A/N: I have reason to fear people will hate me for this chapter. You'll see. You'll have your own opinion. I'll just sit here, cowering in paranoia... Have fun with this 6,5k~ chappy. This chapter was written before my I got hit with a crap ton of work. So, have fun. I'm not very happy with it, the fighting segments are crap, but have fun.
~Storm
Chapter 8
A Last Intro
The plan was simple, get into the Underworld, talk to Hades, get Percy's mom back and ditch the place with the white marbles that the nymph gave him. The plan then resorted to bribery, which Tempest wasn't really fine with, but he let it slide this one time.
When the elevator started moving forwards, that's when he started having second thoughts about following them into the Underworld. All the dead people that surrounded him on the elevator turned boat unnerved him, the lack of emotion and the missing hearts in the souls.
The river the boat was riding upon was full of old, unwanted things, oil, toys, little pieces of plastic floating on the muddy brown/green surface. If Tempest looked a little closer, then he might've seen the dull sheen of forgotten pennies on the bottom of the river.
Grover took hold of Tempest's jacket, holding it in a bunch while shaking uncontrollably. He could taste the trust in the air, no matter the revelations about Tempest's true nature or issues, Grover refused to avoid him like the plague, instead, keeping close to him no matter how Tempest tried to get away.
Tempest let out a sigh and put a hand of the boat's edge.
Something let out a howl, shaking the cavern walls making dust fall from the ceil. Charon let out a chuckle.
"Looks like old three face is hungry, bad luck for you Godlings."
Tempest gave him a questioning look. The boat stopped and the souls started getting off, pushing the others along with them.
"I would wish you luck, mate, " Charon gestured around him, "But there isn't any down here. Mind you, don't forget about my pay raise." He idly counted the gold coins before moving on, humming some unknown tune.
The four followed the robe wearing spirits up a worn path.
_|-w-|_
"I don't know what I was expecting," Percy said, stopping at the entrance of the Underworld. It looked like airport security decided to lend a hand in creating this lineup system, three lines with large signs on top. One large arch held another sign: YOU ARE NOW ENTERING EREBUS.
"What do you figure?" Percy asked Annabeth.
"The fast line must go straight to the Asphodel Fields. No contest. They don't want to risk judgment from the court, because it might go against them.
"There's a court for dead people?"
"Yeah, three judges. They switch around who sits on the bench. King Minos, Thomas Jefferson, Shakespeare- people like that. Something they look at a life and decided that person needs a special- the Fields of Elysium. Sometimes they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. Nothing special, good or bad. So they go to the Asphodel Fields."
"And do what?"
Grover piped up.
"Imagine standing in a wheat field in Kansas, forever."
"Harsh."
"Not as harsh as that. Look." Grover pointed at a couple of black-robbed ghouls pulling aside a spirit. Percy seemed to know the face of the man.
"He's that preacher who made the new, remember?"
"Oh, yeah," Percy said. Tempest was really lost at this point.
"What're they doing to him?"
"Special punishment from Hades. The really bad people get his personal attention as soon as they arrive. The Fur- the Kindly Ones will set up an eternal torture for him." Percy shivered at the thought.
"But if he's a preacher and he believes in a different hell…"
"Who says he's seeing this place the way we're seeing it? Humans see what they want to see. You're very stubborn-er, persistent, that way."
They approached the gates, only to stop in front of one, large, shadowy guardian.
"He's a Rottweiler." Was all Percy had to say. Cerberus was huge, towering over them while transparent drool flowed from his three mouths.
"I'm starting to see him better. Why is that?"
"I think...I'm afraid it's because we're closer to being dead," Annabeth answered. The dog sniffed the air and let out a low growl.
"It can smell the living…" Percy nervously said.
"But that's okay…" Grover whimpered, hiding behind Tempest and using the Armonian as a meat shield. "Because we have a plan."
"Right, a plan." Annabeth trembled. They moved towards the beast, Tempest extremely weary as it was cloaked in darkness like Heartless.
