Part Seven: Trial by Heartless
Sora exited the Trinity Headquarters and was immediately dazzled by the bright lights that twinkled throughout Third District. Their sources, glass lamps and bulbs, were the same as that of the warm yellow lights that had illuminated First District, but these radiated a cool yellow light that reminded Sora of stars. A little to his left, a heavy wooden door led back to Second District, according to the glowing sign above the door. The walls on the side of the Second District were constructed of the same materials as the First District: warm wood and rough cobbled stones. To his right, a smooth wall, made of some type of molded stone, blocked his view of the rest of the area. Straight ahead of him, stairs led down to another part of the district, and it was down these that Leon went.
Sora followed, his eyes absorbing every piece of this new world. Third District was quite different from First District and probably the second one as well, although his memories of that place were little more than a haze and a dull throb. He assumed, though, that Second District must be similar to the First District--warm lights, and wood-and-stone buildings. Third District appeared to be completely different, probably constructed sometime after the other two.
Sora reached the bottom of the stairs, and Leon, who had been waiting stoically until then led him to the main part of Third District. A few people milled around the shining square, lit by those twinkling lights that had first captured Sora's attention as he walked out of Trinity Headquarters. Unlike First District, where the spaces between people were small enough that walking just a few feet had been a fight through the crowd, Third District was much less crowded. A few people gathered around a brightly-lit fountain.
Strong fingers grabbed his arm, and Sora shook himself out of his mesmerized state. Leon pointed to a door just to the right of Sora. "We go there," he informed Sora as he ignored the abundance of stimuli around him.
"Right!" Sora said, and Leon let go of the boy's arm. Various people, presumably members of Trinity, waved to Leon as they passed through the door.
And back into First District. The press of the crowd was as suffocating as it had been earlier. If anything, it was more crowded. Hardly any gaps existed among the unwashed bodies packed into the village square. The stench of a thousand people's sweat, the dim sounds of chatter around him, and the claustrophobic atmosphere enveloped Sora, making him dizzy from sensory overload.
"I can't believe that a kid like you is actually going to try out for Trinity. Usually applicants can stand up to a few refugees," Leon said, dragging Sora through the crowd. Various elbows poked at the youth as he tried to navigate through the mob. The leader, on the other hand, appeared in control; where the crowd converged onto Sora, they parted for Leon. Only by riding the wake left by Leon did Sora manage to navigate the distance between the exit from the Third District and the entrance to the Second.
As it had the first time Sora had approached the door, the crowd fell back. The heavy wooden doors that opened to the deserted part of town were like the closet doors he and many of the children on the island had feared when they were very young. Monsters, or Heartless, lurked behind them, and even those who scoffed at the possibility never dared to test their hypothesis.
Sora waited for Leon to put on the chain that Cid had used earlier, but the leader shook his head. "No. This time, you fight."
Sora automatically stood up straighter, like a soldier waiting for an order from his commander, which he essentially was. A combination of fear and pride stirred within him, the fear from having to fight opponents he knew he could barely stand up to, and pride from knowing that he would fight. He drew his sword, eager to have at the Heartless in the Second District.
"Are you ready?" Leon asked, cracking a small smirk as his eyes focused on Sora brandishing his sword.
"I'm ready," Sora said with more confidence than he felt. Some potions were still tucked safely in his pockets, and this time he would remember to actually use them when they were needed.
"Then," Leon said, opening the door and revealing the deserted district, "your mission is to go in there, clean out the district, the alleyway, and the gizmo shop, and then return to headquarters. Good luck." Without another word, Leon turned back, presumably to take the easy way to headquarters.
Alone and facing the the dreaded Second District, Sora took a deep breath and stepped across the threshold, waiting for something shadowy to jump out and claw at him. Nothing attacked. A mechanical man tipping his hat cut through the stillness that threatened to swallow the place, and Sora half-expected crickets to start chirping.
