Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls
Chapter 12: The Hawaiian Islands
AN: I'm sure many of you have seen the E3 English trailer for Birth By Sleep. And some of you might be wondering if I'm going to use that secret boss we saw in the video (the one with the blue blades like Xemnas's). Well, I am! And, after discussing stuff with people at KHI again, I've come up with a good theory of WHO that person is. It won't be officially revealed until later on, but I'm gonna start giving clues now. And he will show up in this chapter, so stay tuned!
Gleaming over the landscape, the sun was fixated in place. It never rose. It never fell. Atop a huge plateau sat a lone figure in black. He brushed back his silver bangs, examining the landscape with his amber eyes. He moved his gaze towards a crossroads, formed by four groups of Keyblades. From his view, the Keyblades blurred together, creating a solid texture resembling gravel.
At the sound of a dark portal opening, the figure smirked underneath his hood.
"I feared you wouldn't come," he remarked.
A slightly shorter man, hunched over in the same outfit, sat next to him. "Fear. What's that emotion like, Xehanort?"
The dark Keyblade wielder turned to his associate. "You mean you don't remember?"
The unknown man nodded. "I do, but I can't experience it for myself. After all, I don't have a heart. I wasn't even SUPPOSED to exist."
"You were a mistake," Xehanort admitted. "On that fateful day, when all my hard work had finally paid off…when I finally got the body I deserved despite my plan being ruined…I never thought you'd be left behind. The concept hadn't even been considered back then."
The mysterious figure laughed. "Some wise master you are. I thought you'd have the foresight to anticipate that."
Xehanort shook his head. "I don't know everything. But I do know this: I need your help."
The other raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? You need help from a Nobody like me?"
"Yes," Xehanort said. "We have something in common, you and I."
The enigma sighed. "Kingdom Hearts. How I've waited to access its infinite power…but how can it be done? With Vanitas gone, there's no way to create the X-Blade."
"Don't worry about the specifics for now," the Keyblade Master told him. "If you agree to work with me, I can guarantee you that we'll open Kingdom Hearts."
The mysterious man laughed. "Yes! Together, the universe will be created as we see fit!"
Xehanort glared at him with blazing yellow eyes. "Quiet! Don't be so loud. You don't want HIM to hear us, do you?"
"What, that pointless suit of armor?" the man asked. "I can't fathom why you're so afraid of him. He's as empty as I am."
"He's defeated me before," Xehanort said. "I don't want to risk another confrontation."
The companion stretched out his hands. "So you choose this spot, which happens to be in the world he was born in and still inhabits? Doesn't seem like a smart move to me."
Xehanort narrowed his eyes. "These cloaks will mask our scent, so he shouldn't be able to find us. And don't forget, this world is YOUR birthplace too."
The man was expressionless. "I suppose that makes sense."
Xehanort stood up, and almost summoned a corridor of darkness. Strangely, he lowered his hand and turned to the other person.
"By the way, what name do you go by now?" he asked.
"Well unlike that misguided Organization, Xehanort, I didn't bother adding an X to my new name," the man remarked. "I'm now known as Sinarem."
The silver-haired man smiled, and with a simple hand motion, opened a dark gateway. "This way then, Sinarem."
The new ally smiled, his aged skin nearly cracking as he did. Following Xehanort, he slowly stepped into the portal. Once it faded away, an ancient Keyblade struck the ground where it was. The plateau shook as its owner landed next to it. His helmet gleamed in the sunlight, while his cape slowly twirled in the wind. All his armor was glowing with a fierce red aura.
"So you're alive after all, Xehanort," he thought.
Grabbing his weapon, a bright light shone around it as the Gaia Bane transformed into a large vehicle. The being put one foot into it, but stopped. "No…I can't. I don't have the strength," the being silently admitted. "Traveling to other worlds will only remind me…of them. And those memories are too painful to experience."
The figure took off his helmet, which would have been a strange sight for most people, for he had no head. Instead there was just empty air. His body was made of metal, not flesh. Reaching into his helmet, he took out something that wasn't made of metal. Something that Terra had always hid in his armor so that he wouldn't lose it. In his glove, he held a small charm, orange and shaped like a star. The sentiment tightly held it, refusing to lose the only piece of his friends that remained. And the only piece that was left of his love…the girl that meant more to him than anyone else…Aqua.
"Aqua…Ven…" he echoed in his mind. "Your deaths won't be in vain."
Tired and weak, a dark-haired woman was carefully cleaning her living room. Her tan skin was practically sweating from all the work she was doing.
She tilted her head toward an opening in the ceiling. "Lilo!"
The female waited a few seconds, yet heard no response.
"LILO!" she yelled again.
Again, there was mere silence. Infuriated, the woman quickly climbed up the ladder. Sticking her head above the opening, she scanned the bedroom. Strangely, nobody was in there. A note, however, was attached to the bed.
Nani,
I'm going to the beach with Stitch. Be back soon.
Lilo
Groaning, the woman climbed down the ladder. "That girl makes me so nervous."
Hearing a chime from the doorbell, Nani approached the front door. She opened it, and quirked an eyebrow at the stranger standing there. His graying hair was tied in a ponytail, while his face was decorated with a scary and an eyepatch. The person's only eye was yellow, which confused her even more. Who had yellow eyes? Was that even natural?
"Hello there," the man said. "Do you know a guy by the name of Emyd?"
Suspiciously looking at the enigma, Nani shook her head. "No, sorry."
She tried closing the door, but the man stuck his foot in, stopping it. "Maybe a description will help you remember. Blonde hair? Blue eyes? Light skin?"
"Sorry, still not ringing a bell," she told him.
He sighed. "Man, another dead end. Oh well, maybe the heartless can make good use of you."
As Nani stared at him in puzzlement, five shadows popped out of the ground. They turned to her, their beady eyes glowing.
"AHHHHHH!" the woman screamed.
Running into her room, Nani locked the door and moved furniture against it. Smiling, Braig walked out of the house.
"Leave her alone," he commanded. "Her reaction brightened my mood. Besides, we still have to find our old friend."
Underneath a clear sky, palm trees and other plants helped frame a crowded beach, where hundreds of people, young and old, basked in the sun's rays and ocean's water. Casting off their armor and Keyblades, Aqua and Sora browsed around the new world.
"I wonder where we are this time?" the boy asked out loud.
