Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor respect their great works.
~ Day 322 ~
The Program
Xemnas stood up on the Altar of Naught, staring up at the heart-shaped moon of Kingdom Hearts that hung above the castle. He was soon paid a visit from the Dark Echo as it hovered behind him. However, he already knew that the shadowy wraith was there.
"XeMnAs..." The Dark Echo says
The Organization Superior turned to face the Dark Echo as it spoke with it's demonic voice.
"ThE tImE hAs ArRiVeD. DrAxOn, RoXaS, aNd XiOn HaVe PrOvEn ThEmSeLvEs To Be WoRtHy CaNdIdAtEs, BuT oNlY oNe Is ReQuIrEd fOr ThE nExT sTaGe Of OuR pLaN. To ThReE oF tHe KeYbLaDe'S cHoSeN, a TeSt Of PoWeR tO pRoVe WhO iS tHe MoSt WoRtHy. SeE tO iT tHaT mY nExT vEsSeL iS cHoSeN." The Dark Echo says
Xemnas places his right-hand on his chest and inclines his head, bowing to the Dark Echo in respect.
"Understood, my friend. It will be done." Xemnas says
(Moments later)
Xemnas, Saïx, and Xigbar met in Where Nothing Gathers, sitting in their thrones.
"Sora and Devon have a pretty powerful effect on her is all I'm saying." Xigbar says
"Yes, it was not supposed to gain a mind of it's own, nor become the person we see. But in the end, it only proves that the puppet is the more worthy vessel." Xemnas says
Xemnas closes his eyes and remains silent for a moment before he speaks.
"The time has come." Xemnas says
Xemnas looks down at Saïx on his left.
"Saïx, are the devices ready?" Xemnas asks
"In a matter of days." Saïx says
"Good." Xemnas says
"And what of Roxas and Draxon?" Saïx asks
"The three of them have connections to Sora and Devon, but we only need one of them under our thumb." Xemnas says
Xemnas looks over at the lower thrones that belonged to Draxon and Roxas.
"Whether Xion takes from Roxas and Draxon the rest of what they have to give, or whether they destroy her first and takes back what is theirs, there is no change to our plans. No matter the outcome, Sora and Devon's powers will belong to us." Xemnas says
~ Day 352 ~
Sunset
(The World That Never Was)
Thirty days have passed and Draxon, Roxas, and Xion continued their missions for the Organization. Despite their power weakening, Draxon and Roxas both managed to complete their daily tasks. And as their power grew weaker, Xion's power grew stronger.
Xion sat in a fetal position on her bed, clearly upset about how she's draining Draxon and Roxas of their powers. She sighs as she looks down in guilt.
"The way things are... I'm going to wreck everything..." Xion says
Xion looks out the window of her room, staring up at Kingdom Hearts.
"What should I do, Riku?" Xion asks
In that moment, Xion remembers her conversation with Riku back on Destiny Islands.
(Flashback)
Xion opens her eyes and she looks up at Riku as he held her in his arms.
"Are you..." Xion says
"Riku. Sora and Devon's friend."
"Sora and Devon? You know them?" Xion asks sitting up
"Yeah." Riku says
Riku rises up on his feet and offers his right-hand to Xion. She takes his hand and is pulled up onto her feet.
"Thank you. You saved me, but I don't know why... you did." Xion says
"I guess... I just felt like it." Riku says walking away
"Riku, please... tell me more about them and the girl they're always with." Xion says
Riku stops at the wooden bridge.
"You mean Kairi." Riku says
"Kairi... That's right. She's the one who looks so much like me." Xion says
Riku turns around and walks back over to Xion.
"To Sora, she's someone very special. And to Devon, she's like a sister he never had." Riku says
"It's just... I remember things about them and Devon." Xion says walking away
Xion walks over to a tree and places her left-hand on it as she leans against it.
"But I'm nothing more than a puppet, something that somebody created. So why would I have their memories?" Xion says
Xion glances over her right-shoulder back at Riku.
"Do you happen to know where Sora and Devon might be?" Xion asks
"That secret stays with me. Although... I haven't seen Devon anywhere during my travels. He just... vanished... I'm not sure where he is, but I believe he's trying to find his way back to us." Riku says
"Why's that?" Xion asks
"Xion... Your memories... they really belong to Sora and Devon." Riku says
"So you mean... I'm like a part of them?" Xion asks
Riku walks over to Xion, explaining what Naminé had told him.
"When their memories were scattered, some of them... found their way inside you." Riku says
Xion looks away and closes her eyes, placing her right-hand to her forehead, feeling as though she were in pain.
"Now, Sora has been put to sleep so that we can piece together his memory. And through him, we can restore Devon's memories and power so that he can find us. Except..." Riku says
"You can't because part of it is inside of me. That means... Sora can't wake up. And Devon won't be able to return to his full strength." Xion says
"Yeah. You got it. But, if you go with me to Sora right now, we could give the memories and powers inside you back to him and Devon." Riku says
Xion brushes away her bangs and looks back at Riku with a smirk on her face.
"So, do you hate me for taking your friends away from you?" Xion asks
"Nah, I guess... I'm just sad." Riku says
Xion looks at Riku surprised, but then she looks down, remembering Draxon and Roxas.
"I'm sorry, but... I can't go with you. It's my friends." Xion says
Xion looks down at her left-hand.
"They need me. And I need them, too." Xion says closing her hand
Riku places his left-hand on Xion's right-shoulder, catching her attention.
"Maybe... you should take some time and think about it. Figure out who really needs you more. And where you belong." Riku says
"How will I know where I belong, truly? I'm not sure I can promise you I'll come up with the right answer." Xion says
"Well, the answer you come up with can't just be right for you. It has to be one that works best for everybody. You and your friends and everyone else." Riku says
After saying that, Riku walks away.
"I'll try." Xion says
Xion looks up and saw that Riku was gone.
"Thank you, Riku." Xion says
(Present time)
Now standing up, Xion looks out the window, staring at the bright heart-shaped moon. In her right-hand was a seashell. It was the white, brown-spotted Junonia shell that Draxon had given her during the days she was unconscious. Xion looks down at the special trinket in her hand and holds it close to her chest.
"I have to make the most of the time Riku's given me. Especially for Draxon..." Xion says
Soon, Xion turns and heads out of her room. On the side of her bed were the seashells that Draxon and Roxas had collected for her.
(Moments later)
Draxon, Roxas, and Mew walk into the Grey Area to receive their mission of the day. Inside the room was Saïx, Axel, Xion, Luxord, and Xigbar. The two boys and Pokémon approach Xion and happily greet her.
"Hey, Xion, good morning." Draxon greets
"Oh, good morning, guys." Xion says
"Mew!" Mew says
"Did you already get your mission?" Roxas asks
"Yes. I was just about to head out." Xion says
"Okay. We'll catch up with you later." Draxon says
Xion smiles and nods her head, then she leaves through a dark corridor. Once Xion was gone, Saïx approaches the trio.
"Draxon, Roxas, I have urgent missions for both of you." Saïx says
"Urgent?" Draxon and Roxas say confused in unison
"Don't think we've ever had an urgent mission before." Draxon says
Saïx looks over at Draxon, giving him his mission first.
"Draxon, you are to leave for the Dragon Realms. There is evidence of a very powerful presence in that world. It's unclear whether it is a Heartless or something else entirely. You are to find it and destroy it." Saïx says
Draxon held a suspicious expression on his face. To be suddenly issued an urgent mission. It was something that hadn't been done before during all his time in the Organization. Something about this didn't sound right. Saïx was giving him a mission in the Dragon Realms, but with no solid information on the Heartless. Then, it just occurred to him. The Dark Echo had been operating in the Dragon Realms with the Heartless. Perhaps there was something going on. Reluctantly, Draxon accepted the mission.
"Alright. I'll look into it." Draxon says
Then Saïx glances over at Roxas.
"As for you, Roxas, a powerful Heartless has surfaced in Halloween Town. You are to head there and exterminate it." Saïx says
"S-sure. Okay." Roxas says
And so, having been issued their missions, Draxon and Mew set out for the Dragon Realms while Roxas heads for Halloween Town. Axel stood nearby, watching the two boys and Pokémon enter their own individual dark corridors. He, too, had a look of suspicion across his face.
