A/N: I actually intended this to the chapter that would end this arc, butttt I have a much better scene in mind for that. So, instead, we're introducing the bad guys

Also, Kh Unchained has officially given me all the excuse I need to throw in one of my favorite villains. Not that I needed any reason, mind you, but they so made it easier, and I'm hopeful this means said villain will pop up in KHIII. Crossing my fingers

Published: 3/30/2018

Warnings: None

Chaos

Cloud

Apollo

Chapter 21

Rebirth

Knees slammed down onto the cold, unforgiving stone. His face was a myriad of bruises and cuts, his body a battered thing. He'd fought them. Fought them with all he had, but it hadn't been enough. It hadn't been enough to stop them. He hadn't been enough, and he'd lost.

Chains held him tightly, digging into his skin, into his flesh. A single eye glared up at them past a pale fringe of hair.

Hollow Bastion truly did live up to its name. He'd wanted to avoid this place, forever, but it seemed the concept of choice was going to be stripped from him, forcibly.

Fingers clung to his face, to his chin, forcing his gaze up. A vicious look crossed the other's face.

"I don't see why you're fighting us, child. We just want to make you whole again." The woman smiled down at him.

Dark hair fell across her face like a curtain. Dark robes clung to her figure, molding into it. Shadows clung to her face like a second skin, concealing it from him. The only thing the man could make out clearly at all where the eyes.

Glowing golden eyes, with flecks or orange.

The woman took a step back before twisting around.

"Maleficent! Did you bring it?" She called.

From the shadows stepped the witch. Dark robes fell from her figure, dragging along the ground. She held a staff in hand, a crystal sphere at the tip. Green skinned at with a horned crown bested upon her head, Maleficent could only be described as the stereotypical evil witch.

"But, of course. Have I ever failed you?" Maleficent sounded offended at the very notion.

The silence that followed was… Rather telling.

Maleficent sighed. She slammed the tip of her staff to the ground, and the world flashed a brilliant twisted green.

Then, it appeared.

Screeching and clawing, wild and insane. Chained, just like him, appearing in a flurry of fire summoned by Maleficent.

"The Mysterious Sir, just as you requested."

Said beast was contained in more chains that he was. Covered from head to toe, they dug into the creatures flesh as it desperately fought back. Whatever it was, it wasn't human. It looked like a mutated abomination, light purple skin, a beak like mouth, wings sprouting from it's back, and a human like build.

That is, if humans grew to be the size of a two story house.

The creature screeched, clawing at it's restraints, trying to free itself. Maleficent's hold was too strong, however. It couldn't get free. It could hardly move at all. Every time it tried to use magic, the chains bound around it would flare a sickly green, sizzling against the purple flesh.

It was twisted and fascinating all rolled in one.

And, the woman with the orange eyes? She merely smirked.

Hercules, Kuja realized, or this version at the very least, had once more been deaged. Sometimes, he truly wondered how such few beings realized everything was in a loop. It wasn't like it was that hidden. It was pretty blatant. Then again, most weren't as marvelously wonderful as Kuja himself.

The teenage Hercules crossed his arms.

"Well? Who're you people? What kind of magic was that?"

The boy was humoring them. He already knew. The look in his eyes was telling. Kuja hadn't exactly used a spell that was rainbows and flowers. There was a reason he'd chosen to cast it so near to Hades' adobe. He'd hoped the dark magic permenating from that wretched place would mask them.

Considering Hercules had found them instead of one of the faux Olympians, that plan had actually succeeded. Kuja was not surprised. His plans always panned out. He was just that brilliant.

Which could only mean one thing.

The brat had been trailing them. Which, of course, meant that not one of them had actually noticed said brat trailing them. Technically speaking, this made the whole situation a joint fallacy.

Kuja never had claimed to be a fair genome, though. With a snarl, he turned shot an accusing glare at Apollo.

"I could have sworn you were meant to be keeping watch!" Kuja snapped.

Apollo turned to him, offended. "I could have sworn you said it wouldn't hurt him, before you pulled out his-" Apollo stopped himself at the last second, shooting a weary glance towards Hercules.

The youth crossed his arms.

"Soul. He pulled out his soul. He literally pulled out that guy's soul."

Cloud's eyes met Kuja's. There was a question in that gaze. Kuja, quite frankly, didn't know what to tell the blond. In all honesty, he knew just as much about Hercules as Cloud probably did. This wasn't a world Kuja visited often when he'd wake.

He wouldn't be here at all of Zidane hadn't wanted to participate in that bloody tournament.

It was just luck, really, that Cloud had come across him.

Luck…

Kuja was instantly put on edge.

Cloud titled his head to the side, his face changing rapidly. The Sun God shot Cloud a look, one which Cloud returned as both their expressions shifted rapidly, back and forth.

