Chapter 21 - The Final Test

The Final Test: The First Key Bearer Emerges


Once again the day passed with Thundro pushing the key bearers harder than ever before. But by this time, Riku and Sora had reached the end of their regimen and were by this time used to the strain. They battled with lightning fast reflexes in ten times the natural gravity. Their senses had been heightened to a new level. After enduring the equivalence of two years, undergoing a hellish surrounding, which nearly ended their lives, in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the key bearers had achieved a level of training that would have otherwise taken them several extended lifetimes for them to accomplish.
Thundro smiled as he watched his two students spar with great ferocity before his eyes.
“To think,” he thought to himself. “Just three weeks ago, those two couldn’t even hope of moving in three to five times the natural gravity level. Now here, there are battling at immense speed at ten times the natural gravity. I have to hand it to them. They’ve come a long way, from cocky novices to battle hardened warriors. In the end, my harsh regimen and ruthless attitude toughened those boys up. That, as well as their will to continue.”
“Is that all you’ve got, Sora?” he heard Riku shout. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up already!”
“In your dreams, Riku!” Sora shouted as he lunged at his friend. The two grappled their keyblades in an interlocking skirmish.
“Had they not been worthy enough,” Thundro continued to speak in his mind, “They would have died on that first trial battle against me.” He checked his watch. The time was 6:00 p.m. on the dot.
“Boys,” he shouted, “Bring it in!”
“Bring it in?” Sora asked.
“Already…?” Riku added. They rushed to Thundro. “What’s the deal? It seems way too early than usual.”
“This is the final day of training, boys. It was in fact a day in which I wasn’t planning on instructing you. So you might say I am impressed that you decided to continue your training.”-
“Well…” Sora uttered with a sheepish grin.
“To the point, you’ll have to rest your bodies for the final test tomorrow.”-
“Final test?” the key bearers were curious.
“What do you mean?” Riku asked.
“You mean like a written exam?” Sora asked, a little apprehensive. Sweat suddenly dripped from his forehead. “Just to let you know, I really suck at final exams. Like that time I had to do a midterm exam for my Philosophy class about Descartes and Hume and…”
“There’s nothing to be so fidgety about, Sora.” Thundro interrupted. “This will not be a written exam. This will be one last spar.”
“A spar…?” Sora sighed. “Well, I’m good at that.”
“You two do recall when you took the trial battle to be accepted as students under me. Consider this your graduation battle.”-
“Alright…!” Riku said.
“So we’ll adjourn early tonight so you two can get a good night’s rest.” Thundro turned away. “I shall retire to my quarters then.”
“Alright then,” Sora replied. “Good night, sir.”
The peace of the night came again and the key bearers enjoyed their final night at the facility. Sora lay in his bed, looking around at their tight little nook. For some reason, he felt a bit nostalgic. Riku had finished showering and was now drying himself off. He emerged from the bathroom in his black boxer-briefs and a towel over his shoulders. As he reached for his jeans that lay neatly on his bed, he looked at Sora who seemed to stare aimlessly at the ceiling.
“Are you alright, Sora?” he asked.
“I’m just thinking.” Sora replied
“About what…?”-
“About our time in here…”-
“It wasn’t very often.”-
“Yeah I know, but it seems like only yesterday we came here.”-
“I know what you mean.” Riku buttoned and zipped up the front of his pants and just sat on the bed shirtless. “We gained a lot in Thundro’s training regimen. We’ve become more balanced in our fighting technique and our strength has increased to a level I never thought possible.” There was a moment’s pause between the key bearers. Then Sora turned his head to look at his friend.
“Hey Riku,” he said.
“Yeah…?”-
“Do you think that training with Thundro had made our friendship stronger?”-
“We’ve had our differences in those times, Sora. At times we would argue and end up fighting each other. But in the end we made up. So yeah, I think our friendship has tightened.”-
“He sure is a hard task master at times.” Sora sat up on his bed and lay his feet over the edge onto the cold ground. “So you think we’re ready for the fight against Saber?” Riku smiled and shifted himself from his bed next to Sora. He put his arm around him.