How boring. Sora took another step into the town, wondering if it were actually deserted of everything, including Heartless. If that were the case, why bother–
A flash of black on the edge of his vision nullified the possibility of an easy trial that had previously been given. By reflex, Sora whipped his sword out, spearing through the first Shadow with ease. There were five at most, and compared to the waves of Heartless on his island, this was play, akin to fighting a three-on-one match with Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie.
He allowed himself to get caught in the rhythm of battle, advancing and retreating in stages and swinging his sword in practical patterns that sliced and stabbed the Heartless into black shreds. When the battle ended and the town returned to its former deserted state, Sora assessed his condition. He was breathing a little heavily, but his arms betrayed no sign of having been touched by claws. In small groups he could take the Heartless easily.
Confident now in his abilities, Sora continued deeper in to the Second District, mapping out a plan of what he needed to do. He didn't even remember where the exit had been exactly. If he had to clean everything out, he should clear the main section first and then try the doors one at a time. He needed to find the Gizmo shop and the alleyway as well.
So he formulated his battle plan: search for the exit and the other places he needed to go first, and in the meantime clean out the district. It was a simple and effective plan of action and one that could get him through the trial with as little hassle as possible. His mind made up, Sora headed right, where stairs led to the main square below and most of the doors.
He reached the corner, and under the awning of a shoe store, peace shattered once again. Heartless appeared out of nowhere, and just because things couldn't be easy, they were not the same Shadows that he was used to fighting on his island. These were slightly larger and, strangely enough, wearing clothing. With the silver colored helmet covering their heads and the navy blue clothes covering the rest of their bodies, Sora could not tell whether they were Shadow Heartless in clothing or a new kind.
His hesitation from observing the Heartless cost him any sort of advantage as one of them spun towards Sora, effectively clipping at him with its claws. Definitely stronger, he assessed as they counter-attacked, and better armored as well, he added to his observation. Where he was now killing the Shadows in one or two hits, these required about four before they vanished.
Sora won the battle, though he had more scratches to show for it than he would have liked. After the next fight, he should definitely drink a potion. For now though, duty and adrenaline called for him to continue on with his exploration. No Heartless attacked on the stairs, and Sora took that time to take a closer look at the lower level. Just under the door leading back to First District, a fountain bubbled happily, ignoring the fact that this place was supposed to be completely silent. Beyond the fountain was a heavy-looking wood door which appeared to lead out of the district.
More Heartless attacked as Sora reached the bottom of the stairs. These were just more Shadows, and Sora disposed of them easily, almost playing as his sword slashed effortlessly through them. A battle-energized Sora rushed through the lower section of Traverse Town, hacking through the hordes of Shadows without sweating in the least and occasionally encountering the more resilient soldier-type Heartless. The Soldiers forced Sora to drink more potions than he would have otherwise, and by the time he discovered the niche that led to the Third District and another door, which led to a house occupied by two melancholy spotted dogs, he was already running low on the vials of lime green liquid.
He backtracked through the cleared-out lower portion and exited the district through the door near the fountain. The alleyway consisted of a narrow walkway pressed against buildings on one side. The drain system–Sora would have said sewer, but the water was as clear as that in the waterfalls back on his island– took up about half the walking space and led into a dark hole guarded by bars.
The Heartless here were few in number, and Sora hardly bothered with potions. In one niche, a red and gold box peeked out from behind a few barrels, and he reasoned that if this place were deserted, there was no one to miss the contents of one box.
Not an adventure without winning treasures, Sora reasoned as he approached the box. He pushed the barrels aside and looked down at the small, tiny little temptation. Someone owned it, his conscience reminded him, seemingly intent on ruining Sora's fun.
In this quiet place, where the enemies were easy enough to defeat that battling instilling boredom, Sora dismissed the voice of conscience with the simplest of rationalizaitons. This was an adventure. Adventures had treasure chests to open. If the rightful owner came to claim the treasure, Sora could give it back or pay them for the merchandise. The Heartless were dropping shiny round pebbles that people in Cid's store had been flashing around. They probably had some value. Anyway, someone could claim that the treasure chest technically belonged to the Heartless? Everyone knew that vanquished enemies' treasure was the hero's to keep.
