Chapter Ninety Eight: The Hero

A/N: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company.

I do not own The Dresden Files. It is the property of Jim Butcher.

I do not own Monster Hunter International. It is the property of Larry Corriea.

This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way.

Hello, my dearest readers! I hope you have all been doing well.

We're very close to the endgame now, my friends, and I look back in awe at what a journey it's been.

This content is going to be a bit more of an adventure, everyone. It won't be quite as dark as last time.

Tally ho, companions!

oooo

Roxas stepped forward cautiously, looking around his surroundings. He could see the Riku Replica standing about twenty paces ahead of him. Xion was standing closer, looking left and right. All around them were very tall buildings, most of them made from metal and glass. Roxas craned his neck, but he couldn't see the top of the skyscrapers. It was almost as if they were in a forest or jungle, only this time it was with buildings instead of trees. The sky was dark and there was a chill in the air that reminded Roxas of a storm.

"It reminds me a bit of the city that surrounded the Castle That Never Was," Xion said. "But…it feels lived in…"

"I never made it there," the Riku Replica said. "I wouldn't have a point of reference. This is my first time being in a city."

"Right," Roxas said. He looked over his shoulder. The archway they had walked through was still there, but it seemed to be part of the skyscrapers now. Roxas grimaced. He had a feeling the archway wouldn't show itself again for a while, if it ever did at all. "Well…what do we do now?"

"Do you have weapons?" the Riku Replica asked. "Something tells me we're going to have to fight."

"I couldn't summon anything when we were in…I don't know if that was Heaven," Xion said. "But Lash said that was a rule—no weapons…but our Keyblades broke when we fought Maleficent. She stabbed me with mine…"

Roxas's fingers brushed against his stomach, but there was no twinge of pain from any lingering injuries. Roxas's eyes widened in surprise. Maleficent had overpowered him inside Kingdom Hearts as well. And Oathkeeper and Oblviion had been destroyed, shattered and then used against him. He raised his wrists and lifted them up slowly. Would he ever be able to wield a Keyblade again?

Clang!

Oathkeeper and Oblivion appeared in his hands, practically radiating light and power. Warmth spread from his fingertips, up his arms and through his entire body. He felt better than he had in a long time. Oathkeeper was as beautiful as the moon, shining silvery-white, with long, narrow bars and sharp teeth. Oblivion was blacker than the night-sky, as dark as the robes they had worn in the Organization, wider than Oathkeeper was, with jagged teeth clenched together. It was in the city of the World That Never Was when Roxas had first learned to summon two Keyblades at the same time, when he'd been desperate to free Xemnas's artificial Kingdom Hearts and save Xion, even though he hadn't been able to remember her name at the time.

"I'll set Kingdom Hearts free…she'll come back…and the three of us can be together again."

Of course, Riku had interceded in his efforts to bring Xion back—in retrospect, Roxas doubted it would have worked—and then they'd fought. Roxas had won…and then Riku had cheated by using Ansem—Xehanort's Heartless—to subdue him. All in the name of saving Sora. Roxas wasn't sure whether it was "ironic" that right now he was in a new city, with Xion and a version of Riku standing by his side, all to rescue Sora. A flash of light drew Roxas's attention—Xion was holding Kingdom Key, her eyes filled with wonder.

"My Keyblade," Xion whispered, her voice soft and almost fragile. "I missed you…"

Roxas felt the back of his neck begin to burn. Xion looked stunning in the moonlight. And it may have been his imagination, but against her jacket, her Keyblade almost looked purple, instead of silver.

"Okay, you both got Keyblades again," the Riku Replica said. "Let's try and figure out where exactly we are. I didn't hear that angel guy say where we were, just that this was where we can find Sora."

Sora…his brother…Sora was somewhere in this city. Roxas began to look back and forth again. So far, all he could see were the tall buildings…metal and glass…

He couldn't see any people around, but there was something in the air. It felt like this world wasn't as empty as the city in the World That Never Was had been—there seemed to be a sort of presence, but it was hard to describe otherwise. He started forward, but Xion remained where she was, her expression pensive.

"Wait," Xion said. She turned towards the Riku Replica. She lowered Kingdom Key and bit her lip. "I need to know what you want to be called. I'm not calling you Riku…unless you want to be called that. It's not like Riku isn't a nice name."

"Pardon?"

"You're you…" Xion said slowly, as if she were unsure exactly how to describe how she was feeling. "And I'm me and Roxas is Roxas…we're our own people…we are ourselves. Roxas might be his Nobody, but I could never, ever, ever call him 'Sora.' And I wouldn't call Naminé 'Kairi' either. I call Lea 'Axel,' but he likes that fine. I think he thinks 'Axel' is a cooler name than 'Lea' or he just likes hearing 'Axel' from us. But I'm talking too much. What do you want to be called?"

"This really isn't the time or place," the Riku Replica said, his cheeks reddening comically against his silver hair. "Look, it's sweet of you to be concerned, but we really should focus on finding Sora."

"We can do both at the same time," Roxas suggested. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xion smile. She had such a beautiful smile. And what was more, she was right. The Riku Replica deserved to have his own name. A hame that was just his, and not anybody else's. "I think Xion's right—I don't want to keep calling you Riku Replica. I mean, what kind of name is that?"

"You two are going to keep trying to come up with names, regardless of whether or not I say yes, aren't you?"

"In the Organization, we were expected to harvest Heartless and capture their hearts no matter what the mission was primarily supposed to be," Xion said. "Or at least in the old Organization…I didn't have much of a job in the new one besides trying to…um…well…you know."

"No, I don't," the Riku Replica said. "I didn't know much about that beyond what they were doing with a version of myself from the past…from before I knew Naminé."

"Hmm…we could do what Xemnas did and rearrange the letters," Roxas suggested. "Um…let's see…Riku's kind of tough. We could call you Kiru…or maybe Ukir…Kuri…"

"Please stop," the Riku Replica said. "I wanted to be my own person…but my body and my heart were lies…rearranging the letters of my name won't change that."

"Then we'll figure out a brand-new name," Xion said. "Something that isn't tied to Riku's name. Hmm…Uriel called Roxas 'Son of Adam.' I don't know who Adam is, but it's still a nice name."

"Knock it off," the Riku Replica said sharply, cutting Xion off before she could suggest anything else. "I don't need a name. Just stay out of my way until we find Sora."

"Don't talk to her that way," Roxas barked, his own voice hardening. "She's only trying to help."

"Roxas…"

"We have a job," the Riku Replica said. "We're supposed to be looking for Sora. Who is somewhere in this city. You wasting time on nonsense like names isn't helping. Don't you want Sora back?"

How many times had Roxas yearned to be reunited with Sora? Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. If he closed his eyes, he could still remember what it had been like in Twilight Town when the apparition of Sora had appeared and Roxas had wound up chasing it through a dozen side streets…or how it had been in Disney Castle, when Roxas had raced through the hallways and into the courtyard, only for Sora to fade again. And in the Land of Dragons, when Mushu had called forth Sora and he'd been so close that Roxas could nearly touch Sora but they still had barely been able to communicate.

That seemed so long ago. Roxas's heart tightened. His connection to Sora…he hadn't dwelled on it in so long, but now…it felt as if there was a bottomless pit in his chest. And to think that the Riku Replica was so callous as to think that Roxas didn't care…

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Roxas snapped. "I want Sora back more than you know. More than you could ever begin to understand!"

"Is that so?" the Riku Replica asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think you realize what I've given."

"Riku…" Xion's voice was small, but not quite fragile. "Quiet…please…'

"I was happy enough to give it up," the Riku Replica argued. "All of it. Even a vessel. I don't know how I'm around here now, how I can walk and talk…I gave everything up for Naminé."

"Both of you, shut up!" Xion hissed. Her eyes widened briefly with guilt, but then her expression hardened. "I hear something…something big is coming."

Roxas heard it before he saw it. The sound of metal hitting asphalt. It didn't sound quite like anything he'd heard before…but it sounded big. Roxas crouched down near the corner of a building and held his breath.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Roxas gasped. A tall metal…thing was stomping down the path. It was very tall—maybe three times as tall as Axel would have been if he were here—but it seemed too agile for something that was made of metal. It was shaped more or less like a man, but it almost looked like it had Keyblade Armor of its own. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but Roxas thought it might have been mostly red and gold. There was a cannon on its right shoulder and its left arm looked larger and more heavily armored.

"I've seen that before," Roxas mumbled to himself. "Where have I seen that before…"

It hadn't been him, specifically, but Sora…of course, it would have been Sora. But that didn't mean much in terms of answering Roxas's question to himself. Most of the worlds Roxas had visited had also been visited by Sora…but the connections had been clearer in some worlds than others. There certainly hadn't been much of a connection in Arendelle, compared to Olympus. But these robots…these mechas…these Gigas…

Gigas! That was what the robot was called. It was a Power Gigas—Roxas still couldn't remember where it had come from, but knowing what it was called was still at least a little helpful.

