Disclaimer: I think just posting the word 'disclaimer' suggests that I don't own it.
Ugh! I'm really thirsty, but I don't wanna go downstairs to get a soda cuz my daddy will yell at me for still being awake. So I guess I will just suffer. *sigh
Thank you, lovely reviewers! I love my reviewers…
Here is yet another, wondrous chapter. lol, I am so addicted to this story that it's spooky. Heh, spooky.
~~~~
Sora watched out the window as Hollow Bastion came into view ahead of them. Cid landed the gummi ship carefully on the platform at Rising Falls, not bothering to shut it down.
"Okay, we're here. Now get out, you bunch of free-loaders." Cid growled, opening the door and watching the group disembark. "And watch it out there!" He added as Squall climbed out and shut the door behind him.
And so they began their climb to the lift. Sora in the lead, followed closely by Kairi, Riku, Donald, and Goofy. Next came the three remaining islanders, and then Squall, Cloud, Aerith, and Yuffie.
"I don't see why Cid can't drop us off on the walkway un there!" Selphie complained, pointing up toward Hollow Bastion.
Sora and Riku shook their heads, ignoring her. They had to take the lift in turns, Sora and his group going first, followed immediately by Squall and his friends, along with Tidus. Together, they marched across the walkway, Sora and Riku flinging the doors to the hall open as they entered, stopping to look around as soon as they were inside.
"What now?" Kairi whispered, gazing around at the silent room.
"Over there, you see it?" Riku whispered to Sora, pointing toward a tiny shadow Heartless, bobbing back and forth next to the stairs.
It ambled a few steps up the stairs, stopping to turn around and wriggle its antennae at them.
"I think it wants us to follow it." Yuffie whispered, crouching behind Riku.
Sora snorted, brushing past the silver-haired boy and walking toward the stairs. The others followed his lead, keeping close together in the dark hall. The small Heartless stopped outside the door to the library, looking expectantly up at Sora. He opened the door and stepped through, watching the Heartless vanish into the shadows.
Ansem stood on the far side of the library, his back turned to them and an open book lying on the table. He flipped the page silently, examining the text before flipping the page again. After a moment, he closed the book, placing it back on the shelf and turning to face Sora and his companions.
"Ah, Welcome, Sora. You're earlier than I expected." he said, a hint of mockery in his voice.
"Save it, Ansem. What are you planning?" Sora demanded, prepared to draw his keyblade if the need arose.
"Planning? You suspect me of plotting against you? What is it you really came for, Sora?" He laughed, pretending to play innocent.
"Your Heartless attacked us, less than a day ago. Why did you send them after us and what is it you're after now?" Sora growled, stepping closer to his enemy.
Ansem looked him directly in the eye, a serious look on his face. "I assure you, keyblade master, I had nothing to do with your little ordeal." Ansem stated, turning to examine the bookshelf.
"Stop lying, Ansem! You're the Heartless King, they answer to you alone! We want some answers. Now. We want to know what it is you're after, and we want an explanation for the unprovoked attacks on Sora and King Mickey! If you continue this inhumane treatment and experimentation on the Heartless, we are prepared to take forceful action." Kairi stated bravely, stepping in front of Sora and glaring at Ansem.
Ansem stared blankly at Kairi, such an authority figure, what was she doing hanging around that clumsy Sora? He stepped closer to her, leaning down to look at her, eye level.
"Forceful action?" He laughed, "You will take forceful action with me no matter what I do. Don't try tricking yourself into thinking you're giving me a choice. Either I follow you willingly, or you begin to fight back, is that what you mean?" He stepped back, his attention returned to the bookshelf.
Sora grabbed Kairi's shoulder, pulling her back as he stepped protectively in front of her. She angrily stomped her foot, "Sora! Stop it! I can take care of myself!" She yelled at him, spinning around and facing their friends.
"You! Out!" She snapped. The group loitered, exchanging glances. "OUT!" She yelled, pointing at the door. The group reluctantly hurried out the door, slamming it behind them.
Kairi spun back around, facing Sora and Ansem. Both males had surprised looks on their faces, Ansem recovering first and quickly averting his gaze back toward the shelf.
"Kairi..?" Sora began, stopping when he received an icy glare.
"Now, Ansem. Why did you send those Heartless after the Sora and the King?" She began again, speaking softly.
He turned, sighing as he glared at Sora, quickly looking back down to Kairi. "Kairi." He paused, startled at hearing himself say her name. "I did not send them after your friends."
