Authors Note
Well, here's the next chapter! A long as wait, I know. But thats what happens when Uni becomes a thing! :) Reviews are appreciated as always guys!
Riku and Mickey reached the entrance to the Cave of Wonders and immediately the silver haired boy felt his survival instincts kick into overdrive. Even here, in a Realm literally saturated in Darkness, he could smell the stench of a Heart wrapped in ill intent. He summoned his Keyblade and brought it up protectively, noting that Mickey did the same although the King had a confused expression on his face.
"Whats wrong Riku?" Mickey asked, looking around.
"We're not alone." Riku said, glaring into the darkened entrance of the Cave of Wonders. Pointing his weapon forth, he growled. "Show yourself!"
"Oh very well." A cultured male voice replied, Jafar stepping out of the shadows with a smirk on his face. The man was unusually disheveled, his robes torn and his turban missing. His black hair fell freely, the string like strands falling across his face. He was also missing his staff. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, boy."
"Jafar." Riku narrowed his eyes, letting his sword arm fall to his side but staying on alert. "Are you the one that's behind Agrabah falling to the Darkness?"
"Partially..." Jafar replied, drawing out the 'y' sound and smacking his lips. "A man in a black coat summoned the Heartless to my world and left them to it. With the position of their master vacant, I simply stepped in and took over. The Heart of the world is an irritatingly resilient thing."
"Where is the rest of Agrabah?" Mickey demanded.
"Oh... I got rid of all that." Jafar waved his hand dismissively and peered out from his hair. "I've peeled away the outer layers. Now the core is all that remains."
"Monster!" Riku growled and leaped towards the sorcerer with his weapon raised.
Way to the Dawn swung down to the spot where Jafar had been standing, but the former Vizier side stepped at the last moment with a sly chuckle. Growling again the young Keyblade Master swung upwards in a diagonal arc that was meant to cut across the older males chest but again Jafar dodged, this time by taking a step backwards. His smirk intact, Jafar raised his hand towards the ground and moments later Pureblood Neoshadows pulled themselves up from the depths of the Realm of Darkness at the behest of their new master.
As Riku and Mickey covered one another's backs to hold of the savage creatures, Jafar disappeared back into the entrance of the cave with a smug string of laughter following him. The two Keyblade Masters cut down their enemies quickly, their movements perfectly synced as always and soon enough they were once again alone at the mouth of the Cave of Wonders. Letting their weapons disappear, Riku stepped towards the entrance but looked down as Mickey grabbed his hand.
"Riku, slow down." The King cautioned, releasing the boys hand. "We need to think this through. He wants us to follow him."
"And? You heard him! He's destroying what remains of Agrabah!" Riku tore his hand away and proceeded into the mouth of the cave. With a sigh, Mickey followed behind.
Kairi summoned Destiny's Embrace but was still too slow as Sephiroth had already crossed the distance. Instead of attacking her however, she watched as the silver haired man moved past her and brought his weapon up to clash with another in a resounding slam that shook the entire library. Spinning around, Kairi noticed it was a man in one of the Organizations coats with the hood pulled up and a rather large and strange looking weapon grasped in his hands. It was like a sword but the business end was expanded into a circular shape with seven points sticking out around it.
"Who are you?" Sephiroth demanded, holding his ground seemingly casually.
"Get out of the way." The Organization members voice was low, almost monotone.
"I suppose I'll just have to make you talk." Sephiroth chuckled dryly before pushing the man back several steps with a single shove.
Kairi watched in amazement as Sephiroth went on the attack. He seemed to blink in and out of existence, appearing behind the Organization member, then to the side, then in front, finally above. Each time she blinked, Sephiroth was in a different area attacking the enemy. However, the Organization member seemed to be able to keep up. He was defending against each strike and not faltering under the strength of the swordsman's blows. Realizing she should probably do something, Kairi took a step forward but was stopped by a brief, fierce glare shot in her direction by Sephiroth. He wanted her to stay back.
Suddenly, the Organization member switched to the attack and with one blow Sephiroth was sent flying only to flip backwards. The silver haired angel landed gracefully as always, a smirk crossing his face. The Organization member let out another growl and jumped forth, their weapons clashing once more. This time however, Kairi noticed that Sephiroth was pushed back several centimeters by the force of his enemies blow. Sephiroth had apparently had enough by this point and dashed to the side before kicking the Organization member solidly in the head. The black coated male was sent spiraling into a nearby bookcase, then another and another.
"Pathetic." Sephiroth stated, before raising his sword to deflect several bolts aimed at his torso.
"I told you it was a bad idea to go after her with him in the way." Braig stated, holding his unique crossbows in each hand. He locked gazes with Kairi, his single yellow eye resembling a predator spotting its prey. "Hi there princess."
"You!" Kairi cried, raising her weapon defensively and glaring at him.
"You know these two?" Sephiroth questioned, stepping protectively in front of her.
"They're members of Master Xehanorts Organization!" Kairi informed the man, glancing over to the pile of broken bookcases and literature where the other male was getting up. His hood had come off revealing shoulder length blue hair, an x shaped scar between his eyes and yellow irises the same as Braig.
"We can take them together." Isa growled, stepping through the wreckage confidently.
"Maybe..." Braig said thoughtfully before the door flew open.
Lea and Aeleus dashed in with their weapons already drawn, obviously alerted by the quakes created through Sephiroth and Isa's previous clash. Braig spun and fired off several shots which caused the two to split up and dive to either side. As Braig continued to fire at Lea, Isa leaped towards Aeleus and the two former allies clashed. They seemed to be evenly matched in terms of strength and neither showed any signs of backing down. Meanwhile, Lea seemed to be having some mild difficulty as he couldn't get close to Braig.
Letting out a sigh, Sephiroth teleported to Braigs location in an attempt to catch him off guard. The man with an eyepatch seemed to know he was coming and twisted out of the way of his foot, aiming one of his weapons at Sephiroths chest and firing several times. The one winged angel was caught full in the chest by at least seven bolts and seemed to be stunned, his head falling forward and his hair obscuring his face. Braig offered a triumphant smirk and dodged a slash from Lea's keyblade, firing both of his weapons rapidly at the flame affiliated male.
"Sephiroth, are you alright!?" Kairi ran towards the male but skidded to a halt as he held up his free hand in a cautionary motion.
