Disclaimer: All characters and names are copyright of Square-Enix and/or Disney Corporation. This is a non-profit endeavor for entertainment purposes only
A/N: Well everyone, I am very sorry for the long delay between this chapter and the last. I am, however, in the Navy, which is not an environment that is always conducive to writing. But, I am here again with the latest installment of this story, and I hope to have the next chapter done in a few weeks or so. Enjoy!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The sun had almost set by the time Sora and Riku reached the shore in their canoe. Before the craft had even properly beached itself, the boys had leapt over the side and were sprinting up the beach towards the hill that would lead them down into town. Thick plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the darkening sky, spurring both on with visions of dread dancing before their minds.
The view from the top of the hill was worse than either had imagined. Destiny Islands was burning.
As the Wielders dashed towards the town, screams and cries for help drifted up towards their ears. Crowds of people were rushing this way and that. Some were trying to fight the fires that threatened to consume their homes, but most seemed intent on escaping the horror that had visited itself upon their lives.
Coming to a halt in the town square, Sora and Riku looked about frantically for the source of that horror. That the Horseman could have caused so much damage in a relatively short amount of time was disconcerting to say the least.
"Maybe we should split up." Riku suggested. "We need to find this guy before he causes any more..."
Riku was cut off by the sound of panicked screaming and thundering hoof beats. Turning, the two saw a crowd of people being chased by the Horseman, sword swinging over their heads.
Sora was about to charge the Horseman, when Riku's hand on his arm stopped him. Riku pointed down a side street, indicating for Sora to circle around and flank their opponent. The Keybearer nodded and hurried off, while Riku summoned the Way to Dawn and charged the Horseman head on.
Sensing Riku's approach, the Horseman abandoned his pursuit of the scared mob, turning his steed to face the teenager. The large horse reared up on its hind legs, attempting to crush Riku under it's hoofs as it brought them crashing down. Riku had no problem evading the attack, and he attempted to cut the horse's legs out from under it. The Horseman's sword intercepted his attack, and Riku had to jump back out of the way of the ensuing counterattack.
Trying to fight an opponent mounted on horseback was not a course of action Riku would prefer to take. He was in the process of planning out his next move, when a flurry of movement caught his eye.
With a great yell, Sora came leaping off one of the nearby rooftops, slamming into the Horseman with all his weight. The Horseman was larger, but the attack still caught him by surprise, and it was enough to unseat him from the saddle, sending both him and Sora tumbling to the ground, where they each had to roll frantically away from the spooked horse's trampling hooves.
Riku dashed around the steed, trying to get at the Horseman before he could recover his balance. Way to Dawn whistled through the air, but the Horseman sword was there to block it as its wielder gained his footing.
Again, the two combatants traded blows, blades ringing with each exchange. Sora scrambled to his feet and leapt towards the fray, Ultima forming in his hand as he raised it above his head, striking downwards with a powerful overhand strike. The Horseman twisted his body to the side, allowing Sora's attack to swing right past him. The momentum of his strike sent Sora stumbling away, back exposed to the Horseman. Riku pressed his attack to prevent the Horseman from capitalizing on Sora's moment of vulnerability.
Sora regained his balance and twisted on his heel, looking for an opening that would allow him to end this fight. He didn't like to think what might happen if he and Riku got into an extended fight with the Horseman. Their skirmish on the island earlier that afternoon didn't leave him with a great amount of confidence in their ability to beat the monster.
This is what we get for not keeping up on our training. He thought bitterly to himself.
Then it struck him. He felt like such a fool. He could hear almost hear Merlin's voice. "Forgot all your spells already have you? I suppose I can give you a little training..."
Sora swung Ultima around until the tip was pointing at the Horseman's back. He was still engaged in combat with Riku, and didnt seem to take notice of him. Ice crystals began to form around Ultima as the air around it became super cooled. Once the Keyblade had become completely engulfed in ice, Sora unleashed the magic, blasting the Horseman in the back with a beam of ice. The right side of the Horseman's body, including his sword arm, was frozen in place. The Horseman twisted his body around in an attempt to free himself, but the ice held fast.
