March 02, 2020:

Author notes:

Hello, everyone! Hope you are doing GREAT!

Well, I'm back from my one week of break and... it was great. I managed to advance some of my fanfic, and feel like I dont need another break in a few months.

...I hope...

Anyway, we're back with this new chapter. This will be a 'chill' chapter, as no action will happen, so relax and all that good stuff.

So, for this chapter's soundtrack:

-Destati (Kingdom Hearts III Soundtrack)-

-Always on my Mind (Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Soundtrack)-

-Canard (.hack G.U. Soundtrack)-

-Awakened Forest (Final Fantasy IX Soundtrack)-

-Sora Theme (Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Soundtrack)-

-Jikai Yokoku (Digimon Tamers Soundtrack)-

I suggest you search for the 'Extended' versions, as the short ones last only a minute or so. Either that, or put them into a loop.

Well, hope you like it :3


Chapter 16: A night of reflection.

-Location: ?-

-Music: Destati (Kingdom Hearts III Soundtrack)-

Darkness… he was floating in darkness… a normal feeling for him now, as he has been in that position for a while. Alan was floating, slowly descending into the pillar that contain that stained glass picture in the floor. He has been here for a while, so he wasn't surprised of this.

However, this was different… as he was completely alone.

He walked around the pillar, and then went into the borders, trying to see around him, but it was only complete darkness everywhere he looked.

Suddently, he turned, and saw in the middle of the circle… a mirror.

He slowly approached it and saw his reflection… or lack thereof, as it didn't show anything. However, when he touched it, he saw an image in there, warping slowly into a figure.

However, the reflection he saw was of himself… as a woman…


Suddently, he opened his eyes, and saw a wooden roof over his head. He slowly got up, and remembered he was back at the Kuriboh Village. He looked around and saw he was alone, and remembered he asked for a room for himself, so he got up and went into the window, to look outside and clear his mind.

It's been a few hours since they returned from the Water Temple, and they arrived at night. Thanks to the spells of Sapphire, they managed to return faster to the village, as they 'surfed' on the water to get back. As they arrived at night and were tired, they said that they will have a conversation on the morning, to see what they should do now. It was probably around 1 A.M. in the morning, as Alan went to sleep immediately.

However, since they left the water crystal, Alan was in deep though, especially since he saw all of his companions turned into flame beings for a second at least 2 more times during their return. Because he was silent for the most time, everyone was getting worried he was getting sick, but when they arrived at Kuribohria, he requested a room alone. When Duncan asked if he was ok, Alan just answered that he need to think about something, and left them.

And now he was there, looking at the stars, seeing the 2 moons in the horizon, the red and the blue one, thinking the yellow one probably will be on the other side of the planet.

He sighed again.

"That dream… again…"

He has been having a strange dream for the last week, probably since he made contact with the Osiris Card. It was the third time on the week, and in all the same happen: he was alone, in a dark place inside his heart, where the pillar of his Dive into the Heart resides. A mirror appeared and in there, he saw himself… as a woman.

The girl he saw in the mirror looked so much like him, although shorter. She wasn't his sister, as she was different, and something inside his heart told him it was himself. Maybe another life? Another Side? Another Story?

Whatever it was, he knew she wasn't his sister, nor anyone in his family. She was him… SOMETHING told him that… but what?

Whatever that dream meant, he'll find it later. One thing was for sure, though.

… that girl was really cute… and busty.

"Her's are probably as big as Kristal's." Said Alan to himself, chuckling a little. "If she was myself from another universe… I made a good looking girl."

He though on her for a few more seconds, before his mind drifted again to the events happening a few hours ago.

First, Reed was ok… but he was evil… or at least he was being possessed by something. At least he knows he was ok but… his fight with him left him uneasy. Reed telling to Alan that he was actually controlled by demons was absurd… but at the same time, it kind of make sense. All of the things this world, their story and people… it sounds like something designed for him, to be a hero, to be someone important.

…someone he wasn't in his world.

During the heat of battle, Alan was convinced Reed was lying and was being possessed by Exus in some way. And yet, what he said makes sense. What if he was trapped in an illusion by Chaos? What if Kristal, Duncan, Vivian, Sapphire, Steve, the Kuriboh and everyone else were a lie fabricated by his possessed brain? What if they are demons?

He shook his head. No, he was convinced they weren't. His heart told him so. But these flashes of fire beings confused him to no end, and make him think twice.

