This one came in faster than I imagined. I guess I was so excited on writing this story, that I couldn't stop writing! This contains so many new powers and skills that will surprise you, along with some cameo appearances. Read and enjoy!
(I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Sword Art Online. All I do is form my imagination from both stories, and share it with the world!)
Chapter 1: Returning to Yusnaan
Once the team made it back to the crossroad they were at before, the Gummi ship came to a halt. "Okay, we're here." Yui told the team, "So should we go to the next world?" "That's what I want to ask everyone." Kirito replied, speaking to the group. "What d'ya mean?" Donald asked, "Is there a second choice?" Kirito nodded.
"I was thinking maybe we should double back to Yusnaan." he suggested. "Actually, I was thinking that, too." Sora told Kirito, "After all, Leafa said that she, Riku, Kairi and Recon were gonna go there. So we should go check up on them and make sure they're okay." Asuna did recall their talk with Leafa before, saying that they were making a second Gummi ship so they could go out into the dimension as well.
"But Leafa didn't say when they would be done." Goofy told them. "We can worry about that, later." Sora waved off Goofy's statement, "In any case, I wouldn't mind checking up on Light, Snow, Vaan and the gang." "So are we all in agreement?" Kirito asked the team. "Sure. Lets go!" Yui agreed. "To Yusnaan!" squawked Donald. "Let's go out there!" Goofy cheered. "I guess it's unanimous." Asuna stated, smiling at Kirito, who turned to Yui. "Yui, set the coordinates to our next destination; to Yusnaan!"
(Cue opening song)
It took several hours to get there, during which the team had a lunch that Asuna whipped up. She was very good at making great meals for the team, and everyone enjoyed her cooking, especially Sora. Other times, they talked to one another, Sora recalling some times when it was just him, Donald and Goofy. He even went further back to when he as a small boy, talking about how he spent his times with Riku and how he met Kairi.
"You and Riku were so close back then. It almost makes me think of you as brothers." Asuna stated. "Almost like me and Suguha." Kirito compared, "We may not be related, but we're still family." "Families and friends." Sora corrected him, "And no matter what, we always stuck together, even if he was drawn to the darkness."
"You really have a lot of faith in Riku." Asuna pointed out, "You kept saying that Riku kept trying to push you away during those times, but you always charged forward to him, making sure he and Kairi were safe. Tell me, what kept the faith you had in him?" Sora had to think about it for a second, then answered, "I guess part of it is because he was my best friend. I would never give up on my friendship with him."
"What's the other reason?" Kirito asked. "You could say it was…a sort of promise." "A promise?" Asuna repeated, "Yeah. It was so long ago, but I clearly remember this one girl, who looked around your guys' age, and she made me promise if Riku was in trouble or started wandering a dark path, I would help bring him back."
"What was this girl's name?" Asuna asked. "She didn't say." Sora replied, thinking back to that time, "But she sure was funny. She said one of us was special. But both of us became special enough. I mean, both Riku and I are Keyblade wielders, and we met so many new friends, including you guys." "We're glad we got to meet you too, Sora." Kirito agreed, smirking at him. Asuna smiled in agreement.
"We arrived at Yusnaan." Yui told the crew. The team looked out to see the world where the town of Yusnaan was at. "Last time we were here, we crash-landed into this place." Kirito recalled, "Let's make sure to go down there in better form." "Heh-heh. That was kinda fun, though." chuckled Sora. "That was NOT fun!" squawked Donald.
"Fun or not, let's go down there WITHOUT crashing, okay?" Asuna asked the team as she, Kirito and Goofy walked to the transporter. Yui tapped away at the keyboard as Sora and Donald joined them, then she dashed over as the transporter activated, and they were sent down to the surface.
The team arrived at the same spot Sora started off before; in front of the train station. The team looked all around the place. There were still people walking around the area, enjoying themselves going doing business. Things looked just as fine as how they left it.
"Back in Yusnaan again." Sora stated, observing the place. "Looks like the Heartless and Unversed haven't caused too much trouble here." Goofy pointed out. "I wonder where Lightning and the others are?" Kirito asked.
Just then, they heard a couple of people nearby them talking about something. "Hey, did ya hear? The Slaughterhouse is now open for business!" "Yeah, I heard! It's about time, too!" "What's the Slaughterhouse?" Asuna asked. "I don't know." Yui replied, "Let's keep listening." The team drew closer to the group of people talking with one another.
"I heard that Snow and Balthier is sponsoring that place." "Yeah, and that he's gathered up all the strange monsters appearing in town there, too. People can have a chance to fight against them for all to see!" "And it's not just the monsters, but other people, too!" "I even heard some other-worlders are participating in those battles. I wonder what they're like?"
"Forget that! What about the prizes?" "I heard that old hag from the magic shop set some of her merchandise as some of the prizes for today's tournament." "Eh?! That stingy blob did that?" "If it's her, then it's just some cheap products she owned." "Ah, who cares? Let's go to the Slaughterhouse to see the matches!"
The group walked away, leaving the six heroes standing there. "So there's some sort of tournament, eh?" Kirito said with a smirk. "Let me guess; you want to enter it, right?" Asuna asked, knowing his answer. "Of course! It's a great way to kill time, among other things." Kirito replied. "I wouldn't mind entering that tournament." Sora agreed, "It sounds like the Olympus Coliseum!" "Only we can enter without any problems!" Donald stated.
"But what about Leafa, Riku and the others?" Yui asked, "Shouldn't we look for them?" "Maybe they went to the tournament, too." Kirito assumed, "Leafa was starting to get interested in them." "And Riku wouldn't run away from a challenge like that." Sora added. "Then let's go to the Slaughterhouse!" Goofy proclaimed. "Yeah!" cheered Donald, Sora and Kirito. "Boys…" Asuna sighed.
As the team ran off to where the Slaughterhouse was at, Vanitas was sitting at a seat at a fine restaurant from above, looking down at them. "I knew they couldn't resist." he muttered as he watched them, "I think this is a good chance for me to talk to Asuna, one on one. I just need a way to give her an invitation…"
Chapter 2: The Slaughterhouse Brawl
The team winded themselves along the streets of Yusnaan, rounding a corner to a place they hadn't been to before. The exterior of the place had a sort of desert oasis look to it, with torches lit along the path and gates filled with Heartless and Unversed in a variety. In front of them was a gated archway with a door going into the battle arena, a potion shop on one side of the entrance, and a registration area on the other side.
"This place has got a more…exotic taste compared to Olympus Coliseum." Asuna pointed out, looking at the place. "I kinda like this place better." Kirito stated, "It's got a more dangerous feeling to it." "Hence the name 'Slaughterhouse'." followed Yui. "I can't wait to see what the arena looks like!" Sora stated eagerly, rushing to the entrance.
He was just about to enter when someone called out, "Hold on, young man. You shouldn't just charge into there without signing up for a battle." Sora doubled back to see the person at the registration desk and Snow right next to him.
