Re: La Compilation des Histoires de Reino Corazones
(edit: wouldn't let me post a part)
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Lord Dizu?" A voice spoke out from behind.
"And just who are you if I may ask?"
"I am Miss Arlene, one of the royal handmaidens that once served your deceased brother Ansem prior."
"And what do you have to report to me that was so important that you had to come to my private chambers?"
"Milord, there is something of great concern that the Apprentices must inform you of."
"Don't ever mention the name of that Judas again in my presence!" Dizu. "Is it not already enough that I have to live in this damn castle of his?"
"Why then are we even here in this dump?"
Dizu rolled his eyes at hearing the idiotic question posed by the royal handmaiden Arlene. "It is my responsibility as the only living male member of the House of Kenja to rule the city of the Radiant Garden as its benevolent sovereign. This city has grown too large for the Restoration Committee led by Squall Leonhart to manage on his own. The Heartless and the Nobodies that had plagued us for the past several decades are finally defeated and sealed to their respective native realms." Those problems were thankfully resolved by aid from the two Keyblade wielders of darkness and light King Mickey Mouse and Sora Irino, as well as Miyano Riku. "Let's go and see what the Apprentices have to report to me."
---
Out of all the places that they had to move, the old hunter Amos Slade had been forced off his old hunting grounds near the Great Maw out to the arid, desolate woodlands beyond the city of the Radiant Garden. The old hunter had been forcibly persuaded by intelligence agents better known as the Assassins in the service of the powerful economic conglomerate Kenja Tech Industries to sell off his land to them in the purpose that it would hopefully have oil within. Of course he was given compensation in the amount of ten thousand munny and new lands in the Borderlands at the verge of the world's edge, although these lands were not exactly populated with the wild Chocobos that he was accustomed to hunting back in the old Great Maw. To tell you the truth, Slade did not like the vibe being given off by the land especially since he heard many rumors by the Garden locals when he goes selling off the Chocobo meat in the Market of rumors that wild, mythological creatures such as the Bahamut laid dormant there.
It was not that Slade was actually frightened of venturing out to the Borderlands. He had been exploring unknown and distant lands for the past several decades of his life as a hunter. This was the way he made a living. It had only been not more than a month since he moved here and assured himself that he get accustomed to the terrain.
Now out of all things, Slade had to deal with the fact that the young hound puppy that he owned, named Copper, had gone off to the woods chasing after a wild Moogle out of all creatures. The old hunter muttered a profanity under his breath and returned back to the porch of his cabin within a few minutes to sit on the steps. He assumed that the puppy, despite being slightly dim-witted for one of his breed, would be smart enough to know that he wouldn't last too long in those savage woods especially since it was twelve o'clock at night, the time that the Lord of the Sky and King of the Bahamuts, the Ziz would appear.
"Copper?" Slade asked looking around the grasslands; his hands continued to hold a tight grip to his hunting rifle. The old hunter turned around after hearing a loud rustling sound from the grass behind him yet there was nothing there hiding. It only turned out to be just his mind playing tricks on him and Slade laughed nervously. "Place is giving' me the firkin' creeps. If it weren't for the two thousand munny that I paid for that mangy mutt from the pound, I would've stayed here." Plus he didn't want to admit that despite the puppy often giving him trouble back at his old property, he did love him...almost to the point of treating like the son he never had. Ever since his old dog Chief had passed away several months ago, he began treating Copper with more respect and brought it outside the doghouse to take part in some hunting.
"Where did that dog run to?" Slade did not even notice the shadow rose from its hiding spot in the grass. It loomed over him glaring at the old hunter with its scarlet eyes at first. The enigmatic knight in armor stumbled towards the hunter breathing in and out. He took out an enormous key-like weapon and raised it high up in the air above the hunter's head. "Mother of...” He saw the armored warrior in front of him and quickly aimed for the head. Slade fired a musket ball at him and there was a loud explosion pushing back the hunter.
