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.26 The Final Episode, Part 1

Aqua and I stood on the steps of the Mysterious Tower, one of Ven's arms draped over each of our shoulder while he hung between us. "Where do we go, Aqua?" I asked. "Ven needs a safe place," she told me. "Yeah, but where?" I replied. She had no answer, and suddenly Ven's arm rose. We both gasped, and his Keyblade appeared. Light gathered around it before it fired a beam of light, creating a keyhole in the air that turned into a doorway of light. Ven's Keyblade faded, and we both smiled at him. "All right. If that's where you want to go," Aqua said. "Come on," I told her, and we carried him down the steps and into the light. We closed our eyes to avoid being blinded, and when it faded we opened them to a terrible sight.

The Land of Departure. Our home.

In ruins.

The proud spires of the castle had been decimated, leaving only two left with their chains broken. An entire part of the court was missing, ripped away. The sky that had once held bountiful sunlight and shining stars was clouded over, clouds the color dark gray. All light that had been in this word was extinguished, leaving only destruction that was unimaginable and unthinkable. Aqua and I looked around at the devastation, until our eyes saw what was lying in front of the steps. We both gasped, and Aqua's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. The Master's Keyblade. I left Aqua to hold Ven and walked forward, picking it up and feeling guilt wash over me as I remembered our last conversation with him.

"Of course. I would never let that happen. I promise I will bring Terra back. Only this time, you'll see he has what it takes to be a Master," Aqua had promised. The guilt bit harder, as I remembered what I had told him. "He's not as weak as you think," I had said. I steeled myself, and looked back at Aqua. Her expression was sad but determined, and we both nodded. While I carried the Keyblade I helped her carry Ven up the stairs. Once we were inside we climbed the steps, our Master's last orders to complete running through our heads. "Aqua, Dexal," he had said, and we both responded "Yes?"

"Now that you are Masters, there is one secret in particular that you must know. I want you two to know that should anything happen to me, and you find the legion of darkness at our doorstep, I ask that you take my Keyblade, and use it to lock this land away," the Master had instructed us. Aqua placed Ven in the middle throne, and I walked behind it. "What?!" we had asked, stunned by his orders. "Generations of Keyblade Masters have been charged with keeping this land safe. Light and darkness exist in balance here and there are those who would abuse such neutral grounds. That is why our predecessors devised a certain... trick," Master Eraqus had explained.

Light and darkness existing in equal balance. Huh, just like my heart. I pointed his Keyblade at the throne, and a glowing keyhole appeared. Wind billowed outwards, and I hesitated for a second before thrusting forward, firing a beam of light at the keyhole. "Just use the key, and this land will be transformed. From that point on, all who visit this land will be lost to oblivion, none ever able to solve the mystery. None Aqua, Dexal, except you." The light shined bright, enveloping everything in its warm embrace. Both Aqua and I closed our eyes, and when the light faded we were once again in another place entirely.

The room was stark-white, hearts that symbolized the Mark of Mastery along the walls. They were connected by chains that ran down the wall and across the floor, all converging at the single throne that stood in the center, Ven sitting in it. Both of us looked around in wonder, and Aqua and I smiled at the still-sleeping Ventus. I placed a hand on his shoulder while Aqua ran her fingers through his hair. "I know it's a lonely place, but you'll be safe," she said, and I nodded. "Don't worry, she, Terra and I will back to wake you up before you know it."

With that we left, making sure to lock the door behind us. The place where Ven now slept, but would one day wake. The Chamber of Waking. The two of us walked out the transformed castle to a long road with darkness on either side, and took one last look. The castle was a dark golden, with countless dark green spires, and the doors firmly shut. "This place needs a name," I said. "We can't call it the Land of Departure anymore. So what should it be called now?"

Aqua was silent for a moment, until she said "Well, the master said that anyone who came here wold be lost to oblivion. So... how about Castle Oblivion?" she suggested. I nodded. Castle Oblivion; the name had a nice ring to it. Suddenly a voice echoed faintly in our heads. "Aqua... Dexal... put an end to me," Terra's voice said. We looked at the road, and Aqua said "Terra, tell us where to find you." There was no reply, but we summoned our armor and Gliders, flying out into the Lanes Between. Little did we know that it would be the last time we did.

"Let's see. Terra has to be in one of the worlds we've been to before. But how can we tell which one?" I asked. Aqua pointed. "There." I looked, and saw that she was pointing at Radiant Garden. The odd part was, a dark cloud hung over the world itself, with a small speck of light in the center. The darkness was powerful but within I recognized the light. That light belonged to- "Terra," we said. And so we flew in.

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The city of Radiant Garden was dark, the usually clear sky covered by storm clouds. That was the only difference that could be seen, but Aqua and I both sensed something else. A darkness, foul, dark, and sinister. Aqua and I reached the Courtyard and paused, before Aqua rushed forward. Standing in the center was someone who looked like Terra, and yet wasn't exactly like him. He was wearing the same clothes, had the same build and the same face, but his skin was darker, his hair was silver and his eyes were a golden-yellow. Aqua ran towards him while I stayed behind, unsure of whether or not it was him.

