The Angel's Keyblade: Arc 2 ~ Chapter 6

Hikari's POV


I wasn't quite sure what had happened; one moment I was following Riku and Queen Minnie to the library, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in a dark chamber with a giant sphere of light in front of me. I looked around, my brain fuzzy as I studied my surroundings. It was completely empty, side from the orb on the pedestal, with a flight of stairs  in one wall leading upwards.

"How did I end up here?" I asked aloud.

"Your heart called out to me," a woman's voice spoke.

I spun back around towards the voice, only to see the sphere of light. I took a step closer to it, titling my head in confusion as I did so. "Am I losing it, or did I just hear a voice come from this light?"

"You seek guidance, do you not?" The voice spoke again and this time I knew that it was definetely coming from the orb.

"Who are you?" I inquired.

"I am known as The Cornerstone of Light. I exist to protect this world and its inhabitants from the Darkness of the outside. However, I also serve another purpose; when someone's heart is troubled and is in true need of wisdom and guidance, I respond and offer what I can."

I was taken aback by the explanation. Was I so confused and worried that a clearly powerful being could easily sense it, even with those concerns buried so deep in my heart?

"You wish to ease your concerns about your adopted brother, Genji, correct?" The Cornerstone continued. "You also seem troubled about the worlds that are falling to Darkness and what can be done, true? These questions, it seems, are tightly linked and therefore can be answered together."

"Really?" I felt my heart leap upon hearing this. Did this mean that if I figured out how to save Genji, I'd know how to save the worlds from being completely swallowed?

"However, it is no simple feat, for what you seek cannot be found in the present, but rather in the past, in the times before The Keyblade War."

"Before the Keyblade War?" I repeated. "How is that possible? The Keyblade War was centuries ago, wasn't it? So how can the answers I need now be way back when I wasn't even alive?"

"Allow me to show you that time of peace and perhaps shine light upon the shadows that are casted upon your heart." The sphere began to illuminate even more brightly as golden ribbons appeared around it, reaching towards me. I tried to step back, but my body refused to move, fear and awe taking over. Before long, I began to feel myself drifting into unconsciousness, my limbs going numb and my vision fading.

The tendrils were but a few inches away when I suddenly heard voices behind me. I somehow managed to look over my shoulder and barely make out the figures Riku, King Mickey and Queen Minnie as they came rushing down the stairs, the first two having Keyblades in hand.

"Hikari!" Riku's voice sounded distant, as if there was a wall between us. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he ran towards me, reaching his free hand towards me. Using what little strength I had left, I turned and began to reach out for him as well, just as I felt the ribbons wrap around me and pull me towards The Cornerstone. The last thing I remembered was the golden light swallowing me and Riku's strangely clear eyes looking on in horror.




In The Castle That Never Was...



"Alright, Riolu; use Force Palm!"

The small Fighting-type eagerly complied as he ran up to the Dusk, an orb of yellow light forming in his right palm. As Riolu jumped high into the air, he let out a powerful cry and slammed the orb into the Nobody's chest, a beam manifesting from beneath and sending the puppet-like being flying back.

"Yeah!" Arashi exclaimed, punching a fist into the air. "That was the best one yet!"

Riolu turned around and chimed in with his own excitement .

"Time for a break, Arashi."

Said boy looked towards the stairs to see Genji coming down, a plate of assorted fruits in his hands. Arashi sighed but nodded. "'Kay. Riolu, we're taking a break," he called to his partner.

The Emanation Pokemon nodded and walked back to the blond's side.

Genji looked at the Nobodies with a glare, sending a silent message to disperse. The husks quickly obeyed and disappeared in a flash of black and white. The teen walked over to a small stand and set down the plate, grabbing a grape as he did so and popping it into his mouth.

Arashi joined his brother and grabbed an apple and knife, cutting out the core and splitting the bright red fruit in half. He bit into one half, then gave the other half to Riolu, who gratefully took it and began to chew into it as well.

"How's the training going?" Genji inquired, leaning against a nearby wall.

Swallowing his latest bite, Arashi turned to Riolu with an unsure look on his face. "I guess it's going good? I don't know; it's not like with the games. There's no way to tell how far you've come in terms of leveling up; though levels don't matter as much in Riolu's case since they evolve based on high friendship. Even so, I think we've made at least a little progress, right Riolu?"

"Ri!" The Fighting-type replied, continuing to enjoy his meal.

"Well, considering you've only been training for two days now, you can only expect so much." Genji sighed before looking to the ceiling and adding "I'm going to be leaving soon, so I'll need you to stay in my room until I get back."

Arashi turned to his brother with wide eyes. "What? Can't I come with you?"

The older teen shook his head. "I'm only doing some recon for Master Xehanort; I won't be gone long."

"But you're going to another world, aren't you? I wanna see other worlds too," Arashi pouted, crossing his arms.

For the first time in Arashi only knew how long, Genji smiled and let out a light chuckle, and this one was that of positive emotions. "Soon, but I have a promise to keep with Master Xehanort."

"And then we can go home?"

