Fore warning, this chapter gets a bit graphic. Not much. But its a little darker than the rest of the chapters.
Chapter 13: Dream Turned Nightmare
Explosion...Falling...Darkness...
"About damn time they got here..." echoed a voice, dark and heated.
"Well, now that we have them, what now?" came a more timid voice.
"What do you think, dumbass? Strap them in and get this thing started!" bellowed the first.
"Ok, Ok, keep your jacket on," that was the last voice heard of the outside world...
Riza woke up in the middle of a forest. Where the hell am I? Her head pounded like a hundred steel drums, but without the tune. She looked around and stood up, pain spreading throughout her whole body. And why does it feel like I got ran over by five elephants? In the distance, Riza hears a voice calling her name. Ok, now I know I'm dreaming, 'cause that sounded like my...dad's...voice..? Riza was staring at the man she thought was dead. "Dad...?"
"Hey Riza. I've been looking for you. You've been out here for hours. Mom's worried about you. C'mon you," Maikeru outstretched his right hand so his daughter could grasp it; he was dressed in his mission clothes, a black, tight undershirt, a dark red, long short sleeve, thigh high jacket. Grey shorts ending mid-calf were held up by a black cloth belt. He was wearing sandals and his legs were wrapped from the foot up. On his right arm was a white forearm glove with black stripes that ended mid-pal, on his left was the twin but the colors were reversed. His sword was held in his left hand, the Kiba no Kitsune. His dark grey hair lightly fluttering in the twilight breeze, the long tail of hair whipping a bit. He looked like the last time Riza saw him. Riza reached out slowly, touched the hand to make sure it was real. When her hand didn't go through, she gladly grasped it. His bark blue eyes closed behind the glasses similar to his daughter's
It must have been all a dream...But it seemed so real...Riza mused. Were those adventures really just all a dream? Josh and Charlie? All just a...dream?
"Hey, penny for your thoughts," Maikeru beamed.
"It's nothing," Riza put on a smile.
"Ok." The two made their way to the village and to their home. Riza's mother was inside cooking dinner for the returning duo.
"Riza, honey! I was starting to think Ren and Tairon kidnapped you again," Riza's mother's voice was dripping with laughter.
"No, sweetie, I found this little fox sleeping in the woods. I think she wants some food," Maikeru joked, he always called her 'little fox'.
"I think your right, Mai. C'mon you two, sit down," Riza's mother commanded, her tone still light as a feather.
"OK, so what did you make, Cara?" Maikeru asked his wife.
"Your favorite," Instead of hearing her father's favorite meal, she heard a fuzzy static noise, the whole scene seem to go static for a second, like a television with bad reception. Riza was shaken but figured it was from her still pounding headache. The meal continued on, but she got no taste out of the food. Riza just stared at the food.
"Honey, you ok? You hardly touched your food," Cara said concerned.
"Yeah, fine. I just have a killer headache, can I be excused?" Riza pushed her chair out and left the room with her parents' approval. Riza made her way to her room. It seemed like she's been away for weeks, but it was all a dream. Right? It was just a dream. It was all a dream. Riza sat down on her bed; her room was just the way she remembered. Not like it was destroyed, Because it wasn't. "Maybe I just need a shower. Yeah, that's what I need," Riza removed her white jacket, next her grey tank top. As she reached down to remove her fish-net tee, her hand brushed against a scar along her abdomen. "Huh?" She looked down, "How did I get this?" Her mind reeled back to that fight she had with the demon Abyss. "But that was a dream..." She reached into her pouched and pulled out the page form Sly's book and the Soul Calibur keychain. "No, it was a dream! It had to...Unless...This is the dream." She brushed her empty hand again across her pink scar, remembering Charlie's careful hands as the warrior dressed the wound. Putting the keychains back into her pouch, she tried to summon the one thing that could definitely tell her if this was real or not. In a burst of light, the Key of the Ukaizr was in her hand. "Now I know my adventures weren't a dream. Then, what's this I'm in?" Riza looked around, her room was just as she left it the night her world, her previous life, was taken from her.
She dismissed her Keyblade, and put on her shirt and jacket. In the dinning room, her mother was putting the dishes in the sink, her father sitting in the wooden chair, a toothpick in his mouth. "Riza, honey, feeling better?" Cara called, drying her hands in a dishcloth.
"I'm fine, mom," Here goes nothing. "Hey dad, why do you have the Kiba no Kitsune with you?" Riza asked, even though she knew it was a fake. It had to be. One, she held the Kiba no Kitsune, it's her Key of the Ukaizr, and two, her father never carried his most prized of swords. I should have realized that sooner.
"Huh? Why wouldn't I? It's my favorite, why wouldn't I have it on me?"
"Because, you never carried that sword. You gave it to Sensei Komaru to hold on to years ago. Plus, that is a fake." She pointed to the sword resting against the table next to her supposed father.
"What do you mean, it's the real thing," Maikeru got up, a good foot higher than his daughter.
"It can't be, because I have the real one," Riza withdrew her Keyblade. Maikeru stepped back.
"Sweetie, that's not the Kiba no Kitsune, it's some weird weapon."
"See, if you were my father, you would have noticed the blade and handle, it's unmistakable. But that wouldn't matter, 'cause if you were my father you would be dead!" Maikeru took the blade and looked at it, Riza slashed at it with her Keyblade. The mythical weapon glided through the sword, the image became distorted and fuzzy before returning to the clear image. Riza jumped back, taking up her stance.
"Ukaizr Riza! Stop this instant!" Her 'mother' yelled.
"No! You're imposters, and imposters need to be dealt with. No one, no one, disguises themselves as my parents and get away with it. Now show your trueselves so I don't have to destroy the image of my parents." Riza's joyful eye's lost their shine, their color going from a bright blue-grey to a dark blue, anger rearing its ugly head.
"Heh, you're a clever one, Ukaizr of the Keyblade. But, you won't leave alive," in a poof the room was filled with smoke and the two elder Ukaizrs gone, two totally different people stood in their place. A smaller female, medium length black hair, maybe dark blue, long bangs covering her left eye, her right eye clear in sight, they were the color of blood red rubys. She was dressed in a tight dark blue body suit, sleeves coming to her shoulders. Around her neck is a belt-like collar, there was one on her right bicep as well. She wore white pants held up by a white belt with a gold buckle, the bottoms were tucked into heavy, black commando boots. Her male partner, about two heads taller than her, had short black hair, spiky in the back, with a large piece coming over his right eye, his visible eye the same color of his female cohoort's. His outfit similar to her's, but his sleeves went to his bicep, with two leather wristbands, and no collar. However, he had a black, high collar trench coat falling to below his knees, the sleeves ripped off at the shoulder. His white pant legs were out with the bottom of the black commando boots still visible. Both him and his partner had one earring in the opposite ears; her's was in the right, his in the left.
"So, who are you two?" Riza growled.
The female spoke up, "We're the assassins sent to kill you, my dear. We are the Dream Destroyers."
"Not happening. Like I said before, people who decide to disgrace my parents won't live to try it again," Riza readied her weapon, pulling out a kunai as well.
"Look, Zackary, she wants too play," the female smirked.
