Keep On Whacking: Re: Mix (KH)

[NGSoares]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y4XsBo4Evo8&pp=ygUdbWFqZXN0aWMgd2luZ3Mga2luZ2RvbSBoZWFydHM%3D​

The Wargoyle went on the offensive in seconds, sending shards of stained glass from its wings from the safety of above the square. Riku did a Dodge Roll away the colorful barrage, examining his options once he got back to his feet.

So far, the Dream Eater saw fit to avoid flying over to the cathedral's roof, staying out of range of physical attacks. And it was far enough that magic couldn't reach. That way, it could just make potshots at him.

As Riku parried another barrage from its wings using the Keyblade, he realized what he had to do: bait the Wargoyle over to the roof… or go to it.

His eyes locked on the flames below, Riku knew he had to act quickly before the Wargoyle attacked again. There had to be a way to get over to it. He got closer to the balustrade, feeling the flames let out updrafts of hot air, and in that moment, he knew what to do.

Riku leapt off the cathedral, with the updrafts catching him before he met the same fate as Frollo.

He rode the hot air, using them as a means to get closer to the winged Dream Eater. The air caressed his face, pushing him upward as the Wargoyle grew nearer with each passing second.

Avoiding another barrage with an Air Slide, Riku unleashed a strong combo using the Keyblade.

The Wargoyle countered just as quickly, wreathing itself in flames and doing a spiral charge, but Riku did another Air Slide out of the way, then countered with a Spark Dive right at the Dream Eater's head.

Being so close to the Wargoyle, however, was as much a curse as it was a blessing, as it gave him a nasty punch that knocked the wind out of him.

Even so, that wasn't enough to get him anywhere near defeat. Riku's counter was strong and swift, doing a series of combos at the Wargoyle's body and ending with a Spark Dive before he did a Reality Shift.

Rails of light appeared above the square, connecting back to Notre Dame in a Faithline. He had gotten the Wargoyle's attention, so as Riku jumped from the updrafts to the rail, he ground away from it, the rail continuing to form. It ran parallel to the cathedral's balustrade, and as it went right at the Wargoyle, Riku had to choose between going back on the roof or attacking the Dream Eater.

He chose the latter.

Riku leapt of the rail, using Flowmotion to get an attack right on the Wargoyle's face that it had no chance of avoiding.

Letting the updrafts catch him, he cast Balloon, though the Wargoyle only tripped one of the floating mines.

If anything, the Dream Eater just seemed angry, with its arms igniting in flame before Riku was thrown back by it summoning a spherical shield of fire. It flapped its wings much more intensely, sending a burning tornado that weakened the updrafts, forcing Riku back on top of Notre Dame.

The tornado kept going, and Riku was thrown into the air, blowing him into the side of the bell tower.

His body stung from burns, and after casting Cure on himself, he saw the smoke was being pulled towards the Wargoyle, as though the shield was a vacuum. Riku felt himself being dragged in the direction of the Dream Eater's shield, which only intensified as the Wargoyle approached the rooftop.

But then again, now that he was back on the roof, he could ask for the help of the two Spirits with him. While Komory Bat wasn't optimal for the situation… Zolephant was another story.

He linked with Zolephant, and it felt like he was taking a swim off of the islands as his Keyblade became a Wavesurfer.

Skull Noise was surrounded by a surfboard made of blue energy, and riding the Keyblade, Riku spun sideways, sending a small wave at the Wargoyle's shield and making a cloud of steam, which was promptly sucked into the shield.

Riku paled. If that didn't have any effect on the shield…

He Dodge Rolled away from the vacuum, keeping the Wargoyle in his peripheral vision as it flew atop one of the two bell towers.

The Wargoyle's shield burst, turning into a rain of fireballs that bombarded the rooftop. Right as Riku tried to head back onto the updrafts, his back exploded into pain as he was grazed by one of the fireballs.

The Nightmare flew back over the square, continuing to launch its barrage at Riku, who decided to drop the Link Style.

He tried to regain his bearings, only to see the Wargoyle spiral charging at him, its fists blazing. Riku had only seconds to Dodge Roll out of the way as it circled over the rooftop… but dealing with a certain pest.

Circling around the Wargoyle was Komory Bat, who kept letting out screeches. It darted left and right, too fast for the Nightmare to keep track of it while its sonic waves hit it, one after the other.

Riku narrowly Dodge Rolled away from its next punch, then cast Balloon. However, it only triggered two of the mines, and when Riku attacked, it parried before he got away from the counterattack.

Meanwhile, Zolephant sprayed the Nightmare with water, lessening the flames around its fists and drenching it… meaning Riku went right for a Spark Dive.

The water covering the Wargoyle's form conducted Spark Dive's electricity, giving it a nasty shock.

