Last time our heroes located the lair of Kurayami. They discovered that she had turned a warehouse into a three dimensional maze of darkness. In an attempt to torment our heroes, Kruayami used her dark powers to separate Riku, Aiden, Roxas and the Sailor Senshi, sending them into different parts of the maze. But Sailor Mercury figured out how to get everyone back together.
Kurayanmi then used a curse that trapped everyone in their worst nightmares, everyone except for Roxas, who ran ahead, following a trail of magic that Nikolai had laid earlier. Roxas found Kurayami in the center of the maze and they began fighting for the heart crystals of Sora and Kairi.
Riku and Aiden managed to break free of their nightmares on their own, but it was the timely arrival of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, the uncertain allies of the Sailor Senshi, that allowed Riku and Aiden to save Sailor Moon and the others. But can Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune be trusted to save Sora and Kairi? Or will their own self righteousness and nearly obsessive belief in their mission allow Sora and Kairi to die? Only time will tell. 'Nuff said, on with the show!
Chapter 8: Facing the Darkness
"How'd you get here so quickly?" a surprised Kurayami asked.
"Someone already showed me the way," said Roxas, "I just needed to look for it."
"Those bastards," muttered Kurayami, "they did this."
"Who are you talking about?" Roxas asked.
"Never mind," said Kurayami as she stood up and placed the two heart crystals in her purse, "you found me, so the first part of the game is over and won. Now comes the really fun part. I owe you for kicking me in the head earlier," She summoned her sword of darkness, "so, shall we dance?" She took up a fighting stance.
"I never learned how to dance," said Roxas as he took up a fighting stance, "but once I've destroyed you and saved all my friends, I'll have all the time in the world to learn." With that the two of them leapt at each other and began dueling.
Immediately, Roxas had the advantage of two Keyblades to Kurayami's one darkness sword. It was all the Diamon/Heartless hybrid could do to defend herself from the furious assalt of two Keyblades.
"You were so full of yourself earlier," said a grinning Roxas as he slashed with both Keyblades from the front, then attacked Kurayami from the side. The Diamon/Heartless hybrid kept blocking his attacks, "what happened to all that smugness?"
Indeed, Kurayami was looking unsure of herself as she struggled to keep up with Roxas' attacks, "well excuse me! It's not my fault you're so fast. It's like there's two of you in there."
Roxas then flinched. For some reason he suddenly thought of the many times he and Axel had ice cream atop the clock tower in Twilight Town after a successful mission. But for some reason, te memories were different somewhat; there was someone else with them, someone else whom they had ice cream with; someone with black hair and blue eyes.
The sensation of a different memory lasted an instant for Roxas, but it was enough for Kurayami to take the initiative and attack. Roxas blocked her dark blade and struck back, but she jumped back several yards, "how about this!" she then shot several spheres of dark magic at him.
Roxas easily blocked the dark spheres with his Keyblade, then countered with a double Fireball attack. Kruayami easily dodged the flames, only to dodge again as a Blizzard attack came her way, followed by a Thunder spell.
Kurayami then summoned several black daggers and sent them spinning towards Roxas. He blocked and dodged them, then sent a Gravity spell at Kurayami. She dodged it, then countered with another storm of black daggers.
This time Roxas was cut a few times by the black daggers, but he used a Heal spell that repaired the damage. He then jumped up and slashed down at Kurayami, finally hitting her.
But the Diamon/Heartless hybrid shook it off. She then shot a stream of dark magic at Roxas. He barely dodged it, only to duck from a stabbing attack from Kurayami. Roxas then got back up and the two of them locked blades together, each of them barely a foot apart from each other.
"You know," said Kurayami as they pushed at each other with their weapons, "you're really starting to piss me off!"
"I'm only now just pissing you off?" Roxas asked in a teasing manner.
"You pissed me off the second you first showed up earlier," said an irate Kurayami, "and kicking me in the head didn't help my opinion of you. Right now, I really hate you."
"I guess that's the Heartless part of you," said Roxas, "Heartless and Nobodies don't really get along that well."
