Chapter 23: Organization's End
They walked into Nothing's Call and started forward. Kairi briefly had a flashback to Xion fighting against Saix, and was rather glad the man wasn't here to fight them. Not that he'd stand a chance, but, she did remember he used to be Axel's friend when they were whole. She'd rather not kill him unless she had to.
WARP
Kairi glanced up, sighting a Dusk sitting ontop of one of the ramps leading into the castle, staring down at them. It took one look at Aqua before it's mouth unzipped and it let loose a peculiar scream that echoed into the castle. Within seconds, more screams echoed within the castle, and then an alarm started blaring full force from within the castle.
"Well shit, that didn't last long," said Xigbar.
HISS
Kairi's eyes went wide as a single blade of blue energy appeared in Aqua's right hand. She was a blur as she suddenly appeared infront of the Dusk and severed it in half. Kairi took a closer look at it, it was made of pure energy, and it wasn't actually being held like a blade, more like it was a beam of energy held slightly in front of her palm's and swung light a sword, maybe like... an ethereal blade? If she had to put a name to it.
"We move, now," ordered Aqua.
Axel summoned his chakrams, Xigbar summoned his guns, and Kairi summoned Oathkeeper...
FLASH WHINE
Kairi was surprised when a flash of light erupted from her other hand, and a complete Two-Become One appeared in her other hand. She stared at it silently, glancing back and forth between it and Oathkeeper. Both were whole, neither were broken...
"Ha, guess the kiddo still want's a piece of the action, part of you or not," said Xigbar, amused.
"Xion...," whispered Kairi.
WARP
Hoards of lesser Nobodies started appearing and rushing at them, giving them no more chance to speak. Hoard or not, they were no match for the four of them. They cut a swath through the Nobodies and into the Crooked Ascension. When they boarded the elevator's however, nothing happened.
"The cut em, great," muttered Axel.
"I'll deal with it, I trust you three are competent enough to handle the Nobodies?" said Aqua.
Kairi nodded. "We got it."
Nothingness surrounded Aqua like an aura, and she levitated into the air. She aimed her hands upwards, and tendrils of nothingness spread out of her, grabbing the elevator they were on and pulling it upwards through strength of will. Nobodies kept warping in, gunning for Aqua, but the three of her surrounded her in a protective triangle. Keyblades were swung, guns were fired, chakrams went flying along with fire.
"Yo Xigbar, can't you call your sniper's off?" yelled Axel, leaping and deflecting a bullet away from Aqua.
"Pff, as if, you think that old coot actually gave me any control over them?" retorted Xigbar.
"Well, out snipe them then!" yelled Axel.
Xigbar switched from dual guns, merging them into a single long rifle and knelt underneath where Aqua floated. "Cover me."
Axel and Kairi had to put a bit more effort to protect the both of them, allowing Xigbar to gun down the Nobodies attacking their group from out of range.
"And what about you and your boys?" said Xigbar.
"Uh... stop attacking us!" yelled Axel at a spiky Nobody.
The Nobody in question threw itself at Axel and exploded, almost sending him flying off the elevator, and hit Aqua. The elevator lurched a little as she lost concentration for a moment.
"Ha!" said Xigbar as he staggered a bit, amused, "That answers that."
Kairi stabbed her keyblades into the elevator floor to keep herself from starting to slide.
"Imbeciles," said Aqua, managing to correct the elevator. "Must I do this myself?"
"Jeez bluebird, don't get your panties in a bunc...," began Xigbar.
A storm of nothingness ripped out of Aqua's body, black and white lightning surging out to turn each Nobody it touched into dust. The storm continued as they rose higher and higher up the Crooked Ascension, no matter how many Nobodies threw themselves at them, the storm ate them all. Kairi lowered her keyblades and took a slight breather, the other two doing the same.
"Damn bluebird," muttered Xigbar, "You haven't been slacking sitting in the mansion of yours."
Aqua didn't comment, her entire focus on raising the elevator and maintaining the nothing storm.
Kairi had to admit, she was impressed. "Wonder how strong Master Aqua really was if her Nobody is this strong..."
"Pff, kiddo, I'm not knocking the woman, but 'Master Aqua' wouldn't hold a candle to almost any serious fighter nowadays. Nobody back then can really compare to what ten years of fighting a Heartless Apocalypse can do to someone's strength," said Xigbar.