(The Dragon Realms)
Draxon and Mew exit out of the dark corridor and arrive in the Dragon City of Warfang just outside the Dragon Temple. The Keyblade Wielder and small Pokémon head up the incline and enter the temple. Although the suddenness of the mission was a bit strange for him, Draxon knew that he and his friends had been fighting the Heartless and the Dark Echo and forcing them out of dark places where they had been lurking about. And if they have appeared now, then this would be their great chance to banish them back into the darkness. Making their way through the temple grounds, Draxon and Mew found Ember, Flame, and Sparx in the outer room of the Chamber of Ancients near the Pool of Visions with Terrador, Cyril, Volteer, and Hunter.
"Hey guys!" Draxon greets waving his right-hand
The five dragons, dragonfly, and cheetah turn and notice the two heroes entering the chamber with smiles forming on their faces as they greet their friends.
"Draxon!" Ember exclaims happily
"Glad you could make it!" Flame says
"We've been waiting for your arrival, Draxon. Your timing is impeccable." Terrador says
"I take it the Dark Wraith and the Heartless have appeared?" Draxon asks
"Yes. Not so long ago." Hunter says
"The Ancient Grove and Concurrent Skies have been cleared out. So, that leaves us with just one place left." Flame says
Ember and Flame turn around and look up at Terrador, Volteer, and Cyril.
"Right?" Flame says
Terrador nods his head.
"Yes. We've made tremendous victories in pushing the Dark Wraith and the Heartless back and forcing them out of our lands. But now, I believe we have found their stronghold." Terrador says
Everyone directs their attention to the Pool of Visions and they gather around it as it's water ripples to reveal a grey craggy mountain under dark skies. Blue lightning illuminated the mountain's form in the dark environment.
"The Mountain of Malefor." Terrador says
"Also known more commonly as the Well of Souls. Oh, such a dreadful place." Cyril says
"It is the most darkest place across the Dragon Realms. It's halls and chambers are teeming with many phantoms and spirits who have turned to darkness and had been banished there. It was once Malefor's Fortress during his reign of terror and a prison for his soul during his exile." Terrador says
"Which would make it the best place for the Dark Wraith and the Heartless to thrive in." Draxon says
"Undoubtedly." Terrador says
"But wait... didn't the Well of Souls collapse years ago? I always thought that place was ancient history." Ember asks
"You are right, Ember. It did." Hunter says
"So? Why is it still standing now?" Flame asks
"Years ago, Spyro and Cynder made their journey there to fight against the Ape King, Gaul, and Lord Thanatos to stop the Eternal Night of Darkness that would release Malefor's soul into the world. Their battle shook the mountain to it's very core. But they were not alone. Besides the one Keyblade Wielder that helped save Cynder from Malefor's corruption, there was another that joined them in their fight." Hunter explains
"Right. How could I not forget that awful night. That Lord Thanatos creep was one scary dude with all his dark powers. Still can't remember who those Keyblade Wielders were, though..." Sparx says
Draxon was surprised by what he had just heard. Not one but two Keyblade Wielders came here to the Dragon Realms. But since this was years ago, it was not possible that one of them was Devon. Who were they? Were they related to Devon? Were they friends? Family? These thoughts were driven from Draxon's mind as Hunter continued on his explanation behind the recent events surrounding the Mountain of Malefor.
"After Gaul and Lord Thanatos were defeated, the entire mountain collapsed in on Spyro and Cynder, but not before they encased themselves within the Time Crystal. I was tasked with tracking them down and I eventually found them in the Catacombs." Hunter explains
"All these years, we believed that the Mountain of Malefor had been destroyed during it's collapse. But now, it seems the Dark Wraith has rebuilt the dark fortress and is using it as it's stronghold. It stands to reason that this is where the Heartless have been spreading across the Dragon Realms." Terrador explains
"Then I say it's high-time we tear that mountain down!" Draxon says
"Yeah! Now you're talking!" Flame says
"Where can we find the Well of Souls?" Draxon asks
"The Mountain of Malefor lies far to the West. It's a tall mountain with a jagged mouth-like opening. You can't miss it." Hunter says
"Alright. We'll fly there and check it out." Draxon says
"Before you head out know this. Darkness swirls around the Well of Souls. The Heartless have been appearing more than usual and their numbers have doubled. Something sinister is happening there. Besides the Heartless, I do not know what else awaits you all inside that mountain." Terrador says
"And let's not forget, the Dark Wraith has you in it's sights, Draxon. Whatever that phantom is plotting, it involves you. And from what we have seen, the Dark Wraith has always been one step ahead of us. There's no doubt it's baiting you into a trap." Hunter says
"Maybe, but this could be our best chance to defeat the Dark Wraith once and for all. It's a risk we've gotta take." Draxon says
"Still, you must all tread carefully. The Dark Wraith is full of tricks and there's no telling how vast it's power really is." Terrador says
"Don't worry. We'll stop the Dark Wraith and the Heartless!" Draxon says
"And we'll send them packing!" Ember says
Draxon glances left at Mew, who nods it's head in determination. Then, he glances right at Ember, Flame, and Sparx, who also nod their head in determination.
"Right! Let's go!" Draxon says
And so, Draxon, Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx leave the Dragon Temple and they set out for the Mountain of Malefor. Terrador, Cyril, Volteer, and Hunter stayed in the chamber and watched them go.
"Good luck, young warriors. May the ancestors watch over you." Terrador says
(Two hours later)
Draxon and his friends were now flying in the skies above the Dragon Realms. They had already flown for two hours from Warfang. Another hour and they would reach the Mountain of Malefor. Draxon rode on Mew, who had transformed into a Charizard, while Ember, Flame, and Sparx flew alongside them. Soon, the heroes could see their destination ahead of them.
"Look! Up ahead! That must be it!" Ember says
The Mountain of Malefor stood tall in the distance, towering high above the surrounding wasteland. Dark clouds blanketed the skies above the evil mountain. Blue lightning flashed around it, giving it an ominous appearance. The sound of the loud thunder could be heard for many miles and it even reached the ears of the heroes despite how far away they were.
"Big tall scary mountain. Lightning. Dark clouds. Yeah. That's definitely it." Sparx says nervously
"Alright! Full speed! Let's get to that mountain!" Draxon says
Suddenly, a large fireball comes flying straight at the group. They quickly fly out of the way, dodging the fireball as it streaks past them and explodes.
"Whoa! Where'd that come from?!" Ember says
Flame looks back and was shocked by what he saw.
"Oh, boy... We got incoming!" Flame says
Draxon, Charizard, Ember, and Flame glances back toward the mountain and they, too, were shocked. A large flock of Heartless, which consisted of red and blue Wyverns, Tailbunkers, Vaporflies, and Flutterings, was flying towards them.
"Heartless! Lots of them!" Ember exclaims
"We can't stop now! Keep going!" Draxon says
Charizard uses Fire Blast, launching a powerful fireball from it's mouth straight at the Heartless. The Fire Blast blows away dozens of Heartless, creating an opening for the group to pass through. The heroes fly past the Heartless and continue on towards the mountain with the dark creatures in pursuit.
Five Vaporflies close in on Draxon and Charizard and they fire blue lasers at them. Charizard shifts left and right, dodging the lasers. Draxon turns around and aims Soul Calibur at the Heartless, shooting five blue magic blasts back at them. Each of the light projectiles homes in on one Vaporfly and blasts them into oblivion. Six Flutterings fly up and surround Draxon and Charizard, but the young teen raises his crystal Keyblade into the air, summoning blue lightning bolts which strike down and vaporize the Heartless.
Two Wyverns, a red and blue one, fly up alongside Draxon and Charizard with the red Wyvern on their left and the blue Wyvern on their right. But before they could attack, Charizard slams into the Wyvern on it's left, then uses it's Flamethrower to send the other Wyvern away. A Tailbunker flies up infront of Draxon and Charizard and dives down toward them with a corkscrew charge. Charizard flies down and evades the Heartless as it swoops overhead. The Tailbunker flies back around and attacks again, extending it's talons while letting out a screeching roar. This time, Charizard flies up to dodge the Heartless.
"Charizard! Get me closer!" Draxon says
Charizard nods it's head in acknowledgement and they close in on the Tailbunker. Standing up on the orange dragon's back, Draxon jumps off and lands on the Tailbunker's back. From there, he delivers a harsh slash up along the back of the Heartless, swinging his Keyblade like a golf club, causing the dark creatures to roar out in pain. Then, Draxon strikes the Tailbunker in the right-side of it's face and jumps off for Charizard to swoop down and catch him while the Heartless plummets to it's demise.
