Queen of Darkness
"... And so, in the end darkness covered the World, the χ-blade was shattered into twenty pieces, seven of light and thirteen of darkness, and the 'true' Kingdom Hearts disappeared into the darkness. But the world was restored by the light within the hearts of children, with many individual worlds separating from each other. The remnants of the battlefield on which the Keyblade War took place became the Keyblade Graveyard, a scarred wasteland filled with the Keyblades of fallen warriors. The remaining Keyblade wielders resolved to protect the World from further destruction, becoming guardians of the world order."
"A truly invigorating tale, one I had not yet heard until recently, but what does this have to do with why you sought me out?"
Despite being the Spirit of Knowledge, Jinn couldn't tell exactly what the mysterious man was feeling underneath his hood.
"Yet what most don't know is that when the worlds were restored and recreated into what we see now, some of those hearts remained in the Realm of Darkness, creating a world hidden by Darkness." The man revealed to which Jinn raised an eyebrow, now even more intrigued. "This world would have many names bestowed upon it throughout history, but its true name was lost: Scala ad Inferno."
"'Scala ad Inferno'?" Jinn repeated.
"The counterpart to Scala ad Caelum, the original nexus point from which all worlds spawned." The man paced around with his hands folded behind his back. "For a time, it was empty until a powerful deity arrived from the original world."
''A powerful deity'?' Jinn thought before her eyes widened. "The great dragon..."
The man nodded. "It made Scala ad Inferno its home, splitting into the Brothers Gods who created the world of The Experiment, containing a single Planet known as Vytal where they experimented for eons until they abandoned it, now both the planet and the world a new shared name: Remnant."
Jinn pondered this information. She had known that the world in which the Old Man and the four Maidens came from hadn't always been called Remnant (why the Brothers renamed BOTH the world and the planet the same name was beyond her) but the information about the world's true name had eluded even her.
Before she could question the man a shockwave occurred throughout the realm of Fantasias. "What was that?!"
The man just shrugged. "No idea, but I think I've spent enough time here... to think one of the Princesses of Heart would exist in this world... wonder if Luxu's found this out yet?"
Before Jinn could do anything, the man vanished in a corridor of light, leaving her alone to ponder his words.
Xxx
Young Xehanort appeared from the corridor of Darkness, standing on one the 13 pillars and came up to report to his other versions that beard his heart. "I came to report within the realm of dreams and I found the world where lost guardian of Light is located in the realm of Darkness."
"Proceed." Master Xehanort said, eager to see find out what his past self had learned of Lord Guardian and Princess in that world.
"I was fortunate enough to locate the Nexus that was hidden within the world of Remnant in the realm of dreams. It seems the people of that world got carried away and let in darkness, to which they ended up needing the guardian of light to restore it. That sleeping world allowed me to find the lost guardian and Ansem in the awaken world that was connected to the sleeping one which lead me to that island world where the others are located."
"Very good, I already have sent Vanitas to go out to that world very soon." The leader spoke solemnly.
"But, there is something else that I found within that world that we are searching for the lost guardian." His younger self spoke to him that earned attention all the other remaining members in the organization.
"How so?" Saïx asked.
"In that world I'm not only found they lost guardian. I have also found one of the last princesses of heart and our master's Keyblade. I also found him that bears his heart and soul of Odin." Young Xehanort said surprising his elder self of this discovery.
Xxx
Penny began stirring from her sleep and when she woke up the first thing she saw was the elder blonde man checking up on her well-being. The girl slowly arose from arresting spot by the tree as the elder man helped her up a bit and she looked down noticing the outfit that spirit made her wear was still on her.
At least she could have her own being in control.
Penny looked at her surroundings seeing the other four wielders of the keyblade were helping each of the four maidens. Oscar is carefully cutting each of the limbs of the tree that was holding Ruby. Terra was doing for the same for Yang and Neo was freeing Blake. Aqua had already also freed Weiss and was carrying her to a spot on the ground near the tree to rest and was healing her. Aqua began to check her health which was not looking well as she looked very pale.
When Aqua heard others approaching her she looked up to see Ansem holding Penny side while her arm was holding over his shoulder, keeping her standing up.
"How are they?" Penny spoke to Aqua.
