We're back folks! 😄
(Author's note: made an edit in the last chapter concerning Cloud's relationship with Tifa and Aerith. Go read and see what I've decided to change.)
As I was saying...We're back folks! 😄😄
And this time I posted early!
"Give or take a few hours." Maverick quipped.
Anyhow first things first. Did anyone see the Playstation showcase this week? Holy Crap! God Of War Ragnorok! StarWars Knights Of The Old Republic Remake. Uncharted 4 and GTA remasters! Guardians Of The Galaxy game! (Well we knew that one already! And not to mention...SPIDER-MAN 2 AND A WOLVERINE GAME!)
*HIGH PITCH GIRL SCREAM!*
I'm so excited I just can't hide it! And yes I saw and enjoyed the Marvel's What If Zombies episode. Brings back memories of The zombie DLCs in Red Dead Redemption and those Call Of Duty games. Which zombie game did that episode remind you of? Because inmy opinion. They should make that episode into a video game.
Anyhow. I know you're not here to talk about those things. You're here to see if Aiden will save his family from Stormur and make amends with Sora.
Well I'll just let this chapter speak for itself.
olehbilenko93: Thank you. I aim to please.
superkoola: You read that well. I wanted to give Sora and Aiden's reason to some duality. And not make it like one person is right and the other is wrong. Both had a valid reason to fight each other. But rest assured, true friendship never ends.
RustyPete12: Yep. That was the lowest point for the story. But it's going to start picking itself back up. Also yeah, I couldn't write that chapter without the 1'000 Heartless battle. It would've been a sin against perfect gaming if I didn't. And to answer your suspensions about Aiden's family. Read this chapter to find out.
Alright now that we're all here!
LET'S GET DANGEROUS!😎
Coming To Terms.
Earlier in the Round Room…
The remaining members of Organization XIII came to meet on their thrones to discuss the aftermath of the Heartless battle in Hollow Bastion. Their plans for Sora and his team were still in motion. But in a different course. One that the Guardians were not prepared for. Saix was the last member to appear on his chair.
With five members
"Sora, and the Guardians know the truth now?" Saix said as he leaned forward. "The more Heartless that they defeat, the closer they are to becoming our perfect puppets. This new knowledge will make them that much harder to control."
"It would've been easier if Sora fell into your trap and destroyed more Heartless in the Realm of Darkness. Perhaps someone who is as independent as the Maverick, will change a few rules now that he has the DTD." Luxord concerned while he was rolling dice in his hand.
"What does it matter really? Whatever their circumstances, Sora and his buddies, even the Maverick, have never been able to help themselves from saving people from the Heartless." Xigbar remarked with an enthusiastic shrug. "It's what their pure little hearts want."
"Then, the dice have been cast." Luxord stated as he flipped the dice in his hand. "Things are in motion. Whatever their next step is for course correction, they can't stop this."
"Nothing is set in stone. If the dice aren't in your favor. You will share Demyx's fate." Xaldin pointed out. "Who's to say the Maverick will find a way to bring him and his team mates out of the predicament they find themselves in?"
"Then we insert a loophole. Works every time, am I right?" Xigbar smirked with his arms crossed.
"You cannot loophole someone who is by definition a living loophole. Sora may be in many ways predictable, but we can not predict the Maverick, a warrior who has the right and power to be incalculable." Xaldin responded.
"The fun is in not knowing, isn't it?" Luxord grinned. "What is the point in betting on something if you already know the outcome?"
"Still. Come to think of it. Are you sure that defeating him won't derail the Organization's plans?" Xigbar asked Xemnas for his point of view in all of this.
"If he is to die so easily, he is of no use to us." Xemnas pointed out.
"That is exactly what I wanted to hear. It's not in my nature to hold back." Xaldin agreed.
"What about that last dog hunt you sent Stormur on? If he fails, all of Zexion and Vexen's resources will fade with him." Luxord wondered.
"Stormur's sole purpose was not to kill the Maverick. That is the catalyst that we gave him so that he may fulfil his true purpose." Xemnas revealed.
"And that purpose is?" Xigbar inquired.
"To separate the chaff from the wheat. The weak from the strong. If Stormur doesn't fulfill what he believes is his purpose. Maverick will prove to be better than him." Xemnas stated.
"And the Maverick will be our replacement." Saix understood.
"Like he'd wanna join us after what you did to his Mommy?" Xigbar scoffed. "No offense boss, but he'll stop at nothing to make sure our heads are mounted over his TV."
"That is the point. You know that we serve a role much bigger than this. And in order for him to beat us. He'll bring that much closer." Xemnas stated.
"Closer to what?" Luxord asked.
"The end game." Xemnas grinned.
There is more to it than just creating a new Kingdom Hearts. And it seems like Xemnas plans will go beyond the Organization's plans. And his seed will keep growing long after they are gone.
Another war will come after this one. And Xemnas is making early preparations before Organization XIII's inevitable defeat.
Back on the Highwind II…...
(Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World)
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Everyone on the gummi ship was quiet as one of Aiden's tracks of Louis Armstrong was playing in the ship's surround sound stereo. Sora especially was still recovering from the bad news of his best friend Riku, and that Aiden knew the entire time. Sora wasn't sure what to think about Aiden, and he doesn't know if he could ever forgive him.
Aiden of course was battling with guilt as he sat up in the top deck of the ship alone, with his girlfriend Victoria there to keep him company. While he stayed focused on driving the ship. They hadn't said a word since Aiden told Kairi about Riku's death. Seeing her heart break and mourn with Sora was more than he could handle.
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
"Aiden. Talk to me." Victoria softly said as she was pressing for her boyfriend to talk. Not having the heart to talk.
Aiden didn't say anything at first, but he took a deep breath.
"Classic." Aiden sighed as he listened to the music.
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying
"I love you"
Victoria was seated next to him in her co-pilot's chair as she leaned over to Aiden and stroked his cheek which made him lean into his warm touch. It never fails. So he waited for the song to end, before he began to tell her a memory in his mind.
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll never know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Oh yeah
"Back then when I was still sitting in a hospital bed. The only thing I could ever worry about, was wondering if I will ever make it that day. Or wake up the next. The one thing I hated to look at was seeing my Mom crying, next to me whenever she thought I was asleep. Wondering the same thing. I never liked seeing her cry, or anyone for that matter. And after I was cured…...I promise that I would never again cause anyone more grief." Aiden said as he looked out the window into space. With a tear sliding down his cheek. "Who knew that it took some brain dead idea of concern for everyone around me and the stars and one secret, to cause more than my fair share of grief?"
Victoria wiped his tear off gently and gave him a tender look.
"You didn't cause the real grief. The Organization are the ones who caused all the tears to rain. all of em." Victoria assured him.
"No. They're all not responsible. I was filled with too much hate to see it. Some of the members of the Organization were victims like me. All of them were…..are being manipulated by Xemnas. The man in charge. He never cared what happened to the other Nobodies. All he cared about was the meat they could deliver to the table." Aiden stated.
"Wait….So they're all not bad?" Victoria asked, looking confused.
"Sort of. The ones we were fighting were definitely wicked. Axel may be a premium dick, but he's not one of them. Not anymore. And I'm also speaking of those Nobodies we never met."
"Like?" Victoria inquired.
"Xion. Dianex's long lost 'Padme', who was taken down two weeks before we met Sora." Aiden revealed.
"Damn….And he thinks you killed her, right?" Victoria figured with a snort, and had a thought when she gave Aiden a concerned look. "You didn't kill her right?"
"No! God no. That's never been my style." Aiden almost laughed and assured. He sighed and said. "Dianex, unlike me, has no freewill outside the missions Xemnas gives him. And the mission he gave him was the mission to axe me off, by any method."
"Well he sure sucks at it." Victoria remarked and pondered. "What about that other name that keeps coming around? Roxas?"
"He was their thirteenth member. And the only one who showed real balls to walk away when the Organization showed it's true colors." Aiden remarked.
"But if that's true, then why did that dork we just took down earlier mistake Sora for Roxas?" Victoria asked, referring to Demyx and their first encounter with him in the Underworld.
"Well…..Here's the thing. Do you remember when Sora told us how he became a Heartless to free Kairi's heart?" Aiden hinted as he braced for Victoria's reaction.
"Yeah, so?" Victoria responded. And then it dawned on her slowly. "Oh…..OH! Are you serious?!"
