"Oh, my!," was all Herbert could say as he laid his eyes upon the world of the Heartless, or as Cid called it, End of the World. It looked like a very small galaxy and that was the only way he could describe it.
"We're going down there?" George asked. Herbert gulped and nodded as he motioned for George to land. This wouldn't be easy.
It was an endless expanse of white. They had landed at a small island on a sea of light. Ahead of them was what was obviously their destination. It appeared to be a swirling mass of stars.
"So this is it?" Herbert asked. "This is the end?"
"Sure is," Herbert said. "You know, I've been thinking. When we defeat the Heartless and Voldemort this place will disappear. Will we disappear too?"
"No way!" George said firmly. "Our hearts ain't going nowhere! Even if our bodies are destroyed our hearts will live on. So let's turn these frown upside down and get going!" George pointed ahead.
"You're right," Herbert smiled and nodded.
"Herbert, we've been working on something," the beetle princess said and looked expectantly at Mr. Wogglebug
Mr. Wogglebug pulled something out of his pocket. It was a Keychain and a very elegant looking one too. It was a gold and blue crown.
"We call it the Ultima," Herbert said as Herbert replaced the Oblivion with the Ultima. The Keyblade then took the shape of a real, crystal broadsword. Then a gold and blue frame formed the shape of a key over the sword.
"It's amazing! It feels stronger than anything I've felt before" Herbert said as he swung it a few times.
"Let's get going," Herbert said and they started forward.
Voldemort was deep inside End of the World as he felt Herbert, Herbert, and George arrive. He chuckled to himself and stood.
"Let the fun begin."
After stepping through the large sphere they found themselves at the top of a giant crevice. The odd thing was that there was hundreds of Gummi Blocks inside the walls of the crevice.
"If we keep jumping on those rocks we should be able to get down," Herbert pointed to the many rocks sticking from the walls and making a way down.
"We must beat Voldemort," George said. "Maybe then everything will return to normal."
"We won't get anything done just sitting here, let's go," Herbert said and they nodded back. They started jumping from rock to rock to the bottom of the crevice. About halfway down a new set of Heartless appeared.
The first looked human enough but had small wings coming from their back and long horns went form their head sticking into the air. They had longs tail and held large sword in their right hands. They were called Invisibles.
The next kind seemed best described as a large light bulb with the Heartless crest on the front and four golden wings coming form the top. They were called Angel Stars.
Herbert started off the battle by launching a Firaga at an Angel Star but it moved quickly to the side and came down even faster, hitting Herbert hard. Herbert got back to his feet and used Graviga as soon as he was on his feet and it crushed the Angel Star.
Herbert crossed sword with two Invisibles. The first brought his sword down and the second to the side making Herbert have to duck and sidestep at the same time. He came back by slicing through the first and blocking an attack from the second.
George was also fighting and Invisible but wasn't having such good luck. He had already been cut twice and almost received another but blocked with his sword. He spun around and tried to cut through the Invisible's side but all of a sudden it was gone. Its sword was stuck in the ground with small purple flames around it. The purple flames moved so they surrounded George and then closed in on him, burning him.
Herbert stabbed forward but the Invisible moved backwards to avoid the attack. Herbert blasted it with a Blizzaga and killed it. Two Angel Stars flew his way and he ran straight at them with the Ultima raised.
Herbert was facing one Angel Star and one Invisible but was still holding his own. He blocked at attack from the Angel Star and ducked under a sword swipe from the Invisible before shoving his staff into its gut and blasting it away with a Thundaga.
George got to his feet to see the Invisible reappear and two more coming up behind that one. George ran up while the Invisible was pulling its sword out the ground and bashed it as hard as he could in its head killing it. The other two were on him in a second but George blocked both attacks and jammed the side of his sword into the stomach of one of them and destroyed it but the other had its sword raised already.
Herbert knocked one Angel Star away and then quickly stabbed through the other. The Angel Star he knocked away came in fast and crashed into Herbert's head. Herbert was sent to the ground and cast Stopga as the Angel Star came toward him. He jumped up and sliced through the Angel Star to destroy it.
Herbert faced the last Angel Star with his staff ready for any kind of spell. The Angel Star came in quick and it suddenly flashed a brilliant light and Herbert was blinded for a second but this was all the Angel Star needed and hit Herbert hard in the stomach. Herbert fired off a Firaga even though he couldn't see and by some impossible luck, struck and killed the Angel Star.