"Fair enough," said Kairi.
"Though," said Xigbar, a grin on his face, "I wonder how strong she'll be when she's recompleated..."
Kairi gave him a curious look. "Recompleated? You mean when she eventually grows her heart back?"
Xigbar smirked, but said nothing.
Kairi frowned. She had the nagging sensation, in the back of her head, that Xigbar was hiding something. That man knew FAR more than he let on, he had since the beginning...
"Xigbar, what are you to Xehanort?" asked Kairi.
"I used to be his right-hand man," said Xigbar, "Before Aqua made me a deal and I switched sides."
Which meant he had insight to a lot of Xehanort's plans... but...
"A deal for what?" she asked.
"Those things in your hand," he answered.
Kairi stared at him, and then Aqua, surprised. "You promised him a Keyblade?"
"I said before that I do not remember any promise," said Aqua, her voice slightly strained with focus.
"As a heads up, that excuse ain't gonna fly when you're whole," said Xigbar with amusement, though, Kairi did see a hardened glint in his eye.
Aqua didn't reply.
The elevator reached the top a few minutes later and they walked out into Twilight's View. Kairi walked to the edge of the stair platform and glance out of a Nobody Symbol shaped hole, out into the City That Never Was. There was a barrier surrounding the castle, she could feel Aerith's nothingness emanating from it. She was moderately impressed the woman could maintain such a huge barrier to...
Her thoughts trailed off and she paled as she sighted explosions emanating far below, and the sea of Nobodies try to breach through her friends and family from Nothing's Watch. She gripped the railing tightly. That... that was so many... could they handle that?!
"We have to move, move now!" said Kairi in a full blown panic.
She took off up Twilight's View and into the Hall of Empty Melodies.
"Kairi wait up!" yelled Axel.
CRACK
Lightning surged down from above and into the space between Kairi and the others, causing a massive explosion of electricity that separated them.
FLASH
A barrier of lightning appeared, cutting Kairi off from the others. Kairi rose to her feet and glanced up, sighting Larxene as the woman leapt from an above balcony and landed a bit in front of Kairi. The rage on the woman's face took Kairi's breath away and made her feel squeamish. This wasn't faked or forced, Larxene was PISSED.
"You little bitch," swore Larxene with such viciousness it made Kairi tense, "You took her away! You murdered Xion!"
Kairi flinched and took a step back. "Larxene... I..."
"Huuuuaaaaah!" roared the woman, lightning exploding out from her in all directions.
Kairi raised her keyblades defensively to block the electricity. Larxene flew at her, lightning coating her body and raining down from the sky with each slash of her knives. Kairi blocked and backpedaled, put on the defensive immediately. There was no warm ups or testing the waters, Larxene was cutting loose and going for the kill right away. Kairi knew she was far stronger than Larxene, but this onslaught was relentless, she didn't have a chance to try and take the offensive.
"Larxene! Stop!" yelled Kairi, "I don't want to hurt you!"
"Yeah? Well I want to make you BLEED!" screamed Larxene.
Kairi staggered a bit as a dagger got through her defenses and sliced open her cheek, electricity washing over her face and making her lose focus. A bolt of lightning hit her chest and sent her flying to the ground, skidding along. Kairi shook her head, healed herself, and vaulted to her feet as the woman rushed at her.
"Sorry Xion," whispered Kairi with remorse.
"LIGHT!" roared Kairi, unleashing Salvation.
She was shocked when Larxene dove right into the storm of light, not caring about the power tearing into her, and stabbed a knife right into Kairi's chest. Kairi screamed in pain and staggered. Larxene tripped her and drove her to the ground, raising her hands and stabbing down over and over again, making Kairi continually cry out. Kairi dropped her keyblades and lashed out with her hands, grabbing Larxene's wrists to stop her. Powerful light washed out of Kairi, mending her wounds as she slowly twisted the woman's wrists, making her drop the knives.
Kairi headbutted her, driving her skull against the woman and then kicked her off. Kairi summoned her keyblades as she rose and charged the woman as she struggled to rise to her feet, raising them into the air to bring them down and...
NO!
Kairi froze, her entire body froze, as Xion's voice ripped into her head and her entire body clamped up.
Larxene stared up her, baffled and tense.
