Kingdom Hearts: Friendship’s Turmoil
Chapter 16: Unexpected Darkness
It had to be the greatest idea Pinkie Pie had ever come up with. For Rainbow, having a party at Club Moonlight was perfect. The music, the activity, everything! And it was all complimented with the fact all of her friends were there as well. Sure, Applejack was suddenly interested in love, but she would drop it eventually. In the mean time, Rainbow was going to party until she couldn’t party any more.
Her unruly dance was matched by the multiple people surrounding her. Rainbow’s hair whipped around wildly as she bobbed her head back and forth. She was at the height of her fun, and she knew her friends were definitely in the same, they had to be!
“So awesome!” she cheered, throwing her arms into the air. A few other dancers agreed with cheers of their own, drowning out the music for only a short time before everyone shifted back to their own jig. Rainbow stopped a moment to catch her breath, but didn’t dare leave the group of dancers. She was living in the moment, and she intended to stay there.
She gave a content sigh, glad of the circumstances that got her to this great place. However, someone roughly brushed by her, breaking her reverie. A voice spoke to her as the person passed, and she caught sight of a black cloth in the corner of her vision.
“Your friend is in danger,” the stranger whispered, sounding awfully familiar. However, the context of his statement was all Rainbow could interpret, her eyes widening as the stranger disappeared into the crowd. Her friend was in trouble? But who, and what was the danger? Desperate, Rainbow forced her way through the crowd, all of her happiness evaporating as dread filled her stomach.
Exiting the tightly knit dancers, she searched the area, her breath increasing as her nervousness climbed. She could see Applejack staring at her questionably, Sora and Fluttershy talking with each other as Rarity watched from a distance, Pinkie and Roxas were no where to be found, then there was Twilight…
Rainbow’s panic tripled, seeing a figure in a black coat hold Twilight in a threatening way. She briefly wondered if it was the same person that had warned her, but drove the thought away as her worry gripped her. Usually she would have felt angry, or confident that she could handle the figure. However, learning about the power of the Organization made her know she wouldn’t stand a chance.
But she knew someone who could.
(Stop music)
***
Sora was actually anticipating what Fluttershy was saying, hanging on to every word. In some ways, Sora viewed her as more of a friend, but he couldn’t make sense of his own emotions, and even felt guilty for some reason. Nevertheless, he stood in front of her with rapt attention, his heart beating faster with each passing second. However, just as Fluttershy was about to finish, someone interrupted her.
“Sora!” Rainbow’s voice shouted, making both Sora and Fluttershy flinch. It was unexpected, and the tone broke through the loud noise of the club easily. It was one of urgency, and Sora took note of it instantly. Turning to her with concern, Rainbow had a scared look, one that was very rare, as she pointed somewhere off to his side, which he instantly followed.
Young Xehanort stood by the tables of the club, his familiar gray hair and piercing yellow eyes staring back at him, holding an air of superiority to them. He must have also noticed Rainbow’s shout as well. He hadn’t changed a bit since the Dream Worlds, but that hardly mattered to Sora. What really mattered was that he held the forearm of Twilight, who wasn’t faring so well. She gazed with her head hung low, her eyes half closed as if she was losing consciousness.
Seeing his friend in that condition made Sora take immediate action.
Furrowing his brow as he bore his teeth, Sora sprinted towards Young Xehanort, throwing his arm to the side to summon his keyblade just as he approached him. The flash of light that it produced went unnoticed in the chaos of the room, and only those who’ve seen it before caught it, if the call of Sora’s name didn’t already get their attention.
Just as Sora was close enough, he swung his keyblade upward, avoiding Twilight as he aimed for Young Xehanort. With his free hand, he summoned a short, blue ethereal blade underhanded, blocking the attack with ease. Sora pushed the weapon out of the way, and with the momentum, spun around and struck Young Xehanort, knocking him back and releasing Twilight in the process.
He stumbled for a bit before regaining his balance, and once he did, he remained motionless with a straight frown as if waiting for something. Twilight, meanwhile, slumped to the floor on her stomach, exhausted. The sight made Sora balk in surprise, wondering if he was too late. Rarity and Fluttershy rushed to her side, kneeling beside her as they gently turned her to her back. From what Sora could see, she was fine, just exhausted.