The man was in his early twenties, and he had short brown hair and green eyes. He wore a golden, embroider vest, a white high collared shirt, black leather trousers with leather shin pads, two crossed belts across his waist, and steel, opened-backed sandals. He also had pouches on his waist, along with rings and bracelets on his left hand. Unknown to the heroes, he had a gun on his side of the desk.
"Hey ya, Snow!" Kirito greeted Snow next to the man. "Hey there, you guys. Back for a visit?" Snow asked as the others gathered around him. "We came to check up on you guys when we heard about this tournament." Kirito explained. "Hah! Thought this might attract you!" barked Snow, "Then again, it attracts all kinds of tough fighters out there. I even managed to wrangle up some Heartless and Unversed for the battle." "It certainly attracted these two." Asuna stated, pointing to Sora and Kirito.
"Well, If you want to enter this tournament, you're gonna have to ask Balthier her to sign you guys up." Snow explained, waving his hand to Balthier, who bowed to them. "Sitting in one place is not the life for a sky pirate and a leading man such as myself." Balthier stated, "But since the Heartless destroyed a lot of the world, there isn't a lot of places for a man such as myself to go to. So Snow helped me and Fran out by having us work here."
"Who's Fran?" Goofy asked. "My partner in crime." Balthier replied, then he looked outwards towards the cages and continuing, "She's in charge of the security of the Heartless and Unversed we have locked up. There she is right now." The team turned to see a rather tall woman walking among the cages with a bow in hand.
The first thing that struck Kirito's mind was how beautiful and unusual she was. She looked human, but she had some sort of rabbit characteristics among her. She was dark-skinned, had tall white ears, claw like fingernails, and a rabbit nose instead of a normal one. She had long white hair tied in a ponytail that came down to her waist like Cure Rhythm's back in Kanon Town, red eyes, and a black-armored piece of headgear that had openings for her rabbit ears and hair. Her black armor was revealing, like lacy lingerie, in a filigree style. She had on long armored stockings, high heals, and armor pieces on her forearms as well. Her quiver of bows were on her back.
A Scrapper Unversed was getting aggravated, shaking the bars. Fran took an arrow from her quicker, raised her bow, and shot down the Unversed, making it disappear. She made her way back to the group. "Careful there, Fran." Balthier told her, "We still need those things for the tournaments." "These beings are not natural whatsoever." Fran replied in a calm demeanor, "I would take them all down if I wanted to."
"Which is why we're here to take care of them." Sora told her, then turning to Balthier, "Sign our team up for the tournament! We can take care of the Heartless and Unversed for you!" "As much as I would like to sign all of you up, there is a catch." Balthier warned him, "This first tournament is the Mist Cup. Anyone can sign up for that. But you can only have three players per team. Either three of you sign up, or split into two groups."
The team looked to one another, then Sora decided, "In that case, have me, Kirito and Asuna signed up for this match. We can handle them." "Having three Keyblade wielders out in the Slaughterhouse tournaments? That'll be fun! Guess I'll bet my money on you guys." "We won't let you down." Kirito replied, smirking at Snow.
Sora, Kirito and Asuna signed up for the Mist Cup, and Fran led Donald, Goofy and Yui to the stands. The rules were already explained in the signup sheet, with some additional pieces. There were seven rounds, and another team joined the tournament with them, along with all the Heartless teams. With all that settled, the trio marched into the arena, ready for the match.
As they entered, they found the arena wide and spacious. There was nothing but the sandy field beneath them. The stands stood high in a circle around the arena, and the fans were cheering for them as they entered the arena. They waved to the crowd, seeing all of the people cheering for them. They found Snow next to Donald, Goofy and Yui, who were cheering their hearts out.
"Okay, fans, this is it!" Balthier's voice boomed over the loudspeaker, "We have a few new fighters to enter the stage today. May I present the trio with incredible strengths; the chosen wielders of the legendary Keyblade, Sora, Kirito and Asuna!" The crowd cheered even more as the team stood in the center of the arena. "These people can really make a guy feel welcome." Kirito stated sarcastically as Asuna waved, smiling at the crowd. "This is so amazing!" Sora exclaimed eagerly, "Bring on the battles!"
"These combatants must go through seven different rounds, facing numerous and dangerous opponents." Balthier continued, "But beware; another team has also joined the battle, and they want to win just as much as these three. And I'm your leading man in commentating; Balthier. So with that, let the great Mist Cup tournament commence!" A bell sounded, along with the first round of Heartless and Unversed. "Let's go, Kirito! Asuna!" cheered Sora. "Right!" the two responded, and they charged ahead at the opponents.
For the first six matches, the team had to deal with a variety of Heartless and Unversed that were set upon them. They used every trick they had to take them down, from magic to skills, to their Limit and Soul Drive Forms. Balthier was commentating their battles as they fought. Donald, Goofy and Yui were cheering for them with all they had. Lightning had even joined Snow as the two watched the match. On another part of the stadium, Vanitas was sitting near the front row, concealed by the crowd as he watched each round go by.
Once the team's sixth match was over, they stood in the center of the arena, waiting. "That was too easy!" cheered Sora. "Don't jinx it, Sora." Asuna warned him. "No, he was right." Kirito agreed, "Let's hope the final round gives us a suitable matchup." "Sounds to me like these three want a stronger challenge!" said Balthier, "Then let's give em' one!" The crowd cheered in agreement.
The team watched as they saw a large metal gate opening, and three human figures were walking their way through the dark tunnel into the arena. "In this corner, facing the Keyblade wielder trio, are the challengers. They come from world unknown, and have come here to challenge themselves against overwhelming odds. They keep fighting as a team, and never give up the passion for a new future!"
The three figures came into the battle arena. They were three girls, two about Sora's age, and one slightly younger than the two. However, with their attire, the trio immediately thought of Cure Melody and Rhythm back in Kanon Town.
The central girl had short orange hair, brown eyes, and a black and pink uniform with white frills. The second girl had long dark blue hair in a ponytail, dark blue eyes, and a white and blue uniform that looked a little less sporty as the central girl. The younger one had long yellow blonde hair in two shaggy ponytails, dark yellow eyes, and a pink and white uniform. All three had ribbons on their chest with a heart on them.
"These three may be young girls, but they are a powerful force together. May I present: Cure Black, Cure White, and Shiny Luminous. Together, they are the Max Heart Pretty Cure!" The crowd cheered at their presence as the trio stepped closer to Sora, Kirito and Asuna.
Chapter 3: Message in a Battle
"Max Heart…" Asuna started. "…Pretty Cure?" Sora and Kirito ended in unison. "So you guys are our final opponents?" Black asked them, coming to a stop several meters from them. "It's nice to meet you three." White greeted them, "Let's have a good match together, okay?"
"Wait, there are more Pretty Cures?" Asuna asked, "And I thought Cure Melody and Rhythm were the only ones." "You guys met those two?" Luminous asked, surprised. "Yeah. We visited their world a while back. They and Hummy are great friends of ours." Sora responded, "Are they your friends, too?" "They sure are!" Black responded eagerly, "Guess that means that the world is still okay even if we aren't there!" Luminous and White both smiled happily.
