Chapter 10
Back at Yen Sid's tower, Merlin was instructing Kairi and Orihime to unlock their potential.
"You girls can do it," encouraged Merlin. "Tap into the power that exists within you!"
Comically, Orihime turned red, raging as she tapped into the power.
Ishida and Chad watched as they powered up.
"Why did we agree to this again?" asked Ishida. They both had trained first and decided to see how the girls were doing. It scared Ishida and made him want to move away from the place.
"They are improving," said Chad. He was calmly watching the scene with a smile, and said, "Sooner or later, Ishida, they will become more powerful than you."
"But Kairi's a keyblade wielder. That's to be expected, and Orihime put more effort into the training!"
"Still, this idea will help our planet stay safe."
"I hope so..." Ishida looked at the skies. Peace was far from anyone's mind, and even with their presence here, the barrier felt fragile.
Back at Twilight Town, Seifer noticed the newcomers. "Hey, look!" he said, pointing to them.
"Roxas?!" The boy turned in shock as he received a tackle from Hayner. "Buddy, where were you? Olette and Pence were waiting for you!"
Roxas looked pleased. Ichigo said, "You and Renji stay here. Rukia and I will find the artifact."
"Sure." Roxas watched as the two shinigamis teleported. "Who were they?" asked Hayner.
"Friends," answered Roxas. "The red-haired dude is Renji. Orange-hair is Ichigo, and black-hair is Rukia."
Hayner nodded just as Seifer appeared. "Hey, bro, has your sword skill improved?"
"Yeah," sighed Roxas. He did not want to fight, but only to relax.
"Hey," asked Renji. "Do you want to fight with me?"
"Depends. Rai, Fuu, Vivi, what do you think?"
Rai, the giant man, replied, "Go for it, boss!"
"I'll agree," said Fuu.
"Yeah!" shouted Vivi.
"Then it's settled. Where do you want to fight-"
Renji glared at him and said, "Right here, right now."
Renji grabbed a plastic Kendo sword, and everyone backed off except for Seifer.
"This will be interesting, loser!"
Meanwhile, near the Twilight Train station, Ichigo caught a scent of power. "Do you feel that?" asked the excited Ichigo.
"I feel it," said Rukia. "Be careful, Ichigo. We are surrounded by enemies."
"I hope that we could find Byakuya soon."
"Oh really?" Rukia's face mocked Ichigo. "Why, do you have feelings for him?"
"I meant that he could explain what he was doing."
The pair walked towards the scent. Rukia realized what Ichigo meant. Her prestigious brother was sent to find a certain object a few days before she was attacked. The captains explained that he, being the head of his clan, can find it, but what if that object had something to do with this? Did the captains lie? What really happened to them, other than Toshiro? He was not at that meeting, though, so Toshiro could not give the answer.
"Is that it?" Neither Ichigo nor Rukia could believe it. The object looked like a new, shiny stone, nothing ancient. It was not a decoy, however. Ichigo put a crystal near it, and the stone glowed. Ichigo felt something stir inside him. "Chip and Dale...what?!"
He suddenly realized the problem.
"Rukia, listen to me. That mist does more than affect the planets. It affects the memories of those that it touches. This stone is a detox to that mist. It can fight it's effects if the planet's main history is not rewritten!"
"You mean that the characters have to be safe?" Rukia looked at Ichigo. "But why didn't they go for it first?"
"Someone threw it halfway across them," said Ichigo. Then, he saw a device on the ground. "Another recorder? No, wait, a phone!"
Rukia looked over his shoulders and read it. Both looked pale after reading it.
"So, the neithermens invaded this society," started Ichigo. "However, they did good, until some of them, along with the inhabitants, who were crazy for the moon, mind-controlled the population, and created a way for the mist to take over planets?! All just seven months ago?!"
"Then, they found the source of the mist's power-the Abyss," continued Rukia. "The neithermen made people think that they were the good guys, but manipulated them into thinking that they were human. Any "neithermen" would have been executed to save the "God hidden in the Abyss". What is in that Abyss?"
"Whatever it is, we have to go," said Ichigo. "If we stand around here, things will get worse here. We need to find Renji and Roxas." Both headed to the exit.
Renji was busy fighting Seifer, enjoying the fight. Both men were serious, and no bets were made as they fought blow to blow. Suddenly, both of them looked and saw a cloaked figure approach them.
"Well, I'm impressed," commented the figure. Renji felt his heart vibrating, and felt that something was wrong. "I can't believe that you could fight like that. A human and a shinigami, reaching the same level in fighting. Who could have guessed?"
"Look, pal," said Seifer, "We were in a middle of a good fight. Why don't you just move along, and wait until we are done?"
"Hmphh, silly humans. You think that you can tell me orders like a dog?!"
The mysterious figure drew a sword which, to Renji, looked like a Zanpaktou. "Who are you?" asked Roxas, drawing his keyblades. Hayner and Vivi drew their own weapons.
"Sad," commented the figure. "Prepare to feel the burn of my blade. Kill, Zazuko!"
The blade transformed to a segmented blade. Renji widened his eyes, as this was like his Zanpaktou.
"I am you, Renji. You have died to reach the world of the afterlife, so you created a nobody and a heartless. You must have seen this coming..."
"Are you serious?! Howl, Zambimaru!"
Renji hit the blade towards the opponent, who dodged it upwards. Roxas managed to run the walls, hitting his opponent into the air. Renji connected his blows to capture his opponent. "Bakudo number 99, Part One-Kin!"
The opponent widened his eyes. He was immobolized, unable to move. However, Renji was not done yet. "First Song: Halting Fabric. Second Song: Hundred Linked Bolts. Final Song: Great Seal of 10,000 Forbiddings! Bakudo number 99, Part Two-Bankin!"
His opponent was sealed in spiritual fabric and metal bolts. Renji was tired, as a kidou of this skill took lots of energy. The prison was set to the ground. "You'd think that overkill could define this scenario," said the amazed Seifer. "Do you think that you could help me become like that?"
"Maybe later," said Renji. "Anyway, what extension are you of me? Answer my questions, and I may put off the seal."
"Fine. I am your nobody. All of the Court Captains and Vice Captains, along with nearly every shinigami, with the fatal exception of Kurosaki Ichigo and his father, have a nobody and a heartless. Soon, the nobodies will regain their hearts, but their real purpose-at least, the purpose of the Court Captain nobodies-is to gain control of the universes and create an inter-galactical empire."
Everyone stood silent. "So," said Roxas. "Why are you here?"
"I was here to intercept a certain device to get rid of the Abyss, the source of the gray mist. The enemies are in town, and they are gathering near us-"
The spell was release, and the figure was shocked. "Look," said Renji, "I can sense it too. Let's fight together, and get to safety."
"Well," said Seifer, "I agree. Let's kick ass here!"
A huge hollow loomed over the area. Roxas and Hayner looked up, pointing to it and comparing it to the giant nobody.
"Menos Grande?" asked Renji.
It let loose a cero near the group. The ray of energy nearly hit the opponent. "Watch it! You nearly hit me!"
"So, what do we call you?" asked Fuu.
"Xirjen. We copied the idea of adding a X and reorganizing our names."
Roxas killed the hollow in one blow by firing a light beam. "Guys, we have to move up!"
Soon, ahead of them, stood more nobodies and heartless. Along with one, other warrior.
He was covered in a cloak too, but he was different. He wielded a pink scythe, a bunch of roses surrounding him.
At that moment, Xirjen realized who that was.
"Marluxia".