"You must be strong now. You must never give up. And when people make you cry and you are afraid of the dark, don't forget the light is always there."
-Anonymous
Chapter 5 Crawling In The Dark
Darkness...
Darkness... that was all he could see. Deep, eternal, forever.
Darkness was All.
Within those shadows was everything wicked and wrong, every possible sin and evil imaginable. Murder, rape, slavery, abuse, matricide, patricide, suicide, hatred, corruption, extinction, genocide...
Darkness.
The bitter, prenatural cold of the abyss rended flesh and bone, cleaving into his soul, laid him bare before the darkness, alone and naked.
He screamed, but the shadows swallowed it up with silence.
Inuyasha blinked slowly, trying to assure himself that he still existed. Opening his mouth, he spoke. "Where the hell..." his amber eyes tried to scan the darkness with his demonic senses, but found nothing.
Just an empty abyss.
It felt suffocating.
It felt like being trapped against that damned tree again, locked in eternal sleep, forever...
There was no way in Hell he'd go back to that.
"Kagome? Kagome!" he shouted, trying to call back the lost girl, but his voice found only himself as a listener. Panic set in, and instinct took over. The girl he swore to protect was lost to the shadow, and he was stuck in this abyss.
Desperately, he clawed, like a rabid dog, at the endless wall of umbra, punching and slashing and kicking and swearing. But the shadows did not yield.
Like a prayer, he screamed Kagome's name again and again... and his prayers went unheard, if any deity could even hear him in the silent darkness.
Robin blinked, before realizing that her eyes were working, the problem was that there was nothing but endless shadow... everywhere.
Was this Hell?
Certainly seemed Evil enough... but lacked the fire and brimstone she always imagined it would hold.
Then again, her Fire Craft would make that pointless...
It was quiet... far too quiet, even for her taste.
The witch whipped her head around, trying to find... anything. Any light at all. Her emerald eyes scanned with desperation, bordering on panic.
But there was nothing... nothing but Darkness.
When she realized just how disturbed she was, Robin forced herself to calm down, gripping her crucifix tightly in one hand. Almost reflexively, she began to pray.
"Yea, though I walk in the valley in the shadow of death, I will fear no evil..."
Harry Potter blinked. Something was changing... a paradigm shift.
Suddenly his feet were standing on some sort of solid ground, and there was something to brace against. And then his hand was gripping the Keyblade, the soft, reassuring light bringing his thoughts together.
Where's Ginny? He whipped his head around, but found no one else but him.
No... that wasn't true. There was something beyond his sight, a creature shifting in the dark.
"Come out! I can see you!" Harry shouted, raising the Keyblade.
The creature responded, and the Boy-Who-Lived sucked in a breath, watching the leviathan rise from the abyss.
"Potter..." the monster hissed, shifting itself upright.
It was a monstrous, massive thing, crafted out of shadow and evil. Two pillar-like legs kept a house-like torso above the ground, and arms as thick as tree trunks flexed, tipped by sword like claws. And above that all was its head, grotesquely disproportionate to its body, with large, intelligent yellow eyes and no mouth with which to speak. At the center of its chest was a large, heart shaped hole that went clean through.
Darkside... his mind whispered to him, though he did not pay it any mind, other than that the creature had a name.
Trying to master the fear that was swelling within him, Harry fell a few steps back before regaining control.
"Potter!"Darkside roared, and swung its fist downwards, nearly crushing Harry. The ground should have shaken with the force of the blow, but physics seemed to have been tossed out the window here.
Without thinking, Harry swung the Keyblade forward, slicing into the creature's fist. It howled in agony, but didn't move its fist.
The reason why became apparent as a pit of shadows bloated forward, nearly catching the Boy-Who-Lived's feet before he hurled himself backwards.
To his horror, a trio of the bug-like shadows that he had fought before began to crawl out of the abyss.
His surprise nearly cost him his life as they hurled themselves at him. Luckily, Harry's reflexes saved his life, managing to bring the Keyblade to bear in time, just as the first monster came within striking distance.
