Author's Note: I am so deeply sorry for the nearly three year delay of this story! Loss of inspiration hit me so hard and I have been struggling with this chapter that I got stuck and couldn't come up with a new way to continue it.
To make up for the super long delay of this story, I've decided to rework on the chapter even though it hasn't been as good as I had hoped and again, I'm really sorry about that. I'll do my best with the rest of the chapters. I'm not sure when this story will be finished, but that doesn't mean it was completely abandoned.
So finally after the three year long delay, a new chapter is finally here!
I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.
CH56: Secrets of Cosmos.
No sooner had the group ventured into the plaza, they came to see that despite how lively the world is, there wasn't even a single person besides them. It was almost as deserted as the Ruins of Daybreak Town despite still being in good condition, which confused most of them even more. As they walked, Terra strangely felt an eerie feeling of familiarity despite that he knew that he had never come here before.
"This place kind of reminds of Syracuse, Kupo." Mog remarked as he and everyone else glanced around, pausing in the middle of the plaza.
"It does have a similar feeling to it, doesn't it?" Serah mentioned.
"Hey, is it just me or this place quiet?" Zack asked.
Everyone looked around and saw that they haven't seen a single person yet at all. The only things that were moving were the carts and the windmills. Other than that, nothing.
"Where is everybody?" Donald queried, puzzled.
Ephemer on the other hand, shook his head. "It's been like this the first and other times I've been here. If anything, the only company we're gonna get are our enemies, so we'd better be careful."
"It's strange. I've never been here before, but at the same time, I can't help but feel this place is like home to me." Terra said thoughtfully. There was something unusual about this place, but he couldn't figure out how or what or even why.
"Master Yen Sid did say that Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort used to train here a long time ago." Mickey stated, as he thought about what the brown-haired young man had said. He then came up with a theory and said. "Maybe it's because your connections with Eraqus is makin' you feel what he felt."
"How can that be, though? I'm not feeling what Terra is feeling." Aqua pointed out.
"Me neither, and we were all the Master's apprentices." Ven added, confused.
"Maybe Terra was brought here before meeting you guys and doesn't remember?" Myde shrugged, only to receive skeptical and dumbfounded expressions from everyone else, making him blink cluelessly. "What? It was just a thought."
"Let us worry about that later. What we should worry about now, is them." Shelke advised, gazing up ahead as her eyes glowed orange as she brought out her laser swords. As everyone else looked ahead to see what she was talking about, familiar black and red monsters began to appear and began to quickly surround the group.
"What!?" Cloud exclaimed, quickly unsheathing his fusion sword, and stood ready to fight.
"What the hell are these things?" Reno exclaimed, taking out his EMR. They kind of reminded him of Heartless, but he had a feeling that they weren't complete Heartless. Not from the way they looked, anyway. Unless they were a new type of those monsters.
"Darklings!" Sora grunted, quickly summoning the Kingdom Key, while Riku summoned his Way to Dawn, Kairi with her Destiny's Embrace, Mickey with his Kingdom Key D, the rest of the Keyblade Wielders summoning their Keyblades in hand, including Lea, and Isa, Donald summoning his Staff, Goofy his Shield, and Myde his Sitar. Cloud, Zack and Lightning bringing out their swords while Mog transformed into Serah's Bow and Arrow which she turned into her own Sword once more, Reno bringing out EMR, and Tseng, Elena, and Vincent drew out their guns. Those who didn't have weapons stood in fighting stances.
But before anyone could even do anything to fight off the Darklings, there was a sudden rain of red lights rain down all around them. The group made to dodge them, but to their surprise, as they looked up and saw a massive red star with ancient-looking patterns above the entire mountain city, it was destroying the Darklings instead of hurting them. Each time a Darkling made to attack and Sora and his friends were about to fight them, their opponents were defeated almost instantly until every single one of them were gone. The star remained above them, however, and the group tensed, not taking their chances.
"What's going on!?" Sora asked hysterically. He didn't know who was helping them, but he didn't like the looks of this at all. Maybe this was some kind of trap or something. It wasn't until he and the others sensed another presence and glanced around for any signs of danger. Suddenly he felt a flash of deja vu and hoped that it wasn't what he thought it was.
"I see that you're already wanting to face the mother of all baddies." A familiar, sneering voice spoke. Everyone glanced up at the top of one staircase beyond them, leading up to the very middle building and saw the familiar figure in a black coat, with the very gothic Keyblade that once belonged to Xehanort when they first saw it. It was glowing in a mixture of red light and darkness.
The only ones who didn't recoginze them were Strelitzia, Serah, Mog, Lightning, Tifa, Elena, Tseng, Shelke, Shalua, and Namine who felt suddenly terrified. She thought somehow thought of who it was.
"You!" Sora snarled, glaring at the Master of Masters who just stood there calmly, his Keyblade in one hand.
"You again!?" Reno growled as he recognized the man from Nibelhiem.
"The Master of Masters." Skuld whispered, bit shakily but stood her ground. She was still loud enough for Ephemer and Strelitzia to hear as they glanced at her in shock and disbelief. The latter's Chirithy stood there shocked, unable to believe what he was seeing and hearing.
"Quite an army you got there, Sora. Even though not everyone have their own Keyblades, I gotta admit. But then this isn't the Keyblade War that's about to happen, now is it?" The Master of Masters complimented, and ignoring the accusing words both Sora, and Reno had said. "It's a War between the Gods. But then, it's still a War between Light and Darkness. Guess it doesn't make much of a difference."
"...You are the Master of Master Aced. One who betrayed all of them." Shelke remarked calmly but with a heated glare.
"Wait, he...he's who started all of this?" Zack asked incredulously as those who hadn't really known the true identity of the man who isn't from Organization XIII were unable to believe that the one who began all of this was standing right in front of them.
The Master of Masters smirked under his hood as he laughed. "Bingo! I'm the one who created the Book of Prophecies, who handed down my Keyblade to Luxu, who handed it down to everyone all the way to Xehanort, the last successor whom most of you already defeated. Though I kind of didn't count on that it's destruction would bring me back and having me restore it back. Then again, once a Keyblade is born from the heart, if both it and it's wielder are not destroyed at the same time, the cycle of resurrection will continue."
"Um...does that mean Xehanort will come back too?" Goofy asked, worriedly and in confusion.
A bit of an awkward pause.
"That's not what I meant." The Master of Masters said, slumping a little at Goofy's gulliblity. Not that he blamed him, but still...
"Will you just get to the point and stop making riddles!?" Sora demanded. "You messed up everything right from the beginning and instead of doing something to stop the Keyblade War from happening, you just let it happen! Why? Why did you want everybody to disappear!?"
"I don't."
"Uh, what?" Myde blinked, now even more confused. He wasn't the only one despite the Turks, Cloud, Lightning and Vincent still being suspicious about what the Master of Masters was saying.
"But most of times you can't change the future. But, you can create multiple Timelines, or rather, Worldlines. We are currently standing in one of them." The Master of Masters said calmly, suddenly taking on a tone of that of a wiseman.
"What you mean is we are in a Timeline where the past is the same but the future is different." Lightning surmised, while Serah and Strelitzia shared a glance of realization.
