Hollow Bastion – Rising Falls
"This is it..."
"Yup"
The party landed into a ruined area, filled mostly with water, bubbles, and displaced patches of land. In front of them is an enormous, menacing castle.
"That castle definitely screams 'evil fortress', alright!" Neptune stated.
"I wonder where Kairi is..." Sora wondered.
"Same with Alice and Jasmine..." Compa mumbled.
"Well, we're not gonna find our answers standing around here" IF figured.
"Yeah! Let's get-"
A loud roar interrupted Donald's declaration.
"What the nep was that!?" Neptune shouted.
Goofy looked around, and then spotted a large figure ahead. "Over there!"
"Looks like someone's in trouble!" Sora noticed.
"Let's go!" Compa cried. "That person needs treatment, stat!"
"You heard the nurse, let's go go go!"
With no time to waste, the party rushed to the scene of the crime!
Meanwhile, at the scene of the crime...
"You're not supposed to be here...How did you get to this world?"
Riku is starting down at a hulking Beast, exhausted and out of breath, yet still carried a sense of determination in his being.
"I don't know" the Beast answered. "All I know is that Belle is taken here, and I will do anything to get her back"
"You came all the way here just for that?" Riku scoffed. "Even crossing the Dark Corridors that eats away at your being?"
The Beast growled.
"Hmph. Fine then" Riku taunted the intruder, daring him to attack.
And attack he did! The Beast headed in for a mighty lunge, but Riku deftly dogded the attack and slashed him from behind!
"Graaaaahhh!"
"Riku!"
The boy in question turned to see six familiar faces enter the scene.
"Is that a monster!?" Neptune panicked at the sight of the Beast.
"Well, it's no Heartless, that's for sure" IF said, turning to the nurse. "Compa, get him treated."
Compa nodded and dashed to the injured Beast. "Hang in there!"
"Hmph" Riku said. "So glad you came, Sora"
"What's with you!?" Sora scolded his best friend, drawing his Keyblade. "Sure, you can get a little rough back then, but you wouldn't go out of your way to hurt others!"
"Then clearly you don't know a lot about me" Riku fought back. "Besides, why are you still so concerned about me?"
"Wha-Because we're friends, Riku!" Sora said, flabbergasted that his best friend ever asked such a question. "There's never a moment where I didn't think about you and Kairi! I thought you knew that!"
Riku scoffed again. "More lies...Whatever, I'm coming to take back what's mine"
"Yours?" IF questioned.
"What could you have lost that we have?" Neptune asked.
"Why don't I show you?" the boy with silver hair declared. "The Keyblade's true Wielder!"
Riku extended his hand, which caused Sora's Keyblade to begin moving towards him. The boy tried to fight back, but in a few seconds, the Keyblade vanished from his hands...
"Wha-!?"
...and went into Riku's in a flash of light.
"Right where it belongs..." Riku said.
"But...how?" Sora managed to say.
"The Keyblade goes to those whose heart is stronger" Riku boasted. "There can't be two who can wield the same Keyblade. Only those with the strength to wield it can change the world. You were just the delivery boy."
"But..." Sora bemoaned, still in disbelief over what just happened. "I was the one who fought my way here with that!"
"You really want to play hero that badly?"
Riku then procured a wooden sword. "Here. Go play with this"
Tossing it to the despondent Sora, Riku then turned around and left without a word.
"Hold it!"
Riku turned around and blocked an attack from the furious Neptune.
"Give Sora back his Keyblade..." the girl growled. "Right now!"
"Hmph. Almost forgot about you"
Riku deflected the girl's assault, pushing her back.
"I'm never one to rely on others for favors, but..."
He then brought out a dark-red crystal from his pocket.
"What is that?" Donald wondered.
"That doesn't look good" Goofy said, feeling sick.
The crystal then began to glow, and soon...
"Ghhhhhh!"
...Neptune began to clutch her own chest as a dark aura permeates her being!
"NEP!"
"Oh no, Nep-Nep!"
IF and Compa immediately rushed to their friend, struggling to stand or even breathe!
"Are you okay?" IF asked, worried.
"Please hang in there!" Compa cried.
"Hrrrgggg..." Neptune struggled to say. "Can't...breathe..."
"Ahhhhhhh!"
But it wasn't just Neptune who was struggling...
"Sora!"
"You too!?"