The smoke soon dissipated within a matter of milliseconds and the enigmatic knight's armor, aside from the circular hole in the helmet's eye visor, remained undamaged. Slade was frightened as he gazed into the blood-shot eye of the warrior. He had never seen someone whose eyes glowed yellow before, not since his old world had been destroyed.
The knight roared in anger and jumped up in the air raising his weapon up high ready to strike him down. In a desperate move, Slade aimed his musket at the knight and fired a loud round which exploded as soon as it made contact. It did not faze the knight at all and he slammed the blade of his sword onto the old hunter's head immediately killing him.
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"Then our suspicions have come true."
"It is confirmed beyond a reasonable doubt that what the construction workers had uncovered at the remnants of the World Devastator super weapon that is your brother's former Head Apprentice Xehanort." Even brushed the small goatee he had with his tender fingers and soon added in, "Although what it most perplexing to me is that young Terra has not changed at all in the past thirty years. He looks like the same twenty year old Keyblade Apprentice that arrived with his companions Ventus and Aqua to meet your brother in his castle."
"This is definitely an interesting find nevertheless." Lord Dizu said as he continued peering into the small computer screen watching this reincarnated Apprentice...rather the lingering remnants of what still exist of him kill the workers one by one in ways so gruesome that not even the former members of Organization XIII, beings who could not feel mercy or compassion due to their lack of hearts, would not even do. This 'lingering sentiment' was much like the Nobodies and Heartless. Yet at the same time so very much different, "It should be noted that the lingering remnants of Terra managed to maintain his wielding of the Keyblade despite him being almost nothing."
"Ienzo has that already covered, milord. Isn't that right?"
"It's been recorded for further study in the future, Even."
"Miss Arlene!" Lord Dizu barked.
No response from the royal handmaiden.
"Arlene!" shouted Dizu again, although louder this time.
"Did you call, milord? I assumed you needed me and my services by the constant yelling of my name."
"I had it up to here with you, woman!"
"I'm afraid I don't get what you mean, milord."
Dizu facepalmed, "Never mind. Just put the order out to SOLDIER Command at Shibuya to apphrend Terra and terminate the existence of any survivors in the construction site."
"Before you begin sending out any commands to SOLDIER operatives on the ground, may I offer a suggestion?"
"What may that be?"
"I believe it is time that we test the capabilities of an experiment that I had been working on ever since from the beginning when we returned to this putrid castle. I was quite impressed with myself with the results that had been given so far in the past...”
"I want no experiments, Sir Even...at least not now," said Dizu.
"But sir, surely you must consider implementing the use of my..."
---
You have no authorization to enter the city perimeters." Sephiroth Crescent, commander of the local SOLDIER regiment stationed in this part of the city. "His Majesty Lord Kenja Dizu, by royal mandate, has placed the Radiant Garden under strict quarantine and lockdown due to threats from terrorist organization. Continue to advance any further and following accordance with the Code of Thirteen Kings, I am allowed free reign to execute you how I...." The silver haired wielder of the Masamume was immediately struck in the chest and coughed huge amounts of blood out of his mouth, "It can't be..."
"Who do you take me for, you moronic fool?" The enigmatic knight responded as he began drilling the Keyblade inside Sephiroth's body, destroying what internal organs were within as he continues dredging the sword into him. "Don't think for a second I'm like that playboy Zack Fair just judging on our identical appearances. What are your last words?"
"Wrong answer, fool."
-----
The knight upon observing Riku appear expressed a grin of satisfaction, "You have arrived, Miyano Riku."
"Who or what are you?" asked Riku.
The enigmatic knight in armor turned his body around to face” When others asked that question, I would usually answer that my name is no importance to them considering that I would kill them anyways." He responded nonchantly as he advanced towards his silver haired opponent summoning his Keyblade. "But in your special case of being the legendary Hero of Darkness, I will gladly share you my identity. I am what's left of the past, the remnants of a person from the age of the Keyblade Apprentices of old which still lingers on to this day on emotions only. Or perhaps I am all that there ever was of Terra to begin with; it's all complicated matter to me."
