Chapter 52: memories of the dark
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. Now time to decide to play a part of the rebel alliance! I hope we get to see more of luke skywalker and his crew for the sake of the original and the first remake (if those guys repond).
With that out of the way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
After a thorough introduction of Aladdin that involved Yuffie drooling over his bare chest, Ron making a comment about his little hat as well as welcoming him to the Shera family, Leon asked to meet with Sora in one of the airship's many rooms, alone. Sora could tell right then that something was wrong. Leon was frowning deeper than usual when making the request.
Upon reaching the room, the door opened and he found not only Leon waiting for him but Quistis, Adelbert, Barret, Aerith, and Cid as well - the former council of their home world. The room they were in looked like a workshop of some sort, a place for a real mechanic to get down and dirty. The five adults were gathered a round a table littered with tools; none looked very happy.
"It's about time you got here," Cid said immediately as Sora entered.
"Who's flying the ship?" Sora asked. Cid's toothpick dropped slightly.
Meanwhile, on the bridge...
"Get him away from the wheel!" Beast yelled. It was taking the combined effort of him, Tifa, Mulan and po to hold Jack Sparrow back from getting an inch closer to the Shera's steering wheel.
"Let me loose! You can't keep a pirate captain from his duty!" Jack shouted. Rufus stood on the steering wheel and blew raspberries.
"We can get back to that later," Barret replied gruffly.
"Sorry we couldn't get better accommodations," Leon told Sora, gesturing to the workshop they were in. "But it's the only part of the ship no one really goes in."
"Um..." Sora looked off to the side of the room. Wade was there, working on the same trash can shaped robot he had been working on for days, covered in grease and oil. There was an unhealthy twitch in his eye.
"Oh, don't worry about him," Cid chuckled. "He's way too focused on that bot to care about what we're saying. Watch this. Wade. Wade! WADE!" The boy genius didn't even raise his head from the nut he was tightening, though his eye did twitch again. "See!" Sora smiled weakly and went to join the them at the table.
"So what's up?" The former council of Radiant Garden glanced at each other. A sign it was time to start the meeting.
"While you were gone," Quistis began. "We took a little trip back to Radiant Garden." Sora's eyes widened slightly.
"And?" Sora asked in all seriousness. "How are things there?"
"In a word? Bad," Adelbert answered with crossed arms. "The Empire's still there. And they've brought reinforcements."
"We couldn't even get close to the planet," Cid went on, twirling his toothpick. "There's more Star Destroyers orbiting the place than ever. And they look like they're settling in for a long stay."
"We don't know why, but they seem to be very interested in Radiant Garden," Aerith whispered.
"What are you saying?" Sora asked slowly.
"We're saying that we may never get to see Radiant Garden again," Leon answered bluntly and emotionlessly.
"What!" Sora couldn't help but shout because to him what they were saying was ludicrous. Their faces didn't change at his outburst, though. "How can you say that? This whole thing began with the mission to take Radiant Garden back!"
"Face facts, Sora," Leon said angrily. "Keyblades or not we don't have the manpower or the resources to take on an entire empire. This is different from mindless Heartless, these guys have an entire military. They're organized and much to vast for us to handle on or own. And now you're telling us Maleficent and the Horned King are working together. If you can think of a way to get us out of this mess, I'd love to hear it." Sora frowned bitterly. When he really thought about it, just what had they really been doing? In the past Heartless had been their primary concern, but the Empire, they were something else altogether. The room was suddenly very quiet, the only sound being Wade's constant tightening of a lug nut...as their situation truly dawned on them.
"Um, excuse me?"
Everyone's eyes turned to the door and the golden plated figure staring at them with bright eyes. They didn't just take Aladdin with them when they left Agrabah. After everything was said and done Sora had decided that C-3PO would accompany them as well, since he clearly didn't belong in Agrabah. Since then he had taken to following Sora everywhere he went.
"Sora, could you tell your tin pet he wasn't invited?" Barret grumbled.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," C-3PO apologized as he shuffled inside, despite Barret's statement. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I couldn't help but overhear your predicament. Am I to understand correctly that you are all fighting the Galactic Empire?"
"That's right," Aerith replied.
"I do believe I have a solution to your problem." Everyone either raised an eyebrow or gave doubtful looks toward the droid. "If I may suggest, why not join the Rebel Alliance?"
"The what?" everyone asked, confused, that is everyone but Sora, because the name sounded familiar.
"The Rebel Alliance. Think of them as a resistance movement, only much, much larger. When the Empire rose to power, life was quite harsh for anyone caught under its foul rule. It was more a military dictatorship than an actual government. But there were those who refused to accept their cruel form of power; they were the ones who wished for the life that was theirs before the Empire ever came. And thus, the Rebel Alliance was formed - an interstellar organization composed of many different species from many different worlds, all directly opposed to the common enemy that is the Galactic Empire."
"What is it they do?" Leon asked in growing curiosity.
"Anything they can. Things would be much worse in the galaxy if the Alliance wasn't there to slow the Empire down. They've sabotaged their fleets, stopped deadly Imperial weapons from being manufactured, and even liberated a few worlds on more than one occasion. They are smart, organized, and growing with each passing day."
"I had no idea such a thing existed," a bewildered Quistis gasped.
"Oh, but they do. I've gotten myself into quite a few frightening adventures with them! The stories I could tell!"
"Do you think they would help us?" Barret asked hopefully.
"I'm sure they would. Especially after they see young master Sora is with you." The protocol droid turned his metal eyes to the boy in question, along with everyone else, but Sora was just as confused as they were. "I thought I recognized you back in the hideout of those thieves. You are Sora, the boy who wields the power of the legendary Keyblade. As soon as I saw you call upon it I knew it was you. The Alliance has been interested in you for quite some time. They've heard of your great deeds, the way you've saved the universe time and time again. Your talents are just what they need to stop the Empire."
"These guys may be just what we need," Adelbert told Leon. "With a proper military force..."
"We just might be able to get Radiant Garden back," Leon realized with a smirk. "Where is this Rebel Alliance? Where can they be located?"
"Oh dear," C-3PO suddenly said. "This is a tad bit embarrassing. You see...I don't actually remember where they might be located." Everyone's hopeful faces turned into glowers. "Allow me to explain. The Alliance resides themselves in a constantly moving fleet of ships. To avoid encounter by their enemies, they are never in one spot for very long. I'm terribly sorry. I wish I could be more...oh my goodness!" he suddenly gasped. "Artoo! Is that you?" The little robot that Wade was working so diligently on was now the object of C-3PO's attention. "R2-D2, it is you!" he exclaimed shuffling over. "What are you doing here? Haven't you even noticed I was gone?"
