A/N-UGHHHHH, sorry this is so late. I'm so exhausted with finishing up work before college starts up again so my thoughts were a bit muddled. I had to write this chapter 4 times. FOUR! Ugh, it was just bad. (Reno was briefly brought back to life too by mistake XD). So here's the next chapter. Only about 6-7 parts to go (or so) depending on how things go. I've also been gathering ideas for a new AkuRoku (woo!) that's music themed. (I've also thrown around some ideas for a TSRK sequel but atm there is far too little to work with so that will have to wait if it happens at all). Anyway, please read and enjoy! Reviews aren't necessary but they show me you want more! (Or correct those pesky spelling errors. I blame the nargals.)
"Thank you all for coming," Mickey started. The group stood around a small table under a makeshift tent. Explosions rang with the fire of mortars and fighter G. Ships fighting in the sky. Mickey looked around at the people assembled. Each leader had two rear guards standing a couple paces behind. His eyes swept over them again, left to right.
Disney Castle: Mickey, followed by Donald and Goofy.
Twilight Town: Roxas, followed by Seifer and Naminé.
Traverse Town: Leon, followed by Cloud and Tifa.
Radiant Garden: Axel, followed by Terra and Aqua.
Hollow Bastion: Ienzo, followed by only Demyx.
Halloween Town: Jack Skellington, followed by a trio of triplets known as Lock, Shock, and Barrel. The triplets all had creepy grins plastered on their faces. Shock was the only female of the group.
Destiny Islands: Riku, followed by Sora and Selphie.
Beast's Castle: Prince Adam Beastelle, "the Beast", followed by his footmen Lumière and Cogsworth. The pair of footmen were both dressed very posh.
Agrabah: Prince Aladdin Ali, followed by Abu and Genie. Abu was a rather chatty fifteen year old while Genie was about sixty years older but just as youthful at heart.
Land of Dragons: Lady Mulan, followed by General Li Shang and Mushu. Shang was stoic while Mushu kept making comments to the General over his shoulder.
Midgar: Vincent Valentine followed by Barret and Reeve. Barret was larger built and Reeve appeared to be very calculating.
Deep Space: Grand Councilwoman followed by Gantu and a jittery blue haired teen known as Stich. Gantu stood close to seven feet tall and had a constant frown on his face.
Wonderland: Princess Alice followed by Cheshire and M. Hatter. Cheshire wore a grin similar to that of the Halloween Town triplets. M. Hatter had a mischievous smirk on his lips.
There were other worlds present to represent King Mickey but they were following under the command of one of their sister worlds. Either their world leader had chosen not to participate in the battle or their force was too small to have one. The leaders gathered at the table nodded their heads respectfully to Mickey. The Grand Councilwoman of Deep Space cleared her throat.
"I do hope you know that we are not aligning ourselves with you. Our system is based on honor and truth, one in which Xemnas betrayed. We will deal with the man presently but I see no need to continue our relationship afterwards," she stated firmly.
"I respect your decision," Mickey replied. Stitch scoffed and picked at his teeth. Gantu was quick to smack him over the head.
"Behave yourself, 626. You're lucky to even be here," Gantu hissed. Stich scowled and crossed his arms.
"This whole thing seems rather sudden," Prince Aladdin commented.
"Agreed, but I will follow the King's decision with the same respect he is granting us," the Beast remarked. His face bore several large battle scars.
"Despite everyone who came, our military output is rather low," Lady Mulan noticed. "It appears our soldiers make up almost one quarter of the entire fleet."
"Not all worlds can have your manpower," Riku responded quietly. Lady Mulan frowned.
"Mickey, I do hope you know that Queen del Rouge isn't fully behind this call to war. Wonderland is in a very unstable political predicament at this moment," Princess Alice brought up.
"I understand. I will contact the Queen as soon as I am able. Now, all formalities and statements aside, I wish to get down to business." The King nodded and unrolled a map of Hollow Bastion onto the table. He pulled out a pen and scratched a small circle out in the barrens. "This is our base of operations. We will now deem this HQ. Our base of communications will be set up in the center of HQ. In order for this to work, we need to work on different fronts. Our ultimate goal is to push forward far enough to break a hole in their defenses. That's when we'll break into the lower grounds. Disney Castle will be in charge of the rear guard. The lives of the medics and communications team will be in our hands. Traverse Town, I need you at the rear frontal guard. You and Midgar will be positioned with the mortars. Keep those guns firing.
