Chapter 9: Xehanort's Last Card
Xehanort was still flying away, injured by Ryu's attack, before turning his head to see Jack, Reggie, James and Tina were pursuing him.
'Grr... they're persistent. Looks like I have to settle things with those fools first.' Xehanort thought, just as he landed in a barren wasteland, watching as his enemies landed before him.
"We've finally caught up with you, Xehanort!" Reggie said, before he stated. "Now we will stop you!"
"Hmph. Do you think I am done that easily?" Xehanort questioned.
"Well I'd say you are." Jack replied.
"Great Tornado!" He then roared out as he lunged at Xehanort, his claws in front of his body as he spun around at a rapid pace, soon turning into a fire tornado that slammed into the Myostimon with great force and sent him crashing back.
However, even after taking such an attack, Xehanort rose, clutching his arm.
"That blasted Pikachu. He left me paralyzed." He groaned, feeling nothing but anger and hatred fill his body.
"You underestimated him. It's over, Xehanort!" James said in reply.
"Over?" Xehanort asked, before he cackled evilly, confusing Jack, Reggie and Tina. "It looks like I have to reveal my hidden trump card."
"What are you talking about?" Tina questioned, sensing Xehanort was hiding something .
"Looks like I'll have to Digivolve to my strongest form, MaloMyotismon!" Xehanort announced, before he yelled out and let the darkness within his being consume him.
"Whoa! I didn't expect this!" James commented.
"He is really using darkness!" Tina said in shock, watching as the shadows dispersed and Xehanort appeared in a new form, the nightmarish MaloMyotismon.
"Behold. This form is something you'll never witness again, the birth of the mighty darkness!" Xehanort exclaimed wickedly.
"His power unbelievable." Reggie said, but shook his head and called out in a determined tone. "But we will never give up!"
"We shall see." MaloMyotismon replied, gaining a wicked smirk as he glared at the Digimon, wanting them to be the first to feel his wrath.
-Meanwhile-
"Master Zock do you feel that?" Ninji asked as he leapt from tree to tree alongside Zock, who was flying towards him.
"Yes. Xehanort has reached an all powerful form. We must achieve our Mega forms if we wish to defeat him." Zock said.
-Back to the battle-
"Screaming Darkness!" Xehanort yelled as he fired a beam of pure darkness that hit James in the chest, making him cry out in pain as he crashed to the ground.
"Magna Blast!" Reggie quickly called out, unleashing a powerful light from his armour, but MaloMyostimon took it, but took no damage.
"Mega Claw!" Jack roared.
"Dragon Fire!" Tina added, only for both attacks to hit Xehanort, but left him unharmed.
"Is that all you've got?" Xehanort mocked.
"Does anything work against him or is he immortal?" Tina asked in horror.
"Don't give up. We haven't come this far to lose!" Jack replied, refusing to give up as he and Reggie charged at Xehanort once again again.
And while Jack and Reggie continued to fight, Tina was unsure what to do, for she had never felt such terrible darkness, it was almost suffocating her.
But she was broken from her worries and fears when James put his hand on her shoulder.
"My love, aren't we supposed to believe in the light, that the light will one day bring back hope to this world?" He asked, making Tina stare at him in surprise.
"J... James?" She managed to say, touched by his words.
"Crimson Mist!" Xehanort suddenly yelled as he unleashed a terrible mist, which hit Jack and Reggie, making both feel strange.
"I... I cannot move...!" Reggie gasped as he and Jack fell onto their knees.
"My poison from the mist shall leave you weakened while I finish you off." Xehanort said as he walked over to them, making Jack glare at him and snarl. "W... why you coward..."
"But James... all our attacks aren't working on him." Tina said, doubting herself.
"When I was hit by his laser, I saw his weakness. He is only using darkness to make himself more powerful. But as beings who have Digivolutions of light, I think we can harm him. Just watch." James told Tina, before he then leap towards Xehanort.
