OOOOO
She Will Light The Way
Chapter Eight
The Juggernaut

To Kairi, it had all happened so fast.

When Xaldin summoned his arms and threatened her life, she was ready for a fight. Ready to brawl. To deal out some punishment and earn a measure of vengeance against the Organization.

Battle seemed to initiate, as Yuna laid down a spray of magical bullet suppressing fire. But then Paine hollered at everyone to "Get the hell out of here" as she charged the Nobody. Beast leaped overhead the others and joined the fray, but before Kairi could question Paine's strategy or join in the fight, Rikku seized her by the arm and led her deeper into the castle, accompanied by both Belle and Yuna, Lumière and Cogsworth scattering to hide elsewhere.

Belle led the group to the top of a flight of stairs, then breaking to the left through passageway and into a large (and much more well lit hallway). The din of battle still raged on behind them.

"What's going on? What are you guys doing?" Kairi finally asked Yuna and Rikku. The two Gullwings were still heading deeper into the castle, trying to put as much space between them and the enemy as possible. "Why aren't we helping Paine and Beast?"

"Are you kidding me?" Rikku snapped, nearly in hysterics. "You're so not ready to face an Organization member. None of us are ready to face a full-blown Org member." The blonde then began to chew on her nails, pacing back and forth and nervously muttering. "Oh, this is bad, this is bad bad bad bad bad..."

"Look at this way, Kairi," Yuna began, trying to sound more reasonable than her panicking cousin, "Xaldin is after you. His whole mission is to put an end to you, to hunt you down. That means the best course of action is to get to the ship, get you out of here, and try and prepare ourselves for his attacks. Not sit around and be blindsided out of the blue."

Kairi could understand Yuna's logic, but the situation just didn't sit well with her. "What about Paine? What about Beast?" She looked over at Belle who remained rather composed, but there was still slight fear and worry abundant in her eyes. "We can't just leave them behind and at his mercy."

"Paine can take care of herself. She's incredibly tough. Beast, too. What matters the most here is you. We have to get you somewhere safe away from the Organization."

Kairi's anger flared up. "Absolutely not." As terrifying as being pushed into the deep end of this world was, Kairi also found it very liberating. She was no longer just some MacGuffin to be sought after. Not just a plot device to be hung over the heads of her friends, dooming and limiting them. Not a neutral character in some poorly plotted nonsense story that could only wait for her friends to come back home. No. Now she could fight. She would fight. She could actively help guide Sora and Riku back to where they belong. "I refuse to just sit around while others fight for me. I refuse to run away and hide."

"Kairi -"

"We're going to have to fight the Organization eventually, Yuna!" Kairi shouted back, silencing the brunette. "I don't care how menacing they are, this is the entire point of this journey. I've gotten so much stronger in such a short amount of time. I can do this. I believe I can win!"

Kairi turned on her heel and ran back to the entrance hall, intending to fight and strike down Xaldin. Yuna, Rikku, and Belle called out for her, but she ignored them. There was more to this than proving her strength, proving she wasn't some useless damsel. This enemy was a personal one, and this fight was about revenge.

These are the monsters that stole Sora away. The ones that used me to twist his heart into knots and force him to sacrifice himself for my sake. I will never forgive them for what they've done. I will see every one of them suffer for the evil they've inflicted.

The Keyblade Wielder was stopped dead in her tracks when the walls above the door leading back to the entrance hall suddenly burst open in a massive explosion. Through the dust and debris, Paine and Beast came flying out, landing in heaps on the carpeted floor. Both of them were battered and beaten and bloodied, stirring slightly and breathing – they were still alive – but in dreadful condition.

Xaldin levitated through the wound rent in the wall, guided by his air current, looking down upon his bested foes. The entire left sleeve of his cloak had been torn away, as well as a hole formed in the fabric at his stomach, various wounds dotting his body that oozed a thick, black ichor that must have passed for blood for Nobodies. Paine and Beast clearly went down swinging, but, despite the injuries, Xaldin looked no worse for wear.

"Next."

Letting loose a battle cry, Kairi charged at the Nobody as he settled back to the ground, levitating an inch or two above. He quickly dismissed four of his lances, wielding one in either hand. Kairi launched a string of slashes and cuts, targeting his left side, seeing as how that had taken the most damage already. But the dreadlocked man took the assault in stride, easily parrying every blow with the hafts of his spears.

