Chapter 36: The Face of Fear
Xion's courage from a moment ago had abandoned her.
"You want me to stop hiding? You want me to face you?" Vanitas moved forward, his Keyblade tight in his grip. With each step he took, Xion moved back another. She gulped and shook her head, trying to ignore the nervous sweat forming on her forehead, sticking her hair to her face.
With a strong hand suddenly around her neck, Xion was slammed hard into the wall.
"Then you need to come at me," Vanitas continued with a dangerous edge in his voice. "Prove to me you're not just a scared little girl cowering in the corner. Show me your anguish and turn it into rage! Make the light in Ventus's heart grow!"
"I—" Xion shut her eyes and shook her head. "I—"
Xion flung a fist out at his neck, but his other hand caught it and held her arm up. He released her neck, held both arms above her head, and pinned her to the wall by her wrists.
Damn it all. She had to be brave, not just for her sake but Sora's as well. She was beyond brave, she knew. She had been willing to kill herself for Roxas's sake after all, back when this had all started. And despite worry she had faced Sora, and then gone on to fight Xemnas despite all the odds being against them. Xion knew she was no coward
And yet…she couldn't shake the images away. Her breathing grew erratic just seeing the Unversed symbol on Vanitas's mask. Her vision grew blurry. Her heart was pounding—Ven's heart was pounding.
She wasn't a coward, but she was still terrified.
He held her wrists together with just one hand, moving the other one down and unzipping Xion's coat. After that he held his hand to her side and ran it up and down along her body.
He slammed his helmet against her forehead, which in turn knocked the back of her head against the wall again. Xion was certain she was bleeding.
Vanitas had somehow caught up with Xion despite her backtracking, and was now so close that had he not been wearing a mask she would have felt his breath on her face. She took one more step back, her Keyblade held in front of her with both hands but visibly shaking. Her throat felt like cotton.
He slowly moved a hand over her chest and, through her dazed and blurry eyesight, Xion thought she saw black lightning sparking at his fingertips.
"Forge the χ-blade," he whispered.
"Enough, Vanitas!" Sora called out from behind. Vanitas turned around in response, and the moment the Unversed symbol on his mask left Xion's sight her mind cleared up—immediately.
"I don't have type for copypcat kiddies," Vanitas said calmly. "Can't you see I'm talking to Xion?"
Sora narrowed his eyes. "You're not doing anything to her," he said through grit teeth. His eyes flickered from him to Xion for a brief moment, barely noticeable, but long enough for the two of them to lock eyes. Xion gave a nod to Sora at that instant, telling him she was ready. She wasn't sure how, but the horrifying, heart-crushing terror was gone now. She… She could do this. She could fight.
Vanitas dropped his cold demeanor and laughed wildly. "Oh yeah? And who's going to stop me—you? A second-rate Keybearer with a hand-me-down Keyblade?"
Xion narrowed her eyes and adjusted Two Become One in her sweaty palms. "No."
"Pardon, pipsqueak?" Vanitas asked, turning his head just slightly toward her—the traces of the white sigil on his mask were visible, but nothing more.
"I told you…not to threaten my friends! To face me!"
Xion leaped at Vanitas, striking him in the back with her Keyblade and knocking him to the ground. He let out a grunt of pain, no doubt from his face hitting the inside of his mask when the mask hit the floor. Xion attempted to drive the tip of the blade into Vanitas and end it there, but he spun around and jumped off the floor, tripping her up and knocking her onto her back.
He let loose another cackle. "Now we're getting somewhere!"
Vanitas's Keyblade pierced down at Xion tip-first, but she rolled out of the way and cast Aeroga at him as the weapon pierced the ground instead. Vanitas was sent flying backwards and slammed into the wall then slid down, landing on one of the staircases leading to the Lift Stop.
"Sora!" Xion heard Kairi shout from behind the barrier.
"I've got him!" Sora replied, taking the opportunity. With Vanitas dazed and deprived of his weapon—however momentary that would turn out to be—Sora charged at the staircase with a golden aura beginning to grow around him and his Keyblade. Leaping at Vanitas, Sora unleashed Ars Arcanum on the masked boy's limp form. A combo attack of magically-charged slashes shook the very walls of the room and left scars on the staircase as Vanitas was tossed about like a ragdoll—and then, suddenly, he disappeared.
"Wha—" Sora's surprise was interrupted by a blur of black and white behind him, as Vanitas reappeared and delivered a kick to the Keybearer's back. Cold blue air swirled around Vanitas's hand and he followed the kick with Blizzard, but Sora spun around and deflected the ice blast with Aero. The spell went flying, freezing a section of the wall near Xion.
"You want to play?" Let's play." Vanitas held his hand out and recalled his Keyblade from its spot in the ground. While Sora had his attention, Xion sprinted forward and let out a battle cry. Before she brought her own Keyblade down on his head, however, Vanitas spun around and parried her blow. Grinding her teeth in anger, Xion struggled against Vanitas and pressed her Keyblade forward. Gravity was on her side and she was using both hands, but Vanitas was not relenting despite his position.