"I'm not bullshitting here! Roxas is Sora's Nobody. Not only that. But I found a way to bring him and Xion back." Aiden said as he pulled up a hologram and displayed it on the ship's window screen.
The screen displayed a love feed of the Mav Club. Inside the research wing, there were two stasis pods that held some kind of blue liquid substance with two white humanoid subjects inside. Floating inside with tubes connected to their limbs and oxygen masks on their blank faces.
"What are those? Repilcas?" Victoria asked as she looked closer with a query expression.
"Yep. The same kind of empty vessels that Death Bird and the Imperial Guards used to clone Maleficent and fight us back in Zootopia." Aiden reminded her.
"I thought there wasn't a trace of this project left." Victoria recalled looking at Aiden.
"I did too. Until I found all of it in the DTD. Everything the organization ever did with the research for Project Replica, they had what was left of it. I just filled in the empty space in my lab with the data. And now, these two empty bottles of Genesis we got in our lair right now, in about less than an hour, are about to become Roxas and Xion." Aiden stated in a little excitement.
Victoria's eyes widened looking back and forth between Aiden and the screen. "You're bringing them back." She realized.
"I'm bringing them back. And this time, They'll become human. Or as the divas like to call, Somebodies." Aiden smiled widely.
Before Victoria could respond after she smiled at him. Suddenly an emergency alert siren alarmed them on the ship.
'Alert! Alert! Stormur has beached our world! The security drones are being destroyed one by one!' IRIS alerted them which made mostly Aiden's heart mentally stop.
His family is in danger.
"What?! Shit but that's impossible!" Victoria was also shocked. "Nothing can get by our Cornerstone of Light!"
"Unless that nothing looks like me." Aiden quickly realized.
"Oh ***k." Victoria muttered as she knew what he meant.
Dianex looks and sounds like Aiden except for skin tone and hair color. That's how he got in.
"And he must've found a back door when Ansem's computer had me as their data." Aiden said as he exhaled and facepalmed himself. "Damn it! Every time there's a silver lining…..A shadow takes a huge steaming dumb on it!"
"Aiden focus! We gotta get back to Arendelle now!" Victoria snapped as the situation was serious and she didn't waste time to grab the steering wheel and take control. "IRIS gets us at a hyper jump point towards home base!"
'I just did!' IRIS stated as she went on a dast jump point back home.
Meanwhile down below deck…..
Sora and Kairi were sitting alone on the couch together as they silently mourned the death of their best friend Riku. Mostly Sora because he knew him since they were toddlers together, much younger than Kairi. Before they met her, Sora and Riku were always together. Now that he's gone, Destiny Islands won't be the same again. Sora wasn't sure he wanted to go back now. It's almost as if he knew what Aiden felt for why he never went back to Hollow Bastion until he was needed there. It's funny, both Sora and Aiden found out about the death of a loved one in Hollow Bastion. Another thing they have in common. But Sora doesn't see that. He still holds a grudge against Aiden for not telling him about Riku. He wasn't sure if he could ever forgive Aiden for that. He wasn't sure if he had too.
Kairi was the one trying to be strong. Despite her crying spell with Sora, she was there to comfort Sora as he was slowly but silently weeping. His tears slowly faded, though the grief was still there.
Kairi's arms were wrapped around Sora in a warm embrace as he leaned on her shoulder, letting the tears finally stop.
The others were sitting far back behind them. Donald, Goofy, Jiminy and Baby Groot. All were sympathetic and felt bad for Sora. But they couldn't say anything. They had never seen Sora like this heartbroken before.
And they weren't sure how to fix it.
Suddenly the ship's intercom spoke up with Aiden's voice. The one voice Sora didn't want to hear right now.
"Attention Guardians! Stormur has breached through Arendelle's cornerstone! He is down there right now and my family are in danger! We'll be landing there in a few minutes and I'm going to need all the help I can get." Aiden spoke, which made Sora's glare up and look the other direction from the speaker.
But Kairi and the others were alarmed and feared for the safety of his family. It's not that Sora didn't care, he was still hurt that this news was kept from him.
"Listen. All of you. Especially you Spike. I know I hurt you, and I know saying I'm sorry is more than what I owe you. I don't deserve your forgiveness and none of you owe me anything. But the grief of losing the closest family you have never known is a pain that almost killed me. And if it weren't for Elsa and her family, my family. The ones who accepted me for who I was when I had no one. When I was being outcasted as a demon and a monster. They pulled me out of the dark. You have that same obligation as well, Sora. Whether you see it or not, you're not alone. Your friends. Your family, are here for you as well." Aiden spoke, as he meant everyone who was there for Sora. Which made Sora lose most of his glare. "And whether you believe it or not. So am I. I owe you that much. But before I repay my mistakes. Me and Victoria. We have to go save everyone that she and I hold dear. All I ask is that you don't punish them for what I did, by looking the other way. Inspite of what the Organization told us. We saved many lives with the keyblade and we can continue to do so, starting now…. I have to end it there for now because I'm anxious to get down there and I'm running out of words! I….. I'm sorry Sora. You do what your heart tells you. It's all I've ever been doing. And for now…. That's all we can do…."
On that note, Aiden and Victoria were beamed down to Arendelle the moment the ship arrived on their world. And everyone on the ship had made their decision.
Especially Sora.
At that moment, Sora felt something leave his heart. He held his chest as if someone he needed walked out of the room. From his perspective he believed he lost a friend when Aiden left.
But in reality. His Nobody, Roxas left Sora's heart. He had been hibernating in it. Like a vessel in an endless ocean of sleep. Riding in it.
And now, Roxas is free. And he's about to wake up.
'Is this what it feels like to be real?'
Down at the throne room of Castle Arendelle…...
Everywhere around the floor were guards on the ground, who were Aiden's humanoid security drones. The ones the boy built to protect Arendelle in secret. They only activate whenever Arendelle is in danger. They looked like the Maverick in different colors, like giant metal action figures. But the differences were their heads. Each with one eye like a security camera.
By definition they were supposed to be unbeatable.
These drones were meant to assist the guards who patrol the castle. And because of that, only a few of them were injured. For some reason, Dianex wasn't fatal against these guards like he was toward the ones back in Port Royal. As if there is a part of him that feels at home in this place.
But he mostly rejected it, knowing that those are Aiden's feelings. Not his.
Right now. Dianex was sitting on J'son's throne, with the Mav security armored drones scattered everywhere. Aiden's family were now locked in a giant red and black neon cage which was in the shape of a cube. It felt like it was made of hard glass. Almost everyone was there. Adina was huddled up against Kristoff who had her close while he held Joseff protectively in his arms, and Olaf was huddled up against Sven. J'son was in the cage holding Mia in his arms who refused to stop crying like any scared infant would. The king of Arendelle only had a few bruises on his face from trying to fight Stormur. But nothing too serious. Anna was there in the cage, banging against the head neon and screaming for Dianex to let them go.
"LET US GO NOW! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY SISTER!" Anna raged as she kept slamming her fist against the glass.
The Princess watched as her sister Queen Elsa of Arendelle was chained on the floor near the throne, like she was years ago in the cell, when Hans captured and imprisoned her. Her hands were locked in hand covered in neon shackles, that were similar to the ones she wore in her cell. They blocked her from using her ice powers.
Elsa looked up and frowned at Dianex. Having a hard time processing that this blood thirsty Nobody has the same voice and features as her adopted son Aiden. Only more dark, depressed and void of emotions. The Queen wanted to be angry. Seeing her family, especially J'son and Anna locked in a sound proof neon cage.
But her maternal side wanted to talk. Perhaps she could get through to Dianex.
"Why are you doing this?" Elsa finally asked.
Dianex didn't look at her, but answered while leaning forward as if he was expecting someone to walk in.
"It's to draw him back here." Dianex answered in a low tone.
Hearing the voice of her son through this monster's vocal cords sent shivers down Elsa's heart. She knew what Dianex meant by 'him'.
"Stormur….Why are you so hell bent on trying to kill my son? Even if you win, what then?! What will you gain from all of this?!" Elsa argued with anger in her voice.
"My name...Is Dianex!" He growled at her, making Elsa stagger a little, but the Queen showed no sign of fear, then Dianex backed down and answered. "I gain nothing. My will and my non-existence are in the hands of my creators."
