Broken Masks: Chapter Six
A/N: I'm sorry if this comes out all messed up. If it is, I'll fix it. The last two times I tried to post it came out all weird. Work with me here.
Riku was pleased. As he erased his presence from the guards of the dungeon he could not help but praise himself. He had successfully completed his task. There had been sacrifices, and with the escape of the fairy godmothers Maleficent would be less than pleased. But it was a fair trade and he would stand her fury to see his own plan through. Of course he would have to see for himself when the time was right, but they had assured him the spell was in place and would not be broken. They were convinced Maleficent herself could not break it-exactly what Riku wanted.
He had derailed from her plans long before he himself had become aware. His motives had switched from simply insuring a future for himself and Sora, to wanted a future with power. He knew he had fed off the darkness for far too long and that it was beginning to consume him. But he was confident it would never dissolve him completely. After he took out Maleficent the worlds would be left to him. But that of course still left the problem of Ansem.
If the spell had gone correctly then Maleficent's plan should have become spoiled. It would be a great time before she noticed and it gave Riku the opportunity to sway his companions. If the others could be turned to him it would increase his odds greatly. And some of them were showing signs that Riku readied to take advantage of.
After everything was done he would be left alone, and finally he would achieve peace. It would be just the two of them, Sora and Riku, just like it should have been from the beginning. After Kairi was found and her heart claimed there would be no interference from outside forces. And if necessary Riku would see to the King's aids and have them destroyed.
Riku ventured deeper into Hallow Bastion and towards his room. Once inside he sat himself upon the bed. He would however need to deal with Hades soon. The God was becoming far too annoying. Hades was prying too deep and it worried Riku. Maleficent was no idiot, and if his plan were exposed but a bit, his fate would be decided at that very moment. Riku still couldn't see what the God wanted with Cloud. Yes, the man was very beautiful and skilled. But he was also pure trouble. He was a deadly assassin with the possibility to become a god himself. Anyone who could not contain and keep him in submission was not going to have a bright future. Hades had proved that he could not handle Cloud.
Riku narrowed his eyes. Perhaps in his haste he had overlooked something. While often acting foolish, Hades was not. The more Riku thought about it, the more he became puzzled. He should have seen it before. Hades would not invest as much time in the man as he had done, if there was not a large promise. Riku noticed Cloud had contacts everywhere. Maleficent desired his body, Sora his friendship, and Hades his soul. Hades' power would become unfathomable with Cloud's soul. All in all Cloud was a remarkable person.
But before everything, he would have to see to the Angel occupying their library. From his first day in the castle Maleficent had explained in great detail the occupation of the library. He-Sephiroth-had been there since before Maleficient. He had been there since the worlds had begun to fall and had erected unbreakable barriers. Those who entered without permission drew great pain to themselves. The only time anyone was able to enter the library occurred when the Angel left, or when he was in peace. These times were few and brief, but they allowed time to plant dangerous dark energy.
Riku scoffed. Maleficent believed if she rooted the Angel with dark energy and turned him, then he would become far more manageable. In theory it might have worked, if the Angel were normal. What it had actually done had been far worse. It seemed to fuel him and enlarge his power. By the time Maleficent caught on, he had become a large force that none challenged.
Riku relaxed back on the bed and folded his hands over his stomach. Sephiroth wouldn't be a problem much longer. Riku knew just how to deal with him.
~*~
"This has got to be the worst conceived idea ever!" Cid gripped the controls to the shaking Gummi ship and ground his teeth together. Please baby, Cid thought, just hold together long enough to get us out of here. "I can't believe you talked me into this!"
Behind him Aerith and Yuffie shared a look. While neither would admit it, both were feeling slight regret for deciding to charge after Leon. And both were feeling sick, both in having ulterior motives. Both women were steadily realizing their mistake and feeling horribly for dragging Cid into their mess. Cid being the only innocent one in their trip.
"If you had given me fifteen more minutes I might have been able to install an upgrade!" He was referring to the Gummi block that allowed them to travel instantly to other worlds. But without it the broken ship had to brave the choppy and deadly space.
