So with 2.5 out in Japan, the secret ending from Re:coded has some interesting implications about Xehanort's Keyblade. TTGO is all planned out, but I'm already wondering how to tie that into the sequels.
Chapter 35: To Storm the Bastion
It was a bright, sunny day. Not a cloud was in the sky, and the sun's golden rays stretched across the sea of blue up above, reaching all the way out onto the horizon. A warm wind blew over the land, carrying with it the scent of the approaching flowers of spring. The songs of birds and insects mixed with the rushing water of the Rising Falls.
Maleficent hated it.
The wicked fairy stood on a cliff carved of blue stone, overlooking the foreboding spires of Hollow Bastion across the Great Maw. From her vantage point Maleficent could not only see the base of the castle and vast canyon before it, but she was also able to view the Rising Falls and the ruins of Radiant Garden in two opposing directions. At her sides stood Diablo and Pete; the former stoic, the latter looking at their surroundings nervously.
He had every right to be nervous. Around them, covering the entirety of the cliff and much of the land beyond, was an army of Heartless. The stormed across the land, Purebloods and Emblems, from the lowliest Shadow to the mightiest Kurt Zisa. Behemoths marched beside Groundshakers as Luna Bandits, Shaman, and Soldiers weaved around their giant footsteps. A shadow fell over Maleficent, and Pete glanced up. High in the sky, Dustfliers, Wyverns, and more weaved around massive Storm Riders and Rulers of the Sky. The earth shook and the blue stone of the Great Maw broke apart, releasing a pair of Antlions accompanied by screeching, clawing Tentaclaws. The massive Heartless swarm broke only at one point, parting in a wave around their master and her followers, but otherwise moving as one, undeterred, as they advanced toward their goal: Hollow Bastion.
Maleficent's scowl at the sunny weather turned to a pleased grin as she watched Pete shake uneasily. He backed away from an Angel Star that got too close for comfort, but despite how much Maleficent was enjoying the cowardly cat's discomfort he had no reason to be concerned. The Heartless obeyed her, and by proxy they obeyed him and Diablo. Who else provided them with the hearts of worlds? Certainly not Braig and his disgusting white husks.
Diablo cleared his throat. Maleficent's adjusted her grip on her staff and turned to her ever-loyal pet; though she was loath to take her eyes off of the wonderful sight of the Heartless marching to war.
"You know where to go?" she asked calmly.
Diablo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. His dark eyes shifted to the left as he recalled the layout of the waterways and corridors in the lower reaches of the castle. It was a veritable maze, full of twisting corners that all looked alike, and even when Maleficent had owned the castle she and Diablo had rarely, if ever, ventured down there. But still, he could picture the halls described in Cid Lufaine's journal; luckily, the man had had an eye for detail. He had some idea of where to search, even if it was not an exact one. Turning to his mistress, Diablo nodded with confidence.
"Roughly. I don't have an exact location, but I know the general area." Another nod, and then he turned to look out at the castle. "It will take some time, but I should have your weapon by day's end."
Maleficent grinned, her grip on her staff tightening. "You shall have all the time you need, my pet, as long as you provide results. If this 'Project Manikin' test subject still lives—"
"I have no doubt of that."
"—then you shall fetch him for me." She waved her hand out toward the lower reaches of the castle, where the entrance to the waterway lay hidden. "Now go. Pete and I will handle things here."
"At once, my lady." Smoke began rising up from Diablo's body like steam over boiling water, and swirled around him instead of vanishing into the sky. As his skin turned pitch black to match the smoke, his body contorted and shrank. An instant later the smoke billowed away, revealing a raven where the pale, scarred man had once stood. With a caw, Diablo lifted off the blue stone and flew out over the sea of Heartless. The aerial Heartless parted for him, avoiding his path as he turned downward and dived at the lowest point of the castle, below ground level, to the fissure that led to the waterway opened up in the stone.
After Diablo vanished beneath the earth Maleficent cast a sidelong glance to Pete, who was still watching the Heartless army with concern. His vision shifted from the storming sea of black toward Maleficent, then up to the highest peaks of Hollow Bastion's towers, and then finally back to Maleficent.
"Say, uh, my lady…" he began slowly, stepping aside for a Soldier walking by. "What are we doing while Diablo's in the basement, then?"
Maleficent's grin shifted into a small, amused smile and she absentmindedly tapped a fingernail against the orb on the tip of her staff. "Why Pete, I thought you had figured it out by now." Motioning to the high towers of the castle, Maleficent spread her arms out and titled her head back. "A great darkness is gathering within those halls. We will take that dark power from Braig and use it to crush him and destroy those wretched Nobodies!"
Pete shook his head. "Yeah, I'm feelin' that darkness alright. But Maleficent, isn't it too dark? The Heartless won't listen to us if whatever it is that's up there gets any stronger!"
