Chasing The Truth
By FlikFreak
Chapter Forty-Six: From Flames of Hope
The earthquakes wouldn't stop. Several buildings were beginning to collapse. The pavement began to crack and shatter. Rhyme screamed and only dodged a falling chunk of wall thanks to her brother's quick thinking. Shiki dove out of the way of a falling sign, but Joshua stood still.
"You call this 'far from the worst'?!" Uzuki demanded, shooting rapid-fire at the dusks. "Shibuya's falling apart!"
Joshua nodded, providing no vocal answer. Shibuya was falling apart, he knew that. He could feel it. Even so, he wasn't about to give up. "Keep fighting!" He cried, sending a pickup truck falling on top of a few creepers.
Even as he spoke, however, the ground cracked open into large crevices, and a dark light shone through. Below was a bottomless abyss. Rhyme lost her footing and began to fall. Fortunately, Beat grabbed her by the arm just in time. He pulled her to safety, and they returned their attention to the nobodies, only to see that they were now swarming more than ever.
Nearby, they could see the 104 tower beginning to collapse.
"Neku! Neku, come on, wake up!"
Sora shook the boy's shoulders again and again, begging his friend to open his eyes. There was no response. Neku remained still.
Jaxuk laughed. "I must commend that boy for his bravery," he said, "But he was far too reckless. Such emotions ultimately drive us to our deaths, like his did just now."
"He's not dead," Sora growled.
"Oh? I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught that…"
"He's not dead!" Sora bellowed, leaping to his feet and summoning Remembered Dream to his hand. "He can't die! We've come too far!"
But Jaxuk only laughed again. "Denial, another destructive human emotion. The evidence lies before you, keyblade master. Neku Sakuraba is dead."
No…he can't be…
Sora, don't let him mess with your head! We can still do this! Neku's fine!
Ventus clenched his fists. "We aren't going to fall for your tricks! We know he's still alive!"
"Really?" Jaxuk taunted. "And how would he be, if he isn't breathing? If his heart isn't beating?"
"Because," Ventus replied, smiling, "There's more than one way to be alive."
Aqua smiled, nodding toward Ventus. Sora stood silent for a moment before he felt his own smile appearing. I think I understand what he means…
You do?
Yeah…Neku's alive. I'm sure of it.
Jaxuk sneered, a dark aura flaring around him. "Had I a heart, I would be disgusted. You hold on to petty beliefs and meaningless emotions. Your thoughts are clouded by your petty sentimentality, blocking you from seeing the truth right before your very eyes. For that, I shall be your liberator. My finale begins with your deaths."
The aura flared, and Jaxuk's appearance began to warp. Enormous, demonic wings sprung from his back, claws grew from his hands, his teeth becoming razor-sharp. Black flames erupted from around him, blurring the rest of his transformation until it was complete. A bloodthirsty roar erupted from his throat, rattling the world around them, and he crashed to the ground in the form of an enormous dragon, small flickers of flame still escaping his maw.
"This can't be happening," Riku gasped. "How can he…"
"He's siphoning power from Kingdom Hearts," Ventus replied. "He's going to use it to kill us first. We're just small fry to him."
"How do we even stand a chance against this thing?!" Kairi cried.
Aqua backed away, her steps shaky and unsure. "I…I don't think we do…"
Neku wasn't breathing. He couldn't hear. He couldn't see. He couldn't feel. There was nothing everywhere. He was floating calmly, peacefully, and yet he felt a strange sensation of unrest in his heart. Was he really dead? How? Or perhaps he was only unconscious…?
Wait. If he was dead, then that would mean Shibuya…
You aren't ready to die yet.
The voice echoed around him. Neku's eyes flickered open, but he saw nothing. The voice…it wasn't Kingdom Hearts. It was…it was so familiar. Who's there…?
You haven't given up. You've gone so far. Why stop now?
Jaxuk had killed him? Was that it? Neku sighed inwardly. I…don't know. What's happening to me?
