Chapter 40: Battle at Hollow Bastion Part 3
Ganondorf arrives in another room that was extremely big and circular. He was extremely weak from the battle against Sora and his friends. He could feel the sweat drip down from him and his vision was blurry. He tried to move, but he leans down.
Ganondorf: How could I lose to that brat? The Triforce of Power even failed me. Does that kid ever lose a battle? Everything was going according to plan, Riku had the Keyblade, the door was about to open. How did this all come crumbling down?
All of a sudden, Riku appears through a dark portal with his Keyblade in hand. As he could see the evil King on the floor, he began to take pity on him.
Riku:(Two voices)Do you need some help? I told you that your overconfidence would lead to your defeat.
Ganondorf: Listen, I don't need your help. I was just warming up against the kid.
Riku: Hardly. The boy's power has grown far beyond that of yours. Can't you feel the reason why? Can't you realize the truth?
Ganondorf gasps in horror. The King of Evil finally understood what he meant.
Ganondorf: This whole time? It can't be! Why? I was in charge of this operation.
Riku: Fool, your insolent mind lead you here. It was your decision in the beginning. You have no control whatsoever. The Triforce of Power did protect you, but when the boy defeated you, your power weakened. And to think...you were the King of Evil.
Ganondorf snarls and tried to punch him, but Riku grabs his hand and squeezes it. Ganondorf gasps in pain. He tried to release the grip on Riku, but it was too strong. Eventually, he released his grip. Ganondorf bent down and moves his wrist around, trying to lessen the pain. Then Sora and the others finally arrived and notices Ganondorf and Riku.
Sora: Riku!
Riku turns to Sora with a sinister look in his eyes. Sora could feel something different about Riku, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Something darker, sinister, evil. He even had a good hunch this person wasn't Riku.
Riku: Welcome, friends. I'm impressed to see you have come this far...only to die in the end.
Tuxedo Mask: Listen, we're not going anywhere! Not until we've saved the ones we love!
Riku: If you say so.
Plucky then looks at Riku and notices something in his hand. His eyes widened in fear as he noticed a familiar key-shaped object.
Plucky: T-That thing...in your hand. Is that a...a...
Sora gasps as he, Tuxedo Mask, and Dizzy also noticed.
Sora: That's impossible!
Riku: Yes, a Keyblade. Mine may look different from the one you hold, but never the less, it is still a Keyblade. However, there is a major difference between yours and mine. While yours can seal Keyholes, mine holds the power to unlock people's hearts. This shall release the inner darkness within.
Dizzy: What that mean?
Sighing, Riku puts his Keyblade up.
Riku: Perhaps a small demonstration is in order.
Sora sweats nervously, thinking that Riku may try to attack one of them with his Keyblade. He took out his own Keyblade to get ready while the others also got ready to fight as well.
Sora:(Whispering)Guys, be careful. We don't know what this psycho is capable of.
Riku smirks as he brought his Keyblade up into position, ready for his demonstration. The foursome got ready to expect the worse from him. The unexpected then happened. He turns around, grabs Ganondorf's shoulder with his left hand, spun him around, and stabs him right in the chest with his Keyblade.
Riku: Behold!
Ganondorf gasps as black energy was entering from the black Keyblade into his chest. He tried to grab the Keyblade, but he was too weak to even try. Plucky was the most shocked out of anyone. He'd never expect anything like this to happen to Ganondorf. Sora looks on with horror as he watches Riku deliver this terrible deed.
Sora: Riku! What are you doing?
Riku ignores Sora and continues stabbing Ganondorf.
Riku: Now, open your heart! Let it surrender to the darkness! Become darkness itself!
He then pulls the Keyblade out of Ganondorf and disappears through the dark portal. Ganondorf then glows green and he seems to be laughing evilly.
Ganondorf: Hahahahaha! This is it! This power! Darkness! THE TRUE DARKNESS!
