DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
A/N: ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH! ZIP-A-DEE-DAY! MY! OH MY! WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY! PLENTY OF SUNSHINE COMING MY WAY! ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH! ZIP-A-DEE-DAY! I'll start by stating how This Chapter is Not as long as the last one, but it's JUST AS IMPORTANT OF A CHAPTER!
I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL ANYTHING, SO I'LL LET YOU GO AHEAD AND READ - IN A MOMENT!
Since School has ALREADY started, I will Not be able to post as often as I had been. However, Please Keep On Reading AND Reviewing Alike! I have absolutely NO INTENTION TO ABANDON THIS STORY! Do NOT Forget: THE NUMBER OF REQUIRED REVIEWS IS 107! YET, IF 120 ARE POSTED, I WILL ADD A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THIS STORY'S SEQUEL - I HAVE PLANNED MOST OF IT OUT ALREADY! I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WRITING IT, TOO!
Before I let you go, I wanted to REPLY to an Annonymous Reviewer posted on Chapter 44.
Guest - I've only seen "Jurassic Park (1993)" once, so I didn't get the connection at first. After looking up what you meant, I can now see how sad it is. Interestingly, Russell Johnson, the Professor from "Gilligan's Island", died the SAME day I posted Chapter 28; back in January of 2014. Back in June, Ann B. Davis from "The Brady Bunch" was next. I recently discovered that Mickey Rooney passed away back in April. As just about EVERYBODY knows, Robin Williams commited suicide in August. I'm starting to worry about who might be next - given this pattern continues... Hopefully It Won't!
That's all /I/ have to say. TIME FOR RIKU - AND VIOLET, OF COURSE - TO TAKE THE STAGE! PLEASE READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! PLUS, PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW - PRETTY, PRETTY, PREETY PLEASE - TOO!
CHAPTER 45
The Darkness Becomes Light
It was dark. So dark, he could feel it as he stepped around. He was beyond puzzled. One moment, he had been somewhere inside the castle of Hollow Bastion. The next, he had shown up in the middle of an abyss of Darkness. As he took a look around, the silver-haired fifteen-year-old thought he could make out a path shaped like a mountain crest covered in snow. A strong, wind-like sound filled the air.
"Where am I?" he muttered in a soft voice. "Sora… Kairi… I'm sorry… "
It was then he realized what he was saying. His eyes grew large with alarm. "Is this… the afterlife?"
He shook his head in denial. "No! It can't be! She's not here! I'm not ready!"
"Riku, can you hear me?"
He froze at the sound of the high-pitched, cheerful voice. It almost sounded like someone he'd heard long ago — back when he was young. "Who's there?"
"I'll be there soon."
He was stumped. Where could this voice be coming from? It wasn't Sora… Kairi… Donald (though it sounded about the same pitch from a distance)… Goofy… or his mom.
"Who are you?" he called out in a loud voice.
"I have the other Keyblade — the one that belongs to this world. I've been trying to get through to you, but the Darkness in your heart kept me away."
He was feeling more perplexed by the second. "What 'Keyblade'?"
"Your heart won the battle against Darkness, but it was too late for your body. That's why you're here — in this place of Darkness where hearts are gathered."
'That sure explains a lot!' he thought to himself. His mind started to wander. "Is there any way out of here?" he asked.
"The Door To Darkness will open soon, but it's a door we can't enter. It has to be closed from both sides. To do this, you need two keys and two hearts."
At that moment, a figure appeared directly before his eyes. It was a mouse with huge, round, flat ears and a friendly smile. It was wearing a pair of red shorts with golden buttons, white gloves, and yellow shoes. He had to smile at the mouse's friendliness; there was an innocence hanging off of him — one of Light.
"I'm Mickey," the mouse introduced. "I came from the world of Disney — where I am the good and loyal King."
He looked surprised. "So," he said. "I'm in the presence of royalty? How can it be possible?"
"Maybe you're here for the same reason I am," King Mickey stated. "Maybe it was fate."
"Yeah," he admitted, shaking the mouse's hand. "But I'm not ready — not yet. Not until I see Sora and Kairi one last time."
As Riku reopened his eyes, all he could see for eternity was pitch-black Darkness. Similar to the Realm of Darkness, it was so complete he could almost feel it. It wouldn't have grabbed his undivided attention so easily; all he could sense was an extremely foul stench that stunk worse than the torn socks he and Sora had stashed underneath their beds six years ago. He gave a hint of a smile when he recalled the day his mom had accidentally vacuumed one out and she had demanded he remove all of them. It had been three years since then and he was still relived his brother's dog hadn't found them first. Thank goodness!
