Of Keys and Hammers

by zcritic88

In a realm beyond, the Four Chaos has taken notice of a realm tied close to the heart. They squirmed into the darkness and sought to corrupt if to reach a prize beyond the light. Will the Light of Order, be able to repel this ancient evil?

36. Soulful Mysteries

At a lobby in Monsteropolis; Sora, Goofy, Donald and Kairi readied their goodbyes to Mike and Sulley, the boy apologized. "Sorry for all the headaches we caused."

Sulley didn't mind. "Don't mention it. And actually, it was kinda nice havin' a little adventure for old times sake," Mike agreed with that. "Yeah, the flying and the falling- and hey, let's not do that paint thing again- but nothing like running for our lives to get the heart pumping!"

Donald didn't mind that. "I had a great time," Sora disagreed with that. "Donald, all you did was complain," Donald stomped in denial. "I did not." Goofy asked Mike and Sulley. "Any chance that we can drop by again?"

Mike didn't mind and welcomed them. "The doors always open!" Sulley had wishful thinking and readied to shake on it. "And maybe Boo can join us!" Kairi giggled and did so first, with the others giving a hand shake goodbye, she and group left and Donald had his farewell. "So long." Sulley and Mike waved goodbye, the green monster let them know. "For the record, I still get the most laughs!"

Sulley wished them luck. "Happy exterminating." The four laughed together and shouted back as they went out the door. "Thank you!" On stepping outside, the four shined in strange light; Sora, Donald and Goofy were reverted back to their normal forms and were on a gummi ship.

The boy felt his skin crawling and had the small mental image of a small, purple, caterpillar like monster with eye stalks, wondering what that was about as his gummi phone rang, picking it up and finding Kairi back to normal and looking rather scared for him, he asked. "Did we just figured out where Ven's heart has been the whole time?"

Kairi nodded and asked a bit annoyed. "Master Aqua didn't tell us much of where she is. I hope where ever that freak was tossed, he stays there." She and Sora imagined a complete psycho that feeds off of negativity, being in his own equivalent to hell for a short while, being surrounded by comedy, things pure of heart and having to fight against two super heroes. Sora sighed and his eyes half dropped. "I'll give it half a day before he bothers us again," Goofy asked the boy. "That doesn't give us a whole lot, we got to find Aqua and get this sorted out before Vanitas comes after ya."

Donald folded his arms in agreement as Jiminy written down events, Kairi tapped her forehead and asked. "Let's go retrace what we know and try to catch up."

Ring!

The boy and girl pressed a button and had a video of Ienzo looking impatient at someone and being relieved of contact. "Hello everyone, am I calling at a bad time?" The group halted as Sora answered. "Maybe, is there something happening?"

Ienzo nodded. "Me and the committee finished making a program that would sedate the Orruks, but there is a complication to it all." Sora guessed. "They are not wanting to go quietly?"

Ienzo shook his head and looked worried. "No, despite how we were trying to bait them with the promise of a fight, they are... not coming. I heard that they suffered from heavy losses and it would be kind of depressing for them if they simply fade away."

Kairi agreed to that and frowned. "I know they are violent brutes, but they don't know anything else and the worlds are not wanting them to fight." She and Sora looked to each other on the screen as Donald asked Ienzo. "What are you doing?"

The scientist was glad the duck asked. "We developed a virtual land scape just for them, with civilizations for them to topple over and those to call kin, we just need to convince them to go in without them knowing. We need someone to coax them into coming and despite sending a few that could give them a fight."

Sora understood. "They are not taking the bait. We'll get them coming when we show up." Ienzo smiled apologetically. "Leon is down at the canyon, sorry for taking your time."

The group let him know he didn't and let him disconnect. Kairi counted one blessing of the sudden call. "This should give us time to think about how we are going to find the others." Goofy agreed with that. "Our friends could use the help and this can't wait any longer." Sora and Donald agreed as the ship readied its flight to Radiant Garden.

At the fifth floor of Castle Oblivion

Ken and Aqua stepped onto the floor and found themselves in an confusing situation, they found Jambert looking up in aw at a grotesque, green serpent with a scaly mustache, a human like nose and a large set of human like teeth. The serpent asked Jambert. "Ahh, hello. Was it you who rang the Bell of Awakening?" The knight nodded and the serpent introduced himself with respect. "I am the primordial serpent, Kingseeker Frampt, close friend of the Great Lord Gwyn. Chosen Undead, who has rung the Bell of Awakening. I wish to elucidate your fate, do you seek such enlightenment?"

Jambert asked desperately. "Please, I wish to know what I am suppose to do to free us all from the curse," Frampt nodded to him. "Very well. Then I am pleased to share. Chosen Undead. Your fate... is to succeed the Great Lord Gwyn. So you may link the Fire, cast away the Dark, and undo the curse of the Undead." Jambert gasped as Frampt continued. "To this end, you must visit Anor Londo, and acquire the Lordvessel."

Jambert asked the serpent. "Anor Londo, but how am I to get there? That Fortress?" The Serpent appreciated an observant mind. "Precisely, Chosen Undead. Those who seek the Realm of Lords must brave Sen's Fortress, a deadly house of traps. Many have gone before you, but none have returned. Fate has chosen you, but proceed with caution."

Jambert looked he was less enthusiastic to go to another unpleasant sounding place. "Then I suppose I might be the first. Thank you, oh great serpent. I will be on my way," Frampt wished him luck. "Farewell. Chosen Undead. I remain here, and await thee." The knight turned to another adventure and a white light shined.

Aqua and Ken found themselves back in the castle by another large door. The student had his right hand under his chin and asked. "So that was what Jambert's journey became? To...find the Fire tied to the world and save it, thus saving the world."

Aqua nodded and asked the boy. "But... did he?" Ken shook his head. "No, the world seemed to have gotten worse by the time I wandered there and Benedict helped the Firekeeper put out the fire." He frowned to the thought. "So what was the point?"

Aqua answered and went to the door. "Jambert was doing what his heart thought was right. But was he able to make it through to the end?" The student wanted to find out for himself and followed. "We got to figure it out anyways. Just following prophecies never ends well," Aqua asked, with a hint of interest. "What was that prophecy that Eldar tried to attack you over?"

Ken recited it. "A black heart wielding a false light and a key to ashes would lead the hearts of many into the abyss. Even after I proved her wrong, she concluded that my heart was going to darken and that I would do something that awful," Aqua cringed. "It takes someone strong willed to defy something like that. With the kind of people out there now, she isn't wrong to think that." She looked to her student and wished for him to open the door. "But what she was doing was and she doesn't sound the kind of person that would avert fate for our sake."

Ken agreed with that and opened the door. "And I kicked out the psychos that were going to bring the end of everything, that would have proved her wrong if she was still around. No matter what, I'm not going to let those kinds of people turn me into a puppet," He turned to Aqua pressed his hand on his chest. "I'm Kendry, a wannabe explorer and a keyblader wielder with nothing else to do besides enjoying life. Not some dark lord or anything someone else has to say. I made myself and what I am is because I chose it."

The teacher clapped to the speech. "Well said."

The two entered the door and found themselves before the open gates of a fortress, finding Jambert standing before it, intimidated by the imposing structure. They noticed the knight with a great billhook for a sword, Jambert turned around, smiled under his helmet and waved. "Oh, hello again, That was quite a discovery down there." He raised his sword with two hands and dryly laughed. "I wouldn't say we were proud of that." Aqua looked up and asked. "What have you done to... the Fair Lady and is this Sen's Fortress?"

Jambert answered like a knight with a heavy burden. "Since it was... my fault the Fair Lady is in the predicament, I taken an oath to tend to her aliment in Quelaag's stead until she is healthy enough that she doesn't need me." He turned and looked up. "And this is the infamous Fort, I have journeyed into this a few times and it is like I am against a wall."

Ken went to have a closer look and saw a humanoid looking like it was part snake, with in the entrance. "Because of these guys?" The snake man heard that, hissed and charged after him, avoiding the central front of the entrance for an odd reason, the boy formed burning keyblade and swung a twister of air as the serpent rushed from the entrance.

WOOSH!

The serpent was pushed back and landed on what looked to be a pressing tile. SKEWER!

A log sized spear pierced the snake in the heart, four more punctured its body and caused it to fall over dead. Aqua and Jambert followed the boy that realized the full story, the knight answered. "They are part of the reason, these traps will be the death of us all if we just venture in willy nilly," He warned Aqua. "If you are wishing to find Logan, proceed with caution, less the both of you disappear in this god forsaken place."

The Keyblade Master took the warning and went in first. "Let's make sure the traps are triggered without us getting caught in them," Jambert followed with fear for the woman's life as Ken brought out his gun like keyblade, going to the first room and past the door to the center of the Fortress, a long bridge with axe pendulums swinging back and forth, another bridge above, various metal cages to the side and a pit bellow with what looks like tar. Ken looked up on the bridge to find a snake with a staff, waiting for someone to get close, he aimed Cadia's Light and shot the snake off the bridge, sending it hissing to its death. The knight approved of that and approached with caution. "These horrid things want us to fall for the traps and laugh at us."