He then got engulfed in a wave of darkness and the wave rose higher than the four could imagine. The four got ready for the unexpected to happen. As the giant wave finally dies down, the group looks up and saw that Ganondorf has transformed. He became a giant pig monster. He was three times his normal size, his brown skin became green skin, he has green eyes, his horns came out the side of his head, he has long red hair on the back of his head, and he carries two swords on his hands. Now he is known as Demon King Ganon.
Sora: Wow! If you looked up the word ugly in a dictionary, his face would be right next to it.
Tuxedo Mask: Kid, it would be too illegal to even put his face in a dictionary.
Dizzy: Look out!
Ganon swipes his giant swords at the gang who rolls out of the way.
Plucky: I've never seen anything like this before. More sinister, more dark, and he's so ugly that if he looks in a mirror, the reflection would run away.
Ganon then roars at the group with a loud ear-shattering roar.
Sora: Stop making him mad!
Plucky: Hey, who started with the dictionary?
Sora: Whatever. He may be so powerful that we need all the help we can get.
Sora uses all his Summon Gems to release all the Summons. Yoshi and Gatomon got into their Ultimate Forms. Gohan and Twilight Sparkle uses their Masenko and Harmony Beam combo at Ganon, Yoshi uses his Super Fire Breath, Angewomon uses her Celestial Arrow, Cyndaquil uses his Flamethrower, Chikorita uses her Razor Leaf, Totodile uses his Water Gun, Tuxedo Mask uses his Tuxedo Smoking Bomber, Plucky uses Fira and Blizzara, Dizzy uses his Spin Attack, and Sora uses Strike Raid. All of the attacks hit Ganon, but he seems barely damaged. He then stomps around the ground, creating shockwaves to knock everyone on the ground, and fires a dark energy beam all over the battlefield, hitting everyone in the air.
Sora: Is everyone alright?
Plucky: Barely. He is too powerful!
Cyndaquil: Yeah, he may be even more powerful than any Legendary Pokemon we've fought.
Yoshi: Yeah, maybe even more powerful than Bowser...
Angewomon: Or Myotismon...
Gohan: Or Frieza...
Twilight: Or Nightmare Moon.
Tuxedo Mask then ran around Ganon and slashes his tail with his cane. The beast screams in pain.
Tuxedo Mask: GUYS! I found a weak spot! It's in his tail!
Sora: Then let's attack him from behind!
Ganon turns around and hits Tuxedo Mask with his swords. Sora uses the Sonic Blade on the tail, doing some damage to Ganon. Plucky uses Thundara, Dizzy uses Spin Attack, Cyndaquil, uses Flame Wheel, Chikorita uses Magical Leaf, Totodile uses Aqua Tail, Yoshi uses Egg Throw, Angewomon uses Celestial Arrow, Gohan uses Gekiretsu Madan, and Twilight uses Fira and Blizzara. All of the attacks hit Ganon's tail, doing some major damage. He then stomps around, creating shockwaves to knock everyone on the ground, and fires another dark energy beam all over the battlefield, hitting everyone in the air again. He then fell down and is kneeling on the ground.
Sora: What's happening to him?
Plucky: It seems like he's kneeling.
Tuxedo Mask: It's working! He's now down for the count! Let's finish him off!
Plucky uses Gravira to keep Ganon down, Dizzy delivers Mega Punch and Mega Kick on Ganon's face, Tuxedo Mask uses Tuxedo Smoking Bomber, Cyndaquil uses Overheat, Chikorita uses Solarbeam, Totodile uses Hydro Pump, Yoshi uses Super Fire Breath, Angewomon uses Heaven's Charm, Gohan uses Bakuretsu Ranma, and Twilight uses Thundara. All of the attacks hit Ganon, doing some more damage to him. Sora finishes him off with the Ars Arcanum, slashing him multiple times in the face. He delivers one final slash to the face. Ganon starts to glow green. His eyes began to glow green and a green light came out from his mouth. His whole body then got engulfed in a ray of green light and explodes which sent the whole gang flying. Smoke surrounds the entire room as everything began to calm down. As the smoke clears, the whole group weakly got up and look around. Ganon was nowhere in sight.
