Quick Update. Because really, the update of chapter 25… really didn't say anything much. X3
Enjoy!
Chapter 26
The Line of the World
Sora shook his head in disbelieve. "You are not a Messiah," his voice was filled with determination and anger, frustrated that his comrades were unconscious and injured…and yet, he didn't have the strength to help. He didn't have the power to protect.
"This is God's sin."
"God doesn't sin!" Sora cried. "Don't defile God's name!"
"But he does," Marluxia chuckled. "You are a blind follower of God. The God that you know now was born out of an angel's selfishness and distrust. That God is nothing but a tormented soul filled with anger and rage, wanting nothing more than for the world to be destroyed. But it is not this God that created this foul and defiled place. It is the God that you know then… Cloud…"
"Father?!"
"Yes, Our Father," Vexen laughed, putting Zexion down. The lilac haired scientist was still unconscious.
"What did you do to him?!"
"I drugged him. He is required to do his job when he regains his consciousness," Vexen explained.
"Cloud created everything that is in this world. Goodness, evil, the worlds, the lines, all the beings inside it. It is His creation."
"You are of no position to speak ill of Father," Sora hissed. Cloud was always kind and generous. He always cared for him and Roxas, he was always worried about the well being of Celestia. He refused to accept anyone speaking ill of Him.
"I am the Messiah sent by Roxas' other, the other God—who had also murdered that vile God. The Line of the World must be destroyed in order to purge the sin of humanity. In order to repent once again and to calm the rage of the world. Do you know why this place is created?"
Sora hung his head low. "The Underworld is a Father's failed creation. He would have never guessed that the Souls of the Dead would become so strong and form as a unity to shape a world of their own. The Stream of Life is created to contain those souls. But by the time Father was finished creating the Stream, the Underworld had become such a strong world… so strong with an ever growing population that it would be too cruel to purge it. So, Father decided to leave the Underworld be and use the Stream of Life to contain the Souls of the Dead."
"You know quite a bit about all of this," Marluxia applauded mockingly.
"Father used to tell us a lot."
"Sora… Run…" Ven panted from the corner, struggling to get up, balancing himself, using the wall as his support. "Run!" he cried.
"And where do you suggest he run off to, boy?!" Vexen barked. "After the Line is disconnected, everything will be forgotten."
"You know a lot, but not as much as what Roxas know," Marluxia added.
"What do you mean?!" Sora demanded.
"I am quite sure that Ven must know a lot too… after all, he is the exact replica of Roxas, created by Anti-Roxas."
"Marluxia, stop this immediately," Ven commanded, summoning his keyblade.
"You know about the dark secrets of this place, Ven. You know very well that God uses this place to…"
"Silence!"
"What is going on? Tell me!"
Vexen scoffed. "This place is an extermination site."
"Extermination Site?"
"Beings that Father deemed no use anymore…defected beings… they are exterminated and purged here, killed and butchered with no mercy by the Exterminators and their souls will forever be contained. The Singers will sing their hymns for eternity, purifying the remaining menace and rage slowly. And the souls… are used as tools to keep the World stable. God is too incompetent to maintain the stability of the world. He resorted to using the souls."
"Cloud is only doing that to protect His creation and the connections, so all beings can live in peace," Ven countered. It proved hard for him to even stand up. He held his sides hard, hoping that he would be able to close the wound with just that.
"Cure!" Sora shouted as he raised his keyblade, healing and closing up Ven's wounds. "Cure!" he tried again, wanting to cure Aqua and Riku, but it didn't work. He didn't have enough power.
"And how many souls do you think are decaying and sacrificed again and again every year in order to keep the Line alive?" Vexen inquired.
"Do you see familiar souls in there, Sora?" Marluxia asked.
Sora shook his head uncertainly, not wanting to listen to what the enemies were saying. However, he found it hard to not focus when someone had already asked him such question. He concentrated on the distorted faces that formed the Line of the World and he saw… his friends, the angels, the people he knew…
The angel swallowed. "Roxas knows about all of this?"
"Of course. Why do you think Roxas didn't stop his Anti when he has the full capability of doing so in the first place?"
"Why?"
"Because the new God knows what to do. The reason Roxas was sent in the Underworld was for him to destroy the Line of the World. Sadly, he recovered his memory before he fulfilled his mission."
"You are not making any sense…" Sora shook his head.
"Don't listen to them, Sora. They're playing with your heads. God wants nothing more than the best for us."
"Join us, Sora. Look at your comrades, the people you know, protecting the Line. The Line must be destroyed so that no more souls will be sacrificed. And you can do that… with your keyblade. You will be able to free them from suffering."
Sora hesitated. His palms curled into fists. "You are spreading lies. I know without a doubt that Roxas would never want the world's connection to be severed. He wants to protect it and so are the souls."
"Typical. I have no use for useless Celestians who know nothing than to sacrifice other beings for their own happiness."
