Author's Note: I do not own anything from the Kingdom Hearts franchise or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.

Ch.8 Castle of Dreams

Vanitas and I stood before each other once again, only this time I could feel power coursing through me, giving me untold strength. We were both still for a moment, until I charged forward. Vanitas jumped and let out a wave of lightning. I rolled forward and dodged it, swinging Ultimatum upward, but Vanitas dodged and said "Too slow." I glared at him and used Magnet Spiral, the force drawing him in until I spun around and hit him in a spinning attack.

He fell back and I kept on him, but when I hit him he froze, and suddenly he was above me, swinging down. I dodged, but then he fired a ball of flame at me that split into three. I blocked them all and responded with Fire Strike, the burning blade knocking him off-balance. I pursued him relentlessly, the new powers I had giving me extra strength. Vanitas tried to use the decoy move, but this time I anticipated the trick and jumped upwards, hitting him as he reappeared.

He was knocked back onto the ground with a shout, and I focused for a second before unleashing Pulse Bomb, hitting him maybe twenty times and dealing significant damage. He dived into the ground and came toward me, erupting upwards and hitting me in the arm. I grunted in pain and used Poison Edge, the attack dealing damage, and the poison along the blade seeping into the wound.

Vanitas dived into the ground and attacked me again, but this time I blocked and countered. He said "Whoa!" as I hit him back, and I felt thee power in me start to rise forth again. Without thinking a flung my hand out, and an orb of energy formed in my palm before firing at Vanitas. He blocked it with his Keyblade, but the moment the orb made contact it exploded in blast of golden light. The force of the explosion actually sent Vanitas flying, and I smiled.

It looked like my body knew what it was doing and how to use this power, so I guess now was the time to just let my body and instincts take over. While Vanitas was getting back up and running towards me, I took a deep breath and calmed my mind, clearing it of any thoughts. The moment I did the fire burning along my Keyblade grew, the white flames turning brighter and the black flames getting darker. Vanitas tried to come at me from the side and I blocked it, pushing forward and forcing him to take a step back.

Then I stabbed Ultimatum into the ground, and the ground shook before a fissure appear in it, the inside of the crack glowing with energy. It raced toward Vanitas, and he ran to the side, but it continued after it. He tried to get away, but the fissure caught up with him, and when it reached under his feet the energy inside erupted in a pillar of black flame. When the flames died out Vanitas's clothes were severely burnt, and he was breathing heavily.

I didn't give him the chance to recover, and I threw another orb at him before charging. He dodged the orb, but was too focused on it to see me coming forward, and by the time he saw me it was too late, and I stabbed my Keyblade into his chest. His breath caught in his throat, and with my Keyblade in his chest I left him into the air before throwing him, landing and his back. Vanitas didn't try to get, but just lied there, gasping.

Warily I walked closer, wondering he was trying to trick me. But then he jumped back onto his feet, and I was instantly on guard. But he didn't attack, instead dismissing his Keyblade and said "Well, you aren't completely useless. All you need to get those powers of yours working is a little push." "Tell me, what do you know about these powers?" I asked. "I'm not supposed to say anything, but I will tell you this: Those powers of yours come from your heart. And if you sway too close to the light or the dark, they're gone."

I raised an eyebrow and asked "What do you mean?" He didn't say anything, but a corridor of darkness appeared behind him. He backed into it and before I had a chance to stop him he disappeared. I grunted; what did he mean when he said my powers were connected to my heart? Then I remembered, the fairies back in the Enchanted Dominion said that my heart had neither darkness nor light, but something else that was possibly even more powerful.

But what then was stronger than darkness? Light was the answer to that, but what could be even stronger than the light? I couldn't figure out the answer, and sighed. I summoned my armor and glider and flew away from the barren place, heading for the next world.

xxx

I wasn't expecting to arrive in the next world so soon, but when I did I landed in front of a castle. For a moment I was stunned; even with booth of the world I had visited, I had never seen a castle rise so high. But my concentration was broken when I saw someone rush by me. I looked and him and blinked. It was Terra. "Terra?" I asked, running after him. I reached the steps to the castle entrance, and at the top Terra was fighting against a pack of Unversed, trying to hold them back from a young woman with blond hair and a white dress.

Terra defeated them easily, and while he and the blonde girl were talking I ran up. "Terra!" I called. He turned to me and started in surprise, asking "Deiru? What are you doing here?" "I was planning on asking you the same question," I said. "Well, there was this... person... who said that if I watched Cinderella here dance I would learn something. But between her and the ballroom is a large number of Unversed so..."