The only thing that made the trip bearable to Cid was his co-pilot. The male was still very young compared to Cid, and still very much seen as a child to Cid. The pilot had taken the male-Journey-in after his world had been destroyed nearly seven years ago. Back when the worlds had just begun to disappear. The younger male knew what it was like to lose everything. While Sora hung onto hope of love and a new home, Journey was sure of his own being lost forever.
The Seventeen year old jammed his thumbs down on the weapon's controls and continued blasting things out of their path. He struck with deadly accuracy, insuring their safety from those obstacles. "Well, Old man, you should have already had it installed." The words were filled with humor and no ill content."
"You're lucky my hands are busy, boy," Cid ground out. "Or I'd throttle you." Cid dodged a barrier that had suddenly sprung up and then risked turning to look at the brunette. "What brought you back to Transverse Town anyway? I thought you were out helping those drifters." Drifters were groups of people who refused the town's help and chose to fight loosing battles against large foes in the deep space.
Journey shrugged, attention never diverted. "I finished up early. And I heard you were having some trouble with the heartless. I came as soon as I heard they had broken through Merlin's wards."
Cid grunted. "I'm sure Robyn had something to say on the matter."
Journey raised his eyebrows. "I wish you would give her the benefit of the doubt."
"Excuse me for not trusting her."
Journey turned in his seat to look behind him at Aerith and Yuffie. "Has he been like this for long?" He questioned. Then he turned back to Cid. "She's important to us. She's the only one getting us the information from a direct link. We need her."
Cid rolled his eyes. "She's using you, me, and everyone who fights with us."
Journey frowned deeply but settled back down into his chair, concentrating on the heartless fighters that had just appeared.
"Journey," Aerith began, "You have to admit that Cid has a point. She's prone to sudden disappearance and she is a bit shady on certain topics. It isn't that we do this on purpose," She paused as there was a vicious bump and she had to latch onto a side panel. "We're just worried something could get out. We're trying to buy Sora all the time he needs to train and become ready for Ansem. Then it doesn't matter what we do, it will be up to him."
"Yeah," Yuffie jumped in. "It's important that Maleficent doesn't know what we're doing. We work really hard to keep everything a secret, and she could spoil everything." Yuffie paused. "And we have walked into multiple ambushes because of her information. "
Journey took his hands off his controls for just a second before regaining his composure. "You're judging her. The one thing I asked you not to do."
"We have reason to judge. If she betrays us Sora could be killed." Cid spat out quickly.
"She won't," Journey quickly corrected. "She wouldn't."
They finally broke free of the chaotic space and Cid looked him deep in the eyes. Blue eyes met blue eyes. "She will eventually betray us. It's in her blood."
"That's not fair." Journey struck back. There was unbearable silence until Cid spoke for the final time that trip.
"She will betray us because she's Maleficent's daughter."
~*~
"This just got a lot harder," Leon remarked as he and Sora managed a glance around the corner. They had managed to unlock the front gates from the twisting, confusing waterway. Leon was almost sure that their presence had been detected in some way, and the heavy security in the main entrance seemed to prove it.
"Are we going to fight our way in?" Sora raised his Keyblade, though this action was rather slow and Leon frowned.
"Is something wrong?" He asked quietly, aware of a heartless standing just around the corner.
Sora looked hopeless for a second before nodding slowly. "It's getting heavy." He paused, not finding his words descriptive enough. "The Keyblade has been getting harder and harder to control ever since we got here. It's like it's trying to pull away. I don't understand but I won't be able to hold it much longer."
Leon nodded. He understood what was happening and it was time for Sora to as well. "It's getting heavier because the intended Keyblade master is here." Sora was frozen but Leon found it best to continue. "When the Keyblade was forged by the King it was born with a will of its own. It foresaw into the future a time where it would be needed to combat the darkness and drive out the evil. It searched for a person to wield it and found that in Riku."
"Leon-" Sora was cut off.
"Don't interrupt," Leon snapped. "This is important for you to know. If you are to go up against Riku he will try to use this against you." Sora quieted and gestured for Leon to continue. "As I said, the Keyblade placed faith that when the time came it could be entrusted to Riku. But it did not intend for the Darkness to reach him first. And it saw that if it was to go to Riku, it would be lost. So it chose a fast substitute with a strong heart. It chose you, Sora, because it knew you could handle to pressure and the power and still be victorious. It knew you could keep it safe."
"Then why is it fighting me?"