Purple and black fire flared to life in Vanitas's free hand. Xion had just barely enough time to notice it before he pulled his Keyblade back and thrust that hand forward, letting loose an explosion of darkness at point-blank range. Xion was sent flying clear across the room and crashed into the barrier at the entrance.
"Xion!" Stitch cried as he clawed at the invisible wall.
"King Mickey, can't we open this?!" Donald asked.
"It's pointless to try," Riku responded in the King's stead. "If the Keyblade can't open this, nothing can. I hate it, but Sora and Xion are on their own."
Xion pushed herself up to her feet and pulled a potion out of the bag strapped across her chest. "Don't…worry about us," she said after tossing the glass bottle away. "We've got this handled." She looked back, where concern was on everyone's faces…everyone but the Samurai, who stared ahead blankly, right at the barrier.
Xion shook her head, grasped her Keyblade once more, and looked back at the battle. Sora rolled out of the way of Vanitas's Keyblade and responded by swinging his upward, knocking Vanitas in the chin and opening him up for a blast of Firaga.
"I can't be afraid…" she whispered. "I can conquer my fear."
x-x-x
Deep underground, far below the battle between the forces of Braig and Maleficent and hidden in a fissure, laid the entrance to the waterworks for Hollow Bastion. Between the piping and flooded pools there was a tunnel that led to the damp, dark, and rusted waterways and dungeons. Abandoned for decades, these lowest reaches of the castle saw little attendance even in the days of Radiant Garden. The magic that the world had mastered in its glory days kept most of the machinery intact, with very little need for maintenance from work crews.
As a result, it was also the perfect place to keep things hidden. Parts of the tunnel system had been reworked into a laboratory by the apprentices of Ansem the Wise in the months leading up to Radiant Garden's fall, and shortly before that another part of the waterworks system had been used by a man named Xehanort as part of his plan to bring another man named Terra into the darkness.
And if one were to go back even further…
A century ago, long before Radiant Garden earned its reputation as the city of light, the waterways had been home to the deepest and darkest dungeons that the Bastion had to offer. One of them had been forced open two years ago by some unruly beast who had dared to trespass in his mistress's castle, but Diablo knew that there were many more. And somewhere in this darkness, somewhere among the dripping pipes, half-drowned floors, and rusty metal walls, was his prize.
Project Manikin.
According to the journal from Cid Lufaine, written long before anyone alive today was around, the subject of Project Manikin was unable to die. He had stabbed himself in the heart to escape his 'life'—if one could call it that—as nothing but a dog to the military, barred from even going outside to see the sky. And he had come out of it with nothing but a scar across his chest.
Diablo bristled. He may take the form of a man, but in truth he was a raven. He could not imagine never having the freedom to experience the sky.
Nonetheless, if Project Manikin were able to survive piercing his own heart then it stood to reason that he would have survived years—even a century—in these dungeons. He was not a real person, he did not age; he was made in a lab already a full grown man. All it took was to simply find which cell he was housed in. Well, and to convince him to join Maleficent of course, but that would be easy enough with a simple offer.
After all, what did a man incapable of death want more than anything in the world but freedom?
Diablo slowed to a halt when he heard footsteps coming down the corridor. "Those Keybearers again?" he wondered aloud, but no—it was only the footsteps of one person, not many. And besides, he was sure they hadn't gone down that way; not that it was easy to tell in this maze. Still, better safe than sorry.
The smoke had been rising off of his skin before he had even finished speaking. It swirled around his thin, pale body and billowed at his feet, filling the cramped waterway corridor with thick black clouds. As it expanded, Diablo's body began to contort—but not into the shape of a raven. His figure shrank and widened, the swirl of smoke slowing down and growing compact, closing in on his diminishing body. A moment later man was replaced by rat, and Diablo stepped through the water while blinking his pitch black eyes.
It was just in time, too. Just as the last wisps of smoke vanished, the footsteps grew louder. A large mass of black—a black shoe—narrowly avoided stepping on Diablo. The splash of water sent up, miniscule to a human, nearly drenched him before he leaped back. The step was followed by more as the intruder moved past, until at last they were some distance away. The figure turned a corner and vanished.
Still a rat, Diablo tilted his head in curiosity. As the smoke began to billow around him once more and he returned to his human form, Diablo cupped his chin in his hand and let out a thoughtful hum. The intruder was a woman, and she looked like she knew exactly where she was going.
She had been dressed entirely in black, in a business suit, and had wavy red hair. If he was not mistaken, that was the woman named Cissnei; formerly one of the Turks of Radiant Garden, now a member of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. What was she after? That corridor led to the area near Ansem the Wise's study…and the apprentices' lab. Diablo frowned, but then he shook his head. He was curious about whatever Cissnei was looking for, but it didn't matter. He had to continue his own search.
x-x-x
CRASH!
KKRICK!
SWISH!
"Stand tall! Fight for one and all, for king and country! Remember, the King and the light itself are counting on us!"
