So, this is the last chapter of Zack's flashback guys. Next week is the Anniversary of this story, I should have something out for that. What exactly it is, is up for debate. It may be a normal chapter, or a special one. I dont know yet. But, I do have a new story I put up, about Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. I had fun writing it, because I enjoy the hell out of that game despite its flaws. I dont know if I'm going to go beyond that first chapter, because making that whole story was just something I had to do. I set it up for more, and have a story lined up, but I just dont know if I will or not.
Anyway, stop with that shameful self promotion. You guys are here for Aftermath, so, I ask that you enjoy this chapter. Things get intense here. So enjoy!
-Aftermath- Radiant Garden- Two Weeks After Winniplex's Destruction-
"We're gonna get this fucker." Zack said, crossing his arms, Toni nodded. The two were standing at Dethunter's grave, his Wayfinder was pressed into the Tombstone. They held their own up, with small sad smiles.
"Let's go Zack… We've got to get the others." Toni said, Zack nodded, and turned around, pocketing his Wayfinder, Toni did the same. The two moved back into the central area of Town where Kelsi, Janice, Kairi, and Rhyme were waiting.
"Sora, Riku, Tanner, Miranda, Tatsuma, and Yuffie went on ahead, King Mickey said he should be back soon." Kairi told them, as Toni and Zack arrived, Zack nodded.
"Then lets not fall behind. We probably wont have another chance at this." Zack said, Kairi nodded. The others followed Zacks lead as they headed towards the large gorge near the town.
"So, we're gonna get this guy right?" Rhyme asked, Zack nodded.
"Yeah, Rhyme. We are." Zack told her, in a confident voice. Though inside, he wasn't completely sure. This was serious, and ZaZick was strong. He seemed to have copied Zack's abilities completely, and merged them with whatever he had before they were bonded together.
"So, what worlds did you and Tatsuma visit?" Kelsi asked Rhyme, who hummed, trying to remember them all.
"Hmm… Well, there was, Traverse Town, Twilight Town, Destiny Islands, San Fransokyo, which was beautiful by the way. Um, Halloween Town, and here. We didn't do much, we cut our trip in half once we heard about what happened to Winniplex." Rhyme told her, Kelsi nodded.
"It really is terrible." Kelsi said, in a stiff tone of voice, Toni looked over at her worriedly.
"Kels? Are you okay?" Toni asked, Kelsi just looked at her, with a shrug. "Is it about your parents?" Toni asked, rather timidly, Kelsi's lip quivered for a moment, and shook her head.
"No… I mean… I guess it is…" Kelsi trailed off. She hadn't even talked to either of her parents since the end of Junior Year, and that was just her dad. She hadn't spoken to her mother at all since she and Toni started dating seriously.
"I don't know if they made it out, Kels… I'm sorry, I just, don't know what else to say…" Toni muttered, Tyler had made sure to get their parents off world before it was completely destroyed. Toni supposed she should visit them eventually, but things were too crazy right now.
"It's okay. I still don't want to speak to my mother, even if she did make it out. But, I hope they're safe. Wherever they are." Kelsi said, Toni nodded.
"I hope your dad did at least, he was nice, and supportive. Well, secretly." Toni said, Kelsi nodded, before a few tears formed in her eyes, and she looked away from Toni.
"Yeah…" She replied in a strained manner, before she felt a strong arm wrap itself around her shoulders, and pull her into her Fiancée, who had a big smile on her face.
"You know, you're really pretty." Toni told the blonde in a sincere voice, Kelsi blushed, and giggled a bit, as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Only to have them brushed away with Toni's thumbs.
"Thank you." Kelsi whispered, leaning up to kiss Toni's cheek, after she did, she gave a light smack to Toni's cheek. "Now, get psyched up for a fight, Love." Kelsi ordered her, Toni nodded.
"You got it." Toni said, before she looked forwards to Zack, who was talking with Rhyme about something. Janice was admiring, and questioning Kairi's Keyblade Armor piece, wondering if she could find a way to duplicate it. "Yo, Keire! How far away are we?"