Releasing a sigh, Sora shot a glare at Young Xehanort, the one responsible for ruining everyone’s good time. Sora and his friends were supposed to be relaxing after everything that was going on, but instead, a confrontation had festered by another one of Master Xehanort’s flunkies. Just the mere thought of that made Sora all the more upset. He heard someone come to his side, and with a sideways glance, saw it was Roxas, both of his own keyblades out in each hand. He wasn’t pleased either, his glare rivaling Sora’s as they stared down Young Xehanort, ready for the coming battle.
At that point, the club attendees had realized that something was amiss with the incident taking place before their eyes as they whispered amongst themselves. Though their voices couldn’t be heard, it was obvious they were quietly discussing how bizarre or strange how Sora, Roxas, and Young Xehanort had made their weapons appear out of thin air. Even the DJ had stopped the music, allowing everyone to hear what was being said.
After a few seconds, Young Xehanort finally chuckled, a smirk emerging as he did. “So, it comes down to fighting yet again,” he quipped, “A battle between keybladers; between light and darkness.”
Sora tightened the hold on his keyblade, having enough of Young Xehanort’s philosophical talk. It felt like he was stalling, but for what, Sora didn’t have a clue.
“What did you do to Twilight!?” Sora demanded, gesturing to his friend with his left hand. Her name being spoken, she stirred a bit, causing Fluttershy and Rarity to face her, tension evident in their expressions.
“Nothing that concerns you for the time being,” Young Xehanort retorted snidely, waving his hand dismissively, “I’ve gotten what I came for, but I don’t see why the fun has to end. This is a party after all.”
With his free hand, Xehanort reached into his coat pocket, extracting something before holding it out in his palm, as if presenting it to the group. Both Fluttershy and Rarity winced when the object was revealed, and Sora could guess that his other friends had behaved the same way. Whatever that crystal was, it was affecting them, and not in a good way.
Xehanort grunted in amusement, his eyes flickering over the girls before focusing on Sora and Roxas, “It seems the mere sight of this crystal causes fear to grip their hearts, as it should.”
“What are you talking about?” Roxas said, taking a step forward threateningly.
“This crystal,” Young Xehanort explained, holding it between his fingers out in the open for everyone to see, “Is the reason you had to fight your dear old friend, Riku.”
“What!?” Sora said in surprise, dropping his keyblade slightly. Roxas’ eyes simply widened, but on the inside he was just as shocked. The other girls reactions were the same, hating the idea that Sora had to fight his friend because someone as evil as Young Xehanort forced him to.
“It hides the thought of friendship,” Xehanort went on, pacing to the side near the center of the room, the bystanders all backed away, unintentionally creating a ring around the group of friends and Young Xehanort. “By directing its power towards someone, I can take away their friendships, make them take orders, and behave like soulless puppets.”
“You monster!” Rarity hissed, her hands clenching up as she clamped her eyes shut. Fluttershy wasn’t any better, holding back sobs as she faced Sora. She didn’t know how she would feel if any of her friends were turned against her. She couldn’t even imagine how Sora must have been feeling.
“Say what you will,” Young Xehanort said, hardly troubled by the insult, “It’s works very favorably for our purposes.”
“And what exactly are your ‘purposes’?” Rainbow spat, her and Applejack’s furious looks mimicking each other.
Young Xehanort acknowledged Rainbow a moment, making her uncomfortable as her bravado deflated slightly, “If you have to ask that question, then I almost feel sorry for all of you.”
“The magic of friendship,” Sora muttered, knowing that was what he was referring, “But what does that have to do with taking Riku?”
Young Xehanort lifted the hand holding the crystal up to his chin, resting his head in it as he closed his eyes. Sora knew he had the answer already, but was playing with them. Regardless, they were acquiring some information, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
“Eliminating an obstacle is practical in the long run,” Young Xehanort eventually stated, “However, having that obstacle work for us opens up a door of possibilities. We had used Riku before, but now he is far more… responsive.”
Fluttershy shook her head, her hair flowing back and forth as her distraught feelings grew. “H-How can you be so… mean?” she questioned, unable to look him in the face, and instead, eyed his clothing.
Young Xehanort, surprisingly, didn’t give a reply, he didn’t even give a hint of a smile. His face was practically set in stone, his eyes turning to the floor in contemplation. It was an odd behavior from him, letting Sora and Roxas lower their guard, but just barely. As strange as his demeanor was, he snapped out of it, jolting his head to face Sora and Roxas before backing away from them. As he did, he put his hands below his waist with his palms out.