Hearing this made Sora's eyes widen as he remembered what he heard in the dream earlier before he woke up with Kairi and Mickey in the Land of the Giants, and what his alternate-self had told him back at Disney Castle.
"With you and Xehanort having travelled through time, the Time-line has been split into many, if not thousands of futures. It came with many outcomes, most the same, and others are different. Then again, Time has been split twelve years ago as well. One of those time-lines had been replaced for a more, peaceful timeline where our master never existed. But that alternate universe is facing problems of it's own, yet it's still linked to you, Sora." Luxu told him.
"Which is happening right now, yet you cannot see it or even enter it or it will distrupt reality. In all of the possible realities and futures, this one is the most promising, yet Bhunivelze is slowly awakening as we speak. Still, you are the one who will end the hurting and save the Realm of Light, but it will be risky and there may very likely be losses." Ira said.
"The power of waking. First I had to find myself and put myself back together in the Final World; where everyone who perished go to. Then I had to traverse to each world to find the hearts of the others and guide them back to just before we faced Terra when he was still possessed by Xehanort. His armor, thanks to Namine reaching him, saved Aqua and Ven, and when I charged towards the Heartless Horde, I had help from the Keyblade Wielders of the past and their Keyblades. They helped me and the others to stop the Heartless and we all survived." Alternate-Sora said.
He then also said, "I've seen two other futures of what would happen to me. In one, I stay dead forever which is okay. In another...well, Riku is trying to figure out how to bring me back without doing the same thing I did. Though whichever way works, I'm pretty okay with being like this. What I didn't expect was that I end up in an alternate universe to see that Xehanort is defeated another way."
'But the Foretellers said that you can't see or enter other time-lines, or it would distrupt reality. Strelitzia entered another world where Keyblades don't exist, and the other me came to me as a ghost. Plus Serah and Lightning traveled through time to try and fix things up, only making things worse.' Sora thought to himself, as a heavy weight of guilt formed inside his heart. Maybe it really is his fault, and he didn't even know it until now. How could this future be promising if Bhunivelze is going to win?
Unless Kairi was right about the Foretellers and that they wanted the Master of Masters, Chaos and Bhunivelze to win. Right now, the spiky haired Keyblade Wielder felt lost, unable to figure out what to do or how to solve all of this. Was it really hopeless? Would he be forced to do what his other self did? Or just lose everyone he cared about and loved just to save the Realm of Light?
"Of course, things are already getting worse." The Master of Masters continued, which snapped Sora out of his doubtful thoughts. "This world has opened more than just the portal to world of Chaos."
"...I thought I noticed something usual, but I thought I was hallucinating." Ephemer thought, horrified as he thought back of seeing a couple of portals slowly opening and closing the times he sneaked into the portal leading to where Chaos, Blaine and Ardyn are. He grunted at his own stupidity. "Why hadn't I thought of checking them out before...!?"
"But how do we know that you're not lying?" Tifa questioned the hooded man suspiciously.
"Well, I could show you, but only one can solve the major problems before you guys head straight over to Chaos." He shrugged nonchalantly. Though the way he said it immediately had the group stand in defense stances and not taking any chances. "But to do that, first a sleeping heart needs to be with the one who did most of the impossible in many different time-lines. A heart that sadly won't be able to be saved but can help out a little for a while."
Before anyone could even question him on what he said, the Master of Masters then held out his Keyblade and pointed it at them. To their confusion and shock, he then aimed it at Terra before the tip of it glowed in a mixture of light and darkness and in the reaction to it, the brown-haired Keyblade Wielder felt a sudden pain in his chest which glowed slightly and causing him to fall to his knees, gasping and grunting in agony.
"Terra!" Ven and Aqua both cried out worriedly as they and the others hurried over to their friend, terrified that something horrible was happening to Terra. They couldn't lose him. Not again. Not when they were all finally back together.
The next that happened was unexpected to the group. Terra screamed in pain as a familiar orb of light in the form of a heart emerged from his chest, beating loudly as it hovered. And yet to their great confusion, he didn't disappear but he still panted heavily. So absorbed in what just happened, no one noticed the Master of Master pointing his Keyblade at Sora next, and saw too late that the heart flew straight towards the youngest Keyblade Master.
"Sora, look out!" Riku cried out.
Too late, Sora saw the heart and stood frozen in sudden paralyzing fear as it then flew straight into his chest so fast that he screamed out in pain at the sudden and unexpected merging. He stumbled backwards and quickly placed a hand to his chest, as Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Namine and Mickey hurried over towards him. Sora panted as while the pain began to quickly ease off, and while he didn't feel any different, it was still a painful experience. Times before, Sora couldn't remember what it felt like to have Ven's heart sleep inside his own, or even Kairi's until the fake Ansem pointed it out, and hardly felt both Roxas and Xion's hearts.
Furious over what happened, Roxas ignored Lea's warning to stay back and lunged at the Master of Masters to try and strike him with his Oblivion Keyblade. But the man easily blocked the attack with the dark No Name Keyblade without even flinching as sparks flew when the blades clashed with a loud clang.
"What'd you do!?" The former Nobody demanded.
"The heart connected to this place is needed, in order for the truth to be seen and to help guide him." The Master of Masters responded, darkly and coldly this time. He then clashed single-handedly with Roxas before sending the younger wielder flying backwards. The blonde-haired teen screamed as he crashed into Lea, and Isa who both made to catch him only for all three of them crash into the ground, much to the alarm of everyone else.
Even as Sora, and Terra both recovered, no one could even predict on what the Master of Masters was doing next as his Keyblade continued to glow brighter this time.
"To do that...you have to go on alone, Sora." He continued. Without warning, the Master of Masters flung the book into the air and over the group who stared up in horror, and then held up the Keyblade as a beam of light and darkness shot out from the tip and onto it and the next thing they knew, a large magical circle appeared beneath the group with lines glowing so brightly that they realized too late how much big of a trouble they were in.
"What now?" Tseng exclaimed, shocked as Elena let out a gasp of horror.
"Oh, crap." Reno muttered, realizing that they were in deep trouble.
"Hell, no." Rude muttered.
"Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, really bad!" Myde cried out hysterically.
"Oh no!" Mickey cried out, as he realized what was about to happen.
"Everybody, move!" Cloud shouted out warningly, already grabbing hold of Tifa by the wrist in one hand and made to leap out of the way.
Sora quickly tried to do the same with Kairi who reached out to him and they were about to jump out of the way while hoping that everyone else would do the same. Unfortunately, even as they both managed to do so and leaped out of the circle, the Master of Masters snapped his fingers and from the right on one side of the street near a couple of buildings, Xigbar materalized and held out his Arrow Laser Guns, shooting out multiple lasers which stopped everyone else from leaping in all directions and instead were forced backwards back into the circle. When they all looked to see, their eyes widened in shock and disbelief and then anger as they recognized the eye-patched man.
"Xigbar!" Lea growled angrily.
"Ugh! Don't tell me he's sided with this whacko!" Reno groaned in disbelief while gesturing at the Master of Masters.
"Why are you here?" Vincent demanded.
"You think I'm gonna tell you guys right now? As if! If you want to know, you gotta be patient for a little while. Hope you'll get comfy." Xigbar grinned wickedly, as the circle then formed a large circle barrier around the rest of the group who cried out in alarm and knowing that they were trapped. Sora and Kairi turned back and gasped in absolute horror and dismay that their friends were unable to get out.
