Secrets of Memories
Chapter 67: Oblivion
King Mickey sighed, though there was still a smile on his face. Aozora had fallen asleep, his head against the windowpane, as the train cheerfully marched its way towards the twilit world of Twilight Town.
" It's a sad life you live, Aozora," the mouse king murmured. " And it's not over yet."
The Oblivion must be burning in his pocket. His duty as Sora's Guardian must weight heavily in his mind. And King Mickey knew of the turmoil in Aozora's heart. He had once promised his heart to someone…but the heart had slipped away…to another who was untouchable to all.
And the scar. That beautiful, horrible scar, shaped like a star, that had scorched itself upon his chest, above his heart. It was amazing Aozora had not died afterwards. King Mickey knew how they administered the scar.
The person to die was branded. Alive.
''
" Rain," Aozora sniffed the air. It was there, the weight and the humidity. " It's never rained here before…"
" There's always a first for everything," King Mickey commented, dusting his trench coat clean. He then walked straight to a steel trashcan wedged in between two shabby buildings south of the train station.
" Uh…Your Majesty?" Aozora ventured to ask as the king began to unceremoniously dig into the garbage as a street dog only would. " What are you doing?"
" Looking for something," was his muffled reply. " Ah ha! Here, Aozora, you'll need it in this weather."
He pulled out Aozora's black trench coat.
" What's in doing in there?" the blond teenager demanded, snatching the coat and brushing at it vigorously.
" I asked Ashita to drop it off," the king replied absentmindedly, now striding into the alley behind the trashcan.
" You met him?"
" No, but I did leave behind a message. Thank goodness he did as I told. If he didn't, we would've gone to the Bell Tower and missed our date with Riku."
" What!"
Aozora froze. " We're meeting up with Riku?"
" And why not?" the king smiled. " You saved his life; now it's his turn to do something similar. Oh you aren't in danger but once you hand over the Oblivion, he'll be able to staunch the flow of Heartless into the Universe."
" Oh…" Aozora looked terribly confused.
" Come with me, Aozora," King Mickey smiled. Then he frowned. " But first, you have to put on your shirt. No sense wearing everything but a shirt, especially in weather like this."
" Sorry," Aozora muttered, pulling off his jacket and zipping on his shirt. The king watched him – or rather, his scar.
" Does it hurt?" he asked softly.
" What does?" Aozora asked, pulling on his jacket and shaking his trench coat.
" Your scar."
The blond Guardian paled. The fear in his eyes told all.
" Perhaps…once in a while you can feel it, its presence," King Mickey said thoughtfully. " Do you?"
The nod went nearly unnoticeable in the darkening world.
" Does it bother you? Do you know when? Why?"
" Not exactly…" Aozora spoke hesitantly. " I mean, sometimes it bothers me, other times I can ignore it completely. But I don't know when…or why…"
King Mickey narrowed his eyes. He was hiding something. But what? And why?
" What happened in In Between?"
It became easier to see Aozora; he had paled to the point he was beginning to look ill.
" N-nothing," he stammered back, pulling his trench coat on. " Nothing at all."
" I hope so…"
Somewhere out there, a bell began to toll mournfully. Its echoes rocketed through the high, narrow alleys of Twilight Town. The bell boomed six times. It was six o'clock. Evening had come.
" Now is the time to find Riku," King Mickey said. He suddenly started sprinting for the other end of the alley. Caught off guard, Aozora nearly fell over himself catching up to the speedy small king. " He doesn't know but he's coming quite near to the place where we should meet!"
" How do you know all this?" Aozora demanded as they burst out into a near-empty street that rose up a small hill.
" That's the King's duty!" King Mickey replied. " Also, Riku might've seen Sora sometime while coming here. You might want to ask where he's headed!"
" And how do you know that?" Aozora was shocked at the King's endless spillage of knowledge.
" Message from Pluto. My ship's gone."
" Your what – wait!"
Aozora slid to the right to avoid a pole and lost precious ground in the process. " Where are we headed?"
" A town square!" King Mickey shouted back. " You know of the place with that huge building?"
" There's a lot of huge buildings around here!"
" Well….the one with the large television screen!"
" What about that place? We're meeting Riku there?"
From everything I've heard, thank goodness at least Aozora knows what the television is!
" Yes, hopefully," King Mickey expressed doubt for the first time in Aozora's life. " I do know he will be headed that way but I don't know if we'll meet up with him in time. And the Heartless will be attracted. Oh yes, Aozora, they will be attracted. Very attracted."