"Well… We're about five minutes away, and asking wont speed it up Toni." He told her, looking back with a cheeky smile, Toni glared at him. She saw through his whole façade of confidence, she knew it was a front to keep up morale. Truth be told, she was terrified right now, thinking about ZaZick, and his power. He wouldn't get anywhere near Kelsi.
"So, what weapon do you use?" Kairi asked Janice, once the girl stopped asking about her armor piece.
"I use a Rapier, and magic mostly." Janice answered her, Kairi hummed.
"I haven't seen many use a Rapier in battle." Kairi commented, Janice shrugged.
"I trained with Zack. So my fighting style is basically a faster, and lighter version of Zack's style. I don't hit quite as hard, but we relatively fight in the same way." Janice told her, Kairi hummed.
"Interesting." Kairi said, Janice nodded, as Zack looked back at them.
"Hey, Kairi, can I talk to you about something?" Zack asked, Kairi nodded, and jogged a bit to catch up with him, Rhyme slowed down to talk with Janice.
"What's up?" Kairi asked him, Zack hummed.
"Well, ZaZick took all my Darkness, so I'm pure Light now, but not like you… Anything I should know about this? I'm gonna get my Darkness back, but… Just in case I don't?"
"Well… Traveling through the Dark Realm is really easy. You cant get corrupted by the Darkness. Your attacks with Light will be much more potent, and generally you have a strong resistance to Darkness in general. That's really it that I know of." Kairi told him, he nodded.
"I see. Well, that should be useful in a fight." Zack said, with a smile, Kairi nodded, as the group arrived at the cave where ZaZick had made his base of operations. Completely separate from the main base of the Children of Darkness.
"Hey, Kairi, and all you guys!" Yuffie greeted them. Kairi smiled at her, before she turned to Sora, and Riku.
"Any game plan?" She asked them, Sora nodded, summoning the Kingdom Key.
"Sure… We go in there and hit them, hard and fast." Sora told her, Kairi nodded, summoning Destiny's Embrace, Riku summoned Way to Dawn.
"Works for me." Zack said, summoning a sword in a flash of Light, Janice was next, summoning a Rapier with Light. Tanner summoned a Bo staff, and Miranda summoned two Sais. Tatsuma summoned a pair of katana's, Rhyme, and Kelsi merely got their magic ready.
"I'm gonna kill this fucker." Toni said, summoning a large hammer similar to Dethunters. The group moved into the cave, it was narrow at first, but soon opened up to a large underground cavern. Winding pathways all around, and underneath was a large underground lake.
"You've all come to stop me." ZaZick's voice sounded throughout the cavern. He was sitting on a throne on the other side of the large cavern. Corridors of Darkness opened up all around, with many Dark Warriors coming out to fight. "You will all die here." ZaZick said, before the Dark Warriors charged the Warriors of Light.
Tanner jumped up, using his staff to help him out a bit. He spun around, and swung his staff as soon as he feet landed on the ground. He sent several Dark Warriors tumbling off the edge of the path, falling into the water below. Miranda jumped up and over him, landing on his staff, before he swung once again, sending his sister flying at them, she curled into herself to get faster, essentially forming a tight, little ball of murder, she jammed a Sai into a Dark Warriors throat, using the momentum to swing, and stab another in the temple.
Tatsuma jumped up, and dashed, cutting several Dark Warriors down in two separate motions, he turned to see Rhyme casting a powerful Areoga spell on him, to shield him from damage, before she did the same to everyone else on their side.
"Thanks Rhyme!" Zack said, with a smile. "You mind coming with me?" He asked, Rhyme shook her head.
"No, let's go get him Zack!" Rhyme said, Zack nodded, and looked to a different path, it seemed less crowded, and provided a direct route to ZaZick.
"Grab onto me Rhyme." Zack told her, the girl nodded, and jumped up on his back, wrapping her arms and legs around him, Zack then held her with one hand, and then jumped up on the separate stone path. Rhyme hopped off of him, and smiled, before she unleashed a gust of wind at several approaching Dark Warriors.
"Kelsi, stay safe." Toni told her, Kelsi glared at her.
"You're not leaving me behind. I can protect you too." Kelsi told her, in a frustrated tone, Toni just rolled her eyes.
