Hello and welcome to chapter 17 and the long awaited battle against Xehanort and Organization XIII. Like I said before this battle will be divided into four parts, starting with the rescue of the Princesses of Heart. Be warned though that there will be some more talking before the actual battle, which includes Xehanort quoting some of what he said in Birth By Sleep, but it also includes a tender moment between Naruto and Hinata. Not only that, but it also starts off with a short battle between the organization and the Guardians of Light.
Chapter 17:
Inside the Gummi Ship, the group got on board and were ready for take off. However, they noticed that something or someone was missing.
"Hey guys," Sora greeted Chip and Dale. "Where's Cassie?"
"We don't know," Dale answered. "She said she had to go somewhere and then she left."
"Don't worry about her," Naruto pointed out. "We've got to get to the Keyblade Graveyard."
"We're on it," said Chip.
The Gummi Ship took off.
But then Aang asked, "Does anyone know where the Keyblade Graveyard is?"
"Uh-oh...!"
In the Keyblade Graveyard, the Guardians of Light had arrived, ready to battle the Seekers of Darkness. The members included Yen Sid as the leader, King Mickey, Lea, Ventus, Aqua, Riku, and Roxas whom was filling in for Sora. Each one of them were wielding their respective Keyblades, Rainfell for Aqua, Wayward for Ventus, Flame Liberator for Lea, Way to the Dawn for Riku, Kingdom Key D for Mickey, Star Seeker for Yen Sid, and Kingdom Key L for Roxas. Upon arriving, several of the newcomers looked around and were a little creeped out.
"So this is the Keyblade Graveyard," said Lea as he looked around. "I gotta say it lives up to its name."
"We can marvel at the sightings later," said Ventus. "Right now we've got work to do."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," Lea replied.
"Alright everyone, prepare yourselves," said Yen Sid, wielding the Star Seeker. "What is about to happen may trigger the Keyblade War, but it is the only way to protect and rescue the Princesses of Heart from Xehanort's clutches. Our primary objective is to get the Eighth Princess away from the battlefield. As long as we do that, we can fight the Organization without triggering the Keyblade War. Now, do you all understand your objectives?"
The other Guardians of Light nodded at Yen Sid, signaling that they understood what he was saying.
"Good, now let's go," Yen Sid ordered.
The Guardians of Light then made their way to where Organization XIII was located to rescue the Princesses of Heart.
At the ritual sight, all the preparations were complete and ready to go. And just in time as Xigbar, Saix, and Master Xehanort arrived with the Princesses of Heart.
"Are all the preparations complete," Master Xehanort checked.
"Yes," said Apprentice Xehanort. "All that needs to be done is for all the pieces to be aligned in their proper positions."
"Good," said Master Xehanort. "Then let us place the Princesses of Heart into their positions on the altar."
"Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with," said Demyx.
Several members of Organization XIII then got to work in placing the Princesses of Heart into their positions on the altar. The altar was shaped like a tiara or a crown with seven towers along the sides and one big tower in the middle. The middle tower of the altar was connected to the other towers by flying buttresses. Snow White, Cinderella, Alice, Aurora, Belle, Jasmine, and Kairi were placed on the seven towers around the rim. Hinata was place on the tower right in the middle. Upon being placed on their respective towers, the Seven Princesses of Heart along the rim were encased in crystal. Snow White was encased in Ruby, Cinderella was encased in Diamond, Alice was encased in Cat's Eye, Aurora was encased in Rose Quartz, Belle was encased in Amber, Jasmine was encased in Amethyst, and Kairi was encased in Sapphire.
Hinata watched as the other Princesses of Heart were incased in crystal prisons. "Snow, Cinderella, Alice, Aurora, Belle, Jasmine, Kairi," she screamed.
"Do not worry about them," said Saix. "They are fine for the moment."
"Monsters," was all Hinata could say.
"Do not waste your breath calling us monsters," said Saix. "In mere moments, you shall join them in your own crystal prison and the ritual will begin."
Hinata soon regained full control of her arms and legs and tried to escape from her predicament, but it was already too late. She too was soon encased in a crystal prison, in Pearl, and Saix moved out of the way to allow the process to be completed. As she was encased in crystal, she mentally called out, "Naruto…!"
In space between the worlds, Naruto, Sakura, Inuyasha, Spiro, Aang, Sora, and their comrades, were in the Gummi Ship, heading for the Keyblade Graveyard when Naruto heard Hinata calling out to him. It wasn't the first time he had telepathically heard Hinata calling to him and he knew from the tone of her voice that she was in trouble. The others noticed Naruto's expression and knew something was wrong.
"Naruto, what is it," Sakura asked.
"I just heard Hinata calling out to me," Naruto answered.
Suddenly it hit Kiba, "Wait a minute Naruto. Didn't you tell me that you were able to sense Hinata calling to you when we were put under the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
"Yeah," Naruto confirmed.
"Then that means you two must be connected somehow," Shikamaru added.
Suddenly, Sora sensed Kairi calling out to him the same way Hinata called out to Naruto
"Kairi," Sora gasped upon hearing Kairi.
"Sora, did you just sense Kairi calling out to you," Aang was quick to pick up on what was going on.
"Yeah," Sora answered.
Aang then came up with an idea. "Sora, Naruto, give me and Sakura your hands."
Naruto and Sora were confused, but Sakura picked up on what Aang was getting at.
"What for," Naruto asked.
"If Aang I can sense your energy, we might be able to pick up where Hinata and Kairi are being held," Sakura pointed out.
"And if we sense where they are, we'll be able to find the Keyblade Graveyard," Aang explained.
Naruto and Sora were reluctant at first, but they soon gave Aang and Sakura their hands and allowed the young avatar and magician to sense their energy. As they sensed their energy, Aang and Sakura found the connecting lines that connected Naruto with Hinata and Sora with Kairi. Following those lines through the vast emptiness of space, they soon located where the Princesses of Heart and Organization XIII were.
"I can sense a strange energy," Sakura gasped.
"Yeah, I feel it too," Aang agreed. "The Princesses of Heart are in danger."
"Do you know where they are," Sora asked.
Aang pointed out the Gummi Ship's windshield. "The Keyblade Graveyard is in that direction."
The Gummi Ship then turned towards the direction of the Keyblade Graveyard. As they got closer, Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga started pulsing. Soon, the others sensed it as well.