Even that wasn't enough to stagger it, as it flew back out over the square. Riku followed it on the updrafts, Air Sliding out of the way of another fire tornado, and he proceeded to Reality Shift.

Once again, a Faithline appeared beneath him, going right through the Wargoyle before it went towards Notre Dame. It veered left, and he rode it as it went right at the Dream Eater, with him hurdling directly towards the Wargoyle with incredible speed.

He lashed out with one more Sliding Dive, getting in a mighty blow right at its head.

The Wargoyle's fists ignited again, with it letting out an enraged roar before throwing a punch.

Riku parried.

With its guard down, he did three last slashes with the Keyblade, knocking away the Dream Eater's great wings. One wing came loose, falling down below, followed by the other before the Wargoyle plummeted into the same inferno that claimed Frollo's life.

"Looks like we got it…" Riku landed on the roof, staring down as he heard Phoebus ordering to put the fires out. With a smile, he started his way downstairs.

 

[NGSoares]

Emerging from the cathedral, Riku saw that the flames in the square had been extinguished, and fires were being put out all across the city. Right as he was done taking the sights in, he heard Quasimodo calling, "R-Riku!"

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4xPFumG2NcU&pp=ygUPZGVzdGlueSdzIHVuaW9u​

The bell ringer approached him, accompanied by Esmeralda and Phoebus.

"Frollo…" At the mention of the name, Riku remembered the sheer denial the judge was in and the fiery end of his road to darkness. "He made me live inside the bell tower and lied to me about the world, but the real walls were the ones I built around my heart." Quasimodo smiled. "You helped me see that, Riku."

Riku shook his head. "I was… speaking from personal experience."

"You still keep a lot inside, don't you?" asked Quasimodo.

The Keyblade wielder looked away. That hit a bit too close to home. He was the one building walls around his own heart, and that was as bad as darkness controlling him. Haru had said that, in his own words, darkness makes you a megalomaniacal, paranoid, edgelord… but even though he tried a different path, Ansem just possessed him by force. Either way, whether he kept denying the darkness like Frollo or tried to take the first step and accept it was up to him, and him alone.

"You still keep a lot inside, don't you?" asked Quasimodo.

The Keyblade wielder looked away. That hit a bit too close to home. He was the one building walls around his own heart, and that was as bad as darkness controlling him. Haru had said that, in his own words, darkness makes you a megalomaniacal, paranoid, edgelord, which Frollo had shown all to well… but even though Riku had tried a different path, Ansem just possessed him by force. Either way, whether he kept denying the darkness like Frollo or tried to take the first step and accept it was up to him, and him alone.

"We all do that sometimes," Esmeralda said, bringing Riku back to reality. "There are just some things we need to keep separate from the world at large, at least until we have time to figure them out." She smiled warmly at him, and Riku returned it before the trio left.

So what did he need to figure out?

He tried telling himself he wasn't scared, but why keep hesitating on darkness?

But he needed to make that first step, one way or another. "I know the road my heart walks," he said to himself.

A brilliant light shone down from the large stained glass window on Notre Dame's façade. Riku knew, almost on instinct, that it was this world's Sleeping Keyhole.

Summoning the Keyblade, Riku knew his road wasn't day or night. Just as he had told Ansem, he walked the road to dawn.

A beam shot out of the Keyblade's tip, entering the Sleeping Keyhole as light filled the world, leaving only four worlds remaining.

Maybe the answer would come to him once this exam was over. And if he wasn't afraid… was it something else?

Riku has obtained Guardian Bell.


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oly9o_sHSB4&pp=ygUFcmVpIGk%3D​

As Loptr looked around the graveyard of Halloween Town, he sighed. He had already checked Agrabah, Beast's Castle, Olympus Coliseum, and Wonderland, and there had been no sight of any of his goals. He looked up to see a star returning to the sky, a world returning to the realm of light.

This world had been another dead end. Taking a look back at the town, he considered his next move before summoning the Keyblade.

Loptr brandished the Keyblade, filling the graveyard with light as he summoned a gate to take him to another world. "Dark times are coming…" he mused, remembering the man in the black cloak's words. "Destiny has started moving again. The great clash between light and darkness approaches. But despite that, even as that time comes, I will continue my search. Now… where are you, Mani?"

//And with that, we return to Haru.

 

[NGSoares]

As soon as the four got on the gummi ship, Haru noticed that they were able to connect to Olympus Coliseum. "Well," he said with a grin, "guess I know where we're heading next."

"It'll be nice to see Herc and Phil again," agreed Goofy.

"And to kick some ass in the Games!" cheered Haru.

"It would be easier than training for a war…" grumbled Donald.

"What are the Games?" asked Roxas. "Are they like the Struggle tournament?"