Ember and Flame were both being tailed by two red Wyverns, three Vaporflies, and six Flutterings. The Wyverns launched fireballs at the two young dragons while the Vaporflies fired their lasers.
"Whoa!" Ember exclaims
The pink dragoness shifts left, dodging the fireballs, then shifts right dodging the lasers.
"Hey!" Ember exclaims
The red dragon shifts over to the right, evading the fireballs from the Wyverns.
"Yikes!" Flame exclaims
After dodging the attacks of the Heartless for long enough, Ember and Flame felt it was time to fight back.
"Alright! I've had enough of this!" Flame says
"You said it! Let's get 'em!" Ember says
Ember flies up and over one of the Wyverns and dives down on it, smashing onto it's back with her horns while Flame flies down and back up, ramming his horns into the other Wyvern's stomach. Both draconic Heartless plummet and fall, disappearing out of view into the ground down below. Ember flips over on her back and shoots three fireballs from her mouth, blasting away the three Vaporfies. And Flame flies back around and breathes a stream of fire onto the six Flutterings, reducing them to black ashes.
Just when they thought they were safe, a Tailbunker flies up infront of Ember and Flame, catching them by surprise. The dragon-like Heartless performs a forward flip, swinging it's clubbed tail at the two young dragons, who quickly split apart, dodging the attack. Then, the Tailbunker performs a corkscrew charge at them. Again, Ember and Flame evade the Heartless as it flies past them. The Tailbunker flies back around and extends it's talons to attack them again. The two young dragons both shoot a fireball, which combine into a larger one, and it strikes the Heartless in the head, causing it to stop.
With the Tailbunker dazed, Ember and Flame go on the offensive. Flame rams his horns into the Tailbunker's stomach while Ember performs a backflip, striking underneath the chin of the Heartless. The Tailbunker lunges at the pink dragoness with it's jagged jaws, but Ember flies back and counters the attack by smacking the Tailbunker's face twice with her tail. Then, Ember and Flame both smash into the Tailbunker's stomach, sending the Heartless falling out of the sky.
After several minutes of fighting off the Heartless, the heroes were soon in the clear.
"Whew! I think that's all of them." Ember says
"Nice work! Now, come on! We're almost there!" Draxon says
Draxon, Charizard, Ember, Flame, and Sparx continue on with their flight and make their final approach to the Mountain of Malefor.
(Moments later)
After a long flight from the Dragon City, the heroes now stood on a cliff. And up ahead was their destination: The Well of Souls. Charizard had reverted back into Mew and the small Pokémon floated next to Draxon's left-side.
"So, this is the Well of Souls. The last dark place for the Dark Wraith and the Heartless." Draxon says
"I can't believe we're here." Ember says
"I can't believe I'm back here. I liked it better when this place was rubble." Sparx groans
"Oh, don't worry, Sparx. It won't be standing for long after we're done here." Flame says
Draxon turns and looks at each of his four friends with a determined expression.
"We've come a long way to get here. And right now all of our efforts against the darkness are about to pay off. This is where our hunt for the Dark Wraith finally ends. We defeat it here and this world can rest easy without having to worry about such an evil monster. So, let's go end this thing." Draxon says
"Mew." Mew says nodding it's head in agreement
Ember and Flame both nod their heads, feeling just as determined.
"We're right behind you, Draxon!" Ember says
"All the way!" Flame says
Everyone looks at Sparx, who hovered in-between Ember and Flame.
"What about you, Sparx?" Draxon asks
Sparx looks around at his friends, knowing that they had been through so much. First, he rubs the back of his head with his right-hand, still feeling unsure.
"Well, I may not like exploring dark, creepy places as much as you guys, but..." Sparx says
Then, the dragonfly's attitude quickly changes and he pumps his arms in determination.
"Yeah! I'm ready! I was always a dragonfly made for action! Let's get this party started!" Sparx says
Glad to see that Sparx was on board, Ember and Flame glance back at Draxon.
"Lead the way, Draxon!" Flame says
Draxon smiles at seeing the courage of his friends. With his own courage flowing through him, the brave Keyblade Wielder turns back towards the dark mountain and starts walking towards it with his friends following close behind him.
The first obstacle they encountered was the end of the cliff, which had a long drop into the dark abyss below. In order to reach the mountain fortress, the heroes would have to cross the floating islets that formed a bridge.
"Seems like we'll have to jump across this to get to the mountain. I'll go first." Draxon says
Draxon took a few steps back to get a running start, then he ran full speed toward the ledge. Within moments, he jumps and soars through the air for five seconds, then lands on the islet, sliding to a stop. Ember and Flame use their wings and glide over to Draxon followed by Mew and Sparx.
The heroes continue crossing over the islets, making their way towards the mountain. They jump across four islets and they reach the entrance of the dark fortress in the form of two large stone doors. Upon their approach, the doors slowly slide open, inviting them in. They had seen this happen before during their visit to Cynder's old lair in Concurrent Skies. Their arrival was expected.
Draxon and his friends enter the fortress and took a few steps into the courtyard. Then, in that moment, they heard the Dark Echo's evil voice speak out to them.
"WeLcOmE, mOrTaLs, To ThE aNcIeNt FoRtReSs Of ThE dArK dRaGoN, MaLeFoR. ThE sEaT oF hIs PoWeR dUrInG hIs ReIgN... AnD fOrMeR pRiSoN fOr HiS sOuL... YoU hAvE hUnTeD mE aCrOsS tHiS rEaLm... AnD nOw YoUr JoUrNeY hAs LeD yOu HeRe WhErE yOu SeEk To DeStRoY mE... CoMe ThEn... ExPlOrE... FoR hErE yOuR tRiAl ShAlL bEgIn... I aWaIt YoU uPoN tHe SuMmIt oF tHiS mOuNtAiN... ThErE, yOu ShAlL mEeT yOuR dEsTiNy... SeEk Me OuT... CoMe AnD hUnT mE... SuRvIvE tHe DaRk HoRrOrS tHaT dWeLl WiThIn ThIs MoUnTaIn FoRtReSs... If YoU cAn." The Dark Echo says
"Uh, trial? You're kidding me, right? Is this creepy phantom thing toying with us?" Sparx groans
"What does it mean by 'Dark Horrors'? Could it be the Heartless?" Ember asks
"I'm not sure, but let's be careful. Remember what Terrador told us. The Well of Souls is full of traps. Who knows what we'll run into?" Draxon says
And so, Draxon and his friends begin their mission of hunting down the Dark Echo. Looking to their right, they saw a hallway leading further into the fortress. The stone doors were broken with a pieces of the left-side scattered on the ground. They approach the hallway, but when they look inside, they saw that the whole floor had collapsed, revealing green toxic waters down below.
"Well, we're not going this way." Draxon says
The group looks around the courtyard and they saw another hallway on the left-side across from them.
"Let's try this way." Ember says
Draxon and his friends approach the hallway. Although the stone doors were both broken down in pieces, the hallway seemed to be still intact. The heroes passed through the hallway and continue onwards into the fortress. Unfortunately, the path they took led to a dead end. Then, they notice a hole in the ground that led into hidden caves underneath. They drop down into the caves, which were almost completely dark, but the light from Sparx helped illuminate the way. And so, they push on. While traversing through the caves, the group noticed dozens of glowing black and red gems planted in the ground and the walls, sparking with bolts of red electricity.
"Whoa... Look at all these Dark Gems." Flame says
"Dark Gems?" Draxon asks
"They're evil gems that suck out the light and goodness out of people and living things. Malefor and Lord Thanatos used these wicked things to poison life in the Dragon Realms." Ember explains
Continuing through the caves, Draxon and his friends eventually reach another dead end. Infront of them was a large cluster of Dark Gems.
"Ugh! I hate these things! They're pure evil!" Ember growls
"They're definitely bad for dragons." Flame says
"Then, let's smash them!" Draxon says summoning Soul Calibur into his right-hand
Draxon steps forward and smashes the Dark Gems with six swings from his crystal Keyblade. The pure light from Soul Calibur definitely helped in destroying the evil gems as the darkness within them fades away upon being smashed. With the Dark Gems shattered, a hole in the ceiling breaks open above the destroyed cluster, providing the heroes a way out of the caves.
"Looks like we can get out through there." Ember says
The heroes climb up out of the caves and emerge back inside the fortress. Moving on, Draxon and the others enter long hallway that led towards a chamber on the other side. Just as they were about to continue on, a large eight-star saw blade nearly slices off Draxon's face off, but he quickly backs away, avoiding such a horrid fate.
