solid in his palm. He looked up and realized he was holding the sword from his dream.
"Keyblade....Keyblade....." a mysterious voice echoed in the night.
"Huh?" gasped Sora. He looked around. The shadows were eyeing him cautiously. Riku was nowhere to be seen.
"Kairi!" remembered Sora.
That seemed to be a cue for the shadows to attack. The lunged again. Sora swung the Keyblade and cut the first in half. Surprised, Sora turned and struck down another. The shadows continued to attack, but he pushed through them, desperate to find Kairi.
He made his way to the hidden cave he had discovered the other day, strike down anything that moved towards him. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw inside.
There was a huge door there, the same one he had seen out of his peripheral vision the other day. It had a sinister aura to it. But in front of the door was Kairi, looking like she had been badly beaten. She was dirty and bruised and looked about ready to fall over.
"Kairi!" cried Sora as he raced to her.
"Sora...." groaned Kairi, sounding very weak.
Behind her the door was thrown open. A black wind threw Kairi into the air and sent her sailing forward. Sora opened his arms to catch her, but as he did she faded completely, almost like a ghost.
The strange wind picked up and before Sora knew what was going on, he was back on the ledge. The sky was even darker and the void was even bigger. The smaller shadows watched him from the darkness. But they were the least of his problems as his own shadow twisted and grew behind him.
"Oh no..." groaned Sora as he stood ready with his Keyblade.
His shadow took on a solid form, the exact same as the one form his dream, right down to the heart-shaped hole in its chest. It raised a massive fist and slammed it into the ground.
"I remember," muttered Sora as he raced over and began to hack at the hand.
He jumped onto the back of his Darkside's fist and slashed as fast and furiously as he could. Smaller Heartless clawed at him, but he ignored them, only taking one down by an incidental over-swing.
His own heart lurched as he realized that Darkside was raising its fist for another attack. Sora locked his knees as he was lifted higher and higher into the air on Darkside's fist. But then Darkside began to swing. Sora lost his balance and fell to the ground. As he landed he was surrounded by Heartless.
"Not today!" growled Sora as he began to fight off their claws. He could feel scratches and bruises from the battle, but still he refused to stop fighting.
WHAM! A loud slam hit the ground, throwing Sora off of his feet and leaving him open to Heartless attacks. Darkside had once again slammed the ground with its massive fist. More Heartless were forming.
Sora leapt to his feet and charged, Keyblade raised. He jumped high into the air and landed a devastating hit on Darkside's hand. The creature of darkness reeled back in pain, shaking the very core of the earth.
It began to dissolve into the night's shadow. But those were only growing stronger. Sora cringed involuntarily when he saw how utterly dark it was. He didn't think it was possible for it to be this dark. It was so dark it was almost evil.
The winds began with renewed vigor as Darkside fell. They seemed to be drawing everything into the void. Sora threw himself to the ground to try to anchor himself. But he, too, was picked up and draw into the void. There, there was nothing but darkness.
**************************************************************************** **********
Metro City...
Verity tossed and turned on her bed that night. There was something that just didn't seem right. Something that was bugging her that she couldn't put her finger on. And that bugged her even more, because she couldn't explain it.
Figuring there was nothing to curb her restlessness, Verity decided to take a walk. She threw on her clothes and slipped down the stairs, not turning on any lights so she wouldn't way her mother up.
As she walked passed the kitchen the phone rang right by her shoulder. Verity leapt into the air in surprise. But she quickly answered it before it could ring again.
"Hello?
"Hi! Verity! It's Meg."
"Hi. Why are you calling so late? It is after midnight?"
"Well, I got this call from Scott about half an hour ago. He said something in Our Other Worlds struck him. He said, 'it is happening. Meet me at the library. Bring the props.' Well, I'm here now and I don't see him anywhere. I found some of his craft supplies...But..But I'm worried! One of the doors is opened. What if he went inside or something. The library is closed and..."
"Calm down Meg!" interrupted Verity. "Take some deep breaths. Now, listen. I am going to be right over. Stay put! And try not to let anyone find you! Got it?"
"Yes..."
"Listen to me this time, okay?"
"Sure..."
"I'll be right over."
"Okay...bye."
"Bye. And don't go anywhere!"
The line went dead.
"She's not going to stay put," muttered Verity. She raced to the door. As she did she noticed her bags of props. As if on second thought, Verity grabbed the closest one and bolted out of the door. She wondered why she did grab it, but that wasn't what she was focusing on.
Her first concern was about her friends. That was somehow tying into the weird feeling she was having. The color of the sky wasn't helping, either. It was a tumbling black ink.
CRASH! BOOM! Thunder ripped across the night.
"Great...." muttered Verity, looking for the first drops of rain. She quickened her pace, hoping to get to the library before it started to pour.
She did make it, luckily. She first sought on the statue of Nike, where she new she was vainly hoping to find Meg. She was right. No one was there. But there was proof that both Scott and Meg had been there that evening. Two bags of Tempest props were set at the base of Winged Victory.
Verity walked over to them and set hers next to theirs. She scanned the darkening courtyard one last time, but they weren't there. She signed.
CRASH! BOOM! Another peel pf thunder broke through the night.
Verity looked up at the sky and gasped. The clouds were turning over each other in a way that might have created a tornado. But instead of forming a funnel, they were forming a sphere of solid darkness.
"Meg! Scott!" gasped Verity. Her eyes darter to the library before resting on a door that was halfway opened. With determination like she had never felt Verity turned to run inside.
But one thing held her back. She looked by the base of the statue and saw their stuff. She shoved the bags further under it. Her hands came to rest on her bag. She hesitated a moment, then pulled out her hand made wand. Behind that was Our Other World. She grabbed the book, too, knowing that someone might try to steal it.
Without wasting another second, Verity ran into the library in search of her friends. The library was dark inside. The shelves loomed ominously over everything. Nothing moved, nothing breathed.
CRASH! BOOM! Another crash of thunder ripped through the sky, causing Verity to jump. Lightning flashed in through the windows. Shadows seemed to form in it. They were there for a second, and when the light faded they were back into the darkness. Verity looked frantically over her shoulders, developing the feeling that she was not alone. Something was shifting in the shadows, something sinister.
"Did you read it?" asked a voice. Verity jumped as the speaker leaned over her right shoulder.
"Scott! Don't scare me like that!" exclaimed Verity.
"Did you read it?" he repeated. Verity looked him over once. His eyes were wide with dark circles under them. He seemed very afraid.
"Read what?" asked Verity, nervously.
"The book!" he answered, his eyes dropping to the one in her arms. "Did you read it?" There was a sense of extreme urgency in his voice.
"Not all of it...."
"The last chapter! Do you know what is happening?"
"No..Scott, please stop. You're really starting to scare me."
"The last chapter," he repeated, distantly. "'When Worlds End.' That is what is happening."
"Scott! Stop! We are not going through apocalypse!"
"No. This is much worse...."
"Scott.."
"AGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a screamed interrupted their conversation. It came from the back of the library.
"Meg!" cried Verity. She started to run towards the scream.