Maleficent scoffed. "Have you not been paying attention, you idiot? We have been feeding the Heartless the hearts of worlds that the Keybearers have yet to lock. They won't turn on us for anything now, not when we provide so much for them to devour."
"I, uh, suppose…"
Pete still seemed unsure, but Maleficent had neither the time nor patience to deal with his concerns any further. Her army's march seems to have finally caught Braig's attention, for Nobodies were now pouring out of every opening throughout the entirety of the castle. It was a veritable army to be sure, but still Maleficent found herself chuckling; the Nobodies were plentiful to be sure, but still greatly outnumbered by her Heartless.
The battle began. From their vantage point, Maleficent and Pete watched as the waves of black and white collided with one another at the base of the castle. Neither side let out cries of pain or war, but over the sounds of hundreds of dying Heartless and Nobodies Maleficent heard something else. A soft whoosh; or it started soft, rather. It quickly grew louder…no, not louder. It quickly grew more numerous. As a Storm Rider approached the tower where the Grand Hall of the castle sat, ethereal black and white thorns—almost resembling bolts of lightning—appeared out of thin air and wrapped around its body. The draconic Heartless let out a mighty roar as the thorns dragged it down to the earth, and its weight crushed hundreds more—Heartless and Nobodies alike.
All around the battlefield the black and white thorns emerged and bound the larger Heartless. Pete gulped and Maleficent narrowed her eyes as finally their source manifested. Thewhooshing sounds ceased and the air rippled, revealing a number of giant Nobodies ready to combat her own Heartless powerhouses. The first, and most numerous, were the humanoid Twilight Thorns; they were the source of the bindings. But accompanying them were breeds foreign to Maleficent, though Diablo had done his research.
The first type was called a Specter, Maleficent believed. They had no lower body except for a large spike, and their upper body had a tattered cloak with a flower blooming from the back. Their arms were pink scythes. Beside the Specters were the appropriately-named Angels of Death, which also wielded pink scythes. They resembled human women dressed in gowns. Four scythe-shaped growths from their shoulder blades, two of which were black, resembled wings.
While the smaller Heartless and Nobodies continued to fight below, the larger ones began to clash in the skies and around the black and white sea. Groundshakers stomped over friend and foe alike as they barreled toward Twilight Thorns. Darksides spawned more Shadows for every Shadow their powerful fists destroyed while targeting other Nobodies. In the air, Dustfliers weaved around Rulers of the Sky as Specters and Angels of Death swung their razor-sharp blades and slaughtered the smaller winged monsters.
"N-Now what?" Pete asked. Maleficent didn't answer him; she snarled as a Twilight Thorn's thorns once again brought her Heartless to their knees. Her knuckles grew white as she tightened her hold on her staff. "Maleficent?" An Antlion came tumbling down from the ethereal vines, its pieces falling apart and crashing all over the battlefield.
"They are not the only ones who can play this game," Maleficent hissed. She raised her staff to the sky and green fire erupted all around her, rising as a pillar into the sky. Maleficent began to spin her staff around in a circle and a hazy purple-black smoke emerged from the orb, forming a spiral pattern that grew out with each loop the staff made. The sky darkened and dark grey clouds began to form, mimicking the spiraling motions of the smoke.
"A forest of thorns shall be their tomb, borne through the skies on a fog of doom! Now go with the curse, and serve me well! 'Round the hollow castle, cast my spell!"
As Maleficent swung her staff forward, the spiraling smoke flew in that same direction. It grew and darkened ever further, and then began to spiral around the towers of Hollow Bastion. Bolts of lightning flew down from the mass of purple and black, killing Nobodies wherever it struck and leaving fissures behind. The earth rumbled, and from the fissures the lightning created massive black thorn vines emerged. They grew at a rate only possible with magic, crawling up the walls and spires of the castle and wrapping it in their grasp. And, more importantly, they turned the tables on the Nobodies. The Twilight Thorns' thorns were no match for Maleficent's, and soon the disgusting creatures were facing their own enemy as Specters, Angels of Death, and Twilight Thorns were forced to the blue stone where Heartless could reach them.
Pete cheered and pumped his fist in the air. "Now what, Maleficent?"
Maleficent smiled and turned her back on the battle. Green flames still licked at her cloak, and with a simple wave of her fingers a corridor of darkness opened up. "Come along, Pete. You and I will go after the darkness within the castle itself and claim it as my own."
"Aye aye, ma'am!"
x-x-x
The sudden shift in weather did not go unnoticed as the Highwind descended on the small town of Hollow Bastion. One moment it had been bright and sunny, and the next a foreboding black. Xion's grip tightened on the arms of her chair; hopefully it wasn't an omen.