The Power Gigas continued stomping down the path—apparently, it hadn't noticed them. Roxas stole a look at Xion and the Riku Replica, both crouched about twenty feet away. They were gripping their weapons tightly—even from here, Roxas could tell Xion was holding her breath.

"What is that thing?" The Riku Replica's expression hardened. "How are we going to kill it?"

"Shhh," Roxas whispered. "It could still hear us."

There was a flash of light behind them and Roxas turned his head quickly…just in time to see a flash of white as something crashed down behind them. The resulting explosion was louder than thunder and the Power Gigas jerked around towards them. It raised its cannon and aimed it directly at Roxas. As it began to glow orange, Roxas turned back to Xion. He couldn't let her get hurt.

"Reflega!"

oooo

Xion screamed in fear as the giant robot raised its cannon and began firing at them. Roxas spun on his heel and dove in front of her and the Riku Replica—should she call him Adam—and raised up Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He shouted something and two shields erupted from the ends of his Keyblades. The hexagon patterns merged together and the robot began firing more. The cannon fired plasma balls that were perfectly round, about the size of blitzballs, bouncing off Roxas's shield. The Reflect magic was holding well, but Xion frowned. They needed to keep moving and the robot had them pinned down, even if they weren't actually in much danger now, that wouldn't mean that when they eventually left, they wouldn't be caught in the crossfire. A few stray plasma smashed against the ground and bits of asphalt and concrete flew up. Roxas pressed his foot against the ground as the robot advanced towards them.

"Fall back!"

Xion leapt backwards, just as the robot slammed its right arm down on Roxas's shield. It was larger than its cannon-arm, with fingers almost as long as she was tall. Roxas's shield shattered and Roxas darted down under the robot's legs. His Keyblades slashed out and the robot pressed down to try to smash him. Xion screamed in fury and charged at the robot as fast as her legs could carry her. She would not let Roxas get hurt.

"Thundra!"

Bolts of lightning erupted from Kingdom Key and they were drawn towards the robot. As electricity engulfed it, the robot shuddered and shook, its cannon jerking around and firing more blasts. With its clawed arm, the robot slammed forward and knocked Xion to the ground. Before she could get back up, the robot pressed its arm down against her, forcing Xion deeper into the depressed ground. Xion gasped—this hurt.

"We need to stop the Gigas before it kills her!"

Gigas? Is that what the robot was called? A Gigas? There was something familiar about that…a memory floated through Xion's mind where she—no, where Sora—had been around lots of Gigas…and there was something about a computer…had Sora fought these inside a computer?

Xion raised her Keyblade, but she couldn't get a good angle on the Gigas from here. She grit her teeth. She couldn't let it end this way. She couldn't be useless…but if she had her Keyblade back, then maybe she had her other weapons. They hadn't even been broken by Maleficent in the first place, if she remembered right. Her claymore wouldn't be at a very good angle for this either…the cannon began to glow orange again. Cannons…

Xion summoned the cannon she had first replicated in the Land of Dragons. It was heavy in her hands and she aimed it directly at the inner tube thingy of the Gigas's cannon and fired. Her cannon flew into the tube of the Gigas's cannon and then it exploded against the plasma the Gigas had been firing… and then it all exploded.

Fire and plasma erupted and covered Xion's line of vision. The fire from her dragon cannon had been mostly orange, but the plasma from the Gigas was mostly white…the plasma itself caught fire. There was a bang and a thud and Xion saw the Gigas's cannon break off. The Gigas screeched and nuts and bolts flew off in every direction. Xion felt one red-hot bolt scrape against her cheek and she screamed in pain. That hurt too! But then the Gigas slumped over, unmoving. Xion grimaced. She was still stuck under the Gigas's clawed arm, but it wasn't pushing her against the ground anymore. Pinned, but there wasn't nearly as much pressure against her chest. This was…well, she'd been in worse situations.

"Xion, hold still!" Roxas shouted. "I'll get you out in just a sec…"

There was a flash of white light from the ends of Oathkeeper and Oblivion and the remaining arm of the Gigas vanished. Xion exhaled slowly and rose to her feet, shaking her legs. It didn't feel as if anything was broken. She gave Roxas a soft smile and then looked around. The Gigas was almost completely destroyed…there was smoke rising off the remains. Xion raised a hand to her cheek and winced. She wasn't sure whether or not she was bleeding, but it still stung. That said…it could have been a lot worse.

"That was…that wasn't so tough," Roxas said. He reached out a hand and patted Xion on the shoulder. "You alright?"

"I think so," Xion said. "What about you, Roxas? And…um…Adam?"

"I don't think I like Adam," the Riku Replica said. "But that was surprising. I'm not used to seeing people fighting with more than one weapon."

"Really?" Xion asked. There had been a version of the Riku Replica in the Real Organization, but his heart had come from the past. After Sora and the regular Riku had . "Oh, right…I guess you wouldn't have known…or remembered…but this is something I've been able to do for, well, forever I guess. I copy weapons, once I hold them. Or touch them long enough…"

"Very well," the Riku Replica gave a polite nod and turned back to Roxas. He paused, like he wasn't quite sure how to continue.

"I don't care what you call me," the Riku Replica said, though not as harshly as before. "To be honest, I've never actually thought what I wanted to be called. A name…I was always called 'Riku' when I was in Castle Oblivion…even Naminé called me that. It was all I knew…I don't remember the before-time, before I had a face."

"We were in the Organization too," Xion said. "Roxas and me…I was a replica. I was no. i, but I think we may have been made at the same time."

"Vexen was a lunatic," the Riku Replica said. "A mad scientist obsessed with doing things just to show that he could. And he made me be the perfect mirror to Riku."

That may have been true about Vexen, Xion thought—she didn't have much experience with him specifically. He'd gone to Castle Oblivion only a couple of weeks after she had joined the Organization. And later on, she hadn't spent much time with him. The majority of her time in the Real Organization had been spent in the presence of Saix. She'd read some of Vexen's notes filed away in the Organization's computers, when she had learned what she truly was…they hadn't really left a good impression of who Vexen was. But Even wasn't Vexen any more than Isa was Saix…but then again, the Riku Replica—maybe she could call him Daniel—would have only known the members who'd been stationed at Castle Oblivion to begin with.

"That might be true," Xion admitted, "but that doesn't mean you're not your own person. That's what's true."

"Truth…" the Riku Replica said, looking at his hand. "I've always been the perfect copy…even to the end…never mind. We have bigger things to worry about than what I want to be called. If there was one of those Gigas things, then there may be others."

"It wasn't so hard," Xion said, trying to be reassuring. She and Roxas had fought so many monsters over the last couple of months, it was hard to keep track. They'd beaten the Gigas pretty quickly, but it hit hard. She rubbed her arm slowly and looked over her shoulder. There was still no trace of any other people—let alone anything that looked like Sora had been there. "Maybe we just need a new vantage point…"

As far as Xion could see, there were flat streets that stretched out. Nothing in the way of vantage points, except for the skyscrapers. Xion sighed and began running towards one of them. As she did so, her boots began to glow and she pressed them against the side of the wall of the skyscraper. She began running harder, as if the skyscraper was no different than the street itself. Xion darted up floor after floor, windows and beams pressing against her own boots. After about half a minute, Xion landed on the roof of the building. No sooner had she turned around did she see Roxas and the Riku Replica—maybe she could call him Hank—land on the roof behind her.

"Good idea, Xion," Roxas said. "We can see for miles…"

"Now, if only it were daytime," the Riku Replica said (Xion decided that neither Daniel or Hank suited him—pity, those were nice names). "But we do have one advantage—we won't be able to be pinned into a corner by the Gigas this way."

Xion nodded and then took a few steps forward, to get away from the edge of the skyscraper. There was a wind beginning to pick up that hadn't been nearly as apparent on the ground—the buildings must have been tall enough to act as buffers. Xion's fingers tingled as she looked around. There were more Gigas robots in the distance, but what she was more focused on now was the city itself.

It didn't look very much like any of the worlds that she had traveled to yet. There weren't just skyscrapers—Xion could see that the larger streets stretched as far as the eye could see and there were lots of cars. More cars here than she had ever seen in New Orleans, though it didn't look like anyone was actually driving the cars. They were parked all in straight lines, at the edges of the street. Further down the streets, Xion could some shorter buildings that were still much taller than anything that was around on the Destiny Islands. They reminded her a little bit of the Tram Commerce or the Market Street, but with much larger, brighter signs than the ones back in Twilight Town.

