The moment you've been waiting for has finally arrived!

Chasing The Truth

By FlikFreak

Chapter Forty: The Deceptive Evoker


How anyone could fight in such cold temperatures was beyond Neku's comprehension. He could barely grip Music of Shibuya. Sora was shivering very visibly, Riku was staying as near to Sora as he could, and Kairi had dropped her keyblade entirely to rub her shoulders to warmth…a vain effort, as the temperature continued to drop. The only one not bothered by the freeze was Axel.

"I haven't felt this cold since I last ran into Vexen," Riku grumbled, rubbing his arms.

Meyxours sneered. "All of my hard work…it's inconceivable that it was all ruined by incompetent children such as yourself."

Neku scowled, his anger rising. "Who're you calling incompetent!" He shouted, lunching forward. Meyxours floated backward, smacking him on the ribs with his staff. Neku's knees buckled and he fell to the sand, which was colder than normal. Meyxours hovered over the water, which froze below him into a thick sheet of ice. Axel hurled his chakrams at Meyxours, one missing by inches and the other nicking him on the side. The stumble was long enough for Sora to send a thunder spell at him, but it wasn't enough to have any real effect.

Nothing's working! Neku cried inwardly. We can't keep going like this! It just keeps getting colder and colder!

Sora hurled a number of fireballs alongside Riku, and though Meyxours stumbled a bit, he hovered out of the way just in time to avoid one of Kairi's own attacks. In response, however, Meyxours was content with bludgeoning her with his staff as she began to retreat. The strike landed right across her back and sent her skidding onto the beach, half-way in the water. Angered at the sight of this, Sora lashed out, only to be deflected with a sudden wall of ice that shattered on impact but still sent him flying backward.

"T-Too cold," Kairi stuttered, rising only to her knees. "I c-can't…move…"

The temperature plummeted more as Riku attempted to make a mark on Meyxours. He managed to slice across the nobody's side, supplying a gash in his coat and skin alike. Roaring in protest, Meyxours shot a stream of white from his fingers, landing a shot on Riku's arm and freezing it solid.

Something pulsed with familiarity in Neku's mind, and he clutched his skull. Shaking it off, he hurled himself forward, only to find an invisible force grabbing him by the throat and lifting him into the air. The music suddenly became horridly silent, and he gasped for breath as his feet dangled below him.

"I'm disappointed," Meyxours began, grinning. "And here I expected you to put up a better fight. So much for being Shibuya's…well, nevermind. You are only a proxy." He tossed Neku onto the sand. "I would have thought Shibuya would choose someone more…able."

The protest Neku would have made was caught in his throat from the cold. His fingers were trembling, threatening to drop Music of Shibuya. The only sound he could hear was a malevolent wind whistling in his ears. If it was so cold that the ocean was freezing…how was he even still alive?

Meyxours seemed to be enjoying their sudden cold shock. "Do you feel it? The icy, bitter feeling around you…that which we have endured for so long, thanks to you."

"I dunno," Axel replied. "Last time I checked, weren't nobodies incapable of feeling?"

"You are one yourself," Meyxours replied coolly. "But you, Axel, are even less…you are a replica of a Nobody." He lifted his hands. "And in the very coldest of cold, even the brightest of flames can wither and snuff out…"

"He's right," Riku wheezed, shivering. "Any c-colder and you can't use fire…"

"And he's not about to s-stop any time soon," Sora added, curling up in a futile attempt to keep warm. "We'll freeze to death at this rate!"

Axel grit his teeth, his eyes narrowing. "Then I don't have a choice," he stated. "I'm using Fail Safe."

"Fail safe?" Neku echoed.

Sora gave Axel a strong glare. "No."

Axel hesitated. "What…?"

"No, Axel. I won't let you."

"There's no choice," Axel protested. "If you guys are going to live, I have to-"

"I'm not losing you again!" Sora shouted.

