Author's Note: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.
Notice: For those of you have fought Ansem, know that I gave him some extra abilities so it's not just his Guardian doing the fighting. Thank you for reading, and enjoy!
Ch.56 The Beginning of the End
When the light from opening the doors enveloped us we were blinded, and remained that way for a moment. Eventually it faded, and we looked around to see that we were in another place. A very familiar place. Sora gasped. "Is this… is this my island?" he said. I looked around. It indeed looked like Destiny Islands down to the last detail- even the paopu fruit on the tree. "Gawrsh, is this really it?" Goofy asked. "It seems so," I said. "But then what are we doing here?" Donald asked I shrugged, looked back to see that the door we came through was gone. There was no turning back now. While I was looking back I noticed something near the base of the largest tree, and froze. The entrance to Sora, Riku and Kairi's hiding place. "Well, what do you think Dexal? ...Dexal?" Sora said, looking at me.
They all saw what I was staring at, and Sora froze a well. Without saying anything we ran for the opening. That had been the last place Sora and I had seen Kairi before the islands vanished. Maybe something was there this time as well. But when we came close I could suddenly feel a dark presence, and said "Stop!" The others did, and we heard a voice, Ansem's voice, say "This world had been connected." I looked from side to side, trying to find him. But the feeling of darkness was everywhere, and I couldn't pinpoint him. "What was that?" Goofy said, and I turned to see where he was looking. The small island with the paopu tree had completely vanished, as if it had never existed in the first place. "Tied to the darkness… Soon to be completely eclipsed," Ansem's voice said.
We looked and saw the tree at the farthest end of the island, the one with the platform, vanish as well. "There is so very much to learn. You understand so little," Ansem said. We looked forward and watched in horror as the clear blue water turned a dark purple, and the ground began shaking. I had enough, and called "Ansem! Where are you?" "A meaningless effort," he replied. Everything turned white for a second again, and he said "One who knows nothing can understand nothing." The whiteness faded, and we looked around to see the Destiny Islands in its true state. The entire islands were decimated, the waterfall dried up, the landscape and structures in shambles. The trees and everything else were broken up, sharp projections of black and purple extending in every direction.
The thing that drew our attention the most though, was at the edge of what had been the shore, now a cliff. Standing there, in his dark outfit, was Riku. "Riku!" Sora called, and ran for him. "Sora, wait!" I said, and I tried to stop him but wasn't fat enough, and ended up chasing after him. The four of us stopped once we came close, because we could see Riku chuckle enough though his back was turned. Instead of Riku's voice though, what came out was Ansem's. "Take a look at this tiny place. To the heart seeking freedom, this island is a prison, surrounded by water. And so this boy sought to escape from this prison. He sought a way to cross over into other worlds. And he opened his heart to darkness," he said. Riku turned, and as he did his body glowed, changing to the form of Ansem.
"Riku!" Sora called, reaching out towards him. Ansem chuckled. "Don't bother. Your voice can no longer reach him. His heart belongs again to darkness," he said. I glared at Ansem. I knew that he had gone so far as to possess Terra long ago, but this? "You are despicable, you low excuse of a being," I said. "Oh? I am the low one? You are a Heartless, and yet you strive so hard to deny what you are, rejecting your own self. Just as I, you belong in darkness," Ansem said, looking back from me to Sora. "All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it. It grows, consumes it. Such is its nature," he said. As he spoke I could hear the source of his voice change direction, until suddenly the Ansem before us vanished, and we turned to see another one behind us.
"You see, darkness is the heart's true essence," he declared, curling his hand into a fist. "That's not true! The heart may be weak, and sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!" Sora said. I looked at him in surprise, saying "Sora…" Ansem frowned and spread his arms, rising into the air and hovering. He crossed his arms and glared at Sora. "So you've come this far, and still you understand nothing. Every light must fade, every heart return to darkness!" he yelled. Behind him the air turned dark as a Guardian just like the one Xehanort had fought with so long ago appeared. I summoned Stormfell, and Sora called forth Oathkeeper, while Donald drew his staff and Goofy raised his shield.
We charged and Sora and Donald cast Aeroga around themselves, while I swung with my Keyblade and Goofy used Rocket. Ansem moved back to avoid both attacks, and the Guardian threw several scything blades of energy at us. I blocked two and shoved them away while Goofy held off another, Sora deflected one and Donald destroyed one aiming for him with Firaga. I cast Triple Blizzaga while Sora cast Thundaga and Donald cast Graviga. Ansem smirked and called "Come, Guardian!" The Guardian behind him vanished and reappeared in front of him, locking all of the spells. Once that was taken care of, it moved back behind its master, and Ansem's' hand charged with dark energy. "Take this!" he called, and cast Dark Firaga. A ball of black flame flew at us and I ducked, the spell exploding when it hit the sand behind us.
The Guardian swung at Donald with a massive right hook, hitting him on the side hard enough to send him flying. "Donald!" we called. Donald flapped his arm and tried to stop his fall but ended up landing on the cliff near where Ansem had originally stood. We started to run to help him, but Ansem moved in front of us. "Insolent fools. Submit!" he called. The Guardian suddenly reached forward and grabbed Sora, dissolving into a dark mist that surrounded him. Sora tried to move but the Guardian reappeared and held on his arms, keeping him in place. "Come, open your heart!" Ansem said, and cast another Dark Firaga at Sora. Since he was being held there was no way for him to avoid it, and Sora yelled in pain as the spell hit him and exploded, covering his front side with burns. "Sora!" I called, and cast Curaga on him.
