Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or One Piece
BLP 33:
Flashback
Are they ever coming?
Did they even make it off our world in time? What does that mean? "Make it off?" Did I "make it" when I sank into that darkness? Seems more like I just died. This could be hell. Darkness. Nothing. Empty. Monsters everywhere. What's the point of even training? Zoro looked down at his lap. He sat cross-legged on the shore, his toes so close to the water's edge but just not touching. His eyes focused on the sheathed Wado Ichimonji he had resting across his thighs. He rose the blade in his right hand and held it sideways in front of his face.
His gaze lingered past the weapon that he lowered back down. What if I went into that light? His hand loosened its grip on the hilt. He tried to grasp it tighter but his gaze would not shift back down to the weapon from the distant light he could see at the end of the darkness. If I swam out there, what would happen? I know what would happen. This is the end. This is the edge of the world. That's… that's not really light. It's so tempting though.
It's been tempting me for years. Zoro let go of his sword. He stayed seated though. The sword rested over his legs. He brought his right hand up to his face and then lifted the left to his head as well. Roronoa Zoro gripped his temples and bowed his chin to his chest. "Ahh, haaaa… Ahhhhhh- RAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He screamed. At the top of his lungs he screamed until his lungs emptied of all the air he had in them.
"Ah hah, ah hahhh, ha- ahhh," Zoro panted and caught his breath in short measure. "What is screaming going to help?" He muttered to himself. Well, what is talking to myself going to help? Or thinking? Or, anything. Why am I still alive? This isn't life. A place where you don't hunger. Where you don't thirst. No light escapes. This fucking hellhole. Why am I still here?!
Zoro shook in rage. He bit down and slammed his chin back into his chest again. Shaking his head back and forth and gripping through his short green hair that ignored the passage of time in this terrible world. Was I a bad person? Is that why I'm here? I don't know. I killed a lot of men. They had bounties on their heads though. Most of them. Was that it?
Where are they? Luffy. Where are you?! Zoro snapped his head up. His shaking eyes scanned the horizon, then they snapped back down to his curled fists. Why would he be coming? How could he even find me? Even if he wanted to, I'm nowhere. I'm in hell. Are they dead? Did we all die on those islands? I don't understand. That talk about darkness went right over my head. How did that kid Riku know what was happening but none of us did? What even happened that night?
Puzzled, the swordsman of the Straw Hat crew sat alone in a dark realm for days more. They passed him by as he sat alone with his thoughts. It had been a while since his last nap, or fight, or the last time he got up from his seated position on the shore. As he stared ahead though, his face was calm. His expression was still. The scene appeared almost tranquil in the silence of the dark world. Roronoa Zoro stared straight ahead at the face he saw. The only face he had been seeing as of late.
Are they all really gone? It's just me. Alone. No one's coming. Have I really waited years for them? I can't, I can't do this any longer. Zoro stared at her face. It was all he saw out over that water. It blocked the light that he had been staring at yearningly more and more every day. It's all I can see anymore, Zoro thought to himself. You wouldn't forgive me for giving up. Even in a place like this. I'd still be a coward for it. Would any amount of time be long enough for you to forgive me? Would our world's end, my own death… would any of it be an acceptable excuse?
It wouldn't be to me. Which means it doubly wouldn't for you, Kuina. Zoro stood up. He shook his legs out and lifted her sword out in front of him. He unsheathed it and turned the sharp blade over in his hand a few times. Then Zoro stretched his right arm out over the shoreline and pointed the tip of the blade towards that distant light. I will not be giving in to that desire. Tired? Who cares? It's tiring being in a world like this. But I know there is a way out. I've been shown the exit. She will return to this world again. That, Maleficent. She knows I'm here. She knows I'm strong… Though she's not the type to let me out without a cost.
Am I willing to accept her demands? Whatever they may be? Zoro looked past the end of his sword and into the distance. He slashed his weapon out to the side then slid it back into his sheath that he put down on his waist once more. His expression hardened as he looked right, and left, and back forward in the emptiness he had been abandoned in.
"Someday, one of us will be the strongest swordsman! We'll compete to see who gets there!"
"Idiot, saying that even though you're so weak…"
It was dark then too. When we made it… "It's a promise!" Zoro saw the two of them clasping hands that night under the moon. Becoming the strongest has been my goal for as long as I've lived. It was only fighting you that I truly decided on it though. And you went and died. Leaving it to me. Only to me. It wasn't fair, but… Zoro stared down at the sword in the sheath at his waist. But, I planned to carry it out without fail. I wish…
"Kuina's soul and dreams, I leave them to you…" Sensei, was my desire to carry out our shared promise so weak that I could give up here? When you entrusted this blade to me? Her blade. It was stronger than that! My will is stronger. Stronger than death. Or darkness. Whatever the hell this is!
"I cannot fall here," Zoro hissed to himself. "For one reason. One reason alone, I will survive. I will fight."
"I will become the strongest…"
"…for you."
End Flashback
All this time I've trained in the darkness to keep getting stronger. This is the strongest I've ever been. I've opened a hole into a deeper abyss than ever. I can feel the endless darkness in front of me. Far more powerful than I could ever control. Like a raging tempest of pure evil, that I've just thrown myself into.
Zoro stared through that raging darkness in front of him that whipped and slammed against his body. He was strong though. His body engulfed in a tight veil of dark armor that protected him from the even darker wisps that filled this space. On his right side and high up in the sky above him, he spotted a fleet of twenty blue and black Heartless ships that swerved from their current track and started down towards him. His right hand waved towards them, dark wisps coming off his fingertips, and those ships turned back around and flew away.
He leaned forward and flew through the darkness. His eyes were closed but he could see in the dark. Find it, his thoughts concentrated on a single goal. One purpose. A purpose that his heart filled with darkness in order to accomplish. In all this darkness, I know it's here. I know the world fell. I found her body. All that remains is her heart. Lost. Alone… Find her!
She's alone. Zoro imagined standing on that beach again and the sword he lowered down after pointing into the distance. I remember. When I gave up on ever finding Luffy. When I couldn't see anyone else ever finding me again. That kind of loneliness. Use it, he reminded himself. Instead of just thinking back on that moment then brushing it off, he focused on the dark feelings that had filled him back then to power him up even more in the void he floated through now. All other reasons to live faded. Everything that kept me sane. Kept me tethered to the light. It was all gone. Alone in there. All I could see was your face.
Zoro felt his heartbeat stagger. The pulsing darkness flickered. Something. It touched his heart and he felt the soft feeling of something brushing against him. He turned in the darkness. His flight through the void shifted directions. Thump. This way. This time, I won't come back without it. Success or death. If it takes my whole heart sinking into darkness… The black veil tightened to his form got thicker and more pitch black. It rose up his neck in lines that webbed over the bottom half of his face and stretched towards his eyes.
