The Tides Go Out

by Regiss

Four months later, the war between Maleficent's Heartless and Braig's Nobodies threatens to consume all worlds. In the middle of the conflict, Sora, Xion, and their friends continue the search for Riku while also dealing with Vanitas, who will stop at nothing to get Ven's heart. Sequel to Remember the Tides.

69. Unbreakable Chains

Chapter 69: Unbreakable Chains

As Sora and Xion hurtled through the darkness, the shadows suddenly vanished and they came crashing down painfully onto cold, hard stone, their Keyblades flying from their grip and clattering to their sides. Pushing herself up on shaking arms, resting on her hands and knees, Xion stared down at the dirt and sand between her spread fingers. Slowly curling her right hand into a fist, she scooped up some of it up and then let it trickle back down. It was dry, and she would almost call it dead if sand and dirt could ever be living in the first place. A chill wind blew past her and Xion stood up, looking around.

They were on a massive, jagged circle of earth, with the ground beneath them so parched and dry it was cracking. The land just stopped quite a ways into the distance in every direction, like someone had torn out a chunk of earth from the ground and hurled it into the sky. The color of the sand and dirt seemed to shift between brown and grey, depending on where the shadows fell; grey beneath shadows, brown otherwise. Up above, massive grey storm clouds hovered dangerously close, far closer than clouds should have been. They almost seemed to form a ceiling.

Where had Xehanort and his corridor taken them? Was this the Realm of Darkness?

No…it couldn't be. While there was a similar feeling of dread and weight in the atmosphere, it wasn't anywhere near as omnipresent as it had been in the Realm of Darkness, or even at Hollow Bastion. Also, the Realm of Darkness had no light, only a dull glow that came from nowhere. Here, faint blue light just barely broke through the swirling storm up above, enough to cause shadows to dance across the mesa they stood on. And the dark clouds didn't even cover the entire sky, just the area overhead. Beyond the clouds, at the horizon, the sky was the purplish hue of a sunset giving way to night.

Sunset on the horizon…

A thought occurred to Xion and she hurried over to the edge, kicking up dust and rocks that she could only assume had sat untouched for years as she ran. And at the edge her assumption proved correct: down below, far below, she witnessed a battle amidst a field of blades jutting up from the earth. Aqua and King Mickey avoided and parried Vanitas's blows, while Braig assaulted Riku, Donald, and Goofy with blasts from his gun.

Xehanort hadn't taken them to the Realm of Darkness, or even to another world. They'd hardly gone far at all. His corridor had simply dropped him, Xion, and Sora off at the top of the tallest of those three unnatural mountains that stood in the Keyblade Graveyard. Which meant he wasn't leaving Braig and Vanitas to deal with them. He was going to handle things personally.

"Where is he?" Xion whirled around and called her Keyblade to her from its prone position where she had landed. She tightened her grip around the checkerboard hilt and looked around for Xehanort wherever he was hiding. Sora, who had gone over to another edge of this massive plateau, spared a glance down at the battlefield below before he retrieved Oathkeeper and sprinted over to Xion's side.

Sliding to a stop, Sora spun left and pointed his Keyblade toward the center of the plateau. "Xehanort!"

The tanned, silver-haired man stood in the dead center of the ring of earth. His bare arms were crossed, his golden eyes were narrowed, and a smirk was painted across his face. "Speaking," he replied coolly.

Sora crouched down and held Oathkeeper out to his side. "So…you're the real deal, then? No more Nobodies or Heartless. You're the genuine article."

"And you're the children I have to thank for all of this," the man affirmed with a nod. Xehanort uncrossed his arms and held his hands out to his side while tilting his head back ever so slightly, a gesture Xion had seen Xemnas perform many times as he'd preach to Organization XIII about Kingdom Hearts. "No doubt the impact of this place will go over your heads, but I think this is a fitting locale for our final battle."

