Authors Note: "DrWriter21! What R U Doing! Where Is Season Finale?" This is probably what you are thinking right now. Trust me, I wanted to make this the season finale, but when I hit 20K words, I knew I could not fit it all in one chapter, considering the amount of editing I would have to do. So here is yet again another chapter before the battle. This really sets things up for the war because like I said, I don't want to do a fast and rushed transition before the final fight. I hope you will be patient because it is necessary. I know you want the war to happen, trust me, so do I.

But like I said, if I rush it, it will not come out the way either of us wants it to, so hold your horses.

Warning: Reader: "U Have TYPO!"

Me: Congrats on pointing out the obvious.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.


A Heart in the Void

Chapter 17

Roxas gasped as he suddenly sat up in his bed, wide awake. He took a few deep breaths as he tried to calm his beating heart before looking around. He gave a small sigh of relief when he realized he was still in the same room where he fell asleep. Glancing down at his hand, he saw the Forgotten light in his fist. However it didn't instantly vanish like it always did.

Roxas stared down at the ominous looking weapon for a few seconds before he noticed a couple drop of water on the handle. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion before a few more drops landed on the Keyblade.

Blinking a few times, Roxas raised his other hand and brought it to his cheek. Feeling something slightly wet, he pulled back his hand to see a few tears on his fingers.

He was crying.

He could not stop the tears from leaking from his eyes, almost as if the sorrow from the Keyblade's former master had transferred directly to him through The Forgotten Light. His heart felt very heavy as he recalled the memories he had whiteness while asleep. He could understand why he was crying. The sheer despair and sadness that Kida had felt in his last moments were overwhelming.

He now knew the full story of Master Kida, and he knew that Xehanort was the one that ended him.

His own student…a boy that the old key barer thought of as a son, had killed him.

In a way, Roxas could see what Xehanort was getting at when he wondered if it really was worth it to have a heart. He had a point when he said that it was the source of so much sorrow. Then again, Kida's perspective made a lot more sense. You could have all the power in the world, but what was the point if you didn't have anyone to share it with…anyone to protect with it? Why have it in the first place?

Pushing himself up, Roxas swung his legs over the bed before she stood on his feet. He didn't have time to think about this right now. He had wasted enough time as it was. He needed to find the Nobodies. Quickly, he walked over to the door and walked out, continuing the hut for the lesser of his kind.

Roxas spent the next few hours looking around the castle, trying to see any sign of the Nobodies, but so far he had only seen heartless. There was literally nothing else in this castle. It was completely empty.

It was later that Roxas found himself on the top of the castle. What memories this place brought to him. This was the place right before Sora and Riku fought Xemnas for the last time. This was also the place where he finally fully became a part of Sora.

The place where gave up his existence.

Again, he had mixed feeling about standing here. On one hand, he knew that Sora needed his power in order to defeat the leader of organization 13…however, on the other hand, Roxas also wanted to exist. But what was the point of existing if Xemnas was victorious and managed to plunge all the worlds into darkness?

Taking a deep breath, Roxas looked over the edge of the balcony to admire the view. He could see the entire city from here, the only light given was the Xemnas's Kingdom hearts in the sky.

Looking up at it, Roxas again had to wonder what the point of it was. It was obvious now that Nobodies like him didn't need it to become whole, so what was Xemnas's real plan? What did he need all those hearts for? Why did he collect so many?

Shaking his head, Roxas reminded himself that he had an objective. He could not worry about this right now. He needed to find the Nobodies and fast. But where were they? Where would they go if they had no one to guide them, no one to lead them? He thought that they would return here, to the world that never was. This world was like there home. It was familiar to them.

Roxas had to laugh a bit when he realized that he was also talking about himself. When he left the organization, he went to the only place that was familiar to him, the only place where he felt truly comfortable.

Twilight tower.

He really didn't know where else he should go, but that was how Xion found him so easily. He thought that it was possible that the lesser Nobodies would have the same though process.

"Maybe I'm looking in the wrong spot. Maybe they're not here." Roxas said out loud as he continued to think about it. But if they weren't here, where would they be?

"Well, isn't this a surprise."

Immediately, Roxas spun around and looked at the voice who had addressed him, the oblivion appearing in his hand as he got into a fighting stance. He looked at the figure in surprised for a few moments before he easily recognized her. It was very hard not to know who this person was.

"Maleficent." Roxas growled as he narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, so you know who I am. However I have never seen you before." She said as she glanced down at the weapon in his hands. Immediately, a deep scowl formed on her face. "And you wield that reached Keyblade like Sora and his meddling friends. I was wondering who was in my castle. I felt some of my heartless being destroyed by somebody. So tell me, why have you trespassed upon my castle?"

"Your castle?" Roxas asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, my castle. I acquired it after those Nobodies were destroyed by Sora. Good riddance to them all. They got what came to them." She said as a sinister smile formed on her face. "A once way trip to…nothing."

"… Hmm, so you haven't see any Nobodies since then?" Roxas asked.

Maleficent stared at the Roxas for a few moments before she crossed her arms, a haughty look crossing her face. "Why am I even telling you this? Who are you? Why can you use the Keyblade? And why do you ware they same coat as the members of that Organization of Nobodies?"

"That is none of your concern. If the Nobodies are no longer here, then there is nothing I want with this castle." He said as he dropped his fighting stance. He let the oblivion vanish from his hand before he started to walk past the witch.

Maleficent watched him curiously for a few seconds as he passed by her. She frowned, realizing that he didn't even acknowledge her. He didn't fidget under her gaze like most people would, nor did he admire the powerful aura that she possessed.

And she didn't like that.

"Stop!" she ordered.

Roxas stopped mid-step as he looked over his shoulder. "What?"

"You come into my castle, destroy some of my heartless, and now you expect to just leave. I don't know who you think you are, but I will have to teach you a lesson in manners." She said as she uncrossed her arms as raised them to the side. Immediately, she was surrounded by a dark green aura, a sinister look on her face.

Roxas watched as the power of darkness made itself visible from this person. "I don't want to fight you maleficent. There's no reason to."