"Thanks for clearing that up for me," said Kurayami. She then jumped back and aimed her pentagram-marked hand at Roxas, "now die!" she shot a beam of dark magic at Roxas, intending to take his heart crystal.
But the dark magic merely dissipated as it hit Roxas. He laughed, "didn't you hear what I just? I'm a Nobody. I don't have a heart!"
"You dare make a fool of me!" exclaimed Kurayami as she rushed at Roxas again. He sidestepped her easily and smacked her in the back with the flat of Oblivion, causing her to trip and fall to the ground.
"You're making a fool out of yourself all on your own," said Roxas in a vindictive tone.
"We'll see who the fool is," said Kurayami grimly, her voice heavy with dark resolve, as if she had decided to do something terrible. The hybrid creature then summoned her purse and pulled out the two stolen heart crystals.
"Those belong to Sora and Kairi!" exclaimed Roxas, "give them back, now!"
"You want them?" Kurayami asked in a taunting manner. She then swallowed the two heart crystals as if they were vitamin pills, "come and get them!"
"You are one sick monster," said an irate Roxas, "now I have to make you cough them up!"
Just then Roxas sensed a huge serge of energy coming from Kurayami.
"Now's the fool now?" Kurayami asked as she was surrounded by a pulsing black aura.
"Wait!" exclaimed Sailor Mars. Riku, Aiden, Tuxedo Kamen and the Sailor Senshi, all seven of them, stopped at Sailor Mars' sudden outburst.
"What's wrong?" Sailor Venus asked.
"I just sensed something terrible," said Sailor Mars, a look of fear on her face, "I can feel an incredible evil ahead," she pointed up the path everyone was on, the path leading them to the center of the three dimensional maze, "an evil that has just gotten stronger."
"And Roxas is facing that evil alone," said Riku.
"Not for long he is," said Aiden. With that everyone began running again.
Kurayami then attacked, now moving so fast that Roxas could barely keep her in sight as she circled him, feinting at random spots, before finally striking with her dark sword.
Now Roxas was on the defensive, now he was barely able to bock the attacks of the Diamon/Heartless hybrid.
"You didn't answer my question," said Kurayami as she continued her ferocious assault, "who's the fool now? Well? Who is the fool now!"
"Still not me!" shouted Roxas as he launched several spells at Kurayami. The Diamon/Heartless hybrid dodged the magical attacks as if they were moving in slow motion.
"Pathetic!" said Kurayami. She then increased her speed again, moving faster than Roxas could react to. She delivered several strikes that left Roxas seriously damaged. It was all he could do to remain on his feet and keep his Keyblades up.
Kurayami then stopped moving and glared at the unsteady Roxas, "I'll ask again; who's the fool now?"
Roxas then noticed that he had bit his tongue during the last attack. He spat out some blood, and was momentary shocked to realize that it was as red as human blood, "guess I am a Somebody now," he said to himself.
"What's that you said?" Kurayami demanded.
Roxas defiantly glared at Kurayami, "the only fool here is the one I'm looking at!"
"Bastard!" shouted Kurayami as she rushed at Roxas. He rushed at her as well. They met in the center of the area, both striking with their weapons and stopping several feet from each other, standing with their backs turned.
They stood there for a few tense seconds, before Roxas coughed up some blood and fell to the ground.
"Pathetic fool," said Kurayami as she walked over to Roxas. He tried to get up again, but his injuries were too much and he collapsed, his Keyblades vanishing.
"Takes one to know one," said Roxas as he again glared defiantly up at Kurayami. He tried to get up again, but Kurayami pushe him back down.
"Why do you persist in this foolishness?" Kurayami asked, "you are defeated! I can kill you whenever it pleases me, yet you still wish to fight despite your injuries. Why?"
"I don't know," said Roxas as he tried to et up again, "maybe it's the part of Sora that I came from; his stubbornness and determination, his will to win and to be with those he loves. Or maybe, just maybe, I do have a heart after all, and it's telling me to keep fighting, even if it means my own destruction.