"Hey, let us out!" Donald shouted, casting Thunderaga in order to get out, only for his magic spell to deflect from within the barrier and accidentally himself as well as Myde who screamed comically, the two left being slightly charred.
It wasn't until Namine noticed something and gave out a horrified gasp, screaming out. "Sora, Kairi, look out!"
Sora and Kairi, both shocked, were too late to notice as they didn't see Xigbar disappear before reappearing and then grabbed hold of Kairi by the wrist and pulled her into an arm-lock.
Her terrified short scream snapped Sora out of his daze and his heart froze when he saw the girl he loved now captured as well, the only one he had left now.
"Kairi!" Sora screamed out, immediately racing over to her, but was knocked back when the Master of Masters suddenly appeared in front of him and whacked him with his own Keyblade, sending the teenager flying backwards as he screamed, before crashing onto the pebble covered ground on his front. Grunting in pain and slowly pushing himself up while trying to ignore his injuries, he looked up helplessly and reached out for her. "Kairi...!"
"Sora!" Kairi screamed out, trying to reach him, but was held tightly by Xigbar who stood there with his obnoxious and cruel grin.
"You think we'd make your little girlfriend an exception to save? As if! But don't worry, she'll be put into a safe place." Xigbar laughed, before teleporting away with Kairi captive, and Sora, weakened by the attack, could only watch as his entire world suddenly began to become crushed and crumble in the matter of seconds, while the rest of his friends were horrified to see what just happened.
No...this wasn't supposed to happen! He promised that he'd protect his friends, that he wouldn't end up doing what his alternate-self had done. But now...the cruel reality of the situation engulfed him, and Sora knew in that instant that he failed. He failed to protect his friends from being trapped within the barrier and if he didn't figure someting out soon to save them if they were to be killed even though he knew he wouldn't have a choice but to use the Power of Waking to bring them all back...he couldn't even use it to do so either. Now Kairi...she was taken from him again! And who knows what the Master of Masters and Xigbar would do to her.
Feeling his heart shatter over the devastating loss of everyone, Sora felt lost, alone, useless, and a complete failure. Guilt and sorrow swelled up along with the anger at the man who started all of this, having ruined so many lives, using even Xehanort as a pawn to his twisted, cruel and evil plans, and now had succeeded. The spiky-haired teen had come to believe that they had walked right into his trap and had even wanted Chaos and Bhunivelze to succeed, and had succeeded in doing so.
"Hey now, no need to fret. You shouldn't give up that easily." The Master of Masters told him cheekily, which angered Sora even more, inadvertly taunting him, daunting him to the point of really giving up.
"Why!?" Sora yelled anguished, tears falling as he sobbed. "Why did you have to capture my friends!? Why do you want to hurt Kairi!? Why them!? Why her!? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!?"
"Whoa, whoa! Settle down." The Master of Masters protested almost too innocently, even if the way how Sora looked and was feeling right now did make him feel even more terrible than he already felt yesterday. "Don't go jumping to sudden conclusions. I'm not gonna kill them. I told you, you have to go on your own before you face Chaos in order to find out the truth."
Sora was too anguished to move, to say anything, to protest or even do anything.
"What did you do to Kairi!?" Xion demanded, tearfully.
"She'll be fine. But in order for Sora to save her and free you, he will have to go off for the final test and seek aid in order to prove himself. That's the bottom line rule." The Master of Masters explained in a stern tone, gazing back at the defeated teenager. "If you want to prove that you can still save them and Kairi, then you have to go it alone, and make sure not to fail this time. No secret outside help except for a bit of information. No magic to protect your heart."
"What do you mean?" He asked shakily, gazing up at the man who trapped his friends.
"You have some more work to do. Thing is, you're still not ready to take on Chaos and Bhunivelze, and as long as the Realms of the Dead are open, they will only become stronger, and they already figured out loopholes of their own. Prove that you can handle this on your own, by accepting the harsh reality of many possibilities and not just your determination. Risking your own life alone isn't always the answer. Annnnnd, you gotta mend the rules of time a little to do so." The Master of Masters explained.
He then summoned a Corridor of Light and Darkness behind him, and as he stepped backwards inside, the Master then gave Sora his parting words. "May your heart be your guiding key."
"Wait!" Sora cried out, but the Master of Masters had already disappeared. Now left on his own, without a way of knowing where to go in order to find the entrance, his friends all captured, most inside the barrier and Kairi somewhere else, without any other leads, and left all by himself, figuratively speaking, in a world that was threatening to open up more portals to destroy the Realm of Light...
"AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" He screamed in anguish, his hands on his head as he felt utterly lost. Sora then placed his hands on the ground and cried, his tears falling free and dropping like droplets. He didn't know what to do anymore. He blamed himself for everything that's happened. He failed; they all did. It was all over.
"Sora! You can't give up now! There's still time!" Ven cried out as he and the others, stunned to see Sora look so defeated, that it began to worry and/or anger them.
"How can I? I don't know what to do. I can't leave you guys...and Kairi..." The sixteen year old wielder wept, looking over his shoulder where all of his companions, who he loved so much alongside Kairi, couldn't get out and he had no idea what to do.
That made Ven, Riku and virtually everyone else lost for words, as Xion, Namine, Tifa, Mickey, Donald and Goofy could only gaze sympathetically at their heroic friend who right now lost all confidence that he had, overcome with grief.
"What do we do? Without you, I... all my strength came from you guys. You gave me all of it. Alone, I'm worthless. We've lost; it's over." Sora sobbed, crying so hard in crushing defeat.
"That's not true!" Roxas protested, shaking his head in denial.
"IT IS!" Sora shouted, pounding the ground repeatedly. "When have I ever done anything on my own!? Each time, I mess up! I couldn't save Kairi, I couldn't keep you guys from being trapped like this...I couldn't even save Jack from being sent into the Locker! I couldn't save Will! Even Aced and...Master Yen Sid was wrong...I...I'm not worthy as a Keyblade Master!"
Crying so hard that Sora didn't notice how his friends shared glances, that Lightning and Serah, and even Cloud, Zack and Vincent shared sympathetic and guilt-ridden expressions. Even Ephemer, Skuld and Strelitzia felt their hearts ache, and Terra, Ven and Aqua knew what it was like. Even Mickey began to shed tears over the reminder of his own failures over the years ever since this realistic nightmare began.
Riku, unable to allow his childhood friend beat himself up over it, clutched his fist and marched over to the wall to get as close to Sora as he could. "Sora, you don't believe that. I know you don't."
"But-"
"In order to save the ones you lost or about to lose, sometimes you have to go it alone." Lightning spoke up firmly but not without gentleness in her usually serious tone, making Sora and almost everyone else gaze at her, while she continued. "I was once working alone, only focusing on saving Serah. Before I could make things better, I only made things worse. Even when we were together again, I was taken away, and through my desperation in a losing battle against Caius, I let my own sister to her death for 500 years."
The pink haired woman lowered her gaze over the memories of her previous life as she continued. "I relied on my own power and strength that I failed to rely on aid. Even when my friends were taken away, I had to save at least their souls to be reborn into the new world. I knew then that I would need all the help I could get. But with you, it's the opposite. You try too hard to rely on one power, not even seeing your own potential."
