[21:43] FlikFreak: Playing for Keeps was just a plot bunny at first...but it kept going and going.
[21:43] FlikFreak: It was like
[21:43] FlikFreak: The lovechild of a plot bunny and an energizer bunny.
[21:44] Nova: BWwahahhahahaaaa
[21:44] Nova: Oh man... if nothing else made my day, THAT did just there
[21:44] FlikFreak: XD!!!
[21:44] FlikFreak: I am SO putting that in my author's notes
[21:45] Nova: XDDD YESSHHH you should!!!

True story.

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled fanfic.

Chasing The Truth

By FlikFreak

Chapter Forty-Three: One Last Test


"Dusk at three o'clock!" Shiki cried. Beat heard her just in time to spin around and smash it with his skateboard. He didn't move in time to avoid a lance that came his way, however, and was slammed in the back with the flat end of it. The attacking Dragoon, however, was quickly taken care of when Joshua sent a pickup truck falling on top of it.

Rhyme ran past, picking up the lance that the nobody had dropped and held it in both hands, bringing it up in front of her just in time to block the blow from a Berserker's hammer. "We can't keep this up!" She cried.

"I'll get a few reapers here for reinforcement, then," Joshua announced, dialing a bicycle to fall onto the offending Berserker's head. "Everyone hang on."

"But you's composer, yo," Beat grunted. "Can't you get rid of them all yourself?"

Joshua shook his head. "Right now, Shibuya isn't listening to me like it normally is. I can't do anything but help fight until Neku comes back."

Hanekoma jogged up to the group. "I just got word from Kariya and Uzuki," he announced. "The lesser reapers have everything under control in the rest of the city. They're on their way to help clean up in this area."

"Perfect," Joshua commented, smirking and hovering in the air. "Be sure Uzuki knows that she will be very well rewarded for her efforts."

"Will-do," Hanekoma replied, hurrying off. "Keep an eye out for Creepers, Josh…I saw a good crowd of them headed your way on the way here."

That won't be a problem, the composer noted to himself, aiming his phone at a nearby cluster of Dragoons.


"I don't understand," Neku stated. "Why are you here, Ven?"

"To save your hide as usual," Ventus deadpanned as they walked along the empty road, "But in all seriousness, this was my goal the whole time."

"Coming here was your goal?"

Ventus shrugged. "Sort of. I mean, coming to Kingdom Hearts was…I just wasn't supposed to show up like this. Being a guide for you wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but I'll take it."

"Why would you want to come here?" Neku asked, crossing his arms. "This place is creepy. There was that heart graveyard thing just earlier, and all those lights that nearly killed me, hostile memories… This place is downright creepy, Ven."

"What'd you expect?" Ven replied. "This is the afterlife. Not everything is going to be sugar and cupcakes, you know."

Neku hesitated. "Ven, why would you want to go to the afterlife?"

Ventus stiffened. "That's not important right now. I'm supposed to lead you to Jaxuk…they want me to."

"They?"

"Kingdom Hearts does."

At the response, Neku bit his lip. He had been told he wouldn't be alone. I guess they were referring to Ventus. Were they sending him to help me this whole time? "…thanks."

"It's no big deal," Ventus replied, waving off the subject.

"It doesn't seem like that to me," Neku replied. "Ever since I met you, you've been making me out to be some sort of special case. Is there something I'm missing here?"

Ventus remained silent.

Neku sighed. "Ven, I trust you, and that's saying something because I used to hate people in general. Just tell me why you've been helping me so much. Why not Sora? I'm sure he could do this on his own. He's done it before, hasn't he?"

"He's never been connected with a world before."

It was almost too quiet for Neku to hear. "What…?"

The former ghost spun on him. "Don't you get it, Neku? Right now, you are Shibuya. You're holding Shibuya in your hand whenever you summon that keyblade. Everything that happens to you, Shibuya reflects! If you die, Shibuya is destroyed. Likewise, if Shibuya is destroyed, so are you! That's why everyone is so bent on protecting you; it's more than just a friend they're protecting!"