"Is this the best you can manage?" Xaldin taunted with a sneer, before flipping the script on his far more inexperienced opponent. Proving that six weapons were superior to one, Xaldin had his four remaining lances hover around his being and thrust at Kairi, guided by the wind currents he effortlessly controlled. In an instance, Kairi was forced on the backfoot, quite literally, as she kept stepping backwards to prevent being flattened by the advancing wall of lances, wind, and hatred.

The Organization member launched both his handheld spears at Kairi at once, the girl countering with an attempt at a Reflect spell. In the heat of battle, she produced far better results than in training, manifesting the domed shield... only for her hopes to be rent asunder, just like her barrier as the heads of Xaldin's spears tore through it. In the attack, one of the lances extended far out, and Kairi failed to dodge in time, as the spearhead sliced through her upper arm, drawing blood and leaving a searing wound in it's wake.

With a wide sweep of his arms, two of the wind-controlled spear whipped around and slammed into Kairi, the hafts catching her in the throat and thighs, pushing her aside. The twin lances pinned her against a nearby wall, the cold metal painfully digging into her flesh.

Xaldin approached as Kairi struggled to free herself, a spear held in his right hand, reared back like a javelin thrower, primed and ready to skewer.

"I suppose this is all that can be expected. Disappointing, all the same..."

Fortunately though, before Xaldin could strike, a thin wire launched out from nowhere, twisting itself around the haft of the spear, and then pulling it off course, Xaldin having to plant his feet and tighten it's grip to prevent it from being torn away. Rikku had ensnared the weapon with one of her grapple wires, her and Belle tugging with all of their might to disable the Nobody for even just a minute.

"Guess we're doing this now..." Rikku grunted.

Yuna, meanwhile, fired a green coloured shot at the down Paine and Beast, Cure magic surging through the two, stabilizing their wounds, but not restoring them to consciousness. Yuna had been certain to drill the limitations of Cure magic into Kairi (it only accelerated the body's natural healing process, so it was great for minor wounds and replenishing stamina, but even the strongest healing magic could only do so much), so the redhead knew the two still wouldn't be on their feet any time soon. Yuna followed this up by unleashing a torrent of magic bullets against Xaldin. The attacks didn't seem to be doing much, but Xaldin still shrunk under the magical hailfire, summoning lances to protect him, as he still struggled to pull his spear free.

Even with Xaldin attacked from all fronts, he still had enough control to keep Kairi pinned up against the wall, Kairi struggling to breath and move against the pressure the lances applied. Good thing for her, she was pinned in such a way that she faced Xaldin's left and had her arms free. Aiming Destiny's Embrace at a jagged claw mark carved into the Nobody's rib cage, Kairi fired out a series of compressed spheres of scalding water. For the first time since the start of the engagement, Xaldin flinched and grunted under Kairi's spells, as the blistering bubbles burnt his already ragged and injured flesh.

With all three of his foes hitting him from one angle or another, Xaldin finally gave up the ghost, throwing down his entangled spear and leaping backwards. The spears holding Kairi up finally relented as well, letting the girl drop down as she desperately sucked in much needed oxygen.

"Belle... get out of here. Hide somewhere safe..." Kairi said in between breaths. "We'll take care of this." If she wasn't focused on the massive danger this enemy presented, Kairi would've been more cognizant that she was a massive hypocrite right now, telling Belle the things she railed against a moment prior.

The Princess of Heart hesitated, no doubt she was deeply concerned for Kairi's chances, but also the unknown fate of The Beast just down the hallway. Still, she nodded stiffly. "Please... just be careful, all of you..." Belle said fearfully, before sprinting further down the hall, away from the conflict.

Xaldin had retrieved all of his lance, but was still being held back by Yuna's constant gunfire for the time being. Rikku had joined her cousin, hurling more of her bombs in Xaldin's vicinity, as well as taking out a small aerial drone that showered the Nobody with more ballistic attacks. Their fearsome foe seemed to make little move to defend himself or evade the flurry of attacks, instead covering his frame with his arms and weapons and trying to weather the storm, so to speak, teeth tightly clenched together in pain and frustration. Even with such a big target and prime opportunity to strike, Rikku and Yuna seemed to be only inflicting superficial damage to Xaldin, barely even bruising or marking the flesh, let alone drawing black blood.