Smoker stepped back then spun his head as he jumped. The back of his heel had touched the wall behind him and shook him from the daze he was in while staring towards the darkest mass he had ever seen. He stared back towards it and felt pure darkness radiating out at him. The black wisps swung around the purplish void that Roronoa Zoro had disappeared into with the body of his Sergeant. Get out here. Get back, here. What is he doing?
"You are not strong enough. The Heartless continue to disobey you at every turn. Because you still refuse to give yourself over. You still think of the Heartless as an entity and not a tool to be used…" Zoro glared over towards a pack of Invisibles. They multiplied. They had their swords gripped tightly. Glaring back at him in the void he flew through. He motioned with his head away, his eyes flaring with pitch black that forced the Heartless to obey him. They are a tool. Weapons that Maleficent used. That I have used. But they are entities themselves. I always doubted she knew what she was talking about. She came off as so knowledgeable, but, this darkness is more evil than her. The darkness around me right now is more than even she could handle.
I listened to her though. Zoro focused on all the darkness he held to make him strong enough to keep conscious while moving through the black void. He felt the darkness pulse out from his chest but it bounced back as if by sonar from something he locked onto and sped towards faster. I did what she said. Everything she whispered in my ear- Zoro saw Usopp laying in front of him, bloody. His eyes had snapped down to the sword he was holding, shaking though he made that stop before Usopp could open his squinted and pained and terrified eyes to look back up at him with. I listened to her because she had control. I needed to learn that control. To become stronger. Stronger at using the Heartless…
Something else is out here, Zoro shifted his dark gaze to the right in the void of dark space he flew through. As he looked that way, he blinked a few times because the stars he could see in that direction were flickering and then disappearing. That's not good. He spun back forward and sped up even more to where his heart was resonating from. As he sped faster in the direction that he felt his heart dragging him towards, he also felt that much deeper darkness speeding up towards him as well, or rather, speeding up towards his same destination. Is that a Heartless?! It's more than I can control. If I steep even darker though… "Ahh- Raaa… RRUUUAAA -RROOAAAAAAHHHH!" Zoro's voice screamed out through the darkness and the whole room he had been in shook with dark winds slamming into Smoker and skidding him back into the wall he had stepped away from.
"Be careful, Zoro." Maleficent didn't care about me! "There is a threshold. You must not step past it or you will lose yourself in the darkness." She may not have been my friend, but she wasn't a bad teacher. She taught me just like she said she would. Trained me…
Did she take me from my time? To be her pawn? I've been used. Abandoned. Alone for so long. Zoro's chest burst into dark flames. They sprayed out of his agonized chest, and he saw something in the darkness that glowed out through it. I am stepping over that threshold. I got closer and closer all this time and I'm on the line- I'm over the line already! Over time I became darker because I believed that more control over Heartless meant stronger. She kept me on the edge of light. Using me to hurt so many- Was I that easy to manipulate? I listened to everything she said… until I found that woman.
Zoro pictured the copycat's body floating there. "What are you doing? Do you, know that woman?" I took her. "She doesn't have her heart. Leave her." I wouldn't. It didn't matter that she had no heart. I saw her and- and- Zoro focused on that light in the darkness. He got closer and finally spotted it, only for the light to vanish. It had drawn him so far. He stared ahead of him to where he had imagined the light coming from. In its place was a Heartless Soldier, wearing a suit of armor. That's the one. The one with her heart in it. The copy-woman's…
"Is it because I'm a woman?!" Zoro heard her voice as he stared at the Heartless in front of him. His heart pounded a thousand times a second as he looked at it and heard her voice clearly in his head. The copycat woman's voice, but the words that he recognized. The face that he recognized.
Kuina. "You're lucky Zoro… you're a boy."
"It's humiliating that you won't fight seriously in a game played in earnest just because men are physically stronger than women! I'm sure you don't understand the feeling that I wish I was born a boy!" Zoro hesitated as the girl he imagined grew older. As she wore the clothes of the Marine Sergeant. As she fawned over his swords. Then he saw when he picked up her glasses though and she looked up at him with them off, with her face so close to his. They're the same. Right? Was it their hearts or hers to my own that were connected? The one thing I held onto through all my time alone. The reason I found her had to be because they're the same. It has to be!
Zoro sped forward. He shot towards the Heartless that contained her heart and drew his sword while his body exploded in darkness. His flaring black eyes narrowed and he let out a confused roar while slashing down… His eyes bulged and he sped up even faster- but too late.
A giant set of black teeth chomped down on the Heartless Soldier. It followed my heart. Or hers, because I made it resonate out through the void! Zoro got propelled backwards as his sword bounced off the sharp teeth of the giant Heartless monster. Does it sense my darkness? As a rival to its own?! What is this thing?! Zoro pulled his face back then snapped his eyes down from the face he was looking up at to the jaws that chewed and opened up for a second. The Heartless Soldier bounced inside its jaws, and the heart inside that creature that Zoro had caused to pulse was absorbed into the massive Heartless that swallowed it down.
Zoro's teeth bared and the bubbling darkness that had been threatening to consume his heart, boiled over. It wrapped around his whole heart as he watched her heart get devoured by the giant Heartless that grew even larger in size in front of him. The one thing that had kept him on the side of the light for so long was the thought of her face. And he watched it fade away in his mind, her voice getting softer and disappearing, and his vision turned bright red. "RRRAAAAAAA!" Zoro pulled out all three of his swords.
Something's wrong, Smoker stepped closer to the dark void in front of him. An anxious but concerned look covered the Marine's face at the change in tone he heard from Zoro's determined shouts before into the enraged ones of some kind of demon that still had Roronoa's voice inside of it.
"…aaaaAAAHHH-" Zoro flew out of the darkness on the end of a long black arm. The fist imbedded into his front slammed him right past Smoker and through the wall behind him. Double doors flew off their hinges while the wall broke apart and the entire castle of Hollow Bastion shook.
"What was that?!" Sora had his arms out to the sides and used them to get himself balanced. He and his friends had explored the surrounding areas to the first main hall and the exterior of the building, locating all the pieces to finish the door to the inner halls and upper levels. The doorway had been intentionally separated seemingly to stall them for more time, but their group was large and located all four pieces already to complete the magical doorway.
"It came from above! Let's get up there quickly!" Donald yelled.
"Awwrr, I have a bad feeling about this Donald," Goofy whispered to his side though running at full speed with the duck back to the inner elevator tube with dozens of electrified platforms in it.
"Which one do we take?" Chopper wondered.
"This whole castle is a maze!" Usopp exclaimed.
"Follow me!" Nami ran past the closest elevator platform. Everyone skipped right by it and chased the navigator who jumped on a platform and waved her hand at the sparking crystal that could tell she wanted to go and teleported them two stories up.
"RRAAaag-AAagh-GAAA!" A horrifying roar came from back down a floor and across the building.
"We're too high-"
"I know!" Nami shouted back towards Sora. "That one," she pointed at another elevator on this level that they all ran towards.
