(Battle Music Cue: L'Oscurità dell'Ignot – DDD)
"My name is Kairi, I am a Keyblade Apprentice under Keyblade Master Sora! I love him with all my heart like I love each and every one of my friends! And if I am going to help save the person that you and your fellow Sisters have doomed, by going through you, then so be it!" Kairi declared before being enveloped by the radiant light, causing everyone to shield their eyes. When the light faded, everyone's eyes widened in surprise to see Kairi was clad in a simple white dress, her hair long and flowing white, her feet and hands were bare, a pair of glowing angelic wings, and a halo over her head. In her hand was a double edged sword that shimmered and shined in the light. Kairi had jumped straight into her Eternal Sun Command Style. Sixth blinked in surprise for a moment before raising a hand out to the side, conjuring a black whip to her hand.
"I don't care who you are, you will feel my love and you will give me your heart!" Sixth yelled before cracking her whip towards Kairi, but Kairi merely allowed the whip to coil around her left arm. Sixth grinned for a moment before Kairi grabbed the whip with her left hand and pulled hard, causing the alarmed Sixth to be sent flying towards Kairi. Kairi calmly reared back before delivering a devastating punch to Sixth's stomach, the punch sending her flying clear into the wall on the opposite side of the room. The other Keyblade Wielders were left stunned by Kairi's sudden rise in strength.
"Whoa! When did she get this powerful?!" Axel yelped.
"Never underestimate the power of light, Axel. It's stronger than anything you could possibly imagine. But there's more to this than meets the eye." Namine said, proud to see her Other's strength as a still stunned Sixth rose to her feet.
"Little BRAT!" Sixth yelled, charging towards Kairi, summoning her whip again. Kairi calmly dismissed her sword and took up a defensive stance. When Sixth attempted to attack, Kairi used Sixth's momentum and her own comparatively low center of gravity to grab Sixth in a shoulder throw, sending Sixth flying towards the wall to the right of the door, causing Sixth to smash through the wall onto the outside promenade. Kairi quickly looked back at the others.
"Go on ahead! I've got this one!" She shouted as she extended her wings and with a single flap, was sent flying after Sixth.
"Should we leave her alone?" Xenix asked.
"Heh, Kairi's got this." Axel replied, confidently as they hurried towards the hole in the wall, watching as Kairi and Sixth battled each other in the skies over the palace and wasteland.
"Being a Princess of Heart, she has the power of her pure light in her heart. Add that to her Keyblade powers, and that power multiplies exponentially. As for Sixth, she's challenging a foe who only knows a love that transcends lust. To Kairi, to love someone is to not crave anything more than to simply be around and protect the people she cares for. Sixth won't be able to touch her at all." Namine explained as Riku watched the battle for a moment and then smirked.
"More than that, Namine. On a physical level, Kairi's tapped into something I had only theorized could have existed. She's tapped into a Light Form, the opposite of my Dark Form. That's something only a Princess of Heart could tap into." Riku explained.
"Come on, we better get going." Namine said as they hurried for the door on the other side (End Battle Music, but keep it handy for now).
Meanwhile…
Si'Lea, Aqua, and their team had gotten higher up in the Palace, spotting another pair of doors in front of them.
"Look! Up ahead!" Ven exclaimed, throwing the doors open to find themselves within what appeared to be a large alchemy lab.
"Where are we now?" Aqua asked as they looked around. Si'Lea then nudged Aqua slightly, motioning forward. On the opposite wall was the other door but standing between them and the door was a smirking Third.
"Well-well, I wasn't expecting you to get this far. I'm not surprised you got past Fifth, though. The little miser was always so confident her spells were the best. Always anticipated that would do her in. Always did envy her reserves though. Quite a trove if you ask me." Third commented.
"And who might you be?" Terra asked.
"She's Third, the Lady of Jealousy." Si'Lea replied.
"Envy?" Terra asked.
