CHAPTER 23.4 The Owl Lady, The Mistress of Evil, and The King of Demons
PREVIOUSLY...
Golden Guard: This Sora sounds very endearing to you all. Hmph. Since you're willing to go this far for him, you won't mind laying your life down for him! Pete!
Pete: Wha?!
Golden Guard: Giga mode!
Pete: Right!
The Hexside trio readies themselves.
Pete: Since you runts wanna fight so bad, let's see how you handle THIS!
Pete used a lot of his dark magic to expand the size of the Onagi in her entirety, making her resemble that of a Darkside. The Onagi let out an echoing roar as the Hexside trio looked up at the now gigantic Heartless, eyes narrowed and unfazed, for they knew they had one big trick up their sleeves.
Pete: Onagi! FINISH THEM!
The Onagi let out another echoing roar as she leaned in, ready to crush the Hexside trio once and for all. Until...
Amity: THIS IS IT, GUYS! JUST LIKE WE DID BEFORE IN SORA'S MEMORIES!
Willow/Gus: RIGHT!
With quick thinking, the air began to stir as the trio stomped their feet, planting deep for support, and then pointed their Keyblades toward the Onagi. They held firm as a large heart symbol appeared at their feet. A magical aura began emitting from each group member as comets of purple from Amity, light blue from Gus, and green from Willow spiraled into the teeth of their Keyblades. And so, they unleashed their devastating united attack.
Hexside Trio: *echoing* TRINITYYYYYYYYYYY...BLAAAAAAAAAAAST!
With all their strength and heart, the Hexside trio unleashed a massive, almighty beam of light that completely engulfed the villains. The villains reacted with horror as they were hit by the beam of light with full force. They felt an excruciatingly burning sensation as the Onagi was completely destroyed. As the light finally subsides, the Hexside trio finds Pete and The Golden Guard unconscious on the ground. They looked around for the Onagi, only to find it nowhere, realizing they defeated it. They've done it. The Hexside trio has won this battle. And so, they collapsed onto their backs, panting for breath.
Amity: We *pant* did it. We won!
Willow: *grinning, eyes closed* Yeah. *pant* We sure did!
Gus: *raised both fists* Score one...for the new Guardians of Light!
Amity: Huh...Guardians of Light...
Willow: Well, we're not Guardians yet. It's up to Master Yen-Sid if we are or not.
Gus: Oh, yeah. But still—we did it.
Willow: Yeah.
Amity sighs as she reflects on everything from before she met Sora and then after. After which, she began to let out a small, broken laugh.
Willow: *chuckles* What's with you?
Amity: Oh. I was just thinking...who we were...before Sora came into our lives. As we all said, we were all in a bad place until he arrived.
Amity teared up.
Amity: He AND Luz changed everything when they came here. I mean...Really, I feel like they made our lives a lot better. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be where we are today. Happier AND stronger. Truly so.
Willow and Gus paused for a brief moment to reflect on their own experiences again as well.
Willow: Yeah. *tearing up* You're right.
Gus: *tearing up* We owe a lot to them.
The three let their tears stream down and laughed out of joy. After all, they still won, which should be celebrated. At least as much as they can at that moment. After the joyous laughter died down. They lay down in peace.
Amity: We won. But Eda and King have to deal with Maleficent.
Willow: And Sora, Luz, and Kairi with Belos and Kikimora.
Gus: We gotta help him. But...man. Too tired to fight again. And we're out of potions.
Amity: I guess we'll just rest for a bit. They're strong. They can handle themselves until we get our strength back.
Willow: Yeah. We have to believe.
Gus: Right.
The three remained lying there for a few moments until their stomachs grumbled.
Gus: Great. Hungry.
Amity and Willow groaned in agreement.
Amity: Sora'll cook up a feast once we leave.
Gus: Wait. Just remembered something.
Willow: What?
Gus: The catering room is just above us. You girls wanna go raid the kitchen? Once we're good to walk again?
