Part two of the 3 part finale arc
Discliamer: I own nothing in this
Kingdom Hearts DM77 Version Chapter 40
The End of Light Part 2
It was hard to believe that a few moments ago, Emerl and his friends defeated the Worldeater: Alduin. After the fight the team of six dived down the opened up empty chasm of the mountain. The lower levels of the mountain were more gigantic than they had expected. It was close to the size of the crystal catacombs, but it had a heated temperature from lava.
"Geez, of course this mountain turned out to be a volcano" Hiro whines
"Would be an ideal place to work on a tan" Lilac said with a smile
"How long have we been falling by the way?" Emerl asked curious
"Hmmmm, unsure." Togami said thinking "About ten to twenty minutes. But right now, we should focus on the upcoming battle with Vader."
"Well, I have some thoughts" Oscar said thinking "We find where he is, take out all the bad guys with the Keyblade and save the day."
"Hmmmmmm well it is short, simple and to the point" Emerl said nodding "I like it"
"Well, get ready because our exit is coming up" Doom told them
The group looked and spotted a white circular platform at the bottom of the endless chasm. In Emerl's mind, Dark Emerl was still nervous and keeping calm though one with darkness, the surrounding darkness around them unnerved his Heartless self. No doubt it was clear Vader was on the other side. Emerl looked at his friends to see if they were worried, but to his surprise they were all eager for what was next, even Hiro. With everyone ready to go, the six step onto the platform and vanished in a flash of light.
When the group opened their eyes, they found themselves in an alternate location. The scene was beautiful compared to red of the dark world. It was a cave of purple glowing rock walls with unlimited sparkling jewels bursting forth. The floor beneath them was even made of green crystallized rock. But the thing that seemed out of place was the large Heartless emblem that was clung to the opposite wall from our heroes.
"Taking a shot in the dark, Vader will be on the other end of that" Togami states
"He no doubt is expecting us and made some super trap for us." Emerl said nodding "Let's ruin it."
The group moved forward to the emblem. By the time the heroes were halfway across the room, a Behemoth Heartless suddenly dropped down in front of them. The aftershock from its landing knocked the heroes back to the wall.
"Seriously?!" Lilac said annoyed "We have to fight a third one of these things?!"
The Behemoth roars out loudly and an unknown number of Angel Stars and Invisible's dropped down from the ceiling to confront them.
"Oh boy…these guys too" Doom said concerned
"Least we know how to handle them now" Togami states
The Behemoth lowered its horn and charged at the heroes in a brutal assault. The team scattered as the Behemoth rammed its horn into the crystallized wall. The large Heartless tugged backwards bit its horns made it stuck in the wall. Seeing an opportunity, Emerl summons his Oblivion Keyblade and ran to the head of the beast. But before he could reaching it, an Invisible jumped in and swung it's broad sword on the Gizoid. Emerl had to block the attack with the Keyblade as it's special ability wasn't ready. As he was busy with the Invisible, an Angel Star flew behind him and fired one its blast. Acting fast, Hiro jumps in and blocks the attack with his holo shields.
"Thanks for the save Hiro" Emerl complimented.
"I always got my friends back" Hiro said smiling "I just…get frozen when fear gets to me sometimes"
Hiro uses the gauntlet strength to push away the Angel Star, while Emerl knocked back the Invisible. With the Behemoth, the large beast managed to pull itself free from the wall. It shook its head to regain it's senses of the surroundings. The first thing it spots was Lilac, Doom and Oscar fighting off a flock of Angel Stars and Invisibles. The Behemoth roared and charged at them viciously. As Doom shoots down an Invisible, killing it, he then notices the giant Heartless heading towards them.