"Fine, just… please, if things become too much, get out of here." Toni told her, Kelsi nodded in confirmation, before Toni dashed off, swinging the hammer at the Dark Warriors. Sora, and Riku had jumped to a different path, and began fighting there. Yuffie and Kairi decided to stick together, and Janice followed after Tatsuma, while Tanner and Miranda fought down a separate path.
"Hey bro, how long has it been since we fought like this?" Miranda asked, Tanner shrugged, and smirked.
"First time in this story." Tanner said freely, since they weren't around anyone who could hear them, Miranda nodded.
"I know, and we're actually killing people, crazy right? Zack's past is dark." Miranda said, Tanner nodded. "Wait… Isn't Zack telling this story, how is he telling this part because we…"
"Oh, the story Zack is telling is actually focusing on him, and Rhyme. We're in the background, but we did kind of hijack the readers point of view." Tanner told her, Rhyme hummed.
"Think they mind?"
"I mean, how would I know?" Tanner asked, before shrugging. "Go back to Zack's story." He said simply.
Zack ran forwards, and swung his sword at several approaching Dark Warriors, he didn't kill them however, he merely clashed with their weapon, and shoved them off the edge of the path, if they died after that, it was fine, but he didn't like to kill people, so he tried to avoid doing it directly.
"Zack, duck!" Rhyme yelled, the black haired boy listened to her, as he dropped to the ground quickly, not a second after had bright blue lightning ripped through the air where his head had been, he chuckled.
"Remind me never to get you mad…" Zack muttered, Rhyme merely giggled a bit, as she turned and looked to see Janice struggling with a few enemies. Rhyme show a fireball at Janice's opponents, hitting them, and distracting them long enough for Janice to stab them in the chest, before she moved on to the next one, flashing a smile to Rhyme.
"Woohoo! This is almost as fun as fighting with Cloud! Gotta say though…" Yuffie said, as she flipped and, jumped around, throwing her Shuriken around, before she landed in front of Kairi, turning to the redhead with a big smile on her face. "Got a prettier sight to look at." Yuffie said with a goofy smile, Kairi blushed a bit, before she pushed the ninja aside, and struck an enemy.
"Just stay focused Yuf." Kairi instructed the ninja. Yuffie nodded, and threw her shuriken at another enemy, before she jumped up, and launched several big ball of fire from her hands, activating the Materia she was currently using.
"Sora!" Riku yelled as he charged his Keyblade with Darkness, Sora looked to his best friend and nodded, he charged his Keyblade with Light.
"Right!" Sora nodded, before he jumped to his friend, the two began a deadly synchronized attack. "Take that!"
"You're gonna lose it all!" Riku shouted, as both he and Sora jumped up, before they launched torrents of their respective elements upon the enemy, the Light and Darkness blending together, and clearing a large portion of the enemies in front of them. Sora, and Riku smiled, before they bumped fists, before jumping back into battle.
Zack and Rhyme advanced quickly, taking enemies out at an alarming rate, and making it to ZaZick's throne, he just glared at the pair of them. The others were getting rather close as well.
"ZaZick, your time is done, I'm going to defeat you, and take my Darkness back!" Zack yelled, ZaZick just glared at him, and stood up.
"You sound pathetic… Hero." ZaZick spoke the word like it was a cruse, before he vanished, Zack and Rhyme both looked around before he appeared in front of Zack, and punched him in the gut, Zack coughed, and fell to the ground, all the wind knocked out of him, he glared at ZaZick.
"I'm gonna make you pay for that!" Rhyme yelled, as she prepared a powerful Lightning spell, ZaZick just glared, at her, and dashed forwards, he grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. She coughed and fought for breath, but he only squeezed tighter, as his face twisted into a sadistic sneer.
"Rhyme!" Tatsuma yelled, panicked, as he saw his girlfriend being choked, he began running to stop ZaZick but was intercepted by several henchmen, who tried to stop him. ZaZick smirked at Rhyme, as his eyes flashed sadistically, the hand cutting off her air supply began to ooze Darkness. ZaZick filled Rhyme's mind with visions of Tatsuma getting slaughtered, of herself dying, or Zack, and all her other friends in various horrible way, that only got worse as time dragged on.
