Kingdom Hearts-Shattered Fragments
Fragment 58-Hallow Bastion
Ahead loomed the world that would decide everything for them. It was the stronghold of the heartless and Mallificent, an sinister looking place with a huge, golden castle that didn't quite look right, and waterfalls everywhere. Cedeile looked out the window at it.
"This is it."
"Is this really the end of our journey?"Aru asked.
"If the rest of the fragments are there, then yes. The fragments radar is picking up a huge signal. I've never seen anything like it." Ryu said. "This could be the end of it all."
"Then I could go home...back to my island..." Cedeile said.
"And I could go back to my family..."Ryu replied. Aru sighed. Cedeile looked over at the magician.
"Oh, Aru...I'm sorry! We shouldn't be talking about going home. Well, after this is all over, why don't you come back to my island with me? My mom would be really glad to take you in. How's that?" Aru smiled, her mood picking up.
"That sounds wonderful, Cedeile."
"I have to say, I really like traveling with you girls." Ryu said. "We made a great team."
"We still do!" Cedeile told him. "None of this past-tense stuff! We can still hang out all together! Ryu will come visit us with his gummi ship and he can see the island, right Ryu? You'll come to visit." He stayed silent, not sure how to anwser.
"uh...yeah, Cedeile. Sure. I'll visit whenever I can." he replied finally, ruffleing her hair.
"With that out of the way, let's get down there. It's time to face the final battle." Aru stated. Ryu drove them down to land.
They landed in the middle of a lake, surrounded by watefalls on all sides. But the falls were...flowing up. There was only darkness in the water, and it looked tainted. The lake below them was shallow enough for them. There were floating stones in the air. The three stood on one that floated on the water. And who did they find there but some old friends...
"Sora! What a coicidence!" Cedeile said, nearly knocking him off the rock.
"Hey Cedeile! You just get here too?" he asked, smiling.
"We're here...to end this all. Is that why you came? To fight Mallificent?" Ryu asked, coming forward. Sora nodded.
"The consentration of heartless here is great." Donald reported. "It's going to be rough from here on out. We'll have to be careful and avoid battle until we absolutely have to fight. Plus, with all the power in this world, it's hard to distinguish them apart, so I'll only be able to sense things really powerful. I'm sure the rookie knows what I'm talking about." He shot a glance over at Aru. She nodded to him, acknowledging.
"In that there castle is where Mallificent is hiding. And she's got the princesses! Ayuk!" Goofy told them, pointing to the castle.
"So, it seems we have alot on our hands here." Ryu said, looking around tensely.
"Well, what'd you expect? This is the final battle! Once we take down Mallificent, that's it! The heartless will disappear and we'll have saved the worlds, etc." Cedeile told him.
"Keep it down, Cedeile. We don't know what dangers there are here." Aru said, getting ready to cast a spell just in case.
"Hey, it seems we have to head up those stones to get up to that arch. Do you see it?" Sora said, pointing. Cedeile squinted to where his finger directed. A stone archway stood on a platform very high above them.
"Well? Let's get going!" Donald said. Sora jumped onto the next stone first, followed by Donald, then Cedeile, Ryu Aru and Goofy bringing up the rear. The going was slow-they were all kind of nervous about what lied ahead in that castle.
Aru lept off one of the stones, trying to clear the gap, but began falling too soon. She grabbed the edge.
"Ekk!" she cried. Ryu and Cedeile went back, and, pulling on each of her hands, got her up safely.
"You okay?" Cedeile asked her.
"Yeah. Just a little shook up." She replied, catching her breath. The three continued, catching up to Sora and his group. They only had to leap up to make it to the platform with the arch. Sora went first, follwed by Donald and Goofy. Cedeile was up next and looked back at Ryu and Aru.
"Whatever happens, we'll fight it together." Ryu said. Aru nodded.
"None of us has to go it alone." she added. Cedeile nodded and lept, landing smoothly. Ryu and Aru follwed, landing behind her. Suddenly, they found they were not alone. On one side of the stone was Sora and Donald and Goofy, but there was also a strange creature with brown fur and horns-a terrible beast, an indiscribeable creature. He knelt on the ground, breathing hard. Cedeile and the gang ran to that side and looked at who they were facing. Standing all alone on the other side, facing them, was Riku.
"Ah, the two masters, together at last." he said. The beast in front of them growled at Riku.
"Tell me what you did with her?" he hissed out at him. Riku didn't even flinch, but Cedeile decided it would be best to take several steps back. The silver haired boy shurgged.
"It's none of your concern now. She's with us, and you won't get her back."
"I'm warning you! If you don't return Belle to me, I'll kill you, and make it painful."
"Yeah, that sounds great..."Cedeile murmered. Ryu elbowed her in the side, signalling for her to shut her mouth.
"Riku, what are you doing? You're on the wrong side!" Sora said.
"Me? On the wrong side? Is the keyblade master EVER on the wrong side?" he taunted.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not the keyblade master. I am the true keyblade master. You're just the delivery boy." he smirked holding out his hand. "Come to me, keyblade." The keyblade appeared in Sora's hand and pulsated.
"What is-?" Suddenly, the powerful weapon disappeared. Cedeile looked wide eyed at Sora's empty hand and then over to Riku, who was laughing. The keyblade rested in his hand.
"See?"
"Give that back to Sora!" Donald yelled. "It isn't yours!"
"Yeah! That there Keyblade rightfully belongs to Sora." Goofy insisted.