George dived out of the way as the Invisible brought its sword down. He got back up and jumped into the air, landing a kick into the Invisible's chest on the way down. He landed on his feet and sprung forward with his sword out and went straight through the Invisible. The three of them looked around and nodded as they saw the Heartless were all gone.
"That wasn't that hard but I'm sure Voldemort has something much worse than a batch of Heartless to stop us," Herbert said.
"Look down there," George pointed to the bottom of the crevice where there was a pool of light. They jumped down to it and saw that it was apparently the only way out. They stared at each other and shrugged as they jumped in.
It was endless space. They stood on one of nine floating rocks with shafts of purple light shooting up from them. There seemed to be no way off of the rock so they stepped into the purple light.
It was endless space yet again except now there was a gigantic mountain in front of them with something rising from it.
"No way! Impossible!" Mr. Wogglebug yelled as they got closer and that something began taking shape. I though the Queen banished that thing!"
"What is it?" Herbert asked and at the same time he said: "Chernabog." Herbert now saw that Chernabog was as big as the mountain itself and he could only be described as a demon with incredibly large black wings.
"Let's take it down!" Herbert flew forward and it was at this time Herbert looked down to realize there was no ground underneath them. Yet it felt as if they were flying around Neverland again.
"Yeah!" Herbert shouted and followed quickly. George shrugged and flew forward as well. Chernabog did not want them there it would seem as it suddenly swiped out a large claw at them but they were able to fly over it.
"Firaga Breath!" Chernabog shouted in an incredibly deep voice. A stream of fire like Herbert had never seen flew forward and straight at them. The fire was to wide to fly away from so Herbert cast Aeroga on himself and Herbert cast I ton himself and George. This softened the blow but it still hurt, especially in their tired state.
"Strike Raid!" Herbert tossed the Ultima forward and magical energy burst around it and it slammed right into Chernabog's chest. Chernabog noticed the attack but didn't seem to be affected by it to bad.
"Rocket!" George sent himself forward and slammed into the same place the Strike Raid had hit and Chernabog growled in pain. Herbert shot a Blizzaga at the spot but Chernabog got his second wind and knocked the attack away.
Herbert flew forward to deliver a hard blow to Chernabog's injury but it suddenly hunched over and when it sprung out the entire mountain erupted and Herbert was caught in the middle of it. When the eruption ended Chernabog looked down at a beaten Herbert. Herbert came down and tried to heal him but Chernabog created a ball of energy and blew Herbert away as well.
"Summon," Herbert said weakly as he struggled to hold on to the Ultima. "Unico." And with that Unico came forth from the Ultima and in a wave of energy they were all cured instantly. Chernabog had a very confused expression on his face but it wouldn't be there much longer as Herbert took the Ultima and dug it right into Chernabog's exposed injury.
Chernabog screamed in pain and then exploded, taking most of the mountain with it. All that was left was a large crater. Herbert, Herbert, and George flew down into the crater sure they would be transported to another place.
Now they were in a large cave and on one side was a Heartless crest. Herbert walked over and placed his hand on it and it crumbled away to reveal another, but much smaller, cave behind it. In there was a door.
"That door," Herbert said. "It looks, familiar." Herbert walked up to the door and grabbed it and it opened slightly.
"Be careful," an incredibly familiar voice filled Herbert's head. "Beyond this door, there is no light to protect you." He remembered now. The voice from his dream long ago that had guided him along.
"Well, are we going?" George asked.
"Give me a minute!" Herbert shouted. He grabbed the door and paused, expecting the voice to say something but all was silent and he opened the door. It was another cave but this one was very familiar and Herbert knew it well. "Can't be." Herbert made a mad dash to get out of the cave.
"Herbert!" George yelled and they ran after him only to meet the blinding light of day. They had been in the dark room longer then they thought apparently. When their vision returned they gasped at where they were.
"Is this?" Herbert asked. "Is this the Land of Oz?" Sure enough they were in the Land of Oz where this whole thing had started.
"This world has been connected," Voldemort's voice came and a part of the island disappeared right in front of them. "Tied to the darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed."
"No," Herbert was in shock. This was the same thing the man in the brown cloak had said long ago. Voldemort had been that man in the brown cloak.
"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing," Voldemort's voice came to their ears again and then they saw him.