"Can you understand it?" Percy asked Grover.
"Oh yeah, I can understand it."
"What's it saying?"
"I don't think humans have a four-letter word that translates exactly."
"You mean food, right." Tempest idly asked, putting a hand on the sheathed blade handle.
"N-not helping!" Grover stuttered out. Percy materialized a stick from his bag, something that looked like a bedpost.
'This isn't gonna work.'
"Hey, Big Fella. I bet they don't play with you much."
GROWWWLLL!
'This isn't gonna work.'
"Good boy." Percy started waving the stick around.
'This plan is stupid,'
"Fetch!" He threw the bedpost into the river. The huge Rottweiler didn't even budge. It growled again, low, and scornful.
'There goes everything.'
"Um, Percy?" Grover shiver.
"Yeah?"
"I just thought you'd want to know."
"Yeah?"
"Cerberus? He's saying that we've got ten seconds to pray to the god of our choice. After that… well… he's hungry."
"Wait!" Annabeth shouted, rummaging around in her own backpack.
"Five seconds. Do we run?" Grover said, just as Annabeth produced a red rubber ball the size of a grapefruit with the Waterland logo on it. She marched up to Cerberus, fake bravery on her face.
"See this ball? You want the ball, Cerberus? Sit!" She commanded. The huge dog looked stunned, and so was Tempest. Pupils dilated, nostrils flared in in interest. It licked it's three lips, shifted around, then sat right down, crushing a few dozen spirits under him.
"Good boy!" Annabeth complemented it, tossing the ball to it.
"She's causing a distraction," Tempest hissed to Grover and Percy.
"What? We can't just leave her!" Percy protested.
"She knows what she's doing. So come on!" Tempest approached the beast, gave it a look, then walked right through. Cerberus growled in response, only for Annabeth to yell at it.
He waited at the other side, watching as the other three passed through.
"Good boy," Annabeth said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Seems like it really likes you," Tempest remarked, keeping his voice neutral. She talked to the beast a bit more before pushing them through the EZ DEATH gate and triggered a whole bunch of alarms.
They dove behind a huge log of an old, black tree while security ran wild around them.
"Well, Percy, what have we learned today?" Grover muttered.
"That three-headed dogs prefer red rubber balls over sticks?"
"No. We've learned your plans really, really bite!" Grover told him. Percy didn't look convinced, instead, he looked a bit saddened.
Cerberus could be heard whimpering from far away, a melancholy sound that rang above the sirens.
It struck a chord with Tempest, making him feel a bit bad for leaving the hound alone.
_|-w-|_
"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said wistfully. They had been walking around for a little bit now, dodging the patrolling ghouls that came by now and again.
"We'll be okay," Percy said, trying to sound confident.
"Maybe we should search some of the other places first, like Elysium, for instance…"
"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth said, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward. Grover yelped, his shoes sprouting white wings that shot forwards. He landed on his back, flat on the charcoal coloured grass.
"Grover, stop messing around." Annabeth chided.
"But I didn't-" A pulse of a command spell caught Tempest's attention, just as Grover lurched forward again. This time the shoes floated off the ground and started dragging him away from the group.
"Maia!" He shouted. "Maia, already! Nine-one-one! Help!" Tempest jumped forwards, grabbing at Grover's shirt. The magic pulsed in response, darting forwards and downhill.
"Untie the shoes!" Annabeth yelled, running after the runaway satyr.
They ran after him into a darker corridor reeking of darkness that made Tempest start worrying.
"Grover! Hold on to something!"
"What?" The satyr was desperately clinging to anything he grab a hold of, gravel, stalagmites, the smooth stone that surrounded them. The darkness was getting to Tempest, invading his mind with old thoughts. Despite this, he forged on.
"Woah!" he skidded to a stop just before falling in a hole that glowed red at the bottom.
"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth tugged the petrified teen who was staring wide-eyed at the chasm.
