Previously on Kingdom Hearts 3

"So," Sora asked, "Glad I gave you your charm back?"

And now on with the show!

"Yeah." Kiari replied, "But that's never happened before. Even when Riku gave me a Keyblade, my charm never did that."

Mickey told all the passengers, "We're pulling up to the castle. Get ready to land."

They landed inside the castle. Mickey hopped out first. He looked around cautiously for anything in a crimson robe. He took out his Keyblade just in case.

"Okay." He signaled, "We can go."

Everyone walked along the various platforms, seeing gears and cogs turning on the walls.

"Wow." Kiari looked on in amazement, "I've never seen anything like this!"

All of a sudden, one of the crimson-robed creatures appeared. It had one yellow eye that glowed. The scarf around its head concealed his other eye. Its appearance reminded Mickey of Ansem the Wise.

"Well," The creature spoke up, "I didn't think I'd meet the King this quickly."

Mickey frowned.

"Excuse my rudeness." It started again, "I am Zeldrea. Leader of The Unloved."

Sora looked puzzled. "Unloved?" He asked trying to get the syllables out of his mouth.

"We are an army of hearts that were neglected and left alone over time." Zeldrea explained, "We were once Heartless."

"Wait a second!" Mickey shouted, "Ansem told me about this!"

"About what?" Kiari asked.

"Ansem told me if a heart was to be left to fend for itself, it would eventually turn into a different creature altogether." Mickey contemplated.

"Now it is time for us to take back what is rightfully ours!" Zeldrea shouted.

Out of all the doors in the room, came more creatures, each resembling Zeldrea, except for the colour of their eyes. The party drew their weapons.

Donald and Goofy went after some. Goofy was in front, charging his way through, and Donald was casting magic at the enemies behind him.

Sora, Riku, and Mickey were surrounded. They all attacked from different sides. Sora was slashing away with a look of rage on his face. Riku grabbed Mickey by the ankles, and threw him at the oncoming army.

As for Kiari, she was all alone. She deflected Unloved attacks as much as she could. But they sent her to the ground. While an Unloved was charging its weapon, something shot it in the back.

"You're welcome." The stranger said sarcastically.

The stranger had what looked like a blunderbuss in his hands. There was an ice crystal floating over his gun. When he shot the gun, a large blast of ice magic came out of the barrel. He was blasting away. He jumped to where Kiari was and whispered, "Hey, lady. Cover me while I charge up."

Kiari held out her Keyblade nervously. It started to guide her. Kiari used it to her advantage. She got more and more agile. When the time came, the stranger made the largest blast of ice magic anyone had ever seen. It shattered all of the Unloved. Except for Zeldrea, who transported elsewhere in the heat of battle. Mickey looked at him. "I'm the one who sent the signal."

They were all in the throne room. "I was fighting off those things for hours." The stranger told the party. He took a glass from the Queen.

"Who are you?" Sora asked.

"Call me Cochran." He replied.

Mickey was inspecting Cochran's weapon. "Where did you get this?"

"Good question." Cochran answered, "I just woke up in Twilight Town, and this thing was right by me. So I picked it up."

Cochran took a large sip of his drink. "Anyway, you guys are a formidable fighting force. You guys should help me fight off those Unloved scum."

Mickey was shaking Cochran's hand vigorously in the blink of an eye, accepting his offer.

Cochran said to them, "You'd have to offer transport though. My ship crashed on my way down."

Mickey gave him the thumbs up.

"Good." Cochran nodded. "Where to next?"

"We should tell Leon and the gang back at Hollow Bastion" Sora told him, "I mean, Radiant Garden."

Before they left, Mickey wished the Queen a warm goodbye. They blasted off into space almost immediately. They had a newcomer.

Trivia

"Zeldrea" is an anagram on the word "Leader" minus the Z.