Chapter Eight

Founder's Day Battle

The Next Day..

The celebrations for Founder's Day resonated across TRON City, a group of now disguised Keyblade wielders pretending to celebrate among the gathered crowds. Nick poked at his earpiece. "Alright guys. The General is about to begin the real ceremony. Elena, you Laura and Tron are to infiltrate the CPU Tower and find your father. Shiryl, Melise, Tabby and Searra are to be on standby to distract the crowds while Elliot, Luka, Storm, Faith and myself close in on the general."

"I disagree with that," Came Elena's voice. "The General and I have a score to settle. They're mine."

"Negative. We go by the plan. If not, things could go south too quickly."

There was a pregnant pause before Elena conceded, knowing Nick was right. It was then that the Dark Army General took the stand at the podium in front of the masses.

"Ladies and gentle programs of the Grid. I welcome you all to the annual Founder's Day celebration. We have a big treat for you today, as we have some very special guests. Please, give a round of applause to our lord Xehanort's second and third in command, Lords Ansem and Xemnas of the Royal Guard!"

There was thunderous applause as Nick cursed. "Fuck. Alright guys, this is going to be much harder than we thought. Elena, do you think you can take the General if need be?"

"Nick, even if just as a distraction, I'll do everything I can to stop her."

"Good. If push comes to shove, do not hesitate to call for backup, are we clear?"

"Yes, oh fearless leader." Nick could feel Elena roll her eyes as Larxene continued speaking.

"We also have some.. unwanted guests joining us today. Wielders, you have been revealed to me. Surrender now and maybe I will speak to Xehanort on your behalf."

Nick and the other boys dropped their hoods from their positions surrounding the podium. "Not a chance, Larxene! We came here to stop you and the Dark Army from oppressing this world, and that's what we're going to do! The Dark Army will lose today, just as it has in every world we've liberated thus far. Girls, now!" On cue, Shiryl and the other girls set off multiple Explosion spells, causing chaos and smoke to cover the area. Nick poked the earpiece again. "Everyone, plan is compromised! Finish your objectives." He told the others as the real battle for the Grid began.

CPU Tower, Basements..

Rinzler, in total control of Tron's body, tossed his dual Identity Discs towards the Black Guard members guarding the dungeon level, two piles of digitized bits all that was left after the lethal derezz. He turned around toward Eena and Laura, emitting several clicks which turned to Tron's voice. "This way. There won't be much time to get in and grab Master Lea." Nodding, the determined blonde and raven-haired girls ducked into the now open cell block.

Elena ran ahead of the other two, stopping and moving back a few steps to look inside the darkened cell, the familiar yet foreign figure chained to the wall. "Papa!"

Lea looked up and managed a smile. "Elena. How did you get in, little firecracker?"

Elena smiled despite the tears welling in her eyes. "Tron brought me. Our friends, the other wielders are outside fighting mother and Xehanort's Guard. When Tron told me you were still alive, I had to come rescue you."

At that moment, Tron sliced the bars of the cell open, the discarded section falling to the ground with a strangely inaudible clang. Lea chuckled, pained. "Oh, Elena, you are too good to be her daughter." He said as she rushed to him, unlocking the cuffs around the older wielder's wrists.

"Maybe, but I'm good enough because I'm your daughter, too. Riku.. He told me mother could still be saved."

Lea sighed as Elena held him, his body having no strength to move on it's own. "I thought that once, too. Wait, Riku is alive?"

Elena nodded. "His daughter is with the rest of the group. We can get you to safety aboard our Gummi ship. I'm not going to let you die here, dad. I thought you were dead for long enough." Lea smiled as Tron took him, the girls leading the way towards their designated exit.

