here is another chapter for your amusement. part V is drawing to a close, and after that... it's the 9nth inning, the final quarter, the home streatch, the creshendo, the final part. and with it, the final battle.
***********
The trip back to Radiant Garden gave Sora and the others the time they needed to think on Aloz’s parting words.
“The Key to the Kingdom,” Sora repeated, “Could he have meant a Key to Kingdom Hearts?”
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Riku replied, “we all know what Aloz’s after: the destruction of the universe. I’m sure he’d have Kingdom Hearts in that plan somewhere.”
“And he thinks I have the Key?” Sora gasped, “Does he mean my Keyblade?”
Sora summoned the Keyblade he had received 3 years ago. Early into his first adventure, Sora had discovered two words scratched into the hilt of his powerful weapon: Kingdom Key. At first, he had thought it simply a name for that model of Keyblade; now he wondered if the name might double as a description.
“We don’t know what he could mean,” Kairi reminded him, “it may be the Keyblade, but it could also be something else.”
“I doubt the Key to Kingdom Hearts would be that obvious,” Captain Spaulding said from the cockpit, “Too easy that way.”
The three heroes had to agree with Spaulding’s words, but they could think of no other alternative. The matter was suddenly pushed to the back of their minds, however, when the entire ship violently shook like a toy in a child’s hand… while throwing a temper tantrum.
“What was THAT?” Riku asked, pulling himself to his feet. Sora and Kairi both had the same question on their minds as they got to their feet and ran into the cockpit where Spaulding was waiting.
“Something hit us!” the Captain answered, “something big. We’re in Radiant Garden’s atmosphere though, so we should be able to land and examine the damages.” However, the damages became apparent when a baker’s dozen flying Heartless swooped into view, pummeling the Gummi Ship with fireballs, dark blasts, and anything else in their repertoire. The ship shook again, and a danger icon began flashing on the dashboard.
“This ride is going to get pretty interesting,” Spaulding commented, somehow able to keep his natural comic nature despite the situation.
“Define ‘interesting’.” Riku requested, not in the mood for the captain’s jokes.
“How does ‘oh god, oh god, we’re all going to die!’ work?”
An explosion rocked the inside of the ship, and Spaulding quickly sealed the doorway leading to the remainder of his ship.
“This is your captain speaking,” Spaulding said in the stereotypical flight captain’s voice, “We have a problem: our engine’s on fire. So we may encounter a little turbulence and then… explode.”
“You don’t know anything about the importance of public relations, do you?” Sora asked rhetorically.
“I don’t consider PR to be important when our ship is on fire,” Spaulding said, and opened a glass flap on the dashboard and pressed the red button underneath. Sora watched out the window as the back half of the ship literally fell off and wings extend from the cockpit.
“Always come prepared,” Spaulding explained, “a ship in a ship. This baby’s more maneuverable than the whole thing together, though lacking an engine large enough for long range travel.”
“Less talk,” Riku replied, “they’re after us.”
Spaulding thrust a lever as far as it would go, and the ship blasted full speed through the world. “those guy’s aren’t going to let us land in one piece,” Spaulding explained as he spun the ship around to avoid the blasts from behind, “So we’re going to have to either lose them or convince them that chasing us could prove… unhealthy.”
Sora, Riku and Kairi were unsure what the captain meant by ‘unhealthy’, but all became clear when Spaulding turned and sped full speed towards the face of the cliff now directly in front of them.
“Uh, Captain? You do know there’s a cliff there, right?” Sora asked nervously.
“Yes I do,” Spaulding answered with a hint of excitement in his voice, “this should be fun.”
Sora, Riku and Kairi braced themselves for a painful death, but all the felt was the sudden change in gravity’s direction. They opened their eyes to see that Spaulding had changed direction at the last possible moment, allowing the Heartless chasing them to crash into the cliff. Black marks across the cliff were all that remained of their pursuers.
