Hello everybody. I'd like to thank everyone that read the first chapter. I, personally, thought it was quite a success, considering I had someone favorite it within half an hour of it being posted. In case anybody was wondering, I skipped the author's note on the first chapter because, let's face it; you're here to be entertained, not listen to me babble. I've got big ideas for this story and I hope you all enjoy it. Feedback is encouraged and every hit is appreciated. =) Thanks, everybody!!
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Kingdom Hearts: ReBirth
"And if the game's rigged, then to hell with the rules-just enjoy the ride!!" The young intruder's cane impacted Sora and Riku's Keyblades at the same time. A normal piece of wood, or even a metal weapon, would have been destroyed by the force of that blow. His cane, however, bore the blow effortlessly, without sign of wear or strain. He set his body into the standoff, and the three pressed against each other, their weapons locked in a deadly stalemate. The intruder suddenly rotated his hands to the right, and pushed sideways against Sora's Kingdom Key. The force of the push sent him flying into the sand by the water's edge. Riku whirled on his enemy.
"Who are you?! Why did you come here?!" His opponent just smiled leapt into the air. From the top of his jump, he flung his cane at Riku, who sidestepped it with ease. It buried itself a few inches into the sand and dirt at Riku's feet. The intruder landed a few feet away, and Riku swung his Way to the Dawn Keyblade at the enemy's head. The strange adversary ducked and rolled out of the way, and then he charged at Riku. Just as Riku was about to strike, the boy dove through the air and landed one hand on his cane, which was still sticking into the ground. Using the cane as a pivot point, he swung his foot around and into Riku's midsection, all of his weight pulling behind the vicious kick. Riku stumbled back into the stone sea wall as the intruder drew his weapon from the sand and swung at Riku's head. The Keyblade wielder could only stumble pathetically out of the way as he tried to catch his breath. The swing missed completely, but left a long gash in the rock. The intruder then vaulted off of the rock wall, landing gracefully in a disarmed bow before Kairi.
"Hello there. My name's Sirian." He flashed her a charming smile as Sora tackled him. A moment later, Riku was also on top of him, pinning him down with his weapon just out of reach. Sora pointed at the cane, not attempting to hide his amazement.
"What is that thing? It's not sharp at all, but it sliced right into the rock…"
"Just like our Keyblades," Riku added, "he's probably one of the Keepers that King Mickey warned us about."
"You guys know a King?" the prisoner asked blankly. Just as Riku was about to begin questioning him, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie walked over the hill just to their right.
"Wow, Sirian," Tidus said, "I guess I was wrong. You can't take 'em both on at the same time."
"Eh," Sirian tried to look nonchalant. "I had them both on the ropes. I just stopped to introduce myself to the lovely lady in pink over there and got blindsided."
"Wait," Sora started, "you know each other?!"
"Yeah, of course!" Tidus said, as if it was painfully obvious.
"It was his idea for Sirian to fight you guys." Selphie added, shooting a glare at Tidus. As she pushed Sora and Riku off of the newcomer and helped him up, Wakka walked up behind the confused Keyblade masters and put a hand on Sora's shoulder.
"You didn't think that someone would just attack you, right? There's got to be a reason for him to jump you, ya?"
"Well, now that that's all cleared up," said the newcomer, brushing dust and debris off of his outfit. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. Sirian Bail. Pleased to meet you." He smiled sincerely as he reached out to shake Riku and Sora by the hand. "Sorry about all that surprise attack business. I had a bet with Tidus, you see," he added with a wink.
"You guys are so immature," Selphie said, once the bruises and scrapes had been taken care of, "always fighting to settle things…"
"You're just sore 'cause you lost to Sirian." Titus piped, jabbing her in the side.
"Nah," said Wakka in his slow, relaxed island drawl, "she's just upset that the only kiss she got from 'im was from his cane." Selphie swung her nunchaku as Wakka laughed, ducking underneath her swing.
"It wouldn't have ended the same if we were ready." Riku was still upset about the kick he received.
"Gomen nasai gozaimasu" Sirian said. "Riku-I'm sorry about that-Tidus wanted to know if I could take you on. He said you were the best fighter he'd ever seen."
"And that includes anyone at the kendo club I joined after you left," Tidus added. "I guess now you're the second-best."
