KH The Dark Lord 24

The group, after of travel the skies, and have some problems with the direction given by Dan's armor affecting the Compass at times, problem solved with Eve's help in the Gummi Ship and the radar, reached at last a large fortress that seemed a floating mountain with lava getting out by some holes in it. They landed in the port prepared for flying ships and moved near the fortress.

"Okay, here at last." Said Kairi, looking at the large fortress. "Zarok's lair."

"Ooooh… scary." Said Edea sarcastically.

"The only thing scary about this place is the idea that his ugly face is here," Will added.

"You know… I would like to make it simple. A Nuclear Missile and then be over with it" told Kuran "But since we lack it, we have to go in. Perhaps I can throw some weapons at his head to end it quickly."

"How you could say that? Surely we should fight with every goon he had in hand until he decides to fight himself, surely turning into a hideous monster more ugly than itself." Said Rena.

"Do I really have that effect on people?" asked Kuran to Will

"Yes as a matter of fact you do." He answered.

"I don't know, but I thought that here could have somebody or something to tell us what a awaits us here." Said Kairi.

"The final battle," Will said patting Dan on the shoulders. "You ready for this Danny?"

Dan looked at the large fortress and sighed loudly looking down, but then shook his head and looked at the fortress again.

"Don't worry we are here for you," Will said assuringly

"And be BRAVE sir Fortesque - and remember, we have all pieces of the Anubis Stone." Said Al. "Oh and if it looks like you're going to lose, don't let him hit you in the head, I've got the place just how I want it now."

Dan lost a little of his determination by that phrase, and Kairi shook her head with a hand on her forehead, closing her eyes.

"Al… you are terrible," told Kuran with a shaking his head.

"What I said?"

"Usually something that's not very motivational." Will deadpanned.

"You should stop saying things as that, always bum people out." Said Edea.

"I agree… now let's kick his ass" told Kuran

"Yeah! Let's do this!!!" Will shouted.

"Will, never do that again!" Said Kairi.

"Let's go in"  

Soon they were inside the large fortress, inside of what seemed a coliseum and in one of the terraces found Zarok, with the heartless Null and the succubus Morrigan at both sides of him.

"How nice…" Kuran sighed.

"Yeah…" Kairi sighed too.

"Sir Fortesque, my old nemesis, so we meet again!" Said Zarok to Dan. "I see that a century spent as rotting meat has done nothing to diminish your naïve obsession with the freedom of Gallowmere!"

"I admit that the skeleton is persistent." Said Morrigan. "Just as persistent as the girls."

"No words for us?" asked Kuran "And Null doesn't count since he gets on our nerves constantly."

"Is the first time I meet you, so I don't know what to say to you, only that you both are cute." She said.

"Ehhh…. Thanks?" asked Kuran, not sure if he should be flattered by her, but was put back on earth by Rena slapping the back of his neck.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he asked, but her glare was enough to answer for him.

"You can't be more persistent than a guy who can't die," Null said as he walked in joining everyone.

"Was starting to wonder where you were," Will said.

"I was just having a quick chat with my current boss, good thing that ended when it did I, was beginning to worry you all started the fun without me."

In that Zarok smiled evilly. "Dan, do you remember my champion, the late Lord Kardok? Well guess what?" He asked, worrying Dan. "He's back! And he says he's looking forward to shooting you in the OTHER eye. You know, for old time's sake!"

"And while Zarok's champion prepares to beat you, we left something for you don't get bored." Added Morrigan and soon the arena was filled with Boiler Guards.

"Seriously? That is your idea of entertainment? Even Emperors had better ideas" taunted a voice from above

Turning they saw a person standing, wearing a black jumpsuit with a black cape and a black helmet.

"Now what?" Will wondered.

"Don't pay attention… I am just a watcher, a judge of your abilities" told the person "I will help neither side on this field of battle"

"And just who the hell are you?" Null asked.

"Depending on the results of today's fight you either learn it soon or shall never know" he replied

"Great another conspicuous guy that likes talking in riddles….It's amazing how many of those figures you come across when traveling through time and space." Null said.

"Hmm yeah, that is surprisingly true," Will stated.

"Why do I have a very, very, VERY bad impression on this guy?" asked Kuran.

"This must be a joke." Said Zarok shaking his head. "First Fortesque returns to the death, then a group of keybearers aids him, and now this. Who will be next? The Lord of the Underworld? Guards, dispatch them, and not forget the jester up there!" Ordered Zarok.

Kuran called for his Keyblade and holds it ready to attack as the enemies get closer. But the Boiler Guards began to shoot at them, without forgetting the intruder, who also was shot.

But the intruder didn't move an inch… in fact, each shot seems to disappear into a small dark corridor, only to shoot down randomly on the field, not caring who gets hit and Kuran blocked with his shield while slashing his keyblade at any close enemy.

Rena began to shoot at the Boiler Guards from away, knowing how they like to burn to who was near, at time to avoid the shots coming from the roof by the intruder's fault, at the time that Edea helped Kuran dispatching the enemies and Kairi sent Blizzara at the Boiler Guards attacking the intruder to stop the bullet rain.

Will slashed at a few Bolier Guards before grabbing another and throwing it into the raining attack. Either Dan had to deal with some of the enemies with his sword, trying to avoid the shoots and the flames

Soon they cleaned the arena of enemies, what annoyed Zarok, but then Morrigan snapped her fingers and began to appear Fallen on it: Skeleton Soldiers, Skeleton Archers, Wargs, lesser Wraiths of every type and either a Sentinel. Without forgetting some Bats and Giant Bats surrounding the intruder, attacking him at times.

"Just as we needed." Groaned Kairi, looking the Sentinel.

