Hello there everyone, and good evening to you! Let me introduce you to my latest story, titled “The Keyblade War Chapter III: Beauty Of Apocalypse!” For those of you who have been following the Keyblade War Saga since 2011, let me inform you that this is the final chapter in the Keyblade War trilogy, and as such, I’m going to finish this epic saga with a bang!  Also, for newcomers who have recently gotten into my stories or are perhaps taking a look at this here story I’m going to post, I want to let you know that the other two installments of the Keyblade War Saga are here on this site!  But, to save the trouble of having to look everywhere to find them, I’ll link them here for you!

 

The Keyblade War Chapter I

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

 

The Keyblade War Chapter II: Chaotic Twilight

http://kh13.com/forum/topic/69214-the-keyblade-war-chapter-ii-chaotic-twilight/

 

Or, if you’d rather just dive into this story without reading the other two, then I’ll provide a small summary of what’s happened so far!

 

Synopsis

(Start Song Here)

  It has been a long road for the Keyblade Wielders, the guardians of the balance between light and darkness.  They have overcome many ordeals, and have suffered many losses and been witness to selfless sacrifices.  Everything that has transpired has led to this.  It all started when a mysterious new threat had emerged in the worlds, and the Keyblade Wielders were tasked with finding out what the threat was, since war seemed to be looming close.  What our heroes found were the Unborn, a strange new breed of enemies that, along with the Heartless, were wreaking havoc upon the worlds. The Keyblade Wielders got to the bottom of things, and after discovering the people responsible for the crisis in the worlds, our heroes spurred into action and attempted to stop the threat!

 

  Many difficult ordeals were placed upon the Keyblade Wielders, and they bore witness to new allies, betrayals, destruction and death!  After battling the Unborn and Dark Orion’s organization alongside these new friends, in addition to gaining the Nobodies and Unversed as allies as well, our heroes were able to fend back the forces of darkness, and so preventing further harm to the worlds.  But, the war was not over…no, it had just merely begun!

 

  Three years later, after a long period of peace, a new threat emerged to threaten the worlds anew.  To prevent anything bad from happening, our heroes split into groups of three and went about exploring different worlds, hoping to stop whatever threat was awaiting before it had a chance to plant its roots.  Dawn, who sensed something terrible was going to happen, and having wanted to meet Riku since the battle with Dark Orion, was able to escape the fortress she lived in, with the help of her friend Valgard.  Soon, after, she was finally able to meet Riku, and she tagged along with Kairi and Mickey on their journey.  Along the way, Sora, Donald and Goofy were captured by the enemy, while Trish, Ventus and Kyle were beset by Jexana, a woman hell bent on having Ventus as her own!  Meanwhile, Xion, Dexeres and Vanitas were hot on Sora, Donald and Goofy’s trail, hoping to find them as soon as possible!

 

  Through separate paths our heroes united, and then they bore witness to the one person behind everything: Xylek, the man who was a mere ‘underling’ for Dark Orion, had actually been the puppet master of this whole crusade the entire time!  After a grueling and tiring battle, our heroes were able to defeat Xylek once and for all, but the battle was not without its toll.  Roxas, Terra and Aqua ended up sacrificing their lives to ensure that the worlds would not perish, and Kyle entered a coma, no one knowing when he would awaken.  Trish and Ventus remained under Jexana’s care, and Riku had been fatally wounded, and the worlds were shaken asunder by Xylek’s madness.  But, if all these sacrifices had been able to stop his plans, then the hurt would have been easier to bear…but, it was not to be.

 

  Even though Xylek is no more, his plans have already been set in motion, and now, Keyblade Wielders from all corners of the universe, and other universes are now gathering to fight for their own reasons, coming together to usher a new Keyblade War!  Our heroes were not able to stop this from happening.  They were powerless to do anything about it.  Now, all they can do is cling to any sliver of hope they have, for the war that is to come shall be catastrophic, and it could mean the end of everything…the beginning of the end…

(End Song Here)

 

Prologue: The Death Of Hope

(Start Song Here)

  The sky was darkening.  Everyone in Disney Town, who were a safe distance away, were looking upwards, as small dots appeared in the sky, seeming to head towards their direction!  Queen Minnie instantly felt a shiver down her spine…she knew that this was an ill omen.  She looked towards Daisy, Chip and Dale, and the few other citizens who survived from the chaos that had decimated their homes, and she couldn’t help but feel despair.  She stood there, powerless, unable to do anything to comfort them.  She was too scared…she didn’t know what to do now.  She clasped her hands together as a tear rolled down her cheek, and through soft, whispered sobs, she started to pray.

 

  “Oh Mickey…wherever you are, please be safe!  I fear something terrible is about to happen!” she said to herself softly, and then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and when she glanced back, it was Daisy, who was standing by her side.

 

  “Minnie, we have to get our people to safety.  I’m pretty sure that whatever those things in the sky are can’t be anything good!” she urged as she glanced back at everyone.  The Queen sighed.

 

  “B-but what can we do, Daisy?  I’m scared…I-I don’t know what to tell everyone!  What should we tell them?” she asked in distress.  Daisy gave a compassionate and sad expression and she slightly tensed.

 

  “We’ll tell them that it’ll all be okay…we need to give our people hope!  As long as King Mickey and the others are alive, things will turn out okay!” Daisy answered, and Minnie smiled momentarily, but then her smile faded into a frown.

 

  “Daisy…I need you to get everyone to safety…” the Queen said, and Daisy raised her eyebrow.

 

  “Wait…what about you?” she asked, worrying at what the Queen’s answer would be.  Suddenly, Cid came running towards them, panting and sweating, as though he had been running for miles.  The Queen then turned around to face him.

 

  “Your Majesty, the airship is ready!  I finished all the modifications as fast as I could!  We’re ready to leave!” he said in between huffs, and the Queen nodded.

 

  “Good…now take everyone, and get as far away from here as you can!  Find somewhere safe for everyone!” the Queen commanded, and Cid nodded sadly.

 

  “Yes, your Majesty…now come on everyone, let’s go, follow me!” Cid urged as he ran towards the airship, and everyone else followed suit, until only Daisy remained.  Tears were forming in her eyes.

 

  “You’re not coming with us…are you?” she asked, and the Queen, walking towards her and holding her hands, nodded sadly.

 

  “No, I am not.  Daisy, you need to take care of everyone in my stead!  I’ll try to hold off whatever those things are!  I need to do this…for our people.” she said with ironclad determination.  Daisy huffed and tapped her foot.

 

  “N-No, I can’t accept this!  I won’t leave without you!” she said, pleading for the Queen to come.  But the Queen simply hugged her lifelong friend, trying to hold her tears, and then she pulled away, holding her hands.

 

  “My dearest friend Daisy, you don’t know how much I’ve cherished our friendship together for all these years!  We’ve been on so many adventures together, and we’ve been through good times and bad times!  Throughout the years, I’ve cherished all the moments we’ve been able to spend time together!  There’s nothing I value more than our friendship!  That’s why I’m asking you to please lead our people!  I know this will be hard road for you, but with time, you’ll be able to manage things without me…but please don’t try to stop me.  My heart is commanding me to do this, and I will not waver.  Please, as my lifelong friend, fulfill my request!” the Queen pleaded, trying persistently hard to hold back her tears.  Daisy remained silent for a few moments, and then she nodded slowly, also holding back her tears, and with a look of determination on her face.

 

  “I’ll do my best, Minnie…” was all she could manage to say, and with that, she turned away and ran towards the airship along with everyone else, and Minnie, who turned around to look at the direction of Disney Castle, shed tears anew.

 

  “Farewell…my dearest friend…” she whispered, and as soon as the airship had departed, Minnie closed her eyes and then prepared herself for what was to come.

(End Song Here)

---

 

(Start Song Here)

  At that same moment, in the sky, Jexana was looking down on Disney castle from her airship, and Ventus quietly stood beside her, lifeless and stoic.  She had quite the amused smirk on her face.  She knew that the worlds were now at their breaking point, and destroying what was left of King Mickey and Queen Minnie’s world would be the first step in bringing down opposition.  While contently viewing what lay below, Emmxett suddenly appeared from inside the airship, alongside two soldiers.  He walked towards Jexana and then stood by her side, gazing outwards to the ever expanding sky, and then gazing down at Disney Castle.  He noticed that everything looked barren and destroyed.  He then looked at Jexana.

 

  “It would seem that everyone has left this world.” he commented.  Jexana, whom turned around and then touched Ventus’s face, only kept smirking.

 

  “Yes, the pests went flying away…all except one!” she said as she pointed towards a hill that was a short distance away from the castle.  Emmxett squinted his eyes, and then he saw Queen Minnie, who was simply standing there.  He felt quite amused.

 

  “Huh, so the Queen decided to stay?  I wonder what good that’ll do?  She won’t be able to take out our airship fleet!  What does she aim to do?” he asked, and Jexana chuckled and then hugged Ventus and glanced back to where Minnie was.

 

  “The fool’s making a diversion.  She thinks that by staying behind, she’ll be able to buy enough time for her friends to escape.  An admirable effort, I must say, but it’s all in vain.  Even if they get far, we’ll still catch up to them.” she answered calmly.  Emmxett then crossed his arms.

 

  “So, shall I deploy the ground troops and scour this world for anything of value?” he asked, but Jexana shook her head.

 

  “No, there’s no need.  We’ll destroy this place with an air strike.  That little Queen won’t survive.” she answered with confidence.

 

  “Right.  Then we’ll proceed with the air strike!  Men, let’s move out!” Emmxett commanded.

 

  “Sir!” the soldiers shouted as they heeded Emmxett’s command, and with that, they headed back inside the airship.

 

  “You will die for nothing, little Queen!” Jexana burst out as she laughed joyfully.  Ventus slightly moved his arms to hold Jexana close.

 

  “Is there anything I can do…my love?” he asked slowly, but Jexana shook her head and made a satisfying smile.

 

  “No, my dearest, there’s no need for you to do anything.  All you have to do is stay by my side!” she answered as she happily kissed his lips, and then she looked down upon the ruins of Disney Castle, clearly enjoying herself.

---

 

  Down below, the Queen was already prepared for the inevitable. If she had to be sacrificed in order to ensure the survival of all her loved ones, she’d gladly give away her life.  But, that didn’t mean she was going to down without a fight!  As she closed her eyes, the Queen concentrated her energy, and seconds later, giant pillars of light surrounded her in the form of a pentagon, and then, when she opened her eyes, she sent forth one of the pillars, and when it was near the fleet of airships, she waved her hand, causing the pillar to burst in a fantastic explosion!  At first, she thought she hadn’t done any damage, but when she looked closely, she saw that three airships had fallen to their destruction!  She smiled and felt confident, and she looked up at the sky.  But, soon after, the lead airship came down until it reached the Queen, and from the airship’s deck, Jexana leapt down, landing gracefully on the ground, and then Ventus proceeded to follow suit.  The Queen opened her eyes in shock as she saw Ventus.  Why was he with the enemy?  That’s what she thought, but then she noticed his eyes were pale, and at that point, she assumed he was under a spell.  Jexana clapped her hands slowly and she looked in the direction where the three airships had fallen, and then she turned her attention to the Queen again.

 

  “I have to say, I’m quite impressed!  I didn’t imagine you would be able to take down ships of my fleet!” she remarked, and the Queen smirked, standing at the ready for her next attack.

 

  “Well, I’m glad to have made an impression on you!  Anything less would be an insult.” the Queen replied.  Jexana scoffed and then she summoned forth dark snakes from the ground, and the snakes weaved into her arms, and then one of the snake’s heads curled up in Jexana’s right hand, and she pointed it at the Queen.

 

  “You really have some nerve, trying to oppose me!  Some nerve, indeed!” Jexana growled, but the Queen ignored her comment as she continued to gaze at Ventus.  Jexana, catching up on what was going on, smirked and bore a mocking expression.

 

  “Ah, I bet you’re wondering what happened to your former friend, correct?  Well, to put a long story short, I liberated him from himself.  Now he belongs to me!” she said, her face beaming with pride.  The Queen simply laughed and crossed her arms.

 

  “That little trick of yours won’t last for long!  I know Ventus, and right now, I know that he’s struggling to be free of you!  He will break free!” the Queen proclaimed defiantly, and at that, Jexana snapped and wrapped the Queen up with her dark snakes, and then she slapped the Queen’s face.

 

  “How dare you!?” Jexana growled, but then she soon regained her composure and cleared her throat.

 

  “It doesn’t matter what you say…you are already doomed.” she said, and with a snap of her fingers, all the airships in the sky started raining down endless explosive barrels, and when they struck the ground, Disney Town and what was left of Disney Castle turned to ashes.  The Queen, who had been determined one moment, was now bursting in tears the next.  Jexana destroyed the remaining pillars of light the Queen had summoned, and then she laughed as she saw the Queen suffering.

 

  “You monster…” the Queen whispered, as she bowed her head, defeated, unable to move.  Jexana then knelt down to see eye to eye with the Queen, and then she rubbed her head.

 

  “Ah, and where is the Queen who was outright defying me just mere seconds ago?  Did she already cower away!?” Jexana mocked with utmost cruelty, and the Queen continued to cry.

 

  “How could you do this….how could you!?  You’ve destroyed the homes of countless people, and now they may never be able to return here!  How is it that you can do this without feeling the slightest bit of remorse!?” the Queen asked, demanding to know.

 

  “The simple reason for it all is that I simply can.  That’s all there is to it.  Worry not, little Queen.  You did admirably.  But even with your efforts, your home was still destroyed.  But don’t worry…you won’t have to live with this pain…not anymore.” Jexana whispered as she smirked.

---

 

  Meanwhile, in the Lanes Between, a solitary airship flies through.  It’s not as big as Jexana’s airships, but it’s not that small either.  Rather, the airship looks like it’s built to be extremely agile.  As the airship continues its calm and steady trek through the Lanes Between, a moogle comes out onto the deck, tired and wanting nothing more than to sit down and relax. The moogle has two pon pons, one colored blue, and the other colored red, and also has a heart shaped charm around its neck.  The moogle sighs and holds onto its charm, and it closes its eyes, ready to sleep.  But, soon after, a teenage boy comes out to the deck as well.  The boy is decked out in pirate attire, and he’s tanned skinned with short, black hair.  He has an eye patch over his left eye and a scar on his left cheek, and he has a hook for a left hand.  The boy looks at the moogle and stands firm.

 

  “Oi, who told you to take a nap?  We’ve got work to do!” he said to the moogle.  Distressed, said moogle flapped its wings weakly and whined.

 

  “Aw, but we’ve been at this for days now, kupo!  Can’t we take a short break?” the moogle pleaded, but the boy shook his head.

 

  “There are no breaks now…we can’t afford to take breaks.” the boy said grimly, and with no other words being uttered, the moogle quietly goes into position and continues to do what it was tasked to do.  Soon after, the boy followed suit.  Suddenly, a star went out.  The moogle gasped.

 

  “Oh no!  Is that what I think it is, kupo?” the moogle asked the boy in distress.  The boy looked intently in the direction where the star had gone out, and he sighed and then looked at the moogle and nooded.

 

  “Yes.  A world has fallen to darkness, never to return…” the boy said grimly.

(End Song Here)

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

 

The universe is now on the brink of bearing witness to the greatest Keyblade War that has ever taken place!  With King Mickey and Queen Minnie’s world completely destroyed, Jexana continues on her road of conquest!  And with Keyblade Wielders coming from all universes, what fate will befall the worlds?  Will our heroes be able to put a stop to this?  Everything is uncertain, but now, the journey towards the final battle shall begin in Chapter One: “A Road Long Traveled.”

 

Well then everyone, I hope that you all enjoyed this prologue!  Haha, I think it’s the most dramatic prologue I’ve made for any of my stories to date, and that’s saying something!  So then, I hope that all of you stick around, as I’ll be posting chapters regularly!  Let me know what you all think of the story, and well, until next time, stay tuned for the next chapter!  I hope you all enjoy my story!

 

Special thanks to KHLegendIII for the inclusion of the two new characters that appeared at the end of the Prologue! (Don’t spoil their names, KHLegendIII!)

Edited July 14, 201510 yr by The Transcendent Key

Wow!

About time! What took Sora and the rest so long?

 

Ventus is almost there! Just a little more and he's free! Vanitas will have to be the "kick" to help free Ventus from his chains.

 

Awesome chapter. I really am blown back. Can't wait for more.

To KHLegendIII, haha, I figured you'd react that way.

 

To KingdomHearts3, haha, I'm glad you liked the chapter!  Pretty exciting stuff, huh?  And there's more to come, just you wait!

 

Hey there everyone, good evening!  I hope that you’re all doing okay and enjoying what’s left of this year!  So then, before the year is out, I wanted to post one more chapter of my story, so here goes! I hope you all enjoy!  I’ll see you all in the new year to come, God willing!

 

Chapter Twenty: The Race To Save Ventus

 

(Start Song Here)

  Raxon and Sky were carefully sidestepping around Kyle.  They didn’t want to hurt him, but at the same time, they weren’t going to leave themselves defenseless!  But, they had to trust that Kyle would be able to fight back against the Deity, and it was that belief that kept them from attacking him!  Kyle, on the other hand, in his feral form, was growling and seething out a dark energy from his body!  He seemed gruesome, intimidating and fearsome!  Sky was shaking hard, but he was determined to stand strong, to help Kyle come back to his senses!  Raxon then thought about the times he’d dealt with others that had Kyle’s power. All the ones that had come before had been dangerous, and he figured Kyle would be dangerous as well, but at this point, he wasn’t sure what to think!  Seeing Kyle struggling against himself to fight back against the Deity was enough to make Raxon stand down, but keep a watchful, cautious eye on him!  But Kyle didn’t show any signs of breaking through!  Raxon and Sky exchanged unsure glances at each other.

 

  “Raxon…what’ll we do if he can’t control himself?  Will we have to…put him down, kupo?” the little moogle asked with a concerned tone.  Raxon gave out a deep sigh and shook his head.

 

  “We have to wait and see what happens…if he does try to lash out at us, we’ll have no choice but to confront him…but in the meantime, let’s just keep ourselves with our guards up…” Raxon suggested, and Sky nodded.

 

  “Agreed, kupo!” the little moogle replied.

 

  “Grr…grahhhhh…aarghhhh!!!” Feral Kyle shouted in pain!  He was stepping towards Raxon and Sky, but many times, he seemed to come to a full stop, and he would hold his head with both of his hands, as if he was experiencing a severe headache!  It wasn’t long until more enemy airships closed in, and that’s when Raxon and Sky were forced to divert their attention from Kyle, now focusing on the enemy’s trying to board their airship!  When a few dozen soldiers came on board, Feral Kyle immediately turned around to face them!  As soon as the soldiers looked at him, they instantly panicked!  They still tried to take him on, but with each soldier that lunged towards him, he destroyed them viciously!  His dark powers were now seething more menacingly, and it did seem as though the Deity was taking control!  One of the soldiers, who was bigger and tougher built than the rest, stepped forward.

 

  “It looks like I’m going to have to take care of this scum!  Stand aside!” the soldier bellowed, and the other soldiers made way for him!  He stopped a few feet away from Feral Kyle, and then he looked at him for a bit.

 

  “Tell me, creature…what is your name?” the soldier asked.  Feral Kyle simply gave out a snarl, to which the soldier scoffed and gave out a soft chuckle!

 

  “Hmph, I see…so that’s how it’s going to be, correct?” he asked as he drew a giant greatsword from his back!  He then raised his giant shield, which was adorned with eagle symbols, and his armor seemed to reflect that of a bodyguard of the highest nobility!  He took stance! “Well then, so be it!”

 

  And so, all the other soldiers that had come on board Raxon’s airship now stopped to watch this battle unfold, and Raxon and Sky also stopped, and they stood still and watched as the battle began!  The strong soldier lunged forward, and just as Feral Kyle was about to attack, the soldier retreated, disorienting him, and then he bashed him with his shield, causing him to fall back!  He then swung his greatsword in a wide arc, but Feral Kyle was able to dodge the attack!  The other soldiers looked on in silence, for it seemed that they held great respect for the soldier that was fighting against him!  Feral Kyle snarled and then performed a flurry of rapid attacks, while the strong soldier simply raised his shield and blocked the bombardment of attacks, counterattacking with a sword lung and a combination of thrusts and shield bashes!  Feral Kyle was pushed back once more, and now, he was getting irritated! The strong soldier simply laughed.

 

  “You have great power, but you lack refinement and skill to wield it, young one!  I, Stralus, the Great Knight of Ragnarok, have battled many a foe with your power.  And let me say, I am not surprised by the power you wield.” the soldier said.  Feral Kyle simply growled and pounded the floor!  Then, he disappeared then reappeared behind Stralus, catching him momentarily off guard and striking him from behind!  But in the end, he only managed to make a very small dent in Stralus’s armor!  Before he could react, Stralus was already twirling around for a counterattack, but luckily, he was able to jump out of the way!  He then landed a few feet away from Raxon and Sky, who were looking at him anxiously!

 

  “Damn it…this guy’s getting in the way!” Kyle said within himself.  The Deity then gave out an amused chuckle.

 

  “Heh, you knew this wasn’t going to be easy.” he hissed.  “You have my power at your disposal…I suggest you use it, or your attempt at rescuing dear old dad will fall through the cracks!” he remarked.  But Kyle denied this thought.

 

  “No, I’m not going to let you control me!  I’m going to do this on my own, with my own hands, with my own power!” he exclaimed, but the Deity simply laughed.

 

  “Oh, but don’t you see, you fool?  You are already under my control!  You can’t escape my grip! You’re a fool to think that you can!” the Deity taunted.  At that, Kyle growled and then let out his anger!

 

  “Stop it!!!” he shouted, as he lunged towards Stralus once again!  This time, both of them were striking each other at the same time, and neither one of them was letting their guards down!  They were constantly parrying and counterattacking and outsmarting each other!  On numerous times, they reached a stalemate, but they quickly broke off once either of the two tried outsmarting one another!  Stralus now lowered his shield slightly, for it seemed he was going to prepare a massive attack with his greatsword!  In anticipation for said attack, Feral Kyle dashed towards Stralus, but then, Stralus got out of the way, and then swung his greatsword, causing a gust of wind to blow Feral Kyle to the floor!  The other soldiers gasped and cheered on for their champion, while Raxon and Sky were getting worried!  Even more airships were closing in from all sides, and now things were becoming rather dire!

 

  “What are we going to do now?  What if things take a turn for the worse for us, kupo…? Sky asked.  Raxon looked around at the soldiers who were looking on at the battle between Stralus and Kyle and shook his head.

 

  “If we try anything, we’ll be dead within seconds…so we’ll just have to see how this plays out…” Raxon answered.  Sky nodded and gave out a nervous sigh.

 

  “I just hope that Kyle can win, kupo…” the little moogle hoped.  Raxon nodded.

 

  “I hope so too, Sky…I hope so too…” the pirate replied. And so, they continued to witness the battle at hand!

 

  Feral Kyle immediately stood up after the clever attack Stralus had hit him with, and now, he started using his dark powers to try to disorient him!  But Stralus simply absorbed the attacks, ricocheting them back as beams of light, which, in turn, Feral Kyle made sure to dodge!  Stralus then summoned a sigil in front of him, and from that sigil, a wall of ice rose, and then, he pushed said wall of ice towards Feral Kyle, but he simply broke through it, and then, in a momentary window of opportunity, he punched Stralus hard in the stomach, sending him hurling upwards!  He then rose up and attacked him with a flurry of punches and kicks and strikes with his Keyblade, and then, he slammed him down to the floor, causing it to break!  They both fell through the cracks, and were now below decks!  Raxon gave out a painful sigh.

 

  “Oh, bloody hell, now they’re breaking my ship…wonderful…” he said with annoyance. 

 

  Below decks, Feral Kyle and Stralus both rose up at the same time, and now, they were simply looking at each other, as if waiting for either one of them to make a move!  It seemed as though Stralus was enjoying this battle, but because of the helmet he had on, it was hard to tell, since his face could not be seen.  But, his enthusiasm could be felt!  They both looked at each other for a few seconds, and Feral Kyle pointed his finger at Stralus and sneered at him!

 

  “You are in my way…you aren’t going to keep me here!  You will either step aside, or I will crush you!” he said as clearly as possible!  Stralus, in turn, started to chuckle.  He shook his head and rested his greatsword on his shoulder.

 

  “Fool…you think I’m just about to let you go?  You pose a threat to us all, and it is my place and my duty to put you down…however necessary.  And besides, I haven’t had such a good opponent in quite some time!  Allow me the benefit of enjoying this duel!” Stralus replied.  Feral Kyle simply growled in anger and then proceeded to dash towards Stralus for a heavy attack, but Stralus simply blocked the attack with his greatsword, using it to swing him upwards, causing him to emerge above decks!  He then leapt up and smacked him down towards the helm!  All the other soldiers were awe struck at Stralus’s extraordinary abilities, and they looked on in admiration!  Raxon and Sky were getting increasingly uneasy!

 

  “Ugh….” Feral Kyle groaned as he slowly rose to his feet.  He shook his head, as he felt dizzy!  But after a few seconds, he recovered!  Just as he was about to go on the offensive again, his whole body thumped like a heart!  He suddenly froze!  Then, inside himself, he could hear someone….it was…

 

  “Kyle…is it really you?  Are you really here?” the voice said, who turned out to be Ventus!  Immediately, as if by some sort of miracle, Kyle reverted completely back to normal and his eyes opened wide!  “Dad!?” he thought, as he looked straight towards Jexana’s airship! He then looked at Raxon and Sky, who were both relieved to see him back to his normal self again!  He was about to go towards them, when Stralus cleared his throat.

 

  “Excuse me, but I do believe we have a duel to resume!  Dark powers or not, you will not escape me!” he said as he readied himself, his soldiers cheering him on!  Kyle looked at Raxon with a desperate expression on his face, and Raxon caught on, and then he glanced slightly at Sky.

 

  “Thinking what I’m thinking?” Raxon thought to himself as he was gesturing Sky.  The little moogle seemed to understand and nodded.

 

  “Yep…let’s do it, kupo!” he said.

 

  And so, in what literally seemed to be like a split second, Raxon immediately threw a smoke bomb that instantly clouded the enemy’s vision!  They all started to shout and ready their weapons, but they weren’t able to proceed forward because of the heavy fog of smoke!  That’s when Kyle, Raxon and Sky improvised, and they did something quite reckless!  They jumped off of the airship!  As they were falling off the airship, Sky started flapping his wings, and then he proceeded to hold Kyle and Raxon with his two small arms!  He seemed to posess enormous strength despite his size!  He was holding them as he flew, and everyone aboard Raxon’s airship was in an uproar!  But, the other surrounding enemy airships instantly turned their attention towards the escaping invaders, and they immediately started to rain down cannon fire on them!  When Sky glanced back, he gave out a loud gasp, and he strained himself to move himself out of the way of the cannonballs so that Kyle and Raxon wouldn’t get hit!  But then, Kyle looked up at Sky.

 

  “Sky, let me go!” he screamed.  The little moogle flabbergasted.

 

  “Are you insane!?  What are you thinking, kupo!?” the little moogle asked.  But before he could get his answer, Kyle forcefully got out of Sky’s grip, and then he flung his Keyblade, transforming it into a Keyblade Glider!  He then signaled Raxon to jump on!  The pirate nodded and jumped on the Keyblade Glider, and now, Sky was free to dodge the cannonballs more freely!  Now, they were frantically dodging enemy fire at quite the quick pace!

 

  “We have to get to that airship as fast as we can!” Kyle said as he pointed towards the big airship in the distance.

 

  “Is that where your father is?” Raxon asked.  Kyle nodded.

 

  “Yes, but I’m not going to be able to fend off the enemy like this, so I’m going to need you and Sky to provide cover for me so that I can be able to get to that airship as fast as I possibly can!” he explained.  Raxon nodded, and then transformed his Keyblade into a sniper rifle.

 

  “Alright, just make sure you hurry up, mate!” the pirate remarked.  Kyle smiled and nodded.  Raxon then looked up at Sky, who was flying above them, deflecting some of the cannonballs with his Reflectga spell!

 

  “Sky, my friend, it looks like we’ll have to hold off enemy fire as long as we’re able!  We’re to go to that airship over there!  Kyle is going to use his Keyblade Glider to go there as soon as possible!  Let’s give him some cover!” Raxon said.  Sky nodded.

 

  “Roger that, kupo!” the little moogle said enthusiastically, as he transformed his staff into a sword and prepared to charge a powerful attack!

 

  As they provided cover, Kyle could focus on nothing more than Ventus’ voice!  Could it be that he was calling out to him?  Could it be that he was trying to break free from Jexana’s spell, and to some extent, it was working?  Kyle was desperate to find him already, so that he could get him out of this mess!  He also thought of Trish, and was extremely worried if something had happened to her! Now thinking of both his parents, he couldn’t bear it if he lost them!  And so, with those worried thoughts, Kyle steered his Keyblade Glider and went faster, darting through the lines of enemy airships that were everywhere!  Raxon had a very keen eye, and was taking out all the soldiers that were prepping the cannons, buying themselves some time and a short breather from repelling cannonballs!  Sky finished charging his sword attack, and then flew like a bullet towards a few airships, delivering two fatal slashes that made said airships crumble and explode!  It was quite the impressive attack, and Sky himself was pleased with the results!  After the airships exploded, he quickly flew back towards Raxon and Kyle and remained by their side!  He then switched his sword back into its staff form!

 

  “Well, at least this buys us a bit of time, kupo!” the little moogle remarked.  Raxon smirked.

 

  “Great work, my friend!  We’re doing great!” he said to Sky encouragingly, making the little moogle blush!  Kyle glanced back at them and smiled.

(End Song Here)

 

  “We’re almost there guys, just a bit more!” he said.  But from the corner of his eye, he noticed something that was heading towards them!  When he looked to his right, he saw that it was Ventus’ Keyblade heading straight towards them!  Kyle steered hard upwards, managing to avoid the Keyblade, but, as a result, they crashed onto the airship they had been aiming for!  For a few seconds, it seemed as though they were knocked out, but they quickly rose to their feet, their weapons drawn and at the ready!  But then, they took a moment to notice that all the soldiers on this airship were dead!  Their bodies were scattered all over, and the airship itselt seemed critically damaged!

 

  “What in blazes happened here?” Raxon wondered aloud.

 

  “It looks as though a great struggle took place here just moments ago, kupo!” Sky said as he analyzed the area.  They all looked at each other anxiously, and then, that’s when Ventus landed at the helm with a thud!  Kyle immediately darted his head towards Ventus, and instantly, his eyes started to water!  He was overwhelmingly happy that he had finally found his father, but, at the same time, he couldn’t even approach him, because he was looking at him with menacing eyes!  Ventus then pointed his finger at Kyle!

 

  “You’ve come to hurt my beloved Jexana…and for that, you won’t be shown mercy!  I will kill you myself!” he shouted as he caught his Keyblade, which had gone back to him!  Raxon and Sky quickly prepared for battle, but Kyle was torn.  He simply started to walk towards Ventus, unsummoning his Keyblade and extending his arms.

 

  “Kyle, don’t, he’s going to kill you!” Raxon shouted.

 

  “Don’t let your guard down, kupo!” Sky exclaimed.  But Kyle didn’t listen.

 

  “Dad…I’m finally here…”

---

 

  Meanwhile, the Keyblade Wielders, who had been travelling in Cid’s airship, had arrived at what seemed to be a very lonely looking forest!  It was quite dark and grim looking.  Even though the trees brought to mind a lush forest full of life, it was difficult to think that considering how dark everything was.  It was almost as if the sun hadn’t shone on this place for millennia!  Everyone wondered if this was a new world they hadn’t come across before, for they hadn’t seen anything like it!  Dawn was still shocked that Sora knew this “Forger” she had kept having strange visions of! The message he had to deliver was that she needed to come to this world.  It was as simple as that.  When Dawn had asked Sora for a specific reason, he just shrugged, for apparently, the “Forger” hadn’t said anything more.  And so, as the airship landed, everyone started to get off.  Dawn was one of the first to come out, along with Riku.  They looked at each other, and she seemed worried.

 

  “Riku…this “Forger” seems to live here…I just can’t believe that Sora knows this person!” she whispered worriedly.  Riku looked around at the lines of dark trees and bushes, and then he held Dawn’s hand and grasped it tightly.

 

  “Hey…I’m sure that whoever this person is, he or she doesn’t mean us harm, or else, Sora wouldn’t be here right now.  So let’s just keep going forward.” he said.  Dawn looked at him and then nodded and gave out a sigh.  She looked back and then saw the rest of the Keyblade Wielders, who had disembarked from the ship.  Soon, Mickey and Minnie, along with their subjects, followed.  The only ones who stayed on the airship were Cid, Leon, Yuffie and Aerith!  Cid waved at the Keyblade Wielders from afar.

 

  “Don’t mind us, kids, just keep rolling along!  We’ll take care of this here beauty so that she’s ready to lift off at a moment’s notice!  You all go along now!” he said.  The others nodded, and so, they kept going along a straight path cutting through the forest.  It seemed like the most obvious path to follow, and as Sora, Donald and Goofy were walking ahead of everyone, the others assumed that they were on track.  Kairi caught up to Sora and held his hand, and he held hers tightly, and they both smiled as they felt each other’s warmth.

 

  “I can’t tell you how relieved I am that we were able to come save you just in time…” Sora mentioned.  Kairi smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder.

 

  “I knew you’d come for me…and for all of us.  That’s just the kind of person you are, Sora.  You never abandon the people you care about…and that’s one of the many things I love about you!” she said with a sweet smile.  Sora blushed and gave out a chuckle.

 

  “Aw, come on, Kairi, you’re making me blush!” he said as he laughed.  Kairi punched his shoulder and laughed along with him.

 

  “It’s true, you lazy bum!” she said.  They both smiled and gazed into each other’s eyes, and then they gave each other a loving, passionate kiss.  Donald rolled his eyes and shook his head.

 

  “Oh, brother!” he squawked!  Goofy gave out a hearty chuckle and patted Donald’s head.

 

  “A-hyuck, they sure do look happy together!” he said happily.

 

  As the minutes rolled on, the Keyblade Wielders saw that the path they were walking on slowly started to expand, and for each minute they kept walking, the path seemed to grow wider and wider!  The trees started to look like black lines in the distance, and now, a cold gust of wind was blowing through the now open field.  It seemed as though the forest was far behind now, as the Keyblade Wielders seemed to be approaching a part of this place that was devoid of any plant life.  The area seemed akin to that of the Keyblade Graveyard, but since the place was dark and the only light reflecting on the land was that of a pale, moon-like glow, the treeless expanse looked gray and black in some places, and a darker gray in others.  Then, they walked down a steep hill.  At this point, Mickey and Minnie’s subjects were walking with more caution.  The Keyblade Wielders made sure to help them, so as to make sure they wouldn’t fall. 

 

  “We’re almost there everyone!” Sora shouted from afar.  The other Keyblade Wielders sighed of relief, for they were starting to feel a bit tired!

 

  “Well, it’s about damn time!  My feet are killing me!” Vanitas complained.  Ethan, who was walking beside him, gave out a mocking laugh.

 

  “Ha, I didn’t know that the great Vanitas complained about his feet hurting!” he teased.  Vanitas rolled his eyes and gave out fake laughter.

 

  “Ha, ha, ha, very funny, idiot!” Vanitas barked back.

 

  Within a few more minutes, everyone had reached the end of the steep hill, and now, they seemed to be approaching a seashore.  In fact, even from afar, they could notice the crystalline sand, shining in the distance like the stars in the sky!  The sand looked mesmerizing, and when they stepped foot on it, they immediately felt soothed by how ridiculously soft the sand was!  Many of the weary travelers groaned of relief and satisfaction, as the sand seemed to cleanse away their weariness!  A few seconds after, the sound of ocean waves could be heard!  When everyone finally approached the destination they had sought out, they found that the seashore beared what seemed to be a giant, ancient temple!  It looked majestic and eerie in scale, and its adornments were worn out from rust over the years, due to the corrosion from the sand.  Sora, Donald and Goofy came to a full stop, and everyone followed suit.  A sudden silence followed after.

 

  “Okay…is this where we’re supposed to meet this “Forger” Dawn talked about?” Vanitas asked aloud.  The others nodded.  Ethan simply crossed his arms and gave a smile.

 

  “Oh, you’ll see.” Was all he said.  Vanitas then nodded.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Ah, I get it.  This Forger must be some powerful guy, from the sound of it.  I bet he must be an old geezer!” Vanitas said with a chuckle.  Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind blew past everyone, and they shielded their eyes from the sand that was blown their way!  Then, they heard slow footsteps coming from the temple’s entrance!  Everyone looked up with attentive eyes, and after a few seconds, a well formed frame came out.  It was a woman!  She had long, golden hair and emerald eyes, and her ragged clothes indicated that she was a blacksmith!  Hence the term: Forger.  She had a leather vest with a ragged cloth covering it, and her lower body sported a chain mail skirt, leather leggings, and iron boots!  He attire suited her well, and made her look attractive, but at the same time, powerful!  Vanitas immediately swallowed up what he had said seconds ago, and instead blushed uncontrollably, making Ethan chuckle softly.  The woman eyed out everyone before her in silence.

 

  “Sora…it seems you have brought everyone to safety.  I knew I could count on you for your assistance.” she said in a strong, and yet silky smooth tone!

 

  “It’s just like I had promised.  Me, Donald, Goofy and Xion brought our friends back, and we brought everyone we could!” he said as he bowed.  The Forger nodded.

 

  “Indeed.  You are a man of your word.” she said, and then, she slowly turned her gaze towards all the others.  “Now then, I assume all of you must be weary.  Come into my temple, and you will find shelter and respite.” she reassured.  Everyone else bowed appreciatively, and they made their way up the stone steps inside the temple!

 

  As they stepped inside, they couldn’t help but look all around in awe, for the temple was truly something to behold!  Giant, gray pillars were lined neatly in rows, and a dark blue carpet stretched out from the entrance, going on straight until it ascended a set of stairs, until reaching a room high on the top!  When Dawn looked at that spot on the top, she could only assume that is where the Forger dwelt.  As she looked around, she noticed that there were many doors and hallways, and all of them led to quite impressively big rooms.  There were resting quarters and a grand dining hall!  Mickey and Minnie set to work on cooking some food for everyone, and their subjects happily assembled in the dining hall, taking seats in the grand dining table!  Their faces now bore comfort and relief!  The Keyblade Wielders remained in the main hallway, and they followed the Forger, as she kept ascending the stairs.  She then came to a full stop.  She slowly turned around and crossed her arms.

