Hello there everybody, how’s it going? Well then, here is my first official story of 2014, and it is a sequel to my 2011 story The Keyblade War.  I hope that your all looking forward to reading this story, for I’m certainly very excited to be writing it.  Before the story starts, below you’ll see a summary of the events of the first story, for those who haven’t read it, or, if you want to read The Keyblade War, the link will be provided below.  Enjoy everybody!

 

The Keyblade War Chapter 1 link

http://kh13.com/forum/topic/18439-the-keyblade-war-chapter-1/

 

Oh, and also, the Christmas Special I made also ties in to this story, so here’s the link for the Kingdom Hearts Christmas Special: After The Keyblade War. : )

http://kh13.com/forum/topic/67767-kingdom-hearts-christmas-special-after-the-keyblade-war/

 

Synopsis

(Start Song Here)

  The worlds were under siege as a new threat had appeared in the form of the Unborn, and mysterious assailants were foreboding about an impending doom that would come when they unlocked the power of Kingdom Hearts.  The unrest had spiraled into a full out war, and our heroes had started their defense of the worlds by finding the root of this threat and exterminating it once and for all.  During these days of war and strife, Ventus struggled with his inner darkness, Terra came back from exile, and many other allies entered the fold, using their powers to turn the tide of the war in their favor.  Ventus had found a boy named Kyle as Radiant Garden was nearing it’s destruction, and he decided to take care of him.  Legions of Heartless and Nobodies had relentlessly attacked our heroes, but Dexeres had gained control of the Nobodies, and so had won them over as allies.  Soon after, in a battle against a traitor, Ventus unleashed Vanitas, and to his surprise, Vanitas turned to their side, and the Unversed also became allies.

 

    As everyone kept fighting off the hordes of enemies, the mysterious cloaked enemies made their purpose and intentions utterly clear: to dominate all worlds and extinguish all opposition.  After many struggles, our heroes reached the enemy’s stronghold, and one by one, they defeated their foes.  Many sacrifices were made, and many of our valiant heroes were brought to their limit.  Kyle had discovered the power of the Dark Light, and many villains of old had returned to spell doom for everyone.  But with determination and with the unwavering resolve to fight, Sora and his friends, along with a powerful artifact called the Atarax Meteor Shard, defeated Dark Orion once and for all, finally bringing a long sought for peace.  After this great war, three months of peace followed, but soon after Riku noticed that something was wrong.  He knew that things were not completely as they seemed.  And now, three years later, we shall see the events that unfold...

(End Song Here)

 

Prologue: Keyblade

(Start Song Here)

  Three years have passed since Sora and his friends saved the worlds from Dark Orion’s wrath.  The night is calm and peaceful, with a gentle and soothing breeze coming from the west, and the stars shine brightly, perhaps brighter than they have ever been in a long time.  Dawn quietly gazes upon the stars, as if counting them, and she smiles and sighs and looks to her right, where there resides a fortress, a fortress she calls home.  She wishes nothing more than to just escape from there.  It’s not out of hate or despair, not even about disappearing.  She just wants to meet Riku.  It’s such a simple wish, she thinks to herself.  Why then, would the elder not allow her to see him?  But that’s something she already knew the answer to, and no matter how hard or how much she could try to convince the elder otherwise, his answer would remain the same.  As she thought of this, her resolve and will were slowly fading away, as her dream of being able to meet Riku would never be realized.  And with that, she heads towards the fortress.

(End Song Here)

 

  Upon arriving, she notices that the fortress is oddly quiet.  Perhaps a little bit too quiet, she thought.  But then she pays it no mind, and instead she goes towards her room.  As she walks along the beautifully crafted stone hallways, she can’t help but feel a sudden tinge up her spine, as if something had frozen her from behind.  She looked back and saw no one behind her.  She thought this rather odd, and so she picked up the pace, hoping to head over to her room quickly, where she knew she could be safe.  Suddenly she felt the strange tinge again, and this time, when she looked back, she saw something, or rather, the shadow of something that just passed before her eyes.  Now she knew that she wasn’t alone.  She cautiously took a few steps back and she looked to both sides, at her right noticing that the stone hallway had become pitch black, and on her left, she noticed that everything seemed normal.  Something definitely wasn’t right, and she didn’t like one bit of it.

 

(Start Song Here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk0dZbpc8qU

  Breathing in slowly and relaxing her muscles, Dawn remains calm and collected, despite feeling the tinge on her spine yet again.  Then, when she shifts her eyes to her right, she notices that a Neoshadow charges towards her, and she barely dodges it’s attack.  The Neoshadow tumbles on the floor and is dazed, and Dawn is completely surprised.  “Heartless?  Here in the fortress?  How can this be?  This is supposed to be a sanctuary, where no darkness can enter!”, she thinks to herself, now fearing the worst for the elder and the others, but then she quickly shakes her head.  “No, they can’t be dead.  They can take on these creatures, it would take more than these things to take them down.”  She then regains her focus and notices that the Neoshadow goes towards her again, and this time, she falls to the ground and closes her eyes, ready to receive the final blow.

(End Song Here)

 

  But as she opens her eyes, she notices that the Neoshadow dissipates before her, and then she’s even more surprised to see that she’s wielding a Keyblade!  She gasps and drops it on the ground, and then she looks around, making sure that no one watched the events that just took place.  She then looks at the Keyblade and admires it’s design.  The hilt is a smooth silver color, while the handlebars are scarlet red and bronze.  She then looks at the blade, noticing the smooth curves and sharp edges on either side.  She also notices a type of scripture on the blade, in a language she doesn’t understand.  Then she notices that at the top of the blade, the smooth curves coalesce into a bronze crown.  She suddenly feels uneasy, and then she quickly runs to her room and slams the door shut, and she puts the Keyblade on her bed, uncertain of what to do.

 

  “Impossible.  How is it that I’ve come to wield a Keyblade?” ,she says to herself.  Then she remembered the teachings of the elder, and she remembered these specific words: “Only those with a strong heart that doesn’t waver in the face of adversity can be deemed worthy of wielding a Keyblade.”  She then looks at the Keyblade in her bed, and she thinks to herself: “Is my heart really strong enough?”  She then thinks of Riku, and she feels a sudden surge of determination. “Riku, you are my strength, you make me feel strong!  You’re the reason I can wield the Keyblade!”  With that, the Keyblade disappears in a blinding flash of light and then it rematerializes in her hand, and she looks at it, amazed, and already she feels the blade as a part of herself.  “I’ll call you, Flaming Crown.” ,she says to herself while admiring her Keyblade.  Then she hears a knock on her door, and she gasps and quickly dematerializes her Keyblade and quickly makes her way to her bed.  “Come in!” ,she says.

 

  When the door opens, she sees that it’s none other than the Elder.  He smiles a reassuring smile and then closes the door and sits in a chair near her bed.  Dawn smiled appreciatively and she sat on her bed and she put her hands together.  “Hello Elder.  To what do I owe this visit?”  The Elder leaned back on the chair and he smiled.  “Well, I came to check on you, for I sensed that you were quite agitated.”  He then took a second and is smile faded away into a serious and questionable face.  “Dawn, what happened to you?  You look very pale…”  Realizing his suspicions, Dawn tries her best to improvise and the pretends to cough.  “Oh, my apologies Elder, I was out on the porch enjoying the night breeze, and I seemed to have caught a cold.”  The Elder kept glancing at her, and then he stood up and started walking towards the door.  “Well, at least your safe, and that’s what matters.  If you need anything, come to me, or if I am not available, seek the other members of the counsel.”

 

  Dawn nodded and she bowed her head down in respect.  “Yes, of course.  Thank you very much Elder, I appreciate it.”  With that, the Elder left her room, and she sighed of relief.  This was too close of a call, and if she hadn’t had such sharp hearing skills, she might not have had a chance to dematerialize her Keyblade.  She remained seated in her bed, and then she extended her arm forward, and her Keyblade materialized in her hand again.  She was dumbstruck that she could wield such a power, but she still had many answers that were gnawing at her mind.  “I need to consult this with the one person I trust the most…Valgard.” She immediately reinforced her decision, for Valgard was the one person she could trust in the counsel.  It wasn’t that the others had evil intentions, but she never felt comfortable around them, not even around the Elder.  And so, she quietly snuck out of her room and then she headed towards the library, where she knew that Valgard would be.

 

  As she walked towards the library, she noticed that the cold breeze had suddenly stopped, and now everything felt less eerie and more peaceful.  She could hear faint sounds of blades clashing, no doubt other members of the counsel honing their skills in the courtyard.  She took advantage of this and headed ever faster towards the library, and as she entered, she saw Valgard perched at the very top of a giant stockpile of books, where he was carefully analyzing one.  Dawn smiled and she put her hands behind her back. “Hello there Valgard, and good evening.”  Valgard marked the page of the book so he could read it later, and then he closed it, and he gracefully landed towards Dawn, and he smiled warmly, his silvery hair complimenting his silver eyes and fair skin.  “Well good evening Dawn.  I didn’t expect you to be here at these hours of the night.  But then again, you’ve never been one to follow the rules.  Come, have a seat.  What can I help you with?”  Dawn sighs in relief and then she sits and she breathes in and out slowly.  “Well, here goes.”  She extends her arm and her Keyblade materializes in her hand, causing Valgard to drop his jaw in amazement.  “A Keyblade!?”

---------------------------------------

 

As Dawn discovers the power of the Keyblade, what guidance does she seek from Valgard?  What did the appearance of that Neoshadow mean?  Dawn hopes to find the answers by speaking to her beloved friend Valgard.  Stay tuned for Chapter 1: “The Power Of The Heart.”

 

Well everyone, I hope you liked the prologue, and please let me know what you think of the story!  I will be looking forward to reading your comments and I’ll try my best to post chapters as often as possible.  Oh, and to make things easier, follow my story so that you can receive notifications of updates I make to it.  Well, thanks for reading everyone, comment on my story!

         

Edited January 20, 201411 yr by Golden Fighter

Hey there everybody, good evening!  I hope you all enjoyed the events that occurred in the previous chapter, because that was only the beginning of more drama and mystery to come!  Now then, here is the next chapter!  I hope that you all enjoy it!

 

Chapter 17: A Scarring Truth

 

  After the mysterious woman’s offer to reveal more about Ventus’ past, Kyle and Trish were very worried.  For all they knew, this could be a trap, but Ventus was dead set in his goal of discovering more about his past.  They had followed the mysterious woman through a portal of darkness, and they seemed to be in some strange, inter-world crossroads that resembled The Lanes Between.  “All right lady, what’s the big idea here?  Are you gonna talk, or not?” he said with a fiery glare in his eyes.  The woman simply laughed and then folded her arms.  “Well, aren’t you the feisty one?  Are you sure you want to know the truth about yourself?”  Ventus clenched his fists and felt his heart tighten.  “Of course I do!  More than anything!  Now that I’ve seen these visions, I have to know what they mean!”  The woman smirked, and then she saw Kyle and Trish’s worried expressions.  “Well, if that is your decision, then keep on walking, and you’ll eventually see remnants of your forgotten past.”  She then disappeared, and so Ventus, Trish and Kyle were on their own now.

 

  “Dad…are you sure you can trust what that lady says?” Kyle said in a gentle tone.  Ventus thought of this for a moment, and then he turned around to face them.  “I don’t trust her…but she seems to know something about my past.  Of that much I have to believe…I have to know where I came from.” he said in a determined tone.  Trish walked up to Ventus and touched his face.  “If that’s what you truly want dear, then we’ll follow you to the end.” she said while smiling.  Ventus nodded appreciatively and hugged the both of them.  “Thank you both so much.  Now come on, let’s go.” he said as he marched forward, Kyle and Trish following closely behind.  As they walked on and on in this surreal landscape, they couldn’t help but get the feeling that they were being closely watched.  They kept themselves ready for anything.

(Start Song Here)

  This inter-world crossroads was like a dimension where nothing had a beginning or an end.  There was no ground, there was no substance or form, nothing that would resemble the real world.  It was a strange and somber place, and unlike The Lanes Between, this inter-world crossroads felt more of a nonexistent place rather than a way to travel between worlds.  As Ventus suddenly stopped, he fell to the ground in pain, and then he saw another image pop into his head.  This time, he saw an expansive green field, and the ocean was within view.  To his left he saw a small cottage near a forest, and to his right he saw a gleaming castle.  As he walked around, he saw a small village that was hidden from view. He looked at the signpost above him, which read Fated Hollow.  “Is this…my home world?” he said as he looked on.

 

  He walks towards the village, and the villagers don’t even take notice of him.  Then he reminds himself that this is a memory, so all these people are just part of the vision.  Then he sees the little girl with the velvet red dress, running around happily.  “Hey, come back here Ven!” the little girl said.  Then he saw his younger self, chasing some chickens here and there with a toy sword.  “Haha, your gonna have to catch me first Irene!” the young Ventus said, as he ran ahead towards a big tree.  Irene turned around to pick up a small satchel she had dropped, and then Ventus took a moment to see her face.  She had light tan skin, beautiful green eyes and short, hazel hair.  After picking up the satchel, Irene pursued the young Ventus, laughing all the way.  “So this is how my home world looked like when I was little?” he said to himself as he saw his surroundings.  All around, he saw the smiles of the villagers, how they went about their daily routines, and how they interacted harmoniously with nature.  As he turned his gaze towards Irene and his younger self again, he saw that they were sitting on the edge of a sandbox.