There was one set of skyscrapers that almost looked like a castle. Two large towers that were more or less next to each other, and in between them, looking like it was part of the same giant building. Xion frowned. That was pretty distinctive. Could that be what actually served as a castle in this world? What was it that Uriel had said? That it was very dangerous here—the Gigas was evidence enough of that—and that Sora was asleep and needed to be woken up. Sleeping…Sora had slept in Castle Oblivion and later on, in the mansion in Twilight Town. Was there anything that looked like it could be a castle like that? Most of these skyscrapers just looked like skyscrapers.

"Any ideas?" Xion asked, glancing back at Roxas and the Riku Replica—maybe they could call him Wyatt?—and waited for them to answer. Roxas dismissed Oathkeeper and Oblivion and pointed, towards a lower area that Xion hadn't really noticed. It looked a bit like a factory. It reminded her of Santa Claus's workshop and Oogie Boogie's manor, but more refined. It was a lot smaller than most of the other buildings…Xion squinted. Was it right out on the water?

"It's the only building I can see that looks like there's actually work going on," Roxas said. "The rest of these towers seem more…static, I guess. If there's any people out anywhere in this world, that's as good a place to start as any."

Given that they'd only been able to get to this world after dying and being sent here by an angel, Xion wasn't sure whether there were actually any other people in this world to begin with, but she had to admit that Roxas's logic made sense, and it beat staying up on the top of the skyscraper.

"That's an awfully long way," the Riku Replica said. "At least a couple miles…"

"That's not that bad," Roxas said. "In fact…I have an idea."

Roxas re-summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion had crossed them over his chest. A moment later, there was a flash of light and Roxas was standing in his Keyblade Armor. It looked a little different. than it had before, nearly completely gold this time, with heavier, thicker plates on his shoulders and elbows that looked almost black. For the first time that Xion could remember Roxas using his Keyblade Armor, he was wearing a cape. It looked nice.

"What on earth?" The Riku Replica's eyes widened. "I didn't even know that was possible?"

"You didn't?" Roxas asked. His voice sounded deeper than it normally did. Xion grinned to herself. That was kinda nice too. Roxas turned towards Xion and nodded at her. "Can you still summon your Keyblade Armor?"

"I hope so," Xion said. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her Keyblade appeared in her hands again without her even meaning to summon it. It was still warm in her hand and it felt like strength. The warmth intensified as Xion felt her Keyblade Armor be called forth. Strength…honor…compassion…

Xion looked at her hands…her gauntlets gripped tightly. Silver and purple metal that shined in the moonlight far above their heads. She nodded at Roxas.

"That's impressive," the Riku Replica—maybe they could call him Daichi…no, that didn't sound right—nodded. "But how is that actually going to let us get to that factory faster?"

"I think I have an idea," Xion said. "This is basically an extension of our Keyblades to begin with…so now…I've never done this before but if Ven and Terra and Aqua can…"

She held out Kingdom Key straight out and threw it. It expanded in midair, growing longer and more curved. It twisted around and became almost like one of the rowboats on the Destiny Islands, just large enough for Xion to crouch inside of. A Keyblade Glider. Beside her, Roxas repeated the process, Oathkeeper and Oblivion turning and twisting, shaping themselves into two skateboards…or maybe hoverboards.

"There is no way I'm getting on that thing," the Riku Replica—Xion chewed the inside of her cheek, she was running out of ideas for names—shook his head. "I'm not really a Keybearer. I don't think it'll work."

"Then hold on to my cape," Roxas suggested. "Or hold on to Xion's cape."

"Fine," the Riku Replica said. Maybe we can call him Baxter. "Hold still, Xion, I'm probably pretty heavy."

Xion felt the pressure of the Riku Replica placing his hands on her shoulders as he gripped onto her cape, but he wasn't terribly heavy. That made sense—he was a Replica. Goodness knew that Axel had been able to toss her around whenever he had gotten the inclination, and the only time that Axel had gotten tired from carrying her…Xion swallowed. It had been right after she'd tried to get Axel to destroy her…but that was then, this was now. And right now, she and Roxas had to get the Riku Replica—Sammy? No, not Sammy…Todd…Louis…she'd have to think of a name later—to that factory.

"Ready?" Xion asked. She aimed the Keyblade Glider and without even meaning to, they set off. "Whoa!"

"Hold on, wait for me!" Roxas called. "How do you steer this thing?"

Xion hadn't ever used a Keyblade Glider before and it was tricky. It wasn't at all like using the rowboats on the islands. It felt a lot more like using the magic to propel herself around off of buildings or boulders, the way they'd done in the Land of Dragons. And with nothing to really propel against between the skyscraper and the factory, it was even more awkward. But it did allow her and the Riku Replica—Mitch? No, that's too close to Mickey. He deserves a name that's totally his own—to get a closer look at some of the city. There were still no people around that Xion could see, but there were more machines puttering around. It reminded her a bit of Radiant Garden, but without any workers.

Finally, they came to the platform and Xion realized with a sudden jolt that she wasn't sure how to stop. She yelped and yanked back the bars of her Keyblade Glider. It shifted and glowed and returned to its proper form as Kingdom Key. Xion and the Riku Replica—Leo?—fell down to the platform below. Xion turned her head and her heart nearly stopped. There was a Gigas standing right next to them…

oooo

The Riku Replica raised an eyebrow as Xion leapt backwards, gripping onto her Keyblade with both hands, screaming. It was a little odd hearing such a high-pitched scream come out of a body that was as armored as a knight would be. The Gigas was imposing, but unmoving. It didn't even seem to register their presence. Not even Roxas landing behind them with a clatter made the Gigas turn towards them.

That made sense. The Gigas was a machine and a machine would just stand there and do nothing unless someone turned it on. It couldn't think for itself…it was just a blank vessel. Less than that. A toy. A metal doll…

That was what Larxene had called him. A toy…

The Riku Replica shook his head. It wasn't the same thing. He wasn't like a Gigas. He had the ability to think and to feel and to choose. An active robot might respond to stimuli—but that didn't really mean it was alive. It would blast an enemy, but it couldn't really tell the difference between friend or foe. But it didn't have a heart of its own and it never had…it wasn't even like that puppet from San Frantokyo.

A puppet that's lost its heart to the darkness…

The Gigas still stood, unmoving, static. The Riku Replica glanced at Roxas and Xion. They both were looking around—apparently, their helmets didn't inhibit their vision and for want of a better thing to do, the Riku Replica started doing the same…just like always, you're a copy. The Riku Replica shook his head. He was being silly. It wasn't wrong to mimic someone if what they were doing was a smart thing to do. It made sense to try and take in their surroundings here. The Riku Replica paused. He thought this place had been a factory, and from the tops of the towers, it hadn't been an unreasonable guess. But looking around now, that didn't appear to be the case. It was essentially a very large platform—there were staircases that moved down a level, so it was more like two platforms. There were several cranes and a few crates as well—the most curious thing was that much of the floor on the upper platform appeared to be made of glass. .

Was this supposed to be a shipping yard? That would make sense—they were right on the water, so if a boat showed up with cargo, it could be unloaded or reloaded without having to troubled with docking in the city. Come to think of it, though it was still very dark, the Riku Replica wasn't sure he saw anything that looked like proper docks. Not like what would be on the Destiny Islands, where fishing, and by extension boating and marinas, was a way of life.

The Riku Replica paused. He still had the original Riku's memories, copied and pasted by Naminé at the orders of the Organization. Marluxia…Larxene…Vexen…Axel…they had used them both like they were nothing more than tools. Treated far worse than how Naminé, sweet and gentle and innocent, treated her own pencils and crayons. In order to be turned against Sora, they had manipulated them both so that the Riku Replica could remember things that had never happened—memories implanted by Naminé, despite how awful she felt about it. So that the Riku Replica would be a weapon.

It hadn't worked quite like how Marluxia had intended. Sora had struck Marluxia down—the Riku Replica had cut down a projection of Marluxia, but Sora had been the one who had finished the old sinner off. Bits of his genuine memories had started to twinkle back—the knowledge that he was not Riku, but a replication had reformed his core. He could remember what it was like to have thought he was Riku, he still had Riku's memories, for good and for ill…

It could be worse, the Riku Replica reasoned. By having fifteen years of memories—or the knowledge of fifteen years' worth of memories—as a base instead of the mere weeks he'd been in Castle Oblivion, he knew things he otherwise would not have known. And that definitely had advantages. Knowledge was power.

