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.25 The X-Blade
"I'm asking you, as a friend. Just… put an end to me," I remember Ven saying. Then suddenly I was enveloped in light, and my eyes snapped open. Both Aqua, who was lying beside me, and I gasped, and beside us a voice said "Gosh, I hope you're all right." I looked at the stranger and saw someone standing over us. He was short, about three feet tall, with the appearance of a mouse, wearing gray and black clothing and with a Keyblade in his hand. "You're Mickey, aren't you? Ven's friend?" I asked. He nodded, and then suddenly Aqua gasped "Ven!"
She stood and I did the same, looking around. I had seen Vanitas rejoin with Ven, but then where was he? Aqua and I looked to see him standing in the same place he was before, and Aqua said "Oh thank goodness, Ven." She ran up to him, calling "You're safe!" but I was more cautious, following slowly while summoning my Keyblade. It may look like Ven, but I could easily be- I gasped. I his right hand was a weapon I had never seen before. It looked like two Keyblade that had been fused to form an X, with a green network of lines between and the end forming a large golden blade. On the keychain was a heart crossed over with keys.
Mickey summoned his Keyblade, and I knew that he recognized it too. I could sense its power, barely contained within the blade and almost beyond imagination. The X-Blade. Ven hadn't said anything, and Aqua smiled while trying to look at his face. "Ven?" she asked. I ran forward, just as he raised his head to show golden yellow eyes and drew the X-Blade back. Aqua gasped as he thrust at her, but Mickey and I managed to knock it out of the way just in time. We took a step back, Mickey spreading his arms and saying "That's not Ven!" Ven/Vanitas's armor darkened, turning to the same outfit Vanitas usually wore, and both of their voices spoke.
"Correct; I am not Ventus. His heart has become a part of mine now," he said smugly. All three of us gasped, and he pointed his blade at Kingdom Hearts. "This X-Blade will open a door, one that leads to all worlds. Then, Keyblade bearing warriors will flock here from each and every one of them, to battle for the light within Kingdom Hearts!" He looked up in glee. "And just like the legend says, the Keyblade War will begin!" My face twisted in disgust, and Aqua yelled "Shut up!"
She summoned her Keyblade. "I'm sick of you! Give Ven his heart back!" she said angrily. To that he only smirked, moving into his battle pose. I glared, moving into mine and calling on my powers. Aqua fired Triple Firaga and he dodged, saying "Fool." "Oh yeah?" I challenged, shooting Dark Firaga and watching him be sent back. He grunted and dove underground, moving towards Aqua and bursting upwards. When he did fireballs burst upwards with him, and I shouted before rolling out of the way. Aqua said "You're finished!" and used Time Splicer, teleporting around the field and attacking.
Vanitas wasn't frozen in place, but wherever he moved Aqua was there to deliver a trio of hits before teleporting again. He grunted and swung at where she would appear, hitting her in the stomach with a wave of energy. She grunted and fell to the ground, and I called "Aqua!" While she got up I used Aerial Slam, sending Vanitas into the air before knocking him back down. The move dealt sufficient damage, and he moved back before firing his usual ball of flame. I frowned and blocked them, both Aqua and I using Seeker Mine at the same time.
The second Vanitas took a step the mines homed in, and seven blasts hit him in total. Before the other five could however, he froze, and I shouted as he attacked from above. Then he ran into the center and crouched, calling "Feel the power of the X-Blade!" I sneered and said "You wish!" moving forward with Zantetsuken. Just power I reached him however he jumped up, and slammed the X-Blade down into the ground. It flashed and exploded, creating a blast and shockwave of energy that sent me flying! "Deiru!" Aqua called as I sailed through the air. At that moment Mickey jumped up and called "Heal!"
My body was enveloped in green light and I opened my eyes, landing on my feet. "Let's team up!" Mickey called, his body glowing with light. Aqua and I nodded and we jumped next to him, focusing our power and creating a swirl of light. Then we all called "Light!" and unleashed our joint attack. Firing streams of light into the air, they flew towards Vanitas and struck him straight in the chest, causing him to yell in pain and fall back. Now that I had a chance, I used Sonic Blade and followed it up with Magic Hour.
Diving and creating columns of light, I repeatedly hit Vanitas over and over until he used his decoy move and hit Aqua. She frowned and used Triple Firaga, sending a barrage of fire at him. He smirked and blocked the move, responding by charging at her and cutting her in the side despite her armor. She cast Curaga and healed the wound, while I pointed Twilight Dawn at Vanitas and fired my Shotlock. Shot after shot of energy sailed towards him and he dived into the ground, avoiding the initial barrage while hitting Mickey. But when he did that gave me the perfect chance to hit him with the additional shots, and that's precisely what I did.
Aqua followed it up with Lightcharge, unleashing a double-barrage of light in every direction. Vanitas tried to dodge, but everywhere he went a shot was being fired, and he ended up being blasted away. I smiled; we were gaining the upper hand. But then it went right back to Vanitas. He smiled and dived again, this time emerging from beneath me. I was sent back, but before I could counter he charged at Aqua and slashed her across the chest, moving so that when he sent her back we crashed into each other.
Mickey ran towards us to help, but before he could Vanitas grabbed him and threw him at us, so we were all together. Then he jumped up and said "Now you're finished!" and slammed down to create another explosion. We tried to dodge but didn't get away fast enough, and all three of us ended up on the ground separated from each other. Vanitas looked at Aqua and Mickey, seeing that they weren't getting up before walking towards me. "I had orders a long time ago to destroy you. Today's the day I do," he said, smiling with Ven's face.
