Chapter XXXV:

Recollection Clash

“Why don’t you leave the popsicle with me, so you can go have your little fight with Terra. I mean, you can’t possibly be too happy about him deep-sixing your Master.”

“Who are you?” 

“You think you three have some grand role to play. As if! You’re the only here so that when I finish you off, Terra will succumb to the darkness. So…who wants to go first?” 

“Sh-SHUT UP!” 

“Oh, so this kiddo thinks he’s a full-fledged Keyblade wielder?” 

“He’s got the angry look down…”

“Go ahead if you want to waste your time. Keep trying to drive us apart with your mind-games. It’ll never work!”

Kiera looked down at the helpless Ventus, frozen stiff in her arms. She could hear the stranger’s weapon clash with Aqua’s keyblade. She didn’t want to leave him. But she had to help Aqua. She couldn’t watch her friends get hurt. Then, Kiera lowered her head over Ventus’, and pecked him gently on the forehead.

    “I’m sorry, Ven.”

She gently placed him back down on the ground. Ventus continued to struggle. He knew what she was going to do.

    “Kiera!” he cried.

His voice stung her as she walked away. She summoned Dreamseeker, and began rushing towards the stranger, keyblade gleaming in the moonlight.

*̸͙̭̩̠͐̾_̴̰̖̙͎̆̿͆̆ͅ*̸̯̒̂̂̌́_̵̡̲͔̈̄*̶͉̋͋̇_̷̣̯͙͚͖̾*̴̻̩̑_̵͖̘̫̈́͐̑*̶̗͛_̷̢͙͖̦̫͌*̶͉̱̭͕͉̐͊͌̒̈́_̴̥̱̩̭͐ͅ*̸̡͉̍_̵̢͙͈̟̊̅͊̆*̷̨͙̮̺͐͛_̴̣̥̲̆͘*̷͈͗̓̊͂̓_̴̗̋͝*̷̠̱̩̳͜͝_̷̧̲͒̐͛̚*̵̙̂_̸͕̰̚͜*̶̹̽͂͌͒͜_̴̱̗̥͉̪͋̀̓̃*̴̩̞̠̻̿̂͘͜_̴̩̠̫̿͑*̷̨̨͙̩͙̃̂̆̈_̴̟̞̐́̚*̸̛͕̈̅̏̾_̵̭͚̂̎*̷̨̫̙͋͝_̶̟̈́*̴͙͉̼͂̆̃_̵̱̈̌̋̌̐*̵̗̹̏́̇̏͠ͅ_̷̭͚̈͋̍͝͝*̶̩̹͋_̷̨̖͓̞͚̈́̈́͛*̴̧̪̒̓́̊͠_̷̧͕͓̎̌͂*̵͓̊̋͘_̶̩̃*̷͖͇̖̖̯̈

Kiera suddenly collapsed.

“KIERA!” Sora exclaimed.

The Heartless was quickly surrounding her. Riku jumped back and fought them off. Everyone turned their attention to Kiera. Donald raised his wand and generated a powerful lightning storm, destroying the Heartless and driving them away. Sora ran over to Kiera and raised her head. Kairi fell to her knees by her side and examined her frightfully. Kiera was mumbling and twitching.

“Kiera! Wake up!” Sora cried.

“No,” Riku said suddenly, “She’s dreaming.”

“Now! At a time like this!?” 

Riku nodded. 

“Someone had prematurely woken her from her sleep, you know this, Sora. Her memories have been slowly returning to her, and they are more painful to remember since she’s awake.”

“What do we do, Riku?” Kairi asked.

Riku frowned. 

“All we can do is wait…”

Sora looked down, and tenderly brushed the hair from her face.

“Kiera…Please wake up…”

*̸͙̭̩̠͐̾_̴̰̖̙͎̆̿͆̆ͅ*̸̯̒̂̂̌́_̵̡̲͔̈̄*̶͉̋͋̇_̷̣̯͙͚͖̾*̴̻̩̑_̵͖̘̫̈́͐̑*̶̗͛_̷̢͙͖̦̫͌*̶͉̱̭͕͉̐͊͌̒̈́_̴̥̱̩̭͐ͅ*̸̡͉̍_̵̢͙͈̟̊̅͊̆*̷̨͙̮̺͐͛_̴̣̥̲̆͘*̷͈͗̓̊͂̓_̴̗̋͝*̷̠̱̩̳͜͝_̷̧̲͒̐͛̚*̵̙̂_̸͕̰̚͜*̶̹̽͂͌͒͜_̴̱̗̥͉̪͋̀̓̃*̴̩̞̠̻̿̂͘͜_̴̩̠̫̿͑*̷̨̨͙̩͙̃̂̆̈_̴̟̞̐́̚*̸̛͕̈̅̏̾_̵̭͚̂̎*̷̨̫̙͋͝_̶̟̈́*̴͙͉̼͂̆̃_̵̱̈̌̋̌̐*̵̗̹̏́̇̏͠ͅ_̷̭͚̈͋̍͝͝*̶̩̹͋_̷̨̖͓̞͚̈́̈́͛*̴̧̪̒̓́̊͠_̷̧͕͓̎̌͂*̵͓̊̋͘_̶̩̃*̷͖͇̖̖̯̈

Kiera suddenly opened her eyes. She was still in the keyblade graveyard. But it was more quiet, as if the fight was over. She sat up. 

“Kiera!” cried two voices. It was Aqua and King Mickey! 

“Mickey…? Aqua…? What happened?”