Kairi felt it, the weak pained nudge from the depths of her heart. Kairi numbly let her consciousness be pushed aside, shocked by what was happening. Xion... she was still...
Kairi watched, passively, as her body closed it's eyes and her keyblades lowered to the ground. "L...lar...x...xene..."
Larxene froze up. "X-Xion?"
Xion opened Kairi's eyes, her entire body shaking with effort. "I... m...ma...de... th...is... ch...oi...ce... p...please... d...do...n't... be... s...sad..."
"Gods... Xion, what's wrong with you?" whispered Larxene, horrified.
Kairi could feel it. Commanding a body and speaking was so far beyond what Xion should be doing right now. The girl ought to be resting, sleeping for however long it took. The pain she felt emanating from the girl's shattered pieces of her heart was so awful. Kairi didn't even know how the girl still had the consciousness to even do this. Yet... somehow she still did it, to save her friend. The power of the girl's heart, even when it was in tatters... Kairi didn't know what to think or feel at it...
Xion smiled at her. "I... cou...ldn't... k...ill... he...r..."
"Xion... you... you were the only one who ever made me feel like it would be okay to get my heart back," said Larxene, her eyes almost looking watery, as if she were struggling to try to cry, "How could you just leave us?"
Xion sighed and fell to a knee, closing her eyes. Kairi felt the girl collapse back into her heart, silent. The mere moments she had been in control were to much for her to handle. She took back over and rose to her feet, staring down at Larxene.
"Larxene," said Kairi quietly, "I wish with everything I had, that Xion could have been the one to make it, not me. But she refused, she sacrificed herself to restore me, against my wishes I might add, because that's who she was."
Larxene bowed her head. "..."
Kairi offered a hand. "I don't want to fight you, or kill you. I can't do that to Xion, not after that. So please, help us, or just leave."
Larxene looked up at her, grief stricken. "Alright... I... I'll help you. For Xion."
Kairi smiled warmly at her.
"Kairi! Look out!" cried out Axel.
Kairi blinked a few times, looking back at him, confused. "What?"
Kairi yelped as Larxene suddenly shoved her back.
STAB
Kairi's eyes went wide with shock as a spear blew through Larxene's chest, right where Kairi had been a split second ago. spraying Kairi with a bit of blood. Kairi landed on her back and stared, horrified, as Xaldin leaped down and grabbed the spear, hefting Larxene up. He brutally threw her to the ground, stamped on her back, and ripped his spear out of her.
"I've had about all I can stand of traitors," spat Xaldin.
Larxene shakily reached a hand out towards Kairi. "X...xion..."
The hand fell, the woman's eyes closed, and she faded away into nothingness.
Kairi shook, she shook as Xion's grief erupted through her body. She opened her mouth and they screamed in loss together. The pain was so intense, that if the rage hadn't washed over here then and their, Kairi might have collapsed. She burst to her feet, roaring in fury and pain, surged at Xaldin, her Keyblades glowing so furiously with light they almost appeared to be pure white beams.
The man raised his spears and swung at her. Kairi blew through them, her keyblades severing them in half. Xaldin had a moment for his eyes to go wide with surprise before Kairi tore into him.
The pain... it was so overwhelming, all consuming, she couldn't stop if she wanted to. She mercilessly cut into him again and again, trying to give an outlet to it. She kept on going, slashed into where he had been after his body faded away, over and over again, sobbing uncontrollably
Arms grabbed hers and Axel's voice rang out. "Kairi! It's over, he's gone!"
Kairi's knees wobbled and she fell to the ground, she cried out in a dual echoing voice, one Kairi, one Xion. "It... hurts Axel... it hurts so much..."
Axel suckered in a breath before he hesitatingly knelt down behind Kairi and wrapped his arms around her. "Shh Xion, shh. I... I know it hurts. I'm sorry."
Axel ran a hand through her hair and kept murmuring quietly into her ear for a few minutes. Slowly, the pain started to ebb, and Kairi blinked a few times, coming out of the daze.
She glanced down at Axel's arms wrapped around her. "Umm..."
Axel let go and stood up, looking a little skittish, scratching the back of his head. "Uh... sorry about that. She just..."
"It's fine," murmured Kairi, "She... she needed it."
Kairi brought a hand up to her chest. "Xion... I'm so sorry..."
