Author's Note: I also know that Leonard Nimoy was the voice of the Atlantian King in the Disney Movie "Atlantis the Lost Empire", and he did a pretty good job in that as well.
I still feel sorry for him and for his family.
In the meantime, let's continue. I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.
CH21: Sora, The Savior of the Lost.
"Terra!?" Aqua couldn't believe it. It was also just as bad since the evil Master that ruined her life and the lives of her beloved best friends, the same man who murdered Master Eraqus, was back as well, along with the man she met back in the Keyblade Graveyard twelve years ago. But Terra was now a vessel of Xehanort!?
It couldn't be.
"YOU!?" Master Xehanort exclaimed, shocked to see the 'misguided' master again so soon. He then quickly realized what has happened and turned his attention to Xion who had her pretty blue eyes glare back at his evil golden ones. "How is it that you knew where this misguided master was, you little Puppet?" the old man inquired.
"At least you should know my name; It's Xion!" Xion snapped back, holding a tight grip on her Oathkeeper Keyblade.
"Names do not matter, child. Such a waste, if you ask me." Hojo babbled as usual.
Cloud and Zack both glared at the evil scientest and both younger men snapped at him, "Shut up, you!"
"Okay, now I'm completely lost." Reno admitted, sensing the bad tense in the air.
"Xehanort, what have you done to Terra!?" Aqua demanded to the former elder Master who turned his attention to her and he just grinned again.
"Did you foolishly believed you saved Terra twelve years ago, Aqua?" Master Xehanort stated, "I had taken control of the body which was always mine to begin with, while Terra was forever lost in the darkness. You, he and Ventus were never meant to be together, nor should life continue to exist."
Painful memories filled Aqua's mind, from when she last saw her friend being taken over by Xehanort, their battle in Radiant Garden, Xehanort attempting to kill Terra within the heart, Aqua sacrificing herself and her freedom to save her friend, but in the end, she realised in deep guilt and sadness, she killed Terra and instead rescued only his body with Xehanort's heart in it. Now Xehanort has been revived, and the body of Terra is a vessel for Xehanort.
Terra's heart was gone.
"You wanted to use him, ever since that day in the Mark of Mastery." Aqua whispered, on the verge of crying, "You've used Ven for the 'X-Blade', and used Terra as a new body. You've hurt so many...and I made a mistake that day...I should've known..." before she furiously glared up at Xehanort and screamed out in anger, "You killed my friends, you monster!"
Sora's heart ached at this, but he wasn't certain whether it was his own heart aching at the truth, or Ven's heart aching for the loss of Terra. But then he gazed at 'Terra' again who, even though had returned to the controlled gaze, still looked as if he was struggling. Even Roxas could see that something was happening.
"I was merely saving him from the pain of future loss." Xehanort stated, "If death should happen, then there would be no grief, no loss, nothing. Everything would return to the way it should be."
"In other words, you think that life never should've happened in the first place, and that you want to erase everything back into nothing forever?" Lea asked, sounding disgusted. "You're a sick and senile old man!"
"Not even deserved to be a human." Isa agreed, "Even monsters wouldn't sink so low as what you and Hojo are trying to do." to which everyone else in the group all agreed with his statement.
"If there's anything and anyone that should disappear forever, it's you, Hojo and Deepground, Xehanort!" Roxas concluded he and the others except for Rufus and the unconscious Vincent getting into fighting stances.
"We're not gonna let you start another war, Xehanort, even if we die trying!" Mickey declared.
While Master Xehanort just laughed, Xigbar grinned and shrugged, saying, "Your funerals." to which he, and even Xehanort, Hojo, Deepground and the other vessels, including Terra, all prepared to fight against the Warriors of Light in a fate that would decide who would win and who would cease to exist. Lea lowered Vincent to one of the thrones while Rufus stayed with the unconscious man, before the redheaded Pyro joined in the fight with Isa, Roxas and Xion, while Cloud and Zack teamed up with the Turks, Angeal and Genesis joined forces, King Mickey, Donald and Goofy teaming up, and finally, Sora, Riku and Aqua joining forces, all of them knowing that this would be a tough battle, and that time was running out.