"But that's-"
"I know! The place you described in your dream! But Grover's going to fall if it's just Tempest grabbing on to him!"
Tempest had caught Grover's hand, fighting against the magical shoes that threatened to pull them into the ominous hole in the ground.
"Shake 'em off!" Tempest told Grover. One shoe flew off, diving right into the pit while it's twin continued its command.
Tempest summoned his Keyblade then stabbed it into the ground.
"Grab hold!" Grover obeyed. Percy and Annabeth rushed over and pried the other shoe off, watching as it too dove into the pit. Tempest just sat down on the gravel ridden ground, leaving the Keyblade there stuck in the rock. The four sat there in silence for a good while.
"I don't know how...I didn't…" Grover panted, shivering in fear. Tempest casted a weak Cure over him to relieve him of some of his cuts and bruises.
"Wait. Listen." Tempest wanted to fold in on himself when Percy said those words. The whispering was what made him shiver though.
"Wh-what's that noise?"
"Tartarus." Annabeth informed them, "The entrance to Tartarus."
Percy uncapped a pen, transforming it into a sword, glowing pure against the angry red of the pit. A breeze exited the pit, with it a huge blast of darkness.
'It's been here for a long time,' Tempest though. 'No one's gonna remove this one in a long time.'
"We should leave," Tempest said quietly, almost a whisper. He pulled his Keyblade out of the ground and let it return to the pocket dimension. "I don't think we are meant to be here yet."
Stunned face watched as he turned to leave the tunnel, shocked because they had never truly seen Tempest act this way. Never this protective as it was either just rough pulling or he just acted on his own while giving commands. He never spoke this quietly, as if he were truly afraid of this place.
And he had a reason too. A reason that came from his Master.
_|-w-|_
They passed Persephone's garden, walking right up to Hades' gates. The guards parted and they hesitantly went through.
"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon. After what you have done to me, very brave indeed/ Or perhaps you are simply very foolish." Hades was sitting upon a throne of ivory white bones, fused together into a monstrous thing.
Percy shook slightly as he stepped forward.
"Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests." The albino God raised an eyebrow. His clothes shimmered with the faces of damned souls, faces all twisted in permanent torment.
"Only two requests? Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet." Percy swallowed, his eyes wandering the grand hall. Annabeth coughed, poking Percy in the back to get him back on track.
"Lord Hades. Look, sir, there can't be a war among gods. It would be...bad."
'Bad is an understatement. Catastrophe is more like it."
"Really bad." Grover echoed.
"Return Zeus' master bolt to me. Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."
The amount of power that radiated off of Hades made Tempest cringe.
"You dare keep up this pretense, after what you have done?" Percy gave a 'What now?', turning back to his friends for info only to see they were as confused as he was.
"Um… Uncle. You keep saying 'after what you've one.' What exactly have I done?" The room shook when those words left Percy's mouth. Dust fell from the ceil and Tempest almost tripped over nothing. Doors burst open and a skeletal army poured out of them. They lined the walls and blocked off all exits.
"Do you think I want war, godling?" The Lord of the Dead bellowed, rocking the room further.
"You are the Lord of the Dead," Percy said slowly, choosing his words carefully, "A war would expand your kingdom, right?"
"A typical thing for my brothers to say!" Hades spat, "Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of the Asphodel Fields?"
"Well…"
"Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I've had to open?!" Percy looked like he was about to say something, only to be cut off by Hades' rant.
"More security ghouls. Traffic problems at the judgement pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!"
"Charon wanted a pay raise," Percy blurted out, covering out his mouth in regret afterwards.
"Don't get me started on Charon! He's been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I've got to handle it all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. NO, godling. I need no help getting subjects. I did not ask for this war."
"But you took Zeus' master bolt."
"Lies!" Hades had risen from his throne. "Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan."
"His plan?"
"You were the thief on the winter solstice. Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus. You took the master bolt and my helm. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helm back!"
"But…" Annabeth paused, "Lord Hades, your helm of darkness is missing, too?"