"This can't be," Herbert shook his head.
"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts with in it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came!" Voldemort suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind them. "You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."
"That's not true!" Herbert stopped him. "The heart may be weak and sometime it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down there's a light that never goes out!"
"So you've come this far and still you understand nothing," Voldemort began to rise from the ground and floated there. "Every light must fade, every heart return to darkness!" With this shout a form appeared behind Voldemort. It was just an upper body but very muscular with two jagged antennae.
"What's that?" George asked.
"This is the Guardian! My own personal Heartless!" Voldemort explained and with this the fight began. Herbert ran straight at Voldemort and brought the Ultima up. He swung the Ultima down but the Guardian appeared in front of him and the attack bounced off. Voldemort held his hands up and razor sharp disks of energy came from them. Herbert ducked under one but one caught him on the leg.
Herbert had set up Aeroga right away and the disks bounced off his shield. He ran at Voldemort and blasted a Firaga at him but the Guardian appeared. As soon as the Guardian went back behind Voldemort Herbert brought up his staff and landed a hard blow to Voldemort's face. Voldemort glared at him and blasted him away.
Herbert and George ran at Voldemort at the same time and both got on a different side of him. They both attacked at the same time. Voldemort made the Guardian block Herbert's attack and grabbed George by the throat right out of the air.
"I am not defenseless without my Guardian," Voldemort told him and punched George several times in his gut and then a final time across his jaw sending George to the ground. Voldemort turned around and blasted Herbert with some powerful magic. Pain ran through Voldemort's head as George had gotten back up and crashed his shield against his head.
The enraged Voldemort turned to blast George away but had to duck a swipe of the Ultima and was hit by a Blizzaga. He shouted in rage and unleashed an attack in every direction sending them all flying back. Voldemort then pointed to Herbert.
"Come Guardian!" he shouted and the Guardian flew right at Herbert and hit him but instead of going back to Voldemort the Guardian went inside Herbert. Herbert shook his head and went to try an attack. "Come, open your heart." Voldemort said and the Guardian appeared from Herbert and held him still in the air. A sphere of energy came from Voldemort and Herbert was caught in it, sending him flying back. The Guardian went behind Voldemort again quickly as George and Herbert got back up.
They ran over to Herbert and helped him get to his feet. Herbert cured Herbert and they stood ready to face Voldemort again.
"Maybe I should level the playing field," Voldemort said to himself and the large tree behind him started shaking and soon the entire island shook with it. Then with a deafening noise the tree split in half revealing it to be hollow inside. Voldemort smirked and floated back into the tree.
"Let's get him!" Herbert was the first to run at him and jumped into the tree but as Herbert and George tried to jump in some kind of force field knocked them away. "Herbert! George!" Herbert shouted up to them.
"You should focus your attention on something else," Voldemort laughed and created a pool of darkness under them and from the pool came a gigantic form. It was the first true beast Herbert had ever face. It was Darkside.
"I don't have time for you!" Herbert shouted and raised the Ultima. Darkside brought his hand down to squash Herbert but Herbert laughed at how slow it was. He ran up Darkside's arm and slammed the Ultima into its head. "I told you to stay dead! Anything tougher Voldemort?" Herbert questioned as Darkside disappeared. A blast of energy knocked Herbert to the ground.
"As a matter of fact," Voldemort said as he flew down and punched Herbert several times across the face and then blasted him away again. Herbert rolled onto his feet and ran forward with a strong swipe at Voldemort but the Guardian blocked it. Voldemort was suddenly surrounded by a great swell of energy and flew at Herbert. Herbert was not prepared for this and Voldemort crashed into him very hard. Herbert slammed into the nearby wall and blood began to pour from the back of his head.
"That hurt," Herbert said as he stood and healed himself. He ran forward with the Ultima raised again and began to swing. Just as the hit was about to connect with the Guardian Herbert flipped over it and sliced into Voldemort's back.
"You fool," Voldemort spat out as he healed his back. "I'll show you true power." He began to glow with an amazing orange light. Suddenly a beam of energy hit Herbert from underneath him and while he was in the air Voldemort launched another beam that crashed into Herbert and made him hit the ground again. The Guardian went inside Herbert again but this was what Herbert had been waiting for.
Herbert ran straight at Voldemort knowing the Guardian was waiting for him to attack and then grab hold of him. Instead of using a normal attack he'd have to use something much better.