Goofy and Donald immediately rushed to the boy, who was also clutching his chest.
"What...is this?" Sora managed to say. "Why does my...chest feel so...tight?"
"RIKU!"
Everyone turned to their left to see a familiar, albeit bruised girl wearing blue standing on the nearby platform.
"Is that...?" Donald couldn't believe his eyes.
"N...Noire?" Neptune managed to say.
"Neptune!"
The twin-tailed girl leapt down and rushed to the struggling girl's side.
"Are you okay?" Noire said, clearly worried. "Please say something!"
"Noire..." Neptune called out, still clutching to her chest. "You're...hurt..."
Noire shook her head. "Not as badly as you are! What's wrong!?"
"I'm sorry...it's just...my chest feels...really...hot...!"
"What's going on!?" IF demanded from Riku. "What is that crystal!? Where did you even get it?"
Riku scoffed again. "How would I know? That witch just gave it to me just in case that purple nuisance comes around."
"A witch...?" Goofy said.
"That means Arfoire!" Compa figured out.
IF clicked her tongue. "Figures that hag would pull something like this! But, why is it affecting Sora?"
Noire got up and faced Riku, glaring at the silver-haired boy. "Drop that crystal right now, Riku! Both of them are getting hurt!"
Once more, Riku scoffed. "Like I care. But isn't this what you wanted? Depending on how she reacts, you may finally get your answer"
IF looked at Noire, who is still furious. "Answer?"
"Shut up!"
Noire attempted to strike at Riku, who easily blocked it with the Keyblade. However...
"What!?" Noire gasped. "Isn't that Keyblade...?"
"What in the!?" Donald said, beak agape.
"Is that...?" Goofy gasped, looking at Noire's weapon.
"I knew it..." IF whispered.
"Why...?" Compa cried. "Why does Noire have a Keyblade?"
"Huh?"
Noire looked at her own weapon. She expected her rapier, but she unconsciously drew her Keyblade out instead.
"Looks like your cover's blown" Riku snarked.
Despite her accidental exposure, Noire continued to glared at the boy. "You will drop that crystal if you know what's good for you."
"Still trying to play that card, are you?" Riku glared back. "I told you before. You are NOT my goddess!"
He then pushed Noire back, knocking her Keyblade away and sending her down to the ground.
"Noire!" Neptune managed to cry out.
"Why you...!"
Noire, however, is met with the edge of the Keyblade as he glared at her.
"You annoy me too much with your coddling" Riku said coldly. "You won't bother me anymore..."
"Riku..." Sora attempted to plead. "Please...stop!"
"Noire..."
Neptune looked to Riku, who is about to cut Noire down!
"NOIRE!"
A bright flash of light illuminated the area, blinding all who are unlucky to be in it's wake.
"Ahhh!" Goofy yelled.
"It's too bright!' Donald exclaimed.
"My eyes!" Compa shieded her eyes.
"What is...?" IF managed to say.
A loud clang could be heard...
"What the..." Riku said, his eyes widening.
Noire gasped. "No way..."
In front of her stood a tall and beautiful woman, wearing a black battle suit and had long purple hair. On her right hand is a black katana that had shattered the dark crystal Riku once held.
"Who are you?" Riku asked the woman in front of him.
"Me? Don't tell you wiped your memory of my name already?" the woman mocked with a deep and serious voice.
She then pointed her katana right at Riku. "I am Neptune. I am a Keyblade wielder, here to protect my friends and get my fellow wielder his weapon back."
"That...can't be..." Noire managed to say, having been rendered speechless by the turn of events in front of her.
Donald and Goofy are too star-struck at the sight of the seemingly mature Neptune in front of them.
"H-Huh?" Sora managed to look up, seeing the tall woman in front of him. "Nep...tune?"
"Sora!"
The woman immediately rushed to Sora, who is still kneeling over, but not in pain.
"Are you hurt? Can you stand?"
Sora, however, looked stupefied at the presence of the woman in front of him.
"Uh...Huuuhhhh..."
Donald and Goofy's staring didn't really help either...
"Reel it in, boys..." IF sighed.
"I-I'm fine, really" Sora tried to stand up, still being supported by Donald and Goofy. "But, are you...really Neptune?"
"Yes" the woman nodded. "Who else would I be, buck-o?"
"Hearing her say something like that with that voice..." Donald commented. "Feels kinda weird..."