"Incoming!" Doom forewarned
"Wait, what?" Lilac questioned
Suddenly, Doom grabs Lilac and Oscar and they were able to get out of the way
"Phew…. close one" Oscar said panting
"You guys, okay?" Emerl called out
"Yeah, but we were nearly crushed!" Lilac called out
"I will take care of this" Doom said standing up
The clone commander readies his blaster and a thermal detonator. He throws it to the Behemoth's horn and it explodes making the horn crack. Doom then leaps up takes aim and opens fire the blaster at the horn and fully breaks it, the Behemoth makes one final roar before fading back into the darkness.
"Wow…" Lilac said amazed
"Nice work Doom" Oscar said smiling
"Not a problem" Doom said landing and nods to them,
The group regathered after the last of the Heartless was destroyed.
"Well now what?" Togami asked
"Hey look over there!" Emerl said
Everyone looks to the Heartless Emblem in the room, which slowly begins to crack. Suddenly, a fragment of the emblem fell off and reveals a small bit of what was on the other side.
"Wait…what happened?" Hiro asked
"If I were to guess, Vader made this as a final barrier." Togami guessed "Once we defeat all the Heartless in the room, the emblem should reveal a portal to us. Then we will face Vader one final time."
"Then let's keep going" Lilac said nodding
As Lilac makes a step forward, she was pulled back by Oscar. She was lucky as she just avoided a strike from a Neo Shadow dropping from the ceiling on the spot the dragon girl was once standing. The group see several Heartless showing up including more Neo Shadows, Invisibles and Angel Stars.
"Well…they're not going to let us through" Emerl said holding his keyblade
"Well, let's change their minds" Doom said nodding
With both sides armed and ready to fight, they begin their final battle.
A few hours later, the heroes managed somehow survive the assault from the Heartless army. All of them were beaten and bruised where it was a bit hard to move. But they managed to move their way through the Heartless emblem, which had turned into the white portal and where now in a secure location. It was a bright room with a water spring and a tall door on the other side. When they were inside the heroes took the time to collapse
"Good there is water here…. we need it" Togami said nodding
"Yeah…I so need it" Hiro said going to get some water with his friends
"Man, I'm surprised we survived all that." Lilac said panting
"We did the best we could do" Emerl said checking his systems "But once we have healed up, we should keep moving"
After taking a few moments for water, rest and healing up, the group was refreshed once again. When they were ready, they walked to the mysterious door. Upon seeing it, Emerl seemed to reagonize it.
"Huh?" Emerl said surprised "This door….I've seen it in my dream."
"Know what is beyond it?" Lilac asked
"Not really no" Emerl said shaking his head but then looked around the room concerned "Did you guys hear that?"
"Hear what?" Doom asked
"That voice…" Emerl said as he recalls the voice from his dreams as it was speaking to him now.
"Careful. This is the last haven you'll find here. Beyond, there is no light to protect you. But don't be afraid. Your heart is the mightiest weapon of all. Remember, you are the one who will open the door to the light"
"I didn't hear anything" Togami states
"Odd…that voice was familiar." Emerl said thinking "Must be just my imagination."
"You want to take a bit longer break?" Lilac asked
"No, it's fine." Emerl said shaking his head "We have to end this. Vader is waiting for us."
"Right, then let's go together." Oscar said
Emerl nods amazed by his friends courage and smiles at he grabs hold of the handle and pulled it open. A bright light burst from the crevices of the door and pulled the heroes in.
When the light cleared the group found themselves at a completely different location. They were on a beach of a small island covered in large trees and wooden structures formed along the wide branches. The ocean lapped there feet as Togami, Hiro, Oscar, Doom and Lilac stared in awe at the beautiful sight
"Reminds me of an area on my home." Lilac said smiling
"Not a bad place for a vacation" Togami said nodding
"Yeah, I agree" Hiro said nodding
"I wonder where here is?" Oscar asked thinking
"Same, Emerl any ideas?" Doom asked
The group looked back at Emerl who was frozen in place. If he wasn't standing on this beach right now, the Gizoid wouldn't believe he was back. It was the home where he lived his whole known life, Destiny Island
"This is…." Emerl stammered "This is my island."