There was no response, just the continued presence of her dulled pain. Xion... should never have had to have felt that loss, that pain... she... she had failed her...
Aqua strode past them. "We've dawdled here to long, we move."
Kairi glared at her. "Have you no heart? Just... give me a minute."
Aqua glanced back at. "No, I don't have a heart in case you forgot. Grieve if you must, but grieve later when we are not on a timer."
Kairi went silent at that before sighing, and starting slowly after her.
"Is Xion... okay?" Axel asked quietly.
"I don't know, that was the first time she really acted since... she... gave my heart back," said Kairi quietly, "She's not actively talking to me like I was to her. She's in no condition to do so. What she did... really hurt her to do."
Axel went silent at that.
"I'm going to set a ground rule though," she said in a warning tone, "I'm... fine with you doing something like that if she really needs it, but no way in hell are you ever kissing her through me, got it?"
Axel looked at her, incredulous. "I care for Xion, deeply, but not like... she's... just a kid. We... we weren't... never even told her..."
She stopped him. "You meant the world to her, even if she didn't properly know how to describe or understand the way you made her feel."
Axel opened and closed his mouth a few times, speechless.
"Though," she added with a light jab, "I kinda think your an 'old creeper'."
Axel bristled. "Old?!"
Xigbar slapped his shoulder. "Ha! Flamsilocks and the kiddo, sitting in a tre..."
"Pay attention!" yelled Aqua.
Kairi looked forward in time to see another mass of lesser Nobodies charging at them. The group sprang back into action and began to move, carving a path up deeper into the castle.
Though, when they passed the infirmary...
Mixinne stood in the doorway, silently looking at them, but doing nothing. The mouses eyes were cold as they regarded the group, her lips tight.
"I've seen the battles and the fires raging below. So congratulations Xion," said the mouse coldly, "In less than a month, you've managed to destroy what we spent ten years building here. I hope you're 'happy'."
Kairi ignored the jab and stared at her awkwardly, she hadn't paid attention to it while within Xion, but, she was certain this was...
"Minne," said Kairi, slowing down to a stop.
The mouse frowned at her. "..."
"Stop wasting time, if she's not fighting, she's not worth the effort," called back Aqua.
"Minne, Mickey misses you, so much," said Kairi.
The mouse clenched her fists. "Why would he? He wasn't there when I died, he wasn't there to help!"
"That's not fair to him!" said Kairi, "It eats away at him, he doesn't even go back to Disney Castle anymore because of how much your death hurt him."
The mouse said nothing.
"Go back to Disney Castle Minne," said Kairi, starting forward again, "Mickey needs you."
She paid no further attention to the mouse and took off after the others. Minnie's fate would be her own. They continued up onto Naught's Skyway, they were getting closer to the top now and...
Kairi's eyes went wide as she saw the barrier surrounding the Castle That Never Was fall. Her heart lurched and she rushed to the side, desperately trying to glance down over the edge and down to the city so far below.
If... if the barrier was down... then... Aerith...
"No, please no," she whispered fearfully.
"Hey hey hey, you don't know if shes dead, she could just be knocked out or something," said Axel hurriedly, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Either way," said Kairi, her voice a little hollow, "They'd have to have gotten passed the others to get to her."
Kairi walked passed him silently, trying to not to start shaking and keep herself in control...
SCREAM
Kairi's heart froze as from down far below, echoing up to them, were unnatural and horrific screams. She recognized them instantly, along with the wave of pain that suddenly washed over her heart. She staggered and gripped the rails tightly.
"What the heck was that?" said Axel.
Kairi glanced down fearfully into the City That Never Was, at the new blossoming explosions and battles. "Ascended..."
"Eh? You mean the creatures Xion fought?" said Axel, alarmed.
Kairi nodded, color draining from her face. "Oh gosh... they... they have to get out of there!"
Kairi aimed a hand and unleashed a blast of light into the nights sky as a signal for her friends and family to run. Screw them trying to hold out in the hell the city had just turned in. She didn't care if Nobodies or Ascended started pouring into the castle, they had to get out of there!
"What are you doing?" demanded Aqua, "They were supposed to hold..."
"THEY CAN'T!" screamed Kairi at her, shaking with fear, "You don't understand what just stepped into this place! I can feel them... all that pain... there's hundreds, thousands of them entering the world..."
