Re: Kingdom Hearts: Hearts in Unison (Chapter 46 posted)
Oops, last post was still me, so that's another double post here for the next chapter.
Let's now meet Xion...and the first main antagonist in person:
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XLVI. Profiteer of the torment
Darkness, all around in a shapeless abyss in the deepest parts of Sora's heart.
There were no stained glass pillars, no walkways, only a plain, featureless blackness that was not meant to be seen by conscious beings.
Roxas didn't know that all his suffering was also felt by a person that he and everyone else had completely forgotten.
Her sleep disturbed by this already, the cold voice thundering near her location barking out its intentions to hurt him more finally snapped her awake from the sleep she was never supposed to wake up from.
["You're really exceptionally lucky that I can't yet leave the abyss. Otherwise I would immediately take you in my icy grip Roxy, and make you regret every single word that comes out of your defiant little mouth!"]
Blue eyes snapped open as the girl slung her arms around her own form, shivering.
Oh no, where am I? What's happening? I can feel it, something is hurting Roxas...and that horrid voice? Somewhere near here?
Running one hand through her messy raven hair she tried to get up, only to perform a slow somersault in the featureless space surrounding her.
Uh, I probably should first figure out where "here" is at all. There's no floor or ceiling, no right or left...where AM I?
She stubbornly fought down the fear that was growing inside her as it wouldn't help at all to panic now.
Ghh, my mind is swirling around like someone dunked me into a mixer at full speed, but...my own memories are intact. I remember everything. Axel, Roxas, my friends...Sora, the person where I should be now, the one with the hidden power to save us. Xemnas...the enemy! Saix, the jerkass...and I am...Xion, yes, that's right. Xion was the name given to the existence that I originally was...no, that's STILL my name even if I don't truly exist anymore and no one remembers me!
Clutching her right hand to a fist she punched the air sideways once, shortly pulling at her hair with the other to make sure that her consciousness was really awake and not dreaming.
["Not bad, not bad at all Roxy. Despite all the crap my Pillar of torment put you through and looking like a picture of misery you can still think clearly. That's an impressive demonstration of the strong willed existence that was born from this heart and developed to such a high degree in only a mere year!"]
The voice roared again, surprising and frightening the girl as she threw her head around several times to deduce where it came from.
Who or what is that? And why is it attacking and mocking Roxas like this? I have to help him somehow, even if he will never know it.
From where comes that voice?
As she continued to look around, she could finally spot an eerie glowing purple sphere that could serve as an orientation point.
With an odd mix of air-walking and swimming motions she made her way towards the purple sphere, intend on examining it.
There was no real sense of time in this weird dark abyss, so if someone had asked her how long it took her to actually reach the sphere she could have only shrugged her shoulders.
The face directly before the sphere, she could now very lowly hear how Sora's Nobody yelled back at the voice in a defiant, but clearly pain-stricken voice.
Leave "us" alone? Why does he speak in plural? Is there someone with him? Maybe Sora?
Ghh, he sounds so incredibly hurt...
With all her courage gathered Xion finally dived to the sphere, landing in a weird and twisted version of the world known as Destiny Islands.
I have been here, it was here where I collected the seashells for Roxas when he was asleep, but...this version looks so... She gulped disgusted. .
..gross.
The ocean was in a deep blood red colour, the sand of the beach looking more like ash and the palm trees had completely white trunks while their leaves were ink-black.
The wooden structures built across the island looked as if they were scorched and weird, black spikes adorned with what looked like purple veins were sprouting in several places.
Xion looked around more and every impression she took in made her feel worse. The "sky" was actually pitch black as well with creepy purple 'clouds' while on the small island connected to the main one by the broad wooden bridge an unsettling, frightening creature stood.
It was humanoid in stature, yet pitch black, seemed to have several big, moving shadows attached to it and was surrounded by a creepy, dark red aura.
Outstretching its right hand, the creature was apparently shooting out a continous broad dark red energy beam surrounded with black lightning from its palm. The beam was travelling several metres over the ocean before it disappeared into something that looked like a dark portal.
["Ehehehe, you don't even know yet how wrong you are, Roxy. You belong entirely to me, and once I have you, I will never let you escape again!"]
The creature was shaking with mean laughter as these words came straight from it.
They were so loud Xion had to cover her ears as she cautiously tried to get nearer to the small island in order to get a better view at the black thing, ignoring her own growing fear.
This...this horrible thing is after Roxas...I have to somehow try to stop it!
Sincerely hoping the door wouldn't creak the girl tiptoed over to the seaside shack. To her luck, the wooden door wasn't even there as the "shack" looked more like a scorched ruin in this weird place.
As she finally crossed the stairs and stood at the beginning of the wooden bridge, a sharp change of the sorrounding atmosphere occrurred as an icy aura was suddenly feelable.
Xion suppressed a frightened scream as the voice of the creature came again thundering to her ears.