Dizzy: Did we win?
Sora: We sure did!
Dizzy ran over to hug Sora. Plucky gave Sora a thumbs up.
Dizzy: Sora did it! Ganondorf went bye-bye!
Plucky: Speaking of Ganondorf, where did he go?
Tuxedo Mask: He's right there.
Everyone looks on the floor to notice the dark dust on the floor and an Ansem Report and a Summon Gem called the Jagan Eye. It looks like an eye with a violet pupil. Sora picks it up and pockets it for later.
Tuxedo Mask: He turned to darkness. That means he is truly defeated for real. I feel sorry for him though.
Then everyone hears clapping. They looked up to see Riku slowly clapping to them and then walking over the dark dust.
Riku: Bravo, kid, bravo. You have done well. I thank you for getting rid of that fool. With him outta the way, the Keyhole can be completed without disturbance. Isn't it ironic though? In the end, he too was just another puppet in their little game.
Tuxedo Mask: What? A puppet?
Plucky: Are you just saying that because his I.Q. is that of a puppet?
Sora: Dude, this isn't the time to joke.
Sora then turns back to Riku.
Sora: You mean...he was used just like Eggman, Myotismon, and Frieza?
Riku: Correct. The Heartless were using Ganondorf and his allies from the beginning. The Triforce of Power protected him from the darkness for a while. That was because his darkness was wrapping around the Triforce and when the boy released his power, the darkness left the Triforce.
He then looks back down at Ganondorf.
Riku: How sad. He led such a miserable life and he wanted to use the Heartless to get revenge and rule all worlds. But with an insignificant mind like that, he was an easy target for the Heartless. Such a fitting end for such a fool.
He then rubs the dark dust away with his foot and went through the dark portal.
Sora: Was that Riku? There's no way Riku would know this!
Tuxedo Mask: Listen up, guys. We need to find him and find out what's going on. Now that Ganondorf is outta the way, Riku or someone else was behind all of this.
Plucky:(Whimpers)Probably a force more terrible than Ganondorf. Maybe we should go home.
Plucky was about to walk away, but everyone grabs him and pulls him towards the exit.
Plucky: At least let me go home! I'm gonna miss Shirley! I wanna find out if she's safe!
Sora returns all of his Summons back to their Summon Gems and the gang returns to the chapel area where they noticed that a hole appears in one of the walls. Believing it was a way to find the Princesses, the group took the path. On the way, they ran into some more Heartless, but had no problem defeating them. The four then arrives at another giant door and opens it. They then arrived in the grand hall where the seven Princesses were.
The group felt nervous in the presence of the room. It felt dark and eerie as they could walk down the red carpet. The wind whistles into the room which made everyone jump. Tuxedo Mask then looks to the six girls in the containers. His eyes widens in excitement as the group notices a blonde girl wearing a sailor fuku in one of them.
Tuxedo Mask: SERENA!
He ran over to the container and began pounding on it.
Tuxedo Mask: SERENA! PLEASE WAKE UP! IT'S ME, DARIEN!
Sora, Plucky, and Dizzy were shocked at the other girls in there.
Dizzy: Look! Girls who are kidnapped from their worlds!
Plucky: Yeah, there's Saori and Kari...
Sora: And three other women we don't know.
Then Sora's heart starts telling him to go up the stairs to where the heart-shaped panel is. He ran up the stairs. Plucky and Dizzy both notices this and follows him. Tuxedo Mask was too busy with Serena to even notice. Sora ran up the stairs as fast as he could. Plucky follows in, but when Dizzy tried to walk in, an invisible wall knocks him back.
Plucky: Dizzy! Are you OK?
Dizzy stood up and groans.
Dizzy: Dizzy OK. But where did wall come from?
Plucky: I knew it! It's a trap!
Sora walks over to Kairi's lifeless body on the ground and puts his arms under her.
Sora: Kairi! Please wake up! It's me, Sora!
He shook her, but she won't move. Sora began to form tears in his eyes.
