A/N: whoo-hoo chapter 39 yay! I got motivated today after re-watching the trailer of the secret ending so yeah. Also the names of the three soldiers have been confirmed sort of but that's only if you've played Final Mix, it mentions their names after a certain scene, so spoilers beware!!!
Soras heart281: Thank you so much, but yeah I sense an ending, but I don't know when. Hah at least he got kissed right?
Nameless Dragon: After months we've all been waiting for everything to finally come together, so here it is! Enjoy the hard work put into this!
Rozen: Rozen-san words can't express how grateful I am, and thank you once again for your quotes, you know I'll put them to good use, so don't worry. And yes more of the Atrum Vinco is in store in the content of this chapter so happy readings!
On with the story!
Chapter 39: Atrum Vinco of the Keyblades (The Dark Master of the Keyblades)
"So then do you mind if we call you…" the girl with the blue tried to mouth out a name, but she couldn't do it properly. She stammered for a moment trying to pronounce the new name, and the blue eyes staring back at her blinked, and the figure chuckled.
The figure shook his head, "I don't mind at all. So then, what part Sunset Horizon do you guys live in?" the blonde figure asked, watching another pair of blue eyes stare back at him.
"Terra, was it?" the blue haired figure asked looking back at the taller one that stood near the two of them. The brown haired figure nodded. "Ah, yeah you like being called Xehanort…" the blue haired figure rubbed the back of their head.
"It's okay," the brown haired figure said looking back at the new kid. "Anway, Ventus you came from Nokia?" and the boy by the name Ventus nodded. "Hey that's where I'm from too."
"I had a feeling you guys would be from the capital," the blue haired figure said blushing in embarrassment. "Well at least I know where you guys come from."
"You from the capital…" Ventus tried to remember the blue haired figures name. "Aqua…n?" he asked clumsily.
"You got the first part right, Ven, it's Aqua not Aquan." The blue haired girl said sighing heavily. "And well my parents were from the capital, I was born in Ometry." The girl said and the two boys looked at her.
"Wow!" the two of them said. "You don't look like those fighting types at all…" Ventus said and Aqua puffed her cheeks.
"That's why I came to Elusion-Ilusion, the capital you dummy, to learn how to fight!" the blue haired figure said stomping her foot.
"All three of us came here to learn how to fight…" Terra said looking back at the academy that was before them. "But first we have to get past the education system and then we can fight."
"Let's get to class then, shall we?" Ventus said grinning.
In the distance the three noticed someone standing by the entrance. A man with a slightly white goatee and bald head, he appeared to be older than 40 years old, and clothing that meant that he worked there, it was a suit of some sort, dressed in black, red, and white. Ventus walked past the old man and Aqua paused for a moment and greeted the sir before her. Terra just noted the old man and continued on his way into the academy. The bell rang filling the halls and everyone within the area scrambled quickly so that they would be marked tardy.
The three of them made it to their first class, as it was marked on their schedule, they had all the same classes together, it was probably a coincided. As they approached the doorway they noticed the same man from the doorway. 'How'd he get in there so fast?' Ventus pondered about it for a moment, but Aqua pushed him into the classroom.
The named 'Ignis Xehanort' was written on the board that was in front of the class…
Riku opened his eyes groggily and looked around, he was in a classroom for a brief second and then he found himself staring a white screen. He jumped back noticing a figure step out of the white screen. 'Ignis…' the silver haired teen thought watching the menacing amber eyes stare at him. 'THAT's the Dark Keyblade Master?' he noted the aged appearance, he looked like a professor. 'He's OLD…'
"So then you're the one they called Riku. Huh, I thought you would look more like Terra since you carry the same Keyblade. Anyway, boy, I want to thank you for freeing me. Finally the Dark Princess did her job, it's been ages…"
Riku growled, but felt that he was unable to move. He was stuck within the mind of the Dark Master, and to make matters worse he had no control of his body. The grip the Dark Master had was unlike any other foe he had come to face. 'He really is THE Dark Master…' Riku thought watching the man disappear from sight.
"I'm glad you seem to think so…"
Riku eyes widened and so he knew that the man could read minds.
"As for the Dark Princess you speak so fondly of, I wouldn't worry so much I'll see her soon enough."
'You so much as tou-!'
"Relax… You are just like him. Anyway maybe, just maybe I'll let the two of you meet, a little reward for the Atrum Procer."
With that Riku was left alone in the mind of the Dark Master, but sadly he still couldn't move, and if he began to think he feared the Dark Master would hear him. "I have to find a way out… where the hell is that damn Heartless?" he looked around hoping to find the other amber eyed man.
