Author's Note: Sorry that this is a little late; I was just working on a little side project.
Without further delay, here is the last chapter.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 12: THE RISE OF A NEW DAWN
*ORGANIZATION XIII*
At the entrance to the Castle That Never Was, Xigbar walks on the floating walkway towards the exit. After walking down the incline, he makes his way to the castle's opening; showing the dimly lit city below. "Where are you going?" Saïx's voice calls out to him, prompting the Sharpshooter to stop. He turns his head back and finds the Luna Diviner standing towards the back edge of the floor with his arms crossed.
"Oh, nothing much," Xigbar says while waving his right arm, "just going out for a stroll. That's all."
"You're returning to that world, aren't you," Saïx states. "We have no further use there. We have captured the Incubator. Now that we sent out that special frequency wave, that should permanently cut off any remaining copies that are hopefully waiting to receive its soul."
"I know that. So what's going to happen to the little critter?"
"I will dispose of it. And there is one place that is suitable to do that."
"Well, have fun. I'll just be back in a bit."
"You still haven't answered my question."
"Okay, okay," Xigbar looks forwards, scratching the back of his head. "Let's just say I've been working on a little side project. One that will benefit Organization XIII as a whole."
"As a whole…don't tell me that you have…"
"I'll leave that to your imagination," Xigbar says as he looks back with a smirk. "Well, I'll be seeing you around." Xigbar says before raising his arm towards the entrance; summoning a crystalline bridge to the city below, "Say hi to our 'guest' for me, would you?" he says as he looks back for a second. Afterwards, he continues on his way.
At the top of a building in construction, the air shifts through the twilight gaze of the setting sun. Riku appears from the haze, standing on top of the scaffolding. His head is down with closed eyes. He opens them slightly as he raises his clenched, left hand. He raises his head slightly before opening his hand, revealing a Grief Seed. "I'm sorry," he says solemnly, "For you to remain in darkness, never a chance to see the light again. I wish there is something I can do to free your tormented soul." Riku places the Grief Seed in his pocket. "Now there should be one more target. I'd better get a move on. Walpurgisnacht will appear tomorrow. And the fate of this world and the universe hangs in the balance." He lets out a slight chuckle with a smile before looking up. "Isn't that right, Kairi?" he says, remembering an unexpected meeting with his said friend.
Riku is hovering in a cloud filled space. He is floating on his back with closed eyes. "Riku…" a familiar, female voice calls to him. Riku slightly flinches with a grunt before returning to his resting position. "Riku…" the voice says again. Riku grunts few more times as his head twitches before he stops moving again. "Sheesh, since when have you become Sora, you lazy bum." Riku grunts slowly becomes a groan as he opens his eyes. He tries to get up as if he was on the ground, resulting him to become vertical in the ethereal space. Riku looks around, gathering his bearings.
"What's this place?" he asks to no one in particular. Hovering behind him is a figure wearing a pink, sleeveless mandarin gown.
"About time you woke up," the girl said.
Riku recognizes the voice. "Kairi," he says as he turns around. Hovering in front of him is his childhood friend.
The Princess of Heart shows an 'innocent' smile at the Keyblade Master, who has a slight sweat drop. "Uh…Kairi," he says with a nervous smile.
She raises her head back slightly. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" she yells out in anger; thrusting her head towards his. The Keyblade Master rears his head back with wide eyes. "Didn't you realize that you were putting them in danger!"
"Uh…what are you talking about?" with a scared expression.
"I'm talking about you fighting those two!"
"Two?" he asks in confusion. He suddenly remembers who she is talking about. "O-Oh, you mean the red-head and the bluenette, right?"
"Yes! And I asked you to just check up on them! Not fight them!"
"Well, you wanted to know that they were getting along…"
Kairi glares at him for a few seconds before letting out a sigh of frustration. "Seriously," she says as she brings her left and to her temple as she looks down with closed eyes, "why do you boys always think that fighting is the best way to determine something?"
"But…you can't deny the results right?"
The Princess of Heart snaps back at Riku with a death stare, causing him to flinch back. She holds her glare for a few seconds before sighing, "Never mind, that's not important anymore."
Wow, I didn't think she would drop that so easily… the Keyblade Master thought. At that moment, it dawned on him what Kairi first said. "Wait, you mentioned that I put them in danger…I'm guessing you came to the same conclusion then."
Kairi looks at Riku with a solemn look, holding her right arm with her left hand. "I did," she says before pausing. "Why didn't you tell me your theory"
Riku can tell something must have happened. "I'll explain…but why don't you tell me what happened first? It's best that we pool in all of our information right now. Sound fair?"
"Okay," the Princess of Heart responds softly.
Ten minutes passed, Riku is looking towards the space below them as Kairi looks at him with a solemn look. "I didn't realize, "Kairi brings a hand to her check as she diverts her eyes away from him,"this became personal for you." She looks back towards him, "It wasn't that you were convinced…"
"It's because I couldn't accept it," the Keyblae Master responds before closing his eyes and tilting his head forward. "I saved that girl from being killed by a Witch. And just to make sure that she never goes through that experience again, I fought tirelessly bringing down every Witch and Familiar in that city. But despite all that…" Riku clenches his fists.
"I'm sorry, you were in pain this whole time."
"Well, it got worse when I found out what happened between Yuma and her grandmother." Riku shakes his head slowly," To think…she became a Magical Girl to save her grandmother… only to become a Witch."
"And in the end, there was no miracle…only despair waited for both of them. But all we can do now," she looks back up at him as she brings down her arm, "is to bring an end to this cycle of pain and suffering."
"Right," Riku looks up to her. "And not just the system the Incubators established, but the cycle that your friends are stuck in." Kairi responds with a nod. Riku crosses his arms, "So, our target all this time is Madoka. She unknowingly became stronger each time Homura resets time in order to prevent her tragic fate."
"Not only that…" she brings both hands to her chest. "Sayaka, Mami, and Kyoko… their memories have also been transferred to the past because of the strong ties both Madoka and Homura have with them. However, those memories are only sleeping deep inside them. And if this continues, eventually they will fall apart."
"We won't let that happen," Riku says with a straight voice. "After all, by this time Homura is the only fighter to take on Walpurgisnacht. But in this…in our timeline, both the Incubators and Witches are nearly extinct thanks to us and the Organization. And because of your efforts, you not only you kept all the other Magical Girls alive to this point; you even saved one of them from being a Witch."