"I can sense Hinata's chakra," Naruto noted.
"Apparently, this is going to be a big battle for all of us," Inuyasha told the others.
"Then we must be prepared for anything," Spiro concluded. "Let us hurry to the Keyblade Graveyard."
"Chip, Dale, step on it," Sora called to the engineers.
"Right away…!"
In the Shinobi World, the Kage were discussing the situation. They were all looking into screens monitors while talking to one another as they were all still in their home villages.
"What, Xehanort was the reason the Jinchuriki couldn't contact their Tailed Beasts," Kakashi gasped.
"Apparently yes," Gaara confirmed. "Xehanort was doing this to make Naruto mentally unstable and to prevent myself and the other Jinchuriki from lending our support. His true goal was to make get the Princesses of Heart and after he captured Hinata Hyuga, he took advantage of Naruto's unstable situation to use him to get the Seventh Princess of Heart."
"Apparently, this Seventh Princess was a girl called Kairi, the girlfriend of that Keyblade Wielder Sora," A. added. "Judging from what Shukaku has told Lord Kazekage and what Gyuki has told Killer B, it would appear that Xehanort manipulated him into going into the Nine-Tails Cloak and injured the Seventh Princess. Now Xehanort has all Eight Princesses of Heart and is ready to create the χ-blade."
"But Naruto was able to get over his unstableness, wasn't he," Mei asked.
"Yes Mizukage," Gaara confirmed. "It also seems that he and Sora have teamed up with a few other people from a few other worlds and they are all on their way to stop Xehanort as we speak."
"But who are those other people," Kakashi asked.
"They are known as Sakura Kinomoto, a young magician, Inuyasha, a half-human/half-demon samurai, Aang, a young but all-powerful avatar, and Spiro, a firedrake dragon," Gaara answered. "I don't know much about them, but it would seem that they have powers that rival or even surpass those of any Jinchuriki."
"Interesting," said Onoki. "I just hope that they are able to defeat him. After all, this Xehanort seems to be at a higher level than Madara ever was."
"Don't forget, Naruto managed to hold his own against Kaguya while the rest of you were caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi," Kakashi pointed out. "I'm sure he can handle it."
"How can you be so sure," A. asked.
"Honestly, it's a hunch," Kakashi answered.
At Yen Sid's Tower, Captain Yamato woke up and looked around. "Where am I," He asked, his throat a little fuzzy from the attack on him earlier. "What is this place?"
"Hello, I am Alopheya, a phoenix," said Alopheya as she continued to heal him. "As for where you are, you are currently in the tower of the great sorcerer, Yen Sid. You were injured very badly earlier at Disney Castle, but your friend, Sakura Haruno, was able to tend to your wounds just enough to keep you alive."
"What are you talking about," Yamato asked.
"Naruto's attack collided with another, causing an explosion," Alopheya explained. "Ms. Haruno summoned a giant slug to protect us all and heal everyone using a strange ability, causing the mark on her forehead to disappear."
"Mitotic Regeneration," Yamato gasped. "How is she right now?"
"She seems to be doing fine," Alopheya answered. "My ally Katara looked after her and she should make a complete recovery."
Yamato sat up on his bed and saw Sakura in bed, doing well thanks to Katara's efforts. "Thank goodness," he said before realizing something. "Where's Naruto?"
"He and some others left to go fight an all-powerful opponent named Xehanort and his Organization XIII," Alopheya answered. "He, Sakura Kinomoto, Inuyasha, Spiro, Aang, and Sora, are all confident that they can defeat Xehanort and rescue Ms. Hinata Hyuga."
Yamato gasped, "Is he crazy? After going into the Nine-Tails Cloak, he shouldn't be going out there without us there with him…!"
Suddenly, Sakura Haruno woke up and said, "Captain Yamato, calm down. There was no time for that. The Sorcerer Yen Sid told us that Master Xehanort now has all of the pieces he needs to create the χ-blade. I'm sure you've heard of it from Kakashi Sensei while we were gone. If Naruto doesn't get her back now, she'll die."
At the Keyblade Graveyard, the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness positioned themselves onto the most outer altar. This altar was shaped like a crown and had thirteen towers, one for each member of Organization XIII. Twelve of the thirteen towers had a partner in height on the other side of the highest tower. They were arranged in the order of Aros, Terra-Xehanort, Demyx, Saix, Kuxir, Ansem, Master Xehanort, Xemnas, Xigbar, Vanitas, Apprentice Xehanort, Luxord, and Young Xehanort. Master Xehanort was on the highest tower, Ansem and Xemnas were on the second highest two towers, Xigbar and Kuxir were on third highest towers, Vanitas and Saix were on the middle towers, Apprentice Xehanort and Demyx were on the third lowest towers, Luxord and Terra-Xehanort were on the second lowest towers, and Young Xehanort and Aros were on the lowers towers.
As the Organization members got into position, the Guardians of Light showed up, ready to try and stop them and save the Princesses of Heart. Xehanort looked around and spotted the Guardians and said, "Well, looks like we have company."
The other members of the Organization looked upon the Guardians and knew that they were about to go into battle. Some of them were looking forward to battling the Guardians while others were just a little annoyed.
"Well, well, well," said Vanitas upon seeing Ventus.
"Indeed," said Kuxir upon seeing Riku. "I think it's time we stopped existing in their shadows and "remove" them from the equation for good."
"I agree," said Vanitas.
Vanitas and Kuxir lunged at Ventus and Riku without hesitation. In no time, the two Guardians of Light and the two Seekers of Darkness got into a battle.
"You don't know how long I've been waiting for this Ventus," said Vanitas.
"Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you," Ventus replied.
"Once this is over, there will be only one Riku in the world," said Kuxir
"I couldn't agree more," Riku replied.
Soon, the other Seekers of Darkness joined in and faced off against the Guardians of Light.
"Yen Sid," said Master Xehanort with a smile. "I never would've thought that you would return from retirement so soon. I suppose the events I have orchestrated up until this point have motivated you to taking drastic measures. But where is Sora?"
"Sora will not be joining us in this battle Xehanort," Yen Sid replied. "Your opponent shall be me."
Yen Sid then summoned the Star Seeker.
