Author's Note: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.
Ch.45 Hollow Bastion
When we arrived in Traverse Town Cid told us he'd install the Navigation Gummi right away. In the meantime, we had to wait. We walked through town, and as we did I noticed that Sora's expression was sadder than usual. Without saying anything, I tapped Donald and Goofy and the shoulder. They looked back at me, and I jerked my head in Sora's direction. They saw his expression and nodded. "Sora!" Donald said. "Hmm?" he said, looking up. "Now, remember what Donald say to ya: no frowning, no sad faces," Goofy reminded him. Sora looked at all of us. "How can you be so cheerful? There's no sign of your king, or any way to get your friend's back. Aren't you worried?" he asked.
I shook my head. "I've been trying to think of a way to save my friends for years. I can afford to be patient," I said. "Yeah. And as for the king, he told us to go and find the key bearer, and we found you. So as long as we stick together, it'll all work out okay. You just gotta believe in yourself, that's all," Goofy told him. I nodded, mildly surprised by Goofy's sage wisdom. Then again, he had shown that rather often- Donald and Sora just didn't listen. "Just believe..." Sora said, looking at the sky and closing his eyes. I did the same, when suddenly I felt something change in the light I could sense from Sora's heart. It was as if something was... calling him. "Sora?" Donald asked, and I looked to see that he didn't respond.
"Uh, Sora? Are you okay?" Goofy asked. "Let me see," I said, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Closing my eyes, I reached out felt his heart. Suddenly my vision was blinded with light, before resolving itself into another place. I recognized it as the library of Hallow Bastion, and sitting in a chair was an old woman. A little girl with red hair sat in front of her, listening intently as the old woman spoke. "Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light, but people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And so darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared.
"But small fragments of light survived...in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light still sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light will return. So, listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away. Do you understand, Kairi?" she said. My eyes widened, and I looked at the girl. "Kairi?!" I repeated. Then, before I could do anything else, I was surrounded by light once more.
When it faded I was back in Traverse Town, my hand on Sora's shoulder. "Hey! Dexal! Sora!" Donald yelled. "What?" Sora said, blinking. "You both just spaced out there for a second!" Goofy told us. I shook my head. "Um, it was nothing. No need to be worried, ," I said. They hesitated a second, before nodding. I looked at Sora, and I could see he was thinking the same thing. Did Kairi call out to him? I was about to say something, but then Cid walked up behind us. "Hey, you four! I installed that navigation gummi. But, ya know? That place is crawling with Heartless. Don't say I didn't warn you," he said. I nodded, saying "Thanks, Cid." The pilot nodded back and walked away, and I looked at the others. "Well, you ready?" I asked. They nodded, and we left Traverse Town for the Gummi Ship.
When we arrived at Hallow Bastion we dropped into the middle of the Rising Falls. All around us were waterfalls that rose up instead of down, ignoring the laws of physics. Ahead were a series of floating stones that would lead closer to the the castle, one that I now knew to be Maleficent's. Looking around I felt a pang of grief; so this is what the once-great Radiant Garden had been reduced to. "Gawrsh, look at that!" Goofy said, pointing at the falls. "Hey, wasn't this place once your home, Dexal?' Donald asked. "It was," I said, but then Sora slowly stepped forward. "I know this place..." he said softly. My eyes grew wide and I looked at him. Did he just say what I thought he did?
"Really? That's strange," Goofy said. "I wonder why... I feel this warmth inside, right here," Sora said, placing his hand over his heart. "Aw, you're just hungry," Donald said dismissively. "I'm serious!" Sora replied. I watched, astounded. Was Ventus's heart within Sora reacting to being here? I looked forward. What else was going to happen here? My answer came in the sound of a massive roar, one that caused the stones beneath us to vibrate. "What was that?" Goofy said, looking around. I summoned my Stormfell, and said "Let's find out." Using the stones we made it to the castle gates, where I saw a scene begin to unfold. Farther in front of us was Riku, who looked down at the other person with curiosity. And the the other person... wasn't even human.
He was huge but with his back hunched over, and every inch of him was covered in thick dark brown fur, lighter over his chin and eyebrows. His fingers ended in sharp claw, as did his toes, and his feet were like paws. His teeth were fangs with overly long canines, two horns grew from the top of his head, and all he wore was a pair of dark blue pants and a purple cape held in front with an orange pin. Both of them glared at each other, the intensity of their gazes equal. "No vessel, no help from the Heartless... So tell me, how'd you get here?" Riku asked. "I simply believed. Nothing more to it," the beast said, his voice just as deep and powerful as I would have expected. "When our world feel into darkness, Belle was taken from me. I vowed I would find her again no matter what the cost. I believed I would find her. So, here I am. She must be here."