“To tell you the truth,” Riku uttered. “I really don’t care.”-
“You don’t…?”-
“Not right now anyway.”-
“Well, what do you care about right now?”-
“This…!” Riku suddenly threw his arm around Sora’s neck and began to give him a hair ruffling noogie on the top of his cranium. Sora struggled to get out of his friend’s grasp. They ended up rolling off the bed and onto the floor. Then Sora managed to get himself over Riku and straddle him. He pinned both of his arms down.
“Do you give, Riku…?”-
“Not a chance…!” Riku struggled, kicking his legs about, hoping to turn himself over. But Sora was relentless this time.
“Not so funny with the bottom rail on top now is it?! Do you give up?!”-
“Not yet…!”-
“You can’t win this time, Riku! There’s no space for you to roll over to.”-
Riku continued to thrash about before realizing that it was useless. He smiled and laughed.
“Okay Sora,” he said. “I give…”

Night quickly passed as soon as it had started and the key bearers once again found themselves standing before the mighty Lord Thundro. This time, the trio assembled at the place by the waterfall where their preliminary battle had commenced three weeks before.
“Boys,” Thundro declared, “It has been an honor to train worthy young warriors like you. I commend you for making it this far, surviving the harshness and enduring the cruelty. Your spirits have been toughened and your bodies have been forged with new armor. Your minds have gained a great deal of knowledge both on the battlefield and within your own philosophies. Therefore, the final test shall commence.”
“Right,” the key bearers replied.
“Boys, this will not be a duel. This will be a bout. Do not hold back under any circumstance.”-
“So there’s no holds barred?” Sora asked.
“In the fight against Saber, do not expect anything similar to a duel. He will not fight by restricted standards. He will do all in his power to kill, especially with the grudge he bears against you. Thus, I will not hold back either. But remember your training and the lessons you have learned and you will not fail. I guarantee it.”-
“Understood,” Riku replied.
“Key bearers, I salute you. Now let us begin!”-
The key bearers drew out their weapons. But to their surprise, Thundro was not armed. He did not bear the sheaths of his twin swords which he had used to battle them time after time again.
“Aren’t you going to use a weapon?” Sora asked.
“I intend on using a weapon.” Thundro replied. “But I will not regress to deploying my twin blades for this particular battle. Instead…” Thundro drew his hands out. There was a sudden flash of light. And appearing in his hands were the weapons he would bear into battle. “I’ll use these.”
To the surprise and shock of the key bearers, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
“It can’t be…” Sora uttered. “Those are…are…?”
“Keyblades…” Riku added with a waver. “Two of them…”
“But if Thundro has keyblades, that means he’s a…”-
“He’s a key bearer too…”-
“I was hoping for that reaction, boys. Behold my weapons of choice! Laevateinn and Mjollnir…”-
“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Riku shouted. “Since when were you going to tell us that you were a key bearer…!”
“Not just any key bearer, Noctin Tilandir, but the key bearer, the first key bearer who ever existed. I am the first to wield the power of the keyblades.”-
“No way…” Sora said, all astounded.
“These were the first ever forged, weapons descending from the Norse Pantheon.” He first introduced the keyblade in his right hand, a magnificent piece of art as ever there was. Consisting of silver and mother of pearl, the keyblade was slick and curved and its hilt circular with precious stones evenly spread on its outer border. The shaft was like a tri-bladed sword with its triple shafts. And for the head, what could only be described as the head of a mallet completed the entourage in such splendor and power.
“On my right,” Thundro explained, “I bear the mighty hammer of justice, once wielded by Thor the legendary god of thunder, Mjollnir!” He then pointed to the second keyblade. It was a double-shaft keyblade with a moon crest as both head and hilt. Its design was emerald embedded with gold with a forged ring dangling as its chain. “And born in my left hand, I wield the mythical and mystical Laevateinn, forged from Draupnir, the ring of power by Loki, the great trickster god. These are the originals, the first forerunners of the keys of hearts, the very first keyblades.”
“The first keyblades…” Sora was astounded. “Who would have thought?”
“So you intend to fight us with those then?” Riku asked.
“That is correct.” Thundro took his stance. “And I will show no compassion this time. I will battle with the full extent of my heart and soul, with all the passion I have ever experienced in the midst of battle. The new keyblade masters versus the first keyblade master. Let this battle commence!”
