Chapter 7: escape from radiant garden
I do not own kingdom hearts or the properties shown in this fanfic. They belong to the respective owners and the original story is based on the works of Darius Almighty. Kingdom hearts and trials of the keyblade is owned by square Enix, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura. Please support the official release.
Right. It's time to get the heck out of radiant garden! Now my content doesn't have marvel or frozen or big hero 6. Anyways, do not try to persuade me to put those worlds and the cinematic universe. I get those two worlds play a part in the actual video game (kinda ironic) but I don't like those films.
With that out of the way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Leon's communicator lay destroyed at his feet. He and Aerith were in a large hall giving their instructions, when a precise laser blast came out of nowhere and destroyed his communicator. He and Aerith turned to the direction the blast came from.
Standing in the doorway was General Darius. A smoking blaster pistol in his hand. He stared at them, his eyes unreadable underneath his helmet. Leon and Aerith immediately tensed. His aim was so accurate. He could have taken Leon's head off, if he wanted to. But he merely wanted to get their attention.
Leon pulled out his Gunblade and Aerith charged her mana. Darius pulled out his other blaster and activated his jetpack, jumping to cover the distance between them. While still in the air, he fired his blasters in a barrage of laser fire. Aerith raised her hands and covered her and Leon in a reflega spell, deflecting the harmful projectiles.
Darius landed a few feet away from them and continued firing away. Leon ran out of the protective bubble and charged towards Darius, deflecting the laser blasts that were fired with his Gunblade. He took a horizontal slash at the general, who jumped back and took another shot at Leon's head. Leon deflected the shot and swiped again. He sliced all over trying to hit Darius, but he general was too swift and dodged each strike, firing off more shots when he got the chance. Avoiding another swipe, Darius ducked and gave Leon a swift uppercut to the jaw.
Darius then took to the air again, narrowly avoiding a recovering slash from Leon. As soon as he was up, Aerith shot a firaga spell straight at him. The still airborne general had nowhere to go so he braced himself for the hit. It came hard and hot and knocked him out of the air. Darius hit the ground and skidded a few feet.
He then stood back up and dusted himself off. Darius glowered at the formidable duo. He then did something Leon and Aerith did not expect. He put his blasters back in their holsters. "Giving up?", Leon shouted across the room.
"Hardly," Darius replied. He reached into his belt and pulled out two cylinders attached to wrist cuffs. He placed each one on his armoured wrist. His actions perplexed Leon and Aerith. What were those? Their unvoiced questions were answered when a bright beam of purple light emerged from one of the cylinders. The light was cut off at a certain point to form a sword of light. The other cylinder also sprouted a light sword from his other wrist.
Leon and Aerith both prepared themselves for his trump card. "Come," the general intoned, getting into a fighting stance. "Let's dance."
KHKHKHKH
"After them!", a Stormtrooper shouted to his fellow Imperials. He and his soldiers tore through the halls of the citadel, chasing down the renegades.
Sora, Kairi, and Riku ran frantically to the Gummi ship hanger, to their only means to get off this world. They had split up with Kim, Ron, Wade, Cait Sith, and Cid, so that the Stormtroopers would have to split up to catch them. Unfortunately there were still a lot of them.
Another squad of Stormtroopers emerged to block their way. They opened fire and Sora and Riku deflected their lasers. They clubbed their Keyblades through them swiftly. They had no time to admire their handiwork, as more Stormtroopers were right behind them. Entering yet another room, they locked the door behind them, taking time to recover their breath. "Okay, I think we lost them," Sora said. They then all turned around to be met with more Stormtrooper rifles. "Oh, come on!"
The troopers opened fire. Sora and Riku raised dark shield and reflega protecting them and Kairi. The lasers were deflected back to the troopers, bringing down a few, but still not enough. Sora and Riku then dropped their protective barriers and charged toward the remaining troopers. They swung their Keyblades into every body part of the Stormtroopers, knocking them out cold.
Soon every Stormtrooper in the room was down.
Riku wiped his forehead. "Geez. These guys are worse than the Heartless. There's no end to them." Sora nodded.