Genji's smile instantly vanished, seeing how sad his brother appeared. Even Riolu could sense that his trainer was upset.

Letting out another sigh, Genji walked up to Arashi and placed a hand on the younger's shoulder. "It's going to take time to restore our world, Arashi. However, I promise you that I'll do everything I can to bring you, Chise, Mom and Dad home."

The absence of Hikari's name seemed to bug Arashi for he pulled away, brushing off Genji's hand and looking up at the older teen with eyes that expressed both confusion and irritation. "Brother, why are you fighting Hikari? She's trying to get our home back just like you, so-"

"She doesn't care about us or our home!" Genji nearly yelled, hatred seeming to form on his face at the mention of the girl's name. "She's responsible for the lake being destroyed and our family being seperated. All she cares about are those Keyblade Wielders, not us; she's not even our real sister."

"That's not true!" Arashi yelled back, balling his hands into fists. Looking down and in a slightly softer tone, he continued. "I mean, I know that she's not our real sister, that mom and dad adopted her after her grandmother passed away, but your wrong about her not caring! When Chise was born and Mom and Dad were busy all the time, who was it that made sure I got the attention I needed? Who was it that learned about herbs just so they could help with finding a cure for our sister? Who was it that helped me with my homework, who watched tv shows like Pokemon with me, even though they thought it was silly, and would tell us the legend of our world whenever we felt alone? Hikari has been living with us, knowing she wasn't biologically related, but she didn't care; she's looked out for us for as long as I can remember, so how can you say that she doesn't care about us or our home!?"

For a moment, Genji was too stunned by Arashi's powerful comeback to respond. However, he seemed to recover and opened his mouth to respond, but something caused him to stop. His pine-green eyes grew wide and his body began to tremble as he grabbed his head with both hands, pressing against it as pain marred his face. He groaned as he closed his eyes tight and bowed his head, stumbling to try and keep his balance, knocking over the plate of fruit on the table in the process.

Fear and concern took over Arashi as he rushed up to his brother. "Genji? What's wrong!?"

The older teen either didn't hear Arashi or was too focused on his pain, for he gave no reply and continued to squeeze his head even more. Through the agony that coursed through his body, he seemed to be struggling on the inside. No... Hikari wouldn't do that... Stop... messing with my... head!

Though only Genji could hear it, the laughter of a young man echoed through the teen. "Oh, Genji; even after all you've seen and experienced, you don't seem to have learned a thing."

Within Genji's heart, standing on a glass platform that depicted Genji and his family, was a boy with jet black hair and golden eyes. He wore a strange-looking black and red bodysuit of sorts and what appeared to be the chin piece of a helmet just below his jaw. Darkness seemed to radiate off the boy, slowly painting Genji's heart pitch-black. "It's not that head of yours that I'm playing with, but your heart. Amazing how just a tiny speck of Darkness and doubt can so easily turn you against your adopted sister. Pathetic."

He walked to the edge of the shadows, his evil gleam being replaced by frustration as he glared down at the circle the shadows refused to go near. The portrait was of Hikari, her teal eyes filled with kindness and her smile warm and sincere. "Despite The Master informing you that it was your sister that caused the destruction of your world, you still hold on to that small glimmer of hope; that she's innocent and didn't bring the Heartless. Even so, the shadows should be eating away at the futile effort, yet your heart wishes to protect her, as if it had its own conscience."

"That's because another Light keeps guard."

Vanitas spun around at the sound of the new voice, only to raise up his arms as he was suddenly pushed back by a blast of golden light. When he skidded to a halt, he lowered his arms and glared at who had attacked. "Who are you supposed to be?"

The being before him was cloaked in a golden light, revealing only the outline of their body. Power radiated off the newcomer, causing the shadows below to cower and retreat to Vanitas. "I am the one who will not allow you or your master to take hold of this boy's heart," the individual replied.

"Heh, you certainly have poor timing if you've waited this long," Vanitas stated with a chuckle. "I doubt any supposed power you possess will be of much help with the kid so far sunken in the Darkness."

The being of Light appeared unfazed by Vanitas' threats and instead rose their hand so the palm was facing the Unversed. "Those it is incomplete and my power is not at full strength-" Another beam of Light shot from the newcomer and just as it made contact with Vanitas, they finished "-you nor you master will get the power of The First Keyblade."

Vanitas screamed in pain as the attack pierced him and sent him to the dark corner of Genji's heart. However, the dark being managed to look up at his attacker with an evil gleam as his body began to fade. "You win this round, but know that one way or another, this boy's body will belong to Master Xehanort." With that last remark, Vanitas completely disappeared, though the Darkness he had left behind remained.

With the threat gone for the time being, the supposed guardian of Genji's heart looked down at the portrait of the youth, a smile somehow being seen forming on the protector's lips. "Rest now and give your body and spirit time to heal." The light around the being exploded, enveloping Genji's heart in a bright illumination.

In the realm of reality, the pain washed away from Genji's face as his eyes closed and he collaped to the floor, Arashi screaming and trying to wake his brother.

"May the prophecy come to pass so you may return to us... Xiphos."