"Because it's hearing a call from Riku. It originally intended to belong to Riku, and it feels loyalty to him, no matter how evil he is. It will attempt to go to him, and if you allow it, Riku will take it from you. That cannot happen, ever. Riku is gaining power and if he accepts the Keyblade, he has the possibility to become more powerful than Maleficent."
Sora cast his eyes down at the Keyblade and saw through the attached key chain and to the very core of the blade. He saw himself in the blade. He saw the conflicting feelings that seemed to pull at it and the undying feeling of betrayal. He understood completely, and though he did not want to lose it, he would understand if it was lost to him.
"What can I do to stop it?" Sora asked.
Leon managed another look around the corner. "Keep it as close as your heart. Consider it a part of you and do not let it leave your side. If it is lost our battle will be impossible."
"Okay, are we going to storm the castle now?"
Leon raised an eyebrow. "We are not going to storm the castle, which would ensure us death. We are however going to move swiftly to enter the castle, and we will enter under the detection of Maleficent."
Sora raised the Keyblade, ignoring the extra weight. "At the count of three?"
"No, we go now!"
Both Leon and Sora spun out from the corner slashing at their enemies with incredible accuracy. Those heartless standing guard were taken down in flashes. There was no time for warnings and quickly the heartless were disposed of. The party of two slipped into the castle quickly and undetected.
As Leon stood in the Entrance Hall he frowned, puzzled by the configuration of the room. He reviewed his options quickly before gesturing to a door on his left. He and Sora quickly ascended the left side stairs and reached the double doors. Both readied their weapons and Leon placed his hand on the door handle.
It was warm to the touch and Leon hesitated. It was warm and surged of dark energy. It made him hesitate everything completely. He wanted to turn from the castle and order Sora back to the ship. He wanted to hide himself from everything until he found a way out of Hallow Bastion. But the tugging at his heart would not let him back away. So he was stuck. He could not push forward and he could not pull back.
His decision was made for him as Sora's hand came to rest over his own. The young pre-teen smiled warmly and Leon, understanding his plight. "Nice to know you're mortal after all," He remarked before turning his hand along with Leon's and pushing the door open.
The doors slid shut behind him Leon found his memory. He remembered the library.
"What's a pretty library doing here?" Sora questioned. He lowered his Keyblade and ran a hand over the dusty books. "I've never seen so many books before. Even the library at home on the Island didn't have this many. How can something so pretty exist in something so evil?"
"The castle isn't evil," Leon remarked, noticing the beauty as well. "The creatures that reside here are."
Sora shook himself back into their original purpose and looked over to Leon. "It's nice and all, but I just want to find Cloud and get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps."
"Agreed." Leon dropped his own curiosity and with Sora set out to search the library.
Just over an hour has passed when Leon and Sora met again in the corner of the lower level. Both had found nothing aside from frustration "We should move on," Leon suggested, breathing a bit heavier. "There's still the rest of the castle to search." Leon pressed a hand to his chest and addressed Sora. "Is it getting harder to breathe in here?"
Sora agreed and leaned against a bookshelf for support. "Yeah is there anything left to check in here or can we leave?"
As much as Leon wanted to leave, and the fire in his chest fueled this urge, he found he could not make his legs move. Something was drawing him to stay, even with the impending doom he hadn't a clue of. He needed to stay. "Let me give it a once over." He journeyed to the second level near the staircase and allowed his fingers and eyes to brush over the book titles. Something was different about the certain section of the room.
With Sora's eyes on him he paused on an ordinary book. There was nothing special about it, and to any other person it would have meant nothing. But the feel of the book was different to Leon. It felt different than the rest of the things. It wasn't absorbing the negative energy around them. It simply felt different, and suddenly Leon placed the feeling. It felt like Cloud.
With a cry of joy he ripped the book from its place and jumped back as the shelf slid open to reveal a narrow passageway and rising steps. Leon took them two at a time with Sora trailing behind him. He was not certain of many things, but he was certain that Cloud was up the stairs.
The stairs emptied into a short hallway with two doors on opposite sides. Leon stood dead in the middle of them, afraid to move towards either one. Sora froze behind him; understanding the man had to make the decision on his own. "Leon," Sora gently pushed. "You need to make a decision."