"Wonderland and Deep Space will be on the left flank along the canyon walls. Agrabah and Beast's Castle will be on the right. Halloween Town will have the center flank. Land of Dragons, you have the best army so you will be on the frontal flank. As for the remaining four worlds, you have the most difficult task. You are the ones who are going to penetrate the enemy forces. The Destiny Islands Militia will be there for your aid. Twilight Town, Radiant Garden, and Hollow Bastion, you must utilize all of the weaknesses this world has to offer. Demyx and Axel know the lower grounds and Castle like the back of their hands. Roxas knows how Xemnas fights. Ienzo's sixth sense enables us to see forces through obstacles.
"We will commence our approach shortly. I ask that I speak with the siege party alone." The other leaders saluted and took their leave. The guards for the five worlds joined their leaders at the table. "What is your plan of action?" Mickey pressed. Axel pointed to a spot on the map.
"We'll use the waterways. The system is too complex for it to be fully guarded plus Demyx can maximize the use of the local environment," Axel stated. Mickey stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Once inside, we'll make our way upstairs. That's when things will get interesting."
"Based on given information, it's safe to say Lexaeus will not be participating in battle," Demyx added. "If we're lucky, he might actually help us to an extent. His sole purpose right now it to protect Zexion. That leaves us with three Knights, the King and Queen, and Xehanort."
"Don't forget about Vanitas," Axel reminded. Demyx shuddered.
"I try all the time," the sandy haired Knight muttered.
"So, in other words, we're going to have to split up," Roxas said to get back to the main topic.
"Correct," Axel agreed. "Due to recent injuries and the lack of strength, we're going to break into teams of two. The ultimate goal is to reach the thirteenth floor of Castle Oblivion where Xemnas and Isa are probably waiting with Kingdom Hearts. Roxas and I will have to take them down. Our Keyblades can unlock our hearts from Kingdom hearts, thus shattering the whole thing."
"The problem is getting close enough to do so," Roxas stated. Axel nodded. "So here's how we're breaking it down. Axel and I will be on a team. If we can channel energy to each other, it would be best if we fight together."
"Are you well enough to fight?" Mickey asked of the red head. Axel chewed on his lip ring before answering.
"I'll be alright. I've healed enough to get me to the Castle." Mickey frowned. "I'll be careful. Plus I'll have Roxas watching my back," Axel reassured the King. Mickey wasn't excited to have Axel and Demyx fighting so soon after being gravely injured but they insisted on joining. Roxas cleared his throat to continue.
"Sora and Riku will be together since they know each other's fighting style. Terra and Aqua will remain a pair. No sense in splitting them apart when they fight so fluidly together. Seifer will be escorting Naminé, much to my distaste," Roxas said, turning to his adopted sister. Naminé let out a huff.
"Honestly, Roxas. You taught me how to fight. I'll be fine," she whined.
"That won't stop me from worrying."
"Stop bunching up your panties and move on," Seifer snapped. Roxas scowled and continued.
"Demyx and Ienzo will be the final team. They're task is to locate Zexion and get in contact with Lexaeus. If everything goes well, we'll have them avoid conflict. One heir on death's doors is more than enough to worry about."
"I can handle myself," Ienzo reminded. "Plus Dem doesn't have to hide the fact he's a summoner anymore. We'll just breeze through that castle."
"Sure leave me to do all the work," Demyx complained. The group chuckled and Mickey held up his hand to calm them.
"Alright. I want you all to be safe. There's no telling what might happen. I will be on the battlefield but I will not join you in the lower grounds. The more people that go inside the castles, the more likely Xemnas is to notice. Be stealthy, be safe, and best of luck," the King prayed. The group broke and readied themselves for the assault.
XxXxX
He moaned softly. His eyes cracked open to see a blurred room. A steady beep pulsed with his heart. He blinked. Someone walked over and peered down at him. They smiled.
"Hang on just a bit longer," they urged.