 

  He moved closer to see what they were talking about, and he listened intently.  “Hey Ven, can I ask you something?” Irene said shyly.  Young Ventus tilted his head curiously as he put his toy sword on the grass.  “Sure Irene, what’s up?” he asked.  For a moment, Irene’s face was really red, and then she started to speak but then remained silent.  Then, after taking a deep breath, she summoned up her courage and then closed her eyes and stood on her toes.  “D-do you think I’m pretty?”  At that, young Ventus’ face turned as red as a tomato.  “W-what do you want to know that for?” he said, trying to hide his embarrassed face.  Irene then pouted and crossed her arms.  “Well…because I want to know what you think of me.”  Young Ventus looked at Irene for a few seconds and the he smiled and poked her cheek.  “Yeah, I think your pretty!  And very cute!”  At that, Irene’s face glowed with happiness, and just as she was going to say something, a tall man from the distance called out to Ven.  “Aw, hey Irene, looks like I have to get back home now.  I’ll see you later!” young Ventus said.  “Okay, bye!” Irene said happily.

(End Song Here)

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Is that man…my father?” Ventus said to himself, as he tried to see the man’s face, but since he was so far away, he couldn’t tell.  Suddenly, he felt another immense stroke of pain, and the scenery changed and warped into what seemed to be another memory.  There, he saw that his younger self was in bed, sleeping peacefully.  He was woken by his father and mother, who had grim looks on their faces.  “Huh, Mom, Dad?  What’s wrong?” he said, sounding a bit scared.  His parents simply took his hand and then took him to the basement.  “Forgive us Ventus, but there’s no other way.” his mother said as tears rolled down her cheeks. She had blonde hair just like Ven’s, only that it was longer, and she had ocean blue eyes just like him.  His father was showing his back, leaning his head on the wall, crying as well.  “Mom, what do you mean?  I’m scared!” young Ventus exclaimed, as he saw his mother holding a needle.

 

  But his mother said nothing, for she simply put the injection near young Ventus’ heart, causing the poor boy to scream in agony and struggle because of the pain.  “Rupert…are you sure there’s no other way?” she said, looking back at the man, who was now sitting on the floor, feeling remorse for his son’s pain.  “Yes Saphira…it is the only way…forgive us Ventus.  We love you so very much.”  With that, they both kissed their dear soon good bye, and they headed upstairs, and soon after he heard their screams of agony and suffering.  Ventus stood there, shocked by what he was seeing. “My parents…they died…protecting me from something?” he said, as he felt his heart being destroyed.  He wanted to avert his eyes but he couldn’t.  He needed to know the truth.  Then the image in his head changed once more.

 

  Now he saw that his younger self had been able to climb out of the basement, and he saw a horrifying creature that had just finished devouring his parent’s hearts, their bodies now completely vanished.  Ventus looked in shock as he saw this.  “Heartless!?  They’re the ones that killed my parents!?”  As he kept watching the events unfolding, he saw his younger self go out the door of his house, and then he saw the entire village in flames, its people running amok in panic.  Most were being slain by the Heartless, while others who hadn’t been able to escape from their houses were engulfed in flames.  Then he saw the girl with the velvet red dress…Irene.  “Ven, come on, we have to get out of here!” she said while holding his hand and crying.  Young Ventus was still trying to come to grips with what was happening, but then quickly snapped out of it just as a group of Heartless was about to kill Irene. “Don’t hurt my friend!” he said in rage, as a huge stream of darkness came out of his hands, instantly taking out all the assaulting Heartless.  For a moment, his eyes had taken a yellow color, but then reverted back to blue when he heard Irene’s voice.

 

  As he turned around to see her, he saw that she was horrified, not just because of the village burning, but because of what she had just seen Ventus do.  Feeling guilt, he simply held her hand and they ran as fast as they could.  Then they reached a cliff, where ruins of the outskirts of town could be seen.  She looked towards the horizon, holding a paopu fruit in her right hand and a bracelet in her left hand.  She was afraid, feeling lost and not knowing what to do.  “Ven…what happened to you?”  Young Ventus looked at his hands, remembering the powerful darkness he unleashed.  He was too young to comprehend what it all meant.  He looked down sadly.  “Before Mom and Dad died…they injected me with something, and it hurt so much…and I think that made me do the scary thing to kill the monsters…” he said softly.  Irene turned around and smiled.  “But you saved me…and that’s what matters.  So I just want to say I lov-“ but before she could finish, a giant Heartless whisked her away, holding her in its grip.  “No way, that’s a Darkside!” Ventus said as he looked at his younger self who was frozen in shock.

 

  The Darkside took no time at all to devour the little girl, and her heart was consumed by it, the paopu fruit crushed by the Darkside’s hand, and the bracelet falling until it touches the ground.  Young Ventus, having burst into tears, took the bracelet, which was black and white in a checkered pattern.  His heart then filled with rage, and suddenly his darkness once again took hold.  He put on the bracelet and then he charged towards the Darkside, tears of sadness and rage overflowing.  “You’ll pay for that, you monster!!!”  With that, his powers of darkness becomes so great that he takes down the Darkside, but at the cost of his fragile body.  As he gasped for breath, he fell down to the ground, battered, bruised and utterly lifeless.  “Irene…I couldn’t save you…” young Ventus said to himself, as tears rolled down his cheeks.  “I wish I could have been with you…but all of that is a dream now.” he said as he closed his eyes.

 

  As his younger self closed his eyes, Ventus saw the destruction of Fated Hollow, the way that the Heartless seemingly slaughtered every single person in sight, sparing no one.  The pain was too much for him to bear.  As he kept looking on, he saw the army of Heartless multiply the more villagers hearts they consumed.  Everything happened so suddenly and without warning, that no one could have been able to predict that such horrific events would happen.  With this, Ventus was given the confirmation that his home world was destroyed, with no hope of life in sight.  And the worst part of it all is that he had to witness the deaths of his parents and his dear friend Irene at the hands of the unmerciful and horrifying Heartless, who took their lives without hesitation.

 

  Feeling a sense of overwhelming suffering, Ventus doesn’t know what to think.  Then the scenery changes once more, and this time he’s seeing what’s happening from the eyes of his young self.  Now he knows why he was lifeless and bleeding in the dead of night.  Then he saw Xehanort’s silhouette looming before him.  “You possess a strong heart…you have been abandoned and left for dead.  No more.  I shall take you under my wing, and you shall learn to wield a Keyblade.”  The poor child wasn’t able to answer, as he coughed up blood and his eyes were watery.  “What a poor thing.” Xehanort said with a grim tone.  “But I sense a great darkness within you, so surprising for a boy your age.  This power is immense and strong.  It will be best to strip you of your memories, that way you can begin life anew.” he said, as the last thing the poor child saw was Xehanort’s hand covering his sight.  After a sudden burst of energy, Ventus was finally able to snap out of it, hearing Kyle and Trish’s voices echoing through the darkness.  When he woke up, he saw their worried faces.  “Ven, you were screaming in agony, we didn’t know what to do…” Trish said sadly.  Kyle hugged Ven tightly and looked up at him.  “Did you see what happened in your past?”  Ven nodded. “Yeah, but all of it is a nightmare…a nightmare too horrible to imagine…”

(End Song Here)

-------------------------------------------

 

Ventus has bore witness to the horrifying events that marked the end of his childhood and of his former life.  What will be his next step?  Will he still have the determination to protect the worlds even after all he’s witnessed?  These questions remain, as next chapter we see how Riku, Kairi and Mickey are doing back at The Snuggly Duckling in Chapter 18: “The Clever Thief And The Courageous Princess.”

 

Okay, so that was the chapter everyone!  I hope you all enjoyed it!  I knew I had to take the opportunity to make Ventus’ past as dark as possible, and I hope I did a good job portraying the tragedy of his early life!  I’m sure it’s got your heads swirling with thoughts of why things had to end so cruelly.  Well, that just proves my statement as a writer: I love making dark stories.  Haha, anyways everyone, please be sure to comment, and I hope you all look forward to the next chapter!

This was..... AWESOME!!!!

Xion with the Elric brothers? To be honest, I've never watched Full Metal Alchemists or read the manga. And Ethan came back! It took me a couple seconds to remember who he was, it's been so long! And poor Sora, Donald, and Goofy! I hope they get out of there okay.

 

And last but not least, poor Ventus! His life started out great than turned into a literal nightmare! I feel so bad for him!

Evening everyone, I hope that your all doing well!  Thank you so much for reading my story and for always leaving comments, I appreciate it!  Now then, here’s the next chapter of my story, which I hope you’ll all enjoy!

 

Chapter 18: The Clever Thief And The Courageous Princess

 

  As the atmosphere had turned much more brighter in The Snuggly Duckling, Riku, Kairi and Mickey felt much more at ease, and they had sat on a nearby table to have something to eat.  A few minutes later, the waiter brought them their lunch, a delicious bowl of rice with chicken and some potato salad to the side.  With that, they dug in.  “Wow, I never expected something as delicious as this!” Mickey said cheerfully as he took his first bites.  Riku was also enjoying his meal, but Kairi hadn’t touched her plate yet.  She was staring intently at Flynn and the young woman who was accompanying her.  She had very long, arguably extremely long blonde hair, she had green eyes, a purple dress, and a sweet demeanor in her face.  She could tell this girl had been through much in her life.  She then turned her attention to her plate and had started eating, while Riku and Mickey had already finished.  Suddenly, the door busted open, and the thug from earlier had entered.  “I brought the guards!” he said.  At that, everyone in the Inn quickly urged Flynn and the young woman to escape through a hidden passage.

 

  Riku, Kairi and Mickey stayed in their table, pretending as if nothing was happening, along with a few others who also had the same idea.  The guards came in, and then a general stood firm, looking left and right.  “Where’s Rider!?” he said.  One of the men held an elderly man and pointed at him.  “I think this is the man your looking for!”  The elderly man, who looked drunk, raised his arms without a care in the world.  “Yeah, you got me!”  The general was taken off guard, looking irritated, and then they heard a nearby horse neigh.  Immediately, Riku, Kairi and Mickey knew that now it was their turn to escape.  “Gosh fellas, don’t you think that’s…” Mickey was about to say, when the general suddenly turned around.  “Maximus?” he said as the horse came zooming in, sniffing the floor. 

 

  “What is it boy?” the general said as he saw Maximus searching intently for the fugitives.  Then he pushed through the crowd and then he pointed towards the floor behind the counter.  The other soldiers were quite clueless, and then the horse rolled his eyes and activated a switch which revealed a secret passage.  By that time, Riku, Kairi and Mickey had already gone out of the Inn, and now they had to press on in their search for Unborn threats.  Kairi suddenly stopped and then she turned around and started heading downhill.  “Kairi, what are you doing!?” Riku shouted, as he and Mickey followed her.  “I have to help the girl!” Kairi said with determination.  Seeing her resolve, Riku and Mickey decided it was best to do as she said.  They climbed on boulders and then they slid down a steep hill, where they reached a valley.

 

(Start Song Here)

  Soon after, Kairi saw Flynn and the young woman high up, cornered by the soldiers.  Then she saw how the young woman improvised and used her hair as a rope to swing herself to safety, and then she took Flynn with her.  Now things were getting intense.  As they headed down, two men, twins from looking at them, had drawn their swords, ready to fight.  “Come on guys, let’s go!” Kairi said as she leapt down to help Flynn and the young woman out of their predicament.  “Mind if I give you a hand?”  Kairi said with a smile.  Flynn, nodding appreciatively but confused, smiled back.  “Uh, sure, we could use the help!”  With that, the twins headed forward to attack them, but Kairi quickly blocked their attacks and then made sure to distract them.  As the fight began, Unborn appeared by the dozens, and now things were getting intense.  “Guys, I need you to take care of the Unborn for me!” Kairi shouted out to Riku and Mickey.  “Right!” they both nodded in unison, as they headed for battle.  Flynn and Rapunzel were also fighting off the Unborn that were starting to surround Kairi.  “We got your back!”

 

  Kairi nodded, and then she kept on taking the offensive against the twins.  “Stay out of this girl, this isn’t your fight!” one of the twins said.  Kairi shook her head and blocked their attacks once more.  “Oh, on the contrary, anyone who tries to hurt an innocent girl gets my attention, and it makes it my fight!” she said as she defiantly held them at bay.  As she continued fighting them, Flynn constantly bashed the Unborn with Rapunzel’s frying pan, and Rapunzel was using her long hair as a whip to take them out from afar.  “Ha, we make a good team, don’t we Flynn?” she said enthusiastically.  “You know what?  Your right, and wow, do I love this frying pan!” he said excitedly.  Suddenly the Unborn were getting more aggressive, and now the duo had to be on the defensive.  They dodged the Unborn’s swipes and attacks and they counterattacked effortlessly.  “Flynn, over there!” Rapunzel said as she used her long hair to pull down a few Unborn that were preying on them from a small cliff up high.  “Thanks blondie, I owe you big time!” he said with a smile.  With that, they kept taking on the hordes of Unborn, working as a team, and doing it with finesse and style.

