Chapter 55 Beginning of the End
Midmorning the next day, Ven is sitting on the steps that lead up to MEKA's front doors with his eyes to the sky. The sun is shining brightly and without a cloud to break it up, the sky is immensely vast. Ven had once compared the intense blue of the sky to the beautiful blue of Zack's eyes, but now that seemed like a poor comparison. The blue of the sky could not be as bright and full of life as Zack's eyes.
"Are you going to spend all your time daydreaming or are we going to fight?"
Terra's voice brings Ven's eyes and thoughts back to what is in front of him. Terra and Aqua have finished warming up and smile as Ven gets to his feet. "Oh, we're gonna fight," Ven says with a grin as he summons his keyblade.
Aqua raises an eyebrow at him. "Confident much Ven?" She says as both her and Terra summon their keyblades as well. "Two against one doesn't seem to be in your favor."
Ven swallows hard seeing that they are both going to be fighting, but doesn't let his nerves show. "Still," he says falling into a battle stance. "Everyone always bets on the underdog so...bring it!"
Terra and Aqua exchange a look before they split up and rush at Ven from opposite sides. "Fire!" Ven shouts sending the fireball at Terra and forcing him to stop and block it. Ven whirls around, bring his keyblade up to intercept Aqua's strike. Their keyblades slam together and they are locked in a contest of strength. Ven grits his teeth as he tries to hold his ground while Aqua just smiles and presses harder. So focused on holding his ground, Ven doesn't react fast enough when Aqua suddenly pulls back and points her keyblade at his feet.
"Aero," she says and a gust of wind blows him into the air.
Ven does an aerial recovery and lands facing Aqua. He readies his keyblade, but she makes no move to go after him. Confused, he lowers his keyblade slightly before hearing the heavy footsteps running towards him from behind. Ven spins around and hastily blocks Terra's swing. Terra follows up quickly and Ven finds him backing up under Terra's assault. He knows Aqua is getting closer to his unprotected back so when Terra slashes at him again, he ducks under it instead of blocking. Straightening up, he uses Air Slide to get away from them and stands on the other side of the area breathing hard.
"Giving up Ven?" Terra taunts as he and Aqua start walking towards him.
"You wish," Ven shouts back still trying to regain his breath.
"If you need a break we can stop," Aqua says with a smile, but Ven glares back at her before charging forward again. He jumps into the air in a move called Stun Edge. With his keyblade crackling with electricity, he flips through the air to come down on Aqua, but before he can, Terra throws his keyblade which catches Ven in the chest and sends him tumbling back.
He lands hard on his back and sits up rubbing his chest, "Ow…" he mumbles. The cold edge of a keyblade touches his neck and he looks up to see Terra standing over him. Accepting defeat, Ven says sullenly, "You guys win."
"Cure," Terra says and the bruise Ven can feel forming on his chest heal instantly. Terra lets his keyblade disappear and holds out a hand to help Ven to his feet. "Why don't we switch up the teams?" Terra suggests. "Girls and against boys sound like fun?"
"Yeah," Ven says enthusiastically.
"Terra," Aqua says in a fake hurt voice. "I can't believe you would switch sides like that." Terra grins at her and she grins back. "Alright boys," she says and the tip of her keyblade starts to glow. "See how you like this!" She raises her keyblade up to point at them. "Blizzara!" Terra and Ven easily block the shards of ice with their keyblades before leaping towards her at the same time. Despite both of them attacking at the same time, neither of them is able to land a hit on her as she blocks or narrowly dodges all their swings. Still, they are pushing her back farther and farther until she is backed up against the steps. Not realizing where she is, she tries to take another step back, but trips and falls, dropping her keyblade.
Terra's keyblade is to her throat in an instant. "Any last words?" He says jokingly.
"Let me think," Aqua says glancing past Terra. "How about, switch teams!"
"What-" Terra tries to say, but Ven suddenly tackles him knocking them both to the ground. After the initial shock wears off, Terra easily gains the upper hand and pins Ven. "Surrender," Terra says grinning.
"Never!" Ven shouts struggling futilely. He cranes his neck to spot Aqua a few paces away with her back to them. "Aqua! I thought we were a team."
