Chapter 29: A Fallen Hero
Within the castle of Hollow Bastion, Ophelia is having a nightmare as she struggles within her bed. "No father, please I don't want it," she moaned as she is reliving her troubled past.
-Flashback Begins-
The 13-year-old Ophelia is in her room reading a magical girl comic book being quite into it. "Wow. She is so brave and strong. Why can't I be like that," she said as she hears the doorbell. "Mom must of came back," she thought as she goes downstairs to go to the door to see her mother and a strange man right beside her.
"Who is he?" Ophelia asked as she is very unnerved by his presence.
"Well he is your new father. So be nice," her mother said with a cold tone of voice making her daughter feel unwelcome.
"Well my dear I hope we can get to know each other better," her new stepfather said as he has a grim smile on his face making Ophelia's spine straighten out in dread.
"Mom. I don't like him," she said as they are in a separate room as she pulls her hair to the point it hurts the young teenager.
"You little brat. Do not screw this up for me," she said as she nods her head.
"Yes mom," Ophelia said.
A week has passed, and things have turn for the worst with Ophelia's mother being more distant than ever before with her stepfather wanting to be more 'intimate' with his new stepdaughter. Ophelia and her stepfather are in his room with the girl only wearing her red dress looking very frighten.
"Okay take it off," he said in a low yet threatening voice as the girl takes off her dress letting it slip to only be in a pair of white bra and matching panties. "So, cute," he said licking his lips at the young teenager longing for her petite body.
Ophelia is beyond scared as she is shaking from his lustful gaze piercing into her very soul. "Now take off your undies," he ordered as she takes them off to be bare naked with her budding breasts and skinny legs made the stepfather quite thirsty for her pure flesh.
She goes to the bed to bend over pointing her butt at him. "That a girl," he said as that night was filled of twisted horrors and sorrowful tears with her body being ravaged by the man repeatedly for a long time.
A month has passed, and the sexual abuses didn't stop only increasing with Ophelia pleading with her mother about these horrible acts. "Mom. That man has been doing terrible things to me," she said as she tried to summon her courage as she is very frightened by the man and threats of violence to keep her passive and helpless.
The mother showed no sympathy only burning hatred not for her boyfriend but her own daughter to slap her across the face with enough force to knock her back. "How dare you. He isn't paying attention to me because of you," she said feeling deeply jealous about her daughter getting special attention from him as this is crushing the young girl's heart hearing her own mother saying vicious things to her.
"Am I a burden to you?" she asked not wanting to know the answer.
"Yes, you are, and I wish you were never born," she said bitterly as this destroy the Ophelia's little heart for what love she had for her mother quickly disappeared before her very eyes.
"Well there is nothing here for me now," the girl thought as later that day she is within the room of her stepfather with her wearing her favorite red dress.
"Such a cute dress you got there. Let's see what's under that," he ordered as she begins to lift up her skirt but stops before showing him her panties. "Well," he said.
"I am not doing it," she said as she had enough.
"What was it brat?" he demanded as she looks at him with her big amber eyes with tears and her heart filled with rage and sorrow.
"I am not doing it anymore," she speeds out the door to exit out of the house with her legs carrying her into the night as fast as she can be filled with fear and sorrow overwhelming her senses.
She is quite some ways from her house to trip and fall onto the pavement face first hurting herself. "Ouch," she said to get back up to feel her heart ruined by the experience. "I have no home, but it was the right thing to do. There was no love at that house, without love there is no home to go back to," she thought to wander into the night with just the dress on her back.
-Flashback Ends-
Ophelia wakes up from her slumber to have cold sweat coming down her brow to wield her Spellbinder to point at the door to see Yagi at the door. "Oh, good morning Ophelia," Yagi said as he checks up on her.
"Leave me alone," she said.
"Having the nightmares again?" Yagi asked.
"Yes, my past. My bastard stepfather and my neglectful mother," Ophelia said.
"I see, Master Drake wants to see you," Yagi said as she puts on her favorite dress to go into her master's chamber.
"You need something Master?" Ophelia asked to bow before him.
