AN: I AM LITERALLY POSTING THIS AT 3 AM AND I DON'T REGRET IT LOL! I SAID I WAS POSTING IT "TONIGHT" AND I NEED TO KEEP MY PROMISE. XD TECHNICALLY IT'S STILL MORE TUESDAY NIGHT THAN WEDNESDAY MORNING! :D At least according to MY whacked out sleep schedule! xD
P.S: Next chapter will be the final REAL chapter, with the next one or two more being extended "Epilogue" chapters! :)
End of AN!
Luxu sat slumped on the bench, on the docks of Scala Ad Caelum.
It felt weird being back here - weirder to be here out in the open. No cloak, no mask of a face. Just him...
He shook his head and gritted his teeth, holding his arm over his stomach and sitting up straighter.
He looked down the docks, where Namine was leaned over the railing, gazing out at the ocean blues - and chatting it up with some of the other kids. It was such a...normal scene, wasn't it? One he'd seen a million times, on a million different worlds. But this time, this scene...with this kid...it looked like something special. With all of these-
Namine suddenly stopped, blinking quickly, her face getting a familiar look on it. A pale, concerned look.
Luxu got to his feet immediately, starting forward even as the kid turned to look at him. "What?" he said simply. He knew she'd tell him.
"I wasn't looking at Kairi's memories - I was focusing on other people - but I just checked in on her again, and Xion too, and- things are going really badly there, the barrier's all broken and they're trying to get it back again and- and-"
"And what?" Luxu said firmly. He really had to teach the girl the art of getting the important information across first - concisely and quickly-
"And- Ansem and Xemnas are back, too!" the girl blurted.
Luxu bit back the surprise of the news as best he could, eyeing the girl. "How long ago was this?" he asked. If she'd only just checked Kairi's memories again now, and found out...then it could have been a while ago, dammit! "Where are they now? And what the hell do you mean the barrier is broken?" he added harshly, aghast. The combined powers of Ira, Amaya, and King Mickey - overwhelmed? Overcome? Could the witch of darkness really have gotten that much more powerful, just from that damn Darkness, and that Ultima Keyblade...? If she had...
"...I don't know - it was like ten- ten minutes ago? Ansem and Xemnas, I mean!" Namine was saying uncertainly, holding her hands at her waist. "The barrier problems just- just happened - are happening." She paused in her babbling. Then- "Do you want me to find them? I- I think maybe I could find Xemnas and see what he's up to! Remember our fight in Twilight Town? When I sent him that memory of yours? I didn't really think about it then, but now I think there's some connect-"
Suddenly the air flashed with golden light behind Namine - a cloaked figure appeared right behind her, a gloved hand seized her upper arm - and then they both vanished again in a blinding light!
Luxu hated himself for it - wasting seconds. But for a long moment or two, he just...stood there, staring at the space where Namine wasn't anymore. Where she'd been taken from him...by somebody who could only be his old Master.
He summoned his Keyblade to hand, raising it up and focusing his Heart (ignoring the crowd of kids around him who were freaking out, themselves now, about Namine's disappearance - and his actions now, too). He called on the connection to Namine, using it to open a portal of light. He knew it wasn't likely to bring him straight to her - power of waking didn't work that way, unless you abused the hell out of it - but he hoped it would. He hoped he had a powerful enough bond with the kid by now that it would just...just take him to her! Just let him get her back!
"Master Luxu, what's going on?" Ephemer's voice cut through the world. Through it all.
Luxu turned to see the guy standing there. He breathed in, then out. "If you want to help, now would be a great time; gather up the Chirithies and get over to Radiant Garden. They could use the power of dreams right about now," he said shortly, as his portal of light appeared before him in a flash. He rushed into the portal with nothing more said, ignoring the pain shooting through his body, ignoring the labored breathing it brought to his lips and throat. Ignoring the Dandelions still.
Luxu emerged on the other side...into Twilight Town?
Why the hell would his Master kidnap the kid, then just bring her back to the world they called home?
Unless it was bait.
Of course it was bait; everything with that guy was a plan inside a plan, a hidden agenda you didn't even realize until it was in motion - or until after it was done. He made you focus your eye on the ball in one hand, while he did some crazy shit with the other one...
That was how he operated - always.
So, odds were, whatever he was doing with Namine right now wasn't even what he truly intended! It was just a distraction. The ball in one hand.
Like that mattered to Luxu, though.
Either way, he was going to find her, and get her back. It was as simple as that!
And if he was catching on to how his Master thought and planned for things at all, he thought he knew where the guy would stash Namine. Where he'd be waiting for Luxu.
Luxu let his weapon vanish as he hurried down the street, taking a quick duck into a side alley. There, he summoned his Keyblade back again and created a new portal, focusing his mind on the image of home - the house on the green hills. He rushed through it, stepping out at the front door. He blasted it open with a wave of a hand and an exertion of telekinetic magic, marching inside, his every senses attuned and alert.
But...
It was silent.
Empty.
The furniture and everything was all there, sure - but no Namine. No Master.
Luxu searched the whole house anyways, over the next few minutes. Precious minutes he felt like he'd wasted, for the first time in his long life...
Because they turned up no results at all, either.
Growling to himself, trying to keep his cool, Luxu whirled around in Namine's room and conjured another portal. He returned to the streets of the city, and began searching them quickly. He kept his eyes peeled as he passed people by. He looked through shop windows and homes, as he made his way down the inclined streets. After too many minutes more, after checking a few side streets, Station Heights, the Sandlot, etc, he emerged into the Tram Commons area. It was damn crowded today, which was going to make this way too difficult!