Thundro made no further hesitation and charged. The key bearers were stunned as their instructor lashed out with such ruthless violence. He slashed and swiped with incredible accuracy. For the first couple of minutes, the key bearers were not able to make sense of how to react.
“Hey, take it easy will you?!” Riku demanded.
“Are you getting soft already? And after all that trouble I went though getting you ready for this moment?!” Thundro suddenly began to deploy his teleportation technique, attacking from all directions. The key bearers quickly engaged, going on the offensive, evading and dodging as best they could. But Thundro was too fast and at times, he would nearly cut them, tearing at their clothing instead. “If you fight like this against me, you’ll never be a match for Saber!”
“He’s attacking us as if he really wants to kill us.” Sora said.
“I think that’s what he’s planning to do!” Riku replied.
“But isn’t this going a little too far?!”-
“C’mon Sora, you should be used to this by now!” Riku put up a defense. But as the impact of Thundro’s keyblades hit his own, it was clear that Thundro was not going to limit himself in his power or his bloodlust. “But then again, I really haven’t gotten used to this either.”
“I intend to kill you, boys!” Thundro declared. “If you hesitate, you will die! Throw aside the bond you forged with me these passed three weeks and attack and hinder me as if I were Saber himself! I will give no mercy. Therefore I will expect no mercy in return! Only when the critical death blow has been given will this battle stop!”
“But I thought this was just a spar!” Sora said.
“That’s not open for discussion at the present moment is it?! Had I told you it was a bout of life and death, you wouldn’t have agreed to it! Now you have no choice, but to fight!” Thundro lunged, preparing to strike the youth between the eyes. Sora dodged just as Laevateinn streaked by. There was a painful sting on his right cheek. Sora looked to see a few red droplets flying in front of his eyes. He tumbled to the ground and quickly jumped back to his feet. He felt his cheek and sensed a wet substance smearing. Gazing at his hand, he realized that he had been given a deep cut.
“Thundro…”-
“That is the extent of my word, Sora. You will fight and survive this last battle, or you will die!” Thundro attacked him head on again, not giving him a chance to breathe. But then from out of nowhere, Riku appeared in defense of his friend and blocked the incoming weapons.
“Riku…!”-
“Are you alright, Sora?” Riku asked.
“I’m fine…” Riku then glared at Thundro as their keyblades ground against each other, forcing sparks to flare.
“Why are you doing this, Thundro? Why are you trying to kill us after all the trouble you went through training us?!”-
“I have taught you all that you need to know! I have given you all the things necessary to fight Saber, spare for two things, a lesson and a second item. The final lesson is this,” Thundro’s eyes had changed. They looked ruthless, cold and emotionless like a doll’s eyes. His pupils had grown small indicating that his mind was only focused on one thing, the death of his pupils. “The sensation left for you to experience is death…”
“Death…?”-
“If you are not ready to kill, then you better be ready to die!” The lock between the key bearers ended and Thundro and Riku pushed themselves away. “Saber will show no mercy to you! Think of this as your first step towards battling him! It’s a step which you must survive!”
“I see,” Riku took his stance. “Unless we kill, we’ll be killed! But that’s already a concept we know! We killed when we had to!”
“That’s not the entirety of the point I’m making.”-
“Then what the point you’re trying to make?” Sora asked.
“If you must kill, then you do it without interference from your consciousness!” Thundro attacked again. “You see an opening and you take it on the first shot!” The trio clashed again. Tightly in their agility and speed, they clustered in a ball. Streaks and flashes of light and the clash of thunder reverberated as the key bearers engaged. “I know your tactics. I have heard of your technique to dispense with bothersome foes. You maim them out of commission, to the point where they are incapable of retaliating. Or you use your elemental attacks or your summoning spells to either immobilize them or render them unconscious, anything to avoid having to needlessly take the life of another. Well, Saber will not have it! If he gets the chance, he will exploit that void in your hearts and use it to his advantage. You might not be willing to needlessly take life, but he’s willing to do that no matter what! He is willing to do anything, so long as it guarantees the deaths of the ones responsible for taking the life of his cousin.”