Distinctly Leon felt he did not want to go near the door to his right. It burned of heartless power and he couldn't phantom what lay beyond it. It hurt him to merely look towards to door, and he knew Cloud could not be there.
From the other door he received no feelings, and this disturbed him more then the first. At least from the first he could arrive at the decision of not choosing it. From the second it was neutral. There neither good nor evil emitting. But when push came to shove, he wasn't going near the other door.
With a burst of strength Leon had pushed his weight against the door. It gave way with a splintering crack revealing its contents. Leon looked up from his position and one name escaped his lips. "Cloud!" He was to his feet and rushing across the room. He reached the prone figure on the bed instantly, and his hands went to cradle Cloud's face. "Cloud!" Leon hissed quietly, aware that he had made a thundering noise, and if it was possible he should contain anything more. "Cloud, please wake up." He leaned in close, hearing the shallow breaths.
"What's wrong with him?" Sora asked, eyes moving between the two men.
"I don't know." Leon could find nothing physically wrong with the one winged man, but something obviously was preventing him from waking. "Cloud, we need to leave here, please wake up." Leon pressed the back of his hand against Cloud's cheek finding it ice cold. And in fact the blonde's lips were turning a light blue.
"We need to go," Sora turned back to the opposite door. He had sensed something. A nasty wave of nausea washed over him in dark waves. "We need to go now!"
Leon had felt it too and was quickly gathering Cloud into his arms. "We'll figure this out later." He followed Sora out of the door, sheltering Cloud body into his own. They moved down the stairs like lightening.
"How do you plan on getting out of here?" Sora asked, remembering Leon's caution that a dark force would block them from leaving. In his pocket Sora could feel the Gummi block Leon had given him bounce around. He had sworn to Leon he would use it if they became trapped. But now he found himself tempted to break that. They had expected to find a well and able Cloud. Now Leon was faced with having to fight off a castle full of heartless while trying to protect the comatose man.
"Something is different here. The last time I came by I couldn't risk being tapped down here, but the power seems to have diminished just enough. If we get far enough away from the castle then we should be able to get back to the ship."
Sora ripped open the doors to the library, as there was a roar of anger behind them and a blast of darkness. It felt to Sora as if he was being consumed by a heartless. "You know what was behind that door?" Sora asked. "I think it just woke up!"
As Leon took the stairs down in the Entrance Hall, heartless began to flood in. They were coming from all directions and blocking all exits. Leon spun, Cloud still securely in his arms as the Entrance Hall doors were thrown open and a group led by Cid rushed in.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Leon demanded of the man. "Why did you bring them?"
Leon was aware of the heartless enclosing them. "You can't get back to the ship down here. You're too close to Maleficent!"
"We had to come!" Yuffie argued. "What's wrong with Cloud?"
Leon ignored her, catching Sora by the arm while balancing Cloud. "Get out of here now!" Sora looked stricken and Leon became furious. "Now! I mean it!" Sora retrieved the Gummi block and the group pressed together. "Go now, Sora!"
"Sora!" The brunette froze as he recognized the voice.
"Riku!" His eyes became bright when he spied the older boy standing head of the heartless. Then the weight of the Keyblade intensified more then he had ever felt before. It was extremely painful and he fought back the urge to cry out. The hilt seemed to burn his skin and he was sure it would given the right amount of time.
"None of you are going anywhere!" Riku told them.
Journey raised his own sword to Riku's height and pressed closer to his adopted father. "Bright ideas would be appreciated, pops. "
"All out," Cid mentioned softly.
"Things just got a whole lot worse," Aerith managed.
Maleficent had appeared.
TBC. . . . ..
**Insert diabolical cliff hanger**
Now just to clear some things up. As for the new character Journey and the mentioned Robyn, no, they are not going to take over the story and have it revolve around them. They are small parts, but they are important to my plot. You won't get sick and tired of them taking up the spot light either.
Also, this is going somewhere. I get really pissed at other author's stories when they don't go anywhere for chapters and I swear this one will. Just one more chapter of people talking their asses off and then there will be so much action you'll need a laxative. So stick it through and leave me a Review. I do work faster with those . . . just for the record.
And yes, I am aware that Leon and Cloud come from separate Final Fantasy games. But give me a break; this is my plot bunny and my baby. I'll mix Pokemon in if I want to!