"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You, that satyr and that...beast have been helping his hero- coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt- to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"
"No! Poseidon didn't-I didn't-"
"I have said nothing of the helm's disappearance because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you."
"You didn't try to stop us? But-"
"Return my helm now, or I will stop death. That is my counterproposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson-your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades." The soldiers took a step in from the wall.
"You're as bad as Zeus." Percy spat, suddenly very displeased with the god. "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"
"Of course,"
"And the other monsters?"
Hades peeled back his lip in disgust.
"I had nothing to do with them. I wanted to no quick death for you- I wanted you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?"
"Easily?"
"Return my property!"
"But I don't have your helm. I came for the master bolt."
"Which you already possess! You came here with it, little fool, thinking you could threaten me!"
"But I didn't!"
"Open your pack then."
Percy paled, shaking in realization as he slipped the bag off his shoulders. He unzipped the bag and slowly produced a bronze and glass canister. It hummed with power, filling the entire room with its aura.
"Percy…How?" Annabeth said, confused.
"I-I don't know. I don't understand."
"You heroes are always the same. Your pride makes you foolish, thinking you could bring such a weapon before me. I did not ask for Zeus' master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now… my helm. Where is it?"
Tempest numbly walked over to the bag, stuck his hand in it.
"There is no helm…" Tempest said quietly, so no one else could hear him, not even the god in the room.
"Lord Hades, wait. This is all a mistake."
"A mistake?!" Hades roared, the skeleton in the room all aimed their ranged weapons. The Furies had appeared, flapping above the ivory throne.
"There is no mistake. I know why you have come- I know the real reason you brought the bolt. You came to bargain for her."
Hades summoned a golden ball of fire into the palm of his hand and threw it in front of Percy, immediately morphing into the shape of a woman seemingly being squeezed to death as she yelled to something far away.
Percy reached out to touch her, only to recoil as the light burned him.
"Yes, I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson, that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helm, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change."
Percy stood still, only his hand moved, fiddling with the pearls in his pocket.
"Ah, the pearls," Hades said, making Percy freeze. "Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson."
His hand jerked out, four marbles glistening in his palm.
"Only four. What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind and spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."
Percy turned to face the others.
"We were tricked," He said grimly, "Set up."
"Yes, but why? And the voice in the pit-"
"I don't know yet. But I intend to ask."
"Decide, boy!" Hades commanded, getting impatient.
"Percy," Grover put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "You can't give him the bolt."
"I know that."
"Leave me here. Use the fourth pearl on your mom."
"No!"
"I'm a satyr. We don't have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he won't get me forever. I'll just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It's the best way." Grover said.
"No," Annabeth said, drawing out her knife. "You guys go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting."
"No way, I'm staying behind." Grover stubbornly said.
"Think again, goat boy."
Tempest turned to the undecided boy, holding the pearls in shaking hands.
"Time to choose, the last sacrifice. And you shall fail to save what mattered most, in the end." He didn't know where the last part came from, something prodding the back of his mind made him spill the words. Whatever it was, it made Percy steel his resolve.
"Stop it, both of you!" He broke up the fight, making to two freeze. Percy placed a pearl in each of their hands, then turned to Tempest and gave him one too.
"But, Percy…" Annabeth said, looking at the pearl. The boy had turned to face the frozen face of his mother.
"I'm sorry. I'll be back. I'll find a way." Hades' smirk had faded, replaced by a look of uncertainty.
"Godling…?"
"I'll find your helm, Uncle. I'll return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise."
"Do not defy me-"
"And it wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls."
"Percy Jackson, you will not-"
"Now, guys!" Four pearls were crushed simultaneously. For a second, nothing happened.
"Destroy them! Especially the Keybearer!" Hades howled. Everything in the room burst with movement, the sounds of guns cocking, the scraping sounds of swords escaping their sheaths and the crackling flames of the Furies whips.
Tempest equipped his glider and curled up, using the wings as a shield was the skeletons opened fire. Nothing happened, only the clicking of bullets hitting the ground.