"You can kill me, and you probably will. But I know that someone else will succeed where I failed. Someone will beat you and save my friends!"
"Pathetic fool!" snapped Kurayami as she kicked Roxas to the ground, "your words only mark you as the fool you are!" she raised her dark sword for the killing blow, "now die!"
"Moon Tiara Action!"
From out of nowhere came a golden arc that sliced right through Kurayami's sword arm between the wrist and elbow. The severed appendage and dark sword fell to the ground and dissolved into black smoke.
"Who dares!" exclaimed Kurayami as she clutched at her wounded arm.
The golden arc then turned around and was caught by Sailor Moon. The arc then powered down, becoming her tiara again, which she placed on her forehead again.
"Someone who values the lives of those who live with love in their hearts!" said Sailor Moon as she, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus stood at the entrance to the area, "even those who are without hearts, they too have the right to live with love as their guide!"
"You brats!" exclaimed an enraged Kurayami, "how the hell did you get out of my nightmare trap!"
"We figured out that your pet Bookmaster was behind it," said Riku as he and Aiden came into the area. They saw the incapacitated Roxas on the ground.
"Just hold on, Roxas!" said Aiden, "we're coming."
"Take your time," said a sarcastic Roxas, "I'm not going anywhere."
"The only place you're going is hell!" shouted Kurayami as she bent down with her remaining hand to strangle Roxas. "Die fool!"
But then Tuxedo Kamen threw a razor-tipped rose at Kurayami, forcing her to jump back. "Those who call someone else a fool is in turn a fool themselves!"
"I'm really getting sick of you humans and your morals," said Kurayami as she glared viciously at our heroes.
"Well fortunately you won't have to put up with us for much longer," said Aiden as he and Riku dragged Roxas out of the way. Riku then gave Roxas a Mega Potion to drink. He swallowed it and his wounds began healing, but his stamina was slow to return.
"I did what I could," said Roxas as he sat up, "but she's faster and stronger than before."
"I'm faster and stronger than all of you put together!" shouted Kurayami, "I have the power to destroy you all! I have the power to claim every heart crystal in this world and plunge this universe into darkness and silence! I have the power!"
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune then stood forward, "you think that just because you have power," said Sailor Neptune, "you can do anything you want. Well you're wrong. Power should be used to defend the helpless and protect the innocent."
"Which is something an unscrupulous abomination such as you wouldn't know anything about," said Sailor Uranus.
"What the hell do you bitches know about power?" Kurayami asked, "those with power make all the rules! Might makes right! and just who the hell are you two, anyway?"
"Forgive us for not introducing ourselves," said Sailor Uranus as she and Sailor Neptune stood forward, "Guided by a new era, Sailor Uranus acts with elegance!"
"Also guided by a new era, Sailor Neptune acts with grace!"
"We cannot let you have those heart crystals!" said Sailor Uranus.
"If they have the talismans," said Sailor Neptune, "then we must protect them from the silence."
"I don't give a damn about the talismans," said Kurayami, "what I want from heart crystals is their power, the raw energy of a human heart that will bring about my triumph over all of existence."
"But where are Sora's and Kairi's heart crystals?" Aiden asked.
"She swallowed them," said Roxas as he regained his stamina and stood up, "that's how she managed to beat me so easily. She's absorbing the energy of the heart crystals."
"You bitch!" snapped Riku as he pointed his Keyblade at Kurayami, "spit out those Heart Crystals now!"
"As if you can make me," smirked Kurayami. Her body then began pulsing with dark magic again. Before everyone's eyes, her severed limb regenerated. Within seconds it was as if she wasn't hurt at all.
"Oh crap!" said both Riku and Aiden.
"Oh man!" said a nervous Sailor Moon, "we're in trouble now!
"We've been in trouble for a while," said Sailor Jupiter.
"We're not defeated yet!" said Riku.
"Well if you have a plan, we're all ears," said Sailor Mars.
