Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon

Chapter 50: The Final Dance Off

As Vibe held Jazz hostage deep within town, Sora and the others were looking around for any signs of them or Heartless.

"This doesn't feel good. We've searched the town really well and there's still no sign of them." Axel said. Sora looked around, surprised that such a large city could really make it difficult to find them.

"Nee? Are you sure you know where we're going?" Goofy asked. Nee looked around.

"Yeah doggie. I'm sure we are. If I know that skunk Vibe, he's GOT to be close by." Nee said.

"But finding them is like searching through a giant haystack." Donald sighed. Nee groaned, wishing to know what Vibe was planning. Meanwhile, Jack was having his own look around the world. He came upon someone's home and knocked. When the door opened, he was greeted with a shocked expression.

"Hello there!" Jack exclaimed. The woman screamed and ducked back inside, shouting "Skeleton!" loudly. Just then, another citizen passed by and saw Jack.

"Whoa. Nice face paint there brother." he said. Jack looked confused and plucked his head off.

"Paint? Where? Oh. I hope it isn't permament. I like to keep my head shiny." Jack said. The man gasped and quickly darted off as Jack attached his head.

"Huh. There sure are a lot of people here acting jumpy." Jack thought. Just then, Jack saw something out of the corner of his eye. He saw Vibe with Jazz close by his legs, asking him to release her.

"I told you darling. I'm not undoing anything until Nee shows up." Vibe said. Jazz groaned.

"Whatever you're planning, Nee's going to stop you!" Jazz shouted. Jack gasped.

"Wait a second. That girl. She's in trouble! I've got to tell Sora!" Jack shouted. He quickly dashed off, heading back for the center of town. Luckily, he just happened to find Sora down there.

"Sora! Hey Sora!" Jack called. He quickly dashed over and told them what he saw, pointing the way as well.

"So, that's where our little cowardly friend has run off to." Nee said. Axel huffed.

"We got him now. Come on." Axel said. Following Jack, Sora and the others rushed downtown and after dealing with a few Heartless appearing, they finally caught up to Vibe and Jazz. The area appeared to be a large arena, decorated like a casino.

"Vibe! There you are you little skunky skunk you!" Nee exclaimed. Jazz gasped and was about to call Nee before Vibe chuckled.

"Well, whaddya know? I thought you'd never come Nee. Guess you've got guts after all. So, how's your dear old dad been anyway?" Vibe asked. Nee growled.

"Listen up right now Vibe! I'll never forget what you did! Thanks to you and your papa's crew, my pop's bitten the dust!" Nee shouted. Jazz and the others gasped.

"What?! You....You and your father killed Nee's dad? Why?!" Sora asked. Vibe chuckled.

"What else? We were a bit jealous, jealous that these clowns were given the duty of being the protector of this town. Though our dads started as friends, it was my father's jealousy that did him in." Vibe said "Luckily for me, everyone trusts me and no one EVER found out about my involvment." Jazz looked up at Vibe, now shocked.

"No. Vibe....you....." Jazz said. Nee growled and pointed his cane at Vibe.

"Yeah! Except for one problem with that! I saw it! I heard my dad's home getting trashed and ransacked! And I saw you Vibe! I SAW you!" Nee shouted. Vibe huffed.

"So what if you did? Even with my father gone now, I'm gonna finish his goal....and take out one more PEST that's in our way. YOU!" Vibe shouted. He suddenly drew a glowing purple whip from under his jacket and summoned Neoshadows.

"Heartless! Deal with the others! Nee is mine." Vibe ordered. Vibe leaped down into the arena and faced Nee. The Heartless came at Sora and the others.

"Come on! Let's roast these things." Axel said. Just then, Demyx saw his sitar on Vibe's back. And the boys were about to fight.

"Gah! Don't let that break!" Demyx exclaimed. Sora asked what was so important about his sitar and learned that if his guitar was broken, Demyx would fade away again, still being a Nobody. Demyx gasped as Nee and Vibe began to clash.

"What a PEST you've been my whole life Nee my former friend. Too bad your dad isn't around to see this." Vibe said. Nee growled and suddenly casted a large blast of fire towards Vibe from his cane, scaring him back.

"Don't talk to me that way again ya double crossing skunk!" Nee shouted "We swore on our pinkies that we'd be best buds forever! And you BROKE it!" Nee roared and came charging for Vibe, slamming him into the wall. But suddenly, Vibe opened a dark corridor and escaped into it.

