AN:
Howdy! How are all y'all? I'm pretty good, having a lot of fun. I can't believe I'm this close to graduating. Just a couple of months and college is over for me. Seems like just yesterday it started.
Anyways, I'm happy to present the turn of this story. This is where the plot really begins, and I hope you like it!
Responses:
To Gamelover41592: Of course I'd respond with the Hercules quote! I'm glad that you made it first, actually. As for if Yang is right or wrong, it's you'll have to see.
To Remnant7: Yep, Sora's first action chapter in this one. He doesn't just destroy the villain, as the villain isn't trying to win the fight so much as escape after Sora shows up, though.
To cturner971/Chretner: The tests went well, thanks. I'm glad you liked the Iscariot. It was around Palm Sunday when I was writing last, so I had Easter and Holy Thursday on the brain. I hope the Demon Tower's appearance when it happens is good, because it won't be a main Heartless that shows up a lot.
Anyways, hope you enjoy!
Chapter 16: The Mask Comes Off
"And here we are!" OJ shouted, excitement pouring out of his voice like waves. He gestured around them at the wide open, dusty world. His face was eager, painted with the need to complete their task here and move on as fast as possible.
"What is this place..?" Yang asked as the door of her transport opened and she was allowed to enter the open space after their short journey. The world was all brown and the sky a sharp, clean blue. There were mountains, destroyed and ravaged by huge displays of power that looked more ancient than the world could possibly be. And strangest of all? The huge field of Keyblades, dead and devoid of power all around them.
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think this is all that came back from Sora's time when everything was reborn," OJ explained, crossing his arms and looking around. His gaze returned to his companions. "I know you've both heard the stories from him."
"The Keyblade Graveyard..." Jaune and Yang murmured, both filled with awe and fear. This place was beyond important. The Keyblade War, Sora's jump to the future, and the death of an entire Universe... all on this same plot of land. Yang walked over to a dead Keyblade and pried it from the ground, examining the Key that reminded her of Bumblebee's ignition key and the sword that Sora had made after losing his Keyblade. "Fenrir." She looked around. "Sleeping Lion, Guardian Soul. It really is..."
"How's this possible?" Jaune asked OJ.
The black coated blonde shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe this world is too important. It survived after the first Keyblade War, maybe it survived the second for the same reason?" OJ suggested. He walked over to the sphere his Keyblade had transformed into and shifted it back into blade form in his hand. He turned back to Jaune before adding, "Whatever reason that may be."
"Maybe it has to do with all of these," Yang suggested, still brandishing the rusted Fenrir Keyblade she'd found. She grinned evilly. "Maybe that's the key."
Jaune snickered while OJ groaned. "Wait, did you just laugh?" OJ asked his counterpart.
"I... Ugh, I really have been spending too much time around Yang," Jaune muttered, placing one armored hand over his helmet's visor. "What's next? Am I going to drive motorcycles, flirt, and crash Gummi Ships?"
"Hey, you know that was you!" Yang retorted, a smile on her face.
Jaune dismissed his armor and smiled back. "So, what do we need to do?" he asked OJ after a second of thought. He turned to the other Keyblade wielder. "I'm ready for anything."
"Then let's get started," OJ said, pumping his fist in front of him.
Yang hefted the dead Keyblade over her shoulder and waited for whatever was coming next. "Give me a show. I don't want to be bored, okay?"
"Yeah, that's what we'll worry about," OJ said dryly. He sighed and shook his head. "Okay. I'm pretty sure that this will work."
"Only pretty sure?" Jaune wondered cautiously.
"... Really pretty sure?" OJ suggested, giving a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his head. After a moment he stopped and sighed, admitting 'Really pretty sure' wasn't where he wanted to be either. "Okay, it's never been tested, but it's the only way this can happen. Jaune, do you know how to make a Portal of Light?"
Jaune didn't respond. "Yeah, I didn't think so," OJ muttered before biting his cheek. "Okay, so, it's a lot more natural to make a Corridor of Darkness because it's what connects the worlds. A Portal of Light uses the Keyblade to tunnel through it instead. You just focus on using the Keyblade to open a door. You just have to focus all your light onto it."
"And why do you need me to make it?" Jaune asked after committing the concept to memory.
"Corridors to Darkness – well, not all of them can get into the Realm of Darkness," OJ explained after a moment of thought. "At least not in this new version of the World. Since Sora was in control of the χ-blade when everything came back, there's a wall of Light around the Realm of Darkness. It's impossible to get in."
"Unless you have a Portal of Light, one made by a Keyblade strong enough to pierce this wall you're talking about," Jaune finished. He summoned the Keyblade to his hand and held it out. "Okay, so what do I do?"
"You make one inside of my Corridor of Darkness," OJ explained. He punched out in front of him as he continued, saying, "Breaking through the wall and letting me use my Corridor to get there."
Jaune looked down at the Keyblade and held it steady for a few moments. A wellspring of confidence suddenly appeared in his gut and his grip on the weapon grew tight as he looked back up at his counterpart. "Well, I'm willing to try."
OJ smiled, relieved. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate this, you know?"
Jaune nodded solemnly, knowing what was at stake here. OJ deserved to be happy. "Let's do this."
OJ turned and held his hand out, Darkness coating his palm for a moment before opening an oblong black and violet portal at the center of the crossroads they stood at. OJ let his hand fall and turned to Jaune. "There we go. You're up."