"Yes, I need you to go to Futurepolis to track down another Keystone. Before Nazo and the twins left, they did manage to find a Keystone deep within the core of the world. We manage to pinpoint it and I need you to collect it," Drake said.
"Of course, Master," Ophelia asked as Drake noticed the pain in her eyes.
"You are having those nightmares again?" Drake asked as she nods her head.
"Yes sir, they keep haunting me even after they are long gone," Ophelia said as Drake goes up to her to stroke his gloved hand onto her snow white face to gently caress her cheek.
"Oh; my dear, you have suffered enough in your life. When I found you by the lake, you were at the end of your rope and now you are a new Keyblade Master. You must seek strength from what drives you and it will push you forward," he said as Ophelia went up and kiss him on the lips.
"Thank you master, I don't know what I would do without you," she said to bow her head and go into a dark portal.
Elsewhere Kairi and the others drop off Red XIII and Y'shtola at Traverse Town for Umiko breaks the bad news to Leon as he has a mix of grief and relief . "Rinoa, is alive and she is calling herself Angel?" he questioned.
"Yes, she is working with my brother," Umiko said.
"Thank you for finding her, I need to think this over," Leon said as he went into the 7th Heaven bar.
"So, what is next?" Kairi asked.
"I will use the energies of the Keystones to track down the location of the other Keystones. It will take some time but you need to get stronger. I found a Lux crystal within the world of Destiny Islands, your adopted homeworld. Use your senses to find it and gain more powers," Umiko said.
"Okay, guys let's go," Kairi said to Sora, Riku and Terra.
"Hey, I am coming along too," Selphie said.
"Selphie," Kairi said.
"Yeah, I am a pretty strong mage. So, I can help you guys out," Selphie said.
"I will go as well. I find you quite interesting Kairi and I would like to see what happens next with that Lux crystal," Y'shtola said
"Thank you miss, you will be a great help," Kairi said to bow her head in respect.
"Okay let's get going," Riku said as the six go outside to get into the Gummi Ship.
"Destiny Islands," Kairi said to take a breath of them to go into the Gummi Ship via warp point to head for the Destiny islands to make Kairi stronger.
Elsewhere Leon is within his room in the hotel thinking about the pure dreadful that his beloved Rinoa is on the side of Drake, the one who aided the Heartless in destroying their world over a decade ago. "I don't believe this," he thought as this fact is eating at his insides.
"Hey, you okay," Lightning appears by the doorway to see Squall in a bitter mood as he sits in the corner on his bed.
"Leave me alone," Leon said.
"I heard about what happened with Umiko. You found out about Rinoa working with Drake," Lightning said.
"Its too much, she has been missing for so long and I felt it that she is not dead. Now she is a minion of that evil Keyblade Master," Leon said as Lightning goes up to sport a stern face.
"I get it, you been looking for over 13 years to find the one you love. If Sarah went missing, I would go to every world to find her, no doubt in my mind. Despite this, I would still keep going and get her back. You should think about it," Lightning said.
"Yeah, its so unbelievable but I will find a way to save Rinoa from Drake's hold," Leon said as Lightning utters a soft smile.
"That is what I want to hear as your second in command. I need to keep you on task," Lightning said.
"Right, thanks," Leon said.
"No problem, you kept us tight so far after our home fell. Don't fall to pieces on us now," Lightning said.
"Yeah, Rinoa I will get you back and we will have our home back as well," Squall said with determination in his heart to finish his goal. "Wait for me," Leon sad as he goes with Lightning to meet with the others.
Elsewhere within a lonely island within Destiny Islands, a single figure looks up at the sky to sense several people wielding a very long sword and long sliver hair. "So; the tool has come, another loose end to cover up from the old man's mistakes," he said for he awaits them.
The six manage to warp from the Gummi Ship onto the beaches of Destiny Islands to be on the main island with the town still in ruins. "Our home," Kairi takes a deep breath as she opens her senses to feel a bright light nearby.
"I can't believe either, our home is in ruins," Selphie said with an unusually sorrow tone looking at the destruction of their hometown before them.
"I know but we are alive and keeping their memoires alive," Kairi said to comfortable her best friend.