Seeing a group of kids happily playing in the water, Aqua smiled. "Well, at least it looks like the Heartless and Nobodies haven't attacked this place."
Sora crossed his arms. "Trust me, they eventually will. But we'll be ready for them."
The pair began hearing a distant yell. Snapping their heads toward the voice, they summoned their weapons. Aqua peered into the distance with confusion. A small figure, wearing an Elvis costume, was riding a huge wave. The woman noticed its blue skin and fluffy fur, and happiness overtook her. Sora saw this as well, smiling at the sight.
"It's Stitch!" the two exclaimed simultaneously.
Puzzled that they both knew him, Aqua and Sora exchanged glances, until they heard the wave crash against the shore. Stitch, on his surfboard with a little girl, excitedly approached the two. He jumped off and began crawling on the Keyblade wielders.
"Sora! Aqua!" the creature exclaimed.
"Good to see you, Stitch," the master said.
"What are you doing here?" Sora asked. "I thought you were still in Radiant garden."
Aqua glanced at her apprentice in confusion. "Radiant Garden? When I met him, he lived on a space station. Though that was ten years ago."
Stitch jumped off Aqua's shoulder, landing on the sand. The creature kept smiling at them. "Not anymore. This home now."
"Ah, I see," Sora said.
The little girl walked up to them. "Who are these people, Stitch?"
"They're friends!" the creature informed her.
The girl smiled. "Oh, alright then. I'm Lilo."
"Nice to meet you," Aqua replied.
"How do you know, Stitch?" Sora asked.
Lilo petted the experiment. "I adopted him from a pet shop."
Sora smiled. "Oh, I see. You're lucky your owner lives here, Stitch. This place is amazing."
"It sure is!" a familiar voice exclaimed.
Shocked at the voice's tone, Sora whipped around. Upon seeing the man who said it, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Demyx?" the boy asked.
The man shook his head. "It's Emyd, now. And how's it going, man?"
Realizing he was friendly, Sora smiled. "Pretty good so far. And yourself?"
"I'm happier than ever!" Emyd declared. "After years of being a Nobody, I can finally feel emotions again."
Lilo and Stitch exchanged glances, not understanding what they meant by a Nobody. Emyd, on the other hand, almost drooled at the sight of Sora's companion. She had long blue hair, softly blowing in the breeze. Her body, meanwhile, was the best he'd ever seen. And her face was just gorgeous.
Trying to connect the dots, Emyd smirked at Sora. "So, is she your girlfriend?"
Aqua blushed, while Sora shook his head in denial.
"No!" he replied. "She's my Keyblade Master."
Calm again, Aqua warmly smiled. "My name's Aqua. Nice to meet you."
Emyd kept smirking at her. "You know, I can play the sitar pretty well. Most of the chicks here dig it."
Sora narrowed his eyes, wanting to make Emyd stop hitting on her. Wait a minute…why was he being so defensive of her? She could choose who to be with on her own, right? Maybe he just felt Emyd wasn't her type? Yeah, that had to be it. He couldn't possibly have feelings for someone so much older than him.
Aqua, on the other hand, had a confused expression. Yet she kept tried to smile anyway.
"That's nice, I guess," she said. "But I don't know what I sitar is."
Immediately gaping in shock, Emyd awkwardly scratched his head. "Oh…never mind then."
Behind the bluenette Keyblade Master, ten sniper Nobodies came out of thin air. Grimacing, Aqua summoned Rain Storm, while Sora took out Lionheart.
"We'll take care of them," the brunette stated. "Stitch, get Lilo to safety!"
Before the girl could react, the pet heaved her on his back, scurrying into the forest with her.
Just as Sora prepared to attack, Emyd ran beside him, taking out his sitar. "There's no way I'm missing out on the fun."
Sora smiled at his new ally, and dashed towards them. As they charged their lasers, the boy shielded himself with firaga, knocking one of them down while the rest evaded it.
Demyx smirked. "Fire…please! Water is much more effective!"
The blonde lifted his hands up, knocking the Nobodies into the air with pillars of water. Despite his claim, the creatures were unharmed, their tips glowing as red as an apple. But their lasers didn't fire first. Instead, bright bursts of light rammed into the Nobodies, knocking them against the fluid sand. Sora was smiling, knowing who fired it, but Emyd was confused. He whipped his head at Aqua, seeing the water mistress holding her Keyblade up.
Impressed, the blonde crossed his arms and smiled. "Great job, Aqua! You're skills are amazing."
She modestly shook her head. "Believe me, I'm not the best Keyblade fighter out there."
Sora chuckled. "Then who is?"
"Isn't an obvious?" a male voice called out.
Startled, the three closely studied their surroundings, trying to find the voice's source. Hearing a familiar noise, Emyd turned his head and saw a portal of darkness, blacker than the night, open up from the ground. The blonde's eyes widened at the figure who stepped out. The old ally's attire was different. He wasn't wearing a cloak of the organization, but now wore an indigo outfit with a crimson scarf wrapped around his neck. But the head was just like Emyd remembered it. A flaring yellow eye and eyepatch decorated his face, while his hair was the same as his Nobody's. Braig smiled at Aqua, the scars on his face bending. The Keyblade wielders glared at him.
The dark servant widened his eyes, putting his hand over his chest. "She's talking about her beloved Terra. It's so tragic that he isn't here anymore."
Aqua grinded her teeth at that comment, yet made no move to attack. The Keyblade Master wouldn't give into darkness…especially not at the amusement of this sick man. Emyd, smiled at Braig. Strangely, Sora felt hurt by that comment. As if he didn't WANT Terra to be her beloved. He mentally kicked himself. Aqua was over a decade older than him. There's no way they could be together, right? He wished Kairi were there.
"Xiggy, I see you're finally back," he said. "Or is it just Iggy now?"
Braig laughed. "No, the name's Braig now. And I'm guessing yours is Emyd?"
"I'm surprised you remembered my original name," he remarked.
"Of course!" Braig exclaimed. "After all, we were fairly close."
Emyd nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we were."
"How'd you like to work together again?" Braig asked.
Sora didn't like where this was going. From what he had seen of Emyd, he simply seemed like a guy who wanted a heart and normal life. But he didn't know that much about him. Maybe he joined the organization for other purposes like Xemnas and Xigbar's.
Not understanding his motives, Emyd narrowed his eyes. "Why? We have hearts now. That was our goal and we accomplished it."