Wade abruptly snapped out of his working trance when he saw another robot talking before him. "You know this bot?" he asked.
"Unfortunately I do. This is my counterpart, R2-D2." The robot made no motion when C-3PO introduced it, its red eye dim and lifeless. "What's the matter? No comment? Aren't you happy to see me? Well then, I'm not happy to see you either."
"He's broken," Wade explained. "I've been working on him for days on end but I can't fix him!" His eye twitched again as he finished.
"Gone and got himself into more trouble, has he?" C-3PO scoffed. "I'm not surprised. Very well. Stand back. I'll fix him." Wade did step back, disbelieving that this droid could accomplish what he spent a week working on. C-3PO stepped up beside R2-D2, and whacked him over the head. "Wake up you little bucket of bolts!" The dormant red light on R2-D2's head lit up instantly. A series of beeps emitted from it. All the sudden it came to life, its head rotating around to take in the new surroundings.
Wade's jaw fell open in disbelief. "But I...but...I..."
"Ah, don't sweat it, tubsy," Cid chuckled putting a hand on Wade's shoulder. "There are things in this world that even I, with my vast intelligence, don't understand." Wade bowed his head hopelessly.
"R2-D2, I cannot believe that you are here of all places!" C-3PO scolded with irritation. "What happened to put you in this kind of condition?" R2-D2 responded with a series of beeping noises, his apparent way of communication. "Caught in a power cuplink? Honestly, I'm gone for a few days and look what happens!" The little droid rotated his head to the other people in the room and stared at each of them curiously. When his big red eye landed on Sora, he rocked back and forth on his two feet and started beeping excitedly. "Yes, I know, it is him. Princess Leia will be most pleased."
"Not that this isn't a touching reunion," Leon growled patiently. "But if you don't mind I'd like to get back to the location of our saviours."
"Oh, right you are!" C-3PO exclaimed cheerfully. "And now I have some good news to give! R2 here keeps track of all of the Rebel Alliance's movements. So it's very fortunate that he could be here today." R2 beeped at his recognition. "R2, can you display the location of the fleet?" R2 beeped again. "Splendid! It seems that he knows exactly where they are. He says that if you simply hook him up to your navigation systems, he'll lead you straight to them."
"This is great," Barret said excitedly. "We're not alone in this anymore, guys!"
"And I'm glad of it," Leon said. "Cid, take that droid down to the bridge and get it hooked up. We're gonna find these guys if we want any chance of getting our home back. Sora you - Sora?" Sora suddenly doubled over, clutching his head in pain, sweat pouring down his face. "Sora!"
"What's wrong?!" Quistis asked urgently.
"Master Sora, are you alright?" C-3PO asked. But Sora could barely hear them, his head was pounding so hard. It was as if someone was poking around in there, and not being too subtle about it.
"I've found you."
That was the last thing Sora heard before he passed out.
KHKHKHKH
Riku couldn't help but smile. Next to Destiny Island's, this was his most favourite world.
As his eyes adjusted to the twilight gaze that always hung above the town before him, Riku set off into its familiar streets.
Twilight Town was an unscheduled stop for Riku. This place held a lot of memories, not many of them very good. But the feeling of being cooped up in a ship for days on end was beginning to get to him, so a pit stop was needed. Not to mention food and sustenance for the remainder of the journey. It was dangerous decision, especially since he seemed to be a target of just about everyone. But, as Riku passed the shops and the happy people on the streets, he decided it was worth it.
"How touching."
Riku smile dropped instantly. He looked to his left as he passed by the many shop windows but, instead of his own reflection, the one that gazed back at him was Xehanort's Heartless.
"You just live to tick me off, don't you?" Riku asked the reflection.
"Not much else to do in your heart," Xehanort's Heartless replied with a smirk. "Maybe if you let me loose once and awhile..."
"That's so funny I forgot to laugh," Riku replied in monotone.
"Fine. I don't need to convince you. If I don't get to you, those Chasers will." Riku's scowl deepened. "They came after you and you could do nothing. They're stronger, better than you. That must sting. It was only through sheer luck that were able to escape them. But, what will happen when your luck runs out?" The Heartless smiled wide. "You need my power, Riku. If you are to stand any kind of chance, you need to be stronger. And I can make you stronger."
"You can just shut up right there," Riku said fiercely stopping to glare at him in a shop's window. "You don't think I learned my lesson from last time? Sure, you'll give me the power, in exchange for my own body. If you think I'm gonna be your puppet again, you're sorely mistaken."
Xehanort's Heartless smirked and shrugged. "Worth a shot." Riku glowered at him one more time, then turned to walk way, only to bump into someone as he did.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, kid!"
Riku turned to apologize, his eyes meeting the stranger's. When Riku saw his face, the apology caught in his throat.
"What's the matter, kid? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Blue hair, yellow eyes and sullen expression are what made up the person that Riku recognized right away.
"S-Saix?" he gasped. 'Saix' raised a brow in question.
"Are you talking to me?" he asked. "I think you got me mistaken with someone else. My name is Ias." Riku could only gawk in confusion. He was sure this was Saix, except he wasn't dressed in the black cloak of Organization XIII as Riku had always seen him in. He now wore regular, everyday clothes. The X-shaped scar on his nose was gone but that face surely belonged to the Luna Diviner.
Ias?
Ias shifted uncomfortably under Riku's stare. "Look, kid. I'm gonna go now cause you're creeping me out. Hope you find Saix, or whatever his name is." Then he walked off with his hands in his pockets muttering "what kind of name is Saix?" Riku was left just standing there, gawking at the man's back as he left.
"Don't worry, you're not going insane." Xehanort's Heartless rang in his head. "Aside from the fact that you're hearing a voice in your head."
Riku snapped out of it then. "There's no way," he whispered. "It can't be. Saix? It couldn't be, he's gone. All of Organization XIII is." Except for Xemnas, Riku added in his head.
"Then what do you call that?" Riku raised an eyebrow at first but soon found what the Heartless had seen through his eyes, eyes which suddenly widened in disbelief.
"Thank you! Thank you! You people are too kind!" called the young man with the 'business in the front, party in the back' hairstyle. A crowd of people had gathered around the street side performer, the rhythms and sounds from his guitar luring them all in to listen and applaud for him. "What's that? Why yes, I do take requests! Anybody? I think I heard Queen! I love Queen! Let's rock!" Riku continued to stare even after the man started playing, but eventually he tore himself away. He continued walking before he was caught up in anything unusual. Was he just imagining things?