Jaune wordlessly raised the Keyblade until it pointed at the portal. Finally, he'd help OJ get to where he needed to go. He was strong enough to do it, and strong enough to help. The tip of the Keyblade swirled with bright white Light, sparks and wisps chasing each other in a sphere that grew to the size of his head. This door would open and maybe it'd help him, too. Heal, knowing that some version of himself would find what they were both looking for. He hoped so. The ball exploded and a thin strand of Light shot into the Corridor. Slowly, white and soft pink light began to grow within and form a doorway of its own.
"Yes! Yes, that's it!" OJ shouted in encouragement, his eyes widening in excitement. Under his breath, he muttered to himself, "Pyrrha... I'm coming. It won't be long now until I finally see you again!"
Jaune continued to focus on the growing door, forcing more energy into its creation. He could feel in his bones that the Keyblade was nearly done as the pink and white approached the darkened black and purple of the Corridor's edge. The Light and Dark energy pulsed and shuddered out of time with one another, burning more and more until, finally, the pulses of the Darkness and Light came together and the energy grew into a single corridor filled with Light but shaped entirely by Darkness. He let the Keyblade fall to his side, breathing heavily from the exertion of tunneling through the wall of Light.
"Jaune, Yang! Stop!"
Everyone turned to the source of the voice, shocked as Sora landed heavily with the Master Keeper out, standing in the road perpendicular to their own. He grit his teeth. "I'm too late..." he muttered. His eyes drifted towards the ground, fear and anger filling them.
"Sora?" Jaune asked, completely perplexed at how the Keyblade Master was there. "H-how did you find us!?"
"Yang's Scroll has a tracker in it," Sora said, not focusing on the question. Jaune and Yang's eyes widened at that betrayal of trust, but Sora moved past it without thought. He turned to OJ, face far more serious than Jaune or Yang ever thought it could appear. "I'm guessing you're the OJ I've heard so much about."
"I guess I am..." OJ said, confused by everything going on. He took a half step back and glared at Sora, brow set heavy and a cautious frown touching his features. "Why are you here? Saying goodbye? Well I can't leave this universe yet, so you still have some time..."
Sora bit his cheek and looked over at the portal, still thrumming along stably. He pointed at it and locked eyes with OJ. "I can't let you go through that portal."
Jaune jumped forward, grabbing Sora and turning him around. "What!? That's crazy, you can't just do that!" he shouted, keeping his hand tight on Sora's shoulder. Jaune scoffed in disbelief. "Sora, it's the only chance to see Pyrrha again, the only chance for him to feel like he belongs! I won't let you take that from him!"
"You don't know the price, Jaune," Sora retorted, suddenly sounding like an adult berating a child. A child who was older than him, Jaune wanted to point out. He didn't, though. The Keyblade Master was serious, focused despite the worry plastered across his face.
"What price? Tell us!" Jaune finally demanded. "What could be so bad that we can't just help him out?!"
"It would be the end of the world, Jaune!" Sora shouted suddenly, effortlessly brushing Jaune's tight grip from his shoulder. The world grew quiet, silence spreading across the rebuilt graveyard.
"How do you know?" Yang asked worriedly, finally breaking the silence.
"Ozpin. Apparently if he opens up another hole or whatever, that's it. The universe he jumped out of is all Darkness, and he'd jump into the next universe's realm of Darkness. He said something about black holes and vacuums... but the important part is that every single world that we just fought to bring back... It would be gone. Turned into Nothing. He'd move on, and everything would be gone. Dead."
Jaune took a step back. "I... No. He didn't know!" Jaune shouted. He turned to OJ, whose eyes were locked on the ground. His fists were clenched, empty at his sides. "OJ, tell me that you didn't know!"
"No... I didn't know," OJ said sullenly, his eyes never leaving his toes.
Yang sighed in relief. "Okay, good. Then you're not going to -"
"But I'm not going to stop." A wall of Light flashed around them, locking Jaune and Yang in a cage with OJ. OJ's eyes moved slowly up to meet those of his counterpart. Sora was yelling and slamming his fists against the barrier, trying to get in. But he couldn't.
Jaune's voice was hollow when he finally asked, "Y-you're what?"
"They're lying, Jaune, or they don't know what they're talking about," OJ began, clenched jaw straining with anger. "It's my only chance, you know that! My only chance to be happy, your only chance to be happy! And... And you can still come with me! Think about it – Pyrrha! We can see Pyrrha again!"
Jaune swallowed. He was horrified to admit it, but... But he couldn't say it wasn't tempting. To see Pyrrha again had been the entire reason he had even worked with Salem all those months ago. He'd been willing to trade his entire life for it. Hell, he'd been willing to trade every life in the universe for it.
Jaune felt sick to his stomach that he would even consider it again. His friends, his family... Jaune took a wobbly step forward, Keyblade held at the ready. "I – I would never, ever, ever do that. You can't be serious? You can't do it!"
OJ stared at Jaune for a few moments, features blank and confused. Then, as if he had come to a conclusion, he turned his gaze on Yang. "I see. You're the reason he's betraying Pyrrha! You're the reason he won't help me find Pyrrha!"
Jaune flinched and stumbled backwards. Was he... scared of his counterpart? "What are you talking about?" Jaune asked, voice quivering. He raised his Keyblade in front of him defensively. "Betray Pyrrha? She wouldn't want this. You're the one betraying Pyrrha!"
"You wouldn't know!" Then he charged, No Name appearing in his hand. Jaune flinched again, and raised the Keyblade in front of him, but he wasn't the target.