"We'd better keep moving." Riku and Kairi both nodded. As they made their way to the door, Sora didn't notice the still conscious Stormtrooper laying on the floor. He shook himself off and reached for his rifle. The trooper struggled to get his rifle into position, right at Sora's head.
Fortunately Kairi did notice. "Sora, look out!", she shouted. She ran between Sora and the trooper. Sora, just noticing, turned around to see a flash of red hair run in front of him. Riku also just noticed the soldier but could not reach his friends in time. Kairi stood infront of Sora The trooper fired.
PEW!
The fired laser was hit right back at the Stormtrooper, hitting him right between the eyes. He hit the ground, never to get up again. Kairi slowly opened her eyes. She was alive. But how? She looked down to see if there was any damage to her person. She gasped at what she saw what she was holding.
A Keyblade.
It was the same Keyblade that Riku had given her in The World That Never Was. But after the fighting, Riku had taken it back. But here it was now, with floral patterns embossed on the handle and blade. It still shimmered from appearing. Sora and Riku looked just as surprised as she was.
"Are you okay?", Sora asked immediately. Kairi nodded numbly.
"Where did you get that?", Riku asked, pointing at the Keyblade in Kairi's hand.
"I don't know," she said slowly.
The door they came in was then blown to splinters. They shielded themselves from the debris. "We can talk about this later!", Riku said. They ran out the exit before the Stormtroopers could overtake them, Kairi clutching the Keyblade in her hand.
KHKHKHKH
Leon's Gunblade clashed with Darius' lightsabres once again, sparks flying at each contact. Darius kept up a relentless assault of powerful and swift strikes, Leon barely able to block them. The general then brought one of his sabres down on Leon's Gunblade, pinning its blade to the ground. Leon struggled to get it free, but Darius was already bringing his other one down on Leon's head.
The sabre was knocked back by an aura of wind that encircled Leon. Darius turned to look into Aerith's green eyes, casting her magic to protect her ally. Leon then got his Gunblade free when Darius was distracted and took another swing at the Imperial. Darius then did an impossible jump onto Leon's shoulder and pushed off to head straight for Aerith.
She quickly raised a reflega spell to protect herself. That didn't stop Darius, as he cut clean through the barrier as if it were butter. She jumped back, narrowly avoiding being cut in half, but the Imperial then delivered a twisting kick to her face, sending her to the ground. Before he could he could finish her off however, Leon came from behind to try to slice his back, but he activated his jetpack and flew to safety.
After Darius was a distance away, Aerith got back up and fired a barrage of blizzaga spell. Leon backed her up by firing firaga spells from his outstretched hand. Darius ran along the room, dodging every spell they shot. At one point he actually ran along the wall, the spells still unable to hit him.
Darius then jumped with his jetpack again and came straight down on their position. He sliced through their spells as they came towards him, then came in-between them making them jump away, shifting to his fighting stance again. Leon and Aerith scowled. He was skilled. Far too skilled for them to handle alone. "Leon, were wasting time. We have to get to the hanger," Aerith whispered, not taking her eyes off the general.
Leon nodded. "Right. Let's go," he whispered back. Aerith charged her mana and fired off a concentrated thundaga spell in the middle of the room. The attack was so bright, Darius was forced to cover his eyes. When the light subsided and he uncovered his face, they were both gone.
KHKHKHKH
Sora, Riku, and Kairi, arrived at the hanger doors. Everyone was there to meet them, with the exception of Leon and Aerith. "We made it!" Sora exclaimed.
"Easy tike, we're still waiting for Leon and Aerith," Barret said.
Merlin turned to Kairi, and noticed the key-shaped weapon in her hand. "Kairi! Where did you get that?", he asked thoughtfully.
"Well I-" The sound of a blaster being fired stopped her. Everyone turned to see Leon and Aerith running away from an innumerable amount of Stormtroopers down the hall. Laser fire flew over their heads, motivating them to run all the faster. "Open the doors!" Leon shouted down the hall. Wade hastily obliged and they all crowded into the large hanger. Last to enter were Leon and Aerith, running inside as Wade sealed the thick steel doors behind them. That would hold them for a while.