Still, Alan was no fool. He has already though how weird is that he started to see his friends as 'demons' after Reed told him that, so he was calling foul play in this. And yet, Alan was very superstitious and paranoid, so he couldn't shake the feeling that what Reed said was real, even though part of him was sure it wasn't. He need to think more of it.

If this quest is real… they are losing. The destruction of the fourth crystal put them in serious problems, especially now that Exus can at least project himself out of the seal.

Speaking of Exus… holy shit! He still can't feel energy, and yet, the moment his eyes locked with Exus', a primal FEAR like no other engulfed his body. If it wasn't because of his willpower AND the God Osiris behind him, he would have fell on his knees or something. And Alan knew Exus wasn't using his full power…and they had to fight against HIM? It would be suicide!

On the other side… he was able to summon Slifer… I mean, Osiris! He had to do a Card Captor Sakura-like chant but he was able to do so, and he helped them to survive the wave of Heartless. And yet, when he tried to summon him later to thank him… it didn't work. Even with the chant and Keyblade, it didn't work. Duncan had a theory, and said it probably was because of the accumulated energy of the card itself, not because of Alan's energy, so now that it was depleted, Alan need to 'recharge' the energy of the card… and he doesn't have enough energy to do so.

It's like charging a car battery with a triple A battery.

It will take a LOOONG time to do so.

'Well… better use it when it is available… otherwise it's a One-Disk-Nuke situation.'

In essence, they were screwed.

His training continued, but he felt the enemies were getting stronger, and that frustrated him. Everyone was stronger than him. Even the Kuriboh was a warrior and knew where to attack, while he was constantly getting saved by others. He need to get strong and fast… or else he will become a burden for the team.

And now that he thinks about it… this situation DOES help convincing him that it was all real and not an illusion, as if it was one, the world would be more perfect, and he will probably already be dating one or two of the busty cuties in his team.

Then again, this was probably done on purpose so he could think this is real and not an illusion…

"Damn… this is more difficult that I though…" Said Alan to himself, both hands grasping his hair in frustration.

He thought of it for more minutes, before just smiling.

'Well… I'm really confused. I have the feeling that all of this is TRUE, but… this nagging feeling keeps telling me it isn't. Damn it, Reed, you really are confusing me right here.'

He needed answers… but he knew won't get them right now.

'No… there is no point in overthinking it. I have no information nor proof of this being a lie… and the image of those fire beings appearing… I think… they are a lie. Is VERY convenient that I start seeing them after he told me. Something is fishy in here. They haven't done anything for me to suspect of them. Until they do, I will continue this adventure… and hope for the best.'

As the wave of tiredness began to fall on his body again, Alan began walking to his bed again, and slowly rest in it, while another, more 'earthly' though fill his mind.

'Man… if this was truly an illusion to convince me… how I wish to sleep on Kristal, Vivian or Sapphire's breasts… or with the three of them.'

He waited for a few more seconds… but nothing.

'Heh… worth the shot…' he though, before going to sleep again.


-Music: Always on my Mind (Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Soundtrack)-

Meanwhile, in another room, the blondie mage Kristal was looking out the window, her arms crossed, while looking at the starry sky. Unlike Alan, who went to sleep early, she and the rest didn't, as they had some stuff to discuss. One of those things was Alan's mood.

'I… hope he is doing ok…' she though, remembering his expression during all the way back to the village.

"Miss Sapphire. Are you sure you are ok?"

Kristal looked back inside the room and saw her two companions Vivian and Sapphire. The Sage of Water was sitting on her bed, seemingly deep in though, while Vivian sat on another bed, looking worriedly at her. Why? Well, it was something that happen just when they were about to leave the Temple.

Sapphire was not alone: she was making this pilgrim to the Water Temple with 2 bodyguards of hers; a DeepSea Warrior and a Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness. When she met Alan in the forest, she was left alone because those bodyguards decided to scout the area near the Temple. However, they never returned, and when she and Alan went to the temple and meet the rest of his companions, they never saw them. It was after the Temple battle that one of the Kuriboh scouts reported to the king that they found two badges in the forests close by. When he showed them to the group, Sapphire immediately recognized them: they were badges that had the Oceantis Royal Emblem.

They were the badges of Sapphire's bodyguards.

She confirmed, and knew this was a very bad sign. They NEVER would tear it apart, as they were proud to be part of the Royal Family Guard, which mean one thing.

They were consumed by the Heartless.

