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?

64. Unlocking The Way

In the sea of destiny, Kairi swam for what felt like forever and was nowhere near in finding the trial of the Eidolon or the Leviathan, she felt alone, with only the voice of Namine in her mind to keep her company. The girl asked as she noticed an odd light with in the darkness. "How did we lose that thing?!"

Namine answered with in the princess's mind. "I don't know, it was faster and could blend in these dark waters?" The princess swam close to the light and found a large set of yellow eyes behind, she yelped, back flipped with her flippers, dodged a chomp from a black angler fish with a shroud of darkness. She countered with a smack from her blade and rushed through it with a spin. She felt like she would go insane from the monotonous darkness and swam to the surface, bobbing her head up to have a marker of where she was and saw her islands in the far distance, yet the clouds were ever so dark. "At least we're not lost."

She bobbed back into the water and heard a noise. "Shar! Shar?" She looked around to find something with in the darkness, a dark blue, shark with a white underbelly, a mouth full of teeth and glowing red eyes, a ferocious looking creature. Kairi readied her blade and saw the sharks body was stunted from the tail fin down, it was missing and left the shark with a body resembling a torpedo. The shark wiggled upon seeing the glowing metal, saw the wielder was looking for a fight and barked. "Sharpedo!" It rushed to her with a jet trial, Kairi readied to swing.

SWISH! The shark moved towards her right in it's bull headed charge, the princess was off balance and spun to keep her view of the shark. "Go away!" The shark heard that, cringed and looked distraught, Kairi saw a head band of metal and shined her blade to have a look, finding a marble stone of blue, white and yellow, the shark looked annoyed, rushed in a jet and rammed Kairi.

POW!

The Princess felt that one and countered with a pearl of light. PEW! The shark was sent rolling and rushed to the girl, opened it's fangs and caused it to glow in ice.

WOOSH!

Push! Something jolted in between the girl and shark, it pushed in the water to knock the two away. An aquatic blue rabbit with a zig zag for a tail, connecting to a blue round orb of a tail. The rabbit wore a light blue cap and confused Kairi, the rabbit shouted to both of them. "Marril! Azu!" The shark barked in his defense, the rabbit turned to Kairi and asked inquisitively. "Azu?" Kairi tilted her head like she had no idea what the rabbit was saying.

Pulse! Pulse!

A glow of power enveloped the girl and shark, they felt a relief to their wounds and looked left to find a blue pistol shrimp with a massive claw that looked like a dragons maw, the whiskers certainly didn't help. The rabbit and shark greeted the shrimp and asked about something. A voice pleaded. "Wait, this is a misunderstanding!" Kairi looked to her side to find a mermaid Namine, the creatures turned around to see her and yelped in astonishment.

The princess whispered. "You know what these guys are?!" The nobody whispered back. "I'm getting to that, but they are not trying to be your enemies. Sharpedo just thought you wanted to fight him and got upset when you showed that you didn't want to, despite showing an invitation.

Kairi gasped. "Sharpedo?" She looked to the shark that was asking his companions something, the rabbit tried to say something and her words came out as. "Ehhhhh" Sharpedo swam to her and barked a question, Namine nodded. "We weren't, we were looking for a dangerous creature that's huge and had someone on top of it. You just kind of looked like the thing Kairi usually fights and around here, anything can be a danger."

Sharpedo gasped, pouted and spoke something crestfallen. "Shar." Namine petted him on the chin. "It's okay, your lost as well." Kairi slowly swam and asked. "They look like they're a team. Who are you guys?"

The rabbit cheered. "Azumarril!" The shrimp foamed bubbles and snipped his tiny pincer. "Zer!" Namine explained. "They're an explorer team called Team Seafarers, they take their business in the sea." She addressed the rabbit. "That's Azumarril, the leader of the team." then the shrimp. "And Clawitzer is the sharp shooter and medic." She nuzzled Sharpedo on the nose. "And this big guy is Sharpedo, the muscle."

The shark blushed and Kairi said her hellos. "Sounds like your the best of friends, I'm Kairi." she looked to her nobody. "And this is Namine." Azumarril waved. "Mar! Mar!" Clawitzer snipped and Sharpedo jolted to an idea and barked. "Shar! Shar! Shar!" He turned to his friends. "Shar?" Azumarril gasped, nodded and swam to Kairi and Namine. "Azu! Azu!" She pointed to the right. "Rill?" The Princess guessed. "Your... looking for someone or something out here?" Namine nodded. "Yep, there is a fourth member that got separated from them after a traveling accident and they thought to split up, they found something over there that looked to be part of an island, but then they saw you and Sharpedo fighting."

Kairi asked. "Who are you looking for?" Namine wiggled her fingers. "A pokemon named Cradily. He's the most relaxed of the team and him not being much of a swimmer is how he probably wandered towards something he can latch onto." Clawitzer bubbled and smiled to a blessing, Namine smiled back. "Yeah, it is a good thing you found that in this storm. He probably had a look while getting to safety."

The Princess sighed. "Thank goodness." She thought of an idea. "Hey, what ever I'm looking for is around here somewhere and he knows I'm chasing him. If we lay low for a while, maybe he'll come back out. If I help you find Cradily, will you help me stop this storm?"

Azumarril turned to the Princess, cheered and offered a hand shake. Kairi took it and Sharpedo smiled something goofy for a menacing shark, Azummaril let go, spun and posed in celebration, Clawitzer snipped his small pincer like a clap and Sharpedo swam behind the girls, lifted them up and had them grab onto his fin in an instinct. "SHAR!"

Azumarril gasped used her tail as a propeller and ordered her partner. "Rill!" (Come on, Clawitzer! Sharpedo is gonna jet!)

Clawitzer gasped, turned backwards and used his large pincer to shoot out a beam of power, Namine advised Kairi. "Hold on, this is going to be a fast one." The Princess held tightly and Sharpedo formed a jet. WOOSH! Sharpedo jetted at the speed of a torpedo, the girls felt their faces stretching at the acceleration and gave a combined scream of adrenaline. In a few moments, they caught sights of what looked like the support of an island, with a cave going in.

Azumarril pointed to that. "Azu!" Clawitzer changed his direction and Sharpedo dived in face first. Upon reaching the cave, the Explorer Team slowed down and the girls had the chance to catch some breath. On slowing down, Kairi and Namine got off of Sharpedo, the princess had her blade ready. "You guys are right about something being here."

Azumarril nodded as Clawitzer turned around and found something, he snipped and swam to markings leading into the cave, it looked like a round body of some kind crawled in. Namine was ready to disappear into Kairi as the shrimp gasped to the implications, the nobody whispered. "A mystery dungeon?" Kairi gasped. "That could be dangerous for Cradily, especially with all the Heartless around."

The trio agreed and turned to find Namine fading into the princess, they were confused as the nobody giggled. "I'm just going into my other half. I'm still going to follow you and help you and Kairi understand each other. We'll talk more about that when we save the sea." The confused pokemon didn't even pretend to understand that and let the nobody vanish, Kairi giggled nervously. "Me and Namine are both one and the same, as well as two different parts of the whole." She swam to the entrance, Clawitzer followed behind her, Sharpedo swam to the rear left and Azumarril took the rear right. The seafaring team were ready to explore the undiscovered.

At Radiant Garden.

The Replika was in the confines of his friends house and was given a stern lecture from his friends mother. "That witch is not handing that over for free, why won't you just ask my son or anyone with a ship?!"

The boy grumbled. "Oh sure, they got a spare one around. It isn't like Ken has the time to fly us where ever we want." He folded his arms. "Besides, Karla told us the effigys were pretty rare in her world and they are even more limited now. But... they look like they were made from straw and with some instructions, they... could be made." The mother still asked. "I just don't want you to be lured into a trap. The worst kind of people you will meet are those that act awfully nice to a stranger at the moment."

The boy folded his arms. "That's definitely true, it's the ones that give you cold facts that you ought to listen to. That is what Karla done." The woman groaned and lowered her hand. "I can see that. So, you finally got the power you wanted and you have an idea on how to use it. Xion's also making use of the trick the King's guard taught my son and that is why she is at the other town all morning?" The boy smirked. "Yep and definitely yes. With a bit of time, she and Ken will be coming back here to talk about their day, any moment now."

The two felt nothing happening, the woman hesitated to correct the boy, tried to speak and stopped, the Replika asked. "I should be checking up on things out there? Since I helped saved the town, they'll let me look." The woman nodded. "You should."

