Woohoo: Evilness! And fighting!
And..and... Evilness! Next is Eeeelias. Yeah, he's freaky. Hmm...
tired...not much else to say...umm...
Ahh, Eriks. Yeah, he's Riku
like Orchid's Sora. But then, He's also kind of Kairi in some bizzare
way. Ah, well. Anyways, Black Orchid, as the very first paragraph
implied, is basically parallel to Kingdom Hearts. Of course, there
will be certain differences towards the end. But, Outcasts of
Arcadia, if I ever get to it, is going to have a completely original
plot. Yay. Anyways, good to see everyone's caught up. And no, I'm
just going to brutally murder Eriks so that Orchid will be scarred
for the rest of her life, knowing that she killed her one true love.
Ah-hah-hah. Just kidding. Anyways, read and review!
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-
THE BOY HAS FAILED US, ELIAS.
"Betrayal?" he asked suspiciously.
NO... BUT HE SHALL NOT DELIVER THE KEYBLADE OF WORLD, LIFE TO US.
"Isn't he making any effort to get it?"
HE IS. BUT HE WILL FAIL. I NEED YOU TO BE READY TO FINISH OFF THE KEYBLADE MASTER, ELIAS, MY MOST TRUSTED SERVANT.
"Of course, Master," he said, bowing low to the dais before him. "And the boy? Shall I dispose of him?"
NO. HE SHALL SERVE HIS OWN PURPOSE. WE NEED HIM STILL, EVEN IF HE FAILS IN THIS TASK.
"Then I shall go," said Elias. And then he left.
Silently, the great presence contemplated things.
I DOUBT YOU SHALL SUCEED EITHER. NO MATTER. I SHALL HAVE THE BOY.
-
Orchid blocked quickly, then dodged back from Eriks's strike. He snarled angrily, blocking a blow from Arc, then Orchid.
"Blizzara!" shouted Montblanc. There was a burst of freezing wind, and shards of ice flew out, exploding across the boy's form.
Arc took this chance to go in with a punch, but Eriks saw it coming, and easily stepped aside, then counterattacked. Arc managed to block with Sequence, and Orchid covered him as he dodged out of the way, attacking Eriks fiercely.
He blocked, parried, then countered and blocked again. Orchid faked a thrust, then went for his side, but he dodged and took advantage of the opening to slash at her. She jumped back, but not before his sword tore a long gash across her sweatshirt. He grinned triumphantly.
It was short lived.
Arc came barreling in, sword swinging wildly and furiously, forcing Eriks onto the defensive. Eriks finally managed to catch his opponent's sword on the hilt, then threw him back. He lunged forwards to stab Arc while he was off balance, then gave a yelp of surprise as lightning struck him.
"Thundara!" shouted Montblanc.
Arc pressed his attack again, but Eriks blocked, then faked a thrust, then slashed again. Arc blocked, then parried the next strike.
"Those cuts..." said Orchid, cautiously closing in on the dueling pair. "That's the series I used on Marche! Arc, you can't win that!"
But it was too late. Eriks, working quickly, was already on the last series of slashes, and Arc could not back out without recieving grievious wounds. The boy grinned eagerly at his assured victory.
"Ah, screw the swords!" shouted Arc. He pushed forwards, blocking with his sword, then swung in with his shield. Eriks, caught off guard, went flying as the shield slammed into his face. Arc grinned. "Take that!"
"You..."
snarled Eriks, getting to his feet. Excalibur's
blade began glowing white. "I'll..."
"Stop!"
shouted Orchid. A large clock symbol appeared in front of him, the
hands spinning quickly, but rapidly slowing down. Soon, the hands
came to a full and complete stop, and the magic disappeared. Eriks
stood there, frozen in surprise, locked in time. She walked over,
looking at him sadly. "I'm sorry... I don't want to hurt you,
but I can't let you stop us, Eriks. I'm sorry."
Then she walked past him, and started towards the stairs.
There was a shattering sound, and they all turned to look.
