A sequel to my Kingdom Hearts quest. I originally wrote this as a quest, but I realized how limiting the second-person limited perspective was with things so off the rails. So it's a fic now.
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Keep On Whacking: Re: Mix (KH)
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Twilight Town/Hollow Bastion: Prologue
- Location
- Someplace else
This is a sequel to my Kingdom Hearts quest. I highly recommend reading it for context.
A familiar scene, of three Keyblade wielders battling a Nobody in the depths of a castle twisted with machinery. One with brown hair, one with silver, and one red.
"Trinity!" yelled the redhead, and the other two gathered by him—and the Superior appeared in front of him. "What are you—"
"Taking back what you stole," the Nobody cut him off.
A new barrier materialized around him and the redhead, closing both of them off.
"I made you as a replica, and I can unmake you."
Xemnas reached for his heart—
Flashback dreams weren't fun.
Given how the time of day worked in Twilight Town, looked out the window to see that the sunset was at its darkest, as though it was mere minutes before nightfall in any other world. Turning on his Gummiphone, he saw that the time was only 2:30 in the morning.
His chest was fine, no sign of his heart getting ripped out—just that scar from a brush with some coral in Atlantica.
If anything, his main concern was that the nightmares were getting more vivid—more detailed.
Still, at least his self-proclaimed brother was sleeping well.
When Roxas had woken up that morning, one of the first things he had heard was Haru's loud snoring. He was used to that by now, so he just decided to not stoke any fires and leave after a short breakfast. The guy usually slept in, anyway, even sleeping through the chiming of the clock tower.
As he ate, Roxas's mind was occupied.
Other than a brief visit to Traverse Town the very day he had come into existence in front of the old mansion, he'd lived in Twilight Town his whole life. This place… it was his home.
Olette once told him that "home is where the heart is," but as a Nobody, Roxas's heart… it wasn't fully grown. So he just considered Twilight Town his home because this was where he had been born.
At the same time, this world… it was just too small in the grand scheme of things.
Every star in the sky was a different world.
And in all honesty, Roxas wondered if this was what envy felt like.
He pushed the thought aside before cleaning up. Hayner had once said that going for a morning jog helped you become more awake, so after putting away his dishes, Roxas went outside to greet the orange sky heralding the start of a new day.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ljc7jwVYVQw
Roxas took a deep breath. He personally liked to jog from the Tram Common, up to Station Plaza and back again, so he could get to the sea salt ice cream shop right when it opened.
"Three, two, one…"
And he was off.
It was only safe for him to really cross through the sandlot before Seifer's gang woke up, so as he passed through there and into the Tram Common, he took a quick stop by the tunnel into the woods to catch his breath. People were starting to come out for the day, either for jobs or just to mill about, and as Roxas got ready to resume the jog, his train of thought was interrupted by someone calling, "Morning, Roxas!"
"Oh, hi, Hayner," greeted Roxas, the blond approaching him. "Morning."
"I take it you're getting the blood pumping?"
The Nobody laughed. "Was it really that obvious?"
"Anyway," Hayner said, leaning back against the wall, "I was wondering if you had room for one more. It's still early, so hopefully I'm not bothering you or anything."
Roxas smiled. "Of course I'm not bothered, Hayner!" he reassured his friend. "I'd like the company."
"Great! How about… we start by racing to Elmina's?" He grinned at Roxas. "The winner's the one who buys ice cream."
At that, Roxas flashed Hayner a smile. "You're on."
Both of them stood parallel to the tunnel, getting in a starting position. "Ready… go!"
And the two of them began their race.
Though Roxas didn't have a fully-grown heart…
That didn't mean the memories he had weren't real.
The musty scent of the purification facility made Xigbar's nose twitch. He hated coming back here, given how he had lost his eye in this place, but with that Restoration Committee or whatever running around the castle, Xigbar had to tolerate the flood damage and bad memories.
"Shit…" he commented, pacing back and forth between the unconscious bodies on the platform, "things are so off the rails it isn't even funny. Lord Xemnas is nowhere to be seen, which means we can salvage this… and he should be back any day now."
"Yes," said the silver-haired boy looking out over the blue wasteland.
"Man, does that Xehanort scare me like nobody's business, the way he can see into minds," mused Xigbar. "He's still sticking to the plan, yeah? Or do you not even know what he's going for now?"
"I will be led where the passage of fate dictates I will go," replied the youth.
"So you're in the dark, too?" The freeshooter chuckled at the thought. "What a surprise."
"Every Keyblade Master is bequeathed a Keyblade of their own," he explained, unfazed by Xigbar's words as he turned around. "With the passing of time, more and more Keyblades were forged to be passed down.
"But of all the Keyblades in existence, Master Xehanort's is the most ancient. That is my destiny… but it has yet to become a reality."
Xigbar curled his lip, looking out at the wastes. He knew that all too well. "This is all about that Keyblade War, yeah? Well, with that pyromaniac puppet prancing around, I've had some pretty nice plans of my own in place as soon as I got back." He turned back, leaning against the balustrade before gesturing at the bodies in front of him. "So, who's your pick?"
———
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv_9lBlTyng
Hey! I know this is out of the blue, but with everything that went off the rails in the quest that this was a sequel to, I figured that second-person limited… didn't really work for something like this. So, I decided to reboot the sequel to my KH quest as a fic instead.
For some context, it was originally an isekai, but then I retconned that early on and it became an AU.
I'll write these as vignettes, with the word count being 500+ for each.
A familiar scene, of three Keyblade wielders battling a Nobody in the depths of a castle twisted with machinery. One with brown hair, one with silver, and one red.
"Trinity!" yelled the redhead, and the other two gathered by him—and the Superior appeared in front of him. "What are you—"
"Taking back what you stole," the Nobody cut him off.
A new barrier materialized around him and the redhead, closing both of them off.
"I made you as a replica, and I can unmake you."
Xemnas reached for his heart—
———
Haru woke up to the dull pain on the back of his head. Rubbing the bump, his gaze shifted to the bedframe.
Flashback dreams weren't fun.
Given how the time of day worked in Twilight Town, looked out the window to see that the sunset was at its darkest, as though it was mere minutes before nightfall in any other world. Turning on his Gummiphone, he saw that the time was only 2:30 in the morning.
His chest was fine, no sign of his heart getting ripped out—just that scar from a brush with some coral in Atlantica.
If anything, his main concern was that the nightmares were getting more vivid—more detailed.
Still, at least his self-proclaimed brother was sleeping well.
———
When Roxas had woken up that morning, one of the first things he had heard was Haru's loud snoring. He was used to that by now, so he just decided to not stoke any fires and leave after a short breakfast. The guy usually slept in, anyway, even sleeping through the chiming of the clock tower.
As he ate, Roxas's mind was occupied.
Other than a brief visit to Traverse Town the very day he had come into existence in front of the old mansion, he'd lived in Twilight Town his whole life. This place… it was his home.
Olette once told him that "home is where the heart is," but as a Nobody, Roxas's heart… it wasn't fully grown. So he just considered Twilight Town his home because this was where he had been born.
At the same time, this world… it was just too small in the grand scheme of things.
Every star in the sky was a different world.
And in all honesty, Roxas wondered if this was what envy felt like.
He pushed the thought aside before cleaning up. Hayner had once said that going for a morning jog helped you become more awake, so after putting away his dishes, Roxas went outside to greet the orange sky heralding the start of a new day.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ljc7jwVYVQw
Roxas took a deep breath. He personally liked to jog from the Tram Common, up to Station Plaza and back again, so he could get to the sea salt ice cream shop right when it opened.
"Three, two, one…"
And he was off.
It was only safe for him to really cross through the sandlot before Seifer's gang woke up, so as he passed through there and into the Tram Common, he took a quick stop by the tunnel into the woods to catch his breath. People were starting to come out for the day, either for jobs or just to mill about, and as Roxas got ready to resume the jog, his train of thought was interrupted by someone calling, "Morning, Roxas!"
"Oh, hi, Hayner," greeted Roxas, the blond approaching him. "Morning."
"I take it you're getting the blood pumping?"
The Nobody laughed. "Was it really that obvious?"
"Anyway," Hayner said, leaning back against the wall, "I was wondering if you had room for one more. It's still early, so hopefully I'm not bothering you or anything."
Roxas smiled. "Of course I'm not bothered, Hayner!" he reassured his friend. "I'd like the company."
"Great! How about… we start by racing to Elmina's?" He grinned at Roxas. "The winner's the one who buys ice cream."
At that, Roxas flashed Hayner a smile. "You're on."
Both of them stood parallel to the tunnel, getting in a starting position. "Ready… go!"
And the two of them began their race.
Though Roxas didn't have a fully-grown heart…
That didn't mean the memories he had weren't real.
The musty scent of the purification facility made Xigbar's nose twitch. He hated coming back here, given how he had lost his eye in this place, but with that Restoration Committee or whatever running around the castle, Xigbar had to tolerate the flood damage and bad memories.