It seemed Xehanort had just as much of a love for long speeches as his two halves did; or perhaps that should be the other way around. The two young Keybearers exchanged careful glances at each other and moved closer together, standing back to back with their faces and Keyblades turned toward their opponent.

Moving one hand over his heart and the other out imploringly, Xehanort's fingers grasped at the empty air as he continued to speak. "Oh, to be back here after all these years! It puts this old man's heart at ease to see that the more things change, the more they stay the same. This was where it all began, you know. Now we shall end it, end these years of plans and gambits. And from the aftermath, the world will begin anew!"

"Forget it!" Xion snapped. "The χ-blade and Kingdom Hearts aren't yours to have, Xehanort!"

"That's right." Sora nodded beside her. "You've been stopped three times already. What makes you think this time will be any different?"

"Foolish little children." With a sigh, Xehanort lowered the hand over his heart and shook his head. His other arm, still outstretched, began to crackle with blue lightning. "What, indeed?" In a billow of black smoke, Xehanort's Keyblade manifested. Silver and black, marked with blue eyes and formed of jagged shapes, its hilt was shaped vaguely like the head of a goat.

"Our game has been a long and arduous one, and not everything has gone according to plan, but in the end all the pieces are on the board right where I want them." Spreading his legs apart, Xehanort held his free hand up in front of him and his Keyblade out to the side and slightly back. "Now, what move will the two of you make to stall my checkmate?"

Chess, huh? "Not really my game," Xion admitted to Sora.

Sora smiled at her then turned his attention back to Xehanort. He adjusted his grip of his Keyblade and shook his head. "Mine either. But I'm not backing down. I've still got to see Kairi when this is all over."

Xion nodded. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get the chance."

"Yeah!"

Xehanort didn't allow them to speak any more, not that they would have. In a single step he had somehow crossed all that distance to be upon them and now brought his Keyblade down like a hammer on Sora's head. Sora deflected the blow and Xehanort smirked once again. Blue fire coating his hands and then transforming into purple, he thrust his hand forward and sent an empowered Dark Firaga sailing their way. Xion and Sora jumped out of the way of the attack which exploded at their feet, and as the smoke cleared Xehanort was already standing there. He held his Keyblade up and his entire body began to glow as he let loose a flurry of extremely powerful strikes, knocking both young heroes around.

XEHANOOOOORT!

Xehanort's assault was interrupted by a voice that screamed in their minds, not their ears, followed by a golden and red figure that slammed hard into Xehanort with such speed that it was a blur. Xehanort spun around in midair and landed on the ground. As the dust settled, the figure that had saved Xion and Sora came into view. It wore armor that at a glance resembled Aqua's save for the color, meaning it could only be Keyblade Armor. Indeed, in the armored figure's hands was a massive broadsword-sized Keyblade with a blue hilt.

"Terra?!" Xehanort gasped. Xion and Sora whirled to the knight in surprise, who stood silent but with such rage that one could feel it radiating off of him. Terra? But…wasn't Xehanort in Terra's body? How was this Terra? Xehanort didn't seem to understand either. "How are you still here? Has your hatred not faltered once in all these years?"

Terra, if that was indeed Terra, said nothing back at him. He shifted his stance and held his Keyblade in a way mirroring Xehanort's own, then charged forward with his cape billowing behind him. He brought his massive Keyblade down on Xehanort, but Xehanort parried it and jumped away. He didn't allow Xehanort that luxury. Holding his Keyblade out, golden chains of light flew from the tip and wrapped around the silver-haired man, holding him in place in the air. Terra gripped his Keyblade tightly in both hands, tossed it over his shoulder, and transformed it into what Xion could only describe as a cannon.

Indeed, that was what it was. An orb of magic fired from the Keyblade-cannon, the force of the shot knocking Terra back as well. The orb sailed toward Xehanort, but at the last moment he somehow managed to break free of the chains of light and deflected the blast with his Keyblade, sending it hurtling through the sky and causing it to explode in the clouds up above. Sparks of light rained down on them and Xehanort grit his teeth.

