Chapter 23 part 3: Light

Riza ran up the stairs, around the balcony, glancing at the pale moon, hovering over a forgotten city. She continued. She finally reached a door, a regular door made out of steel, like the others. She walked in and it was the plainest room she's seen, except the ground was a mirror. and the ceiling was gone, letting the heart-moon pour it's pale light into the odd room. In the corner of the room was Charlie and Josh, tied together joy shining in their eyes. Riza ran over and untied the ropes, embracing both.

"I'm glad you two are ok. Where's the boss man?" Riza said, referring to the last enemy.

"Somewhere, he left a few seconds before you came in," Josh rubbed his wrists. "He warped out of here." He explained because there was only one door in the room; the one Riza entered. Behind them, an unnatural light was emitted than gone. The leader stood behind them

"Ah, Keyblader of Light. Welcome to my humble abode. Quite the interesting life you lead," He pulled out a quite think folder, filled with papers.

"Is that the litter report you have on me? The one I heard from the Sound?" She stood, a calm coldness washing over.

"It is. Like I said quite the interesting life for someone so young. Fourteen? Fifteen?"

"Sixteen," she said in a deadly tone. Her guard was up and she was on full alert.

"Sorry," but Riza couldn't tell if he was genuine as his eyes were hidden by a black blindfold. "An interesting tidbit, your Keyblade was formed from your father's favorite sword when he passed it down to you before he died, I mean, killed in action." He grinned a feral grin and Riza looked furious, Charlie mirrored the look and Josh summoned his Staff of Dragons. "Do you know why this room it special?"

"Like I give a damn," Riza growled.

"It reflects your inner emotions and thoughts. I call it Room of Reflections. Not very poetic, but I'm not a poetic guy."

"You don't look like the talkative type either," Riza cut him off.

"True, so let's see what makes you tick, Mistress of the Key." The other walls moved to reveal mirrors. "The one to my right, your left, is your deepest desires, the one below you is your fears, the one to your right, my left, is your dreams, your goals. Above us, what you truly are inside. Let's close the roof, shall we," behind his back, he waved a hand, the ceiling closing. With a snap of her fingers, still behind his back, the mirrors flickered, the image of Riza growing more distorted. Below her, her fear was revealed. Her friends dieing and she stood helpless. "Interesting. Death to your companions matter more to you than your own life." He turned to see her goal, her dream. It was to save the universe and defeat the man in front of her. "Expected. I am the reason you are here. Now, your secret desire," the image was the form of a person, but it was blackened out, the features not visible. "Curious. You wish not for the form of you desire to be shown. Fine, have it your way. Now, what are you truly? What is your inner self?" The mirror shimmered and a small light appeared until exploding into a light too bright for any eye to see. Riza, closing her eyes to block from the blinding light, used this chance to attack, but she forgot one major flaw; Zakiasu couldn't see, his blindfold. Riza struck out, but her Keyblade missed. Zakiasu appeared behind her, pushing her away with a light shove. The light subsided, with Josh and Charlie blinking to regain their sight.

Zakiasu chuckled, "I see, so you are truly a Keyblader of Light. Unlike the ones that came before you. There was a dark keyblader, but history has forgot his name, merely remembering he wrought naught but chaos. You do well to stay on the path you're on now. Don't want that brilliant light to be eclipsed by darkness."

"Now your my conscious? Bastard! I'll kill you!" Riza snarled, angered that her enemy telling her to stay away from the darkness. "You should change your name," she uttered, aiming her Keyblade for his body, "You're anything but 'innocent', as your name implies."

Zakiasu dodged her attacks with an unexpected grace, "I find it morbidly ironic. Don't you?" Riza's Keyblade got close to Zakiasu's face, slicing the coat's collar. It showed more of Zakiasu's demonic smirk. Riza jumped back and leaped up high, drawing the Keyblade back. Charlie and Josh watched, as the smirk on the light master's face grew.