"Actually, Emyd, some of the members like Xemnas and myself had other goals," he stated.
The water manipulator still didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"
Groaning, Braig slapped his head. "Do I have to spell this out? We wanted to do more than be complete. We wanted to rule the world!"
Emyd scratched his head. "Why would you want to do that?"
Braig, perplexed by how naïve Emyd was, nearly fell over. "Because I'm selfish and want to control other people. I want the power to change the world as I desire. That is what Xehanort and I are trying to achieve."
The blonde clenched his fists. "So Xehanort's back?"
The gray-haired man smirked. "That's right. And he needs your help."
Braig grimaced to see his former ally enter a fighting stance. Aqua and Sora smiled, glad that he had resisted the offer.
"Well he won't get it!" Emyd declared. "I never wanted to be evil like you guys! All I wanted was a heart! But I guess a control freak like you wouldn't understand that."
"You're right…" Braig admitted.
In a flash of darkness, he summoned his purple rifles, a small heart embedded on each of them. Demyx raised his hand, a swirl of water erupting from it. The liquid formed into a blue sitar. The Keyblade duo, ready to help, summoned their weapons from before. Noticing this, Braig snapped his fingers, causing a swirl of darkness to cover the area. When it faded, Aqua and Sora found themselves floating on a piece of sand, detached and seemingly miles away from the mainland.
"I don't understand why you'd choose OBLIVION!" he yelled.
Emyd became nervous, partially regretting he had picked a fight with Braig. Before he could react, the sniper teleported to a cliff jutting out from a large rock. The guns snapped together like two puzzle pieces, and the Nobody looked down the scope towards the blonde, his eye glowing with anticipation. As he tapped the trigger, bright crystals flew towards Emyd. The water warrior ran away, barely dodging the crystals every time. Just as one was about to take out his eye, Emyd encased himself in a dome of water, shielding himself from Braig's bullets. Yet Braig merely smiled, still keeping his composure.
"You clever boy," he said. "Looks like I'll have to step up the firepower."
In a split-second, the sharpshooter vanished into thin air. Puzzled, Emyd spun around, searching for his opponent. Seeing Braig behind him, the blonde gasped to see darkness swirling around the edge of the guns. A crystal as big as he was blasted into the shield, destroying it and indenting Emyd into the sand. Struggling to get up, the boy got to his feet just as Braig began another onslaught. He soared around the air in circles, firing shots at the blonde as he did. Emyd managed to outrun the attacks, but the trail of lasers was always just inches behind him. Surprisingly, Braig teleported in front of Emyd, and aimed his guns about a foot away from his face. The blonde stopped in his tracks, terrified of his inevitable fate. Smiling sadistically, Braig pulled the triggers.
And nothing happened. Raising an eyebrow, Braig knocked his weapons against each other, wondering if they were jammed. Then, he widened his eyes in realization. Emyd continued cautiously staring at him. The sniper smacked his head.
"Of course I have to reload NOW!" he yelled.
As the phrase left his mouth, the dark servant found himself submerged in water. He narrowed his eyes to see Emyd pushing the liquid, and Braig with it, against the cliff. He continued to smash his enemy against the rock, hoping he'd pass out eventually. But Braig was frustrated, not injured. After being hit against the cliff again, he disappeared in a flash. Wondering where he went, Emyd soon had his answers when the sound of guns clicking echoed from behind him. He whipped around, only to find Braig holding his rifle against his forehead. Before Braig could even touch the trigger, something hit his head and knocked him down. Rubbing his skull, the skilled shooter looked up in shock. A small figure fully covered in red and black armor was pointing the Oblivion Keyblade toward him. Braig narrowed his eyes in confusion, noticing that the suit was structurally identical to Ven's. Another person wearing blue armor landed next to him in a Keyblade Rider.
"It can't be…" he muttered.
Using his free hand, the boy took off his helmet, revealing his blue eyes and brown hair. Braig breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Sora.
"Whew, I thought I was in trouble there!" he exclaimed. "After all, if you were Ven, I'd be pretty worried. Good thing it's just you, kiddo."
Sora smirked confidently, his eyes narrowed. Now holding her Keyblade, Aqua took off her helmet, and had the same confident look. She knew her apprentice could easily handle him. Very few people were capable of taking on a Keyblade wielder.
"It really doesn't matter whether it's me or Ven," the Keyblade wielder claimed. "You can't beat either of us."
Strangely, Braig began to laugh. Sora's expression didn't fade. "As if! And talk about nostalgia. That's the same face he gave me when we worked together. He always was cocky…and evil too!"
The brunette nodded. "You're talking about Vanitas, right?"
Stunned, Braig simply gazed at him. And then he smirked. "So, you DO know about him? Not only that, but you even know his face."
Aqua didn't understand what they were talking about. Was Braig implying that Vanitas looked like Sora? Or was he talking about the expression in general?
"Sora…what's he talking about?"
The pupil turned his head toward her for a moment, unsure of if he should tell her. Seizing the opportunity, Braig sunk into the ground in a pool of darkness. Aqua casted a fire spell toward him, but it only hit the sand.
Emyd shook his head. "What a wacko. I thought Xiggy was a nice guy. Guess I was way off."
"Forget about him," Aqua told them. "We'll finish him later. Right now, we have to find Lilo and Stitch. I think they ran in the forest."
As she began to walk towards the dense field of trees, Emyd blocked her path.
"You mind if I come along?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Not at all. Thanks."
Panting and out of breath, Stitch and Lilo lied down on the hard floor of the forest.
"I think we're safe here," Lilo said.
Stitch nodded, and noticed something moving in the bushes. Looking more closely, he saw a shadow running towards Lilo from behind. Panicking, Stitch ripped off a tree branch and threw it at the creature. It directly it the monster, instantly destroying the creature, but it also swung against Lilo's head, knocking the girl down on her face. Filled with guilt and fear, Stitch rushed over to her.
"Lilo!" he cried out.
The girl moaned a bit. No matter how much the creature shook her, she wouldn't open her eyes or move. Stitch, realized she was unconscious. His ears hung low, and he sat on the ground.
"What have I done?" he asked himself.
Who was Stitch kidding? He was experiment 626, a creature DESIGNED for destruction. Yet he didn't want to be that anymore. He wanted to be kind…peaceful…normal. But, he was starting to realize he couldn't be that.