Spaulding expertly landed the ship on a nearby plateau, where Spoiler was already waiting for them. “I’ll leave you in her care,” Spaulding said, starting towards the castle, “I need to get a fighter ship up and join in the fun.”
And before anyone could argue, the captain was already gone. Spoiler shook her heard and said, “Come, the battle awaits.” She turned to leave, the young heroes right behind her.
--------
Terra swung his Keyblade, and another Heartless dissipated and ‘died’. Terra grimly noted that the sheer power he had once possessed was now gone, just as he knew the cause. One more battle, he thought to himself, Just one more battle, and then…
But Terra could not complete the thought, instead forcing his entire consciousness to hold together. Terra paused long enough to stare at his free hand, a hint of transparency beginning to show.
On the other side of the battle field, Axel threw a dagger Phantasm had given him at a particularly large Heartless, drawing its attention to the crimson haired opponent. The Heartless easily dodged the dagger, but the action left it wide open to Axel’s true attack, his own body. With all his might, Axel plowed right into the Heartless and threw them both over the side of the cliff. Axel kicked the Heartless in the face, untangling them both long enough for the rope around Axel’s waist to tighten and bungee jump him back up to the ledge while the Heartless fell to its death.
Below, several Heartless saw the dangling rope Axel had let fall back down after untying himself, just within their reach, and recognized it as a pathway to the upper cliff. As they climbed the rope, their shallow minds could not figure out why the rope was so slick; even if they could, they would have wondered aloud why anybody would ever soak a rope in kerosene. Axel counted the seconds, having calculated how long it would take for the first Heartless to be just beyond reach of the ledge, and stepped into their view once again. Any being capable of logic would have groaned when they saw that Axel held his flaming sword in his hand, just above the rope. Axel touched the end of the rope with the tip of his flame, and the monstrous screams of Heartless could be heard just before the horrible splat.
“I gotta remember that one,” Axel said aloud, grinning from ear to ear as he searched for his next prey. He noticed Phantasm fighting several Heartless, and called out to hi, “That’s got to bring it up to 75, not to mention bonus for creative thinking!”
Instead of replying with words, Phantasm threw one of his swords at a nearby Heartless, the force pinning it to the wall. Phantasm ran over to it and pulled the sword out, yelling back, “That makes 101!”
“Show off,” Axel muttered, sheathing his sword into number 76, “You know, Phantasm, it’s times like this I wish I had this one great fighter by my side.”
“You mean besides the ones you already have by your side?” Phantasm asked in return.
“Yeah. This guy was really good; unorthodox, but good. Even had his own battle cry.”
“Oh really,” Phantasm replied, decapitating Heartless number 130, “what was it?”
“It went something like this,” Axel answered, charging toward number 86, “Goongala!”
-----------
When Sora turned the corner, he could only gasp when he saw Axel’s little trick with the rope. Despite the overwhelming odds, the defenders of Radiant Garden seemed to be holding out quite well. Determined that they all would live to fight another day, Sora charged into the fray, heedless of his own safety. All that mattered to him was the protection of this world and his friends residing on it.
Phantasm quickly danced his way over to the young Keyblade Master and smiled behind his mask. “I trust matters are taken care of in England?”
“It’s been settled,” Sora breathed back in between parries. “Aloz didn’t get the Quintessence he wanted.”
“Good lad,” Phantasm replied, sliding one of his slender blades into a Heartless’s chest.”
“What have you been up to?” Sora inquired, burning a Heartless to ashes, “Why did you leave after the battle there?”
“This town’s defenses needed to be supervised,” Phantasm lied, “I wanted to make sure everything is in order in case of siege. Looks like I was right.”
“You? Look out for the town?” Sora asked in mock surprise, “I thought you didn’t like to play the hero?”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t know how.”
---------------
Hours later, the Heartless attacking the castle had either been destroyed or had fled into the mountains. No one was foolish enough to think it was over, however. It was only a matter of time before they came back, and the residents of Radiant Garden could not hold a siege for long.