"Why are you here in our world?"
"I've come to test you, Miyano Riku, in your battle skills as it is mandated in my programming by new Master."
"Who is your master? Why are you killing all these people?"
"That is none of your concern, whelp. As for those inferior beings I put out of their misery, they were in my way of reaching you Riku." The enigmatic knight Terra raised his arm and grinned, "Now enough speaking, take up your Keyblade and fight!"
Riku rose out his arm in front of Terra and whispered the command. "Blizzarga!"
"You will not keep me trapped here, boy." Terra broke free out of his icy prison causing millions of sharp crystals to disperse all over the streets. "Now you shall meet your fate!" The armored knight threw his arms to slam Riku's shoulders hoping to dislocate them.
"Is that all you got?" Riku dodged the kick and delivered an attack of his own through a kick right into his foe's stomach. "Take that!" Terra yelled out a loud, screeching roar that could be heard throughout the war-torn city of the Radiant Garden by everyone. It was an obvious sign that the attack took its toll on him especially when the monstrosity spat purple liquid out of his mouth onto the ground.
Holding Riku by his arms, the armored knight Terra chuckled sinisterly and his eyes glowed an especially bright yellow. "Is that all that the hero of the darkness can offer to me? I expected you to have grown stronger in these thirty years, Riku." "I'll demonstrate my power with this."
"You were weak when I found you and rescued you from suffering the fate of oblivion by the Unbirths those many years."
"That was then, this is now!" Riku pulled Way to Dawn from the ground towards his hand just in the knick of time to block a powerful blow from Terra's Keyblade and repelled the warrior. "Shut up and fight!" The silver haired Keyblade wielder went back up on his feet and smiled as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "Is that all what you got, Terra? I thought that the Keyblade Apprentices were so powerful."
"It seems that I've trained you well Riku, perhaps a bit too well."
"Training me had nothing to do with it, Terra. I grew stronger because of my own heart growing in strength."
"I see now that you've been corrupted by Irino Sora," said Terra. "Now I won't regret terminating your existence." Black and white thorns began to swirl around the knight's hands, "Surely you remember of this unique power Riku, look deep down in that heart of yours for that cruel memory that these thorns of nothingness remind you of. That of which caused most distress in your heart and made you almost helpless to stop."
"Your faith in darkness and nothingness will cause your downfall."
Terra chuckled, "Oh really now? Then you'll be more than a match for this." Black and white thorns burst out of his glowing hands which aimed for Riku's chest, in the hope of extracting the Keyblade wielder's heart out of his body.
"Like I don't already know how to stop that attack. I shall call on what darkness is still left of me." Riku rose out his hands and a purplish ball of dark energy formed. "Darkness within me, destroy the nothingness within my foe's attack and protect me as you have before!" He shouted as he threw his counterattack at the thorns. The two attacks met and caused a loud, screeching boom that was heard throughout the city.
"I see that I had underestimated your strength. Quite impressive...for a boy."
"I'm no boy any longer!" Riku shouted as he ran towards Terra and punched him in the face sending him flying several dozen meters to the ground. "Now that he's out cold for now, I can make him fight me out in the wastelands outside the city so there's a lesser chance of someone being killed."
---
Meanwhile back at Restoration Committee HQ, Kelsie ran up the stairs to the helicopter pad on the top floor. She did not care whether her so-called friends in the Restoration Committee were going to help her or not. She needed to help her husband and prevent him. Seeing who appeared to be a SOLDIER First Class operative along with several other lower-ranking troopers armed with guns, she cringed and bit her lip nervously. What if these troopers had been sent by His Highness to stop her from saving her husband from being killed by the psychotic Unbirth? She knew that Lord Dizu didn't take too kindly to Riku after what had happened with the death of his son Rulod and the destruction of the KenjaTech complex in East High during the time they had been trapped within the virtual reality game universe False bound Kingdom of Memories.