"Why the heck now though?" said Axel uneasily.
"Isn't it obvious?" said Xigbar, "We just caused all kinds of hell by doing this, the city's practically in anarchy. This is the perfect time for those things to attack. I don't think anyone even knew those things knew where this world was."
Xigbar glanced down grimly into the city. "It's going to be a slaughter, one way or the other."
"Why here?" grumbled Axel, "It's still risky to fight the entire population of Nobodies like this..."
Kairi glanced up at Kingdom Hearts in the sky. "I... I think that's why..."
By the light, forget Xehanort, what would happen if THOSE THINGS got their hands on that Kingdom Hearts?
"It means," said Aqua clearing her throat, "We need to move, now. Kill Xehanort, destroy that Kingdom Hearts, and GO."
They bolted at top speed, booking it into Proof Of Existence.
They slowed to a stop, sighting Luxord waiting for them. He sat on his Proof, rolling three dice in his hands. He cast them in their direction, a six, a five and a two, totaling thirteen. Xion...
"Is this how you wanted it to be, Xion?" said Luxord coldly.
Kairi felt her heart constrict at his words, felt Xion constrict. "Luxord... just go."
He frowned at her. "Go where? There's nowhere for those of nothing but here."
"That's a lie Luxord, everything Xehanort's said to you all has pretty much been a lie," said Kairi, "It's possible for a Nobody to regrow their hearts."
Luxord said nothing, studying her.
"Just... be yourself, interact with people, try to feel, and it will grow, I don't know how long it will take, but it will eventually grow back," said Kairi.
Luxord frowned in contemplation before he slowly raised a hand into the air for them to see, put it into his coat, and withdrew a card. "Catch Xion."
Kairi didn't correct him, she simply caught the card when he threw it to her. She stared silently down at a joker card with Xion's face on it.
"I thought you'd find it amusing, as a gift to my favorite player," said Luxord before he turned and left through a Corridor of Darkness.
Kairi stared down at it silently, a sad smile on her face, before she pocketed it. At least one of them had taken the peaceful way out and walked away. She glanced around the Proof of Existence, sighting the way up blocked by a barrier that was connected to the three Proofs still glowing active aside from Axel, Xigbar, and oddly enough, Xion's. Mesaxn, Vexen, and Saix's.
"Alright, you three go deal with them, I'll keep the room clear," said Xigbar, cocking his guns.
"Give them the option to leave quietly, for Xion," said Kairi softly.
"I make no promises," said Aqua, making for Mesaxn's Proof.
Axel went into Saix's without a word.
Leaving Vexen to Kairi. She wasn't figuring on a fight, not with him. She banished her keyblades, walked up to it, touched it, and vanished...
...reappearing in a place than made her stomach twist violently. She was in a mad scientists lab straight out of a horror film. There were pods of people with bits and pieces missing from them, as if they were incomplete. Whats worse...
What's worse was that she recognized them. They weren't people...
As Xion was to her... she saw them, she saw incomplete replicas of those she knew.
The other Princesses of Heart...
The Keybearers...
And on a table, strapped down, was an incomplete replica of Sora that Vexen was looking over.
Kairi shook, she shook with rage, she shook with hate. "You... you bastard..."
Vexen gave a start and whirled. "What? Xion?"
"It's Kairi," she snarled out, Oathkeeper appearing in a viscous flash of light.
Vexen took a hesitant step back. "N-now Princess..."
"Shut up!" she yelled at him, "You... your the one who made Xion the way she was, weren't you? You made her to be a parasite! You gave her life, only to force her to try to be a monster! You... you're the one who gave her no choice..."
"She's in pieces inside my heart," snarled out Kairi, taking a step forward, "Because of what YOU made her be!"
Vexen summoned his shield and held it out defensively. "Now that's unfair! I followed the Superior's orders, no more no less. It wasn't exactly a choice!"
"There's always a choice," she spat out.
She glanced down at the incomplete Sora replica, and by the light, it hurt to see it in pieces, even if it wasn't him. "How did you even get all of their memories to start these?"
"We didn't. We used the copy of your memories we used for Xion of them to start as a base for the Superior's replacement plans, of course, we'd need to eventually get a sample from the replacees in order too...," began Vexen.