He walked past a store that displayed wide varieties of flowers, a flower shop no doubt. And minding the store was a man, a man with long and seemingly pink hair. He seemed peaceful and content, and let out a blissful sigh as he took in the scent of roses, and then waved to an astonished Riku as he walked on by.
Across the street, sitting at a table in a café was a middle-aged man with long grey hair. Twirling the ice in a glass of lemonade, he poured all of his concentration into the game of chess set across the table. Suddenly smirking, he set his glass down and moved his piece into place, sitting back afterward to allow his opponent to move. The large and extremely buff man sitting across from him furrowed his brow with extreme focus, broad arms crossed over his chest. He had his move prepared in no time and smiled as he made it, his older opponent's mouth falling open in disbelief. There was a brief moment of disappointment for the middle-aged man, before both of them broke out laughing.
A young, shorthaired, blond woman was having a particularly good time at a machine in an arcade, mashing buttons and yanking the joystick to its limits, all the while grinning sadistically. All of a sudden her smile dropped like a stone when the telltale sound of her character dying rang from the machine. Other customers were soon running out of the arcade in fear of the raving and cursing woman banging against the game over the loss of her quarter.
Riku scowled when he laid eyes upon a young silver haired boy with his hair draped over his right eye, sitting crossed legged on a bench outside a bookstore and reading a recently purchased piece of literature. A content smile was on his face as he scanned the pages.
There was a commotion in an alley Riku passed by. A game of dice was going on between two shops with the neighborhood trouble makers. They tossed the dice against the wall and bet on the results for some easy coin. One man in particular seemed to be cleaning up quite well. A light blond-haired man tossed his black die against the wall and laughed happily at the result he got. The others weren't laughing as they unwillingly handed their money over to him.
One man was leaning against a store wall, his black ponytailed hair laying across one shoulder. He catcalled at two young girls as they walked by. He raised his head as if to wink at them, but that was impossible since his right eye was patched with bandages, an injury possibly from some time ago. He pointed at the two girls and a shooting motion with his fingers. They giggled to each other as they walked away, leaving the man grinning like a fool.
"Interesting," said the voice in Riku's head, almost scientifically. He was the Heartless of Ansem's assistant after all. "Every one of them has regained their former bodies with no recollection of ever being Nobodies. It's my theory that once they were destroyed, their essence somehow lingered. It's possible that the fake Kingdom Hearts they created contained their very own hearts, and after it was destroyed and the hearts released, they were able to find each other once again. This world that borders on the realm of both light and dark, was where they were reborn."
"Maybe," Riku muttered, barely listening when he heard the sound of laughter. Four people walked down the street, three being children. A boy with messy blond hair, muscle shirt and cargo pants, a girl with bright green eyes wearing orange, and another boy, slightly portly, wearing a red jersey that read 'DOGSTREET'. And with them, standing out quite clearly, was a man with vibrant green eyes and bright red hair that seemed to blaze like fire. All of them were laughing as they ate their sea-salt ice-cream. Riku smiled.
"Or maybe they've just been given a second chance."
"Oh please." Riku chuckled despite himself. Well, no time to dally. There was another reason he came to Twilight Town after all, and it was time to find it. Those were his thoughts as he set off down the street again.
He had barely gotten two steps when an incredibly terrifying chill went through his entire body. From head to toe a feeling of terrible dread washed over him. He sped around, looking for the source, but could see nothing that might of caused this; there was nothing there, just regular people going about their everyday life in the streets. Riku subconsciously gulped the lump in his throat before he turned to walk again. Maybe spaceship life was starting to get to him.
He had no idea that someone watched him with an eagle-eyed gaze from the famous Twilight Town clock tower. High above the square his observer sat, calm and collected, a massive weapon resting on his shoulder, the twilight glinting off his dark armour.
Riku's chosen destination had brought him outside of Twilight Town itself, into the forests that surrounded its walls. The hole in the wall surrounding Twilight Town was being repaired by construction workers, one of them Riku noticed with long, black dreadlocked hair and strong upper body. Fortunately he knew of other ways outside the town. It was in the dark and scarcely traveled forest that he would get to the bottom of things. At the old and abandoned mansion, or as Riku knew it, Ansem the Wise's secret headquarters. Riku had certainly spent a lot of time here in his darker days, back when he couldn't even look at himself in the mirror.
Riku walked up to the gate and found a huge padlock on the door. No real problem, his Keyblade would take care of that. As he rose to summon it, he suddenly frowned. Cloud had told him that the Chasers were able to locate his exact whereabouts when he called his legendary weapon. It would do him no kind of good if either Charon or Brisen showed up or, in the worst case, both.
"Darn. I thought you were actually gonna do it," Xehanort's Heartless muttered as Riku lowered his arm. Luckily, he knew of other ways to get in. A secret panel slid away when he touched a certain stone in the brick wall, revealing a small number pad. Riku had long ago memorized the code to get in and used it now for the padlock to unhinge and the gates to swing open. And so Riku continued forward into the mansion.
Not much had changed since he had last been here, Riku thought as he entered the mansion's foyer. It was still the same dilapidated old piece of architecture in need of repair. Even so, this place held a lot of memories. Memories full of lies, deceit, and the manipulation of two young Nobodies. Riku would rather to put those kind of memories behind him, but there were some things time would not allow him to forget. Pushing such thoughts aside, he proceeded up the right-hand staircase to the upper levels.
In a short time, Riku was walking down the metal halls of Ansem's secret lab underneath the mansion, where Riku had spent most of his time when he stayed here. Built with haste and kept secret from the people of Twilight Town and anyone else who might have been curious. It felt as cold and silent back then as it did right now.
There it was, what he'd come for. Ansem's secret computer. Through this, Ansem had created an entire virtual town, completely identical to that of Twilight Town to use for his own designs. But more than that, it was the last known information source Ansem the Wise had provided the universe. Other than Radiant Garden, this was where Ansem would have kept his records. It was the only place Riku could think of to learn anything about the Chasers.
Those armour-wearing demons were all that Riku thought about ever since his first encounter with them. More so after his second encounter, with a different Chaser. He just couldn't understand who they were or what they wanted. Charon had said that he wanted his Keyblade, while Brisen had tried to tear his very heart out of his chest. And they both seemed to be very interested in him, perhaps even more than in Sora, which was strange. Riku's only chance to learn even a bit about them was to hope Ansem knew something before he made his noble sacrifice. After all, it was Riku's understanding that Ansem knew everything.