"You're right," she says with a smile. She looks back up at Riku in confidence, "We can do this. Walpurgisnacht appears in two days. Tomorrow, I'll get everyone prepared so no one has to die."
"Meanwhile, I'll take out the remaining Witches. If the ones on the list given to me by the Organization are really the last ones, this world can finally be free."
"Right! Just don't be late."
"Got it."
Riku focuses back on the present. He looks at the cityscape in front of him. "All right," he says, "time to get a move on." Riku jumps off the scaffolding and falls to the ground below in the dusk lit town.
Traverse Town
The stars of the night sky hover the town filled with neon light signs of several stores. The brick-laded pavement covers the whole ground of the plaza with several unusual landmarks; namely the direction post with fingers pointing 'EAST' and 'SOUTH' and the mailbox below it at the bottom of the stairs with a tongue sticking out. The café on the west side of the plaza only has one candle lit on a front table, leaving a corner in the back to bask in darkness; with the front end of another table to peek into the light.
Wooden doors creak as they close, as the only visible figure, the white-coated man known as Master Atef, walks towards the two street lamps in the middle of the plaza. The man stops at the base of the stairs separating the lower and higher ground of the First District. The man looks around not finding a single being before looking up into the sky. The man holds his gaze before someone called to him. "Nice to see you again, Master Atef." It was a young man's voice breaking the peaceful silence.
The man turns towards the café behind him. In the dark corner, he sees a pair of blue eyes piercing through the darkness. As far the man can tell, the pair of eyes hover at least a foot higher than the alit half of the table in front of the figure. The man fully turns his body to the figure in the shadows. "It has been too long, my friend."
"Agreed. This place was bustling until a couple years ago. The last to leave were a trio of ducks in shirts and hats. The only exciting thing happening since then was that old wizard walking around town, mumbling something about leaving something behind in the Zero District."
"Ah yes, most, if not all, residents were all refugees. This world is a refuge to those that lost their homes to the darkness. When that boy restored the worlds consumed by darkness, nearly every resident here returned to their true homes."
"The boy you're talking about… you meant that spiky haired kid with the Keyblade?" Atef nods in response. "I see, should have figured it was him. From what I've seen when he was fighting here, he was no more than a rookie compared to the others I've seen. I wonder what happened to them, especially…" the figures eyes look down as he trails off.
"Yes, things were never the same with him gone." The silence hangs in the air for a few seconds. "And yet time must move forward. In that flow we were able to meet for the first time."
"Yeah, we traveled for a bit before you decided that I should stay here."
"If I recall, you wished to stay in order to avoid attention from your pursuers, was it not?"
"Right… So what brings you here today, master?"
"Actually, I have drifted here. Since you are the only resident, it means that the time has come to journey together once more."
"I understand. You always believed that there are no coincidences. That wherever you go, there is a reason for you to exist at that time."
Master Atef walks towards his friend; stopping in front of the table between him and the blue-eyed figure. "Yes, to tell the truth, I was hoping I would come here eventually."
"Really?" the figure says as his eyes slightly tilt to the side.
The white-coated figure nods. "Yes, for my heart yearns to go somewhere. And yet it wishes to not go alone. What do you say? Shall we continue the path we once walked?"
"Yes, let us go… my friend."
*CRITICAL DRIVE*
In a hallway covered with conjoined, elegantly designed mirrors, the Keyblade Master walks for a few more steps before stopping in the barrier of the final Witch prior to Walpurgisnacht. He summons his Keyblade. At that instant, Neoshadows sprout from the ground in front of him. Riku raises his weapon towards his face, the tip facing the ceiling, before spinning it in the air above him before snapping into his battle stance. Seconds later, both sides charge at each other. Riku makes short work of the first five Neoshadows before more impede on his path. Not wasting any time, he summons his power before vanishing, initiating Dark Aura. If one didn't know better, it appeared that Riku was shifting through the mirrors in each pass; striking down any Heartless in his path. Riku suddenly appears above what's left of the group before slamming into the ground; eliminating what's left of the Heartless. After rising from his knelt position, he runs ahead.
After reaching a corner, he is surrounded by more Neoshadows; three at each side along with a Defender Heartless, their beast-faced shields ready to feast on the Keyblade Master. Riku stands his ground as the Neoshadows charge at him, except for one which sank into a dark pool into the floor. The Heartless are seconds away before their attacks connect before the last Neoshadow jumps out of the ground behind him. Riku moves in a dance-like manner, slashing through the air before stopping with his left knee slightly bent and weapon extended into the air behind him. One by one, the shadows disappear in a cloud of smoke; leaving behind the two Defenders. The Defender on his left, from where he came from originally, raised its shield slightly before breathing out a ball of fire. Riku makes a quick clockwise, knocking the fireball back at the caster, staggering it. He takes the opening and swiftly slashes through the Heartless, which disappears and leaving a floating heart behind before vanishing. Riku dashes towards back into the corner, landing on the far mirror. The eyes of the remaining Defender's shield glow blue, which the Keyblade Master notices. He wall jumps to the next hallway, passing by the Heartless before it unleashed a frosty breath from its shield. Riku jumps to the opposite wall before jumping towards the Heartless before spinning with his Keyblade in front of him; drilling into the Heartless. He immediately reorients himself in the air before cutting into the Defender as he slams into the ground; the minor shockwave eliminating his foe. He turns around and proceeds towards the Witch's lair.
After fifteen minutes of running and eliminating several smaller groups of Heartless, Riku turns into a new hallway, which is much wider than the previous halls. Immediately, three Nobodies, all Dusks, appeared in front of him. Riku attacks the closest one. The attacked Nobody swings around him in twirled up position. It lashes out behind the Keyblade Master. Riku teleports behind it and counterattacks immediately; destroying it. Another Dusk hangs in the air upside down before swing its arms around. Riku rolls under the attack before casting Thundaga on it; the Nobody spins around in reaction to the spell. The Keyblade Master unleashes Shadow Breaker; eliminating the second Nobody on the first attack and damaging the last. Riku delivers a three-strike combo to finish it off. With the opposition gone, Riku presses forward.