"This is your island?" Oscar said surprised
"Hold up…I thought you said your island was destroyed by the Heartless" Hiro points out
"Yes, but remember Hiro, this is a Heartless world." Togami said "So that means the worlds the Heartless capture are brought here"
Emerl was disappointed to see that this was the current fate of his home, but the keep going. The group searched the beach for the Seeker of Darkness, Emerl then had a good idea where he might be. The area where all this started: the secret place. The others note his look and followed him to the entrance to the secret place.
"What is it Emerl?" Doom asked
"If we learned anything about Vader, it's that he would go to the heart of this world." Emerl said "I didn't know it at first, but the whole time the answer was in front of me. The blank door in the secret place where me, Metal and Jenny would play."
"Then not a moment to waste" Togami states
They make there way to the entrance of the cave and felt something off and look around and see parts of the island disappear
"This world has been connected"
"What was that?" Hiro asked freaked out
"It's….Vader…." Emerl said and recalls the voice as he sees more parts of the island vanish and the sea turning purple as it becomes darkness
"Tied to the darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed" Vader continues to say "There is so much to learn, yet you understand so little. A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing"
A flash of light happens from the sky and blinds the heroes for a moment. When it passed, the heroes found that they were no longer on a beautiful island that changed from a calm paradise to a land of nightmares. The ground was a torn to pieces across the water and the trees were a bit corrupted with darkness. But when Emerl looked to the water, he couldn't believe who he saw; Metal Sonic, in his Heartless armour.
"Metal!" Emerl called out and runs to him
"Wait sir! It could be a trap!" Doom said as he and the others pursue the Gizoid
Emerl know Vader might have had one last trap prepared, but he didn't care as he found Metal again. But the exceitment stopped when he got closer and felt an odd sensation of evil and stops, the rest of his group stopped when they got up. Then the metallic hedgehog spoke, but his voice belonged to Vader.
"Take a look at this tiny place" Vader said to them "To the heart seeking freedom, this island is a prison, surrounded by water." He said amused "And so this robot sought a way to escape his prison. He sought a way to cross over into other worlds. Doing so, he opened his heart to darkness."
Metal's body turns to the group but became encased in an aura of darkness, in his place was Vader who reveals his grey hair, he then puts his helmet on now fully armoured
"Metal!" Emerl called out looking disheartened
"Don't bother" Vader told him "Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His heart belongs again to the darkness."
"That can't be true!" Emerl said
"Have you learned nothing?" Vader asked "All worlds begin in darkness, and also end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature.
Emerl glared at Vader but when he looked a way for a second he was gone.
"Where did he go?" Lilac asked
All of a sudden the group jump feeling a dark presence behind them. They look and see Vader directly behind them.
"In the end, every heart returns to the darkness from whence it came" Vader states "You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."
"That isn't true!" Emerl told him "The heart maybe weak. And sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!"
"Yeah, tell him Emerl" Lilac said nodding
Vader pulls out a lightsaber "So you have come this far and still understand nothing" He said and ignites his lightsaber "Every light must fade, every heart return to darkness!"
As he empowers with darkness a figure appears behind him, it looks to be a black armoured Heartless that was attached to him and bandages kept it's mouth closed. He and it charge forward
"Look out!" Doom said and fires blaster bolts only for Vader to use his saber to deflect the bolts and knocks him back
Occar tries to attack from behind only for the entity attached toVader to grab him and chuck him into Doom
"No fair! He has something watching his back!" Hiro complained
"Of course, did you think I would engage you alone" Vader said mockingly
Lilac speeds around Vader and avoids his saber swings and the punches but couldn't get close to attack. Until Hiro blocks a punch and Saber swing allowing Lilac to knock the saber out of his hand. Emerl jumps at him to attack but Vader pulls the saber back to him and blocks the attack
"Come on!" Emerl said
"I got this!" Togami said
He uses a Thundaga which hits Vader and the Heartless and shortcircuits his suit. Doom and Oscar recover and come in and attack knocking him back. Emerl then moves in and strikes him damaging his face mack a bit revealing a sole brown eye
"Most impressive…" Vader said to him as he recovers easily
"Geez this guy is hard to do decent damage too" Hiro complained
"Yeah he may have a little back up but we have each other" Emerl said "So long as we have each other we can overcome this guy."