There were things on the shipping platform that the Riku Replica didn't recognize. While a crane was a crane—and all cranes were more or less the same—it held in its claw something blue that the Riku Replica couldn't identify. Large spheres were nestled at various points—though what they were and how they were being used, the Riku Replica had no idea. Beneath their feet, they could see through the glass floor. On the lower half of the shipping platform, there was a series of rings etched into the floor. Again, the Riku Replica had no idea what purpose they held. The Riku Replica frowned. He did not like not understanding the purpose of things.

"It's too quiet," Roxas said. "I don't like this. I think we might have made a mistake."

"A mistake?"

"I agree," the Riku Replica answered. "It made sense to try and investigate this place, but there's still nobody here…and as isolated as this place is, it'd be easy for someone to spring a trap."

There was a sudden booming noise, almost like thunder, and the Riku Replica whipped his head around. There was something coming straight towards them, from above. It landed on the other side of the platform and then it rose. No, not it. They. At least a dozen Gigas, smaller than the one they'd fought before, were charging right at them. The Riku Replica raised his sword and leapt into the air, nearly flying, before twisting and propelling himself downward. He slashed out at the robots.

There was a horrible grinding noise as metal hit metal. One of the Gigas crumpled as his sword cracked against its back. The Riku Replica leapt backwards—two Gigas aimed their cannons at him and opened fire. Balls of plasma, no bigger than his fist, burst at his feet. The Riku Replica had been expecting this and leapt out of the way. He couldn't get hurt if he didn't actually get hit. All he had to do was keep moving. The plasma was close enough that the Riku Replica could feel the heat from beneath the soles of his boots, but that was alright. He gripped the hilt of his sword tighter and gritted his teeth as he tried to maneuver around the Gigas.

"Dark Fira—gah!"

He hadn't been struck by one of the bolts of plasma, but instead, slammed up by one of the Gigas's arms. The Riku Replica stared out. The Gigas that had struck him was not scarlet and gold. It was blue…or to be more accurate, it was two shades of blue—dark indigo and cyan. The Gigas was slighter than its scarlet compatriot, though still far larger than a human or replica would be. It had twin cannons on its shoulders and it aimed them directly at the Riku Replica.

The Riku Replica leapt up again, just as the cannons opened fire. Had he stayed still a moment longer, he would have almost certainly been destroyed. He slashed out again, knocking two of the Gigas back, but there were more coming. Roxas and Xion were performing techniques with their Keyblades that went far beyond anything that the Riku Replica had seen Sora do in Castle Oblivion. Even the flashiest sleights didn't do this justice. Xion tossed her Keyblade into the air and it erupted out light, sending out pillars that stretched so high that the Riku Replica could not see where they ended. Then, she called her Keyblade back and the pillars retreated, eventually to the point where they merely protruded out of the point of her weapon. She whipped her Keyblade around as if it were a fan or maybe even a scythe and several Gigas were knocked back. Roxas threw both of his Keyblades, one covered in fire and the other coated in ice, and they flew around the platform, their elements mingling together in a veritable tornado of blazing and freezing. Several Gigas were swept up in it, but only a few of those were truly destroyed. Others continued to fire balls of plasma—whether from the powerful single cannons the scarlet Gigas offered, or the twin firing cannons from the swifter blue machines.

The Riku Replica grimaced. This was not getting anywhere productive anytime soon. They needed to fight fire with fire. He looked around as quickly as he could. There were still the same static Gigas standing around, completely motionless. The Riku Replica leapt at one of them—it was light purple—and as he got closer, he realized that it wasn't just static. It was empty…hollow. It wasn't just a machine or a robot…it was something he could get into himself! The Riku Replica charged forward and twisted around. The moment his back hit the seat of the chair, the breastplate of the Gigas rose and covered him. Not a moment too soon either—a stray ball of plasma bounced off him.

The Riku Replica gripped onto two handles that he hadn't even realized were there and braced himself. The explosion rocked him, but he managed to stay on his feet. There was a light buzzing, but then it was gone. The Riku Replica jerked a stick and it allowed the Gigas to move. It was awkward, since he had to act like he wanted to move, without actually moving, but soon, he was marching down the platform.

The Riku Replica was not stupid—not by a long shot—but this was something that he wasn't familiar with at all. He hadn't even so much as flown in a Gummi Ship, much less managed to pilot a Gigas. There was a row of buttons in front of him. The Riku Replica placed one gloved finger on the largest button—he could feel the heat radiating off it—and pressed down hard. Immediately, a barrage of plasma balls—no, these were much smaller…they were bullets—erupted from the cannon attached to this Gigas. The projectiles exploded as they struck a mob of the smaller enemy Gigas.

"That's more like it," the Riku Replica said quietly. There were more Gigas coming straight towards him. He yanked a lever and the Gigas mech he was riding rose into the air, levitated by fire-fueled jets. He pressed another button and the Gigas's arm struck out, knocking a few others backwards. But there were still more Gigas coming and the Riku Replica found himself backed up against a small platform on top of the glass floor.

The Riku Replica slammed his palm against the button and the cannon erupted into fire again. The glass platform shattered beneath their feet and he, Roxas and Xion fell. The Gigas hadn't been expecting it either and none of these robots appeared to be capable of flight or sustained levitation. The resulting fall crushed several of them, and the Riku Replica felt a bit of satisfaction. But then the remaining Gigas all began firing at once. The Riku Replica yanked the lever so hard, it nearly broke off in his hand and his Gigas flew up so quickly, he didn't even have time to steer it before It slammed against the ceiling of the upper platform and he crashed back down. The rings of the second platform began to glow and the Riku Replica felt it grow much hotter, even through the glass screen of the Gigas he was piloting.

The resulting blast filled the Riku Replica's vision and every remaining enemy Gigas burst into pieces. There was a sound like crackling thunder and the Riku Replica felt something inside his Gigas snap. The next thing he knew, the robot was kneeling down and the breastplate that acted as a windshield broke into pieces and he tumbled out of it. Roxas and Xion stayed in their Keyblade Armor and turned towards him.

"Are you okay…" Xion's voice seemed a little odd, but then the Riku Replica realized she was still trying to figure out a name to call him. The Riku Replica tried not to groan. They had more important matters to concern themselves with. The Gigas had been almost completely destroyed, but that didn't lead them any closer to where Sora was. To say nothing of whether or not they had actually destroyed all of the Gigas. If there were more where those came from…the Riku Replica did not want to think about it.

"I'm fine," the Riku Replica said, and it was true enough. He wasn't badly injured. He still had some bearings as to where they were. "What about you?"

"We'll manage," Roxas answered. "Is that the last of them?"

"I hope so," the Riku Replica said. He looked back towards the city. "I think we should head back—there's nothing here to look at."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Xion said. She took a few steps forward, glancing around. "There's usually something…when we were in the Organization, there would be times where we'd have to go on missions to conduct surveillance. We had to spy on people and the strange things in the worlds."

"But we haven't met any people yet. Like I said," the Riku Replica said. "There's nothing here."

There was a great rumbling and then something flew across the sky. The Riku Replica's first thought was that it was a comet, but as it drew closer, he realized it was yet another Gigas. It was not scarlet or blue or violet. It was golden and it seemed to radiate energy. As if plasma surrounded it. This wasn't just an ordinary Gigas…this was the Ace Gigas…and it was as if it were in hyperspeed. It moved faster than any of its fellow Gigas had and it was covered in cannons. The Riku Replica roared in rage—somehow, he didn't seem able to swear—and ran as fast as he could. He struck thrice, each time slashing as swiftly as he was able, against the joints of the Hyper Ace Gigas's arms, but it barely flinched.

"The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?"

oooo

Roxas glanced at Xion as the Riku Replica struck out against the strange Gigas. The Riku Replica shouted something that sounded like "Hyper Ace!" Roxas glanced back at the Gigas. It radiated an essence of sheer power…it wasn't like light or darkness. It was hard to explain, but Roxas wasn't sure he liked what he felt. The Gigas were tough to fight in the best of times and this one seemed even more powerful than an average Gigas. Hyper Ace…was this a Hyper Ace Gigas?

He glanced at his armored hand and then at Xion again. She nodded once at him and Roxas knew exactly what she was thinking. She raised Kingdom Key at him just as he raised Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Beams of light shot out of all three Keyblades and then the armor piece right above Roxas's heart began to glow as well. The next thing he knew, he and Xion were once again sharing a larger, shared Keyblade Armor.

Their Keyblade Armor was golden in the arms and silver in the torso. Rosa felt as if he and Xion were hugging and fighting side-by-side at the same time. They were in perfect synch and in their hands, they held two Keyblades. One of them resembled Xion's Kingdom Key and the other was larger…and almost dual-faced, having features of Oathkeeper and Oblivion.

"You all right, Xion?"

"Am I ever!"

