Chapter XX: Shadow of the Underworld
Nightshroud: Ah very good guesses Mr. Fipp. I'll make sure to check out that new story if I get a chance. Thanks for the reviews by the way.
Lerena sighed as she walked through the halls to her room. Bankotsu displeasure with her failure had proved heartbreaking. Apparently when she proved useless, all affecting he had for her seemed to fade. Suddenly she heard a voice from behind her.
"He hurt you, didn't he?"
She turned to see Renkotsu, arms crossed, leaning against the wall. She didn't respond, so he continued.
"Consider yourself lucky. It could have been worse. But know this, once you've outlived your usefulness, Bankotsu will get rid of you."
Her head lowered. "He-he wouldn't..."
"Heh, then you obviously don't know him. I've seen the way he treats people, and I'm willing to bet that he'll kill you before long.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because, I want you to help us. We're going to overthrow Bankotsu and kill him."
"Kill him? B-but why? He's your brother!"
"Heh, you know nothing about our relationship. Let me tell you about our childhood." (This is longish, so I'm going to put it as italics)
When we were growing up, Bankotsu was my father's favorite. He ignored me totally, believing Bankotsu to be his prodigy. I spent my time caring for my sickly mother, who favored me since I was the quiter, more intelligent. As I watched how Bankotsu was favored and pampered, I began to hate him. My mother, a very keen woman, began to notice this, and tried to curb mt hatred, but as his personality began to change, I hated him more. He became arrogant and callous, brushing off both me and our mother. And when she rebuked him once for his behavior, my father killed her. I tried to help her, but I wasn't old enough to be able to stop him. How ironic, her dying wish was for me to take care of my brother and rid myself of hatred for him. But it was impossible. I had an insatiable thirst for revenge, and as always, Bankotsu found no more use for my father once he had taught him everything he knew, so I had little difficulty in persuading him that we'd be better off without father. It was after that that the Superior found me and asked me to join, and of course when he saw Bankotsu, he wanted him to join as well. Ever since then, I've been planning my revenge.
"How sad..." said Lerena quietly.
"Yes, he ruined my life, and now I'm going to end his."
She felt in her heart that what he was saying about Bankotsu was true. She didn't feel that she could trust him, but she desperatel wanted to. Renkotsu looked at her.
"Are you going to help us?" he asked.
"No...I can't do it. I'm sorry."
He closed his eyes and nodded his head. "I see. You'll see the truth soon enough. Till then."
He vanished from the hallway, where she slumped to the floor in thought. She felt genuine pity for Renkotsu, but she also started to feel something else. She knew it wasn't love, for it wasn't the same feeling she got with Bankotsu, but then again she might just feel physical attraction to Bankotsu. She clutched her head and shut her eyes.
"Renkotsu...what have you done to me?"
The four heros ran down the hallway till they came in sight of the next door. Suddenly Renkotsu appeared in front of them.
"Who are you?" asked Tyson. Renkotsu smiled.
"I am Renkotsu. Are you enjoying your stay here at Twilight Impasse?"
"Actually, we could do without," said Fayt coldly.
"Well, if you want to get through, you'll have to defeat my brother Bankotsu, the keeper of the castle. But, I'm not sure if you're good enough for me to trust you. I'll have to test your abilities."
"Wait, trust us? What do you mean?" asked Reyna
"We have a common enemy at this point, and it would be a waste to ruin an opportunity like this. But for now, let's see what you're made of."
"Guys, get ready!" said Tyson.
"Phoenix Flower!"
He jumped high into the air and let loose a stream of fireballs from his mouth. They dodged out of the way of the fire, then Namé shot a blizzard spell at him. He kicked off a pillar to avoid it and suddenly he summoned thin steel wires from his hands. Namé and Fayt found themselves wrapped up and tied against two of the pillars in the room. Tyson and Reyna ran towards them, but they were suddenly cut off.
"Fire Wall!"
