Chapter 153: The Cure
The others stood in shock as they watched Vantias balance their friend's heart. In slow motion, they watched Sora fall down to his knees and collapse on the floor, while his claw went dark and his hair returned to its earthy brown colour. A huge white energy merged from the Keyblade Master, bigger than any energy that an Endless has given. They watched as Vantias changed his keyblade, showing an completely identical infected keyblade that Sora held moments ago and held it to the light. The light merged with the keyblade, one that was receiving dark energy from the small coloured containers, before the keyblade transformed yet again.
King Mickey gasped in shock at the blade that was within Vanitas' hands. The blade appears to be made up of two crossing Kingdom Keys, with the teeth facing outward. It has filigree that slightly resembles one on the Ultima Weapon, and the blade slightly resembles the Dream Sword. "The—the χ-blade." He spoke in disbelief. "But how?" Donald and Goofy seem to share the same shock.
Riku, Hikari and Brian were left clueless. "χ-blade? What the hell is a χ-blade?" Brian questioned, as he stood by Kairi's side trying to heal her.
Vanitas swung the weapon in his hands, testing its weight, muttering to himself on its full completion. "The χ-blade is the combination of my old master's research and ideas to my genius and power." He pointed the blade towards the King. "Your King knows the first part of the story. How Master Xehanort tried to create the χ-blade by playing one with pure light and pure darkness into battle. How I had taken over Ventus' body and heart and was ready to destroy the worlds!"
"Until you lost control." Mickey added.
Vantias huffed at his words. "Ventus had sacrificed himself so that I wouldn't get my toy. It was then that I disappeared into the darkness. That defeat told me one thing. It told me that I had underestimated the powers of light and the mistake nearly cost my life. If it wasn't for discovering how to shield my remaining heart from getting destroy, I would not be here."
"What are you talking about?!" Hikari demanded, not being in the mood to listen to the Dark Master's life story.
"I think I know." Brian answered. " Vanitas had forced himself into the first Endless so that he wouldn't get destroyed."
Vanitas nodded to this. "For years, I had wondered the darkness, getting to know of my new power, until I found an exit. It was then that I started to spread the virus."
"There was one thing that I realised. If I was to summon Kingdom Hearts, I would need some Intel. So I found my Master just as he was reviving himself and took the knowledge and power he had. I had discovered that the χ-blade was originally broken into twenty pieces after the Keyblade War. Seven of Light, Thirteen of Darkness. " Vantias explained before pointing to the small containers. "Twelve Endless Order members, controlled by me." He pointed over to the large seal containers. "Six Guardians of light, linked to Sora's Heart."
Brian looked at the small containers, placing a name to each of the colour containers. Green for Devil. Pink for Lizza. Dark Blue for Nikolai. He could name them all, apart from the light blue energy. It was only then that he remembered the secret 'project' that Devil had done on Daniel, giving him Endless powers. Did Vanitas have control over him the entire time?
"Why go against the Colonel?" Riku questioned as he knelled down to Sora's side, seeing that he was slowly becoming conscious. "Better yet, why did he go against you?"
"Because…" Vanitas explained. "He wanted to be accepted for who he is, Endless or not. He wanted Acceptance. I just want to destroy the worlds. Our goals were very different. It was only when he realised my idea did he see a way to stop it. Something that I must have not realised in their original time and was unable to interfere in within this timeline. 'The One for a Thousands'."
"So…" Hikari looked at the others in confusion and disbelief. "The Order was good?"
"Not good." Brian told her. "They went looking for acceptance in the wrong way, which lead the worlds to fall to their rules. They were just not as insane as him."
"As much as I love insults coming from a worthless Endless, I have worlds to destroy." He turned away from the group as he pointed the χ-blade towards the wall, creating a door to light in front of him.
"Like hell you will!" Riku rushed toward to strike the Dark Master, only to be parried with a scythe. "What?" He looked to his side to see Link standing by his side before being forced back towards the group.
Vantias huffed at this before looking at Link. "Make sure that no one follows after me." He instructed before walking into the portal. The Remorse Endless nodded to the command, immediately changing into his outburst form as he summoned a room full of Unbirth, they were quickly surrounded and outnumbered.
"Get Sora and Kairi to safety!" The King instructed Brian and Hikari. "Riku, Donald, Goofy! Help me protect them!" From those words it was clear of what needed to be done, if they were to have any chance, they needed to cure Sora and get Kairi back on her feet.
Brian quickly ran towards Riku and Mickey and picked Sora up while Hikari dragged Kairi to a secure part of the room. As soon as Brian reached them, he placed a barrier around them, holding it up with his keyblade. "Hikari. You have to give Sora the cure." He instructed as he concentrated on keeping the barrier up from the horde.
"Will it still work?" Hikari spoke with doubt in her voice.
"If we don't try, he's dead anyway—" Brian grunted painfully, keeping his focus on the barrier.
As Hikari removed Brian's bag from Kairi, the Aversion Endless watched the horde that Link was unleashing on them. While Donald and Goofy would provide support, Kick Mickey and Riku fought against the multiple enemies. The key bearers destroyed a hundred Unbirths in the space of a couple of seconds, but with each Unbirth kills, ten return in its place. The thought of them even getting close to Link and the portal was out of question.