"Luffy!" Usopp shouted towards his captain who ignored their destination and just sprinted at the electrified wall separating them from the elevator shaft itself. Luffy jumped into the electric bars and did not get electrified or bounced back.
"He'll get too far ahead!" Sora shouted, running to the platform Nami was on then shouting back at the rest of the group. "Hurry up!" He called behind Sanji who darted a look back and slowed himself for a second so Robin would not be the only one lagging, grabbing at her chest again in a way that made Sora's rushed expression shake. "Sorry," he added to Robin as she got on the platform. "I just don't want Luffy going in alone-"
Robin held up her palm telling Sora to stop talking as she completely understood the sentiment. "Follow him, Sora," Robin said to the strong boy who she knew would do what he could to keep Luffy safe.
Sora nodded and sprinted off the platform as soon as they arrived on the correct floor that Nami brought them to. Sora ran into the hallway with Donald and Goofy behind him on either side. They froze and stared past Luffy, who was staring himself towards a pile of rubble in the hallway next to a wall on the opposite side of the hall as the huge gaping hole in the other wall.
"Zoro!" Luffy shouted.
Zoro was down on his hands and knees. His head lifted and he glared back into the room he just flew out of. Black webs of dark lines that covered his face wisped off and created a dangerous black veil that shrouded the scary-looking swordsman. Zoro was glaring at something in the room ahead of him though that had just sent him crashing through that wall. He tried to push up off the ground, but his right arm buckled and he coughed with his head snapping down. "Ack- kah kuggh," Zoro opened his mouth wider and puked pitch black ooze onto the floor beneath him.
"What's happening to him?" Donald exclaimed in surprise.
"Come on!" Sora ran forward and right past Luffy who spun to him in surprise then ran forward himself and spun towards the hole in the wall while getting between Zoro and whatever it was.
Zoro's head had bowed and his whole body shook as he tried to draw power to stand. What's, happening? I'm so weak- I need to draw out, MORE DARKNESS! Zoro lifted his chin while thinking it. He glared back up and into the room where another massive black arm had reached out of the portal he had opened himself. Those two arms dug into the floor and were dragging something out of the abyss that Smoker flew away from and towards the door where Sora just called out his name.
"Roronoa! Where is Tashigi?!" Smoker yelled towards the man on hands and knees behind them who was staring up with his dark red eyes shaking violently. "Can you hear me?!" Smoker roared down at the pirate who looked more Heartless than man at the moment.
"Zoro?" Nami whispered, covering her mouth with both hands as she stared down the hallway towards the dark figure whose back literally bubbled with darkness. Pitch black bubbles were bursting out of Zoro's clothing, or at least what they thought was clothing pulled close to his body but instead just looked more like a tight black veil. "It's, like Clayton…" Nami whispered.
Usopp spun towards her then back down the hall and he grit his teeth hard. He bent his legs and started sprinting down the hallway. "Not this time," Usopp growled.
"What happened to Clayton?" Sanji wondered to his side at the navigator who shook her head in a way that told Sanji, Robin, and Chopper exactly what had happened to the man they were talking about.
"Save him, Usopp," Chopper whispered while running forward himself. "I'll help, Luffy…" Chopper turned and his jaw dropped as those black arms pulled the monster's head out of the darkness.
"Zoro! Hey!" Usopp dropped down on his right knee next to Zoro's hunched body. Usopp grabbed the man and winced at the darkness he felt painfully climbing up his arms. He did not hesitate though and just held onto Zoro despite seeing his own arms turning black from the touch. He shook Zoro and made the man staring forward with huge red eyes dart those eyes furiously to the long-nosed man next to him. "Whatever's happening here, you need to hold on. Remember who you are-"
"Rrrrr-"
"Don't growl at me!" Usopp yelled while pushing his face closer to Zoro's. He darted his eyes to his right and past Luffy and Sora who just made a plan with the Disney Castle envoys who nodded with the keybearers and ran forward together. Usopp darted a much more anxious look towards the "head" of the monster that he saw emerge from that darkness too and had Chopper stumbling backwards near him in a way unnerving the other pirates just catching up now. "Look, Zoro. I can tell you recognize what you're seeing. You looked up at that monster to try and fight it, and who was in front of you?"
Zoro's red eyes that shifted back towards the giant monster itself lowered down and to the back of the man whose straw hat dangled behind his neck. Zoro's eyes shifted back and forth as that hat bounced with every step that Luffy took. Usopp's voice continued into his ear, "Even after everything. After you attacked us, blamed him, even after you've turned yourself into this thing that you are now… look, Zoro. Luffy's here for you. He ran in front of you to protect you from that thing. To help you fight it. Can you hear me? Am I talking to a Heartless right now? Or are you stronger than that?!"
"You said that the Heartless obeyed you. That you control the darkness and not the other way around! Is this you 'controlling' it, Zoro?!" Usopp shouted.
"RRAAAAAA!" Zoro's head snapped back and his voice came out infuriated but agonized as well. It knocked Usopp off of him and made the darkness shred off of Usopp's arms as he fell away off the mound of rubble from the broken wall. Usopp lifted his head in pain and looked back up to the man whose body flared with a giant pillar of darkness coming off of him.
"What's happening to Zoro, Smoker?!" Luffy yelled towards the Marine who had gone with him up here.
Smoker was preoccupied thinking of his own Sergeant who had not returned out of the darkness with Roronoa. "I don't…" Smoker started. I do know though. I could feel exactly what it was he was doing. "He went as deep into the darkness as he could go, to try and find Tashigi's heart." Smoker flew around the right side of the monster's "head," which was a horrifying mass of darkness that seemed to have several different faces on it, so even his attempt to distract it only made one of those faces start shifting towards him with the darkness behind the face pushing out to allow it to only turn part of its head towards him.
He had to dodge backwards as a pillar of smoke that flew around long black tendrils shooting out rapidly at him from this giant monstrosity. Some of those tendrils hit stone columns in the room and broke them. Cracks shot across the walls and ceiling as more of the creature pulled itself from the swirling black vortex that grew wider as if the Heartless was opening it up more itself. He called out while dodging some falling rocks and flying back towards the head of the monster to attack when Straw Hat himself also leapt up there and created his Keyblade to slash at its many faces. "But it didn't work! He got attacked by this giant Heartless and sent back-" Smoker's voice cut off.
His eyes shot as wide as they could go. His Devil Fruit power escaped him and he started to fall. His head was turning, his eyes locked on a dark face underneath the chin of the one on the front of the monster that had opened its mouth and roared before in a scarier tone than Roronoa's darkened scratchy one. Smoker locked his eyes onto the smaller face on the dark creature. It was hard to recognize because of how distorted and disgusting the beast was, and yet Smoker did recognize it. "Sergeant-"
"Smokey!" Luffy reached an arm but was too slow as a giant black fist slammed into Smoker full force and sent the Marine crashing into a wall on the right side of the room from Luffy's perspective. He darted a look over there then straight back to the monster. His eyes darted to where Smoker's had locked onto, and he snapped his eyes back up to the main face of the Heartless mass a second later as it shifted around and grew taller so the top of its head reached the ceiling of the room now. "Is her heart, in here?" Luffy wondered.