 

  As they kept on taking down the Unborn hordes, Riku and Mickey were also dispatching them quite easily.  “Riku, look out!” Mickey said as he leapt above him and then made a Hurricane Blast attack which sent many of the Unborn flying. Riku then combined Mickey’s attack with his dark powers and made a spinning Dark Pearl Twister, where he and Mickey joined side by side and spun in circles, Riku shooting spheres of darkness like land mines and Mickey shooting pearls of light to devastate the Unborn.  Luckily enough, their attack worked, and they were able to clear the field greatly.  All of a sudden, Mickey heard a strange noise, and as he looked up, he noticed Maximus slamming his hoofs on some wooden planking on the boulder, and when it finally broke, the boulders gave way to a huge tidal wave of water.  The giant wave suddenly loomed large over all of them.

(End Song Here)

 

  “This place is a dam!  We have to run, or the water’s gonna get us all!” Mickey shouted.  Riku nodded and then they ignored the remaining Unborn and headed straight towards Kairi, Flynn and Rapunzel. “Guys, we have to go!  Now!”  With that, they ran as fast as they possibly could, leaving the Unborn, the twins and the soldiers behind.  “The water’s gaining up on us!” Flynn said in a desperate tune.  “Don’t worry, we can make it!” Rapunzel said in between breaths.  With nowhere else to go, they headed into a cave ahead of them, and unfortunately the cave itself was flooded with water almost instantly.  Now they were trapped, with the water threatening their lives.  “Oh no, what’re we gonna do now!?” Mickey exclaimed, trying to keep himself above water.  There seemed to be no way of getting out of the cave, so their situation was getting dire.

 

  “No, no, no, this can’t be happening!” Flynn said, desperately trying to find an opening with which to escape, but he got a scrape trying to move the immovable boulders.  Rapunzel was simply out of breath and saddened, and she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt come over here.  She was in tears, feeling lost.  “I should have never left the tower…I’m so sorry Flynn!” she said while sobbing.  Riku, Kairi and Mickey remained silent, for no words could help them in their situation now.  Flynn sighed and then he made a half smile.  “Eugene.”  Rapunzel looked at him confused.  “Huh?”  Flynn then put his hands together.  “It’s my real name. Eugene Fitzherbert.  I thought someone should know.”  With that, they both smiled.  “And my hair glows when I sing.”  Then she suddenly opened her eyes wide.  “I have hair that glows when I sing!”  Everyone remained a bit puzzled, and then she started singing quickly just before the water was going to drown them all, and then, all of a sudden, her long hair shined a golden yellow, a magnificent bright light emanating from it, and then they saw an opening from which they could escape.  Flynn and Riku quickly dug out the opening as fast as they could, and then they were able to get out of their predicament, as they fell into a small puddle in an opening in the forest.

 

  All of them sighed of relief, and then they started laughing.  “Wow, that was a close one.” Kairi said as she took her breath.  As Rapunzel stood up, something fell behind her.  “Huh, hey, what’s that?” Riku asked.  As they all looked down, they saw a tiny chameleon, gasping for breath.  “Aw, Pascal!” Rapunzel said as she held the little chameleon in her hands.  “This is Pascal, he’s been with me ever since I was little.  He’s my best friend.” she said while smiling.  Everyone smiled and looked at Pascal, and for a moment, the little chameleon felt like the center of attention, and he crawled towards Rapunzel’s shoulder and raised his head up, beaming with pride.  “Thanks for saving us Rapunzel.” Kairi said in gratitude.  Rapunzel nodded and smiled.  “No, thank you for coming to help us earlier.” she said with a smile.  Flynn, who was a few feet apart from them, came to them and then pointed to a nearby circle of trees.  “Ah, yeah, I’m glad we’re all being appreciative here, and well, today’s been a long day, so I found us a spot where we can rest for the night.”  he said.  With that, everyone followed him.

 

  As nighttime came by, the spot had been made into a small camp, and Riku and Mickey had already fallen asleep, but Kairi couldn’t sleep.  She simply laid on the ground, looking at the stars.  Then, all of a sudden, she heard Flynn and Rapunzel talking in hushed voices.  Kairi knew it was rude to peek in on others conversations, but something in her heart told her that she had to, so she peeked her head out without anyone noticing.  “Um, why are you being so cryptic as you wrap your hair on my wounded hand?” Flynn said, with a nervous look on his face.  Rapunzel looked stressed and then she stuttered a bit when she talked.  “Just…don’t freak out okay?  My hair doesn’t just glow.”  Flynn now looked really nervous, and he looked down on Pascal, who simply smirked and nodded for him to watch what Rapunzel was about to do.

 

  Slowly, Rapunzel started to sing. “Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine.  Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine…heal what has been hurt, change the fate’s design.  Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine…what once was mine.”  As her beautiful and pure voice echoed gently in the breeze, Flynn unraveled the hair covering his hand, and then he remained speechless, for his hand had been completely healed!  He wanted to scream very badly, but Rapunzel quickly waved her hands. “No, don’t freak out!”  At that, Flynn had to hold his scream back so that he wouldn’t make her feel bad, and then he cleared his throat.  “Oh, me, no, I’m not freaked out, I’m just, uh, interesting in the magical properties that your hair possesses.  How long has your hair been like that?” he said as calmly as possible.  Rapunzel smiled and then she looked at the stars.  “Well, forever I guess.”

 

(Start Song Here)

  “The thing is that my hair has this special power, but my mother said that bad people tried to take me away when I was a baby, so they could use my powers for their own purposes.  A gift like this has to be protected.  That’s why mother…no, that’s why I never left the tower.  And well, if my hair gets cut, it loses its power.” she said as she exposed a strand of hair that had turned brown. “But anyways, Eugene, huh?” she said, changing the subject to him.  “Oh no, I don’t do backstories.  I don’t want to get you down with the story of poor Eugene Fitzherbert.” he said while looking away. But Rapunzel looked on, eager to hear more.  “Well…I was an orphan, and I’d always read stories to the other kids.  The stories of Flynnagan Rider, swashbuckling rogue and a charmer to the ladies.” he said.  “Ah, is that so?” Rapunzel said while giggling. Flynn smiled and nodded.  “Yeah…at the time, I thought that was a better life…better than nothing at least.” he said as his eyes slowly met hers.  They both looked at each other for a moment, then Flynn cleared his throat nervously. “Um, anyways, I should get some more firewood.” he said.  “Hey.  I think I like Eugene better than Flynn Rider.” Rapunzel said kindly. Eugene smiled.  “Thanks.  You’d be the first.” he said as he walked away, still thinking of how she healed his hand.

 

  Having overheard their conversation, Kairi smiled and then she laid down on the ground, sleep slowly embracing her.  “She has a good heart.  She is fit to be a princess of heart…but she’s still so young…she’s just beginning to experience the world around her.  She’s not ready for that responsibility.  At least not yet.” she thought to herself as she looked up to the stars.  Then her thoughts shifted to Sora.  She hoped with all her hear that he was alright.  It had been so long ago when Kairi was whisked away from Destiny Islands, but to her it felt like if it had happened yesterday.  She remembered of the great struggles and sacrifices Sora and Riku went to save her.  She smiled and held her hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat.  “I’ll protect all the worlds, with the same effort and sacrifice that Sora and Riku did to save me.”  With that, sleep took hold of her and her mind drifted into the comfort of sleep.

(End Song Here)

-----------------------------------------

 

Having gotten out of their predicament, Riku, Kairi and Mickey are able to ensure that Eugene and Rapunzel could escape from the soldiers.  But what will happen now?  Are there any more dangers lurking ahead for them?  That’s something you’ll find out later on, for next chapter, Xion, along with Edward and Alphonse, confront Ethan, who had long been absent.  Who will win the battle?  And what are Ethan’s intentions?  Stay tuned for Chapter 19: “The Mirage Warrior.”

 

Okay, so that was it for this chapter!  Whew, I managed to write it all today!  I’m surprised I can be able to update on this story as often as I do.  Ha, just goes to show you that I am the man!  Lol, anyways, please make sure to comment on this chapter and also, let me know if you have liked my writing style so far.  Well then, until next time, look forward to the next chapter! Oh, and by the way Keyblade101, you should definitely give Full Metal Alchemist a shot.  I've seen the first 25 Episodes, and trust me, it is one amazing anime!

That was so COOL!!!

I love Tangled: it's definately in my top ten. Great fight, too. Please, keep going.

Edited March 14, 201411 yr by Keyblade101

Evening everyone, how’s it going? Wow, can you believe I’m almost up to chapter 20 already?  I myself am impressed that I’ve been able to keep this story up to date so often, and I’m really happy everyone gets to read it!  Well then, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

 

Chapter 19: The Mirage Warrior

 

(Start Song Here)

  As Xion stood there, staring at Ethan, the youth simply stood in place, waiting for her to attack.  Edward and Alphonse didn’t know what to do, so they decided they would follow Xion’s lead.  There was a tense silence between them for a considerable length, and the air was suddenly thick and heavy.  Xion raised her Keyblade and pointed it at Ethan, and her gaze remained fixed on him. “I know you.  Ventus and Trish had told me about you.  You don’t deserve their worries!” she said while gripping her Keyblade tightly.  Ethan made a half smile.  “So, they do worry about me after all.  How sweet.  Now then, if you won’t make your first move, then allow me to begin this battle.” he said with a calm, almost mystifying demeanor.  He tilted his Keyblade to the side and held it with both hands, and after a few seconds, Xion, Edward and Alphonse were sent smashing through some wooden crates.  “What?  Impossible!  You didn’t even move!  How did you do that?” Xion said, looking at him quite surprised.  Ethan simply started walking towards her.  “Simple.  I honed my skills.”

 

  Feeling fed up about their current situation, Edward decided to take matters into his own hands.  “That’s it punk, you are through!  Nobody hits a lady while I’m around!” he said as his mechanical arm formed a blade.  Alphonse tried to stop him, but he had already gotten inches away from Ethan.  “Big brother, don’t be reckless!” he said, but Edward didn’t listen.  Ethan saw Edward coming at him, and when Edward plunged in for the attack, Ethan simply grabbed him by the arm and flung him back, sending him reeling to the ground.  “No!” Alphonse shouted as he went towards Ethan, using his martial arts to subdue him, but even with his size and skill, Alphonse couldn’t hold a candle to Ethan, who dodged all his attacks and then punched his face.  Xion then charged towards Ethan with full rage.  “Don’t hurt my friends!”

 

  As she attacked Ethan, she was sent aback by his immense strength.  Apparently he hadn’t been lying about honing his strength.  She saw his face, grim and menacing, but calm, cool and collected at the same time.  It was enough to intimidate even the most battle hardened warriors, but Xion couldn’t stand the sight of him, and she needed to defeat him.  “Where were you when we needed you!?  You could have helped us defeat Dark Orion!  And your sister, she’s been wondering where you’ve been all this time!  Have you become so heartless you don’t even care about anyone at all!?” she said, bashing her Keyblade on his.  Ethan remained stoic and silent, apparently taking it easy on her as the only thing he did was block and dodge her attacks.

 

  “Stop going easy on me!  Give me everything you’ve got!” Xion said.  Soon after, Edward and Alphonse came back on the offensive, and Ethan effortlessly took on all three of them with his Keyblade.  “Such power!  I’ve never encountered anyone like him before!” Edward said while attacking. “Big brother, we have to be careful, he’s too dangerous!” Alphonse said as he dodged a few of Ethan’s strikes.  Xion couldn’t believe how calm Ethan was, and he wasn’t even breaking a sweat.  She knew that it would take more than just attacking to beat him.  She had to give him credit for being a skilled warrior though.  Suddenly, she found an opening in his attacks, and just as she was about to strike, he disappeared instantly.  “Huh?  Where’d he go?” Alphonse said, looking left and right.  Ethan then appeared on top of one of the workhouses, the moonlight making his Keyblade shine with great radiance.  “You three have considerable strength.  But strength alone isn’t what makes you a warrior.  That’s a lesson to take to heart.” he said as the wind blew his hair, his appearance awe inspiring and intimidating.

(End Song Here)

 

(Start Song Here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4eN6y6_bTg

  Meanwhile, back in the underground base, Xylek and the others had planned out their tactics of sending the Unborn and the Heartless towards various worlds to perform recon missions.  Things were getting bad, and they would get worse.  Sora had woken up, but he still felt the pain of his injury eating away at him.  Donald and Goofy were sad, trying to cheer Sora up.  “Aw Sora, don’t worry, it’ll all be okay!” Goofy said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.  Donald joined in and smiled.  “That’s right!  We’ll find a way out of here, you’ll see!” Sora looked up at the both of them and he smiled.  “Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. But we should stay here for a while.” At that, Donald and Goofy gave him very puzzled looks.  “Are you crazy!? We’re in the enemy’s lair!” Sora nodded and then he leant closer, whispering.  “My point exactly.  If we stay here long enough, we’re bound to hear more of their plans so we can report back to the others.” At that, Goofy caught on to what Sora was saying.  “Oh, I get it now!  You’re so smart Sora, that’s a great plan!” Sora then noticed that someone was coming.  The only thing he could think of right now is to pretend to sleep, that way, if their enemies were to speak of anything at all, they’d be able to hear the whole conversation.