You're hanging onto life, Neku. Something is keeping you between life and death.
That wasn't much. What is it…?
There's still a reason for you to live. You should know what it is; the reason is yours alone.
If I die, so does Shibuya…I don't want my world to die. And…Jaxuk. He's trying to destroy everything. I can't let him do that…not my home…not my friends. I have to stop him before anyone else…
Do you want to protect them?
Neku would have laughed at the question; the answer was so simple. More than anything.
The pin in his pocket, along with the feather in his hand, began to pulse. Something grabbed his heart and jerked it. A familiar warmth wrapped around him and lifted him upward. His vision flickered, and suddenly he saw a burst of brilliant red flames. Two great, fiery wings spread from either side of his back, and he took a gasp of air.
Sora hit the ground with a sickening thud. He was sure he had broken a bone or two at this point, but he had to keep fighting. He summoned enough of his energy for a cure spell and stood, ignoring the numbing pain.
We can't keep this up, Sora. Jaxuk is winning; we have to do something!
Like what? I might as well be fighting Kingdom Hearts itself!
Jaxuk hissed, sending a stream of black flame toward them. Aqua threw up a reflect spell around Sora in time to deflect it, but in the process was hit by a few stray flames. Ventus struck one of the dragon's forelegs, but met a whip-like tail in retaliation and was sent flying at least fifteen feet.
"We've fought a bigger dragon than that," Riku grumbled, "Haven't we, Sora?"
Sora nodded. "Yeah, we have…"
"So why is this one stronger if it's only half the size?"
"I don't know!"
The said dragon laughed. "You claim to fight to protect, but you really fight to gain. Your greed is the same as all others with hearts…it is an obstacle. It makes you feeble. It forces you to choose the wrong paths." Black flames gathered in his maw. "Taste your greed, your envy, your faults…and realize what a folly it is to have a heart!"
A piercing, hawk-like cry erupted from behind them. The lights of the memory trail all began to gather, soaring together and forming one massive shape. Flames burst from their center, and two great wings spread from each side. Another cry sounded, and the flames took the shape of an enormous, beautiful red bird, its wings and long tail feathers adorned with a familiar graffiti-like pattern. Sora's thoughts were buried under a mountain of awe as he gazed upon the creature.
"What is that?" Riku asked no one in particular.
"A Phoenix," Aqua replied, breathless. "I never thought I'd get to see one."
Kairi stepped forward. "It's beautiful," she commented.
Sora looked closer. He felt a wave of familiarity in his mind as he gazed upon the creature's eyes. He had seen them before. A smile climbed up his face. "Guys, it's Neku!"
Jaxuk roared. "Impossible! The boy is dead; I killed him myself!"
"But how?" Ventus added, almost agreeing with Jaxuk. "How is he alive?"
Sora, doesn't that bird look a lot like a noise?
The key bearer hesitated. …yeah, it does. Do you think that's Neku's…?
A voice rang out in their ears, only it wasn't just one voice, it was many. One, however was the most prominent to them, and they recognized it well as Neku's voice.
"Life is full of surprises, isn't it Jaxuk? You really thought I was dead?"
"Wha-?!"
"Next time you try to kill someone, you should probably pay more attention to what's in their heart."
Jaxuk would have none of it. He hurled a stream of black flame at the phoenix, but it diminished before it even came close. "Why?!" He demanded. "The only things people can have in their hearts are sinful things! Anger, despair, sorrow, regret, greed…hearts aren't worth having!"
"I held onto life by a thread. One single thread. I still had a reason to live, and I wasn't about to let anyone or anything stop me. I might not have said it out loud, but I promised everyone that I would make things right. I won't let you destroy my world, Jaxuk. I won't let you destroy anything. The only thing that's going down is you."