"You think... a cheap spell like that could stop me?" asked Eriks, eyes aflame with hatred. "I'm disappointed in you, Flower of Arcadia."
"Please, Eriks... I don't want to hurt you..." she begged.
"Why?" he shouted. "We aren't friends anymore! I thought I wasn't Eriks, huh?"
"Please..."
"No!
I will show you no mercy!"
He charged and swiped his blade at them, and the three dodged back quickly. Montblanc's spells bounced off him with little effect, and he was doing a fair job of holding off both Arc and Orchid. They swung down, and he blocked with his blade. They held for a moment, then he gave a mighty heave and threw them both back.
"Kjellnor!" he shouted, holding his hand at them, palm outwards. A magic seal, about the size of his palm, appeared before him, then flames shot out, engulfing the pair. They blocked feebly with their arms, but the heat was still intense. It stopped, only to reveal Eriks charging forwards, sword in hand.
He slashed Arc across the chest, streaking it red, then was thrown back as he hit his metallic arm. Turning, he struck out at Orchid, catching her in the side, opening a bloody gash. Not able to turn in time, he countered Arc's strike by kicking and catching the man in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He bulled into Orchid, sending her sprawling across the ground, then easily knocked Arc to his knees with a blow to the head from the hilt of his sword.
"Fira!" shouted Montblanc. The ball of fire struck Eriks in the side, pushing him back. Then, the little moogle raised his rod up high. "Carbuncle!"
There was a shimmering of light, then a little creature, greenish, with long, fluffy tail, appeared above him. It had little black eyes and a large red jewel set in its forehead before its large, perked-up ears.
"what do you want, my master?"
"Heal us!" urged the moogle, pointing out the beaten up Arc and Orchid. The fairy nodded, then sped off, trailing sparkles. Soon, Orchid and Arc were shining with light, and barriers of various magical types formed around them. Their wounds healed, the cuts closing and the bleeding stopping. The same sort of barriers, and a little of the healing, formed about Montblanc too. "Thank you, you may go."
The Fairy nodded happily, then was gone in a sparkle of lights.
"Damn... a summon," cursed Eriks, looking at his fully healed opponents. "I wasn't counting on that."
"Well there's more where that came from," grinned Arc, limbering up his shoulders.
"Not today," said the boy. He held out his hand, and another magic circle appeared before him. "Seal!"
The symbol expanded until it passed out of the limits of the room.
"No outside help now, guardian," sneered Eriks. "Though, I suspect that little rat shielded you people enough to make it interesting now..."
"You little-" snarled Arc, biting it off as he struck out with his shield. Eriks blocked, the kicked him back, turning just in time to block Orchid's strike. He pushed, then dodged back, the words already chanting on his lips.
"Korshana!" he shouted. Howling icy gales poured out from the seal at his palm tearing at the three warriors as they struggled against him. It slowed them, but did not seem to have such a devastating effect anymore. They pushed on through, and when the spell ended, they met him with full force, Excalibur against Sequence and Mage Bloom. The boy tottered as they pressed their attack, then he jumped up and back, onto a higher level, then cast his next spell. "Barshinae!"
Wind blew out from him, and where it touched, explosions rang. The blasts ravaged the room, buffeting the trio this way and that. When the smoke cleared, it was just in time for them to catch the boy leaping down, a spell on his lips.
"Elementii!" he shouted as he barreled into Arc, his hand clamping down on the man's face. Arc's eyes widened as he realized what was going on, but by then it was too late.
Orchid shielded her eyes from the sharp electric blasts as the lightning tore through her friend's body. His scream easily drowned out the crackle of electricity, and she could almost see his skeleton illuminated by the glow. When it was done, barriers or no barriers, Arc was completely stunned. He fell to the floor, sizzling slightly, Eriks riding him down like a falling tree, a triumphant grin on his face. He stood up off the man, but not before delivering a few swift punches to his face. Satisfied, he turned to face his other oppenents.
Just in time to get pummeled by a veritable rain of spells.
