Hey all, sorry this update is so late, but I've been working on another fanfic. If you're interested, go read 'Almost Enough.' It's a really sweet, sad oneshot of Riku x Namine. (Inspired by Bruixe and Riku's conversation last chapter.)

Cookies to anyone who knows what 'You're his living legacy' is a reference to.

Anyway, this is the chapter you've all been waiting for…

EPIC BATTLE.

Enjoy. :)


If you're afraid to fall
You'll never make the climb
Stop wasting our time, let's step to the line
Like soldiers we fight to the end of our lives
We are the fearless ones
We are the loaded guns
With nothing left to lose
We are the reckless youth
-Pillar, "Reckless Youth"


"You ready for this?" Sora asked.

Riku smirked. "I was born ready."

"Don't go getting killed this time," the younger boy teased.

"If I remember, I got 'killed' saving your ass," Riku reminded him.

"If I remember, I was the one busting you out of Crazy Lady's manor," Sora retorted.

Riku snorted. "Your chestplate's on upside down."

"What?"

Riku laughed as his best friend hastily rearranged his armor. To be fair, it wasn't the same set he'd worn last time; he'd managed to grow a few inches and was now wearing Riku's old set.

Riku himself had been given an upgrade.

"No way," he'd said at first, when Garrison showed him the crest on the helm. "I can't."

"You can," the Councilor had assured him. "And you should. You've earned the respect of this entire world. And he would certainly want it."

So Riku had reluctantly donned Terra's armor.

He brushed one bracer reverently, thinking about the sacrifice the Great Liberator had made. He'd died trying to destroy Isalena. The least Riku could do was finish the job.

"We match," Bruixe said, walking up to him.

"Yeah," Riku said, shifting his helm from one arm to the other.

Bruixe smiled wryly. "He would have been proud to see it on you."

"Maybe," Riku replied.

"No, really," Bruixe pressed. "After all, he's the one that entrusted you with the Keyblade. You and Sora both. You're his living legacy."

"You, too," Riku reminded her.

She nodded. "Let's make him proud."

It wasn't long before Kairi, Ren, and Hanna joined them. Bruixe braced an elbow on Hanna's shoulder, using her as an armrest. "Wow, they actually found armor for someone as small as you?" she remarked jokingly.

Hanna scowled. "Don't be ridiculous."

"She had to have it custom-made," Ren whispered conspiratorially.

She and Kairi were dressed in silver armor with a peculiar sheen of blue to it; it threw sparkling light shows whenever the sun hit it. Hanna's armor was standard Watch black, with the triple red stripes of a lieutenant on each arm.

Kairi had been so excited to be allowed to fight that she'd been bouncing on the balls of her feet all morning. Bruixe was glad to see that the excitement had worn off. Now the redhead was twisting her hands around the hilt of her Keyblade, almost anxiously.

"Nervous?" Bruixe guessed.

Kairi looked up, startled. "A little," she admitted. "It's just – I'm not a great fighter like you or Riku or Sora. And I don't have a lot of experience."

Bruixe slung an arm around her shoulders. "Don't sweat it. We wouldn't be letting you go if you didn't deserve to be there. And we need you. You've got magic stronger than any of us – even Sora. And you're the best healer we've got."

"You really think so?" Kairi asked.

"Absolutely," Bruixe promised.

To be honest, Bruixe didn't like the idea of going into battle without her Keyblade. I'll just have to take it back, she told herself. Screw Isalena.

"Is everyone ready?" Garrison called.

Shouts of "Sir!" went up around the armory.

"Then let us be off!" he ordered.


"Are you sure this will work?" Hanna whispered.

"Positive," Bruixe said confidently. "I know Isalena. She won't be able to resist the chance to finish this once and for all. Even if she thinks it's a trap, she's to proud to not show."

The six of them peered out over the battlements at the assembled Watch army. Garrison's pride and joy were neatly lined up in ranks and files, every soldier at attention. Bruixe wished she could be down there with them, but for herself and her friends, there were other plans.

"Look," Sora said suddenly, pointing out at the trees.

Sure enough, black figures began to creep out from the treeline, advancing on the Watch army.

"Where's Isalena?" Riku asked.

"She'll be there," Bruixe promised. "She'll have to be here, to watch and command her Chasers. The trick is finding where."

For a long minute the six of them scanned the battlefield and trees without success.

"There," Ren cried at last, pointing into the trees to the west of the armies.

"I don't see anything," Kairi murmured warily.

"She's there, I can see her," Ren insisted.

Bruixe squinted where Ren was pointing, and managed to catch a glimpse of a tall, pale figure in a silver gown sliding between the trees.

"Good call, hawkeye," Bruixe told her. "Let's go."


Taking a deep breath, Bruixe stepped into the clearing alone.

"Wow, that dress is, like, super-gorgeous," she said casually.

Isalena spun on the spot and froze.

"A little impractical, though," Bruixe continued. "I mean, who wears a dress to watch a war? You must've been pretty confident you weren't gonna get attacked. Guess it sucks to be you."

"You're supposed to be dead," Isalena hissed.

Bruixe laughed mockingly. "Since when do I ever do anything I'm supposed to?"

"It was foolish of you to come alone," the Councilor spat.

"She's not alone."

With a swirl of darkness, Riku materialized out of thin air at Bruixe's shoulder, flanking her.

"Yeah, Bruixe can't do anything without us," Sora agreed, coming out of the trees in a different direction, to Isalena's left. Kairi was a step behind him.

