Kingdom Hearts II- Episode 14

Kingdom Hearts 2(episode 14): The Cloister Of Trials

The voice was so loud; it shook the walls making small pieces of rock fall from its edges. Sora covered his ears. The voice was too much to bear, a little louder and it could have made him stone deaf forever.
"I SAID WHO DARES INTRUDE THIS SACRED PLACE?!, IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"
"Stop yelling and I will!" cried Sora at the top of his voice
"Fine, now tell me who you are!" ordered the voice
Sora eyes swept the room for the source of the voice but everything was still too dim.
"ANSWER ME!"
"I am Sora, the Keyblademaster!" cried Sora in a sudden shock
"LIAR!, the Keyblademaster is never that young!"
"What?!, I really am the Keyblademaster!" cried Sora rather irritated
"Then why don't you prove it!"
Sora was mad and as irritated as a beehive. The heart sucking Heartless is invading this world and some nut wants him to prove that he was the Keyblademaster... Unbelievable!
Without a moment to spare, he summoned his Keyblade and held it in the air.
"Happy now?" asked Sora
"Err... it's a fake!, the real Keyblade was made of gold!" cried the voice in distress
"Oh, for the love of God!, If I weren't the Keyblademaster, I would've been swept away and not to mention, barbecued even before I could enter this dang place!" yelled Sora angrily
"Oh... right" said the voice shamefully
"Now show yourself before I get really pissed off!" yelled Sora
In a blink of an eye, the room was illuminated a bright light. The room was as big as the one at Heasus'. But unlike Heasus', the room was filled with paintings of strange horse-riding warriors dressed in fierce demon-looking armor and wielding thin, slightly curved swords. The warriors seemed to be fighting a fierce battle with the Heartless, proving that there are still some willing to risk life and limb to banish the darkness. Sora continued to look around. Beautifully decorated swords hung on the walls awed Sora so much that he could not resist taking one down to take a closer look.
"Wow..." said Sora amazed
The sheathe was carved from wood, decorated with gold and precious stones from the tip to the handle. Everything was carved with inhuman precision, so detailed!
"This is definitely no toy" said Sora ad he pulled grasped the handle and slowly pulled out the sword
Some strange feeling surged throughout him. The feeling of a warrior riding into battle to fight for what he believes in... to protect the ones he love and to honor the promises he has made to them. The light made the beautiful blade glow and flickered in Sora's eyes. How could something so beautiful... be so deadly?
"I see you like my work"
Sora woke up from his little amazement and turned around. There stood a person, in his twenties, dressed in a strange red colored robe imprinted with words Sora have never seen before. His long black hair was tied neatly behind him while his brown eyes; sharp nose and a fair complexion could charm any girl from any world.
"Heloo, are you allright?" said the guy
"Huh?, oh!, sorry" said Sora as he pushed back the sword into sheathe
"I'm rather impressed" said the guy, walking toward Sora
"Huh?" asked Sora
"Not many youngsters are interested in Samurai swords. Especially those today, may I?" said the guy holding out his hands
Sora handed the sword to him. The sword seemed to balance directly into his hands; it was as if he and the sword were one.
"It took me three years to make this sword... one of my greatest works yet" said the guy as he hung it back onto the wall
He then turned around and smiled a warm smile at Sora
"It is nice to see you again, all grown up. It's been years but I could never forget those eyes"
"Excuse me... I know it sounds weird, but have I met you before?" asked Sora
"Hhm, I don't expect you to remember but allow me reintroduce myself... I am Kenji Fujikawa, captain of the Knights of Keydrania"
"Keydrania?, that would make you... " said Sora
"One of the remaining survivors who managed to escape with their hearts" said Kenji
"You said you knew me, how?" asked Sora
"Those were the good old days. When you were born, the Kings were away on a royal meeting. While your mothers were still recovering, I would come over every day to play with the both of you. You were a lot cuter back then" said Kenji
Sora knew that the other person was his brother. He closed his eyes and sailed into a sea of thoughts. His memories took him back to blurry image of a bright room. He was in a cradle peering up at the ceiling when all of a sudden a person peered in. The person was saying something but he could not understand, might be because everything was too blurred. But he could tell from the blurry image that he was happy and how he would give anything to be back there.
"Huh!, is everything coming back?"
Sora woke up from his little journey and saw Kenji sitting on a big chair smoking some sort pipe. A thin line of smoke was coming from the pipe and a strange aroma filled the room as Kenji huffed and puffed rings of smoke.
"So, how long have you been here?" asked Sora
"About seven hundred years" said Kenji as he puffed a couple of more smoke rings
Sora felt like his jaw would hit the floor.
"You're nuts!, seven hundred years!, but that... that would make me..."
"A lot older than you think" said Kenji putting out his pipe and getting up from his chair
"This is great!, just great!. First, I find out I'm some God forsaken Prince of a fallen kingdom and now I find out that I'm seven hundred years old!, what next!, was I born a girl?" cried Sora
"Em... yes" said Kenji
"WHATT?!!!" yelled Sora
"Just kidding, I thought it would help" chuckled Kenji
"Ooooh!!!, you little..." cried Sora frustratingly
"The fact is, this is your destiny Sora, you can never run away from who you really are" said Kenji as he walked toward Sora
"Please explain one more thing, how come you and I have not aged a day, huh?!" asked Sora
"Merlin's spell" answered Kenji
"Merlin?, you knew Merlin?" asked Sora
"Hell, everyone knows Merlin. He used to be the greatest Keymaker in the universe. No one could come close to rival his skills as a sorcerer or even an alchemist" said Kenji
"Keymaker?, are you telling me that Merlin was a Keymaker?" asked Sora
"It is impossible to be a Keymaker if you're not gifted with a talent. But Merlin left the Keymakers the day he decided to see the other worlds... he was a free spirit, you see" said Kenji
"So you ran to Merlin for help when the Heartless attacked" said Sora
"Those accursed things, I wish I could kill them all!... they took everything away from me!" cried Kenji full of hatred
His fist curled into a fist and smashed it into the wall. Sora could not help feeling sorry for him. He placed his hand on Kenji's shoulder.