WOOSH! WOOSH! WOOSH! The shadows around her feet sprang to life, bearing their claws at her. Verity stopped and gaped at them. They were the very same creatures that had attacked her in her dream. She quickly looked back at Scott, but he was gone.
The Heartless attacked. Verity ducked and threw her hands, which was holding her wand, in front of her. SLASH! The wand fell to the floor in several different pieces.
Verity gasped, then bolted further into the library, trying to escape the nightmare by the entrance. Every row of books seemed to be mutating into Heartless. Every corner was filled with claws.
"Meg!" cried Verity again. Then she stopped short.
Verity was in the back of the library. But there, again was the door she had found earlier. It was cracked open only a fraction. Verity hesitated. But in that hesitation a Heartless attacked her. She could feel claws sinking into her back, drawing blood. She shook it off and ran for the door.
She burst in just as another Heartless grabbed at her ankles. She tripped in and fell as she slid through the door. With her other foot she slammed the door shut, slicing the Heartless on her foot in two.
Breathing hard, Verity looked down at the floor. A normal shadow was stretching across it to her. It was Meg's shadow.
"Meg!" gasped Verity. But as she looked up, she realized she was the only one in the entire room. Verity took a deep breath to try to calm her nerves.
FLASH! A bright light shot straight up from the center of the room. Verity looked at it, puzzled. The entire night was starting to annoy her; not only from the fear and missing friends, but also from all the unanswered questions.
THUD! Something slammed against the door. THUD! THUD! THUD! The Heartless were trying to get in.
Verity leapt away from the door as if it had caught on fire. She walked to the light, the strength in darkness. She reached out and the light became a solid object in her hands. It was the very same wand from her dream. Verity looked at it, puzzled, as she felt the warm tingling of magic flow through her.
"Divining Wand...Divining Wand...," a voice echoed from an unknown place.
THUD! CRASH! SMASH! The door broke, and in flowed the Heartless.
"Where's Scott and Meg?!" demanded Verity as she held out the Divining Wand.
The Heartless charged her. Verity held her wand in front of the first one. Light from the end of it grew brightly and the Heartless disintegrated. The rest seemed to back off, but they did not retreat.
WOOSH! A strong dark wind rose, whipping around Verity. She felt it wrap around her. She closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again she was back in the courtyard with Nike.
"SCOTT! MEG!" she cried. No one answered. The sky overheard was an angry, evil black, which turned over and over in a sphere. Verity saw it, gasped, and diverted her gaze. What she saw next was even worse.
Her own shadow was mutating behind her, growing to enormous proportions. It stretched over the library and looked down at her. Through the hole in its chest Verity could see the turning sky. Verity gulped and took a step backwards.
"This isn't happening," she moaned, as her own shadow started to attack.
Her Darkside slammed a massive fist down at her. Verity raced out of the way and turned to face it, holding her Divining Wand in front of her. It glowed softly in her hands.
A black void formed under Darkside's fist, and out of it hopped smaller Heartless. Verity looked from the larger Darkside to the small Heartless, knowing she was in major trouble.
The Darkside pulled its fist back and the Heartless lunged at her. Verity held her staff forward, willing powerful light to come from it. The Heartless came straight at her, but two never made it. Verity dissolved them in light first. But there was too many for her to handle. She ran as far as she could out of their way, which put her closer to Darkside.
Darkside slammed its fist down again and Verity jumped backwards. It summoned more Heartless. Verity knew that if this kept up she wouldn't be able to handle the numbers. She got into a solid stance and began to summon the power of her wand. The tip began to glow bright. The attacking Heartless paused a moment, afraid of the light.
Darkside shuddered for a moment, then raised its hand for another attack. This time it aimed directly at Verity. It brought all of its strength down, right on top of the girl. Verity tried to stand strong. Her Divining Wand grew brighter. Darkness clashed against light. It became a matter of will. The first to give in would die.
Verity could feel her own strength waning. The darkness drew closer to her. She was going to fail. It wasn't far now. And then she would never see Scott or Meg or her mother again.
"I won't!" yelled Verity at that dismal thought. Her light flared back brighter than before. "No darkness can extinguish a single candle!!!"
Darkside exploded outward. Verity fell to her knees, breathing very hard.
The sky over her turned even more violent. It drew from the dead energy of Darkside and began to inhale the world. Verity felt the winds rage around her. She tried to dig in to the soil, but was too tired. Darkness claimed her world.
**************************************************************************** **********
Forgotten Forest....
Lee sat on his sleeping bag, watching Adeola and Devan sleep. He was too excited and antsy to sleep. They had set up camp not too far from the lake and were going to start their trail blazing in the morning. The night was dark, cool, and crisp. It carried the scent of fall beginning.
Lee sighed and gave up fighting insomnia. He stood up and walked to the lake, being careful not to trip over tree roots in the dark. There was no moonlight, no starlight to guide him. He made it to the lake. It was like a sheet of black glass. Not a star reflected off of its surface.
Lee walked to the edge and was about to jump in when he saw the clouds reflected off of the lake's surface. The clouds were rolling and rolling over each other. Each was its own shade of black. The sky seemed to be smothering the earth below.
Lee froze where he was standing. He stood, near spellbound, as the storm clouds continued to build. There was something...wrong about the whole scene. Lee wasn't sure what, but he knew he had to see it through, somehow he knew.
He watched as the clouds swirled closer and closer into a dark vortex, which was only interrupted by peels of thunder. Lee couldn't help but feel like he had swallowed a rock. Then something inside of him told him to run. Some deep loyalty to his friends told him that they were in great danger.
"Adeola! Devan!" he gasped, before turning and running back to where they had set up camp.
He didn't worry about tree roots or branches as he sprinted through the forest. Consequently, he fell several times. But each time he got right back up and hurried faster than ever. Lee was luckily he didn't break an ankle in his dash. But he wasn't thinking like that. There was so much more at stake.
He made it back to the camp. But it was too late. Their carefully gathered supplies had been thrown everywhere. The sleeping bags were in disarray. Adeola and Devan were nowhere to be seen.
"Guys! Where are you!" cried Lee. But they didn't answer him. Something else did.
The tree branches' shadows seemed to be growing. The limbs were becoming claws. They were stepping towards him, dangerous and evil. Lee jumped back with a gasp. They were the same creatures from his dream!
"Adeola! Devan!" called Lee again. The shadows attacked.
Lee ducked and rolled out of the way. He looked frantically around, but he was trapped by shadows, alone and defenseless.
He looked around and his hands fell on a flat piece of slate. He picked it up and held it between himself and the incoming Heartless. He could hear claws rake across its surface as a high-pitched screech came from the board. Lee cringed and rolled to his feet, before running back through the forest again. He was getting tired now. Even though he was used to running, this was getting excessive.
WHAM! Lee collided with a tree truck. The slate he had been holding shattered around him. Lee lay there for a moment, stunned.
As soon as he recovered, Lee was back running, although he had no idea where he was heading. His feet ended up bringing him back to the lake, although he was several yards from where he had been last time.