A/N: I'm sorry if this comes out all messed up. If it is, I'll fix it. The last two times I tried to post it came out all weird. Work with me here.
Riku was pleased. As he erased his presence from the guards of the dungeon he could not help but praise himself. He had successfully completed his task. There had been sacrifices, and with the escape of the fairy godmothers Maleficent would be less than pleased. But it was a fair trade and he would stand her fury to see his own plan through. Of course he would have to see for himself when the time was right, but they had assured him the spell was in place and would not be broken. They were convinced Maleficent herself could not break it-exactly what Riku wanted.
He had derailed from her plans long before he himself had become aware. His motives had switched from simply insuring a future for himself and Sora, to wanted a future with power. He knew he had fed off the darkness for far too long and that it was beginning to consume him. But he was confident it would never dissolve him completely. After he took out Maleficent the worlds would be left to him. But that of course still left the problem of Ansem.
If the spell had gone correctly then Maleficent's plan should have become spoiled. It would be a great time before she noticed and it gave Riku the opportunity to sway his companions. If the others could be turned to him it would increase his odds greatly. And some of them were showing signs that Riku readied to take advantage of.
After everything was done he would be left alone, and finally he would achieve peace. It would be just the two of them, Sora and Riku, just like it should have been from the beginning. After Kairi was found and her heart claimed there would be no interference from outside forces. And if necessary Riku would see to the King's aids and have them destroyed.
Riku ventured deeper into Hallow Bastion and towards his room. Once inside he sat himself upon the bed. He would however need to deal with Hades soon. The God was becoming far too annoying. Hades was prying too deep and it worried Riku. Maleficent was no idiot, and if his plan were exposed but a bit, his fate would be decided at that very moment. Riku still couldn't see what the God wanted with Cloud. Yes, the man was very beautiful and skilled. But he was also pure trouble. He was a deadly assassin with the possibility to become a god himself. Anyone who could not contain and keep him in submission was not going to have a bright future. Hades had proved that he could not handle Cloud.
Riku narrowed his eyes. Perhaps in his haste he had overlooked something. While often acting foolish, Hades was not. The more Riku thought about it, the more he became puzzled. He should have seen it before. Hades would not invest as much time in the man as he had done, if there was not a large promise. Riku noticed Cloud had contacts everywhere. Maleficent desired his body, Sora his friendship, and Hades his soul. Hades' power would become unfathomable with Cloud's soul. All in all Cloud was a remarkable person.
But before everything, he would have to see to the Angel occupying their library. From his first day in the castle Maleficent had explained in great detail the occupation of the library. He-Sephiroth-had been there since before Maleficient. He had been there since the worlds had begun to fall and had erected unbreakable barriers. Those who entered without permission drew great pain to themselves. The only time anyone was able to enter the library occurred when the Angel left, or when he was in peace. These times were few and brief, but they allowed time to plant dangerous dark energy.
Riku scoffed. Maleficent believed if she rooted the Angel with dark energy and turned him, then he would become far more manageable. In theory it might have worked, if the Angel were normal. What it had actually done had been far worse. It seemed to fuel him and enlarge his power. By the time Maleficent caught on, he had become a large force that none challenged.
Riku relaxed back on the bed and folded his hands over his stomach. Sephiroth wouldn't be a problem much longer. Riku knew just how to deal with him.
~*~
"This has got to be the worst conceived idea ever!" Cid gripped the controls to the shaking Gummi ship and ground his teeth together. Please baby, Cid thought, just hold together long enough to get us out of here. "I can't believe you talked me into this!"
Behind him Aerith and Yuffie shared a look. While neither would admit it, both were feeling slight regret for deciding to charge after Leon. And both were feeling sick, both in having ulterior motives. Both women were steadily realizing their mistake and feeling horribly for dragging Cid into their mess. Cid being the only innocent one in their trip.
"If you had given me fifteen more minutes I might have been able to install an upgrade!" He was referring to the Gummi block that allowed them to travel instantly to other worlds. But without it the broken ship had to brave the choppy and deadly space.
The only thing that made the trip bearable to Cid was his co-pilot. The male was still very young compared to Cid, and still very much seen as a child to Cid. The pilot had taken the male-Journey-in after his world had been destroyed nearly seven years ago. Back when the worlds had just begun to disappear. The younger male knew what it was like to lose everything. While Sora hung onto hope of love and a new home, Journey was sure of his own being lost forever.