Swing!

The pendulum swung and Jambert made a dash past one set, finding another pendulum ahead. Aqua jumped on the support holding the dreadful blades and jumped from pole to pole, landing gracefully as Ken jumped mid swing and shot himself forward. Jambert sighed and kept going to the second set. "You make this look easy."

He sprinted past the pendulum and to something more safe as Aqua and Ken done the same, they were in a balcony with statues of horned knights, Ken asked. "Who ever this Sen guy is must have built this fort for those like that black knight."

Jambert went to the left and figured. "In honor to Lord Gwyn's knights perhaps. We have one more set of pendulums and a bridge before we can explore the fortress proper. I appreciate that you are not just doing this for me, for how am I suppose to better myself?" Aqua answered that. "You wouldn't have, let's keep going."

At a cavern near Radiant Garden's Town.

Leon, Cloud and Tifa looked at Dilian doubtfully as Aeleus was losing his patience with the occupants of Villains Vale. "We're here and we want to fight, why are you not coming out?" Leon sighed and guessed. "They can hear us and see us, but either something came for them again or-" He gasped as Dilian guessed. "We're not the ones he wants?!"

Foot steps were heard and the group looked toward the town to find Sora, Goofy, Donald and Kairi appearing, Cloud heard a slight bellow and readied his sword. "They want the Keyblade? Oh come on."

Dilian placed his right hand over his eyes for a better view and saw a large army of savage Orruks being lead by an eye patched brute and a shaman, rushing out of the vale, followed by slower moving, heavily armored Orruks and something flying out from the top of the castle. "That is precisely what they wanted," He took out a red, bauble like device and asked the keyblade wielders. "If this works, this should transport any Orruk caught in its beam towards... their containment. Sora, Kairi, are you up for this?"

Sora let go of a grudge against a similar voice and form as he asked. "You want us to just stand here?" Aeleus nodded and saw the remaining army of destruction coming close. "You will see the radius soon enough."

"Key... Bashin! Key...Bashin!"

A Warchanters song was heard and Tifa cracked her knuckles. "At least we'll finally get rid of these guys without anymore trouble."

Sora and Kairi agreed and approached the horde by themselves, the shaman noticed them first and took the form of a Manticore, flying towards them, landing in a battle ready stance and giving off a roar. "WAAAAAAAGH!"

Dilian aimed the device and fired a beam, making contact with the Manticore and causing it to disappear into pixels, the teenagers were a bit astonished as they watch the pixels go into the device and come out as a stream of electronic light, flying into the castle behind them. Kairi hummed as the Orruk horde gasped in shock at their figure head disappearing, the eye patched Big Boss glared at Dilian and yelled. "That ummie blipped Beast Chompah, get em!"

The horde of forty Bonesplittahs ignored the Keyblade bearers and charged to a rather calm man that let the device radiate over them all, causing them to endure the same fate. Leon whistled to a plan going smoothly. "Not bad, now we got to deal with the... smarter ones."

A five Orruk Brute squad hesitated and barked to fifteen ard boys to approach, the Warchanter followed and chanted, giving the Ard boyz a moral boost as they charged.

PEW!

The device took them as well and reduced the Army of Destruction to a meager amount of brutes, Dilian felt rather confident and thanked the Keybearers as he approached the rather frightened brutes and Warchanter. "All we needed was for these battle craving savages to come out."

The brute with a club and claw barked. "You'ze crazy, what the zog are you doing?" Dilian aimed the device without much worry. "Sending you to a place you would call home, just hold still and you're worries will end."

PEW!

The six Orruks were taken into the virtual plane and left only one Orruk remaining.

The group saw a Mawcrusha landing with an intimidating punch to the ground, Dragon Hackah stood on his beasts back and yelled. "You isn't going to let us fight?!" The guard felt the plan was near completion and answered the Orruk. "Not quite, but the... almost melancholic nature of your situation has gone on long enough."

The device shined, Dark Smasha jumped back and growled for battle as Dragon Hackah yelled like a child on a temper. "We ain't getting zogged for that! We luves the fighting and if we were able to get outta ere, we would have by now."

Sora and Kairi sighed in pity and dashed to the beast, Kairi jumped high and launched a barrage of light to shake the Mawcrusha off balance as Sora aimed his keyblade and shouted. "Stop!"

PEW!

Dark Smasha and Dragon Hackah froze in time, giving Dilian the opening he needs to transport the leader of a failing Waagh away. PEW!

Dark Smasha and Dragon Hackah broke from their hold and found themselves breaking apart in pixels, the Mawcrusha raised his fists up and flew to Sora, the boy dodged the smashing fists that pixilated in fast speeds. The Orruk raised his hand up and saw it coming undone, he looked upon the teenagers in confusion and faded away into the device, two strong beams shot back to the castle. Sora and Kairi sighed to a task finished as Aeleus suggested to Dilian. "That's finally done, should we show them and ease their minds?"

The black haired guard smiled proudly. "It's enough that the Orruks won't consider it any different until we can properly send them off, they only need to see it once and then they won't be troubled them any longer."

Leon hoped so. "With just a spider and two goblins left, we can finally take back this vale. What did you make?" The two guard offered to lead the way back to town, there wasn't much left to observe in the wilderness anyways.

At Sen's Fortress.

Jambert, Ken and Aqua stepped over a pressure plated trap and found themselves in a small room with a small chest. The key bearers spread out as the knight pressed the pressure plate and ran to the stair way, watching the arrows zip into the previous room. With the trap triggered, Jambert went to open the chest and found a large shard of stone, he put it in his bag and asked the key bearers. "It would be rude to ask madam, but where did you come from? Kendry said he was from a town called Radiant Garden after all." Ken smiled nervously. "I called myself Kendry of Radiant Garden because Solaire spoke of him being from Astoria. It's kind of odd how Jambert ended up in a town that looked... nothing like he was expecting."

Aqua did find it weird. "My homeland was destroyed by the darkness and I had to lock what remained away, I came here because I need to take care of something before I return."

Jambert blinked and lead the way to another room. "It was destroyed by the Dark I heard about?" He showed her a black shade. "I was told bits of it, the Dark is the source of the Undead Curse and someone has to put an end to it for the good of the world. We have to cling to our humanity or we will loose hope when our journey leads to more death."

Aqua looked at the black shade confused. "That's the essence of humanity? Why would something that makes you're being be something like this?" She and Ken felt a sweat thinking about it and the woman stopped. "On second thought, don't ask."

The three entered a small room with a cat walk bellow, finding a snake man leaning to a wall, looking up and hissing. Jambert put away the shade of humanity and went down the stairway to deal with the snake. The snake bit at Jambert, missed and was sliced into, the snake slashed back and the knight rolled back. The two watched the knight close in for a fatal blow and send the snake falling into the pit. Jambert returned up stairs and heard a hiss from behind, turning to face the a snake coming from a passage at the edge of the fortress. The trio heard a rolling of something heavy. WOOSH!

A boulder trampled over the snake in a brutal fashion and the knight shook his head. "We have to time this precisely or will end up like this fellow." He popped his head and looked upon the outer edge of the fortress, all of it a set of stairs, the way down lead to nowhere important, the way up had a snake like mage standing guard of a room. He saw another metal ball rolling fast and skid back to avoid it. "That isn't a lot of time."

He sprinted up the stairs and saw the other two followed him, they found a corridor as another ball came rolling, Aqua noticed the corridor having a fogged gate as Ken aimed his gun like blade at the snake. "Where do you think either way will get us?"

Jambert guessed. "Either that is the way higher into this fortress, another dead end or a trap. Where are these balls coming from?" Ken shot at the snake, knocked it back and waited as Aqua looked above. "Somewhere in this fortress there is a contraption they are using. We should find it and make sure this stops." The snake got itself up, hissed and walked towards the group, forgetting about the booby trap and was flatten by the rolling ball, Jambert counted a blessing and made a run for it. "These snake men are all brawn and no brains! I'll return." He rushed up to the room as Aqua stepped through the fogged gate and found another room filled with the knight like statues and a slit that obviously has arrows, she saw a snake man walk down a hall forward and approach, snickering malevolently and going to a pressure tile. Aqua gave a scowl as the snake man pressed his foot down on the tile, the Keyblade Master flipped to the left and watched arrows fire at the snake that raised its shield, pushed back into the hall as the woman aimed her keyblade and fired three fire balls, burning it down and taking a deep breath. She went back to find Ken noticing something. "Miss, I think there is something down there, do you mind if I have a look?"