"Looks like our ‘friend' up there doesn't have troubles.." told Kuran as the bats be normal or big are cut down by something invisible and with ease while he didn't even move an inch at all.

Rena began to shoot down the Skeleton Archers and the Sana Wraiths first, while Edea and Kairi took care of the Skeleton Soldiers and the Wargs. But Dan, who was helping too saw the Sentinel aiming his cannon to the intruder.

"Oh, I don't like what that thing is trying to do that thing. Watch out!" Warned Al.

The Sentinel shot a large energy ball to the intruder that exploded in contact. But when the smoke disappeared, a black dome surrounded the intruder before disappearing, showing him unharmed

"I told you… I will not interfere. But if you insist on attacking… I might remove those who hinder me to simply watch this confrontation" told the intruder, slightly irritated that his intention wasn't clear to them.

"Thanks for unintentionally helping us though," Will thought to himself before blasting away a small group of Fallen with a Mega Flare.

"Let's deal with that thing before does something stupid, quick!" Called Al to the others, and Dan tried to get the Sentinel attention, for only run away avoiding his machinegun-like shoots at him.

Since it was busy with Dan, Kuran managed to get behind the Sentinel and began to slam his blade into the enemy. Kairi also added pressure to the attack with her keyblade, soon destroying the Sentinel, and thus cleaning the arena again.

Morrigan only sighed scratching her head, while Null raised his hand, and ordered to attack to the remnant of his Bodyguards. With the archers standing over some pillars while the swordsmen and the shield defenders began to surround them.

"Well great." Will deadpanned.

"Will… do you have a few bombs?"

"No, but I have the next best thing. Time Stop!" Will froze time stopping the arrows in mid-air.

"At times It's useful." Said Kairi looking the frozen arrows.

"Yeah tell me about it," Will said as he casually started to place the Fallen in the path of the arrows.

Kuran, on the other hand, cut different parts of others and even put their own weapons into the bodies

Will soon un-froze time as the Fallen collapsed from the arrows and weapons.

"Nothing left I take it," told Kuran

Soon appeared in the arena somewhat similar to an undead centaur with a armor can a black tunic covering his upper body, armed with a bow, and began to run in circles around them. Dan got worried seeing the undead centaur running around them.

"That's Kardok, right?" Asked Kairi.

"That's correct," told Zarok. "So be so nice and die fast."

"You know… at least by Will, it will be complicated," whispered Kuran with a chuckle.

"And about the immortal boy, maybe I'll use him for some of my experiments." said the mad magician.

"Don't you need to… I don't know… capture him?" wondered the uninvited guest and everybody could just bet on it that he must be smirking right now.

"Don't you need to… I don't know… SHUT UP?!" wondered Zarok looking at him.

"You know, Null there is just as immortal as I am you could just as easily experiment on him," Will stated.

"Boy, who's here the evil mastermind of this story?" Asked Zarok.

"Just saying…"

"So shut up and see your friends die!" snapped Zarok.

"Not here," admitted Kuran. "Want to get stone old and have grandchildren before passing away"

"First things first," Will said turning towards the Centaur. Kuran kept behind to provide a second layer of defense for the long-range attacks

Kardok began to shoot arrows at them, but with the first arrow impact they found that they were explosive arrows, so standing near of them was a very bad idea, forcing them to separate for avoiding the arrows and the explosions.

Will jumped away, shooting a barrage of ice. And as it got close to Kuran he slashed the legs, but that didn't stop it for keep running and continued shooting his arrows at them. Rena tried to take down the undead centaur while the other girls and Dan hid on the pillars avoiding the arrows.

Will shot out a chain of light that managed to wrap around the Centaur's hind legs, making it fall. But Kardok countered shooting his arrows at Will.

Ignoring the arrows in his body, Will proceeded to punch Kardok in the face repeatedly. But one of the arrows exploded, sending Will against a wall, Kardok being unaffected by it.

"how much can this guy take? what do you think?" asked Kuran while throwing a few daggers to counter the arrows.

"Being Zarok's champion, no idea." Said Kairi, hiding from some arrows.

"Can't imagine that he can take much more though." Will imagined.

The centaur got free of the chain and began to run again, shooting arrows at them.

"This thing's start to annoy me." Said Edea, avoiding the arrows.

"Will? Crazy stuff?" Kuran asked.

"I highly doubt that will work again." Commented Rena.

"Only if you try the same thing" countered Kuran

"Kuran give me a hook shot!" Will said. And he handed two of them over "In case you need more! And don't believe this Game Theory!"

Will shot them, hitting the creature in the back and flew towards him, and dropped-kicked him hard in the back of the head with enough force to send him crashing into the ground. And Kuran rushed forward, his blade raised high and slices the body before slamming into the chest.

The beast growled by that hit in the chest but aimed his bow to Kuran's head, at that distance was impossible to fail, but before he could feel the arrow strike him down, Dan rushed over quickly from his post to it, and with his sword decapitated Kardok for good.

"Well… this solves this problem." He said and looked at Dan. "Thanks. For a moment I imagined myself with an arrow in my forehead.

"No problem." Dan babbled nodding.

"WHAT? You DARE defeat Lord Kardok?" Asked Zarok, angry by that, but then calmed down. "Ah, well - at least I won't miss mucking out his stable." Then he looked at Dan. "But of course, Fortesque, you and your friends still have to DIE."

"Ok… instead of asking what army, I ask if you can send them in now," told Kuran

"Yeah I mean If you're going to do something about this then stop whining and do it already!" Will added.

"You will wish never had taunted me. Prepare the attack, my beautiful Fazguls!" He ordered, and soon came into the arena a large group of undead with armors, cloaks covering their heads and very sharp swords, and they began to surround them.

‘The build-up to these guys better be worth it…' Will thought to himself.

