The silver haired woman picked up the pace and vanished instantly, causing the Keyblade Wielders to become disoriented. They didn't let this momentary distraction keep them still for long, for there were still enemies remaining from the airships that had been downed, and they needed to take them out before the other airships were close enough to deploy more enemy soldiers! And so, they kept up at it, but just then, the silver haired woman appeared in front of the Nobodies and Unversed that Dexeres and Vanitas had summoned, and she took them out with one fell swipe of her hand! She then dashed towards Vanitas and punched him in the gut, then proceeding to stab small daggers on his abdomen, and he fell on the floor abruptly! Dexeres was able to block the silver haired woman's attacks, but now, he hesitated once again to attack her. They reached a stalemate, as he was holding his ground, parrying the silver haired woman's bare hand, which was firmly grasping his Keyblade! He could feel the raw power emanating from just her hand, and he felt a tinge of fear course through him! He then looked at the silver haired woman and his eyes watered.
"Tsumugi...please, snap out of this!" he said as he finally called the silver haired woman by her name! All of a sudden, her eyes opened wide, and for a moment, it seemed as though something within her had resonated to Dexeres' voice! But just seconds after, she went back to her cold self, and she pushed Dexeres back and then kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him flying towards the other side of the airship! The other Keyblade Wielders gasped!
"Guys, Vanitas and Dexeres need our help!" Kairi said, as she was the first to lunge towards Tsumugi. As she charged towards her, Tsumugi simply twirled her aside and kicked her across the face! Then came Riku, who was able to distract her long enough for him to almost damage her, but unfortunately, her reflexes were unnaturaly fast, and before he knew it, he found himself being flung upwards, crashing on one of the masts!
"No!!!" Mickey shouted, as he and Minnie also charged towards Tsumugi. They flung spells of light and numerous Pearl spells at her, but she just blocked them with her hand, and as soon as they were close enough to her, she dodged them and made them trip! She then turned around and noticed Bahamut and Gilgamesh away from the airship, doing their best to keep the other airships at bay! She was about to disrupt them, when Dawn suddenly came on top of her and swung her Keyblade, just barely managing to hit her! Tsumugi gave out a yelp, as her shoulder had been cut, albeit just slightly! She then looked at Dawn, who was gripping her Keyblade tightly!
"You still have me to deal with!" she proclaimed. Tsumugi closed her eyes and then nodded.
"So it would seem." was all she said, and with that, they both stared down at each other, the air around them thick with intensity! Then they lunged at each other at the same time, and then Tsumugi vanished, and when she reappeared and was about to strike Dawn from behind, Dawn quickly made a 360 turn and blocked her attack! Tsumugi couldn't hide the surprise on her face as she just realized Dawn had blocked her attack! Dawn then proceeded to grab her arm and then flail her to the floor, then proceeding to swing her Keyblade at her! Tsumugi managed to dodge, but just barely! She then tried leaping up high into the air, and as she plummeted down, she tried vanishing again, but Dawn caught her in midair and slashed her with her Keyblade a few times, making her lose balance and fall!
As Tsumugi crashed down towards the floor and Dawn landed gracefully, she noticed that there were still a few enemies on the airship! She quickly proceeded to take out the remaining ones, and after all of them were finally defeated, she turned her attention back towards Tsumugi, who was standing up, her legs almost giving way!
"I will admit...I didn't expect you to put up so much of a fight..." she commented. "But now...it's over." she said, and before Dawn could talk back, Tsumugi had lunged at her with lightning fast speed and pummeled her to the ground! She then sighed and winced a bit as she felt the wound on her shoulder sting a little. She then turned around once again, heading towards Bahamut and Gilgamesh, but then she was interrupted again, as she raised her hand and blocked an attack from Dexeres! He glared at her and remained silent for a bit. Then, he took a deep breath.
"I know that you're still there, Tsumugi! The woman I love...she's still in there!" he shouted. At that, her eyes widened open again, but then she shook her head and pushed Dexeres back!
"Get...out...of my head!!!" she shouted, as she held her head, screaming in pain!
Meanwhile, things were chaotic between Ethan, Ventus and Emmxett! Both were attacking Ethan with unrelenting force, and he found himself overwhelmed, but at the same time, he couldn't believe he was still fighting! He could feel the heavy weight of exhaustion bearing down upon him, but he had to keep on fighting! He had to hold on a little longer, for his friends sakes! He then took a deep breath and summoned forth from him a mighty powerful attack that managed to push back Ventus and Emmxett considerably, which let him finally take a short breather! He gasped for breath while keeping his eyes on his foes. Ventus was glaring at him, while Emmxett had an amused expression on his face.
"Well, it seems that we've both given you quite the strenuous workout today, from what I can see." Emmxett commented. Ethan laughed in between breaths and shook his head.
"Hoo, boy, a workout? More like a grueling beating than a workout, I'd say." he replied.
"I'm going to give you credit. You are quite the worthy warrior, like that Dexeres fellow over there! I remember battling him in the Dwarf Woodlands, and he was quite the worthy adversary! You have his fighting spirit!" Emmxett said, complimenting him.
