Perchance to Dream

Part I

Apprentice drummed her fingers on the wall, brows knitted with a hand pressed to her temple. The staccato pattern her fingernails created did not help the increasing annoyance that weighed on her mind. She had forgotten something, and obviously she didn't know what. She pictured how much of an idiot she must looked, standing awkwardly in the hallway. Maybe if she retraced her steps and thought for a moment what she had been planning before she suddenly forgot.

Shaking her head, Apprentice stood up straight and walked forward. She played various scenarios through her mind. First, I was thinking eating frosted flakes for breakfast and then I had planned on going on the computer. That's when the various grey, white and blue colours invaded her mind.

"Ohhhhh," she said aloud, slapping the side of her head."That's what I was going to do. I was going to go on KH13. Stupid me."

Treading a restless hand through her auburn hair, Apprentice made her way up the staircase. The rest of her family had gone out shopping today and she was alone at home with the dog and cats.

Approaching her iMac, she seated herself comfortably. At first, Apprentice had stumbled upon the site looking for various Kingdom Hearts cutscenes via Google and YouTube. When she returned to the site, she started stalking it for a for a month or so when Birth by Sleep Final Mix and Re:coded had been released. It was until after KH3D had been announced that she finally decided to sign up on the site using the pseudonym TheApprenticeofKingMickey.

It was really strange, the feelings she felt for invisible people. At first, she was initially suspicious of anyone who talked to her, believing them perverts or rapists. As time went, the members of KH13 grew on her and came to regard the majority of the site as good friends. Course, if her parents knew this they'd be telling her, "Y'know, you're befriending pedophiles, right?"

Apprentice briefly smirked as she opened Safari. Maybe she'd ought to tell them that. gaiz mommy and daddy thinks ur all pedos!

From what Apprentice had learned , KH13 consisted of five groups. The Kings (Aaron and DChiuch), the moderators, the well-known members, the lesser-known members and the bots. Apprentice had a hard time distinguishing whether she belonged in the well known or lesser known groups. The hierarchy of KH13 was a tough egg to crack. Basically if the mods disapproved of you or dislike you, your life on KH13 never truly existed in the first place.

After Apprentice had finished browsing through YouTube and allkpop, she finally clicked on KH13. Browsing through the notifications on KH13 was one of the times during the day that Apprentice looked forward to the most. Which is pretty pathetic now that you think about it.

What caught Apprentice's eye was the strange window flashing at the corner of the screen. She removed her purple and blue spectacles, cleaned them, rubbed her eyelids before depositing them back on the bridge of nose.

The window was small, flashing with all the signature colours and symbols of the Kingdom Hearts series. In the series' signature font there was were two words. 'The Keyhole' it said. Below the words was the recognizable Keyhole of Light, its light shining more brightly than the midday sun itself. She was right. What she saw wasn't a dream. She had clicked on this window before and it had taken her on a magical route.

Apprentice moved the cursor, then hesitated. Stop it, she thought. This is DChiuch, you idiot. You can trust him. Swallowing audibly, Apprentice clicked on the Keyhole. A silvery white light came pouring out of the Keyhole, lathering the walls and furniture of the computer room. It grabbed hold of Apprentice, its touch almost frothy and warm. It coaxed Apprentice to feel no fear. Finally yielding, she let herself plunge into a world of magic and danger.

* * *

Tell me if I kicked ass in this chapter. I think did pretty well. I credit Deadshot for the name. So now you know what my parents think of you. And what important lesson did we learn from reading this chapter kids? LSD + Computer = BIG NONO

Cool story.

Now where am I?

 

i tried liking it but I've reached my limit ;A; and

 

The both of you are lucky ass bastards. You'll be in for most of Part X.

Love you

X FOR SEX

The both of you are lucky ass bastards. You'll be in for most of Part X.

 

And when do I come/die?

X FOR SEX

 

<(>^^)(o.o)(^^<)>

I BE BEATING THEM WITH MAH NINJA SKILLS

X FOR SEX

 

We're gonna have a threesome?