"If you think you're going to stop me from saving Riku, you have another thing coming!"
"Then you have nothing to worry about, miss Miyano." The spiky haired SOLDIER First Class chuckled to himself, "We would be doing what you are accusing of if Lord Dizu had ordered us but he didn't. We are following our immediate superior's orders, whom you know as Squall Leonhart, to escort you and help you find your husband."
"And why should I believe what you say?" Kelsie hissed angrily. "How do I know that you're lying to me and planning on throwing me in prison when you have the chance?"
"Because I'll be nearby watching them, Kelsie."
She turned around and saw that it was Cloud Strife.
-----
In the meanwhile, Riku continued his fight with Terra.
"You lack the ferocity that Aqua, Ventus and the others had when they fought. Someone like you doesn't deserve to be my successor."
"Shut the fuck up!" yelled Riku angrily. "The Keyblade chose me, not you!"
"I sense so much hatred and anger in your heart, my dear opponent." He cackled sinisterly as he presses his Keyblade against Riku's Way to Dawn. His silver haired opponent lay on his back on the floor trying to bear the blunt of his opponent's brutish attacks with what strength that wasn't being drained away by Terra. Every minute of fighting passed and Riku could feel his life force being sucked out of his soul weakening him making it difficult to continue blocking him. Terra sensed Riku's distress by probing into his heart and laughed once more, "You all this power locked within your heart. Unlock that power within and show me your true potential, Miyano Riku!"
"Do you think I am that stupid to use my darkness at its full potential!" He power-kicked Terra in the crotch throwing several feet in the air only several moments later to crash to the ground with a loud thud. Riku jumped back on his feet grabbing the Way to Dawn and began advancing slowly towards the knight, "I will never take that path ever again! And now you will die!"
"So be it," Terra grabbed his Keyblade with his two hands and aimed right for Riku. "May the everlasting light send you twirling towards the path of oblivion!" screamed the knight as a small, glowing beam of radiant light shot out of the edge of the sword. "He's finished."
"Not so fast!!" Riku grabbed his Keyblade with his two hands as well and muttered something in an unknown tongue. A purple beam of pure of darkness shot out of the blade of Riku's weapon.
An explosion was soon heard
"Damn it."
---
Miyano Riku was one of the most powerful warriors in the universe with his strength on par with that of his contemporaries such as His Majesty King Mickey Mouse, Roxas, Sephiroth Crescent, and countless others. He was the Hero of Darkness and the Wielder of the Twilight Realm. As confident and cocky as the silver haired warrior often was, he knew he could not go up against the firepower of the SOLDIER Army with nothing but his dark magic and hope to come out of it alive, the Way to Dawn laid there on the ground shattered to pieces by Terra. The only thing that Miyano Riku could hope for now was that Kelsie, his family and the people of the Radiant Garden could finally live in peace.
"It's my time to leave this realm, I guess."
Not looking back at Terra's dead corpse, Riku attempted to get up and stepped out of his hiding spot behind the rocks. He started walking towards the SOLDIERs and mecha tanks taking positions on the various outcroppings of rocks. As one of the enemy soldiers noticed him, raising his gun blade in preparation, the others quickly followed him. Three helicopters, actually captured Imperial Gunships from the invasion that were repainted with the KTi logo, circled the area for support and were ready to shoot him down with its missiles.
"Heh, I can't say that I'm surprised of you, Dizu." Riku chuckled and shook his head watching as the enemy soldiers and tanks begin their advance towards him. "You all waited for me to use up all my strength pinning down Terra in the hope of killing me when I was weak, even after I saved your city from being destroyed. Do you think that it's worth killing yourselves to fight someone as strong as me?"