Sora knelt down cautiously, half-expecting a giant monster like the one that he used to think haunted the secret place to jump out at him and engage him in battle before he could claim the treasure. When the lid yielded easily and revealed an ordinary but much-needed potion, a feeling akin to disappointment rose within him. He pocketed the potion.
Another treasure chest waited above him on a nearby overhang. With the agility gained through years of climbing trees and a lower rooftop to help him, Sora jumped to the higher ledges–back balconies for hotel rooms–and to the little overhang at the end. Heartless might have appeared, but they were a nuisance quickly disposed of. For all this jumping, Sora received a sparkling stone, pretty yet useless. He pocketed it anyway, wondering if it would give him luck or if he could just sell it back to the store.
He jumped down from the ledge and exited through the heavy wood door that he'd come in through. Second District was as quiet as before, and this time around it annoyed Sora more than it intimidated him.
"Come out and fight!" he yelled at any Heartless that might be roaming through the district. His voice remained unheard as it echoed off the shops and houses and into the moonless sky above. He hadn't noticed how dark the first few times he entered the district, but the few gas lamps that lined the streets above him never even started to cut through the night.
He raced back up the stairs and back to the brighter lamp-lined path, wondering where he would find the Gizmo Shop, the last place to clear out. Few doors in the District opened. Frightened shop owners must have locked their doors before they fled to the safety of the First District. The only building other than the hat store that stood out was a white, church-like structure, complete with a bell tower and stained windows.
Curiosity compelled Sora to explore the white building. Heartless of both the Shadow and Soldier varieties sought to hinder him, and while the Shadows barely managed to get any scratches on him, the disorienting spinning attacks of the Soldiers were more effective at leaving small cuts on the exposed parts of Sora's arms and legs. Once, during a particularly careless moment, one of them almost reached Sora's throat before he managed to drive his sword right through the emblem on its little blue jumper.
Perhaps he had been a bit overconfident, he admitted to himself as he walked away from that last fight. The potion he had thought he would keep in reserve came out, and the astringent green liquid ran down his throat as he approached the white building. Wherever the Gizmo shop was, the Heartless were bound to be no more difficult than the ones he'd faced before, and he could certainly face one wave without having to use a potion. It was best to go into the battle fully healed and ready for anything.
He pushed open the wood and stained-glass door to the church and balked at the colorful machinery inside. Just to the right of him was a small brass plaque with the following inscription: "Welcome to the Gizmo Shop, kupo!"
Oh.
So this was where the final showdown of his trial would occur. Sora stepped forward, ready to get this mockery of a battle over and done with. His sword was already drawn and ready for whatever enemies cared to battle him. The lights flickered, making Sora slightly and appropriately nervous before they died out altogether.
The low light outside still cast dim-colored patterns through the windows and onto the floor. So this was a battle in the dark, since he doubted that the Heartless would wait for him to find the power supply and turn it back on. Like the rest of this district, the Gizmo Shop was eerily silent, though the near-complete darkness prompted Sora to imagine sounds of claws scraping against the tiled floors or the ledges above. He reassured himself that it was just his imagination that was causing him to hear these sinister noises. The fight or flight reaction that had largely dissipated outside flared up again as Sora's heart pounded in his ears.
Sora took another step forward into the pitch black center of the shop. He couldn't see the enemy that materialized within a few feet of him until the glowing yellow eyes had formed. A single Shadow--Sora could take care of that. He slashed at it immediately, hoping to get out of the threatening environment as quickly as possible. No stronger than the other enemies he had faced, it dissolved.
His relief lived no longer than that Heartless did, however. Two more immediately took its place, and while Sora disposed of one before it fully formed, the second one managed to attack once before he could impale it and send it to join the others wherever Heartless went when they were dead.
The third wave pressed on the tail-end of the second, and following some cosmic pattern, three Heartless attacked this time. Aiming to take them all out in one shot, Sora swung his sword in a long arc. The first was cut through easily, but the skin of the second resisted the blade. He withdrew it, puzzled as to why the blade wasn't going in, until the sound of metal joints rattling alerted him to the presence of soldiers.