"It's okay, you're not the only one you know" said Sora
"Sorry, as I was saying. Merlin put you and your brother into some sort of a time capsule and sent you into the future. That way the Heartless would never be able to find you. Then, he sent six of us across the universe to different worlds to safe keep the six essences of the heart. We were to stay in a shrine, never to step outside. A long as we stay within the shrine, we will never age" said Kenji
"Now that makes more sense" said Sora
Then all of a sudden, Sora came to his senses
"Oh shit!" cried Sora
"What's wrong?" asked Kenji
"This world is under attack!, the Heartless are invading!" said Sora distressed
"What?!, those things never learn!... how many more hearts would they take before they're satisfied!" said Kenji
"The reason I came here was to pick up the orb, you do have it don't you?" asked Sora
"Orb?, you mean this?" asked Kenji pulling out a red orb.
It was exactly like the one Heasus gave to him but this time it was red with a different marking on it.
"Yes, now would you give it to me. I'm in a hurry" said Sora holding out his hand
"Er... no." said Kenji
"Huh?, come on Kenji, this is not the time for jokes!" said Sora
"I'm sorry Sora, you may be the Keyblademaster but in order to acquire this orb... you will have to defeat me in battle" said Kenji
"What?!, you kidding right?" asked Sora
"You wish" said Kenji
The warm smile melted away from his face leaving a hard, cynical one. His eyes were filled with the will to kill and the invitation of a battle was just too good to pass. It looked like Sora had no choice.
"Very well" said Sora
"Then follow me" said Kenji as he walked toward a book shelf.
With a wave of his hand, the shelf slid to the side reveling a passageway. Little torches lit themselves as he went into the passage.
Sora, feeling a little uneasy, followed behind him. With every step he took he could not stop wondering, what the hell did he just got himself into?

Meanwhile... back at the entrance

"Errrgh!" cried Stitch trying to force the door open
"Oh, it's no use. It's sealed shut!" said Lilo sinking to the floor
"Stitch not giving up" said Stitch as he tried again but the door just won't budge
"Oooh" said Stitch as he sunk to the floor next to Lilo
"It's over Stitch, we'll never get through. Let's go home" said Lilo
"No!, we help Sora. Sora is Ohana" said Stitch
"Huh?" said Lilo turning to Stitch
"Ohana means family. Family means nobody..."
"Gets left behind or forgotten" continued Lilo
Lilo smiled and said
"You're right, Sora is family. We have to help him!" said Lilo
"Yeah!" cried Stitch
"Nothing can stop..." said Lilo
Suddenly, something sounded like a laser blast at the entrance of the cave. It started to get louder and louder as it headed toward them. To their horror, it was the red layers... they have been reactivated.
"Wasn't that the thing that burned Sora's hand" asked Lilo
"Er... yes" said Stitch
It was getting close at an alarming rate. There was only one thing to do...
"RUN!!!" cried the both of them
They headed for a tunnel to the left and continued running as fast as their little legs could carry them. Feeling that Lilo was running too slowly, Stitch picked her up and ran as fast as the wind.
"Hurry, it's gaining on us!" cried Lilo
"Aaaaaah!" cried Stitch
The layers were now getting quicker. Lilo swore she saw a lizard turned to ash when it touched the layer. Sweat was dripping all over her face; the thought of being roasted alive is just unbearable. Stitch turned whenever he could but the rays seem to know their every move, following them like a snake to its prey.
"Aaah!" screamed Lilo when the layers came within several inches from her face
"No!" cried Stitch and in a sudden burst of speed, Stitch pulled ahead of the layers.
"Ha, Ha, Ha. Slowcoach!" laughed Stitch
"Yeah, we sure showed that thing" said Lilo
But their joy was short lived, for...
"Aaaah, dead end!" cried Lilo
Stitch screeched to a halt. The tunnel ended there and there, there was no way out except the way they came in. It was getting warmer as the layers rapidly approached them.
"Now I know how the Christmas turkey feels like" said Lilo
Stitch checked the wall, looking for a possible exit.
Suddenly the layers came within sight, burning everything in its path. Lilo dropped to her knees and prayed
"Dear God, I will never be bad again, I promise. I will always listen to Nani and never fight with her ever again, I promise" prayed Lilo
Suddenly, Stitch found something that might be their only hope
"Eureka!" cried Stitch for he found a large crack at the base of the wall
Without wasting any time, he punched it with all his might. Delivering punches that could turn concrete to dust.
"And I'll always eat my greens and never feed them to the dog and I will never have snacks before dinner and..."
The layers were now thirty feet away from them. The heat was so intense, Lilo noticed the sand turning to glass. Realizing this, she started to pray faster.
"And I swear I will never, never, never bite anyone ever again!... I PROMISE!" cried Lilo
The layers charged straight for her, wanting oh so badly to roast her alive
"AAAAAAAAH!!!!!" screamed Lilo
Suddenly, she felt a thug on her dress; pulling her into a hole so quickly she had no time to realize what was going on. She rolled through the hole and out the other side only to fall into a small pond.
SPLASH!
"Oh, man!" cried Lilo
"Are you okay?" asked Stitch
"What do you mean okay?, look at me" said Lilo dripping wet
"Look on bright side" said Stitch
"What's the bright side?, we have just escaped death and now we're lost" said Lilo getting out of the pond and squeezing the water from her dress
Stitch got out and started shaking himself dry.
"Heeeeey!" said Lilo getting all wet again
"He, he. Sorry" said Stitch
Lilo looked around the little cave. There was only a dark tunnel and they have no idea where it would lead them, hopefully not to another trap.
"Hhm, looks like we have nowhere to go but straight" said Lilo
"We find Sora" said Stitch
"Right, I wonder what other surprises would we find" asked Lilo as she held Stitch's hand walked into the bitter darkness.


"Arrrrrrrrh, help me!. Helppppp!!!!!"
"Hang on!, we're coming!" yelled Goofy
"Well, hurrrryyyyyy!!!!!"
"Eat this!" cried Donald as he blasted two more shadow Heartless with a Thundaga spell, obliterating them
Donald and Goofy rushed up the stairs, several Heartless tried to get in their way but the two of them will not tolerate interventions. Goofy smashed his shield into one of the Heartless so hard; it went through the wall and out the house. The Heartless were all over the place, up the ceiling, on the walls and even in the bathroom.
"Back, back you bunch of vampires!, back!" yelled Donald as he shot a barrage of spells at the Heartless destroying them one by one.
Goofy wasted no time with curses and continued slashing, bashing and destroying every Heartless that got in his way.
