Keep On Whacking: Re: Mix (KH)

[NGSoares]

The winding back streets were packed with Dream Eaters, with them dropping enough Dream Pieces for Sora to eventually create a new Spirit. This new one was purple and covered in spines, complete with a spiked club at the end of its tail. It bounced behind Sora and Meow Wow as they continued onward, through an underground waterway not connected to Leon's training cave, and up into a wide plaza with a fountain bigger than the ones in the Second and Third Districts combined… and for some inexplicable reason, a huge manhole was in the center of the plaza.

Both of the Spirits at Sora's side made various noises of protest as the brunet glanced down into the manhole after dispatching the Nightmares…

Was something breathing down there?

He had the strangest feeling that he was being watched while on the manhole—and his heart nearly skipped a beat when it moved.

"NOPE!" he cried, getting as far away from whatever was down there as possible. "Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope!"

Sora ran for the next door on the other side of the giant fountain with a four above it, practically throwing it open and bolting through with his Spirits before slamming it shut. His heart hammered against his ribs, and panting against the door, he tried to regain his composure at least a little.

The district, which he assumed by the four above the way in here meant this was the Fourth District, was brightly lit up. So, these were those lights he saw from the First District? As Sora continued downward, he began feeling a bit calmer. That being said, the sewer monster, whatever it was, only really got mad when he stepped on the manhole.

He passed by shops of different kinds, and Sora couldn't help but wonder why this place was barricaded. Was it even here whenever he was in Traverse Town last year, or was this whole part of town all unique to the realm of sleep? Eventually, the lights got brighter, and Sora reached a very… weird area.

At the square at the lowest part of the Fourth District, with a balloon of a Meow Wow above it, there was an enormous building labeled "Colosseum." Several Moogles were around the place.

"I definitely would've noticed this," Sora mused to himself, "so what's it for?" And to further that question, Haru sealed Traverse Town's Keyhole, right? If the Sleeping Worlds were worlds that were destroyed by the Heartless that just weren't awakened, why was Traverse Town here?

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dEmcUdywWx0
Besides the Moogles was a girl with short blonde hair, a beanie, and baggy orange clothes. She looked younger than Sora, and her outfit kind of reminded him of Neku's. Was this the partner he was looking for?

​

"Hey, uh…" he spoke up, getting the girl's attention, "Any chance you're Neku's partner?"

"Um… I'm not really sure. All I know is that my name's Rhyme," said the girl.

"You mean… you've lost your memory?"

"Yep."

"Oh. Sorry…"

Rhyme dismissively waved her arm, flashing him a smile. "Aw, it's no big deal. You know what they always say—'Sometimes memories just need a little help getting out.'"

Who says that? "I… I guess that's true." Sora had felt something happen to him about a week after the Destiny Islands were restored, but did that have anything to do with memories? He returned Rhyme's smile. "If you need help, maybe Neku can do that? C'mon, let's go find him!"

"Right!"

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynk-4E1PFtc​

Given that Sora had checked all over everywhere he'd been so far, the only place left was a door with a five above it. So, he pushed it open and entered what he assumed to be the Fifth District.

It had to be one of the smaller districts, as there was just a bridge over a shallow canal leading to the closed gates of what looked like an arboretum.

On the arboretum's roof was Neku.

"Hey, Neku! It's you!" Sora ran up the stairs at the sides of the building leading to the glass rooftop. He'd been worried where Neku was ever since the guy in the black coat knocked him out, so he sighed in relief that the teen didn't seem hurt.

"Sora…" murmured Neku. Something felt wrong here. "You still trust me?"

"Of course I do!" The bad guy was whoever was in the black coat—not Neku.

"But you know I tricked you, right? The guy in the black coat said he could send me and my partner home—but I had to bring you to him first." He looked down at the canal. "Sorry."

"No big deal," Sora responded. "You still stood up for me. And besides, we're friends, right?"

"Friends…" Neku turned back to him, the right corner of his lips curled into the start of a smile.

"Oh, hey, Neku—this here is Rhyme. Is she your Game partner?" asked the brunet.

"No," Neku answered. "Sorry, I'm teamed up with someone else."

Out of nowhere, there was a series of beeping noises, and Rhyme vanished in a flash of orange light.

"What?! Rhyme!"

On the other side of the roof was the hooded person. Sora summoned his Keyblade, while Neku dashed at him at a high speed… only for him to just wave his hand, which blew Neku aside.

"Neku!" Sora called.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yIhhUXeP9xA​

The mysterious figure raised his arms, and an inky miasma gathered in the air above him. From it came a Nightmare, one that looked like a colorful box with the head, arms, and legs of a prismatic mandrill.

A dark corridor opened up, and the figure walked through it. "Huh?! Hey, wait!" He tried to pursue the figure, but the Hockomonkey crashed down on the roof, blocking Sora's way as the corridor closed. "Outta my way!"

 

[NGSoares]

Sora and his two Spirits ran at Hockomonkey, but it swung its fists almost right away, knocking the wind out of him. Its attacks cornered Sora in one part of the rooftop, but he cast Balloon. Five ethereal balloons appeared around him, acting almost like mines.

Hockomonkey didn't seem to be very smart, either, as its charging sent it right into two of the balloons, which popped. It jumped onto one of the higher parts of the roof, then tried kicking Sora.

Fortunately, he was prepared this time around, barely managing to block the Nightmare's kicks before Dodge Rolling away, where he cast Spark. The crystals scratched against Hockomonkey's boxlike torso, making it jump back onto the main part of the roof, where Sora attacked with Spark Dive.

He cast Balloon again, but this time, all five of the mines exploded around the Nightmare, causing it to howl. With it caught off guard, he cast Cure on himself, and Hockomonkey jumped away for some distance.

The Nightmare quickly went back into its torso, then popped back out before launching itself off the wall, kicking Sora across the roof. It then pounded its chest, howling to assert its dominance.

Its arms extended, and Sora noticed that its hands had changed, with them now looking more like boxing gloves. He could see why, too, as it tried punching him, though he Dodge Rolled out of the way.

He cast Spark right as it jumped away to the part of the arboretum's roof that wasn't made of glass, barely avoiding the light crystals as a result.

It parried Sora's next attack with its gloves, getting back up before leaping to the other non-glass part of the roof.

"C'mon!" Sora shouted when it jumped back to where it just was to avoid a Spark Dive, so instead, he went for casting Balloon where he was now. "Hey! Come and get me!"

Hockomonkey got back into its torso to switch out its boxing gloves for its claws, then lunged at Sora… right into the mines.

A strange orb of light appeared around the Nightmare with a line pointing towards a ring. Sora arched an eyebrow, then saw that the ring moved where he pointed the Keyblade.

As such, he pointed it so the ring was down in the canal, and Hockomonkey was flung away, as though it was fired by a Slingshot.

Sora then dove off the arboretum's roof, going right at Hockomonkey's head for a Spark Dive that hit dead on.

The Nightmare quickly recovered, though, leaping back onto the roof. Portals then started appearing all over the Fifth District's walls, and from them came a barrage of boxing gloves.

He had to get back up there.

Dodging as many fists as he could, he got back on the roof, where Hockomonkey was overlooking the scene. As soon as he did, walls rose up around the glass part of the roof, and the Nightmare pounded its chest before wall jumping off one of the barriers.

"Oh, shi—"

Hockomonkey's fists shattered the glass in an instant, sending it, Sora, and the Spirits plummeting down into the arboretum proper.

As he fell, Hockomonkey landed on the main ramp, and its head and limbs retracted back into its torso. From the box radiated a mist that made Sora feel drowsy.

He yawned, grinding up towards the door on the ramp, avoiding the fists the Nightmare had switched to once it got back in position, then kicked off the walls for a melee attack, which struck true.

In response, Hockomonkey switched back to its claws, then did a handstand kick that knocked Sora into one of the garden's palm trees.

The Nightmare advanced on Sora, picking up a tree to use as a bat, with Sora barely managing to dodge the first swing.

Okay, so he had to avoid the wider parts of the arboretum while Hockomonkey was swinging that around. As such, he went back up the ramp, going against the wall before kicking off it and casting Spark at the ramp's foot.

However, Hockomonkey simply jumped away from the revolving crystals, then tried jousting at him with the trunk. Sora Dodge Rolled out of the way, causing the tree to get lodged in the bottom of the ramp's corner.

He ground up the tree trunk, doing an attack right at Hockomonkey's face and knocking it into some bushes.

The Nightmare got back up, now looking considerably angrier, then pounded its chest before charging at Sora, blinded by rage—and right into Sora's next cast of Balloon, where he followed up by Slingshotting it away.

He then heard a mewling noise from the Meow Wow, who had been helping with the Pricklemane as best as it could. "You want me to what?"

It wagged its tail. "Link with you?" That was a way to put it, tight?

Hockomonkey looked like it would recover any second—so Sora had no choice. He gulped. "All right, let's do this."

He got on the Meow Wow's back, and it inhaled, pulling in the Pricklemane like a vacuum and growing to a giant size on it was done for a Whomperstomp. The giant Meow Wow bounced through the arboretum, shaking the plants as it headed right at Hockomonkey, where Sora braced for impact…

Hockomonkey was promptly squashed flat by the attack.

The Meow Wow deflated, spitting out its fellow Spirit, and Sora leapt off, dealing what he hoped would be the finishing blow.

The Nightmare was engulfed in light, and it ascended upwards, flying out the hole in the arboretum's ceiling.

After a quick Cure, Sora ran out front, where up above, Hockomonkey burst into glowing shards that rained down around him. As they did, two images materialized, one of a girl he didn't recognize, and the other…

"Riku!" he called.

 

[NGSoares]

At the sight of his best friend, Sora ran over to see him, only for a similar sound to the one from when Rhyme disappeared to chime across the Fifth District. "Hold on, Sora," came a new voice.

A weird orb that contained an image of Traverse Town flashed into being, and with it, a teen with wavy, dirty blond hair and a light purple shirt. He had an amused smile on his face.

Wait, if Sora was in Traverse Town, what was that image supposed to represent?

"Joshua," said Neku, approaching the two of them.

"Hello, Neku. How long the days without you have felt," Joshua replied. The orb flashed, and Rhyme manifested in front of it.

"Rhyme! I'm glad you're okay," said Sora.

Rhyme just smiled back at him.

Though how did this Joshua guy know who he was? Sora had never met him before. "Neku, you know this guy?"

"Yeah," he answered, hiding his expression. "Joshua is my… friend."

"Okay…" Sora folded his arms. So Neku trusted Joshua—points in his favor. But something was still fishy. "Are you the one who took Rhyme away? And… why do you know my name?"