"Interesting Fazgul factoid: did you know that Fazguls are impervious to mortal weapons? It's really quite fascinating." Said Zarok.

"How does the weapon of an immortal fit in?" asks Kuran, pointing at Will "And we have a little surprise as well."

Zarok laughs at that. "Unless you're hiding a ghostly penknife, or a spectral billiard ball in a sock, this battle is going to be very short and uninspiring." Explained Zarok. "And that's made me want to do a question to our sporadic guest. You can do anything against somebody that can't be harmed with mortal weapons or an immortal being?"

He snapped his fingers, a blade shoot at a Fazgul and made it blow up "Just as an answer and proof so you won't interrupt my watching"

"That can work with one of my dear Fazgul, but surely you can't kill somebody immortal with that, I bet," Zarok said. "After all, how the name says, an immortal can't die. I'm wrong, my dear Null?"

Everyone looked over to find the masked heartless nodding off. "Uhhh… Wha? Oh sorry, I wasn't paying attention people just kept on talking for like the past five minutes…"

The uninvited guest shook his head "Why insisting me on leaving when I don't plan any harm to either side? Only to watch and judge the players of this game of life?"

"One, I'm the Big Bad in charge of this place! Two, I didn't invite you to my victory show! And three, if you don't disappear in ten seconds, I will have to ask Null to be polite, in his manner, and guide you to the exit! I'm busy now how for have eyes unrelated to this moment!"

"I don't question your role as Big Bad… and while you didn't invite me, others are reading this without you knowing anyway and third… while I cannot kill an immortal, I can disable him if necessary. And I told you from the beginning to just ignore me and everything would be much easier for all of us. Once the ones I am looking for die, I am gone anyway. You see… if a certain person wouldn't be here now, I wouldn't be here as well for this matter"

"So how exactly does watching us fight to help you find guys you want dead?" Will asked the stranger.

A chuckle came "You misunderstood… I don't want anybody to die right now… but if this fate occurs I accept and look for a replacement for my own game. Most pieces I am after are replaceable and even their death can benefit me."

"All of this start to get out of my nerves." Said Zarok. "Leave me to tell you this for last time, because I dislike repeat myself, and I will tell it word by word: Look, for what, you, are, looking for, anywhere, else, but, here!"

"Nope," he told "And if you cannot accept then make a tantrum, send your forces at me, or go yourself… it doesn't matter. I will only leave once the part of this show I want to see is over."

"Very well, you wanted it! You just wait there, because when I end with them, you will be next!" Said Zarok, angry, and then looked at the group. "Do me a favor and die quickly for I can teach this stupid Black Knight wannabe to respect his elders and people that are over him!"

Will placed a hand on Dan's shoulder."Now would be a good time to use the Anubis stone." He stated.

Dan nodded and pulled back the Anubis Stone, grinning.

"What's that? The Anubis Stone?" Zarok asked, surprised.

"Oh no, who could have seen that coming?" Null said in a deadpan tone

"I didn't expect to see that thing here." Said Morrigan, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh this is going to be good," Zarok commented to himself, before look Dan. "Fortesque, what's a gangling dullard like you, hope to do with the Sacred Stone? Some of the most well learned Sorcerers in history have been driven mad trying to understand it's elusive mysteries. But don't let me dampen your optimism, My Lord Captain of the King's Croquet Team."

"Did you archive ANYTHING that even remotely satisfies making the stories about you?" asked Kuran in a deadpan.

Dan hesitated a moment, but then raised the Anubis Stone and a green beam shot to the sky, soon appearing near of him an army of undead knights, all yelling the same. "For the honor of Gallowmere!..." "And the suburbs!" Said one of them.

"Well, this is a nice surprise." Admitted Will.

"Why adding the suburbs?" asked Kuran.

"Better not ask." Said Kairi.

Soon the Fazguls and the ghostly knight began to fight between them.

"Dan, use the Anubis Stone to keep your troops fighting fit!" Warned Al, and with that, Dan began to use the stone to maintain in shape his allies, but that seemed to exhaust him always to use it.

"How to like if I send some Inacors for the guys that not fights?" Asked Morrigan to Null.

"That would keep things interesting."He said.

She smiled evilly and snapping her fingers some magic circles appeared on the ground, and from them appeared five Inacors, which roared loudly, either surprising the intruder a little.

"Great, these things…" Said Kairi. "Protect Dan, and avoid being grabbed by them or they will decapitate you with their mouths!" Warned the Princess of Heart.

"Don't need that to happen again," Will said getting his blades ready.

The Fallen roared and began to attack the group, they defend themselves, while Dan tried to keep the ghostly soldiers in check.

"Oh, before I forget. These creatures are brutal and instinctive but with little brain. So don't scare if suddenly one of them aims at you." She said staring the intruder.

"By that, you don't use them very often" Zarok rolled his eyes.

"Whatever happened to you not caring what happens to us?" Will asked before casting cure on Dan, giving him more strength to maintain his allies.

Kuran slashed them a couple of times and teamed with Edea to get closer to them, and getting on higher "ground" by using them as steps whenever it presents itself.

Anybody who attacked the intruder… didn't even reach his body. They were death by various means when they got to close to his personal space.

Soon they cleaned the area, but more Inacors appeared, while the battle between knight continued.

"This will never end!" Said Kairi, seeing the incoming Inacors.

"They must have created an army of Fallen to create this quantity of Inacors." Said Rena.

"You need a hand?" Said Eve from the communicator.

"Eve?" Asked Kairi, and then Fire and Blizzard projectiles fell from the sky, hitting some of the Inacors. "Thanks, we needed that!"f

"Never knew you guys could call in an air strike," Will said, striking down an Inacors.

"I would say they didn't think for themselves" countered Kuran and slashes two of them down while throwing a few daggers to displace some others.