"Look up!" Grover shouted. Tempest cracked open his eyes only the see the semi-transparent surface of a bubble. He was floating, which didn't help his current panicked state. "We're going to crash!"
'Wake me up when it's all over,' Tempest thought, closing his eyes again.
"How do you control these things?"
"I don't think you do!"
The others burst into hysterics. Then it all stopped. There was a whole lot of nothing for a few seconds.
Then the bubble burst and Tempest was suddenly wet. He spluttered in the water, using his wing to propel him up. He wasn't one to swim, so he thought of it like flying.
Percy was helping the others onto a life buoy while Tempest leaped out of the water into the air. A shark was circling Percy.
"Beat it," the boy told it, clearly not in the mood for this. The shark darted away. He turned to Tempest.
"We need to have a little chat with someone." He told the Armonian simply.
_|-w-|_
Tempest flew himself to the shore, the others were picked up by the coastal guard. He meant them at the pier with towels draped over their shoulders and water bottles. Tempest himself had dried himself using a little Fire spell and a little aerial maneuvering that he wouldn't be attempting again anytime soon.
He followed them onto the beach. Grover was comforting Percy, most likely from what he couldn't do.
"I don't believe it. We went all that way-" Annabeth started.
"It was a trick." Percy said, voice devoid of emotion, "A strategy worthy of Athena."
"Hey," Annabeth warned.
"Guys," Tempest said, completely disinterested in this little spat.
"Sorry, but you get it, don't you?"
"Yeah, I get it."
"Well, I don't!" Grover suddenly shouted, "Would some-"
"Don't," Tempest coldly shut him up. "Now's not the time."
"Percy… I'm sorry about your mother. I'm so sorry."
"The prophecy was right. 'You shall face the god who has turned'. But it wasn't Hades. Hades didn't want the war among the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus' master bolt, and Poseidon will get blamed by both sides. By sundown today, there will be a three-way war. And I'll have caused it."
"But who would be that sneaky? Who would want a war that bad?"
'Alliteration.' Percy stopped mid-step.
"Gee, let me think," Percy said sarcastically, looking down at the beach below them. It was a familiar biker with a metal bat propped on his shoulder.
"Hey, kid," Ares sneered, looking genuinely pleased to see Percy, "You were supposed to die."
"You tricked me," Percy said, making Tempest flinch. He was the only one who could see the magic used on the backpack, and he failed to relay that to the others. "You stole the helm and the master bolt."
"And I didn't even notice," Tempest muttered dejectedly.
"It's not your fault," Annabeth said, watching on as Percy confronted the war god.
"I never said that is was…"
"You're giving the notion that is was."
"If I just noticed, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Don't kick yourself down so much," Grover cut in, "Everything will be fine in the end, right?"
"In the future, yes. The past? You'll need a time machine." Tempest said cryptically.
"Where were you before you came to camp anyways?" Annabeth asked, "All I got from you was a cryptic answer and a finger to the sky. I refuse to believe you're an alien, by the way."
"I-I don't think this is the time," Tempest admitted, frustrating Annabeth.
"The helm of darkness," Grover spouted, after seeing the helmet on Ares' motorcycle handle.
Ares continued to rant about war and sure, so much so that it made Tempest think he was under brain control or something.
Then the god went into a trance. That sort of ticked him off. Sort of.
More yapping. More this or that… then a fight breaks out with Ares summoning his pet boar and the Heartless surrounding the others.
"Damn!" Tempest growled, calling out his Keyblade and unsheathing the bronze blade. Annabeth got into a fighting position and Grover just hid in the middle of the two.
"What are these again?"
"Heartless. Strike fast, not deep!"
"I want an explanation about everything after this!"
"Fine! If we don't die, that is." Tempest demolished half of the forces with an Asure Fira spell only to have an Air Soldier latch onto his face.
"ACK!"
"GET OFF!" Grover stomped on the Heartless, effectively dissipating the creature while stepping on Tempest's snout. "Sorry!"