"You are wrong. I have a grudge against those that wield the keyblade. You think I will just stand by and let you walk through my castle like you own the place?" She said as the darkness began to cover her entire frame. "From past experiences, I know that wielders of the Keyblade are not to be underestimated, so I will not take it easy on you. I will teach you respect! Behold the powers of Darkness."

Suddenly, the darkness completely overcame the witch. It increased until it took up a good portion of the balcony. Finally, the darkness dispersed, and in its place stood, not the witch maleficent, but a massive black dragon. Roxas knew that this was one of maleficent forms, but he didn't know she had gained such power over the darkness since Sora last saw her.

The dragon turned its head towards him, its mouth turning upwards, almost as if it were smiling. Light green flames licked her lips as the dragon suddenly rushed at him. Immediately, it picked up its foot and brought it down where Roxas was standing.

Roxas immediately, dashed out of the way before he summoned the oblivion and Oathkeeper to his hands. "I cant waist time here. I have something I need to do. Stop this now, Maleficent!"

In response, the dragon reared back its head before it spewed a stream of green flames at the Nobody.

Seeing the oncoming flames, Roxas raised the Oathkeeper and pointed it at the center of the attack.

"Blizzaga!"

Ice erupted from the tip of the Keyblade before it collided violently with the flames. The intense heat from the fire easily melted the ice into water before it evaporated into a billow of steam. Roxas used it as cover before he shot around to the backside of the giant creature.

However, the dragon swung its tale, causing it to roughly slam into Roxas. He was sent him flying through the air before he crashed into the ground. Quickly, Roxas jumped to his feet before he rolled out of an incoming fire stream. It hit the ground, sending flamed climbing along the floor and over the edge of the balcony.

Roxas faced the dragon again, a little sore, but ready for battle. "Sorry everyone. You will just have to wait a little while longer." He said as he saw one of the dragon's claws heading his way.


It was the next day that Louise found herself sitting in front of the Princess again. She was really nervous because the conversation she had with Henrietta yesterday didn't go quite as well as she hoped. The princess asked a lot of questions that she didn't know how to answer. Louise barely understood it herself, so how was she supposed to answer them.

After the conversation was over, Henrietta said she needed to think it over for the knight. Louise really couldn't blame her because it sounded crazy, almost like Roxas had made the whole thing up as an excuse so he could run away from the conflict. In a way, she could see Henrietta's viewpoint on that, however, Louise was gong to believe in her familiar. Henrietta was not there when he explained everything to them. If she was, then Louise knew that the princess would not doubt him.

Louise sat down at the table as she looked over at her childhood friend. There was an awkward silent for a few moments before Louise started.

"Have you had time to think it over? Do you believe what I said about Roxas?"

Henrietta looked a little unsure at first before she gave a small sigh. A gentle smile then crossed her features as she met her friend's gaze. "If you are so convinced he is telling the truth, then I will have to put my faith in you. If you believe in him Louise, then I will believe in him as well."

Louise breathed a small sigh of relief as she heard the princess's words, however, that also put a bit of stress on her. Henrietta trusted her now, and she could not let her down.

"I believe him. You weren't there. You didn't see the look in his eyes Princess." Louise said as she met Henrietta's gaze.

"I know. It's just…difficult to understand…even more so to believe. For the sake of this country, I hope he is telling the truth."

"He is. He will return, I know it." Louise replied.

"However, if he is telling the truth, and his plan does in fact…work, I am only worried that it will also draw unwanted attention. Have you told anyone else about this?" Henrietta asked suddenly.

Louise shook her head. "I don't think anyone else would really believe me."

"And rightfully so. If Roxas's plan does work, we have to be very quiet about his. I love Tristan, but some of its leaders are very questionable. If they knew that your familiar could command an army of these so called…Nobodies…Then I don't have a doubt that they will try and use that ability to further Tristan's influence through violent means. I want war to be a last resort and I don't want to use violence to further the progression of Tristan." Henrietta said sadly.

Louise nodded in understanding as she smiled at her one of her best friends. She had always admired the kind spirit that Henrietta was.

BAM BAM

Henrietta and Louise both jumped slightly as someone loudly pounded on her door.

"Henrietta! Its urgent!" said a muffled voice behind the door.

Henrietta suddenly had a stern look on her face.

"Open the door Agnes. What happened?"

The door suddenly opened to see a panicked Agnes standing there with a few medics behind her. The medics were carrying a wounded man on a stretcher as they entered the room. Louise looked at the man in confusion because he didn't look that injured, however, he was groaning in pain as he held a hand over his heart. He was shaking violently, as if he was in the deepest agony.

Henrietta looked at Agnes for a few seconds in confusion. "What is the meaning of this? Why is he not in the medical bay?"

"He strongly insisted to come directly here. He said he had an urgent message for you." Agnes replied.

Henrietta nodded as she walked up to the man and knelt by the stretcher. The man had his eyes closed, his face courted in the uttermost agony as his body twitched a few times. Henrietta could tell he was in a lot of pain.

"Young man. It's me, Princess Henrietta. What happened to you?"

The young man cracked open his eyes to see his princess kneeling there next to him. He forced a painful smile on his face.

"Princess…Henrietta." He gasped as he clenched his eyes closed again. "It is an Honor to…meet you." He said as he shook violently.

Henrietta's eyebrows scrunched in pity as she looked down the man. She gently reached over and rested her hand on his arm. "Its ok. Your safe now. Can you tell me what happened?"

Feeling the princess's hand on his arm, the young man started to relax, but his body was still shaking uncontrollably.

"I have never seen anything like them. They came out of nowhere and wiped out my whole squad. I barely managed to escape." The young man said. "It was Albion. I am sure of it. They are on there way right now." He said as he gasped in pain, his hand grasping his chest, almost like he felt it was going to split open.

Henrietta had a look of pure dread on her face. Albion had just declared war, and now they were attacking. This was too soon.

She gently squeezed his arm, trying to get his attention. "Where? Can you tell us where so we can defend our country?" She asked desperately.

The young man heaved a few painful breaths as he looked up at her, his body was shaking again. "T-T-Tarbes. They are on there-there way to Tarbes." He said before he clenched his eyes closed again.