The spinning attack clipped him across the shoulder, and to add more injury to injury, the Shadow counterattacked with a claw to the face as Sora impaled it. For the first time, doubt rose within him as he panicked and tried to to destroy the soldier and the next incoming wave of Heartless--four of them, all of the Shadow variety.
How long could he last? For the first time since entering the district, he questioned his ability to get through the trial. He couldn't fight wave after wave of Heartless when he couldn't even see them until they were about to attack. And as he grew more tired, they grew more powerful. The growing number of wounds and tears on his clothing testified to the growing futility of the exercise.
He couldn't give up, but he couldn't go on. How many times had he been in this situation? His friends had gotten him through it. Riku and Kairi were always there to help him, just like on his first trip through the district. Maybe if Sora could call out to them, they would respond.
Think about it, Sora, the conjured Riku's voice hinted that the solution was obvious, What do you have that the Heartless don't
A heart? he guessed, choosing the most obvious thing. They were Heartless after all.
Exactly, Riku's voice condescended, Use what you have to your advantage.
The presence vanished before Sora could actually ask what Riku meant, and the time that had seemed to stop while he heard Riku in his head started up again. Shadows were on him in droves, tearing away at the fabric covering his back and chest. He sliced at the air, attacking random spots in the hope that he would catch a Heartless before it caught him.
How was his heart supposed to do him any good in a battle? Sora was getting ripped to shreds, and the lack of light obviously didn't hinder the Heartless the way it did him. It wasn't the better heart that would win this fight, but the better eyes.
Sora... when your eyes fail you, trust in your heart, Kairi's voice whispered to him through the darkness, drowning out the sound of Heartless shuffling and screeching. Sora thought about what she was implying. His eyes widened as he realized the possible solution. Could he use his heart to navigate this battle?
He closed his eyes and shut out the rabble of noise that ruined his concentration. Instead of just stabbing in random directions, he attacked where his intuition told him to. A weak blow connected with a Soldier Heartless, and Sora thrust again with more confidence this time. He sliced through it easily and used that momentum to attack the rest of the Heartless in the wave.
He stopped counting the number of Heartless that appeared and merely trusted that the endless streams of battle indeed had an ending. Scratches and blows still landed, though significantly fewer in number, and while the enemies were coming in larger groups, it was no more difficult than fighting them in the streets outside.
Finally, his blade hit nothing but air, and the frenzied strikes from his opponents ceased. He opened his eyes, amazed at how much brighter the factory-like shop suddenly seemed, though the light ebbed away slowly, and the shop was once again enveloped in shadow. Exhaustion set in, and for the first time since the battle had begun, all the momentary flashes of pain from the previous assaults flared up again to remind Sora that he had injuries and he needed to take care of them. Sora was alive, though, and as long as he walked away from the battle with his life and his heart still with him, he would be fine.
Sora exited the Gizmo shop through the door opposite the one he had come in and started his journey back to the Third District, beaten but victorious.
***
A/N: Dagas needs shooting, seriously. First I take two months to actually write the darn chapter, and then it's just a bunch of boring battle scenes! ^_^ Hope it wasn't too too terrible for you all. And I thank you for your readership.
Much thanks to Koorino Megumi, who as always took time out of her busy schedule and made sure that I don't publically humiliate myself with this story. Remember, there is no really good writing that gets done without a beta.
*clinks on her water bottle*
Ahem. I have a very, very important announcement to make. The current debate (hah!) as to what shipping Starless should support has been decided. I've looked at all the possibilities, and I realized that there is one pairing in KH that is seriously underrepresented and yet pure enough to deserve a lasting tribute to it.
Sora/Palm Tree.
Yes, theirs is a love that crosses several boundaries, most of which I'm sure that my gentle and exalted readership does not want to think about. And yet it endures on so many levels. As it is also the most underrepresented pairing in KH, I feel that it is my responsibility to bring awareness of this pairing.
...
...
...
You think I'm kidding, don't you?
It is still technically April you know, even if it is 29 days too late. *tips hat*
Until next chapter, have fun and be careful.