"Yeah..." Goofy started. "She looks a lot different from the usual Nep-Nep..."
"I do?"
Neptune(?) looked at herself, noticing the suit she is wearing and the weapon on her hand. "Wait, where's my Keyblade?"
As she looked at her weapon, she noticed a small pool of water and gazed upon her reflection. Sure enough, her face is different, looking more mature than usual, with her eyes sporting a darker blue with her irises shaped like the symbol found on her Keychain (a power symbol, right?).
Not to mention, her chest...
"H-How?" Neptune(?) said, clearly surprised. "When did I get so tall? Why is my voice so deep? Since when did I speedrun through puberty AND adolescence in a matter of seconds!? Is this...really me!?"
She looked around for answers, but no one can really respond to it...
"I think I have an idea..."
Neptune(?) turned to her salvation.
"What is it, Iffy?"
"Iffy, huh?" IF smiled. "The fact that you still call me that means you really are still Nep, deep down"
"Hm?" Neptune(?) titled her head in confusion.
"It's nothing" The guild agent reassured as she cleared her throat. "Nep, do you recall the time when we fought the old hag together?"
The taller Neptune nodded. "You said I passed out after the fight, that I used a technique I didn't know to finish her off."
"That's right" IF nodded. "Back then, you suddenly began to glow, seemingly teleported to defend me and drew Arfoire back. From what I managed to overhear from her, you were using some sort of power unconsciously to defend me."
"Really?" Neptune asked, to which IF nodded. "Did this power have a name?"
"I think she called it...Hard Drive Divinity?"
"HDD, huh? That's actually pretty cool, not gonna lie..."
"So that's how she drew it out..." Noire mumbled.
"The real question now is" Neptune said. "How did I get this power? Why do I even have it? This...HDD form?"
IF shook her head. "I don't know. I do have some theories, but..."
"Why don't I give you an idea?"
Everyone turned to Riku, the Kingdom Key back on his hand.
"I think that Neptune over there is just like Noire. A forgotten goddess of a fallen world."
"A...goddess?" Donald said slowly.
"No way..." Sora breathed out.
"Me, a goddess?" Neptune asked. "Wait, Noire too?"
"..." Noire looked down in shame.
"A goddess of what, though!?" Compa shouted as her eyes widened into comical white circles. "Food? Greek? Space? Anime? Babylonian!?"
"She's one too, huh?" IF said. "That's what I figured..."
"Whaddaya mean?" Goofy asked.
"Going back to what I said about Nep tapping onto that power" IF explained, turning her gaze to one person in particular. "The only other person I saw who can move that fast was the Newtype we kept encountering...or rather Noire in her transformed state."
"How did you figure that out?" Donald asked.
Noire kept looking down in shame...
"I noticed her mannerisms are a bit similar to each other" IF started. "Not only that, the way they fought is almost similar too, despite the difference in their weapons. Even shared similar techniques like Poison Fencer. Then there's also the fact that Noire knew more than what she let on."
"How?" Sora asked.
"Remember when she was ranting when we first met her normal form?" the guild agent asked. "She was saying terms like Keyhole, Drifter, Refuge World and the like long before we got to explain things to her. Not to mention, when she asked for them again, she pretended to be confused by it."
Donald hummed. "Did she say anything about those? I only heard her talking to herself..."
Goofy thought aloud. "I think she did..."
"Then, why did she keep getting in our way as the Newtype?" Compa tried to figure out.
"I think I know"
Everyone turned to the transformed Neptune.
"You do?" IF asked, surprised that Neptune of all people figured something out.
She nodded. "I believe that our encounters with her have all been attempts to get me to transform, to confirm that I was a fellow CPU just like her."
"You even knew about CPU's!?" Noire gasped.
"You mentioned that term a while back, right?" IF recalled, to which Neptune nodded.
"Yes. Histy told me that Noire and I are fellow CPU's. Though the reason hasn't truly dawned unto me until now. Not like she could, given the short amount of time we had to be able to talk..."
"Could that relate to that 'spark' Noire kept talking about?" Sora wondered.
"I believe so" Neptune replied. "This 'spark' might be a type of energy that is native to us CPU's."
"Do you know what that energy is?" Compa asked.
Neptune shook her head. "No, I don't know. Histy might have an idea though"
"Then let's go and find her!" Sora exclaimed, only for him to clutch his chest. "Grk!"