The boy readied to leave. "I'll be back soon." Click! He traveled out and explored the residential area, finding no one in particular, he tried searching the train station and found Baldred entering the central square. The Undead looked to the castle determined and found Leon and Cloud talking something unimportant, the man with the gunsword leaned to a lamp post. "We're keeping our guard up in case yesterday happens again."

Cloud leaned against a wall with his arms folded. "This is dumb, where's that lunatic hiding anyways?" They heard clanking of armor and gasped, finding their Undead friend has return. Cloud smiled, stood up and wanted to give the Knight a firm handshake. "You're back in one piece, did the keybearers get what they needed?" The Knight smiled under his helmet and laughed. "Ha! That and more, it won't be long before Garland is a past issue." He gave Cloud a hand shake. "But my own task has brought me back here. Was the youth able to do well?"

Leon smirked. "More than enough to break the time loop. What task are you talking about? We could help." The Knight sighed and hesitated. "N...not quite. While this covenant doesn't need me anymore and would work together finely, one particular in the town of twilight, is a rabble of children in comparison. I've heard they and those of the castle are partners." Cloud's mood turned to frowns. "Those ex Organization punks? What kind of bull shit are they doing now?"

The knight groaned. "Acting like a bunch of Crestfallen and refusing to let go of the past. Rather than focusing on the future, they have the potential to do more and Exrirsa is going to give them a nightmarish tale to do so." Cloud scoffed. "Good!" Leon shook his head. "The guys over hear are at least trying, so you'll have your answers. Does this mean your not going to stay in this town anymore?"

Baldred looked disappointed. "My task, takes me to Twilight Town. So we won't be able to meet like this for a while. However-" He bobbed his head. "There is one last thing, I seek from all of you." Cloud guessed and tried to keep his frown. "You want to have one last go at us before you have to say goodbye? Meet us by the committee square when you're finished and we'll show you what we're made of." Leon cracked a smile. "That can be arranged." The knight cheered. "We will show each other why we are still alive!"

The Replica kept quiet and smiled. "Look at you. He was right about you." He waited for the knight to head to the castle and sneak to the train for a ride.

At the Library.

Ienzo saw Baldred had his hands on the table, demanding an answer, he asked back. "You've actually decided to associate yourself with them?" He felt a head ache growing and advised. "Sit down, Baldred. I think I know why they are... crestfallen like." The knight sat down and asked. "Because they are weighing themselves."

Ienzo nodded. "Yep, we've all had our share of misdeeds, back when we were nobodies and I reckon, that the escalation of Archaon, making himself known amongst the worlds, is partially our fault. If he never found Xehanort, he would not have came here."

Baldred asked. "And Exrirsa's horror story is all about the Everchosen, rather than an evil man who's opened the Abyss, many times over. Why?" Ienzo guessed. "Probably because Archaon has access to a vast army that he just needs to summon, of those are people who would prove... fatal to even a Keybearer and the Everchosen isn't even afraid of them." Baldred smacked his fists on the table. "And they are the strongest among us!" Ienzo grew curious. "Exactly. What has happened to your heart?! You were nowhere near as lively as you are now."

Baldred answered with passion. "One of the keybearers has saved my soul from a great evil that was beyond the realms and I spent too much time being afraid of myself." Ienzo wanted to say. "You see that the worlds are on the verge of being torn apart and you wish to prove why you're heart is strong," A glow of storm and frost radiated from Baldred's chest, he gasped. The knight wondered what that was about and saw himself shining, it stopped and he turned around to see a heart of storms and of ice floating side by side. The heart of storms yelled out at the Undead. "You've always been afraid of yourself, human! Just as Gwyn would have liked it!" The frozen heart agreed in a feminine voice. "That fear is not, why thou became fit to become a Lord amongst Men."

Baldred and the scientist were in complete disarray, the Undead asked. "Friede?! Nameless One?! How did you get there?!" The heart of the Nameless King, answered proudly. "You were the only one worthy of housing our souls. You've done, what few would ever dream of doing. What ever the reason is, could become the strength to topple even that mad man." Friede agreed. "Regardless, these worlds are thine home, Lord of Cinder. Does thou believe they will sit back and let the worlds die?" The Undead shook his head. "No, they love it too much to give up. Why did you reveal yourselves now?"

The two hearts channeled the power of lighting and frost upon him, imbuing his soul and causing him to fall on his knees, the Nameless King answered. "For we speak of a choice. Regain, the power lost to mankind and reveal all that is." Friede answered. "Or, abandon thine past and make a new life for thyself. Seeketh, the palace of twilight, the rest will follow." Baldred grasped the ground in pain, sparked in lightning and unleashed it to push the hearts away, he stood up and with a flick of the wrist, summoned a frosty scythe. "Would you stop forcing me into that cycle!"

Friede laughed to him. "Thou, art Cinder, great lord. Our power, is thine." Her heart disappeared, the Nameless King nearly sung. "It would take a miracle, for Light and Dark, to find a balance. Find that miracle! You've proven your worth to the Keybearers, show it again." The King's heart vanished, the room became empty, dashing in the room, came Dilan and Aeleus, with weapons armed. The man with the claymore demanded. "What have you done in here?!" Dilan looked around and saw the undead with the frozen scythe, he relaxed and let the knight dismiss the sickle as Ienzo was hiding behind his books and write something down. The spear man guessed. "Something... supernatural, who's hearts were those?"

Baldred looked at his hands and answered. "I thought, they were foes of me and the travelers of the Realms. But it seems they wished to lend me aid, before departing to the beyond." Ienzo tried to keep calm and asked. "But what did they mean, by a Palace of Twilight?" He gasped and the Undead guessed. "It's somewhere in Twilight Town? I was going to return there soon anyways, once I make my peace with the Covenant of this town."

The guard realized, precisely where, Aeleus put his weapon away and warned the Knight. "What ever you do, do not do anything reckless that could get yourself killed." Ienzo agreed. "The bonfires that hold the power of resurrection, do not exist out here, Baldred, if you die you will stay dead." The Undead nodded. "I've survived so far, have I not? I will see what is there to find and see what I must do to prove my heart to be worthy of the Light."

Ienzo put his hands together and ordered his men to step aside. "If that is what your heart wants, we won't interfere. But please... come back safe." The knight nodded and marched. "I will." With the Undead gone and more research piled in, the scientist got up. "I... need to check on Even."

In the Underworld.

Ken stabbed an Ork in the chest, set him on fire from the inside out and hurled him towards a disoriented bundle of Ork boyz. FLING! BOOM! Another horde was vanquished, Ken breathed deeply, heard more foot steps to the doorway on his left and had his gun ready. He slowly walked and sprinted in an instant, he aimed his keyblade to shoot, looked around to find no one, yet heard whimpering from in front of him, he aimed his keyblade down and looked down to find a red, fat imp, he yelped. "Don't shoot! I'm not an Ork!"

Ken tried to flip is blade, the imp thought that was an attack and ran for it, Ken had his blade into melee mode and looked around. "That ought the last of them for now." He turned to find Lightning exhausted and saluted. "Those Orks aren't going to get the jump on us again for a while. We can slow down." Lightning tilted her head upward. "Finally, I thought you lost it with all the warfare down here." Ken finished his salute. "I've been in this spot before, I got to shoot first and ask question, never."

Lightning sneaked to the passage, found the close clear to a set of stairs curving down and advised. "You still got a long way to go before you can consider yourself a soldier. But you'll live to fight another day." Ken shrugged. "A war broke out, around a week ago and it took me and my friends everything to end it before it got worse." He laughed. "You can say, that I'm too young to be this armed."

Lighting closed her eyes. "That's not funny." Ken agreed and flexed his prosthetics. "It isn't, without this, what am I?" Lightning didn't answer and lead the way to a throne room with a strategy board, Hades was screaming at his imps. "You mean to tell me that those idiots broke into the arena too?!"

He burst in orange fire. "GWAARGH! How am I going to cook up another plan to get rid of Wonderboy and take over Olympus, if all my monsters keep getting beaten up?! Next thing you're going to tell me, is that they blew up one of my dungeons!" The blue skinny imp nervously reported. "Well... actually..." the fat imp skid his foot in the ground. "It... im...ploded." Hades snarled at them, the imps pleaded for mercy, the lord of the underworld cooled down into blue fire and tried to rationalize. "Fine, fine. I didn't need that place anyways." He walked off. "I'm just going to show them who's boss and get the place good as new before they wreck it again." He ordered. "You two, worms, go open the arena and find something that would keep them busy."