Riza cried out as the Keyblade was brought down on Zakiasu's head. The Keyblade passed through without any resistance, "A decoy?!" Riza called out, her eyes wide with fear. Behind her appeared Zakiasu hand extended a ball of light glowed.

"Too bad it has to end like this," The light shot out, only to strike the glass floor. Riza dodged the blast, with the the light ricochetting off the floor then the wall, then the ceiling, slowly disappearing each time before it was gone.

This is bad. Mirror reflect light, he manipulates light, his light can hurt me. Kill me even. How can I beat him? Riza stood like a frightened animal backed into a corner by a hungry predator. He strode to her, a smirk ever present on his face. Doesn't he get tired of smirking? Riza growled in her head.

"Tired already, Mistress of the Key? Well, you did face all but one Troup Grim member, and two Trinity members, you must be exhausted. Me being a nice guy, I'll let you recover. Come find me in, what, two hours sound good? Rest well, keybearer," With that, Zakiasu warped away. A door opposite of the small group appeared.

Riza collapsed on her backside, the Keyblade disappearing, "Damn it!" Riza pounded the ground.

Charlie came up behind her, followed by Josh. Charlie kneeled by the keybearer, "It's ok, take this time to rest. You'll need it for the upcoming battle."

Riza nodded, Josh said, "Riza you should close your eyes for a bit. Sleep will be the best way to recover." Charlie helped her up and went to a wall, the mirrors still exposed. Charlie sat down against the wall and rested Riza's head on her lap. Within seconds, the ninja was out like a light.

Charlie softly whispered, "Be the look out," to her magical cousin. Charlie looked at the sleeping form of her friend. A scratch on her left shoulder, nothing serious, her right thigh sported a ugly bruise, her back as well. Her body was covered in small slash marks. Charlie carefully moved her clothing, seeing her body littered with smaller bruises. "You poor thing." Charlie replaced the shifted clothing and let Riza rest.

An hour and forty-five minutes went by, and Charlie woke Riza, "C'mon sugar, you gotta wake up."

Riza's eyes fluttered open, a small smile gracing her lips. She brushed her hands against Charlie's reddening cheek, "I'm glad I can wake up to your face," she fell back asleep after that.

Fifteen more minutes shouldn't hurt, Charlie's mind mused. I wonder if she realized what she said?

Fifteen minutes later, Riza woke. She stood and stretched, her neck popping followed by her shoulders. "Boy, did that feel good. Alright, let's finish this!" Charlie stood up after her, Josh came into the room. "Ok, I want you two to go find the princes and my brother. I'll go after Zakiasu."

"Shouldn't we go with you?" Josh started, "I mean, Zakiasu is far more powerful than the other guys we fought thus far. We shouldn't split up-"

"Josh, Charlie" Riza cut him off, "I don't want to have to worry about you two. Zakiasu controls the raw element of light. His speed is faster than mine even if I use my fastest techniques. I can't completely focus on him if you two are there. No offense. But, I don't want to lose you two after coming this far." Riza looked toward the steel door. "Through there is the final battle. Let's finish this and go home."

"In one piece," Josh added.

"In one piece," Charlie echoed.

Riza opened the door and the three of them stepped out. They were in a room where they could see the entire castle. No walls or ceiling. In front of them was a door leading downwards, into a dark oblivion. To their right was a stairway leading up and around a tower. The roof was gone taking in the moon's pale light. "Pegasus!" Riza summoned the winged steed. "Pegasus, fly up that tower and see if that's where the princes are," The horse chirped and sped toward the top of the tower.

"Why did you summon Pegasus?" Charlie questioned.

"So we don't waste time. If the princes are up there, we split here. Josh, Pandora's Box, please?" The sage handed her the box, it was the perfect size to fit in her pouch. He looked at her with questioning eyes, "To seal away Zakiasu." Seconds later Pegasus returned, signaling that the princes were in the tower. "Good, dismiss," Pegasus returned to the Keyblade in a ball of white light, a lone feather remained, then it too disappeared. "Good luck. And when you see Ren, tell him he's coming home with me whether he likes it or not." Riza left before the cousins could add a remark. The door shut, locking them off from the darkness that awaited Riza.