"Are you okay!?" Donald asked with worry.
"That crystal must've damaged you far worse than you thought..." IF figured.
Riku scoffed at that. "As I thought. You really are too weak, Sora"
"Hey!" Goofy shouted.
"That's your best friend you're talking to!" Compa scolded him.
"Not anymore" Riku replied coldly. "Kairi's all I have left now. Only I can save her, Sora!"
"We're not done here, Riku!" Neptune called out.
But then, they heard laughter...no, giggling in the area.
"Hahaha...hahahahahahaha! I couldn't believe it. All this time, you had that power..."
It was Noire, who is currently in the middle of a breakdown...
"Noire?" Neptune called out to her, but she wasn't listening.
"All that time, you knew about CPU's...about the goddesses, yet you didn't show a flint of that power during all our encounters." the injured girl ranted as she clutched her face, leaving only her left eye uncovered. "Only that witch managed to get a glimpse. How cruel of you..."
"Why is Noire...acting so scary?" Compa whimpered.
"All this time, I've been trying to find someone like me. All this time, I remained and suffered through this pain and torment just to find a single clue about others like me. And yet, here you are..."
"This doesn't look good..." Donald said with worry.
"So, what?" Noire began to walk slowly and shakily. "Are you laughing at me? Mocking me for my lone endeavors? Ignoring all the pain I had to go through to defend the worlds by myself!?"
She then grabbed the transformed Neptune by her shoulders.
"Tell me, Neptune!"
Neptune was at a loss for words. Throughout their encounters, even if she was annoying them as the Newtype, Neptune never carried an ounce of hatred for Noire. Sure, she felt hurt from her rejection back at Halloween Town, but she never hated Noire for it.
"I would never think ill of you, Noire" Neptune answered. "Rather, I hoped we'd at least get another chance to talk things out. We did leave things on a sour note last time..."
"...ar..."
"Huh?" Neptune didn't hear what she said. "What did you just say?"
"LIAR!"
In a flash, light surrounded Noire's being, and in the next second, the transformed Neptune was flung back to the watery ground below.
"Nep!/Nep-Nep!/Neptune!"
The transformed girl looked up as she recovered, gazing upon the familiar white-haired figure she now knew the identity of.
"Noire, please!" Neptune pleaded. "You have to listen!"
"NOT ANOTHER WORD!"
The transformed Noire charged right at her with a fierce dive!
"Noire...!"
Due to not putting her heart into the fight, Neptune was pushed back! As if by instinct, she flew up to dodge Noire's incoming attack.
"Get back here, Neptune...!" Noire growled. "I'm not through with you!"
"Sorry about this, Sora" Neptune whispered. "You want me? Fine! Come get me, Noire!"
She then flew away to the castle, with the maddened Noire giving chase.
"Don't you dare fly away from me!"
"Wait!" IF yelled.
"Nep-Nep, come back!" Compa shouted.
"Neptune...Urk!"
Sora tried to give chase, only to stumble back down.
"Sora!" Donald cried out.
"Don't try to move!" Goofy said.
"But...!"
Riku, however, said nothing and left the area.
"Where are you going?" IF demanded from the silver-haired boy.
"Off to do what I have to" Riku said offhandly. "Noire is already doing the same"
"What do you mean?" Donald demanded.
"She wanted this to happen" Riku answered. "She wanted Neptune to be the one she was looking for, and she got it. Now, I'm off to get Kairi..."
"Riku..." Sora tried to call out, but stumbled again.
And thus, his best friend left without even sparing a glance back.
"What's his deal?" Compa groaned.
Goofy nodded furiously. "That was very rude of him, that's for sure!"
"We can't worry about that now" IF briefed. "Right now, we need to go after Nep and Sora's Keyblade."
Donald and Goofy nodded.
"Compa, could ya look after Sora?" Goofy requested.
Compa nodded fiercely. "I would, even if you didn't tell me!"
"W-Wait" Sora pleaded. "I can keep going...Agh!"
"You have to stay put!" IF demanded. "You're in no condition to even move right now!"
"But...!"
"Sora..." Donald called out in a stern tone. "You can't help us right now"
Hearing this disheartened the young boy, probably a lot more than anyone in the area realized.
"You could've worded that better..." IF sighed. "Compa, make sure he stays put here, got it?"
