Chapter Twenty-Nine: Grand Cross

As Charon slowly descended, I felt he was going to talk some more. I held my blade toward the ground as I walked forward. Eventually, we stood face to face, looking each other in the eyes with contempt.

"You're stronger than I expected… far stronger than last time. I must admit that I underestimated you… Roy. But even so, you cannot escape your fate," Charon told me.

"Fate holds no power over me. I refuse to accept whatever hand fate deals me. I will forge my own path, one no one has ever tread before. That path is my own; a path of light through the darkness," I replied.

"So, is it atonement you seek, or is it revenge? You are responsible for the deaths of all your friends. Guardian, murderer, pacifist, warrior. You are all these things, yet you are none of them. You tread a unique, lonely path, alone in the void. You have always stood alone, just as you always will," Charon answered.

"… I want to be forgiven. Knowing who and what I am…" I said, looking down at my hands, "Atoning is all I can do. So, for them, I'll kill you… and save the world!" I shouted, charging at him.

"Very well. Then allow me to shatter your delusions of grandeur," Charon finished, bracing himself for my attack. As I charged at him, Charon used his staff to block my vertical slash. We did a set of quick attacks and parries, and then he quickly whirled his staff around and stuck me in the left shoulder, pinning me against the 'ground.'

I screamed in pain, my shoulder having been dislocated in the attack. Charon backed off, jumping back a little.

"See? No matter how strong you are or what you do, you cannot defeat me. You stand alone, here, at your death," Charon taunted.

"I might be alone in body, but not in spirit!" I yelled, charging at Charon again. I felt an otherworldly power behind me this time… plus, it felt like someone had touched me on the shoulder, then told me 'Go!'

Sora?

Before finishing my charge, knowing Charon would only parry it, I stopped short. Catching Charon off guard, I threw my Phoenix Sword at him. The blade struck him four times, then launched him into the air. I grabbed the blade and followed him into the air, sticking my blade through his stomach and turning it.

For the next part of my final attack, I pulled my Phoenix Sword out of Charon, then threw it above him, separating it into its four components; the Buster Sword, Masamune, Zangetsu, and Souba. Then I took each of them and slashed through him, recombining my swords into the Dragon Blade and Soubasune. I repeated the process, this time recombining the swords into the Phoenix Sword. Finally, I dived straight through him, using my blade to shear a hole in him.

Charon fell to the 'ground,' a bloody mess in every regard. His torso was almost severed, and his arms and legs were cut up. I tread up to him to hear his final words.

"Tell me… what kind… of fate are… you searching for?" Charon asked, with most of his final words.

"MY fate. One I'll find someday," I told him.

"A wanderer…" he gasped, then let out his death rattle.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way," I said to nobody. Then a flash of light transported me back to the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. I raised my hand, summoning the Keyblade, then pointed the mystical weapon at the high moon. The Keyblade shot out a beam of light.

The light shone down on me, revealing the Keyhole and locking it at the same time. I held the Keyblade and my Phoenix Sword as everything went bright again…