The dark sky was turning worse than ever, a double image from reality and the water's reflection. He could hear the sounds of the Heartless pursuing him through the woods. The shadows around him were waving wildly and taking on solid forms. Lee knew he wouldn't be able to run much long, but he couldn't fight either.
SLASH! Claws raked across his back, drawing blood. Lee gasped, turned, and saw a growing group of Heartless behind him. They had him surrounded with the lake behind him.
"I can't give up!" exclaimed Lee. "Adeola! Devan! I won't let them hurt you!" Lee had no idea how he was going to do that, considering he had not way of keeping himself from harm. Still, he meant every word he said.
FLASH! A shaft of light shot straight across the lake, right on Lee.
Lee jumped as he felt something hard on his arm. He thought it was another attack at first, but it was too heavy. As the light faded Lee realized there was something attached to his arm. He focused on it, shocked. It was the same shield he had chosen from his dream!
"Guide Shield...Guide Shield..." a voice said on the night wind.
"Huh?" asked Lee as he lowered his arm to a more usable height. The Heartless, which before had been cringing from the light, attacked.
Lee braced himself behind his shield and felt the first set of claws brush against it. WOOSH! A beam of light shot from the middle of the Guide Shield and blew the Heartless to dust.
"Huh?" asked Lee. But he didn't wait for an answer. Through the gap the light had left he ran.
He went back into the forest, calling Adeola and Devan's names every so often. He used the Guide Shield against anything that stood directly in his way, and the others he raced around. Time was running out. Lee knew it.
Lee stopped running the minute he realized where he was at. He was at the same oak tree where he had buried the rings. He stood, hands on his knees, trying to breath, all the while listening for a new attack.
"Lee....." he heard a faint voice call.
Lee's head jerked up. There, in front of him, was Adeola and Devan. They both looked very tired and very scared. The most unusual thing, though, was the door in the middle of the woods that was right behind them.
"Devan! Adeola!" exclaimed Lee. "What happened to you?"
Adeola looked directly into his eyes with the most haunted expression Lee had ever seen. He took on step towards them. The door was thrown open. Adeola and Devan disappeared in a wave of darkness. Lee felt himself being swept away, turning head over heels in a black wind.
When it stopped Lee found himself sprawled out on the shore of the lake once more. He stood up, looking for injuries. He could feel bruises. He also looked for Devan and Adeola, but they were nowhere to be found. Lee was alone with the awful sky for company. Well, he could wish he was alone.
As Lee watched with widening eyes, his shadow expanded and stretched, rising off of the ground. It stood over him, like a demon from the darkness nightmare. It was the very same as it had been in the dream, right down to the heart-shaped hole in it's chest.
Lee tried to calm his nerves. "I can handle this. I beat it before." Darkside slammed a fist into the ground. "YIKES!!!!"
Lee backed up as far as he could, right to the edge of the lake. Smaller Heartless were pressing in around him. He took another step backwards and ended up with a very wet foot.
"This won't work!" Lee told himself. He gathered his strength and the Guide Shield responded.
The light from it tore through the row of nearest Heartless. Lee stepped forward, taking out two more. As he drew closer with the light, the Heartless retreated. Lee smiled.
WHAM! A giant fist landed not more than two feet from where he was standing. Lee stared up at Darkside, half sizing it up, half wondering what the heck he could do about the monster.
"Light beats dark," said Lee, focusing even more of his strength on his shield. He didn't know how it worked, but there was something inside of him that told him how to fight the dark, his own light.
The Guide Shield flared in his hands to almost blinding levels. The smaller Heartless fled or where destroyed. Darkside shuddered. Lee poured more of his inner strength into his shield. He could feel his physical strength waning, but his heart remained strong.
Darkside fell backward into the lake, creating a huge concussion wave. The black lake water was thrown into the air, creating a more tumultuous scene. The sky reflected that. It grew more violent, circulating on itself again and again.
Lee stood up, breathing hard and dusting the dirt off of his pants. Violent wind ripped through the forest, tearing leaves, branches, and even trees apart. It seemed like everything was being sucked into the void like a huge vacuum.
Lee shielded his eyes with his free hand from all the debris in the air. Then, without warning, he felt himself being picked up and thrown into the air. He turned around, over and over again, as everything was lost in darkness.
**************************************************************************** **********
Northern Shoal......
Tamsin's snoring woke Crysta that night. Crysta sat up straight on her sleeping bag. She looked over at Faye and Tamsin, who were both still asleep. Crysta sat up straighter. She had heard the noise again, but it wasn't Tamsin. It was coming from outside.
Crysta stood and slipped outside, careful not to step on Faye on her way out. The night was completely dark. The embers of the slowly dying fire were the only thing Crysta had for a guide. Everything was still, the rest of the hikers were sleeping soundly in their tents.
CRASH! Another peel of thunder ripped over head. Crysta looked up at the sky. It was nothing but a mountain of sheer darkness. Clouds were rolling in on each other, except they didn't seem to be going anywhere. It seemed like the sky was filling up.
"Well, a little rain never hurt anyone," said Crysta at length. She started to walk down the path that lead to the Northern Shoal. She was restless and was hoping that a walk would clear her mind. She ignored the loud splits of thunder as best she could.
The rock formations seemed far from beautiful at night. They were nothing short of eerie. Shadows feel across them, highlighting the worst parts. Instead of seeming like a wonder of nature it seemed like a place the occult would do a sinister ritual. The rolling clouds and low thunder only seemed to encourage that image.
Crysta stood, slightly above most of the Northern Shoal, looking down at it. The more she stared, the worse it seemed to look. It seemed like the very shadows themselves were twisting, trying to reach her. She even thought she could see creatures sneaking in the darkness.
"I guess I must need more sleep," concluded Crysta. "Me and my imagina..." A shadow jumped right in front of her claws bared. Its beady eyes glared straight at her. "TION!" It came out like a shriek as the Heartless attacked.
Crysta ducked and it sailed over her. But by then several more Heartless had appeared, all poised to attack.
"I'm dreaming again!"
SLASH! Blood began to flow down her right shoulder.
"This is no dream.." With that realization, all the trouble she was in dawned on her.
Crysta did a slow circle, taking in all the Heartless around her. It didn't look good. She was outnumbered seven to one, and they had claws. Crysta waited until they all lunged forward. She jumped up and to her left, landed on a larger rock, then shimmied up it until she was on a small ledge with a very steep slope.
Crysta was determined not to stop there, though. She started to inch along the cliff's side, trying to make it back to the camp. Some Heartless tried to jump up to her; others disappeared in the darkness. Crysta gritted her teeth and continued.
She was glad they hadn't camped so far away. Soon, she was about twenty feet over the camp. She pushed off of the rocks and slid down the slope on her rear end. She raced passed the Heartless and came to a stop in the middle of the camp.
Without waiting for anything to recover, she grabbed the closest object she could put her fingers on; the Frisbee. The Heartless were materializing in the camp.
"Everyone wake up!" yelled Crysta as she let the Frisbee fly. Her aim was true and it went straight at the Heartless.
The Heartless in the middle raised its claws and batted it away, leaving more holes in it that Swiss cheese.
