The Year Between [Alpha Draft] - Pt 24;

[keybearer]

Chapter 24: Lying in Wait

“Well, Xanatos, are you gonna explain yourself or what?”

Typical Detective Maza. Just moments after the Keybearers and their friends departed, the good detective barged into the room, her face fixed in a scowl. She stormed through the office and slammed her hands down on Xanatos’ desk while Goliath grimaced and Broadway and Brooklyn hovered close behind. Now Maza stood with her arms crossed, that scowl still in place, as if permanently carved into her skin. With his hands bunched into fists, Goliath growled, no doubt suspicious of Xanatos' Laissez-faire. But no matter. Raising one of his hands, Xanatos cracked a small smile.

“I assure you, Detective, this wasn’t part of the plan. It would seem that I underestimated Zexion, but it won’t happen again.”

“Oh, it better not.” Brooklyn sneered, exposing his fangs. “But how can we be so sure this was an oversight? Sure, you can talk like you and that Zex creep aren’t buddies, but this whole setup’s way too perfect. For all we know, you could’ve been baiting them.”

Broadway slouched, shoulders sagging. “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time…”

“Honestly, I don’t care if you trust me, but I do think you should hear me out.” Xanatos swiveled his chair sideways and toward the monitor. “Owen?”

Nodding, Owen stepped up to the wall, inputting commands in a small panel next to the screens. Then, with a press of a remote, the main screen blinked on, revealing a black and white image of the Great Hall. Of course, it wasn’t the setting that mattered, and judging by the gasps from Goliath and the others, they realized that as well, for the subjects of the footage stood out clear as day.

Zexion stood hunched over, panting like a dog. He drew closer to Kairi, Aqua, and the rest and said, “I had hoped you were still here. Come, we must hurry! The rest of the clan is waiting for us.”

Goliath’s eyes opened wide, then narrowed in an instant. He gnashed his teeth and thrust his claw toward the screen. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Keep watching,” said Xanatos. “You’ll see soon enough.”

“…She is already with the others. Now go, before the Heartless claim any more helpless lives!”

And then, just in time, Aqua delivered punch line. “Goliath, wait—”

“Goliath?” Elisa looked to the gargoyle, then slapped her hand over her face. “Oh, don’t tell me. He used one of his illusions, didn’t he?”

“But how come he looks so different here?” Broadway poked the screen. “The guy looks completely human, and he’s so skinny…”

“That would be due to the security cameras,” said Owen. “What you see here is the true scenario, uninhibited by illusions. After all, it’s not as if a camera has a mind of its own.”

Brooklyn scratched at the bottom of his beak, tipping his head up at Goliath. “Huh, so that Zex guy made them see and hear him as somebody else… that’s some magic. No wonder they took off.”

“But we’ve got a bigger problem.” Elisa turned away from the screen, lowering her hands to her hips. “How are we supposed to hunt them down? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Xanatos, but the whole city’s still swimming in Heartless, and I’ll bet you anything that Zexion’s lured them miles away.”

“I can guarantee that he has.” Xanatos chuckled. “But I’m nothing if not prepared. In fact, I think you’ll find my methods amusing, Goliath. They do say old habits die hard…”

x.x.x

“Sora! Where are you?!”

No response. Biting down on her lip, Kairi scooped up the potion bottle off the sidewalk and slurped it down, wincing as she felt her open skin stick back together.

There was no room to breathe, let alone search. Though her eyes darted left and right and though she tried, tried to make out his shadowy form along the rooftops, a flicker of red to her left yanked Kairi’s focus back to the streets. Back to fray. When jagged white fangs snapped open and a purplish sphere rocketed toward her shoulder, Kairi threw herself forward, elbows scraping against the pavement. Her teeth snapped together, holding back the urge to moan from the sandpapery friction, but just as soon as she slid to a stop, she felt a rush of heat from behind and caught something orange zooming in from above. Gasping, she scrambled to her feet and lifted her Keyblade, but as the fireball whizzed closer, the air around her thickened. Clear hexagons spread around her in a dome, knocking the flames into a jagged green maw.