"You think that this is enough to stop me...?" Sephiroth stood up straight suddenly, power exploding outwards from him. The whole building began to shake under the pressure, catching the attention of all the people in the room. Kairis mouth dropped open and she took a step backwards due to the intensity. The mans black wing had expanded to its full length and his eyes held a dangerous gleam to them. "This is your last chance to leave before I break you."
"Probably a good idea." Braig stated, kicking Lea away and diving through a Door to the Darkness.
"You're not leaving!" Aeleus cried, frantically attacking Isa with his axe.
"Isa!" Lea yelled, pointing the tip of his Keyblade towards his friend. The blue haired man fended off Aeleus but was clearly listening. "Stop this! Shake off Xehanorts influence before you lose yourself!"
"Idiots..." Isa muttered, leaping away from Aeleus and summoning a Door to the Darkness behind himself before stepping through. "The future is already written."
"No!" Lea reached out to where he had been standing but Isa was already gone. Letting his Keyblade disappear, he stared down at the ground with his shoulders tensed.
"'Lea..." Kairi said gently, walking over to her friend and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll get him back. I promise."
"We should consult Merlin about this intrusion. Perhaps he can cast a spell that will keep them from getting in again." Aeleus stated, heading for the door.
"Are you coming Lea?" Kairi asked softly.
"Y-yeah." Lea replied, turning with his usual bright smile. But this time it didn't reach to his eyes.
"Sephiroth?" Kairi turned to face the man who had fallen silent.
"... I will remain here." Sephiroth stated, walking to the window and staring out of it.
"Okay." Kairi said and headed for the door alongside Lea.
Riku jumped to the side as several spikes drove downwards from the ceiling, eyes narrowed in frustration. Ever since entering the Cave of Wonders, there had been no shortage of booby traps and he was honestly over it. Luckily, both him and Mickey had great reflexes and were on their guard so they had yet to be harmed. It was supremely clear to them both that Jafar did not want them getting any further into the building to stop his plan. Which of course meant that the Warriors of Light needed to do just that to restore balance.
They entered a narrow corridor, which was lit up by torches like all the others. They walked in silence for some time, Rikus determination slowly mixing in with anger. He could feel the warmth in his chest, threatening to spiral out of control at any moment and guilt began to seep into his being. He knew he shouldn't feel this way, that he had fought so hard to find a balance and to stick to that balance. But being in the Realm of Darkness was always a gamble. It brought out the worst parts of a person, played on their greatest fears and regrets. Riku was just unlucky enough for his greatest fear to be directly related to the Darkness itself.
"We'll stop him Riku." Mickey spoke up, his voice a beacon in the darkness.
"What if we can't? What happens to a Princess of Heart if her world is completely destroyed?" Riku questioned, clenching his fists in anger. "We can't afford to lose Jasmine. If we are down even one Princess of Light, the worlds will fall to the Darkness."
"That won't happen." Mickey tried again, looking up to the boy before reminding him of their past. "Jafar has been beaten before."
"Only after I stopped helping him..." Riku felt his guilt swell up inside him once more and flashed back to his last time on Agrabah, letting out a sorrowful breath. "All of this is happening now because I wasn't strong enough to resist the Darkness."
"Ya can't blame yourself for something like that." Mickey's tone was suddenly stern. It was strange for Riku to hear him like that.
"But..." Riku began but bit his tongue as Mickey stopped walking and stared at him.
"Its not your fault that ya were manipulated by Maleficent. Ya we're just a kid after all." The Kings words were sure and clear, his position as royalty showing through. "Master Xehanort has been causing trouble since long before ya were born. Your failings in the past don't matter. What matters is that you're here, trying to make a difference now."
"I guess..." Riku replied, looking down.
"The boy is right. This is his fault." Jafars voice came from the shadows and both Keyblade wielders summoned their weapons.
"Shut up!" Riku growled, looking for their enemy.
"Don't listen to him Riku, he's trying to play with your mind." Mickeys calm tone had a similar effect on Riku and the boy nodded.
"It seems I will have to separate the two of you." Jafar chuckled and the torches went out, leaving them in complete darkness.
"Wha-" Mickey protested and Riku felt his friend disappear.
"Mickey!? Riku reached out for where his friend had been standing but found nothing. He called his name a couple more times without reply before raising his weapon and charging through the Darkness. "Give me back my friend!"
Soras blue eyes snapped open and he sat up rapidly, his gaze darting around as he tried to figure out where he was. Memories flooded back to him in waves that made his head spin and he raised a hand to it with a groan and was shocked to find it was bandaged up. Pain began to race through his body at the same time, making it a very uncomfortable awakening. He heard a voice in the back of his mind, whispering to him.
"I told you I could help." The voice was almost seductive. "Now you must bear the cost of my assistance."
"That wasn't me..." Sora muttered, staring down at the white blanket pulled across his legs. The voice let out a soft chuckle before speaking again.
"Perhaps not currently. But it was a taste of what you could be." Sora couldn't place it, but the voice sounded so familiar.
"I... I attacked Ignis." Sora swallowed thickly, trying to process everything.
"And it felt good." If the voice could smirk, Sora felt that was what it would be doing.
"Leave me alone!" Sora cried out, his head snapping up and his eyes wide with panic. Ignis, who had just stepped in, raised his hands up it a submissive gesture.
"Sora it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you." Ignis said, his words spoken slowly and softly.
"..." Sora stared at the Keyblade Master for a few moments before letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. His eyes filled with regret as he spoke up. "I'm sorry..."
"It's alright. Definitely got a good workout in at least." Ignis chuckled before settling down at the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Everything hurts." Sora groaned before recognition flashed in his eyes. "Donald and Goofy!"
"Are fine." Ignis replied. "Some relative of Hercules arrived to heal them."
"Thank goodness." Sora smiled for the first time since waking up, relieved that his friends were safe.
"Has... that happened before?" Ignis questioned, some hesitation in his tone.
"Only once." Sora looked away in shame. "It was on the World that Never Was. Riku and Kairi were in danger and.. I don't really remember what happened."
"You know that was Pure Darkness right?" Ignis tone was grave and his expression serious. "The fact that you can summon that level of corrupt power is terrifying. It shouldn't be possible, not when you claim to fight for the Light."
"I don't know how I did it." Sora raised a hand to his chest as a throb of pain ran through it and he winced. "My chest hurts."
"Your Heart will be trying to recover." Ignis informed him. "Sora, you should be dead."