He meant the Organization. While speaking in a low tone void of emotions.
"You say it like you don't work for them, and yet here you are doing their work. You know they're using you. Once they get what they want, they'll cast you aside, you know that Stor- Dianex." Elsa pointed out as she almost said his armored form name.
Dianex closed his eyes and looked away. He knew his life was built for the means of an end. But he had no say in it. Because he has no freedom outside the Organization's plans.
" I find no deception in your words. Queen Elsa. But even if you convince me, I have no free will of my own. Unlike the Maverick. My free will is in the hands of my creators." Dianex says in a low and hopeless tone. "I am not real. I am nothing. I have no heart. I am just a tool."
Elsa's heart was hurt hearing that. It was like seeing Aiden hurting.
"I am not obligated to have what you all have. I learned that the hard way." Dianex stated as he looked down at the golden seashell necklace in his hand, thinking about Xion.
"You've lost someone." Elsa realized with sadness in her voice.
"I lost everything." Dianex clarified slowly as he gripped the necklace in his hand. "When I lost her."
"And you're just focused on the mission they forced on you? Or do you think killing Aiden will bring her back?" Elsa asked, trying to understand Dianex's mindset.
"NO!" Dianex shouted in anger at Elsa, with thunder outside. Which started the Queen a little. Then he leaned back and calmly replied. "I told myself that. I lied to myself...To make it easier. Nothing's bringing her back. The only thing that matters is my purpose. I can't do, or be anything outside of it. I'm a mindless drone. A killing machine. Nothing else."
'Stormur. The Maverick has arrived outside.' SIXIR alerted on his own magic ring.
"Good." Dianex stood up and shifted into Stormur.
"Please don't do this...Please." Elsa begged on her knees with tears in her eyes, knowing he's about to go out and kill Aiden in a fight. "DON'T LAY A HAND ON MY SON!"
Stormur ignored her and walked away, leaving everyone held captive. Before he teleported away to go and bring Maverick's death.
Outside at the main courtyard…..
The skies were black and cloudy as it was raining heavily outside. The ground was mildly flooded with an endless puddle with not a drop to drink. As Stormur stood outside looking up in the dark stormy clouds with his red eyes staring past it all, looking up at the M logo that illuminated in the sky like a Bat signal.
And his adversary, the Maverick himself. Hovering in the sky. Looking down at Stormur with a means to accept his challenge. The citizens of Arendelle were taking shelter from the storm inside their homes. No one, not even the town guards could see or hear what was going on as the lighting striking in the distance, the strong winds and the heavy rain was too loud for everyone to hear what's going to happen next.
Maverick touched down on the ground in an epic landing, which cracked the ground. Then he stood up and glared at Stormur.
"Well. Here I am." Stormur stood there as he grinned darkly at his foe.
The Maverick glares back as the raindrops drip over his shiny armor.
"If you so much as touch a hair on their heads. I will stretch your skin into a homemade mating drum. My family, where are they?!" Maverick threatened and demanded as he was stepping up to Stormur.
"Tough luck. Because my skin is steel frozen in ice below hell. Muscles forge in hellfire. And soon... You feel the thunderbolts of Darkness." Stormur snarled as the blood-red lightning flashed everywhere around the castle.
Maverick staggered a little as he looked around at the red lightning flashing everywhere else. But for some reason Stormur didn't destroy the castle. Just damaged everything around it. Including the walls.
"What dime store manga did he get that cheesy line from?" Maverick muttered to himself Then he demanded. "I won't ask again. What did you do to them?!"
"They're fine. Just out of the way. To shake the foundations." Stormur stated as he summoned his two keyblades and stood in a pose.
"We really don't have to do this again." Maverick declined this final battle.
"Everything leads up to this point. Fight me. Now." Stormur demanded as he stayed in his pose.
"I'm bringing your girl back!" Maverick revealed.
"What?" Stormur inquired.
Maverick didn't really want to fight Stormur anymore. Knowing what he now knows about the Organization, what they did to him. And the girl he loved.
"I know about Xion. And I found- Agh!" Maverick tried to say but he was cut off by a shot from Stormur's neon blasts which knocked him down to the ground.
"SHUT UP!" Stormur barked and snarled in anger. "You have no right to say her name. Now either fight me. Or my storm will destroy this castle."
Stormur was talking about the dark storm clouds all over Arendelle. He is controlling all of it. And Maverick has no choice but to fight Stormur.
"Alright." Maverick sighed as he stood up and summoned his keyblades and stood in a pose and quipped a little bit. "In the humdrum words of Keanu Reeves….. It ends tonight."
Then Stormur roared as he jumped and flipped in the air before he clashed with Maverick. But Maverick blocked with both keyblades gripped in the form of an X as they rapidly and quickly clashed and clanged their weapons with blocks and parries as their keyblades spun.
Stormur decided to disrupt Maverick's focus by cramping his style of music. By projecting giant neon speakers to hover above the entire castle and blast heavy metal music.
( Metallica - One)
As the loud air guitar bridge of the song played. Stormur kept getting his attacks blocked as they fought like two armored Samurai's at the end of a finale. Both with such inhuman speed that kept clashing.
They would teleported in different parts around the castle while fighting each other. They popped in and out from on top of the castle walls, to fight on the roof. Every now and then Maverick would land a hit. But then they hovered clashed on the side of the castle. Only for Stormur to parry an attack to leave Maverick briefly open. Then he slashed with one keyblade.
"Ugh!" Maverick crashed through the wall.
Darkness imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell
Maverick crashed through the throne room on the side passing by his family in a cage as he staggered and they watched in horror. Including Elsa who was desperately struggling to break out of her chains.
Then Stormur rushed through the hole he created and spartan-kicked Maverick through another wall. Maverick crashed through a hall where some castle servants were running and they screamed in terror at the sight of Stormur zooming up to Maverick and tossing him through another wall.
Landmine has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell
Maverick crashed through the entrance hall. Grunting and yelling as he was stumbling through the stairs as the steps and rails shattered on impact. Then as Maverick was struggling to stand up, Stormur flew in. latched a sharp neon hook into his back.
"Agh!" Maverick yelled in pain as he was flung across the hall and crashed through the doors. As he stumbled back outside into the main courtyard.
Maverick groaned as he rolled over and staggered as he struggled to stand back up, but couldn't after all of that.
"Shattered?" Stormur taunted him as he landed up to Maverick.
"Maybe the foundation. But I come with added layers." Maverick grinned as he whistled to signal his surprise attack.
"Raaagh!" Blaze roared as she zoomed in out of the sky. with a large fiery mallet
And she used it to smash Stormur in the face with her weapon across the ground with one smash. Before she touched down and landed up to Maverick and helped him stand back up.
"And a scale of one to ten. How are you?" Blaze asked.
"Ugh….Pissed off. Anxious. Worried and ready for this crap to end. Otherwise I'd say about an eight." Maverick shrugged as he stood his ground next to his lover and partner.
Stormur stood back up as he growled and shifted his two keyblades into overkill versions of a classic double weapon. Only it's called a Keykusarigama. A Kusarigama in the arm of curved sharp keys and chains made of neon.
"Okay sure whatever." Blaze exhaled as she and Maverick rushed into combat as they began to slash their keyblades at Stormur.
But Stormur showed the same aggressive agility and skill to block and parry their attacks as he spun in a twirl and used his keykusarigama to knock them aside.
But as Maverick rolled to the ground, Blaze quickly got up and shifted her keyblade into bow staff as she dashed into the air and zoomed into Stormur.
Stormur swung his name weapons into her bowstaff. But Blaze was strong enough to spin her weapons and break through the chains of his weapons only for them to connect again. She held her ground as she twirled and blocked every lightning strike with her own lightning strikes. She swung and spun her keystaff and caused Stormur's keykusarigama to wrap around Blaze's keystaff and yanked her over, only for her to spin kick in the air and hold her grip on her weapon that was wrapped around his. As she was pulling against his grip.
"Dianex listen! We know about Xion! We're bringing her and Roxas back!" Blaze yelled as she grunted and kept pulling.
Stormur ignored her as he pulled his arms out and caused his chains to roll and snap as Blaze fell and rolled out of the way from his retaliated attacks of him smashing the blade ends of his weapon down.