“We’ve talked long enough,” he said simply.
“Hey!” Sora shouted. He was going to try to escape, and since he had the one object that could get Riku back, Sora wasn’t going to let him get away. Charging forward, he brought his keyblade up, ready to strike another blow. Young Xehanort continued his backward motion, his only reaction to Sora was a sly smirk. One that was so small, no one noticed it.
Just as Sora was a few feet away from Young Xehanort, someone landed in front of him, about to attack him as well. Thinking fast, Sora halted and brought his keyblade to block the strike, holding it to see a familiar face.
“Riku,” Sora said solemnly, his expression a mixture of sadness and acceptance. As before, Riku didn’t indicate he was fighting his best friend, his face completely neutral as he locked keyblades with Sora. With a quick glance to Young Xehanort, he saw that he wasn’t attempting to depart, and remained near the back of the club, beside the entrance door.
His grim face whipped over to the silent crowd of bystanders, his eyes never lingering on a single person as he spoke. “If you value your lives,” he said, his tone just as dark as his demeanor, “I suggest you flee.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone made for the exit he stood beside. Everyone gave him a wide berth, flowing around him like a repellent. No one dared to even look at him as they passed, desperate to leave before things would get ugly. In only a matter of seconds, the room was empty, the dance lights clicking off as the real white lights provided the primary light. All that was left was Twilight and her friends, Sora and Roxas, and Riku.
Young Xehanort grunted, “A whole room to ourselves. You should be honored.”
Sora never recalled Young Xehanort being so sarcastic, but couldn’t dwell too long as Riku pushed harder against Sora. With a bout of strength, Sora pushed back against Riku, who shrugged it off before going for another swing. Multiple strikes were exchanged between them, each one blocked by the other as Sora and Riku leapt back and forth in a ferocious battle.
The girls gave them room, while Roxas went for Young Xehanort, who at that point had placed his hands behind his back, like his Master did many times. “For you,” Young Xehanort said lightly, still unwavered by another person set on him, “I have a special surprise for you.”
(Stop Music)
A red and gray chakram came flying into view, missing Young Xehanort’s head by inches as it targeted Roxas. He easily batted it away, watching the chakram bounce off the ground before being caught by its thrower.
Seeing the person, Roxas nearly dropped his keyblades, staggering from the shock of seeing his best friend.
“Axel,” he whispered, seeing the person step forward, having his unmistakable black coat and red hair. A chakram was in each of his hands. His face was just like Riku’s, indifferent and uncaring, and gave a chill down Roxas’ spine, memories of their last encounter bubbling in his mind. Why, after all this time, did he have to fight his best friend again?
Axel threw both of his chakrams again, catching Roxas off guard as he was hit by both, knocking him back near the middle of the club, off to the side. Pushing himself to his feet, he saw Axel run towards him, his chakrams burning with fire.
“Axel!” Roxas said, attempting to break the spell, “Snap out of it! It’s me! Roxas! I’m back, see!?”
Somehow, his words had gotten into Axel as he slowed to a stop. His expression was unchanged, but it did cause hope to seep into Roxas. The Axel he knew was still in there. He just had to dig deeper. Roxas took a tender step forward, then another, fear and promise gripping his heart.
Then, without warning, Axel brought his hands up and threw them to his sides, a blast of fire erupting around him and Roxas. It surrounded them like a ring, blocking off any way of entering or exiting. The floor started to catch fire itself, originating from Axel as it spread away from him. As it swept past Roxas, he felt a burning sensation in his feet, causing some pain to creep up his legs.
With the fiery cage set, Axel tilted his head and blinked, as if a bit of his personality had slipped past his indifferent mask.
Roxas furrowed his eyes as he tightened his hold on his keyblades. The only way he was truly going to get Axel back was by defeating him again. He had done it before, and he could do it again. He just hoped his feelings didn’t hinder his performance. Like a flag was dropped, Roxas and Axel charged towards each other, bringing their weapons back for another clash.
***
Sora and Riku jumped around the club, pushing off the walls and floors as they both dodged each others attacks. In some instances, they were able to get a couple strikes in, but overall, they avoided each other the majority of the time. When Sora landed on the floor again, he blocked a downward swing from Riku as he landed in front of him. Taking a step back, Sora sent a string of swings, all of which were either blocked or dodged by Riku.
