Chapter 50: The Apocalyptic War Part 1
It was so recognizable. It literally took my breath away hearing it. The bell, the Tsar bell to be precise, has rung and rings now. It's ring echoes throughout everywhere. We know its sound is very much audible around the world and outside of this world. We know for sure that everyone in the Realm of Light and Eos hears it. Then, we look into the sky and far above, we see what was stars look bigger and not as bright anymore. Those aren't stars, they are planets. Actually, not just planets, they are worlds... and we recognize them. Then some wormhole colored magenta purple and sapphire blue opened up in the sky distorting the views of the worlds. Everyone that was driving or was walking stopped and looked at the hole in awe. It became clear to us then and there: there are no borders between worlds anymore. We looked at each other with calmness and nodded gently. Then light covered us changing us into our Elite forms. We then took a step forward toward the direction of the hole and stepped on an invisible plain like Roxas fighting Xion in 358/2 Days. We walked forward towards the hole knowing what we will be facing on the other side.
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The Keyblade Emperor had some of his soldiers and his close companions of Ephemer, Skuld, Blaine, and Strelitzia with him. By now, Invictus had all Keyblade wielders of Earth and anyone willing to fight allied and waiting for the time to gather. Some of the Keyblade wielder soldiers were with Invictus and his companions at the Emperor's Pillar. As of now, Invictus summoned the predecessors of his to appear. The Keyblade Emperor spoke to them and while he could speak in the ancient tongue, he spoke in English. The many emperors of yore have appeared like the Lucian Kings of Yore: in light shaped as their statues.
"My predecessors," Invictus said to them, "the time is nigh and as I asked for your power, I ask for strength given to me and all Keyblade wielders including the Supreme Elite." They all remained silent and waved their right hands over all sending their strength to everyone there, the Supreme Elite, and all Keyblade wielders. The emperors then returned back to Invictus giving him back the power he initially requested from them. Then, ding.... diiiiiiiinnnnnnnng... diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng.... The four companions and soldiers all gasped where Invictus turned his masked face and looked into space just above all.
"Is that...?" Skuld asked. No one answered immediately. Invictus did though after a few moments of listening.
"The time... has come..." he said. Then they look off to the north and into the sky and see a wormhole open. Then, other stars grew brighter and appeared bigger and more clear.
"That's the entrance isn't it?" Blaine asked.
"Indeed," Invictus replied.
"How will everyone gather there?" Strelitzia asked.
"Everyone will see and know that it is there the war will be fought," Invictus replied.
"It won't be confined to just there whatever is on the other is won't it?" Ephemer asked.
"It will spread like the Keyblade War," Invictus said. "Darkness as foretold will cover all worlds and all of the universe. There are no more borders between worlds and universes to stop it. One of the Supreme Elite will take up the counterpart and free us all from the dark scourge when the time comes. We must go forth and gather together with all." And they walked up a plain to the wormhole to join with their comrades.
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Noctis gasped and immediately ran outside. He hears the deep dinging of the bell and knew he needed to get outside the Citadel to see what is happening. He took the stairs and just about jumped down them from the upper floors of the Citedel to the first floor, ran out through the entrance, and ran down the steps. At the bottom, he looked up and around. The dinging was still very clear and echoing throughout. Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto ran out next to his side from the Citadel soon after.
"The hell is that?!" Gladio asked.
"Is that what I think it is?" Prompto asked with fear.
"It may be," Ignis replied. Luna then came out from the Citadel and saw her husband and friends at the bottom of the stairs.
"Noctis!" she shouted making them all turn around. She then rushed down the steps to her beloved. "Noctis, I fear that this toll is what we have been told of by Polemistis." Gentiana then appeared next to them walking a few steps.
"The bell that tolls for the end has rung," she said. "The war is nigh. All shall gather where no borders between exist.
"Gentiana, where could that possibly be?" Noctis asked with worry. Gentiana opened her eyes and looked up into the sky. Everyone else did the same and gasped as a large wormhole has opened up in the sky.
"What the hell is that?!" Noctis shouted.