"Very weak." Aqua answered and looked back at the white hair girl with that Penny knew was concern in her eyes from seeing one of her friends in their new circumstance. "It seems it took more than just their semblances and their magic powers. Drasil pretty much siphoned every ounce of their strength from their being. My high level spells of cure is restoring her health but the side effects that that Drasil done to them did crucial damage I'll try my best with using my other spell Esuna to take off whatever effects them."
When she cast the spell to remove any negative effects she saw that Weiss needed more casting on high spells of Cure but this damage was quite major.
Ansem slowly let down Penny gently beside her friend Weiss. "Allow me to diagnose them. As I could tell from their well-being using a cure spell will be enough to help them become stabilized." He said solemnly. "Only, it may be only temporary."
Soon enough each one of the rest of the four maidens were rested side by side with one another with the Keyblade Wielders casting healing spells to stabilize their current state. Penny was analyzing each of the Keyblade wielder's magic of casting this healing spell they were using on her friends wanting to do the same thing but knew she couldn't. At least until one of the branches from the giant tree that was the supposedly late Drasil came alive, following her command and to the shock of and everyone else, began imitating the healing spell and flowers started blooming over the four including the Keyblade Wielders, restoring their energy of magic.
They all were wondering how is this is happening when they saw Penny getting back up and she was glowing with a blue and green aura surrounding her.
It wasn't Drasil.
Somehow it's her own similar to the spirit of humanity except it is her own.
Everyone was confused that Penny is able to use Drasil's power now to aid the four maidens and re-energize the Keyblade Wielders.
"Penny," Aqua said amazed but yet concerned of this sudden change. "Are you in control or did Drasil somehow survive in you?"
Penny shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think so. I still feel like myself. Her presence is not anywhere in me."
"Of course!" Everyone jumped surprise at Oscar's outburst. "It is similar to the four maidens of seasons as a person passes away it goes to the to the last person's thoughts and they remember them very vividly which means Penny is the avatar of Yggdrasil."
This revelation surprised everyone, including Penny but it made sense in a way.
Power can never be destroyed but can be contained. If the power of Yggdrasil was truly destroyed the island would have disappeared. Part of Drasil's core was inside Penny with the powers of Yggdrasil, connecting her to the heart of this world.
"So, she's the new Yggdrasil?" Neo questioned, raising an eyebrow. "First she was a robot, then a Maiden, then a human Maiden and now she's…What? A god?"
"Drasil was formed from the collective will of humanity combined with the power of the four gifts the Brothers gave humanity." Oscar explained. "If a part of her was placed inside Penny who is still alive when Drasil was defeated, that means Penny is now the heart of this island much like Drasil was."
"And what about Drasil?" Terra asked.
"…Gone." Penny answered. "I defeated her when you all freed me."
"Meaning, Penny has taken Drasil's place." Oscar finished with widened eyes.
Neo glanced at Penny before smiling. "So…You're a god now…Boy, do I wish Cinder was here to see this. She'd be pissed. She kept going on about the 'toy' holding 'her' powers and you're now more powerful than all the Maidens. Maybe even more powerful than Cinder's boss."
Penny raised her hand, watching as a tree branch mimicked her hand's movement. "I did not ask for this power…But I will use it to help others. The way the Maidens were meant to."
Ansem had checked each one of the four maidens in their current state and the wise man grimaced at this result as he turned to the other Keyblade wielders and gave his report on the four girls.
"There's hardly a chance for a miracle." Ansem spoke in a solemn tone. "Drasil has used up most of their powers that were connected to their life to the tree if they stay here any longer they only have at least a few moments to last."
Penny's eyes widened at her friends' current condition right now. "There has to be another way! I could reverse the process of what Drasil has done to them." Penny said urgently since she is now the new being of Yggdrasil.
With Drasil no more she can use the powers that she acquired to save her friends.
Ansem shook his head. "Even if you did manage to succeed, the damage is already been done. It would even be much harder to separate the power Drasil had taken from them. Those four conduits of power in the tree had taken it all into one singular energy."
"You don't mean…" Neo said, actually concerned.
She hadn't warmed up to Red or Blondie or their annoying friends by any chance but she had risked her life to save them and she would be damned if they still ended up dying before she could rub it in their faces!
"It'd be too late before they can get it back." Aqua finished the conclusion of the statement.
