Chapter 36 One's Worth.
Things had settled down at the palace after the fighting was done with.
Kuzco was now a young man ruffly around the same age as Sora with long black hair and a slim body. He was no longer wearing rags like he did as a Llama, and instead a red robe with a golden headpiece that he wore as Emperor. Currently he was talking to an old man dressed in blue and white clothing with a blue pointy hat and a walking stick in his hand.
"Oh, you should stop being so hard on yourself. All is forgiven." The old man assured.
"You sure?" Kuzco asked.
"It wasn't the first time I was thrown out a window, and it won't be the last. What can I say? I'm a rebel." The old man joked as he threw a few punches around.
"Wow there, tiger." Kuzco joked as he was tapped in the arm. "Hey watch it! I gotta use that later."
With that the old man left as Takumi and Sakura walked up to him.
"You tossed him out a window?" Takumi asked.
"Uh…yeah." Kuzco admitted sheepishly.
"So, what is going to happen to Yzma and Kronk?" Sakura asked.
"I don't what I'll do with Yzma yet. As for Kronk, I think he said he has things he's wanted to do." Kuzco said.
"By the way, I want to thank you for saving my brother." Sakura bowed.
"Yeah. I have to admit, I was wrong about you." Takumi admitted.
"Well, I can't blame you for thinking that about me." Kuzco admitted. "By the way, how's your spiky friend doing?"
"Sora? I'm not sure." Sakura admitted.
"Corrin's checking on him." Takumi said hiding the bitterness in his voice.
Kuzco then noticed Pacha sitting in front of a small replica of his home village looking at it sadly. Kuzco walked up to him. He knew what he had to do.
With Sora:
Sora was sitting at a dinner table with Corrin, Jiminy Donald, and Goofy. All four of them were looking at the young Keyblade wielder in concern as Sora was slowly eating the food in front of him as opposed to how he usually eats.
"Hey, I know you're upset with how your fight went, but I know you'll get stronger." Corrin encouraged.
"Don't worry Sora. We'll be with you next time. You're hopeless without us." Donald lightly teased. Sora slumped down his shoulders further as Corrin and Jiminy glared at him.
"Err…Sorry. Maybe not the best time." Donald admitted sheepishly. Sora didn't respond. "Look. Even King Mickey wasn't able to defeat Vanitas in a one on one match. I still remember the day Aqua brought his unconscious body to Yen Sid's tower. He's not an easy opponent to beat."
"It's true." Goofy added. "Vanitas isn't your ordinary opponent. But you've got a lot of potential. With some more training, I'm sure you'll come out on top next time."
"It's not just that I'm worried about." Sora admitted.
"Is this about that dark form you took when you fought him?" Goofy asked and Sora nodded.
"Maybe we should find someone to talk to about this." Corrin offered.
"I'd suggest Master Yen Sid, but sadly we can't seem to find the coordinates to Twilight Town to get to him." Donald sighed.
"Maybe Merlin?" Goofy offered.
"That's not a bad idea." Donald admitted. "But Hollow Bastion is quite a way away, and the warp drive has been acting up recently.
"We can always call them." Goofy suggested.
"But…what if I'm not strong enough? I couldn't even scratch the guy before that and if I didn't use my drive, I would have died. But what if when the next time I transform, I turn into that dark form? I can't even remember what I did in that form!" Sora cried out.
"You didn't hurt anybody Sora. Just Vanitas." Jiminy assured.
"But still…" Sora began.
"Look. We'll call Merlin as soon as possible and see if he has any ideas on how to combat it. You'll be fine Sora." Corrin assured.
"How do you know that?" Sora asked.
"Because I know how you're feeling. Remember when I first transformed into a dragon? I didn't say much at the time, but I felt fear. Fear that I would lose control of myself and hurt you guys. If it wasn't for Merlin giving me that Dragon Stone, I don't know what I'd do." Corrin said.
"I don't think this is like your dragon form though." Sora argued.
"Maybe not completely, but the feeling of dread definitely is." Corrin countered. "And when I was lost in my rage, you and Kairi were able to snap me out of it. If you transform, I'll do the same. That's a promise."
"Corrin." Sora muttered.
"And we'll be with you as well Sora. It's all for one and one for all!" Goofy cheered.
"So cheer up! Remember what we said when we met? Our boat doesn't run on frowns, and we get enough of that with Takumi." Donald chuckled.
