Author's Note: I do not own KH BBS or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.
Ch.24 Dual Bosses
Terra readied his Ends of the Earth while I held Twilight Dawn, watching Xehanort and Vanitas ready their own Keyblades. I stared for a second before firing Meteor Shower. A total of thirty projectiles fired at the two of them, Terra following it up Ars Solum. Xehanort teleported out of the way, while Vanitas ran towards, dodging both our attacks. I swung at him but he rolled to the side, saying "Too slow." "Oh yeah?" I challenged, suing Zantetsuken and hitting him instantly. He grunted from the blow and I stabbed him in the back. But rather than shout he froze in place, the real Vanitas appearing overhead and slamming his Keyblade down at me.
I rolled out of the way and he fired a ball of fire at me, which split into three separate ones and flew towards me and Terra. Terra blocked two but one got me, leaving a black streak against my armor. I glared at him and cast Dark Firaga, sending my own ball of dark flame at him. It hit him and exploded, sending him up into the air where I slashed at him. The blow left a shallow cut across his chest, and he jumped back to avoid another. But Terra as below, and sent Vanitas flying with Brutal Blast. "You get Vanitas! I'll take care of Xehanort!" I called.
He nodded and I ran towards the old man, who saw me coming and said "Freeze!" firing a trio of ice shards at me. I blocked them and used Magic Hour jumping up only to dive down and blast him with columns of light. "Take that!" I called, slashing at him before I jumped back up and dived down again. He blocked the move and teleported away, waving his hand and sending the whirlwind of Keyblades at me. Vanitas jumped on top of it and flew around, firing Blizzard-like spells at the two of us. I used Aerial Slam and knocked him off, hitting him from above and sending him to the ground.
"Not yet!" he called, waving his hand. The ground beneath erupted upwards slamming into my chest and lifting me up. "Really?" I said, drawing on my powers. Twilight Dawn glowed with light, and I stabbed it into the pillar. There was a rumbled and the pillar exploded, chunks of rock flying everywhere while I landed back on the ground. My hand glowed with golden light, and I raised it into the air. All the chunks of rubble halted in midair, until I pointed at Xehanort and they flew towards him. His eyes widened and he teleported away, but even so two of three managed to hit him.
On the other end of the area Terra unleashed Ars Solum, swinging away at Vanitas with reckless abandon. He rolled out of the way to avoid the initial strikes, but was hit by the last of them, including the shockwave. He jumped into the air and let out a wave of lightning, but he used Meteor Crash to dodge and counterattack. "Thunder!" Xehanort called, sending his own wave of energy at me. I blocked with my Renewal Barrier, both healing me and sending him back. "Nice try!" I said, firing Dark Firaga. He blocked it and sent the wave of Keyblades at me, which I dodged and used Sonic Blade.
I charged at Xehanort and hit him once, twice, three times, before he moved away. Vanitas dived into the ground and erupted from beneath Terra, sending him back and towards me. I looked at him as we came close, and I said "Terra! Grab my hand!" He did, and I called "Command Style: Dark Impulse!" A dark aura covered both our bodies, and I said "Time to switch!" Pulling, I threw him behind towards Xehanort while simultaneously throwing myself at Vanitas. I used Zantetsuken to launch myself forward at a higher speed, slashing across his chest.
He grunted and sent a wave of energy at me, and I was sent back by the force of the blow. Hastily casting Curaga, I focused for a second before firing my Shotlock again. Vanitas shouted in surprise as he was battered by my attack, until he appeared above me and said "Gotcha." I grunted from the blow, and decided to take things up a notch. I used my Dark Impulse Finish and erupted from below him, giving him a taste of his own medicine before I willed my powers of twilight emerge. My eyes glowed golden, and I said "Take this!" before jumping forward and stabbing at him.
He jumped back from the assault but I kept on him, attacking relentlessly and swinging away. Vanitas then chuckled and jumped back. My eyes narrowed, and I asked "What are you laughing about?" He chuckled and pointed, and I turned to see Terra being sent back by Xehanort. "Terra!" I called, running over to him. He fell onto his back and groaned, his head throbbing from a blow to their. Xehanort smiled and said "Time for you to die!" and sent a blast of dark fire at him. "No!" I called. I hadn't helped Ven when Xehanort attacked him, there was no way I would abandon Terra as well.
My Keyblade burned with flame and I pointed it at Xehanort, sending a ball of white-gold flame his way. The two orbs met in midair and pushed against each other, and while they did I pulled Terra up. "You okay?" I asked, and he nodded. The two orbs of fire exploded, and together Terra and I jumped through the smoke. Shouting we both slammed our Keyblades down at him, and he blocked us both. While we pushed against him, he looked over at Vanitas. "Go take what Ventus owes you. And take Aqua's life!" he commanded. My head snapped up, and I looked back to see him nod and jump over the edge.
"No!" I yelled, and we both ran after him. Xehanort tried to stop me, and I let my rage and power rush through me. "Out of my Way!" I yelled, sending a wave of energy at him. He frowned and blocked it, but that gave me time to run past him and jump. Terra didn't follow, but I wasn't worried. He could handle Xehanort. But what drew my concern was what was happening below me. Ven was lying on the ground still frozen, with Aqua watching a guy with an eye-patch run away. She stood there for a moment, until she turned and looked at Ven. I looked back at Vanitas, who flipped over and struck Aqua across the chest.