"Eve is full of surprises." Said Rena striking down an Inacors that was near Dan.

"The fortress is flying high enough for being reached with the Gummi ship's weaponry, so I can aid you if I can." Said Eve.

"Thanks for the help." Said Edea, slashing down another Inacors.

Kuran stopped his track and asked, "What is the strongest weapon you have?"

"The only that fits with that is an only Gravity Cannon." Said Kairi, casting Cura on Dan.

"Then how about shooting it at Zarok?" asks Kuran "That way we can speed things a little up"

"And also hit us too with that." Warned Kairi. "Eve could have used it in first hand if she was sure that we couldn't get hit by the explosion."

"Couldn't we have just bombarded the fortress while we were still outside?" Wondered Will.

"I think it's late for think on it." Said Kairi.

"Sadly," told Kuran "Next time she can do something for us or for you, she should tell it sooner. Blowing up his castle would really shorten this adventure"

"Well since we're here we might as well wrap things up the old fashioned way," Will said, casting Curaga on Dan.

"Let's talk about this after finishing this battle, okay?" Asked Rena.

"How many more of these Fazgul?"

"Looks like at least three more, just got to hold out a bit longer," Will answered.

He nodded and looked around to counter incoming attacks.

After a long battle, soon they dispatched the incoming Inacors, and the Fazguls were finally defeated, the ghost knights disappearing while celebrating the victory.

"Fortesque. Forty-baby. You ARE full of surprises." Said Zarok. "Who could have foreseen that my Fazgul horde would be bested by a rancid ignoramus, a pack of brats without the adulthood needed to be adults, and their fly-bait army?"

"Do you really need to use second-rate insults?" Wondered Kuran "We all know you will only declare how much you are superior to us, come down and fight us with perhaps a transformation Somehow."

"If you want that, then you will have it. Only leave me to think about what I could turn." He said and began to think. "Let's see: dragons… not, they're too typical. Griffins… no, excessively royal. Cerberus… no, three heads are too many heads. Rocs… not, very huge for this place. Snakes…" Then he saw that Dan reacted to that word. "Hmm? How they SCARE you? Big snakes? Find them agreeable, do we? How about huge MONSTROUS snakes Forty-darling? How about…" He then disappeared in red smoke, and reappeared in the center of the area, turning himself into a huge monstrous cobra. "MEEEEEE!"

"You had to be scared of snakes, right?" Asked Edea to Dan.

Kuran turned to Will "if you cook him… you can eat him yourself."

Everybody turned in surprise at these words at the two and Al asked "You… cooked a snake turned sorcerer before?"

"No it wasn't a sorcerer, but he wasn't a mindless beast ether," Will said before pulling out some cooked meat. "Want some?"

"Nope," told Kuran

"What about you guys?"

They shook their heads. Before Will could ask more, Zarok bites him, shook him to a side to another and threw him flying, in the intruder's direction. Only to be hit with a force that sends him back, into the Head of Zarok. He saw the stars after that hit.

"The hell was that?" Will wondered.

"Nobody enters my personal space without permission" was the intruder's explanation

"Couldn't you just have like warped away or something?" Kuran asked.

The intruder shrugged. "This was easier"

"Laziness got it…" Kuran deadpanned.

"Let's deal with this serpent." Said Kairi.

"Let's get the head" agreed on Kuran.

"And how?" Asked Edea. "The only that could reach it now is Rena."

Zarok began to curl himself high and then slams the ground with his body, causing a shockwave that affected all the arena, forcing everyone to jump over the wave.

"Let's start by hitting what we can hit." Will san before running behind the giant snake, stabbing the tip of its tail.

Zarok hissed by that and looked him angry, ready to bite him.

"Uh, you hit a weak point." Said Al.

"That works too," Will said, kicking Zarok across the face as he tried to bite him.

But Zarok countered that hit spitting poison over him.

Will quickly jumped out of the way "NOT THIS TIME!!"

Edea and Dan rushed to start to strike Zarok's tail with their weapons while Rena and Kairi aimed his head with arrows and spells. Kuran rushed up as well and slashed and cuts the tail as well while throwing a few daggers at the head as well.

As Zarok hissed in pain, Will transformed and flew up at his head, blasting him with a Mega Flare.

Kuran looked at him and asks "You need to transform for this spell? I thought you could pull this off by yourself"

"I can do it myself quite sweating the details."

"I doubt that this is the moment to talk about that." Said Kairi.

"Yeah…" he deadpans and slashed the tail a few times before making a spear and slams it into the body, trying to pin it down.

Will spewed a stream of fire at Zarok's head before blasting another Mega Flare.

Zarok hissed by the last hit and got free of the spear, beginning to spin his tail around him, trying to hit them.

Will slid a few feet as he managed to grab the tail, holding it in place, but was unable to hold it much and began to spin with the tail, while the others were forced to jump at the moment they saw the tail coming.

"Can somebody break his spine?" asked Kuran while jumping again and threw a few daggers

"The snakes don't have bones I think." Said Edea, jumping over the spinning tail.

"Snake has nothing BUT a spine." Will countered.

"Why do you think I said that?" groaned Kuran

"While we think a form of defeat Zarok, why not somebody gets Will out of the tail before pucks his first breakfast?"

Kuran nodded and got his Keyblade out, put a dark place on the other end and threw it like a boomerang, impacting with Zarok's jaw.

Will flew up, slashing at the back of his head.

The serpent tried to get the keyblade out of his jaw, while Rena and Kairi began to shoot at his head and Edea and Dan attacked the tail. Kuran climbed up the body by stabbing blades into the body and kicked the keyblade deeper into the jaw.

Will suddenly bite the back of Zarok's neck, sinking his teeth as deep as he can spewing more flames as well.