The Phoenix soared forth. For a split second as it neared, Sora could almost make out Neku's form in the center of the flames, his arms spread out and his face full of determination. As the bird passed overhead, the embers left behind fell on them, but they didn't burn. Instead, they seemed to comfort and protect. Sora stared in awe at the flame trails left behind by the great beast.
"No!" Jaxuk protested, perparing to shoot a burst of black flame at the Phoenix. "I will not let you stop me!"
"I've had enough of your power-hungry schemes," Neku's voice replied as the Phoenix let out another cry. "You've hurt me, you've hurt my home, and most importantly you've hurt my friends. Time for you to face up for what you've done."
An inferno engulfed the dragon, forcing an agonized cry from its maw. The Phoenix flew above it, watching carefully, not moving even as one of the reptilian beast's hands reached up and lashed, attempting to strike down its foe, only to lash out at the air instead. When the flames dimmed, the only thing left of the dragon was the countless scattering lights.
The earthquakes ceased. The cracks in the ground began to seal, and somehow the buildings were beginning to restore themselves. The chaos that had been inflicted on Shibuya began to repair, like they were watching a movie all around them being played in reverse.
"Not every day you get to see this," Kariya commented, popping a stick of bean paste in his mouth.
"What's goin' on, yo?" Beat asked. "Someone hit the rewind button?"
Joshua smirked. "Seems that way."
"Look! Up there!"
All eyes turned to where Rhyme was pointing. Overhead, the dark clouds began to disperse, and in the sky was a great, flaming bird. A hawk-like cry came from above, and a shower of embers fell gracefully downward.
"What is that?" Shiki asked.
Rhyme shook her head. "I don't know, but I can feel a lot of mist coming off of it."
"Does it hurt?"
"No. It's actually kind of…nice."
"It's Phoenix," Joshua stated. "The fiery bird of rebirth. Everything's safe now."
Rhyme's smile grew and she immediately latched onto her brother, crying the happiest tears she had ever cried. Beat attempted to hold back his own sobs, but it didn't last long. Shiki also broke down in tears, with Mr. Mew next to her cheering happily. Joshua, however, only smiled.
I knew you could do it.
Whatever had happened, it was amazing. Neku felt raw power fueling him, keeping him alive. One moment he thought he was dead, the next he was rushing in with renewed vigor to defeat Jaxuk. He was flying through the air, arms spread out by his sides like wings. The warmth that had cradled him with comfort before now empowered him with limitless strength, but unlike the warning Kingdom Hearts had given him, this strength didn't seem to hurt. Before his eyes, the most stunning inferno that he had ever seen burst forward – his inferno, he somehow knew – and consumed Jaxuk in its flames. When finally the flames flickered down, Neku turned and glanced downward. Staring at him were Sora, Riku, Kairi, Ventus and Aqua; all wearing expressions of awe. "Are you guys alright?" He asked.
"Yeah," Sora replied. "Neku…is that really you?"
It was an awkward question to be asking, but now that he thought about it there wasn't a clear answer to it. "…I think so. What happened to Jaxuk?"
"He's gone," Ventus said. "You beat him."
"You mind coming down here?" Riku called. "I'm going to get a crick in my neck if I have to stare at the sky all day to talk to you."
Neku could see Sora shooting Riku a warning glare (though it was more like a pout than anything), but he laughed. "Alright, I'm coming." He glided downward, swooping upward a bit and then landing. The moment before he landed on his feet, a burst of white flooded his vision, nearly blinding him, and scattered outward. He looked down just in time to see the pin Joshua gave him clatter to the non-visible floor. He picked it up, examining it and making out the form of some sort of bird. Finally, the design on it was clear enough to see. "The pin," he muttered. "It worked."
"You mean the pin did that?" Riku asked.
"Did what?"
Sora took a deep breath. "Neku…earlier, after Jaxuk hit you with that attack, you came back as some sort of noise."
His heart nearly stopped. Noise…I became a noise…? "Are you serious?"
"Yeah," Kairi replied. "Aqua said you were a phoenix."