"Aqua!" I called as she dropped her Keyblade and fell to the ground. I put my arms to my sides and fell down faster when, to my horror, Vanitas pointed his Keyblade downwards at her chest. He was going to take her heart! No! I used Zantetsuken, the speed of the attack making me go faster. Ven struggled and I could see him moving more easily, trying to escape. Vanitas wrapped his hands around the handle, and I tried to go faster. I hadn't helped Ven; I had to help her now! Ven struggled more, and Vanitas raised it above his head. My eyes turned into black and white orbs and I summoned my Keyblade.
"NO!" Ven and I screamed, Ven breaking the ice while I slammed my Keyblade down. Vanitas dodged my strike, and we both glared at him with rage. We both gripped out Keyblades and charged forward, swing at him mercilessly. He rolled away, and that alone only fueled my anger. Shooting Dark Firaga, Ven followed it up with Wind Raid, hitting Vanitas with his attack after he blocked mine. Once his Keyblade hit it spun around and came back, striking Vanitas a total of four times before it came back to his hand. He sent a wave of lightning at us, and while Ven dodged I blocked it and sent it back.
Vanitas grunted from being hit with his own attack, and I infused my Magic Hour command with my powers of twilight, hitting him with columns of both light and darkness. "Try this on for size!" I called, hitting him with another column and keeping him off-balance. Ven, getting the idea, called "Light!" and used Faith, healing himself and attacking Vanitas with pillars of light. I smiled. If this fool thought that he could handle even one of us, he was dead wrong. "Auto-Finish: Demolition!" I called, instantly using that Finish command. While Ven kept Vanitas occupied with his Multivortex Shotlock I rained down about five blasts of meteors, knocking him from side to side.
"Come on!" Ven called, using Aerial Slam to knock him up and back down. I noticed the whirlwind of Keyblades coming near, and I decided to use Vanitas's weapon against him. I brought my powers to focus and sensed the last dregs of power within the fallen Keyblades, being manipulated by Vanitas and Xehanort. I tried to take control of them and dispel the darkness from Xehanort, and I was met with incredible resistance. Namely, Vanitas trying to stop me. "Show me anger!' he said, shooting a ball of flame at me. I glared at him as he jumped on top of the whirlwind, and called "You asked for it!"
Focusing my powers, I jumped up and used Aerial Slam, but just as I did he fired a trio of Blizzard-like shots. They hit me in midair and my arm froze, sending me to the ground. I used Dark Firaga to melt the ice, and Ven cast Mine Square. Just as Vanitas flew over the mines they exploded, knocking him off and back onto the ground where we were waiting. Just as I was about to hit him though he dived into the ground, moving towards Ventus.
"Ven!" I called, but he was already on it. He waited until just before Vanitas rose out of the ground and rolled out of the way, casting Fission Firaga as he did. Vanitas fell back with a shout of surprise, and I smiled as an idea appeared in my head. "Hey Vanitas! Bet you can't hit me!" I called in taunting tone. He grunted and shot a slow-moving ball of flame at me, and I called "Ven! Shoot a ball of flame at me!" He looked confused but nodded, just as Vanitas's split into three and raced at me.
I threw a ball of white-gold fire into the air, and as I got the ones headed towards me with my Keyblade I absorbed all three, firing a triple blast of flame straight at Vanitas. The result was an explosion of white, black, and red flames, and when it faded Vanitas was still on his feet, but even behind his mask I could hear him breathing heavily. "You're finished!" Ven called, using Faith one more time and sending him flying. I smiled, and Ven did too as Vanitas's Keyblade fell to the ground before fading away.
"Piece of cake," I said, and Ven said "Yeah." But then suddenly I felt darkness pulse, and I looked to see Vanitas getting up. I growled. "Curse you!" I called, running forward, but he waved his hand and a blast of darkness sent me flying. I fell and landed on my stomach, unable to get up. His whole body was enveloped in darkness, and as he fully stood he said "You've done it, Ventus." The face of his mask burnt away, revealing spiky dark blue hair and golden eyes. "Now that my body is about to perish, you and I will have to join together!"
Ven gasped. "The X-Blade will be forged!" The dark aura flared and a semicircle appeared around the two of them. Suddenly a total of four shapes jumped from it and wrapped around Ven. My eyes widened; those were Flood Unversed! Ven struggled against them, and he asked "The Unversed… come from you?" Vanitas smirked. More and more appeared behind, different Unversed from all the worlds we encountered on our journey. "It happened when you and I were split into two. The negativity took shape as these monsters.
"They are what I feel: A horde of fledging emotions under my control. I released them into all the worlds I could," he walked forward. "Hoping to lure you away from home and isolate you from your Master. We needed to make you stronger. The Unversed were the perfect opponents. And better yet, no matter how many times you defeat them, all their negativity flows right back into me." True to his word, as he spoke the Unversed faded away, all their darkness drawn back into his body. "You never stood a chance against us, Ventus," he said smugly, before walking forward.
The two of them were enveloped in an orb of light, and a powerful wind blasted outwards. I held on and tried to stay still, but I couldn't and was swept away along with Aqua, who was still unconscious. I hit a rock and fell unconscious, but even then I could see that orb turn to a pillar of gold light, and could hear Ven screaming.
xxx
Oh dear, the X-Blade has been forged. Will Dexal be able to free Ven? Will his powers of twilight be enough?
Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding… or am I?)