Seeing an opening, Riku got a hit on Sora, making him stagger before Riku followed with an uppercut, sending Sora into the air. Recovering midair, Sora blocked yet another swing from Riku, who had leapt up to attack him. After the block, Sora pushed off of Riku, landing on the floor again before throwing his keyblade. Riku knocked the keyblade away, pointing his own weapon at Sora before releasing a barrage of blue fireballs at him. Sora summoned his keyblade again, quickly blocking what he could before jumping to the side to avoid the rest.
All the while, the girls watched with rapt attention, afraid that Sora could lose this battle as they stood beside each other, out of the way. Twilight was still out of it, but she was in a stable condition, not needing any treatment besides rest. The sudden wall of fire where Roxas was did alert them, but they could only guess that Roxas had to handle that battle himself, since they could see no way to assist him without getting burned. Rarity groaned as she crossed her arms, shaking her head, “I feel so useless.”
“I hear that,” Rainbow agreed stepping beside Rarity as she watched Sora take a fireball to the face. “I mean, there’s gotta be something we can do.”
A couple barks were suddenly heard, and the group faced a backpack beside a table, recognizing that it belonged to Twilight. Spike, who had stuck his head out, growled at Young Xehanort, who was still frozen in place, refusing to move as he watched the two battles take place. Seeing Spike’s aggressive stance made Pinkie rub her chin in thought, looking between Young Xehanort, the crystal he held in his hands, and the battle between Sora and Riku. After studying these three things, she snapped her fingers as an idea came to her.
“I’ve got it,” she said, turning towards Applejack and Rainbow, “Can you two do that cool light thing where Sora uses your strength to turn into Valor Form?”
The two blinked, having completely forgotten about that. Though, they didn’t even see what the form looked like, they silently berated themselves for not coming with that plan earlier. “Of course we can do that!” Rainbow said with a fist pump. “I mean, Sora could turn to that Valor Form no problem!
“And we wouldn’t be so useless neither!” Applejack agreed with a nod, “Alright, I’m in.”
“And while you two are doing that,” Pinkie continued, gesturing over to Young Xehanort, “The rest of us can get that evil magic crystal he’s holding.”
“Oh,” Fluttershy pipped up, still sitting beside Twilight, “Are you sure about that? I mean, he’s pretty strong and evil. I don’t know if we can even fight him.”
“Well, we wouldn’t have to fight him, darling,” Rarity pointed out, her own gusto showing as she walked over to Pinkie, “We just need to grab that crystal, and wait for Sora and Roxas to finish so they can have at him.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Applejack nodded, before addressing Rainbow, “Okay, let’s get Sora’s attention.”
After another nod from Rainbow, the two headed towards Sora and Riku, where the two had locked their keyblades together again, pushing against each other.
As Rarity watched them go, she sighed, allowing her worry to come into view, “I really hope everything turns out alright.”
Fluttershy stood up, seeing Sora in such a condition. Fighting his best friend, one he had known his whole life, to protect them. Not only that, but Roxas was fighting someone to, one she didn’t know. Why did these things have to happen to them? Didn’t Sora and Roxas deserve a break for once?
***
“Ready or not!” Riku quipped, bringing his left hand up to gesture for Sora to attack. His other hand held his wooden sword, which he brought up just in time to block one of Sora’s swings. The sounds of seagulls and waves of water were ignored as the two exchanged blows, with Sora taking the most hits. After a minute, Sora fell to the ground, his wooden sword falling to the sandy ground as Riku gave a small smirk. Pushing up to his feet, Sora groaned, holding his head in his hands.
“Ah man,” he said, “Now the scores zero to fourteen.”
Riku laughed at him, mostly for how he was keeping score than from him losing. “Why do you care so much to beat me?” he asked, shouldering his sword as he walked over to Sora.
“Because you’re the best there is!” Sora explained, pointing a finger at Riku, “If I beat you, then I can become a better swordsman like you!”
“Winning doesn’t make you a better swordsman, Sora,” Riku said, his tone no longer lighthearted. “Sure, I win a lot, but I train a lot more than you do.”
Sora crossed his arms, grumbling, “Not my fault the beach is a nice place to nap.”
Riku rolled his eyes, “Just keep training, and you’ll get better.”