They were outnumbered.
Hikari held the sealed liquid that was the cure and a paopu fruit in her hand. "What should we do now?" She asked him. "Do I give him the whole fruit or what?" The question itself left Brian slightly dumbfounded. She bit her lip in though before she started to open the jar lid to the cure and placed the paopu fruit next to it. She grabbed her weapon and cut the fruit in half, before cutting that half into small enough pieces so that she could place it in the cure.
"Give me the other half?" Kairi's voice groaned in pain, earning a concerned and worried look from Brian. "Paopu Fruit can work like an elixir, even better." She informed him.
When Brian questioned the information, never hearing that the paopu fruit could heal people before, he only got moaned at by Sora as he looked at the two. "Brian, give her the fruit." He told him, his glaze falling back to Kairi. "Give her the fruit." He said more softly.
Neither of them imagined sharing the paopu fruit like this when they had drew the cave drawing all of those years ago. It was the same as finding out how they felt. They had never imagined that a crazy Endless over love would reveal their feelings for each other as they nearly died and now they looked at each other, preparing to share the fruit when they are both on the edge of death.
Brian nodded his head to Hikari, letting her give the other half of the star shape fruit to the Princess of Heart before she gave the Sora the green, glittery liquid, fill with bits of fruit. Sora could only cough at the horrible taste that went through his mouth, the only sweet bits he got was when he could actually bite down on the paopu pieces in the drink. "This is horrible…" He gaged, forcing the liquid down."
Brian chuckled at this, keeping his eyes on the horde. "You expected a drink with a gorilla's hand in it to be nice?" He laughed, breathing heavily at the same time.
Sora picked this up. He knew something was wrong. With the memories that Brian had given him of his future self, he saw that the Aversion Endless was closing them off, hiding something. He drank the last of the cure, gagging from the taste. He spoke up to Brian, asking what was wrong with him, only that no voice emerged from him; he had no control of his movements. He could hear the others call to him yet he couldn't feel them shake him for a response.
Soon their voices blurred. His surroundings darkened. He felt the gravity around him strike hard as he began to fall through the darkness. As he fell, the darkness felt like he was falling through water, like the dream he had years ago, the dream before his first adventure had begun. He soon landed on something. After a couple of steps, a flash of light appeared under him. Doves flew around him, revealing his stained glass heart.
"You think you can just rid of me by drinking some potion?" An angered voice spoke through the darkness.
Sora continued to watch the doves fly away, revealing other stations along the way. Footsteps were heard from behind, halting from over just a few feet behind him. "So the King was right." Sora spoke out loud. "There are so many hearts that are connected to mine."
"All of them….you have failed them all." Sky told him. "They continue to fight. Vanitas will destroy the worlds. A right that was meant for me."
"What did the world do to you?" Sora turned around to him. "Why is it that the second that you had gained freedom, you just want to destroy it."
"Freedom?" Sky huffed at the comment. "Heartless are free. Endless are not. No matter what, we are under the strict constraints that our original sets us, their final wish. And even if we were to keep those wishes, Vantias only has to wave his hand and I'm struck bowing like some mindless puppet!" He told him, his voice rose. "I don't even have the freedom to kill the people I want! You and Vanitas are nothing but the same!"
Sora raised an eyebrow at this. "What are you talking about?"
Sky huffed at this. "Try looking under his mask." He told him.
The Keyblade Master stepped forward to his infected self. "Let me help." He offered, handing his hand out to him. "Let me try and free you."
The Chaos of Light only looked at him in disbelief. "Even after everything I had done to you, to your friends, to Kairi. You are still willing to offer me freedom?" He questioned.
"I didn't ask for this." Sora told him, gesturing to all of the stations lit up. "Vanitas got to me because I didn't save those that were in need. Roxas….Naminé….Ventus…Everyone deserves to live their own life….even you." He pointed to him.
Sky shook his head in amazement. "You should have thought of that before drinking that potion." He told him, summoning his infected keyblade in his hands. "This cure will dissolve me to nothing." He lifted his claw up to Sora in response to his words, the white shadowed claw pulsed like a heartbeat, leaving dark patches over the infected area."If I can't live my own life." He pointed his blade towards him. "I'm going make sure to end yours!" He rushed forward, ready to end the young Keyblade Master.
A light burst from between then, breaking the two apart. The two looked at this mysterious light only to see if take form of a familiar figure. "Kairi…" Sora whispered, as the sparks of light, forming the Princess of Heart's face to him as she smiled. Now he knew why the paopu fruit had the tale, by sharing the fruit, they would literally be part of each other, by heart, mind and soul. Truly connected. "Kairi!" Sora smiled, determination rushed through him. "Help Riku and Mickey. Free the others. I'll take care of this."
"You think she can free the captives? She couldn't even beat me!" Sky huffed before slashing at the lights of Kairi.