Outside, Xemnas and Ansem had summoned a horde of both Heartless and Nobodies as the citizen Programs of the Grid ran away from the ensuing battle, leaving Nick, Elliot, Luka, Faith and Luka in the sea of enemies. Nick summoned his Keyblade as did the others, rushing into the fray. Nick dodged a Samurai Nobodies' slash as a fireball whizzed through the air, exploding on contact with the silver-gray enemy courtesy of Elliot. Storm threw punches with his transformed Keyblade gauntlets, Heartless and Nobody alike disappearing from the voids in which they emerged.

Suddenly, Nick's outward strike toward a Soldier Heartless was blocked by a glowing red blade, his eyes widening as they met the glare of Xemnas. "You are the one to slay Vanitas? I can't see him losing to such meager power."

"Oh, I killed that Owl-faced bastard alright. And if I have to, I'll kill you too!" Nick said, surprising Xemnas with a swift kick to the gut, the Nobody doubling over as Nick rolled back to gain distance.

"That was a cheap shot, coming from such a beacon of Light."

"Haven't you heard yet? Light and Darkness are eternal opposites, they are always balanced against each other with neither truly winning. No, true strength is that from the Hearts of your friends. Light, Dark, it doesn't fucking matter!" He pointed his Keyblade at Xemnas. "The real strength created is in the balance of both Light and Darkness. We walk the Path of Twilight as Master Riku once did, but we are far more powerful than any champion of Darkness."

Xemnas and Ansem both chuckled. "Such pitiful optimism. All fades back into Darkness, it is the only true eternal state." Ansem called from his position at the podium, Larxene now nowhere to be seen. "It is true power."

"But there is always Light that rises back up. We fight for both sides, each calling an end to this long-standing war. Xehanort shall die, by our hands!" Nick rushed at Xemnas, having finished his rant against the Xehanort vessel.

Xemnas countered and fired a volley of energy blasts. "You think you children can win against Master Xehanort? He is the Immortal Master."

Nick cast a reflect spell before the blasts could get close, throwing his Keyblade at Xemnas with purple and yellow lightning arcing around it. "He's only immortal because he keeps creating one of you vessels after one is killed. Except, maybe he never replaced Vanitas, Demyx and Xigbar, so you and Heartless over there were sent to stop us before we could take any more out of the picture.." Nick's face lit up in realization. "Xehanort is getting weaker."

Xemnas confirmed his statement by the shock that flashed across his face. "Enough talk. Fight me if you believe yourself able to take Xemnas, Lord of Nobodies, on."

"Fine then. It'll just help our cause when I make you disappear back to the void." Nick declared as his Keyblade clashed with both of Xemnas' blades.

~KH:tTW~

Elena stopped at the door to the cell blocks, frozen by the sight in front of her. Standing at the foot of the steps was her mother, the Dark Army General Larxene, already brandishing kunai between her fingers. "Mother! You will pay for this. For what you did to Papa!"

Larxene sneered, giggling. "Poor, sweet little Elena. You really expect me to just let you walk out of here with your father? Even half-dead, he's still a danger to us."

"A danger to you and your precious Xehanort, you mean? Being a vessel, that's all you really give a shit about anymore, right?!" Elena shouted as Laura put a hand on her shoulder urging her to calm herself down.

"Oh, temper, temper. I know where you get that from, though. If you wish to get that husk of a man out of this tower alive, you're going to have to kill me."

"So be it." Elena rushed forward, dodging past multiple Thunder spells as she heard Nick's voice from earlier that morning when they had discussed their plan. There's a way to save your mother, if what Tron said was true about her. If there is any compassion left inside her heart, then we may have a very useful ally on our side.

Damn it, Nick! I hope this plan of yours works, otherwise I'm blaming you for getting my hopes up. She ducked as Larxene threw several kunai at her daughter, the younger blonde gritting her teeth.