Rather than land in the hangar, the Highwind stayed in the air and teleported its passengers down. It was at Chip and Dale's insistence; the darkness readings coming from the castle were unmatched by anything they had encountered before save for the End of the World, and the little engineers were not about to risk the Gummi ship. And so now Sora, Xion, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Riku, and King Mickey stood in what remained of the residential district following Maleficent's previous attack. And that wasn't all. From Disney Castle a regiment of the dog-men musketeers, all that they had been able to fight aboard the ship, had joined them. The musketeers looked on in awe and horror at their surroundings; it was their first time off-world. This had been an entirely volunteer mission, the King had made it clear nobody was forced to go, but they had ended up getting more volunteers than they could actually bring along.
As the miniature army made their way through the streets littered with shattered wood and sundered stone, they were watched closely by figures in the destroyed homes that lined the street. Recently homeless, the people of Hollow Bastion watched the newcomers with empty eyes while resting under tents that Scrooge had provided, wrapped in what blankets they could acquire. The damage became less severe the closer they got Merlin's house, but only relatively; entire buildings were still piles of rubble. The immediate area around Merlin's, however, had begun rebuilding. Behind her Xion heard the soldiers muttering amongst themselves, while King Mickey and Riku—who had not been there to witness the battle—looked on in horrified silence.
The half of Merlin's house that remained was boarded off from the elements by a makeshift wall of wooden planks, one that Tifa was currently hammering away at. At the sound of the approaching forces, she turned around and smiled—as well as she could with a nail resting between her lips. Putting the hammer down and the nail with it, Tifa walked over to greet them.
"Well you guys look ready," she said with strained cheer in her voice. There were bags under her eyes, as if she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in days.
The King cut right to the chase. "Is everybody here?"
Tifa looked over her shoulder at the front door and nodded. "Everyone who's coming with us, anyway. Let me go get them. I'd invite you in, but uh…" She eyed the musketeers. "I don't think we have room. Give me a moment."
She didn't wait for much of a response and left the group to immediately head inside. Xion shifted uncomfortably as the small army waited for her to return with the others. Her gaze flickered to the new wall being built over the remnants of Merlin's house. The wall that Tifa had been putting up sat at the edge of the destruction, with scaffolding extending past it, and was obviously hasty constructed. It was to keep the inside of the building from being exposed to the elements, she figured.
"Hey, you sure you're ready for this?" Sora walked up to Xion and put a hand on her shoulder.
Xion looked over at her friend, confused. "Sure. I didn't think I was acting otherwise?"
Sora shrugged. "I just… You know we're definitely going to run into Vanitas in there, right?"
Thunder roared from the dark clouds up above, accompanied by lightning strikes off in the direction of the castle, but no rain joined them. Xion bit her lip and brushed some of her dark hair out of her eyes, suddenly deep in thought. Yes, of course she knew Vanitas would be there—at least intellectually. It hadn't really occurred to her, though; she had known, but not recognized. Her heart rate quickened, and Xion took a deep breath to slow it back down. He wasn't actually here, she was overreacting.
"Remember that we're not leaving you alone when we fight him," Sora continued.
"I know." Xion's voice was soft as she responded. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and all the others were going to be with her and lending support. She knew that in her heart, but her body didn't seem to agree. Already she was feeling nauseous.
But before she could dwell on those dark thoughts any longer, Tifa returned from within Merlin's house. Behind her was the whole gang, all with varying degrees of dour expressions on their faces. Like Tifa, they all had bags under their eyes. None of them were sleeping well; even Yuffie, who looked the most well-rested, was dragging her feet as she walked over to them.
"Hey, everyone," the ninja said with strained cheer. Her shuriken hung limply in her hand at her side, and she tried to hide her mood with a toothy grin. Her eyes passed over everyone in turn until she stopped on a certain someone behind Xion. "So! The famous Riku."
Riku nodded slowly. "Uh, yeah. I've heard a lot about you guys."
"Same to you! Great to finally meet you in person." Yuffie held her hand out, but before Riku could take it there was a snort from Leon.
The man's brow was creased, his eyes narrowed, as he stared down Riku. Riku returned the glare silently. When Yuffie saw the expression on Leon's face, her hand slowly dropped down to her side and she kicked at the dirty stone road. Leon's mouth formed into a thin line and he took a step forward with his arms crossed, continuing to glare at Riku as he looked him up and down.
"Um…" Sora began, but he was interrupted when Riku stepped forward and pushed Sora and Xion aside, moving closer to Leon.
"Let's make something clear." Leon's voice was dark when he spoke, and a razor edge was hidden behind his tone. "I'm in a foul mood, have been for quite a while now, and it's all because of Maleficent." Xion gulped nervously; she had a feeling she knew where this conversation was going, but Riku didn't waver. "You may be Sora's friend, but if you think I'm going to trust you just like that after all you've done you've got another thing coming. Prove to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're not still her lackey."