"Apparently so, Noir. Let's humor her," Zackary charged with surprising speed and slammed into her with his shoulder, sending her through the walls of her fake house; Riza recovered, sliding across the grass. Zackary and Noir appeared outside, the house disappearing, the forest, and the rest of the village following suit; the three were in a white, infinite space. From behind the two pulled out their weapons; Noir holding a rapier while her partner swung a one-handed double-edged sword. "Let's see how you deal with two opponents at once, Keyblade Mistress," the two assassins rushed the sixteen year old. Their attacks came fast, Riza had only enough time to block, even then, she couldn't escape all strikes. The noise of the blows echoed throughout this space. The assassins' attacks were well synchronized, leaving little chance to counter. The two went in for with a horizontal swipe, their blades coming in from opposite directions, closing like a pair of scissors. Riza jumped over the blades, kicking off the smaller assassin then kicking the taller in the jaw. Riza landed low to the ground her left leg outstretched to her side, Keyblade held out to her right, left hand on the ground, still holding the kunai knife.
"I hope that's not all you two have. I'm just getting warmed up," Riza laughed.
"Dammit Noir! You would think your large 'attributes' would cushion that blow!" Zackary yelled, getting up and rubbing his sore chin.
"Stuff it, Zack!" Noir grabbed her dropped weapon, "Let's just do our job!" Noir charged the keybearer with a downward swing, which the latter dodged and countered. The weapons collided with one another with such an amazing force. The two grappled, their weapons coming only so close to slicing flesh or severing a limb. Zackary watch, waiting for an opening where he could ram his weapon through the Keyblade Mistress; but no such opening came. He was so concentrated on watching for the ninja's mistakes, that he missed his partner's; he was too late to save her. He watched as the scene unfolded in front of his crimson eyes.
Riza jumped back, dodging a diagonal swing from the hit-woman. Riza stepped on the rapier's blade driving it into the ground, getting it stuck. She leaped up and Noir saw death come at her. Riza threw her kunai point-blank range, the blade hitting its fatal mark. The assassin was killed instantly as the kunai stabbed her heart, Riza kicked her down as her body pushed the assassin down, landing with a thud. The young ninja dislodged her kunai, swiping it in the air to clean it of her victim's blood. "Why didn't you two listen when I told you: You. Won't. Live. Now it's your turn, scum," Riza turned to look at the male assassin, their glances connected, a shiver of fear ran down the assassin's spine. Just looking into the ninja's eyes he could tell that was not an idle threat. It was a promise. She calmly walked toward him, cold and vicious. His crimson orbs wide in fear, cold sweat running down his face and back. Pushing his fear aside, he snarled and charged his blade ready to thrust through the keybearer.
Riza used her Keyblade to guide the sword away from her, the sword passing harmlessly behind her. Zackary dodged as Riza countered. Riza missed and leapt back, out of striking distance. The two shared a glance before charging back toward one another. Riza jumped up and tried to strike him above, but Zackary blocked the strike. Riza backed off and lumped up, "Ember Buster!" Zack deflected it, the pyroball exploding by his feet; smoke came up and blocked his vision. Riza appeared behind him, but just barley hit him. He jumped away half his jacket missing and a slash through his shirt just nicked flesh. Riza charged through the smoke, her Keyblade slammed against his sword. He pushed her off then attacked with a kick aimed for her gut. She blocked witht eh broadside of her Keyblade, Zack pushing off of that to launch himself up.
"Nightmare Bringer!" A violet and ebony orb formed around his hand before he launched the beam at the ninja. Riza dodged however, debris flew up and lodged themselves into her arms and shoulders when she brought them up to protect her face and chest. She landed and dislodged the shrapnel from her being. Zackary landed as well, directly across form her. His glance flickered to his right. Right followed his glance to notice Noir's rapier. Zack made a run for it, Riza a hair behind. Halfway to the sword, Riza attacked, all her strikes blocked. Zack countered with a swift punch to her face. He had the sword seconds after. He kicked it up and grabbed, twirling it to get used to its added weight.
He charged the keybearer, the two swords flying at her like a flurry of steel and murderous intent. Riza did her best to block and dodged every shot but she had little luck after the first minute. She lost her balance and Zack took the opportunity. Riza was slashed five times then kicked twenty feet; blood stained the white ground as she slid to a halt. She staggared as she got up. A quick shake of her head to clear any fuzziness. With renewed resolve, she took a low stance and charged, "Ninja Rush!" Steel clashed with steel, sparks danced off their blades, and they went through a high-speed dance of attacking and evading.
Riza blocked a swing from the rapier and dodged the thrust of the straight sword. She grabbed Zack's right arm and jammed the butt end of her 'blade into his gut. She dismissed her Keyblade and pulled him into her knee, twice. She then threw him with her Ninja Twister Toss, the assassin glided across the ground. "Spinning Shinobi Slam!" The Keyblade flew through the air like a buzzsaw. Zackary threw his straight sword, but it never connected. Riza dismissed her blade and called it back to her hand, she caught the sword by the handle. Something happed the minute she took a stance with the two weapons. The crest of her family glowed red then dimmed. Riza felt a new power, a technique of her family's style. "Get ready!" She took up a stance with the Keyblade behind her back and the sword to her right side, and she was low to the ground. "Brink of Despair!" She charged the assassin, the weapons glowing bright red. Zack couldn't kep up with the ninja's heightened speed. For less than a second Riza's assault stopped, Zack attacked. A downward swing. However Riza dodged.
Riza spun to dodged the blade missing her, she then brought the sword across, driving it in deep, as far the blade would go, into the assassin's side and through the other side. Time froze and movements halted. Riza twisted the blade, then removed it with lightning speed, blood spurted from his side turning the white flood scarlet. Zack stumbled forward away from the keybearer, blood pooling around his feet and leaving miniature puddles where ever he stumbled. He gripped his weapon tightly, his vision already starting to blur with the blood loss. Riza was turned to her side, looking at him in the corner of her dark eye. "How...how could you...be..so..damned..str-strong?" he stuttered, mostly from shock; thin lines of blood dribbling out his mouth, internal bleeding making its way out of his mouth.
"I'm strong because I fight monsters like you and the one's that hire you. Creatures of darkness looking to destroy worlds to gain ultimate power. You were probably hired to make some munny, get that thrill of a kill. Pathetic reason to fight. The cause I fight for is where I draw my strength from. The determination and endurance of fighting to save the weak and oppressed. I don't fight to kill or gain power or buff up my muscles. I fight because no one else will. Now, with your time so near, beg for forgiveness for the sins you have committed and hope that a higher power has mercy on your soul," The shine slightly returning to Riza's eyes, a lighter shade of her orbs coming out.
"You poor diluted child. I committed those sins because I wanted too! The thrill I got from killing the innocent and weak only made it all the sweeter. I knew from the day I was able to comprehend such things that I was not getting into eternal paradise. Yes, keybearer, even from such a young, tender age I knew I was going to Hell. That was the kind of life I came from. But I'm glad I did, since I knew I was going to Hell I might have well have taken the scenic route, even if it was a bit bloody," Zackary laughed, but immediately stopped, the pain killing the laugh in his throat. "Now, with the small time I have, let's finish this. If I'm going down, you're coming for the ride as well," the mortally wounded assassin stood as erect as he could, the pain stopping him somewhat. He tried to hold the weapon in front of him, but he became to heavy in his blood deprived body. The sword was held to his side, his whole body open for an attack. Riza ran forward, throwing the sword, impaling him in the shoulder.