Renkotsu shot a blast of fire from his mouth, forming a wall of fire separating the Tyson and Reyna from the other two.
"You two alone will deal with me," Renkotsu said with a devious grin. Tyson summoned Lionheart and charged at him. Renkotsu sidestepped Tyson's slash and kicked him in the back. Then he shot a thin stream of fire from his mouth. Tyson brought his keyblade up to block, but the fire blasted him backward. Reyna lashed Renkotsu's back, then swung again, but he ducked. He kicked her feet out, grabbed her, and threw her into Tyson, who was just getting up. He laughed as they helped each other up.
"You're pathetic. I'm really not impressed. Maybe I was wrong to place any faith in you."
Tyson growled and gripped his keyblade. Reyna summoned her Whip of Light again. "C'mon, let's work together," she said to him. He nodded.
Renkotsu summoned his steel wires and wrapped them around Tyson's legs. He pulled him to the ground and dragged him forward. Tyson grabbed onto Reyna's legs, and as he was pulled forward, he released her so that she slid forward through Renkotsu's legs. She then jumped up and wrapped her whip around his arm, and threw him into the wall. Tyson ran up and stabbed at him, but he rolled out of the way and slammed his arm against Tyson's neck, making him crumple to the ground.
"Tyson!"
Reyna ran forward, but Renkotsu used the Phoenix Flower again to shoot a stream of fireballs from his mouth. She jumped back and launched her whip out. It struck him in the chest, causing him to stumble back. Tyson regained his footing and ran over to Reyna. Renkotsu started to inhale deeply, and then jumped around and started shooting large fireballs.
"Dragon Flame Bombs!"
The giant fireballs sent of large explosions wherever they hit. The two dodged as best as they could, but the explosions knocked them around a lot. As one headed straight at them, Tyson threw his keybalde straight at it.
"Blizzard Raid!" (Tyson can only use magic when combined with his Strike Raid FYI)
The keyblade, now empowered with ice, shattered the fireball, sending off a blinding explosion. When the smoke cleared, they saw Renkotsu with his arms crossed smiling.
"Not bad, but I still have one last test for you."
He vanished and started teleporting around the room at incredible speed, letting lose fireballs wherever he went.
"Dragon Fire Rain!"
The fireballs all hurled at them at once. They knew they wouldn't be able to survive an attack like that. Reyna suddenly felt a new power rise within her. She pulled Tyson close, and summoned her whip. Then she began to spin rapidly around, her whip forming a shield around them.
"Protective Light Barrier!"
The fireballs crashed into the shield in a brillaint flash. When it cleared, Reyna and Tyson, slightly dazed at what had just happened, stood perfectly unharmed. Renkotsu clapped and grinned.
"Well done. I must say I am impressed. Continue on in your journey, and you may even find more than you seek."
With that, he disappeared. The flame wall disappeared and the steel wires disappeared from around Fayt and Namé.
"Wow, you guys were awesome!" said Namé. Tyson looked smugly at Fayt, who "hmph"ed and walked past him.
"So this is the door to the next world huh?" asked Tyson.
"Yep. Let's get going," said Reyna. They opened the doors and walked through...
Albel sat with another member, a dark haired boy with long hair in a ponytail wearing a mask with swirls of water on it, in his room.
"Understand, Haru?"
"Of course, Albel. I only wish to please you."
Albel smiled. Haru was his most reliable pawn. He would do anything he asked him to.
"Do you think it is wise to ally with Renkotsu and the others? It might backfire."
Albel chuckled. "I have my own insurance. Don't worry about that. But for now, we need to keep a close watch on all sides."
"Right."
...and found themselves outside the Olympus Coliseum. The doorway they had come from was the entrance to the Coliseum. They looked downward and saw a staircase leading downward into darkness.
"It's definitely down there," said Reyna.
They followed the stairs down into the Underworld. It was dark and bleak, and the air seemed to weigh down on them.