Riku took the seat before the multi-screened computer and accessed it right away. Ansem had taught him how to, in case of emergency. There were several easily accessible files, such as encryptions for the virtual Twilight Town, or life support signs for the memory pods, but nothing he could see that would have been useful to him.
"There's got to be something," Riku muttered to himself. He was risking life and limb just being here; he couldn't come up empty handed. But so far there was nothing even remotely useful. Scanning the screens, Riku kept looking, until finally he came across something: a digital log book. Ansem must have kept it during his stay here. It was better than nothing, Riku reasoned. He opened it with the press of a button.
A number of log entries came up as soon as he did, each one dated and labeled. Most of them were progress reports of Sora's condition while he was in the memory pod, not much use to Riku. But one entry caught Riku's eye, standing out from the others. It was labeled Keyblades. It seemed to be closest to what Riku was looking for, so he clicked it open.
Sora's memories are steadily returning. A month in the least and he shall be ready. I can only hope Riku returns with the errant Roxas. Riku frowned a bit at that. Only hope that he returns quickly. Organization XIII is moving. Their plans are still a mystery to me. One thing is for certain, the universe needs a Keyblade wielder.
Keyblades. I still can't believe they actually exist. It's a difficult concept to grasp that things out of children's tales are actually reality. Long have I known of the legends of the Keyblade, but only from bedtime stories. Ever since I was a boy I always loved to hear the tales about the wondrous Keyblades, and the one's who wielded them. The fighting, the adventures, and probably most exciting of all, the Keyblade War.
"Keyblade...War?" Riku repeated in a whisper.
"Now that certainly sounds interesting," Xehanort's Heartless sneered, making Riku frown. Feeding this kind of information to it could be potentially dangerous. Unfortunately it wasn't like he could switch him off and he may never have this kind of chance again. He continued reading.
The Keyblade War was always a favourite tale of mine. But it makes me wonder, if the Keyblades exist, could that mean that the War existed as well? Such a thought is truly frightening. For a while the Keybladers were strong and heroic; the enemies they opposed were not ones to be trifled with. Many battles were lost against them, these evil and tainted warriors. If the Keyblades existed, these beings must have as well, because they also wielded the mystical weapons.
I wonder why I ramble on about such trivial things. But the truth is, I've always been fascinated by the Chasers. According to stories, they were once revered as the most respected and powerful of Keybladers. That is, until they turned their back on the light. What was it that did it I wonder? Why would these three heroes forsake all they had come to know?
Three? There was another Chaser out there? It wasn't enough Riku was dealing with two Keyblade masters from thousands of years ago, but a third?
The Chasers are only a reminder of how easily our hearts can turn to the dark side. A lesson that unfortunately the universe has seemed to forget. I was never able to appreciate that as a lad, I was only enthralled by the stories. Three Chasers and of course, their master-"
Just as Riku was about to read on, a red light suddenly started flashing on the console. The motion sensors upstairs had detected movement. Riku's brow furrowed. No one was supposed to be here, not even the people of Twilight Town came here. As much as he wanted to read on, priority dictated that he check what's up. Literally.
After the walk back to the ground floor, Riku was looking around the foyer at the bottom of the stairs. Nothing and no one was up here as the motion sensors had indicated. Everything was still in its dusty and broken place. It was just a big quiet room. Almost...too quiet.
Riku sighed. "I guess you're number three."
At the top of the right-hand stairway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his helmeted head bowed was the third and, what Riku now understood to be, final Chaser.
"Riku," he whispered as he lifted his head slightly to look at the boy he addressed. "We finally meet. I've heard quite a lot about you." He tilted his head amusingly. "I thought you'd be taller." Riku looked the Chaser over. He was a lot taller than Charon or Brisen, and his voice was deep and calm, almost dangerously so.
"This is the part where you armour guys tell me your name," Riku growled. The Chaser regarded him before he answered.
"Aradan. My name is Aradan. It is truly an honour to make your acquaintance. Brisen and Charon certainly had a lot to say about you."
"So what happens now?" Riku asked. "You gonna attack or what?"
"Eager to fight, are we?" Aradan chuckled. "Don't worry, we'll get to it soon enough. First, let me ask you something. Why do you fight?" As he asked this he started walking down the stairs with his armour clanking together with each step.
"Is it to prove yourself? Your will to survive? Is it so you can see your friends again? What is it, Riku, that has allowed you to slip through our fingers twice now? What drives you to continue to press on? You've seen our power, surely you know it is hopeless to run." Riku tensed when he reached the bottom of the stairs and walked to stand across from him. "Maybe you're just stubborn. In that instance, you and I are a lot alike."
"That so?" Riku whispered. "In that case, why don't you tell me why you fight? Do you just like killing? What would cause you and those other two freaks to turn on your fellow Keybladers and start an entire war?" Riku's whole body turned cold at the intense glare Aradan seemed to be giving him underneath his helmet. Clearly, Riku hit a sore spot. Suddenly the Chaser raised his arm and soon enough a column of light filled his hand and the biggest Keyblade Riku had ever seen appeared. He hap to suppress gulping the lump in his throat.
"Marvelous, isn't it?" Aradan bragged, regarding his weapon. "Do you know how the Keyblades first came into existence, Riku? They were forged thousands of years ago, when the stars and planets were still young, by a civilization of powerful mages known as the Ancients or, as we used to call them, the Cetras. They created these weapons because they foresaw the approaching darkness that was just beginning to grow in the hearts of others. The key to open doors and create new pathways, the blade to protect, defend and abolish the darkness. Key. Blade. Keyblade. Any who were granted such a weapon were given the highest regard. You should consider yourself lucky that you were chosen."
"Luck had nothing to do with it," Riku responded angrily.
"If you say so." Aradan shook his head. "Ironic that the very weapons they created would be their very undoing. Keyblades are the most powerful weapons in existence, and the Cetra's, for all their wisdom, were blind to their possible mis-use. To offer such weapons to just anyone was ludicrous. Were they to fall into the wrong hands, the results could be disastrous. We pleaded with them to stop, to think things through, but they had grown too proud and arrogant over the many centuries they've been around. They had to be stopped. We fell upon their city, and wiped them all out. Well, almost all of them." Aradan noted in the back of his mind to deal with a certain brown-haired woman later on.
"Is that your excuse for murder?" Riku growled.
"I'm starting to like this guy," Xehanort's Heartless said.
"You see, Riku?" Aradan drawled. "Even your heart knows it to be true." Riku's eyes widened.
"Wait. You can hear him?"
"I hear my master's voice wherever it may be."
"Master? I thought Xemnas was your master?"
"How little you understand," Aradan sighed.