A minute later, Riku is approaching a massive blue, ornate door with silver reliefs of vine like structures. Without any warning, six Sniper Nobodies surround the Keyblade Master. Their weapons primed and ready to shoot at their pinned target. Riku reflexively summons his Dark Barrier the moment the Nobodies fire. Their beams reflect off the barrier and back to their respectful shooters. Without missing a step, Riku calls the darkness around his body before disappearing. Riku makes six passes with his Dark Aura. Riku appears above the spot where he initially was before stabbing the ground; causing a shockwave and pillars of dark energy to shoot out from the ground. The Snipers now vanquished, a new wave of Nobodies appears in front of the door; six Creepers and three Dusks behind them.
After a minute, Riku eliminates the second wave with the third appearing immediately. Again, he is surrounded. This time he is surrounded by four Snipers and four Assassins. The Assassins meld into the ground as the Snipers walk in the air. Riku takes a deep breath and closes his eyes; knowing that both types of Nobodies can be unpredictable. A few seconds pass before all the Snipers disappear and the Assassins charge at the Keyblade Master. Riku raises the Dark Barrier; repelling their attack before damaging them with Counter Aura. Meanwhile, the four Snipers reappeared, their weapons locked on the young man before firing. The beams stopped halfway before continuing immediately after Riku's counter attack. Riku uses Shadow Roll to avoid the attack.
After Riku comes out of the darkness, Riku builds power in his body before flexing out the excess energy into a dark blue aura around him. Riku turns around and swings his Keyblade, destroying two of the Assassins. A Sniper disappears and reappears next to Riku before swinging its weapon. Riku blocks with the attack with his barrier before destroying the Nobody in six strikes. Riku turns around, the remaining Assasins are above his head. Both of their bodies poised to tie him down to the ground. Riku realizes their motive and immediately Dark Rolls between the two. The Assassins explode as soon as they hit the ground; leaving behind the three remaining Snipers. Riku charges at the Snipers in front of him. The Snipers, their weapons already primed fired at the Keyblade Master. Just before they can hit the Keblade Master, he dashes to his left. Now two of the Nobodies are in straight line while the third is near the Sniper further back and in front of the large ornate door. Riku unleashes Dark Maelstrom, his Keyblade, surrounded by dark energy, turns into a dark spear-shaped sword and a similar energy-shaped weapon appears in his free hand. Riku goes into a wild spin; eliminating the first Sniper and the second one soon after. Riku combines the energy blades into one before eliminating the final one with a jumping, upward slash.
The Keyblade Master breathes a sigh of relief before looking up at the ornate doors before him. Riku fully knows well that the final Witch on his list is beyond it. What he is concerned if it's just the Witch. He had just fought higher ranking Nobodies, and they were determined to stop him. Riku couldn't understand why at first since the Organization wants him to hunt down the Witches. He comes to a conclusion; they weren't trying to stop him. No, they were testing him; and Riku has a feeling that the Witch may not be alone in its chambers. Riku steels himself before opening the door. Pushing the door forward, he is greeted by a light from the other side.
*ANOTHER SIDE, ANOTHER STORY*
Riku finds himself inside of a gigantic room and there is no visible ceiling above. Riku stops after taking a few steps. About twenty yards away from the Keyblade Master, Xigbar stands there with his back towards the young man. Xigbar turns his head behind him, "Look who's finally arrived," he says as he fully turns his own body to Riku.
"Why are you here? I thought the Organization has no more business in this world."
"You're not wrong there," the Sharpshooter says with a shrug of his arms, "I'm just here of my volition. I've been working on something for a little while now."
"And what are you up to?"
"Hey, no need to be hasty, don't want to spoil the surprise now. How about we talk about something else? Oh, I know, how about all the girls you helped? Man, talk about a waste of time," he says with his hands in the air while shaking his head. "What did you hope would happen by keeping them alive? I mean all you're doing is giving them a bigger chance to become big, mindless monsters that only cares destroying all that's around them."
While Xigbar was speaking, Riku closes his eyes and grits his teeth. After the former is done talking, Riku snaps his eyes open, "So killing them off is your answer!?" he demands with a sweep of his arm.
The older man shrugs, "Hey, they were going to cause trouble for us eventually, even the ones with the most innocent of wishes. Like that one kiddo, I ran into," he says with a quick vertical wag of his right index finger in the air. "I was running an errand at the time and thought I'd like to have a little fun with that one. Man, she can certainly pack a wallop." Xigbar waves his hand dismissively, "Too bad she used up her strength before she turned into some giant house cat or something."
Riku gasps in realization before clenching his fists as he looks down. "So it's you," Riku mumbles out. "You're the one that forced Yuma into a Witch!" he yells out in rage as he looks back at the Sharpshooter; summoning his Keyblade and immediately shift to his battle stance. "You've picked the wrong girl to toy with. Now… Now I'm going to make sure there is one less Seeker of Darkness!" Riku charges in before jumping. With a roar, he slashes down on Xigbar with two hands. The Seeker of Darkness disappears just before the young man can cleave through him. The Sharpshooter appears twenty yards away from the Keyblade Master.
"Now we're talking!" he exclaims with a smirk before summoning his two Arrowguns and turns to his stance of holding his right weapon next to his shoulder and having the other weapon point to the ground on his side. Riku straightens up before resuming his stance as he and the Sharpshooter gauge each other.
Xigbar teleports even farther back towards the back end of the room before fusing his two weapons into a single sniper rifle. Riku runs after the Organization member, who is now locking onto the charging warrior. Xigbar fires one round. Within seconds it is in front of the Keyblade Master as time seems to slow down. Just as it appears it would hit him; Riku cuts through it within the small time frame. Xigbar fires several more shots, only for Riku to slash through them. Xigbar fires one more round. Just before it can reach the young man; he disappears in a blur. Xigbar's eyes widen a tag before Riku appears right in front of him. Riku slashes at the Sharpshooter. Just as he is able to cut through him, Xigbar disappears again.
He reappears back at the center of the room; standing on the air upside down. He separates his weapon into his two Arrowguns. After pointing them at the Keyblade Master, he charges both weapons to fire a large, blue energy arrow. Riku turns around and uses Dark Roll to avoid the attack. The arrow bounces off the ground and into the wall before heading back to Riku; who is running at the Sharpshooter. Riku jumps just in time; dodging the energy beam. Riku spins in place before air dashing for a long distance. Riku eventually lands back on the ground; putting him back within ten feet from Xigbar. The latter immediately fires a volley of energy arrows; which Riku dodges again with Dark Roll. The Keyblade Master launches towards the Sharpshooter immediately after returning to his original shape. Riku gets in several hits before Xigbar teleports to the ground on the young man's right before firing another volley of arrows. This time each of the projectiles hit their mark. Riku flinches from each hit before landing on the ground on his feet.