 

  “Guys, someone’s coming down, let’s pretend we’re sleeping.” Sora said in a low whisper.  Donald and Goofy nodded in unison, and they all closed their eyes and laid on the floor, pretending to sleep, as the ones who came down where Emmxett and Xylek himself.  “Master, I assure you that everything will go as planned.  We will accomplish the conquest of all worlds and rule over Kingdom Hearts.” he said confidently.  Xylek shook his head. “No.” At that, Emmxett looked confused.  “But Master, isn’t our goal the conquest of all worlds?”  Xylek then turned around to face his ally and then put his hand on his shoulder.  “You see Emmxett, it’s much more than just that.  You have to look at the bigger picture.”  Emmxett looked even more confused now.  “Sir…?”

 

  Xylek slowly approached the cell where Sora, Donald and Goofy were, and then he raised his hand up. “You see my good friend, that was Dark Orion’s goal.  I merely played along with him and his pawns.  Only a few of our deceased allies knew of my true intentions.  You see, I have different needs.  I want Kingdom Hearts, so that I may be able to analyze and explore the potential that the heart of all worlds could have.  It could even be a gateway to other realms. Just think about it.  All the galaxies out there, much bigger than this one, waiting to be discovered.  Make no mistake, this is not the only universe that exists.  While our universe is vast and expansive, it is but a trifling thing compared to the magnitude of the countless other universes out there.” he said, eyes full of determination.

 

  “Ah, I see.  That is indeed an immense goal Master.  And quite an intriguing one at that.” Emmxett said, looking impressed.  Xylek nodded and then he approached him again.  “Yes. But, these fools, the Keyblade Wielders who would stop us, must be disposed of.  So long as they remain, our mission hangs by a thread.  When they are utterly destroyed, we will use all the worlds in this universe as our vessels, our transports towards all the other universes that await us.  That is why the conquest of all worlds is necessary, and our Unborn and newly acquired Heartless armies will be our perfect interceptors, helping us achieve our goal.” he said as he glanced over his shoulder at Sora, Donald and Goofy.  “And what of our three prisoners?  Shall I have the honor of exterminating them myself?” Emmxett said with a smirk.  At that, Xylek smiled.  “Worry not my friend.  The time will come for them to face judgment, but for now, keep them unharmed.  I want for him to be the last Keyblade Wielder alive, plus, those two friends of his will provide quite the amusement when they die by your hand.” he said.  With that, he and Emmxett went upstairs.  Sora, Donald and Goofy had heard everything, and they were speechless.

(End Song Here)

 

  Back at the battle, Ethan had proceeded to dive down from the top of the workhouse and towards Xion.  Edward and Alphonse had gotten in the way to prevent the attack, but he simply dodged them and kicked them away without the slightest bit of effort.  As he pummeled down, Xion blocked his attack, and then she counterattacked and finally managed to hit his right arm and cut it slightly.  Ethan then looked at his newly made wound and he grunted in pain, but then he turned his attention towards Xion again.  “Good work.  You’ve broken my defense.” he said as calmly as ever.  Xion was sick of his calm attitude, and she concentrated her energy, resulting in her Keyblade turning a bright neon blue color, and then she proceeded to strike repeatedly in majestic arcs, and then she leapt in the air and used the wind to send wind lances towards Ethan.  He managed to block all of the lances and he even caught one with his hand and deflected it back towards her.  She was almost caught off guard, but she managed to dodge the attack, although her knee was injured slightly, as the wind lance had scraped her there.  She felt the sudden sting of the wound, but managed to land softly.

 

  She moaned in pain, but then shook it off and regained her focus.  “Edward, Alphonse, now!” she shouted.  Ethan for a moment looked puzzled, and then Edward and Alphonse smiled from the distance.  “Take this you rotten punk!” Edward said, as both he and Alphonse clapped their hands and placed them on the ground, sending steel lances to emerge from the ground, forming a cage to entrap Ethan.  Then Xion focused all her energy and cast a Barrier spell to make sure that he wouldn’t escape.  He simply smiled.  “Good work.  Your tactics as a team are very good.  I’m impressed.” he said as he unsummoned his Keyblade and started clapping slowly.  “Big brother, what’s with this guy?” Alphonse said, clueless.  “Beats me, but at least we beat him!” Edward said, his face beaming with pride.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “I have to admit shrimp, you aren’t bad for a little kid.” Ethan said with a smirk.  At that, Edward snapped and flailed his arms in the air.  “Hey, don’t call me shrimp, you don’t have the right to call me names!  Just because I’m short that doesn’t mean you have to call me a shrimp!  And I’m not a little kid.” he said in a frenzy.  “Calm down big brother, it’s all right now.” Alphonse said, trying to maintain Edward in control.  Xion approached Ethan and crossed her arms.  “What are you smiling so much about?  You know that you’ve lost, and now you will come with me.” she said in a serious tone.  At that, Ethan simply dissolved and then moved out of the cage and took form again.  Xion was speechless, and Edward and Alphonse now felt useless.  “How did you do that!?” Xion asked, surprised that Ethan got out of the cage so easily.

 

  “As I told you before, I honed my skills.” he said casually.  Xion once again summoned her Keyblade, ready to keep on fighting him.  “Well I’m not going to stop until I’ve defeated you!” she said defiantly.  Ethan simply started to walk away.  “As I said, I’m not your enemy.”  At that, Xion calmed down a little bit, and then she unsummoned her Keyblade.  “Have you at least seen Sora, Donald and Goofy?” she asked, hoping to get a lead on where they are.  Ethan turned around and looked at her seriously.  “Did something happen to them?”  Xion nodded.  “They were captured by the enemy, and well, I don’t know where they may be.”  After a few seconds of silence, Ethan turned around again and kept walking away. “I’m sure you’ll find them, just keep looking.” he said.  Xion, having expected him to at least come back, crossed her arms.  “Aren’t you going to help me?” she said, sounding quite irritated with him.  Ethan shook his head.  “I have other things to take care of…but I’ll come back when you least expect it.  Until then…” And with those words, he disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared.  “Well, back to square one.” Xion said with a sigh.

(End Song Here)

 

-----------------------------------------

 

Why was Ethan testing Xion’s strength?  What was in it for him?  Did he perhaps think that Xion needed to prepare herself for a great challenge?  Will Xion be able to discover the whereabouts of Sora, Donald and Goofy?  And how does Xylek plan to eliminate all the Keyblade Wielders?  Only time will tell.  As for the next chapter, will Ventus be able to come to grips with his tragic past?  What can Kyle and Trish do for him?  Stay tuned for Chapter 20: “Family Bonds.”

 

Well everyone, that was the chapter!  As always, please be sure to leave your comments on how you liked the chapter, and well, please keep on reading!  I’ve really enjoyed making this story, and I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading it just as much!  Until next time my friends, stay tuned for the next chapter!

I really enjoyed this!

That was a great chapter and an awesome fight. I'm impressed with Ethan's skills.

 

Can I make a couple of world suggestions? I'd like to see Atlantis: the Lost Empire, Frozen, Brave, and Pochontas.

Good evening everyone, and welcome to another chapter of my story!  As always, I appreciate you all for reading my story, and I’m really happy that it’s gotten over 1100 views!  Thanks everyone!  Now here’s the next chapter!

 

Chapter 20: Family Bonds

 

(Start Song Here)

  After having witnessed the gaping and horrifying nightmare that was his past, Ventus found himself speechless.  Trish and Kyle had asked him what he had seen, but he refused to speak.  He was in a state of shock, his eyes seeming lifeless.  Trish was getting anxious.  “Ven…I know that your past must have been hard to live through, but that’s all it is, the past.  What matters now is what you do with your life in the present.  You need to renew your heart with determination, looking back at the past, but not living in it.” she said softly.  Ventus held her hand and squeezed it and he managed a half smile.  “You know what?  Your right.” Ventus said slowly.  Kyle smiled and nodded and hugged him.  “That’s the spirit Dad!  And well, don’t you at least feel relieved that you know where you came from?  I mean, I’m sure that at least that helped put your heart at ease.” he said. Ventus nodded. “Yes.  I at least know that I had a home world.  Even when I lived with Terra and Aqua and Eraqus, I knew that the Land of Departure wasn’t the place where my life began.  Your right, at least now I know where I came from.”

 

  With that fact, he felt much better, and he could see the look of relief in Trish and Kyle’s faces.  “Just remember Ventus, as long as we share our strong bond, we’ll always be a family.  Our hearts will always remain connected, no matter the past, no matter the hurt, no matter the ordeals.  Always remember that.” Trish said with a sweet smile.  Ventus smiled and kissed her lips lovingly.  Kyle smiled as he saw the both of them so happy.  “I hope I find someone special someday.” he said, looking towards the endless horizon of the inter-world crossroads.  He then turned around and faced his parents.  “Seeing the both of you happy makes me happy.  It makes me feel all the more sure that we are a happy family, even when we go through tough times.  You guys have taught me to keep my cool when I’m feeling down.” he said while smiling.

 

  Ventus nodded.  “That’s right.  That’s the thing about us.  We’re a family that will never be broken, no matter what happens.” he said, placing his hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat.  As Trish turned around and looked left to right, she looked deep in thought.  “Um, guys, that girl in the hood brought us here, but she never told us how to get out.  Where do we go from here?” she said, feeling a little distressed.  Ventus walked over to Trish, and he took a look at the empty surroundings of the inter-world crossroads.  After a few seconds, his gaze remain fixed straight ahead.  “Guys, follow me.  I got the feeling this is the way.” Ventus said reassuringly.  "Oh, and, um, can I ask you both a favor?” he said, suddenly having a troubled look on his face.  Trish and Kyle nodded.  “Yes?  What is it?” they asked in unison.

 

  “Well…there was this part of my past where I remember Mom injecting me with something, and I’m getting the feeling that’s what caused the birth of my inner darkness…I need to know if my parents were investigating something related to the darkness in people’s hearts.  Do you think you can help me?” he asked, standing firm.  Trish made an enthusiastic smile and she put her arms behind her back. “Ha, dear, you don’t even have to ask.  We are a family after all, so we’ll be glad to help you, right Kyle?” she said, looking at him.  Kyle raised his fists in determination.  “Yeah, of course!  The three of us could get to the bottom of this, and we can find out what the mystery is together!” he said, putting his arms over his head.  Ventus smiled appreciatively and nodded.  “Thanks guys.  I couldn’t ask for a better family.” he said, a single tear rolling down his cheek.  And so, they began their journey out of the inter-world crossroads.  They didn’t know what perils or dangers would await them, but as long as they were together, they had nothing to fear, and nothing would tear them apart.

 

  As they kept walking for a considerable amount of time, they stopped to take a short break.  “Whew, who knew walking so much like this could build up leg muscle?” Kyle said as he touched his legs, that were stiff from having walked so much. Trish and Ventus sat down, for their legs were also stiff, and then they stayed silent for a moment.  “Hey Dad, what world do you think we’ll end up discovering next?” Kyle asked.  “Hmm, I don’t really know.  All I know is that wherever we end up, we have to make sure to stay alert for Unborn and the Heartless for that matter.” Ventus said.  The minutes passed, and then Trish stood up.  “Well guys, it’s time to go again.” she said.  Kyle stretched out his arms and then yawned.  “How about this time we use our Keyblade Gliders?  That way we’ll at least go faster, don’t you think so?” he asked.  Ventus and Trish looked at each other and then nodded.  “That’s a good idea!” Trish replied, and with that, the trio flung their Keyblades high up into the air, and then they got on their respective Keyblade Gliders.  And so, they continued their peaceful and quiet journey through the inter-world crossroads.

(End Song Here)

 

(Start Song Here)

  But just when they thought that they were having a smooth voyage, they noticed that the inter-world crossroads started to distort.  Something didn’t seem right, and things were only going to get worse.  “What was that!?” Trish shouted as she looked all around her.  Then Kyle pointed out towards the horizon.  “It’s the Unborn!”  As they looked onward, they saw legions of Unborn heading towards them, and they united their bodies and formed a giant, reptilian-like Unborn monstrosity, and it roared with great might, sending sound waves that were heading towards the trio.  “Guys, time to dodge!” Ventus shouted out, as they each started dodging their foe’s attacks.  As they dodged, they counterattacked with their gliders, shootings beams of light towards the reptilian Unborn.  The beams of light pierced through the Unborn’s skin just barely, but it wasn’t enough to deal any good damage.

 

  Kyle headed swiftly to the nape of the Unborn’s neck, and he tried to get a hit, but the Unborn turned its head quickly and used it’s roar to send Kyle reeling off. Ventus and Trish both increased the speed of their gliders, and then Trish shot daggers of light from the glider’s power, hitting multiple weak spots of the Unborn’s body.  Ventus then capitalized on this by casting Aeroga to the daggers so that they could act as homing missiles to their foe.  For the moment the strategy was working, but then the Unborn turned around and hit Ventus and Trish with its sword-like tail, sending them back a considerable distance. The battle was getting tougher by the minute, and now it was time to improvise.  Kyle came back at full speed and managed to tip over the Unborn reptile over, revealing its weak spot: its stomach.  Realizing that they had the chance to finish it off, Kyle looked towards Ventus and Trish.