With a gasp of air, Kairi shot up from the ground, looking over to Sora, to see him in a deep sleep. Hikari was by his side, trying to wake him while Brian was struggling to hold the barrier now that the horde of enemies had noticed them and was now bashing away. "We need to help the others." Kairi told them, grabbing the attention of the others.
Brian groaned at the strength of the enemy. "What about Sora?" He spoke in concern.
"Sky seem to be trying to take Sora down with him, he's started fighting back." She told him. "We need to help him."
"How are we gonna do that?" Hikari questioned.
Kairi pushed herself up against the wall, moving her hair out of her face before pointing at the large containers. "We need to free the others from those containers." She told them, "We are outnumbered. We need to get to Roxas and Naminé to help Sora. Realising the others will allow us to fight back against the horde until Sora can fight Sky off."
"That's a great idea!" Brian spoke with sarcasm. "Let me just ask the enemy if they can make you a path—Ahh!" The barrier flickered slightly as Brian yelled in pain.
Hikari acted quickly as a few enemies reached through while the barrier was flicking, taking them out in fast slashes. "Brian! What's wrong?" She questioned.
"Nothing." Brian lied, his claw was killing him.
"Don't nothing me!" Hikari argued. "You have been acting bizarre since we got here." Her eyes focused on his gloved claw. "Any reason why you are hiding your claw again?" She demanded as she went to reach for his arm.
In seconds, the barrier broke as Brian summoned his keyblade in his other hand, spinning to push Hikari and Kairi away from him, throwing them into battle. As soon as they were away from him and Sora, he placed the barrier back up. "Just do me this one thing, Hikari! Focus on the fight that is happening right this second instead of questioning my trust and choices." He begged her.
Hikari quickly slashed the Unbirths away from her before looking back at her Endless friend. "Brian, what—"
Kairi looked back at Brian, questioning his actions, only to see the truth in his violet eyes. He was holding a secret, a big secret. Any form of questioning his actions seem to make him panic, worried, scared. From the look of him, it seem like he's just about keeping it together. "Hikari." Kairi grabbed her attention, shaking her head to question him further. Whatever his secret was, it will have to wait.
The two jumped away as a giant Unbirth tried to jump them, the enemy surrounding them as they were pushed away from Brian's barrier. Hikari quickly moves as she slams herself against the giant Unbirth, making it step back in surprise. With the little more room to them, Kairi blasted a group of them away with a Holyga spell, allowing her to speed through the opening gap.
Within the new section of the horde, the Princess of Heart quickly aided the Wielder of Dawn, chopping away the enemy that was about to strike him from behind. She tapped him from behind, noticing him that she has got his back. "How you doing?" She asked with concern.
"It could be better." Riku shrugged, striking another enemy down. "Glad to see you are okay." He spoke with relief.
Kairi giggled at the comment. "The same goes to you."
With quick movements, the two fell into their elements, pushing the enemies back. Riku would raise them in the air by moving the ground and Kairi would strike them in mid-air, moving them back. To give them some more breathing space, they summoned their keyblades and combined their light and dark moves, gaining the balance the unbirth crave for and destroying them.
Riku stood his ground as he spoke, "So what's happening to Sora?" He asked. "Did the cure work?" Kairi quickly explained the situation to him, saying that in order to aid Sora with finishing the virus, they need to free the keybearers trapped in the large containers, mainly Roxas. As they continue to push back the enemy, Riku quickly reminds her that there was a barrier protecting the containers when she was fighting Sky. "If you want them free, we have to get Link break it off?"
The Wielder of Dawn looked over to the Grim Reaper Endless, hovering as he guarded the door to light that Vanitas had made. The Remorse Endless held the same expression and concentration that he did when he was holding control of the Pawn that attacked him. His words echoed through his mind when he had disappeared on him. If he didn't let Link get away a few floors down—
Hikari slided her way through the horde on one side while King Mickey, Donald and Goofy came through the other, all of the members in the middle. Hikari was the first to speak up. "Did you tell him?" Hikari looked towards Kairi, receiving a nod.
"Hikari told us what's going on." Mickey told the two keyblade wielders. "We can't do anything with the barriers while Link is still up."
Goofy slammed his shield into the unbirth. "So what's the plan?" he asked.
Riku took a deep breath. "I'll distract Link. Get him to keep focus on me instead of the barriers." He told them, volunteering himself to go one on one against an Outburst Endless.
Kairi looked at him with surprise and concern. "I will help."
"No!" He commanded. "You and Mickey need to bust those things open while Hikari, Donald and Goofy protect you and Brian's shield."
Hikari yelled with annoyance and anger, taking out on the enemy, creating a small crack in the floor before shooting around to shout at Riku. "That is stupid and suicidal, Silver!"
"It's my fault." Riku explained them. "If I had taken Link out a couple of floors ago, we wouldn't be in thos situation right now…let alone standing here." He looked towards Hikari on the last part, given a look of seriousness and sadness. When she looked away from him, he continued. "I have to finish him. Just focus on helping Sora!"
Before anyone could object, Riku turned into his element, covering himself and bashing himself through the horde to reach Link. They were all on a timer. If they didn't act soon, Sora might fall and everyone else will follow.
Kingdommad