Aqua squinted, watched a bolder roll, backed up with her student and felt foot steps returning. Jambert entered the corridor with a new ring on his finger. "No path there, but I think someone is here in the fort with us." Ken guessed. "He is down by the stairs?" The knight nodded as Aqua turned back. "Go look bellow and see who it is while I go see where the hall behind us will lead. Watch out for the boulders."

The two promised they would and let Aqua take off, they waited for another boulder to roll and Ken followed Jambert to the top of the stairs. The knight jumped down and found a corpse holding a shotel, he picked it up as Ken jumped down and found a familiar, onion like knight sitting on the edge. "Huh, Siegmeyer?" Jambert asked the boy. "He spoke about you, I guess he never knew he had to ring the bells. Let's see what he is looking at, shall we?"

The boy agreed and jumped down with the knight, they saw Siegmeyer looking over an abyss, thinking. "Mm!" He gasped shocked at the two sudden arrivals. "Oh-hoh!" Jambert nodded to him. "Greetings Sir Siegmeyer, I'm surprised you made it past those traps." Ken agreed with that. "They were pretty lethal and those snakes never helped, good work."

Siegmeyer didn't show a blush. "Thank you Sir Jambert, thank you Sir Kendry. Splendid news I tell you." He laughed as the elite knight heard the sound of a machination move, Jambert cringed and knew what happened. "You are trying to figure out how to deal with those balls?"

Siegmeyer gasped. "Ah, so you see my plight? Yes indeed, I have run up against a wall... Or a ball, to be precise. I'm afraid to say I'm a bit too plump to be outrunning those things. So, here I sit, in quite a pickle," He shrugged. "But who knows? Perhaps we'll have another development?"

He laughed to that as Ken gritted his teeth to the image of an enranged Aqua. "My teacher might be taking care of that for us and she isn't going to be happy about that." Siegmeyer asked. "Does she understand the importance of rolling?"

Jambert didn't think that would be Aqua's problem. "She does, but she is quite nimble that if a boulder comes, she would be able to out run them... much to her frustration." Siegmeyer felt his head spinning. "Goodness that would be an exercise. Hmm." Ken agreed to that and readied a jump back up. "And she isn't in the mood to deal with that by herself. Jambert, I think we can get back without an issue."

The knight counted that blessing and promised Siegmeyer. "We'll have the boulder go the other way and leave you free to catch up. May we meet again."

The Knight of Catarina clenched his fist, he asked Kendry. "Tell you're tutor she has my thanks." The boy saluted and used his air magic to jump high, landing on a set of stairs and going through the corridor, making a turn to the left and going to another corridor to his right, finding a boulder rush through, he heard a mechanism turn and took it as his chance to run for it, going up a set of stairs as fast as possible.

He reached to the top and found a mechanism facing the right and a stick facing the left. A boulder dropped down and the mechanism sent the boulder rolling, he found a dead snake men and Aqua sweating. "Miss?" Aqua waited for another boulder to drop down rolling and pushed the stick to where it faced the right. The teacher asked the boy. "Kendry, something or someone is dropping the boulders from above, if someone takes it out... that will be the end of this horrible trap."

The boulder dropped and was punched to a path by the machine as Ken understood and readied his blades, he waited for another boulder to drop and roll, jumped on the contraption and shot himself up, finding himself before a giant with a great helmet, unaware of the boy as it put grabbed another boulder and moved it over the hole. Ken landed on the ball and whistled, getting the giants attention, the boy jumped off the boulder and landed behind the giant, he shot the giant in the back and watched it stomp in rage, Ken stepped back and kept in fire, the giant turned and stomped towards the boy that jumped to another corner, focused his gun like blade and had it turn into an arm cannon. He aimed it at the giants chest and fired, the giant fell on his back and the boy exhaled, he found a chuck of an odd stone, force his arm cannon back into a keyblade and picked up the treasure. He jumped down to find his tired teacher and whistled. "The boulders won't trouble us again."

Aqua appreciated it. "I heard the fight above. Thank you," she saw a door way leading higher up and heard someone coming from a passage bellow. "This room is connected to so many hall ways in the castle. As irritating as this feels, it would warm someone up for similar dangers."

Ken asked. "I was told that a boulder might have been rolling after you as you were climbing up, did it?" Aqua smiled smugly. "It might have, but I had a solution besides running back, you have seen Sora and Riku practice flow motion?"

Ken nodded. "You swung by one of the pillars on the way and dodged it? Cool."

"This is really the last of those boulders?" The key bearers looked to find Jambert entering, Aqua nodded and looked to the doorway up. "And we have a way higher up and hopefully be done with this place soon. Do you have a moment to wait?"

Jambert does. "We seen no trace of a wizard anywhere... but he has to either be here or in Anor Londo. Are you sure you wish to venture alone?" Aqua was and asked the two. "Make sure nothing comes to take that giant's place."

She went to a downward stair way the stick faced and went down, the stair way was long and she found a drop to a familiar cat walk, it had a massive hole leading to another hole and she contemplated, potential or not, the magic she hears about is only a figment, is it real enough for her to learn it? She saw with in one of the cages to her right, a brown robed wizard with a big hat, sitting down and trying to study a scroll despite the awkwardness of a dangling, cramped cage. She tapped the lock on the cage, unlocked it and opened the gate. "I'm glad to get you out of there, I heard of you."

The wizard sat up and took a deep breath as he relished the freedom. "*Ha* You seem quite lucid! A rare thing in these times. This place was melting my mind. The inactivity is repressive!" He exhaled. "Thank you." He looked the way Aqua came from and sensed a power with in. "You are a sorceress yourself?"

Aqua appreciated a keen eye. "That is how I battle and I seek to know about the Soul Sorcery I heard of." She asked. "Could you teach me, Logan?"

The sorcerer nodded. "Gladley, but first I need to log a few things first. I owe you a favor, speak with me at Firelink Shrine, so that I may impart my sorcery."

Aqua looked around and agreed with why. "This isn't the best place to do that." She back up and gave Logan a nod of farewell. "I'll look forward to seeing your work."

Logan looked forward to that himself. "There is much still for us to learn."

Aqua turned around back the way she came, jumped up to the ledge and went back to the room with the mechanism. Finding Ken imagining something particular, his eyes glittering in light and Jambert asking him. "She is everything a knight is and more, except she lacks armor. Mhmm. Is it too cumbersome?"

Ken looked at Jambert and guessed. "It might be. But I never see anyone with a keyblade wear armor," Aqua blushed and approached the two. "That is going to be a lesson I need to speak about to you and Kairi. Ana is the only one of us that has armor, but just having it is... complicated."

Jambert turned to Aqua and guessed. "It isn't as easy as putting on a suit and calling it a day? It's something exclusive to your craft."

The woman shook her head as Ken went to the passage way leading up. "It's more special than that and Ana only has armor because of who or what she is." Ken understood and told Jambert. "Ana... or Anatesis, is a special kind of knight that would be beyond even what you saw."

He went through the door, found a panel trap and used his burning keyblade to press it down, triggering an row of arrow traps, Aqua followed with Jambert trailing behind, the knight focused from a thought and asked. "I hope we are nearly done with this place, it feels like it will be a long way back up."

At a computer room in Radiant Garden.

Sora and Kairi had a front row seat of a work with in a computer, looking like a cobbled together, prehistoric kingdom. With in, a confused Dragon Hackah and his waagh partook in brutal battle against a variety of dinosaurs. The violent display became much as Even explained to try and block it out. "As you know, this world would provide everything these savage hearts desire until we can find a means of sending them back to where they belong."

Wanda wasn't even pretending to understand the digital nature and asked. "Meaning the Orruks are gone knowing none the wiser, we can take back the Vale and my men have even less to patrol for?"

She growled as Ienzo asked her. "Until further notice, the threat of this Waagh or needed... extermination, is no longer a concern. Thank you for keeping watch," The general felt she was having a head ache as Leon asked. "But we been hearing about two goblins and a spider, do we need to worry about that?" Wanda shook her head. "Stingy Bites, Venom Dancer and their pet spider are a dangerous combination, but they are easy to deal with even together and one male spider isn't going to get far besides eating pests for a living and that can be solved by tossing a cow their way every once and a while. If they disturb the peace, they will know they won't be welcome."

Sora felt calm about the resolution to the forces of destruction. "They can hang on for a while longer. Is there anything else you need from us?" Wanda had one. "I want to know where Ana went of to, you said she is with Lady Aqua on an important mission, but where?" Sora wanted to talk about it elsewhere as Cid had another. "We also nearly gotten all the repairs done in the mainframe. Tron took a hit."

Sora asked. "Is he going to be okay?" The engineer smiled roughly. "He's more than fine, but he is recovering. You want to get out of ere and talk? You been jumpy lately," Sora nodded. "I'm fine, but it would help to talk about this." Yuffie winked to that. "It isn't a problem for us."