"Now Riku!" Sora shouted, charging forward, Keyblade pulled back to strike.
Ultima and the Way to Dawn moved as one, piercing the armor on the Horseman's chest and back simultaneously and plunging through, each erupting from the other side.
Sora and Riku withdrew their Keyblades. A grayish, smoky substance emerged from the wounds in the Horseman's body. He wobbled back and forth for a moment and then, the ice finally giving away in the warm night air, toppled over backwards and remained still.
The Keybearers stood there for a moment, breathing heavily as they watched their opponent for signs of movement. When there was none, they finally allowed their guard to drop. Sora plunged the tip of Ultima into the ground, leaning against it while he caught his breath.
"You all right?" He asked of Riku.
The other nodded his head, dismissing Way to Dawn as he blew out a long sigh. "Cmon. Rest later. We need to see if the others are OK."
"Right. Yeah." Sora straightened up, dismissing Ultima and moving to stand by his friend.
"Sora! Riku!" Both turned as their names were called in time for Kairi to slam into them both, throwing her arms around their necks.
"Kairi! You made it!" Sora was hugging her tightly, a knot in his stomach he had felt since that afternoon finally loosening. "The others? Our parents?"
"All fine." Kairi replied, her fingers lightly stroking the hair at the back of Soras neck without her even realizing it. "But, there were some other villagers who were..."
"Damn it." Riku muttered. "Not fast enough. Never fast enough."
Kairi pulled back a bit, squeezing Riku's upper arm gently. "It would have been so much worse if you hadnt have gotten here when you did. There are still so many lives you've saved."
"Yeah. Yeah, you got a point." Riku agreed, pulling a faint smile across his face.
Kairi smiled back and opened her mouth to say something else. Nothing came out though, as her eyes suddenly focused on a point behind the two boys, the color leaving her face.
Sora and Riku both began to turn around. The Horseman's sword flashed upwards. Sora felt something warm and wet spatter against his shirt and the bottom of his face.
Kairi's eyes widened slightly as she tipped over backwards, falling to the ground in, what seemed to Sora, slow motion. The front of her shirt had been torn open, a nasty, jagged cut spread from stomach up to her chest. Blood seeped from the wound at an alarming rate.
Sora and Riku, numb with horror, were unable to react as the Horseman, inexplicably recovered, knocked them both aside and scooped up Kairi's motionless figure. His horse came galloping up, and the Horseman swung himself into the saddle, tearing off down the street and vanishing into a corridor of darkness that opened to receive him.
"Kairi! Kairi, no!" Sora scrambled to his feet and reached desperately for the portal. It closed just before his fingers passed through it, causing Sora to pitch forward and land on his face in the dirt.
"Kairi..." He muttered, staring at the place where the Headless Horseman had vanished.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The flame sputtered in the damp air, casting flickering shadows against the high, arching stone walls. Torch clutched tightly in his gloved hand, Mozenrath swept down the corridor, royal blue cloak fluttering in his wake. He was'nt perturbed by the oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere of the catacomb, nor was he bothered by the grotesque carvings of death and decay that decorated the corridor.
Rather, it was the company he was keeping that set him on edge. Stalking along behind him in sullen silence, wings caped around her shoulders, was the gargoyle Demona. When Maleficent assigned the two of them together on this particular errand, Demona had made a big scene about how she didnt need help, especially from him in completing her mission.
But the dark fairy's word was final, and the two of them had spent the last few hours combing through these catacombs, searching for what, in Mozenraths opinion, was a needle in a haystack.
"Do you even know where youre going?" Demona bit out suddenly.
"I suppose you would have any better idea?" He snapped back. A few moments went by without a response, and Mozenrath snorted quietly to himself. The bulk of their conversations thus far had gone this way. One would throw out some nasty, snippy comment, and the other would respond in kind.
