Big Hero 6 is out! I wouldn't list it in my favorite Disney movies but it's still good. I'd watch a TV show. We won't be visiting the world this story (that's in the next one!), but expect a couple characters from it to show up very soon.
Chapter 37: Rebirth
"…on!"
"…ion!"
"Xion!"
Xion awoke with a gasp, bolting up from her prone position and looking around with wide eyes. Where was Vanitas?! He was just here—he had just… He had left. He had left them after…after they saw his face. And he looked just like…
Though her head was light, her ears were ringing, and her whole body felt heavy, Xion's first concern was Sora. She looked to her left, where he sat propped up against the fountain with Kairi standing over him and the green light of a Curaga spell flowing from her hands. Beside Xion, Donald was doing the same. Movement in her lap brought her focus down, and she saw Stitch sitting there staring up at her.
"Hey," she said in a weak voice, rubbing him on the head. "I'm alright, Stitch. Really."
"Stitch not sure…" The little alien mumbled.
"You will be, but you aren't yet," Donald said as he refreshed himself with an ether. "Vanitas cut off your air for a long time. I…we weren't sure if you would ever wake up, Xion. That was too close. If he had gone on any longer we couldn't have…" He trailed off, looking aside.
Without reply, Xion tenderly brushed her fingers against her neck. It ached, though she couldn't feel the marks Vanitas had left on her skin; if they were even there anymore, as that would likely be the first thing to go. "Is—" A cough interrupted her, and she rubbed her neck again. "Is Sora okay?"
Donald turned to look at Kairi. Her arms were shaking as she cast Curaga, and beside her Riku held a potion to Sora's mouth. "He'll be fine. Worry about yourself. You two almost died more than once back there."
Right. Like with the fire… Oh!
"The Samurai!" Xion gasped and looked around the room, but her frantic back and forth with her head made her neck ache again and she put a hand on it, hissing in pain. "Where is he?" She didn't seem him anywhere. "Is… Is he…?"
"The Samurai's fine, don't you worry Xion." Goofy walked over to them and sat down beside her. "He woke up a few minutes after Vanitas left and went off somewhere. But I'm sure that if you ask he'll show up again."
"That's a relief…" Xion wasn't sure if she would call on it again, though. That had been to close. She couldn't bear to lose a link to Roxas. "Where's the King?"
"I'm here," was the high-pitched reply. King Mickey sat on the bottom stair of the left staircase, his face creased with concern and his Keyblade sitting across his lap. "Sorry. I've been thinkin' about Vanitas and his fight with Ven all those years ago. About the χ-blade."
"Oh…" Xion looked down again as the green glow faded from the room. She glanced up at Donald, who held a hand out and helped her up.
"You should be okay, but take it easy," he said.
Over by the fountain, Kairi did the same to Sora while Riku pocketed a half-empty potion. "You too," she warned him while poking a finger against his chest.
"I will," Sora said with a smile. Xion watched their interaction silently as she held Stitch in her arms. She watched how the smile and blush crept up on his face, how his blue eyes regained their shine, how his brown hair bounced slightly with every nod of his head.
And yet the image of that same face wearing an alien expression of utter hatred was scarred into her heart.
"Sora," she called out to her friend and then looked away, unsure how to continue. "About Vanitas…"
Although there had been no sound before, Xion felt as though a heavy silence washed over the room then. Everyone looked to Sora, whose eyes grew downcast as he stared at the floor. He looked back up at Xion for a moment and opened his mouth, as if about to say something, then looked back down at his feet.
When someone finally spoke, it wasn't Sora but Riku. "…We'll have to worry about that later," he said. "Right now we need to find and stop Braig." He looked to Sora. "Right?"
"…Right," the boy said softly. He started walking up the stairs, toward the door to the Lift Stop, and others joined him.
"Xion?" Stitch asked in Xion's arms as she began to follow the group.
"Hm?" She wasn't really paying attention as she responded, her thoughts on the fight.
"Will you be okay?"
Xion stopped mid-step and stared down at the little alien in her arms, his wide eyes looking up at her.
She didn't say anything before she continued up the stairs.
x-x-x
The doors to the Grand Hall swung open, the loud banging of the heavy wood against the stone walls echoing through the vast chamber. Slowly, wary but determined, the group entered the room with Sora at the head. Time had not been kind to Hollow Bastion's highest chamber, with the torches that once lined the walkway reduced to ash and the six pods that had once held the Princesses of Heart cracked and crumbling. The carpet beneath their feet was torn to shreds, and the left of the two staircases had collapsed, leaving only one path to the second floor.