"Shit…" he commented, pacing back and forth between the unconscious bodies on the platform, "things are so off the rails it isn't even funny. Lord Xemnas is nowhere to be seen, which means we can salvage this… and he should be back any day now."
"Yes," said the silver-haired boy looking out over the blue wasteland.
"Man, does that Xehanort scare me like nobody's business, the way he can see into minds," mused Xigbar. "He's still sticking to the plan, yeah? Or do you not even know what he's going for now?"
"I will be led where the passage of fate dictates I will go," replied the youth.
"So you're in the dark, too?" The freeshooter chuckled at the thought. "What a surprise."
"Every Keyblade Master is bequeathed a Keyblade of their own," he explained, unfazed by Xigbar's words as he turned around. "With the passing of time, more and more Keyblades were forged to be passed down.
"But of all the Keyblades in existence, Master Xehanort's is the most ancient. That is my destiny… but it has yet to become a reality."
Xigbar curled his lip, looking out at the wastes. He knew that all too well. "This is all about that Keyblade War, yeah? Well, with that pyromaniac puppet prancing around, I've had some pretty nice plans of my own in place as soon as I got back." He turned back, leaning against the balustrade before gesturing at the bodies in front of him. "So, who's your pick?"
———
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv_9lBlTyng
Hey! I know this is out of the blue, but with everything that went off the rails in the quest that this was a sequel to, I figured that second-person limited… didn't really work for something like this. So, I decided to reboot the sequel to my KH quest as a fic instead.
For some context, it was originally an isekai, but then I retconned that early on and it became an AU.
I'll write these as vignettes, with the word count being 500+ for each.
Last edited:
Destiny Islands: A Loose End
- Location
- Someplace else
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IkXMnezu13g
Having her son back was everything Izumi had ever hoped for. While she had to sit down after everything that had happened—the storm intensifying, and her blacking out before waking up to see no sign of it, the fact that Sora was home safe eclipsed all of that.
That had been a year ago, and now, things were relatively back to normal. The only exception had been that "Haru" character, who had apparently replaced her son for who knows how long.
Izumi had once had a book of fairy tales when she was younger, and this was something right out of a changeling story from that book. She wasn't the superstitious type in the slightest, but it still gave her chills at the thought of it.
That dinner last year was… interesting, to say the least.
"So," Izumi said, her bright green eyes boring into Haru's red, "exactly how long were you here?" Her son was blissfully enjoying what might've been the first full meal he'd had in ages, all but inhaling the grilled sea bass and clam chowder. It did Izumi's heart proud to see that Sora's appetite hadn't changed in the slightest.
"Beats me," replied Haru, looking as though he wanted to be anywhere but there—but Izumi was not letting him off the hook. "I only really became aware of the full thing a day or two before the storm."
Once Sora was done taking a bite, he shifted awkwardly in his chair. "Shi—"
"No swearing at the table!" Izumi cut him off with a loud clap. She gave Haru a withering glare. "Since you're apparently a…"
"Replica?"
"Yeah, that. A replica of Sora… I'm going to say that you're grounded."
Haru sputtered unintelligibly before finally coming up with a single word, "G-grounded?!"
"For impersonating Sora while he was… in this pod thing," said Izumi. "The guest room is down the hall."
That "Lea" individual had come to the islands later to take Haru someplace else a few days later, and that was that.
As Izumi got to her painting of the play island, a work in progress that was best done at sunrise, she heard the door to Sora's room open. "Oh, good morning, sleepyhead," she told her son with a smile.
"Morning, Mom!" said Sora, picking up the breakfast she had made for him. "I gotta do something over at the play island. I'll be back in about two hours!"
Izumi went over and gave Sora a hug, and he returned the embrace. "Whatever happens, be safe," she reminded him.
"I will. Love you."
"Love you, too."
———
Sora had gone to the play island for a specific reason—that door in the secret place. It was one of those days that the Keyhole on it might appear.
So, as he entered the cave, he looked around. Everything was as he remembered it, and on the door, just like he had expected, was the Keyhole.
The Kingdom Key manifested in his hand, and just like he had done in the Coliseum, Neverland, and Hollow Bastion, he pointed it at the Keyhole. The moment he did, a beam shot out, entering the Keyhole, which vanished with a click.
As Sora sat back in the cave, he felt his Gummiphone vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out, he answered, "Hello?"
"Sora!" Riku called over it. "Master Yen Sid wants us. It's about… well, last year."
Sora feared the worst.
Last edited:
Mysterious Tower: The Gang's (Almost) Back Together
- Location
- Someplace else
After saying their goodbyes to their friends and families, Sora and Riku made a beeline for the other side of the play island, where the obstacle course they used to play on as kids sat, now repurposed for training with the Keyblade.
The most important part was that it faced the open ocean, and the tree at the center of the play island was big enough that they were completely hidden. Though, that left one other question.
If the barriers between the worlds were back up, how exactly would they get to the tower without some kind of ship? More questions he needed answers to.
On another note, Riku hadn't expected Kairi to already be there.
"Kairi? Did something happen?" asked Sora.
"Master Yen Sid also offered to train me," she explained, putting her hands together. "It's about Xehanort, isn't it? Well… I wanna help."
Riku grimly nodded. "The whole Xehanort thing is what I'm afraid it's about." His thoughts were interrupted by something brushing against his foot in the warm waves, with a texture that felt almost rubbery, like a beach ball. Not only that, but —he didn't wanna repeat brushing against a man-o-war. "Huh?"
It was a blue, star-shaped gummi block, one that Riku picked up. Eyeing the block, he saw how it glistened in the sunlight, almost as though it was a star of its own. "I've never seen a block like this before."
So, he honestly wasn't surprised that it started to glow.
What did surprise him was the sudden jerking sensation, like he had just been pulled up in the air by the back collar of his shirt with a stage cane.
Then came the vertigo, and he was whisked off to who knows where.
When Riku came to, he was in a perfectly circular room lined with bookcases and behind him, large windows shaped like stars and crescent moons. In the center was a rectangular desk that had a candle with a base that was shaped like a skull.
Sitting at the desk was an older man with flowing blue robes, a long gray beard, and a conical hat matching his robes, with yellow stars and moons on it.
"I apologize for bringing you here in such an unorthodox fashion," said Yen Sid, putting the gummi block on his desk. "But with the barriers between worlds restored, a Star Shard was the quickest way here."
"You know, I could've just brought 'em here with a dark corridor," came another voice. Lea was on the other side of the room leaning against the wall, still in his black cloak. He shrugged. "But whatevs."
"Lea! It's great to see you," said Sora with a smile.
"You too, kid."
"Hey!" the brunet snapped indignantly.
"Gawrsh, I think that's our cue!"
"You said it, Goofy!"
The door to the study was thrown open, which was where Donald and Goofy ran up to Sora at full speed. "Sora! Glad to see ya!" cheered Goofy.
"Donald! Goofy!" He hugged them both. "Great to see you too!"
Donald grumbled something under his breath, while Goofy just let out one of his trademark laughs.
"As you can imagine," Yen Sid spoke up, making the trio stand straight up at full attention, "I did not summon you here just for a reunion. Sora, I need you to go to Twilight Town with Donald and Goofy. Both Haru and Roxas must hear this."
"Yes, sir!" agreed Donald. "Sora?"
"Way ahead of you." He sent a quick text to his replica. "I'll be back before you know it. Be back in a bit!" With that, he and the others left the room.
"…then it's time," said Riku. Yen Sid just nodded.
Eventually, the door opened once again, revealing a panting Haru, having suffered the trial of the stairs for the first time. With him was Roxas, who simply said, "Hi," to Yen Sid.
Both the captain and court mage flinched before Donald admonished him with, "Show some respect!"
Yen Sid stroked his beard. "Roxas and Haru. I welcome you both to my home."
Riku's grave expression seemed to vanish at the sight of the replica. "Haru!" he exclaimed.
"Riku!" Haru responded with a grin. "Long time, no see!"
"I could say the same."
"Riku really missed you, you know," Kairi chimed in with a cheeky smile.
"Kairi!" Riku cried, his face burning red. "Y-you don't…! I…" He turned to Yen Sid as Kairi giggled. "W-what was it you summoned us for, now that we're all here?"
The retired master wasn't fazed, simply saying, "The stars have shown grave tidings and dark days to come."
Haru audibly gulped.
The most important part was that it faced the open ocean, and the tree at the center of the play island was big enough that they were completely hidden. Though, that left one other question.
If the barriers between the worlds were back up, how exactly would they get to the tower without some kind of ship? More questions he needed answers to.
On another note, Riku hadn't expected Kairi to already be there.
"Kairi? Did something happen?" asked Sora.
"Master Yen Sid also offered to train me," she explained, putting her hands together. "It's about Xehanort, isn't it? Well… I wanna help."