Isalena took an involuntary step backwards, only to be confronted by Hanna and Ren, side by side. "Long time no see, Isalena," Hanna spat vehemently.

For a second nobody moved. Then Isalena let out a long, pealing laugh. "So this is who the Watch sends to do their dirty work? That coward Garrison ought to come face me himself, instead of sending women and children to fight me."

She smiled sardonically. "You fools aren't even worth the trouble of fighting myself."

Isalena raised her left hand, and Fallen Angel snapped into existence.

"Your Chasers aren't going to do you much good," Bruixe growled. "Kairi."

Kairi nodded, and clasped her hands together. A translucent wall formed around the clearing, enclosing the seven inside.

"Looks like you'll have to fight us alone," Ren said sweetly.

Without warning, Isalena was upon the sisters, a Keyblade in each hand. Hanna parried easily, knocking the blades away. Ren skipped backwards and let an arrow fly, but Isalena would not be defeated so easily – she spun to the right, sweeping Hanna's legs out from under her and slashing once, twice, three times, sending her crashing into her little sister.

Sora reached the Councilor next, meeting her Keyblades with two of his own, raining a barrage of blows upon her. Bruixe and Riku move to close her off from Kairi as the redhead ran to Hanna and Ren's aid.

Isalena knocked one of Sora's Keyblades away, but before she could strike Bruixe was in her way, protecting her friend. The force of Fallen Angel against her much smaller knives jarred her wrists and elbows, and she gritted her teeth, wincing.

Then Riku was there, Soul Eater humming as it slashed through the air, catching Isalena's unprotected shoulder. The Councilor snarled and fell back, retreating toward one side of the barrier.

Bruixe stole a glance at Kairi and the sisters. Kairi looked up at her, eyes wide, and shook her head almost imperceptibly. The three of them would no longer be a help in this battle.

"It seems I have underestimated the strength of the Keybearers," Isalena said, voice dangerously low. "So be it."

Fallen Angel disappeared, and Isalena clasped both hands around the hilt of Sekhmet, her first blade. Whispering something inaudible, she thrust the blade into the ground.

A terrible cry rent the air, like the screams of a thousand burning victims. The ground trembled, and the sky went suddenly dark.

"What's she doing?" Riku yelled over the din.

Bruixe shook her head – she'd never seen anything like this before.

The air seemed to press down on them, and the three of them fell to their knees, panting. Then, without warning, the trees around them caught fire, and a wave of pure energy rained down upon them.

Sora dropped both Keyblades, throwing his hands up and yelling something Bruixe couldn't hear. A second barrier formed around them, like a bubble enclosing Kairi, Ren, and Hanna as well.

Sora grunted, trembling with the effort of holding back Isalena's terrible attack. Hairline cracks appeared in the surface of the barrier. It's not enough, Bruixe realized hopelessly. But she couldn't help him – she had no magic that would be of use in a shield.

Then Kairi was on her feet, stumbling towards Sora and bracing her hands against his shoulders, adding her strength to his. Ren dragged her unconscious sister towards them, allowing Sora and Kairi to make the bubble smaller.

Isalena's final wave of magic battered the dome, but the barrier held true. As the energy faded, Sora released the barrier, pitching forward to fall on his face, utterly spent.

Isalena's eyes flashed as Bruixe and Riku emerged unscathed from the bubble. She spoke a harsh syllable, but her power, exhausted, failed her. Instead she summoned her Keyblades back to her and rose again to fight.

This time it was Riku who made the first move. He struck at Isalena with Soul eater, but met with blade rather than flesh. Bruixe launched into a roundhouse kick, catching Isalena in the elbow with the sickening snap of bone. Riku flicked his blade and Fallen Angel skittered across the ground. As Riku pushed forward, keeping Isalena occupied, Bruixe fell back.

"Riku, move!" she shouted, and threw both kodachis simultaneously.

Riku dropped to the ground and Isalena gasped, both knives buried to the hilt in her abdomen. She fell to her knees, clutching at the wounds.

Riku got to his feet and advanced on her fallen enemy, face a mask of fury. He clutched Isalena's face and forced the Councilor to look at him.

"Still think we're not worth the trouble?" he spat.

He raised Soul Eater to strike the final blow, but hesitated.

He's not a killer, Bruixe thought.

And he shouldn't have to be.

She stepped forward and took Soul Eater from Riku's hand, sweeping it in a low arc. Isalena's body collapsed as her head fell to the ground, completely severed.

Riku looked at her in surprise for a moment, but then he nodded in understanding.

"It's finally over," Bruixe realized.

"Yeah," Riku said. "Let's get out of here."

"Wait," she told him. "There's one more thing."

She retrieved Fallen Angel from where Isalena had dropped it, and raised it high. "Vanish," she whispered, and felt the drain on her energy as the magic of the Keyblade went out, sending the Chasers back to the realm of nothingness.

The hilt fit her hand perfectly, just like always, and she was glad to have it back, shady past or no.

"Now it's over," she whispered.

"Hey, a little help?" Ren called.

Riku had slung Sora's arm over his shoulders, and Kairi was supporting Hanna, but Ren was having difficulty getting up off the ground.

Bruixe trotted over and helped the smaller girl clamber onto her back, carrying her piggyback.

"Can't you do anything on your own?" Bruixe teased.

"You've got no room to talk," Ren retorted playfully.

Together the six of them set back out for Kingdom City.


YEAH!

review please.