"We could still follow her, Josh. We can take this guy on together," Charlie suggested, looking at the door. Her face looked like she waited for Riza to come out and change her mind. The keybearer never came back.

"Let's do what she says. As much as I hate to say this, but if Riza fails and we free the princes, the universe might still have a chance to survivie. And if Zakiasu is weak enough, we might have a chance to finish him off." Josh looked away form Charlie's face.

Charlie looked down, her hands balling into fists. She lashed out, grabbing Josh by the collar, "She. Won't. Lose." She released him, "Let's go get those princes. She's counting on us, isn't she?" Charlie raced ahead. Josh looked at her, then followed, not looking back at the door to darkness.

In an hour the two made it up the stairs and opened the door that held the princes and the monarchs. The room was huge, the princes at least twenty feet apart from each other, the monarchs seated on throne, bound and gagged. Josh and Charlie felt a wave of relief wash over them as they walked toward the monarchs. They started to thrash in a panic as the two approached. Josh and Charlie stopped and looked to their right, where the king was pointing with his head. They saw that their shadows were darker than normal and began to shift. They backed away to see them take shape. One began to form to resemble Charlie as the other looked like Josh. When the transformation ceased, a holoprojected image of Dionte, the deceased Dark user.

"Welcome keybearer and crew." Obiviously made before Dionte's demise, "I see you were able to make this far. If so, I must be dead, along with Furoydo. Maybe Zakiasu. One could only hope. Anyway, as you can see, you triggered my trap. By using the moon's rays, I can amplify my power over shadows, thus creating these Antis you see before you. With the data collected by the Troup Grimm and Heartless, they know your every move, your every skill, and every technique. Have fun dieing after coming so far." the message died out, fading away to static then nothing.

"Damn it!" Charlie charged her Anti, but the dark clone dodged and drew the Elemental Blade of Demons; similar to Charlie's but it has power of the dark element, compliments of Dionte. The two clashed blades, but neither gaining head way.

Josh stared at his dark self, summoning his staff. The Anti-Josh summoned a weapon like it, but it was pure black, except for the jewel, which was a yellow, matching the Anti's eyes. Josh launched into an attack the blade coming down to split its head. The other drew up the staff and blocked the blow. The Antis drew Charlie and Josh back to back. Josh glanced and Charlie to see she was so far unscathed. Josh switched back to the slowly approaching Anti-Josh. Josh prepared for a powerful spell, Anima Death Chains. He would have continued but half way he stopped when he saw the Anti coping his movement. Charlie powered up her thunder power of the sword, but quickly released it as her Anti did the same, only it was darkness, not thunder. Charlie rushed in, her sword strokes matching with the Anti's. Their blades clashed, and sparks flew, but Charlie couldn't land a hit on the dark being, as well as vice versa.

"It's like sparring with a mirror. They know our moves, so how can we defeat them when they know what we're gonna throw at them?" Charlie cursed.

The idea, though late in realization, was so very simple. "Exactly! They know us, but they don't know the other," Charlie looked confused, "What I mean is that your clone knows you, but it don't know me. Attack my Anti, Charlie!" Josh rushed pasted her and attacked Anti-Charlie. He quickly launched an Ember Buster, throwing the Anti back.

Charlie got the idea and charged Anti-Josh like a raging bull, slicing the magical Anti in three before it could launch a small spell. Josh quickly finished off Anti-Charlie with a quick stab to the chest, the being disappearing in a puff of smoke.

They quickly withdrew their weapons and freed the monarchs along with the princes, all out cold. Minutes later, a flash of light outshone the moon, and seconds after the tower shook violently. Josh and Charlie shared a terrified scream, "Riza!"

TBC

Like any good final boss, it's must make you squirm and just. Won't. Die. (...Seymour from FFX)