Chapter 2: The Moon Glows Bright
Sora takes two steps back as more and more Shadow Heartless spawn at the entrance of the alley. Sora's new accomplice, a curious boy of his age, stands a few feet away to not get within danger's harm.
Sora becomes impatient and spins his keyblade as he cries out:"You want me? Come and get me!"
The Heartless lunge at the keyblade wielder mercilessly, yet Sora slashes through them with great ease. "Haha!" "Yeah!" "Take this!" are the battle cries the boy hears, as his companion destroys the Heartless with great excitement. The pony-tailed fellow watches this and begins to wish he, too, possessed the courage to experience the same joy for battle. It just he couldn't stand the thought of an atmosphere that will contain only death and suffering all around him.
The Heartless suddenly back away. Sora steps back, also to recover his breath, yet is grinning as if he can go forever. But he begins to wonder why they have stopped their assault and are only staring at him. Sora swings his keyblade left and right to try to get their attention, but it does not help. Now, he sees they have their attention on something else. Sora turns around and sees his companion on his knees with his hands on his head, shaking it. He has his eyes closed tight and seems to muttering something. Sora now realized that the Heartless have now found a more vulnerable target to relive of his heart, putting Sora into a guard position.
"Don't you dare…"
Sora can't finish his sentence as the creatures begin jumping toward him agressively, desiring to only get past him. Sora is able to destroy them as they come, yet more and more begin to appear from the shadows of the alley, having the keyblde wielder back steadily toward the boy.
"Hey!" Sora shouts. "You know a way out of here?" Sora is busy swinging rapidly at the Shadow Heartless.
The tramatized boy snaps out of his episode and notices that Sora is in big trouble. He gets to his feet and replies:"Uh…yeah! There's a ladder above you!" Sor takes a glance above him and sees the ladder leading up to the roof of the building it rested on.
"You first!" Sora cries trying his best to not get them close enough to their destination.
The boy runs over to the ladder and jumps, grabbing it. He then climbs up it quickly like a scared little monkey raveling up a tree. Sora spins clock-wise with his keyblade out forward and destroys many of the Heartless closest to him. This gives him enough time to jump onto the ladder and climb up to the roof.
Once he arrives, Sora looks down into the sea of yellow eyes and begins to suspect that maybe the defeat of Ansem really didn't change anything, only halted the Heartless travel between worlds. And these Heartless are natural, not custom-made like Ansem's dark monsters, so the source of them has now come into question once again.
"What are we going to do now?" the boy asks.
This time, their light came from the moon above, the great white glow revealing the true colors of the boys clothing. A turquoise shirt, blue pants, and his skin was light brown, the same as Mayor Jerilds. The leather gauntlets and shoes were dark blue.
Sora walks over to him and plces his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Well, first thing we need to do is get you to safety."
"No!"
"What?" Sora replies.
"I mean…I want to help."
Sora shakes his head and responds:"Listen, this is not a situation that you should be entering. The Heartless, if they get their hands on you, will devour your heart in an instant and I believe that is something that you do not want to happen."
The boy lowers his head and replies:"Okay."
Sora smailes and says:"There is one thing you can do. Run to the mayor and have him alert the city about this."
The boy nods and runs over to the oppposite edge of the roof. He examines the streets below to make sure no Heartless are below and makes a leap onto the ground. Sora returns to look into the alley he had just left, but the Shadow Heartless have disappeared. He jumps down into the gutter and looks around, yet sees no Heartless anywhere. A gunshot is heard around the corner.
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Light after light comes on through the windows of the once sleeping buildings at the instant the burst of sound erupted. People begin to peek out and guards start toward the direction of the disturbance. Sora exits the alley into the street, but all of a sudden he sees two guards smothered by the little Shadow Heartless, the men's screams silenced as the relentless creatures pile onto them. Sora takes his keyblade and slashes the Heartless away from the guards, getting rid of the ones that were mainly atop the victims. He finally clears out the creatures and checks to to see if the guards were okay. The two sentries sit there in shock, heavily breathing and probably scared to death.
Three guards run to their comrades and help them to their feet. "What happened?"
"The Heartless," Sora answers.
"The Heartless? I thought we rid the town of those treacherous things!"
"Apparently, they must have been in hiding, witing until they felt it was time to strike again."
The commanding guard turns to his partners and orders them to alert the town and get everyone to lock their doors and windows. They nod and rush out, seperating into different directions. Sora assists the remaining guard in carrying the two stunned sentries to a nearby post. The guards are put safely there, and Sora leaves with a friendly wave.
He heads for the hotel until the sounds of the town bell his heard ringing throughtout the place. Sora stops and sees many of the guards gathering into the streets, loading their guns and hurdling out in teams of four as directed by a commander. Vex has accomplished his task.
Sora arrives at the hotel and finds Goofy and Donald already out front with their weapons drawn. Goofy's shield is rimmed with yellow around a blue and silver layer of colors with the symbol of King Mickey lying in the middle of them. Donald's staff is blue with yellow bands at each end. The head of the staff resembled a wizards head, its shadowy face covered mostly by a jagged, pointed wizard hat. He finally gets to them and informs the two about the appearance of the Heartless.