"A bodiless lingering will thinks it can challenge me?"

"Lingering will?" Xion asked.

"Bodiless?" Sora said at the same time.

Neither of them were noticed by Xehanort. "I was not used to your body during our last battle, Terra, but more than enough time has passed for it to make it my own." Xehanort placed his hand over his chest and spread his fingers out for a moment, followed by clutching the fabric tightly. "So stop fighting back." The last few words were said more softly, more to himself.

Terra—or rather his animated armor, as it seemed—once more charged at Xehanort with a mental roar of XEHANORT! echoing in their heads. The Lingering Will clashed blades with Xehanort and a surge of power kicked up a mighty wind around the two of them. Xehanort attempted to cast Dark Firaga and gain some distance, but with a stomp of its foot the Lingering Will caused massive, jagged boulders to erupt out of the earth and knock him into the air. It followed Xehanort up and its Keyblade transformed once again, turning into a whip which it used to lash Xehanort left and right, up and down, before turning into a cannon once more and firing at him point blank.

But as the smoke cleared and light faded, Xehanort's body was coated with the green glow of a Curaga and he charged at the Lingering Will. Sora tried to take the chance and attack Xehanort while he was distracted by the animated armor, but the Lingering Will shoved Sora aside and swung its Keyblade down on Xehanort. Their swords clashed again, then again, and the Lingering Will jumped back to send a Fira spell Xehanort's way. Xehanort cleaved the fireball in two and then ran at the Lingering Will and unleashed a flurry of powerful strikes once more, but the Lingering Will met each and every one with a furious Ars Arcanum.

As Xion prepared to attack where Sora had failed, a black and white blur slammed into her side with surprising force and sent her flying across the battlefield. With one hand on her bruised abdomen Xion tried to climb back onto her feet, only to be grabbed forcefully by the back of the neck and then thrust face-first into the dirt. Another hand grabbed her Keyblade arm, pinning it to the cold earth. Fighting against the iron grip, Xion struggled to turn her head to see her attacker eye to eye. But as soon as she caught sight of him, a horrible dread took hold and her body froze up.

Vanitas bared his teeth in a dangerous grin down at Xion. "Been a while since I've seen you so helpless there, little girl." The Unversed masquerading as a human was sending fear hurtling through Xion, freezing her in place. Cold sweat started to drop down her neck and her breathing grew labored. "Miss me?"

Xion turned away from him. Without looking at him the magical fear didn't root her in place at least, though this close to him she still felt the need to run and hide from Vanitas. She looked to Sora and the Lingering Will, still battling Xehanort, and tried her best to break free of Vanitas's hold. Vanitas snarled and kicked Xion in the side.

"No you don't. I've got you right where I want you, Xion. You and me are going to end this right here and now." He sighed. "It's not Ventus, but it will have to do."

To Xion's surprise, Vanitas released his hold on her. Before she could recover and rejoin the fight against Xehanort, however, Vanitas once more delivered a painful kick. Letting out a grunt, Xion was rolled over onto her back. She attempted to raise her Keyblade, but Vanitas stomped his foot down onto her wrist.

"Isn't this a familiar sight." Vanitas spoke to Xion as if he wasn't currently digging his heel down into her wrist with such force that he threatened to snap bone. "Have I seen this before? I feel like I've seen this before. Oh! Right." Snarling, Vanitas reached down and grabbed a fistful of Xion's dark hair. She cried out as he picked her up by the black locks, and as she tried to fight back another wave of horror swept over her. "I haven't forgotten about him, you know."

Vanitas's voice was so cold that he didn't need to use Unversed magic to send a chill down Xion's spine. Her eyes widened and then narrowed. "You wouldn't," she hissed through grit teeth.

"You know damn well I would." Vanitas tossed Xion aside and sent another mental wave her way, pinning her to the earth emotionally if not physically. "Once we're done here, I'm going to give that cheap imitation a lesson. Hey, maybe then he'll be able to remember you!"