"Well, it's good to see that you at least have the courtesy of praising the enemy!" Ethan remarked. At that, Ventus growled and immediately charged at Ethan, and they both reached a stalemate, which Ethan soon broke with a Quick Blitz attack!
"Enough talking!!!" Ventus shouted. Emmxett looked unamused.
"Hmph, how rude..." he replied. But Ethan shook his head.
"Nah, but I gotta agree with Ventus here. Less talking, more fighting!" he said, as he then proceeded to surprise both Ventus and Emmxett with a Sliding Dash attack, and then he used Reversal to disorient them, attacking them with Stun Impact once he got them where he wanted them! He managed to stun both his foes momentarily, and he took that moment to capitalize, attacking them with Time Splicer as much as he could, finishing off with a Seeker Mine spell, which hit its mark!
"That should have at least weakened them...at the very slightest!" Ethan thought to himself. And indeed, Ventus and Emmxett had found themselves weakened by Ethan's attack! But that didn't stop them, for they simply got back on their feet! But Ethan noticed that Ventus was bleeding, which meant he was weakened! But Emmxett didn't seem to have a scratch! Emmxett chuckled and swung his Kuzuri in wide arcs.
"Ah, most impressive! I like you! This is quite the entertaining battle!" he declared, as he lunged forward towards Ethan, and the two clashed, swung and dodged each others attacks! Ethan carefully kept his eyes on Emmxett's techniques, making sure that he'd be able to block each and every one of his attacks! Ventus, who had cast Curaga on himself, managed to heal his wounds a bit, and with revitalized energy, he came charging towards Ethan as well!
"You're finished!" Ventus shouted out, as he activated his Cyclone power, enveloping himself in a literal cyclone! He dashed towards Ethan and tried to blow him away and stagger him in midair, but Ethan was quick to dodge and counterattack with Thundaga, which in turn, crackled thorugh Ventus' cyclone, electrocuting him! With Ventus out of the way, he again focused his attention on Emmxett, who was proving himself to be quite the challenging fighter! As they clashed blades, Ventus staggered and growled in frustration! Just then, he started to scream in pain!
"Nngh, ahhh!!!" he shouted, as he fell to the floor and gasped for breath! He then found himself pounding the floor with his fists! It seemed as though he was trying to break free of Jexana's spell!
"I won't let you...keep your hold on me!" he gritted through his teeth, as he struggled to break free! For a moment, he was starting to feel like his regular self again! But immediately, he was overtaken once again by Jexana's powerfully potent magic, and thus, was unable to free himself. He was forced to watch everything before him unfolding, within his own body! He was helpless to do anything, and he was frustrated for it! But then, right then and there, his heart pounded strongly! He sensed a strong light coming from a distance! He recognized that light!
"Kyle...?" he asked to himself as he stood up, running towards Ethan to attack him!
Ethan was definitely in the fight of his life! His training in isolation had proved to be a necessity, for if he hadn't commited himself to said training, he might not have been able to come back to help his friends! Even though he was exhausted, he knew now that he had what it takes to buy just enough time for Sora and the others to arrive! It was all just a matter of time! As the battle continued, Emmxett kept encouraging Ethan, complimenting his skills constantly and laughing quite happily! He surely did seem like he was enjoying himself! As soon as Ventus entered the fray, Ethan quickly changed his tactics, and then he cast Mine Square around him, making sure that Ventus and Emmxett wouldn't be able to reach him! He glanced at both of them and took deep breaths. Ventus noticed this and glared at him!
"Emmxett, he's weak! We have to get through his Mine Square and finish him!" Ventus declared. Emmxett nodded.
"I agree, but that'll prove a bit difficult..." he said as he tried to find a way to cut through Ethan's defense. Ethan was smirking the whole time, for you see, he had one more trick under his sleeve...
Dexeres stood there, as Tsumugi was agonizing! She was shaking her head and covering her ears! He walked towards her slowly, and as he reached out to her, she took notice and immediately jumped back and then propelled herself forward to attack! Dexeres blocked quickly and counterattacked, hitting her with the hilt of his Keyblade! He didn't want to harm her! But he didn't know how he could be able to bring her back to her senses! He agonized over what to do, but whatever he intended to do, he needed to act fast, for his friends were injured, and despite Gilgamesh and Bahamut's best efforts, the enemy fleet was still closing in! Dexeres clenched his fists and took a deep breath. He then approached Tsumugi again, a bit slower than his previous try. She looked at him, and for a moment, she seemed to have calme down, but as soon as he was just mere inches away from her, she jumped back in alarm!
"No...no, stay back! I can't trust you...you're the enemy! Get out of my head! Stop tearing me apart!" she shouted menacingly. Dexeres kept getting close to her.
