Shout outs:
Lucenthia: You're fine. I think everyone's pretty busy right now. Yeah, it was a perfect opportunity to give Namine some importance, so I didn't wanna miss out on it.
Bezerker21: Thanks! I originally planned to show their fight, but ultimately it wasn't needed, and it just dragged down the climax where Jack revealed himself to Maechil.
soraroxas123: I'm not sure if he's going to cry, but he's definitely angry. Yeah, Kain needed to show he was still alive and Zack's appearance shows that he knew about the plan, too.
T1M3: Thanks. Yeah I knew I was going to find a way to bring them back in.
Legionary Prime: Me too. Things are pretty hectic. I'm working almost every day, and I'm so tired on my days off that I don't do a whole lot.
Kristen Verne: Same here!
Alright, you know what I own. Ava, Shin, and Luriel belong to their respective owners. We have a special guest character at the end of the chapter finally making his debut. He'll be a very important character in Part 3 and he's been mentioned quite a few times, but now he finally shows himself. I hope you're excited for that, but first, the epic clash between the LE, Jack, Maechil, and Saenatar!
Chapter 49: Casualties of War
(Battle for Haven, Dragon Age Inquisition)
Jason grit his teeth and swung his Keyblade horizontally. A beam of light soared outward and flew through the air toward Saenatar, who slashed it with his axe and sprinted toward the Grandmaster. The elder Rikkison watched patiently as the Ancient brute neared him and swung his axe back. At the last moment, Jason leaped up over the swing and slashed him across the face.
Saenatar growled in pain and spun around, kicking him away. Jason fell back and rolled backwards to regain his balance. He looked up and narrowed his eyes at the Ancient. Saenatar returned his glare as he walked toward him. Before he could do anything else, Marek shoulder bashed him off of his feet and pursued him through the air. "Remember me, Stupid?!" he yelled as he reared Wanderer's Legacy back and swung hard. Saenatar angrily planted his feet and blocked with the tooth of his axe.
"Marek…" he growled as he pushed through the weapon lock and grabbed him by the throat. The white haired Rikkison unhesitatingly reached up and stabbed his dagger into the Ancient's arm, causing him to cry out and let go. As Saenatar pulled the small weapon out, he looked up just in time to see a wave of darkness connect to him and knock him off of his feet.
"I was expecting Maechil's bodyguard to put up more of a fight." Marek muttered as he calmly walked toward him. Saenatar leaped to his feet and slammed his axe into the ground with an echoing roar. The shockwave knocked the Rikkison onto his stomach, and he felt his breath get taken away in surprise. He rolled onto his back and saw the Ancient preparing a decapitating swing, but he sank into a dark portal before it connected. Saenatar stopped in surprise, until Marek's hand reached out and pulled him inside.
Rayne deflected a thunder spell back at one of Maechil's shoulders and glanced up at the elemental shield. She stopped in surprise at seeing Kain and Zack, but was even more shocked to see what looked like the Keyblade Hunter battling Maechil alongside them. Returning her thoughts to her surroundings, she ducked just as a sword came at her neck. She rolled away from her attacker and waved her arms upward, encasing him in a wave of ice. She then unhesitatingly ran forward and kicked it toward a group of soldiers, where it shattered and pushed them all off their feet.
She couldn't help but gasp as she felt a powerful presence descend from the ceiling. She put up a barrier just before it crashed to the ground. Once the smoke cleared, she saw Light stand to his feet and look at her with narrowed eyes. "You are mine, X-blade!" he declared and raised his hand, unleashing a wave of light energy toward her.
Before she could react, something pulled her backward and stepped between them. She opened her eyes to see Pierce holding back the attack bravely. He smiled at her and looked back at Light. "Go find Shin! He and Terra are surrounded over there!" he yelled over the noise of the battle. She nodded and looked around. To her right in the distance, she could see the pinkish glow coming from Terra Branford's Esper form and began making her way to it.
Pierce continued holding back the light and took a step toward the Divine Being. "Son of the Wanderer, you choose to stand against me when your father welcomed my power?" Light asked as he renewed his assault and channeled more power into his attack. Pierce held up both hands and blocked it firmly.