I BE BEATING THEM WITH MAH NINJA SKILLS

 

THATS COOL I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO IS LEFT STANDING OUT OF THE KEYBLADERS

ALSO WHY CANT I TALK TO YOU IN THE CHAT I WANNA RAGE ALONGSIDE YOU BUT IT DOESNT LET ME

THATS COOL I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO IS LEFT STANDING OUT OF THE KEYBLADERS

ALSO WHY CANT I TALK TO YOU IN THE CHAT I WANNA RAGE ALONGSIDE YOU BUT IT DOESNT LET ME

 

DC'S FIXING SOMETHING AND CHAT DOESN'T WORK NAO

DC'S FIXING SOMETHING AND CHAT DOESN'T WORK NAO

 

I WILL SIT HERE AND WAIT AND THEN RAGE SO DONT YOU DARE LOG OFF

 

DC'S FIXING SOMETHING AND CHAT DOESN'T WORK NAO

 

I WILL SIT HERE AND WAIT AND THEN RAGE SO DONT YOU DARE LOG OFF

 

WAT R U 2 DOIN'

THAT'S COOL I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO IS LEFT STANDING OUT OF THE KEYBLADERS

ALSO WHY CANT I TALK TO YOU IN THE CHAT I WANNA RAGE ALONGSIDE YOU BUT IT DOESNT LET ME

 

I'M ALSO ALIVE!

AND WHAT ABOUT ME? CAN'T I RAGE ALONGSIDE YOU GUYS?! >:

WHY ARE YOU GUYS GONNA RAGE ABOUT?

He fought like no one has ever seen and prowess was greater than that of anyone. Even those who flanked him, which was compromised of Lu Xun, Sora96, Cricket, Cella, baylaust, Azure Flame, Oishii and Aqua7KH did not have his skill set despite the avatars they were portraying.

Bull.

Awesome! Where am I?

Bull.

 

Invalid, sir.

 

You get a paragraph of your own, BTW.

 

It's small tho.

CANWEGETMARRIEDINIT?

CANWEGETMARRIEDINIT?

 

IT HAS TO BE OUR OWN VERSION OF MARRIAGE

IT HAS TO BE OUR OWN VERSION OF MARRIAGE

 

I don't care how you do it, dolphy wifey.

ADD OUR THREESOME<3

I don't care how you do it, dolphy wifey.

ADD OUR THREESOME<3

 

FOWQBGVIWBOIWBS I DON'T HOW TO ADD MADOTSUKI IN

 

I WANT MY PRECIOUS DEMDEM TO BE THERE I CAN'T FIND A SLOT

FOWQBGVIWBOIWBS I DON'T HOW TO ADD MADOTSUKI IN

 

I WANT MY PRECIOUS DEMDEM TO BE THERE I CAN'T FIND A SLOT

 

SHE IS A MAGICAL NINJA WHO NO ONE EVER NOTICED EXISTED BECAUSE OF HER NINJANESS.

I don't care how you do it, dolphy wifey.

ADD OUR THREESOME<3

 

Who's the third person?

 

 

Who's the third person?

 

Ninja Wifey = Our Beautiful Madotsuki

Ninja Wifey = Our Beautiful Madotsuki

 

HOT! I agree ADD IN THIS THREESOME!

Part X

The thunderous crack had finished ringing, a hollowed silence filled their ears to the point it was almost as painful as the ringing thunder itself. With this hallowed silence, began cacophony like no one had ever heard. It wasn't painful but it was just as bad as the hollowed silence itself. The bots had begun to infiltrate the valley and yet there seemed to be more and more coming from the distance. The impact of the exploding starburst was very noticeable. Trees and grass were permanently windswept, the daytime sky now tainted with abyssal blue that was disheartening to look at. Remnants from the explosion, transparent slivers actually lodged into the atmosphere, cast multicoloured projections across the mountainside. The world was a mix of rainbow and darkness.

When aquamarine eyes gave the bots their fullest attention, there was a choked gasp of horror. "Do-Do you see that?" asked Apprentice to the girl next to her.

Doctor Ivan leaned against what was a protective wall of rock, the rainbows making her blonde hair glow and it silhouetted her suit nicely making it seem as if she were a forty-foot tall Time Lord. Which she was. "See what?" she answered with an absentminded tone, peering at the valley below.

"The bots," Apprentice tried to explain, nervously tucking a strand of midnight hair behind her ear. "They're Unversed, Heartless, Nobodies and Nightmares."

Ivan finally looked at her, her eyes round with surprise. "That's what you see?" The astonishment in her voice was almost insulting. "Interesting."