The words of Athos echoed through the ears of the musketeers battling the forces of darkness and nothingness at the base of Hollow Bastion. The noble, if cold, de facto leader of the musketeers of Disney Castle stood tall in and proud in the middle of the chaos, wielding two rapiers at once and moving majestically as Nobodies, Heartless, and Unversed alike came at him. Armored Knights that sought to duel him were knocked away by one before being pierced between the eyes by the other. The hovering weapons that were Creepers fenced with him for a short time, but he was a mastery of the art and overwhelmed the puppeteered swords.
A massive grey claymore came falling down from above, its owner a Nobody twice the size of a man—a Berserker. An instant before the Nobody could crush Athos into the dirt, a large and imposing figure intercepted the blast and protected his leader and friend. Porthos, the giant cat known throughout the musketeers for his gentle demeanor, let out a boisterous laugh. The mail armor worn over his standard leather musketeer uniform began to crack under the massive weight of the claymore, and so with another laugh he knocked the weapon aside and leaped back to join Athos.
"Timely as ever!" he declared, his voice rising high above the sounds of battle. Athos was about to respond, but the Berserker recovered quickly and raised its claymore above its head. Porthos laughed once more. "Bring it on, then!" the cat roared, charging at the Nobody with Athos at his side.
But the Berserker was not alone. Dragoons came flying down from above and drove their lances toward the ground, knocking the swords of the two musketeers from their hands and pinning them to the blue stone. Still holding tight onto their lances, the draconic Nobodies spun around and delivered kicks to the dog and cat followed by lashes with their tails. Athos growled in anger and Porthos let out a pained, if not entertained, chuckle.
Then, a pillar of light erupted from the earth behind their Nobody foes. The Berserker and Dragoons, as well, as several Heartless in the surrounding area, were consumed by the Faith spell that expanded outward. As the magic began to fade, the lithe figure of Aramis came into view. The cultured, handsome musketeer was a priest as well as a soldier, and handled light magic nearly as masterfully as the King himself. Spinning on his heal, Aramis unleashed a flurry of Pearl spells that exploded on contact with a group of those Flood creatures that were attempting to rush him from behind.
Unfortunately for the three of them, their prowess in battle had caught the attention of the more threatening Heartless. The blue earth split open, releasing Tentaclaws which screeched loudly and stretched their shadowy tendrils at Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. They cut them down with ease, but it was only a distraction; pieces of armor fell from the sky—boots, gauntlets, a torso, and head. They formed together into an Opposite Armor, the wicked knight approaching the trio as Soldiers and Armored Knights crept forth from the shadows to surround them. The three musketeers were forced together, their backs pressed against each other.
Athos held his two rapiers crossed in front of him. "Get ready, then."
Porthos laughed loudly. "We can take 'em! Just like the good old days!"
Aramis smirked and shook his head, his long ears waving with the motion. "Simple puppets of the darkness. Prepare to face the light!"
But even as the battle against the Opposite Armor began, the three musketeers knew they were not the only ones on the battlefield. Some distance away, young d'Artagnan fought alongside the men he had trained with, forged bonds with, as his own blade met darkness and nothingness alike. Even from here he could hear Porthos' laughter, and it gave him encouragement.
D'Artagnan thrust his rapier forward, piercing its sharpened point through the head of a dancing Nobody with a womanly figure. The Dancer wreathed in agony and let out an ethereal cry as it faded away, wisps of darkness escaping the wound that d'Artagnan's blade had made. The young musketeer barely had time to recognize what happened before he was assaulted from the side by another cry of pain—a mortal one.
One of d'Artagnan's companion musketeers dropped dead as a burst of pink light flew out the back of his body. Beside him fell another, and then another, as more and more of Disney Castle's finest trained soldiers collapsed from the attackers. Finally, d'Artagnan saw the face of the enemy: Sniper Nobodies, assaulting him and his comrades from a distance like cowards. Gritting his teeth, d'Artagnan prepared to charge—but he did not need to. He and the remaining musketeers were given respite by a sudden swarm of Neoshadows that charged at the Snipers and caught the ranged attackers by surprise.
D'Artagnan averted his eyes as the razor-sharp claws of the Neoshadows tore the Nobodies to shreds. "Of course. This isn't just a two-sided war."
Besides, he had his comrades to worry about. Turning around once more, d'Artagnan struck his rapier out and pierced a pair of approaching Floods in their chests. He pulled the blade back just in time to hurry and bring it before his face, blocking a claw attack from a breed of Unversed that somewhat resembled a Soldier Heartless. Its silver, razor-sharp claws wrapped tightly around the thin blade of d'Artagnan's rapier, and its red eyes flashed brightly.
"D'Artagnan!"
Before the weapon was snapped in two by the monster, one of his fellow musketeers saved the day. The shing of metal was heard before he saw it: a red and blue blur sped in from the side and beheaded the monster. Its headless body flailed about even as purple flames began to consume it. Raving about madly, its claws swinging everywhere, it successfully scraped d'Artagnan across the chest, tearing at his tabard.