Henrietta grit her teeth before she looked up at the Agnes. "Assemble your forces! We need to protect Tarbes!" she ordered

Agnes nodded before she turned to the girl next to her. "Michelle, assemble the armies. I will take this young man to the medical bay."

Michelle nodded as she left the room.

Henrietta turned her attention back at the young man before she gave him a gentle smile. "You did well. When you recover, you will be rewarded by the royal family."

Despite being in great pain, the young man managed to gave a small smile. "I-I don't know how I survived this long. Those creatures destroyed my squad like they were nothing…I love my country…I think that is the only reason I was able to make it this far." He said as a more peaceful look crossed his face. "But now that I have complete my goal, I can pass with honor."

"Don't talk like that, you are going to surv-." Henrietta said before her eyes widened. She immediately jumped away from him as dark wisps of energy began to emit from his being. Her eyes widened as it increased to the point where the temperature of the room suddenly dropped.

Agnes was also watching with wide eyes before she drew her sword. "What is going on? What are you doing?"

The young man had tears streaming down his face as he looked up at the ceiling. "I love Tristan. I-I'm Sorry I couldn't go on." He cried before he screamed out in pain. His chest began to glow brightly before a red object ejected from it.

Everyone watched in horror as the young mans body completely disappeared, laving the object floating in the air. The shape of it was very distinguishable though.

A heart.

Suddenly, a dark aura overcame the heart, causing a very ominous feeling to saturate the air.

Louis's eyes widened immensely as she recognized this feeling. It felt the same way when Sir Wardes used the darkness in his fight against Roxas. What was going on?

Everyone watched the spot where the darkness engulfed the heart before it started to dissipate. When it finally did, in its place was a creature they had never seen before. It was a small. Its skin was completely black, had a large round head, and two beady little yellow eyes. It was crouched down as it looked in all directions.

Everyone was staring at this creature with wide eyes. They watched as it looked absently around the room before it fixed its gaze on Henrietta.

Agnes carefully pointed her sword at the creature with a raised eyebrow. "What is this thing? What happened to the young man?" She asked.

Suddenly, Louise's' eyes widened as a memory played through her mind.

They consume your soul, the thing that makes you who you are. That is what I mean by your heart. When a Heartless consumes your heart, you plunge into the darkness and become…

"One of them." Louise finished as her eyes widened in horror.

"What is this? I have never seen a creature like this before." Henrietta said as she inched forward to get a closer look.

"PRINCESS! WATCH OUT!" Louise screamed, and rightfully so. The dark creature suddenly lunged at the princess and had Louise not tackled her out of the way, the creature's attack would have landed.

The creature soared over the two before it landed on the ground and turned towards them in a crouched position. Its beady yellow eyes were showing no form of emotion, just an uncontrollable instinct.

An instinct that wanted to consume them.

Henrietta and Louise landed on the ground before quickly scrambling to there feet. Both of them had their wands out, ready to defend against this creature.

"How dare you attack the princess!" Agnes roared as she charged, swinging her sword in the process.

The creature just looked up at her before it seemed to sink into the ground. Agnes's blade hit the floor with a thud as the creature moved like a shadow around her. Its form then melted up from the ground before it launched another attack at the princess.

Henrietta quickly chanted a spell, causing ice spikes for form around the room. Immediately, she waved her wand at the creature, causing the spikes to shoot directly at it.

The spikes slammed into the creature, causing it to stumble backwards, but it got right back up, almost as if nothing had hit it in the first place. It then sunk back into the ground, becoming completely invisible.

Everyone glanced around, looking for the creature, but no one could see a thing.

"Be on guard, we don't know where it is!" Agnes said as she crouched down, both hands on her sword.

Louise and Henrietta were standing back to back as they looked around frantically for the creature.

"ARG!" Henrietta shouted as she felt pain on her side. The force of the attack sent her stumbling to the ground. She looked at the source of the attacker, only to see the creature standing there, it yellow eyes boring into her. Henrietta could not help but feel dread when looking into those lifeless eyes. Her own eyes widened when she saw it crouched down, ready to attack.

Louise spun around to see the princess lying there with the creature ready to attack again. She needed to do something. She had to stop it! She needed to protect her friend. But how? How was she supposed to protect her when she has never been able to cast magic successfully before?

Seeing the creature inch itself forward, Louise made up her mind. She was not going to doubt any more. Someone needed her, and she was not going to fail this time.

Suddenly, a small white aura seemed to emit from off of her frame. It lit up the room very slightly, but everyone was to focus on the creature notice it. Louise felt it though. She felt this foreign power spread throughout her boy, though not having time to ponder it, she pointed her wand at the creature just at it leaped at the princess.

"FIREBALL!" she exclaimed.

A fireball did not emit from her wand. However, something else did. Her wand glowed bright white for a moment before a small beam of light ejected from the tip. It was so small that if you weren't watching it close enough, you would have not been able to see it. The beam shot forwarded before it hit the creature straight in the chest.

The consequences were immediate as the creature suddenly exploded in a flash of light. The darkness complete dispersed as a good chunk of the room exploded along with it. Everyone was forced to shield their eyes from the light as pieces of wood were thrown in all directions.

After a few moments, everyone lowered their arms to see that the creature had completely disappeared…along with a good portion of the floor.

Louise blinked a few times as the light aura suddenly disappeared. She had made explosions like that before, but they never started with a small beam of light. And that explosion was bit larger than most she would summon.

"What was that?" Louise whispered to herself as she looked down at her wand.

Henrietta raised herself to a seated position before she looked over at her friend with an eyebrow raised. She then looked back at the small crater.

"What is going on? What was that thing?" Agnes asked as she took a couple steps forward and helped the princess to her feet.

Louise scrunched her eyebrows, but she had a very good idea what that creature was based on what Roxas had said yesterday, however, she didn't want to believe it was true. Slowly, she turned her attention back to the princess.

"I have an idea, but I don't want it to be true. I remember this feeling. It was the same feeling I had when Wardes used the powers of darkness. I think that creature may have been the Heartless Roxas talked about."

Henrietta's eyes widened again as she looked at the destroyed floor. She then turned to Agnes. "Prepare more troops. We may loose more people that I thought in this battle." She said sadly.