Apprentice's face was blank with utter confusion. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Danne told us," Kaiso interjected, her fuchsia hair behind ruffled by the still-existing breeze Apprentice had created. From the glow cast around them, she looked like a faery, beautiful and deadly. "Bots, even on the Internet, don't really have an identity of their own. They are projections of what they think or what we think we should see. Sometimes the projections we think we would usually consider unpleasant or bad. Sometimes even evil. In the scape, our minds literally project onto the bots what we personally believe could be our worst enemy or enemies. The fact that what you see is Unversed, Heartless, Nobodies and Nightmares is an anomaly."

Taking their minds off the subject were ten Keyblade wielders, poised at the summits, their respective Keyblade wielding teams forming a crowd behind them. Their weapons in hand and heads bowed, they seem to be looking out for an unknown signal. Most eyes were drawn to baylaust who seemed to be the most commandeering of the group. He was as impassive as ever behind that dark mask and with a simple nod, he leaped. There was no transition between the air and the ground. There was simply an airborne baylaust one second and then he was on the ground with Void Gear shoved in the earth.

Sora96 was the first to begin the initiation. Steady with the Kingdom Key in hand, a platinum glow silhouetted him and as it did so nearby Neoshadows writhed in pain and etched in his direction so as to rid of its source. Flung into the air, the Key was but a flash of silver and gold as a sphere of light underneath of Sora bloomed and grew to an incredible width. With a look of intense concentration, Sora brought forth columns of light and the surroundings Neoshadows were mercilessly annihilated. Throughout the valley, peaking Salvations were ripping through their enemies and the pulsating columns joined up and brilliant colossal towers multiplied into the hundreds. The combined light was so bright, everyone but wielders of the Keyblade had to avert their eyes.

When the powerful brilliance had faded but to a dull glow, the scene was not at all the result they wanted. Large craters replaced what were walls of rock, their remains enormous piles of boulders and the light columns having vanished off into the horizon.The thunderous crack resonated as a second starburst in the sky literally blasted into existence Ivan leaned forward, her face livid and she swore. "Cricket, Cella."

Attentive, they stood with determined expressions. Before her eyes, Cricket grew from her miniature form to a full-grown, mask-less Vanitas. The change was so sudden and unexpected, it made the hairs on Apprentice's neck rise. Worse enough, it now dawned on her that their enemies had been granted another entry point and it was her fault.

"Apprentice!"

"Y-Yes?!" she jumped, doing her utmost to focus on the task at hand. Admittedly, it wasn't easy.

Seriousness was the only thing that came to mind when taking in Ivan's face. "You stay here. We have use of you yet." With a spin, she approached the rock wall and on instinct, Apprentice smoothed and flattened it into the shape of a cliff.

"What about you guys? Will you be okay?" Apprentice fixed Ivan, Cella and Cricket with worried looks. Down below their enemies were severely depleted, the valley nearly empty. One look at the base of the second starburst however and the amount of Unversed, Heartless, Nobodies and Nightmares increased a hundredfold. Beholding the sight was terrible.

This is when the form of a challenge took place in Ivan's smile. "We're moderators. We're more badass than we look."

With silence only a grave could possess, Koko and Kaiso watched stonily as Cricket, Cella and Ivan were poised to jump down into swarm of rejuvenated enemies. Koko and Ivan locked eyes briefly and in a span of ten seconds, maybe less, the moirails' gazes were an entire conversation known to no one but the both of them. While impossible to understand, it was touching and fascinating to witness.

Ivan then tore herself away and with Cricket and Cella drew themselves forward, like a trio of birds riding the wind into the fray of rejuvenated enemies. The thought of what would happen weighed on Apprentice's mind and Koko immediately answered the unasked question.

"Cella's gone to tell Daniel to make sure the new entry point doesn't interfere with his original attack plan and Cricket and Ivan have gone to get us a few Keyblade wielders to help with a new assault." She walked over the cliff and Apprentice reached for that unseen but clearly felt tendril of power to change it back. Grasping it in her mind, she tugged hard. The cliff turned molten for a moment; its liquefied state defying gravity, becoming a rock hard wall capable of breaking human bones.

Apprentice tapped her chin. "But I thought Ivan didn't fight?"

"The Doctor doesn't fight offensively unless he absolutely has to. Ivan can hold her own fairly well but that's what Cricket's purpose is. She's there to make sure our enemies are cooperative," the corners of Koko's mouth turned upward at this.