"Are you alright?" his companion asked as d'Artagnan grasped at the painful streaks of red forming on his clothing.
"I'll manage," d'Artagnan said through clenched teeth. "For now, let's continue the fight." He glanced out over the battlefield and shook his head. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis were doing battle with a creature made of animated knight armor. They'd need help.
Drawing his rapier once more, and inspecting it for any damage from that Unversed, d'Artagnan nodded. "Come, then. To battle once more; all for one, and one for all!"
x-x-x
"These must be those Unversed things Sora and his friends were talking about…"
Leon gripped Revolver tightly, his finger on the trigger. He stood on one of the outer pathways of the Bastion that snaked their way up its walls. He was high enough from the earth that the only sign of the war waging in the ravines and fields below was the clashing of aerial Heartless and Nobodies—at least, the only sign beyond the walls themselves.
Blue and black clashed before the castle's Great Crest, the refurbishing of which had been abandoned partway between changing it from the Heartless emblem back to the clock it had once been. Leon held Revolver steady as he crouched down in the shadows, watching Unversed and Heartless tear each other apart. Bodies were knocked off into the abyss, sent to crash into the battle far below, and those slain that did not fall were consumed by the darkness.
A large breed of Unversed with shields on its arms that went around flailing its fists was at the core of this squad's forces, and the Scrappers around it fought off Soldier Heartless as it combated a Zip Slasher. The dual-bladed Heartless's razor-sharp swords clashed against the Buckle Bruiser's shields, sending sparks flying over the small battlefield. Pushing against the weapons, the Buckle Bruiser broke through the Zip Slasher's offense and swung a fist toward its face, sending the Heartless back. The Zip Slasher leaped back up and spun around, knocking away Heartless and Unversed alike as it regained its balance before charging forward once more. As its swords charged with magical energy, the Buckle Bruiser raised its shields again and protected itself from the strikes.
Leon glanced down at his free hand and clenched it into a fist. Sparks crackled in the air around his black glove before igniting into flame. Stabilizing the Fira spell, he looked out from his cover to watch the battlefield once more. The Buckle Bruiser was still blocking the Zip Slasher's attacks, and in the meantime the Scrappers had drastically reduced the amount of Soldiers. The Unversed were definitely winning this battle. Turning back to his Fira spell, Leon narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists tighter. The flames grew brighter and larger, the heat more intense, as it evolved into Firaga.
"It's now or never."
Moving away from his cover with a roll, Leon stopped on one knee and thrust his open palm forward. Balls of Firaga flew outward, raining down on the Heartless and Unversed alike. The Buckle Bruiser flailed about in pain as the orange flames shifted to purple and consumed its body, but the Zip Slasher was unharmed—the flames simply flew through it as if it wasn't there. Gritting his teeth, Leon gripped Revolver's hilt with both hands and jumped up to his feet, sprinting toward the sole remaining opponent. The Zip Slasher swung its bladed arms toward Leon's head, but he ducked under the blue blades and, with his finger on Revolver's trigger, swung it upward. The sharpened edge dug into the Zip Slasher's throat, and without missing a beat Leon pulled the trigger. Immediately the combination of magic and technology heated the blade until it briefly flashed red and then exploded. The Heartless's corpse, now headless, flew over the edge and evaporated partway into its fall.
Leon breathed out and lowered Revolver to his side. He glanced around at his surroundings for any more enemies lurking in the shadows, but found none.
"Guess they're all somewhere else. Better keep moving."
However, just as he was about to resume his climb, a shadow fell over him. With the shadow came laughter—a loud guffaw. Raising Revolver once more, Leon turned around just in time to bring it up in front of him and block a powerful fist charged with magic that nearly redecorated his face. Jumping backwards, Leon pointed his gunblade forward, finger on the trigger, and snapped his fingers to ignite another Fira spell on his free hand.
"Well, if it isn't Maleficent's lapdog," he hissed.
Leon's assailant, Pete, laughed once more and pounded his fists together. Sparks of magic flew from his knuckles with each impact. "Heh! And where do you get off fighting some of my Heartless, eh?"
Leon rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for you. Where's Maleficent?" Pete grinned and said nothing, opting to tighten his fists instead. Leon felt his eyebrow twitch. "Where?"
A sly grin crept across Pete's face, one that didn't match his brutish appearance. "You folks have no idea what Maleficent's found beneath the castle! Why, with that and the darkness forming at the top, we're gonna conquer everything!"
"What she found…? You are going to tell me where Maleficent is!"
"Uwahaha! Only if you can beat me, pretty boy!" Without waiting for a response, Pete charged at Leon and thrust a fist forward. As it slammed hard into his gut, a shockwave was sent out from the point of impact that rattled the castle walls. Sent flying back, Leon barely had enough time to dig his blade into the floor and keep himself from falling to a very far death. Jumping back up, Leon cast the Fira spell he had been holding onto. As the fireball came into contact with Pete and exploded, sending a smokescreen out over the area, Leon retrieved his gunblade and leaped toward Pete to bring the blade down on his head.