"Ragnarok!" Herbert shouted and leaped into the air cutting deep into Voldemort's chest then unleashing the great wave of energy right into the cut. Voldemort screamed in pain as the Guardian returned to him.
"You will not survive Keybearer," Voldemort said and then there was a flash followed by complete darkness. Herbert was still able to see Herbert and George who were now at his side but next to that there was absolutely nothing but darkness.
"What?" Herbert looked around desperate for something. Voldemort's voice suddenly shouted from the darkness.
"Behold the endless abyss! Within it lies the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts!" Then there was a small flash and a floating platform appeared with a large pure white double-door that must have lead to Kingdom Hearts. "Look as hard as you are able, you'll find not even the smallest glimmer of light. From these dark depths are all hearts born. Even yours." Then it appeared.
If Herbert had to describe it, it would be a giant platform with a head sticking out the front and a large dome coming up from it with Herbert a bug compared to it. Its face was twisted and horrible and the dome was just a large and transparent force field. Herbert could see inside of it and there was some kind of blob in there.
On the top of the dome was the Guardian but the Guardian was now as large as the thing it was attached to. The Guardian's antennae had now turned into large horns and there were two large, blue spheres on its shoulders. From the Guardians stomach came about twenty tentacles.
Attached to these tentacles was Voldemort. The tentacles were attached to his back and he now only wore black pants with yellow lining and his black boots. Voldemort had grown as well and now Herbert only came up to his waist.
"Darkness conquers all worlds!" Voldemort shouted. Herbert felt the ground leave him and the three of them started falling. A dark portal appeared and Herbert and George were pulled into it while Herbert kept falling. Falling into darkness.
"Giving up already?" his father's voice filled Herbert's ears. "Come on, Herbert. I thought you were stronger than that." Herbert nodded. He was stronger than this and it was time to prove to Voldemort that he was. Herbert suddenly stopped and flew into the air coming to a stop in front of Voldemort with the Ultima appearing in his hands.
"So you are prepared to do this the hard way?" Voldemort asked and a double-bladed halberd appeared in his hand.
"Tell me, Voldemort, what is this giant turtle you're attached to?" Herbert asked.
"This is the great beast, the World of Chaos. It is my Guardian's true form," Voldemort said and the guardian nodded behind him. Herbert shook his head and flew forward and brought the Ultima down on Voldemort but Voldemort used the halberd to block the strike and knocked Herbert away. Voldemort brought his halberd up and tried to slice through Herbert but Herbert flew back quickly.
"Can't get me back here while you're attached to your precious Guardian, huh?" Herbert taunted Voldemort but apparently this was not the right thing to do as Voldemort held his hand in the air and several spheres of energy appeared. The spheres fired lasers straight at Herbert and he tried to dodge but the lasers were too accurate and most hit him.
Herbert quickly decided to remain close to Voldemort as he flew back in. He swung the Ultima but Voldemort blocked and counterattacked. Herbert spun to the side and stabbed Voldemort's stomach but Voldemort quickly healed himself and struck back. Herbert avoided it with a back flip, kicking Voldemort in the chin as his feet passed Voldemort's head.
"I will not lose!" Voldemort started to swell with energy and let lose a blast of terrible power. Herbert was hit and hit hard. He shouted out in pain and floated there almost unable to move. "Were are your friends now?"
"I have plenty of friends," Herbert said weakly. "You just can't see them."
"Oh really?" Voldemort smirked and brought the halberd over his head. "Then they had better get here very fast."
"They're already here!" Herbert shouted out and the Ultima began to shine with a brilliant light before many forms appeared from it. One by one they appeared. Phoenix Fire, Unico, Puff, and Dobby. His summons stood defiantly behind him staring Voldemort right in his face. Tinker Bell healed Herbert and she stood with him. The phoenix let out a beam of golden energy, Unico a beam of silver, Dobby a blast of magic energy, and Puff a stream of fire. Voldemort let out a scream of pain as the attacks left him beaten.
"Impossible," Voldemort muttered and the tentacles pulled Voldemort inside the Guardian and a giant Heartless crest appeared, covering and protecting him. Herbert's summons disappeared back inside the Ultima.
The force field protecting the large dome was blown away. Herbert flew down into the dome with Herbert and George behind him to see some kind of shining blob.