"Mmm-hmm." Si'Lea replied.
"What's the matter? Jealous of my looks? I know Fourth is the Lady of Arrogance, but I simply cannot see myself as anything more than the fairest of the Sisterhood." Third commented with a chuckle as Terra stepped forward.
"Aqua, Si'Lea, Ven, Mickey…go on ahead without me. I'll deal with her alone." Terra said as the other four looked at him in surprise.
"We're not going to leave without ya, pal!" Mickey said as Terra stopped.
"I can handle her. Besides, I'd rather you not be here to witness this." Terra said, earning an intrigued look from Third.
"Hmm, your heart's rather interesting. Dark and cloudy but still enough light to go around. I wonder if you wish to give your heart to me." Third commented as Terra glared at her.
"You don't want my heart. I can assure you of that." Terra said as Third chuckled and pointed towards him, her serrated dagger held in her hand.
"Oh? Why would I not? Is there something you wish to hide? Someone you're jealous of perhaps? Let's see then. Mirror-mirror, from worlds apart, show to me the envy of his heart." Third said, pointing at Terra for a moment but nothing happened. Third froze in confusion.
"Mirror-mirror, from worlds apart, show to me the envy of his heart!" she repeated but again nothing happened.
"What's going on?" Ven asked as Aqua frowned in slight sadness.
"I think I understand." She replied softly.
"Your power to exploit my own jealousy won't work on me, Witch." Terra said, surprising Third.
"What?! Impossible! Everyone envies something or someone! You have to be jealous of something or someone!" Third yelled as Terra scowled at her.
"Take a closer look at my Heart. You saw the darkness within it, you saw the scars. Each of those scars were caused by the Darkness I allowed to control me for nearly eleven years. Each scar is a reminder of how I have caused every friend of mine I've ever known to have suffered because of me in some way. I caused Aqua to wander in Darkness, I caused Ven to lose his Heart and fall asleep, I caused Si'Lea to have to act on her own because of my actions, without any support or backup from the three of us! Even Mickey has been forced to act alone all because I allowed my Darkness to control me! So there's no one I envy, no one in these worlds, because everyone I see, everyone I meet, has somehow suffered because of me. And so now I fight for them, to atone for my past sins." Terra explained as Third set her sights on the other four.
"Is that so? Then perhaps I'll see what they envy the most!" Third yelled as she charged towards them, meaning to fly past Terra but was stunned when her dagger was knocked from her hand, sending it flying across the room. Third froze as she looked at her empty hand, shaking in disbelief.
"Wh-what?" she asked softly, looking over towards Terra whose Keyblade rested in his hand at his side.
"I didn't even see him move! I'd almost forgotten how fast he is with that Keyblade." Si'Lea commented.
"Guys, please…leave me be. I don't want you to see this." Terra said as Third backed away.
"Terra, we're not going without you." Aqua said as Terra took a deep breath.
"I understand." He replied, Third conjuring a serrated sword to her hand, a look of panic on her face as she pointed the sword at Terra.
"Mirror-mirror I elect! Give him something to refle-MMPH!" She yelped as Terra suddenly bolted forward, leaving a thick black cloud swirling around him as he approached, the smoke enveloping them both.
"What's going on?! What just happened?!" Si'Lea asked, Aqua Ven, and Mickey all watching with a look of visible fear. Finally, the smoke cleared, revealing Terra with his hand closed around her throat, holding her into the air. What made the others' eyes widen in shock though was that Terra had changed. He now wore the black coat, gloves, and boots of Organization XIII, his skin had become noticeably more tanned, and his hair was now a distinct shade of white/silver. His eyes however were still the familiar blue. (Ambiance Cue: Key of Darkness – BBS)
"Is-…Is that-…" Ven stammered in shock.
"Xehanort? No…it's still Terra…I think." Aqua replied as Terra looked calmly up at the struggling Third.