However, he hit something else—something harder than the already hard-headed Pete. The shockwave cleared away the smoke, revealing a laughing Pete standing beneath a magical, spherical shield. Leon grit his teeth and pressed his feet against the shield, using it to springboard back. While in the air, he fired a round of bullets from Revolver followed by another Firaga spell, but Pete stayed unharmed.
"Ol' Pete's invincible!" Pete said with a mighty guffaw. He held his hands out, palms up, and bombs materialized in his hands. Leon watched Pete's motions carefully; the shield disappeared when he moved.
Pete tossed a volley of his bombs at Leon, but Leon responded by shooting each one out of the air. Their explosions combined with each other, causing the area to shake as one massive boom filled his vision with smoke. Now was his chance! With Pete distracted, he wouldn't see the next blow coming. Leon ran to his side and swerved around, finger on Revolver's trigger, ready to take Pete out.
His swing made contact with flesh, not magic. Grinning, Leon used his momentum to trip Pete up and knock him into the air. Swinging his sword and pulling the trigger with each attack, Leon combined metal and bullets to juggle the oversized cat in the air. Snapping his fingers once more, he finished the onslaught with a Fira spell that flared to life at the tip of his sword.
"Enough of that!" Pete roared. His hand began to glow bright white and he grabbed tightly onto Revolver's blade.
"Don't try me," Leon hissed. He pulled the trigger and channeled Fire magic into the sword, heating up the blade once again as he had against the Zip Slasher. The metal turned red hot and Pete released it with a gasp, then stumbled backwards and slammed into a wall. "Had enough?"
"Rrgh…" Pete slammed his feet against the floor. Leon's face fell as he watched those footfalls carefully. With each slam the white glow growing around Pete grew stronger, and each time the cracks forming beneath him grew larger. If this kept up…
"Get outta my way!" Pete shouted, barreling toward Leon and flailing his glowing fists. Leon grunted and ducked out of the way, sliding to his left to avoid the oncoming giant. Once Pete turned around to try and come at him again, Leon quickly spun around in a circle with Revolver held out. Pete dodged that, but he didn't dodge the red orbs of Fire magic that the swing had left behind. When a full circle of the orbs was formed, Leon pulled the trigger and they all erupted at once. Letting out a cry of pain, Pete flew into the air.
I have to finish this quick, or this section of the castle is going to collapse under us!
Revolver began to glow once again, but this time blue rather than red. The hilt and blade alike transformed. A silver wing grew out where they met, and the blue magic merged with the metal of the blade until the weapon itself became a bright blue. Leon held the transforming sword in front of him and pulled the trigger, which sent not bullets but bursts of magic flying out with every blast and kept Pete down on the ground.
Swinging the sword down to his side and gripping it with both hands, the glow faded away. It was Revolver no longer, and Leon charged at Pete while declaring the gunblade's new name proudly.
"Lion Heart!"
x-x-x
Within the impossibly tall Lift Stop that stretched throughout the entirety of the Bastion, another battle was being waged. Yuffie spun her shuriken on her finger and tossed it out at the Dusks swimming their way through the air. As the flying star made its way through the compact space, Yuffie herself spun around one of the thin bars that had once maintained invisible walls and used her momentum to leap acrobatically onto a higher floor.
As soon as Yuffie landed, a soft green glow flowed over her body. She glanced down two floors below, where Aerith stood channeling a Cure spell, and flashed her a grin in thanks. After holding her hand out to catch her shuriken, she immediately threw it back out toward a trio of approaching Creepers.
"Yuffie, keep on your guard!" Aerith shouted from below.
Yuffie kicked away a Creeper and then raised an eyebrow. "What do you—" A loud WHAM from behind shut Yuffie up, and she turned around to see that a Dragoon had almost turned her into a shish kebob before Aerith had thrown up a barrier. "Wow… Thanks for the save, Aerith!"
"Thank me by following my advice!" Aerith responded, turning away from Yuffie and casting Pearl into an approaching swarm of Dusks and Assassins.
"Yeah, yeah…"
"Yuffie!"
Almost before Aerith's cry could register, a heavy claymore slammed hard into Yuffie's back with the full force of a Berserker's mighty forearms behind it. Yuffie let out a cry of pain somewhere between a gasp and a shout and tumbled off her foothold. Tumbling through the air with no magic of her own and Aerith too preoccupied to save her, Yuffie resorted to her master ninja acrobatics to keep from falling to a very painful death on the floor so far down she could hardly see it.
Flinging her leg out, Yuffie caught hold of another of the small barrier-generating bars between her ankle and foot. That slowed her descent enough to pull herself in so she could catch the bar with her inner knee, and soon Yuffie was upside down over the pit by her legs. Why not use her hands? Simple, so they were free. Yuffie reached into her pockets and eyed an approaching Assassin, which was ready to take advantage of her prone state. What it wasn't ready for, however, was the glowing yellow ball she retrieved and tossed at it. On impact, the orb exploded and sent lightning flying in the immediate area around the Assassin. The Nobody itself appeared to have a seizure as electricity flowed through it—and then it fell into the abyss.