"I suppose that is how it must be," Master Xehanort summoned his Keyblade.
The battle between the Guardians of Light and the Seekers of Darkness ensued, with members on either side taking on particular members of their opposing side. Ventus vs. Vanitas, Riku vs. Kuxir, Aqua vs. Terra-Xehanort, Lea vs. Saix, Roxas vs Aros, King Mickey vs. Young Xehanort, and Master Yen Sid vs Master Xehanort. Ansem, Xemnas, Xigbar, Apprentice Xehanort, Demyx, and Luxord, watched on for the most part, waiting for a chance to play dirty on the Guardians of Light.
A few miles away from the battlefield, Naruto, Sakura, Inuyasha, Spiro, Aang, Sora, and their comrades had arrived in the Keyblade Graveyard. The Gummi Ship landed on the ground and allowed everyone on out. Upon getting out, the groups saw what the Keyblade Graveyard was actually like with their own eyes. All they could see for miles in every direction was a barren landscape covered with the Keyblades of Keyblade Wielders who fought and died during the first Keyblade War.
"So this is the Keyblade Graveyard," Sakura asked, feeling creeped out.
"Apparently yes," Sora replied feeling roughly the same way. "It's more ominous than I thought."
"I don't think I like this place," Sakura commented.
"We can admire the beauty of the landscape later," Spiro pointed out. "Now come. Let's hurry up and find the Princesses of Heart."
"They can't be too far away," Syaoran pointed out. "I sense Kairi's presence as well as the presences of the Guardians of Light."
"Yeah, I sense them too," Naruto agreed. "I'd say they're a few miles away from where we are right now."
"Alright, which direction can they be in," Inuyasha asked.
Suddenly, Shikamaru noticed something in the distance. "Hey guys," he said. "Do you think they're in that direction?"
Everyone looked in the direction Shikamaru was looking and saw sparks of light and darkness flying in the sky. These were the very same sparks coming from the battle between the Seven Guardians of Light and the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness. Naruto, Sakura, Syaoran, Kagome, Aang, Sora, Kero and Yue, all used their sixth senses in that particular direction and confirmed their suspicions.
"That's it," Sora gasped.
"Are you sure," Tasha asked.
"Yeah, that's them alright," Sora replied.
"Yeah, I sense it too," Naruto added.
"Me too," Sakura agreed.
"I think we can all sense their energies coming from that direction," Yue pointed out.
Suddenly, Neoshadow and Novashadow Heartless and Dusk Nobodies appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the group.
"We're surrounded," Sakura gasped as the others prepared to fight back.
Seeing the situation, Spiro took charge and blasted a large number of the enemies with a firebeam attacked before calling out, "No time to waste…! Naruto, Sakura, Inuyasha, Tasha, Aang, Sora, Kero, Yue, you all come with me…! We must get to the battlefield and free the Princesses of Heart…! The rest of you, stay behind and guard the ship…! Katara, stay inside the ship…! Standby incase the Princesses of Heart need healing…! Everyone else, keep the Heartless and Nobodies at bay…! Shikamaru, you're in charge of things here while the rest of us are gone…!"
Everyone agreed with Spiro's decision, knowing that it was the best way to go about the mission. Spiro then took the wing and started flying to the battlefield with everyone else following behind.
On the battlefield, the Guardians of Light and the Seekers of Darkness were going at it while the Princesses of Heart remained in their crystal prisons. They were engaged in one-on-one conflicts, most of them being personal confrontations with the Seeker of Darkness that were like their inner demons or a friend corrupted by darkness.
In one corner, Roxas and Aros were fighting amongst each other. Both had summoned their Keyblades and were locked in a sword dual.
"What's the matter Roxas," Aros questioned as he and Roxas swordlocked with their Keyblades.
"You and I aren't supposed to exist," Roxas informed Aros.
"That's what you think," said Aros.
Suddenly, Demyx joined the battle and attacked Roxas with several Dancer Nobodies.
"Hello, Roxas," said Demyx.
"Demyx," Roxas replied.
"It's been a long time since we've seen each other," said Demyx as he walked up to him. "So tell me, why did you betray us? You could've been one of us, one of Master Xehanort's Seekers of Darkness. You could've joined us in a world where Nobodies were their own person."
"And you assume that doing this will give you that chance," Roxas asked before getting attacked by Aros, this time with his claws.
Roxas was quick to react to Aros's attack and blocked the claw attack with his Keyblades Oblivion and Oathkeeper. But while he was blocking the attack, he left himself open for another and Demyx took advantage of this.
"DANCE WATER DANCE…!"
Demyx unleashed his Water Dance attack, creating several living pillars of water and sending them to attack Roxas. Roxas, still holding Aros's attack at bay, was quick to realize this and used Aros as a shield from the living pillars. Jumping aside, Roxas panted for a bit before charging at Demyx himself.
In another corner Lea was battling against Saix, the Nobody of his best friend Isa. But he believed that Saix was Isa himself.
"Isa, what's happened to you," said Lea as he blocked Saix's attack.
"Isa," said Saix as he tried to slash down at Lea. "You must be talking about my former self. I may resemble Isa, but I am not Isa. I am Saix, the Nobody of Isa."
"I don't believe that," Lea denied as he pushed Saix back. "I know you're still in there Isa…! You need to fight back the piece of Xehanort that's inside you…!"
"You are wasting your effort," Saix replied as he attacked again. "Isa is gone, turned into a Heartless, and he will stay like that until both his Heartless and Nobody are destroyed. In other words, you must destroy me if you wish to see your friend again."
Before Lea could do anything, Xigbar attacked him from behind, knocking him to the ground.
"You know Saix, you gave him too much information," Xigbar pointed out.
"There is nothing he can do about it," Saix replied.
"I don't know about that," Xigbar argued.
Suddenly Lea summoned both the Bond of Flame and the Frolic Flame Keyblades and attacked the two Nobodies. He had gotten these two Keyblades from Sora and Ventus prior to the reappearance of Xehanort and was now using them as a symbol of his friendship with them both. Saix and Xigbar detected this in time and barely got out of the way.
"You shouldn't let your guard down," Lea said to them both. "Isa, Braig, I don't know if you're in there, but I am going to restore you to your original forms."
"I'd like to see you try," Xigbar smirked.
Lea then charged at the two Nobodies in an attempt to free Braig and Isa.