Sora appreciated it and let Leon lead the way out, leading the scientist behind to observe what they created. Kairi looked back with a feeling in her mind that something was off and heard the voice of Namine ask. "They meant what they said, but that isn't what you were sensing?"

Kairi shook her head and found a light bulb to use, she made sure no one was around, focused on the light and turned herself into a will-o-wisp blending in. She turned back and sneaked in the light to hear Ienzo worrying. "Each day she has less to do and less to take pride in. I fear the stagnation would affect her heart if nothing is done." Even agreed to that and asked almost like an older brother. "But is there any place her craft would exceed in? When you acquired respect and power, then had it taken away from you-" his eyes looked to the side in regret. "Or blown up, by an outside force, you would feel hollow inside from what was lost." Ienzo agreed with that. "I don't know, but this world isn't what she needs. What is going on?"

Kairi wanted to know herself with the various mysteries going on and sneaked past the door. Finding herself with in a cat walk, leading to the disturbing hallway with tubes. Something was calling to her and she flickered out of her light like form. She aimed her keyblade to the ground and saw a keyhole shine. She aimed a beam and caused it to glow, opening up a stair way with a faint flowing glow of purple at the edges, she walked down and was with in a spiral way down into the abyss. She noticed Namine looking down with her and asked. "What kind of place is this?"

Namine shrugged. "I have no idea, but...should we continue?" Kairi nodded and walked down the spiral. "I know those guys up there are still busy cleaning up, but they had this place here for a reason. Something is here."

She and Namine traveled down the spiral that seemed to go forever, Kairi looked upon her Keyblade and guessed. "I form changed this into another weapon, weird," Namine agreed with that and theory craft. "I think your keyblade might be finding ways to evolve, as your heart connects with it," Kairi sighed. "Yeah, but despite that... I still got tossed aside, if Sulley didn't stop Vanitas," Namine pat Kairi on the back. "Vanitas was making Sora relive certain memories. You seen that."

The Princess nodded and in a few minutes, found the end of the spiral, leading to a black door that slid open a door that led to a white hall with many cells that had a red glow on the doors. The doors looked chained and Kairi looked on still, she took a deep breath and walked down with Namine, the blonde girl kept close and shivered. The two reached a white door with the black symbols of a nobody, the door slide open and the two entered a room with a design like chains. In the center was a white throne and in front of it were two odd things, a still set of blue armor with hint of grey, seems fit for a woman. By it was a blue keyblade with hints of grey.

Kairi was speechless and went to pick up the keyblade, she felt a familiar scent on both. Dismissed her keyblade and went to pick up the armor. "What is this doing here?!" Namine had no idea. "I'm as lost as you, but you know who these belonged to?" Kairi nodded to her. "These belonged to Master Aqua. This... raises questions... how much do those guys know of this place?" Namine wondered herself. "They use to be from Organization XIII... but I wouldn't expect them to take this lightly."

Kairi agreed and had to juggle carrying a keyblade and a suit of armor up the spiral stairway, fearing that it would result in more conflict, up the spiral, Kairi and Namine heard bickering. The two ran up to find Ienzo answering something in his defense. "It must have been a skill she acquired, but how would I know there was something there for her to find?!"

Even answered with refusal to admit fault. "That wouldn't have been an issue if you didn't consider that we needed to clean that up." Kairi and Namine exit the dreary place, the two saw the girls and looked absolutely terrified, Even hyperventilate as Ienzo felt it was far too late to explain anything.

Kairi showed the keyblade and the armor. "Did you know these were there?"

Ienzo shook his head. "No, Xehanort used that as his private quarters for his research and-" Even continued for him. "During our time as Nobodies, we were not allowed down there. But, we recognize that armor and Keyblade when Dilian and Braig brought him in with those. Ansem kept those guarded until we were persuaded that we didn't need him."

Ienzo stiffened and Kairi gave a harsh glare to both. "Then when Xehanort took over this place and took Ansem's name, he went to take these. I'm giving these back to who they rightfully belong to."

Even stepped aside willingly. "By all means, this is just another sin on our hands." He looked to Ienzo shaking his legs and shook him to his senses, Ienzo stood aside without hesitation, Kairi's glare lessened to them and went on her way. "Thank you, this is pretty hard to see." Namine agreed with that in mutual pity. "Get this cleaned up."

The girls left and Ienzo looked down into the abyss. "He would be ashamed of us."

At Sen's Fortress.

Jambert sweated to the pendulums swinging and the narrow bridge he stood upon, he rushed past two, stopped and waited for two more to swing by. He sprinted past the opening and made it to the other side, to a wall with a small ledge going left to right, finding to obvious pressure plates to his side and two key bearers to the right. Aqua stepped around the pressure as Ken approached a fog gate and pushed himself through. The woman followed and admitted it. "Those last few can make anyone uneasy. Watch your step, the arrows would come from behind you."

Jambert had it noted and followed her, Aqua went through the fogged gate and the knight wiggled through. Finding a small set of stairs and Ken looking over from a balcony, the boy turned back and advised the knight. "Don't look down," He looked up. "But I think we are almost to the top."

Jambert looked up and saw the top of the fortress. "We haven't truly bested the worst of this fortress until we find a bonfire." He turned left and found a set of stairs that lead up to the left. He made his sprint past the first, found a set leading up ahead, he saw a wide open area leading to the right that was complimented with scorch marks and remembered something he saw bellow. He saw a hole in a ledge, made his dash and jumped down to a bonfire as he heard the sound of an explosion.

Up above, Aqua looked up to find a massive bomb being lifted and felt the heat of fire, Ken watched the flames disappear and made a run for the stairs to the far, the teacher followed and the two were in a safe platform. The teacher grumbled. "This is ridiculous."

Ken looked back and agreed. "And he kind of ditched us for that bonfire we saw because he doesn't want to go through all this again."

Aqua pressed her fingers on her forehead. "I don't blame him, unless we take that giant out, he is going to be throwing that at us again." BOOM!

A bomb was tossed to the lower ledge and exploded. Ken looked to his right and walked up a set of stairs to find a bridge leading to two paths, one to the left was broken and needed a jump, the one to the right seemed more clear, Aqua followed him and saw a rather embarrassed blush. Ken confessed. "Jambert really was just talking about knights and that was when things were going a bit too far when he noticed that were swordsmen as well."

Aqua didn't mind and felt her mood lighten. "If I ever find my armor again, what ever you were seeing might get thrown out the window. For an ordinary knight, Jambert was close to guessing why it is special compared to his."

Ken guessed. "It's light, covers about as much as Jambert's armor and looks cool?"

The teacher had her hands at her hips and she tilted her back forward as she answered tired. "Correct, correct and that depends on what you think is cool."

Toss! BOOM!

They heard more explosions and the sound of clanking armor from behind, she turned around to find Jambert climbing up. "I found the bonfire, now I pray we find a short cut back down, so we never have to do this again." He went to the bridge and saw a bomb hurled there.

BOOM! PEW!

An arrow shot from above and behind, Jambert felt the arrow pierce his back. Ken looked up to find nothing and guessed. "And a sniper is above that?" He growled as Jambert ran across the bridge and to the right, the key bearers made their sprint and followed the knight to a tower. They made a turn past a door to the right and went over another bridge that lead to a room Jambert was thankful for, two cages that seem to be an elevator.

Ken tapped one by its lock and caused it to slowly open up. "There is the short cut. We got to be a corner away from being done."

Jambert grumbled and found a door way to the upper left. "The pendulums, the pressure traps, snake men that want to throw you off, boulders, those gargantuan fire bombs," He pulled the arrow out and went to get an orange flask as he yelled out his frustration. "All of it is poppycock."

He drank from it, glowed in fire and lead the way past to a corridor to a right set of stairs that in turn, brought them to a cat walk. They walked acrossed it, turned to the right and Aqua heard a bolt aimed at her, she back flipped, looked above to find an armored zombie and shot a fire ball to quickly silence it. They reached another turn to the right, reached a set of stairs and made their way to a doorway inside. Finding four paths to take, the way they came, up ahead, large fogged gate to their left and a spiral stair way to the right. Where ever the fogged gate would guide them to, the giant above wasn't going to make it easy, they went to the stair way and reached to the top to find a giant with a large assortment of fire bombs. Jambert charged after the giant, dodged a swing from its fists and slashed at the ankles as Aqua jumped to its face and unleashed some built up anger as Kendry fired at the giants chest, the giant backed away, tripped over Jambert and fell backwards over the edge, falling to his death and giving the group the feeling of a fort being shaken up. Jambert was knocked against a wall, stepped to the side in his attempt to get up and saw a giant iron statue with an axe on its left hand.

The knight sighed. "That's definitely no statue." Ken looked to the menace and agreed with a whistle. "A big iron machine?" Aqua had a more correct term. "An Iron Golem, if we beat it, we would have conquered this fortress. Now what's across the other catwalk?"