And how much time had he already wasted on this?! Ten minutes? Twenty?
But, no, no. He was patient, he was good at this. He was an expert at moving through crowds - keeping his eyes peeled, his ear to the ground - this was his element, his craft, after millennia of-
Suddenly, he froze.
He didn't mean that he stopped moving in any way of his own accord - no: his whole body itself suddenly just- stopped. Like a powerful Time Spell had been cast on him, locking him in his own body. Except he hadn't seen, heard, or felt a single thing to indicate a spell being cast on him.
And it wasn't just him: everything had stopped. The crowds. The tram running its line around the area. The birds taking off from a shop's rooftop. A mouse leaping down from a garbage can being hauled out of the sewer tunnels by workers...
Sound itself.
All conversation, all the clicking and scraping and grinding.
Even the winds themselves, the breeze of cool air against the planted trees and potted plants scattered about the plaza.
Luxu tried to reach into his Heart, tried to reach for magic, for power - but even for him, he knew it was useless; once you got hit by Time Magic, once you were locked in...you were stuck. Until your enemy either lifted it, or until it faded naturally over time.
No spell could last forever, after all. Especially not the kind that took a hell of a lot of power and energy to cast.
Luxu just had to wait it out...
But for the entire Tram Commons to be frozen like this...? Could his Master really be that powerful? And to do it with no sign of a spell, no ripple of air, no flash of light, no...
No.
The answer was: he wasn't.
No magic, no effect, not even the extra sense that was so well honed to detect magic around him!
No...it wasn't magic or a spell. Which left another option. An explanation that would actually make sense for why the Master would just bring Namine to "Twilight Town" immediately after kidnapping her. And it would also be something that was more than within the guy's wheelhouse of skills and abilities, considering everything with the Book of Prophecies, and the Data Worlds set up on Daybreak Town's main computers.
Yeah - that had to be it, Luxu thought: this was another data world. Another cage, another trap, prepped and ready to go...
Anything and anyone within it would become data, including real people like himself or Namine - which meant they could, theoretically, also be controlled, edited, or influenced in all the same ways that objects and people made out of data could be. If you were in the system, you were fair game. You put yourself at the mercy of the gods on the outside, who ran that world.
Which...he had just done.
Suddenly, he heard a sound in the soundless world.
Footsteps echoed on the ground, and he saw a cloaked figure emerge from the crowds - striding up to Luxu.
With no Namine in sight.
"Hey, buddy," his Master's voice came from beneath the hood. The man set his hands on his hips, his hooded gaze clearly looking at Luxu (why was the guy even bothering to wear that thing still, when Luxu had already seen his face?). "Here we are again, huh? Well...since you seemed so upset with me before about being too unspecific and vague for your tastes, I'm going to be as blunt as possible for you here, okay?"
Luxu could do nothing, still, but stand there, frozen, breathing. Staring at the man before him. And damn did he try to do something...anything!
"You're not going to find Namine." The Master raised a hand, flourishing it. "Well, you might, after a few decades of searching, and a bit of luck - but even if you did...you won't find her to be the same girl you knew, so it's a little pointless to try, in my opinion. Now, I want you to know this sincerely, kid: I have no intentions of harming her. I just need her and her annoying powers out of my way for...the next year or so, let's say. So, here's what I'm going to promise you, Luxu: if you can leave me - and her - alone for the next year, then, in a year's time, I'll return her to you, safe and sound. Sound body, sound mind. You can go back to your little house on the hill, you can sing and dance, birthdays and Christmas parties, everybody's happy."
Yeah, like I'd believe that, coming from you...
The Master let his arms fall to his sides, stepping forward and beginning to walk circles around Luxu. "I know what you're thinking - how can I trust you? You can't; of course you can't. I'm the guy who blew up the world...the guy who sent all those children to their deaths. I'm the guy who started a war just to buy...a little time. But, ya know...aren't those same kids happy and free, right now, over in Scala Ad Caelum?" The man moved in front of Luxu again, raising a finger. "And didn't I give you the key to the salvation of the entirety of the lives of the ones that fought in the war itself, as well...? I know you figured it out by now - finally. Why do you think I'm letting you hang onto my Keyblade still...? Oh, speaking of which...are you really going to spend all your time trying to get Namine back? Maybe even force me to have to take measures to stop you...more permanently? But if that happened, why, those poor souls would never get a chance to live again!"
Luxu's Master was behind him, now, unable to be seen. All Luxu heard was the voice - right in his damn ear...
"What's it going to be, Luxu? One girl, versus a couple thousand girls and boys? Waste your efforts and time trying to save one person...when you KNOW you can save so many others? I told you I had a plan in place to save them all, didn't I? I told you I wasn't sacrificing anyone - and haven't I kept my word on that? The Data World, the Spirits tied to the Dandelion's Hearts, so that when the time came they'd know what to do...giving them an escape hatch into the Realm of Sleep? And now...you, and that graveyard, and what you KNOW you have to do..."