I nodded and finished "So you've volunteer to escort her to the ballroom?" He nodded, and I said "Well, I'll help you. Let's go." Terra nodded his thanks, and Cinderella said "Oh, why thank you... um..." I smiled and made an elegant bow, pressing my lips to the back her hand said "The name is Dexal,

my lady." She giggled and said "Well, shall we?" Both Terra and I nodded, and we entered the corridor.

Almost immediately a pack of Floods appeared, and I used a quick Magnet Spiral to finish them off. Without waiting for any more surprises I charged forward, three Bruisers appearing to stop me. Before they could try and attack I cast Slow and Thunder, dealing damage and debilitating them. Terra took the chance to unleash Sonic Blade, hitting them all a total of seven times and wiping them out. The use of Sonic Blade activated his Command Style Critical Impact, and when I used Fire Surge I activated Firestorm.

With our enhanced attacks we made clockwork of all the Unversed in the hall, but once we enter the foyer things got really interesting. A total of five Scrappers came at us, swinging their claws at us and Cinderella. I destroyed them with my Shotlock, but after that an entire dozen of Shoegazers appeared. "A dozen of them? Really?!" I called, unable to use my Shotlock a second time. But luckily Terra could, and he used Absolute Zero.

I had never seen that Shotlock before, and I watched in amazement as Terra rushed back and forth covered in ice with speed comparable to Ventus before diving down repeatedly to create pillars of ice. The attack all but destroyed half of the Shoegazers, but then they created a barrier to block the finishing blow. I frowned in annoyance and used Thunder, dealing that last bit of damage and leaving us with only six left. Terra and I stood next to each other, and we were both ready to unleash our Finish moves.

I grinned at Terra and said "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He smiled and nodded, saying "Let's go!" I jumped up and turn to Terra, unleashing Firestorm right at him. Just as it hit him he used Critical Impact, and the fire from my attack infused with his, so that when he hit the ground the impact created a shockwave made of fire, that single move powerful enough to destroy the rest of the Shoegazers.

After that the rest of the Unversed were easily defeated, and the three of us reached the ballroom in no time flat. Once we were inside Cinderella said "Thank you Deiru and… um…" "Terra," he told her. "Thank you Terra," she said. She curtsied towards the Grand Duke before walking over to the prince. He took her hand and they began dancing, and I noticed three women standing to the side. They were talking amongst themselves, and repeatedly looked over at Cinderella and the Prince with looks of anger and jealousy.

I smiled, but then a caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked and saw a couple of Floods emerging on a balcony, and I nudged Terra's shoulder. He looked at me, and I pointed at the balcony. "Unversed! We have to do something!" he said. "All right, here's what we'll do. You go up there and take care of those Unversed on the balcony. I'll stay here and make sure that no more show up." Terra nodded and asked the Grand Duke how to get there, while I walked near the door and looked out in the foyer.

None had shown up yet, but I wasn't willing to relax and stood there on guard. The Grand Duke looked at me, confused as to why I was so tense. Then, about ten minutes later, a huge Unversed appeared by the balcony. It looked like a symphony conductor with a violin, a trumpet, and a drum floating around it. Terra ran to it, and after a few seconds he disappeared in a blast of flame. My eyes widened and both I and the Unversed looked around, until he called "Down here!"

The Prince and Cinderella were backing out of the ballroom, and the Grand Duke said "Guards, guards! Oh, where could they be?" "I'll take care of this," Terra said. "And while you're doing that, I'll make sure no more surprise guests go after the Prince and Cinderella!" I called, and he nodded. The rest of us moved out into the ballroom, only for the doors to shudder before another large Unversed barged in. I had spent enough time in the Mirage Arena to recognize this one: a Cursed Coach.

"Oh dear, now what are we going to do?" the Grand Duke said. "You can let me take care of it!" I said, charging forward. The Coach swung at me, and I dodged before using Fire Surge. The flames caused it to yelp to in pain, and spin towards me. I blocked the attack and it actually fell over, giving me the chance to attack full-throttle. By the time it had stood up I activated Firestorm, and pursued it relentlessly. The Coach jumped back and opened its maw wide, creating a vortex and trying to draw me in.

My eyes widened and I tried to run back, but the pull of the Coach was slowly getting me closer. Then I got an idea and turned around, letting in draw me, and just before it did I cast Thunder, the bolt flying straight into its mouth. It snapped shut, and the Coach glared at me before jumping up over me and slamming down. I rolled out the way to dodge both it and the shockwave but then it jumped at me again, and I had to keep rolling.