Agnes looked between Louise and Henrietta a couple times as her eyes narrows suspiciously. However, she obeyed the commands of the princess. With a small bow, she exited the door.

Henrietta watched her walk out the door before she turned to Louise. "If these are the kinds of creatures we have to worry about, then for the sake of this country, I hope Roxas will return."

"I do too." Was all Louise could say as she took one more look at her wand?


Roxas was panting a bit as he leaped over Maleficent's tail. He was doing decently against the large dragon, but she had managed to clip him a few times. His right cheek had a nasty gash on it, and his coat was slightly burned by the fire.

Maleficent had multiple wounds covering her body, but they were just flesh wounds. There was not much he could do to her at the moment besides ware her down. It seems that she had learned a lot from fighting Sora in the past, and she was using that knowledge against him.

"REFLECTGA!" Roxas roared at the creature's claw shot at him. The claw collided with the shield before the barrier broke into fragments of light, which exploded moments later.

The dragon roared in pain before as it withdrew its wounded paw. Roxas used this to his advantage by rushed at the beast and swinging as hard as he could, bringing the Keyblade down right on her head. The sound of metal hitting flesh echoed through the castle as Roxas leaped back.

The dragon roared again in agony before it raised it head high into the air. Suddenly, green fireballs formed around its body before they all shot at the Nobody.

Roxas rolled as one flew over his head. It violently crashed into the ground before dispersing. Roxas then sprinted in a circle around the creature, jumping and ducking to avoid more of the dragon's deadly fireballs. Jumping high into the air to avoid another attack, Roxas drew back both his keyblade before they started to glow brightly.

"Double Strike Raid!" Roxas yelled as he whirled the keyblade at the dragon. They both shot down with magnificent speed, looking like glowing disks before they collided with the dragon's legs, slicing deep into them.

Maleficent roared in pain again as she collapsed on her belly. There was a dark green blood that was oozing from her wounds as she lay there.

Roxas landed on the ground as he reached up and caught his weapons.

"Have you had enough Maleficent?"

The dragon narrowed its dark yellow eyes before she pushed herself to her feet. A dark energy began to emit from her body as she gave another gigantic roar. She suddenly started to violently whip her head from side to side as she pushed up with her from pawns. She then let out a devastating stream of fire that seemed to go in all directions.

Roxas's eyes widened as he looked around at the stream. He noticed that Maleficent had breathed fire in a way that cut off nearly all of his escape routs. He grit his teeth as he pointed at the wall of flames to his right.

"BLIZZAGA!" he bellowed as she shot a stream of ice at the fire. The ice barely managed to create a small hole, just big enough for him to jump through. But he had to be fast because the hungry flames were already melting the ice. He made a quick escape as he jumped through the small opening. However, the heat of the fire made his wince as it licked his body and face. It felt like he was fighting axel when he would set the entire area on fire.

It also didn't help that he accidentally breathed in a large amount of smoke when he tried to escape. Just as he hit the ground, he landed on his knees before coughing violently, trying to clear his lungs. However, in the midst of his coughing fit, he didn't even notice a large shadow looming over him.

Barely having time to look up, he could only gasp as a largo paw suddenly crashed down on him, comply crushing his torso into the ground.

"AUG!" Roxas gasped as both his Keyblade's fell from his grasp. Maleficent had pinned him to the ground and was using the full force of her dragon weight on top of him.

Cracking one eye open, Roxas met the creature's gaze. He grit his teeth because he could almost see the glee in her eyes, no doubt enjoying the fact that he was at her mercy right now.

"You should have never let your guard down. That mistake will cost you dearly." The dragon said in a deep voice.

Roxas's eyes widened as he saw Maleficent rear back rear head, taking a deep inhale. He knew what was coming next. Placing his hands on the dragons paw, he tried desperately to move it, but she was not budging.

It was to late.

Roxas watched as she whipped her head down at him and let loose a stream of fire, heading right for him at point blank range. There was no way out of this.

Suddenly, time seemed to slow down for the Nobody. He watched as the fire came directly for him, but it seemed to take ages to reach.

"Well…I guess this is appropriate." Roxas thought. "If I die, its not like it would matter. I was never supposed to be in the first place."

What's wrong with you!

Roxas's eyes widened as a memory played through his mind. It was of siesta. She was standing in front of him with tears in her eyes. For an instant, he could even vaguely feel the sting of the slap she landed on his cheek.

How can you say it would mean nothing? What about us? What about the people that have grown to care about you?

"Siesta." He whispered.

Who will be the Hero of the Fairies if you are not there?

"Jessica, Amy"

You better come back Roxas. It will be a new achievement to seduce someone who lacked emotions at one point.

"Kirche."

Just…come back safe…Ok?

"Louise."

You…you will always be there to protect us…right?

"Ellie"

KYU! You are still one of my best friends!

"Irukukwu"

I know how stubborn you can be.

"Tabitha."

Finally, one last memory played through his mind as he watched the fire stream come closer to him. Siesta was hugging him tightly, her chin resting on his shoulder.

"Don't die…Please. Don't disappear."

Roxas clenched his teeth as he realized something.

He could not die here.

He had people that cared for him now. He had people that he needed to protect, people that would be sad if he were gone.

"Sora." Roxas whispered as he suddenly felt overwhelming power fill his being. "I need to borrow your power!"

Maleficent had a satisfied look that crossed her dragon features as she watched the fire draw closer to him. Just as it was about to impact his form, she barely caught the determined look in his eyes before the flames engulfed him.

She found out why just moment later.

The flames only engulfed him for a few seconds before a bright light suddenly erupted from Roxas's frame. The force of the blast sent the dragon stumbling away from the Nobody before she crashed to the ground on her side. Shaking her head, Maleficent looked around before she spotted her victim. Immediately, her eyes widened when she saw his new look.

His once black coat had taken a blue form. He had the Oathkeeper in one hand, and a different black keyblade in the other. He was gliding just barely above the ground as wisps of blue energy radiated off of his body.

"Drive…Wisdom." Roxas growled as he felt an absurd about of magical energy coursing through his being.