"Whoa!" Draxon exclaims
"Mew!" Mew exclaims
"Oh, man! That was a close one." Flame says
Then, two more saw blades appear, spinning out of the walls and slowly sliding up and down, blocking the hallway. Each of the saw blades had long, razor sharp edges.
"This must be one of the hidden traps Terrador mentioned." Draxon says
"Yeah. And it almost took your face off!" Sparx says
"How do we get past this?" Ember asks
Draxon looked down at his Keyblade, thinking to himself. If they could somehow stop the saw blades from spinning, they could get through.
"I have an idea." Draxon says
Aiming for the first saw blade, Draxon throws Soul Calibur at it. The crystal Keyblade lands underneath the saw blade's path as it reaches the ceiling, immediately stopping the mechanism and freezes it in ice. Draxon calls back his Keyblade and repeats the same process for the other two saw blades.
"Okay. We're clear. Let's keep moving." Draxon says
Draxon and his friends carefully bypass the deadly saw blades, moving underneath them and avoiding the sharp points until they reach the end of the hallway. Entering the next open area within the fortress, the group saw clusters of red, green, and blue gems planted on the ground around them.
"What's with these gems?" Draxon asks
"These are Spirit Gems. They're gifts from our ancestors. Pure crystals that allows dragons to draw strength from them." Flame explains
"So, unlike the Dark Gems that drain the light, these gems give it." Draxon says
"Right." Ember says
Draxon stares at the colorful crystals, astounded by their beautiful glow. Then, he looks down at Soul Calibur to see it glowing with it's benevolent light. Glancing at the crystals and Soul Calibur, an idea formed in his head. His powers have been diminishing with each day using the Keyblade. If these Spirit Gems do actually grant life, then maybe they could help him regain his strength, at least for a while.
"Do you guys think Keyblade Wielders gain strength from these crystals, too? It could give us the edge we need against the Dark Wraith." Draxon asks
"Hmm... Maybe." Ember says
"It's a worth a shot." Flame says
Draxon walks up to the crystals and places his left-hand on the blue cluster, which emits a brief glow in reaction to his touch. Draxon gasps in surprise as he felt a surge of power flow into him. He soon removed his hand from the crystal and backs away. The young teen looks down at his hands and grips them into fists. He felt strong again.
"Mew?" Mew says tilting it's head to the left
"Draxon? How do you feel?" Ember asks
"You know, I think it worked. I feel much stronger now." Draxon says
Suddenly, a large group of Neoshadows emerge from the ground and surround the heroes. Draxon gets into battle stance, holding his Keyblade close to his right-side with Mew floating alongside him on his left. And Ember and Flame rear back and battle stance.
"Well, time to see if I really got my strength back." Draxon says
Draxon dashes forward at a Neoshadow and destroys it with a thrusting strike. He then cuts through three more Neoshadows with a downward slash at the first one, a left-uppercut slash at the second, and a right spinning slash at the third. A Neoshadow leaps at Draxon and swipes it's right-claw at him. Draxon quickly jumps to the right and counters with a right slash, slicing the Heartless into oblivion.
Mew uses Ancient Power, conjuring up a silver orb of light through it's afterimage and hurls it a four Neoshadows, obliterating them. One Neoshadow jumps out from a shadowy portal infront of the small Pokémon and attacks with a spinning kick. Mew quickly teleports away, evading the attack. Then, using Psychic, it sends the Heartless flying into a nearby dead tree.
Ember and Flame both hold their ground as a group of Neoshadows stalk towards them. Within moments, the Heartless attacked, leaping and running at the two young dragons. Ember blasts away one Neoshadow with a fireball and kicks another away with her hind legs while Flame sends a Neoshadow flying with his horns and unleashes a stream of flames upon another one. A Neoshadow rushes at Ember and swipes it's claws at her. The pink dragoness ducks down to dodge the left-claw, then leans over to the right, dodging the right-claw. She spins around and swats the Heartless away with her tail. One Neoshadow comes at Flame with a spinning kick, but the red dragon jumps back to avoid being hit. Flame strikes back at the Heartless with a flying somersault, then sends it flying with a backflip. The Neoshadows all move to attack Ember and Flame, rushing towards them while getting their claws ready. The two young dragons glance toward each other and nod. Leaping up into the air, Ember and Flame came back-to-back and they both spin around, unleashing streams of fire upon the Heartless, burning them into oblivion.
Draxon swings Soul Calibur down on a Neoshadow, slicing it vertically in half. Another Neoshadow emerges from the ground through a shadowy portal behind him and rushes toward him. Draxon noticed the Heartless and he readied himself. Just as the Neoshadow swipes both it's claws at him, Draxon leaps over the Heartless and swings his crystal Keyblade down at it, cutting the dark creature down. The young teen lands crouched down and rises back up.
Just when they thought they were safe, more Neoshadows emerge from the ground and surround the heroes. Draxon looks over at Mew, Ember, and Flame to see them surrounded by Heartless. He then looks down at Soul Calibur as it started to glow brighter than usual. Draxon could feel the light of the Keyblade flowing through him, giving him strength. The Spirit Gems had indeed worked as they helped restore his connection to the light. He stares at the Heartless around him with a battle-determined expression. His eyes glowed blue as he drawed strength from the light. In that moment, a shining burst of light explodes from Draxon's' body, sending the Heartless around him flying. Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx glance over at Draxon to see him glowing from head-to-toe in a bright blue aura of pure light.
Before the Heartless could attack, Draxon twirls Soul Calibur around and performs a powerful spinning attack, unleashing a whirlwind of light which blows away dozens of Neoshadows. Turning around, Draxon swings Soul Calibur wildly with left-and-right sweeping motions, summoning pillars of blue light which travel along the ground, disintegrating the Heartless near Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx, who watched in sheer amazement. Draxon rises a few feet in the air and raises his Keyblade above his head, shooting a beam of light into the dark sky. Multiple pillars of light rain down on the Heartless, obliterating them.
Finally, Draxon holds Soul Calibur close to his head, closing his eyes as he charges up for his finishing attack. He soon turns his glowing crystal Keyblade over and drops down, stabbing Soul Calibur into the ground. Six pillars of light shoot up from the ground around Draxon. Then, a large pillar of light shoots up in the center where Draxon stood. Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx all shield themselves from the immense, blinding light as it disintegrates all the Neoshadows, illuminating the entire area. Soon, the light dims down, revealing the area was now clear.
Draxon rises up on his feet, pulling Soul Calibur out of the ground and de-summons it. Looking on, he saw that Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx were staring at him with stunned expressions.
"Mew..." Mew says
"Draxon... That was awesome!" Ember says
"Sure was." Flame says
"Yeah! Draxon, you are the man!" Sparx says
"Thanks, guys. Now, let's keep moving. I'm sure we've got a lot more to deal with in this fortress." Draxon says
Draxon and his friends continue on moving through the mountain. They encounter more traps such as flame jets and dragon statue heads that shoots dark blasts, but they manage to bypass them. More Heartless stood in their way, but the heroes fought through them and proceed onwards.
Eventually, they come into the chamber that housed the large statue of Malefor, which was now chunks and pieces. The head was still intact, but it's wings, tail, and body were broken. Draxon looks on at the statue and could only guess as to who it was.
"So, this is Malefor?" Draxon asks
"Yep. This was him. The dragon who turned to darkness and betrayed all dragonkind. Malefor was actually the first Purple Dragon before Spyro came along. The Dragon Elders taught him how to master the elements, believing him to be a shining hope for dragons everywhere." Ember says
"Until he grew hungry with power and his heart filled with darkness. That was when the Elders banished Malefor into exile." Flame says
"He sure was one bad dragon." Sparx says
"At least Devon, Spyro, and Cynder put him in his place." Flame says
Draxon stared at the broken statue, looking at the large head. Here was another dragon that had fallen into serving the darkness. It seemed like there was no end to it's evil corruption. Focusing back on the quest at hand, Draxon felt that he and his friends should be moving on. Looking around, the Keyblade Wielder saw a collection of large rocks on the other side of the chamber piled up to an opening out along the mountainside.
"Come on. We're almost to the top." Draxon says
Draxon and his friends head over to the rock pile and climb up out of the chamber. Now out along the mountainside, the heroes climb up and reach the summit. There, they saw a large hole which led down into another chamber.