Riku aims his Keyblade at the Sharpshooter and fires off a chunk of ice at him. Xigbar moves to his left; avoiding the spell. He follows up by firing several shots while running. Riku runs in the opposite direction; the older man's shots barely missing him. The Sharpshooter keeps on shooting at the Keyblade Master. As the two continue to run in a circle, Riku keeps his eyes glued on the glowing cartridges sticking out of the man's Arrowguns. Xigbar fires one more volley from his weapons. As the projectiles close in Riku, he identifies the Arrowguns are out of ammo. Riku stops in his tracks and Dark Rolls through the incoming laser arrows. Before Riku can reach him, the Organization member teleports into the air again; hanging upside down behind the younger man. Riku pivots on his right foot. He aims his Keyblade at the Seeker of Darkness before launching a Dark Firaga spell from his weapon as Xigbar reloads his weapons. The dark flame splits apart before gathering at the Sharpshooter. Xigbar escapes from the black explosion just in time with another teleport.
Still hanging in the air, he looks down at the Keyblade Master with a smirk. Riku glares at the older man as he makes sound of annoyance. Riku runs towards the hanging man. Xigbar aims his weapons at his opponent, who continues to run at him. His smirk widens before aiming this weapons to the empty air to his sides before firing them. The projectiles disappear into small rifts in the air. Two rifts appear above the Keyblade Master who notices them before the Arrowgun's laser arrows fire from them. Riku jumps into the air before air dashing at the Sharpshooter. Within a second, Riku closes the gap and catches Xigbar off guard with an upward cut. Riku immediately reverses his momentum and slams the older man into the ground on his back. Xigbar makes a grunt of pain on impact. When he looks towards the ceiling; Riku is already diving in for the kill with a feral war. The Sharpshooter teleports out of harm's way and appears on the back end of the room seconds later.
Xigbar unites his two weapons into a sniper rifle once again before setting his sights on the Keyblade Master. "Dodge this if you can!" he yells out before firing tens of laser arrows at the Keyblade Master. Riku brings his weapon across his body. Riku spins towards the hailstorm of lasers deflecting the majority of them away from him. However, eight shots hit him in the arms and legs after his spin. Xigbar separates his weapon and takes aim before charging his dual Arrowguns; both emitting a dark blue aura. He fires a large energy arrow at the Keyblade Master. Just as the attack about to hit its mark; Riku disappears into a blur once again. Though Xigbar expected it, he is still surprised that Riku reappears in front of him.
Time slows down for the two combatants. Riku twists his right wrist; ready to strike the Sharpshooter. Xigbar takes note and teleports back to the center of the room; hanging upside down in the air. Xigbar's visible eye widens; seeing Riku appear right in front of him once again. The young man's eyes look at him coolly, despite the rage within them. Riku swings his weapon; knocking the air out of the Sharpshooter as his center of gravity is shifted back towards the ground; causing him to lie defenseless in the air. Riku's body glows with a black aura before disappearing. Riku unleashes his signature Dark Aura arte. Xigbar cries in pain from each of Riku's seven passes. Riku appears right above the Sharpshooter. The Keyblade Master's anger is easily seen on his face before diving down. "You're gonna lose it all!" he yells out just as he strikes the Sharpshooter.
"Gah! You got me…" Xigbar chokes out before disappearing. He reappears on the ground panting; the weight of his weapons pulling his hands to the ground. Riku stands in his battle stance at about fifteen yards away. His anger still bearing down at the Organization member, who raises his head to meet Riku's glare. Riku shifts his stance slightly for a few seconds, poised to lash out again. "Okay, okay, I give up!" the Sharpshooter exclaims while dismissing his weapons and raising his arms in the air.
"Surrendering already?!" Riku demands with a swing of Keyblade arm before pointing it at the Sharpshooter.
"What? I know when I'm beat. Got a problem with that?" he asks with a smirk. "What are you going to do? Murder me?" Riku's eyes widen at the suggestion, his pointing arm shaking. Riku closes his eyes. After a few tense seconds, the Keyblade Master's arm stop shaking before dismissing his weapon lowering his arm. Silence consumes the two combatants.
Xigbar decides to break the silence with a before looking and rubbing the back of his neck. "Man… so much for the experiment. Talk about a total letdown."
"What do you mean?" Riku asks as he looks at his enemy with a somewhat calm voice.
"Isn't it obvious by now? Why did I go through the trouble of ruffling up your feathers like I did? I was hoping that you would lose yourself after going into a fit of rage." Riku makes a small gasp in response. Xigbar continues, "Get it now? At first, I just wanted to make a point that you can't save everyone. That's why I took that little one out of her barrier and into the real world. Then after I heard that you went a little ballistic in trying to get rid of that swindling little critter. I began to think that we can use this world and its system to finally break you. But you just proven that you won't let your anger get the best of you. I mean I just offered you a free shot to kill me. Of course, I would've dodged and continue egging you on until all of your rage consumes and allow the darkness to finally swallow you up."
"I see," Riku says in a barely audible tone with closed eyes. "While I was trying to reduce your numbers; you were trying to increase them. You were going to use me as the thirteenth vessel."
"That was the original plan from the very beginning of our relationship. But you just had to find a way to make yourself immune to the darkness," the older man says before giving a sigh. "Man, should've known better. Still though that look on your face, all of that rage and anger. Now that is one for the history books. So, congratulations," he says with a wide smirk, "you have my official seal of approval. You really are Keyblade Master material. I mean that look, it was priceless. And I'm pretty sure our host was more than entertained."
"Host?" the Keyblade Master asks in confusion.
"What, forgotten already?" he asks with a waving arm. "I guess you were so focused on me, you completely forgot of where we are exactly?"
"What are you…" Riku asks before gasping as realizes something and looks around the entire room.
Xigbar smirks, "Glad you remembered. We're still inside the Witch's barrier. And from the looks of this room; I'd highly wager that this is the boss room. But where is the Witch you ask? Simple, it's been observing us."
"You certainly know a lot about this Witch."