"I guess so." Sora muttered.
'When we last fought Ventus, you said that your friends were your power, and you Sora said the same thing back in Hollow Bastion. But all that has done has made you weak. Without them you are nothing!' Vanitas's voice rang in Sora's head.
'Do I rely on others too much? Am I useless on my own?' Sora thought sadly.
With Kuzco:
Kuzco approached Pacha who was holding a model of his house that wasn't on the hill due to a model of Kuzco's future summer home in its place on the mountain.
"So, you lied to me." Kuzco said getting Pacha's attention.
"I did?" Pacha asked unsure of what Kuzco was talking about.
"You said that when the sun hits these hills just right, they sing. Well pal, I was dragged all over these hills and I never heard any singing." Kuzco stated.
Pacha smiled upon realizing what Kuzco was implying.
"So I think I'll be building my summer home on a more magical hill." Kuzco said taking the model of his summer home off along with a mini water-slide. "Thank you."
Kuzco reached out his hand for Pacha to hand over the model of his house which Pacha handed to him.
"Can't pull the wool off your eyes huh?" Pacha asked.
"Nope! I'm sharp." Kuzco said putting the house back on its spot. "Looks like your family is stuck on the tuneless hilltop forever pal." Kuzco then took a seat next to Pacha.
"You know, I did hear some singing on the hill next to us…In case you're interested." Pacha offered as Kuzco started to think about it.
The Hoshidans decided to leave the two alone at that.
"I'm glad Kuzco reconsidered." Sakura smiled.
"Yeah." Takumi agreed.
Kaze then appeared.
"The others are in the dining hall. You wish to join them?" Kaze asked.
"How is Sora doing?" Takumi asked with some caution.
"He seems rather down, but I don't sense any danger from him." Kaze said
"For now, I suppose." Takumi muttered.
"I-I don't think Sora is a threat." Sakura said.
"Maybe not now, but what if he transforms like that again? Sora said he doesn't remember what he did in that form. How do we know he won't try to kill us in that form?" Takumi demanded.
"C-Corrin and K-Kamui transformed, but neither of them hurt anyone friendly." Sakura argued.
"First of all, I don't care what that traitor dose. Second, I doubt this is the same thing as that Dragon form. And third of all, Kamui was only saved by Azura's singing." Takumi countered.
"W-Well, I don't think Sora would hurt us." Sakura argued.
"How can you be so sure?" Takumi argued.
"I-I just have a feeling!" Sakura said as she walked away.
"That isn't very reassuring." Takumi sighed.
Later:
Everyone was all set and ready to head out. Pacha was going to be heading back soon, but he was sticking around a bit longer to talk to Kuzco about a new spot for his summer home. Kuzco was still holding the model for his summer home in his hands.
"So, you have to leave?" Pacha asked.
"Yeah. Vanitas was nowhere to be seen, so he likely left, and we still have some friends to find." Corrin said.
"Well, take care." Pacha smiled.
"Hey. If you're ever looking for work, I could use someone like you guys as guards." Kuzco offered.
"Uh…We'll keep that in mind." Corrin said awkwardly.
Suddenly, the model in Kuzco's hands started to glow.
Sora summoned his Keyblade and opened the lock to a new path.
"What the heck was that?" Kuzco asked when the light died down as he examined his model for what caused the light show.
"Uh, don't worry about it. You behave Kuzco." Corrin said changing the subject.
"Uh…yeah." Kuzco chuckled awkwardly.
Everyone waved farewell as the group departed to a spot out of sight so they could teleport to the Gummi Ship without drawing unwanted attention.
In the Gummi Ship:
Upon returning to the Gummi Ship, Donald immediately got to the phone and called Cid.
Cid's face appeared on the window of the Gummi Ship much to the shock of the three Hoshidans.
"What the heck is this?" Takumi cried out.
"Don't worry about it." Corrin dismissed.
"Hey there." Cid waved.
"Hey Cid, is Merlin there?" Corrin asked.
"Merlin? No. The old loon is still at Disney Castle. Says my computer keeps him awake at night." Cid said with a roll of his eyes.
"That's not too far from here. Guess We're going home again." Donald said.
"How's things going at your end?" Corrin asked.
"Pretty quite for the moment. Leon is still searching around the castle for Ansem's computer, but no luck so far." Cid said.
"Well, tell him good luck." Corrin said.
"I will." Cid said ending the call.