Both girls deadpanned. Normally, they'd scold Gus on stuff like this. But...at the same time...
Amity/Willow: *deep sigh* *to Gus* ...Yeah.
Amity: First, gotta let Sora and the others know we've won.
Amity took hold of her oracle stone to contact the heroes.
Amity: (to the heroes) Guys. This is Abomo-queen. Do you read?
[Cut to Belos's throne room]
Sora swung at Belos with his Keyblade, which he blocked with his staff, locking into a struggle hold.
Belos: Holding back, Sora? Why? Afraid of losing control again?
Sora: Nah. It's just testing how powerful the emperor really is. So far, I'm not impressed.
Belos: Worry not. Our battle has just begun.
Belos pushes Sora away with sheer force. However, Sora managed to recover and landed on his feet. Meanwhile, Kikimora was kept at bay by Luz with her Keyblade.
Luz: You stay away from Kairi! I'll take you on!
Kikimora: I must admit, you are well-trained. But I have decades of experience ahead of you.
Kikimora traces a spell circle to accurately blast a beam of light towards Luz, which she blocks using construction magic to raise a stone wall. Luz immediately pushes the wall towards Kikimora to hit her, which she dodges by twirling away to her right. Kairi was still winded. Luz did manage to hand her a potion to keep her away, but she was still not in good shape to fight. During this, Luz heard Amity's voice through her oracle stone.
Amity: (to the heroes) Guys. This is Abomo-queen. Do you read?
Luz, while fighting Kikimora, talks to Amity.
Luz: (to Amity) Abomo-queen, it's me, otter. What's going on?
Amity: (to Luz) Otter! Good to hear from you!
Luz: (to Amity) Same! What's going on your end?
Amity: (to Luz) Good news! Pete and the Golden Guard are down for the count!
Luz: (to Amity) *excited* Really?! That's great!
Eda: (to the witchlings) I'll say!
Amity/Luz: (to Eda) Eda?
Eda: (to Amity) Great job, kid. Now, if you can reach each of us, that'd be great.
Amity: (to the heroes) About that...we can't. Gus, Willow, and I are worn out. Pete and the Golden Guard summoned a new elite, Heartless, to fight, which was really strong. And we're out of potions. So, right now, we're trying to catch our breath. ...Also, Gus wants to raid the kitchen.
Eda: (to Amity) Seriously? Can the kid wait till AFTER we get out of here?
Sora chimes in.
Sora: (to Amity) Actually, that's a good idea. If you can find something edible for Kairi, that'd be great.
Amity: (to Sora) Sure thing. Good luck on your end, you guys.
The communication stopped, allowing Sora and Luz to chuckle loudly, which Belos noticed.
Belos: Oh? Something amusing occurred?
Sora: *smirks* Heh. You bet.
Below: Then, do tell.
Sora: Pete and the Golden Guard? They're both taken down.
Hearing this shocks both Belos and Kikimora.
Belos: WHAT!?
Kikimora silently snickered to herself, making sure no one would heal her until Luz smacked her away toward Belos with her Keyblade.
Belos: Impossible! The Golden Guard is my prodigy! I've trained him personally!
Sora: *thinking* Heh. Guess my training was better.
Luz: Welp. That's three down. Three to go.
Belos: Grrr... You will pay for that...
Belos rushed towards Sora and Luz.
[Cut to the mural hall]
Maleficent: What!?
Eda: You heard me right. Pete and that Golden Guard are down for the count.
Maleficent: That fool! I can't even trust him to handle three novices.
Eda: Ha! *snort* It's the same with you bad guys. You always underestimate the little guy.
Maleficent: I think you'll find I won't make that mistake with you. I have acquired more power since our last encounter. And this time, I will see to it that you perish!
[Play Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep -The Encounter- Extended [Redux]]
Maleficent floats into the air and begins firing fireballs at Eda. Eda spins her staff to deflect each one away from her.