"What!?" Soras eyes widened and his gaze moved upwards to lock with the other males.
"Darkness is something that takes years of practice to Master. The strain it takes on a persons body and Heart is far beyond that of the Light." Ignis explained, his brows furrowed in confusion over the matter. "But to become completely enveloped in it? You claim to have lost all of your power but then pull that out in a moment of desperation. Obviously you can feel the effects on your body, the Darkness was eating you alive. It was like a completely different person had entered the fight."
"I understand... I think." Sora nodded, frowning slightly. "But why should I be dead?"
"Because you have a heart aligned with the Light. The longer you were in that form, the more it would have fed on your Heart's essence." Ignis shook his head. "I guess we won't know it's full effects on you until you heal. If you heal."
"Whadya mean 'if'?" Sora narrowed his eyes and pouted.
"Forget I said that." Ignis replied, waving the topic off. "I'm sure you'll be fine."
Sora watched the older male silently as his green eyes clouded over in thought. They were strangers to one another and yet, Sora felt like he could trust the apparent Keyblade Master. Despite the strange things he said and the fact he had no idea what was going on, Ignis clearly had a good heart and that was all that mattered. The orange haired male caught his gaze and raised an eyebrow.
"Admiring my handsome face?" Ignis smirked.
"No!" Sora protested immediately. "I was just thinking about where everyone is."
"They were all out in the arena when I left. Hercules was not happy with my report of what happened." Ignis stood up and glanced down at Sora. "Lets go find them. You need a hand?"
"I'm fine." Sora clenched his teeth and stood up as slowly as possible. His entire body immediately protested, feeling as if it was burning all over but he persevered and forced an eager smile onto his face. "Lets go!"
Riku had been running for some time through the Darkness, never hitting a wall or light source and wondering if he wasn't in the Cave of Wonders anymore. It was definitely within the realm of possibility that Jafar could have transported him out without his knowledge. With the handle of his Keyblade clasped tightly in his left hand, he continued to cut a line through the pitch blackness until he heard something. His ears pricked up and he took a moment to listen, trying to figure out what it was until he realized it was the sounds of battle. He ran once more, this time directly towards the sound.
As he drew closer, the torches suddenly lit and he found himself at the door to a massive cavern covered in treasure. In the center of the room, there was a swarm of Neoshadows surrounding a young man in a funny hat and wielding a curved sword. He looked particularly worse for ware. Recognition flared in his mind and Riku dashed towards the crowd. He caught the Heartless off guard, cutting down five without any resistance before some finally took their eyes off of the boy and turned towards him. He slashed through one, spinning to cut down another and rolled to the side to avoid the sharp claws of a third beast. It leaped high into the air above him and he took to the air to meet it, slicing right through it and flipping to land directly between the boy and the Heartless.
"Wh-" The boy started, his tone changing from confusion to caution. "You're Riku."
"I am. Get up Aladdin. There's too many for me to handle if I have to babysit you." Riku's tone was guarded. He hadn't seen Aladdin since he'd kidnapped Jasmine and attempted to destroy their world. The air was thick with tension as he adopted his battle ready pose. and more Neoshadows appeared from the ground. "Follow my lead. We'll make for that hallway and then run for it."
"R-right." Aladdin nodded and held the hilt of his sword with both hands. "After you."
Riku didn't was time, raising his free hand and firing a Dark Firaga into the crowd. It exploded, destroying some Neoshadows and sending others flying while causing dust and debris to spring up around them all. Riku dashed forward, cutting down two Neoshadows and kicking another to the side. Behind him, he could hear Aladdin fighting and frowned. Aladdins breathing was heavier than it should be, a sign of exhaustion. His frown deepening, he caught the wrist of a Neoshadow as its claws almost made contact with his face and with a single slash, he took the beasts arm clean off. Kicking it hard into the crowd and knocking down several of its brethren, Riku spared a glance at Aladdin.
The boy was fighting off three Neoshadows and clearly struggling, playing a purely defensive game. Rolling his eyes Riku, jumped into the brawl and took out all three within a moment before tucking his arm under Aladdins shoulder and pulling him close. Before the boy could protest, Riku leaped up into the air high above the crowd towards the exit to the room. They landed heavily, with Aladdin pushing away from Riku and stumbling forward with his breaths sounding even more challenged. Looking into the hallway and noticing that it was both lit up and empty, Riku pointed into the hall.
"Run!" Aladdin looked like he was about to protest until Riku shot him an icy look. As the boy ran, Riku entered the hallway and summoned the Darkness into his free hand. Hurling a considerable amount of dark energy, he brought down the entrance to the cavern he had found Aladdin in and took off after the other male as the rocks cut it off entirely.
They ran for some time but Riku noticed Aladdin was slowing down and placed a hand on his shoulder, signaling that they stop for a bit. Clearly lacking the energy to protest, Aladdin slumped down to the ground with his back against the wall. Riku remained standing, ever vigilant as his eyes darted back and forth between each direction of the hallway.
"... Thank you." Aladdin's voice was small but distinctly grateful. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."
"It's what we Keyblade wielders do." Riku replied somewhat dismissively, looking towards Aladdin directly. "You look pretty run down."
"I've been fighting them for hours." Aladdin responded with a shaky breath.
"Why are you here alone?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrwow.
"A man named Yen Sid arrived to take Jasmine and anyone else to safety as the world began to break down around us. I told them I was going to do everything I could to save Agrabah." Aladdin explained, his breathing still somewhat labored.
"I'm guessing Jasmine didn't take that well." Riku inquired.
"No." Aladdin smiled sadly. "I asked Genie to watch over her."
"She will be safe with Yen Sid. He's one of the most powerful people in all the worlds." Riku attempted to reassure the boy before adding a snide remark. "Apparently keeping the worlds separate and our mission a secret is no longer a rule."
"We have to stop Jafar." Aladdin stated, his expression growing serious once more.
"We will. I promise." Riku stated. "Just rest for a few more minutes and then we'll set out."
Maleficent stepped out of a Door to Darkness, a thin eyebrow raising as her lips curled in disgust at the sight before her. This world was clearly in a state of severe degradation but that was not what drew her ire. Kneeling before the Heart of the World, Jafar had his arms raised up towards it. Darkness was flowing directly from his body and into the already corrupted heart and the dark fairy knew there wasn't much time left for Agrabah. Behind her, Hades stepped out and the door closed behind him with the god peering over her shoulder at their one time ally.