"I guess," Selphie said.
"Okay, the Lux crystal should be here," Kairi said as they go to an abandoned museum which in a badly ruined state.
"This museum was going to open before hell dropped here on the isles," Riku said as Kairi goes into the building to sense the crystal.
"Should be within the basement," Kairi said as she goes down a fleet of stairs to see the crystal inside a glass case. "There it is," Kairi said to smash the case open with her Keyblade to absorb the crystal into her being to feel her light getting stronger.
"Kairi, come out here. We got a problem," Sora shouted into the empty halls as Kairi rushes outside to see a dreadful sight to see a massive Demon Tower over the ocean.
"Oh my gosh, that is the biggest one yet," Kairi said.
"Yeah, its as big as a mountain," Selphie said as they wield their weapons getting ready for a huge fight against the mass of darkness coming to their shores.
Y'shtola is shaken by something as there is even greater darkness within this world beside the massive Demon Tower getting closer to the six heroes.
Suddenly someone manage to use a single sword swing to slay the Demon Tower as the others were shocked by the sheer power of the strike. "Wait, who did that?" Sora questioned for Y'shtola's normal calming face has turned to be very anxious with long furry tail and car ears twitching in respond.
"Miss Y'shtola, I never seen you like this before," Selphie said.
"Sephiroth," she uttered that one name to see the long haired silver swordsman coming through the cloud of blackness to float there emitting dark power.
"Y'shtola, it's been awhile since I saw you," Sephiroth said in a calm whisper which send everyone's spines shaking.
"Sephiroth, the guy Cloud was looking for?" Sora asked.
"Yes," Y'shtola said.
"You knew him?" Riku asked.
"Yes. we were allies in the past protecting the worlds but now he is a shadow of the hero he once was," Y'shtola said.
"What do you want here?" Kairi demanded.
"I came for the Magicite in this world," Sephiroth is holding a crystal holding the power and soul of an Esper.
"Kids, go now," Y'shtola said to wield her staff at Sephiroth casting Firaga for she summons a barrier to block it but the sheer power knocks her back.
"We can help," Sora said.
"No; you can't, I will hold him off while you escape," Y'shtola said.
"But," Terra said as Y'shtola blocks another Firaga with the same barrier but gets smashes to send her flying onto the sands.
"Go, I will hold him off, Waterza," Y'Shtola said as she conjures multiple beams of water with Sephiroth easily bating them away with his sword.
"Sora, we need to go," Riku said as the others were surprised by this.
"We can help too," Sora said.
"No, she can handle it herself. We got what we came for and we need to retreat," Riku said.
"Good luck," Terra said as Y'shtola nods her head to cast Stoneskin for a magical aura is covering her body like a second skin.
"Firaga Burst," Sephiroth conjures an orb of flames above his head as lots of small fireballs track down the Miqo'te mage with her rushing away to deflect them with her magic. He flings the big ball of fire to impact the ruined town to let out a large explosion to make Y'shtola get toss into the air.
She makes a magic circle to use as a platform to block Sephiroth's sword swing with her staff aided by her Stoneskin. "So, you think you can stall me with that white magic trick," he said sounding amused by it.
"Why are you after the Espers?" Y'shtola asked.
"To seek the destiny my mother Jenova gave me, to rule all worlds in my image as a god," Sephiroth said.
"That evil Esper, you are still insane," she said as Sephiroth shoves her back as they engage further with Sephiroth's blade strikes and Y'shtola's barriers clashing with one another. Each blow caused shockwaves that shaken the whole huge island.
"No, I haven't been this sane in a long time. I will not be a tool like before to that old man," Sephiroth said as they clash further with Y'shtola knock him back with a magical pulse.
"Ansem the Wise was a great man," Y'shtola said as she let out several water and fire spells for Sephiroth summons an earth pillar to block it.
"He was an old fool who got played by his own researchers," Sephiroth said as he crushes the stone pillar with his mind and use his telekinesis to send a barrage of small stones to pepper Y'shtola's barriers.
"He has gotten vastly stronger than when he fought Zack in that reactor," Y'shtola thought as she cast a Tornado to blow away the incoming stones. "Tornado," she summons three large twisters to rip through the buildings and terrain.