Hearing more noise coming from the bush, Stitch turned around. Two creatures, one with four eyes and the other only having one, crawled out. Stitch completely recognized the one with extra eyes.
"Jumba," he said.
The scientist smiled. "Ah, so you DO remember me, experiment 626."
The creature nodded, and looked at his associate.
"Oh, this is Pleakley, a galactic officer," Jumba explained. "We're here to bring you home, 626."
"But, Stitch IS home," he said.
Pleakley crossed his arms. "Why would anyone want to make THIS planet their home?"
Stitch growled, easily intimidating Pleakley. His creator Jumba then noticed the girl next to him.
"Ah, I think I understand," the scientist said. "You've bonded with this girl, haven't you?"
Stitch shook his head vertically. "She's y friend...my family."
Jumba widened his eyes. "I see. What happened to her, anyway?"
The dog-like creature twiddled his thumbs. "I accidentally hurt her."
The genius wrapped an arm around Stitch. "Don't you see? This is why you cannot have family. You only cause destruction."
"Who would want something like that in their family?" Pleakley asked.
The experiment sadly nodded, thinking they were right. "Stitch will go with you."
Jumba smiled, only to have it fade at the sound of a gun clicking.
"No you won't," a deep voice said.
The three turned around to see a whale-like creature standing on two legs, aiming a brightly colored pistol.
Stitch snarled. "Gantu!"
The soldier began blasting nets at the creature, but it dodged all of them. Instead, the captain only ended up capturing Pleakley and Jumba. Dashing into the forest, Stitch easily escaped. Gantu growled.
"That little runt," he muttered. "I may not have the abomination, but I did have other orders…"
He turned to the two captured aliens. "You two are coming with me."
"What is the meaning of this?" Jumba yelled.
The whale-man hauled them over his back. "I'm under specific orders from to bring both you and the experiment back. I've already been demoted once. I will not lose my rank again!"
Once the captain had disappeared into the woods, a black car pulled into the clear. A large and well-built man wearing sunglasses stepped out of the car, looking at Lilo with pity.
"Poor girl," he muttered.
Softly placing her in his car, the man quickly drove away.
When he had journeyed throughout the worlds, Riku noticed how strange some of their structures were. A perfect example was Yen Sid's tower, sitting on a piece of land that magically floated in the air. He and Mickey calmly approached the building, the boy examining the surroundings as they did. Although he had been hiding it, Riku was wondering how Sora was doing. The silver-haired warrior wondered how his friend's power compared with Aqua's. Back in Twilight Town, he said that Aqua was stronger than Sora. But now, he wasn't sure. At first sight, the girl didn't LOOK that strong. Looks could be deceiving though. Sora appeared to be a scrawny kid, but he was a formidable foe with his Keyblade.
"So I'm guessing he stays in that tower?" the human asked.
The mouse nodded. "Yep. It's been his home for most of his life."
"Mickey…how powerful is Aqua?" the boy asked.
The Keyblade Master looked up in surprise. He hadn't expected a question like that. In fact, Riku didn't seem to talk about Aqua much.
"She's an incredible warrior," he remarked. "Much stronger than I'll ever be."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yep," he said. "And she's amazing with magic. Almost better than Master Yen Sid."
The boy crossed his arms. "I guess I should have shown more respect toward her."
He felt a gloved hand rest on his shoulder, and glanced down to see Mickey smiling at him. "It's okay. She's a nice person. I doubt she'll hold it against you."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," he agreed.
Riku noticed cuts and gashes engraved in the tower's door. He smirked at his friend. "Looks like you had a few training accidents."
Mickey shook his head. "Nope. I've never even seen those before."
The pair's confusion only grew when six dragoons popped out of nothingness.
"We'll each take three," Riku said.
Mickey ran toward the group in front of them, his golden Keyblade clashing against their white spears. With a quick twirl of his hand, the King disarmed one opponent, and rolled under him as the other two slashed towards him. Instead of hitting the midget, they cut their Nobody ally, making him fade away. Standing up in his fighting stance, Mickey aimed his Keyblade, bombarding the pair with blinding orbs of light. Their bodies and spears fell next to each other, quickly vanishing in darkness.
Riku calmly stood in the middle of his three enemies. After a moment of immobility, one dragoon charged at him, spinning its spears. Riku summoned a shield of darkness, knocking it back. While the shield was still up, a Nobody behind him dashed toward the boy, aiming for his neck. Riku turned in time to block the spear with his Way to Dawn Keyblade, and pressed past the weapon to stab the creature's head. The monster fell, and the other two shot their spears toward the boy. Widening his eyes, Riku slammed on to the floor, barely avoiding them. He stood up, a faint black aura around him. Holding out his hands, Riku shot two dark firagas at the monsters, directly hitting each of them. The fire consumed them before they could even fade away.
The boy's associate ran next to him. "Great job, Riku! Now we have to get into that tower. Yen Sid could be in serious trouble."
As Mickey ran towards the tower, Riku promptly followed. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that the wizard wasn't there.
Holding a broom, Nani nervously waited in front of the door. At any moment, those creatures could come in and attack her. But she wasn't going down without a fight. Suddenly, something knocked at the door.
"Get away!" she yelled. "There's no way you're getting in!"
She regretted that statement as something began kicking the door, slowly breaking it apart. Finally, a huge leg smashed through the upper half of the entrance. Expecting a monster, the woman widened her eyes in shock to see a large man in a suit and sunglasses.
"A-Agent Cobra!" Nani stuttered.
Still silent, he pushed the furniture away and climbed in. "I see you've done some redecorating."
Nani shook her head. "It's not what it looks like. This man showed up and these-"
"I could care less about why you're locked up in this room," he stated. "But while you were in here, Lilo was out there, passed out in the forest."
He held up his arms, revealing the girl. Nearly crying, Nani grabbed her baby sister.
"Lilo…" she softly spoke.
Cobra kept staring at her. "I'll come tomorrow to take Lilo away. Clearly you're not responsible enough to be left in charge of her. Hopefully we'll find someone who IS."
The man left, and Nani sat down, crying as she held Lilo. Slowly fluttering her eyes, Lilo woke up.
"Nani?" she asked in confusion.
"Lilo!" her sister exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're not hurt. You have to stop going out there like that!"
The young girl frowned. "I'm sorry, Nani."
The woman sighed. "It doesn't matter. Cobra doesn't think I'm fit to be a guardian, so he's going to come tomorrow to take you to a more suitable one."