"I know what you feel, Creature of Nothingness. You were turned away from both the Light, and the Darkness. Yet while fumbling in Nothingness, you found solace in the Darkness, allowed it to pervert your thoughts, fill you with hopeless dreams of achieving that which you crave: A Heart." Terra said, although speaking with Xehanort's distinct tones. Third was looking down at him in terror as he held her aloft.
"I remember once craving that which you once craved. I remember what it was like, to not feel emotion, and so I faded into Darkness, chasing a goal that would doom others. Did I have remorse? At that time, I was incapable of such a feeling. But now?" Terra asked. Third quickly summoned her serrated sword and tried to swing at him but he released her, blocking with Xehanort's Keyblade, Darkness Seeker. Third leapt back in fear of Terra's power.
"First spoke of you! She'd heard legend of you from her pawn, the one with the eyepatch! Braig!" Third said, earning surprised looks from Aqua and Ven.
"Braig?! So she was the one who commissioned the Neo-Beings!" Ven exclaimed.
"Is that so? And what did the Lady of Wrath learn of me? What was my name?" Terra asked, Third, starting to back away, not noticing a strange Corridor of Darkness opening within the floor behind her.
"X-X-Xehanort!" she stammered as Terra narrowed his eyes towards her.
"Then if you know of me, then answer me this. The Lady of Wrath has taken something that I care deeply for. Tell me, Lady of Jealousness…why do I care for this girl? Why do I seek nothing but her protection? Why, in failing that, do I seek to avenge her being taken from these worlds? Why do I want to protect…Nixe?" Terra asked, earning a surprised look from Si'Lea.
"Terra." Si'Lea whispered but then gasped as she saw something rising from behind Third, a large Heartless-like creature…
The Guardian.
Third didn't notice it and kept backing up, visibly shaking in fear of his power.
"I-I-I don't know! I really don't!" Third replied as Terra relaxed his gaze.
"Very well, Lady of Jealousness. You have satisfied my curiosity. Now…" Terra said, raising his empty hand towards her, his gaze fixed upon her. (End ambiance)
"…be gone, Witch. Be gone, and return to the Darkness from whence you came." Terra commanded, the Guardian suddenly grabbing her from behind, Third attempting to struggle but there was a brief flash of light followed by a loud metallic slashing sound that echoed through the room. Third looked and saw Terra holding Darkness Seeker straight out to the side. Third looked down and saw a black cut across her midsection, the cut suddenly emitting Dark energy in a sudden torrent before it stopped. The Guardian released her before it vanished, Darkness starting to suddenly rise from around her as she began fading into Darkness. She said nothing but look on in fear as she faded away, Terra watching her quietly with a pitying gaze as she faded. Finally, there was nothing left of her and Terra took a cleansing breath. His clothes and hair started to flutter, his Keyblade disappearing before his Dark Form seemed to evaporate before their eyes, leaving him in his normal state. He took another breath before lowering his head sadly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see that." Terra said, turning slowly towards them.
"You're still you though, right?" Ven asked as Terra gave a nod.
"What you saw…it was a manifestation of the Darkness I carry in my heart. It's taken me some time to learn to control it. Luckily I had the help of Riku, who's been on a similar journey…and I also had the support of my good friends." Terra said with a small smile, earning similar sympathetic smiles from his friends. Si'Lea however was more stunned than anything as she approached.
"Aqua never told me what happened to you…Master Yen Sid…he'd said you'd disappeared into Darkness, but I never…" she said as Terra gave a nod.
"I'll understand if you don't want to get used to this. I fear for your safety more than I do mine. Were I to ever lose control, you know I'd want you to do all within your power, to stop me, even if it meant killing me." Terra said as the other three approached.
"That'll never happen. Not while we're around." Ven said, Mickey nodding in agreement.
"You will always be surrounded by the light, Terra, whether you know it or not." Mickey said, Terra nodding in agreement.