Over my dead body. Xion groaned and sat up. Vanitas held a hand out to his side and Xion felt something invisible knock into her, sending her back down to the ground.

"Don't interrupt me," he spat. "Or do you want to hear more? Not like you're going anywhere." Walking over to her, Vanitas crouched down and once again pinned Xion by her arm and neck, only this time she was facing up, looking right at him. She tried her best to fight through the fear and glare as hard as she could, but Vanitas only laughed. "I'm going to go to that crumbling old mansion. I'm going to march right up to your dumb boyfriend and punch him right in his stupid fucking face."

"Shut up…" Xion hissed.

But Vanitas's grin only widened. "I'm going to carve him up. Keyblade, knife, glass shard—I don't care. He's going to be bloody, bruised, and broken. His hands are going to go first, or maybe his legs. He'll beg me to kill him as fast as I did that little boy with the yellow hat, but I'll go slow. I want to enjoy it. To savor every second of it. I'm going to carve open his chest and tear out his bloody, beating heart and crush it in my hands."

"Shut up."

"And you aren't going to do anything about it, because you're too scared to fight back!"

"Shut! UP!"

Xion broke free of Vanitas's hold and delivered a punch right in his face. As Vanitas staggered back, Xion let loose an explosion of combined Aeroga and Holy that sent him to the ground. She held her Keyblade out with both hands and it began to glow with equal parts white and black, the colors spiraling around it in a double helix. Pulling her hands apart, the lights came with them: black with her left and white with her right. As the lights faded, where there had once been a single Keyblade there was now two.

Xion's face contorted in rage as she held Oathkeeper and Oblivion at her sides. "You've been running wild for too long! I'm going to end you right here and now, Vanitas!"

Vanitas laughed and summoned Void Gear. "It's about time!"

Xion let out a cry and charged at Vanitas with everything she had. Swinging his Keyblade out to his side, Vanitas smirked and came at her in turn. The two of them met halfway and their weapons clashed with a clang of metal, but they kept running. Xion skid and spun around just in time to parry another blow from Vanitas. He flipped over her and she swung out at him from behind, conjuring a pillar of light as she did so that flew his way. Though Vanitas parried her blow in turn, the light seared at his body.

Recovering, Vanitas jumped back and Xion charged at him again. "That's right, show me anguish!" he taunted as he brought his Keyblade up to block a horizontal slash from Oathkeeper. He quickly brought it to the side and blocked Oblivion's, but a ring of the light pillars erupted up around Xion and sent him back. With Vanitas open, Xion began a relentless assault, slashing away without restraint, her two Keyblades singing through the air. Vanitas blocked each and every one of them.

"You're wasting your time. I told you before, I had to be the stronger of us when this encounter came so that I would win the χ-blade!"

He was trying to goad her, but Xion didn't take the bait. She was angry enough already. Her rage over everything Vanitas had done since this whole thing started finally came to its breaking point, boiling over and guiding her body as she parried and dodged every strike Vanitas made; he, in turn, parried and dodged each one of hers. It was a dance more than a fight, with neither party making any sort of headway.

Xion jumped over Vanitas and brought her Keyblades out in a low sleep when she landed. For once, he didn't block the blow. Vanitas used it, however, and as he fell back he thrust his hand out. From out of the darkness came a blue serpentine creature, so long that it could stretch across the whole battlefield. It had no limbs and its head resembled that of a dragon, but the red, jagged eyes marked it as a breed of Unversed.

The serpent bit down on Xion with its knife-like teeth and whipped her around wildly, sending her flying and crashing into the earth. Xion recovered and met the Unversed head-on by chopping its head off, sending the decapitated serpent over the edge of the mountain. She resumed her battle against Vanitas without delay and took off toward him, but Vanitas took off running in the opposite direction.

Jumping up high into the air, Vanitas leaped off the nearby cliff and down onto the middle of the three mountains that stood over the Keyblade Graveyard. Undaunted, Xion followed him. The two of them clashed in midair, flipping and spinning as their Keyblades thrust and slashed. Xion somehow managed to pin Vanitas beneath her, holding him back with her Keyblades crossed together, and when they crashed into the ground below he was the trapped between the stone and her.