"Kinda. Though instead, you fight Heartless." The replica laughed. "I've got a lot of memories of this world." He rubbed his side, where there was that scar from when Cerberus had bit him. "Both good and bad. Anyway, when I started looking like this—" he absently ran a hand through his red hair— "the first world we went to after leaving Traverse Town was the Coliseum… the Phil Cup, right?"

Donald nodded.

With that confirmation, Haru added, "Hell, it was the first world we went to after Traverse Town, period."

Roxas looked out the window, back towards Beast's Castle. "I see… so, this world is one that has a special place in your heart?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"And does this ship have autopilot?"

Haru glanced at Donald, who said, "We didn't enter the coordinates for the Coliseum." His gaze shifted to outside, where he saw that the gummi ship was not only drifting away on its own, but heading to Hollow Bastion.

"Are you SHITTING me?!" shouted Haru.

---

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1CTVWyAwqkE&pp=ygUYcmVzdG9yaW5nIGhvbGxvdyBiYXN0aW9u​

The four of them walked through Hollow Bastion's borough. Haru's mood hadn't improved, and given what he remembered from his future vision, this visit… wasn't the most important.

(But at the same time, if this visit was what he expected it to be, that meant he could BURN BUGS. Always a plus.)

Soldiers ran out of Merlin's house and despawned, leaving the door open.

There, they saw Merlin getting up to his feet, saying, "You took your time, didn't you?"

"Was it you who summoned us, Merlin?" asked Goofy.

"Yes, yes," he answered. "But I used too much power in doing so, and those infernal Heartless…" The wizard sighed.

"They were after a certain book, weren't they?" Haru deadpanned, conflicted on whether to be annoyed about heading back there or thrilled that he could relieve stress on that book's bees.

"That they were," said Merlin, the 100 Acre Wood book poofing into his hand.

The redhead's expression brightened. "It's my instruction manual on the best way to set bugs on fire!"

Everyone stared at him. Only the beeping of Cid's computer was audible.

"Er… yes. I'll tell Leon and the others about the Heartless. Be back in a jiffy." He poofed away a little too quickly.

Donald grabbed the book, opening it just as fast. "I know that look on your face! Get in there!" he quacked.

The book started to glow, filling Merlin's house with a soft green light as he heard Donald slam it down on the table…

Just like that, Haru was in that weird "hub" area of the 100 Acre Wood. The honey tree that was his venting grounds didn't look accessible at the moment—just Pooh's house. "I'll fucking get you back for that, Donald!" he yelled, heading to that pop-up. "You hear me, you damn duck?!"

When he arrived at Pooh's house, he knew right away to tone down the swearing. The denizens of this world didn't deserve to have their innocence scarred by learning bad words.

And this was a kid's book. No need to set bees on fire—well, if Pooh wasn't watching. Even if they start crawling over him and stinging him.

"Why were you talking about a duck working at a dam?" asked an innocent-sounding voice.

Oh.

Well, shit.

"Pooh!" Haru exclaimed, forcing a smile. "How have you been? Found any dru… honey lately?"

"Oh, yes," said Pooh. "I was about to do some of my stoutness exercises. Would you and Sora like to join me?"

Haru distinctly remembered how Vanitas seemed genuinely sickened by this world. To be fair, it was really saccharine, and it was Sora who got along with this world's inhabitants better.

To Haru, it was a grueling exercise in restraint.

And he hated that aspect of this world.

"Uh… Sora's on a—" how did he phrase it— "he's catching up on fixing his sleep cycle."

"Oh. Well, let us head—"

The world froze.

And Haru was cast out of the book.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nnpU4_oMJFI&pp=ygUQc2NoZXJ6byBkaSBub3R0ZQ%3D%3D​

Contrary to how he had expected to end up in Merlin's house, he ended up falling on the streets of Hollow Bastion to the sound of a Heartless spawning.

The clacking of a Soldier's armor signified him to just what had stole it, and he saw claw marks in the cover of Pooh's book. Looking around him, he noticed he was in the central square, with a view of the castle. The marketplace wasn't too far from here, and standing above him was someone in a black cloak, who vanquished the Soldier with a greatsword.

"Hey!" Haru called, picking up Pooh's book. "What's the big deal, stealing a kiddie book?! Is it because it contains a whole world in it?"

"That was what Maleficent wants to know about it," said the hooded figure. He didn't sound like any member of the Organization that Haru was familiar with. "But I wanted to talk to you."

"Why? What purpose did bringing a world full of innocent animals into this serve?"

The figure removed his hood.

Another time.

Another place.

In the streets of Thebes, a boy with spiky black hair put his arm over Ven's shoulder, the two of them laughing. They both knew that one day, they'd become true heroes.​

A chill ran down Haru's spine, not even noticing that he dropped the book. "…Zack? But didn't Sephiroth…"

Zack Fair stared at Haru with dull golden eyes, a scar going across his face and silver hair. "How do you know my name?"