Jambert wished to know that himself and followed them down the stairs. Down bellow, he took off to investigate, Aqua's lips twitched. "What actually happened here has to have been a complete nightmare," Ken didn't want to think about it. "We can jump past through some of those traps, Jambert can't. It's all three of us up in the fort, but the actual Jambert did this alone."

Aqua cringed and had pressed her free hand on her chest. "Sen certainly didn't want people making a journey up here. This, could be an idea to consider for later." Ken yelled in a snap. "Are you crazy? Why would we need places like this?" The boy realized what he did, dismissed his keyblades and covered his mouth, Aqua took a deep breath and exhaled. "When we kick Garland out and when we find out more about Sora's connection to Ven, the castle this was... needs protection for when the inevitable happens. This fortress is a death trap to everyone, you are not wrong to find this place overkill, but someone sneaking around and giving the weary bad ideas is what started many problems and that someone would try it all over again."

Ken quickly nodded. "I know who you are talking about and he sounds like the kind of person that would. Some friends from the Imperium had to be protective of Twilight Town in case a Chaos Cult sneaked in. S..sorry for yelling at you."

Aqua relaxed. "Then you know why this kind of thing is necessary, I just hope the next floor isn't something like this or we would conclude that it this the point Jambert lost his mind."

Ken cringed pathetically and saw Jambert return joyfully. "Ha! Sir Kendry, Lady Aqua, I found a friend that will be of great aid for us."

He stepped out of the way for a glowing knight in black armor, a large great sword and black iron shield. He sized the two and asked proudly. "This fortress can take its toll on anyone and that golem is as strong as he looks. What do you think? Will we punch him into scrap metal or send him falling over?"

Aqua sensed the confidence and asked. "What makes you think we can beat that thing easily?" The black iron knight answered and pointed to the two of them. "You traveled from the bottom of the fortress and made it to the top, you look like those who battled many foes before and they were much stronger than the golem."

Jambert agreed with that as Aqua added in. "Faster, more dangerous and in places much worse than here," Ken nodded. "You're saying he wouldn't be a problem compared to the things we fought and saw?" He believed that as the knight introduced himself. "I'm Black Iron Tarkus, the heavy weight slayer of the Iron Golem, I want you to remember this for all time as we look this golem in the eye and make it feel the pain of the countless undead it slain."

Jambert felt small in comparison and lead the way. "I...I hope we are not overcompensating," He was by the fogged gate as Tarkus promised him. "We could be overdoing it with just myself, but you have dealt with foes that used numbers against you, why should we deny an eye for an eye?"

Ken gasped and hummed to Tarkus. "Good point, fighting fair only works when the other person is doing it," Aqua laughed to that. "That's how you fight all the time, but have some rules when you fight dirty, because there is a line," Ken listed a few. "Don't shoot when you know your friend is in the way, rescue your friend before running off, be quick about beating your enemy because you got better things to do and don't make them do things they wouldn't do, we got to be sure the problem is done and over with before we assume and playing them along doesn't guarantee anything."

Tarkus laughed to that. "If you use your friends like that and use deception like that, you would lose in the end when you become a monster," Jambert agreed. "And that foolish behavior would prompt more knights, wizards and ruffians to come for you. Are we ready?"

The key bearers were and followed the knights through the gate. The Iron Golem noticed them and swung his axe side ways as the four charged across the cat walk to an arena without a ledge. They saw the burst of wind slash at them. Tarkus took the damage and pushed forward as Jambert rolled to the right, Aqua jumped to the far left and Ken rolled to the left and position his gun like blade. The Golem marched towards Tarkus as Jambert's hand glowed red, the knight formed a red power and put it with in himself. Feeling a burning pain as he rushed to the Golem's legs with Tarkus. The knights struck the legs as Aqua flung herself to the golems tiny head and let loose a quick flurry of attacks. Ken shot the Golem in the chest with an automatic stream of beams.

The Golem's legs were smashed, the iron hulk grabbed Tarkus with its free hand, shoved him to the ground in a brutal manner and stomped at Jambert. The knight rolled back and watched the Golem swing its axe at Aqua, the Keyblade Master vanished and appeared to the side of its head. Shooting lightning at it as the beam of Cadia's Light hit it in the chest and caused the golem to block it defensively. Jambert swung at the Golem's left leg and caused it to stagger, Tarkus got up and swung his great sword at the other leg, the Golem knelt back to the upper right and tried to catch itself, being near an edge as Ken shot again, creating a larger hole on its chest. Aqua saw a sparkle of something and ordered. "Ken, stop."

The boy did so and saw the sparkle with in the Golems' chest as Jambert and Tarkus tore the iron armor. "What is that?"

Aqua watched the knights making quick work of the Golem, jumped to its chest and reached her hand in, the Iron Golem grabbed her as she pulled the sparkle out. She felt a core of bone and the arm go limp. Jambert and Tarkus thrust once more, the Golem didn't even resist and was pushed off the edge. Aqua back flipped and watched the knights look down over the edge. Jambert and Tarkus watched the Golem crash to the wall of the fortress and fall apart like it was junk. Tarkus mentally counted his record and turned to the key bearers with respect. "That was faster than I expected." Aqua looked closer at the core and asked. "Do you know what this thing is?"

Tarkus nodded and faded away. "The bone of a dragon, good luck and may we meet again in Anor Londo." He waved and disappeared as Jambert asked. "Was that powering the Golem this whole time? Is it like a soul?"

Aqua guessed so. "It's...like a heart?" She gave Jambert the Golem Core and approached Kendry, realizing he was observing something. "How did you figure out the Golem had something like that?"

Ken hummed and looked to his teacher. "I didn't, I was shooting what ever I could. How is Jambert suppose to get to Anor Londo? There isn't any stairs or ladders." The knight wondered that himself and noticed a ring of light shining. "I'm sure there is something, I need to get there for both the Lordvessel and because something happened to the firekeeper at Firelink. This is what I found on her body." He showed an odd black stone with a single golden eye, the eye looked down at the ring as Aqua and Ken gasped. The boy asked. "Someone murdered someone?"

Jambert nodded. "The firekeeper was murdered in cold blood and because she keeps to a bonfire of importance, that bonfire isn't usable anymore. Firelink Shrine connects to many places, so-" Aqua understood. "You and those who depend on that place for sanctuary will have no luck if you die near there. Who could do such a horrible thing?"

Jambert wanted to know and placed the stone away, looking closer at the ring. "They are maidens all undead are thankful for, who ever the evildoer is, he needs to be brought to-" He gasped. "Oh, no, no, no, no."

Aqua felt the horror and asked. "You knew who did this?" Jambert nodded, looked at Kendry awkwardly for a moment and back to the woman. "A knight I rescued from the Undead Parish. Lautrec, he is the only one who spoke anything about her during his stay. Speaking of her serving him well for the fire and-" Ken and Aqua's jaw dropped, the boy yelled. "Why would he do that to someone?!"

Jambert tapped his sword's hilt in guilt. "Was it a mistake freeing him?" Aqua growled, remembered the hollows and corpses and wanted to answer. GROWL!

Two pink winged demons descended from the sky, wielding polearms, surrounding the knight. The keyblade wielders readied to attack and watched a winged demon fly to Jamberts back and carry him, one of the others joined in grappling him. They held him by the arms and followed the leading demon above the massive wall. Jambert looked to be slumping his head in defeat over a situation he got himself into. Ken and Aqua found a white door appearing. They walked past it and were in the sixth floor of Castle Oblivion, Ken turned to his teacher and confessed. "Because of all the undead going on, Jambert had a good point that we shouldn't leave those not hollowed to an awful fate. Then Lautrec gave a pretty fishy laugh once we freed him, I knew that was a mistake."

Aqua didn't wish to talk about it. "Was it obvious that Lautrec was a murdering scum bag?"

Ken sighed. "He isn't dressed in the slightest bit of black and he helped me, Jambert and Solaire beat these two gargoyles. But he was in a prison cell when me and Jambert found him." Aqua turned to her student and felt conflicted. "There could have been any reason he was locked up and this isn't the kind of world you should just... abandon someone. It would be cruel to do so." Ken swallowed and asked. "But unless the person liked behind the cell is someone we know wouldn't do something to get locked up... letting them rot is the better choice?" Aqua wasn't answering that. "It's a cold decision, but someone is settling it right now."

The two readied to get going and found themselves in a familiar shrine, with a dead bonfire, Aqua noticed something by a tree to her right and approached, finding a corner with a young sorcerer talking to a wizard in a big hat. "Master Logan, are you certain you found another sorcerer?"

Logan nodded to him and read his records. "She has the air of a great sorceress, knowledge seeketh knowledge," He noticed Aqua approaching and greeted her. "Hello there, it's good to see you're alive. Hmm-" Aqua gave a respectful nod to Logan. "It's good to see you made it out of that place in one piece." She introduced him to her student. "This is Kendry, one of my apprentices in way of the Keyblade."