"You have gotten stronger…" Sephiroth said as he got slams by the three twisters at the same time with him using a barrier. "But its not enough," Sephiroth lets out a powerful burst of energy to dispel them. "Octaslash," he launches at Y'shtola to pierce her barrier to let out seven powerful slashes to send her flying into the air and uses a downward eight sword slash to slam her into the ground to cause a crater on impact.
Y'shtola's Stoneskin is still active leaving her with no damage but has been severely weakened.
"Shadow Flare," Sephiroth conjures a big ball of black flames in his palm to aim at Y'shtola.
"Reflega," Y'shtola manage to catch the spell with her barrier to deflect back but her barriers fails to hold. Sephiroth got hit by his own spell as Y'shtola backflips onto her feet with Sephiroth recovering easily to shoot more Shadow Flares.
Y'shtola is evading and blocking with her magic shields whiling shooting back magical bolts. "Ruinga," she unleashes a large bolt of magical energy.
Sephiroth bats them away with his sword as he grips her in his telekinetic grip to pull her in. He delivers a powerful kick in the stomach to make her bounce against the ground to use a close range Shadow Flare to blast her away into a building.
Her Stoneskin has been disabled by his heavy strikes. "Oh no," she thought as Sephiroth smashes through the building to grab her by the throat and shove her into a wall to feel her head is bleeding in the back.
"Face it, you are nothing to me," Sephiroth said.
"I hope the others got away and tell Umiko about this," Y'shtola thought for Sephiroth sees her silver eyes glowing with magic as she cast Aeroza to knock Sephiroth back. "Holy," she fires a close ranged spell to send him flying away.
Sephiroth is holding back the powerful light spell with his sword to slice it in half to be by the beach. "Not bad but pointless," he said as he summons the ocean to prepare his own spell. "Aqua Laser," Sephiroth moves the sea at his command.
"Oh no," Y'shtola said as she gathers energy into her staff for Sephiroth unleashes a massive beam of water aiming for the beach where Y'shtola is standing. "I will not let you pass, Aetherial Pulse," she drives her staff in front of her to spread out her arms to summons a large magical barrier to block his spell for she puts a lot of power into the shield to feel her body weakening from the stress of maintaining it.
"This surge of power, what happened to you in the past?" Sephiroth wondered to see she manage to block it but she is left worn down.
"I got one shot at this," she thought as she creates four magical orbs around her with one of water, wind, earth and light. She wields her staff to focus all four into one single point. "Spiritual Ray," Y'shtola unleashes combine beams of the four elements to become a bigger beam.
"Interesting," Sephiroth blocks the spell to be push further out into the ocean for it is getting more intense with Sephiroth putting more power to stop the beam pushing him even further to see a large explosion in the distance.
Elsewhere Kairi and others are watching for they are close to the warp point. "She seems to be in trouble," Sora said.
"Sora, no," Riku said.
"I can't let her fight that madman alone," Sora said as he breaks off to fight.
"Me too," Kairi said as she rushes off with Sora.
"Sorry Riku," Terra said as her and Selphie go off with Riku sighing.
"If Umiko said about this guy is true. We are in deep trouble," Riku said to go after them.
Back with the battle, Y'shtola manage to hit her mark but she is now deeply tired out by her last ditched spell. Suddenly she sees Sephiroth swiftly flying at Y'shtola with one long black wing to slashes her multiple times and kicking her in the head to send her crashing onto the sands.
"Quite interesting but it doesn't matter, submit to your fate," Sephiroth said is about to stab her heart as Sora uses his Speed State/Sylph to use a Tornado to blow Sephiroth away as Kairi cast Curaga to fully heal Y'shtola back to normal.
"Are you okay?" Kairi asked as Terra and Selphie are using spells to hold Sephiroth back with Riku clashing with the one winged swordsman blade to blade.
"I told you to go warn Umiko and the others. He is too strong," Y'shtola said.
"We have to try," Sora said as Riku uses Dark Firaga as Sephiroth is blocking the spells with ease.