Near the altar, Riku was battling with Kuxir while trying to free the Princesses of Heart from their crystal prisons. As he battled against his darker half, Riku was giving everything he had to destroy the altar. But as he was about to land a strike on the altar, Kuxir struck down with the Soul Eater, forcing Riku to deflect it with his Way to the Dawn Keyblade.
"I can't let you destroy this altar," said Kuxir as he pushed Riku into a nearby cliff wall. "Not until the χ-blade if forged."
"I'm no longer part of the Dark Realm," Riku claimed when he hit the wall.
"I beg to differ," Kuxir corrected. "You merely can't open a corridor to the Dark Realm. I however can. All the darkness within your heart is inside of me, and so long as I exist, you will never be truly free from the darkness. Even if you manage to destroy me, what are the odds that all the darkness within me won't return to you?"
"What are you getting at," Riku asked.
"It's like I said to you before," Kuxir answered. "So long as you exist, I can never be anything more than a phony! A fake…! A shadow in your presence…!"
Riku then pushed Kuxir off of him and continued the fight with his darker half. They crossed swords several times, Kuxir tried to cut off Riku's head, Riku evaded it before pushing Kuxir away, Riku then slashed down but Kuxir blocked it, rinse and repeat. At first, it seemed the Riku had the upper hand, but then Ansem came in and pinned Riku to the ground.
"Stay out of this Ansem," Kuxir shouted. "He's mine…!"
"Do not allow your personal grudge against him cloud your judgement," Ansem lectured Kuxir. "Our mission is to create the χ-blade and we cannot afford to lose any members of the Organization at this point."
"Shut up," Kuxir shouted.
Riku took advantage of this and used Way to the Dawn to slash at Ansem, freeing himself from Ansem's grasp.
"I'll take you both on," Riku announced as he summoned the Keyblade of Heart. "You both represent the darkness that was once inside my heart. Once I defeat you both, I will be free of the darkness."
"We shall see," Ansem replied.
Ansem and Kuxir then charged at Riku and Riku charged at them back.
At the top of the cliff Riku was slammed into, King Mickey was battling against Young Xehanort with everything he had. Young Xehanort had the advantage in size, but Mickey matched that with his superior agility and experience. At one point, Mickey crossed blades with Young Xehanort and both tried to physically over power the other.
"You actually believe you can stop the inevitable," Young Xehanort asked. "As I told Riku, you cannot change the events that are destined to happen. All of this was prearranged by fate."
"I don't believe that," Mickey pushed away from Young Xehanort. "While it is true that the past cannot be changed, the future is a different matter! No one knows what the future will bring! The future can always be changed…! All any of us can do is live out our lives in the present…!"
"We shall see," Young Xehanort replied.
Suddenly, Luxord appeared right behind Mickey and trapped in with in a die. Mickey tried to get away, but it was no use.
"Sorry there mate," said Luxord. "But I'm afraid playtime is over."
"Indeed," said Young Xehanort. "It is time to fulfill my future self's ambition and forge the χ-blade."
Suddenly, Mickey managed to break himself free of the die prison and announced, "Not if I have anything to say about it…!"
Further away, Ventus and Aqua were fighting back-to-back as they faced off against Vanitas and Terra-Xehanort. Ventus was fighting Vanitas to settle scores with his darker half, not unlike Riku's battle with Kuxir and Ansem or Roxas's battle with Aros, while Aqua was battling Terra-Xehanort in hopes of rescuing a dear friend, not unlike Lea's battle with Xigbar and Saix.
"The time has come," said Vanitas. "It is time to settle this petty little debate once and for all."
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Ventus shouted.
"Terra, it's me, Aqua, don't you remember," Aqua pleaded to Terra-Xehanort.
"Terra is no longer around," Terra-Xehanort answered. "You are merely wasting your breath and your effort."
"I will find a way to break through to you, Terra," Aqua replied. "I promise…!"
Vanitas and Terra-Xehanort then charged at Ventus and Aqua and vice versa. The battle between the two dues ensued quite rapidly.
On one end, Ventus and Vanitas were at it like they were back when they forged the incomplete χ-blade. Ventus slashed down with his Wayward Wind Keyblade while Vanitas slashed sideways with his Void Gear Keyblade. The two Keyblade clashed against one another and the two Keyblade Wielders attempted to overpower each other. Eventually, they both separated and began to fight an old fashion sword duel, their Keyblades clashing with one another almost simultaneously.
"Try as you might, but it is inevitable," said Vanitas.
"Shut up," said Ventus.
"Even if you managed to defeat me, the χ-blade will still be forged," Vanitas taunted Ventus. "And that's because all the darkness that is in my heart will return to you and we shall once again join together. And this time, your friends will not be able to save you or stop the χ-blade from being forged."
"I said shut up," Ventus shouted.
Ventus and Vanitas then separated and prepared to shoot their Shotlock attacks upon one another.
"DARK LINK…!"
"DARK CANNON…!"
On the other end, Aqua was doing everything she could to save Terra from Xehanort's influence. Aqua knew that she had to fight her friend in order to save his life, but she was still quite hesitant to do so. Terra-Xehanort on the other hand was doing everything he could to harm Aqua in any way he could. Terra-Xehanort came down from above Aqua and slashed down on her with his Darkgnaw Keyblade, but Aqua blocked it with her Stormfall Keyblade. Aqua then pushed Terra-Xehanort off of her and charged at him.
"Terra," Aqua called out.
"I told you already, Terra is no longer around," Terra-Xehanort replied. "His heart has been swallowed up the darkness with in him!"
"Then you will return Terra's heart at once," Aqua demanded. "If you don't, you will pay the price…!"
"We'll see about that," Terra-Xehanort replied.
Aqua and Terra-Xehanort charged at one another and clashed their Keyblades with each other, clash after clash ending in a stalemate. Eventually, the two Keyblade Wielders separated and prepared to use their Shotlock attacks against each other.
"BUBBLE BLASTER…!"
"DARK VOLLEY…!"
Ventus, Vanitas, Aqua, and Terra-Xehanort all battled with their Shotlock attacks for several seconds. But eventually, the contests ended in a stalemate and they went back to battling each other in sword duels.