"Jack never gave in to you, and neither will I! I see no reason to fear you!" he declared. Light hissed in anger and stopped his attack, before morphing into a dense cloud and spiraling through the air, surrounding the young man.
"And do you now?!" his voice echoed from every direction.
Sora stopped fighting for a moment to look through the elemental shield, where he could vaguely see what was going on within.
"To think I was outsmarted by a human!" Maechil roared as he stabbed his scepter into the ground and sent a trail of lightning along the ground toward the trio. Kain took to the air while Jack and Zack ran to meet it. As they neared it, Jack leaped up and Zack slammed his Buster Sword down upon it. The following explosion carried Jack through the air, and he swiftly swung his Keyblade toward Maechil.
The Ancient easily blocked with his scepter, but the Wanderer followed with a swing of his sword. Maechil leaned back and dodged it and kicked him in the stomach. Jack stumbled back just Kain slammed down, stabbing his lance into the ground and sending a burst of earth up into Maechil's face. The Ancient screamed in fury as he fell back, but righted himself before landing. He immediately looked to the right, as Zack leaped through the air and raised his sword over his head. Before he could so, Maechil zapped him with a bout of lightning and sent him falling onto his back.
"You didn't make it very difficult!" Jack countered as he dashed in and delivered a swift flurry of strikes. Maechil twirled his scepter and blocked them all, until the Rikkison spun low and kicked his legs out. Before he could go for a lethal move, Maechil repulsed his arms and exploded with light energy, sending all three of the heroes backward. The Ancient returned to his feet and looked up at Kain, who twirled his lance in mid-air.
"Rumble!" he yelled, but Maechil vanished right before the sword of light erupted from the ground. The three looked around for him but he was nowhere to be seen. Jack grit his teeth and plunged his Keyblade into the elemental shield that was trapping them. "Fire!" he yelled. An inferno erupted all around them, and he could instantly see the body heat Maechil was giving off. He dove forward and knocked the Ancient off of his feet. Maechil cursed as he reappeared. Jack punched him in the face, but then the Ancient's eyes shined brightly. Ice appeared everywhere and immediately began to dissolve the flames, and Maechil managed to plant his foot on Jack's chest, kicking him off and returning to his feet.
"I yet hold the advantage, Rikkison!" he declared as he turned and blocked Zack's sword with his scepter. Zack narrowed his eyes as he rolled to the side and swung low, but Maechil teleported behind him and wrapped his arms around the Soldier's neck. Jack saw his friend's eyes widen in fear and tried to stall him.
"How do you hold the advantage? Do you mean your spy, Maechil? I know who it is. You won't get anything from that apprentice again." he asked in reply. Maechil smiled as he tensed his arms in preparation for snapping Zack's neck.
"That spy was only one piece on this great board on which we are playing, boy. I hold all of the strongest pieces. This war is just a formality. Whether you fight on until there is nothing left or not, the end result shall be the same. Just like this…" he replied and moved his arms to end Zack.
But Kain appeared directly in front and kicked him in the face, making him lose his grip on Zack and fall through the air. Zack angrily spun around and began to glow blue as he jumped into the air. "Alright, here comes the big one!" he announced as he twirled his sword and sent a group of meteors shooting down where Maechil had landed.
"That is not the end of him." Kain muttered as the three regrouped together. Jack nodded gravely.
"But Sora and Riku should have sealed the Keyhole by now. There's no way Maechil can destroy this place without bringing the full might of his armies down here. We've bought enough time, but we can't defeat Maechil here. We have to go." he agreed. Zack turned toward the elemental shield.
"And what about this?" he asked, placing his palms on it. Jack nodded and sheathed his sword, dismissing his Keyblade, as well. He brought his arms in for a moment, and then raised them to the sky. Darkness erupted through his right arm, and light energy through his left. Small portals appeared around his forearms, hiding everything past his elbows. At the same time, two gigantic clawed hands appeared and grabbed onto the shield. Jack grunted with effort and began to pull, and the hands did the same. After a few moments, the shield shattered and disappeared. Zack and Kain looked at him questioningly, for he then raised his hood up.