"Fine then. Sinners will have no mercy!" The blow came swift and the sound of a body being slashed rang throughout the infinite space. "Burn in Hell, bastard," Riza growled in a low whisper, but loud enough for the dieing assassin to hear. His eyes clouded, his mouth hung open, the limp body teetering. It fell forward, Riza merely sidestepping it. Zackary lied face down, dead, blood escaping his wounds the sword driving completely through the man, his body stopping at the guard.; he was dead before he hit the ground.
"Well done, Riza. You definitely improved from the last time I kicked your butt," for the second time in this strange world, Riza heard a voice she thought she would never hear again.
"Tai-Tai?" Riza turned, her voice taking on a young, innocent tone. Her eye's losing that darkness of anger, replaced by a slight watering and the shine of childhood ignorance; the image was tainted with the color of red on her blade and clothes.
"Boy, I haven't heard that name in years. Yeah, Riza, it's me Tairon," the tall man stood in front of her was Ren's best friend, Tairon, or as Riza used to call him, Tai-Tai. From what she remembered, he looked the same except for his outfit. His black spiky hair defying gravity, pointed toward the front of his head with thick bangs shadowing his face. Black tattoos under his eyes like permenant eyeliner, sort of striped like a cheetah's stripes coming below its eyes. A black goatee still there, like always. Unlike his older outfit she remembered him in, he was a green tinted black leather vest with green-tinted white fur around the collar and no undershirt. On his left forearm was a four-spiked brace with large brown rims. His other arm had a long white glove with claws on the end of each black finger, and a curved blade at the top of the glove by his elbow. A thick belt draped across his hips with a large linked chain behind him, connected to the belt. His long legs covered with semi-tight dark-blue jeans. Ended with black sneakers with purple belts across the top in a cross fasion. To his left side, he was holding a long pole with its top covered in a leather covering, the spear was his weapon of choice long ago; it still was from the look of the weapon in front of her. To Riza, even though this seemed like the same Tairon of her past, but something seemed a bit off.
"I thought you were dead...?" Riza walked over to her old friend, he was still a good two feet taller than her.
"No, Ren and me got captured."
"He's alive as well? Speaking of Ren, where is he? I hardly ever see you two apart..."
"Who the hell are you!?" Charlie bellowed. She dodged the odd looking short-blade for the seventh time. Her question going unanswered for the tenth. Minutes ago she just figured out that she was tricked, being thrown into a world like she remembered when she spent time with Josh but they were their current age, and now she was as pissed as a wet cat. "And who do you think you are-" her blade crashed into his, "Attacking me?!" Josh charged and swiped with his blade but the mystery fighter dodged, leaped back. Josh's blade clashed with Charlie's. She growled and went after the enigma once again; her blade slamming against his once again.
"If you want to know so badly, I'm Colonel Nacht, and I've been sent to kill you," he pushed her back and went to thrust. Charlie sidestepped, only to have the blade follower her; Nacht switched his thrust to a swing. Charlie knocked the blade away and went into close the distance between her sword and his throat. He dodged by ducking and tried a low sweep kick. He missed and had a sword come down on him. His short sword defended him with its wide blade. Charlie jumped away, making distance. She watched the swordsman get up. He was wearing a high-collared, white and black jacket that had two sets of buttons and belts to tighten the sleeves near the sleeve opening, with black leather gloves. Underneath he wore a second, lighter, black and white jacket with its collar latched closed, the rest unzipped. Under that was a plain white shirt, tucked in a pair of baggy jeans, held up with a white belt with a silver buckle. He was wearing high-top grey, white, and black boots, with three white buckles. His face held a resemblance to someone, but at the moment, Charlie couldn't place it. His handsome clean face was topped off with silver with black tips. His hazel eyes shining with anticipation and a hint of excitment for the fight.
"You look familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. Especially the look in your eyes," Charlie said, inching closer to her opponent, Josh got the same feeling.
"I get that a lot. Now are we here to converse or are we here to fight!" Nacht said through clenched teeth, running toward the warrior at full speed. Their blades crashed against each other, the sound echoing throughout the white infinite space, Charlie was pushed back until she got a stronger footing on the blank space. Nacht's blade locked with Charlie's, "I think it's time I showed you some of my unique power." Nacht leaped back, his left hand glowing a dull purple. "Night's Dark Veil!" He slammed his fist in to the ground, the dark half a sphere grew, swallowing him as well as Charlie and Josh. Within a radius of two miles, the warriors were submerged in total darkness. The swordswoman quickly reacted and switched her sword's power from steel to flame, giving her a five foot radius that she could see perfectly, a dim light reaching ten feet in radius. "You are a clever one, Miss. I didn't know your sword also had the power to channel the fire element. Let's see if it helps you," Nacht's voice faded within the dark dome. It's like leading a moth to a flame with that blaze resonating off her blade.
"Damn it. Stupid darkness. Josh, get as far away as you can and light your staff. We don't need friendly fire, right? " Charlie ordered. The next moment, the cousins dodged his blade. This continued for several minutes.
Now she gave me another target with the boy's staff. I hope they can make up these mistakes. I don't want to pluck them off so easily with these amateur mistakes.
"Tairon? Where's Ren?" Riza questioned in a more demanding answer. She had asked Tairon the same question with no definite reply. "Tairon, is there something I'm missing?"
They have been walking for a few minutes. Tairon answered, "Maybe. Ren is busy with some work, like I said," Tairon was not looking at the teen.
"Fine!" Riza jumped back taking up her stance with her Keyblade to her side. "If you won't give me a direct answer, then I guess I gotta beat it outta! C'mon Tai, show me if those skills haven't gone and rusted," Riza challenged the old friend.
"If you want that way, fine. This will make my job a helluva lot easier," he lowered his pole, not removing the leather cover.
"Your job? What do you mean?"
Tairon laughed whole heartedly, "I should have known you wouldn't guess it. To answer your question, yeah, there is something you're missing. A lot actually. Where should I start? Oh, how about the beginning. When Ren and I where captured, we weren't, well not at that time. Actually it was Ren's idea to run away from our village and our past lives." Riza gave him a puzzled stare, "Yeah, it was Ren's idea to abandon that life after what I did." Tairon had a sinister smirk on his face.
"Wha-what did you do?" Riza asked hesitantly.
"Remember when your father died? How the Council said that he died honorably, killed in action, KIA? That was a lie. A cover-up lie to say more precisely. Want me to explain? To put it bluntly, your father was murdered. By yours truly," Tairon's smirk grew into the devil's grin as he puffed out his chest and raised his chin in a haughty manner.
"You? But why?" Riza's face was of true shock and terror. How could her childhood friend kill her own father?
"Why? Because I was ordered too. By our enemies general. Hah! Yes, dear Riza, I was working as a spy. See, you know I always wanted to be king, my name practically gives me that title. The general of the opposing clan was going to give me that title. So all I had to do was make sure the mighty Ukaizr Maikeru, the Silver Blur, died on this mission. The best part was that he knew he was going to die, thanks to that future sight of his; good thing he couldn't see who or what gave him that final blow," Tairon laughed evilly, "Poor old fool. Didn't even see me coming!"
"What was Ren's part in all this?" Riza whispered hoarsely. All those years healing just to be torn open, just like that. She felt like her heart was just ripped out. She looked at Tairon as though he was holding her still beating heart. She was going to be sick.
Tairon stopped suddenly, "Huh?"