First the ten of the clones attacked along with Deepground, and the teams quickly took action to fight against them, while avoiding Master Xehanort who seemed just as powerful as ever, but none of them refused to give up just yet. Cloud fought against Kadaj with swords clashing, running up on walls and fought long and hard. Zack took on Weiss who was surprisingly fast, but the former SOLDIER was strong, and he was doing his best in the fight. Reno took on Yazoo in an one on one martial arts battle, the Fastest Turk against the Fastest Remanant, and it was not easy. Rude and Loz used their strengths in their battle.
Angeal took on Azul in an extremely tough and deadly battle, and it seemed undecided. Genesis took on Rosso in a brutal fight in lightning speed and magical abilities. Isa took on Nero and thanks to the black coat, the blue-haired Claymore wielder was protected by the latter's darkness, and used the power of the Moon against the being of darkness.
Lea threw his Chakrams at as many clones as he could while avoiding their multiple attacks, catching his weapons before slashing and slicing at them. Roxas and Xion teamed up against Xigbar who kept on firing those annoying laser arrows at them, but they managed to avoid them, and combined their powers to block the attacks, as quickly as they could blocking them, each a few times aid Lea and Isa and saving them who saved Roxas and Xion a few times.
Hojo tried to get to Rufus and Vincent, but the young President, who had kept a gun on him, fully loaded, pointed his own weapon at the Scientest who was not amused and tried to kill Rufus, but the young ShinRa shook his head and even shot at Hojo's hand, causing the older man's gun to be flown off. In the end, Rufus smirked, and before Hojo knew it, to the older man's horror, a bullet was now shot right into his forehead and into his brain, causing the scientest to fall backwards, blood slowly pouring out of his head and onto the ground, dead.
"Serves you right, Professor." Rufus muttered at the dead man. At least the threat of Hojo is now quickly gone.
Mickey, Donald and Goofy teamed up in their own Trinity Attack of Goofy spinning on his Shield while Mickey casted Fire and Donald casted Blizzard to make a lightning-wielding clone wet and causing it and some of the other clones to be defeated, and were twichting with darkness flowing on their bodies.
Sora, Riku and Aqua were taking on Master Xehanort and Terra, and the biggest brutal fight began, while they also had to fight against 'Ansem' and Xemnas. Sora took on Xemnas while Riku took on 'Ansem', and that left Aqua facing against Xehanort and Terra on her own until the younger Keyblade wielders could help as soon as possible. Sora clashed against Xemnas, following the Nobody up on one of the thrones and successfully hit him several times while his target landed on the ground, and the fight continued. Riku clashed against the Guardian while avoiding 'Ansem', and using his new powers he learned during the Exam, running along walls and then successfully stabbed the stunned and horrified 'Ansem' in the chest, causing his enemy to fall to the ground.
Xehanort just stood, chuckling evilly, while he wrapped everytime Aqua tried to hit him, before she is forced to jump out of the way from the corropted Terra, and both of them clashed their Keyblades. Aqua then nearly slashed at Terra's face, but the latter managed to escape by an inch and backed away, and Aqua then charged at him while quickly jumping over Xehanort who teleported in front of her to kill her, but he was angered that she managed to escape quickly. At this, Terra's eyes narrowed, before he felt a painful jolt in his brain, his eyes flickering again, a memory entering his mind.
Flashback: In the beginning of Birth by Sleep.
Terra and Aqua fought hard during their exam, and Aqua was this close in slicing off his head, before he stumbled backwards just in time, before he noticed that she was coming towards him. His eyes narrowed, but then suddenly as he looked at his left hand, it had a strange aura of darkness. Gasping, he willed it to disappear before blocking Aqua's Keyblade with his own.
Back in the Present.
Terra groaned, while managing to block Aqua's attack, just like back in the past. He shook his head, fighting on his own. Aqua took notice, and suddenly she sensed a familiar light within the chest of the body of her best friend, and realised something.