"Well, we reached the summit." Ember says
"But where's the Dark Wraith?" Flame asks
"More than likely, it's waiting for us down there." Draxon says
Draxon, Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx stare down into the hole, which was almost completely dark. Before heading down, the young teen looks over at his friends. He first glances over at the two young dragons and dragonfly on his right.
"Ember, Flame, Sparx, you ready to end this?" Draxon asks
"I'm ready." Ember says
"More than ever." Flame says
"An end to this crazy nightmare? Oh, yeah! It's go time!" Sparx says
Draxon glances over at Mew, who floated alongside him on his left.
"Mew?" Draxon says
"Mew." Mew says nodding it's head with a determined expression
And so, after coming so far on their quest, Draxon, Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx all drop down through the hole into the dark chamber.
The heroes took a few steps into the room. Sparx' glow helped light their way through the darkness a little bit.
"Where are we? I can't see anything." Ember says
"Me neither." Flame says
Suddenly, a collection of dark red lights began to shine infront of the group, making them jump with a slight start. Then, braziers around the room began to light up with black flames. The red lights were soon revealed to be Dark Gems, which were planted on the floor around the chamber.
"CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS, mOrTaLs... YoU'vE sUrViVeD tHe DeAdLy TrIaLs Of MaLeFoR's LaIr, ScAlEd ThE mOuNtAiN, aNd ReAcHeD tHe SuMmIt... NoW, iT iS tImE tO fAcE YoUr FiNaL tEsT..." A dark voice says
Draxon, Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx look up and they saw a large mass of darkness forming in mid-air, swirling around above them. Slowly, the black mass takes shape and the Dark Echo appears in a flash of red light, hovering infront of the heroes, staring down at them with it's glowing red eyes. It's spectral cloak flowed in the air as if it was underwater.
"You're done! You've got nowhere to run!" Ember says
"Give it up!" Flame says
The Dark Echo hovers down to the ground and glances down at a cluster of Spirit Gems.
"SuCh PoWeR... cOnTaInEd WiThIn ThEsE pReCiOuS gEmS, fIlLeD wItH tHe WiSdOm Of AgEs. ThE dRaGoNs Of ThIs WoRlD tHrIvE oN tHeIr EnErGy, BiNdInG tHeM tO tHeIr LiFeFoRcE. SuCh ReLiAnCe HaS aLwAyS bEeN tHeIr GrEaTeSt WeAkNeSs." The Dark Echo says
"You're wrong! The Spirit Gems are gifts from our ancestors! They gave them to us dragons so that we could use them for good!" Ember says
"YoU wOuLd SaY tHaT, yOuNg DrAgOn. BuT sUcH gIfTs CaN aLsO bE a CuRsE. MaLeFoR wAs No ExCePtIoN. In HiS yOuTh, He WaS a TaLeNtEd YoUnG dRaGoN, sKiLlEd In HiS aBiLiTiEs AnD sTrOnG. He DrEw StReNgTh FrOm ThEsE cRyStAlS, hArNeSsInG tHeIr EnErGy To ExPaNd HiS pOwEr AnD kNoWlEdGe. ThE dRaGoN eLdErS wIlLiNgLy EnTrUsTeD MaLeFoR tHeIr SeCrEtS, bElIvInG hIm To Be ThEiR bEaCoN oF hOpE fOr DrAgOnKiNd AnD aLl Of ThE wOrLd, To UsHeR iN a NeW eRa, BuT tHeY wErE bLiNd. MaLeFoR's ArRoGaNcE kNeW nO bOuNdS aNd HiS lUsT fOr PoWeR gReW tOo GrEaT. BeStOwInG sUcH pOwEr To A pUrPlE dRaGoN lIkE hIm WoUlD uLtImAtElY pRoVe To Be ThEiR uNdOiNg. In ThEiR bLiNdNeSs, ThE dRaGoN eLdErS aLlOwEd MaLeFoR's EvIl To TaKe RoOt In HiS hEaRt. In ReAlIzInG tHeIr MiStAkE, tHeY bAnIsHeD hIm InTo ExIlE, tHuS tHe DaRk DrAgOn, MaLeFoR wAs BoRn." The Dark Echo says
The Dark Echo stretches it's right-hand out towards the Spirit Gems and a black aura envelopes both it's hand and the colorful crystals. Draxon and his friends watched in shock as the crystals were drained of their energy, fading in color.
"EvEn WiTh AlL tHeIR lIfE aNd LiGhT, eVeN tHe MoSt PrEcIoUs CrYsTaLs CaN sHaTtEr..." The Dark Echo says
Cracks began to appear on the drained crystals.
"ThE sTrOnG mAdE wEaK... ThE wIsE mAdE bLiNd... ThE pUrE oF hEaRt CoRrUpTeD... AnD tHe StRoNgEsT oF wIlLs BrOkEn." The Dark Echo says
Soon, the Spirit Gems breaks apart into millions of pieces. The Dark Gems around the chamber shatter as well, but their pieces continue to spark with red electricity. The Dark Echo spreads it's arms out and absorbs their power, sucking the broken crystals into it's spectral body.
"SuCh Is ThE fAtE oF aLl ThInGs. So As It WaS. So WiLl It AlWaYs Be. In TiMe, AlL sHaLl SuCcUmB tO dArKnEsS. NoW, sO sHaLl YoU." The Dark Echo says
Draxon stares down the Dark Echo with an angry look on his face. Grunting in determination, he stretches right-hand out infront of him, summoning Soul Calibur in a flash of blue light, and gets into battle stance with Mew floating alongside him on his left. Ember and Flame take their stand next to Draxon on his right and they rear back into battle stance.
The Dark Echo conjures up a field of dark energy that coalesces into a minefield of tiny energy spheres, then coalesces the balls into a powerful black and red energy sphere in it's ghostly hands. The Dark Echo grips it's left-hand into a fist, then thrusts it forward, launching it's attack. The dark energy sphere condenses and explodes, unleashing a volley of homing dark blasts at the heroes in a scatter shot effect. Draxon and his friends all jump out of the way, dodging the dark blasts.
Draxon swings Soul Calibur left and right, launching four blue discs of light at the Dark Echo. Each disc lands a hit to the shadowy wraith as it shields itself with it's dark cloak. Draxon teleports up to the Dark Echo and goes on the attack with his Keyblade. He strikes the evil phantom with a right spinning slash that hits three times, a left-uppercut slash, a backflip slash, and a right-downward slash. The Dark Echo thrusts it's right-hand forward, sending Draxon back down to the ground with a strong telekinetic blast. Draxon slides back across the top of the mountain, but soon comes to a stop.
Mew moves to Draxon's aid and launches an Aura Sphere at the Dark Echo, which lands a direct hit, gaining it's attention. In response to the Pokémon's attack, the Dark Echo thrusts it's right-hand forward, launching a dark lightning blast at it. Mew teleports away in a flash of light, dodging the electric blast, and reappears a bit to the left of the black phantom's view. The Dark Echo hurls another dark lightning blast at Mew, this time through it's left-hand. Again, Mew teleports away, safely evading the electric blast.
The Dark Echo conjures up a black orb in his right-hand, which was dark blue at it's core and sparks with dark blue electricity. Then, he hurls it at the heroes. The dark orb homes in on the group as it heads straight for them. The heroes immediately jump out of the way, dodging the dark projectile as it hits the ground, detonating in a large explosion. The Dark Echo creates another dark orb and throws it at the heroes. Ember and Flame step up and they both launch a fireball from their mouths. The fireballs and the dark orb strike and cancel each other out.
The ceiling of the chamber breaks apart, revealing the dark skies overhead which booms with loud thunder. The heroes were now fighting upon the top of the mountain. The lightning flashes all around them, increasing the tension of the epic battle. The Dark Echo hovers in the air, glaring down at Draxon and his friends with it's glowing red eyes. It's shadowy form illuminated by the lightning flashes in the background.
The Dark Echo surrounds itself in a red, violet, and black aura of darkness and flies straight at the heroes in an aggressive charge. Draxon and his friends quickly jump out of the way, dodging the dark being as it darts past them. The shadowy wraith reappears infront of them and charges at them again. The group continues dodging the Dark Echo as it rushes at them three more times. Then, the shadowy wraith appears above them and conjures up a black and red orb of darkness in it's hands. Draxon and his friends quickly leaps away just as the shadowy wraith drops down and slams the ground where they once stood, generating black and red dark spikes.
