A/N: And we're back! I apologize for the one-day delay; I meant to get this out to you yesterday but I was caught up in my euphoria for having finished finals. I also have a large checklist that needed to be addressed (ex. summer job, booking/arranging a flight, renewing a whole bunch of government-issued IDs), and of course, I've kinda been obsessed with Ikaruga and Grand Theft Auto IV lately.

Anyway, here's this week's chapter and thus begins the second arc. I'd like to make note that from here on out, there will be many references made from the bonus material mentioned/discussed in the Final Mix+ version of KH2. If you're a little rusty on these facts--or have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about--feel free to read up on them on the net if you haven't already. For those of you who are intimately aware of the happenings of Final Mix, you will recognize this chapter as being exactly what is shown in the Final Mix+ Secret Ending: Birth By Sleep, but with my own little twist for the purposes of the fic. I personally like to consider this chapter an Exordium: Revisited.


Kingdom Hearts III: The Revival
Act Two: Scene One
- As It Was Told To Me By My Brothers -

A restless breeze made its way across the barren field as three armoured Knights stood gallantly in the distance. Their capes tumbled in the wind, their steel greaves rattling softly as small bits of rocky debris brushed ominously against them. Stagnancy filled the dusty terrain around the silent warriors as the lifeless atmosphere taunted their sights with an endless ocean of broken or discarded Keyblades that stood stabbed into the earth, or lay desecrated across the floor.

The Knights remained still, their cold stares from behind their tinted helmets facing ahead of them as they tightened their grip on their Keyblades, as if expecting what was about to happen next. Beyond a distant miasma of sand and fog, a dark figure was seen slowly advancing toward the valiant trio, a menacing intent wavering within the figure of his shadow as the shrouded debris began to clear.

It was more of the feeling than the appearance that would register first in the minds of the three Knights as their eyes remained fixed on the devilish apparition before them. They didn't need to know how their mysterious assailant looked like before hand to understand just how far deep they were since entering the point of no return. However, soon after taking in the features of their enemy, a part of their resolve shook with confusion.

Walking toward them was none other than an aged old man, bald as one could get, slouched over from an evident case of spinal decay; he hardly looked like he could play a hand in the destruction of the entire Ultair Kingdom—let alone the Dreamweavers. That was until the Keyblading trio took a glance into the older man's eyes; eyes that held such hatred, such sinfulness that one could only personify as the epitome of all that was corrupt and malicious. They glowed a sinister orange that seemed to pierce into the armoured heroes, as if to issue a challenge of intimidation, a bout that the Knights stood firmly against as they remained motionless in their stance.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light reverberated across the sky as the old man began to divide, an evident silhouette of his body sliding off to the side. The mirrored mirage eventually took physical form, but relayed an appearance that the Knights had never seen. Although the new figure possessed a tinted helm similar to the on-looking trio, and wielded a Keyblade that resembled the Bonds of Flames, it instead donned a red and black outfit that bore no familiarity whatsoever to anything the Knights could recall; a completely foreign sight that they could at the very least agree could only spawn from something so evil as the force that brought the Kingdom of Ultair to the brink of extinction—no, to the brink would have been wishful thinking. The truth was that Ultair was long gone; a dirtied page from a book that could no longer be read, nor edited; nor re-written.

Those thoughts were enough to finally stir a reaction within the shortest Knight of the three as he took a step forward, about to ready his Keyblade.

The center Knight—easily recognized as their leader—quickly placed his arm in front of his comrade, vetoing his initiative.

No, let me start the attack, the Knight announced.

But Captain—, the shorter Knight replied.

Ariannas, watch him, the Knight appealed to his other comrade, who nodded in agreement before the two shorter Knights watched their captain dash ahead to confront the evil pair before him.

The determined Captain charged energetically toward his opposition, his Keyblade held firmly within his right hand as he kept a cold, but resolute, glare at his target.