His vision came into focus in time for him to notice how he was glowing white. If he had thrown a bed sheet over his head (like Sora had done for Halloween ten years ago), he could have made a perfect ghost. It was then he also took into account how he was floating… could he be floating in space? Perhaps this was the afterlife? He was beginning to question everything.
As he started to wonder what was going on, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Whirling his head to the left, Riku spotted Violet standing beside him with an uncertain look in her eyes. Her antennae were twitching back-and-forth at odd angles. For that matter, the angel's normal glow had increased dramatically; he assumed it was due to the depth of Darkness all around them. Still, it was the fact she was literally shivering with anxiety and her eyes were filled with worry that caused Riku to think back over what had just taken place in case he could uncover a clue.
He remembered how he had confronted Saïx inside the enormous "Hall of Empty Melodies" and been reminded how he had failed to protect his friends; Violet had run off and Sora had willingly chosen to search the town while Riku himself ventured inside the castle. He would have believed everything Saïx had claimed if Violet had not shown up and convinced him otherwise. When Saïx had started to "mock" the two, Riku had decided to challenge him. Their fight had never started as Genesis had crashed the party and persuaded Saïx to let him finish the job.
After a dangerous battle, both Riku and Violet had emerged victorious against Genesis, who then fled. When a strange sphere containing Sora had appeared, they had attempted to awaken him, but were rapidly sidetracked by a creature Riku had decided to nickname "Dark-Violet". After the monster had been eliminated, the sphere vanished and everything seemed to go crazy.
It was during that phase when Ansem, The Seeker of Darkness spoke to them through the air and informed them Sora's heart had fallen to the Darkness and they were next. Riku had gotten trapped in a pool of dark matter and he recalled Violet getting pulled in just before everything went black.
Unable to arrive at any other conclusions, Riku was forced to accept an especially hard-to-believe truth. Sora's heart had somehow fallen to Darkness. Why or how this had happened, he had absolutely no idea. Whether or not he and Violet would be able to escape this nightmare of all nightmares Riku didn't know.
"Riku," Violet spoke up. "I am sensing complete discomfort quivering inside of me. I do not comprehend what it is."
Riku placed his left hand on the angel's right shoulder. She stopped quivering long enough to shift her gaze over to him. "It's alright," he said, trying to sound as reassuring as he could. "I'm not comfortable here either. It's the same thing that causes us to be scared of the dark."
Violet's eyes lit up in surprise. "Really?" she asked. "What causes such a reaction?"
Riku looked straight ahead and his eyes became a glare. "It's because of who's lurking inside of it."
Directly before the two stood a figure Riku could easily identify from an extreme distance. He was a tall man with dark-tanned skin, amber eyes, and long, white hair that was spiked. His outfit consisted of a black-and-white coat with red lining, white shirt, white gloves, and black boots. The top of his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a symbol Riku instantly recognized as the infamous Heartless emblem.
On this journey alone, Riku had encountered this particular individual in two of the Sleeping Worlds; Pixie Hollow and Camelot. In the first world — Pixie Hollow — the man had explained how the world had possessed two keyholes instead of one as it had two hearts; one Sora had sealed in a clock-tower while the other had been attacked by the Heartless. He had also revealed the world was only part of the actual world, Never Land. In the second world — Camelot — the man had reminded Riku of how the latter had witnessed the world's destruction back when he was on the side of the Darkness and helping Maleficent with various tasks. On both occasions, the villain had tried to persuade Riku to embrace the Darkness in his heart, but the silver-headed youth had refused. During his second appearance, the man had tried harder than before to convince Riku, which indicated how frustrated he was becoming. Now, it appeared Riku was going to have to refuse him — for the third time on this quest.
Feeling Violet squeezing his left arm with both her hands, Riku shook his head and gave what sounded a little like a sigh. He got a glimpse of the angel's terrified eyes when she glanced at him before giving a glare of her own at the villain ahead. The man was glowing just like Riku himself, except the brightness was much, much duller.
Riku had to show a small smirk. "Ansem… you never give up, do you?"