"Ugh, this place is unbearable," said Namé.
"It's like being in this place saps your strength," said Fayt. They all agreed on this. They looked around and saw a path to the left, covered by rubble, and one to the right. Since it was the only real option, they went to the door on the right. It was locked tight, but Tyson used the keyblade to open it up. They passed into the Caves of the Dead, where Trick Ghost, and two other Heartless types. There were Necromancers, who had skeletal bodies and wore dark tattered robes and used dark magic. Then there were Rogue Dolls, gray zombies that looked like demented dolls, and carried dark hatchets.
A Trick Ghost shot ghost fire at Namé, who used a reflect spell, then hit it with a thunder spell. Another Trick Ghost flew in at Tyson and swiped at him. He parried with his keyblade, then slashed through it.
"Sonic Rave!"
He zipped through more Trick Ghosts and Rogue Dolls, then blasted a Necromancer at the end. A Rogue Doll slashed its hatchet at Fayt, who blocked it, then swung at it, but it jumped into the air and hit him from behind. It swung its hatchet at his hea, but he ducked and stabbed his sword through it. Another Rogue Doll threw its hatchet at Reyna, who dodged it, then slashed through it amd two approaching Trick Ghosts. Then she turned to see Tyson get blasted back by a Necromancer. She ran over and it turned towards her. Suddenly skeletal hands grabbed her from under the ground. Then it shot a dark magic blast at her, but she shot Pearl and destroyed it. Then Tyson stabbed it from behind. They ran through Caves of the Dead passages, fighting off more Heartless till they reached the Valley of the Dead. More Rogue Dolls and Necromancers appeared. A Necromancer raised its hands and sharp bones flew at Fayt, but he slashed through them and cut through it. A Rogue Doll attacked Namé, but she blocked and blasted it and some nearby ones with Flaming Spell Impact. A Rogue Doll jumped at Tyson, but he rolled out of the way and it stabbed into another one, killing both. Then he leaped up and stabbed his keyblade through another one. Reyna sliced through a Necromancer, but was caught by another one's Dead Summoned Binding (the one where skeletal hands from the ground grab you). Then a Rogue Doll rushed in and slashed at her.
"Faith!"
She blew away both Necromancers and the Rogue Doll, so that no more Heartless remained.
"That was close," sighed Reyna.
"You said it," said Namé with relief.
"So where's the darkness?" asked Fayt.
"It's in here somewhere, probably up this path more."
They walked up the Valley of the Dead, trying not to look over the edge at the perpetual vortex of lost souls. When they came to the end, a large Heartless flew up from the pit. It looked like the Phantom Heartless in Neverland, but it traded the glowing heart for a Heartless symbol on its robe. The Necro Shade flew towards the four and slashed at them. Namé cast Aeroga and threw it back. It let loose a horrific screech that threw them backward. Then it flew at Namé and passed through her. She screamed out and suddenly turned pale and collapsed. The Necro Shade appeared in front of them with Namé's soul in his hand. She looked like she was calling out to them, but it pulled her inside its robe. It suddenly glowed, and lifted its hands. They jumped away as a thunder spell crashed into the ground. Reyna lashed at it with her whip, and recoiled. Then it shot a fire spell at Fayt, who blocked it with his sword, then used his symbology.
"Stone Rain!"
Large stone boulders appeared over the Necro Shade and dropped on it. It flew back, then Tyson ran at it and slashed at it. But it caught him with its hands and flew through him. He turned pale and fell to the ground lifeless. Then Fayt and Reyna watched as the Necro Shade absorbed Tyson. Instantly a black keyblade, wirh a jagged end like teeth and images of dead souls etched on the sides, appeared in its hand. With its new Death's Edge keyblade, the Necro Shade flew at Reyna and slashed at her. She managed to block, and lashed at it with her whip. It flew back, then launched a blizzard spell, throwing her back. Fayt slashed at it to keep away from Reyna, then shocked it with his Lightning Blast spell. It cast a gravity spell on him, forcing him to the ground. Then it flew through him, stealing his soul.