Eda: King! Steer clear! I'll handle this!
Eda summons a large rock before her, breaks into several pieces, and shoots them at Maleficent. The bullets begin to pummel Maleficent. However, Maleficent summons a wall of fire so hot that it melts the remaining incoming rock bullets. Maleficent then summons black tendrils to pick up Eda and restrain her.
Eda: Hey! No fair!
Maleficent: This is no game! You're fighting to live!
Maleficent began to tighten the tendrils around Eda. Feeling the pain of being squeezed, Eda builds up her magic energy to the point where the tendrils explode, releasing her. She then falls on one knee, panting a bit. King was worried about Eda throughout the battle. But what made him worry more was hearing Eda growling, the sound half Owl Beast, which he recognized. Even more shocking was the darkness in her gem growing, close to completion.
King: Eda! Your gem! It's almost black!
Eda: *pants* Don't worry, King! I'll be alright! *to Maleficent* It will take a lot more than that to take me down!
Maleficent: That's the plan!
Maleficent rushed towards Eda, and the two found themselves locked in their fierce magical duel again. Their staff crackled with energy as they faced off with vigor. The air crackled with tension as they exchanged spell after spell, each trying to outwit and overpower the other. Flames burst, and ice crystals formed, only to melt in the heat of Maleficent's fiery onslaught. As their magic clashed, the very ground trembled.
Eda: Well, whaddya know, you HAVE been stronger since the last time.
Maleficent: And you as well. However, you will not defeat me this time!
Eda: We'll see.
As the battle raged on, Maleficent's anger grew. She had long harbored resentment toward Eda due to her defeat in their last battle. Maleficent hated the fact that she had lost to what she saw Eda as an immature child.
[End Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep -The Encounter- Extended [Redux]]
Maleficent's anger fanned the flames of her magic, and soon, her form began to shift, surprising Eda and King.
[Play Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMix -The Deep End- Extended]
King: Weh!? What's she doing!?
Eda: *widened eyes, frowning* Oh no.
Maleficent: I grow weary of this... It is time I annihilate you!
Scales emerged, and her limbs elongated as she transformed into a fearsome dragon. She is seen as black and purple with glowing lime eyes and a yellow forked tongue. The height and length are both increased massively. Maleficent stretched out her neck to properly look over Maleficent and King, letting out a growl. King paled in fear.
King: WAAAAHHHH! AN ACTUAL DRAGON!
Eda: Oh yeah. I forgot she could do that.
Eda turns around to King.
Eda: King! Go hide away! NOW!
King ran away to the furthest corner to keep himself safe and watch the battle as that was all he could do.
King: *whimpers* Beat her, Eda!
Letting out an echoing roar, wings unfurled, neon-green fire blazing from her maw, Maleficent launched herself at Eda. With all her speed, Eda flew away to dodge and began to fight back valiantly, conjuring waves of water to counter the dragon's fiery breath, but the odds seemed insurmountable. Maleficent's right claw slammed Eda hard into the ground, pinning her down, which made her yell out in agony.
King: EDA!
Eda: No, King! Stay back! *to Maleficent* Is that all you got, ya lanky crow!?
Maleficent loudly growled as her jaws closed in. Victory seemed imminent for the Mistress of Evil. Just as Maleficent's jaws were about to close around Eda, King began to get hysterical with fear.
King: EDA! NO!
Eda: JUST STAY THERE, KING!
With tears, King widened his eyes in absolute fear as he saw the whites of Eda's eyes beginning to be taken over by darkness.
Eda: It's gonna be alright. I'll get out of this. I always do.
Maleficent roared, widening her jaws, ready to devour Eda once and for all.