"Get of me!!!!"
"David!" cried Goofy as he rushed in to the room
David was swinging a baseball bat at a Heartless but it as just too quick and dodged every swing. It then grabbed the bat and broke it with one hand. David was in an extreme panic now and darted for the window. But the Heartless grabbed him by the ankle and threw him on the bed. It then jumped on David's chest, hands headed straight for his heart. David grabbed one of its hands and also its neck, but it was just too strong for him.
"Sorry, you're not my type!" yelled David
"David!" cried Goofy at the door
"Don't just stand there, get this thing off of me!" yelled David
Without a moment to spare, Goofy threw his shield at the Heartless; it slashed through the Heartless and turned it to dust while neatly returning to his hand.
"Are you allright?" asked Goofy
"I think so, what are these things?, and what are you?" asked David
"I'll explain later, right now we got to move" said Goofy
But as he finished his sentence, seven shadow Heartless emerged from the floor. All hissing and looked extremely pissed!
"Get behind me, this is gonna be messy!" said Goofy
The Heartless charged straight for him while David darted behind the bed and hid himself. Goofy charged back at them just as fast slashing one in the neck and smashing another one, destroying them both. The other five surrounded him and charged at him from all sides.
"Here we go!" cried Goofy
With green glow emerging from his shield, he leapt up and spun into his tornado attack, obliterating each and every one of them.
"And that's how you kick Heartless butt!" said Goofy crossing his arms
"Is the coast clear?" asked David peering out from his hiding place.
"Why are you still hiding?, let's go!" said Goofy
The both of them ran out of the room to see Donald delivering a machine gun's worth of fire spells. Throwing his ducky temper at every blast, blowing each and every one of them out of the house. The roof was filled with so many holes it looked like it would collapse.
"Eat this, and this, and this!!!" cried Donald
"Donald!, Donald!, it's allright!" cried Goofy
Donald stopped his blasting frenzy and glared at Goofy. He stood there panting; his eyes were red and watery, his feathers were all fluffy... he was insane!.
"Now repeat after me, whoosha... whoosha" said Goofy
"Whoosh... whoosha" repeated Donald
"Feel better?" asked Goofy
"Yup, thanks pal" said Donald calmly
"Don't mention it" said Goofy
"Are we done doing having anger management here?, what about Nani?" asked David
"Cid!" cried Donald and Goofy
"Cid, you mean he's here?' asked David
"No time to explain, all you have to know is that we are the good guys. Now let's go!" said Donald
Still feeling confused, David rushed downstairs with Donald and Goofy hoping that Cid and the rest of them are all right.
"Cid?!" cried Goofy
It was quiet downstairs, all the Heartless have gone missing and so was Cid.
"Heloo" said Donald
"I don't like this" said Goofy, tightening his grip on his shield
"Me too" said Donald
"Me three" said David, reaching for a golf club by the staircase
The three of them browsed the room for any sudden movements; it was all too good to be true. Donald and Goofy knows way better that no Heartless would ever quit in a middle of a battle.
"Cid?!, are you there?... anywhere?" cried Goofy again
"Nani?, Nani where are you?!" yelled David, gripping his golf club tightly
Suddenly Nani appeared at the front door but she was being tugged back by something.
"David!, it's a trap!" yelled Nani
"What!!!" yelled the three of them
Donald spun around just in time to see a large figure about fifteen feet tall trying to grab him with its large hands.
"Look out!" cried David as he pushed Donald out of the way
The figure grabbed David instead. David tried to struggle but his grip was just too tight. The figure then shook him of his golf club and laughed loudly.
"Ha, ha, ha. Struggle all you want but you'll never get loose" said the figure
"Wait a minute, I know you... you're Gantu!" said David
"That's Captain Gantu to you" said the figure as he walked into the light
He was a big creature with a shark like head and blue eyes. He wore a black spacesuit with a laser gun by his right side.
"Yo!, Moron!, down here!" yelled Goofy
Gantu looked for the source of the voice and found saw Goofy and Donald pointing their fingers at him.
"What are you guys standing around for, run, save yourselves!" cried David
"Yes, why don't you listen to the human and run along" said Gantu cockily
"I'm warning you, let him go or else" warned Goofy
"Yeah, or do you need some persuasion" said Donald rolling up his sleeves
But Gantu merely chuckled
"Ha, ha, ha. A duck and a... what the hell are you?" asked Gantu
"Duh, how the heck should I know?" said Goofy
"Whatever... trying to threaten me. Don't you know I could squish you with my thumb" said Gantu
Donald gave Goofy a look across the shoulder.
"Well, we warned him" said Donald
"Some people will never learn... after you" said Goofy
"With pleasure" said Donald
"What are you going to do?" asked Gantu, suddenly alarmed
In a blink of an eye, Donald bashed Gantu's left foot with his staff. The impact was so powerful; it blew a small crater into the floor.
"Yeeeeeeeooooooowwwwwww!!!!!!" cried Gantu in pain, letting go of David
Gantu hopped around the living room clutching his injured foot, cursing as he went.
"I'll get you for this" yelled Gantu
"David!, run!" yelled Goofy
David picked himself up and ran out the kitchen exit.
"Let's finish this" said Donald
"Why you little!" cursed Gantu as he pulled his laser gun and fired at Donald
"Whoa!" yelled Donald as he ducked just in time.
The laser blew a big hole in the wall... looks like Nani might be hiring a contractor after all.
"Dang, I missed" said Gantu taking aim again
"Na, na, you shoot like my sister!" teased Donald
"I didn't know you have a sister" said Goofy
"Actually, I don't" said Donald
"Die, you worthless piece of poultry!" yelled Gantu, full of rage
"Yaaaah!" yelled Donald as he jumped behind the couch
Gantu fired again, this time blowing the couch in half. A little bit more to the left and the only thing left of Donald... are his legs.
"This time I'll make sure I wont miss!" said Gantu taking aim at the remaining half
"Hey Gantu!, over here!" cried Goofy as he charged full speed toward him
Gantu shifted his aim to Goofy and fired. Goofy deflected the blast with a smack of his shield and smashed straight into Gantu. The force knocked all of Gantu's breath as he smashed into the wall.
"Ooooh" moaned Gantu as he summoned his last ounce of strength to take one last aim.