Perhaps the most noticeable change, however, was the lack of the Final Keyhole. The giant heart-shaped creation, the door that would have led to Kingdom Hearts had Maleficent and Ansem had their way, was no longer present. Once it had been visible all; the way from the entrance to the Grand Hall, but now there was nothing but the wall and a mess of collapsed pipes. Still, despite the Final Keyhole no longer being present to send out darkness, there was a definite chill in the air. An oppressive atmosphere permeated everything, like a crushing weight on their shoulders.
Near the back of the group, Kairi rubbed her arms nervously while Riku lingered even further back with his head low and shoulders drooping. Nobody had good memories of this place, but theirs were the worst. Riku had watched, unable to do anything, as Ansem had used him like a puppet on strings and fought Sora. Kairi had woken up only to find her best friend fading away into darkness, and he vanished in her arms. Neither of them wanted to be here, even if they knew that they had to.
Further ahead, Donald and Goofy looked around nervously with King Mickey by their side. Like Kairi, they had seen one of their best friends die in this place, as well as had their first run-in with Ansem who to be honest still haunted their nightmares from time to time. It had been a dark day for everybody, especially when they had to flee and leave so many behind. Luckily it had all turned out okay, but at the time…
"Gosh, was it always like this?" King Mickey asked. He was one of the few among them who had not been to the Grand Hall, and now looked around at their surroundings with nervousness evident on his face.
"Not even close." Donald shook his head and looked around. "It was always dark and creepy, but nothing like this. This feels…heavy. Like I'm walking through molasses or something."
Goofy nodded. "The air just don't feel right. It's more like End of the World than Hollow Bastion…"
Mickey rubbed his chin as they continued. "Now that ya mention it, it's an awful lot like the Realm of Darkness. Everyone keep an eye out. I don't want to think it, but consider that we might already be too late."
On Xion's shoulder, Stitch responded to the King's disturbing statement with a sniff of disgust followed by several alien mutterings. Xion was sure what he said wasn't exactly polite, though it wasn't directed at Mickey. Xion ran a hand along his head to clam his nerves, but the truth was she wasn't doing much better.
Like Stitch and Mickey, Xion had never actually been here herself. But with Sora's memories, she recalled with absolute clarity what he had witnessed and felt. Every ounce of fear, every spike of betrayal, the sensation of Ansem's Keyblade cutting at her—his—skin...it was all as if she had experienced it. She remembered, too, with startling clarity the moment that Sora had stabbed himself and set Kairi's heart free, remembered the fall into darkness as his body and heart were torn apart and split into his Heartless and Roxas. It was overwhelming, and Xion almost had to sit down as the memories rushed at her.
And through it all, Sora kept going forward. There was no doubt, not one single piece of doubt, that Sora was reliving every memory and emotion that was going through Xion's heart at this moment. It would be impossible for him, the one who had actually done it, to come here and not relive those memories. And yet the only sign of it was his frown and furrowed brow.
"…Sora, do you want to stop and rest?" she asked.
"I do," Sora admitted softly. "But we can't. Come on, we're almost there. We need to stop Braig before Xehanort is back."
Sora continued on, and Xion lingered behind for a moment while watching him. The others moved past her as her gaze drifted from him up to the second floor. The oppressive dark power was coming from up there. And there was…some kind of purple glow…? Xion didn't think Xehanort was back, or else he'd be facing them for sure, but were they too late to stop it?
"Xion." Stitch brushed a hand against her cheek and she turned her head to the little blue alien. He grunted and nodded his head aside, motioning for her to catch up.
"Right. Thanks, Stitch," Xion ran a hand over his head again and then continued forward. She had to stay completely aware of her surroundings at all times here in the Grand Hall. Even if Xehanort wasn't around yet, Braig was sure to be and he was still a dangerous foe.
As the left staircase had caved in, the group traveled up the one on the right side. During the short climb, the crushing darkness grew stronger. A dark grey haze, like a thick, murky fog, was gathering on the floor and steps, reaching to Xion's ankles. The same fog completely blocked the ceiling from view, giving the illusion of a black void hanging up above them. And there, in the middle of the floor, stood a figure standing before a swirling storm of black, purple, and red energies. The colors clashed and merged, becoming a beautiful and dangerous mass. The smoke was billowing out of it. That was the source of the despair, the oppressive energy that flooded the room.
"Is that…Xehanort…?" Kairi asked, taking a step towards Sora. Xion narrowed her eyes. The figure standing between them and the darkness was clearly Braig, but she had a feeling that wasn't what Kairi had been talking about. Her gaze moved from Braig to the mass of darkness. That couldn't be…
"How long ago was it?" All other sounds seemed to vanish as Braig spoke, his voice echoing around the Grand Hall. He didn't turn to face them, but from his tone Xion knew he didn't have his usual smirk. He was calm, serious, and a tad smug but not nearly as much as was normal for him. It was the voice of a man who had won and knew it.
