The Keyblade War Chapter III: Beauty Of Apocalypse

Chapter One: A Road Long Traveled

The air is humid and still. Everything that stretches on for miles and miles is desolate and lifeless. The empty landscape brings about an eerie calm, much like a calm before a storm. There are no trees, no water, no signs of life whatsoever. The only things that dot the landscape are small mountains and tiny rocks scattered about. Walking ahead of everyone, Dawn stands upon a small hillside, surveying the area. She, along with her friends, have been treading this barren place for quite some time now. Almost an entire month had passed since their final battle with Xylek, and even though the Keyblade Wielders had been able to stop him, his plans had already taken root. And so, with the words Dawn had uttered right after the final battle, everyone agreed to keep pushing onward and put an end to this war, then, and only then, would they return to their homes. But words were sometimes easier to say than actually doing the deed. Dawn sighed and then went down towards the others, who were tired, practically exhausted from their long trip.

"Well guys, let's rest here for the time being. There don't seem to be any enemies around, so we should assume it's safe enough to rest." she explained, and the others, relieved to hear this, sat down. Dawn then went towards Riku, who had been carried all this time by Dexeres and Vanitas. Riku's wounds hadn't healed completely, for most of his body remained burnt.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked him, and he slowly opened his eyes, smiling at seeing her face. He winced a bit from the pain but was able to sit up.

"I'm feeling a bit better. The wounds still sting, but I'll manage soon enough!" he answered, and Dawn smiled and touched his face.

"That's good to hear, my love." she said to him, and then she looked at the others. Sora, Donald and Goofy didn't look like their usual, happy selves. Rather, they seemed distant and grim. She then looked at Kairi, who was staring off into the distance.

"Everyone's so...quiet. But, I don't blame them. We went through a lot recently, so I'm not surprised by this. But still, it's a bit...unsettling." Dawn said to Riku, and he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah...it hasn't been easy. But as long as we all stick together, we'll be okay." he said reassuringly, and at that, Dawn smiled.

"You're right." she said in agreement, and then she relaxed slightly, looking up at the sky.

Vanitas and Dexeres had both decided to keep watch on their surroundings, since enemies could come attacking at any moment. The both of them had been rather quiet, for really, no words were able to soothe anyone at this point. Instead, they did the best that they could do in silence. Mickey checked on everyone to make sure that they were all okay, and then he noticed that Xion was sitting a little far off from the rest of the group. Concerned, he went towards her, to see if he could cheer her up. Not knowing what to say, he simply sat beside her and remained by her side for a while. He was about to say something, but then he regretted it. Xion didn't even look at him. She had her knees close to her chest, and she had her head hidden in her arms. The battle had taken a horrific toll on her. The fact that she had to see Roxas die before her eyes was something that affected her deeply. At first, she hadn't shown it, but as time passed, she became more distant and silent. Mickey knew that this wasn't something words could mend easily, but he knew that he had to try.

"Xion...how are you holding up?" he asked. But no answer came to him. He then stood up and faced her, slowly lifting her head up and making her look at his face.

"Don't keep your feelings bottled up, Xion! Why, gosh, that's just not healthy at all!" he exclaimed, but Xion quickly looked away.