Kagura Hearts
Chapter 27 ~ Kraken's Warning
"You're not safe Sora. Not in school, not with your friends, not even in your bath. There will never be a moment's peace for you until you relinquish your Halo and cease prolonging the inevitable." The mysterious voice from the black pool said. Sora prepped his Keyblade and said, "Pretty gutsy threat for a voice! How about you show yourself and save me from playing guessing games for 3 hours that DON'T mention you being a Clownfish or a rip-off of Ursula?" The voice then said, "Why save you when I can simply drown you? Heartless, take our friend for a Swim."
Out of the black pool hopped several Neoshadow Heartless, as well as Water Core and Rainy Loudmouth Heartless. And so, Sora charged and swatted several of them in the Bathroom while on the other side of the sliding door…
Yomi was being accused.
"ADMIT YOUR CRIMINAL INTENT, VILE SUCCUBUS!" Yozakura said. Yomi however said, "You want me to admit I was going to change Sora's clothes for his Pajamas for Bed tonight?" Yozakura was stumped at first, but she pressed on by saying. "D-don't insult my suspicions, Crimson Girl! You were planning on going in there with nothing but a towel on while seducing him into the same bed as you!"
Yomi shook her head and said, "While I am smitten with him, that DOESN'T mean I'm going to go 'degenerate' on him. My strategy to win his heart is more in line with a civilized and sophisticated young lady, who is NOT in any way what you Gessen Pervs assume us to be!" Yozakura crossed her arms and argued, "Well Homura and at least Mirai I can understand, and yes, as much as I can recall, sure, you have been one of the more decent former enemies we've known, BUT EXPLAIN HARUKA AND HIKAGE!" Yomi pouted and said, "I don't like talking about teammates behind their backs. Besides, YOUR issues with my friends are YOUR problem! So take it up with them, why don't you?"
Yozakura then said, "Fine I will-...WAIT A DAMN MINUTE, I ain't fall'n for y'all city folk! I ain't some fool-blonde!" Yomi then said, "I see the Osaku accent is back again, what's the matter, losing a battle of words already?" As Yomi and Yozakura argued, Asuka, a towel readily wrapped around her body, quietly made her way into the bath area…
"H-hey Sora, don't mind me, I was just checking to see if you were-IN DANGER?! HOLY CRAP GIRLS, GET IN HERE NOW!" Asuka yelled, but to her dismay, Yomi and Yozakura were still arguing while Sora was being choked by a Neoshadow!
"DUAL SLASH!"
Asuka succeeded in slaying a few Heartless in her path while saving Sora. The Keyblade Wielder gasped for air while Asuka went over to his side and helped him up…
"Th-thank you-(gasp) A-Asuka…(coughing) I…I thought I was a goner! I slipped while fighting, they had me in their grip, and I couldn't-...w-wait, Asuka, why…why are you wearing nothing but a towel?!" Sora asked, Asuka answered, "It was hot in there, I didn't want to-...w-well, I guess a T-Shirt and a School Swimsuit would have helped better…not saying no to Swimming Trunks either-(ahem) S-SORRY SORA, I REALLY AM! It looked like someone was attacking you, so I barged in to help you!"
Suddenly, a Water Core Heartless tried to bite her head off, but Sora pulled Asuka close to him and sliced the creature in half!
At that moment, Sora and Asuka found themselves in each other's arms…
"...y-...your hair…the white ribbon isn't there…" Sora said. Asuka blushed and said, "W-well yeah…I guess…I untied it without thinking while heading in-."
"It's cute."
Asuka's eyes widened as she wondered what Sora meant, "C-...cute? W-what's cute?" Sora explained, "...I-I can see your hair without the ribbon…and the short hair of yours…I-...I think it's a cute hairdo." Asuka smiled at Sora, making HIM blush while she said, "You dork…you should say this stuff to Kairi when you get back…still…I'm flattered you like my hair. I…I like your shoulders, you must have been working out for years as a hero, huh?" As Asuka rested her head on his left peck while her right hand caressed his shoulder, Sora blushed redder than usual…
"I-...(ahem)...I'll let you go now." Sora said. As he removed his hands from Asuka's exposed shoulders, he and Asuka shyly tried to focus away from one another while the Heartless noticeably gathered around them.