"What's he up to?" Hades asked, cocking his head to the side.
"Corrupting this worlds heart with Darkness." Maleficent snapped in reply, irritation practically permeating off of her body.
"Isn't that what you were doing back in the day?" Confusion shone through in Hades reply.
"No." The single word was spoken with finality. With a sound of annoyance, Maleficent spoke once more. "What I was doing would have allowed me to rule over the Worlds. Corrupting them yes, but in time a sense of balance would have taken hold. What he is doing, is destroying this world. Surely you can feel its pain?"
"Oh, is that what that smell is?" Hades chuckled softly.
"You are not welcome here." Jafar spoke, his back to them.
"We have come-" Maleficent took a step forward, but was cut off.
"I don't care why you're here!" Jafar sprang to his feet, turning to face them. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, his teeth bared in anger. "I am using the Darkness to take this worlds power and once I have, I'll take another and another until I achieve immortality."
"Oh, you poor deluded imbecile." Maleficent laughed harshly, her eyes full of amusement. "You have done nothing but become a pawn to the Darkness, not its master."
"Really?" Jafar waved his hand in a small motion and several Heartless sprang forth from the ground before smirking. "I appear to still have control."
"You are being used Jafar." Maleficent narrowed her eyes, her grasp tightening slightly on her staff. "The Darkness has corroded your mind and the Heartless are taking advantage of your weakness."
"WEAKNESS!?" Jafars face went red with anger and he clenched his fists. The room began to shake as his power exploded and he pointed towards the two villains. "DESTROY THEM!"
The Heartless sprang towards them and Maleficent waved her hand casually, destroying them all with a wave of green flame. Jafar let out a cry of rage and summoned more, this time bigger with crimson veins crossing their faces. They were faster, crossing the room before Maleficent could respond. Luckily for her, Hades was there and the god stepped in their path. He caught two by the throat, crushing them and reveling in the Darkness they exploded into as they were destroyed. He then batted two more aside, punching a hole through the next ones chest and tearing another clean in half.
As they were attacking Hades from the front, Maleficent turned to find more being summoned from behind. They were surrounded. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she brought up her staff to swat one aside before opening her palm towards another. The effect was delayed a moment before the Heartless she had targeted exploded in green flame, with the explosion catching several more Heartless. With a roar, Jafar summoned more and they continued their siege against the two powerful beings.
"I enjoy crushing weaklings like this as much as the next deity," Hades began, using one Heartless as a hammer and slamming it into many of its siblings. "But I have a previous commitment to get to."
"He's a lost cause anyway." Maleficent replied, slamming her staff down on the head of one of the creatures of Darkness.
"So we're outta here?" Hades questioned her, .
"I'll meet you back on your world. I have one more piece of business here." Maleficent stated, blasting the Heartless around them back with a powerful wave of dark magic.
The two disappeared in pillars of flame, one blue and the other green. The Heartless seemed thrown off by the sudden disappearance of their prey and turned to Jafar for guidance.
"FIND THEM!" The former vizier ordered, falling back to his knees and focusing his energy back on corrupting the heart of Agrabah.
Kairi, Lea and Aeleus stepped into the large laboratory that once belonged to Ansem the wise. Easily one of the biggest rooms in the castle, it was filled to the brim with books, contraptions and other things meant for a lab. In the center there were several benches, two of which were occupied by the slumbering forms of the lithe Even and the muscular Dilan. Ienzo meanwhile was pouring over a book sat on a stand nearby, his gaze intently focused on the pages.
"You're back." The young looking grey haired male stated in a monotone, not lifting his eyes from the page.
"Isa and Braig were here." Aeleus informed the male, moving to stand beside Dilan. "It's a shame this guy isn't awake. He could have taken care of them without a problem."
"Sephiroth seemed to have things covered to be honest." Lea yawned before jabbing his thumb in Kairis direction. "This is Kairi, got it memorized?"
"I am aware of the name of one of the Princesses of Heart, yes. We were, after all, instructed to keep tabs on them by Xemnas though I have no inkling as to why. He was far more focused on recreating his own heart, rather than preserving the heart's of some special little girls. Perhaps..." Ienzo found himself cut off by Lea, who lightly slapped him across the back of the head. Frowning, the scholar glared at the taller male. "What was that for!?"
"You're rambling." Lea shrugged. "You know where Merlin went?"
"Probably into the town." Ienzo stated, rubbing the back of his head and frowning. "That doesn't matter anyway. I've made a breakthrough! Initially I believed that our comrades here were simply unconscious due to some kind of internal damage or brain malfunction. However, after extensive testing I have uncovered something rather... unique about their hearts."
Snapping his fingers, he summoned a hard covered book with a black cover to his right hand and it sprung open to a random page. Raising his left hand, he muttered something under his breath before a semi transparent row of spheres appeared between Ienzo and Kairi. There were three spheres side by side, one with Evens name underneath and the other with Dilan's while the third had Ienzo's.
"I became quite attuned to the 'scent' of Darkness during my time as a member of the Organization and neither of them radiate that specific 'smell'. However," Ienzo gestured at his heart and then the others. "There is a clear difference between my own heart and theirs. Can you tell me what that is?"
"Um..." Kairis eyes darted between the illusions before nodding slowly. "Your heart is fully white with a slightly golden glow. Both of theirs have a red tinge to them that comes from the center."
"Precisely." Ienzo snapped his book shut and the illusions disappeared. "Darkness within a persons heart is always clear you see. Because our hearts were reborn after the destruction of both our Heartless and Nobodies, they are generally restored to the state when the original died. Considering that we were not affiliated with Darkness at that point, they should all be like mine. But this is not Darkness, it is something else. Darkness manifests itself in a persons heart usually as purple glow and once fully corrupted, that persons heart will seemingly crystallize with rough edges. Then there is the Heartless who, once destroyed, release a heart with a crystallized bright pink form with a purple aura. And a person of the Light who has suffered great trauma or in a near death experience will have their heart emit a startling orange glow as a sign that this heart is in danger. I believe that the crimson aura emanated by Even and Dilans hearts is a sign that they are undergoing some kind of trauma and their hearts are struggling to fight back, rendering them in this comatose state."
"That was... a lot of information." Kairi blinked several times, trying to process the information she had just been given. "What do you think this trauma could be?"