Not for long. A Blizzaga spell sent Xion flying back, though thankfully nothing was frozen. Desert winds whipping at their hair and her clothes, Vanitas stood up as Xion stood across the smaller plateau from him. "This is perfect!" he said with genuine happiness. "I haven't felt this alive since my fight with Ventus!"

"Stop talking." Xion darted forward and leaped into the air. Vanitas met her, Keyblades clashing, and the two jumped back again. They didn't stop, though, continuing to run around the perimeter of the mountaintop and then jumping toward each other once more. Vanitas brought his Keyblade down in an overhead slash and Xion couldn't stop it in time. As the gear-like teeth dug into her right shoulder she bit through the pain and thrust her left hand forward. Her Keyblade didn't pierce through Vanitas dead center, but it did carve a gash into his side.

Paying the wound no mind, Vanitas broke away and ran up the side of the rock wall. Part way up he jumped free and came back down on her with Void Gear gripped in both hands. Xion brought her two Keyblades up, crossing them over her head and blocking the blow. She struggled against Vanitas and he struggled to push past her defenses, but once again the two of them could only parry each other and not break through.

Xion conjured up another pillar of light, one that thrust up out of the ground and speared at Vanitas from below. He was forced upwards for a moment before falling back down to the ground and more pillars appeared to join the first, moving closely together in formation like a wall of light that rammed into Vanitas and pushed him forward, right toward Xion's awaiting blades. Vanitas braced himself but nonetheless took a furious combo directly.

Then, he jumped up into the air and quickly shot back down, melting into the shadows on the surface of the plateau. An instant later Vanitas erupted out of the ground behind Xion, grazing her but she stepped out of the way for the most part. She swung Oathkeeper out at him and he vanished in a blur only to reappear up above and bring his Keyblade down on her. Xion sidestepped it, and as soon as he made contact with the earth she brought her two weapons on him like a pair of scissors.

They quickly began their dance once again, moving across the plateau in a series of spins and flips, dodging and blocking every single blow. Sparks flew each time their Keyblades clashed and the sound of metal on metal was carried over the Keyblade Graveyard by the desert winds.

"Getting tired?" Vanitas teased. "I've only just begun!" A blast of ice was followed by another serpentine Unversed extending from Vanitas's outstretched hand. Xion broke into a run, her Keyblades held out behind her, as she jumped and rolled away from each thrust of its draconic head. The Unversed roared and shot down at her only to be cut right down the middle by Oathkeeper. But like the heads of a hydra, two more of Unversed charged at her from Vanitas to take its place. Xion avoided a pincer attack from the two of them and called up powerful winds with Aeroga to slice at them from a distance while she charged toward their master. Despite the winds battering them, the Unversed followed. Xion back flipped over them and sent both Keyblades flying while she was in midair. The whirling swords chopped their heads off before flashing back into her grip.

Vanitas awaited Xion as she came back down. He leaned back to dodge her next two attacks and then reached forward with his free hand and grabbed her by the right wrist. Pulling her down, Vanitas then brought up his knee and jabbed it into Xion's gut, then her chest, followed by slamming his forehead into hers. As Xion staggered back, Vanitas's grip was still on her arm. He tossed her back over his shoulder and slammed her hard onto the ground. Xion swept her foot out and tripped him up, then quickly jumped to her feet and drove Oblivion toward his chest. Vanitas vanished and reappeared at her right, so she swung Oathkeeper at him. He blurred again and swung out from the left this time.

Xion clenched her teeth and called on a spinning barrier of the light pillars at the last second, protecting her and knocking Vanitas back with a pulse of light. "I won't lose," she hissed. "Not to you!"