"So make me understand."
"All in due time. The time when Xehanort makes his glorious return!" Before Riku could question further or even summon his Keyblade Aradan blasted a firaga from the palm of his hand, right at the chandelier suspended over Riku's head. The spell burnt through the clasp and Riku leapt out of the way just as the mass of glass and metal crashed to the floor. The next thing he saw was a massive dark Keyblade heading his way, and he blocked it almost as quickly with his own, and once again Riku was locked in combat with a Chaser.
Riku deflected attacks that were surprisingly fast and just as powerful as they looked; they battered him on his already battered body. Aradan's Keyblade which, in comparison, made Riku's look like a toy, expelled an unyielding hammer of attacks that combined with master swordsmanship on the Chaser's part. All Riku could do was block and defend, and occasionally strike back, but ultimately he was on the wrong end of a losing battle.
Aradan had pushed Riku back to one of the staircases to the upper level and now the two dueled theatrically all the way up the steps. Riku walked up backward parrying the strikes of Aradan, whose missed attacks sometimes tore gashes into the stairs. Once they reached the top they continued to trade blows until they locked Keyblades, and glared into each other's face.
"You don't have to fight me, Riku," Aradan growled as he poured more strength into the lock. "You should be honored to vessel our master. Simply cooperate with us and your place in the new world will be set!"
"That's the smartest thing I've heard all day," Xehanort's Heartless chuckled, but Riku blocked it all out. When Aradan broke the lock and brought the giant Keyblade down Riku unexpectedly raised a Dark Shield to bounce it back. The rebound made Aradan stumble backwards into the railing overlooking the bottom floor, but he didn't fall. That is until the silver haired boy body- checked him and they both fell over back to ground level.
Outside the mansion a loud crash was heard by the three people listening, followed soon by the clashing of metal and vigorous shouts. "Seifer, maybe we shouldn't check this place out today, ya know?" the large dark-skinned boy whimpered, flinching when another loud crash resounded from within.
"Dangerous," said a girl with short silver hair covering her right eye, a small bead of sweat rolling down her face.
"I can't believe you guys are being such a bunch of chicken-wusses," growled the boy and apparent leader of the other two, blond hair covered by a ski cap, his scarred nose scrunching up in irritation. "You're scared of a bunch of loud noises? It's probably just a family of racoons that wandered in from the forest." A blast of lightning burst through the mansion's roof from the inside. Not long after it was followed by several balls of blue fire bursting out of the walls and ceiling.
"I don't think racoons can do that, ya know?" the large boy whimpered.
"Haunted," the girl put in. Another lightning bolt burst forth.
"This place is not haunted!" Seifer shouted, though his expression showed his unease. "It's...just a trick! Someone's trying to screw with us! And I'm not gonna let em'!" Seifer's eyes widened when the front door was suddenly blasted into splinters by an incoming ball of blue fire that barely singed his cap before all of them ducked.
"But...this place kind of falls out of our jurisdiction as the Disciplinary Committee. No need to waste our time."
"Hear, hear," the girl said.
"Right, you know!" the large one said all to eagerly.
Back inside, where the mansion had fallen into an even worse state of disrepair due to errant thundaga and Dark Aura spells, Riku stood panting, Keyblade still in hand, muscles racked and worn from blocking powerful blows, but Aradan, as far as he could tell from where he stood, didn't even look like he'd broken a sweat. Each Chaser he had met was different in their own right, but Aradan was by far the toughest.
"That all you got?" Riku called out.
"You haven't even begun to understand the Keyblade's true power," Aradan replied. He rose his Keyblade high before bringing it down on the floor of the room. The sheer and awesome power behind it split the tiled ground in half and the entire floor started to give way under Riku's feet. The ground crumbled and fell apart into a chasm and, with a startled scream, Riku fell in as well. Painfully he hit the ground and the rest of the floor floor fell in with him
Underground, on top of a pile of rubble, Riku studied his options. It was a short study, since there weren't any. Against Charon and Brisen he had been able to escape through his wits and luck, but how was he going to get through this one?
Suddenly it hit him. He quickly sat up and took in his surroundings. The collapsed floor had taken him all the way down into Ansem's secret lab, right before the computer, which was somehow undamaged from the cave-in. It was where Riku needed to be if his plan was to work.
Frantically he jumped to the computer, set aside Ansem's digital log and pulled up the required files. As fast as his hands would allow, his fingers typed across the keyboard with careful precision. He had barely finished up when he heard a pair of heavy metal feet land behind him.
"End of the line, Riku," Aradan whispered as Riku rounded to face him. Riku scowled, but discreetly reached behind him and pressed the 'Enter' key on the computer. He then moved from the computer to the right and, as Aradan followed, they began circling each other like sharks.
"You know, I was wondering why Xemnas doesn't just do his own dirty work," Riku said, trying to keep the Chaser's attention averted.
"The master need not sully his hands with such trivial matters," Aradan answered dismissively. "Riku stopped circling because, on the metal platform directly behind the Chaser, a thin beam of light began to materialize. Riku was thankful that Aradan hadn't noticed. "It's a shame things had to work out this way. In another time, maybe we could have been friends."
Riku scowled fiercely. "I already have friends." And he threw his Keyblade, something the Chaser didn't expect, but he still managed to knock it away. Another thing he didn't count on was Riku charging him head on, unarmed, and with both hands ablaze with blue fire. He couldn't even retaliate before two palms slammed into his chest and fired two Dark Auras at point plank range.
Aradan stumbled backwards from the force, singe marks on his armour, and right into the beam of light behind him.
"AAARRRGGGHHH!" the Chaser cried out when he touched the light, electricity coursing all through his armour. Riku shielded his eyes from the flashing light as Aradan's anguished and angered screams filled the room. In the brightest flash yet, Aradan vanished, the Chaser completely disappearing with his screams.
As soon as Riku saw this he rounded to the computer with his palm outstretched and blew it apart with another patented Dark Aura. Now a smoking mess, the hardware would no longer support the gateway, and the beam of light that had taken Aradan away dimmed away into nothingness.
Riku immediately sunk to his hands and knees, panting heavily. Yet another miraculous escape. Just how many of those will he be able to pull off?
It would take Aradan a while to get out of fake Twilight Town, but it wouldn't hold him forever; all the Matrix ripoffs in the world couldn't keep that guy down. He had to get out of here before that happened. But...
Riku drearily looked over at the smoldering wreck that used to be Ansem's computer and sighed. In the end, what was the point in coming here? He had ended up with more questions than answers, not to mention a lot more bruises. Ansem's last known log was forever lost but it had cleared some things up. At least now he knew he was dealing with Keyblade masters from thousands of years ago, who wiped out their fellow Keybladers because of their own arrogance. Oh, happy day.