As Neku watched, Sora's image began to flicker just barely between him and Roxas. The keybearer's nobody was trying to break through, and so far he was winning. Sora…he needs help-

Let his heart do what it must.

The voice caught Neku off guard. It was still clear as day, like when he had heard it in the cave. In spite of this, he heeded it. He couldn't interfere here.

"Meyxours is right," Axel reasoned. "I'm not the real Axel. The real Axel is probably already whole and walking around, resuming his life. Besides, if it gets any colder, you'll die. That means I'll be the one losing you."

"But-"

"You're not stopping me."

Sora grit his teeth, his eyes glazing over. With no further argument, he looked away. "When I find the real you, I'm going to give him a serious beating."

Axel laughed. "That's the Roxas we know and love," he jested. "See you on the other side, then."

With that, he leapt forward, lifting his hands in the air. His chakrams spun around him in a circle, the flames growing brighter and more intense. They spread from his chakrams and began to light Axel himself. Finally, Axel roared in fury and a raging inferno burst outward explosively, consuming all in its path. The world around Neku flared with heat, his vision blinded by white.

It took several seconds for the fire to dim to a manageable level. The ice everywhere had melted, leaving the air humid. Meyxours was shocked by the sudden development, but remained unscathed for the most part. Music began to pulse in Neku's heart, urging him forward, but he remained still. Axel lay on the beach, arms spread outward, a few embers sparking one last time. His chest heaved slowly, each breath labored.

Meyxours wiped a stream of blood from his chin. "A noble sacrifice…a shame it will be in vain."

"It won't," Axel replied, smirking. "It wasn't last time, and this time won't be any different."

Right til the very end, Neku mused, his eyes glazing over. Axel…I'd like to meet your somebody, too.

With one last grin, Axel shot Sora a thumbs-up. "The rest is up to you. Say hi to the real me for me, alright?"

Sora nodded. "I will. Promise."

Satisfied, Axel's eyes closed, and he vanished, leaving no trace of himself behind. Sora shook, a tear sliding out of one eye. Neku felt the music around him softening. But who's crying? Roxas…or Sora…?

"Now do you see the weakness of the heart?" Meyxours sneered. "Emotions will only slow you down and keep you from realizing what's truly important. What's more, they cause you to make rash decisions without concern for what's best. They make you disposable…just like Axel."

The music surged as Sora's glare turned deadly. The key bearer shouted something indiscernible as he tore through the air, slashing wildly at Meyxours with Remembered Dream. Anger and rage boiled in Neku's own veins as well, and he didn't hesitate to let loose a furious cry as he, too, ran forward.

What happened next went faster than it seemed. Sora landed a blow on Meyxours's side, unbalancing him, and Neku smashed Music of Shibuya into his arm, his grip loosening and sending his staff flying through the air. Kairi, her steps elegant as they always were, spun into a strike, her keyblade slicing through the staff and causing it to shatter. Riku made one last move as he stood, sending a barrage of black fire at the Nobody and knocking him from the air.

Meyxours landed on the sand, gasping for breath. Neku pointed his keyblade at him. "It's over, Meyxours," he hissed. "You've lost. The Zoners are done for."

"Fool," Meyxours wheezed. "You still do not know where your power comes from?"

"I don't care at this point," Neku replied. "You killed Xenuk, you forced Axel to sacrifice himself just to make a point, you nearly destroyed Shibuya, and now you want to destroy Sora's home too…used or no, I'm not letting you get away with that."

"Shibuya was not entirely my doing," Meyxours hissed in protest. "For one, I sent Jaxuk there to cause chaos and lure you there, but with that world pulsing in accordance to everything that happened to you…"

Neku froze. "What…?"

The Deceptive Evoker laughed. "You didn't know? With everything you did, Shibuya mimicked. Its music was out of control of even the Composer himself."

"But why?" Sora asked. "I thought that the Composer is supposed to be head honcho!"