Sora: Kairi, if only I gave you the Paopu Fruit. I'm sorry. The night of the meteor shower, I promised.
He then pressed his face into her chest and starts crying.
Sora: I'm so sorry! Please come back to me!
Plucky walks over and puts his hand on Sora's shoulder. Sora continues crying with his face buried in her chest.
?: I'm afraid grieving over your loss will not bring her back to you.
Sora dried his tears and looks up to see Riku sitting on top of the heart panel.
Riku: Try as you might, child. But that girl has lost her heart. She can never wake up.
Sora stood up and looks angry at Riku.
Sora: I knew it! Even if Riku did become evil, he'd still care about Kairi! You're not Riku at all! You took over him!
Riku: So you figured it out, huh? It's incredible what one would do anything for something ridiculous as love. Because he opened his heart to the darkness, I was able to take over.
Plucky: You're insane!
Riku: Believe what you want. But it doesn't matter, because the Keyhole will be ready to open the door. As you can see, it is still incomplete and shall remain that way as long as the last Princess of Heart still sleeps.
He then jumps off the heart and floats down to the stairs in front of it. Sora gasps as he turns to Kairi. The same friend he grew up with was really a Princess.
Sora: Kairi's a Princess?
Riku: Yes. She is like the piece to a puzzle. Once she is solved, it shall be complete. Once she is awakened, then the Keyhole will appear.
He then licks his lips
Riku: I can already taste it.
Plucky: Sorry, pal! But you're going on a strict diet!
Riku: Please, you're in no position to stop me. I hold all the cards now.
Sora: You've gone too far! You've hurt my friends, you've hurt these innocent people, and you brainwashed Riku! Give his heart back! Let him go! He's no threat to you anymore!
Riku: True, but first, there is something that you have that I want.
He points his Keyblade at Sora's chest.
Riku: You must hand over the Princess's heart!
Sora was confused by what Riku meant. He first thought it magically appears somewhere in his pocket. He began searching through every pocket he had and couldn't find a thing. He looks around his body to see if there was anything different. All of a sudden, his chest began glowing and Sora felt a second presence in his chest. It felt so strange that he gasps and leans over. Plucky ran over to his aid.
Plucky: Sora! Are you OK?
Sora: Why do I feel so weird?
Riku: Don't you see yet?
He then walks down the stairs.
Riku: The Princess's heart is responding. It has been there all along. Kairi's heart rests within you.
Sora: Kairi's inside of me? All those memories of her, the flashbacks, the strange feelings in my chest were because of her heart?
Riku: Correct. Her heart was too afraid to enter the darkness, but it found the safe haven of your heart, Sora.
Plucky: How do you know all of this?
Riku: Why? Because I know all that there is to know.
Sora: Tell me! Who are you?
Riku: Sounds promising. A last request, before your demise shall sound good. I am Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness.
Everyone gasps in complete shock like nothing before. The same Ansem that rules his world turns his back on his people and his home world.
Plucky: Why? You're people respected you. And this is how you repay them? By stealing their hearts?
Ansem: Fool, I am building a new world. A world ruled by darkness. The only thing I require now is that boy.
He began to make his way towards Sora. Plucky jumps in front of Sora and has bravery in his eyes.
Plucky: Not as long as I protect him!
Plucky ran at Ansem, ready to strike. Ansem knocks the duck aside and sent him flying out of the area and into Dizzy. The two rolls back and faints from the hard blow. Ansem walks up to Sora with an evil smile on his face. He looks down at Sora and points his Keyblade at him.
Ansem: Now, I shall awaken you from your slumber, Princess. With your power, I shall complete the Keyhole. Open the door! Lead me into everlasting darkness!
He began to bring his Keyblade up as Sora remains helpless. Sora wants to fight back, but he was being held back by the fact that Kairi's heart was beating along side of him. He closed his eyes, knowing that he was going to lose. He has no strength to continue. He lost all hope when he could hear the voices of everyone of his friends.
Plucky: Kid, get up and fight!
Dizzy: Sora, no give up!