Sora exited the Trinity Headquarters and was immediately dazzled by the bright lights that twinkled throughout Third District. Their sources, glass lamps and bulbs, were the same as that of the warm yellow lights that had illuminated First District, but these radiated a cool yellow light that reminded Sora of stars. A little to his left, a heavy wooden door led back to Second District, according to the glowing sign above the door. The walls on the side of the Second District were constructed of the same materials as the First District: warm wood and rough cobbled stones. To his right, a smooth wall, made of some type of molded stone, blocked his view of the rest of the area. Straight ahead of him, stairs led down to another part of the district, and it was down these that Leon went.
Sora followed, his eyes absorbing every piece of this new world. Third District was quite different from First District and probably the second one as well, although his memories of that place were little more than a haze and a dull throb. He assumed, though, that Second District must be similar to the First District--warm lights, and wood-and-stone buildings. Third District appeared to be completely different, probably constructed sometime after the other two.
Sora reached the bottom of the stairs, and Leon, who had been waiting stoically until then led him to the main part of Third District. A few people milled around the shining square, lit by those twinkling lights that had first captured Sora's attention as he walked out of Trinity Headquarters. Unlike First District, where the spaces between people were small enough that walking just a few feet had been a fight through the crowd, Third District was much less crowded. A few people gathered around a brightly-lit fountain.
Strong fingers grabbed his arm, and Sora shook himself out of his mesmerized state. Leon pointed to a door just to the right of Sora. "We go there," he informed Sora as he ignored the abundance of stimuli around him.
"Right!" Sora said, and Leon let go of the boy's arm. Various people, presumably members of Trinity, waved to Leon as they passed through the door.
And back into First District. The press of the crowd was as suffocating as it had been earlier. If anything, it was more crowded. Hardly any gaps existed among the unwashed bodies packed into the village square. The stench of a thousand people's sweat, the dim sounds of chatter around him, and the claustrophobic atmosphere enveloped Sora, making him dizzy from sensory overload.
"I can't believe that a kid like you is actually going to try out for Trinity. Usually applicants can stand up to a few refugees," Leon said, dragging Sora through the crowd. Various elbows poked at the youth as he tried to navigate through the mob. The leader, on the other hand, appeared in control; where the crowd converged onto Sora, they parted for Leon. Only by riding the wake left by Leon did Sora manage to navigate the distance between the exit from the Third District and the entrance to the Second.
As it had the first time Sora had approached the door, the crowd fell back. The heavy wooden doors that opened to the deserted part of town were like the closet doors he and many of the children on the island had feared when they were very young. Monsters, or Heartless, lurked behind them, and even those who scoffed at the possibility never dared to test their hypothesis.
Sora waited for Leon to put on the chain that Cid had used earlier, but the leader shook his head. "No. This time, you fight."
Sora automatically stood up straighter, like a soldier waiting for an order from his commander, which he essentially was. A combination of fear and pride stirred within him, the fear from having to fight opponents he knew he could barely stand up to, and pride from knowing that he would fight. He drew his sword, eager to have at the Heartless in the Second District.
"Are you ready?" Leon asked, cracking a small smirk as his eyes focused on Sora brandishing his sword.
"I'm ready," Sora said with more confidence than he felt. Some potions were still tucked safely in his pockets, and this time he would remember to actually use them when they were needed.
"Then," Leon said, opening the door and revealing the deserted district, "your mission is to go in there, clean out the district, the alleyway, and the gizmo shop, and then return to headquarters. Good luck." Without another word, Leon turned back, presumably to take the easy way to headquarters.
Alone and facing the the dreaded Second District, Sora took a deep breath and stepped across the threshold, waiting for something shadowy to jump out and claw at him. Nothing attacked. A mechanical man tipping his hat cut through the stillness that threatened to swallow the place, and Sora half-expected crickets to start chirping.
How boring. Sora took another step into the town, wondering if it were actually deserted of everything, including Heartless. If that were the case, why bother–
A flash of black on the edge of his vision nullified the possibility of an easy trial that had previously been given. By reflex, Sora whipped his sword out, spearing through the first Shadow with ease. There were five at most, and compared to the waves of Heartless on his island, this was play, akin to fighting a three-on-one match with Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie.