He couldn't. His eyes slipped closed and the beeping faded into the back of his mind.
XxXxX
"Move out!" Lady Mulan barked. The siege party followed the soldiers from the Land of Dragons and the small force of the Destiny Islands Militia through the canyons towards the castle. They knew that if they failed, they may never get the chance to strike Xemnas again. The air was tense as they pressed forward.
"Holding up?" Axel turned to Roxas. The blonde looked a bit concerned.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Axel replied.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe you just had the living shit beaten out of you twice in the same day."
"I'll be fine. Besides, you're there to back me up."
"Hey, remember this team goes both ways. If I get into trouble, I'm using your energy," Roxas reminded. Axel frowned.
"I still find that kind of creepy."
"Deal with it another time. Right now we need to focus on getting into the lower grounds. Remember, we're splitting up once we get inside to avoid detection."
"I know. I'm not too worried about us but are you sure Dem's group can handle it? They're not super experienced."
"Give them a chance. Plus Demyx, Terra and Aqua are good fighters. Seifer's not half bad either."
"And what about Ienzo and Naminé?" Roxas bit on the inside of his lip.
"They'll manage. I trust them and who they're teamed up with."
"If you say so," Axel muttered under his breath.
They encountered the front line of enemy soldiers and the forces clashed. The siege party kept to the rear so they avoided the violence. They pressed forward, leaving hundreds of soldiers behind to fight their battles. Lady Mulan was ruthless on the battlefield. She slew soldiers left and right. Shang as always by her side to pick up the slack. Mushu danced around using his fire elemental fighting. Roxas thought it was a bit too flashy but didn't comment.
They soon broke away from the main force from the Land of Dragons. Only Lady Mulan, Shang, and the Militia were with them. The Militia kept the soldiers at bay from the sides while Lady Mulan ploughed through the lines like rock in a creek.
The sound of running water perked their attention as they neared the castle. They had reached the lower water ways. Lady Mulan signaled for the Militia to halt as the siege party ran past her. "Hold this position," she instructed Shang. "It's up to the others from here on out."
"We're putting a lot of faith in people we hardly know," Shang commented. Mulan smacked on the back of the head.
"This is war, General. We live for battle! Now let's go shed some blood before the fighting ends." Shang nodded and stayed with the Militia at the edge of the lower water ways while Lady Mulan back tracked to the rest of her soldiers to join the fray.
Axel and Demyx nodded to each other and the party split. Axel took Roxas, Sora and Riku with him to the right while Demyx took the others to the left. Axel's party was headed straight for Castle Oblivion while Demyx's was going to Zexion first. Axel's party took the stairs two at a time and vanished from sight.
Demyx led the party of six through the back water ways into a small elevator. Once inside, they rode it straight to the top. Demyx took a deep breath before the doors opened. Then he led the group through the back halls towards the research area.
"Something's wrong," Ienzo muttered as they neared.
"What is it?" Demyx pressed.
"Axel's party hasn't been through here or if they did Sora and Riku weren't with them. I can't pick up any spirit trails." Demyx frowned.
"Maybe they ran into trouble, and Roxas and Axel forged on ahead." He turned to Seifer, Naminé, Terra and Aqua. "Continue on to Castle Oblivion and see if Axel is there. Watch out for Xemnas, Isa, and the Knights on the way."
"What if they're not there?" Naminé asked.
"Um, just wait there for them. They'll get there eventually. Ienzo and I are headed to the medical wing. We'll catch up with you guys later." The group split again, leaving Demyx alone with Ienzo. "You ready to see your brother?" he asked.
"Oh, the puns," Ienzo said sarcastically. Demyx was left in a ball of confusion as Ienzo pressed on ahead of him. The Knight hurried to catch up. They walked through the halls until they reached the observation hallway. Lexaeus looked up from the window.
"Master Ienzo. Demyx," he greeted.
"Lex, how's my brother?" Ienzo asked, walking over to the large Knight.
"Coping. He's doing a lot better. Vexen manage to stabilize him." Ienzo let out a sigh of relief.