Oathkeeper defended her from Vanitas's next blow and Xion brought up her leg to kick him with her heel right in the chest. She dashed behind Vanitas before he recovered and slashed both of her Keyblades across his back, then as he toppled forward from that she jumped over him with a flip and slammed the flat side of Oathkeeper into his chest while Oblivion struck out at his neck. A blue and white mist formed in Vanitas's palm as he conjured another Blizzaga spell, but Xion didn't allow him to finish the cast. She slammed Oathkeeper's hilt down onto his wrist with everything she had.

A resounding crack came from the broken bones as Vanitas's fingers fell limp and the spell died off. Too bad it wasn't his dominant hand. Screaming in fury, Vanitas slashed at Xion and nearly lopped her head off but she ducked out of the way and replied with a spinning slash of her own, hitting with both Oblivion and Oathkeeper as she spun on her feet. Vanitas was hit by all but the last, stepping just out of Xion's reach and preparing to swing at her again. Xion quickly dismissed Oblivion and grabbed Vanitas by his good wrist, preventing him from attacking her, and bent his arm back so his hand was behind his back. But Vanitas raised his other arm and elbowed her in the face, then spun around and punched her between the eyes with his now free dominant hand.

Vanitas jumped away from Xion's retaliation, using boulders that jutted up around them as stepping stones to gain air. Xion once more clenched her teeth and sent Pearl spells flying after him before starting to pursue on foot. The Pearls hit him in the back but he turned his stumble into an attack and came down at her. Xion cartwheeled out of the way then summoned Oblivion to parry Void Gear one more time. She assaulted Vanitas with both Keyblades, hammering down on him and forcing him to the edge. Vanitas stepped to the side and then rolled behind her, putting her at risk of falling instead, but Xion jumped out of the way of his kick meant to send her toppling over the edge and held her arm out at maximum length as she swept Oathkeeper in a wide arc.

Vanitas leaned back and then back flipped away from the attack, not without kicking Xion in the chin for good measure. Xion let out a breath she had been holding in, wiped at some blood on her face, and then ran at him once more. Vanitas evaded her first strike and brought his Keyblade up at her chest, slicing cleanly. Xion endured and brought down Oathkeeper to carve into his shoulder. Void Gear slashed at her side. Oblivion jabbed into his upper arm. Oathkeeper came dangerously close to cutting his eyes out.

Void Gear's teeth dug into Xion's bare shoulder and tore open a gaping red wound, but the pain felt distant. All that Xion could focus on was Vanitas in front of her, and all Vanitas saw was the heart in front of him. They no longer even attempted to block each other's blows, both of them going into an all-out offense and paying no heed to their own status. Xion's blood coated the dried earth and black wisps continuously flowed out of Vanitas's wounds.

Then, Vanitas thrust his hand out and sent another of the serpentine Unversed at Xion. She wasn't ready to defend from it and it grabbed her in its blue jaws. The Unversed continued to fly out of Vanitas with Xion in its grasp, crashing through the stone wall at an angle, burrowing through the rock and earth, and then breaking through the surface of the highest mountain where Sora and the Lingering Will continued to battle Xehanort. Finally then Xion managed to decapitate it.

But more and more serpents assaulted her as Vanitas followed her up to the larger battlefield. Xion panted and charged forward, knocking them aside as they crashed painfully into her shoulders and legs. Her messy hair flew wildly with every swing of her Keyblades. Six of the serpents broke out of the earth, flew into the sky, and then curved downward and soared toward her, their long bodies still burrowed beneath the earth as if the mountain were the body of a hydra.

Xion jumped up and with three slashes she deflected, assaulted, and beheaded the first of the six Unversed. But more and more of them kept coming; the solution, then, was to take out the source. Ignoring the Unversed as they pursued her, Xion ran instead to Vanitas who stood silently on the edge of the cliff. But just before she reached him a wall of the hydra-like Unversed erupted out of the earth and spiraled around her, keeping her from getting near.