"It'll be better for them to deal with the surprise once we're safe." he explained and ran toward the battle. Zack and Kain glanced at each other, shrugging their shoulders before following him.
Sora and Riku looked over as the trio came running in. "Get them out of here!" the person dressed like the Keyblade Hunter told him. Sora nodded and tapped his earpiece. "Members of the LE, the Keyhole has been secured, for now. We need to go." he announced. Across the room, they could see each of their allies stop fighting and start making their way to the entrance.
Riku was the first to the entrance, and he stayed back to wave everybody through. Ven, Lea, Roxas, and Xion were the first run past him, followed by Luriel, Shin, Aqua, Andrix, Tahara, and Rayne. The two Terras came next, followed by Jason, Kairi, Kain, Zack, and Sora.
As Jack reached him, Riku looked out to see Marek and Pierce still fighting. "Marek, Pierce, let's go!" he yelled. The two glanced at him. Marek couldn't resist blasting Saenatar into the wall one last time before complying. Pierce, on the other hand, had Light circling him constantly.
"Justice, to my side." Maechil's voice echoed. Light immediately veered away and flew to the area where Maechil had disappeared. Pierce took the opportunity to run through the entrance. Jack and Riku exchanged nods and ran through, slamming the doors behind them. (end Battle for Haven)
The remaining soldiers gathered around Saenatar, who wiped the blood off of his lip and turned to see Maechil and Light coming toward him. "Sir, shall we pursue?" he asked. The look of fury was still etched on Maechil's face, but he shook his head.
"No, do not pursue. The time has come, to enact Protocol E. Saenatar, return to the city and muster our allies. This little stunt of Jack's has taken away the time they would have had to say goodbye. It ends now." he ordered. Saenatar nodded and turned away.
"Protocol E. Extermination." he muttered as a glyph appeared underneath him, and he vanished.
FIRST DISTRICT, LE GUMMI SHIP….
"If you think for one second that we're taking Darian with us, you've lost your mind!" Aqua exclaimed. By now, they had realized who had tagged along with them, though the Keyblade Hunter still had his hood up.
"Aqua…" Terra began, but she shook her head.
"He killed Jack! I don't care that he stood up to Maechil! If you had any respect for Jack, you would finish him right now!" she yelled furiously. The entire LE was standing around, and most silently agreed with her. Sora, Riku, Marek, Pierce, and Terra were standing on one side, and everyone else on the other.
All eyes turned to the Keyblade Hunter as he unsheathed his sword. Aqua tensed her hand, ready to call her Keyblade, but the man stabbed it into the ground and stepped back. "If you wish to kill me, Aqua, then do it yourself." he said quietly. The blood pendant was gone, so he knew his voice sounded like his own again. He could tell that Aqua heard the difference, as well. Her gaze softened to one of surprise and disbelief. He sighed and slowly reached to his hood, pulling it back down and showing his face. (Jack's Theme{Something to Believe in, Epic Score})
"Jack?" she whispered with tears in her eyes. He nodded slightly.
"It's me, Aqua. I'm here." he said softly. She shook her head and ran up, throwing her arms around him. He closed his eyes and gently hugged her back.
"It was you the whole time?" she asked. He sighed. He could hear the hurt in her voice, and it devastated him.
"Yeah." he replied. He didn't know what to say. She let out a huge breath and stepped back. He looked around at the others, and knew he had a lot of explaining to do. He looked especially at one person in particular. "Rayne?" he asked. She stepped toward him, a look of shock on her face.
"How are you alive?" she asked as she put a hand on her forehead, trying to take it in. He smiled slightly.
"It's a story better told behind closed doors. I will explain everything when we get home, I promise." he told her. He touched her cheek, but he noticed that she moved her face away from him. He had hurt her.
"Alright, let's get underway." Sora announced. With that, everyone began to board, except for Jason. He walked toward his son and reached a hesitant hand out. When Jack didn't move away, he let it rest on his son's shoulder.
