*The long battle with Vanitas reaches its end. When the dust settles who will be left standing? The warrior of the dark, Vanitas, or the warrior of the light, Sora?*
Chapter 12
An Unbreakable Heart
"Just sit tight here." The still weary Sora instructed the injured Kaldea with a determined expression. "I'll finish this."
Sora advanced on Vanitas. With ripples of overwhelming power flowing over the x-blade, the boy held up his weapon in a defensive position. Sora leaped into the air calling for waves of light to flow out from his keyblades. He tapped into the same amount of raw power he'd just struck down Trinity Armor with when he brought his two blades down on Vanitas. Sora's dark look-alike managed to stand his ground and guard successfully against the blows. He effortlessly shoved Sora away. The waves of energy flowing off of his blade threw Sora back with the boy tumbling to a rough stop in the center of the road.
Vanitas rushed after him, following up with another swing. Sora blocked but was thrown against the side of the village shop by the x-blade's power. He stubbornly pushed off of the surface and hurried to engage Vanitas once again. The frustrated Kaldea watched Sora struggle. She could see that her comrade was fighting a doomed battle. There was no chance of beating Vanitas in battle of raw might with their current weapons. The young woman let out a heavy breath as she thought of one last idea. She began to struggle to her feet as the feeling slowly returned to her body.
After clashing with another attack, Sora hit the ground and again. Vanitas was barely puttingin any effort now to deflect his opponent's attacks. Just holding his x-blade up in defense essentially put an unbeatable wall in place that Sora could not strike down. The quality of the sword and the overflowing power that enveloped it was definitely far greater than the strength of Trinity Armor's body. Face down in the dirt, Sora let out a weary groan before struggling to push himself back up. He was suddenly surprised when he raised his head to his opponent. Vanitas read that there was something happening behind him from his adversary's expression. Before he could turn around, Kaldea's slender arms slipped around his neck as she caught the boy in a tight headlock.
"Y-you!? Now…what!?" The furious Vanitas managed through choked breaths. "Just stay down in your corner. I'll back to finish you off in a minute!"
"Kaldea! What are you doing!?" Sora called out, certain that her actions were demanding more strength than she actually had left in her.
"Escape Sora." She ordered. "It's obvious we're not going to win this. At least one of us should get away."
"What are you saying?"
"I remember you said you were looking for your friends. You can't let it end here when you have people waiting for you. My world…..there is no life for me toreturn to. There is no one waiting for me. So I can handle being expendable."
"Well she's got the right idea." Vanitas joked as her hold on him began to loosen against his furious resistence. "But it's wishful thinking. There's no escape. I will bury all of you!"
"Just SHUT UP! THE BOTH OF YOU!" Sora shouted back.
Both Kaldea and Vanitas fell silent as they eyed the angered boy for a moment. Though Vanitas wasn't patient enough to hear whatever was going to come out of his opponent's mouth next. He held out the x-blade which unleashed a swell of power in all directions. Against the outburst of force, Sora was thrown off of his feet. Kaldea too, couldn't maintain her hold on him as they were bathed in the power of the blade. She was blown off of her feet as well. The raging power of the x-blade calmed now with its master freed.
"What an idiot." Vanitas scoffed as he turned and raised his blade to Kaldea.
"Stop!" Sora called as he struck at the dark dopplganger from behind.
Vanitas proved quick enough and deflected the boy's attack.
"I will NEVER leave a friend behind!" Sora declared, punctuating his declaration by clashing with x-blade again.
Vanitas noticed an extra bit of power behind Sora's attacks now, but the boy's rising determination still wasn't giving him the strength he needed to contend with the legendary weapon.
"I WILL protect my friends!" Sora continued as sparks flew from their tangling keyblades. "I'LL STAKE MY HEART ON IT!"
"Your heart?" Vanitas remarked.
That had been the final straw for the young warrior of the dark as he shoved Sora away and leaped after him.
"THEN YOU'LL LOSE YOUR HEART!" He howled while holding the x-blade skyward.