"Since Neku is directly tied to Shibuya, as he was the one that decided its fate, it granted him its power to stay alive…and save not only Shibuya, but all the worlds. I didn't go after you because of your betrayal, Neku…your keyblade, like your friends', ties you directly with Kingdom Hearts. And due to that, as long as you exist, I cannot attain my goal!"

It was almost too much to comprehend at once. Neku's breath had held for a moment. His power came from Shibuya? But that meant… "So, Shibuya's been out of control because of me?"

Meyxours laughed. "You are a foolish boy," he said as he staggered to his feet. "I had hoped to draw on Shibuya's power for my goals, but I'm afraid that Shibuya must be eliminated in order to attain them." He summoned a sphere of white-hot energy. "I will go to whatever means I must to get what I want!"

Neku knew that he couldn't avoid this hit…nor could he withstand it. He stood, wide-eyed, like a deer in headlights. Even in his dying breath, he's still powerful. This is it…I'm done for…

"Enough, Meyxours. Your role in this performance has ended."

Everyone, including Meyxours, froze in shock. There, hovering behind them, was a figure cloaked in black, his hood shoved back. Narrowed eyes glared at Meyxours, his arms crossed. His voice alone, however, gave away who he was.

Riku's jaw dropped. "Jaxuk?! But I thought we already defeated you…"

"I'm flattered," Jaxuk replied, smirking at Neku. "Was my performance convincing enough that you actually thought I was dead? No…I was only waiting for my encore, and here I am."

Meyxours himself was surprised by this development. "Jaxuk…perfect timing. Are you here to help me dispose of these pathetic children?"

His statement went unheeded. "Apparently you haven't read your script, Meyxours," Jaxuk chided. "The lead role is not yours…it's mine."

"What…?!"

Jaxuk leaned downward. "Didn't you hear me earlier? I said all the actors were in place. That included you."

"You…" Meyxours gasped, his composure vanishing. "You traitor…you were planning this all along!"

Jaxuk sneered. "For a summoner and former maester, you are easily deceived." A grin slid up his lips as he summoned an attack of his own. "I must commend you on ridding me of Axel…that fool knew I was still alive."

"He knew?!" Sora cried.

"Of course he knew," Jaxuk replied. "Axel has faked his own death plenty of times to know that I had done the same. He wanted to take me out himself…figured I'd taken enough damage for one lifetime thanks to the nethicite. Anyway…" He turned back to Meyxours. "You've outlived your usefulness…Seymour."

A blast of white shot from Jaxuk's palm, engulfing Meyxours, silencing his scream of agony and dissolving him alive. Neku watched in horror as the nobody's expression of terror was the last thing to face. When he was gone, Jaxuk licked his fingers. "There…now, without any more interruptions, I'll be on my way…"

Riku wouldn't have it. He leapt up, keyblade brandished and prepared to strike down Jaxuk. To his shock, however, not only did Jaxuk leap away, but with a simple flick of his finger, Riku was sent hurling back far enough to fall into the sea.

"Now, now," He scolded, wagging his finger as though he were admonishing a puppy. "It's not quite time for the curtain call. After all, we've only barely passed intermission."

"Cut the crap," Neku growled. "You know you can't reach Kingdom Hearts. Meyxours himself said that we were obstacles."

"I don't believe so," Jaxuk replied, smirking. "Once the power of Kingdom Hearts is mine, you'll be nothing more than extras for me to dispose of. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He backed away into a black portal just as Sora would have leapt at him.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, thunder roiling within them. Neku was at loss for words as the wind began to pick up, his knees buckling in sudden realization. The air grew heavy, and the music pleaded for aid. The storm grew thicker and thicker, until day turned to night.

"It can't be," Riku stuttered. "This is…"

"It is," Sora finished for him. "This is the same exact storm that came when the heartless destroyed our islands."


I BECHA DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING DIDJA!