Dang it, I just keep writing longer and longer chapters for this story, don't I? Well, sorry that this one is such a monster, but a TON happens in it and honestly, for how long I've been looking forward to it and how much it shakes the entire story up, I'm VERY proud of how it turned out. Anyway I'll be brief here and won't keep you from it. Enjoy!
Chapter 21: The Depths of Despair
Everything is just fine
But if you're gonna think twice
I don't wanna know, baby
I don't wanna know
The Gummi Ship bolts through the Lanes Between at a frenetic pace, even though it has no clear destination. If anything, the ship blindly bounds around the endless sea of stars, swerving in countless different directions as two of its passengers grapple against each other for its controls, arguing all the while.
"W-we gotta check every world we can find!" Goofy exclaims, pulling the ship hard to the left. "Maleficent could've taken him anywhere!"
"But that'll take way too long!" Donald fervently squawks, forcing the ship in the opposite direction. "We need to find Sora now! Who knows what she'll do to him if we don't?!"
That exact fear is exactly what had prompted the pair to make their hasty departure from San Fransokyo the very horrific moment after Maleficent had made off with Sora right before their very eyes. Panic had pushed them in a scrambled retreat back to the Gummi Ship, and continued to press them onward as they took off, determined and desperate to find their now-captive companion no matter what. Even if they're still heavily reeling from the awful fact that they'd manage to lose him under such cruel conditions in the first place.
"But we'll never find him if we don't even know where to look!" Goofy protests sharply.
"No, we'll never find him if we keep wasting time!" Donald snaps impatiently. "Which is exactly what we're doing right now!"
"I know! And that's time we don't have, and neither does Sora!"
"You think I don't know that?! That's why we need to go! NOW!"
"Not without a plan we can't!"
The pair continues struggling for full reign of the vessel, bickering brashly all the while to the point that they don't even notice the ship's only other-and smallest-passenger climb up onto the dashboard. That is, until he interrupts the ongoing squabble in the best way he possibly can.
"Fellas, wait!" Jiminy pipes up, waving the quarreling pair to a much-needed silence. Even so, Donald and Goofy's expressions are equally matched in terms of distraught urgency, something the cricket can practically feel as he addresses them evenly. "I know we're all upset, but fightin' like this isn't gonna do anything to help Sora! We gotta get on the same page here, and fast! He's countin' on us!"
"...Jiminy's right," Goofy sighs, looking at Donald apologetically. "We gotta pull ourselves together. Why, what would Sora say if he were here, seein' us standing around here arguin' at a time like this?"
"Knowing him? Something schmaltzy and inspiring," Donald can't help but crack a small, bittersweet smirk at this. "Like, 'we can't give up before we've even started!' or 'we're a team! And teams work together!'"
"Yep, that sounds like Sora alright," Goofy chuckles warmly at the thought of their mutually treasured companion. "You've really got him pegged."
"How could I not after all this time?" Donald's grin quickly fades as he lets out a fretful sigh in its place. "We have to get him back, Goofy…"
"And we will," the captain assures, still smiling, albeit sadder this time. "And I think I got an idea about how we can do it; if we can't figure out where Maleficent took Sora on our own, then let's get help from someone who can!"
"Riku and the king!" Donald cuts in. "Of course! If there's anybody who'd be able to find Sora, it'd be them! We need to tell them what happened right away!"
"Uh, only a few problems with that, fellas…" Jiminy frowns. "We don't have any way to reach 'em without the Gummiphone… which Sora has, not us. And even if we could call them, for all we know, they could be way too deep in the Realm of Darkness by now to even answer!"
"Aw, shucks…" Goofy's shoulders droop in disappointment. "But wait! If Sora still has the Gummiphone, then maybe he could just call Riku and the king for help instead!"
"If Maleficent lets him, which she won't," Donald grumbles, shaking his head. "And we can't afford to just wait around and see if he does! Let's go get Master Yen Sid instead! He'll know what to do!"
"But we're awfully far from his tower…" Jiminy notes as he glances over the ship's star map. "And without Sora here to use his Keyblade to open up a gateway for us, it could take us days to get there, maybe more!"
"But Sora might not have that kind of time!" Donald fusses, frantic.
"W-what do we do?!" Goofy anxiously wonders. "How are we supposed to-"
The captain stops short as a world starts to come into view through the Gummi Ship's window, one that grows steadily larger and clearer the closer their vessel drifts toward it. And sure enough, a quick check on their map confirms it: the world they're incidentally approaching just so happens to be Radiant Garden.
"Merlin!" Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy all exclaim on the same bout of realization.
"He's every bit as powerful of a wizard as Master Yen Sid is!" Jiminy quips excitedly.
"Yeah! He'll be able to help us find Sora for sure!" Goofy agrees, immensely relieved.
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Donald pushes the ship's controls forward. "Let's go!"
And with that, they're off, rocketing through the stars, traveling as fast as the Gummi Ship can possibly go toward Radiant Garden, their shared, stalwart mission ever on their minds. To do everything in their power to save Sora, in the same spirit as he'd shown when he saved them through his own sacrifice. A sacrifice that, as far as Donald and Goofy are concerned, had been far too high of a price for him to pay.
"Don't worry, Sora," Goofy assures, hoping that wherever Sora actually is, he's somehow alright, even despite the daunting circumstances he's certainly under. A sentiment that Donald readily shares as they drift ever closer to their destination.
"We're on our way."
The very first thing Sora feels, before he even opens his eyes, is cold. The entire left side of his body lays pressed against a surface so hard and frigid it might as well be ice, disregarding how rough and coarse it is. That bitter chill spikes the most around his wrists as some sort of unknown weight rests over them, a weight he only really feels the same moment he becomes aware of the sharp, persistent pain pounding through his head.
That headache makes even the simple process of opening his eyes arduous and difficult, but when he finally does so he's met with a sobering sight. Dull, sturdy, colorless stone walls surround him on all sides, including the floor, without a doubt the source of the empty chill he still can't shake, though not for a lack of trying.
Confusion, largely concerning where he is and how he'd gotten there, is the first thing that fills his thoughts as he makes an attempt at sitting up. Though as he tries, that confusion is both answered and doubled at the same exact time. For latched tightly, securely around his wrists are a pair of thick, heavy metal shackles, anchored to the ground right behind him by a string of equally fortified chains. Given how short that string really is, Sora finds himself unable to move much at all since his hands are bound behind him. Still he manages to properly right himself, though he can't do much outside of that as restrained as he is.
As Sora gives an experimental tug on one of those chains, he quickly remembers exactly what landed him in these mysterious, unsettling circumstances in the first place. The inescapable ultimatum Maleficent had presented him with, the harrowing choice he'd been forced into making, the acceptance of that choice for the sake of Donald and Goofy's safety. And the moment he'd stepped into that dark corridor, only for everything to instantly go black the instant some unforeseen blow landed heavily across the back of his head.
So here he is, tightly locked away in some small, square stony room, with no windows or doors, illuminated by some unknown light source that's so dim that it might as well not even exist at all for how dark it is. Intentionally dark, Sora's sure, just as it's intentionally cold to the point that he's shivering, and just as it's intentional that the chains binding him keep him in a low, compromised position with little leeway allotted. It's about what he should have expected out of Maleficent when it comes to keeping him captive, though her reasoning for doing so in the first place is still a complete and utter mystery, just as it had been from the moment this mess began.
Still, waking up chained and alone in a completely unknown, seemingly inescapable location is far from the worst situation Sora can claim to have ever been in, even if it isn't exactly ideal. Clearly Maleficent had forgotten to take his Keyblade into account when putting this whole setup together for him. With its ability to open just about any lock, it's just about the best weapon anyone could ever ask for in a situation like this. Even if his current position isn't the best for summoning it, Sora still tries to anyway. And yet… despite that try, nothing appears in his hand when he holds it open behind him. Confused, he waits a moment before trying again, and though his heart rings with the familiar warm spark that always swells up alongside his Keyblade, the weapon itself still doesn't materialize.
"W-what…?" he mutters incredulously, glancing back at his shackled hand for any signs of his Keyblade. But ultimately, bafflingly, he's still met with nothing.
"Ah, so you've finally awakened… I trust the accommodations are to your liking?"
On the far side of the chamber, a dark portal swiftly bursts into existence and out of that portal steps Maleficent herself. She comes alone, without Pete trailing after her this time around. Her magical scepter is still on hand as she stares down at her new captive with a smug grin that's every bit as icy as the room they're both in.
When she oddly says nothing, Sora decides to venture a brazen response to her earlier question instead. "Eh, they could be better," he remarks dryly. "I grew up on an island, so I'm really not a big fan of the cold. Or the chains for that matter." He scowls back at said chains, lightly tugging on them once more only for their dull rattle to echo through the chamber, just as they've been doing in time with each tiny movement he's made since waking up.
"Then don't consider them to be chains," Maleficent says, her easy, insincere smile still apparent. "Think of them as more of a… leash. That's how I see them at least." Her tone remains soft and cloying as she perches the far end of her staff under Sora's chin, forcing him to make eye contact with her. "A fitting leash for my soon-to-be new pet."
Though Sora doesn't entirely know what she means by this, the implication still disgusts him all the same. "Yeah right," he scoffs, pulling his head away. "So now that you've got me here, are you actually gonna give me some answers about what all this is for? Or was your big plan just to chain me up in some freezing cell until I catch a cold or something? Because if it was, then I'm sorry to break it to you, but that plan's not going to work out very well for you."
"And why is that?" Maleficent asks, unconcerned. "Because you all it will take for you to escape from this predicament-that you, yourself agreed to be in, might I remind you-is a simple swing of your precious Keyblade? If that's what you think, then by all means, I implore you to try exactly that."
Though he keeps his distrustful sights set on Maleficent all the while, Sora does make an effort to call upon his Keyblade once again. Yet just as before, the weapon refuses to flash into his grip, even despite his best attempts at focusing incredibly hard at something that usually comes so naturally to him. But no matter how hard he tries or how much he focuses, his Keyblade is still absolutely nowhere to be found. "I-I don't understand…" he mutters to himself first before glaring back up at Maleficent. "Why can't I summon my Keyblade? What did you do to me?!"
"It's quite simple, really," Maleficent begins triumphantly. "If those chains are like a leash, then consider those shackles around your wrists to be something of a collar, one that's specifically meant to keep you from acting out of line. It took quite a bit of time and effort to perfect the magic they're made of, but even upon its first test, I can see that it works exactly as I intended."
"But why?!" Sora demands. This time, he aggressively pulls against the chains, against the shackles keeping his Keyblade away from him. But ultimately, it's a useless effort; they still refuse to give. "Why are you doing this? What do you even want with me in the first place?!"
Strangely, Maleficent seems disinterested in giving a direct answer as she instead begins walking around the perimeter of the cell at a slow, calculated pace. "As you know, some time ago, Pete and I traveled to Olympus in search of a certain black box. And while we didn't find what we had originally been looking for, we did happen across something that piqued my interest much more. It seemed to be a Heartless, though this one was quite unlike any I've ever seen before. It was far more powerful, ruthless and barbaric to the point that any other Heartless it came across cowered and caved under its unstoppable might. And the most fascinating part of all?" Her cool, calm expression breaks into a wide, eager, evil grin. "It wielded a Keyblade."
The moment he hears this, Sora doesn't even have to think twice about what, or rather who that "Heartless" is, even though he's never actually gotten a chance to see it for himself. Largely because it is him. "Oh no…" he whispers stiffly. The chains fall slack behind him once more as he averts the dark fairy's greedy gaze, newfound fear finding a place in his chest as he does.
"Oh yes," Maleficent counters steadily. "You know, Sora, I have to say, I'm quite impressed. After all, I've never seen a Heartless that's capable of taking on the guise of a human before…"
"I am not a Heartless," Sora hisses, glaring up at her with every ounce of steadfast resistance he has.
"Hm, perhaps right now you're not," Maleficent muses, stopping to stand right in front of him. "But when I am through with you, I can guarantee there will be nothing left of you that isn't a Heartless… A Heartless that's completely, endlessly loyal to me."
Sora can't help but flinch at this chilling threat, one that seems quite serious as Maleficent's near-constant grin finally turns into an authoritative scowl. Still, he forces himself to shake that fittingly icy fear away, instead steeling himself to stand against his foe and whatever it is she has planned for him. "You wanna bet?" he asks, an air of bold challenge in his tone.
"That wouldn't be a very fair bet on your end," Maleficent laughs mockingly. "Consider the precarious position you're currently in for a moment. You're restrained, and the moment I take my leave, you'll be completely alone. You're entirely incapable of summoning your Keyblade, leaving you with no way of escaping whatsoever. And furthermore, no one knows where you are. No one will come to rescue you. Which means, that if you ever hope to see the light of day again, Sora, your one and only option is to submit to the darkness buried deep inside your heart… and use it to set yourself free."
And just like that, Maleficent's twisted plan finally becomes clear. The purpose behind the chains, the shackles, the cell, the very reason why she had forced him to bargain his freedom away in the first place. All for the sake of getting darkness to overwhelm him, to force the monstrous, shadowy creature that he shamefully knows dwells deep inside of him to not only come out, but overtake him completely. And if her plan succeeds, if she truly does manage to force him to become the Heartless she wants on her side… then there's no telling what she'll have him do.
"No," Sora begins rigidly, resolved as he offers Maleficent a relentless glare. "I don't care how long you keep me locked up here or what you plan on doing to me, I will never, ever let you or the darkness control me!"
This courageous proclamation is met with a fierce answer from Maleficent. It comes in the form of a swift, heavy backhanded blow that knocks Sora back painfully, or at least as much as the short chains allow. "You'd be wise not to test my patience, boy…" Maleficent coldly growls as she properly stands once more. "Your stubborn rebellion will earn you nothing here but pain and sorrow. Not that I'm opposed to that; after all, it's my understanding that your suffering will only help to speed this process along…" Her severe expression switches back into a sinister smirk as she calls upon a dark corridor to make her momentary departure. "Still, I don't see this taking very long anyway. I've heard that free, bright spirits such as yours don't tend to last when locked away behind cold, dark, stone walls. I'll have that ultimate Heartless under my power soon enough. And once I do, I can only imagine what kind of magnificent chaos I'll have you create for me, Sora…"
Assured of her eventual victory, Maleficent finally lets her sadistic glee out in the form of a loud, cackling laugh as she disappears into her shadowy portal, leaving her unfortunate captive alone in the frigid darkness once more.