Terra's heart is in turmoil.
"Terra?" Aqua asked, hopefully.
It seemed that Master Xehanort knew what was happening, because he commanded, "Don't listen to this foolish woman. Take her life, now!" causing Aqua to gasp, and as she turned to face the evil Master, Terra, controlled like a puppet, raised his Keyblade at her. Aqua turned too late to notice this.
However, that attack never came, because Riku immediately blocked the attack after defeating 'Ansem', while Sora pulled Aqua out of the way just in time, before the sixteen year old turned to the controlled Terra and cried out, "Terra, stop now!"
When Terra, while struggling against Riku, turned his gaze at the two boys, he gasped as he had more memories enter his mind, first, gasping as an image of another boy formed in his eyes in Sora's place, the familiar boy who was is best friend, the same one who Roxas now resembles.
'Ven!?' he thought in his mind, before looking at Riku, and saw the familiar teen he invisioned twelve years earlier, the one who was only five years old at the time, was curious and was just like him when it came to his friends, and another memory and words entered his mind.
Flashback: During Birth by Sleep: Terra's story.
"I wanna be strong one day." Five year old Riku began, "Like that kid who left. He went to the outside world- I bet he's really strong now. I know it's out there somewhere- the strength that I need."
Terra, still a bit surprised on how smart this little boy was, asked, "Strength for what?"
Young Riku turned to him with a smile, answering, "To protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends." causing Terra to realise just how similiar they both were, and that the light in Riku's heart may be one day a key in saving the worlds in case something happening to Terra himself.
He knew what to do.
Back in the Present.
'...Riku?' Terra thought, stunned. Once again, pain entered his mind and he stumbled back, holding his head, and groaned, panting in pain. This caught the attention of Aqua, Riku and Sora again.
Roxas, Xion, Lea and Isa, having defeated their opponents who were slowly disappearing, turned to look at what's going on, and their eyes widened, all four of them realizing on what's happening. They glanced at each other and with determination in their eyes, knew what they had to do.
Master Xehanort, not amused, then rushed towards the three Keyblade wielders, before Sora caught on what's happening and he quickly held up his Keyblade to block the evil Master's attacks, Sora struggling, but he refused to give in. Riku, seeing this, rushed to aid his friend, but Xehanort wrapped away, causing the young keyblade wielders to try and find him, while Aqua quickly went over to Terra, using her Keyblade to successfully knock away Terra's and then placed her hands onto his shoulders, their eyes locking each other's, Terra's eyes still flickering.
"Terra! It's me, Aqua!" Aqua cried out, shaking her friend's shoulders. "Please, remember! You're stronger than that! I'm sorry that I couldn't save you!" tears forming in her eyes, as she began to cry. "I'm sorry for blaming you for what's happened. I wanted to save you and Ven. I never stopped thinking about either of you." and as Terra tried to escape, Aqua then buried her face into Terra's chest and sobbed, causing him to freeze all together.
"...I don't even deserve to be a Keyblade Master." Aqua whispered while she cried. "I've failed so many times..." hugging the stunned Terra.
He was even more stunned and had more painful jolts in his mind when Aqua said the next three words; "I love you."
Just then, Sora and Riku both screamed out, "Aqua, behind you!" but it was too late, as Master Xehanort had teleported behind Aqua and prepared to stab her in the same way as he did to Eraqus years ago, and Terra's eyes widened in horror, as he had a quick flash of his Master-no, his father Eraqus, struck down by the same man who took him away from his friends, hurt his friends, and had hurt so many through out twelve years.
"NO!" Terra screamed as he pushed Aqua out of the way and resummoned his Keyblade and blocked the now shocked Xehanort's evil Keyblade.
"What!?" Xehanort gasped.
"I said that you would pay, Xehanort!" Terra growled, his voice mixing of his own and a bit like 'Ansem''s, struggling to keep the evil man at bay.
