Hello everyone, I just want to extend a big apology for taking so long to get this chapter out. I have been busy over the past two weeks and haven't had time to work on it and when I did, I was sort of in a jam, which I unjammed. There is only one more chapter is the Subchapter series left after this one. So enjoy!

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This guy was starting to piss Irvine off, with the provoking comments and constant attack changes. Not to mention he was wielding two guns, Irvine was the only one allowed with guns here. Plus, they were still getting nowhere with this guy and now they were fighting up top a large cliff side that was way above ground level. Quickly realizing the disadvantage they had, Zidane jumped back to a safe distance where Irvine stood.

"This isn't working, we're going to need to take it up a notch." Zidane said, "I got a treat for him, hopefully you got the same."

"By that, you mean a bullet up his ass?" Irvine asked.

"Yeah something like that." Zidane replied, with a laugh.

Irvine laughed and backed up to let Zidane prepare his "treat" for Xigbar. Zidane took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, as energy gathered around him and started to radiate off his body. The light purplish color then began to glow off of Zidane as his cloths and hair swirled all about from the immense energy that circled around him. Irvine had to admit, he was definitely impressed by what Zidane was showing. He not only looked cool, but had somehow gained more power then before. Xigbar was a little thrown off by this. He couldn't understand where all that energy and power came from, which would now make things hard for him.

"This is my Trance." Zidane said, "Until now, I wasn't even serious."

"Not serious, as if." Xigbar chuckled.

Zidane grinned angrily at Xigbar and at an amazing speed charged at him cutting him in the left shoulder. Xigbar's eyes widen, not expecting the attack and quickly jumped back gripping his shoulder wound. He knew the tailed-kid had gained some more power, but that speed and strength was just unheard of. Things were going to get way more difficult from here on, more then he imagined so. All he had to do though was kill Irvine, once that was over he could leave. He turned around to Zidane, only to see the boy fly at him again and launch an attack. Xigbar barely dodged it, knowing that it would have been fatal had it hit him. He shot at Zidane, but it was quickly blocked and Zidane retaliated with another attack. He again cut Xigbar, this time getting his right shoulder. Blood began to seep from both his wounds, weakening them like Zidane had intended.

Xigbar was getting tired of this really quickly and formed his two guns together to form a sniper rifle. He jumped in the air as high as he could and aimed his rifle at Zidane, charging it up and then firing it at him. Zidane easily dodged the blue laser arrow and went in for an attack, when the arrow bounced off the ground and hit him. The attack was so forceful that it threw him back and off the cliff. Quickly he stabbed his dagger into the edge of the cliff, using it as support from falling. He looked down only to see a very long fall and an immediate death had he actually fallen. Looking back up, he saw yet another blue laser arrow flying towards him, ready to end his life. Irvine laughed and stepped in the way firing his gun, the canister bullet collided the arrow and created a small blast in mid-air.

"You know what Zidane, I think I'll take it from here." he said, lending his hand to him.

"Your loss." Zidane responded, taking the hand and climbing back up and into safety.

"It's always my loss." Irvine stated, as he looked back over to Xigbar, "Sorry but your starting to become a problem, so I thought I come up with a plan. I'll beat you to death and kick you around and then you'll tell me where my friends are. After that I'll throw you off the cliff, how does that sound?"

"Sounds great, though how about we reverse it. Instead of me taking the beating, I'll be the one delivering it." Xigbar said in response to Irvine's smart mouth.

Irvine laughed and loaded his gun with AP ammo. Both normal and quick ammo weren't enough to take this guy down let alone hit him. He needed something that was much more stronger and if the AP ammo hit him, then it would definitely cause some serious damage. Both Xigbar and Irvine then lifted their guns and fired at the same time. Both dodged each others attack and continued to exchange bullets. Xigbar was having a harder time though, and wondered where this sudden burst of energy came from in Irvine. It was as if these two weren't using their full strength untill now.

"The thing about my baby, she can fire off many different types of ammo. Up until now I was just using the weakest kind, it's going to get a lot harder for you now that I decided to upgrade." Irvine added.

"Actually, your already dead." Xigbar remarked, as he raised his gun up and fired.

