By Aaron James
“The Force is strong in my family….”
“My father has it….
I have it……
My sister has it…..”
These words echoed throughout the forest of Endor as Sora awakens yet again in a strange new world. He could feel his heart led him to this place, though without Donald or Goofy by his side this time he felt uneasy. Walking through the forest he caught a glimpse of soldiers in white suits patrolling the area. He hid behind a tree trying not to get seen but peaking around to see what all the commotion was. It seemed like they were searching for someone, and they had weapons unlike anything Sora had encountered before.
Luke Skywalker had just revealed the truth to his sister that he and her were siblings, and that he needed to confront his father, Darth Vader. Luke appeared with lightsaber in hand to surrender himself to the guards in white.
“Freeze!”
“Hands in the air rebel scum!” They pointed their weapons at him, surrounding him.
“Nobodies?” Sora thought to himself.
Luke turned around and dropped his lightsaber, raising his hands in the air and also noticing Sora’s presence behind the tree.
“Huh?” Sora could sense a radiant light emanating from his heartbinder.
“I’ve come to surrender myself to your Emperor.” Luke said.
“Where are your friends?” Asked the commander.
“I came alone.” Luke said.
“At last he surrenders himself, the rebel who created such a mess for us. Lord Vader will be pleased. Take him!” Said the commander.
As they took Luke into their ship he turned his head and smiled feeling somehow his friends were in good hands.
“Whoa!” Sora exclaimed as the ship took off in front of him.
“Hmm not of this world are you? An intruder you are? “
Sora turned his head and saw what looked like a ghost with little pointed ears.
“Huh??? A ghost?”
“Hmph! Never seen a ghost before, have you? Yoda, Master Yoda my name is. Searching for something you are, sensed it I did.”
“You mean you can help me?”
“Help, don’t help. Ask of you this I cannot. Aid Luke Skywalker, find what you’re searching for. May the force be with you young one.”
Yoda faded from Sora’s sight.
“May the- h-hey wait!”
Sora was unaware of what was going on so he decided to explore the forest he found himself in. He searched and he searched until he noticed he was being followed by these little bear-like creatures. At first the little Ewoks took Sora for an intruder. He raised his hands.
“Whoa! Friendly! Friendly!” He exclaimed.
They all surrounded Sora and took him prisoner.
“Oh dear who have you brought me this time?” Said C3PO as a whole gang of Ewoks brought Sora to him.
Just then Han Solo noticed the commotion and stepped in.
“Easy pals, he doesn’t look like the bad guys. Let him go!”
“Ooph. Phew!” Sora sighed as he fell over clumsily.
“You okay friend? Did the rebellion send you?”
“Rebellion? Ummm.” Sora was unsure how to respond.
“In any case, you’re not safe here, there’s a battle ahead of us tomorrow and we gotta fight with everything we’ve got, now if only she would tell me where Luke went…..” Han bickered.
“Luke?”
“(Was that the guy I saw get taken by those guys in white?)”
“You know him?” Asked Han.
“No but if he’s your friend I wanna help!”
Said Sora excitedly.
“Hey now hold your horses!” said Han.
Suddenly a beautiful princess appeared behind Han.
“Who’s this now?” Asked Princess Lea.
“Says he wants to help.” said Han as he shrugged.
“I don’t know exactly what’s going on here but I do know those guys in white are bad news. And I won’t be burden trust me.” Sora explained as he held out his hand. Just then light gathered around Sora’s hand and the Keyblade appeared.
“Beep-booop!” R2D2 started cheering him on.
“Whoa kid! Just what kind of force magic is this?” Asked Han.
“Force magic?”
“You’ve never heard of the Force before?” asked Princess Lea.
Just then the Ewoks were getting rowdy again. “Huh? What is it now?” Han pulled out his blaster and went to investigate. “Dank Ferrik! We’re under attack!” Han exclaimed as he started blasting.
The heartless arrived, this time taking the form of floating armored droids.
“Wait! They’re too dangerous! I’ll deal with them!” shouted Sora
He whipped around his keyblade and started showing off his skills jumping from enemy to enemy destroying them one by one. Han and Lea assisted Sora with their blasters and R2D2 tried shocking some of them.
“I gotta say you handle yourself pretty well kid.” Said Han as he continued firing at the heartless
“Thanks, this is kind of what I do.” Said Sora as he hammered his keyblade down at the last heartless.
“Let’s get going. There’s bound to be more on the horizon.” Said Han.
Sora teamed up with R2D2, 3PO, Han, Chewbacca and Lea in the fight against heartless and stormtroopers.
After a while of battling the team rested up, and then another voice called out to Sora.
“Sora! Sora….”
Who’s there?