Mozenrath was just contemplating one such comment, hoping to get under the gargoyle's skin, when the torchlight suddenly illuminated a large, stone door that brought their progress to a halt. The door was decorated with the same motif as the rest of the catacombs, dominated by a large skull, grinning down at them.
Demona elbowed past him and reached out to place a clawed hand against the door. "Something's behind this. If it's what we seek, I dont know, but there's something." She pushed against it, straining her muscles. Slowly, laboriously, the door began to swing inward, releasing a rush of stale, foul-smelling air as it did.
Inside, the chamber appeared mostly empty, save for a single pedestal standing in the center. Atop it was an ancient looking book, its cover cracked and caked with dust.
"At last." Mozenrath breathed as he stepped into the room, switching the torch to his leftt hand and reaching out to it with his glove.
Demona's hand suddenly clamped down on his arm, her grip uncomfortably tight.
"What are you thinking, fool? That book must be protected by multiple levels of enchantments."
"I know that!" Mozenrath huffed, trying unsuccessfully to free his arm from her grasp. "I'm in complete control of the situation."
Demona stared at him for a few moments, and then released his arm. "Fine. Dont say I didn't try to warn you."
Mozenrath snorted again, then turned back to the book, reaching out to it again. A few inches from it, black fire seemed to spring up around it, washing over his gloved hand. Mozenrath pushed against the barrier, eyes narrowing in concentration. Slowly, his arm began to pass through the flames, inching closer to the book.
With one last push, his fingers closed around the tome. The flames dissipated, and Mozenrath picked it up. He turned to Demona, a look of smug triumph on his face.
The gargoyle rolled her eyes. "Congratulations on your victory, human. You can revel in your glory later. The sooner we return this to Maleficent, the sooner I can cleanse myself of the time spent in your presence." She turned and strode from the room, not waiting for him as she passed into the darkness beyond.
"That makes two of us." Mozenrath muttered, tucking the book under his arm and following after.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The sun was just starting to peek over the eastern horizon, casting a soft pink light over Destiny Islands. Most of the fires had burned themselves out, leaving behind smoking, smoldering ruins. The residents who survived the Headless Horseman's assault were finally beginning to emerge from their hiding places, sifting through the rubble, searching for whatever possessions remained, and identifying the bodies of friends and loved ones lost.
Sora was oblivious to it all. He sat motionless in the dirt, as he had been for the last several hours, staring at nothing in particular, his keyblade held loosely in one hand. Dried blood still covered the front of his shirt and part of his face. Kairi's blood.
Riku came up behind him, limping slightly still from the fight with the Horseman. "I told your mom you were OK. Might be nice if you went and saw her for yourself."
Sora said nothing, continuing to stare off into the distance.
"Or you could keep sitting there. That works too." Riku muttered, dropping down onto the ground next to his friend. "I told the Mayor about what happened to Kairi too."
"She's gone." Sora whispered in response.
Riku turned his head slightly to look at him. "Hanging around here's not doing much to get her back, y'know."
Soras head turned fractionally to glance at Riku, blue eyes dull. "She's gone gone."
"What are you talking about?" Riku now turned to face Sora fully, peering at him closely.
"You saw what he did to her." Sora looked down at himself. "So much blood. She's gone."
"He wouldn't have bothered to take her if she were dead." Sora flinched at the word. Riku himself wasnt so sure of his own logic, but he pressed on. "Wherever she is, she needs out help. This is no different than the last times. We'll look for her. We'll find her. And we'll make sure whoever's responsible for all this pays."
Sora stared listlessly at him for a while. "How? We don't have a gummi ship."
"Yeah, about that..." Riku threw out a hand, and before them, a dark, swirling portal sprung to life. "When I saw the Horseman use it to get away, I suddenly recalled that I could still summon them."
Sora gazed at the corridor of darkness for a moment, and then looked back to Riku. "If you had used that back on the island..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Riku replied, his face turning red with embarrassment. "I already feel stupid enough, no need to rub it in."
Sora looked back to the corridor to darkness. "Where will we go?"
"We'll start with the King." Riku replied, getting to his feet. "Maybe he knows something about who's responsible for this."