Sora scanned the cliffs around them, but not a Heartless remained. He turned and began the walk back to the castle, where they would plan Ansem and the others would plan their next move. Suddenly, he stopped, seeing his friends gathered around a fallen figure. His pulse quickened when he saw the face, Terra.
“What happened?” Sora yelled, dashing to the fallen friend.
“He just… fell,” Spoiler answered, kneeling next to the knight.
“I… don’t have the strength anymore,” Terra explained, “my power ebbs away.”
“Don’t die, Terra,” Riku said, “Don’t die on us.”
“It’s too late for that,” Spoiler said, “He’s been dead for a long time.”
Before anyone could ask, Terra answered the questions himself, “I died 13 years ago, in a battle with Xehanort. The blast that killed me was supposed to also destroy his evil, but he was in the midst of spellcasting, and faltered at the last moment. Somehow, the resulting magic, coupled with my blast, only suppressed his memories and powers, and rejuvenated his body and gave him youth. I, on the other hand, died.”
Terra shook his head, “But my rage would not let me rest. At the moment of my death, I knew Xehanort had not fallen with me, and that primal rage kept my spirit from resting. I remained there, caught in a place between life and death, and remained there until Sora came to me. I mistook him for Ven at first; their spirits are so identical, as are their looks. When I realized my mistake, my rage took hold and I believed him to be Xehanort. A battle ensued, and I finally realized my mistake. For two years since I had wandered the worlds in my ghostly state, trying to quell my hatred and finally rest in peace by destroying Xehanort, once and for all.”
Terra turned and glanced at Spoiler, “but then I learned that only one of my friends had died that night. Contrary to my belief, my other companion yet lived, Aqua, and my rage vanished.”
Spoiler nodded, and removed the bandana and blindfold concealing her identity. She lowered her hood, allowing her short cerulean hair to blow in the wind. “You have suffered so much,” Aqua sighed, “but now you can finally rest.” Aqua tried to hold her fallen friend’ s hand, tried to comfort him in his last moment, but she could not; Terra’s form was already fading, and the body he had conjured purely out of rage had already turned intangible; her hand passed right through his, and he gave a weak smile.
“Do not grieve,” he said, “I am at peace. Live, Aqua, and live happily. And the rest of you, live through this war, and destroy Xehanort. That is… my final request.”
Terra closed his eyes and smiled, “I’m ready to meet you in the afterlife, Ven. Meet me there.”
And then his translucent form dissipated completely, and Terra was gone.
--------------
Sora stepped out into the castle courtyard that night. After all other matters concerning castle defenses were taken care of, Phantasm had shared Aqua’s story and the tale of the past Keyblade Wielders, and sympathy was the only thing Sora and the others felt for the poor girl.
“It’s funny.”
Sora turned and saw Axel standing by the door, leaning against the castle wall.
“Death is a natural part of life,” Axel continued, “but whenever it happens to someone we know, someone we care about, it comes as such a shock. The pain of losing a loved one, it’s unbearable.”
Sora nodded, “Such suffering she must have endured throughout the years.”
“I myself know what that pain is like,” Axel continued, “long ago, I lived a happy normal life in a remote village unconnected to the world around us. Life was simple, uncomplicated by things such as Heartless and evil like Xehanort. Then the Heartless came, and everyone I knew in that village, everyone I cared about, was murdered. I fought back, but I barely possessed any fighting skill, and my heart was stolen by those monsters. But I wouldn’t fall that easily, I was determined to continue on. And thus my Nobody, Axel, was born. I wandered the worlds, unable to cope with the fact I could now no longer feel emotion. Then the Organization found me.”
Sora respectfully kept quite, intently listening to the crimson haired man’s story. Axel rarely talked about his past, and now Sora knew why.