"When a bunch of warriors wielding key-shaped swords appeared and unleashed a spectacular battle." Nobody said a word as he continued speaking. He gestured to them without turning around, raising his hands above his head to emphasize his points. Stretching an arm out, he gestured toward the door downstairs. "And when it was all over…all that was left was a man lying unconscious without his memories."
Xion looked around at her friends, who all looked extremely confused. What on earth was Braig talking about, and what did it have to do with Xehanort? Key-shaped swords obviously meant Keyblades, so had their been some kind of conflict between Keybearers at Hollow Bastion? Oh! Xion turned to King Mickey, who had an out-of-place frown on his face and was looking at the ground with downcast eyes. But even he, seemingly having some idea of where Braig was going with this, still seemed to be mostly confused. This wasn't making any sense.
Braig shook his head and looked at his hand. "Xehanort was found by Ansem right about then, wasn't he?"
Braig lowered his arms and turned slightly, but not enough so he was facing them. With the storm of darkness still giving off its oppressive aura and still creating the black fog, Braig was barely visible as he stared at the pile of rubble that had once been the Final Keyhole. It was nothing but rusted pipes now.
"Your point?" Riku asked when he realized that Braig's question hadn't been rhetorical.
Braig tilted his head back, shut his good eye, and grinned ever so slightly. "The Chamber of Repose," he said as if expecting them to know what that was. "That's where we spent our time researching the darkness that resides within people's hearts. It's a graveyard that was sealed by order of Ansem the Wise. The first thing Xemnas did once he got rid of him was to undo the seal and build a room in the back."
Braig's arms dropped to his side once again and he lowered his head. "Ever since then, he'd hole himself up in that room when he could and he'd talk to someone..."
Recognition flickered in Xion's memory. Of course…the room beneath the lab at the base of the castle! The cells where the subjects of the apprentices' horrible experiments had been kept, and the single room at the end with a large throne and chains engraved along the walls. The Keyhole had been there, as well as the armor and Keyblade of King Mickey's friend Aqua. But…Braig had heard Xemnas speaking? To who? The only thing they had found was the armor.
"But who?" Braig asked, voicing Xion's own concerns. He held his arms out imploringly and finally turned to face them, his single golden eye shining through the encroaching blackness. "For all I know, he was the only one in that room."
"You liked to eavesdrop on your boss? Talk about a disorganized organization," Sora replied.
Braig shook his head and wagged a finger. "Not eavesdropping, couldn't hear what they were saying. Dying to find out what it was, though. You wouldn't know anything about it, would ya?"
That last question was directed to King Mickey, who said nothing and averted his eyes, opting to look at the floor instead. Braig chuckled darkly and shook his head.
Sora stepped forward. "We still have a score to settle, Braig! For kidnapping Xion, for attacking us so much, and even going back to hurting Naminé!"
"Hurting Naminé…?" Braig brought a finger to his chin and feigned confusion before snapping his fingers. "Oh, you mean Castle Oblivion! What did we plan to do with that place, anyway?" He waved a dismissive hand.
"You used it to alter mine and Sora's memories!" Xion snapped. "And it was a lab where you created me to kill Roxas and replace Sora!"
"But did you know there's something we didn't share?" Once again, Braig's voice brought utter silence to the Grand Hall and focused all attention on him. He grinned, the grin of somebody who knows something you don't. This was a man who loved being in a place of power.
"The Chamber of Repose is part of a pair," Braig explained slowly, holding up a hand to represent it. He held up his second one as he continued. "The Chamber of Waking is the other. Another graveyard, if you want to call it that. It was constructed by someone other than Xehanort himself…and that's where we'll find it." He clenched his fist in front of him.
Braig stared perfectly ahead, his good eye locking gazes with Xion. A chill ran up her spine. It felt like he wasn't looking at her, but within her. Despite the golden glow his eye gave off, his stare was freezing cold.
"That's where we'll find his other 'friend.'"
A gasp rang out from their group, turning everybody's attention to King Mickey. He had finally looked away from the ground and his frown was gone, and he now stared at Braig with wide, shaking eyes. Tears were beginning to form in the corners.
"You don't mean that's where—!"
"But I've said enough." Braig cut Mickey off and shook his head. "I need Xion alive for Ven's heart, so we can forge the χ-blade, but how about the rest of you all do me a favor and skedaddle?" Xion shot a glare at Braig and called on her Keyblade, and Sora, Mickey, and Riku followed in turn. Kairi and Donald called spells into their hands, Goofy raised his shield, and Stitch extended his extra pair of arms while growling.
