//------------------------------// // Arrival // Story: Kingdom Hearts: Friendship is Magic // by Mudkipman98 //------------------------------// Sora slowly pushed himself off of the cold earth that lay in the Realm of Darkness, using his keyblade for support. He was covered with cuts and bruises, and barely moving caused him extreme pain. And yet, he kept pushing until he stood again, using the keyblade as a cane. As he lifted his head, he looked up into what passed for a sky in the Realm of Darkness; black, thunderous clouds hung in the ‘sky’, producing a small amount of rain in the desolate realm. Among the hanging balls of lightning, Sora could make out the colossal form of a Darkside, darkness spreading from it like a cancer. Coming from the heart shaped hole in its chest were strands of electricity. These bolts were connected to Lea, Mickey, Riku, Ventus, Aqua, and Terra, each of which was being suspended high in the sky. Above the Darkside floated Xehanort, staring down at Sora with a look of complete victory and satisfaction on his face. “Now, Sora,” rumbled the old keyblade wielder's voice, “bear witness to the creation of the X-blade!” Next to Xehanort appeared 13 figures in black coats, their hoods pulled over their faces to disguise their identities. As soon as they appeared, they were gone again leaving behind only black hearts that had been tainted by darkness. Xehanort summoned his keyblade and with it, gathered the 13 dark hearts, commanding them to come together at its tip. He then used his free arm to point his palm at Sora’s six trapped friends. Sora could only watch as the lightning that connected his friends to the Darkside intensified, turning from a bright blue to a deep blackish purple. They began to shake violently, screaming as their hearts were slowly being stolen. “Sora, come and join your friends. Help me complete the X-Blade!” yelled Xehanort over the screaming and howling of the thunder and wind. “No!” yelled Sora in defiance. “I won't give up!" Xehanort shot an annoyed look at Sora. “No matter,” he said. “I know another keyblade wielder who will do just fine as a replacement.” Behind him, a dark portal appeared. Out of it fell Kairi who was immediately captured in another strand of Darkside lightning. With Kairi trapped, Xehanort began to steal her heart as well. “No!” yelled Sora. Summoning up all the strength he had left, he charged his keyblade full of light and activated his Ragnarok limit, firing a massive salvo of light at Xehanort who easily deflected them, sending the strands of energy spiraling into the deepest recesses of the dark realm. “I have no use for you anymore,” said Xehanort coldly. “Be gone.” With that, Xehanort summoned a dark hole under Sora which he quickly sank into. He kept his concentration on Ragnarok though, and he managed to pilot the last shot of light from his attack back behind his friends. The light missile struck Riku, launching him out of Xehanort’s control and toward Sora as he sunk even lower in the darkness. Xehanort’s look of victory turned to one of mixed surprise and anger as Riku landed in the darkness with Sora and sunk even deeper with him. Sora caught Riku and together, they disappeared from the Dark Realm. Xehanort became enraged and summoned one the largest armies of heartless ever witnessed by mortal eyes, their bodies forming from the dark clouds themselves as Neoshadows, Darkballs, and Invisibles. Through the darkness trudged a much larger foe, the Hunter of the Dark. These millions of heartless followed by their powerful Hunter turned towards their master, awaiting his command. “After them!” shouted Xehanort. “We need at least one of them to form the X-Blade!” His heartless followed his orders and scrambled through the portal after Sora and Riku, widening it and allowing more to filter in. As they entered into the realm between, pushing after the two hearts of light belonging to Sora and Riku, new portals began to open, directing them to different places and spreading them out to different worlds. Only a few followed Sora and Riku through their descent; a few small shadows, and the Hunter of the Dark. /)*#*(\ The darkness that surrounded Sora and continued to suck him down choked him, cutting off his air as he fell deeper and deeper into the void. Suddenly, the darkness was gone. He feared to open his eyes, scared that he would wake up in the realms between. Finally, when he worked up the courage to do so, he opened his eyes. What he saw startled him. What he heard scared him. “Um, excuse me? Are you ok?” spoke a soft voice.