Aozora winced. This was starting to sound like a harder job than he thought. Just pass along the Oblivion; another burning hole gone from his pocket and mind! But Heartless? Timing? The weather?
King Mickey came to an abrupt stop. Here he turned and looked at Aozora intensely. " Listen carefully. I know you will have trouble using one Keyblade once you give Riku the Oblivion. This is where I'm going to help you. When you need to, you can call my Keyblade to your side."
" What? But, Your Majesty-"
" You are a Keyblade Master, Aozora. Yes, you heard me right. A master. You can use any Keyblade, including mine, including Sora's. Therefore, you can call mine to your side. I don't need the Golden Keyblade all the time; therefore I can relinquish it to you. I'm saying too many 'therefores' aren't I?"
" Your Majesty, hate to break it to you but that's true, you do say that too many times," Aozora muttered, then grinned.
King Mickey studied him for a moment. " You know, he does look just like you. How strange."
" Who?" Aozora was bewildered by this odd statement.
" You know who I'm talking about," King Mickey stated simply, heading in another direction. " Sora."
""
Rain.
The sky was clouded. The stars were hidden. It poured.
The lights were glaring in the strange night; the streets were empty, devoid of life. Except for the glowing yellow eyes. They were watching with hunger, following the long figure of a teenager as he walked through the rain. Under the trench coat, all they saw was a handsome, pale face shrouded by blond bangs.
The rain was slowing. The heavy droplets pitter-pattered on the concrete and asphalt ground, leaving behind puddles and dampness. The person was approaching the center of the square.
Rainfall had ended. The Heartless knew. The message spread.
Attack.
The person stood in the middle of the square, looking up at the roof of the closed movie theater. The LCD screen near the top was flashing images. What images? Who was that girl? Was she…
The skies were clouded over. The Heartless thrived in these conditions. Night of no stars. It was time.
Slowly they inked their way out of the ground. They pulled themselves from their shadows, stretched their brawny arms, twitched their heads. It was good to be free of the floors they traveled through.
He watched them. The enemy was here. The merciless, powerful NeoShadows, wrath of the Darkness. They were gathering, they were surrounding him, they were going to strike.
" Bring it on," he murmured.
With the sound of cold steel, black and white exploded in his hands and two Keyblades appeared. The Starlight and the Oblivion. In the dark light of Twilight Town, they gleamed with vengeance.
The Heartless bristled. He wielded their hated enemy. They must destroy him!
With that, the NeoShadows jumped at him.
But Aozora was ready.
Keyblades flashing, he spun and slashed a Neoshadow clean through with the Oblivion. Swinging the Starlight over his head, he wiped out another seeking to ambush him from behind. Then he brought both Keyblades forward and slammed them at another.
Yet they kept coming. A crowd was building around him, keeping a respectful distance as he stepped to the side and swung in a dangerous circle, obliterating each and every Heartless that dare assault him. He swirled about, an elusive prey, who made good use of his mobility, particularly his feet. He kicked at one, spun off, and sliced at another with his Starlight. He then smoothly dispatched another Heartless with his Oblivion. Several NeoShadows came bounding and he wiped them out, too. He seemed not able to see under his bangs yet he knew just when to strike.
That became apparent when several Heartless, three to be exact, leapt up and at him. He looked up, and leaped.
Unfortunately, so did a ton of other Heartless. With him jumped up a swarm but he kicked at them, spinning out their grasp. He knew quite well how to fight in mid-air.
That was confirmed when he dispatched several NeoShadows and kept spinning. Four Heartless were still above him when he cried out, " Strike Raid!"
One after another, he sent the blades flying. The four unfortunate NeoShadows were eliminated.
Landing, Aozora gracefully somersaulted above the heads of the dark enemy, and landed on the stairs of the theater. He stood and stared at the awesome force before him. And then, he heard the call.
" I am here!"
Riku!
Aozora looked up, and saw a silver-haired human standing on top of the theater, at the very pinnacle. He, too, was wearing the black trench coat. And he looked incredibly ominous.
But this was Riku. And he had seen Sora.
" Where's Sora?"
The question echoed to the top of the theater.
And the answer came falling down. An answer of doubt, uncertainty, but it was an answer nonetheless. " He is headed for Traverse Town."
Traverse Town?
" Hang on, Riku!" Aozora called to him.
The Heartless were sprouting out of the sides of the building; they were surrounding him from all sides, literally.
And the only way to Riku was…up.
''
Riku watched the most impossible, death-defying stunt unfold before the darkness that saw for him.