She looked deeply into his eyes, taking in the orange and yellow. She didn't want to believe him, but she couldn't help but trust him.
"Sora.." She turned to her friend, cut off when she noticed movement on the floor and stairs above them. "What..?" She began, jumping back when Heartless replicas of Sora stepped from the shadows.
Sora looked up. "You fucking liar! Can't even have a decent conversation with you!" He spat, producing his keyblade and taking up a battle stance.
Kairi looked up at Ansem, expecting a look of triumph. She was shocked to see something entirely different when she looked at him, he was surprised. Not only surprised, but confused.
He looked back down at her, opening his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when the Heartless dove from the top floor to lunge at Sora and Kairi.
Sora blocked as one leapt at him, throwing it back into another replica. Three more jumped on him, bringing him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him. Another came up behind Kairi, grabbing her roughly by the arm and grinning as it held her still, preparing to strike with its keyblade. She struggled to pull away, twisting her arm as its grip tightened. She screamed in pain, falling to the ground as her legs were kicked out form under her. The keyblade was brought back, ready to strike. She struggled desperately to get away, another wave of pain coursing through her arm as it was twisted. Suddenly, Ansem's boot collided with the Heartless, throwing it back against the wall.
He bent down and hauled Kairi roughly to her feet, pulling her through the crowd of Heartless to Sora, who was still pinned. He shoved her away, glaring sharply at the Heartless. Slowly, they backed away from Sora, hissing at him, but obeying their master. Sora scrambled to his feet Oathkeeper materializing as he prepared to lunge at Ansem. Kairi stopped him.
"Come on, Sora! We have to get out of here!" She cried, moving toward the door as the Heartless backed away.
He reluctantly followed her, shoving the door open and barreling out into the hall.
Kairi turned to take one last look into the library, startled when she saw Ansem back against the bookcase, the Heartless hissing and crowing around him. She shook her head and leapt over the banister after Sora, following her friends out onto the walkway. Halfway to the lift, she stopped.
"This isn't right…" She mumbled, turning back to look into the hall, faint crashing coming from the open library doors.
"I'm sorry, Sora.." She whispered, turning and dashing back inside.
~*~*~*~~~~
Ugh! I'm really thirsty, but I don't wanna go downstairs to get a soda cuz my daddy will yell at me for still being awake. So I guess I will just suffer. *sigh
Thank you, lovely reviewers! I love my reviewers…
Here is yet another, wondrous chapter. lol, I am so addicted to this story that it's spooky. Heh, spooky.
~~~~
Sora watched out the window as Hollow Bastion came into view ahead of them. Cid landed the gummi ship carefully on the platform at Rising Falls, not bothering to shut it down.
"Okay, we're here. Now get out, you bunch of free-loaders." Cid growled, opening the door and watching the group disembark. "And watch it out there!" He added as Squall climbed out and shut the door behind him.
And so they began their climb to the lift. Sora in the lead, followed closely by Kairi, Riku, Donald, and Goofy. Next came the three remaining islanders, and then Squall, Cloud, Aerith, and Yuffie.
"I don't see why Cid can't drop us off on the walkway un there!" Selphie complained, pointing up toward Hollow Bastion.
Sora and Riku shook their heads, ignoring her. They had to take the lift in turns, Sora and his group going first, followed immediately by Squall and his friends, along with Tidus. Together, they marched across the walkway, Sora and Riku flinging the doors to the hall open as they entered, stopping to look around as soon as they were inside.
"What now?" Kairi whispered, gazing around at the silent room.
"Over there, you see it?" Riku whispered to Sora, pointing toward a tiny shadow Heartless, bobbing back and forth next to the stairs.
It ambled a few steps up the stairs, stopping to turn around and wriggle its antennae at them.
"I think it wants us to follow it." Yuffie whispered, crouching behind Riku.
Sora snorted, brushing past the silver-haired boy and walking toward the stairs. The others followed his lead, keeping close together in the dark hall. The small Heartless stopped outside the door to the library, looking expectantly up at Sora. He opened the door and stepped through, watching the Heartless vanish into the shadows.
Ansem stood on the far side of the library, his back turned to them and an open book lying on the table. He flipped the page silently, examining the text before flipping the page again. After a moment, he closed the book, placing it back on the shelf and turning to face Sora and his companions.