"Yeah right," Riku said, standing up and lifting Way to the Dawn high. "I'm second to nobody!" He swung his Keyblade, smirking. Sirian met him cane for Keyblade and smirk for smile.
"I haven't seen Riku this happy since we got back to the Islands." Kairi said as she sat next to Sora, away from the fighting and away the chatter of from Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka's conversation.
"Yeah, he sure seems to be enjoying the fight," Sora said, "…even though he's losing…" Sure enough, Riku was bruised and panting, but his smile never faded. His opponent wasn't hitting hard anymore, in order to prolong the fight. They had begun a sort of brutal game, in which Riku would charge, and Sirian repel his assault, but it was Riku's goal to remove Sirian's left foot from its pivot point in the sand.
"He doesn't care about winning," Kairi said, "it's the action that he loves. That sense of adventure. And now there's no real risk. Before, he was fighting for his heart. Now, it's just an adventure. He wants more adventure."
"Yeah. I guess we all do. I mean, we were planning on seeing other worlds anyway, before any of this really began…" Kairi let out a small, quiet laugh. "Funny?"
"I think all of this began a long time ago. Before we were even born."
"You mean like…fate?"
"It must be destiny," Kairi said, staring into the distance, "and Sirian coming here can only mean one thing."
"What's that?"
"That even stronger people are going to be in our way. Destiny gave us Sirian so we'd have a fighting chance." She looked worried. "We have to become as strong as he is or we'll have no chance." It was the first time Sora had heard Kairi sound hopeless. As Riku and Sirian stopped fighting, Sora took Kairi's worries to heart. He stood, facing the ground, his spiky hair casting shadows over his eyes.
"Then I will become stronger. I will become the strongest any world has ever seen!" He looked up, his soft blue eyes set hard with valiant determination. "I have my friends! You, and Riku, and Donald and Goofy and everyone else! They are my power-I won't lose to anyone!" He looked slowly toward her. "I won't let you down Kairi."
As Riku and Sirian walked up, Sora ran foreword. He stood in front of Sirian, a challenge in his eyes.
"Fight me!" Sora said, loudly. Sirian looked baffled.
"Beg pardon?"
"Fight me! I want to be stronger so I can protect my friends!" Riku interrupted him.
"Sora…you don't need to prove-"
"I," Sirian said sternly, "am not threatening your friends."
"But your kind will! And I need to be stronger than them!" Sora was getting carried away, as he often did.
"Oh really?" Sirian was not impressed. "And what do you mean by 'my kind?'"
"It doesn't matter-just fight me!" Sora swung his Kingdom Key viciously, obviously not playing like Riku had been. Sirian had been spinning his cane between his fingers as he walked, and so already had it in his hand. It still barely caught Sora's strike in time.
"Fine, let's go!!" Sirian was no longer playing around. He spun his cane 'round and brought it down toward Sora's head. Sora stopped the weapon with both hands on the handle of his Keyblade. His feet slipped under the pressure of the blow. He slid his left hand down the Keyblade, catching more and more blows from Sirian. Before long, it was clear that the repeated blows were to wear him down and demoralize him. They landed with the sheer rapidity of a long, loud drum-roll. Such speed would annihilate Sora were it targeted anywhere aside from his only defense. Sora's right knee was now sinking into the sand as he tried to cope with the attack and the lack of purchase the sand offered. Suddenly, Sirian stopped bashing the Keyblade and flipped his cane around, hooked it around Sora's left ankle, and sent him flipping head over heels into the sand. Sora landed on his back, stunned, but still Sirian did not relent. The curled end of his cane caught the hilt of Sora's weapon and wretched it from his grip, and sent it straight into Sirian's own hand. He held the Keyblade and cane crossed in front of Sora's chest.
"I do not anger easily, but I will not be taunted or called treacherous without due cause." Sora could not recall his Keyblade from Sirian's hand. Sirian turned and began to walk away. Riku stopped him, his voice uncharacteristically shaky.
"Sirian…" The boy turned, his eyes hard and unforgiving. "Gi-give him back his Keyblade." Sirian didn't budge.
"Please, Sirian…" Kairi implored. She was the only one who did not seem afraid of him. Sirian turned away from them all. He dropped the Keyblade and continued on his way.
"Well," Wakka started in an unusually somber tone, "I guess fun time is over. Tidus, get his legs, man." The two carried Sora, who was dozing from exhaustion, away to the pier. It was the opposite direction that Sirian had gone.