"Guess this will end this" mused Kuran who got on Will's head to escape being roasted.

Soon the snake fell to the ground, for soon turn into Zarok.

"Stupid brats, you're a cursed pack of meddlesome morons!" Said Zarok, standing up. "Why you always have to mess with the affairs of others?"

"Job description of Keybearers," offered Kuran with a chuckle.

"True, and by that, we can't leave the darkness win, and if for that we must stop their agents, we will do it." Said Kairi nodding.

"Even if you are a hypocrite and work with one?" asked the Intruder as he appeared behind Zarok.

"And what do you want now?" Asked Zarok. "I'm busy, and I thinking about something."

"Okay, but before your allies help you…" told the Intruder and grabbed Zarok's neck and lifts him up in a painful way "I am NOT a black knight Wannabee! I just don't want to show my face! IF anything then I should be called a darkmancer or something at this terms!

"Darkmancer? What's that? Cancer's parent?" Asked Edea, confused.

"Nope… somebody with the ability to manipulate Darkness" told the Intruder before turning to Zarok "Did you get me?"

"I don't know who are you, but you should watch what you say. You can get shorn if you talk like  that to the wrong person." Replied Zarok.

"These bad guy wannabees are all the same" sighs the Intruder and threw Zarok away, making him hit the wall which has a dent now, shaped like him.

"I know now how this fight ends… I will wait somewhere else until the spectacle ends. And the next guy who calls me a wannabee will have a blade in their throat." he told and  he disappeared

Kuran blinked "Wow… that hit a nerve…" looking at Zarok he also mused "But I must say! As wall decor, you look splendid!"

"I don't know I mean we're still looking at that ugly face of his," Will added.

"Hahaha, very funny. But thanks to your friend, you have a heavy problem." He said recovering from the hit, but then Zarok looked Null. "Hey, can you pass me a small heartless by the way?"

"Well, this should be interesting." Null mused before literally tossing a Neoshadow at the wizard.

Zarok grabbed the Neoshadows by one of the antennas. "If you really like fight against the darkness, let's see what you say when you face the darkness…" He said and red smoke surrounded them, soon appearing as a large Dark Side heartless with Zarok's head and zarok's emblem in the chest, his face showing a vile yellow grin. "ITSEEEEEEEELF!"

"OH GOD HE'S EVEN MORE HIDEOUS!!" Will shrieked. Kuran blinked and asked, "Does anybody has Brain Bleach?"

"IN THE NAME OF EL'S LADY?!" Asked Rena in surprise.

"Now we're in real troubles!" Yelled Al, while Dan stared scared.

"Don't tell me!" Said Kairi.

"This can't get worse that is now!" Said Edea.

"That Zarok is really full of surprises!" Commented Morrigan.

"Ehh… A heartless version of Barney?" offered Kuran to Edea

"I had known this thing would appear, I'd never give him that thing." Null added.

"Truce?" offered Kuran

"Mmmmm….Nah." Null laughed.

"So much for that." Kuran sighed

Zarok stomped the ground with one of his legs, causing an earthquake with it.

Will flew up and threw his Keyblade, hitting Zarok in the face. But he only replied him punching him against the wall. Kuran, grabbing the Keyblade of Will and threw it again, together with his own one at the face, but with that hit, he only got his attention, who tried to slap him with his hand.

"Seems that if we want to defeat him, we must fight him as a normal heartless." Said Kairi.

"And how we do that?" Asked Edea.

"Sora said me that they have two weak points, the hands, and the head." She answered. "Strike where you can reach."

"Why do you think I was aiming for the head?" Will deadpanned.

"They didn't know that." Kairi deadpanned to Will.

"She has a point," told Kuran while dodging the blows and strikes the hands whenever he could.

Will Managed to bin one of the hands down with his blades, holding it in place.

Zarok simply slid the other hand on the ground to the elbow and suddenly appeared near of Will, who was hammered by his punch, undoing the hold on his hand.

"Ouch…" Said Edea, looking at the scene.

"He'll survive," told Kuran as he sliced up a hand before throwing his Keyblade, hitting one of Zarok's eyes, making it stuck there and called on two dark blades to ram into his foot… while that isn't a weak point, any sentient being with a foot should at least feel pain there.

Will got back up and flew at Zarok, slashing the back of his head.

Zarok made a wide slap around him, causing a blow of wind that pushed all them away from him.

"That's what I call a wind slap!" Said Rena, being pushed against the wall by the wind.

Then the large heartless/wizard slapped widely with his other arm, summoning some dark energy balls that flew in different directions, exploding at contact in the ground.

Will dodged the blasts before slashing one of the hands.

Kuran on the other hand, hit one of the balls, sending it back to Zarok's face before running over and slamming his blade through the hand before trying to slice up.

Using the explosion, Rena began to shot her mana arrows against Zarok's head, while Edea kept slashing his hands. Kairi while began to concentrate, knowing that they need more power to take him down. During that, Dan tried to attack Zarok striking his legs with his weapon.

Will, on the other hand, flew up and sank his claws and teeth into one of his hands. Rushing on the body up, Kuran got to Zarok's Face and slashes a few times but told "You know… I have no idea HOW to make your face more beautiful?"

Then he slashes and broke the nose, making it point to the side "Yep! That looks WAYYY better."

But the nose returned to where was and tried to smash him with his hand against the face. However, he jumped down, making him slap himself "Why are you slapping yourself?" But got caught by his other hand, and threw him hard to the ground.

"Forget someone?!" Will shouted before Kicking Zarok in the face with enough force to make him stumble back a bit. But he hit him with the head, sending him back to the ground.

"Attacking without thinking isn't helping us." Said Kairi to Will, who breaks her concentration with his landing near of her.