"It's fine!" Tempest said, kicking a Mega Shadow away with his feet before springing back up. "Blizzard!"
He pushed the other two out of the ring of Heartless. "Go help Percy!" was his command before being buried by the dark beasts.
"Tempest!"
Said Armonian bursts up without his armour on and glider equipped with a scowl on his face. A pillar of Heartless followed him in the air, constantly being blasted away with Fire-based spells.
The other two, now reassured of his safe, go to Percy's aid.
Tempest dived head first into the pillar, summoning Chris' Keyblade as a nose to plow through the swarm. The Shadows all fall onto the ground, swarming to recreate the pillar.
"Not so fast!" Tempest declared, lighting Chris' Keyblade on fire before flinging it at the growing mound of Heartless, burning the rest of them.
He lands back onto the ground, only to collapse face first onto the ground, the adrenaline wearing off fast.
A bright light catches his attention, only for it to die away before anything could happen.
"H-hey," Grover said, crouching over an unmasked Tempest. "You okay?"
"Just great," Tempest weakly joked, flipping his hood on. "Just really tired. Gimme a sec."
Percy and Annabeth approached him, one leaning down and patting his head.
"Huh, fluffy," Percy remarked.
"What the heck," Tempest said, mildly annoyed as Percy continued to pat him.
"Percy," Annabeth facepalmed, "That's wrong on so many levels." Tempest, regaining some energy, batted the boy's hand away.
"We have the bolt, now what?" Tempest asked, still on the ground.
"We have to get to New York," Percy declared, "By tonight."
"You're insane."
"Says the lizard man,"
"I'm a dragon."
"If we are to get there by tonight, then we'd have to-" Annabeth cut in.
"Fly. Planes." Percy confirmed.
"Which is suicide for a son of Poseidon," Annabeth stated. "And you're carrying a weapon that has more destructive force power than a nuclear bomb."
"Which is stupid," Tempest said, putting a hand on the side of his head. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah. I'm sure."
_|-w-|_
After some acting from Percy's part, they raised enough for three people. Tempest had to use some of his own munny to pay for his seat, which he begrudgingly gave.
They filed into the plane and took to their seats. Annabeth immediately started talking with Tempest, picking up the topic of where he was from.
"I'm technically not allowed to tell you where I came from, so I thought just pointing at the sky would be enough to stop you from asking..." Tempest admitted, putting a hand on his neck. He was wearing his armour again as it made him feel a little bit better around people. "So I'll just give you an abridged version so you don't go insane or something…"
"Why would I go insane just because of some knowledge? I don't like people underestimating me."
"Well, just don't go telling everyone, or a Keyblade Master is going to come to get me."
"Okay. Fine. Just tell me already."
"Let's start with this world," Tempest took out a new leatherbound notebook and opened it to the first page. He drew a small circle in the bottom left corner, labelling it 'here'. "This world is what is called an Outer World. Keyblade Wielders, what people who carry Keyblades like me are called, rarely visit these worlds because of their closeness to the border Darkness. Even though they are supposed to protect all worlds."
He coloured the edges of the page greyish black with the words 'darkness' written in it.
"So, why is the Darkness so bad?" Annabeth asked.
"You're asking me if poison is a cure." Tempest deadpanned. "It's what Heartless are made of, Darkness and the Heart. T-the metaphorical heart that is. Everyone has one. Think of it as a combination of Light and Darkness."
"You're a horrible teacher."
"I know… Anyways, there's also the Inner Worlds and the Core Worlds. The Core Worlds are made up of worlds that are inhabited by the Seven Princess of Light. I don't know what they do, so don't ask. The Inner Worlds are usually safer since they are closer to the centre of light. But most are being swallowed by darkness nowadays." He drew in his descriptions, crossing out some Inner Worlds.
"I've been commanded by my...Master to find some scraps of paper."
"Isn't your job to protect?"