Penny covered her mouth and tears were about to form in her eyes feeling a new emotion of heartbreak. Tears were rushing off her cheeks hearing of the bad news that her friends were going to die.
"Hold on a moment." Everyone froze, confused by an unknown voice that spoke them out of nowhere.
No one knew where it came from until he appeared out of Penny's chest where her heart was, taking the form both Penny and Neo knew: the blonde knight. What has surprised everyone the most in seeing Jaune Arc back was his appearance before them.
His physical body was not there, just a gleaming glowing light of his form. "For me, I managed to pull through despite losing my body. If the others were sent to Remnant the way it is now then what had happened to me would happen to the to. And when you restore Remnant there would be a chance for them to return to their original bodies later on."
"Wait a minute...! Aqua, do you remember what Drasil had told us when you brought me and wizard boy there? Even knighty was over there in our conversation with that spirit. What will happen if we send them back to that world that has yet awakened?" Neo suddenly spoke.
Everyone was looking at her about this idea as Penny wiped away some of her tears. While this was right before Drasil had possessed her dead body and effectively resurrected her she knew what Neo was talking about. Jaune, Oscar, and Aqua did remember what Drasil said to them about there beings that were born in that world would merge with their past selves if Drasil were to send them back.
"That seems like a good idea but that world is asleep so if we do send them there they'll turn into those creatures just the same as that of him." Terra said, remembering what each of the four girls said to them about the consequences of that returning sleeping world, and gestured to Jaune.
"Not exactly."
Everyone jumped and turned their attention toward the four spirits created by the God of Light and charged with helping humanity.
Jinn, the Spirit of Knowledge.
Ambrosius, the Spirt of Creation.
Nimue, the Spirit of Destruction.
And Janus, the Spirit of Choice.
All four spirits had appeared behind the group, having spoken to them in unison as soon as they appeared.
"What are you doing here?" Aqua looked at each of the spirits.
"We are here to help the answer this predicament." Jinn spoke first. "Even though I am the spirit of knowledge of seeing in the past I was trying to keep a track of what happened to the old man and especially the Young Knight."
Everyone was skeptical about this.
"I was trying to track the old man but I know he didn't truly disappear seeing as one of his carnations is here he's yet to return. Including the Young Knight falling into some sort of void, I was trying to search for him when someone had found him. This was a heart that had lost her life but her heart lives on and she had fallen in love with the Young Knight long ago. When she helped him he was sent somewhere else faster than I could follow." Jinn explained. "He was sent to help the four maidens and when I noticed he appeared on a stained glass mural of the girl as a battlefield within someone's heart that was forced to be the vessel of Drasil."
Penny realized during that fight with that spirit, one of her friends that she asked for help against the spirit, Jaune Arc appeared to aid her which means he somehow survived.
Which means the sleeping world of Remnant…
As for Aqua she knew a certain spell in a way to that their hearts will be safe.
"We know what you're thinking Penny." Both sides of Janus said to her. "Including you, Aqua by the power of one's connections with each one's heart there is a chance for them to return once they have lost themselves."
"Even I the spirit of destruction am surprised in finding out about this. Every beginning has an ending and every ending will have a beginning." Nimue said, with an impressed look on her face.
"Also a chance to create something greater than I ever expected" Ambrosius added.
"Which also leads better choices for themselves, if the Keybearers are willing to help to defeat their husks versions of themselves." The female face of Janus finished.
"Of course!" Ansem exclaimed, stunning everyone with his outburst. "Even in the world, it's asleep including its inhabitants. They're being there in their damaged bodies will be sentenced to suspended animation allowing them to fall into a deep sleep neither living nor dying. Their hearts will soon enough merge with their past selves but they will end up creating a separate version not just the heartless but also the dream eaters and when that happens they will acquire a Nobody form barely between their human form and a lesser nobody. Which means their bodies will be healed and acquire the experience and memories throughout their lives."
"Hold on for a second. I remember Xehanort's research on the human heart for some time including the Nobodies." Terra explained. "I remember each of those parts of the research that he studied except for this scenario."