“That’s right.” Riku thought to himself, remembering the grudge behind Saber’s actions. “He’s fighting for revenge. So he won’t be satisfied until both Sora and I are dead.”
“Now you realize the predicament. Saber’s philosophy on dedication and revenge are absolute. Unlike most, he will not throw aside his own desires for the sake of an enemy’s words. So negotiations will not avail against him. He has sworn to kill you two and there’s nothing to persuade him otherwise.”-
“But that’s Saber we’re talking about!” Sora shouted as he evaded and blocked another attack. “Why are you being so ruthless…?!”-
“I want to see if you have it in you to kill without hesitation and without concern or pity for the life and fate of your enemy! That is all that concerns me!” Thundro lunged again and again and again, forcing the key bearers to keep up their efforts to evade and block. “Besides, I myself have a grudge against you.”
“A grudge against us…?” Riku asked.
“But what did we ever do to you?!” Sora demanded.
“The one thing I never hoped would have to happen.” Thundro declared, “Having to pit one set of pupils against the other. I detest the sight of seeing young individuals I have trained battling against each other, and would like that to be avoided at all costs. And since Saber is nowhere to be found at the present moment for me to slay, I’ll have to dispense with my other pupils!”
“So, that’s all it was to you, a waste of time?! You took three weeks to train us and you got us in top condition! And for what, so you could kill us yourself?!”-
“The real question is, Sora, did you waste your own time?!”-
Thundro charged again, swiping away at the key bearers. Despite the clear motives of the Imperial, the key bearers were still reluctant to hinder him. But as the battle dragged on, Riku and Sora came to the conclusion that there was no other option. They either had to kill Thundro or die at his hand.
“We have no choice.” Riku said. “We have to kill Thundro.”
“But Riku…” Sora uttered.
“He is still an Imperial at heart after all. At least we can allow him to die the honorable death of an Imperial.”-
“Yeah…I guess…”_
“Then let’s do this…for our friends…”_
“Yeah…!”
The tables suddenly turned. This time, Riku and Sora went on the offensive and attacked Thundro with all their might. They cared not for hindering him this time as they now knew the importance of this final fight to the death. They no longer looked at Thundro as a master and teacher, but rather a sworn enemy who had come to take their lives. Thundro took up the defense as the youths descended upon him with incredible gusto and ferocity. Despite the danger he had put himself and the key bearers in, he only smiled.
“That’s the way boys.” He said. “Show me what you’re made of!” He deployed elemental attacks at the key bearers. At first, the key bearers didn’t dare throw themselves into the bursts of fire or wind, or the upheaval of earth. They could still feel the chill and heat of ice and flame and their faith in the Immunity Orb seemed to diminish quickly.
“I thought the Immunity orb was supposed to help us fend off different elements.” Sora said. “Then how come I can still feel the heat and the chill sting me?!”
“Maybe it’s just a phase.” Riku replied.
“Are you willing to chance that?” Just then as Sora evaded another wind attack, He saw Thundro before him.
“Let’s give it a little experiment shall we?” He unleashed a massive twister encompassed by fire and ice, a technique similarly used by his two pupils. Sora was overwhelmed by the fire and wind and ice.
“Sora,” Riku cried, fearing for his friend. But as he observed, he realized that Sora was not at all hindered. In fact he was not at all wavered. The wind, the intense flames, and the frozen chill had no effects on his body. Despite the devastation that happened around him, Sora was unmolested as if he were taking a leisurely stroll in the park. He looked at himself, seeing the elements just bounce off of him.
“Wow…” the young key bearer uttered. Riku was amazed.
“So the Orb does work.” He said.
“Excellent…” Thundro chuckled in his mind. “The orb has fully integrated into Sora’s body.”
“Well, Thundro,” Sora chuckled. “It looks like you can’t use elemental attacks against us anymore.”
“We’ve gained a strong asset thanks to you.” Riku added. The key bearers attacked again. Thundro unleashed a barrage of fire at both key bearers, but again no effect occurred and the youths were not halted in their advance. “Let’s see if you like a bit of the same!”
“Flaming Funnel,” Sora shouted. He and Riku deployed their combination attack and the column of fire engulfed the Imperial. But to their surprise, Thundro was unharmed.