"I think it's some kind of core, that's why it was so well protected," Herbert said as they inspected it.
"Really?" Herbert smirked and brought the Ultima up and slammed it into the core, burying it to the hilt. The core exploded and they were thrown from the dome and looked up to see the Heartless crest disappear and a fully revitalized Voldemort come out of the Guardian's stomach.
"This is the end!" Voldemort shouted and began to gather energy for some kind of attack.
"You bet it is!" Herbert flew straight for Voldemort but the large arm of the Guardian knocked him away. Then he suddenly couldn't breath. His windpipe felt like it was being crushed and he saw Voldemort with his hands outstretched. He grabbed his throat and looked over to see Herbert and George doing the same.
"Face it Keybearer," Voldemort got closer to him. "You can't beat me."
"No…I…can't," Herbert wheezed out when Voldemort's hold over him was blown away by some new power. Herbert, Herbert, and George were surrounded by a fierce golden energy, creating a gold flame around them. "But we can!"
"Trinity!" George screamed out.
"Limit!" Herbert shouted as both he and George pushed their arms forward.
"Attack!" Herbert finished and pushed his arms forward as well. Three beams of energy came from them and formed one giant one as big as the World of Chaos itself. The three of them screamed in a perfectly synchronized tone.
"No! This can't be!" Voldemort shouted as the beam connected and there was an explosion the likes of which none had ever seen. When it cleared Herbert, Herbert, and George stood before the beaten Voldemort. Voldemort was back to normal with his Guardian gone and clutching where his heart should be.
"We win Voldemort," Herbert said simply.
"It is futile," Voldemort said weakly. "The Keyblade alone cannot seal the door to darkness. Kingdom Hearts!" Voldemort turned toward the white double-door. "Fill me with the power of darkness!" The doors opened just a little bit and darkness began to pour out form them. "Supreme darkness!"
"You're wrong!" Herbert shouted. "I know now, without a doubt, that Kingdom Hearts is light!" As if answering Herbert's call the doors burst open all the way and the purest light they had ever seen came from it.
"The light," Voldemort said softly with his voice slightly cracking. "But why?" And then in a dazzling display, Voldemort was gone and a shockwave went out from the center of the fantastic explosion.
The light died down and the door to Kingdom Hearts was slightly opened. Herbert, Herbert, and George ran forward and landed in front of the doors as they tried to push them closed as they could but the doors were far too big. Herbert and George took one door and Herbert took the other as they struggled to push them back together.
"Oh no!" George shouted as he looked beyond the door.
"Stop staring and keep pushing!" Herbert shouted at him but couldn't help but look himself and was terrified at what he saw. Thousands of millions of Heartless all with their eyes turned on them.
"The Heartless!" George screamed.
"Hurry!" Herbert doubled his efforts but neither part of the door would budge.
"I can't…" Herbert was about to give up in this impossible task.
"Don't give up!" George exclaimed. "Come on Herbert! Together we can do this!" He shouted and Herbert nodded to him as he pushed harder. Behind them not one but two Darksides arose from the depths.
"It's hopeless!" Herbert yelled. Then two golden blasts came form nowhere. Each blast hit a Darkside and the two of them exploded. Then she appeared, surrounded by a great golden energy. She stood inside the doors.
"Your majesty!" They all exclaimed. Sure enough, standing before them was the Queen, Ozma Mouse, the ruler of Herbert and George's world. Ozma held his hand out and a Keyblade appeared. It looked just like the Kingdom Key but it was smaller and instead of a gold handle and silver key it was a silver handle and a golden key. It was his Golden Kingdom Key.
"Now Herbert, let's close this door for good," Ozma said.
"Close it quick!" Herbert screamed.
"But…" Herbert looked to Ozma. "How will you get out?"
"Don't worry," Ozma turned toward him and the golden energy went away. "There will always be a door to the light."
"Herbert, you can trust Queen Ozma," Mr. Wogglebug assured him.
"Hurry, they're coming!" George shouted as he saw the Heartless start to crawl closer. Herbert took out the Ultima and changed it back to the Kingdom Key. He held it high into the air and Ozma did the same and the doors slowly began to close.
"Herbert, George, thank you," Ozma said as she lowered his Keyblade.
Herbert looked to Mr. Wogglebug. "Well, Papa, what do we do now?"
"Why, I guess now we go home," he replied
And they stepped through the door.