"Oh no you don't. Prepare to taste cold steel!" cried Goofy
Even before Gantu could pull the trigger, Goofy unleashed a fury uppercut so powerful it sent Gantu smashing through roof and smack on the lawn outside... ouch!, that must have hurt so bad.
"Wow, that was awesome" said Donald
"Ooh, I think I hit him a little too hard" said Goofy
"A little?" said Donald as he jumped onto the lawn followed by Goofy
Gantu, which seemed to be out cold, was lying in small crater, credits of Goofy.
"Nani, Cid?!" cried Donald
"Jomba, Pleakly, David?!" cried Goofy
Suddenly, they were surrounded by shadow Heartless from all sides, which seemed to have appeared from the ground. Goofy and Donald grasped their weapons tightly knowing that they might not walk away from this with their hearts.
"Come on, I'll kill every last one of you!" yelled Donald
"I think not"
Donald and Goofy spun around and saw a hooded figure dressed in a black coat. He was holding Nani hostage with a knife at her throat, there is definitely no escaping this one.
"Put down your weapons and I'll spare her life" said the figure
"Don't listen to him!" yelled Nani
"Be quiet!" ordered the figure as he jerked Nani
"How would we know you would keep your word?" asked Goofy
"Simple, you have no other choice. So what will it be?" asked the figure
Donald and Goofy glanced at each other. Knowing that there was no other choice, they dropped their weapons.
"A wise decision, seize them!" ordered the figure
The Heartless then jumped on them and tied them up in some sort of rope. The more they struggled, the tighter it got.
"Struggle all you want, but it would only kill you faster. So why don't you just sit back and relax because no one is gonna save you now" said the figure
Suddenly, one of the Heartless tried to reach for Donald's heart.
"Aaaaah!" screamed Donald
BANG!
The Heartless exploded in his face. The figure looked up and saw
"Cid!, where the hell have you been?!" yelled Goofy
"Hunting, what have you been up to?" asked Cid, reloading his gun
"You just love doing that don't you?" asked Donald
"Well, can't complain" smirked Cid
"Nani!" cried David appearing behind Cid
"David!" cried Nani
"Silence!" yelled the figure jerking Nani for the second time
Cid took aim and said
"Let her go or I'll put one in your ass!" warned Cid
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. Cid, how long has it been eh?" said the figure
"Certainly not long enough" said Cid never taking his eyes off the figure
"Ha, ha. I've always liked your jokes but we're done fooling around. Throw down your gun or the girl dies" said the figure
"Over my dead body!" cried Cid
"Cid, do as he says!" ordered David
"I can take him out" said Cid
The figure pushed his knife a little deeper into Nani's neck making her cry.
"No!, please...put...the gun...down" begged David
Cid stood motionless for a while and then threw the gun onto the ground. The Heartless then jumped on him and David, tying them up in the same rope used to bind Goofy and Donald. The figure then pushed Nani to Heartless, which then tied her up and placed her with the rest of them. The figure then walked over to the prisoners and smirked
"Did you really think that you could stop the invasion?, such poor simple fools!" said the figure
"Well, since you have guts to pass these insults, why don't you show us your face?, Ray" said Cid
The figure was quiet all of a sudden. It was almost as if he was told to commit suicide.
"What's the matter?, cat got your tongue?. Or is it because you are afraid to show the scar I gave you?" asked Cid
The figure's hand curled into a fist was he pulled down his hood. He had dark blue hair. His red eyes were filled with evil as his face showed so much hatred for Cid. He wore a silver locket around his neck decorated with Jade. There was a long scar cut through his face from the top right to the bottom left. It was horrifying just looking at it.
"Hhm, still there" said Cid
"Damn you, you bastard!. You ruined my life!" yelled Ray
"YOU MASSACRED AN ENTIRE VILLAGE!. YOU KILLED EVEYONE, NOT ONLY THE MEN BUT ALSO THE WOMAN AND THE CHILDREN. SO YOU TELL ME, WHO'S THE BASTARD!!!" yelled Cid at the top of his voice
Ray did not even flinched. He brushed his hair to the back and smirked.
"So what if I'm responsible for the Thung Show Pass Massacre, they deserved what they got and I'm happy to be the one slit their throats. I enjoyed every moment of it"
"Why you little no good Heartless BITCH!!!" yelled Cid as he lunged toward Ray but he was just out of reach
"Maybe I am, but I'm not the one about to be sacrificed. Put them in the wagon!" ordered Ray
"I'LL KILL YOU!, I'LL KILL YOU!!!!" yelled Cid as the Heartless loaded him and the rest of them onto the wagon
"Wheao!" yelled Goofy as he was thrown onto the wagon
"Get your hands off me you heart sucker!" yelled Donald as he loaded onto the wagon
"Hi, nice to see you could join us" said Pleakly also tied up
"I think we're in a tight situation" said Jomba trying to squeeze out of the ropes
"You too huh?" said Nani
"So do we have a plan?" asked David
Cid was silent, probably deep in his thought. Nobody could figure out what he was thinking but from the look on his face, it definitely was not happy thoughts. Ray stood in front of Nani's house admiring the beauty of the structure when all of a sudden a Darken jumped out of the bushes and reported to him
"Still no sign of the Keyblademaster!" said the Darken
"Sssh, would you keep it down you idiot!. What do you mean there's no sign of the Keyblademaster?" asked Ray
"Sorry sir, the Keyblademaster is nowhere to be found. It's almost like he just disappeared" said the Darken
"Keep looking, he must be around here somewhere. I could feel it the power of the Keyblade somewhere on the island" said Ray
"Yes sir, I won't give up" said the Darken
"Keep me posted" said Ray
"Yes sir and by the way... could I burn the house down?" asked the Darken
"No, I like this place. I'm planning to make it my home after the invasion is complete" said Ray
Feeling a bit disappointed, the Darken was about to leap back into the bush when he noticed Gantu lying unconscious on the ground.
"What about him?" asked the Darken
"Oh, just leave him there. He'll know where to find me; I knew I shouldn't have sent a big dummy to do my job. Now go!" ordered Ray
The Darken bowed, leapt back into the bush and disappeared from sight. Ray walked toward the wagon, smiling cynically; stopping only for a moment to kick Gantu in his side.
"Just look on bright side, your sacrifice would help make us stronger. That way we could take over more worlds and use it to our benefit" said Ray
Everyone glared at him but instead of scaring him, it pleased him.