I figured the Organization Nobodies would be tough, but this seems a little ridiculous... Kairi took her spot on the firing line, cuing up a continuous stream of Fire and Thunder spells to further pile on the damage. But if we can keep him pinned down like this, it doesn't matter how tough or strong or scary he is. We'll win. We'll do this. Kairi admitted to herself that she was a little skittish to engage in melee again, after Xaldin thoroughly schooled in their quick exchange. But, that was just part of combat. Paine and Yuna had taught her well. If your first strategy didn't work, change gears, find a new angle, be cautious but relentless. Be relentless. Just keep pushing girls! We take him down, and we're one step closer to ending all of this!

Kairi gritted her teeth and let out a low rumble from the back of her throat, increasing the intensity of her spellfire. Yuna likewise furrowed her brow and dug further down, her own blitz ratcheting up in power and speed. Xaldin took a few steps back under the increases scrutiny of the hellish hail of magic, gunfire, and explosions, his cloak becoming more and more shredded. He grunted once more, raged and roared, as marks and scars began to score themselves across his arms. One of Kairi's fireballs connected against Xaldin's forehead, sizzling the flesh and drawing more black blood.

Xaldin's anger and resistance reached a boiling point, as he broke his own guard, extending his spears out in a deadly fan, unleashing a bellowing roar. The wind seemed to react to his actions and false emotions, stirring up once more in the hallway, as Xaldin – once more clutching three spears in each hands, and still under Kairi and the Gullwing's attacks – rotated and spun the lances about, causing the winds to storm and swirl once more, forming a green-coloured disk of wind that situated itself between Xaldin and the girls, bringing the magical assault to a sudden halt. The magical wind barrier dispersed and scattered all the attacks and the winds had snatched Rikku's drone out of the air, smashing it against a wall, finally giving Xaldin a moment's reprieve.

"I thought this mission would just be dull, but it's quickly becoming a tiresome chore." Xaldin snarled, baring his teeth against the girls, as they continued to try and bust through the wind wall. Making another wide, sweeping motion with his lances, Xaldin generated even more wind, letting loose a harrowing gale down the length of the hallway.

The powerful gust blew down, pushing against and past the three warriors. In an instance, all three of them were picked up by the invisible force and brutally hurled further down the hall. Kairi tried to wedge Destiny's Embrace into the floor, but was a second too late, unable to gain any effective purchase, as she was thrown into a heap with with Yuna and Rikku.

The three scrambled to get back to their feet, Xaldin slowly stalked his way towards his enemies, wielding two of his lance, while the other four rotated around him, whirling and spinning like saw blades.

"I'm putting an end to this, girl!"

The four floating spears began to pick up in speed, the wind once more picking up in the corridor, as Xaldin began to twist and spin his own body, as well, twirling his handheld lances, too. A cyclonic zephyr formed around the Nobody, protecting his being when Kairi went to fire more magic at him, once more negating any attempt to further damage him. The speed of everything, Xaldin, the wind, the spears, picked up to a rapid pace, as Xaldin finally attacked, freeing a stream of green, scything blades of wind throughout the area, firing in all directions randomly.

The air blades careened through the hall, tearing apart carpeting, stone, statues, decorative armour suits – everything and anything they struck, demolishing the objects and leaving grand ruinous wounds carved into the walls, floor, and ceilings. The blades whirled their way down towards the girls, whose mindsets quickly changed from offense to defense.

Yuna stood her ground and summoned a barrier, but only had enough time to conjure on that covered herself, not large enough to fit the three of them. The moment after she cast the spell, the blades began to ram into its surface, Yuna's face contorted in concentration, putting all her effort into just maintaining the small barrier, leaving her friends to fend for themselves.

Rikku tried her best to dodge and weave through the flurry of blades, but got caught up in the storm and paid the price. Fortunately, she had the enchantments reinforcing her clothing, and they soaked up much of the punishment; she would have been sliced to pieces otherwise. Still, Rikku was rendered helpless, juggled through the air, a myriad of scrapes and cuts and bruises forming over her tanned skin.