["Oopsy, sorry Roxy, can't continue our very entertaining exchange right now, as there's apparently a new guest I have to attend to!"]
Ah..he noticed me?
["Hmm? I think the attack has way enough power now. Lucky that Roxy was so nice to step into the beam, he surely loaded it up with more tasty energy, so I have now all hands free for you, newcomer!"]
The creature ceased to fire the beam and lowered its hand, the last part of the attack fying through the dark portal before it immediately vanished.
["So, tell me, other dweller of the dark abyss, who are you?"]
Thoughts rushed through her head in rapid succession. Should she try to talk with the creature? Try to argue? Just skip any formalities and attack? After all, this
thing was out to hurt one of her best friends on purpose.
Yet, Xion also felt the unsettling aura of this thing which added to her fear. She did neither know which powers this creature has nor who or
what it was, so outright attacking it might be a bad idea.
["Ehehehe, too scared to answer, little lost existence?"]
"Huh? How do you...???" Xion was surprised at her own words suddenly blurting out of her mouth.
["It's so damn funny how many additional existences this heart spawned, existences that have their own wills, own consciousnesses, own memories and own thoughts...and yet, they can't really exist it seems. What a wonderful pool of intense suffering and torment to leech on. And then there's...that delicious wounded heart in here providing even more tasty stuff..."]
There was an unsettling noise heard as if the creature was licking its lips with relish.
"Wh...What the hell are you talking about? Monster, what a...are you?" The trembling of the girl's figure increased.
["Yeah, that's right, how could I forget that you, the additional leftover garbage is also still "there" in some form. That's of course the main reason you are here in the dark abyss and can't at least wander the depths of this heart. Memories are immortal, yes, but those that are forgotten fall into darkness, are covered by it. As I am the core of this darkness however, I can see who and what you are, Xion. Wasn't that the name you were given?"]
The girl winced shortly at the "leftover garbage" before her eyes widened even more when the creature spoke about its role and called her name without her ever saying it.
"Core of the darkness? This is Sora's heart, what have you done to him? Who are you?"
["Ehehehe, good, good, your torment also tastes quite enjoyable. But damn, are you really still so oblivious? When you know whose heart this is you also know me, stupid girl."]
The creature now turned around facing Xion as she screamed in terror and nearly fell down the stairs behind her.
It was Sora, or rather, a totally demonized version of him. The body itself looked exactly like Sora, only with pitch-black skin while clothes and shoes were also in shades of black and dark midnight blue.
The straps and laces on the outfit, as well as zippers and the crown-necklace were the only elements colored in something that looked like dull silver.
On the left sleeve the outfit had something that looked like a winged black demon silhouette with white edges while the creature's eyes were glowing yellow balls without pupils, like the one's of a Heartless.
As their gazes met each other, the demonic Sora gave Xion an eerie, wide smile which freaked her out even more.
Instead of normal human teeth, his mouth was lined with sharp, nearly triangular ones and four fearsome fang-like canines.
Additionally, the shadows that seemed "attached" to it were spread out widely and Xion finally realized that they actually were wings.
They were large, black demonic bat-wings with a dark red inner membrane reminiscent of the aura the whole creature was surrounded with, their tops sporting one dangerous looking red talon each.
Struggling to regain her balance and force down the lingering urge to panic, Xion inhaled deeply and shortly closed her eyes before she forced herself to look the winged demon right into the eyes.
"No! Liar! You cannot be Sora! Sora would never willingly and deliberately hurt the people so closely connected to him like you showed to do, even feeding on and relishing in our suffering!"
The demon threw his head back laughing.
["Bwahaha, what are you talking, stupid forgotten puppet? How do you know anything about Sora? About me? You never truly met or saw him. "]
"Wrong! I may not have ever met Sora personally, but I did see memories, how his personality is like and how much he cares for people close to him, even if he doesn't consciously know them!!!"
Xion retorted in a defiant tone.
"I don't know what sort of abomination you are, but it is strikingly clear that you're our enemy who only increases all the pain!"
The demon made a snarling sound, the yellow eyes flashing for a moment.
"And the wounded additional heart in here is even more proof, why would Sora allow it in if not to help it? You are nothing but a monstrous "thing" that uses Sora's appearance!"
["Hah, spare me your delusions. I am the Key that connects everything, and I will use those connections to all of you, ehehe, to crush the enemy beneath my heels. To do that however, I need vast amounts of power, and the injured heart, who is Venny, as well as Roxy, you and all the others will deliver me the sort of power I need!"]
The demonic Sora spread his arms out in an inviting manner, flapping his wings once and licking his lips again which showed that his tongue was almost blood-red.
Xion backed away slightly more at the imposing gesture, now also realizing that he had not normal fingertips, but dangerous looking claws.
"Just what are you for an immoral bastard? You increase our pain in order to force us to empower you? For what? Which "enemy"?" She shrieked accusingly at the demon, still staunchly refusing to believe this could be really Sora.
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Just going to leave that here without any comments to let it sink in. ;P