The Master brushed his cloaked arm against Luxu as he came around him again - to stop in front of him. To face him, close and intimate. The Master hesitated, then reached up and tossed back his hood - revealing that face to Luxu for the second time. That sole, blue eye blinked at Luxu, meeting his gaze directly. "Even if it's a little roundabout, and it takes a while, I think I've proven I do keep my word. So now: you have my word that in a year's time, if you just sit tight and stay out of my way, I will personally give Namine back to you - happy, unharmed, and free to live as she pleases. You waited a millennia to fulfill your promise to Brain, to Ephemer, to Skuld...to Ventus...Elrena and Lauriam. So - what's one more year, Luxu?"
The Master took a single step forward, his arm coming up, his hand to the sky-
And Luxu suddenly found himself being consumed by blinding light.
He gasped - realized he could gasp - and slammed flat onto his back on the stone docks of Scala Ad Caelum again.
"What happened? Are you alright?"
Luxu groaned, blinking up at a face framed by long pink hair, blocking out the sun...
He couldn't find it in him to give an answer to the guy.
He shook his head, screwing up his eyes as a fresh pain ripped through his chest.
I'm sorry Namine...but I am going to have to make you wait a little while...
He had a promise to keep...a whole army of kids to save - literally.
He was the only one who could, and the damn Princess of Heart was right, and the Master was even right, in his twisted way...
He had to save them all first, while he could. He had to do...the hard, right thing first - the selfless thing, not the selfish, obsessive pursuit he wanted to go chasing after (to who knew what effect?).
And then, after he had secured all of those kids' their futures, he was going to go after Namine. No matter what the Master said, no matter how long it took.
If he had to spend decades searching for her, he'd do it without hesitation: because this time, at least, he'd be marching through time in pursuit of something worth it.
Luxu smacked a fist to his forehead and forced his burning body to sit up. He pushed himself to his feet - glad for the helping hand of Lauriam's, in the moment. He looked around himself...and froze.
He whirled back to Lauriam, making his own neck muscles scream. "Why...are a lot of kids missing?" he ground out.
Lauriam stepped away, but held his gaze. "They went to help Ephemer - and the others at Radiant Garden."
"And you let them?!" Luxu shrieked.
"Kairi defeated me rather handily back in Castle Oblivion, as you'll recall; what did you expect me to do against several dozen trained Keyblade wielders?" Lauriam responded, low and swift.
"Anything but sit on your ass and let them just- GAH!" Luxu spun away, raising his weapon to conjure a portal again, focusing his mind on Radiant Garden. "You flower-haired moron!" he snapped back at Lauriam, before stomping into the portal on shaking, aching legs.
He was not letting this happen - he couldn't let it happen! All these idiots wanting to play hero, wanting to run headfirst into danger...! After he'd just brought them all back from the dead, practically!
He was going to break every last one of their Keyblades with his own two hands if he had to, he swore it!
Kairi stared all around her in wonder, watching the Chirithies appear and create great constructs of energy and light that just obliterated the Heartless all around the city, in a radius of a mile or more! Several miles!
She turned to look at Angel, raising a hand to her. "Hey - you can rest now. You did great, but it's time to sleep!"
Angel looked down on her...then she nodded, and dematerialized into particles of light and a swirling orb. The orb flew down and struck Kairi in the chest, disappearing. A brief, hot feeling filled Kairi's body...and then it faded away.
Kairi breathed with relief, brushing at her hair and swinging her weapon at her side.
Just as she was about to start flying again, a portal of light appeared beside her.
Out of it came Ira, Amaya, Mickey, and Leon, Yuffie and Dilan!
"Oh - hey!" Kairi said. "What's everyone doing here?"
"We're going to back up our friends in their decision to go straight for the enemy," said the ancient Master, Ira, turning and aiming his weapon out across the city - pointing to where Terra, Ven, Aqua, and an armored figure that had to be Keyblade Master Eraqus? as well as what looked like Invi, Kana, and Erin, were all leaving the city limits...heading toward a distant, floating Maleficent. Kairi roamed her gaze along the wall, and saw a familiar, silver-haired boy standing there, too, watching them all go...a gaggle of Chirithies around his feet...
"Okay," Kairi agreed.
Ira nodded, turned and cast out his weapon to create a new portal.
Kairi and the others followed - but she found herself in the streets of the city again.
More specifically: right back in front of Sora and Riku, in the city's central square. Others were there too, now, though: Isa, Cid, Lea and Skuld, King Ansem. Aerith and...Moreth? were both there as well - casting dual healing spells on Lea and Cid, who both looked to be in bad shape. King Ansem looked pretty terrible, too, but he had either already been treated, or was waiting for his own round of healing. He was slumped on the ground, a broken, melted giant weapon beside him.
"Are you okay?" Kairi asked, gazing at Cid with worry.
"Don't worry yer little head about me - I'm just not as spry as I used to be," Cid said instantly, flashing a smile at her. "Nothin' a quick spell won't fix up again. Then I'll be back in the action. I'm not missin' a shot at Maleficent while I can!"
"Everyone else seems to be going after her now, too," Kairi said, agreeing.
"If any of us were smart, we probably would have done that from the start!" Yuffie exclaimed.
"Ahem. I'm fine, too, by the way - thanks for asking..." Lea spoke up, waving a hand.
"Are you okay?" Kairi said, turning to the man with a small smile.
"He's fine," Isa interjected. "He learned a lesson about running his mouth instead of concentrating on a fight. That's all."
"Well, anyone who's still able to fight..." Ira began, creating a portal in the square, swirling and blue. He was the first to stride through his own portal, disappearing.