Riku eyed the bloodied weapon that lay on the ground that had once belonged to his predecessor, Terra. "It's my only option," At their silence, he grabbed the Keyblade. "I'll take that as a yes."
Placing Terra's Keyblade in front of him and kneeling, Riku took a moment to attempt to draw what strength he had left from within and what he learned from the countless people he met throughout the years such as his wife Kelsie to his nemesis Xehanort. He had the feeling that it wouldn't be likely that his message would be heard by any of the Gods of Mount Olympus nor the Goddess of Kingdom Hearts Minerva. Yet there was a hope that a former rival turned Hellenic deity could hear his plea and help him.
"Your prayer shall be heard, old friend."
One of the KTi airborne vehicles suddenly exploded into flames from the corner of his eyes and heard its deafening roar as it crashed down onto the soldiers' positions in the left outcrop.
He couldn’t help but wonder if there really was someone up there who was watching over him at that moment.
"I'll take that as a sign," Riku readies himself into his defense stance, "No. I won't give up hope in myself, not now. I already made it out alive this far into the game and am not willing to let myself die now." In his empty left hand, a bright light glowed and dissipated forming what had been the Keyblade that an old friend had wielded months prior towards his own fated downfall, the Suffering Angel's Redemption. "Now come and get me!!" He charged towards the SOLDIER Army, releasing a war cry, with both Keyblades at hand. His opponents were shocked seeing the bravery in the heart of the silver haired warrior and tried to react. They had not expected Miyano Riku, his options so limited at this point and weakened to the very verge of death, to charge head on towards them.
It would be KenjaTech Industries' greatest mistake as well as Riku's finest hour.
---
The dark clouds gloomed overhead in the arid desert wastelands outside the city of the Radiant Garden. They threatened to break loose with another deluge of rain as it had just several minutes ago. The rain kept falling and stopping in odd patterns in the hour prior to now or so as a jet black Restoration Committee division KTi gunship passed over the barren landscape. A SOLDIER operative was piloting the gunship from inside with Kelsie sitting behind him in the passenger seat.
"Kurenai, have you or the others found Riku yet?"
"Sorry miss Miyano, but neither Shizune nor Ale have not found any trace of your husband Riku in the region as well." The spiky haired SOLDIER answered and looked down the window of the chopper. "But I am seeing right now a large KenjaTech Army heading back to the city from the north. It's likely that they reached Riku first."
"Oh."
"Don't you worry mam! I've heard a lot about Miyano Riku and I doubt that nothing, even from KenjaTech's advanced military, could kill the legendary Hero of Darkness," Kurenai assured him trying to attempt a grin in a moment obviously filled with angst. "I'll see what I can find if he's still around by heading up north."
"Riku, I hope you're still alive. I always had that dream from that time we were in that other universe that you were going to be killed by those clones when Order 66 was initiated and it's scaring me that I'm having these dreams again after so long." Kelsie sighed to herself, "I'm just glad that my connections to our friends in the Restoration Committee still paid off in getting me a vehicle piloted by a SOLDIER escort."
The KenjaTech airborne vehicle continued venturing out into the lands beyond the Great Maw only for more barren land to be passed over. There were no footprints hinting any evidence as of yet that anyone had passed through the arid wasteland. Kurenai checked the coordinates again and thought out loudly, "We should be there by now but..." He looked over a dark, silver haired figure lying there on top of a cliff right now. "What the friggin' hell? Kelsie, you might want to check this out."
"Alright." The blood that ran through her veins suddenly ran cold as she recognized the image on the monitor, "Riku!"
The closer Kelsie got to Riku's body, the more her hopes were shattered and the probability of Riku surviving the bloody onslaught against SOLDIER's finest alive and in one piece lessened. She could see more blood-stained black feathers and pools of blood with every step the middle-aged brunette woman took. Her face became paler by the moment. The only thing from grabbing one of the blaster rifles or swords from the dead SOLDIERs lying around on the ground and killing herself was the possibility of being a single mother trying to raise five children in the slums. "Please don't be dead! Please don't be dead, you just can't be dead and leave me alone!"