He allowed himself to get caught in the rhythm of battle, advancing and retreating in stages and swinging his sword in practical patterns that sliced and stabbed the Heartless into black shreds. When the battle ended and the town returned to its former deserted state, Sora assessed his condition. He was breathing a little heavily, but his arms betrayed no sign of having been touched by claws. In small groups he could take the Heartless easily.
Confident now in his abilities, Sora continued deeper in to the Second District, mapping out a plan of what he needed to do. He didn't even remember where the exit had been exactly. If he had to clean everything out, he should clear the main section first and then try the doors one at a time. He needed to find the Gizmo shop and the alleyway as well.
So he formulated his battle plan: search for the exit and the other places he needed to go first, and in the meantime clean out the district. It was a simple and effective plan of action and one that could get him through the trial with as little hassle as possible. His mind made up, Sora headed right, where stairs led to the main square below and most of the doors.
He reached the corner, and under the awning of a shoe store, peace shattered once again. Heartless appeared out of nowhere, and just because things couldn't be easy, they were not the same Shadows that he was used to fighting on his island. These were slightly larger and, strangely enough, wearing clothing. With the silver colored helmet covering their heads and the navy blue clothes covering the rest of their bodies, Sora could not tell whether they were Shadow Heartless in clothing or a new kind.
His hesitation from observing the Heartless cost him any sort of advantage as one of them spun towards Sora, effectively clipping at him with its claws. Definitely stronger, he assessed as they counter-attacked, and better armored as well, he added to his observation. Where he was now killing the Shadows in one or two hits, these required about four before they vanished.
Sora won the battle, though he had more scratches to show for it than he would have liked. After the next fight, he should definitely drink a potion. For now though, duty and adrenaline called for him to continue on with his exploration. No Heartless attacked on the stairs, and Sora took that time to take a closer look at the lower level. Just under the door leading back to First District, a fountain bubbled happily, ignoring the fact that this place was supposed to be completely silent. Beyond the fountain was a heavy-looking wood door which appeared to lead out of the district.
More Heartless attacked as Sora reached the bottom of the stairs. These were just more Shadows, and Sora disposed of them easily, almost playing as his sword slashed effortlessly through them. A battle-energized Sora rushed through the lower section of Traverse Town, hacking through the hordes of Shadows without sweating in the least and occasionally encountering the more resilient soldier-type Heartless. The Soldiers forced Sora to drink more potions than he would have otherwise, and by the time he discovered the niche that led to the Third District and another door, which led to a house occupied by two melancholy spotted dogs, he was already running low on the vials of lime green liquid.
He backtracked through the cleared-out lower portion and exited the district through the door near the fountain. The alleyway consisted of a narrow walkway pressed against buildings on one side. The drain system–Sora would have said sewer, but the water was as clear as that in the waterfalls back on his island– took up about half the walking space and led into a dark hole guarded by bars.
The Heartless here were few in number, and Sora hardly bothered with potions. In one niche, a red and gold box peeked out from behind a few barrels, and he reasoned that if this place were deserted, there was no one to miss the contents of one box.
Not an adventure without winning treasures, Sora reasoned as he approached the box. He pushed the barrels aside and looked down at the small, tiny little temptation. Someone owned it, his conscience reminded him, seemingly intent on ruining Sora's fun.
In this quiet place, where the enemies were easy enough to defeat that battling instilling boredom, Sora dismissed the voice of conscience with the simplest of rationalizaitons. This was an adventure. Adventures had treasure chests to open. If the rightful owner came to claim the treasure, Sora could give it back or pay them for the merchandise. The Heartless were dropping shiny round pebbles that people in Cid's store had been flashing around. They probably had some value. Anyway, someone could claim that the treasure chest technically belonged to the Heartless? Everyone knew that vanquished enemies' treasure was the hero's to keep.