"WHAT?" Lilo screamed. "No! I don't WANT to leave! I want to stay here, with you and Stitch!"
Her eyes somehow grew even wider. "STITCH! I forgot about him! He's out there in the jungle still. We need to help him, Nani!"
The woman nodded. "Okay, fine."
The girls ran out of their house, only to find two small black creatures attacking Cobra and his car. The vehicle already looked destroyed, with the front completely ripped off and its engine heavily scratched.
"Get away you beasts!" he yelled.
He kicked them both at full force, turning them into black wisps. The girls rushed next to him.
"What WERE those things?" Nani yelled.
"They're called the Heartless," he informed them. "They're evil creatures of darkness. I never thought I'd see them again."
"Quick, we have to find Stitch!" Lilo exclaimed.
Cobra raised an eyebrow. "Who's Stitch?"
As Lilo opened her mouth to answer, she heard gun fire in the distance. Turning her head, the girl saw Stitch running from something. A gray monster with two bags hanging over his back came out from behind the tree, his eyes angry. After dodging one of his green laser blasts, the experiment quickly turned on his heels and dashed into the forest.
"Get back here you abomination!" Gantu commanded.
As he followed Stitch, Lilo did likewise, with Cobra and Nani running behind her.
Sweating from the heat and exercise, Aqua felt beads of water slide off her forehead as she finished off the hundredth Nobody she had encountered.
"Man, these things ARE tough."
Sora was laying on the ground, panting from exhaustion. "I can't believe how many of these things there are. And the heat doesn't help."
Emyd ignored the sweat, easily used to how hot the islands could get. "Trust me, this isn't hot compared to how high the temperature is most of the time."
A few yards away, Aqua saw Stitch sprinting through the bushes. She widened her eyes at the sight of his pursuer.
"Gantu," she muttered.
Emyd raised an eyebrow? "What's that, Aqua?"
She glanced toward the other two. "Quick, follow me! I just saw Stitch."
The three went into the woods, barely cutting off Lilo, Nani and Cobra. Sora glanced at the girl, smiling.
"Don't worry, Lilo!" he assured her. "We'll find him."
Even with that promise, Lilo kept running, as did the two adults behind her.
Stitch was relieved to find himself on the beach. He turned around, and cocked his head to see a mob of people rushing towards him. Gantu stopped in front of the pet, smiling. Yet his confidence withered into rage when Aqua stepped between them.
"Gantu," she said.
"Get us out of here!" Pleakley begged from inside the net.
Aqua looked at the voice's source in shock. Gantu was KIDNAPPING people?
"Shut up!" the captain ordered.
"Let those captives go, Gantu!" the girl demanded.
The beast growled. "Stay out of this, girl! This doesn't concern you."
She summoned Rain Storm without hesitation, glancing at Stitch for a moment. "When you're trying to hurt my friend, it's obviously my concern!"
"I wouldn't worry about him too much," a man yelled out.
At first curious as to where the voice came from, Aqua became angry at the sight of Braig floating in midair. Her hand tightened around the Keyblade, as if she was trying to snap it in half. But she couldn't help herself. The man simply infuriated her. And she had to be on guard with him. His teleporting powers made him an unpredictable foe.
"Sorry, but I can't let you team up on this poor guy," Braig ordered. "He needs a bit of backup."
And then she heard it. A portal of darkness was opening. She turned to see who it was, and gasped at the sight. A hooded man stepped out, his back slightly hunched.
Sora raised an eyebrow. "An Organization member? It can't be."
Aqua kept her gaze locked. It couldn't be him. There was no way. And as if the coat wasn't evidence enough, the man took out two blue blades, each rather small and easily fitting in his hands.
"This…this isn't possible!" Aqua yelled.
Sora looked at her in confusion. "Aqua, what's wrong?"
She glared at the humans nearby. "You three have to leave here! Get somewhere safe!"
As she panicked, Sora was growing fearful too. Why was she so scared of this person? How powerful could he be? And…were his eyes deceiving him…or was this man SMILING underneath his hood.
"Hello there, Master Aqua," he greeted in a raspy voice. "It's good to see you again."
Again. As clear as a cloudless sky, Aqua could remember their first encounter.
Holding Ven on her back, Aqua looked in horror at her ruined world. The castle was destroyed, and a huge chunk of land was broken off. Seeing Eraqus's Keyblade, she sadly picked it up. And tears poured from her eyes, for the black weapon was proof that her master had fallen. But she wouldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe that the WHOLE world was destroyed. There was one spot she wanted to see. Walking for what seemed like miles in the mountains, Aqua finally smiled. The courtyard, where she, Terra, and Ven hung out for most of their time together, was still intact. She laid Ven down next to the small bridge.
"I'll be right back," she said, as if he could somehow hear her.
Walking over the tiny stream, Aqua happily approached her benches. But her joy turned into suspicion upon seeing a man in black. He was just standing there, like he was waiting for something. Slowly, he turned around, his arms crossed behind his back. And something about him terrified her. As if, this man had no emotion, no heart. As if he were the embodiment of emptiness.
"I thought you'd come here," he said.
She twitched, not expecting his voice to be so raspy. He sounded very old. And somehow…very familiar. Like she had heard that voice somewhere before.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"An empty vessel," he responded.
She glared at him. "I wasn't asking WHAT. Tell me your name."
He lowered his hands. "My name…my true name…belongs to someone else now."
"Stop talking in riddles!" she yelled.
He sighed. "You don't know how lucky you have it. You actually have a heart."
She narrowed her eyes. "W-What?"
He raised a lone hand. "And to be complete, I need to take it from you. You're too much of a threat anyway."
In a burst of electricity, glowing blue blades appeared in his hands out of small orbs of darkness.
The girl narrowed her eyes, summoning Rain Storm. "Fine. If you want a fight, then let's get it over with!"
Silent, the man dashed at her. Aqua widened her eyes. He was so swift! How could anyone run that fast? As she formed her reflect shield, the bluenette found that his hands were as quick as his feet. The unknown swung his blades in so many directions that the movements became a blur. Her shield was cracking, and within seconds it broke. She gasped in shock. Her opponents rarely broke her reflect shield, especially with a mere melee attack.