"Thundara! Deluge! Fira! Tornado! Blizzara!" Montblanc rang out in succession. The elements tore through the room, slamming into Eriks with the force of a burning, scalding, freezing, electrifying freight train. Eriks was sent slamming against the wall next to the stairs by the force of it, slumping down to the bottem when they finished.
He snarled, and as he stood, raised his hand, another magic seal forming.
"Charostor," he hissed. Darkness ripped out of his palm, flying on hellish winds towards the moogle. Montblanc gave a squeak of fright, then was engulfed in the darkness. Orchid did not know what terrors he endured in there, but when it was over, Montblanc was left shivering and wide-eyed, unable to respond, on the floor. Smiling, Eriks turned to his last opponent. Only to see her disappear.
"Moonlight Rave!"
She slammed into him, hard, filled
with rage. Skidding to a halt behind him, she came briefly into view,
before disappearing again. Each step sent her flying again, slamming
right through him and introducing him to a whole world of
keyblade-centric pain.
"Finale!" she shouted.
Explosions rang out about the boy as she finished the combo, coming
to a halt neatly behind him. Turning, she watched as he stumbled,
then shakily turned to face her.
"You..." he growled, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Gravija!" she shouted, aiming the Mage Bloom at him. Eriks was engulfed in a sphere of black, covered in arcane symbols, and she watched as he struggled, resisting it as it attempted to crush him.
It shattered around him like shards of glass.
"I told you, cheap spells like
tha-"
"Shut up!"
Eriks went flying back as the keyblade smashed into his face, and he went skidding hard over the floor. Orchid seethed with anger, her breathing heavy as she glared at him. He got slowly to his feet, sword at the ready. Then he raised his hand at her, then magic seal alreay formed on his palm.
"Alavastier."
Orchid
instinctually backed away and held the keyblade before her as a
shield, but what happened was not what she expected. Instead of
blasting out at her, the white wind blew from the seal towards
Eriks, engulfing him in it. She watched as he breathed in deeply,
straightening up as his wounds healed, the blood disappearing and the
bruises fading.
"Now... Light Ray!" he shouted, Excalibur extended. A beam of light shot out, Orchid barely dodging it. She rolled away as he swung it towards her, then tumbled back to her feet as it ended. Taking a quick glance behind her, she saw that the attack had left a long, burnt groove along the wall.
"Eriks! Stop this!" she pleaded, now truly frightened that he would actually kill her.
"No..." he said softly, walking towards her. As he came, he blurred, then suddenly there were more of him. Shadow illusions of the boy walked to and fro, confusing her sight and making her lose which one was real. "You're outnumbered, Orchid."
"I can never be outnumbered..."
she growled, her eyes jumping from figure to figure, trying to see
the real one, "by a zero like you!"
Eriks roared, and a
pair of the figures leaped at her. Orchid swung the keyblade through
both, dispersing the illusions, but cried out in pain as she felt
cold steel run down her back, grazing her lightly as she lunged
forwards and away. Turning, she was met by a trio of images, all of
which proceeded to surround her. Turning, the last two had also
cirlced her.
"What are you going to do now, Flower of Arcadia?" they asked.
"Thundara!" she shouted, raising the keyblade skyward. Lightning bolts came crashing down, striking the figures that surrounded her. Eriks grunted in pain, and the illusions were gone. She faced him, and grinned grimly. "Now what, huh?"
"Fine..." he hissed through clenched teeth. He held out his arms to the sides, magic gathering in each hand. "By Charostor, by Alavastier, by the holy power invested in me, make one all, and make all one. Hikari-Kage Bunshin!"
There was an explosion of light and
dark, and when Orchid opened here eyes, three copies of Eriks stood
before her.
"More illusions?" she spat. "Come on,
Eriks..."
In response, the boy lunged forwards, and she blocked with the keyblade. There was the clang as the blades met.
"Did I already find you?"
she grinned, ignoring the other two images as they circled. After
all, she held the real one.
"Who said they were illusions?"
he said, an evil glint in his eye.
Orchid cried out in pain and leapt back as twin blades left scarlet lines across her arms. Mumbling the Cura spell, she backed off, reassessing the situation.