"That is where all from all worlds will gather," Gentiana replied. "We must go forth and gather with the Elite Ones. Go forth Chosen King with the Lady and companions and join the side of the Elite Ones and the seven ones of light and of the Earth. The gods shall be with you at all times." She then changed into Shiva after glowing bright white light. Then Ramuh appeared above them, Titan came from the distance and landed in the city of Insomnia, and Leviathan rose up from the waters surrounding the crown city. Noctis looked at his friends and his wife and all of them nodded at him and they all summoned their weapons. Noctis nodded in reply, turned toward the wormhole, and summoned his armiger.
"We're right behind you guys," he said referring to the Supreme Elite. Then they walk up an invisible plain and walk towards the wormhole with the astrals following behind them.
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The seven lights of Earth met with their counterparts of the Realm of Light in Yen Sid's office and explained everything to them the first time. This time was a second meeting to discuss the coming conflict.
"So we have gathered as many allies from Earth as we could," Matthew said. "We went into the streets to those willing to fight. In other words, non Keyblade wielders have agreed to join the fight."
"So this will be bigger than the Keyblade War?" Sora asked.
"Unfortunately yes," Matthew replied. "All worlds from the Realm of Light and the worlds of Eos and Earth will be a part of this. Everything will be affected." Then they hear deep loud ringing making them gasp.
"And with that strike, a bell that tolls for the end shall ring and the final battle will begin at the destined time," Yen Sid said. He clearly was repeating the Book of Prophecies fateful line of the final passage. They all got up and went out of Yen Sid's office and went down the staircase to head outside. Sora led the way the whole time. When he opened the doors, he gasped again. The Foretellers were standing there backs turned toward them. They appeared to be looking into the starry sky above them. Sora and company went down the steps to approach them.
"Foretellers," Sora said. The Foretellers did not turn around, but turned their heads to acknowledge the approaching of the allies.
"Seven guardians, Master Yen Sid," Gula said. Matthew and the others from Earth stepped forward.
"Foretellers," Matthew said, "I am Matthew and my companions and I are the seven guardians of Earth. The Foretellers immediately turned around with mouths slightly agap.
"You are the ones that we mysteriously knew of," Invi said. Matthew nodded.
"Yes we are," he replied. "We are the ones that were summoned to gather by the will of the Supreme Elite and are the ones that will fight the thirteen darknesses." Ira was about to say something, when suddenly, a wormhole opened in the sky cutting off the formalities abruptly. Everyone turned toward it will some gasping at the sight. Stars grew brighter and then looked like worlds nearby
"Are we going there?" Sora asked.
"Indeed," Matthew said.
"What is it?" Ira asked. "What is happening?"
"The walls that divided us from other worlds have disappeared," Yen Sid said. "Darkness will spread unceasingly with no borders to contain it and like the wind blowing the war will go everywhere its whim takes it."
"Only when one of the Supreme Elite takes up the χ-blade will the war end and the darkness dispelled," Matthew said. "All who will be fighting will be gathering there."
"Surely, the Supreme Elite are there as well," Aced pointed out.
"Indeed," replied Matthew.
"Then we have to go now," Sora said. "We can't sit here. Our friends now need us and no matter what we need to be by their side." Everyone nodded in reply. Even Yen Sid decided to take up his Keyblade and leave the Mysterious Tower, unlike before when he and the Foretellers did not fight in the Keyblade War. Everyone summoned their Keyblades and walked up an invisible plain to the wormhole with Sora again leading the way.
"Don't worry guys, we're coming," Sora said and they marched forward ready to meet their friends and fellow Keyblade and non Keyblade wielding allies.
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Luxu was in the Keyblade Graveyard when he heard it. His head snapped up to look around and he grinned. The dinging was deep and recognizable and echoed throughout the Keyblade Graveyard giving him the chills and exciting him with anticipation. A dark corridor opened up behind him and Nikitis and all thirteen darknesses came out of it. Nikitis approached Luxu and stood behind him.
"Can you hear it?" Luxu asked with excitement. "Hear its deep ring. Hear how it echoes everywhere. The time has come." All of them then looked up and saw a wormhole open and stars glow brighter and become the shape of planets and worlds.