The old man grinned at the approach of his attacker before lifting a hand in front of him. The simple gesture transformed itself into a powerful counter to the Knight's swift advance as the ground beneath the Knight's feet began to shake uncontrollably. The Knight reacted nimbly as he immediately launched himself into the air, suspecting that the path below him was no longer safe to trek. However, his deduction would grant him no escape, as no more than a second later a mighty upheaval of the rocky earth beneath him rocketed swiftly toward the sky, driving directly into the Knight as he collided into it, tumbling violently across its surface from the momentum. He quickly regained his bearings as he witnessed yet another upheaval, one that rose far above his own platform as he momentarily locked gazes with the dark sorcerer before the ominous mage disappeared into the sky. But before losing sight of him into the clouds, the Knight could make out a figure taking a leap forward, descending fiercely toward his position; it was the clone.

The Knight was about to ready his Keyblade in preparation for a clash with the mysterious warrior until his sharp eye caught sight of sparks flickering from the tip of the enemy's Keyblade. He was going to cast a spell! The Knight was taken off guard as he re-evaluated the situation that befell him. The miscalculation had the Knight pay the price as he was unable to prepare a counter on time, leaving himself to endure the strike that was about to come. Thunder rained down hard like molten hail as it tore cracks and burns through his cape and armor. An electrical surge briefly ran through the Knight's body from the impact, although the pain felt from the blast was very minimal.

The red warrior landed lightly on his feet, returning back to his initial stance.

This guy… the Knight hissed quietly to himself.

Leave him to us, Captain, Ariannas stated as she sprinted ahead of her leader. You go ahead and pursue Nocenarus.

Her captain spared a moment to lift his head toward the clouds, his eyes zoning in on the dark wizard above in agreement before taking off toward the cliffs of the elevated landscape ahead.

Ven, take him! Ariannas exclaimed as she caught her comrade out of the corner of her eye.

I don't need you to tell me that, came the shorter Knight's reply as his blade violently clashed with the enemy's Keyblade. The contact was brief as the one called Ven felt himself being pushed back by the recoil, buckling his knees to catch his fall as he landed. He prepared himself for another charge at his target before abruptly ceasing his chase, eventually losing sight of the cloned Keyblader behind an elaborate screen of frosted ice. She could've warned him about the spell, he thought. Had he not stopped he might've found himself at the center of that particular blast. He turned his head sharply in the direction of the young female Knight, intending to criticize the poorly judged spell cast before his eyes caught sight of a menacing tornado of Keyblades that soared the skies behind and above her.

Ari! Watch the sky to your six! Get moving, now! Ven warned his partner.

Ariannas stopped in her tracks, hearing the ominous winds from the south rustling violently, closing in on her position at an alarming rate. She gave one last glance to calculate a rough trajectory of the Keyblade-tornado before sprinting off ahead to regroup with Ven.

The red suited enemy pulled away from the group as he ran towards the incoming whirlwind of Keyblades, hopping on to ride the current like a waverider sails the sea. The two Knights could do nothing except flee from the situation as they stayed close to the wall beside them, running parallel to the storm of Keyblades that would claim their lives if they made any critical errors. One such situation arose as the two Knights spotted three incoming Blizzaga spells cast by their opposition. The aim seemed off, but upon further deduction they came to realize that the attacks were merely distractive decoys, designed to occupy their attention long enough for the destructive wave of Keyblades to close the proximity between them.

Ven! Watch your three! Ariannas exclaimed.

Damn it! When did he… Ven cursed as he leaped forward, tumbling nimbly over the rope of Keyblades before rolling briefly across the rocky terrain.

Ven! Another Blizzaga incoming!

He already saw the follow-up coming; his peripherals didn't lie as he spotted the tip of the enemy's blade charging up a spell just before he dodged the chain of Keyblades. Regaining his balance, Ven bent down on his right knee before launching himself upward to dodge the incoming spell cast.