Joshua brushed his hair back and smiled. "If you'd like to settle down for a sec, I'll field your questions one at a time. Let's start with Rhyme—her dreams are my Portal," he explained. At Sora's confusion, he clarified, "Let's just say her dreams are gateways between worlds."

What?

"As for your name… you probably know how this world is there for when people have need of shelter, right?"

That Sora did know—whenever the Heartless destroyed a world, the survivors usually ended up in Traverse Town, or, in Mushu and Dumbo's cases, were sealed in Summon Gems. But then again, the Beast and Riku ended up in Hollow Bastion, the former through different means, and Kairi's body—by Riku's account—was found at that clock tower where Neverland's Keyhole was.

"I'll spare you the big details, but right now, it's made of my dreams. So of course I know you—I dreamed you up."

And once again, Joshua had lost him. So all these new parts of Traverse Town weren't originally here when he was there a year ago?

"I know your best friend, Riku, too."

"Really? You know Riku?"

Joshua grinned. "Well, yeah. I'm kinda omniscient."

"Then where is he?" pressed Sora, slowly getting closer to the teen.

"He's right inside this projection, in another imagining of this world," Joshua elaborated, looking at the stairs leading to the arboretum's roof. "In short, another Traverse Town."

"Can I get there with your Portal thing?" Going by that projection, Riku was right here.

"Sad to say, it won't work for you. My 'Portal thing' only opens for one with Rhyme's dreams. In this projection, you're seeing a different chain of events, in another world the Nightmares have trapped." Notably, Riku was slowly backing away from something—or someone—on the stairs. "As for how the world got split in two… I have a feeling that guy has your answers."

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ingHocjTv1s​

The mysterious figure who summoned the Nightmare that Sora had just fought came down the stairs.

"Him again," Sora muttered. Right as he said that, another figure joined the girl who had briefly appeared, who had long pink hair and a hat, along with the new projection, a boy who had a black beanie on.

The latter was yelling something at either Riku or the mysterious figure, who removed his hood to reveal a silver-haired youth.

"Who's… that?" Sora whispered. He honestly kind of resembled Xemnas, but he certainly didn't look like any members of Organization XIII that he had seen. However, he vanished almost right away.

"Beat…" murmured Rhyme as the boy with the beanie disappeared.

When the pink-haired girl followed them, Neku said, "Shiki…"

Riku suddenly turned, and Sora said his name before there was a bright flash of light. When it dimmed, only Joshua remained, and the projection of Riku was right next to Sora.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Leqh0qOeo2Y​

"In their world, something happened that brought their existence to an end," Joshua said softly, turning away from them. Did Neku and the others… did they not survive the Heartless? "To keep them from fading altogether, I gathered up the very last remnants of their dreams and looked for a place to give them refuge. It was then this world appeared to answer my call, and Rhyme's dreams allowed us to reach it.

"Here, I thought they might have a chance—that the pieces of their dreams could make them whole again." He turned back to Sora and Riku. "Imagine my surprise when I realized dreams take bodily form in this world. It struck me—by linking their dream pieces back together, maybe I could make them exist again. Maybe I could give them another chance."

Riku asked him something, which was unheard by Sora.

On the other hand, Joshua seemed to hear it, as he said, "Well, why can't it? By ourselves, we're no one. It's when other people look at us and see someone—that's the moment we each start to exist. All they needed was someone to see them, connect with them. And the two of you were a big part of making it happen."

"Joshua, just… who or what are you?" both Sora and Riku asked in unison. There were so many strange things about Joshua—the Portal, how he knew so much… what was it?

Joshua simply smiled. "Let's just say… a friend." Out of nowhere, a pair of angelic white wings extended from his back, and he ascended into the sky, flying away.

Back on the ground, a Keyhole appeared on the Fifth District's wall. Though Sora couldn't speak to Riku now, he still nodded at his friend.

If Yen Sid was right, once this Keyhole was unlocked, the next of the Sleeping Worlds would be accessible to them. So, Sora summoned his Keyblade, with Riku doing the same, and they pointed them at the Keyhole.

Beams shot out of the Keyblades, and the second Sleeping Keyhole opened wide to them, leaving five to go.

The world was filled with light, and Sora and Riku continued to the next world.

//And with that
//We now return to Roxas and Haru

 

[NGSoares]

Haru yawned, flipping through the Gummiphone. "That was a productive visit," he commented. "Hopefully the next world will be like that."

"Lots of fighting and walking?" Roxas deadpanned.

"Nah, more along the lines of easier." He peeked at the navigational system. "So… where exactly are we heading?"

"Well, when you unlocked Hollow Bastion's Gate, there were two worlds that we could head to," said Donald. "We might as well go to the other one." He blasted an asteroid apart, along with some Heartless ships.

"How close are we anyway?" asked Roxas.

"Uh…"

"World ho!" yelled Goofy.

Everyone looked out to see the approaching world the gummi ship was en route to.

​

"Hey, we get to see Belle and the Beast again," commented Haru, smiling at Roxas. "I know that whole war thing kinda put you off with Mulan's world, but this world might be a bit better for you." He knew that Xaldin or at least some member of the Organization would be around.

But he couldn't spoil this experience for Roxas.

"And?"

"The Beast was a big help back at Hollow Bastion last year," explained the replica. "Trust me on this—this world'll be less hectic."

"…I hope so."

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FPJOxkoVCjE​

They were all beamed down to a wide, starlit courtyard in front of a towering medieval castle. The courtyard itself had a stone center with six gargoyles surrounding it, with four on switches, and between the center and the way leading out to the bridge was a dusty fountain with three tiers. The pavement led to a pair of massive front doors, and Haru looked down.

Bread crumbs?

They didn't lead anywhere, so whoever left them—probably Belle—was probably just feeding birds or something.

He threw open the doors completely, revealing a messy, dark foyer with doors on both sides of the room, torn tapestries, monstrous statues, and a staircase that led up to a large pair of double doors, along with more stairs going towards the left and right. Above the doors was a stained glass window of the castle itself. The place smelled, with the best word Haru could describe it as was musty, and there was distant creaking audible.

"How cheery," said Roxas.

"I'd say spooky is a better word…" added Goofy. "And c-chilly."

Out of nowhere, there was a roar that shook the entire castle, and due to the size of the room, it echoed from wherever the source was.

"W-what was that roaring sound?!" cried Donald.

"It's the Beast!" Haru answered.

"Maybe we should see how he's doin'?" offered Goofy.

"Wak! Look!" Donald was pointing at a Shadow, one that slithered across the floor towards the one room with its door ajar. There was a light coming from in there, and a comforting crackling sound.

"C'mon!" The mage ran after the Shadow, with the others in pursuit.

​

A soothing warmth signaled the presence of a fire, and as Donald opened the door into the parlor, Haru looked in to see a cozy room with a crackling fireplace and a plush rug. There was no sign of the Heartless… but the table next to the fireplace was another story.

Sitting on the table was a crystalline bell jar, and beneath it was a rose with petals as red as blood. It wasn't in water, nor was it dried; the rose just floated there under the glass, which was illuminated by the fire.

Donald stared at the rose, looking entranced. "…what's that?" he asked, only for Haru to grab him. "Hey, what's the big idea?!"

"That rose is obviously special," said Haru. "If that Heartless is in here, we need to take extra caution in making sure not to touch that thing." He hopefully didn't jinx it and that Shadow was actually part of a Demon Tower—in such a small space, that would suck.

"If it's floating, is it magic?" wondered Roxas. "And why would the Beast just leave it out here?"

"Maybe he put it down while dealing with the Heartless?" suggested Goofy. "There's bound to be some in the castle. We can do some cleanin' duty for him!"

The Shadow that Donald was chasing slithered out from beneath the table. "Found one!" he exclaimed. In addition, more and more Shadows rose out of the floor, until there were about eight in total. Lastly, three Bad Dogs spawned in front of the fireplace.

"Looks like they've come for us!" remarked Haru, summoning Shooting Star, while everyone else got out their weapons.

 

[NGSoares]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssm13OL2uZk​

"Mind if I try the Keychain we got at Mulan's world?" asked Roxas, and Haru tossed him it. When he equipped it, he saw that the guard looked vaguely similar to Mushu's head, while the blade looked like the dragon was breathing fire.

​

"Let's go!" exclaimed Haru.

All of them charged at the Heartless, with Donald starting the attack by casting Thunder, striking down a few of the Shadows. However, when he did, more Shadows replaced the ones he destroyed. Goofy quickly followed the attack up by sliding across the floor on his shield, sweeping through the Heartless.

Roxas, on the other hand, focused on the Bad Dogs with melee attacks, though Haru backed him up as best he could by casting Fire. The Bad Dog who took the brunt of the assault countered by loudly barking four times, each time making a shockwave.

At the hit, Haru winced before Dodge Rolling away and freezing the canine Heartless with Blizzard, before Roxas finished it off with a combo.

The second of the Bad Dogs lunged at Haru, getting a nip in on him, but he managed to dodge the follow-up attack.

Roxas did a Sliding Dash at one of the Shadows, which sank into the floor before he could reach it. The Shadow tried to counter, but Goofy bashed it with his shield to destroy it.

As for the Bad Dog that was attacking Haru, he had blocked its next attack, going for a point-blank Fire as a counterattack that destroyed it.

Donald cast Thunder again, wiping out multiple Shadows and the last of the Bad Dogs, while Roxas once again did a Sliding Dash followed by a combo that took care of the last of the Shadows—which would've been good, had Heartless not be spawning to take the place of any destroyed ones.

"C'mon, really?!" remarked Haru, wiping his brow.

Because of that, the battle felt like it would just keep going and going… until the parlor doors were thrown open, revealing the Beast.

The Beast stormed into the room, and in a flurry of claws and fangs, destroyed the remaining Heartless with ease.

"Uh…" Roxas started, but the Beast just advanced towards the rose, shoving him aside, as well as Donald, Goofy, and Haru.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wPzQd3zUI8w​

Haru came to rest against a bookcase, where he saw the Beast gently picking up the bell jar, the rose somehow floating within the whole time. The Beast held the rose against himself, almost as though he was embracing it, and cupped it close to his chest.

Without a word, he trudged out of the parlor, staring longingly at the rose all the while.

​

"Gee, do ya think he forgot who we were this whole time?" wondered Goofy.

"He's never met me before," Roxas pointed out. "Does that matter?" He folded his arms. "Either way, something feels kinda off here."

"Why'd he have to do that?" grumbled Donald.

"Maybe we can ask Belle what's happenin'!" suggested the captain as they all left the parlor. "After all, we just got here!"

Donald's eyes suddenly widened. "Wak! What was that?!"

"What's what?" responded Haru, rubbing the back of his head.