Suddenly Stormur held his hands out and caused the storm to go critical. Like a Great Galveston Havoc. As bolts of lightning were striking everywhere on the castle and all over the town. Maverick came up and quickly projected an ice shield over the castle to block lightning as several roofs over the castle were already struck with holes from the bolts. But Maverick's giant ice shield stopped it.
"Shit!" Blaze was pushed back by a strong wind in the storm and lighting as Stormur focused his energy to target her and Maverick. The red lightning struck water fountains that were stationed in the courtyard, they were shattered into pieces.
'The storm is going critical! I recommend changing the flux and flow of temperature in the eye of the system!' IRIS alerted them.
Which gave Maverick an idea as he was dodging lightning strikes and jumping over falling debris.
"Vic! Head up into the eye of the storm and shoot fire directly into it!" Maverick yelled out for her as he held the shield.
"What about you?! You can't handle him on your own!" Blaze argued.
"Just go!" Maverick screamed as he blocked a lightning strike with his armored forearm while keeping the castle safe.
Blaze reluctantly flew up into the sky to help calm down the weather Stormur was causing as he shifted his keyblades back to normal and ran towards Maverick.
"IRIS keep that shield up!" Maverick commanded for IRIS to use the security projectors on the castle towers to keep the ice shield up. So he could go and face Stormur who was running towards him.
Maverick quickly blasted Stormur with an ice beam which knocked him back. Maverick knew he was alone to face Stormur while his girlfriend was dealing with handling the storm. So he stood ready
"Maximum effort." Maverick took a deep breath as he shifted his two keyblades to duplicate and spin around him in circles and different directions. He still held his main one. Each extra keyblade flew spun with a kinetic charge of neon and ice.
Stormur saw this and snorted as he stood hunched over and roared. "RAAAAAAAAGH!" As his entire armor began to shift and his muscles grew as well as his height. Stormur then stood up ten feet taller than Maverick with his helmet and face shaped like a devil with the same screen and red eyes. And his keyblades were duplicated under his armored elbows, like a switchblade with many swords. In this case, 'key-switchblades'.
This form was called the Stormur Overdrive.
"Holy boner blade, those bones have blades." Maverick gulped humorously as he stood against Stormur's new form and weapon.
"RAAAHHHH!" Stormur Overdrive roared like a dragon, mad with chaos.
"Don't you 'RAAAHHHH!' Me young man! I will turn this fight over right now!" Maverick quipped in a scolding parent tone as he charged and shifted his armor with an extra neon layer so he was glowing all over like Vegas lights.
Stormur Overdrive snarled as he spread his weapons out, tearing up the ground. He then shot out a blade at Maverick who blocked it with one of his own blades. Only for them to shatter with lightning bolts in the color of blood and water.
Maverick hovered off the ground as he waved his arms around to send in swarms of keyblades while he blocked all of the ones coming at him with his other blades that kept popping up. While he slowly hovered towards Stormur.
Maverick blocked every attack with a swipe of his keyblades and he dodged attacks with twirls and spins. Soon he got close enough to kicked against Stormur's face and jumped back a few feet away, then he shot a beam of ice at him.
The beam melted from Stormur's armor which projected an electrical barrier. Stormur's walked forward and grazed the ground beneath each step
Then Maverick spun and shot a neon beam instead.
But then it couldn't break Stormur's armor either. Maverick couldn't even use his heartbinders because it requires allies to use them. And he is short on allies right now.
"Come on Shredder Cosplay! Xion is right below us! If you kill me, she's gone for good!" Maverick exclaimed at Stormur Overdrive who snarled back. "We've been at this since ***king round one! And I'm still in one piece!"
"One piece?" Stormur Overdrive inquired with his deep voice as he extended the sharp keyblades in his left arm. "Let's remedy that."
Then Stormur quickly dashed as he stunned Maverick with a neon flash bolt and then without warning. and all of his floating keyblades knocked away…..
*SLICE!*
"GAAAHHH!" Maverick screamed as he felt his body being cut apart in burning pain.
As the Maverick was sliced in half from the waste down. By Stormur's sharp keyblades.
Then Stormur slammed both ends of Maverick down to the ground as Maverick screamed and panicked.
"OH MY GOD! OH GOD I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS. I can't I can't feel!..." Maverick stopped screaming as he pondered and looked up to see his other half laying there. And he said in relief. "Ah no there right here. Got em. Whew."
Then Maverick rolled over as his lower half was gone so he was having to support himself with his arms.
"Anyhow. Where were we?" Maverick inquired looking up at Stormur Overdrive.
The Maverick had a high tolerance for receiving pain. a hundred times higher than any human being. Therefore pain doesn't bother him as much as it should. He was used to it at this point anyway. That and his ring fed him more than just the knowledge of fighting skills.
Stormur Overdrive didn't respond to his quips as he lifted his weapons and pointed them down at Maverick for the killing blow…..
*Blast!*
Before a shotlock spell slammed multiple times in his face in one second. into his face, knocking him back. He growled at the surprise attack and stood up and looked to see none other….then Sora and Kairi in their armored forms. standing there together.
They came back to help Maverick.
"Yeaaah Spike!" Maverick cheered like a rock star and stated casually. "You know if you had done that a few minutes ago. I wouldn't be at half price right now." He gestured to his missing half as he was still bleeding a lot.
But ironically due to his Maverick's armored form. He looked more like an android bleeding the color blue. It wasn't as nauseating to look at like a dismembered human body. Still if he wasn't in his Maverick form. Then our eyes would have a problem.
Armored Sora and Armored Kairi turned around and were horrified to see Maverick in his condition.
"Oh my God!" Kairi gasped and covered her mouth.
"A-Aiden! Your legs….Your body!" Sora gagged as he couldn't find the words.
"Hey Spike! Eyes on the prize!" Maverick advised Sora on the fight they're about to have against Stormur.
Sora quickly looked and dodged a thrust from Stormur's key-switchblades before firing a fire spell that pushed Stormur Overdrive a little.
Then Kairi spun and used her freeflow availability to conjure a dimensional sling spot and hovered three debris rocks. Aimed it at Stormur Overdrive while he was stunned. And fired all three giant rocks.
The armor cracked and pieces fell off before it mutated into a black version of the armor that grew back, inside and out as Stormur finch a little before continuing the fight.
Stormur Overdrive growled and swung and fired more keyblades at the duo like cannon shots from hell as they conjured waves of red electricity with each blast. But Sora and Kairi both used Reflectica spells to block each of his attacks and ricocheted the keyblades back at Stormur which staggered him.
Then they both ran in and delivered multi combo attacks together on his face and torso. At a fast pace as he was being poured on by their attacks.
"Woah...I'd scream and cheer but I don't want my lungs falling out. God my friends are awesome." Maverick wheezed while laughing.
Stormur Overdrive was being overwhelmed by the duo. But he then swung his weapons which clashed with their keyblades. And they blocked every one of Stormur's savage attacks, while Maverick was on the ground whistling and checking the time on his phone.
"Ah. The Cavalry Ex Machina should be here right...about..." Maverick waited for the perfect timing.
"RAGH!" Stormur bursted a neon shock wave as his bust sent Blaze and Kairi falling to the ground and he punched Sora down to the ground.
Then as he raised his keyblades, ready to chop Sora and kill him...
"NOW!" Maverick shouted as he knew who was coming up next and he caused the ice wall around the archway entrance to melt.
And the archway and reveal someone coming from the distance.
This figure came from the southern exit of the underground tunnels of the castle. Directly from the Mav Club. This figure appeared to be someone familiar.
But from a distance. Stormur Overdrive thought it was another foe as he roared and charged towards the figure. Stomping fast as he smashed past the castle archway.
Time felt like it was slowing down as the rains dropped around the figure. Without a drop on her...
This one is familiar.
This figure. Is someone...The only one Stormur ever loved. Back from the dark graves of nothing.
Xion.
Gone was the black cloak she used to wear in the Organization. Now on her was a well-suited dress with two columns of buttons and a white skirt underneath and black boots. And yet the face was still the same feature that Dianex never forgot about her and her ocean blue eyes have lit a light that was once gone from his soul and the boy that Xion saw in her former life began to live again.
Sora, Maverick and Kairi watched from a distance as Fantasia worked it's musical magic. As light was finally spreading in Stormur. But the monster inside him fought.
"I have stepped out of darkness to find you~" Xion sang as she slowly walked.