Ariannas voiced a disgruntled growl before throwing herself at the Keyblader, connecting her blade twice with his before being tossed off to the side in a similar fashion Ven was moments earlier. Evidently displeased, Ariannas quickly charged up a Thundaga spell, firing it swiftly before she could complete her descent.

The enemy Keyblader's evasions continued on nimbly as he retreated onto the wave of Keyblades, seeming to temporarily flee the scene.

A loud grunt was heard in the distance as Ariannas' attention drew her to the cliffs of a nearby rock formation, spotting her Captain plummeting violently down the side of the mountain. The taller Knight growled in recoil as he roughly hammered the front of his Keyblade into the stone before him, desperately trying to regain control of his momentum. While eventually he did come to a brief stop in his descent, a large fragment of the mountainside broke off from the force of his Keyblade pulling against it, forcing the entire piece to teeter dangerously off the side with the Knight hanging helplessly by his Keyblade.

Captain! Ariannas called out to him.

She was about to make her way to assist her commanding officer until she felt the ground rumble wildly beneath her, throwing her off balance. Soon afterward, an unsuspecting wave of Keyblades broke out of the cracks of the floor driving Ariannas straight into the air. The seemingly limitless number of blades collided fiercely into her armour as she grimaced in pain from the endless assault.

Ariannas! Her captain yelled as he caught sight of his subordinate being tossed in the air. He was about to retract his Keyblade from the rocky fragment to aid his younger comrade before the same wave came to claim him where he hung, shooting him back up the cliffs from whence he fell.

Ariannas managed to break free from the cyclone of Keyblades, a painful struggle that consumed almost all of her energy as all she could do from there was allow herself to fall. She couldn't even muster the strength to maintain the grip on her Keyblade as she felt it slip between her fingers. Her body crash-landed into the cratered floor shortly after, shattering the proud helm she wore since the start of the battle. However, if it had not been for the helm absorbing most of the impact originally intended for her head, it was most likely she would not have survived the fall.

Ven was the first to arrive at her side, kneeling down worriedly. Ari, are you okay?

The blue-haired Knight let out an enervated groan as she struggled to get to her feet. The Captain was still caught in the wave, she thought. She could tell as much from his position when it had taken hold of him. If something wasn't done soon, there was no telling how fatal it would be if one continued to be assaulted by that demonic rage of Keyblades; Ariannas' painful experience—even though it was only for a few seconds—attested to this suspicion.

The young girl struggled to stand, blindly feeling for her Keyblade as her body trembled with fatigue and fear, fear for her captain's life and the uncertainty of another strike by the tornado of Keyblades. After finally locating her Keyblade, Ariannas devoted the last of her strength into her left arm, charging as much magical power that she could into the tip of her blade in order to summon a Reflectga spell, quickly launching it straight into the eye of the cyclone that held her captain somewhere along its path.

The speed of her cast was incredible as it quickly made its way up the cone, landing briefly in front of the older Knight's chest. He stared at the glowing orb for a brief moment before covering his eyes from the flash of light that occurred immediately after. Numerous magic-infused hexagons clamped together and encased the Knight in a protective sphere, temporarily warding off the Keyblade assault.

Ariannas… you… the Captain spoke softly, somehow feeling his subordinate's desperation.

Captain! It's coming again! Brace yourself! Ven yelled.

Grr… The captain hissed as he held his arms in front of him, bending his legs in toward his body as the protective sphere was once again thrust upward by the continued assault of the Keyblades. There was no end to them! This was impossible, he thought. How could one person be in possession of so much power, even after one considered all the possibilities? The unfair reality of what presented itself before him enraged the brave Knight, unsatisfied with the approaching outcome that he refused to accept. It was true that from the very beginning, he didn't think they could win—he was sure all three of them knew they couldn't. But it was almost unbelievable that they couldn't even manage to land a single blow, a single spell; a single attack. Was the difference in power between Cyril and Renalyn and the three of them really that huge?

