Authors Note: A week I have left you all, a week! Well, now its two weeks actually, nearly 3 :(… I feel ashamed for letting you down, but here is an update nonetheless.
Important Note: I will be adding a story called 'Profiles' to my account soon, so you get the full low-down on who someone is, or what they've been doing since KHII (if they were in the KH series). It's just so you don't have to scan the entire series to know who everyone is.
Chapter 12: Hollow Bastion
Sora and crew landed at a world Sora and Riku knew was familiar. Sophie on the other hand had never been here, but she had heard of it. Hollow Bastion. To Sophie, it gave her an idea of what Frank's outside might look like (dreary, for example, it hasn't changed much since KHII).
"Right, first step would be to find Cloud. The more, the merrier, in my opinion." Sora said, laying out their first task.
"Well, where can we find him?"
"That's the thing. He's hard to find. But he could be in the marketplace or at Merlin's House…"
"Well then, let's check."
Sora and company checked the town out, but no sign of Cloud anywhere. They eventually went to Merlin's House.
"Ah, Sora, Riku! Hello, haven't seen you in a while!" Merlin greeted them. He stood up fro m his chair. "And who is the girl?"
"Sophie." She answered simply.
"Well then, you must be here about the new, err, enemy."
"Not really, we know mostly all there is to know." Sora replied
"Oh, I was hoping to give you the rundown myself, but if you have already been briefed…"
"We're looking for Cloud." Riku interrupted.
"Cloud? Haven't seen him in a while. Cid might know."
"Where's he at?" Sora asked.
"Ansem's old castle. He's been using the computer there to keep track and monitor the defence system for the town."
"Been having trouble with Heartless?" Sora asked.
"They never do give up easily, do they?" Riku added.
"Oh come on Riku…" Merlin said in an annoyed tone.
"I know, I know, 'As long as darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to completely eliminate them.'"
"Well, I see you remember the basics."
"In that case, we'll go check out the castle. Still as it was?" Sora asked
"Why wouldn't it be?" Merlin answered.
"Okay then, see ya!"
As they walked out the door, Merlin called Riku back.
"By the way Riku, take these." Merlin took out a number of glowing objects, and chucked them at Riku, and they absorbed themselves into Riku's body. He had learned all the magic that Sora knew.
"A little souvenir for the journey."
"Thanks." Riku said. He then proceeded to run off and catch up with his friends.
They headed straight for the castle, and found it had not changed in the slightest. The halls were still wrecked or damaged, and the odd Heartless still roamed, but strangely enough, most of the Heartless seemed to ignore the party.
They eventually found the computer room, and there was Cid, working away as usual. They knocked on the wall, startling him.
"Whoa! Geeze, can't you young fellas just knock a little quieter?" Cid complained. Sora rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, with Sophie clearly annoyed.
"Um, this is Cid. Cid, this is Sophie." Sora said before anyone else could react to Cid.
'Hi' Sophie and Cid said at the same time, but Cid continued to speak.
"Hey, Sora, what's with the- oh, yeah, I remember, Merlin told me."
"I was wondering why everyone was oblivious to it, now I know." Sora was a bit annoyed that Merlin didn't tell him everyone knew, but he brushed it aside.
"Look, Cid, we need to find Cloud. Have you seen him?" Riku asked Cid.
"I seen him recently, said he was going to 'find the darkness and snuff it out', or something like that. I never pay attention to the stuff he says, makes no sense to me."
"Find the darkness…" Sora pondered on the quote, then realised what he meant. "Oh no… we gotta go. Now." Sora was desperate to get going.
"Hey, what's the hurry? Hey, wait up!" Riku ran after Sora, who was already on his way. Sophie followed from behind.
"Those kids…" Cid muttered as he sat back down and got back to work.
Sora ran as fast as he could, not stopping until he reached the outskirts of the city. Riku came up shortly behind him, panting from exhaustion, while Sophie had caught up with him easily already.
"Jeeze… What's the rush?" Riku asked.
"If I'm right, then Cloud is in great danger. He's going to fight his darkness. The last time they fought…"
(Hollow Bastion, Dark Depths)
"Cloud…"
Cloud continued to walk toward the tall grey-haired figure that stood before him. The figure of his darkness. Sephiroth…
"…You'll never let go of the darkness." Sephiroth uttered, finishing his sentence.
"Shut up." Cloud replied, readying his sword.
"You'll never let go of your past…"
"SHUT UP!" Cloud screamed, rushing at Sephiroth.
The battle was fierce, neither one letting up or giving the other a chance to rest or regain any lost balance. As the battle raged on, Sora, Donald and Goofy stood by the side.
"Shouldn't we help him, Sora?" Donald asked Sora.
"This is Cloud's battle. We mustn't interfere." Sora looked at Donald and then Goofy, a determined look in his eyes. "Cloud, get him!" Sora shouted, rooting for his friend.
The battle continued, with no-one able to gain an upper hand. They were evenly matched. They locked swords, trying to push the other away.
"Absurd… defeating me is meaningless, Cloud. You know that more than anyone. No matter how many times you defeat me, your darkness keeps calling me back."
Cloud began to slowly falter, until a familiar voice called out: "You're wrong, Sephiroth." Cloud knew instantly it was Tifa.
"Tifa! Stay out of this!" Cloud shouted to his childhood friend.
"How can I? I wanna help you!" She replied with worry in her voice.
Sephiroth and Cloud broke their struggle and stepped back.
"He can't. He'll never let go of the darkness…" Sephiroth was determined make everyone, especially Cloud, realize his words as truth, but no-one was believing it.
"Who says he has to? All he needs is someone to surround him with light."
Sephiroth turned his word on Tifa, but she dodged it.
"The darkness will be there, Sephiroth, but in a place you can't reach."
Sephiroth started swinging at Tifa, but she easily dodged the shots like they were nothing. Just as Sephiroth was about to make a lunge, Cloud deflected it.
"Cloud… You can have my light…" Tifa said to Cloud.
"I just…" Cloud began to glow. "…don't know."
"STOP!" Sephiroth shouted, rushing at Cloud again. This time, Cloud found a different power flowing through him. It was the power of friendship. He defended himself against Sephiroth. Despite Sephiroth trying even harder now, Cloud had no trouble in dodging or blocking the shots. Eventually, they flew into the sky, and then at each other. A brilliant explosion of light occurred, and when the light faded, both Cloud and Sephiroth had disappeared without a trace.
"…And I never saw Cloud again." Sora finished his description of the battle.
"So, we're technically looking for a guy that might have never even been here?" Riku asked.
"I don't know how I forgot… but nonetheless, I'm sure he's at the Dark Depths."
"then let's stop wasting time and get over there!" Sophie requested.
"Right!"
As they ran through the Great Maw, their travels did not go unnoticed. As Sora thought, there was Sephiroth, atop a mountain lying between Sora and his location.
"Just as I expected… he's back…" Sephiroth smiled.
"But this time… I have other plans for him… but first, I will tend to trivial matters."
He turned to the Dark Depths. And there, looking around, was Cloud. He did not know what awaited him in the very near future.
So what does Sephiroth have planned for Sora and Cloud? Does he have an interest in Sora because of his newfound 'darkness'? Find out in the next chapter! See ya!
End Chapter
Authors Notes: I started this thing on Tuesday, but kept forgetting to finish it, so it got dragged along for a few days. Sorry. But at least it's a bit of a longer than most of my other chapters. Anyway, see ya!