“You’ll have to do better than that.” He declared.
“No way, he has the Immunity Orb too?”-
“Who do you think forged the idea?”-
“That explains it then.” Riku said. Both sides stood upon the charred ground fifty yards or more away from each other.
“So I guess elementals don’t work on either of us.” Sora declared. “I guess in this case, it’s strictly hand to hand combat with out keyblades.
“Not necessarily,” Thundro chuckled. “I still have a few aces up my sleeve. I think you’ll enjoy this little technique!” Thundro then raised Laevateinn as if he were ready to strike his opponents. The key bearers were confused.
“What the heck is he doing?” Riku wondered.
“Is he trying to strike at us all the way from there?” Sora added.
But rate reared its ugly head as suddenly, the keyblade suddenly spiraled upward into a chain of keyblades, securely linked to one another.
“Laevateinn Transformation number one,” Thundro shouted, “Keyblade Whip!”
He lashed his weapon towards the key bearers. The tip of this new weapon reached all the way to the key bearers. Riku and Sora were still shocked at what they saw. Only at the last moment did they evade. The tip of the whip cut through the ground where they were previously standing. The moment the crack was emitted, the lash was retracted and once again regressed into one keyblade.
“What the heck was that?” Sora was all astounded. “I’ve never seen a keyblade do that.”
“What kind of keyblade is it?” Riku asked.
“That was the first transformation of Laevateinn.” Thundro declared. “It’s called the Keyblade Whip.”
“But how can that be?” Sora said. “How can a keyblade transform like that?”
“It just goes to show you that these two are the prototypes of the keyblades that followed. These keyblades, unlike most, contain incredible power. Power matched to the gods they were wielded by. Loki was the Great Trickster God as well as shape shifter, which meant he could transform himself into anything he desired. If that was true for Loki, why not do it to the keyblade as well?”-
“Incredible…”-
“And with Laevateinn, with the help of Mjollnir, I will assure your destruction!” Thundro then raised Mjollnir above his head. “Now let us continue!”
An electric surge accumulated upon the head of Mjollnir, causing the foundations of land to shake.
“That light,” Sora said in awe, “What is that?”
“It’s an electrical surge.” Riku replied. “But I wouldn’t worry. We have the Immunity Orb in our favor. That electricity can’t hurt us.”
“Sound your roar, mighty hammer of justice!” Thundro cried. He pounded the keyblade upon the ground and the high voltage mass surged towards the duo with a booming rumble, shattering the soil in its path.
“I’ve been known to be wrong sometimes though.” Riku was having second thoughts. At the last minute, the youths dodged the attack, but it was too late, the surge erupted, exploding in a scattering and sonic boom which blew them away. They tumbled upon the ground with debris falling upon their heads.
“This can’t be.” Sora uttered. “I thought we could withstand any kind of elemental attack.”
“You can withstand any elemental attack.” Thundro replied. “But Mjollnir is another story. Since it was forged to eradicate an enemy with one mighty blow, no force can withstand its power. The only way to truly withstand the blow directly would be if you had power equal to that of a god. But to achieve that, you would have had to endure another three weeks amplified a thousand fold in regimen, and extended a thousand fold in length.”
“But that’s a lifetime and a deathtrap.”-
“I said the Immunity Orb will help repel elemental attacks. I never said it was perfect.” Thundro charged again. “Now that you know the advantages of these keyblades, you will meet your end.” He grappled with the key bearers, using the now revealed tactics of the Laevateinn and Mjollnir. The lush grounds and beautiful scene of nature was suddenly transformed into an area of destruction and devastation as trees were uprooted and rocks were rattled loose from their foundations. The roar of Mjollnir and the sudden strike of Laevateinn’s keyblade whip again forced Riku and Sora to go on the offensive.
“This is ridiculous.” Sora grumbled. “How the heck are we supposed to contend with those kinds of keyblades?”
“He has to have a weakness somewhere.” Riku said. They dodged and evaded at the same time conversing on their plan. “Those keyblades are designed for more of a long range combat. They keep us at a fair distance. If we can somehow get through…” Then Riku snapped his fingers. “I got it. We’ll use our evasion technique.”