“And then I met Roxas, your own Nobody,” Axel continued, “and I began to remember what it was like to have a heart. Talking with him, it made me feel like I had a heart again. Maybe… maybe that’s what saved me. I don’t know the truth any better than the rest of you, but perhaps that feeling Roxas gave me allowed me to become complete after that battle between the worlds.”
Axel shook his head, vainly trying to dismiss the nostalgia, “I thought it would get easier to talk about over time, but some hurts never go away. I guess I thought talking about it was to be weak, something I never wanted to be again when I lost everyone.”
“We all seem to have an element of tragedy in our lives at one point or another,” Sora said, “but thinking about them doesn’t make us weak. If you can keep yourself from falling into depression for all these years, you’re not weak.”
Axel gave a sad smile, “That’s the same naiveté I would expect from Roxas. Some things never change.”
------------
Phantasm sat on his normal cliff overlooking the town, once again playing his melody of the flute. He stopped suddenly, hearing the footsteps of his female companion.
“I now realize why you brought us together.”
Grateful his mask hid the smile on his face, Phantasm replied, “We are all outcasts, I told you that when we first met.”
“That’s the reason you gave us,” Aqua said, “that doesn’t mean it’s the reason you gave yourself. You gathered us together because we both were so much like you. We all have lost someone special to us. I have lost Ven and now Terra, and Axel lost his family and his village.”
“That doesn’t matter anymore,” Phantasm interrupted, “This war is drawing to a close. The final pieces of the puzzle have come together, the blank edges of the map filled in, and all the pawns in place. The curtain’s going up for the final act to begin.”
“In any case, Phantasm,” Aqua said, “no matter what happens… thank you, for everything.”
-------------
“It’s you, isn’t it?”
Phantasm turned to see Sora standing right behind him. “If you’re going to be that vague,” Phantasm said, “this conversation is over already.”
“Then let me make it plain and simple,” Sora replied, “You’re Xando, aren’t you?”
“Now why would you make that assumption?” Phantasm asked, “What proof would give you that idea?”
“We never really heard from you until after Xando’s ‘death’ on the cliff. And your style of combat, it’s so familiar. And it’s not just that. Your bearing, your voice, your composure; it’s all so obvious in retrospect. You’re the Prince of Shadows, Xando.”
Behind his mask, Phantasm smiled, then reached up and removed his mask. He let his hood fall back, revealing his face, and Sora gasped. The hair was the same, true enough, but the angle of the eyes, the nose, and the entire structure of Phantasm’s face was different.
“I’m sorry, Sora,” Phantasm said, his face full of sympathy, “Xando is dead. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Then… he really is gone…” Sora sighed, and slowly started for his bedroom. Phantasm stood there, watching the forlorn boy vanish into the castle, and replaced his mask.
“Forgive me, Sora.”
--------------------------------------------------------
The next day, Phantasm revealed to them the startling truth he had observed from his perch for many nights now: the stars were vanishing at an accelerating rate. Nobody was surprised at the cause, they all knew by now of Aloz’s murder spree and such worlds would offer little resistance to the Heartless. No doubt the Organization’s 14th member had also been busy increasing her Nobody soldiers.
Phantasm then proceeded to tell them another fact: when the last of the stars had died out, the universe as they knew it would end, either through the Heartless consuming all worlds or by Aloz’s destruction of Kingdom Hearts. The night sky now represented a time limit, and they had perhaps days at best before all was lost.
“We MUST end this war!” Ansem the Wise exclaimed, “We are running out of time.”
“The key to the Heartless army is Xehanort,” Phantasm said calmly, “take him out, and the Heartless will be incapacitated. We must also consider Aloz in our calculations. He presents as great a threat as Xehanort. Both know of the Key to Kingdom Hearts, both know who possess it.”
“But what is it?” Sora asked, “What is the Key to the Kingdom?”
Before anyone could answer, a giant bell rang through the castle. All faces turned grim at the sound; the Heartless were marching again.