“I am Obi-wan Kenobi. There is little time to explain. You came here with a special weapon, a key that unlock any lock. I implore you, use your weapon to aid Luke and his friends. That is as much as I can say to you. May the Force be with you, always.”
The ghost faded away.
“Again? But what is this Force? Is it like the Keyblade?”
Meanwhile at the Imperial base…..
“Vader stepped through the blast doors and greeted Luke’s captors.
“This is the rebel that surrendered to us. Although he denies it I believe there may be more of them and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area. He was armed only with this.” Said the commander as he handed over Luke’s Lightsaber weapon.
“Good work commander, leave us. Conduct your search and bring his companions to me.” Said Darth Vader.
“Yes my Lord” said the commander as he and the Stormtroopers walked away.
“The Emperor has been expecting you.” Said Vader
“I know father.” Said Luke.
“So you have accepted the truth.”
“I’ve accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father.”
“That name no longer has any meaning for me.”
“It is the name of your true self you’ve only forgotten! I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn’t driven it from you fully. That was why you couldn’t destroy me, that’s why you won’t bring me to your Emperor now.” Said Luke.
Just then Darth Vader activated Luke’s weapon examining it.
“I see you have constructed a new lightsaber. Your skills are complete.” Vader said as he turned away.
“Indeed you are powerful as the Emperor has foreseen.” Said Vader.
“Come with me” said Luke.
“Obi-wan once thought as you do. You don’t know the power of the dark side!” Vader said as his fist enveloped in darkness. Just then creatures of darkness appeared before both of them.
“I MUST obey my master.” Said Vader.
“I will not turn, and you’ll be forced to kill me” said Luke.
“If that is your destiny” said Vader.
“Search your feelings father you can’t do this! I feel the conflict within you, let go of your hate!”
Shouted Luke.
“It is too late for me son…” Said Vader in a sad tone. Vader then waved at the creatures to take Luke.
“The Emperor will show you the true nature of the force.” Said Vader as Luke was taken to see Vader’s master.
“He is your master now!” exclaimed Darth Vader.
The stormtroopers escorted Vader and Luke to the New Death Star.
Just then a force ghost looked on from the distance.
Meanwhile on the Forest Moon of Endor….
Sora was fighting alongside the Rebel alliance, taking landspeeders from the stormtroopers, and using the keyblade to deflect their attacks. The Ewoks were on his side now. As he made his way to the planetary shield generator that was protecting the second Death Star from being attacked. Han and Leia got separated from Sora and went on to fight their own battles. Eventually once the rebels disable the shield Han’s friend Lando and another group of X- wing pilots head for the Death Star. Realizing this fight wasn’t going to be enough to stop the Empire and the Heartless Sora decides to hop on one of the Rebel Alliance ships and pilot it himself. It was very similar to the gummi ship and he was already somewhat familiar with the controls. Taking flight into space Sora blasted his way through several tiefighters that got in his way. As he blasted them he noticed also that some of them were being piloted by the heartless!
The shield around the death star was fully operational, but Sora took the guidance he heard from Obi-wan and used his keyblade from his ship unlocking the way. With the shields now down, Sora was unsure how to land the ship and crashed into the interior sector. He would need to fight his way to get to where Luke was. Meanwhile in the elevator shaft Luke senses Sora’s presence but is unable to do anything without his lightsaber on hand. However the elevator shaft was stopped suddenly and shadow heartless surrounded Luka and Darth Vader. They took them to a dark hallway somewhere in the inner Death Star and Neoshadows began to appear. Vader cut down a few of them but then more showed up and overwhelmed him.
“Luke….
Luke….”
Luke could hear a voice in his head.
“Luke! Use the force Luke. If you truly wish to save your father. Use the force!”
Luke took heed to the words, but was insure who was communicating with him. Could it have been Obi-Wan Kenobi? Luke reached out his hand and force-pulled his lightsaber back to him.
Vader turned to him and in silence he nodded.
Together for the first time, Luke and Vader fought together as father and son. They eliminated shadow after shadow but the darkness crept up behind them and more shadows spawned. Vader used the force aggressively and threw them against objects, and then broke off pieces of the interior to throw at them. Luke force pulled them to him as he strategically cut them in half one by one. Just then a light shone from above and a door of light appeared allowing Sora to make it through. Bringing with him the light the darkness pulled away and became an emblem heartless resembling a dual wielding warrior. It summoned a beam of hallowed light and made its way up the Death Star. Vader gave chase to the monster. It called to mind the time Sora and Riku faced Xemnas.
“You’re Sora aren’t you?I’m Luke Skywalker.” Luke said introducing himself.
“Nice to-wait! How do you know my name?” Asked Sora.
“The Force brought us together here, it was the Force that connected our hearts. Surely you must have felt it too.” Explained Luke.