"You need to find Keyblade wielders because. . . ?"

Kaiso spoke up, seating herself on the wall, the valley below reflected in her eyes. "We have use of you, Apprentice. You just need companions."

*

Kinode gathered his remaining energy to shove Way to Dawn in the earth beneath him so he could give himself the strength to stand and he struggled helplessly as a result. Sweat and grime dirtied his face and hair and his vision was blurry with exhaustion. Of all times to be out of potions. What a bitch. And he wasn't even able to heal himself for all he was worth. Scattered like litter were uprooted or torn apart pine trees, boulders, rocks broken off from the surrounding mountainside. Keyblade wielders were strewn all over, exhausted, injured and unconscious or possibly dead. Kinode winced at the last thought but had to admit the inevitability of it. The scape was half dream, half virtual. The virtual part was a form of reality so it shouldn't be surprising that life could be taken here.

A few meters away, Golden Ultima lay with Oblivion at his side. Kinode was grateful for Riku's shortened bangs as he noticed Golden chest rising and lowering even with the distance between them. Their adversaries regrouping, one would wonder however would Kinode be able to defend himself and Golden from danger. He sagged against Way to Dawn, gulping air; dependent on it. And amidst the splintered bark and rubble, he made out the outline of suit-clad female approaching him.

Kinode blinked several times before Ivan stood in front of him, hands on her hips; her face disappointed and dissatisfied. "Some Keyblade wielder you are."

The answering response was punctured by shallow breaths. "Ran out of potions. It isn't just me. Everyone else too."

"We'll have to fix that won't we?" she eyed everything, the epitome of seriousness. "Do you have enough strength to wake Golden up?"

Kinode grimaced painfully. "Obviously not."

Ivan pursued her lips and waved her hand. Kinode's entire body was highlighted in green and he was showered with fuchsia petals that came from a trio of flowers overtop of his head. The disappearing exhaustion was like the sweep of a butterfly and the renewed energy was more exhilarating than anything he could remember feeling.

Kinode pushed himself to his feet, Way to Dawn disappearing within a mass of black and silver. Ivan handed him a large vial of green liquid and he took it, his face questioning.

"Give it to Golden," she gestured to the unconscious boy, still sprawled on the ground a few meters away from them with her head. "He'll be needing it."

"Why?"

Ivan cracked a humorless half-smile. "Well, obviously we have need of you."

*

It was during DChiuch's assault that the recovery effort for the Keyblade wielders took place. The unconscious and bodies were taken to the Sanctuary for proper healing. Those whom were Cured or given potions insisted to stay on the battle field. Aaron, Snow, Lexi and devereauxr were particular storms on the battlefield as it literally was a raining parade of adversaries. Aaron's Buster Sword slashed through the existing Unversed, showing no clemency. Snow used Layle's telekinesis to launch several Nightmares in all directions. Lexi made use of her cunning and surprising battle skills against the Nobodies, combining moves from several different martial arts. Devereauxr's X-Blade was a beacon of brilliance among the darkness exuberated by the Heartless. DChiuch was a terror. He fought like no one has ever seen and prowess was greater than that of anyone. Even those who flanked him, which was compromised of Lu Xun, Sora96, Cricket, Cella, baylaust, Azure Flame, Oishii and Aqua7KH did not have his skill set despite the avatars they were portraying. It was more than expected from KH13's head administrator.

Apprentice rested her head on her arms, which in turn, were resting on the wall of rock. She had been completely entranced the whole time, her eyes never leaving the procession of fighters. Her dismay of not being included in the battle was forgotten as she saw her friends fight below. Koko had gone to the Sanctuary to offer it some line of defense and Kaiso had joined Danne a few minutes ago, simultaneously changing her appearance from the beautiful, rose-haired Inori to the the fierce, blue-eyed Korra. One of the privileges the staff members had in the scape was the ability to change their appearance regardless of what their actual avatar was. Apprentice was told she had to stay up here until Ivan returned and by now, the Doctor had been practically non-existent. She knew they had something planned and it was like a nut that couldn't be cracked. She could warrant a guess but it did nothing to dissipate her brooding. The entire time, the hairs on arms and neck were bolt straight. A strange sense of foreboding cloaked the darkened air and Apprentice felt a mixture of apprehension and anticipation. She felt dawning of a new entry point coming to light but there was another feeling, a less ominous one accompanying it. This did not make Apprentice any less suspicious and as she gazed down at the battle below, she crossed her fingers; her heart flooded with a feeling she couldn't identify. It was tempting fate but she hoped nothing would go wrong. It wasn't until Ivan, with Kinode and Golden of all people, appeared upon the everlasting mountain path; that she stood up from her resting spot with a questioning look.