That was the conclusion everyone reached, and that hurt Sapphire so much that, just like Alan, didn't talk that much during their travel back to Kuribohria. At least she was willing to take them all in her bubble spell to ride the river back at the giant Tree. Still, she seem crest fallen during the whole travel.

"Yeah, Sapphire. Are you ok?" Asked Kristal, walking back inside the room, and sitting on Vivian's bed.

The black haired woman looked up to them, and just smiled.

"Don't worry, girls, I am fine." Said Sapphire, trying to hide her sadness with a smile. "Is just that…I can't believe they are dead…"

"Were they close to you, Miss Sapphire?" Asked Vivian.

"More or less, yes. My dad assigned them as my bodyguards 2 years ago, but I have known them all my life, as they resided inside the Castle I live in."

"What were their names?" Asked Kristal.

"Their names were Ichi'Va and Ca-Mroon. They were very loyal, and always put themselves to protect me."

"Miss Sapphire…" Started Vivian. "…I also lost someone close to me in my pilgrim. My friends, close to sisters, were killed by the Heartless. I know what loosing someone close feels like, so please… don't let their deaths sink you down in sadness, please."

Sapphire just smiled, and shook her head.

"No, it's ok. I had these last hours to think about it, and I know they wouldn't wish me to be sad. I wish they were alive, but I know how much they worried about me. If I went with them, as I wanted, I'll probably be dead or captured by Exia and the Heartless. They telling me to stay behind while they scout the area saved my life, and allowed me to meet you, girls. Also, it allowed us to plant that Seed Crystal on the Water Temple, so this world's hope won't disappear."

Kristal and Vivian saw how, as hopeful as she was talking, some tears began to fall from her eyes.

"But… but I will continue… in their name…I know they wish I shouldn't be sad about their deaths but… is very hard not to…"

Vivian and Kristal stoop up from their bed and sit beside Sapphire, hugging the taller girl, hoping this will calm her down. Sapphire continue crying for a few more minutes, letting it out. After a few minutes, her sobs stopped, as she took a deep breath.

"Thank you, girls." Said Sapphire, smiling shyly.

"Don't worry, we're here for you." Said Kristal, hugging her companion. "I know this is difficult, but you don't have to do it alone."

"I know. Thanks."

"If you have any problems, you can tell us." Expressed Vivian, smiling shyly.

After a few minutes, the girls prepared to sleep, each in their own bed. While they were about to sleep, however, one of them said something.

"…I hope Alan is ok." Commented Vivian, looking at the ceiling.

"Yeah, even I noted that." Answered Sapphire, also looking at the ceiling. "He was… very deep in his thoughts. Almost never spoke or anything."

Kristal looked at the ceiling too, but her expression was serious, while thinking.

"His cousin… he must have said something to him." Said Kristal out loud, so the other girls heard her. "It was after that that he started acting like that."

"But, he was normal during the battle." Commented Vivian in confusion.

"But in the heat of battle, he didn't have much time to think about whatever his cousin said to him."

"So… after the battle was over…" Started Sapphire.

"Yeah, he must have been overthinking it." Said Kristal, letting out a sight.

"So… should we cheer him up?" Asked Vivian shyly. Kristal shifted a little uncomfortably.

"Well… as long as it's not Steve's way to cheer him up."

"Wait, what did he THINK cheer one up is about?" Asked Sapphire with confusion, causing Kristal to blush a little.

"He just want to rub his face on my chest."

"Oh…wow…"

"I know. Never did that to him. Stupid pervert. I'm sure Alan would think the same…"

"I… wouldn't mind…?"

Kristal and Vivian looked at Sapphire with shock and confusion.

"Wait… you serious?" asked the blondie mage.

"I mean… if it helps Sir Alan… I think… I could…?" Sapphire shyly asked, blushing a little while playing with her fingers. "I-I don't know him for much, but he… doesn't seem like a bad person. B-besides, he must be feeling so alone since h-he is not from this world so… if it cheers him up… maybe…"

"I…" started Vivian, looking away, blushing a little. "…he is a good guy…and I think I will die of shame if I do that…but… if it helps him…I…could…?"

Kristal looked at her own companions with confusion. Did they really think of that? She thought of Alan… and that time where she woke up with him on her breasts.

…and her blush grew even bigger.

'… well… that felt… nice…?' she though… and her blush became deeper.

"Oh? Miss Kristal, you are so red." Commented Vivian… smiling a little mischievously, something uncharacteristically for her. "Did you just thought of you doing that?"