"Ah, Welcome, Sora. You're earlier than I expected." he said, a hint of mockery in his voice.
"Save it, Ansem. What are you planning?" Sora demanded, prepared to draw his keyblade if the need arose.
"Planning? You suspect me of plotting against you? What is it you really came for, Sora?" He laughed, pretending to play innocent.
"Your Heartless attacked us, less than a day ago. Why did you send them after us and what is it you're after now?" Sora growled, stepping closer to his enemy.
Ansem looked him directly in the eye, a serious look on his face. "I assure you, keyblade master, I had nothing to do with your little ordeal." Ansem stated, turning to examine the bookshelf.
"Stop lying, Ansem! You're the Heartless King, they answer to you alone! We want some answers. Now. We want to know what it is you're after, and we want an explanation for the unprovoked attacks on Sora and King Mickey! If you continue this inhumane treatment and experimentation on the Heartless, we are prepared to take forceful action." Kairi stated bravely, stepping in front of Sora and glaring at Ansem.
Ansem stared blankly at Kairi, such an authority figure, what was she doing hanging around that clumsy Sora? He stepped closer to her, leaning down to look at her, eye level.
"Forceful action?" He laughed, "You will take forceful action with me no matter what I do. Don't try tricking yourself into thinking you're giving me a choice. Either I follow you willingly, or you begin to fight back, is that what you mean?" He stepped back, his attention returned to the bookshelf.
Sora grabbed Kairi's shoulder, pulling her back as he stepped protectively in front of her. She angrily stomped her foot, "Sora! Stop it! I can take care of myself!" She yelled at him, spinning around and facing their friends.
"You! Out!" She snapped. The group loitered, exchanging glances. "OUT!" She yelled, pointing at the door. The group reluctantly hurried out the door, slamming it behind them.
Kairi spun back around, facing Sora and Ansem. Both males had surprised looks on their faces, Ansem recovering first and quickly averting his gaze back toward the shelf.
"Kairi..?" Sora began, stopping when he received an icy glare.
"Now, Ansem. Why did you send those Heartless after the Sora and the King?" She began again, speaking softly.
He turned, sighing as he glared at Sora, quickly looking back down to Kairi. "Kairi." He paused, startled at hearing himself say her name. "I did not send them after your friends."
She looked deeply into his eyes, taking in the orange and yellow. She didn't want to believe him, but she couldn't help but trust him.
"Sora.." She turned to her friend, cut off when she noticed movement on the floor and stairs above them. "What..?" She began, jumping back when Heartless replicas of Sora stepped from the shadows.
Sora looked up. "You fucking liar! Can't even have a decent conversation with you!" He spat, producing his keyblade and taking up a battle stance.
Kairi looked up at Ansem, expecting a look of triumph. She was shocked to see something entirely different when she looked at him, he was surprised. Not only surprised, but confused.
He looked back down at her, opening his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when the Heartless dove from the top floor to lunge at Sora and Kairi.
Sora blocked as one leapt at him, throwing it back into another replica. Three more jumped on him, bringing him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him. Another came up behind Kairi, grabbing her roughly by the arm and grinning as it held her still, preparing to strike with its keyblade. She struggled to pull away, twisting her arm as its grip tightened. She screamed in pain, falling to the ground as her legs were kicked out form under her. The keyblade was brought back, ready to strike. She struggled desperately to get away, another wave of pain coursing through her arm as it was twisted. Suddenly, Ansem's boot collided with the Heartless, throwing it back against the wall.
He bent down and hauled Kairi roughly to her feet, pulling her through the crowd of Heartless to Sora, who was still pinned. He shoved her away, glaring sharply at the Heartless. Slowly, they backed away from Sora, hissing at him, but obeying their master. Sora scrambled to his feet Oathkeeper materializing as he prepared to lunge at Ansem. Kairi stopped him.
"Come on, Sora! We have to get out of here!" She cried, moving toward the door as the Heartless backed away.
He reluctantly followed her, shoving the door open and barreling out into the hall.
Kairi turned to take one last look into the library, startled when she saw Ansem back against the bookcase, the Heartless hissing and crowing around him. She shook her head and leapt over the banister after Sora, following her friends out onto the walkway. Halfway to the lift, she stopped.
"This isn't right…" She mumbled, turning back to look into the hall, faint crashing coming from the open library doors.
"I'm sorry, Sora.." She whispered, turning and dashing back inside.
~*~*~*~~~~