 

  “All of you are exhausted.  There will be time for talking later.  For now, it’s best that you all rest.” she stated.  The Keyblade Wielders glanced at each other, and after a few seconds, they decided to go and rest.  The Forger then cleared her throat.  Everyone turned around to look at her.  “Except…you two.” she pointed at Kairi and Dawn.  The two of them stopped short and then remained standing where they were.  The Forger looked at the others and nodded.  “You may leave now.” she said.  With that, the others took their leave.  As soon as they were gone, Dawn crossed her arms and gave the Forger a grim look.

 

  “Okay…so tell me…who are you?  I’ve heard about you in my visions…someone constantly saying your name…and telling me about something regarding the Keys of…something, and a door of awakening?  Who told me of all these things?  Was that all your handywork?” she asked.  Kairi remained silent for a moment, and the Forger looked at Dawn with an interested expression on her face.

 

  “Ah…it seems that things came to pass as foretold after all…” she whispered.  Dawn caught that comment and pressed on the Forger for it.

 

  “Foretold?  What do you mean?” she asked.  The Forger then cleared her throat and crossed her arms.

 

  “Well then, firstly, I must introduce myself.  I am Alaya, otherwise known as the Forger.  I am a guardian…of sorts.  You could say I’m a person that is meant to play a specific role.  And as for what I said about what came to pass being foretold, I was referring to a rite cited in the Tome Of Prophecies.” she explained.  At that, Kairi’s eyes lit up, for she seemed to recognize what Alaya was talking about!

 

  “The Tome Of Prophecies?  So it’s real?” Kairi asked.  Alaya nodded.

 

  “Indeed, it does.  And I am its chosen guardian.” she answered.  Dawn was a bit confused.

 

  “Wait, what does she mean?” she asked.  Kairi glanced at her and then traced her mind regarding what she knew about the Tome Of Prophecies.

 

  “Well, you see, back in Radiant Garden, there was this big library, and oftentimes, after teaching other students to wield the Keyblade, I’d go there to study all the different books that were there.  As I browsed through the different books throughout the years, I came upon one that talked about this Tome Of Prophecies.  If I remember correctly, it’s an ancient book that can be able to foretell events that are to happen somewhere in time, and, if one uses this book’s power, it’s possible to bring forth future worlds, and even future people that have yet to exist…am I right so far?” she asked as she looked at Alaya for confirmation.  She nodded.

 

  “Indeed.  This book is from a time long past.  The age of fairy tales…a great war was fought long ago…a war for light.  I’m sure all of you know of this legend by now, am I correct?” she asked.  Dawn and Kairi nodded, for they both knew the legend well, and they knew that it had indeed been real!  Alaya then resumed.

 

  “During the battle of the Seven Lights and Thirteen Darknesses that Xehanort waged in order to bring forth the true Kingdom Hearts, he held the Tome Of Prophecies in his possession.  This was how he was able to plan ahead every single plan he had set into motion, and how he seemed to always be one step ahead of his enemies.  After his defeat, however, Sora came to posess this book.  Even though it was in more than capable hands with him, he didn’t want to carry this book with him, for he felt that it was better that the book never be used, not for good or for evil.  He thought that knowing of things that are to happen ahead of time was something that wasn’t appropriate.  And to this day, I do not comprehend how, but somehow, he wandered the worlds until he found me.  After meeting him, he decided that I was the best person to posess this book, and so, I have had it here under my protection ever since.  I read it from time to time, as it contains ancient texts of the Foretellers and such.” she said as she finished explaining.  Dawn and Kairi had listened attentively, but Dawn was curious about something.

 

  “Okay, that’s fine and all…but where do we fall into the picture?” she asked.  Alaya nodded.

 

  “Well, as you are clearly aware of, there is a great Keyblade War to occur soon, as many Keyblade Wielders and even Non-Keyblade Wielders are gathering to battle, each for their own reasons.  This war will bring catastrophe to the worlds, and possibly end all things as we know it.  And so, in order to prevent this from happening, we need to stop this war before it takes root, yes, but there must also be three special warriors who will learn a great power that will help in ensuring that this Keyblade War is stopped.  Dawn and Kairi, you are two of the three warriors that this book mentions.  You must go forth and journey to find your individual Keys Of Balance.” she stated. 

 

  “Keys Of Balance?  I…don’t understand.” Kairi said.  Alaya then turned around and went towards the top of the stairs, and then she seemed to be moving something, and then she came down. She looked at the two Keyblade Wielders and then looked towards the dining hall.

 

  “Before I say more, let us all eat.  Then, I shall explain the rest…” she said.

(End Song Here)

---

 

(Start Song Here)

  Back in Jexana’s airship, Kyle was simply walking towards Ventus, who seemed to be as aggressive as ever!  Raxon and Sky were begging Kyle to stop, but he wouldn’t listen!  He was just so overjoyed to see his father again, that nothing else seemed to matter to him!  He kept walking towards him, as tears kept rolling down his cheeks.  He extended his arms out to embrace his father.

 

  “Dad, it’s me!  I’m here…I’ve come for you, and I’ve come for Mom!” he said.  Ventus stopped for a moment, almost as if he was about to reach out for Kyle, but then, he shook his head and growled, and attempted to slay Kyle!  Luckily, Raxon came and blocked off the attack, much to the shock of Kyle, who couldn’t believe Ventus almost struck him down!  Ventus was pushed back a bit, and then he only became angrier!  Raxon glanced down at Kyle, who was kneeling on the floor, his face bowed.  He felt sympathy for Kyle, but right now, they couldn’t let their guard down!

 

  “Kyle…your father isn’t the man he’s supposed to be…he sees you as an enemy!” the pirate exclaimed.  But Kyle shook his head in denial and then stood up, pushed passed Raxon, and then directly landed on Ventus, holding him in a tight embrace!  Kyle was now sobbing, and Ventus stopped again!

 

  “Dad…it’s me!  It’s your son!  Come on…you have to fight this!  You need to come back to us!  Please!” Kyle pleaded as he cried!  Ventus then gasped for air all of a sudden, and he pushed Kyle back! He then struggled against himself, and for a moment, he was himself!

 

  “Kyle!  You’ve come for me!” he said in surprise.  Kyle nodded as he finally saw his father for who he was!

 

  “Yes, I’ve come for you, Dad!  And for Mom, too!  Come on, we need to get out of here!” Kyle urged, but Ventus shook his head sadly.

 

  “No Kyle…I can’t come with you.” he said, with a regretful expression on his face.  Kyle remained silent for a few moments, and Raxon and Sky were armed and ready to take on Ventus if they needed to!  Ventus saw them, and then he glanced over at Kyle and smiled.  “You’ve made some new friends…that’s good.  You’ll need their support…and you’ll need them with you…” he said, as he again started to struggle with himself, kneeling on the floor and screaming in pain as he held his head with both of his hands!  His Keyblade fell to the floor, and he was squirming now!  Kyle quickly went towards him and embraced him yet again, comforting him, while shedding tears.

 

  “Damn it…damn that Jexana…she’s going to pay for putting you like this!” Kyle exclaimed.  At that, Raxon’s eyes opened wide.  Sky seemed quite surprised as well by the mention of her name!  Raxon then felt numb, and then he clenched his fists.  He slowly walked towards Kyle, who was embracing Ventus. 

 

  “What did you say…?” he asked grimly.  Kyle looked up at him with a somber expression on his face.

 

  “Jexana…she’s the one who turned my Dad like this…it’s because of her that he hasn’t been able to come back to us!” he explained.  Raxon then looked towards the Captain’s quarters, and he clenched his fists again!  Sky immediately flew over to him and held his arms!

 

  “No, no, no, not now, Raxon, you can’t go after her now!  It’d be suicide with all the airships around, kupo!” the little moogle said.

 

  “Huh? Go after her?” Kyle asked, confused.  Sky nodded.

 

  “She’s the person Raxon’s been looking for!  She’s the target of his revenge, kupo!” the little moogle answered.  Raxon remained grim.  Kyle then realized what was happening, but before he could say anything, he felt Ventus gently tugging at him.  Immediately, he turned his attention to his father and held him close!

 

  “Dad, we’re going to get you out of here!” he said.  Ventus shook his head weakly and started to shed tears.

 

  “It’s too late for me, Kyle…I’m locked by Jexana’s power…and I’m not going to be able to leave here…I’m sorry…” he said, feeling defeated.  Kyle shook his head, not accepting what was happening!

 

  “No…it can’t be too late!  We have to save Mom, after all!” he said.  Ventus shook his head again.

 

  “Our friends…they’ve rescued her…she’s safe.  They’re all safe.” he whispered.  When Kyle heard this, he felt immediately relieved that Trish had been saved, and that she was with their friends! Now he felt that he could relax a bit, but, with the situation at hand, relaxing was a hard thing to do!  Then, Ventus started to scream in pain again, and he gasped for breath continually!  Kyle felt helpless, for he didn’t know what to do!

 

  “R-run…run now, before it’s too late…either I end up killing you…or you’ll end up being killed by Jexana…please, son, run!” he exclaimed, as he pushed Kyle back as far as he could!  Kyle rolled and tumbled until he crashed near one of the airship’s masts!  Raxon and Sky immediately went towards him! Before they could say anything, Ventus was already on top of them, almost managing to kill them!  Raxon barely blocked the attack, and then he counterattacked, sending Ventus back a few feet!  They then helped Kyle up.

 

  “We have no choice, we have to leave now, while we still have the chance, or it’ll be the end for us, kupo!” Sky exclaimed.  Raxon continued to remain silent, all of his anger boiling as he kept staring at the Captain’s quarters, where Jexana no doubt was!  He was about to head towards her, but he then stopped himself, remember that Kyle and Sky were with him.  He gritted his teeth, but then relaxed.  He figured that he’d have his revenge at a later date.  Now, they had to make sure to escape!  He then looked at Kyle, who was undecided about what to do!

 

  “Sky’s right, mate…your father’s giving us our best chance…so I say we take it…” he said.  Kyle’s jaw dropped.

 

  “And leave him here!?” he exclaimed.  Raxon then shook Kyle and made him look at Ventus, who was now back to his aggressive, tranced self!

 

  “Take a good look right now!  You aren’t able to save your father!  We need to leave, or you’ll end up dead, and then everything will have been for nothing!  So let’s go!” Raxon enunciated.  Kyle, struggling with himself over what to do, gave out a deep sigh.  He then shook his head.

 

  “You two leave…I’ll stay here and try to make him come back to his senses!” he said as he gripped his Keyblade tightly, his face now bearing a determined expression!  Raxon rolled his eyes and gave out a deep sigh.  Sky had a worried look on his face.

 

  “Heh, you really are hopeless, you know that?  Fine…if you insist on staying, then we’ll stay here with you…we’ll help you, and if it comes to worse, we’ll die alongside you!” Raxon said as he prepared himself for battle!  Sky also prepared himself and nodded.

 

  “That’s right, we’re here for you, kupo!” the little moogle remarked.  Kyle could feel a lump in his throat, and he could feel tears forming in his eyes.  He smiled and sniffled and wiped his tears off with his arm.  He then smiled and nodded.

 

  “Guys…I don’t know what to say…” he said.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Well, for now, let’s just pray we’ll get out of this alive!” Raxon commented.  With that, Kyle and Sky nodded and smiled, and now, they were fully ready to battle!  Ventus gave them all a cold, icy glare, and he swung his Keyblade masterfully, and then he prepared himself for battle!

 

  “You’ve all come to harm my beloved Jexana…but I won’t let you!  I’ll take you all on!” Ventus proclaimed!  With those words said, he propelled himself towards the three friends, and the battle began!

 

(Start Song Here)

  Ventus focused his attacks on all three of them, not giving them any chance in exploiting a weak point!  He was fast and ruthless, and he battled with the proficiency of at least five Keyblade Masters! Kyle, Raxon and Sky were barely standing on their feet due to how fast Ventus was!  But they all kept their guard up constantly, and just as Ventus wasn’t allowing himself to leave himself open, they were doing the same!  Kyle blocked Ventus’ attacks and then stepped back and fired off a Thundaga beam, but Ventus absorbed it with his Keyblade and then fired it back as a much more powerful version of the Thundaga beam!  Raxon quickly dashed towards Ventus, and the two of them clashed vigorously, constantly trading blows with each other, trying to outsmart each other!  It was intense seeing the two of them fight!  Raxon then jumped up and transformed his Keyblade into dual pistols, and then he started firing away at Ventus, trying to lower his defense!  But, unfortunately, he was blocking every single shot!

 

  It was then that Sky seized a very small opening!  He took notice of this immediately, and then he went in and hacked at Ventus with his sword, making sure do damage him, but not too gravely, for he knew that he was still Kyle’s father, and as such, he tried harming him without hitting any vital points!  Ventus flinched at Sky’s attacks, and then he growled and turned around and kicked the little moogle straight towards a small batch of crates!  Raxon and Kyle wasted no time, and they went in and cornered Ventus!  They both attacked from both sides, but Ventus blocked Raxon’s attack while blocking Kyle’s Keyblade with his other hand!  After this stalemate, Ventus shook free and then punched Raxon square in the jaw, sending him flying towards one of the masts!  Now, only Kyle remained face to face with him!  Kyle hated the fact that he had to fight Ventus, but he wasn’t left with any much choice.  Even though he felt it futile, he still felt he should call out to him!

 

  “Dad, come on, you have to fight this!  I now you can overcome this darkness!” he said.

 

  “You are attempting to harm my beloved Jexana…and I won’t stand for it!  You will die!” Ventus shouted, as he lunged towards Kyle with an Ars Arcanum attack! Kyle pushed forward with the same attack, and both of them masterfully struck each other with impressive blows, but they blocked each other, so none of their blows were able to land on each other!  When they were both about to deliver the final strike of their Ars Arcanum attacks, Kyle jumped back at the last second and then cast a spell he had been working on!  He could feel the energy flowing through him, and when he felt the energy was at its peak, he unleashed the spell!

 

  “Ruinga!” Kyle shouted!

 

  Instantly, from his hand, a black orb traveling on a white beam flew towards Ventus, and once it took hold of him, the spell gave out quite an explosion! Ventus was pushed back considerably, for it seemed the spell had hit its mark!  Kyle just hoped he hadn’t damaged Ventus too much!  But, as the smoke cleared, Kyle saw Ventus’ Keyblade flying towards him, and that’s when he ducked!  He then charged towards him, and the two of them swung at each other, constantly stalemating and so evenly matched, that it was hard for any of them to injure each other!  Ventus was furious!

 

  “Damn it…what does it take to bring you down!?  How are you so skilled!?” Ventus shouted through gritted teeth.  Kyle struggled as he then pushed Ventus back.

 

  “Well, you taught me well, Dad, so what did you expect!?” he said, and with that, he attempted to perform Sonic Raid, but before he was able to, Ventus caught him right then and there with a Sliding Dash attack, making Kyle slip and fall down!  When Ventus was about to deliver a fatal strike, a spell took him from behind and made him turn around!  It was Sky, who had transformed his sword into his staff, and was now firing spells as quickly as he could, so that he wouldn’t be able to give Ventus any chance of counterattacking!  Raxon then transformed his Keyblade into a sniper rifle and took aim!  He managed to fire a shot straight at him, but Ventus simply blocked it with his Keyblade, but, that momentary block caused him to get injured by Sky’s spells!  That’s when Kyle came in and attacked Ventus with Blitz, striking him harder with each consecutive strike, until he knocked him down with the final strike!  Kyle then panted, as a drop of sweat rolled down his brow.

 

  “Dad…please…come back to your senses!  Come back to me, and to Mom!” he pleaded again.  Raxon and Sky were now by his side.

 

  “I don’t think there’s anything we can do, kupo…” Sky said sadly.

 

  “He’s going to get up again, and he’s going to keep on fighting us…” Raxon remarked.  Kyle knew this to be true, so he didn’t contradict the two of them.  But he felt saddened by the fact that no matter what he did, Ventus was unable to break free of Jexana’s spell!  It tore him apart, knowing that he wasn’t able to do anything, and then, just as Ventus was about to stand, Emmxett appeared, along with Tsumugi!  And after a few seconds, Jexana appeared!  She looked seriously injured, but it seemed that her injury had been treated, and apparently, she was a little better.  She looked at Kyle, Raxon and Sky with quite the devilish smirk on her face.  She gave out a small laugh and then shook her head.

 

  “Ah, so you three were here fighting against my beloved Ventus, and you weren’t planning on saying hello to me?  How rude!” she commented.  Raxon immediately reverted his Keyblade back into its normal form, and then he pointed it towards Jexana in anger!

 

  “You witch…after so long…this is where I find you!” he said with pure anger!  Jexana smirked.

 

  “Ah, I remember you…and I remember how you lost that hand…hehe, have you come back to lose the other one as well?” she teased.

 

  “I’ve come for my revenge…and I will have it!” Raxon roared back!  It was then that Kyle realized that they were in quite the seriously drastic predicament!  They were seriously outnumbered and overpowered by the enemy!

 

  “This is not good…”

(End Song Here)

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

 

A daringly dire predicament!  With Emmxett, Tsumugi, Jexana and her entire fleet backing up Ventus, what hope do Kyle, Raxon and Sky have in defeating them!?  Does their journey end here!?  And Dawn has finally met with Alaya, the Forger whom she had been having visions of!  What are the Keys Of Balance she spoke of?  What else awaits our heroes?  Stay tuned for Chapter Twenty One: “Kyle’s Ordeal!”

 

Well everyone, as promised, I was able to deliver one more chapter before the end of the year!  Haha, I hope that you all enjoyed reading it!  Wow, can you all believe we’re just one day away for the year to end?  Time flies by so fast! X_X  But yeah, this was a good year for me, so I thank God I was able to live through all the good and bad times that were in store for me this year!  And I’m very happy that I was able to begin this story!  And don’t worry, 2016 shall see the finale of this story, don’t you worry about that!  Haha, as always, thank you all very much for your patience and support, and as always, be sure to comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter!  Until next year, stay tuned for the next one!

Oh man... Just a little further..

Grrrgghhhh!!! This wait can't go on longer! He has to be saved, and he will one way or another!

 

Finally, now I know who the Forger is. Nice connecting it to the Foretellers. In fact, with all those details about her and after KH3's end, I wonder if you accidentally spoiled us a little without knowing it?

 

Congrats on 3000 views!

Edited December 31, 20159 yr by KingdomHearts3

OMG!!!! So much has happened!!!

 

What are the Keys of Balance?!

 

Will Ventus finally break free soon?!

 

What is it that happened between Jexana and Raxon?!

 

Can't wait for the next chapter.  :smile:

To KHLegendIII, I wonder how much further...?

 

To KingdomHearts3, haha, thank you, thank you!  I'm glad you liked how the chapter went down!  And don't worry, I didn't spoil anything.

 

To Keyblade101, I'm glad you're excited!  All your questions shall be answered in due time!  I hope you're prepared for what's coming!

 

And also, I just noticed that all of you three have usernames that begin with the letter K! X3

 

Hey there everybody, how’s it going!?  Happy New Year!  Man, it’s incredible that we’re already in 2016, huh?  Are you all excited!?  Cuz I’m sure excited and looking forward to what this year will bring!  Let’s hope nothing but good things come, am I right?   So then, with the new year rolling along, so are new chapters of my story!  So then, let us continue from where we left off from last year!  Enjoy the chapter, everyone!

 

Chapter Twenty One: Kyle’s Ordeal

 

(Start Song Here)

  The situation was dangerously tense!  Kyle, Raxon and Sky were surrounded by Jexana, Emmxett, Tsumugi, and Jexana’s fleet!  They were seriously outnumbered and overpowered, so they didn’t know what to do!  Kyle was shifting his eyes constantly, getting a layout of the surroundings, to see if there was some way he could turn this situation around!  Sky was trying to be as brave as possible, but on the inside, he was shivering!  Raxon simply remained glaring at Jexana, his eyes piercing like daggers!  Jexana merely giggled in delight, enjoying the look Raxon gave her.  It was then that she shook her head and gave out a sigh.

 

  “Well…this has been rather unexpected…but, no trouble!  This will not get in the way of my plans…for this is all a simple, fun diversion…” she said with a sinister smirk.  Raxon clenched his fists and glared intensely at her!

 

  “Fun diversion…is that what all of this is to you!?  Was it a fun diversion when you took everything from me!?” he declared.  At that, Kyle and Sky looked at him sadly.  Jexana just kept on smirking.

 

  “Haha, well, you were in my way, and so I had to find some way to shake you off…” she stated.  At that, Raxon gritted his teeth, and he directly lunged towards Jexana, without even thinking, and his Keyblade clashed with her dark dagger!  Emmxett, Tsumugi and the other soldiers were about to intervene, but Jexana shook her head and signaled to let him fight.  Kyle and Sky knew that if they tried stepping in, they would only make things worse, so they decided to stay put, and hope that Raxon would be able to win this battle!

 

  Raxon was blinded by his rage, and was swinging his Keyblade violently and aggressively, without any sort of strategy or poise!  Jexana was taking advantage of his anger, toying with him and making fun of him!  Kyle and Sky couldn’t tolerate this!  Raxon continued attacking Jexana, but she simply blocked the attacks and then either pushed him or slapped him in the face, all of which just continued to make him angrier!  His eyes were flaring now, with an intense and hateful glow!  He started to use some of his more advanced attacks, but even then, he lacked precision, so Jexana just kept blocking.  Everyone else was serious, looking at the battle unfold before them!

 

  “Heh, you think you’re so tough, eh?  Well, show me how tough you really are!” she said, as she snapped her fingers, causing dark daggers to materialize behing Raxon!  Before he could dodge, he was stabbed on the shoulders, and he screamed in pain!  He fell to his knees, and now, he was unable to move his arms!  Kyle and Sky were now desperate to do something, but they didn’t know what to do!  Jexana was laughing, clearly enjoying herself!  She then kicked Raxon square in the face!  After kicking him a few times, she slapped him and then dropped him to the floor.  She then turned him on his back and sat on him, yanking his head and showing it to everyone!

 

  “See this?  This is what a pathetic fool looks like!” she said, and her soldiers cheered her on!

 

  “Stop this…” Kyle said.  At that, Sky and everyone else looked at him, and Jexana smirked and then signaled Kyle with her finger, as if she hadn’t heard what he said.

 

  “What was that, fool?” she asked, teasing him!  Kyle clenched his fists and then glared at Jexana.

 

  “I said stop!” he shouted!  At that, Jexana simply smashed Raxons’ head onto the floor, and Sky gave out a painful gasp!  She then smashed Raxon’s head a few more times until he was bloodied!  Kyle’s composure immediately broke, as he then dashed towards Jexana and attempted to strike her, but she simply dodged out of the way!  She just laughed hysterically, and Kyle, angered by all this, felt his rage boiling up inside him!  He then unsummoned his Keyblade and held Raxon’s head!  Sky then flew towards them and started to cry, as he saw how badly damaged Raxon was!

 

  “Why did you have to go and do that, Raxon?  Couldn’t you have kept your emotions in check, kupo!?” the little moogle asked as he cried and held Raxon’s hand.  Raxon could only open his eyes for a few seconds, and then he coughed out blood and gasped for air! 

 

  “Raxon!!!  Hang in there, don’t leave us!” Kyle pleaded!  He then glanced over his shoulder at Jexana, who was looking at this whole situation unfold with pleasing eyes!

 

  “That boy is nothing but a pathetic dog that’s all bark but no bite…he didn’t even try to put up a decent fight!  It’s a pity…a boy so strong as him…but oh well, I guess he’s just that useless!” she said, as if the matter didn’t concern her!  At that, Kyle slowly rose to his feet and summoned his Keyblade, his anger now reaching its breaking point!

 

  “Jexana…you are a monster…you take people’s lives and ruin them just for the pleasure of it!  You’ve taken my parents from me…you’ve hurt my friends…you’ve caused so much pain…I’m not going to let you live any longer!” he roared as his eyes flared up in total anger!  The soldiers all fell aback by this statement, and even Emmxett and Tsumugi’s faces became awash with concern!  Apparently, they could feel Kyle’s power slowly increasing!  They were about to make a move, but Jexana insisted that they stay put.  She was enjoying taunting Kyle!

(End Song Here)

 

  “Oh, is that so?” she asked, as if Kyle’s threat meant nothing!  She then smirked and headed towards Ventus, who had been standing beside her, and kissed him with utmost passion, clearly sending out a message to anger Kyle even more!  And it didn’t help that Ventus kissed back, almost as if he really did love her!  Kyle felt hurt by this, and he knew that Trish must have been witness to this as well, and it must have hurt her deeply seeing Jexana do this!  Kyle couldn’t take it anymore, and so, he lunged towards Jexana, almost striking her down, when Ventus pushed her out of the way and blocked the attack, pushing Kyle back!  Ventus’ eyes  were now full of anger!

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Do not dare hurt my beloved Jexana!” Ventus hissed, and with that, he charged towards Kyle, attacking him with unrelenting fury!  As he blocked his attacks, Kyle tried to put Ventus at a disadvantage, but it was to no avail, as Ventus was simply too powerful!  As he glanced over his shoulder, he then noticed that Sky and Raxon were being sucked in by what seemed to be a portal of darkness!  Kyle instantly tried to go help them, but he was unable to do so, as Ventus flung his Keyblade, causing Kyle to suffer a near fatal injury!  He fell down hard to the floor, and he winced in pain!

 

  “Kyle!!!” Sky shouted! Kyle tried to get on his feet, and as he raised his head, he saw Sky and Raxon disappearing with each passing second!  Sky tried to fly out of the portal with Raxon, but it seemed as though something was preventing them from moving!  Kyle started to cry and clenched his fists in anger and frustration!  He then looked at them.

 

  “Guys…please, don’t die!” he said as he struggled to stand!

 

  “We won’t die…we’ll find you!” the little moogle said!  With those final words, Sky and Raxon disappeared into the portal of darkness, and it closed soon after.  Ventus then kicked Kyle numerous times, and then stabbed Kyle through his stomach with his Keyblade!  Kyle opened his eyes wide and coughed up blood, gurgling and screaming in pain!  Jexana gave out an amused huff.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Well, it looks like your friends disappeared.  I don’t know how that happened, heh, but this just means that now you are alone…and you’ll die a wretch.” she said with a soothing voice.  Kyle tried to talk back, but he was in such unbearable pain that he couldn’t think straight!  He struggled to move, and then, suddenly, he felt his body slowly go cold!  He could feel his body getting heavier with each passing second, and he felt as though his entire life was being drained away!  As he slowly stopped struggling, Kyle felt something drop on his face.  His vision blurried, he had to squint his eyes to see what was that dropped on his face!  When he did, he saw something surprising!  Ventus, even with his grim and aggressive nature, was shedding tears!  They were silent tears, rolling down and falling on Kyle’s face.  That’s when Kyle smiled.  That’s when he managed to speak.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “My Dad’s still there, Jexana…no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to have him…he’ll come back to me and Mom…he’ll come back for us…he…” Kyle tried to say, but then, his skin grew completely cold, and his eyes turned pale!  His body fell numb, and all his blood was now spilt in a puddle under his body!  Jexana, pleased with what she saw, walked towards Ventus and then put her hand on his shoulder.  She caressed him and kissed his cheek!

 

  “Good work, my love.  That brat is finally out of the way…and now, he won’t be a nuisance any longer…” she said.  Then, she turned around and started heading towards her quarters.  “Come, Ventus, we must move forward!” she said.  No response.  She then stopped all of a sudden and raised her eyebrow.  She then turned around and walked towards him.  Emmxett and Tsumugi were now figuring that something was going wrong, and the soldiers sensed it as well…

 

  “Ventus…I said-“ she started to say, but then she froze as she noticed Ventus crying!  His grip on his Keyblade was tight, and then, he knelt down, his body crouching!  Jexana was about to reach out to him, when…

 

  “KYLE!!!!!!!” Ventus shouted from the top of his lungs!  That deafening shout gave a chill through everyone’s spines, Jexana in particular!  She was taken aback, for it seemed that Ventus was now his own self!  As he slowly turned around to look at Jexana, she noticed that his eyes were back to normal!  This was something completely unexpected!  Had Ventus broken free?

 

  “My son…” Ventus said as he touched Kyle’s pale face, crying as he couldn’t bring himself to believe that he had killed his own son!  Jexana gritted her teeth and then raised her hand.

 

  “You are under my control…you cannot escape my grip!” she proclaimed!  But before she could say anything else, she failed to notice that Ventus had dashed towards her and run his Keyblade through her stomach!  When she realized what was going on, she gasped and coughed up blood, not believing what she was seeing!  At that point, Emmxett and Tsumugi moved in, now seeing that things had taken a rather unexpected turn!  But Ventus pushed them both back, and then he looked at Jexana, who remained with a shocked expression on her face!

 

  “You took my son from me…you took him…you are going to pay!!!” he said as he removed his Keyblade from her stomach and then slashed her chest, making her fall down to the floor instantly!  A puddle of blood soon accompanied Jexana’s fallen body.  But, even with all that, she was not dead yet! She was groaning and agonizing in pain, and Ventus then turned his attention towards Emmxett, Tsumugi and the soldiers that were now surrounding him!  Emmxett shook his head and summoned his Kuzuri.

 

  “I knew something like this was bound to happen…” he remarked.  Tsumugi prepared herself as she imbued her fists with a fiery barrier that made it seem as though her hands were on fire!

 

  “Emmxett, we must annihilate him now…” she said coldly.  He nodded.

 

  “Of course…” he agreed.  Ventus, drunk in grief and despair, prepared himself, honing his energy and rage into his Keyblade, knowing that this battle would probably end with his death.  But even so, he had to atone for everything…for Kyle and Trish.  Even though he was far from being weak, he realized that he was probably outmatched, but even so, he had to try to take them all down!  He glared at everyone, his eyes full of anger and hatred towards his enemies, and he swung his Keyblade furiously, in a display of power!

 

  “You’ll all go down with me!!!” he shouted!

 

o

 

  “Huh…? Where am I…?  I feel so…cold…”

 

  Kyle couldn’t make sense of anything, for his last moments now seemed like nothing more than a blur to him!  He didn’t even know that he had died!  He was just drifting into darkness, his body and mind and heart and soul vanishing slowly.  He struggled to retain himself, and then he looked around, noticing that there was nothing but pitch black darkness all around him!  He felt eerily lonesome, and he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was being watched!  Soon enough, he heard a sinister laughter echo through the darkness!  He instantly knew who it was!

 

  “Damn it…not you again…” he thought to himself.  The Deity, with its yellow eyes occupying the jarring darkness, blinked at him.

 

  “Oh yes, it’s me.  I don’t think you’ve realized this, but you are dead right now.  You died a foolish, pathetic death at the hands of your own father! After all your effort into trying to save him, you end up dead by his hand! Tell me if that isn’t irony?” the Deity said with a cruel tone.  Kyle then remembered how he died.  He smiled and then shook his head.

 

  “That may be the case…but my Dad was still in there, despite Jexana’s hold over him. He was fighting back…” he said with a smile.  The Deity’s eyes shifted, as if making an irritated expression.

 

  “I say, you are quite the curious boy.  Even in death, it seems that you cannot be fazed…what is it that drives you to have such an abnormally positive outlook on things?  What gives you such a fiery spirit…?” the Deity asks, with quite the intrigue in his voice.  Then, out of the darkness, a bright light shone through, as Lunar appeared before them!

 

  “The reason why Kyle is so perseverant is because he has a willpower and strength of heart that won’t allow him to give in to despair or darkness!  He’s a young man of firm convictions, of honest feelings, and of undeniable strength!  Strength forged by the love he has for his family and friends…that is why, creature of darkness, that Kyle has such a fiery spirit.” Lunar spoke in a calm tone.  Kyle looked at him and gave him a smile.  The Deity gave out a scoff.

 

  “Hmph, well, no matter what power you posess, boy, it’s of no use anymore.  You are now dead, and there’s nothing you can do to change that!  Unless…you accept me, and I can reverse fate’s flow…” the Deity said, giving Kyle quite the tempting offer!  Kyle remained silent for a while as he thought upon the Deity’s words, and then he glanced over his shoulder at Lunar.  The wolf said nothing.  He only stared at him.  Which meant that this was something Kyle had to decide on his own.  The Deity realized he had Kyle right where he wanted him!

 

  “Yes…that’s right.  You realize it now!  You realize that by accepting me, I can be able to imbue you with power beyond any of those foolish enough to challenge you!  I take over you, and you gain my power in its full potential!  Not a bad deal, if I do say so myself…” the Deity said.  Kyle remained silent, still thinking about what to do.  Slowly, he could feel his entire life force slipping away.  It wasn’t long until he felt so light, that he could’ve sworn that he felt like a ghost!  He then glanced back at Lunar again, and then looked at the Deity.  He then shook his head.

 

  “I’m not going to accept your offer.” Kyle said with utmost bluntness!  The Deity’s eyes opened wide in alarm!

 

  “What!?  You can’t be serious!?  I’m giving you a chance to cheat death, and you’re willingly casting that chance aside!?” the Deity asked, infuriated!  Kyle shook his head.

 

  “I know that I won’t die.  I’m not going to leave this life behind with unfinished business!  I’m going to rise through this with my own power, and I’m not going to let you control me!  I’ll use my own strength…and I’ll save my Dad!” Kyle defiantly declared!  Lunar gave a smile and closed his eyes.  The Deity was clearly outraged, and the darkness around Kyle could be felt strongly!  The Deity growled and then gave out a soft growl.

 

  “You won’t be able to resist my hold on you, boy…once I break you, I will control you, and you shall serve as my new vessel!” the Deity proclaimed.  Kyle smiled.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Well, then I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” was all Kyle said.  With that, both Lunar and the Deity disappeared, and Kyle felt a sudden flash come over him, and when he opened his eyes, he coughed out blood and gave out a sharp gasp for breath!  A suddeny light engulfed him completely, and it took Emmxett, Tsumugi and the rest by surprise!  When the light subsided, Kyle had been completely healed!  A bright, yet dark aura surrounded him, as he was renewed with strength!  Everyone was shocked by what they had just seen!

 

  “Impossible!” Emmxett croaked!

---

 

  Meanwhile, at the Forger’s temple, everyone had eaten quite an enormous feast!  Gilgamesh had prepared everything, and had received help from Riku and Mickey, who wanted to ensure everyone would have a bite to eat!  And with the following hours after eating, everyone was able to get some much needed rest.  But Ethan remained restless.  Seeing that Alaya was now alone, he went towards her and stood by her side.  She nodded at him and crossed her arms.  Before Ethan could say anything, Alaya raised her hand.

 

  “Worry not.  Your sister is being healed in the healing chamber as we speak.” she said.  Ethan gave out a sigh of relief.

 

  “Well…that’s good.  I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this!  How long…till she recovers completely?” he asked with a worried tone.  At that, Alaya shifted herself a little.

 

  “That…I do not know.  The extent of the damage she suffered was quite brutal…and not to mention it left her mentally scarred.  She might recover quickly, or she might take quite some time…but I do not think she will be able to fight in this war anytime soon.  I am sorry…” she said as she bowed apologetically.  Ethan shook his head and waved his hand.

 

  “No, no, you don’t need to apologize.  You’re doing more than enough.  And I think…well, I think that it’s best Trish doesn’t get involved in this.  It’s already too much for her, and given the fact that she’s lost Ventus is also something that doesn’t help at all.” Ethan remarked, giving out a sigh.  Alaya put her hand on his shoulder and offered a reassuring smile.

 

  “Worry not.  Ventus shall be saved.  It is only a matter of time.” she said.  Ethan nodded and remained silent.  “Well then, now we must gather everyone.” she said, and with that, Ethan went to gather up the others.  Alaya went towards what seemed to be a conference room, and there, she sat on a chair, waiting for the others to come.  When everyone came, they took their seats, and they remained silent, waiting for Alaya to begin.  She then nodded and clasped her hands together.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “So then, let us get down to the matter at hand.  I do not think I need to mention how dire the situation is right now, so I shall get to the point.  As I mentioned to Kairi and Dawn earlier, in order to stop this war from spreading its reign of chaos over all the worlds, they must each go and journey to find their individual Keys Of Balance. To acquire these keys, the wielder must traverse a strenuous trial.  I will not deny, it is quite the difficult undertaking…but I am sure that Kairi and Dawn shall be up to the task.” she explained.

 

  “But, what exactly are the Keys Of Balance?” Mickey asked, and everyone nodded and murmured in agreement, for they had the same question in mind.  Alaya nodded.

 

  “Well, you see, the Keys Of Balance are special Keyblades unlike any other.  Their power equals that of the X-Blade, or perhaps even surpasses it.  They are weapons of great power that, when wielded, they can be able to help the wielder gain ultimate, unbridled strength.  These keys were sealed off during the first Keyblade War, as their power proved too great and terrible.  No Keyblade Wielder back then could be able to contain the raw amount of power these blades possessed.  If there had been Keyblade Wielders with enough strength of heart back then, the first Keybalde War could have been stopped.  But, that was not the case.” she explained.

 

  “Wait, so how do you know so much about these keys?” Vanitas said, interrupting.  Everyone shifted their eyes towards Alaya, and there was a momentary silence.

 

  “That is because I forged those keys.  As my title obviously implies, I am the Forger, meaning that I am the one responsible for forging all Keyblades in existence.  The Keyblade is a unique weapon, one that responds to a person’s heart.  When that person is deemed worthy of wielding the Keyblade, I then proceed to forge said weapon, shaping it into the form that the wielder unconsciously envisions for it.” she answered.  At that, everyone opened their eyes wide in shock!

 

  “Wait, so, if you ‘re the one responsible for forging every Keyblade in existence, then aren’t you a couple of thousand years old!?” Sora asked, quite surprised!  Alaya nodded.

 

  “Yes.  I am three thousand years old, to be precise.  As the Forger, I was imbued with the gift of immortality by Kingdom Hearts.  It gave me this power to forge these mysterious weapons.  And so, for all eternity, my task will always be to forge Keyblades.  That is what I am meant to do.” she answered.  Everyone in the room fell silent, for they couldn’t believe that they were in the presence of the very person that forged the weapons they’ve learned to master!  The fact they were sitting there, talking to her, was an overwhelming thing in and of itself!

 

  “Gwarsh, then that means you’ve forged billions of Keyblades during your lifetime, huh?” Goofy asked.  Alaya nodded.

 

  “Wow, that’s incredible!” Donald squawked in awe!  Maleficent simply scoffed.

 

  “Hmph, the fact you are the one that forges the Keyblades does not faze me.  But back to the topic at hand…if the Keys Of Balance are so powerful, other than granting immense power, what do those keys open?” she asked.  Everyone looked at her when she asked this, and they were now curious.  Alaya nodded.

