Chapter 17: Meeting the Lynchpin
Landing at a suburban neighborhood, the air was dank and the sky was cloudy looking as if it was going to rain at any moment and yet it didn't faze me. Heck, unlike others I felt more at home since it looked similar to weather back at Castle Oblivion. Tightening up my hood, I proceeded down the normal albeit boring neighborhood counting down the numbers of the houses till I reached my destination.
"Number 14, Privet Drive," I muttered finding the irony that Death decided to do. "Might as well see what's going on." Quickly entering the building (that was fortunately unlocked) I was surprised to see that it was larger in the inside when compared to the outside.
"I must be imagining things," I thought as I went back outside just to check. Coming back inside, I could tell that whatever is occurring here is unnatural, to say the least.
The room that I entered is similar to the size of the foyer from the Beast's Castle with several stairs leading to the different wings. Several doors led to different areas for the first floor of the castle. Peering in one, the one that I chose at random was the living room.
In this room, a fireplace was located at the center with multiple urns dotting on top of the mantle. Several couches surrounded the area, each the color of sea blue as the cushions while sea green was the covers. The walls themselves were painted an evening purple, with yellow dotting areas similar to stars in the night sky.
"I hope you enjoy this place," said a voice startling me from my observations. Quickly turning around, the only sign that someone was the darkening of the shadows. Yet I knew better.
"So after being trained by Morgana, what exactly is my mission?" I asked as he stepped out of the shadows and leisurely sat down on one of the sofas. His face, much unlike the other times displayed an emotion that I haven't seen from him. His lips quirking as if he was...amused to my questions.
"Your mission on top of linking this world back to the fold is to find the source of darkness that infects this place." He said as I looked at him with my eyebrow raised.
"Isn't this one of your worlds that you personally gave pieces of your blessings? Then why would there be darkness inhabiting here?" I asked already knowing about the Hallows. He sighed as if he expected this question to come up.
"Due to some...fools, they accessed a branch of magic that the guardian of this place attempted to prevent. This caused a doorway of darkness to appear and you can tell the rest." He said as a shiver ran down my spine as Sora's memories of Xehanort's attack on the many worlds came to the forefront.
"Wait wasn't this doorway stopped by Arthur and his men during the battle of Camlann?" I questioned as he nodded but he moved his hand in a rolling motion I then stopped and thought about it for a moment, the idea that Arthur and his sacrifice to stop the darkness was true enough. Yet there was something missing something very important. "The doorway left something behind," I concluded.
"Yes, what we don't know is what it left behind. Whatever it is, it prevents this world from being connected." He said. Laying back even further on the sofa, he seemed deep in thought. "It is also gaining in strength much faster than I like to admit."
After he said this, he seemed to go stock still as if a lightning bolt struck him. Quickly getting up, he disappeared leaving the room to be warmer after he had left.
"What was that all about," I thought as I shook my head. Finding that I could explore the house more in-depth later, I quickly exited and decided to walk around the neighborhood.
However, during this walk, the air felt colder, so cold that the sound of ice cracking was heard. I stopped and realized that whatever is causing this must be nearby. Two flashes of light appeared as my keyblades rested at my hands. So with a determined step, I followed the cold hoping that it would lead to my destination.
I took a deep breath as my Holly and Phoenix feather wand led Prongs to the attacking dementors and yet there was something off. Instead of fleeing as they did during my third year, they seemed to fight it for a few moments before retreating.
This new strategy seemed to work as my Patronus seemed to get dimmer and dimmer from the bright ball down to one that seemed to be a candle. Yet I didn't give up, as I focused all my attention and energy on prongs. However, it was futile as it dissipated leaving me and Dudley to the clutches of the dementors.
"Thundaga!" A voice called out from the entrance to one of the tunnels as a bolt of lightning struck one of the creatures. With a screech, the creatures immediately moved back, allowing for some breathing room. Falling back and sitting down, I looked towards the direction of the voice only to see a girl who seemed to be around my age. The weird thing was that she wore a black trench coat and her blades we're unlike any other that I have seen.