Aqua doesn't reply and Terra also looks up at her. "Aqua?" He asks. He lets go of Ven's wrists and gets up.
"What is that?" Aqua asks fearfully pointing at the sky in the distance as Terra stands at her side. Ven gets to his feet quickly and looks in the same direction. The previously clear sky now has a massive purple cloud moving quickly in the direction of MEKA. The wind starts to pick up and a shadow falls on them as the cloud covers the sun. Ven stares at it in fear and takes a nervous step towards them, but out of nowhere a ball of darkness hits him in the side and sends him to the ground with a pained shout.
"Ven!" Both Terra and Aqua shout as they run to his side. He sits up as they reach him, holding his side. "Cura," Aqua says quickly and the pain fades.
"What happened Ven?" Terra asks.
"I don't-" Ven starts to say, but he stops and gasps, looking past Terra and Aqua. They both whirl around and hold their keyblades up to see Xehanort walking towards them with a dark grin and his hands clasped behind his back.
"Ah, Ventus," Xehanort says coming to a halt. The storm clouds in the sky also stop moving. "You have indeed grown stronger than last I saw you. Good. You will need your strength if you are to survive the X-blade's creation."
"Shut up old man!" Terra shouts throwing an arm protectively in front of Ven.
Xehanort tilts his head as he regards Terra. "Such anger," he says. "And all of it untapped. Tell my boy, have you ever opened your heart to darkness?"
"Never," Terra says taking a step towards Xehanort. "I'm not like you."
"So you say." Xehanort shrugs. "Darkness is nothing to be ashamed of, boy. Great power lies within its depths. Surely one as strong as you could handle the power."
Terra doesn't wait for Xehanort to finish as he runs forward his keyblade out to strike him."I said shut up!"
Xehanort merely smirks, making no move to defend himself. Using all his momentum, Terra swings his keyblade in an arc to come down on Xehanort's torso, but it only cuts through air. He straightens up confused.
"Behind you!" Aqua shouts and Terra whirls around just in time to block Xehanort's attack. The old man had teleported and snuck up behind him. Xehanort presses harder and Terra grimaces in the effort to keep his block up.
"You cannot defeat me," Xehanort says in an easy voice as if feeling no strain from the battle. "I have the power of darkness on my side. What do you have? Your precious light? Let me snuff it out for you."
He suddenly turns away from Terra, keeping the same pressure on his keyblade, and uses his free hand to send a blast of wind at Aqua who had jumped at him. She is sent flying and lands hard on the stairs. "Aqua!" Terra gasps seeing her push herself back up with a cut on her head from hitting the steps.
"Leave my friends alone!" Ven shouts running at Xehanort with his keyblade in his hand. In a quick movement, Xehanort knocks Terra away with his keyblade and dodges Ven's attack.
"You're the one I want," Xehanort says grabbing Ven by his throat and lifting him in the air with one hand. Ven tries swinging his keyblade at Xehanort, but it's no use. It falls out of his hand and vanishes upon hitting the ground as his vision starts to darken around the edges. He scratches futilely at the hand on his throat, but his arms fall to his side as his eyes start to close.
All at once, he can breathe again and he sucks in a deep breath. His eyes shoot open just as he hits the ground. Xehanort is standing above him seething with anger as he clutches his arm which is bleeding from a deep gash. Terra's keyblade is bloody as he slashes at Xehanort again, forcing the old man away from Ven who is pulled to his feet by Master Eraqus.
"Master…" Ven tries to say, wincing and raising a hand to his bruised throat.
Master Eraqus shoves him back and he falls against Aqua. "Aqua, take Ventus and the others and go," Master Eraqus commands.
Aqua looks to where Terra is still battling with Xehanort. "But Master-"
"Now Aqua," Master Eraqus yells. He runs to Terra's aid and Ven tries to do the same, but Aqua stops him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's go Ven." She tries to pull him towards the doors of the castle, but he resists.