 

  “Well, when brought together, the Keys Of Balance open up an ancient gate known as the Gates Of Awakening.  They are gates situated beyond the main door to Kingdom Hearts, which is opened by the X-Blade.  After passing through these gates, there is an immense labyrinth that was fabricated by Kingdom Hearts itself, to ensure that no tresspassers would ever find their way to the heart of all worlds…” she explained, letting her words hang in the air suspensefully, the Keyblade Wielders paying their undivided attention to her!

 

  “But wait…when we fought Dark Orion a while back, the battle took place inside Kingdom Hearts, and we never passed through these Gates Of Awakening you’re speaking us of.  And we never went through any labyrinth, so what gives?” Sora asked.  The others noticed his observation and then turned their attention towards Alaya once more.  She closed her eyes and stroked her chin deep in thought.

 

  “That is quite the exception, I shall grant you that.  It seems that Kingdom Hearts has a way of altering things to its own benefit.  After all, Xehanort once said that destiny is never left to chance.  The reason why you were probably able to access Kingdom Hearts back then was because it wished it to be so.  After all, Kingdom Hearts is a sentient being.” she answered.

 

  “And then, after defeating Dark Orion, we all closed the gate to Kingdom Hearts, so no one would be able to enter and taint it ever again!  So, how is it that the enemy is going to try to undo that lock?” Mickey asked.

 

  “Well, the answer to that is simple.  The Keyblade War that is looming large will gather many hearts onto one place.  From all those hearts, the X-Blade will be forged.  Once, it was supposed by Xehanort that the requirements for forging the X-Blade were to make one heart of pure light clash against a heart of pure darkness.  Another,  supposed “correct” way of achieving this goal was to clash seven lights against thirteen darknesses.  But, it turns out, there is another way to forge the X-Blade.” she answered.

 

  “Another way?” Kairi asked.  Alaya nodded.

 

  “Yes.  When countless upon countless amounts of hearts gather together, their strong desires and fervent determination siphon onto Kingdom Hearts, feeding it energy.  Once Kingdom Hearts has enough energy, it uses it to morph all of these strong willed hearts into fragments, and when they coalesce, they form the X-Blade.  I discovered this fact while reading the Tome of Prophecies that Sora gave me.  When the enemy achieves the X-Blade, they shall try to break through the borders beyond the door to Kingdom Hearts, and access its power for their own…” she answered.

 

  “Okay, we get that.  So, by getting these Keys Of Balance, we’ll be able to open the gates beyond Kingdom Hearts.  But what happens then?” Xion asked.

 

  “Once the gates are opened, all of you shall accompany the chosen three, and there, at the very door to the heart of all worlds, the final clash shall be fought.” she answered.

 

  “Hah, easier said than done!  The battle between the seven lights and thirteen darknesses was supposed to be the final clash, but look at what’s happened since then!  More and more battles!  It’s frustrating!” Donald commented.  The others nodded in agreement.

 

  “Even if we stop this war, more wars shall continue to unfold throughout the course of time.  We won’t last forever, so eventually, future Keyblade Wielders will have to deal with the wars that come after.  That’s something I don’t want to happen.  We’ve already had to go through enough, but to put more people in the future to risk their lives for an endless cycle…that’s just reckless.  Isn’t there any way that we can be able to stop any more wars from happening?” Xion asked, distressed.  Alaya shook her head grimly.

 

  “Alas, I fear, it is not possible.  As you very well say, after this war ends, odds are many more shall be waged in the future.  It is a reckless cycle, a horrid and terrible cycle that takes its toll on all living things time and time again…but, if we were to stop this war, I truly do believe we could be able to prevent any more wars from being waged for quite some time.  I know it is not the solution you want to hear…but it is better to have many years without war than a constant war that never lifts.  As I said before, this will be no easy task…it will require much of your strength of heart and willpower.  But, to save all worlds, the Keys Of Balance must be found…” she answered.  The others looked at her in silence.

 

  “Dawn, Kairi, come forth.” she signaled towards the two.  They stood up from their chairs and stepped forward towards Alaya.

 

  “You are two of the chosen three.  In order for you to obtain the Keys Of Balance, you must each pass a strenuous trial that will no doubt test your limits.  If you should pass said trial, you shall be granted your Key, and an incredible power!” she said.  She then looked over at Kairi.  “Princess Of Heart, you are to go to Arendelle.  That is where you trial awaits you.” she said, and Kairi nodded.  She then looked at Dawn.  “Dawn, you are to head towards San Fransokyo. That is where you trial is to take place.” she said.  Dawn nodded.  Then, they both stepped back.

 

  “Wait, but if we’re two of the chosen three, then who’s the third one?” Kairi asked.  Alaya shook her head.

 

  “I would not worry about that if I were you.  The third chosen is already going through his trial.  I would consider he is halfway through getting his Key, but he does not even realize it.  When all three of you obtain your Keys, come back here to me.” she answered, and the two of them nodded.  She then looked over at Maleficent, who was standing at the doorway of the conference room, with Pete, Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort silently standing beside her.  She nodded at her.

 

  “I thank you for aiding us.  You do not know how grateful we all are.” she said, bowing like a knight.  Maleficent rolled her eyes and scoffed.

 

  “Save your thanks…I am only doing this for my own gain…not out of a desire to help you all.  Once business is concluded, we shall be enemies again…” she said with a hiss.  With that, she walked out of the conference room, with Pete, Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort following closely behind.  Alaya gave a smile, and then she looked at the Keyblade Wielders.

 

  “Well then, this meeting has been adjourned.  The rest of you shall go in teams to scour the rest of the worlds to ensure they have not been destroyed.  And if the enemy stands in the way, defeat them and do your best to save all the people you can from each world, and bring them here.  I will offer them all sanctuary.  Now then, go get some rest, for you shall all need it for what is to come.” she said.  With that, the Keyblade Wielders rose from their chairs and bowed, and then headed towards the different rooms of the temple to rest.  Dawn and Kairi remained, though.

 

  “What is it?” Alaya asked.  “Do you have any questions?” she asked, seeing the faces of concern that Dawn and Kairi bore.  Kairi stepped forward and looked down at the floor.

 

  “What if…I’m not ready for this trial…?  What if I’m not worthy of being a wielder of one of the Keys Of Balance..?” she asked.  Alaya thought long and hard before answering, but then, she walked towards Kairi and put her hand on her shoulder.  She offered a reassuring smile.

 

  “Worry not, Princess Of Heart.  Whatever doubts you may have will be cleansed once you go through this trial.  It shall be difficult, but it will not be impossible.  Now please, go get some rest.” she answered, and Kairi nodded and walked out of the room.  Now only Dawn remained.  A long silence was looming between her and Alaya, and after a few more seconds, she decided to speak up.

 

  “Does the Tome say if this war will end disastrously…?” Dawn asked.  Alaya then bore a grim face.  She turned around to avert her eyes from meeting with Dawn’s.

 

  “Alas, the Tome ends with the account of the war beginning…but nothing else.” was all she said.

(End Song Here)

---

 

(Start Song Here)

  Back at Jexana’s airship, everyone was still taken aback by what had just happened!  Kyle, who had seemingly died just minutes ago, brought himself back to life, and now, he was more fearsome than ever!  Ventus’ eyes filled up with tears as he saw his son, and words could not express how glad and blessed he felt to know that his son was alive! But, celebration would have to wait, as right now, the situation at hand was a dire one!  Kyle stood by his father’s side, and they both looked at each other and gave each other a silent nod!  With that, the two of them went on a frenzy, blowing away Emmxett, Tsumugi and Jexana, who was already fatally injured!  They then proceeded to bring out the beasts within them, unleashing their ultimate attacks upon all the unlucky enemy soldiers that were within their vicinity!  Within just seconds, they wiped out all the soldiers that were on deck!  The soldiers from the other airships started to board Jexana’s airship, and they tried to see if they could be able to make a dent and harm them, but it was to no avail!  The masterful display of power and might shown by Kyle and Ventus was unparalleled!  They were fighting with the fury of an army!

 

  “Don’t fall back, men, we need to secure the airship!” one of the soldiers beckoned, and the others, while terrified, didn’t fall back!  Even though they were basically mincemeat for Kyle and Ventus, they were still brave for trying to fight them!  But, just a few seconds passed, and Emmxett and Tsumugi came from behind them, attempting to strike them!  They were able to dodge, and now they turned their attention towards them!

 

  “You two have become quite a nuisance…it is time to eliminate you!” Tsumugi said coldly, as she propelled herself towards the two Keyblade Wielders, attempting to break through their guards so that she could harm them!  Even though the attack was powerful, Ventus and Kyle managed to block the full force of the attack, and then they retaliated with a combined Ars Arcanum attack, where each of them performed consecutive strikes one after the other!  Tsumugi was barely able to block the attacks, but alas, she was able, but she was pushed back significantly!  Ventus and Kyle then proceeded to take on the incoming soldiers!  Within seconds, they took them out!  Then, they headed towards Emmxett and Tsumugi, and they all clashed together!

 

  “You will meet your end here!” Emmxett proclaimed!

 

  “I don’t think so!” Ventus barked back.

 

  “Come on Dad, let’s take them down!” Kyle said with a smirk.  With that, they both gave a nod, and then they leapt back and stood back to back, extending their Keyblades, pointing them forward, side by side!  An immense amount of energy started to surge from both of them, and their energy transferred to their Keyblades!  After a few seconds, they created a blue sphere that resembled Ragnarok, but seemed altogether different!

 

  “Now!!!” they both said in unison, as they both unleashed their combined attack, making the blue sphere shatter into thousands of tiny fragments, propelling themselves towards Emmxett and Tsumugi!  The attack lasted for quite a while, but even so, when the dust cleared, Emmxett and Tsumugi were still standing! It turns out that Emmxett had created a sort of shield that protected them from the attack that Ventus and Kyle had just performed!  A short silence followed.

 

  “Our turn…” Emmxett said, and with that, both he and Tsumugi vanished!  At that, Ventus and Kyle stood back to back, ready to take on whatever they had in store for them!

 

  And all of a sudden, in a quick and bright flash of light, Emmxett struck down like lightning and managed to strike Ventus, striking his Kuzuri through Ventus’ pectoral muscle!  At that, Ventus screamed in pain, and Kyle momentarily lost his focus!  Seconds after, Tsumugi came from the other side and struck blindingly fast, propelling Kyle upwards towards the air, hitting him relentlessly with brutal punches and kicks that made Kyle feel like a punching bag!  When she delivered the final punch, she sent Kyle plummeting down towards the wooden floor of the airship!  Kyle landed with a sickening thud beside his father!  But before he could even try to attempt to stand up, Tsumugi came up to him again, but this time, Kyle was barely able to block her oncoming attacks, and after blocking, he tried to counterattack, but was stopped by a sharp kick from Tsumugi!  Emmxett attempted to slice off Ventus’ arm, but Ventus was able to dodge roll out of the way, but in doing so, he winced in pain because of his damaged pectoral muscle!  Before they could be able to attack, Emmxett and Tsumugi combined their energy, firing off a purple beam of dark energy that sent Kyle and Ventus crashing through one of the airship’s masts!  Kyle and Ventus groaned and they fell flat on the floor!

 

  “You are two worthy opponents, I’ll give you that.  But your time ends here.  You put up a valiant effort, I’ll give you that, but even so, your best efforts couldn’t have stopped us from executing our plans.  Time to accept defeat…” Emmxett said as he pointed his Kuzuri at Ventus’ throat!

 

  “Get away from him!” Kyle said as he attempted to lunge towards Emmxett, but Tsumugi quickly grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground!

 

  “Silence, you impudent worm…” Tsumugi hissed!  Suddenly, both Emmxett and Tsumugi felt an immense surge of energy from behind them.  When they glanced back, they saw it was Jexana, who, blood drenched body and all, managed to stand up, her eyes flaring with intense and unbridled hatred!  She looked demonic and downright terrifying!  Her hands were now covered in darkness, the darkness morphing into giant, clawed hands that were scratching the airship floor!  Her body in general was now half covered in darkness, making her look like a ghost!  With just a short glance at Emmxett and Tsumugi, they quickly got out of her way, and with her clawed hands, Jexana grabbed both Ventus and Kyle by their throats!

 

  “You are irritating me….very, VERY MUCH!” she shouted.  Ventus glared at her.

 

  “You thought you could keep me here with you forever?  You truly thought I’d stay your slave!?” he shouted.  Jexana looked at the floor for a few seconds, and then tears dropped down on the wooden floor!  She then looked at Ventus with pleading eyes.

 

  “Come back to me…my love.” she said.  Kyle then noticed that she was trying to put Ventus under her spell again!  Kyle tried to struggle his way out of Jexana’s grip, but she was too strong, and he was unable to do anything!  He even tried turning into his Feral form, but even that proved to be inefficient!  Ventus tried his best to resist, but sadly, he found himself falling into Jexana’s spell again!

 

  “Damn it…not again!” Ventus shouted, as darkness started to pour into his eyes and mouth!  Jexana then yanked him closely to her, his lips almost about to touch hers.

 

  “You will be mine…forever.” she whispered passionately to him, and with that, she kissed him with utmost passion and lust, causing Ventus to unwillingly fall into Jexana’s spell again!  But before he was taken over completely, he yanked away from the kiss, and then glanced over at Kyle, who was horrified by what he was seeing!  He then looked at him with a smile.

 

  “I’m so proud of you…my son.” he said.  With that, he broke free from Jexana’s grip momentarily, and then swung his Keyblade at her, causing her to fall down to the floor!  Kyle was instantly released from Jexana’s hold, and then he quickly went towards Ventus, attempting to snap him out of it!

 

  “Come on Dad, now’s our chance to go!” Kyle pleaded.  Emmxett and Tsumugi remained at a distance, observing what was happening.  But it was too late…

 

  “Run…” Ventus whispered, and with that, Kyle’s eyes opened wide, and he blocked an insanely strong attack from Ventus!  Had he not blocked it, he would have been cleaved in two!  Kyle, not believeing this was happening all over again, started to cry, thinking how unfair it was that after having saved his father, he was now against him again!  Ventus forcefully pushed Kyle back, and then Jexana stood up, realizing that her spell was now working again!  She instantly smirked, even with her injuries, and rested her head on Ventus’ shoulder.

 

  “Good, my love.  Now kill him…” she ordered. Ventus nodded slowly.

 

  “As you wish, my beloved…” he said coldly.  With that, he slowly walked towards Kyle, raising his arm, and just when he was about to strike down his own son, he instantly screamed in pain! 

 

  “Huh?  What’s wrong!?” Jexana asked.  When she went to look at Ventus, she noticed that his hand had been hit by an arrow bullet!  At that, her eyes opened wide with shock!

 

  “No, it can’t be!!!” she shouted.

 

  After a momentary silence, hundreds of arrow bullets rained down upon Jexana’s airship, causing serious damage to it!  Emmxett and Tsumugi were able to protect themselves, and Ventus used himself as a human shield to protect Jexana!  Kyle was horrified by all this, but before he could even react, he was knocked out cold!  He was then picked up by none other than…Braig!!!

 

  “Well hey there!  Long time no see!” he said with his usual, cocky demeanor.  Jexana growled and clenched her fists. 

 

  “What the hell are you doing here!?  Of all the people that I had to run into, why did it have to be you!?” she shouted with utmost hatred!  Braig pretended to feel hurt, and he gave a mocking expression to Jexana.

 

  “Aw, I’m sorry!  Did I strike a nerve there, little sister?  Ha, I always knew you were a whiny brat, but hey, didn’t figure you’d actually go for this kind of life.  I’d say I’m disgusted, but heck, I feel proud of you!  Following in your big brother’s footsteps!  I’m so flattered!” he said mockingly.  Jexana immediately attempted to kill Braig and Kyle with a wipe of her shadow claw hand, but he quickly teleported away and reappeared on top of one of the masts!

 

  “Ah ah ah, that’s no way to treat your big brother, Jexana!  You really need some lessons on respect!” he said with a smirk. 

 

  “I HATE YOU!!!  I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!” Jexana shrieked with anger!  Braig gave out a chuckle.

 

  “Ha, as if!  No matter how powerful you get, little sister, you still won’t be able to defeat me.  Not in a million years!  Besides, I gotta take this kid with me, and so, I have other plans!  So, lucky for you, I don’t have to fight you today!” he said, being cocky and enjoying the misery he was causing Jexana!  She screamed in frustration and then extended one of her dark clawed hands, trying to reach Braig, but with no results!  Emmxett and Tsumugi were about to intervene on this, but Braig quickly shot two deadly arrow bullets that they barely managed to dodge!

 

  “You coward!  COME DOWN HERE NOW!!!” Jexana demanded!  Braig simply gave out a chuckle and shook his head.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Aw, sis, ever the hotheaded one!  Well anyways, it was nice catching up to ya!  Gotta get going now though, before things really start getting messy!” he said, and with that, he vanished along with an unconscious Kyle!  Jexana gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, furious with what had just happened!  Ventus, who was fatally injured by the barrage of arrow bullets, remained still and emotionless, not even showing one ounce of pain!  Jexana attempted to calm down as she walked towards him and held him close, dispelling all the arrow bullets with a wipe of her dark clawed hand.  Then, she turned back to normal, and she wept in Ventus’s arms!  He held her close and hugged her tight!  Emmxett and Tsumugi remained silent.

 

  “Big brother…why the hell did you have to appear and ruin things for me!?  Why!?” she said as she pounded Ventus’ chest.  Ventus only remained silent.  Then, a few seconds later, Stralus appeared, having boarded Jexana’s ship via Raxon’s airship!  He walked towards her and gave her a bow.

 

  “Jexana…it seems things have gone amiss here.  No doubt that the enemy got away…” he stated, assessing the situation around him.  Jexana only gave a short nod, not wanting to talk.

 

  “Hmm, I see.  Well then, I shall begin a search party to scour the worlds for them.  We will leave no stone unturned until we find the enemy!” he proclaimed!  Tsumugi looked unsure.

 

  “Are you sure that’s the best course of action right now?” she asked.  Jexana waved her hand dismissively.  She then looked at Stralus.

 

  “Stralus…I’ll leave it to you.  When you find them…kill them!  Don’t let them even beg for their lives!” she growled.  Stralus allowed himself a smirk.

 

  “As you wish.  Heh, this will also give me the pleasure of taking on that boy again…Kyle.  He proved to be quite the entertaining opponent to fight against…I look forward to sparring with him again! I shall make sure that he dies by my blade!” he said, and with that, he turned around and left with his soldiers and boarded Raxon’s airship, and a few more airships followed him, to begin their search!  Emmxett walked towards Jexana and looked at Ventus with an unsure expression on his face.

 

  “Jexana…are you sure that it’s wise to have Ventus here…?  After all, he managed to break through your spell…odds are that he’ll be able to break through again…and he will kill you…” he stated bluntly.  Jexana turned around and ignored the comment, holding Ventus by the hand.

 

  “Don’t be concerned about me…I’ll be okay…let’s just focus on the task at hand…” was all she said as she glanced back at Emmxett before heading inside her quarters.  Tsumugi stood beside Emmxett and shook her head.

 

  “She’s a fool.  I can sense that Ventus will break free again…and it won’t be pretty once that happens…” she said.  Emmxett gave out an annoyed sigh.

 

  “Well, in the end, Jexana is like a brat.  Even though we tell her things for her own good, she doesn’t listen.  Let her suffer the consequences of her choices.  She’ll have to learn with time.  Now come on, let’s go.  We need to get this airship fixed!” he said.  Tsumugi nodded, and then they both proceeded to call upon more soldiers to help repair the airship!

 

  At that same moment, Braig appeared at the top of quite a large mountain!  Kyle was still unconscious, but the important thing was that he was alive.  Braig then threw Kyle to the ground, and then he stretched his arms and rubbed his back, taking a moment to look at the surroundings, breathing in the stiff air that surrounded them.  He gave out a smirk and then stretched his arms anew!

 

  “Ahhh, I gotta say, you’re heavier than you look!  Or maybe I’m just getting old!” he said.  No response.  When he turned around, he noticed Kyle was still unconscious.  He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.  “You know, it’s not polite to be asleep while someone’s talking to you!” he said as he walked towards Kyle and then kicked him hard on the side, causing Kyle to jerk awake, breathing desperately for air!  Braig chuckled and waited for the boy to stand up.  Kyle felt disoriented and weak, and then, after a few seconds, he noticed that he was at the top of a mountain!  He then grew more conscious, until he was fully aware of himself, and he realized he wasn’t on Jexana’s airship anymore!  He then turned around and noticed Braig, and immediately summoned his Keyblade!

 

  “You!!!  What did you do!?  Where’s my Dad!?” he said as he lunged recklessly towards Braig.  Braig, on the other hand, simply got out of the way, making Kyle fall down a few feet until he landed on a lower part of the mountain!

 

  “Damn, I can’t even begin to tell you how much your personality ticks me off…you’re exactly like that idiot!  Same angry look, same angry words!  Heh, runs in the family, I guess.” Braig shouted.  At that, Kyle tilted his head in confusion.

 

  “What?” Kyle asked.  Braig then disappeared then reappeared behind Kyle!  He leaned his back on the rock wall of the mountain casually.

 

  “Your Dad.  I’m saying that I know that idiot.  He was with Aqua and Terra, all those years back when I teamed up with the old coot to get myself a Keyblade.  Ah, it’s been a long time since that…and I still haven’t gotten one!  Talk about irritating, huh?  But yeah, out of the three, Ventus is the only one left.  The other two idiots died while Xylek was still kicking!  But anywyas, back to the point…” Braig said.

 

  “Point?  What point!?” Kyle asked defensively, his Keyblade drawn.  At that, Braig smirked.

 

  “Well kiddo, I’m gonna get you to help me get a Key Of Balance!  Sounds like quite a powerful Keyblade, woulnd’t you say so!?  So yeah, in other words, I want in on that, so you’ll help me get it!” Braig answered, much to Kyle’s confusion!

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

 

Just when Ventus had been freed, he now finds himself back in Jexana’s clutches!  Despite Kyle’s best efforts, it looks like Ventus will remain with Jexana!  And it seems that now Braig wants to use Kyle for his own personal gain!  What will happen between them?  And what awaits Dawn and Kairi, as they begin their journey to collect their Keys Of Balance?  Stay tuned for Chapter Twenty Two: “The Journey For The Keys Begins!”

 

Well then everyone, that was the first chapter of 2016!  I hope that you all found it to your enjoyment!  That was quite a thrill ride, huh!?  I bet you didn’t see it coming!   So then, will our heroes be able to get their Keys Of Balance?  Will they be able to find them before the great Keyblade War brings an end to everything!?  Haha, I’ll leave that up to your imagination!  So anyways, thank you all very much for your patience and support, and as always, please be sure to comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter!  Until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

This was quite interesting....

So Ventus does break free, but he can't resist falling again. However, he broke free once, he'll do it again as he now has more resistance.

 

Kyle dies huh? I see that he in his lingering spirit has resisted death even though he tasted it.

 

The Forger is as old as the Keyblade. What I find rather... hard to swallow... is how the Keyblade became to be in this chapter. I look at the KH series canon tale and then see this and these are not connected at all. They are completely different. Keys of Balance as strong as the X-blade? Nothing is stronger than the counterpart to Kingdom Hearts. At least I can tell who number three is.

 

The explosiveness is awesome. I see you took a tip from my latest chapter of my story. Cool chapter all in all.

Edited January 10, 20169 yr by KingdomHearts3

So much is happening!!!

 

Ven you need to break free for good, and soon!!!

 

Braig is Jexana's brother?!?!?!?!?!

 

Will we find out who the third person chosen by the Keys of Balance is soon???

 

I NEED TO KNOW!!!

To KHLegendIII, I'm glad you thought it was interesting!

 

To KingdomHearts3, haha, well, Ventus doesn't want to fall into Jexana's spell, but her magic is so powerful, that he isn't able to resist her power!  As for your concerns, keep in mind that my take on Kingdom Hearts is like an alternate timeline, an alternate universe, if you will.  Sure, this takes place after Kingdom Hearts III, but remember, we don't have that game yet, so I'm just assuming what happens after that, and since the future is full of possibilities, I decided to have some creative freedom, ya know?  A nice little spin on things!

 

To Keyblade101, the hype is strong with you!  I'm glad for that!  I'm glad you're so hyped up, and don't worry, all your questions shall be answered in due time!

 

Hey there everyone, how’s it going?  I hope that you are all doing okay!  So then, here is another chapter of my story!  I hope that you’ll all enjoy!  Read on, my loyal followers!

 

Chapter Twenty Two: The Journey For The Keys Begins

 

  Kyle remained puzzled.  Braig was just smiling, while Kyle was getting increasingly confused as to what was going on!  A moment ago, he had been knocked unconscious, and now, when he was back up on his feet, he found that he was with Braig!  He had summoned his Keyblade and held it tightly, ensuring not to get his eyes off of Braig!  He sidestepped around him, making sure that he wouldn’t try anything funny!  Braig simply crossed his arms and kept smirking.  Apparently, Kyle was going to be of “use” to him!  Kyle pointed his Keyblade at Braig, and stood firm, trying to give off an intimidating vibe!  Apparently, it didn’t work, for Braig simply chuckled.

 

  “Yep, you got the same angry look in your eyes…but anyways, I’ve heard about these Keys Of Balance…and I want to get my hands on one!  Then, not only will I be a full fledged Keyblade Wielder, but I’ll also be the most powerful man alive!  Heh, and after all these years, all my work towards getting a Keyblade will have finally paid off!  But anyways, this isn’t something I’ll be able to do on my own, though, so I’m going to need your help!” Braig explained.  Kyle shook his head and clenched his fists.

 

  “And what makes you think I’d help you!?  You almost killed me!” Kyle roared back.  Braig gave out a shrug.

 

  “Okay, I get it, you’re holding a grudge on me, aren’t ya?  Well…how about this?  I’m gonna give you one free shot so you can get back at me for almost killing you!  I don’t give this kind of opportunity to just anyone, so consider yourself lucky!” Braig said, as he spread his arms wide, ready to welcome any kind of damage Kyle was ready to dish out!  Kyle remained still for a moment, and he thought that maybe this was some sort of trap…or maybe some sort of test?  A few seconds loomed, and a stiff air loomed about them.  Kyle was tempted to really do a number on Braig, but something in his heart told him not to, and he stood down.

 

  “Ah, I knew it!  You’re too much of a softy!  Heh, I should’ve figured you aren’t the type to harm others in cold blood.” Braig said as he crossed his arms.  Kyle glared at him.

 

  “Don’t get the wrong idea!  It’s not that I didn’t want to go at it…it’s just that, well, I want to fight you in a fair fight!  Even though you’re a dirty fighter, I have my honor, and I won’t let it go to waste!” Kyle retorted.  Braig then gave out a fullhearted laugh!

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Whoo boy, talk about noble!  But anyways, now that it seems we’re best buds, I want you to take a look around this place.  Tell me what you see.” Braig said.  Kyle at first hesitated, but out of curiosity, he decided to take a look around where he was.  Since he was high above a cliff, he could see the entire area he was in from a 360 perspective!  As he looked around, he noticed that there was nothing but barren wasteland…mountain after mountain after mountain, and then, nothing but more barren wasteland!  There was a thick fog, or rather, a thick cloud of sand that didn’t let Kyle see anything down below, so he couldn’t make out anything much.  As he kept looking, he then noticed that a sand cloud slowly drifted by, allowing him to see what awaited on the ground below.  When he laid eyes on what was on the ground, he gasped!

 

  “Wait…are those…? Kyle began to ask.

 

  “Yep.  Keyblades.  Millions of them just stabbed into the ground like that.  Let me tell you a story, kid.” Braig said as he sat down near the edge of the cliff.

 

  “As you probably already know, long ago, in what people call the age of fairy tales, an entity known as Kingdom Hearts reigned supreme over the world, giving light and warmth to everyone.  Every person in the world loved the light.  Until, of course, people began fighting over it.  Fast forward to lots of battles ensuing, and because of people’s obsession with the light, they waged war with each other to control the light! This was known as the first Keyblade War!” Braig said, mimicking a dramatic narration, waving his hands here and there.  “That’s the story the old coot told me back when I worked with him. He would always tell me that he was fascinated with that story, and that he wanted to recreate it. Heh…old times.” he said, reminiscing the old days.  Kyle, meanwhile, looked on in silence.

 

  “The Keyblade Graveyard…” he whispered.  Braig nodded.

 

  “Yep, that’s the name of this big old dusty, empty world!  The name suits it just fine…” he commented.  Kyle shook his head and then turned around to face Braig.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Wait, I still don’t understand.  Why have you brought me here?  I mean, I got what you said about a Key Of Balance, but why bring me here?” Kyle asked.  That’s when he immediately had to dodge and arrow bullet that Braig shot at him!  Braig gave quite the evil smirk!

 

  “To put you under some intensive training!  I’m gonna get you to summon your Key Of Balance, and after you’ve done that, I’m gonna kill you and take it for myself!” Braig shouted as he kept shooting more arrow bullets at Kyle, who was now blocking relentlessly, trying to deflect the shots back at Braig! Kyle had to improvise, but right now, he didn’t know what to do!  And so, he did the only thing that came into his mind right now.  He jumped down towards the Keyblade Graveyard below.  Braig shook his head and sighed.

 

  “That’s not the way to go, kid.  You aren’t gonna solve your problems like that!” he said.  He then noticed that Kyle had turned his Keyblade into a Keyblade Glider!  At that, Braig smirked and felt pumped up!

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Oh ho, so this kid’s gonna offer me a fight after all!  Well, let’s get going!” he shouted, and with that, he teleported from the giant mountain, and instants later, he reappeared down below, among the many Keyblades that were stabbed into the ground!  He charged his arrow guns up so that he could fire off one, fully energized shot!  Kyle circled around him and started to pour his energy into his Keyblade Glider, and moments later, he fired of a shower of light bullets!  Braig managed to absorb all of them, and then he laughed!

 

  “Thanks for charging up my attack, kid!” he said, and with that, he let go of his charged shot, which headed towards Kyle with furious speed and precision!  Kyle tried to get as far from the charged shot as he could, but he found that he wasn’t outrunning it, so then, in just a split second, he cast Reflectga on himself, causing the charged shot to deflect back towards Braig!  Kyle thought that he was able to harm him, but when he took notice, he noticed that Braig had disappeared long before the charged shot had done its work and created a small crater on the ground!  When he looked around, he noticed a barrage of arrow bullets raining down on him, and that’s when he reverted his Keyblade back to normal, then using it to guard against all the incoming fire!

 

  “Gotta admit, you’re a lot stronger than I thought you’d be!  Then again, I would expect no less from a chosen of the Keys Of Balance!  Keep up the fight, kid, I’m enjoying this!” he said joyfully, as he kept shooting more arrow bullets! 

 

  “You want to see some fight!?  Well, here you go!” Kyle said, and with that, he summoned the power of the Dark Light, and instantly, he turned into his Feral form, his fangs showing and his eyes burning gold!  His bestial appearance impressed Braig, but it didn’t stop him from shooting relentlessly! But even though the arrow bullets were now making an impact, they weren’t inflicting any damage on Feral Kyle!  In face, he was impervious to Braig’s attacks!  Feral Kyle then cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath.

 

  “My turn…” he said, and with that, he propelled himself towards Braig at lightning fast speed, causing the ground beneath him to crack and shatter!  At that, Braig was now caught by surprise, and he almost wasn’t able to dodge Feral Kyle’s attack, but he managed to do so!  He took a moment to catch his breath and then he laughed!

 

  “Heh, well, if looks like you’ve got more bite than I thought!” Braig remarked.  Feral Kyle immediately circled around and prepared another attack!  Just when Braig thought he knew what the attack was going to be, he noticed Feral Kyle disappear before his eyes!  When he reappeared, he delivered a deadly blow to Braig with his arm, sending him tumbling through the wasteland, knocking down a few Keyblades along the way!  He kept tumbling until he crashed into a rock wall!  It took a few seconds for Braig to recover from the attack, but when he did, he had a devious grin on his face!

 

  “Oh ho, don’t you dare get cocky on me, kid!  Don’t underestimate what I’m capable of!” he said, and with that, he combined both of his arrow guns into an arrow rifle, and then he started to shoot more concentrated arrow bullets that had quite the sting to them!  He modified the settings on his arrow rifle so that the arrow bullets would turn into homing shots, therefore pursuing Feral Kyle relentlessly!  Braig gave out a confident chuckle and smirked.

 

  “Let’s see how long you can outrun my concentrated arrow bullets!  They pack quite a punch!” he said.  Feral Kyle only growled, and after seeing the arrow bullets heading towards him, he simply stopped, raised his Keyblade, and absorbed the shots completely!  At that, Braig’s eyes opened wide, for apparently, he didn’t expect this to happen!  A second later, Feral Kyle shot back the arrow bullets, which were now even deadlier and looked bigger!  Braig then teleported constantly, managing to dodge all the arrow bullets!  Shortly after he stopped dodging though, Feral Kyle came up close and almost managed to perform a clean strike through Braig’s chest!  But Braig held the Keyblade with his two hands, preventing the blade from cutting him!  It was taking all of his strength just to prevent the Keyblade from landing on his chest!

 

  “Oh ho ho, so you think you’re powerful, huh?  I’ll admit, you’re one tough customer to deal with…” he said.  “But…I’ve still got a trick or two up my sleeve!” he shouted, and with that, he leapt up high, and all of a sudden, the surrounding area turned pitch black!  Feral Kyle simply growled in annoyance, and then he noticed Braig shining with a white aura around him!  He then teleported here and there, shooting arrow bullets at a relentless place!  Feral Kyle took some of the shots, but he then managed to block the others!  Braig smirked and then charged up his shots, and began firing faster!

 

  “Let’s see how long you last against this!” he shouted, as he kept firing a barrage of arrow bullets!

 

  The arrow bullet rain continued, but Feral Kyle wouldn’t give up!  He kept blocking as many of the arrow bullets as he could, and when he was able to have the breathing room, he managed to cast Reflectga two times, but even so, Braig did not stop!  He then fired off a final barrage, and this time, Feral Kyle wasn’t able to block them, and he had to receive the impact of each one!  The pitch blackness then gave way to the Keyblade Graveyard anew, and now, Feral Kyle was on his knees, panting!  The dark energy surrounding him was weakening!  Braig did not hesistate to slow down, and he immediately dashed towards Feral Kyle, about to deliver a fatal headshot, when Feral Kyle held the arrow gun and smashed it! At that, Braig was instantly caught by surprise!

 

  “What!?  Impossible!” he shouted!  With that, Feral Kyle took advantage of this momentary opportunity, and then he proceeded to hack away at Braig, attacking him with a deadly flurry of quick strikes and powerful spells!  With each strike he delivered, Braig was helpless to dodge the assault!  When Feral Kyle finished, he delivered a deadly Dark Blitz that sent Braig smashing into the ground, creating a small crater!  Feral Kyle then walked over to him, pointing his Keyblade at him.

 

  “You are done!” he growled.  Braig, though struggling to stand, managed to laugh, and then he shook his head.

 

  “Kid, there’s a reason why I’ve survived as long as I have…it’s called being clever!” he said, and with that, he pushed Feral Kyle back with a strong arrow bullet from his remaining arrow gun!  Feral Kyle then fell back and winced in pain, for it seemed as though this arrow bullet had managed to pierced through his skin!  Braig then cracked his knuckles and spread his arms out wide!

 

  “Never count me out, kiddo!  When things look the worst, that’s when I’m at my best!  You see, until I get what I want, you can be sure that I’m not going to let myself get killed!” he said, and with that, a wide circle encircled his feet, and suddenly, a vast amount of energy started to seep out from said circle! The arrow gun that Feral Kyle had smashed was now fully repaired, and with his other arrow gun, he put his arms together and combined the two, and they morphed into one impressive lance!  The lance crackled with power, and he swung it with the proficiency of a dragoon!  He then took pose and taunted Feral Kyle.

 

  “Come on tiger, you aren’t the only one who can fight well in close combat!  Let me show you what I’m made of!” he said.

 

  “You will die!!!” Feral Kyle shouted, as he lunged forward towards Braig!  The two of them clashed, and their clash was so strong, that it sent out a shockwave that resonated throughout the entire Keyblade Graveyard!  The sand clouds were swept away, and if anyone else was in this world, they could now clearly see the vast wasteland in full detail!  Feral Kyle and Braig were in a temporary stalemate, but Braig quickly broke it as he used the stalemate to his advantage, raising his lance upwards to attempt to swing Feral Kyle’s Keyblade off of his hand!  As Feral Kyle tried to keep hold of his Keyblade, Braig stabbed him in the abdomen, and then proceeded to deliver a series of swift and precise lance strikes, even going so far as to fire off a five shot burst of arrow bullets from the tip of the lance! He managed to knock back Feral Kyle quite a bit, but it still wasn’t enough to beat him!  Braig smirked.

 

  “Oh, how I do love fights like this!” he said with joyful glee!

 

  “Braig is powerful…how am I going to beat him…?” Feral Kyle thought to himself.  Then, he felt a strong pulse vibrating throughout his body, and then, he noticed that the Deity was trying to take over!

 

  “No…not you again!!!” he roared!  The Deity simply laughed.

 

  “Oh yes, it’s me again!  Every time you use the power of the Dark Light, you beckon me, and as such, I take my opportunity to seize your body!  You will succumb to me!” the Deity said with a satisfied hiss.  Feral Kyle clenched his fists and then went on a frenzy, crushing the ground beneath him in a fit of rage!

 

  “No!!!  I won’t let you!!!” he shouted as he struggled to contain the Deity within him!  Braig noticed Feral Kyle’s behavior, and he stopped for a moment, waiting for what would happen next.  As he saw Feral Kyle crushing the ground beneath him, he gave out a huff.

 

  “Well, I’ll be damned!  The kid’s a whackjob!  That…is just sad.  How am I supposed to fight him if he’s just raging over himself?  Geez, what a buzzkill.” he said as he unsummoned his lance, reverting it back to his arrow guns, and then proceeding to unsummon them as well.  He sat on a nearby rock and watched Feral Kyle go at it.  He then smirked and chuckled.

 

  “Heh, with attitude problems like that, one would think Ventus could have done a better job helping him out with this problem!  Heh, just shows how idiotic the both of them are.” he said, amused with what he was seeing.

 

  While Braig was watching, Feral Kyle continued going on his rampage, sending many Keyblades nearby him flying away, and he even smashed some of them into the ground!  He could feel the Deity inching ever closer to his heart, and he could feel that he was this close to losing control!  The Deity was laughing the whole time, which didn’t help at all.  Feral Kyle unsummoned his Keyblade and held his head with both of his hands.  Now, a fierce headache was taking over him, and he couldn’t think straight!  He only roared in pain!

 

  “Grahhhhh, make it stop!!!!!” he shouted with all of his might, and then…silence!