She nodded to Laura, who remembered their part of the plan was to distract Larxene until the coast was clear outside, Xemnas and Ansem having been dealt with so Nick could attempt to save the older blonde. They had to wait until Nick gave them a signal so they would know when to lure Larxene back outside of the CPU Tower. Elena just hoped she could hold out that long. Despite training herself and Laura as best they could without a Keyblade wielding teacher, she knew her mother would only toy with the two teens until she got bored and decided to just destroy them where they stood.

~KH:tTW~

"Gravija!" Nick shouted, concentrating the spell on Xemnas as the Nobody crashed to the ground, the digital worlds' ground shattering like glass as he created an impact crater a few feet deep. This was followed by a pained grunt from Xemnas as Nick sent a Meteor spell hurtling down from the sky.

Xemnas managed to get up, winded but not out of the fight yet. "Insolent brat! You have only succeeded in pissing me off and speeding up your death!" A Dark aura flared around him as Nick gave Elliot a signal, his best friend activating a device near him as Xemnas exploded in a cloud of Darkness. When the cloud finally dissipated, Xemnas stood there, the same as before. "What is this?!" The Nobody shouted.

"Power dampener, courtesy of tech from the Grid. Basically, it makes you unable to transform into your Dark God form by reversing the release of Darkness from the target's body. I am surprised it worked so well, though, being a test run. Now, time to finish this. My heart guides me, my Darkness strengthens my Light. I am in balance. Transform!"

Nick was engulfed in Light as a wrap of Darkness swirled around him, meshing together until the veil exploded, a shockwave spreading around Nick as he emerged. He was now dressed in a more Grid-like outfit, a helmet over his face and instead of his Keyblade, Nick held a crossbow with what looked like an Identity Disc in the center. "This is new. I wonder what it- shit." He cursed as he pulled the trigger and the Disc went flying, replaced by another instantly. "Oh yeah, I'm going to have fun with this." He said as Xemnas sneered.

"I will kill you where you stand, with or without my True power." He rushed the teenager, Nick rolling out of the way and shooting off a volley of Discs.

Xemnas deflected several Discs before one crashed into his shoulder, leaving a gash that derezzed itself as he stared in disbelief. Growling, he jumped high into the air and spun around, hundreds of his red blades hurtling down at Nick. Instinctively, Nick shot off just as many Discs, each meeting a blade with a small explosive impact. Nick kept firing as Xemnas weaved around his attacks, another lucky shot finally colliding and derezzing the Nobody's lower right leg.

Left with only one leg, Xemnas fell to the ground and struggled to get up, defiant in his now seemingly inevitable loss. Seeing this, Ansem tried to send a Darkga spell at the young wielder only to be met by a Holyja spell from Shiryl and Faith combined. Them, Tabitha and Searra pointed their Keyblades at the Leading Heartless. "Your fight is with us. We can't let the prince get all the fun. Princesses can be tough too." Said Tabitha, determined as Ansem copied himself and the girls' fight truly begun.

Nick smiled at his sister and their friends, knowing Xemnas wouldn't last much longer. The Nobody wasn't finished surprising the leader of the Keyblade wielders yet, however, as he somehow got back up. "Is that all? You are an ant to me, boy."

"And ants are two thousand, nine hundred and ninety-eight times stronger than the average human being, so I win. Holy Derezz!" He said as the Disc launcher charged a bright white, the shot three times bigger than the others as it soared straight into and through Xemnas' body, the fatal derezz turning both halves of the Head Nobody into digital bits.

Ansem stepped back where he stood in the stands, the loss of Xemnas apparent in how he moved. Nick sat down behind a piece of debris, hiding himself as he regained his strength and his Keyblade transformed back into its regular state. "So much for keeping form," He joked weakly to himself as he felt aftershocks from whatever was happening in the basement of the CPU Tower. "Crap. I have to get to Elena and Laura. I'm running out of time. Gotta save them all." He reached into the apparently bottomless item pouch he and the other wielders all wore around their waists and fished out an Elixir, uncorking the bottle and drinking the contents.