Tuxedo Mask: Don't back down!
Riku: You can do this, buddy!
The last voice is what gave him a real boost of confidence.
Kairi: Sora!
Sora knew right there and then that he couldn't give up now. He whips out his Keyblade, puts it up, and blocks the dark Keyblade's attack. Ansem's eyes widens in surprise as Sora began pushing it back.
Ansem: It can't be!
Sora: Forget it!
He fully pushed Ansem back.
Sora: There's no way you're getting Kairi's heart! You want it? You've gotta take it from me through sheer force!
Ansem: You arrogant fool. I'll crush you in three seconds without even trying.
Sora: You may have the power, but I still have my dignity and I'd risk my own life to save Kairi, Plucky, and Dizzy. I'd even save Riku because he's still my friend. He may have caused trouble, but I can forgive him. I'm going to take you down, Ansem!
The warriors stood at each other in their fighting stances, ready to finish this. Then Sora and Ansem charged at each other and clashed their Keyblades at each other. Ansem then leaps back and fires dark energy cutters from his Keyblade. Sora leapt back, dodging the attack, and using Strike Raid to throw his Keyblade at Ansem who ducks, but it went back at him like a boomerang. Ansem then goes up to Sora and tried slashing him, but Sora moves out of the way. Sora then did a roundhouse kick, but Ansem dodges it and then tried to kick him, but Sora leapt over. Ansem and Sora then stood back, glaring at each other.
Sora: It looks like we're pretty even.
Ansem: Not quite. I was saving this for an occasion, but this one is special.
He then rose up in the air.
Ansem: Now, feel the power of darkness.
He then charges at an amazing speed and he keeps charging. Sora was hit by those attacks as Ansem keeps slashing. Then Ansem appears behind him for one last slash, but then Sora disappears before he could strike him and appears behind him and slashes him to the ground.
Sora: Sorry, but you're not taking Kairi's heart away from me that easily!
Ansem: You impressed me, Sora. But you underestimated the power of darkness. I hope you're ready, because this attack will finish you off.
He raised his Keyblade in the air and then disappears. Sora looks around for him before getting slashed multiple times. Ansem reappears and then slashed Sora on the arm, causing Sora to fall to the ground motionless. Ansem held his Keyblade up again and a dark energy ball appears in the end.
Ansem: Now, die!
He tossed an energy wave to where Sora is. There was a huge explosion and it woke Plucky and Dizzy up.
Plucky & Dizzy: SORA!
Ansem: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Fool! He should know not to mess with the power of darkness.
He then stops laughing when the smoke clears up and he saw Sora still standing.
Sora: Is that all you got? That was a nice one. That really got the blood flowing. But don't you know that the good guys always win?
Ansem: Fool! This isn't a story. In the real world, darkness always wins.
Sora: Funny. Come with that one yourself?
Sora uses his Sonic Blade and rapidly slashes through Ansem. The madman shouts in pain from the blows he was receiving. He then smacks Sora back and uses his dash attack again. Sora uses the Sonic Blade again and the two dashed through each other, clashing with their attacks. They moved so fast, it was like they couldn't be seen. The two then charged at each other again screaming. Upon impact, they caused an explosion which created high winds and raising fire.
Ansem: Enough! I shall end this now!
Ansem flew into the air and began charging himself for one final attack. The room became completely dark as Ansem powers up. Sora brought his Keyblade as he was ready for the attack.
Sora: Plucky, Dizzy, I wish you were here with me.
He then felt two hands wrap around the back of his hands. He looks down to see Plucky and Dizzy looking up at him with a smile. He closed his eyes and smiles. Ansem charges at the trio as they together swung the Keyblade at Ansem which hits him hard in the chest. Ansem went flying back and crashed into the ground. He weakly stood up, but fell right back down. He was beaten. He couldn't fight anymore. His chest began glowing with blue electricity crackling from the damage.
Ansem: My skills have failed me. But I am far from finished. You may have won the battle, but you're far from winning this war. I shall return.