Xion jumped high into the air and then shot down with Keyblades ready, avoiding the Unversed entirely. Inches from Vanitas, a force of darkness shot out in front of him like a barrier of thorns, digging into her skin and clothing and then sending her flying backwards. Xion crashed painfully onto the earth but climbed back onto her feet and once more charged at the person she hated most.

She beheaded a serpent and two more burst out of the earth to fight her. She cut them in half, but more and more came at her. The Unversed struck out at her as she swung wildly in her fury, leaving blood streaking down her skin and soaking her clothes, but she pushed it all aside. She didn't feel it. She couldn't feel any pain anymore.

As Xion flew through the air she cleaved Unversed after Unversed, leaving their serpentine bodies to be consumed by dark fire. She spun through the air and sent Oathkeeper flying, piercing three of them in a row right through their heads. Before Oathkeeper returned to her Xion spun around and parried a blow from Vanitas with Oblivion. Then, with a flash of light, she thrust Oathkeeper right through his gut. Vanitas let out a pained scream and Xion followed up by stabbing Oblivion into his shoulder. As Vanitas cried out again she kicked him back while holding onto her Keyblades, forcefully and painfully tearing them out of his body. With one last roar, she held both Keyblades together and drove them down into his heart.

Xion stared down at him as she panted heavily. Her legs shook beneath her and her arms felt like jelly as she clung desperately onto Oathkeeper and Oblivion. But she didn't show it, didn't show how absolutely exhausted she was. How weak she was. She couldn't. Vanitas lay prone before her, his arms at his sides and his body flickering, wavering between darkness and nothingness. Purple flames were licking at his gloves and boots and slowly working their way up his limbs.

Vanitas let out weak, choking laughter and Xion's attention turned from how she could barely stand to him. "You dumb bitch," he said in as taunting a tone as he could manage. Straining, Vanitas turned his head to glare up at her. "You think you've won? You've done everything exactly as Xehanort wanted you to."

A gasp from Xion. "No…" She shook her head and backed away. Her Keyblades fell from her grasp and clattered to the ground before vanishing in twin flashes of white and blue. She hadn't even realized—she had been so caught up in it, so angry, that she hadn't even realized what she had done!

Vanitas laughed again. His body began to turn dark, his skin and the white on his armor melding into the black. The purple flames had begun to consume his entire figure. "Even after all of it, after all of your journeys and all that you've been through, you are still only a puppet." His golden eyes, the only part of his body left with color, locked gaze with her tear-filled ones and he gave one last white, toothy smile. "Chained by destiny for us to control!"

The world seemed to explode. Black lightning crackled around Vanitas's silhouetted body to join the purple flames as his echoing laughter gave way to a surge of power. The ground beneath the two of them exploded and a blast of hurricane-force winds sent Xion flying yards back. She crashed onto the ground and climbed up to her shaking feet as she fought against the wind that kept trying to knock her down again.

With the sound of shattering glass, Vanitas's body sundered. A purple and cloudy orb with a symbol resembling the keychain of his Keyblade appeared over where he had stood for a moment, but only just a moment. The orb collapsed in on itself, forming into a whirlwind of utter darkness that raged above the crater the earlier explosion had formed. Rocks lifted up off the ground while black lightning continued to crackle through the air with the whirlwind at its source.

White joined black in the whirlwind and the crater doubled in size with an invisible explosion. Xion stumbled but kept her footing, holding her arms out in front of her face as she had to squint to see what was happening. It was horrible. She didn't know what it was, but it was horrible. As purple flames began to spread across the dry earth, the whirlwind that had once been Vanitas expanded until it began to assault Xion.

"NO!" She cried as the darkness and wind buffeted her. "I-I won't! I'm not—"

With a scream of pain, Xion felt the darkness surge into her body. She doubled over and let out a heart-wrenching howl as tears streamed down her face. The darkness continued to flow inside of her, putting pressure on her heart to the point that she felt it was going to explode. All that she could focus on was the unending pain of a heart wretched from its proper place.

I'm not… This isn't what I…

With one final scream from Xion, a pillar of light erupted high, high into the sky.