Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.
I noticed a horrid amount of mistakes in the last chapter, as you have probably guess, I've given up on proofreading them before posting. My word processor program automatically fixes mistakes that it sees as obvious, which is irritating because usually it comes up with some obscure word that I've never heard before. *sigh. This chapter took forever to write, and I still don't think it came out quite the way I had hoped. Oh well, close enough for now. After I finish this story I am thinking about going through and rewriting some of the chapter, just to try to get the basic feel of the story down. One thing I discovered over the weekend is that Flogging Molly fit this story fairly well so far as music goes. Don't ask me how I found that out…
Yeah, nice review, Kyle. I hope I look that good when I'm 63. Hell, I hope I look that good when I'm 20.
Thanks for reviewing everyone! Please leave some more. I seriously hope this is turning out alright, I don't exactly have the entire plot lined up yet… Bad me, I know.
~~~~~
Ansem faced the doorway to the Dark Depths. It had weakened to the point of collapse during his absence, but since his return, it had grown stronger. It had once again begun releasing darkness into the worlds, evil seeping from its very foundations. He could not be sure, but for some reason it seemed as though it was stronger now than it had been before. It had been the seven princesses of heart that had opened it in the first place, and he wondered if they could feel its sudden presence again.
Turning abruptly, he treaded back down the two flights of stairs. He stopped suddenly when deep laughter sounded around him, shadows lengthening eerily as the torches flickered. He fell back a pace as a Heartless replica rose up before him, still in Sora's form. It grinned evilly as the lengthening shadows flowed across the floor, a mass of replicas emerging to surround Ansem. His eyes narrowed as he stared into the blank stare of the replica that appeared to be the leader, surprised to find himself repulsed by its hollow appearance.
"What do you want? You've made your point, I am unable to control you. Now get out of my castle." He spat darkly, ready to materialize his spear if the need arose. He noticed that he suddenly felt tired, relaxing his arm to keep it from shaking.
The Heartless simply grinned wider, inhuman fangs glistening in the flickering light. "..Do you know what I am?" It finally hissed, holding its arms up as if being inspected. "I'm no longer human, that's what I am. A long time ago, we were all human. Every one of us in this room. But that's all changed, hasn't it, your majesty?" It drawled out the last two words like some kind of sick joke, its grin turning into a fierce sneer.
"My lord and master, King Ansem. Have you not felt the change?" It looked away from him, gazing around at its followers.
"What change?" Ansem asked cautiously, trying not to show that they had his attention.
It looked back to him and laughed, the morbid sound echoing around the great hall. Its body shifted, voice deepening as it changed forms and grew. It faced him, once again grinning as it completed its transformation. A perfect shadow replica of himself. Ansem stared at it in distaste.
"The revolution of the Heartless, of course. Things are changing, lord, as you can plainly see. I'm surprised that the King of the Heartless is unaware of the coming revolution. With your vast knowledge of the darkness, you should have felt its unavoidable approach the moment Kingdom Hearts took you. The Heartless are becoming restless, longing to reach Kingdom Hearts and take it for themselves. A war is brewing between the light and the dark. Don't try to deny it, you've known it was coming since the day you returned to power. Very soon, the keyblade wielders shall rise against the Heartless. You already know that there is only one side for you, join with me, and with our combined strength, we can bring down the keyblades!" It declared boldly, holding up its fist and glaring expectantly at him.
Ansem sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes. He stood there for a moment, meditating on the Heartless' statement. He knew it was true, it was part of the reason why he had ordered the Heartless to stay away from Sora in the first place. He slowly opened his eyes, staring down at the floor.
"This is what you believe to be true? A mere Heartless, incapable of human emotion or thought. A war between the light and the dark? Even as a creature of darkness, you still understand so little about it. Light cannot exist without darkness, just as darkness cannot exist without light. To rid the universe of either could bring Armageddon. Now get out of my castle. You're wasting my time." He said quietly, as though everyone knew it. He shoved past the angered Heartless, ignoring the shouts that followed him out of the door. He reached an unsteady hand up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, making a mental note to ask Kairi if she had felt the same way around the replicas.
"A war is coming, Ansem! And it shall extend far beyond the Heartless! You can see it already, we ourselves are already more than Heartless. Do not take the effect of Kingdom Hearts for granted!" It shouted angrily, following its companions back into the shadows.
~*~
"Ugh, look at this mess! It looks like we didn't even make a dent!" Kairi huffed, flopping down onto the dusty floor and looking up at the replica. They had been working for hours, hauling around the stacks of disrupted books and piling the broken pieces of the bookcases against the wall. Kairi wasn't sure what Ansem would do about the shelves, he would probably just buy new ones.
