Chasing The Truth

By FlikFreak

Chapter Forty-Five: The Clutches of Despair


Even when he wasn't hovering, Joshua could feel the earthquakes rising in intensity. He was fortunate that the snipers had been wiped out for this round, so hovering was an option again. He didn't quite feel like dropping any more vehicles or vending machines; using his true power was a lot more comfortable. That said, the unstable music was beginning to get to him. It was frantic, angry, afraid, and confused all at once. The Composer began to wonder what Neku was going through at the moment.

Uzuki shot three more snipers and swore. "Are these things ever going to stop?"

"We're on the defensive, aren't we?" Kariya pointed out, leaping out of the way of a Berserker's hammer. "I haven't seen them stop since we came here."

"We are on the defensive," Joshua replied. "We have to hold them off until either they disappear or Shibuya does."

"That's nuts," Uzuki grumbled. "At least we've already wiped out most of this wave…"

Beat wiped some blood off of his chin, and Rhyme still shivered in her hiding place. Glancing away from them, Shiki placed Mr. Mew on the ground again, having finished her repairs. "We've had way too many close calls," She stated, her stuffed animal mimicking her gestures. "If anything else goes wrong, we're done for."

"We're far from done for," Joshua replied. "At least, Shibuya is."

"What do you mean?" Rhyme asked. "We're nearly…"

"Don't say that, yo!" Beat cried. "We gonna make it, sis, I promise!"

Joshua nodded. "Beat's right. Besides, if we were done for, I assure you, we'd be in a much stickier situation, and Shibuya would look a lot worse."

"How do you know that?" Shiki demanded, her eyes full of suspicion

"You don't want to know," the Composer replied, demolishing a trio of berserkers that had been headed his way. "Rest up, everyone. This wave is over, but the next one is going to be here shortly."

"I'm ready for more anytime," Uzuki insisted. "Those things are cakewalk."

Joshua gave everyone a warning glare. "Remember, it's not just Shibuya we're defending. Your friend's life is on the line as well."

They needed no other motivation. The entire group, reapers included, sat quietly and gathered their energy. There was no telling how much time was left before the next onslaught of Nobodies would arrive.


Riku's attempt at hitting Jaxuk with Dark Firaga missed by inches, and one of his own projectiles skimmed just past his cheek. Sora took his chance to attempt landing a blow, but Ventus beat him to it, only to be thrown to the side. Aqua sent a curative spell his way, and Kairi was in the fray as well.

"A princess like you shouldn't fight," Jaxuk admonished her, dodging her blow. "It's rather unbecoming of you…" He swooped down, catching Kairi in her tracks and holding her face with his hand. He licked his lips. "…and it would be such a shame to see that pretty face of yours stained with blood."

Kairi scowled, pulling away and managing to slash across his arm before leaping away. "If it's yours that I'm spilling, then it's fine by me," she growled.

Neku blinked. "Wow. Remind me not to get on her bad side." Sora, whom was nearby, nodded in agreement.

Not amused, Jaxuk shoved the girl away and proceeded to shove her down via a blast of white light. "Insolent mortals," he hissed. "I'm sure you only barely realize I'm only toying with you?"

"Oh yeah?" Neku replied. "So are we."

It was a bluff, but Neku hoped it would work. After all, there was no bigger weakness than being caught off guard. He had to resist the urge to reach for the pin that Joshua had given him; whatever it was supposed to do, surely it would work here…

"You misunderstand me," Jaxuk replied. "I've been holding back from the beginning. After all, I did have enough power to destroy my home world. What power do you claim to have?"

Neku grit his teeth. "Light," he replied without thinking.

Jaxuk laughed. "You are such a child," he taunted. "What is light going to do for you?"

Sora brandished his keyblade, racing forward. "Why should we tell you? You don't even know what light is!" He slashed across Jaxuk's abdomen, making a mark and causing black blood to spill past the black cloak. The Nobody retaliated with a burst of energy, and though Sora parried it he still stumbled.

"Light is weak," Jaxuk spat. "Memories, promises, friendship, love…none of these things can give anyone strength. Only when one has nothing to lose can they experience true power!"

"Power that no one should have," Ventus replied. "Besides, what good is reviving the Organization going to do you?"

Somehow, this offended Jaxuk. "Why would I want to do such a thing? Those fools were hardly competent enough to accomplish their goals. No…what I want is something more. The power of Kingdom Hearts itself…greater than Trance, greater than the keyblade…when I realized just how powerful it was, I knew what had to be done. Meyxours was a fool with a petty cause, thinking he could use that power…"

Neku gripped Music of Shibuya, barely registering the fear and anger in the music surging around him. "So what do you intend to use it for?"

