The passage way behind the throne was narrow and wound down into the depths of the structure. Sora had the unnerving feeling that the passage was very much aware of their movement and was keeping a close eye on them. The worst part was that as the party moved, there was an audible scraping sound from beyond the wall. As if the Heartless were just on the other side of the wall and following their movements downwards. Red's death was still fresh in his mind, and despite what his father, and Kairi had done to try and give him some sense of peace on the matter, the fact remained that his chocobo, because Red really had been his to him, was dead. Roxas squeezed past Namine and Kairi to stand behind him.
"Hey, are you doing okay?" His cousin asked gently.
Sora nodded, not looking back as Roxas reached over and took his hand tightly. It was almost as comforting as Kairi's touch, more so in some strange manner since it was far more familiar than Kairi's embrace.
"I'm going to miss him." Sora murmured.
Roxas smiled a little, "maybe you can ask Laguna for another bird, I'm sure he has a few that he can spare from the stables considering everything that's happened."
Assuming he's still alive Sora thought, but he didn't say that, instead he said: "There's not another like Red, I don't think I want to have another chocobo."
Roxas nodded, "sorry, I was just trying to cheer you up."
Sora squeezed Roxas' hand, "thanks…I'll be okay."
Again Roxas nodded, falling back behind Sora as the group wound their way down the dimly glowing stairwell he wondered to himself just what Sora would do, if he'd withdraw from everyone around him. Roxas hoped not, but he knew that if Sora did, he'd have Kairi, Roxas, and Namine, not to mention their older brothers to dig him out of any hole he got into. That was what family was for wasn't it? Sora meanwhile began moving forwards, pushing past Leon and Tifa and up to his father, he reached out slowly and took his father's arm. Auron looked down at him for a moment, frowning slightly before pausing in his descent to lift Sora up in his arms. Despite being a bit large to be carried around, Auron held him easily in one arm as if he were a child as he continued to descend. Sora began to cry quietly, leaning against his father's shoulder.
Auron's voice was gentle, "its okay kiddo, and I know it hurts, but you'll be fine I promise."
Sora just closed his eyes against the tears and held on tightly as Auron continued to lead the way down into the gloom.
"Will he be alright?" Namine asked quietly.
"I think so," Roxas murmured, he wished that he had a better answer for her, but he just wasn't certain. He remembered how badly he'd taken Rikku's death, and he hadn't even been that close to her. Red had slowly become like family in a way, probably more so for Sora whom the big chocobo had judiciously followed and occasionally obeyed. He looked downward around the curve of the stairwell and spied Sora clinging to Auron like a child and felt his heart wrench.
"I'm worried about Kairi," murmured Namine, glancing back at her sister who was being very quiet for a change.
Roxas frowned and glanced back for a moment. "What's the matter?"
Namine gave him an irritated look before sighing, "Sora's not going to her for comfort or anything. In fact he's almost avoiding her, and she already feels guilty about stabbing him. How do you think she's feeling now that he's gone up to his father instead of back to her?"
Roxas' frown deepened, "you can't expect him to not go to his dad, he hasn't seen him since he was ten remember? And you told me that they'd always been close so of course he's going to go to Uncle Auron."
"That's not the point," Namine said snippily. "Kairi is going to feel that Sora doesn't like her or something silly like that."
"I think you're overreacting Namine, just give him some time and he'll be alright, and so will Kairi."
Namine looked less than satisfied but she didn't press the matter further as they continued to walk, Roxas was surprised that she hadn't argued the point more, and it wasn't that he didn't believe that she was right about Kairi, it was that there was nothing they could do about it at the moment. It wasn't like they could go up and drag Sora off of Auron and throw him at Kairi and everything would be better, though the image was a bit funny he had to admit. It was then that he noticed how hot it was starting to get, and humid too, he was beginning to sweat as well. Looking around in the dim light he saw that the masonry and stonework was being replaced by metal pipes and girders slowly, gradually. Steam rose from cracks in the pipes and drifted upwards and water clung to every surface like a thick film. Even breathing began to feel like he was drinking, just what were they walking into?