"All this time...I thought you were dead...I never would've imagined that you were still alive! Tsumugi...I now know, without a doubt, that this is you!" he said as he reached out his hand towards her. She immediately hissed and slapped his hand away and prepared to attack him once more, but Dexeres halted her attack, and then he held her arm, and their eyes fixed on each other! For a moment, it seemed as though time had halted all around them, and now, only they were present! Dexeres' heart started to pound intensely, and he could feel tears forming in his eyes! Tsumugi was struggling, one moment keeping her gaze on Dexeres, the next trying to free herself of his grip! But Dexeres didn't let go.
"Tsumugi...I love you." he said. At that, her eyes widened up, and it seemed as though she had gone back to normal!
"Redese...I..." she started to say, but he shook his head, and then he pulled her close, and as they drew closer, they looked deeply into each other's eyes, and they shared a loving, passionate, yearning kiss! For a moment, it seemed as though the kiss would go on forever! But then Tsumugi pulled away, and she looked at her love sadly.
"I don't have control over my own heart...I'm a danger to you, and to everyone, Redese! You all need to get out of here!" she said, pushing Dexeres away. But he again drew close to her, his eyes yearning for her!
"Tsumugi...I can't leave you! I'm not going to leave knowing that you're here with that witch Jexana! Come with us! Please...come with me!" he said, tugging at her hands! But she looked away.
"I...can't! Jexana has control over me, and right now, I may turn on you at any moment!" she exclaimed. Dexeres shook his head.
"We'll find a way to break Jexana's hold over you! If you come with us, I know that we'll be able to figure it all out! Please, I don't want to be separated from you again! I can't lose you once again! Not when I've finally found you!" he pleaded. He and Tsumugi both stared at each other for what seemed like eternity, but then, she started to scream again! She was getting out of control once more! She then flailed away from Dexeres and then prepared to attack! A disheartened Dexeres prepared himself to defend against her next attack! She hesitated greatly, but Jexana's power proved too great, and now she reverted back to her emotionless self!
"You must be eliminated..." she hissed under her breath. Dexeres steeled himself and took a deep breath and then sighed. But his resolve would not break! He looked at Tsumugi with determined eyes!
"I will free you, my love! No matter what it takes, you will be free! Somehow...someway, I'll find a way to free you!" he said. Tsumugi simply growled and then charged towards Dexeres, and the two began to battle! Dexeres obviously restrained himself, because he didn't want to hurt her, but he made sure not to let himself get beaten up! When pushing her back, he glanced momentarily at his friends, who were standing, but weak! Things were getting bad! Even though Kairi cast Curaga on them, they were still too weak to continue fighting! Battling against so many enemies had taken a toll on them! And now, even Bahamut and Gilgamesh were begin to feel overwhelmed! Despite all the airships they had taken down, more seemed to come to replace the ones that had been destroyed! It truly did seem like Jexana had a never ending fleet of soldiers at her disposal! He then focused on his battle with Tsumugi, although he was very hesitant to battle her!
"Sora...Donald, Goofy, Xion...where the heck are you guys?" he thought to himself, as he too, was starting to wonder if they were going to come at all! Then, Tsumugi quickly jumped over him and almost managed to strike him, but he immediately snapped out of it and blocked the attack, and then he pushed her towards a few crates lying on west corner of the airship! He then ran towards his friends to make sure they were okay!
"Guys, is anyone hurt too badly?" he asked. The others shook their heads. Clearly, they were ready to keep battling, but their bodies told a different story! Vanitas then looked over to Ethan, who was battling Emmxett and Ventus!
"We should help him...he's taking on those two on his own!" he said, as he ran towards Ethan's side. The others quickly followed suit, and they ran behind Vanitas! Dexeres was the only one left, and he glanced over at Tsumugi, who was knocked out where he had thrown her! He stared at her for a bit, and then he nodded.
"I will free you, Tsumugi...I will find a way!" he said to himself, and with that, he went towards his friends! As soon as he reached them, he saw that they were surrounding Emmxett and Ventus, and he took part and made sure to be prepared for anything! Every one of the Keyblade Wielders was surrounding Emmxett and Ventus, and Ethan was gasping heavily for breath!
"Sorry we're late!" Riku said. Ethan simply gave out an exhausted chuckle.
"Oh no, it's okay. I was just using these two as a warm up! No big deal!" he said as he caught his breath. Emmxett seemed amused, while Ventus was glaring angrily at everyone! Vanitas and Ventus locked eyes, and Ventus seemed to get angrier!
"You!" Ventus shouted. Vantas clenched his fists, remembering his failed attempt at trying to save Ventus and Trish back then!
"Ventus, you stupid idiot...I failed you. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to bring you back with us..." he said as he gave out a sigh. Ventus only silently glared at him.
---
Meanwhile, Kyle, Raxon and Sky were a little above the chaos that was ensuing! Kyle could strongly sense Ventus' presence, and he knew that he had to go to him! But Raxon and Sky were a little skeptical, hesitant, even, to go right into the heart of the enemy fleet! They both exchanged worried glances at each other, and Kyle was distressed! He looked at his two friends, hoping they'd say something, but they weren't saying a thing! At that, Kyle clenched his fists and shook his head.