"Ha! Of course not! I don't like perverts."

"Well… I don't think it will be a bad thing… if it's the person you love?"

Kristal looked back at Sapphire, who made that comment. The black-haired girl was blushing shyly, while Vivian was deep in though too. Kristal began to think of the words of the Maiden of the Aqua.

'… will I be ok… if the person I love… is a perv?'

Kristal just sighed again.

-Music End-


The next morning, the rays of the sun hit Alan's face, as he began to stir up. However, he felt something heavy… on his chest. When he opened his eyes…he saw a pair of big and round…eyes.

"Sup, meatbag."

"AHHH!"

-Music: Canard (.hack G.U. Soundtrack)-

Alan jumped from bed, pushing the Kuriboh into the air, although it gracefully land on his feet, the look in their face still show they weren amused.

"Not a morning person, I suppose." Commented the Kuriboh, arching one of his eyebrows.

"Wait, how the hell did you enter in here?!" Asked Alan with confusion and surprise.

"You thought we couldn't get anywhere inside OUR OWN HOME?" Asked the Kuriboh, smiling with malice. "We know EVERYTHING."

Alan blinked for a few more seconds, before looking at the Kuriboh with a deadpan look.

"I fear for my privacy." Said the human.

"Oh, don't worry, I don't want to see you naked or something, even if I'm a female."

"Yeah, well I still don't…" Started Alan, before he stopped after he realized what he heard. "Wait… YOU ARE A GIRL?!"

"What? You didn't knew?! Were you miss gendering me?! Oh wow, you are truly an idiot. A meatbag idiot, I say!" Expressed the Kuriboh, now being his, or I mean, HER turn to look at Alan with a deadpan look.

"Don't blame me! I don't know the differences between Kuribohs! Heck, I had a hard time knowing the differences between Pokemon! You both look the same to me!"

"Whatever. But yeah, I'm a female Kuriboh. My name is Castanea"

"Oh yeah, I didn't ask for your name before…"

"Because you are an idiot."

"Why you…?!"

"Whatever. Just hope you don't treat me different knowing I'm a girl, alright, meatbag?"

The Kuriboh was waiting for a response… but she didn't get anyone. When turning to see why, she saw that he was looking intensely… like he was thinking of something, a hand stroking his chin.

"What?" She asked with confusion,

"Tell me… you aren't going to transform into a sexy dark skinned human beauty, right?"

The Kuriboh blinked a few times… before opened her eyes with surprise.

"Why the hell do you think I can do that?! Are you a pervert or something?!"

"No! No, no nonononononono! I just… was making sure this isn't like an anime I saw with a cat that turned up into a sexy girl." Said Alan, thinking about Yorouchi from Bleach, and how everyone though she was a male cat.

"I'm sure you would like that I become a busty human-like Spirituel, right, meatbag?!" Asked the Kuriboh with some dissing.

"Wait, why do you-?"

"Know about your love of the girl's boobs? Bah, is SO easy to see. I watch how you take a glance at their chest when they bounce. Doesn't matter if is from the Magician Girl, the Harpie, or the Water Maiden. You look at them specifically, even if it's for a few seconds, and even in your 'deep in though' state as you are."

"Wait… are you spying on me or something?"

"As if! I'm very observant, and I look at everyone. Is easy to know your companion Steve likes them too, but he glances at their figure in general. But you, you only glance at their chest. I give you credit, though, when you talk to them, you do it to their faces, and don't glance at their chest all that much, but I know you do here and there. Steve just ogle them, and everyone know it."

"Yeah, that is no secret."

"I still don't know if Duncan is like that. Couldn't see if he is interested in them."

"Duncan's preferences are a secret. We don't know how the gears in his head work."

"His head has gears?"

"Is a saying in my world."

"Ah… but yeah, don't expect me to turn into one of those busty human-spirituels so you can ogle at me… even though I know you will love it."

"What?! I am not!"

"Riiiight…"

They remained silent for a few more seconds, not anyone saying anything.

"So… why are you here?" Asked Alan.

"Oh yeah, I'm here to take you to the throne room." Expressed Castanea. "Your master Duncan said he need everyone to see what to do next."

"Oh, right… let's go then!"

-Music: Awakened Forest (Final Fantasy IX Soundtrack)-

And so, the Kuriboh Castanea guided Alan again around the tree/city. After going up 5 floors, going down 3, use a sideways 'elevator', and then going through several hallways, both of them arrived at the main hall, almost an hour later.