The Seventeen year old jammed his thumbs down on the weapon's controls and continued blasting things out of their path. He struck with deadly accuracy, insuring their safety from those obstacles. "Well, Old man, you should have already had it installed." The words were filled with humor and no ill content."
"You're lucky my hands are busy, boy," Cid ground out. "Or I'd throttle you." Cid dodged a barrier that had suddenly sprung up and then risked turning to look at the brunette. "What brought you back to Transverse Town anyway? I thought you were out helping those drifters." Drifters were groups of people who refused the town's help and chose to fight loosing battles against large foes in the deep space.
Journey shrugged, attention never diverted. "I finished up early. And I heard you were having some trouble with the heartless. I came as soon as I heard they had broken through Merlin's wards."
Cid grunted. "I'm sure Robyn had something to say on the matter."
Journey raised his eyebrows. "I wish you would give her the benefit of the doubt."
"Excuse me for not trusting her."
Journey turned in his seat to look behind him at Aerith and Yuffie. "Has he been like this for long?" He questioned. Then he turned back to Cid. "She's important to us. She's the only one getting us the information from a direct link. We need her."
Cid rolled his eyes. "She's using you, me, and everyone who fights with us."
Journey frowned deeply but settled back down into his chair, concentrating on the heartless fighters that had just appeared.
"Journey," Aerith began, "You have to admit that Cid has a point. She's prone to sudden disappearance and she is a bit shady on certain topics. It isn't that we do this on purpose," She paused as there was a vicious bump and she had to latch onto a side panel. "We're just worried something could get out. We're trying to buy Sora all the time he needs to train and become ready for Ansem. Then it doesn't matter what we do, it will be up to him."
"Yeah," Yuffie jumped in. "It's important that Maleficent doesn't know what we're doing. We work really hard to keep everything a secret, and she could spoil everything." Yuffie paused. "And we have walked into multiple ambushes because of her information. "
Journey took his hands off his controls for just a second before regaining his composure. "You're judging her. The one thing I asked you not to do."
"We have reason to judge. If she betrays us Sora could be killed." Cid spat out quickly.
"She won't," Journey quickly corrected. "She wouldn't."
They finally broke free of the chaotic space and Cid looked him deep in the eyes. Blue eyes met blue eyes. "She will eventually betray us. It's in her blood."
"That's not fair." Journey struck back. There was unbearable silence until Cid spoke for the final time that trip.
"She will betray us because she's Maleficent's daughter."
~*~
"This just got a lot harder," Leon remarked as he and Sora managed a glance around the corner. They had managed to unlock the front gates from the twisting, confusing waterway. Leon was almost sure that their presence had been detected in some way, and the heavy security in the main entrance seemed to prove it.
"Are we going to fight our way in?" Sora raised his Keyblade, though this action was rather slow and Leon frowned.
"Is something wrong?" He asked quietly, aware of a heartless standing just around the corner.
Sora looked hopeless for a second before nodding slowly. "It's getting heavy." He paused, not finding his words descriptive enough. "The Keyblade has been getting harder and harder to control ever since we got here. It's like it's trying to pull away. I don't understand but I won't be able to hold it much longer."
Leon nodded. He understood what was happening and it was time for Sora to as well. "It's getting heavier because the intended Keyblade master is here." Sora was frozen but Leon found it best to continue. "When the Keyblade was forged by the King it was born with a will of its own. It foresaw into the future a time where it would be needed to combat the darkness and drive out the evil. It searched for a person to wield it and found that in Riku."
"Leon-" Sora was cut off.
"Don't interrupt," Leon snapped. "This is important for you to know. If you are to go up against Riku he will try to use this against you." Sora quieted and gestured for Leon to continue. "As I said, the Keyblade placed faith that when the time came it could be entrusted to Riku. But it did not intend for the Darkness to reach him first. And it saw that if it was to go to Riku, it would be lost. So it chose a fast substitute with a strong heart. It chose you, Sora, because it knew you could handle to pressure and the power and still be victorious. It knew you could keep it safe."
"Then why is it fighting me?"