"Guys, this is my dad we're talking about! I need your help to rescue him!" he pleaded. Raxon turned away and looked up at the stars and sighed. He glanced over at Sky for a moment before looking at Kyle. He then turned around and crossed his arms.
"You do realize that this is suicide...? Even with our amount of skill, there's hundreds of airships surrounding us, and I'm not too keen on dying here! I can't die here! Not without doing what I must do!" the pirate said as he stepped his foot forward. Sky shook a little, but then he took in a deep breath and sighed. He put his hand on Raxon's shoulder and nodded.
"We should help him get his dad back. After all, he saved my life, so I owe him!" the little moogle said. Raxon gave out a stressed sigh, and then he looked at Sky, and then at Kyle. He shook his head and gritted his teeth.
"I don't know which of you two is crazier...but okay, let's do this! But we have to be quick, before we're bombarded by all of these ships! I don't want to be cannon fodder!" Raxon exclaimed, and at that, Sky and Kyle smiled and nodded, and so, they went full speed ahead, passing through the many airships surrounding them! Raxon was hoping that their presence would go unnoticed, bu unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Even though his airship looked like the ones the enemy had, one of the enemy soldiers noticed him, and then he fired off what seemed to be a flare!
"Enemy ship attempting to go down below us! Attack!" the enemy soldier shouted out, and at that, Raxon rolled his eyes.
"Bloody hell!!! Is it too much to ask that a pirate can be able to sail in peace!?" Raxon exclaimed. He then looked back at his two friends. "Ready the cannons, and prepare to get boarded! Things are going to get crowded in here, mates!" he shouted out! Kyle and Sky nodded, and they prepared for battle, Kyle with his Keyblade, and Sky with his sword! Seconds after, they were starting to get bombarded by enemy fire! Luckily, Kyle and Sky were able to cast a protective shield around the airship in time! Some of the cannonballs simply darted through the airship, while a few others attempted to break the shield, but with no results! Then, when enemy fire ceased, that's when Kyle and Sky took their chance!
"We have to do this now, kupo!" the little moogle shouted.
"Right!" Kyle replied, as they prepared the cannons, also making sure to add some spells to amplify the cannonballs! "Cannons ready!" Kyle shouted. Raxon nodded and swooped down his hand!
"Fire!!!" Raxon shouted, and with that, Kyle and Sky immediately ignited the cannons, and within seconds, they fired off the cannonballs! Thanks to the spells used to amplify the cannonballs, when they hit the enemy airships, many of them went down instantly in flames! While that was a bit of good news, the bad news was that more enemy ships came where the fallen were! They were quite crowded! Soon after, the enemy started to board Raxon's airship!
"Be ready, mates! We're being boarded!" Raxon shouted. He then took off from the helm and jumped towards Kyle and Sky, who were in the center of the airship! He summoned his Keyblade, and now, the three were ready to battle! "Let's take them out as fast as we can, mates! Let's show these maggots what we're made of!" he shouted!
With that, Raxon quickly transformed his Keyblade into a rifle, and he quickly shot down the incoming enemies, and then he reverted his Keyblade back to normal and swiped off a few that were approaching him from the right! He dodged many of the enemy's attacks, and he even blocked some with his hook, and then used said hook to disarm his opponents for a swift kill! He then backstepped and took out a small bomb from his pouch, and then he ignited it and threw it towards another group of incoming enemies, taking them out instantly with the bomb's explosion! He then went towards one of the masts and delivered many powerful strikes to the enemy that would make a swordsman feel ashamed! He then backflipped his way back to Kyle and Sky!
"That's some fancy fighting!" Kyle said as he smiled! Now, he showed what he was capable of, as he flung his Keyblade and concentrated his energy, causing his Keyblade to multiply into many others, performing Reflect Raid! That way, he was able to take out many enemies at once! Then, another wave of enemies came, but Kyle quickly thought of his next attack, and then he firmly planted his feet on the floor and then lifted his Keyblade high! Within seconds, a small tornado formed, and it sucked in the nearby enemies, making them spin uncontrollably, and when they crashed to the floor, Kyle quickly dispatched them with Warp, making them vanish instantly! Then, an arrow whistled right past him! When he looked up, he saw a few archers taking aim at him! He then improvised and flung his Keyblade like a lance, and soon enough, his Keyblade transformed into a beam of light that pierced through the enemy airship, causing the archers to lose balance and fall, and making the airship explode! He then made his way back to Raxon and Sky!
"Great work! Now it's my turn, kupo!" Sky declared.
With that, the little moogle quickly darted around the airship, taking out many enemies with one fell swoop of his sword! He then transformed his sword into a magic staff, and he started firing off Firaja and Blizzaja spells, devastating the enemy numbers greatly! Then, the little moogle casted Enflame on himself, and from a distance, it literally seemed as though he was engulfed by flames! But, the spell didn't harm him! He then flapped his wings furiously fast and flew at lightning fast speeds, enflaming the enemy and causing many of them to fall off of the airship! Then, he transformed his magic staff back into his sword, and then he delivered many powerful stirkes that overpowered the enemy numbers, rendering them unable to counterattack! Then, he finished off his barrage of attacks with a Flare spell, which reached far and wide, taking out many enemies, and a few airships, all at once! He then flew back to his friends and nodded!
