The Key Can't Save All

In a fit of coughing in the blue smoke, Raikeji appeared at the base of the tower, “oh hell… that was weird…” he tried to clear the smoke away so he could see and stop the coughing fit.
When the smoke dissipated enough he looked around for movement, the world seemed to stand too still. He saw nothing at the base of the tower, but when he looked up he saw the tendrils growing from what appeared to be a crack in the tower. The bud on the largest tendril bloomed and revealed what appeared to be an eye that looked directly at him. The iris of the eye was black with a red starburst around the pupil, the white was more green than white.
“Well, aren’t you the fairest eye in all the land…” Raikeji looked around, “yep, still talking to myself… I need to stop this…” He quickly jumped away as a smaller tendril smashed where he had been standing. A second tendril slammed into his back sending him flying into a bush.
“Ow, This isn't going to be that easy I guess…” he crawled out of the bush and summoned the keyblade, “let’s see what I can do…” He slashed at the second tendril and the bud went flying spraying pollen as it disintegrated and the tendril coiled up to the base but then three more took it’s place.
“Oh lovely… there’s dark plant sperm all over me and…” he tried to back away but his movements were hindered by the pollen, “…now I’m really dead…” He went to guard but he was too slow, the tendrils lashed out at him and slashed his bare skin.
“Well good to know the jacket is protective…” blood was slowly trickling down his legs, the pollen washing off with it. Winding up his arm he stepped back before leaping forward, releasing the keyblade sending it spinning, the three tendrils were cut down but six more seemed to grow from the wound.
“Well that’s hardly fair…” Raikeji felt something tickling his legs and looked down, “Oh I’m so dead.” Rose vines had crawled up his legs and bloomed, spreading their leaves over and bare skin. In a burst of light the vines had turned into red, black, and green pants, replacing what was left of his old black shreds. On his feet were knee-high boots, the rose motif looking like they grew from his legs.
“Well I wasn’t concerned with being fashionable… but now I’ll die in style…” Raikeji’s face furrowed, “and talking to myself like I’m crazy…” He no longer felt cut on his legs, but he did feel the blood still dripping. The main tendril flared its bloom, the other tendrils grabbing his ankles and hanging him upside down.
“This is great… being eaten by a plant was not on my list of ways I want to die…” A pendant fell and hit him in the face, it was an emblem of a red flame consuming a heart. “Well lets see what this does…” He grabbed the pendant, his body being consumed by fire, the tendril burning off his leg. More tendrils tried to catch him but any that got too close got burned away, unable to regenerate.
Raikeji managed to flip and land on his feet, “lets burn!” He summoned the keyblade, holding onto it by a chain of fire. Focusing he lashed out, cutting at the base of the tendril mess, the fire wrapping around and burning away all but the main tendril. It spasmed as it looked directly at him, the flames wearing off. The jacket had been burned off but in its place was a new shirt, it was currently plain black and white, but the right arm was a full sleeve, appearing as a flaming crawling up to the wrist.
“Well that’s odd… anyways, enough talking to myself…” he faced the tendril, keyblade in hand. There was a flash of light from the keyblade and images rushed through Raikeji’s mind. crosshairs covered what appeared to be a group of little childlike shadows, although there was nothing to cast them, they existed purely as dark beings. The next few images showed shots of light shooting out of the keyblade, each homing in on one of the crosshairs. Raikeji shook his head, what just happened?
The tendril lashed out, knocking him into a tree. “Now is not the time to hallucinate…” He focused, ghostly crosshairs covering the eye of the tendril, he flicked the keyblade with his right arm. Pure white flames shot out of the tip of the keyblade and homed in on the eye. the tendril flailed and fell to the ground, twitching.
Raikeji stepped in front of the tendril, vines wrapping around it and gripping the Iris of the eye. He shivered, “oh that looks gross and painful…” a spark gleamed from within the eye, “what was that?” The keyblade lifted itself into position, shooting a beam of light into the eye, the tendril shredding apart all the way to the crack in the tower that sealed and repaired itself.
Raikeji slumped over, “oh, its finally over… I’m so worn out… and I still have to climb the stairs.” He turned and dragged himself into the tower and up the stairs. The stairs seeming to take even longer to climb with his energy drained. As he reached the door he heard another voice in Yen Sid’s chamber.
The voice was rather upbeat and high pitched, but still a guy’s voice. “So there was a Survivor? Gosh… The Reports said that it was a rather violent attack. That with how sudden it happened it was unlikely that anyone could survive.”
Raikeji opened the door, seeing the new person in the only other chair in the room besides Yen Sid’s. Was it a person? All Raikeji could see was two big black disks, occasionally moving away then towards each other. He stepped fully in the room, closing the door softly.
“Ah you return successful, very well, there is someone I would like you to meet.” At that the new figure hopped out of the chair and turned to Raikeji.
Raikeji did a double take, he very recognized this figure. “Ok.. I must’ve passed out at some point… No way is Mickey Mouse standing in front of me…” Raikeji pinched himself, and shook his head.
“So you’ve heard of me? Gosh, I didn't think the anyone would know anyone outside of the world…” Mickey walked up to Raikeji, “I actually just started being King, so what’s your name?”
Still in shock he stammered, “oh, it’s… uh, Raikeji…” He was talking to Mickey Mouse, nothing but a cartoon character from his world. Not only had he developed a habit for talking to himself, but now he was talking to a giant mouse.
“Nice to meet Ya!” Mickey vigorously shook Raikeji’s hand. “So do you know how you managed to survive your worlds fall?” Mickey’s bright eyes looked hopeful as he tilted his head waiting for some news.
Raikeji stood wide eyed, “um, no, not really… Sorry.” He could barely remember anything from before the world fell. But Mickey was part of his childhood, he remembered watching the cartoons but if he focused on who he was the memory ran away and his head felt like it was splitting open.
“It’s okay, you must be pretty special to have survived. Well I must be off back to the castle, good luck with everything Raikeji.” Mickey made his way to the door and left a rather dazed Raikeji.
“You must be tired, but first let us discuss the results of the battle, then the room should be ready for you.” Yen Sid stood up, walking over to the crescent window, “That was a Tendril, one of the blooms of Darkness that was released from your world when it fell. The Darkness was summoned not by a group of people but seemingly by the world in itself. Such an act would be the absolute last measure.”
Raikeji lowered his head, “from what I remember our world had been beaten down by humans… nobody believed the world would ever fight back… it was a world of fools.”
“Ah, but yet you survived… and it seems a shard of the world wasn’t tainted by the Darkness. But for now it sleeps in the realm between.” Yen Sid went to a cabinet, opening it and taking a bottle out. “But that is where you come in, you have shown great skill in defeating the tendril. I am confident that you can handle this test. Although I want you to go assist another pupil of mine, Master Eraqus, he’s a capable Keyblade master but you must treat him as a teacher. You'll be taking a Mark of Mastery Test and if you survive then you’ll be ready, but Eraqus will not recognize it till you can prove to him that you are worthy of the title." Yen Sid put the bottle down, a silverish purple liquid swirling around. "This will protect you as you enter The Lanes Between, however it will knock you out for a few days." As he poured the liquid the glass started to freeze.
"So I should drink this before bed..." Raikeji stood up and went to the newest door, the glass in his hand. Opening the door he walked in and over to the bed, he sat on the bed, and he sunk into the mattress. "Well, good night..." He shot the liquid back and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
"Hopefully you can survive this challenge..." Yen Sid shut the door and surrounding the room with locks. As he went to his chair he looked out the window to see the stars flickering in the sky.