As he stood up to leave, Riku couldn't help wonder. Aradan had said Xemnas wasn't his master, and yet he followed him. Then he had said Xehanort's Heartless was his master. Which one of these evil overlords were the Chasers working for? He just couldn't put it together.
Riku couldn't put it together, but someone else did. The Heartless within him couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's naivete. What he seemed to be forgetting was that he and the Nobody called Xemnas shared a very important trait. They were Heartless and Nobody, but did he forget of whom? Ever since Riku had first met the Chasers he had felt a certain...connection to them. Did Xemnas feel this as well?
"We must become one."
Riku merely dismissed the statement as more of the Heartless' rambling.
KHKHKHKH
Anakin and obi wan approach the chancellor who been kept prisoner on a strange space cruiser.
"Chancellor." greeted obi wan bowing before him.
"Are you all right?" said Anakin doing the same.
"Count dooku." Said the chancellor seeing someone.
They turned around and see the count from the balcony.
"This time we do it together." Said obi wan to his padawan.
"I was about to say that." Said Anakin Skywalker who kept a firm grip on his lightsabre with his bionic right arm, long having gotten used to the adjustment. It seemed like fate that today he would face off against the one who cut it.
The count leaped from the balcony like a cat.
"you're no match for him. He's a sith lord." Said the chancellor desperately.
"Chancellor sith lords are our speciality." Said obi wan lightsaber at the ready.
"Your swords please," Dooku said smugly. "We don't want to make a mess of things in front of the Chancellor." The count spared a glance off to the side, where the man he came to respect as both a friend and an ally, sat restrained. Chancellor Palpatine watched with growing worry as far as Anakin could tell.
"You won't get away this time dooku." Said obi wan who's about to fight him.
Count Dooku smirked confidently, his face shadowed ominously by his glowing red lightsabre. "I've been looking forward to this." Anakin scowled.
"My powers have doubled since the last time we've met count." Anakin growled. They circled each other like lions ready to clash.
"Good. Twice the pride, double the fall." Anakin's anger rose despite his training, sparks flying from their lightsabres colliding a second later.
"Your moves are clumsily Kenobi. Too predictable. But surely you can do better!" said the count and gives a dose of force lightning knocking him out.
Off to the side, unconscious and beaten, was Anakin's friend and master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Even with their combined might Dooku still proved better than both of them, and Obi-Wan had been the unluckier of the two.
Dooku was old but he was far from weak, Anakin had learned that not many years ago. Long had he awaited this day when he would have the chance to pay him back. Quickly he pushed such thoughts aside and focused on the battle at hand, as red fire clashed with blue. Dooku seemed to frown at the fact that Anakin had gotten better, but he was as proud as he was powerful. Palpatine was their only audience, and neither seemed to be getting the better of each other.
"I sense great fear in you young Skywalker You have pain," Dooku said with the clash still going on. "You have anger! But you don't use them!" Anakin parried another strike but another one came just as fast. He grabbed Dooku's sword-arm, twisted his sabre, and severed both hands from the old man's wrists. Dooku fell to his knees and stared in shock at the burned flesh that had once nursed his hands. He couldn't be more unarmed. This was only exemplified when Anakin both his blue lightsabre and his own red one at his neck like a pair of glowing scissors.
"Good Anakin! good!" the Chancellor praised from the seat he was bound to. "I knew you could do it!" Anakin smirked. He truly had gotten more powerful, he thought, as he took pleasure of the great fear in Dooku's eyes.
"Now kill him."
Anakin smirk dropped. The Chancellor merely smiled at Anakin's startled look. "Kill him now," he repeated.
Anakin turned back to the Count, who's fear had increased tenfold at the Chancellor's request.
"I...I shouldn't," he muttered.
"Do it!" Palpatine urged.
The Jedi teachings were very clear on this. Dooku was his prisoner, quite literally his unarmed prisoner, execution was not to be had in such a situation.
However...his bionic arm still bothered him at night.
SLICE
Unbeknownst to Anakin, Chancellor Palpatine smiled cruelly.
KHKHKHKH
"Are you coming master?"
"Oh no. I'm not brave enough for politics," Obi-Wan sighed. "I have to report to the council. And besides someone needs to be the poster boy."
"Hold on." Protested Anakin. "This whole operation was your idea. You planned it. You led the rescue operation. You have to be the one to take the bows this time.
"Sorry but let us not forget that you rescued me from those buzz droids…," Obi-Wan Kenobi said as he and his former pupil stayed on the shuttle, finally given a moment of rest after their heroic rescue of the Chancellor. "Killed Count Dooku, rescued the Chancellor, and carrying me unconscious on your back and you managed that bucket of bolts safety."
"All because of your training, Master," Anakin smiled as they walked. "You deserve all those speeches of your greatness." Obi-Wan sighed.
"Nah those speeches take forever. No Anakin you are the hero whether you want to admit it or not. So let's be fair enjoy your time with the politicians."
"Ok, fine. But you owned me for not saving your skin for the tenth time…" Anakin stopped when a familiar presence entered his senses. He glanced to the side just in time to see a shadowy figure duck behind a pillar.
Obi-Wan shrugged. "Ninth time. That business of cato nemoidia doesn't count. See you at the briefing." Obi-Wan went off, and Anakin stayed. Once he was sure his master was gone, he strode over where the figure waited. Once there, he tore off the hood that concealed her face, and then pulled her into his warm and loving embrace.
oh anakin Thank goodness you're back
"oh anakin Thank goodness you're back," Padme whispered, kissing him over and over again.
"I've missed you" he said softly.
"There were whispers that you've been killed…I've been living with unbearable dread."
"it's fine. I'm safe now, if the chancellor hadn't been kidnapped, I don't think they would've brought us back from the outer rim." Anakin said soothingly, gently caressing her hair. He made to kiss her like he had been longing to, but to his disappointment, she turned away.
"Wait," she told him in all seriousness. "Not here, not in the open."
"Yes in the open!" Anakin grabbed her to face him again. "I'm tired of all this sneaking about, all this deception. I don't care if they know we're married!"
"Anakin, please. Don't say things like that! You're important to the Republic, to me and to ending this war." Anakin rolled his eyes, he had been reminded of that one often enough. "I love you more than anything but I can't let you give up your life as a Jedi for me..." Anakin smiled. Gently he brushed her beautiful face.