Riza shook her head and stood erect, her head bowed, her bangs shadowing her eyes. "I said, what was Ren's part in all this?" She uttered calm and cold, almost frightening. But Tairon was unfazed by the sudden turn around in the atmosphere. He expected it.
"Ren? Oh, haha, he got those pesky hunter ninjas off my tail. He believed every word I said. I fed him lies that he hungrily ate up. He was just a fool as his old man. Oops!" Tairon slapped a hand over his mouth but it was too late, it slipped.
"What? His old man? As in my father? Ren is...My brother?" Riza was dumbfounded to say the least. She thought they were all gone, but now this? "Ren is my brother? My real brother?"
"Yeah, Riza. He is, but he wanted to tell you. When this whole thing with the Troup Grimm blew over," Tairon leaned on his staff, while waving his hand, looking utterly bored.
"The Troup Grimm? You guys are working for them?!" Riza snapped out of her trance; Ren would have to wait. "Why them?"
"They'll give us what we want if we give them what they want. The opposing clan couldn't give me what they promised. So one night, I slaughtered them. Ren and I were on the run again. Ren wanted to see his little sister again and I wanted to find a worthy opponent. The Troup Grimm appeared before us and promised us such. As we speak, Ren is probably slaughtering your friends, and you can't get to them. A shame, haha!" Tairon laughed evilly.
"I should have known seeing you for the first time in years was too good to be true. This world...This world feeds on our hopes and dreams then turns them into our worst nightmares. Only the Troup Grimm could think of something so sinister and twisted! And Tairon, I thought you were better than this. I guess I was dead wrong," Riza looked up, and once more the child-like innocence gone replaced by the dark resonance of hatred and betrayal. "Now, to avenge my father and go stop my brother, I'm going to have to kill you Tairon. I don't want to, but I'll have to. The sin you have committed against me is too great for me to let you walk scott-free. Time for your punishment Tairon!"
Riza charged her now ex-friend and brought her blade down on him. He used the elbow blade to deflect the weapon with a clank and brought the butt of the pole in jabbing the younger fighter in the gut, making her double-over. Riza back up and moved just in time to miss the butt end almost slamming it into the back of her head. Riza went in with a powerful roundhouse kick to Tairon's midsection, making contact with rock hard abs, pushing the older back slightly. Tairon recovered quickly and went on the offensive with powerful thrusts. The ninja used her Keyblade to block most of the attacks, dodging and evading. A thrust turned into a slash, Riza bent backwards just missing the pole. She launched herself at the older man, her weapon once again coming in contact with his elbow blade. With a slight movement of his fore arm, Tairon had the Keyblade slide off the curved blade, Riza stumbling forwards. Tai brought the blade up and brought it down with deadly speed. However, the ninja was quicker.
The Keyblade Mistress sidestepped the blade, missing its deadly edge by inches. She leaped out of the way before a second try was attempted. Riza looked at the man in front of her, How could he be the same Tairon I knew so long ago?What happened to him to change him so drastically? Tairon smirked at the smaller ninja. He charged, brining the leather pouched top around, almost slamming into the midsection of the smaller girl. However, Riza brought her Keyblade up, blocking the blow, but the force launched her some feet from her original spot. Skidding to a stop the keybearer brought her Keyblade in front of her, pointing at Tairon, "Try this! Ember Buster!" The fire ball shot from the edge of the Keyblade. Tairon stood his ground, holding out his clawed hand in a stopping motion. He caught the offending pyro ball, the smoldering embers disappearing a in a poof. His glove turn a inferno red-orange, with small flames coming off of it.
"Good, I get to try out the Claw of the King's special ability, elemental magic absorbtion. Now, let's try it out! King's Flaming Claw!" Tairon ran toward the smaller fighter, claw a-blaze. He swiped at her small embers trailing off. She dismissed her Keyblade, and reached out, her gloved hand around his tight forearm. Her hand warmed but was left unburnt by the Fire Ring she bought at Kou's. With all her might, she lifted Tairon up and over her, flipping him. He landed hard on his back, the flames sizzling out. "Too bad the effect doesn't last long."
Riza jumped away, summoning her Keyblade once more. Tairon got up and looked at the smaller teen. "I thought I knew you Tairon. Now, I know it was all a lie. Come at me with all you got!"
"Looks like I need to get serious with you, Riza. Heh, didn't think I would need too. Now, prepare yourself for the true might of The King!" Tairon loosened the pouched and tugged it away. The glistening steel shone with malice. Tairon's devilish smirk grew into a more sinister smile. "Now, feel my true power!" Tairon's power grew more dark and his gaze far more deadlier. His speed and power increased, the swings more furious. The curved blade came within inches of severing Riza's jugulars; a cool wind from the swing hit her throat. The teen leaped back, breathless from her near death experience. She gripped her neck, a cool sweat ran down her neck. Recovering quickly, Riza dismissed her Keyblade and dug in her pouch and pulled out her shurikens.
"Dodge this!" The teen threw her tiny weapons with expertise, cutting through the air with soundless precision. Tairon quickly smacked them away with his pike's blade. Riza was already charging, her Keyblade slamming into his staff. The force vibrated through both weapons, shaking the combatants slightly. The two locked in a stare, their muscles quivering under the force. "Just answer me this Tairon: What do you expect will happen to you when the Troup Grimm is done with you? You think they are just let you go on your own merry way?"
"Hah! Simple fool! I'm a valuable weapon to them! They will never get rid of me!" Tairon pushed Riza back, "King's Rapid Flash!" The pike's blade came at Riza like lightning. She was able to dodge the blade's deadly edge with fox-like agility. She knocked the blade away, jumping back. In a split-decision she pulled out the Soul Calibur keychain; changing the keychains in a flash. In a bright light, Soul Calibur rested tightly in the ninja's grip. She bent down in a new stance, her right side toward Tairon, blade horizontal across her body, knees slightly bent. "This is a new stance. Something daddy didn't teach you?"
"Right! With this new form of the Keyblade, it gives me some new tricks. Like this one," A light blue energy wrapped itself around the blades. Riza charged, "Soul of the Fox!" The Keyblade slammed into the pike, but the light blue energy shot out and went through Tairon's chest and midsection like an apparition, a fox apparition. The technique etched in Riza's mind. The taller man's force behind the weapon lessened considerably. Riza was able to push the weapon away and slash across his abs and up his chest. Tairon barely dodged, a small red line formed across his torso, blood dripping from the new wound.
He drew a clawed finger over it, a scowl soon formed into a smirk," Hah..hahah! Hahahahahahah! Your time is up, Riza!" he ran all five of his steel claws over the crimson line. The glove glowed a blood red, small red energy bolts coming off. "King's Blood Stained Fist!" A dark red ball formed in the palm of the tall man. As it grew larger he aimed it at the keybearer. "Now perish!" The ball was fired and was evaded. His forearm glowed, as he gestured it for it to return to him. The energy followed the command issued and came back around like a boomerang. Riza dodged that strike too.
"Not good enough Tairon! Is this the best you got?" Riza challenged.
"Hardly!" He threw the energy back, this time the ball grew larger. It was harder to dodged. This vicious cycle continued for some more minutes. With the King's Blood Stained Fist as large as a small meteor, Riza decided to act.