The procession stopped as the stairwell gave way to a narrow hallway with a heavy door at the far end; Auron put Sora down and moved forwards. He paused by the door and looked at Leon and Yazoo, motioning for them to take positions on either side of the door. They did, and he shouldered his sword with one hand and braced himself; then with one powerful kick, sent the door flying off its hinges, Yazoo and Leon ducked through the opening, casters drawn and searching around the room. The chamber they stepped into was bizarrely lit by a rainbow of colors and lights, it was almost painful and all around them were more of the steaming pipes that Roxas had seen in their descent. At the far end, was a raised platform, upon which at least a dozen capsules sat high in the walls surrounded by mazes of pipes.
Each of the capsules contained what looked like a withered husk that may at one point in time been human. Now though they were just floating scarecrows with tubes stuck in them. Roxas wondered if they were even alive.
"There," Cloud said pointing upwards.
Roxas followed his finger and heard Namine gasp. High above them in the ceiling was a heart shaped metal and glass work that glowed brilliantly and seemed almost to pulsate with power and energy.
As they began walking towards the far end of the room, Roxas noticed more of the capsules containing their withered inhabitants imbedded on the walls and either side of them, he looked at all the piping, and then up at the ceiling again where the heart hung.
"They're feeding it," he murmured.
"This is sick," Tifa said, she was standing in front of a capsule, her hand pressed against the glass as she looked at the poor soul trapped inside.
"We'll put them out of their misery once this is over." Kadaj said simply.
The idea of killing these helpless victims made Roxas feel queasy, but looking at their shriveled and atrophied limbs and gaunt, sunken faces made him certain that would be the kindest thing to do.
"I can't believe he created all this beneath the castle," Auron muttered, he sounded annoyed. "I never even knew this was here and I was supposed to be watching him."
"These people, they're suffering so much." Namine whispered besides Roxas.
He nodded, taking her hand tightly; he looked around for Sora curiously as he realized that his cousin wasn't with Auron. He spied him behind the group, standing besides one of the capsules, his keyblade drawn and strangely glowing, Riku was besides him, his own keyblade behaving in the same manner.
"Sora?" Roxas called curiously.
Sora looked over at Roxas, "we can set them free."
"Huh?" Loz muttered, turning around, "what on earth are you talking about?"
Sora shook his head, obviously confused. "I can't explain it, but something tells me that the bearers can put them to rest peacefully…I just feel it."
Riku nodded slowly. "I agree, I'm getting the same feeling."
Loz and Yazoo looked at each other, both smiling derisively, Kadaj however nodded.
"If Riku says it'll work I'll trust him, it sounds kinder than what I had in mind anyways."
"Just what did you have in mind?" Loz asked with a smirk.
Kadaj shrugged, "blow them to pieces."
Loz gave an exaggerated nod, "well that would certainly be effective."
"Company," Cloud said tersely.
Everyone turned to where Cloud, Leon, and Auron were standing ahead of the group. At the far end of the room, Xehanort was sitting with his legs crossed, leaning his head on one arm regarding them quietly, Vincent was standing besides him, his red eyes glowing dangerously.
"Marvelous isn't it?" Xehanort said with a smile. "All this power, in one place under my command; I originally wanted to use the world heart itself, but I knew that if it was ever sealed I would need my own heart otherwise it would take years of more work to unlock the heart again. So I made this," he gestured upwards towards the glowing heart; "just in case and it seems that case was certainly true."
He leaned forwards, Ansem's familiar smile looking very sinister under Xehanort's control. "That fool of a King never saw the potential in all of this, he said it was too dangerous and worse that it endangered the people. So short sighted," he shook his head. "In order to understand the power of the heart, its necessary for certain sacrifices to be made. You've all proven yourselves capable, even the bearers, mere children, are quite powerful. You could all share in this power I've found."
"We'll pass," Auron said calmly. "I have a promise to the King that requires that you die to fulfill it." He looked over his shoulder at everyone else. "Does anyone else feel differently?"
"No thanks," Cloud said simply.
"I'm not going to do anything without Cloud." Tifa said besides him.
"He might be a bastard," Leon said, glancing at Auron who smiled quietly, "but you did kill my father and I don't think I could work for someone after that."