"Dang it!" exclaimed Crysta. "Tamsin! Faye! Get out of there!"
No one answered her. The Heartless continued their advance. Crysta looked at all the tents, wondering how everyone else could still be sleeping.
FOOSH! One Heartless jumped and landed on the roof of the tent, flattening it. It was completely flat, which only meant one thing.
"Where is everyone?!" cried Crysta when it dawned on her that all the tents were empty.
The Heartless attacked again as one black mass. Crysta didn't hesitate. She started running again. Her feet found the path back to the shoal quickly, and she bolted down it. More and more Heartless appeared, but Crysta didn't focus on them. She was soon quite a distance ahead of them.
That really didn't matter, though, because the minute she got to the shoal, more simply formed. One jumped up behind her and claws at her legs, sending her face down in the dirt. Crysta tried to get to her feet again, but another was on top of her.
"Get off!" yelled Crysta as she kicked at it.
WOOSH! A huge shaft of light came form somewhere in the middle of the shoal. The source of it was getting closer and closer to Crysta. It seemed almost like a comet, and for a moment the legend of the star guardian flashed through her mind.
The Heartless withdrew from the light. Crysta stood up and caught it as it went by. It formed solid in her hands as if it had always been there.
"Compass Razor.... Compass Razor....." said a voice from some unknown place.
Crysta inhaled sharply as she looked over the item. It was the same one she had used in her dreams. It was about 50% larger than a Frisbee, with razor edges, and an actual compass built into the center.
The light had faded when she accepted the Compass Razor and the Heartless had returned. They moved in to attack again. This time Crysta was ready. With her first throw she cut through six Heartless.
"Ha! Take that!" exclaimed Crysta, who was still sore about her missing friends and hurt shoulder.
A low moan came to her after a crash of thunder. Crysta's head jerked up straight. She raced through the Heartless, who were still looking to fight. Now she was in the middle of the Northern Shoal itself. Something in front of her drew her in. It was the rock that she had climbed with Tamsin. But something was different.
"Crysta..." the wind said. Only it wasn't the wind. There was someone on the rock; two people, to be precise.
"Faye! Tamsin!" gasped Crysta when she saw her friends up there. They looked bruised and exhausted. But that wasn't the worst part. Their wrists were shackled together by what seemed like chains of darkness, which faded into the shadows.
"Crysta. Help," they said, but it sounded very weak.
"Don't move!" Crysta raised the Compass Razor, intending to slice through the chains. But she hesitated for a second. She wanted to free them, not hurt them. She wasn't sure how carefully she could aim.
That hesitation cost her. A door materialized behind her friends. As she watched in burst open, as if by a strong force on the other side. Tamsin and Faye disappeared with the dark wind that erupted from it. Crysta was thrown several feet backwards.
That, however, wasn't enough to slow her determination. She rose again and began to frantically look around for her friends. She didn't find them, but something found her. It was growing from the very darkness around her.
Crysta's eyes went wide when she recognized it; the creature from her dream, Darkside. It looked down at her and Crysta could tell it was going to attack. She tightened her grip on the Compass Blade and prepared herself.
It raised a fist right above Crysta and brought it down. Crysta jumped backwards, barely missing being crushed. The concussion from the attack knocked her head over heels a couple of times.
As she rose, she saw the Heartless forming. Crysta ignored them and let her Compass Blade fly at Darkside. It barely grazed its shoulder as it buzzed passed.
"Dang it!" exclaimed Crysta as she dodged an incoming Heartless.
In doing so, she tripped over one that had formed behind her. She fell on her backside as on jumped at her face. Crysta cringed.
BUZZ! Her Compass Blade sliced through it from behind. Crysta threw up her hands and caught it in front of her stomach. She was on her feet an instant later.
She looked up at Darkside, who was looking down at her. It raised a fist and she raised her weapon. Crysta attacked first, aiming for her Darkside's neck, like she did the last time.
As her weapon left her hand, Darkside struck. The force of its attack shook the land. But that wasn't the only affect it had. In driving its fist down, it lowered its head and the Compass Blade sailed harmlessly behind its neck.
"Double dang it!" exclaimed Crysta. As she looked around she realized she was even more surrounded, with the blade ring far away.
Crysta focused not on the enemy this time, but on her weapon. She reached out her hand as if to catch it, even though it was at the furthest point of the loop. As she watched the Compass Blade responded to her hand. It altered its course as she twitched her hand.
Crysta jerked her hand to the right, willing her weapon to attack Darkside. It turned 180 degrees in the air, turning back at its original target. It struck this time, removing Darkside's head.
Crysta jumped up and grabbed her weapon out of the air as it swept by. She wore a small smile for the victory. Too bad that was short-lived.
The sky above seemed to open up. It opened into nothingness. In that void it began to consume everything in the entire world.
Crysta gasped as she felt the ground fall away from her feet. The rushing winds made it too hard to scream or even talk. She did the only things she could; tighten the grip on her weapon and wait for it to end. That was the last thing she remembered as darkness claimed everything.
AN/ Sorry it took me so long to update. Part of that reason was like computer problems like you won't believe. The other part was not faithful reviewers. In the early chapters of this fic a bunch of people were demanding updates. So I updated. They never came back. Now, if you want me to update you have to tell me repeatedly. I mean, the only real reason I am updating now is for Caroline and her fan arts. Don't just ask for an update and then don't come back. I want to know people are still interested in this. So, tell me, okay?
And, as always, please read, review, and enjoy! (
Sora laid on his bed that evening, thinking through the day in his mind. He was a little nervous, knowing he would leave for the unknown tomorrow.
'I just can't wait!" he heard Kairi's voice. 'Once we set sail, it'll be great!'
Sora smiled slightly. Then a thunder clasp broke him out of his thoughts. He sat bolt upright. Sudden thunderstorms were no surprise this close to the ocean, but there was something about this one.....
"A storm.....? Oh, no!" gasped Sora. "The raft!" He raced down the stairs, thankful he hadn't bothered to change into is PJ's.
His mom called out to him, "Sora dinner's ready! Come on down." But Sora was already racing out of the back door. "Sora?"
Sora made it to the beach of Destiny Island faster than he ever had before. That was a surprise, considering how awful things were becoming outside. As he tied down his rowboat, he spotted two others also docked.
"What's that?" Sora asked himself. Then he recognized them. "Riku's boat! And Kairi's!"
There was little time for him to wonder about this, though. The sky, which had been full of swirling black clouds, had changed. They had begun to swirl into one massive void, forming a sinister sphere in the sky.
"Huh?" gasped Sora. As it left his lips, the shadows beneath his feet sprang to life. They surrounded him, bearing sharp claws.
"Oh, no!" gasped Sora. "The creatures from my dream!" His head jerked form left to right to over his shoulder as he realized how many of them there was. There was only one thing Sora could do. He pulled out his wooden sword and waited for them to charge him.
They did, and it seemed like all at once. Sora swung into the darkness as the darkness itself attacked him. He made contact with one of the shadows and heard a loud SNAP!
Sora pulled back his wooden weapon and looked at it, while shielding his face from a shadow. His sword had snapped clean in half right by the hilt.