The buzz of his blades snapped her out of that thought process. She barely avoided them and cart-wheeled back. Aiming his hands at her, the Nobody blasted a bright beam at her. It bended, attaching itself to her waist. Suddenly, Aqua felt herself floating off the ground. A mysterious force threw her into the air, and she was suspended in place. She looked to the right in horror, as the opponent began slashing her side. Crying out in pain, Aqua smashed her Keyblade against his head, knocking him down and stopping the mysterious force. The Keyblade Master's butt made contact with the grass. She stood up, quickly casting curaga on herself. She gritted her teeth as the enemy quickly leapt to his feet. As he ran toward her, his blades began rotating, until they turned into cerulean blurs.
Tired of being defensive, Aqua held up her Keyblade, entering her ghost drive command style, her body faintly giving off a white aura. If this guy was gonna use speed, she may as well use it too. Aqua's movements became faded. As she ran, duplicate still images of herself were left behind. She started running around the figure, disorienting him. Choosing the moment to strike, Aqua quickly stabbed his back with her Keyblade.
The man groaned, but his stance didn't falter. And Aqua wasn't finished. She circled around him again. The man, threw out his blade, hoping she would run into it. But just before she made contact, the Keyblade warrior stopped in place, raising her Keyblade high and creating a huge explosion from underneath the warrior.
He flew into the air, falling towards the hard ground. Yet he landed on his feet. Aqua was stunned. How could he have the endurance to survive that?
There wasn't time to ponder over it though. The man was crouching, entering his battle stance yet again. But as tired as she felt, Aqua wouldn't give up. She had to deal with this man and bring Ven back to the castle. The man raised his hands, and Aqua readied her own graviga spell to counter his gravity manipulation. But her feet never left the ground. Though she heard something cracking. Turning around, she fearfully saw a large rock tipping towards her. Sprinting out of the way, Aqua barely made it past the structure.
She turned around, glaring at the enigma. But he wasn't interested in the staring contest. In fact, he was already running towards her, just a few yards away and prepared to slicer her head in half. He swung one blade, and she knocked it out of his hand. The weapon fell into the water. Without hesitation, the man swung his other blade towards her, only to have the girl block it with her Keyblade. The two pressed their weapons against each other, neither one gaining the edge. Aqua focused on his face, trying to see who he was. But the upper half was concealed. All she could see was a white goatee, though underneath the hood's darkness, it was hard to say whether it was gray or white.
Still silent, the man thrusted his unarmed hand toward her, knocking the wind out of her with some sort of gravitational force. She slid back, her body falling off the cliff. But at the last second, she dug her Keyblade into the rock. Using it as a lever, she flipped into the air and landed back on the grass.
Fed up, Aqua aimed her metallic weapon at him. She glanced at his disarmed blade, and returned her attention to him.
"Aren't you going to get that?" she taunted.
If he made the slightest move, she'd attack him on the spot.
Shrugging, the cloaked man held out his hand, and using some invisible force, reeled the blade back into his hand.
She grimaced. "Figures."
Strangely, he put away the weapons. Aqua, seeing that he no longer wished to battle, did likewise.
"Well done!" he commended her.
But the compliment didn't mean anything. In fact, the words felt hollow…emotionless even.
"I've changed my mind," he stated. "If you escaped Xehanort's grasp, then that's his problem. Besides, it would be a waste to eliminate your talent. I don't need a heart anyway."
He glanced over at Ven, whose presence he was aware of the entire time. "After all, if I started to become attached to weaklings like him, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
She growled. "How DARE you call him a weakling? How could you even know his strength?"
"Because I've known him before," he explained. "When I was…a different man."
Darkness entirely shrouded him, and the figure disappeared without a trace. She put away her Keyblade. The physical encounter was over, but her mental struggle continued. Who was that man…and why did it seem like she met him before?
The bluenette kept staring at him. "So, you want a rematch?"
He chuckled. "Rematch? Dear girl, our battle never really ended. A true fight doesn't end until there's a victor, and I'd say our duel was a tie."
Sora clenched his fist. "I'll help you, Aqua. This guy is getting on my nerves."
She shook her head. "No. You, Emyd, and Stitch have to focus on Gantu and free those captives. I'll deal with him myself."
"Ding-ding-ding!" Braig exclaimed. "Round 1, begin!"
With that, the sniper disappeared into darkness. Aqua and the mysterious enemy dashed towards each other, their blades colliding. Meanwhile, Stitch and Sora ran towards Gantu. The brunette stopped, realizing that Emyd wasn't following them.
"Hey, aren't you coming?" the boy asked.
The blonde shook his head. "Sorry, I'm too wiped out from fighting all those Nobodies."
Nodding with understanding, Sora focused on the whale creature. He sprinted towards Gantu, easily blocking his blasts with quick reflect spells. The boy cast a thunder spell, striking the whale on its head.
"Ah! Why you-" the soldier said.
Before he could finish, Sora continued casting his electricity spell, until the creature was lying on the ground. Panting, Sora sat down.
"Whew!" he exclaimed. "He doesn't go down easy."
Disappointing the boy, Gantu stood back up. His eyes became turquoise slits.
"You'll pay for that, child!" the alien declared.
As he raise his hand, he found his blaster gone.
"What?" he asked in puzzlement.
"Hey Gantu!" a voice called out.
His eyes still filled with shock, Gantu whipped around. Stitch was holding Gantu's blaster, aiming it at him.
"Take this!" the creature explaining.
The dog-like being started firing a barrage of lasers. The captain tried to avoid them, but he was too big. The majority of the shots hit him, knocking him down as steam poured off the burned parts of his skin. Sora gave Stitch a high five, both of them smiling.
"Nice job!" the brunette exclaimed.
Holding off on the celebration, the two focused on Aqua. Their movements were as fast as lightning, and their clashes as loud as thunder. All the boy could do was watch in awe at his master fight him. Suddenly, something was wrong. Aqua found herself floating ten feet off the ground after missing a strike. Flailing her arms and legs, the girl struggled to get down, but it was futile.
Smiling, the opponent pointed his hands away from her and toward the sea. Realizing what he was attempting, the bluenette cast graviga on herself, trying to push herself in the opposite direction. But it was futile. Even for a master of magic like herself, Aqua's manipulation of gravity was far exceeded by his.
As he lowered his hands, the girl flew into the water, head first. She held her breath, refusing to drown. But she'd need air eventually, and when she did, her death would finally come. A joke about not having gills came to mind, but he didn't say it. He didn't really taunt his opponents.