***********
so now we know who Terra 'surrvived' his last encounter with Master Xehanort. and now the penultimate battle begins.
with all due respect,
Merlin326
***********
Chapter 9
Memory Beyond
Memory Beyond
The trip back to Radiant Garden gave Sora and the others the time they needed to think on Aloz’s parting words.
“The Key to the Kingdom,” Sora repeated, “Could he have meant a Key to Kingdom Hearts?”
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Riku replied, “we all know what Aloz’s after: the destruction of the universe. I’m sure he’d have Kingdom Hearts in that plan somewhere.”
“And he thinks I have the Key?” Sora gasped, “Does he mean my Keyblade?”
Sora summoned the Keyblade he had received 3 years ago. Early into his first adventure, Sora had discovered two words scratched into the hilt of his powerful weapon: Kingdom Key. At first, he had thought it simply a name for that model of Keyblade; now he wondered if the name might double as a description.
“We don’t know what he could mean,” Kairi reminded him, “it may be the Keyblade, but it could also be something else.”
“I doubt the Key to Kingdom Hearts would be that obvious,” Captain Spaulding said from the cockpit, “Too easy that way.”
The three heroes had to agree with Spaulding’s words, but they could think of no other alternative. The matter was suddenly pushed to the back of their minds, however, when the entire ship violently shook like a toy in a child’s hand… while throwing a temper tantrum.
“What was THAT?” Riku asked, pulling himself to his feet. Sora and Kairi both had the same question on their minds as they got to their feet and ran into the cockpit where Spaulding was waiting.
“Something hit us!” the Captain answered, “something big. We’re in Radiant Garden’s atmosphere though, so we should be able to land and examine the damages.” However, the damages became apparent when a baker’s dozen flying Heartless swooped into view, pummeling the Gummi Ship with fireballs, dark blasts, and anything else in their repertoire. The ship shook again, and a danger icon began flashing on the dashboard.
“This ride is going to get pretty interesting,” Spaulding commented, somehow able to keep his natural comic nature despite the situation.
“Define ‘interesting’.” Riku requested, not in the mood for the captain’s jokes.
“How does ‘oh god, oh god, we’re all going to die!’ work?”
An explosion rocked the inside of the ship, and Spaulding quickly sealed the doorway leading to the remainder of his ship.
“This is your captain speaking,” Spaulding said in the stereotypical flight captain’s voice, “We have a problem: our engine’s on fire. So we may encounter a little turbulence and then… explode.”
“You don’t know anything about the importance of public relations, do you?” Sora asked rhetorically.
“I don’t consider PR to be important when our ship is on fire,” Spaulding said, and opened a glass flap on the dashboard and pressed the red button underneath. Sora watched out the window as the back half of the ship literally fell off and wings extend from the cockpit.
“Always come prepared,” Spaulding explained, “a ship in a ship. This baby’s more maneuverable than the whole thing together, though lacking an engine large enough for long range travel.”
“Less talk,” Riku replied, “they’re after us.”
Spaulding thrust a lever as far as it would go, and the ship blasted full speed through the world. “those guy’s aren’t going to let us land in one piece,” Spaulding explained as he spun the ship around to avoid the blasts from behind, “So we’re going to have to either lose them or convince them that chasing us could prove… unhealthy.”
Sora, Riku and Kairi were unsure what the captain meant by ‘unhealthy’, but all became clear when Spaulding turned and sped full speed towards the face of the cliff now directly in front of them.
“Uh, Captain? You do know there’s a cliff there, right?” Sora asked nervously.
“Yes I do,” Spaulding answered with a hint of excitement in his voice, “this should be fun.”
Sora, Riku and Kairi braced themselves for a painful death, but all the felt was the sudden change in gravity’s direction. They opened their eyes to see that Spaulding had changed direction at the last possible moment, allowing the Heartless chasing them to crash into the cliff. Black marks across the cliff were all that remained of their pursuers.