With a nod from Marluxia, Vexen summoned ice to Ven's direction. Ven quickly dodged, rolling to the sides and dodged again as he was assaulted continuously. While Vexen was fighting Ven, Marluxia dashed over to Sora's side, swiping his scythe, intending to take the angel down. Sora took in a sharp breath and immediately stepped back, backing away and backing away even more, parrying and trying for a counterattack.
It was a fierce battle. But there was no doubt that it was a lost cause.
Ven kept trying to get close to the scientist, trying to find an opportunity to strike, but Vexen never let down. Ice kept appearing on the surface, threatening to spill blood... never once satiated no matter how much crimson had been sacrificed. The blond angel eventually flew in, black feathers beautifully tear away from his wings, floating in midair as he prepared himself to strike the blond scientist. He struck down hard, cutting through the scientist's shoulder. He pulled away his blood tainted keyblade. Ruby liquid kept dripping, endlessly… pulled down by the power of gravity.
The beautiful yet at the same time terrifying hymns of the Singers kept echoing…
Vexen groaned, panting. "Ignorant fool!" he roared, trying to attack Ven again. Ven was injured this time by the shower of razor sharp icicle. He cried. Then, he went in, not caring about the pain he was in. His target was set right in front of him. He just had to take Vexen down.
Aqua panted, gaining her consciousness, slowly adjusting herself to the sight before her. She gasped, quickly spreading her wings, summoning her keyblade and flying over to help. But before she could do so, a force so powerful kept her in place. She was immobilized, paralyzed…unable to move her limbs no matter how hard she tried. Her eyes went wide as pain rushed into her body. She groaned. What was happening to her? Her keyblade went out of her grasp, clunking on the floor and disappeared once again. She tried summoning it, but it was no use.
Sora dodged again and again. He was successful in injuring the Leader of the Grim Reaper, but the man never budged no matter how much pain was inflicted. The pink haired man was coated in blood, but it never seemed to bother him. He kept approaching and attacking insanely, prolonging the angel's suffering. Then, with a single strike… as Sora let his guard down… a single swipe…
Sora's head separated from its body…
His head flew over and eventually fell to the floor, rolling until it stopped, leaving an eerie trail of blood.
And the angel wings disappeared and vanished into the air…
And the headless body went limp, falling to the ground of hues.
"Sora!" Ven cried.
Vexen smirked, it was his chance to kill that one last surviving pesky angel. He summoned his ice, targeting with scary accuracy. However, his ice stopped halfway, as if blocked by a barrier. "I… won't let you!" Zexion whispered, standing up. The whole world was still hazy to his eyes. His brain wasn't working properly and the Stream of Life was spinning endlessly. His one eye was shut, hidden underneath his blood covered hair, Demyx's blood…
--
Vincent tried… He managed to break Demyx free from the ice and he immediately took the blond to the health room. He tried… but the sitarist' wounds were too severe.
The Healers also tried. They were all gathered up, determined to close up the wounds and stopped the bleeding.
However…
Demyx was human… and hence, his recovery rate was also that of a human…and even though he was immortal… it was no use. He would still die from injuries…
Now, he was lying breathless…
On one of the bed in the room…
Vincent mourned for the death of another trusted friend…
--
Zexion swallowed, trying his best to stay conscious, trying to purify the poison in his system. It would take time… and they were running out of time…
Ven immediately focused his attention back to his opponent. While Vexen was still in his surprised state, he took that opportunity without a second delay. With a single blow, he ended the scientist… stabbing straight to where the scientist' heart belonged.
And there was Marluxia…
And Ven suddenly felt… he couldn't move! "Urgh!" he groaned. "What is…" his keyblade went out of his grasp and disappeared, just as Aqua's.
"Ven!" Zexion yelled.
"I can't…m… ungh…"
"Ven! What did you do!?" Zexion demanded, glaring at the pink haired man before him. "Marluxia…."
Marluxia grinned charmingly. "I did nothing…"
"What are you…"
Marluxia stepped forward, slashing his scythe at the Line of the World now that there was no other obstacle. His scythe went straight passed through the Line…but nothing happened. "Just as He suspected. I need your aid, Zexion."
Zexion took a step back. "What do you want from me? What did you do to the others? Are you rebelling? You will receive your punishment when the King is back."
Marluxia laughed. "The King is probably still busy with his Queen. What do you think he would do right now? Now, Zexion… it is only you who can cut the line. Use your ability to fuse all the souls in this Line as one."
"No. Why do you think I would obey you?"
"Because… you have no choice…"
Zexion shook his head. "I will never obey you, even in my death. And even if I comply… with this amount of souls…"
"You will end up sacrificing yourself to fuse them together. Sacrifices are needed. Look at all your friends. They are my sacrifice. And you will be one of them."
