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Kingdom Hearts: Dark Dawn	By : RotSeele Category: Kingdom Hearts > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 3169 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I do not make any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Fourteen - Beast’s Castle

Kaoru met Gaston’s charge with a strong throw of Guardian. The Keyblade spun hilt over blade and struck the monster’s shoulder with two of the prongs at the tip of the blade. Gaston howled in pain as the Keyblade dug into his skin, but he kept charging Kaoru. A searing heat flashed by Kaoru’s ear and then a fireball blossomed against Gaston’s chest, sending him flying backwards toward the end of the bridge. Guardian came back to Kaoru’s hand and he ran forward, intending to take advantage of Gaston’s momentary stillness. Guardian flashed up and down, left and right, scoring hit after hit and ripping away the darkness from the man’s flesh. The young Keyblade wielder dodged claws aimed for his throat and body, though he caught glancing blows here and there. Those were quickly healed by Rinally, and Kaoru managed to figure out that if he twisted his body a certain way when he couldn’t completely avoid the counterattack he could catch the blow on his armor. The prismatic and silver metal seemed to work just as well as Guardian did in driving away the darkness from Gaston, but for all the darkness Kaoru and Guardian drove away, even more seemed to take its place. It seemed like a futile fight, a constant ebb and flow of light and darkness, and darkness seemed to be winning.
Kaoru spun low beneath Gaston’s swipe to his head, then came back up to drive the length of his Keyblade into the monster’s back. Gaston stumbled forward and almost collapsed to his hands and knees, but he caught himself and whirled to face Kaoru. The young Keyblade wielder was following through with another attack, striking down hard on Gaston’s head to try and lay him low. He was forced to retreat as sharp claws swung in for his vulnerable side, Guardian coming between them to try and fend off the attack. From behind his enemy, Kaoru saw the Beast rushing forward. Rinally, too, was firing off a Fira spell. The flames sped past the Beast’s head and crashed into Gaston’s back, wreathing him in an inferno of orange and yellow. He howled, arching to try and extinguish the flames, but that only allowed the Beast to attack without fear of being countered. The Beast’s claws swiped left and right across Gaston’s back, shredding blackened flesh but otherwise doing nothing to stop the berserker that once had been human.
The Beast was forced to retreat, snarling angrily as Gaston turned to attack him. Kaoru threw Guardian as hard as he could, and the Keyblade crashed into the back of Gaston’s head. The monster crumpled face-first to the ground, stunned but not unconscious. Guardian came back to Kaoru’s hand and he charged forward, taking the opportunity before him to attack in a series of hard blows to Gaston’s back. More darkness sloughed off, turning into motes before it touched the ground. Beneath the roiling darkness, Kaoru could see the faint light growing stronger. Yet there was still a pitch black nexus of pure darkness around the rod that was lodged firmly in Gaston’s arm.
This will go on forever if I can’t get that out of him. Kaoru thought, taking a spare minute to catch his breath. But how? How can I get it out of him without killing him?
Suddenly, Kaoru found himself on the defensive, jumping backwards to avoid the quick thrashing swipes Gaston aimed for his chest. Rinally tried to help, firing spell after spell at Gaston’s back. It seemed, though, that none of the spells she slung seemed to bother Gaston much. Kaoru wasn’t sure if he was ignoring them or if he didn’t even feel them. Even the Beast couldn’t turn Gaston’s attention away from Kaoru except for the briefest moments.
I won’t be able to keep this up much longer. Kaoru swallowed hard and jumped back to avoid a lunge. His arms were starting to ache and his legs burned. His throat felt parched and his breath was coming in short gasps. Gaston always seemed full of energy and his attacks were coming faster and faster.
