The Rose and The Mountain: A Kingdom Hearts Story

Chapter 5: Don't Think Twice

     Leon laid in his bed not being able to get a wink of sleep. He was too worried about his home being swallowed by this thing he had very little understanding of. What was “the darkness”? He knew it was bad and it needed to be fought off, but he didn’t know it’s motivations, or why it needed to take over worlds. He was afraid about being taken by this darkness himself. He gets up, Noir had already went to another room to prepare leaving him alone, and walks over to the desk. He takes some materials around him and makes a quick necklace consisting of a few seashells he found on the desk, and his mother’s ring. The only thing left he had of his mother.
     Just as he finished Noir knocks hard and says through the door, “Leon, it’s happening!”
    He knew what that meant. He would have to face his fate. He crams the necklace into his pocket and heads out of his room, not bothering to close the door.
    Leon and Noir make it outside to just what Noir had dreamt a night ago. Leon by her side with his keyblade fighting a sea of darkness with the world devouring orb looming above them.
    “Noir watch out!” Leon yells as a Neoshadow jumps at Noir, but she was prepared this time. She hits it, destroying it and focuses.
    She then points her keyblade at the wave of heartless and screams out, “BLIZZAZA!” A large star shaped chunk off ice materialises and shoots out the end of her keyblade, the jagged edged killing heartless on the way down the row before it hits a fat body and immediately freezes it solid.
    Leon looks at the new opening and nods leading Ansem and Noir down the path, fending off the heartless that try to fill the space. Soon they make it to a main street which, with the wider streets made it easier to walk through as heartless didn’t fill it edge to edge. That didn’t stop them from seeing horrors though as massive heartless, about half the size of skyscrapers with large heart shaped cut outs in their chest, were also taking as much as they could. Some were reaching into buildings to crush the people inside, others were tearing down skyscrapers, some were on their hands and knees with their right arm shoulder deep in the ground, the pool of darkness around the area giving spawn to new heartless, and some were on their knees shooting magic balls from their chest that filled the red and black orb in the sky.
    “Leon, to town square! Hurry!” Ansem instructed casting a spell that left a trail for people to follow.
    “Watch for the Darksides! They are very strong!” Noir warns
    They press forwards approaching a Darkside who was spawning more heartless. It’s hand raises out of the ground when it’s glowing yellow eyes focus on them. It stands back up and raises it’s arm. Suddenly it brings it down with great force trying to crush the group but Leon sees this coming and stop holding his keyblade upwards in a defensive position. It makes contact with the blade and the ground under Leon cracks from the pressure exerted onto Leon. He strains to hold it as Noir and Ansem get through. Noir turns to help Leon but before she could react it closes it’s hand grabbing Leon entirely and lifting him up. The left hand comes over and grips the wrist that held Leon as it raised him up, then with a small burst of light it’s right hand starts to disintegrate into nothing leaving Leon to freefall back to Earth. Noir swings around and tosses her keyblade in the air, changing it into her hoverbike and catching Leon before bringing him safely back down to the ground.
    “You’re using the power of light Leon. Great job!” Noir praises him
    “We can deal with that later. Come on,” Ansem interjects before Leon could answer
    After a little longer they make it to town square. Ansem goes to a big hoop in the middle and flips a switch on the side, it sparks a bit before turning on, it rips open a colorful portal before holding steady, just in time for the wave of innocent citizens that were flocking with the group. They all start going into the portal, but heartless trail close behind the people. Leon looks at Noir just as she looks back. They nod in silent agreement and rush forwards to hold the line.
    They move forwards and keep the people moving to the portal. Noir swings her blade destroying a lowly shadow when she says, “Leon, I want you to have something.”
    Leon glances at Noir and says, “Do you really think this is a good time?”
    “Yes. There won’t be another time after this.”
    “What is it?”
    Noir casts a Firaga and then quickly reaches into her pocket and tosses Leon the wayfinder that was her lucky charm. Leon catches it and says, “This is your lucky charm.”
    “Yeah now it’s yours. Don’t forget me when you go into the dark realm. I’ll be rooting for you all the way back, and I will get you back to the light,” Noir responds, she’s come to terms with the fact that it would be better for Leon to enter the dark realm than her.
    “I have something for you too,” Leon states
    “What?”
    Leon pulls the necklace he made out of his pocket and tosses it to Noir.
    “It’s time to go Noir,” Ansem exclaims as the last person enters the portal.
    Noir pushes the necklace in her pocket before rushing back to the portal. Ansem enters the portal then Noir. Leon watches as she disappears into the portal and once she was completely gone he raises his keyblade in the air. For a few moments nothing happen. Then the very tip gains a small beam of light and the portal slowly closes just as the world devouring orb comes crashing to the ground.