"Oh, no!" Goofy exclaims.
"Yeah, and they seem to be appearing in great numbers," Sora finishes.
Multitudes of gunshots are heard from around the town. Sora, Donald, and Goofy bundle up to protect themselves from all sides. Another flurry of bullets are heard near the mayors building, having the trio run toward it. Several Shadow Heartless block their way, wiggling their little antennas, ready to attack them with no ferof their wielded weapons.
"Let's get them!" Donald quacks.
The three charge their confronters. Sora destroys four Heartless in two swings, Goofy uses a spinning attack that destroys two more, and Donald fires spurts of Firagas at the remaining four Heartless which destroys them each with one hit. The group has defeated their foes under ten seconds. They continue to the mayors building, but more Heartless confront them, however they are only a bunch of pushovers to the trio's combined strength. Many of the guards take out some of the Heartless themselves, requiring only one shot from their pistols and machine guns to decimate the creatures into nothingness.
At the entrance to the building, Jerild gestures for them to come inside. The three soon stand within the grand hall, trying to catch their breaths. Standing beside Jerild is the boy Sora had sent to alarm the mayor, and he is looking a little afraid.
Jerild says to them as he takes off his shades:"Vex told me about the Heartless appearing just in time to alert the town."
"Vex?" Sor says surprised. "So that means you own that shop…"
"That's right," the boy answers quickly, as if he is proud of it.
Jerild responds:"We're going to have to…"
"No!" Vex says as he turns to Jerild with a raised fist.
"Listen, Vex, we cannot take another Heartless attack! Our only hope is to abandon the city."
"But I grew up here! How can you expect me to leave so easily? Not without a fight!"
Vex runs toward a door on the eastern wall, his long braid following behind, and disappears through the opened enrty. Jerild runs after him.
"What now? We cant sit here doing nothing," Donald quacks impatiently.
Sora hunches his keyblade back and replies with a courageous tone:"We fight on!"
He raises his keyblade. Goofy's shield and Donald's staff joins Sora's weapon.
Goofy cries out:"All for one..."
The three then shout out all together:"And one for all!"
They open the doors and see a barrage of bullets hammering away at the many Heartless closing in on the mayor's quarters. The guards have their backs toward the building, trying to keep up the attack, but too many seem to be spawning uncontrollably. The town was lost.
"Donald," Sora cries out for his wizardry friend to use Graviga to crush the surrounding Heartless.
Together, Sora and Donald begin using the spells consistently. It helps lessen the Heartless army, but soon more come to take their places.
"The other guards have already evacuated the citizens," one guard yells to his comrades. Into the building!"
The guards and the three heroes enter into the hall and close thedoors shut, locking it.
Jerild reappears with a scared expression on his face without his shades present. "Vex is gone," the mayor exclaims. "He escaped through a window! I got to go after him!"
The guards stop him as he tries to re-open the doors:"No, sir! There are too many of them!"
"But he's my son!"
Sora nods in unison with Donald and Goofy and says to Jerild:"Well find him! Is there a way to the roof?"
Minutes later, the three, the guards, and the mayor look overthe edge of the roof, taking notice of all the Shadow Heartless surrounding the building, waiting for a single chance to get to them. Sora, Donald, and Goofy jumps onto a roof just a few feet away and begin going from roof to roof, looking down into each street for Vex.
"Vex! Vex!" the three constantly yelled as they pass from roof to roof. They stop and seem to lose hope for him.
"Well...he isn't here," Donald begins.
"He can't be...," Sora says before looking up at the tallest building in the city.
The moon glows brightest over this structure and is an amazing site to see, even at this time of turmoil. A figure is seen on the rooftop. Sora makes it out as Vex.
"Vex!" Sora shouts. "It's me, Sora! Down here!"
But is he is only able to grab the Heartless attention as they gather under the building they stood on. They have to get to Vex before the Heartless do.
"Stopga!" Sora cries.
A clock symbol appears above the Heartless with a spinning hand. The hand soon slowed to a stop, leaving the Heartless frozen in time.
"Go!"
The three leap from the rooftop into the crowd of motionless creatures and rushes into the building before the Heartless realizes what had just happened. Up the twenty flights of stairs they go, running quickly to Vex's aid. They breach the roof and find Vex staring blankly at the moon in front of them.
"Vex, we must get out of here while we still can," Sora says. But there is no reply from the boy.
Sora walks forward to him until a sight halts his steps. A giant black figure rises in front of the moons light. Its face is covered with tentacles from its head with only its yellow eyes visible. It has a heart-shaped hole in the stomach area. This shadowy creature stood from the ground up, towering over the building they stand on.
"Darkside," Sora whispers.
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Vex stands there not moving at all. Sora, Donald, and Goofy run over to Vex, but the giant Heartless grabs the boy with its left hand and raises him up to its face for a closer view.
The trio spawn their weapons and Sora yells out:"Let go of him!"