Deciding he could either stay on the retreat forever or take the initiative, Kaoru decided to take the initiative. He flipped Guardian around so that the Keyblade was in a reverse grip, then charged forward. He ducked under Gaston’s swipe, getting within the monster’s guard and attacking when he did so. Instead of aiming for the obvious target of Gaston’s torso, Kaoru aimed for Gaston’s elbow. With Guardian held in the reverse grip, Kaoru was able to swing it up and connect the cylindrical part of the Keyblade with the joint. There was a sickening crack and a bloodcurdling howl, and Gaston was jumping back away from Kaoru, who followed through with his strike and flipped Guardian around to its normal grip. That allowed Kaoru to strike quickly again, this time using the sharp prongs of Guardian’s “blade” to dig into the skin of Gaston’s broken arm.
As Gaston howled and pulled away, Guardian ripped at the darkness coating the monster’s skin, tearing open a great rift between the man’s flesh and the jet black coat upon it. Kaoru switched Guardian’s hilt to his left hand and reached out with his armored right hand as he pulled Guardian backwards. As the darkness stretched, Kaoru grasped the darkness with his right hand tightly just above his Keyblade’s tip. He grit his teeth as a sudden pain lanced up his arm, even through his armor, but he focused on that prismatic light that filled the gauntlet and wrapped the darkness tighter around his hand. Then he pulled as hard as he could, both with his left hand and Guardian and his armored right hand.
Light flared bright as Kaoru and Gaston fought each other in a battle of wills. The darkness within Gaston threatened to consume Kaoru. Faintly he could hear Rinally crying his name, the Beast roaring, but Kaoru shut them out, trying to focus on his task. Even though Gaston was a selfish and conceited person, he wasn’t evil. He was being used by the darkness in his heart, the darkness that had festered and grew all because Gaston believed he hadn’t gotten what he deserved. There wasn’t anything Kaoru could do to fix the man’s disposition, and Kaoru knew that all too well, but the only thing he could do was excise the festering darkness and hope that once Gaston was free, he would be able to change on his own.
Kaoru sucked in a breath as he felt the darkness trying to overwhelm him as Gaston’s thrashings became more violent. He planted his feet as best he could and held on, refusing to close his eyes. Light and darkness are two sides of the same coin. There won’t be darkness without light. But everything has to be in balance, right? I can’t give up now. I can’t! I’ve come this far.
But Kaoru felt his knees buckle and the darkness in his grip flowed up and over his arm, cutting off the glow of the prismatic light filling his armor. Gaston stopped thrashing then and his yellow eyes focused on the young Keyblade wielder. His lips parted to display sharp teeth in a macabre grin, as if he could sense the boy’s weakness.
“Kaoru! Rise and fight! Use the light inside you! The two may have to be in balance to coexist, but the light will always be the vanguard for the darkness! Don’t let the darkness consume you!”
Belle.
Belle’s voice. Kaoru wasn’t sure when he had closed his eyes, but he forced them open now, and could see Belle standing in the doorway of the castle, flanked by the Beast and Rinally. Belle was glowing with bright, pure light. He could still make out her general shape, but otherwise she was completely consumed by the bright white glow that only a Princess of Heart could have. Her voice also seemed to cut through whatever psychotic haze Gaston was under, for he stopped advancing on Kaoru and pivoted to face Belle.
Gaston let out a bellow that sounded like Belle’s name and started to advance. She didn’t move, not even when the Beast and Rin tried to get her to go back inside the castle. Belle just stared determinedly at Kaoru. She believed in him.
Giving a soft cry that was part frustration and part rage, Kaoru struggled to his feet. He strengthened his hold both on the darkness that was already consuming his right arm and dug in his heels, throwing all of his weight backwards to try and keep Gaston from moving forward. It was futile; little by little, on strength and determination alone, Gaston was inexorably pulling him forward. Kaoru reversed his grip on Guardian and swung the Keyblade forward, toward Gaston’s arm where the black rod had been forced in. Guardian sank into the darkness, latching on as its prongs got caught in the black mass covering Gaston. Then Kaoru let go of the darkness he held with his right hand and angled his body away from Gaston.
I won’t give up! I can’t give up! Kaoru thought, gritting his teeth. I have to stop him! I have to protect Belle and Rin and the Beast! I have to survive! I have to find Hiromu and Tae! I have to find Sora!