With a spin slash, he managed to finish the last two off...
But forgot Darkside.
A loud roar of the air caused Harry to turn, just in time to see an enormous, jet black fist crash into his chest.
The pain was incredible, almost as terrible as possession by Voldemort, or the Cruciatus curse. He could feel bones straining against the impact, and was positive that at least a few ribs had been broken.
With a loud crash, he hit the floor, wheezing and coughing, feeling the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, running down his lips.
Without mercy,Darkside's fist crashed down again.
Inuyasha clawed and hissed like a rabid dog, slashing at the immovable shadow. He was trapped... suffocating, choking from the dark.
Kagome smiling, laughing face, so kind and pure...
Darkness crept at the edges of his vision.
"I want to be by your side, always..." Kagome whispered softly, holding his hand in her warm one, her earth brown eyes soft and kind, smiling that smile, just for him.
He would give anything to see that again.
"KAGOME!" he screamed, and tore the Tetsusaiga from its sheath, roaring his defiance to the Dark.
"I WON'T DIE HERE!" Inuyasha roared rebelliously, and his sword blazed bright crimson, from tip to furred hilt.
The half demon shouted his defiance, and the crimson shine of his blade struck out at the darkness.
As if it were a living wall, the shadows grew thicker, resisting the Tetsusaiga's power and attempting to shove Inuyasha back.
His muscles strained with the effort, but the half demon paid it no mind, his whole will bent on cutting through the abyss.
Though the Dark was strong, it could not match the will of this singular soul. Slowly but surely, the darkness began to give way, shadow melting away in the bright crimson light.
The whole of his body screamed at him to stop, but Inuyasha struggled on, refusing to die, refusing to be lost.
With one more defiant shout, he brought the burning Tetsusaiga down into the shadows, slicing through the Dark...
And then everything was pure ivory...
And Inuyasha lost consciousness, dreaming of Kagome's smiling face.
Harry's body ached. Every swing of the Keyblade made his arms burn, and his vision was getting narrower and narrower.
And yet he fought on.
Darkside seemed to have an endless supply of those creatures, its fist an endless spawning pool for the monsters.
An oath flew from Harry's lips as the massive fist came crashing down, nearly turning him into pulp. Before he could bring the Keyblade to bear, the other fist tore through the air with impressive force.
Somehow, the Boy-Who-Lived brought his weapon up just in time to block, but the sheer power of the attack sent him crashing backwards again, and his body screamed in protest. As Harry brought his head up, lest he be struck again, he sucked in a breath.
Without warning, the titanic creature knelt, arms bent backwards, and an eerie purple light began to shine from the hole in its chest.
"What the-"
Before he could finish, a ball of raging amethyst light hurled itself forward, smashing into the Boy-Who-Lived with incredible force. The light washed over him, and Harry screamed, his flesh burning with incredible pain.
Staggering backwards, still screaming, he smelt the acrid stench of smoke and seared flesh and gagged.
His pained fingers begged him to drop the Keyblade, but something inside of Harry forced him to keep hold.
Blinded by pain and smoke, the Boy-Who-Lived was helpless before the Dark.
But even asDarksideraised itself back up, fist poised to strike, two lights began to shine at the edges of the abyss...
Prayer wasn't working.
Robin felt herself on the edges of despair, her control beginning to slip away. The Dark was so large, and she was only one soul...
But as she began to panic, words from a kindly nun in her childhood returned to her...
"God helps those who help themselves."
Her emerald eyes narrowing in determination, the witch began to draw out her Fire Craft. But it seemed almost impossible, as if the shadows were determined to swallow up any light.
Fighting back the despair in her heart, Robin concentrated harder, attempting to dig deeper into that well of power that she carried within her soul.
And still, nothing but shadow reigned.
Her body began to shake with effort, but Robin continued to push deeper into herself, willing that fire to come to life, to bring itself forth.