You rang? The voice echoed sarcastically. The Heartless appeared out of nowhere and looked at Riku with those piercing amber eyes. Nice to see I was missed the Heartless said flatly and looked around the room again. Now you know what it's like being trapped within a body. Sadly it's your own body… Anyway what do you want? The Heartless seemed annoyed.
"I don't know…" Riku said floating around aimlessly now. "I can't move." He said looking back at the Heartless who expressed the very thing he could not do, and that was walk. "Hey are you listening to me?" Riku asked watching the Heartless stop moving for a moment. Xehanort's Heartless looked back at him and snickered. "What' so funny?" the teen demanded to know.
I could kill you right now, and end your spiritual presence once and for all, but HE won't let me. What does he plan on doing with you? I doubt it's anything good. He'll probably get rid of you once you met up with the Atrum Procer. He probably plans on just making you suffer longer…
"Hey!" Riku barked looking back at the Heartless. "Listen, Terra!" the Heartless froze and felt an inexplicable anger surge through his heartless being. "Once I get moving I'll wipe the floor with you…!" He said meaning every word of it, 'and you, Ignis!'
You can't move and yet you somehow manage to peer into his memories. You really are something, but that's not my name you insolent brat! Xehanort raised a gloved hand and Riku was sent flying back and hit something, like a barrier. The boy cried out in pain, and the more he fought to move, but it was no use.
Outside the Dark Master walked around the world called Radiant Garden, there was nothing radiant about it now. Dark clouds loomed over the world, and Heartless appeared more frequently. As the Dark Master walked through the desolate streets the Heartless within the area paused and gazed up at their powerful master. As he left the creatures resumed their attack on the people of that world. This man had seen countless places destroyed at the might of the darkness, this was not new to him. 'And still Kingdom Hearts is not yet mine,' the man thought gazing up hoping to see the heart shaped moon, but nothing.
Sunset Horizon
Lightning watched as a portal appeared from the opposite corner of the hallway. Her blue eyes looked at the figure that ran forward, and a look of sadness befall the running figures feature as her knees gave way and fell to the floor of the hallway. She let out a brokenhearted cry letting her fist hit the tile of the area she was resting on. Her voice broke into sobs and little whimpers. She had been happy once but now that feeling was gone, it was a distant memory for the Heartless watching her 'client' cry out, watching the tears stain the tile, hearing her 'client's' Keyblade hit the tiles with such force. Amaterasu choked back tears, her heart was in so much pain, something broke off from her heart, and the portal had taken its toll on her body.
"Amaterasu…" the Heartless called out cautiously, fearing that the girl would have another outbreak. Amaterasu tried to fight back sobs, but the emotion was too great for her. She muttered several things, and cursed at herself shaking hr head once or twice, and when Lighting called her name again she said to stay away. "Amaterasu…" Lightning didn't give up on trying to get her to talk. The girl shut her eyes tightly and tears stained the tiles below her.
The girl was back within the border of the world by the name of 'Sunset Horizon'. Here she was considered safe, being in the eye of the storm where things were calm. She could feel the darkness in her heart stand still, afraid of everything that was happening, even the darkness knew when it should back down. Lightning looked back at her sobbing 'client' she regained self control but still sat almost lifeless on the tile floor. 'I can't feel his heart. I can't…' she looked up at the ceiling, trying to imagine the sky, but again all she could picture was the darkness. 'Is this my fault?' she asked herself fighting the urge to cry once more. 'I can't feel you Riku, where are you?' there were no pins poking her heart, nothing to trigger a warm feeling now.
Lightning looked away from the eyes the girl held; something of utter sadness plagued the heartless body. 'He's awakened…' the Heartless thought sensing a powerful presence, but she couldn't tell whether it was very far away or very close. In any case the Heartless pulled her 'client' and dragged her back within the chambers of an abandoned castle, ruins decorated the entrance, columns stained with moss and cracks, chunks embedded into the tiles of the entrance. It seemed almost like the one in Radiant Garden, only that it was composed of gothic architecture, but nothing out of the ordinary, it was after all a ruined castle.
"Once that witch knows that the Dark Master has awakened," Lightning began to speak noticing that the girl was far off from reality. "She'll know that someone stole the sphere." She said carefully as they reached the main hallway of the ruins. Amaterasu looked up slightly as if to say she understood, but still the fact that she could no longer feel Riku's heart worried her to no end. Her dark brown eyes held no life in them now, just an empty vessel, it seemed that her heart was gone now.
