Chapter Thirteen: Darkest Before Dawn

The dark figure crept through the early night, silent in his pursuit. Advancing on the grand house, he crept his way to the front door. He reached out, manipulating the threads of power defending it from the entry of his kind, and opened the door, slipping into the shadowy entrance hall. He looked around sharply, moving quickly through the mansion-like house to the center room that none of the inhabitants ever opened. He ventured inside, looking for the first time upon the core of the power that protected the house from the darkness.

A smirk curled his lip as he reached out to touch it. Threads of power twined around his fingers, and he set to work rearranging and altering the nature of what they did. It didn't take long. They were like putty in his hands as he wove a new spell with them. It was simple. He had been taught well.

His task complete, he hurried from the home. No need to tease away the magic at the door anymore. He almost laughed as he sped into the night. Soon, very soon, it would begin.

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Ven was woken from a sound sleep to what seemed to be a million stamping feet. All the Chasers had begun sleeping normally after Xehanort's betrayal, needing to keep their strength up for whatever could come their way. The Chaser of Light rubbed sleep from his eyes, blinking as his door was thrown open and Aidin and Liah raced in.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We're under attack." Aidin said tensely. Ven sat up immediately, summoning his armor and going over to them.

"How? Isn't this house protected?"

"Something has interfered with the spells." Aidin mumbled softly, seeming unwilling to explain. "It no longer keeps the darkness out." He hesitated, and both younger Chasers knew something was wrong. Aidin sighed. "It keeps us in. We're trapped here." Ven and Liah looked around horrified. Their sanctuary had become their prison. If they were overtaken in here, there would be nowhere left to run to. Aidin hugged both younger teens, before stepping back and drawing his Keyblade. "Come on. Let's fight for our home."

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As they came to a halt at the top of the main stairs, all three could see the relentless pounding on the front door. It was solid, and despite the magic protecting it being gone, it was still locked and held firm. They thanked small miracles, because that lock bought them some time.

"We have to be careful." Aidin said sternly. "No mistakes. Stay together, and don't let them separate us." He turned back as the door opened with a bang, allowing the black shadows to pour in. They had been released from Kingdom Hearts when the Dark One unlocked it, and now ran rampant wherever they chose. But this… These were being led. They were too organized. It had to be…

Ven snarled with barely-suppressed rage as he caught sight of Xehanort, standing tall in the midst of his shadowy troops. The Dark One stood with him. Both held their Keyblades drawn, and with a single gesture, Xehanort directed the shadows to attack.

The Chasers found themselves fighting for their lives in a sea of darkness. It took every amount of strength they possessed. Fear and hesitation had given way to just the need to survive. They had played this game before, fighting shadows, but never quite this way. It was like an all-out war, for the shadows had a general to obey. In the midst of the clash, they heard the Dark One's laughter, followed by Xehanort raising his own voice in a wicked laugh. Liah battled her way through the shadows until they stood face to face.

He held out a hand, and the shadows nearby ceased trying to attack her and merely stood in a silent ring. Watching her carefully, he said softly, "Liah, do you understand now?"

"Xehanort, why would you do this?" She looked around frantically. Beyond the ring surrounding the two, the remaining shadows were still trying to rip Aidin and Ven limb from limb. "You'll kill them!"

"My dearest Liah…" Xehanort reached up and took his helmet off. His eyes were pleading. "You of half-Dark should see, I have found where I am accepted for the power balance I have."

"You've become a murderer." Liah hissed, unable to meet his eyes. He reached out a hand to her, and she looked up sharply in surprise.

"Please, come with me… I don't fear the darkness anymore, Liah." His small, genuine smile only served to make taking his offered hand more tempting. She found herself wishing it were that easy. She could just put her hand in his and end it all. But then she saw the Dark One out of the corner of her eyes, laughing as he urged the shadows on, and she knew it was he who had made Xehanort this way.

"No." Liah said firmly. "You've taken the wrong road." Xehanort prepared an angry response, but something caught his eye.

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Ven and Aidin stood back-to-back, fending off as many shadows as they could. Between attacks, Aidin finally managed to get out, "We have to get the one controlling them. If Xehanort's master dies, he might come to his senses."