She reached over and picked up the broom, using it to pull herself back to her feet. She began sweeping the visible floor space, attempting to clear a path through the debris. It didn't appear to help, and after a while she threw it down, howling in frustration.
The door on the floor above them slammed open, causing her to jump as she stumble out from under the balcony to see if it was Ansem. She saw him pick a book off of one of the undisturbed shelves upstairs, slamming it angrily against the table. Upon noticing her down below, he straightened up, making his way over to the staircase and crossing his arms over his chest as he glided down to meet her.
She looked up at him, shocked by his sudden change. He looked so stressed and angry. It frightened her to see him like that. She mentally slapped herself to keep from staring into his flaming orange eyes.
He looked down at her, noticing the new black dress she wore. It seemed to define every curve in her body, resting snuggly against her soft skin. Her legs showed through the slits that ran up the sides, outlining the lean muscles that had developed over the years. He couldn't deny that it looked good on her. His gaze snapped back up to her face as she cleared her throat.
"So, what's the matter? You missed lunch.." She began, watching his gaze soften.
He didn't answer, turning away to look around the room. "What are you doing in here?" he asked, noticing the stacks of debris and books.
Kairi blushed slightly, "Well, it was really messy in here, and you always seem so lonely and busy.. We thought that maybe since you're letting me stay here and all, that we might clean it up for you.." She trailed off. She could have sworn that she had seen a hint of a smile cross his face.
He knew that by 'letting her stay there' she actually meant that she had noticed the fact that he seemed to have no intention of hurting her. He was surprised to find that he hadn't even thought about it. Pushing the thought back out of his mind, he turned to look into her eyes.
"You didn't have to do that." He said, looking back towards the heaps of debris and lifting his hand.
Almost immediately various Heartless rose from the floor, scurrying around the room as they picked up the books and sorted through the rubble. Kairi's replica came bounding out of the crowd, hiding behind her and looking rather disgruntled. It noticed Ansem and smiled, bowing slightly as it hid even farther behind the red-haired girl.
Ansem looked at it curiously, leaning in as it allowed him to gently grip its face. Almost immediately he felt his hand grow tired. "Fascinating. You two have been getting along?" He asked, releasing the nervous Heartless and looking back at Kairi.
She seemed slightly confused, "Well, yes. Why?" She looked over her shoulder at the replica, which had buried its face in her back.
Ansem watched her for a moment as he thought, "Heartless are what remains after a person loses their heart to darkness. They are incapable of human emotions, however, and most of them can't even think. I find it interesting that this particular kind of Heartless have suddenly regained some of their lost capabilities." He stated, walking over to the nearest bookshelf and lifting a large chunk of broken wood out of his way.
He dug around in the debris for a moment before straightening up, carrying a thick book along with him. He opened it and began flipping through the pages, the Heartless dodging around his boots as he stood in the midst of their work.
Kairi couldn't help but stare. His posture was perfect and he completely ignored the small hunched forms around him, his long white hair flowing gracefully around his shoulders. Even living on a tropical island she had never seen a tan like his, her heart jolting as she was reminded of her home. She wondered if her friends were worried about her, and whether or not they would risk a battle with Ansem to get her back. He didn't seem like he would be willing to let her simply waltz out of his castle.
She sighed heavily, sinking down until she was seated on the bottom of the stairs. Focusing on the floor between her feet, she asked herself why she had even stayed behind in the first place. Because there's something about him, something that told me to help him, she told herself.
A Heartless scurried past with several books, depositing them on floor next to her. It straightened up as much as its small form would allow it to, staring at her with its blank eyes. She stared back at it, mesmerized by its unblinking stare. It shuffled closer, pausing several feet away and wiggling its antennae. She tried to look away, but its eyes were burning into her. It began shuffling closer again, holding up a claw to her as she shifted uncomfortably.
She jumped as Ansem's boot collided with the creature's chest, sending it hurtling across the room into a damaged bookcase.
"You should be more cautious around the Heartless. Even under my control they still seek out anyone who wields a keyblade." He stepped down onto the floor, helping her to her feet.
She looked up at him with questioning eyes, "Why did you-?"
"Had it gotten any closer it would have attempted to take your heart. Don't hesitate to use your keyblade if it happens again." He said, interrupting her.
Kairi paused for a moment, slightly startled. It had only been for a moment, but she was sure she had seen it. There had been genuine concern reflected in his eyes.