"Oh, I just love it when people hate me, a little something I learnt to love from this job" said Ray
Ray walked up toward the Heartless and said
"Take them to you know where, let one of them escape and I'll have your nuggets for dinner" said Ray
Purple flames then engulfed his body and in a blink of an eye, he's gone. The Heartless then started pulling the wagon forward, hissing at each other as they went. Nobody knows where they were being led, or what lies at the end of road. All they could do is hope for a miracle.  
   

Shadow stood motionless on the hill. It over looked a humongous hole probably the size of four football fields. The walls of the hole were actually buildings or living quarters or even worse... prison cells and torture chambers. Darkens were all over the place, whipping things that looked like their prisoners; Shadow was too far to be sure.
"I gotta take a closer look" said Shadow as he stealthily climbed down the hill.
The hill was a little too steep, one wrong step could lead to his discovery and that is definitely what he doesn't need right now. The slope was also too slippery; credits of the small loose rocks, rushing could mean certain death. Shadow slid down the hill inch by inch, gripping on the steady rocks as he went. Everything was going swell... until
CRACK!
"Shit!" cursed Shadow as a small boulder came rolling down the hill and smashed onto the ground
The noise attracted some Darkens and they came running to the foot of the hill.
"There's someone up there!" cried a Darken
"Gimme some light, now!" ordered another
Suddenly a huge flash of light shone onto the rocks just a few inches away from Shadow.
"That was way too close!" said Shadow
"I don't see anything!, move it to the right!" ordered the Darken
The light started moving toward Shadow. With no time to lose, he dashed away as fast as a bolt of lightning to the boulders to the right. Unfortunately, the light followed him.
"Aww man!"
Shadow darted for the other rocks but the light just kept on following him.
"Damn it!" cursed Shadow
Shadow kept on jumping... until he came to another light coming his way from the left. He was pinned to the corner; he had nowhere else go except...
"Whatever it is, it won't get away this time, ha ha!" laughed the Darken
But when the two lights met, there was nothing there. Nothing but large rocks and small boulders and of course, sand.
"But... but" stammered the Darken
The other Darkens glared at him, some cursing him under their breaths. The leader, wearing a red scarf walked up to him and smacked him on the head with his sword.
"Next time, I cut it off" warned the Darken Leader as he walked off declaring it was all a false alarm while the other Darkens walked off calling him a retard.
The Darken stood there confused but when nothing could be done to prove himself, he walked off. He was walking pass the electric generator when something hit him on the head so hard, it knocked him out instantly. He was then dragged behind it by a black-coated figure.
"Sorry about that, but I have to make sure the coast was clear" said Shadow
Shadow peeked out of his hiding place to get a better look at his surroundings. There were prisoners on the other side, breaking and shoveling rocks out of a pit... what were they looking for?. The Darkens worked them on mercilessly; whipping them to quickenen the progress. Then, Shadow recognized one of the prisoners struggling out of the pit.
"Maid Marion" cried Shadow
Yes, it was Marion allright. But she was no longer the sweet, pretty soul that warmed people's hearts. She was now a haggard, tired old thing that have been pushed to the limit. She was dried to the bone, dirty for her fur was all covered in dirt while dark circled formed under her eyes. Her clothes were torn and full of holes.
"Holy Mary, what have they done to you?" cried Shadow in grief
She was carrying a rock that was a little too heavy for her. Suddenly, she tripped over a smaller rock and fell face first onto the ground. This angered the Darken standing next to her and without any compassion; he grabbed her onto her feet and slapped her. The blow was so hard; she fell back onto the ground.
"Son of a...!" cried Shadow, full of rage
His hand automatically went to Germini's handle. He wanted to jump out and slash that bastard in half, but then
"All prisoners return to their cell, all prisoners return to their cell. Any disobedience will be dealt with force" said the loudspeaker by cell gate
All the prisoners laid down their tools and climbed out of the pit. Maid Marion was struggling to get to her feet when a large, skinny chicken ran to her aid. Shadow recognized her instantly
"Plucky?, daaamn... you should look at yourself in the mirror" said Shadow with a smile on his face
Just like Marion, she was no longer the plump, happy-go-lucky person that Shadow once knew. She was now dried to the bone, haggard and of course, thin and torn. Plucky helped Marion to her feet. Marion was whispering something to her but it was too soft and they were too far away to make it out. Shadow continued observing their every move, looking for a weak spot for him to sneak through.
"Move it!" yelled the Darken as he whipped the both of them mercilessly
"When I get my hands on that bastard, I'll chop his arms off!" cursed Shadow silently, gripping Germini as tight than ever
The prisoners were led through a large gate on the right side of the hole, probably the gates to the prison cells. The prisoners were shoved and taunted by the Darkens as if they were lower than dirt. Shadow leaned a little more to have a closer look at the prisoners. To his surprise, most of them were mere children, all skinny and extremely fatigued. The suffering could be seen in their sad little eyes as they are being led away through the gate.
"Allright, shut it up!" said one of the Darkens as he walked away
In a clanking of metal chains, the gate started to close.
"Alright, it's now or never!" said Shadow
Staying in the shadows, he leapt over the generator and darted for the gate. Thankfully the Darkens were too worn out from the day's yelling and whipping to even pay attention to what is going on around them. Moving as stealthily as a ninja, Shadow crept past the brain-dead Darkens and slid underneath the gate just in time.
"Huh?" said one of the Darkens as he turned around
The gate had completely closed and there was no one in sight.
"Huh, the job's starting to get to me... oh well" said the Darken bobbing his shoulders and he walked off unknowing at what was lurking in the darkness.
"A member of the Mikado Special Forces... pleaseee" mocked Shadow as he walked further through the gate.
It led him to a lighted split corridor lighted by the torches on the wall. The walls were all covered in blood. The smell of blood filled the corridors accompanied with the screams and moaning of the tortured. It could have scared anyone out of their skins... but not Shadow. Having no idea where he should go, he took a chance and turned left. The blood covered corridor continued on, on the floor were also remains probably of the prisoners. Every step he took him deeper into the prison and every step he took filled his heart with darkness and the thirst for revenge. Suddenly, he came to another split.