"Phoenix…?"
"The fiery bird of rebirth," Aqua explained. "It's supposed to only be a myth."
I became a noise and still turned back human, Neku pondered, staring at the pin. Does that make me a reaper? Wait, if Phoenix is a bird, then that feather… He began fumbling in his pockets, but found nothing. The feather was gone.
Ventus blinked. "Something wrong? You're twitching kinda weird."
"The feather," Neku replied. "Sora dropped it, and I picked it up just before Jaxuk hit me…it's gone now."
Aqua blinked. "Feathers don't just disappear."
Biting his lip, Neku stared at the ground. Maybe it fused with the pin…?
Well done, key bearers.
The voice was heard by all. Sora rubbed his neck. "Um…guys? What's going on?"
"We beat Jaxuk," Riku said dryly. "Well…Neku did, but…"
Wrong. It was your combined strength that defeated him. You may not feel or know it, but if he had been alone, Neku would not have been strong enough to fight as he did.
"I have to agree," Neku replied. "It was you guys that brought me back. When I thought I was done for, I held on because…well…" His voice trailed off. "You know."
"So we can go home now," Kairi said excitedly.
Not yet.
"What?" Ventus wailed. "Don't tell me there was someone else pulling strings…"
"Knowing how things have gone so far," Riku deadpanned, "I wouldn't be surprised if that was true."
Neku Sakuraba, you must make a choice.
Neku blinked. "Me? What choice?"
As though to answer him, Music of Shibuya appeared, pulsing in his hand. He glanced at it, but couldn't discern the song it held for him.
Your keyblade ties you directly to Shibuya. Its music is tied to you and aids you.
He bit his lip, holding the keyblade in both hands. Thanks to this, Shibuya could have been destroyed…but thanks to this, I haven't died so many times. He looked up. "As grateful as I am for my home world helping me…I want to give Shibuya back to itself."
Music of Shibuya pulsed in response, rising out of his hands and slowly dissolving into a shower of sparkles before vanishing altogether. Something jerked at Neku's heart, nearly causing him to double over, but something held him still. When it finally vanished, he stood tall again, his senses feeling a bit duller than before.
"You're giving up your keyblade?" Aqua stated. "Why?"
"It ties me with Shibuya," Neku replied, "But Shibuya was mirroring everything I did. I don't want that. It'll be the same as if I was doing what Kitaniji did…using mass imprinting to control everyone. Besides, when I nearly died, Shibuya sacrificed part of itself to keep me alive. I'm giving that part of Shibuya back."
Aqua smiled, and nodded in approval.
Ventus stretched and yawned. "Well, Aqua, think it's about time we had our nap?"
"Nap?" Sora echoed. "What do you mean?"
"We're only ghosts outside of Kingdom Hearts," Ventus explained. "In here we have form. Know what that means?"
"You're dead," Neku finished. "But…how can you…?"
"We're a bit different," Aqua said, looking away. "Kingdom Hearts woke us up, so apparently we were needed. The catch was that if we died again, so to speak, there was no having us back. Kind of like if we were erased in the UG. We'd cease to exist."
"We've been awake for quite a while…we're pretty tired." Ventus stared upward. "Now that Kingdom Hearts is safe again, we're allowed to go back to sleep…"
"But you don't have to," Riku added, finishing Ventus's thought. The blonde nodded.
A shimmering portal of gold appeared nearby, similar to the one that Zidane had used to leave. Through it emerged a young man dressed in long, flared-out pants, a tight blue shirt, and an armored gauntlet that spanned his entire left arm. Dark brown hair spiked back, narrowed eyes examining the area closely. "Am I late?"
Ventus's somber expression turned into a teasing grin. "Yep, and you missed the whole party."
The stranger shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"
"We were just about to hit the sack, Terra. Wanna come with?"
"Yeah. We could all use some rest."
Neku started a bit. So this was Terra…the one that controlled Zidane? He seemed different from the other two, somehow. Neku began to speak, but decided to remain silent.