The energy came at her with the speed of a bullet train. "This is it, Tairon! May your life in the after life be filled with pain and misrey!" The ball was yards away, closing in..."Backlash Wave!" Riza's energy wrapped itself around her weapon, glowing a bright grey. The Keyblade was swung, connection with the technique. The energy doubled in strength and size. Tairon was shocked and to stunned to move. The Backlash Wave was right before him before a portal of darkness was in front of him. Out came a figured that merely stepped to the side. The portal grew slightly larger, devouring the mighty attack from the small Keyblade Mistress. With the attack gone and the immediate danger no longer there, the portal disappeared in a swirl. Standing there was Colonel Nacht. He looked at the keybearer, sock in his eyes.
"You...!" Riza cried, but it was cut short. Nacht appeared before her and slammed his fist into her gut. She collapsed, the rest of her sentence dead in her throat.
Tairon called to his comrade, "Let's get out of here before she wakes up."He picked up his spear's pouch and put it back on the spear's blade.
"Hold on. Riza...there's so much I need to tell you, so much you need to know; but now is not the time," Nact spoke softly to the unconscious girl. "Here take these," he reached into his back pocket to pull out a small device with a green button and something else. He placed the two items near her with a note, on it read: "Through there you'll find your friends...in tact." He added quickly, "We'll meet again, Riza. hopefully not on the battlefield."
Nacht walked toward Tairon, "Why are you letting her go? You found her, kill her like Feu said."
"I have my reasons, Tai. Now, let's go. Glace has a new assignment for us," Nacht answered, his voice rather cold; he opened a portal.
"What about Feu?" Tairon put the hood back on the pike.
"What about him? Glace is our superior, as well as Feu's superior. Glace's order is the one we obey."
"Fine, let's go," the two left through the portal.
Riza woke minutes later only to find the two items replacing the two older men. She read the note and pushed the button, opening a dark portal. Riza stepped through to find emptiness on the other side. She looked down to see the chain and device given to her by Nacht. The device was nothing special, she pocketed that. The chain though, was a keychain. The end held a lion's head. He did have the battle title of the Brave Lion. She thumbed the steel trinket. Shaking her head, she pocketed that was well. She looked around, "Charlie! Josh!" the young keybearer called.
"Over here, Princess..." Charlie grumbled. She was sitting down, her right knee up and left leg out, leaning on her sword, which was lodged into the ground, hunched over. Josh lied next to her conscious and sprawled out, staff just a reach away.
Riza rushed over, "What happened? You guys ok?" She squatted next the warrior.
"Yeah. But I can't believe that fighter totally wiped the white floor with us! I mean it was two-against-one and he still kicked our asses and handed them back to us on a silver platter!"
"That fighter..." Riza's voice trailed off.
"Riza?" Josh mumbled. "You ok?"
"I'm fine. However. I know...I know who that fighter was. He was...my brother," Riza looked away, rubbing her left arm with her right hand. Josh sat upright, ignoring the pain shooting through his bruised body. Charlie's eyes widen in surprise, shock, and realisation.
So that's why looked familiar. Siblings. The sword techniques I saw him use. They too were similiar to Riza's. Just more sadness to burden her young soul. It's not fair. Charlie's mind mused sadly. In Riza's eyes the anger that once darkened them was now replaced by a distant stare, accompanied by sadness dulling their shine. "It'll be ok, Riza. We'll find your bro and help back onto the right path," Charlie smiled a reassuring smile.
Riza mouthed a 'thank you'. She nodded, "Let's get out of here. The infinite white is blinding me."
"But how?" Josh piped in, using his long staff as a cane.
"Simple! My brother Ren isn't that far off the right path. He gave me this before we parted," Riza pulled out the small device with the green button. "Push this, and we're out of this place. Come on," she placed her hand out. Josh dismissed his staff and Charlie sheathed her sword. They placed their hands on the keybearer's. Then with a swift push, the trio were enveloped by light and then, gone.
"Sir!!" came a distressed voice in front of a computer.
"What the hell is it now!?" came a heated one.
"The pods! They're opening!"
"No! The Nightmare Cannon isn't finished!" The room suddenly got very hot. "Damn it! Albtraum and Nacht failed!" A hiss filled the air.
"Sir! The pods!" The pods opened and a thin white haze filled the stuffy computer room. "What now...? Screw this! I'm getting out of here!" the distressed scientist ran form the room in fright for his own life.
"Ass..." the trench coat wearing hot-head muttered.
In the white mist stood the silhouettes of the three warriors. Riza stepped forward, her features coming into clear view. "So you're the one in charge here?" Riza practically growled.
"What if I am?" Riza focused on the form before her. Riza charged forward but the figure was gone. "Over here!" Riza felt a leg connect with her head, her body fling through the air and out of the pale fog. She crashed into a wall, but was soon through it, tumbling along the hard, gravel-like ground. She stood up, the side of her head pounding. Standing in front of her was a raven haired youth clad in a black trench coat. "I see you were able to get out of the dream part of this world. Too bad you're too late to disable our cannon stationed here."
"What cannon?" Riza asked with shock written on her face.
"The Nightmare Cannon RSQ-54. See,Träume is very special. From here, anyone could invade someone's dreams, even they are light years away. Input the coordinates and bam! You're making someone's dreams into nightmares!" The raven haired youth laughed sinisterly. "We just installed the pods so we can screw with you."
"Then why a cannon? I don't understand," Riza scratched the back of her head.
"Simple child. This world is practically unknown. You only found out because of that disc you found on Vent's body. That's also how we were able to shoot you down. That disc, as a precaution, was encrypted with code; a beacon. It alerted us of your location and, well, the rest you know. Now, with this world unknown, no army could find it. We could destroy worlds from a safe distance. 'Cause, along with portals into the minds of people, there are portals to the world themselves. We can fire the cannon here and have the shells destroy a world millions of light years away. You have no hope of stopping it!!"
"That's where you're wrong!" Riza roared, "You won't succeed, because I'm here to stop you!" Riza summoned her Soul Calibur Keyblade. The youth stuck his hand out to the side of him, a small column of flame traveling to the ground. He lifted it, the tower going higher. With a swift movement, the flames diminished, and in his hand was a spear; the blade curved like a scimitar but with spikes, like a flame. "What the...?"
"Surprised that I have power over the flame? No surprise with a name like Feu, right? It means fire. Now, no more small talk, let's go!" Feu ran toward Riza, his spear at the ready. Their weapons clashed, kicks were exchanged and banter flew at super speed.
While the two fought, Charlie and Josh were in the computer room staring at the control center of the Nightmare Cannon. "How the hell are we gonna shut this thing down!?" Charlie yelled at the computer screen.
"Let me handle it. You go help out Riza. Looks like she's having trouble dealing with both the Heartless and Feu." Josh was right, Riza was dealing with flame throwing Heartless and the pyro-user Feu.
"Damn it! They never play fair do they?" Charlie rushed out of the hole created by the dueling duo. The warrior made haste and cut down a Heartless that was about to pounce on the keybearer. Charlie continued her assault on the multiplying Heartless, of various types. Riza silently thanked the swordswoman, and went about her battle with Feu.
"You won't win! I'll cut you down to size, Keyblade Mistress!" Feu charged. The blade of his spear grinded against the rocky ground, red-hot sparks flaring about. The blade came at the young ninja like a wild fire. The sharpened blade was a-blaze, Riza barely able to dodge the fast moving blade. The weapons clashed, the embers spilling off of the pyro's blade singed the teen's clothing.
