Chapter 38 X-blade
"Let him go you bastard! He has nothing to do with this!" Ven shouts pointing his keyblade at Xehanort. He is actually shaking with anger. This Xehanort guy is bad news and Ven is not about to let Sora get dragged into his twisted plans.
"On the contrary, Sora is going to be very helpful. Isn't that right Sora?" Xehanort's says leaning over Sora forcing him to look up. "I need Ventus to do exactly what I say and if he doesn't then I'm going to have to do something I'd rather not describe." Xehanort summons his keyblade and rests it against the little boy's cheek. Sora lets out a gasp and tries to pull away, but Xehanort has him in a vice grip.
Ven can't take it anymore and he charges at Xehanort with a growl of fury. Xehanort looks up and smirks. He jerks Sora in front of him as a human shield forcing Ven to nearly fall as he skids to a stop. He glares at Xehanort with more hatred than he has ever felt before in his life. He is close enough to them now to see the tears forming in Sora's big blue scared eyes.
"It's going to be okay Sora. Don't cry. I swear he won't hurt you. I won't let him," Ven says as calmly as possible in the current situation.
"So you accept my offer boy?"
Ven lets his keyblade disappear and his hands fall to his sides. "I'll do what you want just let him go."
Xehanort laughs mirthlessly at him and lets his keyblade disappear as well. He keeps his grip on Sora and uses his now free hand to summon a dark swirling portal out of thin air. "I'm not about to let my trump card go just yet. I will keep him around a little longer to make sure you don't step out of line." With that he easily tosses Sora through the portal.
"Sora!" Ven calls as Sora goes through with a small scream.
Ven summons his keyblade again and prepares to attack Xehanort once more.
"Ah ah ah," Xehanort says waging a crooked finger at him. "If you don't put that away I might just close that portal and then what will become of little Sora?"
Ven is about to explode with rage. The glint in Xehanort's eyes shows he is enjoying this and it makes Ven want to scream. But he fights to get his emotions under control. He has to be calm and go along with this psychopath to keep Sora safe. With an enormous effort he forces his keyblade to vanish and crosses his arms to keep himself from summoning it again.
"That's better boy. You will learn to do as I say or things will become a little messy if you know what I mean."
Ven ignores his comment and runs through the dark portal after Sora trying not to think of what Xehanort is going to do to them next.
As soon as he goes through everything became eerily quiet. He can see nothing and do nothing. Everything is just black and empty and it presses down on him with the weight of its power.
As suddenly as it had surrounded him the darkness goes away and he stumbles onto solid ground. The first thing he sees is Sora sitting on the ground holding a scraped elbow. "Sora!" Ven runs to his side and gently tips the younger boy's head up. "I'm sorry Sora. I'm so sorry. I don't know how this happened but I swear I will get you out of this."
"Ven where are we? I want to go home," Sora says whining as he continues to rub his scraped up arm.
"I don't know Sora," Ven says looking around. The portal is gone and the world they are on is desolate. The ground appears to be made completely out of rust colored rock and Ven can see nothing from horizon to horizon. The ground is cracked and Ven can feel sharp edges poking him as he knelt next to Sora. "That bast- I mean, Xehanort sent us here."
"I expect you to only refer to me as Master boy."
Xehanort suddenly appears about 20ft away from them through another portal which also disappears as he steps out. Ven jumps to his feet and whirls around to face him. Sora jumps up as well and hugs Ven's leg from behind peering at Xehanort around Ven's hip. Ven puts one hand on Sora's head protectively and summons his keyblade with the other pointing it at Xehanort.
"Tell me what the hell you want!" Ven shouts at Xehanort his angered fueled by Sora's nearly inaudible whimpering.
"It is simple," Xehanort says walking towards them with his hands clasped behind his back. "I want you to form for me the X-blade."
"Keyblade?" Ven says out of curiosity, but also to keep Xehanort talking until he comes up with a plan.
"Not the keyblades you and I carry. 'X' A most ancient letter. Some say 'kye', but the meaning is the same. Death. A letter that spells endings. And you, boy, have the power to make it," Xehanort says pointing a crooked finger at Ven's chest. "The light and darkness in your heart exist in such a balance almost never found in a single person. This balance is what is needed. A constant clash of light and dark, and when the darkness wins as it always does, the X-blade will be formed."