As Nick felt his strength return two-fold immediately, he also heard the telltale swish of a Corridor opening. Looking out at the new battle between the other girls and Ansem, he watched as the Heartless vessel disappeared into the void. "Two options. One, he's just running away. Two, going to stop the battle in the basement. I'm gonna think positive, figure the former and I'm getting down to that basement before the General kills those two." With that, Nick stood up and rushed into the CPU Tower.

Nick entered the basement to find Tron still holding Lea and Elena fending off Larxene, Nick's eyes widening as he realized just who Larxene was to Elena. Elena's own mother. That's why she wanted this to work so badly.. Nick thought as Larxene shocked the teen backward several feet. "Rebellious brat! Fine, if you won't give up to your mother's rule, then die! Dark Thundaja!"

A massive purple bolt of lightning arced toward Elena, who tried shielding herself from the attack with her Keyblade. When she felt no impact, Elena looked up to find Nick there with a Protect spell cast. He turned and smirked. "Sorry I'm late."

Elena scoffed. "Stupid. If that thing is going to work, better do it now before she gets even more pissed."

"True, but it will only work if I get her more worn out. No worries, you did good but I'll handle it from here." Nick took the card he received on Nova Crystallis and held in front of him. "Bahamut, Lord and King of the Eidolons. I call for your assistance to boost myself and save this world. Bahamut Drive, activate." There was a flash as Nick now had a fiery red aura surrounding him while his Keyblade had morphed into something that looked like dragon scales. Nick held the new blade over his head and smirked at Larxene. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you. Mega Flare Sting!"

Swinging his Keyblade down, an arc of white-blue flames swept across the room at Larxene. The Dark General tried to counter the attack but was instead sent flying back into the wall mere feet behind her. As she struggled to regain her breath, Nick's form reverted back again. "Now, it's time to save a life. Kingdom Hearts, I beg you now. This Heart was not intentionally lost, let them repent." The Wildwoods glowed white as tendrils of light made their way toward Larxene wrapping her up. "With this power, I banish the Darkness from your soul!" There was a flash brighter than anything seen before as Larxene's body sagged where it sat, her eyes noticeably turning blue from the gold they saw before.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Nick nodded to Elena and Laura who picked Larxene up from the ground and together, the would-be saviors regrouped to their ship. Know this, Xehanort. We will never stop until you have been destroyed. Nick thought as the Grid disappeared in a flash replaced with the interior of the Vanguard.

Inside the CPU Tower basement, a dark specter rose from the ground where Larxene's defeated body had laid. "Foolish children. The Third War has only just begun." With a maniacal cackle, the phantom disappeared from sight.

Elsewhere, Riku's eyes shot open at the new presence of energy he felt in the distance of space. "No, it's impossible."

~Chapter Eight End~

Next Time-

There are still too many worlds that need our help.

We can't risk going into Radiant Garden again, not now.

I'm Kaira, it's nice to see more wielders...

These children think they can actually defeat the Dark Army. But we will show them the power of Darkness!

A/N: Not gonna lie, I was not happy with how this chapter ultimately turned out. I figured originally that the Xemnas/Ansem battle would actually end both Guards in addition to saving Larxene but then I figured that would be too convenient. And as convenient as some things really are in Kingdom Hearts, I'd rather be slightly more realistic.

Also, due to binging a lot of Japanese dramas, I want to create a parallel American story to the show Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. It's about a doctoral intern who winds up being humanity's only hope against being destroyed by literal viruses from video games. I found it most enjoyable because no one of the hero cast wound up dead by the end where even some original Power Rangers series (Super Sentai) have Rangers dying. Spoiler alert, Beast Morphers, I know who might be dead by the end of your run..

Anyway, Act 2 is about to truly get underway. But what does Xehanort have planned as his power wanes from his vessels' defeats? Wait until next time I gotta think about it a bit more. Next chapter will actually be more of a cute rest because I've had enough fights for a while. Until next time.