Yuffie grinned as she pulled herself up onto the floor and retrieved another orb from her pocket, a white one this time. They were called Materia, developed by Radiant Garden during its golden age as a way to give artificial 'pseudo-magic' to people who couldn't control their mana well enough to be mages. In a society as reliant on magic, Materia were a necessary and loved creation.
And nobody loved them more than Yuffie. She had found a stockpile during the reconstruction of the town and decided to make the most of them.
Picking up her shuriken, which had thankfully landed nearby, Yuffie inserted the Materia into a small slot near the center. Immediately the sphere began to glow brightly, and a powerful wind focused on the shuriken's blades kicked up at the same time. Yuffie couldn't hide her grin; Aero Materia, a personal favorite.
With wind spiraling around it, Yuffie let the shuriken fly.
x-x-x
Tifa leaped back from the Armored Knight she had sent flying with a powerful kick, then spun on her heel and slammed a fist into the Search Ghost that was attempting to strike her from behind. Beside her, Cloud cleaved his way through Dire Plants and Darkballs that had surrounded him, stopping for a breath after every few swings.
After everybody had split up, Tifa and Cloud had found their way to a section of the castle that she could only assume had been the residence wing for servants. The hall was thin, though with a high ceiling, and doors filled with rotted wood lined both walls. They had little room to move around freely, but with the Heartless surrounding them there also wasn't much of a chance to move somewhere more open. Tifa eyed the wall nearer to her and bit the inside of her cheek. It would be easy to collapse the wall and open up more room to maneuver, but the whole point of battling was to keep the Heartless and Nobodies from destroying the castle. That kind of went counter to that.
Her eyes shifted from the peeling wallpaper to Cloud, who struck a Neoshadow through the chest and then leaned against the wall and began breathing heavily, his Fusion Sword limp in his hands. She bit her tongue, avoiding saying anything; it could wait for later. But she had been so concerned about Cloud recently, since the last big battle really. He seemed extremely tired, and his movements were much slower and weaker than before. Tifa wasn't sure if anyone else besides maybe Aerith had noticed that, but one thing she was sure of was that everyone had noticed how he was dressing now. None of his body was exposed except for his head, as opposed to the one-sleeve look he had worn before.
This had started when they had been near the Geostigma puddles in the slums. God knows she hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.
The Neoshadow, however, hadn't disappeared after Cloud's attack. Before Tifa could react, the monster let out a horrible screech and thrust an inky black claw at Cloud's chest. Gasping, Cloud attempted to move out of the way, but he barely made a step before the claws scraped at his leather outfit. Luckily, however, they struck his sleeve instead of his chest.
"Cloud!" Tifa sprinted down the hall and slammed a fist into the Neoshadow's head. It was knocked back into the wall before it faded back into darkness, leaving only a hissing sound behind. Wait… No, that was coming from Cloud?
The Neoshadow's attack had shredded a part of Cloud's sleeve, exposing his skin beneath. It was decorated, both in streaks of red blood—and in patches of black markings. Tifa felt her blood run cold and, ignoring the remaining Heartless, immediately ran to support her old friend as his legs began to shake.
"I-I'm fine," Cloud said in a trembling voice.
"You are not," Tifa reprimanded. She grabbed Cloud's arm—by the remains of his sleeve, of course, careful to avoid the black marks. "Cloud. This is Geostigma. You know what—"
"It's nothing." Cloud pulled his arm away and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I…I can keep fighting."
"You need to rest! I knew you had been pushing yourself, but with Geostigma?!" He didn't respond, those blue eyes staring off into space. "Cloud, listen to me! Cloud!"
"I'm… I…" Cloud shook his head and brought a hand over his eyes. Tifa watched him carefully, her own thoughts growing muddled as she really took in just how bad he looked. His face, save the dark bags under his eyes, was deathly white. His eyes themselves were foggy, rather than the crystal-clear blue he was known for. His lips were dry, and when he opened them to speak again it was a hoarse whisper that Tifa could barely make out.
"…Living…lega…cy…"
Cloud let out a hacking cough, splattering a thick black ooze across the floor of the hallway. The Fusion Sword slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground, and Cloud followed soon after.
Tifa knew that her skin was now probably as pale as Cloud's had been, and her legs felt like jelly. Dropping to her knees, she began to frantically shake him, trying to wake him up.
"Cloud?! Cloud!" A soft groan. He didn't wake, but at least he wasn't…
A creaking, hissing sound caught Tifa's attention. The Heartless. They were still in the hall, and they now had a prone victim, one who couldn't fight back. Tifa's face hardened, and she stood up while adjusting her gloves. Facing the approaching swarm, she cracked her knuckles and shook her head.