“But Riku, that didn’t work the last time we used it on him.”-
“It won’t have to. We just have to…” He whispered silently into Sora’s ear.
“You boys can secretly prattle all you want, but there is no strategy you can use that’ll break my defense.” Thundro declared.
“That’s what you think!” Riku suddenly unleashed a swirling twister towards Thundro was unaffected by the wind.
“You already know that that won’t work on me.” But as the debris cleared, he realized that the key bearers were no longer around. He looked through the corners of his eyes. The key bearers were nowhere to be found. Thundro smiled, “A shinobi tactic, eh? They’ve learned well not to attack head on.” Just then, there came a sudden flash of light, Sora’s Corona Flash Barrage. Then, appearing through the light emerged Riku’s Darkness Decoys, one after another. They charged, head on against the Imperial.
“It’s over for you!” Riku shouted.
“Clever, boys,” Thundro said. He then slashed through the ranks of the incoming decoys, diminishing them. “But not clever enough.”
“I got you now!” Riku shouted as he charged head on.
“Big mistake,” Thundro lashed forth the keyblade whip. Riku quickly eluded. He threw himself out of the way within inches.
“Do it, Sora!” Riku shouted.
“You’re mine!” Sora roared, charging from the extreme right flank. Thundro saw him coming at the last minute.
“Not a bad strategy.” Thundro chuckled. “You caught me off guard.” The Imperial suddenly used Mjollnir in Sora’s direction. “But your timing was just a little too early.” The surged rushed against Sora. But the key bearer evaded.
“I don’t think so! That electrical surge may be powerful, but it can only travel in a straight line!”-
“You shouldn’t presume.” Thundro then twisted his keyblade about and slashed in an upward, side-sweeping motion. A powerful energy wave streaked through the air, catching Sora off guard. The young key bearer was struck and screamed out as the electricity of the gods gripped his body.
“Sora,” Riku cried.
“It’s over for you Sora.” Thundro chuckled.
“So says you.” A voice uttered. Directly from behind, Sora emerged and made ready to deliver the final blow. Thundro was caught completely off guard. He turned to see Sora’s keyblade aiming between his eyes.
“Impossible,” Thundro thought. He suddenly vanished from sight. Sora growled as his keyblade struck the charred dirt instead.
“Man, I almost had him.”-
“Damn, that strategy nearly worked.” Riku said. Thundro appeared again. He was all astounded as he saw two Soras before him, the one falling to the ground, struck by the surge, and the other that attacked from behind. Thundro sensed the inner core of the beings. He then smiled.
“That was incredible.” He said. “You nearly had me in a spot. It seems, Riku, that you have developed your Darkness Decoys even more. Now, not only can you allow your clones to endure longer, but you have also developed the technique in which you can forge the likenesses of your comrades also, very well done indeed.” Thundro lowered his keyblades. “However, such a façade is not enough to deceive me. If there’s one thing that no Darkness Decoy or clone, at any sort or level, can assimilate, is a life force signature, which has a distinct energy source. So if you were to use that technique again, I would know exactly which one of you is the real thing. To add, now that you have used that tactic, I will be expecting similar ones, so that won’t work on me a second time.”
“Damn it, so close and yet so far.”-
“But then again, I won’t let you have your way now will I.” Thundro drew up Mjollnir and prepared to face Sora. “I will end this! Here and now!” He swung Mjollnir at the youth. Sora prepared to evade as he saw the keyblade’s head glow with another electrical surge. Thundro swung, but instead of the electricity bellowing out, there was a sudden sonic boom. The key bearer drew up his keyblade, using it as a shield, to ward off the sound wave. The impact caused Sora to stagger and fall to his knees. Then as is it seemed over, something like a chain suddenly gagged him as it wrapped around his neck. Sora looked to see that the keychain at the end of the Mjollnir’s hilt had extended.
“What the…?” he uttered.
“Mjollnir grappling chain…” Thundro chuckled. He then yanked the chain and Sora went flying, gagging as he was pulled.
“Sora,” Riku cried. Once in Thundro’s hands, the Imperial tide Sora’s hands behind him then pulled him up by the chain. Sora staggered in such dramatic fashion, looked helpless yet determined in a bondage pose.