"No!" Reyna cried out as it absorbed his soul. A black sword with red rune marks on the blade appeared in its empty hand (a dark version of Fayt's sword). It now looked right at Reyna, and she suddenly saw images of death and horror in her mind. She collapsed to her knees, clutching at her head.
It hovered about, as if feeding on her terror. Then Reyna suddenly felt Kai's voice in her head.
"Reyna, don't be afraid of the darkness. You are the ultimate light, and no darkness can stand against you."
She stood up and looked straight at the Necro Shade and shouted, "I'm not afraid of you! So come on! I'm going to destroy you and free my friends!"
It screeched and flew at her. It swung the Death's Edge at her, but she blocked with her whip, then dodged its dark rune sword. It shot a dark fire spell at her, but she summoned light energy to her hand and threw it aside. It screeched again and blasted her back.
"Pearl!"
While she was thrown back, she used Pearl to blast it. It hovered back, then she suddenly notcied a change. She could see Tyson, Namé, and Fayt's faces become etched on its robe. It let go of its swords, which began to circle around him, faster and faster. Then they became coated in dark magic. It screamed again, and the dark circle of the blades extended farther and farther at alarming speed.
"Ultima Faith!"
She used a greatly enhanced version of Faith, which collided with the dark circle. It pushed it back, then broke it all together. The Necro Shade screamed out as it was destroyed by the light. Then Tyson, Namé, and Fayt's souls could be seen floating back to their bodies.
"Ugh, that was awful!" said Namé.
"Yeah, I never want anything like that to happen again. I'd rather stay in my own body," said Tyson.
Reyna ran over and hugged them all, overjoyed to see them again. With all four in perfect order again, they walked up to the door at the end of the Valley of the Dead (the one leading to Hades' chamber) and opened it. In a flash, they were back in the castle.
Bankotsu walked down the hall till he found a different looking door. It was made of a red wood, and had an ivy pattern etched on it. He opened the doors and walked into a bright and beautiful garden. There were plants all around, and in the middle there was a a white fountain, a large cherry blossom tree, and a white bench beneath it. There was a boy about a month or so younger than Kai, sitting on the bench. He had vivid red hair, shimmering emerald green eyes, and a handsome face. But he seemed very solemn, and very sad.
"Hey, kid."
The boy looked up at Bankotsu, but didn't respond. Bankotsu walked over and stood by him.
"I need you to take care of our intruders. Can you do that?"
The boy nodded slightly. Bankotsu grabbed the rose in the boy's hands and held it up. "Good, Kurama, because if you don't...well..."
He grinned wickedly and the rose burst into flames before falling to the ground, charred and black. He laughed and left the room. Kurama picked up the ashes of the rose and clenched them in his fist.
"I must kill once again. So is my fate."
Rouge Dolls-
Demented doll-like Heartless that fight with dark hatchets. They like to attack in pairs to bring opponents down
Necromancers-
Dark spellcaster Heartless. They like to summon skeletal arms to hold their opponents in place so they can easily pick them off with spells.
Necro Shade-
A specter Heartless that can steal the souls of opponents and absorb them to gain their abilities. It appeared as a manifestation of the darkness in Olympus.
Renkotsu-
The older brother of Bankotsu. He is a skilled manipulator and schemer. He is planning to overthrow Bankotsu, and wants to use Reyna and Co. as a means to dispose of Bankotsu without putting himself at risk. He wields the element of fire and steel wires in battle.
Nightshroud: Quite a long chapter! But a very good one I think. I hope I did a good job with all the battles, and the new Heartless too. Next chapter is going to be a long fight, with a lot of...well...drama of the heart. Well you'll see. Some shocking stuff too. Review and get ready for the next chapter!
Next chapter: The Wilting Rose of the Bitter Soul