(End Song Here)

 

  Feral Kyle fell down, and now, he was motionless!  At that, Braig took notice and then walked towards him, checking to see if he was still alive!  After checking his pulse, it was certain.  He was still alive, but he had gone unconscious!  He then sat down near him and gave out a sigh, crossing his arms and looking up at the grim sky.

 

  “Well, this kid’s full of surprises!  I can never really tell what to expect from him!  I gotta say,  he’s more entertaining than I thought he’d ever be!” he said, talking to himself.  Feral Kyle flinched a little, and he mumbled while unconscious, and Braig watched on with an amused expression on his face! For what seemed like a few minutes, Braig simply sat there and waited.

 

  Kyle, meanwhile, was battling himself in his subconscious!  He was frantically resisiting the Deity’s attempts at trying to take over him!  He fought with all of his might, and he never let down once! He fought with all his might!

 

  “I won’t give in!!!” he shouted!

---

 

(Start Song Here)

  Elsewhere, the Keyblade Wielders had all gotten their rest, and now they were around and about Alaya’s temple.  They were all conversing with each other, and Mickey, Minnie and their subjects were in the dining hall.  Everything seemed to be a bit more cheery, despite the circumstances.  But even with renewed spirits, the Keyblade Wielders still felt the stinging feeling of despair looming over them.  It was a feeling that they couldn’t shake off no matter how hard they tried.  Dexeres was at the entrance of the temple, pondering about what would happen next, and what would happen concerning Tsumugi.  He didn’t know what would happen, but all he knew is that he didn’t want to kill her!  And she didn’t want to be a part of this either!  He sighed, and then Vanitas walked up to him.

 

  “Hey…you doing okay?” he asked.  Dexeres momentarily glanced over his shoulder at him, and he didn’t say anything for a few seconds.  He then turned around and leaned his back on the door of the temple.

 

  “I’m…not doing so well, actually. I’ve got a lot of things in my head…” he answered.  Vanitas nodded.

 

  “Yeah, I get ya.  The whole problem with that woman.  From what I heard back in Jexana’s airship, she’s the person you loved before all this happened, huh?  Tsumugi, I think I heard her name was?” he asked.  Dexeres nodded.

 

  “Yes…she was my love…I could have sworn that she had died…I thought she had…and I had suffered all these years, thinking she was dead…I just, don’t know.” he said, drifting into worry.  “And after seeing her again, I couldn’t be happier…except for the fact that we are now enemies...I-I don’t want to kill her, Vanitas.  And I know she doesn’t want to kill me either!  She’s being controlled!  I feel so helpless that I can’t do anything about it!  It frustrates me!” he said as he clenched his fists.  Vanitas put his arm on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look.

 

  “I can’t imagine how hard this must be on you…and I know that this woman means everything to you.  I really hope you can be able to find a way to save her before the end of this chaos…” he said as he saw Dexeres looking down at the floor.  “It’s rough…but you’ll be okay.  You have to be strong for her…and in doing so, be strong for us…we need you in the fight, you hear me?” he said.  Dexeres then nodded and gave a sad smile.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Let’s just hope this all ends soon, so that we can finally be able to escape this nightmare.” he said.  They both nodded, and then, all of a sudden, just outside the temple, a portal of darkness opened, and from it, Raxon and Sky came out!  They were both weary and in pain!  Dexeres and Vanitas immediately noticed, and they went down to help!

 

  “Hey, are you okay!?” Vanitas shouted!  Sky flew wearily towards him and landed on his shoulder.

 

  “We barely made it here…this dark portal helped us…please…you have to save my best friend, Raxon!” the little moogle said as he pointed towards the pirate, who was inching towards death!  Sky then went unconscious, resting his head on Vanitas’s head!  He and Dexeres both looked at each other uneasily, and they helped Raxon up, and they entered the temple.  The other Keyblade Wielders immediately noticed and came to help!  Alaya came down swiftly as well!

 

  “What is this?  What has happened?” she asked.  Raxon then lifted his head slightly and looked at her for a few moments.  He coughed out blood, and then he wiped the blood from his mouth with his arm, and then he sat on the ground, and it seemed he was about to say something!  Everyone paid close attention!

 

  “K…Kyle…” he said, and with that, he went unconscious!

 

  “Quickly, take him to the healing chamber!  And the little moogle as well!” Alaya said, noticing  Sky perched on Vanitas’s shoulder.  The others immediately spurred into action!

 

(Start Song Here)

  At the healing chamber, Ethan was quietly watching over Trish.  She was sleeping now, and compared to how she was brought here, she looked significantly better!  In fact, one would say that she was only sick and that she’d heal right away!  But Jexana…she had inflicted too much physical and psychological pain, and it was so much so that it had probably left Trish traumatized!  And so, in this healing chamber, she was healing slowly, but surely.  And yet even though this was the case, Ethan couldn’t help but feel sad.  He touched his sister’s face and tried to hold back his tears.

 

  “I tried being a good brother to you, Trish…I tried to raise you well…I did it for you, and I did it for our parents…but how could things have turned out so wrong…?” he asked, feeling guilty from when he turned on everyone.  He clenched his fists tightly, and he gave out a sigh, still attempting to hold his tears back!  He then clasped his hands together and arched his back slightly, closing his eyes and lowering his head.

 

  “I know that I made big mistakes…I know that I let my fears and my insecurities get the best of me…I know I’m at fault for not being here for you.  But believe me, dear sister, the moment I realized what I was doing, I stopped…I decided I needed to change…but I needed to hone myself, away from our friends…I had to strengthen my resolve and strength!  That’s why I wasn’t around when Xylek wrought his chaos upon the worlds…that’s why I wasn’t around when you were captured…and I’m truly sorry!  But…I will make things right!  I won’t let all my training have been in vain!  I know this will all work out in the end…it has to!” he said as he held Trish’s hand tightly!

 

  “E-Ethan….Ventus….Kyle….” she spoke softly in her sleep.  Ethan caught the words, and he immediately felt hope!

 

  “Yes, that’s right Trish!  Come back…don’t let this get the best of you!” he said.  Just then, the doors to the healing chamber opened, and Vanitas, Dexeres, Alaya, Sora, Gilgamesh and Riku came and laid Raxon and Sky down.  Both of their bodies were weary, and they were very weak!  Alaya then nodded at everyone.

 

  “Alright, now stand back!” she said.  With that, everyone stood back, and mere seconds later, Alaya spread her arms towards Raxon and Sky, closing her eyes and focusing her energy!  Within a minute, Raxon and Sky’s bodies were being bathed in light!  This continued for about two minutes, and after those two minutes passed, the light went inside them, and their bodies now looked less bruised!

 

  “Now then, we shall leave them here, so they can rest and recover from their injuries.  Thank you all for your help!” she said, and with that, everyone left the chamber, and Alaya nodded at Ethan before proceeding to leave as well. 

 

  Ethan felt wonder at this, for he hadn’t seen how Alaya had done this procedure on Trish! 

 

  “She possesses so much power…” he thought to himself.  He then looked at Trish and kissed her forehead.

 

  At that same moment, Dawn was in the main hall of the temple, by herself, thinking about the great task that lay before her now.  She knew that it was a tremendous responsibility, and she had to pull through!  But she was also afraid…afraid that she wouldn’t be able to find her Key Of Balance in time!  She was thinking of all this when suddenly, Riku walked up to her, offering a reassuring smile.  She smiled back at him and then proceeded to embrace him, and they both kissed passionately.  They held each other’s embrace for a while…for they didn’t know if this would be their last embrace…and with that in mind, they embraced for as long as they could!  Riku held Dawn close and comforted her.

 

  “It’ll be okay, Dawn.  We’ll make it out of this.  I know we will.” he said.  Dawn nodded slowly and buried her head in Riku’s chest, feeling the warmth and comfort he was providing!  She then pulled away and gave out a sigh.

 

  “I just hope that I can be able to get my Key Of Balance before things take a turn for the worse…” Dawn replied, feeling distressed.  Riku gave her a nod.

 

  “You’ll be able to find it, I’m sure you will!” he said with reassurance, making Dawn feel much better!  She then smiled at him and raised her fist in determination!

 

  “You’re right!  I’ll find my Key Of Balance, and I’m sure Kairi will find hers too!  We’ll all find what we’re looking for, and we’ll finally put a stop to this war once and for all!” she said with confidence!  Riku smiled and nodded, and they remained close to each other.  Riku knew that she had to leave in a few moments, so he wanted to cherish every single second he was with her now, before she left! 

 

  Outside of the temple, Kairi was looking at the sky.  She was wondering how this would all end.  She clenched her fist to her chest, and she closed her eyes, whispering something to herself.  She needed the strength and the willpower to see this task through to the end!  As a Princess Of Heart, she knew that she had to uphold her responsibility, and getting her Key Of Balance would be the way to do it!  She’d be able to help in saving the worlds, and she’d be able to rest easier!  But still, she had worries.  She then thought of Sora.  All her responsibilities were neglecting her time to spend with him!  She gave out a sigh and felt sad, for she knew that Sora was such a good person to her!  He was kind, caring and loving, and even though she knew that he was fully aware of her feelings for him, she still felt like she didn’t give him enough attention due to her being a Princess Of Heart!  It killed her to think about this!

 

  “Hey!” Sora said, as he came walking up behind her!  She quickly turned around and gave Sora a smile, and then they both embraced each other, kissing each other passionately and holding each other close!  They both knew what they had to do, and they both knew that everything was leading up to this.  Kairi touched Sora’s face and smiled.

 

  “You’ve always been there for me, Sora…I feel like I haven’t done the same…” she said, her smile now fading into a frown.  Sora gently lifted her face, making her lock eyes with him, and he offered his encouraging, trademark smile!  He chuckled softly and shook his head.

 

  “Kairi, you don’t have to worry about me.  I know that you love me, and I know that things have been rough because of what’s been going on.  But it’ll be okay!  You just have to stay strong and keep at it, and stick to the end!  We have lots to do after this war ends, you hear?  I’ve got big plans for us!” he said cheerfully.  Kairi raised her eyebrow and gave out a giggle.

 

  “Oh, is that so?  Do tell, what do you have planned, my prince?” she asked as she bowed mockingly.  Sora returned the bow and laughed.

 

  “Well, I want it to be a surprise, so I’m not going to tell you!  After all this is over, you’ll find out what I have planned for us!” he answered.  Kairi rolled her eyes and then hugged Sora and kissed him.

 

  “I’ll anxiously be awaiting to know what your surprise is, you lazy bum!” she said lovingly, as they both embraced each other.  At that moment, Kairi felt much more relaxed, and she knew in her heart that she didn’t have to worry about Sora!  He was more than capable of looking out for himself, and besides, he had Donald and Goofy with him!  She knew he’d be safe, and she knew he’d be waiting for him!  They gave each other one final kiss, and afterwards, Alaya came out, along with Dawn, Riku and the others.  They all stood there, and Alaya then stepped forward.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Kairi, Dawn…the time has come.  Now, since passage in the Lanes Between is probably frought with danger, it is best that you travel through the portals I am going to open for you.  If you are ready, step forward.” she said.  With that, Dawn and Kairi stepped forward.  Alaya then nodded.  “Very well then, let us begin.” she said.

 

  And so, Alaya began channeling her power, her body now fully alight from the powerful light that was surging from within her!  The other Keyblade Wielders looked on in awe at what was happening, and they all remained silent.  When Alaya finished charging her energy, she waved both of her hands forward, and two portals of light appeared, right next to each other!  Dawn and Kairi stood side to side, and then they glanced back at their friends, who were looking at them in silence.  No words were needed, for the simple looks on their faces…their expressions full of determination and hope and reassurance, was enough to give Dawn and Kairi ease.  Alaya bowed and put her hand to her chest.

 

  “Good luck, chosen wielders of the Keys Of Balance.  I wish you the best of luck.” she said.

 

  Dawn was the first one to go through her portal, and the minute she passed through it, there was a blinding flash of light, and after the light subsided, the portal was gone!  Then, it was Kairi’s turn.  She walked towards her portal, and when she went through it, she felt as though she was propelling herself at insanely high speeds!  She felt a powerful wave of energy pass through her, and just seconds after, the portal opened, and Kairi ended up near a ship port!  When she glanced back, the portal closed up behind her.  She took a deep breath and prepared herself mentally for what was to come.

 

  “No turning back now, Kairi.  What has to be done, has to be done.” she thought to herself!

 

  And so, as she walked along the docks, she saw a few ships here and there.  She then took a moment to notice how bright the sky was in this world!  This probably meant that this world was still untouched by the darkness!  Kairi felt relieved at this, and her heart eased up a little!  As she kept walking, she noticed some consctruction workers alongside one of the ships that was docked…and then she noticed something else…something coming out of the water…a Darkside!!!

---

 

 

  Back at the Keyblade Graveyard, Kyle was still battling within himself!  He was getting tired now, and the Deity was getting the best of him!  He didn’t want to give in, but now, defeat seemed like such a good option to take, that he considered surrendering himself to the Deity!  But then, after thinking it twice, he shook his head.  There was no way he’d give in!  Not when his parents were counting on him! His friends were counting on him too, and he couldn’t let them down!  And so, with renewed resolve, he recovered his strength!  The Deity now growled angrily, his eyes flaring bright in the pitch black darkness of Kyle’s subconscious.  He was clearly irritated at all of Kyle’s attempts at resisting him!

 

  “What’ll it take to bring you down, boy!?” the Deity agonized.  Kyle smirked.

 

  “A lot more than what you’re dishing out!” he answered.  At that, the Deity’s eyes flickered, and he disappeared!  For now, Kyle had won!  He now felt instantly calm, and just then, Lunar appeared before him!

 

  “Good work, my old friend.  You are turning stronger and stronger every day!” he said.  Kyle smiled and nodded.

 

  “Thanks, Lunar!” he said, but then his face changed from a smile into an expression of concern.  Lunar noticed this and tilted his head.

 

  “What is it, Kyle?” he asked.

 

  “Well, I’m just wondering…where does this Deity come from?  He’s been inside me all this time, and only now has he decided to try to take over me…but how is he inside me in the first place?  Do you know anything about this, Lunar?” he asked, hoping that his old friend would have an answer!  Lunar remained silent for a bit, thinking hard upon Kyle’s question.  After thinking for a while, he shook his head.

 

  “I am afraid that I do not know.  This is something that also has me very intrigued.  For all this time, I never sensed another being inside you.  It’s all overwhelming, if you ask me.” Lunar said, offering his thoughts. Kyle sighed.

 

  “Yeah…I figured you probably wouldn’t know.  But I had to ask!  Anyways, I’ll get to the bottom of this, and I know that I’ll be able to conquer this Deity and expel him from my body!” he said with determination!  At that, Lunar smiled.

 

  “That’s the Kyle I know.  Your confidence and strength of heart are truly shining now!  You may not realize it, but with each passing moment, you grow stronger and stronger!  With your increasing strength, I know you’ll be able to save Ventus!  It’s only a matter of time!” the wolf said encouragingly!  Kyle smiled and put his hands behind his head!

 

  “That’s for sure!  Well Lunar, I’ll see you soon!” he said.  Lunar nodded, and with that, Kyle became conscious again!  Since he opened his eyes immediately, the light temporarily blinded him, so everything was a blur for the moment!  He closed his eyes a few times and rubbed them, and a few seconds later, his vision adjusted, and now, he was able to see well!  He noticed Braig sitting across from him with a bored expression on his face!  Kyle didn’t know what to say!

 

  “Geez, about time you woke up!  I was starting to get bored, just waiting for you to wake up!  But, you’re back on your feet!  That’s good!” he said as he stood up, stretching his arms wide!  Kyle immediately stood up and summoned his Keyblade!  Braig smirked and gave out a chuckle.

 

  “Oh ho, you’re still just now waking up, and you’re already itching for a fight!  I gotta say, you have some pretty impressive power for a kid your age!” he said.  Kyle felt irritated at that comment!

 

  “I’m not a kid, so you better watch yourself!” Kyle barked back, still with his Keyblade in hand, ready to go at it against Braig!  But Braig gave out a sigh and tilted his head.

 

  “You know, if I would have been a different guy, I’d have probably killed you while you were unconscious!  You ever consider that?” he asked.  Kyle then took a moment to realize that it’s true! Braig could have killed him while he was unconscious!

 

  “But…why didn’t you kill me while I was unconscious…? he asked.  Braig turned around and looked at the barren wasteland of the Keyblade Graveyard.

 

  “Eh…I’m not the type of guy that likes taking out people when they’re sleeping.  I prefer a good, rough challenge!  There’s no use in me hunting down some good sport if the sport’s not gonna fight back, am I right?” Braig answered.  At that, Kyle felt a bit more relaxed, and he lowered his Keyblade, but still remained cautious.

 

  “Yeah…I guess you’re right.” he said.

 

  “Listen kiddo, don’t take this the wrong way.  Just because I don’t feel like killing you now doesn’t mean that we’re friends or anything of the sort!  We’re enemies, and you shouldn’t trust me! Just be lucky that I’m letting you recover your full strength so you can fight me without any limitations!” Braig said, crossing his arms.  He glanced over his shoulder at Kyle, who remained silent, and then he smirked.  “Besides…when you fight me at full strength, odds are that your Key Of Balance will appear sooner, and the sooner it appears, the better for me!  So I’m going to need you in tip top shape!” he mentioned, turning around and walking towards Kyle.

 

  “Again with that Key Of Balance…why is it that you want it so bad, anyway?  Why do you want a Keyblade at all?” Kyle asked.  At that, Braig stopped for a moment.  The question had come to him as a surprise, because no one had actually asked him why he wanted a Keyblade!  He shook his head and smiled.

 

  “Heh, that’s actually quite a good question, kid.  I gotta admit, no one’s ever asked me that before!  Allow me to give you the honor of being the first person to hear my reason for wanting a Keyblade!” he said.  “You see, I’ve always been interested in the Keyblade.  Ever since the old coot told me about it, I knew it was something out of this world…something that not everyone had the privilege to own.  The Keyblade has great power, and I want to own that power!  I want to be able to gain the power of the Keyblade so no one can stand in my way from what I’ve got to do!” he explained.  At that, Kyle tilted his head.

 

  “And what is it that you’ve got to do?” he asked.  Braig smirked and shook his head.

 

  “Heh, as if I was going to tell you!” he said, and Kyle rolled his eyes.

 

  “Okay, whatever.” Kyle said.  Braig smirked and then vanished.  At that, Kyle’s jaw dropped, and he remained speechless for a moment!

 

  “Hey, what the…what, did you just teleport away!?  Don’t leave me alone here!  Braig!!!!” Kyle shouted, his echo resonating throughout the Keyblade Graveyard!  But Braig did not respond.  Kyle felt irritated, but, there was nothing else that he could do at the moment, so the only thing left to do was to walk through this desolate wasteland!

 

(Start Song Here)

  And so, he began walking through the Keyblade Graveyard.  As the minutes passed by, he saw all the countless amounts of Keyblades that were stabbed into the ground!  Each one was unique in design, and each one looked powerful!  Kyle stopped a few times to look at specific Keyblades, and then he’d keep walking!  He wondered how the first Keyblade War was able to cause this many lives to be lost!  Looking at this empty wasteland, he felt a sense of dread!  This scenery he was witnessing…this emptiness he was bearing witness to...it was eating away at him.  It was like he could feel the pain and regret of all the past Keyblade Wielders who had lost their lives in the first Keyblade War.  He shook his head and discarded his thoughts, thinking it best not to think of such horrid things.

 

  As he kept walking, he saw that there was a deep valley stretching throughout a steep hill.  Many large mountains dotted the landscape, and something that Kyle found odd was that there was no sign of life whatsoever!  No water, no grass, no trees…just desolate emptiness!  Was this what happened when a world was devoured by darkness?  Did they end up becoming an empty shell of a world, such as this?  He felt a sudden sadness coming through him, an imminent feeling of despair.  It was a nasty feeling, and it was one that he didn’t want to feel!

 

  “Quite sad, isn’t it?” Lunar spoke from within Kyle’s mind.  Kyle nodded.

 

  “Yeah…I don’t think I’ve ever felt so empty before…seeing this place…it just makes me feel like I have a void in my heart…” he said.

 

  “Indeed.  This place is the final resting grounds for all Keyblade Wielders.  That wretched first Keyblade War brought about the destruction of the world.  If it hadn’t been for the light in the hearts of children…we wouldn’t be here now.  Even though the world is now split into many different worlds, at least there is life.  And as long as there is life, there is hope. And just as there’s hope for the worlds, there is hope for every person as well.  Including you, Kyle.” Lunar said.  Kyle gave a sad smile.

 

  “Yeah…I won’t give up on hope.  I’m going to keep fighting until there’s nothing left to fight…because after everything that’s happened…I can’t back down now!  I have to save my parents, and I have to help my friends!” he said with determination!

 

  “And you will be able to do so!  But first, you must attain your Key Of Balance.” he said.

 

  “Hey…that’s what Braig’s been talking to me about!  But what does it mean, Lunar?  What is this Key Of Balance?  Because I feel totally lost!” Kyle stated.

 

  “It is an ancient Keyblade…one filled with great power, and one that isn’t passed down to just anyone.  It is a special type of Keyblade, one that you attain after overcoming a harsh ordeal!” Lunar answered.

 

  “But how’s Braig so sure that I’m going to have one?” Kyle asked.

 

  “Because of your heart, Kyle.  You have enormous strength, strength that you’ve been honing all these years, by your family’s side.  You have become stronger than you know, and you have overcome many ordeals…your strength of heart and your willpower have deemed you a chosen wielder of the Key Of Balance…and it will appear to you after you pass a harsh ordeal.” Lunar answered.

 

  “And how will I know what my ordeal is?” Kyle asked.

 

  “That shall be presented to you soon enough…” Lunar said, and after that, silence reigned over Kyle again.  He still didn’t understand much about his Key Of Balance, but he figured that whatever the ordeal he had to face, he was sure he’d overcome it!  He had to, for the sake of the people he loves!  And so, Kyle kept wandering the vast, desolate expanses of the Keyblade Graveyard, and hours passed, and now he was feeling quite thirsty!  He looked around, hoping that at the next turn, he’d find a small watering hole, but…there was no such luck!  And so, Kyle kept on wandering, his thirst increasing with each passing minute!  It got to the point when when he just had to stop walking!  Exhausted, he headed towards a large mountain, and then he leaned his back on the side of the mountain where its shadow was being cast!  This way, even though he was still thirsty, at least the sun wouldn’t suffocate him to death!  Kyle then sat down, and he felt himself getting weaker by the moment!  He looked up at the sky, and then he sighed and closed his eyes.

 

  “What am I going to do…?” he thought to himself, as he felt lost.  It didn’t help that Braig wasn’t anywhere to be seen!  Kyle was still mad that Braig had just up and left him!  He shook his head and crossed his arms.

 

  “Hmph, that jerk…” he mumbled angrily to himself.  Just then, he felt a strong gust of wind blow slowly, building up speed as the seconds passed!  He covered himself as to not get sand on his face.  A few seconds more passed, and the gust of wing became stronger!  That’s when Kyle realized that he was in the middle of a sandstorm!  But luckily, since he was facing the back of the mountain, the sandstorm was only blowing through the sides and the top of where he was.  Some sand still made it his way though, and in a matter of seconds, he was covered in sand!  He quickly brushed himself off.

 

  “Huh…this really is a desolate place…” he said to himself.  With that, he decided to stand up and keep moving forward, for there wasn’t anything else to do.  As he stood up, he stopped, for in the distance, he could have sworn that he had seen someone!  At first he thought that it was Braig, but something in his heart was telling him that this wasn’t the case.  He felt like calling out to the person, but there was something telling him not to!  The sandstorm was so fierce, that Kyle could barely make out the person!  It looked more like a silhouette, or a hallucination!  Slowly, the silhouette started moving, slowly walking towards Kyle!  At that, he summoned his Keyblade and prepared for battle!

 

  “Whoever you are, I’m not afraid of you! If you take a step closer, you’ll be asking for trouble!” he shouted!  But given the strength of the sandstorm, he doubted that the person was able to hear what he just said.  It was made even more apparent by the fact that the person didn’t stop walking towards him!  Kyle tensed up!

 

  “I said stop!” Kyle shouted.

 

  Suddenly, the person stopped, and Kyle assumed that the person had heard him.  No sooner than he lowered his guard, the person dashed towards him, and Kyle could clearly see that the person was going through him!  As in, right through his body!  It was then that he realized that this wasn’t a person!  No…it must be some kind of phantom!  Kyle thought the phantom had harmed him, but when he searched his body for wounds, he found none!  He then turned around, and the phantom was hovering a few feet away from him!  The sandstorm was making it difficult for him to make out the phantom’s facial features, so he just remained there.

 

  “What do you want from me!?” he asked.  The phantom simply remained put, and after a few seconds passed, the phantom pointed towards Kyle’s Keyblade!  He looked at his Keyblade in confusion.

 

  “My Keyblade?  What do you want with it!?” he asked.  The phantom then pointed towards Kyle’s heart!  He quickly became defensive again!

 

  “My heart!?  My Keyblade and my heart!?  Look, whatever you are, I’m not going to follow your demands!  I won’t give up my Keyblade or my heart without a fight!” he said, as he prepared for battle!  The phantom slowly outstretched its hand, and after a few seconds passed, a Keyblade materialized in its hand!  Kyle opened his eyes wide, and he was impressed by how fearsome and powerful the Keyblade looked!  It was a long reach Keyblade, colored black and gray, and at first glance, its shape called to mind that of a knight’s sword, with the only difference being that the tip curved and formed into what seemed to be a wave with six ripples!  Kyle gripped his Keyblade tightly, and then he and the phantom charged at each other, and that’s when things got really strange!

 

  In a split second, the Keyblade Graveyard gave way to a vast grassland!  Kyle looked around, and all he could see for miles and miles was grass!  It was so green and lush, and the sky above him was so clear and blue, with no clouds dotting the sky at all!  A refreshing breeze passed by, and Kyle felt every little bit of it!  But this was impossible!  He was just in the Keyblade Graveyard a few seconds ago!  Was this an illusion?  If so, Kyle thought that this was quite the strong illusion, as his body reacted to the landscape that was presented before him!  He then saw the phantom, this time more clearly, hovering a few feet away from him!  It still had its Keyblade summoned, and so did Kyle!  Now that the sandstorm was no more, Kyle was able to notice the phantom’s appearance!  It had what seemed to be a robe, colored a pale brown color!  The robe had a hood, which was concealing the phantom’s face!  He also noticed that the phantom’s wrists were bearing shackles and broken chains!

 

  Kyle immediately felt a sadness wash over him.  Almost as if the phantom had spoken to him in some way.  He could feel its sadness and regret, and that, in turn, filled Kyle with a heavy feeling of hurt.  He lowered his Keyblade, and he and the phantom remained staring at each other for quite a while, the breeze in the grasslands slowly blowing through them.  There was something about this phantom that seemed…strangely similar.  Almost as if something about this phantom…resembled him!  He could feel his heart pounding strongly, but he couldn’t understand why!  Was this a vison?  Some sort of hallucination caused by the sandstorm?  No…Kyle shook his head, dismissing the thought.  His heart was telling him that this was no hallucination.  He then looked at the phantom, and clenched his fist to his chest.

 

  “You’re one of them…right?  One of the many tortured souls that died in the first Keyblade War?” he asked.

 

  His question was answered with nothing but silence…

(End Song Here)

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

 

And so, Kyle, Dawn and Kairi have begun their journeys to find their Keys Of Balance!  Will they be successful?  What trials shall await them?  Where did Braig go off to?  And who or what is this phantom that’s appeared before Kyle?  Is the phantom an ordeal he must overcome in order to gain his Key Of Balance?  Be prepared for Chapter Twenty Three: “The Burdens We Bear…”

 

Well everyone, that was the chapter!  I hope that you all found it to your enjoyment!  I had a pretty swell time writing this chapter, and I loved experimenting with Braig’s character!  He’s just so fun to write!  So, what did you all think?  Did you like the chapter?  What do you think will happen next? Haha, as always, thank you very much for your patience and support, and as always, be sure to comment on what you thought about tonight’s chapter! Well then, until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

Nice one!

Whoa, reading that last part, I just had goosebumps. I might even have a bad dream when I go to sleep. Nice chapter.

To KHLegendIII, thanks!

 

To KingdomHearts3, wow, I'm glad you felt so strongly about this chapter!  It makes me happy knowing that my chapters impact my readers!

 

Hey there everyone, how’s it going!?  I hope that you’re all doing okay!  So then, here is another chapter of my story!  Things are getting more intense with each passing chapter!  I hope you’ll all be ready for what’s to come, for it’s going to be explosive!  Haha, but anyways, without further ado, here’s the next chapter!

 

Chapter Twenty Three: The Burdens We Bear

 

(Start Song Here)

  Nothing but silence was communicated between Kyle and the phantom that had appeared before him.  They had been standing there, watching each other in silence for a while.  Kyle was trying to figure this phantom out, and he figured that said phantom was a lingering sentiment of one of the many Keyblade Wielders who died in the first Keyblade War.  There was this odd sensation running through his body that made him feel like this was the case!  Slowly, he started to walk over to the phantom, and it remained still as he kept approaching it!  When he was within a few feet, he stopped, noticing that the phantom had done absolutely nothing….just standing there.  This began to unsettle him quite a bit, for by now, he’d have expected the phantom to move.  Just as he was about to say something, the phantom raised its hand.  Kyle remained deathly still, and then the phantom shifted and looked at the horizon of the grasslands, and then it hovered over to Kyle, until it was inches away from him!

 

  “You are one of them…” the phantom said, revealing itself to be a woman!  At least, that’s what Kyle could judge by hearing her voice!  He looked at her and was a bit confused.

 

  “Um, excsuse me?  One of…who, exactly?” he asked.  She then turned around and looked at the horizon again.

 

  “You are one of the many souls that have been touched by the power of the Dark Light…” she said, and at that, Kyle’s eyes opened wide!  He unsummoned his Keyblade and spread his arms wide in shock!

 

  “Wait, you mean to say that you know of my power?  Then do you know what this Deity inside me is!?” he asked, desperately hoping the phantom would provide him with answers.  She slowly turned around and nodded.

 

  “Indeed.  I know of your power…and as for the Deity…he is an ancient being, whose origins trace back to that of the first Keyblade War…your Deity was a man of dark intentions…his name…Ulrich.  A great warrior reknown by all other Keyblade Wielders who ever fought beside him or against him.  He was a man of great ambition…always wanting more and more power…” she answered.  At that, Kyle was speechless!  The Deity housed inside him was a warrior from the first Keyblade War?  That simple fact was enough to leave him shaking!

 

  “B-but how did he end up inside my heart…?” Kyle asked.  The phantom remained silent for a moment, and then she passed through Kyle, and he turned around, so as to keep his eye on her.

 

  “Like all people with strong hearts…he persevered, even after death.  When he perished in the Keyblade War, he was consumed by the darkness, but he refused to turn into a Heartless.  With that much willpower, he was able to will himself out of the darkness’s hold, and instead of being swallowed by the darkness, his heart and soul transplanted themselves onto his Keyblade, which became one of the many Keyblades that would come to adorn the Keyblade Graveyard…” she said, and then she remained silent momentarily.  These sudden pauses kept Kyle on the edge of his seat!

 

  “And so…he waited.  Many centuries passed, and he waited until he could be able to sense a person with a strong heart, a person with undeniable willpower, so that he could be able to house himself within that person’s heart, and slowly take over…like what he is doing to you now…” she finished.  At that, Kyle could feel his heart pounding, and he started to groan in pain, and he fell to his knees, clenching his fist to his chest, gasping for breath!  That’s when the Deity himself, UIrich, sprang out from Kyle’s body, and though he was still just a shadowy mist, he seemed to hold a bit more of a physical form now.  Granted, all that could be seen was covered in shadow, and the only thing Kyle could see was his yellow eyes! Ulrich walked towards the phantom.

 

  “Ah..Shia dear, it’s been quite some time, hasn’t it?  You seem to be holding well, after all these years…” he remarked with a smirk.  Shia remained silent, and Kyle clenched his fists.

 

  “Hey, you!” he shouted, and Ulrich turned around to face him.

 

  “Ah, you insolent boy…I find it a wonder that my repeated attempts to take you over have failed…but now that I can be able to incorporate a bit more of a…physical presence…now I have the strength to take you down once and for all!” he said with a smirk, and Kyle felt his heart pound with anxiety!  He gulped and shifted his eyes towards Shia, who remained silent, and was only watching.  He was giving a “Aren’t you gonna help me?” look to her, but she simply stayed put.  Figuring that she wasn’t going to help him, Kyle decided to take matters into his own hands and summoned his Keyblade!

 

  “I’m going to take you down, Ulrich!  I won’t let your dark ambitions take root!” he said.  At that, Ulrich gave out a satisfied chuckle and he summoned a Keyblade of his very own!  But what the Keyblade was, Kyle couldn’t tell, as it was completely covered in shadow!  All he knew is that he could feel a very powerful surge of energy coming from that Keyblade!  Ulrich then swung his Keyblade and pointed it at Kyle.

(End Song Here)

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Well then, boy…it’s been nice being housed in your body…but now, it’s time for me to take over permanently!”  he said, and with that, both he and Kyle clashed Keyblades, and their battle began!

 

  Their clash was so strong, that an enormous shockwave resonated throughout the entire grasslands, and now, the winds started to pick up, almost as if it was responding to the violent clash between the two Keyblade Wielders!  They were locked in a stalemate, and it was difficult to see who would break through it, as both of them seemed unlikely to budge!  Kyle struggled, and for a moment felt his feet slip, but then he planted them firmly on the ground and managed to summon up enough strength to push Ulrich back!  This, admittedly, took Ulrich by surprise, but he immediately regained his composure and then simply charged towards Kyle, attacking relentlessly with his mighty powers!

 

  “For too long have I worked for this, and I won’t let you stand in my way, brat!” Ulrich growled.

 

  “Well, your work has been in vain, because I’m not going to let you take over my body!” Kyle roared, as they both reached a stalemate again, but this time, Ulrich was the one who broke through, and then he wounded Kyle with his Keyblade, causing a long gash to cross through Kyle’s chest!  Kyle yelled out in pain, and he saw the gaping wound formed in his chest!  But instead of blood, he was oozing…darkness!  At that, Ulrich stopped and laughed, and Kyle was now shaking, his resolve slowly breaking.  All the while, Shia remained in place.

 

  “Oh ho ho, this is rich!  It seems that all my time working to take over your body has damaged it, and now, you have darkness instead of blood!  Quite impressive how you can even still be alive!” Ulrich remarked.  Kyle fell down on his knees, and he felt horrifyingly afraid!  He wanted to keep fighting, but his body was frozen in place, and he just couldn’t bring himself to stand up!

 

  “Get up…” Shia said.  At that, Kyle looked at her, and he shook his head.  Ulrich chuckled.

 

  “Heh, he’s not going to get up.  It’s all over now…I’m going to win!” he said.  Kyle whimpered in pain as he felt his wound sting greatly!

 

  “I…I can’t get up…I don’t have the strength to do it!” Kyle said, feeling defeated.

 

  “That is not true…you do have the strength to keep on going…you just don’t realize it.  For you see, I’ve been in your shoes before…I also possessed the Dark Light…” Shia said, and at that, Kyle’s eyes opened wide.  Did he hear what he thought he was hearing!?

 

  “W-what?” he asked, in sheer shock.

 

  “That is right…I used to hold the power of the Dark Light, and like you, I went through your same situation…but, I learned how to gain control of my power…I learned how to conquer my Deity and turn it into a part of my own heart…and you have that power too…” she explained.

 

  “I…I don’t understand!” Kyle said.  Ulrich then walked over to him and kicked him hard in the chest, making his wound sting even more!  Kyle shouted out in pain, gasping for breath, and he pointed his Keyblade at him!

 

  “Well, let me put it to you this way, boy.  There are a certain special amount of people throughout all the worlds who possess Deity’s.  A Deity is the heart and soul of a powerful Keyblade Wielder, whose intentions and determination gave them so much power that they were able to survive long after death.  Deity’s remained housed in Keyblades, and when the right owner appears, the Deity takes sanctuary inside that person’s heart, and slowly starts to eat away at the person’s life force, gaining strength throughout the years.  Deity’s come from multiple different points in time.  Shia and I are two of the oldest, ranging back all the way to the first Keyblade War. There are Deities from other points in time after that first Keyblade War, but nowadays, they’re either increasingly rare or non-existent.  They weren’t strong enough to last like me.” Ulrich explained as he smirked.  He then pointed at Shia. “And what my good old friend here means is that if you gain control of me and conquer me, I’ll cease to exist, and all my power shall pass on to you, and form a part of your heart.  Heh, but that’s not going to happen!  I’ll make sure of it!” he said as he kicked Kyle even harder!

 

  “The boy will be your undoing…” Shia said.  Ulrich scoffed and allowed himself a chuckle.

 

  “Are you serious?  This kid doesn’t have what it takes to defeat me!  And after all my hard work, I’m not going to let him end me!” he said.  With that, he raised his Keyblade and was about to strike Kyle down, when Kyle blocked the attack with his Keyblade!  At that, Ulrich gasped, and Kyle pushed him back and stood up!  Though his wound was aching him, he stood up to fight!

 

  “Impossible!!!” Ulrich exclaimed.

 

  “You are starting to realize your true power…” Shia said.  Kyle nodded, and now, a bright surge of energy flowed through him, and now his body was covered in a dark purple aura! His eyes were now flared up in determination, and it was almost as if he had come upon new strength!  Ulrich gritted his teeth, realizing that he was now probably done for!  Kyle then pointed his Keyblade at Ulrich, glaring him with ironclad eyes of determination!

 

  “I’m going to conquer you, Ulrich, and I will have your power!  I’ll use it to save the people I love!” Kyle proclaimed.  Ulrich took stance.

 

  “Try all you want boy, but I won’t surrender to you!” he barked back!  The two of them stared down at each other, and then, they dashed towards each other and clashed Keyblades, and this time, an even more enormous shockwave resonated through the grasslands, and now the gusts of wind were picking up even more!

 

  Kyle immediately pushed Ulrich back, and then he proceeded to hack away at him with Ars Arcanum, not letting him have a single moment to breathe!  Ulrich received every hit, and when Kyle delivered the final strike, he sent Ulrich tumbling into the ground!  Kyle wasted no time and flung his Keyblade toward him, performing Strike Raid, but Ulrich quickly blocked the attack and countered with Blitz!  The hits from the attack were strong, and Kyle was barely able to block the attack, but luckily, he was able to!  He then attempted to strike at Ulrich, but Ulrich performed a Reversal and then performed Sonic Rave, managing to hit Kyle with every single strike, then proceeding to seriously injure him and send him tumbling to the ground!  Kyle took a moment to stand.