"Pull yourself together, Amaterasu." The Heartless said sharply pulling her 'client' up roughly from the floor. The girl blinked coming back into reality and the Heartless placed her back down. "I may not have a heart right now but I don't like people ignoring me, understand?" the girl gulped looking back at the blue eyes from the Heartless and she nodded.
Radiant Garden
Sora closed his eyes again, his cheeks connecting with the cold floor of the 'Room of Sleep'. The spiky hared brunette felt something warm and moist connect with his cheek and he opened his eyes groggily. He noticed the clawed paws, and the aroma of the Heartless that clung to the black fur. 'Umbra…' Sora thought watching the yellow eyes stare down at him. The hound began to whine seeing its new master on the ground and lightly nudged the boy's face with its cold nose. Sora made an effort to pick himself up but nothing happened, his arms felt like jelly. The hound named 'Umbra' observed the other two near him, the Nobodies were lying on the floor stunned for a while. Sora felt his body lift up gently from the ground as the hound pulled him up with his front teeth.
"Thanks, boy…" Sora said gesturing a weak smile, and the hound laid his body next to the boy. He turned his head to look at Naminé who stirred up picking up her body with some ease, her head was spinning and her neck was aching badly. She looked back at Roxas, noticing that his arm was shoulder was bleeding. The hound opened one eye lazily and watched as Naminé tended to the blonde teenager's wound. It reminded him of something his previous master would do, but again the hound was no longer taking orders from them, but the boy called Sora.
"That man was really strong," Naminé said noticing that the Keyblade was gone from her grasp, it went back to its Keychain form. She groaned feeling her head spin and placed her hand to the side of her head, to keep it from drooping. 'I think I got up too fast,' the blonde thought feeling herself almost fall back. Roxas finally stirred, his blue eyes slowly opening, and Naminé jumped rushing to pick him up. Roxas tried to speak, "Sshh… It's okay Roxas we're all fine," the blue eyed female said leaning the teenager against the wall of the room. The Nobody moved his arms a bit and winced feeling a pain shoot up from his shoulder. "It's not that deep…" Naminé said casting 'Cure' on the inflicted shoulder.
"That bastard…" Roxas growled feeling a healing light fall on his shoulder. He panted for a couple of seconds trying to remember what had happened. "Who the hell told him to sit down?!" he asked angrily looking back at the strange throne before their eyes. "We could've…" he stopped himself trying not to get angry about the whole thing. 'Where is Riku anyway?' Roxas' blue eyes scanned the area, but all he found was a worn out suit of armor, and a fake Keyblade.
"None of us knew this would happen…" Sora said looking back at his Nobody, and Roxas looked back at him, still feeling that something should have been done about it. "But for now we should go and check up with the others…"
"I hope Aerith and the others are okay…" Naminé said worried noticing that the Shadow Hound perked up its ears and growled at the entrance. Someone could be heard walking down the spiraling to the 'Room of Sleep'. Sora and Roxas eyed the entrance carefully, and noticed the figure stopping at the entrance. "Yomigami!" Naminé said happily and the Shadow Hound stood at ease. The ageless teen gave a slight smile and looked at the way he came from.
"We should leave really soon, and I mean really soon." He said feeling something take a violent turn within his heart. The darkness within it was getting more rowdy with each minute that pass by. 'He's awake… This is bad. Really bad…' Yomigami thought feeling his heartbeat quicken. 'I might get turned into a Heartless soon enough if I even so much as dare and try to fight him.' Fighting against him was out of the question for the old sibling. 'But we have to fight off the Heartless,' he felt a frown fall upon his lips, feeling the corners of his lips bend down slightly.
"What about Cloud and the others?" Roxas asked looking back at the figure that had grown out his hair. Yomigami sneered slightly, and the blonde hared boy titled his head slightly.
"They'll be fine just on their own." Yomigami said watching the Shadow Hound move a bit. "Anyway, Sora how's the dog?" he asked and the Shadow Hound growled in displeasure as it had been called a 'canine'.
"Good, I named him Umbra." Sora said standing up slowly, his knees still didn't feel strange enough to go and run, but they would be able to carry him slowly. "Aren't you worried about Yuffie?" the blue eyed boy asked noticing a light blush run across the other specimen of 'Project Blitz'. Yomigami shook his head with that they all started to head up the spiraling staircase.