He puffed up in smoke and the imps counted a blessing, the fat one asked. "Phew! Glad we didn't tell him about the keybearer doing most of the work for us." The skinny imp agreed. "We'll be rid of him in no time." They scurried off to a door way by the side of the entrance, Ken was annoyed of what he was doing to defend himself as Lightning entered the room and folded her arms behind her head. "Well, at least we know I'm not really dead." Ken guessed. "I'll bet.. that if we keep going, we'll find our way to the arena and use that as our way to get out of here. I think I saw that at the entrance. Then the Orks will keep being that lowlife's list of problems and he won't bug anyone again."

Lightning smiled to him. "Not bad of an idea." She heightened her guard from something in the corner of her eye and flipped her blade, Ken saw the direction and aimed his blade gun, finding a man in a familiar, green uniform, he was in a helmet, had a mole on his cheek, had green eyes and hints of a shaved head, he covered his face. "Don't shoot! I'm not one of them!"

Lightning didn't buy it. "And you're not from the Underworld?!" Ken recognized the insignia of the Imperium and asked with his eyes squinting. "If that's true, Guardsmen, then where is your Commissar?" The guardsmen had his hands at a chain sword strapped to his hip and answered. "Gone to the holy world with, Elric, Thompson and Perkins, Resira is the only Imperial member among us left after the War, against the Traitors, ended. You've sent that Arch Traitor back to the hell he crawled from, too!"

Ken kept guard and asked. "Hank?! Where were you during that?" Lightning answered. "Here!" Hank gestured she was close. "I watched the whole thing with that weird cat thing, this is the only place in the worlds that I could travel too and I wasn't going to set one foot here without back up." Ken relaxed his guard and his eyes glistened in respect. "Then it's a good thing you came. We've been trying to get out of here after closing off an Ork chase and it's been one greenskin after another. What do you know of them? I know they are from your galaxy." Hank laughed a little unhinged, like he was trying to forget certain details. "Not of this lot, but I know a green tide when I see one. The power of this Underworld is the one thing keeping them from spilling over to the upper world and it might have weakened some of them too."

Lightning put her sword away. "Not like we noticed, when you get shot up with so much... dakka, one weak bullet, means nothing." Hank agreed and examined her. "Yet, someone has been a legend and done the Emperors work, by sending these Greenskins down here by herself, with the ferocity of a Sister of Battle." His tone sounded flattering. "if you know what I mean."

Lightning realized she was being flirted on, closed her eyes and spoke coldly. "Really? I don't see you, handling them by yourself." Hank felt the burn of rejection and agreed. "Not if there is is a whole platoon here and..." he counted in his head. "three Leman Russ Battle Tanks to blast those Orks to bits." He sneaked to the stairway down. "But I'm not here to butter up a dame. Those death machines didn't come out of nowhere, there is a big mek leading this green tide. If we take their leader out, they'll be too busy wrecking Hades realm to notice us." Ken nodded. "And in turn, he'll be too busy to keep us from getting away. Hey... I want to ask, did you guys see... anything else... fiery in here?"

Hank shook his head. "Can't say I have. Was that the reason Bryn sent you and the Stormcast into the Underworld instead of the surface?" Ken recalled. "There was definitely something going on in the world of the living. But this guy sent some kidnapped, elemental... guys, across the worlds to make trouble and one of them came here in a twin tailed comet. Two, for one world."

Lightning put together the rest. "So if we search the Underworld, we'll find the guy you came here for before it gets the chance to escape to the living." Hank nodded. "That's our objective then. We're moving in a group, I'll scout for important targets to eliminate and you two will do the rest?" Ken saluted again. "It's better than having to charge every time we get jumped by orks."

Lightning agreed. "Hank, do you have any idea, how many times that's happened?" Hank lead down. "I've gotten some intelligence, but everything is as the kid said. He was never meant to fight, the kind of wars the Imperium has battled... none of you are."

The woman agreed with that. "Yet, here we are, fighting the remains of your war." They reached the bottom of the stairs and found a tunnel that had four orks with flamethrowers and a mek boy with a matching burner. Hank raised a finger and whispered. "Ken, do you got a booby trap?" The boy snapped his fleshy hand to form a flame orb, he aimed his rifle at the mek, like that of a sniper. Hank raised three fingers and counted down.

3, 2, 1.

PEW!

The mek was sniped dead and one of the burner boyz saw where the shot came from. "We'ze got a sneaky one up there! Let's get to roasting!" The burner boyz charged with their flamethrowers ready, the party of humans walked back and Ken tossed a profound flame in sync to the sight of the flamethrower. BOOM! The flame exploded and set the burners on fire, giving Lightning the chance to charge at them and quickly finished them off. The one woman army brushed her hair in the aftermath, looked around and signaled. "The way's clear, for now."

Ken marched. "Okay, my turn to scout." He nimbly used the corners of a curved room to keep out of sight of potential foes and peaked his head to get a glimpse of what was ahead. Lightning watched and heard a whisper from Hank. "Lads got a little too much warfare for his age, I'll give you that." Lightning turned to him, like her mind was read. "And you're okay with this?"

Hank shook his head. "Not really, but if he and the others hadn't adapted like they did, they would've been dead a long time ago. Cut him a little slack, we all got our ways to cope." Lightning sighed and saw Ken tapped his feet in shock, the boy looked away, had his back against the wall and looked to the two adults, he lowered one arm to bellow his waist and raised another above his head. Hank wondered what that meant. "What do those Orks have that is so big?"

He signaled Lightning. "Watch the lad." He sneaked past Ken to see the pathway to a shore and something that made his jaw drop, a large, blue mecha that looked like a giant hunchback, it had a rocked strapped, mechanical claw the size of a truck for a left hand, a giant, super heated gun for a right hand, a smaller super heated gun for a belly button. On the top of the mecha were miniguns and a forcefield generator. The mecha lifted it's stubby foot, lifted it's body and used it to advance forward, it did the same with it's other foot to walk in a patrol. A pilot, with in the mecha, complained. "Grr! Stays put over the Styx, Rekktrasha sayz. You'z too big, he sayz. How the zog am I suppose to smash that dome, all the ways ere?" The mecha stopped, like the pilot was listening to someone. "What'z ya mean, my voice is over da speakah? I'm tella ya'z, da Big Mek Boss wanted the fun stuff for him selfs."

Ken almost laughed and tried to take the predicament seriously. "Wha... ha, what are we going to do? Those are a lot of guns and it isn't something we can punch through without some precision... and super heat." Hank gasped and took out a canister of something strapped to a handle. "Were... not without that." He sat down to draw a large circle and three x's. Lightning had a closer look. "So what's the plan to wreck that?"

The guardsmen pressed his finger on one of the x's and had it move towards the side, far from the mecha, but very much in view. "That depends on how fast either of you two are. If one of us just runs in there with our powers and goes after the Morkanaut, it will not only not work as well, because of that force field, it will fire every single gun at that one person. But, if that... one of us is nimble enough to parkour. Then the chance of those guns hitting us will be... five percent. Orks cannot aim their guns and they rely on sheer numbers." He pressed the next x and drew a line straight to the circle. "While the mecha is distracted, the next nimble member among us will get into close combat, try to avoid getting crushed and jump on the mecha to plant their highest, piercing attacks and shots." He finished the war map with the final x. "I will catch up and plant this melta bomb somewhere that looks important and that will deal tremendous damage." He looked the two in the eyes. "The greatest advantage that the lot from this galaxy have, is that they got the foot work of the Ordo Assassinorum, compared to even the space marines, who need a jet pack or bike to get anywhere as fast."

Ken felt it made sense. "Which is why you have to go in there last." He asked Lightning. "Once one of us gets to the Morkanaut, the person distracting it's guns can get in there OR shoot. Do you want me to go in there first?"

The woman lowered her blade and was ready to sprint. "Like, hell, I am going to let that happen." Hank sighed. "Thank the Emperor." He asked. "The instant that Morkanaut is focused on her, move it!" Ken flipped his blades, caused them to glow and fuse together, they melded together into burning halberd, with vented holes and string like wires. "Try not to take long, we're a fast fuse." Hank stood up with his melta bomb and signaled to Lightning, the one woman army sprinted into the hall way and to the wall. The Morkanaut saw someone on the corner of it's mechanical eye. "Whut dat?" It turned, found a pinked haired woman dashing at it with an burning red sword. "Umie!" It aimed it's arm canon at her.

PEW!

Lightning ran up a wall and saw a blue beam shoot out, making a deep impact where she was, the arm canon fired three rockets next, flying wildly, she jumped down and saw the rockets hit anything but her.

The Morkanaut's pilot growled and glowed it's belly button. "I got ya this time!" WOOSH! A gust of heated wind dashed from the hall. STAB! BURST!