As soon as she's gone, Sora sits up, nursing a gentle hand against his face where Maleficent had struck him as he lets out a heavy, disgruntled sigh. While the entire encounter, and the reveal of Maleficent's true intentions especially, leave him somewhat shaken, he refuses to let his nerves get the better of him, especially now. If a Heartless is what his enemy wants, then he'll just have to do everything he possibly can to keep her from getting that. And from getting control over that Heartless, over him.
Still, despite his resolve to stand against whatever Maleficent throws his way, the sooner he can escape, the better. Not only does his own safety depend on it, but so does that of so many others, especially given what horrific things Maleficent will likely force him to do if she has her way. But even beyond that, he can't afford to waste any time; the Organization has already gotten their hands on one Key and as long as he's stuck here, then they'll have free reign to obtain several more with virtually no opposition at all. He hopes that Donald and Goofy will merely go on looking for them without him, but at the same time, he doubts they'll move on from his capture so easily. Briefly, Sora worries that they might be out there trying to find him, putting themselves right back into the same danger he had given himself up to save them from if they even get close to doing so. But that fear quickly dissipates when he remembers what Maleficent had said; nobody knows where he is, even he has no idea where she's keeping him imprisoned. Which means that hopefully, no one will be able to put themselves in unnecessary danger trying to save him.
Not that he really needs saving to begin with. Even without his Keyblade, certainly he'll be able to figure out some way to escape. The hardest parts by far will be breaking out of the shackles and finding a way out of a seemingly sealed-off room. But once he manages to accomplish that, getting out of Maleficent's clutches will be easy. Even despite her wicked intent, compared to the Organization's twisted ambitions, she's not too much of a dire threat, especially since the only backup she seems to have on her side are Pete and a few simpleminded Heartless. True, that still means he's outnumbered, but he hardly believes the odds to be stacked too high against him; at least, not yet.
"Come on..." Sora whispers to himself, taking in a deep, steadying breath as he focuses on summoning his Keyblade once more. Whatever sort of block Maleficent's magic is putting on his ability to do so has to have some sort of work-around; he just has to find it. And yet, his immense focus on doing nothing else but calling his Keyblade forth hardly seems to matter; the weapon still won't appear, not even for a single moment. "Ugh, fine…" he groans as he repositions his wrists in the shackles keeping them tightly bound. Shackles that won't even allow him to perform any sort of magic either, not even the kind of forbidden magic he still refuses to use, even at a time like this.
So instead, he forces himself to try and stand as much as the chains allow, leaning heavily into whatever physical strength he still might have had on his side to carry out the only plan he really has. "I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way then…"
The teacup rests warm and smooth in Kairi's hands as she watches unsteady ripples ebb and flow through the hot liquid inside it as a result of the noisy conversation all around her. She's barely listening to that conversation, however, as she instead focuses on the stirrings of her tea, or more precisely, something else entirely. The similar, uneven, unsteady stirrings starting to find purchase inside her own heart.
None of the others sitting around the table notice her furrowed brow and her anxious frown as they continue enjoying their usual round of after-breakfast beverages. Axel lets out a contented sigh, perching his feet onto the edge of the table and reclining in his chair as he takes a long swig of his coffee. "Ah, now this is more like it!" he grins broadly. "Not just one day, not just a week, but several weeks without the old man bossing us around? He should go off to visit his own world way more often; I've been waiting forever for a break like this!"
"Hey now!" Cid pipes up from his spot at his computer. "Just 'cause Merlin took off, doesn't mean we're on vacation 'round here! We've all still got work to do, and that includes plenty of homework the geezer left behind for you 'n Kairi there, Lea."
"What?!" Axel exclaims, aghast. "Homework?! What does Merlin think we are? A bunch of kids?"
"You might as well be based on how you act all the time," Yuffie teases, eliciting a small chuckle from Aerith and Leon.
"Hey!"
"Still, I didn't expect Merlin to take a trip like this while he's in the middle of training someone," Leon muses after the bout of levity passes. "He must really trust you two to feel comfortable enough to turn you loose to learn on your own for so long."
"Hey, it's not that surprising," Axel remarks. "We are his star pupils after all; the old man said so himself, right Kairi?"
"H-huh?" Kairi blinks, finally glancing up from her tea. "Uh, y-yeah, sure…"
"Kairi, are you all right?" Aerith asks, stepping in to stand beside the younger girl, teapot in hand. "It looks like you haven't even touched your tea yet; it's starting to get cold."
"Yeah, you usually love "tea-time" or whatever Merlin calls this," Axel notes, looking over to his fellow pupil with newfound concern. "Is something wrong?"
"N-no, nothing's wrong," Kairi shakes her head before letting out a small sigh. "I… It's just… Never mind; it's… it's nothing."
"Nothing?" Yuffie titles her head, confused. "Aw, c'mon! You were staring into that tea like a whole 'nother world was in there! With that kind of focus, it can't just be 'nothing'."
Kairi hesitates, cupping her hands tighter around her teacup before meeting the mutually worried expressions of the group sitting around her. "To tell you the truth, I… don't actually know what's wrong," she admits apprehensively. "It just… feels like something isn't right. Like something or someone is calling out to my heart… for help."
"Who do you think it could be?" Aerith asks, sharing that same sort of curiosity with the others.
Kairi tightly presses her lips together, focusing on the signs her heart is sending her and little else. The unspoken cry for help, soft to the point that it's practically silent altogether, ringing through it, hoping to be freed, begging for release. From what, she has no idea, but as to who it's coming from… the familiar spark of warmth that tugs at her heart along with it offers her a basic hunch. A hunch that she doesn't dare say aloud, largely out of the growing fear that it could in fact, be true.
And yet, she realizes, she still owes the others an answer all the same. "I… I think it could be-"
Before she can get another word out, a sudden, heavy knock on the front door echoes throughout the wizard's house, catching just about everyone off guard. That knock persists, practically frantic as another round of similar pounding quickly joins it, creating a hectic clamor in the process. "Who could that be?" Yuffie asks, startled.
"Somebody who's way too gung-ho about knocking?" Axel guesses, raising an eyebrow as he turns to the door.
"Yeesh! Hold yer horses, will ya?!" Cid calls as he makes his way over to the door. "I'm comin'! I'm coming!" Annoyed, he throws the door open, not paying too much immediate mind to who's standing on the other side of it. "Now, how can we help-"
"Merlin!"
The engineer stumbles backward as the pair at the door pushes their way past him, finally coming into view of the group at the table as they all stand in surprise over their unexpected arrival. "D-Donald? Goofy?" Kairi exclaims, baffled. "What are you two doing here?"
"Yeah, and what's with all the panic?" Axel asks, just as confused. "You guys look like you just saw a fire."
"We might as well have!" Donald snaps harshly.
"W-where's Merlin?!" Goofy asks, glancing around the house for any signs of the wizard. "We need to talk to him right away! It's really important!"
"He's not here," Yuffie shakes her head. "He's off visiting the world he's from and he won't be back for a couple of weeks. But… maybe we can help?"
"What's the problem?" Leon asks, his tone quite serious as he looks to the frazzled pair.
"Wait," Kairi interjects before they can explain. Up until now, her eyes have been trained on the still-open door, the already growing dread that's been slowly building up all morning seeming to rise to an unbearable degree. Especially as she realized who hasn't entered alongside his usual companions. "Donald, Goofy," she turns back to the duo, her eyes wide as she poses a question that she isn't sure she really wants the answer to. "Where is Sora?"
For their part, the most Donald and Goofy can do at such a question is exchange a tight, pained glance, hesitating to recount a tale that had-and still is-causing them both so much worry and woe. "H-he… he was captured," Donald finally, shamefully admits.
The ripple effect this news has on the others is stark and immediate. The members of the Restoration Committee are all stunned into silence, Axel along with them. Kairi on the other hand, lets out a sharp gasp as she stumbles backward, hitting the table behind her in the process. The blow causes her teacup to topple over the edge and shatter on the ground at her feet, yet she hardly cares as the spilled tea begins to pool around her shoes. In fact, the only thing she can possibly care about at the moment is Sora. Sora, who's been captured, two words that, as far as she's concerned, don't even belong in the same sentence as each other. It's a thought so upsetting, so sickening that she can scarcely even stand it even as it repeats itself over and over again in her mind. And yet, in her heart, she hears that call again, obscured by a layer of distant shadow but still persistent all the same.
A cry for help, one that she knows, without a doubt now, has to be coming from none other than Sora himself.
"What do you mean he was captured?!" Axel demands, being the first to voice one of the many questions they all have. "By who?! Was it the Organization again?"
"N-no, it was Maleficent!" Goofy anxiously informs. "S-Sora, he… he just... M-Maleficent forced him to give himself up to save us!"
"And he did!" Donald laments almost mournfully. "H-he just went with her-we don't even know where-and we couldn't stop him! This is all our fault!"
"I'm sure it wasn't," Leon assures, though his usually calm expression is still marred by signs of distress. "Still, if Maleficent has him, that can't be good."
"She's a real witch, that one!" Cid exclaims with an angry shake of his fist. "We gotta figure out a way to get that poor kid out of her clutches, and fast."
"But how?" Aerith frowns worriedly. "We don't even know where she took him-"
"I do!" Kairi suddenly exclaims, largely without thinking. Even so, she means it; for as she feels Sora's heart desperately calling out to her's once more, she quickly realizes that the distance between them isn't really that far after all. "I… I think my heart is sensing Sora's," she explains the best she can. "That's what I've been feeling all morning. It knew that something is wrong, that he's in danger. And… I think it knows where he is too."
"Where?!" Donald and Goofy ask in frantic, hasty unison.
Kairi closes her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to focus on the connection between Sora's heart and her own before giving a resolved, certain answer. "He's here. In Radiant Garden. I can't tell exactly where he is here, but he's in this world. I know it."
"Are you sure?" Axel asks, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"...Yes," Kairi nods, holding onto that spark of warmth Sora's heart always manages to carry with it, however fleeting it might be this time. "I am."
"Well, if Maleficent really did bring him here, then she's probably keeping him at her old stomping grounds," Leon muses grimly.
"You don't mean…?"
"The old castle?" Yuffie finishes where Aerith leaves off.
"Thought that place was abandoned, fallin' apart at the seams!" Cid remarks, hands on his hips. "Then again, if Maleficent really is out and about again, I guess it'd only make sense for her to go crawling back there."
"Well, as of right now, it looks like the only lead we've really got," Axel notes.
"It's good enough for us!" Donald exclaims, already heading for the door. "C'mon, Goofy! Sora needs our help!"
"Right," Goofy readily nods before waving back to the others. "Thanks for the help, everybody! I'm sure Sora will really appreciate it too!"
"Wait!" Kairi protests, wasting no time in hurrying after the pair. All while that call, ringing, pleadingly, almost painfully within her heart, pushes her onward. "If you're going to save Sora, then… then I'm coming too!"
"What?!" Donald and Goofy both share a surprised glance at this.
Likewise, Axel is quite taken aback by Kairi's verve as he heads down to stand alongside her. "Whoa, hey there, Little Miss Hasty. If you're going, then there's no way I'm letting you go without me."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Kairi says, grinning up at him gratefully.
"No," Leon interjects as he steps forward. "Sorry, you two. I know you've been doing well with your training, but I'm sure even Merlin would agree with me when I say that neither of you are ready to face a threat like Maleficent yet."
"Yeah," Yuffie agrees before she breaks into a spirited grin. "'At least not without us!"
"What?" Leon looks over to her incredulously. "No, Yuffie, that's not what I-"
"You all go," Aerith speaks up. "Cid and I will stay here and see if we can figure anything else out that might help."
"Aw, geez, the ol' geezer would kill me if he knew I was letting you kids just run head-first into danger like this... " Cid sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "But… I guess it is for a good cause so… go and give that wicked witch what for!"
"Don't worry!" Donald chimes as he leads the way out of the house. "We will!"
"'Specially after everything she's done!" Goofy adds, just as determined.
"Just make sure not to tattle on us to the old man, will ya?" Axel asks Cid and Aerith. "Don't want him finding out about her super secret forbidden rescue mission. Even if we are more than ready for it."
"I don't know about that…" Leon remarks, shaking his head disapprovingly as he follows Axel out.
"Don't worry," Aerith chuckles. "We won't say a word."
"Woo!" Yuffie cheers, pumping her fist excitedly for the daring adventure ahead of them. "Let's go save Sora!"
"Yeah…" Kairi quietly agrees, her hands held close to her heart as she trails after the others. All the while letting her heart carry a comforting message she hopes he'll somehow hear. "Hold on, Sora… I'll be there for you soon."
While the room, or cell rather, had initially been cold and silent, it's anything but those things now. The walls still put off an unnaturally frigid chill, though Sora barely feels it as he instead works up a steady sweat, his strained, sharp shouts filling in for what would otherwise be complete and utter quiet. Still, for what seems like the hundredth time now, he lunges forward, pulling as hard against the chains trying to hold him back as he can in the hopes that they'll somehow break, or at the very least waver. He's been at it for hours now, or at least he assumes it's been hours since there's basically no way of telling how much time has passed between the walls of his cell. A cell that, even despite its generous size, starts to feel more and more claustrophobic with each passing second. A cell that he has every intention of escaping, even if that's a feat that's quickly turning out to be more difficult than he'd hoped.
Despite his determined efforts, Sora has relatively little to show for his nearly nonstop resistance against his bonds. If anything, he's only managed to approach growing exhaustion rather than escape, his breathing haggard and heavy as his bones and muscles alike ache from the immense strain he's been putting them under. Yet even worse are his wrists, which, underneath both the shackles and his gloves, have been worn down by his incessant pulling to the point that they're raw, perhaps even to a dangerous degree if the sparse drops of blood trickling down his hands are any indication. Still, he doesn't stop, he can't stop, not as long as there's the smallest chance that this plan, however ineffectual it's proving to be so far, could actually work. And in the process, grant him the freedom he knows he needs to reclaim before it's too late.
Yet even so, the chains still pull him back once again, just as they always do, sending him falling painfully back to the ground. Sora lets out a tired sigh as he allows himself a moment's rest to lie on the stone ground, hoping its chilled surface can cool him down. He's been in plenty of tight spots before-something he's always assumed comes with the territory of being a Keyblade wielder-but scarcely can he recall being in a situation as frustratingly hard to get out of as this. Despite his doubts that Maleficent's plans for him would succeed, clearly she's still covered most, if not all of her bases with this scheme, or at the very least with how she's keeping him restrained. Without his Keyblade, he's left feeling not just defenseless, but powerless, with no clear, guaranteed way of setting himself free. Unless…
Sora forces the thought out of his mind nearly the moment it enters it. Even if he actually knew how to intentionally tap into that immense, powerful pall of darkness buried deep inside his heart, he ultimately knows he can't. Because if he does, then he'll be giving Maleficent exactly what she wants. Something that, for as much as he hates being bound and captive and trapped like this, he simply refuses to do.
