Last chapter Folks! Enjoy!
Ember woke to voices.
"...I am sorry, but there was no sign of Terra." Master Yen Sid.
"I see." Aqua.
Ember forced her eyes open and took a shuddering breath. "Ember! Thank goodness you're awake!" Mickey cheered and the thought crossed her mind that the King had been this situation with her far too many times.
"Ember!" Aqua hugged her and she returned the gesture, sighing. The bluenette drew back and both their gazes cut to Ven - leaning up against the wall - unmoving. Ember didn't need Aqua to try and shake Ven awake to know that he wouldn't respond. For a brief moment she was terrified that he had relapsed into the state he was in after the creation of Vanitas, but then she realized that this had a slightly different feel to it. A slightly more stable feel.
"The boy's Heart is sleeping." Yen Sid told them.
"When will he wake?" Aqua questioned, while Ember brought herself closer to the two.
"I could not say." Yen Sid bowed his head. "It's almost as if his Heart has left. Should it return, he may very well wake. Should he not, he may sleep like this for all eternity."
Aqua looked as though she was going to burst into tears. "No…"
Ember laid a hand on Aqua's shoulder. "I'm pretty sure he'll come back to us, Aqua. I've already thought I'd lost him once before - and he came back then against even bigger odds. He'll wake - someday."
"And until then, we'll keep him safe."
"Right now he needs us to believe in him, Aqua." Ember told her.
"Ventus' Heart hangs in the balance. It sleeps in the place between Light and Darkness." Ember scoffed slightly - more like Light and the Abyss. "From all I can perceive, that means he will be looking for a friend - one who believes in him, to show him the way home." Yen Sid agreed with the fire mage.
"As long as we love him -" Ember assured "he will be able to find us when he wakes up. It will lead him back to where he belongs - here with us."
Mickey smiled. "Don't you worry, I believe in Ven too. Gosh, he's been a good a friend to me as anybody. And if all of us believe in him with all out hearts, then he'll have three lights to follow instead of two."
"Four." Ember corrected softly and Mickey cocked his head questioningly.
"He'll have four lights." Aqua elaborated. "Terra."
"But Terra's gone. Maybe for good."
Ember shook her head. "I think I know where to find him." She pulled out her Wayfinder and Aqua smiled. "Aqua, you take Ven somewhere he'll be safe until he wakes up. I'm going to go look for Terra."
"Alright." Aqua nodded and moved to pick up Ven. "Thank you for saving us, Mickey. And you, Master Yen Sid, for helping us as well."
Ember merely smirked at Mickey. "Go home, Mickey. Minnie's getting worried about you."
Mickey blushed. "Gosh…"
After a curt nod to Yen Sid, and a warm smile for Aqua and Ven, Ember activated her armor and vanished into the Lanes Between.
She followed her Heart and her Wayfinder to Radiant Garden, and then down into an underground area until she found herself on a large stone platform, with a metal railing to keep people from falling off the edge. Xehanort stood by said railing, his back to her.
"I wondered when you'd come and find me." He didn't even turn around.
She summoned Soulfire. "Release Terra's body, Xehanort."
"Now why would I want to do that?" Xehanort questioned evilly.
"Because otherwise I will rend your Heart and salt the ashes."
Xehanort just smirked and summoned his own Keyblade. "You can try." His Keyblade met hers with a ringing clang and he was actually forced back half a step. For a brief second, fear flickered in Xehanort's eyes, but the fear was quashed just as quickly. "Not bad. But you're still no match for me." Instead of responding verbally, Ember lashed out with her right hand - her fist connecting with Xehanort's nose. "Did you just… PUNCH me?" Xehanort asked incredulously.
"Not everything is Magic and Keyblades." She responded, pressing her advantage. "Besides, I've been wanting to do that for a long time. The only pity is that it wasn't your real face."
"Impudent fool."
Ember poured all her emotions into her attacks, and had the honor of being one of two people who could actually make a dent in the mighty Master Xehanort. The other was Terra.
"Darkness Inferno!" Xehanort barely managed to block the attack.
"Hah!" He laughed, "You're just as bad as Terra! How I didn't see your Darkness is beyond me." He lowered his Keyblade slightly. "Join me, Ember. And you will be spared."
"You're throwing the Worlds into chaos, Xehanort. They cannot survive for long like this." The woman stood, Soulfire gripped tightly in her hand. "At this rate," she shook her head. "you'll destroy Kingdom Hearts before you ever find it."
"What would you know? You are but a child."
"And you are a fool Xehanort. Sooner or later your path will destroy you."
Unfamiliar eyes in a familiar face glared at her. "We will see who destroys who…" the expression turned into a smirk. "And you've used most of your strength already…"
Ember brought her Keyblade up into a guard position, then teleported out of the way as he charged her. "You've picked up some of Terra's impatience." She commented quietly, causing Xehanort to snarl at her. They went on like that for several minutes, Ember managing to evade most of Xehanort's attacks and even landing a few heavy hits. Then the white-haired man unleashed a combo that she couldn't dodge. She had already worn down her reserves, and somehow she instinctively knew that her Wayfinder would be useless right now.
The finishing attack of Xehanort's combo threw Ember nearly twenty feet away, her head spun from when she had hit it upon landing and blood obscured her vision from a gash in her hair. She tried to stand, but only managed to get to one knee; and Soulfire was the only reason she was even that much.
"I summon the power of the Abyss." Xehanort intoned.
"No…" Ember gasped, any doubt that Xehanort was insane vanished from her mind as he called upon the full power of Evil.
"The fire has burned long enough. It's time to snuff it out."
She locked eyes with the man, staring deep into his heart, looking for her friend. When she found him she spoke. "We'll make it right."
The attack hit her and she couldn't hold back a scream as the Abyss tore her body to shreds.
.
Taika stared at the red and gold star floating in front of her. "What is this?" She reached out and her hands closed around it.
The Abyss closed in and she grabbed her Wayfinder. Closing her eyes a golden orb came from her chest and entered the charm, giving it an iridescent gleam. "It's up to you now, Taika." She whispered to the star. "My power is yours, bear it well. May the Light guide you and the Darkness shield you." She kissed the Wayfinder and teleported it to safety just as the attack hit her and everything went dark.
Taika blinked tears from her eyes and held the star with infinite care. "I'll take care of you, Ember." she whispered. "And someday we'll fix things… okay?" The Wayfinder warmed under her fingers in response to her words and the young girl hurried home to find a safe place for the charm.
And that's the end of A Date With Fate.
I will be going on a Hiatus - as of today, August 9th 2016 - that will last anywhere from three to eighteen months. Which is why I updated so many chapters all at once.
When I come back I will start on Turning the Key - Part Three of the Series.
Thank you so much for reading!