Ven nodded. Aidin leaned back, whispering, "Oh three, opposite directions. We'll get him from both sides at the same time." A whispered confirmation came from Light, before both moved, leaping over the shadows and circling back around. They threw themselves towards the Dark One at the same time, in a last desperate attempt to end everything.

They caught him unaware, and he only had time to turn, locking Aidin's Keyblade against his own. But Ven's connected, striking against his unprotected back. The strike made him lose force where he was holding off Aidin, and both boys set to work. They funneled all of their hatred into every strike and slash, until nothing was left of the man but some fading wisps of darkness. Yet it seemed that they could hear his taunting voice as he faded: You have only made an enemy you cannot defeat… My power will be his…

Xehanort saw his master's fall, and cried out in alarm. Power flooded him, and he called on everything he had, summoning up Dark Firaga and casting it at the two. Aidin dodged, but it hit Ven dead-center, knocking him to the floor. Liah called out to him, but something told her it was too late. The Darkness had gotten to him. She ran to his side, kneeling and crying his name.

"Ven, Ven, don't leave me, please, please!" she called to him, again and again, but it was too late. She watched the glowing shape of his heart rise as his form faded away, but instead of sailing away to Kingdom Hearts, it arced out into the night and was gone.

"Aidin!" Liah gasped. "What just…"

"Like the royalty…" Aidin murmured. "He didn't die a true death… His heart is protecting itself from Darkness…"

Xehanort only stared. Pure hearted Ven, born a girl he would have been a Princess… Did that mean…? No, it couldn't. He watched in a detached kind of way as Liah, seeing him as the only one to take out her anger on, ran at him. He felt the darkness in him well up, leaving him unable to control his own actions.

"You murdered my brother!" Liah shrieked, seeming to have ignored what Aidin had said. Xehanort raised a hand, a look of horror frozen on his face at his own actions. Darkness swirled, forming what appeared to be a portal, and Liah fell headlong into it and was gone.

Xehanort fell to his knees where she had been. "Oh my god, Liah… What did I do…?" He ignored Aidin as the other walked to him. "Liah, Liah, I didn't want anything to happen to you…"

Aidin was silent as Xehanort looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. He pointed his Keyblade at the young darkling's forehead, whispering, "Forget. Forget everything. Chasers, Keyblades, shadows. You know nothing of them." Xehanort's eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the floor. Aidin leaned down, adding, "But you will remember someday, and you will come and find me, and we shall settle this." He lifted the unconscious teen, slinging him over a shoulder and leaving the house.

A trip on the Gummi Ship later and Xehanort was left lying on the front steps of the palace at Radiant Garden. If King Ansem the Wise couldn't temper Xehanort properly, no one would be able to. Aidin himself returned to the home he and his surrogate family had shared, looking out over the dusty landscape. He took one last long glance around the broken-up, empty entrance hall. The shadows had fled when both Xehanort and the Dark One had fallen. Without a word, Aidin turned and walked away into the desert.

Thinking of you, wherever you are…
I walk this road without you,
To remake forgotten promises,
And meet you at road's end.
I will see you again,
Liah…
Ven…

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

And so the Chasers' parts come to a close. So, Xehanort wakes up on Ansem's doorstep with no memories, Aidin heads for the Horizon Plains, and Ven and Liah are... lost. Hehe. Anyone want to guess what happened to Ven? I'll give you a hint. It happened to another character once. In the first Kingdom Hearts. Just, slightly different.

A reviewer, sckry, pointed out to me that Ven, Liah, and Xehanort seem to have parallels to Sora, Kairi, and Riku. While I would love to say most of it was on purpose, it was not. Liah wasn't meant to be similar to Kairi at all! She's stronger, and a better fighter. Just because she's female... As for why Ven is like Sora, that will be explained later. That part was on purpose.

Xehanort having a parallel to Riku wasn't intentional, but it fits nicely. Riku was drawn in by the darkness, just the same as Xehanort twenty years previous.

Soooo... R&R, please? Reviews make me so happy!

Li