"Of course, I'm the one that scouted it. I just made sure to put it at the bottom of your hunting list. And just as I said, I believe it's more than satisfied."
"What do you mean?" Riku demands with a sweep of his left arm.
"Why don't you ask the Witch yourself. Oh and one thing. Don't die on us," Xigbar says with a smirk before disappearing into the darkness.
"Hey, wait!" Riku yells out as extended his are to the dark plume before it disappears; taking the Sharpshooter with it.
Riku lets out a big sigh before looking around the room. He turns around back to the entrance. Seconds later the center of the room glows. Riku turns around, just in time to see a large mirror emerge out of the glowing floor. When the mirror finally stops moving Riku is craning his head up as he sizes what he believes is the Witch. The frame is silver in color and very ornate. If Riku didn't know any better; the size of the Witch is as large as the Door to Darkness. The gigantic mirror's glass reflects nothing. Nothing but darkness, as it floats just a few feet from the floor. Riku lowers his head to eye level. A gleam passes through the mirror diagonally; leaving behind a reflection of the Keyblade Master. Suddenly the glass flashes bright; blinding the young man as he is consumed by the light.
When the light fades away and he can see again; he looks up with a gasp. He is inside an all too familiar, white room. Surrounded by thirteen tall pillars, which are actually chairs of different heights, as he stands at the edge of an elevated platform. Riku does not need to look down which depicts the sigil of the Nobodies; standing on the side with the bottom half of the sigil as he turns around. "This place, it can't be!" he exclaims as he looks around.
*DISMISS*
A shadowy substance appears in the air on the opposite side of the platform. The dark substance explodes into a plume; catching the Keyblade Master's attention prior to turning around. The darkness subsides leaving behind a figure with a black coat with red lining and two black belts at the waist over a buttoned white shirt. The shirt gives way to black pants and slightly lighter colored boots. The figure's clothes and hunched figure stuns the young man. "Xehanort!?" Riku exclaims with a shocked expression before realizing one major detail "What…" he breathes out. Seeing not the original Master Xehanort but a white, faceless mannequin wearing his clothes with its arms behind its back. The strange being brings its right hand, bearing the same white glove the real one wears, to its side before summoning Master Xehanort's Keyblade. "What-What are you!?" Riku exclaims as he summons his Keyblade, Way of the Dawn, as he shifts into his own stance.
The two combatants face off each other. Riku attempts to compose himself. The young man charges at the fake Keyblade Master; which simply stands. Riku swings his Keyblade at the mannequin, which he identifies it as a Familiar created by the mirror Witch. The Familiar raises its Keyblade to meet the young man's attack. To the silver-haired youth's surprise, it is able to maintain a lock between their weapons. The mannequin takes the initiative; pushing back Riku's attack before swinging a flurry of slashes. Each one hits the Keyblade Master; grunting from each strike before he gets pushed back with a painful cry as the mannequin completes its combo with an outstretched arm. Riku retreats back to his end of the platform before casting a Cure spell on himself.
The Familiar calmly walks to the Keyblade Master. As it reaches the center of the platform, Riku recollects himself before rushing in again. Riku creates a Dark Barrier after stopping just in front of his mysterious opponent; which quickly unleashes another series of swift swings of its weapon. The barrier holds firm. After the Familiar finishes its fruitless combo, Riku catches it off guard with Counter Aura. Riku moves in with his combo of five hits before one more slash. However; to the Keybalde Master's surprise, the fake gets enveloped by a black sphere; Riku's attack goes through it like air. The sphere moves back to the opposite end. The sphere dissipates and Riku's breath hitches with wide eyes.
The mannequin is no longer hunched and is floating in the air with the chest exposed. But what catches Riku's eyes are two things; the Heartless emblem on its chest and an all too familiar Heartless floating behind the mannequin. The Familiar now presents itself not as the old fallen master of the Keyblade; but his sworn enemy, Ansem. The fake Seeker of Darkness crosses its arms before its Guardian brings its arms back before flinging them into the air summoning two pillars of dark energy at the Keyblade Master. Still in shock of the transformation; Riku screams from the pain as he is forced back to the platform's edge. The Guardian immediately launches dark disks at the disoriented young man. Riku manages to pull himself in time to pull off a Dark Roll; avoiding all the incoming projectiles. He jumps in the air with two hands above him and on his Keyblade. He swings down at the imposter; only for the Guardian to appear in front of it. Riku feels his strike hit a solid wall before landing on the ground. Riku jumps back before striking with Shadow Breaker. The Guardian returns to its place behind its master; giving the Keyblade Master a change to damage the Familiar. It swiftly floats around the edge of the platform before stopping at the opposite side.
Before Riku can take a step; the mannequin once again enshrouds itself in a black cocoon. Riku steels himself for the Familiar to emerge from its shell. The darkness disappears; and the mannequin is now wearing the black coat of the Organization with its arms cackling with energy as it still floats in the air before disappearing into a blur. Riku continues to stare in that direction; focusing on where it went. Time seems to be at a standstill. Riku's eyes widen slightly before turning around; just in time to block a red ethereal blade from the Familiar's right hand. However; he left his right side open and the mannequin strikes him there with the ethereal blade from its left hand. Riku rolls on his sides from the blow. Riku pushes himself up; slightly panting. He is now certain the Witch's creation has now assumed Xemnas' form.
After casting a Cure spell on himself; Riku fires a Dark Firaga at his opponent. The fake Xemnas disappears into a blur once more. It reappears in front of Riku before circling him; leaving behind red lasers poised to strike. As soon as it completes its circle it disappears; Riku protect himself with a dark barrier. The lasers bounce off the unholy shield. The Familiar reappears swinging its arms around as power envelops both hands. It tosses two spheres at the Keyblade Master's sides. Riku knows the attack all too well and Dark Rolls just before the two spheres erupt into spheres five times their size. The black-coated mannequin appears next to Riku and goes for a quick swipe. Riku blocks and the Familiar recoils; giving the Keyblade Master a chance to strike back at it seven times. The faceless foe again coats itself in darkness and moves to the platform's edge.