Maleficent's eyes whined immensely as she heard those words. She knew of one person that had this ability. "It's impossible." She growled as her eyes widened. "You are not Sora, so how can you use that ability…" She started until she noticed a rather defining feature of his cloths. A large Nobody symbol that spread across his torso. Her eyes widened in realization before they narrowed again.

"I see. That explains who you are, why you are looking for the nobodies, and why you can use that ability. Here I thought all the Nobodies of the Organization were wiped out by Sora, but it seems you survived. You are Sora's Nobody, are you not?"

"No." Roxas said as he felt power radiate from off his form. "I am me! No one else." He said before he pointed both of his Keyblade's at the dragon. "BLIZZAGA!" he shouted.

Maleficent's eyes could only widened immensely as the massive stream of ice shot in her direction. It was much larger and more powerful than any of the spells he had used in this fight already. She inhaled as deep as she could and realized the biggest stream of fire she could manage. The fire collided violently with the ice, but it was not enough to stop it fully.

The ice spell fought through the flames before it collided with the dragon, immediately freezing her front legs to the ground.

Maleficent growled in pain as she reared back her head to unleash fire on her frozen legs, however, her head was met with a massive amount of pain as blue bullets of energy struck her. She looked to the side to see Roxas standing there with both Keyblade's in hand. He suddenly unleashed a flurry of those energy bullets before they all collided painfully with her body.

She roared in pain as she started to flail about, trying to free her paws from there icy prison. She was successful after a few second because the ice shattered. She then turned her attention back to where Roxas was supposed to be, but he was no longer there.

Looking around frantically, she could not see him anywhere. Where did he go?

"You are finished Maleficent."

Maleficent didn't even have time to turn around before she noticed the sky's growing even darker than usual.

"THUNDAGA!"

Maleficent had been alive for a long amount of time. During that time, she had been in countless battles. She had been triumphant in most, but there were a few times she had actually loss. Those losses were painful, especially the one where she fought against Sora.

However…

That pain was nothing compared to the sheer amount of agony her body went through after Roxas's attack. Massive bolts of Lighting fell from the sky before they struck her body multiple times. She had never seen a lighting spell this powerful before…and to be on the receiving end of it was more painful that she could imagine.

Giving a massive Roar, Maleficent's body started to give off a wispy dark aura until it completely consumed her body.

Roxas watched as her figure began to shrink until it took her original form. The regular Maleficent was panting and gasping in pain as he struggled to keep standing. However, she was not that successful as she fell to the ground, her staff rolling away from her.

Roxas was breathing deeply as well before he let the drive form fade. He felt his magic completely deplete in the process through, leaving him gasping for breath.

"I can't afford to be tired right now." Roxas said to himself as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an elixir. Popping the lid off of it, he drained it in one gulp.

Maleficent could only watch from her position on the ground as Roxas's wounds faded and his magic completely resorted. She had a deep glare on her face, absolutely furious that she lost again to a Keyblade barer. She was now at his mercy, and he could end her with one swing of his keyblade.

Roxas gave a sigh as he dropped the empty bottle on the ground. "Only one left." He said sadly as he turned toward the witch. He narrowed his eyes at her before he turned his back and began to walk away.

Maleficent could not believe what she was seeing. He was going to just leave her there without ending her? Was he really looking down that much on her? Was she just not worth his time?

With those thoughts, Maleficent grit her teeth as she tried to force herself to her feet, only to fall back down.

"Stop! Where are you going?" Maleficent growled, getting Roxas's attention.

Roxas looked over his shoulder at the beaten woman. "Since the Nobodies are not here, there is nothing I want with this castle." He replied.

"Why are you not finishing me? Are you looking down on me?" She asked, her eyes glaring at him.

"I have more important things to do that to end you Maleficent. Besides, You're not worth it. You never were."

"What-What's that supposed to mean! You think you are better than me? I know what you are. Even if you don't want to admit it yourself, you are Sora's nobody. You're a nothing…someone who is not even supposed to be born."

"Your right." Roxas said, not even flinching. "But that didn't stop me from beating you."

Maleficent glared at him before she looked back to the ground. "I cannot deny that you beat me, just like how Sora did. But how? How do I keep loosing to you key bearers? Why are you so strong?"

Roxas pondered for a second before he looked at the downed witch in pity. "Maleficent, why is the darkness so appealing to you?"

"What are you talking about? Darkness is the ultimate source of power! Why would I not want it? Are you a fool?"

I pity you Xehanort.

"But what is the point of all that power when you have no one to protect with it?" he asked, nearly quoting Master Kida from his memories.

"Why would I need people? They are only a hindrance. They betray you, lie to you, and deceive you. You are better off alone."

"No"

Maleficent looked up at Roxas with an eyebrow raised. "No?"

"You know that I am a Nobody. I have been down the road where I had no one. I had nothing. I've been on that side before and I cant think of anything more lonely, or painful than to be alone. I didn't actually start to feel until I made friend's of my own."

"You're a nobody. You can't feel."

Roxas chuckled. "That really just shows the power of friendship. If it is powerful enough to actually grow a heart in an empty shell, then it is more than enough to grant me the power to defeat you."

"What do...you mean?"

"The reason Sora and I are so powerful is because we have people we need to protect. Those people are the source of our strength. It's not the darkness…or even the light. You can have all the power in the world, but you will always loose to those who fight for something."

Maleficent scoffed as she lowered her head to the ground. "Such foolishness."

"Maleficent. I pity you. You have so much power, but you stay here, alone in this castle. You have no one to fight for, no one that you care for, or cares for you in return. I have been there…but now…" Roxas said as he turned to walk away again.

"Now there are people that care for me, and speaking from experience, it is much better than being alone." He said as he walked away.

Maleficent raised her head as she glanced at his departing figure before she lowered it again. "But I also speak from experience. When you open your heart to others, there is always the chance that it will get broken."


Roxas rolled his shoulder as he found himself walking the dark streets of the world that never was. He could see that the reason there were so many heartless was because of Maleficent. He vaguely remembered that she wanted the castle for herself, but forgot until she showed up.