The ancient blade swelled with power once again before he brought it down on Sora with all of the destructive power he could muster. Sora crossed his blades overhead and met the attack head on. The energy spilled off of the blade, washing over Sora, and spreading out across the road. The street filled with cracks and fractures, pressured by the expanding waves of energy washing over it. Windows were blown out of the remaining structures still standing around them. Some structures even crumbled all together from the might of this mighty strike dealt out by Vanitas. Kaldea braced herself against a strong wind released by the attack.
After a moment, the energy subsided and the dust cleared revealing the twin boys still in the center of the road. Vanitas stood holding the x-blade over Sora. The force of the blow had forced Sora down onto his knees as he still held his two keyblades in defense, managing to hold up the weight of his opponent's blade. He was covered from head to toe in scrapes and bruises after taking such a devastating attack in strides.
"You've got to be kidding me." A disgusted Vanitas groaned. "Why wont you break!? Just give up!"
Sora suddenly felt a ripple vibrate through his keyblades. It was the same sensation from earlier. Just before Vanitas summoned the x-blade. The x-blade suddenly began to shine bright with blue light. Vanitas looked on startled, uncertain of what change was taking place with the weapon now. Like a sand castle being dissolved away by the incoming tides, the x-blade began to break apart into a cloud of dispersing blue particles drifted away with the breeze. It only took a few seconds for the ancient weapon of lore to vanish completely. It left behind Vanitas' normal keyblade, the Void Gear, still in his grasp after completely dissolving into nothing. Vanitas leaped away from Sora as he studied his own keyblade in horror.
"Why!?" He demanded, as if the Void Gear could give a reply.
He quickly thought back to earlier when he had first summoned the blade. Try as he might, he couldn't identify what action, thought, or feeling had summoned the x-blade into existence. Nothing stood out though. He couldn't see what he needed to do in this moment to call the blade back. Sora stabbed his Guardian Soul and Hidden Dragon keyblades into the ground for support as he pushed himself back up to his feet.
"I guess we're back to an even playing field." Sora commented through a weakened chuckle.
Vanitas merely glared at the enemy. Though the more he studied Sora, the more apparent it became that his adversary was on his last leg. Sora was covered in injuries and seemed to sway in place as he tried to stand up straight. At the same time Vanitas' own injuries suddenly became more noticeable to him now that the x-blade was gone. He'd taken an exceptional beating from Sora and Kaldea's combined efforts. Both boy's had little strength left now but he was certain Sora was in far worse shape.
He began to relax a bit. True he'd lost the x-blade but he began to feel more confidence that his own strength would be enough to finish the fight. Vanitas assumed his stance. Sora responded aswell, raising his two keyblades. He noticed with his fatigue, his weapons were beginning to feel much heavier in his hands. Sora took a breath.
(I just need to hold on for one final round.) The boy thought to himself. (I can do this. I can stop him here and now. This is it.)
Kaldea watched the two rush at each other and begin their final exchange. The initial shock value of Sora's duel welding had worn off on Vanitas as he matched his foe blow for blow. Sora dodeged out of the way of one of Vanitas' swings and whirled around quickly as he struck back. Vanitas was thrown against the wall of a derelict house from the blow. He growled while slamming a hand against the wall of the structure. His shadow crept along the surface and two small pot-like unversed emerged. In his beaten state, these small creatures were the best he could muster.
With the two pots orbiting at his side he advanced on Sora once again. As the two keyblade wielders battled each other, the two pots circled the dueling pair. The pot-like unversed acted as cannons when they angled themselves and opened. They began firing bolts of fire and ice magic respectively at Sora. The battle turned into a dance as Sora continued trade blows with Vanitas while ducking and weaving between the magical bolts passing between them. Vanitas was determined to lay on as much pressure as he could. Rolling away from a keyblade strike, Sora closed in on the small fire slinging unversed and smashed it with a single strike. He dodged Vanitas again and was swift to reach the ice unverse and take it out in one blow as well.
With some effort, Vanitas squeezed out one last burst of speed, already at Sora's exposed back with his blade held up for the strike. Sora just narrowly turned and whipped his blades into position to stop the downward strike. The two stared into eachother's angered eyes before Vanitas manage to parry Sora and send the boy a step off balance. The next clash of their weapons blew Sora off his feet and tumbling across the road to a stop.