Riku grimly nodded. "The whole Xehanort thing is what I'm afraid it's about." His thoughts were interrupted by something brushing against his foot in the warm waves, with a texture that felt almost rubbery, like a beach ball. Not only that, but —he didn't wanna repeat brushing against a man-o-war. "Huh?"
It was a blue, star-shaped gummi block, one that Riku picked up. Eyeing the block, he saw how it glistened in the sunlight, almost as though it was a star of its own. "I've never seen a block like this before."
So, he honestly wasn't surprised that it started to glow.
What did surprise him was the sudden jerking sensation, like he had just been pulled up in the air by the back collar of his shirt with a stage cane.
Then came the vertigo, and he was whisked off to who knows where.
When Riku came to, he was in a perfectly circular room lined with bookcases and behind him, large windows shaped like stars and crescent moons. In the center was a rectangular desk that had a candle with a base that was shaped like a skull.
Sitting at the desk was an older man with flowing blue robes, a long gray beard, and a conical hat matching his robes, with yellow stars and moons on it.
"I apologize for bringing you here in such an unorthodox fashion," said Yen Sid, putting the gummi block on his desk. "But with the barriers between worlds restored, a Star Shard was the quickest way here."
"You know, I could've just brought 'em here with a dark corridor," came another voice. Lea was on the other side of the room leaning against the wall, still in his black cloak. He shrugged. "But whatevs."
"Lea! It's great to see you," said Sora with a smile.
"You too, kid."
"Hey!" the brunet snapped indignantly.
"Gawrsh, I think that's our cue!"
"You said it, Goofy!"
The door to the study was thrown open, which was where Donald and Goofy ran up to Sora at full speed. "Sora! Glad to see ya!" cheered Goofy.
"Donald! Goofy!" He hugged them both. "Great to see you too!"
Donald grumbled something under his breath, while Goofy just let out one of his trademark laughs.
"As you can imagine," Yen Sid spoke up, making the trio stand straight up at full attention, "I did not summon you here just for a reunion. Sora, I need you to go to Twilight Town with Donald and Goofy. Both Haru and Roxas must hear this."
"Yes, sir!" agreed Donald. "Sora?"
"Way ahead of you." He sent a quick text to his replica. "I'll be back before you know it. Be back in a bit!" With that, he and the others left the room.
"…then it's time," said Riku. Yen Sid just nodded.
Haru met up with Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette, and he and Hayner had a quick spar before they all went up to Central Station. There, Roxas was conflicted about actually leaving Twilight Town, and they met up with Sora before taking off on the ghost train.
At the foot of the tower, they met Pete for the first time, who was unaware that Maleficent had been defeated. After a quick battle against some Heartless, they made their way up the long flight of stairs leading to Yen Sid's chamber.
At the foot of the tower, they met Pete for the first time, who was unaware that Maleficent had been defeated. After a quick battle against some Heartless, they made their way up the long flight of stairs leading to Yen Sid's chamber.
Eventually, the door opened once again, revealing a panting Haru, having suffered the trial of the stairs for the first time. With him was Roxas, who simply said, "Hi," to Yen Sid.
Both the captain and court mage flinched before Donald admonished him with, "Show some respect!"
Yen Sid stroked his beard. "Roxas and Haru. I welcome you both to my home."
Riku's grave expression seemed to vanish at the sight of the replica. "Haru!" he exclaimed.
"Riku!" Haru responded with a grin. "Long time, no see!"
"I could say the same."
"Riku really missed you, you know," Kairi chimed in with a cheeky smile.
"Kairi!" Riku cried, his face burning red. "Y-you don't…! I…" He turned to Yen Sid as Kairi giggled. "W-what was it you summoned us for, now that we're all here?"
The retired master wasn't fazed, simply saying, "The stars have shown grave tidings and dark days to come."
Haru audibly gulped.
Mysterious Tower: Of Days to Come
- Location
- Someplace else
//Quite a bit of this vignette is a post from the quest rewritten as third-person past tense.
At the end of the battle with Xemnas in Hollow Bastion, his final words upon his defeat were, "Only now have we truly won." He faded into darkness soon after.
Riku remembered that—and the broken arm—all too well. So, with the destruction of Ansem, he had a feeling just what Yen Sid was going to say.
"First, I must explain to you one part of the nature of Heartless and Nobodies," began Yen Sid, looking at Kairi and Roxas in particular. "When one's Nobody is destroyed, in combination with the destruction of that individual's Heartless, the Nobody's original form is restored. It is the destruction of Xemnas and Ansem one year ago that guarantees the original Xehanort's rebirth."
Yyyep. That was what Xemnas said.
"Xehanort's heart, once seized by his Heartless half, is now free. And his body, which had become his Nobody, has been vanquished. Both halves will now be returned to the whole. In short… this means Master Xehanort will return.
"We must be ready. Which is why you, Sora and Riku, are to be tested for the mark of a true Keyblade Master. No doubt you fancy yourselves masters already, but it takes years of training. Only a true master can teach you the proper way. Both of you are self-taught Keyblade wielders—an impressive feat. However, the time has come for you to let go of preconceived notions, forget what you know about the Keyblade, and begin your training again with a clean slate."
"How exactly are we to do that, sir?" asked Sora, still standing up straight.
"If we are to strike down Xehanort, seven Sleeping Keyholes must be found and unlocked," explained Yen Sid. "By doing so, you will unlock the power of waking, a power that can recover one of those who were lost. Sora and Riku, I leave this task to you."
"Yes, sir," both Riku and Sora responded in unison.
"Haru, you, Donald, and Goofy are to aid Roxas in the continued growth of his heart and to search for King Mickey. I suspect he currently does not wish to be found," Yen Sid told the redhead. His gaze shifted to the last two. "Kairi and Lea—accompany them to Hollow Bastion. There, Merlin and the Fairy Godmother will help you train." He sighed. "We have no idea for when Xehanort will return. As such, we must prepare, for it might happen at any time."
"Excuse me," Haru spoke up. "But is there a catch? I don't mean to sound selfish, but I carried things early on."
"You did," confirmed Yen Sid, stroking his beard. "But at such a grave time, we need to take two Marks of Mastery. Sora and Riku's will take place in the Sleeping Worlds. As a replica and Nobody, respectively, you and Roxas are particularly suspectible to Xehanort's influence.
"If you and Roxas take this Mark of Mastery, it will be to divide Xehanort's attention between the realm of light and the realm of sleep. I am aware that he has taken multiple vessels… and you both may still be worthy candidates to him."
"So it's a 'divide and conquer' approach?" asked the replica. "While us in the realm of light are out and about, Sora and Riku can do their business in the Sleeping Worlds. But what about everyone who's been Norted? Because of that, Xehanort can be in multiple places at once." He thought for a moment, finger on his chin before his visible eye widened. "Wait… is this a ploy?"
"You are correct," said Yen Sid. "Xehanort is a devious tactician. There is nothing we can do that he will not, to some extent, be able to predict. As such, you and Roxas are doing something he expects least."
"An openly defiant replica going around the worlds with a still-growing Nobody, one that Xehanort's interested in," Haru commented. "That way, we can buy Sora and Riku enough time to finish their work in the Sleeping Worlds?"
"And then what?" wondered Sora, scratching the side of his head. "What happens when the Mark of Mastery exam's done?"
"Then, we will begin our search for the three Keyblade wielders who were lost, to lead them out of sorrow and slumber and back to our world," answered the sorcerer. "We must act before Master Xehanort can truly return to this world."
"But why Hollow Bastion?" Sora asked. "I know a lot's happened there… is it because Xehanort used to live in the castle?"
Yen Sid nodded. "You are correct. Keeping the research in there out of Xehanort's hands is crucial. And Haru…"
"Yes?" he responded.
"I am aware of your knowledge of the future. Have you anything to add?"
Haru look down at the floor. "To tell you the truth? Xemnas took away a lot of it, and everything after a huge battle in Hollow Bastion against a fu— a ton of Heartless is a blank." Making eye contact with Yen Sid, he asked, "Know anything about what happened to Master Aqua? Like where she is?"
Yen Sid shook his head. "It pains me to say this, but it is impossible to pin down her location when she is in the realm of darkness."
"Oh… anything else?"
"The three good fairies would like to speak with you. Visit them when you are able to," said the retired master. "Now, Sora and Riku. Let your examination begin. To get to the Sleeping Worlds, know that one dream is connected to another, which means we must choose in which 'Sleeping World' you will begin. When the others have departed, I will return you to the Destiny Islands just before they were swallowed by the darkness and plunged into sleep.
"Once dreams take you, you must let them guide you to the Sleeping Worlds. When you unlock the seven Sleeping Keyholes, those worlds shall awaken, and when you complete this task and return safely, I will declare you both Keyblade masters."
Yen Sid finished with, "Go forth, Roxas, Haru, Donald, Goofy, Lea, and Kairi. Everyone is waiting."