The black Keyblade flashed in its arc towards Yang, forcing the blonde brawler to move faster than she ever had before. The black blade cut down in an overhead blow that shattered the ground where she'd been standing. She rolled past her assailant and her stunned, terrified partner, then up to her feet. She grabbed the Keyblade in two hands and turned on her heel to deliver a massive strike to OJ. The Keyblade Wielder merely turned and, with his Keyblade that still oozed energy, shattered the dead weapon as if it were made of glass. The cold fury in OJ's eyes warned of the immediate next attack as he lashed out with his free hand and an explosive wave of Darkness shot out. The shattered remains of the dead Keyblade flew at Yang and slammed into her, carving thin, deep cuts into her Aura. She threw up her arms and activated Ember Celica to keep her face safe, but it was right then that his Keyblade came up and slammed into her arms and chin. She soared into the air, momenarily stunned. "I'll just kill you, I guess," OJ whispered as he appeared in the air above her and readied his Keyblade. "Then he'll see he can't stay here!"
The Keyblade came down, only to collide with the Kingdom Key. Jaune grunted in pain as the blow, stronger than any he'd had to face yet, slammed into his guard. The force of the blow forced him to collide with Yang, sending the both of them tumbling to the ground in a heap.
Jaune disentangled himself and raised the Keyblade in front of himself again. "What are you talking about?" he asked as OJ landed softly on his feet.
"Your friends..." OJ spat. He took slow steps towards Jaune, the Keyblade's teeth dragging along the ground behind him. His blue eyes were icy cold and filled with murder. "They don't want what is best for us... Yang, Sora, Ruby, Ren, Nora... They're holding you back from your destiny! From the woman you love!"
Jaune didn't have any response. He could only rush OJ, knowing it was the only chance to stop this. Yang pushed herself slowly to her feet behind him and winced, clutching at her chin. It was bruised. He had bruised it through her massive Aura. She was certain it overloaded her Semblance, too. She definitely couldn't return that attack to deal any real damage...
Jaune swiped at OJ, who sidestepped the attack and used the momentum to begin his attack on Jaune. The black and silver Keyblades clashed as Jaune protected himself and they began to push against one another. "OJ, this isn't right!" Jaune grunted as he strained to keep his strength up to OJ's level. "We're the same, so you have to know that!"
"I know you're weak. Once you lose what I have lost... you'll see I'm right," OJ growled. He pushed as hard as he could against the blade lock and Jaune suddenly felt the wall of glowing energy slam into his back. OJ was standing eight feet away, Keyblade held in front of him. He turned just in time to duck beneath Yang's haymaker attack and continue moving into a back kick. The brawler stumbled backwards, arms splayed out until OJ spun and delivered a hammer blow to her shoulder. Her face slammed into the stone ground, at which point OJ turned again and hit her away with his Keyblade like she was a golf ball.
"Yang!" Jaune forced himself up to his feet, wobbling for a moment as the pain of OJ's last blow continued to wash over him. He made himself ignore it, and ran towards his counterpart. He slashed at his opponent, trying to carve through his opponent's back with the Kingom Key. OJ turned his head, but the attack hit him. OJ slid across the ground, his aura flickering over the place where the blow had landed for a moment before the damage was undone. "Leave her alone!"
"Okay, then I'll knock some sense into you instead," OJ growled, lowering the arm that had taken the attack. He rushed Jaune, slashing down in an attack that the knight was barely able to block in time. The blow shook his entire body and nearly tore the Keyblade from his hands, but he held tight and shoved back, turning to slash at his counterpart's throat. OJ hopped back a step, then dashed forward and slashed upward. Jaune stumbled out of its path and fought to keep his balance. OJ simply tipped him over. "Now, how about I start taking this seriously."
Jaune scrabbled to his feet and glared at his opponent. "You're not already?"
OJ held his Keyblade out to his side. "Now." He disappeared in a blur of black lines, reappearing behind Jaune and slamming No Name into the small of Jaune's back. The Keyblade wielder went flying, colliding with the Fence and falling to the ground.
How is he so strong? Jaune wondered as his face slammed into the dirt. We're the same, so how is he... stronger than me?
"You should focus on getting back up, Jaune. They've been keeping you weak!" OJ snarled, hand wrapping around Jaune's ankle. The knight yelped as he was torn from the wall and slammed back first into the ground. OJ sprinted along the path before spinning and tossing Jaune into the ocean of Keyblades. He turned and swung with both hands at Yang, who was coming his way. Her fist collided with the Keyblade's edge, forcing the two of them to a standstill.
"You've been holding him back!" he snarled. "He's caring for you, so he won't look for Pyrrha!"
"Pyrrha told him to move on!" Yang snapped back. "She wants him to live his life – a message you obviously ignored!"
OJ didn't take kindly to that. "You don't know what you're talking about!" he screamed, and an explosion of Darkness formed around his Keyblade's edge. Yang pulled her prosthetic back as fast as she could just before the energy reached her fist, nearly shattering the metal hand. "She's waiting for me!" The Dark infused Keyblade swung around to slam into her side, but she moved her gauntlet down, cloaked in a thin reflect spell, to deflect the attack. She slapped it away and brought her fist down at OJ, only for him to spin around the attack using her block as a fulcrum. Yang leaned down to grab another Keyblade as her momentum carried her, swiping at OJ's head while he continued to spin. The blow made contact, but it was useless as the Keyblade – a Sleeping Lion – shattered on contact. He did stumble forward a step, though he shrugged it off with a crackle of his Aura and steadied himself.
Yang brought her other hand down in a wild hay maker that cracked across her opponent's face, sending spittle flying from his mouth and making him reel backwards for a moment. Yang pressed her advantage, bringing her hands above her and clasping them together, then bringing them down together where his neck connected with his shoulders. Fire coated her fists as they plummeted down, her hair lighting up and her eyes turning an even deeper shade of bloody red.
