Exception 5: Union of Light and Darkness

The world we had stepped into was very different from the dungeon we had emerged from. We stood on nothing more than a massive, floating crystal platform. There were four directions to go off in; notheast, northwest, southwest, and southeast.

"So... which way?" Sora asked.

"There's a rune underneath our feet," I noticed. "We... can't use it right now."

"Suppose we'll have to beat monsters at the end of each path..." Jason grumbled.

"Oh, shut up!" Jake shouted, whacking him on the head with the end of his sword.

"Amy... let's take the southwest path," I suggested. "Everyone else, choose a path and a partner... and move out!"

Amy and I dashed down the southwest path, hearing footsteps behind us. We soon began zig-zagging through a maze-like crystal path, slaying Heartless along the way. We reached the end where a black crystal floated just above the path.

"This is... crystallized darkness," I noted, chipping it with Omega Weapon. I took a fragment of it in my hand, then tossed it aside. "Come out! We know you're there!"

A huge behemoth Heartless appeared, barely managing to fit on the platform. This one was different, though... it was a bit more demonic than the usual behemoth, probably thanks to the dark crystal. Its claws and horns were spiraled, and its teeth were more numerous and jagged. It also had a red and black carapace.

The behemoth roared at us.

We flash stepped onto its back, slicing at it. The behemoth shook us off, blasting at me with a beam of energy from its mouth. I pushed myself aside with a bit of aura, then ground Omega Weapon into the crystal platform to evade falling into the dark cloud beneath me.

I clambered back onto the platform, then rolled to avoid being trampled by the behemoth. I then flash stepped onto its back to attack its horn. After a few good hits, it began shaking, but I snagged one of its horns and held on. I couldn't avoid the energy blast it shot from its horns, though...

I landed on the platform and flash stepped back onto its back, attacking its horn again. It seemed distracted, and soon, its horn broke off and the behemoth dissipated. I landed on my feet, albeit roughly.

"One down," I muttered, noticing Amy coming over.

She distracted it...

"Well... let's go," I said to her, breaking the dark crystal with Omega Weapon. "We need to get back... with any luck, the others have destroyed the other dark crystals, as well."

"Roy."

"What?"

"Roy... I..." Amy stuttered.

I turned around.

"We should get going," I said.

"Right..." she replied slowly and... sadly...

We dashed off, soon returing to the terminus. The others soon arrived, a bit more battered than we were, but just fine.

"Okay. The rune should be working now. Focus your will into it!" I shouted. The rune glowed, and we were teleported away.

We appeared on top of the Memory's Skyscraper in the World that Never Was.

"So... he's on top of the world, in the place closest to the Realm of Darkness," Sora muttered.

"Let's go! We'll storm the castle!" Riku shouted. We all jumped down, charging toward the castle. We forced our way through the castle, slaying the thousands of Heartless that appeared to challenge us. In the Hall of Empty Melodies, I stopped suddenly, sensing something. Everyone else ran forward.

Roy.

"What is it... Ansem?" I asked.

In your journeys, surely you have found something you are unsure of.

"What of it?" I asked.

Cast aside those doubts. Don't fear your darkness.

"There is someone whose word I don't completely trust. That's all... but she's dead now, so it doesn't matter."

All things matter. No fate is a coincidence.

"Whatever," I muttered, charging on. I caught up fast enough not to worry anyone, and we continued charging forward. Soon, after much hardship, we made it to the Altar of Naught.

Lance stood in his black trenchcoat with his back turned to us.

"So... you're still alive, and still foolish enough to challenge me," he said with his back turned. "To come against me again, even with your freinds for support... you've sealed your own fate."

"No... you're wrong," I muttered. "They're my friends... and I am their friend. We'll win together, or together we'll fall!"

Lance turned around. His eyes were... yellow...

A mark of darkness...

"You're the fool," Sora told him. "You thought darkness was the only way?"

"You could never understand," Lance told him, sounding angry.

"No matter what, you always had a choice," Sora said. "No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within."

"Wise words," Lance laughed. "Unfortunately, the inverse is also true. No matter how pure the light, there is always a dark taint within it."

"Oh?" Sora asked.

"That's right. Observe," he said. He clenched his hand and pointed it at me. I began to feel... wierd...

"You see... even heroes have shadows," he said. I looked at my hands and... a dark aura was flowing out of them. I began to feel overwhelmed by rage...

I savagely attacked Lance, wildly swinging Omega Weapon at him. Before I could get to the top of the steps, the others restrained me.