Kairi did like Yuna, casting her Reflect wall, but it crumbled under the pressure of the air blades just like before. Still, dauntless and defiant, the redheaded Key Bearer stood her ground, and took to try and parry and block the scythes with her Keyblade. She did her best, and provided strong results at first, but the sickles just came in such high amount and high velocity, that she could not weather the storm for long. Like Rikku, she was thankful for the protective enchantments bestowed on her gear, but the damage inflicted was still critical. One blade knocked her in to the air, another one immediately struck her in the chest (without her gear, she easily would have been torn open from that attack), and yet another one grazed her left arm. That one broke past her magical barriers, as a ribboned cut wound it's way around her left forearm, flesh parting way, crimson blood exploding into the air. Kairi gnashed her teeth together, fighting back a pained scream.

With both Rikku and Kairi blown back, Yuna the last one standing behind the shelter of her barrier, Xaldin took the moment to charge again, engaging Yuna in one-on-one combat. A stream of air and wind formed around the Nobody, who flew through the air, wielding his two lances, the four others trailing behind him, a bloodthirsty and animalistic look on his face as he charged the brunette gunslinger.

"Kairi! Rikku!" Yuna barely managed to call out, before Xaldin impacted with her wall. It shattered in an instant, the force of his momentum, the wind, and his physical body bowling Yuna over. Somehow, Yuna avoided all the blades, rolling backwards after being run over by the Nobody. She was further grateful when she saw Xaldin turn back, guided by his personal jet stream, instead of going after her two companions. "Get away! Run! I'll hold him off!" Four colourful spell seals began to form around the tines of her shotstaff.

"Yuna, I told you I'm not-"

"Kairi, you can't win this right now!"

Using her staff, Yuna tried her hardest to fend off Xaldin. Wide sweeping arcs and powerful thrusts, all enhanced by his wind magic. The further the fight went on, the more frightening Xaldin became. Moreso than his first appearance, somehow. He was strong. Barbaric. Ferocious. A monster in a man's skin.

"We can't win! Right here, right now!" Yuna insisted. She cried in pain when one of the spearhead slipped past her guard and sliced into her cheek. Still, she did not lose the spell the shotstaff was charging. Kairi wanted nothing more than to offer assistance, but was physically stopped when Rikku snatched onto her wrist, trying to pull her away from the battle. "You have to run and try something else. Leave the world, come back for us later... retreat and draw-up a new plan – JUST RUN!"

"There will be no running!" Xaldin roared. One spear knocked aside the shotstaff – Yuna barely maintaining a grip on it – while two more were wheeled about, the spearhead zeroing in on Yuna and piercing her at each shoulder. Once more, Kairi tried to break free and move to help her friend, a psychic knife twisting in her gut as Yuna screamed in agony, but Rikku refused to let her go.

Xaldin took hold of both spears and used the leverage provided to fling Yuna against the wall, pinning her their like he had done to Kairi. "She will find no safe haven or sanctuary. I promise, this will be the end of her journey!" Finally done with Yuna, Xaldin grabbed his four remaining spears and began to move towards Rikku and Kairi.

Seeing the Nobody dismantle Paine and Beast and Yuna – all such strong people – in short order, Kairi's confidence and bravado shrank and withered. Her legs locked in place. Looking into the cold and ruthless eyes of Xaldin, Kairi was certain she was staring death itself in the face.

"Kairi.. run... you have to run..."

Yuna's weak voice broke through to Kairi, also catching the attention of Xaldin. The magical gunslinger held her fully charged firearm up, aiming right at the center of mass of her assailant, and pulled the trigger. Xaldin barely turned his end in time to see Yuna fire the four-coloured stream of blistering elemental energy. The Nobody twisted his body around, trying to dodge, but the beam arced and curved towards him still. Next, he tried to block and divert the magic with her spears, but the sheer force of the attack knocked the weapons out of his hands. With no options left, Xaldin merely braced for impact, trying to reduce the damage as much as possible.

The searing energy stream struck Xaldin in the left side of his torso, earning a bestial shout of pain from the Nobody.

Kairi didn't see the rest of what happened, as her and Rikku moved as fast as they physically could into the next room, sealing the door behind them.

They stopped when they crossed the threshold, trying to catch their breath. It was less the physical exertion and more the sheer terror that possessed their bodies. Not long after, another one of Yuna's cries of pain pierced the air, originating from the previous room.