The flames exploded when Yang's fists hit their target, and OJ was sent sliding backwards once more. He swept his Keyblade out to the side as he slid, casting off the smoke and revealing his glowing yellow eyes, burning with rage and pure Darkness coursing through his veins. Yang froze upon seeing those hate filled eyes locked on hers, so different from the blue of Jaune's. There was none of the anxiety, none of the joy, none of the kindness that was in Jaune's eyes. The Dark Keyblade wielder – for surely, that was what he was – rushed her at lightning speed. She moved her fist forward in an attempt to keep him away, but he easily sidestepped. Yang's head snapped backwards when his palm slammed into her nose. No blood flew out, as her aura took the blow, but she could feel it even as his hand went down to wrap around the back of her neck. A foot slammed into her ankle and she toppled over, landing on her face. His foot slammed into the middle of her back and the tip of the Keyblade rested atop her neck. She tried to push herself up, only for sparks of Thunder to dance across the Keyblade and run through her body. She screamed and hit the ground again. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" His Keyblade came down on her fist, fire burning along its edge and shattering her prosthetic hand. She screamed out in pain as the artificial nerves exploded and burned away. OJ, eyes filled with frenzied rage, raised his Keyblade above him again. He was about to end this, right here. Right now.
"Stop!" Sora shouted beyond the wall, slamming it with the Master Keeper.
Jaune rushed up behind his opponent, roaring in rage. OJ's yellow eye's snapped around with his head and No Name crashed into the Kingdom Key, sending it twirling through the air to bury itself blade first in the ground. The black Keyblade came up to Jaune's throat, teeth tapping Jaune's chin. Jaune froze, not even breathing in fear that the blade would drive him through. "Firaga." Jaune roared as black flames blew up in his face, shredding his Aura to ash. A bright white light burned out around his body as he rolled and tumbled across the stone ground, dirt and gravel digging into his flesh and carving his blood out of his body.
OJ lifted Yang by the throat with his off hand, glaring at her. He tossed her aside after a moment, a look of disappointment on his features. He ran a hand through his hair, his features becoming more calm and collected. "I've decided that I won't kill you, Yang. That was a rash decision, especially since we were friends once. In one way or another, at least." Then he turned and walked away from the defeated woman, moving towards the portal.
"No!" Sora snapped. OJ stopped as his face slammed into an invisible barrier... created by Sora. The Keyblade Master stood with his hand out, pointed at OJ. OJ turned slowly towards his new opponent and let his own wall drop. "I didn't know if that would work... I'm glad it did." Sora aimed his finger at his new opponent. "I won't let you go through that portal."
OJ held his Keyblade in front of him and prepared for battle. "I don't think that it is a question of what you'll let me do, Sora."
Sora moved his hand from pointing at OJ and out to his side. "Disagree." Another No Name appeared in a flash of white sparks. The Keyblade was different than when OJ, Jaune, or Xehanort had wielded it. The black was shinier, and the goat head looked far less evil. The white lines and blue eyes were calm and bright instead of dark and full of hate. Even the curves and edges seemed more soft in Sora's hand. "I'm not going to let you get away with hurting my friends!" Then he rushed forward, dragging the teeth of his Keyblade along the ground behind him and kicking up a sandstorm behind him.
OJ raised his Keyblade over his right shoulder and snarled. "I won't let you keep me away from Pyrrha!" he roared, charging Sora in turn. Darkness flared along the darkened No Name, the tip angling towards Sora's throat.
Sora brought his Keyblade's up, rage filling his eyes. OJ swung around with his own, the dark edge rippling as it approached Sora's weapons. The blades collided, a massive explosion of energy flew out from the point of contact, dispelling the sandstorm that Sora had kicked up in an attempt to blind his opponent during his upslash. The energy pulsed through the crossroads, causing the weapons to shiver and either chime as they collided with each other or disappear as they were completely obliterated by the force. Sora spun around, slashing with No Name in an overhead. OJ jumped to the side and dodged the attack, though Sora used his overhead slash to move his other weapon into a powerful stab aimed at the dark Keyblade Wielder's chest. OJ slapped the attack to the side and turned on his right heel, delivering a back kick to Sora. The Keyblade Master flicked his wrist and the Master Keeper flashed down to block the kick. Dust exploded out from the point of contact, though that cloud was quickly carved in two as Sora's No Name collided with OJ's. Then the two began to pick up with their attacks.
OJ's keyblade arced at Sora's throat, the teeth slashing through the air just before his neck. The Master Keeper swept just over OJ's head, hitting hairs as the blonde ducked to avoid the attack. He turned the dodge into a sweeping kick, actually managing to hit Sora's ankles. However, it did little, as he simply simply flipped over and landed on his feet before bringing the Keyblade down. OJ's eyes widened with fear and he raised the flat of the Keyblade above him, taking the long series of blows hat kept slamming into his guard.
Jaune and Yang just watched as Sora began to easily destroy his opponent, deflecting blows before they could arrive and attacking well beyond OJ's guard. Jaune was catatonic, broken and defeated on his knees. The Kingdom Key rested on its side beside him and blood trickled down from above his eye. "Am..?"
Sora snap kicked OJ's chest and the man went flying, slamming face first into the barrier before falling to the ground.
"Jaune?" Yang asked, fighting through her pain. "Jaune, talk to me."
"Am I going to be like him?"
Sora used both of his Keyblades to effortlessly block the attacks and spells flying his way, every movement serving to demonstrate the sheer difference in their levels.
Yang shut her eyes and turned herself so she was leaning her back against the Fence, her face in front of his. She reached out with her sole remaining hand, grabbing his shoulder tight. "Jaune, you've gotta snap out of it. Come on..."
