Chapter 67

Where Power Comes From


"I always knew it would come down to us."

So did I. Sora's own brain said to him – it had always been what he was counting on, believing that he had to end Xehanort for the sake of not only himself, but for all those whose lives has been ruined because of him.

But here they were, he and Xehanort, standing upon a singular gigantic rock pillar as the world around them cascaded into darkness. The earth tore and floating into the air, the gigantic portal of darkness literally sucking up everything into it.

Including all those who had fought by his side.

But it wasn't too late… it couldn't be.

His eyes moved toward the only source of light in this dark world… Kingdom Hearts.

Bearing it's light down on them, it signified his hope. Even if its familiar power resonated with the horrifying looking keyblade in Xehanort's hand.

"And now boy! We will discover what will truly come out as victor, the light or the darkness!" Xehanort swung his keyblade back, dashing straight toward him. Sora met his assault, clashing blades with him as his cerulean eyes bore into his amber.

Xehanort…


KHXRWBY


Thirty minutes ago…

"Sora… you're here."

Riku greeted him with a pat on the shoulder, covered in ash and dirt as the walked through the barren parts of the battlefield.

"Yeah…" Sora oddly responded without a smile, that look of seriousness passing on his young face as he regarded the world around him, "Couldn't have been done without everyone else…"

"Is that so?" Riku looked behind them, taking note of the conglomeration of allies that had come together. Faces new and old, and yet they supported one another and helped carry the wounded. Others defended them against the monstrous Heartless – as they needed to, the battle had yet to come to an end.

But Sora was here to change that.

"Where is Xehanort?"

Riku pointed up.

Sora found his eyes locked on gigantic earth pillar that stretched high in the sky, towering over the Groundshakers on the farthest end. The skies darkened as the meteors came crashing down, pelting the ground with a force strong enough to generate small quakes. It truly did look like the end of the world. The rest of the field around them was scattered with allies and enemies alike, even as darkness began to permeate the atmosphere in a manner not unlike…

"Remnant…" Sora almost gasped, "It's… dying…"

In truth he'd seen it way before he'd arrived at the frontlines, and getting there certainly hadn't been easy. But to see it happening, and amidst the destruction people and monster continued to fight. There was no governing power; no one to order them to stop the fighting… it was just pure hell.

"Yeah, it is…" Riku admit, "All this fighting, all the darkness infecting the world… it was only a matter of time. Had we stopped Xehanort anytime sooner, this might not have happened."

"But… there has to be something we can do right?" Riku wished he could tell his friend yes, but this was reality. Once darkness took the world, that was it… there was no immediate rescue for it. The worlds were not build to shatter apart, and as such it only made it harder to accept when it happened.

Remnant would die… as well as all of its denizens.

"Sora…"

Sora's eyes widened when he saw him…

"Master Yen Sid…"

Indeed, it was, in the flesh as he laid with his back pressed against a stone wall. Weiss sat just next to him, helping to clear the blood away from his head as the man took steady and even breaths. Sora might have thought he was okay; he was calm despite everything… but he hadn't noticed what ese this man bore.

A slash in his chest.

A deep one.

"Master…" Sora ran up to him, kneeling down to look at him. The man simply looked back, his beard cut short and a single eye closed as dried blood ran down his forehead, "Y-you… you aren't…?"

Silence from the man, and even though his expression didn't change, it was all the answer Sora needed.

No… NO!

Damn it, why did this have to happen?

Sora's fists coiled into his palms, ignoring that pitying glance Weiss sent his way as he tried to cool the boiling anger he felt. It was hardly Weiss's fault; she only did what she could to soothe his pain… and judging from how the girl looked, there was hardly any fight left within her. The same could be said for many others as well.

"Sora…"

His voice was deep and weak… yet still held a semblance of strength that Sora found admirable even now, he looked back at him, staring into his knowingly wise orbs. "Yes?"

"That day… when you did not become a master, when you did not pass your exam?"

"Yes sir…" It was one of the biggest failures of life, one he hated to look back on.

"That does not matter now – because I am proud to say that you have proven worthy of the title."

"H-how?" How indeed… he had failed. He couldn't be worthy of being a master.

"I'm not certain… I simply saw you, and you stood not as a soldier… but as a leader, as one who knew what he was meant to do. That Sora, is what a master is. And you have shown me that. And so, I ask of you this…"

He stared back at Sora, determined fire fading with each passing second.