 

  “Guys, aim for the stomach!” Kyle shouted. Ventus and Trish quickly sped towards their foe, but just when they were about to deliver the killing blow, a Darkside suddenly appeared before them and smacked them down.  “What!?  A Heartless!?” Trish grunted out.  Ventus and Kyle were just as shocked.  They knew that the Heartless were also their enemy, but they didn’t expect that Darkside to appear in the inter-world crossroads.  More surprising still is the fact that it was coming to aid the Unborn reptile.  They tried stopping it, but they were too late, as it merged with the Unborn reptile’s body, and then it changed from a reptile into an Unborn/Heartless hybrid, covered in armor, ruby red eyes shining through a darkened skull.  Now the fight was getting desperate.  “Unbelievable!  Such power!” Kyle said in shock, as he could feel the creature’s energy increase substantially.  “Guys, look out!” Ventus said, as the Unborn/Heartless shot a giant, yellow beam of electricity that almost got the trio.  As they all got to a safe distance, they saw their menacing foe, waiting for them to attack.  “This isn’t good!” Ventus said, trying to come up with a plan.

 

  As Ventus was stuck, thinking of a plan, Kyle suddenly thought of something.  He snapped his fingers and he quickly looked at Ventus and Trish.  “Guys, I got it!  Since our Keyblades can transform into Gliders, why don’t we try merging all our Keyblade Gliders into one big ship?  With our powers united, we should be able to stand a chance!” he said, eyes full of determination.  Trish nodded and smiled.  “That’s a great plan!  Way to go Kyle!”  Ventus looked back at him and he nodded.  “All right, but we have to do it quick, since that thing’s charging up an attack again!” he said in an urgent tone.  With that, they all jumped high into the air, and they made their Keyblade Gliders collide, and as they did, they saw bits and pieces of the Gliders shift in position and shape, and after a blinding ray of light, a sleek, silver ship emerged from the Gliders, with wide and agile wings and a cockpit where three people could fit, similar to Sora, Donald and Goofy’s Gummi Ship.  They quickly jumped into the cockpit and evaded their foe’s attack just in time.  The Unborn/Heartless creature was about to be utterly destroyed.

 

  “All right, we got this!  Now let’s go straight to our enemy!” Kyle said.  As they turned into position, they went at blazing full speeds, instantly heading straight towards the Unborn/Heartless creature, who dematerialized and rematerialized further away.  “We have to stop this thing here and now before it sets out for other worlds!  We can’t let it escape!” Trish said, concentrating on the creature.  “Right!” Ventus and Kyle said in unison, and together, the trio piloted the ship, as the creature send a flurry of dark projectiles towards them.  They evaded most of the projectiles, but some of the projectiles took the form of smaller Heartless and Unborn that were trying to eat away at the ship.  “Trish, take care of the Heartless and Unborn outside!” Ventus shouted out.  Trish nodded and she headed outwards to the wings of the ship, ready for a fight.

 

  The moment she went outside, the Heartless went onto her immediately while the Unborn were busy eating away at the ship’s wings. Trish broke through the throngs of Heartless and used her Radiant Light attack, in which she raised her arm upwards and sent a wave of light that cut through the relentless Heartless and Unborn.  She then took position and started using her advanced magic to deflect any Heartless and Unborn that would try to invade the ship.  “Wow, she’s not even using the Keyblade!  Mom sure has some skills!” Kyle said in awe.  Ventus smiled as he piloted the ship.  “Yes, yes she does.” he said while looking at Trish. Soon after, she was able to take out all the Heartless and Unborn, and then she came back inside.  “All right, all clear!” Trish said, as she sat down, taking a moment to catch her breath.  “Easy there dear.” Ventus said while smiling.

 

  “Right!  Now come on, lend me your strength!” Ventus said to Trish and Kyle.  They all nodded in unison, and they concentrated their energy, slowly building up a powerful ray that would use the ship’s entire energy.  Seeing the predicament it was in, the Unborn/Heartless creature tried to escape, but in three short seconds, Ventus, Trish and Kyle unleashed their devastating attack. “Piercing Light!” the trio said in unison, as a blinding beam of light pierced through their foe, causing it to fade away like ash.  Having used up all the ship’s energy, the ship reverted back into Ventus, Trish and Kyle’s Keyblade Gliders, and they were relieved, having gotten their victory against this fearsome foe.  “That was awesome!  We’re indestructible!” Kyle shouted out.  Ventus and Trish smiled of relief, and they looked towards the endless horizon.  “Well, what now?” Trish asked Ventus. After a few seconds of silence, Ventus pointed towards the horizon triumphantly.  “We keep moving forward.  We’ll find a way out of here, I’m sure of it!” he said.  And with that, they continued their journey to escape the inter-world crossroads.

(End Song Here)

----------------------------------------

 

Having been given comfort by Trish and Kyle, Ventus was able to recover from the shock of his past.  Will he be able to find the truth about his parents?  Will they even be able to exit the inter-world crossroads for that matter?  That you shall know soon enough, but next chapter, will Dawn be able to reach Riku, Kairi and Mickey in time to tell them about Sora, Donald and Goofy’s predicament?  Find out in Chapter 21: “When Two Hearts Finally Meet.”

 

Now then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!  And you know, I have to say that the story is coming along really well, at least in my opinion.   More excitement and adventure await for all of you, so stay tuned for more chapters of my story, and don’t forget to leave your comments below!  And also, tell me what you like about this story so far!  Do you think it’s as good as the first story, or do you think it’s better?  You be the judge! Until then, stay tuned for the next chapter!

This was AWESOME as Kingdom Hearts!

Awesome fight. And an Unborn/Heartless hybrid? That caught me by surprise. I'm also really curious about what exactly Ventus's mom injected him with before the town was destroyed.

Edited March 19, 201411 yr by Keyblade101

All right everyone, you know what time it is! Time for another chapter of my story!  I hope that it is to your enjoyment!  And don’t forget to comment below!

 

Chapter 21: When Two Hearts Finally Meet

 

  As the morning came, Riku, Kairi, Mickey and Rapunzel woke up to the sound of Eugene screaming in panic. “What’s wrong!?” Mickey shouted as he summoned his Keyblade.  When they went towards  Eugene, they saw that Maximus, the horse they had come upon earlier, was furiously looking at him.  Rapunzel went through Riku and Kairi and then she spread her arms wide in front of the angered horse.  “Whoa, whoa, easy boy, easy!” she said with a reassuring smile.  Instantly, the horse calmed down, for hearing Rapunzel’s soothing voice somehow calmed him down.  He also saw that Pascal, the little chameleon, had signaled him to calm down.  “Now, sit!” Rapunzel said, and Maximus did just that.  Eugene looked at the horse with a gasp.  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Rapunzel smiled and petted Maximus gently.  “Aw, your not a bad horse at all, your just trying to do your job aren’t you? But nobody appreciates you, do they?” At that, the horse nodded, showing a face of agreement.  Eugene stood up and exclaimed.  “No, he’s a bad horse!”  Maximus quickly snorted, but Rapunzel kept him in check.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “No, he’s not a bad horse, he’s a good horsey, aren’t you?” she said smiling, as she looked at the emblem that had the horse’s name.  “Ah, so your Maximus!” she said aloud. The horse nodded, and then he noticed Riku, Kairi and Mickey and went towards them cheerfully and neighed excitedly.  “Oh, so I see you already know these three?” she said.  Mickey nodded.  “Uh huh, we saw him the first time we arrived here.  He’d been looking for someone, and well, that someone must have been Eugene!” At that, the mumbling Eugene stood up, arms crossed.  “Well, the reason they’re after me is because they can’t resist my manly charms and killer good looks.” he said with a smirk. At that, everyone remained silent.  “Well what? It’s true!” the now flustered thief said.

 

  At that, Maximus pounced on him again, and they started to fight, but Rapunzel came in between them yet again.  “Wait, Maximus, please, I need him!  I just need him to take me to see the floating lights.  After that you two can keep playing your little game together. So can you please get along for my sake?” she said in a sweet tone.  Eugene stretched his hand to Maximus for a handshake, but Maximus looked away in a huff.  Rapunzel cleared her throat.  “Also, um, it’s my eighteenth birthday, so it’s a pretty big deal.” Having no other option, Maximus agrees to help them into the city where the castle lies, but he was only doing it for Rapunzel’s sake.  After she looked away, he hit Eugene in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground, breathless, while Maximus chuckled to himself.

(End Song Here)

 

  Rapunzel then turned around to Riku, Kairi and Mickey.  “So, what about you three?  What are you planning to do now?  Are you coming with us to the city?” she asked.  But Riku looked at Kairi and Mickey, and they had to focus on their mission.  “Actually, we have to head south, so I guess this means goodbye.” he said.  “Aw, well that’s too bad!  But thanks for coming along with us!” she said smiling.  Riku nodded and started to walk away. “You take care now!” Mickey said as he smiled, and then he followed Riku.  Kairi then held Rapunzel’s hands and looked at her.  “Listen, Rapunzel.  You are destined for great things.  I know that you’ll be able to do many good things one day.  When that time comes, the light will shine brightest for you.  Good luck.” Kairi said in a confident tone.  Rapunzel blushed a little and then smiled.  “Thank you Kairi, that means a lot!  Good luck to you too!” With that, Kairi also went on her way, and when she turned around, she looked at Pascal, Eugene and Maximus. “You three take care of her, okay?” she said.  The three nodded in unison.  With that, Kairi smiled and went on her way.

 

  Meanwhile, Dawn was sitting in the shade of a nearby tree, panting, catching her breath.  She had left the fortress to warn Riku and friends about Sora, Donald and Goofy’s capture, and along the way she had encountered a great many number of Unborn and Heartless.  She had barely been able to stave them off during these encounters, and all those battles were now taking a toll on her.  “This isn’t good…I’m still not strong enough to take out hordes of enemies on my own.  But I need to reach Riku, I just need to!” she said to herself, slowly standing up. Now she was thinking that maybe it would have been best if she had stayed in the fortress to finish her training with Valgard, but she shook her head.  She had already committed herself to doing this, so she had to see it through to the end. Besides, even if she did decide to turn back, she wouldn’t be able to face the counsel.  She knew she could trust Valgard, but it wouldn’t be long until the counsel would start to notice her absence.  “I’m sorry for putting you in trouble Valgard…” she said to herself, as she continued to go forward, determined to find Riku. She knew that no matter what would happen, she had to find him.  She was as determined as ever to do so.

 

  As she walked through the forest, she saw the birds flying here and there, delivering food to their young.  Squirrels and raccoons and other forest life were happily inhabiting their homes.  Dawn was still overwhelmed by the greatness of it all.  This is the first time she had gone outside of the fortress, the first time that she saw the outside world.  She was still coming to terms with it, still absorbing all that there is to absorb.  She felt awe and fear at the same time.  She wondered why The Elder never allowed her to leave the fortress. That is something that remained a mystery to her. She then stopped and examined her surroundings.  “They’re close.  I can feel them!” she said excitedly, feeling Riku, Kairi and Mickey’s presence.  After searching for a long time, she was finally relieved that she was this close to meeting them.  And so, she started to run.

 

  But her excitement would have to wait, for many Unborn and Heartless suddenly appeared out of the blue.  “All right, if it’s a fight you want, then it’s a fight you’ll get!” Dawn said defiantly, summoning her Keyblade, Flaming Crown, in a glorious flash of light and crimson fire.  She then swiftly moved through the crowds of foes as she cut them down one by one.  She had still not mastered the Keyblade, but she was getting the hang of it.  She then dodged a great number of their attacks, and soon after she performed her Magnet Spiral attack, making the surrounding enemies get sucked into the magnet spell, and then she struck them down, one by one, until there were only a few left.  “Looks like I’m getting the hang of this!” she said with a smirk.  But little did she know that a Heartless was behind her, and before she could turn around, she was struck by its sharp claws.

 

  She gasped and fell to the ground, moaning in pain.  The claws had reached into her right rib, almost striking one of her lungs.  She suddenly started feeling cold.  “No…this can’t be the end.  It just can’t!” she said to herself, refusing to let death get a grip on her. Her vision started to blur, and just as the Heartless and Unborn were about to deliver their final attack, she saw the faint image of someone standing over her, eliminating the Heartless and Unborn.  Soon she felt a warm sensation in her wound, and it suddenly felt less painful.  As her vision cleared, she saw that it was Riku, who had cast Curaga on her wound. She looked at his face, which was filled with excitement and shock at the same time.  For the moment, neither said a word.  It’s like time itself had stopped short.  Dawn touched Riku’s face and smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks.  “Is that you, Riku?”  He nodded and smiled and touched her hand. “Yes, it’s me.  Hello Dawn.” he said, eyes full of tears.  With that, the both of them kissed each other passionately, and they didn’t pull away for a long while.  They embraced in each other’s arms, feeling each other’s passion, because for three long years they had waited to meet, and now they finally did.