"Make it stop! Please!" Rhyme gasped out, before she began trying to scream, ZaZick's sneer only got worse.
"Your voice… Is really annoying." He said, as he dug his fingers into her throat more and more, until light trickles of blood began to stream down his fingers, as he dug his hand into her throat, she stopped screaming, well, she was still screaming, only nothing had come out.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Zack yelled enraged, as he summoned the strength to move once again, he pushed himself up, and summoned his sword, bringing it down quickly to cut ZaZick's arm off at the elbow, causing Rhyme to fall, and ZaZick to scream in pain.
"I'm gonna make you pay for that one!" ZaZick yelled, as he summoned his sword in his other hand, and prepared to drive it into Rhyme's skull. However just as his blade was coming down Rhyme vanished in a poof of smoke.
"You're not killin' anyone today!" Yuffie told him, as she carried Rhyme's unconscious form under her arm, as she jumped away from the fighting. ZaZick glared at her, before he turned to Zack, and blocked a swing from his sword.
"You're pathetic! You're weak! I will make you suffer!" ZaZick yelled, as he concentrated his Dark energy into reforming his arm, perfectly as it was before Zack had cut it off. His other arm still lying on the ground in front of him for a few moments before it faded into Darkness.
"I'm not letting you hurt any more of my friends!" Zack screamed at him, letting his rage fuel him, as he attacked ZaZick, who matched his every blow.
"You idiot, I adopted your fighting style, you cant beat me!" ZaZick taunted him, before he kicked Zack in the leg knocking him off balance. "But I was fighting long before you were born!" ZaZick yelled, as he prepared to kill Zack, only for his sword to be blocked by a hexagonal barrier of Light, as soon as ZaZick's sword hit it, a shockwave blasted him back.
"Are you okay?" Zack turned to see Master Aqua staring down at him worriedly, she was smiling, and extending a hand to him, Zack took it, and pulled himself up, as the barrier of Light faded away.
"Who are you?" Zack asked, Aqua smiled at him.
"I'm Master Aqua, King Mickey brought me here to help out." Aqua explained to him, Zack turned to see Mickey fighting alongside Kairi. Terra was helping out Toni and Kelsi, while Ventus was assisting Sora, and Riku.
"Thank you…" Zack told her gratefully, Aqua nodded, before he face turned serious, and she turned to ZaZick, who had recovered, and was glaring at the pair of them.
"That foolish king brought you? The idiot Master who couldn't save her friends? Pathetic." ZaZick remarked, before he charged them, Zack ran to meet his attack, swords slamming into each other. Aqua glared at ZaZick, and pointed her Keyblade at him.
"Blizzard!" Aqua yelled as she launched three rather large Blizzaga spells from her Keyblade in quick succession, Zack jumped back a bit, as she ice hit ZaZick. He glared at Aqua and charged at her, before he was hit in the head with a Bo staff, knocking him back once again. Tanner, and Miranda strode up between Zack and Aqua.
"I don't take kindly to people trying to kill my friends." Tanner said, glaring at ZaZick, who got back up, and glared at the four of them, his hand clenched tighter around his sword, Miranda huffed.
"Come on, we know you're a badass and everything, but seriously? There's four of us." She said, ZaZick just shook his head, and ran at them, Tanner jumped forwards and used his staff to launch into the air, he spun around before he smacked ZaZick in the back of the head, sending him tumbling into Miranda's well timed uppercut. "Shoryuken!" Miranda yelled.
"I'm going to kill all of you." ZaZick muttered, as he struggled to get up. Zack just glared down at him.
"Stop fighting and give up. You're beaten." Zack said, as he walked up to ZaZick, who merely glared at him. As soon as Zack got in range, ZaZick lunged at him, digging his fingers into Zack's skull, and pumping Darkness into him, Zack grit his teeth as the pain ripped through him. ZaZick faded into the Darkness, and Zack passed out, falling on the cold hard stone.