"Lightning..." Sora murmured, tearfully as he lowered his own gaze in guilt and sorrow, realizing that she had a point, and so did Riku. All this time, he relied on the help of his friends, and when he tried to do something on his own, it was because he didn't see his own potential and focused one thing only.
"And you did do heroic stuff on your own." Goofy pointed out as he and Donald approached. "Remember two years ago when me and Donald were swallowed up by the Fake Ansem's giant monster? You saved us 'cause you managed to save yourself, and you didn't give up."
"We'd be goners if you hadn't been there." Donald added, confirming what his taller friend was saying and smiled. "You're a whole pint by yourself, Sora."
"Donald...Goofy..." The spiky-haired teen's eyes widened, remembering that time and even though it had been a memory from Riku, it had been enough for Sora to use his power to fight the giant transformed form of the Fake Ansem and rescue his two companions who helped and taught him so much.
"Sora, I know it isn't easy, but even if something more were to happen to us, that doesn't mean our connections are completely gone." Mickey added, tearfully smiling. "Even in life or death, we'll always be friends no matter what. Our connection is so strong that not even fading away will keep us apart."
Sora let out a soft gasp over these words, realizing that the King was right as he whispered. "Because our hearts are connected..."
"And even though you had some help, you brought all of us back together." Lea added, grinning. "We'll be fine and I'm sure Kairi will be too. You just to gotta prove to yourself and that Master guy what you're really made of. Got it memorized?"
"Sora, there's also another thing you should know. In one world where Serah, Mog and I went to, a place where Roxas, Xion and Lea went to on their adventure together to defeat the Brotherhood of Darkness, we met a friend who is much like you in heart and personality. If there is one thing he taught me, is that alone or together with friends, you should never have doubt within your heart." Strelitiza spoke up this time, smiling warmly. "In spirit or around you, you are never alone. Think, Sora. Think of what is most important and focus on that goal."
Hearing those words made Roxas, Xion and Lea blink in surprise before sharing a glance, whispering one name they haven't even thought of in a while in one world they haven't been to in ages; "Sonic the Hedgehog..."(1)
"...My friends. All of you...and Kairi." Sora whispered, realizing that even in trying and hard times, a miracle always comes and things turn out okay in the end.
Plus he had a close call in the Realm of Sleep, but had help and knew that he had to do what he had to do.
"Your friends are right." A familiar voice that only Sora, Terra, Ven and Aqua recognized spoke, startling everyone as Sora's heart and were glowing, or even his body. The heart that was inside Terra moments ago emerged and took form of someone very familiar. It was only when he felt a warm but somewhat fading hand being gently placed onto his right shoulder that Sora slowly looked up, and, wondering who was with him, he was surprised to see the ghostly golden glow figure of the familiar dark-haired man in white, one whom he'd seen the illusion of when he, Kairi and King Mickey were in Aqua's heart.
Everyone was completely shocked to see the ghostly form of the late Keyblade Master, that the three Wayfinders were close to tears.
"Master Eraqus..." Sora, Terra, Ven, Aqua, and Mickey all gaped in shock.
"Whoa! Now who?" Reno reared back in shock.
"Sora. I've been watching you through Terra ever since you and your friends saved him, Aqua, and Ventus." Eraqus told him, softly. "I know what has happened. Unfortunately, I was unable to do anything as I was inside Terra's heart the whole time. The same as you had the hearts of Ventus, Roxas, Xion, and Kairi."
The Turks all shared awkward glances, while Zack and Cloud did the same as they weren't certain on what to say or make of this new situation, as Xion and Roxas could only stare in disbelief, Lea and Isa blinked, and virtually everyone else didn't know what to say.
"But...but how?" Sora asked.
"It happened when Xehanort struck me. I was vaguely aware of Terra trying to catch me as I fell before I faded away. My heart seeped into his own without either of us realizing it, while my body has perished. The only thing I could do to help him was to use my light to hold back Xehanort from completely over-taking Terra's heart. But he needed you and Aqua to set him free. Which is what you did."
"I couldn't have done it without everyone else, though." The sixteen year old pointed out, shaking his head uneasily.
"You mustn't give up. They are still with you in your heart as they are still here. As long as you believe in them and in yourself, you can still save them. But you must hurry; our enemies are about to arrive." Eraqus encouraged him.
"...I wish I could talk to Cosmos. I don't know where to go, or what to do." Sora muttered.
"I know a secret passage where you can. But it is strictly forbidden. I will show you the way, Sora." Eraqus said, standing up and helped the younger Master to stand. "It will be alright."
"But what about Kairi? I can't just leave her!" Sora protested, knowing that if he left Scala Ad Caelum, he'd be abandoning her, and he didn't want that. He wanted to save her desperately.
"She has been taken somewhere linked to Scala Ad Caelum, and you're the only one who can find it. However, you need to learn how to do so. I can only do as much as I can." The deceased Keyblade Master shook his head. Before Sora could say anything else, he pointed at the stairs that lead up to the tower. "There, next to the entrance of the building is a Keyhole only Keyblade Wielders with courage and love can enter. But be warned; the spirital guardian may try and stop you. You must face him in order to prove you are who you are. Once you do that, I will do what I can to guide you through out the city. Good luck, Sora, and may your heart be your guiding key."
With that, Eraqus faded and returned to Sora's heart, causing him to flinch a little. Even though he still felt as though there wasn't a thing he could do, Sora realized, if he wanted to save his friends despite that time was running out, and that Chaos could attack shortly, he had to do this with Eraqus being his only guide right now.
"He's right, Sora. You're our only hope in setting things right." Ephemer added, causing Sora to gaze at him as he continued. "You can do it. I know you can."
"He's right. We made this far, and I know that you can save us. You are the one who is the Key in saving the Realm of Light." Skuld added encouragingly.
Knowing now that time was running out and he had to do this, hoping that his friends would be alright and that Eraqus was right, Sora nodded, wiping away his tears and was fully determined to set things right and save everyone.
"I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise!" Sora vowed, and as friends gave him their best wishes and encouragements, he smiled while feeling a little bit better before waving at them and hurried over to the stairs where the Master of Masters had been standing atop of earlier and ran up towards the building that Eraqus directed him towards.
But as he was, Sora was so absorbed into his mission that he didn't notice not only a weakened but angered Caius who saw him from the corner of the building that Xigbar stood next to earlier, with his chest seeping of darkness, but also at the lookout where the group had appeared onto. None the less, with them trapped, he didn't see fit in even breaking through the barrier before walking off to warn Chaos of the heroes' arrival.
At the same time on top of another building, the Master of Masters who had reappeared and saw that Sora was almost at the top and knew that the final test was about to begin.
"Good luck, kid. I'll be waiting." He whispered, before vanishing once more.
As Sora made his way up, he had to fight a couple of Darklings that appeared on his path and while they were tough, he managed to defeat them before continuing his way. He didn't know if Cosmos would help, he had to do anything and everything he could to free his friends. Even if it meant using the Power of Waking the wrong way, just like his alternate self had done should anything go wrong. At this point, his determination to save them even at the cost of his life remained.