She blinked. "What's going on?"

"We have a task for you, Apprentice," Ivan announced, smiling with with what seemed anticipation.

"Mind describing what this task is?" Apprentice looked uneasily from face to face. She nervously smoothed her dark hair.

"You're our backup," the smile turned to an outward mimicry of Kinode and Golden Ultima's grins.

"What can I possibly do?" Apprentice frowned, not liking where this situation was going. "DC is doing fine down below."

"More Nobodies and et cetera will appear and it'll wear us down. We need you to manipulate the environment around you so you can lock the two entrances. Danne figures a third one will open soon if the first two aren't closed."

Apprentice was about to say something before being completely sidetracked. "Since when did they start looking like Heartless and Nobodies to you?"

Ivan's brows knitted and was taken aback by the question. "After I found Kinode and Golden in the battle field. Why?"

Apprentice rounded on Kinode and Golden, whom were watching the both of them with rapt attention. "What about you two? Do you see them too?" An inclination of their heads was all it took. "Kaiso said the bots were projections of what our subconscious believes is our worst enemy." Apprentice put her face in her hands. Here we go.

Golden looked at her with confusion. "Apprentice-"

"I'll do it," she said, looking up.

"You can't fight in that," Kinode said, with a nod to her attire.

Apprentice looked down at herself, seeing nothing wrong with the white t-shirt and black shorts she wore. "I fought previously in this," she intoned with surprise.

"You're also barefoot," Ivan pointed out. "They could be a weak spot and an easy target for your enemies."

Apprentice rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I might as well yell 'Moon Prism Power Make Up' for all the trouble you guys are making." She walked past them, looked down at herself helplessly and then back at them. "I don't even know what to wear," she whined. "I'm not good at this stuff."

Kinode shrugged. "Do what comes naturally."

"You two," she pointed to the boys. "No looking."

Golden immediately started backing away towards a small cluster of trees, disgust pinching Roxas' features but Kinode remained motionless. "I'll see you naked at our wedding," he affirmed.

"Lexi and DemDem are the ones with that privilege," she bit back. Kinode smirked knowingly as he compliantly followed Golden. Ivan was seated onto the bench, her eyes politely averted and focused on the commontion below.

Apprentice shot all of them a dubious look before letting the world around her disappear behind the blackness of her eyelids. She felt extremely embarrassed and incredibly stupid. Apprentice felt familiar tendril of power, willing it to magick her with the ridiculous notion of clothing. Her clothes quite literally folded into themselves, bit by bit and shrunk more and more until there was nothing left but semi-naked skin exposed to the cool, high altitude air. Apprentice shivered, refusing to open her eyes for she knew her skin was probably glowing brightly at the moment. The next sensation was like being dunked in a warm bath or better yet, a hot tub. Apprentice sensed the shirt materialize onto her, soothing the goosebumps on her arms; accompanied by heavier something overtop and cozy, firm shorts. An invisible tug pulled her hair back so it wouldn't get in her face. The heavier something she wore over her pale shirt was a dark thigh-length vest with absurdly large lapels. The shorts she wore were snug and skin-tight and her feet were now clad in leather boots. Ebony tresses were pulled into a half-up half-down. All in all, she quite impressed with what was chosen for her.

"Done?" Ivan looked impatient.

"Yup," Apprentice chirped, rocking on her heels. She motioned for the two boys to come out. Golden surfaced, looking wary and pine needles in that mess of what was dirty blond hair. Kinode was no longer smiling, his turquoise eyes now taking the matter at hand.

"I'm guessing the Doctor will be keeping her nose out of aggressive negotiations?" Apprentice asked.

"That, the Doctor will do," the corner of her mouth went up. "I'll be here to hold up the fort."