I looked up at him and glared, feeling anger like nothing before course through me. This guy had tried to destroy me, had forced Ven to join with him just so he could get the X-Blade, and he was going to do it just so he could fulfill some musty old legend! My anger awakened my twilight, and my twilight gave me strength. My Keyblade glowed with white and black light, and I stood. "Fat chance!' I yelled, jumping forward and striking. He frowned and blocked, but I didn't give him to chance to strike back. Over and over I slammed my blade against his and each time the force of my attacks grew.
Growling, I shoved him and he jumped up, his blade glowing one more time. "Take this!" he called, and I said "Not today!" I blocked his attack and held off the explosion, his power warring with mine. "Just give up. Your friend Ventus is gone, Terra is doomed to fall to his own darkness, and Aqua can't even move. Surrender and join them in death," he said, smiling. I bared my teeth and dug deeper than I ever did before, pushing back with all my power and the flames on my Keyblade burned brighter. "Sure, I'll surrender. Just as soon as you drop dead!" I yelled.
I grabbed the X-Blade and drew its power into my hand. Pulling back I punched Vanitas in the face, sending him into the air from the force of the blow before focusing all my power and firing a beam of white and black light at Vanitas. It pierced him in the chest and he fell to the ground, unmoving. Hurriedly I ran over to Aqua and Mickey and cast Curaga on both of them. They both stood, and I said "You guys okay?" They nodded, and slowly Vanitas stood. I grunted. "He just refuses to die," I said angrily. Aqua looked at me. "Then let's finish it."
Both Mickey and I nodded, and we all charged forward. Vanitas swung his sword and sent a huge blast of wind at us, so hard that it sent Mickey flying while Aqua and I crashed into a stone and slid down. Now that we were the ones down he slowly walked towards us, smiling. "What's wrong? Giving up already?" he taunted. We both breathed heavily, and held our Wayfinders in our hands. "Terra… Ven… lend us strength," we pleaded. Our Wayfinders flashed, and I opened my eyes in wonder to see both our Keyblades enveloped in light. We looked up and charged, swinging Twilight Dawn and Stormfall around.
"You're just wasting your energy!" he called. Our blades met in the air hard enough to send a wave of energy outwards, and he smiled cockily. That only made me more determined, and with a shout we both pushed forward. The X-Blade fractured, and Vanitas said "What?" before we sent it into the air. The X-Blade glowed and streams of energy burst from it wildly. Any that hit the ground created a burn trail from where it hit, with images of keyholes hovering in the air before disappearing.
Aqua and I blocked our eyes to shield us from the light, but I saw the darkness fade from Ven and return to his old self. "Ven!" I called, running forward but stopping when a rogue energy trail hit the ground in front of me. The X-Blade glowed before shattering, enveloped in a growing orb of light, sending us back from the force of the wind. Said wind blew Ven away and sent him into the air, and Aqua ran after him. I was confident that she would catch him and so Mickey and tried to stop the expanding blast. All three of us screamed, the destruction consuming us all.
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After Mickey and I had successfully stopped the X-Blade destruction from taking the world with it, we both searched through the Lanes Between for Aqua and Ven. We found them, and I grabbed Aqua's hand while Mickey grabbed Ven's. "Where do we take them?" I asked. He was silent for a moment before saying "I know!" and raising his Star Shard. We were enveloped in light, and he took us to the Mysterious Tower. Once we were there Yen Sid used his magic to properly heal Ven and Aqua. But Ven wouldn't wake up.
"Ven?" I asked, shaking his head. "Dexal, it is of no use," Yen Sid said gravely. My eyes widened, and I asked "Is he dead?" He shook his head and I sighed in relief, but before I could ask any more, Aqua awoke. "Aqua, you lost consciousness. Fortunately, Mickey and Dexal found you and Ventus drifting in the Lanes Between…" he looked at Ven. "and brought you back to receive proper care." She looked like she was about to ask a question, and he closed his eyes. "I am sorry, but there was no sign of Terra." "I see," she said, while I hung my head. She placed a hand on Ven's shoulder to nudge him awake.
"Ven?' she asked, and when he didn't move she shook harder. "Ventus!" "The boy's heart is sleeping," Yen Sid told her. I looked at him. "Sleeping? When can he wake up?" I asked. He closed his eyes. "I could not say. It is almost as though his heart has left," he said. I looked at Aqua, and I knew she was thinking the same thing. We had destroyed both Vanitas and the X-Blade, and the X-Blade was connected to Ven's heart. Did we cause this? Aqua looked back at Ven. "I'll keep him safe until he wakes. Forever if I have to," she said determinedly. "Me too," I added.
"I will tell you what your friend needs right now. It is not your protection," he said, before turning around. "He needs you to believe." I frowned in confusion. Believe? "Ventus's heart hangs in the balance; it sleeps in the place between light and darkness. From all I can perceive, that means he will be looking for a friend. One who can show him the way home." He sat down in his chair. "Just as long as you love him, Ventus will find you when he wakes. He can follow that love back to where he belongs." He looked back and smiled. "The Realm of Light."
We all smiled, and Mickey turned to look at us. "Don't you worry Aqua, Dexal, I believe in Ven too. Gosh, he's been as good a friend to me as anyone. And if both of you and me believe in him with all our hearts, then he'll have three lights to follow, instead of one." Aqua smiled at him and said "Four lights." He frowned, and I explained "Terra." He looked down. "But… Terra's gone. Maybe for good." We both shook our heads, and aqua pulled out her Wayfinder. "I think… we know how to find him."
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Aw nooo! The story has come to an end… NOT! The story must go on, and the true ending to Wielding the Key draws near. But until then…
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?)