"Now that he have the meet and greet over and done with, lets get back to the fight." Kirito told them, raising his Keyblade, "Better prepare to lose." "I was gonna say the same thing to you!" Black replied, raising her fists. The other four combatants got into battle position as well, ready to fight. "Lets see which side does Lady Luck favor today!" boomed Balthier as the crowd started cheering, "Let the battle begin!"
The moment the bell rang, Kirito and Cure Black charged at one another. Black's fist made contact with Kirito's Keyblade, both evenly matched. The two jumped high into the air as Asuna and White swiftly came at one another, striking and evading each other in every way possible. That left Sora against Luminous. Sora made a running leap to dive at her, but Luminous placed up a barrier to protect herself, blocking Sora's attack and sending him backwards.
The two teams were locked in battle with one another; Kirito and Black were in a battle of strength, Asuna and White were in a battle of speed, and Sora was dealing with Luminous' defenses. Both parties couldn't get an edge against one another at first, but after a while, the trio of Keyblade wielders were starting to have them beat.
"I got you now!" declared Sora as he charged headlong at Luminous again, who conjured a heart-shaped object that turned into a baton. "Heartiel Action!" Luminous cried as he baton started to spin by itself in front of her. A burst of energy was shot at Sora, and it coated him, making him freeze in mid run. "What this?" Sora asked, his mouth the only thing able to move.
"Sora!" Asuna gasped, seeing what happened. Her distraction gave her the chance. She quickly raced towards Black, who skidded back from an attack from Kirito. "Black!" White called out to her. "Right, let's go!" Black responded. Asuna noticed where White went, and rejoined Kirito as the two Pretty Cures readied themselves, holding hands while raising their outer hands.
"Black Thunder!" shouted Black. "White Thunder!" shouted White. Both kinds of thunder they called for fell from the sky into their open palms. "What's going on?" Kirito asked. "Probably one of their stronger attacks." Asuna assumed, "We need to counter it. Let's use Blizzard." Kirito nodded, and the two raised their Keyblades as Black and White pulled back their fists.
"Pretty Cure Marble Screw!" the two shouted. "Blizzard!" shouted Kirito and Asuna, shooting an icy shard from each of their Keyblades at the two. "…Max!" The Pretty Cures shouted, and a large beam of black and white energy shot from their open hands, blasting through the Blizzard, and hitting the two.
Both Kirito and Asuna cried in pain as they were sent hurdling backwards, slamming into the frozen Sora's position, shattering the hold on him, and carrying him with them. They crashed to one side of the wall, forming a crater out of it and sending a dust cloud flying.
The crowd cheered after the attack was done, and the trio of Pretty Cures gathered together, high-fiving each other as Sora, Kirito and Asuna all were on the ground. "Damn, they're strong!" Kirito groaned as he struggled to get up again. "They're probably stronger than even Cure Melody and Rhythm." Asuna compared, getting on her hands and knees.
They turned to Sora, who hadn't said a word since he started getting up, too. They were surprised to see the smile on his face. "Oh man, they're good!" Sora chuckled, "Their teamwork is really incredible." He turned to Kirito and Asuna on either side of him. "We should try not fighting alone here. Let's team up and take them down, alright?" Asuna and Kirito smiled and nodded.
Asuna raised her Keyblade. "Cure!" she cried, and the trio's wounds were healed. The Pretty Cures stopped celebrating to see the other three get up to their feet again, still determined to fight. "They can still fight?" Black gasped, "I don't believe this!" "They wouldn't be here if they weren't this strong." White told her. "Then we should give them our best attack!" Luminous proclaimed. The trio nodded in response.
Kirito and Sora stepped forward while Asuna stood behind them. "Sora, can you feel it?" Kirito asked. Sora nodded. "It's like I can feel a whole new powerful attack for the two of us." He described. "What power are you talking about?" Asuna asked them. Kirito and Sora looked to her. "Dunno, but it's something us two can do." Kirito replied. He turned to Sora. "Let's try it out right now!" he proclaimed. "You read my mind." Sora agreed.
As Kirito and Sora took several steps forward, Asuna watched the two boys. Suddenly, a note fell from behind, and came in contact with Asuna's shoulder. She looked to it and took it into both hands. She looked up to see where the note came from, but no one was there. She looked down at it. It was addressed to her. She opened it and read the letter. Then her eyes became shocked. Wha…What does this mean?! she thought to herself, looking back again, Is it really true?
Kirito and Sora stopped walking and prepared themselves as Luminous' baton folded back into the heart-shaped object. "You ready?" Kirito asked Sora. "Ready as I'll ever be." he replied. The two whipped out their Keyblades, and drew two Xs in front of them; one green, one yellow. At the same time, Luminous slammed her hands into her weapon, and a blast of rainbow energy surged out, surrounding Black and White.
"Cross Burst!" Kirito and Sora shouted in unison, and their Xs melded together, making a half-yellow, half-green X. The X settled itself onto the ground beneath their feet, and the two stood in between the X, enveloped by a green and yellow aura. They floated into the air in unison, and focused themselves on their target: the Pretty Cures.
"Spiral…" Sora started. "…Stream!" Kirito shouted. The two immediately rocketed towards their opponents, Their Keyblades out front, the energy streaming around and behind them. They started spiraling around each other until they melded together, forming a green and white shooting star, the energy bursting from their body.
At the same time, Black and White readied themselves, surrounded by Luminous' power. "Abundant courage!" chanted Black, striking a pose. "Overflowing hope!" chanted White, also striking a pose. "Together with the embrace of sparkling light!" Luminous cried, holding her weapon tight as the energy continued to fly. Black and White held hands again. "Extreme…" Black and White started. "…Luminario!" Luminous shouted, and the team sent an explosion of golden mist energy from a heart-shaped form of Luminous' power.
The two powerful attacks charged at one another, each side shouting a war cry as they drew closer together. Both attacks collided, and there was an explosion of energy that surrounded the stadium, the gust from the impacting the people at their seats. Donald was struggling to hold onto Goofy's neck as Yui gripped her seat. Snow and Lightning didn't need to hold onto something, but the impact sure surprised them. "Such power!" Lightning gasped. "Woah ho ho, man!" laughed Snow, holding onto his hat before it flew away.
Both parties struggled to push the other away, but after a few seconds, Kirito and Sora bursted right through the mist, and charged at the shocked Pretty Cures. They made contact, and sent them hurdling so strongly, that they individually slammed into the walls on their side, making big craters in the wall. They fell to the ground, unable to move any more as Sora and Kirito stood there. Several seconds went by, but the Pretty Cures could do nothing but groan in pain.
"And it's over!" Balthier shouted, "The winners of this Cup are…the Keyblade Trio!" The crowds erupted in cheers for the winners of the battle. Donald, Goofy and Yui were the loudest of the crowd.