 

  Kairi and Mickey smiled and they left to leave Riku and Dawn some privacy.  The seconds and minutes passed, and Riku and Dawn still couldn’t believe that they were finally here, together.  “I knew I’d find you Riku.” Dawn said with a sweet smile.  Riku shook his head and grabbed her by the shoulders.  “I never expected this.  I’m so happy, so relieved, and well, I just can’t describe this moment now.  My heart is beating rather fast.” he said, feeling his heart pound.  Dawn giggled and touched his chest to feel his heartbeat.  “I know.  I have that feeling too.” she said as she put Riku’s had on her chest so he could feel her heartbeat. It was a wonderful and priceless moment that they had together, and they didn’t want it to end.  Riku then stood up and helped Dawn stand up as well.  “So, how did you know where to find me?” he asked.  Dawn smiled.  “Well, I traced your heart, and it led me here, to this forest.”  Just as Riku was about to say something, a giant Unborn deer appeared, and they had no choice but to leave the talk for later.  The giant Unborn deer roared menacingly, its long and sharp antlers gleaming with great sharpness.

 

(Start Song Here)

  Kairi and Mickey immediately came, and all four of them summoned their Keyblades.  Riku looked at Dawn, surprised and impressed.  “So, you have a Keyblade too?” he asked.  Dawn looked over at him and smiled. “That’s right!  By the way, nice to meet you two. I’m Dawn.” she stated.  “I’m Kairi, and this is Mickey.  Nice to meet you too.” she said.  With the introductions aside, they charged towards the Unborn.  “This one has to be the source of all the possessed forest animals!  We have to destroy it!” Riku shouted.  Everyone agreed, and they knew they had to pour their all into the battle.  Mickey went to the left, charging up his power to cast pearls of light, and Kairi went to the right, Poison spell at the ready, while Riku and Dawn took the middle ground to distract it.  “All right, let’s do this!” Riku shouted.  “Right!” Dawn agreed.

 

  Dawn leaped up and she flung her Keyblade and performed Strike Raid, hitting the Unborn deer’s antlers.  She didn’t miss, and the menacing creature roared in fury, its eyes gleaming a bright blue.  Riku then drew different lines on the ground, poured darkness in them, and caused a giant serpent of darkness to emerge, from which he could take control.  He then swung his Keyblade upwards, causing the dark serpent to strike up, hitting the Unborn deer’s jaw.  The creature seemingly got much more enraged.  Kairi cast Poison and managed to successfully make her spell hit its mark, and Mickey cast pearls of light in a circle so their foe could not escape.  The Unborn, seeing as how it was being cornered, made a deafening roar that broke through the spells and caused a portal of darkness to appear.  Everyone was caught off guard for a moment.

(End Song Here)

 

  Taking no more than a second, the Unborn deer quickly jumped through the portal, and as soon as it did, it closed up.  “It got away!” Riku exclaimed.  Everyone unsummoned their Keyblades, and they regrouped.  “Where do you think it went away to?” Mickey asked with a concerned look on his face.  Dawn closed her eyes and concentrated her energy to pick up their escaped foe’s energy.  “Right now…it’s currently adrift, in The Lanes Between.  It seems to be recovering its strength.  But guys, I need to tell you something urgent.  Sora, Donald and Goofy have been captured by the enemy!”  At that, Kairi’s heart dropped.  “Captured!?” she asked in shock.  Dawn nodded sadly.  “Yes.  I sensed it back when I was at the fortress.  I can’t pinpoint their exact location, but Sora, Donald and Goofy’s hearts can lead us to where they are.” she said in confirmation.  “Then let’s get going!” Riku said, walking ahead of them.  We’ll stop that Unborn in The Lanes Between and go to Sora, Donald and Goofy.  We don’t have time to waste, let’s go!”  With that, they all nodded, and Riku opened a portal of darkness, and they went through it with all haste.

-----------------------------------------------

 

Dawn has finally meet Riku, and she has been able to successfully warn them about Sora, Donald and Goofy’s capture!  Will they be able to defeat the Unborn deer that stands in their way?  Will they be able to find the location where our heroes are trapped?  Next chapter, after Xion’s encounter with Ethan, she must keep on searching for Sora, Donald and Goofy.  Will she be able to get any leads? Stay tuned for Chapter 22:  “Familiar Faces.”

 

Okay, so I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!  I wrote it as fast as I could, sorry if it wasn’t as good as the others! X_X Anyways, I hope you found it to your liking!  Please be sure to leave your comments below!  Until next time, stay tuned for the next chapter everyone!

This is cool!

Yes, Riku and Dawn finally found each other! I'm so happy!

Hey everyone, how’s it going?  Sorry for the long delay of chapters, but this weekend was a busy one!  Plus, I had also felt sick, so I didn’t feel like writing, but I’m all better now!  As always, thank you for your comments, and I hope you enjoy today’s chapter!

 

Chapter 22: Familiar Faces

 

  After the battle with Ethan, Xion decided that she had to press on and continue her search for Sora, Donald and Goofy.  Edward and Alphonse were both tired from the battle as well.  “Well guys, I’d best be off.  It was really nice meeting you two, and I hope we get to meet each other again real soon!” she said kindheartedly.  Alphonse bowed and nodded.  “Goodbye Xion!  And keep on strengthening yourself, you’ve got so much power in you, don’t let it go to waste!”  Edward walked over to Xion and placed his hand on her shoulder.  “Good luck out there.  I hope you find your friends, and be sure to send them a hello from us!”  Xion smiled.  “Will do.  And I hope you two can be able to get your lives back to normal!”  The Elric brothers nodded, and they waved goodbye as Xion went on her way.  All the while, she was still thinking about her battle with Ethan, trying to figure out his intentions.  He hadn’t shown up in three years, so what was the deal?  He claimed to be an ally, but Xion kept her guard up, for there was no telling what Ethan could be capable of.

 

  When she was in a wide, empty field and she noticed that there was no one around, she raised her arm and the Star Shard in her hand shined radiantly, and it transported her all of a sudden, bouncing off here and there.  “Ah, I don’t know how King Mickey could handle this thing!” she thought to herself, feeling dizzy from the Star Shard’s uncontrollable power.  After a few seconds, she landed with a thud to the ground, and for a moment she passed out.  A few minutes passed, and she awoke to the sound of dripping water, in a dimly lit area.  She then stood up slowly, and she sighed.  “Aw, and Roxas had given me this scarf.” she muttered to herself as she tried to get the mud off a scarf that Roxas had given her for Christmas.  Strange enough though, her short black dress was just fine, and her white leggings were also clean.

 

            “Of all the things that had to get dirty, it had to be the scarf.” she said, crossing her arms and then taking notice of where she was.  “It seems I must be in some cave.” she thought to herself as she was surrounded by the darkness of this cave.  She wandered about for a while, but unfortunately didn’t find a way out.  She then focused her energy and caused three spheres of light to appear out of thin air to provide some light to her surroundings.  Feeling a bit tired, she sat nearby a circle of tiny rocks, and she looked up towards the ceiling, feeling lost, and also feeling irritated because of her dirty scarf.  Suddenly, she heard a distant noise, footsteps, and she quickly stood up and summoned her Keyblade.  She was quite vigilant and alert to her surroundings.  Again, she heard footsteps. Whoever was coming was close now. 

 

            Only silence loomed for the next few seconds, and just as Xion had let her guard down, she suddenly heard an almost silent breath.  “Boo.”  With that, Xion jumped backed and shrieked and fell to the ground, and out of the darkness, it was none other than Vanitas who was the source of the footsteps!  He was standing there, laughing at Xion, feeling quite pleased with himself.  “You jerk, I would have killed you if I hadn’t seen you!” she exclaimed.  Vanitas, almost on the verge of tears from laughing, took his breath and then he helped Xion up.  “You should have seen the look on your face, it was priceless!  I’m sorry for startling you, but hey, a guy like me has to have his laughs now and then.” he said with a smirk.  Xion simply rolled her eyes, but then she remembered her mission and shook Vanitas by the shoulders.  “Vanitas, have you seen Sora, Donald and Goofy?” she asked.  Vanitas shrugged.  “Nope, did something happen to them?”  Xion nodded.  “They were captured by the enemy, and I have no idea where their lair is.  I’m trying to see if I can find them.” 

 

(Start Song Here)

            Meanwhile, Lixane and Brenxaly had been given a mission by Xylek to go to Castle Oblivion.  The new recruits agreed to the mission without question, and now they had come upon said castle.  “Remind me again, why did Master Xylek send us here?” Lixane said, taking a look at the castle’s architecture.  Brenxaly looked at her companion and then folded her arms.  “Master Xylek sent us here to investigate this castle, to try and see if we can revert it back into its original state.” she said with a serious tone.  Lixane made an impressed expression on her face.  “I see.  So we have to try and find out how to turn Castle Oblivion back into The Land Of Departure?  That will be a complicated thing to do, considering that Aqua is the only one that knows the secrets of this castle, according to what Master Xylek said.” She said with a troubled tone.  Brenxaly walked forward towards the castle gates and she caressed the gates slowly with her hand.  “Every secret eventually gets shed to light, and this castle is no exception.” she said, feeling confident in her statement.  They took one last look outside to see if there was anything of particular interest, and seeing that there was nothing in sight, they went towards the gates.

 

            And so, the two companions opened the gates of Castle Oblivion and went inside.  They then proceeded to take a good look to their surroundings.  “So, this is the infamous Castle Oblivion, where to find is to lose and to lose is to find.  Not a bad choice of decoration, wouldn’t you say?” Lixane said, admiring the perfect, symmetrical and stylish architecture that was ever present in the castle.  “I have to admit, it does have a homey feel to it.  It does look nice.” Brenxaly said, glancing at the pure white colors of the walls and decorations and architecture, that also had a tiny hint of gray.  “But anyways, enough sightseeing, let’s get to work.” she said.  “Right!” Lixane replied, and so both of them walked towards the center of the room, and they stood facing each other, and then they spread their arms wide and closed their eyes, calm, cool and collected.

 

             As the two women stood there, arms spread wide, a sudden burst of energy materialized, and the room soon became engulfed in a swirling sphere of wind, and then Lixane placed her right hand on the ground, causing a light blue ectoplasm field to spread throughout the room, and then Brenxaly’s eyes turned a bright red, as a phantom sword appeared from her hand, then she thrust it into the ground, in the center of the room, and then all fell to silence once more.  “With the power of my phantom sword, this castle’s secrets will soon be ours.” Brenxaly said with a smirk.  “And with my ectoplasm field, we should be able to find any hidden rooms the naked eye cannot see.” Lixane said, feeling prideful of her powers.  But as the seconds passed, nothing happened.  The room seemed normal as ever, with no significant changes whatsoever.

 

            “Um…Brenxaly, nothing is…” but Lixane was interrupted by her companion.  “Patience Lixane.  All we have to do now is wait.” Brenxaly said with confidence.  On the outside she was determined that her phantom sword and Lixane’s ectoplasm field would unravel this castle’s secrets, but on the inside, she obviously knew that it would take more than that to take a crack on this place.  After all, Keyblade Master Aqua had been the one who had turned The Land Of Departure into Castle Oblivion.  “This is going to be tough, of that much I’m certain.  Master Xylek knew that this mission was of enough importance that he decided to assign it to us, the new recruits.  We have to live up to his expectations, we just have to!  And this castle could hold the key to…no, I must not dwell on these thoughts…at least not yet.” she said to herself as she shook her head.  She glanced over at Lixane, who was searching the room to see if her ectoplasm field had uncovered any hidden chambers.  But there was no such luck.  “Well, nothing to report here, for now anyway.” Lixane said calmly, as she walked over to Brenxaly.  The two women were determined to unravel the secrets of Castle Oblivion.

(End Song Here)

 

             Back at the dark cave, Xion had explained the current state of affairs to Vanitas, and all the while the young man stood stoic and silent, listening to all that Xion had to say.  When she finished, he leaned his back on the cave wall and sighed.  “Wow, a guy leaves for a while and all this happens.  Remind me to have a radar to monitor you guys.  Seriously, I can’t leave any of you alone for a minute.  All right, as soon as we get out of this cave, we’ll keep searching for Sora, Donald and Goofy.” he said as he started walking.  “You mean you’ll help me?” Xion asked.  Vanitas turned around.  “Um, well, you are my friend, right?  Geez, are you some kind of idiot or what?” he asked with an annoyed look on his face.  “Honestly, I think Ventus is less of an idiot than you are.”  At that, Xion made an upset face and she punched his arm.  “You jerk, don’t be so mean!”  she said angrily.  Vanitas simply smirked and let out a laugh.  “Okay, I take that back, maybe you aren’t such an idiot after all.” With that, the two of them started walking ahead, trying to find the exit to this cave.  If they were to find their friends, they would need to exit this cave as quickly as possible.

 

             For a while they remained silent, and as the minutes passed by, there weren’t any signs of an exit showing up.  Vanitas had taken the lead, and he had been silent for the entire time they had started walking, and then Xion stopped for a moment.  “What is it?” Vanitas said, noticing that Xion had stopped.  “Oh, nothing, it’s just that I’m trying to get this mud off my scarf, but it won’t come out!” she said, trying to scrub off the mud but to no results.  Vanitas rolled his eyes and walked towards her and took a closer look.  “Uh huh, and why should you care if the scarf’s dirty or not?” he asked shrewdly.  “Well, for your information, Roxas gave it to me as a Christmas present!” Xion said with a pout.  Again, Vanitas rolled his eyes.  “Girls.  Anyway, I think we should head this way.” he said as he pointed to his left.  “All right.” Xion replied, and with that, she quickly followed him.