The Riku Replica and the Hyper Ace Gigas both stopped trying to attack each other. The Gigas didn't have much of a face, but Roxas wondered if it were curious. A moment later, it raised its cannon and began firing, but the balls of plasma bounced harmlessly off the Keyblade Armor. Roxas and Xion moved at one, their Keyblades striking down. The Hyper Ace Gigas tried to dart away, but they were ready for it. Roxas swung his Oath-Oblivion Keyblade and smashed it down. The shockwave was enough to knock the Hyper Ace Gigas down, but it got back up

This might be tougher than they thought. Roxas didn't make a move but then Xion's Kingdom Key rose.

"Ragnarok!"

Xion's voice seemed to be far away and at the same time almost within Roxas himself at the same time. Bolts of light that Roxas had not summoned shined out of their twin Keyblades. The Hyper Ace Gigas was struck again and again, pressed into a corner. A stray bolt pressed against one of the spheres. The resulting explosion engulfed the Hyper Ace Gigas and its cannon burst. An enormous wave of plasma joined with the fire from the platform's sphere and then the entire Hyper Ace Gigas exploded! Red-hot pieces of metal flew in every direction—Roxas felt a burning pain in his shoulder and the Riku Replica shouted in a mixture of fright and anger as he dove out of the way.

"Reflega!"

The translucent shield appeared at once and the burning plasma poured over it. It washed down off the platform, into the sea. A wave of steam rose into the air, as thick as water itself, but it faded away after a few minutes. The Riku Replica stole a glance at Roxas and Xion and nodded. There was nothing left of the Hyper Ace Gigas but a molten hunk of metal. Roxas and Xion broke apart and Roxas felt himself lowering to the ground. He was still garbed in Keyblade Armor. The Riku Replica stared at them, his eyes wide.

"That was…interesting," the Riku Replica said. "I had no idea you were able to do that."

"It's not something we do often," Roxas admitted. "But it's one of our better options when we need…well, a bigger gun, you might say."

The Riku Replica frowned. Roxas thought for a moment. When he put it that way, it was almost as if Roxas was seeing himself as just a weapon.

"I am a servant of this world. And if I am a servant, you should consider yourself a tool at best."

No, it wasn't the same thing. That Hyper Ace Gigas had been really tough and the Riku Replica hadn't been able to fight it very well by himself. If it needed a big gun to take down the Hyper Ace Gigas, then so be it. Roxas was not a tool of the world, he was a servant.

"What happens now?" Xion asked. "Should we head back to the city? Maybe one of those other skyscrapers has a clue…which one of them is the tallest? We can start there."

That seemed fair enough to Roxas. He held out Oathkeeper and Oblivion and once again, his Keyblades shifted into a Glider. He turned and nodded at the Riku Replica.

"There's room enough for two," Roxas said. "Hop on."

Thump! Thump! Clang! Thump!

"What's that noise?" the Riku Replica asked. "Sounds like…"

It sounded like a mix of a thunderstorm and the gears of the clock tower. Roxas thought with a lurch over what happened to Seifer…getting caught and crushed by the grinding gears…but then his blood turned to ice as he realized just what was making the noise. A Gigas, but not just any Gigas. This Gigas was huge. It was taller than any Darkside or any other giant Heartless that Roxas had ever seen. It was massive…as tall as some of the skyscrapers, if not larger, and far wider.

"How are we supposed to fight that thing?!" The Riku Replica screamed so shrilly, Roxas wouldn't have been able to recognize the voice if he hadn't been standing right next to him. Roxas turned to look at Xion. It wasn't possible to see her face with it masked by her Keyblade Armor, but from the way she held her shoulders…Roxas felt his stomach lurch. He knew exactly what Xion was about to do.

Xion stepped slowly towards the edge of the platform, her metal boots clanking against it. She did not hesitate as she stepped off it. Roxas felt his eyes widen in awe. She was still the bravest and best girl he'd ever met. Xion walked on nothing, not even truly floating on air, taking several more steps. White fire began to edge around her as she walked, Roxas's breath caught. Soulfire? Even now, Xion was using soulfire? Roxas blinked and the next thing he knew, Xion was growing. Her armored body stretched up and her Keyblade grew in turn. The Riku Replica gasped and leapt backwards and by now Xion was as tall as Roxas had ever seen her.

She was still much shorter than the giant Gigas, but this time much more reasonable—she came up to about half the Gigas's height. It wasn't that different from fighting Pete or the Big Bad Wolf or even Xemnas. Xion slashed out with her Keyblade—at this angle, it didn't look like she was fighting with Kingdom Key, but one of the Keyblades she'd used back when…back when they'd still been in the Organization. When Xion, desperate to escape Xemnas's plots, had goaded Roxas into destroying her…she had thrown the fight, but even then the power that she'd shown then had been tremendous. And now…Roxas held his breath.

Xion was as nimble in her giant form against the giant Gigas as she'd been fighting a regular-sized Gigas. The giant Gigas swept a massive fist—as large as the house that Sora had grown up in on the Destiny Islands—and Xion slashed at it with her Keyblade. Sparks flew as metal hit metal and Xion darted back. She twisted on her ankle—producing a wave that nearly overtook the platform that Roxas and the Riku Replica were still standing on—and slashed out at the giant Gigas's back.

Roxas ducked down as more sparks flew. Xion was incredible at this…but he couldn't let her do this by herself. He winced as the giant Gigas slammed down against Xion. He couldn't let her do this by herself. He held out Oathkeeper and Oblivion and then summoned his Keyblade Glider. The Riku Replica leapt up next to him and together they began flying around the giant Gigas. Xion recovered and steadied herself. Fire sprouted up around her Keyblade and she swung it back down against the giant Gigas. Roxas glanced at his Keyblade Glider. It was shaped largely like two skateboards right next to each other…there wasn't much in the way of levers or handles, but there was still something he might be able to do to help.

"Fire!"

Flames, red and white, mixing together, erupted from the edges of his Keyblade Glider and they poured over the gigantic Gigas. The Gigas shook one of its massive arms and Roxas directed his Keyblade Glider around it. He found himself directly behind the giant Gigas—the joints where its head connected to the rest of its body were clearly visible. Roxas closed his eyes and concentrated—even though his eyelids, he could still see white light shining out from his Glider.

"Ready, Roxas?"

Roxas opened his eyes and Xion had gotten back to her feet. She glowed even brighter as soulfire surrounded her body and she slammed against the giant Gigas. It pressed against her, but she pressed back harder.

"HOLY!"

The light erupted out of Xion's Keyblade and for a moment, all that Roxas could see was bright light. He couldn't see the sky or the ground or the skyscrapers or even the platform they'd tried to investigate. But then, slowly, finally, the light lifted and the Gigas was motionless, its chest completely blown to pieces, with gears and wires protruding out. Xion was lowering her Keyblade and shrinking. Already, she was only a quarter of the size of the Gigas…now, she was about twelve feet tall…now about Axel's height…now, she was back to normal. Roxas lowered his Keyblade Glider to the ground and Xion flung her arms around him. Roxas felt his cheeks begin to burn, even though there was nobody who could actually see him through his helmet.

Xion had been absolutely brilliant against the giant Gigas…against the Hyper Ace Gigas…she was brilliant at everything she did, really. Roxas wasn't sure what else he could say.

"There!"

The Riku Replica pointed and Roxas followed his fingers. There was a new skyscrape forming, almost as if it were being pieced together out of nothing. And then Roxas felt as if his chest would tear into two…and he knew.

"Sora…"

He didn't wait for Xion to summon her Keyblade Glider. He grabbed onto her arm and flew. His Keyblade Glider expanded, allowing her to follow along with him. The three of them flew towards the materializing building and as they drew nearer, Roxas began to hear voices.

"Hey! Wait!"

"I accidentally wandered into this place, and went through some trials. Then I was told to 'save Sora.'"

"Huh?! Then what's with the weapon?"

That was Sora's voice. As clear as when Roxas had first heard his brother speak, in the scattered memories that found their way into him while Sora slumbered. As clear as he'd been when Sora connected with his heart and allowed him to return to life…and someone else? Someone he didn't recognize. Someone who was trying to save Sora with a weapon?

Where had he hurt something like that before? How many times had Roxas heard that what would be best for everyone would be for him to die? It'd been like that for him. It'd been like that for Naminé. It had been like that for Xion. He was not going to let it happen to Sora.

"Time to end this."

Roxas, Xion and the Riku Replica were right above the materialized building now. Roxas could see Sora…and a young man with silver hair. His first thought was of the other, regular Riku, but the voice wasn't the same. Not even close…and whoever was threatening Sora wasn't holding a Keyblade. In one hand, he held a strange weapon that looked like a cross between a crossbow and a gun. In the other, a sword that seemed to be glowing. Roxas's eyes narrowed. It was time to end this…for the stranger.