He drops the Keyblade and disappears. Sora quickly ran over to Ansem to try and get Riku back.
Sora: Riku, come back!
Plucky: Kid, there's no time! We still have work to do!
Dizzy: Keyhole still need to be closed!
Deciding to deal with Riku later, Sora ran over to where the giant heart was. He took out his Keyblade and aims it at the heart, but the little beam that comes out of the Keyblade didn't show at all this time.
Sora: It's not working. The Keyhole isn't complete yet.
Dizzy: What we do?
Sora: It's not complete because Kairi is still a lifeless shell. If we can free her heart, then we can seal the Keyhole. But how are we going to do that?
Plucky: Does anyone know how to perform surgery?
Dizzy: Dizzy played Operation once. Would that help?
Plucky: Yeah, if she was a clown and had removable parts that beeps, then that's a different story.
Sora remembers that Kairi's heart was inside of him. How could he release it though? He then remembers what Ansem said about the Keyblade of Darkness.
Sora: A Keyblade that can unlock people's hearts. I wonder...
He walks down the stairs towards the dark Keyblade that Ansem left behind. Plucky and Dizzy looks at their friend as he walks over to the Keyblade of Darkness. Sora looks down at the Keyblade and began to think to himself. He closed his eyes and remains silent for a moment. He thought about his decision and knew it was a risky choice. At this moment, the only thing Sora wants to see was his friends filled with happiness. He didn't care what happens to himself as long as Kairi, Plucky, Dizzy, and everyone else lives in peace together. Sora picks up the Keyblade and taps the tip of it, feeling it's sharpness. He then points it in the air and looks at it.
Plucky: NO, KID! WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY? DON'T DO IT!
Dizzy: Why Plucky having heart attack?
Plucky: Sora is going to stab himself, meaning he's going to give up his life!
Dizzy gasps in fear and shock. He was too scared to lose his best friend.
Dizzy: NOOOOO! SORA STOP!
The two continues to call to the young Keyblade Master, but he simply ignores his two friends pleas. Sora turns to his friends and his reaction is what scares them. He gave off his goofy smile and acts like the entire thing was no big deal.
Sora: See you guys later.
Plucky and Dizzy ran to stop him, but they were too late. Sora points the Keyblade towards his chest and stabs it right into his chest. His chest began glowing and the Keyblade floats out of his chest and onto the ground. He expects to feel pain, but instead he felt a warmth that caused him to relax. Plucky and Dizzy were too shocked to even move as they saw Sora getting engulfed in light. The dark Keyblade disappears from the face of the earth and six glowing balls of light floats out of it.
The two watched as the lights flew around the room and then entered the chests of the six Princesses. Another ball of light flew right out of Sora's chest and lands in Kairi's chest. At long last, her beautiful eyes opens up in surprise. Sora looks down at Kairi and smiles. The Keyhole then glows in the back from Kairi's awakening. Sora's vision became too blurry for him to see anything. He felt like falling asleep as he slowly began to float down to the ground. Dizzy ran at Sora with tears streaming down his face.
Plucky & Dizzy: SORA! SORA!
Kairi weakly got up and was still in a daze. She then shook it off and saw Sora weakly falling down.
Kairi: SORA!
Sora: Good-bye, Kairi.
Kairi quickly ran over to him and tried to grab him. Right before her eyes, he disappears. Kairi looks to see small fragments of light surrounding her and then flew off. She was speechless. She never expects Sora to do anything like this before her. She remains in shock as Plucky got on his hands and knees, slamming his fists in the ground.
Plucky: SORA! COME BACK!
Dizzy fell to the ground and sobs away as his best friend took off. Kairi got on her knees and stares blindly into space as the light disappears. Sora was lost in the darkness. His lifeless body floats through an endless abyss and he felt like a turkey that didn't have any stuffing. His breathing was light and he couldn't even raise a finger. He felt the darkness consuming him.
Sora: What's happening to me? Falling...falling...into darkness.
Is this the end of Sora's journey? That's it for chapter 40. What will happen next time?