[Play Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMix -The Deep End- Extended]
[Everything around King fades to black]
[Play Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix -The Other Promise- Extended]
King's eyes dilated. He felt completely hopeless and scared as tears fell from his eyes, falling on all fours. He then had a flashback of all the moments he shared with Eda, from their early days as partners in crime to meeting Luz and Sora and all their adventures since then. King genuinely thought that this would be the end of Eda as he closed his eyes, not wanting to see it unfold. Until...he felt something... His fear disappeared. Instead, it was suddenly replaced with...anger. King did not know why, but he felt the anger vigorously increasing as he looked on at Maleficent, feeling the need to destroy her. But most importantly, he felt an increasing need to save Eda. King then began to breathe rapidly, unknowingly letting these feelings reach their peak.
King: I...won't let you...hurt...Eda!
Maleficent and Eda stopped in their tracks, surprised when they turned to see some type of energy building around King. The energy in question was a blue-violet aura that surrounded him. What surprised Eda and Maleficent the most was King taking on his own transformation. He grows slightly larger and assumes a quadrupedal stance; his horns become taller, his eyes turn a bright violet, and his inner mouth, which is now capable of opening much wider, turns blue, with the latter two glowing brightly. His fur becomes much longer and spikier, especially around his neck and chest.
King: Stay...away...from...EEEDDDAAAAAA!
King lets out a mighty roar that echoes and unleashes waves of expanding, glowing golden rings, pushing Maleficent back and off Eda with devastating force, making her fall to her side. The powered-up King's presence halted everything for Eda. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped in absolute shock as she never could've imagined King being capable of such power. King padded closer to Eda, happy to see her safe.
King: Eda!
Eda: *shaky voice* K-King...you saved me...
King hugged and nuzzled Eda.
King: Of course! And look! I've finally unlocked my true powers! The King of Demons has finally returned!
King's eyes twinkled as he was elated about his new awakening, and Eda couldn't help but smile sweetly at him.
Eda: Aw, you goof!
Eda returned the hug as she petted him.
Eda: You're certainly on the way to conquering the world!
King: *giggles* Yes!
King then looked at Eda's eyes again, still seeing the blackness in them.
King: Eda! Your gem is almost taking you over! We've gotta run away and get you more elixirs!
Eda: *pant* Don't think that's gonna be possible. Just want to finish Maleficent fast.
[End Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix -The Other Promise- Extended]
Before anything else could happen, a glow began emitting around Eda's chest. The two noticed this, and Eda pulled out a charm, the very same charm that Sora made her when she lost his memories.
King: Isn't that...
Eda: It is! Sora's charm!
[Play Link to All HD Disc 3 - 09 - Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance OST]
[Flashback]
[Eda turns to Sora, who's walking to her. She sees Sora with a sad smile.
Sora: Eda... I-I can't thank you enough for letting me stay here with you until I found her. So here, I made you this.
Sora pulls out a gift for Eda, which she takes.
Eda: W-What is it?
Sora: It's a good luck charm.
The charm resembles that of a Wayfinder. It is made from dark red stained glass with golden frames, silver stitches, and a brown cord tied to the top piece, and the token is a symbol resembling an owl with a heart in the center.
Sora: I stored TONS of magic power in there, so when you're in a tight spot, it'll protect you.
Eda stares at the charm and begins to get teary-eyed, only for her to regain her composure to look at Sora.
Eda: Thank you, Sora...]
Back with Eda, she gently clenched the charm and placed it over her heart.
Eda: Kiddo...give me strength.
The glow began to brighten even more, eventually engulfing everyone and everything as a massive surge of magical energy erupted all around Eda. Both King and Maleficent barely withstood the force of the magical eruption, but when the dust settled, they were surprised by what they saw. Eda does seem normal, but her hair seems whiter rather than gray upon closer look. Her irises were light blue instead of golden. As well as her gem, going from black to gold to entirely white. And to top it all off, her entire body glowed white. Eda took the time to examine herself, realizing that she felt a lot stronger than ever before. Coming to the conclusion that this is indeed Sora's power in her, she closes her eyes with a smile, clenches both her fists, cracks their knuckles, opens up her eyes, and turns to Maleficent with a confident, wide grin on her face.