The moment Sora, Riku, and Yen Sid left, the crow watching over the whole scene flew into the wardrobe room, carrying a tattered black cloak in its talons.
A vessel, for the lifeboat to work how it was intended. All that was left were those with memories of the passenger.
The crow dropped the cloak in front of the three good fairies, who slowly edged towards it. "Haven't we seen this somewhere before?" murmured Merryweather.
"Yes, dear. I wonder whose it was…" whispered Fauna, fear at the edge of her voice.
Merryweather's eyes widened. "Oh! Malefi—" She covered her mouth before she could finish the evil fairy's name.
"No!" Flora cut her off. "We mustn't remember her name!" She stopped. "Oh, dear…"
"She was a mean ol' witch…" muttered Merryweather.
The lifeboat was working.
So, that entity was right…
"Oh, no! The memories are coming back!" She clutched her head. "What'll we do?! Ooh, what'll we do?!?"
The cloak started to rise.
All three fairies took a step back. "We need to tell Master Yen Sid," said Fauna.
Flora nodded. "Yes, that's what we must do. Hurry!" She and Fauna ran out of the room before disappearing in red and green sparkles.
Merryweather took one look back at the reborn mistress of all evil. "Maleficent!" she cried, before she vanished in blue sparkles.
Maleficent gazed around the room, and a smile crossed her lips before she began to laugh, reveling in the moment.
At the same time, she once again thought back to her first encounter with the doll in Traverse Town, like she had done so many times as of late.
After she met up with Pete, it was about time that she'd pay the replica a visit. If what he absorbed allowed him to see the future…
Perhaps he knew more about this weapon, and with it, how to use it with the black box.
//Yyyyep
//Darkness told Maleficent about Haru's meta knowledge
//And what he absorbed that gave him said meta knowledge
//AND that that vote all the way back in 2017 is responsible for her curiosity about the χ-blade
At the end of the battle with Xemnas in Hollow Bastion, his final words upon his defeat were, "Only now have we truly won." He faded into darkness soon after.
Riku remembered that—and the broken arm—all too well. So, with the destruction of Ansem, he had a feeling just what Yen Sid was going to say.
"First, I must explain to you one part of the nature of Heartless and Nobodies," began Yen Sid, looking at Kairi and Roxas in particular. "When one's Nobody is destroyed, in combination with the destruction of that individual's Heartless, the Nobody's original form is restored. It is the destruction of Xemnas and Ansem one year ago that guarantees the original Xehanort's rebirth."
Yyyep. That was what Xemnas said.
"Xehanort's heart, once seized by his Heartless half, is now free. And his body, which had become his Nobody, has been vanquished. Both halves will now be returned to the whole. In short… this means Master Xehanort will return.
"We must be ready. Which is why you, Sora and Riku, are to be tested for the mark of a true Keyblade Master. No doubt you fancy yourselves masters already, but it takes years of training. Only a true master can teach you the proper way. Both of you are self-taught Keyblade wielders—an impressive feat. However, the time has come for you to let go of preconceived notions, forget what you know about the Keyblade, and begin your training again with a clean slate."
"How exactly are we to do that, sir?" asked Sora, still standing up straight.
"If we are to strike down Xehanort, seven Sleeping Keyholes must be found and unlocked," explained Yen Sid. "By doing so, you will unlock the power of waking, a power that can recover one of those who were lost. Sora and Riku, I leave this task to you."
"Yes, sir," both Riku and Sora responded in unison.
"Haru, you, Donald, and Goofy are to aid Roxas in the continued growth of his heart and to search for King Mickey. I suspect he currently does not wish to be found," Yen Sid told the redhead. His gaze shifted to the last two. "Kairi and Lea—accompany them to Hollow Bastion. There, Merlin and the Fairy Godmother will help you train." He sighed. "We have no idea for when Xehanort will return. As such, we must prepare, for it might happen at any time."
"Excuse me," Haru spoke up. "But is there a catch? I don't mean to sound selfish, but I carried things early on."
"You did," confirmed Yen Sid, stroking his beard. "But at such a grave time, we need to take two Marks of Mastery. Sora and Riku's will take place in the Sleeping Worlds. As a replica and Nobody, respectively, you and Roxas are particularly suspectible to Xehanort's influence.
"If you and Roxas take this Mark of Mastery, it will be to divide Xehanort's attention between the realm of light and the realm of sleep. I am aware that he has taken multiple vessels… and you both may still be worthy candidates to him."
"So it's a 'divide and conquer' approach?" asked the replica. "While us in the realm of light are out and about, Sora and Riku can do their business in the Sleeping Worlds. But what about everyone who's been Norted? Because of that, Xehanort can be in multiple places at once." He thought for a moment, finger on his chin before his visible eye widened. "Wait… is this a ploy?"
"You are correct," said Yen Sid. "Xehanort is a devious tactician. There is nothing we can do that he will not, to some extent, be able to predict. As such, you and Roxas are doing something he expects least."
"An openly defiant replica going around the worlds with a still-growing Nobody, one that Xehanort's interested in," Haru commented. "That way, we can buy Sora and Riku enough time to finish their work in the Sleeping Worlds?"
"And then what?" wondered Sora, scratching the side of his head. "What happens when the Mark of Mastery exam's done?"
"Then, we will begin our search for the three Keyblade wielders who were lost, to lead them out of sorrow and slumber and back to our world," answered the sorcerer. "We must act before Master Xehanort can truly return to this world."
"But why Hollow Bastion?" Sora asked. "I know a lot's happened there… is it because Xehanort used to live in the castle?"
Yen Sid nodded. "You are correct. Keeping the research in there out of Xehanort's hands is crucial. And Haru…"
"Yes?" he responded.
"I am aware of your knowledge of the future. Have you anything to add?"
Haru look down at the floor. "To tell you the truth? Xemnas took away a lot of it, and everything after a huge battle in Hollow Bastion against a fu— a ton of Heartless is a blank." Making eye contact with Yen Sid, he asked, "Know anything about what happened to Master Aqua? Like where she is?"
Yen Sid shook his head. "It pains me to say this, but it is impossible to pin down her location when she is in the realm of darkness."
"Oh… anything else?"
"The three good fairies would like to speak with you. Visit them when you are able to," said the retired master. "Now, Sora and Riku. Let your examination begin. To get to the Sleeping Worlds, know that one dream is connected to another, which means we must choose in which 'Sleeping World' you will begin. When the others have departed, I will return you to the Destiny Islands just before they were swallowed by the darkness and plunged into sleep.
"Once dreams take you, you must let them guide you to the Sleeping Worlds. When you unlock the seven Sleeping Keyholes, those worlds shall awaken, and when you complete this task and return safely, I will declare you both Keyblade masters."
Yen Sid finished with, "Go forth, Roxas, Haru, Donald, Goofy, Lea, and Kairi. Everyone is waiting."
———
Haru went to see the three good fairies, where he got a new outfit from them. He, Roxas, Donald, Goofy, Lea, and Kairi all left for Hollow Bastion in the gummi ship.
The moment Sora, Riku, and Yen Sid left, the crow watching over the whole scene flew into the wardrobe room, carrying a tattered black cloak in its talons.
A vessel, for the lifeboat to work how it was intended. All that was left were those with memories of the passenger.
The crow dropped the cloak in front of the three good fairies, who slowly edged towards it. "Haven't we seen this somewhere before?" murmured Merryweather.
"Yes, dear. I wonder whose it was…" whispered Fauna, fear at the edge of her voice.
Merryweather's eyes widened. "Oh! Malefi—" She covered her mouth before she could finish the evil fairy's name.
"No!" Flora cut her off. "We mustn't remember her name!" She stopped. "Oh, dear…"
"She was a mean ol' witch…" muttered Merryweather.
The lifeboat was working.
So, that entity was right…
"Oh, no! The memories are coming back!" She clutched her head. "What'll we do?! Ooh, what'll we do?!?"
The cloak started to rise.
All three fairies took a step back. "We need to tell Master Yen Sid," said Fauna.
Flora nodded. "Yes, that's what we must do. Hurry!" She and Fauna ran out of the room before disappearing in red and green sparkles.
Merryweather took one look back at the reborn mistress of all evil. "Maleficent!" she cried, before she vanished in blue sparkles.
Maleficent gazed around the room, and a smile crossed her lips before she began to laugh, reveling in the moment.
At the same time, she once again thought back to her first encounter with the doll in Traverse Town, like she had done so many times as of late.
After she met up with Pete, it was about time that she'd pay the replica a visit. If what he absorbed allowed him to see the future…
Perhaps he knew more about this weapon, and with it, how to use it with the black box.