Spaulding expertly landed the ship on a nearby plateau, where Spoiler was already waiting for them. “I’ll leave you in her care,” Spaulding said, starting towards the castle, “I need to get a fighter ship up and join in the fun.”
And before anyone could argue, the captain was already gone. Spoiler shook her heard and said, “Come, the battle awaits.” She turned to leave, the young heroes right behind her.
--------
Terra swung his Keyblade, and another Heartless dissipated and ‘died’. Terra grimly noted that the sheer power he had once possessed was now gone, just as he knew the cause. One more battle, he thought to himself, Just one more battle, and then…
But Terra could not complete the thought, instead forcing his entire consciousness to hold together. Terra paused long enough to stare at his free hand, a hint of transparency beginning to show.
On the other side of the battle field, Axel threw a dagger Phantasm had given him at a particularly large Heartless, drawing its attention to the crimson haired opponent. The Heartless easily dodged the dagger, but the action left it wide open to Axel’s true attack, his own body. With all his might, Axel plowed right into the Heartless and threw them both over the side of the cliff. Axel kicked the Heartless in the face, untangling them both long enough for the rope around Axel’s waist to tighten and bungee jump him back up to the ledge while the Heartless fell to its death.
Below, several Heartless saw the dangling rope Axel had let fall back down after untying himself, just within their reach, and recognized it as a pathway to the upper cliff. As they climbed the rope, their shallow minds could not figure out why the rope was so slick; even if they could, they would have wondered aloud why anybody would ever soak a rope in kerosene. Axel counted the seconds, having calculated how long it would take for the first Heartless to be just beyond reach of the ledge, and stepped into their view once again. Any being capable of logic would have groaned when they saw that Axel held his flaming sword in his hand, just above the rope. Axel touched the end of the rope with the tip of his flame, and the monstrous screams of Heartless could be heard just before the horrible splat.
“I gotta remember that one,” Axel said aloud, grinning from ear to ear as he searched for his next prey. He noticed Phantasm fighting several Heartless, and called out to hi, “That’s got to bring it up to 75, not to mention bonus for creative thinking!”
Instead of replying with words, Phantasm threw one of his swords at a nearby Heartless, the force pinning it to the wall. Phantasm ran over to it and pulled the sword out, yelling back, “That makes 101!”
“Show off,” Axel muttered, sheathing his sword into number 76, “You know, Phantasm, it’s times like this I wish I had this one great fighter by my side.”
“You mean besides the ones you already have by your side?” Phantasm asked in return.
“Yeah. This guy was really good; unorthodox, but good. Even had his own battle cry.”
“Oh really,” Phantasm replied, decapitating Heartless number 130, “what was it?”
“It went something like this,” Axel answered, charging toward number 86, “Goongala!”
-----------
When Sora turned the corner, he could only gasp when he saw Axel’s little trick with the rope. Despite the overwhelming odds, the defenders of Radiant Garden seemed to be holding out quite well. Determined that they all would live to fight another day, Sora charged into the fray, heedless of his own safety. All that mattered to him was the protection of this world and his friends residing on it.
Phantasm quickly danced his way over to the young Keyblade Master and smiled behind his mask. “I trust matters are taken care of in England?”
“It’s been settled,” Sora breathed back in between parries. “Aloz didn’t get the Quintessence he wanted.”
“Good lad,” Phantasm replied, sliding one of his slender blades into a Heartless’s chest.”
“What have you been up to?” Sora inquired, burning a Heartless to ashes, “Why did you leave after the battle there?”
“This town’s defenses needed to be supervised,” Phantasm lied, “I wanted to make sure everything is in order in case of siege. Looks like I was right.”
“You? Look out for the town?” Sora asked in mock surprise, “I thought you didn’t like to play the hero?”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t know how.”
---------------
Hours later, the Heartless attacking the castle had either been destroyed or had fled into the mountains. No one was foolish enough to think it was over, however. It was only a matter of time before they came back, and the residents of Radiant Garden could not hold a siege for long.