"I have a theory." Ienzo glanced at Aeleus and then Lea. "When you fought Isa and Braig, did they seem different in any way?"
"They were definitely stronger." Lea stated, scratching his chin as he thought back. "Braig especially. Back in the Organization, I was considered to be top tier but he didn't seem like he was trying."
"Isa's eyes." Aeleus stated. "They were a glowing golden like Braigs and Xemnas'."
"Come to think of it, Isa never used to have those colored eyes." Lea raised his eyebrow. "Back in the day, he had blue eyes. In fact, they only changed after we joined the Organization. And even then, they never glowed."
"Do you remember, back when Xehanort killed us all?" Ienzo began, frowning. "His eyes changed from brown to the color of the man we came to know as Xemnas. His power also spiked. And you are correct Lea, Isa did not have those eyes prior to his death. Nor did he have that scar on the center of his face."
"And Braig did not always have those eyes either. They only changed after his initial encounter with Xehanort." Aeleus added.
"What are you trying to say?" Kairi asked, confused by the prolonged conversation.
"I believe that..." Ienzo began but stopped as the alarm went off. Crossing to a computer station at the wall, he brought up the cameras for the castle and the town. Frowning, he gestured to the town where Heartless were attacking the civilians. "This seems to be an issue."
"We need to help them!" Kairi exclaimed. Lea and Aeleus nodded before the three of them headed out of the lab and towards the exit that led to the town of a restored Radiant Garden.
Riku was just about to tell Aladdin that it was time to start moving when a shiver went down his spine and he sensed the presence of a person from earlier. Summoning his Keyblade, he spun wildly and slammed the weapon into the staff of Maleficent who simply raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
"This again? Really?" Maleficent rolled her eyes, using the staff to keep his weapon in a dead lock. "If you are looking for punishment child, I will be more than happy to dish it out. However, I do have an alternative offer for you."
"What do you want witch?" Riku snarled.
"Charming. You remind me of someone." Maleficent stated dryly. "I have sought you out to help you."
"Thats not going to fool me again." Riku snapped in response, gritting his teeth as he pushed against Maleficents staff. He didn't remember her being this strong.
"Jafar needs to be dealt with." Maleficent threw him back suddenly, waving her hand towards Aladdin. A soft yellow glow engulfed the young man and his injuries healed in mere moments. "Now listen to me."
"I will never trust a word you have to say again!" Riku spat, his grip tightening on the hilt of his weapon in anger.
"Riku," Aladdin place a hand on the younger male's shoulder. "She healed me. We should at least hear her out."
"You are a smart boy. It's a shame that without my assistance in destroying Jafar, you will fade out of existence." Maleficent narrowed her eyes. "I will not offer it again."
"..." Riku glanced at Aladdin who silently pleaded with his eyes. Sighing, Riku allowed his Keyblade to disappear. "What assistance can you give us?"
"Before all that, I have a gift for you specifically. A token to remind you of a time when we were mistress and apprentice."
Riku was about to retort but stopped short when the female raised her hand towards him and began to speak in a foreign tongue. Her eyes began to glow a bright green and a green mist surrounded her body, slowly but surely gathering around her hand. With a final word, Maleficent sent the mist towards Riku and it struck him in the chest, knocking his breath out. Eyes widening, Riku clenched his fists and gasped as he felt the mist working within him as Maleficent began to chant again. Suddenly the mist burst out of his body and surrounded him before slowly disappearing. Struggling to breathe, Riku raised a hand to his chest where his heart was beating rapidly.
"Wh-what did you do!?" Riku demanded, glaring at the fairy.
"Stabilized the Darkness within your heart so that you may use it without consequence." Maleficent stated simply, gesturing to the boy. "As well as some physical alterations."
Riku looked down at himself. The collar of his vest had grown to be high and was now a color that matched the collar of Maleficents own robe. His white shirt now also had a dark pink thorn pattern winding its way around his body. Concentrating on the Darkness within him, he felt a soft coolness that replaced the harsh cold that had once been there.
"You expect me to believe there will be no consequences?" Riku spat.
"Well... only one." Maleficent chuckled ominously, slowly pointing in the direction of the end of the tunnel. "That pitiful little King of yours is being held in a room in that direction."
"That's it?" Riku asked in frustration.
"... I will also summon some Heartless to distract Jafar's own legion." Maleficent stated, her tone clipped. "I gave you power, the direction of your friend and reinforcements. A little gratitude would not be missed."
Before Riku could reply, the woman summoned a door to the darkness and stepped through, leaving the realm behind. Frowning, Riku looked down at his hand and slowly flexed his fingers. He definitely felt different. Glancing at Aladdin, he began to walk in the direction the female had gestured.
"Lets go save the King."
Sora and Ignis eventually made their way back out into the Arena only to find nobody there except for the girl called Antiope. She noticed them and approached, looking Sora over with concern.
"I'm sorry that our healer couldn't do more for you young one. The corruption had spread further than anticipated." The beautiful woman's gaze shifted to Ignis. "They will need you."
"Need me? For what?" Ignis raised an eyebrow.
"Hades contacted us and demanded that Hercules meet him at the entrance to the Underworld. He will only relinquish Megara if he is allowed access once more." Antiope's frown grew as she spoke.
"I should probably go down there then..." Ignis glanced at Sora. "You should probably stay here."
"What!? No way!" Sora grimaced as another wave of pain ran through him, gritting his teeth in determination.
"You are gravely injured." Antiope sighed.
"And I can help!" Sora protested, pouting in defiance.
A look passed between Ignis and Antiope and for a few moments, Sora's heart sunk. They were going to leave him in the Coliseum because he was useless, unable to fight and completely not inf any fit shape to save people. But he was surprised when Antiope laid a hand on his shoulder and placed a finger under his chin, drawing his eyes up to meet hers.
"I will come with you then. I am no Goddess, but my people know much of battle." With a snap of her fingers, the dress Antiope was wearing was replaced with leather armor similar to Hercules own, complete with a sword sheathed at her hip and a shield attached to her right forearm. A bow and quiver were also strapped to her back. Reaching into a pouch on the opposite hip to her sword, she drew out a small crystal and whispered an incantation before throwing it on the ground a few feet away. A portal of brilliant pink light sprang up and she smiled before walking towards it. "This will take us to them, but we must go now."