The Tailbunker wheezed, tipping to the side while it flailed its wings around. A flash of lightning struck its skull, smashing it against the asphalt. Grinning, Kairi swished her Keyblade, giving the Heartless a nice landing bed of glowing dots. Dots that’s erupted with light and smoke, leaving only a heart behind. The barrier then faded, and Kairi heard frantic metal clanks heading her way.

“Is everything okay, Kairi?” Aqua said, a frown tugging at her lips. At the sound of a loud SLAM, both girls whirled around. One of the Destroyed Behemoths now loomed over them with sparks circling around its horn.

“Well, I was.” Kairi groaned and jumped backwards, shoving her weapon towards its feet. Another strip of mines lit up the street, just waiting for it to stomp closer. “It’s too bad status spells won’t hit these guys. I think a Sleep spell would really do us some good…”

“True, but I suppose that would be too easy.” Aqua shook her head, raising her Keyblade toward the sky. A ring of energy shot out around them, ripping three Eliminators away from the ground. Two of the Tailbunkers fluttered their wings, but the pull of Aqua’s magic sucked them in, tossing them around like ragdolls. Aqua took the opportunity to leap up and bash her weapon against their backs. “Kairi, do you think you could keep it busy? I want to try and start a Command Style, but it’ll take some time.”

“Well, I can try, but you might want to take cover!” After all, sparks flying around a Behemoth’s horn meant only one thing. An orange ball of energy started growing between its horn and its tusks, but with its head held low, this was her chance. Breathing in, Kairi charged at the Heartless, leaped into the air, and spun her Keyblade against its horn.

The sky lit up with purple lights. Lights that rained over the entire street. Fortunately, Kairi’d seen Riku fight these guys enough times to know how to react. Rather than try and flee, she tumbled beneath the Behemoth’s legs, waving at Aqua. Nodding, Aqua cart wheeled under the Behemoth’s belly, and the two huddled together. The sound of yelps and squawks drew their attention across the street, where Donald and Goofy both lunged beneath another one of the Behemoths. An orange blast rocketed their way, courtesy of an Eliminator’s shield, but Goofy threw up his own shield to knock it back. At least they were doing all right.

The energy rain subsided soon after, and the Behemoth crouched low. Shooting a firm look at Kairi, Aqua sprinted back into the open, and Kairi rolled to the right just as the Behemoth leaped into the air. For a second, Kairi thought it’d fly right over her mines until she heard a squawky voice from behind.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Without warning, the Behemoth stopped in midair, a dome forming around it. Unable to resist the pull, it slammed into the asphalt. The ground trembled, and Kairi shoved her Keyblade’s tip into a crack, leaning her weight into the handle. Smoke spewed up, and she slammed her eyelids shut to block out the flash that followed. But just as soon as she cracked her eyes open, she felt something smash into her back, knocking her into her weapon. A red blur rushed in from the left, too fast to make out any details. White teeth snapped at her right arm before she could blink, piercing her skin. Purple bubbles formed around her, and it felt as if a hundred needles started pricking her one by one. Poison…

Grimacing, Kairi sluggishly raised her Keyblade in her right hand, while her left hand slid into her pocket, feeling around for a Panacea’s handles. The Eliminator’s shield snapped again, but before it could reach her, its feet left the ground, and it flew backwards, surrounded by a clear, glowing sphere. Then three bright orbs whirled around Kairi, and her body shone green. The pricking stopped. The Eliminator slowed in its orbit. Strangest of all, she spotted Aqua about two yards away, cloaked in white light.

But she didn’t have time to ask questions. Taking a deep breath, Kairi scooped up her Keyblade and barreled at the Behemoth. On her way, she caught sight of spikes aimed at her head and twirled around, taking her Keyblade in both hands. Squinting, she pointed her weapon up at the snouts of the two Tailbunkers, and a stream of water spewed out from the tip, blasting them straight in their mouths. The dragons flew backwards, and lightning bolts impaled their backs. Hearts floated free from their fading bodies, and Kairi continued on her way.