Kirito and Sora looked to each other, surprised. "What was that power?" Kirito asked. "No clue…but it was epic!" cheered Sora, jumping up and punching the air, "Did you see that? We just combined our attacks and just…whoosh! It was like an instant knockout!" "It felt like our Limit Break, only different." Kirito stated, looking at his hands, "Could that mean our Limit Break had changed, or was that something else?"
The groaning of the Pretty Cures caught the two's ears, and they rushed over to each of them. Kirito gave Black a potion to drink while Sora healed the other two with magic. Once her health was restored, Black got to her feet again. "That was unbelievable." she sighed, scratching her head, "I mean, you two just broke through the Extreme Luminario!" "You guys are really strong!" White acknowledged them as Luminous got to her feet.
"Hey, you gave us a run for our money as well." Kirito responded, "It was just luck that brought us to that new power." "You're really strong!" Sora added, "That last attack of yours was super tough! I'm thankful we survived that." The five looked to one another, smiling. "Great battle out there." Black stated, raising her hand to Kirito. "Thanks." Kirito replied, grabbing her hand and shaking it, "I hope you get back home safely." "We will!" Black responded happily. Sora was shaking hands with both White and Luminous.
"Hey, Asuna." Kirito called out, turning around, "What did you think about…" It was then that he noticed something; Asuna was no longer there. He looked around. She wasn't in the arena. "Where'd she go?" Kirito asked, confused. Sora and the Pretty Cures looked around to see she had disappeared, too. "Asuna?" Sora called out, looking around. "Asuna?!" Kirito shouted. No reply. Asuna had disappeared.
Chapter 4: Asuna vs. Vanitas
Sora and Kirito rushed out of the arena and looked around. Asuna was nowhere to be seen. "Where did she go?" Sora asked, "It's not like her to just leave without telling us." "Not unless something caused her to leave without telling us." Kirito guessed, "But what could it be?"
"Papa! Sora!" cried Yui's voice. The two turned to see Donald, Goofy and Yui rush up to them, with Snow and Lightning behind them. "Yui!" Kirito called out her to her as their grouped joined the duo. "What's goin' on?" Goofy asked. "Asuna's missing!" Sora explained, "Did any of you guys see where she went?" "Sorry, but we didn't." Yui replied woefully. "We were too busy watching you guys defeat the Pretty Cure with that attack." Donald explained, "When it was over, Asuna disappeared."
"Did you guys see anything strange about her?" Kirito asked them. Donald and Yui shook their heads. "Wait, I think I did!" said Goofy, "I think I saw her reading somethin'." "What was it?" Kirito asked. "It looked like a letter." Goofy replied, "She did seemed distressed when she read it."
Kirito and Sora looked to each other. Whatever was on that letter must've been the reason she left the stadium. But what could've caused so much shock, that she would leave them without saying a word? And who gave her that letter?
"I saw who the culprit was." Lightning stated as she joined the group. "Who was it?" Sora asked. "I couldn't really tell WHO it was." Lightning answered, "But I do know he was wearing a full body suit and a black visored mask…" All five heroes gasped. Vanitas. But if it was him, what did he say in the letter?
"We gotta go find her!" Kirito proclaimed. "I agree." replied Sora, "If it's Vanitas, she's more than likely walking into a trap!" Kirito looked shocked. Why would Asuna trust his words? Unless she didn't know who sent the letter. That would've made sense if she actually did know.
"Papa!" cried Yui, tugging at Kirito's sleeve. Kirito snapped out of the questions that buzzed through his mind, and looked down at her. "Right, let's go find her!" Kirito stated, turning to the group, "She must be in town. Let's split up and look for her." The team nodded in response. The team exited the Slaughterhouse and took two different directions; Kirito, Lightning and Goofy took one way, Sora, Donald, Yui and Snow took another.
The team started racing along the streets, searching for clues as to where Asuna went to. They asked around, but so far got no replies. They checked the Cactaur Plaza, Auger's Quarter, Glutton's Quarter, even Sazh's workshop. Nothing. No one had seen her, and no one knew where she went.
While checking down the Market Street, Kirito's group had just exited the DoReMi magic shop. "She's gotta be around her somewhere!" Kirito growled, frustrated by the fact that they couldn't find her. "Easy there, Kirito." Goofy told him. "Anger will only lead to bad judgement." Lightning quoted. Kirito tried to calm himself down, but he was just too worried about her. He still remember Vanitas back in Pit's World, saying that Asuna was his main target from a long time ago.
"Hey, is something wrong?" Serah was walking up to their group, looking at the expression on Kirito. Mog was right next to her. "We're trying to find Asuna right now." Lightning explained to her sister, "We've searched all over the place, but she's…"
"I saw her." Serah said abruptly. The three turned to her, shocked. "Where? And when?!" Kirito demanded. "Just along here, about five minutes ago." Serah replied, "I tried calling to her, but she seemed to out of it. It's like she was focused on something." "Which way did she go?" Lightning asked. "Towards the Industrial Area." Serah replied, pointing down the street. Kirito didn't waste any time, and charged along the street towards the Industrial Area, with Lightning and Goofy at his heels.
Meanwhile, Asuna was walking through the deep parts of the Industrial Area, walking past all kinds of metal crates and warehouses. She was determined to arrive at her destination, no matter what. Several Unversed came into her path, and she sliced them down with ease. Nothing would block her path. She was still carrying the letter in her non-sword hand. The words within it still rang through Asuna's head.
I know about Aqua. Leave the others and come to me alone at the deep part of the Industrial Area. I'll tell you all I know about Aqua, and how you know her.
-V
Asuna knew who wrote the letter, and she knew it was a trap of some kind. Nevertheless, if it meant more info about Aqua, and about what's her connection to that girl, then she had to know.
She didn't tell Kirito, nor anyone else this, but most nights, she started having dreams of Aqua, sitting on the same dark beach she once went to with Kirito, Sora and Riku. She would stare out to the ocean, her eyes glowing with the moon. And her voice always said the same words every time; "I'll be waiting…" Asuna kept trying to reach her, but every time she came close to touching her, she would wake up from the dream.
Asuna finally reached the end of the Industrial Area, in a rather open space surrounded by machinery parts for a factory. She walked towards the center of the space and looked around, waiting. "So you came alone after all." said a sly voice. She looked up to see Vanitas sitting on one of the metal pipes. He leapt down from his position and landed right in front of Asuna.
"I got your letter, 'V'." Asuna sarcastically stated, dropping the letter and raising her Keyblade at Vanitas, "Now tell me, what do you know about Aqua?" Vanitas didn't say anything at first, then he started, "You really are that desperate, aren't you?" Asuna looked annoyed. "You try to find a way to seek answers, that you will even betray your friends just to figure them out."