 

  “You won’t get to me, boy, I won’t let you!” Ulrich growled, his fury and power increasing!  But even with his power increasing, and the damage he had done to Kyle, he found that Kyle’s power was also increasing!  Kyle then stood up and had an ominous glare on his face. It was like he was an entirely different person!

 

  “Shut up!” Kyle shouted, and with that, they both clashed violently, and sparks flew as their Keyblades clashed constantly, and it wasn’t long until they took to the sky and started to battle all across the sky, casting spells on each other and continually trying to one up each other!  It was a furiously intense battle, and Shia was bearing witness to it!  She was impressed by Kyle’s sheer resolve, and she thought that there was a big chance that Kyle would win this battle!  And so, she kept observing the battle that was taking place!

 

  As the minutes passed, Kyle and Ulrich’s powers only kept increasing, and it was almost as if they were turning into omnipotent beings!  The sheer amount of energy on display was baffling, and had the other Keyblade Wielders been here to witness this battle, they probably wouldn’t even know how to describe the intensity that was unfolding!  Kyle seemed to grow stronger and stronger by the second, and he could feel immense energy flowing through him!  He then closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they turned a bright yellow, and then he hovered himself high above Ulrich, and instantly, a sigil appeared behind Kyle, one with ancient writing and markings, and then, five spheres of pure light formed around the sigil, and then, Kyle spread his arms and fired off intense beams of light that spread out into one gigantic beam, taking Ulrich by surprise!  Not being able to even have a remote chance at dodging, Ulrich attempted to block the attack, but alas, he wasn’t able, and so he took on the full force of the attack!  He must have been defeated for sure this time!  When the light subsided, Kyle landed on the ground, and Ulrich was now deathly weak!  He walked towards him and pointed his Keyblade at him!

 

  “It’s over, Ulrich.  You will become a part of my heart!” Kyle stated, but Ulrich gritted his teeth and shook his head.

 

  “No…no…NOOOO!!!!” he shouted, as a massive stream of darkness poured out of him!  “I won’t let it end like this!  You won’t extinguish me!!!” he declared, as the darkness was now supplying him with insanely huge amounts of power!  But Kyle remained unflinching, for he knew what he had to do, and he wasn’t going to back down until the job was done! 

 

  When the darkness subsided, Kyle saw that Ulrich was now a few feet taller, and the darkness covering his body was now more massive!  At first glance, anyone else would have thought that Ulrich was a Darkside Heartless, but this wasn’t the case, as Ulrich was simply a giant mass of darkness, threatening to swallow Kyle whole!  But Kyle did not budge, and instead, he only strengthened his resolve, as he was determined to put an end to this!  As Ulrich prepared to attack, Kyle braced himself to block, planting his feet firmly on the ground!

 

  “Now, you die!!!” Ulrich shouted, in a now distorted, demonic voice, thrusting his arm towards Kyle!  But Kyle stood firm, blocking and holding off Ulrich’s attack for as long as he could!  After a few seconds, he was able to repel Ulrich, and then he attempted to inflict harm on him by climbing up his arm!  Once he did so, he propelled himself with fierce energy, aiming his fatal strike at Ulrich’s head, but Ulrich quickly turned away and unleashed a cloud of darkness that momentarily blinded Kyle, and so he fell down to the ground!  The blindness was now turning into something irritating, and Kyle wasn’t even sure which direction he was going!  But, he could sense Ulrich’s dark energy, and so he used his senses as a guide, and when Ulrich delivered his next attack, Kyle dodged it with utmost precision!

 

  “Damn you, stop moving and let me kill you!” Ulrich roared in fury as he kept relentlessly striking at Kyle!  It was then that Kyle realized that Ulrich was getting careless now!  He was letting his blind fury guide his attacks, and now that Kyle’s vision had cleared, he seized the opportunity and headed towards the weak spots that Ulrich was leaving exposed!  He dodged the attacks heading his way, and then he performed Zantetsuken on Ulrich’s leg, causing him to go limp and roar in pain! 

 

  “Stop resisting, Ulrich!  It’s over!” Kyle shouted, not letting his confidence waver in the slightest!  Ulrich would have none of it, and he turned around and poured out even more dark power!

 

  “Never!  I’ll never give in to the likes of you!” he said through gritted teeth, and the two of them stared down at each other for a few moments.  The tension was now at an all time high, and even though Kyle was gaining the upper hand, he felt that he was reaching the limits of his power, and so, he feared that he wouldn’t be able to last much longer in battle.  So whatever happened next, he had to turn the battle in his favor, and fast!  All the while, Shia remained watching the two.  She was in utmost silence, and she looked at Kyle and then at Ulrich.

 

  “Kyle…he is a boy with a strong heart…stronger than he even knows…he has great potential…” she said.  Lunar then suddenly materialized by her side.  He sat down beside her, and he watched the battle that was unfolding.

 

  “Indeed, he is strong.  He’s never let any odds get the best of him…and he won’t stop now!” he said.  And so, Kyle and Ulrich clashed anew!

(End Song Here)

---

 

(Start Song Here)

  Meanwhile, Kairi summoned her Keyblade and headed straight towards the Darkside that had appeared in the docks!  The nearby sailors who had just arrived to port were running away in frantic panic, and the nearby citizens were in an uproar!  The Darkside soon started to pour out dozens and dozens of Shadow Heartless, causing them to spread throughout the port!  It was an invasion!  Kairi headed straight towards the hordes of Heartless, and without thinking it twice, she started to fight them all!  She took out dozens, if not hundreds of Shadows in a matter of seconds, and she cast all matter of potent spells, combining them with her melee attacks, and she was quite the formidable force to be reckoned with!  The Darkside took notice of Kairi and slowly turned around to face her!  It gave out a low bellow, and Kairi braced herself, as she knew that the Darkside was about to attack!

 

  “You won’t hurt these innocent people!” Kairi shouted, as she swatted the Darkside’s hand away with a powerful Light Splicer attack!  She managed to wound it gravely, and it roared in pain!  But soon after though, two more Darkside Heartless appeared!  Now the nearby citizens were screaming in horrow and running as far away from the port as possible!  Kairi gripped her Keyblade tightly.

 

  “I have to protect these people…I have to!” she thought to herself!

 

  And just as she was about to prepare her next attack, she noticed that a trail of ice passed through her and went towards the three Darkside Heartless!  She saw that the ice spread throughout their bodies, and in no time flat, they were frozen solid!  Kairi was speechless!

 

  “Now’s your chance, take them out now while you have the chance!” a voice said from behind.  Kairi snapped out of herself and then proceeded to quickly charge her Keyblade with energy, and when her energy was at its peak, she unleashed it, and three powerful beams of golden light pierced through the Darkside Heartless, causing them to shatter, their broken chunks of ice falling down into the sea!  But even though they were defeated, the Shadow Heartless still remained, but Kairi was more than capable of dealing with them!  Just then, a woman stood beside her!  Kairi figured this must have been the woman who talked to her just seconds ago!  She took a quick glance and noticed that she wore a light blue dress, which complimented her body well, and seemed to give her a certain…powerful appearance!  The woman had long, braided blonde hair, and she had sea blue eyes!  She looked at Kairi and nodded.

 

  “Well, let’s take these Heartless out before they cause any more trouble!” the woman suggested.  Kairi nodded, and they both charged forward!

 

  The woman immediately created a trail of ice, and she quickly ran through it, shooting ice crystals from her hands and creating a small blizzard that took many Heartless by surprise, rendering them helpless!  In no time flat, the woman took out a great many number of Heartless!  She then leapt up and spun around twice, sending wide arcs of ice falling down towards the enemy, causing them to dissipate in just mere seconds!  Kairi was definitely impressed!

 

  Kairi proceeded to charger her Keyblade up, and when she reached maximum power, a sudden burst of energy surged from within her, and in just seconds, she was dashing around, taking out Heartless by the second!  Her attack was more or less similar to the one Vanitas employed when he unleashed shadow clones of himself.  The only difference was that these were of light instead of darkness! When she delivered the final strike, the Heartless were done for!  But there were still a few remaining!

 

  “Time to finish this!” she declared!

 

  And so, she infused her Keyblade with the power of fire, ice and wind, and combined them together to form her own version of Bladecharge!  Her Keyblade now shown a radiant red color, and then she hacked away at the remaining Heartless, slicing through them as if they were nothing more than paper!  She then cast Thudaga, electrocuting the remaining Heartless, and then she leapt up and slammed her Keyblade down, causing an immense shockwave of energy to spread and eliminate the remaining enemies on sight!  It was a glorious display of power and swordsmanship!  Together, Kairi and the woman had taken care of the Heartless threatening the docks, and soon after, the citizens started to cheer for them, relieved and grateful that the Heartless were now gone!  Kairi looked at the woman who helped her and gave an appreciative bow.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Thank you for your help.  There sure were many Heartless here…” Kairi said as she looked to the docks.  The woman nodded and gave out a smile.

 

  “Yes, I know…these Heartless have been roaming around all of Arendelle for months…it’s been quite the problem to deal with.” the woman said.  At that, Kairi immediately turned her attention to the woman.

 

  “Wait, the Heartless have been around here for months?” Kairi asked.  The woman nodded.

 

  “Yes.  It’s quite the long story…but I’ll tell you about it in due time.  But anywyas, allow me to introduce myself.  I am Elsa, Queen of Arendelle.” she said as she bowed in greeting.  Kairi immediately bowed down and lowered her head.

 

  “It’s an honor to meet you, Queen Elsa.  My name is-“ she started to say, but Elsa cut her short.

 

  “Kairi, Princess Of Heart.  I was informed that you’d come here beforehand.  In fact, I was preparing to welcome you, but unfortunately, the Heartless came in the way of that.  But well, now that we’ve finally met, I suppose this is as good a welcome as any.” she said, and at that, they both giggled. Kairi then turned serious and cleared her throat.

 

  “Then, if you knew I’d be arriving, then you must know why I’ve come here.” she stated, and Elsa nodded. 

 

  “Yes…for your Key Of Balance.  Come into my palace, and we’ll keep talking there.” she said, and Kairi agreed.

 

  As she walked with Elsa towards her palace, Kairi noticed how beautiful the main city of Arendelle looked!  All of its citizens were lively and joyful, and they all seemed to coexist together in peace and harmony!  Seeing all of this made Kairi feel at ease.  Compared to the state the other worlds were in, Arendelle was far off from being a devastated world.  But still, with the darkness of the Keyblade War threatening to ravage everything, Kairi knew that it’d only be a matter of time before the darkness came here.  And she knew that she couldn’t let that happen!  She clenched her fists as she remembered how Disney Castle had ended up, and she had to make sure no other worlds suffered that same fate!  As they continued to walk, Kairi also noticed the beautiful architecture of the buildings, and she thought to herself that this was a beautiful place.

 

  Meanwhile, Dawn had arrived to San Fransokyo.  Or, well, to be more precise, she was just outside the city!  She glanced back and noticed that the portal she had gone through had vanished!  She knew there was no turning back, and so, she just kept moving forward.  Even from a distance, Dawn could notice that San Fransokyo was quite the unique world!  She noticed that the sky was dotted by what looked to be blimps, but they were some kind of machinery!  She also noticed the intricate designs of the skyscrapers that were piercing above the city!  When she walked towards the entrance to the city, she then saw the full scope of what this world truly held!  It was like nothing she had ever seen before! It was almost as if this place had two culture intertwined!  She could tell that this world was quite the busy place, as many people walked here and there, to or from their jobs, but there were also little kids hanging out or chasing each other around!  There were all kinds of restaurants and stores, and Dawn felt amazed by everything she saw!  She then stopped for a moment near an alley, for she really didn’t know where she should go!

 

  “Okay, so I’m supposed to find my Key Of Balance here…but the question is…what could my trial possibly be?” she thought to herself.  As she lost herself deep in thought, she didn’t notice that someone was heading her way!  And this someone looked like she was in a hurry!  Before Dawn could even snap herself out of it, she found herself tumbling to the ground!  When she snapped herself out of it, she immediately felt a sudden pain surge through her back!  She winced in pain as she touched her back, and stood up in pain.

 

  “Ow!” she exclaimed, as she slowly stood up!  When she was able to get on her feet, it only made things worse, as the pain in her back increased!  She winced in pain again, and just as she was about to lean herself on a nearby wall, she felt as though the wall was ridiculously…cozy!  At first, Dawn thought she was leaning her back on a pile of garbage bags, but when she touched the fabric, she noticed that it was soft…almost as that of a marshmallow!  Dawn then slowly turned around, only to see an enormous, white, round robot with small black eyes!  It looked at her and waved.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Hello, I am Baymax!” the robot said, and at that, Dawn screamed in alarm!

 

  “What do you think you’re doing, scaring me like that!?” she exclaimed.  Baymax tilted his head quizzically.

 

  “My apologies, I did not mean to startle you.  I heard you express pain, and so, I headed right towards you.” he said in a calm, relaxing voice.  At that, Dawn calmed down and winced a bit as she felt her back aching.  She then nodded.

 

  “Ah, I get it.  Because of my back.” she remarked.  Baymax then waddled towards her, and on the middle of his chest, a hologram appeared, expressing numerous faces, each with a number underneath.  Dawn wondered what this was for.

 

  “On a scale of one to ten, how do you rate your pain?” he asked.  Dawn just shook her head.

 

  “Look, I have no time for this, I need to get going now!” she said, walking away.  Baymax slowly turned around and started to follow her.  Dawn’s pain was increasing, and it was clear that she was hurting.  Baymax waddled towards her and then stopped short when Dawn noticed that he was following her!  She stared at him, and he merely blinked, and then raised his finger up.

 

  “It is not recommended to hide your pain.  Back pains can be extremely dangerous, because if not taken care of properly, you could end up with a serious vertebral injury!” Baymax explained.  Dawn was about to protest again, but instead, she just remained quite for a moment, and then decied it was best that she rest somewhere to heal her back.  She looked at Baymax and crossed her arms.

 

  “Baymax, can you take me to your owner?” she asked.  At that, the robot nodded.

 

  “Of course.  But allow me to carry you, as I recommend you do not walk for the time being.” he said.  Dawn nodded.

 

  “Alrigh then.” she replied, and with that, Baymax picked her up and cradled her in his arms.  Dawn couldn’t believe how soft and plushable this robot was, as she felt insanely comfortable!  And so, Baymax started on his way, waddling all the way through the city!  Dawn felt cozy and even a bit drowsy!  She yawned a few times, but managed to stay awake.  She couldn’t fall asleep now, not when she needed to find her Key Of Balance!  Baymax noticed her distress as he could sense her mood, and then he stopped for a moment.  Dawn was confused and looked up at him.

 

  “Why did you stop, Baymax?” she asked.  The robot tilted its head.

 

  “I have detected stress emanating from you.  Are you experiencing displeasure from your back pain, or perhaps you are suffering from some psychological trouble?” he asked.  Dawn was about to say something, but then stopped herself, for she didn’t know what to say.  This robot treated her like if she was an intensive treatment patient!  She then found her words and looked up at Baymax.

 

  “Well, the thing is, I’m currently on a very important mission, and I’m stressed over how I’m going to complete it…and well, now that I have this back pain, it’s going to make things a little more difficult!” she explained, and Baymax nodded slowly.

 

  “Hmm, I see.  Then perhaps Hiro, my owner, can be of assistance!  He and I, along with a few friends, are a team of super heroes, ready to help those in need!  We would be glad to assist you!” he said, and at that, Dawn’s eyes spelled relief as she gave out a sigh of contentment.  Baymax tilted his head.

 

  “Your stress is now gone.  For it seems that now you are in a more complacent mood.  Does this mean your condition has improved?” he asked.  Dawn smiled and nodded.

 

  “Yes, my condition’s improved indeed!  Come on Baymax, let’s go see Hiro!” she said.  Baymax nodded.

 

  “Yes, ma’am!” he replied.  Dawn blushed and shook her head.

 

  “Just Dawn is fine.”  she suggested, and Baymax nodded.

 

  “Affirmative, Dawn.  Let us go to Hiro!” the robot said, and with that, he continued to waddle through the city, making sure to stay out of the way of busy civilians so as to not discomfort Dawn.  A few minutes passed, and eventually, they reached a restaurant that seemed to have many customers inside.  Since Baymax had come to a full stop, Dawn thought this probably meant they had reached Hiro!

(End Song Here)

---

 

(Start Song Here)

  At that same moment, the battle between Kyle and Ulrich was going to the next level!  Both of them had been fighting tirelessly, none of them letting up in the slightest!  Kyle was sweating buckets, and he was panting for breath, and even though Ulrich was covered in a dark mist, the withering darkness seeping out of him indicated he was getting tuckered out as well!  Shia and Lunar kept watching silently, witnessing the events unfolding before them.  When Kyle took a deep breath, he immediately charged towards Ulrich, who also charged towards him, and the both of them clashed violently!  They hacked away at each other constantly, but it seems that neither of them were giving each other a dent!  Only sparks flew every time they clashed their Keyblades, and as much as they tried inflicting damage on each other, they were just too evenly matched!  They both reached a stalemate and then quickly leapt back!  They both took a moment to catch their breath!

 

  “Heh…you’ve got some serious bite, boy…but it won’t do you good for long.  In just a matter of seconds, your body shall be mine!” Ulrich stated.  Kyle shook his head and wiped his sweat covered forehead with his arm.

 

  “Fat chance!  I’m not going to give in!” he boldly declared!  At that, Ulrich laughed.

 

  “Hah, you seriously expect to outlast me?  I mean sure, we can keep fighting for as long as you want…but eventually, you’ll get exhausted, and then you’ll have no means of resistance against me…and that’s when I’ll win!” he said, pointing his finger at Kyle!  “You will submit to the darkness!”  Kyle merely shook his head.

 

  “Don’t you see?  There’s too much at stake right now for me to let you take over my entire being!  No matter how badly you want to possess me, I’m not going to let that happen!  I’m going to conquer you, Ulrich, and you shall become a part of my heart!” Kyle said with determination.  At that, Ulrich clenched his fists.  He was infuriated at Kyle’s undying and inhuman determination!

 

  “We’ll see about that!” he exclaimed!

 

  And with that, Ulrich gathered up as much strength as he could muster, and then he proceeded to relentlessly hack away at Kyle, amplifying his attacks with darkness so that he could be able to bring him down easier!  But no matter how hard he attacked, Kyle only kept resisting!  Ulrich was now drunk with anger, and he ewas flailing wildly and unpredictably, shooting streams of darkness everywhere!  It was then that Kyle knew he had to be more careful now, for these streams of darkness didn’t look particularly harmless!  He dodged as many of the streams of darkness as he could, but eventually, three of them passed through him, bruising his body and causing him to shout out in pain!  Shia and Lunar remained ever watchful.  They could not intervene, for this was Kyle’s fight, a fight that was meant for him alone.  Kyle knew that, and that only made his determination become even stronger!

 

  “Face it boy, you’re doomed to darkness!  You won’t be able to escape me!” Ulrich proclaimed as he attempted to thrust his Keyblade through Kyle’s heart, but Kyle just barely managed to dodge the attack, but he still got a scrape, causing him to bleed!  He gripped his Keyblade tightly and prepared to retaliate!

 

  “No…I won’t give up!” Kyle said with a defiant tone!  And so, he closed his eyes, and an immediate wave of energy started to flow through him!  At that, Ulrich opened his eyes wide!

 

  “W-what do you think you’re doing!?” Ulrich exclaimed!  Kyle took a few more seconds, and then he opened his eyes, and now they were a radiant white!  Like a light piercing through a keyhole!  His body then became covered in white markings, and he slowly rose from the ground, until he hovered a few feet above Ulrich!  Even his Keyblade was now shining with quite the remarkable brilliance!  Kyle then pointed his Keyblade at Ulrich!

 

  “I understand that you are something I can’t get rid of…you are a darkness that’s too strong to be vanquished…a darkness that refuses to submit!  You’ve been inside my heart, eating away at my life force, threatening to take possession of my entire being…and I haven’t been able to banish you!  And now, it’s clear to me what I must do…” Kyle said.  At that, Ulrich started to tremble a little.

 

  “W-what do you mean!?” he asked.

 

  “All of us carry burdens in life.  Whether they be big or small, all of us have to carry a certain burden during the course of our lifetime.  Many people succumb to despair, trying to fight against the burden they’re dealt with, while others fight it and make their burden their greatest strength!  And that’s what I’m going to turn you into!  Ulrich, you’ve been a burden to my mind, heart and soul, and you’ve tried to take me and destroy me…and now, I’m going to take matters into my own hands, and I’m going to turn you into my greatest strength!” Kyle defiantly answered.  Ulrich couldn’t understand what was going on!  Shia and Lunar looked on, impressed by what they were seeing!

 

  “It seems as though the boy’s potential has finally been realized…he’s unlocked his true power…” Shia said, and Lunar nodded.

 

  “He’s finally broken free of any doubts he had upon himself.  He’s realized that only he has the power to decide what he will do, what his life will be…and I couldn’t be more proud.” the wolf said with a smile.  They looked on, witnessing what was about to take place!

 

  “My friends…my family…everyone that I love…they’re people that I must and will protect!  And with your power at my disposal, I’ll give it everything I’ve got to protect them!” Kyle roared, and with that, he  unsummoned his Keyblade and disappeared instantly, and when he reappeared, he did so right behind Ulrich, and he held him by the arms, locking him in place so that the two would be pinned closely together!  Kyle then willed his Keyblade to appear without him having to outstretch his hand, and Ulrich was now panicking! 

 
  “W-what madness is this!?  You fool, you’re going to kill us both!” he replied in panic!  Kyle remained unflinching, and as his Keyblade hovered mere inches away from them, with a nod of his head, the Keyblade zipped past the two of them, piercing through both of their bodies!  Ulrich screamed in pain, and Kyle did as well, and just then, a blinding flash of light emerged from them, and for a moment, Shia and Lunar couldn’t see them!  But when the light subsided, they noticed that Kyle and Ulrich were now on the ground, the both of them on their knees, facing each other.  Kyle breathed heavily, but looked to be okay.  There was a visible gash on the middle of his chest that was seeping out light, and Ulrich, in turn, had a visible gash on the middle of his chest that seeped out darkness!  They both remained silent, and after a few seconds, Ulrich broke the silence.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Never did I think that I’d be defeated by the likes of you…heh, but then again…this is why I tried to take over your body in the first place…but…it seems it doesn’t matter now…” he said weakly.

 

  “You won’t be able to achieve your goals, Ulrich.  You won’t be able to hurt anyone, because now, your power will be mine, and I’ll use that power to protect the ones I love!  You lost before this battle even began!  You’ve been defeated!” Kyle said, slowly standing up, his white markings fading and his eyes turning back to normal.  His body was bruised, and he looked like he would fall the ground in exhaustion, but an inhuman willpower and strength of heart he possessed prevented him from falling down.  Ulrich stared at him and then shook his head.  He then looked up at the sky, and he closed his eyes, blood coming out of the gash on his chest.

 

  “Well…I gave it my best shot…and in the end, that’s what matters…but know this, you stupid boy.  You may have conquered me and taken my powers for your own, but know that this power will have severe consequences for you down the road.  Even if you’ve ridden yourself of me…you’ll still have the power of the Dark Light with you for as long as you live…and know that with time, that darkness will consume you…” he said.  Kyle gave out a smile.

 

  “Well, then I guess I’ll have to put up another fight when that time comes.” he remarked.  Ulrich gave out a hard laugh, and then, the darkness surrounding him faded away, finally revealing his appearance!  He was a tan skinned man with long, spiky black hair and gray eyes.  He had clothing that brought to mind that of a samurai’s robes, similar to the likes of Master Eraqus!  The robes were colored red with golden lining, and his Keyblade, which had been covered in darkness as well, was now also visible!  It had a wolf’s head at the hilt, and it was quite the majestic blade!  He looked at Kyle and gave out a sigh.

 

  “Well, with that defiant spirit of yours, it looks like you’ll best the Dark Light…something that some of us managed to do, and some of us were never able to accomplish…” he said.  Kyle nodded.

 

  “We’ll see what happens.” he replied.  Ulrich nodded.

 

  “Indeed…farewell…stupid boy.” he smirked, and with that, he stood up slowly, with a satisfied smile on his face, and the gash on his chest started to seep out darkness, which in turn, channeled itself unto Kyle!  He then dissipated from existence completely, his power now fully transplanted in Kyle!  With the darknes now enclosed in his heart, Kyle saw that his gash, which had started to seep out blood as well, had been healed completely!  His bruises now vanished, and he seemed to have a renewed sense of self, as he felt like all his weariness had washed away!  He now felt in full control of his body!  He then saw Ulrich’s Keyblade on the ground, and he walked towards it and picked it up, observing it.

 

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the Keyblade had the etching of a wolf face above the hilt of the Keyblade, just above the handle, and the teeth of the blade looked like wisps of light and darkness, with the teeth being shaped to resemble half of a heart.  It had some strings of grey-colored light, representing the Dark Light, with a heart-like icon somewhere on the head of the blade, and wisps of Twilight on the shaft of the blade.  The handle resembled a grey colored doric column, with the guard and the motif being light and darkness themed, and the keychain looked like it was made out of black and white Crystals.  The keycharm looked like a grey colored wisp of a grey colored light, representing the Dark Light, and it was shaped like a heart! Kyle couldn’t help but feel wonder as he stared at this Keyblade! Shia and Lunar then approached him, and he noticed them coming and nodded at them.  They stopped when they were a few feet apart from him, and they smiled.

 

  “You have done it, Kyle!  You have conquered the Deity inside you, and now, his power is yours!  Now you will have the strength to save Ventus and your friends!” Lunar said.  Kyle nodded.

 

  “Yeah…and now, I won’t stop.  I’m not going to stop fighting until I see this through to the very end!  This war won’t take the lives of any more people, because I’m going to help to put a stop to it!” he said, with fierce determination.  Shia nodded.

 

  “I see that your fiery will and undying determination have earned you your Key Of Balance…congratulations…” she said, and at that, Kyle gasped and looked at the Keyblade he was holding in his hand!  He then looked at them and looked at the Keyblade again.

 

  “Wait…you’re saying that this Keyblade is a Key Of Balance?  But wait…why did Ulrich have it?” he asked.  Shia crossed her arms.

 

  “During the time that Ulrich was in your heart, it seems that your repeated attempts to resist him and refuse the darkness he had beckoned your Key, for it recognized that you were a young man with a strong heart and undeniable willpower.  But you still had doubts about yourself, so your Key had not materialized yet.  It lay dormant in your heart all this time…and when Ulrich manifested himself here, he only wielded the shadow of what your Key is.  Once he became a part of your heart, your Key took on its true form…and now, it is finally yours.” she answered.  Kyle was amazed by all this!

 

  “Wow…I can’t believe I’ve been holding a Keyblade like this within my heart all this time!  I can feel its power…and it has an extraordinary weight on it…” he said, feeling the heavyness of the Keyblade.

 

  “That is because it wields great power…power that you wield.  And now, that power is what will help you and your friends put a stop to all this madness, and hopefully, bring peace to all the worlds.  Kyle…you must prepare for the trials ahead, for your path will not be an easy one to tread.” he explained.  Kyle nodded.

 

  “I know…I know that this path is filled with danger and many obstacles…but I’m not going to sway from it!  I’ve been given a responsibility…to put a stop to the Keyblade War, and to bring peace to the worlds, protecting my friends and family in the process!  I’m not going to back away from this, no matter the consequences!  You know that I’m speaking the truth, Lunar.” he said with iron willed determination!  Lunar smiled and looked at Shia.

 

  “You see?  This is why he is so strong.  His willingness to give his life for his beliefs…that’s what makes Kyle so special!  And I couldn’t be more proud!” he said.  Shia nodded and then took off her Hood, revealing a young, tan skinned face with emerald green eyes and dark blonde hair! She gave a bow to Kyle, and he bowed back.

 

  “So, what’s the name of this Key Of Balance?” he asked.  The wind rustled through the grasslands momentarily, and after a short silence, Shia smiled.

 

  “Lunar Ascension.”

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

 

And so, Kyle has gained his Key Of Balance, while Kairi and Dawn are on their way to obtaining theirs!  What awaits the other chosen two?  And what is the enemy up to?  Stay tuned for Chapter Twenty Four: “The Life Of A Chosen.”

 

Well then everyone, that’s the chapter!  I hope that you all enjoyed yourselves!  Sorry that it took a little longer to post, but there were some days when I wasn’t using my laptop, so that’s why the chapter got delayed a bit, so my apologies!  But well, I hope that what this chapter brought was worth the wait for all of you!  As always, thank you very much for your patience and support, and as always, be sure to comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter!  Until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

 

Edit: Also, special thanks to KHLegendIII for Lunar Ascension's design, and for Shia!

Edited January 26, 20169 yr by The Transcendent Key

YES!

Very nice! I enjoyed that very much. Kyle taking out himself and Ulrich kind of reminds me of when Rumplestiltskin had to kill Peter Pan in Once Upon A Time. Nice job.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAA!!!! Those two chapters were AMAZING!!!!! I LOVED the parts in the Keyblade Graveyard, and can't wait to see what will happen with Kairi and Dawn.

To KHLegendIII, HYPE UP, BUDDY!

 

To KingdomHearts3, thanks, I'm glad you liked the chapter!  Ooh, I remember that part from Once Upon A Time!  Neverland was definitely a great arc! X_X

 

To Keyblade101, haha, thanks, I'm very glad you liked both chapters!  I can assure you that many things will await Kairi and Dawn, so brace yourself!  I'm glad you enjoyed the parts in the Keyblade Graveyard!  Personally, I loved those parts too!

 

Hey there everyone, how’s it going!?  I hope that all of you are doing okay!  So then, we’re already on February, huh?  I gotta say, January was a pretty good start to the year, if you ask me!  Thanks to God, everything was peaceful!  Sadly, we haven’t gotten any big Kingdom Hearts news as of yet, but hopefully, that’ll change with the coming months!  After all, Nomura did say that Kingdom Hearts III is in an important stage of development, so odds are that we’ll be getting a healthy dose of news soon!  Let’s keep our fingers crossed!   But anyways, what am I doing?  I’m talking too much!   Haha, but without further ado, here is the next chapter!  Enjoy!

 

Chapter Twenty Four: The Life Of A Chosen

 

  After having walked from the docks to the village to then proceed towards a big town, Kairi noticed that Arendelle was quite a big place!  She marveled at how amazing the architecture was, and she smiled as she saw the people going about their lives, happily and peacefully.  Children were playing near a water fountain, elderly people were taking calm strolls throughout the town, and the rest of the populace were deeply focused on their daily lives.  Kairi noticed that there was a degree of respect and civility, and then she looked at Elsa, who was walking by her side.  She marveled at her beauty, and she noticed that she was a wise looking queen, despite looking to be so young!  She was curious to know as to how her heritage came about, but she didn’t want to seem nosy.  Elsa took notice of this and smiled.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “I bet you’re wondering how I’m a Queen at such a young age, am I right?” she asked.  At that, Kairi perked herself up and blushed a bit with embarrassment.

 

  “I-I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I didn’t mean to uh, what I mean is…” she stuttered, but Elsa simply giggled and raised her hand.

 

  “Don’t worry, Kairi, be at ease.  You don’t have to act so formally around me.  I’m an approachable person, you know.” she stated, and at that, Kairi nodded and felt a bit more relaxed.  Elsa then looked up to the sky and stopped for a moment, and then Kairi stopped.

 

  “Well, to tell you the truth…I didn’t ask to be Queen at such a young age…the truth is, my parents left on a journey when my sister Anna and I were children…but sadly, the ship they were on was swallowed by the waves, and they died at sea…” Elsa said, trailing off for a moment.  At that, Kairi felt saddened, and she regretted having raised the topic about Elsa’s royal heritage.  She bowed her head down.

 

  “I’m sorry, Elsa…I didn’t mean to bring back any sad memories…” she apologized, but Elsa shook her head and smiled.

 

  “No, no, there’s no harm done, please don’t worry!  But anyways, after they died, I was left as the heir to the throne, and so I became Queen of Arendelle.  Granted though, the responsibility that fell on my shoulders was a lot more than I could handle at first…and there were times when I thought I’d just fall into despair, drowning in my own insecurities…and I even ran away at one point…” Elsa said, reminiscing her past.  At that, Kairi felt speechless!  She would never have imagined Elsa having these kinds of problems!  Although when thinking about it, hearing Elsa speak about her struggles mirrored the struggles she was currently facing as a Keyblade Wielder and Princess Of Heart!  And so, she could relate to Elsa, and feel the things she had been through!

 

  “So…why exactly did you run away in the first place?” Kairi asked, feeling curious.

 

  “Oh, well, you see, it was because of my ice powers!” she said, and with that, she summoned a snowflake into her hand.  She weaved and twirled it, and then made it float around Kairi for a few seconds.  Kairi stood in awe of this, and then Elsa made the snowflake vanish.  “I couldn’t even manage that before…I was very unstable with my powers…but thanks to my sister Anna, I was able to learn how to control my powers, and I could finally show the world my true self, instead of concealing it!” she explained.  Kairi smiled.

 

  “Wow, Anna sounds like such an amazing person!” she said.  Elsa nodded.

 

  “Oh, she is!  Without her…I don’t think I’d be here today.  And so I owe my life to her, she’s everything to me!” she said with a smile.  A few seconds after, they reached the palace, and the guards opened the gates.  “Well then, we’ve arrived.” Elsa said.  And with that, she and Kairi went inside the palace.

 

  Going through the palace, Kairi noticed all the spacious rooms and the portraits of who seemed to be Elsa’s parents!  They looked like honest and just people.  They must have been loving parents when they were alive!  When they ascended a set of stairs, they finally arrived to the throne room, and then Elsa sat on her throne, and Kairi remained standing.  Elsa nodded at the guards.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Leave us, please.” she said.  And so, the guards obliged without question.  Elsa then proceeded to use her powers, and then she formed a castle of ice.  Well, it seemed more like a sort of projection of a castle of ice, and Kairi wondered where Elsa was going with this.  And soon enough, Elsa stood up and then walked to Kairi’s side and stood by her, looking at the ice castle.  Kairi looked at her and then looked at the ice castle.

 

  “So, am I to guess that my Key Of Balance is in there?” she asked.  Elsa nodded.

 

  “Yes…I was informed about the Keyblade War that’s inevitably coming, and even though I know this war will be of disastrous consequence, I’ve already done all that I can to ensure my people’s safety.  Thankfully, they’re all prepared for what’s to come.  Alaya informed me that I would receive a chosen of the Key Of Balance, and that I was to tell her of her mission.  And, as it seems, you’re the chosen that came to me.” she answered.  Kairi then crossed her arms and kept looking at the castle.

 

  “So, what can I expect to find in there?” she asked.  Elsa then flicked her wrist, causing the ice castle to dissipate, and within seconds, she formed a silhouette of some horrendous creature that towered above them!  Kairi assumed it was a Heartless, or possibly an Unborn!

 

  “As you’ve seen, there’s an ice castle that has surfaced not far from here.  Said castle has been around for a few weeks now, and ever since, my people have been frought with worry, and Kristoff tells me that he’s heard some horrendous howls coming from the mountains where he gathers ice!  I went on an expedition with my soldiers to investigate…and when I went there, the creature I saw was horrifying…it was unlike anything I had ever crossed before!  It was completely covered in ice, and it almost seemed to look like some sort of mistress!  Our first immediate priority was taking the creature down, but…words are easier being said than doing the deeds.  We tried to fight the creature, but my soldiers were slain, and I was the only one left to oppose it…” she said, and then she paused, as her face grew grim.  Kairi felt she was going to hear something bad next!

 

  “Elsa…what’s wrong?” Kairi asked with a worried tone.  The Queen of Arendelle gave out a deep sigh and looked at Kairi before taking a deep breath.

 

  “That creature…it has my sister held hostage…she had decided to investigate the creature by sneaking into its castle, but she was found out, and now she’s being held as a prisoner…and what’s worse, Kristoff is also a prisoner!  I dread about what would happen if they were to die…” Elsa said with a worried tone.  Kairi felt her heart sink, and then she clenched her fists. She couldn’t bear seeing Elsa suffer like this, and she knew that this was hard on her.  Immediately, Kairi offered a reassuring smile, and put her hand on Elsa’s shoulder.  The young Queen looked at her with silence, for she had nothing more to say.

 

  “Elsa, I’m going to that ice castle, and I’m going to defeat that creature, and I’ll free Anna and Kristoff!  I’ll do this for you!” she said with a determined expression apparent on her face.  Elsa nodded and smiled sadly.

 

  “Thank you very much, Kairi.  You don’t know how much I appreciate this…but I must warn you…the creature is a powerful force to be reckoned with!  Not even I was able to defeat it, and I had all my powers at my disposal!  If you want to defeat the creature, you’ll have to test your mettle to its limit, and you have to give it your all…and I’m afraid that even with all that, the battle ahead will be a rough one.”  Elsa said, and then she paused, put her hand to her chest, and then looked at Kairi.  “That’s why…I’m coming with you!” she said with fiery determination!  Just then, a sudden explosion took place near the palace gates, and the guards came running towards Elsa, panick apparent in their eyes!  Alarmed, Kairi and Elsa went towards them!

 

(Start Song Here)

  “What’s wrong!?  What just happened!?”  Kairi asked.

 

  “It’s horrible…an entire army stands outside the palace gates!” one of the guards stated!  At that, Elsa’s eyes opened wide, and she seemed to tremble for a moment!

 

  “An army…?” she asked, not believing what she was hearing!  The other guard nodded.

 

  “Yes!  They call themselves the Knights Of Ygdrassil!” he said, and at that, Kairi recognized that name!  She immediately darted outside, with Keyblade in hand!  Elsa noticed this, and she quickly ran behind her!  The guards came as well!

 

  When they reached the gates, they noticed that the village laying beyond the palace was in flames!  Elsa gasped in horror and shock as she saw the scenery unfolding, and her people were running amok in panic, not knowing what to do!  Many of her soldiers had tried to stop the advancing enemy army, but they were slain on the spot, their bodies scattered everywhere!  Elsa put her hands to her mouth, sobbing as she couldn’t believe the sudden destruction that had come!  Kairi gritted her teeth and couldn’t believe what she was seeing!  She raised her Keyblade, ready for a fight!

 

  “You!  All of you!  What have you done!?” she exclaimed!  The Knights Of Ygdrassil were about to charge towards her, but then, their leader raised her hand, ordering them to stop!  They, of course, stopped, and their leader went walking towards Kairi until she was a few feet away from her!  Kairi gripped her Keyblade tightly, ready for anything!  Elsa also prepared herself as she summoned her ice magic!  The woman standing in front of them took off her helmet, her long, raven hair weaving into locks as she removed it!  Her piercing hazel brown eyes stared at the two women, and she gave a bow.