"Oh, shoot!" exclaimed Sora, now realizing the situation had just gotten worse. Before it had been so bizarre it could have been a nightmare. Now it was beyond even the logic of a nightmare.
The shadows dove in for another attack. Sora, not having another choice, turned and ran. His feet lead him to the ledge where he had watched the sunset with Kairi and Riku. It wasn't easy getting there, though. It seemed like everywhere he went the shadows were coming to life, clawing and covering everything in darkness.
Sora looked up and realized he was not alone. Riku was standing with his back to him, looking at the vortex in the sky. Sora looked around, realizing Kairi wasn't there.
"Where's Kairi?!" demanded Sora to Riku. "I thought she was with you!" Probably not the brightest thing to say, but it wasn't a good situation to begin with.
"The door has opened..." replied Riku, sounding distant.
"What?"
"The door has opened, Sora!" repeated Riku, eagerly. "Now we can get to the outside world!"
"What are you talking about?!" demanded Sora. "We have to find Kairi!"
"Kairi's coming with us!" answered Riku, who was starting to sound annoyed. Then he dropped his tone. "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I am not afraid of the darkness!"
"Riku!" exclaimed Sora, hoping for a second that this was all a dream. It was a bit like the last one, what with the shadows and his friends not making any sense and all. But there was one difference. This was too real to be a dream.
"AGH!" cried Sora as shadows began to form under them. Sora tried to fight to get away from them, but Riku didn't even flinch. Riku turned and reached out his hand. Sora continued to fight. It seemed like he would be overcome for a moment, then he found the strength and fought free.
FLASH! A blinding light penetrated the thickening darkness. Sora raised a hand to shield his eyes and felt something solid in his palm. He looked up and realized he was holding the sword from his dream.
"Keyblade....Keyblade....." a mysterious voice echoed in the night.
"Huh?" gasped Sora. He looked around. The shadows were eyeing him cautiously. Riku was nowhere to be seen.
"Kairi!" remembered Sora.
That seemed to be a cue for the shadows to attack. The lunged again. Sora swung the Keyblade and cut the first in half. Surprised, Sora turned and struck down another. The shadows continued to attack, but he pushed through them, desperate to find Kairi.
He made his way to the hidden cave he had discovered the other day, strike down anything that moved towards him. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw inside.
There was a huge door there, the same one he had seen out of his peripheral vision the other day. It had a sinister aura to it. But in front of the door was Kairi, looking like she had been badly beaten. She was dirty and bruised and looked about ready to fall over.
"Kairi!" cried Sora as he raced to her.
"Sora...." groaned Kairi, sounding very weak.
Behind her the door was thrown open. A black wind threw Kairi into the air and sent her sailing forward. Sora opened his arms to catch her, but as he did she faded completely, almost like a ghost.
The strange wind picked up and before Sora knew what was going on, he was back on the ledge. The sky was even darker and the void was even bigger. The smaller shadows watched him from the darkness. But they were the least of his problems as his own shadow twisted and grew behind him.
"Oh no..." groaned Sora as he stood ready with his Keyblade.
His shadow took on a solid form, the exact same as the one form his dream, right down to the heart-shaped hole in its chest. It raised a massive fist and slammed it into the ground.
"I remember," muttered Sora as he raced over and began to hack at the hand.
He jumped onto the back of his Darkside's fist and slashed as fast and furiously as he could. Smaller Heartless clawed at him, but he ignored them, only taking one down by an incidental over-swing.
His own heart lurched as he realized that Darkside was raising its fist for another attack. Sora locked his knees as he was lifted higher and higher into the air on Darkside's fist. But then Darkside began to swing. Sora lost his balance and fell to the ground. As he landed he was surrounded by Heartless.
"Not today!" growled Sora as he began to fight off their claws. He could feel scratches and bruises from the battle, but still he refused to stop fighting.
WHAM! A loud slam hit the ground, throwing Sora off of his feet and leaving him open to Heartless attacks. Darkside had once again slammed the ground with its massive fist. More Heartless were forming.
Sora leapt to his feet and charged, Keyblade raised. He jumped high into the air and landed a devastating hit on Darkside's hand. The creature of darkness reeled back in pain, shaking the very core of the earth.
It began to dissolve into the night's shadow. But those were only growing stronger. Sora cringed involuntarily when he saw how utterly dark it was. He didn't think it was possible for it to be this dark. It was so dark it was almost evil.
The winds began with renewed vigor as Darkside fell. They seemed to be drawing everything into the void. Sora threw himself to the ground to try to anchor himself. But he, too, was picked up and draw into the void. There, there was nothing but darkness.
**************************************************************************** **********
Metro City...
Verity tossed and turned on her bed that night. There was something that just didn't seem right. Something that was bugging her that she couldn't put her finger on. And that bugged her even more, because she couldn't explain it.
Figuring there was nothing to curb her restlessness, Verity decided to take a walk. She threw on her clothes and slipped down the stairs, not turning on any lights so she wouldn't way her mother up.
As she walked passed the kitchen the phone rang right by her shoulder. Verity leapt into the air in surprise. But she quickly answered it before it could ring again.
"Hello?
"Hi! Verity! It's Meg."
"Hi. Why are you calling so late? It is after midnight?"
"Well, I got this call from Scott about half an hour ago. He said something in Our Other Worlds struck him. He said, 'it is happening. Meet me at the library. Bring the props.' Well, I'm here now and I don't see him anywhere. I found some of his craft supplies...But..But I'm worried! One of the doors is opened. What if he went inside or something. The library is closed and..."
"Calm down Meg!" interrupted Verity. "Take some deep breaths. Now, listen. I am going to be right over. Stay put! And try not to let anyone find you! Got it?"
"Yes..."
"Listen to me this time, okay?"
"Sure..."
"I'll be right over."
"Okay...bye."
"Bye. And don't go anywhere!"
The line went dead.
"She's not going to stay put," muttered Verity. She raced to the door. As she did she noticed her bags of props. As if on second thought, Verity grabbed the closest one and bolted out of the door. She wondered why she did grab it, but that wasn't what she was focusing on.
Her first concern was about her friends. That was somehow tying into the weird feeling she was having. The color of the sky wasn't helping, either. It was a tumbling black ink.
CRASH! BOOM! Thunder ripped across the night.
"Great...." muttered Verity, looking for the first drops of rain. She quickened her pace, hoping to get to the library before it started to pour.
She did make it, luckily. She first sought on the statue of Nike, where she new she was vainly hoping to find Meg. She was right. No one was there. But there was proof that both Scott and Meg had been there that evening. Two bags of Tempest props were set at the base of Winged Victory.
Verity walked over to them and set hers next to theirs. She scanned the darkening courtyard one last time, but they weren't there. She signed.
CRASH! BOOM! Another peel pf thunder broke through the night.
Verity looked up at the sky and gasped. The clouds were turning over each other in a way that might have created a tornado. But instead of forming a funnel, they were forming a sphere of solid darkness.
"Meg! Scott!" gasped Verity. Her eyes darter to the library before resting on a door that was halfway opened. With determination like she had never felt Verity turned to run inside.