"Then let's not waste any more time. We need to move on and confront First." Terra said, the others nodding and heading for the door. As they walked, Si'Lea couldn't help but look at the back of his head.
"Terra…what did you mean by, you cared for Nixe? You've never even met her." Si'Lea said as Terra paused, the other three continuing on.
"I wish I knew. When I first met Xenix, I felt this strange feeling that I needed to protect her. I can't explain it. Do you have any idea as to why?" Terra asked but Si'Lea looked contemplative for a moment before shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, but I don't." Si'Lea replied.
"Hmm." Terra replied as they continued on up the stairs, catching up with Aqua, Ven, and Mickey in no time.
Elsewhere in the Palace…
Sora's team, sans Kairi, hurried up the stairs towards the next level.
"So who else could we expect on this freak show tour?" Axel asked, Namine glancing away as they ran.
"I can sense Fifth has faded into Darkness, and I think I felt Third fade away as well. We're running just behind the others, but considering there's Two Keyblade Masters on their team, we shouldn't be surprised by their progress. So by process of elimination, with Kairi battling Sixth, the only remaining Sister, besides First, is-…" Namine said as they burst through a set of doors into a room that was laid out like a throne room, surrounded by effigies and statues of none other than the Fourth Sister.
"Well-well, I see the traitor sister decides to visit my domain. A pity you couldn't have left the rabble outside." Fourth said as she sat upon her throne.
"Hey, who's the kid?" Axel asked, before earning an incensed glare from Fourth.
"DID-YOU-SHOW-UP-JUST-TO-PICK-A-FIGHT-WITH-ME?!" Fourth screeched.
"Fourth is the Lady of Arrogance, Axel." Namine whispered but this caused Axel to grin.
"Tsh. A little brat like that? Please. I'm not that scared of he-." Axel commented before seeing a massive fist flying towards him.
"Huh." He commented, strangely nonplused about the approaching fist, even when it smashed him into the wall.
"AXEL!" Riku exclaimed as Fourth sniffed haughtily.
"Insolent whelp. How dare he not show me, the Lady of Arrogance, the proper respect I deserve." Fourth commented, her fist still in place.
"She looks like Alice." Sora commented as Riku narrowed his gaze, looking around the room.
"That would explain why her portraits look like giant playing cards." He mumbled.
"So I'm guessing that you're here for one of you to surrender your heart to me. How generous. So which of you wishes to be the one to pay homage to me?" Fourth asked with a haughty smile, the four standing defiantly before her. Namine then sniffed the air, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"Do you smell something burning?" Namine asked. They then turned towards Fourth's fist just in time for a massive burst of flames to erupt between her fist and the wall, causing her to recoil with a yelp, her hand returning to normal size but still lightly singed. They looked and saw Axel emerge from the crater in the wall, unscathed and dusting himself off.
"Not bad, kiddo, but like any moth to the flame, ya got burned." Axel commented, earning an annoyed look from Fourth.
"Very well, if you're going to be an insolent, I suppose I best show you how to pay proper respect!" Fourth said as she summoned a black lance to her hand, the tip shaped like a spade suit from off of a playing card. Axel grinned and summoned his chakrams, stepping forward. (Battle Music Cue: The 13th Struggle – KH2/CoM). Before Fourth could make a move, Axel turned and threw both Chakrams to his sides, the bladed wheels sawing through the ground and leaving a wall of flames behind, creating a literal ring of fire around them before the chakrams returned to their master's awaiting hands.
"Just a heads up, kid, I tend to get a little fired up! Got it memorized?" Axel asked, dropping into his fighting stance. Outside the ring of fire, Riku let out a groan.
"Oh come on, Axel! You've blocked our path!" Riku yelled, Sora, Xenix, and Namine both noticing that Axel had indeed blocked the door with his firewall.
"Guess we'll just have to wait it out. I mean this shouldn't take Axel too long." Sora commented, resting his hands behind his head.