Up above Aerith placed a very strong Reflect spell, surrounding those that within a twelve foot radius. The Heartless bounced off the protective shield and waited for the barrier to fall down. As the barrier broke Yuffie jumped into the air, throwing her shuriken, watching it slice the enemies in a clear straight path. Nanaki chanted something and a ball of fire appeared from the sky, this was his version of a 'Firaga' spell. Cloud moved forward with his 'First Sword' ready to slice down the enemies surrounding him. With a flick of his wrists the weapon collided with the bodies and clearly knocked them down. Vincent and Shelke worked side by side, the amber hared prodigy took her EM sabers and twirled around the Heartless slashing and hacking those that stood in the way. Bullets pierced whatever was left of her 'dance' watching them fall back, and disappear from sight.
"Someone call for back up?!" a voice shrilled from the rooftop of a nearby building and Aerith and Cloud looked up quickly. A man with dark raven hair and a another figure stood by his side. The black hared man jumped down to the ground taking his 'Buster Sword' and demolishing three Heartless with ease. The other figure jumped down at let her punches and kicks do all the talking; enemies went flying into the air. The female figure ran forward and with a deadly somersault sent a Heartless flying into the air.
"Zack, you're a bit late!" Aerith yelled placing another 'Thunder' spell on the unsuspecting Heartless. Cloud moved back a bit noticing the familiar female figure punch a Heartless, it went flying into his direction, and he sliced it down. A black feather caught his attention and he peered up at the sky. 'Sephiroth…' he thought growling for a moment.
"Cloud, look out!" Zack called out, and the female figure took action. She ran forward and grabbed the Heartless before it landed on Cloud. The figure threw the enemy in midair and watched it create a crater on the wall of a building. "Hope you didn't mind that I brought help…" Zack was no doubt talking about Sephiroth and Tifa.
"Thanks, Tifa…" Cloud said commencing another attack on the Heartless before them. The familiar and yet terrifying Masamune sword quickly destroyed the enemies Cloud couldn't reach.
In the distance Yuffie could a see a familiar person running down the side of the empty street, with two weapons held ready at hand. "Yomigami!" she recognized the chakram that zipped past her, slicing, and probably beheading a couple of Heartless, he commanded the weapon with the will of his mind. The Shadow Hound zipped past Yomigami and attacked at several Heartless, standing to the side near Nanaki, and it lunged forward at a formidable opponent, it placed its own version of 'Dark Aura'. Sora ran forward, brandishing Ultima weapon, and Roxas carried one with Oblivion and Oathkeeper, and this time Naminé wielded a different kind of Keyblade. 'That's the one from the Room of Sleep…' Aerith thought, evading an attack from a black claw.
Sunset Horizon
"I can't stay…" Lightning said noticing the dark eyes of the figure. The familiar dark blue hair, Versus was right in front of her. "Listen something has happened, something horrible. I fear that he is back. I can feel it; the very being in me fears it. He has awakened."
"Does she know you're here?" Versus couldn't help but ask. The two of them were in a secluded area of the capital far away from the civilization. Lightning shook her head, Amaterasu didn't know about this at all. "You've gone against your 'client'…" Versus said flatly and sighed heavily. "History is repeating itself…" he said coldly. "You all pro-…"
"We know, Versus," the Heartless said coldly and growled at him. "God's judgment is not inevitable. Listen, I'm not going against her, I would never betray her, she's…" Lightning shook her head. 'Can't let this get to me…' she began to speak again. "Once he sets foot here no doubt another Keyblade War will begin…"
"I'm assuming you know something about it then." Versus said noticing the uneasy gaze he was receiving from the blue eyes of the Heartless known as Lightning. She shrugged in reply. "All the other Keyblade wielders are probably dead… Which means all we have left is just…"
"Sora." Lightning said noticing the slight look of disapproval etched across the heir's face. "Yeah, even Amaterasu isn't happy with this one. She says the last Keyblade War had only three people, not one." Speaking of which, Lightning knew she had to be back to the hideout soon. "I can't stay any longer," she said excusing herself from the heir of Elusion-Ilusion.
"Yeah…" With that Versus felt a strange surge of power run through his veins, his appearance changed slightly, his dark blue hair turned as white as snow, and with a second or two passing he disappeared. Lightning stood there for a moment watching area in which he had stood, and with that she created a dark portal and walked through it.