The blond teenager leaped at the wall and began running up the building. Gravity…had been defied. Its laws had been broken by the one who had opened Kingdom Hearts.
As he watched, Aozora wiped through all the Heartless that came his way as he rushed up the face of the building. Did he really intend to run all the way up the building to reach him?
That was decided when he heard a very ominous disturbance behind him.
" Oh shit…" His darkness picked up Heartless. A lot of Heartless.
With that, he took a running leap and leapt off the building towards Aozora.
" Pass!"
" Catch!"
With that, Aozora flicked out his arm and the Oblivion spun out of his grasp. With that, his heart released his hold on the dark-themed weapon and ownership passed onto Riku. For how long he will wield it, it was now his.
And then Aozora sensed the darkness swarming on the rooftop of the building. The Golden Keyblade!
He was not sure of how it looked like but his heart screamed for its aid.
A flash of gold and the balance returned. The Dual Wielder he still was.
Riku used a piece of the building that protruded from the wall to catapult himself out into the crowd of Heartless. NeoShadows followed him but he was much too fast for him. And once he landed, he was much too dangerous.
Riku grinned devilishly. He had a weapon once again. And not just any weapon.
The Oblivion.
""
Aozora flipped onto the roof of the theater. He didn't have a clue why Riku would be up here in the first place but he was lucky Riku was there at all.
Things were looking pretty ugly.
" Miss me?" he growled to the NeoShadows.
" Not really," boomed a deep voice.
Aozora stood up straight, the weapons lowered. Who was that?
" The name's Xaldon. Wish that wasn't my name but that's my name," spoke a huge figure who strode into view from the shadows. He was bulky, like Lexeus, had dark hair pulled back in a bun, and what looked peculiarly like trimmed mutton chops. He was holding three weapons; one looked like a long, slender staff fitted with a blade. The other two were locked together, sort of like a really screwed up cross. They, too, had sharp ends.
" Xaldon?" Was he part of the Society. " You're new, aren't you?"
" To the Elite, yes," Xaldon grinned. The NeoShadows stayed back in the gloom of the night. " The Society, no. I was simply one of the nameless, hooded Unknowns wandering around, doing things at the bidding of Crimson and Marucia. But…there's always a chance to rise to the top. One member officially eliminated from the Elite and here I am, ready to test you as others have done."
" Test me?" Aozora stared at him. " Who were removed from the Elite?"
" Oh I think you should know," the man spoke. " His name is Zexion, younger brother of Domitan and traitor of the Society. It didn't take long for Domitan to come to conclusions."
" No…" Zexion's cover had been blown!
" So, it looks like you've known after all. Now, what can you do? Now that you've disarmed the great king himself, let's see how you can handle the new power!"
Xaldon rushed forward, moving surprisingly fast for his great bulk. Aozora jumped back, the Starlight and the Golden Keyblade out before him. He blocked the long staff in Xaldon's left hand, then parried the quartet of blades on his right.
He wants to test me, to assess my strength. Well, nobody needs to know that, except me!
Aozora flipped over Xaldon and barely missed the sharp edge of the staff Xaldon thrust up. Clearly this one had quick reflexes and an even quicker mind.
Note to self: don't do that again.
Aozora lowered himself into a defensive stance. Breathing heavily, he watched Xaldon spin the weapons in his fingers through his bangs.
" Are you a chicken or are you a Master?" he goaded. His long dark hair whipped in a sudden gale of cold wind.
He's goading me! I can't let him read me…or my abilities…
Did Xaldon see him pull off that gravity-defying stunt?
" I'm not going to fight for you," Aozora said coldly and calmly. " I won't let you read my abilities!"
" Is that so?" Xaldon asked. " Well…I might as well stall you…you'll never catch the Keyblade Master in time."
Sora!
A protective anger welled up in his throat, flooded his mind. Nobody dare touch Sora while I still draw breath!
But why do I consider him as a younger brother, one I need to protect? Why do I act like I'm his keeper?
" Zexion must've told you what Marucia's planning to do," Xaldon mentioned. Unfortunately, he reminded the Guardian of Zexion's warning.
Aozora saw red.
""
Riku had pulled off another trick, this time a shield of darkness in the shape of the Heartless symbol. It surrounded him and burned in walls of black flame. The Heartless, despite their element, shied from this danger.
Then he heard something he had never heard before. A bloodcurdling scream.
Goosebumps rushed up his arm, a cold flash of steel rushed up his back, raising the hair on his neck. He trembled involuntarily; there were no other words to describe that cry of absolute anger and rage.