The two weapons locked, their masters pushing them together with all their might. "Like hell you will! I'm not losing to you, or any of your creepy black-coated buddies! Now, let's see you handle this!" Riza pushed Feu back, kicking off his spear, gaining height. Soul Calibur glowed a bright blue, a distant howl could be heard echoing throughout the open air and bouncing off the rock-littered ground. "Raging Vulpes!" Riza's body took on a sky blue hue, her body disappearing.
"What the...?!" The next moment, Feu felt a sharp pain in his gut. Next, his shoulder, then his side, followed by a blow to his back. He was on all fours, panting in pain, blood dripping from his form. "How the hell did that happen?" Sweat and blood mixing together on the ground, discoloring the pebbles with the crimson fluid.
Riza appeared in front of his downed form, the blue light disappearing, "The rage and anger and sadness that you caused. The people I once cherished you took and disgraced! That power fueled that technique, is what put you in this state now. Pitiful. I thought you would be a better opponent than this." Riza stared at the panting Troup Grimm member.
"Really, now? Well, this fight isn't over!" Riza's feet were swept out from under her with a sudden attack from the injured fighter. The ninja landed hard on her back with an echoing thud, small, sharp rocks making it even more painful. Feu leaped high from his crouched position, intending to impale the fallen keybearer. Riza twisted away before the blade could draw her blood. The spear created a gash in the ground, small and thin cracks creeping across the broken skin of the ground, dust taking flight. "Come back here!" Feu dislodged his long weapon, spinning it about, cleaning off the dust. He took his stance, low to ground, right hand out front, left bent back holding his bladed staff. "C'mon!"
Riza let out a battle cry, charging toward her foe. The weapons clashed once more, the blade's flame died out long ago. Feu pushed back the younger fighter, her shoes kicking up dust as she skidded back. Coughing, Riza looked up to see Feu closing in on her. Before the blade could do her any fatal harm, she lifted and spun her weapon. The two sharp edges of the Soul Calibur were thrust into the ground, locking the spear there as well. Riza pushed off her grounded weapon, double kicking Feu in the chest. Feu was pushed back, dirt imprints of the ninja's shoes evident on his black coat. Before he had a chance to dust himself off, Riza came at him, her fists flying. The fight switched from weapons exchanging blows to fists and kicks being traded.
Charlie, close by, was dealing with more Heartless than she thought possible. "Damn it!" She huffed, the Heartless twitching and jerking with their movements. She glanced at the two fighting some yards away. The punches and kicks delivered amazed her. The force behind each attack must be more powerful than the last. She shook the two from her mind and focused on the dark foes in front, behind, and flanking her. "C'mon you little rotten hearts. Let's see how you deal with the Warrior of Hearte! Metal Mania!" Charlie charged the group of large Heartless to her right. Their slow movements and heavy bodies made them easy targets to the swift strokes of the warrior. They were defeated within seconds.
"Is that the best you Heartless have to offer? C'mon!" Charlie urged the Heartless. Soon a dark mass encircled her. Many pairs of yellow eyes appeared. "That's more like it!" Charlie charged, her blade to the side of her. She leaped and brought her sword down on the heads of the Heartless, a sizable chunk being destroyed in the attack. The Heartless took this as their cue to attack. They tried a dogpile on the mighty Warrior of Hearte but the swift fighter slid under the falling dark mass just before it was able to catch her. She let loose her Steel Dragon Claw, the dogpile of Heartless and surrounding ones were destroyed. The rest went in for one last overwhelming attack. Some dived back into the shadows while others stayed on the surface. Charlie swiftly changed her sword's power to ice, "Tundra Terror!" The warrior swung her sword, a powerful burst of sub-zero wind bellowed forth, freezing the front-line, crippling the ones behind. The swordswoman rushed forth, using the frozen neo-shadows as steps and leaped off of them. "Blizzard Buster!" Charlie came crashing down, a shock wave of the ice energy flew out from the sword's blade, the sharp edge cutting a wound into the dirt ground. The lower bodies of the Heartless frozen in place; the ones swimming in the shadows frozen stiff, the ice seeping through the crack the blade made. Charlie stood erect, glancing over at the two fighters. Only a minute, a minute and a half, passed; the two were still going fist-to-flaming fist.
"You won't win, Keyblade Mistress. Not as long as I have a breath in my body," Feu and Riza were in a stand-off. Riza burnt, Feu bruised with a split lip, the blood falling off of his chin. "I won't allow it," he snarled.
"Let's see you try and stop me!" she growled back. She ran toward him, Feu dropping into a defensive stance. Riza leaped forward and and used her arms to flip and propel herself forward, legs extended. Feu dodged the attack and blocked the roundhouse kick that followed when Riza landed. The two went into another grappling session, punches traded with kicks and vice versa. After a few seconds, Riza feinted with another roundhouse kick and, instead, kicked the raven-haired pyro in the gut. He doubled over, Riza continued her assault; a left uppercut, a right punch, another kick, she went into a multi-punch attack, finishing off with a strong jump kick the head. Feu skidded across the gravel, his face and jacket getting torn and cut. Feu stopped yards away, close to the building Josh was working furiously in to disable the Nightmare Cannon. Feu lied there, belly-up, blood seeping from his face wounds and the other cuts he suffered from his tumble; he lied motionless. Riza let out a breath, then another.
Riza turned to go retrieve her Keyblade when the sound of shifting gravel caught her ears. She turned back around to notice Feu trying to stand. He got up, stumbling a bit before he was able to regain his balance. He looked at the keybearer. She made a dash to her still ground-lodged weapon. She reached out, her fingers brushing against the hilt before Feu appeared in a small inferno. His leg shot out, knocking her away. The ninja stopped herself some feet away. She stuck her hand out, willing the Keyblade back to her grasp. The weapon disappeared in a burst of light, reappearing in her hand. Feu kicked his spear up, effortlessly catching it, spinning it before he settled into an offensive posture. Riza took her stance, standing side ways, her blade held up next to her head, her left hand taking out a kunai knife. She charged, her stance changing to the Keyblade held behind her head, kunai out in front.
"Brink of Despair!" Riza jumped and came crashing down like a large meteor. Her blades glowing in a deep red hue. When her Keyblade slammed against Feu's spear, she went into a flurry of powerful slashes and thrusts. Feu was doing his best to block the oncoming attacks, but the blood loss he suffered from his fall was taking its toll. The blood slowly crept over his eyes, stinging them as well as his vision becoming blurry. His weapon became heavier, his body growing more slugish with each passing slash and thrust. After thirty seconds more of Riza's Brink of Despair, Feu lost his footing. Riza jumped back and rushed forward. With her Ninja Rush, the swift keybearer knocked the spear away with her Keyblade, then turned, thrusting the kunai into Feu's abdomen. The spear bounced and clanked against the stones, after it settled, the slow drip of the crimson life force falling to the ground at the pyro's feet.
Feu's face held a silent scream. It soon turned into a distorted mask of pain. Riza twisted the weapon, and pulled it out in a slashing motion. Feu stumbled backwards, falling on his backside. His right hand grasped his ghastly wound, his left holding him up. "Good...show, Ukai...Ukaizr. I can see now how my comrades fell to your hands. But..but heed my word, key...keybearer: This is not the last you see my face. Or Eau's, Tonnerre's, or Vent's. We...will...meet again..." Feu fell back, his body disappearing in a dark haze. In the distance, his spear caught flame and vanished as well.
