Chapter Text
YOU HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED BY POISONED PUPPETS CORBEAU AND HORNET!
Soma turned his back on the group, then clicked his heel on the ground. He snapped his foot back, and sent a lengthy knife flying out from under it. Corbeau caught it without even needing to look, the tanto's blade shining in the falling sunlight. He rushed forward with a rabid lurch, only to be tackled away by Scolipede.
Hornet moved in a much more reserved manner, her legs skittering from side to side as she sized up her opponents. Majima held himself in a crouched stance, while Seth held his shield in front of him. Wireglasses ran with his brush outstretched, only to be caught by her needle's strike.
Only its tip pierced his chest, before she rushed forward and kicked him in the face. He flew back past his allies, and Seth put himself between the Possessed Maiden and his comrade.
"Nyehehe! Now it's getting good!" Majima dashed to Hornet, a purple aura surrounding his body. His Demonfire Dagger clashed with the Hivesteel Needle, and his wild eye met her cold, eyeless mask. She flung her needle around her body, whips of silk cutting at Majima's arms as he blocked his face. He wiped himself with his gloved hands, then ran back in. "Come on, ya can do more than that!"
The pink chain around Hornet's neck glistened, and Pecharunt let out a high shriek behind her. Soma chuckled, raising a cloth to his nose and taking a deep whiff. Spamton broke into raucous laughter, the green worm poking its head out of his to get a good look at the battle.
"The [PROMISED LAND], heheheh!" Spamton looked up at Soma, "We shall soon reach the [Field of Hopes and Dreams] and Everything In-Betweens!"
"That we shall," Soma smirked, "Just watch, puppet. You will see the true might of my strategic capabilities."
Seth was by Majima's side, deflecting pins flung in sets of three from Hornet's cloak. She grabbed a whirling buzzsaw and sent it flying across the ground, nearly slicing Majima's leg in half. It cut through his pants as he dodged it, then quickly dismantled itself and fell to pieces. Seth bashed her with his shield, though she was barely staggered. As Majima thrust his dagger forward, she had once more whipped her storm of silk around herself. They both were pushed back, their heavy breaths in sync. Hornet's breath was as still as ever.
Her needle bobbed and weaved as it sliced through the air, moving in the way a hypnotist's pocket watch would swing. Majima finally landed a hit, by getting her with one of his steel-toed shoes. He now had a pink aura, his stance lower to the ground. He spun on his back, whacking her once more with his outstretched legs.
Hornet tried to steady herself. She could not raise her needle before Scolipede was upon her, slamming Corbeau's body into hers. She stabbed her needle into the ground, catching herself while Corbeau tumbled into the base of a statue. Scolipede glared at Pecharunt, its exoskeleton riddled with slash-marks from its own trainer. It completely ignored the puppets, charging straight for Pecharunt.
"H-H-How strategic are those [capabilities]?" Spamton chuckled, "Looks like you're getting your [pirate's booty] beat!"
"Simple," Soma grabbed Spamton, then ducked out of Scolipede's way. Pecharunt's tiny eyes widened, only to be barreled into at full-force. It flew into the statue of Arceus, breaking one of the stone legs off. Soma then smiled, holding Spamton up and staring him in the eyes. "I need only a distraction. Once in this Promised Land, I will have all the power I need."
"Why of course you will!" Spamton shook joyously, "We will all have our [Hopes and Dreams] fulfilled! I will finally get to the [Promised Land]! I will finally be a REAL BOY-"
Spamton's mouth fell open, his arms going limp. Soma had stabbed an ice pick through the puppet's chest, right where his heart would be. The viper-like man pulled it out, letting Spamton see the sunset for one more second before plunging the pick into his brain. Green ink oozed out of Spamton's mouth, though the worm was completely unbothered. Soma dropped Spamton's body to the ground.
The body shook, and everybody stopped for just a moment. Wireglasses, back on his feet, was now with Seth and Majima, and they still felt outmatched by the Red Maiden. But even she stopped to look at the puppet, her heart shining through the chains for just a moment.
The body shook again, and Spamton arose again. Yet, it was not Spamton at all. It was the worm, its influence over the puppet's soul unimpeded. Its legs broke apart, the chunks connected by the minty green ooze. Its legs extended so it may see Soma eye-to-eye, and its smile widened.
"You have given me a form with which to finally make it," the worm crackled, as though speaking through a telephone, "I can finally make it... to the Promised Land."
"We can," Soma said, "As long as you allow us to. Just the two of us, and none of this rabble."