Compa saluted. "Got it. He won't even move a muscle!"
Goofy patted Sora on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Sora. We'll get yer Keyblade back. Once we do, we'll catch up to Nep-Nep and we can save Kairi and Histy together! So, stay put and rest for now, okay?"
Sora didn't answer. It's as if his whole world had long crashed down...
IF sighed. "Come on, you two. Let's go"
As Sora was being escorted by Compa to be treated, he could hear someone tell him something.
"Sora...I'm sorry..."
But he didn't say anything...What could he do, not when he didn't have the Keyblade?
Hollow Bastion – Chapel Ruins
"This area should be big enough..."
Neptune, having flown away from the maddened Noire, landed in a wide, circular area. The ruins across the area should be a tell-tale of how long the place hasn't been maintained...
"Still..." the transformed girl mused. "To think Noire was that Newtype the whole time...I wonder how much this could have been avoided if I just told her I knew about CP-"
"NEPTUNE!"
...and now Noire has flown through the open hole leading into the ruins, her tunnel vision laser-focused on one woman...
"Persistent, aren't you?"
"RAAAAAAAHHHH!"
The two began to clash once more, but unlike the last times, Neptune's heart just wasn't into it.
Especially now that she knows who the Newtype really is.
"What's the matter, Neptune?" Noire taunted. "Not fighting back? Am I not worth the effort, is that it?"
"That's not it, Noire" Neptune refuted. "I just don't see the point in our feuds at all! Can't we just talk this out like adults?"
"Just shut up and fight me!" Noire charged at Neptune with all her fury. "LACY DANCE!"
"Shoot!"
Neptune could barely block the incoming kicks and slashes coming from Noire, but she wasn't done yet!
"Now, DROP CRUSH!"
She immediately followed up her attack, pushing the purple swordswoman back.
"Noire, please!" Neptune continued to beg. "This conflict is pointless! At this rate, that purple hag will...!"
"Then forget her!" Noire fought back. "This is between you and me, Neptune! You will pay for deceiving me!"
Neptune groaned. "I don't understand you! All I wanted is to find Histy and travel with my friends! Is that a problem!?"
"So" Noire said. "You're saying you don't care about yourself...about our kind...about me!?"
"I never said that!"
Despite Neptune's pleas, the other CPU tightened her grip on her weapon. "Then I'll go at it alone! JUST AS I ALWAYS HAVE!"
In her anger, Noire unleashed more of her power, and blitzed through the arena with super sonic speed!
"INFINTY SLASH!"
Neptune braced herself for Noire's ultimate attack.
She blocked the first hit.
She dodged the second hit.
She couldn't evade the third hit.
Then the fourth hit lands on her!
But she dodged the fifth hit on time!
Sadly, the same can't be said for the sixth hit.
"I'm not done!"
Flying up, she threw her sword down against the transformed Neptune, which resulted in the woman being hit by several sudden sword slashes!
"GAAAHHH!"
The overall force of the attack caused Neptune to kneel down in pain.
"You're strong..." Neptune said. "I suppose...this is the natural result of having used that power longer than I have..."
Noire scoffed. "Now you understand. Compared to an ordinary bumpkin like you, there's no way you can fully use that power. It is wasted on someone like you..."
Neptune is feeling a bit too tired to get up, not even bothering to refute Noire's claims. Yet her thoughts right now, reach to one person in particular.
"I hope you're still safe down there, Sora..."
Hollow Bastion – Entrance Hall
"I can't believe this!" Compa complained as she and her companion walked down the darkened hallway. "First, you followed Mr. Beast's lead and charged forward against the Heartless anyway! Then, you still have the gall to apologize to me after defying the nurse's orders to stay put!"
Sora sighed. "I know. This is reckless of me. But I can't just give up yet! Like I said before, there's still someone left for me to fight for. As long as she's not safe, I can't just mope around and wait while everyone else is out there! I gotta do something!"
Compa huffed. "And thanks to that, we are now separated from him! I can only do so much by myself, you know?"
The boy nodded. "I know. That's why I hope we can find Donald and the others ahead. Once we get back together, we'll find a way to get to Neptune and then Kairi."
The nurse sighed. "Okay, fine. Just don't get too injured, alright. We're not throwing our lives away after we've come so far together!"