//Hollow Bastion here serves a similar role to Traverse Town in the quest
//And just like Traverse Town back then
//Shit tends to derail here because of Haru's antics
//Been waiting to reveal Zack's Norting for a long time.

 

[NGSoares]

Have an admittedly bad Zacknort sketch. Drew this in fifteen minutes.

 

[NGSoares]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TfX2c43VNfg&pp=ygUSdmlsbGFpbnMgb2YgYSBzb3J0​

In the ruins of Villain's Vale, Maleficent gazed out upon the blue landscape. "Where is everyone else?" she calmly asked Pete.

"Beats me," he answered. "Was gonna go out to see Hades, but so far, all of 'em musta have other matters."

"'Matters?'" repeated Maleficent, whirling around. "You mean they had more important affairs to attend to than my return?"

Pete shifted his weight. "You see, there's this group called Organization XIII that keeps gettin' in the way—"

"I am well aware of their existence," Maleficent cut him off. "Let those fools play their little game!"

"But what about all those runts with Keyblades runnin' around?" asked the cat. "They've all been a pretty big pain, wipin' out all these Heartless."

"There is one in particular who I am interested in," said Maleficent, stroking her crow's feathers. "The replica, Haru. During our first meeting, he spoke of subjects that… piqued my curiosity."

"Hey Maleficent!" you shout. "Don't gather the seven Princesses in one place! Xehanort plans to use them to forge a weapon of apocalyptic proportions! Seriously, don't do it!"

Click to shrink...

"Eleven years ago, a Keyblade Master named Xehanort visited me in my home world. He taught me many things, about the hearts of pure light and the secrets to moving through time," she told him. "Apparently, there is more to the princesses of heart than we thought. We even have a name for what they can create."

A dark corridor then opens immediately, and you freeze. "Do you need some help?" You're shaking. Riku's been possessed, and he has the creepy as fuck echo...

"Riku! Are you alright?" Sora starts, but you stand between the two of them.

"That's not Riku," you growl, tightly gripping onto Counterpoint. "That's Xehanort's Heartless." Sora's expression grows cold, and he glares at Not!Riku.

"Wait, why are you holding..." Donald cuts in, but the possessed teenager just chuckles.

"Yes, this is a Keyblade. But unlike the ones Sora and Haru carry, this one can-"

"I know that it can unlock people's hearts," you interrupt. "Now stop goddamn monologuing." Not!Riku frowns, before glaring at you.

"Look at the Keyblade this way, Haru: it was made from six pure lights. Think of what that makes this Keyblade a fragment of..."

"Are you saying..." you begin, clenching your fists. You try to hide your fear. This Keyblade could be...

"Indeed. This is but a fragment of the χ-blade. With one more light and thirteen darknesses, it shall be complete... but that time is not here yet. Allow me to show you its other power... behold!" With that, Not!Riku impales Maleficent with the Keyblade. "Now... open your heart! Surrender it to the darkness! Become darkness itself!"

Click to shrink...

"The χ-blade," she said. "We will let Xehanort have it."

"Huh?!" gawked Pete. "But that thing sounds really important for takin' over worlds! Wouldn't that be what you wanted?"

Maleficent ignored him. "Just like me, the replica knows the future—but to a far greater extent than I am." Before her lackey could respond, she went on, "A book… known as the ancient Book of Prophecies. It's said to be capable of transcribing events that have yet to take place. As Haru is a replica, which is able to absorb certain elements, including memories… suppose he absorbed the memories of one who had read it?"

Pete furrowed his brow. "Are you sayin' that the ginger and this book are connected?"

A small smile crossed Maleficent's face. "Indeed. But he is not the only key. The book itself is not only able to foresee the future, but can conjure up entire beings and powers that have yet to exist."

"Really?!" A hint of skepticism began to seep into Pete's voice. "A book that can just make up a world? I dunno, that sounds like nothin' more than fluffy, pink, kids' fairy tale stuff. It sounds just too good to be true."

"Ah, but who's to say a fairy tale's not true?" Yet again, she faced Pete. "Don't you think it might be worth our while to put the rest of this puzzle together? Perhaps there's a link of sorts between Haru's knowledge of that which he shouldn't know, the location of our prize… and how we can come out the ultimate victors in the end?"

"Oh…" Pete winced. "Wait, what if the book's not around anymore, and Haru's aware of that? We'd just be goin' on a wild goose chase!"

"The book does exist—and if it does not now, it will soon enough." Maleficent once again gazed towards the castle. "The main detail is that we have a lead."

That got Pete's attention. "I'd say with that, we might be onto somethin' huge, eh, Maleficent?"