Demyx looked through the window and his heart sank. Zexion lay unconscious on his bed with a set of tubes connected to his arm. His only arm. Tiny puffs of air could be seen on his breathing mask as he exhaled. His body was thin from malnourishment and his skin pale. His hair lacked its usual shine. Demyx put a hand against the glass as if to reach out to the injured man.
'I'm sorry.' Demyx thought sadly.
A loud explosion caught their attention. Lexaeus scowled and his hand went to his axe on his back. Demyx instantly tensed. The wall of Zexion's exploded as Vexen was pushed backwards through it. His large blue shield was raised in front of him as he blocked the attack but the force was too much for him. The force of the impact shattered the glass to the observation hallway. The shards rained down onto the floor.
"Vexen!" Lexaeus shouted.
"It's Isa!" Vexen cried, his face gaunt with panic. Demyx and Lexaeus leapt into the room with their weapons drawn. Ienzo followed and stood behind them.
'Shit, did she come for Zexion?' Ienzo worried. He swallowed hard. 'No one's been able to beat Isa in a fight before. How the heck are we supposed to protect my brother when she's unstoppable?'
Isa stalked through the dust and debris of the wall, a malicious smile plastered on his face. "Why can't you all just die?" she asked loudly, raising her sword. "I'm so fucking sick of you all. SICK! Xemnas can't seem to grow and pair and do what he has to. It seems I have to do EVERYTHING in this fucking relationship."
"Leave Zexion out of this!" Demyx spat. Isa cackled.
"YOU! You're still alive?! HA! And that fucking kid. Oh how much fun I had fucking your brains out. Now it seems I get to do it all over again." Isa activated her berserker mode. "Let's dance!" she screamed.
XxXxX
Terra, Aqua, Seifer and Naminé found themselves at the entrance to the chapel. The room was just as eerie and gloomy as when Roxas last saw it. As they stepped inside, they could hear the distant sound of fighting.
"Do you think that's Roxas and Axel?" Naminé asked quietly.
"Maybe," Aqua muttered. They crept forward towards the gaping hole in the floor. As they peered over the edge, all they saw was an inky blackness. A sharp breeze struck them in the faces.
"If it is them, we should press on ahead," Terra stated. "They'll catch up."
"Right." As Aqua stood from her knees, the ground gave away. She shrieked and Terra grabbed her by the wrist. The floor crumbled away into the pit. They heard it crash into the ground far below.
"Fucking floor!" they heard Axel roar. "I'm going to kill Dem when we get out of this!" Terra pulled Aqua back to the safety of the solid floor and she clung tightly to his shirt.
"Well, at least we know where Roxas and Axel are," Naminé commented. "But then where are Sora and Riku?"
"Let's keep moving," Terra suggested.
"Why? We can't do anything without either Roxas or Axel there," Aqua argued, letting go of her husband.
"You're missing the point," Seifer interrupted. "Axel's part probably ran into a Knight on the way up here. Sora and Riku stayed to fight. Now Axel and Roxas are fighting a Knight of their own. That leaves one Knight, Isa, Xemnas, Xehanort and this Vanitas piece of shit. We're going to run into them eventually so we might as well take them out now. It'll make it easier for Axel and Roxas to get to the top floor later." There was a moment where the other three stared at the man. "What?" Seifer snapped, his one eye glaring.
"You're just so level headed," Naminé observed. "We're over here freaking out and you're making up new plans on the fly."
"In case you forgot, that's my job. I didn't get my Captain status by sleeping around."
"Right. Let's get moving then," Terra offered. The four skirted around the edges of the chapel and filed into the old throne room. Then they stepped into the first floor of Castle Oblivion. The glaring white walls were quite the contrast from the gloomy chapel and throne room they recently passed through.
"You two stay here. We'll go check up ahead," Seifer stated. He tugged Naminé away by her elbow to the next floor. Terra and Aqua watched them leave. Soon they were left alone in silence.
"Are you okay?" Terra asked.
"I'm just a bit shaken," she replied. "I didn't expect the floor to give out."
"I know what you mean." There was a loud explosion and they heard more floor collapsing. Aqua's eyes were wide in fear.
"Do you think…?" she whispered.
"I'll go check." As Terra reached for the door, he bounced off a reflect spell.
"Terra!" The brunette recovered and rubbed his sore hand.