"Riku, this lie isn't funny anymore." Cedeile butted in, standing in front of them all. "If this is just your way of showing a grudge you have against me, then leave Sora out of it!" she demanded seriously.
"It's no joke. And besides, didn't your King say to stay with the key?" Riku taunted Donald and Goofy. The two looked away, and then began to walk towards him.
"You guys!" Sora called.
"Sorry Sora. King Mickey told us in his letter-'Stay with the key. It's the key to our exsistance.'" Donald explained. Riku threw a wooden sword at him.
"Here. Go play hero with that." Sora knelt down on the ground and looked at the toy sadly.Goofy lagged behind, looking back at Sora with regret and remorse.
"Goofy!" Donald yelled. He hurried along, joining Riku. Cedeile glarred at him.
"Ri-"
"Riku!" Aru cried, running out in front of the group. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, on her knees and seeming to be holding something. Riku glared down at her. "What's wrong with you? Has that darkness within you finally taken over? That voice that's controlling you, have you just let it win? You're not acting like normal. This is not the Riku I know. The Riku I know is kind and gentle and caring too. You were the one who saved me in Atlantica, and you healed me in Monstro." She outstreched her hands to him, the black chain hanging from the one. "Please, Riku. Fight the darkness..." she begged, tears falling from her eyes. "You helped me remember a memory. Remember when you showed me that star map? And the I told you I remembered a night a long time ago where I saw those stars up in the sky with someone. I want to find who that person is. And I want you to help me, Riku." The boy looked at her, unemotional. Finally he spoke.
"You...mean nothing to me..." He stepped forward, walking past her and towards Cedeile. "It's the heartblade master who will walk with me to rakuen...to paradise." He stopped in front of her. He moved closer, but Cedeile stepped back, slapping him across the face.
"This time, I'm not bound up and captured." she snarled at him. He shook his head at her sadly.
"What a shame. We could've been together in paradise." He pushed her back, and she stumbled over the edge of the platform.
"AH!" she screamed, falling. Ryu ran to the ledge, reaching his hand down.
"Cedeile!" he yelled, but saw nothing there.
"She is mine now. You'll never take her back." A dark portal appeared beside him and he stepped through, Donald and Goofy following. The group was shocked silent. Sora had lost the keyblade. Cedeile was gone or captured. And it was clear that Riku was no longer on their side. It was very apparent that he was with the heartless and was evil. Aru silently stood up, sniffing. Ryu turned to her as she faced him.
"Aru...you gonna be okay?" he asked, stepping forward and wipping away some of the tears for her. She nodded.
"He's not the real Riku. The real Riku...was my friend..."
"So that's what really happened after Atlantica-Riku saved you. But why?"
"I don't know...but it really seems hopeless to go on now. I mean, Sora's lost the keyblade and Cedeile is gone. You and I can't do anything but fight the heartless. Without the keyblade and the heartblade, there's no chance. "
"Maybe Aru is right." Sora replied, meloncholy. "I don't have any power. This whole time...I was never meant to have the keyblade..." The beast stood up and began to walk towards where Riku had stood.
"You brats do what you want...I came here to find Belle, and I'm not leaving till I do." Ryu looked at him, not saying anything.
"But how will you fight?" Aru asked. "There isn't a chance."
"I don't care about the odds or a weapon. I only...want to...find...Belle!" he staggered forward. Ryu caught him before he fell.
"He's right. We've got to fight the heartless. Cedeile is still out there. And Sora, you still have your heart as a weapon. Your friends are still in danger."
"But Ryu...What power could I-?" Sora began to ask.
"Look, I'm not really good with this fluffly 'believe in yourself' crap, but you have the power inside you, right? It's what keeps you going when you're blood soaked and ready to lay down and die. I'll tell you, I've wanted to just die a bunch of times because of the pain I was going through, but then I thought of all the people counting on me. Sora, Cedeile and that girl...what's her name?..."
"Kairi?" Sora supplied, kind of sad.
"...yeah! Her...anyway, they still believe that you're coming to save them or something. People in all the worlds that you've been to-they all believe in you! That power alone that you feel from all those people you've met...isn't that enough to get you going? I'm not even one of the masters, but I feel this power from all these people I've met, who believe in Cedeile, and in me. Do you get what I'm saying? Even thought it seems hopeless, you got to do this, Sora. It all comes down to you." Ryu finished. Aru looked at him, still teary eyed. Sora looked at him shocked, but then went to thinking it over.
"You're right, Ryu." Sora said, getting up. "This may only be a fake sword, but if I put all my strength in it, and draw that strength from my friends, then I'll never lose!" Ryu nodded.
"Good. The four of us can go on, together. Let's go to the castle and search for the keyblade...and Cedeile." The beast got up. Aru walked to his side.
"Will you come with us?" He grunted.
"I suppose. You brats may have some confidence, but I'm sure that you're not that strong." He growled.
"You'd be surprised." Ryu retorted, smirking cockily. Sora got off the ground and joined the group.
"Let's go. I'm ready." They all walked forward to where a lift appeared from over the huge gap between them and the castle. They stepped on one at a time. When they all got on, the lift silently carried them over the abyss.
6H: How'd you like the first Hallow Bastion chapter? I though it'd be dramatic if I didn't say anything at the beginning and just went right into the chapter. Anyway, I tried to keep it close to what happened, but I don't really remember that part of the game well. Most of Hallow Bastion I remember, but that first part with Riku just slipped my mind.
Anaretsu: How covinent.
6H:Review! Next chapter-The gang meets two new people in the waterways of the castle.