"How did you manage to gain control!? It's impossible!" Xehanort yelled in rage, his body glowing a deep red, one that matched the unconscious(or dead) Nero's now that the latter had the Chaos that was once inside Vincent's body. Seeing this Sora realised what Genesis mentioned earlier, and Lea, Roxas, Cloud, Zack, and the Turks realised what Angeal had mentioned before.
Chaos was starting to gain control.
As expected, Xehanort sliced through Terra's corrupted Keyblade and knocked him down, much to Aqua's horror as she screamed out her friend's name, before Xehanort, suddenly turning into a monsterous being, raised his Keyblade at them.
Suddenly, two Chakrams, a Claymore, and two Keyblades came along with their wielders and knocked the now slower Xehanort's Keyblade out of his hands, which Sora and Riku, seeing the red glow continuing on the blade, both looked at each other and nodded, leaping into the air and with their Keyblades glowing in light, and Sora's heart glowing in a bright light, slashed at the evil Keyblade was now sliced in several pieces and instantly disappeared, much to everyone amazement.
The dark Keyblade was no more.
Xehanort stood up, before leaping in the air to avoid Lea and his three best friends as the four looked up in shock. "Hey, that's cheating, you crazy old coot!" Lea shouted.
"Time to die!" Xehanort bellowed. However, due to what's happening to his heart now, he couldn't sense Sora and Riku leap up behind him and when he did turn around, he gasped and then screamed in agony as the two young Keyblade wielders slashed against him, causing him to fall towards the group, but he rightened himself and then shockingly flew towards them.
"Sora! Riku!" Roxas and Xion cried out.
However, a flower Keyblade and a light-spell appeared out of nowhere and hit Xehanort back down, giving Sora and Riku a chance, as both of them used their Keyblades to smack the old Master to the ground. When they landed safely, they and everyone else turned to see who saved Sora and Riku, and were all shocked and dumbfounded to see a familiar red-haired young sixteen year old girl, and a familiar sixteen year old blonde-haired girl standing with a stunned Rufus Shinra, the red-haired girl's Keyblade reappearing in her hand.
"Kairi!? Namine!?" Sora and his friends and allies asked in shock(though Rufus and the Turks had no idea, and neither did Zack).
"I knew something was wrong, and I wanted to help. The Namine came and told me that you guys needed help, so we came." Kairi quickly explained.
Aqua's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the girl whom she met twelve years ago had grown up into a young woman, and that she was a Keyblade wielder. But how? Then she remembered, and realised another mistake;
When five year old Kairi touched Aqua's keyblade in fright after the little girl was attacked by the Unversed, Aqua and she had accidently preformed the Keyblade inheritantance ceremony.
Xehanort's eyes, at the sight of Kairi, then smiled evilly. "One of the Princess of Hearts..." he whispered.
Hearing this made Sora quickly turn to him, and shouted, "Don't you go near Kairi or Namine!" and holding out his Kingdom Key Keyblade, with Riku holding a grip with him on the handle, both young Keyblade wielders chanted, "LIGHT!" and a beam of light shot out of the weapon, and when Xehanort turned around, too late he realised what was happening and for the first time in years, he was afraid.
He tried to teleport, but due to the sudden power of the Chaos he never knew he had inside his heart, and with his age, and having only just returned, he never had the chance to escape this time. The light hit him square in the chest and the light came out from his back, much to everyone's awe and shock. Even Sora and Riku were stunned at this. It didn't end there, because the light was so bright that it flooded the entire room, blinding everyone at present. The other enemies who were fighting against Sora's allies all cried out as well.
Then...there was silence.
When the light faded, and everyone could see again, the heroes were stunned to see that Xehanort was on his back, panting as the darkness was covering his body, and he was dying, and disappearing. His other vessels, and Deepground, and the lifeless Hojo, and the defeated Remnants, were all disappearing slowly.
"...It's over...the Keyblade War...will never happen..." Xehanort breathed slowly in his dying breath. "Neither the union of light nor darkness has been achieved...One simple and ordinary boy...he was the Key to return the hearts I thought to have destroyed...his heart connecting to many others...saving the life of one at his birth...I hope you're happy...Eraqus..." with that, his eyes slid closed, and he was lifeless.