Braig chuckled. "Oh… Are we gonna have to do this the hard way? Alright then, I do love a challenge." He crossed his arms in front of him and bright light flashed from his hands, forming his Arrowguns. The scenery began to blur and distort at the same time, with Braig's powers of space altering the very world around them. When everything became focused again, it was wildly different. Braig had transported them somewhere else entirely, to a circular white platform in the middle of a dark void with pillars spaced around at the edges.
"Kiss your butts goodbye!" Braig called out with a laugh before he suddenly vanished.
"Everybody together!" Riku ordered as he faced toward the edge of the platform. The others complied, moving into a tighter circle and moving outward so that they looked out into the void in every direction. Xion adjusted her grip on her Keyblade and glanced to her side, where Kairi was looking around nervously.
"It's okay," Xion said, assuring the other girl. "We've got numbers on our side, it's eight of us and one of him."
Kairi nodded slightly. "I guess so. But I still feel like… I don't know."
Xion smiled softly. "Don't worry; I think I know what you mean."
"Incomin'!" Goofy suddenly shouted, pointing upward. Bright pinpoints of pink light flashed in the sky, dozens of them, appearing as if stars…until they started coming closer. Laser blasts rained down on the group, causing chaos and breaking up their tight formation as everybody moved to dodge the sudden onslaught. They were identical to the ones from Braig's Arrowguns, but there were far too many for just one man.
"Look out!" Goofy hollered as he tossed his shield, which knocked aside one of the blasts before it hit Xion. Looking up into the darkness, Xion frantically searched for Braig, or whatever the source was. He couldn't be working alone, he couldn't possibly shoot that many blasts at once without reloading.
And then the enemy made itself known. From the blackness descended silver and purple humanoid figures, each with a crossbow in their hands and a hood over their faces. They weaved through the air without concern for gravity before settling atop the pillars ringing the arena, one for each pillar. Xion narrowed her eyes.
"Snipers!"
At her declaration, the Nobodies fired from their perches once more and rained death on the battlefield. Xion rolled out of the way and deflected blasts, while some distance away she saw Kairi and Donald throw up individual Reflect spells. Across the field, Stitch backflipped out of the way of an explosion at his feet, only to get shot in the back and sent flying. Quickly, Xion grabbed his hand in hers and spun around, tossing him up at one of the Snipers.
Stitch cackled loudly and pounced on the Sniper's face, clawing at it with all four hands as his feet tried to knock the crossbow out of its hands. With him busy, Xion turned back to look at Sora and Riku who were deflecting a veritable dome of lasers coming down on them. Xion jumped out of the way of a blast at her feet and ran over to the two boys, joining in their defense.
"There's way too many to fight back!" Sora said once she was up next to them.
"Stitch managed," Xion replied while ducking under two blasts and then knocking away another one.
Riku glanced up at the little alien, who was still fighting with the Sniper. "He's also a lot more agile than us." Gritting his teeth, Riku lowered his Keyblade and held up his hand, creating a barrier around the trio. "This will only last about a minute. Any suggestions? We can't weave through the gaps in the blasts like Stitch can."
Xion bit her lip as she watched the lasers bang against Riku's shield. Outside, King Mickey was jumping here and there and everywhere to avoid the raining projectiles. He may as well have had Flowmotion, he was moving so acrobatically. Watching him jump off one of the pillars, something finally clicked.
"I think I may have a plan."
"Well hurry up and share, because this shield won't last much longer," Riku said.
"Okay. See what the King's doing?" Xion pointed toward his little form. He bounded between two different pillars, using it to climb up before he knocked a Sniper down with the swing of his Keyblade. "It's like at the Symphony of Sorcery…only we don't have Flowmotion to help us."
Sora frowned. "We're not as small as the King, though. We won't be able to dodge as easily."
Riku grimaced. "You two go for it, I'll provide cover."
"Riku—"
"Don't argue, we don't have time! As soon as this shield breaks, then get moving!"
"Sora, he's right," Xion said.
Sora sighed. "Alright. Say the word, Riku."
Riku nodded and watched his barrier carefully as the attacks continued. His eyes narrowed as a crack began to form in the hexagon pattern. Xion heard a loud crack, and then Riku thrust his hand forward. "Now!"
Sora and Xion took off at the same time, heading toward the nearest occupied pillar. More laser shots came down on them, but twin streams of Dark Firaga from Riku intercepted the attacks and created walls for a few moments to keep any others from arriving at an angle.