"They are light, dark, and me. They are much more than illusions, Flower of Arcadia."
"Then I'll just beat you all," she growled. "Shooting Star!"
She swung the keyblade, and let it loose. It swung out, striking the nearest clone. He jerked back, cursing.
"Strike!"
The she aimed for the next clone, striking him in the chest.
"Strike!"
She struck the third and last clone, sending him stumbling backwards.
"Strike! Strike!"
She indiscriminately struck the two outer clones, then aimed the keyblade, glowing with power.
"Wish!"
She sideswiped with the blast, the surge of power shooting out from the Mage Bloom and striking all three foes. Mighty explosions followed, and when it was over, only one Eriks stood.
"You..." he heaved, taking a step towards her.
"I'm sorry, Eriks," she
said. "But this is it."
Then she charged forwards and
struck.
"Meteor Barrage!"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she struck out with all her strength, all her might, all her heart at her one time best friend. She struck again, and again, and again, without mercy, but full of regret that it came to this. The last strike sent Eriks flying up into the air, and she leapt up after him.
"Apocalypse!"
She slammed down through him, and the sound was deafening as all of the gathered power went off on him and she crashed into the floor, shaking the ground with her impact. She breathed out slowly, then turned to face him.
"I... won't let you...do this..." he panted, stumbling to his feet. "Alavastier!"
The Light Wind appeared again, healing him, but far from fully recovering his strength. He grimaced at her, then charged.
Orchid dodged back, then blocked and parried. Her strength was flagging, and her movements were becoming slower. Every hit was harder to block, every strike harder to dodge. Eriks, on the other hand, showed no signs of weakening in his attacks, though it was plain to see by his wide eyes and ragged breathing that he was working purely on adreneline. Orchid looked into his eyes, and for a moment, she hesitated, wondering where her best friend had gone.
"It's over!"
Orchid felt herself slammed against the wall, and clutched at her throat, the keyblade disappearing as soon as she dropped it. She scrabbled uselessly at the hand that was slowly choking her, crushing her windpipe.
"Say goodbye, Orchid," said Eriks grimly.
"To you, punk!"
The grip slackened and Eriks went slamming into the wall next to Orchid as Arc's shield slammed into him from behind. Then a large hand grabbed him by the back of the collar, and he was suddenly hurtling through the air, to land roughly in the middle of the room.
"No one..." seethed Arc, "hurts my friends."
"You...you can't..." panted Eriks, getting to his feet.
"I can." Arc's face was grim as he and Orchid walked up. Montblanc approached from the other side, spells all ready.
"Goodbye...Eriks," said Orchid sadly.
"Clockwork Dragon!"
"Thundara!
Fira! Blizzara!"
"Moonlight Rave!
"Wings of the Dragon, fly into the Azure Sky!"
"Deluge! Tornado!"
"Finale!
And then it was over. There was a flash of light, and the boy was gone.
-
There was a flash of light, then a limp figure crumpled on the floor before the dais. Eriks raised his head slowly, tottering unsteadily to his feet to stare up into the crystal depths of the form that held the Master's essence.
I AM GLAD YOU HAVE RETURNED, MY APPRENTICE.
"Master... I could not... I could not, Master..." he cried, his breathing short and ragged, his face wet with tears. "I have failed you..."
YOU HAVE FAR FROM FAILED ME, ERIKS. NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOUR TRUE VICTORY.
"What... what do you mean?" he panted.
I CAN BESTOW POWER UNDREAMED OF UPON YOU, MY APPRENTICE. ALL YOU MUST DO IS SURRENDER YOU WILL TO ME. SURRENDER YOUR HEART.
"Anything... anything for you, Master," he rasped.
THEN OPEN YOUR MIND TO ME, BOY. OPEN YOUR HEART.
Eriks closed his eyes, and let everything go. His rage. His anger. His remorse. His sorrow. His loss. His hope. His heart.
When it was over, the room was dark. The crystalline prison that had once held the Master glowed no longer. But two lights flared up as he opened his eyes.
"Now, we are one."