Sora knelt down cautiously, half-expecting a giant monster like the one that he used to think haunted the secret place to jump out at him and engage him in battle before he could claim the treasure. When the lid yielded easily and revealed an ordinary but much-needed potion, a feeling akin to disappointment rose within him. He pocketed the potion.
Another treasure chest waited above him on a nearby overhang. With the agility gained through years of climbing trees and a lower rooftop to help him, Sora jumped to the higher ledges–back balconies for hotel rooms–and to the little overhang at the end. Heartless might have appeared, but they were a nuisance quickly disposed of. For all this jumping, Sora received a sparkling stone, pretty yet useless. He pocketed it anyway, wondering if it would give him luck or if he could just sell it back to the store.
He jumped down from the ledge and exited through the heavy wood door that he'd come in through. Second District was as quiet as before, and this time around it annoyed Sora more than it intimidated him.
"Come out and fight!" he yelled at any Heartless that might be roaming through the district. His voice remained unheard as it echoed off the shops and houses and into the moonless sky above. He hadn't noticed how dark the first few times he entered the district, but the few gas lamps that lined the streets above him never even started to cut through the night.
He raced back up the stairs and back to the brighter lamp-lined path, wondering where he would find the Gizmo Shop, the last place to clear out. Few doors in the District opened. Frightened shop owners must have locked their doors before they fled to the safety of the First District. The only building other than the hat store that stood out was a white, church-like structure, complete with a bell tower and stained windows.
Curiosity compelled Sora to explore the white building. Heartless of both the Shadow and Soldier varieties sought to hinder him, and while the Shadows barely managed to get any scratches on him, the disorienting spinning attacks of the Soldiers were more effective at leaving small cuts on the exposed parts of Sora's arms and legs. Once, during a particularly careless moment, one of them almost reached Sora's throat before he managed to drive his sword right through the emblem on its little blue jumper.
Perhaps he had been a bit overconfident, he admitted to himself as he walked away from that last fight. The potion he had thought he would keep in reserve came out, and the astringent green liquid ran down his throat as he approached the white building. Wherever the Gizmo shop was, the Heartless were bound to be no more difficult than the ones he'd faced before, and he could certainly face one wave without having to use a potion. It was best to go into the battle fully healed and ready for anything.
He pushed open the wood and stained-glass door to the church and balked at the colorful machinery inside. Just to the right of him was a small brass plaque with the following inscription: "Welcome to the Gizmo Shop, kupo!"
Oh.
So this was where the final showdown of his trial would occur. Sora stepped forward, ready to get this mockery of a battle over and done with. His sword was already drawn and ready for whatever enemies cared to battle him. The lights flickered, making Sora slightly and appropriately nervous before they died out altogether.
The low light outside still cast dim-colored patterns through the windows and onto the floor. So this was a battle in the dark, since he doubted that the Heartless would wait for him to find the power supply and turn it back on. Like the rest of this district, the Gizmo Shop was eerily silent, though the near-complete darkness prompted Sora to imagine sounds of claws scraping against the tiled floors or the ledges above. He reassured himself that it was just his imagination that was causing him to hear these sinister noises. The fight or flight reaction that had largely dissipated outside flared up again as Sora's heart pounded in his ears.
Sora took another step forward into the pitch black center of the shop. He couldn't see the enemy that materialized within a few feet of him until the glowing yellow eyes had formed. A single Shadow--Sora could take care of that. He slashed at it immediately, hoping to get out of the threatening environment as quickly as possible. No stronger than the other enemies he had faced, it dissolved.
His relief lived no longer than that Heartless did, however. Two more immediately took its place, and while Sora disposed of one before it fully formed, the second one managed to attack once before he could impale it and send it to join the others wherever Heartless went when they were dead.
The third wave pressed on the tail-end of the second, and following some cosmic pattern, three Heartless attacked this time. Aiming to take them all out in one shot, Sora swung his sword in a long arc. The first was cut through easily, but the skin of the second resisted the blade. He withdrew it, puzzled as to why the blade wasn't going in, until the sound of metal joints rattling alerted him to the presence of soldiers.