"You're not about to die here, Cloud. Neither of us are."
x-x-x
A blast of fire met a torrent of ice, followed by an explosion of light. Vanitas was sent flying upwards by Sora and Xion's combo attack—high upwards. Regaining his balance in midair, Vanitas reached out and caught himself on the balcony. Pulling himself up onto the second floor, he was out of their reach for the moment.
But a moment's reprieve was welcome. The fight had gone on for a long time at this point, and Xion was beginning to feel worn out. Together, she and Sora had gone through five potions and three ethers over the course of the battle, not to mention the occasional Cure that Sora had sent out. And the sense of fear was always there, in the back of Xion's mind, though she didn't have as many panic attacks where the overwhelming dread overtook her…but that's not to say it never happened. Twice so far had she completely frozen up when Vanitas had turned his attention to her, leaving her open to his brutal attacks. They came without warning, and Vanitas seemed to know perfectly well when she was about to freeze up. He used them to great advantage.
Something wasn't right about it, but she couldn't tell…
"Don't get comfortable!"
kkkrra-BOOM!
No time to dwell on it! Purple lightning struck from above, and Vanitas was on the move.
"Xion!"
"We need to get up there!"
"Right!"
Xion cast Aeroga, letting the wind wrap around her body. Following that she jumped, and the wind aided her jump to allow her to reach the same level as Vanitas. Naturally, however, Vanitas was not caught off-guard. He swung his Keyblade at Xion as she landed, tripping her up. Xion, however, turned the fall into a roll and maneuvered behind Vanitas. Jumping up, she slashed him across the back and then drove Two Become One between his shoulder blades.
"You bitch!" Vanitas let out a pained scream as wisps of darkness, rather than streaks of blood, escaped from the wound. Spinning around in a rage, he swung at Xion wildly. Before she had a chance to dodge or block, the crippling fear hit her like a sledgehammer. Frozen in place, the full force of Vanitas's attack hit Xion dead-center and sent her tumbling back.
On the ground, Xion stared up at Vanitas's approaching figure in wide-eyed horror. She crawled back, only to find the wall behind her. Vanitas, unusually quiet, moved forward. The flames of the chandelier hanging in the center of the room silhouetted him, and the Unversed emblem stood out with an apparent glow against the blackness.
Vanitas raised his Keyblade. Xion squeezed her eyes shit.
Clang!
Sora intervened at the last moment, blocking Vanitas's attack with both his Kingdom Key and Two Become One which Xion had dropped. "No you don't!" he shouted before kicking Vanitas, making him stumble toward the edge of the balcony. Without giving their masked foe a moment's reprieve, Sora—still wielding both Keyblades—continued the assault and struck quickly. Too quickly. Vanitas couldn't keep up his parries and was sent flying, crashing into the chandelier. The swung back and forth from the impact, scattering blue embers from the flame around that dissipated in the air.
Sora turned to Xion while they had a moment. Xion's head was clearing up again with Vanitas out of sight.
"Here," he said, handing her Two Become One.
"Thanks…" Xion mumbled, taking the Keyblade while standing up.
"You froze up again." Xion winced at Sora's blunt statement, but his concerned face softened it somewhat.
"…Yes."
"It's getting worse, Xion."
Xion swallowed and wiped her eyes. She avoided looking at him. "…Yes."
Sora took a step forward and rested a hand on her shoulder. "How are you going to fight if—"
He was interrupted by a loud FWOOM as the flame on the chandelier suddenly doubled in size. Vanitas stood before it, silhouetted once again and cackling like a madman. The fire increased further, the heat with it. Xion held out her hand and cast Aero to blow away the oppressive heat.
"Not bad, kiddies!" Vanitas said through his laughter. "But I'm not done. Show me anguish!" He waved his Keyblade forward and the fire reacted, transforming from a flame in a pit into a large fireball. The flame rocketed toward them, and in response Xion increased the force of her Aero, evolving it into Aerora and further still into Aeroga. Sora added a Blizzaga spell into the defense, but the two spells couldn't stand up to the blue flames and were blown away.
An instant before contact, however, the fireball was suddenly cleaved in two. A short, stout figure stood between the scattering flames and Xion and Sora. Xion gasped in surprise, and beside her Sora's jaw dropped. Twin swords twirled in their savior's hands before falling to its side.
The Samurai had arrived.
"How?!" Xion spared a moment to glance down at the barrier, where she knew for a fact the Samurai had been a moment before. She was met with the shocked faces of her friends, and indeed no silver figure among them. But the barrier was still there, the faint hexagons shimmering with silver light. Then…? Oh, of course! The Samurai, like all Nobodies, was capable of teleportation. It had simply bypassed the wall!
Vanitas tilted his head. "Bringing in friends? Now isn't this unfair, Xion?"
"You're not exactly a fair fighter either, Vanitas!" Xion shot back.
Vanitas laughed. "Maybe, but I'm not a goody two-shoes! Fine. If this is your defender, then let's see what he's made of." Vanitas crouched low and then suddenly vanished. The Samurai looked around, confusion evident in its motions if not its face. Xion furrowed her brow. Where had he…?
