Roxas stood on the green platform, staring down at the all to familiar images beneath him. It was here where he fought that giant Nobody…It was here when he met Sora in battle, testing the fellow Keyblade Master.
“Don’t look so surprised,” a voice greeted him, bringing Roxas out of his thoughts.
Looking upwards, Roxas couldn’t believe his eyes. Standing there was his friend…Axel…
Axel grinned, dressed in the Organization’s black coat, as was Roxas.
“Axel! What are you doing here!” Roxas shouted, running up to his friend, “I thought…You said you were in Soul Society!”
“I was,” Axel grinned, “But I found it boring. Thought I might be able to help my buddy out. You’re in for a big ride.”
The platform suddenly started shaking, sending Roxas falling unto his bottom, though Axel remained standing.
“What’s happening?” Roxas wondered, getting back up, his Keyblades appearing in his hands as he glanced around.
“Your Chain of Memories!” Axel shouted, “Is the same as Sora’s. The Heart holds emotions, and the Soul holds memories. Together with a Body, they create a Whole Person. A Soul can not be replaced. A Heart can.”
Two giant figures erupted from the darkness, stepping unto the platform. One was black, with a heart shaped hole in it’s chest. The other was white, wearing what looked like a helmet.
The big black Heartless. Giant Nobody thing! “What?!” Roxas shouted, spinning his Keyblades as he stared at them, then looked over to Axel, who pulled out his wheeled weapons as well.
“First, we need to defeat these guys. It shouldn’t be much of a problem,” Axel grinned, “Right?”
Roxas only grinned back, then attacked, the giant Heartless bringing it’s arm down. Roxas blocked the slash with his Oathkeeper Keyblade, then spun around, slicing the giant Heartless’s eyes with his black Oblivion Keyblade.
Axel ran forward, fire dancing around him as he threw his weapons towards the giant Nobody, burning it’s head and causing the Nobody to stumble backwards.
“Switch!” Roxas shouted, landing on the ground and rolling. Axel’s weapons returned to him, and the two Nobodies switched positions, Roxas now hacking and slashing the giant Nobody, Axel bringing the heat on the Heartless.
“Finish them!” Axel shouted, stepping back, Roxas spinning both his Keyblades, focusing.
“…Ragnorok!” Roxas shouted, both his Keyblades going. He launched towards the giant Heartless, destroying it with his flurry of blades, then turned towards the giant Nobody.
Beams of energy erupted from his Keyblades, spinning and circling, hitting the giant Nobody’s weak spot, his head.
Both the giant Heartless and the giant Nobody was destroyed, Roxas landing smoothly on the ground.
“Is that all we had to do?” Roxas asked, “To easy.”
“You and I wish,” Axel sighed, pointing towards a path that was appearing. “You go on alone. I’ve done my part. A new Heart, made from your and Sora’s friend waits for you at the end of the journey. You can become whole again…Me…”
Axel began to fade away, his body disinigrating, “I’m heading back to Soul Society…Maybe I’ll see you there someday…”
“Axel! No!” Roxas shouted, arm outstretched, as if to pull Axel back. The red headed Nobody merely grinned, fading away.
Roxas bit his lower lip, then looked towards the path of light that illuminated his way. He stepped forward and headed down the path.
“Hello, Roxas.”
Roxas gasped. The room was blindingly white, the walls, long table, and chairs were all white. On the walls were several pictures of various people, and sitting at one end of the table was a familiar blonde haired, blue eyed girl.
“Naminé!” Roxas shouted, looking at the girl, “What are you going here? Is Kairi a-”
Naminé smiled, holding up her hand and silencing him, “Kairi is fine. I’m just here to help guide you on your next step.”
The two Nobodies looked towards each other, then Roxas nodded, taking a seat.
“Why don’t you take off that cloak? It must be hot,” Naminé smiled. Roxas blushed slightly, then removed his cloak, back in his normal white outfit.
“Now…” Naminé began, folding her hands together, “You’re on this path to replace your Heart that was lost. Sora’s Heart…is a special one. It is full of light, and one of a kind. It is irreplaceable.”
“But…how then-” Roxas started, again cut off by Naminé.