It snared at what he thought was an illusion like someone putting on his mind but the music began to set in the truth that he was seeing.
Maverick could have sworn that he heard his clone crying a silent denial, "She-what-how…"
While raindrops began to fill his tear ducts, enabling him to cry once more.
"You know my name~" Xion sang as she was getting closer.
Back at the castle entrance. Sora and Kairi watched as they shifted out of their armored forms.
And for some reason. Kairi had a tear fall from her face while she smiled at the sight. Sora was in awe as well.
"They have stolen the free will inside you~" Xion sang as she stopped halfway at the bridge.
Stormur continued to stomp, but was losing the will to fight. And huff less and less as his aggression was declining.
"But this does not define you~" Xion stared up at Stormur.
One by one, Organization 13 had their influences on their ultimate weapon severed by a song from one they have betrayed from day one. An ultimate example of total stupidity in their line of work.
Suddenly the wrapped armor began to fall, one crooked piece after another, revealing the scarred boy inside that armored form.
"This is not who you are~" Xion said with a sad look of love up at him.
Stormur began to shrink back down to his size as the armor pieces were fading. The thunder in the clouds stopped and the rain fell.
Stormur's rage left his eyes as he was slowly shifting back into Dianex. Showing wounds from the battle damage.
"You know who you are~" Xion sang beautifully as she reached up and touched Stormur's face as it shifted back into Dianex.
Dianex leaned down for his forehead to touch Xion's forehead, Hearing his lost love whisper softly to him, "And you know who I am... Dee."
Dianex's closed his eyes as tears fell down his face, he grimaced as he couldn't believe it.
"X-Xion?" He choked.
And at that moment. The rain finally stopped over all of Arendelle. And it stopped pouring.
Xion wanted to hold him and kiss him to the light's content and pull him out of darkness. But not while he's like this. Not while Dianex is a Nobody.
Xion looked over and nodded to someone standing behind Dianex. And that someone immediately cast a sleep spell from his oathkeeper keyblade.
That someone was also wearing the same checkered black and white themed outfit he had on in the Digital Twilight Town. Aiden told IRIS to leave them both those outfits for them in the Mav Club.
That someone is none other than Roxas.
(Roxas theme - Kingdom Hearts)
He and Xion are now back and no longer Nobodies.
"Sleeeeeep." Roxas whispered while he pointed his keyblade on Dianex's back, and when he did cast the spell, Dianex fell back and Roxas caught him to cushion the fall. And patted his back as Dianex was out cold. "Hang in there buddy. The worst is behind us now."
Roxas was wearing the same outfit he wore in the digital Twilight Town.
Xion sighed as she looked up at Roxas as he laid Dianex carefully on the ground. She truly did miss Roxas and he missed her. They were like siblings in a world of void and darkness. They both came from Sora, and they had each other along with Axel and Dianex.
"Hi Roxas." Xion smiled with tears in her eyes.
Roxas sniffed as he pulled her into a hug and she hugged back as they both silently cried. Both of them were happy to be back together.
"I thought I lost you." Roxas said in tears.
"No…" Xion whimpered and she nuzzled into his shirt. "You're my brother Roxas. You saved me."
"I….I did?" Roxas asked, looking down at her.
"Yes. If the Guardians hadn't searched for you earlier. They never would've found me." Xion stated with a smile.
Which is the truth. Maverick wanted to find Roxas to find out the truth about the Nobodies. And when he did, he found Xion. And save both her and Roxas.
"I missed you." Roxas smiled as he wiped his tears off.
"Me too." Xion smiled brightly as she wiped off her tears.
Just then Blaze flew over now that the storm was gone and landed in front of the two ex Nobodies and she shifted back into Victoria to get a good look at them.
"Are you Roxas and Xion?" Victoria asked them.
"We are." Xion nodded.
Victoria smiled and held her hand out to shake their hands.
"Welcome to Arendelle. More importantly. Welcome to humanity." She greeted them.
"Thanks." Roxas smiled as he and Xion took turns to shake her hand.
"Tori!" Kairi called out as she ran up to her with Sora
"Hey. Sorry we're late. We were...Just. You know, coming to terms with-" Sora tried to explain why they didn't show up earlier.
"It's okay. You weren't ready for that kind of tragic news." Victoria assured them and asked. "Where's Groot, Donald and Goofy?"
"They went inside the castle to help free Elsa and the others." Kairi gestured back over at the castle.
"And Aiden?" Victoria asked in concern.
"You don't wanna know!" Maverick humorously sang from a distance.
"Why not?!" Victoria called over.
"You'll be sorry!" Maverick mused from a distance.
"I'm coming anyway!" Victoria responded as she walked past the others towards the main court to check on Maverick.
"It's your therapy bill!" Maverick quipped from a distance.
"Is the Maverick always like that?" Roxas asked, looking weirded out.
"Yep." Sora and Kairi said in unison with the 'p' sound.
They both looked at Roxas and Xion. Two of Sora's former other halfs, who are now whole on their own. And the Destiny Island duo don't know that.
"Hi, I'm kairi, and you already know Sora of course." Kairi said while she extended her hand to shake Xion's.
"I'm Xion." Xion smiled meekly and shook her hand back.
"And I'm Roxas." Roxas shook Sora's hand while surprising him by saying that name.
"You're Roxas?" Sora said, a little bit surprised.
"Yeah. I wanted to meet you a while back, but I kinda got caught up and held back." Roxas smiled in response.
"HOLY SHIT!" They heard Victoria shriek.
She obviously had seen Aiden's condition.
"Oh boy." Kairi muttered as she and Sora ran ahead.
"I'll carry him." Roxas said as he quickly picked up Dianex and carried him over his shoulder.
"Thanks. Let's go see." Xion smiled in appreciation as they ran ahead to catch up with the others.
Victoria was just just staring in horror seeing Maverick sitting up with only half a body and supporting himself with his arms.
"Hey babe. We won." Maverick greeted.
Donald and Goofy ran out of the castle doors to join the others. They weren't expecting to see Maverick and a half.
"Here we are to….WAOOOAH!" Goofy gasped and screamed in terror.
"WAAAAK!" Donald shrieked seeing their friend in literary pieces. Two of them.
"Yeah the finale was that rough." Maverick deadpanned.
"Ooooh Nooo..." Donald shuttered and turned pale looking at him.
While Goofy turned green and gagged as he covered his mouth and ran off to find a place to empty his stomach.
"I told him not to have poi before battle." Maverick shook his head watching Goofy run off to puke.
Just then Anna came running out of the castle.
"Hey guys! Donald and Goofy helped us get out with their weapons and- AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Anna shrieked seeing Maverick in his condition, while holding both her hands to her mouth, sobbing and gagging a bit.
Before she did see him however. Maverick made sure to conjure up a large ice patch that was wrapped around his lower half like gauze so Anna wouldn't see the open wounds of where his lower half was supposed to be.
"I should've censored it earlier." Maverick muttered and greeted his Aunt. "Hey there Aunt Red! Are the others okay enough to puke too?"
"AIDEN?!" They heard Elsa's worried voice coming from the hall as Aiden's eyes widened in horror.
"Oh shit, quick! back up before she sees me! Oh wait, I'm not in an ambulance." He said while panicking, his basic instinct said to run to the hills. Which in this case was his bedroom. But he has no legs yet.
Then Elsa showed up.
"Aiden! Are you oka- OH MY GOD! MY BABY!" Elsa screamed in traumatized tears, seeing him like that as both she, Anna and Victoria ran over to help him up and check on him.
Elsa didn't waste any time to cry or wrap her head around what she had just seen. Instead she formed a comfortable wheelchair made of ice as she, Anna and Victoria helped lift him up on the wheel chair.
"Are you okay?!" Victoria asked out of worry.
"Are you hurt?! Oh what am I saying, are you able to breathe?!" Anna asked frantically.
"How did this happen?!" Elsa demanded in tears.
The questions were pouring on from all the ladies in Maverick's life. So he shifted back into Aiden as the missing lower half on the ground fadded away due to his biological magic shifting into healing and regrowing his missing limbs and anything else important.
"Okay one question at a time please?" Aiden asked, sounding like a celebrity answering reporters.
Anna raised her hand.
"Yes you, the one with a high blood sugar level. What's your question?" Aiden mused.
"Will your legs grow back?" Anna asked, looking worried.