"Back to Disney Castle then!" Donald declared as the ship took off.
Disney Castle:
Upon landing in the Gummi hanger, Donald lead the group out to the gardens where Merlin was relaxing with some tea, joined by Minnie and Daisy.
"Merlin!" Donald called out getting the three's attention.
"Oh? Back so soon? Is something up?" Minnie asked.
"We need to talk to Merlin, and Cid said you were still here." Corrin said.
"Well you've caught me at the right time. I was going to head back when I finished my tea. What can I do for you fellows?" Merlin asked.
"Well…" Jiminy began as he explained what happened back at the Palace with Vanitas.
"Oh dear. That sounded terrible. I'm glad you're okay." Minnie said kindly to Sora.
"Thanks." Sora muttered.
"This is definitely serious. A transformation like that could be dangerous to both yourself and others." Merlin said.
"Where did this transformation come from?" Daisy asked.
"Vanitas thinks it was a side effect from Sora becoming a Heartless." Jiminy said.
"Wait a minute. You became a Heartless?" Takumi asked shocked.
"Yeah. It's a long story. Last year, Ansem and Maleficent needed the hearts of seven special maidens to open a door that would lead to Kingdom Hearts. Our friend from back home Kairi was one of them, but when the islands were swallowed by darkness, Kairi's heart was somehow inside of Sora. Sora turned the Keyblade on himself to save her heart, but in the process became a Heartless. Though Kairi was able to bring him back…somehow." Corrin explained.
"That's was apparently what set Vanitas free as well." Jiminy added.
"Oh dear." Minnie muttered.
"Merlin. Do you have anything that can help Sora like you did with me?" Corrin asked.
Merlin shook his head. "Sadly no. Your situation is more on your bloodline. Sora's is his inner darkness. If I had a solution for that, we wouldn't be dealing with all these Heartless and Nobodies."
"So…Is there anything I can do?" Sora asked a bit afraid.
"Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you. That is something you'll have to figure out yourself." Merlin said sadly.
"Do you remember what happened during the battle that might have triggered it?" Minnie asked.
Sora was silent for a moment before shacking his head. "It's kind of blurry to me."
"Vanitas was taunting you and Ventus. Claiming how those other two Aqua and Terra failed, and how Riku and Kairi would fall as well." Jiminy chimed in.
"That's right! I was feeling angry and afraid." Sora remembered.
"That might be the case then. I would recommend not using your drive powers while your emotions shift to more highly to negative ones. At the least that should reduce the chance of transforming into that dark form." Merlin advised.
"I'll try." Sora said sadly.
"I'm sure you will succeed Sora. We have faith in you." Minnie assured.
"Thank you." Sora said giving a small smile.
"It's times like these that your skills as a Keyblade Wielder is tested to its fullest. But surpassing it can bring you another step closer to becoming a Keyblade Master." Merlin said.
"Keyblade Master?" Kaze asked.
"A Keyblade Wielder that has shown the Mark of Mastery and passed through some trials will be bestowed the title of a Keyblade Master." Merlin explained.
"Interesting." Kaze muttered.
"Well, I'd best be off. There is still a lot of work to do back in Hollow Bastion." Merlin said.
"Tell Leon and the others we said hi." Corrin said.
"I will. And if you need any advice, do feel free to call. I'll do what I can." Merlin said.
"Thank you, Merlin." Sora and the others said as they left.
Back on the Gummi Ship:
As the group returned to the Gummi ship, Donald got in the pilot's seat and started the ship up to take off.
"Thankfully we didn't have to travel too far from where we were. We'll check what path has opened for us and continue our quest." Donald said.
"That's good. I guess I'll work on some magic practice then." Sakura said leaving the room.
Corrin tapped Sora's shoulder getting his attention.
"Why don't you go and get some sleep. With all that has happened, maybe some shut eye will help calm you down." Corrin suggested.
"I guess you're right." Sora muttered feeling tired.
"I usually am." Corrin joked.
Sora chuckled as he headed to his room.
Takumi stared at Sora's retreating figure before following. Corrin decided to as well.
Sora wasted no time heading straight for his bed and drifting off to sleep.
Takumi stood outside the room pondering how to handle this.
"Can I help you with something?" Corrin asked startling Takumi.
"What are you doing here?" Takumi asked.
"I sleep here. What are you doing here?" Corrin asked.
Takumi just stared back at Sora and Corrin put the pieces together.