Draxon leaps forward at the Dark Echo and goes on the offensive with more strikes from his Keyblade. He swings Soul Calibur with a downward and upward slash, a left spinning slash that hits three times, a somersault slash which also hits three times, a right-uppercut slash, a roundhouse slash, and an overhead slash that summons a pillar of light upon striking, sending the ghostly entity staggering backwards.
The Dark Echo appears infront of the group and began teleporting rapidly around them. After four teleportations, the Dark Echo charges at Draxon from up front with a dark red fireball in it's right-hand. Draxon jumps back to dodge the attack, then counters with an uppercut slash, a left-and-right slash, and a downward slash. Mew assists him with an Aura Sphere and Ember and Flame with their fireballs. The Dark Echo teleports away and reappears high up above the group.
"KnOw My PoWeR!" The Dark Echo bellows
The Dark Echo stretches it's right-hand out toward the ground with a black light shining in the palm of it's skeletal hand. The same light appears on the ground close to the heroes. Raising his hand up to the sky, the Dark Echo summons multiple black pillars of darkness, which erupt from the ground. More dark pillars shoot upwards randomly around the group. Although some came close, they did their best to keep their distance and avoid them.
"VaNiSh InTo ThE eTeRnAl VoId!" The Dark Echo bellows
The Dark Echo crosses it's spectral arms across it's body, exerting dark red energy around him. Draxon, Mew, Ember and Flame all felt themselves being pulled up towards the evil wraith. Thinking fast, Draxon drives Soul Calibur into the ground to stop himself and quickly grabs hold of Mew with his left-arm while Ember and Flame hold their ground using their claws. Soon, the Dark Echo thrusts it's arms out, unleashing tendrils of darkness from it's body. Fortunately, none came close to striking Draxon and his friends.
Draxon aims his Keyblade up at the Dark Echo and shoots a volley of blue magic projectiles. Mew helps out with it's Aura Sphere, conjuring up a blue orb of energy infront of it and launching it at the Dark Echo. Ember and Flame both use their Fire Breaths and lend their support, shooting fireballs from their mouths. The shadowy wraith shields itself from the combined attacks, wrapping itself within it's dark cloak.
The Dark Echo spreads it's hands out to it's sides and clenches them into fists, causing a black light to emit from them. Several black ethereal chains of darkness coated in dark energy emerge from the ground.
"EnOuGh GaMeS!" The Dark Echo bellows
The evil wraith thrusts his hands forward, sending the chains flying at the heroes as they slither through the air like snakes. Draxon was able to dodge them, but Mew, Ember and Flame were not so fortunate. The dark chains coiled around their bodies, ensnaring them, rendering them unable to move.
"Aah! I can't move!" Ember exclaims
"Ngh! These chains are tight! I can't get free!" Flame exclaims
"Mew!" Mew exclaims
Draxon watched in horror with widened eyes as the cruel chains wrapped themselves tight around his friends while they struggled to free themselves.
"Mew! Ember! Flame!" Draxon cries out
The young teen was about to go help his friends when he felt a presence behind him. He turned around and saw the Dark Echo hovering right infront of him. Before he was able to do anything, the ghostly being grabs Draxon by his throat and holds him up high above the ground.
"YoU cAnNoT sAvE tHeM. No MoRe ThAn YoU cAn SaVe YoUr TwO fRiEnDs." The Dark Echo says
"What... are you... talking about?" Draxon asks choking in the dark being's grip
"RoXaS aNd XiOn. YoUr FeLlOw KeYbLaDe WiElDeRs. EvEn As We SpEaK, tHe TwO oF tHeM hAvE bEeN sEnT tO eLiMiNaTe A pOwErFuL HeArTlEsS iN HaLlOwEeN ToWn. BuT lItTlE dO tHeY kNoW tHaT tHeY wIlL bE fIgHtInG eAcH oThEr." The Dark Echo says
"Their mission... It's a trap!" Draxon says in shock
"TrIcKeRy Of ThE mInD eMpLoYeD bY mE tHrOuGh ThE pOwEr Of DaRkNeSs. BuT yOu ShAlL nOt LiVe To SeE iT iN fRuItIoN." The Dark Echo says
The Dark Echo throws Draxon back halfway across the mountaintop. Draxon falls down on his back and rolls across the ground, eventually coming to a stop flat on his stomach. The young teen slowly rises up and got back on his feet as the shadowy wraith approached him.
"In ThE eNd, OnLy OnE oF tHeM wIlL sUrViVe. BuT yOu HaVe OuTlIvEd YoUr UsEfUlNeSs, YoUnG DrAxOn. It Is TiMe YoU mEeT yOuR eNd. FrOm YoUr CoRpSe, I wIlL aBsOrB yOuR pOwErS aNd MaKe ThEm My OwN. PrEpArE tO bE eRaSeD fRoM eXiStEnCe!" The Dark Echo says
Draxon stared down the Dark Echo with a serious expression. He got back into battle stance and gripped Soul Calibur tightly in his right-hand.
The Dark Echo stretches out it's right-hand, summoning a large weapon in a flash of darkness. This weapon was a giant shadowy Zweihander-type sword, which constantly radiates a black aura of darkness. The sword had a double-edged, enlarged blade, a long two-handed hilt, and a flaming red eye at the base of the blade. The sword emits an eerie luminescent glow the same as it's master. Although it was a two-handed sword, the Dark Echo held the large weapon in it's right-hand as though it's weight was nothing.
Now forced to fight alone, Draxon readied himself for his epic battle and his last stand against the Dark Echo.
Making his first move, Draxon rushes at the Dark Echo and swings Soul Calibur left and right, landing three strikes, then delivers a right-downward slash. The Dark Echo swings it's large sword with a wide right sweeping slash. Draxon quickly ducks down and strikes back with a rising left-uppercut slash. The Dark Echo raises it's sword over it's head and swings it down towards Draxon. The young teen quickly rolls over to the left, dodging the sword, and counters with a rising spinning slash, which hits three times. Growling in it's demonic voice, the shadowy wraith thrusts it's left-hand forward, sending Draxon sliding back several feet away with strong telekinetic force.
Holding it's sword out infront, the Dark Echo began charging up with dark energy, channeling darkness into the sword. Soon, the spectral being swings it's sword with a downward slash, sending a large black-red wave through the air toward Draxon. The young teen spin-jumps over to right, evading the dark wave. The Dark Echo launches another dark wave with a right slash. Draxon leaps over the wave projectile with a somersault and launches a blue light wave through Soul Calibur. The attack hits the Dark Echo with direct impact. The shadowy wraith sends forth a third dark wave with a left-upward slash while Draxon launches another light wave with a right-downward slash. Both waves of light and dark strike and cancel each other out.
Black flames envelope the Zweihander sword as the Dark Echo uses it's next move. Raising the large sword high over it's head, the evil entity lets out a loud, bellowing roar and slams down on the ground with powerful force, sending seven waves of dark flames erupting along the ground towards Draxon. The young teen holds Soul Calibur horizontally with both hands infront of him, generating a spherical barrier of light, which shields him from the dark flames. Before Draxon could react, the Dark Echo instantly teleports to him and swings it's large sword with a strong left slash using both hands. Draxon barely had enough time to bring up Soul Calibur in defense. He blocks against the fierce blow, but it was so strong that it almost sent him flying off the mountaintop. Draxon slides to a stop only a few feet away from the edge and he fell down on his right-knee. The Dark Echo thrusts it's large sword forward, launching a salvo of dark blasts at Draxon, who quickly jumps up in the air, dodging the dark blasts, and retaliates in shooting a volley of blue light blasts through Soul Calibur. The light blasts land multiple direct hits to the Dark Echo, each detonating with bright explosions, forcing the shadowy wraith back.
Seizing this chance, Draxon rushes at the Dark Echo and goes all out with his Keyblade. First, he leaps forward and strikes with two left spinning slashes and a reverse roundhouse slash. Next, he delivers a backflip slash, a somersault slash, which hits two times, and a downward slash. Then, he follows up with a left-upward slash, a right slash, a left-downward slash, and another backflip slash as he jumps a good feet away. Finally, Draxon flies forward at the Dark Echo with Soul Calibur shining brightly with it's benevolent light and finishes it off with a right-downward slash, slicing through it's shadowy body.
The Dark Echo shrieks in pain and it fades away from sight. With the Dark Echo defeated, the black chains around Mew, Ember and Flame disappear in a flash of light, dropping them to the ground. With the fight now over, Draxon de-summons his crystal Keyblade and runs over to check on his friends.