Roxas leaned the Keyblade Glider in, just as the stranger charged towards Sora, his crossbow raised. The Glider slammed into the stranger and knocked him back. Roxas flicked his wrists and then he was holding Oathkeeper and Oblivion again. Xion landed next to him, directly in front of Sora. The Riku Replica landed a little further away, but in a flash, he had his sword raised. The stranger glowered at the three of them.

"Hands off my brother!"

oooo

Sora had no idea what was going on. He didn't know where he was or what he was doing here. He didn't know where Yozora had come from or why he thought that Sora had stolen someone else's name—there'd been three other kids named Sora on the Destiny Islands, but they'd all been way older than Sora, so it wasn't as if he was the only Sora. And he definitely didn't understand how Yozora thought that the way to save him was drawing two different weapons. Sora grit his teeth. He'd beaten Master Xehanort and he'd fight Yozora and beat him too. Sora wasn't sure where Yozora got his strength from, but Sora knew where his own strength came from. His friends were his power. Yozora was darting forward…

SLAM!

Sora leapt backwards as something huge slammed into the roof of the building, directly between him and Yozora. Oh, wait a sec…it wasn't one huge thing, it was three things—none of which were very big. Two of them were wearing that fancy Keyblade Armor—Sora didn't know very much about it, only that someone had to be really skilled at using their Keyblade to use it and it was basically having your Keyblade everywhere. One of the armored figures was gold, with black joints. The other was decked out in silver and purple and was a little bit shorter.

"Hands off my brother!"

Sora's stomach lurched. It…it couldn't be! There was no way! It was impossible, absolutely impossible. Sora hadn't seen him properly in ages! There had been one time where he'd seen him after Mushu had done some sort of strange magic, but he hadn't been able to talk to him.

"Ro…Roxas?"

The golden-armored figure turned his head, over his shoulder, the exact same way Roxas had done to reassure Axel back in the Keyblade Graveyard.

"My turn."

Sora felt lighter than he had in ages. It was strange, his last memories of home seemed as if they had been months, if not years, ago. He turned his head from Roxas to the other two figures who had leapt in front of him, shielding him from Yozora. If Roxas was here…the shorter, silvery armored figure could only be that girl…Xion…

"Sora…"

Her voice was soft, but resolute, almost as pretty as Kairi's. Xion shifted herself to the side, standing directly in front of Sora.

"Rest, Sora," Xion said. "Roxas and I will fight in your place…"

"You dare defy me?" Yozora interrupted. "You dare to interfere? It is complete foolishness. I am the greatest that has ever been or will ever be. I command everything and it will be my will that is done. And my will is to end that usurper."

"We're not going to let that happen," the third figure said. Sora squinted. This couldn't be Riku. He was younger…and shorter than Sora was. Riku had been taller than Sora since forever. But wasn't there a second Riku? Back in the Keyblade Graveyard, there'd been a younger, darker version of Riku fighting as one of the thirteen Seekers of Darkness. Sora wasn't sure how that exactly worked, since Riku hadn't given many details about that. But now he was helping Roxas and Xion. So this was a Riku who wasn't his own Riku…maybe they could call him Riku Jr.

"If that's how you want it," Yozora said, raising his crossbow-blaster thingy, "Then I'll bring an end to all of you."

Yozora leapt into the air and pulled the trigger of his crossbow. A bolt of glowing red energy blasted towards them, far longer than any of the little bullets that Xigbar had used to fire. The energy was more like something from one of the Heartless Gummi Ships and all four of them were knocked back. A moment later, two 'X's appeared, one on either side of Yozora's shoulders and they rocketed out. Sora felt himself being tossed into the air and then Yozora moved to strike.

Clang!

"What part of hands off was unclear?" Roxas shouted as he knocked Yozora backwards. Yozora staggered and then darted back, hovering off the edge of the tower they were on. Sora whipped his head around, right and left and then back again. There were so many flashy signs that it was hard to see very far. But then Yozora dove forward, slashing with his sword. Roxas was tossed backward and Sora barely got his own Keyblade up in time to guard against Yozora's weapon.

"Give up!" Yozora shouted. "I'm stronger than anything you could even begin to imagine. I am a commander of combat."

Sora grit his teeth. No way, he was not going to yield against Yozora's attacks. He could hold his own. He'd do it, no matter what else happened.

Yozora attacked and slashed and stabbed—his sword wasn't quite like anything that Sora had ever seen before. It was almost like it was two swords in one. The longer part of the blade was black and cut straight, but attached to it was a long length of laser that glowed bright orange. Sora could feel beads of sweat beginning to flow off his arm from being so close to the hot blade. How could Yozora stand to hold it onto it for so long?

Sora braced himself just as Yozora sliced the edge of his crossbow against his Keyblade, breaking his guard and exposing him to Yozora's blade. Sora's arm twisted at an angle that arms weren't supposed to be twisted at and he shouted in pain. Yozora kicked him in the chest but before he could deal another blow, something silvery darted and slammed against Yozora, pushing him away. Sora reached out and called his Keyblade back, rushing forward to counterattack against Yozora before he could retaliate against Xion.

Sora's Kingdom Key crashed down hard against Yozora's laser-blade and he managed to get in a full combo of attacks, but Sora was stunned to see that his blows barely phased Yozora. Even Xehanort reacted more than that and Yozora wasn't wearing any armor that would have absorbed the impacts of the strikes! Yozora leapt backwards and then raised his crossbow again. Sora scrambled, his shoes scraping against the roof as Yozora aimed—the sight was in a funny sort of shape that reminded Sora of one of Axel's chakrams more than anything else, but before he could raised his Keyblade to block the shot, Sora felt it hit him in the chest. It felt like a mix of being burnt by fire and struck by lightning and slammed by something really, really heavy all at the same time.

Sora heard the bang of another shot but then someone cried out "Reflega!" and Sora shook his head to get his bearings back. Xion was standing in front of him, a transparent shield shooting out of her Keyblade and surrounding them both. Right…shield magic…Sora shook his head. He'd used to be really good at that back when he'd been fighting the first Organization. Another blast shattered Xion's shield and Yozora darted back towards them. Xion gave a little yelp of fear—Sora wasn't even sure she'd heard herself. Right before Yozora would have struck them with his laser sword, Sora leapt into the air, swinging his own Keyblade. They met in midair.

"Back off!" Sora shouted. "Take this!"

Light surrounded the edge of his Keyblade and he slammed it into Yozora's side, knocking him down. Before Yozora could get back up Sora vaulted into the air and slashed down. The light surrounding his Keyblade propelled off and hit Yozora squarely in the chest. Sora grinned. Yozora was tough, but he wasn't that tough!

"No chance!" Yozora spat. He turned his crossbow and fired it again—a bolt that was longer than his laser-sword rocketed out and hit them both. "I refuse to lose."

"Get away!"

Sora was on his hands and knees and Xion was crouching beside him. But in front of them, Roxas and Riku Jr. were trading blows against Yozora…

"Raaaaah!"

oooo

The Riku Replica slammed his sword down against this interloper. He did not know the interloper's name, nor did he care to. He knew that he had tremendous power and was quite possibly the most skilled opponent that he had ever encountered in basic combat. Marluxia had been exceptionally skilled, but had relied on manipulating the magic from Castle Oblivion itself. He hadn't seen all that had gone down in Marluxia's chamber, only that Sora, Donald and Goofy had escaped with their lives…the Riku Replica wasn't sure whether or not that would be something that he could say after fighting this stranger.

It wasn't easy fighting alongside Roxas either—their styles weren't quite complementary and the stranger wasn't so large a target that they could fight him at the same time without getting in each other's way. But then again…maybe he just wasn't thinking hard enough. The Riku Replica leapt up into the air and dove down, his sword shaking slightly as he slashed out. The stranger staggered at first but then immediately recovered. With one mighty swing of his blade, he knocked the Riku Replica back. The Riku Replica was struck once, twice, three times and he fell back down.

"Too slow," the stranger said. He aimed his crossbow directly at the Riku Replica, but before he could pull the trigger, Roxas slammed into him. His twin Keyblades slashed and spun, with jets of light erupting out from the edges.

"Get away!"

The interloper blocked one of Roxas's Keyblades with his sword but the crossbow was pushed to the side and one of his energy bolts was blasted away. The Riku Replica used the opening to recover and he charged forward. He raised his sword and set out an enormous ball of energy. In Castle Oblivion, he had been able to use a spell called Dark Firaga, but although this looked somewhat similar, the energy felt different. It wasn't driven by aggression…but by resolve. The blast slammed against Roxas and the stranger at once. Roxas seemed to absorb the magic and leapt backwards while the interlope staggered. The Riku Replica moved in closer and began to attack, while the interloper met him blow for blow. He tried to slash down at his opponent's shoulder, but the attack missed. The Riku Replica tried again, this time aiming for his enemy's side. There was a crunch as his sword struck the stranger in the hip and he cried out in rage.