As soon as the darkness leaves; the Familiar immediately lashes out a blue energy whip at the Keyblade Master. The whip ensnares the young man's arm; who recognizes this power. It tosses him into the air before slamming him down into ground with a grunt. Riku slowly gets on his knees as he looks at the Familiar walking towards him. Without a doubt, it appears shorter; just about his size. That along with its last attack, Riku assumes it is now posing as the time travelling version of the old Keyblade Master. Riku manages to get back on his feet. At that moment; the Familiar runs at him in high speed. Riku grunts through the pain in his body, readying his Keyblade. When the two are in close proximity of the other; the fake summons two blue energy blades and the two dance with their swords at each other. They block, strike, dodge, and graze each other before the Familiar delivers a blow to push away the Keyblade Master. It immediately closes in on Riku. It swiftly strikes only to touch nothing as Riku teleports behinds and delivers a counter combo. As the mannequin reorients itself; Riku takes this chance to dash at the transforming fiend. He launches it into the air before appearing above it and slamming it back to the ground. Riku dives down for the kill; only for the Familiar to cloak itself in darkness once again. Riku's attack only hits the platform as the dark sphere moves away from the Keyblade Master.
Out of the shadows, the mannequin still dons the Organization coat and it has regained its previous height. Now facing with Xemnas' doppelganger; Riku charges at it. The Familiar charges as well; preparing its red, ethereal blades. The two clash in the center of the platform. Riku holds his weapon vertically; support the back of his weapon with his left hand while its locked with his opponent's weapons held in a 'X' formation. The two continue to push each. Riku lets out a small noise before roaring out managing to break through the imposter's attack. The Familiar, now defenseless, can do nothing as Riku assaults it with everything he has. After a few seconds; he brings his Keyblade back; the tip pointed at the airborne mannequin.
Riku thrusts his sword at the Familiar. The familiar flings itself to its right, dodging Riku's attack at the last second. Riku looks towards it as time seems to slow down. The Familiar is once again surrounded by dark wisps. After the darkness dissipates, the Familiar assumes Ansem's form along with the Heartless Guardian. The Guardian immediately ensnares Riku with its right hand; both of Riku's arms are trapped in its grip. The fake Ansem rises for a few seconds along with its Guardian. Riku struggles as the Guardian's grasp tightens. After a few more seconds, Riku suddenly stops moving as he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. A few seconds later, Riku's eyes snap open and a surge of dark energy erupts from him. Immediately, he breaks free before going into fury of Keyblade strikes; infused with darkness. He thrusts at the Familiar, firing a blue energy beam with a black outline about the size as him. The beam pushes the Familiar back.
The Familiar is surrounded by darkness again and in a few seconds, it reappears in a black coat. Immediately, it crosses its arms, wielding Young Xehanort's blades, and fires an X-shaped energy attack. Riku slides to his left to dodge. Riku jumps towards his opponent. After getting in front of it, he catches it off guard when he slams the Keyblade into its stomach. He strikes it two more times before grabbing the Familiar's coat and jumps up. Time slows down around them, Riku spins around once before throwing the fake Xehanort into the floor. The floor cracks at the impact point. Riku raises the Keyblade above his head as fiery stones appear around him. He slams the Keyblade on his foe, the stones immediately descend, causing earth-shattering force on the ground and Riku's target.
Once more the mannequin is surrounded by a dark sphere as it moves to its original position at the platform edge near the top of the sigil on the floor. Emerging from the dark shell is its first form, its impersonation of the original Master Xehanort. Riku charges at it and the two lock blades. The weapon lock holds for a few seconds before the Witch's agent breaks through. Time slows down, Riku appears unguarded and the Familiar goes in for a thrust. Just before it can hit him, Riku parries the blow. The fake Xehanort continues to push the Keyblade Master back, who continues to parry each of its strikes. Riku manages one last parry to leave the fake Keyblade wielder defenseless. Riku goes all out, striking it multiple times. Riku swiftly spins his Keyblade before lowering it. The next instant he delivers an upward slash. Time seems to slow after Riku's attack connects and the Familiar's head jerks backwards from the blow.
After a few seconds that felt like hours, the faceless mannequin shambles backwards before stopping; looking towards the ground. The fake Keyblade Master dismisses its weapon. Riku continues to stare at the Familiar. A dark aura shimmers around it like a flame; causing the Keblade Master to be on guard. The Familiar crosses its arms before flinging them wide to its sides and snaps its head up. The aura explodes at that moment; covering everything in darkness, especially Riku, who raises his arm over his face.
As the darkness subsides, Riku opens his closed eyes while lowering his arm. Riku's breath hitches, "This is…" he says as he tales in another familiar place; or rather an all-too familiar scene. The wind howls as all sorts of debris surround a sandy platform on top of a floating rock in the middle of dark swirling clouds in a violet sky. High in the sky above is a humongous dark sphere with a fiery center as it absorbs everything in sight. There is no mistaking it for the young Keyblade Master. The stage is how his journey began; the destruction of his world. Riku looks to the sky with a calm face before looking down; staring at a contorting blob of darkness.
"Now I get. This is what he meant," he says recalling the Sharpshooter's words. Riku clenches his left fist before raising it front of him before looking at his open palm. "Master Xehanort, Ansem, Xemnas, along with their original's younger self. Deep down… I'm scared. Not out of fear of them. But for what they did… they almost took him away." Riku closes his hand before placing on his chest as he looks down with closed eyes. "My best friend. Sora," he says before pausing. "But deep down, there's something I'm more afraid of. That guy," referring to Xigbar, "tried to use my anger as the key to allow the darkness to take me over. In fact, that's just it. The one thing that I truly fear," he says before staring back at the darkness before the wisps dispel and a figure appears from within. Riku gives off a smile. "Myself."
*FORZE DEL MALE*
At that moment, the darkness disperses revealing the faceless mannequin once more. But this time, it is wearing the dark, form-fitting suit the Keyblade Master once donned when enveloped in the powers of darkness. The Familiar stands at his height as they stare at each other. The imposter summons the dark weapon Riku once wielded, Soul Eater. "Still," Riku says in a smirk before shifting to his stance with Way of the Dawn, "you're just an imitation!" The imposter mimics Riku's stance as they face off.
Riku makes the first move, firing Dark Firaga from his Keyblade. The imposter responds the same spell. The dark spells cancel each other out on contact. Through the dark flames; the Familiar closes in on the Keyblade Master. Riku blocks the initial strike before they dance with their clashing weapons. The dance ends with the two's weapons locked against one another. Riku manages to push off the fake. Once it regains its footing; it brings its right hand back. The original knows the fake's next move and jumps over it. At that time; the Familiar thrusts its right hand; casting a Dark Firaga spell. Riku lands behind it before unleashing Shadow Breaker. The dual attack of light and darkness pushes the faceless being to the edge of the platform.