"Am I going to be a monster?"
"Jaune..."
His voice cracked. "We're the same. We use Darkness. We betray our friends... He was better than me and he – he – he's a monster... So what am I?"
"You're our friend, Jaune." Yang said resolutely. She grasped his shoulder even tighter and her eyes became stony and serious. "You're better than him."
"ENOUGH!" OJ screamed, and his body glowed with a deep black energy that swarmed over his Keyblade. He rushed Sora, Keyblade slashing in an overhead.
"Trying the same thing again? I'm not even that stupid!" Sora snapped angrily, raising the Master Keeper to take the blow.
And then the No Name passed through his Keyblade and slashed across his chest.
Sora gasped more out of surprise than pain, the resilience coming with the Keyblade more than protecting him from the damage. But how did it happen? Sora shook his surprise out of his head and slashed horizontally at OJ's head, aiming to catch it between between both of his Keyblades. OJ Dashed a step back and raised his Keyblade, letting it get caught between Sora's weapons. "Big mistake," Sora said as he began to move his weapons to tear OJ's Keyblade out of his hands.
OJ grinned evilly. "Big mistake," he echoed. Then, again, the No Name faded through the pair of Keyblades. Sora saw the black edge coming for his face and he forced himself to let go of his Keyblades and sidestep, summoning them back to his grasp as he made his way out of the weapon's path.
"Okay, what's going on here?" Sora snapped, twirling his Keyblades and entering his ready stance again.
"Say hello to my Semblance, Sora. That ability none of you ever thought I would get!" OJ snapped venomously. He twirled the No Name, his Keyblade trailing his blackened Aura. "I can infuse weapons with my Aura and make every slash unblockable." He dashed forward and Sora had to fight off the urge to simply deflect the attack. Instead, the Keyblade Master had to dodge to the side and avoid the attack, narrowly avoiding the much faster blow. The attack passed through his spiky hair, at which point OJ's knee came up. Sora brought his arm up to block the attack, though the foot passed through his arm and slammed into his nose. Sora hissed in pain and rolled backwards, tumbling until he made it up to his feet again. OJ smirked. "Ah. I meant any attack, not any weapon. My 'mistake.'" He slashed diagonally at Sora again.
Sora jumped back, forcing himself to think through all of this. His defense was completely done. He had a tendency to block all of the attacks that came his way, the Keyblade's natural ability to create Reflect walls and unbalance enemies had become a core part of his fighting style, and to not have it available to him now? This was not going to be fun.
"And that's not all I can do!" OJ shouted jubilantly, snapping Sora out of his thoughts. The Dark Keyblade wielder was standing beside the edge of the Fence, just beyond the edge of which was the Doorway to the Realm of Darkness. The No Name glowed with his black Aura, glinting as it passed slowly through the Fence. Sora's eyes widened and he charged forward, knowing exactly what this meant.
"Nice try," OJ said before summoning his Aura around his entire body. He dove through the wall, his Aura crackling and disappearing completely as he tumbled. He snarled in pain as his Aura died out completely and the black glow left him... a few inches from the Doorway. He pushed himself slowly up to his feet and grinned at Sora, who was busy lowering the Fence. "See you." Then he pulled up his hood, jumped backwards, and disappeared through the Doorway.
"Dammit!" Sora snapped, forcing the fence down. He sprinted towards the Doorway, unsummoning the Master Keeper so he could summon his red and gray Keyblade armor and follow OJ through. The Doorway began to close quickly, shrinking as soon as OJ passed through it. Sora roared and dove forward, arms outstretched with Keyblades in both. He had to make it through. He had to stop OJ now.
But the Doorway slammed shut just before he could pass through, winking out of existence so the armored Keyblade Master slammed face first into the ground. He rolled through the dirt until he finally came to a stop. He laid still where he had stopped, glaring at the sky in silence. He'd failed. OJ had escaped and he had failed because he hadn't been ready for this fight. He'd been too confident he could easily win without knowing what OJ could do. "Dammit..." Sora sighed under his breath. The armor around his body disappeared, revealing his black and red clothes once more. The Keyblades vanished a moment later, their master knowing they were of no use any more.
Sora remained there for another second before he forced his mind to realize someone else needed him more than he wanted to get angry. He had a job to do, after all, as Jaune's Keyblade Master. Sora pushed himself up to his feet and looked over at his friend.
Yang was in bad sorts, missing an arm with a depleted Aura and a bruise across her face from some blow or another. Yet, despite her injuries, she was the one holding Jaune up. He was injured as well, but Sora knew what the real problem was. Jaune's will was broken completely, A Heart weakened by pain was a huge danger to a Keyblade wielder in any time, but when the universe was under threat it could be even worse. Sora sighed, hoping he could help his friend overcome his doubt, and walked slowly over to the pair of blondes.
"Jaune," Sora said as he approached, plopping down cross legged in front of his friend. "Jaune, are you okay?" There wasn't a response, simply an empty glare at the dirt. Sora looked over at Yang.
"You bugged us?" Yang asked, her brow furrowed angrily.
Sora sighed and let himself lay back in the dirt again. "It was Ironwood's idea. He made us do it or else we wouldn't be allowed to let you guys leave," Sora explained as he staired up at the empty blue sky. He shut his eyes. "We did it last time we were all on Remnant, after Ironwood said he'd also help make sure no one bothered you when you visited Jaune's family."
Yang looked over at Jaune, who was still catatonic. She wasn't sure he had blinked anytime recently, and he hadn't moved at all for a while. Not even a nervous cradle back and forth. "So what now?"