~*~*~*~~~~
I noticed a horrid amount of mistakes in the last chapter, as you have probably guess, I've given up on proofreading them before posting. My word processor program automatically fixes mistakes that it sees as obvious, which is irritating because usually it comes up with some obscure word that I've never heard before. *sigh. This chapter took forever to write, and I still don't think it came out quite the way I had hoped. Oh well, close enough for now. After I finish this story I am thinking about going through and rewriting some of the chapter, just to try to get the basic feel of the story down. One thing I discovered over the weekend is that Flogging Molly fit this story fairly well so far as music goes. Don't ask me how I found that out…
Yeah, nice review, Kyle. I hope I look that good when I'm 63. Hell, I hope I look that good when I'm 20.
Thanks for reviewing everyone! Please leave some more. I seriously hope this is turning out alright, I don't exactly have the entire plot lined up yet… Bad me, I know.
~~~~~
Ansem faced the doorway to the Dark Depths. It had weakened to the point of collapse during his absence, but since his return, it had grown stronger. It had once again begun releasing darkness into the worlds, evil seeping from its very foundations. He could not be sure, but for some reason it seemed as though it was stronger now than it had been before. It had been the seven princesses of heart that had opened it in the first place, and he wondered if they could feel its sudden presence again.
Turning abruptly, he treaded back down the two flights of stairs. He stopped suddenly when deep laughter sounded around him, shadows lengthening eerily as the torches flickered. He fell back a pace as a Heartless replica rose up before him, still in Sora's form. It grinned evilly as the lengthening shadows flowed across the floor, a mass of replicas emerging to surround Ansem. His eyes narrowed as he stared into the blank stare of the replica that appeared to be the leader, surprised to find himself repulsed by its hollow appearance.
"What do you want? You've made your point, I am unable to control you. Now get out of my castle." He spat darkly, ready to materialize his spear if the need arose. He noticed that he suddenly felt tired, relaxing his arm to keep it from shaking.
The Heartless simply grinned wider, inhuman fangs glistening in the flickering light. "..Do you know what I am?" It finally hissed, holding its arms up as if being inspected. "I'm no longer human, that's what I am. A long time ago, we were all human. Every one of us in this room. But that's all changed, hasn't it, your majesty?" It drawled out the last two words like some kind of sick joke, its grin turning into a fierce sneer.
"My lord and master, King Ansem. Have you not felt the change?" It looked away from him, gazing around at its followers.
"What change?" Ansem asked cautiously, trying not to show that they had his attention.
It looked back to him and laughed, the morbid sound echoing around the great hall. Its body shifted, voice deepening as it changed forms and grew. It faced him, once again grinning as it completed its transformation. A perfect shadow replica of himself. Ansem stared at it in distaste.
"The revolution of the Heartless, of course. Things are changing, lord, as you can plainly see. I'm surprised that the King of the Heartless is unaware of the coming revolution. With your vast knowledge of the darkness, you should have felt its unavoidable approach the moment Kingdom Hearts took you. The Heartless are becoming restless, longing to reach Kingdom Hearts and take it for themselves. A war is brewing between the light and the dark. Don't try to deny it, you've known it was coming since the day you returned to power. Very soon, the keyblade wielders shall rise against the Heartless. You already know that there is only one side for you, join with me, and with our combined strength, we can bring down the keyblades!" It declared boldly, holding up its fist and glaring expectantly at him.
Ansem sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes. He stood there for a moment, meditating on the Heartless' statement. He knew it was true, it was part of the reason why he had ordered the Heartless to stay away from Sora in the first place. He slowly opened his eyes, staring down at the floor.
"This is what you believe to be true? A mere Heartless, incapable of human emotion or thought. A war between the light and the dark? Even as a creature of darkness, you still understand so little about it. Light cannot exist without darkness, just as darkness cannot exist without light. To rid the universe of either could bring Armageddon. Now get out of my castle. You're wasting my time." He said quietly, as though everyone knew it. He shoved past the angered Heartless, ignoring the shouts that followed him out of the door. He reached an unsteady hand up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, making a mental note to ask Kairi if she had felt the same way around the replicas.
"A war is coming, Ansem! And it shall extend far beyond the Heartless! You can see it already, we ourselves are already more than Heartless. Do not take the effect of Kingdom Hearts for granted!" It shouted angrily, following its companions back into the shadows.
~*~
"Ugh, look at this mess! It looks like we didn't even make a dent!" Kairi huffed, flopping down onto the dusty floor and looking up at the replica. They had been working for hours, hauling around the stacks of disrupted books and piling the broken pieces of the bookcases against the wall. Kairi wasn't sure what Ansem would do about the shelves, he would probably just buy new ones.