His smile turned upside down when something stabbed his side. Aqua, free of the spell, emerged from the water and swam back to the shore. The Nobody crouched down, gazing up to see Sora holding his Oblivion Keyblade. He stood up, glaring at the boy. Yet his face was still hidden. They didn't see the rage in his eyes or the cruel expression forming at the front of his head. But these emotions weren't real. They were all fake, just like any Nobody's. Yet the question remained: how could he allow such an insignificant pest injure him?
"You'll pay for that, boy," he warned.
Hearing the sound of metal boots, he glanced left and saw Aqua stepping next to Sora. Rather than raise his weapon, the man opened a portal of darkness.
"It looks like we'll have to settle this later," he remarked. "I'd rather not hurt the boy. He's still part of Xehanort's plan."
"Xehanort?" Sora asked. "Where is he?"
"Calm down," the elder said. "You'll run into him eventually."
Aqua wasn't even angry anymore. She just felt…confused. This man knew Xehanort and seemed so familiar, yet she couldn't figure out who he was. She needed another clue. A name, a face, something that could further indicate his true identity.
"I'll ask once more," she said. "Who are you?"
"Sinarem," the man stated. "That's the name I go by now."
Aqua and Sora didn't attack. They simply stood there, and remained ready to strike until he disappeared in darkness. When he was gone, the two reunited with Stitch, and saw the humans come out from the bushes.
Nani pointed to their weapons. "What are THOSE anyway?"
"These are Keyblades," Sora answered. "They're like swords, except they have special powers. Like the ability to protect worlds from these monsters called the Heartless."
Suddenly, the group heard an engine roaring, and turned to see an alien spacecraft landing on the water. Out of it stepped two aliens resembling dinosaurs. In between them, a tall, blue alien with a large forehead stepped forward. When Aqua recognized her, a smile formed on her lips.
"Grand councilwoman," Aqua greeted. "It's been a long time."
"It certainly has, Aqua," the alien agreed. "And you've fully grown."
"Uh, a little help over here?" a voice cried out from one of the nets.
"Pleakley?" the female alien asked. "Is that you?"
"Yes, and I'm claustrophobic, so I'd appreciate it if you let me out!" he complained.
The alien leader motioned toward the nets, and her two soldiers freed Jumba and Pleakley.
She glared down at Captain Gantu, who was groaning as he struggled to get up.
"Captain, for failing your mission and disobeying my orders about peacefully securing Pleakley and Jumba, you are stripped of your rank," she decreed.
The whale-like creature sighed. "Fine. I was sick of chasing this abomination. I'm fine with being a lieutenant."
"Corporal," the woman corrected.
"C-Corporal?" he yelled. "B-But why?
"Because you made two errors in your mission," she explained.
The alien groaned, lying down on the sand. Aqua and Sora tried not to giggle at the creature's discomfort. As the woman approached them, their expressions turned serious. But she didn't step up to them. Instead, she approached Stitch.
"You've been gone a long time, experiment 626," she said.
Guiltily, the creature nodded.
"You are a dangerous being," she said. "If left unchecked, you could devastated entire worlds."
His ears lowered at that comment. Stitch hated being reminded of his destructive nature.
"But," the woman said. "From all reports I've gathered, you've been fighting the Heartless and other cruel beings of darkness. For that, you have my thanks."
Stitch smiled, glad she appreciated him for something.
"Thus, I'd like to welcome you back, as a soldier in my organization: the United Intergalactic Federation," she offered.
"Thanks, but Stitch isn't interested," the dog-like being politely declined.
She blinked twice, wondering if she heard him wrong. "W-What? Why not?"
The pet walked over to Lilo, holding the girl's hand. With his other paw, he held Nani's. All three of them were genuinely smiling, happier than they had ever been.
"This is my Ohana," he told her.
"Ohana?" she inquired.
He smirked, realizing the woman didn't understand. "Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten."
Expressionless, the alien nodded. And surprisingly, she grinned a bit. The experiment everyone was afraid…the creature that could threaten entire worlds…just wanted a family. "I see. In that case, I will let you stay here, as long as your family ensures you stay out of trouble."
"They will," Cobra announced.
Nani raised an eyebrow. "They?"
"I misjudged you," he admitted. "I didn't realize the Heartless or the other strange beings were involved with this. That completely changes the situation. You can keep taking care of Lilo. Though I'll be checking on you guys monthly."
She held back her tears. "Thank you so much, Agent Cobra."
Sora and Aqua couldn't help but look at the happy scene.
"Looks like everything worked out," he said. "Everyone's okay now."
Hearing the roar of engines again, Sora turned to see the ship zip into the air and vanish within seconds. When he lowered his gaze to the beach, he noticed something in the distance. A body…a girl actually, was lying on the sand. Sprinting towards her, he turned the woman over to get a better look. But just from the clothes, he already knew who it was. The face confirmed his fearful suspicion though. It was Kairi, wearing her trademark pink outfit.
"No," he said to himself. "Kairi, get up!"
Disoriented and tired, a redhead girl fluttered open her eyes. She found herself in an unfamiliar room, yet the plants outside resembled those of the island. She rubbed her head, trying to remember what had happen. Then it hit her. She remembered everything. Fighting the Heartless, trying to save Selphie, falling into darkness…but how did she end up HERE? Where was she anyway?
"Kairi!" a cheerful voice exclaimed. Rotating her head, Kairi smiled to see Sora standing in front of the couch.
"Sora," she said. The two sat on the couch and embraced each other.
He broke the hug, still looking worried.
"What happened?" he asked. "Why are you here?"
"I'm sorry, Sora," she apologized. "The Heartless showed up on the island, and they attacked everyone. I tried to save the islands, but just couldn't do it."
No longer looking at the floor, Kairi raised her head. Sora lowered his eyelids, taking in what was happening. Suddenly, Kairi saw a woman put her hand on Sora's shoulder.
"I know how it hurts, Sora," she said. "My homeworld was destroyed by darkness too."
Kairi felt a strange vibe from this woman. Like she knew her from somewhere. In her heart, she felt they shared a connection. Yet she suspiciously narrowed her gaze anyway. "I'm sorry, but, have we met?"
Aqua chuckled. "Well, once, a very long time ago. My name's Aqua. I'm a Keyblade Master. You sure have grown, Kairi."
Before she could ask how they met, the teenager immediately remembered her.
"I-I met you in Radiant Garden," she remarked.