The Familiar turns around before surrounding itself in dark energy. Riku shifts back to his stance. The Familiar jumps backwards. Instead of falling to the unknown abyss; it floats in the air. The floating mannequin swings its weapon; firing a dark disk at the Keyblade. Riku sidesteps to the right. Within a second, the mannequin moves to the right of the platform. It attacks again with another dark disk. Riku responds with another sidestep. The cycle continues three more times as the Familiar strikes from different positions outside the platform. The fake Riku climbs to the sky in seconds. Riku loses sight of it but his honed instincts give him an idea from where and how it will strike. Riku jumps back to the edge of the platform. The next second, the Familiar slams into the platform and pillars of dark energy burst outward from the impact point. Riku rolls to the side, evading one the incoming pillars. Riku closes in before the two move into a flurry of swings of their weapons. After five seconds, Riku catches it off guard; giving him the chance to deliver a seven-hit combo at his foe.
The Familiar unleashes even more dark energy; the aura dancing around it like fire. Without hesitation, it rises to the air. Riku steels himself for the fake's next attack. The mannequin disappears, just as the Keyblade Master expected. He sidesteps to his right; avoiding the copycat's first pass of Dark Aura. Riku cloaks himself in darkness as he darts away from each of the Familiar's remaining six passes. The double appears at the center before stabbing the ground with both hands; unleashing another volley of dark plumes spread outward as streaks of darkness skim the surface in eight directions. Riku jumps before air dashing to the Familiar; avoiding the it's attack's final stage. Riku gathers the necessary energy as he is cloaked with a fiery aura and summons six stones around him before unleashing Meteor Crash. Both the impact and the falling meteors from the young man's attack knocks the mannequin towards the edge.
As it tries to reorient itself, Riku already initiates his signature attack; his body glowing with a dark, bluish aura before disappearing. Each of his seven attacks hits the fake head on; each strike knocking it in different directions like a pinball. The apparition is forced back towards the center. The Keyblade Master appears just above before stabbing the ground; both the shockwave and pulses of dark energy from the ground. The force of the attack sends the Familiar flying back to the edge. Riku jumps backwards with an acrobatic flip before landing at the opposite edge of the platform.
After the Familiar gains its bearings; it looks towards at the original. The Witch's servant flexes its arms and legs as tens of dark wisps gather into it; cloaking into a black, fiery aura. At the same time, Riku's body also glows with a white aura with a black outline. He takes in a deep breath before slowly exhaling. The aura around him increased in size. Seconds later, both combatants disappear at the same time. Both reappear as streaks of light covered with dark aura. Within seconds they intercept each other in a straight line; sparks flying where clashed before continuing on their way before disappearing. The two clash seven more times before they start repeat the process faster. Before long; the scene become filled with crashing lasers from all directions. After a few seconds, the two dark-infused living arrows clash once more before their auras disperse. The Familiar is slowly heading the ground, while Riku appears above with his sword arm pointing towards the ground. He disappears before reappearing above his fake. Bringing his weapon back; the Keyblade is enveloped by a large white aura; become a long of sword of light about twice his height. "You are done!" he yells out just before slashing through his imposter. Time appears to come to a still at that moment.
*BEYOND THE DOOR*
Riku lands with his weapon in front of him as the Familiar hangs in the air with its back towards the ground. The faceless being drops its weapon. After the weapon bounces on its tip, it immediately turns black before shattering. At that moment, cracks appear on the Witch's servant as it turns to black. The moment it turned completely black and full of cracks, it shatters like glass. Not just the destroyed imposter, the entire scenery shatters from where it used to be; revealing the large, white room. The giant mirror that created the illusions of Riku's fears hovers before him. The Keyblade Master snaps his head towards it before bringing back his weapon. After jumping towards the Witch with a battle cry, three straight diagonal lines appear at different on the Witch as Riku is in the air behind it. Upon landing on the ground in a crouch and his weapon fully extended to his right, three major spider web cracks appear on the Witch's reflective glass before shattering. Slowly the portion above the top line slides down the slope before falling and crashing into the ground. The middle section follows suit and breaks apart after hitting the ground. Moments later, what remains of the Witch quickly disintegrates in an explosion-like manner. The room around him disintegrates as he turns around, revealing him to be on top of a small building with a clear view of the twilit horizon.
*DESTINY'S UNION*
Riku sighs with relief while leaning back before sitting on the ground. A few yards in front of him is the Grief Seed of the defeated Witch. With a grunt, he pushes himself up. The young man picks up the Grief Seed after walking up to it. The item rests in the palm of his raised hand. "To think, all these girls were willing to put their lives on the line for their wishes. But in the end… they will eventually become this." Riku continues to stare at it before looking up to the looming clouds above him. "How long has this destructive cycle been in play? How many lives destroyed by it? And how many girls have to suffer this fate?" he asks before looking back at the Grief Seed in his hand. "Perhaps… now at the end… they can finally find their peace." In his mind, he can see all the Magical Girls that he met outside of Mitakahira city, one by one. The last of these images is a smiling Yuma. The Keyblade Master gives a small smile with a contentful sound. "The darkness of this world will now vanish. And the people will no longer be victims of this unseen evil. And the girls that are both the source of hope and despair; will no longer be given this pointless burden. As for the ones that still bear this burden," he shifts his gaze to the horizon; where dark clouds gather in the distance. "I just know that Kairi can free them." Riku closes his eyes with a smile. "At long last, this world can finally see…" he says as the sun rises to his left. Riku opens eyes before turning his head towards the rising sun. "The rise of a new dawn."
Author's Note: That's the last chapter, my friends. If this was an actual Kingdom Hearts game, this is where Simple and Clean will start playing and the credits roll on.
Please let me know on your final thoughts of this story.
And as an added bonus, I present an additional Secret Chapter.
Remember that side project I mentioned; it is a drawing that coincides with one of the following scenes. It is viewable on DeviantArt; just search for me (username is the same) and you'll find it.
Hope you enjoy these extra tidbits.
Until we meet again, my friends.