Amaterasu sighed plopping against the bed sheets that were placed on a bed. She stared up at the ceiling, her whole body ached. 'I've cried so much today,' she thought closing her eyes for a moment. 'Emotion got the best of you, didn't it, little one?' that voice entered her heart once more, and she hissed turning over on her side. "Leave me alone…" she said to the Heartless within her, the darkness that was slowly spreading into her heart. "Can't you see I'm upset?" the inner voice made no effort to answer the question. 'Where's your, pet?' it was referring to Lightning. "Somewhere…" Amaterasu answered dully, she didn't feel like talking now, she just wanted to be left alone.
A raven entered the room and she noticed that it rested against the fabric of the bed, its talons carelessly tearing holes within the comforting object as it made its way towards the girl. Amaterasu looked at the raven for a moment a groaned, 'Damn that witch what the hell does she want now?' she looked at a little note attached to the bird. "Go away…" she muttered to the raven and it pecked at her exposed. "Ouch…" it wanted the note to be untied from its foot. "Make me…" she said harshly, feeling another peck at her hand. "All right!" she growled snatching the note from its talon. "Now go…"
Their hearts are reacting to something, so that means it's almost complete. The sacred moon which the Dark Master had been searching for. All we need now is the Dark Master and we'll have our whole plan set in motion…
"Ha!" Amaterasu said pausing. "I already beat you, you damn witch." She noticed that it was her own darkness that said that, and she paused for a moment to let her words sink in. She found nothing interesting other than the fact that Maleficent wanted her to come down to the basement of the ruins. 'I don't want to…' she moaned, and rolled off of the bed in a swift motion. Her heart felt heavier now, but she assumed that it was the darkness from within the beating organ. 'Something still doesn't feel right, and it's only going to get worse…' she thought making her way through the room and down the hallway.
The hallway was cold, broken stained glass decorated the edges, and snow from several continuous days lightly rested against the windowsills. Amaterasu looked back out the window and noticed that the snow had stopped for a now. 'It's supposed to be spring now…' she thought thinking back to the seasons. 'Then again a lot of places don't stop snowing until the middle of it…' Amaterasu sighed heavily, and the clock tower was within her view. It brought back another memory. 'All we've been able to do is cause sadness to one another…' she thought thinking back to when she sat alongside Riku.
Lightning appeared quietly from behind Amaterasu, and the girl paused feeling someone in back of her. Her Keyblade was drawn out and Lightning jumped back feeling the object hover dangerously close to her neck. The girl paused and noticed that it was Lightning, and she apologized as she withdrew her weapon. "Where have you been?" she asked the Heartless, but she didn't want to answer. "Hey come on, spill it, where did ya go?"
R i k u
What am I suppose to be doing now? I can't exactly explore, because I can't move. What the hell was I think sitting down on the throne? What possessed me to listen to Xehanort for that small moment in time? I'm pissed at myself for doing this, and I know the others are too, especially Roxas, I didn't listen to him, he said something didn't feel right, but I decided to go with my inner voice, a lot of help that did.
Ignis Xehanort, so that means that this guy, the old one, is the true Xehanort. Terra, that guy, the one in the memory, he was the fake Xehanort. But why did he think of the name earlier? He probably was bored or something, I can't really justify his action for doing that but still. So then that means, Ventus, Aqua, and Terra were the Chasers, it's safe to say. I'm trying to remember everything that she told me, but I'm forgetting with each hour I spend in here. Where is here anyway?
I looked around, floating aimlessly, and something sucked me down to what was the ground of the mind. "Huh?" I looked back down and noticed a black portal suck me up now. 'Shit!'
"Ignis!" the blue haired girl from before sighed, and brought her wooden bamboo sword close to her. "Let's take a break… We're all tired…" she said referring back to Terra and Ven, they panted heavily and felt that they were going to break at any moment. "Please…" the girl begged using her wooden training weapon as a cane. "Come on… We're kind of hungry too you know!"
"You're just as bad as he is, Aqua." Ignis said with a light smile etched across his face, his amber eyes held no malice in them, they seemed kind. He was referring to Ventus as Ventus was saying something about food towards Terra. "In anyway case you are right, I've been working you children all too hard today."
Ventus and Terra had some energy left to high-five each other. Aqua was glad to hear that they were going to get a break, her stomach was growling from the lack of provisions it had gotten. The extra sessions were paying off, and the three of them would spar against one another for extra practice. They each wanted to be soldiers for capital, and Ignis said he would be more than happy to give them sessions.
"So Professor Xehanort…" Ventus began sitting down on the dirt ground. "Tell us more about the Keyblade!" the other two children stopped and looked back at the professor. "Yeah, hey you never finished that story!" the other two said happily. "Please Teacher!" Aqua said.