So instead, he picks himself up off the floor once again, pushing his frayed bangs out of his eyes, tugging against the chains and ignoring the protest his agonized wrists gave him once again. He's more than prepared to keep this relentless struggle going, even if the chances of it working are turning out to be quite low. Yet he does put his attempt on pause as the stone wall in front of him suddenly begins to rumble, and, even stranger, pull itself apart, revealing the cell isn't as impenetrable as it seems. The wall parts to create a sizable gap, and through that gap steps in not Maleficent as Sora initially suspects, but her head henchman instead.
"Ugh, Pete? Really?" Sora scoffs, annoyed as he scowls up at him. "As if this couldn't get any worse. What do you want?"
"Hey now! I'd watch all that sass if I were you, kid!" Pete warns as the wall closes itself back up behind him. "I'll have you know Maleficent herself asked me to come in here and stand guard over you, 'ta make sure ya ain't gettin' up to any sneak tricks that might end with you escapin'. Somebody's gotta make sure her super important plans don't fall through, and I'm the only one she trusts enough to do it!"
"Yeah, right," Sora dryly calls his bluff. "More like she probably ordered you to do it."
"Wha-huh? How'd you know-oh, w-what do you know anyway?!" Pete huffs bitterly. "Point is, you'd better not try anything on my watch, kid. Or else!"
"Or else what?" Sora asks boredly. "You'll run off and tell Maleficent? Oh man, now you've really got me scared. Please, have 'mercy' on me. I'm begging you."
This sarcastic, insincere plea only sets Pete off even more as he stomps a heavy foot down to silence the small, sardonic laugh Sora lets out after it. "Can it, kid!" he yells, shaking a threatening fist. "I don't think you know just how serious this whole thing really is, do ya?"
"I don't think you do either," Sora counters, a bit more serious this time. "Do you even know what she's planning on doing in the first place?"
"Course I do!" Pete proudly proclaims. "She wants to take control of your Heartless. Er, uh… turn ya into a Heartless? ...Look, I don't know all of the fancy 'specifications, but what I do know is that we're goin' through a whole lotta trouble to make it happen, and we ain't about to let you ruin it for us!"
"It's not like I really can anyway…" Sora mutters to himself, throwing another frustrated glare back at the chains behind him. "But even if her plan does work, which it won't, what then?" he asks Pete, hoping to glean at least a bit more information about exactly what Maleficent's endgame is. "Does she think she'll 'win' if she forces me to be her obedient little Heartless and that'll just be the end of it?"
"Ha! Not even close," Pete shakes his head obliviously. "Once we get you to join the winnin' team, Maleficent says you're gonna be our ticket to conquering a whole mess of worlds! Best part of it is, you've got friends in so many different places, and most of them friends would never even think about fighting back against ya if you came to their worlds causing all sorts of trouble. It's a pretty genius plan, iffin I do say so myself."
"More like a pretty rotten plan…" Sora retorts coldly. Even so, the thought of it actually all coming to fruition practically makes him sick, both for his sake and so many others'. "So you and Maleficent are just gonna go to a bunch of different worlds, force me to do your dirty work for you, hurt a whole lot of innocent people, and you're just… ok with that?"
"Sure am!" Pete readily nods. "'Specially if it means folks will finally start showin' me the respect I deserve!"
Upon hearing this, Sora finds himself struck with a sudden idea, one that only solidifies even more in his mind as he steals yet another glance down at the shackles on his wrist. True, it's a bit manipulative, but since he had more or less been manipulated into this terrible situation to begin with, then he sees no reason why he can't manipulate his way out of it as well. "...I think you mean people will show Maleficent respect instead," he begins, coyly yet carefully. True, Pete isn't that bright to begin with, but the last thing Sora wants to do is ruin this ploy before it even has a chance to get off the ground.
"Wha-huh?" the henchman balks incredulously. "Uh, no, they'll be showin' me plenty of respect too! I am her right-hand-man after all."
"Yeah, but that's just it," Sora says with a knowing shrug. "You're just her right-hand. If she goes out and takes over a world, then she's the one that everyone in that world is going to listen to, not you. Face it, Pete; as long as you work for Maleficent, then you'll always be playing second-fiddle to her."
"S-second-fiddle!?" Pete gawks, genuinely offended by the thought. "I don't think so! You don't have any idea 'bout what you're talkin' about, kid, 'cause I can guarantee ya that I'm as big a deal as they come!"
"That's not what I've heard," Sora counters evenly, reclining back a bit on his spot on the floor. "You know, Donald and Goofy told me how you got banished from Disney Town all those years back. Sounds to me like you were just trying to get people to like you, but… you were just going about it the wrong way."
The mention of this bygone point of shame seems to strike a chord with Pete as his steady bravado starts to crumble somewhat. "O-oh yeah? Then what's the right way, Mr. 'I-Make-Friends-With-Everyone-Everywhere-I-Go'?"
"Well, not trying to take over entire worlds is a good place to start," Sora notes rather bluntly. "But if you really want more people to respect you, a great way to do that is by setting anything you've done wrong right. Like, oh, I dunno… maybe… setting someone you helped capture free?"
"Oh? Oh!" Pete scowls, catching on far faster than Sora had anticipated he might. "Nice try, kid! Ya nearly pulled the wool over my eyes there with all that gushy, feely talk but I'm not the kinda sucker who falls for that kinda mush! There ain't no way I'm lettin you off the hook that easily."
"Really?" Sora asks as calmly as he can. "Not even if I could make it worth your while?"
"Hm?" Pete crosses his arms, admittedly intrigued. "And how's that?"
"I'm close friends with the king, remember?" Sora points out. "And if you let me go, then I might be able to put in a good word for you with him. Who knows? Maybe he'll even lift your banishment! You could finally go back home!"
"...Home, huh?" Pete perks up, seeming to consider the idea for a moment before he stubbornly shakes his head. "Tch, and what makes you think I even wanna go back to that backwoods berg of a world in the first place?"
"Well, it is where you're from, right? I can't imagine somebody not wanting to go back to where they came from at least once. Plus, it'd be a good way for you to start all over there, earn people's respect the right way by being a friend instead of a conqueror."
"Mm… well… maybe…" Pete muses, genuinely considering the idea, though he still shows apprehension towards it all the same. "B-but how do I know you're not just yankin' my chain so I'll let you outta yours?!"
"Because that's another thing friends do," Sora says with an assuring, honest smile. "They keep their promises. Which, by the way, is another sure-fire way to earn someone's respect, in case you were wondering."
For what seems like ages, the henchman says nothing, pondering over his options with a clear, conflicted expression. Sora lets him do so, hoping that for his part, he's done a good enough job of convincing Pete to, if nothing else, abandon Maleficent's malicious plans. And it seems as though that's starting to become the case as Pete lets out a small, wavering, but anxious sigh. "I-if Maleficent finds out, she's gonna-"
"Maleficent doesn't need to know," Sora interjects firmly. "All you need to do is let me out of these chains and open that wall back up for me, and then I can take care of the rest. And if she does find out, then just tell her I found a way to escape on my own. It's that easy."
"Easy? Easy for you to say," Pete scoffs. "You got no idea how much I'll be puttin' on the line here for you if I do this, kid."
"Believe me, I do," Sora says, his tone sincere and understanding. "But if you really do help me out of this, then I won't forget that you did. I promise."
By this point, Pete is somewhere between fuming and caving complete, especially as he steals an anxious glance back at the wall he'd entered the cell through. As if he's afraid that Maleficent will walk through it to hear this exchange and severely chew him out for even indulging the thought of letting their captive simply run free. Or rather, her captive, as Pete's never really been the biggest fan of Maleficent's bid to take Sora hostage in the first place. While frustrating and rife with countless dead ends, their search for the black box had, at the very least, been simple enough with a clear prize in mind, even if it was a prize neither of them really knew that much about. But ever since Maleficent had turned her sights away from the box and toward Sora instead, things have gotten so complicated, or at least they are in Pete's eyes. Because now here they are, actively attacking foes that they usually just taunt, capturing enemies they would typically just threaten, locking a child up in chains, despite how much of an aggravation that child has been for them in the past. It's all so strange, so unlike what they normally get up to, to the point that Pete isn't entirely sure how he feels about any of it. And that general uneasiness, paired with the admittedly hopeful promises Sora is offering him for a chance at the genuine respect he's craved for so long now, finally proves to be enough to get the henchman to relent. Albeit quite begrudgingly. "Augh! Fine!" he snaps, frustrated, as he fishes a key ring out of his pocket. "But just as long as you hightail it outta here as quick as you can without causing any sort of stir Maleficent might find out about. Got it?"
"Don't worry," Sora readily agrees, holding back a sigh of relief as Pete moves to unlock the base of the chains. "I don't have any plans on sticking around any longer than I need to."
"Yeah, yeah," the henchman sullenly grumbles as he unlatches the chains from the floor. "You'd better watch yourself once you get out of here though; Maleficent has this whole place crawlin' with Heartless."
"Well, they shouldn't be that much of a problem," Sora ends up letting that allayed sigh out as he finally, properly stands for the first time in what feels like days. Yet even so, his wrists are still weighed down by the heavy shackles and the disconnected chains hanging from them. "Um… What about these?" he holds his bound wrists up to Pete.
The henchman frowns as he checks over his key ring-only has one key on it to begin with-before looking down to the pair of shackles that, in turn, have no lock to speak of on either of them. "Er… I dunno nothin' about those. Maleficent must've magicked 'em up herself."
"Of course she did…" Sora groans, exasperated. Especially since the shackles staying means that his Keyblade is still off-limits, a handicap he hadn't anticipated but will clearly have to endure for just a bit longer. Even so, he's ready to make that handicap less of a hindrance as he wraps the chains around the shackles in the hopes of making them just a bit less cumbersome. "I guess I'll just have to make do then… Still, thank you, Pete."
"Hey, what'd I say about all that gushy talk!?" Pete huffs, feigning annoyance.
"I know, but I mean it," Sora says with an earnest smile. "And I meant what I said earlier too. I do appreciate this and I really owe you for it."
"Yeah, well you'll never get to make it up to me if ya don't shut your yap and get outta here already!" Pete fusses, pressing one of the stone bricks on the far wall to get it to slide open, revealing the only real way out. "What, do ya want Maleficent to catch us right here and now and throttle us both?!"
"Well, I don't know about you, but she'd have to catch me first," Sora lets out a spirited chuckle as he hurries through the opening wall, though not before offering the henchman another genuinely cordial wave on the way out. "Thanks again!"
Pete only barely resists the urge to return that wave as he watches Sora begin his escape, shaking his head as he spares a good bit of worry for the boy's fate as well as his own. "Darn kid…" he sighs apprehensively. Yet at the same time, he can't help but feel the strangest sense of satisfaction too; satisfaction over a wrong that's about to be set right. Or, at least he hopes it will. "He's gonna get himself killed out there."
"Now, now, Pete. I wouldn't be too terribly concerned with his well being if I were you. Especially since I still need him alive..."
Pete freezes up the moment he hears Maleficent's voice chiming into the room, nearly falling flat on his face as he spins around to watch her step out of a dark corridor right behind him. "M-Maleficent!" he stammers, immediately panicking. "I-I wasn't-I didn't-ya see what happened was the kid, h-he just-"
"Still your tongue, you bumbling fool," Maleficent cuts him off, her tone surprisingly calm and cool. For a moment, she says nothing as she steps forward, regarding the spot where Sora had just been chained up moments ago with an unreadable gaze before she speaks just as aloofly. "Under normal circumstances, I would find myself being quite… outraged over the mere thought of you simply letting our special 'guest' run free. But these aren't normal circumstances, which is exactly why I tasked you with guarding the boy in particular, Pete."
"Wha… what are you talkin' about?" Pete dares to nervously ask.
There's a hint of a scowl on Maleficent's face this time around as she turns to face him. "Only you would be utterly dull enough to let yourself be so easily duped by a mere child. But fortunately for you, your bout of… feeble sympathy factors perfectly into my plans…"
"Wait, wait, wait," Pete shakes his head, still not following. "Y-you're tellin' me you wanted me to let the kid go? After all the trouble it took to get him here in the first place?"
"Precisely," the dark fairy nods, evenly.
"Uh… but why?"
Maleficent's lips finally curl into a sinister grin as she hovers her hand over her staff, conjuring up an image of Sora as he rushes down the castle halls, looking for some way to truly escape. "It's as I said before: the way to getting the Heartless I desire is a simple one. All I need to do is engulf his heart in the deepest darkness and despair and the rest is sure to follow."
"And… lettin' him go is gonna do that… how?" Pete asks with growing worry as he looks not to Maleficent but to the show of constant surveillance she's keeping on Sora instead.
"By loosening the leash," Maleficent explains, using her magic to create another illusion of Sora entirely. One that steadily starts to dim and darken as shadows begin to flood out from his heart, even as he continues running away. "Giving him a sense of false hope. Allowing him the tiniest taste of the freedom he so desperately craves. And then…" The dark fairy suddenly snaps her open hand into a tight fist, and along with it, the fake Sora is abruptly consumed by darkness altogether, letting out a pained scream that Pete fretfully flinches along with when he hears it. And as that scream dies out, all that remains is a sinister, shadowy creature, barely even human and ready to devastate and destroy on nothing more than an instinctual whim. "Then ripping that freedom and every single last ounce of hope he's ever had away from completely. Then, and only then," she smirks cruelly, waving her hand over the creature she's conjured, watching with sadistic delight as his golden eyes turn green and he bows low in unquestionable reverence to her and her alone. "Will I finally have the 'pet' that will be the key to helping us conquer this world… and so many more…"
Sora never realized just how much he relies on his Keyblade until now.
Because here he is, running-sneaking-through some unknown labyrinth, completely unarmed without his usual trusty weapon. To make matters worse, true to Pete's word, the place is crawling with Heartless at nearly every turn, absently meandering about the winding corridors. Sora nearly runs straight into one such group of creatures almost as soon as he's let out of the cell, the dull rattle of the chains wrapped around his wrists perking their attention but fortunately not giving him away entirely as he slips out of their sight by way of an adjacent hallway. Still, the risky moment offers him a valuable lesson: if he truly wants to escape, then he'll have to rely on something other than his Keyblade to help him do it.