Ansem gave a hushed chuckle, indicating to the pair he took Riku's comment as a ludicrous-styled joke. A faint smile showed on his face. "Clever boy," he said. "But perhaps not clever enough. For at the start of your quest, when you and Sora struck out from that tiny island, you saw me there — dressed in a robe. Immediately, you knew something was wrong, but you didn't do anything about it. So, without even taking time to consider it was all a setup, you two dove into the dreams of several 'Sleeping Worlds' and struggled to survive. It was there you encountered one of the legendary, seven 'Angels of Light'."
Taking notice of how Ansem was gesturing towards Violet, Riku realized there were other angels out there. He recalled how Sora had used such knowledge against Violet when he had accused her of such outrageous claims, she had left the team. How had Sora learned of the "Angels of Light"? Had Violet told him about them some time ago? When would that have been? Riku didn't know and probably never would know.
"However," Ansem continued. "It was after that I tried more than once to encourage you to utilize the Darkness in your heart to protect your friends against the Nightmares. I convinced a fairy to put you to the test… and you failed; she wasn't capable of handling her own Darkness in the first place. Just like someone else I'm sure you'll both know."
Riku was shocked. Had the villain just admitted to placing the hawk-shaped Nightmare from Pixie Hollow into Vidia's hands? True, the fast-flying fairy had revealed she'd been given such power from a man in black… could that have been Ansem? Riku had never seen Ansem in a black-hooded coat, so he wasn't sure. Yet, who was the other person the villain was referring to?
Violet's necklace started glowing brightly against the dark abyss around them. "Another flashback?!" she exclaimed in a soft voice full of nervousness.
A beam of Light shone out and formed a rectangular-shaped projection to the group's right. Well… it wasn't exactly a rectangle; its four corners were curved like a circle. As an image came into view upon the screen, Riku noticed how even Ansem was watching it; the villain's arms were folded upon his chest and he had a sinister grin upon his lips. It seemed to appear he had been anticipating something like this.
Despite a bit of static at first, the image showed a steep-sided tower with a stone base and wooden chamber. The structure was located in the middle of a lush, green valley surrounded by gigantic walls of rock sealing it off from the rest of the world. A waterfall was flowing into the scenery and continuing in the form of a stream. The sky above was full of light-grey clouds.
"Wait a second," Violet stated. "That location significantly resembles Rapunzel's tower back in the kingdom of Corona!"
The camera shifted to a view inside the tower. A young man was cutting a girl's golden hair at the same time a frog-like creature's sword sliced it. A woman in a red dress was panicking at the sight of the golden hair turning brown.
"No!" the woman exclaimed in a state of total alarm. "What have you done?!"
Her attempt to seize the hair ended in futile. As the hair continued to turn brown, her skin became so pale it resembled snow. Her hair swiftly became grey before turning whiter than a sandy beach in the tropics. Her whole complexion transformed, the woman stared at her appearance in the remains of the broken mirror. She covered her head with a black blanket, totally unaware of the fact she was currently stepping towards the tower's entrance.
At that moment, Riku quickly strode up to the window as the woman stood blindly in front of it. Acting as fast as he could, Riku jolted forwards and pushed her out the window. He peered out as the woman fell head-first down to the ground. Within seconds, she had landed, but there was nothing more than a cloud of dust rising from the blanket. Riku snorted. "Good riddance!"
At that precise moment, Violet came soaring up to the window. Her face was filled with bewilderment and shock; she was barely able to speak. "What was that?!" she exclaimed aloud. "Someone… descended from the tower!"
"It was Mother Gothel," Riku explained as he gently helped Violet into the room. "Rapunzel's hair has been cut. She must've aged to death or… "
He paused for a brief minute. "…the Darkness in her heart consumed her."
Violet nodded in return.
Riku sighed. He recalled the moment when he had shoved Rapunzel's so-called "Mother" out of the tower and she had plunged straight into the ground. Even now, he wasn't sure whether or not Mother Gothel had aged to death or her heart had fallen to Darkness. Then again, perhaps her rapid aging had been the result of her heart becoming one with the Darkness? He would probably never know the exact answer to his question.
As the projection vanished, Ansem turned his head to face Riku. "You see?" he said. "It's so sad… the cost of yielding to the Darkness."
"Yeah," Riku sighed. He gave a tiny snicker. "I'll bet you'd make a fortune writing a book about that."