“I’m not sure…I just arrived,” said Mickey, “I sensed you were in trouble and came to help.”

“Xehanort and Vanitas have disappeared, and Terra too” Aqua reported gravely.

Kiera’s heart skipped a beat.

“What about Ventus!?”

.

Suddenly, everyone leapt up. They searched frantically for the blonde keyblade wielder. When they found him, they saw him standing a few feet away from them, on a little hill. He was still…too still. 

“Ven!” exclaimed Aqua and Ventus.

Mickey didn’t immediately follow them. Kiera embraced him tightly. 

“You’re alright. Everything’s gonna be okay now!” she hissed in his ear.

Ventus’ posture didn’t waver. His head was down, and she showed no emotion on his face. Aqua could sense something was wrong.

    “Kiera…” she said, in a warning tone.

Kiera bent down slightly to look at his eyes. They were hollow. She then realized he was holding an unusual keyblade in his hand. The color was inconsistent, and warping, but she could make out it looked like the ǩ̸͇i̴͚̇n̴̞͂g̵̨̚d̵̞̍ỏ̸̹m̶̱̋ ̷̢̈k̸̼̊ě̵͎y̶͈͌, only it was as if two versions of that keyblade clashed together. Even the details around it seem to emulate an explosion of power. 

.

It clicked.

“Kiera! Get away from him!”

Aqua suddenly grabbed Kiera and pulled her back just as Ventus took the keyblade, and took a swipe at Kiera. Aqua and Kiera tumbled back, and quickly jumped to their feet. Ventus picked up his face. He sneered. His face hardened, and his eyes flashed from blue to golden yellow. Kiera and Aqua summoned their keyblades.

“You’re not Ventus!” Aqua exclaimed. 

‘Ventus’ sneered. “CoRrEcT, I aM nOt VeNtUs.” 

Ventus’ armor contorted and morphed into a black and red rubber suit. Kiera recognized it instantly.

“Vanitas!”

    “HiS hEaRt HaS bEcOmE a PaRt oF mInE nOw! ThIs X-bLaDe WiLl oPeN a DoOr: OnE tHaT lEaDs To AlL wOrLdS! ThEn, KeYbLaDe-BeArInG wArRiOrS wILl FlOcK hErE fRoM eAcH aNd EvErY oNe Of ThEm, To BaTtLe FoR tHe LiGhT wItHiN KiNgDoM HeArTs!”

Kiera gritted his teeth. She raised Dreamseeker towards him with a threatening glare.

    “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you,” she growled, “But we won’t be fighting you for your stupid X-Blade. Give Ventus back!”

Aqua, Mickey, and Kiera D-linked each other and grew stronger, proving to be no match for Vanitas. Aqua threw her keyblade up into the air and rained down hot ashes. Kiera shot pointy ice crystals. 

“Ven! I know you’re in there somewhere! And I’m going to get you out!” Kiera hissed. 

She knelt down and closed her eyes. 

“Link your heart with mine. Just as we’ve done before.”

The wind gusts started kicking up. They concentrated around Kiera, as she clutched her Wayfinder, tightly. 

“We made a promise, didn’t we, Ven? The bond of true love…Help me…”

Suddenly, green and red orbs appeared, surrounded her. Aqua realized what Kiera was about to do. 

“Mickey! Fall back!” 

The two hastily backed away. Kiera opened her eyes. They swirled green and red, symbolizing the combined powers of her and Ventus. 

.

Kiera screamed. Green and red spikes violently rose up from the ground. ‘Ventus’ attempted to avoid them, but eventually, they pierced into his skin. He growled, his eyes flaring with rage at the keyblade wielder.

“Love is such a curse” ‘Ventus’ spat, “It will kill you. And you will never see your Ventus again.” 

“I’M NOT BUYING IT!” Kiera shouted, “Ventus is my power! AND I AM HIS!” 

‘Ventus’ started feeling pain in his chest. 

“LET VENTUS GO!” Kiera roared. 

The wind started to pick up. Kiera jumped into the swirling wind, and started to spin rapidly, so they point where she made no distinguished figure. She jumped onto Vanitas, slashing him to pieces. 

.

“ENOUGH!” cried Vanitas. 

He unleashed dark fumes and knocked Kiera back. The powerful D-link drained her greatly. She panted, pulling herself up, but with great effort. 

“What’s wrong? Giving up already?” he asked. 

“Ventus…I need you. Please, if you are still there, lend me your strength” she said quietly, holding her star charm and waited. 

“Just a little longer…”

.

“Gee Kiera, do you have to ask?”

Kiera’s eyes widened as her keyblade went up in light. A great pain was growing in ‘Ventus’ chest. Kiera charged for ‘Ventus’ one last time, and the two Keyblades were locked. ‘Ventus’ scoffed but Kiera pushed forward, knocking shards off the X-blade. 

“What!?” he cried. 

Aqua jumped into the ring, with all her might, and with her help, the X-blade was knocked out of ‘Ventus’ hand. 

.

Lights sparked from within it, and caused deadly beams to shoot in all directions. The warriors stood in awe.

“The X-Blade! It’s gone all haywire!” Mickey cried, “We’ve gotta get out of here! 

Kiera spotted Ventus on the ground, the darkness wearing off. 

“Ven!” she shouted. 

The wind was so strong, that Ventus was tossed into the air. Kiera, using her gliding ability, leaped as far as she could and grabbed Ventus’s hand just as the X-blade shattered.