"I thought you were gone…..Son. I thought you had died hating me." he muttered. Jack closed his eyes for a long moment, before placing his hand on top of his father's.
"I don't hate you, Jason. Come on, let's back to the Land of Departure. I'll explain everything once we're there." he replied. The Grandmaster raised his eyebrows.
"You know that won't be the end of it. This has caused some scars that shall run deep. Particularly with Rayne." he told him. Jack nodded.
"I know. But I had to do this. If my choices are having her alive and hating me, or happy with me and dead, there's no decision to make." he said and walked up the ramp. Jason nodded before following.
"Those were my exact thoughts when you boys were young." he muttered. (end Jack's Theme)
LATER, LAND OF DEPARTURE….
"So, you chose to risk everything because a couple of documents went missing?" Roxas asked. Jack shook his head.
"There was more to it than that. Adenar confirmed that they were getting inside information, and Dawnomar checked into it, too. We knew someone was giving Maechil information. But I needed a way of getting inside the Organization. That wasn't just to find out who the spy was, it was to see if the Ancients had any information on the Prince of Darkness and the Temple of Light." he elaborated.
"So if you knew there was a spy, you suspected everyone, right? Of course, everyone except for Sora and Riku." Lea commented. This was accompanied by several scathing looks from the other members.
"Sora and Riku were the ones who found the missing documents and brought it to my attention. Gradually, more and more people found out, but that wasn't the point. Sora, Riku, and Dawnomar made the plan possible. Without all three of them, I never would have been able to go undercover." Jack explained. He was getting tired of the stupid questions.
Rayne had been refusing to look at him since they had gotten back. "Rayne…" he began, but she shook her head.
"I mourned you. I made myself accept that you were dead. I moved on. Marek is my master now. Maybe one day, I'll be able to forgive you, but I can't do that today." she told him as she looked at the floor. He bit his lip. That had hurt him the most over everything he had just been through.
"So did you find out who it is, the spy?" Ven asked. The Wanderer reluctantly looked over at Sora and Riku, who nodded, before answering.
"It didn't take me very long to figure it out. Dawnomar told us that Maechil had the spy's family. There's only one person here with a family that isn't on the LE's immediate radar." he admitted. One by one, every person in the room began to look back by the front door.
Even Andrix looked over in surprise. He couldn't believe that she was capable of this. But Tahara stood up with a look of utmost sorrow and slowly walked up to the middle of the room. (Keeping the Peace, Dissidia)
Roxas sighed in utter sadness at seeing his apprentice walk to the center of the room and fall to her knees in front of Jack, Sora, Riku, and Jason. "You betrayed the agency." Riku said softly. She burst into tears right after he said that.
"They have my family! For what I gave them, they let me sister go! But they still have my parents and my brother!" she cried, wiping her face and trying to stop her own crying. Jack rubbed the back of his neck and looked over at Jason.
"Well, Grandmaster? Is there room for traitors in our ranks?" he asked openly. He wanted to hear everyone's opinions. Jason sighed.
"Now that I know what was taken, I am worried just how desperate our situation has become. Tahara, you stole precious secrets and delivered them into the hands of our enemies. Your intentions were noble, but there may yet be greater consequences than we have seen thus far." he told the young woman. Tahara nodded slightly and sniffed, trying not to let any more tears fall down her face.
"Family or not, you took an oath to this Agency. You swore that you would uphold the principles for which we stand, and that you would place the well-being of the worlds before your own purposes." Riku said as he crossed his arms.
Roxas looked around incredulously. Rayne and Andrix weren't even saying anything, and they knew her best. No one in the room was going to do anything to stop this, he realized. He then stood up and walked to his apprentice's side. He felt Namine's questioning gaze on the back of his head, but he didn't falter. He gently reached down and pulled Tahara to her feet, before putting his arm on her shoulder. "Now wait just a minute. Who are you to pass judgment, Jack? You hurt everyone in this room in order to go do your own thing. Sure, you had good reason, but that wasn't any different. You did what you thought was right. For Tahara, she felt it right to try and save her family, a group of defenseless people out there under Maechil's thumb. Isn't it the Agency's job to protect humanity? We failed to protect her family, so she had to take matters into her own hands." he argued. He was not going to let this happen. He would not.