"Terra?" Aqua asked, standing in front of him. He separated his gaze from the sky, looking at her with confusion written on his face. He reached forward and she stepped back, but Terra grabbed her by the neck and lifted her into the air. She gasped and struggled for air. "Hey!" I called, summoning my Keyblade and running forward. A dark aura bloomed around Terra, and in a completely different voice he asked "Who... am I?" "Such a terrible... darkness," Aqua manged to say. "You've got to fight it! Terra, please!" "Terra, you say?" he asked, the aura fading and him letting her go.

Aqua fell to the ground and gasped for air, while I knelt down beside her. It clicked; the silver hair, golden eyes, the dark aura. Terra was possessed by Xehanort. Said person held his head in his hands, battling with himself in his mind, until he sighed and looked at us. "Terra's heart had been extinguished. Smothered by the darkness within him!" he said, summoning his Keyblade and swinging down. We both jumped back and Aqua stood, extending her hand and summoning her Brightcrest. "My name is Master Aqua." I raised mine. "And I am Master Dexal." "Now return our friend's heart, or pay the price!" we said in unison.

He smiled and dived into ground, but when he tried to attack us from below we dodged out of the way. "Take this!" Aqua called, using Triple Firaga. But he dodged out of the way, coming forward to swing at us. Aqua used Barrier and stopped him, knocking him back with Counter Blast. He teleported away and used Dark Volley, firing countless dark projectiles at us. This time I blocked them, and the missiles bounced back and hit him. I smiled, moving in and using Sonic Blade. I charged at him but he used a Sonic Blade of his own, forcing the two of us to pass right by each other.

Aqua used Blitz to hit him from behind once, twice, but before she could a third time he moved away and dove into the ground. This time he succeeded, hitting Aqua from below with a huge dark fist. She fell back and I cast Curaga on her, while Xehanort changed his Keyblade into a huge cannon and fired. The giant blast flew towards us and exploded, creating shrapnel that hit us and dealt massive damage. Aqua healed us both before using Time Splicer, while I used Magic Hour. She teleported and struck Xehanort from different angles while I dived down, hitting him with columns of light.

He moved away and I missed, but Aqua didn't. She hit him three times in the side, giving him that many cuts before she teleported away. "Heal!" he called, cast Curaga and healing the cuts. But before he could cast it again I used Aerial Slam, knocking him into the air and back down. Aqua was there to greet him, slashing him across the chest with Brightcrest. He moved towards her and unleashed a flurry of blows, ending with a huge fist that punched her in the chest and sent her back. "Aqua! Keep him distracted!" I called. She did, and I focused for a second before using my Shotlock.

Wave after wave of bombs exploded around Xehanort, which hit him hard enough to raise him into the air before he dove into the ground. Luckily my Shotlock had made me invulnerable, and the diving attack only gave him less room to dodge. Aqua got the idea and used Lightcharge, sending light flying in every direction in a double-barrage. Xehanort manged to dodge her attacks, and cast Meteor. A huge flaming rock shot down from the heavens, and I knew that we wouldn't be able to block it. So I focused my powers of twilight, and threw Twilight Dawn up at the Meteor. It shattered and exploded, pieces of flaming rock flying in every direction.

Aqua dodged a few while I did the same, but one managed to cut me in the side and Xehanort on the shoulder. He fired Dark Volley and a few hit me before I blocked, sending them back and hitting him with his own Shotlock. He charged forward and attacked, striking at me repeatedly before saying "You have lost!" and punching me with the fist. I blocked and used Counter Hammer, slamming my Keyblade on the ground and sending him back with a shockwave. Aqua cast Seeker Mine as he began to slide away, and the explosive traps followed after him.

When he stopped they exploded under him and sent him into the air, and he stayed up there longer after I used my own Seeker Mine followed by Aerial Slam. He used the diving attack and hit Aqua, making her fall back before he attacked, cutting her on the arm and both legs. "Aqua!" I called, running forward and casting Dark Firaga. The move did less damage because of Xehanort's resistance to darkness, but it did distract him long enough for Aqua to cast Curaga. He turned his Keyblade back into a cannon and fired at me, but I focused my power and sent it back, the blast exploding against his chest.

The move sent him back, and I was sure that the battle was won, but then he called "Not yet!" and stood straight. The edge of the area erupted into purple-white flames, and Xehanort said "I will guide you into the depths of darkness." He spread his arm and yelled, and a dark monster appeared out of his chest. It had two antennae and a stitched-over mouth, with a hole in its chest and two huge arms. Xehanort crossed his arms and smiled smugly, and Aqua and I grunted. Time for Round 2.

xxx

And so the final battle begins! Will Aqua and Dexal be able to defeat Xehanort and break his hold over Terra? Will both Aqua and Dexal sacrifice themselves to save him? Find out in the next (and possibly last) chapter!

Please review! If you flame Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)