"Shut up!" barked Asuna, infuriated by these words, "Don't you dare put me down to your level! I haven't betrayed any of my friends! You told me to come here by myself to find out more about Aqua, and that's what I did!" "I did say you should come alone." Vanitas agreed, "But did you tell them what you were doing?" Asuna wanted to answer, but instead she stayed quiet.
"Exactly." Vanitas confirmed, "You didn't tell them because you don't think they'll trust you to deal with this problem all on your own. Deep down, you know that it is true. You're no where near as strong as Sora and Kirito. All you can do is hold onto their hands and hope you can be of some benefit." "You're wrong…" Asuna denied, but Vanitas' words were starting to get to her a bit. She lowered her Keyblade a bit, thinking about what he was saying, "I am more than that. I am stronger than what you make me out as!"
(Cue Kingdom Hearts 'Vim & Vigor')
"Then let's prove it then." Vanitas stated, producing his Void Gear Keyblade and getting into battle position, "Let me see what kind of power you have. If you can beat me, I will tell you all that I know about Aqua." "And if I lose?" Asuna asked, also getting to her fighting stance. "Well…that'll just be one less Keyblade wielder I have to deal with." Vanitas replied. With his free hand, he snapped his fingers. An invisible barrier surrounded the area, blocking any means of escaping. Asuna was on her own, fighting against Vanitas.
Asuna dove at Vanitas, attempting to stab him, but he casually sidestepped the attack. He then countered with a slash from his own Keyblade, sending Asuna yelping away, rolling on the ground until she stopped. She got to her feet again, removing any distractions in her thoughts as Vanitas jumped up and sent black lightning at her. Asuna flipped up and avoided the attack, then performed a Quick Run to get in closer to Vanitas. She slashed him several times, sending him backwards, but he then disappeared in an afterimage, and appeared above Asuna, nearly hitting her if she hadn't jumped to the side in time.
Asuna shot a Blizzard Spell, hitting Vanitas, and he in returned shot a fireball at Asuna, which divided into three smaller ones and homed in on Asuna. She saw them coming, and slashed one of them, but got hit by the other two, causing fiery explosions. Asuna shrugged off the attack and charged at Vanitas, who charged at her just the same. They clashed Keyblades, causing a huge shockwave around them, and sending dust flying upwards.
Near the entrance of the Industrial Area, Kirito, Lightning and Snow witnessed the billowing of dust from far away. "What was that?" Goofy asked, raising his hand over his eyes to focus. "I feel a strong battle is going on over there." Lightning stated. Kirito looked to her, then to where the attack came from. They heard another explosion from there, and more dust flew into the sky. "Asuna!" Kirito gasped, and he raced towards the area. "Wait up, Kirito!" Goofy called out as he and Lightning followed.
Meanwhile, in Auger's Quarter, Yui stopped as she felt something. Sora, Donald and Snow stopped and turned to her. "What's up?" Snow asked. "Mama…" Yui muttered, "I feel her presence!" "Are you sure?" Sora asked hurriedly. "Positive." Yui replied, "Though I can't say for sure how I know. I can just tell that she's in danger."
"Where is she?" Sora asked. Yui looked in every direction before pointing one way. "That's where the Industrial Area is at." Snow noticed. "Then let's go there!" Sora declared, and the four raced towards where Asuna was at.
Chapter 5: Asuna's Bond Bursts Forth!
Back in the battle, Asuna was once again pushed away from Vanitas' attack. She skidded to a halt as Vanitas dove into the ground. Asuna wondered where he went to until the ground beneath her erupted, and Vanitas came flying out, sending Asuna flying in pain. She spun as she descended and landed onto her feet again.
She used Thunder, and Vanitas was electrocuted. He countered with his dark lightning, but Asuna quickly avoided that, came up from behind, and struck him. He used his afterimage, and came up from behind her, striking Asuna and causing her to fall to the ground.
Asuna struggled to get up again, pulling out a potion and drinking it, restoring her health. What's going on? she thought to herself, Vanitas did not have this much strength back at the Lunar Sanctum. "Don't think of me as the same pushover as before." Vanitas warned her, almost like he read her thoughts, "I have much more power than that." Asuna gritted her teeth, realizing how difficult this challenge is gonna be.
"Asuna!" shouted Kirito's voice. Asuna turned to the entrance into the space to see Kirito leading Lightning and Goofy towards them. "Kirito!" Asuna cried, shocked that he found her.
Kirito tried to run into the battle, but Vanitas' barrier was still up, and he and Goofy rammed into it and fell to the ground. "I see your boyfriend decided to come and watch you fall by my hands." Vanitas snorted, seeing Kirito get up and press his hands against the barrier.
"Asuna! Are you okay?" Kirito called out to her. "Yeah, but…" Asuna stammered, "How did you find me?" "Serah saw you." Kirito explained, "Dammit, why did you have to go off on your own like this?!" "I'm sorry." Asuna apologized, looking shameful, then confidently stated, "But I had to know. I had to learn more about Aqua!" She turned back to Vanitas, her Keyblade raised, and her heart set. "Asuna…" muttered Kirito.
"You really are a weak and stupid girl." Vanitas sassed at her, "Here you are, fighting for some mere information. Something that you hope will relieve you of your worries, only to figure out you don't have the strength nor the determination to get it!" "Shut up, Vanitas!" barked Kirito, "Asuna has more than enough strength and determination than you think! She can take you down easily!"
"You mean if she's with you." Vanitas stated, "If she has her friends to protect her, she will have the power to beat me. But look; she's on her own now. No way can she do anything on her own." "You don't know anything about Asuna!" Kirito retorted, "If she was really that weak, would I trust her to be able to fight on her own? Asuna as powerful as me or Sora, and you know it!" Asuna was surprised at how much trust Kirito had in her fighting strength. Of course he did. Kirito never once though of her as an underdog, but as his equal.
"Big deal!" Vanitas stated, "If she doesn't have the strength, then there's no point in her trying to fight…" But his sentence was stopped by Asuna's fast-acting jab, which sent Vanitas skidding back. He looked up to see Asuna standing there her Keyblade pointing at him from the jab. "I'm sorry. But weren't you saying something about me not having the strength?" "Asuna." Kirito said with a relieving smile.
"You little…" sneered Vanitas, and he charged at her, his Keyblade at the ready. Asuna's eyes flashed, featuring blue eyes for only a second before reverting back to hazel. Vanitas struck, but to his and everyone's amazement, Asuna performed a Cartwheel, spinning away from the attack, and coming around with an attack of her own, sending Vanitas flying.
He flipped in midair to land onto his feet, but he was still surprised. That technique Asuna just performed. That was the same dodging technique as Aqua's. Asuna was looking determinately at her opponent, but deep down, she was surprised that she performed that trick so easily. "That was a great dodge!" cheered Goofy. "She sure surprised me." Kirito stated, looking at her. "Asuna's just full of surprises." Lightning stated.
The fighting ensued, and Asuna was now moving with a new sense of determination, using all the skills and magic she had in fighting against Vanitas, who kept her on the edge as he could. Asuna's new found dodging skill made things a lot more interesting, and it was a lot like Vanitas' sidestep maneuver. The two kept clashing, kept countering blow for blow, and dodging attacks they set upon each other whenever possible.