"This place is REALLY confusing." Commented Alan, letting out a sigh.

"Ah, don't worry, you'll get used to this." Answered Castanea, before opening the doors.

Inside, the rest of the group was already there, and it seems already discussing something. Steve turned back and saw that Alan just arrived.

"Ah, late as ever, Alan!" Expressed the Skilled Dark Magician, with a mocking smile in his mouth.

"You're one to tell, Steve! You just arrived 3 minutes ago." Commented Kristal, her hands on her hips and with a deadpan expression.

"Still earlier than him!"

"Sorry about that, Castanea made a mistake and went another way." Commented Alan, scratching the back of the neck. "Did you know she's a girl?"

"Well… yeah? We did. It was easy to figure it out." Answered Kristal, arching an eyebrow.

"Really? I didn't knew the furball was a girl!" Expressed Steve, causing Kristal to sigh.

"Seems like the meatbag and the buffoon are in the same wavelength." Commented Castanea indifferently, causing both guys to get angry at her.

"Kids, please." Expressed Duncan, silencing everyone. "We are in the middle of something."

"So… what did I miss?" Asked Alan with intrigue.

"Well, the destruction of the Water Crystal will cause problems in the world." Commented the King Kuriboh. "However, this tree has enough water to last a year or so, so it will take a while before it affects us. However, the rest of the world…"

"We know." Said Duncan. "However, Sapphire gave us hope to restore the Crystals."

"But Master Duncan." Started Kristal. "That means that we…"

"…we need to go back to the Wind Temple and plant a Crystal Seed in it."

"What?! Back at the Wind Temple?!" Asked Steve with surprise. "But that place is like a month of travel! And then we HAVE to cross the Osiris Mountains AGAIN!"

"That is indeed a problem, but we have no other choice."

Alan cross her arms and began to think. This is where videogame logic could work.

"Doesn't anyone of you have a teleportation spell or something?" Asked the human.

"What do you mean?" Asked Vivian.

"I mean, if any of you have any spell to teleport to a place we have already seen before. I don't know, maybe open a portal or something?"

"No, we don't have any spell to do so." Commented Duncan, crossing his arms. "Opening a portal is a high level spell, and it takes too much time to learn."

"Then what did Maha, the Maha Vailo that is your old friend, do back at the Wind Temple?" Asked Alan, questioning the presence of the mage that appeared just after the battle at the Wind Temple.

"Unfortunately, that spell takes so much time and energy. Besides, Maha wasn't really there."

"Say what now?" Asked Alan with confusion.

"Maha's spell doesn't work as a full portal spell; His body was back at the citadel were we live, and what we saw was a 'clone' of his, made real, so he could interact with us, and even make some spells, but after his energy runs out, the spell ends and the clone disappears. There is no travel from there to here."

"What about the bad guys? They can seem to go everywhere they want."

"They use something called the 'Corridors of Darkness', and if you don't use the power of darkness, it could consume you."

"Well, that is out of the question… so… no luck then?"

Alan looked at everyone, but they didn't have a clue about what to do…

"Maybe…there is a way…"

…Except Sapphire. And everyone looked to her.

"What do you mean?" Asked Duncan with intrigue.

"There could be a way… if we had a shard of the Wind Cristal…" Commented the Water Maiden. "The Crystals are connected to each other, so technically, if we had one shard, and we had a portal spell, we could create a gateway between this place and the Wind Temple."

"But… we don't have a fragment from the Wind Crystal." Commented the Blondie Mage. "We never though of doing that."

"Actually, Kristal…" Started Steve, before taking out a shard of the Wind Crystal from his tunic. "…we do."

"Wha-? How did you get that?"

"Remember when Exia made the crystal explode? Well, the shards were send in all directions, and one of them stuck in my tunic. I didn't know about it until we were already walking away from the Wind Temple, so I decided to keep it."

"That is great, mister Steve!" Exclaimed Sapphire, taking both of Steve's hands, while looking at the shard, and grabbing it to look at it closely. "Now we need a spell to open a gate."

"I'm sorry to say, but we don't have any portal like spells or something to open a portal using the Shard." Expressed Duncan, trying to think of any spell that could help them.

"But wait!" Exclaimed Vivian. "What about Alan's Keyblade? Could it work like it did with the seal in the Osiris Mountains?"

"What do you think, Alan? Could work?"

Alan crossed his arms once again and looked down, thinking about it for a few seconds.