"Whew! That was a close one!", Yuffie said. "Now let's get on one of these ships and-" She stopped as she looked at the hanger for the first time. Every Gummi ship had been destroyed. Pieces were scattered throughout and small fires were still on the main bodies. "Oh snap," she said.
"Dammit!" Leon said punching the wall. "They've been here already! They thought of everything!"
"Not everything," Cid said. Everyone turned to face him. He smiled wryly. "They didn't think about my ship now, did they?"
"What ship? They've all been destroyed," Riku stated. He gestured to the no longer flyable ships.
Cid didn't stop smiling. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some kind of remote. He then pushed a big red button. Suddenly the bare steel floor opened up. Something large egan to slowly rise from the bottom. They looked up as it continued to rise above their heads. It then was completely out in the open. It was a large ship of interesting design. It was long and smooth, in the guise of a great beast. Two large propellers sprouted from the hover engines to the sides. The large cockpit was at the underbelly.
Everyone gaped at the huge aircraft. Cid smiled proudly. "This here is the Shera. My own personal ship. Built her from old beer cans and lottery tickets." Everyone stared at him, incredulously. "It can be done, folks!"
"But it can get us all out of here, right?" asked yuffie.
"It can if you hurry, Miss kissarugi," the doctor appeared right behind her.
Yelping in shock, she screamed, "WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!"
"That's not the question you should be asking," The doctor stated, "The real question is when did I come from?"
"Ah, I thought that was you, old friend," Merlin brightened up, "What brings you here? It can't just be about the Empire, can it?"
"Well, it's part of the reason why I'm here, Merlin," the doctor shrugged before asking, "However, remember when I told you of the day I warned you about 20 years ago."
"No," Merlin's eyes widened in shock, "You can't mean..."
"I'm afraid so," The Time lord nodded, "All the more reason you should escape to Disney Castle now."
Leon glanced at Merlin, "You know this guy? Can we trust him?"
"Of course," The wizard smiled, "he knows me ever since."
"Where or when did you exactly meet this guy anyway, Merlin," Kim spoke up.
Before he could answer, Leon told the wizard, "Tell us later, we need to get out of here..."
As everyone prepared to evacuate, the doctor turned to the eldest of the islanders, "Riku... a word?"
The Way to Dawn user walked over to him, "What's up?"
"Riku, while I cannot reveal everything that is about to happen, I can tell you this," the doctor told the teenage boy, "Dark forces are at play, and the Empire is only part of the darkness. Things will get worse before they ever get better, and you and I both know that if we have a chance in stopping it, Sora and Kairi must escape this world at all costs. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
While confused at first, and a little suspicious of the doctor, however, he felt the same kind of vibe as DiZ aka Ansem the Wise. Something told him the doctor knew what was coming and it sounded bad. Whatever he wanted him to do, it sounded just like when Ansem need him to take one for his friends. He narrowed his eyes in determination before nodding.
They were snapped out of their reverie when sparks started flying from the steel door behind them. On the other side, the Stormtroopers were cutting through, using cutting lasers. They were making slow but steady process.
The doctor smiled, "Well, then, I won't keep you. I'll explain everything at Disney Castle. I'll see you there."
"Everyone on board!", Cid shouted. They all rushed to the lowered ramp and entered the Shera.. The cockpit was very spacious, with a protruding front area that had a glass bottom. Behind that, there was a beautiful dark wooden floor which had the word "Highwind" at its centre.. A raised platform large platform beyond that contained the ship's controls. The steering mechanism looked like the wheel from an old schooner. Cid rushed up the platform stairs and grasped the steering wheel firmly. "Alright boys and girls, let's get this baby off the ground!", Cid hollered, taking on the role as captain.
At that moment, the Stormtroopers had cut through the door. It landed with a resounding clang. They filed into the hanger one by one. There were hundreds of them. Every Stormtrooper in the city must be after them. Unknown to the Shera passengers, a tall dark figure was also among them.
"Cid, lets get this thing moving!", Barret shouted. Stormtroopers were now outside the airship, taking aim with their rifles. Marlene clutched her father's real hand fearfully.