"I'm ending this now." Vanitas hissed in a low tone.
An aura of darkness began to flow around the boy as he held out the Void Gear. The blade shimmered with a blue light that signaled the oncoming of an ice spell.
"Not if I can beat you to the punch." Sora shot back as he pulled himself back up.
An aura of light began flow over him as he dug deep within and scraped together the very last reserves of strength he could summon. He'd have nothing left to fight with after this final clash. The moment of truth had arrived as the twins played their final cards.
Sora broke into a sprint, racing towards Vanitas. Meanwhile the darker boy took a swing with his keyblade, firing off a wide wave of ice magic that froze over the streets, shattered, buildings and just about everything else in the boy's path. Sora leaped up with all of the strength his legs could offer. He just narrowly escaped the range of the ice blast as everything beneath him froze over and the attack flew on carving a wintery path through the heart of Dali.
Sora somersaulted through the air before stopping mid fall. He floated in place for a moment as he began to twirl the Hidden Dragon keyblade. He swung the blade up over head and let it go. The weapon began spin in place right over Sora's head as he was incased in a golden barrier from the light it produced.
(With everything I have left….) Sora thought as he felt his body ache and strain with this final push.
The next surge of light the erupted from his keyblade ran wild as it spiraled into a tornado of energy. Vanitas looked on in shock as the cyclone of light reached down to the road. It touched down directly on top of him and the boy was yanked helplessly off of his feet. Along with being bombarded by the violent rays of light, Vanitas was slammed against the road and walls of the surrounding broken buildings as he was dragged along at the mercy of the radiant currents. As he was drawn up through shining geyser he even crashed into the barrier that Sora had erected around himself and bounced off.
At the edge of town Rufus turned and looked at the sight of the tornado of light that had suddenly appeared in the village with interest. Elsewhere Reno and Rude who stood back to back with that last few mobs of unverse at either side of them. They too took a moment to look at the shining whirling beacon in the center of the town.
"Hey Reno." Rude began with a grin. "I guess if your fight hadn't gotten interrupted the kid would have had some surprises for you."
"Shut up." Reno groaned while jabbing Rude in the back of the head with his stun rod.
He'd at least been kind enough to switch the taser feature off for that moment. Though it was true. He couldn't say his pride wasn't bruised as he looked at such an awe inspiring attack come from the opponent he had faced just a day earlier.
By some miracle Squall and Rue had managed to wipe out what had seemed like an endless sea of the shadow monsters. Squall, finally was able to take a well-deserved rest, was down on his knee panting when he saw the tornado of light take shape and tower over the village.
"Sora…" He muttered, recognizing the silhouette that could be seen floating in the center of the shining maelstrom.
Rue wiped the sweat from his face as he looked on in silence.
Sora snatched the spinning keyblade from over head and with a single elegant swipe of the weapon, triggered the spell to disburse. The spiraling mass suddenly went out of control with its waves of light now erupting out in all directions. Vanitas was rocketed across the street into the wall of the mayor's house. Due to the impact he bounced off of the structure and landed in the road. His keyblade tumbled away from him before vanishing into a wave of dark energy.
Vanitas entire body throbbed with pain. To fight on now was completely out of the question. It took everything he had just to attempt moving. His vision was a blur as he looked ahead. The figure that dropped down from the sky back onto the street had to be his nemesis he knew. Upon landing Sora staggered a few steps but managed to stay on his feet.
(Just…..what am I lacking?) Vanitas pondered as he watched Sora.
The time had come to deliver the finishing blow. Despite his often so cheerful and gentle attitude, slaying an opponent was not something the starry eyed Sora would shy away from. At the age of fifteen, he had, tragically, already racked up quite the body count of those felled by his blade for one so young. Those affiliated with Organization 13 came to mind. Its various members, at one point or another, had tampered with the powers of darkness and had their hearts stolen in the process. This did not kill them, but instead left them as incomplete beings none as "nobodies". Their body and soul were left intact, but their heart, the core of who they were and what made them human had been snatched away by the darkness. The organization claimed that their goal was to restore their hearts and complete themselves once again.