Dilan stood there, eyeing it like he really wanted to go through it - but in the end he stayed. He walked over to kneel beside Ansem The Wise, placing a hand on his ruler's shoulder.
Amaya looked at Skuld, the two women communicating silently. Then they both went into the portal, striding through it quickly.
Mickey looked around the square, then gave a firm nod and disappeared as well, summoning his Keyblade to hand.
"Are you guys still good to go?" Kairi asked, turning to Sora and Riku. "It's okay if you're not. You can say so."
"I'm ready," Sora said firmly.
"I can still fight," Riku confirmed.
Darkness shimmered around him, and a dark shape formed beside him. "We can still fight," said Cognis.
"Okay," Kairi said, nodding to the girl quickly. "Let's go, then!"
She turned and raced into the portal, Sora and Riku right behind her (Cognis, too, flying alongside them as nothing but a dark cloud of purple).
"Our enemies continue to call in reinforcements to thwart us. We should do the same!" Darkness spoke to Maleficent, firm and urgent.
"Are you simply a coward? If my enemies want to confront me and my newfound might, I shall give them all of it!" Maleficent snapped, as her gaze was focused across the distance - to where her many enemies were leaving the city walls behind, on gliders and on foot, in favor of coming to them.
"We cannot fight against the Foretellers together!" Darkness responded harshly, anger and panic in her core. "We can't keep track of so many enemies at once. We need to divide and conquer them once again! You WILL lose, Maleficent, and I will abandon your body long before you die! I will not let you take me with you because of your blinding hubris! I will leave you and take my POWER with me! I can always find a more worthy host - and partner!"
Maleficent's Heart and mind shifted. Darkness felt it, through their bond. Anger, outrage, shock... Then- "Very well! But I want to destroy the girl, Aqua, as well as that fool Terra! And the Princess of Heart and her friends, as well!"
"Of course you will. But the Foretellers need to be dealt with in their own way - separately, and carefully," Darkness said, placating.
"Ordinary monsters clearly won't do; scour the depths of Hell, and bring me the worst your Realm has to offer!" Maleficent said harshly. "The strongest, the most wicked and terrible of the dark's depths!"
Darkness obeyed, wordless and swift. Her mind reached across realms - searched out into the darkness, across endless expanses, into deepest crevices and depths...beneath the waters...beneath the earth...across time and space itself...for the strongest of Heartless, the greatest of darkness...
She found them, these creatures of the deep and dark, mighty and ancient - and she called them up from those depths; massive dark corridors grew on the ground, spreading across the land, and giant Heartless of multiple limbs and black tentacles began to emerge into the Realm of Light...
Darkness beckoned them forth, more and more, before moving on. Searching onward, through the rest of the endless dark. Then, quite suddenly, she touched a presence. She felt...someone? Someone - not something? What was this? A deep, great mind in the darkness...? Could it be...? Another...Darkness?
Respond, she mentally commanded, her darkness touching that darkness. Connecting with it. I know you are there. Respond to me, now.
The dark presence shifted...darkness and matter parted to allow it to lift its head.
You dare to call upon my form, fledgling! a mighty voice boomed in her head. You dare to command ME?
Darkness almost scoffed. I am a True Darkness - one of the Original Thirteen-
As am I... came the voice again, resonating, rumbling. And unlike you, fledgling, I am one of the Seven Greaters! I command powers not even YOU can comprehend, Lesser Shadow!
Darkness hesitated. Had she a face still, she would have frowned. Had she hands - they would have been curled into fists. Then I ask for your help today, in finishing what we started eons ago. Master Luxu survives, as do the Foretellers. The Master of Masters' apprentices. His legacy. His machinations, continuing on to this day. But today, they are all here before me. We can end them all, here and now, at long last.
Silence. For an eternity.
Then-
I no longer care for the endeavors of those past, came the deep, powerful voice, amused now. But, I suppose, in honor of memories of a bond once shared, and as a favor to a fellow member of the Original Thirteen...I will agree to lend my aid. But when I grow tired of the task, I will return to my domain again, fledgling - whether they have been destroyed or not. I will not trouble myself over mere humans. It matters not, to me, whether they live or die. I am Darkness; I am eternal.
That is acceptable. Had she a mouth, Darkness would have sighed in relief.
The deep voice echoed with laughter.
The connection was severed.
And Darkness felt the realms begin to shift, and part...to make way for their arrival.
Kairi was stepping out of the portal, emerging out into the blue rock expanse outside the main city gates, when something happened to stop her in her tracks.
Something that stopped all of them (even the ones up in the air on Keyblade Gliders).
The earth began to tremble again. The air itself vibrated, and grew colder.
Huge pools of darkness were forming out ahead, over canyons and hills of blue - and giant monsters the likes of which Kairi had never seen before were coming up from out of them! One, two, three, four, five, six...
They were like living mountains themselves. Huge monstrosities, with six limbs, huge glowing eyes of red, a multitude of swaying, hanging tentacles with swirling red and purple patterns on them...and giant mouths, misshapen, with sharp teeth and breaths of magenta flames. They were like massive, sinewy, black insects. Like beetles or something!
But that wasn't all.