"Oh really? Well, that was before I knew the dark secret your family had been keeping from me! So now...it's PAYBACK time!" Vibe's voice echoed. Nee growled.

"Where'd you go coward?!" Nee exclaimed. Suddenly, Vibe appeared from behind and lashed Nee with his whip. Jazz gasped.

"Get him Nee! Get him!" Jazz exclaimed. Sora and Axel were making short work of the Neoshadows and Jack's magic made it go by faster. With the Heartless gone, Donald quickly began to run towards Vibe. But Sora stopped him.

"No Donald. This is his fight." Sora said. Nee got back up and clubbed Vibe with his cane before casting lightning down at him.

"It's over Vibe! Don't you get it yet?! Your next pad will be a jail cell!" Nee exclaimed. Vibe groaned.

"Dang it. I forgot your family had to know magic." Vibe groaned. But he smirked and suddenly lashed out for Nee's cane, forcefully ripping it out of his hand with the whip.

"Ha! Try that again without your cane you hair brained fool!" Vibe laughed. He lashed furiously at Nee with his whip, sending him skidding back with one final hit to his chest. Vibe then whipped out Demyx's sitar.

"Time for the Heartless to dance!" Vibe called. He began playing a creepy tune, summoning more Cresendo and Neoshadows.

"Ha! All the Heartless in the world can't stop my groove!" Nee huffed. Vibe growled and sent them to attack. But Nee was able to cartwheel past them, leap over Vibe and grab his arms.

"Give it up Vibe! You were never meant to be the king of Neon City! I was!" Nee shouted. Vibe growled.

"Shut up! Just SHUT UP!" Vibe exclaimed. He broke free, dropped Demyx's sitar to the ground and started punching Nee. Demyx quickly raced over and grabbed it, happy the Heartless didn't get it. Jazz watched as Vibe was beating Nee up with no end.

"Nee....I....I never knew. All this time, I thought.....I thought you were just some over helpful fool who was going to be nothing but a clown. But....But now....I understand WHY you're like that. That's....That's you." Jazz thought as a tear came to her eye. Vibe's last punch suddenly missed as Nee ducked down and swung his leg, tripping Vibe. He soon grabbed Vibe by his collar.

"Listen......you. I....I wanted to be your friend. It....It was your dad's stupid.....ambitions that got you to hate me. What happened? We were the best of friends. Come on Vibe. Snap back. Return to your former self, the one that was my friend." Nee said. Suddenly, Vibe grabbed Nee's shirt and his fist glowed black.

"No. YOU listen fool. That Vibe....is GONE!" Vibe shrieked. He quickly threw Nee over his shoulder and slammed him hard on his back. Jazz gasped.

"Nee!" she screamed. Sora suddenly drew his Keyblade.

"Now I get it! That's not Vibe! That's a Heartless!" Sora shouted. Nee groaned, looking up at the shadowy aura surrounding Vibe.

"Vibe.....what....what's up with you bro?" Nee groaned. Vibe chuckled and clutched Nee's shirt.

"Sheesh. You're rather slow, aren't you? Vibe ain't here. He NEVER was." Vibe said. But just then, Sora attacked Vibe and struck a strong blow to Vibe's head.

"All right Heartless! Game's over! Come on out!" Sora called. Vibe chuckled and with a deep breath, he blew out dark haze and Vibe's body collapsed. Suddenly forming from the black haze was a Dark Thorn.

"Yeehaw! Now that I'm out.....time to dance Keyblader!" the Heartless exclaimed. On the ground, Vibe and Nee glanced at one another.

"Ne......Nee?" Vibe groaned.

"Vibe. It's you. It's....really you. I can see.....that old twinkle in your eyes." Nee said. Vibe chuckled.

"Yeah. S....Sorry. I....I've been carrying around...that Heartless inside.....me since our dads.....fought. That....That was the reason why all this started. The....The Heartless heard my.....dad's urge for power and it......it.....it granted his wish, but needed a host." Vibe muttered. Nee asked why the Heartless was inside of him.

"When....my dad passed on, it was fixated....so the Heartless would curse.....the son of it's....last host and it's influence....made me help. I'm sorry." Vibe said. But Nee smiled.