"Wait!" Sora cried. "You're not leaving forever, are you, Ven? We haven't even known each other for that long…"
"All good things must come to an end sometime or another, Sora," Ven said, smiling sadly. "But I think that sometimes it's because they end that makes them so great."
"Ven's right," Riku said. "Besides, it's about time we headed home, too."
Neku nodded. "Right."
Ven grinned. "Well, see ya, everyone."
With a final wave, Terra, Aqua and Ven faded into a myriad of lights, scattering along the trail of memories and vanishing into nothing.
They stayed on the beach for the rest of the evening until the stars came out. Neku cupped his head behind his hands and lay down on the sand with the others. "I've never seen the stars like this before," he said. "It's really pretty."
"It is," Sora replied. "Back when the heartless were running around, I never noticed, but…there were stars blinking out, one by one. Then, after I beat Xehanort's Heartless and restored the worlds, there were so many stars in the sky again…"
"Which one do you think is Shibuya?"
Sora shrugged. "I dunno. I know that one's the Land of Dragons…that one's Radiant Garden…and I think that one is Twilight Town."
"Speaking of Shibuya," Riku began, "Aren't you worried about everyone there, Neku? Are you sure we shouldn't go ahead and send you home?"
"Shibuya's fine," Neku replied. "When I…when Phoenix appeared, I felt Shibuya being restored, too. They know I'm alright." But…I do feel kind of homesick.
"The Excalibur is out of commission until morning anyway," Kairi pointed out. "Chip and Dale said the engine is soaked. It'll take a while for it to run smoothly again."
"So we couldn't go now even if we wanted to," Riku moaned, but he chuckled after the statement anyway.
"Not necessarily," Sora replied. "There's more than one way. After all…" He paused, grinning. "Remember? There are many worlds out there, but they all share the same sky."
Whatever Sora meant, Riku must have understood, because he made a hum of agreement and sat up.
Neku sat up as well. "It's kind of weird, now that I think about it. Almost surreal."
"What is?" Kairi asked.
"This whole journey," Neku replied. "When I first met Sora in Shibuya…well, I have to admit it was pretty strange. Joshua told me he was important and that I had to lead Sora to him. Then Sora…entered the UG, and we were stuck with each other for a week."
"We didn't get along well at first, did we?" Sora said, laughing.
Neku chuckled. "No. I remember you punched me in the face after I yelled at you at some point."
"You punched Neku?" Riku gawked. "Wow, Sora. I never knew you had it in you."
"Knock it off!"
"I deserved it though," Neku pointed out. "Sora hadn't told me everything about what he went through…not every detail, at least…so I jumped to conclusions and made accusations. It was only later that I got to hear about Sora's own journey."
Sora smirked. "You didn't believe me at first."
"That, I'll admit," Neku said. "A world under the sea, a whale's belly, an enormous desert, pirates…everything. I hardly believed most of it. And now I've seen it with my own eyes…it's almost surreal, even just sitting here."
"Do you believe me now?"
"Yep."
"Would you believe me if I told you that you haven't seen the half of it?"
"At this point, yeah."
"So what now?" Kairi asked. "We gonna camp out here all night?"
"I'm up for that," Riku replied. "I dunno about you guys, but I really miss this place even after a few days."
Neku smiled sadly. He didn't want to admit it to Sora (even though the boy was giving him a concerned look), but he was feeling homesick himself. Shiki… Beat… Rhyme… Joshua… Mr. H…I'm coming back. Everything's fine now. I'm just so tired…
There was a flicker of white from in front of them. Neku rubbed his eyes, staring as a bright light in front of them grew wider and wider, like a doorway opening. Looking into it, Neku was hardly blinded. In fact he could almost feel what was on the other side. Something in the door called to him. "What's…?"
Sora blinked. "The Door to Light?"
Riku chuckled. "Looks like we won't have to give Neku a ride after all," he commented.