"So, these young fools went to your rescue," Sephiroth is holding the Magicite in his hand to crush it to empower himself further for his powers is surging rapidly shaking the whole island to gain a massive boost in power. "Terrible mistake," Sephiroth to flex his black wing for the sky is crackling with energy and the seas were raging out of control as he is powering up with lightning surrounding him.
"He has gotten even stronger now from absorbing the power of the Esper," Y'shtola said as Sephiroth is using his mind to rip off the buildings from their roots and toss them at the six heroes. They evade with Kairi using Holy Burst to target several targets at once with Selphie aiding her.
"How dare you further ruin our home," Selphie said as she is shooting several fireballs with Kairi now in her Divine State.
"That nonsense does not concern me," Sephiroth said as he easily blocks all their attacks and spells with Kairi using her light to leash out tons of light orbs and spears with Sephiroth using a barrier to avoid any damage.
With sheer speed, he catches Kairi off guard as he uses his sword to slash her several times with her unable to react to his lightning speed. He delivers a Shadow Flare at her face to blow her away as she got out of her Divine State due to suffering too much pain.
"Kairi," Sora shouted to see her crash into a building with her covered in bloody cuts and bruises.
"Sora, stay focus," Riku said as they were both in Esper forms but were unable to hit Sephiroth at all despite working together. The two Keyblade wielders are giving it their best but Sephiroth effortless deflects, blocks and evades with very little energy.
The one winged angel looked like he is doing a light warm up session for Riku is wielding both his Way of the Dawn and Soul Edge with Sora using his Power State/Ifrit.
"Is that the best you can do?" Sephiroth wondered as he sounded bored by their efforts with Y'shtola, Terra and Selphie are supporting them with their spells. Sephiroth cast Aeroza to blow everyone away to aim for Riku to let out a single blinding strike to be behind Riku.
Riku felt hundreds of bloody cuts that explodes his armor and body with waves of pain overwhelming him to fall onto the ground to revert to his normal state. He is heavily wounded in his pool of his own blood.
"Riku," Sora is engaging Sephiroth as he slams into the ground to conjure pillars of fires out of the ground with Sephiroth dancing around the flames with his telekinetic shoves dispelling them. He telekinetic strikes Sora to disable him as he strikes him with several Shadow Flares to all land their hits.
Sora is so succumbed to pain; he reverts to his normal state as he is covered in blood. "He is so strong," he said to see one by one they were discarded by Sephiroth's terrorizing might like they were nothing.
"I told you, Sephiroth is not a normal human. He is at a different level," Y'shtola said as she is blocking shots from Sephiroth's spells but each of her magical barriers are breaking. "He is even more stronger than before," she said.
Sephiroth flies in to kick Y'shtola into a wall and stabbing her multiple times and lets out a final thrust to send the mage into the building to cripple her out of the fight.
"Miss Y'shtola," Terra said as she sees Kairi using her magic to heal herself but she is still sore from her injuries.
"This girl is the Princess of Heart, time to erase a problem before she becomes troublesome," Sephiroth uses Shadow Flare to head for Kairi.
"Kairi!" Selphie shouted to rush at Kairi's side to block the spell with a magic shield but gets destroyed instantly.
"Selphie," Kairi said as Sephiroth comes in with sword in hand as Selphie goes to protect her best friend.
"Leave her alone," Selphie said as Kairi witnesses something horrible as blood gets onto her face. She sees Sephiroth's blade drive through her chest to stick out the other end with blood rushing down to stain her dress.
"Selphie?" Kairi can't believe what she is seeing her friend has been impaled.
"Foolish girl," Sephiroth put energy into his blade to then sever her body in the middle to fall onto the floor in two bloody pieces.
"Selphie!" Kairi screamed in deep pain as Sora and Riku hear this for they were trying to get up but the pain is too much.
"Kairi, damn it," Sora said to spit up blood on the ground.
"Kairi," Selphie looks on to her best friend for she is shedding tears with Kairi crying to be overwhelmed by the sight of her dying friend. "Keep me in your memoires," Selphie said as Kairi looks on to see she has died.