It didn't prevent shots from above, however. Laughter caught Xion's attention as Braig materialized in the air above them, standing horizontally with his two Arrowguns fixed on her. As he fired a barrage, Riku appeared in a blur above them and thrust his palm out, forming a barrier that deflect Braig's attack and sent the blasts flying in every direction—including one at him.
"Clever little sneak!" Braig said as he grasped his arm, a hole burned through part of his grey sleeve. He took aim at Riku, but before he could fire Goofy tossed his shield and sent it flying toward the man, knocking him in the back of the head.
Sora and Xion, meanwhile, had reached the pillar. The two of them jumped at it and pushed off in opposite directions, using Mickey's technique from before to reach the tops of two separate pillars. Behind Xion Sora kicked his Sniper off, while she preferred to cast Aero and send it flying into one on another pillar.
With most of their enemies now on the ground, Donald and Kairi stood on opposite ends of the platform and combined their magic to cast a powerful Thundaga on the floor. Electricity surged throughout the arena, shocking the Nobodies into submission and continuing to flow through their bodies until they began to fade away.
Braig grit his teeth and aimed upward, firing a large blast that split off in the air like a firework and rained down upon them. King Mickey raised his Keyblade into the sky and a blue beam of light shot up from the tip.
"Stopga!"
A dome expanded out from the King's figure and enveloped the platform, freezing the shots before they hit the ground. Braig, manipulating the space around him to avoid being affected by the spell, let out an impressed whistle.
"You should do that more often," he said to the King.
"I would if I could," Mickey replied. Then he looked back over his shoulder "Everyone, now!"
Following Mickey's order, everybody leaped up toward Braig to finish him off at once—only for a wave of purple magic to fly out from him and catch them all in the air. Xion gasped as she suddenly felt lighter than a feather, as if someone had cast a Gravity spell in reverse.
"Oh, too bad! Looks like your time is up."
Braig vanished and his spell went with him, dropping everyone painfully onto the white floor. Before anybody could recover from the fall, the world began to blur and distort once again. Where was Braig taking them now?
Xion shook her head and rubbed her eyes as the dizzying sensation caused by Braig's powers faded away. They were all back in the Grand Hall, and it looked just as they had left it: foggy, in disrepair, and with a destroyed Final Keyhole. The only exception was the large storm of darkness that had once been in the center of the floor, which was now gone. Despite its departure, however, the oppressive aura it had generated still stuck around.
"Is everyone okay?" the King asked as he rubbed his own eyes. He glanced around at everybody, looking at each of them in turn. Xion did the same, and indeed all eight of them had returned from the battle safely.
"Did we win?" Kairi asked softly.
Sora shook his head. "No. Braig brought us back here for some reason. But…" he looked around the room. "…I don't seem him anymore?"
With frowns all around, everyone else scanned the room as well. Sure enough, their one-eyed opponent was nowhere to be found. Xion bit her lip. Had he vanished with the storm? Taken it somewhere? Or was he simply hiding now and waiting for an ambush? It was impossible to say, but Xion kept her guard up.
Goofy's face brightened somewhat. "Gawrsh, maybe we did win after all."
"I don't know…" Donald said.
"Don't ease up just yet," Riku said, mirroring Xion's own thoughts. "He said that our time was up, so I think that fight was all a distraction."
Mickey gasped. "Oh no! You don't think—"
"Take a look at this tiny place…"
Like before with Braig, silence came crushing down on the Grand Hall with one simple sentence, but this time an overwhelming sense of dread came with it. The oppressive atmosphere in the room grew even more so, and Xion could swear the black fog darkened even further. And that wasn't Braig speaking, but someone else entirely.
The voice was both familiar and unfamiliar. While she had never heard it before, hints of Xemnas's monotone anger could be heard when the words echoed off the walls. As well, it brought up Sora's memories within her of Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, as well as Riku's deep voice when he had been in Ansem's voice.
But while the new voice was similar to both of them, it wasn't identical. Those seven simple words had more emotion in them than Xemnas had ever expressed in the entire time Xion had known him. And while it wasn't a friendly tone by any stretch of the imagination, comparing it to Ansem's was different as well. Where he was bombastic and obviously threatening, this voice was more subtle. There was a razor edge hidden just beneath the surface, but not painted on the cover.
And there was more to it than just the voice itself. Those words…the majority of the eight in their group had heard those very words before, and the memories were still scarred into their hearts. Memories of a world almost destroyed, of golden sand and a blue ocean that gave way to purple decay. Xion shivered; she had not been there in person, but she did not need to be to know how terrifying for Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy it must have been.