"Oh, this is taking forever... what I need is as guide" said Shadow
"Damn, why do we have to stay in this dump anyway"
Shadow turned around slowly and smirked
"Ask and you shall receive"
Three Darkens were walking toward him, talking as they went
"Relax, a couple more of those gem stones and we are so out of here" said the third one
"And besides" said the third one putting his arms around the other two. "I'll miss whipping and the beating the lowlifes, ha ha ha!" laughed the second Darken
"You got that right" said the first one as the two of them of them burst into laughter. But strangely, the third one did not make a sound.
"What's the matter Eu?, my joke not funny?" asked the second one
"No, I mean... do you really have to whip them. I really do feel sorry for them" said the third one
"Whoa, whoa, whoa,whoa!, are you alright Eu?, did I just heard the word 'sorry'?" asked the first one
"Yeah, and besides, that is one of my favorite hobbies. That is the only time I ever have fun" said the second Darken
"Gee, I hate to ruin your fun... but your whipping days are over"
The three Darkens froze, turned around and saw Shadow standing ten feet away from them.
"Who the hell are you?" asked the first Darken
"We haven't seen you around here before, you look like one of them Unknowns" said the second Darken
"Didn't they tell you, I quit" said Shadow
"I... I know him..." said the third Darken shaking in fear
"Oh, do you?" smirked Shadow
"He was the one who canned Mugetsu and PD-4!" cried the Darken, trembling in fear
"Oh, so YOU'RE the one they called Shadow" said the second Darken
"I was told he massacred the Darken scientists on another world" said the first Darken
"You were told correct, and now I'm gonna do the same to you" said Shadow as his smile disappeared from his face
The Darkens growled as they drew their swords and got into their battle pose. Shadow pulled out his prize possessions and got into his battle pose.
"However, I'm willing to make a trade. I'll spare your pathetic lives if you are willing to show me the way to the cells" said Shadow
"Save your generosity for someone who needs it" said the first Darken
"Come on, we can take him!" said the second one
"Er, I don't know guys... I heard he was..." said the third one
"Are you in this or not?!" asked the first one
The third Darken kept silent and got back to his battle pose
"CHARGE!!!!" cried the first Darken as the three of them charged at Shadow
"Well I tried" sighed Shadow as he charged even quicker then the oncoming battalion.
The Darken cried their war cries and swung the swords in the air as they charge onwards. Shadow moved so fast, he was beginning to fade away. When it seemed like they were about to crash, Shadow jumped and spun like a drill through the Darkens. He move so fast, the Darkens had barely time to react. Time seemed to have slowed down; he was still in the middle of the spin when he slashed the first Darken in the neck and stabbed the other through the heart. He then sent the third Darken crashing into the wall with a hard kick, somersaulted and landed on his feet, holding Germini out as a finishing pose.
"Nooo..."
"This...can't...be..."
The two of them turned to dust and blew away in the wind. Shadow smirked as if that was his best move yet. The third Darken, down on the floor, was amazed at what Shadow just did as he struggled to pick him self up. In a blink of an eye, Shadow spun around and pointed the Germini at the Darken's neck.
"Please, don't kill me. I'll do anything you say" said the Darken, dropping his sword and placing his hands on his head
"I heard what you said just now and it pleased me. There are not many Darkens like you" said Shadow
"Yeah, I don't like torturing living creatures. I wish I could turn over a new leaf and start over... a new life" said the Darken
"You can" said Shadow
"How?"
"You can start by leading me to the cells, help me and I'll help you" said Shadow
"Fine, but could you please..." said the Darken
"Only if you promise not to try anything" said Shadow
The Darken nodded. Shadow put his Keyblades away and turned to the Darken.
"Okay, now lead the way" said Shadow
"Right passage, follow me" said the Darken, walking ahead with Shadow following behind
"So, you got a name?" asked Shadow
"My superiors call me F7095, but my friends call me Eugene"
"Eugene, that's a funny name for a Darken" said Shadow
"You think so, everyone says that"
"Is it gonna be far?" asked Shadow
"About ten minutes, that's if we don't run into anyone" said Eugene
The both of them traveled deeper into the horrific corridors. Shadow had his fingers crossed, hoping that he is not too late to save his friends.


BUMP!
"Owww, careful will ya?!" yelled Jomba as the wagon bumped over a large rock.
"How long have we been moving?" asked Nani
"I don't know, I can't see my watch" said David
"Best guess?" asked Donald
"I'd say about an hour" said Goofy
"At the rate we're moving, it'll take us forever to get... wherever they're taking us" said Jomba
"Looks like rain's coming" said Pleakly, looking at the sky
The clouds were getting darker and so was the land. The winds were blowing a lot harder now; trees were slowly being uprooted and the houses were slowly being torn apart. It has begun...
"I hope everyone else is doing a lot better than us" sighed Pleakly
"Speaking of everyone... where is everybody?" asked David
"Yeah, it's weird why didn't we heard anyone screaming or running out of their houses for help?" asked Nani
"Because those bastards got to them a whole lot earlier" said Cid, snapping out of his daydream
"What's that suppose to mean?" asked Donald
"Why was I so stupid?!, they were using Nani's house as bait to capture Sora and the Keyblade, probably even us!" said Cid
"Well, if you would just take few minutes to think, we wouldn't be in this jam, would we?!" said Donald raising his voice
"We walked right into a trap" sighed Goofy
"Damn!" cursed David
"Good thing Sora wasn't there. If those bastards got their filthy hands on the Keyblade, God knows what would happen" said Cid
"Say, I've been wondering... where is Sora anyway?" asked Jomba
"I've been thinking the same thing" said Pleakly
"Well I know Sora isn't the kind of guy to go running off without an excuse, so what actually happened?" asked Goofy
"Em, my fault, I told him about a Keyhole at the top of the mountain and jumped out the back door and ran like the wind" said David
Suddenly, something struck Cid like a lightning bolt.
"Did you say Sora ran up to the mountain top?" asked Cid
"If I'm not mistaken" said David
A smile shot across Cid's face.
"Well, there may be hope afterall" said Cid
"Excuse me?" asked Donald
"It's way too long any this trip won't be long enough to explain everything, see if any of you can squeeze yourself out of these ropes" said Cid
"Did you think that we haven't tried?" said Donald
"I need someone to get to Sora" said Cid
"I'll go" said Pleakly
"And how are you suppose to do..." said Jomba turning over to Pleakly
Pleakly was loose, it was impossible but there he was, free as a bird.