The four exchanged a glance, before Sora spoke. "Roxas…." he began, but his former Nobody cut him off.
"You can't stand there and tell me that any of you would have done anything different. Sora, what would you have done if Maechil had Kairi? Jack, what if the Ancients took your family? You would have done anything to get them back. That's all Tahara did. The Agency failed to protect her family, so she had no options left. Even if she had told us, how could we have broken into the city and found her family before Maechil killed them? You can't exile her from the LE. It would just make you a bunch of hypocrites." he told him firmly. Sora looked at the ground and sighed.
Sora had been convinced, but Jack and Jason were still uneasy. Roxas shook his head sadly. Tahara looked over at him and smiled slightly. No matter what happened, it meant a lot to her that he was trying. In a place where she felt alone so much, her master had always proven himself in her eyes. He always had her back. She then felt a smaller hand on her other shoulder and looked over at Namine. Namine raised her eyebrows and gave Jack a knowing glance. "Everyone needs help sometimes, no matter who they are. Tahara needs our help. Are we really going to turn her away?" she asked him. The Wanderer looked away, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Finally, he nodded.
"You're right." he admitted. Every head in the room turned to Jason, who stepped forward and smiled at the apprentice.
"Our greatest concern now is damage control. We must learn exactly what Maechil knows and how to stop him before he acts upon it." he told her. He then turned and walked over to the computer desk, and Tahara looked back at Roxas and Namine. They both smiled widely at her, and hugged them simultaneously.
"Thank you, Master." she whispered. Roxas nodded as they stepped back.
"I promised you when I took you as my apprentice, that I would have your back. I said I would always be there for you, and that I would never abandon you. Those weren't just words to me. You've come so far in the past year, Tahara, and I know you're going to be a great Keyblade Master one day." he told her sincerely. She nodded, and the three of them walked out of the room.
Slowly but surely, everyone began to filter out of the room. Some, out of exhaustion from the fight and realizing everything with Jack and Tahara, went to their bedrooms and crashed. Others walked outside to enjoy the dusk. The first few stars were flittering in and out. Jack was still standing in his same spot. He smiled at Terra, who put his hand on his shoulder and walked up the stairs to his own room.
It was then that Jack found himself alone with Jason. The older man was hunched over the computer desk, rifling through the files Tahara had taken but Jack had returned. "I was worried." the Grandmaster began.
"About what?" Jack asked him as he walked over and sat down in a nearby chair. Jason sighed and sat down, as well.
"I know that Marek shall never forgive me, but I thought I had lost the one son who did. Jack, I know how troubling everything has been for you recently. Dawnomar told you of the information regarding your Keyblade that he found. I know you were worried about Maechil having controlled your decisions over the years because of it, but you do not need to worry about that. You are strong, stronger than most of the people I have ever known, and your heart is something that not even Maechil can turn." he elaborated. After thinking his son was dead for so long, he felt he needed to say this. Jack smiled slightly.
"Jason, where's this coming from? You've led us through everything up to this point. We have more victories than we do defeats. You get credit for that." he reminded.
"I care nothing about hollow victories in an endless war, Jack. My thoughts drift to after. Whatever remains once this war is over, peace is not endless. It never is, and it shall never be. Even should we stop Maechil now, there shall be others down the road. A year from now, ten years, or even a thousand years from now, we shall be forgotten. The pages of history have a way of leaving important things out. Lesser men alter the events of the past in order to prove themselves right, and war shall renew again. We shall be forgotten, Jack. I shall be forgotten." Jason mumbled, as if he did not want to admit how he was feeling. But Jack couldn't help but laugh slightly.
"Jason, is that what you're worried about? You're worried that everyone will forget you?" he asked in surprise. He couldn't believe it. The Grandmaster looked up at him and sighed again.