But one thing held her back. She looked by the base of the statue and saw their stuff. She shoved the bags further under it. Her hands came to rest on her bag. She hesitated a moment, then pulled out her hand made wand. Behind that was Our Other World. She grabbed the book, too, knowing that someone might try to steal it.
Without wasting another second, Verity ran into the library in search of her friends. The library was dark inside. The shelves loomed ominously over everything. Nothing moved, nothing breathed.
CRASH! BOOM! Another crash of thunder ripped through the sky, causing Verity to jump. Lightning flashed in through the windows. Shadows seemed to form in it. They were there for a second, and when the light faded they were back into the darkness. Verity looked frantically over her shoulders, developing the feeling that she was not alone. Something was shifting in the shadows, something sinister.
"Did you read it?" asked a voice. Verity jumped as the speaker leaned over her right shoulder.
"Scott! Don't scare me like that!" exclaimed Verity.
"Did you read it?" he repeated. Verity looked him over once. His eyes were wide with dark circles under them. He seemed very afraid.
"Read what?" asked Verity, nervously.
"The book!" he answered, his eyes dropping to the one in her arms. "Did you read it?" There was a sense of extreme urgency in his voice.
"Not all of it...."
"The last chapter! Do you know what is happening?"
"No..Scott, please stop. You're really starting to scare me."
"The last chapter," he repeated, distantly. "'When Worlds End.' That is what is happening."
"Scott! Stop! We are not going through apocalypse!"
"No. This is much worse...."
"Scott.."
"AGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a screamed interrupted their conversation. It came from the back of the library.
"Meg!" cried Verity. She started to run towards the scream.
WOOSH! WOOSH! WOOSH! The shadows around her feet sprang to life, bearing their claws at her. Verity stopped and gaped at them. They were the very same creatures that had attacked her in her dream. She quickly looked back at Scott, but he was gone.
The Heartless attacked. Verity ducked and threw her hands, which was holding her wand, in front of her. SLASH! The wand fell to the floor in several different pieces.
Verity gasped, then bolted further into the library, trying to escape the nightmare by the entrance. Every row of books seemed to be mutating into Heartless. Every corner was filled with claws.
"Meg!" cried Verity again. Then she stopped short.
Verity was in the back of the library. But there, again was the door she had found earlier. It was cracked open only a fraction. Verity hesitated. But in that hesitation a Heartless attacked her. She could feel claws sinking into her back, drawing blood. She shook it off and ran for the door.
She burst in just as another Heartless grabbed at her ankles. She tripped in and fell as she slid through the door. With her other foot she slammed the door shut, slicing the Heartless on her foot in two.
Breathing hard, Verity looked down at the floor. A normal shadow was stretching across it to her. It was Meg's shadow.
"Meg!" gasped Verity. But as she looked up, she realized she was the only one in the entire room. Verity took a deep breath to try to calm her nerves.
FLASH! A bright light shot straight up from the center of the room. Verity looked at it, puzzled. The entire night was starting to annoy her; not only from the fear and missing friends, but also from all the unanswered questions.
THUD! Something slammed against the door. THUD! THUD! THUD! The Heartless were trying to get in.
Verity leapt away from the door as if it had caught on fire. She walked to the light, the strength in darkness. She reached out and the light became a solid object in her hands. It was the very same wand from her dream. Verity looked at it, puzzled, as she felt the warm tingling of magic flow through her.
"Divining Wand...Divining Wand...," a voice echoed from an unknown place.
THUD! CRASH! SMASH! The door broke, and in flowed the Heartless.
"Where's Scott and Meg?!" demanded Verity as she held out the Divining Wand.
The Heartless charged her. Verity held her wand in front of the first one. Light from the end of it grew brightly and the Heartless disintegrated. The rest seemed to back off, but they did not retreat.
WOOSH! A strong dark wind rose, whipping around Verity. She felt it wrap around her. She closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again she was back in the courtyard with Nike.
"SCOTT! MEG!" she cried. No one answered. The sky overheard was an angry, evil black, which turned over and over in a sphere. Verity saw it, gasped, and diverted her gaze. What she saw next was even worse.
Her own shadow was mutating behind her, growing to enormous proportions. It stretched over the library and looked down at her. Through the hole in its chest Verity could see the turning sky. Verity gulped and took a step backwards.
"This isn't happening," she moaned, as her own shadow started to attack.
Her Darkside slammed a massive fist down at her. Verity raced out of the way and turned to face it, holding her Divining Wand in front of her. It glowed softly in her hands.
A black void formed under Darkside's fist, and out of it hopped smaller Heartless. Verity looked from the larger Darkside to the small Heartless, knowing she was in major trouble.
The Darkside pulled its fist back and the Heartless lunged at her. Verity held her staff forward, willing powerful light to come from it. The Heartless came straight at her, but two never made it. Verity dissolved them in light first. But there was too many for her to handle. She ran as far as she could out of their way, which put her closer to Darkside.
Darkside slammed its fist down again and Verity jumped backwards. It summoned more Heartless. Verity knew that if this kept up she wouldn't be able to handle the numbers. She got into a solid stance and began to summon the power of her wand. The tip began to glow bright. The attacking Heartless paused a moment, afraid of the light.
Darkside shuddered for a moment, then raised its hand for another attack. This time it aimed directly at Verity. It brought all of its strength down, right on top of the girl. Verity tried to stand strong. Her Divining Wand grew brighter. Darkness clashed against light. It became a matter of will. The first to give in would die.
Verity could feel her own strength waning. The darkness drew closer to her. She was going to fail. It wasn't far now. And then she would never see Scott or Meg or her mother again.
"I won't!" yelled Verity at that dismal thought. Her light flared back brighter than before. "No darkness can extinguish a single candle!!!"
Darkside exploded outward. Verity fell to her knees, breathing very hard.
The sky over her turned even more violent. It drew from the dead energy of Darkside and began to inhale the world. Verity felt the winds rage around her. She tried to dig in to the soil, but was too tired. Darkness claimed her world.
**************************************************************************** **********
Forgotten Forest....
Lee sat on his sleeping bag, watching Adeola and Devan sleep. He was too excited and antsy to sleep. They had set up camp not too far from the lake and were going to start their trail blazing in the morning. The night was dark, cool, and crisp. It carried the scent of fall beginning.
Lee sighed and gave up fighting insomnia. He stood up and walked to the lake, being careful not to trip over tree roots in the dark. There was no moonlight, no starlight to guide him. He made it to the lake. It was like a sheet of black glass. Not a star reflected off of its surface.
Lee walked to the edge and was about to jump in when he saw the clouds reflected off of the lake's surface. The clouds were rolling and rolling over each other. Each was its own shade of black. The sky seemed to be smothering the earth below.
Lee froze where he was standing. He stood, near spellbound, as the storm clouds continued to build. There was something...wrong about the whole scene. Lee wasn't sure what, but he knew he had to see it through, somehow he knew.
He watched as the clouds swirled closer and closer into a dark vortex, which was only interrupted by peels of thunder. Lee couldn't help but feel like he had swallowed a rock. Then something inside of him told him to run. Some deep loyalty to his friends told him that they were in great danger.