 

  “Well, this is quite the honor!  Here I get the chance to meet the Queen of Arendelle in the flesh, and I also get the added bonus of meeting one of the legendary Keyblade Wielders of our time, Princess Of Heart, Kairi!  Truly, it is an honor to meet you!” she said as she bowed to them once again!  Elsa weaved her hands and formed ice crystals bigger than her, and she pointed them at the woman!

 

  “What do you want!?” she demanded!  The woman gave out a chuckle and raised her hands in a mocking expression!

 

  “What?  You won’t allow me an introduction?  How rude of you!” she declared.  Kairi pointed her Keybalde at the woman.

 

  “Who are you!?” Kairi asked, practically in a very forced and menacing tone!  The woman waved her hair to her right side, and she put her hand on her chest.

 

  “I am Lilith Valkyrie, commander of the Knights Of Ygdrassil, hailing from the land of Valhalla!  I’ve come on a journey with my loyal soldiers to seek out new worlds and find new opponents to conquer!  We’ve conquered all in Valhalla, and we want to see if any other worlds have any worthy opponents for us to do battle with!  It’s quite simple, really!” she explained.  Kairi and Elsa both glanced at each other uneasily, and then they immediately turned their attention back on Lilith, who seemed amused.

 

  “So, you’re simply going across the worlds to pick fights with other people?  I find that hard to believe…especially given the fact that I overheard you talking about finding the Forger back in Disney Castle!” Kairi said, narrowing her eyes at Lilith!  Lilith, in turn, seemed a bit surprised.

 

  “Ah, so you were in that pitifully destroyed world when we crossed through?  Odd.  I didn’t sense anyone when we marched through…could it be that you’re so weak that I can’t even sense your power?  Huh, well that’s something to worry about.  You, a Princess Of Heart should be beaming with energy, and yet, given the fact that I didn’t even sense you back there indicates there’s something wrong with you!  Hmm, most interesting…” she said in a curious tone.  At that, Kairi felt her grip on her Keyblade tighten, for she was now getting angry!

 

  “Don’t change the subject!  What do you want with the Forger!?” Kairi demanded.  At that, Lilith crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

 

  “That’s not your concern, girl…my business with the Forger is strictly my own.  I don’t need to divulge any of that information to you…” she said, and then she looked at Elsa.  “And how about you, majestic Queen?  Will you be an opponent worthy of my skill?” she asked, summong a radiant and magnificent looking sword, pointing it at her!  Kairi immediately pointed her Keyblade at her!

 

  “If you want to go through her, you’ll have to go through me first!” she said with fierce determination!  But Elsa then shook her head, urging Kairi to stand down.

 

  “No…you already have your duty to fulfill…and I have mine…I’m sorry Kairi, but I cannot go with you…I need to protect my kingdom from further destruction, even if it’s at the cost of my own life!” she declared, and at that, Kairi remained silent, for she knew she couldn’t say anything that would make Elsa sway from her decision!  Reluctantly, she nodded and then turned around, ready to set off.

 

  “Just…stay alive, you hear?” she asked as she glanced back at Elsa.  They both nodded at each other.  Lilith pointed her finger at Kairi.

 

  “Yes, you run along now and let me deal with the Queen.  After I defeat her, you’ll be next!” she declared.  At that, Kairi gave a defiant glare to Lilith and pointed her Keyblade at her!

 

  “We’ll just see about that!” Kairi said, and with that, she ran off, running as fast as she could towards the ice castle that Elsa had shown her!

(End Song Here)

 

  Meanwhile, at said ice castle, the creature that Elsa had been talking about was perched high above the highest tower of the castle!  It looked towards the horizon, while Anna and Kristoff were in an ice cage, and the two of them were helpless to do anything about it!  And so, they sat there in their cage, despairing and growing ever more worried for Arendelle’s safety!

 

  “Darn it, if only that thing hadn’t caught me sneaking in here, I could’ve been able to find out more about it, and see if it had any weaknesses, you know?  I really need to work on keeping quiet…” Anna said.  Even though they were in a precarious situation, she seemed to be as bubbly as usual.  Kristoff appreciated this about her, for it made the situation at hand seem less depressing.

 

  “Hah, keeping quite, that’s for sure!  You do sometimes talk a bit too much…” he said.  At that, Anna punched his shoulder!

 

  “Hey, that’s so mean!” she replied, and then the two of them laughed!  But no sooner than they had begun laughing, the snow creature gave out a terrifying roar, and they both fell silent!

 

  “Okay…it looks like this creature doesn’t enjoy the sound of laughter…that’s so cold…” she whispered.  Kristoff gave off a chuckle.

 

  “Ha, nice pun there, right Svenn?” he asked, looking to his side, but he noticed that his beloved reindeer companion was not there.  He then gave out a sigh.  “Oh yeah, that’s right…he’s not here.” he said in a grim tone.  Anna looked at him sadly and then went over to him, and they both embraced each other.  They held each other close, feeling each other’s warmth!

 

  “It’ll be okay, Kristoff.  I’m sure that Svenn is safe and sound with Olaf!  As long as we know they’re outside of this castle and out of harm’s way, that’s good enough, don’t you think so?” she asked, looking up at him.  He gave a nod and a sad smile.

 

  “Yeah, you’re right…but still, I just miss him, that’s all.  If only there was some way for us to get out of here!” he said as he stood up, stretching his arms and legs.  While he did this, Anna couldn’t help but feel a strong tug at her heart!  She couldn’t explain it, but somehow, what just happened made Anna have a sliver of hope, which in turn, made her stand up quickly, resulting in her holding Kristoff by the shoulders!  He hadn’t noticed her sprining up, so he was caught by surprise! 

 

  “Uh…what is it?” he asked.  Anna gave a smile.

 

  “I can’t put it exactly into words…but I feel as if someone’s coming to save us!” she said excitedly!  Kristoff gave a nod and smiled.  If Anna had hope, he learned he should hope as well!

---

 

  At that same moment, Raxon’s eyes flashed open!  He gasped for breath and quickly sat up, and it took a few seconds for him to realize that he was in what seemed to be a room!  He looked around for a moment and noticed Sky, who was sleeping peacefully in a bed beside him.  Noticing how peaceful Sky seemed, Raxon thought it was best not to wake him, so the pirate stood up quietly and walked out of the room.  As he walked out, he noticed that he was just fine…he remembered having fought Jexana and having been severly wounded, but when he looked at himself, he noticed that most of his wounds had healed completely!  Only a scar or two remained!  He looked around and noticed he seemed to be in some sort of grand hall.  He walked down a set of stairs, and then, he saw a woman, leaning her back against the wall.  She took notice of him and then walked towards him.  He didn’t think this woman was a danger, so he didn’t summon his Keyblade.  The woman stopped just in front of him.

 

  “I see that you are already around and about.  How are your wounds?” she asked.  Raxon moved his arms a bit, stretching them out and feeling a bit drowsy.

 

  “Well, I gotta say, I feel much better…that bed in that there room must work some kind of miracles, because my wounds have mostly been healed!  Tell me woman, was that your doing?” he asked.  She nodded.

 

  “Yes.  I placed you and your little friend in the healing chamber so that you’d be able to recover from your wounds.  I’m glad to see that you’ve recovered.  How is your little moogle friend faring?” she asked. 

 

  “He’s alright, just asleep.  I didn’t want to wake him.  The name’s Raxon, by the way, and thank you for your help.” he said as he bowed gratefully to her.  She smiled.

 

  “You are most welcome.  I am Alaya, and I am glad to have been of service to you.  Welcome to my home.” she said as she bowed in courtesy.  Raxon nodded, and then he noticed two men that were walking towards him!  As with Alaya, he didn’t sense any danger coming from them, so he didn’t summon his Keyblade.  They both approached him and eyed him over.

 

  “Hey there!  Glad to see that you’re doing okay!  You were almost dead, you know!” said the man with black spiky hair and yellow eyes.  Raxon then recognized the two!

 

  “Wait…you two were the ones who brought me and Sky in here to get healed, aren’t you?” he asked.  The two men nodded.

 

  “That’s right.  I’m Vanitas, and this is Dexeres.” Vanitas said as he gave introductions.  Raxon nodded.

 

  “I see.  Thank you both for your help.  I’m Raxon, and the little moogle that you found along with me is my friend Sky.  We’re indebted to ye.” he said.  Dexeres waved his hands dismissively.

 

  “Think nothing of it. We were glad to help!” he said.  Raxon simply smiled, but then, as he remembered a bit more of what happened before, he noticed that Kyle was not here!  He then opened his eyes wide in alarm, and he looked at Vanitas, Dexeres and Alaya with a panicked expression!  They noticed this, and immediately their expressions changed, for they grew concerned!

 

  “What is it Raxon, what’s wrong?” Vanitas asked.

 

  “Kyle!  He’s not here!” Raxon answered worriedly!  At that, Vanitas’ eyes opened up widely, and he grabbed Raxon by the shoulders and shook him!

 

  “You know Kyle!?  How!?  When!?” Vanitas demanded.  Dexeres quickly pushed him away from Raxon.

 

  “Vanitas, calm yourself, can’t you see Raxon’s panicking!?” he exclaimed!  Vanitas was a bit shaken for a moment, but then he regained himself and cleared his throat.

 

  “Yeah…sorry about that.  But tell us Raxon…how is it that you know Kyle?  I ask because he’s a friend of ours.  Do you know where he is?” he asked calmly.  Raxon nodded slowly.

 

  “Aye…but it be a long story, but I’ll try to put it together as best as I can.  You see, Sky and I met Kyle while we were traveling between worlds!  We were at odds with each other, but we eventually came to an understanding and decided to help each other, since we were both heading out to do what we needed to do!  We traveled together, and we fought together, and we learned that he was searching for his parents!  There came a point when we actually came upon Kyle’s father, in Jexana’s ship…” he said.  At that, Vanitas’ eyes opened wide once again!

 

  “Wait…you’re saying that Kyle went to confront Ventus in the state he was in?” he asked.  Raxon nodded.

 

  “Aye…but then things turned into one fine mess, and I clashed with that damned Jexana…I was so blinded by my thirst for vengeance, that I got careless, and I got fatally wounded…but just then, a portal of darkness opened, and Sky and I were sucked into it…and that was the last we saw of Kyle.  He was aboard Jexana’s airship.  I know not what the boy’s fate be now…” he said as he clenched his fists.  Vanitas felt a boiling rage seep up from inside him, but he calmed himself down.  He looked at Dexeres and then stormed off to clear his head!  Dexeres remained with Alaya and Raxon.  He had a worried look on his face!

 

  “This is bad…Kyle’s out there by himself, taking on Jexana, and that can’t be good…especially with Ventus in Jexana’s trance!  That boy’s doomed himself to death!” he said as he bowed his head down, thinking of how horrible it would be if they all lost their friend!

 

  “Alas, there is no need to worry.  For this boy, Kyle, is doing quite alright.  I have sensed his energy, and I now know that he has obtained his Key Of Balance.  Hmm, so he is the first of the three chosen to have obtained their Key.  I must say, I am most impressed.” Alaya said as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes.  Dexeres opened his eyes up in surprise!

 

  “Wait, you’re saying that Kyle is a chosen?  And he’s already obtained his Key Of Balance?  That’s incredible!  But wait, if you’ve sensed that, then that means he’s alright!” Dexeres supposed.  Alaya shook her head.

 

  “He may be alright for the moment, but many trials still await him.  He has to go through all this as best as he can.” she remarked.  Raxon felt a surge of relief go through him.  At least Kyle was okay for the moment!  Just then, Mickey came running towards them!  He was panting, and the look on his face indicated something was seriously wrong!

 

(Start Song Here)

  “What is it, Mickey?” Alaya asked.  He took a moment to catch his breath before anwering!

 

  “Well, the thing is, Minnie and I have detected numerous enemies heading our way!  And they aren’t Heartless or Unborn!” he stated!  At that, Raxon tilted his head.

 

  “Huh?  Detected?” he asked.  Alaya nodded.

 

  “I will explain once we get there!  Let us go to the projection room at once!” she answered.  And so, all of them went towards said  projection room that Alaya had just mentioned, and when they arrived, all the other Keyblade Wielders were there, and they bore heavy expressions of worry on their faces!  Alaya stood by Riku’s side and then turned to face the projection in front of them.  Raxon stared in wonder.

 

  “Whoa, what be that, mistress?” he asked.

 

  “This is the projection room, and here, projections manifested by magic take form.  It serves as a sort of hub for finding out when things are amiss in other worlds, or if there is something approaching that could pose a threat!” she answered before giving pause.  Her face then grew quite agape with worry as well!  “And it seems as though we have something dangerous coming along our way…” she finished.  Raxon understood her explanation, and then he looked at the projection, and noticed that it was a sort of map, and there were numerous dots in one fixed location!  They were colored red, and they seemed to be moving at a rapid pace!  Soon after, more red dots appeared from the far right side of the map, and then he saw how the dots moved from one small icon to another.  He assumed that these icons represented other worlds.  For example, one such icon had many trees and a small cottage.  He assumed this was the Dwarf Woodlands, homeworld to one of the Princesses Of Heart!  When the red dots passed through it, the icon became marked with an x, signifying that something bad had happened!  The others were whispering to each other in worrysome tones, and then he stood forward and pointed at the worlds that were marked with an x, which were a few.

 

  “All those x marks appearing in this map…do they signify worlds falling to darkness?” he asked.  The others nodded grimly.

 

  “Yes…and I just can’t believe this is happening so fast!  We didn’t even expect something like this to happen so soon!  Things are marching forward at a rapid pace!  At this rate, we’ll be overwhelmed before we’re even able to mount a potent attack!  And it doesn’t help that it’s just us against who knows how many enemies…this is a dire situation…” Riku explained.  Gilgamesh nodded.

 

  “Indeed, Master Riku.  We need to go to other worlds as fast as we can, or otherwise, we shall risk losing them to darkness as well!  Even if the odds are impossible, we need to at least try to hold the fiends back as long as we can!  And we also have Kosaku’s counsel to count on as well, so at least we have some bit of help!” he said.  The others nodded in agreement.  Suddenly, the projection of the map started to change, and it was blinking, almost as if it was signifying something!  The others were confused, but Alaya knew what this meant.

 

  “It is Master Yen Sid.” she said.  With that, she pressed her finger on the blinking light, and the projection immediately weaved together to form Yen Sid’s silhouette!  All of the Keyblade Wielders bowed in respect, and so did Raxon!  Yen Sid bowed back, and then Alaya nodded.

 

  “I assume that you are aware of the current situation?” she asked.  Yen Sid nodded.

 

  “Indeed, I am very well aware.  I saw many stars have their lights snuffed out, and I knew that this meant that many worlds fell to darkness…but I was surprised that this came about so quickly!  Never did I imagine this would happen in such an early phase of the war!  But, then again, war is unpredictable, and as such, we must all be prepared for the unexpected!  Ah, and I should let you know now, I have gathered all the Princesses Of Heart here to my tower, and as such, all of them are safe, though sadly, I was not able to do anything to save their worlds from destruction.  I was barely able to bring them to my tower, so I am thankful I was able to muster my magic just in time!” he said as he stroked his beard.  He then put his arms behind his back.  “It seems that the war has already started, and countless worlds are doomed to suffer the consequences of this senseless battle…which is why we must act swiftly!  The worlds that have not yet been touched by the war can still be protected!” he said with a stern tone.  Everyone nodded.  At that, Raxon remembered something!

 

  “Everyone, I think I have some information that might be useful…” he said.  At that, everyone’s eyes turned towards him!

 

  “Yes?  What is it?” Vanitas asked.  Raxon cleared his throat.

 

  “Well, being a pirate and all, I’ve traveled to a great many worlds, seen many things…and through all my travels, there’s this one world that I went to one time that had immensely powerful people.  They had impressive abilities that could rival those of a Keyblade Wielder!  They all seemed of good intentions, so I think I may be able to contact them to see if they can be able to help us with this war…” he said.  It was in that moment, that after he explained this, he could feel the tension in the room subside, for it seems everyone felt relieved by what he said!

 

  “Oh gosh, that’s great!  Any help we can get is most welcome!  Thank you for telling this to us, um…” Mickey trailed off, since he didn’t know the boy’s name.

 

  “Oh, that’s right, sorry about that, mates.  My name’s Raxon.” he said.  Mickey nodded and smiled.

 

  “Right!  Thanks, Raxon!” the little mouse said.  Then they looked at Yen Sid.

 

  “Good.  At least we now have a possible means of turning things to our advantage, however small the chance.  Let us hope that luck is on our side.  Good luck to you all.” he said, and the others nodded.  He then nodded in farewell and ended communications.  He stroked his beard and thought deeply to himself.  Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, who had been with him while he was talking, looked at him.

 

  “Oh, what’s going to happen now, Master Yen Sid?” Fauna asked.  At that, the old wizard slowly stood up from his chair, walked towards the door leading downstairs, and then he summoned his…Keyblade!  Starseeker!  He gripped it tightly and nodded.  “It is time to take matters into our own hands…” he said.

(End Song Here)

---

 

  Meanwhile, at San Fransokyo, Dawn and Baymax had arrived to a restaurant, and judging by how Baymax had stopped there, it probably meant that this is where Hiro was!  She then tapped Baymax’s chest.

 

  “Alright, you can put me down now.” she said.

 

  “Of course.  As you wish!” he said, and he slowly put Dawn down, as she stood on her feet, feeling a lot better.  It seemed as though being carried around by Baymax had healed her back pain, since he was as soft as a marshmallow!  They then proceeded to go inside of the restaurant, and the minute they got in, an enthusiastic, energetic looking brunette woman came and greeted them!

 

  “Hey Baymax, I was wondering where you were!  I’m glad you’re back!  And I see you brought a girl!  Is she a candidate for Hiro?” she asked, giving a teasing wink to Dawn, who immediately blushed!  Dawn quickly flailed her arms, shaking her head and seemingly denying the woman’s statement!

 

  “No, it’s not like that at all! I already have a boyfriend!  I was just looking for Hiro because I think he may be able to help me find something that I’m looking for in this city!” she stated.  The woman nodded.

 

  “Ah, I see.  Well, if you need help finding something, then you came to the right place!  Hiro’s upstairs!  I’m Cass, by the way!” she said, extending her hand for a handshake.  Dawn smiled and shook it gratefully.

 

  “Thank you.  And I’m Dawn!  Nice to meet you!” she said.  And just as she finished talking, Baymax started to act weird!  Dawn tilted her head in confusion as she saw Baymax waddling in a way that seemed to indicate he was dizzy!  And was it just her, or was Baymax a bit deflated?

 

  “Um…what’s wrong with Baymax?” she asked.  Cass immediately went towards him and helped him stand! 

 

  “Oh, whenever he gets like this, usually it’s because his battery’s almost depleted!  Come on, help me get him up to his charging station!” she said, and Dawn quickly headed towards her, holding Baymax, and with the two of them helping him up, they made their way upstairs.  It was a bit of a struggle, especially since Baymax was constantly leaning back, almost making them fall down the stairs!  He tried to apologize, but his voice sounded all gurgly and bubbly!  After a few minutes, they were able to bring Baymax upstairs to Hiro’s room!  They knocked on the door, but there was no response!  Cass knocked again, but still, there was no response! Just as Cass was about to knock on the door one more time, the door swung open abruptly, and a young boy with spiky black hair and brown eyes came out!

 

  “I’m sorry Aunt Cass, I’ll do the dishes now—“ he said before cutting his own sentence short, noticing Baymax was deflated!  “Oh!  Baymax!  His battery!” he shouted!  Dawn and Cass nodded, and with Hiro’s help, they were able to bring Baymax into his room, which was a bit messy right now, with a mountain of crinkled paper to one side, and a mountain of books on another side!  A few clothes were scattered on the floor, and there was a computer turned on!  Even with the mess of a room, they were able to put Baymax into his charging station, and immediately after, Baymax started to inflate again!  They all gave out a sigh of relief!

 

  “Whew!  Well, I’m glad that’s done!  Anyways Hiro, I need you to wash the dishes soon, you hear?” Cass mentioned.  Hiro nodded and smiled.

 

  “Yeah, don’t worry Aunt Cass, I’ll get on it in a jiff!” he said.  With that, Cass left the room, and now, only Baymax, Hiro and Dawn remained.  Dawn quickly stood up and brushed herself off and Hiro did as well.  He stretched his arms and legs and then sat on his bed.

 

  “So then, what can I help you with?  I’m Hiro Hamada, at your service!” he introduced himself!

 

  “Hello Hiro, I’m Dawn, and it’s very nice to meet you!  I was wondering if you could help me out with something!  The thing is, I’ve come here because I’m searching for a certain object, a…key, if you will.” she explained.  At that, Hiro rubbed his chin and closed his eyes, entering himself deep in thought!

 

  “Hmm, a key, huh?  Well, I’m good at finding things, especially when fighting criminals, so I’m sure that finding a simple key should be a walk in the park!” he said.  Dawn giggled softly to herself.

 

  “If only it were that simple…” she thought to herself.  Hiro then went on his computer and started to search for information!  Dawn sat down on a nearby chair and remained silent, waiting patiently while Hiro was searching for whatever it was he was searching!  Baymax was in his charging station, and all this time, his attention had been fixed on Dawn!  He remained silent, simply blinking while looking at her!  She wondered why he was staring at her so much, so she went towards him and poked his belly!

 

  “Do I have something in my face, Baymax?” she asked.  The robot shook his head.

 

  “No, not at all, Dawn.  I am simply scanning you to check and see how you are doing!  After all, even though you recovered from your back pain, I must still run a series of diagnostics to determine if your back has fully healed!” he explained.  Dawn was flabbergasted by this, and she blushed momentarily.

 

  “Wait, you mean, you were doing a full body scan!?” she exclaimed, making Hiro jump from his seat!  Baymax nodded.

 

  “Indeed.  Though I detect this has resulted in some distress for you, based on your tone of voice.  Was my body scan discomforting for you?” he asked.  Dawn shook her head.

 

  “N-no, I didn’t even feel anything, but that’s not the point here!  The point is that you were scanning my body without even telling me!” she said, obviously embarrassed.  Hiro walked over to her and laughed.  She then turned her head towards him and had her mouth open wide!

 

  “Hey, just what do you think is so funny!?” she exclaimed!  He shook his head.

 

  “Ha, it’s just that your reaction was funny!  I can’t blame you though, I reacted the same way when Baymax body scanned me for the first time, but you get used to it over time, so I wouldn’t worry about it.  After all, he’s only trying to help!” he said with a cheerful smile.  At that, Dawn felt bad for having shouted at Baymax, and she bowed her head in apology.

 

  “I’m sorry Baymax, I’m very sorry for having shouted at you!” she said.  Baymax simply shook his head.

 

  “There is no need to apologize, Dawn.” he said calmly, and then, a buzz rang in his head.  “Scan complete.  Your back still has a slight bit of inflammation, so you should make it a point to rest and make sure not to overexert yourself, otherwise, you could face the possibility of sustaining a heavy injury!” he explained.  Dawn was undeniably impressed by this analysis, and then she bowed appreciately.

 

  “Thank you for your analysis Baymax, you’re being a great help!” she said with a smile.  Baymax nodded and waved his hand in a warm gesture.

 

  “Do not mention it.  After all, I am a healthcare companion, so it is my duty to watch over people and help them whenever they have any physical or mental problems!” he said.  Dawn was impressed, and she was surprised by how this robot talked to her so fluidly, like if she was talking to another human!  She then looked at Hiro, who had a smile on his face!

 

  “Some piece of work, huh?” he asked.  Dawn nodded in agreement.

 

  “Oh, definitely.  I’m very impressed!  Did you make him all by yourself, Hiro?” she asked.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “No, not at all.  My brother Tadashi worked on him though.  He spent many days of his life, devoting himself to creating a healthcare companion that could be able to help a lot of people!  That’s all my brother ever wanted, you know?  A chance to be able to make a difference in the world and help as many people as he could.  Granted, he failed a lot of times creating Baymax, but he kept trying and trying and trying, until he eventually perfected his design, and well, here’s Baymax for ya!” Hiro explained.  Dawn looked at Baymax momentarily before turning back to Hiro.

 

  “So, where is Tadashi?  He sounds like a wonderful person!” she said.  Hiro gave a sad smile.

 

  “He’s…dead.  It’s been three years since he died.” he answered.  At that, Dawn bowed her head, for she didn’t know the line she had crossed!

 

  “Oh…I’m so sorry to hear that…I didn’t know!” she said as she bowed in apology.  Hiro shook his head and gave out a chuckle.

 

  “No, no, don’t worry about it, really!  I mean sure, it’s been rough without him, and I really miss him…but if there’s one thing my brother taught me, is that I should devote my life to using my talents to help people…to help as many people as I can!  And no matter what happens…never give up on the people I care about, you know?” he said as his eyes seemed to shine with inspired determination!  Dawn remained silent for a moment, as she couldn’t help but admire the maturity this boy had, despite his seemingly young age!  She definitely sensed that he had a strong heart, and hearing his words right now just all the more solidified that fact!

 

  “Wow…your brother did sound like a wonderful person.  You must have been very proud of him.” she said.  Hiro nodded. 

(End Song Here)

 

  “Yeah…” he replied.  Just then, a small beeping noise was heard, and that made Hiro go to his computer, for apparently, he got something!  Dawn wondered what it was!

 

  “What is it?  Did you find something?” she asked.  Hiro nodded.

 

  “Yep!  Fred, a friend of mine, is into all these kinds of things, and I talked to him about your problem, and well, luckily, it seems like he might have the answer to where your key is!” he said.  Dawn smiled.

 

  “That’s great to hear!  So, what now?” she asked.

 

  “We go to Fred’s house!  Come on Baymax, let’s go!” he said as he prepared his backpack, and Baymax nodded, waddling himself out of his charging station, now fully charged and ready for action!

 

  “Off we go!” Baymax said enthusiastically!  Hiro then stopped himself and gave out an annoyed groan!

 

  “Ugh, wait, I have to do the dishes, or else Aunt Cass will be mad!  Give me just a few minutes, okay?” he asked.  Dawn smiled.

 

  “Of course, go right on ahead!” she said, and with that, Hiro went downstairs to wash the dishes that needed to be washed!

 

  After a total of twenty minutes, all the dishes were washed, and so Hiro, Baymax and Dawn made their way to Fred’s house!  They crossed the street from Cass’s restaurant, and then they got on a public bus, and they made their way uptown!  All the while, Dawn was admiring the sights, taking in the colorful atmosphere that San Fransokyo exhibited!  It was a very vibrant and culturally rich city, and many people from different walks of life gathered here and there!  At one point, the public bus went through a shopping plaza, and Dawn couldn’t even count the amount of people that were there, window shopping or otherwise!  Everyone was going here and there, deeply entrenched in their lives, in their own business.  Dawn smiled and felt relief that this world was still untouched by the horrors of the Keyblade War!

 

  As the minutes rolled on by, the public bus took them through many different parts of the city, and Dawn felt entertained seeing the different sights!  Baymax was just absentmindedly staring up at the sky, while Hiro seemed to be working on some kind of gadget he had on his hand!  Dawn noticed this, and just when she was about to ask what it was, the screams of panicking people could be heard!  At that, Hiro, Baymax and Dawn immediately turned their heads towards the source of the screams, and they saw many panicked civilians running from the right!  Whatever caused them to scream and run away in panic seemed to be coming from the Business District!

 

(Start Song Here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DY1kCng4gQ

  “Looks like we got trouble!” Hiro stated as he leapt off of the bus!  Dawn leapt off after him, and Baymax leapt off the last.

 

  “Wait, Hiro, you’ll get in danger!” she shouted.

 

  “Don’t worry Dawn, just watch!” he said, and with that, he pressed the button that was on the gadget he hand, and in about three seconds, a small hoverpack came flying towards him!  He braced himself as the hoverpack screeched to a halt where he was, and instantly, the hoverpack transformed into what seemed to be something akin to battle armor!  It was colored red and purple!  His entire body was now shielded by this armor, and his face was now covered by a helmet with a visor!  Dawn was impressed!

 

  “Whoa!” she blurted out in amazement!  But that wasn’t all!

 

  Soon after, a much bigger hoverpack came flying towards Baymax, and when it reached him, the hoverpack also adorned Baymax with battle armor that matched Hiro’s!  The two of them now looked heroic and powerful!  Mechanical wings sprouted from Baymax’s back, and he put himself into a stance, ready to battle!  Dawn summoned her Keyblade, and just seconds after, the source of the people’s panic came their way!  And it was…

 

  “Heartless and Unborn!” Dawn exclaimed.  Hiro turned to look at her!

 

  “You mean you know what these things are!?” he asked.  Dawn nodded.

 

  “Yes, and trust me, they’re bad news!” she answered.

 

  “Well, looks like we’re gonna have to take care of them, and make sure they don’t hurt anyone!” Hiro said.

 

  “Right.  Let’s do this!” Dawn said, and with that, they charged into battle!

(End Song Here)

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

 

A flood of Heartless and Unborn now threaten to destroy San Fransokyo!  Will Hiro, Baymax and Dawn be able to dispatch them before they destroy the city!?  Will Kairi be able to reach the ice castle and battle the creature that Elsa spoke to her about!?  And now that the enemy is making their move,  Raxon seems to know of some people that might help them in this war!  What will happen next?”  Stay tuned for Chapter Twenty Five: “Battles On Multiple Fronts!”

 

Well everyone, that was the chapter!  I hope you all enjoyed it to the max!  I’ve done my best to balance out all the characters and make sure that I give them some good development, ya know?  I hope I’ve been able to do good by writing the story this way!  So yeah, I also hope you’ve enjoyed all the worlds that have been in the story so far!  I did some counting, and these are the worlds/locations that have been in this story so far!

 

             ·          Inter-Universal Plains (The place where the Keyblade Wielders fought Xylek in Chaotic Twilight!)

· Wonderland (The Underland version! )

· Disney Castle/Town (In ruins!)

· The Mysterious Tower

· The Carribean (Pirates Of The Carribean!)

· Metroville (The city the Incredibles call home!)

· Atlantis

· Jexana’s Airship

· Alaya’s Temple

· Arendelle

· San Fransokyo

· The Keyblade Graveyard

 

Wow, all in all, twelve different worlds/locations!  I’m glad I’ve been able to implement all of these places into my story, and well, I hope you’ve all enjoyed them as well!  But anyways, thank you all very much for your patience and support, as always!  Please be sure to comment on what you thought of tonight’s chapter, and until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

Edited February 5, 20169 yr by The Transcendent Key

Good work.

Wonderful chapter! I can't wait for Vanitas to give Jexana what's good for her. I wonder if the Child of Kingdom Hearts from the first story will return. He appeared only once when things were most desperate so I wonder if he'll do it again.

To KHLegendIII, thanks!

 

To KingdomHearts3, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!  As for your question, who knows?  Anything could happen!

 

Hey there everyone, how’s it going!?  I hope that you’re all doing okay!  So then, first off, I’d like to apologize for the slightly longer delay for this chapter!  You see, there were a few days that I wasn’t on my laptop, and thus, I was unable to write, but, now that I’ve finished this latest chapter, it’s ready to be read by all of you!  Secondly, last weekend I went to Star Force: The Fan Fest, a Star Wars dedicated convention event, and it was amazing!  Gahhh, it’s a Star Wars fan’s dream come true!   Anyways, lastly, I just want to say, enjoy the chapter!

 

Chapter Twenty Five: Battles On Multiple Fronts

 

(Start Song Here)

  As the citizens of San Fransokyo ran away in a frantic panic, Dawn, Hiro and Baymax charged towards the incoming hordes of Heartless and Unborn!  Dawn quickly hurled her Keybalde, performing Reflect Raid, causing her Keyblade to multiply into many blades of light that would keep ricocething from each fallen enemy, bouncing towards another, until her Keyblade came back to her!  This way, she was able to defeat a great many enemies at once!  Hiro threw punches and kicks, and it seemed as though he was wieldieng a sort of long, steel staff!  He swung the staff masterfully, and he propelled himself using rocket boosters on his feet, causing him to gain a momentary push into the air!  Once high up, he propelled himself down, taking down many Heartless in a wide radius!  A few Unborn were about to swarm around him, but Baymax quickly came flying and crashed down on the unsuspecting Unborn, sending them flying away instantly!  The courageous robot then flung a few Unborn towards Dawn, as she delivered finishing blows to each one he flung at her!  He then looked towards the street, where a few citizens were about to be killed by the Heartless and Unborn!  He immediately raised both of his hands forward, clenched them into fists, and then ejected them, as if they were rockets!  The clenched hands made their way to the enemy, blasting them away, therefore giving the citizens a chance to escape!

 

  “Well, these things may be a big deal in numbers, but they don’t seem all that strong to me!” Hiro remarked.  Dawn gave out a chuckle.

 

  “Huh, trust me, you haven’t faced the amounts I’ve faced, and be lucky you haven’t!” she said, as she cast a Homing Blizzaga spell that honed in on a few Unborn in a row!  Both of them were immersed into the battle, until…

 

  “Oh no…” Baymax uttered!  At that, Dawn and Hiro looked at Baymax’s direction immediately after taking out the enemies that were in their vicinity!  But they didn’t see anything!  But it did suddenly grow too quiet…and that made Dawn and Hiro worry.

 

  “Baymax…use your scanners…” Hiro whispered.  Baymax nodded and stood still, as a giant, red laser beamed throughout the direction he was facing, covering an immensely wide area of the city!  After about three seconds, he pointed towards the highway a few blocks ahead!

 

  “It seems that the threat I detected is coming from that highway.  Shall we go investigate?” the robot asked.  Dawn looked around and noticed that there weren’t any more Heartless or Unborn.  After assessing her surroundings, she decided that it was best to investigate what was on the highway!  But, before she could speak, a giant explosion took place just above them!  It was a giant skyscraper, falling towards them!  With almost no time to react, Dawn quickly relied on instinct, and she decided to do a trick that Sora had taught her!  She first prepared herself by going into a stance!  Baymax and Hiro, who were tugging at her shoulders to leave, thought she was crazy!  She was practically a sitting duck for that skyscraper!

 

  “Dawn, we have to get out of the way!” Hiro shouted!  But Dawn shook her head.

 

  “Just let me handle this!” she said.  Hiro and Baymax looked at each other, and they remained silent momentarily, but decided to stay where they were, for they trusted Dawn!

 

  And so, with her feet firmly planted to the ground, she slightly crouched, and then, after about two seconds, she thrusted herself forward like a rocket!  With a spring in her step, she started to run along the skyscraper!  Hiro’s jaw dropped in amazement, for he couldn’t believe what he was seeing!  Baymax seemed equally impressed, even though you couldn’t notice an expression on his face!  Dawn kept running along the skyscraper, until she eventually ran around it!  She then proceeded to leap up high, and just a few seconds after, she darted down and slashed her Keyblade at the skyscraper, causing it to be cleaved in two!  The skyscraper fell on the street, causing the pavement to shatter and crack under the pressure of the fallen skyscraper!  A few buildings and cars were damaged, but thankfully, no lives were lost!  Dawn then landed on one of the skyscraper’s halves, and then leapt down, landing near Baymax!

 

  “That was quite impressive!  You certainly have amazing skills!” Baymax said, with a tone of wonder in his voice!  Dawn smiled.

 

  “I told you that I could handle this!” she said as she nodded.  Hiro smiled, but then, just when he was about to say something, they all heard an ear piercing roar!  Dawn and Hiro covered their ears, as they couldn’t bear the noise of the roar, but Baymax was not affected!  When the roar died down, they saw that a giant creature was tearing through the highway, heading towards them!  From a distance, they could notice how terrifying it was, but it wasn’t until it came a few steps closer that they realized just how big the creature was!  It was the size of a skyscraper!  After a closer look, Dawn noticed that it seemed to be a Heartless/Unborn hybrid!  It had giant horns and a demonic looking face, and quite the impressive set of armor that covered its body!  It was a dark ruby red, and it shined with the rays of the sun!  It had spikes that jutted out from its armor’s shoulder pauldrons, and in each hand, it wielded a gauntlet that seemed to transform into two giant cannons!  At that, Hiro gave a nervous chuckle!

 

  “Heh…I guess I was wrong a bit earlier…this guy looks particularly tough!” he mentioned!  Dawn sighed and took stance!

 

  “It’s just one of these things after the other!  There’s no end to them!” she stated!  And so, Dawn, Hiro and Baymax prepared for battle!

 

  As they were about to charge, the giant creature flung its cannon equipped fist towards them, and surprisingly,  this creature was faster than its enormous size indicated!  They were barely able to dodge, and they witnessed how the creature’s fist created a deep crater in the road!  Now they knew that they were messing with something incredibly overpowered!  Baymax attempted to shoot his hands at the creature, but it was to no avail, as the creature was not affected whatsoever!  Its armor was protecting it from harm!  The creature then quiclkly drew back its fist and then, a giant sphere of energy was about to form, indicating it was going to fire the cannon!

 

  “If that thing fires that cannon blast, it’ll destroy a huge chunk of the city!  We can’t let that happen!” Hiro shouted!  Baymax and Dawn nodded, but they didn’t know what they could do to stop this thing!

 

  “What am I going to do…?” Dawn asked herself, as she started to sweat nervously!  A drop of sweat rolled down her brow, and she could feel her heartbeat increasing!  Her hands were shaking, and her palms were sweaty!  Still, she gripped her Keyblade tightly, for she figured that there had to be something they could do to prevent the creature from firing off that cannon blast!  But what could be done!?

 

  Just as they were bordering on hopelessness, the creature suddenly jerked back, and its cannon blast was negated!  It slowly straightened itself, and looked around to see what had interrupted its attack!  Dawn, Hiro and Baymax were equally surprised, for it had all happened so suddenly!  It wasn’t until Baymax zoomed in on the creature’s arm that he noticed a woman clad in a yellow suit, with rounded discs on her hands and feet!  She was slicing at the creature’s armor at an impressive speed!  Baymax recognized the woman immediately!

 

  “It’s Gogo!” he confirmed!  At that, Hiro smiled of relief and glanced over his shoulder at Dawn!

 

  “Well Dawn, it looks like the odds are in our favor!  The team’s coming together!” he beamed in excitement!  Before Dawn could say something, a tall, black skinned man ran past her, and he had quite the sylish getup!  He had two plasma blades jutting out of his arms, and she saw how the man sliced at the giant creature, aiming at its feet, specifically!  The creature tried to stomp its foot on him, but his plasma blades allowed him to defend himself, cutting deep into the creature’s foot, causing it to roar in agony!