"Squall…" Yuffie said softly.
"Hey!" Donald shouted, shoving his way up front. "You can't just—"
"Shut it!" Leon snapped, causing Donald to recoil back. The man grit his teeth and turned back to Riku. "The people of Hollow Bastion are barely hanging on anymore. I'm not taking a single risk, even for Sora's friends. So you show me right here and now that you can be trusted, Riku, or me and my friends are doing this on our own."
Xion took in a deep breath and glanced to Riku, who still hadn't budged. In all honesty, she could see where Leon was coming from. Riku did have a history with Maleficent and Xehanort, the two people who had ruined this world more than anyone else. And she also knew it was mostly stress on Leon's part talking; even when he had distrusted her back when they first met, he hadn't been anywhere near this harsh. On the other hand, she knew that Riku was trustworthy and has put all of that behind him. And all the others knew it as well. She and Sora both stepped forward to speak, but Riku held a hand up to stop them.
"I appreciate it," he said softly, "but Leon is asking me, not you guys." Locking gazes with the leader of Hollow Bastion once again, Riku spoke louder. "I can't really blame you for being wary around me. I screwed up—a lot—and I can see that Maleficent is still a factor here." He gestured to the town and the refugees. "You'd probably take my friends' word, at the very least Mickey's, and I'm glad to know they'd give it in a heartbeat… But I'm not one to hind behind others. You want proof you can trust me?"
There was a pause. Leon frowned and Riku let out a breath. Then, light flashed in Riku's palm and grew outward, forming into the shape of a sword. Way to the Dawn materialized in his grasp and he held it in front of him, causing gasps of surprise to echo out around the Restoration Committee.
"I have a Keyblade of my own now. You and I both know Keyblades aren't a sign of goodness—you're aware of the Keyblade of Peoples' Hearts that Ansem made—but this one is mine, not Ansem's. It represents my strength. When I was working for Maleficent, and when I was darkened by Ansem, my heart was weak. I gave in to the darkness and was unworthy of one." Riku lowered his hand but did not dismiss the Keyblade. "That I have this shows that now I'm stronger and now I'm worthy. I wouldn't be if I was still cowering inside the darkness." Now Way to the Dawn did disappear. "And if that's not enough, well, that's the best you're going to get."
"…Heh." Leon's frown turned into a soft smile, and he shook his head. "Quite a big speech there. I think I'm going to like you, kid."
Riku smirked back at him. "I think you just might."
Xion let out a sigh of relief, and saw similar expressions on everybody's faces. Well…most everybody. Cid looked somewhat bored, but beyond that he looked agitated. Not at Leon or Riku, or any of them from what she could tell (though he did grumble as Aerith and Merlin attempted to help him stand with his cane). Rather, he seemed agitated at himself—his wounds. He glanced over to the castle, then at his cane, and a snarl appeared on his face.
There were others besides Cid who didn't look so happy, either: Cloud and Tifa. Of absolutely everyone in the Restoration Committee, Cloud seemed to be in the worst shape. His skin was paler than anyone else's, and he looked like he was just about ready to fall asleep right on the spot. Belatedly, Xion realized that arm that was once exposed was now covered by a sleeve and the zipper of his coat was pulled up all the way to his neck. The only skin he exposed now was his head, what was that about? Cloud coughed into his hand; an innocent enough gesture, seemingly nothing, but suddenly Tifa was watching him carefully and not without some suspicion in her eyes. Was something going on with them? Well, she was concerned if so, but for now as long as it didn't affect the rest of the group—
Xion blinked. Wait a minute, somebody was missing. She looked around just to be sure, but sure enough there was no sign of the familiar red-haired woman. "This isn't everyone," she said slowly. "I know Cid's hurt—"
"Don't remind me…" the man in question muttered under his breath.
"—but where's Cissnei?"
Leon glanced at Aerith, who nodded. "Cissnei went on ahead to investigate something she found earlier while on recon," Aerith explained. "She won't be at the castle with us, but she'll meet us before we fight Braig."
"I see…" The King said sadly. "But one less shouldn't be a problem."
"Make that three less," Cid said, raising his hand half-heartedly. "I can't join in on the fightin', not after that lance asshole did a number on me last year. Sorry." He turned around and started heading to the marketplace. "If anyone needs me I'll be with the Shera. Good luck."
"That ship he won't let anyone else see, huh…" Kairi muttered. "But wait, Cid and Cissnei are gone but who's the third?"
Merlin adjusted his glasses. "That would be me, I'm afraid. Sad to say I'm just not much use in combat without my shapeshifting, and any transformations worth fighting Heartless and Nobodies would be too large in the castle's narrow corridors. Oh I do hate putting you all through this, but I'm going to have to join Cid and sit this one out."