Ansem remained unamused as he turned his entire body to face the silver-headed Keyblade wielder and the angel clinging to his arm while partly-hiding behind him. "But I embraced the Darkness," he corrected. "And unless you hurry up and do the same, your story will end — just like hers. You can try to run, but as I've told you before, you can't run from the past. The Darkness has become the 'Spirit Energy' and your heart is the planet. You need the Darkness. Surrender; you know you cannot resist it."
"'Spirit Energy'? 'Planet'?" Violet yelled. She glared at the villain. "Stop making stuff up from scratch!"
Ansem's returning glare made the angel feel so anxious, she slinked back behind Riku. "After all your efforts to command the Darkness and protect those you cherish," he went on. "It is a shame you locked that power away in the end. You've become a laughing stock for the forces of Darkness; an imposter for the members of Organization XIII. And still, even now, you refuse to comply with my demands."
A brief pause followed before Ansem added, "I may not be able to force you to accept the Darkness — it is your choice. However, I can still offer you one last chance to decide. Which will it be? The Darkness? Or the endless abyss without Light? Choose carefully… or your bones may become my bread."
"Did you take that expression from the fairy tale?" Violet inquired, looking at Ansem with a strange look.
Riku looked down at his right hand; his palm was open. He knew at least some of what Ansem was saying was accurate information. The rest was fuddled research twisted for the villain's liking. Apparently, when he had been an apprentice scientist, Xehanort himself hadn't followed the simple steps of the world-renowned "Scientific Method". It was exact same principle used by scientists conducting unethical experiments — the ones who typically wished to rush their research along and live to see their finalized results. Of course, such things generally existed solely within the fictional worlds of comic books and cartoons.
"Ansem — or… Xehanort — you used to be a Keyblade wielder," he finally said. "But Darkness stole your heart, and the Keyblade with it. Don't you see? That's half the reason I'm even on this journey. After allowing Darkness into my heart, am I still fit to wield the Keyblade? Even after locking you away, here you are, haunting me again. So I get it now. There's no point in trying to hold the Darkness back. Like you said, I can't run from my past. Whatever happened… whether it be watching an entire world crumble away into the Darkness or letting someone I care about be pushed around or fighting my own friends to save them all… I know it'll never be erased from the time stream."
Ansem gave a hint of a smile. "At last, you see clearly," he commented. "And I'm sure you understand what to do. Set the Darkness in your heart free. Then, and only then, can you rescue your friend. You'd better hurry, or Sora's heart will be out-of-reach for good."
Ansem extended his hand in a warm gesture. His sinister smile began growing less ominous, which only made Violet and Riku sense he was still lacking a sense of validity.
"Riku," Violet pleaded. "Do not listen! He is lying!"
Although Riku knew he wanted to save Sora more than anything, he couldn't help but detect the same sensation he had felt since his first encounter with Xehanort's Heartless years ago. The young man with the spikey-brown hair he had met while playing on the island at age five-and-a-half… the man who had originally given him the ability to become a Keyblade wielder… the one he'd made the promise to keep the entire event a total secret… Ansem strongly seemed to resemble him — with the exception of the cruel stench of Darkness filling the air. Unless the man had been Xehanort before he'd become a Heartless… but that didn't add up.
The last remaining question still going through Riku's mind was simple. Who was that man and why did Xehanort's Heartless seem to possess the same presence? Perhaps that was what he needed to say to make his point clear.
"You know," Riku started to say. "Whenever I look at you, there's this memory that flashes back. It was a secret I said I'd keep when I was little. The main reason I kept dreaming about the outside world… was because of him."
Ansem showed signs of shock and complete bewilderment. "That… is your answer? Not what I was expecting… not even close. It's not even in the same vicinity."
Riku reached out his right hand, allowing his Keyblade to appear. "My journey begins here and now," he clarified. "I'm going back to the real world, and then to Sora's side."
Glancing at the angel still situated behind him, Riku smiled with determination. "And she's coming with me!"
Violet smiled with tears of joy showing in her eyes. "Riku… if I had ever possessed a dream, then you have fulfilled it."
Riku turned back to face a shocked and disturbed Ansem. He raised his Keyblade into his usual fighting stance. "I know the way. Consume the Darkness. Then return it to the Light."
Ansem's face was full of frustration and irritation. "I can see there's no point in trying to convince you. Your heart once belonged to Darkness; you sought a way to cross over into other worlds, and you opened your heart to Darkness."