"Without delay." Aiden assured, while holding her hand.
And Elsa had Aiden in a bone crushing hug, so hard that her strength could compare to the Hulk's. Kind of.
"You're okay, you're okay." The Queen repeated like a mantra as she held her son, not handling the fact that he's dismembered. She asked again "You're sure you're definitely going to get your legs back?"
"Yes Mom. They always grow back. Don't you worry." Aiden promised as he was hugging her back.
"What do you mean 'always'?" Elsa inquired sternly. Wondering if this wasn't the only time this happened.
"Uh...hey its dad!" Aiden beamed to change the subject.
"Elsa I just checked on all of the castle staff." J'son came walking over with Olaf. "They're all good and soOooah GOOD God! WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU SON?!"
J'son was shocked to see his son's condition.
"Hi upper half Aiden!" Olaf waved optimistically and pondered. "Where did lower half Aiden go? Is he still on the ship?"
"No, I'm just not sure who's manning your ship." Aiden quipped back at Olaf's lack of understanding the situation.
"Anyway. We've got a lot to talk about before anyone else comes out here. Let's get inside." Victoria suggested.
Everyone agreed and went inside the castle while Sora guided Roxas and Xion back to the Mav Club so they could secure Dianex.
Down at the Mav Club...
All of the Guardians were down in the secret lair with Aiden's family except for Adina, Erik and Mia due to them being watched by Gerda up stairs.
Everyone sat around the couches and leather chairs in the lounging area as they listened to Aiden explain what the DTD is and how he found it. And what he found inside of it. But also letting them know that he found solid proof. That not all Nobodies are monsters.
And that they all weren't responsible for ruining Aiden's life and killing his birth mother. Which J'son understood as well.
"My Nobody?!" Sora gasped.
"Yep." Aiden nodded
"Um...Suprise." Roxas nervously said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"But. That's impossible! I never got turned into a...Oh." Sora recalled what happened in his last fight with Riku.
"It was when you came to rescue me. Remember? After you fought with..." Kairi reminded Sora but faltered at almost mentioning of Riku.
Sora remembered when used Riku's keyblade to open his heart and free Kairi's heart. Thus he was temporarily turned into a Heartless to save her. But came back after a brief departure.
But the thought of Riku still hurts them both.
"I know." Sora sighed.
Elsa looked concerned as Aiden whispered in her ear telling her they now know the truth. Which she understood sympathetically.
"Xemnas was the one who found me after that. Even though you were restored. That brief moment of none existence created me. Like you I can wield a keyblade. That's why I was they're thirteen." Roxas explained.
"And that's why I was their fourteenth member." Xion revealed.
"Fourteenth?" They all sounded surprised.
"Then, why isn't it called Organization XIV?" Donald asked.
"Because...Well. I was not a proper Nobody. I was a replica of Sora. derived from his memories of Kairi." Xion explained in a soft meek tone.
"So you're more like a gender switched Sora?" Kristoff asked, looking curious.
"Kristoff!" Anna scolded her husband.
"What?! I'm trying to understand." Kristoff said in defense.
"keyword. 'Memories of Kairi.' Kairi's a girl so Xion is a girl." Victoria explained slowly for Kristoff.
"So what happened?" Goofy asked sadly.
"I was...Well. The more I was alive, the less Sora would be completed. In order for him to wake up completely. I had to die. And everyone had to forget about me." Xion sniffed a little explaining as she paid a heavy price for Sora to come back. More than anyone could handle and Xion was willing to pay it.
"That's horrible!" Anna said in shock and defense for Xion.
"Yeah. I actually know what it's like to think that my mere existence was a danger to others. But you found a way out of your isolation because of the people around you. Am I right Honey?" Elsa said kindly to Xion while placing a hand on her shoulder.
Roxas gave Xion a sad smile and held her hand. Reaffirming Elsa's words of wisdom.
"You're right. I did." Xion smiled in response looking at Roxas.
"If it's okay to ask, How did you come back?" Kairi said out of curiosity.
"You can thank the half a pound of hacking hardware right here." Aiden gestured himself as he explained. "See, Xion wasn't completely gone. Not when there were records of her stashed inside the DTD, which I found while trying to look for Roxas. Even though everyone but the boss man of the boys in the hood forgot about her. Xion and her profile was on those records. Everything she did and every she was. And I had IRIS use that to bring her back."
"But I am me right? And...Not a clone of the original me?" Xion asked out of fear hoping she was really herself.
'You wouldn't be here if that was the case. I found your heart floating in the void and used the data to reach out and rescue you. Rest assured. You are the one and only Xion' IRIS spoke up and assured the ex Nobody girl.
"I couldn't have put it better myself. See, IRIS isn't just an A.I." Aiden pointed out. "She's also a spirit, in a way. She's a machine with a heart and can do certain things like a being beyond space and time. It's how she's able to keep up with me."
"I'm actually relieved I could be found. I didn't think I was ever coming back." Xion said in contentment.
Then Olaf optimistically asked them. "So. How does it feel to be real now? You both must feel all warm and fuzzy like never before." he gushed while hugging himself and making Xion giggle a bit.
"I have to admit. I'm used to imagining what it was like to feel and imitate emotions. But now that I have them. I don't feel...Any different." Xion admitted as she pondered the right words.
"Physically but not mentally?" J'son guessed.
"Right." Xion nodded.
"I kinda feel that too. Like. What if we always had hearts of our own and never knew?" Roxas contemplated
"We never truly know what the heart is capable of." Kairi stated.
"My heart and I survived turning into a block of ice. So I'm proof of that fact." Anna agreed amusingly.
"Do remember anything important else about the Organization? Like any secrets that could help us?" Victoria asked them both.
"Well. Only a few things. The Organization uses the dark realm to pass through portals in and out of different worlds." Roxas stated
"Yeah. Tell us something we don't know." Donald scoffed.
"But. Did you know that you can use the realm of darkness to go in and out of our homebase? The World That Never Was?" Xion revealed.
"Wooow." Donald, Goofy and Olaf said in awe at the same time.
"Sounds like a missing 'Stranger Things' script." Aiden quipped.
"Okay so how do we get there?" Sora asked anxiously.
"Well without our Nobody abilities we can't do it the easy way." Roxas stated honestly.
"Is there a second option?" Victoria asked.
"Yes. You'll all have to form a quantum pattern across different points in the multiverse to form an algorithm to triangulate the exact location of a backup vortex." Xion explained.
"Huh?" Roxas and Sora asked at the same time.
"We basically have to go through a few different worlds and open up some more pathways while retracing our steps over the first few we've already visited." Kairi translated as she understood.
"Oh. Why didn't you just say that?" Sora and Roxas said at the same time which made them gawk at each other, and everyone laughed a little at this.
"They really are alike." Donald mused.
"I am Groot?" Baby Groot asked. Translate: "But why does Roxas not look like Sora while Dianex looks like Aiden?"
"I don't know, I didn't set the rules of mystical law and order. I just bend them." Aiden shrugged.
"Maybe Roxas looks like Sora's father or grandfather at his age?" J'son guessed with a shrug..
"That's a possibility. But let's just leave that for a later twist." Aiden suggested.
"For now. I think our best course will be to follow Xion's lead." Kairi stated which made Xion smile.
"But first. We need to figure out how we can stop any of the Heartless without them collecting hearts." Sora reminded the team.
"For now. Let's all get some rest. It's been a long and one hell of a day. I've already sent messages to certain contacts that will more than likely respond in the morning with some answers." Aiden said as he was already a step ahead.
"Right. In the meantime. I'll show you two where you'll be staying." Anna got up and offered to take Xion and Roxas to a room where they'll be staying, as they concluded their briefing.
Aiden rolled his wheelchair away and down towards the elevator to the castle. While Sora sighed as he got off his seat and went to catch up with Aiden. Sora had been struggling to forgive Aiden and it was for that reason he almost died today. Sora had to give and make amends.
"Aid wait." Sora came up as Aiden spun the wheelchair around to face him. "About what happened. Earlier in Hollow Bastion."
"Spike, you don't have to." Aiden tried to say.
"No. I was wrong. I mean, after finding out about Riku. I shouldn't have taken it all out on you." Sora said with regret.
"I'm the one that kept his death a secret. You had every right to hate my guts." Aiden insisted.