"I saw someone at the top of those stairs!" He pointed at the staircase that dominated the back portion of the foyer, specifically at the eastern set of stairs. "A lady!"

"Mystery solved! Let's go see her."

On the way over to the stairs, they were stopped by a few Hook Bats, but Donald easily took care of them with Thunder.

"So, any tips for the Heartless that hang out here?" Roxas asked the replica as he watched the hearts float away. "Future vision and all?"

———

Another timeline.

Wispy orbs of shadow with yellow eyes and spikes flew into the castle's gargoyles, turning them alive and shrugging off magic like water off a duck's back.
———​

"The most annoying ones you have to watch out for are the possessed gargoyles. Magic doesn't work on them," explained Haru, pointing at the gargoyle statues in front of each of the foyer's pillars. "If you see any Possessors—they look kinda like those big orb Heartless from Hollow Bastion last year—stop them from getting in the gargoyles."

Climbing the stairs, they destroyed a few more Hook Bats before heading east at the big door.

The hallway they entered from there had gargoyles, but none of them seemed possessed as they passed. At the end of the hall was a large window with a nice sofa beneath it, along with more windows lining the hallway's south side, allowing a nice view of the courtyard where they entered.

The moon shone in through the window, and on the side of the hallway was a door where they heard a woman's voice on the other side. "Oh… what am I going to do?"

Through process of elimination, that was probably Belle, so Haru and the others all got beside the door. "Okay…" said Donald, straightening up and facing the door.

"Wait, Donald!"

He charged the door to Belle's room, only for it to open, revealing a cozy-looking bedroom with a canopied bed and thick velvet curtains that led to a balcony that overlooked the courtyard. It was certainly a lot less gloomier than the foyer or the hallway, that was for sure.

Belle was standing in the doorway.

"Uh… hi, Belle," greeted Haru.

 

[NGSoares]

When Haru had seen the Beast's behavior back in the parlor, his suspicions were starting to get worse. Had Xehanort gotten to Xaldin, even after he knew about Xemnas's lie?

But even more concerning was whether the Norting was willing. If Xaldin was a vessel, things were going bad. Xigbar was already back, so who's to say that Xemnas or Ansem have returned? The thought was concerning, to say the least.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here," said Belle with a smile, snapping Haru out of his worried thoughts. "Donald!" She picked the protesting mage up in a hug, and he flailed to try and break out of it.

For now, assume the worst and find out Xaldin's motives, whatever they were. They can't be just to mess with the Beast now.

"Goofy! Haru!" Belle greeted. "And that's—"

"Roxas," said the Nobody.

"Put me down! Put me down!" cried Donald, and Belle obliged, though he looked dizzy. "S-so… where's the Beast at?"

"Oh, he must be in the West Wing," Belle answered, looking away. "We don't talk like we used to…"

"Did something happen?" Haru asked.

"He's been acting so strange lately," she explained. "The only ones who know have been locked up in the dungeon. I want to help them, but…"

The replica hummed in thought. "Well… have you seen a guy in a black cloak? Like from Hollow Bastion?"

Belle winced at that. "I haven't—the Beast won't let me into the West Wing anymore, and has been a lot more reclusive, except whenever Heartless show up," she told them all. "Why do you ask?"

"Who's to say he's alone in there?" Haru reasoned. "The Organization can use dark corridors to waltz right into the Beast's room." He looked right at Belle. "Tell you what. With so many Heartless in the castle, we'll handle getting everyone locked up in the dungeon out. Then, we'll come back here and put together just what happened."

"That works," said Belle. "You can get to the dungeon via the undercroft, which is through a side door in the west hall."

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Goofy.

"We'll be back before you know it."

"Good luck."

As they left Belle's room, Roxas commented, "I thought I saw her coat hanger saluting at me."

"Oh, that's just the start," said Haru.

Belle's wishes were certainly needed, because a Large Body popped up as soon as the four began their walk back to the foyer. It charged at them, mowing down everyone except Goofy.

Roxas attacked it with Hidden Dragon as soon as he was back on his feet, doing a quick combo, then Dodge Rolling away before it could do its stomping attack.

In a narrower area like the hallway they were in, getting around the Large Body was a lot harder, so Haru went for casting Water on it, though the rug meant the full effect of a slippery surface wasn't possible.

Either way, the Large Body drummed at its belly, getting on its stomach and sliding towards them. It got in a big hit on Goofy, grazed Roxas, and was stopped by Shooting Star.

With that, Haru went for a Kickback, and finally a Full Swing, destroying it.

After Donald cast Cure on him, Haru said, "How about we do Belle a favor and try and clear out some of the Heartless? General courtesy."

"Might as well," Roxas replied with a shrug.

The foyer was simple enough—just Hook Bats and Bad Dogs. Out in the courtyard, there were a few Possessors, but they were intercepted from entering the gargoyles before being destroyed.

However, as they entered the West Hall, one of those invisible barriers popped up, blocking off the area with the suits of armor and the door to the undercroft, which had a wardrobe in front of it.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GJa2NEbRbck​

A huge, brutish Heartless with a wicked-looking axe spawned in front of them, slamming down hard enough to knock the dust into the air.

 

[NGSoares]

The Rock Troll swung its axe, but Roxas dodged at the last second before running around behind it and doing a series of combos with Hidden Dragon.

In response, the Troll drove its axe into the floor before jumping on top of it—though Haru and Donald were casting Fire on it the whole time. The Troll spun its axe like a top before Roxas looked it over.

At such a large size, this Heartless seemed to have easily telegraphed attacks, so as the Rock Troll got down, Roxas did another combo, which made the blade of Hidden Dragon change. It got longer, with the dragon head at the top bending and the guard fusing with the hilt, effectively becoming a Wyrm Scepter.

Pointing the staff at the Rock Troll, the Nobody closed his eyes. A second later, there was a loud cracking noise and a pop, and out of the dragon's head shot a firecracker, slamming right into the Rock Troll's face and exploding.

"Time for some magic!" exclaimed Donald, beckoning Haru over to him while Roxas tried melee attacks, with each of them causing fireworks to explode around him, bombarding the Rock Troll with the attack—and the Troll put its axe over its face like a mask.

The Heartless charged its way forward, knocking aside Roxas and Goofy, only for meteors to rain down on its head courtesy of Donald and Haru.

Roxas got back to his feet immediately, doing more explosive melee attacks with the transformed Keyblade… until the staff changed again, reshaping itself around his hand as an Inferno Gauntlet.

He pointed it at the Rock Troll's mask. Could he punch through it?

Gulping, he lunged at the huge Heartless, and the mouth of the dragon head opened. A surge of heat ran up his arm, and the dragon head let out a stream of flames that was the breaking point for the Troll's mask, leaving it vulnerable to Goofy charging in.

With one mighty shield bash, he knocked the Troll over, destroying it.

As the heart flew away, Haru stared longingly at Roxas's Keyblade before starting, "Can I—"

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hKFXTEgZHS8​

"No," both Roxas and Donald said in unison.

"You can't have that kind of power," the mage added, shuddering. "Too scary to think about."

"Is this because of Halloween Town?" wondered Goofy.

"Yes!" quacked Donald, jumping up and down. "Him with a Keychain like that is a fire hazard! It's like that cannon Cid has!"

"I'm not a pyromaniac! Fire's just my preferred combat method!"

The three of them—and the suits of armor at the top of the stairs—all stared at him exasperatedly. Haru's eyes darted left and right. "C-can we just find the dungeon?!"

A face suddenly appeared above the wardrobe's door. "Do you mind?!" she snapped groggily. "Some of us are trying to get some sleep around here!"

"The wardrobe just talked! Did anyone else just see that?" cried Donald.

"And I thought Wonderland's doorknob was a heavy sleeper," muttered Haru. He sighed. "Look, we need to get into the dungeon. Can you scootch over a bit? Please?"

The Wardrobe somehow smacked her lips before yawning again. "There's another way to the dungeon… at the top of the stairs. Try from that way until I'm done with my power nap…"

Haru glanced at the two suits of armor. "Uh…" Looking back at the Wardrobe, he saw that she had fallen asleep again. "Great. Guess we have to push."

Taking a deep breath, he got against the Wardrobe, who was muttering something about the opera for some reason. Granted, she was nowhere near as hard to push as the block hiding Olympus Coliseum's Keyhole.

The real problem? The fact that she stirred in her sleep and occasionally woke up.

So Haru had to do short bursts of strength, then backing away whenever the Wardrobe stirred.

Apparently, she was dreaming about a performance of some kind? He didn't know, but eventually, he got her out of the way right as she woke up for good.

"And I was just starting to get comfortable…" muttered the Wardrobe. "Sorry for startling you earlier."

"Guess we better apologize for that racket," replied Haru with a shrug. "We just had to deal with a big Heartless."

"Apology accepted. May I help you?"

"We kinda need to get into the dungeon, but those suits of armor are blocking the way that you recommended," explained the replica.

"Goodness me!" cried the Wardrobe, looking up at them with genuine shock. "I didn't see them! They must've come there during my nap. But regarding the dungeon, did Belle send you? You're here to help my friends?"

"She did," Roxas spoke up. "And yeah, we are."

"Then hurry," she told them. "The dungeon is damp and chilly—certainly no place for a clock."

"A clock?" Goofy repeated.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"All right. Then let's go," said Roxas, taking the lead and pushing the door open.

The castle's undercroft was just as the Wardrobe said, damp and chilly. Old furniture was stacked in the corners, it was lit by candles, and the place smelled like mildew, in addition to the musty smell that permeated a lot of the castle. On the dungeon door was an engravement of two demons, flanked by a pair of gargoyles.

"Be ready," Haru warned them all. "Things could get dicey." Though now that he got a better look, the carving was almost like a pair of statues built into the door.

Donald approached the door, only for Haru to hold him back. "Wak! What's that for?!" he quacked.

"I have a bad feeling about this…"

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QKZ6L-CRkc0​

The eyes on the carving briefly flashed yellow, making them both jump back as it was covered in a dark purple aura. The demons' eyes then stayed yellow, with their bodies turning pitch-black, except for teal collars, yellow patterns on their horns, and red claws. A maw appeared around the door's keyhole.

Both demons put their fists together, bumping them, and the four got ready for battle.

 

[radioxaxa]

Let's get ready to RUMBLE!

 

[NGSoares]

"Move!" Haru commanded.

The Thresholder's arms extended across the undercroft, and everyone got out of the way as its fists slammed into the floor, shaking the room. It then slapped the floor, and while Haru wasn't so lucky, the others managed to dodge.

"I got it!" quacked Donald, casting Thunder and giving the Thresholder an extra-strong zap.

Roxas followed up by getting up close to the left demon, doing a quick melee combo.