He nodded with a smile. "I won't. Thanks, Compa"
As the duo entered the hall, they came across a horrifying sight!
"Donald! Goofy!"
"Iffy!"
Compa immediately rushed over to the guild agent's side.
"Still not giving up, are you?" a familiar voice taunted them.
The duo looked up the nearby fountain to see Riku, now dressed in a blue bodysuit with a modified Heartless symbol on it and a white skirt (I'm not joking), sitting there while the rest of the party was knocked out all over the hall.
"No!" Sora declared. "Not without Kairi!"
"The darkness will destroy you!"
He jumped down the fountain to approach them.
"The darkness may destroy my body, but it can't touch my heart!" Sora dared. "The light in my heart is strong. It will never die!"
"Is that so?" Riku then launched a fireball made of darkness against his best friend! "We'll just see about that!"
Sora braced himself for the worst as the Dark Firaga closes in on him...
"Sora, no!"
Compa immediately moved in to shield the boy from harm, but then...
"Hm?"
...the fireball was blocked by a valiant shield!
"Sora's not going anywhere!"
"Goofy?"
"How's this for a Fire!?"
Riku then noticed a Firaga aimed at his way, and swatted it off him.
But that was just a distraction as a thunder glyph appeared under him, causing him to hop out of the way.
"We're not...done yet...!"
"Donald...Goofy...IF..."
Sora smiled at the sight of his three friends, now up and in front, ready to defend him.
"What are you even doing here, Sora!?" Donald scolded the boy.
"I thought we told you to stay back!" IF joined in on the scolding.
"You could've gotten really hurt, y'know?" Goofy said with more worry in his tone.
"That's what I keep telling him..." Compa complained as she returned to the group.
Sora chuckled, despite it all. "Yeah. I know, but..."
"You're hurt!" Sora shouted as the Beast tried to stand.
"You shouldn't be moving around too much!" Compa yelled.
"I...appreciate the aid." the Beast said. "But someone important to me is still held in there."
Said Beast then stood up and continued to limp forward despite his injuries.
"So long as I can move, I will keep going. So long as I can breathe, I will fight!"
"So long as you can move, huh?" Sora thought aloud as he remembered what Neptune said back when they first met.
"Ooooghhhhh, what do I do?" the nurse bemoaned, turning to her friend for aid... "Sora, please tell him to stop!"
"I'm going too"
But he stood up and joined the Beast instead, Wooden Sword in hand!
"Whaaaaaaaaat!?" Compa yelled, completely flabbergasted at the turn of events in front of her!
"Hm?" the Beast hummed, turning his head to his new companion
"There's someone important to me that I can't lose too, and I don't want us to stay separated!" Sora declared with gusto. "Not for one more second!"
The Beast nodded, taking note of his resolve. "I see. Then let's go"
"Right!"
"Ooooghhhhh, now Sora's going too!" Compa complained as she packed up her stuff. "Fine, I'm coming with you! But you better not complain to me if your injuries act up!"
"I couldn't just sit still, not while Neptune's out there fighting and Kairi's still there, waiting for us." Sora started, looking down in shame. "I know I'll get in your way, but I just couldn't sit around twiddling my thumbs while you're all out there, getting hurt without me or Compa to help out..."
Goofy felt touched by Sora's statement. "Sora..."
IF sighed. "There's only so much reckless acts you can do before we all get hurt..."
The boy sighed. "I know..."
"But..." Donald continued. "We're glad you're here with us, Sora. Thank you."
"Donald..."
Sora couldn't help but chuckle. "I should be the one saying thanks to you guys, for sticking with me all the way."
"Of course we would!" Compa declared proudly. "We're a party now, and a party sticks together forever!"
"All for one and one for all, right?" IF recalled.
Hearing this, Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded with gusto.
Seeing this disgusted Riku, who growled at the sight...
Hollow Bastion – Chapel Ruins
Neptune slowly got up, using her sword as to support her stand.
"So, you still stand?" Noire huffed. "What can you do by yourself? Between you and me, I have more experience fighting in this form, and without your friends, you can barely stay standing! What makes you think you can keep fighting?"
The transformed woman chuckled. "True, I can't hold a candle to you in our HDD forms. If we were to keep fighting, I would most certainly lose. But there's one thing you got wrong about me, Noire."
Noire raised an eyebrow at her opponent, who simply placed her free hand onto her heart.