"Curse you, Nocenarus!" The Captain yelled from within the Reflectga sphere as he held his Keyblade in front of him, using the Explosion technique. The sphere shattered in a bright explosion of red and orange along with the wave of Keyblades that finally ceased its movement, falling to the ground effortlessly.

Ari, stay here, Ven advised before taking off toward the cliffs.

Ariannas panted weakly, showing her agreement by staying where she knelt, simply looking up at the cliff where she spotted the Captain dropping out of the sky. While her heart urged her to get to her feet, against Ven's advice, her body felt like collapsing; the fatigue was just too much to bear.

It wasn't particularly hard for anyone to notice that the Captain had lost most of his concentration—and possibly some of his sanity—that he originally started the battle with. The Explosion technique he had used moments earlier was at the very least, a double-edged sword, and didn't benefit the situation at all as he sustained significant damage from the recoil. His cape was torn in many areas, the bottom half of his helm was broken, and he could still hear a high-pitched ringing in his ears from the eardrum-shattering volume of the explosion.

Although finding himself at the point of exhaustion, the Captain felt as if his resentment and frustration were the only two things keeping his body from succumbing to the aches and pains that slowly ate away at his ability to stay conscious. Clumsily, he brought himself back to his feet using his Keyblade for support before beginning a rampant charge toward his opponent. His path was wobbled and lacked definition, but such deficiencies didn't deter the lethargic Captain as he struggled to maintain his velocity, his vision blurring as he tried to keep his focus on Nocenarus, who seemed to patiently wait for his attack.

The Captain finally swung his blade forward, the force of the attack both weak and unrefined as Nocenarus' Keyblade easily repelled it to the side. The Knight attacked again, relentlessly and with every ounce of energy he could gather, hoping it would be enough. No such success came to the Knight's aid as his opponent once again warded his attack with incredible dexterity. But to simply guard his attacks was not what Nocenarus had in mind; a quick Blizzaga spell at point-blank range and the Knight was consequently hurled several meters backward, landing indelicately on the back of his neck before recovering with a quick back roll.

Painful chills ran up the Knight's left arm as he held it out in front of him, watching apprehensively as layers of ice began snaking its way up his bicep. The sensation was foreign, unlike anything he had experienced before as he slowly began to lose the feeling in his arm.

Captain! Ven roared angrily as the smaller Knight leapt passionately into the air, his Keyblade pulled back and ready to strike his unsuspecting opponent—or so he thought.

"Ventus, no!" the Captain yelled to his subordinate.

Nocenarus kept his deadly stare fixed on the Captain's fatigued expression, although perfectly and intimately aware about Ven's supposed preemptive strike. Within an instant, as Ven swung his blade to claim an attack on Nocenarus, the dark wizard vanished from sight, both his form and his presence disappearing completely.

What the… Ven muttered, perplexed.

The shorter Knight was in the process of landing before he felt a strong grip latch onto the back of his helm, suspending him in the air where he stood. It felt like a deadly vice-grip that only tightened the more he struggled from its grasp. It was something Ven couldn't help—the pain from the skull-crushing grip was unbearable, and almost instinctively beckoned him to break free of its clutches by any means necessary. Ven's grunts and groans of discomfort increased as he flailed his arms and legs helplessly, Nocenarus' monstrous strength already starting to crack the rock-hard surface layers of Ven's helm.

"Ventus!" Ven's superior shouted as he got back on his feet, trying to engage Nocenarus once more.

The cold-blooded wizard spared very little effort to summon another wave of Keyblades to swiftly escort the Captain Knight off the cliff of the battlefield; it seemed the old warrior wished to end the charade that kept him entertained for the past few minutes. Ven watched hopelessly as his Captain was washed away with the tide of the Keyblades, sending him pit falling once again down the cliffs that he had now become greatly familiar with. It was shortly after this hastily executed attack that the red armoured Keyblader made his reappearance, landing casually at Nocenarus' side.