Ken was at the Morkanaut's face and stabbed it deep with his polearm, throwing the belly button gun off course and to where Lightning changed direction. The woman felt a close aim and watched Ken flip the polearm up, revealing a mecha's face falling into two. Ken jumped onto the back of the Morkanaut and flipped the spear to cut the minigun off. The pilot heard something fall and caused the arm canon to rotate upward. "Oi! You chop me big shotta and I'll chop you!" The claw swatted at the boy, Ken dropped down behind the Morkanaut and stabbed it in the back while sliding down. Lightning reached the Naut and cut at the machines legs. The machine tried to stomp her and turned, thrashing at a boy that was keeping to the back and jumped back on it's back.

He stabbed the top, reverted his weapon back to keyblades and yelled. "Gas in the hole!" He inhaled and breathed in a toxic breath, Lightning heard something squealing, a horde of grots, crawled out of the machines joints, coughing, wheezing and curling up into balls to have death throes. The Morkanaut screamed and hacked. "Mai grots! Those. Cough are suppose to be rigging this up!"

Ken and Lightning sighed. "Too bad!" A man's voice yelled back. "Then how's about" FLING! "You join them!" The duo saw the melta bomb flying to the hole in the Morkanaut's head, Lightning stepped back as Ken jumped off and sprinted. The boy turned back, saw the bomb go in and heard the speaker panic. "Oh no's! Tank bu-"

BOOM!

A burst of flame shined with in the mecha, it went limp and smouldered. The foe, was vanquished. The swords woman calmed down as the keybearer stopped and was impressed. "Wow, we... bricked it." He looked to a Hank that was impressed by his companions. "That... meant we busted the machine to where it isn't going to work anymore, but just enough that it isn't complete scrap."

Lightning hummed in humor. "It's nothing but a giant brick now." She approached the shore and found a small boat, she looked at the distant colosseum and smiled. "Looks like Charon's out for lunch. Want to do some... borrowing?" Ken saw the boat and oar, his grin widened. "I got the oar." He let Lightning have the privilege of ladies first and jumped in. Hank waved. "Be careful with that, one wrong move and we'll be taking a dip in that."

Lightning and Ken looked into the water to find a swirl of souls, among them were the brutish Orks they've been slaying, thrashing among the dead and trying to get out, the river caused the boat to become tippy. Hank stepped in to keep the boat balanced. "These greenskins still don't know when to give up?"

Ken felt a fatal implication. "Anyone who falls in that, is going to have to deal with them again." PEW! Lightning felt a dark ripple and looked up to find fiery, bat winged Heartless and fiery salamanders hanging by the stalagmites. "Heads up, we got fire breathers." Ken looked on, realize he isn't going to ferry anyone, dismissed Firekeeper's Wish and aimed Cadia's Light at them. "And we also have little space. Hank, could you row?" The Guardsmen took the oar and remembered something. "This ought to be like driving a Chimera. Just with a lot less buttons."

In the Jungle.

A dark, stegodon with spikes all around was punched in the side by a sloth bear and was pulled from the frill by a panther, leaving it's neck exposed for a boy to strike. Tink! POP! Another heartless was defeated, Stitch noticed the trees growing razor sharp spikes and the earth itself forming like jaws. Baloo jumped over a maw like pit and asked. "This there... is getting prickly." Ven agreed with that. "Even if we beat these Heartless, the damage is going to stick around, until the whole jungle becomes something you all won't get use to."

Bagheera agreed with that. "The animals in the jungle won't survive these hostile changes, not unless we take out the source." The group found a clearing and heard marching, the ground shook and it was like a patrol was chanting. "Oh the aim of our patrol, is a question rather dull." Bagheera was having a head ache. "Dawn Patrol, again." The group had a look to find elephants marching over shrubbery. Ven whispered to the animals. "Maybe they'll give us an idea of where to go?" Baloo shrugged. "Maybe." Bagheera signaled Baloo to follow. "Ventus, you and Stitch should stay here. The last thing we need is more of us getting involved with the outer world." Ven understood. "Got it,"

Bagheera leaped out of the shrubbery and onto a tree as Baloo followed, saw a pompom tree and smacked his lips in a distraction. The panther saw that the Elephants haven't noticed him and yelled. "HALT!" The leading elephant, with a stick of bamboo, halted to regain control of his herd and felt the weight of a straight line of Elephants, pushing against his rear. "Oof!" He looked around. "Who's said that?! I give the command around here!"

He saw Baloo pulling fruit in astonishment and on a tree, Bagheera, laying on the tree branch. "Sorry for doing this again, but this is an emergency. Colonel." The Colonel scoffed. "An emergency? What is it this time?" Baloo held the fruit close and asked. "What is it? Hathi, this whole jungle is going wack." The elephant raised an eyebrow. "Really now?" An female elephant in the back ground scoffed. "Hmph, he's forgotten again."

The Colonel took offense. "Of course I haven't! An elephant, never forgets." He remembered a particular detail. "Ah, yes." He acted regal. "You are right on the matter Baloo, something has changed in the air recently. At ten hundred hours, we've had sightings of the ruins rustling before our eyes. The trees became off color and the vegetation turned into giant pitchers. A monkey could climb in them and never emerge."

Bagheera gasped. "That old place? I thought it would have been abandoned after it fell apart." The Colonel grunted. "Those apes took off after it's initial demolition, if you think the changes are going to spread, then it is beyond our capabilities." Ven cringed, wanting to introduce himself and was held by the leg by Stitch, Baloo thought of something and asked. "We probably won't do something about it, but we know someone who can."

Hathi was impressed. "Ah, I see, is he close by? I would like to issue this assignment to him." Bagheera thought about it. "That could be complicated." Hathi didn't mind. "I would not be disrespectful to a willing aid," He looked around. "Come on out, I know your nearby."

Ven and Stitch cringed at the complication and decided to approach. Hathi looked the other way in his search and the more attentive of the elephants looked like they were about to see a disaster. The boy asked. "Hey. Some of our problems reached the Jungle again." Hathi heard and turned. "I see that, if you would report, I would be-" He saw the human, glared and demanded. "A man cub?! Here!"

He grabbed Ven by the scruff of his shirt and lifted him. "This is another saboteur?!" Ven pleaded. "Hey, I came here to save this place!" He struggled, broke free and landed on his rear, Stitch jumped in front of him, crouched and snarled at Hathi, Bagheera tried to break the tension. "Hold it, Hathi, the man cub is speaking the truth!" The elephant waited for an explanation. "Then how did he get here in the first place? They've always bring; their problems, into the jungle." Ven nearly popped a vessel and Baloo asked. "Should one of you tell him, or should I?" Bagheera sighed and placed his own paw on his face. "I'll say it."

He looked the Colonel in the eyes. "Ventus and his friend, Stitch, have come from a place beyond the man village. Where a great evil threatens to throw everything off balance, once again it has taken it's woes into our beautiful jungle and by the goodness of Man, followed it back here."

Ven felt those were well chosen words and Baloo nodded. "Ven's one of the good guys here, he's trying to stop that thing from turning the Jungle inside out." The boy stood up. "Exactly." He adjusted his shirt and explained to the elephant. "And I think you told us exactly, where we need to go to get this jungle back to normal."

Hathi was a little flattered. "Really?" He turned to his elephants. "I am glad to be of aid, but in the off chance that I lead you to a dead end, I will continue to handle this responsibility." He ordered. "We will change our patrol from the watering hole, to the badlands. We will see that the source of this problem, is dealt with before sundown! Understood?" One elephant saluted his trunk. "Yes sir." Hathi hummed and turned to lead. "COMPANY!" The elephants felt the ringing of the shout. "FORWARD HUTCH!"

The elephants marched on a slightly different route and toppled the shrubbery as the party watched. Ven scratched the back of his head. "That could have gone better." Baloo didn't mind as Bagheera took the lead to the ruins. "For every action of man that have tried to help this Jungle, there are just as many that would do it ruin. Even with that silly World Order, that has always been." Baloo cracked the paw paw in two. "Yeah," he offered Ven and Stitch one half and saw something towards the ruins, smoke. "We, better go fix that before Hathi gets back."

Ven and Stitch were interested in the strange fruit and saw the smoke as well. The boy cringed. "What is that Skink, doing?!" Stitch had no idea and took the charge. Baloo and Bagheera followed in pursuit. Finding dark apes, with crane like claws, that attempted to dig at them and hurl piles of debris, hybrids between a rhino and a bulldozer and the more unusual of them all, dark orbs of toxic smog, that breathed upon Ven and made him nauseous. As they slew each wave, they found a deforested clearing and Pete ordered the industrialized heartless. "Move it, boys, these animals are ripe for the picking."