"Jack, your legacy is one told to all children. The mighty Wanderer, standing tall alongside Sora and the other big names of this Agency. I have no legacy of my own. The closest things I have are you and Marek." he replied.
At hearing this, Jack stood to his feet and turned away from him. "That couldn't be farther from the truth. Jason, you pulled us all together. You turned us into a force capable of winning this war. Without you, none of us would even be here now. You have a legacy, Jason. It's called the Light's Enforcers." he told him firmly. He walked over and touched his father's shoulder. Jason nodded appreciatively, and the Wanderer walked up the stairs and headed for his own bedroom. Sleep sounded great. Sleeping in his own bed sounded even better. (end Keeping the Peace)
(Destiny's Union, Birth by Sleep)
He pushed open the door to his bedroom and saw a face that had not been at the meeting. Mist was sitting on their bed, little Pierce next to her. The young boy's face lit up in shock at seeing him. "Daddy?!" he exclaimed and leaped up, running over and hugging him with enough force to almost knock him over. Jack laughed quietly and kneeled down, hugging his son tenderly.
"My son." he whispered. He was beginning to realize just how valuable both versions of his son were. He then stood up and ruffled his hair. "Pierce, why don't you go find your Uncle Ven? I know he would be happy to play with you." he suggested. The boy nodded and walked out of the room, leaving Jack alone with his wife.
He shut the door and stood in front of it, watching her uneasily. He wasn't truly sure how his welcome would be. Mist slowly stood up from the bed, her expression unreadable. He cautiously walked toward her and opened his mouth to speak, only for her to slap him across the face. He nodded slightly, feeling the sting on his cheek. "I deserved that." he agreed. She then sighed and threw her arms around him. "I thought about you every day." he whispered. She nodded and stepped back.
"You're home now, at least." she said. She then raised her eyebrows at him, and he knew what it was about. He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, before grabbing her hand and letting her lead him over to the bed. He kissed his wife fully on the lips until she let herself fall down onto the mattress.
He smiled at her and reached over, blowing out the candle on the table. (end Destiny's Union)
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING….
He awoke to the sound of a low rumble in the distance. He stretched and sat up in the darkness of the bedroom, trying to determine where the noise came from. Mist was lying next to him, apparently still asleep. He gently nudged her, and she groaned tiredly. "Mist, did you hear that?" he asked her. She rolled her and put her back to him.
"It's probably just Lea and Andrix throwing fireballs at each other." she muttered and went back to sleep. He narrowed his eyes and got out of bed. Hastily throwing on his normal clothes, he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.
As he reached the living room, he saw Marek and Sora emerge from different rooms, no doubt investigating the same noise he had heard. "What could that have been?" Sora asked. The brothers shook their heads as Jack moved to the window. (The Enemy is Coming, Epic Score)
"No…." he whispered in horror.
"Jack, what is it?" Marek asked as he and Sora ran to the window. They stopped and stared fearfully at the sky.
Ancient airships covered the skies like an intricate web, and the three watched as one took aim and blasted a chunk out of the mountain. "What was that?!" Terra exclaimed as he and Ven ran into the room. Jack whirled around to him.
"Terra, you and Ven wake everyone up! Get them to the basement portal and get the Anvil out of here! Maechil's found us!" he ordered and started for the door. Terra nodded and ran for the stairs, Ven at his heels.
Jack kicked open the front doors and strode out with Marek and Sora behind him. He called his Keyblade to his hand and shot a bolt of lightning up into the sky. It connected to a smaller airship and caused it to explode instantaneously.
Marek raised his palms to the sky and issued dark vapor out around them. When it had spread far enough, he flexed his wrist and the vapor formed into an ethereal rope. He coiled it around the nearest airship and sent it flying into another one. The two exploded, but even more were nearing the ground. "Jack!" Sora yelled, pointing to the courtyard.
Ancient soldiers bearing a glittering letter A on their chest plates landed and began charging toward them. Jack shook his head as the other two prepared to engage them. "Fall back. Get out of here and live to fight another day!" he ordered.
"No way!" Sora argued.
