We all sat in silence. It was humiliating, all of us were so weak and we had to retreat. And we were all so frightened and upset about Varijex's betrayal. I was unsure whether he might return, but luckily Xeros transported us to a new world. One which I've never been to, at least. I looked over to Xeros, sitting against a wall as Scyrux knelt at his side. He pulled out a Potion from his pocket and gave it to Xeros.
"Thank you, Scyrux." He said as he drank the Potion. He placed the bottle down and then stood up. Scyrux offered a hand, but Xeros just stood on his own. He stretched and then shook himself. He then looked around to observe our surroundings.
"Where are we?" I asked as Xeros continued to look around.
"I'm not sure." He then proceeded to walk as Scyrux and I followed him. We all wandered around this place, it was some sort of town. But it was mostly in ruins. There was a lot that seemed to have been destroyed long ago, but that also seemed like the inhabitants were rebuilding. As we walked through what seemed like a marketplace, I noticed in the distance a rather large castle. Whether it was bigger than the Organization's or not, I was unsure of. It also seemed like it was in the process of being restored.
I turned to Xeros as he was just looking around, seemingly dazed by the world. He looked around, like a child in new surroundings. But there was this hint of lightness in his eyes. Almost like as if he were comfortable in this place. Like it was a safe place for him.
"Xeros, what's wrong?" I asked as he continued to look around. He then turned to me.
"I...don't know. What do you mean?"
"I'm with Xaik, you seem out of it." Scyrux added as Xeros turned to him.
"Nothing, it's just..." He then continued to look around. "This place...it seems...familiar."
"Have you been here before?"
"No." I was confused by what he was saying. He had never been here, yet he said it was familiar to him. I would have continued to question, but then Scyrux spoke up.
"Not to burst our bubble of sanctuary, but we need to regroup and figure out what to do. For all we know, Varijex and the Organization could be after us." In that moment, Xeros snapped back into reality and his expression turned serious again. He clenched his fist as he spoke.
"Varijex...that coward. I never thought he would betray us like that."
"Now's not the time for this, Xeros. We have to figure out what we will do. There isn't anywhere that we can run or hide. The Organization will find us." And I was right. The Organization would not stop until we were found. And Xemnas would surely have us destroyed now.
"You're right." Xeros said as he then turned to us. "We must make a stand."
"I'm with you, as always." Scyrux said as he smiled and then stood at his side. I nodded at Xeros and then he puzzled for a moment.
"Well, first, let's see if we can get a little bit more preparation. It'll be a tough fight. Varijex was bad enough, but then there's Saïx. And the superior himself." He then began to walk around as we found some shops in the town. Xeros and Scyrux were stocking up on any item they could find, anything that would be useful. I sat down and watched some of the residents as they were going about their lives. Having no idea what was going on. No idea about the Organization, the Nobodies. No idea about us. We were the ones that lurked in the shadows, doing recon and destroying Heartless. Then I remembered Hayner, Pence and Olette. All the residents of Port Royal. Tarzan, Mulan, everyone I had met. They did not know about us, not entirely. But we helped them. And hopefully we would be remembered, if we are unsuccessful. I couldn't really say I had hope for us beating the Organization. As much as I wanted us to be victorious.
Xeros approached me where I sat and stood behind me. I looked up to him and he looked down to me. I looked off into the distance again and then he sat down. I was shocked as I saw him sitting next to me. All the times where we sat down, he would always stand. He looked off into the distance and he just took a deep breath. He then reached for something and pulled out these two blue squares on sticks. He handed one to me and kept one. I looked at it curiously, and then to him.
"Scyrux bought these for us."
"What are they?" I asked as he then took a bite of it.
"Ice cream. Eat." I then took a bite of it and it was salty. But also very sweet. "It seems this could very well be our last mission. It's them...or us." He said as he continued to look off into the distance. He took another bite and I continued to eat mine as well. We sat there, for maybe ten minutes. But it felt like longer. The suspense, the anticipation. This was it. Like he said. Us versus the Organization. There was no turning back now.