"Yuna... Paine..." Kairi breathed softly. Her entire body was taut and tight. It was like being abandoned in the Realm of Darkness all over again. Rikku was similarly wound up, all of her muscles clenched up. She had flinched when she heard her cousin's scream.

"No... no... this isn't happening." The blonde ground her teeth together, tears welling in her eyes. Rikku turned to face the doorway. Xaldin would be coming any minute now. "I'm not letting you get away with hurting Yunie and Paine!" With furious, terrified energy, Rikku dug through her poaches, producing a grey and orange disc.

Hitting a trigger on the disc, it quickly took to the air, a shooting out small beams of light that struck the various surfaces around the door. Small circles of orange light appeared on the surfaces. Then, in an oddly calm voice, Rikku said, "Red... go back to the ship."

"Rikku... no!" She was tired of hearing that. Of all the Gullwings putting themselves in the line of fire, for her sake. What was the point of all this if others were just going to sacrifice themselves? "I can't leave you guys. No matter what. I'm going to stay and fight."

Kairi was trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Rikku repeated herself. "Kairi. Go back to the ship. Get back to Hollow Bastion. Start over again." The disc had run it's course, crashing to the ground. Dozens of the orange lights now lay in wait around the door to the previous hall.

"That's not happening. I'm not-"

"Kairi!" The blonde snapped, turning away from the door to face the redhead. "I know you're worried about us, but you're the only important one here! You're the Keyblade Master, now, right!? We don't matter in all this..." Rikku let out a bitter, forlorn laugh. "After all, we're just a bunch of thieves. No one's gonna miss us in the end..."

A lump welled up in Kairi's throat. This wasn't how it was suppose to happen. She was doing so well beforehand, did she really have no other options but to regress and run away? How could she live with herself if she just left Beast and the Gullwings to die?

Finally, over the the thunderous drumming of her own heartbeat, Kairi replied with, "You're not 'just a bunch of thieves'... you guys are my friends..."

Rikku looked taken aback by this admission, but had no time to respond.

The door burst open, revealing once more the striking and imposing visage of Xaldin.

Yuna's desperation attack had done something, at the least. There was a dire wound blasted in the left side of his ribs, rending away even more of his cloaks and chunks of flesh. But there were no bones or organs in sight of the cavernous injury. Just a blank, empty abyss, of black ichor and smoke.

Just how truly inhuman were these things?

But before the girls could react. Before Xaldin could move or attack or speak, all of the little orange discuses Rikku had created began to move, sliding across the floor and ceiling and walls, homing in on the Nobody. The instant one made contact with Xaldin, it detonated, unleashing it's payload of heat and magical fire and concussive force. One on it's own was only small enough to stun the threatening Nobody. But there were nearly fifty of these mines, and they just kept coming, zooming towards their target and consuming him in flame and explosions, and he was totally helpless to do anything besides suffer the damage inflicted upon him, enveloping him in a cloak of smoke.

Rikku smirked in pride that her planned worked, and drew her daggers. "Please, just get outta here Red. The three of us have survived worse. No need to worry about us." Rikku took one step forward...

A spear flew out of the smoke cloud. The Al-Bhed girl stopped dead in her tracks when it skewered her in the stomach.

Rikku wobbled on woozy legs, blood trickling from out of her mouth. Her last plea to Kairi died on her lips, as she collapsed in a lifeless heap.

A gust of wind scattered the smoke cloud away, as Xaldin continued to move forward. The entirety of his cloak had been burned to shreds, leaving him in only his pants and boots, and the entirety of his upper body was riddles in small burns, scuffs, and minor lacerations. But despite all the damage inflicted on him, Xaldin kept moving forward. Mechanically. Precisely. Like a predator. Like an unstoppable monster.

And he had never lost the look of steely determination or unfathomable cruelty in his eyes.

Seeing Rikku fall as well caused Kairi to snap. Forgetting her fear,her pain, her exhaustion, and the many pleas for her to retreat, Kairi took up her Keyblade in both hands and charged, fury and rage and the desire for revenge moving her.

Xaldin only shot her a dismissive glare, making another motion with his hands. A burst of wind caught Kairi and threw her into the air, her body slamming against the ceiling. Hard enough to leave an indentation in the stone.