Silently, as one, the group turned to face the voice—coming from the pile of rubble that had once been the Final Keyhole. The speaker stood atop a rusted pipe, facing the wall with his hands limp at his sides and his head tilted back so he was looking up ever so slightly. He wore a black coat; not a coat like Organization XIII's, but closer to the one Ansem had worn save its color; black, and length; to his thighs. His shoulders were broad and his coat had no sleeves, exposing tanned, muscular arms. Spiky, silver hair flowed down to just about shoulder height.
Nobody said anything, but nobody needed to. Everybody knew who this man was.
At last, someone spoke. "Xehanort!" King Mickey shouted at the man, anger causing his voice to crack. "We were right about you!"
But Xehanort didn't seem to hear the King at all; in fact, he didn't even seem to be aware of the presence of any of them. He continued standing there, absolutely still, as he faced the wall. Finally, after several long, silent seconds that felt like hours, he continued to speak.
"To the heart seeking freedom, this castle is a prison. And so this man sought out to escape from his prison…" Xehanort leaned back and stretched his arms out to his sides, as if embracing a strong wind. Indeed, a moment later a chill breeze that made Xion's skin crawl flowed through the Grand Hall from out of nowhere. "I sought a way to cross over into other worlds. And I opened my heart to darkness."
Xehanort lowered his arms and raised his head, standing perfectly straight as the wind ruffled the spikes of his hair…and then, slowly, he began to turn. Xion noticed his face first, that of a young man—early twenties, maybe slightly younger. The resemblance to Xemnas was certainly there, but he was far more similar to Ansem. Two locks of silver hair fell down and framed the sides of his face, focusing attention on his piercing golden eyes.
And his clothing—his black coat was opened up in the front, revealing a white waistcoat held together like black belts, again like the clothing Ansem had worn. However, like with the black coat, this one did not go as far down and stopped at about his hips rather than his knees. As well, the upper parts were buttoned up and did not expose his chest. Black armbands around his wrists stretched up to just short of his elbows, whether for protection or fashion who could say? And his black pants were tucked into those familiar black knee-high boots with silver trimming that Ansem and the Organization members had worn.
Xehanort's eyes scanned the room, falling on each and every one of them in turn. Recognition flashes across his face at them, but no snarl or smirk came to his face as Xion had expected. Rather, he shut his eyes and breathed in deep through his nose before speaking once again.
"This world is just too small." His voice echoed around them once again, the words spoken with a finality that told them his entrance was complete.
The only sound then, as they watched Xehanort and he watched them, was the quiet shuffling of feet and adjusting of weapons. Xion gulped, watching both her friends and the man before her carefully. This was him—the ultimate source of all of their problems, of the conflicts that had threatened the worlds in the last few years. Could they handle him, even eight against one? And Braig and Vanitas were still nowhere to be found either.
Nobody on either side moved for a good long while. Then, a sound broke the silence; a gasp of shock…and of familiarity. Riku's voice rang out through the Grand Hall and his battle stance faltered, his Keyblade quite nearly slipping from his grasp. His face grew pale and his eyes shook as he stared at Xehanort's stoic figure in front of them.
"You-You're…him…" Riku stammered, earning a slight tilt of the head from Xehanort but nothing more. It was a feeling that Xion shared as she watched her friend carefully. Certainly he didn't mean Ansem, as Riku knew fully well Ansem was Xehanort's Heartless. So who else did he mean? Had he met Xehanort—the proper Xehanort—before? "But…that's impossible! Then who was it that I fought on that plateau in the badlands?!"
"What do you mean, Riku?" Sora asked, but their friend just shook his head and continued staring at Xehanort like he had seen a ghost. The expression on his face almost looked betrayed.
King Mickey, watching Riku just as closely if not more so than Xion, raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Xehanort once again. He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes, and Xion could practically see the gears turning in his mind—and then the Keyblade fell from his hand and clattered to the ground, catching everybody's attention.
"Oh… Oh no…" Mickey whispered, shaking his head and backing away from Xehanort. "That can't be! You-You can't possibly be—!"
"That's right!" A familiar voice came from everywhere and nowhere, and two corridors of darkness appeared to Xehanort's sides. Braig and Vanitas stepped out of the right and left corridors, respectively, with Vanitas still without his mask and Braig wearing a smug smirk. The smirk evolved into a laugh as Braig ran a hand down his face. "I can't believe you morons never caught on! Come on, little king! Two people named Xehanort, both after Kingdom Hearts? A first grader could put it together!"