"Zoro did it then," Sora called over towards Luffy. "But he used the darkness to do it! Luffy, I'll try to save Tashigi!" Sora pointed his Keyblade towards Smoker and covered the man in a flash of green light. Then Sora's body burst into bright light too and his clothes turned blue as he floated up off the ground in Wisdom Form. "You go help Zoro!" Sora yelled over before flying up and out of the way of a black arm and six black tendrils that all slammed into the spot Sora was just standing in.
Sora flew up into the air in a spiral over Luffy's head and pointed his Keyblade back towards the monster as he did a front-flip above his pirate friend. Beams of white light shot out of Sora's Keyblade and all over the Heartless creature he was firing at. "If we defeat it, we'll free her heart! Smoker, let's do this!"
Smoker shot as much smoke out behind him as he could and flew around Sora's right side while the kid did a spin-dodge in midair himself and flew away from a beam of red light fired out of the mouth of the main face of the Heartless. Two huge black horns pulled out of the sides of the Heartless' head and jammed up into the ceiling above them. It leaned forward and dragged those horns down while roaring and firing more beams rapid fire after Sora who dodged them all, only to get hit by a falling piece of ceiling and knocked out of the air.
As Sora touched the ground he swung his left arm down at it and glided off the surface and across the room. He pointed his Keyblade with his other hand while doing a sliding handstand, firing out more beams of light before flipping upright and yelling, "THUNDER!" He was in midair already, but when he used the Thunder magic with his Keyblade back in his possession and his magic strengthened from his time without it, dozens of bolts of lightning dropped down onto the Heartless monster that roared out in pain as it was hit.
"Sora!" Goofy yelled towards the boy and threw an Ether up in the air.
"Thanks!" Sora called out, right as his blue clothing had turned back to normal in another flash of light. He sprinted forward and jumped up over the punching fist of the Heartless, aiming his Keyblade forward and firing Fire magic before slashing to his left at another arm that punched out of the upper body of the creature and towards him. Goofy sprinted at the Heartless' back he had gone behind and slammed his shield into it with blue light surrounding the defensive weapon and giving him a burst of speed in the last second.
"Aero!" Donald called towards Goofy as two huge fists ripped out of the multi-faced Heartless' back. They slammed down at Goofy who dodged one easier with the magical winds whipping around him, and deflected another that only grazed him and allowed the dog knight to stay on both feet despite how hard he was punched. "Wawawa! Back in there, Goofy!"
"Smoker! Its eyes are tracking us, so if it can't see we'll have an easier time!" Sora called up in suggestion to the Marine who nodded his head while flying back away from the monster that was taking Haki-imbued fists to the faces constantly without flinching.
The Keyblade might be the only weapon that can beat a Heartless this powerful. I'll do what I can to help him. Smoker shot back forward. As much as I want to destroy this beast myself! Freeing Tashigi's heart was more important than being the one to land that finishing blow, so Smoker allowed himself to be relegated to a position of support instead. His body erupted into a huge cloud of smoke that flew in at the beast's head and surrounded it on all sides that made its glowing eyes on all faces dart around looking for the boy outside the smoke.
Sora still had to jump to his left then spin around to dodge more fists and speeding black tendrils flying at him. His eyes darted to his Keyblade and he remembered what Leon told him when they first met. The Heartless are attracted to the Keyblade. Zoro may have brought this thing here, but just like the rest of them it's after my Keyblade! Sora leapt up high in the air then glided forwards while spinning around and dodging two more fists that he slashed at when they were going by him, cutting through the darkness and making black bubbles fly off of the monster.
"Zoro, maybe you were right," Robin said to the man on his knees up on a broken chunk of wall ahead of her. "The darkness doesn't need to consume everyone who uses it. Smoker came back. It can obey you. You, have to fight for that though- aggh," Robin grabbed at her chest and dropped down to her left knee. Her eyes darted to her chest and she saw a faint green glow fading from it when she glared at her shirt. This is not a natural occurrence. Maleficent. Robin's cold glare lifted up towards the ceiling and at a woman she imagined was watching her.
"Robin-chan," Sanji stepped back towards her then looked over at Zoro too. He shook his head but then snapped towards the marimo, "Were you really this weak? After all that big talk, are you really this weak after you had a full ten years to get stronger?"
"Sanji," Luffy whispered back towards his cook. He looked forward and up at Zoro who Usopp had staggered closer to and gotten on one knee next to again.
If you were doing this for Tashigi-chan… I don't even know. I don't know about any of your other reasons, but if you're being "corrupted" by the darkness because you tried to save a lady, then I can't just ignore that! Drag yourself back into the light, you shitty marimo. Sanji stepped closer to the swordsman whose head shook around while more darkness burst from the popping bubbles on his back.
Zoro's red eyes snapped open after clenching in pain for a few seconds there. They darted around him, at the Straw Hat pirates who stood or knelt on all sides of him. They, abandoned- NO! You knew they didn't, the second you saw Usopp! Zoro's red eyes squinted back closed and his heart felt pain, and that pain did not help him fight off the encroaching corruption of darkness searing away at the last drops of light in his heart. I'm too weak. I gave in to the darkness for that one goal. I made the one goal "finding" her heart. I should, have been more specific- "Aaaghhhuurr," Zoro gagged and puked up more black ooze on the floor. His skin got darker still, the webs expanding and covering more of his body with the darkness of the Heartless.
Usopp grabbed onto Zoro again and instantly felt the difference between now and when he last grabbed onto him. His arms instantly blackened this time as he sucked up some of the darkness on Zoro's back and absorbed it into his arms. He held onto Zoro nonetheless though, and the swordsman's head shifted ever-so-slightly back to his right and at the darkening expression of the long-nosed man next to him. Usopp was holding onto Zoro, so he felt what Zoro was feeling as the swordsman remembered when he first saw that face again. Usopp's eyes widened as he imagined what Zoro had felt, When he first realized, he hadn't been abandoned? Usopp shook as he stared into those infuriated red eyes that looked confused and frustrated and so angry.
Why? Usopp had just appeared on that world. Luffy, never abandoned me, Zoro's head bowed. All that anger. All that darkness- FOR WHAT? They didn't even know? That's not- fair… Zoro's teeth clenched in rage. And regret… Usopp could feel that regret stronger than anything, and as the dark wisps coming off of Zoro's back got stronger, they shadowed over Usopp's face as well. In that veil of black, Usopp saw himself. A younger and skinnier version stood in front of Zoro, struggling to hold up the sword that Usopp could swing around easily now.