"Actually," said Riku, "I do have a plan."
"You do?" Aiden asked.
Riku nodded, "but…you're not going to like it."
"If it'll defeat this monster and save Sora and Kairi, then do it!" said Sailor Venus.
"I'd rather hear the plan first," said Sailor Mercury, "before we commit to it."
"You're going to think it's really stupid," said Riku. He then looked at Kurayami, "if you'll indulge us for a moment." Without waiting for a reply from the creature, Riku had a hushed conversation with Aiden, Roxas, Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen and the others. Kurayami was momentarily stunned by Riku's abruptness that she didn't attack.
"And that's my plan," said Riku after a about thirty seconds of talking.
"You're right," said an annoyed Sailor Mars, "I don't like it."
"It's so stupid, there's no way it'll work!" said Aiden.
"But it may just work," said Tuxedo Kamen, "it's so simple, the enemy may overlook it, and that may give us the advantage we need."
"It may work after all," said Sailor Uranus. Sailor Neptune nodded in agreement.
"Hello!" said an angry Kurayami, "me!"
"We'll get with you soon enough," said Aiden, "just hold your horses."
"So, we'll go with my plan?" Riku asked.
"Just tell us what to do and we'll do it," said Sailor Moon, while everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Just keep our 'friend' occupied," said Riku, "I'll take care of everything else."
"Oh we'll keep her busy," said a smiling Sailor Venus, "she likes playing games? We'll give her a game she'll never forget."
"What are you brats up to?" Kurayami demanded.
"We're planning your demise," said Aiden.
"You're going to answer for what you've done," said Sailor Moon, "love and justice will prevail!"
"And if that won't work," said Sailor Mars, "well, we'll just have to chastise you ourselves."
"As if you can do anything to stop me," said Kurayami, "you couldn't before, and you certainly can't now!"
"I beg to differ!" shouted Aiden as he aimed his Keyblade at Kurayami and sent a blast of Alchemic energy at her, intending to transmute the air around the Diamon/Heartless hybrid into acid.
Kurayami negated the Alchemic blast with a short pulse of dark magic, then sent several dark spheres at Aiden. He blocked them with his Keyblade and dodged the rest.
"Just keep her occupied while I get ready," said Riku.
"Just don't keep us hanging," said Sailor Mars. She then charged up her flames, "Burning Mandala!" and shot them at Kurayami. She blocked them easily with one hand.
"Pathetic," said Kurayami as she shot her dark spheres at Sailor Mars, whom barely dodged them.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" shouted Sailor Jupiter as she shot her lighting sphere at the Diamon/Heartless hybrid, whom flicked it aside as if it were a fly.
"Individual attacks won't work!" said Sailor Mercury.
"A combination attack," said Sailor Jupiter.
"Definitely," said Sailor Mars.
"We're with you on this," said Sailor Uranus, while Sailor Neptune nodded in agreement.
"Right," said Sailor Moon.
"How 'bout I start off?" said Sailor Venus, "Venus Love-Me Chain!"
She ensnared Kurayami with her heart-shaped rope. The Diahmon/Heartless struggled to break free, but Sailor Venus wasn't letting her go so easily, not this time. Sailor Venus then used her powers to tie off the rope, freeing her hands while Kurayami was still ensnared.
"Everyone!" shouted Sailor Mercury, "now!" she then sent her pulse of water magic at Kurayami, "Shine Aqua Illusion!" the attack blinded Kurayami.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"
"Burning Mandala!"
"Crescent Beam!"
"Moon Tiara Action!"
The quadruple attack hit Kurayami head on, severely damaging her.
Sailor Uranus then raised her right hand and charged up a massive amount of yellow energy that formed into a sphere with a ring around it "World Shaking!" she threw the sphere at Kurayami, hitting her in the side with the force of a massive earthquake.
Sailor Neptune then raised both hands and charged up a sphere of water that had a ring around it, "Deep Submerge!" she sent the sphere at Kurayami, hitting the creature with the force of a tsunami.