"I was curious, but I thought he was dead, so I never really thought… We…never found out what happened to Terra…" Mickey said in a low, wavering voice, his eyes on the ground. "I never actually met him, so I never realized… But he looks just like Master Yen Sid described, so I should've…"
"Well now you have!" Braig exclaimed with a wide grin. "He transplanted his heart to Terra at the Keyblade Graveyard all those years ago. You weren't fighting two individuals, you idiots. It's been the old man Master Xehanort all along!"
Xion had to avoid dropping her Keyblade at the revelation, but suddenly it all made sense. This was him, then: the man that King Mickey had fought all those years ago along side his friends…alongside Ven. Xion's dream that night in the other Twilight Town raced through her thoughts, of an old man in a desert wasteland seeing the χ-blade. Xehanort had always been a threat, but suddenly the threat seemed to double in size. He hadn't just let loose the Heartless and Nobodies and ruined the lives of Xion and her friends. It extended much further beyond that.
Xehanort, who had been watching Braig out of the corner of his eyes with a frown on his face, finally spoke up again. "What in the world are you talking about, Xigbar?"
Braig's laughter came to a sudden halt, and for once Xion saw his haughty attitude fall apart. Confusion crossing over his scarred face, he looked to Xehanort standing beside him as if he didn't think he had heard right. And then realization struck him, his eye widening and his face falling. "Oh my god…" he whispered in a low voice.
Vanitas tilted his head and spoke up. "What do you mean, Master Xehano—"
"As my Heartless kept telling you before, my name is Ansem," Xehanort replied quickly, cutting Vanitas off. He turned his head, shifting his glare from Braig to the boy. "And who are you, Vanitas? Are you the one who had conspired with Xigbar against the Organization as I suspected?"
"W-What are you...?" Xion couldn't help but feel some satisfaction at seeing Vanitas stumble over his words, absolutely at a loss. Vanitas looked away from Xehanort, locking gazes with Braig instead. Braig nodded; his eyes flickered to Xehanort, and then flickered to their group. Vanitas followed Braig's subtle motions, looking out at the eight assembled heroes and focusing on one person in particular instead: Kairi. He turned to Braig again and nodded in some sort of understanding.
Kairi nervously held up her hands in front of her chest as Vanitas stared directly at her, and Sora moved protectively in front of her a moment later. None of them had any idea what that silent motion between Vanitas and Braig had meant, but it couldn't be good.
"He still thinks he's Ansem the Wise," Riku whispered amongst their group so Xehanort couldn't hear.
"Then he can only remember being Ansem the Heartless and Xemnas?" Goofy asked.
"Looks that way." Riku shook his head and clenched his fists. "He's insane. Insane enemies are the most dangerous."
But even if he thought he was Ansem, he was still Xehanort. And Mickey wasn't about to let that go. His little body shaking with anger, he slammed his foot down and pointed a finger at the body-snatcher. "Xehanort… What you did back then—your mistakes—changed the destinies of three of my friends!"
Braig, having regained his composure, stepped forward before Xehanort could speak up. "Destiny is never left to chance, old man! The pieces all just fell into place."
Mickey shook his head and his shoulders drooped. "I couldn't find a way to save 'em…but I wanted to believe that their sacrifice stopped you for good. Now I see the truth…" He called the Keyblade back into his hand and pointed it forward, though his body still shook. "Terra, if you can hear me in there, we WILL save you!"
Xehanort's puzzled expression came back, and Braig laughed loudly. "I'm afraid Terra is gone. Master Xeha—sorry. Master Ansem, why don't we give them a proper welcome?"
Xehanort smirked. "Indeed…" The word gave Xion shivers as images of Xemnas moved through her mind. He directed his glare at her and Sora. "I may not understand all that has occurred, but I feel as if I have waited lifetimes for this moment. And it is about time I take my revenge on those who have foiled me before." He raised his hand, and everyone reacted by adjusting their weapons, hardening their battle stance, ready for any kind of magical attack that Xehanort—the ancient, all-powerful Keyblade Master Xehanort—sent at them.
He simply snapped his fingers.
In response to the simple action, waves of darkness flew out from Xehanort's body and knocked everyone onto the floor. The fog around their ankles rose up to meet the fog blocking out the ceiling, and hey swirled together to merge into a miniature black hurricane creating chaos above their heads. Braig and Vanitas watched the events unfold with murderous grins, and even Xehanort allowed a smirk to cross his face.
From the shadows in the corners of the Grand Hall, dozens—hundreds—of golden pinpoints of light suddenly appeared. The shadows around the lights rose and bubbled, taking on all sorts of shapes and gaining depth, becoming three-dimensional. They formed into creatures with bulbous heads and antennae, and razor sharp claws that betrayed their cute appearance.
"Heartless?!" Donald gasped out as he climbed back onto his feet.