A soft rumble began to spread through the assembled musketeers. Xion overheard their murmurings; they were concerned now, worried about a lack of manpower, and losing morale.
"This is everyone, then?" The King asked. He seemed as aware of the musketeers' worries as Xion was.
"Looks like it," Leon said.
They were down three now. Still a sizable force when one factored in the musketeers, but still they were greatly outnumbered by Heartless, Nobodies, and even Unversed. Xion dug through every memory she had, trying to find some answer. Was there somebody they could recruit in town? Maybe someone they could contact…?
Of course!
"Not everyone," she said. The air began to ripple around her before the words had even finished passing her lips, and the pendant around her neck began to glow. With a soft shoom beside Xion, the silver humanoid figure of the last Samurai Nobody emerged out of nothingness. Her pendant continued glowing and her Keyblade appeared in her hand, its tip shining brightly in time with the stone. Holding it toward the sky, the Keyblade fired a beam of light that formed into a Gate. Cackling laughter came from the keyhole-shaped portal, and a moment later a furry blue bolt flew through.
"Aloha!" Stitch cried, knocking Xion to the ground and licking her face. As Xion climbed back up Stitch scampered around, running up her arm and perching on her shoulder. He looked over to the Samurai, which was now beginning to walk over to the group, and grinned widely.
Xion smiled. "Now it's everybody."
x-x-x
The small army made their way through the ruins of Radiant Garden until they emerged at a cliff overlooking the Great Maw and castle. As soon as Xion climbed to the top and looked down into the valley below, however, any encouraging thoughts she had were wiped completely from her mind. The others all around her came to a halt, their skin paling in turn as looks of horror crossed over the faces of each and every person.
Before them was the battlefield from hell. It was in comparable to anything Xion had ever seen before, not for the amount of destruction as the Heartless' march on the city weeks ago was far worse, but more in the sheer scope. It seemed as though every Heartless and Nobody in the universe had gathered at Hollow Bastion to do battle, as well as the occasional Unversed, and their destructive powers had come out on the land itself. Craters and crevasses dotted the earth, massive gashes had been carved out of the stone, and entire mountains had been torn asunder as titanic monsters the size of buildings did battle. And standing in the center of the horror was the castle, with massive black thorns wrapped around it and tearing it apart. Indeed, it was in the worst state Xion had ever seen it; not only were the vines causing outlying towers to collapse onto the battlefield below, but the gargantuan Heartless and Nobodies that crashed into the base of the castle during combat caused the entire building to shudder. If this kept up, the whole thing would come crashing down.
Beside Xion, Sora shook his head and turned to Kairi. He placed his hands on her shoulders, snapping her out of her own shock, and looked her right in the eyes.
"Kairi, I want you to turn around and go back to town. Right now."
Kairi stared at Sora, then her stare became a glare and she pulled away from him. "Again? Sora! We've come this far because we've stuck together, and now you want me to go?"
"Kairi—"
"Don't!" she snapped, making Sora flinch. "You keep doing this! You keep telling me to stay behind, and it never works! So please, Sora… Please just stop."
Sora slouched. His shoulders fell, and he opened his mouth to speak…then shook his head and turned away. "…Sorry."
Goofy frowned. "Gawrsh Kairi, he's just lookin' out for you…"
"…I know," Kairi admitted softly. "But I'm tired of him thinking I can't fight on my own. He keeps asking me to sit out, and that's just not going to happen anymore."
"I just can't help it…" Sora was even softer than Kairi had been. Xion didn't think Kairi could even hear him; she had to strain to hear, and he was right next to her. "Something about this feels…different. Off. I have a really bad feeling about this battle."
"I can understand," Xion said with a soft smile. The truth was she felt the same. A chill in her bones told her this wasn't going to have a happy ending. Was it simply the knowledge that they were likely to face Xehanort, or was it something more? "But don't tell me, Sora—tell her."
Leon stepped up and shook his head. "Regardless of any of that, we still have to find a way inside the castle. Something tells me those armies aren't going to let us just walk on in."
"How did Cissnei even get inside?" Yuffie asked.
Leon's eyes widened slightly. "Yes… How did she? We could probably take that same route…"
The King walked up beside Leon. "Probably. But all of us are gonna be a lot harder to hide from all of those Heartless and Nobodies than one woman." He shook his head. "I hate sayin' this, but someone's gotta be a distraction to keep them from noticin' the infiltration team."
A dark atmosphere hung over the party at Mickey's words. Xion's throat felt dry; surely, they all had to be aware that whoever was the distraction was going to die. There was no way around it. On Xion's shoulder, Stitch let out a low groan and shook his head. Beside her, the Samurai glanced up at her and then out over to the battling monsters.