Their weapons in hand, Sora yelled out, "YOMI, HEARTLESS ARE IN THE BATHING AREA, WE NEED SOME FOOT WEAR TO KEEP US FROM FALLING ON OUR BUTTS!" Yomi indeed heard Sora, flicked Yozakura's nose to shut her up, and reached into a closet for some slippers for Sora, Asuka, and her to use to fight off the Heartless.
Yomi slid into the bathing room, ALSO wearing a towel, while sliding the slippers onto Sora's feet while giving Asuka hers. Yomi then summoned her Roaring Sword while saying, "Master, Asuka, are you two alright?" Sora answered, "Fine as ever, thanks to you-(notices Yomi's figure)...A-anyway, as far as I can tell, one of the Four Fiends has taken the fight INSIDE the bathroom! I think my Keyblade can expel the Black Pool these things keep coming from! Can you and Asuka keep the Heartless off my back?"
"Willing and ready anytime, Master!" Yomi said as she attacked the approaching horde. Asuka winked at Sora and said, "We'll take care of these creeps while you get to work! Don't get distracted!"
While the girls were chopping away at the approaching Heartless, Sora placed his Keyblade into the Black Pool, trying to use its purifying light to destroy the Darkness possessing it…
The voice then spoke again, "Eager to put aside happiness on the first drop, are we? Just wait Sora, YOUR Darkness will become all the more stronger, the more you continue to resist the flesh." Just then, out of the Black Pool, emerged a man-sized squid-like monster, wearing a mage's cloak and a set of immunity rings on his tentacle-like fingers!
"I am Kraken, the Aquatic member of the Four Fiends, once commanded by Garland the Black Knight! And YOU, Sora, are barely a Warrior, let-alone a child of light." mocked the monster.
Sora then said, "So, you choose NOW to show your ugly face? A bit of make-up would do wonders." Kraken however said, "Mock all you want, but only ONE of us is having difficulty casting Spells!" Sora focused more on purifying the pool water to stop the continuing waves of Heartless, unable to face the Kraken, who had the perfect opportunity to steal Sora's Halo.
The right tentacle-like hand grabbed the Halo, partially stunning poor Sora, who suddenly felt like the air in his lungs was being forced out while Kraken pulled the Halo!
Fortunately, Kraken's hand was crushed by Yozakura (also wearing only a towel), whose giant metal gauntlets gave her the strength to spin the Fiend in circles before throwing him against the wall!
"YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN TO KEEP OUT OF A MAN'S BUSINESS, FLOOZY!" Kraken yelled. Yozakura however argued, "I may be butting in, I might be too dedicated to my job as Sora said, but at least I'm not a homewrecker LIKE YOU!"
Yozakura's speed surprised Kraken as she avoided his whip-like tendrils and Water Spells with ease, and with one punch, the Kraken was rendered momentarily stunned while Yozakura tossed him into the water and yelled, "SORA, FINISH THE PURIFICATION!" Sora nodded and plunged the Keyblade back into the water while letting its light break away the darkness infecting the pool as well as eating away the emerging Heartless!
The bathing room filled with light while every Heartless inside vanished completely while only a smidge of darkness remained…
"The studies were true about you, boy." Kraken said as his image started to sink away into what remains of the darkness in the pool. Yozakura then commanded, "Sora, finish the purification, he's all we need to-!" Kraken however said, "Don't bother, my dear. A simple purification such as this cannot truly kill me, but YOU know what can, don't you, Sora?" Sora removed the Keyblade from the pool and answered, "I guess the next time we meet will have to be a one-on-one fight then, right?" Kraken nodded and said, "Correct. I simply came here to confirm the Keybearer's strength as the same that neutralized Marilith, and I was proven right in the end. And so, to truly be rid of the brat, AND claim my prize, I will have to try a different approach…beware the sea, little ones…you'll never know when they'll take you."