"What was that about?" he wondered.
"Oh, just some fun." The pair turned to see Xehanort smiling at them from the bottom of the stair case. "I'm glad to see you again, Terra and Aqua."
XxXxX
Seifer and Naminé made it to the fifth floor without any resistance. Naminé was a bundle of nerves but Seifer retained his collected self.
"Where do you think the others are?" Naminé worried. She twisted her hands together nervously. Naminé was extremely glade she wasn't alone.
"Xemnas is probably on the thirteenth floor with Isa. The others might be farther up as a last resort defense," Seifer replied. "Although, it doesn't seem like they're very patient." Naminé watched Seifer pull out his gunblade in confusion. Then she turned and her eyes went wide in fear. She took a hesitant step back and her hand went to the grip of her Keyblade.
"You disrespect this Castle by being here. No one from Radiant Garden or Twilight Town should have survived. Your death was to be an example to the other worlds. Now I see I'll have to correct this mistake," Saïx snapped, drawing his broad sword and activating his berserker mode. Then he lunged.
XxXxX
"Long time no see," Xigbar teased. Axel gritted his teeth angrily. They had run into Xigbar shortly after they made it out of the water ways. The Knight still looked rather beat up from his dual with Axel but his attitude was still the same: smug asshole. Xigbar hung upside down from a large chandelier on the ceiling.
"Won't you just die?!" Roxas roared, his eyes livid.
"Now why would I want to do that?" Riku walked up to Axel.
"We'll take care of him. You two go on ahead," he muttered.
"Fine by me," Axel growled. He and Roxas ran past Xigbar farther into the lower grounds. They climbed a large duel staircase rose on the sides of a fountain and pushed through a small door. Sora drew his new sword and turned to Riku.
"Can we take him?" Sora asked quietly.
"We're going to try," Riku replied, also drawing his sword. Xigbar grinned and summoned his guns, loading them with large clips.
"This is going to be fun," Xigbar snickered.
XxXxX
Axel and Roxas forged ahead until they reached the chapel. As they ran around the sides, a large gust of wind knocked them from the ledge into the gaping hole. They fell quite a ways into a dark circular room where the dragon Demyx summoned once slept. Roxas managed to help break their fall before they broke their necks. They looked around wildly. They couldn't even see the light from the chapel above them.
"Great, now how do we get out?" Axel grumbled. Roxas drew his Keyblades.
"We take care of business first," he seethed. Axel arched an eyebrow but it quickly faded into a scowl. Xaldin descended into the room on a swirl of wind surrounded by his lances. His grin was unbearable.
"We meet again, Twilight Guard," he called out. Roxas ground his teeth together in irritation. "It seems we have a habit of running into each other."
"Drop dead!" Roxas barked.
"Ooh, scary. The dog still has a bite to it. Now let's see if his bite got any better." Xaldin brandished his lances and they flew downwards on to the pair on the ground. Roxas and Axel dove to the sides and rolled out of the way. Axel unclipped his chakrams and Roxas started channeling his light magic. Axel threw his chakrams as Roxas released a large light sphere from his Keyblades. The light crashed into the chakrams and the fire turned white. Xaldin used a blast of wind to try and knock them away but they flew true. He was knocked backwards into the wall, the wind knocked from his lungs.
Axel summoned his chakrams and Roxas's body started to glow in a soft halo of light. He dashed forward and his Keyblades crashed into the shaft of a lance. Roxas continued to pound Xaldin while the Knight tried to defend himself and fight his way out from the space next to the wall. Xaldin cast an aero shield as a pillar of fire erupted beneath his feet. The fire grew larger with the added oxygen. Roxas had to leap back to avoid getting burned.
Xaldin took the chance to attack. He used his wind power to blast Roxas into the air. Then he threw two of his lances. Roxas blocked one and the other skimmed his side as he twisted to avoid the attack. Axel ran forward and swung his chakrams. Xaldin blocked the attack and sent Axel flying backwards with a blast of wind. Roxas finally channeled enough energy to unleash one of his more powerful attacks. His Keyblades glowed brightly and light shot out from the bases, turning them into a pair of large swords each of their respective colors. Roxas cast the blades and they spun around underneath him slicing the walls and sending debris falling from the floor above.
