Your reward for waiting this long is an extra long chapter! (Insert cheering) Enjoy!
Disclaimer- I claim no ownership of the KH franchise.
I finally get a good look at my location while the red-haired man paces the perimeter of the room. The chamber seems to be made of a the roots of a gigantic plant! Roots as thick as a tree snake around the edge, sometimes venturing to the middle. Actually, this place almost looks like it was a once beautiful room.
So absorbed in the architecture as I was, the man's voice startles me. "So, another aspiring Keyblade master." I turn to face him.
What does he mean by another? There's no way he could be talking about anyone I know. Yen said there were only a handful left in the universe. "What are you talking about?"
A sly smile creeps onto his face. "The name's Axel, got it memorized?" He says. What is with this guy? "Now, let's get started!"
Axel snaps open his palms and a ring of fire appears in both of his hands. A crackling sound fills the air as two flame colored chakrams appear in Axel's hands. "What do ya say we heat things up a little?"
A ring of flames leap up from the ground, trapping me with Axel. The only way out must be to defeat him. I grip Rising Sun tighter. Then that's what I'll do!
I rush at Axel, but he just gives me another sly grin. "Now that's what I like to see!" Before I can reach him, Axel chucks a flaming chakram at me. I block it with Rising Sun, but the impact jars my entire body and flames wash over me.
When I look again, Axel is behind me. Using his chakrams as a melee weapon, he attacks fiercely. Defenseless, I fall to the full force of his attacks. Axel falters for a moment and I stand shakily onto my feet.
"Don't tell me you're giving up already?" Is this guy just playing with me? If he is, there's no way I'm letting him win!
"Heal!" I shout. A green light of a curaga envelops me and heals my bruises and injuries instantly. Time to get this show on the road! First things first, I need to cool this guy off!
"Deep Freeze!" I shout. I focus all of my magic into this attack. Ice, ice, ice! With painstaking effort, I create a large ball of ice and center it over Axel's head.
"What was that supposed to do?" Axel laughs. "Are you making snow cones?" I give him one of his own grins when he realizes my plan. The intensified heat burned straight through the ice, right onto Axel!
All of the flames suddenly die down as Axel himself coughs and sputters from the sudden downpour. Just enough time to escape! I run from the original wall of flame and look for an exit. There doesn't seem to be one, though! I settle for hiding behind a large root and waiting for Axel to leave.
"I know you're around here somewhere!" I hear Axel shout. The sound reverberates throughout the chapel. I flatten myself against the ground. I hope he doesn't see me!
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this!" Axel sighs. "Burn, Baby!" A searing heat engulfs the room. Even the wall are starting to glow red! I suddenly feel a burning sensation in my feet. I gasp at the sight. The floor turned to hot coals!
I jump up screaming in pain. "Hot, hot, hot!" Unfortunately, that alerted Axel to my presence.
"There you are!" The area beneath me heats up even more, so I hop up onto the root nearby. I cast a blizzard spell onto my feet to keep them from burning up. I feel pretty good about this plan, actually.
"Now what, Axel?" I taunt. I launch blizzard after blizzard at the pyro from my high perch. The room cools down the more distracted he is by the ice. Sadly, I run out of magic before long. He seems hurt, but not enough to stop fighting!
He grins deviously. "Don't tell me I didn't warn you!" When did he warn me? He raises his hands into the air and glows with a red aura and the temperature rises higher than ever before. I can see the heat materialize in waves!
I can feel my clothes damp with sweat, but he's not done yet. A volley of fireballs narrowly miss my head, instead hitting a root behind me. It bursts into flame and I start running. The root I'm on catches fire as I run up. Before long, the blaze is licking at my heels.
All the while, Axel keeps hurling fireball at me. One manages to hit an I almost fall off the root. But the danger of approaching flames spurs me on and I keep running.
Not long after that specific incident, I reach the top o the root. I back up against the wall and watch the flames get precariously close. I look down and see that the floor looks like molten lava now! Even if I got down there, I still burn from the either fire! So this is how it's going to end.
The flames grow ever nearer but a thought surfaces. Maybe one that coup save me. I lift Rising Sun high. I feel the magic coursing through me as a bright light shine from within my Keyblade. "Tinker Bell!"
I find myself in the same dark nothingness where I met Wall•E. The heat immediately disappears and I sigh in relief. Soon enough, a bright ball of light flies around me. I soon recognize it as Tinker Bell.
"Ready to help?" I ask. She nods and the fight flashes back as if nothing had happened. But one thing is different. I have a friend.
I dive from my perch to the surprise of Axel. "What!" Tinker Bell swirls around me, sprinkling Pixie dust all over. At the last second, I pull up and fly straight toward Axel with Rising Sun pointed straight at him.
The Keyblade jabs him hard in he stomach. (It's not like I actually wanted to impale him.) I drive Axel into the wall and smash him into it. Immediately, he flames die down and the room becomes hospitable. I sigh in relief. He's finally defeated.