"But-"
"Ven!" Aqua turns back to face him and he can see the pain on her face as she forces herself not to look at the battle taking place. He let's her drag him up the steps. Just before they go inside, Ven looks up to see the unnatural, purple clouds are moving once more and just as they close the door behind them, the clouds hit the castle with a mighty crash. The walls shudder and windows smash in making Ven and Aqua duck and cover their faces. The wind howls through the castle as Aqua runs forward shouting over the noise, "Riku! Sora! Kairi!"
Ven is frozen for a moment, looking back at the front doors of the castle which he could hear the sounds of battle from outside through, but he forces himself to follow Aqua. "Sora!" He shouts. "Riku! Kairi!"
Another boom echos through the castle and everything shakes again sending Ven stumbling into the door of the coat closet in the hallway next to the stairs. He hears a muffled shriek from inside and rips open the door to see the three young kids curled up in the corner. Kairi is crying in between the two boys, but they all stare up and Ven with fear in their eyes.
"Aqua!" Ven calls over his shoulder. "Aqua! I found them!"
Sora jumps to his feet and runs to Ven, hugging him tight. Ven picks him up letting him bury his face in his shoulder while beckoning the other two out of the closet. Aqua appears at his side and lifts Riku and Kairi into her arms. Kairi buries her face like Sora and continues to cry into her shoulder. Riku clings to her, but keeps his eyes wide open and watching in fear as Van and Aqua race back outside as another rumble is accompanied by the sound of the ceiling caving in in the floors above.
Outside, Ven and Aqua gasp at the sight before them. Xehanort stands at the center of the battle firing balls of darkness at Terra and Master Eraqus who are ducking and blocking the attacks. Master Eraqus catches sight of the five of them and shouts, "Get them out of here Aqua!"
"No," Aqua says her eyes wide in panic. "Terra…"
Xehanort, alerted by Master Eraqus' shout, starts advancing towards them, his yellow eyes trained on Ven. He is cut off by Terra moving between them. "Go Aqua," he says over his shoulder. "We'll hold him off as long as we can. Just get Ven out of here!"
"I'm not leaving you here with him," Ven says watching with fear as Master Eraqus launches into a flurry of attacks on Xehanort. The two old masters match each other move by move.
"Get him out of here," Terra says to Aqua over the sound of the storm and the clash of keyblades. "Remember your duty Aqua!"
"No! We're not leaving," Ven says summoning his keyblade in the hand not holding Sora. "Right Aqua?" He looks to her to see a tear falling from her eye as she stares at Terra. "Aqua?"
"I'm so sorry," she says quietly to Terra.
He smiles back at her. "Don't be. Duty must come before all else."
More tears slip down Aqua's cheeks, but she has a determined look in her eyes. She raises her hand and a light corridor appears.
"No, Aqua-" Ven tries to protest, but Aqua pushes him through.
She goes to follow, but looks back one at Terra. "I lov-" But he's already run back into battle leaving Aqua alone beside the light corridor. Her heart aching, she steps through and it closes behind her.
"Blizzara!" Master Eraqus shouts aiming at Xehanort's feet, hoping to freeze him in place, but Xehanort flicks his wrist and the ice in deflected, heading for Terra instead. Terra jumps in the air, letting the shards pass under him before landing and swinging at Xehanort's feet. Xehanort teleports away before he can land a hit.
"It is pointless to fight."
Xehanort's voice makes Terra and Master Eraqus whirl around to see him standing at the top of the steps to the castle. Behind him, his dark storm continues to batter the castle destroying it brick by brick.
"You won't need a home anymore where you're going," Xehanort says with a wicked smile.
"Your plan will never work," Master Eraqus shouts. "Ventus is strong. He won't let you win."
Xehanort laughs. "Dear Eraqus, darkness always wins. Isn't that right Terra?" Saying this he points at Terra's whose eyes go wide and he falls to his knees clutching his chest right over his heart.
"Terra!" Master Eraqus kneels beside him, holding him up with hands on his shoulders.
"Master...what's-" Pain surges through Terra emanating from his heart. He groans and falls against Master Eraqus barely conscious.
"What have you done?" Master Eraqus demands glaring at Xehanort.