"Defeat Xehanort… bring his anger and insanity to rest, Master Sora." He then laid back, giving Sora space.

The boy stood, ready. Giving his master one final look and praying for his survival… staring at the rock pillar before casting a faithline toward it and giving his friends one last look.

"Xehanort… it all ends here."


KHXRWBY


Xehanort…

How had the man become this way?

It always puzzled him, the reason why. Even as the man hacked and slashed away at him, he had to know that at some point he'd been different.

Their blades clashed.

Shockwaves echoing around them.

Blood, sweat – it's what covered these two warriors as they fought with everything they had. One side light, one side darkness… and they fought on completely equal terms.

"Hah! I see you've gotten stronger boy! Show me your strength!"

Sora could not respond, knowing that even if he did have one, he wouldn't say it anyway.

Why couldn't he say anything? Whenever he thought about his encounter with Xehanort, he imagined so many things he wanted to force out of him – make him answer to all his wrong-doings. But now that he was right before him, duking it out under the ethereal light of Kingdom Hearts.

He could say nothing.

With a left block, the energy ray from the X-blade was sent soaring into the skies. It's beam pierced the heavens and drew lightning to it like a magnet.

Oh no.

"Perish!" Xehanort called out as the beam came back, drawing the millions of bolts of lightning alongside it. Sora was quick to leap out of the way, allowing the energies to collide with the earth beneath his feet. Shards and chunks of rock tore at him, forcing him to cast a Reflega to protect himself.

Forcing the shards back, he pushed into a charge at the darkness enticed man before him. Their blades clashed again, rampant swings that met the sharp edges of each other's blades without remorse. Much like the lightning beforehand, they fought at incredible speeds… speeds Sora never thought himself fully possible.

They glided around the field, clashing in-between blows as the storms from above continued on. Wind pushed hard against the sea, and cascades of water pushed into the city with a rage not unlike the giant Heartless storming the ground.

"Ragnarok!" The bolts of tracking energy beams followed Xehanort even as he perused the skies like a falcon, he flew up then dove toward towards his target. Once close enough, his own protective barrier shielded him from harm.

Releasing the backlash at Sora.

"Aaargh!" Sora screamed, the blast of energy burning him as it sent him flying backward. The dark energy ate away at his jacket, leaving gaping holes in his shirt as well.

"This is all you have?" Xehanort's assault was relentless. Sword strikes, magic, anything and everything he pulled out to attack him. And for Sora, it was becoming too much to kep up with.

A slash to his leg and a stab to his back.

The burn of lightning… the spiking freeze of ice.

A maniacal sneer and the scent of dirt in his nose. He fell toward the ground, hitting it hard and taking the brunt of the rock pillar.

No… he couldn't fail.

"Ha, I told you it would be fruitless. Give up boy, Kingdom Hearts is mine and this world will fall into the pits of darkness where it belongs! You have failed!"

Sora looked around, losing himself in the chaos. Seeing so many allies and friends now falling against the enemy. Were the finally reaching their limits? He knew he was, and Xehanort still remained unbothered and lacking exhaustion.

Maybe it really was fruitless…

A hand reached out, grabbing his own. His eyes opening.

"Hey Sora, don't think you're down and out just yet!"

Sora couldn't believe it. Those eyes, that smile…

That red cape.

"Ruby?"

"The one and only!" Ruby responded with vigor, a blast of rose petals carrying him up.

They landed an instant afterward.

And Sora all but pulled Ruby close to him, one that Ruby equally returned. How could this be? Wasn't she…? Hadn't she?

"How… how are you here?" He tried his hardest not to cry.

Ruby gave an appreciative smile, "Thank Jaune, without his help, I couldn't have been."

"Ruby, we've… we all thought…"

"Yeah, I thought I was too, I thought I was done when I realized I didn't have a body… But I'm back now, you were right." Her expression turned more serious.

"But now, we've gotta bring Xehanort down. Make him pay for everything!"

This was such a different Ruby, and yet so similar. She had a look that made him believe in her, and to follow her forever into battle.

And he would, for sure.

"Right," Sora looked over the horizon, knowing that was where Xehanort was.

His keyblade gripped tight, he got ready.

"I'll help you." Ruby readied herself.