"YOU'LL MEET THAT WATERY GRAVE FIRST, FIEND-!" Yozakura said, but before she could land a punch, Kraken was gone, leaving Sora worried about their next meeting…
A few seconds later, Sora asked, "...um, girls. This is…a little uncomfy, being kinda…rendered to a towel around you…can I have my time alone now? I was still taking a bit of a bath in here before everyone started fighting." Asuka nodded shyly and said, "S-SURE THING, SORA, SORRY FOR THE INTRUSION (nervous giggle)." Asuka then took Yomi and Yozakura out of the bathroom while leaving Sora alone…
Minutes passed, and Sora was finally out of the Bathing Room, steamy and in a bathrobe while rubbing his head with a towel…
Yozakura however was waiting for him. Sora was surprised while Yozakura gently washed Sora's Halo, making sure the Kraken's grubby mitts didn't leave a smudge. Feeling more refreshed than he used to, Sora realized, "I guess this Halo really IS a part of me…it kinda felt like I was going to die without it." Yozakura then explained, "...you could have. It's one of the burdens of the Resurrected."
"Burdens?" Sora asked. Yozakura explained, "The Halo tethers you the world of the Summoner until your duty is finished, but if anything happens to it…to your Halo…well-."
"-I get erased, right?" Sora asked.
Yozakura shamefully nodded, and continued her explanation, "Summoned Spirits are dawned by the Haloes upon their heads to secure their temporary existence in the world, and yes…damage or theft of their Halo, will result in the summoned to disappear. You won't return to the Afterlife, you'll be worse than Dead, you'll be gone forever." Sora crossed his arms in frustration, and said, "...this deal's getting worse all the time. First, I learn someone's pulling the strings of the Fiends and the Heartless, next, I learn they're after my Halo…and now, I learn that anything that happens to this thing, happens to me."
Recognizing Sora's stress over the growing difficulties of his duty, Yzakura said, "Don't worry though, this is why friends get involved, in your home or out, you'll never be fighting them alone. Trust in your friends, they can support you more than you may realize! Why, with Hanzo and Gessen Academies by your side, you'll be resurrected in no time flat!"
Sora smiled and said, "...thanks Yo, you're pretty wise when you want to be."
"Y-YO?! DID YOU JUST CALL ME 'YO'?!" Yozakura asked. Sora answered, "I can't really say that entire name of yours, so, I'm pronouncing it shorter, and I…kinda like the way 'Yo' sounds, don't you?" Yozakura grumbled and said, "...fine, you can call me 'Yo' if you want, but don't let the cutesy title get to you. You might still end up disappearing tomorrow, or have you forgotten the Gessen Trials already?" Sora then said, "No, I didn't forget. The Master Hands you got there literally signal the 'Strength Test', so I guess you'll be my next opponent."
Yozakura nodded and said, "Insightful, aren't you? Yes, we will be combating in a true-traditional test of Strength. So use as much time as you require before tomorrow, otherwise-." Sora however said, "-I'm not worried. This test will probably be a battle, so I'll show you everything I got. No holding back, OK?" Yozakura smiled and shook her head, "I never intended to in the first place…but you know…" Yozakura closed the chest area of Sora's bathrobe while saying, "It is rather rude for a husband to show off in front of his wife. I propose for the next Trial, you try lifting what we offer, and save your strength until you need it."
Sora then said, "Either one's fine, as long as Gessen no longer has any reason to suspect me for being a Keyblade Wielder. And in case Yumi didn't notice…I was listening the whole time. You guys should know…he was my enemy too. That knowledge of the Keyblade War he took from your late sensei was the reason I'm dead after all…" Sora then walked off, leaving Yozakura surprised by the revelation…
"...AND I'M NOT YOUR HUSBAND!" Sora said, surprising Yozakura before going to bed.
End of Chapter 27