Riza fell back, exhausted from that battle, her blade falling to her side, then vanishing in a burst of light. "Whew! What a fight!" To her extreme right, Riza heard the finale of Charlie and her battle against the Heartless. A distant battle cry and a figure leaping into the sky. Riza watched as her comrade sped toward the ground, her form disappearing in the mass of darkness. Not a second after, enormous spikes of ice erupted from the ground, destroying the rest of the dark troops. A second, two, three pass, the ice exploded. Snowflakes falling harmlessly to the ground. Charlie stood erect, a calm expression gracing her features. She powered down her sword and twirled it before sheathing it. She trotted over to Riza's sitting form. "You ok?"
"Just fine. Tired, but fine. What was that attack you used? The last one?" Riza asked, extending a hand for Charlie to pull her up.
The warrior smiled and helped the teen up, "I call it Frozen Hell. Leap up high, come down hard, eruption of ice. That one took me a while to get the hang of. Anyway, let's see how Josh is doing," the two headed for the hole. Glancing in, they noticed Josh frozen in fright, looking to the left of the computer. As the duo made it closer, they saw it was the cowardly scientist that ran for his life not too long ago. He was pointing a gun at the sage, his hand and body shaking with fright. Josh tried to look calm, but his violet, pupilless eyes shone with fear. Josh was quick, but his speed was no match for a bullet.
"You don't have to do this. Just put the gun down and we can talk," He tried to persuade the shaking scientist.
"No, I have a job to do for the Troup Grimm and the Trinity. They want," he shook his head, "no, need that weapon. I must complete it." Josh tried to rationalized the terrified scientist. Riza looked to Charlie and whispered her plan and the back-up plan. Charlie nodded, and Riza turned to look once more at the situation. She disappeared and reappeared between the boards on the ceiling. Josh noticed the shift in energy. He sensed Riza just ten feet above him, the shadows concelling her form. She silently and slowly withdrew one of her shuirkens. Josh gulped and Riza fired the small weapon. It knocked the gun out of the man's hands, pinning it against the wall. The man yepled in surprise. Josh ran forward and subdued him, holding him tightly from behind.
"You're going to tell me want I want to know. Got it?" Josh growled. The lab coat wearing man nodded. "Ok," Josh walked him to the computer. "How do you disable it?"
The scientist reached out, as if to type in the code to disable the monstrous weapon. Before Josh knew it, the man elbowed him in his gut. Josh held on after a few more blows. The man hit Josh with one more shot before the sage couldn't take one more hit. Josh stumbled backwards and fell when the scientist pushed him. With a few swift keystrokes, the computer began to beep loudly, T-MINUS FIVE MINUTES BEFORE FIRE COMMENCES. INPUT COORDINATES FOR FIRST TARGET. The man typed in a few digits before he was interrupted.
Charlie pounced on scientists, pulling him away from the computer, pinning him down. "Josh, shut it down!" Josh rushed to the computer, his fingers flying over the keys. Riza dropped down from the roof and went outside. The ground one hundred feet away began to shift and split. Appearing was the Nightmare Cannon, the tip of the muzzle glowing a deep purple, almost black, energy; along with a portal apreearing in front of it, a mixture of blue and purple energy within it.
"Oh, hell!" She ran toward the monstrous weapon. Standing next to it, Riza gazed at the awesome machine. "Holy Hell. How could anyone design such a dreadful weapon? It must be stopped."
From the building, the computer beeped again, T-MINUS THREE MINUTES. COORDINATES SET. "Son of a..." Josh worked furiously, his eyes darting from side to side, fingers and hands speeding along the large keyboard.
"Get off me!" the pinned man ordered.
"Like hell I will!" Charlie looked up at her cousin, he was too involved in his task to notice the world around him. "Hey, labcoat," she said turning her attention back to the man under her. "You said you are working for the Troup Grimm and the Trinity. Who are the Trinity?"
The man shifted to tell her the answer, "They are the three most powerful beings controlling the Troup Grimm and heartless. They say, Troup Grimm say, that the Trinity was realeased when Pandora's Box was opened. The Trinity were in primitve forms, just beings of three types of energy: sound, darkness, and light, as well as combined with the other elements. The Trinity found suitable hosts and took their bodies. Those host bodies were not able to contain that much energy, so they found other hosts for those elements. That was how the Troup Grimm was created. The Trinity wanted to find Pandora's Box because if they were to be defeated and the box was opened near them, they would lose their powers as well as the Troup Grimm members given their powers from that Trinity member. However, the hosts bodies would be destroyed. With the box in their possession they didn't have to worry about the threat."
Charlie sat in awe. They were such powerful beings that they had to be locked away? The computers beeping dragged her back to reality, T-MINUS ONE MINUTE BEOFRE FIRE. T-MINUS FIFTY-NINE...FIFTY-EIGHT...FIFTY-SEV-.. "Josh!" Charlie yelled.
"I know, I know," He mumbled.
Hundred feet away, Riza heard the countdown past the minute marker. "Damn it!" Riza called, "Josh you got thirty seconds before I hacking at this!" Her Keyblade appearing in her right hand.
Josh started to panic, sweat dripping from his brow. His hands went to his head clutching the blonde locks; he let out a frustrated scream, bellowing to the ceiling overhead. THIRTY-TWO...THRITY-ONE...THIRTY...TWENTY-NINE...TWENTY-EIG...Josh fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
"Josh, I'm slicing this cannon up!" Riza lifted her weapon over head.
Realisation struck Josh like a ton of bricks, "WAIT! Riza, hold on..." He stood up, his fingers dancing on the keys; the keybearer was in mid-swing when she stopped abrutly. After ten more seconds, a red button appeared to Josh's left. He lifted the glass covering and pushed hard on the giant button. The countdown ceased, the dark energy gathering around the muzzle of the cannon dispersed. The sage fell back panting heavily.
"How...who...what did you do?" Charlie questioned.
"Thankfully I was listening to that story, because it contained the password I needed to shut down the cannon," Josh pointed to the screen. At the bottom of the screen, under the large red blinking letters reading TERMINATED, was the password: PandorasBox. "Hehe, he let out more info then he intended."
"Heh! Aren't you a lucky son of a gun!" Charlie laughed, the man still pinned paled.
"They're gonna kill me..." he mumbled sadly.
"Hey guys!" Riza called entering the hole in the wall. She looked at Josh on the floor, his bangs plastered to his forehead with sweat, Charlie on top of the pale scientist, smiling like a fool. "I see you guys have this all handled?" She said with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hahaha! Maybe," Josh chuckled. He got up quite relucently. "I'll watch the scientist, you two go destroy that gun so the Troup Grimm and Trinity never use it again. They can still reactivate it."
"Right! C'mon Charlie," Riza left through the hole.
Charlie got up and a magical bounding spell held the downed man, "We'll be back!" The warrior left as well. she stopped next to Riza and admired the Nightmare cannon in all its hellish glory, "Sick minds." She looked down at the keychain that dangled in the smaller girl's grasp, "Where d'ya get that?"
"This? Ren gave it to me before I left. He used to give me little trinkets when I was younger." She pulled out her Keyblade and switched the keychains. She latched the Brave Lion keychain onto the blade. In a flash of light, the reformed Keyblade appeared. The key was large and held a large blade, with one of Ren's two symbols as the tooth of the key: a modified cross shape. The handle and guard were black with some wrapping around it. The keychain dangled with his other symbol, a lion's head. "C'mon, let's send this cannon to the scrap heap. You hit high, I hit low." Charlie nodded and leaped onto the back of the cannon.