As Ventus continuously attacked Vanitas, he was unaware of his surroundings and was hit by a sneak attack by Apprentice Xehanort. Ventus tried to protect himself from the surprise attack, but was too slow to react in time and was flattened to the ground.
"What the," said Ventus before being flattened to the ground.
While on the ground, Vanitas walked up to him and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. You didn't see that coming? You shouldn't have let your guard down even while we were fighting."
Apprentice Xehanort then appeared right behind Vanitas. "Indeed," he said. "One must always be prepared for what might come from behind them, not just in front of them."
At the same time, Aqua was battling Terra-Xehanort when she saw Ventus flattened to the ground. "Ven…!"
Aqua quickly ran as fast as she could to help her friend, but was blocked at the last second by Xemnas.
"I don't think so," said Xemnas. "This is his fight. Your fight is with us."
Aqua looked around and saw that she was now fighting against both Xemnas and Terra-Xehanort.
Right above the battlefield, both Master Yen Sid and Master Xehanort were at one another's throats, one-on-one. Yen Sid was doing well, but his years of being retired were showing on him and Xehanort took advantage of this.
"Yen Sid, you appear to have lost your touch," Xehanort smirked. "Apparently, all those years of not using a Keyblade are showing up on you. I was hoping for a more worthy challenge from someone like you, but I am greatly disappointed."
Yen Sid panted, "You are right Xehanort. I have been without a Keyblade for a long time, perhaps for far too long. However as they say, where there is a will, there is a way."
Xehanort replied, "Then let us see if you have found your way, old friend."
Yen Sid and Xehanort were then at it again.
As the battle between the Guardians of Light and the Seekers of Darkness continued, the collision of light and darkness escalated. The Seven Princesses of Heart remained relatively safe from the battle inside their crystal prisons, but the Eighth Princess, Hinata, was being heavily affected. While she was unconscious inside her prison, she was absorbing the light and dark energy emanating from the battle between the Guardians and the Organization. After absorbing enough energy, her crystal prison began to glow, attracting the attention of Master Xehanort and Master Yen Sid.
"Well, well, well," Xehanort chuckled. "Apparently, the time has come at last."
Xehanort then moved towards the Eighth Princess. He knew it was time. Yen Sid fallowed Xehanort, but he was too late.
"No," Yen Sid gasped upon realizing what was going on.
All around the battlefield, the other Guardians of Light noticed what was going on and were horrified.
"Oh no…!"
The other Seekers of Darkness also noticed this and were delighted by the sight of it all.
"Oh yes…!"
"Yes, Yen Sid," Xehanort replied. "The Eighth Princess is ready to discard of her body and form the χ-blade. All that is left to do now is for her to absorb the seven Pure Lights from either the Princesses of Heart or your Guardians of Light as well as the thirteen Pure Darknesses from my Seekers of Darkness and the χ-blade shall be forged."
"No, you can't," Yen Sid gasped.
Not far away, Naruto, Sakura, Syaoran, Inuyasha, Kagome, Spiro, Tasha, Aang, Sora, Kero, and Yue were on their way to the battlefield. They were all flying there with Naruto and Sora riding Spiro, Sakura and Syaoran were riding Kero, Inuyasha and Kagome were riding Tasha, Aang flying on his glider, and Katara being carried by Yue. While flying there, they were discussing what their plan of attack would be once they got there, gaining as much information about their opponents from Sora as they could.
"And that's all I know about the True Organization XIII," Sora finished. "Those were only the Organization members I've battled with in the first Organization XIII led by Xemnas, Xehanort's Nobody. I'm sorry if it's not enough."
"It's alright Sora," Tasha reassured Sora. "You've helped out enough."
"Now the only thing left to do is to figure out who's best suited against which member of the True Organization XIII," Spiro mentioned.
Suddenly, the group noticed great glow form Hinata's crystal on the battlefield. Naruto could tell that it was Hinata in an instant and gasped, "Hinata…!"
Sora quickly realized the situation based on the glow and Naruto's reaction and informed the others, "The ritual must've started!"
"Let's hurry," Spiro ordered.
At the battlefield, Master Xehanort and Master Yen Sid were floating on either side of Hinata's crystal as the ritual began. Xehanort was pleased because all his patients, persistence and preparations were about to pay off at long last. Yen Sid however was shocked because he and the other Guardians of Light were about to fail on their mission.
"Xehanort, stop this at once," Yen Sid ordered.
"Too late Yen Sid," Xehanort taunted. "The Keyblade War shall begin, and there is nothing you can do to stop it…!"
Suddenly, there was a loud cry from the distance.
"HINATA…!"
"Huh," Master Xehanort looked in the direction of the cry and noticed Naruto heading right towards him.
"You bastard," Naruto shouted.
Naruto then punched Xehanort in the face, sending him flying into the ground with a streak.
The sudden appearance of Naruto caught everyone by surprise. Next thing they knew, Naruto prepared his Rasengan for a reason they were unaware of.
"RASENGAN…!"
Naruto used his Rasengan on the crystal that Hinata was trapped in, in an attempt to free her from it. Even though Hinata was unconscious, she still sensed the presence of the man she loved and used her power from the inside the help him set her free. After 10 seconds of being struck down from the inside and outside, the crystal holding Hinata finally gave way and Hinata was free, but still unconscious. Naruto grabbed Hinata and held her close to him as he landed her on the ground, safe at last.
"Naruto," Riku gasped.
"What's he doing here," Ventus asked.
"I don't know, but I think we should thank him," Aqua pointed out.
"He's not supposed to be here," Xigbar replied.
Suddenly another voice said, "He's not the only one who's not supposed to be here…!"
Next thing everyone knew, Inuyasha came in from out of nowhere and attacked.
"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER…!"
Inuyasha slashed at Saix and Xigbar, separating the two Nobodies from Lea and causing the confusion to thicken.
"What the hell," Xigbar gasped.
"Inuyasha," Lea gasped.
"What," Inuyasha simply said.
"What are you doing here," Xigbar gasped.
Before Inuyasha could answer, Spiro came in from above and slammed down on Xigbar and Saix, knocking them out.
"Spiro," Ventus and Aqua gasped.
"What's that stupid dragon doing here," Vanitas grunted
Suddenly, Sakura came in from the air and slapped Vanitas across the face, getting his attention.
"Sakura," Ventus gasped.