A little while later we reconvened where we came from. Xeros held out his hand and opened a portal as we all braced ourselves. We all walked through as we walked through the darkness once more. And then, we reappeared in the World That Never Was. We were in the alleys of the Dark City, probably because we couldn't go to the castle or Memory Skyscraper directly. We all summoned our weapons, and Xeros began to sneak around. Scyrux was behind him and I behind Scyrux. We were creeping around the corners, making sure that the coast was clear. Xeros gestured us to move ahead as he then began to walk through the alleys as he normally would. We stayed in the shadows as he looked around, but there was nothing. He then turned back and gestured us to move up once more.
We approached the clearing of Memory Skyscraper, and suddenly all I heard was the sounds of Dusks. We looked around to see there were dozens of them, all around us. Clinging to the walls of the buildings. They all jumped down, stretching their bodies as they landed on the ground. Then more Nobodies appeared around us, but these ones were bigger. They carried large weapons, similar to Saïx's claymore. We all stood, back to back in a circle as the Nobodies all began to close in on us. The Dusks then came in first. We all separated and began the fight. I rushed the crowd of Dusks in front of me and smashed the first one. Then I swung and struck the next as another wrapped its arms around me. I then struck it with the back of my head as I swung around and hit it in the torso. I turned to see that Scyrux was dealing with some Dusks himself, while Xeros was fighting the bigger ones. The Nobodies were swinging their claymores and Xeros, but he dodged each attack as he floated in the air. He then hooked onto its claymore and then threw his weapon, destroying it.
I turned back around and there was another one of the bigger Nobodies facing me. It then rushed me, rather quickly. It just went berserk and charged at me. I jumped up as it attempted to smash me and I raised my hammer, smashed it into the ground and created a shockwave, knocking it back. I then rushed it and swung but it blocked my attack. It then countered as I put my hammer up to block, but it was too much to block. It knocked me into the air. As I was in the air, I saw Xeros jump up and grab my hand. He spun around and threw me back at the Nobody and I swung my hammer down. It tried to block, but I hit it before it could raise its guard and I destroyed it. I then turned and Scyrux was still taking care of the Dusks. He kept striking them and paralyzing them, so I ran over to finish them off. I lugged my hammer over my head and vanquished each one. As we looked to each other, proud of our teamwork, I then heard Xeros call out.
"Watch out!" As he said that, I was struck in the side and got knocked down. Scyrux followed as we both turned to see these other Nobodies. They were stranger than the rest, they floated in the air with such grace, wearing what seemed to be silver robes. They floated over to us and these cubes appeared. They began to attack us with the cubes and I jumped back as Scyrux also dodged their attack. I saw as Xeros' staff flew over my head, right at one of them. It dodged it and then he ran over and I turned back to him. As he approached me, he held out his hand, looking and my hammer. I looked at it in my hands, then back to him as I tossed it to him. He grabbed it and jumped up into the air. He then fell downward as he struck the ground with my hammer and I noticed the gravity become heavier. The Nobodies slammed into the ground as he threw my hammer back to me and I caught it and he went for his weapon. The Nobodies began to float again, when Scyrux grabbed one by the head with his whip. He swung around and threw it into a building as it was destroyed. Xeros grabbed his weapon and one of the Nobodies created a shield with the cubes. He tried to attack, but he couldn't break through the guard. I then threw my hammer at its back and vanquished it, as he then proceeded to go for the last one. He jumped over it, confusing the Nobody and then struck it down.
We all looked around as there seemed to be no more Nobodies around, and we all were somewhat relieved. But this was only the beginning. We all then turned to continue and breach the castle, but then Xeros stopped as he looked up. We all looked up as we then saw someone atop Memory Skyscraper. The figure then dropped down, and as it fell, we saw that the figure was wearing our coat. Obviously an Organization member. They landed in front of us and we all stood, ready for a fight. They stood quietly for a moment, wearing their hood and shrouding their face.
"So...you have returned to destroy us..." The voice was so monotone and deep, there was only one possible person it could have been. And then they pulled off the hood, revealing that it was Xemnas. It seemed he was going to bring the fight to us. He stood there, looking at the ground, before staring at us intensely with his yellow eyes. "You've done well. Better than your other comrade."
"Where is Varijex, anyway?" Xeros called out as Xemnas remained unfazed.
"I am afraid that he is no longer one of us." We all stood shocked, but Xeros seemed somewhat displeased. Probably because he wasn't the one to destroy him.
"You've saved us the trouble then. Now all we have to deal with is you." Xemnas shut his eyes for a moment and then opened them again.