That something is namely stealth, a skill that Sora can't exactly claim to be great at, though he has dabbled in it from time to time in the past. And yet this time around, staying stealthy is already proving to be a much more difficult challenge. Without his Keyblade he has basically nothing to fall back on if he's caught, other than running as fast as he possibly can in the hopes that he can simply get away. But even aside from that is the mazelike series of passageways and corridors that seem to lead absolutely nowhere in particular, a maze that he's all too quickly starting to get lost in the longer he wanders it dark, unchanging halls. And to top it all off are the shackles, still weighing heavily on his worn wrists, weighted down even more by the chains wrapped around them. The potential for those chains to make substantial, damming noise for the Heartless to hear has already forced Sora to slow his progress quite a bit, but even beyond that, they're bulky and burdensome, to the point that even lifting his arms at all is starting to become a tiring task. With all these factors combined, there's no denying the odds are stacked heavily against him in this escape attempt in just about every way. And yet, Sora stays determined not to let those sour odds stop him, especially not when he's bounding closer and closer to freedom with every step he takes.
He does stop short, however, upon passing by the first window he's spotted thus far. The mere glimpse of the outside world alone is like a miracle in and of itself, much less a glimpse of bright, clear daylight. And though it's a bit of a risk, Sora still tales the opportunity to take a glance out that window in the hopes of getting more context as to exactly where Maleficent has been holding him captive in the first place.
"Wait…" Sora says to himself, almost immediately recognizing the wide, desolate valley that lies far and wide below the window. And even more than that, he recognizes the towering city that sits on the distant end of that valley, one that he's been to many times before. "Is that… Radiant Garden?!" He can't help but let out a small, incredulous laugh as he pulls away from the window, relief bubbling up inside his chest as it pushes him onward once more.
Really, he couldn't have asked for better luck when it comes to the world Maleficent secreted him away to. Because as soon as he gets out of whatever unknown structure he's currently making his way through, Sora is confident that the rest will be ridiculously easy. All he'll have to do is make it to the city, show up at Merlin's house and, with some help from the Restoration Committee, contacting Donald and Goofy will be a breeze. And from there, their search for the Keys can just as easily continue, as if it had never been interrupted in the first place. True, they'll still have both Maleficent and the Organization to contend with, but from now on, Sora intends on making it his mission to be ready for them, to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.
As high as his spirits are now, however, his escape attempt is nearly halted entirely as he prepares to round the next corner into another long corridor. However, he skids to a quick stop upon spotting a cluster of Heartless gathered at the far end of that hall, though Sora finds exactly what they're all clustered before far more interesting. A door, the first he's really seen thus far, large and important-looking enough that certainly it has to lead to some way out, and as far as he's concerned, it's a way he's going to take. All he needs to do is figure out how to get past the multitude of Heartless guarding it.
Sora tucks away behind the corner once more, giving himself a moment to think. His lack of a Keyblade aside, he doesn't have too much at his disposal to work with here, save for the chains and shackles around his wrists. Yet as he looks to those hard, durable, metal shackles, he finally manages to come up with a way to turn them into some form of help rather than a hindrance for the first time since all of this began.
After loosening the chains so they hang free from the shackles once more, Sora boldly steps out into the open, catching the Heartless' attention with a high, loud whistle. All of the creatures immediately whirl around to face him, and in a similar way, they waste no time all rushing for him at once. On instinct, he tries summoning his Keyblade one final time, but upon getting no results, he decides to venture on with his original plan. The moment the first Heartless stumbles into his range, he lashes out, widely swinging a fist toward it while intentionally keeping his aim a bit off all the same. Sure enough, his hand doesn't connect with the winged creature, but the shackle does, brutally beating into it to the point that it's easily knocked aside altogether. The sharp blow does strike a painful sting through his withered wrist, but Sora forces himself to ignore it as he pulls the chains back in toward him to make his next move.
While the string of chains isn't very long, he still finds a good use for them as he tosses them at the next Heartless in his path. The smaller monster easily wavers under their weight allowing him to sprint onward, even as more Heartless eagerly wait to get the jump on him. He doesn't give them much of a chance however, between his continued barrage of physical attacks. None of them actually take any of the Heartless out-he can only effectively do that with his Keyblade on hand-but the unexpected blows do stun the dull creatures enough to push them out of his way as he bolts toward the door as fast as he can. The Heartless get in plenty of swipes and swings of their own, but none of them are severe enough to slow Sora down too much, especially as every step takes him closer to the door, closer to escape, closer to freedom and closer to his friends.
Which is why, even as the Heartless continue to relentlessly pursue him, Sora doesn't hesitate to throw that door wide open the instant he reaches it. Likewise, he doesn't think twice about rushing through it, throwing his weight against it to shove it shut behind him to keep the Heartless from pursuing him any further. In the brief moment of newfound peace that follows, he allows himself a moment to catch his lost breath. Though as soon as he glances up to see what awaits him beyond the door, he instantly loses it again.
"Ah, so you've finally arrived," Maleficent holds a steady, confident grin as she greets Sora smoothly. "And here I was starting to wonder if perhaps you'd gotten lost. But here you are, just in time, right back where you first started."
Sora starts the moment he realizes she's right; because sitting right there in the center of the square stone corridor, one that's filled with an all-too-familiar kind of chill, is the base his chains had once been bound to. He'd gone in a perfect circle, and in doing so, has fallen exactly into a trap he hadn't even seen coming. "N-no," he chokes, his eyes wide with alarm as he quickly turns back toward the door. Yet the moment his hand so much as skims it, it completely disappears, his only real chance at escaping, at freedom, disappearing right along with it.
"Yes," Maleficent counters, her staff appearing in her hands as she takes a step forward. "I have to admit, I'm quite impressed with you, Sora. You've managed to make it make it quite far, all without your Keyblade and without relying on the darkness, even when it would have been far easier for you if you had. But despite your resourceful efforts, I'm afraid to say that your little escape attempt ends here."
"No, it doesn't," Sora says rigidly. He holds his arms up defensively, his hands curled into tight, ready fists. "Let me out or else."
"Really?" Maleficent raises an eyebrow. "I would think you're in absolutely no position to make threats. You have no weapon, no magic, no friends to stand by your side. And without any of those, what really can you hope to accomplish on your own?"
"You're wrong. I may not be able to use my Keyblade or any magic," Sora admits, his stern manner not diminishing, even though his back is quite literally up against the wall. "But my friends are always with me, inside my heart. And as long as they are, I don't care what you try to do to me, I will never, ever give up!"
Maleficent's otherwise calm expression turns cold and cross at this, her grip on her staff tightening ever so slightly. Even so, she holds her temper, staying her course as she meets her captive's courageous resolve just as evenly. "We'll then, why don't we put that brazen "bravery" of yours to the ultimate test…?"
She swiftly raises her staff at this, magic pouring from it to conjure new chains entirely that burst into existence from the chamber's high ceiling. They aggressively whip their way toward Sora and before he even has a chance to try and evade them, they sharply connect with the chains already hanging from his wrists. As a result, he's harshly yanked forward and upward to the point that he dangles from the ceiling by his wrists, exacerbating the injuries already inflicted on them even more. Still, he bites back a sudden cry of pain, forcing himself to remain unshaken even as the tables are turned dramatically against him.
"What a pity," Maleficent muses as she stepped up to him. They're basically at eye-level with each other now as she perches a cold hand under his chin, forcing him to meet her icy gaze, despite his resilient attempt to resist her. "This could have gone so much easier if not for your impertinent stubbornness. I even gave you an opportunity, clear as day, to tap into that rich, powerful darkness locked deep within you. And yet, you took that opportunity… and turned it into a disappointment instead."
"Well, maybe I would be sorry about that," Sora deadpans crossly as he offers her a relentless glare. "If I even knew how to do it in the first place. I've never done that on purpose before and believe me, it's not something I ever would do on purpose, especially not for you."
"Oh? Well, that's certainly some interesting news to hear…" Maleficent muses, fascinated. "But if you really are having trouble unleashing that power, then maybe all you need is a gentle… push in the right direction…"
She raises her staff once again, slowly this time as bright green magic blooms around its orb. Her sadistic grin only deepens as she begins to draw it in toward Sora, who, even from a distance, can feel the immense, raw, devastating power approaching him. And with no other way to really escape that power himself, he instead puts forth the very last-ditch effort he can think of to try and keep it from reaching him. "W-wait," Sora speaks up and sure enough Maleficent stills her hand, though her staff still hovers dangerously close to him. "Maleficent, you don't have to do this. What you're after-conquering worlds or whatever else you want-it can't be worth all this, can it?"
His earnest appeal is merely met with a disgusted scoff. "Please, spare me your dull rhetoric," Maleficent rolls her eyes, bored. "Pete may have been painfully simple enough to fall for such a pathetic ploy, but such meager attempts at begging for mercy won't work on me. I know exactly what I want, and… I know exactly how I'm going to obtain it…"
Before Sora even has so much as a chance to get another word of protest out, the staff suddenly touches him. Its blindingly emerald orb presses surprisingly lightly against the center of his chest as Maleficent forces its unknown magic into him. The effect is immediate, as pain, stark and severe in every single sense, tightly clenches his heart in less than an instant, refusing to let its brutal grip go as it quickly begins to spread out from there. White, hot agony washes over him like a massive wave as that mysterious, powerful magic floods through every single part of his body, swelling in an even higher tide of unimaginable anguish. When Maleficent finally does pull her scepter away ages later, Sora involuntarily lurches forward in his chains, unable to do much else, including let out the heavy cry of pain that refuses to let itself be heard just as his body refuses to move on his own accord in the slightest. If anything, he's completely paralyzed, his head lolling forward as that horrific magic-propelled pain continues spiraling ever deeper, twisting its way into his very blood like the poison it so clearly is. That poison makes itself known not just internally, but externally too as it illuminates his veins in a haunting green glow, that very same glow tainting even his eyes as it overtakes nearly every trace of blue within them. With his voice all but stolen from him, he practically has to force himself to breathe, though when he does, it comes out in short, ragged gasps of air that are never enough as the poison begins to strangle him on top of everything else. And all the while, that pain just keeps coming, continually drowning him and dulling his senses to the point that he can think of nothing else, not even as Maleficent forcefully guides his exhausted, half-lidded gaze up toward her once more.
"Still not enough, I see…" she muses, more to herself than to Sora. She does crack something of a satisfied smile upon taking in her now-helpless captive's listless, agonized expression, watching with cruel amusement as tears steadily start building up in his falsely green eyes. "Not enough…" she repeats. "But still, so very close all the same…"
Stop… Sora wants to say, tries to say, but the desperate plea just won't come out. Instead it remains trapped in his throat, much in the same way that he's largely trapped inside his own body, completely incapable of so much as moving it at all as the poison saps any control he once had over it away from him. Though he can still see and hear everything going on around him, he can do nothing to stop Maleficent as she continues to will her malicious magic to painfully pulse through him, no matter how much he wishes he could. And as a result, whatever hopes he'd had mere moments ago of an easy escape, or really an escape in general, all too quickly crumble to pieces all around him. He'd been so close, so close to putting a stop to this nightmare, but in the end, he'd only fallen even deeper into it to the point that he wonders if there's really any way out of it at all.
"Don't fret, child," Maleficent eases, her tone falsely sweet and soothing as she patronizingly thumbs one of Sora's stray tears away. "Your suffering will be over soon. And once it is, just think of the incredible strength that you'll possess in its place. Strength that will be put to perfect use… in service to me."
She lets out a small, sinister laugh at this, one that only grows louder and more twisted as she calls upon her magic again, this time to repeat a similar tactic she's used before. Thick, thorny vines burst out from the stone ground below Sora, quickly twisting and curling upward as they latch tightly onto his incapacitated body. Their thorns, imbued with pure darkness, tear into his skin, cutting deep as they ravage his clothes in a similar careless manner. Their presence only amplifies the pain caused by the poison to an overwhelming extent, especially as the vines worked their way upward, only stopping as they entwine themselves around his arms and skim his neck. Something about them rings familiar in a way Sora can't quite place at the moment, not that it really matters to begin with. Because all the while, he still can't fight them, still can't resist as they submerge him in a haze of growing shadows pervading his mind, a haze that urges him to let it overtake him entirely. And as it does, the only thing he can do is silently beg for a release he won't see, for mercy he won't be given, for freedom he won't get.
And yet, for as hopeless as it all seems, as high as the likelihood is of losing himself to the pull of the darkness eagerly starting to overtake him, some small voice ringing out from deep inside him says something else entirely. A voice he knows, one that gives his hurting, weakening heart a much-needed sense of peace and comfort as it offers him a promise he desperately needs at a moment like this:
"Hold on, Sora. I'll be there for you soon…"
She'll be there soon, to bring her beautiful, healing light to pierce the wicked shadows starting to close in all around him. The mere thought is enough to encourage him to keep going, to put every last ounce of his waning strength toward simply surviving instead of falling back and allowing the darkness to do that for him. Even if only for the hope of getting to see her one last time before he loses himself altogether.
So if holding on is the only option he has now, then that's exactly what he's going to do. Because as far as he's concerned, if there's anything or anyone worth holding on through all of the pain, all of the torment, and all of the fear, then it will always be her.
The wide valley that lay just outside the outskirts of Radiant Garden had, not too long ago, been the battleground of a fierce conflict against the full force of a massive Heartless threat. Yet even now, over a year after that battle has passed, the dry canyon still echoes with an unsettling sort of silence. Silence that only grows more ominous as the small group presses further away from the safety of the shining city and closer toward the unknown dangers of shadowy castle ahead.
Their journey has largely been a solemn one, rife with mutual concern for Sora's wellbeing all around. Donald and Goofy are by far the most vocal in their concern for their companion, largely since they're still quite shaken from watching his capture firsthand. Even so, they do their best to answer the multitude of questions Leon, Yuffie, and Axel all have about what happened in the first place, most of which are questions the pair has no real answers to.
For her part, Kairi has plenty of questions about this situation as a whole, but she largely keeps them to herself. Instead, she focuses on the road ahead, her eyes rarely straying from the castle before them as she feels that familiar, yearning pang tugging at her heart all the while. The fact that it only grows stronger the closer they get to their destination is certainly a testament to the fact that Sora has to be there. But outside of that, that's all Kairi really knows. She can't tell exactly where in the castle he might be, or what's befallen him, or if he's hurt-the outcome she fears perhaps more than anything else. She has no doubts that Sora can handle himself in a pinch just fine, she's seen him do so plenty of times in the past. But this feels different somehow, in a way she can't place, but the mere feeling alone unnerves her. Something feels off, wrong even, to the point that Kairi wants nothing more than to rush into that castle and get Sora out of it as soon as possible just to put an end to the anxious uneasiness she's been feeling all day. Just to make sure that he's finally safe.