"I made sure my former apprentice didn't get all my research that I truly knew and hid from him during those years. This may end up creating a 'husk' Nobody that is absolutely obedient and more highly skilled than they were as their original selves. Though him coming across with those types of Nobody Husks may be a lot more challenging. Even so, they are beings that were at their dying moment, the experience of their original forms will return as complete people with no damage to their bodies at all." Ansem told them. "Except their past selves with their future hearts will merge with the original along with the memories and experience with them. Although to order for them to merge with their present selves in the past, their husks will be the barriers preventing them from returning their existence and must be destroyed first along with the Heartless and Dream Eaters that will be born. They will have a certain amount of memory rush after they are destroyed their hearts will also merge as one singular being."
"Which will lead them to have a chance like Jaune did and when that happens I'll guide them back to when they will merge with themselves after their husks are defeated." Penny announce to them.
"There is still one matter. The world must be awakened." Ansem stated.
"Leave that to me." Oscar held Gungnir. "It can be done…With the Power of Waking."
"The Power of Waking?" Aqua questioned.
"I see you haven't learned about this power yet. It's an old power that Keyblade Wielders used to travel to other worlds before. It's the ability to traverse hearts to reach worlds." Oscar explained.
Aqua's eyes widened in surprise and she had a feeling Terra would too if he was in his original body. "Traverse hearts to reach worlds?"
"Yes." Oscar nodded. "It also has another power. It can restore a heart from sleep."
"Restore…I never knew this…Master Eraqus never had the chance to show us this before we started on our quest." Aqua glanced at Terra who 'glanced' back. "If we had both been made Masters that day and if not for Xehanort and Vanitas we would have learned this."
"I think so too." Terra agreed.
"And yet I think you have the Power of Waking inside you." Oscar glanced at Aqua who looked surprised. "Your friend in the armor, how did his heart find his way there?"
"I…" Aqua glanced at Terra again. "I don't know. I found out where his heart was trapped and then I found the armor in the Keyblade Graveyard. When I encountered the armor, I found it was only animated by Terra's thoughts and when it reached out to me…I tried reaching out to him."
"And you woke me, guided me out of the darkness." Terra continued.
"I…I only used my Semblance…It allows me to connect with people close to me, empower them or summon a glyph based off of them that empowers me." Aqua stuttered slightly. "As soon as I felt Terra, I used my Semblance to empower him while his heart was trapped in the guardian monster Xehanort was using."
"And at the graveyard, you tapped deeper into that connection. What do you think a Semblance is, Aqua?" Oscar questioned.
"Neo said it was a manifestation of our Aura, a special ability that reflects our souls." Aqua answered.
"It's more than that. It's a wish." Oscar replied.
"A wish?" Aqua repeated.
"A Semblance is formed by the deepest wishes of a person and Aura us used to make that wish real. Your Semblance empowered you through the connections you made with everyone up to this point." Oscar explained, glancing at Neo first. "The pink glyph from Neo."
Neo raised an eyebrow, wondering how he knew that.
"Then the one representing Terra." Oscar then looked at Terra and then back at Aqua. "You held that bond with you dearly and it helped give Terra the strength to break free but it had to awaken him from his forced slumber in darkness."
"You're saying I have this Power of Waking?" Aqua asked.
"I am saying, the Power of Waking sleeps in every Keyblade Wielder but you awakened yours when you awakened Terra." Oscar replied. "It's something we'll have to discuss after we send the girls through and then reawaken Remnant."
"And how will we do that?" Neo asked.
"I will. I will have some help from the other gift Odin gave me." Oscar held up Gungnir. "As it turns out, Oz was not just reincarnating into countless men across Remnant. He eventually reincarnated into a Keyblade Wielder who found this world. Keyblade Master Odin and they have reincarnated in me so I am the best candidate to awaken Remnant. But first, we need to get the girls inside and let them become Dream Eaters. Once we have done that and awakened Remnant, we can track down their Heartless and Nobodies while I deal with the Dream Eaters."
He looked down at the four Maidens, his features softening as he knelt down over Ruby. "Funny, I thought there would be no more secrets but there was still one more that Oz and I had no clue existed until now. I don't know whether or not it was a good thing we found out just in time."
"I would like to say good bye…" Penny slowly approached Ruby as Oscar stood up. "One last time."
A branch reached out and touched Ruby's forehead…
Xxx
'It's all my fault. Everything... I told Neo I'd make things right, that I'd finally start trusting myself... but I didn't even get a chance... I'm the worst...'