Ken focused away from the dead fire place and greeted him. "Hello, I'm here to watch Miss learn something new." He looked at the brown haired student and asked. "What's your name?" The man greeted himself back. "I am Griggs of Vinheim a Sorcerer of the school."

He looked to Logan in admiration as Ken gave his own title. "I was mostly self taught with my own." He sat on a broken pillar and watched as Aqua greeted Griggs. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Griggs leaned by a wall and watched Logan stand up, the old man took out a catalyst and asked. "You said that Soul Sorcery and its concept holds similar value to the Heart." Aqua nodded, extended raised her keyblade and dismissed it, causing it to vanish mid air. Logan was more interested and watched the woman summon it back, Ken summoned his burning keyblade to help make a point and listen to his teacher speak. "The keyblade is tied to ones heart and no matter where, it will always be by my side. That is just one I can show you, through the heart we can sense what is with in others, sense how others feel and let loose what is with in as power." Logan hummed and written it down. "The keyblade is an extension of the heart as much as the power you will see is an extension to the soul." He raised his catalyst in the air and fired a spear of blue energy at the tree.

PEW! BOOM!

Aqua focused with in, aimed her keyblade high and caused a blue glow at the tip.

PEW!

A spear of blue energy was shot out, Ken couldn't believe it as Logan focused with in and found nothing. He had that written down and asked. "The keyblade is more than a simple catalyst, so what me and Griggs would learn, won't be first hand?"

Aqua gestured in apology. "It doesn't work that way." Logan understood as Kendry took his turn, focused on his burning keyblade and burned as one. "And most of the time a keyblade works well when in the heat of battle or when there is something to open up."

He stabbed the ground and let loose a pulse of fire. Aqua looked to her student and agreed, she asked. "And this a sanctuary, Kendry... care to help me demonstrate?"

Ken jumped and dispelled the flame, he walked to the other side with Cadia's Light in hand and answered. "I'm not going to let myself get beaten up, when?"

Aqua readied and dashed to the boy, parrying blow for blow in quick succession, Ken jumped back and enveloped himself with fire as Aqua enveloped herself with magic. Ken aimed his blade and let loose a combusting burst of fire, Aqua back flipped, enveloped herself in magic. She rushed to Ken and quickly knocked him off his feet with a flashy combo, the student was a little dazed and kept guard, Aqua had him stand up. "That's enough, this is the first time I saw you do this... without that keyblade in hand."

Ken looked upon himself and let the fire die down. "I guess I got so use to the fire that it was coming naturally. I don't need to depend on that keyblade to win my battles, it's as powerful as it is because of me and then together, we are able to go beyond." He turned to Firekeeper's Wish as Logan told the boy. "That is the art of pyromancy. You draw your strength from the power of nature, it's quite primitive in these parts."

Aqua turned to the wizard and asked. "But for someone picked by the keyblade, that magic is helpful time and time again," She shot a fire ball in the air, followed with ice and finishing off her demonstration with a lightning. Logan felt like he was in a different world. "This sorcery holds different forms. What you have done to envelope yourself in magic holds great promise."

He took out a shimitar, glowed his catalyst and rubbed it against the blade, causing it to glow blue. Aqua felt the potential and gave the same focus, she and her keyblade glowed blue, feeling herself tied to her inner light and having a taste of new power. Logan caused five blue masses of energy to form from his catalyst, Aqua gave similar focus and caused her own to appear faster, the woman thanked the wizard. "As I said, magic is a specialty of mine. You are a master of it as you claim to be." Griggs agreed with her. "His skills are unmatched." Logan tipped his hat and sat down to advise his student. "You have much to learn if you wish to become a sorcerer of your own."

He and Aqua nodded to each other in respect, the keyblade master readied to leave and the wizard asked. "Heading out are you?" Aqua and Ken nodded, the student picked up his keyblade and answered. "We got to catch up with a friend of ours, he was carried over a wall."

Both wizards gasped and Logan asked. "Goodness. Undead or no, you can't stay here forever. You both have great potential. Don't go and die over nothing."

Flicker. PEW!

The two found themselves in the reality of Castle Oblivion. Ken dismissed his burning keyblade and looked upon his hand, watching it glow in fire as Aqua felt the homing soul masses disappear, she focused on her keyblade and gave that soulful glow. Both of them felt astonished and Ken asked. "Miss... I think you found out about the magic of that world?"

Aqua closed her eyes and exhaled. "Although that wizard was an illusion, his knowledge is real. Come on, let's go see this Anor Londo." Ken summoned his burning keyblade and lead the way. "It took everything just to get there. Miss, what are you going do with that power?"

Aqua followed and giggled. "Right now it is two different, yet similar powers. But they can become one. Do you really think your pyromancy came from being exposed to that keyblade for so long?"

Ken thought of a few others. "Seeing others use it, seeing how important fire is to the people of that world and kind of what I said. Was it out of line?"

Aqua shook her head. "If you relied mostly on your keyblade for battles, that would be one way to loose it and that has happened before."

Ken cringed. "And when it does, it's will be at the worst time." He went to the next door and opened it, he and Aqua found themselves in a grand city basked in sun light. A grand cathedral shined in the distance and it was made clear where they were suppose to go. Aqua almost lost her breath as Ken analyzed everything. "No wonder so many people risked their lives to get here. Do you think they would just let Jambert take the Lordvessel?"

Aqua shook her head. "No, they won't, otherwise Sen's Fortress would have never been built. Come on, let's go rescue that knight."

At Radiant Garden.

Sora asked Kairi in astonishment. "You sneaked back there and found Aqua's what?!" Kairi watched Goofy and Donald hold onto the armor with care and showed the boy the blue keyblade. "I remember this keyblade, this belonged to Master Aqua. It's trying to guide me somewhere." Sora had an idea where. "It wants to be back with Aqua, it's been with out her for a long time. Should we help it?"

Kairi kept her teachers old keyblade firmly in hand and answered. "We should, but have you calmed down? Vanitas gave us all a scare and what we found can't wait." Donald argued about that. "But can it wait?" Goofy shook his head. "We know where Ven's heart is and if we don't hurry, Vanitas would find us again."

Kairi felt it was a good point and ordered Sora. "Don't have anymore nightmares, you can't have those nightmares again. Not as long as we're here to keep them out." The boy was thinking the talk was ridiculous and was forced to focus on the girl as she locked determined eyes with his. "No more nightmares. I'll fight anything and anyone that tries to give you those nightmares again." Sora nodded silently, Kairi lead the way out of town. "Let's find Master Aqua and help her get wake up Ven."

Donald and Goofy followed without hesitation as Sora felt the lingering terror fade away and followed, having a blush. They traveled out of the world and onto the two gummi ships. Donald and Goofy put Aqua's armor in a save location and the boy sat on the chair, seeing the buttons give a beep to guide straight forward. The gummi phone rang and Sora saw the image of an eager Kairi ready for adventure, he smiled to ask. "So any idea where we should go?"

Kairi tapped her forehead, Namine appeared out of nowhere and suggested. "It's near Twilight Town and the Islands, you can't miss it," Namine gave the trio a jump scare; Sora, Donald and Goofy yelped, the girl from nowhere had a confession to make. "There was a reason Roxas and I had to talk to Aqua and the others by ourselves."

Kairi remembered the coordinates and thanked her other half. "We can't afford to waist time, thanks." The halves smiled to the boy that was eager to get going. "Thanks for the tip Namine, we'll figure it out from here."

Kairi smugly pressed the button, the screen went static as Donald warned Sora. "We are breaking a rule," The boy chucked and relaxed. "Don't worry guys, I'm sure they'll understand once we tell them. It'll be fine."

Goofy scratched his head and asked. "I know Aqua's things would be easy, but I can't wrap my head around how Ventus's heart joining with yours would cause Roxas to look like him."

Sora felt his brain short circuiting thinking about, felt a ding of light with in and snapped his fingers. "Because Ventus was in the back corner of my heart, what do they call it?"

Donald answered confused. "Subconscious? Sora, those are the things you don't think about." Sora hummed as the gummi ship set sail. "At least not while I know it. What power do we know of that go into that subconscious?" Goofy answered. "The Power of Waking?! But how are you going to use it?" Sora answered that with a wider smile. "I don't know, but we know someone who done it before." He pointed to the yonder. "Come on, let's go find Riku and the others!"

In the Castle that Never Was, at the Altar of Naught.

Xehanort was impressed by the sheer wickedness of the Coachman that stood proudly with the scream canisters. "And you conducted nefarious business like this before?" The Coachman nodded and smoked his pipe. "Yeah I have and the whole deal with Kingdom Hearts sounds like a venture towards some real profit. There wasn't no risk for what Vanitas had that scaly bloak help along with."