The first time it ever took over, I cut down my own nakama- Usopp lay on the floor bloodied in front of Zoro who could see it just as well as Usopp now. They both felt dark as they stared down at it. And then that dark veil over both of their faces got lighter and faded away. Zoro looked up while Usopp glanced next to his own hands that were pressed into Zoro's back. The bulging bubbles all over Zoro's back shrank down, and the darkness shifted over towards the new set of hands and moved up those arms. Zoro lifted his head and stared up the body of his pirate captain who knelt down just in front of him and put his hands on Zoro's back like Usopp was doing.
"They're, diluting the darkness," Robin whispered while pushing down both of her hands on the floor in front of her. The sight of Luffy doing the same as Usopp proved it could work for anyone.
"Robin, you're too weak," Sanji whispered back to the woman who frowned up at him for saying that. Sanji shook his head at her though before sighing and turning to look at the struggling swordsman on his hands and knees. He glanced to his right towards Chopper who looked back at him wide-eyed, then left at Nami who gulped but nodded her head without even looking at Sanji as she started walking forward herself.
"You can do this, Zoro," Luffy whispered with a smile to the face of his swordsman in front of him.
"I, left-" Zoro snarled through a strained scratchy voice.
"I don't care," Luffy cut him off.
"That's not… I'm not… your problem-" Zoro hissed. We're pirates- You're pirates! You have a code. Pirates, have a code. This isn't… We were a crew. A pirate crew. This isn't… I'm not your… Zoro's head shook back and forth. He flinched as a soft pair of hands pressed down on his lower back. He heard Nami wince on his side, then the yelp of Chopper, but neither of them moved their hands away after grabbing onto him and feeling that deep darkness fill their hearts.
"All for one," Sanji muttered. He sighed but bent down and put his hands on Zoro's side right between Usopp and Nami.
"One for all," Luffy finished.
It wasn't about being pirates. Zoro heard those words echoing in his head. Donald had said them to Sora downstairs when he and Goofy chose friendship over their missions. Zoro thought of that spiky-haired kid whose speech about his heart and his friends echoed in Zoro's mind as it did the rest of the pirates. Sanji frowned and opened his mouth to say something to the woman who staggered around Zoro's other side.
Robin glared back at him though in a way that made Sanji's eyes open huge at that look. Nico Robin had water in her eyes though that made Chopper, Nami, and Usopp all look up over Zoro's back and at her in surprise too. You all, Robin thought while dropping back to her knees next to Zoro. She rose her hands and put them forward on Zoro's back, and she winced but held them there just like everyone else who felt the amount of darkness they were absorbing weaken as well when she took in her share. You are the people, I've waited my whole life for. Zoro left. He made it clear that there was no guilt for leaving him. That, that it was his choice to go! And you will not let him. You, care too much. Robin clenched her eyes shut as she felt the whole collective heart of the Straw Hat pirates in that moment. She felt them all while she held her hands there on Zoro's back that lost the large popping bubbles of darkness to instead just simmer with a thinner black veil.
"Hold on, Zoro. We've got you."
"Zoro!"
"Zoro!"
"ZORO!"
Roronoa Zoro's head bowed and his chin touched his chest. His hands curled into the chunk of wall below him. Stop using it. Even when he had been smashed through the wall, he had continued delving deeper and deeper into the darkness. He believed he had passed the point of no return, and only by using even more darkness could he hope to face it. It's like an addiction. You only ever need more. You, believe that you need more. I was strong without it though. And, and I know that I can't be the strongest. Not with darkness. I saw the power that was stronger. I saw Sora take back his Keyblade. I know what the strongest power is! I- I can't… I descended too far…
Who decided that? Maleficent said you couldn't come back from the threshold, who decided that?! I- I don't need to take her word for fact. She believes the darkness is most powerful. I know different now. Zoro's heart pounded faster, and it glowed in a way that made the darkness filling it start to push back out. Hands on Zoro's back glowed just as the chests of those who were holding their hands on him with their eyes closed all started glowing too. Once you fall this far, you can't use the darkness to get back. That's why she thinks you can't get back. Because to her the darkness is most powerful. So if the darkness can't bring you back from this brink, then nothing could. I know though! The strongest power is…
My, friends, Zoro's eyes snapped open. The red glow in them faded and the whites of his eyes returned. The pitch black veil around his body loosened and started to feel more like a cloak again. Those who pressed their hands into his back opened their eyes and watched as the remaining black wisps emitting from his body started to fade away. Friends are more powerful. It's stupid. It's crazy to consider.
I thought, I could accept any source of power as long as it meant becoming the strongest. I thought I needed to accept it. I needed to get out of that Realm. To make sure I followed through with our promise. Becoming the strongest swordsman… If I was doing that for her though, not even for myself, then saving her would be even more important. That's what I thought. I know that now. Zoro blinked a few times while lifting his head and staring straight past Luffy's amazed face with a giant smile breaking out on it. Luffy saw where Zoro was looking and spun around himself to look back in the room the fight was going on in. That was why I found her, Zoro thought. The power of darkness was so strong that a goal I didn't even realize had appeared before me. The chance to save the one I lost. Everyone else could get back the people they lost. I've watched them retrieve their friends and loved ones… So why not me?
Through the power of darkness I located her body. Only through more darkness could I find her heart. More than I've ever used. But I was wrong. Finding a body using darkness is what they did to find Kairi too. She's not back though. Getting them back is different. Retrieving a heart is harder. Something, that only the Keyblade can do. Releasing hearts. Freeing them from the Heartless! It's something, I need you to do for me, "Luffy." Zoro whispered. His voice was hoarse. He said his captain's name in a pained voice that struggled to get the word out.
Luffy heard the question in the speaking of his name though. He spun back to Zoro and then looked back towards that dark monster that just sent Donald, Beast, and Sora flying backwards. They each fell to the ground with their heads bowed showing they were unable to keep fighting for a moment, which was worse than usual for the remaining two still battling who did not have Cure magic of their own or a moment to try and administer some health potions. Luffy stood up and he reached behind his head to his Straw Hat that he lifted and put on. "You got it, Zoro," Luffy responded.
"Saving a lady will get the bad taste of saving you out of my mouth," Sanji muttered while stepping down from the wall section he had got up on to help save Zoro.
"I'll do what I can," Chopper promised back to the man behind him who he flashed a small smile at.
"Ahh, hahhh, thanks Luffy," Sora struggled back up onto his feet after getting some Cure magic from Luffy. He looked back out in the hall and saw Zoro still down on his hands and knees but with his head raised and looking back to normal somewhat. "You just had to go find the strongest Heartless boss we've ever faced, didn't you, Zoro?" Sora joked. He flashed the man a smile before turning back to Luffy and nodding at his friend who rose up his Keyblade while Sora rose his own.