He heard clashes of steel, a fury of metal, and a foreign voice shouting in surprise.
" Another one of the Society!" Riku realized. Had he been watching Riku? Had he seen Aozora pass on the Oblivion? Why was he here?
He looked up and his darkness caught flashes of gold and white. Aozora was obviously fighting someone. But…he was moving fast, unnaturally fast, maybe too fast.
" Aozora!"
He moved forward and the shield flickered. The NeoShadows gathered. He was not focusing, he was letting his guard down. Now they could strike!
" Aozora, hang on!"
His darkness screamed a warning.
Riku quickly ducked to the side and slashed the NeoShadow flying at him, then whirled around and stabbed another. His black shield came up and he easily blocked a head butting from another NeoShadow.
" You stupid bastards, get out of my way!" Riku hollered and swiped again, this time a bit recklessly. Fortunately for him, he wiped out five NeoShadows in the process.
He swung his arm again. This time he wasn't so lucky. A Heartless got past his guard and dug its nails into his side.
Bad move.
The strange smooth scarring on his right palm began to pulse. Power and darkness flooded his limbs, began to take over his mind, It wasn't Ansem; it was the intangible power of the phoenix he fought back at Hollow Bastion.
Fire coursed his veins, the fire of justice and redemption.
The phoenix's blood, it did something to me!
Suddenly there was a wave of dark matter rushing through the NeoShadows surrounding him. The one clinging to his side was forcibly faded away; others exploded, melted, faded, or fled. Suddenly fear was amongst them.
This was a new enemy. This was not another Keyblade Wielder. He could use the Darkness against them! Flee!
" Riku!"
A voice he knew well…
" King Mickey!"
A form bounded towards him, King Mickey. But he was missing something.
" Your Majesty, your Keyblade-"
" Aozora's got it. I don't need it all the time." There was a flash of steel and King Mickey withdrew a sword. It was a sword Sora would recognize as the one from his dream a year and a half ago. " I've got the Sword of Phoenix. Riku, find Sally and go to the Bell Tower! I'll go deal with Xaldon."
" Xaldon? Don't we know him?"
" Yes, he is the tester of skill. You fought him before, remember?"
" Yes…"
Flashes, anger, rushing, running, flipping, sliding, blocking, ducking…
He recalled the sweat, the tears, the pain, the weariness, the anger…
" What's he doing here?
" Beats me. I'm guessing he's a new member of the Elite now. And I'm guessing he told Aozora the wrong thing."
" You heard the screaming?"
" That would be him, yup. Problem is, if he overexerts himself, we've got a big problem. Riku, go, I'll deal with them both."
Riku was hesitant. King Mickey didn't have the Golden Keyblade with him. He didn't have all his strength.
" I'll be fine. Kings are supposed to be fine. Now go do your duty!"
Riku nodded, then began to run down the street to the east. He didn't need any directions. His senses already knew.
Just follow the trail of darkness for it will lead you to Kingdom Hearts.
""
King Mickey, too, knew how to scare the bejeesus out of you. He rushed up the side of the theater the same way Aozora had done. Riku didn't see him scamper up the smooth surface with shocking speed.
As King Mickey ran up and on the LCD screen, he had to pause for a moment, to ponder what the heck it was that the screen was showing him.
Is that Kairi? What are they doing, displaying her image for the world to see? Why?
Pondering, he sped up and reached near the ledge.
Thunder roared. King Mickey flipped onto the roof, his arms outstretched, the weapon gleaming in the flash of lightning. He landed, dipped, and was up again.
" Xaldon!" he shouted.
Xaldon, who was in the act of fighting back a bruised and beaten, but still energized, Aozora, froze. His eyes narrowed at the voice and a grim smile accented his stern face as he turned his head and spotted King Mickey. The King of Disney was here at last!
" Mickey Disney, is it?" the man grinned. " Just the one I've been looking for-"
" Begone, unworthy one!" King Mickey demanded, watching the man warily. " Enough damage as been dealt and there is nothing more you can do now. Leave Twilight Town!"
" Oh I will be leaving," Xaldon grinned, eyeing the tiring Guardian. " I've got what I want. Just one last thing…"
He shifted into fighting stance, his body low on the floor. King Mickey followed suit.
" It it's a duel you want, I'll give you one," the mouse king hissed.
" I'll enjoy fighting one…at a height disadvantage," Xaldon sneered.
" Height has nothing to do with ability. I can still fight, can't I? Or have you forgotten?"