"Do you really believe that YOU, can defeat ME?" He then seemed to loosen up as he arms were further out to his sides. He then was surrounded by a dark sphere of energy as it came towards us. It went right through us and stopped behind us. It disappeared as these red blades of energy appeared in his hands. He then swung at me, since I was the closest and I blocked the first strike, but then he hit me with the next. He made the blade disappear as he knocked me back with a push. I fell back and Xeros and Scyrux rushed in as I got up. They attacked him, but he just dodged each strike and then countered. He knocked Scyrux back and then grabbed Xeros' staff and threw him over his head. Xeros stopped himself in midair and then fell to the ground at tremendous speed and slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave and suddenly, Xemnas grew heavier. He groaned as Xeros then rushed him, about to swing. But then Xemnas waved his hand and a shield of energy appeared in front of him, deflecting Xeros' attack. He then slashed at Xeros with his energy blades and knocked Xeros back.
He turned to me as I stood, waiting for his next move. He circled around and I stayed parallel to his position, never breaking eye contact. Staring into his eyes was like staring into nothingness itself. He raised his head as Scyrux then came up behind him and wrapped his whip around one of his arms. Xemnas looked back as Scyrux was pulling him back, so I rushed him. Xemnas turned to me and then the sphere surrounded him again. It moved and dragged Scyrux as I missed my swing, and then the sphere disappeared as he then pulled on Scyrux's whip and sent him flying forward. He then grabbed it with his other hand and swung Scyrux around and sent him flying right at Xeros. Xeros was running to Xemnas, but couldn't stop as Scyrux knocked into him and they both fell over. He then turned to me and waved his hand again. These little beams of energy appeared and formed a circle in front of him.
"Vanish." He said as the beams all came flying at me. I ran and tried to dodge them. A few missed me, but three hit me right in the back. He then came towards me as he waved his hand again. The beams were now surrounding me as I was on the ground. He raised his hand again, about to send them all toward me, when I felt something gripping my leg. He waved his hand and all the beams came, but I was pulled out of the way. He turned as Scyrux pulled me towards him and Xeros and I got up.
"Are you good?"
"I'm fine, come on!" I said as we rushed at him again. He vanished into the sphere and it just went to the front of Memory Skyscraper. The sphere once again disappeared as he then snapped his fingers and summoned some Dusks. They all stood around us, but they didn't seem like they were going to attack. But they moved closer, to restrict out battleground, it seemed. He summoned the blades and then came right at us, really fast. I comboed his strikes as we all tried to block. Xeros then jumped up and threw his staff into the ground. It stabbed itself into the ground and suddenly we all began to float. Xemnas still seemed unfazed by this attempt, but then Xeros floated down and touched us and our gravity was restored. Scyrux then wrapped his whip around Xemnas' leg and he threw him into the ground. He pulled the whip back as we stood, and Xemnas was now on the ground. He then rose up, floating so unnaturally.
"I commend you for being able to actually strike me. I suppose destroying you would be a waste of will." He then held out his hands and all these thorns, similar to the ones Varijex used before, appeared around Xeros and I. We dodged the thorns, but they just kept coming. As we continued to back away, the Dusks that surrounded us then charged at us. We tried to fight them off, but the thorns were restricting our movement space. They got a few hits in and then I turned to see that Xemnas was faced with Scyrux, alone. I wanted to help, but I had to take care of the Dusks. I vanquished them all and then navigated through the thorns as Xeros also finished off his Dusks.
We rushed towards Scyrux and Xemnas, who were fighting one on one. Each of Scyrux's paralyzing strikes was being avoided by Xemnas. It was almost like Xemnas was just toying with him. As we approached them, Xemnas turned to us and shot several beams of energy at Xeros and I. We tried to block but they all hit us and knocked us back. As we were both on the ground, groaning in pain, we saw as Scyrux rushed Xemnas, yelling. Xemnas then held out his hand and this electricity came from his hand. It stopped Scyrux in his tracks and it was hurting him. He groaned in pain as Xemnas was raising him in the air. He then was pulling Scyrux towards him and then turned to us as Xeros got up and attempted to rush him again. He once again waved his hand and more of the beams of energy appeared and struck Xeros. Xeros fell over onto his knees and then Xemnas pulled Scyrux into his grasp. He grabbed him by the neck as Scyrux choked in his grip. Xeros and I were watching as he continued to hold Scyrux by the neck, raising him into the air.