Kirito, Lightning and Goofy continued to watch the match, hoping for Asuna to win the battle. "Kirito! Lightning! Goofy!" called Sora's voice, and the trio turned to see Sora's party join theirs. "Finally found us, huh?" Lightning asked Snow as they drew near. "Hey, we had no idea where you guys were until Yui said she felt her mother's presence." Snow explained, turning to Yui, who was in front with Kirito and Sora, watching the fight between Asuna and Vanitas go on.
"Mama!" cried Yui, pressing her hands against the barrier that surrounded the battlefield. "Can't we do anything?" Sora asked Kirito. "Asuna made this choice. It's up to her to beat Vanitas." Kirito replied firmly. Sora looked to Kirito, then to the battle, desperately thinking of a way around the barrier. Donald got in front with his magic staff, winded it up, and slammed it into the barrier. It only caused his whole body to shake from the impact, then he fell over.
Asuna doubled back from a triple barrage of homing fireballs. She jumped up and fired a Blizzard at the first two, then slashed the last one. She failed to notice Vanitas get behind her and back slash her, sending her crashing into the ground, producing a dust cloud. As he descended, Asuna dove out of the dust cloud with a Quick Run, spinning around to face Vanitas again. She was breathing heavily from exhaustion, not sure how long she could last against him.
"You look a little tired." Vanitas pointed out, seeing Asuna standing there, "Why don't you just give up now. You won't be able to win in your condition. Or are you just waiting for your friends to protect you again?" Asuna was getting really annoyed with Vanitas' taunts.
"Stop saying that, will ya?!" Asuna shouted at him, "You keep saying the same thing over and over; I can't fight without my friends, I need their protection. Ever heard of a little thing called 'teamwork'? We rely on each other when we fight together. I need them just like they need me!"
"And yet Aqua faced me in the past, and had beaten me on her own a couple times." Vanitas pointed out. Asuna was shocked to hear Vanitas say something about her. "That's right. Aqua was a powerful Keyblade master back then." Vanitas explained, "She didn't need her friends to save her. She had only herself. Three times, we fought against each other. And three times, she defeated me. And she didn't need anyone else's help to stop me. So tell me, Asuna; what can you do against me if you are too reliable on your friends?"
Asuna was at a loss for words. Was what Vanitas saying true? Did Aqua have so much strength to fight against the forces of darkness, that she didn't need anybody's help? The distraction gave Vanitas a chance, and he ran in close and performed a series of slashes onto Asuna, damaging her incredibly. He then shot dark lighting at her, and she was electrocuted by the attack. She collapsed to the ground, unable to move from the pain she was dealt with. Vanitas started to laugh at the sight of her. "Asuna!" Sora and Kirito shouted. "Mama!" Yui cried.
Vanitas' words rang through Asuna's head, while the rest of her body was ringing with the pain she just endured. She was feeling utterly helpless. How was she able to fight against Vanitas on her own without her friends? Was there a secret that Aqua had that allowed her to beat Vanitas like she said before? What was it? The doubt in her heart was starting to grow, and she couldn't bear it.
"Asuna, get up!" shouted a voice. Vanitas looked towards the team who was standing at the entrance. Asuna weakly opened her eyes, and turned towards the same direction. Riku was there, and so was Leafa, standing in between Sora and Kirito. Kairi and Recon were right next to Donald, Goofy, Lightning and Snow. "Riku! Kairi!" Sora cried eagerly. "Leafa! Recon!" gasped Kirito.
"I can't believe I'm seeing you like this, Asuna!" barked Leafa, "I thought you were stronger than this!" Asuna was somewhat too weak to respond to her. "Asuna, what Vanitas is saying is false!" Riku stated, "I may not know Aqua, but I do know she wasn't alone. I sure as hell wasn't alone, even when I walked the path of darkness! I had Mickey, and Sora, and all the people who still believed in me. And even if they aren't there in person, their hearts are still linked to mine, giving me the strength to keep fighting! The same went for Aqua. She had those other guys; Terra and Ventus. Their hearts gave her power!" Asuna's eyes widened slightly.
"He's right!" Sora agreed, "Even if we're on our own, that doesn't mean that we're alone. We've got friends who count on us. People who believe we can overcome any obstacle!" "Asuna…I believe in you." Kirito stated, "I know you can beat Vanitas right here, right now. After all, you're the Lightning Flash Asuna. Former second in command of the Knights of the Blood Oath. And also the person who I give my life to if needed. You have more than enough strength to beat anything, cause you've got all our hearts along side you!"
Asuna's eyes were showing signs of inspiration. The words that the team was saying to her. They were right. She went down the list of all her friends she had. From her friends in SAO and ALO, to those that reside in Disney Castle. To Riku, Kairi, Leafa, Recon. Then to Lightning, Snow, Vaan, Donald, Goofy, Yui. Finally, Sora and Kirito, who's hearts were there, within her. All of their hearts were within her.
Asuna also felt another heart; Aqua's. She saw her sitting along the shoreline of the Dark Margin again, only this time, she turned to Asuna and smiled at her. "I'll be waiting for you." she told her.
Asuna's hand curled into a fist. She felt her strength starting to come back to her. Her hand slipped underneath the handle of her Keyblade and gripped it tight. "Cure!" Asuna gasped, and the light of the Keyblade restored her strength again. Vanitas turned back to Asuna as she got to her feet again, the determination reset in her eyes. "Go for it, Asuna!" cheered Sora. "Take him down." Kirito told her. Asuna nodded and said, "You got it."
"Oh, please." Vanitas sighed, "People's hearts are within yours? What a lame excuse. All the hearts in the world won't be able to get you any stronger. You're just wasting your energy!" "You're wrong about that." Asuna retorted, stopping Vanitas, "I have more than enough strength to conjure any adversary that comes my way, even you. And it's for the same reason why Aqua was able to beat you!"
She flicked her Keyblade down, and through Vanitas' eyes, he saw Asuna standing there, and the ghostly image of Aqua, standing in the same battle position, "I'm sick of your nonsense!" both Asuna and Aqua's voice shouted, "This ends now!" Vanitas looked down slightly, then started to laugh. "It was just like back then." he said to himself, then he got into battle position as well, "Very well, then. Let's see what kind of strength these hearts give you!"
"I plan to!" Asuna replied, her body glowing, "Savior Soul!" Her body bursted with energy. In a cutscene, Asuna's Savior Form presented itself piece by piece, ending with her piece of hair falling over her shoulder. She landed onto the ground, causing a thunder shockwave at her feet. She stood straight up as she closed here eyes, her Keyblade in front of her face. "In a bright flash…I awaken, and strike!" she chanted calmly, opening her eyes and whipping her Keyblade to one side as she struck a pose.
