Well, I'm not doing normal shout outs this chapter. I'll do personal ones after the chapter. So is it, the real last chapter for Beyond the Dark Veil. For anyone who's familiar with my stories, you should know what comes next, right, haha? Here's the BTDV Secret Ending!
Enjoy this last little piece and glimpse of what is to come!
Secret Ending: Prepare for the End
(Prepare for the End, Epic Score)
The air of the Keyblade Graveyard was dense, almost too thick to breathe. The wind blew harshly about, making the cloak of the lone figure standing amidst the dead Keys furl about in the breeze.
The figure had a hood covering his face, but it was obviously male by his build. He looked up at the skies, where clouds were gathering ominously above him. He then looked down and began walking forward.
He had walked a decent ways when a dark portal opened behind him, and a familiar white haired man walked out to meet him. "What are you doing?" he asked. The figure slowly turned and looked at him for several moments.
He then slowly reached up and pulled back his hood, letting his unkempt brown hair fall down, reaching halfway to his shoulders. Marek stared at his brother, waiting for his answer, but Jack offered him none. The older brother walked toward him, seeing an unfamiliar turbulence in the former Wanderer's eyes. At the same time, Jack had many things going through his mind, many memories…..
Maechil was standing on a circular platform in an unknown place. The sounds of battle could be heard outside, but he was not concerned in the least. He heard the doors open behind him, and he watched as two of his guards dragged Jack into the room and threw him onto the floor. The Ancient smirked as he looked down at him. The leader of the LE was ragged and weak. His face was unshaven, his clothes were tattered, and his will was broken. "The mighty Jack Rikkison. Former Wanderer, Keyblade Master, leader of the Light's Enforcers, and the chosen vessel of Light. Have you finally conceded defeat?" he asked him as he reached down and grabbed hold of the man's hair. Jack groaned in pain, but said nothing as he glared furiously at his enemy.
"Do what you will. I accepted death a long time ago." he merely replied.
The scene then shifted to what looked like Kamirran. Several members of the LE stood facing Saenatar with Jack at the front. Terra and Sora were flanking him while the Ancient spoke to him. "What are you still fighting for, Rikkison? Have we not made our purpose clear? Has the death of your comrade not broken you? You and your pathetic band of rebels have no hope of turning the tide. This war shall soon reach its inevitable conclusion." he spoke to them as he readied his battleaxe. The former Wanderer seemed lost in thought, thinking about other things, and so Sora stepped up front.
"Take him down!" he yelled to them. He, Terra, Roxas, and Xion all moved in on the Ancient as Jack silently turned and walked away from the battlefield.
"Is this really my destiny? How am I supposed to know what to do? I've given them everything I have. Adenar's words…..what did they mean? What do I still have left to believe in? What am I still fighting for?" these thoughts raced through his mind as Jack silently drifted in the Lanes Between.
The scene again shifted, this time showing the entire LE held captive in an empty plain just outside a towering fortress. Terra looked over at Aqua and nodded, before suddenly ripping through his bonds and charging at their captors. After the others freed themselves and helped him dispatch them, he looked over at them. "You guys have to go help Jack! We'll hold off the army and stop them from following!" he yelled to them. Aqua and Ven quickly ran over to his side and nodded in determination.
"How are you three going to hold off an army of Ancients?!" Rayne exclaimed as she looked out at the soldiers already massing from across the plain. Terra shook his head.
"Just go! Help Jack! If we fail here, then all of it was for nothing!" he told her. Everyone else quickly turned and made their way inside, leaving the three on their own to face the army.
"Any ideas?" Ven asked nervously. Terra glanced over at Aqua.
"Just one…." he muttered.
Within the fortress, Jack was in the midst of heated battle against Maechil, who had summoned holy armor around himself and increased his size exponentially. "This battle is over, Wanderer. Your precious realm lies in ruins, and you have all but failed. It is only a matter of time before what is left has become ours." the Ancient taunted as their blades rang again and again.