"First food, then I'll say my story." The man said waking alongside his pupils. "I wouldn't doubt if one day the three of you will get a Keyblade of your very own."
"Really?!" Ventus asked, his eyes shining at the idea of receiving a powerful weapon. "That would be so cool!" he said shouting and jumping into the air. "I can't wait to get one!"
"It takes a lot of hard work and training, but most of all a strong…" he pointed to his chest.
"A heart?" Terra asked. "How can a heart be weapon?"
"The heart is the mightiest weapon of all, Terra." Ignis said noticing that Terra gave him a confused look. "You'll all see in time…"
Another memory? Why am I able to see his memories? You and Terra are somehow connected, by the Keyblade you both wield… That voice it was Ignis, how did he? Is he showing me the memories? No, I really doubt it, it's probably because I'm wandering around aimlessly.
A m a t e r a s u
Everything all shot to hell here, great, just great. I feel lost without him; I can't function knowing he's gone! Or maybe, he's hiding? A piece of what's left of my heart says that he's all right but I've got no physical proof to back that all up. What's more is that I can't really feel my heart beat normally now, it's probably the darkness now, it makes the heart beat slowly once it reaches a certain grip within the beating organ. 'Why does it feel like it's my entire fault? I promised you I'd find a way to change our destiny…' I did promise him, but I feel like I failed him now. 'I'm sorry Riku. I just ended up repeating history again.'
"Dark Princess?" the teenager before me called Xehanort asked. "You know that sounds really familiar. I think I've heard it somewhere, but I can't remember."
"Huh, didn't think you'd hear about that." I said swaying my legs back and forth. "Anyway, that's what Tia Dalma said."
"So you're suppose to be looking for someone then?" he asked curiously. I nodded and sighed heavily, watching the sky up above. The lights slowly fell down to the ground, and they'd evaporate into the floor of the periwinkle hued ground. "Do you know what they look like?"
"Nope, all I know is that he'll be the next Master of the Darkness. He goes by a lot of titles…" I said looking back at the amber tinged eyes. "Hey you know your eyes were blue when we first met you."
"I think it has something to do with that crap Hojo gave me…" he said making a face slightly. "I don't know how you can stand…"
"We'll talk about that another time," I said quickly trying to avoid the whole subject all together. "I can't help be feel like he's in the city though…"
"Who? That guy?" Xehanort asked quickly looking around at the civilians.
"Yeah…" I said nodding for a moment.
Maybe if I had listened to my head more during that time I could've helped save a lot of people from when Xehanort took the name of Ansem. I didn't know that he would be the next Dark Master, and now, Riku became the vessel for the Dark Master. That's what my heart tells me anyway, and I can't ignore that now. 'Don't be too hard on yourself…' I thought to myself, but what was the point, a lot of people were going to die, or turn into Heartless. What about the young generation of this world, how will they fight back?
With that aside I'm stand right here, down in the basement. The Princesses of Heart are sleeping, and there's this dark aura around every one of them. In the middle is this little rod or something that's suppose to direct energy into the sky, to help open the pathway to the sacred moon 'Kingdom Hearts'. Maleficent was talking about something, but I tuned her out, what she said was nothing new to me. 'I wish Pete were around then he'd be getting heckled by her and not me…' he was probably off somewhere running away from the Heartless.
She's complaining about something, and it really doesn't interest me at all. Something about her grip on the Heartless, she's losing it? Yeah that seems about right, and if she is, well that means the Dark Master is awake and wreaking havoc all over the universe! 'If our fate rests in the hand of Sora then we'd better just kill ourselves right now…' again the other voice was just having fun with this whole thing. 'Leave him alone, he's not by himself, he's got Naminé and Ri…' I felt my eyes being to feel warm. 'Roxas… He's got Naminé and Roxas.'
Radian Garden
The Dark Master sighed for a moment, watching the Heartless move about from below, and their yellow eyes moving towards more unsuspecting victims. 'The hearts released from the Heartless by the Keyblade. Where is the next wielder?' he thought to himself, he felt a weak presence nearby. 'Don't tell me this is the chosen one?' he chuckled at the weak reading he was receiving from the nearby area. He raised a hand and outstretched it to the area where the 'Chosen One' and the others were fighting. 'Let us see if you can handle this, Chosen One,' the Heartless moved rapidly jumping and climbing through the debris of the buildings.