"There! Do you see it?" Luxu asked. "It is the entrance to the Cross Between Worlds. That is where all our allies will gather and face all the warriors of the light. The Cross Between Worlds: where the borders between worlds disappear and all becomes one. The Realm of Light will become complete again and Earth and Eos will once again return home. Come, we must go there and gather with all of them." Nikitis and the thirteen nodded and they proceeded to walk up an invisible plain to the wormhole and gather with their allies to face the forces of light led by the Supreme Elite.
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My friends and I were standing in what we realized was called the Cross Between Worlds. This is where all worlds and their realms intersect each other. Here anyone could access any world they so desire. It was an expansive plain and space was clear. There was some different colors around the plain. Far behind my friends and I was planet Earth in its splendor. Around, we see Eos and every world in the Realm of Light that exists and we have yet to visit. It became clear that Earth has finally "returned home" since all the worlds have gathered together again just like before the first Keyblade War thousands of years ago. Everyone that was here had weapons on hand at the ready including us four. Off to my immediate left and right are my friends with Adrian next to my left side and Shane and Jack on my right side. To our left, the seven guardians of light stood side by side with the seven guardians of Earth behind them and the Foretellers and Yen Sid behind the seven of Earth. The former members of Organization XIII, Donald, and Goofy were also standing behind the Foretellers and Yen Sid with the latter two standing next to Mickey. Behind my friends and I were Strelitzia, Ephemer, Blaine, Skuld, and the Keyblade Emperor Invictus Verum; the emperor stood behind me directly. Off to our right were the Lucians. Noctis and Luna stood with each other and Gladiolus, Prompto, and Ignis standing by next to the former mentioned.
Now there were masses of people that stretched as far as the eye could see. It must have numbered in the tens of millions if not more. Behind the two groups of seven, Foretellers, former Organization members, Donald, and Goofy were soldiers of Disney Town along with all of Mickey's friends from the Disney Castle. Even Maleficent and Pete were there too. It was clear that Maleficent saw this the same way as she saw the Dark Elite: threats to her quest for power. Therefore, here she is fighting on our side. Now there were many soldiers from Disney Town. They were not the brooms that took Pete away for his defiant behavior against Minnie. These were soldiers that were of human stature. Basically, they were the Royal Knights that answered to Goofy. There were also Keyblade wielders from the Realm of Light as well and they must have numbered in the millions as well. Behind us Supreme Elite, the emperor, and his companions were Keyblade wielders from Earth that also numbered in the millions and anyone from Earth that had a weapon and wanted to fight. There were army forces from different nations with weapons in hand too that decided to fight or were sent forth as ordered from their nations' leaders. Every kind of person from Earth from just about all walks of life were in the masses as well. Behind all the Lucians were Crownsguard, Kingsglaive and armies from Lucis and Tenebrae. Although Lucis disbanded the army a long time ago and only had a defensive force, Noctis clearly rebuilt and recreated the army of Lucis and Tenebrae also had an army rebuilt and restored. There were also masses Keyblade wielders from Eos that stood along side the armies. They were particularly from Lucis and just like the numbers of the armies in the millions, so did the number of Keyblade wielders from Eos. The astrals were all together off to the side as well among the masses of forces from Eos. As this is the light, the dark was not much different. Luxu and the thirteen were front and center straight across from us Elite and as every world has its light, so they also have their darkness. On the side of darkness were dark Keyblade wielders and people from Earth that became traitors and joined the darkness. The same with those from Eos. In fact, the remnant of Niflheim gathered together again and now side with Luxu. That side too numbered in the tens of millions as well.
Both sides were still staring each other down. No one moved an inch and no one a sound. The only sound made was from the environment around everyone. I look to my left and Adrian nods at me. I look to my right and Shane and Jack nod at me. Then, it all happened like in slow motion and with no sound. I charge forward not really feeling the steps I am taking. I have my Keyblade in hand and ready to strike. Luxu points his No Name forward as an order of attack and all his forces charge forward. Then I swing at the first opponent that reaches me and a great white flash erupts. The Apocalyptic War has begun.