Even if he and Kairi would never be together. As much as Sora tried to keep to his promise to his other self, he began to believe that maybe it was unavoidable all together and there was no choice. Once he made it to the top, the young Keyblade Master slowed to a stop, and saw the towering building before him, with large double doors of beige brown and gold. On the left was a golden Keyhole with patterns that looked like pillars surrounding it.
Gazing at it, Sora could only hope that he will be able to save his friends...and Kairi who was still captured and trapped by Xigbar. He gazed over his shoulder where he left the rest of the group, wondering if they were still okay.
"I'll find a way to free all of you. I promise. Guys, Kairi...give me a little more time, okay?" Sora muttered. But as he was about to approach the Keyhole while wondering where this Guardian that Eraqus told him about was, he was startled when a beam of light suddenly emerged from the ground before it faded, and it revealed an unfamiliar man close to his fifties standing in front of the Keyhole, glaring at the teenage boy.
He had white long hair that went down to his waist, pale skin with deep blue eyes. He was wearing a long pale blue overhaul vest that went down to his ankles with long sleeves, a black armor-like shirt jumpsuit with the same heart symbol pin Terra, Ven and Aqua wore, but almost covering his chest completely and in silver, a black belt with a silver buckle, the bottom of the suit was silver with black linings and the leg parts were that of a palazzo, with black thin boots. All in all, he was glowing somewhat like how Eraqus did.
"Who are you?" Sora asked, standing in defense. His first thought was that this guy was the guardian that Eraqus told him about, but it never hurt to make sure.
The man stood in silence, as though trying to read into Sora's thoughts for a moment before eventually speaking. "I am Sullivan, the Guardian of this Keyhole. You, however, are an intruder. State your business here, boy."
"I need to speak to Cosmos. It's urgent." Sora replied as carefully as he could, relieved that he thought correctly. "Please, my friends are in danger, and I need to know how to-"
"You lie." Sullivan cut him off, coldly. "Why would one seek the aid of the Goddess? It is forbidden to enter the world where she resides. No one shall speak to the Gods."
Sora's eyes widened in disbelief. Sullivan thought he was lying? He shook his head and pleaded, "I'm telling the truth! I don't know how to help my friends and Chaos and Bhunivelze are about to attack!"
"Enough with your lies! None shall pass, and you are in the league of darkness. Leave Scala Ad Caelum at once, child, and never return." The Guardian warned deeply.
Sora clutched his fist, tears beginning to sting his eyes again. How can he prove that he wasn't lying when Sullivan wouldn't believe him? It couldn't end like this. How can he save his friends now when he couldn't figure out how to do so or be allowed to talk to Cosmos?
"I'm not leaving until I talk to Cosmos, save my friends, and stop Chaos and Bhunivelze!" He summoned his Keyblade and stood in fighting stance. "I don't want to fight you, so please let me through."
The sight of the Keyblade made the Guardian's eyes widen in disbelief and shock. How could this child possibly have that sort of weapon in his hand? Having been deceased and made Guardian of the Keyhole for so long, he lost the power to sense one's heart, meaning that he would have to take drastic measures. Most fell upon his blade and never left alive. The fact that he couldn't tell if the boy was lying or not made him convinced that all intruders are liars.
"A Keyblade...!? You should not have that weapon!" Sullivan growled angrily, before calming down and glared directly into Sora's younger, more lively eyes and, knowing there was no other choice, he declared. "Very well, then. You have decided your fate!"
He held out his hand and materialized his very own Keyblade which surprised Sora. This Keyblade was unlike Sora had ever seen. It's blade was that of a silver blade like a sword, but the teeth was shaped like an "S", the hilt had an unusual double green dragon designs, the handle forest like, and the Keychain being that of a blue dragon. Sullivan ignored the younger wielder's expression and instead stood ready, preparing to fight.
Realizing that he didn't have much of a choice, Sora stood ready. He had to do this, in order to prove that he wasn't a bad guy, that he wanted to save his friends and save the Realm of Light. Sullivan attacked first by spinning his Keyblade around to form a circle of light before sending it out towards the teenage Keyblade Wielder who at the last second dodged the attack. Sora concentrated by holding out his Keyblade and chanted Light which shot straight towards his opponent who easily blocked the attack before snarling angrily and charged at him so fast that he might as well have been teleporting. Sora was forced to dodge roll the attack though was nearly hit and was shocked to discover that Sullivan was a lot tougher than he looked. He quickly counter-attacked by chanting Firaga and sent out a flare of flames at the Guardian. Sullivan chanted barrier to block the attack easily and then sped towards Sora again.
The attack caught Sora off-guard as he didn't have time to dodge this time and was hit twice which caused him to scream before being sent flying towards between two buildings. Fortunately, Sora caught himself in mid-air and flipped before tossing his Keyblade at Sullivan who attempted to block this attack, but was shocked that this technique was so fast that it avoided his own Keyblade and hit him not once, but twice. He grunted in pain just as Sora landed safely on the ground while catching the Kingdom Key swiftly, winching at the painful attack he received. He quickly jugged down a potion to heal himself as he knew he needed his powers more so in this fight if he wanted to win. Seeing Sullivan quickly recover himself, Sora had to leap and jump up and on the walls while his opponent then chanted Blizzaga which, unlike other Blizzard spells, this one had a huge series of ice shards, large icicles and starflake shapes which he sent out at him.
Sora raced along the walls and leaped even though he could feel the freezing winds as he did, eventually landing on the roof of one of the buildings and tried using Firaga at the attack, but it wasn't any match to Sullivan's powerful spell. Forcing himself to keep on dodging the attacks, Sora cried out in alarm when Sullivan simply flew up and almost right as his face which forced him to quickly block the slashes with his Keyblade as long as possible. Struggling against Sullivan, Sora then had a risky idea and chanted Thundaga which zapped the Guardian who grunted despite still holding his ground and simply hovered back while the teenager cried out due to being hit by the spell himself considering how close he was. Panting and a bit paralyzed with the electricity, Sora had to duck low as possible while trying to ignore the electrical pains as Sullivan then flared up a series of sword-shaped lights that seemed numerous. Sora grunted as he knew that he had to do something other than dodge the attacks.
Despite still being somewhat paralyzed, Sora dodged himself to jump high into the air to avoid most of the attacks before using his Glide ability to fly around the city of Scala Ad Caelum to avoid Sullivan's attacks while the Guardian, disappointed by this cowardly act, moved to follow. What he didn't realize was that Sora then spun around and quickly formed into his Valor form and then blocked and whacked most of the Swords of Light with his two Keyblades as well as blocking Sullivan's Keyblade when he attempted to slash him. He then hovered in the air and focused on having his two Keyblades turn into the Star-Like pistols and held them out to shoot out multiple lasers of Light which not only repelled the rest of the attacks, but also attacked Sullivan who managed to block some, but was hit by the rest, making him yell and scream out in pain by the sudden attack. However, no sooner had the attack finished, Sullivan swept across the air and attempted to knock away Sora who nearly lost his balance and then ended up falling when his gliding ability fade as did his Valor Form, leaving him with only the Kingdom Key.