//Yyyyep
//Darkness told Maleficent about Haru's meta knowledge
//And what he absorbed that gave him said meta knowledge
//AND that that vote all the way back in 2017 is responsible for her curiosity about the χ-blade
Hollow Bastion: Recap
- Location
- Someplace else
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LrD7OGgprvs
Arriving at Hollow Bastion, the group in the realm of light found it in the process of reconstruction. Much of the floodwaters had been cleared, and while Donald and Goofy got new weapons, Haru searched for souvenirs for Hayner, Pence, and Olette. At Lea's suggestion, he bought frisbees like the ones Lea used eleven years ago, and the group continued into the borough.
Around that same time, Sora and Riku had begun their journey into the Sleeping Worlds, where they battled a phantom of the sea witch, Ursula, who had a bone to pick with Riku for betraying Maleficent. Like she did with Haru, Ursula attempted to get under Sora's skin, trying to make him develop an inferiority complex—he slept for most of the original quest, so how can he live up to Riku?
However, the two defeated Ursula but fell into the sea, where they unlocked the first Sleeping Keyhole… but briefly saw Ansem in his robed form.
Back with Haru's group, they met up with Yuffie and saw the Claymores for the first time, but shortly after, they were attacked by Nobodies.
The gang fended off the Nobodies, Roxas got controlled by Remy for a bit, and Yuffie brought them to Merlin's house, where they met up with the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. They discussed Haru's pyromaniac tendencies, which included his Restoration Committee card saying that they claimed no responsibility for the fire damage he caused. Meanwhile, Donald refuses to let Haru live down him going mad with power in Halloween Town and burning down Oogie's manor. He regrets nothing.
Leon brought Roxas, Donald, and Goofy up to the bailey to show them the Heartless problem at Villain's Vale, and Merlin's house had an unexpected visitor.
It was Young Xehanort, who Haru was unable to recognize due to his meta knowledge of KH3D being gone. The Organization announced their return, and Haru, Kairi, Lea, Aerith, and Yuffie had to fend off wave after wave of Nobodies, while Roxas' group had to do the same on their way over.
Once they arrived, the remaining Nobodies were cleaned up, and the Organization dark corridored away. The Restoration Committee card allowed Haru to open a gate, and he received the Shooting Star Keychain.
Given how much magic was his thing, is it any surprise that he equipped it?
Haru wanted to train with it, as well as work on his cold endurance with Roxas and Leon.
However, the dice committed mutiny, doing a number on Roxas's self-esteem (Haru rolled a negative). Haru tried encouraging Roxas, but he didn't seem that cheered up by it.
They left Hollow Bastion soon after, heading to their next destination… the Land of Dragons.
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Land of Dragons: Prologue
- Location
- Someplace else
She walked into the family shrine, lighting the incense burner and giving one last prayer to the ancestors before leaving.
Thunder roared.
Lightning illuminated the inside of the house as she went to her parents' bedroom, taking the conscription and putting her hair clip in its place. She gave one last solemn look at her slumbering parents, knowing that this may be the last time she ever saw them.
And she couldn't even say goodbye.
She traveled to where her father's sword was kept, unsheathing it and looking at the blade, she saw her reflection—and for the first time, it showed who she was inside. She put the blade against her hair, closing her eyes…
The sword cut through, leaving only short hair that she put into a bun.
Opening the armoire, she took her father's armor and put it on, then sheathed the sword before heading to the stable.
Khan whinnied in fear at the stranger, but she went up to the horse, whispering, "Shi wo," to reassure him as she stroked his muzzle.
Leaving the stable with Khan, she took a final wistful look at her home before mounting the horse.
And with that, Mulan opened the gates before riding off into the rainy night.
She had made her decision.
Thunder roared.
Lightning illuminated the inside of the house as she went to her parents' bedroom, taking the conscription and putting her hair clip in its place. She gave one last solemn look at her slumbering parents, knowing that this may be the last time she ever saw them.
And she couldn't even say goodbye.
She traveled to where her father's sword was kept, unsheathing it and looking at the blade, she saw her reflection—and for the first time, it showed who she was inside. She put the blade against her hair, closing her eyes…
The sword cut through, leaving only short hair that she put into a bun.
Opening the armoire, she took her father's armor and put it on, then sheathed the sword before heading to the stable.
Khan whinnied in fear at the stranger, but she went up to the horse, whispering, "Shi wo," to reassure him as she stroked his muzzle.
Leaving the stable with Khan, she took a final wistful look at her home before mounting the horse.
And with that, Mulan opened the gates before riding off into the rainy night.
She had made her decision.
Land of Dragons: Dishonor On Your Cow
- Location
- Someplace else
On the way to their next world, Haru and Goofy discussed what exactly the latter did over the last year, which… wasn't much, to be honest. They arrived at the Land of Dragons not that long after, and were beamed down.
The place the four were beamed down to was a lush, mild bamboo forest. However, unlike the one Haru had been to in Deep Jungle, this one was more spacious and filled with rocks of various sides, from boulders to towering slabs. One thing Haru had noticed is that Donald and Goofy's hats had been replaced by straw hats, and stifled a laugh.
Pence would have a field day if he saw that, especially if they had been in Port Royal.
But for now, he also heard the sound of two voices, one male and one female, along with the smell of smoke.
"So what do we do now?" asked Roxas.
"We head towards the bickering," said Haru, leading the way. "It's kinda obvious."
"Of course…" groaned Donald.
He gave Donald a cheeky grin before making his way forward. His shoes made a crunching noise against the bamboo leaves, and he grimaced at stepping in mud. However, by the time the voices have gotten audible, the bamboo had gotten way too thick.
"All right, dishonor! Dishonor on your whole family! Make a note of this. Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow…"
"Stop! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just nervous. I've never done this before."
The first voice Haru recognized—it was Mushu, one of the summons who had helped him, Sora, and Riku out last year. By process of elimination, that meant the second voice was Mulan.
He took his first step through the bamboo, gesturing for the others to follow…
And there was a loud holler before Goofy tripped, pushing Donald, who let out a frustrated quack before stumbling, pushing Haru into the clearing with a face full of dirt. Both voices screamed, and Haru looked up while still majestically flopped on the ground face-down.
"…Mushu?" Haru groaned, wiping the dirt and mud from his face.
"You know him?" asked Roxas.
"That's right! You've heard of me!" Mushu scurried down Mulan's shoulder. "I'm little, lethal, and legendary! Now y'all scram before I get my dragon dander up!"
The replica sat up, brushing himself off with a laugh. "Mushu, it's me! Haru!"
Mushu blinked twice before laughing. "Well, fry me up and call me a dumpling! Nice to see ya, Red! Where are Sora and Riku at?"
"Do you know him?" wondered Mulan.
"Know him? We used to kick all kinds of bad guy butt together! And I see Donald and Goofy back there, too!"
Donald let out an unintelligible quack, while Goofy just waved, exclaiming, "Howdy, Mushu!"
Mushu then noted Roxas, who was trying to make himself scarce. "And who's the new guy? Are you Sora's cousin or something?"
Well, that's awkward. "Uh… we're here to exterminate Heartless," Haru answered, summoning Shooting Star and making Mulan's eyes widen. "Ansem and Maleficent are gone, but their benefactor's still out there."
"Then like I told ya before, point me at 'em so that I can show them not to mess with a dragon or the Fa family!" replied Mushu. "Of course, if they're here, that is."
"That I'm not sure," said Haru, with Donald glaring daggers at him. He glanced at Roxas. "This is…"
"Roxas," the Nobody cut him off. "Yeah, I'm related to Sora, but I don't want to get into specifics. I can hold my own." He summoned the Kingdom Key for emphasis.
"I don't know what those weapons are," Mulan spoke up, deepening her voice, "but I'm happy to have some help. I am Ping, son of Fa Zhou."
"And you know Mushu?" wondered Haru with a smile.
Ping nodded. "Yes. Mushu is one of my family guardians," he said.
"I didn't know we were borrowin' someone as important as a family guardian," commented Goofy.
"Yep, that's right!" Mushu confirmed, getting up in Goofy's face before getting back up to Ping's shoulder. "And that puts you up to your eyeballs in debt to me and Ping here. Guess what, kiddies? It's payback time." Ping gave a forced smile at that.
"What?!" Roxas spoke up. "But I just met you…"
"Yeah, you're off the hook," said Mushu. "Unless I think of somethin'."
"Mushu…" he whispered.
"Aw, they don't mind, right?"
"If you insist," Haru replied with a shrug.
"You see, Ping here was on his way to join the Imperial army," explained the guardian. "We gotta find the other recruits at the training camp."
"Would you join us?" offered Ping. "It'd be easier to fit in when I'm with other guys like you."
"You're pretendin' to be a boy, aren't ya?" asked Goofy, and Donald did a double take.
Mulan pursed her hands together and awkwardly smiled. "You didn't notice?" she responded. When Donald shook his head, she glanced at Mushu and remarked, "Looks like it's working."
"Hey!" quacked Donald, while Mulan went over to the horse and got on.