"Whatever you're planning, angelface it won't save you! I am invincible!" He stated.
"We'll see about that. Strike of the Seven Stars!" James announced as he fired seven spheres of light that hit Xehanort, to which the orbs of light began to burn Xehanort, causing him to yell in pain and was taken aback.
"What!? Light? It cannot be!" Xehanort yelled in shock, making Tina smile and say in joy. "James! You did it! We can win after all!"
"Nice work, James." Said a voice, making the Digimon all turn to see Zock in his Mega form, Charizard X, and Ninji in his Mega Sceptile form then land and join the battle against Xehanort.
"You kept a calm head and saw through the darkness." Zock then said.
"Thanks Master Zock" James said in a grateful tone, before he returned to Tina's side and asked her. "We can do this together. Are you with me, my love?"
Tina, with renewed hope, smiled at James and nodded.
"I am ready." She said, while Ninji, being the type to make sure his allies were always fighting at their full potential withdrew and used an antidote to cure Jack and Reggie from the poison.
"Thanks Ninji. We needed that." Jack smiled, making Reggie nod in agreement, only to look over at Xehanort, when they heard him yell out aggressively and saw him charging at them in a fit of blind rage.
"Hallowed Ascension!" James announced as he stopped Xehanort's charge by releasing massive lightning bolts, which struck Xehanort, making him yell out from the pain, collapse and question. "W... what's with his crazy powers? How can one Digimon be so strong?"
"It's because no matter how powerful the darkness, light will always defeat it." Zock replied,before he called to his allies. "Now let's finish this now! Fire Blast!"
"Solarbeam!"
"Magna Blaster!"
"Terra Force!"
"Ready, Tina?" James asked, making Tina nod in reply.
"As long as you are with me. Dragon Fire!" Tina then announced.
"Hallowed Knuckle!"
All the attacks combined together and consumed Xehanort, who yelled in agony before his body broke into countless Data particles and all faded to nothingness.
"We did it! We won!" Reggie said, just before they all reverted to their Rookie forms, while and Zock and Ninji powered down.
And with Xehanort defeated, James rushed to Tina, embraced her deeply as he told her. "You did well to confront your fears, my love."
"It's thanks to you my belief in the light has returned. Thank you, James." Tina replied with a loving smile and then kissed him.
"Alright. That's enough." Jack interrupted, though glad to see James and Tina happy, he then reminded them. "We still have to take care of Zamasu."
"Actually, he was killed already. Specter betrayed him and he got the keys." Ninji informed his friends, which shocked them and caused Reggie and Jack to yell in one stunned voice. "What!?"
"Yes. Specter deceived us all and I bet he's going to find the Secret, but first he wants to kill Ryu" Zock added.
Concerned for Ryu, James asked. "Kill him? For what?"
"I wish I knew" Zock replied, but knew there was some deep connection between the two.
-Back at the base, in Ryu's dream world-
Confronted by both Terra and Cosmos again, Ryu asked the pair. "Will you tell me now who and what I am?"
"Yes, the time has come. Time for us to explain why you are here." Cosmos said, before she told him. "Ryu, you have come to save this world from Specter."
"Save the world from Specter? " Ryu asked, making Terra nod and tell him. "Yes. This world may be ruined by Zeriros, but it will be brought to extinction by Specter. And so we sought a hero. But though we searched, nowhere could we find our hero. We were becoming discouraged. But then we came across a human who had a past with Specter before. Ryu, you were that human."
"Wait... wait a second!" Ryu gasped, stunned at what he had heard. "Hero? Me? That's too much! I'm not anything special like that!"
"Yes." Cosmos laughed, then went on to tell him. "That is also what you said when we first met. But what we sought is not mere power, but true courage and friendship."
"True courage?" Ryu asked.
"You see Specter was also a human once, but you defeated him in the past." Terra said, stunning Ryu and making him ask. "Specter was a human?"