"You'll owe me 5 million Munny for that save," Nami said while stepping away from the green-haired man behind her. She rose up her Clima Tact in one hand and the other up to her face that she quickly brushed over her eyes. "Or Beri, if we succeed here and get back home before you can pay me," Nami smiled at the hopeful thought she had before running forward to go join in the fight.
"Unn- ack-" Robin coughed and her arms buckled when she tried to push down and stand up. "Sorry, I can't do more," she whispered towards the man on her right side who glanced left and at this woman he thought he barely knew. She looked at him with a soft smile and squinted eyes though from the pain he knew she was in. "Zoro-san."
Zoro felt a strong hand pat down twice on his back then press down and use his back to help that man on his other side as Robin to stand back up. Zoro looked to his right and up at the smile underneath the long nose sticking out of Usopp's face. "Usopp," Zoro's raspy voice came out before Usopp could start forward after the others. Usopp kept staring ahead but he did not start walking yet, his smiling face flinching at the sound of Zoro speaking to him… "I'm sorry, for cutting you."
Usopp's eyes widened while still staring straight ahead. Then his smile grew twice as large as it just had been. "That's, all I've ever wanted you to say," Usopp whispered back. "I forgive you, Zoro. I… I think I always have. Forgiven you, that is. I mean, 'ten years?' That's enough to drive anyone a little crazy." Usopp flashed his big smile down to the other swordsman at his side who he was saying this to. "I'm just glad you're back to your senses. Now, if you can stand, we could sure use your help here. Sora's right." A bead of sweat dripped down the left side of Usopp's face closer to Zoro. "You really did bring a helluva monster here."
"I…" Zoro curled his fists into the floor under him. My heart- Zoro's right hand curling on the ground rose up to his chest that he gripped as hard as he could while falling face-first into the ground. "So, weak," Zoro mumbled with his vision hazy and his eyes partially closing again. The struggle of light and darkness in his heart had been his complete failure. It was only through his friends that he made it back, and he knew it as he tried to stand and felt that weakness that came from losing the battle. I've got nothing in the tank. No darkness. No strength. Nothing. His head shook lightly back and forth while his forehead was pressed into the ground under him.
Usopp grimaced deeper but then sprinted forward. With or without Zoro, this was a fight they had to win. He rushed in and past Chopper who knelt next to Goofy and tossed him a potion. A swirling black sphere of darkness flew out of the air towards them as Goofy was standing back up. "Let's go, Chopper!" Goofy grabbed the reindeer man by the hand and pulled the heavyset Heavy Point Chopper out of the way right before the dark sphere exploded behind them.
Usopp ducked down and dodged a whipping tendril of darkness that flew at him. It went over his head and Nami's as she slid down onto both knees and bent her body back to let the whip go over her. Sanji jumped up in the air over it while Smoker broke his body in half and let the whip go through him. The end of the whip did snap back and hit Donald who ducked it at first but stood up too quickly not realizing the monster's pattern that yanked the whip back when it reached a certain distance.
"Donald- Chopper, Goofy!" Sora called over to the other two who could not dodge when three more black spheres flew down at them. Sora kicked off the air while gliding around the monster's upper body he kept himself up at as he felt he was doing the most damage while fighting up there. He reached into his pack and tossed a mega potion up in the air to cast green healing light down over several of the others at once. "Keep going, guys! I can feel it weakening!"
"RRROAAAA!"
"RRAAAA!" Beast roared back while charging in from the back where Sora had sent him to attack right after the monster attacked the charging pirates ahead of it. It opened itself up for the strong claws of the Beast who Smoker spun to in surprise as he had not even realized Sora's plan or noticed that the Beast was not attacking head-on with the rest of them.
Kid's getting really good at this, Smoker thought. He imagined how Sora had directed him and he listened right away, when he could not imagine that same kid he met in the Deep Jungle ever giving him orders like this. He thought of the petty fight that Sora had been in with Donald back on that world over something silly considering they were over it by the time they all left together. Then he imagined Sora yelling at Luffy for what happened on Halloween Town, and the kid again downstairs on his own with no Keyblade but standing up against his friend with the Keyblade, Donald and Goofy, and the darkness all on his side. He's matured a lot. I trust you, Sora. Out in this insane universe, I think you're the only one I really trust. He used to consider Donald and Goofy part of that group, but after they joined with Riku earlier that day Smoker really believed that it was only Sora who he could put his faith in completely right now.
"Tashigi too!" Smoker heard that kid's voice shout about rescuing her when the group would talk about their goals, and he thought of the kid's face as Sora looked his way and flashed a smile and a nod to show him that the goal was important to him too. He flew forward and past Sora straight at the giant the kid was running from. "Use that Keyblade. And take this thing down!" Smoker yelled at the kid.
"You know it!" Sora called back while flipping backwards and slashing his Keyblade right and left into two smaller tendrils that shot in at his sides. He parried them away then kicked the air behind him and glided towards the monster that attacked Smoker above him and knocked the Marine away. He had an open path straight to the body of the Heartless though, and he slashed back and forth, up and down, in a circle as he twisted in a 720 so hard that flying slashes came off of his Keyblade. The tip of his weapon glowed and he surrounded in the spinning winds of Aero before flipping backwards and dodging an arm that punched in at him.
The Heatless missed Sora and accidentally punched itself in the chest. That punch hit hard, and the monster roared with all of its faces opening their mouths and screaming while pulling away from the center of its body where it was hit. The darkness of the monster's body behind those faces started to pull outwards after each face. More arms came out of the body all over it. Everyone attacking backed up at once as the monster seemed to be growing larger while at the same time springing more arms and legs, wings and swords…
"It's splitting up!" Nami yelled.
"Everyone pick a body!" Sora called to them.
"Attack all at once!" Usopp shouted.
"There!" Sanji pointed towards the main face on the front of the Heartless that had been most menacing and loudest through the fight. Even as lots of powerful-looking Heartless broke off of the body and attacked in different directions at once, Sanji focused only on the main one that lifted an arm emerging from inside it as another Heartless had fallen off its chest that hid this arm inside. The hidden arm lifting up to the left side higher than two more it was with, showing that the central beast had 6 arms total, held something in its grasp that Sanji's eyes locked on before even Smoker's.
"Sergeant!" Smoker spotted the woman's limp humam body that swung around dangerously in that Heartless' grasp.
"Tashigi-chan!" Sanji yelled.
"Sanji!" Donald yelled towards the pirate who spun to the duck and then jumped backwards just in time to dodge a flying Heartless five times his size that swooped down at him. He spun and kicked towards the back of the creature, but the Heartless darted to the right in a blur of purple before spinning and swinging both wings down at him. The Heartless had one giant eyeball in the middle of its round body, and dozens of sharpened spikes sticking out of the front of its wings that fired down sharp projectiles towards the pirate that he had to jump back from and got hit by several of as they flew at him fast.