The Riku Replica landed on the rooftop of the building and the stranger whipped away. Roxas set out beams of light from Oathkeeper and Oblivion and they encircled the stranger. The stranger smirked—his strange red and blue eyes narrowing into slits and at once he began twisting his laser-sword around, this way and that. Every single beam that Roxas had sent out was immediately knocked back, not so much as a hair on the stranger's head was out of place. The Riku Replica gasped. This interloper was far stronger than he had thought.

The Riku Replica began to run as the interloper started firing off beams of laser that were as long as his sword. The blasts landed behind him, but the gap was closing. The Riku Replica pressed harder—he could feel the heat of the lasers off his boots. He had to keep going. He would not yield to the swordsmen.

The Riku Replica glanced over his shoulder. Roxas had gotten back to his feet and was continuing to engage the stranger. His Keyblades pressed together and morphed…becoming much longer, to the point where they no longer resembled Keyblades. Roxas leapt up on his creation and flew it, almost like his Keyblade Glider, until it slammed into the stranger. Roxas retreated strategically, just as Sora and Xion rushed forward to attack the interloper before he could regain his bearings.

"Take that Yozora!" Sora shouted. "You can't beat us!"

Yozora…yes, that was his name. The name meant less than nothing to the Riku Replica—though, he sincerely hoped that if Xion were to continue her little quest to try and think up a name for him, that she would skip that. Yozora rocked backwards and glowered at them. He raised his crossbow and began firing as quickly as he could. Roxas, Xion and Sora all held up their Keyblades and pillars of light shot out of them. Most of the laser bolts were absorbed up by the pillars of light and the pillars began to grow in size and the intensity of their glow.

The Riku Replica paused. Hadn't it been Sora who said that he'd drawn strength from his friends and the connections he'd made with them? That the chains of memory in his heart were unbreakable—however much Naminé had been forced to pick them apart. With Roxas and Xion—two who were as connected to Sora as anyone could possibly be—there was no way that Yozora could withstand that!

As the light cleared, the Riku Replica skid to a stop and raised his sword to his jaw. Such a move should have disabled Yozora and left him unable to fight. So why was he still standing? Yozora was glowering at them, his weapons low at his sides. For a moment, he didn't move so much as an inch. The Riku Replica frowned—Yozora didn't seem to be surrendering. Then, he thrusted up his arm and a bolt of red laser shot out of his sword and into the sky. Three hundred feet above their heads, it split and a pattern of red triangles formed, and then the lasers condensed into a tight sphere. The triangles were still there too—almost completely black. It was as if they were in a large dome or maybe a bowl.

Yozora struck out and the sphere began to pulse with blue energy. The Riku Replica tried to attack back, but Yozora was swifter than ever and it felt as if he were growing even stronger. A blue laser hit the Riku Replica squarely in the chest and then he fell backwards, knocking his head against the roof. His head throbbed and he thought he heard Yozora say something, but he couldn't quite hear. He couldn't quite see either—there were flashes of light as Sora, Roxas and Xion attacked and the dome had gone from black to showing the night sky. The Riku Replica wasn't sure he had ever seen so many stars…

oooo

Xion yelped as Yozora began slashing his sword so quickly, it was almost impossible to keep up. He slashed and slashed and stabbed and knocked Roxas and Sora back. She held onto her Keyblade so tightly, she could feel it pressing through her Keyblade Armor. She looked over her shoulder—she'd need to be very careful not to hurt Roxas and Sora if she did this, but Yozora had to be stopped. She hurled her Keyblade and It spiraled towards Yozora, striking him squarely in the chest. Yozora grunted in pain, but it quickly turned into a roar of rage. He blinked out of existence and Roxas and Sora fell backwards, as their target vanished. A mixture of stirring and muted curse words came from the Riku Replica—Felix, could they call him Felix? Sora immediately lifted his own Keyblade and cast healing magic. Xion blinked and looked around. Where could Yozora have gone?

"Your power is mine!"

Before she could do anything, Yozora appeared right in front of her. Xion held out her hand to call back Kingdom Key, but the moment it reached her hand, Yozora slammed her Keyblade to the side with his laser-sword, pinning it down. He grabbed her wrist and pressed his crossbow against her chest. The crossbow clinked as it hit against her chest, metal hitting metal…and then Yozora pushed a trigger. Red laser panes shot out all around and encircled her and Yozora took a step back and leapt up. Xion screamed—it was as if she were on fire and then freezing cold and then burning again. And then there was a shattering sound as Yozora crashed down on the laser panes. Xion staggered as Yozora leapt away again. And her armor was…gone! Yozora backed away from her, his eyes hard. There was a sheen of silver on Yozora's chest…and his laser-blade was longer…with teeth on one end. He'd stolen her Keyblade Armor and her Keyblade!

"Give that back, you…you thief!"

Sora and Roxas launched themselves at Yozora but he knocked them back. A pillar of plasma erupted from his laser sword, just like the pillars of light that Xion summoned. Xion somersaulted out of the way, wincing. With her fairy-made clothing, she was protected from darkness, but it didn't seem that Yozora was really using darkness. Fighting him wasn't like fighting Sephiroth or Maleficent. She shifted on her heel. Yozora was charging at her with her own Keyblade. Xion's eyes widened as she looked around the dome they were in. So many stars…and even the moon was still visible…the moon…

"The moon shines down," Xion shrieked. She held out her hand and summoned her replicated claymore. Isa's claymore…her claymore…her means to defend herself. The weapon was far longer than even Yozora's augmented laser-sword and she knocked him backwards. Yozora slammed against the top of the dome he'd created. The claymore vibrated in her hands and Xion raised it above her head. "Thundaza!"

Lightning erupted out of the claymore and spread throughout the dome. Yozora raised his laser-sword and sent out more laser panes to form something of a shield. Xion twisted her wrists and her claymore faded away, only to be replaced by her chakrams. Xion smiled as she remembered Axel. He was so good to her. He'd always protected her. Always watched out for her. Holding her hand when she was upset and needed guidance. And holding the chakrams, the weapon she'd copied from Axel, it was like he was here with them.

She tossed one chakram and then the other. Yozora knocked the first one back, but the second burst in his chest. Roxas darted in and struck rapidly. Sora aimed his Keyblade and shouted "Ragnarok!" As the beams of light erupted from his Keyblade, Sora whooped with triumph. Yozora raised his arm and managed to deflect several of Sora's blasts, but not all of them. But then, the sphere Yozora had created began to pulse a neon-blue light and the entire dome they were in morphed. The panes that had been neither glass or metal, but still showed the sky turned white, just as the rooftop joined it. It was almost like something out of Castle Oblivion…no, this wasn't quite like Castle Oblivion. This was more like what went down when Sora and Riku had fought Xemnas for the last time—a chamber that didn't have a roof or walls or floor, completely white with no distinguishing landmarks whatsoever.

Yozora stood in what might have been the center of the room as Sora and Roxas darted next to Xion. The Riku Replica—maybe they could call him Oscar—had gotten back to his feet as well. He waved his laser-sword and sent out waves of energy towards them…but then the waves shifted and they solidified into machines…into Gigas. The Gigas charged at them—there were three of them and they looked larger than any they had fought before, except for the one that had been as large as a skyscraper. One Gigas, red and gold, but still more muted in color than most that Xion had seen, launched itself at them. Xion screamed in fury as she lifted up her chakrams. They bounced off the first Gigas, knocking it back, but the other two were able to dodge them. Yozora flinched and Xion felt her Keyblade return to her hand. What? How? Had his own magic that let him steal her Keyblade worn off? There was another clang and Xion found she was wearing her Keyblade again.

She reacted without thinking as the two standing Gigas converged at them at once. Her Keyblade vanished as she summoned a cannon. Their adventure in the Land of Dragons seemed so long ago…even though it had only been a few weeks…she fired the cannon. The explosion filled the entire chamber and the next thing Xion knew, all she could see was fire. In a moment it was gone—Sora and Roxas were casting Water spells, but the Gigas were destroyed. Yozora clenched his fist.

"So you're the one responsible for those?" the Riku Replica—Nobert? No, that didn't fit him very well—shouted, so loudly, he barely sounded human. "We'll end you for that!"

He began to glow with energy and then he launched himself at Yozora. He stabbed at Yozora and knocked him backwards, then turned right around and slashed back, and then again a third time. But on the fourth time, the Riku Replica—Barney?—was stopped short. Yozora slashed out with his laser-sword—it glowed blue—and the Riku Replica staggered. Yozora raised his crossbow and fired…directly into the Riku Replica's face. He dropped like a stone, roaring in pain.