"No," Xion said firmly to the Nobody before it could 'speak.' She knew exactly what it was thinking, and she wouldn't have any of that. The Samurai was one of her last links to Roxas, and she wasn't about to give that up. Silently, the Nobody bowed its head in acknowledgment of her command.
"Who could possibly…?" Aerith trailed off, not wanting to finish her thought.
King Mickey let out a deep sigh and kicked at a stone, then watched it fall into the chasm below. His tail drooping alongside his shoulders, he looked up at everybody, his eyes locking with each and every member of the party in turn, including each of the loyal musketeers who had come with them from Disney Castle. He averted his gaze, took in a sharp breath, and looked back at the castle.
"This isn't something we can just ask somebody to do," he said softly. "Anybody goin' down there into the thick of it has to do it of their own will, and I won't make anyone do it. Helping others always comes before askin' others for help."
A shuffling came from behind and Mickey's ears perked up. From the crowd of musketeers in the back of the group, one in particular stepped forward and moved to his king. When he got closer he dropped to one knee. "Your Majesty, the men and I—"
The King's eyes widened, and before the musketeer could finish Mickey shook his head vehemently. "Absolutely not!"
The musketeer raised his head and looked King Mickey in the eyes. "But—!"
"I won't just throw your lives away! What kind of king would I be—what kind of person would I be—if the people who I'm supposed to protect went and got themselves killed?"
"Somebody has to do it!" the musketeer snapped, and a shocked gasp rippled across those assembled. Mickey wasn't angry, but he was shocked at how the soldier had spoken. His brow furrowed in concern and he glanced out to the battlefield again as the musketeer continued. "We're just soldiers. We don't have any spells or magic weapons, and we wouldn't stand a chance against Xehanort, let alone Braig or Vanitas." He slowly climbed back to his feet and took off his hat, holding it in front of his chest. "Your Majesty, and everyone else, you're heroes. You shouldn't throw your lives away. But this? This we can handle. This is our fight."
King Mickey was silent for a long while, a frown on his face and his eyes far away. Donald and Goofy walked up to him with concern, glancing between their king and the assembled musketeers. All of them looked just as determined as the one who had spoken.
Finally, Mickey spoke with a shake of his head. "No…" The musketeer was about to speak, but Mickey raised a hand to stop him and looked up. "You fellas are the real heroes." He took in a deep breath and spoke louder, addressing everybody. "This is a volunteer mission. If anyone's not up for it, go back to town and defend the people there. And if things get too bad, you retreat. That's an order! I'm not letting anybody die today!"
When nobody budged an inch, the chuckled and King wiped at tears in his eyes. "Gosh… You're the best men a king could ask for."
The musketeer bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty…" Then he straightened his back and faced Goofy. Standing at attention, his legs pressed close together, he saluted the knight. "Captain." Goofy repeated the motion and said nothing.
Taking a breath and putting his hat back on, the musketeer turned to face his fellow soldiers. "Come on then, men!" He drew his rapier and held it up to the sky. "All for one!"
"And one for all!" the others cried out in unison, their voices accompanied by the shing of metal being drawn. As one, Disney Castle's best and bravest roared down the mountainside and joined the fray.
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy stood there in complete silence for a long time; the latter even kept up his salute for the entire duration. When at last the musketeers met Maleficent and Braig's armies, Mickey turned around and began walking away from the battle. Tears were running down his cheeks.
"Mickey…" Riku began, but the King walked right past him.
"C'mon. We have to keep goin'—to the castle."
x-x-x
"Blue punch buggy!"
Within the corridors of Hollow Bastion's lower levels, a part of the wall collapsed with a lot of dust and a resounding crash. The blue figure of a car-shaped Heartless flew through the stone and metal, across the hall, before crashing into the wall on the opposite side. The Hot Rod was followed by a cackling, furry blue ball. Stitch unrolled himself in midair and brought a fist down on the Hot Rod, slaying it and sending its heart back into the darkness.
"No punch back."
From the hole into the outside world that Stitch's attack had left behind, the rest of the group arrived in the corridor. Goofy looked around at the newly-formed rubble with concern as Stitch hopped back up onto Xion's shoulder.
"Gawrsh, I know we couldn't find the door Cissnei took, but…"
Donald shook his head. "We don't have time to look for another way in! We can't let Xehanort come back!"
"I guess so, but wouldn't destroyin' the walls just make this place fall apart faster?"
Leon grunted and turned to Stitch. "You got us in, but no more of that, alright? Goofy's right, and we don't want to bring this place down on us."
Stitch groaned loudly and rolled his head back, but he did nod and let out a strained "Oketaka." Then, ears raising as if he heard something, Stitch looked around the hall and sniffed deeply before sticking out his tongue in disgust. "Blech!"