"Keep your shirt on!", Cid shouted back. He pulled a lever and the Shera's engines roared to life, its propeller blades rotating at a steady pace. They slowly rose to the air and Cid moved the ship to the large hanger door leading to the clear blue sky. In a violent jerk that sent everyone stumbling, the Shera stopped completely.
Ron and Rufus pressed against the large cockpit window. "Uh, we're not moving. I really don't like that were not moving," he said worriedly. Rufus nodded in agreement.
"I don't get it," Cid grumbled, as he wrestled with the steering wheel. "Why did we stop?"
They had indeed stopped. The reason was standing right outside. Darth Vader stood in front of his army of Imperial soldiers, General Darius at his right. Vader's hand was outstretched towards the Shera. He strained himself as he used his powers to hold the ship in place, preventing them from fleeing. The passengers on the ship saw this from the camera that was positioned at the rear. "Tall dark and ugly's back," Yuffie shuddered.
They also saw that one of the Stormtroopers had moved away from the main group. He was heading to the hanger door control panel. He then began inputting commands. "He's trying to close the hanger doors," Leon said gritting his teeth. "It'll take him awhile, but when those doors close we'll be sitting ducks."
Riku scowled. He made for the exit, but Sora noticed. "Where are you going?", he asked. Riku turned and pointed to the screen that showed Darth Vader, still with his hold on the ship. "I'm going down there to put Darth there in his place. I'll take him out so he'll release the ship," he said flatly.
"I'll come with you," Sora said
"Me too," Kairi said.
Riku shook his head. "No way,"
"Why not?" They chorused.
"Sora, you're the one he's after. If you go out there, there's a good chance you'll be captured." Sora frowned bitterly. "And Kairi, you may have a Keyblade but those aren't Heartless out there. Those guys will rip you a new one." Kairi bowed her head. "Look, I'll be fine. I can handle myself." He then made for the exit. Before he went through the door, he turned to face them smiling. "I'll come back. I promise." With those words, he was gone.
Outside the ramp lowered and Riku jumped down it. He walked calmly toward the large Imperial force. Vader watched every step he made, admiring his fearlessness. It's not everyday a seventeen year-old boy defies the might of an Imperial army.
Riku stopped a few feet away from Vader, staring at him unflinchingly. "You're either very brave or very foolish," he stated. Darius made towards him, hoping to put him in his place, but Vader held him back. He then lowered the hand that held the ship, releasing it.
"We're free!", Cid shouted.
"We're not leaving yet!" Sora shouted. His and everyone else's eyes were glued to the view-screen. But none were more worried than him and Kairi.
Riku inhaled deeply, preparing himself, then summoned his Keyblade. Vader stretched his right hand out to his side. A small cylinder from his metal belt then shot to his hand. He pressed a button and a long red beam of solid light emerged.
Leon and Aerith gasped. That was the same weapon Darius had used against them. If Vader was as fierce as Darius...
Riku, with a defiant yell, charged toward the dark lord, who didn't move a muscle. He brought his Keyblade to strike him down. But swifter than Riku thought possible, Vader brought his lightsabre to the front to block Riku's Keyblade. In a shower of sparks, they clashed in a deathlock. Vader was holding Riku back with only one hand, while Riku struggled with two. Riku glared hatefully at the masked man, who didn't seem to be trying at all.
Vader, using his lightsabre, pushed Riku back with such strength that Riku stumbled. Riku collected himself and charged once again. He swiped his Keyblade at Vader who blocked it again with one hand. He tried again with no avail. Every attack he made was blocked by Vader, no matter how fast and skilled they were.
Sora and Kairi watched this all worriedly. Vader was stronger and faster than Riku. He knew every move Riku made before he made it. Riku was losing.
Darth Vader continued blocking Riku's attacks under the audience of Darius and the Stormtroopers. He then decided that enough was enough. After knocking back another attack from Riku, Vader retaliated with a swipe of his lightsabre that Riku was barely able to block. He sent blow after swift blow, Riku struggling to keep up. After another blow, Vader somehow got under Riku's defenses and slashed his chest. Riku cried out in pain. Vader then brought his hand up and Riku was sent flying back as if someone threw him.