"No. I mean it is your fault. I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Sora finally said. "I'm sorry for fighting you and almost letting Dianex kill you. That was…"
"I know, it was selfish, but not without merit. Your hands and mouth are cleaner than mine." Aiden said trying to relieve Sora of guilt.
"I know mine are. But still, you're my friend. And I'm sorry." Sora said while placing a hand on Aiden's shoulder.
Aiden was more than happy to hear that. But he remained cool.
"Well that's all I wanted to hear." Aiden shrugged and grinned. "Still a team?"
"Always, Mav." Sora grinned as they shared a fist bump.
Finally making amends for the fight they had earlier.
"For now. Call me Professor Mav. At least until my lower half goes through puberty." Aiden winked as they went up the elevator together.
After Aiden and Sora left. Xion and Roxas were walking with Anna to head up the elevator. Xion looked over at the status pods stationed in the science wing of the lair. One of them had Dianex contained while he was in status. He was not only secure, but he was also being transformed into energy before being processed into a replica. So he could become human.
But Xion was worried if they had other plans for Dianex after all the wrong he did to them and the Guardians.
"What's going to happen?" Xion asked while looking at Dianex in the pod.
"Huh?" Anna turned and asked nicely.
At this point, Elsa and J'son came up to them along with Victoria.
"What's going to happen to him?" Xion asked cautiously.
Elsa and J'son looked at each other wondering how to answer that. This was the same weapon the Organization created to kill their son. But at the same time. Dianex was Aiden's Nobody, and a victim of the Organization. Which in some ways is like their son, in edition to certain features.
"In spite of everything he's done. Like both of you, Dianex is no longer part of the Organization." J'son declared. "Therefore he's no longer our enemy."
"Which means he'll wake up as his own man." Elsa agreed with a smile.
"We're not just turning Dianex into a human being. We're also giving him freewill in addition to emptying out everything the Organization embedded into his subconscious to take control and feed him missions. Like re-modifying SIXIR." Victoria explained in addition.
"SIXIR?" Kairi asked.
"In a way, SIXIR is IRIS's Nobody. The A.I coded into his Stormur ring." Victoria answered by gesturing to Stormur's suit ring that was now placed in a code modifier device. Which different automatic tools and digital gear that was working their magic for SIXIR who was now in her own sleep mode.
"Computers can have Nobodies? I didn't know that. I thought they get upgrades." Olaf said while listening.
No one was sure how to answer that.
"How long will it be until he'll wake up?" Xion asked cautiously.
"A few days. Maybe a week. It's hard to tell since the process is slow and taking its time to sort him out from them." Victoria explained.
"Don't worry. Dianex is in good hands." Kairi assured Xion while placing a hand on her shoulder while the ex-Nobody girl was looking down.
"We just have to be sure that he won't hurt anyone else when he wakes up. But you have our word. He's in good hands." J'son stated in assurance.
Xion knew that they were right. Dianex is responsible for the death of innocent people across the multiverse, from him trying to kill the Maverick. Xion promised herself that she will make sure it never happens again. By being there for him. But for now. She and Roxas were in agreement.
It's great to be alive.
Back up in Aiden's bedroom…..
With the help of a middle aged maid named Catherine. A woman who helped with Aiden's personal hygiene and made sure his room and bathroom were organized. Aiden was able to take a shower while he was still recovering. Catherine helped roll Aiden on his wheelchair out of the bathroom and Gerda was there making sure his bed was ready.
The castle had a good number of staff members for every occasion. Elsa raised their numbers back up after the Great Thaw.
"How are you feeling, my young prince?" Catherine asked.
"Eh. No guts no glory. But other than that. I'm relieved." Aiden spoke like he wasn't missing a half.
But coming tomorrow morning he won't be.
"Do you need any help getting on the bed?" Gerda offered.
"No thanks. That's what teleporting is for." Aiden politely declined.
"You shouldn't undermine your condition, Young one. It's a miracle you survived that fight." Gerda cautioned.
"I won't argue on that last part. But still I'll be fine. I just need to doze off and let Mickey go through puberty overnight." Aiden assured the two maids as they didn't get his innuendo.
"I am Groot." Baby Groot yawned as he got in his toy sized bed on the bedroom window sill. And the little tree fell asleep.
"So how long until your next trip?" Gerda asked.
"Oh the trip isn't over. The Organization is still out there. And they call the shots now. Me and my co-workers just need to wait until someone calls up for a solution." Aiden stated with mild anxiousness.
"I'm sure an answer will come soon, Dear." Gerda smiled and placed a comforting hand on Aiden's shoulder.
"For now. You should get some sleep. We'll be nearby if you need anything." Catherine assured softly as well.
Catherine was also there for when Aiden saved Adina the night she was born. They could never get used to seeing Aiden suffer or carry responsibility. But like the Queen they admired his strong heart.
"Right." Aiden sighed as he teleported under the covers. Wearing only a dark green t-shirt.
Elsa and J'son were here earlier checking up on him. It took a real miracle to convince both of them that he was okay and that he was able to sleep on his own tonight. But The Queen insisted on Catherine and Gerda to help make sure he was bathed tucked in.
After Catherine tucked him in. Both of the maids left.
With Aiden finally alone. With a soft snoring Baby Groot across the room. He formed some neon earmuffs to block the little tree's hearing.
Aiden needed to stay awake a little bit longer to come to terms with his own anger towards the Nobodies. He hated them for what they did to his mother. But after everything that happened. And everything he learned. He had no more hatred. Only clarity. Dianex was the embodiment of the very grief and hatred he had let go.
And now that he's no longer a Nobody. Aiden needs to come to terms with everything he left behind, if Dianex is ever going to become his own self.
So Aiden teleported out of the bed and back into his wheelchair as he rolled up in the middle of the room and formed a neon barrier around the bedroom. To block all noise in and out. His hatred needed to be released. And the magic of Fantasia was in his favor. He formed a floating ice musical keyboard that plays soft tunes with streams of neon. He began to play a soft tune. From the song his mother Amelia Nelson used to sing to him. In order to help him sleep whenever he was dealing with physical pain as a toddler. In a hospital bed and an I.V. in his arm.
The rainbow connections may not have been original. But like many songs to many listeners. Aiden felt like this song belongs in his heart.
"Why are there so many~ Songs about rainbows~ And what's on the other side~" Aiden sang softly as he played the tune.
Thankfully nobody could hear him. Not even Baby Groot who was still asleep with noise canceling earmuffs on.
"Rainbow's are visions~ But only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide~" Aiden sang with soft passion from his heart. "So we've been told and some choose to believe it~ But I know they're wrong wait and see~"
As he was seeing. Ice figurines formed around the room of everyone Aiden ever met. From his family to his friends. The Guardians and other worlds.
"Someday we'll find it~ The Rainbow Connection~ The lovers, the dreamers and me~" Aiden sang as he remembered his mother sang it. Beautifully.
Even stars and constellations formed on his ceiling thanks to his ice and neon powers merging.
"Who said that every wish~ Would be heard and answered~ When wished on the morning star~" Aiden reflected on his past life. "Somebody thought of that~ And someone believed it~Look what it's done so far~"
He reflected on everything that never went according to plan. But he realized it was for the better.
"What's so amazing~ That keeps us stargazing~ And what do we think we might see~ Aiden sang and played the keys with finesse. " Someday we'll find it~ That Rainbow Connection~ The lovers the dreamers and me~ All of us under its spell~
We know that it's probably magic!~
Aiden drew out those last lyrics with harmony and perfect orchestral chords. And he went with a finale as he reflected on all of his past victories and the people who thanked and cheered for him. Even his family.
"Have you been half asleep~ And have you heard voices~ I've heard them calling my name~ Is this the sweet sound~ That calls the young sailors~ The voice might be one and the same~ I've heard it too many times to ignore it~ It's something that I'm supposed to be~ Someday we'll find it~ The Rainbow Connection~ The lovers, the dreamers and me~ Hmmmm... mmmmmmm... hmmmmmmm~" Aiden finished singing wonderfully with the keys he was playing.
He felt a new sense of peace in him. He finally came to terms. And felt no more grief, no more shame for himself, and no more hatred. Nothing left undone from him.
Suddenly he heard his gummi phone vibrate on his nightstand.
'Maverick. We have an unknown caller who wants to speak with you personally'. IRIS alerted him.