Apprentice's gaze traveled all over the valley, looking for easy access points. They'd have to be at a high altitude but the trees here were blocking her view. Ivan was right. Apprentice shook her head and paused. She suddenly had the insane urge to do something reckless, without the responsibility of thought. And locking the entrances would be the perfect way to do it. A devilish smile found its way on her face and Apprentice was aware of the world blurring at her sides, the distant voices of Ivan, Kinode and Golden far behind her. The only clear path was the valley hundreds of meters below her. The pumping adrenaline prevented any fear or doubt to take root and when Apprentice felt her foot and shin make contact with the ground, she was a powerhouse of energy.

Nearby, a hooded Roxas was offering an injured Riku and hooded Xion vials of potion. All three of them jumped in shock at Apprentice's sudden appearance. Hoards of Unversed were slowly approaching and Apprentice called out to the familiar presence of Oathkeeper, feeling comfort when she grasped the platinum hilt.

"Apprentice?" Xylek asked uncertainly.

Her face was austere, her eyes never leaving the Unversed. "Is that _ The Door To Light _ and Exlon with you?"

Xylek nodded, still uneasy. Their expressions were guarded as the Unversed had stopped in tracks due to the summoned Oathkeeper. They recognized the threat, pondering of ways to neutralize it.

"Get them to the Sanctuary and quick," Apprentice ordered them and flung Oathkeeper into the writhing fray. The platinum blade created explosions of dispersing darkness and dark colours, massacring over half of the Unversed numbers. "I don't have time for you," she spat and with these words the ground underneath of Apprentice let out a mighty roar. The earth broke apart, almost as if it were developing veins and broke up into more pieces to reveal the slab stone roof of the skyscrapers from The City That Never Was. It rose until it was level with the mountains themselves and Apprentice looked down at Unversed were figuring out a way to climb the bloody thing. Rivets of the building were fried as lightning set the building alight and dispersing of the Unversed below. Apprentice could make out the small form of Kinode down below, giving her a thumbs up. She beamed back. The ground rumbled once again and more skyscrapers erupted from inside the rocky mountainside.

"Oi, Apprentice!"

She spun in the direction the voice took her. On the roof was Golden, with Oblivion in hand, was frowning at her playfully.

"You thought you could have all the fun?"

"I wanted to be a big damn hero, otouto," she winked, relishing at having an ally to fight at her side.

"We can't all be heroes, nee-chan," Golden smiled widely and he ran forwards, making a leap Apprentice couldn't even see properly with her eyes.

"Brat," she muttered under her breath and went charging after him.

Around the skyscrapers, the fighters had formed groups surrounding gatherings of their quadruple enemies. Dark purple and blue spots exploded where Unversed were slain, Heartless dispersed into what seemed like black powder, Nobodies were gone in flashes of blue and Nightmares were destroying in glowing bursts. More potions were exchanged and, "Heal!" was the most yelled word one would hear for miles. As more Unversed and Nightmares came about, Golden and Apprentice worked their diligent asses off destroying them. The first starburst was more approachable by the minute and any time, Apprentice was close enough to lock it.

"Golden, use Thunder and Blizzard!" she hollered over the commotion of noise.

"Stop badgering me!" he retorted hotly and a shard of ice zoomed dangerously close to her head.

Only Unversed and Nightmares seemed to come out of the starbust they were now close to. The hole was the size of the RMS Titanic and upon entering the scape, the Nightmares and Unversed immediately sensed the danger and attacked them on first site. Apprentice growled, "Freeze!" and their enemies were encased in glacier-thick ice. With one last glare in Golden's direction, Apprentice held Oathkeeper aloft. A Keyhole of Light emerged almost immediately as she did this and spirals of brilliance came from and encircled the blade. A line of bright light shot forwards and into the Keyhole. The following emergence of light was too much for the Nightmares and Unversed, whom were resisting to the bitter end. The hole finally sealed itself up and their enemies were no more. Panting, Apprentice and Golden shared one look of relief but that was all they could before they lost their footing thanks to the now non-existent skyscraper. Apprentice let out a curse that was stolen by the raging wind. Golden made an attempt to glide to her.

"Apprentice, if you don't do something we'll die!"

"What could I possibly do when we're hundreds of meters in the air!?"

"Manipulate the wind?" he suggested wildly.

"firetruck," she screamed, grabbing Golden and holding him tightly. "This is going to be a bumpy ride!" In the plummet downward, the wind so loud Apprentice nearly forgot what silence was. Golden was muttering something unintelligible to himself he entire time, his hands as white as the clouds around them as he clutched Apprentice's arms which were wrapped around him in a snake-like grip. The world around them was an realistic canvas of rainbows and darkness. When the ground was so close they could have skimmed the tops of the surviving trees, Apprentice made use of the air around them; causing it to spin under the both of them and slow their fall to the ground. Upon landing, Golden pushed himself out of Apprentice's arms seeming as if he were about to kiss the earth from his look of happiness and alleviation.