The winds whipped around her continuously, throwing her around the room, smashing her into the walls and ceiling with brutal, bone-crunching, skin-bruising force. At this moment, as Xaldin hurled her about like she was nothing, Kairi began to realize just how hopelessly outmatched she was. How much of a mistake this was.

"Is this really all you're capable of? Running and hiding and cowering, while others throw themselves into the line of fire?" Xaldin slammed Kairi down against the stone floor, her head bouncing off the surface. The girl coughed up a few sputters of blood, spots and stars clouding her vision. "Was Sora foolishly throwing himself away not enough? How many more bodies will be piled up before you feet by the time this is done?"

The mention of Sora and his sacrifice was enough for Kairi to stir. Enough motivation to try and crawl back and fight again.

Xaldin brought down one his spears, spiking it into Kairi's left thigh. Pain exploded throughout her entire body, her motivation squashed, as the Key Bearer screamed in torturous anguish.

"I suppose I came all this way and dealt with all those annoyances, it would be a shame if I didn't get to play with my food a little, first..." Xaldin grinned sadistically, as he retrieved his lance.

At this moment in time, Belle entered Kairi's field of vision. She thought it was a delusion brought on by the pain and contusions, but the woman didn't vanish even after she blinked rapidly, shaking her head slightly, too. Belle was carrying a stone bust in her hands, quietly sneaking up from behind Xaldin. Wracked with pain, Kairi could not move, but she did everything her power not to alert Xaldin the approaching Princess, while also praying like mad the woman would just quit while she was ahead and run away.

But it would seem that daring do and the desire to help others were common traits among the Seven Princesses, as Belle stood behind the Nobody, bust raised over her head, and brought it down upon his head. The stone exploded into hundreds of pieces.

Xaldin did not so much as flinch. In fact, the only reaction he showed was minor annoyance.

Not even deigning to look back or verbally reply, Xaldin blindly backhanded at Belle, catching her on the side of the head. Belle went flying, her head crashing against the wall, immediately falling unconscious upon impact.

"Belle! No!"

"You have more pressing matters to deal with!"

An updraft formed around Kairi, once more tossing her helplessly into the air. This gust had much more force behind it, as when Kairi hit the ceiling (in the same spot she had previously dented), the wind forced her straight through the solid stone. The updraft continued pushing her higher and higher, through layer after layer of stone and wood, before she was thrown into the open air of the night's sky.

Kairi's body slammed down on the castle's rooftop, her entire waking world nothing but pain. How was she still even conscious after all that? She tried to get a seriously needed breath of air through her nose, only to find it all clogged up with blood.

As she tried to find her bearings, find the strength to stand up, just to move, something caught her eye. A towering obelisk of pitch black stone – The Blackheart Stone.

That's right... it was suppose to be on the rooftop... She thought weakly. Somehow, she had the wherewithal to dismiss her Keyblade, as to not usher the Guardian Heartless into existence. She had enough problems on her hand...

In desperate futility, Kairi began to crawl towards the Stone, literally dragging herself by hand, one after the other. She wasn't even sure she could stand right now, but something was drawing her towards the Stone.

A chilling, ghostly breeze passed over her back, as Xaldin rose up through the whole in the roof, carried by his wind currents, hovering in the air. "I'm actually surprised you survived all that. Well done, you've earned a modicum of my respect." The Nobody had gathered up all his spears, again. One of the heads was still dripping with blood...

Kairi looked back at Xaldin, and then ahead to the Blackheart Stone. She was laying perfectly in between the two, able to draw a straight line between her enemy and the object. Kairi began to formulate a plan...

"I'll wear it as a badge of honour, thank you..." Kairi managed to sarcastically fire back at Xaldin. She turned to face him, still unable to stand, but she was able to get up to her knees. The pain slowly ebbed away, as the adrenaline kicked in. "I've been learning I have a habit of impressing people when they least expect it, so, come on..." Kairi held her hands up in fists, still not risking to summon Destiny's Embrace. "Come on... Come on! Let me surprise you once again, Xaldin!"

Xaldin cocked his head, seemingly amused. "Oh? Where is this fire coming from? Where was this a little while ago when all your friends were perishing before your eyes?" He taunted, as the winds picked up around him.

Kairi reached deep down, welling up a power deep inside of her.

"Shut up and come at me! Do it!"

She grabbed a hold of the power. That power.