Asuna and Vanitas begun to clash once more, only Asuna was at a whole different level than before. Her combination of techniques merged with the newfound strength within her made her more than a formidable opponent to Vanitas. No matter what trick he pulled, Asuna had a counter attack, dishing out more damage to him than before.
Vanitas slashed Asuna away from him, but he was somewhat surprised. "You really do have more strength than what I thought." he commended. "You have no idea." Asuna responded, and her whole body started to emit a bright pink aura. Lightning looked startled. "She's going to use the Soul Finale!" she gasped. "Soul Finale?" Kairi echoed. "What's that?" Recon asked. "The Soul Drive Form's Limit Break." Lightning explained, "It's an incredibly powerful attack, but it uses up all of its' Drive Gauge to do so."
Asuna tossed her Keyblade high into the air, and held her hand up high. "Odin! Lend me your strength!" she shouted. A new weapon came down, a double-bladed sword with the blades almost like scythes, forming an S-shape. It was called the Gagnrad. The sword fell to Asuna, and she grabbed the handle. She grasped with both hands, and disconnected it into two separate swords. She whipped the two blades out, and a flourish of rose petals surrounded her.
In a split second, Asuna came in close to Vanitas, and started slicing him in a flurry of combo strikes. Every slice she did not only caused heavy damage, but also produced flower petals with every strike. The attack was both brutal and beautiful as the team watched Asuna continue the attack.
At the final attack, Asuna jumped into the air, connected the two blades once more, and raised it above her head, spinning it. "The storm is here!" she chanted as a swirl of wind and rose petals stirred around her. Vanitas was carried into the attack, bringing him into Asuna's view. Then with one final slash, Asuna sliced all around her, cutting the wind and Vanitas in one feel swoop. The attack even penetrated right through Vanitas' barrier, and the team had to endure the swirling gust of wind that passed them.
Asuna landed onto her feet while Vanitas fell onto his back, still. Asuna brought the Gragnrad down, then held it sideways in front of her. "Thank you, my friend." she chanted as the silhouette of the arm of Odin grasped the sword and carried it upwards. Then from the sky, Asuna's Keyblade came back down just as she reverted back to her normal form. Asuna grabbed her Keyblade and brought it down to her side. She looked to Vanitas, who was as still as he could be. Asuna had just defeated him.
Chapter 6: The Key Within
The barrier lifted, and Kirito and Yui were the first to rush over to Asuna, who dismissed her Keyblade. "Mama!" Yui cheered as she leapt into Asuna's arms. They hugged one another, and Yui was thankful her mother was okay. Kirito placed a hand on Asuna's shoulder, and she looked to him. "You were amazing out there, Asuna." he told her. Asuna smiled happily in response. "I couldn't have done it without your guys' support." she responded.
"That was such a cool attack!" Sora exclaimed, rushing up to her as everyone walked from behind, "I really enjoyed that whole whirlwind slash move you did at the last strike. How did you do that?" Asuna thought for a second, then answered, "I can't really say for sure, but I guess the Soul Drive just responded to my heart in some way."
"That is how the Soul Finale works." Lightning explained, "It will never come to you unless you fully embrace the connection of the soul within that Drive Form. Your heart bonded with mine, and created that attack." Asuna let go of Yui as she answered, "I guess I have to remember that next time. And I should use it at just the right time. Can't waste the Soul Drive's strength."
"But what are we gonna do about him?" Riku asked, turning to Vanitas' body. The team turned to it as well, wondering. "Lets get rid of it." Kirito answered, "Toss him into the ocean or something." "Still…" Sora started, walking towards it and looking down, "Ya gotta wonder what his face really looks like." He reached down to take it off, but before he did, a gust of wind came out of nowhere, and pushed Sora, along with anyone else close to Vanitas' body, away.
They skidded to a halt and looked up. A man in a dark cloak stood high above them, with dark green cross-straps going across his shoulders to his waist. He also wore a hood over his head, masking his face. "Who's that?" Kirito gasped. Riku mind shortly flashed to the time he saw the man in the brown cloak, almost like the man that stood above them now.
"My, my, Vanitas." the man's deep voice said, looking down at the group, "I leave you to do your real duty, and here I find you; defeated by these foolish children." Vanitas didn't say anything at first, then to everyone's shock, Vanitas flipped himself up onto his feet again. "My apologies, master." he responded, "I was just having a little fun with this girl. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten our mission."
Vanitas raised his hand and produced his Keyblade again. The team looked prepared to fight him. However, Vanitas had a different agenda. He stuck his Keyblade out point first, directing it at Asuna, and it started to glow. A dark beam shot out, and struck Asuna's chest. She gasped in pain as the others watched, shocked. "Asuna!" cried Kirito as she started to fall backwards.
The beam of dark light retracted itself, and a black orb came out of Asuna's chest, with a white, jagged symbol on it that looked like a distorted form of the celtic symbol of trust. Sora and Kirito grabbed the unconscious Asuna before she fell as Vanitas held out one hand, and took the black orb.
"Looks like you were right again, master." Vanitas stated, turning to the cloaked man and raising the orb. "What did you do to Asuna?!" demanded Leafa as she, Riku and Yui produced their weapons. "I simply took the Key of Doubt that was stored within her out." he replied casually, "Don't worry, she'll live. It would be a shame to kill her in such a simple manner. Besides, I think she's proven enough about how powerful your 'bonds' are."
"Come, Vanitas." ordered the hooded man, "There are still more Keys of Darkness we need to collect!" "Yes, master." Vanitas replied. Both he and the hooded man produced back portals, and they stepped within them and disappeared. "Wait!" barked Riku, leading Leafa into charging at the portal, but it disappeared before they got close. They looked disgruntled as they stared at the spot Vanitas and the hooded man disappeared.
The team decided they should head back with Asuna to Sazh's workshop again. Kirito carried Asuna as they wandered through the Industrial Area, then wandering the streets before coming to the workshop. Sazh and Hope were inside, and they were glad to see them, but shocked to see Asuna in her state. They laid her down on a sofa, and allowed her to rest. "Will she be okay?" Sora asked. "She'll be fine." Lightning assured them, "She should wake up soon."
The team turned to each other, while Yui and Kirito stayed by Asuna's side. "So it looks like Sora isn't the only one that attracts trouble." Riku stated, looking to where Kirito and Asuna were at. "My brother and Asuna always find themselves in some sort of mess." Leafa pointed out, "But in the end, they come out all right."
"So how long have you guys been here?" Sora asked Riku and Kairi. "Just now, actually." Kairi explained, "We came down here, and Riku felt a dark presence coming from the area you guys were in, so we rushed over her to see." "Well, we're glad you made it safely." Goofy said happily. "We never even got a chance to enjoy the scenery here before meeting you guys." Leafa sighed, then turning to Lightning and Snow, "Nor have we got a chance to introduce ourselves to the people here."