Sora blinked up at him a few times, and then slowly rose to his feet. "You think we can really find her?" He asked, a little bit of life returning to him.
"Of course! No one can stop us, you know that."
Sora looked back at the swirling portal, and then nodded grimly. "Right. All right. We'll do it." He looked down at himself again. "After I get cleaned up and see mom." Dismissing the keyblade, he turned and dashed towards his house, calling back over his shoulder. "Back in a sec!"
Riku watched him go, then turned and looked towards the sky. "I really hope you're OK, Kairi. He'll be lost without you."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------From his lofty perch in the gummi ship hanger control room, Chip watched as the automated machines below worked to assemble the latest model to come from the design department. Once completed, the craft, with its streamlined, swept-back, regal appearance, would serve as the King's new personal transport.
Chip's ears perked up and he tilted his head to one side. For a moment, he thought he heard something coming from above, almost like a faint rumbling. A few seconds ticked by. There it was again. It sounded a little closer this time, and seemed to last a little longer. It also seemed that he could feel slight vibrations under his feet.
"Hey Chip!" That was Dale, scampering into the control room and climbing up to stand next to his partner. "Didya hear something funny just now? I thought..."
The rest was cut off as one of the walls to the assembly room floor suddenly and violently exploded inward. Through the breach swarmed a great number of odd looking creatures. All about half as tall as a man, with leathery, brownish skin and hooked, beak like mouths lined with tiny, needle-point teeth. They all wore battle armor that looked cobbled together, and wielded a wide assortment of weapons. The one thing they all had in common was that each creature had a pair of antlers painted in red on the breastplates of their armor.
The strange army swarmed across the gummi hanger, smashing to pieces any thing they could reach, including the new ship being assembled.
"Cmon Dale!" Chip shouted, leaping from the console and dashing across the floor for the door. Dale was on his heels in a flash, even as the glass to the observation room cracked under the blow of a hammer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------King Mickey was in his study when word of the attack reached him. He looked up as an out of breath and visibly distressed Donald burst through the doors, throwing himself across the desk and attempting vainly to convey the danger through nearly unintelligible babble.
"Donald! Slow down! What's happened?" The King's question was punctuated by an ominous boom that rattled the castle and knocked some plaster loose from the walls.
Donald gulped down air before replying. "Invaders, Your Majesty! They've breached the walls! The watch never saw them coming!"
Mickey was over his desk and heading out the door before Donald finished speaking, leaving the Court Magician to scramble to catch up with him.
"Where's Minnie?" The King asked as he sprinted through the hallways, dodging around knights who were running this way and that, attempting to cover the multiple incursion points.
"She went to the gate." Donald answered. "She said she wanted to help..."
"She went to the front?!" Mickey screeched, his voice jumping higher than usual. He abruptly changed direction and began running for the entrance to the castle grounds. "What could she be thinking?!"
When the two reached the castle gate, they found it swarming with knights formed up into rows, shields raised and swords clutched tightly in their hands. All eyes were on the gate itself, which had already been bent inwards by some tremendous force, and looked only moments from collapse.
Dashing to the front of the lines, Mickey at last caught sight of Minnie, flanked on one side by Goofy, and on the other by her personal bodyguard, Goofy's son, Max.
"Minnie!" Mickey called, stumbling to a halt in front of her. "What are you doing out here! You should be inside!" The King rounded on Max. "This isn't what I had in mind when I assigned you to guard the Queen. You need to take her inside and..."
"Mickey!" The Queen sharply cut off his tirade. "I will not hide while our home is under attack. And dont be angry with poor Max. He was only doing as he was told."
Mickey opened his mouth to argue the point further when suddenly, with a great splintering of wood, the gate was smashed open.
"Look out!" Goofy called, bringing around his shield, the appropriately named Save the King, to block incoming debris.
More of the odd assortment of goblin-like creatures swarmed over the pieces of the broken gate. The knights of Disney Castle surged forward to meet them, and the courtyard was soon filled with the deafening sounds of battle.