"Each of these are pretty strong," Sora called out while slashing back and forth between two of them. He got some MP back from attacking them physically for a moment, but he backflipped instead of using any more magic against them. We're all clustered up too much. My magic's stronger now, but that puts my friends at risk of getting hit by splash damage. Focus on physical strength. What makes me strong! Sora flashed with light and his clothing turned red. "Valor!" Sora snapped his left arm out to the side and his right up next to his head. Dual-wielding his Keyblades, Sora twisted his body in midair and swooped down twice as fast as before towards the Heartless who spun after him and attacked. Neither were not expecting his speed increase and did not pull away in time as Sora flew by them and slashed through the centers of their bodies.
"Get Tashigi back!"
"We're on it, Smokey!"
"You've got our help, Smokey!"
"Trying our best, Smokey!"
"Smokey!"
A huge tick mark formed over Smoker's scrunching forehead and he spun and glared down at Sora who yelled out that nickname without even adding anything to it. Sora was laughing but shut his mouth fast and had to puff his cheeks out to hold back the laughter at Smoker's annoyed look as everyone yelled 'Smokey' at him. "We've got your back," Sora called up to the Marine who he jumped off the ground and right past with how strong his jump was. "Now send me flying as fast as you can straight towards her. I'll break through that arm!"
"We've got it's focus!" Usopp yelled.
"Get her back!" Sanji roared, kicking it in its left side while Usopp slashed at its front.
Chopper dove to the right and turned into his small form to dodge the huge arm swinging down at him. A bolt of lightning flew from the cloud behind the monster's head and through it to the tip of Nami's Clima Tact. Another of the larger Heartless monsters near this one was running to hit Sanji and stop him from kicking and distracting the main one, but Beast slammed into its back and tackled it away, while Luffy yelled a Keyblade Jet Gattling Gun on the other side and hit away five others all at the same time.
Smoker's arms turned into smoke and flew towards Sora who flipped around and bent his legs at the knees as he started to fall. He fell in front of Smoker who coiled up his Smoke as much as he could right behind Sora's legs. A pair of hands emerged from the smoke and pressed against Sora's feet, and then all of the smoke behind those hands shot forward as fast as possible.
Sora pulled both of his Keyblades back behind him. He twisted his body left at first, then swung himself to his right and pointed his Keyblades in front of him and together while aiming straight at the largest monster's top left arm's wrist.
Down on the floor level, most of the people fighting ignored one of the many Heartless that had emerged from the monster when it split apart. That Heartless was not attacking anyone and was weaker-looking itself so there was no harm in letting it just bounce around for a bit. The Heartless with a metal helmet on its head stopped dancing in place though. It turned, looking towards where the doorway had once been and was now just a huge hole in the wall.
"Pirate Hunter!" A high-pitched voice rang out in Zoro's head.
Nico Robin lifted up her bowed head and looked in surprise at a man hunched forward but on both feet. His arms were limply dangling below him as he staggered a step forward, then another step. His head rose, his eyes locking onto the face of a Soldier Heartless that only he recognized. "Luff…" Zoro's voice was hoarse and he barely got it out. His body came out of its hunched position more though to the intense struggle of the swordsman who needed to look up and around this room. The insane battle going on around him aside, he looked straight towards the rubbery man whose red steaming skin was turning back to normal. "Luffy!"
Luffy spun his head and looked across the room to where he saw his first crewmate stumbling forward. "H-Help!" Zoro called to the pirate captain. "I need, your Keyblade," Zoro dove forward onto the Heartless that leaned back but got pinned to the ground before it could dodge.
Sora spun around and slashed his Keyblades as hard as he could into the wrist of the giant Heartless. Its hand opened up, and Tashigi started to fall. Sanji shot up into the air with his arms held out and a massive smile on his face. That smile faded in slow motion with his mouth opening and 'nooooo' coming out in sorrow as a pair of smoke arms shot in and caught Tashigi first.
Smoker pulled his Sergeant away from the Heartless that swung more arms back at the woman. Sanji twisted his head and directed his anger at the beast that tried grabbing her back. "Oh no you don't!" Sanji shouted while kicking it in those extending appendages.
"NOW!" Sora yelled. Another reason he held off on using magic in this final clash against the strongest Heartless left in the room, was his desire not to damage the woman who the Heartless had been holding. As his red clothing faded and returned him back to normal though, Sora pointed his Keyblade forward while Donald rose up his wand.
"Could use with more warning!" Sanji yelled angrily back at Sora, right as his and Donald's combined Thunder clouds rained lightning down on the Heartless creation that roared out in pain while leaning farther backwards. It wobbled while leaning back more and more. Sanji landed down and then sprinted forward, his right leg smoking as he leapt up in the air again while Sora and Donald lowered their weapons. "Bastard's mine!" Sanji yelled out, sticking his right leg out in front of him and roaring as he slammed it into the chest of the Heartless, at the same time that the leg burst into flames and ripped apart his pant leg in a way making Sora gawk up in awe at the sight. "DIABLE JAMBE!"
The six-armed Heartless giant flew backwards and fell onto its back. All six arms started to push down on the floor at its sides… and then they dropped limp. The chest of the Heartless arched up. A glowing red heart ripped from the body and lifted into the air.
At that same time, Luffy landed in front of Zoro who lifted the Soldier Heartless in front of his old captain. Luffy swung his Keyblade behind him, then he slashed it forward and across the body of the Soldier that arched its back too when the Keyblade slashed it. Smoker landed behind Straw Hat with Tashigi held in his arms across his chest. She lay back over his arms in a style that made Sanji bite down in fury while looking back towards the Marines. Sanji stopped biting in rage though and just stared with everyone else as Zoro dropped the Heartless he had held up for Luffy to slash.
That Heartless stumbled backwards after Zoro dropped it. Its chest was glowing, and the chest of the empty vessel that Smoker was holding started to glow as well. Smoker spun towards that smaller Heartless when he realized why it was that Roronoa had come out here and attacked that one specifically. His eyes snapped up from the fading Heartless' body, to the glowing red heart that flew up out of the Soldier and high into the air. All of the other glowing hearts that floated out from the Heartless boss flashed with light and faded away. This heart did not disappear with the others though. It spiraled up into the air and then flew back down and straight towards the woman who Smoker lifted up a little so she was closer. His arms turned to Smoke and rose her up towards the heart he was worried would disappear there for a second too.
The glowing red heart absorbed into the bright light on Tashigi's chest. In that moment that her heart absorbed back into her body, Zoro's wobbling legs could no longer hold him up. Luffy was too distracted staring up with wide eyes. "Whooaaaa…" Thud. "Huh? Zoro!" Luffy spun around and then dropped to the floor and grabbed Zoro, shaking him around as Zoro had stopped moving. He flipped the man over and checked on him, but Zoro's chest was moving so he did not seem to be dead. Luffy turned his head back and looked at Smoker who lowered the woman he had lifted up back down to the ground, turning her body from its horizontal position to vertical as he did to stand her up on two feet.