As Violet strode out from behind the silver-haired seventeen-year-old, Ansem finished, "You can try to make me part of the Light, but remember: in the end, every heart returns to the Darkness whence it came. Every Light must fade, every heart will return to Darkness!"
Out of nowhere, a humungous pool of dark matter formed underneath the group. To Riku, it resembled a powerful whirlpool in the middle of a draining lake or swimming pool; only filled with Darkness. He glared at where Xehanort's Heartless was floating a few yards away; Violet did the same.
"Darkness conquers all hearts!" Ansem declared while a giant creature who resembled a shadow appeared behind him. "You both shall feel Darkness — in your bones! You have become my bread!"
Violet had heard enough. "That comment is so plagiarized, it is unreasonable!"
Riku was unfazed as he remained glaring. "Give me everything you've got. I'll throw it all right back in your face — as Light!"
Ansem clenched his teeth before rushing forwards with his shadowy bodyguard following behind. A darkish-purple shield appeared before his body. "Take this!"
Riku shoved Violet safely to the side before whirling to his left. He continued to spin in circles as though he was an astronaut drifting through outer space. Violet flapped her wings and was able to regain her balance easily. Riku finally stopped twirling long enough to spot Ansem charging directly at him. He raised his weapon and blocked the attack, stunning the villain for a moment. It was plenty of time for the silver-haired Keyblade wielder to strike with his weapon a few times in a row.
"Come, guardian!" Ansem hollered. "Protect me!"
With the shadowy creature now shielding Ansem from the front, Riku was unable to deliver a single successful attack without getting blocked. Taking this in, Violet soared to a spot behind the villain. As expected, Ansem's back was undefended. Taking advantage of such a weak spot, the angel raised her hand and called out in a softer (though clear) voice, "Ryan! George! Lindy! You have been requested for assistance!"
At once, three creatures appeared before her. One was dragon-like with a blue body and tail, yellow-green head, and dark-violet wings; Ryan. The second was shaped like a bald eagle with a red beak and claws, blue wings and tail, and white feathers upon its head; George. The last one resembled a falcon with green feathers and wings, a sea-bluish beak, and a yellow tail with matching claws; Lindy. All three stealthily swooped over behind Xehanort's Heartless. Violet crossed her wrists, although she wasn't sure why she was doing it. She only wished this moment would turn the tide….
"Submit!" Ansem yelled, sending his shadowy follower into Riku's body. The teenager began glowing a darkish-purple as he froze in place. "Come! Open your heart!"
It all took place within ten seconds. Ryan opened his mouth and sent a wall of flame at the villain. Ansem was sent recoiling and unable to summon his dark bodyguard to protect him; this gave an opening for George to rush in and slap the enemy with his tail and wings. Ansem staggered in mid-air (which didn't make any sense to whoever might've witnessed it) before signaling for his shadowy creature to leave Riku and provide assistance. There was still enough time for Lindy to swoop in and grab Xehanort's Heartless with her claws and fling him into the air. Ansem flipped like an acrobat a couple times before Lindy caught him, George slapped his face several times, and Ryan scorched him with another barrage of flame.
Riku had to snicker at the sight of watching his number one enemy so defenseless. Until now, Ansem had always been a powerful, dangerous opponent. Still, even that villain was unable to defend himself from three dream-based Spirits. "Giving up already?" he smirked at his arch-nemesis. "I thought you were stronger than that!"
By the time Violet gestured for her Spirits to release the villain, Ansem was showing signs of additional anger and rage — which could be seen through the charcoal-like soot leftover from the flames. Ryan, George, and Lindy returned to Violet's position and waiting alongside her.
"My strength returns," Ansem proclaimed in a somewhat-weakened voice. His body started glowing as his shadowy creature appeared below and the entire area grew even darker than it had been previously. Riku immediately realized what was happening and began pushing himself along. Behind the silver-headed teen, Ansem's dark minion sent numerous geysers of Darkness after the Keyblade wielder.
"What do you hope to accomplish?" Ansem scoffed at the sight. "Do not deny your fear!"
Without warning, a series of lightning-like bolts surged across the ground like flames in an out-of-control blaze. The shockwave they caused nearly knocked Riku straight into Violet. At the last possible second, George soared over and grabbed him before the two could collide. At the same time, Ansem shouted, "The final Darkness is nigh!"