"Roy! What's going on...?" Amy asked.

"You see? Darkness is within all of us. It is futile to try and... erase it," Lance taunted. The others let me go.

"I'm not trying to erase the darkness," I said. "Just wipe out all traces of it existing outside of our hearts, and wash it from our Realm of Light."

"You're too much of a romantic," Lance muttered. He summoned a dark Keyblade. "Very well. I shall end your life here and now... and this time, expect zero mercy."

He blasted out that same massive dark aura he'd used during the finale of our last battle, but I was able to stand it this time, though just barely. Everyone else was able to weather it, as well.

"Sora! Riku! Amy! Jason! Jake! Kairi! Serenity!" I shouted. "You know what to do!"

"Right!" everyone shouted, channeling their energies into each other. I felt the Drive, and ascended to the ultimate... Twilight Seraph.

Our blades met in mid-flash step.

"So... you're relying on your friends' power? How pathetic," Lance muttered.

"I... no, WE won't falter," I said with resolve.

We began flying around the Castle, attacking each other at breakneck speeds. He began pelting me with dark magic, but I countered with aura shields and Omega Weapon. Our blades met above the Hall of Empty Melodies, breaking the windows. We continued our duel, blasting each other with aura and Keyblade strokes, despite not landing a hit.

"Is that all you've got, even with your friends? I'm disappointed," Lance muttered, pausing for a moment.

"I have not yet begun to fight!" I shouted, drawing aura about myself.

"How cliché," Lance muttered.

We dashed forward and clashed our Keyblades together. Lance flew off, and I followed. After clashing in the air a few times, along with a few breakneck parries, we settled on the interior of the Hall of Empty Melodies, with me having knocked Lance through the broken window.

We met each other's gaze on opposite sides of the Hall.

"Is that all you got?" I asked him.

"Shut... up..." he muttered, breating quite haggardly. "You think you're in the right? That your crusade has any meaning in the long run?"

"It doesn't matter," I said. "As long as my light tells me to do this, I will!"

"You're not fighting by your own power," Lance said. "Even if you win, you won't be satisfied. Your darkness won't be satisfied."

I charged at him, enraged. He parried my blow, and we began flash stepping around the castle, parrying each other's blows as fast as possible. We finally settled atop the Altar of Naught.

"Come on! Let's end this!" I shouted. He readied his Keyblade while I readied mine. We charged at each other again, swinging with all of our force. I had even channeled all of my aura into it, and...

I staggered a bit, but I heard Lance fall over. Just then, the Mega Drive failed.

Everyone reappeared just behind me, on the steps to the Altar.

"So, what now, Lance?" I asked. "You're injured, and it's seven on one. There's no way you can win."

"Maybe so... but..." Lance wheezed, "I alone am far more powerful than the seven of you apart. So... let's end this in a manner most befitting light and darkness."

With some effort, Lance summoned a dark corridor and staggered through it. We tried to follow, but the portal vanished into wisps of shadow before anyone could get through.

"Damn it! Where'd he go?" Jake asked.

"I can sort of... feel him..." I muttered. "His aura... it's faint, but I can trace it."

"So, we'll go finish it!" Amy shouted.

"...no. WE won't," I said solemnly. "I'll finish him."

"Roy... I thought..." Amy began.

"You guys... I know you're my friends. I know I can rely on you. I know you're there for me, and that our spirits fight as one. But this is something I must do alone."

"Roy..." Jake muttered.

"I understand you want to help. But... this is my story, and only two people can end one person's story; the person in question and their nemesis. Lance... is both my brother and my nemesis," I said. "I'll go fight him. It's the destiny I've chosen. I know I'm not alone... not anymore. Even so, this is my fight and my fight alone."

"I... We understand," Amy said.

"Thanks... I won't be alone," I muttered, clenching my fist. I channeled my darkness... and... forced open a dark corridor.

"Whoa! What's up with the dark portal?" Sora asked.

"That leads to something I'm getting before that. Worry about me. Lend me your strength," I said. "You know I'll need it."

I stepped through the dark portal to the control room of Hollow Bastion, then grabbed Oryx's armor. I donned the heavy armor, but it didn't restrict my movement any longer.

"After training in such heavy garments," I muttered, hearing my voice reverberate within the helmet, "I suppose it's natural."

After putting on the heavy armor, I opened another dark corridor.

"This one... will take me to wherever he's fled to," I muttered to myself. "I don't know where that is... but for everyone's sake, I'll end it."

Hearing my armor clank, I stepped through the dark portal...