As desperation set in, barely ahead of panic, the witch felt something change.
Almost miraculously, a single spark of flame danced in front of her eyes. But it wasn't enough, as the Darkness rose, ready to smother that spark of light.
With a thought, that blaze became an inferno, a roaring one, full of defiance and power. The shadows began to melt away, even as Robin felt her body finally reach its limits, and she closed her eyes, hoping that the nightmare was finally over.
But in truth, the opening act had just begun... and the finale would be a showstopper.
"You're fading fast, boy." The voice of Lord Voldemort hissed... perhaps it was truly the Dark Lord, or perhaps merely a figment of his dying mind...
Nonetheless, Harry Potter knew he was finished. His body was failing, his breath growing shorter and harder, and he could feel his soul slipping away like sand in his fingers.
Darksideroared a silent ovation to its own triumph, seemingly satisfied with its victory.
However, even as it seemed that all other lights had gone out, hope still existed.
Hope existed in the form of two lights from two very unique souls.
It grew in the way hope always does. At first small and very faint, too far away... but closer and closer, brighter and brighter the light of hope begins to shine.
And when hope finally arrives, it arrives with a vengeance.
Light poured into Harry, down his hair and to the tips of his fingers, before lighting up the Keyblade.
He gasped as the weapon began to transform, as if deified by the light. It grew longer, thicker, and still shined with the light. It seemed even lighter, even purer, even more right than ever.
The darkness fled from the light, driven out by its majesty.Darkside roared again, this time out of anger and fear, and pulled back its fist.
Strike, a voice whispered softly, gently.
And so he did.
With one last shout of pure defiance, Harry brought the luminous Keyblade down, splittingDarkside straight down the middle, cutting apart the Dark with effortless ease...
Just before the world exploded in a whirlwind of noise and shadow-
And he blacked out.
How long Harry had laid there, swallowed up by the endless dark, he didn't know. His body felt heavy, weighed down by loss and by pain.
Everything was so...
Pointless.
How could doing nothing, just lying their amidst a sea of shadow be so... exhausting.
The darkness pressed in, hungry.
It was as if all the lights had gone out throughout the Universe, and all was silence and shadow.
Where was the light to this shadow...
Extinguished... forever faded...
Like he would be.
Finally, managing to move his mouth to speak, he whispered, "My soul is tired..."
He closed his eyes...
And the world changed.
It was white... an endless lack of color, untainted and yet empty.
Harry Potter opened his eyes wearily. "Am I dead?"
"Close. But not quite yet, kid."
Whirling around, the Boy-Who-Lived sucked in a breath, if there was any air in this ethereal place.
"Sirius?"
Sirius Black smiled at him warmly. He looked... healthy, more like the young man in his parent's wedding photo, as if those years in Azkaban faded away in an instant. "Hey there."
His throat tightened, an invisible noose. "H-how..." Harry whispered disbelievingly.
"Because of where you stand Harry. You're at Death's doorstep, floating in the Void... you're close to death Harry... but it's not your time, so someone's got to help get you back on your feet." The Animagus grinned at him. "And there's two people who'd like to meet you..."
If his throat had been tight before, now it was impossible to breathe, impossible to speak.
"You've grown." James Potter said softly, smiling, arm around his wife, who looked much the same way as Harry.
Lily Potter stepped closer to her son, smiling with tears shining in her eyes. "My baby... can you forgive us?" she asked quietly, embracing him warmly, a gesture that Harry always ached for. "I wish we could have been there for you, raised you, been there for you..."
And still, Harry could not speak.
James clapped his wife's shoulder, looking down on his son with that gaze of fatherly pride that made the Boy-Who-Lived finally start crying, and at last, Harry could speak.
"I... I missed you all... so much..." he paused, a sob overwhelming him.
"And we missed you... but now is not your time. This is not your day to die, Harry." Sirius said quietly.
"It hurts..."