He then faded completely, and while Sora still hated the old man for what the latter has done, the boy still held sympathy, even if a little.
The other enemies then also faded away, but red lights came out of their chests and the red lights which were obviously pieces of Xehanort's heart all disappeared as well, and lights covered the bodies ten of the vessels, except for Braig who, despite having returned to normal, was also dead and he too disappeared. The bodies also faded away, to where, the group didn't know. The lifeless forms of Deepground, Hojo and the remnants also vanished without a trace.
Aqua, who now held an unconscious Terra in her arms and having rested him on her lap, looked at her friend who was now glowing himself, the red light also coming out of his chest which also disappeared and light covered his body, the coat on him fading away, and the white hair turning into a familiar brown, the skin tone turning into a familiar colour. When Terra groaned, Aqua's heart almost stopped when he opened his eyes, his true eye colour back instead of the old that was once Xehanort's.
When he shifted his eyes to the woman looming over him, he muttered, "...Aqua?" his voice, his voice returned to normal as well. Aqua's eyes teared up as she smiled in a mixture of relief and happiness
"Terra...Terra, you're back!" Aqua cried out, hugging Terra who in turn, as best as he could, embraced her as well, as he whispered her name again.
Sora, Riku, King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Namine, Kairi, Cloud, Zack, Rufus, Reno, Rude, Angeal and Genesis all smiled a little in relief, happy that Aqua has one of her best friends back. Now it was the matter of helping Vincent and finding and waking Ven up, and then everything would be alright.
Or...so they thought.
Suddenly, Lea sensed something and quickly turned behind him, as did the others as they also turned around while he demanded to someone or something behind them, "Who's there?"
Out of a mixture of fire and darkness, a monsterous being appeared on the tallest throne where Xehanort had been on not too long ago, and everyone gasped at the sight of this being-four arms, massive horns and wings, an ugly and terrifying face and sharp claw-like hands, skin orange and red, sharp teeth and blood red eyes-and some of them were terrified. Donald and Goofy both screamed and clinged onto each other in horror, Mickey was nervous, Zack was speechless, Reno's mouth was opening and closing in horror, his heart wanting to explode in fear, Cloud's eyes widened, much more terrified than he had been when he would gaze at Sephiroth's cat-like eyes, and Kairi covered her mouth with her hands.
"W-What the hell is that thing?" Reno squeaked a little.
"Not a damn clue." Rude muttered, admittedly scared himself.
Angeal somehow knew, because he grunted in anger, "Chaos." much to everyone else's horror.
"Chaos?" Sora asked, before turning to Isa, asking, "Hey, did he just call this thing 'Chaos'?" to which the blue-haired man nodded, a bit scared himself.
"Foolish mortals." Chaos spoke in the most terrifying voice anyone's ever heard. "You think that by defeating one of my chosen that would be the end of the struggles. It was only just the beginning, and mark my words, Warriors of Light...the end if neigh, and soon, I shall claim what is mine!" before he disappeared, with his laughter echoing through out the room and sending super ice-cold chills down everyone's spines.
"Uh..." Lea began scaredly, "I say we get outta here, like, right now!"
"Good idea." Roxas and Isa both immediately agreed, and they and everyone else hurried to get Vincent and then quickly make their way back to the Realm of Light as fast as they could, Sora and Riku not borthing in sealing the Keyhole of this world in fear that the World that Never Was would end up returning.
Never the less, it seemed that the battle was only just beginning.
A/N: We're coming to a closure to this story, but don't worry, I plan making another sequel which can act as Kingdom Hearts 3 in my own version. So I'll see you in the next(and possibly final) chapter, and in the meantime, please continue your awesome reviews, fellow readers.
Oh, and there's a new online survey Square Enix has put up that gives you a chance to tell them what game you would want to see in the future and give out a review to them. I did it yesterday and I told them that I wanted a sequel to Dirge of Cerberus Final Fantasy VII.
See you in the next chapter, guys, and don't forget to review please! (My stories love reviews)