Xehanort folded his arms and asked. "And what of Vanitas?" The Coachman had a sinister smile forming. "Oh he'll be following any moment now, after he handles Sora and the others. Right abo-" He noticed something was off, no corridor was opening. Xehanort thought about what happened. "He is still alive but his encounter with Sora didn't go according to plan?"

He turned to the void in the sky. "Go to the dark city bellow, your schemes could be useful," The Coachman thanked him. "It's a pleasure to be doing business." He walked off and sensed another coming, Ahriman arrived. The Sorcerer asked the Seeker of Darkness. "So he makes seven and since they didn't destroy Vanitas, he will return with knowledge of the Keyblades Chosen one. With that, we will attempt to predict the next move. My Rubrics are prepared at my leisure, you are expecting someone else up here?"

Xehanort nodded to the Sorcerer. "With the piece in place, I suspect wind of both Aqua and of me to blow far. If I am correct, he would have been restored whole by now and is lurking in the shadows to remind me of my plans."

A corridor opened, a black coated figure emerged and was oddly friendly with Ahriman. "So this is the big bad Sorcerer I heard about." Ahriman made no effort to hide that. "I've orchestrated my name being known for the purpose of spreading infamy. You found something urgent?"

The man answered with a whistle. "You caught on." He undid his hood and revealed a face with a scar under his right eye and an eye patch on another. Ahriman and Xehanort looked at black hair that covered the back of the mans neck and saw an overly confident smile. The man welcomed the Seeker of Darkness. "Good to see you're back, it's been a long time."

Xehanort asked. "You mean a couple weeks ago? Braig. What have you found?"

Braig laughed and answered his colleague. "Ha, well I don't need to tell you about a certain someone coming back from the Realm of Darkness or Vanitas... did I hear right about you working with the Forces of Chaos?"

Xehanort nodded as Ahriman advised Braig. "Keep your voice down, Archaon lurks in this castle." The eye patched man whistled. "Easy there, I didn't come here for you."

Ahriman politely turned. "Of course, I'll leave you be." PEW!

The Sorcerer distorted reality and vanished away as Xehanort felt more open. "I have conducted a plan to gather Thirteen of the blackest hearts and due to the corrupting nature of Chaos, my... partners are willing to work for a common goal for the time. We have a few complications to remove."

Braig sighed and patted his hand on his partners shoulder. "And isn't today your lucky day, the forming Guardians of Light aren't so discrete about what they are trying to do and Hollow Bastions little Princess left a trail."

Xehanort turned to his partner in crime. "Kairi? What has she done to make this important?"

Braig answered. "I was getting to that. You know some of Aqua's... stuff you told the others you got rid of?" Xehanort does. "The Chamber of... but ho-" Braig answered. "Think, we all know Kairi has a little Nobody that disappeared and caused trouble here. Because of that Nobody, she figured out that place existed and started snooping around. That Nobody knows a lot more than what we think and if an old friend of ours was correct before he went turned coat, she was apart of that incident in Castle Oblivion."

Xehanort snapped his fingers. "And the reason why Kairi and the others are not accompanying Aqua is because of that Nobody wished to keep the truth of what she did a secret from her other half. But why would Aqua go to Castle Oblivion?"

Braig shrugged. "Beats me," Xehanort ordered him. "Find out and eliminate this problem. Use the castles traps if you must and if things become worse, come back with a full report," Braig followed. "Ten four." He went back to the corridor and left the Seeker to understand his foes.

In Anor Londo.

Aqua and Ken entered a courtyard with three ways to go, ahead was a building with a vast hall that had someone fighting something inside. To the left was a door way leading to something and to the right was an elevator. It was too high for the two to jump, the vast city made Aqua lose her breath and she had to remind herself. "This place isn't real," Ken agreed with that. "But in an age long past, it did and it shined."

He went ahead. "I'm going to get Jambert before he gets himself killed, those big sentinels we found laying dead look... smashy." Aqua followed him. "Ken, I'm suppose to be the one watching you."

The two entered the building and saw Jambert glowing red and rolling past a giant armored sentinels with a thick shield and halberd. The sentinel tried to slam its shield down at Jambert as its partner tried to turn from missing. Jambert cut the right most sentinel in the back and caused it to fall over dead, the knight rolled back from the left sentinel thrusting its halberd forward and rolled to the left, he took his chance and carved his server into the arm of the sentinel. The creature tried to slam his shield down at Jambert and was dealt a finishing blow, falling over. Jambert exhaled and brushed himself. "And just one of them was dreadful." He went to one of two chests, the one to the left, he opened it and plucked a twinkling stone as he heard someone coming from behind. Jambert turned and was relieved to see the key bearers. "Goodness, I thought you would have been in a dead end."

Aqua waved hello and explained. "I had to see what Logan had to teach us. This city is not like any other I seen." Jambert agreed to that. "It is the City of the Gods and the capital of Lordran. But the foes here are beyond the standard hollow. I would be careful of picking unnecessary fights. If you go back and turn to the door way, there is a stunning knightess and a warm bonfire we can use to think about this predicament."

Ken appreciated the tip. "We don't need it, I think that cathedral on the other side of the city is where we need to go. Looking for goods?"

Jambert nodded and went to the right to find a pale brown chest with a straight chain. "I'm looking for treasures once again. You'll never know what trinkets and weapons you can-" He touched the lid of the chest and knelt over, the lid opened to reveal a large set of teeth. "Waa-" CHOMP!

Aqua and Ken were caught off guard by the chest that grabbed the knight and chomped on him, Jambert disappeared into ashes and the ashes were swallowed. Aqua readied to fight. "A mimic."

The mimic showed legs and long, dangling arms, giggling with hunger at fresh prey. Aqua rushed to the mimics face and slashed at it as Ken stepped to the left and shot himself to the lid, stabbing it's lid to a wall with his burning keyblade and aiming Cadia's Light down its throat, the mimic wailed and went limp, dropping from its bowels a crystal halberd. Ken and Aqua looked at a green glowing blood stain that was Jambert and heard someone rushing.

Jambert returned embarrassed, reached to the blood stained and absorbed the presence. He exhaled and picked up the halberd. "Huff! Pretend you never saw that."

He wanted to go back to the bonfire and lead back to the courtyard, Aqua told him. "We warned you about this." Jambert ran faster as Ken rolled his eyes. "So if we go for a chest, we might end up eaten by those things?" Aqua asked her student. "Did any of those chests seem... odd, they mostly looked the same." Ken didn't think too much of it and the teacher gasped. "The mimic is mimicking the chests... but it isn't a perfect match. Be careful about opening any that are different from the others," Ken heeded that. "So those with a straight chain and have a different tint? Because the curved chain is all I see in the chests otherwise."

Aqua took the lead to the bridge. "I hope Jambert listens to us the next time he goes for treasure... but then again... that mimic dropped something odd," Ken guessed as he and Aqua went past the door and found themselves on an elevator that descended down "So he is going to attack the mimic for its treasure. There isn't much stopping that."

The elevator stopped and the two walked down a spiral that lead them on a bridge that lead to a tower. They found a stone gargoyle staying still, it came to life and rushed to them. Ken fired upon the rushing beast without a thought as the Gargoyle charged and took flight. Ken slide under the swooping Gargoyle to dodge and watched Aqua jump on the creature and let loose a couple swings, she fired an ice spell into the things mouth and back flipped, seeing that she earned the creatures attention and exposed its head to an automatic shot.

PEW!

The Gargoyle went limp and dropped two things, a shield and a halberd.

Ken looked up a tower with a bridge and grumbled. "Miss, can you jump this high?"

Aqua squinted her eyes and tried to focus, she shook her head. "I could try, but would he be able to?"

Ken laughed. "No and he would be pretty upset if we do things for him. How did it really happen?" Aqua looked to her right and to her left, finding a buttress leading to a chapel. "What about over there?"

Ken looked and saw where it went, he looked across the chapel, a ledge looked to the length of the tower. "Miss, I think that Chapel is where we need to go." Jambert caught up and saw the dead gargoyle. "You don't wish to waist time." Aqua apologized. "Sorry about leaving you like that, but there is so much to this city we want to see. You can have those." Jambert took the weapons and looked around, finding the buttress and laughing in triumph. "Huh, ha!"

He jumped down to the buttress and slowly walked up to the ledge, the keyblade bearers followed him to the other end, trying not to look down at a fatal fall. Jambert rolled off to the ledge and found a broken window, his companions followed and the knight guessed. "Some good fellow had the same idea we had." He walked through the opened way and Aqua sighed. "A bull headed idea, but we don't have many options." She gasped and asked. "But who did this?"

Ken had one guess. "Solaire is pretty reckless, but he is strong. I haven't seen his summon sign in a while." The key bearers entered the chapel and watched Jambert make quick work of two white robbed assassins that had twin daggers, the knight found a set of ladders near. "It could be Solaire, but who else would have made it here?" He climbed up, Ken followed and Aqua answered. "Tarkus."