Roxas panted holding on tight to the handle of Ultima weapon with his two hands. 'I can't keep this up…' he thought blocking another attack. 'You mean WE,' Sora's voice could be heard loud and clear. 'Yeah, sorry about that buddy…' Roxas apologized, and performed a Dodge Roll, narrowly avoiding an attack from a nearby Behemoth. Tifa jumped onto the back of the Behemoth and laid a heavy blow to the horn knocking it unconscious. Naminé jumped in and performed an attack by the name of 'Ragnarok' her weapon rained heavily on the horn of the unconscious Behemoth, once the flurry of attacks finished a red light grew from the tip of the Keyblade and sent beams of light through the horn. 'She's good…' Sora's voice could be heard within Roxas' mind. 'She learned from the best…' Roxas said slashing at nearby Heartless. 'You'd better not be taking all the credit!' Sora rebutted, his voice could be heard laughing.
Within moments, Roxas and Naminé found themselves covered by a red cloak, and somehow on the summit of a rooftop. "Thanks, Vincent!" Naminé worn out, panting heavily trying to relax her aching muscles with her breathing. The gun man nodded and swooped back down to the battle field. The two of them were worn out, and Roxas withdrew his form, back to his original 'other'.
"You all right, Naminé?" Sora asked looking at the girl for a moment. She nodded and plopped her new Keyblade on the roof top, watching an Invincible zip past them, with its demonic like wings and huge sword. The girl watched the Heartless as it zipped past them, it didn't notice them yet.
"Here take this!" Yomigami said presenting Kairi's Nobody with something that appeared to be a rusted Keyblade. Was it possible for a Keyblade to become rusted, only with time it was possible. Naminé looked at the Keyblade and to the keychain that was in her hand. 'I wonder…' the Nobody placed the keychain on the little ringlet of the rusted weapon, but nothing happened. Naminé made small frown tug at the corner of her lips and took off the keychain.
"Let me look at it…" Sora said taking the weapon from Naminé's hands. Within moments of contact against the gloved hands of the ' Chosen One' a keychain formed in replacement of the rusted Keyblade. In the 'Room of Sleep' that Keyblade's true nature was hidden, but awoke when it felt Sora's presence near. 'Aqua…' the boy thought hearing a whisper within the walls of his mind.
Sora looked back and noticed something of immense power take him by surprise. It was weighing down his heart, and he noticed that his Keyblade disappeared from sight, back into a keychain. Naminé felt something weigh her being down, and fought to regain the form of the Keyblade, but it was no use. 'Something over there…' Sora thought bring his eyebrow together in a rage of emotion. 'It's strong and dark…' he looked back at Naminé and she nodded in agreement.
"If it gets bad, run," Sora said looking back at Kairi's Nobody. "Roxas will kill me if he finds out I let you…"
"Relax…" Naminé said giving a small smile. The clouds were still dark and to make matters worse lightning began to show signs of turmoil within the world. 'Something's bringing the Heartless here, but who? What?' the Nobody watched as Sora moved forward, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, at one point she saw him hover over a rooftop. 'A little bit of faith and pixie dust…' Naminé thought closing the gap between herself and the other summit of the home.
With passing minute the two individuals seemed to come closer and closer to the presence and Sora could feel a power he never felt before. 'Pure darkness…' he thought feeling the light within his heart shine brighter than it ever did before. He summoned his Keyblade again, and moved forward into a fighting stance; white knuckles showed the strong grip he placed on the weapon. Naminé looked at the figure that seemed to split into two separate entities. The blonde female looked back for a second time, and noticed that they were far away from the others. 'Be safe you guys…' somewhere in the Nobody's mind she could hear her other self tell her to be careful. Naminé summoned her new Keyblade and ran forward with Sora, landing on the ground below from the rooftops.
The figure ahead of them sent a stronger version of 'Dark Aura' heading into a deadly collision with whatever stood in its way. Naminé picked up her Keyblade, and braced for the impact of metal hitting an aura. 'Reflect…' but even the spell seemed to be off par with the attack. Naminé flew back and the figure ahead smirked. Sora looked back, 'Naminé!' Roxas' voice could be heard echoing through Sora's head. 'Sora let me fight, please…' he begged his other half. 'All right then…' Sora agreed and in a flash of white light Roxas reappeared taking Ultima weapon into his command. He moved forward, but failed to notice the other figure move close by him. 'Roxas!' Sora's voice reached him three seconds too late, and the blonde male could feel his body getting tossed back, on the ground.