"Ours is not a lost cause. One way or another, we will cross paths with Haru… and we will extract the location of the Book of Prophecies, along with that of a certain black box, from him. Continue gathering powerful Heartless." The orb at the top of the witch's staff glowed green, with that same aura surrounding her, "A great clash between seven lights and thirteen darknesses looms on the horizon—and Haru is the key to finding how we will benefit from it."

Pete started to laugh. "Well then, count me in! Let's get lookin'!"

 

[NGSoares]

"Thank you for your patronage," said Aerith, smiling as she handed Webby a bouquet. "I hope you have a lovely day."

"I will! Thanks, Aerith!" exclaimed Webby, running off and waving.

As Aerith bagged the munny, she sighed. There had been no sign of Cloud since his return after Ansem's defeat. She didn't know whether he was making himself scarce or something else, but it worried her.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nnpU4_oMJFI&pp=ygUic2NoZXJ6byBkaSBub3R0ZSBraW5nZG9tIGhlYXJ0cyAyIA%3D%3D​

The loud blaring of a siren suddenly rang through the town, and she heard Cid call out, "All right, citizens of Hollow Bastion. Y'all need to get inside. The Organization's in town."

Panic erupted in the streets, with Moogles shutting their shops and everyone scrambling to get back into their houses. Aerith's heart pounded as she called Leon over the Gummiphone. "Where's the Organization?" she asked.

"In Central Square. I'm on my way there now," he answered. "Merlin's sending Kairi."

"Got it," said Aerith. Central Square wasn't too far from the marketplace, so she easily made a beeline in that direction. Every so often she cast Pearl, sending orbs of light at any Heartless that got in the way.

It was honestly kind of disquieting—where were all the Nobodies? The Organization had used them last time.

A Neoshadow spawned in front of her, but a cast of Blizzard wiped it out. Aerith turned, and her expression lit up. "Kairi!"

"I came as quick as I could," she said, a rapier in her hand. "Merlin gave me the details. The Heartless stole Pooh's book while Haru was inside its world."

"How do you know that there was a world inside it?" Sparkga tore through a group of Shadows that rose up around them.

"Sora told me about his adventures last year, including the one in the book." Another Blizzard, one that put a Vermilion Samba on ice.

Aerith laughed. "Sounds like something he'd do." They reached Central Square, where Leon came into view—as well as someone in a black cloak.

A Soldier spawned holding Pooh's book, which was opened on its own accord as Haru was expelled from it. The Heartless was destroyed by the Organization member, and as the trio fought their way to the plaza, they heard a faint rattling noise as the cloaked individual removed their hood.

Aerith froze, at a loss for words.

"It can't be…" remarked Leon.

​

A chill ran down Haru's spine, not even noticing that he dropped the book. "…Zack? But didn't Sephiroth…"

Zack Fair stared at Haru with dull golden eyes, a scar going across his face and silver hair. "How do you know my name?"

Click to shrink...

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=APbwyKwEjm0&pp=ygURdHJ1ZSBkYXJrbmVzcyBraDM%3D​

"Zack!" called Aerith. This didn't make sense—he had been dead for over a decade.

Zack stared at her, bags under his eye. "Aerith," he said bitterly.

"What happened to you?" she asked. "How did this happen?"

"You, Cloud, and Yuffie… you let me die. You abandoned me to Sephiroth," he spat, nothing but hatred in his voice.

"That's not true!" Aerith protested. "We couldn't find you—"

"And look how that turned out," Zack cut her off. "I died! But now, my heart is back."

"At what cost?" Haru retorted. "You're being used, Zack!"

Zack's tone was calm. "Am I?"

The rattling got louder.

"Xehanort's made you his pawn! Wake up, Zack!" Aerith shouted. "Please… I know you're in there."

"The old Zack is dead!" he yelled.

The square shook—almost like something was walking.

"He's gotta be brainwashed," said Haru. "He has to be."

"No." Zack drove his sword into the pavement. "Time to suffer as I did!"

The rattling now drowned out anything else.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EI5KfN6lo9A&pp=ygUcdGl0YW5pYyBjbGFzaCBraW5nZG9tIGhlYXJ0cw%3D%3D​

The air rippled, revealing a towering figure, resembling the shape of a giant skeleton. The Heartless moved, and the sounds of cracking bones and snapping ligaments could be heard. Its soulless, glowing yellow eyes gazed down at Haru, Aerith, Leon, and Kairi, ready to consume and feed its insatiable appetite. On its forehead was the Heartless crest, and will-o-wisps surrounded it.

A dark corridor opened, one that Zack entered as the giant skeleton radiated a blue-tinted glow before screeching, uprooting the withered flowers in the square's corners.

"Aerith…" said Haru.

Aerith looked up at the skeletal Heartless, her own heart filled with resolve. "We failed him ten years ago," she told him. "But we won't fail him now. I know in my heart that he can still be saved!"

"We'll help, too!" agreed Kairi.