"I....I forgive you.....pal." Nee said. Vibe smiled. Meanwhile, the Heartless came at Sora in a blaze of furious attacks. He laughed as he sent Sora and the others flying.

"Come on! That all you got?!" Dark Thorn laughed. Sora groaned.

"Not a CHANCE!" Sora shouted. He threw his Keyblade at Dark Thorn and smacked it in the face before coming back and striking the back of his head like a boomerang.

"Thunder!" Donald squawked, frying the Heartless with a bolt of lightning. Jack came at the Heartless, engulfed by ice. Dark Thorn snarled and swatted Jack away.

"Hey ugly! Catch!" Axel shouted. He flung his chakrams towards Dark Thorn and ended up slicing parts of it's hair off. It snarled and came towards Axel, but was suddenly stopped when someone else appeared. Finally returning was Zelos.

"Hey there guys. Sorry I'm late. You wouldn't BELIEVE the traffic." Zelos said. Dark Thorn and the others looked on at Zelos, a little surprised to see he showed up.

"Uhh....guys? Why don't we worry about this guy first before asking HOW Zelos finally caught up?" Axel asked. Zelos huffed.

"Fine. You should be glad I'm here. Hey Heartless! You want a piece of me?" Zelos asked. Dark Thorn figured Zelos was joining and came at him, ready to strike.

"Heh. Taste a little Light Spear Cannon!" Zelos shouted. He thrusted his blade at the Heartless and slammed a large ball of light into Dark Thorn's chest. The attack sent Dark Thorn skidding back. Zelos chuckled.

"Come on." Zelos teased. Dark Thorn growled and came at him again, but met Sora's Keyblade to the face.

"All right. Time to finish this. Vibe's dad might've started this, but we're the ones that going to finish it." Sora said. Dark Thorn roared and attacked, but didn't count on the fact he was charging straight at Sora, Donald and Goofy unleashing a full powered Trinity at him.

"Gah!" the large Heartless roared as their final attack caused Dark Thorn to completely fall apart and vanish into black dust. With Dark Thorn destroyed, the group headed back to the city and everyone rejoiced Sora's victory.

"Aw man. I can't believe I missed all of that." Zelos groaned.

"Sorry Zelos. We lost track of you when you got swept away by the crowd." Sora said. Zelos sighed and covered his face with his hand.

"Do you think Vibe and Nee are going to be all right?" Goofy asked.

"All right? Of course we are! What do ya think doggie?!" a voice called. Sora and the others looked back, surprised by seeing Vibe and Nee standing perfectly straight up.

"What the?! But....But you two were.....!" Sora stuttered. Jazz chuckled.

"Yeah. They're fast healers. That's all I gotta say." Jazz said. Nee chuckled and wrapped his arm around Jazz.

"Come on my little jazz gal! Let's show this town just how WE jive!" Nee laughed. Jazz chuckled.

"All right. Hey Sora? You're an all right guy." Jazz said. Sora chuckled and watched as Nee and Jazz began dancing together. Sora glanced at the others.

"Okay guys? Just slowly.....head back for the ship." Sora muttered. They agreed and slowly crept away, not wanting to have anymore business with this weird world. Demyx watched them leave and chuckled.

"See ya around Sora. Glad ya stopped by." Demyx thought. Having reached the Gummi Ship, they quickly boarded it and took off. Once out of the world's atmosphere, Sora and the others sighed.

"Okay. Is it me or is something up with everyone back down there? There was ONE incident and everyone seems to forget about it shortly after." Axel said. Sora chuckled.

"Well, Nee and Vibe are friends again, the Heartless is gone and.....what the?" Sora said. He suddenly saw his Keyblade glow and then so did Neon City's world.

"Hey! Sora!" Donald called. Sora went to the back and saw a giant keyhole appearing on the world's surface.

"Oh. Almost forgot." Sora said. He raised his Keyblade and a trail of light came soaring through the ship and hit the keyhole, locking it up completely.

"All right. Come on guys. Back to Radiant Garden we go." Sora said. Taking one last look back, Sora and the others flew off again, returning back to their base. When they returned, they found Kairi reading in her room with Marta.

"Oh. Hi boys." Marta said.

"How was your journey Sora? Was that world interesting?" Kairi asked. Sora chuckled.

"Trust me Kairi. You do not KNOW how bizarre that world was." Sora joked.

TO BE CONTINUED...