Nearby, Always approached them and it took several seconds for Apprentice to know it was her due to her avatar, which was in fact Sora in Halloween Town form. "Are the two of you alright?" she inquired, taking in Golden's condition.

Apprentice rose to her feet, slightly shaken herself. "I'd recommend some water and maybe an elixir." She gestured towards Golden.

"I'm not dying, Apprentice," Golden replied in a flat voice.

"You need to recover," she insisted and dismissed him with a wave of her hand. Golden looked as if he were about to explode with protests. "Always, could you take care of him?" She assured him she would and that Apprentice needed to finish the task given to her. Once promises were reaffirmed, Apprentice stalked off in search of a clearing or path that led upward. Now that the skyscrapers had dematerialized, she might have to create more so she could access the second entry point. Apprentice rubbed her arms, becoming cognizant of the feeling of foreboding coming back to her now that she wasn't wrapped up in the fighting again. It had not been lessened and it worried Apprentice. She gazed skyward, taking in the size of the mass of colours she saw there. She pursued her lips and began to make her through the piles of rock and uprooted trees. There wasn't anyone around and it made Apprentice question if something grave had happened to anybody. And there was Kinode who skidded into her from sliding down the mountain. Apprentice spluttered as she righted herself.

"All the Unversed and Nightmares are gone."

"Are they now?" Apprentice huffed and started making her way through the clutters of trunks and branches.

He walked alongside her, falling in step. "The Heartless and Nobodies are acting out more than ever."

The end of Kinode's sentence was punctuated by the visibly large clearing they had reached where the swarms of Heartless and Nobodies had greater numbers than when the Unversed and Nightmares were still abundant. There was a scorching path of fire, the only place in the clearing where there weren't traces of enemies. Apprentice knew a chakra throwing Leaxel was responsible. Lexi and bespeckled ninja stood back to back, cornered. Her hair was dark, braided and she had the cutest face Apprentice ever saw. She was even more kawaii than Koko. DemDem? DemDem threw groups of enchanted shuriken, the velocity around them creating a tornado that sucked the Nobodies in. As DemDem concentrated on her weapon doing her work, Lexi's back was exposed and a Dusk took the chance to leap. Apprentice held her hand and almost instantly a sphere of light shot forward with the force of a cannonball out of her hand. It hit the Dusk squarely on the back and it was gone in a flash of lightning blue. With great reluctance, the Heartless fled and the Nobodies shrank back, calculating as always.

Apprentice turned her hand over, looking down at her palm with complete incredulity.

"I believe that would be one of the benefits of being a Keyblade wielder," interjected Kinode, with his arms crossed over his chest.

Apprentice chose not to respond, running to Lexi and DemDem and wrapping her arms around them in a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're both safe!"

"You should be more worried about yourself," Lexi managed to say when Apprentice pulled back. "You still have a lot on your plate."

"Uh, Apprentice?" Kinode's voice came floating back to her.

"What?" she snapped.

"Something really weird just happened and you might just want to have a look at it yourself." This response came with dread so obvious Apprentice turned and looked. His posture was initially the same as before, arms folded, two feet standing steadily apart. Now his silver head was raised and his turquoise eyes gazing skyward.

The sky was rippling to the same effect water in a pond would. Like some great creature's footsteps were pulsating the atmosphere above. These ripples were quicker and less thick than water ripples would be. They almost looked like the lines water in anime would create when prodded. They shimmered in all directions, creating and canceling each other out in the somberness of the sky.

"Mindfiretruck," murmured Apprentice, the feeling of foreboding like an electric charge.

"It's not us or them," Kinode gestures brusquely the Heartless and Nobodies in the distance.

"There are never only two options, are there, Kinode?" Apprentice asked rhetorically as she primly turned to center of the clearing. This had to be taken care of. "There's always a third."

"And a fourth," he muttered under his breath, the very omission ominous.