She reached over and picked up the broom, using it to pull herself back to her feet. She began sweeping the visible floor space, attempting to clear a path through the debris. It didn't appear to help, and after a while she threw it down, howling in frustration.
The door on the floor above them slammed open, causing her to jump as she stumble out from under the balcony to see if it was Ansem. She saw him pick a book off of one of the undisturbed shelves upstairs, slamming it angrily against the table. Upon noticing her down below, he straightened up, making his way over to the staircase and crossing his arms over his chest as he glided down to meet her.
She looked up at him, shocked by his sudden change. He looked so stressed and angry. It frightened her to see him like that. She mentally slapped herself to keep from staring into his flaming orange eyes.
He looked down at her, noticing the new black dress she wore. It seemed to define every curve in her body, resting snuggly against her soft skin. Her legs showed through the slits that ran up the sides, outlining the lean muscles that had developed over the years. He couldn't deny that it looked good on her. His gaze snapped back up to her face as she cleared her throat.
"So, what's the matter? You missed lunch.." She began, watching his gaze soften.
He didn't answer, turning away to look around the room. "What are you doing in here?" he asked, noticing the stacks of debris and books.
Kairi blushed slightly, "Well, it was really messy in here, and you always seem so lonely and busy.. We thought that maybe since you're letting me stay here and all, that we might clean it up for you.." She trailed off. She could have sworn that she had seen a hint of a smile cross his face.
He knew that by 'letting her stay there' she actually meant that she had noticed the fact that he seemed to have no intention of hurting her. He was surprised to find that he hadn't even thought about it. Pushing the thought back out of his mind, he turned to look into her eyes.
"You didn't have to do that." He said, looking back towards the heaps of debris and lifting his hand.
Almost immediately various Heartless rose from the floor, scurrying around the room as they picked up the books and sorted through the rubble. Kairi's replica came bounding out of the crowd, hiding behind her and looking rather disgruntled. It noticed Ansem and smiled, bowing slightly as it hid even farther behind the red-haired girl.
Ansem looked at it curiously, leaning in as it allowed him to gently grip its face. Almost immediately he felt his hand grow tired. "Fascinating. You two have been getting along?" He asked, releasing the nervous Heartless and looking back at Kairi.
She seemed slightly confused, "Well, yes. Why?" She looked over her shoulder at the replica, which had buried its face in her back.
Ansem watched her for a moment as he thought, "Heartless are what remains after a person loses their heart to darkness. They are incapable of human emotions, however, and most of them can't even think. I find it interesting that this particular kind of Heartless have suddenly regained some of their lost capabilities." He stated, walking over to the nearest bookshelf and lifting a large chunk of broken wood out of his way.
He dug around in the debris for a moment before straightening up, carrying a thick book along with him. He opened it and began flipping through the pages, the Heartless dodging around his boots as he stood in the midst of their work.
Kairi couldn't help but stare. His posture was perfect and he completely ignored the small hunched forms around him, his long white hair flowing gracefully around his shoulders. Even living on a tropical island she had never seen a tan like his, her heart jolting as she was reminded of her home. She wondered if her friends were worried about her, and whether or not they would risk a battle with Ansem to get her back. He didn't seem like he would be willing to let her simply waltz out of his castle.
She sighed heavily, sinking down until she was seated on the bottom of the stairs. Focusing on the floor between her feet, she asked herself why she had even stayed behind in the first place. Because there's something about him, something that told me to help him, she told herself.
A Heartless scurried past with several books, depositing them on floor next to her. It straightened up as much as its small form would allow it to, staring at her with its blank eyes. She stared back at it, mesmerized by its unblinking stare. It shuffled closer, pausing several feet away and wiggling its antennae. She tried to look away, but its eyes were burning into her. It began shuffling closer again, holding up a claw to her as she shifted uncomfortably.
She jumped as Ansem's boot collided with the creature's chest, sending it hurtling across the room into a damaged bookcase.
"You should be more cautious around the Heartless. Even under my control they still seek out anyone who wields a keyblade." He stepped down onto the floor, helping her to her feet.
She looked up at him with questioning eyes, "Why did you-?"
"Had it gotten any closer it would have attempted to take your heart. Don't hesitate to use your keyblade if it happens again." He said, interrupting her.
Kairi paused for a moment, slightly startled. It had only been for a moment, but she was sure she had seen it. There had been genuine concern reflected in his eyes.
~*~*~*~~~~