She threw herself on the back of the Behemoth’s leg, then shimmied up to its back. Charging at full speed, she smashed her Keyblade into its horn, then spun in a circle. She slashed, thrust, and pounded, each strike squeezing groans and growls out of the Heartless. A screech pulled her focus up to the sky, where she caught a Windstorm fluttering towards her. With a beat of its wings, a spiraling breeze blow her way, and she bent her legs, sweeping her Keyblade in an arc. The air around her spun counterclockwise, opposing the incoming twister. Down below, she heard Aqua shout “Thunder!” and another surge of electricity crashed into the dragon’s head. Its body exploded, and the Behemoth’s shoulders quivered. Slashing one last time, Kairi dived down from her perch and glided down towards Aqua.

When Kairi noticed the now green aura around her, her eyes popped wide open. “Wait, how come you’re—”

“It’s that Command Style I told you about.” She smiled brightly, turning toward the nearest Eliminator. “Here, I’ll show you what I meant.”

When she cart wheeled towards the Heartless, she left behind a trail of translucent afterimages that made Kairi’s jaw drop. Even stranger, when she slashed across the Eliminator’s back, she flickered out of sight, leaving behind yet another afterimage. She reappeared above the Behemoth, slashed its horn, and disappeared again, flickered over one of the Tailbunkers and slashed once more. Under normal circumstances, Kairi might have stopped to watch her flashy display. Instead, she turned away, grinning, and locked eyes with the Behemoth. Another dome spread out over its head, pinning it to the ground. White light swirled around her Keyblade’s tip, and she thrust it upward, blasting its horn with three glowing, white balls. The Behemoth let out one final roar before toppling over and fading into mist. Its gigantic heart rose into the sky, eliminating one more threat…

One out of dozens still remaining, and still no Sora in sight. Just where could he have gone? And how were they supposed to find him with all these Heartless flooding the area?

The answer was simple—they couldn’t, not yet. And maybe that was all part of Zexion’s plan. Minutes flew by, and though Behemoths collapsed on their bellies and although lightning incinerated Windstorms to piles of ash, the attacks persisted. Fireballs painted the sidewalks black. Whirlwinds swept over the road, threatening to throw the group off their feet. Hearts glittered through the clouds, each one a slap across Kairi’s face. By staying here and fighting, what were they really accomplishing beyond freeing more hearts?

Nothing. This had to be some kind of stall.

“What are we doing?!” She smashed her Keyblade against a Behemoth’s horn and watched its flame-patterned body burst into smoke. “We shouldn’t be here—what we really should be doing is getting back into the ship so we can find Sora and the others.”

Goofy’s shield flew over her head, striking a Tailbunker’s chest. Glass shattered—no doubt a window, and Goofy darted over to her side. “But how’re we ‘sposed to get outta here with all these Heartless swarmin’ us?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” came a voice from above. “C’mon, you didn’t really think we’d bail on you, right?”

“Brooklyn?!” Kairi’s gaze snapped up at the sky, where she spotted three winged figures diving down from atop one of the buildings.

Right as one of the Eliminators warped behind Donald, Goliath struck its backside like a cannonball, ripping through its back. “Yes, we are here now, and it is no illusion.”

Brooklyn snorted. “Yeah, never been a big fan of smoke and mirrors.”

Just as another Eliminator lifted its shield, what looked like a bright blue boulder smashed into its head. Perched on its shoulders, Broadway pushed the Heartless down on its chest, beaming at the others. “Don’t even think about it, pal. Nobody cheap shots our friends.” He scooped up the Eliminator’s shield, bashing it on the head. “So, you guys need a lift?”

“What does it look like?” Donald rolled his eyes.

All the while, Aqua stood with her knees bent and eyes narrowed. Seconds later, she floated up off the ground, and a ring of colorful salvos whizzed at the Eliminator’s backs. A second blast, then a third transformed the street into a light show. Three Eliminators crouched behind their shields, and Aqua cart wheeled backwards, stopping next to Goliath.