 

  “Wasabi, confirmed!” Baymax remarked!  Dawn only remained silent, impressed by what she was seeing!  Then she snapped out of herself, as the creature prepared to land a deadly punch to the ground!  Everyone prepared for the imminent attack, but just when the creature had hit the floor, a small, sky blue sphere darted past, and once it landed on the creature’s fist, a giant, sticky looking substance made the creature’s arm stay in place!  It was helpless now!  When everyone looked back, they noticed a young blonde woman with a perky disposition and a purse full of the spheres she just threw one of!

 

  “Honey Lemon, on site!” Baymax stated!  Everyone stayed close, and they started to dish out immense damage to the giant creature, succeeding in hurting it greatly!  Baymax used the full extent of his combat prowess to cripple the creature’s legs, while Wasabi and Gogo hacked away at its arms!  Honey Lemon made sure to add in more blue spheres to keep the creature pinned in place!  Hiro climbed up one of the creature’s arms and punched away, chipping off its strong armor bit by bit!  Dawn made sure to help the armor deteriorate as well, as she used Poison magic to make the creature’s armor rust!

 

  “It’s working!  We’re beating it!” Dawn said with confidence!

 

  But soon, the creature started emanating an intense, fiery red aura!  It growled deeply, and at that, everyone stopped for a moment, for they all noticed the creature’s suddenly abrupt silence!  After a few seconds, the creature caused an explosion from within itself, expelling the energy of the explosion out of its body, making a few buildings in the surrounding area crumble into debris!  Everyone was sent flying back, and they all crashed down on the broken street!  The creature gave out a defiant roar!  It wasn’t going to go down that easy!  Not without a good fight!  It snorted out fiery flames from its nose, charging up its immense energy!

 

  “Oh no, oh no…Hiro, what is that thing doing!?  Why does it look like it’s gonna blow San Fransokyo to Kingdom Come!?” Wasabi asked in frantic panic!  Gogo rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder.

 

  “Geez, woman up, will ya?” she asked of Wasabi.  He only grunted and murmured to himself, the look on his face clearly stating that he didn’t want to die here!  Hiro and Honey Lemon looked at each other uneasily.

 

  “It looks like this thing’s charging a heat ray that’ll destroy every inch of San Fransokyo!  It looks like we don’t have much time!  What are we going to do!?” Hiro asked!  Honey Lemon shook her head!

 

  “I really don’t know, Hiro…I feel that the creature just increased its strength, and it’s going to be even harder for us to bring it down!  We have to be fast on our feet and hard on our punches!” she said.  Dawn opened her eyes wide, for it seemed as though the creature was just about to unleash its destructive heat ray!

 

  “Guys…” she said, and everyone braced themselves, prepared for the worst!

 

  As they closed their eyes, they expected the heat ray to melt them away…but as the seconds passed, they felt nothing!  Was their death that quick and painless?  Dawn was the first one to open her eyes, and when she did so, she noticed someone perched on the neck of the creature, and it seemed as though it was delivering a series of attacks that made the creature lose its focus, therefore cancelling its attack!  Everyone sighed of relief!  Baymax then zoomed in on the creature, and noticed that the one attacking it was none other than Fred! He then looked at the others and gave a small nod.

 

  “Fredzilla confirmed on scene!  Big Hero 6, fully assembled!” he said.  Everyone gave out a triumphant smile, and Dawn felt such a steady flow of relief, that she almost fell to the ground!  Then she noticed Fredzilla on fire!  She gasped and pointed at him with great worry!

 

  “Oh no, he’s on fire!” she exclaimed!  They all just shook their heads and laughed!

 

  “Nah, don’t worry about it.  Fred’s just doing that to show off.” Gogo remarked.  Dawn then looked, and noticed that Fredzilla was darting all over the creature like crazy!

 

  “Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to witness the most awesome thing that you’ve ever seen in your lives!  Watch as I, the great and mighty Fredzilla, take this giant demon lord down a few notches, and show him who the real boss is!!!” Fredzilla shouted out with joyful glee!  Either he enjoyed making a spectacle, or he loved hearing how his own voice sounded!  Either way, he caused quite the impression, and his attacks were impressive!  He breathed out fire from his mouth, and then fired it on his hands, using his claws to slash away at the creature’s face, causing it to growl in pain!  It tried to swat Fredzilla away, but the more it tried getting rid of him, the faster he became, until he eventually jumped down towards the creature’s right foot with full force, causing the creature to fall down!  Dawn was definitely impressed with what she saw!  Fred then pointed at her!

 

  “You!  New girl!  You’ll be the one that deals the finishing blow to this giant piece of coal!  We’ll all lend you our strength, so give it all you’ve got!” he stated!  Dawn nodded!

 

  “Of course!” she agreed!

 

  And with that, she charged her Keyblade’s power and slowly started to run towards the creature!  Hiro boosted her Keyblade’s power with orbiting electrosensors, and then Honey Lemon implemented a yellow sphere, induced with the power of lightning!  Wasabi effortlessly used his plasma blades to sharpen Dawn’s Keyblade, increasing its attack capacity, while Gogo ensured that her Keyblade would be able to pierce through the creature’s skull fast!  Baymax then assisted her with his fist rockets, giving Dawn an extraordinarily insane boost of speed, and when she reached Fredzilla, he engulfed her body in flame, causing her to dash through the street like a meteorite!  She applied full force to her attack, causing her to dart through the creature’s skull, causing it to roar in agonizing pain before it dissipated into nothingness!  At that point, the battle was now over, and San Fransokyo was saved!  Dawn panted, as the attack took a heavy toll on her! She almost fell to the ground, but luckily, Baymax caught her just in time!

(End Song Here)

 

  “You should rest now, Dawn.  You have sustained much pain, and now your back pain is acting up again!” Baymax suggested.  Dawn smiled and gave out a soft chuckle.

 

  “Thank you for your analysis, Baymax.” she said.  With that, she gave one more smile, and then she fell unconscious!

 

  It wasn’t until a very long amount of hours later that she finally woke up!  But, something seemed a little…off.  For one, she was in a small room, painted completely in white!  She sat up and realized she was in a bed, that was also completely white!  She found this strange, but then she saw a door at the end of the room!  Curious, she stood up and walked towards the door.  When she first tried to open the door, the handle wouldn’t budge, as if it was locked!  But, when she tried again, the door did open!  What laid beyond seemed to be a sort of room completely covered in crimson red!  Hesistant at first, she decided to step through into this new room.  As she explored a little, she noticed that there was nothing particular about this room.  Everything was just like in the previous room.  Empty, but with one exception!  Instead of there being a  bed, there was a red coffin at the end of this room!

 

  She instantly felt  a paralyizing shiver run through her back…almost as if she was feeling the cold embrace of death itself!  She looked back, but noticed that there was no one behind her!  She then felt a cold breeze blow through, which was unnatural, considering that she was in a room with no apparent source of ventilation!  When she turned her attention to the coffin again, her vision seemed to blur for a bit!  When she rubbed her eyes and narrowed her vision, what she saw next left her speechless!  She stood back a few steps, not believing what she was seeing!  Tears immediately began to form in her eyes!

 

  “Valgard!” she shouted while sobbing, as she fell to her knees!

 

  Before her stood Valgard!  He was silent, but his face showed the kind tenderness for which he was loved for!  He was dressed in a crimson robe, and he simply stood there, looking at Dawn, watching her as she cried!  She was crying uncontrollably now, and she tugged at Valgard’s shoulders, looking at him, still trying to make out if he was real or not!

 

  “Valgard…I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry!!!” she sobbed!

 

  But of course she was crying.  After all, she was the one who had killed him…

---

 

  Meanwhile, Alaya and the others had gone to work!  Vanitas, Ethan and Dexeres went ahead to travel to other worlds, to ensure that they’d be the first ones to attack the enemy!  Sora, Donald and Goofy went to the nearest worlds they could reach, to warn everyone about the impending danger that was coming!  Since the war would no doubt destroy the worlds, Sora thought it was best to save as many people as they could, and bring them back to Alaya’s temple, so they could be able to be safe while the war loomed on.  Alaya agreed to the terms.  Mickey, Riku and Gilgamesh took it upon themselves to go to the worlds already devoured by the darkness, so they could assess just how much damage had been dealt, and to see if there were any survivors or lingering enemies!  Trish and Sky remained resting, for they hadn’t healed completely, while Raxon and Alaya were in the main hall.

 

  “So then, these friends of yours?  Do you think they shall be able to provide assistance for us?” Alaya asked.  Raxon nodded.

 

  “Aye…they may be a crazy bunch, but they’re good friends, and I know they’ll help us!” he said.  He took out a small, clear crystal from his pocket, and he then gently placed it on the ground!  He then summoned his Keyblade and fired forth a ray of light that made the crystal shine magnificently!

 

  “My friends…please come to my aid…for things ain’t going well here…” he thought to himself as he concentrated his energy!  After a few seconds, a portal appeared in front of them!  It gleamed a radiant white, and Raxon and Alaya covered their eyes for a moment, so as to not be blinded by the sudden surge of light!  Alaya walked towards the portal and started at it, but nothing came out.

 

  “Are you…sure your friends will come through here?” she asked.  But before Raxon could answer the question, she heard a distant “yahoo” coming from the portal!  She tilted her head in confusion.

 

  “What…?” she asked.  She peeked closer and closer towards the portal, until….

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Yahoo!!!!!  Did somebody call the most incredible ninja of all time!?” a spiky clear blue haired, energetic boy yelled out from the top of his lungs!  His clothes resembled those of a ninja!  Alaya almost fell down in surprise, but luckily, she was able to keep herself from falling!  A beautiful young woman with long black hair tied into a ponytail looked at the blue haired boy with an embarrassed look on her face!  She was wearing a long, matching dress!

 

  “Black Star, to be the most incredible ninja of all time, you do know that you have to be silent, right?” she asked.  At that, the blue haired boy gave out a nervous chuckle, but then simply put a thumbs up and gave a goofy smile!

 

  “Aw, don’t worry about that, Tsubaki, you’ll see, I’m gonna be the greatest ninja out there!  My skill will be so great, no one will be able to rival my power!” he said with pride in his voice!  Alaya seemed confused.  These were the people that Raxon spoke highly about?  Just as she was about to ask them questions, a boy with a yellow jacket and a beanie hat walked through the portal casually, with his hands in his pockets.  He had silver hair, and he was looking around, inspecting the temple! 

 

  “Huh, this is a nice place!  A little old…but still nice!  Anyways, I’m hungry…I could really eat some souls now…” the boy said with a sigh.  Then, a girl with blonde hair tied into two pigtails came out of the portal with a huff, and she glared at the silver haired boy and then tapped her foot!  She looked very much like a schoolgirl!

 

  “Soul, you should have waited for me, you know!” the girl exclaimed!  Soul shrugged.

 

  “Sorry about that Maka, but I just wanted to get over here already!  Raxon’s call seemed to be urgent, so I made it a point of coming over here as fast as I could!” he explained.  Maka simply rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.  Alaya was about to speak, when again, another person came through the portal!  He was really scrawny, dressed in a black robe from top to bottom!  He had purple hair and a very pale complexion!  He seemed extremely timid, and he was walking out of the portal with his head bowed down!  He seemed to say something, but it sounded so quite, that no one could make out what he was saying!  A few seconds later, a black, shadowy mass sprung out from the boy’s back and started pounding on his skull!

 

  “Hey Chrona, no one’s hearing ya!  Speak up, will ya!?” the annoyed little black mass yelled, as he hit Chrona repeatedly!  The boy whimpered and trembled, shaking his head!

 

  “Gahh…okay, I’ll speak up, just stop hitting me!” Chrona exclaimed!  He then went towards the others, who were now gathered together.  After a few seconds, Alaya noticed that no one else was coming through the portal!  Thinking that everyone had finally arrived, she was about to say something, but then, yet another person came through the portal!  This one seeme to be a well dressed boy, decked out in black and white, with three stripes on one side of his head, tinted into his black hair!  He had piercing eyes, and he seemed to be the calmest member of the group that had come through the portal!  That’s what Alaya assumed, until…

 

  “Oh my goodness….oh my goodness!!!!  Look at this marvelous temple!  Such an intricate and beautiful design!  So ancient, yet so exotic!” the boy suddenly burst out!  He darted through the temple, examining each nook and cranny, taking in the scenery!  “Oh yes…it’s all so perfect…all so symmetrical!!! I can’t even bear how amazingly symmetrical this place is! Oh, the beauty of it all!” the boy flabbergasted, much to Alaya’s shock!  She thought this boy was insane!  Just then, two blonde women, one tall and one short, who looked like they were cowgirls, came through the portal!  The tall woman rolled her eyes, while the short on was just giggling!

 

  “Kid, can’t you see that you’re creeping out that lady over there?” the tall woman pointed at Alaya!  Kid noticed Alaya’s expression, and he immediately went towards her and bowed apologetically!

 

  “Liz is right!  My apologies, madam!  I didn’t mean to barge in like this so suddenly!  I am Death The Kid, and I have to say, this temple is a fine piece of artwork!  I take it that this is your home?” he asked.  Alaya simply nodded.

 

  “Ah, then I am honored to be in the presence of someone so symmetrical!” Kid said as he bowed repeatedly!  The short woman giggled.

 

  “Haha, you’re funny, Kid!” she said as she smiled!

 

  “Yes, yes, Patty, I know I am…ahem, but anyways, we’re all gathered here now, correct?” Kid asked as he cleared his throat!  His friends nodded, and the portal closed.  Alaya sighed.  Finally, the portal closed!  She thought this would never end!  She then cleared her throat and stepped forward.

(End Song Here)

 

  “Now then, I thank you for answering Raxon’s summons…any help we receive is most welcome!  I am Alaya, the Forger and overseer of this temple.  So then, let us get to the matter at hand quickly!” Alaya stated, and at that, everyone gathered around to listen to what she had to say.

 

  “All worlds now are under threat by many armies gathering together to fight in a Keyblade War that could very well sink all existence into chaos!  I assume all of you know of the other worlds besides your own?” she asked.  Death The Kid nodded, his sudden impulsive behavior now having changed to a very serious one.

 

  “Yes.  My father told me as much in the Death Weapon Meister Academy.  He told me of all the worlds that exist besides the one we live in, and that it is our duty to help others who may be in trouble in any way we can.  So you don’t need to worry, for we’ll help you!” he said, and Liz and Pattie nodded in agreement!  Alaya gave a grateful smile!

 

  “And I thank you for that!” she said.  “So then, we must now prepare ourselves, for I think that it is most likely that this temple shall receive a most…unexpected slew of uninivited guests…” she said with a grim face.  Raxon, who was standing closely to the entrance of the temple, noticed an ominous dark cloud forming in the distance!  He didn’t like the look of this cloud one bit!  It seemed as though it was quite deadly!  Black Star then felt the dark energy emanating from the dark cloud, and he went to Raxon’s side.

 

  “Raxon, I don’t like that dark cloud…I can tell it’s got a lot of negative energy surrounding it…it looks like we’ll be getting those unexpected guests sooner than we thought!” the ninja said with a serious face.  Raxon nodded.

 

  “Aye…we’ll have to be ready…I doubt the others can be able to come here in time…besides, they’re in other worlds, so it really wouldn’t be a good idea to put all our manpower in just this spot…not when all the other worlds are in danger!” the pirate remarked.  Soul looked at the dark cloud and sighed.

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Huh, well whaddaya know?  Another possibly life threatening whatever it is heads straight towards us.  Heh, then again, I’ve always been the type of guy who loves danger!  Looks like we’re gonna have a strong fight in our hands!” he said.  Maka, who was standing by his side, seemed worried.

 

  “I don’t know, guys…I have a really bad feeling about this…” she stated.  The others simply remained silent as they looked at her.  They could all feel it too.  That sudden pang of despair and hopelessness!  But Alaya stood forward, ahead of everyone, just outside the temple, and then she turned around to look at them.

 

  “There is nothing to fear!  As long as we continue to draw breath, the worlds shall not fall to the darkness!  We shall prevail through this dark ordeal and live to tell our stories to the coming generations!  But now, we must march through this fog of despair!  We march, uncertain of what will happen to us, but we will prevail!  We will not back down!” she said, in a defiant, triumphant tone!  Everyone smiled, and they felt their hearts fill up with determination and fighting spirit!  Raxon then felt something, and when he looked behind, he noticed that Sky had woken up, and was drowsily flying towards him!  Raxon quickly went towards his friend and caught him in midair, holding the little moogle by the shoulders!

 

  “Have I missed anything, kupo…?” Sky said with a yawn.  Raxon gave out a soft chuckle and shook his head.

 

  “No, not all that much, old friend.  Except that now the worlds are in serious trouble, and well, it’s up to us to save them!” he said.  Sky rubbed his eyes and yawned anew.

 

  “Ah, okay, then I haven’t missed anything yet, kupo!” the little moogle said, now with more energy!  Just then, Patty came running towards the little moogle with arms open wide!

 

  “Sky!!!!!  My adorable little poofykins!!!!  Come over here, come over here to mama Pattie!!!” the energetic short woman said, and at that, Sky was about to fly away, but Pattie caught him just as he was about to take off, and as she hugged him, she squeezed so hard that Sky looked like his head was about to pop!  “Ooh, I missed you so much, Sky!!!” she said, while Raxon chuckled to himself.  Then, he heard another set of footsteps, and when he looked behind, he saw that it was a woman!  It was the same woman who had been sleeping in the same room that he and Sky were in!  Alaya noticed the woman walking, and she quickly darted towards her!

 

  “Trish, you have awakened!” Alaya said in surprise!  Trish struggled for a few seconds to speak, but after a bit, she was able to compose herself, and she nodded.

 

  “Yes…I’m sorry I’ve been out of the fight for so long.  I wish I could be of more help…” she said, but Alaya shook her head.

 

  “Nonsense.  You have been through a harrowing ordeal!  You have been through too much…please do not fret yourself with worry!” she said as she sat Trish down on the last set of steps.  But Trish shook her head.

 

  “No…even though I’ve been through this hell…that doesn’t mean that I’m going to just sit here and wait for everything to be over!  Ventus is in trouble, and so is my son!  I have to do all that I can to help them, because they’re my family!  My friends are also doing all that they can to protect the worlds…and so, I have to do my best as well!” she said, her weakened state now dissolving with each word she uttered!  It was as if Trish was rising from the ashes, like a phoenix!  Alaya admired Trish’s determination, and it was clear that no words she could say would dissuade Trish from the feelings she had in her heart!  And so, she simply stood up and crossed her arms.

 

  “Well then, if you feel like you are up for a fight, then you best prepare yourself as best as you can!” she stated.  At that, Trish smiled and nodded.

 

  “Of course!” she said.  With that, Alaya bowed and then went towards Death The Kid and the others, while Raxon remained with Trish.

 

  “So…I take it that you’re Kyle’s mother, eh?” the pirate asked.  At that, Trish’s eyes opened wide!

 

  “Yes!  You know my son!?” she asked in surprise.  He nodded.

 

  “It’s a long story…”

(End Song Here)

---

 

  Meanwhile, in Arendelle, Kairi had already left Elsa’s castle towards the ice castle where the snow creature had Anna held hostage!  At many times she had wanted to go back and help Elsa battle Lilith and the Knights Of Yggdrassil, but she knew that she couldn’t let Elsa down!  And so, with a heavy feeling of guilt towards not being able to help Elsa, she trudged forward, running as fast as she could!  Her lungs were practically pulsing now, for she had been running nonstop, and before she realized it, she was exhausted!  But still, she didn’t stop running!  As she went through the mountainous regions of Arendelle, she noticed the climate began to change!  What had been a lush forest and mountain region was now turning into a snow covered region!  This, she assumed, was the snow creature’s doing!  She then assessed that she was getting closer to her goal!  Determined, she kept running, not taking a single moment to rest!

 

  “I have to do this…I have to do this…I need to help Elsa!” she thought to herself, as the snow falling around her started to make her feel cold! The cold made her stop short in her tracks!  She then panted, not realizing just how much of a toll she had caused on her body for having ran such a distance!  And it didn’t help that the cold was mixing in with her sweat!  She was now feeling heavily exhausted!  She then fell on her knees on the snowy ground, and she panted and looked at the misty white snow!  She knew she had to keep going…but it was like something was keeping her still on the ground!  Then, she started to feel breathless!  When she realized what was happening, she noticed that she was being suffocated in a tornado of snow!  Said snow was going into her mouth and nose, and she couldn’t breathe!  Her eyes desperately searched for the source of her current predicament, but she saw no one!  All she could see was white!

 

  “W-what’s…happening to me…?” she asked herself, as she started to lose consciousness!  She could feel her life slipping away!  She then noticed a bright green flicker from the corner of her eye!  It passed through her side for a split second, and she couldn’t make out what was happening!  It wasn’t until she was dropped abruptly to the ground that she realized that, standing before her were none other than Maleficent, Pete, Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort!  Maleficent glanced back at Kairi and gave out a huff.

 

  “Hmph, and to think that I captured you to open the door to Kingdom Hearts so many years ago…and you almost perished here.  What a despicable excuse for a Princess!” she spouted out!  Kairi remained silent momentarily.  Maleficent wasn’t wrong.  Kairi had almost perished, and she hadn’t even noticed until it was just happening!  She should be ashamed of herself!  All she could do was bow her head down in embarrassment!

 

  “Thank you for saving me…” she said.  Maleficent rolled her eyes, and Pete was looking around their surroundings.

 

  “Welp, looks like whatever or whoever was chokin’ the life out of little miss princess here is long gone by now!  Heh, we musta scared them off pretty good, eh Maleficent?” Pete said with a triumphant grin.  Maleficent frowned.

 

  “Hmph, any coward who runs away at the mere sight of me is not a worthy opponent to fight.” she replied.  She then looked at Kairi, who was still on the ground!  “You, girl, get up already!  We need to find your Key Of Balance already!” she shouted, and Kairi immediately stood up!

 

  “Y-yes!  Come on, let’s go!” she said, and with that, she lead the way.

 

  “I swear…this child….” Maleficent said under her breath as they followed her.

 

  As the minutes rolled on by, Kairi could feel that she was getting closer to the ice castle!  For a while, she remained silent, for she didn’t know what to talk about to Maleficent, Pete and the others!  She found the silence between them quite awkward!  As they ascended a steep, snowy mountain, she noticed that the peak of the mountain seemed rather different!  Whereas it was snowing all around them, the peak of the mountain seemed to be the only place where it wasn’t snowing!  She found this rather odd, but she didn’t think it was something that really mattered!  Either way, she’d discover what lay beyond the peak once she got there!  She then glanced back, and noticed Maleficent was by her side, while Pete, Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort were slowly trudging up the mountainside!

 

  “Tell me something, Maleficent.  Why did you bring back Eraqus and Xehanort?  How were you able to do so?” she asked.  Maleficent huffed.

 

  “Hmph, well, if you must know, I used my dark magic to summon them back from the dead!  Granted, it was no easy task to accomplish, for the spell required many years of practice, but I achieved the impossible!  I summoned them so that they could be of use to me against you fools!  But, seeing as though the worlds are in the state they’re in, I find it hard to make my plans go into motion with all this nonsense of the Keyblade War going on…which is the only reason for our alliance…mark my words!  After all this ends, we shall be enemies again!” she stated.  Kairi nodded, a serious expression on her face.

 

  “Yes, I understand.” she replied, and then she looked at Armored Eraqus.  She could have sworn that she had seen him die the last time she saw him!  She then glanced at Maleficent again.  “Wasn’t Eraqus dead…?” she asked.  Maleficent shook her head.

 

  “I am the one who brought them back from death, and so I am the only one who can take their lives away again!  Therefore, no matter what injuries they sustain in battle, they won’t die as long as I stand!” she answered.  Kairi looked at her, impressed.  Then she opened her eyes wide and realized something!  She knew she just had to ask!

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Wait…if you brought them back from the dead, then that means you could do the same for Roxas, Aqua, Terra, Valgard, and countless others who have died because of this disaster!  You can be able to save them all!” she said, her heart filling up with hope!  But Maleficent’s grim face indicated otherwise, and so Kairi’s smile quickly faded.  Maleficent turned to her.

 

  “Understand this, child…bringing back life from the jaws of death is no simple matter…it requires the darkest of magic known to any being.  Such magic is forbidden, but as I am one who knows no bounds, I overcome these forbidden arts…but, even my power has its limits.  By bringing back Eraqus and Xehanort, I had to implant a portion of my heart to each of them, so that they can be able to maintain a physical form.  Like I previously stated, as long as I live, they remain alive, but if I should die…then they die along with me.  So you see, brining people to life isn’t all its cut out to be.  For every life you bring back, you must take some from yourself…probably the reason why it’s a forbidden magic…” Maleficent explained.  Kairi understood, and she bowed her head down!  For a moment, she thought she could be able to see her fallen friends again!  But Maleficent’s explanation clearly dictated that while resurrecting the dead is possible, doing so requires one to lose their sense of being and their heart.

 

  “Doesn’t this magic…take a toll on you?” she asked.  Maleficent nodded.

 

  “Yes, it does…but for the situation at hand, I think that this little bit of forbidden magic is required.  But like I said, when all this ends, we shall be enemies again…” she stated.  Kairi was about to say something, when Pete reached them, panting and catching a deep breath!

(End Song Here)

 

  “Whoo, who knew that climbing a mountain like this could tire a guy out so fast, eh Maleficent?” he asked as he tried to chuckle.  Maleficent rolled her eyes.

 

  “You insolent buffon!  You’re making us waste time!  And why are Eraqus and Xehanort still so far away!?” she asked demandingly!  Pete shrugged.

 

  “Well, I dunno!  They said they sensed something funny, so they says they’d keep an eye out for us and guard the path leading to this mountain!  So that’s why they stayed down there!” he explained.  Maleficent rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

 

  “Hmm…I suppose that is a good plan…now then, let us keep proceeding…” she replied.  Pete nodded.

 

  “Sure thing, Maleficent!” he said, and then he looked at Kairi, who was standing there, a few feet away from him!  “Well, whaddaya waitin’ for, princess?  Let’s keep going!” he said, and then Kairi nodded.  With that, they climbed for a few more minutes, until they reached the peak of the mountain!

 

  And so, they looked side to side, and they noticed that there was nothing here on this mountainpeak!  But, since it was pretty vast, they decided to walk around and explore! Maleficent took the northern side of the peak, while Pete took the western side!  Kairi noticed something coming from the eastern side, and so she decided to trust her instincts and head towards where her heart was telling her to go!  She kept walking until she was a distance away from Maleficent and Pete!  She kept herself quiet, making sure to attune herself to her surroundings, to make sure she was on the right path!  A few seconds later, she stopped short, for she was about to fall off the mountain!  When she regained herself, she caught her breath and gave out a sigh!

 

  “Seriously Kairi…step up your game!  You’re more aware than this!” she said to herself!  Then, as she looked down the cliff, she then noticed a group of trees circling something!  When she narrowed her eyes to take a closer look, she noticed that she was looking at the ice castle that Elsa had spoken to her about!  She was about to shout out to Maleficent and Pete, but since the snow creature could be near, she decided to bring them over by waving her hand!  And so, she raised her hand up and started to wave it!  After a few seconds, Maleficent and Pete came to her!

 

  “Well, what is it!?” Malefient asked, annoyed!  Kairi pointed down towards the ice castle!  Pete saw it and he shuddered for a bit, not liking what he saw!

 

  “Uh…so that’s the place where your Key is, eh princess?  Well, uh, best of luck to ya!  I’ll be seeing ya later!” he said nervously as he tried to walk away, but Maleficent smacked his head with her staff!

 

  “You buffoon!  I will not be mocked like this!  You will stay here with us and help us get into that castle!” Maleficent demanded!  Pete groaned and pouted!

 

  “Ooh…alright, Maleficent, I’m sorry!” he said.  He then glared at Kairi and crossed his arms.  “Well princess, if you’re gonna go into that castle, I suggest you do so now!  Maleficent and I will distract whatever’s guarding the castle!” he said, and Kairi nodded.

 

  “Right.  Thank you!” she said as she bowed, and then she quickly leapt off of the cliff and plummeted down towards the ice castle!  Maleficent and Pete watched as she landed near one of the towers!  Pete for a moment perked his ears up, and he looked at Maleficent while twiddling his thumbs.

 

  “Er…now, how exactly are we gonna make a diversion?” he asked.  Maleficent rubbed her chin in thought, and then she noticed something!  She saw a small clump of bushes, and then she signaled Pete to follow her, and they went down, heading towards the clump of bushes!  Pete was wondering what Maleficent was up to.

 

  “Er…how are we gonna make a diversion if all we’re doing is hiding?” Pete asked.  Maleficent then rolled her eyes and gave out a huff!

 

  “Hmph, such insolence!  The very fact that you think I would hide is an insult to my name!  How dare you!” she sneered, and at that, Pete trembled and waved his arms frantically.

 

  “Oh no, I’m sorry, did I say hiding?  I meant, uh, biding!  Yes, we’re biding our time, eh?” he asked with a nervous chuckle.  Maleficent shook her head and pointed to the bushes.

 

  “All of these bushes will serve my purpose greatly…you see, I’m going to light them all up with my flames, and in so doing, it’ll melt the snow around this area…and it should make that hideous ice castle melt into a mere puddle!” she explained, and at that, Pete snapped his fingers and nodded!

 

  “Ooh, okay, gotcha!  I gotta say Maleficent, that’s a genius plan!” he remarked, and Maleficent smirked.

 

  “Well of course it’s a genius plan.  What did you expect?” she asked.  With that, she prepared to cast her flames on the bushes!

 

  Kairi, on the other hand, was already inside the ice castle, and she noticed that it was very empty!  The inside looked hollow and somber, just a lonely white!  Enviromental mood aside, Kairi focused on what she had come to do!  She quickly darted through the castle, ascending its floors and seeing if she could find Anna!  For a few minutes, she just kept stumbling upon empty rooms or hallways, but when she reached one of the top floors, she stopped in her tracks!  She saw a huge cage hanging high up!  It was the only cage in the room, and that’s when she knew that she’d found Anna!  But just to be sure, she threw a small chunk of ice to the floor to see if there was a response!  Immediately when the small chunk of ice fell to the floor, a redhead peeked her head out from the cage bars and looked around!

 

  “Kristoff, I think I heard something!  It sounded like someone threw something!” she exclaimed!  The man, named Kristoff, groaned!

 

  “Anna, you’re just hearing things.  Besides, little pebbles of ice are bound to fall from the ceiling from time to time…” he said.  At that, Kairi knew that she had reached her goal!  She whispered softly, hoping her voice would echo through the room.

 

  “Anna?  And…Kristoff?  I’ve come to rescue you!” she said.  Her whisper reverberated through the room, until it reached Anna and Kristoff’s ears!  Anna immediately peeked her head out from the cage bars and looked down to where Kairi was!

 

  “Oh, thank goodness, I knew someone would come rescue us!” she said excitedly!  Kairi immediately motioned with her hands for Anna to lower her voice, for she didn’t want to catch the ice creature’s attention!  At least, not until Anna and Kristoff were away and safe from harm!

 

  “Right…” Anna said.  Kristoff then peeked his head through the cage bars and waved his hand!

 

  “Thanks for coming to rescue us!  Can you let us down now?” he asked in a whisper, and Kairi nodded.  She looked around for a lever to lower the cage, and soon enough, she did find it, and then she pulled on it, and the cage slowly descended until it reached the ground!  It was locked though, but that was no problem for Kairi!  She simply summoned her Keyblade and pointed it at the lock, instantly unlocking it!  Anna and Kristoff quickly came out, and Anna hugged Kairi tightly!

 

  “Oh my gosh, thank you so, so, so much!!!  We were about to freeze to death up there!” Anna exclaimed.  Kairi nodded and smiled, but just then, the ground shook!  Kristoff didn’t like that.  Not at all…

 

  “Uh, guys…I think that ice creature’s gonna come after us now!!!” he exclaimed!  Kairi immediately turned her attention towards the entrance to the room, and then she heard the steps of the creature increase!  Kairi tensed and bit her lip…

 

  “This can’t be good…” she thought to herself!  She clenched her fists as the creature came ever closer!  It wasn’t until Kairi caught a glimpse of its right foot that it suddenly stopped, remained there for a moment, and then turned around, running towards the exit!  That’s when Kairi thought that Maleficent and Pete’s diversion must have been put into motion!  She then looked at Anna and Kristoff.

 

  “Alright, you guys need to get out of here right now!  Elsa is in trouble, and she needs your help!” she said.  At that, Anna’s face grew grim!

 

  “What’s happened…?” she asked.  Kairi shook her head.

 

  “There’s no time to explain, just go!” she said!  Anna and Kristoff nodded, and with that, Kairi escorted them through where she had entered, and once they were outside, she saw them disappear into the mountain that she had climbed with Maleficent and Pete!  She felt relieved that  she had been able to save Anna and Kristoff!  She then went towards the front of the castle, where the snow creature was already battling Maleficent and Pete!

 

  “Hang on guys, I’m coming!”

 

---

 

  Meanwhile, Tsumugi was outside of Jexana’s airship.  After the gruesome battle that was waged against the Keyblade Wielders and then against Kyle, the ship was slowly being repaired by the crew!  Jexana was still gravely injured, but was healing, slowly but surely, in her quarters.  Emmxett had gone to take care of something, and Ventus was standing watch, ever the sentinel, at the airship’s helm!  Tsumugi had been going through a particularly hard time!  Unbestknown to Jexana, Tsumugi was actually breaking free from her hold!  She was trying to regain herself, and all her thoughts were only focused on Dexeres!  She had been trying to send a message to him and his friends, hoping that she could be able to help them in bringing down Jexana’s fleet!  Since she had been part of the fleet for a long time, she naturally knew the best way to bring this fleet down!  Thankfully, Jexana wasn’t even aware that Tsumugi was slowly breaking free, so this gave her an advantage!

 

  “I need to do this…I need to do this…” she said to herself, as she was writing down the message she was going to send to Dexeres in a corner of the airship!  Thankfully, since she was blocked by several crates and barrels, no one could see that she was writing.  Anyone would think she was just sitting and looking out at the other airships!

 

  “I need to do this…”

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

 

And so, Dawn helped the Big Hero 6 bring down the giant Heartless/Unborn hybrid that threatened to destroy San Fransokyo, and Kairi was able to rescue Anna and Kristoff from the ice creature’s clutches!  Now, she goes to battle against the creature, along with Maleficent and Pete!  And  it seems that Raxon’s allies are rather interesting!  What will happen next?  Now that Valgard has appeared before Dawn, will the painful memory of her having killed him come back to haunt her?  Will Kairi be able to slay the ice creature?  What awaits our heroes!?  Stay tuned for Chapter Twenty Six: “The Darkness Draws Ever Closer!”

 

Well everyone, that was the chapter!  I hope you all enjoyed it!  So yeah, twenty five full chapters, huh?  Only twenty five more to go, and this story shall conclude!  We are now at the epic middle to this story, and I hope you’ll all enjoy what happens from here on out!  Thank you all immensely for your support, and as always, I appreciate your patience!  So then, please let me know what you thought about tonight’s chapter, and until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

Wow, Tsumugi!

Reading about Raxon's friends, oh boy... *puts head in hand and shakes it*

 

Kairi is almost done saving Anna and Kristoff. The Snow Queen will show up, I know it.

 

So Tsumugi is breaking free and seems to be using Dexeres to free herself. Hopefully she breaks the chains soon.

To KHLegendIII, I know, right!?

 

To KingdomHearts3, ah yes, things are getting ever more intense, and they'll only get even more intense as time goes on!  Be prepared!

 

Hey there everybody, good evening!  I hope that you’re all doing okay!  So then, here’s the next chapter of my story, so I hope you’ll all enjoy!  Things are ratcheting up, and it looks as though the Keyblade Wielders are in the biggest battle of their lives!  What’ll happen to them in the long run!?  Let’s find out together!  Without further ado, here’s the next chapter!

 

Chapter Twenty Six: The Darkness Draws Ever Closer

 

(Start Song Here)

  Kairi quickly made her way to the ice creature!  When she got a close enough glance of it, she noticed that it was quite the fearsome and towering creature!  It stood at least thirty feet tall, and it was completely covered in ice armor!  The creature looked like a mistress, complete with a crown and garments made of ice!  Kairi ran until she reached Maleficent and Pete, who were holding their ground!  She went by their side, with Keyblade in hand, and she smiled.

 

  “So, did I miss anything?” she asked.  Pete laughed.

 

  “Oh ho, princess, we were just about to beat this giant icicle to a pulp!  Come have a front row sweat and watch!” he said. Maleficent didn’t turn around to talk, for she was concentrated on casting her flames all around her!  The ice and snow were beginning to melt, and that, in turn, angered the ice creature greatly!  The ice castle still stood in place, but it wouldn’t be long until it started to melt!  Maleficent allowed herself a smirk and taunted the creature!

 

  “Ah, is this all that you are capable of, you giant chunk of frozen water!?” she challenged!  The ice creature growled and then slammed its fists on the ground, causing it to shake!  The shaking ground made Pete fall on his back and made Maleficent stumble a bit, her flames dimming down the slightest bit!  Kairi almost fell down, but she remained standing!  The ice creature was about to slam its fist against Maleficent, but Kairi got in the way and blocked the creature’s attack with her Keyblade!  She then glanced back at Maleficent.

 

  “Don’t worry, I got you!  I’ll hold this thing off while you keep casting your flames!” she stated!  Maleficent nodded.

 

  “Right.  Now, don’t you dare die on me girl, for if anyone’s going to kill you, that’s going to be me…” she sneered, and at that, Kairi smiled.

 

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.  But I won’t go down without a fight!” Kairi said, and Maleficent smirked.

 

  “I expect no less from you, girl!  Now hold off that beast!” she shouted, and Kairi nodded.

 

  And so, the ice creature roared with great might, causing the surrounding environment to greatly decrease its temperature!  Instantly, Kairi felt immensely colder, and Maleficent’s flames were dying down!  Kairi knew that she had to hurry up, so she took the initiative and started to attack the creature with her Keyblade!  She made sure to infuse her Keyblade with Fire magic so that she could be able to do greater damage to the creature!  Normally, fire would melt ice quickly, but as Kairi soon noticed, the more she hacked away at the creature, the less it seemed to take damage!  It’s coat of ice was ridiculously thick, and therefore, it seemed as though it was an impenetrable armor that couldn’t be cracked!  Kairi had to think of something, and fast!  The temperature was getting lower, so she knew she’d have to come up with something quick!

 

  She then decided to perform Light Sonic Raid, an altered version of the Sonic Raid attack in which she would dash through the enemy, but with streaks of light, therefore increasing her attack’s power!  She dashed at the ice creature a total of seven times before delivering the final strike!  The creature stumbled a bit, and it seemed to be dazed, and at that, Kairi knew she had to take this opportunity!  Within an instant, she started to shoot rays of fire that went towards the ice creature like heat seeking missiles!  The creature dodged as many of the rays it could, and it was very surprising, considering how such a tall creature could evade attacks so quickly!  When the final ray hit, it went right to the ice creature’s head, causing it to roar in pain!  Kairi then started to dodge a number of attacks that the creature was delivering in blind rage!  Luckily, she was able to dodge the attacks, but just barely!  She then landed on a patch of grass and glanced back at Maleficent.