He quickly flipped again to avoid in crashing onto the ground, and was forced to quickly jug down an Elixir as Sora realized his magic was quickly running out before he jumped back as Sullivan descended in high-speed. The latter thrust his Keyblade onto the ground, narrowly missing Sora and stabbed the earth, creating a bit of a shockwave which sent dust and a bit of dirt flying everywhere across the street where Sora's friends had been captured earlier by both the Master of Masters and Xigbar. Feeling the effects, Sora quickly used Reflect to block another set of attacks, though this time it was a Firaga which was huge fire balls that pushed Sora back little by little. By the time it finished, Sullivan swished his Keyblade to clear the dust and then sped forward once more in a stabbing motion to kill Sora out-right. The younger wielder quickly blocked the attack and clashed long and hard through out the street, leaping back into the air and jumped along the walls as they both went, Sora quickly tiring while Sullivan, being a spirit, wasn't tiring that much despite the battle being long and hard.
Sullivan then flew off towards one of the cable carts and glared challengingly at Sora who, despite his friends not with him, tried to believe in Eraqus's words about them still being connected to his heart even though. He ran along the wall of the main building while doing his best to avoid many of Sullivan's attacks which included Meteor which sent out multiple rocks of fire at him, crushing the buildings and ground as they hit everything but Sora. The Keyblade Wielder then launched himself off the wall and used his Motion Flow to slide on the cables towards the cart where Sullivan was standing on. His opponent attempted to flare up a Thundaga, but Sora somehow managed to dodge it and leaped up just before the attack hit and expertly threw his Keyblade again seconds later, hitting Sullivan twice and the guardian quickly regained his balance before he ended up falling off the cart. The spiky-haired teen then landed onto the cart itself and once Sullivan regained his composure, the two quickly clashed once more while trying to push each other off despite the cart being wobbly as they did.
The guardian attempted to shove Sora off, but the latter leaped up high and chanted Light which sent out an Orb of Light right at Sullivan who was attempting to block the attack with another Barrier Spell, but to his shock he miscaluated and sent him flying backwards, crashing onto the ground of one of the Mountain Cities the two Keyblade Wielders were being drawn towards during their fight on the Cable Cart. Sora landed in a crouch safely himself as Sullivan stood up, becoming more exhausted despite that Sora was almost nearing his limit even as he used Curaga on himself. The sixteen year old didn't have time to pull out another Elixir which he was slowly running out off despite restocking back in Midgar, because Sullivan, seemingly unlimited with magic, sent out another Meteor Spell which forced Sora to dodge as long as he could, leaping up another large building in between several others that were either houses or stores. Unfortunately he found himself hit by one of the attacks and was flown back through the window, smashing it as he screamed before crashing onto the floor inside what looked like a Museum of sorts, which many statues of deceased Keyblade Wielders in a hallway that Sora landed in.
Panting as he was almost at his limit and struggling to push himself up, Sora looked just in time to see Sullivan hover just outside of the window, conjouring up another spell as though to finish him off. Sora thought desperately to try and stop him as he knew that if he didn't win this, he'll never be able to talk to Cosmos, to ask her for help if he could, to find a way to save his friends and stop Chaos once and for all and hoping that Bhunivelze wouldn't wake up. He then remembered a certain spell that Mickey, Aqua, and Donald once mentioned and taught him days earlier, a powerful spell that took a long time to master, and despite having not learned it much himself, the spiky-haired wielder hoped it would ultimately work. If not, then Sora failed, and he couldn't fail. Everyone counted on him. Standing up slowly, Sora stood ready as Sullivan then summoned a large energy ball that grew bigger and bigger and Sora knew, it was now or never.
'Please let this work.' He thought to himself, as he dashed through the hallway and before Sullivan could finish his spell, Sora flew out using his Glider ability and then held up his Keyblade high above his head, mentally calling out to his friends to help him, mentally pleading that Kairi was okay.
"ULTIMA!" Sora chanted, thrusting his Keyblade forward. To his surprise and relief, and Sullivan's shock and horror, a large explosive blue sphere formed before it shot out and surrounded his opponent almost instantly, canceling his own attack.
"What!?" Sullivan exclaimed, before he screamed in agony as the Ultima Spell, a new attack Sora had developed, exploded around the guardian, consuming him and the bright light almost blinding everything within the world of Scala Ad Caelum. The force of the attack sent him flying over the large vast of water and crashing into the wall of the main island of the building in front of the Keyhole. Gasping in pure agony, Sullivan then dropped like a sack and hit the ground hard with a thud, his Keyblade dismissing itself.
Sora, stunned that he managed to pull this off, blinked in disbelief. Then, wondering if Sullivan was still willing to battle or not, he jugged down another potion to heal himself and an elixir to restore his magic before leaping and using the cable to use his Motion Flow to return to where the battle had started before flipping and landed back in front of the building and the Keyhole. Even though he saw that Sullivan was lying on the ground, panting in exhaustion and defeat, the teenager didn't want to take his chances.
"...You...how did I...?" Sullivan panted, slowly pushing himself up. "So...you were...telling the truth, then?"
"Every word." Sora replied, truthfully. He only relaxed a little. "I didn't know about the Keyhole until, well, I learned it from a Master who died a long time ago. The reason my friends and I came here was to find a way to get to Chaos and stop him, before Bhunivelze woke up. But...all of my friends got captured, and the Realms of the Dead are going nuts. That's why I need to talk to Cosmos; she helped us out before; I want to figure out how to set things right."
He then sighed and admitted, "Thing is, I'm nothing without everyone I care about. All of my strength comes from my friends, from the connection we all share. My heart's strong, but...not strong enough to protect everyone and stay with them. If I have to..."
Sora paused, before concluding with determination, "If I have to, then I'll give up my entire life to save them. Knowing that as long as they and the Realm of Light are safe, that's good enough for me. I know that some of them would do the same for me, but I won't stop until I get them back."
Absorbing every single word that Sora had said, Sullivan's eyes widened in surprise, before he realized that there were indeed truths in the boy's words. A young man who was unlike any he had ever seen and faced, someone who held a strong determination to never give up, and despite the heavy injuries he continued to fight until the very end. He had such a good heart, one that cared more about others than himself. It's been years since he'd met someone with such a heart. Their battle has proven him worthy.
Sullivan then smiled, and stood up, and being a spirit, his wounds healed almost instantly. "You are a brave, kind, caring and strong young man, with a heart unlike most I have ever seen. Forgive me for being judgemental. It is my duty to ensure no one with a dark heart shall enter the Keyhole, because they would never survive the journey to meet the Goddess of Harmony and Light. Not many ever did."
"Then...how can I?" Sora asked, hesitatently. If that was true, then was it really hopeless to talk to Cosmos and figure out how to solve all of this?
"You are chosen by the Keyblade, aided by Cosmos herself. And as far as I can tell, many of your decisions will protect the Realm of Light. I sense that you have linked your heart to so many other hearts that their spirits will aid you in your time in need. Just as it was done by the Savior of the people who defeated Bhunivelze long ago. We have failed that in the Keyblade War eons ago. But seeing you now, I feel that you and your friends will save us all." Sullivan told him.
The guardian then stepped aside and gestured Sora to the Keyhole. "Go forth, young Warrior. Beyond there, you will find yourself in a world between all. Cosmos awaits."
Relieved that he managed to prove himself to Sullivan, Sora nodded and said gratefully. "Right. Thanks, Sullivan."