Ven's endurance was soon giving in as the pressure that continued to drill into the sides of his skull was soon reaching the threshold of Ven's tolerance level; the young warrior was finding it extremely difficult to breathe, let alone continue moving his limbs in reaction to the immense pain that was being inflicted on him.

It was almost as if Ven knew what was coming next. Ari…

The blue-haired warrior turned her attention toward the cliffs, hearing her Captain screaming out Ven's name as he fell through the sky, and Ven's fragile tone calling out to her. She focused in on Ven's presence as her vision enhanced the scene atop the mountain. It took less than a moment's glance to realize just what predicament her partner was in as she caught sight of his body hanging loosely from grip of Nocenarus' hand. She felt her heart skip a beat, her blood freezing as her doubts immediately began to cloud her thoughts.

Ari… Ven spoke softly. I'm sorry…

Ariannas felt her mouth drop open in shock. W-what… are you saying? Ven!

With the last of his strength, Ven struggled to turn his head toward his comrade, causing a piece of the tinted crystal to break off the helm as it fell lifelessly to the floor. The inside of the helm revealed one of the young Knight's ocean blue eyes as he let it rest on the vision of Ariannas' horrified expression. He felt a solemn smile creep on his face; it wasn't exactly the look he would've liked her to have, but in a situation like the one he found himself in, one couldn't blame Ariannas for being unhappy.

Ven felt his eye fidget back and forth, feeling both nervous and afraid of what was about to come; he knew the moment that the Captain was tossed aside there was nothing that could stop Nocenarus from doing as he saw fit with his youngest subordinate. Nervousness and fear sprouted from the uncertainty of what was going to happen, and when it would happen. There was so much Ven felt he needed to say if this really was the end, but the constant fluttering in his stomach that screamed "Is he going to kill me now? Or now? Or now?" made it difficult for him to formulate his thoughts. At the same time, Ven knew that each second that passed was a precious second lost from saying what he wanted to say. He also wished he could just close his eyes as tightly as he could, and try to hide from the fear that surrounded him, but he found his heart and mind captivated to continue gazing into the eyes of the girl who watched despairingly below him.

Ari… I— was all Ven could manage before a dark flame engulfed his entire body, causing his back to arch and his armour to boil. Ven felt his breath being robbed from him as he stared at sky above him, unable to move a finger or blink an eye. The pain was excruciating, he thought to himself, and he couldn't resist the urge to cry out in agony before he felt a sudden rush of ice surge over his body, rendering him speechless, with not even the ability to voice a whisper or a gasp.

Nocenarus grinned to himself with ample satisfaction about his sinister accomplishment before gently dropping the incapacitated Knight off the edge of the cliff, taking a moment to casually gaze at the helpless warrior as he made periodic contact with the rocky edges along the side of the mountain. Ven tried as hard as he could to maneuver his body to minimize the impacts of the collisions, afraid that he may actually break into pieces if he made any fatal collisions. The fear within him continued to increase as he neared the ground; surely he would shatter when his body reached the bottom.

"Ven!" Ariannas exclaimed as she ran toward the cliffs, desperately trying to catch up to her fallen comrade. She knew probably as well as he did that the stakes were extremely high in regards to what would happen to him if he reached the ground; she had to hurry. Come on legs, don't die on me now… Ariannas thought to herself, swerving back and forth as she sprinted. She wouldn't let him fall, she vowed. She couldn't protect her Captain from harm, and she couldn't stop Ven from Nocenarus' fatal attack; she definitely was going to at least make it to Ven before he could hit the ground. She had at least that much competence as a member of the Chasers organization.

The landing was rough, and Ariannas was certain she sprained her ankle—if it didn't break instead—as she dove for Ven's body, feeling it crash violently into hers as they both slid against the rocky surface, shards of metal and dirt scraping into her back as she closed her eyes from the pain.