SECRET CHAPTER: CHANGING FATES
VISITORS TO A FALLEN WORLD
The air quietly howls as several, large, floating rocks with destroyed buildings dot the scene in perpetual twilight. Silence looms for a minute before footsteps quietly echo in this hollow land. The owner of the footsteps, white boots under a white coat, stop in the middle of a dirt barren road surrounded by rubble. The mysterious Atef stands there in silence before looking up; only to find a large tower slightly leaning atop a smaller mass of land. The white wanderer looks at it for a few seconds.
"I can't believe it's all gone," a young man's voice is heard. It is the same voice belonging to the traveler's companion from Traverse Town. The hooded man looks behind his left shoulder. Based on the direction his hood is facing towards the ground, indicates the man's companion is smaller than him.
The man looks back up to the tower. "Tell me, how do you feel?"
"Well…I'm glad they're gone for good. I mean they did all sorts of terrible things. However…" there was silence for a few seconds, "is this what they call… mixed feelings?"
"It is always sad when a world falls to darkness," Atef says before looking towards the sky. "Now… what is our role here? I doubt we came here to feel pity for this empty world."
Nothing is said for a few seconds. "Huh?" the man's companion says out loud, "What's that?". The man looks behind him for a second. He slowly turns his head toward the front; still looking towards the ground, indicating his friend just went by him.
After a few seconds, he takes nines steps towards his left. "What did you find?" he inquires with a curious tone.
"Here," the voice said before a black object gets tossed towards the man. The man quickly, but subtly, stretches his arm out to catch the thrown object.
Atef stares at the item in his hand. The item in hand is a cursed object known as a Grief Seed. "So…" the man says through the shadows of his hood. "We meet again… little one"
A PAST ENCOUNTER OF FATE
Through the shadows of his hood, Atef stares at the paved street before him. His back next to an iron fence with his arms crossed. Several rows of trees can be seen behind the fence. Behind them are rows of stone markers. The mysterious wanderer looks down to the ground. "This sensation…this darkness…I remember it. I've been to this world before. No mistake about that. But why now? What is my role here this time?" The man goes silent before raising his head and lowering his arms, "Is it time, perhaps? Time for me to meet…" the man trails off. "Hmm?" the man looks to his left.
Walking down the street is a small girl with long, curly, lavender hair. She is wearing a tight, black, long-sleeved shirt with a white line down the middle with a white skirt underneath it. Below that are white, knee high socks and white tennis shoes. In her crossed arms is a teddy bear. She continues to walk forward, not noticing Atef as she passes by him. "Interesting," he simply states before snapping his fingers.
At that instance, the air warps; alerting the girl out of her thoughts. The warping stops after a few seconds. She looks around in confusion. In the distance, two people appears to have been frozen in place. A bird stands still in the air with its wings wide open; not a single movement coming from it. The girl continues to look around until a series of footsteps catches her attention. She looks up to find Atef standing a few feet from her. She takes a step back, "Who or what are you?"
"Do not be afraid. I am simply a traveler," Atef states. "You are an interesting being. You have a strong power and yet, it feels that your body is void of life."
"Wait, this magic… it can't be… is this your doing?!" she demands as she straightens out her arms, unwittingly dropping her stuffed companion.
The white-coated being says nothing before raising his right hand at the girl's head. Immediately a small light sparks between his hand and the girls head. The girl simply stands still, but even she cannot explain why she can't move. "How peculiar," Atef states, "I see two fates before you. On this day, you will something precious to you. When that happens, your life is forfeit. And yet… this second fate… you will still lose your treasure. But that loss will drive to the depths of darkness. No hope of escape. Yet… there is a small light, shining dimly within the darkness."
The light between the two disperses before the man lowers his arm. "So this is it. This is my reason here," Atef speaking to himself. "A terrible fate truly awaits you. Yet one is preferable over the other. The second fate… I would like to believe in the promise of that light in the distance." He raises his right arm, crossing his body. Before the girl can make another move, he swings his arm, "Sleep," the man says. An invisible force passes through the girl. Her lavender eyes widen for a second before closing as she swoons toward the ground. She falls on her back.
"May your future, bring happiness," he says before looking at the open gate on his right. "For one young such as you, should not go there so soon." The air around them warps once more. The man disappears into the air as times continues onward as the small girl sleeps in front of the open gate to the cemetery behind the fence.
MEMORIES ETCHED IN STONE
Deep in the cemetery, Keiko, the black-haired girl in her usual green, school uniform, is on her knees, praying in front of a cemetery marker with closed eyes. After a few seconds, she raises her head toward the stone with a sad smile. On the stone marker, there is an epithet over the name in the middle:
HERE LIES THE CHILD OF THE SEVEN STARS
She slowly, pushes herself onto her feet. She stares at the grave before saying, "I'll be back tomorrow. I can only pray…" the girl pauses before looking up towards the clear, blue sky, "that you are in eternal happiness."
THE FORESEEN REUNION…
As the crystal blue sky reigns the day, the wind softly blows as the waves of the ocean washes the sandy beach on a lone island. Nothing but ocean for miles around except for a large island far in the distance. On a small islet lies a unique tree with the trunk bending towards its side; allowing one to either sit on it or lay against it as someone is now. The young man has long, silver hair, wearing a long white and yellow vest with a black trim over his fine-toned body. He sports a pair of navy jeans and black and yellow shoes. His arms crossed and eyes closed, he has a content smile; enjoying the sound of the breeze in the air and the waves of ocean.
After a minute, a small gust blows, and the man's smile disappears as he tightens his eyes for a second. The man opens them, revealing them to be blue as the sky above him. He slowly raises his head to the sky. He first scans the airspace to the left before shifting his gaze on the sky to his right. "Huh," the man responds as his eyes widen a tad. In the sky is a small streak of light. "What's that, a shooting star?" The man continues to gaze at it for a few seconds before he drops his jaw with wide eyes. "Wait a minute. That's a…"
…MARKS THE FORGOTTEN UPRISING
On top of a giant, white pillar, lies a disk-shaped observation deck. The deck is surrounded by a giant ring of light. There are progressively smaller rings above the tower. Standing alone on the white roof is a figure clothed in a white cloak. The hood covers the figure's head. In the depths of the hood, the figure's face is viewable. However, the figure is wearing a white mask with an unusual design. One can say it looks like a question mark with heart-like curves. The empty space near the top curve has two dots; almost like the eyes of the symbol. The figure gives off a feminine giggle. "It is time…"