"Mew, Ember, Flame, are you guys alright?" Draxon asks
"Mew." Mew says nodding it's head
"Yes. We are now." Flame says
"I can't believe we did it. We defeated the Dark Wraith!" Ember says happily
"Hm Hm Hm Hm..." A dark voice chuckles
Draxon and his friends turn around and saw that the Dark Echo was still alive. What's more is that the shadowy being didn't appear weakened by their attacks.
"Seriously?! That creepy wraith is still alive?! When will this nightmare end?!" Sparx groans
"VeRy WeLl DoNe, KeYbLaDe WiElDeR. AlThOuGh YoU aRe NoT yEt At FuLl PoWeR, yOu ArE iNdEeD pOwErFuL aS I hAd FoRsEeN. I aM mOsT iMpReSsEd." The Dark Echo says
"Who are you? What are you?" Draxon asks in a demanding voice
"A dEaThLy ShAdOw... BoRn FrOm ThE dEePeSt DePtHs Of DaRkNeSs. ThRoUgHoUt MaNy LiFeTiMeS, I hAvE sPeNt EtErNiTy BeCoMiNg MaNy ThInGs. An ExPlOrEr. A sChOlAr. A dIcTaToR. NoW, I aM aLl ThAt Is ImMoRtAl. A dEmOn. A tItAn. A gOd. A dArK lOrD. I aM wHaT fEaR fEaRs MoSt." The Dark Echo says
Darkness began to envelope the Dark Echo as the shadowy being prepared to take it's leave.
"YoU hAvE cOmE fAr In YoUr HuNt Of Me. BuT I aSk YoU, KeYbLaDe WiElDeR, hAvE yOu CoMe FoR nOtHiNg ElSe? HaVe YoU lEaRnEd AnYtHiNg On YoUr JoUrNeY oF dIsCovErY? PeRhApS wHaT yOu sEeK iS tHe AnSwErS FoR tHe TrUTh Of YoUr ExIsTeNcE?" The Dark Echo says
Draxon stares at the Dark Echo with widened eyes and a look of shock while Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx glance at him, confused as to what the evil entity said.
"Oh YeS. I kNoW aLl ThErE iS tO kNoW aBoUt YoU, DrAxOn. YoUr TrUe IdEnTiTy. ThE sOuRcE oF yOuR pOwErS. YoUr ReAsOn FoR bEiNG. I aLsO kNoW aBoUt yOuR fRiEnDs... RoXaS... AxEl... XiOn... YoU fOuR sHaRe A gReAt BoNd, bUt ThOsE bOnDs ShALl SoOn Be BrOkEn. ShAdEd TrUtHs LiEs HiDdEn In ThE dArK, WaItInG tO bE dIsCoVeReD. OnE hUnT eNdS, aNoThEr BeGiNs..." The Dark Echo says
Having said that, the shadowy wraith fades away once more, vanishing back into the darkness. Draxon stood silently and motionless, still shocked at the Dark Echo's words. Now he was filled with even more questions than answers. How did the Dark Echo know about him and his friends? Does it really know the truth about his existence? Just who exactly was the Dark Echo? It was all so much to process. His head was hurting just from thinking a lot about it. Draxon's friends stared at him, looking concerned. Mew flew up infront of Draxon, tilting it's head to the right.
"Mew?" Mew says
"Draxon? Are you okay?" Ember asks
"I'm confused. What did the Dark Wraith mean about 'the truth of your existence'?" Flame asks
"You got me." Sparx says shrugging his shoulders
Ember, Flame, and Sparx looks over at Draxon, expecting him to know the answer. Even Mew was staring at him. Draxon looks down, keeping his eyes fixed to the ground. How could he explain to his friends that he was a Nobody? A being born without a heart? How would they respond? What will they think of him? After a few moments of silence, Draxon shook his head dismissively.
"I... I'll explain later. Right now, we have to get back to Warfang. And I've gotta find Roxas and Xion before they get hurt or worse." Draxon says
"Right. Let's get going." Ember says
Suddenly, the Well of Souls began to shake violently as powerful tremors rocked the ground. Chunks of the mountain break off and fall down into the wasteland below, crumbling into pieces on the way down.
"Whoa! What's going on?" Flame exclaims
"Feels like this mountain is coming down!" Ember exclaims
"Oh man! I got buried under here once. Ain't no way I'm going through that again!" Sparx exclaims
"Let's go!" Draxon says
Mew transforms into a Salamence and Draxon climbs onto it's back. The heroes quickly take to the sky and fly away from the Mountain of Malefor as it collapses, disappearing completely in a large black cloud of smoke. The evil mountain would forever remain destroyed in ruins, never to surface again.
(Later that evening)
Draxon, Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx returned to the Dragon Temple in Warfang and reported their success to the Dragon Guardians and Hunter near the Pool of Visions.
"Draxon, we guardians cannot express our gratitude for all you have done for us. You defeated the Dark Wraith, fought valiantly against the Heartless, and helped push back the darkness from our lands. The Dragon Realms are forever in your debt." Terrador says
"Yes. Excellent work, young chap." Cyril says
"Such a brave, courageous, noble, heroic Keyblade Wielder like Draxon should most definitely be recognized for his great deeds. Many young dragons will certainly wish to meet their hero one day." Volteer says
"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it alone. The Dark Wraith was very powerful. I wasn't even sure if I could defeat it." Draxon says
Draxon looks back over right-shoulder at Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx.
"It's a good thing I had my friends to back me up." Draxon says smiling
Ember and Flame both nod their heads to the young teen.
"We'll always be looking out for you, Draxon." Flame says
"'Cause we're a team." Ember says
"You know we're always here for you, my man!" Sparx says pointing at Draxon with both hands in a cool-guy style
"It has been a long fight and we've come very far. Dragons, cheetahs, and moles will be able to live peacefully now that the Dark Wraith and the Heartless have been cast out." Hunter says
"Yes, yes. All good and well, but there is still one question that remains unanswered. Who is this mysterious Dark Wraith?" Cyril asks
"That's right. We still don't have a name to it's true identity." Hunter says
"Whoever it is, it will not trouble the Dragon Realms any longer." Terrador says
Draxon felt good that he was able to help Ember, Flame, the Dragon Guardians, and Hunter in fighting back against the Dark Wraith and the Heartless, but then he remembered Roxas and Xion and their mission. If what the Dark Wraith said about them was true and that they really were walking into a trap, then they would be in serious trouble.
"Well, I did learn something." Draxon says
All eyes turned to Draxon as he said this.
"What?" Ember asks
"I think we've just traded one bad situation for another. Roxas and Xion might be in danger." Draxon says
Mew, Ember, Flame, and Sparx' eyes widened and their faces quickly changed into shock. Even the Dragon Guardians and Hunter were shocked.
"Mew?!" Mew exclaims
"What?!" Ember, Flame, and Sparx exclaim in unison
"How do you know this?" Hunter asks
"The Dark Wraith told me during our fight at the Well of Souls. They're in another world called Halloween Town, supposedly hunting for a powerful Heartless, but they'll be fighting each other." Draxon explains
"How?" Flame asks
"The Dark Wraith said that it used some kind of mind trick through the power of darkness to make Roxas and Xion believe that they're both fighting the same Heartless." Draxon explains
"Dude, you really gonna believe what that creepy phantom said about them?" Sparx asks
"Yeah. Are you sure, Draxon?" Ember asks
"Whether it's true or not, I can't risk losing my closest friends. I wish I didn't have to leave in a hurry like this, but I have to get to them before it's too late." Draxon says
"Go. Save your friends. We will always be here awaiting your visit." Terrador says
"Good luck." Flame says
"Stay safe." Ember says
Draxon nods to his friends and turns around to leave. The young teen stretches his right-hand out infront of him, and opens up a dark corridor. With haste, Draxon runs into the dark portal with Mew following close behind while Ember, Flame, Sparx, the Dragon Guardians, and Hunter watch them go.
(Halloween Town)
A dark corridor opens up at the entrance to Halloween Town and Draxon and Mew rush out.
"C'mon, Mew!" Draxon says
"Mew!" Mew says
The young teen and Pokémon head on into the town to begin searching for Roxas and Xion. They head into the town square and saw Axel. Why was he here? Maybe he was looking for Roxas and Xion, too. Perhaps he knew what was really going on. Draxon and Mew approach Axel as he was looking left and right, wondering which way he should go.