With a slow nod, Sora turned towards the open sea, his thoughts drifting off to when they would set sail on their raft. Searching for worlds that they could only dream of while looking for where Kairi had come from. Who they would meet, what friends would be made, and the enemies they would find; it was all unknown, but that was what made the three of them want to explore it.
“Riku,” Sora said, his eyes still trained on the ocean as Riku faced his questionably, “Do you think I’ll ever beat you? Or get stronger?”
The first thought that popped into Riku’s mind was a funny remark, but he held his tongue, actually giving the questions some thought. “Yeah, I think so,” Riku said, his voice somewhat quiet as he smiled faintly, “But you have to find you’re own way, because I’m not going to show you.”
“That’s fine,” Sora said confidently, bumping a fist to his chest, “I’ll find my own way of getting stronger. So that I can protect my friends, like you and Kairi.”
Riku was taken aback by the proclamation. He didn’t expect Sora to declare something so profound. He was really set on getting stronger, to able to shield those that he cared about, and it made Riku glad to have a friend like him.
As for Sora, he felt his heart become lighter. He really did want to become stronger, not just to beat Riku - though it was a part of it - but so he could truly protect his friends. All of them, even the ones he had yet to make.
***
As the remnants of the memory faded away, Sora held back another attack from Riku, holding the Keyblade in place as Riku pushed against him. How times have changed since that small chat. Sora never realized how much he would hold up to what he had said. He never even thought he would have to fight Riku like this either. Some things really never changed.
“Sora!” Rainbow’s voice cried out, making him peer over Riku’s shoulder. He saw Rainbow and Applejack waving over to him, wanting him to come over to them. Understanding, Sora pushed Riku back, giving a wide swing that forced him to jump to the side, allowing Sora to run over to the two girls.
“What’s wrong?” he questioned, keeping an eye on Riku, who had paused, like he was waiting for Sora to return to the fight. It unsettled Sora, but he didn’t question it as he listened to Rainbow speak.
“Do that magic thing where you turn into that Valor Form!” she said, holding up a fist with a grin. Sora turned to her with a raised brow, forgetting about that ability himself.
Seeing his expression, Applejack spoke up as well. “You beat Riku right quick when you had it last time,” she said before looking off to the side, “Well, I think you did, we didn’t see it.”
“But we can still help!” Rainbow added, earning a nod from Applejack.
Sora glanced back to Riku, who was still as unmoving as ever. If Sora could get more powerful with the aid of Rainbow Dash and Applejack, he could defeat Riku and grab the crystal that Young Xehanort held. In the end, it would speed things along, and since Sora didn’t like fighting his best friend needlessly, the sooner he ended the battle the better. The only downside was that he would be taking one of Roxas’ keyblades, but Sora was sure he could adapt.
Facing the two girls again, he gave an eager smile as he gave a swift nod. “Okay, let’s do it,” he said, and both girls high fived each other in anticipation. Afterwhich, the two jogged to stand on either side of Sora as they all faced Riku. This was it; Sora just had to draw upon Rainbow and Applejack’s strength, and unleash their power.
Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie watched with bated breath, waiting for the moment when Sora would turn to Valor Form and save the day, like he had always done. It felt cliche in itself, but the girls hardly cared.
Closing his eyes, Sora easily felt the girls determination, a raging fire of courage and bravery just like last time, so it wasn’t difficult to find. His eyes shot open as he allowed the power to build inside of himself, and Applejack and Rainbow were encircled by twinkling sparkles, becoming transparent. They hardly cared as they were fading away, keeping their glares solely on Riku, who still hadn’t reacted to the scene before his eyes.
Then, Sora released all that added energy, throwing his arms to the side as his clothing glowed and was lifted off the ground. Applejack and Rainbow were completely gone, leaving Sora alone. A spherical shell encaptured him before shattering and sending a wave of power around him.
The three girls still watching grinned in awe at the spectacle, their worries ebbing away as it was replaced with assurance. Even Fluttershy was giving a soft smile, her heart warming upon seeing Sora enter Valor Form. It was comforting, knowing he would protect them.
But something was horribly wrong.
The light that shined from Sora was swallowed in a dark ball like a switch had been flipped, hiding him from view. The smiles the girls shared vanished just as fast, their worries returning in vigor. In the span of seconds, the dark sphere had dissipated, leaving behind Sora. However, he was changed.