"Hmm..? Where am I?"
"Riku!!" Kelsie brushed off some of Riku's hair and saw the very same aquamarine eyes that she feel in love with when she first laid her eyes upon him,” I’m...just glad that you're still alive. Friends are here to come and help you get better...”
"Is everyone..?"
"You did it, Riku...you defeated him. You're safe at last." The brunette woman added. "All of us in the town are safe from that knight...Terra I believe his name was."
"Good to know, Kelsie." Riku attempted to express a smile but he continued to groan in pain. "That's all that matters for me. I'm sorry...but this is....it for me, “Only a few seconds had passed after those final words from him were uttered when Riku's eyes finally closed and he no longer drew out a breath. The silver haired man who once was the Hero of Darkness, considered invincible by the masses of his supporters, was now finally dead.
"Holy shit, they friggin' got him," commented Kurenai, "motherfucking cunts."
"Looks like our mission here has ended in failure," Cloud took out his cell phone from his pants pocket and placed it against his ear. "This is Commander Strife reporting, roger. Leon, I have bad news to report to you regarding on our mission. We tried to get there on time but it looks like Lord Dizu and his Army had reached him first. Alright then, I'll make sure that we immediately get back before they arrive. Good-bye then."
Her hand felt no signs of life in him. She took in a shaky breath and shook her head. “Riku, you said you could handle the army. I know you could take on any opponent without flinching if you really wanted to, so why did you let this happen to yourself? You’re stronger than that for Christ's sake!” She began angrily shaking the lifeless corpse, screaming Russian profanities at him. "Answer me, damn it!" Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Kelsie immediately looked to see Cloud and hissed angrily, "What do you want?"
"Kelsie, I know that it's very tough for someone like you to handle but trust me, I felt the same pain you're feeling long ago as well. But I realized that crying wouldn't do much good for me in the end." "Riku is in a better place now where he'll never be hurt again and I know by looking at his face. You should too and tell me what you see."
Kelsie looked at Riku's face, he was smiling. Riku was always so happy, especially after he and Kelsie had their first children, fraternal twins Oleysa and Ziz. She wasn’t really surprised that he had smiled as he died as well. He had accomplished what he set out to do. He promised Ziz to protect Kelsie and her family as well as countless others that at the moment weren't worth mentioning.
"He is smiling."
"Exactly. Now we should go now and let him rest, he is Ziz's hands now."
Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Yet this time, the only thing stopping her from crying knew that Riku, his life from the day he was born was a daily struggle of survival, could now rest in eternal sleep.
"Please protect Riku, I'm counting on you," were Kelsie's words of prayer to Ziz asking for protection of Riku's soul from corruption while in the Plains of Elysium. Now her worries were what to say to her children now that she was a single mother and that they were on their own. Although the worries of Riku's soul going into the hands of someone like Hades ended, she could feel a familiar, comforting presence accompanying her; it was as if a spirit was protecting her.
---
"I will protect you like I did long ago when I aided you defeat the Emperor."
-----
"If they ordered out us of everyone in SOLDIER, this means that this mission is of the utmost importance."
"We have orders from the Apprentice Sir Even to retrieve the body while it is still fresh from battle."
"And for what use does a corpse of a dead Keyblade Master have to that old man?"
"I am not completely sure, my friend. But I can say that it has something to do with him trying to replicate a Keyblade Master."
"Is that so? But the million-dollar question is whether this replica of Riku that Sir Even is trying to complete will be loyal to our company."
"The choice is not his to make, dazoto. Now be quiet and take the body before the news reporters arrive here and make a big scene."
One of the unknown men in white cloaks drags Riku's lifeless corpse back into the helicopter and the two fly off to the distance.
I'll leave it to Ziz to explain who this Ziz is.
Spoiler