“What do you intend to do now?” Thundro asked.
“How did you do that?” Riku asked.
“The sonic boom was a diversionary tactic. Using the grappling chain was my true objective.”-
“Thundro you…”-
“And now with Sora in my hands, you have no other choice, but to do as I please. Otherwise, I will make him suffer.”-
“Riku…” Sora cried as he was strangled by the chains around his throat.
“Drop your keyblade…”-
Riku hesitated. He didn’t want Sora to get hurt. But if he diminished his keyblade, he’d be opened for attack.
“I…” He uttered.
“I said drop your keyblade,” Thundro roared. “Or I will cause ten thousand volts to surge through the grappling chain and roast Sora to a crisp.”
“Riku,” Sora cried, “Don’t do it! Don’t worry about me!”
“But Sora,” Riku said. He was still hesitant.
“I am not like your old foe, Xemnas.” Thundro declared. “I know that you two hate to see the sight of the other suffering in such torment, and will do anything to see that the other is unhindered. Well, in this case, I could care less about how you feel. And right now, if you don’t lower your keyblade, Riku, I will kill Sora.”
“Forget about me, Riku.” Sora shouted, “Don’t give up!”
“You have five seconds to drop that keyblade!”-
“Don’t do it, Riku!”-
“Five…four…”-
“Don’t give in…!”-
“Three…two…!”-
“Very well, Thundro.” Riku shouted.
“That’s better…” But to Thundro’s surprise, Riku didn’t lower his keyblade. Instead, he formed his stance to perform Kenshin Himura’s devastating attack, the Kuzu Ryu Sen. “What are you doing?”
“If you kill Sora, then there will be nobody left, you can hide behind, that’ll stop me from taking your head.”-
“That may be true, but your friend will be dead! I will have accomplished what I so desire.”-
“That may be so, but Sora’s ready to throw his own life away and I will not let him die in vain.”-
There was a pause. Then, the Imperial smiled.
“That’s exactly what I was expecting from you two.” Thundro eased his grip and undid the chains that bound Sora. He backed away.
“What are you doing?” Sora asked. Riku ran to Sora.
“Are you alright, Sora?”-
“Yeah, but…”-
“The battle is concluded.” Thundro replied.
“You mean…?” Riku was confused. “You mean the fight is over?”
“If this had been a real confrontation, Sora would have already been dead and either you or I would have met the same fate, Riku, that or both of us.”-
“But you said,”-
“That this was a fight to the finish? I did say that, but it was all metaphorical. The reality was that I had to see how you would have favored in the situation I provided for you. And though your friendship is strong, you were willing to sacrifice your own lives to assure the success of your cause. That is true dedication. Besides, had I a true tendency to kill you, you would have been dead from the start.” Thundro turned around. He then raised his keyblades before him. “Boys, raise your vacant hands.”
Riku and Sora did as their instructor commanded and raised their vacant hand.
“Let the keyblades choose who will wield them.” Then, from Thundro’s hands, Laevateinn and Mjollnir vanished from sight.
Then, the keyblades appeared in the hands of the youths, who were shocked by the development. Sora had gained the power of Mjollnir, the mighty hammer of justice. And Riku obtained the power of Laevateinn, the mystic power of Loki.
“Now you have gained items just as powerful as the Immunity Orbs. Sora, you now wield the power of Mjollnir. That keyblade will thus enhance your fighting strength and your use of magic and summoning spells, giving them more effect. Mjollnir also has the ability to defeat an opponent with one hit, using the finishing move as I have deployed in our duel. Riku, the power of Laevateinn will also increase your use of summoning and elemental spells. Now its striking power is not as powerful as Mjollnir’s, but it takes three different shapes. The keyblade whip is one of them. Then there is the Chaos in which it transforms into a larger blade that can defeat a company of enemies in one strike. Finally, there is the Twilight in which the blade becomes double-sided like a bow, in case you find yourself in one of those tight predicaments. Let these weapons serve your well.”-
“But…” Sora uttered. Both he and Riku were still stunned by receiving such a generous gift.
“You’re giving them to us…?” Riku asked.