With that, the four, with their new allies, made their way through the bamboo forest. However, when Haru noticed a cricket hopping along, he got ready to cast Fire and purge the puny insect in flame, when Mushu peeked out of Mulan's armor. "Sorry to say, but you can't torch that cricket. He's lucky."
Did the cricket just nod?
"You wouldn't torch Jiminy, would you?" Donald chimed in with an absolutely infuriating smile.
His future vision showed that there'll be a swarm of Rapid Thrusters later in this world. Perfect for fire.
Sure enough, the bamboo forest cleared up, revealing the encampment down in the valley.
The place the four were beamed down to was a lush, mild bamboo forest. However, unlike the one Haru had been to in Deep Jungle, this one was more spacious and filled with rocks of various sides, from boulders to towering slabs. One thing Haru had noticed is that Donald and Goofy's hats had been replaced by straw hats, and stifled a laugh.
Pence would have a field day if he saw that, especially if they had been in Port Royal.
But for now, he also heard the sound of two voices, one male and one female, along with the smell of smoke.
"So what do we do now?" asked Roxas.
"We head towards the bickering," said Haru, leading the way. "It's kinda obvious."
"Of course…" groaned Donald.
He gave Donald a cheeky grin before making his way forward. His shoes made a crunching noise against the bamboo leaves, and he grimaced at stepping in mud. However, by the time the voices have gotten audible, the bamboo had gotten way too thick.
"All right, dishonor! Dishonor on your whole family! Make a note of this. Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow…"
"Stop! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just nervous. I've never done this before."
The first voice Haru recognized—it was Mushu, one of the summons who had helped him, Sora, and Riku out last year. By process of elimination, that meant the second voice was Mulan.
He took his first step through the bamboo, gesturing for the others to follow…
And there was a loud holler before Goofy tripped, pushing Donald, who let out a frustrated quack before stumbling, pushing Haru into the clearing with a face full of dirt. Both voices screamed, and Haru looked up while still majestically flopped on the ground face-down.
"…Mushu?" Haru groaned, wiping the dirt and mud from his face.
"You know him?" asked Roxas.
"That's right! You've heard of me!" Mushu scurried down Mulan's shoulder. "I'm little, lethal, and legendary! Now y'all scram before I get my dragon dander up!"
The replica sat up, brushing himself off with a laugh. "Mushu, it's me! Haru!"
Mushu blinked twice before laughing. "Well, fry me up and call me a dumpling! Nice to see ya, Red! Where are Sora and Riku at?"
"Do you know him?" wondered Mulan.
"Know him? We used to kick all kinds of bad guy butt together! And I see Donald and Goofy back there, too!"
Donald let out an unintelligible quack, while Goofy just waved, exclaiming, "Howdy, Mushu!"
Mushu then noted Roxas, who was trying to make himself scarce. "And who's the new guy? Are you Sora's cousin or something?"
Well, that's awkward. "Uh… we're here to exterminate Heartless," Haru answered, summoning Shooting Star and making Mulan's eyes widen. "Ansem and Maleficent are gone, but their benefactor's still out there."
"Then like I told ya before, point me at 'em so that I can show them not to mess with a dragon or the Fa family!" replied Mushu. "Of course, if they're here, that is."
"That I'm not sure," said Haru, with Donald glaring daggers at him. He glanced at Roxas. "This is…"
"Roxas," the Nobody cut him off. "Yeah, I'm related to Sora, but I don't want to get into specifics. I can hold my own." He summoned the Kingdom Key for emphasis.
"I don't know what those weapons are," Mulan spoke up, deepening her voice, "but I'm happy to have some help. I am Ping, son of Fa Zhou."
"And you know Mushu?" wondered Haru with a smile.
Ping nodded. "Yes. Mushu is one of my family guardians," he said.
"I didn't know we were borrowin' someone as important as a family guardian," commented Goofy.
"Yep, that's right!" Mushu confirmed, getting up in Goofy's face before getting back up to Ping's shoulder. "And that puts you up to your eyeballs in debt to me and Ping here. Guess what, kiddies? It's payback time." Ping gave a forced smile at that.
"What?!" Roxas spoke up. "But I just met you…"
"Yeah, you're off the hook," said Mushu. "Unless I think of somethin'."
"Mushu…" he whispered.
"Aw, they don't mind, right?"
"If you insist," Haru replied with a shrug.
"You see, Ping here was on his way to join the Imperial army," explained the guardian. "We gotta find the other recruits at the training camp."
"Would you join us?" offered Ping. "It'd be easier to fit in when I'm with other guys like you."
"You're pretendin' to be a boy, aren't ya?" asked Goofy, and Donald did a double take.
Mulan pursed her hands together and awkwardly smiled. "You didn't notice?" she responded. When Donald shook his head, she glanced at Mushu and remarked, "Looks like it's working."
"Hey!" quacked Donald, while Mulan went over to the horse and got on.
With that, the four, with their new allies, made their way through the bamboo forest. However, when Haru noticed a cricket hopping along, he got ready to cast Fire and purge the puny insect in flame, when Mushu peeked out of Mulan's armor. "Sorry to say, but you can't torch that cricket. He's lucky."
Did the cricket just nod?
"You wouldn't torch Jiminy, would you?" Donald chimed in with an absolutely infuriating smile.
His future vision showed that there'll be a swarm of Rapid Thrusters later in this world. Perfect for fire.
Sure enough, the bamboo forest cleared up, revealing the encampment down in the valley.
Land of Dragons: Battle Camp
- Location
- Someplace else
"Was it really so important for me to accompany you here?" asked Luxord, standing aside as Xigbar sniped a Rapid Thruster. "In any case, the darkness in that warlord's heart is palpable. A pity he declined our offer."
Xigbar let out another shot and laughed. "As if a few less Heartless is a problem," he remarked, a Nightwalker hopping towards him in midair. "Chill out, Luxord. I'm just rusty from coming back so recently." Headshot. "A little training didn't hurt anyone. The guy's a Heartless magnet, so I might as well get in shape."
"Oh, I pity you," deadpanned Luxord.
The freeshooter made his weapons vanish. "Yeah, yeah," he said with a dismissive shrug. "Sure, the old coot's got his plan for us, but there's more to do now than just wait for him to come back, anyway. So the leader in this world doesn't wanna help—big deal."
"'More to do?'" repeated the gambler. "Do you know something I don't?"
"As if. We're off the rails thanks to Flameo, so we gotta play a more careful game until Xehanort's fully restored." He chuckled, looking up at the mountain village up ahead. "The head of the invading army has some control over the Heartless, anyway—less work for us." With his visible eye hidden to Luxord, he finished, "After all, you never know what'll happen in a game like this."
"So… you knew the whole thing about Ping because of your future vision, right?" Roxas asked Haru as they continued their way into the valley.
"Yeah," said the replica, keeping his voice down. "I wanna use it as best as I can before it cuts off—and that's pretty soon."
"Where does your vision cut off?"
Haru winced, thinking on that.
———
Another time. Another place.
In the shadow of Villain's Vale, of Armored Knights and Watchers gather around Sora, Donald, and Goofy.
———
"It goes dark right after that," said Haru. Grinning, he added reassuringly, "Considering there was stuff beyond that, they won." He really needed to write down what he still knows when he got the chance. 'If the Organization's back, Xemnas probably is, too.'
Thinking back to the battle with him in Hollow Bastion, Haru could frankly say that he had no intention of dealing with the Superior, given what he lost in that encounter.
(Or maybe he was just a coward.)
"We're here," announced Goofy, breaking Haru's line of concentration.
The smell of food reached the redhead's nose, and he arched an eyebrow. "Wonder what butterflies'll be here…"
"Okay, this is it," Mushu whispered to Mulan once they reached the gate, while a massive group had just rode out of another side. "Time to show 'em your man walk. Shoulders back, chest high, feet apart, head up, and... strut!" She puffed out her chest, straighened up her back, then tightened her fists before majestically strutting into the camp.
The others just followed her in, and the smell of cooking was swiftly followed by that of BO, along with the sound of metalwork and various recruits conversing.
"Look! This tattoo will protect me from harm!" boasted one recruit, showing off a dragon tattoo on his chest.
A bearded man who Haru was pretty sure was Yao promptly punched the recruit, while Ling laughed, saying, "I hope you can get your money back!"
"I don't think I can do this," mumbled Mulan, with the recruits getting in line for something… which was when Yao noted Haru.
"Well, lookit the pretty boy with the weird hair," he taunted, then shoved the replica into another fucking mud puddle. "No cutting in line!"
Donald let out an unintelligible quacking noise before lunging at Yao.
"Back off, ugly!" shouted Yao.
"Oh, a space in line!" Ling cut in, in both ways.
"Why, Yao, it looks like you've made so many friends…" commented Chien-Po, unfazed by the brawl unfolding.
"Please!" Mulan spoke up.
"'Please?'" Ling repeated.
"Uh… knock it off!" she corrected herself.
"Knock what off?" Yao said innocuously.