Roxas swept his arms in front of him and a menagerie of light orbs appeared. They flew downwards towards Xaldin. The lancer leapt around with the help of his wind powers to avoid the orbs of light. He miscalculated and nearly jumped into an oncoming Oathkeeper. Xaldin bent over backwards just in time as the blade clipped the bottom edge of his chin. Blood ran from the cut.
Roxas felt the drain and he fell back to the ground. His swords leapt back to his hands and returned to their Keyblade form. Axel burst past him, his chakrams blazing, and knocked Xaldin off his feet. The lancer was sent rolling across the floor. Tiny drops of blood marked his trail as it was flicked from the man's chin. Axel chased after him and threw his chakrams. The wheels of fire lashed out at the enemy Knight and cracked his armor. Axel caught his chakrams as they flew back to him.
Roxas pressed the tips of his Keyblades together and channeled his light magic. A thin beam of light shot out from them and smashed into Xaldin. The lancer was slammed into the wall. His already cracked armor broke. Xaldin hissed as he staggered to his feet. He summoned his lances and they snapped together in a chain. The three at the end split apart, static forming between them. Roxas dashed forward and threw up a light shield as the static beam nearly crashed into Axel. The light shattered and they were shocked to the point their skin went numb.
Xaldin used a blast of wind to knock them into their air. Then he flew over, grabbed each of their heads, and smashed them together. Axel saw stars while Roxas was severely dazed. Xaldin's lances broke apart and sliced into the pair. Axel was pierced in the stomach while a thin red line appeared on his neck. Roxas felt one lance burry into his side and another in his shoulder. They were held suspended by Xaldin's wind.
"Ah, now doesn't this look familiar," the Knight mused. Roxas grunted and ripped the lance from his shoulder. Axel pulled the lance from his stomach and threw it at the other Knight. Xaldin merely caught it and flicked the blood away. Roxas pulled the second lance from his side and shut his eyes tightly. He created a bright flash of light. Xaldin and Axel were left seeing white. Roxas took the chance to send four beams of light crashing to the lancer.
As Xaldin was knocked off course, Roxas and Axel dropped back to the floor. Roxas heard the ground crumble above them. He looked up as a large chunk of floor rained on their heads. "Shit!" he barked. Roxas tackled Axel and the chunk of rock landed harmlessly beside them. Axel blinked several times to get his sight back.
"Fucking floor!" he roared. "I'm going to kill Dem when we get out of this!"
"Deal with him later," Roxas snapped. Xaldin was rising to his feet. "You ready?"
"Let's end this," Axel agreed. He increased the fire on his chakrams. Roxas pointed his Keyblades at Axel and reverse channeled. He used the memory of the feeling of Axel draining his strength to lend the Knight his power. Axel's fire flared and turned hot white. The red head threw the chakrams and they flashed across the space in a blink. The chakrams buried deeply into the wall and extinguished. Xaldin blinked.
Then he started laughing.
"You missed!" he called. He roared with laughter. Then he paused. "Huh?"
Blood exploded from Xaldin as he was ripped in half. Bits of the Knight shot in every which direction with a sickening splatter. The lances collapsed to the ground and turned to dust. Xaldin's blood stained face hit the floor, his eyes wide in shock.
Axel summoned his chakrams and held them at his side. He and Roxas were smeared with Xaldin's blood. Roxas picked off a piece of flesh from his arm and quickly flicked it away. Then he clipped his Keyblades to his sides.
"That worked well," he commented.
"Shit, Roxas, the guy exploded!" Axel shot back. Roxas shrugged.
"It was worth it. Besides, we're not doing that again anytime soon. I used up a lot of energy channeling my light magic into you. Be grateful it worked. We could have ended up like him if he caught us off guard again."
"Oh, um, I guess so. Thanks, by the way. You're really good in a fight." Roxas smiled lightly.
"Thanks. You're not too horrid yourself." Axel gave Roxas a shove and turned his chakrams into his transport.
"Come on. Let's get out of his Hell hole." Axel climbed on and Roxas slipped on behind him, gripping Axel's waist. Then they flew upwards into the chapel.