"I've already given my life to the Jedi order, but I'll only give up my life for you." Padme had to smile then, and Anakin had to kiss her. Long they held each other, glad to be back in each other's arms. But as Anakin held her, he noticed, she was trembling.
"Padme, what's wrong? You're trembling…" he asked, concerned. His wife couldn't meet his eyes. He didn't need the Force to tell him that something was up.
"Something wonderful has happened," she admitted. What she said next Anakin never would have expected. "Annie…I'm pregnant." The young Jedi's eyes widened. There was no telling what was going on in his thoughts. Joy, anger, the ramifications that this might bring up, who could say?
Finally, he said, "That's...that's wonderful!" And he smiled at her.
KHKHKHKH
Hunched over, sitting on the edge of his bed, Anakin Sywalker delved into the depths of his thoughts, sweat dripping down from his face as his brow creased together.
"what's wrong?" she asked. She sat beside him now, but Anakin still didn't answer her.
All could Anakin answer was. "nothing." But he tried to change her mind of holding the lucky pendant on her neck that he gave when he was a boy. "The japor snippet…I remember this necklace when I first gave it to you."
"How long is it going to take to be honest with each other?" Anakin frowned.
"Just a dream," he answered.
"Bad?"
"Like the ones that I used to have about my mother right before she died." Padme grew more serious, Anakin noticed. Maybe it was because he never talked about his mother.
"And?"
"It was about you." Anakin wouldn't say any more after that. If he wanted to stick by that he shouldn't have looked into his secret wife's eyes, as they were filled with concern. He relented, and took a deep breath.
"You die of child-birth." Padme didn't look as scared as he thought she would, though her mouth did fall open slightly.
"And the baby?" she asked worriedly.
He shook his head. "I don't know." He was troubled, and she could see it.
"It's just a dream," she consoled him.
"I won't let this become real."
KHKHKHKH
Sora blinked once he regained all his senses, though all it did was open his eyes to the infinite blackness surrounding him.
"Hello?" he called out. This was usually the part where he woke up after a vision, strange as it sounded. He looked everywhere for at least some sign of something. He looked left, right, up, down...
At his feet, the very ground he stood on, was a great stained glass mural. It wasn't the first time Sora had seen something like this, or it might have been more distressing. Nearly two years ago he had had what he thought was a dream about this very same place. The only thing was the mural was completely different from last time. His Keyblade was displayed in the middle, directly underneath his feet, and on both sides of it two hands were reaching towards it. The hand on the right was, oddly enough, green and withered, with only three fingers. The one on the left wasn't as odd, but still unnatural. It was a dark hand covered in black, outstretched to the Keyblade as if to defy the other hand.
Circling the main image were several smaller ones, the faces of people Sora had come to know quite well over his many travels: the honourable warrior woman, whose skill with a blade was matched only by her beauty; the once noble prince, whose form was twisted to resemble a terrible beast; the cunning and tricky pirate, captain of his ship and his own destiny; the hedgehog who knows whenever the wind takes him; the childish panda, his outward appearance a mask for the burden he's forced to carry; the terrifying skeleton, cheerful, capable, always ready for adventure; and the streetrat, a boy who's never known the warmth of a true home.
Sora immediately picked out three figures, all clad in dark armour. The only parts that weren't covered were their faces, for in their hands they held their all to familiar helmets. Their faces, however, could not be seen because they were covered in shadow, shadow coming off a tall dark figure of a man behind them. Their master perhaps? The one known as Xehanort? All he knew was that in the shadow's center was a moon, a moon in the shape of a heart, very familiar to Sora, as was the person that overlapped the heart-shaped moon. A girl of fair face, arms spread to her sides making her look almost angelic. Her red hair was what Sora noticed right away.
"Where am I?" Sora whispered to himself. Something split the silence then. A laugh. A laugh that sounded as evil as could be. It came from all around him, echoing in the blackness, its source unknown.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Sora shouted to the dark. A frightening chill went down his spine as someone's cold gaze pierced through his very soul. He turned around.
A figure in robes that matched the darkness surrounding them now stood on a platform where Sora was sure no one had been before. Whoever it was, their face was hooded, an old and hideous face hidden underneath it. His pale skin clung to his face, like it was melting off. And his eyes were yellow and not far from being inhuman.
Sora frowned. "Who are you?" The man didn't answer him, he didn't even seem to be looking at him. Instead he started walking around the platform, casually observing his surroundings. "Hey! I'm talking to you!"
"Incredible," the man rasped, like he didn't even hear what Sora said. "I've seen the minds of many, but this one...is unlike any I've ever seen."
"I asked you a question! Who are you?!" Sora shouted again. Finally, the man turned to him, an unnerving smile upon his face.
"You mean my name?" he asked coyly. "I have many names. Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious. But you, Sora, may bow before me and call me Emperor." Sora let it sink. Emperor? Why did that seem so familiar? Then it hit him. The leader of the Galactic Empire, the Emperor himself.
"Ah, so you've heard of me," the Emperor chuckled at Sora's startled look. "It took you a while. That must be why this place is so empty. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Empty minds leave room for molding." Sora whipped his arm out, but it only grasped empty air. The Keyblade wouldn't come. "You have no power here, boy. Not while I remain in control." He turned his back on Sora again to look at his surroundings. "Not that it matters. Without the Keyblade, you're no more than a boy. Still..." With a smile he looked down at the artwork at his feet.
"Your mind seems to hold certain...secrets." While he was talking Sora had snuck up on him and aimed a punch at the back of his head, only for his fist to phase right through the man like he was a ghost. "The Keyblades are as ancient as the Jedi themselves," the Emperor went on, like nothing had happened. "It's a rather famous tale, the very Jedi order was forged from their influence. Interesting enough it was said that the Sith were also forged out of...someone else's influence." The last part he said looking at the shadow in the art.
"So you see, the Keyblades have played a very important role in the development of the universe. They still do. You're living proof of that. Fighting the darkness for the sake of the so-called good. You've cast down villain after villain with your weapon, because all of which had one goal in mind. You've seen it haven't you, Sora?" He stopped pacing and looked at Sora with a dark smile. "Kingdom Hearts." Sora didn't contain his shock very well. "The blackness, the evil within, the true power that is the Dark Side. You've seen what lies within. That you should taste it and I have not is truly a frustrating thought. I know the way, I have seen it! But it is locked to me and will not open! It mocks me. Me! Denying me its power!"
"What do you want?" Sora asked as calmly as he could manage.
"What do I want?" the Emperor whispered. "Why, I want you. What you know. The secrets that rest within this head of yours."