“I don’t think it’ll be easy to reach the top—not with all these Heartless here.” She sighed, deflecting an Eliminator’s blast with a barrier. “Kairi has a point, though. We’ve accomplished nothing here beyond releasing hearts. Don’t you think that’s what Zexion wants?”

Brooklyn opened his beak, but one of the Eliminators’ blasts flew at his shoulder, forcing him to lunge to the right. He ducked behind a light post, shooting a look at Kairi. “You said something about Sora, right? So what happened to him?”

Kairi flinched at the thought, placing a hand against her arm. “He… well, he attacked me.” And with those words, both Brooklyn and Broadway’s faces wrinkled up, and their eyes glowed white. Eyes widening, she launched a light blast at another Defender and added, “But I don’t think it’s his fault! He was acting kind of strange when it happened, and as soon as he scratched me, he ran off. All he left behind was a potion.”

“Mind control…” Brooklyn spat out his words, ducking under an Eliminator’s shield. “But what’re we supposed to do about it? It’s not like they’re using the Grimorum.”

“Whatever the cause,” said Goliath, “we owe it to our friend to ensure his safety. If it was their goal to drive him away, then I have no doubt that he is in grave danger.”

Kairi shuddered, snapping her hand around her necklace. When, six Eliminators warped right in front of the nearest building, she tightened her hold, raised her Keyblade, and let her whole body light up in a shining white aura. Glowing pillars rocketed out in a circle, shoving the Heartless left and right. With a path clear, Brooklyn, Goliath, and Broadway scampered toward the building and slammed their claws into the wall. Donald and Goofy bolted right behind, and when they reached the gargoyles, Goofy crouched down, letting Donald leap up onto his shoulders. More colors flashed in the corners of Kairi’s eyes, and she heard clanking footsteps draw near. Nodding at Aqua, she hurried toward the gargoyles as well, taking hold of Brooklyn’s wrist. Once Broadway hoisted Aqua onto his back, the group began their climb…

She could only hope that they weren’t too late.

x.x.x

“Sora, c’mon! You gotta snap outta this. Sora? Hey! Aren’t you listening to me?”

Ven’s voice barely registered at all. Sora had long since shut out his surroundings. He had no idea how far he’d run. After a while, all the skyscrapers blurred together into one indistinguishable mess. Empty black space replaced the flickering street lights and the yellow glow behind closed windows. Now he sat at the edge of a metal beam—one of several hammered together into a crisscrossing skeleton of a building. Not that it mattered. The whole place was deserted, nobody in sight. Nobody to hurt or to scare…

Sniffling, he pulled his knees near his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. Moisture trickled down his cheeks, thick like oil. His chest tightened. Any more pressure, and his eyes’d probably pop right out of their sockets. Again and again, the same image replayed in his mind. A hand reaching for his, fingers curling around his wrist. His claws snapped forward, scraping across her skin. The piercing scream shattering his surroundings. He shook his head wildly, but the image persisted, playing again. Then again!

It was his fault. He should’ve done something, anything. He should’ve broken through, restrained himself! But no. Instead, he submitted. Slashing, obeying, acting on impulse, as if his soul had been ripped out of his chest. He was so stupid. So naïve to think it’d all be okay! The scream repeated again, and he dug his claws into his scalp. He should’ve known this would happen. He should’ve…

“SORA!”

The voice rattled through his skull, like a blow horn pressed to his ear. Sora’s hands dropped from his head, and he sprung backwards, teeth clenched and shoulders shaking. A second later, he slumped, running a hand over his spiky hair.

What d’you want, Ven?

“For you to stop moping around, that’s what! You really need to relax.”

Relax? His brow arched, and he struck the beam with his fist. How am I supposed to relax over something like this?! Don’t you get it? I hurt her. Kairi was just trying to help me, and I didn’t even listen. I acted like—

“That wasn’t you.”