"You," Vanitas gasped. "What do you want…?"
"I want you guys to stop this fighting," Sakura answered as she took out another card.
"FREEZE…!"
Sakura activated the Freeze Card, trapping Vanitas, Xemnas, Terra-Xehanort and Apprentice Xehanort in ice cubes.
"What the," Mickey gasped.
Next thing he knew, Tasha came in and tackled Luxord and Young Xehanort. She swiped them with her paws while Kagome, still riding on Tasha's back, shot arrows at them, knocking them out. Kagome then got off Tasha's back and said, "I'm glad we're not too late."
"Kagome, Tasha," Mickey gasped.
"You can scold us later your majesty," Tasha pointed out. "Right now we have to focus on what's going on now."
Above, Yen Sid watched as several of their allies arrived and knocked out members of the Organization. Kero and Yue struck Aros and Demyx with their lunar and solar attacks, Aang and Sora attacked Ansem and Kuxir with their bending and Keyblade attacks, and Katara came in and did what she could to heal everyone. While it looked like they were randomly attacking members of Organization XIII, they were actually initiating a plan they came up with while they were flying to the area. Phase one was to knock out all of Organization XIII's members for at least a short time. Phase two was to release the Princesses from their prisons.
Once all Organization members were out of the picture, Spiro called out, "Now Naruto…!"
"Right…!"
Naruto then leaped from tower to tower, gaining height until he reached the same level as the other seven Princesses of Heart.
"RASENSHURIKEN…!"
Naruto threw a Rasenshuriken at the spot where the towers connected the crystal prisons hold the seven princesses. Upon hitting the targets, the Rasenshuriken severed the connection between the towers and the crystals, causing the crystals to break off and shatter, freeing the Princess of Heart.
Sora then flew up and caught Kairi as she fell. "Kairi…!"
"Tasha," Spiro called out to his mate.
"Right," Tasha replied.
Spiro and Tasha then flew in and caught the other six Princesses of Heart. Spiro caught Snow White, Cinderella, and Princess Aurora while Tasha caught Alice, Belle, and Jasmine. Upon catching them, the two firedrake dragons flew away from the battlefield and carried the princesses to the Gummi Ship, which was parked nearby. Naruto and Sora then took Hinata and Kairi and moved as fast as they could away from the altar. Once the area around the altar was clear, Spiro gave the signal for phase three of the plan.
"Aang, Sakura, now…!"
"I'm on it…!"
"Right…!"
Aang got on his glider, took to the air, and prepared to pound into the ground underneath the altar using his earthbending skills. Sakura took out another card and quickly activated it, knowing her part in phase three of the plan.
"MOVE…!"
Using her magic, Sakura activated the Move Card and teleported every one of their allies who was on the ground away from the area while Aang did his part of the plan.
Aang successfully pounded into the ground with his earthbending. The sudden hit from Aang's earthbending attack caused a mini earthquake, making the altar collapse down onto the ground, destroying it. Aang then quickly used his airbending to send the Seekers of Darkness slamming into the cliff walls surrounding the battlefield, saving them from being crushed by the blast.
At the Gummi Ship landing sight, Shikamaru and the others were defending the ship form the surrounding Heartless and Nobodies as they kept coming.
"FANG OVER FANG…!"
"SHADOW STITCHING JUTSU…!"
Kiba, Akamaru, and Shikamaru struck the Heartless and Nobodies down with their jutsu while Donald and Goofy attacked with their staff and shield. However, the Heartless and Nobodies kept coming and coming and the five allies were becoming exhausted from using their skills so many times.
"They just keep coming," Kiba panted.
Akamaru barked.
"Oh… This is getting silly," said Goofy.
"Tell me about," Donald agreed. "No matter how many of them we take down, they just keep coming back."
"We can't just give up," Shikamaru pointed out. "This ship is our main way for getting everyone out of here. Keep fighting…!"
"GOLDEN BLAZER…!"
"SILVER BLAZER…!"
Suddenly, Spiro's Golden Blazer and Tasha's Silver Blazer attacks came in from the air and destroyed all the Heartless and Nobodies in the area. Next thing the group knew, Spiro and Tasha flew in, still carrying the six Princesses of Heart they had caught at the battlefield.
"Spiro, Tasha," Shikamaru gasped.
"We brought back six of the Princesses of Heart," said Spiro. "But we must get them into the ship."
Shikamaru, Kiba, Akamaru, Donald, and Goofy quickly helped Spiro and Tasha get the Princesses of Heart onto the Gummi Ship where they would be safe.
Upon getting them inside the ship where Katara was waiting for them, they put each of the unconscious princesses on the floor one-by-one, being careful not to wake them up just yet.
"Think you can heal them," Tasha asked Katara.
"I'll do what I can," Katara answered.
They then put a blanket on each of the princesses to help keep them warm, not knowing if they might start shivering when they woke up. Shikamaru and the others agreed to protect them however they could while Katara began the healing process.
After getting the princesses safely on board, Spiro and Tasha walked back outside and prepared to go back to the battlefield to help out the others.
"We did it Spiro," Tasha smiled at her mate.
"Indeed Tasha," Spiro agreed. "But we are not finished yet. There is still one loose end left to tie up."
"Of course," Tasha agreed. "Xehanort and his Organization… But are you sure you can defeat him without the Elemental Darts?"
"No Tasha, I am not sure," Spiro modestly replied. "But I must try. Those humans have proven to be quite effective so far, especially Naruto. I can only hope that combining my power with that of Naruto, Sakura, Inuyasha, Aang, and Sora will be enough."
At the battlefield, Naruto and the others regrouped with the Guardians of Light. Naturally, the Guardians of Light were not too pleased with the presence of everyone they had told to stay out of the fight, especially Yen Sid.
"What are you all doing here," Yen Sid asked sternly.
"What do you think we're doing here, old man," Inuyasha grunted. "We came here to stop Xehanort."
"Just hear us out," Syaoran requested.
"You guys shouldn't be here," said Aqua.
"Neither should the Princesses of Heart," Aang countered.
"Look, I know you guys are angry," said Kero.
"Oh, we're way passed that," Ventus pointed out. "This isn't your war!"
"It is now," Naruto countered.
"After what you guys did back at the castle," Riku asked.