Suddenly, the blue ground ahead began to split apart physically, a huge chasm opening up in it! Wider and wider! From up out of it came tendrils of purple smoke - darkness! And then...a huge plume of lava! Orange, burning, magma. It fell back down onto the ground, splattering and burning, and spreading...melting its way across the rocky ground...heat shimmering, dead plant-life melting and burning away. Crystal masses glowed and exploded like shards of glass! And then, a dark, solid shape came rising up out of the ground and dark smoke...rising up from the lava pool itself.
It looked like a dark mound, or a mountain's peak...but as it continued to rise...Kairi realized it was a terribly familiar kind of dark shape.
Huge, black wings unfolded with massive gusts of air and burning waves of heat - confirming Kairi's worst fears.
It was that...giant, dark devil from the Realm of Sleep?
How? Why? Why was it here? How could it be here?!
"Oh dear...Chernabog?!" a high voice exclaimed.
Kairi whirled, to see the wizard Merlin appearing in a puff of smoke. "Huh? You know what that thing's called?"
"Why, yes, indeed I do!" Merlin stammered, looking upon the rising dark shape with fear and alarm. "The great and dreadful Chernabog was the most powerful enemy Master Yen Sid ever faced, back in his heyday - and only narrowly defeated! He sealed him away in a volcano, unable to truly destroy him for good! However, when the days turned to night, the King of Darkness could sometimes still emerge again to do harm..."
"Well, Luxu and I beat it before, in the Realm of Sleep," Kairi said uncertainly. "And we have his friends with us, so...we should all be able to take it down, right?"
Merlin did a double take. He stared at her. Then he shook his head, waving his wand at her. "No, no, no! What you defeated was either a conjuration of a dream of the real thing, or, if you were faced with the real Chernabog, he merely decided not to bother with you anymore, and went back to sleep of his own will and choice! You have no idea the danger he poses! The King of Darkness is-"
Chernabog rose up out of the pool of lava, higher and higher, revealing actual legs - a whole lower body it did in fact have. It crossed its arms and narrowed its glowing yellow eyes down at them all. Then it uncrossed its arms, raising them high...stretching them out with fingers splayed - like it was going to play the piano or something - and it gave a big, wicked grin.
A shadow from nowhere suddenly...swept across the world. It darkened the sky, it chilled the air, and it blackened the land. It stretched out in the shape of...giant shadowy hands, encompassing the entire city and the landscape surrounding it...stretching on and on, over the canyons and mountains...reaching the masses of distant Heartless still writhing on this world.
Then, Chernabog raised his hands up, fingers curling, like some kind of conductor of an orchestra.
The Heartless masses in the canyons and hills all began to...vibrate and break apart, becoming smoke and purple light motes on the winds. All this smoke and energy began to flow across the lands - flying right over to Chernabog. It all poured into his dark form, an aura of intense purple flames surrounding him!
"No, no, no, dear me - we must stop him at once!" Merlin cried, looking horrified.
Kairi raised her hand to her chest, burning her light bright and hot, and materialized Angel right out in front of herself in a pillar of light and electricity. Gasping, she raised an arm to point-
Angel took off in an instant, without any direction at all. She became a zig-zagging streak of light, going for Chernabog with a high shriek!
Chernabog's head turned, his yellow eyes narrowing at Angel, his raised arms lowering. He watched her, he tracked her as she darted her way toward him. She materialized into humanoid form, raising a huge sword of light for a swing-
Chernabog swung out a mighty arm faster than Kairi could blink, striking Angel, and causing her to vanish in an explosion of light and golden particles.
Kairi felt it in her Heart; Angel hadn't teleported, or been just...temporarily taken out of action - she'd been destroyed.
In one hit.
Chernabog turned away again, raising his arms, continuing to absorb the flow of Heartless masses - and this time, Kairi saw that he was slowly starting to get...larger and larger.
Kairi heard a thud nearby, and turned to look. The other Foreteller, Aced, had just come flying down to land on the ground with the rest of them.
She heard racing footfalls, and saw the other of Luxu's friends, Gula, come racing out of the main gates - along with Donald and Goofy!
"We must focus on subduing Chernabog if we're to have a hope of saving this world!" Merlin's voice cried out again - echoing, magically swirling around Kairi. Around everyone, no matter how far away they were?
A portal of light opened up suddenly to Kairi's left - and out of it came Xehanort and his three friends...as well as Cloud and Tifa, to Kairi's further surprise!
"Stay close to me," Xehanort told his friends firmly. "We'll fight together."
"Always!" the girl, Vor, said, her eyes blazing with determination.
Xehanort gave her a tiny smile, and a nod that read to Kairi as...actually nervous. Afraid, even. But then it was all gone.
The guy was disturbingly good at either stamping out or disassociating from his own emotions and Heart!
Which...yeah...that explained a heck of a lot about him, didn't it? And the kind of man he had become - could still become...
Kairi shook her head, looking up at the now gianter-sized Chernabog...
She kicked off the ground with a cry of battle, soaring across the land like a missile!
A burst of lightning flashed beside her, on her left and right; she saw Elrena running beside her on one side, and on the other was Tifa, swathed in lightning of her own!
Merlin swished his wand, and Cloud and some of the other non-flier - or speedy - types were sent soaring into the air in a swirling of magic particles!
Invi, Aced, Ira and Gula reached Chernabog before anyone else, raining crashing blows and explosive barrages of magic onto Chernabog! Shockwaves blew through the air, great booms echoed out, and lights flashed to blind Kairi!
A swirling light portal appeared above Chernabog, laid out on its side - facing down; Isa, Donald and Goofy, and Yuffie came dropping down out of it, onto Chernabog's now huge body!