"Kairi… we know where to hit and are moving according to this." countered Kuran "And for plan making without him listening is quite a challenge."

"But you must admit that the usual Dark Side is a mindless creature, while this one has brains, right?" Asked Kairi.

"That's why I said that" he deadpans

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm up for ideas…" Will added.

"First, I need time. Can you get it?"

"I will try." Said Rena, shooting at a hand that was getting so near to her, forcing it away.

Kuran did the same with his own bow by the other hand.

Will joined in by blasting a Mega Flare.

Zarok was kept busy with the attacks time enough for Kairi get enough concentration and release her Shiva form, now wearing a sort of light female armor, entirely composed of ice, both the boots and gloves were of ice and even had a matching frozen tiara.

"Cool in the double sense of the meaning," told Kuran "So… what is your plan, aside from using this form?"

Zarok tried to punch them, but everyone got away in time, and Kairi sent a barrage of Blizzara at the hand, freezing it in the ground, and Zarok was unable to move the hand neither break it with said hand.

"Interesting idea. Now he can't move freely." Said Edea.

"And free hits for us." Will smiled, slashing at Zarok's face some more, being countered with the other hand. "I forgot the other hand…"

"Will… I get the impression that, if you weren't immortal, you would have noticed it. Could this not-able-to-die thing affect you negatively?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Three worlds ago you would have noticed the free hand… without being hit"

"Oh right because you could have dodged it so easily yourself we all make mistakes at one point alright?"

"How about we count up how often you got hit in the last time?" suggested Kuran "Because that are too many mistakes! I admit people make mistakes but normally you try to avoid those that hurt or kill you!"

"I may be immortal but I'm still human I make mistakes Ok?"

"But the ones that hurt are staggering upon you!" he countered

"At least  can take a hit, willing to bet if you got smacked around as much as me you'd be crying like a baby…" He snicked.

"If I had taken even half of the worse hits, I would be dead by now!" told Kuran "That's why I'm asking if your immortality is affecting your brain!"

"I'll have you know I can think of some plans from time to time." ‘More like 30% of the time..' "SHUT UP BRAIN!!!"

"And what did your brain tell?" asked Kuran "That you only can think of around a third of the time about plans?"

‘This guy gets me even more than you.' "You BOTH can go to hell…" Will snapped.

"Sorry! Too hot! And I bet even an immortal cannot live without a brain" told Kuran, pulling out a dagger "Shall we test it?"

"Bring it scarf face!"

"Scarf face, nice." Null snickered.

Kuran looked with a deadpan at him "Scarf face? Really? That's the best you could come up?"

"I'm not seeing you come up with anything."

"Because thinking of insults for you were wasting too much time!" told Kuran "And I don't want to insult the insults by insulting you with them!"

"You're just lazy."

With that Kuran remarked with such a speech of insults that caused everybody makes such a blank face that it screams for mind bleach, with the exception of Null who was dying of laughter. We excuse ourselves from not writing the wording down but we try to keep the minds of our readers sane.

"...Oh, little son of a-" Will was interrupted by the sound of Zarok finally breaking free of the ice and stormed towards the two.

However, both Will and Kuran threw their Keyblades hitting him in the face.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!!" they both shouted.

"Emperor Wannabees" groaned Kuran "They really don't know when to NOT interrupt with something!"

"Ugh tell me about it, don't even have the common courtesy to just wait or anything." Will sighed.

"So… where were we?" asked Kuran, rubbing his temples in frustration "Oh yeah… you wanted to call me son of something… the usual bitch or do you get more creative this time?"

"The thing is, I think I got it all out of my system now."

"Then let's kill this idiot, kick if necessary Null's but and then leave," offered Kuran "And by the way… did you told me already who this Myst is you mentioned way back?"

"I fail to see what this has to do with our situation right now, but yes I did," Will replied.

"Just wondering… we had so much around in this short time, I couldn't recall this detail…"

"O-kay…"

"How long do you think you'll continue this?" Asked Kairi, tired of their discussion and angry of what they were saying, Rena thinking if kick their heads or not, Edea holding her katana hard, while Dan looked the stroke down Zarok and the guys at times.

"We just finished," told Kuran

"Yeah, we've just about wrapped this up," Will said before re-summoning his Keyblade pointing it towards Zarok. "Think it's time we wrap THIS up too."

Zarok went to smash Will and Kuran with his fist. Only to find his fist missing as Kuran stroke to give Will a chance for attack.

Will did so by flying up and digging his blades deep into his face.

Kairi used the moment that the fist missed for to freeze it to the ground again, hoping that Will this time doesn't forget the second hand.

As the second hand swung at him Will quickly pulled out his Katana and slashed the wrist. "See, I learn."

"Don't get cocky!" warned Kuran while slashing the hand.

Zarok punched the ground with his free hand, releasing a shockwave around it, but after of avoiding it Kairi froze the hand against the ground, leaving him completely tied to the ground in hands.

Will took the opportunity and threw both his blades, striking both hands.

"Try to not attack the hands directly or you will break the ice!" Warned Edea, while jumping trying to slash Zarok's face, being covered by Rena's arrows.

Kuran got ready for an attack and rushes forward to slam his keyblade into the eye, intending to blind him.

‘Surely this guy can't take much more' Will thought before looking at Dan, getting another crazy idea "Hey Dan, you want to do something heroic?"

Dan gulped, knowing how were his crazy ideas.

"Why I'm always scared when he opens his mouth?" Kairi asked herself, shooting some enhanced Blizzara to Zarok's head.

"Whatever you do, don't let go of your sword," Will said before going over to him, suddenly picking him up. "And don't vomit."