"Yes…it's true" Vader said nodding "Together me or my Guardian I lack the strength to beat you."
"So you surrender?" Lilac asked
"No, I just have to think more creative" Vader said and floats backwards.
He goes into the large tree which then begins to split open and reveals an arena with purple walls. The group rush to it but while Emerl was able to enter it, the others were blocked by an invisible barrior from entering
"Oh no…. not one of these again!" Oscar said worried
"Vader must have put it up to keep us from helping Emerl" Togami said
"Figures" Lilac sighs
As Emerl looks back to Vader floating above. However, what the Gizoid didn't expect was a gigantic shadow standing beneath the Seeker of Darkness. It wasn't hard to forget its features: the small black wings, the mess of tangled hair and the heart shaped hole in its stomach. It was the Darkside, back for a rematch.
"Serciously! I thought I already beaten him!" Emerl whined
"You may have defeated Darkside in the past, but this time is different" Vader said "With each world you passed by getting stronger, so too has he. And without your friends, I doubt you have a chance defeating this Heartless this time."
"Yeah…we'll just see about that" Emerl said summoning his Oblivion Keyblade
The rest of the heroes watch and Vader fades into a cloud of darkness, leaving the Darkside to fight in the battle. Emerl was able to easily to predict it's movements from the last battle and moved out of the way with ease when it slammed its fist into the ground. Like what Vader said, the Darkside was much stronger than last time. The aftershock of the attack from the giant Heartless sent Emerl flying with barely time to land on his feet. He then runs and jumps onto Darkside's arm but sees from the portal of darkness were some Shadows emerging.
"Oh boy this could get out of hand fast" Emerl said concerned
"Don't give up Emerl!" Oscar called out
"Yes, they are just to distract you!" Doom points out
Emerl nods and avoids the Shadows and runs up to Darkside's arm and swings at it's head doing some decent damage. But the Darkside stands back up and knocks the Gizoid off. He using Firaga to destroy the group of Shadows before landing. Darkside then fires energy blasts from it's chests. Emerl got hit and knocked down
"I can't watch" Hiro said covering his face
Emerl gets up "I…. will not lose to you!"
Darkside moves it's fist and goes to slam it into Emerl, but then Emerl uses his keychains ability and teleports to above it's head and stabs his Keyblade into it's head. The giant Heartless roars in pain and collapses and disappears and Emerl drops to the ground. The barrior fades and the group rejoin him
"Well done, Emerl!" Lilac said smiling
"Yes, you've come a long way" Togami said nodding
"Indeed, it seems your journey was enough to overcome even an enemy that grew with you" Vader said appearing
"What did you expect?" Emerl said smiling "So is that all you got, or you still want to keep going?"
"I will admit, I underestimate your power." Vader said feeling his broken eyepiece of his mask "But, you as well have underestimated the power of the Darkness"
"Scary armoured man say what now?" Hiro asked worried
"I have only used a fraction of my power" Vader said, "Now consider this an honor to see my full power!"
Vader clutches his hands and forms a sphere of the purest darkess possible. Vader releases the sphere from his grip and watches as it explodes largely. Emerl tries to use the Keyblade for defence, but it was engulfed by the darkness as well as his group and the entire island. The final battle was coming close to its end.
So the fist phase of fighting Vader is done and Emerl once again bested the Darkside Heartless, but Vader is done holding back and is going to show the true power of Darkness. The Finale is upon us
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