But as I sat observing her, I didn't notice that several more dementors showed up, each one hovering silently.
"I don't know who you are, but grab your friend and run." She said calmly as she looked at the dementors in front of her.
I tried to retort, but I quickly grew silent as one of the dementors flew at incredible speeds towards the newcomer intending on sucking her soul. But something surprising happened.
Within a blink of an eye, her blades flashed in a blur as the dementor stopped in front of her and in a shocking display, it dissipated into wisps of darkness.
"What!" my mind screamed as I watched shocked at what occurred. Dementors, creatures that many wizards have failed to kill dissipated in front of me.
Shrieks of fury broke me out of my stupor as all of them flew at her, intending on avenging their fallen comrade. Yet, she displayed her skill seemingly blocking and dodging their attacks with ease. Eventually, all of them were defeated leaving an unconscious boy, myself, and her as the living beings left here.
"Who are you?" I questioned as she looked at me.
"I'm Xion, you?" She asked
"I'm Harry Potter," I responded.
Exiting out of the portal that led to the many dimensions that I'm connected to, I looked around trying to find the intruder that has managed to find my home. Looking around, it seemed quiet, to quiet for my liking as the spirits that I control would be doing their daily routines still.
"Whoever you are, I warn you that I'm not the being one trifle with so easily," I said, my aura pulsing several times to get the message clear.
"Yes you're the being that one doesn't trifle with so easily, and yet you are stepping very close to the edge of breaking the laws that divide us." said a voice behind me.
Stiffening up, I turn my head in order to confirm my suspicions who it was behind me. Unfortunately, I was correct as an old man stood there, his cloak grey with years of travel. Yet, his eyes shined with amusement as he noted how I seemed displeased at his actions.
"Olorin," I said as he smiled.
"Come now Nome, while I may be a messenger, I still never cared about the most formal of names." said the white wizard as I looked at him, my eyes only twitching with annoyance as he took out a pipe and started smoking pipe weed.
"What do the host need of me? My duties make me stretch out to many Pantheons." I said as he nodded in understanding.
"They don't need you, instead I came here with a message." As he said this, he took a puff from his pipe and allowed many shapes of smoke to come from his mouth. "My message to you is this, watch your back. The darkness has started to affect even the greatest of us." He said continued after taking a few more puffs before looking at me.
"How long before many others fall to darkness as we know it?" I questioned as he sighed.
"As we speak, several worlds will disappear into the darkness, the world that I find myself liking is currently under threat. The only things that are keeping them at bay is the fact that the Valar are keeping vigil but even then it's clear that a new power has arisen after Sauron's fall." He said a sense of sadness filling the room.
"And we have no messengers left on that portion of the planet," I said, frowning at the prospect that middle earth has at facing the threat that's presenting itself.
"If you could perhaps…" Olorin suggested before I cut him off.
"She's not ready, after this world perhaps, but as of right now she will definitely fall," I said as he sighed.
"Then I must take up my mantle as the wanderer again," said Olorin as he stood up from the sofa.
"Then I wish you luck, Gandalf the White," I said as he nodded, his robes shifting to reflect his status before disappearing in a flash of white light.
As I watched the spot that he left, ensuring that he left for good this time, a chess set appeared in front of me. Unlike the regular rules of chess, the board was filled with several queens, bishops, rooks, and knights. The pawns, all ready to do battle against the darkness that is growing on the other side.
Looking at the board one more time, a queen and knight moved together against one of the many kings arrayed on the other side. The other side has already taken a few kings leaving me with far fewer pieces that I would like, but it would have to do.
"Let the games begin." I thought as I watched the many pieces moved independently.
A/N: So yes the next world that is planning to be done is LOTR. Also, Death is not Hades, let's make that clear. He's more akin to Thatanos from the Percy Jackson series where he is responsible to ensure that souls stay on the right side until they are reborn.