"Pleakly, how...?" asked David
"Well that's one of the advantages for having no bone structure" said Pleakly
"But how the hell are we suppose to get him off the wagon unseen?" asked Nani
"Simple, jump" said Cid
"Jump... where?" asked Nani
"There" said Cid
All of them scooted over and saw a tall cliff on the right side of the wagon. It was so steep that you could barely see the bottom... is Cid out of his mind?
"Are you crazy?, I want to save all of our lives but not losing mine in the process!" said Pleakly
"You know all those flying lessons you took from me?" asked Cid
"Yeah?" said Pleakly
"Now here's your test" said Cid as he kicked Pleakly off the wagon and over the cliff
"YEAHHUHUHUHUIEEEEEE!!!!!!"
"Well call me Goofy, he went to the same school as I did" said Goofy
"Ah phooey!" said Donald
"FIND SORA!, FIND HIM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!!" yelled Cid after Pleakly
By the time the Heartless noticed their prisoner fell over the cliff, they were too late... Pleakly was nowhere in sight.
"Godspeed" smiled Cid
The Heartless could only hiss at each other and keep on moving. Nobody knows if Pleakly survived that... but it doesn't hurt to hope, does it?



The dark corridors seemed to go on and on. The dimly torches flickered in the dark, casting the shadows of Eugene and Shadow on the bloody walls. Shadow was deep in his thought as he plots out his escape plan while Eugene was bursting for some conversation with this great warrior.
"So, is it true what they say about you?" asked Eugene
"Huh?, beg your pardon?" asked Shadow
"You know, those stories the new guys from Mikado told us. Did you actually canned Mugetsu so bad he was put in intensive care?" asked Eugene
"I hurt him that bad?" smirked Shadow
"I heard they had to sew him back part by part" said Eugene
"Now that was a load of crap" laughed Shadow
Eugene laughed along but then he had one more question to ask
"Shadow, can I ask you something personal?"
"Shoot"
"Why did you rise up against the Council?"
Shadow was taken back by the question. He thought for some time and then answered
"It's rather complicated, maybe I just can't stand what they were doing" said Shadow
"What were they doing?"
"Corrupting good souls with power, preying on their greed and obsession. Turning them into mindless killing machines who would do anything for power... just like me" said Shadow
"So that's the reason, huh?"
"I made a vow this will never happen again, not to me... nor anyone else!" said Shadow curling his hands into a fist
"We're here, shhh!" said Eugene
They kept themselves low and out of sight. Sounds of crying children and the moaning of the injured seemed to be coming from behind a large wooden door with a large and strange keyhole. Eugene crept toward the door and tried to open it.
"Damn!, locked!"
"Allow me" said Shadow as he pulled Germini and aimed it at the keyhole. He then shot blue light into it and an unlocking sound soon followed.
"Piece of cake" smirked Shadow
"I don't believe it, that thing you were holding is actually the... Keyblade?" asked Eugene
"Believe it!, now let's go save some people" said Shadow as he pushed the wooden doors open
Unfortunately, there were two Darkens standing guard on the other side.
"Hey, how did you get in here?!" said one of the Darkens
"Stay, behind me, this'll be quick" said Shadow getting into his battle pose
"Charge!!!" cried the both of them as they pulled out their swords and charged straight at Shadow
Shadow smirked and dashed straight through them, as quickly as a bolt of lightning.
SLASH! SLASH!
"Ugh!"
"ARRRRGH!"
The two Darkens turned to dust and disappeared in the wind. Shadow twirled Germini and kept them.
"What are you staring at?" asked Shadow
Eugene was stunned by the sheer speed of him. He had never seen such a skillful warrior in his entire life.
"How do you...?" asked Eugene
"Get enough sleep, eat right and exercise regularly. Now are you gonna help me of not?" interrupted Shadow
"Of course" said Eugene
"Then grab the keys and follow me" said Shadow
"Okey-Dokey" said Eugene, grabbing the keys from a pile of dust
The two of them hurried toward a small little door at the end of the corridor. Shadow peeked into the metal-grilled hole and saw a nightmare. The prisoners were all in chains, poorly fed and extremely uninhabitable living quarters. If Shadow could cry, he would... but all that came out was anger.
"Open the door!" ordered Shadow
"Okay, but let me warn you. We'll be having more company" said Eugene
"Just do it" said Shadow
Eugene inserted the key into the lock and unlocked the door. With a mighty kick, Shadow kicked open the door and walked inside. The prisoners looked up surprised and smiled weakly.
"Shadow..." they muttered
"Try not to talk, unlock the prisoners and help them up" he ordered
Eugene wasted no time as he unlocked them one by one and helped them to their feet. Shadow pulled out a water canister and gave them a few sips. As he gathered the prisoners in one corner, he noticed a young rabbit wearing Robin's arching hat on the far right of the room, chained by the ankle. Shadow walked toward him and squatted.
"Hey Skippy, remember me?"
Skippy weakly looked up and laughed a weak laugh      
"I knew you would come to save us"
"You've got guts kid. Now lets get you out of these things" said Shadow
He pulled out Germini, with a twirl with hand; he slashed the chains clean off Skippy's ankle. He was helping Skippy to his feet when he heard a cry of pain behind him.
"Owww!, I'm the good guy!" cried Eugene, holding his shin
"Yeah, you wish!" yelled cried another girl rabbit trying to kick him again
"You big meanie!" cried a smaller rabbit holding a rag doll
"What have I told you about manners?, especially kicking people on the shin" said an their mom
"But mom, he's a Darken!" said the girl rabbit
"Shadow, help me!. I'm being attacked by rabbits!"
PANG!
"Owww!, and a chicken!" yelled Eugene, holding his head
"You low life, son of a skank!" cursed Plucky, hitting him with her food plate
"Whoa!, chill out, Plucky. He's a good Darken!" said Shadow running to his aid
"Good?, I can hardly believe that. But it's great to see you again Shadow" said Plucky
"It's great to see you too... I think" said Shadow
The other prisoners let out a silent laugh but some of them were stunned; they have no idea that a Darken would actually switch sides.
"Shadow..."
Shadow turned around and saw Skippy walking slowly toward him.
"What's the matter, Skippy?"