She drew her sword and began hacking and slashing at the cannon, parts and chunks of metal flew off every whichway. Riza, below, did the same, wires were severed, parts were hacked off, and sparks flew. Within a few minutes, the cannon was beyond repair. The two headed back to the building, Josh waiting by the entrance. "You should find the keyhole, Riza," he said when they were close enough. She nodded and held up her Keyblade; the weapon pulsed. The computer shut down without warning, a bright light taking the place of the previous image. The light took the form of a keyhole.
"There we go," Riza held out her blade, pointing toward the hole. The familiar beam shot out and locked the keyhole, locking this world off from the Heartless. "Ember Buster!" The fire ball was fired and the computer destroyed. The scientist cried out in anguish, his life's work destroyed.
"How could you just do that?! That was years of my work right there! Blood, sweat, and tears were poured into that damned cannon by the gallons! And, just bam, you just destroy it!"
"Shut up, you beast! You designed a weapon that would take millions and millions of lives in the blink of an eye. And you yell at me? Tell me one reason I shouldn't take your life right now?" Riza growled. This has been a very trying and disturbing experience for the young keybearer; she was on top of the scientist, the blade to his throat pressing down hard. A small trickle of blood went down his neck and stained his white lab coat. .
"Riza, you don't have to do that. Let's just get out of here," Josh put his hand her shaking shoulder. Riza calmed down somewhat and followed her companions out the hole.
"What about me!?" the magically bound man called.
"You'll be locked in this building for the rest of time!" Josh and the two girls were far enough away from the building so they wouldn't get caught in the spell. The sage drew out his staff and began chanting, the red jewel resontating brighter and brighter. "Shiva Icy Kiss!" a large blizzard erupted from the small jewel, encasing the white building in an icy tomb. Another chanting and the sage called out "Anima Death Chains!" blood-crusted and rusty, yet strong, chain wrapped themselves around the giant ice-cube of a building. "Now, if they ever what to get in there again, they would need some powerful magic."
"Nice job, Jo-Jo." Charlie whistled, using her childhood nickname for her cousin. "Now, how 'bout you get that gummi ship over here so we can get out of here."
"Don't call me that," he grumbled, pulling out teh teleporter for the gummi. With a swift push, the gummi appeared, but not in the shape the three expected. The body was maimed, the guns destroyed, the cockpit doors and windshield cracked and hanging on by a thread. The wings had more holes than Swiss cheese, the engines wrecked beyond repair. The gummi ship was utterly destroyed. "How did this happen?"
"The disk," Riza uttered. "The disk I got off of Vent back in City of Lights. It must have had some tracking device or something. That's how the Heartless fleet shot us down, remember?" Riza explained.
"Then we're stranded here?" Charlie groaned.
"I don't think so..." Josh pondered. "Maybe..just maybe?" He leaped up to the dishelved cockpit. He put the device in a slot and typed something into the surprisingly intact computer. The image of Dae appeared behind the cracked screen.
"Josh! What can I do for you?" Dae answered cheerfully. "Woah! What happened to the gummi ship?" A squeal of horror rang out and Dae cringed. Before long Nyte's face was pressed against the screen.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE DAMN SHIP, ITOH JOSH!!" Nyte roared with the furry of a thousand starved lions.
"We had a run it with some...Heartless fleets. Anyway, could you transfer a new gummi ship to the teleporter?"
"Yeah," Dae said, pushing his red-with-rage brother off the screen. "Nyte, make yourself useful and get the, um let's see, the Full Assault blueprint."
The twin grumbled and pulled out the disk for the data on the ship. "Here. Don't damage this one!"
"We won't, thanks Nyte, Dae. Catch you two later." Josh took out the teleporter device and was just about to press the button to cut the communication line, but an explosion in the distance caught the three's attention; even the two teens outside the gummi. "What the hell?!"
"Nyte!"
"Dae!" Another explosion, closer this time.
"Guys! What's going on?" Josh called to the screen, but before he could get an answer the screen went blank. "No.."
"Josh, what's up?" Charlie called, Riza next to her.
"We have to head back to Sunset Suburbia," he jumped from the destroyed cockpit, "NOW!" the sage pushed the button, a column of light erupted from the ground producing a gummi ship. The twenty year old jumped into the new cockpit and started to input the coordinates of the desired town. The ladies followed, just having enough time to buckle themselves in. The ship was off.
"Let go of me you beast!" yelled a voice of a young man. "You won't get away with this! Riza will stop you!" The man was brought into the light. It was Kilik; he was bound at the hands and had on ankle shackles.
"Silly boy, the Keyblade Mistress has no knowledge of our plan to abduct the princes. We already have five of the boys, counting you. Just two more and we can open the final door," Kilik was staring into the ice cold eyes of Glace. The cold air sending goosebumps all over Kilik's body.
"She'll find you and the rest of your comrades! Riza will save us!"
"Shut him up, Acier." The steel master swiftly made his way to the front of Kilik slugging the bo staff wielder in the gut. The twenty-three year old falling limp and to his knees. He mumbled a few incoherent words, then dragged off to a capsule like the rest of the prisoners by Heartless. "Good. If you want take a day's rest. You've been running around like a mad man collecting those princes." the mute assassin bowed and exited the chilling room. "Soon, and the door will open. I'll be something more than a host for these damned powers."
"So hateful, Glace. These powers are a blessing and your making them seem like a curse," a dark, yet calm, voice echoed throughout the large room.
"Who asked you, Dionte?" Glace growled.
"No one, but it seemed like a place that a comment was needed. Anyway, I'm not hear to tap dance on your nerves, Glace. Zakiasu wants you to do something for him. He wants-" before the shorter man could finish the order, he was pinned against the wall, Glace's face hovering inches before his own, the pinned man's feet dangled a good six inches from the ground.
"Tell Almight Zakiasu that he can bite me. And Furoydo. And you, Dionte. I'm done with this place," Glace let go of the dark haired man, letting his small frame slump against the wall. He began to chuckle than laugh whole-heartedly.
"You think you can defy the Trinity? Especially defy Zakiasu? He has the most power over you. He gave your powers a form, a being. You should be grateful, you misreable dog," Dionte sneered, Glace's eyes turning darker and colder with rage.
"You rotten bastard. I'm grateful to no one. Especially that creature you call a leader," the spacious room filled with a chilling mist, spreading from Glace.
"Heh, suit yourself. But remember this: He. Owns. You." Dionte walked off. "Oh, wait, I forgot," he drawled. "Zakiasu wants you to head to Sunset Suburbia and save Lt. Colonel Albtraum's sorry ass. He has a feeling that Albtraum will get it kicked and handed to him on a silver platter." Dionte reached for the door knob when the ice manulipator called out.
"Is that all I am? A miserable dog destined to take orders from others? I'll do the deed, but this isn't over," Glace spat.
Dionte laughed as he opend the heavy door, "I beg to differ Glace. This was over before it even began." Dionte's voice hovered in the room along with the thundering slam of the door.
"Damn him. Damn them all."
TBC
Zakiasu-light
Furoydo-sound
Dionte-darkness
Albtraum-nightmare (german)
Nacht-night (german)