“However, Sora himself was a special person. Everyone he met, everyone he became friends with, everyone he helped, have a small piece of Sora’s Heart inside of their own. Normally it would take years to find and rebuild all the pieces of Sora’s Heart, but…” Naminé smiled, looking towards Roxas, “If you unlock Kingdom Hearts, and if Kairi and I can do it, we can gather the shards of Sora’s Heart…His Chain of Memories still resides inside of you. His Chain of Fate is not severed.”
Roxas could only nod, still seated in his chair, absorbing all the information.
“There is one person on the other side of the Door who can help. It will be difficult for you to trust him, but you must,” Naminé said slowly, “You know him as DiZ.”
Roxas got up from his seat suddenly, “Him? He’s the one who…he said I was less then a tool! How am I suppose to trust him?”
“He was consumed by thoughts of revenge Roxas. He’s better now. His real name is…Ansem. Ansem the Wise,” Naminé answered.
“I know…” Roxas sighed, “I have Sora’s memories this time. I still don’t trust him. He just wanted to use me or Sora to carry out his plans.”
Naminé sighed, looking down at the table.
“Please Roxas…You are needed, Sora is needed. Without you two…It will be impossible. The fate of this world and so many others rest in many hands. But even if one person can not help…” Naminé paused, letting that sink in. “The entire world may succumb to darkness. As we speak, a massive army of Heartless, Hollows, and Nobodies are amassing in The World That Never Was.”
Roxas’ eyes opened wide, “But…That Heartless army that Xemnas used on Nakajima…”
“Not even a tenth of the entire forces,” Naminé answered, shaking her head sadly. “So…You must be able to trust Ansem.”
Roxas paused, then got up from his seat, thinking.
“Do…you, trust him?” Roxas finally asked.
Now it was Naminé’s turn to pause, as she thought it over.
“Ansem is…different, then he was after he met King Mickey again. I’m not sure what exactly happened to him, but I know, without him, we can not accomplish our task,” Naminé finally answered.
“Then…If you say so then,” Roxas grinned, “I’ll go along with it.”
Naminé smiled, as darkness came around her and Roxas, bringing them to their next place.
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Back in Nakajima, Riku turned around, to check on Kairi. He saw a whisper of darkness, and the red head was gone.
“…Kairi!”
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Roxas stood…no, floated in front of three strange doors, all different.
“Naminé?” Roxas asked, looking around.
Slowly, one door opened, revealing a strange looking village, teeming with a number of Souls.
“This is Soul Society…It’s where the Soul goes.” The second door opened, dark hands groping from it, causing Roxas to instinctively pull out his Keyblades.
“This is the Gate. It holds the Body and dark spirits.” Finally, the last door opened, one Roxas knew well.
“This…is Kingdom Hearts. A Light within the strongest Darkness. This is where Sora’s Heart will be reformed.” From The Gate, a being appeared, walking through the strange black arms with relative ease. He had blonde hair and old blue eyes. He wore a strange red outfit.
He was
Ansem the Wise, former King of Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden.
The Gate closed behind him, and the door to Soul Society shut as well.
“Hello Roxas. It’s good to see you again,” Ansem said, speaking in a voice that spoke of a thousand years.
“I wish I could return to compliment,” Roxas said, “But I can’t.”
Ansem sighed, shaking his head. “I can not blame you young Roxas. Now…Come…”
Ansem held up his hand, Kingdom Hearts opening at a light touch. Inside, Roxas saw pools of darkness, further proof that Light and Darkness could not exist without the other.
“Now Roxas! Use your Keyblades and fully open Kingdom Hearts! Naminé and Kairi are bringing the fragments of Sora’s Heart to it!” Ansem called out, stepping away from the door.
Roxas held up his Oblivion and Oathkeeper Keyblades, staring at the door, then held them up, two beams of light shooting out from them, slowly opening the door.
Darkness poured out in pools at first, but as it opened more, a brilliant light shot out, stinging Roxas’ eyes and causing the Nobody to flinch in the Light.
“Almost Roxas! I can see Sora’s Heart reforming!” Ansem shouted. Indeed, one fragmented Heart was seen, other smaller shards forming into it, from the memories and experiences of everyone Sora had met.