“These keyblades have been by my side since the day they were given to me. But I do not believe they should be wielded in the hands of a man who has caused so much death and destruction as a former loyalist and lord of the Dark Empire. Perhaps it was my strong heart and soul that allowed them to stick by me. But I dared not use them in battle and soil their precious forms for a cause that bore only the desire to dominate. Thus, I pass the power of the very first keyblades on to you who are worthier to wield them.”-
“But why…” Sora wondered. “I mean you can still wield them in a great cause! Why don’t you fight alongside us?”
“That is something I cannot do.” Thundro turned away. “I loved the Dark Empire with all my heart, but I detested the methods they used. For a time up ‘til now, I even raised my sword against my old comrades and took their lives for the sake of a cause and an organization I had always thought countered my own beliefs. Thus, I have betrayed both sides. Just as now, I have trained one set of students to assure the death of the other. I am to blame for the suffering of both sides and I regret that very much. Ergo, I will remain in seclusion.”
“Thundro…” Riku said.
“Oh yes, and one more thing before you go, boys.”-
“What’s that?” Sora asked.
“Don’t start to think that because you have obtained the immunity orb that you’re invincible. I must first tell you of some of its significant drawbacks.”-
“What are they?”-
“First of all, the Immunity Orbs’ strength is not absolute. As you know, the orb cannot protect against any physical attacks by a bodily limb, a weapon, or even an energy wave, which of course is pure energy. But here is the second drawback. Elemental attacks are one thing, but natural atmospheres are another story. Since the Immunity Orb finds no real threat in natural surroundings, its energy will not be deployed to protect you. That means if you are somehow tossed into magma, or into water, you will drown and burn.” The key bearers were stunned.
“But I thought the Immunity Orb could fend off any element.”-
“It defends off any element not in its natural state, like a manipulated element. But if there is no manipulative energy behind the element, then the power of the orb will remain dormant.”-
“Damn it,”-
“As I said, the Immunity Orb is not perfect.” The Imperial paused for a moment, “And finally, the last drawback. Though it is able to withstand elemental attacks from without, it cannot protect you from within. In other words, it is most likely that Saber has the ability to manipulate the darkness within the minds and hearts of people, turning them in his favor. So if you have to use something to boost your abilities, refrain from using any elements that obtain negative energy, like your Rage and Saiyan Devotion, Sora, or the dark element within your heart, Riku. If you unleash those, you have created a link that will allow Saber to take hold of your minds and bodies. That is the one great weakness to the orb’s power. It is to fend off exterior threats. But threats from within are another matter. The only way for Saber to break the orb’s defense is if you allow him to.” For a moment, the key bearers were rather edgy. “There’s a reason that the orb has such weaknesses and that is the one universal reason.”-
“What’s that?’-
“It is so that no one person can become absolutely powerful and use it to gain their own desires.”-
“I see.” Riku said. “We understand then.”
“Then you must go now and help your friends. They need you.” There was silence between the three before Riku made his own vow.
“Then I vow this to you, Thundro.” He held up his new keyblade. “We will use these keyblades in the name of the cause to which you truly fought for.”-
“My cause…?”-
“For peace…” Thundro saw all astounded. He could only smile and nod. Riku diminished the keyblades in his hands and drew up his right hand. They shook hands hardily. Sora did the same.
“Thank you for all you’ve done for us.” Sora said.
“It has been an honor to be your instructor.” Thundro replied.
“Let’s go, Sora.” Riku said.
“Back to Traverse Town,” Sora added. Riku took out the gummi capsule and unleashed their ship. Both key bearers entered the vessel. The rockets rumbled and the ship lifted off. The youths gave a salute to the Imperial below. The gummi thus vanished into the horizon.
Thundro watched as the ship blinked out into the blue.
“Farewell boys…” he uttered. His eyes seemed rather blurred and a sniffle tickled his nose. A weight upon his chest seemed to slow his reaction. “I must be coming down with something.” Thundro withdrew back to his quarters
But no sooner had he reached his room, there was a transmitted message that awaited his reply. Curious, Thundro accepted the transmission. He read the context and gave a sigh.
“So the team has left Traverse Town have they?” He said to himself. “What incompetence. A message from yesterday has only now arrived.” He deleted the message and gave no second thought to what he had received.

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