"Because it's hearing a call from Riku. It originally intended to belong to Riku, and it feels loyalty to him, no matter how evil he is. It will attempt to go to him, and if you allow it, Riku will take it from you. That cannot happen, ever. Riku is gaining power and if he accepts the Keyblade, he has the possibility to become more powerful than Maleficent."
Sora cast his eyes down at the Keyblade and saw through the attached key chain and to the very core of the blade. He saw himself in the blade. He saw the conflicting feelings that seemed to pull at it and the undying feeling of betrayal. He understood completely, and though he did not want to lose it, he would understand if it was lost to him.
"What can I do to stop it?" Sora asked.
Leon managed another look around the corner. "Keep it as close as your heart. Consider it a part of you and do not let it leave your side. If it is lost our battle will be impossible."
"Okay, are we going to storm the castle now?"
Leon raised an eyebrow. "We are not going to storm the castle, which would ensure us death. We are however going to move swiftly to enter the castle, and we will enter under the detection of Maleficent."
Sora raised the Keyblade, ignoring the extra weight. "At the count of three?"
"No, we go now!"
Both Leon and Sora spun out from the corner slashing at their enemies with incredible accuracy. Those heartless standing guard were taken down in flashes. There was no time for warnings and quickly the heartless were disposed of. The party of two slipped into the castle quickly and undetected.
As Leon stood in the Entrance Hall he frowned, puzzled by the configuration of the room. He reviewed his options quickly before gesturing to a door on his left. He and Sora quickly ascended the left side stairs and reached the double doors. Both readied their weapons and Leon placed his hand on the door handle.
It was warm to the touch and Leon hesitated. It was warm and surged of dark energy. It made him hesitate everything completely. He wanted to turn from the castle and order Sora back to the ship. He wanted to hide himself from everything until he found a way out of Hallow Bastion. But the tugging at his heart would not let him back away. So he was stuck. He could not push forward and he could not pull back.
His decision was made for him as Sora's hand came to rest over his own. The young pre-teen smiled warmly and Leon, understanding his plight. "Nice to know you're mortal after all," He remarked before turning his hand along with Leon's and pushing the door open.
The doors slid shut behind him Leon found his memory. He remembered the library.
"What's a pretty library doing here?" Sora questioned. He lowered his Keyblade and ran a hand over the dusty books. "I've never seen so many books before. Even the library at home on the Island didn't have this many. How can something so pretty exist in something so evil?"
"The castle isn't evil," Leon remarked, noticing the beauty as well. "The creatures that reside here are."
Sora shook himself back into their original purpose and looked over to Leon. "It's nice and all, but I just want to find Cloud and get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps."
"Agreed." Leon dropped his own curiosity and with Sora set out to search the library.
Just over an hour has passed when Leon and Sora met again in the corner of the lower level. Both had found nothing aside from frustration "We should move on," Leon suggested, breathing a bit heavier. "There's still the rest of the castle to search." Leon pressed a hand to his chest and addressed Sora. "Is it getting harder to breathe in here?"
Sora agreed and leaned against a bookshelf for support. "Yeah is there anything left to check in here or can we leave?"
As much as Leon wanted to leave, and the fire in his chest fueled this urge, he found he could not make his legs move. Something was drawing him to stay, even with the impending doom he hadn't a clue of. He needed to stay. "Let me give it a once over." He journeyed to the second level near the staircase and allowed his fingers and eyes to brush over the book titles. Something was different about the certain section of the room.
With Sora's eyes on him he paused on an ordinary book. There was nothing special about it, and to any other person it would have meant nothing. But the feel of the book was different to Leon. It felt different than the rest of the things. It wasn't absorbing the negative energy around them. It simply felt different, and suddenly Leon placed the feeling. It felt like Cloud.
With a cry of joy he ripped the book from its place and jumped back as the shelf slid open to reveal a narrow passageway and rising steps. Leon took them two at a time with Sora trailing behind him. He was not certain of many things, but he was certain that Cloud was up the stairs.
The stairs emptied into a short hallway with two doors on opposite sides. Leon stood dead in the middle of them, afraid to move towards either one. Sora froze behind him; understanding the man had to make the decision on his own. "Leon," Sora gently pushed. "You need to make a decision."