"Stay vigilant!" Leon told the trio, his attention on the Heartless after he hid the book in the bushes around the square.

 

[NGSoares]

Haru advanced on the giant Heartless, which looked at him like he was an ant. He barely reached the Heartless's knees, and barely had time to react before it slammed its fists into the ground. At such a close range, the shockwave was enough to send him into the withered flowerbeds, and the Heartless screeched before vanishing.

Even so, its footsteps still shook the plaza, and Haru decided to focus. He wasn't gonna do a Shotlock, but at least, like the Dark Thorn, he could track it while it was invisible. He stood amongst the withered flowers, determined to track the giant Heartless. He could feel its presence, its footsteps shaking the ground beneath him, but he had to see it.

He concentrated, continuing scanning the area for any signs of the giant Heartless. And then, from behind him, a dark shape materialized and rushed towards him, claws outstretched.

Haru whirled around just in time to dodge the giant Heartless's grasp, which crashed into the ground behind him. It let out a triumphant screech and raised its fist, preparing to smash the area to rubble.

He rolled to the side and scrambled to his feet a mere second before the Heartless brought down its fist, demolishing the flowerbed and sending debris flying everywhere.

Aerith, on the other hand, raised her staff into the air. "Shiva!" she called out, and a vicious gale blew into the plaza, blowing flowers into the air.

There was the sound of a blizzard whipping up, and in a swirl of snow appeared a purple-skinned woman with knee-length blue hair. A turquoise sash hung from her hip, and ice manifested above her hand.

Shiva hurled a blast of ice at the giant Heartless, but it managed to dodge the attack and swiped at the summon with its enormous bony arm. She responded by conjuring a hailstorm, filling the plaza with a deluge of tiny ice shards.

The Heartless let out a mighty roar and charged at Shiva with blinding speed, barreling through the hailstorm as if it were nothing but fog, but unleashed a mighty frost breath to slow down the Heartless.

"Something so big has to have a weak point," noted Kairi, eyeing the Heartless. She then looked up at its head, a skull that was at least one hundred feet off the ground. "Water!" she yelled, jabbing her rapier forward and making the ground wet under the Heartless's feet, along with its actual feet. "Haru, cast Blizzard on where I just hit!"

"Right!" Haru followed Kairi's instructions, casting Blizzard where she had made the ground wet. A thick frost covered the area, making the ground slippery. The Heartless stumbled back in an attempt to regain its balance, and Kairi quickly jumped onto its foot.

Shiva took this opportunity to strike, blasting the Heartless with a second powerful ice attack. The Heartless let out a mighty roar of pain before slamming its foot down in an attempt to crush Kairi.

There was a blinding light—

The Heartless was thrown back, glaring down at Kairi, and the Keyblade she now held. "This time, I'll fight!" she exclaimed.

The Heartless let out another shrill screech of rage, glaring down at Kairi as she readied her Keyblade. With all eyes on the Heartless, Haru and Aerith took the opportunity to strike from behind, rushing forward to flank the giant monster.

Aerith sent a ray of light at the Heartless' feet with her staff, while Haru unleashed a Shotlock on it. All the while, Shiva was creating an ice wall, one that was sloped like a ramp.

The Heartless let out a deafening roar as it was assailed from all directions. It swung its giant arms wildly as Aerith blasted it with powerful light while Haru attacked it with his Keyblade, causing them to turn into Double Arrowguns. Shiva continued to create the ice wall, the massive ramp now nearly complete.

The ice ramp enclosed around the Heartless, covering it in a layer of frost. Shiva then blew the Heartless a kiss, causing the shell to explode in a flurry of Diamond Dust, while Haru and Kairi leapt in and attacked its skull as one.

It screeched in pain from the numerous attacks, getting to its feet as blue will-o-wisps surrounded it. In addition, it pulled out one of its ribs and threw it at the three.

"I think we made it mad!" remarked Haru.

The Heartless took a deep breath, sucking in all of the wisps before its eyes flashed blue. It exhaled, unleashing a stream of azure flames that scorched the plaza and annihilated what flowers remained, as well as some of the decorative bushes surrounding the square.

While Haru and Aerith both were singed by the attack, Kairi was much more fortunate, Dodge Rolling out of the way before casting Cure on the two.

The Heartless ripped out another pair of its ribs as the wisps reappeared, throwing it at the wounded trio… only for the bone to be deflected off of Goofy's shield.

"Let's get 'em!" agreed the mage, with the Heartless now tearing off its lower jaw before inhaling again.

Like before, the wisps were sucked into the vacuum breath for the skeletal Heartless to exhale. Surprisingly enough, without its lower jaw, the flames were even more potent, but this time, it was expected, with all five dodging the attack.