Kairi was DONE. She threw Oathkeeper like a spear, slipping it by Vexen's shielded, skewering him, carrying him back through the air, and embedding him in the wall. The man stared down at it, in shock, before he dropped his shield and slowly faded away into nothingness.
Kairi stared numbly around the room, at all the incomplete replicas, not even fully alive yet, cursed and doomed to leech off those they had been made in the image of without choice. "What... what am I supposed to do?"
Set... them... free...
Two-Become One appeared in her hand in a flash.
Kairi's stomach plummeted. Light... was Xion asking her to... but... they were... maybe the closest things Xion would actually have as a real family if they were finished and...
It hit her a second later. They were incomplete, not even alive yet. Without Vexen to complete them, or the memories of those they were made in the image of, they never would be. Maybe... it was better this way... they'd never know the pain that Xion had to go through, never risk the choice she'd had to make...
She walked up to the operating table and shakily raised her keyblade over the incomplete Sora replica, a tear sliding down her face...
Before she brought the keyblade down.
Once for him...
Once for every other replica in their pod...
She unleashed white fire across the room before she left, setting it aflame to destroy all of Vexen's work so no one could ever repeat it. Life should NEVER be made just to chase power... never be made for so cruel a purpose. She would never, ever, speak to anyone what she saw in there... what she did...
She came out to the Proof of Existence, sighting Aqua standing quietly next to Mesaxn's proof. It's light had gone out, and with it, Kairi saddened a little. Mesaxn had been a honest and kind old man from what Xion had seen of him. What a damn shame...
Axel was leaning against Saix's unlit proof, bruised and battered, scorch marks over his coat. The pained look on Axel's face was all Kairi needed to see to know what happened...
SCREAM
They all froze as a MUCH closer scream of an Ascended sounded down the hall.
"Ah crap," said Xigbar, "They're in the castle now, let's go!"
"The round room isn't much farther," said Xion.
"He wont be there," said Xigbar, "Head to the Alter instead."
"The what?" said Kairi.
"Xion never went there, the Alter of Naught is at the top of the castle," said Axel, "We know the way."
They ran up an exterior passage that led further up the tower, and then into a hall of invisible platforms. When Axel had just started running across what appeared to be empty space, Kairi had just stopped and stared for a second before following.
"Alright, just up and passed Ruin and Creation's Passage and were at the alter," said Xigbar.
Thud Thud Thud.
Kairi froze. She recognized that tap of a staff on the floor anywhere. She stopped running and turned. There, at the bottom of the passage, was the great horned witch, Maleficent. At her side was the creature she called Pete, and a great many Ascended starting to pool in behind her. They had ascended the castle at an even faster pace then the four of them had. Well, they had cleared the way after all...
"Kairi! Move it!" called back Axel.
That drew Maleficent's attention, she focused briefly on Kairi, before glancing passed her...
A surprised look crossed her face before her lips curled into her nasty grin and she spoke in a mocking voice that echoed through the room. "Well well well, do my eyes deceive me, or is that 'Lady Aqua'? It has been some time."
Kairi blinked a few times and glanced back up at Aqua, who had paused just before the exit. They knew eachother?
Aqua turned and glanced down at the witch, a frown on her face. "That voice..."
Aqua started back down, much to Kairi's surprise, and Maleficent started up, both went alone. Kairi tensed, feeling uncertain all of the sudden. the two stopped one platform away from one another, staring each other down.
"Who are you?" asked Aqua.
Maleficent raised an eyebrow before mocking, "Oh? You do not remember me? All the hours we spent pouring over the mysteries of darkness together, I'm hurt."
"Your voice and face are... familiar to me, though, your appearance does not match the brief fragments of memory I have of you," said Aqua cautiously.
"Of course not, while before I was weak, now, I have ascended!" said Maleficent, raising her arms in the air dramatically.
Aqua didn't seem impressed. "I see."
Maleficent studied Aqua for a moment before she raised the back of her head to block a mocking chuckle. "Ah... I understand... you are one of these base, empty creatures. So then, empty shell of Aqua, you do not bear their coat, so what are you here for?"
"To kill Xehanort," she answered simply.
Maleficent slowly shook her head, seeming greatly amused. "I believe the phrase is: if at first you don't succeed, try again, is it not?"
Aqua didn't respond.