…The Samurai's shadow was directly beneath it instead of facing away from the flame.
"Look out!" Xion screeched, but it was too late. Vanitas leaped out of the Nobody's shadow and swung his Keyblade at it. The Samurai brought its swords up in a cross to block the attack, but the force of Vanitas's swing still sent it flying back and over the edge. It crashed into the ground of the first floor, and Vanitas followed by diving down after it. His Keyblade crackled with purple and black lightning and he brought it down on the Samurai.
GRAAAAARGH!
"Argh!" Xion let out a gasp and dropped to her knees, her hands grasping the sides of her head. The Samurai had made no real sounds, but it did let out a horrifying, blood-freezing scream of pain as Vanitas pierced its torso and kicked it aside, knocking it into the wall. The Samurai fell limp, its metal head clinking onto the floor. It wasn't dead—it would have faded away if it was—but it was near death.
Xion saw red as anger replaced her fear. That Samurai was loyal! It had defended them from Xaldin's forces, it had been there for Xemnas, it had fought with her time and time again. And more than that—more than anything—it was her last link to Roxas. To her best friend. If Vanitas killed it, she… She…
"I'll kill you!" Xion shouted, and despite Sora's cries for her to stop she leaped off of the second floor and brought her Keyblade down on him. Vanitas spun around ready to block it, but wasn't fast enough. Her blade dug into the back of his neck and caused him to lurch forward, which opened him up for a combo attack followed by a barrage of Pearl spells that knocked him into the air. Xion leaned back and a ring of light flashed around her Keyblade before she released Ragnarok, sending dozens of beams at Vanitas. Before Ragnarok had even finished she charged her Keyblade with magic and watched as a golden aura enveloped it. Ars Arcanum was unleashed without giving Vanitas time to recover, and as the last slash from that deadly combination was finished Xion held her Keyblade up. It grew with a white, blindingly bright light and then expanded outward, creating a storm of light magic that rocked the entirety of the room and sent Vanitas flying.
Before he crashed into a wall, he vanished in a blur. Xion looked left and right, searching everywhere for—
Blurs of black and white suddenly filled her vision and Xion felt strong fingers grasp her neck. Xion let out a gasp, but that was a mistake as she suddenly found herself cut off from oxygen. Her feet left the ground and her vision became clear, revealing Vanitas standing in front of her and lifting her up off the ground by one hand. Xion's rage vanished in an instant, pushed aside by the worst dread she had felt so far. Her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest and her limbs shuddered. Tears began to form in her eyes at the very sight of the symbol on Vanitas's mask. That symbol…
"The…symbol…" she managed to let out while gasping for breath. "Unversed…"
"You're finally catching on?" Vanitas asked. He tightened his grip and Xion let out a sound between a whine and a cry. "I don't just control the Unversed; I am an Unversed. And like all Unversed, I feed. On negativity—anger, despair…fear."
"You…" Xion's hands, struggling up to this point, fell limp. Her Keyblade clattered onto the ground and vanished in a flash of light. She was growing…faint… Seeing black…
"Me," he affirmed. "You're so afraid of me because I want you to be. I'm manipulating your emotions, and the negativity flows into me. I do need Ventus's heart to be strong, it's true—but I need to be stronger still. When the χ-blade is forged, I need to be the one to obtain it. Not you."
"I…" Cold, she was so cold… "So..ra…"
"Xion!" Sora's voice was distant as he jumped down from the second floor and ran to Vanitas, only to be dogpiled by a swarm of Floods that leaped out of the masked boy's shadow. "Vanitas, let her go!"
"No."
Searing pain cut through the back of Xion's head, but she was only dimly aware of it. Slammed into the wall by Vanitas smirked and ran his free hand up and down along Xion's body, stopping at her chest. Xion made no move, save for her shallow breaths. His fingers around her neck tightened further.
"I almost miss Ventus's backtalk."
Light exploded around Sora, scattering the Unversed and consuming them in flame. Vanitas turned his head around to look back at the scene, only to be caught by surprise as Sora was already upon him.
"Let! Her! GO!"
The Keyblade was brought down on Vanitas's mask, slashing down across the black glass without problem.
The mask shattered.
Sora's eyes widened as the shards of glass flew around them, and gasps of shock and horror came from their assembled friends. The black hair was styled the same, the face identical in every way but for the expression of utter hatred and the glowing golden eyes.
"How—?" Sora barely got further than that. Xion felt the fingers release and fell to the floor, but she still lay limp and barely awake. Vanitas whirled around and slammed a knee into Sora's gut, followed by a fist to his face and then another to the back of his head. Sora collapsed to the ground and his Keyblade, too, vanished in a flash of light.
And even as Xion's consciousness was fading away, even as her thoughts grew muddy and her vision black, she watched the shadows raise up around Sora's dark doppelganger and heard him speak one last time.
"You're still not strong enough."
And all she knew was darkness.