Kingdom Hearts III: Eternal Light
Chapter 97: One Winged Finale
As Sora and the others were on the next platform preparing for Sephiroth, Aqua was still on the previous one. She held Ven close to her, seeping a few tears from her eyes. As lightning flashed overhead, Aqua kept Ven's head close to her heart.
"Ven...no. Why did this have to happen?" Aqua muttered. She sniffled and looked down at Ven. She then looked over at Xehanort's Keyblade, still on the ground where Ven absorbed him. As Aqua held Ven close, inside his heart, Ven was in a discussion with Xehanort.
"Ven! You foolish little brat! Let me out of here right now!"
"No. You aren't the boss of me anymore. Sure. You were my former mentor, but now, you're going to be the part of my heart that is the darkness. This way, Vanitas won't EVER be able to make the x-Blade with me again."
"Hmph. Do what you want boy. Eventually, my darkness will overwhelm you and turn you into me. This act you've pulled is only good at delaying me."
"Oh really? Well, too bad for you then. My light? It's STRONGER than your darkness. And that's why I'm still dominant even though you're inside me. And while you're here, you're powerless."
"To think...I'd be outsmarted and beaten...by the very little pipsqueak I mentored. I don't know whether to be proud...or humiliated."
"Whatever the case, your power is now mine. So get used to this prison Xehanort. You're not getting out anytime soon."
Outside Ven's heart, Aqua sniffled a bit before looking down at Ven. She brought him close, as close as she could.
"Ven...what you did...that was the bravest thing anyone's ever done for me. Please. Please come back..." Aqua said. Suddenly, she heard Ven starting to mutter. Aqua looked down and saw his eyes open. They weren't Xehanort's gold eyes, but remained his blue.
"V..Ven?" Aqua asked. Ven slowly sat up and rubbed his head.
"Aqua? Where...Where's everyone else?" Ven asked. Before she answered, Aqua suddenly hugged Ven tightly. Ven gasped and gagged, being partially crushed by her.
"Whoa! Aqua! What happened?" Ven exclaimed. He looked at her, hearing her quietly laughing. When they faced each other, Ven could see a smile on Aqua's face and tears in her eyes.
"Oh. Heh. Sorry to worry you Aqua. But...Xehanort's not coming back anytime soon. He's...He's apart of me now." Ven said. Aqua shook her head.
"No. That's not why I'm crying." she said "I'm crying because...I'm so glad you're back." Ven chuckled.
"Well, still sorry to worry you." Ven said. He then felt Aqua's hand on his shoulder.
"That was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me Ven. Thank you...so much." Aqua said. Suddenly, Ven was pulled in close and their lips met. Ven fussed at first, but slowly calmed down as he and Aqua kissed. After it, they just looked at each other and both slightly blushed. Ven was the first to say something after keeping silent.
"Uhh...we...probably should go and see how everyone else is." Ven said. Aqua nodded. They stood up and called their Keyblades. But when Ven called his, he got two. One was his and the other was Xehanort's blade. But the style was different and now was based the same way as his original.
"Come on. Let's go catch up." Aqua said. They hurried on up the path. Back at the other platform, Sora and Terra shielded themselves from Sephiroth's violent onslaught.
"Get out of my way!" Terra yelled. He broke Sephiroth's chain and counterstriked, knocking him off balance. Riku and Kairi swooped in and attacked as well.
"Don't think you can beat me that easily boy." Sephiroth said. Suddenly, they heard a strange sound coming from the sides of the volcanic mountain. They looked and saw something dashing violently up their way. It was a teenage boy carrying a giant sword.
"Wak! It's Cloud!" Donald squawked. When Cloud was high enough, he backflipped and landed inside the barrier. He eyed Sephiroth.
"Sephiroth! I thought that was you!" Cloud yelled. Sephiroth huffed.
"And how would you realize I was here Cloud? Do you have some radar that "pings" whenever I show?" Sephiroth asked. Cloud showed a black feather in his hand.
"This happened to fall down on the battlefield when you showed up. Plus, I put this together with seeing where Sora was currently...and it led me to you as simple as that." Cloud said. Sephiroth said nothing and eyed him and Sora.
"Cloud, any ideas of how to beat this guy?" Sora asked. He suddenly saw Cloud flash his sword.
"Let ME handle this fight Sora. Sephiroth is mine." Cloud said. Donald and Goofy were stunned by the size of Cloud's blade.
"Cloud...don't let your anger blind you. You're obviously angry with Sephiroth right now." Mickey said. Cloud huffed.