Sora scanned the cliffs around them, but not a Heartless remained. He turned and began the walk back to the castle, where they would plan Ansem and the others would plan their next move. Suddenly, he stopped, seeing his friends gathered around a fallen figure. His pulse quickened when he saw the face, Terra.
“What happened?” Sora yelled, dashing to the fallen friend.
“He just… fell,” Spoiler answered, kneeling next to the knight.
“I… don’t have the strength anymore,” Terra explained, “my power ebbs away.”
“Don’t die, Terra,” Riku said, “Don’t die on us.”
“It’s too late for that,” Spoiler said, “He’s been dead for a long time.”
Before anyone could ask, Terra answered the questions himself, “I died 13 years ago, in a battle with Xehanort. The blast that killed me was supposed to also destroy his evil, but he was in the midst of spellcasting, and faltered at the last moment. Somehow, the resulting magic, coupled with my blast, only suppressed his memories and powers, and rejuvenated his body and gave him youth. I, on the other hand, died.”
Terra shook his head, “But my rage would not let me rest. At the moment of my death, I knew Xehanort had not fallen with me, and that primal rage kept my spirit from resting. I remained there, caught in a place between life and death, and remained there until Sora came to me. I mistook him for Ven at first; their spirits are so identical, as are their looks. When I realized my mistake, my rage took hold and I believed him to be Xehanort. A battle ensued, and I finally realized my mistake. For two years since I had wandered the worlds in my ghostly state, trying to quell my hatred and finally rest in peace by destroying Xehanort, once and for all.”
Terra turned and glanced at Spoiler, “but then I learned that only one of my friends had died that night. Contrary to my belief, my other companion yet lived, Aqua, and my rage vanished.”
Spoiler nodded, and removed the bandana and blindfold concealing her identity. She lowered her hood, allowing her short cerulean hair to blow in the wind. “You have suffered so much,” Aqua sighed, “but now you can finally rest.” Aqua tried to hold her fallen friend’ s hand, tried to comfort him in his last moment, but she could not; Terra’s form was already fading, and the body he had conjured purely out of rage had already turned intangible; her hand passed right through his, and he gave a weak smile.
“Do not grieve,” he said, “I am at peace. Live, Aqua, and live happily. And the rest of you, live through this war, and destroy Xehanort. That is… my final request.”
Terra closed his eyes and smiled, “I’m ready to meet you in the afterlife, Ven. Meet me there.”
And then his translucent form dissipated completely, and Terra was gone.
--------------
Sora stepped out into the castle courtyard that night. After all other matters concerning castle defenses were taken care of, Phantasm had shared Aqua’s story and the tale of the past Keyblade Wielders, and sympathy was the only thing Sora and the others felt for the poor girl.
“It’s funny.”
Sora turned and saw Axel standing by the door, leaning against the castle wall.
“Death is a natural part of life,” Axel continued, “but whenever it happens to someone we know, someone we care about, it comes as such a shock. The pain of losing a loved one, it’s unbearable.”
Sora nodded, “Such suffering she must have endured throughout the years.”
“I myself know what that pain is like,” Axel continued, “long ago, I lived a happy normal life in a remote village unconnected to the world around us. Life was simple, uncomplicated by things such as Heartless and evil like Xehanort. Then the Heartless came, and everyone I knew in that village, everyone I cared about, was murdered. I fought back, but I barely possessed any fighting skill, and my heart was stolen by those monsters. But I wouldn’t fall that easily, I was determined to continue on. And thus my Nobody, Axel, was born. I wandered the worlds, unable to cope with the fact I could now no longer feel emotion. Then the Organization found me.”
Sora respectfully kept quite, intently listening to the crimson haired man’s story. Axel rarely talked about his past, and now Sora knew why.