Shadows skittered across the floor, quickly flooding the area immediately around the group. A moment later taller, lankier figures rose from the darkness, Neoshadows with their antennae longer and claws deadlier. They moved with a way as if dancing, joining their smaller comrades.
"But I thought Maleficent had control of them!" Kairi gasped out, moving closer to Sora as she watched the Heartless approach.
Sora shook his head, his eyes wide. "This is impossible! How has Xehanort taken the Heartless from Maleficent?!"
Purple and black smoke fell from the indoor storm raging above their heads, condensing and forming new shapes as more Heartless materialized in the air. The powerful humanoid figures of Invisibles, with their muscular upper bodies and swishing, hooked tails, came into view before the swords appeared in a burst of blue flame. Darkballs were created out of a swirling mass of clouds and flew around the room with their mouths open wide in silent laughter.
Stitch let out a low moan and then whimpered, no doubt recalling the destruction of his home world. Xion shook her head and gave up any attempts to climb back up to her feet, resting on her knees with her eyes on the assembled Heartless. It had to be well over a hundred by now, and they just kept coming. The very walls were lined with shuffling Heartless, the golden lights of their eyes outlining the distinct figure of each and every one hiding in the shadows. And throughout it all Xehanort, Braig, and Vanitas stood utterly still on the ruins of the Final Keyhole.
"How can we fight someone with this power…?" she whispered in a shaking voice.
The first of the Heartless grew impatient. A Shadow lunged forward, followed by three others. Easily dispatched by any of them at a better time, but at the moment no one was in a position to do any fighting. Their outstretched claws became coated in purple and blue flames as Xehanort's mere presence seemed to amplify their power. Xion grabbed Stitch and held him tightly, close to her chest, as she closed her eyes and braced for the worst.
And then, out of nowhere, the Heartless died. A red and silver blue flew through all three, breaking their bodies apart and causing them to fade away back into darkness. Sounds of shock rang out through the Grand Hall, both from their group and Xehanort's group, as the weapon of their savior planted itself in the ground: a red and silver throwing weapon, with blades sticking out around the center.
"Who dares?!" Xehanort shouted, turning to face the staircase. With black smoke and crackling blue lightning, his Keyblade appeared in hand and was pointed to the newcomer. It was silver and black, with a design like a face near the hilt and a blue eye near the teeth.
But that Keyblade was not the focus of their attention. Like Xehanort, Xion and her friends turned to the staircase where the familiar, black-clad, red-haired figure stood. Xion's heart skipped a beat. Of all the people she hadn't expected…
"Cissnei!" Kairi exclaimed happily, relief washing over her face. "You saved us!"
"We're not out of the woods yet," Cissnei said as she sprinted over to the group from the staircase and retrieved her shuriken. "I'm sorry we're late, but finding our way out of the basement maze took some time."
"We?'" Sora echoed.
"Everyone in!" Braig roared at the Heartless before Cissnei could reply, anger straining his face and voice. "Kill them all except Xion and Kairi! Bring those two to me!"
The assembly of monsters obeyed, moving as one with shocking speed. The entire mass, from Shadows to Invisibles, moved as one. Their footsteps were like thunder that accompanying the roaring winds above them. Cissnei held her ground, but everyone else braced for the end. The Heartless grew closer. Thirty feet. Twenty feet. Ten…
A wall of fire erupted out of the ground and encircled the group, catching everybody by surprise. The Heartless were cut off from their prey, and the closest among them were vaporized by the intense heat—heat that those inside the ring couldn't feel. Waves of flame flew out from the rings, damaging all the Heartless in the room and forcing even Xehanort to brace himself.
Then, from the same direction where Cissnei's shuriken had arrived, two wheels of fire flew out of the thick black smoke. They encircled the room, starting in the outer walls and spiraling further and further in with each loop. The embers their flight left behind fell over the crowds of Heartless and ignited, sending fires across the shadow. The heat rising from the fire broke up the darkness storm and tore apart the clouds.
The flames on the wheels died out, revealing weapons underneath as they landed on the ground. Like Cissnei's shuriken, they were circular, red and silver, spiked objects. But unlike hers, they had far more spikes; not shuriken, then. Xion's breath caught in her throat as she looked closer. Those were—!
"This is where things heat up." Hearing the voice and not quite believing it, Xion quickly directed her attention to its source. She felt tears begin to roll down her cheeks.
Black and red sneakers tapped against the floor as the newcomer made his way into the chamber, walking slowly, deliberately from the staircase. Approaching the wheels, the figure kneeled down, picking his weapons up in one hand and slinging them over his shoulder. His other hand reached up and tapped the side of his head, just under his spiky red locks.
"Got it memorized?"