Jack glared at him and pushed against Maechil's sword as he replied. "I do not expect you to understand. We fight for a cause beyond your comprehension. You have called our humanity a weakness, and perhaps it is. But at the same time, it gives us an edge that you could have never foreseen. Humans adapt and overcome. It's the way we survive. You've been singing the same song since the universe's conception. Well, guess what. You're outdated, Maechil, and no amount of power is gonna stop me now! I was born for this moment, and I have already accepted my destiny!" he yelled as he began to glow with power.
The scene shifted yet again, replacing the old image with the ruins of the Crossroads. Down near the newly formed crater were the LE, split into their respective teams. Jack stood near the front with his own, Terra, Sora, Roxas, Xion, and Aqua behind him.
Rayne's group stood off to the side, and finally Pierce's group waited near the back.
They watched as a massive portal opened just above the plateau facing them, and Maechil's newly formed Supreme Organization 13 had formed, stepping out of the portal and standing above them. Standing at the core of the group were Maechil and his fellow Ancients Adenar, Saenatar, Kunomar, Maynaimar, and Tsunetar. Down on one side stood Vanitas and three ethereal beings who had each formed a transparent body of their own.
While the heroes glared at seeing Vanitas and the Divine Beings, they turned their attention to the other side, where a cloaked figure that Pierce's group was very familiar with smirked down at them. On his right was a red haired man that Pierce also recognized from his trip into the past, and he was holding a replica of the X-blade in his hand. The thirteenth member was conspicuously absent.
Both groups stared at one another for many moments, until Jack finally raised his Keyblade and yelled. "Forward!" he roared. Immediately, Pierce's group leaped into action. He and his pink haired companion quickly leaped onto their riders and soared up toward the plateau. Meanwhile, one of their companions burst into her Esper form. She held out her arms, and the remaining two grabbed on as she flew up into the air.
As she flew over the plateau, she spun once and threw them downward, the green haired woman holding her sickles outward while the young man readied his broadsword.
At the same time, Rayne's group had quickly moved into action along with Jack's group. Many of Maechil's allies moved forward, as well. Only Lorans, Blaze, Vanitas, and Tsunetar stayed by his side. The others met below in a clash that shook the world.
Now, the scene shifted one final time. Jack stood alone, staring up at something in the sky, a determined smile on his face. "I know now why I was chosen. There can be no one else to do this. I am ready and willing to fulfill my destiny. Not like I have a choice, really. I was foretold at saving the universe a long time ago, but only now do I have the courage to accept it. It's time for me to stop pretending to be a father and a husband, and a peace lover. I'm a creature of war, and I always have been. The power I have come to know….Maechil will rue the day he made me an enemy." Jack's voice echoed.
Jack appeared one final time, nothing but darkness around him. But as he looked up, he smirked arrogantly and his eyes flashed white.
"My name is Jack Rikkison, and my story…..is drawing to a close."
To Be Continued…
In United We Stand: The War For Kingdom Hearts
(end Prepare for the End)
And so, Beyond the Dark Veil is now officially complete. As I've said before, I know this hasn't been my best story(I'll still keep NPNW for that title), but I hope it was still an enjoyable ride, and I'm glad each and every one of you were there with me. Now on to the acknowledgements.
I would like to thank darkhunter999, troyboltonsgirl, MEleeSmasher, No. XIII, and Izumi Natsuno for replying on and off throughout the story. You might not speak every chapter, but when you did, your words were invaluable to me. Thank you.
I would now like to thank 13TheAce, Celeron96, SorasApprenticeNumberOne, TWI1IGHTMAST3R, Lucenthia, Legionary Prime, The Unknowing Herald, and Shadowdragon1317 for almost always reviewing and giving me the feedback you have. I know I don't always do a perfect job, but you have all stuck with me, and I can't even express how grateful I am for your support. In all seriousness, without each and every one of the people I have named here, this story and this series would never have happened. Again, thanks so much to all of you.
Well, that's really all I have to say. Now, I'll be making plans and preparations for United We Stand because believe me, I'm as excited for it as you all are! Well, this is TerraKH signing off, having FINALLY finished BTDV. Take care, everyone, and I hope to see you all as we set sail for the grand finale of the Wanderer's Series!