Certainly their goal was admirable enough, but their methods were unjustifiable. The organizations members attacked the innocent, attempted to destroy worlds, and even tried to enslave and use Sora for their gains. They were dangerous. Mercy couldn't be afforded for those who Sora met in battle with so much riding on the line. He recalled the dimwitted, though still threatening Demyx as he cried out upon meeting his demise on the end of Sora's keyblade. Next had been Luxord, who's departing expression and words sounded as if he had been hit with some great betrayal upon being cut down. Then there was Saix, who upon being wounded during his clash with the young keyblade wielder, turned and ignored the boy. He spent the last moments pining for his lost heart and how he wished for it back before fading away in what was a rather heart wrenching display. Regardless of the reasoning, they had all been beings of the dark who were hurting people. Sora knew he couldn't let himself hesitate at the moment of truth.
This belief was going to have to stay especially true for Vanitas. He had questions considering the boy was his double. But he recalled the villager who had lost his life to the unversed and inexplicably vanished before his eyes. That hadn't been even an hour earlier. Nothing in Vanitas' behavior suggested he would reform through defeat. Sora broke into a dash with his weapons held firm in each hand.
(This is it?) Vanitas thought while watching his opponent charge forward.
He had no strength left to fight back or defend himself.
(It really wasn't much of life anyway I guess. Darkness, darkness, training, that old idiot Xehanort, more training, that revolting Ventus and his friends. I guess this is fine.)
"SORA!" A panicked Kaldea suddenly called, disrupting the boy's concentration. "ABOVE!"
From his peripheral vision Sora, glimpsed that something large was descending upon him at rapid speed. He didn't waste the time looking in the object's direction to really see what was coming before he jumped back. He narrowly escaped being crushed under what resembled a rusted, bloody boat anchor that smashed through the dirt road and sank into the ground. Sora, Vanitas, and Kaldea all looked on as the object sank into the road. Wisps of crimson energy that splashed around the lowering chain, suggested that the object was sinking through a newly opened portal and not actually the street itself. They watched the moving chain before them as the object sank deeper red vortex.
Finally the chain went taught as it snagged on something from below them. It began to reel itself back up as the three watched in anticipation of what was about to emerge from the blood red abyss. Their patience didn't go unrewarded as nightmarish beast was dragged up out of the portal by the neck with the rusty anchor hooking it. The anchor shook loose when the creature was half way out of the portal. In a way the three were grateful it hadn't fully been freed from whatever hellish dimension the anchor had tried to pull it from. Just with only everything from its waist upward sticking out through the portal, the beast stood two stories tall as it towered over the road.
Bound up in chains with grey rotting flesh, the monster howled in agony as it took in the new surroundings. Its head was wrapped in bandages leaving only one eye exposed to survey Dali with. Sora and Vanitas' managed to mirror each other's expressions of horror as they, along with Kaldea, stood petrified before the overlooking demon. Sora remained still on the road before the beast. He hesitated. Was the monster a new enemy? Perhaps another unversed despite how shocked even Vanitas looked. The beast locked eyes with Sora but didn't move. Sora stood with his blades in hand, convinced he was prepared for whatever might come but proved too slow to react anyway.
For a brief instant he felt a change in the air around him but then it was over. He was instantly crushed under an invisible explosive force of power that blew him off of his feet. Sora hit the ground. The highlights and detailing in his clothing from master formed disappeared along with his keyblades as they were thrown from his grasp. Sora body was still on the road as he lay unconscious. Kaldea reached out for him about to call when she noted that the beast had set its gaze upon her now. The demon's eyes were beginning to shed tears of blood as it studied the young woman. Kaldea didn't have a chance to react as she met the same fate as Sora. She managed only a brief cry as she was hit with an overwhelmingly powerful force. The dust cleared revealing she was down and unconscious as well on the road.
Vanitas stared on speechless at the turn of events. The monster had emerged between him and Sora which put him standing directly behind the beast. He stood petrified. Should he try to move and risk drawing the monster's attention? As he pondered his options his thoughts were disrupted when a voice suddenly spoke out. So focused on the demon ahead of him, he hadn't been watching his own back.
"Greetings" A soft male voice spoke out from behind him.
~Chapter End~
Characters featured this chapter:
Anima (Final Fantasy 10)