"What is it?" Xion asked, running her hand on Stitch's head.
"Ugh," Riku said, letting out a grunt of disgust himself. All eyes were on the silver-haired boy as he covered his nose and mount with the back of his hand. "Darkness. The scent of darkness is absolutely overflowing. I don't think the fight's just going on outside; it smells like Heartless and Unversed are all over the castle's halls too. And I'm willing to bet Nobodies are with them."
"Ih!" Stitch nodded, confirming that that was what he had smelled as well. "It's stinky! Very bad!"
Xion frowned and looked around. "Then—"
Before she could finish, the entire castle shuddered and rumbled. Letting out a gasp of surprise, Xion fell back and tumbled over some of the rubble that Stitch had left behind. From the high ceilings of the corridor, dusts and small pieces of stone rained down on them. Xion coughed and rubbed at her eyes as the dust fell into her face, but aside from a small ache in her back she was unharmed.
Aerith, who had crouched down and covered her head during the shaking, straightened out and clutched her hands together. "We need to split up and stop the fighting or this whole castle will come crashing down with us inside."
Leon nodded and turned to Sora. "You guys go upstairs. You have Keyblades and I'm sure the bigger threats are near the top."
Sora glanced down at the Kingdom Key in his hands then nodded, with Mickey and Riku beside him mimicking the gesture. Xion, however, wasn't as sure. "What about you?"
"We'll split up into smaller groups to handle the Heartless, Unversed, and Nobodies. Cloud, Tifa, you two good together?"
Cloud smirked, but it seemed strained. "You have to ask?" Beside him, Tifa stayed quiet.
"Then are Yuffie and I with you, Leon?" asked Aerith.
Leon glanced at the woman, then over to Yuffie beside her, and shook his head. He gripped Revolver tightly and lifted it over his shoulder. "I'm fine on my own, and I'll keep an eye out for Cissnei. Aerith, you're with Yuffie; she's the most reckless, she'll need someone to keep an eye on her."
"Hey!" Yuffie shouted, but a glare from Leon shut her up.
"I guess…" Aerith said slowly, not convinced that Leon really could handle himself.
"Speaking of Cissnei," Kairi said, speaking up for the first time in a while. "I think we should all keep an eye out for her. Who knows where she could be in here?"
Leon nodded. "A good idea." He looked over to the Samurai, standing its ever-silent vigil beside Xion. "…Can that thing relay messages between groups, in case one of us meets up with her?"
Xion glanced at the Nobody beside her, then shook her head. "Only I can hear it. It wouldn't do any good."
Leon grit his teeth. "Then we'll have to just all have to keep a lookout. Everyone move out!" Without waiting for a reply, Leon sprinted down the corridor and soon vanished into the poorly-lit distance. A moment later, Yuffie and Aerith followed. Cloud stood silently, brooding with one hand clutching his right arm, until Tifa put a hand on his shoulder and motioned for him to follow. They went in a different direction.
The King looked off into the dim distance and nodded. "Let's get going then, team. Leon's right, we stand a better chance against the stuff near the top, so let's try and find one of those elevators."
"Right," Riku said with a nod.
Xion held her hand out, focusing herm magic into her palm. A moment later a Pearl spell formed, floating in the air above her outstretched hand and illuminating the passage. "This way good for you?" she asked, and with a chorus of agreements she moved forward, Stitch on her shoulder and sniffing ahead for danger.
They continued like that for quite a while, the only sounds their footsteps and the shaking of the upper floors. Stitch directed them with his nose, ordering directions to turn with every sniff. Eventually the dim, somewhat welcoming walls gave way to pitch black ones made of cold iron. The sounds of dripping and flowing water surrounded them on all sides—they had found their way inside the waterways at the castle's base.
Xion gasped and came to a complete stop, surprising everyone behind her. What was that sound? It was repeating, echoing…and too heavy to be water droplets. It was close.
"You okay?" Sora asked behind her.
"Just…thought I heard footsteps," Xion replied. They were gone now, though. Had she been imagining it, or did the other person suddenly stop? Was it Cissnei?
Stitch growled low. "Stitch did too," he said, baring his teeth. Judging by that reaction, probably not Cissnei then. Xion bit her lip and turned to the door where she had heard the steps coming from, opening it slowly as it creaked with age, and held her Pearl light inside.
She almost dropped the Pearl in surprise—and relief. It was just a rat, a little rat with pitch black eyes that matched its fur.
King Mickey smiled. "Aw, don't worry Xion! You're just lettin' your fears get to ya, I gotta admit I've been feelin' nervous down in these tunnels too."
Xion smiled and shrugged. "I guess so. Well, come on; I'm starting to recognize this place—er, well, I recognize it from Sora's memories anyway."