"Use it?" Jaxuk echoed, laughing. "Don't you realize it yet? The Zoners were different from the Organization…we believed that we were fine the way we are. Emotions are only nuisances that cause us to make poor decisions. Fear, greed, envy, rage…they all force us to be irrational. We're better off without petty things like emotions and hearts. That is why…"

As it sunk in, Neku felt himself become overwhelmed by fear. He can't possibly be planning to…

"…if I destroy the source of all hearts, then I destroy the source of all emotions! By turning the power of Kingdom Hearts against itself, my goal shall be fulfilled!"

No!

"You can't be serious!" Sora cried. "If you destroy Kingdom Hearts, you destroy everything!"

Jaxuk spun on them. "Precisely. I would have succeeded long ago…but that power has its protectors. The keyblade connects its wielder directly to Kingdom Hearts, leads them to defend that power when it is in danger. You are obstacles in my path, and as long as you exist, so shall Kingdom Hearts. Killing you is only the first part of this act."

"You're not going to get away with this!" Ventus bellowed, racing forward, keyblade brandished.

Suddenly, Ventus halted in his tracks, his keyblade falling to the ground. He clutched his head, sinking to his knees and grunting. Jaxuk smirked. "Still so reckless. Perhaps I took too much of your memory…"

"You took it?" Riku echoed. "How…why…"

"Without memories," Jaxuk explained with a grin, "The heart shatters, and one is essentially a nobody. I was just beginning work on that boy and his so-called friends when I was…interrupted." He scowled. "I was ultimately close to ridding them of their hearts before then, but now the only way to finish the job is to kill them."

"I won't let you!" Aqua cried, stepping forth and summoning her own keyblade. She was just beginning to charge up a spell when Jaxuk grabbed her by the throat via an invisible force, lifting her into the air. Then, smirking, he threw her next to Ventus. She fell, gasping for breath.

If he destroys Kingdom Hearts, Neku thought, He'll destroy everything! He clutched the pin in his hand, making countless prayers. Come on! Work! I know you can!

But nothing happened. No pulse. Neku was trying hard to hold onto his faith; this pin was his only chance, he knew it, but it wasn't working.

"You betray your own leader…you destroy your own world…" Sora swiped the keyblade through the air. "Just who do you think you are?"

"I was supposedly an Angel of Death," Jaxuk replied, "Created to sow chaos and reap the lives of those that became lost and entangled within it. You could say that when I was whole, I had a heart of stone." With that, he flung a sphere of energy at Sora to knock him back, causing a familiar red object to fall out of his pocket.

While Kairi rushed to Sora's side, Neku hurried over to the forgotten possession. He picked it up, examining it. A feather? He thought. It was a beautiful feather, roughly four inches long and a beautiful red color. Somehow, Neku wasn't sure how, the feather was warm to the touch. I remember this…Anima gave it to Rhyme, and then Rhyme gave it to Sora…just what is it?

As the thought passed through his mind, he remembered the moment when Rhyme had passed it on to Sora. "I feel like it wants to help you."

Rhyme…she's already died once. I can't let that happen again.

A burst of determination came to Neku. He knew there was only one chance. He clutched the feather in his hand, looking up at his enemy with a narrowed gaze. "Your heart may have been made of stone, Jaxuk," He snarled, "But mine's made of something even stronger."

Jaxuk's anger melted for a moment, and he gave a smirk. "Is that so?" he taunted. "Why don't we test that theory of yours?"

"I don't need to test it," Neku hissed, his grip around Music of Shibuya so tight his fingers threatened to bleed. "I know it's true."

"The allow me to prove it for myself," Jaxuk replied, firing a white-hot beam from his hand.

There was no time to dodge. The tainted light enveloped Neku, eliciting a screech of undying pain from his throat – one so loud that it was as though someone was ripping his voice from him. His skin felt like it was on fire, his heart throbbed and his lungs felt like sandpaper. His confidence from before evaporated, leaving only fear and hopelessness. He knew he had made the worst mistake he possibly could have made.

Neku could barely see Sora spinning around to gaze at him in horror. He shouted something, but Neku couldn't hear him. The white grew stronger and then he couldn't see them.

As Jaxuk released his attack, Neku crumpled to the ground like a puppet cut from its strings. His breathing halted, his eyes slid shut, and his skin grew cold.