"Axel!" Draxon calls
Axel turns around upon hearing his name called and he saw Draxon and Mew.
"Draxon! Mew! What are you two doing here?" Axel asks
"I was about to ask you the same thing." Draxon says
"I'm looking for Roxas and Xion." Axel says
"So are we. Do you know what's going on?" Draxon asks
"Yes. They were both sent here to fight a powerful Heartless, but..." Axel says
"But they'll be fighting each other." Draxon finishes
Axel stares at Draxon in surprise. How could he possibly have known that?
"How did you know?" Axel asks
"Remember the Dark Wraith I told you, Roxas, and Xion about? It told me during my so-called mission in the Dragon Realms. Somehow I think it must have something to do with this." Draxon says
"Between you and me, there's a lot more going on than we know." Axel says
"We'll worry about it later. Right now, we've got to find Roxas and Xion before they kill each other." Draxon says
"Right! Let's go!" Axel says
Now with Axel joining them, Draxon and Mew head further into Halloween Town to search for Roxas and Xion before their fight turns gruesome.
(Meanwhile)
Roxas was in the graveyard already in the midst of his fight against his target, which was an Orcus, a more powerful version of the Invisible Heartless. The young teen jumps back as the dark creatures swung it's scalloped sword with a left slash at him. Roxas panted heavily. He had been fighting the Orcus for several minutes and he was starting to get exhausted.
"It's... It's too powerful." Roxas pants
Roxas rises up on his feet and stares down the Heartless as it hovered infront of him.
"I've got to stop this Heartless now before it wears me down any further!" Roxas says
Roxas holds his Kingdom Key out infront of him as he prepared to attack.
"It's all... or nothing!" Roxas says
Within moments, Roxas leaps forward at the Orcus with his Keyblade raised over his right-shoulder. The sound of clashing metal filled the air as a loud clang throughout the graveyard. Roxas' strike was interrupted by Axel, who blocked his Kingdom Key with one of his chakrams. Behind him was Draxon, who had Soul Calibur out to block Xion's Kingdom Key. And floating in-between them was Mew.
"Stop, both of you!" Axel yells
"That's enough!" Draxon yells
"Xion!?" Roxas exclaims in shock
Roxas and Xion immediately backed away from Draxon and Axel as they saw each other.
"Roxas!? Wh... what are you doing here? The Heartless I was fighting... It was you?" Xion exclaims also shocked
"What's going on?" Roxas asks
"This mission was a setup." Axel says
"What?" Roxas asks confused
"It was rigged so you two would battle each other." Axel says
"Me and Xion? But... I would never hurt Xion!" Roxas says
"I don't understand. Who would pit us together like this?" Xion says
"It was the Organization." Axel says
"And the Dark Wraith." Draxon says
"The Organization and the Dark Wraith?" Xion says confused
"Yes. They both worked together to set this whole thing up. The Organization sent you both here while the Dark Wraith used the power of darkness to trick you both into fighting each other. I fought the Dark Wraith in the Dragon Realms with Ember and Flame. Apparently, I was sent there to be eliminated." Draxon says
Roxas and Xion stare at Draxon with widened eyes and shocked expressions.
"What?!" Roxas and Xion exclaim in shock
"They would do this?" Xion asks
"But why?" Roxas asks
"The Organization only wants one Keyblade Wielder in their ranks... which doesn't make a whole lot of sense. As for the Dark Wraith, I'm not sure why it would have any part in this." Axel explains
"There's something else going on here, guys. We need to be very, very careful." Draxon says
The four friends shared troubled glances with each other as they had just uncovered a sinister plot between Organization XIII and the Dark Echo.
(Twilight Town)
After their ordeal in Halloween Town, Draxon, Roxas, Xion, Axel, and Mew spent their evening in Twilight Town, sitting up on the clock tower at their Usual Spot. Each of them were eating Sea-salt ice cream. Xion took a bite out of hers and she winced as she felt a slight pain in her head.
"Brain freeze." Xion giggles
Draxon, Roxas, and Mew chuckled at that.
"It's been a while since we all hung out like this, hasn't it?" Roxas asks
"Yeah, it has." Draxon says
"Well, we've had our share of drama lately. I just remembered, did you know you should be checking your ice cream sticks?" Axel says
"Mew?" Mew asks tilting it's head to the right
"Really?" Xion asks
"For what?" Draxon asks
"Once you finish your ice cream, see if the stick says 'Winner'." Axel says
Axel took a large bite out of his ice cream and examined the stick, only to see that there was nothing written on it's side.
"Not that I've ever seen one myself." Axel says
"Wait a second..." Roxas says
Draxon and Roxas looked at each other as they realized something. During the time that Axel was supposedly missing during his mission at Castle Oblivion, the two of them had ice cream sticks that actually said 'Winner'.
"What is it?" Axel asks
The two boys quickly looked away.
"Uhh... It's nothing." Roxas says
"So what exactly happens if you do win?" Draxon asks
"I'll tell ya... That's a good question." Axel says
"What? You don't know?" Roxas asks
"Well, it's gotta be something nifty, if you're a 'Winner', right?" Axel says
"Cool..." Roxas says with a smile
"Pretty neat..." Draxon says also smiling
Xion giggles. Even Mew giggles with it's voice. Xion looks out at the sunset and her expression was full of awe and amazement.
"Wow. The sun's beautiful." Xion says
Draxon, Roxas, Axel, and Mew glanced out at the sunset and they all agreed it was a spectacular view.
"I know we've seen a lot of sunsets, but today's puts them all to shame. If only things could stay like this forever..." Xion says
The five friends sat silently for a moment until Roxas came up with an idea.
"Say... What if we all just took off?" Roxas asks
"What?" Xion asks
"If we ran, I bet we could always be together." Roxas says
"That's actually not a bad idea." Draxon says
"But we have nowhere to run." Xion says looking down
"Are you kidding me, Xion? Think of the places we've been to. All the friends we've made. We've all got dragons back on Berk. We could always go there and take them with us wherever we go and not have to worry about anything." Draxon says
Draxon looks down at his ice cream, then stares out at the sunset.
"That would certainly be a dream come true." Draxon says
"Yeah. And let's not forget about our trips to Kalos and the Dragon Realms and the friends we've made in those worlds." Roxas says
"Right. Stoick, Gobber, Ember, Flame, Sparx, Hunter, Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie. Each of them. They're all our friends." Draxon says
"What's important isn't that we hang out with each other every day." Axel says
Xion looks right over at Axel.
"As long as we keep each other in our thoughts, we'll never be apart, right? We've got it memorized, Axel." Xion says smiling
"Good." Axel says with a smile of his own
Xion looks down at her ice cream and holds it close to her chest, closing her eyes in content.
"I'll have these moments memorized for a long time. Forever." Xion says
"Me too." Roxas says
"Here, here." Draxon says
"Mew." Mew says nodding it's head
The five friends continued to stare out at the beautiful sunset, enjoying the rest of their evening together.
(Meanwhile)
In the Old Mansion, Naminé stood infront of Sora's pod with a look full of worry and concern.
"Sora... Devon..." Naminé says
"It appears we've come to a standstill." DiZ says
Naminé hangs her head low and closes her eyes. The time had come. They had to fix things now. Sora and Devon's memories along with their powers had to be restored.
"Yes." Naminé says
"This has gone on long enough. Riku..." DiZ says
DiZ turns to his left and looks back at Riku.
"I think you know what needs to be done." DiZ says
"Right." Riku says
Author's Note: I'm still here, everyone! Just like us, the days go by for Draxon, Roxas, and Xion in Organization XIII. But this day has a very strange twist to it. Draxon is sent to the Dragon Realms while Roxas is sent to Halloween Town. The hunt for the Dark Echo finally reaches it's climax in the Dragon Realms as Draxon, Mew, Ember and Flame journey to the Mountain of Malefor, which was long thought to have collapsed. And surprise! Surprise! There's some references to Shara and Ducar, Devon's mother and father in Draxon's mission. Draxon and his friends explore the evil fortress, surviving the deadly traps and fighting the Heartless. Then, they fight the Dark Echo in yet another epic battle at the top of the mountain in the midst of a dark storm. Afterwards, Draxon, Roxas, Xion, and Axel learn a secret sinister plot between the Dark Echo and Organization XIII. Turns out they only need one Keyblade Wielder in their ranks. But for what end? Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!