But all of it was worth every ounce of blood that the earth claimed from her as she finally came to a halt. Ven was finally back in her arms, safe and sound—well, almost--she rephrased as she examined her blonde-haired partner's body. It was like holding ice; her fingers quickly grew numb from his touch, and there was no heat to be found on any inch of his body. His mouth was held open, frozen in place along with every strand of hair on his head. The frost lightened his locks to almost a snowy white, and his skin paled substantially. His eyes were the only true sign of life that radiated from his form as she looked deep into them, almost feeling him cry out to her as a result of their downhearted reunion.

"No… no-not this… Ven—you can't, why…" Ariannas' words were disorganized, filled with emotion but lacked structure; it was too much to bear.

A thundering crack echoed loudly as the skies suddenly began to darken, lightning sparking briefly before the skies parted, revealing behind it an illuminate heart-shaped moon that taunted the earth below them with its radiance; mocking the desolate wasteland below, a perished desert that could do nothing but hide in shame in the presence of the moon's beauty. Nocenarus revealed another satisfied grin on his face as he took in the sight of the ravishing apparition above him.

"What… what is that," Ariannas muttered incoherently as the foreign scene before her took her aback with its overwhelming splendor.

"Kingdom Hearts…" her Captain sighed, panting as he looked up at the cursed sky above them. "I never thought I'd actually get to see it."

"What are you talking about, Captain?" Ariannas asked. "What is this 'Kingdom Hearts'? That blue moon in the sky?"

The Captain didn't bother responding as his eyes began to glow a fierce shade of yellow. Being as fatigued as he was, it was requiring a lot more concentration than he usually needed to queue up the process. It took even more concentration to maintain it.

Ariannas looked over at her superior when her inquiry wasn't answered, spotting the yellow glow in his eyes. "Captain, don't tell me you're—"

"I don't have any other choice."

"But in your current state, you'll—"

"I'll die?" he finished, before giving Ariannas a strange look.

Ariannas looked back at Ven, who remained silent, but alert as she held him in her embrace; her arms losing almost all feeling from Ven's icy form. The situation presented itself very eloquently to Ariannas as she pondered her Captain's statement. There was not much hope left for the three of them, and the sadder truth was that a part of her understood this inescapable reality before it started. They all did, most likely.

Many would've considered their fight here today as valiant and courageous; heroic even, despite a win or a loss, but fighting a losing battle was never something anyone could do with complete confidence. Not many people could enter a battle that already had a certain outcome and fight with a passionate will or hope, not if the predetermined loser of the battle was none other than oneself. It's a hard feeling to describe when one fights with the understanding that this battlefield would be the last thing they'd ever see; that this battlefield would claim their last breaths; that the beginning of the end of their future began the moment their blades crossed with their enemy's, and that it would only be a matter of time before that enemy blade would claim their life.

However, a bright pair of yellow eyes spoke out against this fate. The light from his eyes burned into the last few pages of death's notebook, refusing to believe it until the afterlife forcefully claimed him where he stood. These were the thoughts of the brave Captain of the Chasers as he roared aimlessly into the vast sky above him, releasing an immense amount of time displacement energy that began to slowly extend outward like a ripple in the ocean, distorting the appearances of whatever it touched. Solid rock wavered like linen capes to the eyes of Ariannas and the frail-bodied Ven as they watched the environment around them lose their conventional shapes and colours, watching as these two very distinctions lost all boundary and meaning, almost as if sense and perception merged with reality and truth, becoming something completely beyond understanding.

The Captain got to his feet then, advancing closer to his two defeated comrades who lay feebly on the ground some distance away, part due to physical injury and other due to confusion of what just occurred. Ariannas only had somewhat of an idea.

"Isn't this… the Reality Refraction Phenomenon?" Ariannas inquired.

The Captain smiled weakly. "It's called a Reality Marble, something King Cyril taught me when I first became a Chaser."