"Ruby… thank you, but it's only right that I do it."

She stared at him.

"I know it sounds insane… I promised I'd let you all fight with me next time. But I have to do this… there is something that I personally need to teach Xehanort. Please Ruby…"

She stared at him almost incredulously, but then smiled. "Well, I don't think I'm okay with it… but I trust you."

Then she did the unexpected…

Her lips pressed against his.

And in that moment he lost himself.

The warmth… the wetness of her lips against his as her breath meshed with his. He responded without even thinking, pulling her even closer and deepening the kiss. Were he to die this day… he'd treasure this moment forever.

Then they parted and she looked at him with those mesmerizing silver eyes. "Sora… you'd better win."

And with that she descended to the world below, Sora turning to face his enemy now.

"So she lived… still nothing but a forestalling of the inevitable… it changes nothing, you and your foolish friends shall all perish before me."

Sora faced him, a calm but hard look on his face.

Light billowed around his body, coating him in its loving embrace. Its energy built and built.

Even earning Xehanort's light shock. His counter with darkness matched Sora's soon enough. Their energy melding and forming a storm around them.

But by now, Sora knew what he had to do. It was over.

"You just don't get it Xehanort…"

Sora pointed his keyblade at the torrent of darkness as it cascaded around the world.

A thin beam of light firing into its pit… never to be seen again.

At least until…

FLASH!

The light spread like a wildfire, encasing the darkness with a light unforeseen. And Xehanort's eyes widened to the brim.

"How… how can you still defy me!?"

"Because…"

The first strike. Xehanort sent hurling through the air.

Sora appeared again behind him. "What we treasure, what we love… is more powerful than anything!"

The second and third strike.

"Xehanort… you lost sight of that, you let the darkness take you and didn't realize o appreciate what you had. Or maybe you did… and it was just never enough."

The fourth, the fifth and the sixth.

Light sheened from around Sora's body, engaging the dark entity light a flash of pure power. The light cascaded around him like sunrays, beaming around them as the light began to shower the world.

The particles swam in the air, falling around them even as the dark wind fought against it. But it was for naught, the warmth of the light overpowered its cold endeavors… punching through its malevolent atmosphere.

"I'm not as strong as you Xehanort…" Sora struck him in the back as he said this, continuing the assault as he closed the distance between them, "I might never be…"

Another strike, and he met eyes with the weakened man. "But my power… it doesn't come from me. I've always been a weak kid, and so my own strength can barely compare to yours."

He pushed him back.

"I get this feeling, this confidence and energy from those that support me… from those that have made me laugh, cry, scream and praise… my friends. All those that walked into the flame with me."

"But how! How can you be so humbled as to rely on the strength of others, why not take it for your own power!?"

Sora smiled and shook his head, sparing a glance at Kingdom Hearts. "Xehanort… because that is not what humans, faunus or any other race were meant to do. As strong as we might be, we can't do anything without a little help sometimes. I help my friends… and they help me. And it's not about what we owe to one another, or what we can get from each other…"

A solid stab through the man's chest, blood and light gushing through as Sora heard the man begin to choke. From behind him and pale orange light escaped, washing around them as they began to take shape.

They formed a person. A man.

Short brown hair, wearing armor and hakama pants. Otherwise we can unconscious on the ground.

Sora smiled victoriously. "We do it because that's what friends want to do for one another."

And the two men stood there, Xehanort's mouth filling with blood as he hung over Sora's firm body. There was nothing but silence between them… silence that was broken by the sound of loud ruckus from below.

His name, chanting and shouted.

Thousands of voices, of those familiar and unfamiliar to him. And yet, he felt their energy, their belief in his ability to win.

But again, Sora smiled. "Hear that, old man? That is not the sound of followers or subordinates… they are my equals, through and through. I'd treat them no differently. Maybe you'd have found happiness if you'd learned to love what you had."

Xehanort was silent for a bit, his body already beginning to fade away.

"So pretentious… who is to say I didn't love what I had?"

Sora's eyes widened slightly.

"Well done keyblade master," He said, lightly patting his back, "The end has come, not in the way I anticipated… but the fates have been determined. I fall… while you stand."

Sora retracted his keyblade, the man falling to the ground.

"We are very different people Sora… and yet as I lay here, I see a younger, more idealistic form of myself from the past. Farr before I cast my dreams aside."