"The boy will thank me," Xehanort says with a sneer. "I've awakened the darkness he's tried so hard to bury. I merely brought it to the front of his heart. He will soon subcumb to its power."
"Never…" Terra says trying to push himself back up, but he can't and falls back against Master Eraqus.
"Do not fight it, it's pointless, "Xehanort says raising his arms to the sky which darkens more and lightning flashes across the land. "Let all that anger out, my boy. Give your heart over to darkness!"
Terra's body jerks and he falls to the ground. Master Eraqus reaches out to him, but pulls back with a gasp seeing darkness coming off of him. Terra's eyes are closed, but he rises to his feet, the darkness still coming off him like smoke. Master Eraqus rises as well watching his former student with worry. "Fight Terra," he says. "You cannot let the darkness win."
Terra doesn't respond, but his keyblade appears in his hand. Xehanort cackles again. "See Eraqus? See how weak your students of light are? He is under my power now." Xehanort gives a small motion with his hand and Terra charges forward at Master Eraqus who blocks Terra's first strike with ease.
"Terra," Master Eraqus says jumping away. "You must stop."
Terra, still with his eyes closed, puts his hands together and they begin to glow with darkness, He pushes them towards Master Eraqus, releasing an enormous ball of darkness. Master Eraqus blocks most of the attack, but some still hits him, sending him stumbling back.
He regains his balance just in time to raise his keyblade as Terra swings at him. The keyblades bounce off each other and Terra quickly recovers with a follow up slash that Master Eraqus also blocks. Terra continues to be on the offensive while Master Eraqus blocks each swing reluctant to do anything to hurt Terra.
The darkness around Terra grows stronger and Master Eraqus forces himself to lunge forward, but the darkness makes Terra quick and he dodges around Master Eraqus' attack. Master Eraqus swings at Terra's feet, but Terra's keyblade mirrors his movement and the keyblades slam into each other. Terra jumps back and forms another ball of darkness in his hands. He pushes it at Master Eraqus' head who raises his keyblade to block it.
The ball of darkness hits Master Eraqus' keyblade and dissipates, but as it vanishes, Terra closes the distance between him and his master, slashing his keyblade diagonally. Master Eraqus is too slow to react and falls to his knees clutching the mortal wound to his chest, his keyblade clattering to the ground beside him.
Despite the pain and the blood, Master Eraqus raises a weak hand to point at Terra and summons all his remaining strength. "Light."
A beam of light hits Terra and envelops his body, pushing all the darkness off. As it fades, Terra groans and shakes his head. Opening his eyes, he blinks in confusion before his eyes widen as he sees Master Eraqus.
"Master," he says in shock before looking down as tears form in his eyes.
"It wasn't you who did this," Master Eraqus says weakly. "It was Xehanort's darkness. Terra...you mustn't blame yourself."
"But Master-"
Before Terra can say more Xehanort appears behind Master Eraqus and in a swift movement stabs him in the back. Master Eraqus gasps slightly before his eyes roll back in his head and he begins to fall forward as his body starts to glow gold.
"No!" Terra shouts falling to his knees to catch his master, but when Master Eraqus's body hits his arms it fades and Terra is left hunched over on the ground as tears finally break free and fall from his eyes.
"What a sight," Xehanort says and kicks Master Eraqus' keyblade away.
Terra looks up to glare at him. Slowly, he gets to his feet and resummons his keyblade. "I will not let you hurt anyone else," Terra yells pointing his keyblade at Xehanort.
"Yes, boy, that's it! More!" Xehanort says lifting his arms into the air and causing deafening thunder to ring out from the storm above. "Let your whole heart blacken with anger!"
Terra yells out with the thunder and charges at Xehanort, covering the space between them in a matter of seconds. He slashes down at the old man, but Xehanort disappears before his keyblade makes contact.
Knowing this move, Terra spins around and locks keyblades with Xehanort who had appeared behind him. "You are quicker with darkness," Xehanort says before Terra throws him back.
"Firaga!" Terra shouts and sends a blast of flames at Xehanort, watching him disappear into the inferno. But when the flames die, Xehanort is standing, untouched by the fire.