"Adeola! Devan!" he gasped, before turning and running back to where they had set up camp.
He didn't worry about tree roots or branches as he sprinted through the forest. Consequently, he fell several times. But each time he got right back up and hurried faster than ever. Lee was luckily he didn't break an ankle in his dash. But he wasn't thinking like that. There was so much more at stake.
He made it back to the camp. But it was too late. Their carefully gathered supplies had been thrown everywhere. The sleeping bags were in disarray. Adeola and Devan were nowhere to be seen.
"Guys! Where are you!" cried Lee. But they didn't answer him. Something else did.
The tree branches' shadows seemed to be growing. The limbs were becoming claws. They were stepping towards him, dangerous and evil. Lee jumped back with a gasp. They were the same creatures from his dream!
"Adeola! Devan!" called Lee again. The shadows attacked.
Lee ducked and rolled out of the way. He looked frantically around, but he was trapped by shadows, alone and defenseless.
He looked around and his hands fell on a flat piece of slate. He picked it up and held it between himself and the incoming Heartless. He could hear claws rake across its surface as a high-pitched screech came from the board. Lee cringed and rolled to his feet, before running back through the forest again. He was getting tired now. Even though he was used to running, this was getting excessive.
WHAM! Lee collided with a tree truck. The slate he had been holding shattered around him. Lee lay there for a moment, stunned.
As soon as he recovered, Lee was back running, although he had no idea where he was heading. His feet ended up bringing him back to the lake, although he was several yards from where he had been last time.
The dark sky was turning worse than ever, a double image from reality and the water's reflection. He could hear the sounds of the Heartless pursuing him through the woods. The shadows around him were waving wildly and taking on solid forms. Lee knew he wouldn't be able to run much long, but he couldn't fight either.
SLASH! Claws raked across his back, drawing blood. Lee gasped, turned, and saw a growing group of Heartless behind him. They had him surrounded with the lake behind him.
"I can't give up!" exclaimed Lee. "Adeola! Devan! I won't let them hurt you!" Lee had no idea how he was going to do that, considering he had not way of keeping himself from harm. Still, he meant every word he said.
FLASH! A shaft of light shot straight across the lake, right on Lee.
Lee jumped as he felt something hard on his arm. He thought it was another attack at first, but it was too heavy. As the light faded Lee realized there was something attached to his arm. He focused on it, shocked. It was the same shield he had chosen from his dream!
"Guide Shield...Guide Shield..." a voice said on the night wind.
"Huh?" asked Lee as he lowered his arm to a more usable height. The Heartless, which before had been cringing from the light, attacked.
Lee braced himself behind his shield and felt the first set of claws brush against it. WOOSH! A beam of light shot from the middle of the Guide Shield and blew the Heartless to dust.
"Huh?" asked Lee. But he didn't wait for an answer. Through the gap the light had left he ran.
He went back into the forest, calling Adeola and Devan's names every so often. He used the Guide Shield against anything that stood directly in his way, and the others he raced around. Time was running out. Lee knew it.
Lee stopped running the minute he realized where he was at. He was at the same oak tree where he had buried the rings. He stood, hands on his knees, trying to breath, all the while listening for a new attack.
"Lee....." he heard a faint voice call.
Lee's head jerked up. There, in front of him, was Adeola and Devan. They both looked very tired and very scared. The most unusual thing, though, was the door in the middle of the woods that was right behind them.
"Devan! Adeola!" exclaimed Lee. "What happened to you?"
Adeola looked directly into his eyes with the most haunted expression Lee had ever seen. He took on step towards them. The door was thrown open. Adeola and Devan disappeared in a wave of darkness. Lee felt himself being swept away, turning head over heels in a black wind.
When it stopped Lee found himself sprawled out on the shore of the lake once more. He stood up, looking for injuries. He could feel bruises. He also looked for Devan and Adeola, but they were nowhere to be found. Lee was alone with the awful sky for company. Well, he could wish he was alone.
As Lee watched with widening eyes, his shadow expanded and stretched, rising off of the ground. It stood over him, like a demon from the darkness nightmare. It was the very same as it had been in the dream, right down to the heart-shaped hole in it's chest.
Lee tried to calm his nerves. "I can handle this. I beat it before." Darkside slammed a fist into the ground. "YIKES!!!!"
Lee backed up as far as he could, right to the edge of the lake. Smaller Heartless were pressing in around him. He took another step backwards and ended up with a very wet foot.
"This won't work!" Lee told himself. He gathered his strength and the Guide Shield responded.
The light from it tore through the row of nearest Heartless. Lee stepped forward, taking out two more. As he drew closer with the light, the Heartless retreated. Lee smiled.
WHAM! A giant fist landed not more than two feet from where he was standing. Lee stared up at Darkside, half sizing it up, half wondering what the heck he could do about the monster.
"Light beats dark," said Lee, focusing even more of his strength on his shield. He didn't know how it worked, but there was something inside of him that told him how to fight the dark, his own light.
The Guide Shield flared in his hands to almost blinding levels. The smaller Heartless fled or where destroyed. Darkside shuddered. Lee poured more of his inner strength into his shield. He could feel his physical strength waning, but his heart remained strong.
Darkside fell backward into the lake, creating a huge concussion wave. The black lake water was thrown into the air, creating a more tumultuous scene. The sky reflected that. It grew more violent, circulating on itself again and again.
Lee stood up, breathing hard and dusting the dirt off of his pants. Violent wind ripped through the forest, tearing leaves, branches, and even trees apart. It seemed like everything was being sucked into the void like a huge vacuum.
Lee shielded his eyes with his free hand from all the debris in the air. Then, without warning, he felt himself being picked up and thrown into the air. He turned around, over and over again, as everything was lost in darkness.
**************************************************************************** **********
Northern Shoal......
Tamsin's snoring woke Crysta that night. Crysta sat up straight on her sleeping bag. She looked over at Faye and Tamsin, who were both still asleep. Crysta sat up straighter. She had heard the noise again, but it wasn't Tamsin. It was coming from outside.
Crysta stood and slipped outside, careful not to step on Faye on her way out. The night was completely dark. The embers of the slowly dying fire were the only thing Crysta had for a guide. Everything was still, the rest of the hikers were sleeping soundly in their tents.
CRASH! Another peel of thunder ripped over head. Crysta looked up at the sky. It was nothing but a mountain of sheer darkness. Clouds were rolling in on each other, except they didn't seem to be going anywhere. It seemed like the sky was filling up.
"Well, a little rain never hurt anyone," said Crysta at length. She started to walk down the path that lead to the Northern Shoal. She was restless and was hoping that a walk would clear her mind. She ignored the loud splits of thunder as best she could.
The rock formations seemed far from beautiful at night. They were nothing short of eerie. Shadows feel across them, highlighting the worst parts. Instead of seeming like a wonder of nature it seemed like a place the occult would do a sinister ritual. The rolling clouds and low thunder only seemed to encourage that image.