"Glad she didn't find me when I was sleeping." Roxas said as he looked around the streets for any sign of the Nobodies, but he was still unsuccessful. Maleficent said she had not seen any since the organization was defeated. If that were true, it was just as he suspected. They had no one to lead them anymore. They were just…There.

"But where is "There?"" Roxas asked himself as he crossed his arms. He absently glanced up at the broken Kingdom hearts in the sky. He gave a small grin when it brought back the memories of the time he, Riku, and Sora defeated Xemnas. That was quite the battle. They had to fight that massive Nobody before that battle even took place. It was a good thing Riku found that glider. For some reason, that Glider looked a lot like Master Kida's Keyblade glider. Only Master Kida's was a darker color and lacked the side platform.

"Maybe Xehanort recreated it after being inspired by Kida's glider." Roxas pondered…however, that thought came with another question. "Hmmm" Roxas hummed as he extended his hand. The Forgotten Light appeared in his hand before he stared at the ominous weapon. If this were truly Kida's keyblade, then would it be able to transform into a glider, right?

"Hmm" Roxas hummed again. As he let the keyblade vanish. "I will have to look into that later." He continued to think about the last fight with Xemnas, how Riku and Sora struggled so hard again the powerful Nobody. And even when they defeated him, they were not done. They had to fight an army of Nobod…

Roxas blinked a few times as his eyes widened. He almost face palmed as he remembered that little fact. That was where they were. It wasn't this world where they resided if they didn't have a task.

No

It was the realm in-between light and darkness, the place where Sora and Riku fought Xemnas. It was also the place where disobedient member of the organization were sent.

Taking a deep breath, Roxas had to admit, he was a little nervous about going into that realm. Based on Sora and Riku's experience, there were countless Nobodies there that didn't have anything to do but attack anyone who entered.

Calming himself down, Roxas extended his hand and opened a Corridor of darkness to the realm in-between. He stared at the wispy entrance for a few seconds before a determined look crossed his face. He marched forward; ready to take on whatever was thrown his way.


Louise watched as Henrietta gave an inspiring speech about protecting their country to the small army they could assemble. There was not that many because of how unexpected the attack on Tarbes was. However, they had managed to assemble the musketeer knights as well as the griffin solders.

However, Louise's mind was on another matter. She looked down at the wand grasped in her hand again. The explosion she used to destroy that heartless was much more different than her usual explosions.

"Louise"

Louise blinked a few times before she looked up at the princess. Henrietta was giving her a grateful smile as she wrapped her hands in her own.

"I am very grateful that you are here with me. Ever since Prince Wales passed away…" she said as she gave a downcast expression. "It has been difficult to bear the burdens of the kingdom alone."

Louise gave her a soft smile as she grasped her hands as well. "Always princess."

Henrietta smiled again before a more serious look crossed her face. "We have to prepare. This is the first battle in this war and we have to make a statement."

"Right!"


Roxas wasn't in the corridor for that long before he found himself standing in a massive, empty space. It was easily recognizable. This was the place where Sora and Riku fought Xemnas. It looked exactly the same as I usually did. The floor he was standing on seemed to be alive with movement. It was a silvery color with patterned lines moving about the walls and celling. It was almost hyponastic in a way.

Roxas walked forward a few steps as he looked around the empty area. He smiled to himself as he realized this place was perfect for a nobody because it was completely empty, devoid of anything regarding light and darkness. It was truly the realm in-between.

Suddenly, Roxas heard a sound coming from behind him. Immediately, he turned around to see a silvery pillar erupt form the ground before it took the form of the most common of Nobodies.

"A Dusk." Roxas said as he steadied himself. He didn't summon his keyblade quite yet, because the creature was just looking at him, swaying back and forth slightly.

Seconds later however, countless more silver pillars erupted from the ground behind the small dusk. Roxas looked around frantically as Nobodies of all shapes and sized appeared. There were Dusks, Creepers, Sorcerers, Snipers, Dragoons, Berserkers, Assassins, Dancers, gamblers…and finally the Samurai. Every form of nobody had suddenly appeared, like he was looking into an endless sea of silver and white.

And they were all staring at him. Some of them looked anxious, almost like they were ready to attack, but where using every bit of there self control to refrain from it.

Roxas had to admit, he was very nervous at this point. Looking at the sea of Nobodies, he knew if they attacked, then he would not stand a chance against this many.

There was an awkward atmosphere for a while as they continued to look in his direction, almost as if they were trying to decide whether or not to attack him.

Taking a deep breath, Roxas looked at his fellow beings in pity. They were just here, wasting away there existence for eternity because they didn't know what else to do. At least the heartless had a goal in mind and an instinct to follow. But these Nobodies didn't.

"It's sad." Roxas started as he looked at the sea of nobodies. "You are here in the realm in-between, doing absolutely nothing with the existence you're cursed with."

The only response he got was blank stares from the nobodies. Roxas didn't know if they could actually comprehend what he was saying, but he was going to try anyway. If they could follow orders, then they could understand him…He hoped.

"We were never supposed to exist…but we do. We were created when someone else lost their heart, doomed to never have one of our own. And…"Roxas paused as he continued to stare at his fellow nobodies. "Like you, I was born of nothing, but now I have a heart of my own. Sadly, you don't have this privilege, and I pity you."

Again, he was only bet with a few plank looked from the nobodies. However, by their body language, they seemed to be more relaxed than when he first entered the realm. Almost as if they made the decision not to attack him.

"However, there is something I can do. I can guide you. I can offer you a chance to do something with the existence your forced to have. Ultimately, the choice is yours. You can stay here…" Roxas said as he gestured to the surrounding area of nothingness. "Waste away for eternity with no one knowing you even exist. Or you can follow me. I may have a heart now, but I am still a Nobody…So will you give me the chance to help you? Allow me to give you some meaning to this cursed existence? Will you follow me as the last member of Organization 13?" Roxas finished as he took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth.

The Nobodies all paused for a few moments, as if trying to comprehend what he was trying to say. A few looked around at the surrounding area and also at each other. Roxas was really staring to wonder if they understood what he was saying, but he hoped they would.