The burns faded but the Guardian still held him in place, while Ansem said "Freeze!" He waved his hand and three spikes of ice flew forth. Goofy moved in front of Sora and blocked one, causing it to bounce off of his shield. Ansem frowned, and sensing his will the Guardian let go and Sora and grabbed Goofy. "Not this time!" I said, and I ran up. With a shout I used Zantetsuken, hitting the Guardian with a single blindingly fast strike of my Keyblade. It roared in pain from the large cut left behind, and Ansem recalled the Guardian to behind him. It did as he commanded, and once back in place it threw several more scythes of power. I cast Stopga but the spell failed, and Sora followed in up with Graviga. While the spell didn't pull them to the ground it did cause them to falter, and from behind Donald cast Thundaga, Blizzaga and Aeroga.
The Guardian blocked the ice spell but they were both lasted with bolts of lightning from above, and when it tried to hit Donald with another punch the Aeroga spell kept the fist from hitting. Goofy hit Ansem in the stomach with his shield and he glared, saying "You shall pay for that!" Ansem cast Quake and the ground beneath Goofy erupted, bursting into jagged pieces of sand-covered rock. Goofy was propelled into the air and landed on his back, also smacking his hard against the ground. He groaned in pain and began standing when Ansem froze him in place with Deep Freeze. "Hold on, Goofy!" I said, and while I began casting Firaga on the ice Sora and Donald attacked Ansem. Sora swung at him but Ansem called forth his Guardian once more, having it block all the damage.
But Donald cast Thundaga and blasted him with another round of lightning bolts from overhead. They both turned to him and the Guardian flew at him, grabbing Donald and holding him still. Before he could hit Donald with a spell Sora used Ars Arcanum, hitting Ansem with a blurry frenzy of blows. He grunted in pain from the attack and moved away, recalling the Guardian. I cast Triple Firaga and the ice began melting, large cracks appearing. When that happened I used Brutal Blast and shattered the ice, freezing Goofy, He blinked, and said "Thanks, Dexal! I appreciate it," he said. I nodded and cast Curaga on him, and we both ran back in. The Guardian swung at both Sora and Donald at the same time while Ansem fired three more spikes of ice. They dodged the swung but Sora wasn't able to dodged one of the spikes, hitting him in the stomach with the force of a stack of falling bricks.
He grunted in pain and took a step back, but I came up and cast Cure on him while also firing a Thundaga Shot at Ansem. His Guardian blocked it but I was expecting that, and said "Have your little sidekick block this! Time Splicer!" I vanished and reappeared next to Ansem, swinging three times in rapid succession. He grimaced in pain from the blows and shot a Dark Firaga at me, but I teleported again and appeared on his other side, doing it again. Then I moved behind the Guardia cutting it across the back, and then appeared one more time in front of Ansem. "Taste my blade!" I said, and I gave him a single large slash across the chest. Ansem yelled in pain, as did his Guardian, and they both moved away. The Guardian flew to try and grab me, but I ducked under it and Sora stabbed the Guardian in the chest.
It roared and flew back to Ansem, who was charging a spell. "You shall fall to the darkness!" he yelled, and cast Meteor. From above a massive comet the size of a house appeared and shot down, aiming right at us. Rather than freeze like Ansem expected us to do, we all smiled. "Hey guys, what do you say we take that thing out of the sky?" I asked. "Yeah! Let's do it!" Donald said. Sora and Goofy nodded, and we ran forward. Goofy dropped to one knee and held his shield over his head, making a jumping platform. The three of us used it for just that, and once we were in the air Goofy threw his shield past us and at the meteor. It struck dead in the center and the comet moved by just a few degrees. Donald pointed his staff and cast Blizzaga over and over until his reserves of magic ran out. All of them hit the comet and worked to get rid of the flames.
It succeeded in making them weaker, and I put them out the rest of the way with Triple Blizzaga and Glacier. "Now, Sora!" I said. He nodded and I dismissed my Keyblade, putting my hands together for him to place his foot. He did and I helped propel him higher. Sora flew at up the descending Meteor spell and said, "Go! Strike Raid!" He threw his Keyblade with all his strength and hit the comet in the center, shattering it. Pieces of rubble rained down as Ansem's eyes widened in disbelief. Using the distraction, Sora flew down and I threw him at the villain. Sora held his Oathkeeper up high and yelled, swinging. Ansem moved to block him but wasn't fast enough, and Sora's Keyblade cut vertically all the way down his chest.
Ansem cried out in pain and vanished, dissolving into darkness. I landed down on the ground while Goofy caught Donald, and asked "Did you get him?" Sora shrugged. "I don't know. He disappeared," he said. Just then the ground started shaking, and fissures appeared all along the ground. The largest tree in the island began breaking apart, while the island itself splinted and sections of its fell away into the wasted sea below. After a long while the tremors stopped, and we looked around. I could see Ansem faraway, in the spot where the giant tree had once been. We all looked at each other, and without saying anything we nodded and began running. Ansem wasn't dead yet, and so we had to continue this fight.
The first part of the battle is over, but can our heroes keep going? Find out next chapter!
Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding… am I?)