 

            “So, how have you been all this time?  It’s been quite a while since we last saw each other.” Xion asked cheerfully.  Vanitas shrugged.  “Meh, can’t really complain.  I’ve just been going here and there, taking in the sights of other worlds.  I missed traveling to other worlds, so I decided to go on my own, like a vacation.” he said in a relaxed tone.  “Oh.” Xion said, putting her arms behind her back as she walked.  “But you know, lately, I’ve been seeing the night sky change.” Vanitas said all of a sudden.  Xion felt confused.  “Change?  What kind of change?”  Vanitas turned around and shook his head.  “Let’s just say it isn’t what you would say a nice view.  There’s something wrong with the stars…like they’re trying to say that something bad will happen.  And to top it all off, our enemies are getting stronger, so yeah, there’s that too.” he said with a shrug.

 

            Xion was about to say something when she noticed a tiny blue flame floating a few inches away from them.  “Hey Vanitas, look!”  As they took a closer look, they saw that the tiny blue flame was like a small spirit, and it was apparently telling them to follow it.  “I think we’ve found our way out.” Vanitas said.  Xion agreed, and so they started following the tiny blue flame, and then another appeared, and then another, and then another, like if it was a trail.  When they came upon the last one, they saw the exit they had been searching for.  “Finally.” Vanitas said, as he breathed in the fresh air from the outside.  Xion was second to come out, and then she saw the wide expanse of trees that were below them.  A great, big forest, beautiful and lush and green, laid out before them, with wide mountain ranges and a calm atmosphere.  And at the distance they saw what seemed to be a castle that was surrounded by a great big lake, and three ships that, from their design, looked like Viking ships, were sailing towards it.  “Maybe we should go to that castle.” Xion pointed out.  “Yeah.  Maybe we should.” Vanitas agreed, and so they climbed down the small cliff and headed towards the forest path.

--------------------------------------

 

Xion has encountered Vanitas, and now both shall continue their search for Sora, Donald and Goofy.  But what will await them?  And will Lixane and Brenxaly uncover Castle Oblivion’s secrets?  Wait and see, but for the next chapter, Ventus, Trish and Kyle will find their way out of the inter-world crossroads.  But what will wait for them on the other side?  Find out in Chapter 23: “Escape From The Inter-World Crossroads.”

 

Okay, so that was the chapter everyone!  As always, let me know what you thought of the chapter!  I hope you all found it to your enjoyment!  Until next time, stay tuned for the next chapter everyone!

That was.... EPIC!

Yes, I was wondering when Vanitas would show up. And the will 'o the wisp! Xion and Vanitas have to be in the Brave world!

Great start, I love the start! I'll read more here soon!

All right everyone, here’s the latest chapter of my story!  Thank you very much for taking the time to read it, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story as I keep posting more chapters!  Now, without further delay, read on my fellow followers!

 

Chapter 23: Escape From The Inter-World Crossroads

 

  As the hours passed by, the endless horizon of the inter-world crossroads seemed to stretch on forever and ever.  Even aboard their Keyblade Gliders, Ventus, Trish and Kyle were getting tired of roaming this mysterious place aimlessly.  “So Dad, what world do you think we’ll end up on next?” Kyle asked, feeling curious.  Ventus thought about it for a moment, and then he looked back and smiled at Kyle.  “Well son, I’m not sure, but wherever we end up, we’ll stick together.” he said, nodding with determination.  At that, Kyle smiled.  He then looked at Trish and flew his Keyblade Glider next to her.  “Hey Mom, can I ask you something?” he said in a hushed whisper.  Trish nodded.  “Of course dear.  What is it?” she asked, a warm smile crossing her face.  “Well…when Dad remembered his past…do you think that it was something unbearably painful?  I mean, when he woke up from his state of shock, he had a pained look on his face…” he said, feeling worried for Ventus.  Trish outstretched her hand and stroked Kyle’s hair and smiled.  “Well, whatever it was, the important thing is that he has us by his side.”

 

  While she was smiling on the outside, saying those comforting words, on the inside she felt pained as well.  She couldn’t bear to see Ventus in such pain.  She realized that he was doing his best to hide his sorrow, so that she and Kyle wouldn’t have to worry about him.  But she knew him very well, and for that same reason, she was also masking her sorrow.  She felt sad for Ventus, but she had to be strong for him, just like he was being strong for them.  With that, she simply nodded and then looked straight ahead.  “You’ll see, as long as he has us by his side, he’ll be all right.” she said in a confident tone.  Kyle smiled and sighed of relief.  “You know what?  Your right!  You and Dad are both strong, so I’ll be strong too!” he said, raising his fist with determination, as he went towards Ventus’ side.

 

  For what felt like hours, they kept traversing the vast emptiness of the inter-world crossroads, and they questioned themselves as to how a place like this even existed.  But the silence that loomed over them would end abruptly, for the mysterious woman who had led them here appeared before them, with a smirk on her face.  “Well, well, well, you three seem to be lost, aren’t you?” she asked with delight.  “You again!  Just who the heck are you!?” Trish barked out as she narrowed her gaze to the mysterious woman.  At that, the mysterious woman laughed and then she floated in front of them.  “My apologies, how rude of me for not introducing myself.  My name is Jexana.” she said, her smirk getting on Trish’s nerves.  Before going any further, the trio got off their Keyblade Gliders and reverted them back into Keyblades.

 

(Start Song Here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zghyp3sw5v4

  “What do you want with Ven!?” Trish shouted out as she stood in front of Ventus and Kyle.  Jexana simply started walking towards them, calmly and with an air of arrogance and pride surrounding her.  “Well, you see, I don’t want anything from him.  What I want is to have him.” she said with a seductive tone.  At that, Trish snapped and she lunged forward to attack Jexana.  “You ingrate!” she barked out, but as she was about to attack, Jexana simply pushed her away with a gust of wind that sent her flying to the ground.  Enraged, Kyle also went in on the offensive, but he too, was taken aback by another gust of wind that Jexana had summoned.  Then she put up a barrier so that they wouldn’t be able to get in her way, leaving Ventus and herself one on one.  “Whatever you do, you aren’t going to get to me!  My heart belongs to Trish, and I’m not going to fail on her to the likes of you!” Ventus said, ready for battle.  Jexana simply huffed and looked at him arrogantly.  “Hmph.  Stubborn man…well, let’s play a little game, shall we?” she said, stretching out her arms upward.

 

  “Let’s battle, you and me, one on one.  If you win, I’ll open a portal so that the three of you can get out from this place.  Lose, and you’ll belong to me.  How does that sound?” she said, looking over to Trish, who was boiling with anger.  “You’re on!  I won’t lose to the likes of you!  I’ll win this for Trish and Kyle!” Ventus said in a defiant tone.  Kyle shouted out with his fists held high.  “That’s right, you show her how it’s done Dad!”  With that, Jexana closed her eyes.  “Very well then.  Let’s begin.” she said.  As she raised her left arm upward, a swirling vortex of wind started to form on her hand, causing Ventus to almost fall over because of the force of the winds.  When the wind finally stopped, it took shape as a spear, with beautiful yellow carvings.  The handle of the spear was black, and Jexana smiled as she swung her spear in a display of power. “Behold the might of my wind spear, Windcutter!” she said with an overconfident tone.  “Let’s do this!” Ventus shouted out, and with that, the two began their battle in earnest.  Trish and Kyle looked on, hopeful that Ventus would win.  They knew that he would win.  He had to.

(End Song Here)

 

(Start Song Here)

  The instant Ventus leaped into the air, Jexana immediately disappeared and then a tornado formed out of nowhere, enveloping Ventus and making him swirl from left to right at enormous speeds.  Ventus barely managed to get out of the tornado, but when he tried standing up, pillars of wind pierced at him from below, and he was sent high up into the air, where wind daggers left him dangling in the air, and then Jexana reappeared before him, with a smirk on her face.  “Well, you aren’t any fun.  Your too easy and predictable.  Oh well, this battle should still be interesting…as I beat you to a bloody pulp!” she said, laughing and slapping Ventus in the face.  Witless, Ventus is unable to move because of the air daggers sustaining him midair.  “Crud!  How do I get out of this?  She’s way too fast, and she’s skilled at using the wind…” he said to himself, impressed by Jexana’s skills.

 

  Before he could think, he received another slap from Jexana, and then she grabbed him by the throat and propelled him ever more higher up into the air, and then she made what seemed to be a box made of air, to imprison Ventus.  “Now, let’s see how long it takes for you to run out of breath.” she said as she lifted her wind spear up to increase the pressure of the air box.  Ventus, unable to move, was suffocating.  He was running out of breath, for all the pressure of the air box was depriving him from breathing.  As he looked down, he saw Trish and Kyle’s faces, filled with worry and suffering over his predicament.  “No…I can’t…let it end like this!  I have to do this, for Trish and Kyle!” Ventus said to himself.  “I…will…break…free!” he shouted as he broke free from the air box, much to Jexana’s surprise.  Now, Ventus thought, was the moment to make his move.

 

  The instant he freed himself, Ventus air dashed swiftly towards Jexana, and then he struck at her with his Keyblade, but she blocked the attack with her wind spear, and then she sent him reeling back, as she used her power to send giant wind slash waves towards Ventus.  “Your not gonna get me this time!” Ventus said as he smiled, dodging each of Jexana’s wind slash waves.  He eventually used his Reversal technique to catch Jexana off guard, and then he swiped her with his Keyblade, managing to wound her.  Jexana shrieked of pain, and then she counterattacked with her spear, landing a hit on Ventus’ right arm.  When she backed away to recover her strength, she noticed that she was bleeding from her thigh.  Then tears started to form in her eyes.  At that, Ventus immediately looked puzzled.  Now he could only hear her cries.  “I just want you…to love me…is that too hard for you to do…Ventus?” the suddenly weeping Jexana asked.  Ventus shook his head and again assumed his battle position.  “I already told you, my heart belongs to Trish!  No one else!” he stated defiantly.  Jexana continued to cry, much like an innocent woman, and then she stood up, tears in her eyes.

 

  Trish and Kyle remained silent, looking on as the conflict between Ventus and Jexana continued.  Heartbroken, Jexana charges up immense energy, forming another vortex of wind.  “If you won’t listen to me…then I’ll make you love me by force!  You’ll leave Trish…and you’ll love me.  I shall make you happy in every way!  Only me!” she exclaimed, tears continuously rolling down her cheeks.  Ventus couldn’t make sense of it all.  Why was this woman proclaiming these things when he didn’t even know her?  But he had to shake the thought aside, for he had to win this battle.  As Jexana sent an immense wave of wind towards Ventus, he braced for the full impact of the blast, planting his feet firmly on the ground and taking on all force of Jexana’s attack.  “And…now!” Ventus said to himself, as he absorbed the attack into his own Keyblade and then bounced it back with greater force.  “What!?  How!?” Jexana shouted.  Ventus smirked.  “You aren’t the only one who can use the wind!  Aeroga Tidal Wave!” he shouted, as his attack transformed into a giant wall of wind that pummeled Jexana.  She was helpless, unable to do anything to stop the attack, and so she found herself bested, outmatched and defeated.

(End Song Here)

 

  Kyle smiled and waved his hands above his head.  “Yeah, you did it Dad!”  Trish smiled of relief, and the barrier dissolved, and they were able to make their way to Ventus.  “I’m so glad your okay!” Trish said as she kissed him lovingly.  Ventus smiled and kissed back and then he hugged both Trish and Kyle, feeling relieved.  Then he looked over at Jexana, who was still crying.  Ventus wanted to help her, so he headed towards her and stretched his hand out to her.  “Need help?” he said calmly.  Jexana stayed there a moment, as if thinking over whether she should accept Ventus’ help or not, but then she simply backed away and stood up on her own.  She outstretched her right arm and a portal of darkness appeared, and she dried off her tears and looked away grimly.  “This portal will lead you into another world…now go.” she said in almost a whisper, trying to hold back from crying more.

 

  Ventus nodded appreciatively.  “Thank you.”  With that, he, Trish and Kyle went towards the portal, but as they were about to enter it, Jexana held Ventus by the arm, and then she dove in and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.  Ventus opened his eyes in shock, and he tried to struggle out of the kiss, and when Trish turned around, she was filled with rage.  “W-what!?” she said to herself, but then Kyle stopped her.  “No Mom!  Jexana suddenly kissed him!  Can’t you see he’s trying to pull away!?” Kyle explained, having seen everything.  Trish understood the situation now, but she still felt hurt seeing that sight.  Jexana pulled away from the kiss and then she whispered into Ventus’ ear.  “You will be mine.” and with that, she disappeared instantly.  For a few seconds, a long silence loomed, you could say it was a very awkward silence.

 

  Ventus, still shocked, turns around and sees Trish with a saddened look on her face.  “No, Trish, it’s not what it looks like!” Ventus said with a pained look on his face.  Kyle smiled and shook his head.  “Don’t worry Dad.  I told Mom everything.  She understands.” he said calmly.  Ventus sighed of relief, and then he went towards Trish and held her tightly to him.  “Trish, you know how much I love you, and you know that my heart belongs to you.  That’s the truth.  I love you, and you alone.” Ventus said, as he kissed Trish passionately, and Trish, feeling so loved and feeling the pleasure of the kiss, smiled and kissed him back.  “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have gotten jealous for no reason…” she said in a shy tone.  For a moment, Ventus and Trish stood there, staring at each other with loving eyes, and then Kyle broke the trance.  “Hey guys, come on, it’s time for us to go into a new world!” he said enthusiastically.  Ventus nodded and then held Trish’s hand.  “Come on.  Let’s go.” he said, and with that, they went through the portal of darkness into a new world.  Whatever awaited them on the other side, they knew they would be ready.