"Rather than waste that willpower, I will just make sure that you no longer disobey. Consider yourself..." Scyrux then suddenly was surrounded by the thorns until it formed a cocoon. Xemnas then released the cocoon and it fell to the ground. The thorns lifted and then from inside appeared a Dusk. "...demoted."
"NO!" Xeros screamed as he instantly got up and rushed quickly towards Xemnas. Xemnas turned and tried to wave his hand, but Xeros was too quick. He slashed at Xemnas and Xemnas yelled in pain. Xeros then grabbed him by the coat and threw him into the air. He jumped up and then rose above him, and slammed into him as they both fell. They crashed into the ground and it shook the ground. I looked to see that he had actually cracked the ground as he then raised his staff to stabbed Xemnas. Xemnas then pushed Xeros off and rose up once more. I got up and then threw my hammer right at Xemnas, who turned and was hit right in the chest. I sent him flying into the building behind him. He went right through the wall and it created a cloud of dust from the impact. Xeros got back up and rushed after Xemnas, but then from the cloud of smoke coming from the building, more beams of energy appeared and then flew right at Xeros. He dodged them and then Xemnas appeared from the smoke and struck Xeros right in the shoulder with one of his blades. He then pushed him back as he turned to me, his expression was terrifying.
He came right at me and I summoned my hammer back to my hand. It came back just as he tried to strike, so I blocked. He continued his flurry of attacks as I blocked and dodged as much as I could. Then Xeros came up behind him and grabbed him by the hood as he pulled him over his shoulder and threw him into the ground. Xemnas once again seemed heavier as he hit the ground. He stood up and Xeros kicked him right in the face, sending Xemnas flying back. But then Xemnas landed on his feet and waved his hand, causing at least two dozen of the beams at the both of us. We dodged as many as we could but we got hit by more of them. We both were knocked back, but Xeros just got right back up and rushed Xemnas once more. He was so persistent now, just relentless. Seeing Scyrux being turned into a Dusk really set him off. And I knew it, too. I was the same. I just wanted to make Xemnas pay. So I got up again, and ran after him. As we approached Xemnas, he developed a scowl on his face.
"Enough!" He then spun and knelt as his hands began to glow and emit static. Then these two balls of energy appeared next to him. And then as we got closer, they expanded. We were both hit and it was excruciating. It was endless pain, all over me. The energy balls disappeared and then Xemnas rushed over to me. He struck me right in the side and then in the other side with both of his blades. He then struck me in the face as I was sent flying backwards. I tumbled on the ground, and I couldn't get up I was in so much pain. I tried to get up, as I was on all fours, panting from the hits I was dealt to my sides. I looked up and my eyes widened.
Xemnas had Xeros in his hand, as he did with Scyrux. He held him by the neck and Xeros' expression actually seemed somewhat indifferent now. Xemnas raised him higher and I tried to moved forward but I was in too much pain. Xemnas looked upon Xeros, and then spoke.
"You were a fool for challenging me." He said as Xeros groaned in pain slightly. "And now you are defeated. You really believe that you could over throw me?" As he continued to speak, more Dusks appeared around us. Scyrux's Dusk was amongst them, as they all were just dancing around. I looked to all of them, then back to Xemnas holding onto Xeros. "You are but fleeting vessels, all of you. You are nothing to me. I am the Lord of Nothingness...It seems I may have to remind you who the superior being is here...pity..." I wanted to fight, I wanted to get up and save Xeros from his grasp. But I was still too weak. All I could do was watch, the Dusks still dancing around me.
"Xeros..." My words came out quiet, as I was out of breath. I groaned and panted as Xemnas continued to speak.
"Just think of all the things you could have done. But now, like your 'friend', you will just be an underling." He then made the blade of energy disappear from the hand which he was not holding Xeros with. "I would destroy you, but what would be the point of that?" As he spoke, Xeros looked to me with his eyes. I looked to him, still unable to move. "And yet...here you stand on the edge of demotion and you seem to be upset...but more so than that. Perhaps you understand us now."
It was in that moment, he then looked away. And I saw something in his eyes...that I'd never seen before. Xeros just looked up to Memory Skyscraper, just into the screens. Images were flashing in them, all so familiar. I looked to Xeros again and he just shut his eyes.