Other, smaller Hearts leaked out, threatening to become Heartless, but seemed to be sucked up by Ansem, though Roxas did not notice it, to blinded by the light and Sora’s Heart.
“Yes…” ‘Ansem’ grinned, absorbing the other Hearts that were forming. “YES!!!”
Finally, the Light grew even brighter then it was, and the rebuilt Heart of Sora floated towards Roxas.
Roxas gasped, reaching out to touch the Heart.
Their was a loud flash, a cry of an angry voice, and Roxas blinked.
He blinked once more, and Roxas turned into Sora.
“Damn you Roxas!” ‘Ansem’ shouted, pointing a finger towards the stunned Sora, who instinctively backed up. “I would have had your Heart as well!”
“What…what are you talking about?” Sora demanded, “I thought you were good!”
Ansem only laughed, shaking his head slowly.
“I was good Sora. But remember that fateful time when my machine for encoding Hearts exploded? It might have changed your friend Riku back into the Light, but it sent me into The Gate!” ‘Ansem’ shouted, pointing an accusing finger towards the door he had walked out from.
“That place…it changed me. It stripped me of my Soul, leaving only my Heart and Body intact. I pleaded with them to let me return home, or to kill me…They didn’t. But they did give me a new power! With all the Hearts I brought with me, I was given new life,” ‘Ansem’ continued, moving slowly towards Sora.
“At first I thought I was a Homunculus, a being with a Body and Heart, but no Soul, and almost unkillable. But no…I don’t quite fit that description. Homunculi feed off the Souls of others, because they have none.
“And neither am I these strange creatures being created back in the Realm of Light. I am far to in control and human to be one of those things. No, I was something greater, more powerful. I fed off of Hearts, each one giving me more power!
“Once again I have abandoned the name of ‘Ansem.’ I am a being who has no Soul, yet can not die. A being who feeds off Hearts, yet can not feel pity. My Body is the only thing that still exists of the pitiful being called ‘Ansem,” the man laughed, stepping forward even closer to Sora. “I will use my army of darkness that is gathering in the World That Never Was. That fool Xemnas thinks that it is all his doing.”
“I’ll stop you!” Sora shouted, his Keyblade appearing in his hands, as he slashed towards Ansem.
He landed a direct hit, the man vanishing in a poof of darkness, then reappearing a few feet behind Sora.
“I have no Soul to kill. My Body moves on through Heart alone,” the man once known as Ansem grinned, “How can you kill me?”
Sora groaned suddenly, clutching his forward…
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“A Keyblade that releases a person’s Heart…” Sora mused, looking at the Keyblade Riku/Ansem had been using.
“Sora! What are you doing?” Donald demanded.
“Heh…Take care of Kairi for me guys. It’s in your hands now,” Sora grinned, plunging the blade into his chest, his Heart and Kairi’s releasing into the air…0000000000
“But…that Keyblade…It’s in the Realm of Darkness now, isn’t it?” Sora wondered, looking towards the open door that led towards Kingdom Hearts.
“I know what you’re thinking boy. To bad that Keyblade…Belongs to me!” the man laughed, the very same red Keyblade appeared in his hand. The Keyblade with the power to unlock Hearts, the Keyblade with no chain…
Sora’s eyes widened, stepping backwards.
“Including Roxas and yourself, there are currently six Keyblade wielders. One of them is oblivios to his power though. Thankfully I have the one weapon that can stop me,” the man laughed.
Sora looked around, and caught something out of the corner of his eye…The Gate seemed to open slightly, and he could swear he saw a portal of darkness inside…If only he could get in there.
“Hey…” Sora said, inching his way closer to The Gate, “What do you call yourself now?”
He smiled. “My name is now HaB, The Ultimate!” the man laughed. Like the Homunculi, he had a title…Though not an Ultimate Something…
“And does HaB stand for something?” Sora asked, getting closer to The Gate.
“Heart and Body,” HaB answered.
“Thanks.”
Sora Dodge Rolled, rolling into The Gate, right through the portal of Darkness made by Naminé…
(Now head back to DC please...)