In response, the Thresholder let out a booming roar, one strong enough to create a shockwave that knocked everyone back, some farther than others. Roxas, being the closest to the possessed door, was sent flying across the undercroft and into a pile of old furniture.

Despite all that, Haru was still in a close enough range to cast Blizzard, hitting the Thresholder and leaving a trail of ice across the floor.

Once again, the Heartless pounded the floor, hitting everyone except Haru.

He noticed Roxas getting on top of one of the piles of furniture, where he was healed by Donald, while a dark orb formed in front of the Thresholder. It sent the orb out, but fortunately, everyone managed to avoid the five dark spheres, either by blocking or hiding behind furniture.

Roxas did a Sliding Dash right at the Thresholder, hitting it right as four Hook Bats spawned.

Lightning rained down, courtesy of Donald casting Thunder, destroying three of the bats and inflicting even more damage on the Thresholder.

The last Hook Bat screeched at Haru, but when it did, he responded by grabbing its hook for a Bat Cry, throwing it into the Thresholder.

With the possessed door looking winded, Haru pointed the Keyblade at it, extracting what looked like a larger than normal Possessor.

Roxas focused on the Possessor, and he unleashed a Shotlock on it, fireworks exploding around the wispy Heartless… but unlike what Haru expected, something different happened.

The Possessor split into five new ones, with two flying into the gargoyles flanking the dungeon door, one going back into the door to revive the Thresholder, and the last two flying into the furniture that the party was using as shields against the Thresholder's attacks.

Rising into the air, a large cabinet went flying at Haru, grazing his side, before the Possessor was released upon the cabinet's destruction.

A grandfather clock flew at Goofy, who jumped out of the way right in time.

Both Possessors flew towards old bookcases, but Haru destroyed the first with a Shotlock of his own. The second went back in, and the bookcase started floating.

Goofy went back to focusing on the first of the gargoyles, which was an earthy brown instead of the gray that the rest of them were. He slammed his shield into it, while the possessed bookcase flew towards Roxas.

The Nobody was quick to respond, casting Fire to destroy the bookcase and release the Possessor.

It flew past an aerial attack, only for Donald to destroy it with Blizzard.

Even with all of this, the Thresholder hadn't let up its assault, doing its ground pound and hitting everyone except Haru, who jumped on one of the few remaining larger pieces of furniture.

One of the gargoyles drove its axe into the floor, causing an earth spike to surface beneath Roxas, who barely managed to dodge while Donald healed himself.

Given that the head of Donald's staff was hammer-shaped, he bashed the gargoyle with it, dodging another earth spike.

The other gargoyle seemed to be just as much of a whiffer, as Haru did a Dodge Roll to avoid its attack, then followed with a counterattack in the form of a melee combo. If they were immune to magic, he couldn't use his Keyblade's Formchange, so he stuck with physical attacks, enough to destroy the gargoyle.

As for Goofy, he did a tornado attack to destroy the other one, as well as drawing in the two Possessors and eliminating them.

This time, everyone saw the Thresholder's attacks coming, so they got out of the way of its ground pound before Haru did a melee attack and allowed his Keyblade to become the Double Arrowguns. He opened fire on the Thresholder, as did Goofy by throwing his shield at it.

It looked winded, so Haru released the Possessor with his Keyblade, and this time, it was the same size as any other of its type.

Donald cast Blizzard on it, freezing it solid.

The frozen Possessor unceremoniously fell to the floor, and when the ice vanished, the Pureblood Heartless was destroyed in a puff of black smoke.

The undercroft was a mess, with broken furniture everywhere, both from the Thresholder's attacks and the Possessors. Both of the demons carved into the dungeon door disappeared, and Donald healed everyone up.

"Now, let's get those servants free," said Haru, unlocking the door with his Keyblade.

//Learned Strike Raid.

//Those weird gargoyles are the Earth Gargoyles from Dark Road.

 

[NGSoares]

//My original post got eaten, so I had to write this all over again. Not fun.

All of them peeking into the dungeon, the only thing they saw were a candelabra, mantle clock, teapot, and teacup. "Hey," Haru called to the four objects, "Belle sent us to rescue you."

"Did someone say 'rescue'?" a heavily accented voice from the candelabra spoke up.

The clock shushed him. "Keep quiet! It might be them!"

"Oh, they seem like nice boys to me. I doubt they're lying if Belle sent them," the kettle told the two. They hopped into the undercroft, with Cogsworth recoiling at the sight of the wreck, only for Donald to pick him up and start messing with the pendulum.

"P-put me down! I am self-winding, sir!" protested Cogsworth indignantly, and Donald obliged.

"I'm Haru," introduced the replica. "These are my friends, Donald and Goofy, and my kinda brother, Roxas."

"Wonderful to make your acquaintances, monsieurs! I am Lumiere," greeted the candelabra.

"Charmed, I'm sure. I am Cogsworth," said the clock disintereted.

"Hi, I'm Chip!" the teacup introduced.

"Mrs. Potts," added the kettle.

"So, uh... why do you look like this?" Roxas asked out of nowhere. "Is it a curse or something!"

"That's right!" confirmed Cogsworth. "It was the enchantress."

As Lumiere opened his mouth to start, Mrs. Potts began instead, "It was a cold winter's night... an old beggar woman came to the castle and asked for shelter from the cold."

Lumiere swiftly cut in, "You see, we did not always look this way--we and the master were all once human."

"And your boss is the Beast, right?" presumed Donald.

"Back then, he was a prince," Cogsworth bluntly responded, his clock's arms spinning in a way that made him look irritated. "As we were saying, the master turned her away. All because of her, uh... meager appearance."

"That's awful mean!" Goofy commented.

"Oui," agreed Lumiere. "He was a spoiled prince, so selfish and... how shall I say it... cruel."

"Lumiere!" chided Cogsworth.

"The old woman warned our master not to be deceived by appearances... still, he would not take her in," continued Mrs. Potts.

"Then the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress," said Cogsworth.

"She turned the prince into a beast; a shape she thought reflected his cold heart." Mrs. Potts glanced down at Chip, who gave her an adoring gaze. "And to further punishment, she cursed everyone else in the castle."

"Seems like overkill," Haru broke in. "And pretty unfair."

"It may seem like that at first glance," Lumiere responded. "But had the master had allowed her in, and the enchantress had blessed the castle instead, would us coming under that blessing sound unfair?"

"A leader, like the master, can provide great good to those they lead when acting with wisdom," Cogsworth went on. "But if such power is abused, it may harm those around them equal to that leader's behavior."

"And a real leader wouldn't do that," concluded Roxas.

"The king certainly wouldn't!" Goofy chimed in. "So what can we do to help about the curse?"

"Let's get the enchantress!" snapped Donald, pulling out his staff.

"Oh, no, dear," said Mrs. Potts.

"We already know what needs to be done," agreed Lumiere. "But with the master out of sorts..."

"It's almost as though he's forgotten how to trust others."

"You don't think... that the Beast could've become a Heartless?" mused Goofy.

"I doubt it," said Haru. "Let's go find him... but we'll need the help of you four. There are these suits of armor on the undercroft's upper level that won't move."

"Ah, allow me," Cogsworth responded, heading up the stairs in front of the two armors. He cleared his throat. "Allow our guests to pass!"

Both suits of armor stood aside, and as the eight of them entered a hallway with lanterns lit with dark flames hanging from the ceiling, the majordomo continued, "The way out of this passageway is connected to those lanterns up there. When all of them are lit, the door back to the west hall will open." He jumped and grabbed onto a lever, lowering the lanterns.

It reminded Haru of the puzzle that Maleficent had set up in Hollow Bastion's library, honestly.

"I take it they're not supposed to be lit with that black fire?" Haru asked. He casually summoned the Keyblade and cast Water, putting the fire out. "Go ahead."

"Right away, monsieur!" exclaimed Lumiere, lighting the torch with his flame. "Your weapon... I have seen it before. It is familiar, right, Mrs. Potts?"

"It certainly is," said the housekeeper. "Three people with those weapons, around the same age as you, came to the castle a few years before Belle's arrival."

"Wait... what?" Casting Water to extinguish another lantern for Lumiere to light, Haru thought over everything he still had. If it wasn't Terra, Aqua, or Ventus who came here, then who was it? It couldn't have been anyone from between then and when the Heartless destroyed this world, either.

"That's right! They saved me from Heartless!" Chip interjected with a wide smile.

"Did you get their names?" A third lantern down.

Mrs. Potts nodded. "Yes, we did."

"The first girl had white hair and hair akin to Belle's, and she called herself Urd. Too bad she could not stay," Lumiere said, looking down. "The other's name was... Hermod, was it?"

"Urd and Hermod..." Haru repeated, testing the names on his lips as he got the last lantern set up, while a doorway to the west hall opened up at the end of the passage. "What about the third?"

"Ah, yes. It was... Xehanort, if my memory serves right."

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dacLbA-k19s​

At that, Haru dropped the Keyblade. Xehanort had come to this world. But when? Going by their story, Xehanort was a lot younger than the old man Haru was familiar with through his visions. How was that even possible, anyway?

If this was only a few years before Belle arrived, and Xehanort was young when he came here, did time pass differently in every world?

While it had been a year since Ansem's defeat in Twilight Town, the Destiny Islands, and Hollow Bastion, had it only been a much smaller time period here?

"Something wrong, mister?" asked Chip. "Do ya know him?"

"It... it's nothing," said Haru, picking up the Keyblade. "L-let's just go."

"Yes, let's," agreed Cogsworth, catching up to them all. "The master's room is just down the hall."

Xehanort had been to other worlds in his childhood.

Where else had he gone?

 

[radioxaxa]

Ohhh, this is getting intense...

 

[NGSoares]

The musty smell that permeated much of the castle had gotten even stronger the closer that all of them got to the Beast's room. The hallway leading up there was damp, as if the Beast had left the window open—or it had been smashed by him—and it felt like a cave.

All of this was barely registered by Haru, whose mind was still wrapped around the servants' account of Xehanort's visit. Who were Urd and Hermod? What was Xehanort even doing here? Was it to scout for pure light, like Belle?

Then there was that silver-haired boy from Hollow Bastion. He was connected to Xehanort, but how? Maybe the Beast had the rest of the story.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Donald tugging on the back of his shirt. "Hey! What gives?"

"You almost bumped into that door," said the mage.

A pair of monstrous wooden doors with doorknobs that resembled the Beast's head were before him. "This is the Beast's room, isn't it?"

Cogsworth piped in, "We should at least—"

Haru threw the doors open.

"Knock…" He looked at Haru. "Really, is that incident with those six important enough to bother the master about?"