Sora nodded and followed after the woman. Ignis eyed the younger male thoughtfully before a small smile appeared on his face and he followed the other two figures through the portal.
"Get away from him!"
Riku and Aladdin dashed into the room that Maleficent had specified, cutting down multiple Heartless that were harassing a prone Mickey. The King was strung up to a pillar and looked worse for wear. It took the two heroes a minute or two to clear the room. Riku darted around with a quiet fury, tearing through any Heartless in his path while Aladdin danced around their attacks and drew attention. Once the room was clear, Riku cut Mickey down and drew a potion out of his pocket, pouring the contents into the Kings mouth. Moments later, the mouses wounds disappeared and his eyes slowly opened.
"Riku..." The word was slurred somewhat and he blinked a few times before clarity seemed to come back into his eyes. "You came!"
"Of course I did." Riku smiled and set the King down before looking around. "Do you know where Jafar is?"
"Nope. He tied me up here and left me to be picked off by those Heartless." Mickey looked to Aladdin, recognition dawning on his face. "Aladdin? You're here too!?"
"I am. But I uh... don't think we've met." Aladdin chuckled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
"This is the King." Riku stated officially, only to be waved off by Mickey.
"Mickey Mouse, at your service!" The two shook hands before Mickey continued. "I've visited your world once, years ago when I was still apprenticed to my master. I never forget a face."
"How interesting." A quiet voice spoke and a cloaked figure entered the room from a sudden burst of Darkness infused energy. His hood was down, revealing a handsome male with powerful blue eyes and wild pink hair. His eyes swept across each face in the room with a slight smirk before he spoke again. "You should consider passing on that quality to Sora."
"Who are-" Riku began before taking in his attire. With a growl, he summoned his Keyblade and stepped protectively in front of the others. "You're a member of the Organization!"
"That much should be blatantly obvious, yes." Sarcasm dripped from every single word that the stranger spoke and he rolled his eyes to add to the effect, gesturing to his cloak.
"I've never seen him before." Mickey stated, summoning his own Keyblade. "But we should capture him to get information on Master Xehanorts plans."
"Right." Riku nodded, glancing at Aladdin. "Stay back."
Aladdin nodded and Riku shifted his gaze back to the stranger who stood there, eyeing the two Keyblade Masters expectantly. Without another word, Riku dashed towards the cloaked male with Mickey close on his heels. He reached the pink haired man quickly, swinging his Keyblade in a wide arc. With a scoff, the man took a step back, twisting to avoid a follow up attack that Mickey launched from above. Spinning, the male leaned backwards to avoid another attack from Riku before almost casually catching his wrist as Riku attempted to slash at him again.
"If you ask me, that replica would pose more of a challenge." Chuckling, the male suddenly disappeared in a stream of pink flower petals and darkness before Riku's blade sliced through the space he had just been standing. He appeared across the other side of the room and shook his head. "I'll never understand why Xemnas' counterpart is so intrigued by you."
"Ansem? Where is he!?" Riku felt the familiar feeling of anger begin to overtake him once more.
"Did you believe that question would receive an answer?" The males tone was cold this time as he spoke. "I can't believe he thought you would be a worthy possessor of their power."
"Their power?" Mickey questioned the male, taking note of the fact that this person didn't openly appear aggressive. "You make it sound like you're not part of Master Xehanorts Organization."
"Perceptive little rodent." A condescending sneer appeared on his face. "I am a member of the True Organization XIII, not this offshoot led by a crazed old man."
""What do you want?" Riku demanded, earning a scathing glance from the male.
"Right now, I'm here to help you with your little problem." He waved his hand and a door to the Darkness sprang from the ground, several of the pink flower petals flowing through it. "This will take you directly to the Vizier."
"Why should we trust you?" Riku narrowed his eyes.
"Because I want the old man and his coalition gone." Something flashed across the pink haired males face, an emotion that resembled sadness. His next words were spoken quietly "To change what is destined to come..."
Riku opened his mouth to continue, but the other male simply raised his hand and shook his head. A sign that the conversation was over. Aladdin approached and together the three allies moved towards the portal. The silver haired boy hesitated for a few moments but after a reassuring nod from Mickey, he stepped through without another thought. Once they were all inside, the entrance closed behind them and an exit open up almost immediately. They stepped through into another room and once they were all to the destination, the door to the Darkness disappeared. As promised, Jafar was there and so was the Heart of Agrabah which looked very much worse for wear.
The issue was the fact that an Organization member with a helmet covering their face stood over Jafar, who was lying on the ground.
Another issue was the fact that the Organization member was wielding a Keyblade that appeared to be made up of gears.
Dropping into their battle ready positionss, Riku and his party eyed the Organization member, who raised his head and the visor of his helmet shifted towards them. A distinctly male chuckle filled the tense silence that had taken hold in the room. Jafar groaned and the Organization member responded with a swift kick to the elderly males ribs.
"How did you get here?" The Organization member questioned, sounding more amused than anything else. Raising his free hand, he stopped them before they could reply. "Wait no, don't answer that. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore."
As if dismissing the three armed males, he Organization member looked back down to Jafar and dismissed his Keyblade. Moments later, he re-summoned a different Keyblade and Riku immediately realized it as the Keyblade that had been created years ago at the expense of six of the Princesses Hearts. Riku's mouth dropped open in confusion as he watched the Organization member plunge the Keyblade into Jafars chest before withdrawing it and letting the weapon disappear. As Jafars unconscious body floated high into the air above, the Organization member waved at Riku and co. Unleashing a blast of Darkness towards the Heart of Agrabah, the Organization member tilted his head to the side in curiosity. Everybody, except Jafar who was encased in a sphere of Darkness, watched as the Heart of the World faltered briefly before suddenly bursting into multiple shards. With a dark chuckle, the Organization member stepped into a door to the Darkness and disappeared.
"We need to leave..." Riku stated, shocked by what had just occurred in a matter of moments.
Suddenly Jafar dropped back to the ground, landing on his feet. His entire body was encased in Darkness, the usually elegant male hunched over slightly. His face was not visible, only a sharp toothed mouth and wide yellow eyes. His hands were clawed and Darkness seemed to be leaking off of him creating the illusion that he had a tail. As the male unleashed a sudden and terrifying roar, Riku felt fear seep into him as he turned on his heel.
"Run!"