"Riku!", Sora and Kairi shouted.
Riku slowly struggled to get back up, his vest burned in a long cut. He had to defeat Vader so they could get away. Otherwise, he'll keep them there for whatever purposes. He rose to his feet panting slightly. He then raised his hand and gathered the darkness inside him. A dark sphere gathered in his hand and he sent it hurdling toward Vader. Vader didn't move. He merely raised his hand. The sphere then stopped in midair, just before him.
Riku gasped. What was he? Darth Vader examined the dark energy for a moment before sending it right back to Riku. It came so fast, Riku had no time to deflect it. It hit him square in the chest, knocking him down again. This time he did not get back up.
"Riku!" Sora and Kairi shouted again. At that moment, the Stormtrooper at the hanger door controls cracked the code, and the doors began to close. "We have to go get him!", Sora shouted.
"There's no time!", Cid shouted back. He pulled a lever and the Shera blasted out of the hanger, the doors slamming shut behind them. They left the citadel behind and soared above the city.
"What are you doing? Turn the ship around!", Sora demanded angrily.
"We have to go back for Riku!", Kairi shouted.
"We can't!", Cid shouted back. "Those Imperials control the citadel now! We can't go back!"
"Turn the ship around!", Sora shouted again.
"Sora!" Leon shouted, startling him. "I know it hurts, but Riku chose this! We can't do anything for him if we're captured. He took the risk himself so that we could get away. Are you going to let his sacrifice go to waste?" Sora shook with anger. He knew Leon was right, but against his better judgement he wanted to go back.
"We're not out of this yet, boys and girls!" Cid shouted from the wheel. They were now soaring through the clouds, the city far beneath them, about to head into space. "We got one hell of an obstacle to pass!" Straight ahead was the Star Destroyer blockade and one more surprise. A very, very big surprise.
The biggest ship they had ever seen was now floating with the blockade. It was a Star Destroyer but it was black and dwarfed the other already massive Star Destroyers. It was the size of a city. In fact, it looked like there was a city along its dagger shape. It was powered by ten large booster rockets. The command bridge, which was tiny compared to the rest of the ship, jutted out of the top, the two spheres sticking out.
"Holy crap on toast," Adelbert whispered.
"Ho, ho! Big!" Rufus exclaimed.
From the large Imperial battleships, several small, agile Tie fighters came to intercept them. They fired off their lasers at the Shera, but the beer can armour held fast. "Strap yourselves in! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!", Cid exclaimed. He spun the wheel around, causing the Shera to do a barrel roll, dodging the lasers as they did so. Everyone gripped their seat tight as they were turned upside down.
Ron, who wasn't strapped down, tumbled through the air, constantly falling on his face. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Could we pull over?", he pleaded.
The Shera whizzed past the Tie fighters, heading straight for the Star Destroyers. The Tie fighters swung around and followed right behind. The Shera flew straight toward the huge Star Destroyer. They were instantly met with a flurry of green lasers, all aimed straight at them. Cid pulled the ship towards the building hull of the Imperial ship. The Shera maneuvered through the structures, avoiding most of the heavy fire-power. While the Shera was big, it was surprisingly agile. The Tie fighters followed them through the obstacles, still firing.. The less experienced pilots were unable to avoid the structures and crashed in a violent explosion.
The Shera then came out the other side of the large battleship, the remaining Tie fighters in hot pursuit. They were intent on stopping them. They continued firing their barrage of lasers. The Shera couldn't take much more. But it didn't have to. "Hang on to your underwear people!", Cid shouted. He hit a button and the booster rockets shot to life. The Shera then warped out of the vicinity, leaving the Empire and their home behind.
Back in the citadel, Darth Vader stood motionless, silently accepting this defeat. He then stared down at the unconscious form of Riku before him. Well...it wasn't a total loss.
And that conclude this chapter. Be sure to write nice reviews adapt the original story (Darius Almighty's work) on DeviantArt or post the story on TV tropes or follow and favorite it. And remember may your heart be your guiding key!