They've met before! Aozora realized as he toppled to his knees, trying to catch his breath. He looked up at the two duelists. But what does Xaldon mean by 'height disadvantage'? What does King Mickey mean? How could he have been taller than he is now-
King Mickey suddenly spurt forward, jus as Xaldon rushed towards him. His sword, silver with the emblem of his world, flashed in the night; Xaldon swung out the weapon on the left, his weapons on the right pulled back and ready to strike a triple blow.
And before Aozora's stunned eyes, King Mickey and Xaldon clashed.
It was a display of swordsmanship and skill he could learn a lot from.
King Mickey seemed to have been made of air; he bounced about, nimbly staying out of Xaldon's long reach as he darted to and fro, jabbing, blocking, and flipping over. He could somersault much higher and much quicker than Aozora could; this proved quite useful against the slower but more powerful Xaldon.
Then, quite suddenly, the scenario changed. King Mickey charged Xaldon but the man quickly blocked his attack with his long staff. Then the bladed sticks in his right came flying in; King Mickey went sliding on his side. His sword slid in another direction.
Xaldon was stunned but he still had enough wits around him to smirk. He had knocked down King Mickey Disney, champion of the Light!
" Don't think just because I have no weapon I can't fight!" King Mickey shouted, flipping to his feet just as suddenly as he went down.
" You stupid king! When will you ever learn?" Xaldon shouted in fury and rushed forward. The mouse king nimbly jumped from side to side, dodging his attacks as he lead Xaldon around and around the roof. Aozora stared, then spotted the sword. It was maybe within his reach. Aozora rose to his feet and stumbled towards it.
Hard steel bashed into his back and he fell on his stomach. He quickly looked up, just in time to see Axel grin in the darkness. He looked like a deranged cat.
" Oh I'm not mad," the man smiled, resting one of his Fire and Wind Wheels on his shoulder. " I just know better than to involve myself in a battle with King Mickey. Oh the wonders of that man! No matter what becomes of him, he always bounces back. Makes Xaldon all the more useful; he can easily incorporate Mickey's fighting style as he had done to yours. It's only a matter of whether or not he chooses to use the style."
"What!" Why did he call King Mickey a man!
" Of course I'm ordered to keep you from getting off Twilight Town. But, I suppose I'll just…delay you. Frustrating Marucia is my greatest delight; obeying the wishes of the master…well, isn't that something?"
" As in Crimson? Are you also a puppet of his?" Aozora spat back, trying to get back on his feet. But Axel put his boot down on the center of his back and forced him back onto the wet roof.
" Crimson? Ha, I have even more power than he does! He doesn't have to know, but I can tell you, once he knows where my allegiance lies he'll beg for my services. See, Aozora, I serve a greater master…and he tells me…to do this!"
Too late Aozora saw the Fire and Wind Wheel coming down on his head.
""
King Mickey saw the flash of fire and out of the corner of his eye, saw Axel kick aside Aozora's body. His eyes widened in astonishment, then narrowed as he quickly jumped back and avoided a double blow.
" Slow….down…."
Xaldon was tiring. King Mickey seemed to be a bundle of endless energy, always bouncing about and in general annoying the living hell out of the bulky man.
" Tsk, tsk, Xaldon," Axel noted, revealing himself. " You don't have to push yourself so hard. That's not our purpose, remember?"
" Well, I'd like to kill him, if you'd like to know," Xaldon snapped back, breathing hard. He had finally come to a stop and was glaring at the mouse king, who was focused on Aozora's condition. And from what the mouse king could see, it did not look so good.
" What did you do, Axel?"
" Oh, nothing much. Just knocked him out and kicked him good," Axel grinned. " I'm not interested in killing yet; oh no, I think you know what I'm talking about…"
He faded away. Xaldon followed suit almost immediately. The battle had ended as abruptly as it had begun.
" Axel…" King Mickey grumbled, then he pulled out a device from his pocket. It was small, round, and yellow.
" Cid Number Two, yeah, Mickey here…yes, the transfer's been successful…get Rikku and Paine here, now! Aozora's not in a good condition right now…what! Cid, where's Sally? Don't tell me you lost her…"
Author's Endnote: This Deep Dive isn't the world of Deep Dive; I've simply incorporated a dark rainy side of Twilight Town. I can't understand why Kairi's in that huge LCD screen, though…
Chapter 68…
" Being a hero or heroine is not easy…"
" They are the only ones with power over all, including Fate and Time."
" The past will never forget you, even if you've forgotten the past."