As he had spoken Xehanort had moved closer to Ven and at his last words he placed his finger right over Ven's heart. "Ugh," Ven gasps in pain falling to his knees.
"Ven!" Sora cries in worry, but his voice sounds far away to Ven. He clutches his head hearing Vanitas' evil laugh echo through his mind.
Time to fight Ven.
Vanitas whispers and the pressure Ven had felt on Carinol returns threatening to crush him.
"That's right," Xehanort says happily walking around Ven and taking Sora's arm in his vice grip once more. "Fight. Pure light against pure darkness, to forge the ultimate key. The all powerful X-Blade!"
Ven bites his lip to keep from screaming out in pain. He cracks his eyes open just enough to see Xehanort turn away, dragging Sora with him. With an extreme effort, Ven pushes the pressure off him and hears Vanitas roar in fury just before his voice disappears once more. The pain gone, Ven gets to his feet and summons his keyblade. With a growl of anger, he runs at Xehanort's turned back and slashes down at him with his keyblade. In the blink of an eye, Xehanort turns to face him and Ven's attack bounces harmlessly off the old man's larger keyblade.
"It is futile to try and avoid your destiny," Xehanort says.
"Shut up!" Ven cries as he charges forward again. Their keyblades lock and Ven glares over them at Xehanort. Xehanort however smiles back and with a quick movement flicks his keyblade, sending Ven's keyblade flying out of his hand. Disarmed, Ven doesn't have anyway to protect himself as Xehanort kicks him hard in the stomach causing him to fly back, skidding across the rocky surface on his back.
"Ven!" Sora calls again, trying to run to him, but Xehanort holds him back.
As Ven struggles to sit up, he shouts at Xehanort, "Let him go you bastard!"
Xehanort ignores his words and begins to speak again. "Do you know what place this is?" Ven, having propped himself up on his elbows, says nothing. "On this barren soil, keyblades of light and darkness were locked in combat as a great Keyblade War raged. Countless
keyblade wielders gave up their lives, all in search of one, ultimate key. It had the power to bring ruin and devastation. And in that darkness the most powerful light was found. Creation brought about by ruin. It leaves us to wonder what could be created from a second keyblade war? I must have these answers. The X-blade needs to be forged. Give in and fight. Fight and gain the power of legends. The power to bring change to the worlds forever!" Xehanort points to Ven. "X-blade!"
As Xehanort's words echo through the empty world, Ven slowly gets to his feet. His keyblade, which Xehanort had sent flying, reappears in his hand. Ven grips it so tight his knuckles turn white, but he speaks in an even voice. "No."
In a flash, his keyblade disappears and Ven stares calmly at Xehanort. "You want to bring darkness to the worlds and I won't help you. You need me to fight to form your precious X-blade? Well I'm not going to fight."
Xehanort's eyes burn with anger, but he regains his composure quickly. "You seem to have forgotten the consequences of your refusal." Xehanort jerks Sora's arm causing him to cry out in pain as Xehanort forces him to stand before him. "Little Sora's heart is not balanced like yours, but it is special. His heart will take in any without a home. It would be ever so easy to turn his heart dark. If you refuse, he will just have to take your place."
Ven clenches his fists and growls in anger, but he can't take his eyes off of Sora's terrified eyes. With a sigh, he hangs his head in defeat. "Don't hurt him," Ven says quietly. "I'll do anything you want, just leave him alone."
"Wonderful," Xehanort says with an evil smirk. Before Ven can protest, Xehanort and Sora teleport away leaving Ven standing alone. Frantic, Ven looks all around for where he had taken Sora, but Xehanort's voice causes him to spin around and look up to the cliff where the two of them now stood. "Let the dark impulses waken in the pit of your heart. Release them, here and now!"