"So far, so good, kupo!" he said. The others nodded.
"If we keep this up, we'll drive them off in no time!" Kyle said, feeling confident that they'd win!
"And then it's off to rescue your dad!" Raxon remarked. They all nodded, and just then and there, Kyle suddenly fell to the ground, lifeless! It was all too sudden, and Raxon and Sky gasped in shock at what they just saw! "Kyle...? Kyle!!! W-what just happened!?" Raxon asked, confused! Kyle was just fine a second ago, so why did he suddenly just fall like that?
The enemy was now closing in, and Raxon and Sky made sure to stand very closely to Kyle, to protect him! They were now getting seriously outnumbered, as the airship was now filled to the brim with enemy soldiers! Raxon and Sky glanced worriedly at each other, but they remained where they were, determined to protect Kyle!
"Well, whatever the heck just happened, it doesn't matter! We protect Kyle, until our dying breath!" the pirate said. Sky nodded.
"That's right, kupo!" the little moogle replied bravely. They just hoped Kyle would be okay!
At that same moment, Kyle found himself in pitch black darkness! In the depths of his consciousness, he could feel another familiar presence! But he also felt a sinister presence looming near him...that of the deity housed inside him! And soon enough, the deity appeared behind him, the only thing visible of him being his glowing golden eyes. The rest of his body was covered in darkness, and with the pitch black darkness surrounding Kyle's subconscious, it seemed as though the deity was this whole, dark space! Kyle clenched his fists, while the deity simply laughed.
"What's the matter? Not happy to see me!?" the deity taunted.
"I'm not here to play your games! I'm not going to let you control me!" Kyle barked back. At that, the deity's eyes moved slightly and he laughed once again.
"Control you? Ha, I'm just observing your current predicament! It really does seem like you and your little friends will be overrun by the enemy at any moment! It's quite pathetic, really! You probably won't survive! Unless...you use my power! With our combined strength, we can take down those stupid pests!" the deity explained. Kyle looked at the deity with distrustful eyes, and just as he felt the pang of darkness coming over him, he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. When he looked back, he saw that it was Lunar, covered in an aura of light! He was so relieved to see his old friend again!
"We meet again, Kyle. Don't worry, I'm here for you." he said as he nodded. Kyle felt relieved, but at the same time, he felt burdened. He glanced back at Lunar and sighed.
"What do I do, my old friend? How can I control this power inside me...? How can I be able to conquer myself and make sure that I don't end up hurting the people I love in the process?" he asked pleadingly. Lunar simply smiled.
"You have what it takes to conquer this ordeal that is in front of you. All you have to do is realize the potential you have, and you must not be afraid of pushing forward. Right now, your father is close by, and I know how much you want to save him. I know that you want to bring him back. But you must be careful...for the battle you're marching towards will not be an easy one. You need to be able to stand strong, and face your father, and prepare for the worst. You need to steel yourself for the unexpected." he advised. Kyle listened to every word and nodded, and then the deity laughed once again! Kyle and Lunar both glared at him!
"Heh...your wolf friend is right, you know..." was all the deity said. Kyle shook his head.
"I know that! I know this is going to be difficult, but I'm ready for whatever's coming my way! I have to save my dad, no matter what! Even if I have to die to save him, I'll do so without hesitation!" Kyle proclaimed. Lunar closed his eyes and smiled. The deity remained quiet for some time, and for a moment, there seemed to be an eerie, looming darkness about. The deity then gave out an amused chuckle.
"Well, I'll have to admit that you are a rash one...quite impulsive and reckless...and yet, you have that air of determination about you...heh, I like it! But still, you might end up dying after all! That, in turn, will be fun for me to watch!" the deity said. Kyle smiled and shook his head, and then put his hand to his chest.
"I'm not going to fail...I'll show you!" Kyle said defiantly. The deity simply laughed.
"Oh, I won't let you die...because I will be the one to take your life!" the deity proclaimed. Kyle nodded and gave a defiant smile.
"I'd like to see you try!" he replied! And in an instant, he was transported out of his own subconscious, and before he knew it, his eyes had opened up, and he saw Raxon and Sky standing over him.
As Kyle stood up, an immense surge of power flowed from within him, and in a split second, his body was immediately covered in dark flame! The deity was trying to take control! Kyle wasn't too surprised, as this wasn't too unexpected to him, but still, he didn't expect the deity was going to act up now! He struggled to contain his power as his Keyblade became darker with each passing second! His eyes started to flare up a bright yellow, as he slowly transformed into his Feral self! Raxon and Sky took a moment to notice what was happening, but when they did, they immediately stepped back! As they did so, Feral Kyle charged through towards the enemy, marauding them and devastating them with his Keyblade and dark powers! Raxon gripped his Keyblade tightly, as he didn't know if Kyle was losing control, while Sky shook a little! After taking out the enemies in the vicinity, Feral Kyle quickly darted his head towards Raxon and Sky, staring at them from afar. Raxon raised his Keyblade.