"I know, I know." Lily whispered, brushing aside a tear gently, lovingly. "But you can't die yet Harry... too much is at stake."
"Fate... Destiny... won't allow it." Sirius said, clapping Harry's shoulder, his face serious for a moment. But then a grin, a grin he had only worn in pictures appeared. "So buck up kid, and give 'em Hell."
James knelt, and looked into his son's eyes. "This is your destiny, your story Harry. Live it." He smiled at his son, a smile so warm it made Harry's heart content and yet ache, for he might never see it again. "Make an ending that you want, and don't let anything stop you."
"I've given everything I can though... I've lost everything I had... I've stood all I can stand... and I've fought all I can fight." Harry whispered softly, head bowed.
"You haven't lost everything Harry..." Lily said, and an image of Ginny appeared, pale and feeble. "There is still hope for her... and even those you think you have lost to the Dark can still be saved."
"Find the Door, Harry." James murmured, gripping his son's shoulder. "In that place lies the key to saving your friends, the universe, everything."
"But... I've already failed them once... whose to say I won't fail now..." the Boy-Who-Lived muttered, closing his eyes, a pained expression on his face.
"Then fight on, for them." Lily whispered, breathing into his ear and holding him close. "Don't make the same mistake twice, and don't let their sacrifice be in vain. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain."
"I won't..." Harry was barely aware he was speaking, but his voice had taken on a new quality, one of tempered steel and conviction. "I won't fail them... I will save them. That's a promise."
Sirius chuckled, slapping him on the back. "There's that old Potter spirit. I know you've heard it before Harry, but you are the most extraordinary boy I've ever met."
"But how... how do I open the Door?" Harry asked softly, looking up again.
James glanced at Sirius bemusedly, before looking back to his son. "You already hold the Key... you merely need to find the Door, open it, and find what lies within..."
"Kingdom Hearts." Lily finished, and smiled again.
"Will I ever see you again?" the Boy-Who-Lived questioned, looking up at them, an almost desperate light in his eyes.
"Of course you will... but hopefully not for a very long time." His mother said wryly, glancing down at him.
"Until then, follow your own path, and make your own story." James wrapped his arm around his wife again, and they both smiled proudly at their son. "Good luck Harry."
Sirius stepped away from him, but not without one backward glance. "And be sure to give Voldemort Hell... for all of us."
Lily was the last to speak. "Remember Harry... you have the greatest power of all... your heart. And that is more powerful than all the darkness in the universe."
Golden light poured over their forms, washing them away...
And Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley fell from the sky, to land on an endless grassland.
The Dark Lord frowned, his blood red eyes narrowing. Three beings close to falling into shadow escaped his reach...
Potter was almost a given. The boy's luck bordered on divine intervention.
But these other two...
The half-demon and the witch...
They might prove to be troublesome.
"But how to deal with them..." Lord Voldemort murmured, pacing in shadows.
An idea formed itself slowly, around a fact he was discovering about a few individuals on each world.
With a thought, two forms appeared in the darkness.
Much like a few other peoples whose power allowed them to stay in their original forms, these two were human, albeit heartless ones.
The shadows both bowed to their new master, the crests on their chests twinkling with dark malice. Their eyes were empty, and they themselves were hollow, stuffed creatures who were not truly alive.
For the Dark had stripped them of their hearts, a heart which needs, which beats, which desires.
And without desire, without the heart, one is not truly alive.
"Yes... you two will do nicely." Once more, the Dark Lord had found a problem and its solution...
Now it was only a matter of time before all peoples and all worlds bowed to his might.
Author's Notes
You have no idea how much I did not want to make that near-death scene. But unfortunately, I needed something, and this one works out the best. The creature Harry fought is the Behemoth you fight in the beginning of Kingdom Hearts.
I am currently working in the new pieces of canon from HBP into the story, and some of it fits, some of it doesn't. Ah well, I will continue on, regardless. I hope you will as well.
For faster updates and news on chapter progress, please join my Yahoo group.