Sora didn't sit up. "OZ asked me to stop OJ, but now..." He sighed and draped his prosthetic over his eyes. After a moment of silence he jumped up to his feet, a determined smile on his features. "So, I guess we stop him. You guys know what he's after, and where some of those pieces are, right?"
Yang nodded up at him. "Good. Then we can get to them first," Sora said. He frowned. "I'll have to figure things out with OZ for now, and..." he looked over at Yang and gave a weak smile. "You need a hand?"
Yang didn't even bother laughing, she was so emotionally spent. She lifted her arm in front of her. "This happens way too much," she muttered before letting it fall. She looked over at Jaune, whose eyes had finally shut. Soft, quiet sobs were wracking his body, and it looked like he wouldn't be ready to go for a while. "Jaune, can you talk with us?"
"Looks like you were right, huh?" Jaune noted hollowly. He placed his head on his knees and placed his hands on the back of his head to enter the fetal position. "I can't be trusted. Look what I did."
Sora and Yang traded a concerned look. "Jaune, that wasn't you," Yang offered honestly. Her hand looped around one of his and held tight, offering whatever comfort she could manage to give him. "Pyrrha thought you were a hero. She knows you're a hero, wherever she is." There was no response.
Sora didn't interrupt. He simply let her speak, knowing that her opinion – the opinion of someone who had been traveling with him, fighting with him, and growing with him – mattered far more to Jaune than Sora's opinion did. "Jaune... I know you're a hero," Yang continued, her grip loosening but her fingers remaining looped around his hand.
Jaune's grip on the back of his head slackened, but he didn't exit his fetal position. "Then you're wrong." His grip tightened again.
Sora sighed and put his hands in his pockets. "I'll fly you guys back to Remnant so Yang can get her hand fixed," he said. "Then Oz and I will go get your Gummi Ship. We have a lot to talk about."
Jaune and Yang didn't say anything else, so Sora just looked up at the sky. Jaune is going to have to beat you, OJ. And I'm going to let him. He raised his left hand to the sky and summoned the Gummi Ship to pick them up, a green circle erupting from the ground below his feet that formed a link to the ship orbiting this small world. Sora looked over at the crossroads of Keyblades, feeling his old friends' presence in his Heart. Will you guys give him a hand? The answer was silence, but Sora still felt like he'd been given a good answer. A small smile appeared on his features just as the Gummi ship arrived and the three of them began their journey back to Remnant.
S M H S
OJ was plummeting,the world around empty. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was jumping through the portal and having it shut in Sora's face. But then... what was going on? He continued to fall, eventually catching sight of water far below. He was aware that it would logically hurt for him to hit the water this fast, but for some reason he knew that he would be fine. He slammed into the water like it was just more air and the world became darker. Bubbles rose around him. Far below was a familiar sight... Her, sleeping as she always was. She was just as he remembered, with her long hair, vibrant eyes, elegant features. A golden halo of Light glistened behind her head. Pyrrha, the only one present on his Heart's stations. He looked down – or up, he supposed – towards his feet to see the ever present storm of Darkness that rested above his Heart.
His head turned towards a brilliant Light that exploded in the distance. Far away was another pillar, so far that he could not make out anything on its face from this angle. There was, however, a lone figure on all fours. Screams of pain and anguish reached OJ's ears even from this distance. Who –
Then he felt a massive jolt and he awoke, his Dive disappearing to be replaced by swirling black and purple. An ocean of black with stony outcroppings that blended into the starless sky. Dim blue... well, it wasn't Light, but it certainly made it easier to see. OJ sat up slowly and smacked his lip, trying to get rid of the taste of sleep and blood there. He raised his hand above his head and summoned a Curaga that stitched him back together. His Aura hissed as it was recharged by the powerful magic, and the black energy flickered around his form for a moment. He cracked his neck as a pain he hadn't noticed disappeared. "Hmph, Sora did more to me than I thought," he mumbled, stretching to check his full range of motion was okay. He nodded and pushed himself up to his feet. He cast a glance around. "So... this is the Realm of Darkness. Then I wonder where..." He looked around. Where was the Kingdom Key D going to be?
He ran a hand through his hair and groaned. He hoped Jaune was okay. He knew that they had parted on bad terms, but... well, Sora was either lying or wrong. Everyone telling him to move on, that Pyrrha would want him to be happy with someone else. It was absurd. Jaune was just like OJ, and because of that OJ knew that Jaune could never be happy unless he had power and fought to reclaim a lifetime at the side of Pyrrha Nikos. Anything less than that would be a meaningless life to waste. He knew that, Jaune knew that... they just wanted Jaune to be the same as ever. Weak. A mascot they could drag around to make themselves feel stronger. OJ's hands clenched tight enough for the material of his gloves to squeak angrily. Bugging Jaune, following him around. No trust, no belief. They didn't deserve him, but they held him back anyways.
He took a breath to calm himself. Fine, then. He'd just have to show them. Take Jaune to the next world, help him find a Pyrrha, too. Then they could be happy and all those so-called friends holding him back... they could feel the pain of losing him. Yes, OJ liked that idea quite a lot. So, then, one step at a time... he had to find the Kingdom Key D. OJ cast another look around. "Where do I start?" he wondered aloud. He crossed his arms. "Hm... Oh!" He held his hand out in front of him. "Hope this doesn't summon an army of Heartless to attack me... I don't have forever to deal with them, after all." He summoned his No Name Keyblade, black sparks exploding around his fist. "Lead my way, Keyblade. Lead me to my destiny."