"Well, it's worth the shot…" Expressed the human. "I mean, if it works like a wormhole, maybe it can work…" Alan raised his head when he didn't hear a comment, and saw everyone looking at him in confusion. "What?"

"What does a worm have to do with this, meatbag?" Asked Castanea with confusion.

"No, no. Not a hole made by a worm. I mean a Wormhole. It's a theoretical 'hole' in spacetime that connects two places. We call it an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. It was a theory from people FAR more smart than I back in my world."

"You humans have a strange naming convention." Said Steve with incredulity.

"Ha! If you think that's strange, you don't want to know how we name STARS and SOLAR SYSTEMS. So… many… numbers and letters!"

"I don't think I want to know."

"Anyway… Is it dangerous?" Asked Duncan, returning to the conversation.

"I don't know; we never open one. But it could work. If the connection between the shard Steve had and the ones at the Wind Temple is something similar… I think I can use the Keyblade to open it."

"Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not sure…but… something tells me that it is…"

"Is worth the shot. Let's try it."

-Music End-

And so, the group backed away, letting Alan alone so he can do his thing. He summoned the Keyblade and grabbed it with both hands, while Duncan kept the shard in the air with his magic. Alan closed his eyes and began to concentrate and concentrate, trying to open the portal.

…but nothing happened.

"You ok, Alan?" Asked Kristal with worry, seeing how his face shown frustration.

"Yes, I'm ok. I know I can do this… I HAVE to do this." Expressed Alan, feeling his aura flaring up, as he tried to put it in his Keyblade to force the door to open. "Come on!"

Everyone saw how Alan's aura burned around his body. However, no matter how much time passed, nothing happened. For the next ten minutes, he tried to do so, but… it didn't work… and he was getting tired.

"Alan, that's enough." Expressed Duncan, looking at the human. "You are burning your aura more than your normal limits when you are training. You need to relax."

"No, wait, one more time!" Expressed Alan. "Just one more time. Please! I KNOW I can do it!"

"…one more time, Alan."

Alan nodded, and once again began to burn his aura, knowing he was close to open a portal…

…but with no avail…


Inside his mind, Alan was doing the same. In the middle of his Dive into the Heart, Alan was grabbing the Keyblade with both hands and concentrating. He though that inside his mind it'll be easier to do this but… he found out it was the same… and he was getting frustrated.

"Damn it! This is way harder to do!"

"Just let it go…"

He then felt someone putting their hands over his, and when he looked to his left side, he saw a small woman, looking at him sweetly with her orange eyes.

"Earth-chan…" Expressed Alan, feeling the soft hands of the smaller girl on his hands.

"You are thinking of it too much. If you keep doing that, you won't be able to use this power." Expressed the blue and green haired girl, smiling sweetly. "Just let it go. It will feel natural. That power… let it flow through your body."

Alan nodded and closed his eyes. Instead of trying to force his aura out… he just let it go. His aura calmed down. It was still powerful, but it wasn't flared up like before. Slowly but surely… he felt it.

…the light.


In the real world, everyone saw how Alan's aura calmed down, although it was still burning. Then, they saw how a light orb formed on the tip of the Keyblade… and then a beam of light shot towards the crystal shard, hitting it right in the middle. The shard began to pulse… and then, and emerald portal open in front of it, and on the other side… the Wind Temple.

-Music: Sora Theme (Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Soundtrack)-

"You did it!" Exclaimed Vivian with joy!

"Wow, the meatbag manage to do it." Said Castanea, smiling.

"Great work, Sir Alan!" Expressed Sapphire, looking at the human with admiration.

Alan fall on his legs after that. The portal was open for a few more seconds, before it closed.

"Well then… I did it." Said Alan. "We have our way to go there."

"Very well, so we should prepare." Expressed Duncan, before looking at the Kuriboh King. "Your majesty, I request supplies from your kingdom."

"Of course, of course! Take all you need." Expressed the King. "The Crystal may be broken, but the seed will give us hope. I just hope you have better luck on the next Crystal."

"So… we have to decide." Started Vivian, crossing her arms over her chest. "Should we go and reseed the other broken Crystals or should we continue with our quest?"

"Vivian, I think the objective is clear." Started Kristal. "The Reseeding of the Crystals have to wait."

"Kristal is right." Said Duncan. "The two remaining crystals have priority. We can reseed the rest once the other 2 are secure. Besides, the last 2 crystals are the final seals of Exus. If they are destroyed, he will return, and the world will fall in darkness. Even with the Ancient Gods on our side, we could lose thousands of people."