…

"How utterly rude! I understand leaving muscles out of the conversation, but really? I must say, I am utterly disappointed." Kuja declared dramatically. All eyes shot to him. Kuja new it was petty, but he couldn't help it. It was just his nature. Arms crossed, the genome huffed. "Honestly, telepathic communication is so overrated."

This, of course, caused Hercules to draw his sword. Oh, foolish little Demigod. The Zeus of this world could come down and he'd be forced to flee if push came to shove. It was almost adorable how the brat thought the little blade would make any semblance of a difference.

"Start talking, before I-" the teen began.

"Zack. We're looking for Zack Fair." Cloud interrupted. Pretty boy froze, sword almost going slack in his arms. His expression flickered for a second to something Kuja recognized well.

It was a look he often saw gliding along Cloud's face.

Guilt.

Cloud caught onto it as well.

In an instant, the young Demigod found himself pinned to the ground with a sword at his throat.

…

Well. That escalated quickly. How utterly lovely.

A small boy happily ran across the park. Yeah, yeah, most of his friends had already gone home for the day because it was getting dark, but he wasn't scared. He wasn't scared at all. Only cowards got scared. If anyone wanted to hurt him, he'd kick their ass.

So lost in his own game, the boy didn't see the woman in the red dress before colliding against her legs.

"Woah!" the boy cried, falling back. Hands reached out, clamping onto his shoulders, and the world titled.

A scream erupted from the boy's lips as he wretched himself away, eyes wide as he stared up at the woman in horror. The boy couldn't see her face, not really. Just pale skin under the shawl she had over her head. The woman took a step back, pulling her hand back, a look of anguish in her face.

"I- I'm so sorry, my child." the woman apologized.

Now, normally, the kid wouldn't care too much about that. He was the one that bumped into her. At the moment, though, with visions still screaming in the back of his head, seated into his very mind, he didn't give a fuck what this woman was 'sorry' for. What he wanted was answers!

This woman could go shove her apologize up her ass, as far as he was concerned.

As you can tell, this child was rather… Vulgar. Vulgar to the point where a horrified Jason would have likely attempted to clean his mouth out with soap.

"What- what the hell was that?!"

The woman bit her lip.

"My… Gift. My curse. The future. You're future. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reached out to you. The visions, they only trigger when I touch others, I-"

"FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOUR VISIONS! NO!" the kid screamed at her, eyes dancing with blinding rage. The woman backed away, mouth agape. "NO! I refuse! I won't- NO! I won't let that happen!"

Her expression softed. Or, at least, he thought it softened. It was hard to tell when all he could see was her mouth and her jawline. Everything else was hidden by that shawl of hers.

"My child, you cannot prevent that which is-"

"Fuck that shit! Screw you and screw your destiny! I don't bend to the world, the world bends for me, and I refuse to let it happen!" the kid snarled and, with one last withering glare, he spun, departing.

As soon as he was gone, the soft, concerned expression melted away, replaced by a sadistic her, a portal opened, darkness ripping its way into this world. The woman turned as another stepped through the gateway, dark red hair spilling from his head, a stuble dancing along his lips, fancy royal clothes clinging to his frame.

"How cruel of you, to do that to a child." the man spoke.

The woman just smiled.

"Perhaps. But it is set. Let the end begin."

The man laughed.

"Oh, perhaps. Perhaps." he spoke, moving to walk beside her even as she discarded the shawl.

"Tell me, Ardyn, how goes your pet project?"

Ardyn shot her a smirk.

"Well. I suppose, as well as your own. Of course, I provide my aid based on a single factor. I wonder, will your master deliver?"

"The boy, yes? Caelum? I assure you, we will find him." the woman promised.

Ardyn snorted.

"You better. These games… I so tire of them, and I so long for rest. Rest that child denied me. If my existence must be a nightmare, then so to will his." Ardyn's expression darkened and, for a moment, the carefully crafted illusion slipped, faded.

His true face, oozing with the dark as it literally gushed from his face, dripping all around. With the illusion fell the veil around him slipped as well, letting his true presence shine through.

She had to turn away.

A presence so vile even a Heartless wouldn't devour it.

What an utterly broken man.

Ardyn barked another laugh, jovial as he marched away, leaving the sorceress behind.

"What do you know!" Cloud all but barked.

Cloud would have had to have been blind not to recognize the familiar look of guilt crossing someone else's features. He'd literally spent years wearing the exact same face, going through the exact same motions, wondering and pondering what he could have done differently to make just the smallest of differences.

Okay, maybe he was overreacting, especially considering the way the kid whimpered a bit at the literal sword at his throat.

In Cloud's defense, Kuja literally playing with his soul, literally, had left him woozy, and that was putting it mildly. That was the last time Cloud let someone do that to him. Ever.

"Tear him to bits."

"Shut up, Chaos!" Cloud snapped.