Stitch snarled and barked, the goon turned. "And just on-" he saw Ven, stopped himself and tried to regain his composure as a villain. "Well, well, what is a pipsqueak like you doing here?"

He saw Baloo and Bagheera with spite. "Trying to save this Jungle with ya pals?" Ven nodded and drew his weapon. "We don't got the time for you. Take your heartless and beat it before we make you." Pete gasped and laughed. "Eh, ha, ha, ha. Someones woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Bagheera growled as Baloo was ready to head butt the villain, Pete snapped his fingers. "Well, no can do. Getting in ya way is what I'm good at. Hows about, I make a counter offer, see." A corridor opened, had specks of fire and an exhale of smog. "I'm itching to test out my biggest, baddest creation yet on a bunch of small fries. It will pave over ya and then it will move on to the rest of this Jungle. Corperate Disaster," The shadow opened yellow eyes on the order. "sic em!"

A barrier formed to protect Pete as the monster sprinted out of the darkness, a a mechanical, light blue, bipedal, triceratops with a back exhaust resembling a volcano, hands looking like they were parts of digging cranes, a tail that looked like a drill and a horned crest looking like a bulldozer's plate. It demolished the shrubbery and looked ready to smash. Baloo stepped back as Bagheera leaped out of the way to the right. Ven and Stitch back flipped the brutal crane smashes. Baloo rolled on his back in a fumble as the Corperate Disaster growled at his prey.

Ven dashed to the monsters side left, shot a lightning bolt and tossed Stitch on the heartless's back. The alien grabbed onto the volcanic back and crawled to behind the frill. The Heartless tried to shake Stitch off, turned to Ven and fired from its back, a barrage of lava bombarded the boy and the demolished jungle, the boy sprinted to the monster and felt explosion behind him. He let loose a couple slashes on the beasts face for scratch damage and skid away, Bagherra pounced on the monsters side and clawed, the heartless shifted its drill tail, caused it to whirl and spun it after the boy. Flip! Grab! Thump! Baloo saw the spin, sprinted to the base of the tail, grabbed it and caused it to trip. "Come on, hold still!"

Ven appreciated the luck, jumped on the beasts back and attacked the exhaust, too many opponents for the beast to handle. Corperate Disaster's exhaust erupted and poured down a heated smog. Ven yelped. "Guys, we need to get off!" The alien and panther did so with the boy and Baloo let go to run for it, the smog enveloped the heartless, it jumped in the air and used its weight to fall on it's rear, causing the ground to rupture in dirt, rocks and smog. Pete saw the havoc and laughed at the carnage. "That's the stuff! Ha!" The smog dispersed and the Heartless pressed its claws together to its face, pressed it's head down at Ven and charged, the boy cringed and ran, he flipped, focused on it's weak spot of a neck. He hovered and fired beams in a zig zag pattern. PEW! PEW! Stitch took the chance to play an inspiring tune that forced the heartless to skid in a rhythm.

Ven finished with a flow motion to the exhaust, a leap into the sky and a slash of light, forming a crack in the sky. Pillars of light rained down and Pete was surprised, the heartless was pelted and it jumped back. The mook grumbled, snapped his fingers and caused a corridor to open. He gave a sharp whistle, the heartless in the background obeyed the order for a retreat, a larger corridor formed to the left side of the Corperate Disaster, the heartless didn't notice and opened it's mouth to form a super heated beam, Pete ordered. "We'ze got enough of what we came for and this shows me, what I got to work with. Get in that Corridor, now!" The Heartless growled and jumped in, the barrier flickered and Pete looked the heroes in the eyes. "This isn't over, short fry. Next time, you won't be so lucky." He opened a corridor and ran for it.

Ven growled, looked upon the destruction and more importantly, the sudden terraforming. "That wasted too much of our time!" Bagheera agreed. "But we stopped that from getting worse." He sprinted. "Watch your step, these trees are not of ours." The group followed the panther into a jungle becoming, thicker and thicker, needle mouth insects, the size of cats, attempted to swarm them, bit them and sting them, Ven let loose a swave of fire in annoyance and saw a tree leaning down at Stitch, it lowered fingers resembling sack like plants and tried to scoop him up. The alien noticed, flipped back and grew his second set of arms, he took four laser guns and shot at it, Bagheera noticed something was caught in the pitcher plants, it looked like the knotted tail of a brown scaled reptile, the reptile wiggled inside. The other pitcher plants, were flicked to fling globs of acid at the heroes. Ven enveloped himself in fire and carved at the tree as his companions avoided the bombardment. In a few blows, the boy back flipped and fired a barrage of fire, causing it to burn, shrivel and disappear into darkness, the captured reptile, fell to the ground in an undignified thud, drenched in sizzling liquid.

The kind heart boy took a potion, uncorked it and let loose a green star to shine the acid away, Stitch had a closer look and found a humiliated python, that dully spoke. "Thanksss, for that." Bagheera sighed. "Kaa, what are you doing in this part of the jungle again?" The python grumbled. "Minding, my own business when the Sssskink showed."

Baloo didn't trust the snake that much. "At the ruins?" Ven guessed the animals knew him and asked. "Doing something weird that caused these plants to grow?" Kaa smacked his lips in exhaustion to a near death experience. "Quite and he's brought his... large friend, to fool around with the plantsss." The boy had his keyblade flipped with the tip backward and let the group know. "We're on the right trail, be careful, that Skink is pretty powerful and especially with his dinosaur friend, we're here to beat him, find out how he's getting controlled by the mastermind and break that." He lead the way with Stitch and Baloo followed as Bagheera advised the snake. "You should get out of here, while you still can. Through the actions of one man, this whole Jungle is in danger." Kaa felt he laid down enough and slithered. "You don't sssay?" His eyes pulsed an odd color pattern to an idea. "Hoo, ho, ho, ho. Perhapssss I could be of help?"

Bagheera cringed. "Thanks, but we don't need that kind of help." Kaa hissed a laughed. "Sssure you don't. Who is going to save, little old me when thissss, spreads?" Ven listened. "We would be over here when that happens." Kaa nodded. "Precissssley. And it just so happens, I... know a trick that could keep the Skink still." Baloo guessed. "You're old eye trick? Come on, Kaa, these things aren't going to stand still for that." Bagheera realized the plan. "Not unless we tire the Skink out and get him close." He took a deep breath. "Very well. Kaa, even though we have a feud, you're help could be valuable." Kaa smugly smiled. "I... thought, you will sssee things my way."

Stitch whispered something to Ven, the boy nodded. "Yeah. Kaa, you stay away from the fight, but once we get him close to somewhere you can hid in, do what you can do." The group felt it was a valuable plan, saw more insects coming and readied for battle, Kaa slithered into the shadows with curiosity. "What an interesssting, sssort of eventss."

In a cave.

Azumarril played rough with a green armored humanoid heartless that weilded a trident, flung it to Kairi, who sliced it in two, and aqua jetted an blue angler fish like heartless to the mouth of Sharpedo. CRUNCH! The Sharpedo bit into the foe, thrashed it around and flung it to a wall, Clawitzer glowed his large pincer in draconic power and snipped, unleashing a dragon pulse. PEW!

The heartless disappeared and something wiggled from the cave ahead, a translucent, jellyfish like heartless with black tentacles and a shriveled organ with many yellow eyes. Azumarril waddled back nervously, Sharpedo swam in front of her and barked. (Let me at him!) The aquatic rabbit approved, gave the order and advised something to Kairi, the girl turned, saw Sharpedo's marble stone radiate on his forehead and a great power, enveloping his body. The jellyfish heartless aimed it's tentacles and fired dark, electrical blobs at Azumarril, Kairi and Clawitzter. Kairi dodged, yet the aquatic pokemon took a shocking hit. Sharpedo became in cased, his snout grew longer and his jaw stretched. PEW! The glow stopped and Kairi saw a drastic transformation, Sharpedo was covered in yellow scars and his snout spring a set of horizontal, sharp looking spikes, three for the left and right side.

Sharpedo roared at the heartless and his spikes enlarged to liquid blades, he spun after the heartless's face and the Princess swam to the tentacles. SLASH! She severed them and watched Sharpedo dodge a tentacle swipe, swam left and rushed his side with his blades, cutting open the heartless's bell. Kairi swap for an upper cut and vertically slashed an opening, she back flipped. Clawitzer shook off the shot and fired a pulse of water at the Heartless's core. Kairi readied a final blow and was stopped by the savage Sharpedo, it dug into the bell and crunched the core with his strong jaws, he trashed, yanked and flung the core back, Kairi and Azumarril enveloped themselves in water and finished off the foe in a unified rush.