"So we need to go directly to the rest of the Crystals." Said Vivian.

"That means we won't go to the continent of Ritsma." Expressed Steve. "The Temples of Lightning and Ice are there, but the Fire and Earth ones are in the Betan continent."

"We cannot deviate from our mission." Said Duncan. "Our next objective is the Fire Crystal."

"Ok, so what?" Asked Alan. "Once on the Wind Temple, should we return here or go directly to the Fire Temple?"

"We need to reach the Port City of Kaza'La. It's a large Island city on the east of here, several hundred miles south of Nimb Town. There, we'll find a way to use a ship to reach the Port city of Balm, in the Betan Continent. If we go to Nimb Town and take the south road, we'll reach Kaza'La."

"Wait a second, you guys still use normal boats, right? If the Wind and Water Crystals are gone, then the winds and tides necessary for sailing are gone too. How do we reach the other continent?"

"Thankfully, we have Wind and Water magic, so we can use that to sail. I'm sure others will use mages and magic stones to sail between continents."

"Well, makes sense."

"Ok, then we leave in an hour. Let's collect some supplies."

The group dispersed and went back to their rooms to get their stuff back, and to gather supplies for their travel, like food, potions and medicines.

Several minutes later, the group was ready again… with a companion.

"Eh? You are coming with us?"

"Of course, Meatbag!" Expressed the Kuriboh Castanea, with her sword and shield. "I like you all, so I will come to help you. Also you need me."

"Is true. She knows how to fight." Commented Steve.

"Yep, the buffoon is right! So I'm coming with you."

"Well, the more the better, I suppose." Commented Alan. "So… ready?"

"We are ready." Said Duncan, using his magic to lift the crystal shard in the air. "Alan, open the portal."

"Roger!"

Alan summoned his Keyblade and concentrated, before shooting a beam of energy at the shard. After a few seconds, a portal opened, showing the Wind Temple on the other side. After thanking and saying goodbye to the Kuribohs, the group entered the portal… and went to the other side of the continent.


-Location: Wind Temple-

-Music: Awakened Forest (Final Fantasy IX Soundtrack)-

The group appeared on the Crystal Room in the Wind Temple. It was exactly like they left it weeks ago. The remaining shards of the Wind Crystal remained in the floor.

"Say… we could use the remaining shards as gateways." Commented Alan, after thinking for a few seconds.

"What do you mean?" Asked Steve.

"If we take those shards, and left them close to cities or temples, I could use the keyblade to open a gate to those places, so we don't have to walk to there."

"That is a good idea, Sir Alan!" Exclaimed Sapphire. "That will save us so much time if we need to return somewhere. Then we should return to the Water Temple, to recollect the rest of the shards. Thankfully, I have one with me, so we can use it to go to the Water Temple."

"Oh, so like a portal system between cities that we could use. Not a bad idea." Commented Duncan, after thinking about it. "The Shard we used is in Kuriboh Village, so there is already an access point there. We can go to the Water Temple too thanks to Sapphire's shard."

"Oh my, now we are thinking with portals." Commented Alan.

The group collected all the crystal shards in the floor, and after that, they walked to the pedestal where the Wind Crystal was before it was destroyed. Sapphire took some of the Wind Crystal shards and put them in the pedestal, before Vivian walked in front of it.

"So… what do I do?" Asked the Harpie girl.

"Just concentrate." Expressed Sapphire. "The Wind Crystal and you are one. Feel its energy flow towards you."

The blondie girl did what was instructed and closed her eyes. She tried to feel the energy of the Crystal Shards, and after a few seconds, she did.

"I… feel something… is so warm…"

"That's the energy of the Wind Crystal reaching you." Commented Sapphire. "Now, imagine the Wind Crystal, and pour all your energy in it. Also, repeat this chant after me."

The group saw that Vivian's aura was increasing, as an emerald glow surrounded her. They saw that, while she repeated the chant Sapphire was speaking, the glow grew larger, as did on the shards on the pedestal, which began to vibrate and shine in an intense green light. And after a few seconds, just like in the Water Temple, a new small crystal was born from in between the shards. A small replica of the Wind Crystal.

"Well done, Miss Vivian!" Exclaimed Sapphire. "You did it!"

"I did? Wow!" Expressed the Harpie Girl with joy… before noticing something odd. "Uh? I feel… stronger?"