Sullivan nodded in return. Sora then approached the Keyhole, pausing just in front of it. While he wasn't sure what he would find or what to expect, but he felt his determination strengthen once again. Even though this did delay his and the others attempt to enter Chaos's strong hold, Sora knew that there wasn't much choice. Cosmos was his only hope right now, and he had to do this. Mentally nodding to himself, Sora held out his Keyblade as the tip of it glowed, before shooting out a beam of light and right into the Keyhole. It glowed brightly before it created a large portal which reminded Sora of the portals he used to traverse through the Realm of Sleep during his and Riku's Mark of Mastery Exam.
He felt himself glow in light as well and, feeling a strong pressure, Sora focused on staying strong, thinking about his friends...and Kairi. She was waiting to be rescued, and he promised himself to be quick in order to find her. He knew that when he returned to Scala Ad Caelum, Sora would have to fight the Master of Masters and Xigbar. As soon as the light grew brighter, he felt himself being drawn into the portal and leaped inside the rest of the way. It then closed just after he entered and the Keyhole dimmed, returning to it's stone-like state as Sullivan watched the young Keyblade Wielder vanish.
"Good luck, young man." He whispered, before vanishing without a trace, his work once again done for the time being.
Unaware that Caius had witnessed the whole thing and his eyes narrowed in anger and hate. Even now he still believed that Sora was making a mistake. he made the mistake to trust Ardyn himself however and paid for the price. He knew he had to do something...on his own now. He only hoped that the seal he created wouldn't break by the time he faces Sora in a battle.
{THE FINAL WORLD}
By the time Sora emerged through the portal through the Keyhole, he was nearly blinded by the light that he had to shield his eyes. As it dimmed, he opened his eyes and lowered his arm, and blinked in confusion and awe, and no small amount of fear. Where he ended up...was simply a world that was nothing more than a sea where it meets the sky, endless and stretching on for miles and miles. To add to the disbelief, he was standing on the water instead of sinking or floating.
"Where am I?" He muttered to himself. Was he...in the world where Cosmos lived? It did seem a bit familiar, but Sora wasn't certain of where he'd seen it before, though.
This place, it was an endless sea and sky stretching onward to infinity, a light shines onto the teenage Keyblade Master. Wherever this place was, he had to admit, it was one of the most beautiful places he has ever seen. Nodding to himself, he decided to try and explore this world, running in hopes in finding Cosmos, the water splashing underneath him as he went, though the more he ran, the more it felt like he wasn't getting anywhere.
Eventually what seemed like hours when it was only ten minutes, Sora slowed to a walk before stopping as he looked around one. "This place seems to go on forever. How am I supposed to find anyone?"
"You have come this far, young Warrior." An unfamiliar angelic like voice echoed suddenly from above, startling the Keyblade wielder as he looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.
"Hello?" He called out, just as a small light sparkles down in front of him, floating before it glowed brightly which made Sora shield his eyes at the brightness.
By the time it faded, Sora looked up and gasped softly in awe when he saw that the orb took shape of a tallish beautiful woman, with golden blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes, wearing a long white dress and silk around her arms, and an ancient sort of tiara on her forehead as she gazed at the teenage young man.
"I have been expecting you, Wielder of the Keyblade." The woman spoke in a beautiful voice.
At first Sora was speechless, before he attempted to shake himself out of his dazed position, asking. "Um...H-hello there. Are you...are you Cosmos?"
The woman, the Goddess of Light and Harmony, nods. "You are correct, child. And I know that you are Sora, the one who will save the Realm of Light with the aid of those very close to you, and those whom your other new friends are close to as well."
"You know my name?" Sora asked, surprised, before realizing that he was speaking to Cosmos herself, the very Goddess who was the total opposite of Chaos, and quickly knelt on one knee while bowing his head to her. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sound or act rude!"
"Do not fear, child. I will not be offended. I have been watching over you, and all of your courageous actions. You have a heart that is as strong as any, but even then, even the strongest of hearts have their limits. You must be careful how you treat your powers and when the time comes to use it." Cosmos gently gestured with kindness, allowing him to stand.
"I kinda figured as much. Had to learn that one the hard way." Sora sheepishly scratched the back of his head, then asked. "So um, what is this place? I've never seen anything like it, and I was told that it isn't easy getting to."
"The world you see now before you is a place between life, sleep and death. The Final World." The Goddess of Light explained.
"Wait, 'death'? So this is another realm of the dead?" The spiky-haired teen asked, gaped in shock. No wonder it was hard to get to Cosmos that way. He had just, somehow still alive, managed to get here! Similar to entering the Underworld and the Locker.
Cosmos nodded. "There is nothing else beyond this, except for the very Heavens. You've wandered here more than once before on your visits to the Station of Awakening, but I have allowed it as you are still strongly linked to the Realm of the Living. The edges of sleep and death touch, and one cannot help the occasional crossover. The natural end for those whose hearts and bodies perish together. But some persist, and arrive here."
"But I didn't perish. I came here to ask for your help, or at least your advice. Chaos and Bhunivelze are doing all sorts of crazy things and the other Realms of the Dead are out of control." Sora pointed out, gesturing at himself.
"Yes. You have come here at your own free will. Before, you would come within your sleep. This time, you have come while you are still whole. The love you have for your friends, and the one you cherish the most deep within your heart, the young Princess Kairi, she is your light, and your future. They keep you in one piece, especially her. Just as you keep her whole and would risk your very existence to save her or to bring her back." Cosmos explained in agreement.
Sora couldn't help but blush over that, as he looked away slightly in embarrassment over his love for Kairi. "Um...I g-guess."
"Even then, not even you can ultimately destroy Chaos and Bhunivelze on your own. It will take great light and love to conquer them and defeat them in battle." The Goddess continued.
"So then, how can we do that if Bhunivelze is set free?" The Keyblade Wielder asked, worriedly.
"Light and Love, Sora. Friendship is the greatest power of all. There is another in one world, one whom Strelitiza, whom I have revived to give her another chance, who has defeated another piece of Chaos with seven Miracle Gems. He has a gift not of the Keyblade, but born with a power that makes him one with the wind without the ability to fly. The wind that blows free. He is like you in his heart's strength and love for those he cherishes. You and Kairi are the only ones to defeat Chaos and Bhunivelze, and once you do, call forth and I will be able to help you and the Astrals to seal both away for all eternity."
"Seal them away? Won't they escape again, though?" Sora pointed out, more than a little uneasy.
"If their powers are stripped and never to regenerate, then no. They cannot escape. However, I cannot help you until they are defeated in battle as they have both sealed away myself in the Final World. I was only able to revive Strelitiza, as she was taken away far too soon. Her brother still seeks her out. You and your friends must save those who have been taken, Sora. Remember, Guardian of Light... Even in the darkest of times, there is always a light. Believe in your own radiance... Never give up... There is always a way..."
"The light in the darkness...Kingdom Hearts." The Keyblade Wielder realized, feeling fresh new hope and determination form deep within his own heart. Then, realizing that Cosmos has been trapped here by either Chaos or Bhunivelze or possibily both, he nodded, now knowing what he had to do. "Right. You got it, Cosmos. I'll make sure that everything will be okay."