He twirled his weapon above his head and slammed it into the ground beneath his feet. The Realm of Darkness around him shuddered for a moment, the force of his Heart and the Keyblade forcing it to bend to his will in any way a violation of its own desires. Still, there was little it could do against the iron will of mania drawing one towards a lost love, and soon the Realm of Darkness was forced to surrender. From the ocean before OJ rose a bridge of stony Darkness, steps ascending towards the sky. Though, from how his own Sora had described the Realm of Darkness, it was likely the sky was just the bottom of another floor. Or perhaps he was on the ceiling. No way to be sure, really. OJ pulled No Name from the ground and began the long, boringf task of ascending the stairs.
It was a quiet journey, as if the endless number of Heartless in this world were avoiding him. Well, OJ supposed they at least had good survival instincts, then. OJ walked up the stair without pause, knowing that his goal awaited him at the end of this road.
He finally made it to the top, his Aura thankfully recovered over the course of the long journey. He passed through the sky, the world becoming only black for a moment before he reappeared in another section of the Realm of Darkness, a room with a door at the opposite end and otherwise empty... save for one thing. "So, this is where you were waiting," he muttered, raising the Keyblade in front of him.
The swirling tower of Shadows responded the only way it knew how – it attacked. OJ sighed and raised the No Name in front of his body, summoning up a Reflect barrier around his body. The mass of Shadows collided hard with his barrier, causing it to creak as the monsters swirled around him. Still, the barrier held and all the damage that it took exploded outward at the trailing shadows. Energy pulsed across the mob as dozens of Shadows were annihilated, wiped out by OJ's counterattack. He jumped at the staggered creatures, No Name held in both hands and running parallel to his outstretched right leg. He slashed upward, coating the blade with an Aeroga that exploded upon contact and sent each individual Shadow scattered across the battlefield. OJ forced his body to stay in the air as he forced No Name to lock onto a few dozen Heartless still stunned from his blow. Streaks of pure Darkness flew from the tip of the blade and slammed into each target, the resulting collision shredding the pureblood Heartless and slaughtering them by the dozens.
He landed as the last blast exploded from his Keyblade, giving him more than enough time to quickly pick apart the few remaining survivors of his assault. No Name flashed through the Darkness, each low containing enough power to easily carve a trio of Shadows into dust. It took very little time for him to eradicate his enemies, at which point he was just surrounded by swirling pink Hearts that could not escape the Darkness that had devoured them. He ignored them, uncaring if they would find their way back to Kingdom Hearts or be devoured once more to form Heartless. There was only one thing that mattered, and it was there. Through the only doorway in this room. So he passed through it.
And he was not disappointed.
Floating in a pillar of Light, guarded from the Heartless by the powerful energy that the Keyblade exhuded, was the Kingdom Key D. It hovered above a stone shaped like two circles atop another circle in the shape of the small insignia that made up the Keychain of the Kingdom Key. OJ grinned wide and walked slowly towards the Keyblade. "Hello," he muttered lamely, unsure of what else he should say. He held his hand out and reached for the weapon, trying to link his Heart to it. He dropped No Name from his left hand and left it where it lay, exploding into a shower of sparks as it was abandoned by its user. "Come to me. I am a Keyblade Master – I am strong!"
The Kingdom Key D quivered in the air, feeling OJ exerting his will upon it. "I summon the Keyblade, the weapon of the strongest Heart. And no Heart is as strong as mine is now!" OJ snapped, rage turning his will to iron.
The Keyblade had no choice but to listen. It vanished in an explosion of Light, reappearing in OJ's outstretched hand at nearly the same time. His hand grew tighter and tighter around the weapon's hand and he grinned. The first step was finally complete. "Now... to find the other pieces of the puzzle."
He flicked the Kingdom Key D out to his side, the silver becoming gray, the gold becoming bronze, and the red becoming blood along its entire body. Darkness coated its blade, and a Corridor of Darkness opened. The hole in the Wall of Light was still there, open forever now. He could easily leave now, easily retrieve everything he needed. "I'm coming Pyrrha," OJ muttered, tears streaming down his face as pure joy filled his Heart. "I'm coming..." He took a step through the portal, his ultimate weapon in hand, and returned to threaten the Realm of Light once more.
S M H S
Ichigo Kurosaki, "Chad" Sado, and Uryu Ishida had been wandering through the empty desert for hours, searching for any sign of where their friend Orihime was being held by Aizen. She had been taken days ago, stolen away by one of Aizen's most powerful lieutenants, Hollow monsters called Arrancar, these ones specifically known as the Espada. Each member of Aizen's lieutenants had enough power to easily go toe to toe with some of the strongest Soul Reapers, so the three were horrified to wonder what might be happening to Orihime
When they had first arrived, it had been inside of some sort of underground tunnels, running from traps and fighting for their lives against weaker Arrancar. It had seemed like they were on the right track. After all, who else but Aizen would have some sort of underground, supervillainy base in the World of the Hollows. Instead, Chad and Uryu had revealed their new strength and soundly defeated the Arrancar in a destructive show that could rival some of Ichigo's own Getsuga Tenshous. The tunnels had collapsed, giving the three barely enough time to 'safely' escape into the blistering desert with its sky of eternal night. "Only around you, Kurosaki, could a simple rescue mission turn into an assault on Aizen's army and a trek through a deadly desert hellscape."
"Hey, you're the one who was responsible for the tunnels collapsing, Four Eyes!" Ichigo snapped, his aggressive personality easily coming to the forefront when Ishida was concerned. "Maybe the problem is you, you ever think of that!?"
"No, that is unlikely," Ishida retorted. "Just look at your big cleaver of a sword. You are the destructive one."