PEW!

The heartless dissolve and the battle was won. Sharpedo saw the passage was clear and was ready to sprint, Azumarril yelped and yelled. "Mar! Mar!" Sharpedo, blinked, gasped and powered down into his base form, he turned and barked. "Shar! Shar!" Kairi felt the voice in her mind translate. "That seems like the toughest thing in here." The girl agreed, looked at the tracks and aimed. "We're getting closer, but what was that?"

Namine answered like an instructor. "That, is a power called Mega Evolution. Once Sharpedo does that, it would be smart to stay out of his way, he only uses that on the order." Clawitzer rummage his bags and tossed his friends pear like berries, before taking one for himself with his tiny pincer and eating. Kairi took a bite and felt invigorated, Sharpedo munched his and lead the way forward.

Finding a pretty large room with three passages, two on the floor and one leading upward, the trial ended and the track stopped. Kairi called. "Cradily!" "MAR!" Clawitzer found the still print strange and had a closer look, what caused Cradily to disappear? Yellow eyes opened in the left passage.

RUSH!

A dark red, clawed, reptilian, twin tailed sea horse like heartless swam out, claws first at Clawitzer, the pistol shrimp yelped and shot with water pulse, Kairi focused on the foe, spun her blade to form multiple pearls of light and rushed in front of Clawitzer, giving the pearls a current boost to obliterate another heartless. BLINK! Kairi and Clawitzer felt paralyzed for a moment, Azumarril freaked out from something in the upward tunnel and swam in the way, Kairi felt the nerve to look up and saw the three eyed Leviathan slithering in. The Eidolon sat on the serpent and looked down on the pokemon. "I see you have made kin with the deep?"

Kairi broke out of the stun and drew her blade. "Yeah, I found these guys while looking for you. What did you do to Cradily?" The Eidolon shrugged. "Nothing, he consumed something that spirited him away." He glowed a dark blue, gritted his teeth and aimed his trident. "You, won't be so fortunate." The Leviathan opened it's mouth to charge a beam as three, Harpoonlodons approached from each of the two dark tunnels. Sharpedo sparked an idea and asked Kairi. "Shar?!" The Princess didn't know how, but she understood the tone of the question. "If we take the Eidolon out, I can free him from this dark spell and then we'll be rid of all these heartless." Azumarril knew what the plan was and advised against that. Sharpedo clacked his teeth and jetted himself to the Aspect of the Sea, the aspect shot his trident at the Sharpedo and sent him back to the group in a thud. The Eidolon ordered. "Slay!"

The Harpoonlodons sprinted, Azumarril yelped, tossed a seed in Sharpedo's mouth and caused him to vanish. She tossed another at Clawitzer's big pincer and made him spirit away. The aquatic mouse took two more, gave one to Kairi and opened her mouth to show. She and the mermaid popped the seed in their mouths, swallowed and felt a pulse of light, spiriting them to a smaller room, with a dark surface and no other path. Azumarril swam up and the Princess followed, at the surface, they found themselves in a strange chamber with shallow water passage to the right. The most strange, is carvings on the wall. A collection of dotted columns in odd patterns and on top of it, was a dotted pattern that looked like a cross, with the horizontal line being two dots longer. Azumarril tilted her head and swam there, Kairi followed and laid her upper torso on the ledge as Azumarril tried to read the dots, was completely confused and asked the girl if she knew anything about it. Kairi shook the salt water out of her hair and looked. "I don't know anything about this as much as you. I know it's braille, but that's as far as I can go."

Namine appeared next to her, sitting upright and drawing a picture. "And if you can't read it, I can't really help." Azumarril was disappointed, spun and sat on her rear, she went for her bag and found a central, blue cloth ribbon with a red gem stone. She shook it and asked from it. "Mar!" "Zits!" "Arp!" Azumarril exhaled to good fortune, promised something and opened her bag to look for something. Namine translated. "Clawitzer and Sharpedo teleported somewhere safe, but they have no idea where they are either. Azumarril... how did you guys find yourselves in this ocean in the first place?"

Azumarril searched around the bag, found a silver feather, put it aside and found a big blue orb. She smiled to a plan and answered. Giving Namine a bigger picture to make. "I see, we should use that Roll call orb once we find a place with deeper water. Kairi, these guys are pretty smart explorers." Azumarril thought of something and gave her team members an idea, Namine nodded. "Just incase they find something we won't." Azumarril nodded and told Namine something of a story, the Nobody quickly drew. "That makes of sense." Kairi guessed. "You got told what happened?"

Namine smiled to her other half. "Yep. Not so long ago, Team Seafarers have had an adventure in a different place, that lead them to confront a legendary pokemon of incredible power... kind of like what is tearing this world apart. That legendary spiraled out of control due to an artifact that enhanced its power and the power that ripples across dimensions. The legendary was calmed and their world was saved, but, that dimension rippling power had swept them into the depths of Ultra Space. They've wandered lost and tried to use the power of the wormhole, to try and get back home, but they kept getting more lost until they found a particular hole in an otherworldly sea. That wormhole, brought them here."

She showed Kairi a picture of Azumarril, Sharpedo, Clawitzer and a green, barnicle like creature with pink petals, fall into the sea through a web like hole. Kairi knew the barnacle is Cradily and gasped. "No wonder he got lost in here, he can't swim and he probably got swept in a current." The Princess looked at an Azumarril that was feeling anxious and asked. "You got through Ultra Space, by sticking together?" She vowed. "We know he's somewhere here. He's used that seed to get himself out of that mess and he's found a way to get past all these Heartless. We will find him before that Eidolon does."

Azumarril hoped so, closed her bag and packed up, she raised her fist up. "Marril!" Kairi didn't need a translator. "And then we'll fight that Sea aspect together." Namine splashed her flippers and advised. "I think, I know of one way we can beat him, but it's going to require a strong connection of memories. Ultra Space kind of jogged some of them, save for the most important ones." Azumarril blinked and asked. "Mar?" Namine put her drawing away. "I can sense memories and intentions, there is something in your bag that was from your first milestone as an explorer team. One heart, with that kind of memory, is not enough for a keybearer to manifest." Azumarril knew the rest of the plan and Kairi thought. "But would four of them be enough?"

Namine nodded. "Just enough, you'll know when you are at the right place, at the right time."

She faded away. "Good luck, we got a mystery to explore." Kairi felt she rested enough and lead into the passage way, Azumarril followed behind, they found an unimportant, shallow water room with a doorway to a room that looked much larger, longer and deeper. Azumarril bubbled. (That's fast.) Kairi picked up her speed and upon entry, saw a trial of moved dirt the second passage to her left, three more paths connected to the larger room. She dived in and saw the long trail, leading to a tunnel in the end. She saw two distant figures, one the center right, is hints of a wiggling, green creature, on the left was what looked like a black octopus with something purple on it's dorsal.

Azumarril dived, recognized the green, clapped and opened her bag. "Azu!" She took out the orb and caused it chime a bell. BLIP! BLIP! Clawitzer appeared with a purple oyster shell that has pink stripes and Sharpedo appeared with a star shaped fruit in his mouth. Sharpedo blinked awkwardly, inhaled the fruit and bit down as Clawitzer put the trinket in his pouch. "Zer?" Azumarril pointed onward and watched the green creature flip it's head backwards and upside down. Sharpedo barked in a cheer and jetted himself down the tunnel, Kairi puffed her cheeks and swam behind him, Sharpedo reached the room first and saw the face like markings on the head of an odd barnacle and a black membrane that resembled a mouth. The membrane had two yellow eyes on the far ends that blinked and closed in a cartoonish, joyful way. "Crad!"

Kairi caught up, had a look at Cradily with his head upside down, found it silly and looked at the octopus in the room, seeing that the purple was the upper torso of an obesed woman, with red lipstick, white hair and obvious signs of spite. Cradily flipped his head upwards and spoke in a relaxed, if condescending tone. "Dily!" (Looks like I don't need to take your deal now! See ya) Cradily wiggled his feet to an energetic Sharpedo as Kairi asked the person. "What are you even doing here in the first place?"

The sea witch realized she was in a bust, put her right hand under her chin and tried to relax. "Oh, you must be one of Sora's friends. What's a Princess like you, doing down here?" Kairi felt Azumarril and Clawitzer arrive, she didn't need to answer much. "Helping these guys find their friend. We're leaving." Azumarril looked at the sea witch, realize she is trouble and agreed with the Princess in a faux cheer. Clawitzer swam to Cradily to whisper something and Sharpedo looked around, saw the sea witch and barked. "Shar!" (Bad guy!) Cradily whispered something back to Clawitzer. (I wouldn't trust Ursula.)