"It's nothing compared to what you guys almost did here," Sora backed up Naruto, and the others.
"Now you're on their side Sora," Roxas asked.
"It's not his fault," Sakura reassured.
"You have no idea how right you are kid," Lea agreed.
Kagome got frustrated and said, "We just stopped the χ-blade from being forged and this is the thanks we get from you…?"
Suddenly Spiro and Tasha flew in and Spiro said to them all, "Alright, enough…! It does not matter what anyone did in the past. We are all here and we must focus on what is going on here and now…! It won't be long before the Seekers of Darkness regain consciousness."
"Spiro's right," Mickey agreed. "We don't have time to argue…! We need to focus on stopping Xehanort and his Organization XIII."
Everyone was silent for a moment, taking their time to take in what was said and what had happened. After a few minutes of thinking, they all knew that both Spiro and Mickey were right. Now was not the time to argue. They were in the middle of a battle and they had to focus their energy on their opponents, not their allies.
At the area where the altar was, Master Xehanort regained consciousness and saw the damage that had been done. "The altar has been destroyed, I see," he panted. "This is not what I expected, especially in terms of Naruto's sudden appearance here. Obviously he survived that explosion at King Mickey's Castle. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to wait for another opportunity to come along as I did previously. I must forge and obtain the χ-blade now…!"
Soon enough, the other Seekers of Darkness regained consciousness from their respective battles, with Terra-Xehanort, Apprentice Xehanort, Xemnas, and Vanitas breaking free of their ice prisons.
"It's not just that blonde haired brat we have to deal with," Xemnas informed Master Xehanort.
"Indeed," Xigbar agreed. "Those other brats got in the way as well…! Apparently, they all survived the explosion. And that dragon is the ring leader."
Master Xehanort was shocked. "Apparently, we have underestimated their resilience," he said. "No matter…! We must move quickly if we are to complete the plan and forge the χ-blade. Our ally cannot wait any longer. The Medium must be present on the battlefield while the Seven Guardians of Light and the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness fight against one another in order for the ritual to work properly. If she is not, then it will merely be the failed attempt with Ventus and Vanitas all-over again."
"What about the helmet that our ally gave to you," Ansem asked.
"If I need to, I will use the Helmet of Lust," Master Xehanort answered. "But for the moment, let us see how well we can manage without it."
Master Xehanort then summoned his Keyblade and prepared for battle. "Now come, my Seekers of Darkness…! The gate to Kingdom Hearts awaits us…!"
Meanwhile, the group was introduced to Hinata Hyūga for the first time. Hinata was still unconscious, but the very sight of her spoke volumes to everyone who just met Naruto and his friends. Nearly all of them were amazed by Hinata's beauty and some of them were amazed that Naruto never noticed her until recently, especially the other girls.
"So this is the Hinata you have been trying to rescue for the past few days," Yue asked curiously.
"Yeah, she is," Naruto confirmed.
"I can't believe you never even noticed someone like her until recently," Kagome annoyingly grunted. "I mean, just look at her…!"
"Please, don't make me feel worse," Naruto sighed in shame.
"Naruto is right," Keroberos backed Naruto up. "He has noticed her now and that is all that is important."
"I agree," Spiro replied. "And like I said, we don't have time for any bloody arguments right now."
Suddenly, Hinata regained consciousness, grabbing Naruto's attention almost instantly.
"Hinata," Naruto gasped.
Hinata's eyes fluttered for a bit as she looked up and saw Naruto, wearing his orange and black jumpsuit, his chunin vest, his sage cloak, and his Konoha headband. To her, he was like an angel coming down from Heaven to save her from Hell. "Naruto," she said.
"Hey there, Hinata," Naruto smiled.
Hinata completely opened her eyes and said, "Naruto is that really you?"
Naruto put on his characteristic grin and giggled, "Yeah, I'm here Hinata. Sorry I took so long."
Suddenly, Hinata hugged Naruto as if there was no tomorrow. They were not boyfriend and girlfriend as of yet, but that didn't matter to Hinata and she cried, "I'm so glad to see you Naruto. I knew you'd come for me."
"Hinata," Naruto hugged Hinata back.
Soon Kairi woke up, getting Sora's attention.
"Kairi," Sora gasped.
Kairi regained her vision and saw Sora. "Sora…?"
"Kairi," Riku gasped as he walked up to his friends.
Kairi tilted her head and saw Riku. "Riku…?"
"It's great to have you back Kairi," Sora said with a smile.
But Kairi was still confused and asked, "What happened? Where are we?"
"We're in the Keyblade Graveyard," Riku answered. "We'll fill you in on the small details later. Right now, we're in the middle of a confrontation with Organization XIII."
Naruto and Sora helped Hinata and Kairi get back on their feet. Once back on her feet, Hinata looked around, searching for the other Princesses of Heart. She was not using her Byakugan as her ability to use it had not yet returned from being struck by Xigbar's special shot. Instead, she saw Sakura Kinomoto, Syaoran, Kero, Yue, Inuyasha, Kagome, Spiro, Tasha, Aang, Sora, Mickey, Roxas, Kairi, Riku, Yen Sid, Ventus, Aqua, Lea, and of course her love, Naruto. "Where are the other Princesses of Heart," she asked. "And who are all of you guys?"
"Oh yeah, you haven't met these guys yet," Naruto rubbed the back of his head all embarrassed. "These are my new friends. They helped me find you. That's Sakura Kinomoto, Syaoran Li, Kero, Yue, Inuyasha, Kagome Higurashi, Spiro, Tasha, Aang, Riku, Ventus, Aqua, Roxas, Lea, Mickey Mouse, and Yen Sid."
"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hyūga," Sakura bowed politely.
"Hey, how come you didn't introduce me," Sora complained.
"Because you already introduced yourself the night Hinata was kidnapped," Naruto pointed out.
"Oh," Sora realized. "I suppose Hinata has already met Kairi."
"Yeah, we've met," Kairi confirmed.
Naruto looked at Hinata and started to say, "Hinata, there's something I've been trying to tell you for a while. I've been trying to tell you since before you were kidnapped."
"Oh, what is it Naruto," Hinata asked.
"Well… the thing is… I've been having this strange warm feeling inside my heart ever since you snapped back to my senses during Ten-Tails Battle last year," Naruto nervously explained to Hinata. "I feel it whenever I see you or are around you. I didn't know what this feeling was for the longest time, until now."