"Yes, and… wait, there were more Keyblade wielders here?" The Beast's room was cluttered and smelled like a barn, full of wrecked furniture, claw marks on the floor, and bones. In the back of the room, glowing in the dim lighting, was the rose. Standing at the table was the Beast, his expression unreadabls.

"Do you not hear such nonsense?" came a familiar voice that sent a chill down Haru's spine. "That was years ago. Now you must deal with the present—starting with Belle, before she takes everything from you."

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VK8dMseSoEA
"Your rage is the only thing that can protect you from her," Xaldin's voice continued, with Haru immediately glancing around the room.

But he knew Xemnas had lied…

"I've… I've had enough of anger," rumbled the Beast. "The only thing I want—"

"What? To love and be loved in return?" Xaldin cut him off. "Absurd. Who could ever learn to love a beast?"

The Beast snarled at him, and that was where Haru took the chance to make himself known.

"Okay, start talking!" he barked. "Why'd you head back to the Organization after you knew Xemnas lied to you about the nature of Nobodies? What do you get out of it?!"

"You assume I did it out of loyalty?" A soft laugh escaped Xaldin's lips. "Don't be ridiculous. There are things that were lost for good when Maleficent overtook Hollow Bastion—including data for a project I oversaw. It was deleted from the main computer, and only Xehanort had the password."

"Then what project is it? What could be so important that it's worth becoming a dark vessel?!?"

"A project researching a pure light."

A fire spell was at the tip of Haru's tongue. "I want a straight answer. What pure light?"

Xaldin laughed. "Nothing you need concern yourself with." He glanced at the Beast, then waved his arm, causing the Beast's eyes to become blank. "See who Belle has set on you? They're here to steal your rose, just like the last time Keyblade wielders came here."

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2dyKSqFYUks
And the Beast lunged at the five of them, with Haru once again getting knocked aside.

"You really gonna listen to this asshole?!" he demanded after being healed by Donald.

"Please, master, please! Compose yourself!" cried Cogsworth, who wound himself up before letting out a shrill chiming noise.

The Beast gripped his head, roaring before closing his eyes… and when they opened, they were back to normal. "Cogsworth! What happened?" he asked, nursing a headache.

"Well, you see…" The majordomo anxiously fiddled with his hands.

Donald angrily waved his hammer-staff. "You threw the servants in the dungeon!"

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qGomTnKAsmo
"I did what?" The Beast's voice was slow.

"Y-yes! You did!" exclaimed Cogsworth.

"But you were just tryin' to protect 'em, weren't ya?" Goofy smiled, putting his shield away. "No one was hurt!"

"To protect them from Xaldin," Haru concluded, looking at the quiet Roxas. "He put you in that trance to stop you from resisting. Are you okay? Do you know where he went?"

The Beast straightened up. "Yes, let me look." He went over to the rose's table, where he picked up a fancy-looking hand mirror. "Show me Xaldin!"

Green light immediately covered the mirror's surface, and the castle foyer came into view, where Xaldin was just leaning against a pillar.

"He's just… waiting there?" asked Roxas. "What for? Is he waiting for Belle?"

"Pure light…" Haru murmured. His eyes widened. "We need to confront him before he goes after Belle! Remember, Maleficent wanted her for her light. Besides, I have to ask Xaldin a few more questions."

What was this project that Xaldin and Xehanort had worked on at Hollow Bastion? The only pure light in that world that came to mind was Kairi, wasn't it?

Was there someone else? If so, then who?

//Xaldin has his own agenda separate from Master Xehanort
//But who's to say he was willingly Norted?

 

[NGSoares]

As they all made their way back to Belle's room, the Heartless count was rising. Going through the west hall was impossible without running into a Heartless every few steps. Fortunately, with the help of the Beast, things were a lot easier with a party of five. When they got to the foyer, however, the Beast snarled, "Xaldin!"

No response.

Out of nowhere, an army of shadowy, soldier-like Heartless that almost resembled satyrs spawned in the middle of the foyer. One of them blew a trumpet, and both parties charged.

For the first time so far, Haru was working with Donald and Goofy in perfect sync. Between them, the Beast, and Roxas, the army of Satyrs was decimated by their teamwork, with the Beast throwing some aside and tearing through them with his claws.

Roxas, on the other hand, was taking full advantage of Hidden Dragon's transformation, blasting the Satyrs with fireworks.

Unfortunately, one of the last Satyrs got in a punch on Haru.

It was destroyed by Roxas, who asked, "You were spacing out again, weren't you?"

"No, I wasn't…" Haru replied.

"You're thinking about the Keyblade wielders who came to the castle, right?" assumed Donald.

"Right on the money," said the replica with a sigh as the five of them went up the stairs to the East Wing. His gaze shifted to the Beast. "Did they do or say anything when they stole the rose?"

"No," replied the Beast, growling at the memory, even as they reached Belle's door. "They called it a 'key', but nothing else."

"A key to what?"

"How should I know?" He knocked on the door, but an unexpected voice answered.

"Come in!"

They entered the room, and notably, Belle was absent. "Master!" exclaimed the Wardrobe.

"Everybody's safe now," said Donald.

"Wonderful! Thank you!"

"Where is Belle?" asked the Beast, getting right to the point.

"Why, she left in a hurry. Something about going after this… man in black," she answered, making Haru's blood run cold.

"WHAT!?" the Beast roared, causing Donald and Goofy to flinch. "Why doesn't she do as she's told?"

The Wardrobe just turned away from him with a huff. "Temper, temper!" she chided, a hint of pride in her voice. "Her spirit is what makes Belle so special."

"She couldn't have gotten far," said Haru. "Hopefully Xaldin hasn't—"

The Beast roared, storming out of the room.

"That's our cue." Haru awkwardly smiled at the Wardrobe. "C'mon!"

Right as they got in the foyer, he heard Belle say, "I'm warning you! You'll be sorry!" in another room.

"Belle! Where are you?!" called the Beast.

"Beast! Help! I'm in the ballroom!" she answered. With that, they ran up to the door at the top of the stairs and threw them open.

The ballroom was arguably the most clean part of the castle, with a wide marble floor reaching to a wall of windows with a door leading out to a starlit terrace. Columns with blue drapes circled the main floor, supporting a balcony that stretched around the part of the wall that wasn't a window. Illuminating the room as a whole was a fancy chandelier hanging from a ceiling depicting cherubs.

A layer of dust covered the floor, though it looked like it had been recently stirred up, and there were cobwebs on the chandelier that shone in the light.

Belle was running across the room, which was where the Beast called her name.

"I'm all right!" she reassured him, heading out onto the terrace.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QKZ6L-CRkc0
Slowly, the dust rose into the air as a harsh wind filled the ballroom, centered in front of the door. Darkness poured in, with all the Possessors in the castle riding on the winds and gathering into one place.

A dark orb formed where the Possessors were congregating, and black tendrils with pink tips burst out of it. Chains hung from its body, and a pair of yellow eyes was over a jagged, ravenous maw.

The Shadow Stalker flew up beneath the chandelier, then dove into the floor, shrouding the ballroom in darkness. The darkness exploded across the floor and up the walls, and the Heartless emerged again as the ceiling was engulfed, filling the room with black fog.

When Haru could see again, he saw that the ballroom had been completely corrupted by the Shadow Stalker, who erratically twitched before turning into smoke as it looked for what to possess…

 

[NGSoares]

Haru decided to go with an age-old tactic that almost always worked to start off—he cast Fire right at the Shadow Stalker. The fireball slammed into the Heartless, and in retaliation, it turned into a wispy black smoke and flew into the windows.

Across them appeared the Heartless's face, and the group only had a second to react before waves of purple energy shot across the main part of the ballroom. The only one who managed to get beneath the balcony was Roxas, and Haru felt a sharp stinging sensation as the wave washed over him and the others—though he, the Beast, and Donald got the brunt of it.

When the Shadow Stalker emerged from the windows, Donald cast Cure on himself, while Roxas lunged at the Heartless, getting in a hit.

Scrambling under the balcony, Haru saw the Shadow Stalker once again turn into smoke. This time, it went upward into the chandelier, which came crashing down into the floor.

Blue lasers shot out of the possessed chandelier, which spun around. The Beast was barely able to get out of the way, but by staying below the balcony, the lasers were easily avoided.

Roxas charged at the chandelier, where the Shadow Stalker's face was jutting out of, and between him, Haru, and Goofy, it was quickly released, while Hidden Dragon changed into a Wyrm Scepter and Shooting Star into Double Arrowguns, respectively.

The Beast was on it in seconds, tearing at it with his claws, while Haru shot bolts of magic at it, being healed by Donald during the assault. Roxas shot a firecracker at the Heartless, but it turned into smoke right as he did, flying into the floor.

A purple light went across the floor, but the replica saw it coming and jumped right before the Shadow Stalker could try eating him. When it surfaced, it got an explosive surprise from Roxas, while Donald healed the Beast, who lunged at it, grabbing its chains in an attempt to pin it to the floor.

He only succeeded for a few seconds, which was where he clawed at its eyes multiple times before it turned into smoke yet again.

It flew into the upper balcony's pillars, which turned into claws that scraped across the floor… but with everyone in the middle of the ballroom, it was ineffectual.

One pillar in particular looked like the Shadow Stalker was on it, so Haru fired at it with the arrowguns, released it with the Keyblade right before it became a Magic Launcher, and the Beast clawed at it again.

The Shadow Stalker turned into smoke yet again when Roxas went in for a melee attack, where it reappeared on the other side of the room. Donald fired at it with Blizzard, which was a hit, while it barely dodged a shield bash from Goofy.

It flew across the room when Haru tried blasting at it, but Roxas was on it by the window with another melee attack, one that turned Hidden Dragon into an Inferno Gauntlet. He tried using its flamethrower, only for the Shadow Stalker to possess the windows again.

This time, all of them were more prepared for its wave attack, and while Roxas was hit due to how close he was, the others got under the balcony, where the wave went right by them.

It tried to possess the chandelier again, but once again, the shockwave was avoided. The lasers were a different question, hitting the Beast and Haru, but Roxas was there with the gauntlet, sending a stream of flames at the possessed chandelier before he released it with the Keyblade.

Goofy slammed into it with a spin attack, and Haru focused on it, and let loose with a smaller Shotlock… but one that was enough to defeat the Shadow Stalker.

The Heartless floated into the air and started to almost vibrate, before it escalated into thrashing around.

Its thrashing came to a stop as quickly as it started, with it opening its mouth and freezing in place before a veil of darkness covered it like a cocoon.