It was like he had become a Heartless himself, his skin, hair, and clothing nothing but the darkness he fought against, with bits of blue where light reflected off of him. He landed on the ground on all fours like a feral predator, kicking his legs into the air as wisps of dark smoke radiated from his hands.
The three girls were shocked, and frightened, to see their friend turn into a monster. Their breathing becoming ragged and shaky as they refused to move from their spots. They were very confused how something like that could manifest, how Sora could become a being of darkness.
But it was far worse when the monster that was Sora turned around to face them, and the girls had to cover their mouths to stop themselves from screaming. Sora’s eyes were replaced with lifeless yellow orbs, and every other feature of a normal face was gone.
Sora tilted his head at them, as if studying them. His unblinking stare made the three on edge, wondering if Applejack and Rainbow were alright. No longer was there the warm encouragement from Sora, but the cold unknown of this monster.
Sora was no longer with them. He was replaced by something that was the opposite of him, something with motives that were unclear, and probably opposed everything Sora stood up for.
An Anti Sora.
In the back, Young Xehanort grinned, “So, my Master was not wrong. There is no doubt now that darkness truly does sleep in your heart… but what you will do with this darkness shall truly determine what your part shall play.”
***
Jumping back from another lunge from Axel, Roxas kept his distance as a flame burst from the floor where he had stood before. He ran off to the side, dodge rolling out of the way of two more flaming chakrams. Axel was far more aggressive than when they had last fought each other, but Roxas was able to keep up.
Swerving towards Axel, Roxas brought a keyblade back and swung. It was quickly blocked by a chakram from Axel, having summoned his weapons again. Going on the offensive, Roxas continued his swings from both keyblades, but each strike was swiftly intercepted by Axel. Taking a risk, Roxas swung his right keyblade downward, and as he predicted, Axel blocked it. While the keyblade was locked against the chakram, Roxas pushed off the floor and his keyblade, quickly flipping over Axel. Since Axel was still holding back the keyblade, he couldn’t turn around fast enough to face Roxas. Exploiting the opening, Roxas landed and struck Axel in the back with both of his keyblades, making him reel in pain.
It was at that moment that Roxas felt his left handed keyblade, Oathkeeper, escaping his grasp, and with a glance down, he saw it beginning to disappear. That meant only one thing: Sora was using Valor Form.
Roxas groaned as his face fell; though he didn’t mind Sora using that power, he did mind having his second keyblade being taken away. He had grown so used to fighting with two keyblades, that using one was just obscene and unnecessary. Not only that, but it was a lot more powerful, which was probably why Sora was getting two keyblades as well.
However, the keyblade solidified instead of vanishing, and there was no other indication that it was going to try to disappear again. “That’s odd,” Roxas commented, lifting up Oathkeeper and examining it. Before he could think too deeply about the strange occurrence, Axel struck him repeatedly with his chakrams before sending him flying. He hit the wall of fire, hissing in pain from the heat before falling to the floor on all fours.
“I can think about that later,” Roxas said to himself, picking himself up as he saw Axel charge him again.
***
At long last, Anti Sora turned away from the three watching girls, causing them to relax just a bit. They weren’t the target at the moment, and though it did bring some relief, it wasn’t enough to quench their overall anxiety. Rarity glanced over to Fluttershy, noting that she had covered her face completely, muttering, “Sora… he can’t be… he just can’t.”
Rarity had never seen her so upset before.
Tearing her gaze away from Fluttershy, Rarity watched as Anti Sora rushed towards Riku, sprinting on all of his limbs. When the two were close enough, Riku swung his keyblade at Anti Sora, but it was miraculously caught by him. His two hands held the blade as his soulless eyes bored into Riku’s uncaring ones. Then, Anti Sora lifted his legs up and kicked Riku in the chest, sending him flying against the wall. At the same time, Anti Sora flipped backward and landed on the floor expertly.
In retaliation, Riku jumped up and pushed against the wall he was slammed into, firing off a barrage of blue fireballs. Anti Sora swatted them away like flies, his fingers arched inward like claws. He eventually leapt up to meet Riku midair, still cutting through any blue fireball that came his way.
Riku took another swipe at Anti Sora, but he simply maneuvered around it like water before releasing a frenzy of slashes. it was unrelenting, his arms a complete blur as he struck Riku repeatedly. It wasn’t until Anti Sora dove straight down did he finally finish, knocking Riku back aways. And while Anti Sora landed on the floor, cracking the ground slightly from the force, Riku fell onto his back.