"So my question is," Axel begins as casually as ever. "Now that Maleficent's got Sora, what does she even want with him in the first place?"
"We… have no idea," Donald admits fretfully.
"Yeah, she didn't really explain much before she took off with him," Goofy sighs, just as worried for their young companion's fate.
"Maybe this is all just one big revenge scheme?" Yuffie suggests. "You guys have put her in her place more than a few times now, so what if she's doing all this to get back at the three of you?"
"But if that were the case, then she would have gone after all three of them," Leon points out. "Not just Sora. She must have singled him out for a reason. But that still begs the question of what that reason is in the first place."
"Well, Maleficent and Pete were lookin' for some sort of black box," Goofy notes. "But then she made it sound like she wasn't anymore when she captured Sora. And even if she was, it doesn't make a whole lotta sense for her to go after him since he doesn't know anything about it."
"Who knows?" Donald counters, a hint of bitter aggravation in his tone. "Maybe he does. It wouldn't be that surprising when you think about all the other secrets he's been keeping from us lately."
"Secrets?" Kairi tunes back into the conversation upon hearing this. "What kind of secrets?"
Donald and Goofy exchange something of an apprehensive glance at this, both of them knowing that Sora likely wouldn't be too keen on them divulging such secrets to Kairi, of all people. And yet, given the circumstances, they're hard pressed not to at this point. "Well, first there was that big scar Young Xehanort landed on his chest that just won't seem to heal for anything," Goofy begins.
"Then there's the cracks that started showing up on his Keyblade," Donald adds with a small, frustrated huff. "He says he doesn't know where they came from, but he still hid them and that scar from us when he knew about them all along!"
"B-but… why would he do that?" Kairi asks with a worried frown. After all, for as long as she's known Sora, if there's one thing she knows he never does, it's keep secrets, especially not ones this significant and especially not from his friends.
"We… don't really know…" Goofy admits as Donald lets out an equally fretful sigh.
Kairi says nothing as she instead turns her sights toward the castle before them. "Sora…" she whispers softly, worry starting to brim inside her heart just as much as confusion is. To her, it makes no sense that he'd try to hide things as deeply troubling as an unhealable scar or a cracked Keyblade, even if she has no idea what either of those things really mean. Even so, as soon as they find him, she's already prepared to unload an abundance of questions for him, questions that she won't let go unanswered as his companions might have before.
And yet, those questions all immediately fall to the wayside as a sudden, sharp burst of agony spikes directly at her heart. She lets out an equally pained cry to go along with it, one that echoes through the canyon and instantly catches the attention of the others as they all turn to see her grasping at her heart as she collapses to her knees. Before she can completely fall, however, Axel is quick to rush in to catch her, allowing her to lean against him as she tries to regather her bearings amidst the brutal pain still gnawing at her heart. "Kairi, what happened?" Axel asks her, his tone both intent and rife with concern. "What's wrong?"
"I-I… i-it's Sora," Kairi chokes out, not even needing a moment to think twice. After all, the anguish gripping her heart came with something else entirely: his already palpable cry for help turning into an immense, desperate plea. A plea for freedom that, for whatever reason, he's now powerless to try to reclaim on his own. "S-something's wrong, I don't know what, b-but… I…" she hesitates, shuddering at the thought the moment it comes to her, even as the pain slowly starts to die down on her end. Though she's certain it's doing anything but on Sora's. "I think something h-horrible is happening to him…"
"W-what?!" Goofy gasps, alarmed.
"Sora!" Donald shouts, readily turning back toward the castle.
"If that's true, then we don't have any time to waste," Leon says sternly. "Lea, take Kairi back to town. We'll-"
"N-no!" Kairi protests, pushing herself out of Axel's arms as she forces herself to stand upright once more. "I'm not going back! Especially not when we're this close. Sora wouldn't turn back if I were in trouble which means I'm not turning back now that he's in trouble!"
"Are you sure?" Yuffie asks with a worried frown. "If you're not feeling up for it, then there's no shame in heading back. I'm sure Sora would understand."
"No, I'm positive," Kairi nods, resolved. Briefly, she glances back at Axel for support, which, even despite his clear concern for her, he ultimately provides all the same.
"Hey, I'm with her," Axel shrugs. "Plus, walking all the way back with nothing to show for it? Gotta say, I'm not a fan of that idea."
"We're wasting time!" Donald snaps impatiently. "Sora needs our help now!"
"Which means we gotta go!" Goofy adds just as urgently as he follows the magician in running on ahead.
None of the others argue as they all quickly do the same, not taking any more time for further deliberations. Especially since there doesn't seem to be much time to waste at all now. Even if Kairi doesn't really know what's happening to Sora, there's no question that it's something awful if the brief but persistent waves of pain still striking at her heart seemingly every other minute are any indication. She can tell that it's probably only a fraction of what he's actually going through, and as a result, she can't help but wonder just how long he's been able to last against it. True, she knows Sora is strong in more ways than one, but when submerged in a sea of such endless agony, how strong can anyone really hope to be?
Yet even despite that, the connection between their hearts still remains, still binds them together and tells her that he's still there. He's still alive, still surviving through it all, even if that survival has to be an immense struggle in and of itself amidst whatever suffering he's currently enduring. Which is why Kairi stays determined, intent on ending that suffering, to do whatever it takes to save Sora, just as he's saved her before.
It's a favor she's been meaning to return for quite some time; and now, she'll settle for nothing less than doing exactly that.
"Uh… Maleficent? Y-you sure this is such a good idea?" Pete asks nervously as he hangs back near the edge of the chamber. Maleficent impatiently paces around before him, or rather, before Sora, who's still heavily bound by both chains and vines alike. Likewise, he's still completely subdued as the poison continues to take a heavy toll on him, his veins unnaturally glowing green to match the mass of vines keeping him in thrall. Despite his resolve to resist and survive, there's little he can do to stop the poison from pervading his senses, largely stealing his sight and his hearing in the same way it had taken his voice before. As barely conscious as he is, the most he's even aware of are the slightest of sensations, dull noises and blurry glimpses of what's really happening around him, none of which really register given how exhausted he is. Despite that exhaustion, the amount of seemingly endless pain still constantly flowing through him is still crystal clear, driving him to the edge of relinquishing himself to it with each passing moment just to finally get it to end. And yet, no matter how close he comes to doing just that, he still refuses to all the same.
"Quiet, you imbecile," Maleficent finally snaps at her henchman. "I have no time for your simpleminded sympathy. May I remind you that had such idiotic notions not factored into my plans, your bumbling incompetence might have ruined them completely?"
"Er... y-yeah, but…" Pete hesitates, casting another admittedly worried glance over at Sora. "A-are ya sure the kid's even still alive back there? He's lookin' a little… well, dead to me."
"Of course he's not dead, fool," Maleficent scowls, even if her captive does certainly look like he is. Amidst the poison and the vines doing their wicked work, his skin has paled dramatically, taking on an ashy pallor, tinged with a sickly shade of green thanks to the glow of his veins. But even more than that, his body hangs completely still, unable to move whatsoever as his once-heavy breathing quiets to the point that it's barely even audible anymore. Even his eyes, still shining an unearthly kind of emerald, are only slightly open, though they really don't see much of anything as the vines keep his head tilted slightly upward all the while. "You know just as well as I do that killing him was never my intention to begin with," Maleficent continues coldly. "After all, if he dies, then my carefully-laid plans die right along with him, which is something I simply refuse to allow."
"Then… do ya really think we need to do… all this?" Pete ventures carefully, knowing he's practically walking on eggshells with Maleficent as it is. Still, he can't help but let his conscience get the better of him all the same. "I mean, it's not like anybody knows he's even here. We got all the time in the world to kill! So… isn't just keepin' him locked up nice 'n tight enough to get the job done?"
"Clearly, it's not," Maleficent says flatly as she turns back to Sora, sending him hateful glare. "This method is bound to yield the results I want sooner or later. And if it doesn't… then I suppose we'll just have to resort to other methods instead…"
"Your method is hardly the problem. Your execution on the other hand, could use some work…"
Maleficent and Pete both start, genuinely surprised as a dark corridor suddenly opens up on the far side of the chamber. And out of that darkness steps none other than Master Xehanort himself.
"You!" Maleficent exclaims, immediately recognizing the elderly master from an encounter years ago. And given what she knows of him and his intent, she quickly raises her guard, eyeing him distrustfully as he slowly walks forward. "What business have you here?"
"Worry not, my 'business' will be brief," Xehanort assures, casting only a cursory glance at Maleficent in favor of focusing on Sora instead. "I've simply come to check on my newest vessel."
"You… your vessel?" Maleficent bursts into a bout of incredulous laughter at this, clearly not taking his bold statement seriously. "You must be mistaken. You see, the boy is already well on his way to becoming mine."
Xehanort says nothing to this as he instead comes to a stop right in front of Sora. He's more or less completely oblivious to the master's presence, even as he slides a careful finger under his proposed vessel's chin to properly inspect him. And yet, Xehanort so much as touches him, Sora manages to let out a small, weak whine of pain, pain that stabs at his heart in particular like a sharp, deadly knife. "Perhaps he would be," Xehanort says to Maleficent, still keeping his sights set on Sora as a satisfied smirk crosses his face. "If I hadn't laid claim to his heart first."
"Oh really?" Maleficent scoffs. "I find that hard to believe, especially since he's still just as frustratingly rebellious as he's ever been, even now when he's this close to falling apart at the seams. He's hardly the epitome of subservient obedience to anyone, including you."
"Ah, that's because unlike you, I've chosen to take my time with the boy," Xehanort says, glancing back at her coolly. "I've always found that patience yields the best results, particularly when it comes to securing the necessary pawns in a well-crafted plan. But I can guarantee you that my plan has already been in motion for quite some time now, and when it does at last reach its completion…" He pauses, turning back to Sora once again. "Then I'll have both the final vessel I require, and the key to open the door to so much more beyond that…"
"Not if my plan succeeds first, you won't!" Maleficent seethes bitterly. "I've put far too much time and effort into my ambitions to watch them all fall apart because of the likes of you. You may think you have him pegged as your 'vessel', but mark my words: before the sun sets on this very day, I will make sure that he will become my loyal Heartless instead!"
Surprisingly, Xehanort keeps his calm grin as he nods approvingly at this. "Yes, I would very much like to see you do exactly that," he muses almost knowingly, only briefly glancing away from Sora and back at Maleficent instead. "After all, we both want the boy for largely the same purpose: to use him as a weapon. The only difference lies in what kind of weapon each of us wishes to turn him into."
Maleficent narrows her eyes suspiciously, still trying to figure out exactly what Xehanort's intentions here are to begin with. "What are you talking about? What kind of a weapon are you-"
"Now, now, it's nothing you need to concern yourself with," Xehanort interjects. "After all, you seem to be quite preoccupied with your own ambitions, which is why I won't trouble you any further. Though before I go… a word of advice. You may have already restrained his body and overwhelmed his mind, but if you really wish to force him out of the light, then you need to plunge his heart into darkness above all else."
"His heart…?" Maleficent questions, admittedly curious.
"Allow me to demonstrate." With this, Xehanort lifts his hand, flexing his fingers as dark energy begins to swirl around them. That very same darkness quickly envelops Sora, surrounding him like a heavy shroud as it floods out from his very own heart. It's enough to draw a heavy cry of anguish out of him, finally breaking his involuntary silence as his body jolts back against both the vines and the chains. His eyes shoot wide open but still they see nothing as the green that had taken over them is soon conquered by an equally bright shade of gold instead. Maleficent and Pete are both aptly alarmed as they watch this startling display, unsure of what to do or say as Xehanort continues forcing his oppressive power onto Sora, ignoring his agonized screams all the while. Those screams finally fall back into silence however, as the elderly master stills his hand, though the haze of his dark power still remains around his proposed vessel all the same.
"W-what… what did you do?!" Maleficent demands, taking a bold step forward as she sends a fierce glare Xehanort's way.
"I gave you exactly what was needed to help you get what you want," he says vaguely, ominously as he calls upon another dark corridor to take his leave. "You can thank me at your leisure. Oh, and do make sure to take good care of him. As I've said, I'll have need of him as my thirteenth soon enough. But in the meantime, consider him to be all yours…" And with that, the elderly master leaves without another word, his unknown, sinister goal accomplished, whatever it might be.
Yet with Xehanort gone, Maleficent is hardly satisfied by the encounter. "If that old fool thinks he can come here and take what's rightfully mine, then he-"
"Uh… M-Maleficent?" Pete dares to speak up, flinching in fear as she viciously spins around to face him.
"What is it, you idiot?!" she snaps, furious.
"L-look!" he points a trembling finger at Sora.
Maleficent swiftly does so, only to be met with a sight that completely catches her by surprise. Sure enough, shadows still hang heavily over Sora, brightened only by the glow of the poison still painting his veins. And yet something else starts to obscure even that as a pitch black pall of darkness crawls up his arms and legs, darkness that's clearly visible even despite the vines still clinging tightly to them. It's slow going, but that tide of shadows steadily swells over him, a sight that immediately replaces Maleficent's bitter scowl with a twistedly delighted smile the moment she notices how familiar those shadows are.
"W-what did that ol' coot do to him…?" Pete wonders fretfully, watching with growing fear as the darkness only covers Sora more and more with each passing second.
"He did just as he said…" Maleficent's wicked smirk deepens as she realizes just how incredibly close she is to obtaining the prize she's after. A prize that's all but been guaranteed to her now thanks to the Xehanort's mysterious intervention. "He gave us exactly what we needed to get what I desire…"
For as immobile as the poison has forced his body to be, Sora does his best to pull all of his fastly fading energy into making sure his heart won't fall victim to the same fate. After all, it's really the only thing currently keeping him in his right mind, even as it continually wavers on the edge of staying in the light and falling into the darkness beckoning to it. Yet as that darkness wears every fiber of his being down to the point of overwhelming exhaustion, it starts to become painfully clear that this is a battle he won't be able to win. At least not on his own.
Which is why, as he steadily starts to lose that battle, the other hearts deep within his own rise to the occasion to fight that battle in his stead.