"This isn't anger inside me Mickey. It's revenge. I want to know...Sephiroth...where is ZACK?" Cloud shouted. Sephiroth raised his blade.
"He is apart of the darkness...the same place I'm about to send you and your friends to." Sephiroth said. Cloud yelled and came charging. In a blitz of a second, Sephiroth and Cloud were lunging around and clashing blades. Neither let up and seemed bent on killing the other.
"Come on Cloud! Get 'em!" Sora cheered. Everyone started to cheer as Terra heard Aqua call to him.
"Terra! Terra!" Aqua called. Terra looked back and gasped, seeing Ven by her side as they rushed up the stairway.
"Aqua! Ven!" Terra cried. He then saw Xehanort's Keyblade in Ven's other hand. Ven stopped when he saw the barrier.
"Aqua...what are we gonna do?" Ven asked. Aqua looked at the barrier.
"If our Keyblades can open anything, we can surely open this." Aqua said. Ven nodded and they aimed their Keyblades at the barrier. Each released a stream of light and, combining them together, created a large enough force to break into the barrier. As they reunited, they quickly saw Cloud and Sephiroth's battle.
"Whoa! Is that Cloud? Who's the other guy?" Ven gasped.
"That is Sephiroth. They're not too "friendly" with one another." Riku said. Suddenly, Cloud and Sephiroth landed on the ground.
"Not bad Cloud. You're putting up more effort than last time." Sephiroth said. Cloud sneered.
"This is it Sephiroth. This'll be the LAST time I ever see your ugly face." Cloud said. Sephiroth huffed and raised his blade. He suddenly started to gently rise overhead.
"Sora! Look!" Mickey cried. Sephiroth started to glow and eyed everyone.
"Descend...Heartless Angel." Sephiroth muttered. Cloud and Sora gasped, but without hesitation, Sora charged to Cloud's side and used Strike Raid. His Keyblade went flying straight towards Sephiroth and successfully cut him off before his attack finished.
"Yes!" Sora called. Sephiroth suddenly eyed Sora and flashed down. Without a sound, he appeared and attacked, knocking Sora into the air.
"What? Sora!" Cloud called. As Sora was in midair, he looked around for Sephiroth returning. Acting quickly, the second he did, Sora regained composure and slashed him. Sephiroth groaned and descended to the ground. Cloud yelled and attacked the second Sephiroth landed. But it wasn't long until Sephiroth was shielding himself again.
"Come on guys! The sooner we can beat him, the sooner we can get to the knight!" Terra shouted. Everyone joined Sora and Cloud, charging for Sephiroth. But Sephiroth caught them from the corner of his eye. When they all attacked, he leaped away and into the sky.
"Abandon all hope now! This is the end!" Sephiroth called. Suddenly, meteors started to form around Sephiroth and came hailing down on the platform.
"Look out!" Cloud shouted. The meteors crashed down from all directions as Sephiroth seemed to be aiming for them.
"Wak! Goofy!" Donald squawked. Donald ducked under Goofy as he used his shield to shield them.
"Sora! What do we do?" Goofy cried. Sora was dodging the meteors, trying to find a clear path to Sephiroth. But that's when he saw Cloud leaping off of them and coming at Sephiroth.
"You're MINE!" Cloud cried. With a powerful swing, Sephiroth was struck down and the meteors stopped. Sephiroth landed back on the platform and eyed everyone.
"This has gone on long enough. I'm about to end this...here and now." Sephiroth said. He started to focus his powers and a black aura glowed around him.
"All will be lost to you. Give into the dark!" Sephiroth called. With a sharp blast, Sephiroth's aura spiked and his wings expanded. He started to zip across the field, slashing everyone with his sword. Kairi tried to shield with her Keyblade, but giving Sephiroth's speed, she couldn't find him and was hit every time.
"Kairi! Hang in there!" Riku exclaimed. Sephiroth continued his violent raid, striking at everyone. Suddenly, he was intercepted by Cloud.
"Sephiroth! This is the END!" Cloud yelled. Sephiroth huffed.
"Sure. Say that all you want Cloud. But in the end, you'll realize that I'll ALWAYS come back. You can't face the future Cloud. You're stuck...trapped in the past." Sephiroth said. Cloud growled.
"Just shut up! Just stop right now!" Cloud shouted. As Cloud and Sephiroth's blades clashed again, Sora thought about what Sephiroth had just said.
"Wait. That's it! Cloud!" Sora called. After blowing Sephiroth back, Cloud turned to Sora.
"Cloud! I think I know how you can beat him! Your heart! Open your heart Cloud! Let the light in!" Sora exclaimed. Cloud was a bit surprised.