Smoker moved his hands to her shoulders and then the sides of her upper arms to steady her as her feet planted on the ground. The woman's eyelids were twitching, and then ever-so-slowly, Tashigi's eyes opened up. "Sergeant? Can you hear me?" Smoker wondered to the young woman who blinked a few times and then snapped her eyes open huge as she processed the sight before her eyes.
"Smoker-san!" Tashigi exclaimed at the sight of him. She spun her head to the right and then reached for her sword that she grabbed and drew. "It's Straw Hat Luffy! And…" Tashigi stared at the sword that she just drew in confusion. Her eyes locked on the white hilt in her hand that was not her usual blade. "The Wado Ichimonji…" Her eyes shifted from Straw Hat Luffy to the unconscious green-haired man laying next to him. Pirate Hunter, she saw the way he looked and yet did not find herself surprised by how old he appeared to be. Then her eyes darted all around this room full of people and weird animal creatures.
Tashigi brought her free hand up to the side of her head and grabbed it. "What's…" She shook her head around in confusion as to what was going on around her.
"Calm yourself, Sergeant," Smoker told the confused woman in front of him. He put a hand over her sword arm and lowered it for her which made the woman look back at her Captain with that baffled look on her face. "There's, a lot to explain. For now though, just know that the Straw Hat pirates are not currently our enemies."
"Hmph," Sanji tilted his head back and smirked at hearing that statement from Smoker.
"Shishishi," Luffy laughed as well.
"Glad to see you've finally come around," Sora said with a smile towards the Marine he walked closer to. He looked at the woman with Smoker and lifted his right hand to wave, "I'm Sora. Nice to finally meet you, Tashigi."
"Who… what?" Tashigi muttered in sheer befuddlement. She turned around again though and looked towards the Pirate Hunter who lay on the floor next to Straw Hat Luffy. Her eyes lingered on him while everyone else in the room stared at her. "Not our enemies?" Tashigi muttered under her breath. "Like, with Crocodile?"
"Much, much worse than Crocodile," Smoker replied. He pulled a cigar out and put it in his mouth before nodding towards Sora who laughed but pulled his Keyblade out of thin air and swung towards Smoker to light it up for him. The tip of Sora's Keyblade glowed red and Smoker's cigar ignited from it. Tashigi watched the exchange with her jaw dropping at Sora's strange power and how Smoker seemed to ask the kid for help there without saying a word. She also got very nervous at how calmly Smoker called their current enemy "much worse" than one of the Seven Warlords of the seas. "But we're about to stop them. Can I count on you, Sergeant?"
Tashigi spun back around to her Captain who looked sternly at her and awaited her answer. Tashigi stood up straight and saluted the man with her own expression steadying and becoming as serious as possible. "Yes sir!"
And then, Tashigi dropped her jaw as she watched the man in front of her curl the corners of his lips up in a smile. It was too hard for Smoker not to do it. Seeing Tashigi salute him like that and hearing her voice determined to help him carry out justice? It was a moment the Marine Captain lost in space with none of his subordinates remaining had been waiting on for a long time. He instantly regained his stern expression at the shocked way that Tashigi looked at him, similar to Straw Hat's astonished expression he spotted behind her for the exact same reason. "Alright," Smoker muttered, looking away from Tashigi and ending the heartfelt moment in an instant. He glared up at the ceiling then across the room to the opposite side as the hole in the wall they had entered from.
Everyone else started back on their feet too and looked the same direction as Smoker. Sora stepped out in front of them already facing the doorway on that far wall which was why Smoker looked that direction, then Sora looked back with a grin at the group larger than ever standing behind him. "Let's go then. Kairi's just ahead." Luffy stepped up next to Smoker. The two of them stared back towards Sora and nodded their heads at the kid. Zoro and Tashigi had been saved. Their main goals for coming on this voyage finished. But not for one second did either of them consider this fight over yet.
"Ah hah, ah hah- Why?" Riku panted while running through a hall of Hollow Bastion. The castle shook and his eyes darted to the floor under his feet where he felt some huge battle going on. His head shook back and forth then lifted back up with confusion and uncertainty covering his expression. "It was mine. I had it-"
"Know this."
Riku stopped running and looked around him. The deep voice that just spoke came out of nowhere. He was alone in the hall illuminated by the green flames on the torches hanging on the walls. Riku looked back and forth then turned around and looked on the path he just ran over. "The heart that is strong and true shall win the Keyblade."
"What?" Riku leaned away from the strange cloaked figure shrouded in a mist of dark air. "You're saying my heart's weaker than his?"
"For that instant, it was." Riku flinched as the man's voice replied in a way suggesting that most of the time Riku's heart was stronger. Riku stopped leaning back as much and shook his head in frustration that he had let his heart get weaker than Sora's. He froze with his eyes closed as that hooded figure before him continued, "However, you can become stronger. You showed no fear in stepping through the door to darkness. It held no terror for you."
Riku's eyes opened. He stared down at the floor in front of him. What do I do? Kairi. I- I lost the Keyblade. I still need to save her. Am I that weak though? What do I do?!
"Plunge deeper into darkness, and your heart will grow even stronger."
Riku's eyes grew wider and lifted up towards the shadowy man who gave him the answer to a question he had not asked aloud. That's it… I just, wasn't strong enough. I hadn't delved deep enough in. I- I can't do anything, being this weak. Riku squinted his eyes and shook his head back and forth while looking back down at the floor. "What should I do?" He wondered.
"It's really quite simple. Open yourself to darkness. That is all." The shadowy figure moved closer while Riku's head bowed the rest of the way. Green light shrouded the boy who glanced down at his shaking hands and just shook his head in despair. "Let your heart, your being, become darkness itself…" Riku's body engulfed with the green glow that filled with dark wisps. He finally started lifting his head as he listened to this dark figure in front of him, a dark figure who stepped ever closer to him…
A/N Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. The crew moves through Hollow Bastion and finds Zoro facing a dark monster, and the darkness in himself. The Straw Hats save their crewmate by spreading about some of the darknesss on him enough to save his life. I loved that scene and hope you enjoyed it too as well as the battle against the dark Heartless monster that was not in the original game. It was something Zoro dragged into Hollow Bastion when he delved deeper to find Tashigi's heart, and though he succeeded, he's drained his own strength as well. The crew continues moving up to find Riku and Kairi, save Belle, stop Maleficent, and fix the world order. See what happens next, NEXT TIME! On Broken Log Pose. Have a Happy New Year everyone! Hope to finish this story in 2022 for good. It's 2:30 AM and I had a fun time with some roommates to celebrate the new year a few hours ago, but I wanted to post this too before the night was over. So I hope you enjoyed! And I hope you had some fun tonight as well. Let me know in a review below if you liked it, questions for the story, or comments and predictions on what you think is going to happen next!