Sora froze, mouth hanging open. He gulped, blew out some air, and slumped all over again. Wasn’t me? Why, because Zexion was controlling me? That doesn’t change anything! It just goes to show that I’m dangerous. If I go back, what’s to stop me from hurting them all over again? I don’t wanna take that chance…

“Sora…” Ven heaved deep sigh. “Look, I get it. Believe me, if I ever wound up hurting Aqua, I’d feel horrible. I’d probably do what you’re doing right now—run away, hide, worry again and again about how to face her. And that’s it, isn’t it? You’re scared…”

I’m terrified. No point in lying now. Ven would probably see through him if he tried. It’s just… Kairi was so confident in me. She said I’d never hurt her, and look at what I did. She’s probably disappointed. I wouldn’t even blame her if she hates me now.

“Hey! Don’t get ahead of yourself. This is Kairi we’re talking about. Do you really think someone as caring and sweet as her would hate you over an accident? I bet you she and Aqua are hunting us down right now.’

‘Course they were. Deep down, Sora knew they’d never leave him behind. Even if he plunged into the deepest darkness, they’d come trailing after him, grab him by the wrist, and drag him back into the light. Sure, logically, he knew they wouldn’t really blame them, but at the same time…

What am I supposed to do if they find me? Apologize? What if that’s not good enough? He looked down at his claws and grimaced. They’re probably better off fighting Zexion without me. At least then they won’t have to worry about me attacking ‘em again.

“Look…” Another sigh, and Ven’s tone took a heavier tone. “I get where you’re coming from. Way back before I wound up with you, Xehanort had this huge plan to make me into a weapon. It was either I fought Vanitas and forged the X-blade, or he’d try and kill my best friends. So I made the boneheaded move of asking them to kill me, all because I thought it’d fix everything. But that’s just it—it didn’t fix a thing, and I don’t think hiding will either.”

But…

“You can’t take back what you did. You hurt her, and that’s not gonna change.” A fact that made Sora hang his head, claws digging into the metal. “But you know what? You can still make things better. You just won’t get anywhere ‘til you stand back up again. I believe in Aqua, and I’m sure Kairi can hold her own out there, but you know Zexion. You can still help them, Sora. I know you can do it, and I bet they do too.”

“Of course we do.” The sound of Aqua’s voice made Sora leap back, crouching low to the beam. He squeezed his eyes shut, covered his face with his hands, and shivered. Her clanking boots told him that she was coming closer, and the sound of a whoosh above told him she wasn’t alone.

Just like the slower, heavier footsteps that followed and the more frantic pounding rushing in from behind. Before Sora got a chance to open his eyes, he felt two hands clamp down on his shoulders.

“Sora, it’s okay. Please don’t hide...”

Kairi’s voice struck like an arrow through his heart, and he froze. Ice slithered around his heart, leaving him with a cold sensation from head o toe. For a second, he thought about sinking away, but even with his eyes shut, he could feel that light’s warmth reaching out for him. Kairi was there. She wasn’t going away. The jig was up. Now what was he gonna do?

At first, he did nothing. Sure, he moved his hands away from his face, but he kept his eyes glued to his feet, still as the structure they stood on.

“Sora, come on!” Kairi’s voice wavered, and she tightened her grip on his shoulder. “Say something. Anything!”

He gulped, turning his head to look at her and immediately looking away. His hand slipped into his pocket, and he hastily scribbled a message. ‘Why’d you follow me? I could’ve ripped your heart out, Kairi! Doesn’t that make you mad?’

“Sure, I’m a little mad, but not at you.” Kairi shook her head, placing her free hand on her hip. “It’s Zexion who made you attack me, isn’t it? So if anything, I’m mad at him for treating you like a puppet. And now you’re beating yourself up over me… That’s not fair at all.”

‘I can’t help it. Even if Zexion was the one controlling me, I should’ve seen it coming a mile away!’ He struck the beam again, snarling. ‘He tried it before, and I should’ve known he’d try again. I should’ve warned you…’

Aqua placed her hand over his. “There’s a lot going on. None of us blame you for forgetting.” She ruffled his hair and leaned back, giving him space. “We all fell for Zexion’s illusion, even though we knew what he was capable of. That only proves that none of us are infallible, including me.”