Hinata shyly blushed, "What are you saying Naruto?"
"Hinata… I'm saying… I love you Hinata," Naruto finally confessed.
Naruto's confession left Hinata speechless as she widened her eyes in shock. All these years, she's been trying to get Naruto but to no avail. But now at last she has got him and all of her patients and persistence has paid off. However, this little happy moment for Naruto and Hinata would be short-lived.
Suddenly, Sakura and Syaoran sensed the presence of the Organization.
"Their back," Sakura alerted the others.
Everyone was alerted to Sakura's warning and turned to where the Organization was.
"Well, well, well, isn't that nice," Master Xehanort smirked. "The Eighth Princess of Heart has finally won the heart of her prince charming. It is just like a fairy tale. Unfortunately, time is not something I can give you. The Seven Pure Lights and Thirteen Pure Darknesses must be united into the Medium in order for the χ-blade to be forged."
"That's not going to happen, you old fart," Naruto shouted, getting in front of Hinata to protect her. "You took Hinata away from me once, but it won't happen again…!"
Master Xehanort smirked, "We shall see."
Knowing that things were going to get nasty, the Guardians of Light summoned their Keyblades and prepared for battle. Aqua summoned Snowfall, Ventus summoned Wayward Wind, Sora summoned Kingdom Key, Mickey summoned Kingdom Key D., Riku summoned Way to the Dawn, Kairi summoned Destiny's Embrace, Roxas summoned Two Become One, Lea summoned Bond of Flame, and Yen Sid summoned Star Seeker.
Spiro looked around and knew that the battle between light and darkness was exactly what Xehanort wanted. But he also knew that as long as the Eighth Princess of Heart was not present in at the battle scene, the χ-blade could not be forged.
"Yen Sid, as long as the Eighth Princess is not present, the χ-blade cannot be forged, correct," Spiro asked.
"Yes," Yen Sid answered.
"Very well," Spiro replied politely. "Kairi, you and Hinata need to leave here immediately. So long as you two are out of way, Xehanort can't create the χ-blade."
Kairi was about to protest, but she knew that Spiro was right. "Okay."
"Syaoran, Kagome, go with them," Spiro continued. "Keep them safe from any Heartless or Nobodies."
"Right," said Syaoran.
"Count on us," Kagome agreed.
Spiro looked to Tasha, Kero, and Yue and told them, "Tasha, Kero, Yue, you take Hinata and the others back to the ship."
"Okay," Tasha bent down. "Come on Ms. Hyūga and Ms. Higurashi. Both of you get on my back."
Hinata, while hesitant at first, climbed onto Tasha's back along with Kagome.
"You sure you'll be okay Sakura," Syaoran replied.
"Don't worry about me Syaoran," Sakura answered, showing her phone and tossing a phone just like it to Syaoran. "If I need you, I'll let you know."
Syaoran nodded his head, understanding what his girlfriend meant.
"Get on my back kid," said Kero to Syaoran.
Syaoran then got onto Kero's back while Yue picked Kairi up in his arms. Tasha, Kero and Yue then took to the wing and flew back to the Gummi Ship carrying Hinata, Syaoran, Kagome, and Kairi with them. As soon as they were gone, Naruto, Sakura, Inuyasha, Aang, and Spiro stood along slide the Guardians of Light and prepared to battle Organization XIII.
"Not exactly the ultimate battle necessary for creating the χ-blade as I desire, especially with the Eighth Princess of Heart out of the way," Master Xehanort smirked. "Still, there is time before we can get to the true battle can begin. But for the moment, I think I'll deal with every one of you who is one of the Guardians of Light. Those who are not on the other hand will have to be eliminated. You're beginning to be a nuisance."
"You're not going to eliminate any of us," Naruto shouted. "We'll defeat you whatever it takes…!"
Aang tried to reason with Xehanort, "Please listen to us Xehanort; you don't have to do this…! Look at all the damage that you've done already…! Is forging the χ-blade really worth all of this chaos and destruction? You think this conflict will end once you've created your new universe?"
"That is a good question Avatar Aang," Master Xehanort answered. "Will conflict end once the Keyblade War is over and the worlds are once again covered in Darkness? Will we know whether or not any of us are worthy of the light? It is a curious question and one worth exploring."
"Not on your life," Inuyasha shouted.
"Maybe not on my life, but perhaps in my next life," Xehanort countered.
"If you believe in balance, then allow us to keep it," Spiro requested.
"You actually believe that what has happened in the last few years has been the result of balance," Master Xehanort questioned. "So many lives have succumbed to the darkness and you call that balance? Darkness covered the world once, in legend. So little is known about the Keyblade War, only that it was merely the beginning amidst that a precious light was found. They say ruin brings about creation, so what then would another Keyblade War bring? When the darkness falls, will we be found worthy of the precious light the legend speaks of? I must have the answers to these questions, and there is only one way to get those answers. The χ-blade needs to be forged, and with it, the door to the Keyblade War unlocked."
"But at what cost," Sakura asked. "You can't keep doing this…! For every one person who is found worthy of the light you speak of, what will happen to everyone else? Forcing everyone to prove themselves worthy of the light in their hearts is not right…! It's totally wrong…!"
"I see that I cannot persuade you anymore than you can persuade me," Master Xehanort shook his head, still smirking. "I'm not really surprised you refused to listen to me, but still it was worth a try. Now it seems there is only one way to achieve my goal. You all must parish…!"
Realizing that the time for talk was over, the group prepared for battle against the Organization. Naruto went into Sage Mode, Sakura activated her staff, Inuyasha drew his sword, Spiro extended his wings, Aang drew his staff, and Sora and the other Guardians of Light tightly gripped their Keyblades. Spiro then let out a loud roar, announcing that battle was on. With that, the groups charged at each other.
And that was chapter 17. As you saw, the group rescued the Princesses of Heart and Naruto finally confessed his feelings to Hinata. Now I apologize for the last part being a bit conversational, but I hope you all enjoyed part 1 of this four part battle against Xehanort and Organization XIII.
Now, the next chapter will be the true start of the battle with everyone engaging mostly in one on one battles against the organization. Stay tuned.
Chapter 18: Battle against Organization XIII Part 1