Ariannas relaxed her posture, sighing tiredly. "This is the second time I've seen you use it." She closed her eyes. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

Light footsteps were heard in the distance, much to the surprise of the Chasers as they turned to face the direction of the advancing stranger; only a small number of people would be able to breach the Captain's Reality Marble.

"So… it came down to this, did it, Atticus?" a new voice spoke.

"Your Majesty," both the Captain and Ariannas spoke. "If you're here… then that means…"

The mouse King drooped his head. "Yes… King Cyril has passed away."

"Then it's settled then," Atticus closed his eyes, somewhat expecting the answer. "We will finish what we've started here. You must leave now, Your Highness."

"I'm not going to stop you," King Mickey stated. "Your actions are not mine to command but… there must be something a person like me can do for you."

Atticus, the proud Captain of the Chasers smiled as he took to one knee before the Disney ruler. "Then there is one thing I humbly request of you, Your Majesty."

King Mickey nodded. "What is it, Atticus?"

"Please take Kairi to the furthest end of the multiverse; erase her memories and watch over her from afar. She is our future, and holds the history of many who have lost their lives on this field because of deception and misdirected righteousness. She is the last hope for the Dreamweavers and this Kingdom."

The King remained silent, keeping his distance from the three Knights. While he wished to properly see them off, hearing Atticus' words somehow made him feel that the warriors that stood before him were far from reach, on a plane that even a King such as himself was not worthy of crossing into. Humbled by their knightly code, the King of Disney gave one last bow before taking off to fulfill the duty given to him.

The Captain glanced over at Ven's body, watching as his eyes wandered actively about. "How is he?"

Ariannas looked back down at the young man in her arms, fighting back tears as she gripped him tighter. "I don't think he'll last much longer. I can feel his presence fading."

"That's fine, I only need a moment," he replied. "I only have one thing left to say."

Ariannas raised her head, lifting Ven upright so he too could lock eyes with their Captain. "What are your orders, Captain?"

The yellow-eyed Captain peered at Nocenarus who stood lifelessly atop the cliff, frozen in his Reality Marble.

"I have already used most of my energy to create this time distortion, but I feel my energy slipping so it won't last very long…" he paused to catch his breath. "While we have failed here today, our tomorrow will still be there."

Ariannas and Ven both stared at their Captain with slight confusion.

"I want the both of you to promise that although our bodies may wither away on this blood-stained battlefield, our desires and the goal we have failed to accomplish here today will continue to live on far beyond the ever so distant future. As Chasers we have earned the responsibility to guard the peace of the multiverse, and to protect what needs to be protected. And while we have failed to protect the future this very day, let it be known to us that we will come back again to finish what we started. Somehow, someway, our dreams will be realized and we will definitely return to make amends to the failure we have experienced today."

Ariannas and Ven each gave their signs of approval, signaling their agreement to their Captain's final words.

"Now…" Atticus looked up at Nocenarus. "Let us lift our Keyblades and give this bastard something to remember."

Ariannas nodded as she lifted her Keyblade into the air. Ven's arm trembled in agony as he struggled to lift his broken Keyblade into the air, but his determination pulled through as he summoned the last of his strength into the tip of his blade. Along with his two other comrades, the three Chasers combined their strength into one final attack, firing a large beam of light that shone brighter than anything the multiverse had ever seen, directly on path with Nocenarus. In the attack contained all their hopes, their dreams, their desires—and most of all, it contained their pride as Chasers, a proud organization that finally reached the end of their reign on that very battlefield.


A/N: Just to clarify before it's asked: the italic quotes were intentional. Their helms are enchanted in the sense that they are able to communicate their thoughts to each other when wearing them. This ability to communicate to each other without giving hand signals or body gestures greatly benefited the Chasers on the battlefield. This is why after each of their helms broke, the quotations returned to normal notation.

Thanks again for the continued support! A whole new chapter has opened up and I hope you enjoy it!