Eda: It's payback time!
Maleficent was taken aback by this sight, while King was in awe. Eda then turns to King.
Eda: Look at that. We're both rocking with new powers. Whaddaya say we conquer this overgrown lizard and show her who's boss?
King: Conquer we shall!
[End Link to All HD Disc 3 - 09 - Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance OST]
[Play Kingdom Hearts 3 - Titanic Clash [Titans/Kraken] Extended [Redux]]
King readied himself in his quadruple stance as Eda re-summoned her staff. In a fit of rage, Maleficent let out a haunting roar as she began to get back up, staring intently at the duo.
Eda: Let's go!
King: Yeah!
The two rushed towards Maleficent as she aimed a massive fire breath at the duo.
King: Me first!
King roars and simultaneously conjures a golden round shield with glyph patterns on it, blocking the blast and protecting Eda and him.
Eda: Woah! How'd you do that?
King: Don't know. But I like it!
Eda: Come on!
King hops onto Eda's shoulder, and they soar to attack Maleficent. Another blast of fire is aimed at the duo, but King releases his power to avoid it.
Eda: Great! My turn now!
Eda's eyes blazed with fierce determination as she clutched her staff while flying up towards Maleficent. King's muscles tensed as he crouched in Eda's hair, his gaze fixed on the looming enemy.
Maleficent's eyes, blazing with an unholy fire, locked onto Eda and King, hunger and fury radiating from her very core. With a defiant growl, Maleficent bared her teeth, her primal instincts ready to face the challenge head-on.
Eda: Here she comes! Get ready, King!
As Maleficent unleashed a torrent of searing flames, King jumped off from Eda and let out an echoing roar that blocked the attack. This gives Eda raised her staff in a sweeping motion, creating several magic circles in the air, which shot out lightning that intensely struck Maleficent.
Maleficent roared in pain as Eda conjured elemental magic.
Eda: Let's see how you like this!
Fires crackled, and water droplets coalesced around Eda, forming orbs of liquid magic that she hurled at Maleficent. The orbs burst on impact, steam hissing as the water met the dragon's body, momentarily immobilizing the beast.
Seizing the opportunity, King jumped off from Eda and lunged at Maleficent. His claws sunk into the back of her neck. The dragon roared in pain, thrashing wildly to dislodge the relentless demon. King held fast, his determination unyielding as he fought to weaken Maleficent by unleashing another echoing roar to her head, disorientating her.
King: That's right! Feel my powers!
Maleficent became enraged even more. Her eyes narrowed, and with gusto, she swatted both Eda and King away with a furious sweep of its wings, but the momentary distraction bought time for Eda to relaunch herself.
As the two forces collided once more, Eda channeled her energy into her staff. The staff glowed with a blinding radiance as she directed its power into the floor beneath the dragon. Cracks snaked through the stone, erupting in tendrils of molten lava that coiled around the dragon's limbs, immobilizing it in their fiery embrace.
Eda: Whoo! Baby!
King seized the opportunity to sink his claws into the back of Maleficent's neck again and vigorously slashed all about. Maleficent roars in pain as she starts to sink into the molten pond.
King: Eda!
Eda: I know! Let's finish this!
Seeing the dragon falter, both Eda and King's eyes blazed with a final surge of power. Eda unleashed a torrent of light magic from her staff, the burning glare shining throughout and striking Maleficent. And to finish this battle. With all his speed, King ran up the dragon's neck, bounced off the head, adjusted his body to face the dragon, and unleashed one last powerful echoing roar point-blank with all his might. After which, Eda caught King before he fell to the ground. The molten pond below Maleficent disappeared as she convulsed, her wings fluttering weakly before collapsing to the ground. To end it all, darkness engulfed the dragon as she reverted back to her original form.