Both Keyblade transformations wore off as the cocoon almost pulsed. It got bigger for a brief moment—

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jP6RkbSJNMA​

A massive creature covered in blue thorns burst out of the cocoon, landing in front of the five. It had a pair of orange horns, a long orange mane, and manacles around its wrists and ankles, with sharp claws to match. Similar to Darksides and Invisibles, it had a heart-shaped hole in the center of its chest.

The Dark Thorn got on its hind legs and roared, and the air rippled around it before it vanished.

 

[NGSoares]

//SV ate my fight scene. Lost motivation because of that and only just got it back to try and not have it on my chest when Tears of the Kingdom releases on Friday.

The sounds of claws scraping against the floor echoed through the corrupted ballroom as the Dark Thorn did an attack. Plumes of light erupted from various spots in the floor, and wherever they did, Possessors emerged.

Only the Beast and Donald escaped the initial assault.

When one hit Haru, it was as though he was being smothered by a blanket, cutting off his airpipe and crawling into his mouth.

Goofy was dragged along the floor by another Possessor, and one was caught around Roxas's neck.

By the sound of the footsteps, the Dark Thorn seemed to have sidestepped the Beast's attack, only for it to be hit by a Fire spell from Donald.

The light returned to Haru as he regained the ability to breathe, panting as Donald cast Cure on him, then Roxas.

The Beast took the moment to pounce on the Dark Thorn, slamming it into the floor with the sound of rattling chains as Goofy was the last one healed.

Roxas jumped at where the sound of the chains were coming from, but the Keyblade was deflected by what apparently were its claws.

That distraction was enough for Goofy, who bashed it with his shield.

Once again, the Dark Thorn did its Possessor horde attack, but to a much lesser success—none of its attacks hit, and all five took the chance to attack the Heartless at once.

And Haru saw the chandelier.

Doing a Step Vault off the Dark Thorn's back, he grabbed the chandelier's chain and dropped it down for a Pendulum Round.

The chandelier swung around, slamming into the Dark Thorn's chest and rendering it visible.

The Heartless crashed into the floor as the chandelier retracted up to to the ceiling, while Roxas's Keyblade changed into a Wyrm Scepter.

Looking them all over, two thorns unraveled off of the Dark Thorn's arms, effectively becoming whips.

"That… that's not supposed to happen!" Haru shouted, right as a whip crashed down next to him, knocking him to the side.

"Like the zombie?!" quacked Donald, running behind a pillar before blasting the Dark Thorn with Thunder.

"Exactly like the zombie!" He remembered the Behemoth before Hollow Bastion's Keyhole, turning into a skeletal version of itself.

Roxas shot a stream of flame at the Dark Thorn, who was thankfully hit, before it flung a whip at the chandelier and grappled off the floor.

Just like Haru had before it, the Dark Thorn, now invisible again, came crashing down, swinging the chandelier around. However, the party just got beneath the balcony as they had with Shadow Stalker's chandelier attack, so the Dark Thorn dropped back to the floor, extended its whips to wrap around the furthest pillars, and caused metal thorns to rain down all around the main area of the ballroom.

Levitating in the center of the room, the Dark Thorn roared as Haru cast Fire on it, letting Shooting Star become Double Arrowguns… but even as he fired at it, the Dark Thorn started radiating electricity.

All the thorns started to spark.

"Hold on, it was affected by Donald's Thunder spell…" Haru muttered, and his eyes went wide. "Beast, I need you to throw one of those things right at the Heartless!"

The Beast grunted, ripping a thorn out of the floor and with a roar, heaved it right at the Dark Thorn. The Heartless effectively struck itself with its own lightning bolt, being skewered by the pike and made visible.

Haru focused—it was stunned, so this Shotlock would go off without a hitch.

He went in for a Diving Barrage, shooting bolts of magic at the Dark Thorn, one after the other, while Roxas cleansed the Heartless in fire. Goofy finished the assault by bashing it in the face with its shield.

However, the Heartless recovered, moving at high speeds and grappling back and forth across the ballroom with its whips before reaching Haru, grappling him and sending him towards a pillar—one perfect to Slingshot off of.

Spinning around the pillar and doing a quick combo that let the Double Arrowguns become a Magic Launcher, he pointed the transformed Keyblade directly at the Dark Thorn.

The ensuing shot blasted the Heartless away, slamming it into the windows in a slump.

Haru did one last shot with Magic Launcher, firing off the two rings right towards the Heartless, resulting in an explosion that shook the room.

The Dark Thorn let out one last agonized screech, writhing as light came out various cracks in its body. It suddenly froze, and the ballroom returned to normal as the Heartless shattered, folding in on itself as the darkness making up its being faded away.

Learned Cure!
Learned Aerial Recovery!​

 

[NGSoares]

"And that's that!" cheered Haru.

"So you think."

Xaldin stood in the entryway to the ballroom, his eyes the ominous gold signifying the presence of Xehanort's influence.

"No…" whispered Haru, thinking back to Traverse Town.

"Xaldin!" snarled the Beast, getting ready to charge.

"Wait!" cried the replica. "I have… I have to ask him something. Hold on." He slowly approached Xaldin. "You knew Xemnas lied to you that Nobodies could replace the hearts that they lost. So why become a vessel for Xehanort's heart?"

"I did not do it for Xehanort's sake," replied the lancer. "In truth, as one of Ansem the Wise's apprentices, I had a question, and was offered a way to find the answer."

"Why? What could justify it?"

"To learn the past. About Master Xehanort, and about something that was lost," answered Xaldin with a grimace. "Keyblade wielders stole the rose, and Xehanort got it back, but you… you're just as much of an enigma to some of us. How could you cause so much to change just by existing?"

"If you're in a chatty mood," Haru told him, "what was lost about your time in Hollow Bastion?"

"I'll give you something to go off on," said Xaldin. "It involved a girl."

"Who?" Haru demanded, summoning Shooting Star. "Is it Kairi? She lived in Hollow Bastion. Or is it Naminé, because of her power over memories?"

"No more hints." A dark corridor opened. "Farewell for now."

"What does he want here?" growled the Beast.

"Probably for your Heartless!" replied Donald.

Haru, on the other hand, was silent. "Who's he talking about?" he whispered to himself. "A-anyway… if Xehanort came here in his youth, maybe Xaldin wanted to learn what he did."

"You're all right!" called Belle, crossing the room.

"Belle!" The Beast ran over to her, his expression brightening.

At the same time, the main four servants entered the ballroom.

"Belle, I… I'm sorry—I wasn't myself," mumbled the Beast. "I hope I haven't done anything to hurt you. Forgive me."

Belle smiled, brushing her hand against the Beast's cheek. "I know you weren't yourself. You don't have to apologize," she reassured him. "But...I had hoped that you might have changed a little bit." The Beast flinched at that. "I wish you could start trusting me..."

Lumiere sighed. "Oh, I am afraid that time is running short."

"Whaddya mean?" asked Roxas.

"Remember the rose?" he questioned.

"From the Beast's room?" quacked Donald.

"Precisely the one," answered Cogsworth, anxiously rubbing his wooden face. "You see, if the master can learn to love, and earn love in return before the last petal falls…"

"The spell will be broken!" Lumiere interjected.

Roxas glanced at Belle and the Beast. "I'm kinda lost… but do you think he can break the spell?"

"We think so," Mrs. Potts cheerfully answered.

"Yep, I think you're right," agreed Goofy.

"Your optimism is appreciated," Cogsworth remarked.

"Haru," said the Beast, approaching them all with Belle. In his hand was the magic mirror.

"Yeah?"

"You wanted to use the magic mirror, right?" The Beast held out the mirror for the replica, who took it. "Here you go. Just… say what you want it to show you."

Haru held the hand mirror up, allowing him to see his reflection. He needed the location of two people. "Show me King Mickey," he said.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4xPFumG2NcU&pp=ygUPZGVzdGlueSdzIHVuaW9u
The mirror's surface flashed a bright green, before it revealed a familiar town—one that he and Roxas called home. The image then changed to Mickey in a black cloak, looking around the Tram Common.

"His Majesty!" exclaimed Donald.

"We found him!" cheered Goofy. "He's okay!"

"Why's he wearing that?" Roxas spoke up. "Isn't that the Organization's outfit?" He frowned. "Weird. Do you know if the king wants to be found right now? And why is he in Twilight Town?"

At that, Donald and Goofy stopped. "So he wants to… avoid attention?" wondered the captain. "Gawrsh, maybe that was why he never communicated for so long. He didn't want us to be in danger."

"Sounds like something the king would do," Donald agreed. "Though Queen Minnie's worried sick."

"We should just be glad he's okay, a-hyuck!"

But when Mickey locked Kingdom Hearts on the side of the realm of darkness, Aqua was with him to close the door. She had done that chain thing to close it, then those Heartless came for her…

Haru had to make sure of one thing, so he raised the magic mirror and said, "Show me Master Aqua."

The image of Twilight Town was consumed in inky black fog, one that shrouded the glass. Haru couldn't see his reflection, but at the same time… it was better than the mirror going blank, which it did soon after. All that was left was his reflection.

At the same time, he felt a rising feeling of hope in his heart. "She's alive," he said, a smile crossing his face. "She's still in the realm of darkness… but she's alive."

"The 'realm of darkness…' it's where the Heartless come from, isn't it?" asked the Beast. At Haru's nod, the Beast continued, "Can she fend for herself in there?"

"From what I saw of her, Aqua's strong." He gave the magic mirror back to the Beast. "She's a Keyblade master and has a strong heart—she won't keel over so easily."

That's what he hoped, at least.

Shooting Star suddenly manifested in Haru's hand, and he realized what time it was. The tip of the Keyblade started to glow, and he stood in the middle of the ballroom before pointing it forward.

Beneath him appeared a crown symbol, and he was brought into that ethereal plane again, where he saw the rose floating above him. A light shone out of the rose, revealing a Gate above it, and Haru pointed his Keyblade at it.

A beam of light shot out of the Keyblade, entering the Gate, and there was a great flash before he was back in the ballroom.

"What happened?" asked the Beast.

"The Gate is open!" declared Donald, pointing his finger towards the ceiling.

"Do you have to go?" wondered Belle.

Haru nodded. "Not before I ask you this. Did Xehanort really help you get the rose back from those Keyblade wielders?"

"Yes," rumbled the Beast in a tone that offered no further discussion.

"Then promise us this—no arguin' while we're gone, all right?" asked Goofy with a smile.

Both Belle and the Beast looked at each other, then the latter got a flustered expression on his face.

"We'll see to it," agreed Lumiere.

"Take care now," said Mrs. Potts.

"You're welcome here anytime," Cogsworth added.

"If any of you see that the Heartless or the Organization are around, just tell us," Haru told them all, with Belle and the Beast nodding.

"Goodbye," said Roxas, his tone somber.