Power filled him then, warm and bright, and at first Kaoru didn’t know what to do with it. He stopped thinking and let instinct guide him. The prismatic glow of his armor began to brighten even through the darkness and Gaston let out a pitiable howl as if he were in true pain. The monster stopped surging forward to twist back and face Kaoru. This time Kaoru didn’t hesitate; he released Guardian with his left hand, wrenched his right free of the darkness to grip his Keyblade’s hilt, and focused on infusing the golden light into Guardian’s blade. The Keyblade began to glow as if with an inner heat, and the darkness began to bubble before it released jets of black colored steam. Gaston bellowed and struck for Kaoru’s head, his other arm moving in an unavoidable blur.
Or it would have been unavoidable, if Kaoru hadn’t suddenly surged forward into Gaston’s reach, grabbing Guardian’s hilt with his left hand just below his right. He pulled back on his Keyblade as hard as he could, pulling the darkness clear of Gaston’s arm and the wound there. He released Guardian’s hilt with his right hand and cupped it, palm up. The light surging in Guardian’s blade arced out into his palm, growing brighter and brighter and sending motes into the air that mingled with the black steam and dissipated it. Gaston roared and tried to strike Kaoru again, but he dodged the blow and grabbed Gaston’s wounded arm with his glowing right hand.
“Cascade!” Kaoru shouted, releasing Gaston’s arm at the same time he flung Guardian skyward, releasing the spell of light at the same time.
When Guardian reached its apex, the golden glow infusing the Keyblade burst from the weapon in a great cloud. The motes changed from ephemeral dust to a shimmering rain, pelting the area below with prismatic drops. Where the rain hit the darkness covering Gaston’s body, black steam rose, and he began to claw at his face, chest, arms, anything he could reach as the darkness began to slough off under the rain. He clawed at his arm, where the wounds seemed to stand out in prominent relief. Kaoru rushed through the rain to grab Gaston’s arm and pull him to the ground, struggling with the man’s darkness-empowered strength to keep him down. Kaoru reached for the open wound, made worse by Gaston’s clawing. As the prismatic rain hit the wound, the flesh began to glow and ripple, as if it was healing, and the black rod that had been forced into the wound began to slowly work its way out.
Kaoru grabbed the rod with his armored hand and pulled. Gaston let out a guttural howl and thrashed against Kaoru, throwing the Keyblade wielder this way and that. Kaoru held on stubbornly, clenching his teeth as he fought to pull the black rod out of the man. Gaston finally seemed to focus on Kaoru then, his lips splitting into a feral grin as he realized how close Kaoru actually was to him. The prismatic rain of Cascade was finally tapering off, leaving Kaoru vulnerable for retaliation. Being so close to his enemy, Kaoru knew that if he didn’t do something fast, he would be killed.
As Gaston pulled his weight back to attack, Kaoru tightened his hold on the black rod and threw his weight backwards, opposite his enemy. The strain between the two opposing forces proved too much for both of them, and Kaoru and Gaston both fell backwards. Gaston hit the ground in a pile of limbs, howling as the darkness covering his skin began to slough off in great chunks. Kaoru hit the ground on his back, somehow managing not to brain himself on the ground as he used the momentum to roll himself away from Gaston. In his right hand, he gripped the black rod.
Kaoru came to his knees, turning to face Gaston. The prismatic light that his armor glowed with seemed to dim as the black rod in his hand suddenly grew hot. Kaoru yelped and dropped it, watching with wide eyes as the rod began to smoke before it slowly melted into a pile of goo. A groan made him wrench his eyes away from the goo and back to Gaston, Guardian held tight in his right hand once more. It was a reflexive move, preparing himself for another fight. Kaoru didn’t have to worry about continuing the fight, though, as Gaston was lying half-naked curled in a fetal position, eyes closed tight as if he were in incredible pain. There was no way he was getting back up to fight.