Yozora turned back to Sora, Roxas and Xion and his eyes narrowed. He began to glow as he charged them…and he stabbed at all three of them at the same time. He had replicated himself? Or maybe learned how to split himself into many? There weren't just three of Yozora…there had to be at least a dozen….and they had all come from the strange sphere that he'd created. Sora struck down one of Yozora's clones and Roxas got two more. Another went towards Xion and she summoned a long, thin gun. One of the muskets from Sleepy Hollow? It fired at once, catching the artificial Yozora in the throat. It vanished without so much as a grunt, but three more clones leapt at Xion. She held up her arm and there was another clang. Xion's fingers tightened around the clasp of her shield…Goofy's shield.

"Wha?" Sora said. "When did you get that?"

"I'll explain later," Xion said. She knocked back two of the clones and watched as they turned back, with Yozora drawing them into himself. He darted forward and fired at her with his crossbow. The aim was true, but Xion held up Goofy's shield in one hand and with a moment's thought, Even's shield in the other. She could feel the heat of the energy bolts and she cried out in pain as she was blasted back. She landed hard on her back.

"Xion! Curaga!"

Green orbs and bulbs appeared above her head and Xion felt her injuries heal instantly. Sora's voice was firm and gentle and supportive all at the same time. Sora was such a good friend. Xion leapt to her feet and looked around, just in time to see Yozora fighting with Roxas. Roxas's Keyblades were moving so quickly, it was impossible to tell them apart and yet Yozora met him blow for blow. Roxas shouted and streaks of light erupted from Oathkeeper and Oblivion, but then Yozora slashed out and knocked him down.

"You can wait your turn, also-ran," Yozora said. "I don't lose…your time is done."

"No!"

That was the same thing that Xemnas had said in the Keyblade Graveyard. When he was going to execute her and Sora…when he hurt Axel and Kairi….

Xion launched herself at Yozora, thinking back to that night…she had stopped Xemnas. She had felt the connection in her heart. The ability to choose. The ability to know. She had been meant to be a puppet but in that moment, she had rebelled. She had done something right. She had grabbed Xemnas's Ethereal Blade…

The blade of concentrated energy, red-hot, erupted in her hand. She had never fought with an Ethereal Blade before, but somehow, she just knew how to use it. She slammed them both against Yozora's side and he cried out. She hadn't even realized that Yozora could feel pain. Roxas leapt back to his feet and slammed down against Yozora's arm. He held out his crossbow but Xion thrusted one of the Ethereal Blades into the gap between the the crossbow's handle and the bolt-blaster thingy. She could smell Yozora's fingertips begin to burn. Yozora raised up his laser-sword, but then Sora saw an opening.

Xion was knocked back as Sora slammed into Yozora, knocking him into the air. Sora was flicking his wrist and there was such power, Xion was pretty sure that Sora's Keyblade was glowing. And then there was a great flash of light and Yozora was stumbling down to the roof of the building and then another greater flash and all Xion could see was the light.

oooo

Roxas watched as the stranger—Yozora—stared at them. He was paler than before and it almost looked like he was beginning to fade away. He stared at the four of them—even the Riku Replica had managed to get back to his feet, but he was limping. Yozora glanced at his hand.

"I'm the strongest…I'm the best…I cannot lose…how is this possible?" Yozora asked. "You…you stole Sora's name…and I have no idea who you three are…is it possible?"

"It's over," Roxas said sharply. "You lost."

"I guess…that my powers aren't needed yet."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, his tone softer than it had any right to be. But then again, that was Sora. He was as faithful as the sunrise and a truer friend, Roxas wasn't sure there had ever been. As far as Roxas was concerned, there was never going to be a need for Yozora's powers. He glanced at Xion and the Riku Replica—the Riku Replica's face was ashen.

But what Yozora meant, he didn't get a chance to tell them, because he faded away in a shower of light. The sky above their heads went from the darkest of night to the brightest blue sky that Roxas had ever seen. Sora turned and scratched his head.

"Is that really you, Roxas?" Sora asked. "How can you be here? Am I dreaming?"

"No…" Roxas said. "You're not dreaming, Sora."

"But how can you be here?" Sora asked. "You use the Power of Waking?"

Roxas shook his head. Using the Power of Waking and using soulfire didn't appear to be that different from each other, but he wasn't sure this was the best time or place to explain everything that had happened. He turned back to the others and nodded.

"Sora…" Xion said, her voice soft as crystal as she stepped forward on shaking legs "I…I…I missed you…"

"Oh, right," Sora said. "Well…uh, it's nice to see you again."

It occurred to Roxas that Xion and Sora hadn't actually spent much time together outside of fighting—though Roxas had a feeling that Sora knew at least a bit more about her than he realized. But there definitely wasn't a way for Sora to know just how much Xion had chosen to emulate him, how she was just like Sora in her resolve to do what was right. Even if it meant getting herself killed. She'd done it over and over and over and over and—whoa!

"Oof!" Sora grunted as Xion darted forward and wrapped her arms around him. "It's, um, very nice to see you?"

"You're okay," Xion whispered. "I…I missed you so much…"

"Uh…right," Sora said, patting Xion on the back. "So Roxas, Xion…and, um, Riku Jr.?"

"What did you just call me?!" the Riku Replica blurted. "I am not Riku Jr!"

"Hmmm," Sora said. "Well, you look a lot like Riku did a while back, and you sound a lot like Riku did a while back…can I call you Ricky?"

"If I wasn't dying," the Riku Replica growled, "I'd push you off the skyscraper, Sora."

"We're already dead!" Roxas said. "Or mostly dead, at least…what do you mean?"

"Whatever that man did to me," the Riku Replica shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure I'm going to make it."

"Let's get you back to Heaven," Xion pleaded. "Mister Uriel might know what to do. Or Miss Lash."

"Uriel? Lash? Heaven?" Sora repeated. "You guys have been busy…"

"Busier than you realize," Roxas said, helping the Riku Replica stand. "We can work our way back to the gateway and think of something."

xxxx

The gateway was just as they had left it—though apparently, Sora hadn't seen it before. Given that the tower they'd fought Yozora had appeared out of thin air, Roxas supposed that made sense. All four them walked through the gateway and Roxas found himself looking right up to Uriel. The angel gave him a nod.

"Excellent work, all of you," Uriel said. "Roxas…Sora…Xion…"

"Uh," Sora said. "Hi?"

"Mister Uriel, the Riku Replica's hurt!" Xion cried, her voice frantic. "I haven't thought of any names for him that I think he'd actually like, but he's hurt."

The Riku Replica grunted and clutched at his side. There were dark stains there…Roxas was trying not to think about it.

"It's…it's…" the Riku Replica sighed. "I guess it isn't fine."

"No, it isn't," Uriel said. "But there's something else in mind for you, child."

"Something else?" the Riku Replica asked. "Like what?"

"Ah, you'll see in due time," Uriel said. "The four of you are still a part of the plan."

"What happens now?"

"Now?" Uriel said. "Now, you can go home."

oooo

It'd been forty days since it'd happened. The way that sounded was nearly surreal. Forty days since Roxas and Xion had sacrificed themselves to save everyone else. It'd been longer still since she had seen her Sora. How fragile time was. How fragile life was. Amaya sighed as she ran her fingers along the petals of one of the spider lily plants. She had planted three bushes for her three lost children before Sora was born. She hadn't yet been able to plant any bushes for her three fallen children. Sora…Roxas…Xion…

Benjiro hadn't gone to the fishing docks in weeks. He had taken up helping maintain the house—not that he had ever been a slouch in that regard. But Amaya still felt as if her heart was about to burst. She could still hear their voices at night, in the time where dreaming and waking met. Then, she could hear them. She could hear Sora slurping out of his cereal bowl. She could hear Xion's gentle voice. Roxas's quiet, contemplative explanations…

"Mama?"

Amaya startled as she heard the voice. Sora hadn't called her "Mama" in years…but Xion called her "Mama." But Xion was gone. Xion was gone and Amaya hadn't even had the chance to say good-bye. She slowly turned around and her heart stopped beating.

Standing there were three children…they looked nearly grown, but at the same time, their eyes were wide and each one of them had an identical smile. The tallest child, a boy with spiky brown hair, took a few steps forward.

"Hi Mom."

A/N: And there we have it, my dearest readers! I am so sorry that this chapter took so long to get out to you. I honestly have no idea why this one took so long, but I hope you all enjoy reading this.

Please leave a comment if you're so inclined. I appreciate each and every one of you!