[End Kingdom Hearts 3 - Titanic Clash [Titans/Kraken] Extended [Redux]]
The hall fell silent, save for the sounds of steams and the panting of all three. Their bodies were battered and tired. However, Maleficent didn't want to give up. Despite being so exhausted and beaten up, she did her best to stand up and approach Eda and King with her staff aimed at them.
Maleficent: *pant* What...are...you?!
King meets Maleficent halfway.
King: I am...the King of Demons.
King then let out one last roar, concentrating on Maleficent's stomach, causing them to wince greatly in pain.
King: Now, kneel before me.
Maleficent, too much in pain to resist, collapsed on her knees, then laid down on her stomach, ultimately passing out.
The castle's mural hall, once a battlefield, now bore the scars of the fierce battle that had raged within its walls. Maleficent is now defeated, so Eda and King collapse on their hides, taking time to catch their breath.
Eda raised her staff, its glow brightly dimmed as she cast a healing spell on King and herself, leaving a sense of calm. King then went to her and sat on her knees.
King: *sigh* I'm tired. I need a nap now.
Eda: Go ahead, pal.
Eda reached out to stroke King's fur. King's eyes slowly closed as he began to doze off. Eda softly smiled at the sight of him. It was then Eda began to reminisce about all their time together. As King grew up with Eda, the two fought side by side, overcame insurmountable odds, and emerged victorious.
Eda turned her attention to the fallen Maleficent, remembering the fact that Lilith, the Golden Guard, Pete, and Maleficent were now defeated. She also remembered that Sora, Luz, and Kairi are currently dealing with Kikimora and Belos.
Eda: *sigh* Four down... Two to go... *thinking* Sora, Luz, Kairi, it's up to you three now.
[Play Dearly Beloved - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep OST Extended | Yoko Shimomura]
The mural hall's atmosphere shifted. The magical tension that had once filled the air began to ease, replaced by a sense of tranquility.
Eda turned to King, a small triumphant smile on her lips.
Eda: Well, little buddy. We did it. We won.
King: Yeah... We're *yawn* awesome.
King softly wagged his tail in response, a display of his agreement.
The two sat there snuggled together, really letting the sense of tranquility sink in.
With the castle's mural hall bathed in the gentle glow of moonlight, Eda and King wanted to nod off for a bit. But they couldn't help but reflect on their bond forged through trials and triumphs.
Eda: Funny...we've come so far together. Through heists and battles, you've been my goofy yet reliable partner in crime.
With his fur shimmering in the moonlight, King padded closer to Eda and nuzzled her gently.
King: We're unstoppable.
King's voice became soft but full of sentiments.
King: For as long as I can remember, you were always there.
Eda: Hm?
King: You taught and showed me so much stuff. We've faced dangers together. You took care of me.
Eda: *thinking* In the beginning, I've thought of you as a pet... But over time, you've become a partner.
King: And later on, you've become more than just a partner...
Eda: You've been my friend.
Eda smiled through her tears, her heart swelling with emotion.
Eda: *thinking* I remember when we first met... Back at that Island, you were just a pup, and now you're a tough little guy, unlocking your true powers.
King's tail thumped gently against the floor as he seemingly began to sleep.
Eda: *whispering* I couldn't have asked for a better partner. You mean a lot to me, you goofball. And one day, when you really do become King, I hope you always remember me.
With a gesture of her hand, Eda conjured a shimmering orb of light that hovered between them, leaving it there for comfort.
Eda: Thank you...for being with me through it all.
King: Thank you...for keeping me.
Eda lay on her back as the moonlight shined upon them, bringing King in closer. She placed her hand on his back and closed her eyes with a smile.
Eda: *thinking* I'll let Sora and the others know we won. But for now, I wanna enjoy the peace for a bit.
[End Dearly Beloved - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep OST Extended | Yoko Shimomura]
(NOTE: This is it... the season finale is upon us...)