"You ARE stronger." Commented Duncan, looking at the blondie girl. "Your aura is increasing."

"That is because she completely awoken as the Sage of the Winds." Said the Water Maiden. "You connecting with the crystal awoke your true potential. You are stronger now."

"I see." Said Vivian, looking at her body, as the intense glow began to fade. "I hope to be more helpful now."

"You were always helpful, Vivian." Said Kristal, smiling at her friend.

"Thank you."

"Well, now that it's done…" started Duncan, looking at his companions. "…we shall go to Nimb Town again, leave a Wind Crystal Shard close to the entrance, and then go south to Kaza'La Town. Alan."

"Yes?" Asked the human.

"During these weeks, we went slow because you didn't control your aura. But now you can run fast. Nimb town is closer to the Wind Temple than the Water Temple was to Kuribohria, so I'm sure if we run now, we'll reach the town before night."

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go!"

And so, the group left the Temple and began to walk towards Nimb Town. As they were walking, Kristal approached Alan from his side, while both Sapphire and Vivian were behind them.

"So Alan… are you ok?" Asked Kristal, getting close to the human.

"Why do you ask?" Questioned the human in confusion.

"Well, during our return from the Water Temple to Kuribohria, you were just… silent. Are you ok?"

Alan was about to say something, when in a flash of light, Kristal turned into a fire being, before returning to normal. Alan mentally shook his head.

"Yeah, don't worry about that." Expressed Alan, smiling at her and giving a thumbs up. "Reed told me something that make me think, but I already give it a night of though. Just needed to be alone for a night to do so."

"Oh… so… you are ok?" Asked Sapphire with intrigue.

"Yep, I am ok… why do you ask? You all wanted to make me feel better?" He asked jokingly.

Suddently, the blondie mage's face turned bright red, as did the faces of the Harpy and the Maiden, who looked shyly into the ground. This confused Alan.

"You are ok, girls?"

"I-it's nothing!" Exclaimed Kristal stubbornly, looking at any place other than Alan's face. "I-Im just glad you are ok. G-good to have you back."

"Y-yeah, good to h-have you back, Sir Alan." Expressed Sapphire, as her face turned even more red, if that was possible.

"W-we're happy." Vivian shyly commented, trying to hide her mouth with her hands, as her blush filled her face.

"L-Let's continue!" Exclaimed Kristal, walking now a little faster, being followed by Sapphire and Vivian.

Alan kept walking at his own pace, raising an eyebrow in confusion, really not understanding what he did say to make them blush like that, so he just shrugged and kept walking to reach his friends.

…he'll never know that, if he had said no, his face would probably be in soft heaven by now…

End of Chapter 16


-Music: Jikai Yokoku (Digimon Tamers Soundtrack)-

Chapter 17 Preview:

-Alan: Hello! Alan here! As days pass, I continue my training, and I am stronger now! We now reach the port city of Kaza'La, in hopes to reach the other Continent.

-Sapphire: Uh, Sir Alan... we have a problem.

-Alan: What? What's the problem?...and who is THAT?

Don't miss the next chapter of The N-Warriors: Shadow Realm Saga: The Pirate of Kaza'La

-Alan: A travel into the ocean? I swear, if we meet a fucking Kraken, I will...!

-Music end-


Author Notes:

Aaaaand CUT!

So, a new chapter is done! I hope you all liked it. Not much to say in this chaper... well, actually a few things:

So... Alan is dreaming of himself as a girl. This will be very important, so except more of that.

Also, Alan is smart, but supersticious. He KNOWS is very fishy that he starts seeing visions and stuff just after Reed told him. However, his overthinking makes him believe that there is a chance he is ACTUALLY being under an illusion, and even if it's a small chance, he will never completely remove that feeling. That is something that I myself have: I overthink stuff and think that the things that have a small percent to happen CAN and WILL happen, so I know what it feels. He then feels that, if he is in an illusion, at LEAST he should get something. Oh boy, he doesnt know...

Yes, Sapphire had 2 bodyguards...and they are dead, being consumed by the Heartless. He will remember them from time to time.

Aaaaannd now they start having feelings for Alan. Slowly but surely...unless SOMETHING happens.

They now had a way to fast travel. Videogame logic! Using the Crystal Shards, they can use a portal system to get everywhere they already know. Neat!

And well, that is all. Next chapter will be next week, so... see ya next time!

-SaiyanX logged off!-