Another one appeared in its wake, dropping Xehanort and his friends into the battle!
King Mickey leapt up into a high, spinning flip, a light surrounding him. He slashed his Keyblade for Chernabog, and a swirling circle of energy flew out at the dark devil. It struck Chernabog in the back, staggering him!
Chernabog roared, and began swinging his arms and casting out with barrages of dark energy balls and beams of red energy in all directions!
Kairi flew low to the ground still, dodging and weaving furiously as she approached the monster's feet. She closed the gap and turned up sharply, shooting up along its body and rising up in front of its face. She thrust her blade forth, unleashing a barrage of Light Blades! Then she twisted and flew left as several energy beams shot for her from a hovering orb of crimson - some dark drone thing! As she flew around and over its left wing, several dark energy balls flew past her and curved around again - making her realize they were following her! And closely!
Kairi twisted and cast an instant Reflect dome-
The dark orbs struck her barrier, one, two, three - and broke through it, sending her flipping back wildly in the air!
Kairi fell, her hand to her burning chest of purple smoke-
A figure flickered into existence on the edge of her vision - and a hand seized her wrist tightly.
Kairi jerked to a stop, hanging in the air. Her head came up - and her eyes looked into the face of Xehanort.
He gazed back at her, blinking those silver eyes...
Then he swung her around and tossed her back toward Chernabog violently and powerfully - disappearing behind her again with a flicker of air.
Kairi flipped forward and landed on Chernabog's arm, taking her Keyblade and immediately stabbing it down and dragging it along the length of the limb, racing up toward the shoulder! She tore her weapon free as she was bucked off, flipping off to the side and falling down in free-fall. She triggered her flight powers and dove under the wing, coming up behind the monster's back. She raised a hand to her chest, focusing her power...and let loose with a barrage of light beams, striking it in the backside.
Chernabog swung around again, a huge wing coming for her like a vast wall of darkness.
Electricity flashed past her, and an arm was wrapping around her waist and pulling her out of the way in seconds! Kairi whirled, shaking her head from dizziness, and saw Elrena flipping up over Chernabog's shoulder, disappearing down to the front of his body (with a little wink and a two-fingered salute).
One of the giant beetle Heartless lumbered its way into view on Kairi's right. She saw a dark cloud fly toward it, and pass through it; the creature flashed with a red glow, its eyes shifting colors to yellow - then it turned, opened its huge mouth, and sent a massive stream of dark fires at one of its own kind! The flames struck it like a tidal wave, washing over it and blasting it over onto its side from sheer heat and concussive force!
Then, the Heartless with the red aura suddenly rose up into the air and- just exploded, black smoke flying out across the ground. Cognis remained in its place, gathering herself again before darting off toward another one that was getting closer to the city to Kairi's left!
Chernabog suddenly roared and spread his arms and wings, blasting out with shockwaves of energy - sending them all flying backwards through the air!
Kairi righted herself long before she hit the ground, but some of the others wouldn't have been so lucky, in any other situation: she saw Sora dart down to grab Cloud's arm, supporting him; she watched Terra, aboard his glider, twist and dive low to catch Skuld and Yuffie both; she caught a glimpse of Ven blasting his engines on his own glider, pulling Aqua onto it by the hand.
Chernabog, now with room and space again, raised his arms up like before - but this time, he didn't absorb the Heartless into himself. He did something...different. Different, but familiar to Kairi. Horribly familiar. The ground trembled again, and from up out of it came streams of twisting green energy. And on the waves of that energy came...spirits of some kind? Ghosts? Green and sparkling, twisted and decayed. But it wasn't just spirits this time, either: it was physical bodies. Dead bodies. Corpses. Skeletons. They burst up out of the ground, in splinters of wood, from- from coffins and ancient graves...buried under blue rock!
They flew up into the air, and their eyes lit up yellow as they set their sights on Kairi and the others. Then they surged forward like one great mass, moaning and growling!
Kairi twisted out of the way of one - a cold, boney hand seized her wrist as a skeletal face hissed at her, the other reaching for her neck-
She slashed her Keyblade up and turned her head aside, lopping off the skeleton's arm and watching it fall to the ground below.
Sorry, she said mentally, heartfelt. Whoever you were!
Ghostly spirits surrounded her, flying past her. She glowed her body with light and exploded it all outward - and was relieved to see them all disintegrate into wispy particles on the air. Hopefully she hadn't just destroyed them forever forever, and had just...laid them back to rest again. Free from Chernabog's control. She had to believe that, really...
Huge golden chains suddenly exploded up from the ground - where Keyblade Master Eraqus stood alone in front of Chernabog - winding around Chernabog's arms and legs, tightening and binding him in place! They even wrapped around his wings and yanked them in tight against his back, crumpling them!
No one needed to be told that this was a prime opening for an assault!
Everyone began launching powerful attacks and energy blasts, blade beams and sword strikes and magic spells in spades!
The Foretellers, Amaya, King Mickey, Terra and Aqua, and Donald Duck were the heaviest hitters by far - but the rest of their attacks did seem to affect Chernabog too!
They were all dealing major damage to the giant monster of evil and darkness!
And then, suddenly, a whole bunch of new magical beam attacks and magical projectiles came flying in to strike at Chernabog's front!