Neku was about to question this when he realized what Riku was referring to. The force that called to him…it was Shibuya. He glanced at his friends, smiling. "Well, looks like it's time for me to head home."
"We'll see you again, right?" Kairi asked.
Sora crossed his arms and gave him a beaming smile. "Of course we will!" He said, speaking before Neku could. "Right, Neku?"
Neku opened his mouth to reply with uncertainty, but somewhere in his mind, he knew he'd see them again. Nodding, he grinned. "Yeah. I'll see you guys again."
"Let us know when your next concert is," Riku said. "We'll be sure to come see you guys."
"I'll save you some front row seats," Neku assured them. "Best in the house."
"Say hi to everyone for us," Sora added, "Okay?"
"I will."
With one final goodbye, Neku turned around and took a deep breath, swallowing hard and stepping into the light.
Footsteps. People talking. The feeling of pavement underneath him. Neku's eyes slid open and he found himself staring at the familiar sight of people passing by him at the Scramble Crossing. Fitting that the light would lead him to the same place death had.
He pushed himself to his feet, looking around and starting forward in order to avoid too many awkward glanced. Pushing his way past the crowd (bumping into someone on purpose to make sure he wasn't dead or dreaming), he made his way to Hachiko in a daze.
No one was waiting for him.
Neku was about to turn and leave when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around just in time to receive a very big hug from Shiki, Mr. Mew tangling from one of her hands. He had a hard time stopping the tears, and over the girl's shoulder, he could see everyone else waiting for him. Beat was grinning widely at him, waiting for a chance to greet his friend. Rhyme just smiled and waved, along with Hanekoma. Joshua, of course, did that sly smirk of his and that was about it.
When Shiki finally pulled away, Neku had his chance to speak. "I'm back."
"We were so worried," Shiki began. "We thought you were done for…and Shibuya, it-"
She was interrupted when Beat took his chance and grabbed Neku and gave him the hardest noogie he could possibly manage. "You had us worried sick, yo! We thought you was a gonner til that bird showed up…"
"Bird?" Neku questioned when he was released from Beat's grip.
"Yeah," Rhyme replied. "This huge bird came when Shibuya was about to fall to pieces, and suddenly everything was okay again."
Neku chuckled uneasily. "Looks like I have some explaining to do."
"Tell us everything!" Shiki exclaimed.
"Well, not here…"
"Why don't we head on over to WildKat?" Hanekoma suggested. "Everything's on the house today in celebration."
"Booyaka!"
"Thanks, Mr. H!"
Of course, once they reached the café, the onslaught of questions began.
"Come on, Neku! I wanna hear everything that happened!"
"Yeah! Where'd you guys go?"
"What was it like on that other world?"
"Were there any Nobodies?"
Neku smiled widely. "Well, you guys probably won't believe half of it…"
Shiki grinned. "Neku, we've been to several of the worlds that you've been to. We'll believe you, promise."
"Well, when we got past the route…"
Everyone sat listening intently as Neku began explaining the remaining events of their journey. Hanekoma went around preparing donuts and pancakes for their orders, and Joshua only stood by and watched, having already known what had happened then. The group gasped in awe as the story was told, and by the time it was done, they were all smiling with joy. Neku sat back in his chair, remembering the last thing he had heard before he left Destiny Islands.
We'll see you again, Neku. It's a promise.
The End.
I hate writing endings…it's like saying good-bye to an old friend.
Well, it had to happen eventually…Chasing The Truth is done. As much as I am relieved that it's done, I'm going to miss writing it. I was so surprised when Playing For Keeps became as popular as it is, and Chasing The Truth wasn't planned to be quite as long as it is. So many elements came and went, some being used, some being forgotten, some scenes deleted, some plot points being added in at the last second. I had no idea this story would turn out like it is now. Thank you all for reading Chasing The Truth, and stay tuned for the epilogue!
-FlikFreak