"Kyle...? Are you still in there, mate?" he said, a tone of nervousness apparent in him. At that, Feral Kyle shook his head, and for a moment, he roared horrifyingly, and then he held himself in place!
"I'm not going to let this deity control me!" Feral Kyle said, his voice distorted due to his beastly form! Raxon and Sky witnessed as Kyle was trying with all his might to conquer himself! At times, it seemed as though the deity himself was momentarily pushed away from Kyle's body, but he always found a way to dive back in! It was a constant struggle for Kyle, as if he was drowning in water! He felt himself get suffocated, but he still wouldn't let that get the best of him! But, no matter how hard he tried, in the end, he was heading towards Raxon and Sky, to attack them! At that, the little moogle and the pirate took up arms, but they were actually trying to defend themselves instead of attacking Kyle! Sky was terrified, but even so, he took a deep breath and then opened his mouth.
"You can do it, Kyle! I know you can! You've got what it takes to beat this, kupo!!!" Sky said with an encouraging tone. Raxon looked at Sky for a moment before allowing himself a smile.
---
Back at Jexana's airship, tension was rising high, as the Keyblade Wielders surrounded Emmxett and Ventus! Even though their foes were outnumbered, they made it a point not to underestimate their power, especially Ventus'! There was a momentary silence in the air, but that silence was soon interrupted by a cannonball that flew right by Mickey's side! When they all glanced back, they saw that Bahamut had been seriously injured, and Gilgamesh was barely holding off the enemy! But even with his efforts, dozens of enemy airships were now closing in! Gilgamesh and Bahamut came towards Jexana's airship to fend the enemy off, but sadly, they were now way too outnumbered! Before Bahamut was even able to summon up his energy to fire Megaflare, the enemy airships had bombarded him with cannon fire, making him desintegrate! When he desintegrated completely, he transformed into a beam of light that returned to Kairi's Keyblade. She nodded and gave a tired smile.
"You did what you could, Bahamut...that's what counts." she whispered. And now, it seemed, that the Keyblade Wielders had lost this battle! They unsummoned their Keyblades and raised their arms above their heads, and they were almost ready to drop to the floor of exhaustion!
"I'm sorry, Master Riku...I did all in my power to stop them..." Gilgamesh lamented, but Riku shook his head.
"Don't apologize, my friend. You did everything you could...we all did." he said, as they stood there, defeated. Emmxett then walked towards his soldiers and then faced the Keyblade Wielders. He then looked at Ventus.
"Your work here is done, Ventus. You can go back to Jexana now." he notioned, and Ventus nodded, proceeding to walk away from the Keyblade Wielders and into Jexana's quarters. He then looked at the Keyblade Wielders with an amused smile on his face. Soon after, Tsumugi came to his side, and her eyes were as emotionless as ever. Emmxett then stabbed Kuzuri to the wooden floor and started to clap his hands!
"I believe you all deserve this applause. You held out against Jexana's fleet valiantly. I could see it in all of you. You were exhausted to the brink of madness! It's a miracle that you all indeed managed to keep on fighting my endless army! But, like everything in life, things must come to an end. And your struggle, my Keyblade wielding friends, has indeed come to an end." he said with sentimentality. He then turned around and looked at his soldiers. "And now, men, with the capture of these Keyblade Wielders, we have taken giant steps in ensuring that we are the ones who win this Keyblade War! With these prisoners, our will shall be known across this, and all universes! Our will shall be known, and we shall approach the glory that is Kingdom Hearts!" he said with a triumphant tone, to which his soldiers all cheered on and gave out hoorahs and battle cries! The Keyblade Wielders all looked at each other uneasily. Vanitas scoffed.
"I can't believe this is how things are going to end...it's stupid! After everything we've been through, this can't be the way we end up! It just can't be!" he said as he cursed under his breath. Dexeres, who was by his side, remained silent, looking at Tsumugi. She then noticed that he was looking at her, but this time, she remained emotionless. Any success that Dexeres had earlier in trying to reach out to her was now rendered irrelevant. Emmxett then turned around and raised his hand. "Now then, let's take the prisoners below decks...well, after we've cleared all the debris, that is." he said. With that, the soldiers pointed their weapons at the Keyblade Wielders, ensuring they'd stay close by!
Ethan looked up at the stars and gave out an exhausted sigh. He at least knew he had given his all to this battle, and that's what mattered. He was okay with defeat. At least he knew that his sister was safe now. As he continued to look at the stars, he noticed one particular star that was shining brighter than the rest! Within a few seconds, it got closer and closer and closer! When it got even closer, Ethan smiled, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter! The other Keyblade Wielders and the enemy soldiers were startled by his sudden outburst of laughter, and even Emmxett turned around and found this odd! He then walked towards Ethan and took a close look at him. He shook his head and raised his eyebrow as Ethan continued to laugh! The other Keyblade Wielders either shrugged or shook their heads in confusion.