Distinctly Leon felt he did not want to go near the door to his right. It burned of heartless power and he couldn't phantom what lay beyond it. It hurt him to merely look towards to door, and he knew Cloud could not be there.
From the other door he received no feelings, and this disturbed him more then the first. At least from the first he could arrive at the decision of not choosing it. From the second it was neutral. There neither good nor evil emitting. But when push came to shove, he wasn't going near the other door.
With a burst of strength Leon had pushed his weight against the door. It gave way with a splintering crack revealing its contents. Leon looked up from his position and one name escaped his lips. "Cloud!" He was to his feet and rushing across the room. He reached the prone figure on the bed instantly, and his hands went to cradle Cloud's face. "Cloud!" Leon hissed quietly, aware that he had made a thundering noise, and if it was possible he should contain anything more. "Cloud, please wake up." He leaned in close, hearing the shallow breaths.
"What's wrong with him?" Sora asked, eyes moving between the two men.
"I don't know." Leon could find nothing physically wrong with the one winged man, but something obviously was preventing him from waking. "Cloud, we need to leave here, please wake up." Leon pressed the back of his hand against Cloud's cheek finding it ice cold. And in fact the blonde's lips were turning a light blue.
"We need to go," Sora turned back to the opposite door. He had sensed something. A nasty wave of nausea washed over him in dark waves. "We need to go now!"
Leon had felt it too and was quickly gathering Cloud into his arms. "We'll figure this out later." He followed Sora out of the door, sheltering Cloud body into his own. They moved down the stairs like lightening.
"How do you plan on getting out of here?" Sora asked, remembering Leon's caution that a dark force would block them from leaving. In his pocket Sora could feel the Gummi block Leon had given him bounce around. He had sworn to Leon he would use it if they became trapped. But now he found himself tempted to break that. They had expected to find a well and able Cloud. Now Leon was faced with having to fight off a castle full of heartless while trying to protect the comatose man.
"Something is different here. The last time I came by I couldn't risk being tapped down here, but the power seems to have diminished just enough. If we get far enough away from the castle then we should be able to get back to the ship."
Sora ripped open the doors to the library, as there was a roar of anger behind them and a blast of darkness. It felt to Sora as if he was being consumed by a heartless. "You know what was behind that door?" Sora asked. "I think it just woke up!"
As Leon took the stairs down in the Entrance Hall, heartless began to flood in. They were coming from all directions and blocking all exits. Leon spun, Cloud still securely in his arms as the Entrance Hall doors were thrown open and a group led by Cid rushed in.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Leon demanded of the man. "Why did you bring them?"
Leon was aware of the heartless enclosing them. "You can't get back to the ship down here. You're too close to Maleficent!"
"We had to come!" Yuffie argued. "What's wrong with Cloud?"
Leon ignored her, catching Sora by the arm while balancing Cloud. "Get out of here now!" Sora looked stricken and Leon became furious. "Now! I mean it!" Sora retrieved the Gummi block and the group pressed together. "Go now, Sora!"
"Sora!" The brunette froze as he recognized the voice.
"Riku!" His eyes became bright when he spied the older boy standing head of the heartless. Then the weight of the Keyblade intensified more then he had ever felt before. It was extremely painful and he fought back the urge to cry out. The hilt seemed to burn his skin and he was sure it would given the right amount of time.
"None of you are going anywhere!" Riku told them.
Journey raised his own sword to Riku's height and pressed closer to his adopted father. "Bright ideas would be appreciated, pops. "
"All out," Cid mentioned softly.
"Things just got a whole lot worse," Aerith managed.
Maleficent had appeared.
TBC. . . . ..
**Insert diabolical cliff hanger**
Now just to clear some things up. As for the new character Journey and the mentioned Robyn, no, they are not going to take over the story and have it revolve around them. They are small parts, but they are important to my plot. You won't get sick and tired of them taking up the spot light either.
Also, this is going somewhere. I get really pissed at other author's stories when they don't go anywhere for chapters and I swear this one will. Just one more chapter of people talking their asses off and then there will be so much action you'll need a laxative. So stick it through and leave me a Review. I do work faster with those . . . just for the record.
And yes, I am aware that Leon and Cloud come from separate Final Fantasy games. But give me a break; this is my plot bunny and my baby. I'll mix Pokemon in if I want to!