"It is, but there's another Keyblade wielder somewhere doing to job for me, so yeah. Any problems other than my really messy explanation?"
"Is there a difference between Outer Worlds and Inner/Core Worlds?"
"Well… Outer Worlds are usually more complicated, sometimes having more than just one dimension, different planets or just straight up being a whole universe with an infinite amount of planets being generated. I also should mention the Core World. It's actually really unique, being it has only one dimension and is constantly covered in a powerful veil that blocks it off from the rest of Gummi space."
"Okay…" Annabeth went quiet for a few moments, taking in the new information. "Tell me more about the Keyblades."
"Keyblade users are meant to maintain the balance between light and darkness. Each blade is unique for each Keybearer. Well, the first blade that is. The blades can transform into different forms like what is called a 'Keyblade Glider'. It's basically elaborate space faring devices, like my wings or a hoverboard to name a few."
"What about that magic you constantly use?"
"Oh, that. It's just a tool. Normal people can learn it too, but there's a steep learning curve for people who aren't Keybearers or aren't exposed to other worlds. And no, I'm not bringing you anywhere."
"Okay...let me think about all this…"
"Alright." Tempest hesitantly said, hoping nothing bad will come of this conversation. He closed the book and clicked the pen closed. He shoves it back into the ether with his katana blade. Metal detectors are such a pain.
They sat in silence for the rest of the flight, somewhere along the way Tempest fell asleep.
_|-w-|_
Annabeth had lured away the reporters, allowing to others to fetch their things at the baggage claim. It was a relief to see Annabeth up and doing things after that conversation. Tempest fully expected for her to go insane after the bomb he just dropped on her. Or maybe she's just hiding it… nah. She even came over and reassured him that nothing bad happened from it.
They split up at the taxi station, Tempest deciding to follow Percy to the Empire State building.
"Protection" was his excuse. They got off at the front doors, walking inside the building.
"I'll wait on the ground floor," Tempest told Percy, who nodded. Tempest found a place to stand.
Percy approached the guard at the front desk and said, "Six hundredth floor."
"No such floor, kid."
"I need an audience with Zeus."
"Sorry?"
"You heard me."
A moment of silence. Percy looked ready to book it.
"No appointment, no audience, kiddo. Lord Zeus doesn't see anyone unannounced."
"Oh, I think he'll make an exception." Percy slipped off the backpack, unzipped it and allowed the guard to take a look. The guard paled at the sight of the master bolt.
"That isn't…"
"Yes, it is. You want me to take it out and-"
"No! No!" The guard jerked back into his seat, opened a drawer and hastily passed a keycard to Percy. "Insert this in the security slot. Make sure nobody else is in the elevator with you."
Percy waved to Tempest before entering an elevator. The guard seemed to relax after the conversation, walking out of the hall into a side room. No one was in the hall anymore, just Tempest.
He left the spot he was standing, walking over to the large plate depicting the tower in all its glory. It was emitting some magic, the stuff flowing out of it like a leaky pipe.
'Are you what I think you are…?' Tempest wondered, taking another look around to confirm he was alone.
Taking a wide stance, he summoned the serpent-headed Keyblade in his right hand, it's tip pointed at the plate. The wind roared to life around him, time in the room seemingly freezing as a keyhole-like a shape formed on the metal plate.
Tempest had to put his other hand on the blade to keep it steady as it shot a beam of light into the keyhole's void-like interior.
The keyhole then burst with light, the wind dying and time seemed to continue. The keyblade tip dropped to the ground, a keychain popping out of the fading keyhole.
He let the keyblade return to the ether and picked up the keychain.
'I didn't know they were created this way…' Tempest thought, awestruck. The keychain looked like it was made of casted brass, a trident positioned over a shield with a tiny set of reed pipes beside it.
Hearing the guard come back, he dismissed the blade and shoved the chain into the pocket. As the guard took a seat in the chair just as Tempest exited the building.
He would wait outside.
.
.
.