"You shoved me in the mud puddle, that's what!" Haru snapped, getting to his feet.
The recruit shrugged, turning around. "Ugh… I got no time for this… chicken boys."
"Chicken boy?! Say that to my face, ya limp noodle!" shouted Mushu.
"Yao, relax and chant with me," Chien-Po said, picking up his shorter companion before he could lunge at Mulan. "Nonuamitofudaaaa…"
"Namoo-amee-tofu-dablublubluh."
"Feel better?"
"Soldiers!" another voice barked, and Shang emerged from his tent with a reedy man that Haru didn't recognize. "Back in line!" Everyone did just that, and as Shang walked by, eyeing everyone like a hawk, the redhead held his breath.
Once he went back, Haru exhaled… and clenched his teeth at what he saw.
Shadows rose out of the grass, along with Nightwalkers spawning in midair besides Air Soldiers and what vaguely resembled Red Nocturnes.
"What are they?" asked Mulan.
"The Heartless!" shouted Roxas, summoning Kingdom Key while Haru summoned Shooting Star.
"Look alive!" Haru ordered.
//Sorry that this took so long
//Hurricane anxiety took my muse for a few days
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Land of Dragons: Fields of Honor
- Location
- Someplace else
"What demons are these?!?" yelled Shang, drawing his sword.
"Jiangshi?!" cried Chien-Po at the sight of the Nightwalkers hopping through the air.
"Try and keep anything flammable away from the fight!" Haru warned, doing a combo on one of the vampiric Heartless.
"Explain yourselves!" ordered Shang.
"These Heartless can shoot fire! We need to get them away from the gunpowder!"
"'Heartless?'" repeated the captain.
A Shadow leapt at Mulan, who clumsily swung her sword through the smaller Heartless, while Haru ran behind one of the tents, whispering, "Water."
One of the Vermilion Sambas was drenched by the spell, easily destroying it, while an Air Soldier lunged at the redhead. Haru quickly Dodge Rolled out of the way, then did an aerial combo on it.
Suddenly, the stars on the hilt and tip of the Keyblade got bigger, with the stars on the end enlarging the entire Keyblade, then breaking into whips. The weapon split in two, and the whips became barrels for a pair of Double Arrowguns. "Holy shit," he whispered.
A sharp grin then crossed his face. "Well, let's see what these bad boys can do!"
One of the Nightwalkers hopped towards him, and he opened fire on the vampire, destroying it with a barrage of six starry shots. A heart flew up in the aftermath of its destruction.
Roxas ran through the camp, going past tents in pursuit of a Vermilion Samba. He cast Blizzard on it, freezing it over and destroying it soon after. A Shadow rose up behind him, but he followed that spell up with a combo with the Kingdom Key.
While the Shadow wasn't destroyed, its failed counterattack did it in soon after, as Roxas quickly dodged it.
However, a grunt of pain came from behind the next tent over, and when Roxas came over to help, he saw that a Nightwalker had clawed Haru's side after dodging an attack.
He did another pair of attacks that were both parried by a charging Air Soldier, only for the aerial Heartless to be bonked upside the head by Goofy's shield.
Goofy followed up the strike with a spin attack, pulling in both the Air Soldier and the Nightwalker. That allowed Roxas to jump in, obliterating the former with an air combo.
The Nightwalker did a spin attack of its own, but Goofy blocked it with his shield before bashing it.
It was then bashed by Donald's hammerlike staff, then went up in flames from the mage casting Fire.
Another Shadow slithered across the ground towards the injured Haru, but he managed to see it coming, destroying it with the arrowguns.
Roxas wiped out another of the Shadows that was attacking him, then leapt into the air to destroy an Air Soldier.
The last of the Heartless came towards Mulan, who sliced through it with her sword, bringing the attack to an end.
With that, Shang approached them all. "You four. What are your names?" he asked.
"Haru," greeted the replica with a bow.
"Goofy," added Goofy.
"Donald."
Roxas looked aside before mumbling his name.
"We can help with these monsters," said Haru. "Just give us a chance." Pointing at Shooting Star, he continued, "We're able to fight back against them."
"Our weapons are useless against them?" wondered Shang. He glanced at Mulan. "You arrived with them. Is this true?"
"I…" Mulan answered, using her Ping voice, "I haven't had much of a chance to use it."
"Well, try to make sure you do," Shang admonished. He looked at Haru. "You're all welcome in my army. Thank you for your assistance." Back at Mulan, he asked, "As for you… can I get a name?"
"I am the son of Fa Zhou," Mulan said. "Ping. I-it's Ping."
"You should go home."
"B-but… that would dishonor my family!"
"You'd rather dishonor my troops?" Shang retorted.
"If Ping trains hard and does his best," Roxas spoke up, "he'll get stronger in no time, right?"
Shang hummed in thought.
"Just… just give us something! We can show what we can do!" He looked at Haru. "Please tell me I said the right thing…"
"So, you want to be tested?" asked Shang. "Our orders are to rendezvous with the Imperial army's general at the Tung-Shao Pass and ambush Shan-Yu."
"We'll smash them!" Donald shouted.
"Empty words unless you follow through." The captain folded his arms. "You four will be the advance party. Ping, you'll join the regimen in training." He gestured towards a pole. "See that arrow at the top? None of my recruits have been able to retrieve it. Furthermore, you must climb it with two weights attached to your arms."
"Yes, sir!" all of them said in unison.
"Jiangshi?!" cried Chien-Po at the sight of the Nightwalkers hopping through the air.
"Try and keep anything flammable away from the fight!" Haru warned, doing a combo on one of the vampiric Heartless.
"Explain yourselves!" ordered Shang.
"These Heartless can shoot fire! We need to get them away from the gunpowder!"
"'Heartless?'" repeated the captain.
A Shadow leapt at Mulan, who clumsily swung her sword through the smaller Heartless, while Haru ran behind one of the tents, whispering, "Water."
One of the Vermilion Sambas was drenched by the spell, easily destroying it, while an Air Soldier lunged at the redhead. Haru quickly Dodge Rolled out of the way, then did an aerial combo on it.
Suddenly, the stars on the hilt and tip of the Keyblade got bigger, with the stars on the end enlarging the entire Keyblade, then breaking into whips. The weapon split in two, and the whips became barrels for a pair of Double Arrowguns. "Holy shit," he whispered.
A sharp grin then crossed his face. "Well, let's see what these bad boys can do!"
One of the Nightwalkers hopped towards him, and he opened fire on the vampire, destroying it with a barrage of six starry shots. A heart flew up in the aftermath of its destruction.
———
Roxas ran through the camp, going past tents in pursuit of a Vermilion Samba. He cast Blizzard on it, freezing it over and destroying it soon after. A Shadow rose up behind him, but he followed that spell up with a combo with the Kingdom Key.
While the Shadow wasn't destroyed, its failed counterattack did it in soon after, as Roxas quickly dodged it.
However, a grunt of pain came from behind the next tent over, and when Roxas came over to help, he saw that a Nightwalker had clawed Haru's side after dodging an attack.
He did another pair of attacks that were both parried by a charging Air Soldier, only for the aerial Heartless to be bonked upside the head by Goofy's shield.
Goofy followed up the strike with a spin attack, pulling in both the Air Soldier and the Nightwalker. That allowed Roxas to jump in, obliterating the former with an air combo.
The Nightwalker did a spin attack of its own, but Goofy blocked it with his shield before bashing it.
It was then bashed by Donald's hammerlike staff, then went up in flames from the mage casting Fire.
Another Shadow slithered across the ground towards the injured Haru, but he managed to see it coming, destroying it with the arrowguns.
Roxas wiped out another of the Shadows that was attacking him, then leapt into the air to destroy an Air Soldier.
The last of the Heartless came towards Mulan, who sliced through it with her sword, bringing the attack to an end.
With that, Shang approached them all. "You four. What are your names?" he asked.
"Haru," greeted the replica with a bow.
"Goofy," added Goofy.
"Donald."
Roxas looked aside before mumbling his name.
"We can help with these monsters," said Haru. "Just give us a chance." Pointing at Shooting Star, he continued, "We're able to fight back against them."
"Our weapons are useless against them?" wondered Shang. He glanced at Mulan. "You arrived with them. Is this true?"
"I…" Mulan answered, using her Ping voice, "I haven't had much of a chance to use it."
"Well, try to make sure you do," Shang admonished. He looked at Haru. "You're all welcome in my army. Thank you for your assistance." Back at Mulan, he asked, "As for you… can I get a name?"
"I am the son of Fa Zhou," Mulan said. "Ping. I-it's Ping."
"You should go home."
"B-but… that would dishonor my family!"
"You'd rather dishonor my troops?" Shang retorted.
"If Ping trains hard and does his best," Roxas spoke up, "he'll get stronger in no time, right?"
Shang hummed in thought.