The figure dressed completely in black, sent a powerful Blizzard spell towards Roxas, but Naminé mustered enough strength and aimed her Keyblade at Roxas. 'Please make it in time…' She opened her mouth, "REFLECTGA!" a wisp of ice like particles wrapped around Roxas, and Roxas brace himself for impact against the subzero temperature of the attack. He looked at the Blizzard spell form around the barrier of the 'Reflectga' spell and he breathed out, seeing his breath almost as clear as day. The figure dressed in black jumped back and Roxas could hear Sora's thoughts. 'That's the guy from one of the memory spheres!' Roxas couldn't recall from when, but for some reason he agreed with what Sora had to say.
The barrier broken and Roxas leaped into action. The figure wearing white gloves grinned menacingly and lifted his hand up. In a flash the ground began to shake, and as Roxas jumped forward, Ultima weapon held high an enormous slab of earth collided with Roxas, at a wicked speed that would more than just break a couple of ribs. Roxas collided, head first, and stumbled onto the slab of earth as it rose higher and higher. The ground underneath Naminé began to shake and as she felt her body being hoisted up from the ground, she jumped down and ran forward dodged an attack from the figure dressed in black. "Roxas!" she cried out.
Roxas stood up, noticing that he stood on a platform of broken earth. He turned around hearing the earth cry as it began to cry, thunderous echoes moved about the world as it been to shift apart. 'It's being destroyed… Everything is…' he gasped and dodged an attack from the figure with the white gloves. 'Those eyes…' Sora noted as he viewed from within the sanctuary of Roxas' mind. 'Amber…' Roxas thought as he ran forward, ready to attack the figure. Within the mind of the Dark Master things moved relatively slow for him, so blocking the Keyblade was no challenge, if anything he made it seem like child's play. As Roxas' weapon came crashing down, without missing a beat, the figure with the white gloves simply held out his hand, and within second Roxas felt his body jerk back at the sudden defense of it all.
A mixture of the Keyblade Oblivion and Ultima weapon seemed to have been fused together, and it struck fear into the one who opposed it. Roxas felt his eyes widen, and he knew that somehow he wasn't going to like the outcome. He felt his body get knocked down and as he stood up, panting ice ran through his arm. The older man with the amber eyes gave a crooked smile seeing his Blizzard attack creep up on the boys shoulder. The boys eyes widened as he saw the familiar Nobody appear from behind, and ready to go in for the kill, her Keyblade meaning to deal a fatal blow. The Dark Master disappeared in an instant and then as soon as he left he grabbed Naminé's head.
"NO!" Roxas yelled out. The figure in black came to the side of the Dark Master, that figure also had a Keyblade. "DON'T TOUCH HER!" somehow a hint of Sora's voice spoke out with him.
"Run, Roxas, run!" Naminé yelled desperately trying to free herself from his grip. The Dark Master chuckled and the figure dressed in black quickly hurled Roxas straight to the ground below. 'Reflectga…' Roxas managed to conjure the spell weakly, as his body created a crater upon hitting the ground with sheer force. He looked up and noticed Naminé struggling to get away. "NAMINÉ!" Roxas cried out.
Sora reappeared quickly with Roxas, and he rushed in taking Ultima Weapon from his Nobody. He jumped up with force, but something blocked his path, he noted that the figure in black was coming down. "Get outta the WAY!" Sora yelled fling back an attack from the figure. He rushed up past the severed earth, making it to the midpoint of the summit. 'Hang in there…' he begged himself to hope that he wasn't too later.
Roxas looked back at Naminé blue eyes, they were full fear, and so was his. 'Please don't die…' he prayed over and over. The Dark Master finally got her to stop moving, and first her body became as black as charcoal. 'NO!' she stopped moving and her whole body froze as the Dark Master still had her by the head. The older man smirked and then sent a powerful 'Blizzaga' spell on the poor defenseless body of the blonde haired girl. With that he made his last move, and sent the body tumbling down to the earth. The Keyblade she held in her hand collided with the jagged areas of the earth, and so did her body. Roxas strained his stiffened arm and managed to run to her side, ignoring the pain from the cold his arm had faced. He finally got into a run where he could slide through, and he did. Within moments he caught Naminé using his body as a catching mechanism. He could feel the cold temperature of her body, everything was frozen, and yet when he gazed into her eyes he could fee hope. 'They're moving…' he thought sitting up and holding Naminé gently.
This was only the beginning of what the Dark Master could do, and it certainly will not be his last. With that, watching his spectacular performance he disappeared from sight just as Sora was about to attack, taking the figure in black with him.
"We'll continue this another time, Ventus…" was all that Sora heard, it drifted into the wind.
A/N: You know what to do one review, please!