As Ansem's dark bodyguard rejoined him, he swiftly descended before backing away from the angel and her Spirits. Riku prepared to launch a sudden attack, but the villain was too far out of range. "Now show me what your precious 'Light' can do," Ansem challenged.
"You asked for it!" Riku shouted aloud before rushing over and slicing his Keyblade straight through the villain. It was at that exact moment when George, Lindy, and Ryan all charged forward and slammed themselves into Xehanort's Heartless.
"Yes!" Violet cheered as a bright flash emerged from the impact site. "The Light is victorious over the Darkness — my favorite, yet typical, outcome!"
With Ansem now struggling to regain his balance in mid-air, Violet decided it was time to call her Spirits back. Before she could, Riku approached the villain.
"Ansem," Riku called out loud. "You're a part of my heart now! A part of the Light!"
Ansem's glare intensified as his dark minion remained positioned behind him. "Ever the fool, boy," he struck back. "And forever a pawn of the Darkness!"
All of a sudden, Ansem's appearance started to shift in the form of a blur. Riku and Violet remained floating for a couple more seconds before solid ground appeared. To their shock and surprise, they were standing in what resembled a marble plaza from a city. All around them were a thick cloud of Darkness, surrounding the scenery beyond like a wool blanket.
They gazed back at Xehanort's Heartless. They froze, seeing now that Ansem had transformed into a young man with spikey, silver hair, amber eyes, and mildly-tanned skin. He was wearing a black shirt with red straps that criss-crossed over his chest, wide tan pants, golden-black shoes, a black wristband on his right wrist, and a piece of golden armor with what looked like a button on his left arm. On his belt was a small, golden emblem that looked exactly like an upside-down version of the Organization's logo. He was glaring at the two with an ominous presence radiating outward in all directions.
Riku stared in alarm. Ansem had turned himself into someone he sort of recognized. Could these be the same man who had given him the ability to wield a Keyblade? Or could he be an imposter? Then again, perhaps he was both rolled into one?
The figure spoke in a tone of voice that sounded exactly like Ansem — Xehanort's Heartless. "I shall guide you to the depths of Darkness!"
Riku was just as convinced as Violet. This certainly was Ansem — only with an alternate appearance.
The new Ansem reached out his hand and a flicker of Darkness combined with lightning occurred around it. The result was a weapon with a spikey, black guard resembling demonic wings, a horned, demonic head just above the handle, two barbed shafts, and teeth resembling a battle axe split into three almost claw-like protrusions.
"A Keyblade?!" Violet exclaimed. "Since when does he possess such a distinctive weapon?!"
Riku regained his focus as the angel's words sunk in. "I knew he used to be a Keyblade wielder, too," he replied. "I just didn't know he was still one."
At that moment, Ansem rushed forwards and wildly swung his Keyblade at the two. Riku timed his next move so he could swing his weapon in return and block the oncoming attack. At the same time, Violet sent her Spirits to close in on the villain as she took to the air. Riku's Keyblade clanged against Ansem's weapon and the two remained locked against each other.
"Return to Darkness!" Ansem snarled at the silver-haired Keyblader resisting him.
Riku ignored the villain and continued to push his Keyblade in response. After a few moments of shoving the weapons both ways, Riku succeeded in forcing his Keyblade ahead. Ansem was sent flying backwards — at least a few feet.
That was when Ryan zoomed over and set the villain's hair on fire. George rushed over and slapped his right wing against Ansem's right arm, nearly making the enemy lose his grip on his Keyblade. Lindy was next and she soared over before picking Ansem up and throwing him across the square. He landed upon the marble ground on the opposite side — directly before a startled Violet. Ansem's glare was becoming darker by the second.
"Violet!" Riku shouted. "Run for your life!"
Violet leapt into the air and managed to avoid a surprise slashing of Ansem's Keyblade. In a state of anxiety, the angel soared over to where Riku was standing and landed directly behind him. Ansem spun around before dashing across the ground at them; he left a mark of Darkness on the ground that seemed to resemble tire tracks on the sidewalk. In a matter of two or three seconds, the villain was standing directly before the silver-haired youth and the Angel of Dreams.
"Yield!" Ansem proclaimed, raising a gigantic object above his head. It didn't take long for Riku and Violet to realize he was holding a humungous version of his own Keyblade. A ball of fire launched from the tip of the weapon and headed straight for the two. Riku swung his Keyblade at the last second and countered the fireball, which was now aimed back at its source.