The spinning attack clipped him across the shoulder, and to add more injury to injury, the Shadow counterattacked with a claw to the face as Sora impaled it. For the first time, doubt rose within him as he panicked and tried to to destroy the soldier and the next incoming wave of Heartless--four of them, all of the Shadow variety.
How long could he last? For the first time since entering the district, he questioned his ability to get through the trial. He couldn't fight wave after wave of Heartless when he couldn't even see them until they were about to attack. And as he grew more tired, they grew more powerful. The growing number of wounds and tears on his clothing testified to the growing futility of the exercise.
He couldn't give up, but he couldn't go on. How many times had he been in this situation? His friends had gotten him through it. Riku and Kairi were always there to help him, just like on his first trip through the district. Maybe if Sora could call out to them, they would respond.
Think about it, Sora, the conjured Riku's voice hinted that the solution was obvious, What do you have that the Heartless don't
A heart? he guessed, choosing the most obvious thing. They were Heartless after all.
Exactly, Riku's voice condescended, Use what you have to your advantage.
The presence vanished before Sora could actually ask what Riku meant, and the time that had seemed to stop while he heard Riku in his head started up again. Shadows were on him in droves, tearing away at the fabric covering his back and chest. He sliced at the air, attacking random spots in the hope that he would catch a Heartless before it caught him.
How was his heart supposed to do him any good in a battle? Sora was getting ripped to shreds, and the lack of light obviously didn't hinder the Heartless the way it did him. It wasn't the better heart that would win this fight, but the better eyes.
Sora... when your eyes fail you, trust in your heart, Kairi's voice whispered to him through the darkness, drowning out the sound of Heartless shuffling and screeching. Sora thought about what she was implying. His eyes widened as he realized the possible solution. Could he use his heart to navigate this battle?
He closed his eyes and shut out the rabble of noise that ruined his concentration. Instead of just stabbing in random directions, he attacked where his intuition told him to. A weak blow connected with a Soldier Heartless, and Sora thrust again with more confidence this time. He sliced through it easily and used that momentum to attack the rest of the Heartless in the wave.
He stopped counting the number of Heartless that appeared and merely trusted that the endless streams of battle indeed had an ending. Scratches and blows still landed, though significantly fewer in number, and while the enemies were coming in larger groups, it was no more difficult than fighting them in the streets outside.
Finally, his blade hit nothing but air, and the frenzied strikes from his opponents ceased. He opened his eyes, amazed at how much brighter the factory-like shop suddenly seemed, though the light ebbed away slowly, and the shop was once again enveloped in shadow. Exhaustion set in, and for the first time since the battle had begun, all the momentary flashes of pain from the previous assaults flared up again to remind Sora that he had injuries and he needed to take care of them. Sora was alive, though, and as long as he walked away from the battle with his life and his heart still with him, he would be fine.
Sora exited the Gizmo shop through the door opposite the one he had come in and started his journey back to the Third District, beaten but victorious.
***
A/N: Dagas needs shooting, seriously. First I take two months to actually write the darn chapter, and then it's just a bunch of boring battle scenes! ^_^ Hope it wasn't too too terrible for you all. And I thank you for your readership.
Much thanks to Koorino Megumi, who as always took time out of her busy schedule and made sure that I don't publically humiliate myself with this story. Remember, there is no really good writing that gets done without a beta.
*clinks on her water bottle*
Ahem. I have a very, very important announcement to make. The current debate (hah!) as to what shipping Starless should support has been decided. I've looked at all the possibilities, and I realized that there is one pairing in KH that is seriously underrepresented and yet pure enough to deserve a lasting tribute to it.
Sora/Palm Tree.
Yes, theirs is a love that crosses several boundaries, most of which I'm sure that my gentle and exalted readership does not want to think about. And yet it endures on so many levels. As it is also the most underrepresented pairing in KH, I feel that it is my responsibility to bring awareness of this pairing.
...
...
...
You think I'm kidding, don't you?
It is still technically April you know, even if it is 29 days too late. *tips hat*
Until next chapter, have fun and be careful.