Before anyone could ask Will started to spin Dan by his feet. Getting faster and faster Dan found himself being covered in Will's silver aura before sent flying straight toward Zarok's face, digging his blade deep in between his eyes with enough force to send him falling backward, breaking the ice binds.

When Zarok fell to the ground, the impact sent Dan flying against a wall, clashing against it. Al was completely dizzy by that. "What happened?"

"Will… you do know that Dan doesn't have a stomach right? So throwing up would be Al's job" told Kuran

"You'd be surprised how often it happens." Will countered.

"ok…" he told dumbfounded.

"You're too a victim of his crazy ideas?" Asked Kairi to Kuran.

"Yeah… but still… a skeleton losing their stomach? That's… odd"

"Can we like NOT worry about minor detail?"

Soon Zarok recovered his real form, who seemed to have problems for stand up. "CURSE you, Fortesque, curse you! Curse you THRICEFOLD! SO -  it's come to THIS. I am finally DEFEATED. Painfully! Ignominiously! But particularly, painfully! But if I am to fail - then all shall perish with me! I didn't get to be the embodiment of evil without maintaining certain traditional standards!" He said and began to stand up.  "You and your friends are DOOMED Fortesque! You will NEVER leave this place!" He then unleashes a spell over all the lair, which began to fall apart, while laughing evilly. "Mmwah-ha-HAH! Ha-HARRRRR! Oooh, yes! Now THAT was an evil laugh!"

"Oi Zarok I'll never understand why guys like you don't do things like that in the beginning…" Null stated.

"I don't know about you, but I have lost my interest in this world." Said Morrigan and flew away.

The group saw the Zarok's statue beginning to fall and they ran of it, with Dan stumbling and crashing on the wall, while the magician turned, only to see the statue fall over him while screaming a lamentable yell before be squashed by the statue.

A small green shine appeared on Dan's eye, and Al began to tap the skull's outside. "At last. Freeeeeedoooooom!" He yelled, flying outside Dan's eye.

While the castle continued falling apart, Dan recovered and began to reach a higher spot to avoid the lava that began to appear on the broken ground.

"If Al recovered his powers, that means…" Murmured Kairi and looked Kuran and Will. "Guys, a Dark Corridor, now! I don't care where, but open it now!"

"I am doing!" he shouts and opens it "Now run through"

They rushed into the Dark Corridor, while Al began to help Dan to get him out there.



Everybody got out the corridor, landing one over another, and when they looked around, they found themselves in the graveyard.

"Why from all the places in the world, you chose here?" Asked Edea, who was over Kuran and under Will.

"At least we're not going to get crushed," Will stated as he got up.

"Yeah, but still…" Said Rena, who was under Kairi and over Will, and both girls to up from Will, leaving him to stand up.

"Rena… just to tell you why I choose here: I only can generate dark corridors controlled when I have been on the place before. If I never had been there, we could have ended up anywhere. Like on board a spaceship. Or in the middle of an unknown desert. Or fifty feet above a pool" told Kuran "or, my worst experience next to a nuke 20 seconds before detonation"

"See? It could be worse."

"Shh, look!" Said Kairi, looking at the sky.

They saw that the darkness that covered the sun disappeared, sunbathing everything again, while a lot of souls flew returning to the village and in the cemetery.

"Guess our job is done here," told Kuran "Obviously."

"And I must say, I am impressed that you didn't touch to your greatest strength doing so," told the intruder from behind them "Also disappointed that you probably don't know about it or refuse to use it. Such strength in darkness but only scratching the surface… anybody should be ashamed in your position."

"Okay, I had enough of this!" Said Kairi and began to walk to the intruder, and got too close to him that was forced to step back away from her while she walked to him. "From the very most moment you appeared, we had a lot of problems by your fault up there! For example, you could have avoided the Boiler Guard's shots, but NO, you should make the bullets fall over all us! And during all the time you had annoyed the enemy, thing that gave us more problems, and now what I want to know is why!" She asked, angry, and the group could barely see that he was sweat-dropping as if he was scared of her, or he saw something on her that scared him.

"Hey! I only do my job description! If you want to complain, complain to the author! OK! I shouldn't be being yelled at by you right now, but instead giving a lecture to Kuran here which causes protest, ignorance and so on for a build up later on. You are kinda ruining this!" was his counter "In fact, you should step back from MY DARKNESS LEVEL!"

"I don't care if I'm ruining something, and for your info, I'm a Princess of Heart, so in theory, the darkness doesn't affect me at the same level as others! And if you're worried about Kuran and see him in problems, don't stay looking at this show, ACT!" She replied to him.

"I don't want to get between them." Commented Edea seeing the discussion. "But she has some points about that."

"Hey! Long-term planning! One of them be preparing stuff and evaluate his strengths! I could just act right now but either it works off the hook or ruins it and I have to start over with a different one! And believe me! finding fitting people for my plan is hard enough! Is like Abstergo's problem finding Descendants of Ezio Auditore! Easy to find due to him making a lot of bastards but hard to find one that came AFTER certain events! Same applies here! I could find dozens of replacements but only a handful are fitting! And this chaos? Part of the idea! And here are a few villain rules, as stupid as they sound but one of them involves standing around and don't act for some time! I don't plan to wait until he gets to me! But I have my own pace and that I follow! And you are not even part of it! So you won't see me again and for your info: You are only immune to a certain amount and kinds of darkness! But is the pure light you are for example very easy to be attacked by certain dark based attacks! Like Dark Fira. By Kingdom Hearts! I have been in a universe where you died by just touching a blade filled with darkness. No clue how your resistance is didn't take the bother to test due you're not part of any of my ideas but you have your darkness weakness. Nobody found just the right one yet."

Suddenly he had her finger near his face, and her arm was covered by the shadowed form of Diabolos Form's glove, a thing that surprised him. "Don't be so cocky about that." She said and moves away from him, who sighed loudly.