"What makes you say that?" Xenix asked, Namine smiling in response.
"Because Axel might seem cocky but in truth he's the most proud of his friends, not himself. Axel will win this." Namine replied. Inside the firewall, Axel and Fourth were exchanging fast blows, neither managing to land a hit on the other.
"What's the matter kid? Forget to drink your milk?" Axel taunted, earning an angered scowl from Fourth, her size suddenly increasing by a few inches.
"Oh? And what about you?! Too much pride to hit a girl?!" She asked back but was surprised when Axel grinned.
"Nah." He replied before suddenly spinning to one side, conjuring a swirling fireball around himself, the fireball launching forward towards Fourth, leaving Axel behind where he stood. The fireball exploded on impact in a burst of flames but when they died down, he saw only the lance stabbed into the ground, causing him to arch a curious eyebrow.
"Okay, strange disappearing girl. Now, if only I had a way of finding her. Oh…wait." Axel said with a grin before spinning around, releasing an omnidirectional ring of flames out in all directions. He then heard a startled yelp behind him and spun around in time to see Fourth reappear out of thin air, wielding a massive club shaped like a playing card club suit. He leapt to the side as she brought the club down where he had been standing, noticing some mild burns on her in the process.
"What are you?!" she asked, growing larger, now standing at roughly six feet tall.
"The name's Axel." Axel replied, easily dodging a swing and throwing one of his chakrams at her, the chakram hitting her in the chest, causing her to go sailing across the ground.
"That's A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" Axel said as Fourth snarled at him, now growing to seven feet tall. She suddenly turned invisible again but Axel grinned again in response and let go of his chakrams, causing them to start spinning in opposite directions around him, several large flames starting to swirl around him before sending the flames in all directions. The flames hit Fourth again as she tried to make for her throne, forcing her visible again but now brandishing a diamond shaped shield and her spade tipped lance.
"I won't lose to some degenerate half-wit like you! I am the strongest member of the Sisterhood! I WON'T BE DEFEATED!" she yelled, growing to massive size, almost twenty feet tall but Axel merely grinned.
"You really aren't getting how this works, short-stuff." Axel replied, earning an enraged glare from Fourth.
"SHUT UP!" she screeched, moving to try and smash Axel under foot but the Flurry of the Dancing Flames spun out of the way before hurling his chakrams at her again only this time she caught them out of the air.
"Try that again, I dare you!" she boomed down at him with a grin. Axel merely smirked and raised one hand.
"Okay then." He replied before snapping his fingers. Suddenly his chakrams ignited in her hand, causing her to stagger backwards, falling through the firewall and into the wall outside, her increased size and weight causing her to fall partly through the wall. She staggered to her feet near the hole, glancing down to see a staggeringly high drop down, swallowing nervously. She then turned back around to see Axel standing before her, the firewall behind him having vanished. (End Battle Music)
"I told ya, you don't get it. I've got nothing much to be proud of kid. No personal accomplishments to my name really…well, save for one. Believe it or not, but I'm a one of a kind, the same kind of schmuck you aspired to become. A Nobody that got a heart. Didn't think it was possible without stealing one, didn't ya? Sorry to say it but I'm living proof that ya don't need to be a sneaky thief to get a heart." Axel said as Fourth blinked in disbelief.
"It's true…isn't it? You really can gain a heart without stealing one?" Fourth asked as Axel gave a nod.
"Uh-huh. You might've heard of another group of Nobodies before. Organization XIII? I'm sure a Dusk or two might've mentioned us. Well you're lookin' at the reformed Number Eight, Axel: The Flurry of the Dancing Flames. Got it memorized?" he asked as Fourth swallowed hard.
"Oh, by the way, it's a good thing I didn't run into your big sis, the angry one upstairs? Why? Because there's one emotion I'm feeling right now. One she could definitely exploit." Axel said before motioning towards something behind him. Fourth looked and her eyes widened as she saw his chakrams spinning in the air, a large fireball between them, the fireball burning so hot there were slight crackles of lighting coming from it.