 

  “How are you holding up!?” she asked.  Maleficent, who was blanketed in snow, shivered a bit, but her concentration didn’t waver!

 

  “As if you need to ask such a foolish question, girl!  It will take more than snow to stop me!” she stated, and with that, her flames increased, spreading forwad towards the ice castle!  The ice creature noticed, and it was about to shoot sharp ice crystals at her, when Pete came along and clobbered away at the crystal with his fists!  He then landed in front of the creature and chuckled!

 

  “Ha, if you mess with Maleficent, you’ll have to deal with me, pal!  So come on, put your dukes up!” he said, as he entered a fighting stance!  He then went forward, and along with Kairi, they both performed a Limit Break called Marble Madness!  The attack consisted of Pete throwing different marbles around the ice creature, creating a circle!  Kairi then cast Aeroga on them, making them spin around the creature! Then, Pete charged his energy and summoned forth a giant marble and flung it above the creature, and then Kairi infused the giant marble with light!  Finally, the two of them leapt up, plummeted down and then hit the giant marble, causing it to fall down like a meteor!  It crashed on the ice creature, and the other small marbles ricocheted constantly at it, managing to chip away at its armor!  The giant marble had broken the creature’s right shoulder!  Pete gave out a laugh and smirked confidently!

 

  “Now that’s how it’s done, princess!” he stated, and Kairi smiled.

 

  “That’s right!” she said!  But there was no time to celebrate, for the creature was still alive and kicking!  It roared once again, and its roar was so loud and menacing, that it instantly caused a blizzard to hit!  Soon, Kairi, Pete and Maleficent were being blanketed by the harsh blizzard!  Maleficent cursed under her breath, for now her flames had been dimmed out completely!  Pete got buried in the snow, and Kairi tried to dash towards the creature, but the snow and harsh winds weren’t letting her!  She was feeling colder by the second, and she could feel her body heat plummeting greatly!

 

  “Damn…this isn’t good!” she said.  She glanced back at Maleficent and Pete, who were both at a disadvantage!  When she looked forward, she saw the ice creature towering above her!  She felt helpless, and she felt as though it was all coming to an end now!  She closed her eyes, ready to embrace her death, when suddenly, the ice creature fell with a sickening thud to the ground!  When Kairi opened her eyes, she noticed Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort in front of her!  They had arrived just in time!

 

  “You guys!  Thank you…” she said as she bowed her head.  Guardian Xehanort crossed his arms, and Armored Eraqus simply glanced back at her and gave her a nod.  Kairi then stood up, and the ice creature did as well, and now, it roared once more, and this time, ice spikes stared to protrude all over its body!  Before long, its whole body was now covered in spikes!  Now it had gotten increasingly dangerous to battle the creature!  But Kairi wasn’t going to back down!  The worlds needed to be saved, and she needed to find her Key Of Balance!

 

  “Let’s do this!” she shouted!

 

  And with that, Amored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort lunged forward to battle!  Guardian Xehanort launched discs of darkness, and Armored Eraqus shot out streaks of light from his Keyblade, while Kairi started to cast Firaga and Firaza!  Granted, due to the blizzard, the spells decreased in effectiveness, but just a slight bit! Kairi poured all of her energy into these spells, and she shot out a Firaga ball towards the snow where Pete and Maleficent were buried in!  The snow melted away immediately, though it was beginning to pile up again because of the blizzard!  Pete charged forward, enveloping himself in an impenetrable sphere!  He then charged forward and hit the creature quite a few times!  Maleficent then started to concentrate anew, her flames slowly growing and expanding!  The flames, though in danger of being fanned out by the blizzard, were reaching the ice castle!

 

  “Come on, we have to push harder!” Kairi said, as they all stepped up their game and began to attack with more ferocity!  Guardian Xehanort started to launch considerably big spheres of darkness, while Armored Eraqus started unleashing chains of light!  He dashed around the creature a few times, binding it in his chains, until he was able to tie it up!  The ice creature was rendered immobile for the moment, but that probably wouldn’t last!  But, the chains did their job!  With the ice creature temporarily immobile, the blizzard died down, and the others came and hacked away at it relentlessly, not letting up in the slightest!  Pete threw a few marbles infused with Fire magic, and even some firecrackers!  Kairi performed Flame Raid, and she concentrated her energy on this attack, so her Keyblade could circle and hit the creature as much as possible!  In the end, she was able to hit it a total of eight times before her Keyblade came back to her!

 

  “That’s it, we’re wearing it down!  Just a bit more, and we’ll defeat it!” she said, and the others nodded, pressing their attack!  But the ice creature then broke free of Armored Eraqus’s chains, and it roared with great fury, causing the others to be flung back by the renewed blizzard winds!  Things were not looking good!  Maleficent then gritted her teeth.

 

  “It seems as though simple flames will not be enough…” she said, and with that, she surrounded herself in flames, and then she expelled them, her eyes turning a bright, fiery green color!  “I will show you what real power looks like!” she roared, as she engulfed herself in her flames, transforming herself into her dragon form!  Kairi glanced back and noticed this, and then she snapped her fingers!

 

  “Of course, that’s it!” she said, and then she stopped and closed her eyes, going into a stance!  An immense amount of energy started to surround her, and then, a sigil formed beneath her feet!  “Guiding fire, bring forth your divine light, and rain down flames upon the wicked!  I summon you, Bahamut!” she said, and with that, a giant beam of light shot down from the sky, landing right behind her!  When the light died down, her summon, Bahamut, roared with triumphant, defiant fury!  Pete gave out a hearty laugh!

 

  “Oh ho, now that’s what I’m talking about!  Double the firepower!” he shouted!  The ice creature simply roared in defiance, not about to give in just because there were now two dragons in play!

 

  “Alright boys, let’s pour our energies into one big attack!  That oughta take this thing down a couple of notches!” Pete declared! With that, he started to channel forth a beam of darkness, and Guardian Xehanort did so as well. Armored Eraqus used his Keyblade with both hands, pointing it forward and casting a powerful beam of light!  Dragon Maleficent roared with fury and unleashed a stream of fiery green flames, while Bahamut used its Megaflare attack, spewing out bright blue flames!  Kairi, in turn, fired off a constant barrage of Triple Firaga spells! They had the creature pinned down!

 

  “That’s it, we’re bringing it down!  Just a little more…” Kairi thought to herself, but then, she realized that the creature was starting to push back!  It was doing all in its willpower to break free from their attack!  This definitely wasn’t boding well for anyone!  Everyone increased their attacks, pouring in more of their energies, but the creature seemed to only get stronger, as it then finally gave out a roar that rendered the attack ineffective!  Everyone was knocked back, and Bahamut disintegrated, and the creature loomed over them, victorious!  Kairi couldn’t believe what was happening!

 

  “No…I can’t let it end like this!” she thought to herself!  She looked at the others, who had been pushed back quite a distance!  The creature then sprouted giant, glacial wings!  It then flapped its wings and flew upwards, leaving behind a swirling vortex of chilly air!  Kairi was almost swept away, but she kept her footing!  She tumbled a bit and was temporarily blinded by the strong gusts of wind that caused snow to cover her face!  When she recovered, she noticed that the creature was above the others, charging a powerful attack!  It was going to slaughter them in front of her very eyes!  Kairi wouldn’t stand for it!

 

  “Eh…huh?  What’s that shining light up there?” Pete said as he dug himself out of the snow, dazed and confused!  Maleficent, who was the second to rise up from the snow, clenched her fists and gritted her teeth!

 

  “It’s preparing to slaughter us all…and I’ve been depleted of power…there’s no way I can be able to replenish myself in time to counter that creature’s attack!” she explained.  Pete gave out a panicked expression!  “We’re finished…” she whispered.  At that, Pete’s ears perked up and he got immensely tense!

 

  “N-no, that can’t be, Maleficent!  We’ve gotta stop this thing!” he said as he stood up and then tried to throw some magic infused marbles at the creature!  But unfortunately, it seemed as though the creature was now invulnerable to any attacks!  At that, Pete gave out a nervous chuckle and almost seemed to break into tears!  “Yep, that’s it, we’re definitely done for!!!” he weeped!

 

  Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort weren’t able to do much either, for since their life force was connected to Maleficent, her now weakened state also weakened them!  They stood up, but were helpless to do anything to stop the creature from obliterating them!  It’s attack was now almost ready to be unleashed!  Kairi, who was watching all this, clenched her fists and felt a boiling rage seep inside her!  She wasn’t going to stand by and let this happen!  As a Princess Of Heart and as a Keyblade Wielder, it was her duty to protect everyone!  It’s what she had to do!  And so, she cast a sigil beneath her feet, and then she struck the sigil with her Keyblade, causing beams of light to jet out!  The beams of light then surrounded her, forming what seemed to be a barrier!

 

  “I’m not going to let things end like this…even though I sometimes struggle with my duties and my abilities…I need to do what I can to protect the worlds…and to protect my friends and everyone I love!  I won’t let this be the end!” she said defiantly, the beams of light now starting to pierce into her skin!  She moaned slightly in pain, for the beams of light were definitely sharp, but after a few seconds, she was now completely covered in light!  Her radiance shown so much, that the others turned their heads to look at her!

 

  “Huh?  What’s that?” Pete asked.  Maleficent opened her eyes wide.

 

  “No…that wretched girl…she’s going to use herself as a bomb to collide with the creature, to bring it down once and for all!” she stated!  Pete jumped back in awe and shock, and then he shook his head.

 

  “Wait, how do you know that’s what she’s doing!?” he asked.  Maleficent rolled her eyes.

 

  “Don’t you see, you insolent buffoon!?  This girl can’t bear to lose the people she cares about, and she can’t bear to fail in her responsibilities…as such, she’s giving her all, she’s pouring all of her power into this one, fatal attack…I had read about it in one of the books at the library back at Hollow Bastion.  It was a technique thought to have been lost to the ages…a technique in which the user engulfs itself in light!  Once covered by the radiance of light, the user would then proceed to head towards whatever target it was intending to use it against, and destroys the target, along with itself.  A very reckless action, but one that yields immediate results…” she said, as Kairi started to slowly hover above the ground.  Maleficent sighed.  “And given the fact that Kairi is a Princess Of Heart, her light is the purest of all, therefore, the attack she’s attempting will very well destroy that wretched creature above us!  But doing so will come at the cost of her own life…” she finished.  Pete’s face grew worried with concern.

 

  “Aw, geez, we can’t let her do that!” he exclaimed!  Maleficent shook her head.

 

  “It’s too late to intervene now…the girl’s gone through with this, for this is what is in her heart…” she said.  With that, they looked onwards, as Kairi hovered higher above the ground!

 

  The creature noticed Kairi’s shining radiance, and it immediately growled, its attack almost near completion!  Without a moment to waste, Kairi glided towards the creature, landed on top of its head, and held on tight!  The creature flailed back and forth, trying to shake her off, but she had a solid grip on the creature, not letting go!  Due to the creature’s attempts at trying to shake Kairi off, its attack was negated, and Pete, Maleficent, Armored Eraqus and Guardian Xehanort were saved!  Seconds after, the creature started to become engulfed in Kairi’s light!  It roared in pain and desperation as it tried to escape, but it was already too late!  Kairi’s work had already been done, and now all the creature could do was await its imminent destruction!  In just three more seconds, a glorious explosion took place!  The explosion was so great, that it cast a blinding light that flashed up towards the sky!  When the explosion died down, the ice castle slowly started to melt away, as did the snow!  The landscape was now slowly giving way to a renewed forest!  The others remained there, looking at the sky…

 

  “Is she really…gone?” Pete asked. 

 

  Maleficent remained silent, clenching her fists…

(End Song Here)

---

 

  Meanwhile, in Alaya’s temple, everyone was now ready for the impending threat that was coming towards them!  The dark cloud that had formed a few miles away was now inching ever closer to the temple!  In the distance, Raxon could see hordes upon hordes of Heartless and Unborn gathering and swarming toward the temple!  It was going to be quite the hellish battle to go through!  But everyone had already committed to this fight, and they were ready to lay down their lives!  Raxon, Sky, Trish, Alaya, Soul, Maka, Black Star, Tsubaki, Death The Kid, Liz and Pattie knew what they had to do, and they weren’t going to let the overwhelming odds weaken their resolve!  They were going to do this!  Alaya looked at everyone and saw their fiery determination apparent in their eyes.  She smiled and then looked onwards towards the horizon, as the hordes of unrelenting enemies came ever closer!

 

  “Is everyone safe?” she asked.  Trish, who was by her side, nodded.

 

  “Yes…all of Mickey and Minnie’s subjects were able to be evacuated.  They’re in Cid’s airship now, and Queen Minnie’s with them, so I’m sure they’ll be safe.  They’ll be able to remain safe and far away from all this!” she explained.  Alaya nodded and felt relieved!

 

  “Good…then that means that we hold nothing back in this battle!  We fight with our full strength!” she stated!  At that, Soul smirked and looked at Maka and nodded.

 

  “Well, looks like it’s time to go all out!  Let’s do this, Maka!” he said.  Maka smiled and gave a thumbs up!

 

  “You got it, Soul!” she said, and with that, she extended her hand forth, and Soul engulfed himself in light momentarily, and when the light dissipated, he had transformed into a scythe!  This was Alaya’s first time seeing this power that Raxon’s friends had, and she found it quite impressive!  Tsubaki transformed into a short sword, and Black Star took stance!  Crona whimpered slightly as Ragnarok became an enormous sword of dark energy!  Death The Kid nodded at Liz and Pattie, and they both transformed into dual pistols!  The way Kid held them was strange, though!  He held the pistols upside down, and used his pinky fingers as the trigger fingers!

 

  “We’re ready for a fight!  Let them come!  We’ll strike them all down!” Kid said with a smile.  Raxon smirked and then summoned forth his Keyblade, ready to fight!  Trish walked over to him and stood by his side and then put her hand on his shoulder.  He flinched, for he didn’t see her coming!

 

  “Uh, what is it…?” he asked.  Trish gave a sweet smile.

 

  “Thank you for watching over Kyle for me…I know that it hasn’t been easy on you, after everything you told me…but I’m very happy and very relieved that Kyle had the blessing of meeting good friends like you…and for that, I thank you!” she said with utmost sincerity.  Raxon nodded and bowed his head.

 

  “No need to thank me, ma’am.  Your son is just as capable of facing the world as I am.  If anything, I should thank you for raising him…he’s taught me to never give up, despite the darkness that looms in every corner.  He’s taught me that no matter the deepest darkness…as long as my heart is in the right place, and as long as I do right by the ones I love, I will never give up, and I’ll keep pushing forward!  And for that, I thank you, and your son.” he said.  Trish’s eyes watered up as she heard Raxon’s words, and Sky, who had been listening to all this while flying above everyone, gave a smile.  Raxon was definitely becoming more mature!  Trish then summoned her Keyblade, and Sky summoned forth his sword, transforming it into a magic staff to pick off the enemies from a distance!

 

  “This is it…it is now, or nothing!” Alaya declared, and with that, she stood forward, and she summoned her very own Keyblade!  It was a majestic thing, watching her summon her Keyblade!  Her entire body pulsated with light, and that same light started to twirl around her, circling her slowly, until the light died down at her feet!  A few seconds later, her right hand started to glow with a radiant white, and a shower of shimmering light after, her Keyblade was summoned!  It was a Keyblade with long reach, and it was beautifully forged!  It was a white and golden color, with golden lines decorating the shaft of the blade!  The tip divided the golden lines and then coalesced them in circles, forming what seemed to be a crown, with light, darkness and twilight adorning each tip of the crown!  The hilt was a magnificent display of valkyrie wings, and the keychain featured a small cloud with a crown that resembled the one on the tip of the blade!  Everyone took a moment to admire her Keyblade, as they looked at it with awe and wonder!

 

(Start Song Here)

  “The storm is coming…” Alaya said grimly.  Everyone then snapped out of it, and their faces grew grim as well!  They all assumed their battle poses, and they prepared for what was probably going to be their most difficult battle yet!

 

  And so, thunder started to crackle and dot the sky, and the Heartless and Unborn came in spades!  They began their attack immediately, not even taking a moment to rest!  They immediately swarmed the entire temple, and they started to storm into it from every direction!  Everyone began to fight immediately!  Maka was hacking away at an insane number of Heartless by swinging her scythe around as furiously and as quickly as she could!  Black Star was running along the walls of the temple, picking off the Unborn one by one and then transforming Tsubaki into a giant shuriken, which he threw at the crowd of enemies below!  Crona, who seemed timid at first, was now quite the fury in the heat of battle!  He was swinging his sword around relentlessly, and it was as if his timidness had given way to pure, unbridled bloodlust!  He was plowing through the hordes of Heartless and Unborn as if they were nothing more than chew toys!  Death The Kid leapt upwards to a set of stairs in the hallway, and he started to pick off Heartless and Unborn from all sides with his dual pistols!  He shot with deadly accuracy and precision, not failing to hit his target even once!

 

  “Heh, these are quite the enemies, Raxon.  They sure are a challenge, but they aren’t that hard to beat!” Black Star said as he leapt towards Raxon and stood back to back with him!  The pirate gave out a sarcastic laugh.

 

  “Ha, yeah, try saying that after these critters tucker you out…then you’ll see if they’re difficult or not!” he said.  With that, he performed a spinning tornado attack that made quite a few Heartless and Unborn scatter and be blown away!  Trish, who was at the entrance taking down as many foes as she could, took a moment to look outwards, towards the endless sea of enemies, and then she noticed Heartless that were heavily clad in silver armor, and giant Unborn that had crossbows for arms!  She also saw Heartless that looked like cavalrymen, and she saw Wizards, Wyverns, Defenders, and even Invisibles!  Darkballs were also starting to surface, making things look ever worse for them!  The Unborn were also quite various in types, as there was one who branded an enormous claymore, while another one was completely engulfed in flames, wielding two flame whips!  There was also an aerial Unborn who had five spheres of light surrounding it, almost as if they were floating projectiles!  There were also wolf and crow looking Unborn, whose savage nature made them deadly!  Trish gave out a sigh.

 

  “Of course we have to face all these things…” she thought to herself, as she continued to take down as many foes as possible!

 

  Sky was hovering above everyone, casting powerful spells that made the enemy push back a few times!  His spells included Firaja, Blizzaja, Lightning, Zero Graviza and Magnega!  Magnega, in particular, was quite the spell, as every time he cast it, an innumerable amount of foes were forcefully drawn into the radius of the spell!  This was to everyone’s advantage, as they took out as many foes as possible during the times that Sky cast Magnega!  The spell was surely a great help!  Alaya was a rampaging force to be reckoned with!  She was plowing through the hordes of foes effortlessly, and she created powerful wind gust with each swing of her Keyblade, causing enemy archers to lose their balance, therefore rendering them unable to fire their arrows!

 

  The battle only continued to intensify, and now things were taking a major turn, spiraling downward into chaos!  The Unborn with crossbow arms started to fire off their bolts, and unfortunately for our heroes, these Unborn archers were quite deadly in their precision!  They had to dodge as many of the bolts that came flying their way as they could!  Some of them barely managed to dodge at all!  Crona got scraped on his right shoulder by the arrowhead of one of the bolts that whizzed by him!  This only made Crona unleash furious rage, as he then dashed outside and smashed his sword against the crossbow Unborn, smasthing them to bits in seconds!  But due to his reckless rage, he was blinded by all else around him, and so the Heartless and Unborn were starting to surround him!  But luckily, Trish came by and took down a hefty number of foes using a sphere of light and launching it to the ground, causing a small shockwave to form that disoriented and blinded the ever growing hordes of foes!  She then stood back to back with Crona, and she glared at the countless Heartless and Unborn that continued to gather!

 

  “Oh wow, these things are fun to fight against!  I just love clobbering ‘em!” Ragnarok mentioned.  Crona momentarily snapped back into his timid self, and he whimpered slightly and looked down awkwardly.

 

  “B-but they’re so scary…I don’t want to see them!!!” he yelped!

 

  “Well, then I suggest you help me take ‘em out!  The faster we take these goons out, the sooner you’ll get your wish to come true!  You won’t have to see them again!” Ragnarok suggested.  Crona nodded, and then he glanced over his shoulder at Trish, who was blocking incoming spells coming from the Wizard Heartless!  She glanced back momentarily and nodded.

 

  “I’m with you, Crona!  We’ll do this together!” she said.

 

  “Right!” Crona replied, and with that, he held Ragnarok with both hands, and then went berserk and started to rampage through the hordes of enemies!

 

  Trish followed Crona around the battlefield, and while doing so, she took out an incredible amount of Heartless and Unborn with her skill and prowess as a Keyblade Wielder!  She then realized how much her training had paid off, and she felt very blessed that she was able to train hard and rigorously, for had it not been for said training, she probably wouldn’t stand a chance against these ever increasing enemies!  She saw a cluster of Wizard Heartless attempting to cast their spells on Crona, but she quickly disabled them with Graviga, then performing Strike Raid, taking them out!

 

  Soon after, Maka came bursting out of the temple with a spring in her step, leaping up high and then plummeting down below, causing an immense shockwave to be produced!  All enemies in the surrounding area were blown away by her attack!  She then proceeded to chain a string of strikes and slashes with Soul, not giving the enemy the slightest chance to counter!  Countless Unborn were being decimated, and Soul was laughing the whole way!

 

  “Ha, now this is fun!  We haven’t had a battle like this in a while, huh!?  It’s good to work out the kinks, ya know?” Soul remarked.  Maka giggled and nodded.

 

  “That’s right!  We have to stretch out every once in a while, or else our combat skills will stiffen!  And we don’t want that now, am I right?” she asked.  Soul gave out a chuckle.

 

  “How right you are, Maka!  Heh, I couldn’t have said it better myself!” he said.  With that, Maka dashed through he hordes of Heartless and Unborn, taking out another healthy batch of them!

 

  Inside the temple, Alaya, Raxon, Death The Kid and Sky were all gathered in a circle, keeping the enemy at bay for as long as they were able!  It wasn’t easy, but they were managing!  And since Crona, Maka and Trish were outside, the enemy was having a tougher time getting into the temple!  Nevertheless, the hordes of Heartless and Unborn kept on coming!  Death The Kid kept shooting as many foes as he could, his endless barrage of bullets adorning the battlefield with a flash!  Raxon had transformed his Keyblade into a rifle, and he was firing off shots as much as he could, managing to cut through a few enemies at once!  Sky kept firing off powerful spells, and when he felt that his magic energy was draining, he transformed his magic staff into a sword and began swinging relentlessly, taking out many Wyvern Heartless that were attempting to swoop into the temple!  Alaya was taking out Unborn heavy hitters with just one strike of her Keyblade!  She was definitely a sight to see on the battlefield!

 

  “Yahoo!!!!  I’m going to show all these creepy crawlies how it’s really done!” Black Star bellowed, as he had been fighting Heartless and Unborn higher up into the temple!  He dashed down almost instantly, and he performed a series of sword strikes that ended up making the enemy into minced meat!  He then transformed Tsubaki into a shuriken and flung it towards his friends, therefore taking out all the surrounding enemies!  Briefly, the inside of the temple was all clear now.  But it wouldn’t stay that way for long.  Still, at least Black Star had pushed back the enemy momentarily!

 

  “Well, I’m gonna see how tough the enemies are outside!  Yahoo!!!” Black Star shouted, and with that, he leapt outside and plunged into the battlefield that awaited!  Raxon looked at Alaya, who was looking outside.

 

  “Well, it looks like we’re holding our ground for now, eh?” he asked.  Alaya remained silent, and her face turned grim.

 

  “The real fight is just beginning…” she said.  Raxon was about to ask what she meant by that, but when he looked to the horizon, he saw Behemoths and Darksides coming their way!  Adding that to the already impossible number of enemies that were currently within their range, Raxon gave out a sigh.

 

  “Aye, it be just beginning indeed…”

(End Song Here)

---

 

(Start Song Here)

  Elsewhere, Dawn was trapped within her own consciousness!  She knew this to be the case because she was seeing Valgard right in front of her!  She knew that he was dead…because she had killed him!  So immediately, Dawn knew that she was inside her consciousness.  She cried and pleaded Valgard to forgive her for what she had done.  He simply smiled and gently placed his hand on her head.  She sniffled and stopped crying and looked up at Valgard with immense regret.  Obviously, she hadn’t meant to kill him, but she still felt guilty for having done the deed either way.  She slowly stood up, and then she looked away.  She couldn’t face him!  She felt Valgard come a few steps closer, and she just drew out her hand.

 

  “Please…don’t come any closer…I can’t bear it…” she whispered.  Only silence loomed.  When a few seconds passed, Dawn looked up to Valgard, who simply stood there, smiling.  She couldn’t bear it.  She couldn’t bear the fact that Valgard was giving her such an honest, sincere and heartfelt smile!  She shook her head and started to cry again!

 

  “Don’t, Valgard…I don’t deserve this…after everything that’s happened, I don’t deserve to see your smile…I don’t deserve your kindness…” she said, disheartened.  All it took was for a light tap on her shoulder for her to look up and notice that Valgard had put his hand on her shoulder!  He gave a comforting, reassuring smile, and then he looked over to the horizon.  Dawn then decided to do the same, wondering what he was looking at!  She wiped off her tears, and then she noticed something in the distance!  It seemed to be some sort of silhouette!  When she glanced back at Valgard, he now had a fatally grim expression on his face.  His expression indicated that what lay beyond the silhouette wasn’t pretty.  Dawn could feel this warning, but something in her heart told her that she needed to see for herself what lay beyond!

 

  And so, she walked forward.  It seemed to take forever to get to the silhouette, but when she finally got there, she noticed that it dissolved into a slowly ascending steep hill!  It was gray, almost as if it was covered in ash!  Dawn slowly climbed this grim hill, and then she noticed that the sky above her looked black and gray, with streaks of a reddish orange!  It seemed like the kind of sky that bore witness to a grim battle!  She then realized what was going on!  With that, she made her way up the steep hill faster, and when she got to the top, she bore witness to a horrifying war!  Thousands, if not millions of warriors were all scattered around and about, brutally dueling each other to the death!  It all seemed so sad and full of despair!  Among the faces she saw, she recognized her friends, and she recognized Riku!  She saw him dying!  Her eyes opened wide and she was going to leap off the hill, but she found herself stuck in place, almost as if something was forcing her to stay put!  She could only stay there and watch in horror as Riku was impaled on all sides by faceless soldiers!  Then she looked all around her, and noticed that all of her friends were meeting their ends!  They were being overwhelmed by the enemy, and then, to top it all off, the entire battlefield was being cast in shadow by endless hordes of Heartless and Unborn that were raining down destruction on everything in their path!

 

  “This is madness…” she said to herself, tears forming in her eyes anew!

 

  She then looked up and saw the sky blaze with a fiery rage!  She then saw that the flames formed the symbol of Kingdom Hearts, and then, it rained endless amounts of flames upon the battlefield, wiping everything in sight!  She eventually felt the flames get to her, and she felt as if she was going to be burned alive!  She covered herself and started to scream in frantic panic!  It was then that she abruptly woke up, much to the startlement of Hiro, Baymax and the others, who were by her side!

(End Song Here)

 

(Start Song Here)

  “Whoa, easy there, you look like you’re about to blow up!” Hiro exclaimed, almost falling off of his seat!  Baymax came near Dawn and touched her face, and then scanned her.

 

  “Her heart rate has increased.  She is suffering from a serious case of tension.  It seems as though she went through a nightmare!” the robot explained.  Honey Lemon gave a compassionate expression to Dawn and then walked over to her, holding her hand.

 

  “Are you okay?” she asked.  Dawn shook her head, as tears began to form in her eyes!

 

  “Hey, hey, there’s no need to cry now…that nightmare of yours can’t have been that bad, right?” Gogo asked, trying her best to comfort her!  Dawn sat up on the bed and gave out a deep sigh and then looked at everyone.

 

  “It was horrible…I saw my friends die before my very eyes…I saw them all burn…it was horrible!  And I was helpless to do anything about it!  I just felt useless and weak, as if I were nothing more than a useless wretch!  I…I saw them die…and I didn’t do anything…I couldn’t do anything!  Damn it!” she said as she clenched her fists and her tears rolled down her face in frustration!  Wasabi then came over and put his hand on her shoulder.  She looked up at him with tears rolling down, and she said nothing.

 

  “Hey…it was just a nightmare.  If anything, that nightmare’s indicating how worried you are for the people you love!  Just because you saw what you saw there doesn’t mean that’s what’s going to happen, because nothing is ever written in stone!” he said.  Fred nodded and crossed his arms, with a serious expression that seemed to contradict his otherwise goofy appearance!

 

  “Wasabi’s right!  You can’t let adversity bring you down!  You gotta take life by the hand and just punch through whatever obstacles come your way!  Even if the world’s being invaded by aliens or mutant monsters, as long as you keep a cool head, you’ll be okay!  I’m sure you’ll be able to get to your friends!” he said.  At that, Dawn sniffled and wiped away her tears.

(End Song Here)

 

  “You know what…?  You’re right!  As long as I have the will to fight, I won’t let my friends meet their ends!  Not while I breathe!” she stated encouragingly! At that, everyone smiled.

 

  “See, there you go!  That’s the spirit!” Hiro said with a smile.  Dawn smiled back, and then, she remembered that Fred was in the room, and she quickly glanced over to him!

 

  “Hey…Fred, was it?  Hiro told me you could help me out with something regarding a weapon called the Key Of Balance!  He said you knew about stuff like this!  Can you help me?” she asked.  Fred nodded and gave an enthusiastic smile!

 

  “Sure thing!  Anything to help a Keyblade Wielder!” he stated, and at that, Dawn’s eyes grew wide with shock!

 

  “What did you say…?” she asked.  Fred tilted his head and looked at her in confusion.

 

  “Um…a Keyblade Wielder!  I mean, isn’t that thing you were using to fight against the giant monster a Keybalde?” he answered with a question.  Dawn nodded.

 

  “Yes, you’re right, but…how do you know about the Keyblade?” she asked.  At that, Fred simply gave a smirk and crossed his arms.

 

  “Well, as Hiro mentioned, I happen to be an expert on these kinds of things!  You see, even though my friends here don’t consider the things I study to be science, I, for a fact, believe that what I study has merit!  Sure, it’s hard to find actual monsters like the ones in my comic books or science fiction movies, but right now, I’m seeing that the Keyblade is very real!  You’re probably wondering how I know about that rad weapon in the first place, right?” he asked, pausing for dramatic effect.  Dawn was speechless, and the others just remained silent to listen to Fred.  He then smiled.  “Well, you see, there’s a library downtown that has books on all sorts of things, and there’s this one book that talks about legends and myths of a time called the age of “Fairy Tales” or something along those lines!  But anyways, the book has stuff on a bunch of different things, and the Keyblade’s one of the things mentioned in there!  It’s a pretty sweet weapon that can unlock any lock and open the door to something called, uh, Kingdom Hearts, right?” he asked, to make sure he was right so far.  Dawn nodded, again speechless, but the others weren’t sharing her speechlessness.

 

  “Okay, well, I also know that only a person who’s got a strong heart is deemed worthy of being chosen by the Keyblade!  Haha, I can’t even begin to express how cool is that!  It’s like something out of the best kinds of comic books out there!” Fred explained with gleeful excitement!  “So yeah, there’s also these Keys Of Balance mentioned in the book, and right now, you seem to be looking for one!  You’re one of the chosen!  I can’t help you in terms of locating the Key for you, but I can help you in trying to figure this all out!  You gotta pass through an ordeal or something like that, right?” he asked.  Dawn nodded, continuing to be speechless!  At that, Gogo gave out a chuckle and pointed at her.

 

  “Ha, looks like this girl’s having a hard time grasping the fact that you know about all this, Fred!” she stated.  Dawn quickly jerked her head back, and then she looked at the others, who were unfazed by all this.

 

  “Doesn’t this all startle you?  I mean, doesn’t this make you wonder about what’s going on outside of this city?  Did you already know about this too?” she asked.  The others nodded.

 

  “Yes, Fred had been going on and on about the Keyblade long before you showed up!  We didn’t really believe in what he was saying, since, well, after all, it was just a myth to us, but after seeing you fight with us against that monster, we saw the Keyblade, and now we know its real!” Honey Lemon answered.  Wasabi rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

 

  “Wow…so I guess that whole bit about there being other worlds besides our own is also true…wow, to think that there’s countless other worlds out there!  That’s a pretty impressive and scary thing to think about!” he said.

 

  “Ha, well Dawn, just so you know, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re superheroes, and stuff like this shouldn’t come as a surprise to us.  So yeah, we know about you, and we’re willing to help you out!” Hiro said.  At that, Dawn took a moment to let all of these words sink into her head.  These people knew about the Keyblade and about other worlds!  The fact that they were so calm about this impressed her!  Normally, other people would panic at the thought of something bigger than their own world, which is part of the reason why the order for keeping worlds in the dark about each other’s existence was issued in the early days of the first Keyblade Wielders!  But seeing how they knew and accepted this reality with maturity definitely impressed her!

 

  “I…I don’t know what to say…thank you!” she said as she bowed down appreciatively!  The others smiled and nodded.  Baymax walked over to Dawn and scanned her anew.

 

  “It seems that now your mood has improved!  Your heart rate is back to normal, and now your stress seems to have been alleviated.  I take it you are feeling better?” he asked.  Dawn smiled and got out of bed, a fiery look of determination in her eyes!

 

  “Yes…much, much better!  Come on guys, we’ve got work to do!” she said, and with that, everyone got on the move, and so, the search for her Key Of Balance was underway!

 

---

 

  At that same moment, Jexana was in her quarters.  She was much better now, but she was in an extremely foul mood!  Her airship had been mostly repaired, so there was no issue with its performance, and her soldiers were ready in the event of another assault by the Keybalde Wielders.  But even with all this, she felt uneasy, and she constantly glanced at Ventus, looking at him as he stood, still and stoic beside her, with his lifeless eyes fixed on the floor.  She took a few moments and then stood up.  She bit her lower lip and touched Ventus’ face, caressing it and then getting closer to him.  She could hear his soft breathing, and then she wrapped herself around him and embraced him.  She started to cry…

 

  “It’ll all be over soon, my love…soon, things will go back to the way they should…” she whispered gently.  “Just please, hang in there for me a little while longer…and don’t go back to your family…” she pleaded softly…

 

  “My heart is yours, Jexana…you are my reason for being…” he said grimly.  Jexana smiled and nodded as she cried.

 

  “Yes, that’s right!  And you’re my reason for being…” she said.  With that, she kissed him tenderly on his lips, and a few seconds later, she heard a knock on her door.  She proceeded to sit back down and cleared her throat.  “Come in!” she urged!  Shortly after, Emmxett came inside, and he gave a bow of respect to Jexana before sitting on a chair situated in front of the desk that Jexana was sitting behind.

 

(Start Song Here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKyfF3h1sVY

  “You called for me, Jexana?” he asked.  She nodded, and she stroked her chin and closed her eyes.  She had a troubled expression on her face.  This, in turn, caught Emmxett by surprise, for he hadn’t seen Jexana this way before!

 

  “Is…something wrong?” he asked.  Jexana then opened her eyes and looked at Emmxett grimly.

 

  “I believe that Tsumugi is a traitor…” she said.  At that, Emmxett’s eyes opened wide.

 

  “What?  How can you be sure of this!?” he asked in alarm!

 

  “Well…there’s no concrete evidence pointing to her being a traitor, but I sense that there’s something amiss about her…she seems to be acting strange, but she’s always been a silent person, so it’s hard to tell what’s going on in her mind.  If she is a traitor, she’s definitely keeping up appearances…” Jexana explained.  Emmxett now also bore a troubled expression, and he crossed his arms.

 

  “So…what does this mean for us now?” he asked.  Jexana stood up and put her hands behind her back, and she walked over to one of the nearby windows of her quarters.

 

  “This means that we’ll have to keep a very sharp eye on her…see how she behaves when she’s around us and when she’s alone…spy on her, observe her actions, but obviously, don’t make it obvious that you’re suspicious of her.  Be discreet.  We don’t need a traitor at the last minute going on and ruining things for us…I won’t allow it!” she declared!  Emmxett nodded, and then he stood up.

 

  “It will be done, Jexana.  I’ll keep an eye out for her…” he said as he made his way out the door.  He stopped just before leaving, and he turned around to look at Jexana.  “This is what I was talking about…not only has Ventus already broken free…but it seems that now Tsumugi’s breaking free as well.  It seems that the effects of your spell are starting to backfire on you…” he remarked.  Jexana clenched her fists, her eyes full of rage!

 

  “Silence!  Ventus is back where he belongs.  Here, with me!  And I’m making sure he doesn’t break free again!  Tsumugi’s treason is something I won’t take likely…I’ll just have to force upon her a stronger dose of my spell, should she prove to indeed be a traitor!” she proclaimed.  Emmxett bowed in apology.

 

  “Of course…I’m sorry, it wasn’t my place to doubt your abilities…but know this…it’s only a matter of time before your reality breaks away in front of you…don’t say I didn’t warn you…” he said as he stepped out the door. 

 

  Jexana only remained silent…

(End Song Here)

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

 

This can’t be!  Has Kairi died!?  Will Alaya and the others be able to hold off the relentless and infinite amounts of Heartless and Unborn threatening to devour Alaya’s temple into darkness!?  Will Dawn be able to find her Key Of Balance?  And is Tsumugi’s life in danger now!?  What else will happen!?  Be prepared for Chapter Twenty Seven: “Kingdom Hearts.”

 

Well then everyone, that was the chapter!  I hope you all found it to your enjoyment!  Whoo, I am loving how this story’s being pieced together!  I can’t wait for you all to see what I’ve got in store for the next couple of chapters!  I bet you’ll all be surprised!  Haha, but anyways, thank you all so much for your patience and support, and as always, please be sure to comment on your thoughts about tonight’s chapter!  Well then, until next time, stay tuned for the next one!

 

Oh, and as an added bonus, here's a sketch of Kyle and his Feral Form!  KHLegendIII wanted me to draw him, so I did!  Also, credit goes to KHLegendIII for a character named Shia that had appeared a few chapters back!  The character had been his idea, and if I'm not mistaken, I had forgotten to credit him in the chapter that Shia appeared!  He also deserves credit for Kyle's Key Of Balance.  His suggestion for said key was perfect, so thanks go to him!

 

Oh lord, Jexana, what's going to happen next?