Kairi twisted in the air and looked down to the ground again. Behind Eraqus, she saw a swirling blue portal...and she saw several dozen people her own age with Keyblades out and hands raised!
She recognized one from afar - that boy, Cotyle, from his stylish purple dress!
It was the Dandelions!
A part of her was excited, and relieved, and happy - but another part of her was worried and nervous.
But these people had all been fighting long before she had - and many of them were actually a few years older than her. Some of them even of age, or over, by island standards. So who was she to try to tell them not to be here? Not to help? She and her friends were always trying to help, just because they could, after all; she'd be a total hypocrite to try and pull that card.
Still...she was really relieved she didn't see Katerina in the gaggle of Dandelions below. If that girl had actually chosen to leave her baby behind to come and fight a battle...then there would have been something to say.
Kairi was so glad there wasn't.
Her eyes were drawn to another familiar figure, though - Ephemer. She watched Ephemer say something quickly to a girl of long red hair (a lot darker than her own), and then that girl raised a hand to summon a...second Keyblade...which she then gave over to Ephemer?!
Ephemer raised that Keyblade up, aiming it at Chernabog. The other Dandelions followed his lead. A white light shined beneath them all, swirling around them all together...and then multiple beams of energy flew up to hit Chernabog in the chest! The beams widened, fusing together into one huge beam of white energy, increasing in intensity and burning around Chernabog, enveloping his upper body!
Chernabog's body exploded with dark energy, Eraqus's chains shattering! He roared and flew up high into the air in an instant, a blur of motion and darkness streaking below him! He thrust out his arms, his giant palms burning with dark energy, aimed right for the Dandelions-
Invi, Gula, Aced, and Ira all came slashing down on Chernabog's arm with powerful energy blades! They twisted in the air in front of him and cast out with simultaneous attacks: Gula sent out a barrage of red energy strands; Invi slashed her weapon to send out over a hundred orbs of blue energy that clung to Chernabog and pulsed, causing his body to start hissing and disintegrating into smoke; Aced gave a great thrust of his weapon, blasting Chernabog in the chest with an orange beam of light; and Ira twirled his weapon, causing dozens of huge, white swords of energy to appear and come down on Chernabog from above!
Kairi watched Chernabog retreat, his wings coming in front of him suddenly to encase him like a cocoon.
The air warped around him, a dark purple barrier flashed to life around him like a true cocoon, taking hits and cracking under the Foretellers' attacks still - and then he vanished.
He just disappeared, in a huge burst of dark smoke, his body disintegrating wholesale.
Like he'd never even been there in the first place.
Kairi breathed out with relief, glancing around her to take stock of the situation now. Those giant Heartless monstrosities were all gone, too - Cognis must have done her work on them while the rest of them had been fighting Chernabog! And with Chernabog himself gone, it looked like the ghosts and skeletons were also disappearing! No more fighting them needed, thankfully! So that really just left-
"Aaarrrgghhhh! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL MYSELF, THEN!" a high, female voice echoed out in pure frustration and rage - Maleficent!
Suddenly, twisting strands of crimson flames flew across the sky - heading for the Foretellers!
Invi dodged - Gula dodged - Aced tried to block...and failed, taking the attack on the chest and falling backwards, his weapon slipping from his grasp! As for Ira...well, Ira barely got out of the way of the attack meant for him, and then went flying down after Aced.
Ira caught Aced's arm and slowed their descent, touching the ground gently.
Maleficent suddenly appeared right in front of Invi in a burst of dark smoke - and she thrust the Ultima Weapon right for her chest!
Invi twisted out of the way, slashing her own weapon back in return with a streak of white energy.
Maleficent simply stood there, as a flaming orange barrier rose up to take Invi's strike. The barrier shuddered and cracked, but it held. Maleficent smiled at Invi, and then she...turned that Keyblade of hers right around, and- stabbed herself in the chest with it?
What?!
Kairi stared in pure shock and confusion.
What in the heck was the woman even-
Maleficent's insane, high peals of laughter rang out, as she spread her arms to the world! As purple and red flames surged around her, as the distinct sound of a lock clicked, and then...
She exploded with energy and fires, her body stretching and morphing - growing and transforming...
Into a dragon?
She was now a huge, spikey, fierce black and purple dragon with glowing yellow eyes!
"...I forgot she could do that!" came Aqua's sudden, mortified tones, in the utter silence of the moment.
Maleficent spread wings of purple - which rippled with darkness and suddenly grew twice as big - and let out a roar, shaking the world and causing purple flames to spread out around her in a wave!
Everyone leapt back or up, dodging the attack. Getting out of Maleficent's reach!
Maleficent ducked her long dragon head, her eyes narrowing at the Ultima Weapon, which was now hovering before her. Then, suddenly, the Keyblade flashed with light and shot toward her chest. The second it made contact with the dragon, orange light spread across Maleficent's form...and Kairi watched as silvery, spiked armor began to grow and envelope her dragon body. Silver, with red and orange accents, and pulsing, orange gemstones - a huge one on the chest, and on her four legs, and several of them running along her flank, on either side of her spine.
Okay, so Maleficent was now a huge, powerful, armored dragon!
Kairi swallowed her fears, gripped her weapon, and ran at Maleficent with a yell.
The battle was on, then!
And they were still going to win it!
Luxu appeared in Radiant Garden's central square. finding it practically barren - if not for Aerith, Moreth, Ansem The Wise, and Dilan.
Where the hell was everyone...?