Sora raised his index finger, then dropped his hand, blowing out some air. She had a point; if they’d just slowed down, they could’ve exposed Zexion’s trap and beaten him while they had the chance. But even then…

‘At least you’re not a Heartless. Zexion can’t use you guys the way he used me. If he gets you with his illusions, you’ll still be in control. I don’t—’ He cringed, claws gripping at his pant leg. ‘I can’t promise you guys that I will be.’

“If I may interject,” said Goliath, “I do understand how you feel.”

Sora’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Wait, what’re you trying to say?’

Goliath strode closer, stopping just a foot behind Aqua. He placed a hand over his chest, and looked Sora in the eye. “There was a time when I lost control of myself. It was part of one of Demona’s schemes—she tricked Brooklyn into obtaining a magical book with a spell that shackled my will. I had no choice but to follow the orders of whomever held the spell, turning me against Brooklyn in the process.”

So he did understand. He knew what Sora was going through. ‘Then how’d you deal with it? Didn’t it hurt knowing that you went against one of your friends?’

Goliath nodded, his expression firm. “It did hurt. Worst of all, I retained full awareness of the situation but was unable to act. However, I knew it was not my fault, as under normal circumstances, I would never think to turn on my clan. Do you not feel the same?”

Sora squeezed his pen and swallowed. It took a second for him to force a nod. ‘’Course I do! Kairi’s the last person I’d ever think of hurting, and that’s what makes this so hard! She’s one of the two most important people I know, and I’ve already failed her before. This is just a big, fat cherry on top of the failure cake.’

“That’s enough!” Kairi grabbed his pen, pulled it away, and looked straight into his eyes. “Sora, please. You haven’t failed anyone, especially not me. If you start thinking that way, how are we supposed to accomplish anything? I can’t begin to imagine what it felt like back there, but I swear, if Zexion even tries using you again, I’ll be there to stop him. We all will!”

Kairi… Sora drooped over, both hands dropping down to his lap. He was being selfish again, wasn’t he? Selfish and stupid.

After a couple seconds in silence, Aqua leaned over his shoulder and said, “You just have to stay brave, Sora. I think you have the strength to fight Zexion’s control, but unless you believe in that strength the way that we do, you’ll remain vulnerable. Is that what you want?”

Shaking his head, Sora looked up at the others and tapped his two index fingers together. When Kairi held out his pen, he swept it up and started writing straight away. ‘You guys are right. All I’m doing is giving Zexion what he wants, and that’s not fair to you at all. Here you all are, trying to cheer me up, and what’ve I done besides make an idiot of myself?’

A soft chuckle escaped Goliath. “You have good intentions, and there is no shame in remorse, so long as you do not let it rule you.”

‘And I won’t.’ At last, Sora climbed up on his feet, brow furrowing. ‘No, I’ll just give Zexion a piece of my mind! That’ll teach him to try hurting my friends.’

“That’s the Sora I know!” Kairi grinned, patting his shoulder. “So, are you ready to go?”

His claws wrapped tightly around his pen, which he smacked against the page. ‘Yeah. I’ve already held us up long enough. I say we go out there and finish this!’

Aqua shut her eyes and laughed. “Shouldn’t we find the others first?”

Oh, right. Sora scratched the back of his neck, cracking a half-smile. ‘Guess I got ahead of myself…’

“It’s all right, friend.” Goliath gestured to the roof of a nearby building. “The others are waiting over there. As soon as we rejoin them, we can begin our search anew.”

“I guess it’s too late to go back to the castle,” said Kairi. “I just hope we can find them before this gets out of hand.”

Aqua scowled. “If we don’t find them, I’m sure they’ll find us. Zexion can’t be happy that we left those Heartless behind.”

And so, one hop across the rooftops later, Sora, Kairi, and Aqua all squeezed into the Gummi Ship, and the group hit the sky. Goliath and the other Gargoyles swooped to the left, while the ship rocketed to the right, all in an effort to cover more ground. As they blew over the tops of buildings, Sora kept his eyes fixed on the back window, claws gripping at the back of the seat. Down below, he caught no signs of glowing eyes—just streaks of empty pavement coated with cracks and dotted with craters.