‘Man, this version of Kairi is a box of surprises…' though the intruder himself.

Then he snapped his fingers and she stopped, for a moment before rushing to the bushes. he blinked at this "Ok… that is a first… all others had intense pain after this trick. First time had to hit the bush."

Looking at Kuran he pondered but said "Now the mood is ruined, I cannot really tell what I wanted to tell… next time"

And then he disappeared in a burst of darkness. Kuran shook his head "You know… Kairi should have played along and this would have gone smoother. Now I have to wonder what he wanted to tell."

15 minutes later they saw Kairi again. "For his own good, better not come near me!"

"I doubt he would ever show up in this universe… because he will stall me" groaned Kuran.

"Only time will tell," Will stated.

"And look just came at this time?" Rena said, looking at the sky.

There they saw Al flying, taking Dan with him. Both reached the Crypt's entrance, but Al tumbles with the upper part of the entrance, and Dan fell inside the Crypt without warning.

"Augh, that will leave a dent sure." Said Edea.

"Yeah…" told Kuran "Let's check on him"

The group then went inside where they found Dan still dizzy from the fall.

"You alright?" Will asked offering to help him up.

Dan got his hand and stood up. He didn't need much to walk to the bedstone and laid on it, waving goodbye to them, with everybody saying goodbye in the same manner. He laid his head on the bedstone, and his eye disappeared inside his skull, indicating his return to the world of the dead, this time as a hero.

"Rest easy Sir Dan…" Will said.

"Though the thing that makes him a hero is more of the fact how he managed to put up with all of you.." Null spoke as he was seen leaning against a wall.

"Just what we needed…" Groaned Kairi.

"As fun as the idea would be to fight all of you I think I chose not to just this once because trust me fate has something far more satisfying for you." He mused.

"You know something that we don't know?" Asked Rena, doubting if he really doesn't want to fight or was a bluff for made them down their guard.

"Oh don't worry what I know holds no consequence to any of you."

"So what do you know?" Will asked.

"You'll see, but keep this in mind ‘Princess' it doesn't matter how strong your heart is, there is a limit to how bright the Light shines, but if you stare at it too long, you'll just see Darkness anyway."

"I must take that as a threat?" Kairi asked.

"That's your call." He simply responded.

"I'm not interested in this type of games, ‘copycat'." Said Rena, aiming at him.

"Rena… try to disable him. After all… killing isn't really possible" deadpans Kuran "And I want to leave"

"I already told you I'm not interested in fighting you guys, at least not right now. If I'm going to kill all of you it's going to be on MY terms." Null said before opening a Dark Corridor "Chao." He suddenly stepped through leaving everyone.

"I don't want to see him again." Said Edea.

"And yet like a phoenix, he always comes back from the ashes…" Will said in a somber tone.

"Why I have the feeling that saying that you're insulting somebody with that comparison instead of Null?" Said Kairi, scratching her head.

"You think so?"

"You know… we should really leave. Where is this keyhole?"

"You got here accidentally, so there is no keyhole of yours." Said Edea.

"Great…" Will deadpanned.

Then for their surprise, on a side of Dan's bedstone, appeared a keyhole, but when the guys looked it, they were disappointed.

"So… how to get back control and not end up anywhere randomly?" asked Kuran, recalling that traveling between dimensions… is quite tricky currently.

"First we must seal this keyhole." Said Kairi and summoned her keyblade, and then looked at them. "Don't get scared." She said and aimed her keyblade to the keyhole, shooting a beam of light to it, and then the keyhole sent a white wave of light around.

Her vision returned to the same chamber at the same age as when she was a baby, but this time her mother wasn't with her but was talking with two men. She didn't recognize one of them, an oriental clothed man, but was able to recognize the second one, as Yen Sid, between them, talking to her mother. When this one looked at her, she lost her vision.

Kairi began to open her eyes and looked that she was in the ground, with everybody around her.

"Are you alright?" Will asked.

"Hello?" asked Kuran as they didn't hear a reply

Rena and Edea helped Kairi to stand up from the ground.

"She told you to not get scared." Said Edea. Kairi took that phrase as that they got scared after of what happened to her, whatever was.

"Despite what I have seen so far, it is far from normal that a flash coming from the keyhole fully covers somebody and then leave it to fall to the ground like nothing," Said Kuran. "Trust me, I saw many things, but this is the first time I see such reaction with a keyhole."

"Different universes, different effect. Speaking of which we need to get back to our previous universe and wrap up our job there." Will stated.

"After you," told Kuran

"I just hope we don't get lost on the way," Will said before opening a dark corridor, he then pointed his Keyblade at it a shot a small beam of light making it bigger and changing it to a more lighter blue color.

"Let's pass it," told Kuran and moves towards it.

Will turned to Kairi and the others. "Well….Best of luck to you." He said before stepping through.

"You think they will be okay?" Asked Edea, seeing how the corridor closed after of see both get into it.

"I hope it." Said Kairi.



Outside the Crypt, Morrigan has heard the conversation inside of it.

"Mmm, 'it doesn't matter how strong your heart is, there is a limit to how bright the Light shines, but if you stare at it too long, you'll just see Darkness anyway ' eh, Null?" Morrigan commented. "I wonder what he meant with that. He means that even a Princes of Heart can be turned into a follower of darkness or something?"

She then smiled and began to walk. "It's so sad that I can't ask him what he meant with that, but we would like to meet the person who gave him that Fallen. It has good taste." She then opened a purple dark corridor. "But well, maybe another day. Who knows, maybe we know Null's benefactor. After all, he and that boys are from another dimension. Maybe it will come to visit later." Then she crossed the corridor, closing it behind her.