Sora stepped out of the portal into utter chaos, diving to the side to avoid one of the heads of the Hydra as it tried to eat him. He grunted as pain exploded through his body but forced himself back to his feet. Looking to the others, he sighed in relief. Ignis had activated his armor and kicked the head to the side while Antiope had drawn her sword and was dashing towards the body of the great beast. Nearby, Hercules was fending off several of the heads of the Hydra while Phil was riding Pegasus high above and barking orders.
Soras gaze was drawn across the dust covered ground to another battle. Goofy and Donald were fighting a clearly losing battle against the Cerberus which had them backed into a corner. Despite their ability to work in tandem, the Knight and Wizard were clearly at a disadvantaged. Sora summoned his Keyblade, but looked down in surprise to see he hadn't summoned the Kingdom Key, but instead Oblivion.
"Roxas..." Sora whispered, looking down at the weapon.
"Focus on the battle or get outta the way!" Ignis cried as he tore past, making a beeline for the Cerberus. One of the heads of the colossal creature noticed and growled at him, earning a cry of delight from the Keyblade Master. "I was hoping we'd meet again!"
Sora's gaze shifted between the two battles. The Olympians were, of course, born fighters and fought fiercely while also covering one another backs, quickly turning the tide against the Hydra. Meanwhile, Ingis by himself seemed like he was more than a match for the Cerberus, which gave Donald and Goofy a moment to rest. Sora almost jumped out of his skin as a voice spoke behind him.
"I gotta say, that Keyblade is a bit too dark for you." Hades chuckled, his hands falling on Soras shoulders. The God began to massage him as he continued."Isn't the whole Darkness thing more of your friends shtick?"
Shrugging the Gods loose grip off, the boy turned and swung his Keyblade but Hades wasn't there. A chuckle came from behind him and Sora turned to strike again but only found empty air. Appearing several feet in front of him, Hades stroked his chin in thought as he studied the Keyblade wielder.
"A little slow today, aren't you kid?" The God of the Underworld raised an eyebrow. "What's with all the bandages? My Titans have never managed to get you in the past."
"These? Oh, they're nothing." Sora flashed a confident smile but winced as another flare of pain ran through his body.
"Performance issues huh? I understand. Never used to have them but without access to the Underworld, everything I can do is kinda limited. I'm like a battery running on low" Hades gestured to the two monsters battling Soras allies. "Luckily for me, I had the foresight to bring them outside with me when the world changed. So I have the luxury of wasting what power I do have on things like summoning Rocky and a glimpse of my true form."
"You mean you can't go full power?" Sora smirked, glancing behind Hades.
"Not right now. But I don't think that's going to be an issue with you all... broken." The God smirked and took a step towards the boy.
"I'm not." Ignis stated right before kicking the God and sending him flying across the battle ground.
The God slammed into a nearby wall of stone with a surprised yelp as Ignis deactivated his helmet and flashed Sora a smile. Cerberus had been chained down by a series of golden chains and was fighting to get free but Donald was bombarding him with spells while Goofy worked on weakening the heads of the beast. Meanwhile, Hercules, Phil and Antiope had taken the Hydra down, the beast fading back into the dark energies that had borne it. All eyes went to Hades who pulled himself out of the hole he had created when he impacted the stone and glared at everybody with contempt.
"You take away my domain, destroy my Titan, kill my Hydra and abuse my dog." His fists were clenched and he was clearly infuriated, however his body was not changing from it's blue form like it usually did when he got angry. "I will find a way to KILL YOU ALL!"
"Give Meg back Hades. Now." Hercules and his group moved towards the God.
"You think I'm going to give sassypants back without getting anything in return? No." Hades' anger disappeared suddenly and a smirk appeared on his face. "Maybe I'll just get rid of her in return for all the damage you've done today."
"You touch her and I'll-" Hercules began but he was cut off by Hades.
"You'll what? Face it, I hold the cards here." Hades straightened up and his expression turned completely smug.
"Is that so?" Xemnas stated as he stepped out of a door to the Darkness with Meg in front of him. Giving the girl a sharp shove, he nodded to Hercules. "Be with your loved one."
Megara ran towards Hercules, only for Hades to appear in front of her and attempt to grab her. Before any of the Heroes could react, Xemnas dashed towards Hades and buried one of his Ethereal Blades into the chest of the God. Stopping short, Hades eyebrows went up in surprise as Megara continued to run past them both and threw herself into the embrace of Hercules. Smiling at the scene, Sora frowned as Xemnas snapped his fingers and the scene froze. Only Xemnas, Hades, Sora and Ignis remained animated in movement.
"How did you do that? And why did you help Meg?" Sora demanded.
"I have gained new powers through the Organization. As for this one, he has earned our attention." Xemnas stated, summoning his other blade and stabbing it into Hades chest as well. The God gasped and grabbed Xemnas wrists in an attempt to pull them out but appeared to struggle against the strength of the Nobody. Xemnas' gaze fell on Sora and it slowly went to his Keyblade. "I see Roxas is still active within your Heart."
"Yeah well, he sacrificed his own freedom to bring me back. The least I can do is let him sick around." Sora replied, his free hand going to his chest over his Heart and he smiled.
"Many have sacrificed themselves for you. And yet, you continue to disappoint everybody." Xemnas stated with a smirk, letting his Ethereal Blades fade. Hades disappeared immediately in a pillar of blue flame and the Nobody leader turned his full attention to the Heroes. Slowly, he raised his hand and pointed to Ignis with a scowl. "You do not belong here."
"I don't know who you are, but you remind me of Xehanort. What with the eyes, the hair and the obvious God complex." Ignis chuckled and stepped protectively in front of Sora. "If you're here for Sora, then I'm going to have to object."
"You believe that you can stop me?" Xemnas let out a hollow chuckle of his own.
"I'll give it a shot at least." Ignis activated his helmet and dropped into a battle ready position.
"Come then, warrior of the Keyblade." Xemnas rose a foot off the ground and spread his arms wide to his sides.
Before Sora could protest, Ignis had dashed towards the master of the Nobodies. As the two clashed, Sora felt his head go light while his vision faded and he fell backwards suddenly. His back hit the ground but dust didn't spring up around him. Groaning, his vision began to clear and he took a hand that was extended to him, standing back up. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized he was back on the platform of himself in the dark world. It appeared that the outer edges of the platform had faded away and there were five figures standing before him in two groups. In one group of three there was Roxas who offered him a smile, another was a boy who looked like Roxas but much younger and the final was a girl with black hair that he'd never seen before. The other group of two had a boy in a bodysuit similar to the one that Riku had worn when possessed by Ansem with a helmet covering his face and the final one was a being made entirely of Darkness that resembled Sora with wide yellow eyes.