"Nuh-uh. That's not true, Ruby."
Ruby Rose blinked as she found herself floating in a white void with a familiar ginger haired girl smiling.
"Penny?"
"Now I can see everything that ever happened and everything that ever will." Penny smiled. "I see all the timelines that could've been and all the universes just waiting to be born. Drasil did succeed in making me the new avatar, but she didn't know what that truly meant."
"What?" Ruby's face scrunched up in confusion.
"She erased herself. Disrupting the union of her mind, body, and soil. There's nothing left of her original self." Penny shook her head. "She has no control over me, over mankind, over Remnant, not even over her own island."
"W-Wait! What does that mean for you?!" Ruby gasped.
"I can see it all now and all the things you've done for me, throughout all those different timelines. All the times you cried and all the times you got hurt. But you kept fighting for everyone. For me." Penny smiled. "You were the answered prayer. My wish for one kind soul with a heart of gold and my wish came true the day that you appeared and called me friend."
Ruby felt tears gather and fall. "B-But whats going to happen to you?! Now that your like this?! You won't ever be able to go home and see your friends and family again?! You'll be alone for ever and ever!"
Penny just giggled with a smile. "But I'm not alone. You're always gonna be with me and so will everyone else. Cause from now on, I can be anywhere at any time on Remnant."
She continued. "Even if you can't see me, or hear me, I'll be right there by your side, Ruby."
"Penny..." Ruby whispered.
The new Avatar of Yggdrasil just continued to smile as she removed her bow from her hair and placed it in Ruby's hands before closing them.
"I'll always be there, Ruby, after all, I'm the Avatar of Yggdrasil, the Collective Unconsciousness, and most of all, your friend." Penny said as she began to float away.
"Wait! Penny!" Ruby tried to move, but couldn't.
She could only watch as her friend drifted away for the third and final time.
"I will see you again, Ruby. But until that fateful day when your journey finally ends for real, I'll be watching." Penny smiled. "So, take care of yourself, okay?"
As Penny faded, Ruby felt herself get pulled back to the real world, one hand clutching the bow while the other reaching out to Penny.
One last anguished cry escaped from Ruby's mouth.
"PENNNNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYY!"
Xxx
Penny had tears falling down her cheeks as Ruby along Weiss, Blake and Yang were lifted off the ground by the massive tree she now controlled and sent through the portal. She sniffed as she had to watch the emblem of the Dream Eaters appear on them followed by cracks all along their bodies before their minds finally succumbed to slumber and caused their bodies to change into Dream Eaters.
Now it was Oscar's turn.
He summoned a corridor of light that he then stepped in to.
They watched as time moved fast in the Realm of Sleep where Remnant resided and eventually, the Sleeping Keyhole was found, awakening Remnant from its slumber.
"He did it." Aqua muttered with a small smile that everyone, including Neo shared from seeing Remnant restored…
…Until they heard a loud eruption.
But it was no any ordinary eruption it was a roar of rage from before Atlas fell.
"What was that?!" Aqua exclaimed, sensing a dark presence as a dark portal appeared in the sky above Remnant.
"This power is yet familiar but it's a lot different. Wait..." Penny's eyes widened as sensing this familiar but evolved form of Darkness.
Only one person has the power won't die which also means she didn't disappeared like the rest of humanity on Remnant or put in a deep sleep. "No...! NO! NO! NO! IT CANNOT BE! SHE WILL RUIN EVERYTHING!
The portal was growing larger and wider through the realm of Darkness no smaller shadows have come out except one two red orbs as eyes had appeared through the portal, along with yellow eyes emerging.
Aqua and Neo's eyes widened in horror from seeing the terrifying but familiar image. "Salem?!"
It was indeed Salem but much different than before.
Her torso was merged with the head of a monstrous beast Heartless, the dark veins running down her body and completely merged with her Heartless body in the form of purple veins traveling all the way down the pitch black form.
She's no longer just the queen that controls the Grimm.
She is now Queen of the Heartless.
She will bring the destruction to this world she had found and bring it to an end.
The majority of these scenes were submitted by a guest reviewer but they fit closely to what I was planning so they were integrated into this chapter and I liked the scene with Young Xehanort giving his report to Master Xehanort and his other incarnations. Thank you all for continuing to read and review.