"Heh..." He scoffed with a smile on his face. Xemnas was displeased with Xeros' reaction. Xeros then turned to me. He looked me right in the eye with that smile. This was the first and the last time he smiled at me. He then was enveloped in the thorns as Scyrux was. Everything became slow as I saw less and less of him. The cocoon was covering every last inch of his body. I wanted to get up. I wanted to stop this. But before I knew it, it was too late. Xemnas dropped the cocoon and from the thorns rose a Dusk. A single tear dropped down my cheek as I then began to weep. This sensation came over me. It was overwhelming. I was shaking as my head dropped. I slammed my fist into the ground. I looked up, the tears still running down my face.
"YOU MONSTER!" All this power surged through me. It was uncontrollable, it just made me vibrate so violently. The ground beneath me was also vibrating intensely. Xemnas seemed shocked as I looked to him, my teeth grinding at the very sight of him. I was breathing really heavy as I began to glow. My hammer in hand, I stood up. The glow became so bright, it seemed like the only thing I could see was Xemnas. And it angered me. The sensation I felt when I fought against Reivaj came over me again. "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed so loud, I couldn't hear anything. I swung my hammer and with each swing, a massive shockwave flew out towards Xemnas. He was knocked back by each one, until I knocked him up against Memory Skyscraper. I then jumped up towards him and slammed my hammer into the ground, creating another shockwave as I hit the ground. He dodged and I just jumped up again and repeated these attacks. He dodged another, but the third one knocked him back. He then got up and I jumped further into the air than ever before. The power was so immense, I could just hear the vibrations emitting from my body. The tears on my face would immediately evaporate from how much I was shaking. I then came down onto the ground, and slammed my hammer as I send the vibrations through the ground. Xemnas stood confused as he suddenly felt the vibrations and then they traveled through his body. He screamed in pain as he shook violently. He then fell to the ground and I stood. The glow began to disappear and the vibrations slowed.
I walked over to his body, as he was on the ground motionless. I approached him slowly, and I looked upon him with this fire in my eyes. As I reached his body, I looked to his head. I raised my hammer and he remained still. And just as I was about to bash his head in, a Dusk jumped from behind me. I turned and swung, but then I stopped as I realized. This was Xeros' Dusk. I stopped my swing as it then struck me. I then felt this electricity hit me in the back. It hurt so much, I couldn't stand it. I turned my head and Xemnas had me, but he did not pull me in. He instead tossed me aside as I tumbled onto the ground. The Dusks all surrounded me as Xemnas regained his composure.
I then got up on all fours. I tried my best to get up, but I could only kneel. I knelt in pain, my sides hurt beyond anything I could compare to in my previous encounters. As I was crouched, attempting to catch my breath, I heard his footsteps approaching me. The sounds of Dusks whistling all around me. His footsteps, louder and louder. Closer as they came towards me. I still couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't fight anymore. I could do nothing. Ironic, how nothing can only do nothing. I thought to myself, how really beautiful this was. That I did not care that I was to be destroyed. Because, I didn't truly exist, did I? I continued to hear his footsteps, along with the sound of his voice.
"How unfortunate," I heard as his footsteps came to a stop. I saw his feet in front of me. I looked up to see the long, black coat. I looked up at Xemnas, dead in his amber eyes. He merely scowled at me as he spoke. "Such potential in you, but you lacked the vision to be a part of us. You could have been complete. Now you fade back into the nothingness from which you came."
A bright, red light shone upon me. I squinted and turned away as it was blinding. I looked back to see his energy blade staring me in the face. I looked back up once more to see him, as he raised his head slightly. The Dusks around me dancing, they all whirled around in circles. I guess this fate was better than theirs, Xeros and Scyrux. I could have been turned into a Dusk. I saw as he raised his arm, the blade hummed as it rose up in the air. I looked at the blade but then I looked beyond it. I looked at the large skyscraper and remembered what we talked about. Xeros, Scyrux, Varijex and I, my friends. I looked back at him as his hand was still raised. I was just thinking of all that we had been through. I was thinking of all the memories I shared with them. And how they now reminded me of the memories of my past. All those scattered memories, of my life as a somebody. Then it came to me. The memory came to me, and I remembered. Up until now, I knew myself as Xaik. My Nobody name. But then I remembered my real name, my true name. With my last breath, I uttered.
"Kai..." He swung his arm and then it all went black.