Suddenly, Roxas noticed a specific group of Nobodies walk forward. He easily recognized them because they had been under his control when he was a member of the organization.

The Samurai.

They continued walked forward before they stood in front of him. Roxas wondered if they were going to attack him, but there next action made his eyes widen dramatically.

They suddenly knelt down and bowed in front of him. They could not talk, but that action was more than enough to convey there thoughts to him.

Roxas felt his heart beat faster as he realized his plan was starting to work. If nothing else, the Samurai were still on his side. But as he though about it, even when he left the Organization, the Samurai still obeyed his command.

Suddenly, another movement caught his eye. A one dust that greeted him to the realm of in-between suddenly mimicked the motion of the samurai. Then, as if it were a chain reaction, the rest of the dusks walked forward and followed suit. They went the only ones. As if a wave flowed through the sea of nobodies, they all started to bow in front of Roxas. The ones that could fly, like the snipers, dragoons, and sorcerers, just inclined their heads.

But it all meant the same to Roxas.

Roxas looked at them all in shock, his eyes white as he witnessed their actions. Soon, a small smile formed on his face as he looked at his fellow Nobodies.

"Thank you." He said before he turned his back to them and extended his hand, a more determined look crossed his face. "Lets do something with our existence."


Louise and Henrietta could only stare up in horror when they got to Tarbes. Thankfully, the village had evacuated into the forests because of the warning she had sent earlier, but as she looked up into the sky, she could not help but doubt their chances at victory.

Albion had gone all out in this attack. When Tristan arrived at the battleground, they were greeted with two massive flying ships in the sky. That would have posed a problem, but that was not the worst of it. Instead, on the ground, as well as in the sky, there were a numerous amount of creatures of all shapes and sizes. But despite all the different kinds of creatures, they had one very distinct feature that was the same between all of them.

A heart-shaped symbol on their chest.

"W-Where did Albion get all these creatures?" Henrietta could only ask fearfully.

Louise was in a similar position as she looked at the creatures hovering in the sky and waiting for them on the ground. Some looked like they had on a dark jumpsuit on with a mettle helmet. Next to them were some other creatures that looked like a massive ball with legs and a tiny head.

In the sky, she saw a lot of dragons, but they were a species that she had never seen before. They were a darker red, and had massive talons on their feet.

Suddenly, she remembered the poor young man who was turned into a heartless. He mentioned that his squad was wiped out by creatures that he had never seen before. Was this what he meant. Were these creatures also heartless?

"Princess, I think this may be Wardes's doing." Louise said

Henrietta turned her attention to Louise. "What do you mean?"

"The young man that turned into a heartless warned us that there were creatures that attacked him an his men. When Wardes attacked us, he used the power of darkness. You remember me telling you right?"

Henrietta nodded.

"Then I think that somehow Wardes has gained enough power to control these creatures."

Henrietta bit her lip, as she looked up at the seemingly endless amount of heartless. "What are we supposed to do?"

Louise clenched her eyes closed as she clasped her hands together. "Roxas…Please hurry."


Siesta, Jessica, Amy, Ellie, and the rest of the villagers in Tarbes were also looking up in horror at the sea of creatures in the sky.

"What are those things?" Richard said as he held an axe in his hand.

"I-I doesn't know." Siesta replied, however, from just looking at these creatures, she couldn't help but feel uneasy about them.

"Stay close together." Richard said as he raised his axe. "If anyone dares come near my family…" He growled dangerously.

Most of the villagers also had makeshift weapons, ready to defend there families if necessary, however they were just farmers. If they were attacked, they wouldn't last that long.

And Siesta knew it.

She looked up into the sky again as she closed her eyes. "Roxas."


Kirche was pacing back and forth in the courtyard while Tabitha was leaning against Sylphid, reading her book. Both had heard about the recent attack on Tarbes, and were really worried about Louise, Siesta, and everyone else they had met.

"Tabitha! What are we still doing here?" Kirche asked as she walked up to the petite girl with her hands on her hips.

"Waiting." Tabitha replied.

"Yes. Yes. I know." Kirche said as she massaged her temples. "But we don't even know if Roxas will show up here. What if he goes straight to Tarbes instead? He does have that Teleport ability."

"I just have a feeling." Tabitha replied as she closed her book and looked up at the redhead.

Kirche stopped her complaining when she saw the look in her best friends eyes. She could see that Tabitha was also worried and it was taking a lot of self-control to not just fly to the battle and help her friends. Giving a small sigh, Kirche sat down next to her and leaned against Sylphids before closing her eyes.

"We don't even know if he will be back soon. He may never come back." Kirche said.

"I know." Tabitha replied as she lightly clenched her fist. "But I believe in him. He promised he would return, so he will."

Kirche glanced down at her friend before she noticed a small blush on her face. This caused a small grin to break across Kirche's face.

"Oh, are you worried about Roxas?" Kirche teased as she poked Tabitha on the shoulder.

Tabitha's face turned a slight darkener shade of red before she opened her book and buried her face into it.

Kirche pouted as she poked Tabitha again. "Hey, Hey! Don't ignore me like that. Put that book down!"

"No."

"Tabitha~" Kirche whined as she tried to reach for the book, only for the petite girl to hold it out of range while still keeping it open so she could read.

Because of there squabbling, they didn't notice a wispy dark pillar erupt from the ground, allowing a figure in a coat to exit the portal. The corridor vanished just as he stepped out. Looking around, the figure noticed two people bickering near the academy entrance. With a smile, he made his way over.

"Tabitha~ give me that book and talk to me!" Kirche said as she made another grab for the book.

"No." Tabitha responded as she held the book out of reach, fixing Kirche with a dull look in the process. However, because Kirche missed the book, she lost her balance and stumbled on top of Tabitha.

Tabitha looked a little annoyed as Kirche continued to reach for the book while she was pinned beneath her.

"Um…what are you two doing?"

Tabitha and Kirche's eyes widened dramatically when they instantly recognized that voice. Both looked up to see a very familiar figure standing there in his black coat. He had his eyebrow raised while his face was courted in confusion. His spiky blond hair was very distinguishable, along with his crystal blue eyes.

"R-Rox-" Tabitha started.