"You Sisterhood types, you royally screwed up. You see, long ago, I screwed up big time. I kidnapped a friend of a friend. Everything worked out alright in the end, but I made a promise to that friend, even if she doesn't know I made that promise, that if anyone ever tried to kidnap or harm her…" Axel said before he looked up at her with a literal fire in his eyes.
"…I'D BURN THEM ALIVE!" he yelled, snapping his fingers and causing the fireball to fire off, flying screaming into Fourth, sending her flying through the hole. Axel watched as Fourth went screaming out of the Palace, hurtling towards the ground before impacting, the fireball sending a pillar of flames straight into the sky upon impact. He watched in silence at Fourth's massive form, lying on the ground as Darkness formed around her, taking her back into the Darkness for good and all. Axel took a breath and turned away to see his friends standing near him.
"Didn't think you had it in you, Axel." Riku commented.
"Hey, nobody kidnaps my friends but me. Got it memorized?" Axel asked with a grin, tapping the side of his forehead, causing the others to roll their eyes. (Resume Battle Music: L'Oscurità dell'Ignot – DDD) They then heard what sounded like thunder rumbling outside. They turned to see Kairi was still battling Sixth in midair, the Princess of Heart still in her Light Form as she clashed with Sixth in her Beast Form. Sixth was looking haggard, the prolonged battle having taken its toll on her while Kairi was still in pristine condition.
"Geez! She's still going!" Xenix commented as they watched.
"Something you should know, Xenix. Light is eternal. Kairi's got an endless wellspring of it." Riku replied. Sixth raised her hands towards Kairi, her hands crackling with black and purple lightning energy. She fired off a Dark Thundaga but the lightning just arced away from Kairi once it got near her. Kairi retaliated by swinging her Keyblade across in front of her, firing off four shimmering spheres of light, the spheres hitting Sixth in the wrist and ankles, anchoring her in place in midair.
"What?!" Sixth yelped as Kairi hovered some distance in front of her, Keyblade in hand.
"You don't understand what true love is, and you probably never will. I don't want to do this but it may be the only way to help you understand." Kairi said as she raised her Keyblade, drawing a triangle in the air, large spheres of light at the corners, the triangle suddenly solidifying into an elegant, almost stained glass, shape in the air.
"Wait! Is that-?!" Axel asked as Riku smirked.
"A Trinity Mark!" Riku replied as Kairi then reared back and pressed the tip of her Keyblade into the center of the triangle, the Trinity Limit suddenly firing off a massive beam of crisp pure light, Sixth screaming in fear as she was enveloped and finally obliterated from the light. (End Battle Music) The light finally faded as Kairi looked into the air, seeing only a few remaining wisps of Darkness that soon faded away where Sixth had faded. She then flew towards the hole in the wall made from Axel's fight with Fourth, setting down inside.
"Kairi! That was amazing! I never knew you could do that!" Sora said as Kairi blushed, returning to her normal form in a flash of light.
"To be honest, I didn't either." She replied.
"Guys, can we do the warm and fuzzies later? We've got one last Nobody to dust." Axel commented, motioning towards the doors.
"Good idea. Our path to the First Sister should be clear now." Riku said as they turned and started hurrying towards the doors.
"Right, next stop, the Final Boss!" Xenix chortled as they ran, unaware of the dangers that await them on the next level.
End Chapter 61
So now the only Sister that remains (excluding Namine) is First. Let's see what awaits the heroes on the next level.
I'd like to make a comment on Kairi versus Sixth for a moment. The idea of having Kairi go after her was born from a small philosophical debate I've had with friends, regarding the subject of love. I believe that there is such a thing as true love, a love that transcends lust, where you can love someone without bringing lust in to mess with those feelings. It's kinda the same kind of love that Disney tends to push. But that's just my view on it.