Haru opened fire on the Heartless's legs again, while Donald cast Thunder and Kairi cast Blizzard. All of the attacks caused Shooting Star to become a Magic Launcher, and Haru said, "Goofy, can I get on your shield? I need a boost up there."

"Here ya go!" shouted Goofy as Haru got on the shield, and he launched the redhead upward with a clear view of the Heartless's head. There was no way he would miss this.

He fired a magic orb right at the skeleton's face, with it exploding with enough force that the Heartless was knocked to the ground again… and that was where Kairi drove her new Keyblade right between its eyes.

The Heartless let out a death shriek, then went up in flames, ones that reduced the bones to the darkness they were composed of.

A single heart flew away from its destruction, signaling that the fight was truly over.

Haru has learned Aerial Sweep.​

 

[NGSoares]

Kairi's mind was still filled with a jumble of emotions as she looked at her newfound Keyblade. She was overwhelmed and awed by the power, feeling a deep sense of pride in herself and how she was able to awaken her Keyblade during the fight against the giant Heartless. She felt emboldened and empowered by the success, ready to face whatever might come next in the adventure.

She then looked at the devastation the battle had wrought on Central Square. Almost every plant had been burnt to ashes, and cracks and craters littered the plaza from the Heartless's attacks. What little hadn't been damaged was covered in water from the melted snow, and and the pavement had even started to be warped from the heat of the battle.

It was a somber reminder of what the world she had come from had been reduced to. While Kairi considered the Destiny Islands her home, it still was a depressing thought.

"Kairi, you…" Haru seemed to be trying to find the right words.

There was a poof of magic smoke, and Merlin appeared, coughing. "What happened?" he asked, eyes wide. "Is the book okay?"

"You missed the show," answered Haru. "We have another Xehanort vessel, and going by my future vision… Pooh's got amnesia from the Heartless tearing out some pages from the book. But look, Kairi has her Keyblade! So that's good news, right?"

"Indeed it is," replied Merlin, smiling at Kairi. "This is a monumental achievement, and a clear sign that your training is making you stronger. Might you summon it for me?"

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fqTd7YZ8cu4&pp=ygULa2FpcmkgdGhlbWU%3D​

"Of course," said Kairi, and she closed her eyes as light gathered in her hand. In a rain of flower petals, a Keyblade was brought into existence. The Keychain was that of a paopu fruit, and the hilt was heart-shaped, with one half themed after a wave. The blade itself looked like a flower bouquet.

​

"You've taken your first step into a larger world, my dear," the wizard told her.

"Just wait till we tell Sora!" agreed Haru, beaming at her. "I can't imagine the look on his face!"

Aerith, on the other hand, just looked away. "Zack…" she murmured.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," encouraged Haru. "We'll find a way to get him back. You're already doing the best you can here."

"How?" pressed Aerith. "How do we start?"

That was where Haru was struck silent. "I… I don't know," he admitted. "My future vision doesn't go that far, so I don't know how to get Xehanort's heart out of someone." He sighed. "I'm just as lost as you are. I guess we have to play it by ear. It sucks, but what choice do we have?"

"That doesn't help," noted Aerith.

Haru's Gummiphone then vibrated, and he saw that he had a text message from Roxas: "talked with fairy godmother. she thinks that maybe i can do some training here with axel"

Haru repeated the text message to the others, and then he realized something. "Oh, Merlin! Maybe Kairi can travel with us while Roxas trains here?" he proposed.

Merlin hummed in thought. "It has merit," he said. "What do you think?"

"You should go with them, Kairi," Leon spoke up as he walked over to the group. "Especially if you want to grow stronger."

"Then why didn't you think of that sooner?!" quacked Donald, and then he paled, looking at Haru. "Oh, phooey."

"I'll teach her the power of fire!" cheered the replica in the most chipper tone possible that put a chill down Donald's spine.

"Well, I believe in her," said Goofy. "Kairi, you're welcome to come along!"

"Thank you," she replied. "All of you."

"And the world we have planned is one we have fond memories of, the first world Sora visited after we stopped by Traverse Town…

"We're heading to Olympus Coliseum!"

 

[NGSoares]

The way that the cave they had beamed down in could be described in eleven words—a little dark, a little gloomy, and full of dead people.

It was a vast underground space with a three-way natural crossroad that had a small pool at the center, with two paths leading to different doors, one green and one blue, and one leading to a staircase leading upward. The green door was blocked by blue flames that reminded Haru all too much of Hades, and the water radiated a pale green glow. It was also cold, spreading from Haru's core, and it also made him feel sluggish.

"Gawrsh, you think we made a wrong turn?" asked Goofy.

"The Coliseum's up those stairs," said Haru, wildly gesturing at the divine light shining through the exit. He smiled at Kairi. "Phil may be kinda grouchy, but trust me when I say that he's a great trainer—this was the first word I went to after meeting Donald and Goofy, specifically for training purposes."