"We'll done, kid." Axel suddenly says. Surprised, I leap away. Rising Sun flashes back into my hand. Axel stands from the hole in the wall. He looks remotely beat up, but relatively fine. But how?
Axel holds his palms out in surrender. "Relax. I'm done here. My job is finished. Now I'm out of here." A corridor of darkness envelops Axel and he disappears from view. He's a hard guy to figure out.
I quickly heal a majority of my burns and search for a way out. As if answering my wishes and fears, Riku appears. He is annoyed.
"I thought they were supposed to finish you off for me!" He growls. I can hear even less of Riku now. I need to help him before it's too late!
"Riku, I know you're in there! Just fight the darkness!"
His voice chills me to the bone. "You fool." Riku chuckles to himself. "You just can't stop seeing the light in everyone. Even when it's gone forever. In any case, this should take care of you."
Riku holds out his palm cloaked in darkness. In a flash, I find myself floating a few feet above the ground. A quick check confirms that Riku is using the same technique he used in our fight earlier. Only this time, it's a thousand times more powerful! A crushing feeling presses against my entire body and I moan.
I try to move my arm to summon the Keyblade, but I still can't move a muscle. Not as if I expected any results. Maybe I can work some light magic on this...
I close my eyes and focus on all of the good things I can recall. The light wells up, but I can't release it at all. Either I'm out of magic or Riku is stronger than I thought.
All of a sudden, the crushing force increases. I feel like I'm going to explode! "Wha- What are you doing!" I manage to wheeze.
"What needs to be done." The force finally releases me, but sharp pain goes through my chest, quickly replacing it for Agony of The Week. I drop to the floor and curl up where I lay. "Have fun in the Realm of Darkness!" Riku says. I think he leaves, but nothing really gets through the pain.
All I can feel is the pain coursing through my body. A weak groan escapes my lips when I attempt to move. I think I lay there for twenty minutes before I could gather the strength to stand. I try casting a cure spell, but it only slightly eases the pain. I need to get out of here!
I stumble toward a portal, not really caring where it came from. All I know is that it's a way out.
The exit of the portal is a large chapel, it looks just as ruined as the last room I was in. What could have happened to this world?
Nearby, an ornate door stands. I stagger toward it, but as soon as I open it, I collapse. Well, someone will find me here. My eyes close and I pass out.
***Kingdom Hearts***
"Wake up, Kaze!" A voice says. It sounds distant and muffled, but familiar. "I said wake up!" A sharp sound and pain flashes on my cheek and I jerk awake. Standing over me is Yen. "You're awake! I was afraid I'd have to use a thunder spell!" He whispers.
"Yeah, I'm awake." I try to stand, but the pain in my chest returns and I fall forward. Luckily, Yen catches me.
"Are you alright?"
"Not really, Riku did something to me. Something not even a Curaga can fix."
"That's harsh. Just relax for a while until everyone comes back. I'm sure Donald will know what to do."
The next twenty minutes went by strangely. I drifted in and out of consciousness frequently, having strange dreams. I didn't remember any details though. Just a general feeling of fear.
After a while, Sora, Donald, Beast, Goofy, and Matt walked out of the same portal I did and ran over to me. "Donald, don't you have a spell for this?" Sora asks, worried.
"I don't even know what's wrong with him. We need to get back to Traverse Town!"
I stop the conversation right there. "We can't go back now! We have too many important things to do!" Surprised, everyone marvels at my outburst.
"He's right, guys." Matt says. "We can't just stop now."
"Then let's go save all of the worlds!" Goofy cheers.
"Right!" We all say. Everyone charges through the door (albeit I was a lot slower) into whatever awaited us.
Inside, a familiar room awaited us. The same one with all the women seemingly asleep. Where I was trapped before, I see Kairi's body on the ground. Riku stands before her, staring into the enormous heartless symbol.
Sora suddenly runs up the stairs to Kairi. Donald and Goofy follow, but as soon as Donald and Sora go through, a barrier flashes behind them. Goofy slams into it and the rest of us come to his aid.
"The Keyhole cannot be completed so as long as the last princess of heart still sleeps." Riku suddenly says, still turned around. Oh no! I can't even hear Riku now! He's gone, under someone else's control. "The princess...?" I say aloud.
"Kairi's a princess?" Sora says.
Riku turns around and begins to float a foot or two off of the ground. "Yes, and without her power, the Keyhole will remain incomplete. It is time she awakened." Sora seems to have noticed the change in Riku as well. He summons Sleeping Lion.
"Whoever you are, let Riku go! Give him back his heart!"
"But first, you must give the princess back her heart." Sora suddenly gasps and falls to his knees. I see a flash of light come from his chest. Everyone stares in confusion. What is going on here?
"Sora!" Donald shouts
"What's-" Sora wheezes.
"Don't you see yet?" Riku says. "The princess's heart is responding. It has been there all along. Kairi's heart rests within you!" What! "Kairi... Kairi's inside me?"