By the time she had made another skyscraper dig itself out from underneath the clearing, the Heartless and Nobodies had returned in swarms. Apprentice's intention was to use this skyscraper to transport and transform it in any way she saw fit. Closing the starburst was top priority but this new predicament with ripples could be even worse. Dusks and Neoshadows took this chance to leap onto the roof as the skyscraper rose when Kinode and Apprentice did. Apprentice's arms were like a whip, a rotating Oathkeeper like an ever faithful boomerang. It was among the ruckus of destroying Dusks that there was a shrill, high-pitched scream of agony. A Naminé crumpled helplessly on the floor, a Neoshadow standing over her, its claw soaked with blood. From her upper left breast to the center of her stomach were three long crimson gashes. Shana clutched her side, the pale skin tainted by red.

Apprentice wasn't sure what happened next. She wasn't sure she was actually thinking. One moment, the Heartless and Nobodies were gone (Kinode's doing?); the next, she was kneeling at Shana's side with her hands covered in sickeningly warm blood. "Why are you so stupid?"

Shana grimaced as she tried to sit up. Kinode got down to his knees, grasped her shoulders and pushed her up. She let out a silent wail and the blood seemed to run faster, forming a pool. "I hated the idea of not being able to fight with you. I knew you, Golden, and Kinode would be together. I wanted the chance to help you in some way."

Apprentice closed her eyes, trying to drown out fear and frustration. She couldn't use her magic. It had been depleted. "You just got in the way. And you'll die because of idiocy. You knew you couldn't help."

Shana's expression was that of utter defeat. "I'll have to deal with what I brought on myself."

"Kinode," Apprentice began slowly. "Do you have a vial of potion?"

There was reluctance on his part. "There's only a quarter left." Familiar pools of silver and black formed in midair and in the ground. Heartless and Nobodies were regrouping.

Apprentice did something very uncharacteristic for her. She held Shana's face in her two hands and looked at her straight in the eye. "You don't want to be a damsel in distress? Fight for your life." She rose, her back turned to them. Her face was not unlike that of King Mickey's when he believed Goofy was dead. Even the way she summoned Oathkeeper over her back, was similar to the way he summoned the Kingdom Key D. "They'll pay for this."

Apprentice wasn't sure what she did next. She was pretty sure she catapulted into her targets, annihilating them in a twister of light. Her fighting instincts had taken over and even though she still kept her head, she kept thinking of Shana and the urge to go on a roaring rampage of revenge developed as fast the element she wielded. Not even putting a thought into the exhaustion she might feel, Apprentice dug into the earth with a large invisible iron hand and yet another skyscraper ascend upwards. She glanced at Kinode who was holding the vial while Shana drank the potion with a pained look that could easily be mistaken as concentration. "Keep her alive, Kinode." Without looking for an agreement, Apprentice leapt and when she did it was as if a storm of black and white followed her thereafter. The Heartless and Nobodies were cognizant of what she was after and fought to maintain their existence. It was harder this time, because she had to transport the skyscraper at the same time she fought. Sometimes she would fling the Keyblade, a move Apprentice was beginning to think was her signature, and use various magicks. By time, the Neoshadows and Dusks were but a few; the skyscraper had nearly crashed into the starburst. Apprentice knew any moment now, the Heartless and Nobodies would come out in droves to prevent her from closing the hole. So she did the first she could once she was positioned was leaping into the air and casting Zero Gravity on herself. Her enemies' reappearance were like mass reproduction right before her eyes. Something caught her attention the corner of her eye, a brightness she didn't recognize. Her jaw dropped when she realized it was the ripples that were glowing. What the hell is going on? This was more than just locking the entry points.

Zero gravity slowly wearing off and her attention turning to the starburst with great difficulty, Apprentice pointed her Keyblade towards the hole with dread. She knew now that the moment those converging strings and beads of light locked the entry and have it disappear, something much worse would happen. What Apprentice did not expect was the multiple deafening explosions on the horizon, in the sky above her and from the mountainside itself to make her cringe and forget about the dissolving skyscraper holding her footing. Plummeting, there was a building panic when she could not remember how exactly she prevented the fall she and Golden could have suffered. And when her stupid brain could think no more, a firm pair of arms encircled her tightly and she raised her head to find herself looking into the bluest eyes she would recognize anywhere.

Her shock was conveyed in a gasp. "No way…!"

His grin was like sunshine. "Always getting into trouble, aren't you, Genn?"

It was Sora.

Edited March 20, 201213 yr by TheApprenticeofKingMickey