"Selphie, no!" Kairi said not paying attention to Sephiroth to be overpowered by grief to grab onto Selphie's fallen upper half as her insides splash onto the floor.
"Sephiroth," Terra said within her Esper form to tackle into him to knock him outside. "You are going to pay for this," Terra said as she is letting out a barrage of elemental spells.
"Riku, I heard from you. I will come to aid you," Umiko said via mental link.
"Good, I hope Terra can hold him off," Riku said as Terra is twisting the ocean to lease out powerful Waterza spells.
Sephiroth is using a barrier to protect against the onslaught. "Tidal Wave," Terra controls huge amount of water out of the ocean to encircle Sephiroth and then collapse on top of him to entrap him in a big orb of water to drag him into the ocean. "Thundaza," Terra summons a giant lightning bolt to vaporize a large section of the ocean to leave a gap that shows the bottom of the ocean.
"Too slow," Sephiroth teleports behind Terra to kick her into the ocean. She stops herself to hover above the water to use Riot Blade to swing her furry arms to release tons of energy crescents.
Sephiroth counters with his own energy crescents as their attacks collide which shake the whole world by the sheer power of their energy attacks.
"Stopza," Sephiroth freeze Terra in place as he uses Octaslash for he uses a series of strong sword slashes with all 7 strikes landing hits to use his blunt end of his sword to deliver the eighth strike to knock her into beach. "Zantetsuken," he super charges his blade to swiftly hit Terra with the blunt end to instantly knock her out cold and revert her back to her human state.
"Terra," Riku said to Sephiroth looks very unamused by this to dust off his black long coat for he is left untouched.
"Well this is a good warm up but I need to go find more Magicites," Sephiroth begins to conjure a spell. "Come forth, Meteor," Sephiroth summons a huge piece of rock to appear within the sky for it lowly heads downward with Sephiroth disappearing into a dark portal to leave the world behind.
"Oh no, he summoned Meteor which has enough power to destroy a whole world," Y'shtola said as the big rock is getting closer to the ground with the sky burning with a bright glow of orange.
"Can we stop it?" Riku asked.
"None of us are strong enough to destroy it," Y'shtola said for they see a magic circle appearing within the sky. "That is a summoning circle," Y'shtola said as they all hear a mighty roar that echoed across the whole world to shake its very foundation.
"Is that a dragon?" Riku asked.
"No, it's the King of Dragons. Bahamut," Y'shtola said as they see Umiko riding on the back of the mighty black dragon.
"Sorry I am late, I don't believe he use it here," Umiko said to have Bahamut land on the beach as she leaps onto the ground. "Bahamut show that rock your power, use Giga Flare to destroy it completely," Umiko commanded the Esper.
"Of course," the mighty dragon said as he flies into the sky of his body is powering up with the sky turning black and the seas around the island shaking from the massive surge. "Taste my power," Bahamut opens his giant mauls to charge up a big ball of white hot energy.
He fires the energy ball for the huge recoil makes him fly backwards for the ball slams into the massive rock as the spell explodes on contact to unleash a large blast strong enough to vaporize it into dust falling around them.
"Thank you Bahamut," she said as the dragon nods his head for he disappears back into his Magicite crystal. "Good, you all are still alive. Why didn't you return back to Traverse Town?" Umiko asked.
"We wanted to help out but he was too much for us," Sora said as he felt so sore from his wounds.
"No shit, when you were ordered to leave. Just leave," Umiko scolded him as she utters a sigh. "Well a least you are all okay. Where is Kairi and Selphie?" she asked as they go into a building to see Kairi in the corner with her face covered in tears and holding the severed torso of her dead best friend.
"Master, she is dead. She is dead," Kairi wept as she is lying Selphie's head on her chest. Umiko has deep sympathy for her student to go over to hug Kairi.
"I am so sorry, once we get back to Traverse Town. We can lay her to rest, help me pick up her body parts," Umiko said as they bring along Selphie's corpse back to the Gummi Ship to go back to base with them losing an ally in their fight against the forces of darkness.
A/N: Sephiroth will play a big role within the story but he is a wild card meaning he is working on his own and can be a problem for both the heroes and the villains.