Terra nodded, before a solemn look appeared on her face as she explained Ryu's past further. "Not just a human, but he lead a terrible corporation. He aimed to end all humankind. He was a powerful fighter too. Your past with him is when he murdered your parents and put your younger sister in hospital."
"You were consumed by rage by that time you trained under the greatest master ever. And when Specter held a fighting tournament to collect the DNA of humans, he almost succeeded, but you managed to defeat him in single combat." Cosmos said.
"I... I think I remember... I did do something like that in the past..." Ryu said as some memories were beginning to return.
Cosmos nodded and then told Ryu. "When you defeated Specter, you wanted to kill him just as he wanted but you managed to overcome your rage and planned to turn him in for the police. That is what we seek in you. But Specter was consumed by rage of you and rather than being arrested, he committed hari-kiri and took his own life."
"But then how did he come back as a Mewtwo?" Ryu asked.
"Zamasu did. He found his soul and memories and gave him a new body. The body of a Mewtwo. Specter also retained his memories as well and now he learnt you are here, he will no doubt want to settle things with you. That is what we feared and so we went out to find you. It was then you said this. To see if you are worthy to be our hero or not, you were asked to be put to the test." Terra explained, agreed by Cosmos, who told Ryu. "Yes, and when you were found worthy, that is when we decided it was time you learnt the truth, to fulfill your role clear of heart and mind, you chose to erase your memory as a human and become a Pokemon of your own will to fight alongside other Pokemon and Digimon. That is how you came to be in this world."
"I did that?" Ryu asked in surprise.
"Your courage has been proven without question, only you bear the role of our savior of defeating Specter and getting the Secret of Everything." Cosmos then said with a smile.
"Specter... I cannot believe I forgotten he killed my mother and father." Ryu snarled, before remembering his family and asked. "Wait! My sister... is she...?"
"Don't worry. She is still alive, though she is worried about your disappearance." Terra assured Ryu, before her expression turned serious, as did Cosmos when Terra said. "And now that you know the truth, you now have a new choice. You can either go back to her after it was all over or stay here and stay with your new friends."
Ryu went silent, before he gave his answer.
"I cannot leave Melissa and the others." Ryu said in a determined tone, before he asked. "But maybe... Can you bring my sister to come to this world?"
"That was the third option. And we can, but only after you stop Specter." Cosmos said with a smile, proud of Ryu's choice to stick with his friends and stop Specter a second time.
"I will. And I promise I will use the Secret for good and bring you all back!" Ryu stated, making Cosmos and Terra smile for a final time, before both glowed bright with light and told him."Ryu, we're counting on you..."
"Wake up, Ryu! Wake up!"
Opening his eyes, Ryu woke up to see Blossom in a panicked state.
"What's wrong?" Ryu asked.
"It's Melissa... she saw Specter enter the trap door and while she tried to stop him, he kidnapped her!" Blossom replied, shocking Ryu and making him question. "He what!?"
"With Zock dealing with Xehanort and Cloud fighting Sephiroth, there's no one left to stop him!" Blossom said, continuing to show her worry.
And while Ryu was worried at this, his anger grew at Specter for putting Melissa on the line.
"Blossom, wait for the others to come back. I'm going after Specter. He is only after me and he just using Melissa as bait." Ryu said as he got out of bed.
"As bait? Then have some memories returned to you, Ryu?" Blossom asked in a curious tone.
"Yes. Now I am more than ready to take down Specter. I think I know why he wants to kill me. I'll go alone" Ryu replied and took his leave.
-Outside-
Ryu found the trap door opened as he turned to see Blossom, with a look of worry.
"Once Zock and the others return we'll join you as fast as we can." She told him. "Just try and be careful."
"Got it." Ryu replied as he looked down at the trapdoor and thought in a determined tone as he finally jumped in, ready to fulfill his role. 'You want us to settle things, let's settle things. Melissa, please still be alive. Here I come, Specter.'