"He won't harm anyone." Corrin said.
"How do you know that?" Takumi asked.
"Because I trust him. Sora would never hurt those close to him." Corrin said firmly.
"He couldn't control himself in that form. He could do it regardless if he wants to or not." Takumi argued.
"Well then, what's your excuse for attacking us back at Disney Castle?" Corrin retorted.
Takumi flinched at that like he was slapped and Corrin sighed.
"Look. I get you're worried, but I have faith in Sora. When I transformed into a dragon for the first time, I had lost all control. I saw Sora stab himself with the Keyblade and vanish before my eyes. Then Ansem had appeared. The one that caused all that hardship we faced last year had fully taken over our friend Riku's body. At that moment, all I could feel was rage. I wasn't even listening to what he was saying. I just wanted him dead. He took the islands I called home, seperated me and Sora from our friends, took over one of their bodies and caused the other to lose her heart, and now the one I called my brother was taken right in front of me and I could do nothing about it. I hated Ansem for all of that, and I hated myself for my weakness. After that, everything went dark for me. I was lost. Lost in my anger attacking anything that got close to me. Then I heard Sora and Kairi's voice. They reached out to me. They came back for me, even knowing that I could possibly hurt them. They refused to give up on me and I won't give up on them. I will help Sora through this. No matter what." Corrin said.
Takumi looked down in both sorrow, jealousy, and even some anger. "And yet our voice wouldn't reach her." He muttered.
"Who?" Corrin asked.
"Nothing." Takumi muttered with sorrow in his voice. "I'll leave him alone...But I'm still staying on guard."
Takumi walked away leaving Corrin confused.
"What was that all about?" Corrin asked.
"When your sister transformed into a Dragon after your mother's death, your siblings tried to reach out to her, but their voices didn't reach." Kaze said from behind Corrin.
"That's right. Sakura mentioned that when Takumi was possessed by Maleficent. How did she change back then?" Corrin asked.
"Lady Azura's singing. Her song was somehow able to calm Lady Kamui down." Kaze said.
"A song?" Corrin asked.
"I don't much about it. Lady Azura would never talk much of her past. I do know she would always practice that song whenever she could. The only thing I ever got out of her about it was that it was taught to her by her mother. Still, it was able to calm your sister down to the point that Azura's voice was able to reach her." Kaze said.
I see...Thank you for sharing this with me. If you don't mind though, I think I'll get some shut eye." Corrin said.
"Understood. Sleep well Lord Corrin." Kaze said as he vanished.
"It's just...never mind." Corrin sighed as he entered the room and lied down in his own bed. He glanced at Sora who was already out like a light. Corrin shut his eyes and drifted to sleep himself. His mind constantly drifting to Sora, Sakura, Takumi, and even his twin Kamui.
And that's a wrap.
Pretty basic chapter here dealing with the aftermath of Sora's battle with Vanitas.
Originally I was going to have them go back to Hollow Bastion, but decided Disney Castle instead so I could have a bit more screen-time with Queen Minnie. Still, as for the Restoration Committee, I'm already planning how the big fight at Hollow Bastion will go down. I can't wait.
Anyway, the next world will be the Pirates World. In fact, here is a list of the worlds that will be visited in their order: (May subject to light change)
Pirates, Agrabah, Halloween Town, Nintendo World, Return to Twilight Town, Hollow Bastion grand battle, second visits, original world, Twilight Town, World that Never Was.
Second visits will likely be in the order of their first visits.
Anyway, on an unrelated note, I did see the reveal of the next Smash Character. And I'm mixed. On one hand, I really wanted Sora, but that is likely never going to happen due to all that copyright. Still, we don't have a whole lot of villains and this will hopefully mean we get some more spirits and SONGS for Final Fantasy. So this one I'm really looking forward to. In fact, this is probably the DLC character so far that I'm the most excited for. Welcome Sephiroth!
Next chapter will return us to the Fates World. See you then.
Andromeda: I did say before that aside from maybe Awakening (Which would be much later if I do so), I wasn't doing another Fire Emblem world. It's sticking to only Fates.
Reader: On my profile, I have a list of the arcs for this fanfiction. The Fates arc is when they will return home. So it won't be in this arc. As for your other statement, I already have Sakura all set, and I'm close to choosing what Kaze and Takumi will be. I actually look forward to that world as well so that will be a lot of fun for multiple reasons.