This lasted probably a whole minute, the Coach jumping and trying to land on me while I dodged. Eventually it grew tired, and I took this opportunity to unleash Firestorm. Pillars of flame flew outwards and spread towards the Unversed, who was momentarily engulfed in flame. It screeched and rolled away; trying to avoid any more fire. I cast Thunder, and I was then the Coach apparently decided that it had had enough.

It jumped up into the air and hovered there, and it began to rain pumpkin-shaped bombs as it flew towards me. I ran to try and avoid the assault, but it didn't let up and kept after me. Bomb after bomb hitting the floor, and I wondered how I was going to be able to stop this. I looked around the foyer for something, and then I looked at the stairs and I got an idea.

Without waiting I broke out into a run for the stairs, the Cursed Coach flowing. I ran up them, and when I was halfway up I spun around and jumped, vaulting over the Coach who was still going up the step. I began to descend over I landed on top of the Unversed. Before it could try to shake me off, I stabbed Ultimatum straight downwards and jumped off.

The Cursed Coach fell to the ground and flailed around, screeching and wailing before going still and exploding in blast of darkness. About that time I heard an explosion from inside the ballroom and smiled. Terra must have defeated the Symphony Master. "Thank you for protecting us. We are most in your debt," the Grand Duke said. I shook my head and said "It's no trouble. None at all, really."

We walked back into the ballroom, and he thanked Terra as well. Then he sighed. "And the guests were just starting to enjoy themselves." "I wouldn't give up just yet," terra said, smiling and nodding. We both turned to see Cinderella and the Prince talking with one another. Then Terra turned back to the Grand Duke and said "Tell me, have you always had a problem with these monsters?"

"No. I believe...they began to appear shortly after a boy in a mask arrived in our kingdom. Those that saw him said the monsters obeyed his every command," he explained. I froze. A boy in mask; could he mean Vanitas? "Is the boy here now?" Terra asked. The Grand Duke shook his head. "No, I don't believe anyone has seen him since then." I hung my head. So he was already gone.

Then a bell began ringing, and Cinderella start panicking. She said a quick goodbye to the Prince before leaving. I followed and saw her running down the steps, but on the way one of her glass slippers came off. She was about to grab it when the grand Duke came running, and she left it to get away. "Mademoiselle! Señorita! Wait!" he called, grabbing the slipper. Terra and I watched the chase from the top of the stairs, until I noticed a blue-haired figure at the bottom and recognized her. Terra did as well and called "Aqua!"

She turned and saw us, exclaiming "Terra! Dexal!" We ran down to her, and she asked "Dexal, did you find Ven?" "No, he disappeared," I said sadly. "Ven? What about him?" Terra asked, confused. "He ran away from home," Aqua explained. "I think he left to go find you. Do you have any idea why?" "No," Terra said, but then he gasped. "Just before I left he tried to tell me something. I should have listened." We were silent for a moment, until Aqua asked "Did you manage to locate Master Xehanort?"

"Not yet. But it seems he's looking for pure hearts filled with light," Terra said. That reminded me of something, and I asked "Hey Terra, Aqua?" They both looked at me. "What else can there be in a heart? Besides darkness and light, I mean?" "Besides light and darkness? There can be anything else, can there?" Aqua asked. "The only think I can think of nothing. A lack of having something in your heart," Terra said. I thought about that. I knew there wasn't a lack of anything in my heart, I knew something was there. But if it wasn't darkness or light, then what?

"Maybe that's what Master Xehanort is looking for. Whatever else can be inside a heart," Aqua reasoned. "Well, he search hasn't taken him here," Terra said, beginning to leave. "All right. I'll stay here to get more clues," Aqua said. "There's a Prince up ahead. He might have some he answers," Terra advised her. Aqua thanked him, and we were all about to part ways when Terra called "Hey guys. You still have the same dream?"

"Well, yes," Aqua said, and I nodded. "There's a girl here named Cinderella. She showed me how powerful it is just to believe. If you see here, be sure to give her my thanks." Both Aqua and I nodded, and Terra and I left the castle before separating as well. As I left the Castle of Dreams I had to wonder: Vanitas was the one controlling theses Unversed, and he and some "Master" were interested in these powers I had. But what were they, and could this be connected to Master Xehanort disappearance?

I summoned my armor and gliding and heading for the Lanes Between, these thoughts bouncing around inside my head.

xxx

Well, there goes a third world, and soon comes the shining Radiant Garden!

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