"Open...my heart?" Cloud asked. Sora nodded.
"It seems like something has been haunting you. You have to let that go and face Sephiroth with what you have NOW!" Sora called. Cloud groaned.
"B...But Sora! You don't understand what he's done! I won't forget that! NEVER!" Cloud growled. But Kairi could understand what Sora was talking about.
"Please Cloud! Would you want your friends to feel like you'll never grow? If you want to avenge for whatever Sephiroth did, you have to look to the future! You have friends now! Everyone wants to help you!" Kairi called. Cloud groaned.
"C'mon Cloud. You can do it." Aqua muttered. Terra looked at Cloud.
"Listen Cloud. I know sometimes the past is hard to let go, but when we find ourselves thinking only of the past, we can't truly grow. But if you're willing to let go of that past and face your future head on, you can know for sure...your friends are there to face it with you! You're not alone anymore Cloud!" Terra shouted. Cloud gasped.
"F...Friends?" Cloud thought. He suddenly started to think about everyone he's been with since he came to Hollow Bastion, how he grew close with the likes of Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, Sora and all the rest. He then thought of his fallen friends, mostly Zack.
"Everyone..." Cloud muttered. He closed his eyes and gripped his blade. Suddenly, his sword started to give off a radiating glow. Sephiroth gasped.
"Wh...What?" he thought. Without a sound, Cloud's eyes flashed open and they showed a bright blue glow. He lunged for Sephiroth.
"This is it! This power!" Cloud thought. He was suddenly at eye level with Sephiroth, surprising him.
"Begone Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled. Sephiroth groaned and rose his blade. But with just one swing, Cloud not only smashed Sephiroth's blade in two, but his attack also did heavy damage to Sephiroth himself. He yelled as his feathered wings began to fall apart. He groaned as he descended towards the ground, still shedding feathers.
"H...How? This...shouldn't have been...possible..." Sephiroth muttered. Everyone looked on as Sephiroth faded away into dark ashes and his feathers scattered in the wind. The barrier around the platform faded.
"Cloud! Ya did it!" Mickey cried. Cloud nodded and looked back to the others.
"Sora...go. Get to the knight. I have to go back and help everyone else down below." Cloud said. Sora nodded.
"Thanks Cloud. I owe you." Sora said. He and Cloud turned to each other and shook hands.
"Don't worry. All the times you helped me, I'll consider us even." Cloud said. He then leaped back down, leaving Sora and the others behind.
"All right guys. The Dark Knight is just ahead. If we're gonna finish this now, for Kairi's mother, we're gonna have to face him with everything we've got. You all ready?" Sora asked. Everyone nodded.
"Of course we're ready! Lead on Sora!" Donald squawked. Sora nodded and led everyone up the next stairway. Meanwhile, back at the castle, the queen was looking out a window with her vizer nearby.
"But your Majesty...I still don't know why you are trusting our world's safety to this...this outsider. Haven't they already caused ENOUGH trouble? They've broken the boundaries of the worlds..." the vizer said. The queen looked at him.
"They are our saviors. Look at yourself. Do you really think you could do anything? Besides, when I saw Kairi leave earlier, I could see that look in her eye. She believes in her friends...and that's all I needed to see in order to believe in these outsiders." she said. The vizer groaned.
"Besides, when this is all over, I think Kairi will make an excellent heir to my throne. But, as her mother, I will let her choose her own destiny." she said. She looked on at the large volcano in the distance.
"Kairi...be safe my child." she thought. Back at the volcano, Sora and the others have now reached the top platform, overseeing the large crater inside the volcano. Black lava bubbled down below and pure darkness was radiating from it.
"All right. Where is he? Where's the knight?" Riku asked. Terra, Aqua and Ven looked around, unable to sense his presence. But suddenly, a giant gust of wind struck the field and blew almost everyone back. Sora maintained his ground as his friends were pushed back to the stairs.
"Sora!" Kairi gasped. Sora gasped and looked back. But before he could reach them, a barrier shot up around the platform he was on. And then, Sora could feel it. A heavy dark presence suddenly appeared right behind him.
"So...there you are." Sora muttered. He turned around and called his Keyblade, seeing the Dark Knight before him. He summoned his sword, facing Sora as lightning flashed above.
"It's about time you made it Sora. Now...come. Let us battle...this time, no interruptions." he said. Sora clutched his Keyblade tightly, saying that's the whole reason he came up here.
"Hmph. In this battle, only one of us shall win. So make sure you don't hold anything back boy!" the knight shouted.
TO BE CONTINUED...