Aiden wasn't sure who it might be. He had suspicions. But it could be one of his contracts calling him early with solutions.
"Answer and display." Aiden answered as he let the keyboard fade. But he kept the soundproof barrier and Baby Groot's earmuffs up. So he could meet this mysterious caller privately.
Once the caller was displayed in a hologram. Aiden raised an eyebrow at the appearance.
The caller's face was covered in red bandages, save for his right eye and mouth, with two intersecting belts around his head, one passing over where his left eye should be. He wore a long, red cape with a quadrate cross cut taken out at the chest, the edges of which are yellow. This cut exposed a similarly oblong white symbol on a pitch-black shirt.
Overtop this shirt, the caller wore what seemed to be grey, segmented armor over his sides and abdomen. His legs were covered by a long, black cloth lined with yellow, which itself has several brown straps pinned onto the front, seemingly for no purpose other than to create yet another angular pattern. On a yellow sash that hung around the caller's waist were three brown pouches, descending downward diagonally on his left hip. These pouches are all identical, all sporting the same design on the top flap, and all closed by a darker brown strap that attaches to a silver button on the right ride, a grey tassel hanging from each button. Like a certain wise man in his coat, the caller wore a dark colored scarf around his neck. He also had light colored sleeves.
The caller was obviously DIZ. Darkness In Zero. Ansem in Disguise.
Aiden red about him and he had already connected the dots.
"So. We finally meet. But not in person unfortunately." DIZ said with his hands behind his back. "And you're not completely yourself.
Aiden rolled his eyes at that last comment.
"After the crazy shit that's happened the past few days. I'm not out of my edge, yet." Aiden retorted. "Did you need a map to the hospital or something? Couldn't wrap your own bandages?" Aiden remarked about the mask DIZ was wearing.
DIZ lets out a dry chuckle. "Quite the sharp tongue you have there. Though I wouldn't expect anything less from the infamous Maverick." He remarked.
"What do you want? An autograph? Or to take me to your white van?" Aiden said with little patients.
"What I want..." DIZ narrowed his one visible eye "Is how one of the worlds' greatest protectors could be such a fool?"
"Thanks, I'm flattered. It takes proper training. Inspiration and one bad day to turn me into the badass nutjob I am today." Aiden sarcastically said back at him.
"That is not what I meant!" DIZ snapped back. He took a breath to compose himself. "I'm talking about those abominations you just saved."
Aiden's eyes narrow at those words, not liking them one bit.
"If you're talking about my ex evil clone and Roxas. And the other girl. Those were... Let's just say I've lost my taste for revenge and resentment. It's artificial happiness is corrosive and not worth the heat anymore." Aiden turned to look away from him.
"It seems you have gotten soft." DIZ said with distaste. "Or maybe you have been tricked into believing that they are actually real."
"Just because they were empty shells doesn't mean they weren't any less human! They were every bit the victim as I was." Aiden snapped back at him with glowing neon eyes. And then he revealed. "Except they were victims of you trying to play God."
Yeah. Aiden definitely knows who DIZ is.
"Yeah. I know who you are. I read up and the crap you put those kids through." Aiden revered to Roxas and Namine.
Diz stared back in anger. "If you are defending them, then you know very little about darkness." He criticized him.
"***k you. I know more. I see the truth now more than ever before. I know that the heart and the body is one and the same as human. You get rid of one. You can't have the other." Aiden glared back. "You couldn't see that because they took everything from you."
"How are you able to stand there and defend their kind after everything they have done? What they took from us? From you?" DIZ pointed at Aiden like an irritated judge. "You lost everything to them too! They cast you out of your world and took away your mother! And yet you can still defend those three byproducts of their actions?! How?!"
Aiden gripped the handles of his wheelchair and cracked them a little. DIZ was lucky to not be there physically in the same room with Aiden. Bringing up his dead mother was always going to be a sore subject if brought up by the wrong people. And right now, DIZ was definitely not the right people.
"Because I'm nothing like you. Vengeance is eating your mind and conscience like a dump on the grave. And instead of taking responsibility and repairing what they did. You focused too hard on the John Wick act by trying to get back at them." Aiden pointed out. "And yet all that revenge ever does make things worse. Maybe not for you. But everyone around you. Look at what happened to Riku and tell me that I'm wrong."
Aiden knows Ansem sent Riku to fight the Nobodies. Resulting in what Aiden interpreted as his demise. Ansem knew the full story otherwise.
But still. Those words struck DIZ hard. Because he knew, Aiden is right. In his obsession with revenge, Riku was turned into the one thing he hated the most.
"You... You are not wrong." DIZ conceded with a sigh and he let out a hollow laugh.
"Unbelievable. I have dedicated my life to understanding the heart. And once more, I have been shown just how little I understand."
"And there's another thing. Let's be real. The Organization are not the only ones responsible for what happened to our world. Xemnas... No. Xehanort may have killed my mother. But everything he did. He did it under your watch. Because you were so busy trying to understand life instead of living it. So afraid of the inevitable instead of leaving it in the hands of balance and fate. And you forgot the purpose of life. I never did, even when I was just a little sick cancer patient." Aiden spoke with a serious look that was slowly fading. "So what gives you the right to call up and point fingers like Judge Dred?"
DIZ closed his one visible and let out a sigh of guilt. He caused Roxas to suffer for what others had done. And couldn't differentiate between him and other Nobodies. The same could be said for Xion, Axel. Even Namine.
"I have been more foolish than I originally thought. To truly not see the mistakes I have made until now" DIZ said in acceptance.
"Believe me. What you've been doing. I've wanted to do the same thing, for the three years I was homeless. And I used to think that the Nobodies were just evil husks of people that were gone. And then I saw Roxas and Xion. It wasn't their fault that they were born as Nobodies. They were the results of Sora and his love for Kairi." Aiden pointed out.
"Even Namine." DIZ sighed.
"And there's that other kid, Ienzo? He loved you like a father. And yet he was a member of the boys in the hood." Aiden also added to strike a nerve in DIZ. "Did he deserve your hatred too?"
"I do miss that boy. He was indeed like a son to me." DIZ said with a hint of a smile remembering Ienzo
"I think it's time you took an example of Sora. In saving lives instead of taking advantage of them for your own self satisfaction. Granted I've made mistakes. But I'm going to continue taking responsibility for them. For the little people. When are you gonna do the same?" Aiden spoke honestly to DIZ.
Aiden then waved his hand and ended the call. and then the young keyblader teleported back to bed and gave an order to IRIS.
"IRIS. Block the caller and make sure to leave his contact info on my lock list in case I need answers from him." Aiden instructed before he caused the neon field and Baby Groots earmuffs to fade away.
'Yes Maverick.' IRIS obeyed.
Then Aiden got comfortable and had no problems going to sleep. Feeling a sense of victory despite the odds against him and his team.
From where ever DIZ was now. He held the conviction from Aiden's words deep inside his own heart.
'Perhaps I should take his advice. Starting with atoning for my sins.' DIZ thought to himself.
That's all for now folks!
Yep! After so many times. Roxas is finally here in the story!🙌🎉🎊🎈 🎇🎆
And Stormur is no longer going to be a problem for the Maverick or the Guardians.
"Thank you Strawberry Flavored Jesus! Now if anyone can excuse me. I need to go and relax and soak." Maverick quipped in relief.
If you have any questions regarding Roxas and Xion or any other Nobodies. Or anything else, fill free to ask. But one thing I must point out. For the sake of having way to many characters to write. I won't put them on the team. Not yet anyway. They will be when the time comes to take on the Organization and Xemnas. But I'll leave a simple reason for why they don't join in on the adventures yet.
Roxas and Xion will be alright and I will bring up Namine in the next chapter, Roxas doesn't have a recollection of her yet. But he will in the next chapter.
Also because of the affects that Playstation showcase has given me. I decide to switch around two of my designated worlds. In the next chapter, the Guardians will swing into the Marvel world of New York City. Pun intended and emphasis on 'swing'. 😉
And yeah. I got the Maverick getting ripped in half from Deadpool 2. Rest assured. There will most definitely be Aiden with baby legs and a huggies diaper in the next chapter. Lol! So be prepared to laugh when I post the next chapter. 😂😂
Thank you all so much for reading. Be sure to leave comments and let me know your thoughts.
And as always Disney/Square Enix fans!
FISTBUMP!👊👊