The sea witch is seeing pokemon raising caution and asked. "Why would you leave so soon? A friend of mine." She laughed to that. "Told me all about you and how the islands are your home." Kairi nodded. "Yeah, is she green, dressed in a black robe, has horns and talks about evil?" She drew her keyblade and the sea witch was ready to snap her fingers. "If that is so, then I don't" she has a twisted smile. "need to go on about why she would love it if I take you to her."

Snap!

The center of the room burst like a geyser, icy magic shot all over the room, Ursula sprinted after the Princess. Kairi swam away and shot a flower of light at the Sea Witch, Ursula readied a reflective barrier to deflect that and Sharpedo head butted her from behind, the sea witch spun, formed an inky black orb and tossed it at the geyser, it spewed dark green blobs, Azumarril yelped, waved her hands and formed a barrier of light that rippled across the team, the light screen absorbed the green blobs and left Cradily, Clawitzer and Azumarril with a sting.

Sharpedo maneuvered around Ursula and attempted to crunch her with his fangs. The witch used her barrier to block the crunch. "That isn't going to work, Brucey." Kairi smirked and sprinted at her.

SMACK!

She swatted her with the blade and taunted back. "But this will, hiya!" She hit Ursula in a quick combo and used a gust of water to send the witch flying, Cradily used it as his chance to crawl to the geyser, glowed green shoot a ball of natural energy. "Dily!" (Clawitzer, get ready!) The geyser went from toxic energy to a glow of algae. PULSE! It let loose a wave of energy, sea weed sprouted and perked Clawitzer up, Cradily was pleased. (Now I don't have to use grassy terrain.) His eyes gave an angry tilted at Ursula, the sea witch regained her balance, saw what the geyser was doing and dived to the floor, she spun like a top, laughed at the band of pokemon and rushed at them. Kairi tried to stop her with a bolt of ice, bounce! The tentacles slapped it away, Clawitzer swam out of the way as Cradily cringed and braced himself. SMACK! He was pushed to a wall, Azumarril used aqua jet to knock Ursula out of her attack and punched against the tentacles as Clawitzer aimed his large pincer, absorbed the green energy and fired a pulsing beam of nature at the witch.

PEW!

Ursula felt that and was flipped backwards. She swam away and pressed her hands together in lightning. "You, insolent, things! I will teach you not to cross me!"

Sharpedo yelped at what was coming as Cradily was in a zen and glowed. Kairi waved to the bull headed member of the party. "Over here, we got to stop that!" Sharpedo felt what the idea was, swam to the Princess, let her hold on to his dorsal fin and enlarged his fins into blades, Kairi readied her blade in a spin and together, they formed into a whirlpool of light, rushing at Ursula mid cast and soaking the lightning ball. BZZT! Kairi felt the pain and Sharpedo passed out, Clawitzer aimed his pincer and shot a heal pulse at Kairi as Cradily's tentacles gather an other worldly glow of white, his eyes glowed in the matching color, the Princess felt a power about to be unleashed and dived down to Sharpedo. PEW!

Cradily fired a beam, Ursula's vision returned and she saw the light coming for her, she attempted to cast her reflection.

POW!

The beam gave off the impression of a meteors impact and slammed the witch against the wall, Ursula floated to the floor in a complete daze, giving Kairi time to heal the shark. The group surrounded the witch, the room darkened, they felt, they were not alone.

Yellow eyes shined and slithering in the abyss, was the Leviathan and the Eidolon. Cradily flipped his head upside down, saw an ill situation and whistled. Kairi the pokemon looked around to find the legion of the deep, surrounding them. Azumarril puffed her cheeks for combat and heard a ripple from behind, she turned her head and saw Ursula slithering away with a vow. "You haven't seen the last of me! You will regret this." Cradily asked the team. "Dily?" (So, what are we going to do now?)

The Eidolon and his steed approached, Kairi was ready for the worst, glitter. She saw a faint glimmer in the Eidolon's eyes and shifted hers to the geyser, still infused with a fading power. She gasped, swam up, aimed her keyblade and yelled. "Fire in the hole!" PEW! A beam of holy light was fed to the geyser. At first, nothing happened, rays of light shined and made the geyser rumble. Azumarril cringed as Clawitzer took out another orb and advised. "Claw!" Sharpedo nodded and called to Kairi to come with them, the Princess guessed. "That's another special magic orb?" Sharpedo nodded, the Princess swam to them and Clawitzer raised the orb.

A ray of blue light appeared from above and engulfed them as the geyser erupted. The band of five came through the ray and found themselves at the entrance of the cave.

PULSE!

Kairi and Azumarril turned to the cave and saw a faint light with in. Clawitzer, Cradily and Sharpedo looked outward to find the dark sky being pushed away to day, and giving sight to a gorgeous sea floor. The princess felt her heart leaping in concern for someone. Azumarril tipped her toes and used her ears to help her get a better view. "Marril?" (Did, that get him?) Plink! She saw something faint in the cave entrance, a hint of yellow. She swallowed and swam to the side. "Zu!" Sharpedo gasped, swam close to Cradily, let him wrap his neck around his dorsal fin and swam to the side with Azumarril, Clawitzer too the que and Kairi saw the yellow glow coming fast, she jetted to her partners in the nick of time, the Leviathan rushed out with a snap of its jaws and swam out, with the Eidolon clinging on. The heartless had it's two side eyes completely blinded and it's scales looked scorched, yet, it was very much alive. The long body slithered out into the lit ocean and the Eidolon waved his trident to summon the storm once more.

Kairi puffed her cheeks. "Oh no, you don't." She swam after the Leviathan, blade in hand, Sharpedo and Azumarril gave a determined scowl and followed with her, Cradily in fin and Clawitzer using a stream of water to catch up. The Leviathan coiled around and slowly turned as Kairi and her team elevated in the glittering light of the sea, she taunted. "You missed us, you overgrown eel!"

The Leviathan opened it's mouth to unleash a torrent of water at the Princess, Cradily wiggled his tentacles back an directed it at himself, he jumped off and Sharpedo dashed away. WOOSH! The torrent made contact and drained into the Cradily, Sharpedo circled around to catch his partner as Clawitzer fired a dragon pulse. PEW

it hit the Leviathan in the eye. Kairi flung a pearl of light at the heartless and jetted to the Eidolon, the sea aspect shot his trident at her. PEW! PEW! PEW! WOOSH! SLAM! Azumarril rushed in an aqua jet and punched the Eidolon in the stomach with an icy fist, the sea aspect enveloped himself in mists that dazed Kairi and Azumarril in a sleepy trance.

The Leviathan focused a stare at a rowdy Sharpedo and made him flinch, Cradily shot an energy ball at the serpents eye. The sea aspect swatted the females off with his scepter and had the Leviathan rush at the Sharpedo, the shark growled, dived down to dodge a bull rush and jetted to the monsters underbelly for a crunch. Kairi and Azumarril came through, the aqua rabbit saw the violent tearing, felt an idea and ordered Sharpedo. "AZUUU!" (It's time!)

She looked to Kairi in sync, the princess dived down as Sharpedo let go and followed the girl, he shined his marble and mega evolved, his eyes glowed red and Kairi wrapped her hands around the brutal looking fin. Cradily gave off that glow, the Leviathan dived down after them, Azumarril went for her bag and took out the silver wing as Clawitzer aimed his launcher at the rowdy bunch and fired a water pulse. Cradily sent the shot, looked back and drew it to himself, he saw Kairi about to envelop herself in light and whispered. "Dil" (Ready to let him have it?) Kairi quickly charged as Sharpedo jolted left and circled to proximity of the Leviathan's neck, his teeth glowed and the passengers aimed. They fired a combined beam, Sharpedo rushed into the tail of the beam. PEW! The beams pierced the Leviathan. BOOM! An explosion of destructive light followed.

CHOMP!

Sharpedo bit through the impact of the wound, a heart was forced out and a hole burned, the Leviathan's body sank and dissolve, the Eidolon swam to the bottom of the sea and formed a dark mist.

Sharpedo and Kairi wished to pursue, Sharpedo jetted like a torpedo. Sediment churned and Cradily whispered an advise to Sharpedo. The shark stopped and watched with anticipation as the a whirlpool rose from the dark sediment. The sea, bent, Azumarril grabbed Clawitzer and jetted to keep control as Sharpedo jetted to the opposite direction. Kairi caught a glimpse of the Eidolon's silhouette, the aspect sang. "You cannot stop, what has set in motion, you will only delay it."