Maleficent grinned at her. "I would ask how your first attempt went, but considering your Heartless nearly extinguished the entire Realm of Light, I think we know the answer to that, don't we."
Aqua simply stared at her.
Maleficent's grin faded into a scowl. "It is sad to say I actually miss our old back and forth. You provide little entertainment compared to your original self. I dare say you bore me."
"I am not here to be entertainment," said Aqua simply, baring her Ethereal Blade, "Stand down, or fight, witch."
Maleficent slowly brought up her shadowy hand, a counter appearing in the air. "You paved the way for my ascension, so for that, and I suppose for old times sake, I will spare you but ten minutes."
"Ten minutes?" questioned Aqua.
"Why, to do the job you set out to do ten years ago of course, and actually kill the old man," said Maleficent before a cruel smile splashed across her face, "Otherwise, I'll do it myself, as you instructed me to do so long ago."
Aqua deadpanned. "With an army of creatures that make my skin crawl even without a heart to feel it?"
Maleficent smirked. "Ah, there it is. I was wondering if you had any of your... charm... left."
Aqua said nothing, merely turning to go.
"As a warning, if you're still here in when that ten minutes is up, well, I hope you will enjoy being conscripted into my ranks," said Maleficent darkly.
Aqua frowned at her. "We will see."
"Tick tock Aqua, the countdown begins," said Maleficent, a dark chuckle escaping her lips.
Aqua fully turned and walked back to, and passed them, heading up for the Alter of Naught. Kairi took one more look at the horned witch, shivered, and followed suit.
"Pouring over the mysteries of darkness together eh?" murmured Xigbar, "Guess I know where she disappeared to for those three weeks now."
Kairi didn't comment. She did not like to think Master Aqua, the real whole one, had anything to do with that witch. The notion made her stomach twist anxiously. The dark thought that Master Aqua might have had something, anything, to do with the creation of these creatures... didn't sit well with her, at all.
When Aqua got her heart back, and hopefully her memories with it, she had some explaining to do.
Finally, they came out to the top of the castle, and walked up a set of steps. There, at the edge of the alter, staring up at Kingdom Hearts, was Xehanort.
The man slowly turned and stared at Aqua, silent for a moment, before he spoke, "Thus, here we are again, you and I. It would seem to be fate, for us to clash once more."
Aqua pointed her Ethereal Blade at him and simply said, "I do not care about fate. I am here because..."
She briefly pointed her blade up at Kingdom Hearts. "...your 'plan's' threaten Olette."
Kairi bristled a little. Not even a mention of Xion? Or safeguarding the worlds?
Xehanort scowled. "Even now, as but a shell of your former self, it is still your 'friends' that drive you."
The man slowly shook his head. "Some things never change."
The man frowned. "I underestimated you the first time Aqua, that won't happen again."
Aqua blitzed forward and skewered him with her blade in response.
To Kairi's surprise, Xehanort's form distorted and faded away. "It's... an illusion?"
"Up above!" said Xigbar, pointing his gun up.
Kairi looked up, her eyes wide to see Xehanort slightly below Kingdom Hearts, his arms held up to it. "It's time to begin."
His voice boomed. "Kingdom Hearts! Bestow onto me! Your power!"
"Xehanort no!" cried out Kairi.
She watched, mortified, as the man pressed his hands against the moon and slowly melded into it. She tensed, fearful, but... nothing happened?
She glanced over at Aqua, and then Axel, and then Xigbar, but they seemed as wary and clueless as she was and...
Kairi was surprised when light started emanating from the ends of her Keyblades. She hesitated briefly before raising them high into the air. Small beams of light shot out, and a pathway, along with a door at the end appeared, as if leading into Kingdom Hearts itself.
"Red carpet treatment huh?" said Axel, "Alright then, guess that's our cue."
Aqua said nothing, simply starting for the door.
Xigbar turned his rifle back into separate guns. "Alright then, let's get this show started."
Kairi stared silently at the door for a moment. If Xehanort had taken the power of this Kingdom Hearts into himself, even if it wasn't the real one that slept in the Realm of Darkness, then...
She sorely doubted the power of the Cornerstone she had absorbed into herself was going to be enough. She hoped, she prayed, that the others would help close the distance.
She took a deep breath, let it out, and followed the others to, and through, the door...