As they started towards the door and Belle, the Beast, and the staff waved goodbye, Roxas was quiet. "I… I don't know what to do."

"Don't say goodbye like it's your last time seeing them," Haru responded. "You heard them, we're always welcome here."

"Then what do I do?"

"…you could try smiling."

Roxas looked away, uncertain of himself. For a few seconds, he hesitated, until a warm, genuine smile crossed his face.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9bd-XAE7Keo&pp=ygUXc2hpbnJhIHRoZW1lIGZmNyByZW1ha2U%3D​

In the castle of Hollow Bastion, the tower that had been destroyed in the battle against the dragon had not only been rebuilt, but refurbished. It was now a penthouse suite, where a bearded man in a suit sat at a desk, deep in thought. "This Organization XIII wants hearts, do they?" he mused to another occupant in the room. "Then it's clear what must be done. Give the Keyblade wielders a challenge—only they can free the hearts. And continue your research."

A blonde woman in a low-cut red dress stood by the window, her eyes glittering with ambition. "It's risky, but if it means advancing our weapons technology, it's worth it."​

From the shadows emerged a skeletal man in a dirty lab coat and oily black hair. His glasses caught the light, hiding the mad gleam in his eyes. "Oh, I agree," he said with a twisted grin. "Ansem was truly a fool to reject my work, but I can gladly make new Heartless."​

"After all…" said the bearded man. "Who can stop us?"

 

[NGSoares]

Around the same time Haru's group had arrived in Beast's Castle…

The first thing Riku noted in this world was the smell. It smelled like a bathroom, one where no one had flushed in a long time. The streets were made of gray cobblestone, and the houses had some slight resemblance to cottages. In the distance, he saw a massive stone building with two towers and stained glass windows, including a large circular one.

There was another scent, too—one of a powerful darkness, rivaling that of Maleficent's.

Just then, a woman with rich black hair and green eyes ran by, dressed in a white and purple dress and accompanied by a goat.

After her on horseback was a man in golden armor, with hair nearly the same color and a blue cape. His horse skidded to a halt at the sight of Riku, and the man asked, "You there. Have you seen the Romani woman that danced the Feast of Fools?"

So, that woman was in trouble. "Nope. Sorry," lied Riku.

"All right. Thanks," said the blond. He steered his horse back towards an old man in black and purple robes, with a tricorner hat that had a red sash coming from it. He had a tired look in his eyes, like he was sleep-deprived, and was on a pitch-black horse. "I'm sorry, sir. We lost her."

"Slippery vermin!" The older man clenched his fist tight enough that it trembled in fury, and he glowered at the armored man. "I am beginning to question summoning you back from the wars, Captain Phoebus."

Phoebus lowered his head as the old man ushered his horse in the other direction, then followed.

Riku had no context about what was happening, but the old man… the darkness coming off him was near immeasurable. He had to be the other scent he smelled, and Riku knew that whatever he was up to, it was nothing good.

"Thank you. You stood up for me." He turned to see the woman with the goat come out from a corner. Smiling, she introduced, "I'm Esmeralda."

"Riku. And it's not like I know what a 'Romani' is," said Riku. She just seemed like she was in trouble, so it was just the right thing to do to help. "Why are they chasing you?"

Esmeralda glowered at the question. "Judge Frollo has been persecuting my people for years," she answered, contempt for who Riku assumed to be the old man dripping from her voice. "We're guilty of nothing but loving our freedom, yet Frollo hates whatever he can't control. He sees us as nothing but liars, deceivers, heretics, and witches."

'So Frollo hated Esmeralda's people because they were different and wanted control over them?' Riku mentally summed up.

"Now he's even brought in fresh blood to torment us," she continued. "I'd hate to know what darkness drives that man."

Riku frowned. If it wasn't for Haru pulling him away from the brink before he crossed the line, he would've done the same—and even then, Ansem had just possessed him by force. "I think I can imagine." Darkness was a part of every heart, and Frollo's came from being a control freak who hated Esmeralda's people for being different. "Tell me more. Was he always like this?"

The Romani looked away. "I don't give Frollo much thought," she replied. "Going by your clothes and hair, you're from out of town, aren't you?"

"That I am."

"Then I recommend trying Notre Dame." Esmeralda pointed at the large building not too far from them. "They say it's a place for answers."

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E7U8vumQrkQ&pp=ygUYbGEgY2xvY2hlIGtpbmdkb20gaGVhcnRz
"Thanks. I'll try that."

​

"Be safe, all right?" Esmeralda warned him. "Frollo looks like he's about to go on the warpath at any moment." After Riku nodded in agreement, she put a blue cloak over herself and her goat, making her look like an old peddler, and hobbled off.

Riku turned to the massive building, what she called Notre Dame. It towered over the square, and up close, he saw how it was adorned with gargoyles and other statues of saints.

However, as Komory Bat and Pricklemane appeared by him, a multitude of Dream Eaters spawned in the square, ones that looked like flowers, rhinoceri, and elephants, along with Nightmare versions of Meow Wows and Komory Bats.

Riku pulled out the Keychain—which looked like Shiki's stuffed cat—he got before leaving Traverse Town, and Way to the Dawn shifted to a black Keyblade with a skull and a batlike wing.

​

 

[NGSoares]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dLbSCbisOoc&pp=ygUcbGUgc2FuY3R1YWlyZSBraW5nZG9tIGhlYXJ0cw%3D%3D
As Riku started the fight with a combo that destroyed a Wheeflower, he remembered a conversation with Sora, about his and Haru's travels through End of the World. He had talked about how they went through the remains of worlds taken by the Heartless, and one such world was a burning city with a crumbling bell tower, with the edges falling into the abyss.

Was this that world?

He hadn't understood why Traverse Town was in the realm of sleep—Haru had locked that world's Keyhole. Was it because Traverse Town was made from the remains of different worlds, and when they were restored, it fell asleep?

Doing a Spark Dive to destroy the Zolephant and a Komory Bat, Riku noticed the floating orbs around the square. Something seemed off about them, like the barrels in Traverse Town.

So he tried to Reality Shift.

All of a sudden, paths of light with a fleur-de-lis symbol on them appeared, connecting the various orbs in a Faithline. Using Flowmotion, Riku started to slide along the paths, and when he was close to the Drill Syes, he attacked, taking out both at once.

That only left some Komory Bats and Meow Wows, both with three remaining, so he swapped out Pricklemane for a goatlike Spirit called a Yoggy Ram. Its horns catching fire, it charged at the Meow Wows, thrashing its head left and right.

One thing Riku had noticed about Meow Wows were their vulnerability to fire, so he did a Thunder Dash to destroy the first, then cast Balloon in the center of the two.

As for Komory Bat, it was doing a sonic wave at its Nightmare counterparts, one that confused them and allowed Riku to do an aerial combo that eliminated them both.

He gathered up all the Dream Pieces—it was time to make a new Spirit. Watching as the pieces gathered together in one place, they took the form of a Zolephant, who let out a cheerful trumpet.

Stroking the Spirit, Riku turned towards Notre Dame. Like Esmeralda had said, maybe he could learn more about Frollo's plans here.

Pushing open the wooden doors, Riku beheld a grand interior. The nave was cavernous, lit by lines of candelabras, and stained glass windows shone sunlight into the cathedral. There were more statues like the ones outside and rows of pews, and the whole place had a reverent air to it.

"Is anybody here?" he called, walking into the center of the cathedral.

"Who… who are you?" came a voice from the side. Coming down the stairs was a deformed man in green, with red hair.

"I'm Riku," responded the Keyblade wielder.

"Oh… m-my name's Quasimodo," stammered the man. "I'm very sorry, but the archdeacon is away." He started his way back up the stairs.
"Actually, I'm looking for a man named Frollo." Quasimodo flinched at the name, but turned around to face Riku. "Do you know where he is?"

"My master?" Quasimodo answered. "He said he had business on the outskirts of the city."

"Do you know him?"

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EJrd3LaiNp8&pp=ygUhdGVhcnMgb2YgdGhlIGxpZ2h0IGtpbmdkb20gaGVhcnRz​

"He… he's very kind," said Quasimodo. "Master Frollo saved my life. He protects me from the outside world."

Riku arched an eyebrow. That sounded nothing like the way Esmeralda had described Frollo, and the darkness radiating from the judge. "He 'protects' you from it?"

Quasimodo averted his gaze, lifting his trembling hands. "The people out there would be cruel to me." He covered his face, as though ashamed to even show it. "I'm a… monster, you know?"

"Is that what Frollo told you?" asked Riku, making the bell ringer look at him. "Trust me, looks can be deceiving. A good friend sees you for who you are—no matter what face you wear."

He thought back to that fateful conversation in Traverse Town's waterway, back when Haru was just a mirror image of Sora. If it wasn't for what had happened there… Riku would have fallen to darkness in his quest to save Kairi.

Even now, he couldn't really sum up how he thought of Haru, who, as quirky and eccentric as he was, kept him in the light.

"You should go out there—find some friends who understand you," Riku suggested with a smile.

Rapidly shaking his head, Quasimodo said, "Oh, no. My master forbids it. I'm not to set foot outside."

"Are you sure that's what's stopping you? Because I think something else is holding you back." The bell ringer just turned away. "Ask your heart, Quasimodo."

As Quasimodo made his way back up the stairs, Riku added, "I'll check the edge of town. Thanks."

Riku started towards the doors to the cathedral, whispering to himself, "Wish I could take my own advice more often instead of other people's." He could dish it out, but not take it to heart… he'd try to change.

He had to if he was to pass the Mark of Mastery.

 

[NGSoares]

As Phoebus rode through the streets, he saw Frollo clutching his head and asked, "Are you feeling all right, sir?"

Frollo groaned. "I had a little trouble with the fireplace," he grumbled.

"I see. Your orders, sir?"

"Find that witch!"

———

The soldiers kicked down the door to the baker's home, and he had only a second to look before he was violently shoved aside. Shelves were knocked over, and once a secret room was uncovered, the soldiers moved a barrel to reveal a trapdoor, which they opened to reveal multiple Roma hiding.

As soon as they were ushered outside and brought before the judge, Frollo's voice was dripping with contempt before he offered some coins. "Ten pieces of silver for the location of Esmeralda."

The prisoners kept quiet.

"Lock them up!" ordered Frollo.

His captives were all shoved into a carriage, and Phoebus scowled, his grip tightening on his sword as Frollo watched, apathetic to the cries within the carriage at it was pushed into the Seine.

When they surfaced, Frollo once again advanced on them like an angel of death. "Twenty pieces of silver for the location of Esmeralda!" he barked.

Silence.

"Take them away."

Phoebus was resisting the urge to commit treason right then and there.