"And I will do my best to help you. I wish I could be there right now. Forgive me..." Cosmos lowered her head in guilt, and a hint of sorrow. "Even as a Goddess, I have failed."
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself." Sora reassured kindly, surprising her as she looked back at him, while he grinned. "You were hurting, and Chaos and Bhunivelze did a lot of horrible things. You were victim just like everybody else, only wanting to help and do the right thing. Even gods have their bad days. If I could, I'd help you out too. So please, don't cry, Cosmos. I'll do my best to set things right. I promise."
Sora's words have stunned Cosmos because of his optimism and kindness, which has returned due to finding hope and beng encouraged, and that even back then he had always been this way since he was a young child. He didn't like seeing anybody being so sad, always wanting to help. It was right there and then that she could see a strong light growing within his heart, and that his place was with his friends no matter where he went. Seeing his radiant bright smile began to lift her own spirits, as for the first time in eons, even the Goddess herself felt hope.
"I thank you. You must return to your friends, save Kairi, and always remember what you have learned." Cosmos nodded, smiling warmly.
"You're welcome, Cosmo, and thank you, too. I'm really glad we met." Sora nodded, smiling in return. Goddess or not, he really liked Cosmos. She was really nice, kind and gentle, and wise. It was no wonder she was known as the Goddess of Harmony. He felt safe around her. "And, maybe when this is all over, I can at least visit you in my dreams?"
"Hm?" The Goddess tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
"You and me are friends now." He answered her unasked question.
It surprised her that he treated her as a friend, which she knew little of, but the young boy's presence was enough to make even a Goddess like herself feel welcomed, and realized this was why Sora was friends with Hercules and gained respect from his father Zeus. The sixteen year old Keyblade Master was a mortal unlike any other.
"Very well. My friend. Be safe on your journey." Cosmos replied. "To return to Scala Ad Caelum, use your Keyblade the same way as you did when you arrived here. You have the ability to open portals with your heart's lead."
Sora smiled with a light chuckle, before waving a goodbye to her. "Well, see ya 'round! And thanks!"
With that solved and now finally having a full lead with renewed hope in setting things right, Sora turned around and summoned his Keyblade. He then hld it in front of him and a Keyhole appeared on the reflective water under his wishes. Energy gathered at the end of the blade and a flash of light appeared as he summoned a new portal in order to get back to the Realm of Light. The floor shattered, revealing a gate with a brilliant beam of light shining up into the sky much like when he would travel through the Realm of Sleep.
Looking over at his shoulder to face Cosmos again, the two shared a nod before he stepped into the light, ready to save Kairi, rescue his friends and enter the biggest battle of their lives to defeat Chaos and Bhunivelze once and for all.
"May the light shine upon you always." Cosmos whispered for the final time.
Just as he had entered the Final World to speak with Cosmos, Sora emerged through the Keyhole back into Scala Ad Caelum, stumbling a bit before regaining his balance and looked behind him to see it disappear, once again locked and forbidden for anybody to enter. He gazed at it in wonder, realizing that he was one step closer in saving his friends.
"See? I knew you could handle it." A hauntingly familiar voice spoke from behind, alarming Sora who gritted his teeth upon hearing and spun around to see the very black-coated man who had trapped his friends and had Xigbar kidnap Kairi. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, kid."
"Master of Masters!" Sora exclaimed, quickly getting into a defense stance, glaring at the figure.
"Not only you defeated the almighty guardian of the Keyhole, you are the first to speak to Cosmos. That just proves that you are worthy. Congratulations!" The Master of Master clapped happily, but stopped when the teenager just continued to glare at him. "Hey, why the angry face? You made the mother of all achievements. Cheer up already!"
"Coming from a guy who caused heaps of trouble and riddles, not to mention trapping my friends and having Xigbar kidnap Kairi!" The teenager retorted back, summoning the Kingdom Key just in case.
Realizing what the boy meant, the Master actually felt sheepish over the reminder and rubbed the back of his head hooded head. "Oh, that. Uh, yeah, I totally get why you're still mad at me. Can't really blame ya'. Even I'm not happy with my decisions sometimes, you know?"
He then shrugged and perked up. "But hey, we all gotta make difficult choices sometimes, right?"
"You'd better not have hurt my friends!" Sora grunted, narrowing his eyes even further.
"Calm down, your friends are fine. Waiting for you in that barrier I made. But there's still one more thing you'll have to do before I let them go; your next and final task is to save Kairi." The Master of Master said nonchalantly.
"By facing you and Xigbar?" The sixteen year old questioned.
"Bingo!" The older man pointed at him. "Consider it as proving yourself to be a Princess's hero, Prince Charming, and Knight in Shining Armor!...Okay, maybe not the armor part, but you get what I mean."
"Where is she?" Sora demanded.
"Okay, okay, don't get your hair in a knot." The Master held his hands up, before pointing up above them. "You see this big tower above you?"
Hesitant and wondering if this was some sort of trick or not, the spiky-haired teen slowly turned around to see the building which looked like some sort of bell power or even the main center of this world itself.
"At the very top of this citadel is where Xigbar is keeping Kairi nice and company. If you meet me up there and face the both of us, then you've won and you and your friends are ready...Ready to take on the two baddest of all baddies." The Master explained.
"And how do I know this isn't some sort of trick?" The young Keyblade Master questioned skeptically.
"Weeeellll...You'll just have to see for yourself. Just don't be long." The older man shrugged mysteriously, before disappearing into a Corridor once again despite Sora's demands to wait.
Left on his own once again, Sora wasn't sure if he could face the Master of Masters. Xigbar, yes, since he'd face him before. But a Master of all Keyblade Masters in the time that Ephemer, Ven, Skuld and Strelitzia came from? That's a whole new level of toughness. Then, he quickly remembered what Strelitzia told him a short time ago.
"If there is one thing he taught me, is that alone or together with friends, you should never have doubt within your heart." Strelitiza spoke up this time, smiling warmly. "In spirit or around you, you are never alone. Think, Sora. Think of what is most important and focus on that goal."
"...Never have doubt within yourself. My friends...they are the most important to me. No matter what." Sora whispered to himself. Now he knew what he had to do; he just had to do his best and never give up. Whoever this friend that Strelitzia, Roxas, Xion and Lea met, the one that even Cosmos mentioned, the Keyblade Wielder knew he had to do what that hero that was like him in personality and strength did.
Never give up and never have self-doubt!
"I'm coming, Kairi!" Sora called out, turning and and raced a few paces back, before he leaped and jumped from one part of the wall to another and ran up along it as fast as he could.
Ready to take on his next challenge and rescue the one he loved.
A/N: Again, I am deeply sorry for taking so long to do this chapter. The original idea was too complicated and that was the main reason why it took me so long just to get this chapter right, and realizing that it would only take longer before we would actually reach Chaos and to the point where I wanted to get to, as well as mainly focusing on my Sonic and Sailor Moon stories.
(1) Speaking of Sonic, while I still have yet to get through the writer's block of Second Being, and Second Life: Strelitzia's Story, the world of Sonic the Hedgehog would make appearances there and, well, as a surprise in hopefully the near future.
I will try to get back to this and my other Kingdom Hearts stories as soon as possible, but I can't make any promises.
See you in the next chapter!