He still had some fight left in him as he pushed himself to his feet, bringing his keyblade up in preparation. Anti Sora didn’t care as they launched at each other again.
Someone shook Rarity’s shoulder at that point, and she looked to her right with her jaw agape to see Pinkie Pie. Her color was slightly darkened, her hair straightening. She obviously wasn’t taking Sora’s change well, and neither was Fluttershy, who was still a hunched mess. Rarity couldn’t blame her for that though.
“R-Rarity,” Pinkie squeaked, her voice so troubled that it was difficult for Rarity to hear her. “We… the crystal.”
Pinkie pointed limply at Young Xehanort, rooted to the same exact spot. His arms were still held behind his back, grasping the one object that could free Sora’s friend. Rarity knew what Pinkie was indicating, but she had no idea how they would get the crystal, or even what to do with it when they got it.
Before Rarity could utter a response to Pinkie, Spike jumped out of the backpack, and bounded straight for Young Xehanort. Since there was nothing in his way, Spike was able to reach him in no time. Young Xehanort was oblivious to his approach, or perhaps he didn’t care. Either way, when Spike was within range, he leapt up at Young Xehanort and bit into the forearm holding the crystal.
Young Xehanort responded instantly, his arm instinctively releasing the crystal, landing on the ground without a sound. Rarity couldn’t believe how brave Spike was, but quickly took action, running forward while keeping an eye on Young Xehanort.
Though Spike refused to let go, he wasn’t swung wildly around for very long before Young Xehanort held his arm above his head to peer at him. “You dumb mutt,” Young Xehanort growled, before giving his arm a hard sideways jerk, making Spike finally release him.
Rarity took note that Spike had landed rather soundly on the floor, shaking his head afterwards. He wasn’t hurt, but Rarity had to hurry as Young Xehanort wasn’t nearly as distracted. Thankfully, Rarity was only a few meters away from the crystal, and with a dive - something she would refuse to do in other circumstances - she slide the rest of the way and grasped the crystal with both hands.
As soon as she touched the crystal, Rarity felt an immense pain in her hands and head, as if the crystal was trying to rip something away from her, something she held very dearly. It was so unbearable, that her pained cries were understatements compared to how she was feeling. Quivering on the ground, her eyes clamped shut, she wished the pain to be gone. She didn’t want to experience something like it ever again.
But she couldn’t let go, like the crystal was holding on to her as much as she was. A cold chuckle came from Young Xehanort, and with a lot of effort, she looked up to him from her pitiful state.
He bent his upper body forward, looking at her with a smirk that triumphed over all of his other ones. “So that theory is correct as well,” he noted, stroking his chin, “And I suppose I’ve collected all the data I require.”
He glanced back to the four people still battling each other, turning away from the squirming Rarity. “I’ll leave the rest with you then,” he said, before lifting his hand, summoning a Corridor of Darkness. As he walked through, Rarity felt someone attempt to pry her hands open, and actually succeed as Rarity dropped the crystal, which bounced away from her.
As soon as it left her hands, the pain evaporated, and Rarity gasped before breathing hard, clutching her arms for comfort as she lied on her side. Though she wasn’t in agony any more, her head was dull and throbbing from the aftermath. Pinkie Pie stood over her, eyes glistening with unshed tears as she gazed at her friend. Rarity had been writhing on the ground, and Pinkie couldn’t bare to watch her friend in such a state, and had taken action. With a glance around, Pinkie noted she was the only one capable of destroying the crystal. She knew, however, she couldn’t destroy it, not without touching it. That left only one other person.
Pinkie ran up to the crystal, lining herself up so the crystal was between her and the ring of fire that contained Roxas and the person he was fighting. Pulling her leg back, Pinkie kicked the crystal, sending it skipping along the floor before disappearing in the flames. Afterwards, Pinkie waited for Roxas to take care of it, feeling very tired suddenly. His keyblade could easily destroy it without him physically touching it.
He was the only one who could.
***
Blocking another throw of the chakrams, Roxas surged forward, releasing a string of attacks on Axel that ended by knocking him back. Recoperiating, Axel grabbed his stomach, stumbling back a bit. Roxas knew he couldn’t take much more of a beating, a couple more hits should do it.