"Just… just give us something! We can show what we can do!" He looked at Haru. "Please tell me I said the right thing…"
"So, you want to be tested?" asked Shang. "Our orders are to rendezvous with the Imperial army's general at the Tung-Shao Pass and ambush Shan-Yu."
"We'll smash them!" Donald shouted.
"Empty words unless you follow through." The captain folded his arms. "You four will be the advance party. Ping, you'll join the regimen in training." He gestured towards a pole. "See that arrow at the top? None of my recruits have been able to retrieve it. Furthermore, you must climb it with two weights attached to your arms."
"Yes, sir!" all of them said in unison.
Land of Dragons: Let's Get Down to Business
- Location
- Someplace else
While Mulan tried and failed to retrieve the arrow, Shang told the other four, "A strange figure was seen at a nearby checkpoint. They may be affiliated with the attack on the camp—eliminate them."
"Right," said Haru.
As the recruits did drills on a cliff high above the checkpoint, Haru's group arrived to just see two Nightwalkers hopping over the river.
Goofy attacked right away, throwing his shield at one of the vampires while Haru followed up with an aerial combo.
Roxas went after the second of the Nightwalkers, destroying it with relative ease, and Shadows popped out of the ground to follow it, along with an Air Soldier. The Air Soldier rushed at him at top speed, but he blocked the aerial Heartless's attack, allowing Donald to destroy it with Fire.
He was able to wipe out one of the Shadows, but when it was destroyed, a Li'l Cannon took its place. The cannon was picked up by a new Air Soldier, and it opened fire, hitting Roxas into the small creek crossing the checkpoint.
Donald cast Thunder, zapping both Heartless, but they didn't fall.
Four more Shadows and a Nightwalker popped up, and Haru froze over one of the Pureblood Heartless with Blizzard, then cast Fire on the latter after Dodge Rolling its spin attack.
Another cast of Thunder from Donald destroyed the Air Soldier carrying the Li'l Cannon, dropping it into the creek. It opened fire on Roxas again, but this time, he was prepared, sending the fireball back at the Heartless and destroying it.
Goofy wiped out the frozen Shadow, and Haru cast Fire to destroy another of them. Finally, Roxas sliced the last of the Shadows in half.
With the checkpoint cleared, they all took a moment to breathe.
"You've done a passable job," Shang called from the ridge. "Ping will join you for your next mission."
Fortunately, said next mission was much closer to the camp.
Unfortunately, what Haru thought would be a cakewalk of just five Shadows crashed and burned once the second wave of Heartless, a pair of Vermilion Sambas, two Nightwalkers, and an Assault Rider, spawned.
While the others handled the small fry, he and Mulan found themselves at the end of the Assault Rider's spear. They dodged the first of its attacks, but no matter what she did, Mulan's attacks kept getting parried by its spear hard enough to stagger her.
The Assault Rider reared its legs before slamming its spear into the grass, making a flame erupt that blew both Haru and Mulan back. While they were safely healed by Donald, the Assault Rider didn't let up, galloping at them both at a high speed.
It was too fast, knocking Mulan down before it swerved around in Haru's direction, though he managed to freeze it over with Blizzard.
He smashed it into pieces with his Keyblade, sending a heart into the air. "Ping!" he called.
"I'm fine," Mulan reassured him, standing up after Donald cast Cure on her again.
"Mushu's right," agreed Haru. "I told Roxas this earlier—everyone messes up."
Roxas mumbled something, looking away before taking another bite of his rice. "I'm… I'm gonna go to bed." He got up.
"Hey, Ping…" Ling called teasingly in a sing-song voice. "The captain wants to see you!"
As Roxas made his way back to the tent, he laid down. He honestly understood where Mulan was coming from—after his screw-up from training with Leon in Hollow Bastion, he felt like he couldn't do much. Now it felt more like he was just… winging it and doing what everyone asked of him.
"What?!" he heard Mulan exclaim.
"You heard me," Shang responded, with Roxas peeking out of the tent. "Go home. You're not cut out for this." He gave Mulan her horse, then went back to turn in.
She started to walk out the gate… then saw the arrow at the top of the pole.
Tying the two weights around her arms, she began to climb, though slipped down right after. She took a look at the two weights, narrowed her eyes, then wrapped them around the pole.
Mulan climbed throughout the night.
If she went home, she'd return in dishonor.
She refused to let that happen.
So she used the weights to climb.
It was strenuous, unlike anything she'd ever done, and it was honestly shocking that just a few days ago, her biggest concern had been impressing the Matchmaker.
This blew that out of the water, and as the sun peeked over the mountains, bathing the camp in the first rays of dawn, recruits began emerging from their tents.
Mulan felt the sun hit her back, and as everyone looked on in awe, she clenched the teeth before reaching the top of the pole.
She tossed the arrow right in front of the captain's tent, and as Shang emerged and the recruits cheered, Mulan felt hope in her heart.
"Right," said Haru.
———
As the recruits did drills on a cliff high above the checkpoint, Haru's group arrived to just see two Nightwalkers hopping over the river.
Goofy attacked right away, throwing his shield at one of the vampires while Haru followed up with an aerial combo.
Roxas went after the second of the Nightwalkers, destroying it with relative ease, and Shadows popped out of the ground to follow it, along with an Air Soldier. The Air Soldier rushed at him at top speed, but he blocked the aerial Heartless's attack, allowing Donald to destroy it with Fire.
He was able to wipe out one of the Shadows, but when it was destroyed, a Li'l Cannon took its place. The cannon was picked up by a new Air Soldier, and it opened fire, hitting Roxas into the small creek crossing the checkpoint.
Donald cast Thunder, zapping both Heartless, but they didn't fall.
Four more Shadows and a Nightwalker popped up, and Haru froze over one of the Pureblood Heartless with Blizzard, then cast Fire on the latter after Dodge Rolling its spin attack.
Another cast of Thunder from Donald destroyed the Air Soldier carrying the Li'l Cannon, dropping it into the creek. It opened fire on Roxas again, but this time, he was prepared, sending the fireball back at the Heartless and destroying it.
Goofy wiped out the frozen Shadow, and Haru cast Fire to destroy another of them. Finally, Roxas sliced the last of the Shadows in half.
With the checkpoint cleared, they all took a moment to breathe.
"You've done a passable job," Shang called from the ridge. "Ping will join you for your next mission."
———
Fortunately, said next mission was much closer to the camp.
Unfortunately, what Haru thought would be a cakewalk of just five Shadows crashed and burned once the second wave of Heartless, a pair of Vermilion Sambas, two Nightwalkers, and an Assault Rider, spawned.
While the others handled the small fry, he and Mulan found themselves at the end of the Assault Rider's spear. They dodged the first of its attacks, but no matter what she did, Mulan's attacks kept getting parried by its spear hard enough to stagger her.
The Assault Rider reared its legs before slamming its spear into the grass, making a flame erupt that blew both Haru and Mulan back. While they were safely healed by Donald, the Assault Rider didn't let up, galloping at them both at a high speed.
It was too fast, knocking Mulan down before it swerved around in Haru's direction, though he managed to freeze it over with Blizzard.
He smashed it into pieces with his Keyblade, sending a heart into the air. "Ping!" he called.
"I'm fine," Mulan reassured him, standing up after Donald cast Cure on her again.
———
"Look, you were great," Mushu told Mulan as they sat around a fire eating. "It's just a fluke."
"Mushu's right," agreed Haru. "I told Roxas this earlier—everyone messes up."
Roxas mumbled something, looking away before taking another bite of his rice. "I'm… I'm gonna go to bed." He got up.
"Hey, Ping…" Ling called teasingly in a sing-song voice. "The captain wants to see you!"
As Roxas made his way back to the tent, he laid down. He honestly understood where Mulan was coming from—after his screw-up from training with Leon in Hollow Bastion, he felt like he couldn't do much. Now it felt more like he was just… winging it and doing what everyone asked of him.
"What?!" he heard Mulan exclaim.
"You heard me," Shang responded, with Roxas peeking out of the tent. "Go home. You're not cut out for this." He gave Mulan her horse, then went back to turn in.
She started to walk out the gate… then saw the arrow at the top of the pole.
Tying the two weights around her arms, she began to climb, though slipped down right after. She took a look at the two weights, narrowed her eyes, then wrapped them around the pole.
———
Mulan climbed throughout the night.
If she went home, she'd return in dishonor.
She refused to let that happen.
So she used the weights to climb.
It was strenuous, unlike anything she'd ever done, and it was honestly shocking that just a few days ago, her biggest concern had been impressing the Matchmaker.
This blew that out of the water, and as the sun peeked over the mountains, bathing the camp in the first rays of dawn, recruits began emerging from their tents.
Mulan felt the sun hit her back, and as everyone looked on in awe, she clenched the teeth before reaching the top of the pole.
She tossed the arrow right in front of the captain's tent, and as Shang emerged and the recruits cheered, Mulan felt hope in her heart.
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