"Even if I am by myself, I am never alone, for they are here with me, in my heart"
Hollow Bastion – Entrance Hall
"How will you fight without a weapon?" the silver-haired boy demanded.
"You know, I realized something." Sora started. "I don't need the Keyblade! I got a better weapon, my heart!"
Riku laughed. "Your heart? What good will that weak little thing do for you?"
Hollow Bastion – Chapel Ruins
"What does your heart have to do with your confidence?" Noire demanded.
"More than you would now understand" Neptune answered back.
Hollow Bastion – Entrance Hall
"Although my heart is weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience. And it's found a home with all the friends I made. Not just here, but in every world we've been to..."
Hollow Bastion – Chapel Ruins
"Meeting new people, going on adventures with them, fighting with them shoulder to shoulder. The experiences we share with them help us grow and shape the people we are today..."
Hollow Bastion – Chapel Ruins/Entrance Hall
"I've become a part of their hearts, just as they have become a part of mine..."
Hollow Bastion – Entrance Hall
"And if they think of me every now and then, as long as we remember each other, then our hearts will be one!"
Hollow Bastion – Chapel Ruins
"...So long as we keep them in our thoughts and us in theirs, our hearts will remain connected, as if we are one."
Hollow Bastion – Entrance Hall/Chapel Ruins
Sora brings out the Wooden Sword, even in the face of his best friend who still has the Keyblade.
"I don't need a weapon..."
"Nor do I need the power of a CPU or any Goddess..."
Sora/Neptune's face is filled with determination, even against the odds.
"MY FRIENDS ARE MY POWER!"
...
After their declarations, something amazing happened.
"Huh? Wha?"
"Huh!?"
The Keyblade, once held in Riku's hand, vanished and reemerged onto Sora's!
"Sora!" Goofy cheered.
"That's more like it!" Donald said with gusto.
"The Keyblade chooses its wielder" Compa recalled. "And it chose Sora again!"
IF smirked. "Right where it belongs..."
As Sora felt the weapon in his grip, he felt something warm coming his way. "You seeing this, Neptune?"
Meanwhile, Neptune began to glow brighter.
"Wha-What's happening!?" Noire demanded.
"This power..." Neptune said, trying to feel more of it. "I feel it. The feelings and thoughts of my closest friends. They are giving me strength!"
"I-Impossible!" Noire shouted, her eyes as wide as saucers.
Neptune smiled as she felt something warm in her. "I feel you too, Sora..."
The other CPU growled. "Goddesses like us shouldn't consort with those beneath us! To do so is a sign of weakness! I won't accept this!"
The transformed heroine sighed. "So that's how you feel. Fine then..."
As the glowing aura around her faded, Neptune readies her battle stance once more, her vigor and determination restored.
"Come, Noire! I'll come at you with everything we've got!"
Riku/Noire growled in anger...
"You're saying...it rejected me..." Riku started. "...that the Keyblade chose a weak heart like his!?"
"Such a power doesn't exist..." Noire shouted, refusing to believe at what's in front of her. "That goes against everything a CPU stands for!"
"Fine!" Riku/Noire declared, readying his/her battle stance. "I'll show you my full power!"
Sora/Neptune braced for the worst, but with their friends at their side, they cannot afford to lose!
AN: Hoo-ey! Here we are, at the climax of this story, and Purple Heart (who, to remind you, will not be called as such in-story) has finally made her appearance! One thing I can talk about this chapter is the power scaling between Neptune and Noire here. In the Neptunia games, Neptune/Purple Heart is constantly known to be a really powerful CPU (even if her nation is CONSTANTLY on the lowest in the Share scale), so much so that whenever the other CPU's are fighting each other, their preferred strategy is to try to take out Purple Heart first. But in this story, Noire has been battling Arfoire's enhanced Heartless about everyday in her HDD form, while Neptune has been relying on her teamwork to help her win her battles and never even KNEW she had an HDD form until recently. However, since KH is known to have power boosts from the Power of Friendship (Aqua is prime example of this), Neptune is able to gain a similar power boost here. The reason why she and Sora are able to get this power boost will be explained later in the story, but if you were paying attention, you'd have a good idea for the reason why.
Anyway, since this chapter and the next are split into parts again, there won't be a Nepstation broadcast until the last part of the chapter. So, I'll see you all then!