Aqua nodded. "That's right."
Sighing, Sora raised his head. "I don't understand. How did the islands fall to darkness?"
"Well, I was trying to save Selphie from Maleficent, but ended up unlocking the door to our world's heart," the redhead said.
"YOU WHAT?" Sora yelled.
"It was an accident, Sora!" the girl exclaimed. "Besides, you guys didn't even lock the door before you left. I had to do it."
"Oh great," the boy snidely said. "You lock the door, and then you unlock it! That makes sense!"
Kairi gaped at him. Why was he so angry? "Sora, if you locked it in the first place, we wouldn't even have this problem!"
"Yes we would!" he snapped. "Don't you understand? Even if I locked it, you would have still unlocked it anyway. Come on, Kairi! What possessed you to do that?"
"I told you, Selphie was in trouble," she explained. "I thought Maleficent was hiding her behind the door."
"How could she if the door was LOCKED to begin with?" the boy screamed.
Kairi stopped talking. She couldn't come up with an answer. "I screwed up, okay. I didn't WANT the islands to be destroyed. And why did you leave me behind in the first place?"
"Because, I had to save these people," the wielder said. "Aqua's alright, but her friends are still in trouble!"
"But why do YOU have to do it?" Kairi inquired. "You're not the only one the Keyblade chose. Why couldn't Riku go on this quest instead? Why did it have to be you?"
"Riku DID go on this quest!" Sora exclaimed.
"Well why couldn't I?" Kairi asked.
Sora gritted his teeth. "Because, I thought you'd be in danger if you did!"
She groaned. "Well I was in danger ANYWAY! I was almost destroyed by the Heartless and Maleficent. Do you even care about me, Sora?"
"Of course I do!" he protested.
"Then why do you always leave me behind?" she asked. "Why do you leave me on a world that's in danger without you there protecting it? Don't you understand that I'm safer when you're with me?"
"You wouldn't be any safer traveling with me, Kairi," he argued.
"That's completely false!" she yelled. "Traveling with you would mean I have a Keyblade wielder's protection. The Keyblade…the thing that Heartless fear most!"
"And what attracts them most!" he countered. "What if during one of our battles, a Heartless got past me and hurt you?"
"I can defend myself," Kairi said. "I'd just destroy it."
He crossed his arms, smirking. "Then why do you need me to guard you in the first place?"
"Because you're stronger than me," she admitted. "And it's not just that. I want to actually BE with you, Sora. What kind of boyfriend ditches his girlfriend a few days after they start dating?"
Sora glared. "The kind of boyfriend who's trying to save the world. Remember those two bad guys with white hair, Kairi? Well the guy who they originally were, Xehanort, is BACK! I need to protect these worlds from him. All those lives are equally important."
"Both of you calm down!" Aqua demanded.
Silent, the teenagers looked at her.
"You're going to wake up Nani and Lilo if you keep jabbering like this!" she explained.
Kairi felt her eyes get watery as she looked at her boyfriend. "So, I don't mean more to you than anyone else?"
"No, that's not what I meant!" he said. "You do mean a lot, but I have to focus on other people right now. Argh, why are you making this so complicated?"
"Well if it's that complicated for you, let's just end it," Kairi said.
Aqua nearly gaped. Sora's face grew sad. "Kairi…I…I didn't mean that."
"I know," she said. "But it's for the best."
He swallowed his sorrow. "Fine. Have it your way. This relationship is finished."
Once he was out of sight, Kairi buried her head in her pillow, tears streaking her face. Sitting next to her, Aqua softly held the girl.
"I thought I loved him, Aqua," she sobbed. "But I just don't know anymore."
"I understand what you're saying, Kairi," the woman answered. "I've been confused about this emotion too."
Lifting her head up, Kairi's eyes were filled with fierce determination. "I need to grow stronger. Teach me what you know about the Keyblade."
Aqua raised her eyebrows. She was gonna have TWO apprentices? Then again, Eraqus had three. How tough could handling two be, even if they were friends now on bad terms.
"Very well then," the bluenette said. "Kneel, please."
Kairi went on her knees, the tears slowly stopping.
Sighing, Sora gazed out into the stars. He felt bad for yelling at Kairi. It wasn't her fault that the island had been destroyed. She didn't fill it with darkness. That hag Maleficent was the cause. Strangely, he noticed something in the sky. A bright star was dimming. Suddenly, it was gone.
"The stars are going out," he said to himself. "So the worlds are already falling to darkness."
But he couldn't let this one be destroyed. He leaned against the railing, trying to think of where the Keyhole might be. Then, he noticed the house's door. It's keyhole seemed to contrast with the doorknob, as if it wasn't supposed to be there. Taking a chance, Sora blasted a beam of light into the opening. It made a locking sound, indicating that he had indeed sealed it.
Suddenly, the two girls emerged from the door. Sora guiltily looked at Kairi.
"Kairi, I feel terrible about what I said," he said. "I didn't mean to yell at you. It wasn't your fault for what happened to our home. Maleficent filled it with darkness, not you."
The girl nodded. "Thanks. And I'm sorry about what I said too. I shouldn't have been so harsh."
He extended his hand. "Friends?"
The girl smiled, accepting the gesture. "Friends."
Sora turned to Aqua. "So, what should we do with her?"
"Oh, don't worry," the bluenette assured him. "She's coming with us?"
He stared in disbelief. "What?"
Then he noticed what was on her shoulder. A purple piece of armor, similar to Aqua's. Smashing it with her hand, a bright light enveloped Kairi, replacing her appearance with that of an armored purple suit. The body was similar to Aqua's, as was the helmet. Except Kairi's leggings had less armor, and her helmet's two prongs were curved horizontally rather than vertically. She summoned a black Keyblade, the same one Sora had seen Aqua once use when he found her.
"How?" Sora asked.
"I wasn't sure if it would work, but my master's Keyblade accepted Kairi as its new owner," the woman announced. "And, using a simple magic spell, I altered my master's armor so that it would be more colorful and fit her shoulder. The Keyblade also has the ability to summon its counterpart armor. So even though it's all the way in Castle Oblivion, I brought it here using his weapon."
Sora felt a bit uneasy about this. He was teenage with hormones, and now he was gonna be traveling with two attractive girls all the time. Deep in his gut, he knew he'd start having temptation. But he hid all this preoccupation behind a smile. For now, things were peaceful, and he should be thankful for that.