———

Back with Riku, the trip through the city had led him to the edge of town, just like Quasimodo said. It had brought him to a windmill where multiple civilians had gathered, and Riku saw Frollo's horse outside, along with various soldiers.

"The poor miller… he's never harmed anyone," remarked a woman.

"Frollo's gone mad!" said another bystander.

Riku couldn't hear exactly what was going on inside, but as Frollo and the captain he had met earlier came outside, he heard the miller pleading innocence. The front door was slammed shut before the judge jammed the door with a spear.

"Burn it," Frollo coldly ordered, sending a chill down Riku's spine.

"What?!"

Frollo got back on his horse. "Until it smolders. These people are traitors and must be made examples of," continued the judge as if he was discussing the weather, while Riku could only watch in horror as he shoved a torch into Phoebus's hand.

"With all due respect, sir, I was not trained to murder the innocent," countered the captain.

"But you were trained to follow orders."

Phoebus glared at him for a moment, then took the torch and dipped it in the rain barrel, extinguishing it.

Frollo just scowled. "Insolent coward." Grabbing a torch from one of his soldiers, he put it against one of the windmill's blades. It took only moments to set the house's straw roof ablaze.

The darkness around Frollo shrouded him almost completely, moving out of the way as Riku saw Phoebus dodge a piece of debris.

"Help us!" cried the miller's wife, with the sound of crying coming from inside the building.

Frantically glancing around, Phoebus jumped through the cottage's window, and Riku summoned the Keyblade before the blond kicked down the front door holding the miller's children, while the parents ran out behind him.

The parents smiled at the sight of their children unharmed, taking them away—

Phoebus was suddenly bashed on the head by the hilt of a soldier's sword, being knocked to the ground. Guards held him up as Frollo came over on horseback.

"The sentence for insubordination is death," said Frollo. "Such a pity. You threw away such a promising career."

Phoebus sneered at Frollo. "Consider it my highest honor, sir."

One of the guards lifted his sword to decapitate Phoebus, and two things happened at once.

First, Riku saw someone sling a stone directly at Frollo's horse. It reared, whinnying and knocking Frollo off.

Second, a giant winged Dream Eater that resembled a gargoyle flew in from the city, swooping in and making the crowd scatter, and even Frollo's soldiers looked shaken at the Nightmare's arrival.

"W-what demon is this…?" growled Phoebus, getting back to his feet.

Frollo just stared at Wargoyle in awe. "Oh, you are mistaken, Captain Phoebus. This is no demon, but an angel—it is righteous judgment! I have been granted this divine gift so that I may cleanse this perdition, now and forever!"

"This is all wrong…"

"He won't listen," agreed Riku. "Once you've fallen this far, there's almost no turning back."

Darkness radiated off of Frollo's being, visible to all but himself. "How dare you! I am a virtuous man," he spat icily. "Good and evil shall be made plain… once these sinners face the fires of judgment." The judge walked back towards the city, laughing cruelly.

The Nightmare flew off after Frollo, only to be intercepted by Phoebus. "No, you don't!" he shouted, drawing his sword.

Wargoyle's eyes flashed, and a cross-shaped explosion that was visible from the city erupted nearby. The shockwave was enough to knock Phoebus to the ground, and Wargoyle spiral charged, throwing him aside into a fence.

Riku dashed over, helping Phoebus back to his feet and asking, "Are you all right?"

The captain coughed. "Well… can't say you didn't warn me."

"You should take it easy. I'll deal with Frollo," said Riku.

"Thanks. I gotta tell you, it's embarrassing having to rely on a kid."

Looking at the burnt husk of a building, all Riku could say was, "You wouldn't be the first. Sorry."

"I gotta admit, you look more capable than me right now," confessed Phoebus. "It looks like that creature… is heading for the cathedral."

Riku glanced towards the Wargoyle flying off, seeing a halo appear above its head before it gained altitude. "Okay. Got it."

//I hate writing transitional scenes I hate writing transitional scenes I HATE WRITING TRANSITIONAL SCENES I HATE WRITING TRANSITIONAL SCENES

 

[NGSoares]

As Frollo barged into the cathedral, he was met by a sight who had been a thorn in his side for twenty years.

"Frollo, have you gone mad?!" demanded the archdeacon as he stormed over. "I will not tolerate this assault on the house of God!"

Frollo shoved the priest down the stairs, knocking him unconscious. "Silence, you old fool!" he spat. "I am an agent of the Lord's will! I cannot be denied!"

———

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E7U8vumQrkQ&pp=ygUYbGEgY2xvY2hlIGtpbmdkb20gaGVhcnRz​

Riku came back to the plaza, where he saw that it had been set on fire. Tendrils of flame rose from the tents, and there was a platform with a bonfire in the middle. He saw a figure in the conflagration and ran over to them, where he saw it was Quasimodo, holding Esmeralda in his arms.

"Is she going to be all right?" asked Riku.

"I'm fine, thanks to Quasimodo," answered Esmeralda. Her voice was hoarse, as if she had inhaled a lot of smoke, and the white dress she was in was stained with soot.

"Quasimodo, where did the creature head?"

Quasimodo looked upwards, towards the great stained glass window that dominated Notre Dame's façade. "It's… it's up there."

Indeed, Wargoyle was circling above the square, waiting.

"Right." He had to take it down.

As he started running to the cathedral, Quasimodo called out, "Wait! I'll come with you!"

"Thanks. But stay with her." Quasimodo had already won his battle by leaving the cathedral. "Quasimodo, did your heart have the answer?"

The bell ringer nodded, smiling, and Riku returned it before heading inside.

Moments after entering Notre Dame, Meow Wows appeared, but were destroyed moments later by three gargoyles.

"Well… I guess you three have it covered," commented Riku.

The first gargoyle said, "It was a walk in the park!"

"How would you know? You don't have any legs," retorted the second.

"Yeah, but—it was a figure of speech, okay?! Speakin' of legs, my posterior's…"

More Dream Eaters spawned behind them as the third scolded, "Both of you, pipe down! And get ready! Cause here come some more!"

"Yee-haw!"

As the gargoyles went off to continue the battle, Riku saw an unconscious old man near the pews. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

The archdeacon's eyes opened, and he groaned, getting to his feet and rubbing his side. "…thank you, child," he said.

Riku gave a forced smile. Frollo's stench was almost nauseating in how much darkness there was. "No problem. Try and find somewhere safe to hide. I'll deal with Frollo and his 'angel.'"

Nodding, the archdeacon left the scene, while Riku dashed towards the doorway Quasimodo had come through last time he was in the cathedral. He ran up the stairway and threw the doors to the roof open, where he was hit by a wave of heat and the smell of smoke.

Standing on the balustrade overlooking the fire with a sword in his hand was Frollo. He laughed, marveling at the horrific spectacle and burning city. "Yes, let it burn. The flames will consume everything!

"You see?!" he boasted to Riku, the stench of darkness radiating off of his entire being. "This is the power that has been granted to me!"

"I see a sad old man with a dark heart," Riku shouted towards his back.

"Again you are wrong!" Darkness surrounded Frollo's body as he turned to face Riku. "Now, you will be judged… just like the rest!"

The Wargoyle flew out of the flames, its wings shedding scales that looked like stained glass—and the force of its arrival made the judge lose his footing.

"Judgment is mine!" Frollo claimed, a mad grin on his face even as he plunged into the inferno.

Riku bit his lip as he witnessed the dark road's end, and he heard the sound of footsteps. Turning around, the person he saw made his blood run cold.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3ttBiTnyyTs&pp=ygUfc3RyYW5nZSB3aGlzcGVycyBraW5nZG9tIGhlYXJ0cw%3D%3D​

It was Ansem, the seeker of darkness, along with the boy in the black cloak from Traverse Town. At the sight of the former, Riku thought back to Hollow Bastion, how Ansem took his body away from him and treated him like a meat puppet.

"Ansem! What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be dead!" Riku shouted, trying his best to hide his fear.

"Your best friend is never far," said the silver-haired boy.

"So sad," said Ansem, picking up Frollo's sword. "The cost of yielding to the darkness."

"Didn't your complete self thirteen whole reports about that?" Riku countered. "Trust me, I've read them." Ansem and Frollo weren't so different—and he hadn't been before that fateful conversation with Haru in Traverse Town.

"You know," said Ansem, gesturing at the bell tower. "I spoke to Sora and Haru in the remains of this world. I asked Sora what drove him. Now… what do you think made this world fall? Remember, this is just this world's dream that you are in."

"Frollo's fanaticism and hatred was so deep that even after his death, his lingering darkness brought the Heartless right here," Riku answered, the pieces fully together.

"And as you saw in this world's dream, he denied that there was darkness in his heart until the very end." A smile crossed Ansem's face. "What about you? Will you continue to deny that the darkness is there in your heart?"

Riku thought back to the confrontation with Frollo at the windmill.

"How dare you," Frollo had said after Riku had called him a monster, even as his darkness was visible to Riku… but not Frollo himself. "I am a virtuous man."

He had deluded himself into thinking he was pure.

"What demon is this?!"

"Oh, you are mistaken. This is no demon, but an angel—it is righteous judgment. I have been granted this divine gift so that I may cleanse this perdition, now and forever!"

Riku's fists trembled, looking away. He wasn't a monster in human flesh, like Frollo was…

"I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

He had almost fallen to darkness in his belief that it would help Kairi. While Riku had pulled back before going overboard, Frollo was delusional that he was pure and just to the death, yet his lust for Esmeralda, desire for total control of all of Paris, and wanting to be the hero in his own mind proved otherwise.

"You see," Ansem spoke up, pointing Frollo's sword at him. "If you deny the darkness instead of embracing it… your story will end like his."

"I walk the road to dawn!" Riku countered, his Keyblade appearing in his hand. He'd chosen his path to find the light beyond the darkness. It wasn't the twilit road to nightfall.

The silver-haired youth fixed Riku with a quiet, unreadable expression. "Still afraid of the dark, I see."

A chill ran through Riku's body. He had used it against the Ice Titan and Xemnas. He wasn't afraid of the darkness, but why did he have to keep reminding himself that? Was he lying to himself?

The boy turned from Riku, disappearing through the dark corridor, with Ansem dropping Frollo's sword before he followed suit.

"Wait!" called Riku.

Ansem stopped, shooting him a quick glance before he smirked and left. It made Riku's blood boil.

"He thinks I'm afraid of the dark?" he asked no one in particular. His gripped tightened on Skull Noise. "No—not while I have the Keyblade."

The Wargoyle roared, bringing Riku's attention back to it.

"It'll guide me to the light!"

//Yes the title is another Xenoblade reference

 

[radioxaxa]

This is getting good...

 

[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.