All of a sudden, Neoshadows appear out of the ground all around Ven. They eye him carefully and he glares angrily back. For a moment, he stands there defenseless knowing that by fighting he is giving into Xehanort's dark plan, but he can't let Sora be hurt. It doesn't matter what sacrifices Ven is willing to make because Sora's safety had to come before all else. His arms hang at his sides as his keyblade appears in a flash. Seeing it, the heartless move closer and still he doesn't move. As a mindless group, the neoshadows rush at him together, and just when they are nearly upon him he lashes out with his keyblade. In the aftermath of his attack, one lone pink heart floats away.
Now accepting that he has to do what must be done, Ven launches into an attack against the remaining neoshadows. Every swing of his keyblade fells another heartless, but there is always one more to take its place. As he fights, claws scratch his unprotected back, but he barely feels them. Ven loses track of time and count, but over an hour and a thousand of heartless later he knows he can go on no further.
Fighting off a group of three, Ven jumps away to a safe distance. "I'm not strong enough!" Ven calls up to Xehanort still watching from the cliff with Sora.
"Sharpen your fear into rage!" Xehanort commands, and Ven glances around to see himself circled by nearly fifty more heartless. The sight of them makes his knees buckle and he falls to the ground exhausted. "You must! If you do not let the storm within you run its course, it
will wipe you from the face of the world, make no mistake!" Seeing Ven so close to defeat, the neoshadows move a little closer. "Do it. Embrace the darkness. Produce for your Master the X-blade!"
At his words, Ven screams in fear as the neoshadows all jump on him. Their weight presses him to the ground as their sharp claws scratch at him. The pressure on his head returns and with each cut the pressure increases.
Let me out! I can save us again!
Vanitas' voice is not at all scared. He is excited...happy.
The power of the X-blade is ours to control. Nothing will be able to stop us. We can be more powerful than anyone ever was!
The pressure is too much. Vanitas' voice in his ear, the heartless scratching at him, Xehanort's threats against Sora...he wants them all to stop. Vanitas could make it all stop. He could bring an end to it all. Forging the X-blade for themselves, not for Xehanort.
That's right! It is our power and we can do what we want with it. Incredible strength, unbelievable power. The worlds will be at our feet. Let me out and we can-
"You are the only one with the power to suppress him. Ventus, no matter how scared you get you must not let Vanitas out again. There is no telling what he would do if he had control of your body again."
Master Eraqus' words burst out of Ven's memories drowning out Vanitas. Master Eraqus had known of the X-blade; he had known of Ven's terrible power. That is the secret he had been keeping, the reason he had wanted to protect Ven.
"I trust you to do the right thing..."
Master Eraqus had always known there would come a time when Ven would have to make this decision. Xehanort had been right to tell Ven that he couldn't avoid his destiny. Like Master Yen Sid had said, he could bring about a good or bad change to the worlds and it was Ven's decision in this moment that could decide that, that is why Master Yen Sid hadn't been able to predict which would happen.
"I won't fight!" Ven shouts letting his keyblade disappear. "I won't fight!"
You idiot!
Vanitas' scream in accompanied by a doubling of the pain in his head.
"You would rather die than use the power?" He hears Xehanort's voice from somewhere up above the hoard of heartless still scratching at him.
With his last ounce of strength, Ven is able to utter one last word, "Yes."
…
"Let me go! Let me go! Stop it! Ven! Ven!" Sora screams as he tries to wrench his arm from Xehanort's grip. Ven is trapped under all those heartless and Xehanort is doing nothing to stop it. "Make them stop!" Sora shouts. "They're hurting him!"
Xehanort continues to ignore him as he glares down at the sea of heartless Ven had disappeared under. He waits expectantly, but the boy does not arise. "Feckless neophyte," Xehanort spits.
"Make them stop! Ven! Ven!" Sora is still screaming and with a growl of anger, Xehanort throws him backwards. Sora lands hard and starts to cry as he sits up. Xehanort is now nowhere in sight and with fear, Sora crawls back to the edge of the cliff and looks down.
The heartless have all vanished without a trace and Ven is lying face down on the ground. "Ven," Sora whispers to himself too scared to do anything but watch. Xehanort walks forward to stand over Ven with his hands clasped behind his back. For a moment he leans down to observe Ven silently, then he uses a foot to turn Ven over on his back.