Kaoru slowly got to his feet. The manifestation of darkness in a person... does it really turn you into a monster like that? Or was it just because that rod forced the darkness to become abundant enough to force a transformation? He didn’t have any answers to his questions, and he wasn’t sure he would find them any time soon. He released Guardian and his armor and immediately doubled over, bracing his hands on his knees as the adrenaline filling his system at last began to abate.
“Kaoru!”
He looked up to see Rinally running toward him. She skirted Gaston and caught him in a tight hug, supporting him as much as celebrating his victory. Kaoru hugged her back, looking over her shoulder toward the Beast and Belle. The two of them were talking in hushed tones by the door, and Belle glanced toward the prone form of Gaston on the ground. The Beast followed her gaze. His lips lifted in a growl, but he didn’t seem to be arguing with her on whatever point she was making. Then his view of them was obscured as Rin’s face filled his vision, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
“I was so worried about you!” Rinally cried, giving him a little shake. “What were you thinking? Rushing in alone like that! I thought you were going to be killed!”
Despite himself, Kaoru felt a smile tug at his lips. “Sorry. I won’t do it again.”
Rin narrowed her eyes at him and punched him in the shoulder lightly. “Of course you will. And next time, I’ll be right beside you. I can fight too, you know.”
Kaoru smiled wider. “I know.”
The two teenagers looked up as Belle and the Beast approached them. The Beast kept Belle as far away from the prone Gaston as he could, despite the man having mercifully fallen unconscious. Belle didn’t seem to mind her husband’s over-protectiveness one bit, instead smiling brightly at Kaoru and Rin. In her arms were the packs she had given to them earlier, and neither Kaoru nor Rin could figure out how she had gotten them so fast, at least until they looked at the front door of the castle and saw Chip bouncing there, as if he were trying to be noticed.
“Don’t worry about him,” the Beast said as they reached Kaoru and Rin, jerking his elbow toward Gaston. “We’ll make sure he gets back to town safely.”
Belle set the packs down and reached out to put her hands on Kaoru and Rin’s shoulders, giving them each a tight squeeze. “You two were very brave. Especially you, Kaoru. You saved Gaston’s life and kept him from being consumed by darkness. How you did it...” She shook her head. “This darkness doesn’t seem to consume only the heart, but the body as well. Once both are gone, there’s no going back.”
“That cloaked guy,” Kaoru said, “he’s got to have the answers. But I bet he’s long gone by now.”
“Most likely.” The Beast answered. “You’ll have to continue your journey if you want to find him, his organization, and what they want.”
“I doubt we’ll have any more trouble from them,” Belle added, “but we’ll keep an eye out all the same. We’ll be able to defend ourselves from the minor Heartless that are left here, so don’t worry about us.” She drew Kaoru first into a tight hug, then Rinally. “I know you’re tired, but you have to continue on. If Sora comes here, I’ll tell him what’s happened, and I’ll let him know you’re looking for him.”
Kaoru nodded. “If we can run into him sooner rather than later it would be nice. Just be careful. That guy might come back.”
The Beast’s lips lifted in a soft snarl. “We’ll be ready, if he does.”
Belle picked up the packs and handed them to Kaoru and Rin. “I asked Chip to make sure these were ready for you. There’s food, clothes, and other supplies you might need. I don’t know where you’ll end up next, but you definitely might need to blend in. Some worlds haven’t been touched yet by outsiders, and they won’t know how to react to them. Or magic. Or Keyblades.”
Kaoru and Rinally shouldered the packs, nodding at Belle’s words. Kaoru looked up at her and smiled. “We’ll be okay. We’ll figure something out.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him.” Rin said, giving Kaoru’s shoulder a nudge. Then she turned, starting to head away from them. Kaoru smiled, then hurried after her, waving back to Belle and the Beast until they had disappeared from view.
“Hey, Kaoru,” Rin started.
“Yeah?”
“How are we going to get off this world?”
“Um...”
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- 15
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Kingdom Hearts: Dark Dawn