"I know all that there is to know." Riku says. Now I know it's not Riku.
Sora finally asks the question all of us wanted the answer to. "Tell me. Who are you?"
"It is I, Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness." Ansem? As in the King of Leon's home world. At least that explains where he's been all this time.
Quite suddenly, Donald runs at Riku to try and attack, but he is simply smacked aside, outside of the barrier! Now Sora's in there all alone!
"So, I shall release you now, Princess. Complete the Keyhole with your power. Open the door, lead me into everlasting darkness!" Ansem starts to swing his Keyblade down upon Sora. Powerless to help, the rest of us simply stand and watch in horror. I thought what I went through was bad, but it seems Ansem has full intent to kill Sora while he's defenseless.
Clang!
A flash of light blinds us, but when it clears, Sora stands there, blocking Ansem's attack! Yes! "Forget it!" Sora growls, "There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!"
"So be it!" Ansem's body glows with darkness and he dashes past Sora at an incredibly high speed. He only appears as a blur of darkness! Sora narrowly dodges, but Riku disappears and reappears somewhere else, still a blur.
"How can we help him?" Yen mutters. "He can't take Riku on his own!"
"Then we'll help indirectly!" Matt says. "Keep casting spells, those can at least get through." Donald and Yen repeatedly sent spells through the barrier, either to heal Sora or attack Ansem.
Matt and I worked on destroying the barrier between us, but that didn't actually work at all. Every time we tried to hit the barrier, it shocked us. It didn't help that I was still in terrible pain.
Vanitas suddenly speaks up. "I can help with that. All you have to do is let me take control."
"I'm not going to do that! I can't use darkness ever again!"
"Do you want your brother to be alive or not?" That hit home.
I stop for a moment, but eventually say, "Fine, do what you need to do." Suddenly, every muscle in my body locks up and I fall over. Everything goes black.
***Kingdom Hearts***
I find myself in the place with the glass platforms again. I really need a name for this place, huh? Strangely, Vanitas is nowhere to be seen.
"What are you doing!" I hear Matt say. He sounds like I'm under water. Muffled and distant.
"Snap out of it, Kaze!" That was Yen. What's going on? I walk to the edge of the glass and look down. Instead of he foggy nothingness usually there, I see Yen, Donald, Goofy, and Matt standing as if they're blocking something.
"Out of my way!" That was Vanitas's voice! A strange Keyblade flashes across my vision and the four of them fall over. That had to be the fastest Keyblade strike I've ever seen! And what is Vanitas doing out there? At least that explains why he's not here.
I sit down on the edge of the glass wit my legs hanging over the side and watch. Vanitas walks up to the barrier and simply holds his Keyblade out in front of himself. A dark aura surrounds it and with a loud explosion, the barrier disintegrates.
I stand up, waiting to return to my body, but nothing happens. "Vanitas!" I shout. "You said you'd just get rid of the barrier!"
Vanitas's reply chills my bones. "I never said that. I think I'll just keep control over your body!"
"I don't think so!" I say instinctively. I summon Rising Sun and point it at the foggy sky. A beam of light fires from the tip and lights the dark fog slowly fades away, leaving pure white. In the distance, I can see Vanitas falling down, seemingly asleep. Or is that just my imagination?
***Kingdom Hearts***
I open my eyes to see I'm back in the room with Sora and Ansem. A quick check confirms I'm back in control! But what just happened?
I take a look around to see what happened while Vanitas had control, but I gasp when I see what happened. I am pointing my Keyblade at Sora's heart.
Both Sora and Ansem stare in shock. "Kaze, what just happened?" Sora asks.
"Forget it." I lower Rising Sun. "Let's deal with Ansem first!" Sora nods, but he still seems disturbed by my actions. I shrug it off, though. We have more important things to worry about.
I shoot a Firaga at Ansem because I can't exactly move around too much. Sora jumps up into the air to swing down at Riku. Sleeping Lion glows with light and my Firaga zeroes in on it. Fire and light mix, creating a rainbow of colors around Sora's Keyblade. Ansem gasps as Sora cuts right through him.
"What? How... Is this... possible!" He cries. Ansem fades away. I tried to grab him, in hope that Riku was still in there, but I was too late. He is gone.
Everyone soon regains consciousness, but they still seem wary around me. They do have a right to, I guess. Abruptly, we all hear a deep thud near Kairi's frail form. We all look at it in surprise. It's Ansem's Keyblade!
Sora stares at it and Kairi in turn. I can tell what he's thinking.
"Sora, don't do this! We'll find another way to free Kairi's heart!" Yet, he picks it up. "Sora, please!"
He looks at us and grins one of his goofy grins. He turns it toward his chest and grips the opposite end. "Sorry, guys!" Then, he plunges the dark Keyblade into his chest.
Sorry if that last part felt rushed. It was harder to write than the rest. I hope you enjoyed it.