Xaldin did as he was bid, flying forward on his jet stream, all six spears held by the current and aimed at Kairi, rapidly closing the gap between him and his prey.

With ragged breath and rapid heartbeat, at the very last possible moment, Kairi tested as to whether her legs would hold up her not. She lunged forward off of her feet, springing not away from Xaldin, but at him, diving down onto her belly and making herself as small as possible. With his momentum carrying him, it was impossible for the Nobody to stop in time. He was carried over the Keyblade wielding girl, heading on a direct course to the Blackheart Stone...

With wind bursting out ahead of him, Xaldin came to a skidding stop in the air, mere inches away from the surfaces of the obelisk.

"Really now, did you honestly think I would fall for such a pedestrian trick?"

"No. I didn't."

Kairi stood up, even as blood gushed from the wound on her thigh, an aura of pure white light flaring up around her. She finally recalled Destiny's Embrace, swinging it wildly through the air, leaving behind trails of beacons, tiny motes of light which hung in the air.

The Blackheart Stone activated, shooting energy out into the sky, a black cloud beginning to form overhead.

[RADIANT FINISH: Shining Barrage!]

The motes shifted form, transforming into a series of long, golden arrrows. With a sweep of her Keyblade, Kairi launched the storm of light arrows, urging them to fly and hit their mark before the Guardian fully materialized. Xaldin launched into defensive posture again, covering his body with his arms and lances, while conjuring his wind barrier. But unlike before, the arrows were not to be denied, easily piercing through the squalling shield. Xaldin did his best to ward off the attack with his lances, but there were just far too many to counter. One slipped past his guard, sending searing pain through his being. And then another. Then another. And another and another and before, long, his entire defense had vanished before the onslaught of light arrows. As the hail of arrows battered and besieged him, Xaldin was knocked back – little by little – towards the stone.

Come on. Come on! Just a little more! Kairi kept one eye on the Nobody, the other one the Stone. A figure was starting to become visible within the dark cloud. There were more arrows still to come, and she call upon every last ounce of power still within her to shoot them with more force. More power. More effort.

Everyone keeps doing everything in their power for my sake! Risking everything for me. I can't keep being a burden, I have to be able to stand and fight!

Kairi held her breath in vain hope that this one last gambit would work. That she could pull victory from the jaws of defeat.

That she wasn't just something to be stowed away and kept safe. Something worthless, precious, wanted, useless thing...

A bright spark of light flashed within her eyes, as another flurry of arrows embedded themselves with Xaldin, pushing him back even further.

That last push was just enough.

One of the shoulder blades of the dreadlocked man brushed up against the surface. The barest amount of skin making the barest amount of contact.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Dark lightning coursed around the Stone, traveling into and through Xaldin's body. The Nobody howled in agony, a horrific, bestial roar, as the shadowy energy flowed through his being. His whole body spasmed and buckled against the force, but it didn't seem to do him any good. In fact, it looked like he was being drawn in closer to the embrace of the spire. The wound on the left side of his body began to smoke and sear, more and more of his flesh breaking away, slowly but surely.

But too slowly. The Guardian Heartless was still coming.

This might finish Xaldin off, but the Guardian would be fully realized by that point.

Kairi gasped for breath. She felt nauseous. Her head was spinning. The whole world was spinning. The pain. The exhaustion. The emotional torture... She didn't know if she could stand for much longer, but she needed to. Time was short. She had to finish this.

Once more, she drew deep down. Not only into herself. But to Belle nearby. She may have been a casualty in all this, but she had felt their Lights resonate earlier in the day. Kairi's well of power may be exhausted, but perhaps with just a little bit of effort, she could borrow a bit of Belle's strength.

Please, Belle... I'm sorry for bringing this monster to your doorstep... I'm sorry for what has happened to you and Beast, just... please, give me the strength that I don't have...

Reaching down, Kairi felt something. Love. Hope.

A burgeoning love for The Beast.

Hope that he would be able to overcome the curse which afflicted him.

A blazing white light sparked into life around Kairi, as she held Destiny's Embrace aloft.

[RADIANT FINISH: Holy Calibur!]

The glowing white sword blade formed around Destiny's Embrace again. Whether this power was still hers, or was Belle's, she didn't now and it didn't matter. It gave her just enough strength to charge forward, both hands on the hilt of her weapon, lashing out with a wide diagonal slash.