"You've got to help him"
"Help him?, who?" asked Shadow
"Robin... Robin Hood" said Skippy
"Robin!, he's here?!" said Shadow stunned
"He in the room down the hallway... he's dying" said Skippy
"Where's Maid Marion?" asked Shadow
"In the same cell with Robin Hood!" said Plucky
Shadow was engulfed with anger, much more intense this time.
"Everyone, listen up!" said Shadow
Everyone turned to Shadow without question.
"I want all of you to follow Eugene, he'll get you out of here safely. Listen to him and please try not to give him a hard time" said Shadow
Suddenly, he was pulled away to the corner by Plucky.
"Have you gone stark raving mad?, you... trust a Darken!, how long did you know the guy?!" whispered Plucky furiously
"It doesn't matter, anyway we don't have much choice. We are terribly outnumbered and none of you have the strength or the ability to take up arms" said Shadow convincingly
"I know, but a Darken?" asked Plucky frustratingly
"I know. I don't really trust him myself... but I can sense some good in him and that's what you all can depend on" smiled Shadow
Plucky smiled and nodded. Shadow turned to Eugene and said    
"Eugene, get them out of here. I'll catch up" said Shadow, heading for the doorway of the cell but then he felt a thug on his coat. He looked back and saw Skippy...
"Shadow... will I see you again" said Skippy
Shadow placed his hand over Skippy's head and gave it a brush.
"I'll be back... I promise" said Shadow as he rushed out of the cell
Eugene walked forward and takes charge.
"Allright, follow me. Those who are still strong, tend to the sick or the wounded" ordered Eugene
The prisoners got to their feet. The able ones helped the weak or injured and headed for the door. Skippy moved toward the other corner of the cell and ratted on a tortoise shell.
"I still have three more hours, gimme a break will ya?!. My arms are about to drop off!" cried the shell
"Sorry to disturb your beauty sleep, but we're escaping and if you're interested in coming along... we'll be outside" said Skippy
"You're joking right... right?" asked the tortoise, popping out of his shell like a jack-in-a-box
"Shadow came and rescued us" smiled Skippy
"Shadow... here?" asked the tortoise
"Yeah, told you he would come for us. Now he's off to save Robin" said Skippy
"You mean, that everything will be back to normal... our world will be happy once again?" asked the tortoise
Skippy's smile faded away from his face. His memories of the once happy life he had with his family brought tears to his eyes. When the Heartless invaded, everything was taken away from him... everything. Not a dreadful have pass he wished none of this had happened, that it would all be a bad dream that would vanish when the morning came.
"Shadow, please save us... all of us" muttered Skippy


Sora followed Kenji uneasily. The passageway was brightly lighted and decorated with more paintings with ferocious battles. Kenji led the way silently; it was like he'd forgotten that Sora was behind him. The passageway seemed to go on forever. Feeling a bit bored and uneasy with the silence, he started whistling.
"Em, could you not do that. It disturbs me" said Kenji all of a sudden
"Sorry, it's just that I'm so darn bored" said Sora
"Oh trust me, you won't be after we get to the Cloister" said Kenji
"The Cloister?, what the heck is that?" asked Sora
"You'll see" said Sora
"Now where have I heard that one before?" muttered Sora to himself
The passageway came to an end. Soon, Sora found himself in a humongous room. It was a hundred times larger than the room he was in before but it was also dimly lit.
"What is it with you people and dimly lit rooms?" asked Sora
"I don't really like things too bright, nor too dark" said Kenji
Sora glared at Kenji. Kenji cleared his throat and said
"Er, maybe it's a little too dark in here. Allow me to light it up" said Kenji as he snapped his fingers
The room was filled with light. It was amazing; it wasn't a room... but an arena. Sora was filled with awe; the only arena he had ever fought in was the Coliseum. He started thinking about the tournaments he participated and about the little incident he had with Cerberus.
"Like it?, I call it the Cloister of Trials" said Kenji, stepping forward while admiring his own structure
"The Cloister of Trials?, why?" asked Sora, following him
"Because to get the orb, you must complete three challenges. One: get pass the outer obstacles, Two: Prove that you are the Keyblademaster and Three: Defeat me in battle" said Kenji
"So giving me a shower and trying to turn me into a roast and not to mention asking me stupid questions, were trials?" asked Sora with a sarcastic tone in his voice
"So far, two down and one to go. So to stop us wasting any more time..." said Kenji
Kenji moved like lightning as he slashed his right hand at Sora. Sora noticed his attack and summoned his Keyblade. He blocked his attack just as fast but just in the nick of time; the earth-shattering force pushed Sora to the other end of the room leaving screech marks and a dust trail.
"Well done, your attentiveness and lightning-quick reflexes amazes me" said Kenji walking to face Sora
Sora was still gripping his Keyblade, panting heavily. His eyes followed Kenji as he moved; God knows what will he do next.
"You're not a very nice person, you know that" panted Sora
"Well you can't be nice, if you're about to battle" said Kenji across the room
"I bet you don't have a lot of friends" said Sora
Kenji stopped when he was in line with Sora. His face was an irony by itself, it was hard and emotionless but he was smiling wickedly.
"I have seen your weapon, now let me show you mine" smirked Kenji
Sora was still observing his every move, sweat started to form on his forehead. A person who is capable of a sneak attack, is capable of anything.
"Remember what I said about the sword you were holding, about it being one of my greatest works?" said Kenji
Sora nodded, his Keyblade still facing Kenji
"Now let me show you my greatest" said Kenji
He pulled out a beautiful black Samurai sword from his right sleeve.
"So that was what he used to attack me" thought Sora
The shiny sheath was decorated with gold and precious stones. Not very different from the sword Sora admired but good looks was just the appetizer, now for the desert. Kenji pulled out the sword, revealing a gorgeous blade that could put the Keyblade to shame.
"This is the Muramasa, my sharpest not to mention... deadliest work" boasted Kenji, holding his blade upright while admiring it
"Yeah nice, but no sword is going to stand between me and my mission" said Sora, turning his Keyblade into the Oathkeeper
"You are not worthy, prepare to be defeated!" said Kenji, slashing the air and getting into his battle pose
Sora's face filled with anger, his grip tightened on the Keyblade.
"I've got too many promises to keep!. I will not lose, especially to you!" said Sora getting into his battle pose
"Are you ready!" yelled Kenji
"Bring it on!" yelled Sora

(To be continued... )