Leading this valiant effort is Roxas, who, despite not being able to clearly tell who's accompanying him outside of their vague silhouettes, can still feel their presence alongside him as they join him in the fight. Standing behind them upon the Station of Awakening is the very person they've all gathered to protect. Though much like he is in the waking world, Sora is completely out of it thanks to the strain the poison has him under, his expression dull and lifeless as he remains still and silent, completely incognizant of the swell of shadows threatening to consume him. Even so, Roxas and his pair of companions are still able to stand strong against those shadows where Sora can't, which was exactly what all three of them are determined to do. To return the kindness he's offered each of them by harboring their hearts inside his own.
"I-I've never seen so much darkness before…" the girl mutters anxiously, her voice always ringing familiar with Roxas in a way he can never quite place. Even so, she's right; a seemingly endless barrage of shadows swarm the edges of the Station of Awakening, slowly inching closer to them with each passing second. "What do we do?"
"We'll figure something out," the other boy says. His voice catches Roxas off guard as he remembers just how much it sounded like his own. "We have to. For Sora."
"And for us," Roxas adds, knowing that if Sora is dragged into the darkness, then they'll be pulled into that horrific mire right along with him. Into a prison that none of them will be able to escape.
Even so, Roxas is the first of the three to notice the darkness starting to make its first move. It does so from behind them, a sliver of shadows breaking off from the rest of the horde to try and make its way toward Sora, unseen. Roxas puts a swift stop to its attempt as both Oathkeeper and Oblivion flash into his hands, both of them crashing into the rising shadow before it can even come close to touching Sora. The other two are soon met with similar attacks on their ends, and likewise they both use their own respective Keyblades to ward them off as best they can. Even so, the darkness quickly surges into a full-on barrage, bombarding all three of them with vicious attacks as they all surround Sora to defend him against them evenly. For the most part, their line of defense seems to be working as they block just about every strike that comes their way. At least until the darkness decides to enact a new tactic altogether.
For suddenly, the shadows stop, gathering themselves back into a monstrous mass, one that aims itself directly at Sora from high above. Still, the trio meets that mass evenly, standing firm against it as it grinds aggressively against each of their Keyblades. The standoff soon breaks, however, as the darkness quite literally shoves all three of them aside brutally, intent on getting to its true target above all else. Each of them land a good distance away from Sora, largely unable to do anything but watch as the shadows gear up to pour down upon him in full force. That is, until one of them rushes in to save him.
"No!" the other boy shouts desperately, disregarding even his Keyblade as he runs toward Sora as fast as he possibly can.
"Wait!" Roxas calls, knowing the brazen effort won't do any of them any good. And sure enough, it doesn't, as the brunt of the darkness only manages to slam straight into the other boy instead. He falls back hard onto Sora, knocking him over before bouncing back away from him, landing hard and clearly harmed from taking on the full force of the attack. The girl gasps in alarm, rushing over to check on him just as the shadows begin to rescind once again, though what exactly they have planned next is anyone's guess.
For as breathless as he's left by the frantic scene, Roxas turns his sights back to Sora, now lying still and limp just a few feet away from him. Unsure of what the darkness might do, Roxas still hurries over to him, pulling him up by the shoulders as he lightly shakes him in an anxious attempt at rousing him. "Sora! Listen to me!" he urges, trying to find any sign of alertness in his other's empty expression. "You need to wake up! We're doing our best to help you, but I don't think we can do it on our own. We need your help. Which is why you have to wake up, Sora. Please…"
Somehow, this earnest plea seems to reach Sora as he lifts his head ever so slightly, his eyes still muted and unfocused as he still barely manages to look up. "R-Roxas…" he mutters tiredly, so quietly that he's barely even audible at all.
"Y-yes, it's me," Roxas nods, unable to hold back a ghost of a relieved smile. "Now come on, I need you to-" He starkly stops, his hands flying away from his other as he lets out a sharp, startled gasp. Because suddenly, in the mere blink of an eye, Sora ceases to look like Sora completely… and comes to look exactly like Roxas instead.
For his part, the real Roxas quickly stumbles to stand, his eyes wide as he stares down at "Sora", who barely manages to keep himself upright on all fours. Even so, he whispers another name, one that Roxas isn't able to catch as his appearance shifts once more, still looking very much like his own, only his attire changes from the Organization's black coat to another outfit entirely. The coat quickly returns however as "Sora" says a third name he still isn't able to clearly hear, but all of the sudden there she is sitting in his place, the very sight of her pulling almost painfully at Roxas' heart. But all too quickly she's gone and Sora is properly back, though he's still largely lost inside his own head, or rather, his own heart, a troubling sign indeed, especially as the darkness violently roars behind them.
Roxas turns to face it as fearlessly as he can, though his nerve is quickly lost the moment he sees the form it's taken on. Because now the shadows hover over them in a vaguely humanoid shape, the shape of the very man who's tried taking over Sora's heart before and is clearly here to make the same attempt again. The mass of darkness he's composed of is largely featureless, but its large eyes burn a bright, sinister yellow as its hands poise themselves over the Station of Awakening as sharp, threatening claws.
The sight is horrifying to say the least, but even so, Roxas stands his ground, his companions currently unable to do the same as he resolves himself to fight for them just as much as he is for Sora. And yet, this time around, the darkness shows no interest in rushing right for him as it instead remains in place, only holding its clawed hand forward as it makes something of an odd, beckoning gesture.
"W-what…?" Roxas wonders to himself, confused until he notices Sora suddenly walk right past him. His pace is slow and stilted as he silently moves forward, his gaze captivated by the horde of shadows urging him to come to it. To let it take him far away from all of the pain and suffering and grief and let him rest in the sort of peace that only the comfort of darkness can provide. Roxas can practically hear every lie it promises him, which is why he hurries forward to stop him before he can fall into the trap it's so clearly luring him into.
"Sora! Wait!" he cries, grabbing his shoulder tightly as he tries to pull him back away from the darkness. Amazingly, Sora does stop, though only long enough to spare Roxas the briefest of glances over his shoulder. And when he does, he's completely caught off guard yet again to find that his other's eyes are nowhere close to the deep, clear blue they should be; instead, they're bitter, cold, and unquestionably yellow.
Though Sora roughly pulls his shoulder out of his grip after this, Roxas still makes an attempt at reaching him once more all the same. Yet before he even can, he's suddenly forced to stop completely as something latches tightly onto his legs and begins to pull him down. That something is, of course, the darkness, as it pools onto the Station of Awakening itself. Likewise, it's already swallowing the other two up just as it's doing to him; yet, as Roxas looks up to see Sora still walking away, walking toward the source of these shadows themselves, he refuses to give up that easily.
"No!" he yells, desperately trying to pull himself out of the shadows before he can fall too deeply into them. Even so, he still sinks more and more with each passing second, just as Sora inches ever closer to the darkness all the while. "Sora, stop!"
"Sora, come..." the darkness itself counters smoothly, its voice unintelligible yet audible all the same. "Your heart is on the verge of being torn apart by the untold suffering it's been forced to endure… But that suffering can come to an easy end. The power to put a stop to it all rests with you…"
Roxas panics as he watches Sora continue toward the shadows as they whisper these false promises to him, luring him in even more with each deceptive word they speak to him. Through the connection between their hearts, he can feel just how much pain, both physically and mentally, his other is feeling, and just how much he longs, yearns to escape from that pain, to finally be free. Which is exactly why the release the darkness is offering him sounds so very tempting, to the point that Roxas isn't so sure he'd be able to resist that offer himself if he were in Sora's place.
Still, that doesn't mean he's going to let him fall victim to that offer so easily. "Sora, don't listen to it!" Roxas warns, ignoring the fact that he's standing waist-deep in darkness himself now. "It's lying to you!"
Yet even despite Roxas' persistent attempts at getting through to Sora, the voice of the darkness coaxing him toward it seems to reach him before that of his distraught Nobody's. "You possess the power, not just to ease your suffering, but to return that suffering to those who brought it to you in full. Your heart has all the strength it needs to ensure that no one will ever cause you any sort of pain ever again…"
Vengeance. The darkness is offering him vengeance, a thought that Roxas himself is quite familiar with, but one that he knows Sora would never have, at least not on his own. And yet he seems to crave that vengeance now, desires it and the power to enact it almost as much as he longs for freedom. As he finally stops at the very edge of the Station of Awakening, he's more than ready to claim that vengeance, just as much as the darkness is ready to claim him in turn.
"All you need to do is let the darkness in… and it will take care of the rest…"
"Sora!" Roxas pleads, reaching a shaking hand out toward his other, even as the shadows begin to swallow both of them up. "Please! Y-you can't just… you…" He trails off as the shadows sap his energy, finally pulling him down past the surface into the dark unknown below. The last thing he sees before they do, however, is the darkness slowly draping over Sora, intent on turning him into nothing more than a literal shadow of his true self. And despite their best efforts, there's nothing any of the hearts within his own can do to stop it. "S-Sora…" Roxas whispers mournfully before everything falls into the depths of empty rage and despair. "I… I'm sorry…"
And so, in almost no time at all, darkness engulfs Sora completely from the inside out. Maleficent watches as it happens with sadistic glee, Pete much more fearfully so as he cowers back on the fringes of the cell, especially as their captive takes on a much more monstrous form. Even despite the poison, he lurches back violently against the vines, letting out a piercing, anguished cry as his eyes fly open wide, completely empty as their bright golden glow illuminates the entire chamber. But all the while, the shadows continue sweeping over him until they ultimately snuff out any trace of light that remains. And the moment they do, the rest of his horrific transformation quickly follows.
His fingers sharpen into long, knifelike claws, far more deadly than they've ever been before, their very tips tinged with a blood-like shade of crimson that clashes against the veil of shadows hanging heavily over the rest of his body. Through the immense strength this dangerous shift allots him with, those clawed hands easily snap out the shackles restraining them, his power now far surpassing the magic that had been used to create them in the first place. And as always, his eyes are nothing more than hollow orbs of ominous yellow light, his mouth splitting open into a sharp-fanged maw flooded with the exact same glowing shade as his pained screams turn into a fearsome, inhuman roar.
With his hands now free from their bondage, he wastes no time in tearing through the vines holding the rest of his darkened body back, his claws easily slicing through them until he lands clumsily to the ground on all fours. He quickly perks his head up, however, letting out a harsh, feral growl the moment he realizes he isn't alone. He hunkers down low as his bright eyes offer Maleficent a furious glare, readying himself for a vicious attack as a Keyblade that's every bit as shadowy as he is flashed into his clawed grip. And yet, that attack never comes.
For instead, Maleficent meets it merely by aiming the tip of her staff directly at him. The scepter shines in a bright green glow, a strange sort of magic that catches Sora's attention instantly, stilling any attempts he might have otherwise made at lashing out. He tilts his head at it, curious to the point of being captivated by it. And as that green glow intensifies, soon enough, it manages to entrance him entirely, overtaking the gold of his soulless eyes with the exact same emerald shade.
"Yes…" Maleficent grins wickedly, her own eyes alight with malicious intent as her twisted plan finally falls into place. "That's right… Your allegiance, your obedience, whatever remains in that empty head and heart of yours… swear it all over to me!"
Her magic bursts brightly at this, and as its glow slowly fades back into darkness, Maleficent is met with the exact results she's been aiming for all along. Because standing right before her is Sora, by far her most irksome enemy, now reduced to nothing more than a mere shadow of himself, bowing low in nothing less than complete loyalty to her and her alone.
"Finally…" she says, letting out a small, devious chuckle as she guides his empty, green-eyed gaze up toward her. And all the while, he silently awaits her command, unable to do or think of anything else. His true heart and mind all but buried deep by the fathomless darkness that has consumed him. "At long last, my dear Heartless, you and your incredible power… belong to me…"
By the time the group makes it to the base of the abandoned castle, night has fallen, casting the entire perimeter of the building in ominous shadow. That shadow is broken, however, courtesy of Axel using his fiery Keyblade as something of a torch to light the way for the others as they look around for any sort of way they can slip in. Fortunately, the castle grounds seem to be bereft of any sort of Heartless on patrol, though the stark silence settling over the area is hardly reassuring.
That silence is soon and sharply broken, however, as Kairi lets out a sudden gasp, her eyes wide as her hands fly over her heart. Startled, the others all quickly turn to her, concerned on multiple levels when they all remember where all of her strange bouts of unexpected shock have been coming from throughout the entire journey.
"Kairi?" Axel ventures first. He reaches a tentative hand out toward her though she ignores his attempt at easing her as she shakes her head, distraught.
"S-Sora…" she whispers, unable to stop the tears that are already starting to well up in her eyes as a sudden crushing sense of absence begins to overwhelm her.
"What's wrong?!" Donald asks urgently.
"D-did something happen to him?" Goofy questions, deeply concerned.
"I… I don't know…" Kairi answers truthfully, her shaken sights set on the dry ground at her feet. "His heart… I-I… I can't feel it anymore... "
"What?!" Donald and Goofy both exclaim, rife with worry for their lost companion's unknown fate.
"What do you mean?" Yuffie asks with a confused, fretful frown. "You don't think…?"
"N-no," Kairi quickly says, even if she doesn't really know that. Still, it's the most she could do to convince herself that it isn't true, that he isn't gone. Because the mere maddening thought alone is more than she can possibly take. "No, he's not… he can't be… I-I just… we need to-"
"We need to get in there before that's what ends up happening to him," Leon concludes, resolved as he keeps the group as steady as possible. Despite their frayed nerves all around, understandably frayed nerves at that, given the grim circumstances they're facing.
"Well, I think I'm way ahead of the rest of you on that," Axel speaks up. He nods toward a small opening, a sizable crack in one of the castle's crumbling stone base walls up ahead, just large enough for all of them to fit through. The others all nod in agreement over this entryway and take it, squeezing their way in one at a time to the castle's darkened basement floor. As pitch black as their enclosed surroundings are, the group relies on Axel's Keyblade to light the way for them yet again, as well as a small, yet bright flame spell from Donald, both of which give them just enough to see the empty room around them.
"Sora!" Donald's sudden call echoes through the basement just as loudly as Goofy's does right after it.
"You in here?!"
"Shh!" Yuffie snaps at the pair. "What, you wanna tell everybody we're here?! You guys gotta learn to be more subtle than that!"
"Now that we're in," Leon says as he leads the way to a nearby set of stairs. "We just need to find Sora and get out. Nothing more, nothing less. And Yuffie's right; the last thing we want to do is tip off that we're here to Maleficent."