“And then I met Roxas, your own Nobody,” Axel continued, “and I began to remember what it was like to have a heart. Talking with him, it made me feel like I had a heart again. Maybe… maybe that’s what saved me. I don’t know the truth any better than the rest of you, but perhaps that feeling Roxas gave me allowed me to become complete after that battle between the worlds.”
Axel shook his head, vainly trying to dismiss the nostalgia, “I thought it would get easier to talk about over time, but some hurts never go away. I guess I thought talking about it was to be weak, something I never wanted to be again when I lost everyone.”
“We all seem to have an element of tragedy in our lives at one point or another,” Sora said, “but thinking about them doesn’t make us weak. If you can keep yourself from falling into depression for all these years, you’re not weak.”
Axel gave a sad smile, “That’s the same naiveté I would expect from Roxas. Some things never change.”
------------
Phantasm sat on his normal cliff overlooking the town, once again playing his melody of the flute. He stopped suddenly, hearing the footsteps of his female companion.
“I now realize why you brought us together.”
Grateful his mask hid the smile on his face, Phantasm replied, “We are all outcasts, I told you that when we first met.”
“That’s the reason you gave us,” Aqua said, “that doesn’t mean it’s the reason you gave yourself. You gathered us together because we both were so much like you. We all have lost someone special to us. I have lost Ven and now Terra, and Axel lost his family and his village.”
“That doesn’t matter anymore,” Phantasm interrupted, “This war is drawing to a close. The final pieces of the puzzle have come together, the blank edges of the map filled in, and all the pawns in place. The curtain’s going up for the final act to begin.”
“In any case, Phantasm,” Aqua said, “no matter what happens… thank you, for everything.”
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“It’s you, isn’t it?”
Phantasm turned to see Sora standing right behind him. “If you’re going to be that vague,” Phantasm said, “this conversation is over already.”
“Then let me make it plain and simple,” Sora replied, “You’re Xando, aren’t you?”
“Now why would you make that assumption?” Phantasm asked, “What proof would give you that idea?”
“We never really heard from you until after Xando’s ‘death’ on the cliff. And your style of combat, it’s so familiar. And it’s not just that. Your bearing, your voice, your composure; it’s all so obvious in retrospect. You’re the Prince of Shadows, Xando.”
Behind his mask, Phantasm smiled, then reached up and removed his mask. He let his hood fall back, revealing his face, and Sora gasped. The hair was the same, true enough, but the angle of the eyes, the nose, and the entire structure of Phantasm’s face was different.
“I’m sorry, Sora,” Phantasm said, his face full of sympathy, “Xando is dead. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Then… he really is gone…” Sora sighed, and slowly started for his bedroom. Phantasm stood there, watching the forlorn boy vanish into the castle, and replaced his mask.
“Forgive me, Sora.”
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The next day, Phantasm revealed to them the startling truth he had observed from his perch for many nights now: the stars were vanishing at an accelerating rate. Nobody was surprised at the cause, they all knew by now of Aloz’s murder spree and such worlds would offer little resistance to the Heartless. No doubt the Organization’s 14th member had also been busy increasing her Nobody soldiers.
Phantasm then proceeded to tell them another fact: when the last of the stars had died out, the universe as they knew it would end, either through the Heartless consuming all worlds or by Aloz’s destruction of Kingdom Hearts. The night sky now represented a time limit, and they had perhaps days at best before all was lost.
“We MUST end this war!” Ansem the Wise exclaimed, “We are running out of time.”
“The key to the Heartless army is Xehanort,” Phantasm said calmly, “take him out, and the Heartless will be incapacitated. We must also consider Aloz in our calculations. He presents as great a threat as Xehanort. Both know of the Key to Kingdom Hearts, both know who possess it.”
“But what is it?” Sora asked, “What is the Key to the Kingdom?”
Before anyone could answer, a giant bell rang through the castle. All faces turned grim at the sound; the Heartless were marching again.
***********
so now we know who Terra 'surrvived' his last encounter with Master Xehanort. and now the penultimate battle begins.
with all due respect,
Merlin326