XxXxX
"What's the matter? Can't handle one Knight?" Xigbar taunted. Sora panted as he sat crouched behind the railing of the upper floor. He and Riku were split up and the other Militia was nowhere in range of hearing. Sora swallowed heavily and tried to calm his breathing. Axel had made fighting Xigbar look easy. Sora quickly realized Axel probably had a lot more military training than he did. Most of the Militia on Destiny Islands was self-taught.
There was a pause of quiet. Sora risked a peek over the railing. He heard guns click over his opposite shoulder. Sora's head whipped around and he leapt out of the way as a series of darts buried themselves into the carpet. He clambered to his feet.
"Thundara!" he called. Lightning rose from the ground and struck air as Xigbar teleported away. "Damn!" Sora whirled around and ducked as a large bolt shot over his head. It ricocheted off the wall and came back at him.
Riku leapt from behind Sora and smashed his sword into the bolt. It shattered and Sora breathed a sigh of relief. Riku pulled his friend to his feet as another bolt flew their way.
"Thanks!" Sora called breathlessly.
"Save it for when we win," Riku replied. He threw up a protect spell and a dozen darts crashed into it. Xigbar took his time to reload. "We're going to have to work together in order to win."
"How? We keep getting our asses handed to us." Riku frowned and threw up another protect spell. Xigbar's darts shattered on impact.
"Think of something!"
"You're the brains of this operation. I just follow orders." Riku rolled his eyes. They dove out of the way as a bolt flew by them. It bounced off the wall and flew into the ceiling, scraping the tiles. Riku suddenly got an idea.
"Sora, we're going to need to use physics."
"WHAT?!" the brunette protested. "But I'm horrible at science!"
"Then just go where I tell you to!" Riku snapped. Sora scowled but nodded in agreement. Riku called off his first point of interest and Sora slid down the railing on his feet to the floor below. Riku vaulted over the side and landed heavily.
"What's this little plan of yours?" Xigbar wondered. He laughed heartedly and merged his guns together. He teleported to a corner and took aim.
"Watch out!" Sora called. He leapt in front of Riku as the sniper round was fired. Sora blocked it with his sword and slashed the blade. A large crescent of light burst from the tip and flew back at Xigbar. The Knight teleported safely out of the way.
"Oh? This twerp can guard my most powerful attack. And counter it back at me! Call me impressed!" Xigbar shouted. Sora scowled. He wasn't the best fighter but he was known for his guard-block skills. Riku turned to Sora and nodded. The pair split up. Xigbar split his guns and took aim for Riku.
He fired a bolt at the silver haired man. Riku surprised the Knight when he threw up a reflect. The bolt bounced off and sailed across the floor over towards Sora. Sora guarded it and countered it towards Xigbar. The Knight teleported away to the chandelier. As his feet landed, he felt a great weight push against him.
"What?" He was forced downwards by the weight and slammed into the floor, metal and glass crushing him. Sora smiled in triumph. While Xigbar was concentrated on Sora, Riku ran over to one of Xigbar's other bolts bouncing around and reflected it back to Sora. As Xigbar teleported, Sora guarded and countered the bolt, shattering the supports.
Sora and Riku walked over to the crushed Knight. Xigbar was struggling to break free despite the blood pouring from between his lips. Riku raised his blade and slammed it into the Knight's chest. Xigbar gasped, spraying blood into the air. Then he shuddered and fell silent.
Sora let out a sigh of relief. "One less Knight to worry about," he muttered. Riku nodded and flicked the blood form his blade. The pair sheathed their swords and relaxed for a second. "We're you planning that the whole time?" Sora wondered, tilting his head to the side. Riku smirked.
"Not really. I wanted to bring the chandelier on him but I always forget about your guard. I'm actually impressed it withstood his sniper round," Riku admitted.
"Me too." There was a pause. "Should we go?"
"Yeah, let's go meet up with the others." They climbed the stairs and headed through the small door deeper into the lower grounds.
Echoes of mortar fire sounded in the distance.
A/N-Musical Muse: She Wolf-Shakira; and the Google Doodle today (had the most calming music to listen to)
OH! And give a big thank you to Super Junior! Their music helped to kick my butt back into writing mode after being a zombie for the past four days. :)