Then he looked up, and yelled "I will have her back!" "Take her if you can," Riku replied. The beast roared and leaped at Riku, but he dodged and countered with his Soul Eater. The beast fell back and dropped to one knee, injured. Finally I could watch no more, and as I ran neither could the others. "Stop!" Sora called. "This has gone far enough!" I said. Riku smirked at our arrival. "So, you two finally made it. About time; I'd been waiting for you. Sora, you and I have always been rivals, huh? You've pushed me as I've pushed you," he said. "Riku..." Sora said. The silver-hair ignored him, and looked at me. "And you, Dexal. You were also the 'big brother' to the three of us, guiding and teaching while still being a friend. But you always had a sense of misery, as if you yourself were beyond help. It took me a long time to figure it out, but now I know exactly what you are," he said.
Riku pointed at me and announced. "You're a Heartless, one that also has the power to use the Keyblade," he said. I gasped. Riku had realized the truth. Before I could say anything though, Sora said "So what of he is? Despite being a Heartless, he fights the darkness inside himself. Unlike you!" Riku scoffed. "Believe what you want to. I've controlled Heartless, and I know what they're like. You'll either end up taking someone's heart to satisfy yourself, or be consumed by light until you no longer exist. It's inevitable," he said. I looked away. Those words were as if they had been plucked from my own thoughts. In the end, what would happen to a Heartless like me? Would I give in to my dark instincts, or be burnt away by the light I still tried to protect? While I was thinking Riku looked back at Sora.
"But that rivalry ends today. There can't be two true Keyblade masters," he said. "What Are you talking about?" Sora asked, confused. "Let the Keyblade choose... it's true master!" Riku said, flinging out his hand. All of a sudden the Fairy Harp appeared in Sora's hand, and it tried to pull itself out of Sora's hands. I whipped my head around just in time to see it disappear, reappearing as the Kingdom Key... in Riku's hand. "Huh?!" Donald said. "What?!" Goofy seconded. "Impossible!" I yelled. Riku's smirk grew wider, and he tilted his new weapon from side to side, admiring it. "Maleficent was right. You don't have what it takes to save Kairi. It's up to me. Only the Keyblade master can open the secret door... and change the world," he announced.
I felt the ground was shifting under from all of these shocks. Riku knew I was a Heartless? The Keyblade was actually his? He and Maleficent knew of the secret door? "But that's impossible. How did this happen. I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!" Sora protested. "You were just the delivery boy. Sorry, your part's over now. Here, go play hero with this," Riku told him. He tossed a wooden swords at his feet, one just like the kind back on Destiny Islands. Sora fell to his knees in disappointment. Riku turned and walked away, heading for the second. For a long moment there was silence, save for the sounds of the falls around us. Then, eventually, Donald sighed and said "Goofy, let's go. We have to remember our mission."
Goofy blinked. "Oh! Well, I know the king told us to follow the key and all... But..." he said, looking back at Sora. Donald looked back too, saying "Sora, sorry." They began to go on, when they saw that I wasn't following. "Aren't you coming too, Dexal? You said your job was to train the Keyblade wielder," Donald said. I looked back at Sora, before ahead at the castle. Back and forth I looked, trying to decide. Then I felt my heart make the decision for me, and I slowly shook my head. Slowly I shook my head, and went to stand beside Sora. "You guys go on. I've got another duty to take care of," I said. Donald looked, at me, before saying "Okay." They both left, and I looked down at Sora. I did have another duty- taking care of my friends.
Sora did have Ven's heart within him, but it was more than that. When I had become a Heartless and hidden at the islands, Sora, Riku and Kairi were still but children. While I was physically incapable of aging because I was a Heartless, I had watched the three of them grow. It wasn't just the heart within Sora that I had forged a connection with- it was Sora as well. He was my friend too. And so, I reached down and grabbed his arm, pulling him up. "Hey, don't lose hope now. We know Kairi is here. If we want to get her back, we have to fight," I said. Sora looked at me, unsure, and we were both interrupted by a groan of pain. The beast had tried to move forward, bit his injured side kept him from going. Sora rushed next to him.
"Hey, don't move. You're hurt," he said. "Why... Why did you come here?" the beast asked. "I came to fight for Belle. And though I am own my own, I will fight. I won't leave without her. That's why I'm here," he said. Sora was quiet, before turning away. I made to stop him, but then he reached down and picked up the wooden sword. "Me too. I'm not gonna give up now. I came here to find someone very important to me," he said. I smiled and said "That's it." With our help the beast was able to stand, and I cast Curaga on his wounds. "What's your name?" I asked. "My name is Beast. Or the Beast, whichever you prefer," Beast said. "My name is Sora," Sora said, and I held out my hand. "Dexal," I said. He looked at me, surprised that I would shake hands with someone like him. Then he made a small smile and shook my hand.
Far ahead we heard a locking sound, one that recognized as those of the entrance doors. "Let's work together and find the way to open those up," I offered. Beast nodded, and as one the three of us moved on.
Although the main character of one of my favorites Disney movies has appeared, at the same time Sora has lost the Keyblade! Can he get it back?
Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)