"I don't take orders from anyone, Jack. You should know that by now." Marek commented. Jack cursed as he turned and looked at them.
"Damn you both! You're gonna get yourselves killed!" he yelled angrily as he threw Wanderer's Judgment at the nearest Ancient. He let out a scream as it knocked him off of the platform and into the valley waiting hundreds of stories below. A ship nearby shot a blast that connected to the east wing of the castle and made the world tremble.
"I hope everyone got out!" Sora yelled as he put up a barrier that deflected a barrage of missiles from another airship. Jack shook his head angrily as he charged his fist with light and punched the ground, sending off a shockwave that knocked the group of soldiers backward.
"Get going, and I'll cover you! Otherwise all three of us are gonna die here!" he told them. Sora and Marek exchanged an uneasy glance until someone pushed past the both of them.
"All three of you, go now. That is a direct order, Sora." Jason calmly demanded, walking past them with Cleansing Light in his hand.
"Jason, no!" Jack yelled out, but Sora and Marek quickly grabbed his arms and held him back. "Let go of me! He is not doing this for me!" he argued and fought against them. Marek and Sora struggled to hold him, but managed to do so.
The Grandmaster turned and looked at his sons with a smile. "Marek, I am sorry. Jack, thank you." he told them and turned back to the oncoming tide. Jack shook his head.
"Jason!" he yelled. Jason unhesitatingly plunged his own Keyblade into his chest. A sphere of light engulfed him as he floated up into the air and spread his arms wide. "JASON!" Jack screamed. Marek looked at Sora.
"We have to get through the portal, now!" he yelled. Sora nodded, and they began pulling Jack backward, though he resisted completely. Tears were now coming to his eyes as he saw the energy circle back in around Jason.
"FATHER!" he screamed just as the explosion commenced. Sora and Marek forced him down the stairs to the basement and dove through the portal.
The explosion centered around Jason and blasted outward, destroying not only the airships but also much of the landscape, including the castle. In mere seconds, all signs of life vanished along with the man who had sacrificed everything in the name of his son. (end The Enemy is coming)
LATER, THE CROSSROADS CLEARING…..
The members of the LE were gathered in a wide circle, each processing what had just happened in their own way. They all looked up as Dawnomar materialized before them. "I heard what happened. I am sorry." he told them.
"You weren't there to help." Jack muttered accusingly without looking up from the ground. The Ancient sighed.
"You are right, I was not. I was in the Lanes Between keeping the other ninety percent of Maechil's forces out of the world." he stated. Jack shook his head without looking up.
"Did you come here for a reason?" Sora asked as he stood up. Dawnomar nodded.
"I did. We have lost Jason, but we have gained another ally." he explained.
Right after he said that, a cloud of dust spiraled repeatedly at his side until it formed into a tall man with light blue hair. His eyes were dark red, he had a scar on his right cheek, and he was adorned with the vestments of Maechil's Honor Guard. "One of Maechil's men!" Andrix yelled, summoning his Keyblade. The man reached to his back and pulled his katana out of its sheath.
"I have not come here to fight, but I shall defend myself if I must." he stated plainly.
"Who are you?" Sora asked as everyone stood to their feet and stared at the newcomer. The blue haired man placed his katana back in its sheath and sighed.
"I am an Ancient, as I am sure you have noticed. My name is Zane, formerly the Captain of Maechil's Honor Guard. I have been providing Dawnomar with inside information since the outset of this war. I am on your side." he told them.
"Why should we trust you?" Roxas asked suspiciously. Zane smiled.
"Because I know what you have been looking for. I know who the Prince of Darkness is." he replied.
Jack looked at Sora and Riku and shrugged his shoulders. Now, everyone turned their attention to the question at hand: the Land of Departure was compromised, so where was the LE going to go now?
So one more chapter in Part 2, and it's going to close out this arc. This was definitely one of my longer chapters, and I hope you enjoyed it. I know Jason wasn't my most loved character, but my aim this story was to make you understand just why he was the way he was, and I hope I managed to do that. Well, don't forget to leave a review, and yes we will be seeing more of Zane in Part 3.
