Kingdom of Chaos
Chapter 17: Unification and Disorganization
Author: Sketchy Sunshine of OSTOCOM
Rating: PG-13, just to be on the safe side
Author's Note: LANGUAGE WARNING. It's not Maris by any stretch of the imagination, but just wanted to be fair.
See chapter one for summary, disclaimer and other goodness. Otherwise, here's chapter seventeen! XD
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At first, all Sora felt was a chill that coursed through his skin and sent a shiver down his spine. The sights and sounds around him withered away into a silent blackness. His body shut down, leaving him completely defenseless.
But he was far more distracted by what was happening inside. His mind was assaulted by thousands of memories and feelings that weren't his, but felt familiar. He could feel Toshi's presence everywhere in him; coursing through his blood, struggling to adapt to this new form. Sora gasped for each breath as if it were his last.
I don't think this is supposed to happen! He tried to speak, but no words came out. What's wrong?
He heard Toshi answer with equal confusion. I don't know…but we need to get past this!
Sora thought again of his friends in trouble, and tried to calm his shattered nerves. When fighting the discord didn't work, he let go and embraced it. He forced his mind to incorporate the new memories as his own; allowed Toshi to use his body as he did.
Slowly, he felt a sense of feeling return to him. It started in his fingertips and spread up his arms, chasing away the cold. However, as he integrated deeper with his other side, he heard a new voice in his heart. It wasn't a voice he recognized…it hardly seemed like a voice at all; just words that imprinted themselves on his consciousness.
The door was intended…
A door? Toshi seemed to ask. Sora realized he had heard the voice, too.
The door was intended for you…
The memory of Kingdom Hearts came back to him instantly. The frigid air and massive stone frame stood before him…and beyond, a light within a vast darkness, bright and unconquerable. But it was contained…separated from the creations it manifested. Why?
…And you alone.
Sora felt his strength return with a spark of hot electricity through his nerves. But then it multiplied…there was strength he had never experienced before; power beyond even he and Toshi put together. His senses came together suddenly, and he regained consciousness.
He realized that he was lying sprawled across a pile of rubble, and he groaned as he tried to sit up. His limbs ached from the attacks he had sustained, but they were barely noticeable now. With his newfound strength, Sora forced himself to his feet, and wiped the marble dust from his face. The Organization stood around him in a wide circle, even more uncertain than he was. A few backed away as he stood.
For the first time since entering the castle, Sora felt a smile spread across his face…it was Toshi's grin. He held out his left hand, and a second Keyblade appeared between his fingers. "Now we can handle you!"
Before any of the black-robed adversaries could move to act, Sora pointed one of the Keyblades at his friends and cast cure on them. Donald and Goofy were instantly reinvigorated and back on their feet. Even Riku's smashed ribs were fully healed, and he sprang back up as if having been shocked into wakefulness. Sora and Toshi's combined scents nearly knocked him back down with the power they presented. They've merged! But…something else has happened, too.
"No!" Lexaeus finally made the first move. He pounded the already-broken floor with earth magic, sending a bone-jarring earthquake in their direction.
Sora sprinted through the tremor's epicenter as if it never existed. Launching himself from a broken marble statue, he raised the Keyblades to strike down Lexaeus. The well-built Organization member teleported out of the way…only to have Sora beat him there. Lexaeus could not block either of the Keyblades, and they sliced through him in succession. He crumpled to the ground without so much as a protest, and his image flickered, moments away from going out.
"One down," Sora said with some degree of satisfaction.
"Shit!" Zexion said what all of his companions were thinking. He studied Sora carefully as the other members took up defensive positions, searching for a weakness. In Sora's movements he detected a slight blur…two scents in one body instead of just one. "They're not fully merged yet!" he called with only slight encouragement. "They can still be separated!"
This galvanized the remaining nine members into action. However, Donald, Goofy and Riku had already rejoined the melee. Through a combination of Riku's Dark Firaga, Donald's thunderbolts and Goofy's shield, they brought down a relatively defenseless Roxius…and left the Organization without a means of healing.
"Cover me!" Riku yelled to Sora, deciding now was the time to use Dark Aura again. Sora nodded, and teleported to his side as the silver-haired boy prepared the spell. Xavier appeared directly behind them, intending to put a stop to Dark Aura just as before. Xavier raised the pocket-watch, his thumb on the switch…and with one swipe of the Keyblade, Sora severed the pocket-watch from the spiked chain.
Xavier's cool exterior instantly crumbled. "I…impossible!"
The black-haired man had to teleport out of harm's way to avoid a lethal slash from the second Keyblade. No other opponents had time to approach before Riku completed his spell, spreading Dark Aura across the battlefield.
Donald and Goofy had to duck for cover, but Sora didn't budge. Riku's most powerful attack normally would've sent him reeling, but now he barely felt it…Toshi's own resistance saw to that.
The Organization was not so prepared. Those that couldn't find cover or were unable to shield themselves were severely injured both physically and mentally. Danix, Kalixta, Alexis and Vexen all lost half of their strength to the waves of darkness.
Castle Oblivion itself reacted to the strong influxes of light and dark power alike. The walls warped into those of Hollow Bastion, filling the high ceiling with tinted steam. The very material of the ground shifted, as if unable to decide if it should exist or not. The castle was beginning to merge into itself.
However, Axel was the only one who seemed to notice. He sighed as if having expected this all along. "I guess it's now or never."
Axel snapped his fingers, and Kairi and Naminé appeared at the end of the hallway.
All others present were too busy fighting for their lives to notice the two bewildered girls enter the scene. Realizing that they were now overpowered, the Organization began to retreat. One by one they teleported away from the meeting room, with only a few taking along their fallen comrades. Finally, all that remained were Axel, Marluxia, Zexion and the still-injured Vexen.
Riku smelled the new presences first. He spun around, forgetting to breathe, and faced the end of the hall. Sora turned just in time to watch Riku reach a hand up to his eyes…and tear away the blindfold.
"Kairi!"
Riku felt as if he had just opened his eyes for the first time in his life…and in many ways, he had. But the scents didn't lie…Kairi was standing and staring back at him, with Naminé next to her.
"Nami—Kair—ni!" Sora tried to say her name as well, but suddenly found himself at odds with his Toshi half. "It's me, Sor—I mean Tosh…it's us!"
Kairi's mouth gaped open. After so many months of awaiting Sora and Riku's return, she had finally found them…and it felt like staring at two complete strangers. She searched for something, anything to tell them, but no words came.
Naminé did have something to say. "It's Sora…but it's Toshi, too! My brother…" she ended in a whisper.
Axel finally moved from his spot, and approached the hesitant reunion. "Well? I told you this is how things would happen." His words indicated something more than Riku and Sora understood. "I've held up my end of the deal. Now it's time for you to hold up yours."
Riku and Sora turned to Axel with confusion and suspicion. "You brought Kairi and Naminé here?" Riku asked, his eyebrows furrowed. He turned away briefly to rub at his eyes…it was a bit of a chore to use his vision.
"Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet?" Axel said, barely holding back a laugh. "You are the prime example of a complete being. And you can give that knowledge to Sora and Kairi. Sora can open the Door to all Kingdoms…" Axel's gaze settled on the two girls. "…And Kairi can give me a heart."
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Tried to make it less cliffhanger-y this time, but not sure if I succeeded…basically now all the chapters are blurring together. Oo Started the next chapter; and we'll see how it goes.
Thanks to everyone who's commented thusfar! XD