It was at that moment that a purple crystal slide into the view of Roxas and Axel, slowing to a stop between them before spinning in place. Roxas recognized the crystal as the one Young Xehanort was using to brainwash his friends. How the crystal ended up in this fiery cage was beyond him, but this gave Roxas the chance to destroy it for good.
Unfortunately, Axel saw the crystal as well, and to protect it, he threw his chakrams, allowing them to spiral around the crystal, hovering an inch above the floor. Then, a whirling tornado of fire erupted from the chakrams, acting as a shield for the crystal. Though entrance into the dual chakram fire twisters seemed impossible, Axel was left defenseless, giving Roxas ample time to find a way to the crystal.
However, he didn’t need that much time.
Roxas simply followed his instincts as he ran for the crystal, his keyblades crossing like an ‘X’ as he did. Without really thinking, he leapt through the gap between the two fire twisters, then flipped his keyblades underhanded before bringing them straight down. His hands had to pass through the fire, causing him to clench his teeth, but the keyblades locked the chakrams to the ground. The fire twisters died down quickly as the chakrams span to a halt, and before Axel could make another move, Roxas pulled his keyblades out of the ground, jumped back, and struck the crystal with both keyblades.
The crystal shattered into smithereens, the shards twinkling in the light of the fire before disappearing. Roxas didn’t move, however, remaining still as he breathed hard. In a way, he refused to believe destroying the crystal would get Axel back, mostly because he didn’t want to raise his hopes too high.
Thankfully, he was proved wrong as he looked up to Axel, who stood with his eyes wide, staring at where the crystal once was before tipping over and falling on his back, unconscious. The fire surrounding the two died down, leaving behind scorch marks of melted plastic and flooring in a large ring. Surveying the room, Roxas saw the girls, all looking absolutely exhausted and weak. He couldn’t find Applejack and Rainbow, and since Roxas still had both his keyblades, Sora didn’t go into Valor Form.
His worries doubled as he didn’t find Young Xehanort either, frantically scanning the area. Could he have taken the two girls? He took a few steps forward as he searched, but only found Riku and…
“Sora?” Roxas asked aloud, seeing Riku stand still with a dark form resembling Sora in front of him. Riku was acting similarly to Axel: a shocked expression and a few staggering movements. The dark Sora didn’t accept this as a victory as it zig-zagged its way to Riku, striking him with one final slash. The attack made Riku falter a bit before slumping to a knee and finally to the ground, his keyblade disappearing in a flash of light.
Silence. It felt foreign to Roxas as the quiet atmosphere pressed against his ears. He wanted to say that they won, that they had gotten their friends back, that the fight was over for the time being. But he couldn’t. As he stared at the dark being that was Sora - an Anti Sora - and readied his keyblades, expecting another fight. His vigilance was unneeded, however, as Anti Sora turned his head to Roxas, showing his round, Heartless-esque eyes.
They both stared at one another, and then Anti Sora nodded, confusing Roxas. It was as if Anti Sora was acknowledging him. Why and how was unknown, and Roxas would probably never find out as a light shined over Anti Sora, making him unseeable. When the light dimmed down, Sora had returned, standing idly before falling to his knees, shaking his head as if he had awoken from a dream.
Two shimmering forms appeared, bringing back Applejack and Rainbow Dash. But they both looked like they were scarred for life. They stood next to each other, a few meters away from Sora, their eyes staring straight ahead as if moving them would make something terrible happen.
“Is…” Rainbow Dash squeaked, sounding far more frightened than Roxas had ever heard her. She held her hands tightly, shaking, “Is it… o-over?”
Roxas gazed at her sympathetically, facing the other people in the room to see their conditions. Twilight had awoken, but could only stare at her lap as she sat on the floor, same for Rarity a little further away. Fluttershy kept her eyes on Sora, a mixture of fear and sadness in her eyes, while Sora himself hadn’t moved an inch. Pinkie was doing what Roxas was doing: seeing the damage that had been done. Axel and Riku were still lying on the floor, probably unconscious.
Sora and Roxas had done it; they had freed their friends from the grasp of Organization XIII. But then, why didn’t it feel like a victory? No one was very injured, no one had lost their life…
So why couldn’t Roxas stop clenching his keyblades? Why did he feel restless?
“No, Rainbow,” Roxas spoke with a shake of his head, his eyes looking at his shoes. Rainbow turned to face him, wanting more than anything to forget what had happened. “It’s not over. Not by a long shot.”