"I take it you knew you could train here because of your future vision?" Kairi summoned Destiny's Embrace. "Does it know why it feels like there's this weight on my shoulders?"

"Because we're alive in the Underworld," explained the replica, holding himself for warmth. "There's a curse that weakens you down here, and you need an artifact called the Olympus Stone to be immune to it." He forced a smile despite his chattering teeth. "I'm pretty sure Herc has it. C'mon, let's go off the rails and get it now."

They started their way towards the exit, when there was a high-pitched cry that pierced the frigid air.

​

A tall, young woman with long brown hair with bangs almost covering her eyes, a waist-length ponytail, and a dark pink dress ran out of the blue door, pursued by Bad Dogs, with one knocking her over. "Don't let this get to your head, but I could really use some foolhardy hero to be a distraction right now!" she told the four of them with an unusually casual tone.

One cast of Thunder from Kairi eliminated the Heartless, and Haru went over to help the woman to her feet.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6CzFn-Oiw0A&pp=ygUSdGhlIHVuZGVyd29ybGQga2gy​

Upon setting eyes upon them all, she said, "I'm fine. Those things just can't be negotiated with." Brushing off her dress, she folded her arms and looked away. "And you're supposed to be…?"

"I'm Haru," greeted the replica. "That's Kairi, and those are Donald and Goofy."

Goofy smiled. "We came to visit our old pal, Hercules!"

"Or maybe we shouldn't tell the first person we see our business…" mumbled Donald.

"You know Wonderboy?" the woman responded drily after looking over the four warily.

"Yeah, 'cause we're heroes, too!" boasted Donald, puffing out his chest and making her roll her eyes.

"Ya mean junior heroes, Donald," Goofy whispered in the duck's ear.

The woman chuckled at the ensuing angry quacks. "Well, looks like we have a friend in common," she remarked. "My name's Megara. My friends call me Meg. At least they would if I had more than one."

"So what's Herc been up to lately?" asked Haru.

"Wonderboy?" replied Megara. "He's been duking it out at the Coliseum every day. You know, 'a hero's work is never done' and all that." The sharpness crept out of her voice. "Even Wonderboy has his limits, though. These opponents are bad news—special deliveries from Hades himself."

"Hades?!" quacked Donald.

"You were gonna see Mr. Fireproof?" asked Haru, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Right on the money, Ginger. Maybe I can get Hades to give Wonderboy a breather." Megara pinched her nose. "I doubt it'll work. Kairi, was it? You know how men can be—they think 'no' means 'yes' and 'get lost' means 'take me, I'm yours.'"

"Sounds like you really care about him," said Kairi, ignoring Donald's noises.

"It's basic decency," Megara replied flatly, grimacing. "Wonderboy's a friend, and friends do good things for each other, right?"

"They do," agreed Kairi.

"Word of advice, sister." She put her hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Sure, the Coliseum is good if you wanna train, but while the One Horny Goat Gruff is the quote-unquote 'trainer of heroes', the guy's a skirt chaser. Girls like us gotta keep on our toes around him, so make sure to set boundaries."

"Got it." Kairi glanced at the door behind Megara. "Why don't I go talk to Hades instead?" she offered. "It looks like the Underworld's got a bit of a Heartless problem, and we can defend ourselves."

"You really wanna do that?" asked Megara. She smirked. "Well, seeing how you took care of the dogs, you know what you're doing. I'll take you up on that offer." Her attention shifted back to Haru and the others. "Try to keep a lid on the whole 'chat-with-Hades' thing, all right?"

"Our lips are sealed!" exclaimed Goofy, running a hand over his mouth like a zipper.

 

[NGSoares]

Uh… hi. It's been a while.

I know updates have been sporadic and far between, but in that time, I re-read the quest and the fic, and between how easily I'm distracted and looking at how some problems are the product of inexperience, it made me realize something about writing this fic.

I'm not having fun writing Haru anymore, and I feel like he doesn't work in this medium.

In the quest, his personality was largely built up by the players, and I rolled with that. But now, him being an unhinged pyromaniac is really the only thing fun to write about him, and he's really bland otherwise.

So now I simply don't know what to do with Haru. He doesn't really have much of a personality without others to bounce off, and even so, those interactions can be pretty bland unless it's with Xigbar (the character who's the most fun to write) or Donald (which is a stretch, since it usually consists of him reminding Haru of how he burnt down Oogie Boogie's manor and was laughing the whole time).

I have a lot of ideas, but the problem? Haru doesn't work as the protagonist of a fanfic, only a quest, and this being a sequel and what I've already built up means I'm too far to take his main protagonist role back.

Thus, the story as a whole is now in limbo and on an indefinite hiatus until I decide what to do with it. Thinking of whipping up a poll.