Sora can see that Ven's eyes are open, staring up at the sky, but they are glazed over like he isn't really seeing it. Xehanort is talking to Ven, but Sora is too far away to hear what is being said. When he finishes speaking, Xehanort summons his keyblade and raises it over Ven as if to stab him in the chest with it. "No!" Sora screams as a light forms on the end of Xehanort's keyblade and a thin stream of energy shoots from the keyblade, striking Ven in the chest.
Ven screams out in pain and Sora starts to cry harder at the sound. With a final glance back at the scene below, Sora turns searching for a way down to Ven. The spot he had been watching from is too steep to climb down, but a little ways away there is an area where the sides slope enough for Sora to climb down. As he climbs, Ven continues to scream, and Sora continues to cry.
Halfway down, Ven's scream dies away except for the slight echo and that too fades leaving an eerie silence in its wake. Sora quickly climbs down the rest of the way and ten feet from the bottom his foot slips on a loose rock. He tumbles to the bottom and when he comes to a stop he curls into a ball whimpering in pain from the scrapes he had gotten on his knees and palms.
"What is your name creature?"
Xehanort's voice calls out through the silence and Sora uncurls as he looks up to see Xehanort still standing beside Ven's prone body. Another boy is with them now. His entire body is covered in a black and red bodysuit with a mask over his face.
"Vanitas," the masked boy replies in a voice that makes Sora shiver.
As quietly as possible he moves behind a large rock and peeks over the top to watch what is happening. Xehanort cackles and Sora ducks his head in fright.
"Darkness from Ventus riven, I have given you your own existence. I am your master," Xehanort says and Sora gathers the courage to peek over the rock again.
"Yes, Master," Vanitas says and Xehanort cackles again.
Xehanort then moves to Ven's side and prods him with his foot. Ven doesn't respond at all and Xehanort shakes his head. "Weak. He was too afraid to use his true power. Those who fear the darkness will always be crushed by its power."
Vanitas turns his masked face to stare down at Ven as well. He looks up when Xehanort summons a dark corridor. "Ventus is close to his end," Xehanort states in an angry voice. "I'll come back for him when I have decided what can be done to salvage my plan, until then your training must begin at once."
He goes through the dark corridor and Vanitas moves to follow. Just before he goes through, Vanitas looks back at Ven. A moment passes, and Vanitas turns his head to stare at Sora's hiding place. Sora gasps in fear and crouches lower, but Vanitas turns away and walks through the corridor which disappears behind him.
Sora stays in his hiding place for a minute, his legs shaking too much to be able to walk. Ven doesn't move and Sora finally starts to crawl to him. When he reaches Ven, Sora puts his hands on his chest and shakes him gently. "Ven? Ven you gotta wake up," Sora says starting to cry again. "We gotta go home." Ven remains as still as ever, his eyes are closed and he is barely breathing. Sora starts to sob. "Ven! Ven I'm so scared. Please wake up! Please!" Sobbing, Sora lies down next to Ven, burying his face in Ven's chest. "Wake up Ven. Please wake up."
But the only movement on the barren, rocky plain is Sora shaking with the strength of his sobs, and soon even that stills as he succumbs to sleep.
MLSoT: Sooo...it's not the end of the story. It's like a super dramatic middle that seems like it should be the climax but it's actually not...yeah there is still lots to go. As for the sequel it is going to jump ten years and focus on Sora for the most part.
Zephyr26: Maybe Terra, Aqua, and Master Eraqus will come to help next chapter...if it's not too late.
SnowKawasagi: I guess I think of Riku's keyblade as the Way to Dawn keyblade only miniature in size because he's a little kid.
VANITAS! Yep he's no longer in Ven's heart. He's got his own body and Xehanort has taken him as an apprentice.
Just a heads up, I jammed/fractured my thumb at softball yesterday and typing is kind of annoying right now. I already had this chapter typed from last week so I'm putting it up now, but next chapter isn't even half done. I'm going to try and have it done by Thursday because I'm going away for the weekend and won't be able to work on it then. I'll do my best, but an update might take slightly longer than normal. :(