He looked up at him, the rest of his form beginning to die away. "Do not allow your integrity to shatter… not like it did me. That is a strong heart buried in your chest, be sure it will not lead you astray."

He faded away, the darkness taking him whole as Jaune watched him go.

"Count on it."

Sora then looked back toward the fallen man, this had to be the Terra that Aqua and Ven were talking about. There was no other reason for there not to be.

Kingdom Hearts was slowly being pulled back by the clouds, the X-blade slowly fading away in unison as the dark clouds too began to vanish.

Light cast from above, bearing into the shattered world of Remnant. Earth reformed, millions of bright blue lights began to fly from above and below taking place all around. Be they people, homes, trees… but it all meant one thing.

The world… it was being restored.

"Sora!"

Sora grinned, carting Terra on his back even though he was heavier than he preferred. But he looked down at the girl who called his name, her bright smile warming his heart as her beauty became more apparent to him.

Ruby Rose.

But it wasn't just her, everyone else as well. Calling out him name to rejoin them…

Riku, Kairi, Yang, Goofy… Donald, Leon, Blake, Pyrrha and Jaune… the list went on and on, the sea of people only growing larger and larger as the lives of those who had fallen were restored by the second.

He looked at Terra's unconscious face with a smile, "Come on Terra… our friends are waiting for us."

And with that, Sora leapt off the platform…

Sailing down to the sea of friends and allies that stood on the earth of a world he had come to love alongside many others.

His descent carried his far, and everyone ran to catch him. But Sora's eyes were focused on one…

The warrior in the red hood.

The reaper with the mechanical scythe.

Ruby Rose… the girl he loved.

His hand outstretched, her breathed in the fresh air of a beautifully restored Remnant as the warmth of her hand reached his.


First off, apologies.

Sorry this chapter took so long… I'd written it a while ago but then my computer broke so I had to save up for a new one.

As such, since the original had been a pain in this ass to write, I shortened it to this to save time.

With this chapter, Light of Remnant is OFFICIALLY OVER! YAYS!

But this is not the last update.

There are still loopholes to fill in, and extra battles that I completely skipped over. AND most importantly the epilogue.

I will not however that I will not be working on those actively, they will only be written and released when I want to. Because otherwise this was the ending I wanted to go for, to leave speculation up to you guys. I know that's kinda lame, but since that's the idea I had when I started, I wanted to end it that way.

Everyone… thank you so much for this journey, I can proudly say that I finished my very first fanfiction. I never wanted to give up on it and there have been so many times where I wanted to. But you pushed me to continue and that gave me the motivation to do better and continue it.

So thank you, thank you all.

Now in the future, since this Light of Remnant was rather inconsistent. I may to a rewrite, or do something else Kingdom Hearts x RWBY related. Have ideas! Shoot them over! Also, since this fic is coming to an end, that frees up a lot of my time so if you want me to help you out with some of your fanfic ideas, then message me and I'll see what I can do! Heck, if you'd like to write a Light of Remnant fanfic, then by all means do so! I'd love to see it!

For those disappointed with the chapter… I'm sorry, but this is how it is going to be. I'd feel bad, but since this is the end of the fic, it doesn't really matter whether you like it or not. Unfollow or unfavorite as you please, for it changes nothing.

Otherwise, to all who loved and followed this series to the end, thank you all again. Even as I write this I look back on how long ago it had been when I started. I was in a rough time of my life and I decided to try my hand at writing fanfiction.

And now I'm here. Living with my best friends, with a well-paying job and fans that I come home to write more stories for.

I don't even have a girlfriend, and yet I find myself not even caring. It's the last thing on my mind simply because I love writing fanfiction too much to even think about dating right now!

That is how much of a difference you guys have made in my life!

So again, thank you so much for everything, and this is not the end! I will continue to bring fanfiction to you guys for as long as I can!

The only fics I have up right now other than this are RWBY fics, but if you'd like to see me write for another archive, let me know! Want another Kingdom Hearts crossover fic, shoot me over some ideas! Any idea you want to see me write, I'll be glad to hear out the idea and see if I'll write it!

And that is all from me, loyal LOR followers!

It has truly been an adventure.

Till next time, or better said, I'll see you in the next fic!

Later!

IMSOAWESOME