"ROXAS DARLING!" Kirche exclaimed as she jumped off Tabitha and nearly rammed the poor nobody.

Roxas blinked as she felt Kirche wrap her arms around his neck and squeeze him tightly before she stared to rub her cheek against his. His face flared up a little before he awkwardly patted her on the back.

"I'm Back." He said with a small smile. It seemed that they really did miss him, even though he had only been gone for a day at most.

Tabitha's eyebrow twitched a little when she witnessed Kirche's actions before she pulled herself to her feet. She took a few steps forward, however didn't get far when a large blue object rushed past her.

Kirche was laughing joyfully before she noticed something large coming in their direction. She barely had time to see Sylphids charging before her eyes widened. She released Roxas before jumping away, leaving the poor nobody to his fate.

Roxas didn't have time to be confused before he was suddenly plowed over by the energetic dragon. Once again, he was thrown off his feet at the Sylphids tackled him painfully into the ground. She then purred deeply as she rubbed her head over his chest.

Roxas coughed a few times as he tired to regain his breath. "Geese Sylphids. Can to tone it down a notch.

Suddenly, Sylphid's entire being began to glow brightly before her massive frame changed into the shape of a girl.

"Well, that is a little bett-" Roxas started before he noticed that Irukukwu didn't have a single bit of clothing on…and she was still pinning him to the ground. His face faired up before he turned his attention away from her. He still didn't know why his body was reacting like this.

"Roxas! Your back-OUCH! Big Sis Tabitha!" Irukukwu whined as Tabitha grabbed her ear and pulled her off of the nobody. Seemingly out of nowhere, she pulled out a cloak and demanded that Irukukwu put it on.

"But Big sis!"

"Irukukwu." Tabitha warned.

"Fine!"

As Irukukwu was struggling to put the cloak on, Tabitha turned her attention to Roxas, who was in the process of standing on his feet before dusting of his coat. He rolled his shoulder before he met her gaze.

"Thanks Tabitha." He said, his face still a bit red.

Tabitha walked forward before she reached up and pinched the bridge of his coat. "You kept your promise."

Roxas smiled down at her as he patted her shoulder. "I did. But what's going on right now? Is everything ok?"

Solemnly, Tabitha reached up and grabbed a fistful of his coat before looking into his eyes. "No. Albion has issued an attack." She responded.

Roxas's eyes widened before dread started to fill his chest. "What?"

"Yeah." Kirche said as she walked up. "Albion has made their move."

Roxas growled as he clenched his fist. He didn't expect Albion to make there first move already.

"Where?"

Kirche looked a little grim before she bit her lower lip. "Tarbes."

Roxas's eyes widened even further. That was the small town where Siesta lived.

It was under attack?

"How long ago."

"Just this morning. Princess Henrietta and her forces should be there now."

"Damn it!" Roxas growled as he clenched his fist. "How many do they have?"

"We don't know." Kirche said before she gave a sigh. "But if what I have heard about Albion is right, then they will most likely be attacking with large flying ships. Tristan had the royal griffin nights for Arial battle, but that wont is enough. It-It does not look good. Tristan didn't have time to react to a sudden battle."

Roxas clenched his fist again. How could he go up against something like that? He didn't have that kind of firepower...

Don't flatter me Xehanort. During this whole battle, The Forgotten Light has been siphoning my magic from me. All I had to do was wait for the opportune moment.

Roxas's eyes widened as that small memory played through his head. He remembered watching as Kida shot the massive laser at Xehanort, and the destruction is caused.

"That's it." He whispered as he raised his right hand. Kirche and Tabitha watched with raised eyebrows before the Forgotten Light appeared in his hand.

Roxas stared down at the dark keyblade before he closed his eyes. "Please, lend me your power."

Suddenly, he threw the keyblade into the air. Tabitha, Kirche, and Irukukwu watched at a bright light emitted from the Keyblade before it suddenly transformed into something they had never seen before. It was a…Vehicle of some form.

Roxas watched as Kida's glider hovered in front of him. Now there was no doubt in his mind. These dreams he was having were actually memories of the deceased keyblade master. This glider was more than enough evidence of that. And if that were true, then maybe this would be possible. Roxas wasted no time in jumping on the glider and grasping the handles.

"Roxas! What is this?" Kirche asked as she walked forward and gingerly touched the metal frame of the glider. "I have never seen anything like this."

"I don't have time to explain right now. I have to get to Tarbes."

"Then why don't you use the Corridor?" Asked Tabitha. She was also trying to get over the shock of seeing this new…thing that Roxas was riding.

"It's hard to explain, but I need to charge this glider so I can take down one of the airships when I get there. I have to charge it on the way using my magic." Roxas started as the glider began to rise from the ground. "I have to fight. I can't let them die."

Tabitha and Kirche looked at each other for a second before they looked back at Roxas. A soft smile crossed Kirche's face as she nodded.

"We understand. Go get 'me Roxas."

Roxas nodded before the glider turned around and suddenly blazed off in a flash of speed, leaving Kirche and Tabitha to pick their jaws off of the ground. They watched, as he became nothing but a speck in the background.

Kirche massaged her temples as she looked at Tabitha. "I swear, he is going to be the depth of me if he keeps surprising me like that."

"Do you think he completed his goal?" asked Tabitha.

"Well, Why don't we find out?" Irukukwu said with a fanged smile before she began to glow brightly again. Standing in her place was Sylphids in her dragon form. She knelt down, beckoning Tabitha and Kirche to jump on her back.

Kirche looked at Tabitha before she grinned. "Things are never dull with Roxas around."

"I agree." Tabitha said as she and Kirche jumped on Sylphids back.


Authors Note: Yeah yeah, I know. Another cliffhanger. But like I said, the length of this chapter was getting ridiculous, so I had to split it up. I know I said this last time, but the season finale is coming up quick. I have a lot of it written already, but I need to fix up a few details before it is done. Not much else to say. School is killing me and I find that writing is one of my only escapes.

Please leave a review and tell me how I did. Things are going to be very interesting next chapter. Also, you may be in for a small surprise, so look forward to it. Thanks again for all those who review. It means the world to me.

Until then!