"Hmph, I'm pretty sure we could take the old crone if we had to," Axel remarks confidently as he lightly elbows his fellow pupil in an attempt at cheering her up. "Right, Kairi?"
"Oh, I will," Kairi surprisingly agrees, her tone cold and tinged with anger as she sets her sights straight ahead of her. "Especially if she's hurt him…"
Axel sends her something of a worried glance at this, though he can't say he doesn't understand her righteous drive to set things right. Especially when it reminds him so much of his similar drive when it comes to a long-lost friend of his own.
Even so, the group continues on their way, emerging from the stairs onto the castle's still dully-lit main floor. Much like the outside of the structure, its interior is noticeably silent, to the point that their footsteps loudly echo as they make their way down the lofty stone halls. Every one of them moves on high alert for any sort of Heartless making an appearance, something that strangely hasn't happened yet, much to their shared confusion. The worrisome thought soon begins to rise among them that perhaps they might have journeyed all this way just to end up in the wrong place entirely. A thought that's quickly, and fortunately proven wrong in the last way any of them could have expected.
For they soon find that they're not the only ones traversing the castle's winding halls. Pete also wanders down the corridors at an anxious, frenetic pace, more than happy to get some distance away from Maleficent, especially now that her new "pet" is secured. "Aw, what am I suppose'ta do now?" he wonders to himself. "It's not like I can just let the poor kid out all over again, 'specially not like he is now. Not to mention that Maleficent would have my head if I even tried to-"
The henchman is abruptly cut off as he rounds the corner, only to run right into a group he hadn't been expecting to see in the slightest. Donald and Goofy are the ones to actually bump into him, both of them falling back as Pete remains standing, as baffled as all of the others are as they troy to gather their bearings from the sudden encounter.
"Pete!" Donald and Goofy shout first, both of them quickly picking themselves up off the ground as they summon their weapons. Likewise, Leon and Yuffie also take their own weapons out as Kairi and Axel call upon their Keyblades, each of them taking up an offensive pose, one that Pete counters with surprise more than anything else.
"Whazzit-you!?" he exclaims brashly, glaring the group down. "What in the hey are you punks doin' here?!"
"You know exactly why we're here!" Donald snaps angrily.
"Where are you and Maleficent keeping Sora?!" Goofy demands just as firmly.
"Wait… you're here for…" Pete trails off, catching the entire group off guard as he lets out what almost sounded like an incredulous, relieved laugh. "Oh this is perfect! Here I was, makin' my brain ache tryin' to think of a way to help that dumb kid, but now I don't even have to lift a finger. You all can just do it for me!"
"Help him?" Donald asks, narrowing his eyes at the henchman suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"
"Wha-uh, n-nothin'!" Pete crosses his arms with a feigned scowl. "You must be hearing things, 'cause didn't say nothin' about helping anyone! And if you think I am, then you got-"
"Enough," Leon cuts in as he brandishes his Gunblade assertively. "Tell us where Sora is. Now."
"Y-yes, sir!" Pete fearfully gulps, flinching as he stands on the wrong end of such a threatening weapon. "Last I saw him, Maleficent had him holed up in the tower, b-but that's all I know. I swear it!"
"That's good enough of a lead for us," Leon says, slinging his blade back over his shoulder as he continues leading the others forward.
"Thank you," Kairi mutters as she walks past Pete, genuinely glad for the tip, especially if it can in fact lead them to Sora.
"We gotta hurry," Yuffie says, running ahead of Leon as she encourages the others to do the same. "C'mon!"
"Hey!" Pete snaps after the group, briefly stopping them as they begin to part ways. "When ya see the kid, tell him…" The henchman trails off, glancing down almost guiltily before he shakes his head, disregarding the thought. "Aw, forget it! Just remember that if ya do find him, y-you might not like what ya see."
"Uh… what's that supposed to mean?" Axel asks, aptly confused as Pete runs off without offering any further explanation.
"Who cares?!" Donald exclaims hotly, charging right on ahead. "We've gotta get to Sora!"
"And fast!" Goofy readily agrees, just a step behind him.
The others waste no time in continuing on their way either, searching for, and fortunately quickly finding another staircase, one that leads directly to the tower Pete had pointed them toward. Strangely, they still aren't met with any sort of opposition on their way up, contributing to the uneasy feeling that they very well could be walking into a trap. Even so, it's a trap they all steel themselves to face, even as they finally emerge into the tower's large, darkened central chamber, one that appears to be completely empty upon a first glance. Though they find that sure enough they've come to the right place when the low candlelight illuminating the room is all abruptly snuffed out completely, casting them all into complete and utter darkness.
"My, my… It appears as though I have a few unwanted guests…"
"Maleficent!" Donald and Goofy exclaim in startled unison the moment they hear her voice ringing through the room. With said room as dark as it is, no one is able to clearly see her, if she's even really there at all. But of course, they all still cling onto their weapons tightly, ready for any tricks she might have in store for them.
Kairi takes a bold step forward in the darkness, her heart desperately searching for any traces of Sora and still finding none, all because of whatever this wicked woman might have done to him. Unfair torture, unnecessary pain, all things that Sora doesn't deserve in the slightest, but all things that she's clearly inflicted upon him all the same. And the mere thought of such a sickening injustice alone is enough to practically make Kairi's blood boil, filling her with a rare sense of fury that she can't help but boldly act upon.
"I'm only going to ask this once," she begins, her voice rigid as her grip on her Keyblade tightens. "Where is Sora?!"
Despite her solid tone, it's merely met with a bout of cold, mocking laughter on Maleficent's end. "Oh, isn't this priceless," she remarks from her unknown spot, still chuckling in haughty amusement. "One of the Princesses of Heart, come to rescue her precious 'hero'... How the tables have turned from just a few short years ago, hm, my dear? But I'm sorry to say that you're simply too late, all of you. For you see… Sora is no more."
That mere statement alone ripples through the entire group like a heavy wave, one that carries both shock and despair along with it in equally momentous amounts. And while the others all immediately begin denying such an audacious claim, Kairi merely freezes up amidst it, her eyes growing wide as time seems to slow to a complete crawl all around her. She feels numb, her heart echoing louder than ever before with that same immense loneliness she'd felt the moment her heart had suddenly lost track of his. It can't be true, can't be, and yet… try as she might to find so much as a single spark of his crisp, familiar light, she can't. Because there's nothing left to be found at all.
And perhaps the worst part of it all: she hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye to him. And now, she never will.
"Now, now," Maleficent quiets the round of distraught protests and threats the others all fiercely fire off at her. "I do apologize for the… inconvenience. It must be terribly disappointing to have come all this way for nothing. Which is why it's only fair that I send you off with a consolation prize. Perhaps the honor of being the first to fall to the unstoppable power of my new 'pet' will suffice…"
She says nothing more from her unknown spot as a new sound begins to echo through the darkened chamber: a low, animalistic growl. The source of which must be much too close to comfort based on how surprisingly loud it is.
"Everyone! Get ready!" Leon calls as most of the others do as he says, readying their weapons for whatever they're about to face. No sooner than a second later, however, the unknown creature launches its first attack, lunging toward its nearest target, who just so happens to be Leon himself. Fortunately, its clawed swing catches onto the edge of his Gunblade, allowing him to retaliate with a wide swipe to force the monster back away from him. In the process, however, the creature ends up landing close to Yuffie, and it doesn't hesitate to lash out against her before she can even try to get the jump on it. She lets out a harsh yelp as something strangely metallic connects painfully with her lower leg, knocking her to the ground completely. It nearly goes in for another attack against her until a lucky shield toss from Goofy knocks it aside just in the nick of time.
"Ugh… what is this thing?" Yuffie wonders, nursing her injured leg until Donald offers her an assist in the form of a healing spell. "Some kind of Heartless?"
"I've never seen a Heartless that fights like this... " Leon says, on edge for whatever the mysterious creature might try next.
"Well, why don't we try shedding a little light on the subject?" Axel suggests as he ignites his Keyblade. Despite his bright fire, it still only provides sparse light to the large chamber, and as the creature lurks low in the shadows of it, the only thing any of them are able to make out about it are its eyes, bright and round and green, almost like those of a Heartless, yet not quite the same. And yet… something about those eyes catches Kairi off guard the moment she meets them, even from afar, to the point that it shakes her out of her heartbroken reverie. It's something she can't quite place, yet as she stares directly into those seemingly empty glowing orbs, it's as if there's a tinge of something in them.
Something that almost feels oddly human.
The creature perks up at the sight of Axel's flaming Keyblade, seemingly intrigued and repulsed by the light it puts off all at once. It lets out a shrill hiss, rearing back before pouncing forward on all fours, its shadowy form still completely indistinguishable, even as it rushes right for Axel in particular. "Perfect…" he grins daringly, gearing himself up for a brawl as he grips his Keyblade readily. "Time to put that old crone's little 'pet' in its place."
Kairi sends a brief, nervous glance Axel's way before turning her attention back to the creature, whose form finally starts to become a bit more clear the closer it comes to the light. Indeed, it does appear to be strangely humanoid, even though its entire body is composed of sheer darkness. But what's most alarming and surprising of all is the weapon clutched tightly in its clawed grip: a Keyblade, and not just any mere Keyblade at that.
The Kingdom Key.
"Axel, stop!" Kairi shouts, largely without thinking as she pulls against her fellow student's arm just before he brings his own weapon down. "That's Sora!"
"What?!" Axel starts, completely caught off guard just as much as the others are by this claim. They're so shocked by it, in fact, that they don't even notice the creature, or Sora rather, leaping high to land a vicious attack against them. Yet that attack never ends up landing as Kairi swiftly rebuffs it instead.
"Light!" she cries, throwing her hand out to let her bright magic flow out of it. In an instant, the entire room is flooded by its nearly blinding glow, banishing the pall of darkness that had been cast upon it and allowing everyone to clearly see it for the first time. And with it, they're also able to clearly see exactly what horrific fate has befallen Sora.
The force of Kairi's light spell throws him back hard, its radiance stunning him to the point that he practically cowers away from it entirely. But sure enough, his entire body has been consumed by the darkest of shadows, not a single speck of light remaining other than in the haunting green glow of his eyes. He remains hunched low, letting out a bitter hiss that reveals his similarly-colored fanged maw. He gripped his darkened Keyblade like a vice while he fiercely glares at the shocked group gathered on the side of the room across from him.
"Whoa…" Axel mutters, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Sora…" Donald frowns, deeply concerned by the upsetting familiarity of seeing him like this again.
"What in the world did Maleficent do to him to turn him into that…?" Yuffie wonders softly.
"A-Actually, this has happened to him before…" Goofy anxiously admits. "But he's never been like… this..."
"Wait… this has happened before…?" Kairi asks, unable to tear her sights away from Sora. Or rather, what he's become. "W-why didn't he… h-he never even mentioned this to…" She trails off, lost in her own myriad of thoughts and fears and frustration over a secret that Sora has managed to keep far too well for far too long, from her and Riku alike. A secret that's now as far out in the open as it could ever get.
"Look out!" Donald sharply warns as he notices Sora suddenly shift back into attack mode.
He shakes off the impact the light spell had on him, almost as if he's been forced to by some unseen force that also commands him to dash for the group with a furious roar. Donald is the first to make an attempt at subduing him with an ice spell to at the very least stop him in his tracks, but Sora easily breaks through it with a swift, wild swing of his Keyblade alone. Goofy manages to narrowly repel another uncalculated strike with his shield, but that doesn't stop Sora from trying again as he mindlessly bashes his weapon against the shield over and over again until one of those brutal strikes finally ends up knocking the captain back. As Goofy falls, Leon and Yuffie are both quick to leap into action in his and Donald's place, their respective weapons both meeting Sora's squarely as yet another line of defense. But it's only as Leon is essentially forced to heavily kick Sora back to keep him from landing a clawed swipe on both him and Yuffie that Kairi fearfully speaks up amidst the chaos.
"Careful!" she cautions urgently. "Don't hurt him! I don't think he knows what he's doing!"
"Well, it's not like he's being that careful with us!" Axel counters as he joins the fray himself. He offers Leon some much-needed support as Sora harshly knocks Yuffie aside once more, but between the two of them, his surprising newfound strength quickly proves to be too much to beat. Still, the pair keeps on exchanging blows with him, trying their best not to cause him any sort of harm, though even the attacks that do accidentally land on him don't seem to do much damage. All the while, Kairi stands on the fringes of the battle, her Keyblade in hand though she doesn't dare to use it, especially not against Sora. She certainly wants to help protect her friends just as much as she wants to subdue him and get him back to his true self. And yet the mere thought of fighting, of harming someone she cares so much about is more than she can really stand to bear.
And yet, she soon finds that she has no choice but to do just that as Sora lashes out with his most powerful swing by far, one that knocks Axel's Keyblade clean out of his hands. His next strike does the same to Axel himself, sending him flying back to where Donald, Goofy, and Yuffie are all trying their best to recover and re-enter the battle as soon as possible. Leon holds his own for a moment longer, at least until Sora swipes with his free hand, his sharp claws catching him across the arm in a long, ragged, painful cut. Leon stumbles back, clutching the wound to staunch the blood already starting to pour from it, though in the process, he misses Sora preparing for another attack until it lands, his Keyblade striking him hard in the side. And as Leon is quite literally shoved aside by such a brutal attack, Kairi soon realizes that there's no one left to stand between her and Sora himself.
Their eyes meet in an instant, and in that instant, she's captivated by his, as inhuman as they currently seem. Because she still senses something in them, something in him, buried deep beneath the tide of oppressive darkness that's overtaken him. Yet she has no time to figure out exactly what that something is as he draws in low, growling coldly at her as he gears up to attack her just as mindlessly as he had all the others. "S-Sora, wait!" she exclaims, one hand still tightly clinging onto her Keyblade as she holds her other up in an attempt to stop him. She backs up anxiously and he follows at a similar slow pace, glaring viciously up at her as she stares fearfully down at him. "I… I don't know if you can hear me, or even understand me, but… this has to stop."
He only answers her with a feral hiss, one that chills her to the core as she tries her hardest to imagine how he should be instead. Warm and kind and caring instead of cold and dark and cruel. "Whatever she's done to make you like this… you're stronger than it, I-I know you are!" she encourages desperately, even if her appeal shows no signs of working. "So please… you have to fight this! Not just for us, but for you. You need to remember who you really are!"