As the fireball struck him directly, Ansem yelled, "This… is hardly… the end… "
Ansem's appearance rapidly transformed back to his old self before he started gasping for air. His shadowy minion started to melt away into a molten pool of Darkness. Although the sight looked like melted chocolate, Violet covered his face to prevent herself from throwing up. Riku nodded as he watched the marble plaza below fade from view and take Ansem's bodyguard with it.
"Why?" Ansem stammered in his now-weakened state. "Why won't you… you allow the Dark… Darkness in your heart? Where else can… can your power… come from?"
Riku gave a determined smile. "That's a simple question, so it deserves a simple answer," he answered, nodding at Violet. He placed his hand upon the angel's right shoulder. "My friends. Like Sora once told me, 'My friends are my power'. That's what makes our hearts so strong — the Light of our 'True Friendship'!"
As Ryan, George, and Lindy returned to Violet, she smiled at the silver-haired teenager. "Riku… You are correct and honest."
"Yeah," Riku acknowledged. "And I'm proud to have friends like you, Sora, Kairi, and Mickey."
"Do not neglect to count the others," Violet added. "Matt, Jackie, Inez, Digit, Widget, Jules, Fluff, Slider, Rapunzel, Pascal, Eugene, Max, Tinker Bell, Bobble, Clank, Rosetta, Silvermist, Iridessa, Fawn, Jiminy, Pinocchio, Sam, Quorra, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Christopher Robin, Merlin, Wart — I mean Arthur, Archimedes, Donald, Goofy, Crystal, Shelly, Carlos, Clarabelle, Princess Minnie, Daisy, and Pluto. Not to mention all the individuals residing within the musical scores."
"Yeah," Riku nodded. "I get it."
"I can see it now," Ansem called, snatching the pair's attention. The villain was slowly being consumed by the Darkness. "If the Keyblade alone cannot seal the Door To Darkness, I will return. Until then, prepare to surrender… Riku."
In the blink of an eye, a dark portal appeared around the spot where Xehanort's Heartless stood. He disappeared in it and was gone by the time it closed up.
Riku stared ahead before glancing down at his Keyblade. "Strength to protect what matters," he said aloud. "I have it."
"Correct," Violet confirmed. "You truly possess a strong heart, too."
It was then the Darkness surrounding them vanished and the two found themselves standing in the middle of a darkened city plaza. Towering, black skyscrapers rose into the night sky, even though no stars could be seen in the inky blackness above. The ground they were standing on was well-paved. The first floor of many of the skyscrapers contained large, store-front windows, and a shadowed concrete sidewalk separated the building from the street. Some of the buildings' windows were illuminated by an eerie, yellow light while the rest were dark. A neon sign was located on the outside of several; all of them contained glowing letters in various color schemes.
At one end stood a building in the same architectural design of the others — the high-rise style of New Orleans, Louisiana — except for a few differences. It had two sets of concrete steps leading from the sidewalk in opposite directions before turning around and meeting a landing before the structure's main entrance; the layout seemed like a perfect baseball diamond. At the top of the skyscraper, a set of gigantic television-like screens (each applied with a different tint) had been mounted. An overturned truck was lying next to the building with a cracked windshield, blinking headlights, and some skid marks on the street.
Gazing into the sky above, Riku noticed how clouds were gradually passing by, which stood out amongst the otherwise emptiness of the view around him and Violet.
"This place," Riku started to say. "Did we finally make out of the dream?"
"I cannot tell," Violet responded. She glanced at him a second later. "Was that intended to be a rhetorical question?"
Riku shook his head before giving a deep sigh. "Sora and I have been struggling a lot since the start of our journey, because Ansem… No — because Xehanort planned it."
Violet looked puzzled. "I would prefer to say you are correct," she said. "I cannot comprehend exactly what you are stating here. Could you please clarify?"
Riku spun around to face the angel. "The reason why Ansem, Xemnas, and all those others in black coats kept showing up while we were trying to awaken the seven Sleeping Worlds is because they were all connected to Xehanort. He's the one who sent them and tried to lead up astray."
"Xehanort?!" Violet exclaimed in alarm. Her face flooded with such intense anger, Riku was certain he had never anticipated such a reaction from the angel. "I despise that corrupt man! He was unfit to become a Keyblade wielder — let alone a Keyblade Master — he caused all sorts of difficulties in the dreams! I often had to work overtime on multiple occasions to put a finish to his constant flow of Nightmares!"