Irvine felt a strong, sharp pain in his chest and looked down to see blood staining his cloths where a bullet had hit him. He looked back up, the gun Xigbar had fired was pointing away from him in the air. How could a bullet pierce him when it wasn't aimed at him? Irvine gripped his chest as blood poured out at an even faster rate, leaving him to lose his balance and slowly inch his way towards the edge of the cliff.

"Space manipulation, or teleportation to be exact. I can teleport my shots in different angles no matter where my guns are aimed." Xigbar explained, "I guess it wasn't as hard as you said it would be."

Irvine didn't know what to think anymore, it was over for him. He started to cough up blood, struggling to get a ounce of breath. Pain was running up and down his body but it would soon be over for him. His eyes started to slowly close, but he struggled to keep them open. He didn't want to die like this, he didn't want to die without seeing his friends again. He didn't want to die now, not ever getting the chance to see her again. He stopped as he came to the edge of the cliff, miles away from ground level and a certain death to those who fell. Xigbar snickered and turned as he tapped a small device around his ear.

"Xaldin, Irvine Kinneas has been eliminated." he spoke, before turning to Irvine, "Since you're gonna die anyways, Destiny Islands. That's where you'll find one of your friends, some girl by the name of Selphie Tilmitt."

Xigbar gave a small laugh before he turned to the dark mass of energy that appeared in front of him. He slowly entered and disappeared leaving the injured two behind in a somewhat state of shock. Irvine was happy though, glad to know Selphie was alright. He smiled as he dropped his gun to the ground and looked up at the sky.

"Sorry Selphie, I don't think I can make it to you." he mumbled, "But I know that you can hear me and I just wanted to let you know, I just wanted to tell you that I love you."

Irvine closed his eyes and fell back, falling in the air and to his death. Zidane rushed immediately to try and grab him, but it was too late. He watched as his friend fell and disappeared within the mist surrounding the cliffs. He yelled out his name, but he knew that wouldn't do anything. It was over and there was nothing he could do. As Irvine fell, he could hear someone whisper to him before he lost conscious completely.

"Don't worry, you'll see her again." the voice called, "Just like I'll see my friends again."

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"Xaldin, Irvine Kinneas has been eliminated."

Xaldin received the message and shook his head in disbelief. Here he was having trouble with these two pests, both of which weren't proving to be much of a challenge for him. Yet Xigbar had already defeated his target and was probably headed back to their world. Xaldin grew angry at this thought, but laughed knowing he could use this to his advantage. He turned to Quistis, who looked confused hearing the message through Xaldin's device.

"You heard that, didn't you?" he asked, "Your friend has been killed, and you will soon follow after him."

Quistis couldn't believe it, Irvine was dead! No she wouldn't believe it, there was no way he would die that soon. There was no way he would allow himself to die here and now, not when they were so close to finding their friends. It had to be a trick, right? Tears started to run down her face, unsure of what to think. Hatred was the only thing on her mind now, hatred for the man who stood before her. Hatred for the heartless and darkness and that hate could no longer be held in. She screamed in anger and without giving thought to what she was doing, charged at Xaldin in a head-on attack.

"Pathetic." Xaldin muttered, dodging her attack and driving his spear through her chest.

He pulled the spear out of her and grabbed her throwing her into the wall. She hit the wall and fell to the floor, unable to fight or even stand anymore. So it was over for them, even though she struggled, her body wouldn't allow her to keep going on. Fate had betrayed them and luck no longer cared to stand next to the weak. As she began to lose conscious herself, her last thoughts drifted to her friends. She would never see them again.

"Quistis." Beatrix shouted as she rushed to her side.

"Pathetic, wasting my precious time on such a weakling. I'd take her heart, but it's so worthless that it couldn't even meet a child's needs." Xaldin said.

Beatrix shook her, trying to keep her awake and alive. If she could get her to Eiko and Garnet, then Quistis might have a chance at surviving. Their healing magic could save her, but how much time would she be given before life ended for the her? A dark mass of energy appeared around Xaldin and he slowly disappeared watching Beatrix struggle to keep Quistis alive. Their mission was complete, both Irvine and Quistis had been eliminated.

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(Author's note: In the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts II, Xigbar was able to combine his two guns into a sniper rifle when battlign Sora in The World That Never Was. To keep its E10 rating, they edited this out of the US version...sadly...)