Chaos pounding against Cloud's head was not a happy thing. Instinctively, Cloud had known that the demon had to be there, somewhere in the background. They'd known that from the start. The demon had been trapped in Vincent. Why then, wouldn't it transfer to Cloud?

Regardless, Chaos hadn't bothered awakening when Gaia was burning into ashes. Why, then, would he bother now?

Cloud wasn't sure. All he knew was that Chaos was there and he was giving him a hell of a headache and making him want to hit something. Repeatability.

A hand landed on Cloud's shoulder. Cloud growled, twisting to glare at the offending appendage.

"Calm. Down. Hey, it's okay. Listen to me. Listen to my voice. Shh. It's alright."

"Stop codling me or I'll show you exactly what I'm made of, 'Fred'." Cloud told the other coldy. Apollo pulled his hand back, arms lifted in mock surrender.

Then, a foot smashed into Cloud's chest, knocking the wind out of him as he was blasted back.

What in the…

Cloud hadn't felt strength like that since Sephiroth. He was pretty sure something bad actually broken. Wiry limbs or no, that brat packed one hell of a kick.

Cloud was used to shrugging off wounds, though.

With ease, the false SOLDIER spun in midair, twisting before managing to land properly on his feet, sliding back a little as dirt pooled around his boots.

Hercules panted as he stood.

Instantly, a bow was pointed right at him as six spheres of glowing radiant light appeared around Kuja, spinning around him.

Hercules, however, paid them no mind. Instead, the boy just kept staring right at Cloud, as if Cloud was the only thing in the world.

"He… Zack. He… I wasn't… None of us where… It just came, and I- I couldn't save-" the kid looked on the verge of tears.

Cloud took a step. The kid flinched, eying Cloud's sword wearily. Cloud supposed that was fai-

"Pathetic welp. Break him. Rend the flesh from his bones."

"Enough."

Cloud blinked as a sudden heat flooded through his body. Bright, burning. Chaos hissed for a second before retreating, if only for a moment. Cloud shot a grateful look towards Apollo, but the Sun God wouldn't meet his eyes.

A dark feeling pooled in Cloud's stomach. Ignoring it, he turned back towards Hercules. Slowly, Cloud twisted the Buster Blade in hand before slamming it, tip first, through the earth.

Hercules relaxed marginally with the act alone.

"Tell us what you know."

"What the hell is that thing!" he couldn't help but gasp as the so called Mysterious Sir thrashed a bit more against his bonds.

The first woman, the one with the orange eyes, laughed.

"I don't see why you're so worried. Honestly, child… We're doing you a favor. We're going to make you you again! Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it all you ever dreamed for?"

The man met her gaze as a tremble ran down his back.

"What in the hell are you talking about!"

The woman gripped his chin tight in her grasp before turning his head, forcing him to look straight at the demon.

"That, child, is a Heartless. Such an ironic, misleading name, for you see, a Heart is all that creature is. A heart inverted, surrendered to the bliss of the dark. A lost soul, you could say." the woman spoke, tilting her head slightly in thought.

The man pulled his head back, a snarl on his lips.

"What's that got to do with me?"

Orange eyes blinked at him.

"My dear boy… You haven't realized yet?" Orange eyes said, rising to full height as she turned, taking a step towards the Mysterious Sir. She lifted a hand towards it, and the demon, the Heartless, snapped at her. Literally. That beak tried to take her fingers, but it was not to be as she pulled back, just out of reach.

"This is yours. He is yours. Your heart. Your soul." Orange eyes said, not taking her eyes off the Heartless.

What?

She turned, her gaze locking back on his as she smiled at him.

"You. He's you. This is your heart. Worry now, my dear, for I have come… To complete you." Orange eyes declared.

Complete him? What in the world was she on about? He was already complete, he was him! That thing, whatever the hell it was, was not him! She was insane, completely and utterly-

The woman's arm shot up, and, in a flash, a weapon appeared in her hands. A strange weapon, silvers and golds and blues, shapes, off all things, like a key.

The woman spun, blade stabbing forth. The Mysterious Sir gave a hiss as the blade cut right in, ripping into its chest. There was a pulse, then a brilliant flash as the monster screamed, rippling apart.

Then, Orange Eyes turned towards him, stalking forth, that key of hers raised high.

Dread pooled in his stomach.

"Wait, wait, I-"

He didn't get a chance to finish. The blade stabbed down, and he knew no more. Just like the Heartless, his body began to dissipate, even as a scream erupted from his lips.

The woman took a step back. Then, with a wave of her free hand, she caused the two fading essences to clash against one another, bubbling in the center of the from, a sphere of glowing energy, dark and light.

There was another flash of light as a figure fell, landing in a crouch on the floor. Dressed in flamboyant, puffy clothes, a small red cape attached to his shoulder, and his face cakes in makeup, this, right here, was the man that she had needed to see. Needed to return to them.

The woman took a step.

Cold blue eyes met her own.

"Welcome back… Kefka Palazzo."