Crysta stood, slightly above most of the Northern Shoal, looking down at it. The more she stared, the worse it seemed to look. It seemed like the very shadows themselves were twisting, trying to reach her. She even thought she could see creatures sneaking in the darkness.
"I guess I must need more sleep," concluded Crysta. "Me and my imagina..." A shadow jumped right in front of her claws bared. Its beady eyes glared straight at her. "TION!" It came out like a shriek as the Heartless attacked.
Crysta ducked and it sailed over her. But by then several more Heartless had appeared, all poised to attack.
"I'm dreaming again!"
SLASH! Blood began to flow down her right shoulder.
"This is no dream.." With that realization, all the trouble she was in dawned on her.
Crysta did a slow circle, taking in all the Heartless around her. It didn't look good. She was outnumbered seven to one, and they had claws. Crysta waited until they all lunged forward. She jumped up and to her left, landed on a larger rock, then shimmied up it until she was on a small ledge with a very steep slope.
Crysta was determined not to stop there, though. She started to inch along the cliff's side, trying to make it back to the camp. Some Heartless tried to jump up to her; others disappeared in the darkness. Crysta gritted her teeth and continued.
She was glad they hadn't camped so far away. Soon, she was about twenty feet over the camp. She pushed off of the rocks and slid down the slope on her rear end. She raced passed the Heartless and came to a stop in the middle of the camp.
Without waiting for anything to recover, she grabbed the closest object she could put her fingers on; the Frisbee. The Heartless were materializing in the camp.
"Everyone wake up!" yelled Crysta as she let the Frisbee fly. Her aim was true and it went straight at the Heartless.
The Heartless in the middle raised its claws and batted it away, leaving more holes in it that Swiss cheese.
"Dang it!" exclaimed Crysta. "Tamsin! Faye! Get out of there!"
No one answered her. The Heartless continued their advance. Crysta looked at all the tents, wondering how everyone else could still be sleeping.
FOOSH! One Heartless jumped and landed on the roof of the tent, flattening it. It was completely flat, which only meant one thing.
"Where is everyone?!" cried Crysta when it dawned on her that all the tents were empty.
The Heartless attacked again as one black mass. Crysta didn't hesitate. She started running again. Her feet found the path back to the shoal quickly, and she bolted down it. More and more Heartless appeared, but Crysta didn't focus on them. She was soon quite a distance ahead of them.
That really didn't matter, though, because the minute she got to the shoal, more simply formed. One jumped up behind her and claws at her legs, sending her face down in the dirt. Crysta tried to get to her feet again, but another was on top of her.
"Get off!" yelled Crysta as she kicked at it.
WOOSH! A huge shaft of light came form somewhere in the middle of the shoal. The source of it was getting closer and closer to Crysta. It seemed almost like a comet, and for a moment the legend of the star guardian flashed through her mind.
The Heartless withdrew from the light. Crysta stood up and caught it as it went by. It formed solid in her hands as if it had always been there.
"Compass Razor.... Compass Razor....." said a voice from some unknown place.
Crysta inhaled sharply as she looked over the item. It was the same one she had used in her dreams. It was about 50% larger than a Frisbee, with razor edges, and an actual compass built into the center.
The light had faded when she accepted the Compass Razor and the Heartless had returned. They moved in to attack again. This time Crysta was ready. With her first throw she cut through six Heartless.
"Ha! Take that!" exclaimed Crysta, who was still sore about her missing friends and hurt shoulder.
A low moan came to her after a crash of thunder. Crysta's head jerked up straight. She raced through the Heartless, who were still looking to fight. Now she was in the middle of the Northern Shoal itself. Something in front of her drew her in. It was the rock that she had climbed with Tamsin. But something was different.
"Crysta..." the wind said. Only it wasn't the wind. There was someone on the rock; two people, to be precise.
"Faye! Tamsin!" gasped Crysta when she saw her friends up there. They looked bruised and exhausted. But that wasn't the worst part. Their wrists were shackled together by what seemed like chains of darkness, which faded into the shadows.
"Crysta. Help," they said, but it sounded very weak.
"Don't move!" Crysta raised the Compass Razor, intending to slice through the chains. But she hesitated for a second. She wanted to free them, not hurt them. She wasn't sure how carefully she could aim.
That hesitation cost her. A door materialized behind her friends. As she watched in burst open, as if by a strong force on the other side. Tamsin and Faye disappeared with the dark wind that erupted from it. Crysta was thrown several feet backwards.
That, however, wasn't enough to slow her determination. She rose again and began to frantically look around for her friends. She didn't find them, but something found her. It was growing from the very darkness around her.
Crysta's eyes went wide when she recognized it; the creature from her dream, Darkside. It looked down at her and Crysta could tell it was going to attack. She tightened her grip on the Compass Blade and prepared herself.
It raised a fist right above Crysta and brought it down. Crysta jumped backwards, barely missing being crushed. The concussion from the attack knocked her head over heels a couple of times.
As she rose, she saw the Heartless forming. Crysta ignored them and let her Compass Blade fly at Darkside. It barely grazed its shoulder as it buzzed passed.
"Dang it!" exclaimed Crysta as she dodged an incoming Heartless.
In doing so, she tripped over one that had formed behind her. She fell on her backside as on jumped at her face. Crysta cringed.
BUZZ! Her Compass Blade sliced through it from behind. Crysta threw up her hands and caught it in front of her stomach. She was on her feet an instant later.
She looked up at Darkside, who was looking down at her. It raised a fist and she raised her weapon. Crysta attacked first, aiming for her Darkside's neck, like she did the last time.
As her weapon left her hand, Darkside struck. The force of its attack shook the land. But that wasn't the only affect it had. In driving its fist down, it lowered its head and the Compass Blade sailed harmlessly behind its neck.
"Double dang it!" exclaimed Crysta. As she looked around she realized she was even more surrounded, with the blade ring far away.
Crysta focused not on the enemy this time, but on her weapon. She reached out her hand as if to catch it, even though it was at the furthest point of the loop. As she watched the Compass Blade responded to her hand. It altered its course as she twitched her hand.
Crysta jerked her hand to the right, willing her weapon to attack Darkside. It turned 180 degrees in the air, turning back at its original target. It struck this time, removing Darkside's head.
Crysta jumped up and grabbed her weapon out of the air as it swept by. She wore a small smile for the victory. Too bad that was short-lived.
The sky above seemed to open up. It opened into nothingness. In that void it began to consume everything in the entire world.
Crysta gasped as she felt the ground fall away from her feet. The rushing winds made it too hard to scream or even talk. She did the only things she could; tighten the grip on her weapon and wait for it to end. That was the last thing she remembered as darkness claimed everything.
AN/ Sorry it took me so long to update. Part of that reason was like computer problems like you won't believe. The other part was not faithful reviewers. In the early chapters of this fic a bunch of people were demanding updates. So I updated. They never came back. Now, if you want me to update you have to tell me repeatedly. I mean, the only real reason I am updating now is for Caroline and her fan arts. Don't just ask for an update and then don't come back. I want to know people are still interested in this. So, tell me, okay?
And, as always, please read, review, and enjoy! (