---------------------------------------------------

 

Ventus, Trish and Kyle have finally escaped the inter-world crossroads!  But why is Jexana so obsessed with having Ventus’ love?  Will this become a problem later on?  And exactly in what world have our heroes arrived to?  That will have to wait, for next chapter, Riku, Dawn, Kairi, and Mickey now head towards The Lanes Between to stop the Unborn deer they encountered that is now heading into a new world, and to find out where Sora, Donald and Goofy are being held hostage!  Be prepared for Chapter 24: “The Majestic Valley.”

 

Well then, that was the chapter everyone!  I bet you weren’t expecting that little part at the end of the chapter, huh?   Mehehehe, I love playing with people’s minds.  Anyways, as always, please be sure to comment and keep an eye out for more chapters!  Until then, see you next time everyone!

This Chapter was interesting.

Great chapter and awesome fight! Why the heck is Jexana after Ventus?! I wanna know why!

Hey everyone, how’s it going?  I’m so sorry for the delay on chapters, but college kept me busy during the week, and I took a break on the weekend, because hey, writers need to have breaks too! Again, sorry for the delay, but fret not, because here’s a new chapter!  Enjoy!

 

Chapter 24: The Majestic Valley

 

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Riku and the others went through a portal of darkness that he had summoned, and they chased after the Unborn deer that had escaped them.  Now they had two goals: to stop this menace from wreaking havoc in other worlds, and to find Sora, Donald and Goofy, wherever they may be.  As they traveled across The Lanes Between, Riku and Dawn held each other’s hands, smiling and looking onwards in silence, knowing that their bond would grow ever stronger.  Kairi and Mickey smiled, and then, all of a sudden, a blinding flash of light engulfed them, and for a moment, it seemed as though they had been suspended in midair.  After a few seconds, they found themselves a few feet above the ground, and Mickey was the first to notice.  “Look out everyone, there’s a river current right below us!” he said.  “Right!” everyone said in unison, and they proceeded to land effortlessly down to the riverside.  When they landed, Riku suddenly felt cold.  “Huh, what?” he said, and as he looked down, he noticed he was shirtless, and he had what seemed to be Indian clothing.

 

  His clothing consisted of a long, brown pair of pants, no doubt made of animal skin, and he had warm, brown boots made of fur, and he had two bracelets on both of his hands.  When he looked over towards the others, he noticed that Mickey also had a change of clothes.  He had two Indian feathers tied on a headband, and some Indian battle gear.  Then, as he looked over to Kairi and Dawn, he noticed they had short, brown tops that exposed their belly buttons and waist, and they had brown skirts that reached down a little above their knees, and they had nice, matching brown boots. Riku looked away while blushing, and he chuckled to himself.  “You gals look nice.” Riku said, trying not to sound ridiculous.  Kairi smiled.  “Why thank you.”  But Dawn, on the other hand, felt embarrassed.

 

  “Huh?  What’s wrong Dawn?” Riku asked curiously.  Dawn immediately backed away and she put her arms in front of her, to cover herself, even though she wasn’t naked.  “N-no, don’t look at me, it’s embarrassing!” she shouted.  Riku smiled.  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” he said with a warm smile.  “B-but I’ve never worn something like this…it feels different, and well, um, my skin is exposed…” she said, now in a shy, low tone.  Riku walked closer to her and held her by the shoulders. “Hey, look at me.” Riku said calmly.  Dawn slowly adjusted her eyes to meet Riku’s, and when she did, she stood hypnotized.  “Y-yes?” she asked, ever so shyly.  “You look beautiful.” Riku said with a smile.  At that, Dawn felt much more at ease, and she blushed.  “Really?  You mean it?” she asked, eyes ever adoring.

 

  “Of course.” Riku said with confidence, and then, Mickey called out to them.  “Hey fellas, look at this!” he shouted.  At that, Riku, Dawn and Kairi walked over to Mickey, and when they stopped to look at what he had pointed out towards, their mouths dropped.  What they saw was a beautiful landscape, a paradise.  A majestic waterfall crashed down on the river below, the cold, morning breeze engulfing them.  The horizon was blanketed by an ocean of trees, and amazing landscapes laid out before them.  Everything was beautiful, and they admired the scenery.  They saw birds flying overhead, and animals skittering about.  “Wow, such a beautiful place!” Dawn said with wonder.  Kairi smiled and nodded.  “This is the magnificence of the power Kingdom Hearts wields.” she said, closing her eyes and feeling the breeze.  All of a sudden, they heard a woman screaming not too far from where they were.  “Uh oh, someone’s in trouble!” Mickey said, and he summoned his Keyblade and jumped over the waterfall.  “Wait for us!” Riku shouted, as he, Dawn and Kairi leaped over the waterfall as well.

 

  When they landed below, they summoned their Keyblades and went towards the source of the screams.  Not soon after, a group of trees tumbled before them, but they were able to cut through the trees and get them out of the way.  As they looked left and right, they couldn’t find the woman, but then, they noticed another group of trees tumbling down not too far off, and then that’s when they saw the Unborn deer they had been chasing.  And in front of the Unborn was an Indian woman wielding a spear, along with a raccoon and a tiny hummingbird. “Come on, we’ve got to help her!” Dawn said, as she quickly ran towards the aid of the Indian woman.  “She’s right guys, come on!” Kairi said as she followed suit.  Riku and Mickey nodded in unison, and they followed next.  The Unborn deer tried to stomp on the Indian woman and her little furry friends, but they dodged skillfully and quickly, and seeing no other alternative, they decided to run.  But as they turned around, they saw Riku, Dawn, Kairi and Mickey heading towards the menacing Unborn, ready for battle.  The Indian woman dashed out of the way so that they could pass.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Stay back!” Riku shouted, but the Indian woman shook her head and stood by them.  “No, I shall fight by your side!” she said, steadfast and confident.  The raccoon and the tiny hummingbird also stood there by her side.  Seeing her resolve, Riku and the others didn’t stop her from joining the battle.  And with that, the Unborn deer charged towards them, and so Riku stood in place and planted his feet firmly in the ground, holding his Keyblade with both hands and holding the Unborn enemy in place as it tried to crush him.  Mickey leaped up into the air and tried to swoop down on their foe, but it seemed that it was protected by some kind of invisible force field.  Kairi and Dawn both closed their eyes and concentrated their energy, and then Kairi shot five spheres of light, and then Dawn channeled them with her Keyblade, shooting them with great force.

 

  Even with that fearsome attack, the Unborn deer did not budge.  It was time to take a different approach.  The Indian woman looked closely at the Unborn and then she came to a realization.  “Everyone, I can sense this beast’s aura!  It seems that this same aura is the source of it’s invincibility!” she shouted, and then she commanded the raccoon and the tiny hummingbird to distract it.  “Now is the time to strike!” she said as she ran under the Unborn deer and started stabbing it’s chest, which was adorned with a type of jewel.  Apparently, Riku and the others hadn’t noticed that jewel until now, but now that they did, they knew what they had to do.  “Everyone, now!” Riku shouted.  And with that, Riku used the power of darkness to bind their foe, while Mickey hacked away at the jewel along with the Indian woman.  The raccoon and the tiny hummingbird were doing their best to aid in the battle as well.

 

  Kairi and Dawn also took their part in the battle, as they both channeled each other’s energy into a beam that was slowly charging its power.  “Just a little longer!” Dawn shouted as she could feel some of her energy slip away.  Riku and the others made a valiant struggle, and they put all their hearts into the battle, for they needed to stop this threat, here and now!  “All right, ready!” Kairi shouted, and with that, Riku, Mickey and the Indian woman leapt out of the way, as both Kairi and Dawn unleashed all of their energy, causing a considerably giant beam of light to materialize and pierce through the Unborn deer’s jewel, which broke, causing the Unborn deer to shriek in pain and fall on the ground, as it slowly faded away.  With a sigh of relief, Kairi and Dawn both sat on the ground, feeling somewhat drained of their strength.  Riku and Mickey went towards them and cast Curaga so they could recover their full strength, and then they looked at the Indian woman, who was smiling and looking at them silently.  With that, Riku and the others went towards the Indian woman, and she nodded to them in appreciation.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Many thanks friends.  I am Pocahontas.  These are my friends Meeko and Flit.” she said, waving her hand towards the raccoon and the tiny hummingbird, who were at Pocahontas’ side.  “I’m Riku, and these are my friends Dawn, Kairi and Mickey.  We’re glad to have helped.  But I have to ask, where exactly are we?” he asked.  Pocahontas tilted her head and suddenly looked confused.  “You mean to say that you are not from around here?” she asked curiously.  “Er, um, well, we’re from a tribe far off north, and this is our first time down here, so we were wondering where we were.” Riku said, trying to sound as believable as possible.  Pocahontas smiled and then turned around, waving her hand slowly towards the lush paradise that was before them.  “This is the Majestic Valley, and it is home to my tribe.  It is a beautiful place.  If you want, I could take you to see my father.  I’m sure he’d love to meet you!” she said enthusiastically.  “All right, that’s a great idea! Maybe your father could help us find some missing friends of ours!” Mickey said warmly.  “Of course, my father could be of assistance!” Pocahontas said humbly.

 

  With that, they followed Pocahontas into the valley, and as they walked away, someone appeared to have been watching them from a tree.  As the person climbed down, it was none other than Valgard who had been watching them.  He was smiling, but at the same time he had a worried look on his face.  “Dawn…I am truly glad you have been able to meet Riku and make some new friends…but I fear that the others will soon find out about your disappearance.  They have already started to ask questions.  I don’t know how much longer I can keep your departure a secret.” he said to himself with a sigh.  Suddenly, Shira appeared behind him.  Had he not felt her presence, he would have probably wounded her.  Fortunately his senses were well honed.  “There you are Valgard, I’ve been looking all over for you!” she said, sounding a bit tired, as she stretched out her arms and yawned a bit, wiping her eyes and shaking her head.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Oh, you have?” Valgard asked as calmly as possible.  Shira nodded and then she leaned her back against a nearby tree.  “Say, why are you out here by your lonesome?  Did The Elder send you here on a mission?” she asked, obviously not the least bit suspicious of what Valgard was up to.  “As a matter of fact, yes.  I was sent to check for any Unborn threats, and well, that business was already taken care of, for Riku, Kairi and Mickey, along with Pocahontas, slayed the beast.” he said, making sure to not mention Dawn in the sentence.  He was lying about The Elder having sent him though.  He came here of his own accord.  But he was good at lying, so he was sure Shira would buy the lie.  “I see.  Well, since that’s taken care of, how’s about we go back to the fortress?  And by the way, what’s up with Dawn?” she asked, feeling curious.

 

  “What do you mean?” Valgard asked calmly.  Shira put her hands on her hips and leaned her head back.  “Well, she hasn’t come out of her room for quite a while.  She’s not even talking to any of us now.  She’s not being herself.  Do you have any idea why?” Shira asked.  Valgard simply shrugged.  “Well, all I know is that she wants to be left alone.  All I do is bring her food and water so that she doesn’t starve or thirst to death.  I imagine she must be upset because The Elder won’t allow her to meet Riku.” he said.  Shira nodded and then sighed.  “Well, I guess that must be it.  You know, I feel sad for that girl.  The Elder won’t allow her to live out the wonders of life, all because she’s the most important member of the counsel.  What’s so good about being the most important member if you don’t have any freedom, right?” she said.  Valgard looked at Shira quite surprised, for apparently he hadn’t expected her to talk like that.  “Huh, you know, you sound a lot like her.” he said with a smile.  “Well, she would tell me about her dreams and her interests, so naturally I sympathize with her.  After all, I am a girl too.” Shira said while smiling.  “I guess you are right.  Come on, let’s go.” Valgard said, and with that, they both disappeared in a blinding flash of light.

(End Song Here)

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And so, Valgard was able to successfully lie to Shira about Dawn, thus buying her more time.  But how long will he be able to keep his comrades from finding out that she’s with Riku and the others?  What lies in wait for our heroes?  Only time will tell, but for next chapter, Xion and Vanitas explore a new and mysterious world, and they meet up with a spirited youth who has a passionate view on life.  Prepare yourself for Chapter 25: “A Different Kind Of Princess.”

 

Okay, so that was the chapter everyone!  I hope that you all enjoyed it!  As always, thank you for your comments, and be sure to keep leaving comments on what you think of the chapters!  Until next time, please look forward to the next chapter!  Golden out!

Edited April 2, 201411 yr by Golden Fighter

This Chapter was worth it!

Yes, Pocahontas! And I understand Dawn's nervouness; I'd probably feel the same way if I had been cooped up wearing completely-covering clothes most of my life. And I hope Valgard can keep Dawn's leaving a secret for a while longer. If it does come out, I hope he and Dawn won't be in too much trouble.

Edited April 5, 201411 yr by Keyblade101