"You tried to kill mother and bend father to your will," growled Yazoo, "you're dead." His brothers stood closely to him, their faces equally vicious.
Riku was standing with Namine, Kairi, Sora and Roxas. "We were all born and destined to fight you and protect the heart, what reason could we possibly have to join you?" None of them disagreed with him.
Auron's smile was cold as he turned back to Xehanort with a shrug, "it looks like you're going to have to face us all."
Xehanort stood, walking about the throne-like, his face darkened in a scowl. "You're all ignorant fools; I will wipe you all from this world and write my new order with your blood."
His eyes glinted, and his body seemed to catch on fire as shadows consumed him. Vincent stepped aside as if to give him room. The shadows wrapped around Xehanort like a cocoon, Roxas felt the temperature in the massive chamber drop significantly, and summoned his keyblades with a snap, two more snaps broke the quiet as Namine and Kairi called forth their own blades. The cocoon burst then, and Xehanort, no longer in the King's body rose from the shadows, massive wings lofting him upwards, his mouth drawing back unnaturally revealing sharpened fangs, his arms had altered as well, they were now massive structures, ending in clawed hands that dripped with shadowy residue.
"Die," Xehanort boomed, raising his arms.
The room shook, and then vanished, Roxas' head bolted in every direction as dozens, then hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of chattering, skittering, and hissing Heartless appeared around them. They were no longer in the chamber either, they were in some kind of twilight, everything was gray and there didn't seem to be any floors, walls, or ceilings. He and all the others just seemed to be standing in the air with Heartless all around them, above, below, in front, behind, left, and right. The staggering number of Heartless was matched by their diversity, Roxas counted dozens of different forms, some flying, some standing, some floating, and their sizes were just as varied, there were several that towered over the rest and rose as high as a two story house. He swallowed nervously, unsure of what to do next.
Then he felt it, the same feeling he had in the darkness when they'd first come for Xehanort, that feeling of community, of strength, of hope. Now though, there were other presences, not just those here with him. He could feel Paine, Zack, Rinoa and Sephiroth. Further away, but burning powerfully Maleficent; beyond that he could feel even more, he felt Cid, Rikku, and Yuna, Laguna was with them; feeling them alive filled his heart with joy. Beyond them he could feel more still, Merlin, Mim, Julia, Yuffie, and Aerith. And further still and perhaps most surprisingly, he felt his parents' presence, along with Pence, Hayner, Ollete, Seifer, Ryu, Zexion, Larxene, Axel, Demyx, and Fuu; and there were uncountable multitudes of other presences that he didn't even recognize. Was the entire world coming together to give them the strength to fight? It certainly felt that way.
"Do you feel it?" He asked.
"We can do this." Sora murmured, his previous mood seemingly washed away, his voice strong, he sounded strangely like Auron actually.
Kairi nodded, taking his hand tightly with her free hand, "we have everyone behind us we can't fail."
Namine smiled happily, "this is what we're meant to do."
Riku snorted and shook his head, "we've all lost our minds, but at least we've got the strength we need."
"You will lose more than your minds by the time this is over bearers, you are all going to fall here to my power, there is nothing, not even the wills of all those you love and treasure, that can stop that." Xehanort boomed.
"We'll see," Auron said calmly, his sword swung characteristically over his shoulder . "I think you'll be surprised by just how strong we are."
Out of the mass of Heartless, Vincent stepped silently, one arm a massive blade, while the other was a tube like caster that glowed menacingly. His eyes glowered with power as he approached.
"You are all just as lost to the shadows as I am, accept it and perish."
With that, the Heartless screeched as one and rushed inwards towards the group, Roxas' heart leapt out of his chest, but he could feel everyone supporting him and everyone else. For once in all this insanity, he was calm and ready for anything. They could win.
Author's Note: Holy crap that took longer than expected, and for some reason I had Zack in there for a moment before I realized he wasn't actually with this group and gave his lines to other people. If anyone catches Zack anywhere but in the end when Roxas feels everyone...that sounds wrong....let me know, I tried to catch them all but you never know; but in the end, I actually like this chapter quite a bit. Feels quite satisfying don't you think? Wouldn't it be funny if I just decided to leave the story here and let you lot figure out what happened in the end? That would be quite evil.