And then the entire ship rattled and jerked, tipping abruptly on its side. Sora’s claws dug into the seat cushion, and up front he heard a loud “Wak!” from Donald. Another THUD, and a ship tipped the other way. Only then did Sora spot the two dark green dragons twirling toward the side windows. But how could that be? Wasn’t the ship invisible?!

“Gah, I’m fed up with all these stinking Heartless!” Donald growled, battering the controls with two big, white fists. Lights flashed out from the ship’s cannons. The ship itself twirled around in a full circle, then spiraled into one of the dragons’ bellies. Each movement left Sora clinging to the seat for dear life. His head whirled around on its axis, and he squeezed his eyes shut. It didn’t change a thing.

The Heartless must’ve felt them from inside the ship’s walls because as the engines cranked up and the ship blasted through the sky, Sora heard more thuds and felt the whole cockpit tremble. When he finally cracked his eyes open, he tumbled down to the floor. Poking his head back up, he caught a whole wall of green and mint colored forms shooting toward the glass. A faint dusty scent reached his nose for less than a second, and he banged his hands against the seat.

That slimy little creep! Breathing erratically, Sora shoved his hand through the seat, sinking it into a growing black pool. Snapping his claws, he watched a stream of green fire whiz through the air, smack one of the dragon’s snouts, and light its whole body ablaze. From her seat just across the cockpit, Aqua called for her Keyblade and clutched it in both hands. Tilting his head, Sora watched the tip surge with light. The air outside the window shifted, glassy hexagons coiling around the ship.

Just in time, too, as Sora caught three orange blobs shooting toward the window. Striking the barrier, they ricocheted back, smashing three Tailbunkers into a nearby building. This repeated four times, with fire bouncing back and forth, Heartless crashing through windows, leaving Sora’s eyes rolling wildly in their sockets. Another THUD followed, barrier shattering like glass, and the ship tipped downward. With the engines still blazing, it rocketed toward the road, and Goofy let out an ear-splitting holler.

“Fellers, we’re gonna craaaaash!”

“Not if I can help it!” Donald latched onto the wheel, yanking it back towards his seat. Right as the nose of the ship neared the sidewalk, the ship steadied and skidded across the pavement, smashing into a nearby brick wall. The force knocked Sora out of his seat, and he crashed into Aqua’s knees. Sliding down to her feet, she took his hand and pulled him up off the floor. The door swung open, and the group scurried outside just in time to hear a chorus of screeches.

And then, just when Sora thought they’d get dragged into another fight, he caught a faint glow from across the street that pulled him toward the sidewalk’s edge. Jammed between two six-story buildings, a cathedral stretched high into the sky, dwarfing the rest of the street. Pointed towers lined its corners. Columns of windows ran down the front, each one tucked beneath an arch. A short flight of steps led up to three smaller arch-shaped openings, no doubt leading further inside.

Another flash of orange blasted in from the left, and Sora thrust his finger toward the building. At this rate, they’d never catch a break. If they even wanted to stand a chance against Zexion, they needed to breathe. Thus, Sora scrambled across the road, swerving between Behemoth legs, and threw himself against the cathedral’s double doors. He slid across the floor, footsteps echoing as he charged. The arched ceiling reached up into the heavens. Columns stretched up for what seemed like miles, and darkness coated the hard, stone floor.

Donald, Goofy, and Kairi all slammed into the doors with their backs. Nothing budged, and the shrieking subsided. For the next few seconds, silence hung over the cathedral, until the doors flashed, a slick translucent coating sliding down to the floor. Gasping, Sora zipped towards the entrance, when a sick, sour odor flooded his nose. Biting his lip, he scuttled backwards, bumping into somebody—it was tough to tell who in the dark. A scraping sound from across the room made him shudder, and when he whirled around, he saw a slender figure standing in the moonlight with eyes glowing blood red.

TO BE CONTINUED