“The Force?”
“That’s right the Force is within you too Sora. You have powers I don’t yet understand but I can feel by the strength and courage of your heart you already possess it.”
Luke said complementing Sora.
“Whoa, I don’t know what that is but if it’s anything like a Keyblade Master then count me in!” Said Sora excitedly.
“I’ve come to this place not to surrender but to save my father. It’s something only I can do.”
Said Luke.
“I think I know where you’re coming from Luke.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s just say I got your back?” Said Sora as he scratched his head.
“Now there’s a sight I have not seen in a long time” uttered a voice familiar to Sora.
“Obi-wan?”
“It would seem your training is almost complete. Two lights are better than one after all.”
The voice said as it faded
Vader had given the enemy chase but was confronted by none other than the Emperor himself.
“There you are, Lord Vader.”
Meanwhile Sora and Luke made their way to the heartless.
“It’s this way I sensed it.” Said Luke.
As Luke stepped ahead of Sora he exchanged a glance at Vader and the Emperor.
“Father….?”
Said Luke.
“Welcome young Skywalker.”
Said the Emperor seated in the background.
“Today will mark the end for you and your pathetic rebellion! Now prove your worthiness of the darkside of the force!” The Emperor shouted as he drew his hands up and lightning enveloped the heartless empowering it with a strange energy.
Sora and Luke finally teamed up together to fight the Heartless. The keyblade also changed its shape and became the very image of a blue lightsaber with a an X-wing shape at the end and the symbol of the Rebel alliance as the keychain.
“Let’s do this, together!”
Said Sora excitedly.
The two warriors of light engaged the heartless with all of their strength combining their skills and coordinating their attacks on its weak points. All the while Darth Vader and the Emperor watched, but as Vader looked on he seemed frustrated by something.
Finally as the heartless was defeated a giant heart was released from it and Sora and Luke were confronted by Vader.
He drew his lightsaber and readied a full on assault against Sora and Luke. Sora gave all he could against him but Vader was too powerful and though Sora was able to subdue him for a moment, something within Vader had awakened and he was able to force push Sora away from Luke and out of the room.
“Sora!!!” Luke shouted as he drew his lightsaber and tried to catch Sora but was unable to. Then he hid from Vader.
“You cannot hide forever Luke.” Said Vader
“I will not fight you.”
Said Luke.
“Give yourself to the dark side, it is the only way to save your friends. You feelings for them are strong…. especially for…
Sister. So you have a twin sister. Your thoughts betray you. Your failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side then perhaps she will.”
“Noooo!”
Luke then summoned his rage and attacked Vader in full force, besting him.”
The Emperor commanded Luke to finish his father but Luke refused.
“I’ll never join you. You have failed your highness. I am a Jedi like my father before me.”
“Very well. Have it your way….jedi.”
The Emperor caused luke immense suffering attacking him with his force lighting. Vader got up and watched on as his son was being hurt by his “master”. As Vader looked on he had a moment of reflection to when he was Anakin Skywalker. Newly wed and hearing the news he was going to have a child.
Sora fought his way back towards the Emperor’s throne room. The red guardians drew their weapons but were no match for Sora and his abilities. Sora called out to Vader.
“Vader!”
“Don’t let him do this! Deep down inside all of us there is a light that never goes out!
Vader then began to question his loyalty to his master.
“No… NO!”
Vader picked up the evil emperor from behind and threw him down into the deepest pit of the death star. Vader fought against the darkness but his body was weakened by the Emperor’s force lightning and his life support system was severely damaged.
Luke picked up his father and Sora supported him. The three carried him as far as they could but Vader’s wounds were too grave.
“Luke… help me take… this mask off”
“But you’ll die!”
“Nothing… can stop that now, just for once let me look on you with my own eyes.”
Luke did as his father asked and removed his mask.
“Now go my son. Leave me”
“No you’re coming with me. I will not leave you I have to save you!”
“You already…have Luke. You were right, you were right about me. Tell your sister, you were right.”
“Father I won’t leave you.”
Just the Vader had closes his eyes one final time, his son being the last thing he saw. Sora was reminded of the tragedy of Master Xehanort and understood now matter how deep in the darkness someone is there is always a path to the light in all of us.
The trip back to Endor was somber, but after the many harsh battles the galaxy celebrated the defeat of the Galactic Empire, and Sora, R2D2 and C3PO celebrated with Luke, Han and Lea.
A pyre was made for Anakin Skywalker, the chosen one. And far away both Sora and Luke sensed his presence as well as Obi-Wan and Yoda. Sora also saw another in the distance. It was Master Eraqus and Xehanort smiling at him as they showed their approval of his keyblade mastery.
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