"What's going on?" Sora asked, his eyes widening further in panic. "I need to help Ignis!"
"Time flows differently here Sora. When you go back, it'll be like you never left." Roxas reassured him, before his expression suddenly went serious. "We need to talk."
Riku, Mickey and Aladdin made it to the entrance, not looking back once. They could feel the pounding of Jafars feet behind them but they didn't stop until they were out of the cave. Riku finally turned and brought up his Keyblade to defend against the man as he lunged towards him, but he was too slow. Jafars now clawed fingers began to close around his neck then suddenly he disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. Next the Cave of Wonders itself began to fade away slowly. Confused, Riku looked to Mickey who shrugged.
"I-I don't feel so good." Aladdin gasped, falling to his knees as the landscape around them fell into complete darkness.
Riku and Mickey stepped closer to Aladdin, each with a hand on his shoulder as he gasped for air. After what seemed like an eternity, a new area began to form around them and Riku was surprised to find them on a very familiar beach. Though they were clearly still in the Realm of Darkness, it was refreshing to be in a place that at least seemed somewhat peaceful.
"I've been here before." Riku muttered, before turning to Aladdin as he coughed. "What's wrong?"
"I... I don't know..." Aladdin wheezed, losing the strength to kneel and falling onto his back. His eyes had lost their usual spark and he stared almost blankly up at the star filled sky above. Taking a shaky breath, he spoke again. "My chest feels like it's burning."
"The Heart of the World..." Mickey said quietly, looking at Riku with a sad expression.
"... What!?" Riku exclaimed, finally understanding what was happening and looking between Aladdin and the King. "There's nothing we can do?"
Mickey shook his head and both Keyblade wielders turned at the sound of footsteps. A figure wearing the Organization cloak calmly approached them and Riku began to wish that he'd never left Destiny Islands considering he was harassed by these people everywhere he went. The figure raised his hands in surrender and pulled his hood off. Smiles appeared on both Riku and Mickeys faces.
"DiZ!" Riku exclaimed.
"Ansem!" Mickey cried.
"Hello my friends." The elderly scientist smiled at them before looking down at Aladdin. The smile fell and was replaced with a serious look Riku knew only too well as his orange gaze fell on Aladdin who was completely still aside from the labored rise of his chest as he breathed and his slow blinking eyes. "His world?"
"The Heart was just destroyed." Mickey informed the male who shook his head slowly before kneeling down beside Aladdin and taking his hand in his, though the former thief didn't take notice. "I have seen too much of this during my time in this wretched realm."
"We failed." Riku growled, clenching his fists.
"We were too late Riku. Even with the help of that man, the Organization was already there. There is nothing we could have done." Mickey tried to console his friend but Riku was having none of it.
"Thats not true!" Riku roared, glaring at his friend. "If we had attacked that Organization member instead of watching him like idiots, this wouldn't be happening!"
Mickey opened his mouth to reply, but instead bit his lip and looked away with guilt written clearly across his face. Aladdin coughed again and their attention was drawn back to him.
"Jasmine?" Aladdin said, his eyes desperately searching for something that wasn't there. "I love you."
Without another word, Aladdin's body disappeared in a bright flash of light, leaving nothing behind and everybody else assembled looked on helplessly.
Kairi rounded the corner into the center of the town and slashed her Keyblade in an upwards direction to dispatch another Heartless. Behind her she heard Lea and Aeleus fighting off some more but paid it no mind. She knew that they were more than a match for the creatures of Darkness. Spotting a little girl running away from a Heartless and without thinking twice, the Princess of Heart made a beeline for the girl. Leaping into the air, she brought her Keyblade down on the Heartless and spun to stab her weapon's tip into another. Both creatures disappeared in a violent explosion of Darkness and Kairi knelt down in front of the little girl with a smile.
"It's okay. We're here to help." Kairi said but frowned as the girl looked up at her with a dark smile before transforming into a Berserker Nobody that towered over her.
If not for Aeleus appearing out of nowhere and dispatching the creature by burying his axe in its chest, Kairi was certain she would have fallen victim to it. Around them the Heartless suddenly disappeared and Lea, Kairi and Aelus all looked up at a young man in an Organization cloak as he cleared his throat. He was casually sitting on the edge of a rooftop, one hand behind him to support his weight and the other rested on his knee.
"You!" Lea stated, pointing his Keyblade at the white haired boy. "You were there in the Round Room!"
"Correct Lea." The young man replied, his amber eyes looking right into Kairi's soul. "I'm here for the Princess of Heart."
"You think you're going to get her? You're outnumbered!" Lea laughed confidently, stepping in between the man and Kairi.
"There will be reinforcements on the way as well." Aeleus added, taking up place beside Lea with his weapon raised. "Surrender."
"I'll pass." The man stated dryly as Braig and Isa suddenly appeared beside him. The two former Nobodies casually tossed the unconscious bodies of Tifa, Squall and Yuffie down towards them. Lea and Aeleus both moved quickly and caught the three, setting them down gently on the pavement before turning back to glare at the Organization members. As his gaze continued to peer right through Kairi, the young man spoke again. "As I said before, I'm here for the Princess of Heart. Hand her over and there will be no need for further conflict."
"Yeah right!" Lea spat back.
"I'll do it." Kairi stated, letting her Keyblade disappear and pushing past her two protectors. Locking eyes with the young man, she felt a sense of dread seep into her but ignored it. "I'll give myself to you as long as you swear to not hurt anybody else."
"Smart girl." The young man said, nodding to Isa. "Take her."
Isa jumped down towards Kairi but was intercepted but Lea. As the fire warrior swung his Keyblade, Isa growled and summoned his own weapon to block the attack and with a roar sent Lea flying backwards. The blue haired male landed heavily in front of Kairi with a glare just as Aeleus slammed his shoulder into him and sent him hurtling into the wall of a nearby home. Kairi opened her mouth to protest what her newfound friends were doing but was interrupted by the young man whose expression had not changed from a neutral frown.
"Very well then." He stated, letting out a soft sigh. "If all that you denizens of the Light understand is violence, that is what we shall give you."