Despite her earnesty, Sora hardly heeds her as he eagerly attacks instead, propelled by mindless instinct-and perhaps by something else entirely. Kairi panics the moment he does, raising her Keyblade in an effort to block him as fast as she can, yet his claws still manage to catch her across the shoulder, landing a deep, painful cut in the process. She lets out a sharp cry as she collapses against the stone wall she's backed into, though she wastes no time in trying to take care of the wound as she notices Sora slowly, yet aggressively approaching her, intent on landing even more.
"Yes…" Maleficent grins, watching the entire twisted scene unfold from her safe spot high above in the rafters of the lofty room. She keeps a secure hold on her scepter, still glowing with the very same sort of magic she'd used to bind Sora to her will. Magic that, as far as she can tell, is still working exactly as intended as he obediently, thoughtlessly follows every last order she telepathically sends his way. "That's right, my Heartless. Destroy them, all of them! Just as you will any other pitiful fool that tries to get in my way…"
And that's exactly what it seems like he's going to do as he continues to press in, ready to finish Kairi off first as a relatively easy kill. However, for as terrified as she is by his monstrous manner and as much as her heart is grieving that he's been brought so low in the first place, she refuses to give up on him that easily. Because somewhere, buried deep underneath the malice and darkness that's taken hold of him, his heart, his true heart, is still there, she knows it. She just has to find it for him.
"Ok…" she whispers unsteadily, still pressed up against the wall as she addresses him calmly. "If you can't find yourself, then I'll help you look…"
In something of a risky move, Kairi lets her Keyblade vanish, much to the alarm of the injured group on the far side of the room. "Kairi! Don't!" Axel warns, desperately attempting to pick himself up off the ground but ultimately failing due to his wounds. Kairi sends him a brief, reassuring look, one that offers the promise that she has a plan. Even if it's a plan she isn't sure will work herself.
Sora notices her lack of a weapon as he eyes her suspiciously, still growling wildly as he goes on the defensive for any surprise attacks she might send his way. And yet, strangely, Kairi does no such thing as she instead slowly, carefully kneels down to be on eye-level with him, their dangerously close proximity alone making her heart race as she starts to reach a trembling hand out toward him. "Sora…" she says, softly, sadly. "I want to help you, b-but I don't know how… That's why… t-that's why I need you to let me in so I can try… please…"
Initially, he hisses hatefully at the hand she extends out to him, though he seems to oddly still as he happens to meet her wide-eyed gaze. That gaze is tender, mournful, yet kind, all things he can't currently feel on the surface, yet for some reason or another they manage to calm him all the same. Or perhaps it isn't any of those things; perhaps it's all her instead.
His growling soon starts to silence itself as he lifts a clawed hand up toward her slowly. She smiles as he does, yet that smile slips into fear as he flinches, seeming to slip back into his former violent intent as he nearly strikes her with those claws. Right before he can, however, he stops, letting out an almost pained hiss as his Keyblade disappears, his now free hand clenched tightly against his chest as he fights some sort of unknown war within, his eyes flashing back and forth between green and gold all the while. Yet, Kairi never once retracts her hand, still offering up her support to him for whenever he might decide to take it. And as that internal struggle fiercely continues, that's exactly what Sora ends up doing as his clawed hand falls squarely in hers.
The very moment it does, however, her hand nearly flies out of his from sheer shock alone. Because all at once she can feel a torrent of rage, so immense and unbearable that she briefly thinks it will tear her apart entirely, surging through every fiber of his darkened being. Wrapped within that layered coat of untamed fury are equal parts grief, pain, and fear, all crushing weights that have clearly become far too much for him to bear given his current state. Yet, even in the midst of all that, she manages to catch the slightest glimpse of him, of how he really is, breaking through the darkness and hatred like a spot of sun beaming through stormy clouds. And though her own heart wavers with pity and dread, she still chases after that small sunspot in the hopes that it will finally lead her back to him.
"Oh, Sora…" Kairi whispers, a few of her pressing tears finally falling as she grips his hand tighter. "What's happened to you…?"
Surprisingly, Sora answers, though he doesn't do so verbally. Instead, his voice rings out within her heart, though it hardly sounds like him at all. This voice only carries the sparsest hints of how he truly sounds as it's instead masked with something far darker and deeper as it speaks slowly and disjointedly. "Must… obey…"
"Obey who-" The question dies on her lips the moment she remembers exactly who had likely forced him into such a monstrous state to begin with. "Oh… n-no. No, you don't have to obey her. You're not-"
"Must obey…" He audibly whimpers, his empty, baleful eyes flashing between yellow and green once again as he presses a clawed hand against his head. "Have to obey…" His pained whine soon turns into an all-out cry that echoes loudly through the entire chamber as it tears from his throat. "NEED TO OBEY!"
"And you will obey…" Maleficent hisses from her unseen spot, forcing her sinister magic upon him harder than ever, even as he tries to resist it. "I won't lose everything I've been working for to some foolish girl! Obliterate her! Now!"
On this severe order, Sora reels back, finally tearing his hand away from Kairi's as it joins his other in gripping his head tightly. Yet he still doesn't act on Maleficent's cruel command, almost as if he's fighting against it with every shred of autonomy and free will he has left. A sight that gives Kairi just as much hope as it does heartache as she continues to feel every second of his endless struggle.
"Y-you don't need to obey her," she repeats once more, lowering herself back down to his level as she meets his glowing eyes evenly. "You don't belong to her. Y-you're your own person! But… I know you do need something. You lost something. I can feel it. So please… tell me what you need…"
Sora shudders, clearly agonized as he lets out another tiny, tortured hiss. "H-heart…" he begs internally, reaching a shaking hand out toward Kairi. "Lost… heart… Need heart…"
"Your heart…" Kairi frowns, shaking her head dubiously at this. "N-no, you… your heart isn't lost. It's still there, buried under all that darkness. I know it is… because it's calling out to my heart right now."
Even so, he doesn't seem to believe her as he sends her a bitter glare, still extending his claws out to her to the point that they nearly skim her chest as he tries to steal what he thinks he's lost from her. "No…" he growls, his eyes still constantly wavering back and forth between green and gold. "Need heart… Can't… live without… heart…"
"Sora..." She remains steady, covering his outstretched hand with her own as a dawning realization falls upon her. "I-it's not your heart that you've lost… It's your light." She pauses, staring down at the tendrils of shadow trailing off his hand, his arm, his entire form, dimming and diminishing almost everything about the Sora she knows so well. Her heart aches with the desperation and loneliness and despair that flows through him, all things she never even knew he could feel so profoundly, yet he is all the same. She longs to see him beyond that darkened, distraught veil, to see his warmth, his smile, to hear his true voice, his bright, uplifting laughter. All things that have indeed been lost… but still aren't gone forever. "If a heart was what you really needed, then I would gladly give you mine…" she whispers, finally daring to place a gentle hand against the side of his face. He nearly flinches away from her touch before he ultimately falls into it, his eyes finally settling into a dull shade of yellow before he closes them entirely. "But… I think I can give you what you really need instead…"
Moving slowly, she places her free hand against her chest, digging deep inside of her heart to call upon the powerful light, her very own light, resting within it. That light blossoms around her entire body, radiant and beautiful, and yet he recoils harshly away from it the moment it appears. His hand slides out of hers as he shies back, hissing fearfully as he covers his face, unwilling to so much as look at the purity of her light as it contrasts starkly against his own hideous shadows.
"S-stop…" his distorted voice cries weakly to her. "Light… hurts…"
"I know it does…" she says, tears streaking down her cheeks as she feels his pain vividly. "And I'm sorry… But sometimes… what hurts us the most, is exactly what we need to heal…"
A beat of silence passes between them, but eventually, slowly but surely, he drops his defensive stance, his body growing still as he looks at her pleadingly, a semblance of anguish finally entering his otherwise empty eyes as he decides to trust her. "Please…" his voice sounds like his own this time, eliciting a small gasp out of Kairi as she clings onto his every fleeting word. "Heal me…"
"O-of course…" she chokes out a small sob at this, but she lets her light shine even brighter all the same. For him. "Whenever you need me… I'll always be there to heal you… I promise…"
And as she makes that promise, her arms finally wrap around him as she pulls him close to her, her light jarring harshly against his darkness. The piercing scream of untold pain that erupts from him the moment her light starts to envelop him is horrible to listen to, but she still doesn't let go of him. Instead, she holds onto him even tighter in the hopes that her plan will somehow work.
And sure enough, it does, because in time, his screams die out into silence. The shadows start to peel themselves away from both his heart and his body to the point that she can feel the light returning to them, her own light urging it onward out of the darkness. As that darkness ebbs away, so too does the rage that he'd been forced to feel, along with the oppressive control that he'd been forced to obey. Yet the pain of it all still hangs heavily on his heart, something Kairi can deeply feel as Sora finally ends up going completely limp in her arms.
Slowly, she pulls him out of her embrace, supporting him as best she can as she guides his head to rest in her lap. She's helpless to keep herself from breaking down into heavy sobs as she takes in the sight of him, now finally back to his true self with the pall of shadows now lifted from him. Yet even so, all is still not well with him. His veins visibly glow with some sort of unknown green energy, paling his usually warmly tanned skin amidst the multiple deep cuts that had been torn into both his body and his now largely-ruined clothes. She has no idea what he's really been through during his surprisingly brief time as a captive, but based on just how damaged he appears to be both inside and out, she isn't sure she really wants to find out. "S-Sora…" she says softly, running one hand gently through his messy hair as she keeps another positioned against the side of his face.
As sedated as he is, he still somehow hears her as his eyes slowly flutter partway open. Kairi holds back a stunned gasp as she notices they're a far cry from the familiar ocean blue she'd been expecting to see. While some of that blue still remains, it's almost as if they've been stained by both green and gold, creating a mingled mess of colors that's both striking and unnerving all at once. "K-Kairi…?" he asks, his voice barely even audible as he tries to focus his bleary gaze on her.
"Shh," she smiles down at him, relief and joy finally finding a place in her heart as she tries to ease his. "It's ok… You're safe now. I'm here…"
Sora manages to crack the tiniest of smiles at this, his eyes slipping closed as he lets out a quiet, contented sigh. "You're here…" he happily, tiredly repeats just before unconsciousness overtakes him. His head lolls to the side, pressing against her hand as she keeps her caring hold on him, allowing him the comfort of rest he so clearly needs.
However, if there's anyone intent on refusing to let him get that rest, it's Maleficent as she suddenly materializes before the pair in an aggressive burst of green flame. "You wretched, pathetic little girl!" she snaps, glaring hatefully down at Kairi, who offers her just as harsh of a look right back as she holds Sora protectively. "How dare you come here and take away what's rightfully mine!"
"Sora isn't yours, and he never will be," Kairi counters resiliently as she pulls his listless body closer to her.
"Silence!" Maleficent shouts, furious as she raises her staff. "That creature's power is mine to command! And once I take it back, then I can promise you, child, that you'll endure far more suffering at his hands than he went through at mine! I'll make sure of it!"
"Not on our watch, you won't!"
Maleficent only barely has time to move her scepter to block a swift blow from Axel's Keyblade, one that she repels by surrounding the staff in a surge of powerful energy to knock him back. Alongside Axel, the others have all largely recovered from the earlier fray and likewise, they all rush forward to attack her. Donald and Goofy in particular are at the forefront of this barrage, intent on unleashing some righteous justice for what she's put Sora through as they put their all into trying to land a hit on her. At the same time, Leon and Yuffie provide solid backup, ready to fend off whatever surprise attacks Maleficent might throw their way. And yet, surprisingly, as outnumbered as is, she ends up cutting the battle off quite quickly by teleporting back up to her former spot in the raised rafters of the room.
"Fools!" she viciously calls down to the group below. "The whole lot of you! Go ahead and wallow in your momentary victory for now, but know that this is far from finished. I'll get that boy and the strength his Heartless holds back… And when I do, this world and every other, will belong to ME!"
On that note, Maleficent vanishes in yet another momentous burst of flame, her wicked fury disappearing right along with her, at least for the time being. As soon as everyone is sure she's gone, they waste no time in crowding around Kairi, all of them eager to see if both her and Sora are alright. For her part, Kairi hardly pays any of them any mind, her focus instead entirely devoted to Sora as he continues to rest peacefully, in her arms, safe and sound at long last.
"Sora!" Donald exclaims, alarmed by just how badly he appears to be hurt.
"I-is he…?" Goofy trails off, far too anxious to even finish the question.
"He'll be ok…" Kairi assures, gently pushing a few stray strands of hair away from his eyes. "I think he just needs time to rest…"
"I think he might be needing a bit more than that…" Yuffie frowns, noting the unnatural green streaks still marring his skin.
"We should get him back to Merlin's place," Leon says with a tired sigh. "It'll be easier-and safer-for us to figure out what to do for him there."
No one protests this course of action, not even Kairi as she lets Axel carefully lift Sora out of her arms so he and Leon can take turns carrying him back to the city. Still, even as they all begin to leave the castle, she lingers as close to him as she can , her eyes rarely straying from his sleeping form. Worry and dread fill her thoughts the entire trip back as she dares to wonder about what horrific torture he's been put through in just the span of a few short hours. Torture that might not have happened at all if they'd been just a bit quicker, if they'd gotten there just a little sooner. But they hadn't, she hadn't, and because of that, he'd beaten, abused, broken to the point that his heart and mind alike had fallen into the deepest darkness and despair. Darkness she'd only barely managed to pull him out of by sheer luck alone, really.
And yet… she'd pulled him out of it all the same. Brought him back to the light and to himself. And now that she has, she can't help but allow herself a small smile as she settles her sights on him once again as they approach Radiant Garden. Because even through it all, now he's safe. Now, he's free.
Except he isn't, not really. Because unbeknownst to her, his heart still remains trapped in a different prison entirely. In a way that only the elderly master silently watching the group from afar knows about as he keeps a careful eye on his thirteenth vessel, just as he has been and just as he'll continue to do until that vessel belongs to him. An outcome that, as far as Xehanort is concerned, is now closer to becoming a reality than ever before.
SO YEAH KIND OF A LOT HAPPENED HERE HUH? Either way this entire chapter was an EXPERIENCE for me to write (and that was sort of why it took so long, I wanted it to be just right.) So next time around we'll pick up right where this left off and have something of a more cool down chapter to show the aftermath of all this madness before getting back into some more Disney chapters. Either way, I really hope you all are staying safe out there with everything that's been going on with the Covid-19 outbreak (or hopefully, at home, rather, where most of you should be!). Remember to wash your hands and practice safe and healthy habits! 3 And also, don't forget to REVIEW to let me know what you thought of this chapter! Until next time! :)