The force of the last two attacks caused Sailor Venus' rope to break, but the damage was done. Kurayami was barely able to stand up.
"We did it!" exclaimed a smiling Sailor Moon.
"Wrong!" shouted Kurayami as her body pulsed with dark magic, healing her injuries.
"No way!" shouted Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus.
"You'll have to better than that," taunted Kurayami. She then glared at Sailor Moon, "now, it's your turn! I'm going to take your heart crystal no matter what!"
"You'll have to go through us first!" said Sailor Mars as she, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus, as well as Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, got in front of Sailor Moon.
"We've been through this already," said Kurauami, "you can't stop me!" She then shot dozens of dark spheres at the Sailor Senshi. They tried to block the dark spheres, but they were too strong for them. Each dark sphere severely damaged the Senshi, forcing them to the ground. Only Sailor Moon was still standing.
"Now that the riffraff is out of the way…" said Kurayami as she stalked towards Sailor Moon.
But then Aiden and Roxas got between the Diamon/Heartless hybrid and Sailor Moon.
"I'm not through with you yet!" snapped Roxas as he brandished his two Keyblades.
"Neither am I!" said Aiden.
"Impudent filth!" snapped Kurayami as she blasted them with dark spheres, forcing them to the ground.
But then Tuxedo Kamen got in front of Sailor Moon and threw another razor-tipped rose at Kurayami. She caught it and crushed it in her hand.
"You two are really starting to get on my nerves," said Kurayami as she stalked towards Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, "I think I'll take both your heart crystals at the same time," she held out her arms, the black pentagram marks on her hands pulsing with dark magic, "I can do that you know."
"I know," said a nervous Sailor Moon, "but you won't hurt Tuxedo Kamen-sama or myself."
"Oh yes I will!" snapped Kurayami, "and you can't stop me!"
"You may be right about that," said Tuxedo Kamen, "we can't stop you." he then looked at something behind Kurayami and smiled, "but I know who can."
Puzzled, Kurayami turned her head to see Riku standing behind her. Before she could reack, Riku crabbed Kurayami around the stomach and began using the Heimlich maneuver, trying to force Kurayami to regurgitate the two stolen heart crystals
"You perverted son of a bitch!" exclaimed Kurayami as she tried to shake Riku off of her, but he held on, "let go of me!"
"Cough them up!" shouted Roxas as he pulled on Kurayami again and again, "cough them up, damnit!"
Kurayami kept trying to shake Riku off of her, but he wouldn't let go as he kept pulling on her from behind. Eventually she began coughing, resulting in her expelling the two heart crystals from her body.
Riku then jumped away from the now weakened and still coughing Kurayami, while everyone else began to get up.
"That had to have been the most idiotic plan I have ever seen," said Sailor Mars.
"But it worked," said Aiden.
"You bastard!" shouted Kurayami as she tried to grab the two heart crystals again, but Sailor Uranus grabbed them first.
"We'll take these, thank you," said Sailor Uranus. She tossed the two heart crystals to Sailor Neptune, then attacked Kurayami, "World Shaking!"
The yellow sphere hit Kurayami head on and sent her skidding to the ground to the far end of the room where she slammed into the wall and didn't get up.
"That had to hurt," said Sailor Moon, while Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, Tuxedo Kamen and Roxas all nodded in agreement.
"Good shot," said Riku to Sailor Uranus, "now can I have those back? My friends need them."
"Sorry," said Sailor Uranus, "but we can't do that."
"What do you mean you can't do that!" snapped Aiden, "just give them back so we can go save Sora and Kairi."
"I don't think it's going to be that simple," said Roxas.
"They may have the talismans in them," said Sailor Neptune as she held the heart crystals in her hands, "we have to check to see."
"If they do have the talismans in them," said Sailor Uranus, "then we'll have to take them."
Riku then realized that everything that the Sailor Senshi told him about Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune was true, "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"
The end of chapter 8.
Next chapter, our heroes end up facing their uncertain allies in what could result in a tragic event. Will they be able to save Sora and Kairi? Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!