"Right." Sora laughed and motioned for everyone to follow. "The exit's this way, and there's an elevator to the Entrance Hall out there." Donald and Goofy glanced at each other with sorrowful looks; they didn't know these tunnels because they had been at Riku's side when Sora had been here.
With a bit of swimming and an Aero spell to dry off, the group sure enough found them at the castle's base level hidden within a fissure. Around some pipes and more pools of water rested a spot of dry land with a crystal switch and an awaiting platform. Grinning, Mickey motioned for everyone to hop on and eagerly pressed the switch to activate the lift.
"I haven't gotten to do that in years!" he said happily as they began to rise up the blue wall of the fissure. When it rose above ground level, Xion let out a sound of concern. From up here they had an unparalleled view of the battle raging across Hollow Bastion. As the elevator climbed ever higher up the castle's walls, their field of view grew with it. And everywhere they looked there was a clash of black and white.
Up above them a Ruler of the Sky was sliced in two by a Nobody resembling the grim reaper; if Xion had to guess, that had been Marluxia's particular breed as the Samurai were to Roxas. Just below them a Twilight Thorn did battle with a Leechgrave from a distance, thorny vines and creeping Tentaclaws battling it out over a field of lesser Heartless and Nobodies. The battle turned in darkness's favor when an Unversed clad in chains and wielding a massive hammer appeared out of nowhere and attacked the Twilight Thorn.
And still the elevator continued to climb, until at last it left the battle behind save for the flying creatures. When their ride came to a stop, Sora let out a sigh of relief; the doors to the Entrance Hall were open wide already, preventing the need to find the switch to open them. But that in and of itself made Xion nervous; after all, why would Braig just leave one of his defenses open? Still…it's not as though they had any other way to climb the castle…
Once inside the circular, two-story room, Riku grimaced and his eyes grew downcast, and the mood around Sora shift as well. Xion didn't say a word—she knew perfectly well why. As Xion approached one of the staircases leading to the door that would take them to the Lift Stop, Stitch suddenly hopped off her shoulder and bared his teeth at the fountain. He snarled and growled at it between shouts in his alien language.
Donald crossed his arms and tapped his foot. "What are you doing, you—"
Before he could finish, purple wave of energy flew out from nowhere and slammed hard into Donald, sending him flying back toward the door they had come through. And it wasn't just Donald, either; Mickey, Goofy, Kairi, Riku, Stitch, and even the Samurai all crashed into the floor in the doorway leading back to the castle walls. Xion, shocked, turned toward the source of the pulse. She hadn't even felt it, let alone been affected by it. And since Sora was just as unharmed as she was, still standing in the middle of the room, she could only guess he hadn't felt it either.
Darkness undulated from above the fountain, forming into a corridor. As the purple and black dome collapsed, it revealed a masked boy standing atop the fountain's beast head with a monochrome Keyblade in his grip.
Ba-bump.
"Vanitas!" Sora shouted, brandishing his Keyblade. Xion's hand flew to her chest as her heart began to speed up. She gulped and called on her own Keyblade, but her hands shook slightly as she held it up. "I didn't expect to see you so early."
"Heh." Vanitas jumped down to floor level and snapped his fingers, paying no attention to Sora. He snapped his fingers and a barrier of hexagons formed in front of the doorway, blocking all their friends off from the entrance hall. Only then did Vanitas respond to Sora. "I bet this is a familiar sight for you, isn't it?"
Sora's gaze lingered on Vanitas's clothing for a moment, then he glared at the opaque mask and grit his teeth, and tightened his grip on the Kingdom Key.
"Sorry to disappoint, but you're not the full reason I'm here. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to tear the life from your body." In a flash Vanitas was right up in front of Sora. He thrust his knee upwards and jabbed Sora in the gut, then slammed his fist hard into Sora's face, sending him flying into the wall. "You damn copycat."
"Vanitas, he's not the one you're after!" Xion shouted, shaking away her fear for the time being. Unfortunately, when the masked boy turned from Sora to her it came right back.
Vanitas laughed, loudly. He shook his head and stretched his legs apart, shifting into his combat stance. "You're right. I had forgotten; guess I just was having too much fun fucking the fake over—just like with that Roxas kid."
Xion's vision flashed white and Vanitas laughed again. Behind him, she saw Sora shake his head to wake back up and climb to his feet. Narrowing her eyes, Xion pointed her Keyblade forward. Her hand still shook, but this time with rage as much as fear.
"You have a problem with me, not my friends!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. "So face me and stop hiding behind that mask of yours!"
Vanitas was silent for a long moment, until at last he laughed again—a chuckle this time, not the maniacal cackling he had shown before. "Fair enough. Well then…"
"Hand over Ventus's heart, little girl."