"Darkness!" Xehanort shouts and Terra has to dive out of the way to avoid the orbs of darkness Xehanort sent his way. Rolling to his feet, Terra rushes back at Xehanort. The old man swings at Terra, but Terra jumps into the air over the blade and hits Xehanort with an aerial attack. He is able to land a combo before Xehanort can teleport away.
"Blizzara," Terra says and charges at Xehanort once more as the old man fends off the ice shards. Terra slashes down with his keyblade and lands two good hits before Xehanort's keyblade slams into his and knocks him back a few steps.
His eyes cold with hatred, Terra points the tip of his keyblade at Xehanort. "Light."
A enormous ball of light and darkness swirling together bursts from his keyblade and knocks Xehanort back. Breathing hard, Terra lowers his keyblade as Xehanort clutches his side in pain. "You are indeed strong, Terra," Xehanort says before beginning to laugh.
Frowning at him, Terra is distracted by a dark corridor opening to his right and a masked boy stepping out. "Ah, Vanitas," Xehanort says and Terra turns back to see the old man holding his keyblade to point at his heart. "You have come just in time to see the final union."
Terra gasps as Xehanort stabs himself with his keyblade. "What!"
Xehanort just laughs again as the his keyblade disappears and a golden glow covers his body. "I am in need of a new vessel and your young body is the perfect candidate," Xehanort says, holding his arms out his heart floats out of his chest. The pink orb floats above them as Xehanort shouts, "I swore I would survive to see the creation of the X-blade. Not even being banished to the Dark Realm could stop me." Xehanort looks away from his heart to stare gleefully at Terra. "And now it is your own dark anger that shall be the ark that sustains me!"
Xehanort points his finger at Terra and the pink heart shoots at Terra with incredible speed. "No," Terra says and on instinct he presses the button on his shoulder, summoning his armor in hope of stopping the heart from entering his body.
For a moment, his armor clad body is smothered in darkness, but when the darkness fades, the armor falls from his body piece by piece and his keyblade is last to clatter to the ground. The glowing Xehanort smirks one final time before fading away.
Vanitas slowly approaches the now silver haired man who had once been Terra as his eyes open to reveal them to be a golden color. He blinks and raises his hand, summoning Xehanort's keyblade.
In a voice that is not Terra's he says, "Out with the old and brittle vessel, and in with a younger, stronger new one."
"That grey hair still makes you look like an old man," Vanitas comments and Terranort turns to him.
"Go get Ventus," Terranort says to Vanitas and Vanitas waves his hand to summon a dark corridor.
"Gladly," he says before disappearing. Xehanort smirks as he goes and casts one last glance at the broken armor on the ground.
"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came."
Xehanort summons a dark corridor as well and goes through, leaving the storm of darkness to continue destroying MEKA. Other than the sounds of the wind howling and the breaking of the castle, the Land of Departure is silent, empty.
A large gust of wind blows across the area and the armor on the ground rustles. The various pieces start to roll towards each other and reconnect. A moment later, the armor stands tall despite the gale. It's head turns slightly to look at the storm before leaning down to pick up Terra's fallen keyblade. It raises it to point at the storm and a bright light forms at the tip, creating a beam that shoots to the heart of the storm.
All at once the wind stops howling and the creaking of the castle ceases. The storms clouds recede slightly and turn grey, but the sun does not return.
Terra's Lingering Will let's his keyblade drop to his side and takes a long look at the broken castle. Turning his back to the ruins, he throws his keyblade into the air and it returns to him a glider. Without a glance back, he mounts the glider and shoots off into space in search of Xehanort.
Dream For Tonight: More stuff definitely happens in the darker chapters.
LightzMusic22: Cookies for you for guessing right!
micaelaann. cruz: Amiddon = diamond so like a square turned on its side diamond and square, Amiddon and Eraqus... it was the best I could come up with
So as this chapter was titled, welcome to the beginning of the end. We're almost there, just a few chapters more.
This chapter is wicked sad, but next chapter is even worse in my opinion so get your tissues ready. I have part of it written so my goal is to get it out this weekend. As always, Reviews = Updates so don't be shy and tell me what you think.