"Wait!" Seth tried to run at him, but Hornet's needle came between them. He could see her head swivel just a bit, her arm twitching as the chain glowed brighter. He looked past her to Pecharunt, which was currently being tossed around by the enraged Scolipede.
"Yes," the worm-infested puppet held its arm to the side. A portal opened, though all that could be seen within was the endless expanse of space. "The Cat has given me a gift most powerful. Or should I say, he gave it to the foolish puppet. With this, we shall reach the Promised Land."
"Perfect, my friend," Soma smiled, then waved to the group still held back by Hornet, "I'll be seeing you all never again! It truly was awful knowing you all. Except you, of course, my friend."
"I do not deal in friends, human," the telephone said, "I shall be referred to as Commander Tartar, or not at all."
The two stepped through the portal, and then it was gone. Just as it had disappeared, Scolipede let out a sky-shattering screech. Not because it had lost its chance to move deeper within the Chaos, but out of pure adrenaline and a need for revenge.
It grabbed Pecharunt between its horns, and pinned it to the ground. Then, with its horse-like feet, began stomping the relatively tiny Pokémon into the ground. Pecharunt was defenseless, and all it could do was screech back at its assailant. It attempted to shoot a chain around Scolipede's neck, but it could not work against a beast no longer using its mind to think.
"Mochi mochiiii!" Pecharunt screamed, "MOCHICHICHI-"
"SCOLILILI!" Scolipede rose a foot into the air, and slammed it onto Pecharunt's battered body. The once Mythical Pokemon was splattered across the altar, its pink and purple innards mashed into a fine paste. Scolipede rose its head to the sky, and reveled in its first real hunt since the days it caught Ratatta in the grasses of Kanto. It was only a Venipede, back then. "SCOLIPEEEEEDE!"
The chains fell away, and Hornet collapsed to the ground. Corbeau still laid still, though his breathing was steady. Scolipede rushed to its friend, and placed the unconscious man onto its back. Seth likewise grabbed Hornet, though felt so strange in doing so. It felt as though he were holding a Higher Being in his hands, someone who was not to be touched by such a common traveller.
"Ugh..." Wireglasses clutched his chest, still slowly healing from the stab wound, "You over-exaggerated way too much, Seth. We kicked their asses..."
"Almost got 'em all," Majima sighed, "'Cept the crew of horror monsters, of course. How in the shit are we supposed to get to the Third Circle now!?"
"We'll find a way," Seth looked down at Hornet, who actually showed signs of scratches on her, "He just gave up his best possible ally for a smoother passage. Once we find our way, he's done for."
~~~
The Heartless could not stop crying. It sat in the center of the room, hunched so that its hands were below its knees. It felt the pain of every creature in existence, all at once within its brain. It had only one friend, a friend from far away that it could never speak back to. She only ever whispered in its ears. Sometimes in fragments, sometimes in the only language it could understand.
The rabbit isn't coming. You don't have to worry. He's not for you to deal with, anyways. He's my responsibility.
It wanted to beg her to stop. All she could talk about was this rabbit. All she could do was project her pain onto this poor Heartless. It grabbed its hair, and it screamed.
Don't cry, don't cry! Your friend will be here soon! Then your quest will be over. I'll need to wait a lot longer to finish mine...
The Heartless paused. It stood upwards, surveying the pain and heartbreak around it. The Shadows had receded, and it heard a heartbeat. Not its own, but that of its friend. Its good friend. Its best friend.
They're approaching fast. They've come to save you! The Darkness will make you fight them, but as long as you feel that heartbeat you'll be okay. Heh...
The heartbeat grew louder.
This all reminds me of a friend I once had. He loved sitting in dark places. Corners, under covers, in that pillow fort of his...
Footsteps began to ring out. They were six in number, all heading towards it. Its soul hollered in joy, while its Darkness writhed in pain. Its hands became long claws, and its hair became ragged.
You will make it through this, Sora. You will survive. If I couldn't save them, I'll help save you. Then, I can have my revenge.
The second Sora saw them, she had left his mind. They stood ahead, all staring at him in a combination of fear, pity, and determination. A thin woman with a darkened eye, a sort of squid, some fluffy alien with a bandana, a goat in a wizard's robe, and Riku.
"R..." Sora choked, black tears streaming down his face. He grabbed his chest, scratching at his inky skin. "Riku..."
"Sora!" Riku shouted his name, but dared not step forward. He knew what he had to do. Ralsei stood beside him, hands glowing green. "I'm here for you, Sora! We can banish this Darkness together!"
"Riku..." Sora repeated, then leapt forward at insane speeds. His eyes changed from yellow to red, his movements like that of a rabid animal, "RIKUUUUUU!!!"