She climbed with the group and reached ledge with no rails, it had the only path across a chapel with black and white tiles and a grand statue on the other side, looking like a maiden. Ken looked queasy from the fact the thin cat walk ahead had no hand rails, was a series of twists and turns and was one misstep away to falling to certain death. Jambert looked ahead and was shaking in his armor, the worst part of the travel that would make a mistake mean certain death, white robe assassins with small daggers were on the pathway with in the rafter. "This is insane."

Ken dismissed his burning keyblade and readied his gun like blade with both hands. "This guys want us to run in and swing like idiots. Miss, I think I can make the shot to get rid of these problems from here." Aqua ordered him. "Do it."

Ken aimed at the assassin in the center of the chapel, standing by a chain connecting to chandelier, he fired and sent him falling off to the floor bellow. He noticed in the far distance, two of the assassins, one to the far left and one to the far right, noticing the long shot and walked the path towards him. He aimed to the right and fired, the assassin back flipped, Ken quickly turned and fired again, sending it falling off. The remaining assassin hid behind a pillar and was out of sight. Ken snapped his fingers and Jambert requested. "That is enough, we need to get closer."

He slowly went down the cat walk and tried not to look down, Ken waited and took his turn and Aqua followed, stressing at how delicate the travel has to be, making a turn to the left and making a turn to the right, reaching a split and taking another left towards a more spacious platform, Ken noticed the assassin making its move and position himself further ahead, Jambert standing over the chandelier and Aqua looking down to find an odd strip of paper. Ken aimed at the nimble assassin, fired and sent it falling down bellow. The woman shook her head and Jambert looked down. "Could that be a secret of pyromancy, a miracle given the city or a sorcery?"

Aqua answered as she saw riled up assassins bellow. "I could make the drop to get a better look, but it would be harder jumping back up here and being alone in these kinds of places is a terrible idea," Jambert hummed in agreement. "And we already caused a ruckus." He took his great curved sword and used it to smash the chain loose, causing the chandelier to fall and crash, Aqua cringed and thanked the knight. "We'll... look once we find a safer way down." Jambert nodded. "We are almost there and there is nothing to stop us now." They noticed Ken slowly making turns across the cat walk to a ladder leading down to a fogged gate. Aqua kept quiet and took her turn as Jambert took another route. Ken reached the ladders and climbed down.

He rested by a wall and looked up, Aqua reached the ladder and quickly jumped down. The teacher brushed herself and slapped her face lightly as she listened to a knight above climbing down. With all three together, Jambert pushed through the fogged gate and caused it to fade, finding the top of the tower covered by a roof and having a spiral stairway down. He saw a contraption ahead that confirmed his suspicions. "So this is the mechanism that controls the tower."

Ken went to the right and looked back the way he and the others came as Aqua went the other way and saw a gargoyle waiting on a stairway leading up to the cathedral. The keyblade master warned him. "Before you push that down, we are going to have another gargoyle coming if we do it."

Jambert was ready for the risk and went to the wheel like contraptions handle, sticking to the right. He pushed and caused the tower to descend down. The Gargoyle sprinted on all fours and pounced after the knight that backed away and rolled to the left to avoid a swing. He taunted. "I carved out a tail from your kind once, I'll do it again."

The gargoyle slashed at him with its tail and was kicked to the side of its face by Aqua, the woman gave off a blue glow and slashed as Ken charged and fired an intense beam, piercing into the gargoyles back and causing it to thrash, it flew to the right and faced Ken, inhaling its maw as the boy wasn't remotely scared and shot himself to a nearby pillar, the gargoyle breathed lightning as Jambert rushed behind it, slashed his server down at the tail and carved it off in one cleave. The gargoyle wailed, turned to face the knight and was slashed across the chest, it fell over dead and the knight picked up its helmet. He took the axe like tail as another trophy and looked down the spiral stairs. Aqua went to the chapel and found a small bridge connecting the tower to the lower floor. "Now lets see what is really in that building." She went down the spiral stairway and Ken followed, Jambert kept behind. The youngest asked his teacher. "Miss, what do you think that paper would have?"

Aqua wondered herself. "Any of the three Jambert mentioned and those assassins were guarding something."

The knight knew that was the case. "But to do so in the rafters? Perhaps this was because of our friends entry?" Ken felt it made sense as he and the others reached the bottom and entered the chapel, finding a massive painting of a frozen world.

Fling! Fling! Fling! Fling! Fling!

Five assassins crept from the corners and hurled daggers, one at Aqua, one at Ken and three at Jambert. The key bearers jumped high, Aqua went for the three ahead as Ken shot at the two to the left and fired mid air. If the laser going through them didn't kill the two, the landing did. Aqua pounced on two and slashed at one that back flipped. Jambert rolled and charged at the assassin recklessly, cleaving it in two as the Keyblade Master back flipped and let the knight finish the remaining two off. Ken noticed two assassins sneaking to a column to the left and pointed yonder, Jambert walked ahead and asked. "I'll deal with them while you search the chandelier."

The key bearers didn't mind that compromise. Ken kept watch. "I'll make sure those guys don't go the other way and jump us." Aqua went to the chandelier with her student and found the strip of paper in tact, on mere contact she felt her mind delving deeper into into her soul. She focused on her keyblade and gave off a dark blue glow, Ken asked as he noticed an odd thing crawling in the corner, a humanoid shadow creature with yellow eyes. "That was a sorcery spell? And heartless on two."

Aqua sharply turned to the upper right and found a neo shadow appearing with two more. They sank down and crawled in the darkness, Ken back stepped to avoid two sucker punching as Aqua tried out her augmentation, with two slashes, the shadows were quickly dispersed and Ken shot a fire ball at the lone neo shadow that tried a similar tactic, knocking it up in the air and shooting himself to the heartless with both keyblades, destroying it and raising questions that Aqua was confused by. "Those were real. What are they doing here?"

SLASH!

Ken watched Jambert make quick work of the assassins and shrugged. "I don't know, maybe Garland doesn't want us going further up?"

Aqua tapped her forehead. "If he didn't, he would have sent heartless after us earlier and if what the others say is true, those heartless would have looked different to blend in."

She doubted herself as Jambert noticed something and yelled in distress. "Lady Aqua, Sir Kendry, help."

The key bearers listened to the noise to the left, they followed and saw Jambert looking down at a particular dead knight that seemed to have fallen on his back from a ledge far above. The shape of the black armor was recognizable along with a large great sword. Jambert cringed. "Tarkus was a strong knight, but in the end, even he fell to one of the greatest forces on earth," Ken gave a moment of silence as Aqua kept looking up. "There was no way he was able to keep balance from all that and a fall from there would mean-" Ken agreed with that. "And he was a cool guy."

He took a deep breath as Jambert carved a sign by the corpse that said. Rest well noble knight. He nodded to Tarkus in respect. "Thank you for guiding us this far and farewell." He turned back to the exit and the key bearers were a bit surprised and wandered to the painting the guardians killed for.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and the teacher was left alone to talk. "This city isn't what it seems to be." She turned to Ken. "I meant even compared to where we are. If the Lordvessel is that important to saving the world, why go through all this?"

The student had no idea and was doubtful. "I guess the gods around here don't take much regard to the undead. That's kind of sad, but there isn't a whole lot we can really do," Aqua stiffened her lips. "All of this has been long past," She wanted to leave. "Come on, the longer we think about this, the longer we are going to be here."

Ken readied to followed and looked at the painting, jumping back in astonishment by the sudden image that wasn't in the frozen world. It looked like a stunning woman with white hair, scaly eye brows and layers of dress like fur, complimented with a furry tail on her rear and a scythe in her hands, the woman looked down upon him, Ken silently turned and followed. They reached out and found the tower being lowered, they went down the spiral stairway and found Jambert lightning up a bonfire. The knight sat to relax and clear his mind, greeting the two. "I found a bonfire we can rest up on until we are ready to go to the cathedral. Lady Aqua, you found anything on that piece of paper?"

Aqua nodded and gave the knight the paper. "I think it is a stronger version of the spell Logan showed me. It was worth taking the detour."

Jambert refused the strip. "Milady, you were the one who found it and it would be more suitable for you compared to me. Do you take me for a thief?" Ken wasn't answering that as he listen to Aqua answer. "You looted from dead bodies before and you take what ever you can find even if you don't need it. It doesn't feel right when you knew who it was?"

Jambert sighed and relaxed. "I suppose not and my habit caught up with me already." That was agreed upon, Ken warned him. "The normal chests are darker brown and their chain is curled most of the time, if it looks even a little off and the chain is straight, don't try to open it."

Jambert listened and looked around to find himself in a tomb honoring various knights and a large statue of a bearded king with a sword. "I'll remember that the next time I get greedy." He looked up to the statue with visions of a purpose as Ken felt something vibrate, he kept himself hidden and saw a message that he had to confess to, he whistled anonymously and texted away.