Neku staggered at the sudden outburst. How was it possible? It was like he had made a pact in the reaper's game but with Shibuya instead of just a single person like Joshua or Shiki. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it because he couldn't come up with anything to say, opened it again, and finally said something. "…but Shibuya's already in decay. Did I really cause that?"

"When you revived Axel," Ven replied, "Shibuya knew you wouldn't survive, so it channeled some of its energy into you to keep you alive. Around the time that happened, things gradually started to go haywire there. Meyxours attacked you because he'd be getting rid of Shibuya."

"What does Shibuya have to do with his plan?" Neku demanded.

Ven shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with-"

"Neku! There you are!"

The answer Neku wanted was cut short when they noticed Sora, Riku, and Kairi jogging up to them. All three looked completely worn out, shoving past the floating lights that threatened to weigh them down. Neku didn't have the energy (or motivation) to smile or even wave back. "You guys…"

"What happened back there?" Kairi asked. "We were worried sick!"

Riku gave a suspicious gaze. "And what's Kite doing here?"

"Playing tour guide," Ven answered in near-monotone. "What're you doing here?"

"We're looking for Neku," Sora replied, crossing his arms. "And fortunately for us, we got our own guide through here. Otherwise, I think we would have been lost our way before we even got to that graveyard."

Neku was about to ask who had led them when another familiar face approached: this time it was Ven's best friend. "I'm glad I could make it in time."

Ventus rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Hey, Aqua. Did you happen to see…?"

Aqua shook her head. "No…he must be dee-"

A flash of tan interrupted Aqua and made straight for Neku. Gasping in surprise, Neku managed to summon Music of Shibuya just in time to block a familiar swallow blade. His attacker leapt back, stance low and tail waving. Neku had to blink a few times to catch the newcomer's identity. "…Zidane?"

Zidane gave an uncharacteristic smirk. "Do you really think I'm Zidane?"

Ventus started forward. "You're-"

"It's been a while, Ven," Zidane replied, holding one hand out. "Now stop interfering."

A wall formed between Zidane and the rest of the group, blocking Neku off from fleeing. His eyes widened. "What's gotten into you, Zidane? You haven't been yourself since-"

"You still think I'm Zidane?" the man replied, laughing. "How can you call yourself a keyblade master?"

Only then did Neku see it: the strange, golden hint of a glow that was in Zidane's eyes. It wasn't that unnerving yellow that the heartless had…it was gold. The quality of that glow was the same one that Sora had when he was possessed by Ven.

Zidane ran forward again, his blade clashing against Music of Shibuya. "Why did Shibuya pick you?!" he demanded. "You're weak, you're slow, and most of all you're selfish!"

Another clash, but this time Neku countered. "Who're you calling weak?!" he shot back, angered. He made to strike Zidane across the shoulder, but the tailed man dodged and sliced his back. Neku cried out in agony, falling to one of his knees. The pain was amazingly potent, like someone had burned him rather than cut him.

Feeling Zidane approach again, he winced to best ignore the pain stinging in his back and rolled over, bringing the keyblade up to block the attack, but this time Zidane didn't back off. He pressed harder, his blade nearing Neku as the former proxy's strength began to wane. "You can't possibly be a real keyblade master," Zidane hissed in disgust. "Look at you…lying on the ground like a dog waiting to be put out of its misery. No key bearer in their right mind would let themselves be pushed into this position."

Panic took over Neku's mind. Zidane was right. Getting himself pushed into a spot like this was suicide. He had to get his opponent off before he was in pieces. In one swift motion, Neku coiled his legs back and kicked Zidane in the stomach with all of his strength, sending him flying backward. The motion of the kick allowed Neku to stand back upright, and he raced forward, halting just in time to bring his keyblade up into a pointing position…aimed directly at Zidane's chest.

Zidane made no move to counter. He lowered his swallow blade, staring at the end of Music of Shibuya. He smiled. "Heh, not bad for your first time against me."

Neku sneered. "I'll hit you for real if you don't tell me who you are."

"I'll be back," Zidane assured him. "I've got to take Zidane back out of here. The only reason he can withstand the sheer power of this place is because of me."

The walls dissolved, and Sora raced forward. "Hold it! Who are y-"

But he was too late. A swirl of gold light appeared, surrounding Zidane, and then it vanished, taking him with it.