Tempest got bored. So food was an acceptable distraction. When Percy returned in a daze, he was holding a sandwich. The boy dragged Tempest to his mom's house, for some reason.
"Are you sure about this?" Tempest asked, standing in the hallway. Percy rang the doorbell.
"Yeah," Percy said, "She's pretty friendly." The door flew open and a women smelling of sweets darted out and crushed Percy in a hug.
"Percy! Oh, thank goodness. Oh, my baby." Tempest just stepped a little farther to give them space. She started crying, making Tempest more uncomfortable with the situation.
They swapped stories, all of it including the Heartless incidents.
She turned to Tempest and thanked him.
"U-uh, n-no problem," Tempest said, flustered. Percy walked over and flipped up his helmet without his permission. "Hey!"
"He's a lizard too, as an added bonus," Percy added cheerfully.
"I'm a dragon! Get it right!"
"Where're your wings then? How about your tail?"
"I-I, pffft, I don't know!"
After the little fiasco, he introduced him to Sally. She took note of his lack of a last name.
"...I'm an orphan. No one wants a child that looked like a demon back where I came from."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"No, it's fine. I'm over it. Found someone who did except me, so it's all fine now."
Before anything else could be said, a gruff voice exited the apartment door.
"Hey, Sally! That meatloaf is done yet or what?" Percy gritted his teeth upon hearing that voice.
'Some history…'
"He isn't going to be happy to see you, Percy. The store got half a million phone calls today from Los Angeles… something about free appliances."
"Oh, yeah… about that…"
"Just don't make him angrier, all right? Come on."
"I think I'll think right here," Tempest said before turning to Percy, "I'll meet you downstairs."
Percy gave him a thumbs up before entering the apartment room. True to his word, Tempest descended down the stairs and waited for the boy there.
He leaned against the wall and flipped open the old journal.
Entry #14
Xehanort has a thing for these Outer Worlds. They all seem darker than any of the Core Worlds and much bigger. And have weirder rules and… interesting things their world revolves around. Things like card games and giant space cats or just… cats in general. I wonder what stories I can accumulate in my travels…
Entry #15
Murderer. Pink murderer. I don't know anymore. This world is weird. Really really random, pink blood.
Entry #16
Someone got trigger happy and turned a bunch of angels to stone. We didn't stay there for long, just took some stone samples and ditched the place. That place was loaded with darkness, only a speck of light remained. It was a heart, but Xehanort dragged me away before I could do anything stupid.
On the bright side, Xehanort did show me a beautiful sunset in a new world. An island. He did leave me there for a reason, saying he had other stuff to do.
I didn't argue with him, after all, that place was quite calming. Maybe I'll visit it again in the future.
Entry #17
Training is stupidly hard. Or is it the fact I'm more attuned to Wind magic then Fire? I don't know! I don't care! I want to burn stuff… ok, that sounds wrong…. Ah, whatever.
Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I better do something productive before Xehanort starts scolding me again for being lazy.
Saki`s Letters #5
Dear Chris,
I LEARNED FIRE, I WILL NOW BURN MOUNTAINS TO IT'S PLACE AHAHAHAHAH! Saki, fire is the weakest of all fire spells. I don't care. Kage learned Sleep…[it's dumb] well that's it! I'll get you caught up on our side! That is if you're getting these...
Saki
Hearing the footsteps running down the stairs, he closed the journal with a hollow clap. He smiled sadly under his helmet.
'Guess my time here is over…'
Edit: I'M FUKING SCREAMING. HAVE YOU SEEN THAT NEW TRAILER? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-
"mmmm, no. I'm taking over for the time being.
So Storm is having a mental break down, so I, Tempest, will have to take over for the time being."
*Crash*
"He's also throwing things... Anyways, the Final battle trailer came out and Storm cannot handle a little bit of screaming"
IT WASN'T JUST ANYONE! IT WAS-
"NO, SHUT UP. Good.
So, I'm going to solve this mess. Have a nice day, wait for the next chapter for replies."
-Tempest