It looks back to the group and sends its free fist crashing down onto the roof, but the trio were already on the move. Sora runs up its right arm and slashes the creature's face. A mist of darkness spews from the area of impact, yet the creature does not flinch. Goofy rockets toward the creature's face and connects with a shield impaled into Darkside's mouth area. After Donald releases a few Firagas, powerful fire projectiles, Darkside releases Vex from its grip. Sora grabs Vexs hand from the edge of the roof, but loses his balance and begins to fall over, too.
However, Goofy grabs Soras feet and Donald is pulling Goofy by the waist.
Sora shouts to Vex:"Don't let go!"
Vex recovers from his shock and sees himself in an unlikely stuation. Below the, the Heartless were bundling up, just waiting for the boy to lose his grip so they could consume his helpless heart. Donald and Goofy pull with all their might and finally get everyone safely back onto the roof. Vex sits on the ground with his mouth wide open as gazed at the inflicted giant Darkside. Sora, Donald, and Goofy look on as it roared in pain.
But suddenly, dark mist starts to swarm around the beast. Its shoulders begin to grow out and become sharper, and a horn erupts from Darkside's forehead. Its claws lengthen, also, as well as the tentacles moving around its head. The hollow area of its stomach becomes full and a purple symbol resembling a heart with spikes appears on the front. And its change from a glowing yellow to a seaming red.
A normal Darkside became a much wickier Heartless.
"Uh-oh," the trio say in unison.
They back away as it approaches the building again. Vex is too scared to even move from his spot.
"Hehe....nice Heartless," Goofy says hesitately.
Sora stops his retreat and regains his courage. He swings his keyblade forward and yells out:"You don't scare us! Right, guys?"
Donald and Goofy walk forward and relpy:"Right!"
They release a battle cry and lunge at the creature. Sora jumps from the roof and lands onto its right arm again and runs up to its face for another whack. He swings forward the blade and gets a direct hit....but it doesn't go through its shadowy head this time, rather it stops on impact....as if it was just a blunted blade. Sora becomes astounded. He redraws his blade and uses a thrust, but it does not pierce it shadowy flesh at all! Goofy and Donald witness this unpredictable event and charge for Darkside. Goofy jumps from the roof toward it, but the giant creature knocks him away with a slap from its left hand. The knight slides across the roof's surface, legs in the air. Vex watches this, hating that he couldn't do anything to help. Donald lauches Firagas at it, but this time the fireballs leave no mark. Sora keeps hacking away at the shadowy face, but it is unable to pierce the new and improved Darkside. It finally turns its attention to Sora.
Sora backs away and smiles childishly at it before taking off down its arm to the roof. But it raises its right arm and moves it away from the roof, giving the keyblade master nowhere to run.
"Sora!" his friends yell as they try their best to gets its attention, but it is no use.
Darkside raises its left hand, preparing for a final attack on Sora. The keyblade wielder, horrified, looks everywhere for a place to jump, but they were all out of reach. He wants to fly or use his gliding abilities, but they seem to not work in the world they are present in. This could be the end.
"Sora!" Vex shouts loudly. He was standing erect with his fists balled up, and has a determined look on his face.
"Hey, you!" he shouts again.
Darkside slowly turns toward the boy, as if Vex was actually more important than killing Sora. As it stares at Vex with its glowing red eyes, some of the boys courage starts to fade away, but he keeps his ground and replies:"That's right! I'm the one you want! Isnt my heart more tastier than his measly little one?"
Sora, Donald, and Goofy fall flat on their faces in embarrasement at Vex's 'brave' remark, yet the giant Heartless becomes to consider this and turns back toward the building. Sora uses this time to jump from its arm that has came close to the roof. Donald and Goofy group together to catch their friend and they suceed, however, the three have become grounded on top of each other.
Vex and Darkside stare at each other, not one moving nor making a sound. The moon made the Heartless appear as a silhouette in front of the bright glow in the sky. Vex closes his eyes and grabs his chain necklace, enclosing it in his right hand.
"I will not fear you! I will not fear you! I will not fear you!" Vex says constantly in his mind and as he does, a great light starts to emit from within his closed fist.
A number of glistering lights hover around him and a wind seems to pick up. Sora, Donald, and Goofy stare wide-eyed at this phenomenom, confused at what's happening here. Vex yanks off his necklace and holds his fist out forward with his eyes still closed.
But as he opens them, he quietly says in a low tone:"I will not fear you."
The lights assemble around the foward hand and start to extend out, forming some type of object. Darkside roars back in a gesture of disbelief. The lights disappear. The trio becomes surprised at what they see. So do Vex. Within Vex's grasp is a keyblade. The blade is silver with the symbol of a crescent moon at the tip instead of the crown that is on Soras weapon; it also appeared much sharper and slimmer. And hanging from its black handle was Vex's moon piece that his necklace beared. Off in his thoughts, Vex hears a voice that mutters:"The Moon Key." Vex repeats this from his mouth and looks at this new item closely. In the light of the moon in the sky, the keyblade gives off a mystic shine and glows brightly in Vex's hand. A white aura appears around the weapon and a feeling of unbelievable strength swarms throughout Vex's body.
He raises the keyblade into the air and shouts:"The Moon Key!"
A new keyblade has emerged...what does this mean to the heroes? It means a new mystery has breached the surface...