"Why are you…" Before Zexion could continue, he felt his limbs went limped. And right before him, Marluxia suddenly shrieked and wailed in pain. Then… he was torn to pieces… pieces of flesh flew around the area… and one managed to get on Zexion's face and the rest covered his sides with crimson.
A man walked into the area. The man's eyes were filled with malice. They were cold and emotionless… they were merciless.
"Do as you're told…" His voice was deep and dark and it struck fear into any beings or souls who heard it.
"Yes…" Zexion nodded compliantly. He couldn't resist. His body was acting against his will.
Those acidic green eyes that glowed and fused together with the color of the Stream of Life… those eyes…
--
The tremors were becoming more and more violent. And the King hugged his angel tight, never once letting go. "Roxas…" he whispered gently, worried about Roxas' safety. The blond was pale…as pale as a corpse and his hands were cold… his overall temperature plummeted… Axel couldn't even feel the warmth from his angel anymore. He kept the blond close.
Roxas gripped at the front of Axel's clothes, burying his face in the King's chest, deeply inhaling the scent. It was all too late… too late… "Don't let go…" the blond whispered shakily.
"I won't, Roxas. I won't."
"I don't want to be separated again."
--
Zexion gathered all his energy, pouring out all his knowledge about fusing the souls as one. The knowledge that he just recently gained. No wonder Vexen suggested the idea of trying to find a way to fuse souls… it was all already planned out… it was all planned. And they were all pawns… pawns of that man… that man standing behind him, watching him.
The lilac haired scientist could feel his life beginning to ease away from his very being as he forced himself to fuse the souls together. The souls that were the Line… they were screaming, protesting, pleading for release… pleading for the intruders to not disturb them…
And…
Zexion fell to the ground, kneeling… then his body went limped as it hit the floor.
The lilac haired scientist lied there, lifeless.
The souls were now one.
The man took out his sword from its sheath.
With a single swipe…
The line of the world was no more.
And the Quake begun.
The world…
Enraged…
--
"We will not," Axel said, voice determined.
"We will! The Line of the World… this tremor… this feeling… all the malice that fills the air. The Line of the World is no more, Axel…"
Axel frowned. "What are you talking ab…"
He was silenced by the angel's kiss. The kiss was one of passion and longing… and they lingered there. A tear slid down the angel's cheek, down his jaw, and disappeared into the clouds.
"Rox…"
"Axel…" Roxas shook his head. "I love you," he whispered, swallowing deeply, cupping the redhead's cheek affectionately, as if knowing what was going to happen next. "Don't forget…"
"I won't…"
And it kept shaking…
So much that it eventually cut through the huge cloud the King and angels were on.
Roxas held tight and so did the redhead.
"Promise we'll meet again…"
"Roxas…" Axel frowned, shaking his head. He somehow knew what was going to happen, but at the same time found that it was…impossible…no, he wouldn't believe it. He was holding on so tight. They wouldn't be separated. They wouldn't be taken away from one another anymore.
Not after all that they had went through.
Not after all that... no…
And there was a sheer force.
Both didn't have the power to counter the force. The cloud tore into two, threatening to part the two… and it did… Roxas' grip loosened and so did Axel's. They held on tight… but somehow… their holds loosened…
And they were separated until it only the tip of their fingers that touched…
"Axe…" Roxas shook his head, still unable to stand up, reaching out as best as he could.
Axel took in a shaky breath. He was not going to let go. Never. No.
But…
But…
And they were parted.
The connections…
No more…
And Roxas could only watch as he felt the entire area shook, trying to crawl over to the other side—to Axel's side.
And Axel also… trying to run over to Roxas' side…
But there was as if a transparent wall at the tip of the cloud, preventing them from falling down--from getting to one another.
Roxas pressed his palm firm against the transparent wall.
Axel summoned his chakram, determined to take down whatever it was. He slashed and slashed… but it was as if beating a brick. He summoned his fire… but it was swallowed… it was futile…
And he gave up eventually…
The King of the Underworld knelt down, one hand pressed firm against the barrier, and another pounding endlessly against the transparent wall, hoping that he could break it. "Roxas!" he cried. "Roxas!"
Roxas' cerulean eyes merely watched… his lips parted, but no words came out.
"Don't forget…"
"I promise. I promise. We'll meet again! We will. Just like those other times…"
--
I don't know how many of you are really interested in a sequel. But this definitely leads to an ending with a sequel. And hum… no this is not the end.
The end will be on the next chapter. :D
And so… DU is 27 chapter overall. X3 hehe. So yep. Please look forward to the end. I am planning to post it maybe around my birthday… for celebration. xD but my birthday is like still a month or so away… 8th October, lol. Well, I won't let you all wait too long anyway. But yeah… if I got the ending written out, I'll submit. :3 making people wait for a month is…just really not something that I'd do unless I'm in a really deep block.
So, thank you All!!
Love.