Chad sighed and shook his head as he followed along in silence. For such good friends, their overly common arguments grew incredibly annoying incredibly fast. Still, it was how they dealt with their worry for Orihime, so Chad would let them continue. Without this stress relieving argument, they would grow too worried to think or even fight, and that would leave them with very few options when an enemy finally arrived.
Eventually, the argument came to a stop and they trio walked on in a silence that Chad was quite grateful to finally have. "What do you guys think happened to Jaune and Yang?" Ichigo finally asked.
"The other two intruders from the Soul Society?" Ishida asked for clarification. Ichigo gave a short nod. Uryu placed a hand on his chin while they walked and bit his cheek. "Well, I doubt they are dead. The Head Captain likely would have alerted us to such a development."
"That's good," Ichigo sighed.
"It does not feel right performing a rescue without them?" the usually silent Chad inquired.
Ichigo tossed a glance over at his old friend. "Yeah, I guess," he muttered. He shrugged. "But we just haven't heard from them in months. Are they okay? And... how do we get in touch with them?"
Ishida grunted. "Hm... It seems they left quite an impression on you, Kurosaki. Why is that?"
Ichigo didn't respond.
"Their reckless desire to help," Chad suggested after a moment.
"Their odd weapons and fighting styles," Ishida input.
"They were fast friends," Ichigo finally explained. He looked up at the sky and placed his right hand on the handle of Zangetsu. "I just had a feeling all of a sudden that they're in trouble, you know? And I can't do anything to help out." He growled angrily and kicked the sand. "I'm just never strong enough to reach everyone..."
"They were plenty strong enough on their own," Ishida pointed out. "From what I understand, Yang was able to stand up to Captain Kuchiki on her own, and we all saw Jaune help you defeat the Captain. Whatever trouble they are in, I am sure that they are capable of handling it."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ichigo agreed dismissively.
"Besides, I believe that we are in enough danger that we should worry about what is in front of us, for now," Ishida continued simply. "After all, we -"
Ishida was cut off by Chad raising his hand in front of them. "What is it?" the Quincy archer inquired.
"Over there," Chad explained before unfurling one finger towards the horizon. The group looked towards where he was pointing and saw, standing alone, a lone figure with long, blood red hair running down its back. Decaying Hollows, massacred by sword strikes that had cleaved them in two.
"Is that an Arrancar?" Ishida wondered aloud, unsure as he was not picking up the same pressure from the figure that one of the upgraded Hollows gave off. This was more... cold. It was as if, rather than being Dark like that of the Hollows or Heartless, it was truly empty. The three cast a glance at one another, then moved cautiously towards the figure.
"Who are you?" Ichigo asked as they got close. He slid Zangetsu off of his shoulder and held it at the ready, the cleaver's body carving a clear silhouette against the white sand.
The figure, clearly a woman they could see now, turned and glared at them. She was wearing a mask, lending credence to the theory that she was indeed an Arrancar of some sort. As did the long katana that she held in her right hand, its gray blade coming from a long, sharp insignia that made up the cross guard. Red eyes the same shade as her hair glared out from beneath the mask. She wore armor of black and red, layered to look like that of a samurai, and long black boots. A red sash dangled from her hip. "Morrigan," the woman explained. She dismissed her weapon and the three jumped backwards in surprise. Arrancar couldn't do that to their Zanpakuto swords, could they? "You seem unnerved by my presence. Why?"
"Your mask, it -"
"Ah, like these creatures," she said. Her voice was disturbingly even, almost like she had no emotions. She must have been very good at hiding her emotions. She removed her mask, revealing a face that looked much younger than it was, if very tired. She looked familiar, in fact. "Is this better?"
Hm... she looked really familiar...
"... Ichigo," Ishida muttered disapprovingly.
"Wha?" Ichigo shouted. He looked around in confusion. "Oh, uh... yeah, that's better. Thanks. We were just worried you were an Arrancar."
"Are they the creatures with the swords?" Morrigan asked. She shook her head. "I have yet to meet one that is not underwhelming."
"Underwhelming? An Arrancar?" Ichigo asked.
Ishida scoffed. "Just how strong are you?"
"I have not reached the apex, yet," Morrigan clarified.
"The mountain that must always be climbed," Chad echoed.
Morrigan frowned. "In... in a way."
Ichigo slid Zangetsu onto his back once more. "Well, if you're looking for tough fights, we're about to go for the toughest. We're here to save our friend."
"... A pointless endeavor. I doubt my enemy will be there," Morrigan said after a moment's consideration. She turned away and summoned her blade back. It would be best to train without fully risking her life. These 'Arrancar' had thus far been weak, but there would likely be ones capable of wiping her out if she pushed it too hard.
Ichigo glared at her for a moment. "Ugh... fine. Not everyone can be like Jaune and Yang, I guess." He turned away with his friends to leave.
Morrigan, however, had frozen. Yang. They knew Yang. They knew – Morrigan growled as her head felt like it was splitting. An image of a tiny, blonde baby streaked through her mind's eye. Morrigan forced it from her mind, forced the pain from her mind, and she turned on her heel. "Fine, guilt me into it, why don't you?" she asked, forcing false emotion into her voice. "I'll help you, I'll help you! Don't beg."
"I'm not -"
"Don't deny it, you'll sound like my brother," Morrigan interjected, her grin just like that of her Somebody's daughter. Her grin faded, but she passed it off by saying, "We'll need to hurry if we want to save your friend."
Ichigo sighed and grew serious again. "You're right. Thanks for helping us out," he said, then he turned towards the spires rising out of the sands in the distance. "Don't worry, Orihime. We're coming."