The shining light blade easily cut through both Xaldin and the Stone behind him, bringing to an end the diffusion of energy, the summoning of the Guardian, and Xaldin's torturous roar. Instead, the pained reaction was replaced by one of stunned surprise. From his left shoulder to his right hip, he had been cut straight through, his body slowly splitting in two. A similar slice was reflected on the Blackheart Stone behind him.

"This... this..." Xaldin gasped in shock, his words failing him. The two halves of his body plummeted from the rooftop, crashing onto the bridge below. His spears had begun vanishing, but Xaldin still tried with everything in his power to hold on to his waning unlife. The Nobody held one hand up in the direction of Kairi, clawing at the girl.

Then the top of the Stone fell from the roof, landing on top of Xaldin. The peak of the spire piercing him through the chest, the weight of it all crushing his sternum.

The Nobody let out an excruciating death rattle.

"Superior, forgive me... I have failed you..."

Finally, the vicious Nobody came to an end, his entire body disintegrating into wisps of darkness.

Kairi took no solace in her victory, instead dropping her Keyblade and falling to a heap on the ground. Pain and exhaustion battled for dominance in her body, but it was fear and terror that won out over all else.

Kairi was deeply terrified.

She was afraid as to what would happen to the Gullwings. To Bell and the Beast.

She was afraid of what would happen the next time she face off against the Organization.

If there even would be a next time. She was also afraid that this was it for her. The pain in her body was so intense, she thought a stiff breeze might cause her to crumble into dust.

Most of all, she was afraid she had let everyone down. That everyone placed all their hopes upon her, and she couldn't even hope to match those expectations. Everyone thought her so important and special... and her she was, curled up on the ground in a ball, beaten half to death, winning only by sheer luck.

Save everyone.

Protect those you love.

Fight the monsters.

Yeah right... What a joke. I can never be that...

Kairi let out a pained sob, as she slipped into the unknown of unconsciousness.

Well, that was a fun little romp through Beast's Castle, now wasn't it?

-As much as the contents of the chapter are horrifying and a bit of a hard sit, I am very proud of this one. Starting with Kairi's confidence coming out in full force, and then it slowly gets whittled away as she realizes what she is up against, and as more people fall in the line of fire for her. I've made it clear that I don't want Kairi to just be Sora, I want her to be Kairi, and while Sora just smiled and pressed on through everything and always won, Kairi lacks that luxury. And, in the end, this is just part of her journey – her "failing" (in her mind), getting viciously thrashed in combat, and suffering through a crisis of confidence (spoilers for the next arc...). Her journey is a much more perilous one than either of Sora's, so she is going to end up struggling more.

-One thing I want to do in this fic was highlight the truly inhuman nature of the Organization Nobodies. That their appearance is just that, an appearance, and that they are really eldritch and monstrous and alien – they bleed black, they lack organs and other basic biological elements, and their lack of emotions make them wrote sociopaths. Xaldin is just the tip of the iceberg, I want to present the idea that there are no "good" Nobodies, save Roxas and Namine, and even the more affable ones like Axel, Demyx, and Luxord are as rotten and wicked as any others.

-I also think that this is a bit of a turning point for the story. While I've been happy with what I've done so far, I think this is where things begin to ratchet up, as we diverge more and more from how a typical KH canon story is told. And, hopefully, this will lead to a bit more of a upturn in reader engagement. I know I go on about how I just want people to enjoy this and be happy, but I am a diseased human being who can't just do something because I'm doing it, I need validation from outside sources, too.

Power Levels
Kairi is roughly equal to Sora by the time he reaches Disney Castle/Timeless River. She is growing exponentially stronger than Sora due to facing stronger enemies, and training almost everyday. She also has an advantage in having a deeper palette of spells than Sora.

The Gullwings have not changed, they are the same as they were the last time we checked in on them

Xaldin is Xaldin. He's as strong as he was in the games, and a monster made of flesh and hatred. All the Organization Nobodies are at a similar tier in terms of strength, as well. Kairi has a long road ahead of her...

That will be enough for me for the time being. Please, do be kind and feel free to share you reviews, comments, critiques, thoughts, and predictions, as we continue forward into our journey, on Kairi's journey, into uncharted waters.

Until next time, everyone, let the light guide your path forward!