"Huh, you've actually gone mad, haven't you?" Emmxett wondered aloud. Ethan then took a moment to catch his breath, and then he stopped laughing and simply smirked. He shook his head and seemed relieved!
"It's about damn time!" he shouted out! Before Emmxett could respond to Ethan's curious comment, a loud explosion took place a little beside him! The explosion rocked the airship greatly, and many of the enemy soldiers fell down in the confusion! The Keyblade Wielders also fell down, and when they looked up, they saw what was causing the explosion! It was...
"Sora!" Kairi shouted, overjoyed! At that, the rest of the enemy soldiers looked up, and they saw Sora, who had just finished firing a powerful beam attack with one of his Keyblade transformations! Almost instantly, he dropped down from the airship he was on to the floor, along with Donald and Goofy, and they proceeded to drive the enemy back! With hope renewed, the rest of the Keyblade Wielders summoned their Keyblades and started to fight back against the enemy soldiers! Now it was total chaos! As the other enemy airships tried to close in, Donald cast a humongous Flare spell, which in turn, engulfed the surrounding enemy airships ablaze, making them explode instantly! The other airships were a considerable distance away, so help wouldn't come too fast now for the enemy! Emmxett was outraged by this, and then he looked at Tsumugi, who was equally shocked! Ethan smiled and crossed his arms as he looked at them.
"So, how does it feel to be surprised, huh?" he asked sarcastically. Emmxett immediately grasped Kuzuri and pointed it to Ethan's throat, but just then, he was quickly repelled by what seemed to be bright green fire! Emmxett immediately jumped back to Tsumugi's side, and soon, they found themselves surrounded by a circle of green flame! A few short seconds after words, none other than Maleficent appeared, along with Pete, Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort! The other Keyblade Wielders, who were close by, opened their eyes and jaws wide in shock! What were they doing here!? Emmxett and Tsumugi seemed quite surprised as well!
"Impossible...why are you here!?" Emmxett demanded. Maleficent sneered and summoned her staff and pointed it towards Emmxett, fanning the flames she had created towards him!
"I would be careful with your tone, cretin! It is because of you and your ilk that I am being delayed a proper conquest of all worlds! As long as you imbeciles stand in my way, I will not be able to claim all the worlds as my own! So...a temporary alliance with these fools is deemed necessary at the moment..." she said as she kept her eyes fixed on Emmxett, who was outraged.
"You won't get away with this, you witch!" he protested, when a bellowing laugh came from Maleficent's side. It was Pete, of course. He was laughing himself to tears!
"Oh, contraire, loser! We'll be getting away with this, you just don't want to admit you lost!" he stated mockingly! Maleficent then raised her hand, catching Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort's attention!
"Dispose of the rabble surrounding us..." she commanded. They both nodded, and with that, they disappeared then reappeared on opposite sides of the ship! Armored Eraqus then summoned his Keyblade and focused all of his energy, causing a meteor to materialize from thin air! The meteor was slowly hovering down towards the now fleeing enemies! Guardian Xehanort summoned two Zero Graviza spheres, with which he drew in countless enemies and crushed them to oblivion! In a matter of seconds, their two attacks combined, and created an eye numbing explosion that vaporized all enemies on the airship and within the radius of said airship! After the spectacle was over, Emmxett and Tsumugi were speechless!
"Damn it...this won't be the last time we'll see each other..." Emmxett said. "But, I will admit, this was a surprising outcome. Good match, my worthy opponents...good match." he complimented, and with that, he and Tsumugi quickly went towards Jexana's quarters to retrieve her and Ventus! Maleficent was just about to incinerate them, but Ethan put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Reluctantly, she diminished the circle of green fire and let them go. She shook her head in irritation and snarled at Ethan.
"I could have been able to scorch them, right then and there..." she said. Ethan shook his head.
"Yeah, and you could have probably burned us all too. Remember that Ventus is still one of us...he's just under the enemy's control at the moment. We can't risk losing him...my sister would never forgive me if I lost him...and besides, even if you did scorch them up, we're still surrounded by a fleet, so we wouldn't be able to get out of here alive, and that inclues your buddies, too! So I suggest we make our escape now before more enemy airships close in on us!" he explained. Maleficent sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Very well...Pete!" she commanded, and shortly after, Pete came right to her side.
"Yes, Maleficent?" he asked.
"We are leaving..." she said. At that, Pete's jaw dropped.
"Aw, but come on, Maleficent, let's teach all these idiots what we're made of!" he encouraged, but Maleficent shook her head, heeding Ethan's words.
"There will be a time and place for everything. For now, we must keep our alliance with these fools standing. Is that understood?" she asked as she glared at Pete. He gulped and laughed nervously and then nodded.
"Yes, ur, um, of course, Maleficent!" he said. He then gave out a loud whistle to the Keyblade Wielders, who were now healing themselves, due to the fact that Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort had basically wiped out all the enemies that had been on board. Immediately, the Keyblade Wielders looked at him. "Come on, people, time to get a move on, let's go!" he shouted. Sora nodded and smiled.