He heard a familiar voice scream - the voice of the damn witch herself - and saw flashes of light on the edge of his vision. He turned sharply, looking out over the city's rooftops.
Oh. That's where they all are!
Luxu teleported across the city in a flicker of air, reappearing on the outer wall. He leaned against the half-wall of stone, taking in a breath as pain wracked his body suddenly. He lifted his head to look out across the blue plains - where he could see a whole small army of people gathered, engaged in a battle. A battle against one individual: Maleficent, all right, in her dragon form (though, it was a hell of a lot different from the way Luxu knew it usually looked). That small army being half the people he knew, and the other half being the goddamn Dandelion kids he also recognized!
"Dammit...!" he breathed harshly, slamming a fist against the wall and trying to climb his way back up it again. To stand up again! "Come on, just hold together a little-!"
A distinct noise sounded from behind him and to his left - an all-too-familiar noise.
Luxu pushed off the stone wall and threw himself to the side-
And a burning pain erupted in his side, as a glowing, pink diamond-shaped crystal burst out of his stomach.
He gasped, staggering and grasping at the wall, his other hand going to his abdomen.
He heard the thud of feet hitting stone.
He turned his head - and looked at Braig.
"Goddammit, this is not the time!" Luxu snarled, panic and fear rising in his Heart.
Braig aimed his arrowguns at him as he strode closer, giving a malicious smile. "Actually, it's the perfect time. You're about to keel over already, all on your own, aren't you? What better time is there for me to take my shot? Get revenge for-"
"-for ten years of stolen life, a ruined eye, and being made a prisoner in your own body - I know, I know," Luxu hissed out, struggling to his feet again with all he had now. "I don't begrudge you that, but dude, could it not have waited until after a whole city wasn't in danger?! Innocent kids?! COME ON!"
Braig's eye narrowed. "Don't play self-righteous with me. There's nobody around to watch your act. It's just you and me up here..."
"Whatever!" Luxu rasped, shaking his head and staring down at his stomach wound again. "If you're going to do this, just do it already! The sooner I-"
Braig strode forward swiftly, suddenly, kicking out at Luxu with a boot. He nailed Luxu in the ribs, sending him backwards - onto the ground. The other guy came forward and didn't hesitate to stamp a foot down on Luxu's stomach, aiming his gun down at his face.
"Fuuuck, that one- hurts..." Luxu choked out, his body spasming without any input from him. He sucked in air as best he could through the fresh waves of agony, gazing up at Braig. "Look, I don't suppose...a heartfelt apology would stop you from pulling the trigger?" he went on, trying to be as calm and clear as he could. Fearless.
Braig stooped down, planting the barrel of his arrowgun right against Luxu's forehead. He cocked a tight, intense grin. "No."
"Figured," Luxu laughed - wheezed. "Then how about...if I told you I could bring Ilse back to life?"
Braig tightened his grip on his weapon, digging it into Luxu's skull. "Don't say her name to me!" he growled.
"You know I can do it. You know I've already brought back a whole bunch of people, in a whole bunch of different states and situations - including across time," Luxu went on calmly. "Xehanort gave you the offer, once before; I can promise you I'll do it for real. But if you kill me right here and now...you'll never see her again. You'll lose that chance. I guess it's a question of what's really more important to you, in your Heart: revenge on me - or giving her a second chance, for her own sake alone?"
"And you'd do it? No favors, no cost? You'd just do it?" Braig said intently. "Because you're that nice of a guy?"
"Doesn't matter why I'd do it. Wanting you in my debt, wanting to cozy up to Ansem The Wise, wanting to look good to my kids...but you know I'd do it. I have done it - even for a World destroying piece of shit like Xehanort. So, do you want to take advantage of that too, for Ilse, or do you want to lose her forever...with a pull of a trigger?"
Braig gazed down on him, his jaw quivering. His eye narrowing to a brown slit. His grip shifted on his weapon...
"This isn't going to be the end of me, either way," Luxu spoke again. "Even if you put a bullet in my head, I'll just turn myself into a Nobody and come right back: and then, I'll be coming straight for you. And trust me, what I can do to you...you won't come back from. If you want to go full masks off...go ahead, light that candle. I'll know what you did, and I'll come for you - and then I'll disappear into these vast and many worlds, never to be seen again. Just like I've done countless times over the past millennia. You think I care about the consequences? Or retribution? Hah. I'll be long gone, for so long that any of these people today will be dead and gone - mere memories in the annals of history. And I'll take my kids with me, I'll get a new name, a new face, and history will forget I was ever here...or that you even existed, once upon a time. You'll have killed yourself, accomplishing nothing. But me? I'll live on, drinking some fine wine and kicking back on a tropical island somewhere...because I always do."
Braig's trigger finger twitched - and then it moved.
Atop a high, blue cliff, a lone figure in a red and black bodysuit sat on the edge, one leg raised - an arm resting casually across it.
His spiked black hair fluttered in the winds. His yellow eyes gleamed, focusing on the climatic, intense battle going on below him.
Vanitas's gaze found the Princess of Heart...
His hand clenched into a fist...and then it relaxed again.
Whichever way this all even shook out...it was bound to be an interesting little show.
Especially with that freak-of-nature little princess at the center of it all.
She really was one hell of a curiosity, wasn't she?
A real anomaly.
A Pure Light, a Princess of Heart, and yet...
"Heh..." Vanitas grinned to himself.