-Aftermath- Station of Awakening-
Zack opened his eyes, and looked around. He had been here before, when he was first being trained by Bondeshire. This was also how he had met Toni the first time. Though it was different. His stain glass platform now had ZaZick added to it. The two of them were locked in a clash of their blades.
"This is it Zack… This will decide who lives, and who dies." ZaZick said, as he materialized from the Darkness, Zack turned and glared at him. Zack summoned his sword in a brilliant flash of Light. ZaZick glared at him, and summoned his own sword in a sweeping current of Darkness.
"I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to my friends." Zack told him, with killing intent filling his deep blue irises. The rage he felt for ZaZick was like nothing he had ever felt before, and it scared him, and infuriated him, that right now, ZaZick was entirely calm, and relaxed.
"Once I win here… I'm going to use your body to murder your friends in the cavern. Then, I'm going to find your Fiancée, and child, and I'm going to kill them. Or maybe I'll raise the little brat as my own, train her to be a perfect little assassin." ZaZick said, Zack began shaking with rage, before he ran to ZaZick.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Zack bellowed, as rage kept building up inside of him. He swung his sword at ZaZick, who quickly raised his own to block. Once Zack's sword collided with his, a massive shockwave rippled through the Station of Awakening.
ZaZick pushed Zack away from him, Zack did a back flip, and nimbly landed on his feet, barely having time to block before ZaZick's sword came down on him, Zack shoved ZaZick's sword to the side, and grabbed ZaZick by the hair, preparing to throw him, before a knee collided with Zack's nose, breaking it, and making him stumble back, holding his nose.
"You're pathetic!" ZaZick yelled, as he fired off a Dark Firaga from his palm, Zack spun his sword around, blocking the flames, before Zack glared at him, blood running from his nose. He merely grit his teeth, and charged at ZaZick once again. Zack jumped in the air, and threw his sword at ZaZick.
ZaZick knocked the weapon away, but couldn't react fast enough, and ended up having Zack's foot firmly planted in his face, knocking him to the ground. Both their swords fading away into their respective element. The two of them lay on the ground, fighting here was more taxing on the body, and Heart.
"I want you out of my fucking Heart…" Zack said, as he pushed himself up, ZaZick glared at him, as he also tried to get up. Zack grit his teeth and lunged at ZaZick, knocking him back on the ground, Zack reared back, and punched him in the face.
"Get the fuck off of me!" ZaZick yelled, as he punched Zack in the side, making the boy cough, ZaZick used this distraction to push Zack off of him, and stand up. On shaky legs, he summoned his sword, and glared at Zack. Zack looked up at him, and glared, as ZaZick prepared to drive his sword into Zack's heart.
ZaZick drove his sword towards Zack's heart, only for Zack to grab the blade with his hands, preventing it from going any further. ZaZick glared at him, and pushed down harder, Zack screamed and pumped Light into his hands, he used this extra energy to break the blade of the sword, making ZaZick stumble forwards, only to be met with Zack's foot to his throat knocking him back on the ground.
Zack panted heavily, and gripped the piece of ZaZick's sword in his hands tightly, he then crawled over to ZaZick, and pressed a hand to his throat, Zack glared down at him, as ZaZick struggled to get his hand off of him. Zack shook his head, and began driving the blade into ZaZick's head, only for his arm to be held off by ZaZick.
"I wont let this happen! I'm stronger than this!" ZaZick wheezed out, Zack just glared at him, and used Light to enhance his strength. ZaZick's hands began oozing Darkness, but it didn't seem to be helping him, he was losing ground. "Why? Why are you so strong?"
"Because I'm not fighting for myself." Zack told him, rage still filling his voice, as he used even more Light to enhance his strength, ZaZick's arm failed him, and Zack drove the blade into his head. ZaZick's body stopped struggling, and began to fade into Darkness, all of which then swept into Zack, as he fell on the ground, panting heavily.
"I'll never leave you… And someday, I'll kill you." ZaZick's voice whispered throughout Zack's head, Zack didn't respond, that fight had taken everything he had. But he did it, then he closed his eyes, and passed out.