"I'm Lightning. Call me Light." Lightning introduced herself. "And I'm Snow." Snow followed, then pointing from behind, "Those guys are Sazh and Hope." "Nice to meet you guys." Leafa greeted them, "I'm Suguha, but call me Leafa. This here is Recon, Riku and Kairi." "Leafa, Riku and Kairi are also Keyblade wielders like us!" Sora added. "Seriously?" Lightning asked, surprised. "How many of you guys are there?" exclaimed a puzzled Snow.
Just then, Yui cried, "Asuna's waking up!" The team turned to see Asuna groan as Kirito helped her sit up. "You okay?" Kirito asked consolingly as Sora, Donald and Goofy rushed around her. "I think so." Asuna replied, rubbing her eye. "You had us worried there!" Donald squawked. "But it looks like you're doing fine now." Goofy noticed as Asuna repositioned her feet so she properly sat on the couch.
"I do feel strange, though." Asuna stated as she touched her chest, "It's almost like a burden I carried seems to have been lifted." Kirito wondered if maybe it was the result of that black orb that came out of Asuna before. "What kind of burden are you talking about?" Sora asked. Asuna shook her head. "I don't know." she replied, "But whatever it was, it's gone now."
"It must've been the result of that black orb coming out of you." Riku assumed, "What did he call it…the Key of Doubt?" "That hooded guy also said it was a Key of Darkness." Kirito recalled, "Didn't Maleficent say something about that before? In Pit's World?" Asuna nodded. "But, uh, what are they?" Goofy wondered. "And why are Maleficent and Vanitas gathering them?" Riku added. Everyone pondered on the questions that raced through their heads.
"Before you guys get a headache over all these questions, you might want to look at these." Sazh stated, walking over to Kirito, Asuna and Sora, and holding out three magic orbs. "What are these for?" Kirito asked. "They're the prizes for the Mist Cup." Sazh explained, "Balthier said you guys forgot to collect your prize after the tournament, so he brought it down here, thinking you guys will come here. The trophy is over there." He pointed behind him, and the team turned to see a golden trophy with a weird, misty design on it, along with a small plaque with Kirito, Asuna and Sora's names engraved on it. "That's pretty cool of him!" Sora exclaimed.
Yui walked forward and took the magic orbs from Sazh and examined them. "It looks like they're all different magic orbs." she said, looking to each of them, "Each contains a different spell to use. The magic orbs started to float and go towards Kirito, Asuna and Sora individually.
"Sora, the one before you is the Wind Element." Yui explained, "It contains the Aero spell." She then turned to Asuna. "Mama, yours is the Water Element. It will give you access to the Water spell." Finally, Yui turned to Kirito. "Papa, yours is the Gravity Element. It grants you the power of the Zero Gravity spell." "Each of us gets a unique spell?" Sora asked. "Means more variety between us." Kirito stated with a smirk. The three of them absorbed the magic orbs they were given.
Asuna got to her feet again as Riku, Leafa, Kairi and Recon gathered with their team. "Looks like you guys are ready to go." Leafa stated. "Sorry we can't stay here." Sora apologized, "But we have to go. More Heartless and Unversed are attacking the worlds, and we need to stop them." "Plus, we need to learn more about what these Keys of Darkness are." Kirito added, "Maybe you guys can figure something out here, too."
"Sure." Riku responded, "Plus, it would give us an advantage on why those guys want to have them so badly." "In the meantime, we'll protect this land from any dangers that come this way." Leafa declared. "I'll do whatever I can to help out here as well." Kairi added. "You guys go kick some Heartless and Unversed, alright?!" Recon asked. Sora and Kirito smiled and nodded.
The six heroes were about to start off, but Asuna paused. The team looked to them. "I'm sorry, guys." Asuna apologized, "I knew I shouldn't have gone on my own like that. It was pretty stupid of me." "It sure was." Kirito responded bluntly, "But at least you're safe. That's all that matters. And what's more, you unlocked a whole new source of power, just like how Sora and I did back in the tournament." "Who knows what other kinds of powers we can gain from one another." Sora stated.
Kirito looked to Lightning. "Please take care of my sister for me, would ya?" he asked, "She can be a handful, but she is reliable." "Hey, don't make it sound out like I'm reckless like you!" barked Leafa. "Just doing my brotherly duties." Kirito casually responded. Lightning looked between the two, and couldn't help but think of her with Serah. "I'll try." she responded.
Sora was with Riku and Kairi. "I guess I better be off then." Sora stated. "Be careful out there, Sora." Kairi told her. "Better come back with a sensible head next time." Riku added. "What's that suppose to mean?" Sora asked as Kairi laughed at the gesture.
"Take care, Leafa, Recon." Asuna said to the two. "We'll be seeing you!" said Recon. "Stay out of trouble, Asuna." Leafa ordered her. "With our luck, trouble finds us." Asuna giggled. Leafa and Recon both laughed along with her.
"Let's get moving gang!" Kirito told the team, and he, Sora, Asuna, Donald, Goofy and Yui walked out of the workshop and called for the Gummi Ship. It teleported the team into the ship, and they got to their seats. "Where to next?" Donald asked. "Let's go back to take on that one world we missed." Kirito decided, "Yui, set coordinates to the next world!" "Setting coordinates in now." Yui responded, typing at the computer, and with that, the Gummi Ship took off.
Asuna looked out into space, touch the part of her chest where the Key of Darkness came out of her. I wonder why I had that black orb inside of me? she thought to herself, Does it have something to do with my relationship to Aqua? I wish I knew the answers. Aqua, if you're out there, I will find out more about you, and I will discover what is my connection with you, one way or another. She continued to ponder these thoughts as the Gummi ship sped through space.
Well, that's another story down. Wasn't that exciting? Let me read off some of the new powers;
Cross Burst is a new form of Limit Break shared between Kirito, Asuna and Sora. Their old Limit Breaks are replaced with these. Each pair has their own unique Cross Burst technique, and their trio form will be presented in later times.
Soul Finale is just like what Lightning explained: the Soul Drive Form's Limit Break. It is devastating, but it uses up the Drive Gauge. Each Soul Drive has its' own unique Soul Finale.
Sora, Asuna and Kirito will each gain their own kind of special techniques based on Ventus, Aqua and Terra respectively. Asuna's Cartwheel is just the first of many. Plus, each has their own unique element they control: Sora with Aero, Asuna with Water, and Kirito with Zero Gravity. These powers will be upgraded as the story goes on.
But there are still so many questions you might be asking yourself. But all will be revealed as the story goes on. For now, leave a review, tell your friends, and wait for the next episode.
Next time on SAKII:
Yui: Wha-what's going on?!
Asuna: That wolf turned into that boy!
Kirito: He doesn't seem to talk a lot, but he is powerful.
Asuna: And what's with that shadowy girl thing with her?
Sora: She calls herself 'Midna'.
Kirito: Oh well. We gotta help these guys out with clearing the Heartless!
Author: On the next Sword Art Kingdom II: Hyrule! The Shadows of Twilight!
Sora, Kirito & Asuna: Let's unlock the path to our bonded hearts!