Riku nodded with a serious look in his eyes. "You know," he stated in a firm voice. "That means Sora and I are a long way off course from Master Yen Sid's 'Mark of Mastery Exam'."
Violet nodded before sweeping her eyes around the immediate area. "First things first," she announced. "We must locate Sora somewhere in this city. If what you claimed was accurate, then he must still be lurking around here. The only other inquiry is… where to search?"
Riku swept his own eyes around. "All right," he said in turn. "Sora has gotta be here… somewhere."
Without warning, Violet's antennae perked up. Riku paused long enough to notice it. The angel nodded. "I believe I have located him," she declared. "He is situated in the seat of a peculiar-looking throne inside a circular room deep within an enormous, titanic-sized castle."
Riku nodded back once more before turning to gaze down the street ahead. "Then, that's where we'll look next."
Violet gave a nod in return — moments before the two started down the street. They had just arrived in the true home of Organization XIII — The World That Never Was.
Strolling quickly up the inclined street, Riku and Violet soon reached a dead end. In the middle of a humungous gap in the city's layout, an immense, cylindrical castle with dark-grey paint hovered in the air above. Although a few towers were positioned at odd angles, some sections were jutting out at square-shaped landings, and the highest tower was missing, Riku nodded at it.
"This is it," he declared. "The Organization's stronghold."
Violet stared at the structure nervously. "It is much more creepy than I imagined… "
Riku shook his head. "I know we're back in the real world, but he still hasn't woken up. Where are you, Sora?"
Violet sighed with a shake of her head. "Perhaps we should infiltrate the castle," she spoke up. "The only question is… how can we both reach it?"
Riku gazed at the castle and realized the bridge he'd used previously was gone. Without the aid of a Corridor of Darkness, there was no way they'd get inside. "Good question… "
A few sounds grabbed the two's attention. Violet pointed at the opening located at the bottom of the castle. "Look over there!"
Riku glanced up and stared in amazement. A small, blue dog… or cat was hopping up and down directly inside; it had green-yellow eyes full of playfulness. "A Spirit?"
"His name is Pepper," Violet informed the silver-haired seventeen-year-old. "Look! Here comes Hannah-ly."
At that moment, a six-legged cat with pointed, red ears, an orange head and neck, yellow back, green legs, blue paws, indigo tail, and violet eyes stepped into view.
"Alright," Riku acknowledged. "But how will they help us?"
Feeling a gentle nudge from the back of his head, Riku spun around to see the red, white, and blue eagle from earlier alongside the hawk-shaped Spirit; George and Lindy were awaiting instructions. Riku had to smile at the innocence he sensed in the creatures' eyes. He started to stroke the two Spirits' beaks; they both laughed in playful-sounding tones.
"Right," Riku calmly answered himself. "I get it."
Violet shook her head. "If I had known you would be such a marvelous companion for my Spirits, I would have shared them from the time I initially saw you way back in Traverse Town."
Riku shook his head and smiled. "Yeah," he replied. "We both know it's true."
A/N: AT LONG LAST, ANSEM - XEHANORT'S HEARTLESS - HAS BEEN STOPPED! NOW, IT'S DOWN TO RIKU AND VIOLET TO SAVE SORA - IF THEY CAN GET PAST XEHANORT HIMSELF THAT IS! Either way, things have REALLY grown SO FAR out-of-control, I Hope none of you are getting Dizzy, Lost, or TOO Anxious for the Rest!
Yes, I added references to the story of Jack And The Beanstalk. I thought a LITTLE Comic Relief might be helpful in SUCH a dark Chapter.
Plus, I included some "Hints" to the one of the battles in "Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep". See if you can find it! Same for "FINAL FANTASY 7"!
By the way, some of the Spirits I included in this Story are IDENTICAL to what I originally had named them in my initial Playthrough of "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance". I OWN THOSE IDEAS AS THEY HAVE BECOME SOME OF MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
Also, PLEASE Do NOT Expect Me To Write So Much In Such A Short Time! I Am Now Back In School, So THAT Takes Top-Priority! I HOPE You'll Understand!
So, I'm Ready To Close Out - For Now; PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!
REMEMBER - A MINIMUM OF 107 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 120 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME CHAPTER 49 IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!
This is SoraLego278 saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" So, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"