-Aftermath- The Castle, Radiant Garden- Two Days After the Battle-
"… Gonna be fine, he's tough." Zack heard Toni's voice, he coughed, and opened his eyes. He saw Fiona cradling Rose, and looking worriedly down at him. Toni was sitting in a chair next to her, staring at him.
"Zack!" Fiona exclaimed happily, before she leaned in, and wrapped her free arm around him, he smiled at her and coughed. "I was so worried about you…" Fiona said quietly, as she began to cry.
"Hey, come on…Don't crush the kid." Toni said gently, Fiona sniffed, and nodded, pulling away from Zack, with a small smile on her face. Toni's eyes shined, as she glared at him. "Never do that again Keire. I'm serious." Toni told him, Zack just nodded.
"I promise…" He told her quietly, with a smile on his face. A quiet knock on the door was heard, the three turned to see Janice, and Kelsi.
"Hey, how long you been up?" Kelsi asked, as she made her way over, and placed her hands on the back on Toni's chair, Janice simply walked up to the bed, and stood by Fiona.
"Just got up…" Zack told her, she just shook her head.
"You really scared us…" Janice muttered, Zack smiled apologetically at her. The sound of snapping fingers alerted them. The group turned to see Rhyme lying in a bed next to Zack, bandages wrapped around her throat, and Tatsuma's head on her lap, as he slept quietly.
"Rhyme! Are you okay?" Zack asked worriedly, Rhyme simply stared at him, before she shook her head silently. It broke Zack's heart to see her like that.
"She cant talk…" Janice quietly supplied, Zack simply stared at her, as tears filled Rhyme's eyes, without a single sound.
"I'm so sorry…" Zack said, before he looked away from her, ashamed. He didn't know what else he could say really. So he didn't say anything.
-Aftermath- Zack's Office, The Complex- Present Day-
"So… now you know everything…" Zack finished quietly, Rose stared at him. "So… that's why I wanted to talk to you about who will lead the Protectors when I'm gone."
"But… ZaZick was stopped, he hasn't had any influence of you since then… You're safe, right dad?" Rose asked worriedly, Zack chuckled dryly.
"He's the reason I'm keeping Vani around… Everytime something bad happens, that emotion gives him strength. Vani takes all that pain as her own, leaving me feeling happy and optimistic, as she gets all of my negative emotions."
"Really?" Rose asked, Zack nodded.
"Yes. But… I'm getting weaker, my hold over him is dwindling. I exhausted everything I had to stop him the first time, and he's only gotten stronger since then… I fear the Children of Darkness will try something." He told her, Rose just stared at him.
"Like… reviving ZaZick?" She asked, Zack nodded. "What would happen to you?" Rose asked, Zack just remained quiet for a few moments.
"I would die, so… Will you help your mother, and Vani run the Protectors when that happens?" Zack asked her, Rose made a mental note that he chose to say when, instead of if. He truly believed he would die, soon.
"Yes, I promise." Rose told him, Zack smiled at her, and moved out from behind his desk, hugging his daughter tightly.
"Thank you." Zack said quietly, as he smiled proudly, Rose smiled, and wrapped her arms around her father. Zack pulled away, and cupped his daughters face in his hands. "You've always been my little Rose." He told her, before he kissed her forehead.
"I love you dad…" Rose told him, like it could be the last time she could say it to his face, he smiled at her.
"I love you too Rose… Now, would you accompany me down to dinner. Your mom would kill me if I let you leave without eating first." Zack said, as he took Rose's arm, she smiled at him.
"I would be honored dad." Rose replied, with a smile, he nodded, before he turned to see Vani moving up behind them, she silently opened the door for the two, Zack smiled gratefully at her, as he lead his daughter down the halls to the dining room.
-Aftermath-
So, there you have it guys. I hope you enjoyed this little distraction from Violet's story, even though this will tie in to that obviously. Dont worry the main star will be back in no time. Then things should continue at a more stable, and fast updating process. So, anyway guys, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this little break from Violet, but not too much of course, because more Violet is always nice, less is tolerable. Or maybe thats flipped? Eh, who cares. Anyway, I will see you in the next chapter guys! I say anyway a lot when doing these... Always have...