The Emperor stepped towards him. "Show me your secrets, Sora." Another few steps and Sora backed away. "Show me." A wide insane smile formed. "Show me!" The boy's blue eyes widened when crackling blue lightning blasted straight at him from the Emperor's fingertip. It coursed all through him as soon as it hit, a pain unlike any other he'd ever felt, the power of darkness rushing through his systems. There was no part of him that wasn't on fire.
"Sora, wake up you lazy bum!"
"They're called the Heartless."
"The Keyblade?"
Sora wasn't sure what was happening. Bits and pieces from his past were appearing in his head, like his life was flashing before his very eyes, which was appropriate since he felt like he was dying. Every world he'd ever been to, every friend he'd ever made, he was seeing it all again. Through the lightning and the memories, he saw the Emperor was smiling. He was seeing them too. No, he wasn't just seeing them, he was stealing his memories.
"Tournament's closed, kid."
"Captain Jack Sparrow!"
"They call themselves Organization XIII."
The Emperor saw it all through his own eyes, the memories of the chosen wielder of the Keyblade. He could see the boy'd had quite a few adventures in the short time since he had received it. But he didn't care about all that, who he met or where he's been. All he wanted was the answer, the way inside, the portal to ultimate power...
"Dr. Finkelstein should-"
"Great Ninja-"
"Riku-"
The Emperor frowned. Something was wrong. The memories were coming in garbled, unclear for some reason. They were being cut off from him. Sora, against all possibility, was slowly rising to his feet against the Force Lightning. The more he regained posture, the more unclear the images became. Because he was...resisting?
He scowled. His plans will not be undone because of the stubbornness of one boy. Yellow eyes flashed as soon as he sent another powerful blast through the lightning current. Sora's knees buckled under the extra jolt but he managed to somehow stay standing. This only angered the Dark Lord further. Where was he getting this strength? How was he able to defy the power of the Dark Side? It was inconceivable. As more of the boy's strength returned, his own power weakened.
"Anakin."
The Emperor's eyes widened.
"Anakin Skywalker!"
What's this?
"Annie, I'm pregnant."
It couldn't be...
"Your father..."
"AAARRGGHH!" Sora's primal scream brought forth a burst of light that broke the Emperor's attack. He stumbled back and cried out in pain. The Dark Lord's hands were singed and smoking. Sora stood facing him panting, blue eyes blazing with anger, the Keyblade now in his hand.
"This is my mind," Sora growled and pointed the Keyblade at his foe. "My memories. You can't have them and you aren't welcome here!" Sora glared at the Dark Lord and prepared for retaliation of any kind.
But the Emperor, he wasn't retaliating. In fact, he was wide-eyed. And it wasn't just from his burnt hands. He just stood rooted to the spot, staring at him, like he saw something he didn't see before, and it startled him.
"Hehehe..." Sora heard a faint noise and realized it was coming from the Emperor. The Lord of the Sith was...laughing. "Hahahaha, ahahahahaha, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" What was a light chuckle had quickly evolved into full blown laughter and the Emperor was now head thrown back cackling into the darkness around them, something Sora found more unsettling than anything else the Dark Lord could have done. There was a cracking sound at his feet. The stain glass platform they stood on, it was breaking. Cracks had erupted all over the surface. And from the Emperor himself, darkness was spilling from his very being. In his laughing fit the man's dark power was disrupting this plane, he was destroying everything.
Then suddenly, the approaching darkness was stayed. The Emperor's laughter abruptly stopped when a bright and brilliant light split the shadows between him and the also astonished Sora. His darkness was pushed back by such a shining presence. So bright was it that the Emperor had to shield his eyes; he was in pain. The light gave forth a burst that hit the Sith and the Emperor vanished, pushed forcefully out of Sora's mind with his cries echoing through air.
Unfortunately, he had unwillingly damaged the platform enough for it to shatter into thousands of pieces. As the glass gave way Sora fell into the infinite dark abyss below. There was simply nothing around him, just darkness, he couldn't even be sure he was falling, but there was no way out. The only thing he could see, was that light. And it seemed to be growing bigger and, if possible, more brilliant.
Then Sora saw it, and his eyes widened. The light, the closer it got and the more his eyes adjusted, was actually a woman. She was radiant, so beautiful, that Sora had to resist shedding a tear. She smiled at him, one that sent his heart flying, and reached out to take his hand.
KHKHKHKH
Sora's eyelids shot open at once and he sat up in the bed he found himself in. "Sora!" Kairi was at his bedside and had jumped as soon as he had awoken. "You're okay! Thank goodness." Sora, hunched over, panted heavily and found he was sweating quite a bit, eyes wide. "What happened to you, Sora? Leon said you just collapsed." Sora didn't answer her. She frowned.
"Sora? What's wrong?" He still didn't answer her, and that only worried Kairi more.
"Kairi," he finally said. "I think I saw..." He looked her in the eyes.
"My mother."
KHKHKHKH
The Emperor's yellow eyes re-opened from his trance.
When he regained consciousness, he unsurprisingly found his body was aching. Mind probing was a difficult task on its own, but to do so halfway across the galaxy and to a mind that complex, it was damn near exhausting. He looked down at his hands, and found them just as burned as they were in the boy's mindscape. Something told him that Sora's mind would be closed to him from now on. But even so, there was nothing in this universe that could wipe the Emperor's wicked smile from his face at that moment.
His office was empty, as he had so often ordered, but closing the shutters to his window was a simple task with his powers. Silently the room descended into almost complete darkness, and the Emperor welcomed it as it enveloped him. He pressed a button on his chair once the room was dark enough, and waited. An image appeared on his desk after a brief wait, of a masked figure, transparent and small.
"You requested me, my Master?" the holographic image of Darth Vader asked, bowed before him.
"Lord Vader," the Emperor said, a very wide and decrepit smile forming on his lips. "I have very interesting news."
KHKHKHKH
The old version of sora arrives at agrabah and he was too late once again.
"Missed him…yet again." He whispered.
He knows sora has one vision left. There wasn't enough time. Guess ellone will do the honors of explaining to his past self. she's a good girl that ellone. It's not her fault the memories that planted there.
It was theirs.
And it has to stop before sora gets seduced to the dark side. His soul must be saved.
"I trust you know what needs to be done ellone." He muttered to himself. "everything's setting into motion. He doesn't belong to their bloodline. He doesn't have…the mighty skywalker blood."
And that concludes another chapter. Be sure to write nice reviews, adapt the original story (Darius Almighty's work) on DeviantArt, turn it into a webcomic or post the story on TV tropes or follow and favorite it. And remember may your heart be your guiding key!