"Come on guys, let's go!" he said. A few seconds passed, and the airship he had dropped off from was now by Jexana's airship, and at the deck, there was Leon, Cid, Yuffie and the gang!
"Come on, kiddies, we don't got too much time on our hands!" he urged, as the enemy airships were now starting to close in on them! Everyone nodded.
"Right, let's go!" Mickey said, and with that, everyone got on the airship, and after making sure there was no one left behind, they all prepared for takeoff! Xion, who was at the helm, quickly charted their course, and soon after, raised the airship as high as she could, and then, she managed to steer their airship away from Jexana's fleet! Then, it was full speed ahead towards the unknown! At last, the Keyblade Wielders had been saved! Everyone was extremely relieved, and after realizing they had escaped what seemed like their worst predicament, they dropped to the floor in exhaustion! Sora approached his extremely tired friends, and he smiled.
"Sorry we were a little late...I hope you guys didn't strain yourselves too much!" he remarked. Vanitas huffed and gave out a chuckle.
"Huh, a little late? I think if you'd been a bit more late, we'd have been toast! But still...you came for us, so you wont' find me complaining." he replied, to which Sora responded with a grin.
"Your Majesty, thank goodness you're okay!" Donald squawked as he went over to Minnie and bowed in respect. Goofy followed suit, and he seemed really happy as well!
"Gwarsh, it's so good to see you again, Queen Minnie! We're sure glad to see you're okay!" he said with a happy tone. Soon after, a commotion could be heard from behind Goofy. When he stepped aside, it was Daisy Duck, along with many of the Queen's loyal subjects, who had come to greet her! Daisy immediately lunged herself towards Minnie and hugged her tightly, crying as she hugged her! The two, lifelong friends embraced each other for quite a while, and all the others watched in silence, with smiles on their faces. After a while, Daisy and Minnie pulled away from their embrace and they wiped off their tears of joy!
"I truly am glad to see all of you are safe and sound!" Minnie said, feeling extremely relieved. Daisy nodded.
"Oh, and we're sure glad that you're safe as well! After you had stayed behind back on our home world, we had feared the worst had happened to you! But, luckily, here you are! I couldn't be happier!" she said with a tone of joy in her voice! And so, both Micky and Minnie went towards their royal subjects, while the rest of the Keyblade Wielders decided to stay above decks. They were too tired to move, and besides, they were comfortable right where they were! Sora sat down near Riku and Dawn, while Donald and Goofy attended the others, to ensure they'd be nursed back into good health! Riku put his hand on Sora's shoulder, and Sora on his, and they both nodded.
"It's good to see you again, brother." Sora said.
"Likewise, Sora! I have to say, you guys came just in the knick of time! We were ridiculously outnumbered back there! If it hadn't been for Ethan and you guys...well, I don't know what would have become of us." Riku said. Sora gave an apologetic smile.
"Yeah...I'm really sorry about that! We would have come sooner, but we were facing problems of our own! On our way to rescue you guys, we were being followed by some airships, no doubt part of Jexana's fleet! And well, some Heartless and Unborn also came along the way, and you can guess that it was a big mess! But, luckily, we were able to pull through!" he explained. Riku and Dawn listened attentively. Riku then looked at Maleficent and her cohorts, and he raised an eyebrow.
"What surprises me the most is that they're here! How in the worlds did you get into an alliance with them?" he asked, feeling curious.
"Actually...that was quite unexpected to us as well! We were fighting off huge hordes of Unborn, and we were getting outnumbered, but just then, Maleficent and her gang came and helped us! We obviously kept cautious and were ready to fight them, but then she called for a truce!" Sora answered. Ethan, who had walked towards Sora and overhead what he was talking about, nodded and then leaned his back on one of the masts.
"That's right. Maleficent hated the idea of having the worlds be conquered by someone else that wasn't her, and well, as you could guess, she wasn't going to stand for it. So, of course, in order to eliminate the much bigger threat, we decided to join forces. At first, we were a bit distrustful towards them, but so far, they've actually honored our alliance, and they haven't even attempted to double cross us. I think it's safe to say that they'll stick with us until this is all over." Ethan remarked. Dawn nodded, impressed by what she had just heard.
"Well, the more allies we have, the better. Now, we'll most definitely have the key to victory by strategizing and figuring out the best way to confront our enemies!" she said. At that, Sora seemed to remember something, and he stood up.
"Oh, speaking of keys, Dawn, I have a message for you!" he said. Dawn tilted her head.
"Message?" she asked. Sora nodded.
"It's about The Forger." he answered. At that, Dawn's eyes opened wide!
"The Forger!"
----------------------------------------------------
And so, the Keyblade Wielders have finally been rescued, just when all hope seemed to have been lost! And it seems that Kyle's desperately trying his best to tame the power of the deity housed inside him! Will he be able to tame himself, or will the deity take over him? Will he, Raxon and Sky be able to rescue Ventus? And it seems that Sora knows something about this "Forger" Dawn seems to keep hearing mention about! What's next in store for our heroes? Find out in Chapter Twenty: "The Race To Save Ventus!"