Mickey's Keyblade appeared in his hand, and he swung it up to block an incoming sword. Parrying his opponents blade off to one side, he drew back the Keyblade and sliced the creature in half at the waist. The two pieces fell to the ground and stayed there, not dissolving. No heart floated up from the carcass to vanish into the sky.
"Not Heartless." He mused, then leapt backwards just in time to avoid another strike. "Time enough to focus on that later." He muttered, Keyblade swinging out to engage the aggressors once again.
Donald raised his staff skyward. Save the Queen began to glow brightly, and then mighty bolts of lightning streaked down from the heavens, striking multiple enemies. They fell easily enough, but more always seemed ready to take their place. Turning, Donald swung his staff horizontally, a line of fire shot from it, burning through another tightly packed group of invaders.
"There's too many!" He shouted to Goofy, who was a few feet away, bashing enemies left and right with wide swings of his shield.
"How're they gettin' in Donald?" The Captain of the Guard asked, blocking an attack and then slamming his shield back into the surprised creatures face. "The Cornerstone of Light should be protecting us."
"I'd like to the answer to that question as well, Goofy." Mickey put in as he somersaulted through the air over the head of an attacking demon, slashing backwards with his Keyblade on the way down, cleaving its head in two. He landed nimbly on his feet next to Donald and Goofy. "We need to check it out. Quickly."
Goofy nodded and signaled to a contingent of his men. "Form up! We need to escort the King to the Hall of the Cornerstone!"
"Minnie!" Mickey called to his wife, who was fighting off the invading horde with beams of light from her fingertips. "Can you clear us a way back to the castle?"
Minnie took a deep breath, and raised her arms skyward. For a moment, nothing happened. Then great columns of light streamed down from above, burning through any demon they touched, while leaving the knights of Disney Castle unharmed. The effect was devastating, but the effort left the Queen visibly winded and Max had to put an arm around her to steady her.
"All right everyone! Lets get a move on! Max, bring her with us." Mickey led the charge as Donald and Goofy followed close behind. Max scooped up the still-dazed Queen and sprinted after, a group of soldiers forming a protective ring around them.
The situation inside the castle was no better. Knights battled demons in every hallway, and the King's group had to fight for every inch of ground they gained towards the throne room.
Finally reaching the massive double doors, Mickey unlocked the smaller entrance with his Keyblade and hurried inside. "Guard the door." He ordered to the knights that had accompanied them. "No one gets through."
The knights nodded and moved back into the hallway, forming a semi-circle around the entrance, prepared to fight off any attack.
Once the door was closed, blocking out the sounds of battle, the cavernous, empty throne room seemed eerily still. Wasting no time, Mickey dashed towards the throne and threw the switch hidden on the underside of one of the arms. The dais slid slowly to the side, revealing the hidden staircase down to the Hall of the Cornerstone.
Mickey leapt down the entire length of the stairs, Donald, Goofy, Max, and Minnie, who had by now recovered enough to walk on her own, followed as fast as they were able.
Reaching the bottom, the group skidded to a halt, almost bowling over the king, who was standing in numb silence.
The Cornerstone of Light lay in pieces. Standing in the center of the mess was an enormous man, dressed in blood-red armor with a matching cape. An antlered helmet adorned his head, and a mighty battleaxe was clutched in his right hand.
Turning slowly, the Horned King gazed out at the small group of warriors, baleful red eyes glowing from the shadows cast by his helmet.
"At last." He whispered menacingly. "I've been waiting for you, tiny king. See how you're precious Cornerstone lies in ruin. Know that your kingdom will soon follow it."
He hefted his axe, slowly advancing on Mickey and the others. "Take heart, however." The Horned King continued. "For you will not have to lay eyes on the destruction I will rain down upon your subjects. For your end, is now!" He broke suddenly into a dead run, moving far faster than a man his size had any right to. The wicked blade of the battleaxe whistled as it sliced through the air, heading right for the King of Disney Castle as he stood, stunned, under the crushing weight of hopelessness.