Tiny dark rays spun in sync to the whirlpool, Kairi gritted her teeth. "Well, if we can't stop this, we'll have to keep pushing through." She felt a melody of an echo in her mind and aimed her keyblade backward. A speck of light from Azumarril, Clawitzer, Cradily and Sharpedo flickered and followed a ray of silver light. Nothing seemed to happen, yet Kairi heard Namine whisper. "That's going to take a while, just survive and hold on!" The Princess ordered the team. "Watch out for those heartless. Something's happening." The Eidolon fired an arcane bolt at Kairi and her group as the heartless swarm jet to Azumarril and Clawitzer, like piranhas.

Clawitzer fired as Azumarril looked to the silver light and saw a familiar shape. Kairi deflected the arcane bolt and formed pearls of light, they shaped into missiles. PEW! They bolted to the Eilodon that waved his trident and forced them away, the missiles swerved to the heartless swarm and stemmed the tide. The aspect aimed his scepter and let loose beams upon the four. "The sea, shelters all, is this why you protect it?"

More rays appeared and went after Kairi's group, the Eidolon noticed the silver light approach, blue eyes stared back at him. The light mimicked the flapping of a bird, the Eidolon halted his attacks. Kairi and her group felt something was coming, the force of the whirlpool lessened to the shock. The Princess took it as her chance to fling a slash of light at the chasing heartless, Cradily whispered to Sharpedo that it ought to stop. Sharpedo focused, reverted back and noticed the flapping light's shape becoming more corporeal. A faded, silver white, dragon like bird with an underbelly of blue, appeared, the Eidolon cursed. "You... you are but another spell!" He aimed his trident at the bird. "Begone!"

The tether of magic flowed to the silver bird, the magic and did nothing. The bird closed its eyes and the dark storm, blew away, light, trickled in the deep. The aspect fired an arcane bolt in desperation. "No! I am the Aspect of the Sea! A drifting Dream, will not best me!" PEW! The bolt fired, made contact with the silver bird, it suffered not even a scratch, the bird opened it's glowing blue eyes and opened it's mouth, an echo of the sea, demanded something.

The Eidolon's whirlpool weakened, Kairi felt a great power, trying to stop. The silver bird, opened it's mouth, a vortex of air, fired. WOOSH! It punctured the whirlpool and knocked the Eidolon out of it, the faint ripple brought pause, Kairi got off of Sharpedo and swam to the Eidolon as fast as possible, finding the aspect of the sea gravely injured and still having the demonic chain, the princess took her blade and tapped the lock. Clink! The lock became undone and fell off the aspect, the dark storm completely faded away, the Eidolon drifted still. The silver bird, approached, Azumarril turned to it, waved the silver feather and cheered. (Thank you, Great Guardian! We got it from here.)

The bird nodded and gave an echo that was comparable to an odd, mystical, song. The others listened in respect and Kairi turned to have a thorough look at the bird, she had a hint of goose bumps, the silver bird, faded into a glimmer of the sea. "What was that?" She felt something regain consciousness and turned, the Eidolon floated still and looked upon his band of saviors, his lips quivered. "H...how long as this sea... stayed peaceful?"

He looked to the surface of light as Kairi guessed. "Longer than I can remember. Do you... need a moment?" The Aspect took offense and simply kicked to the surface, Kairi and the band of pokemon followed him. Splash!

They bobbled in the ocean and looked around to see an endless sea and simple islands that have weathered the storm, the aspect stared upon it all, looked his eyes down in the water and felt the sea carry him, Azumarril asked. "Zu?" Kairi guessed. "Do... you, need us to get you to the shore? We know that those chains were what was making you attack like you did."

The aspect closed his eyes. "There is no need. This beautiful sea, does not need horrors like me." He floated out of the water with his cloak drawing water, he waved his trident and ordered. "With in the Heart of Chaos, the Demon Lurks. Find the place of it's horrid birth and bring the worlds back in harmony." He became that of water and shot to the sky like a geyser. In a moment, the silence was replaced by the cawing of sea gulls. Kairi turned towards the islands and asked the pokemon. "It's going to be a while before we can talk about what else to do, if your looking for a place to crash, come with me."

Sharpedo looked confused as Cradily smirked to the idea, Clawitzer giggled in excitement and swam to the girls side. Azumarril looked around once more, felt a great mission was accomplished and leaped out of the water to cheer.

In the Underworld.

PEW! PEW! PEW! Ken shot down a couple bats as Lightning knock the Orks back into the Styx. Hank rowed as fast as he could as he saw the arena in sight. "Come on, we are so close." Lightning saw it in the horizon and noticed the stream of Ork souls lessening, they didn't look any less ferocious. Hank didn't notice that and felt the one vision on his mind was the shore, Ken relaxed and asked. "Is that it? That was a bumpy ride." The guardsmen was about to say it was, Lightning saw something to the right, a whirlpool of smoke and fire, where the many Ork souls have gathered and pounced upon for a fight. "No," Her lips were quivering, they are so close to safety, yet their greatest danger is right next to them. Hank looked around, saw the smoke and cringed. "By the Emperor, what did those Orks find?"

Ken had a look and saw the smoke, giving a glow from bellow, the river, boiled, he saw flames. "Something very mad!" Bubble! Bubble! SPLLLLASH! "AAAAARRRRRRRRGH!" A howl of rage and agony burst from a bubble, Orks were sent flying back in the river as smouldering corpses, the back of a fiery lizard was seen, a horned head, with a curved crest, bobbed in front of it, the head had four, furnace like eyes. They gazed upon the mortals, traveling through the Styx, hints of a burning claw was seen, aiding the body in swimming. The fire monster, galloped after the travelers and revealed a burning maw, it spit a torrent of lava and gave the travelers the thought that a demon is after them. Hank sharply hmmed in terror and rowed harder as Lighting cringed. "We're not going to dodge that!"

Ken was in a panic, thought of an idea, turned around and spun Cadia's Light. "I was told of how to make this go faster! Hold on!"

Lightning did so as Hank realized Ken was using his lasgun as a propeller and grabbed onto something as well, it enveloped in wind and let loose a powerful gust.

WOOSH!

The boat accelerated, escaped the lava blast and came crashing on the arena's port. Hank was sent flying in the air and landed on his stomach as Ken was sent flying back and felt a case of deja vu, Lightning held onto the boat, froze from the shock and listened to the demons roar. "That things not going to stay in there." Hank sobbed hysterically and Ken was dizzy. "It... okay, we still got this. We'z on dry land." He snapped out of it as Lightning took her step off the boat, waddled dizzily and tried to shake the despair out of her.

Ken sat up, watched the shore and found nothing following them. "...Wow, he didn't follow us." Hank heard that, got up on his knees and prayed. "Thank you, Emperor! Thank you!"

Lightning looked shell shocked. "Are you kidding me?!" She turned to find no smoke, just the usual stream of souls, Ken got up and asked. "I'm happy he didn't, but... why didn't he follow us? Is the river affecting him to?" Hank wondered. "That cat told me that once you take a dip in there, you're not likely to come out. But... that thing... galloped" Ken nodded. "So, the River means nothing to it. Something else, caught his attention?"

Lightning asked. "But what? More Orks? Why would that thing care so much about them?" Hank guessed. "Maybe... because he's fought them in life and knew how much of a menace they are?"

Lightning figured that much. "Likely, but nothing in the Sketsis little playground... had that kind of experience with them." She gasped. "Ken, that thing was one of the guys you talked about!" The boy gasped. "And Ven only told me it was a soul fragment!"

"WAAAAAAAAAGH! HUEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

They heard the bellowing of a mad ork ahead in the arena and Hank realized. "We need to kill those Orks before that thing catches their scent!" Ken and Lightning heard that and sprinted to the grim, grey arena. Finding two orks, doing battle against a multi headed, purple hydra, to the left was an Ork with a strange gun that resembles a tuba, sucking in tiny goblins and charging three baubles of energy. PEW!

The gun fired and a ripple of energy popped with in one of the hydra's necks. PLECK! The neck ruptured and blew the head up, three others were rend by the ripple, the hydra necks restitched flesh and the Ork yelled. "AAAAARGH! Die already, ya stupid lizard! Head Poppa, get da juice!" To the orks left, was an Ork in strange chains, having a pulsing head and a staff. "I'z trying, boss! Da Waagh juice izn't." He crackled. "Oh! I'z feel it now! Huahahahahahaha!"

He yelled and shot a bolt at the hydra's main head, it blinked, gave a vile snarl and felt a little pressure. Splat! The head exploded, the two remaining heads were annoyed and the Mek turned to his assistant. "Ya means to tell me ya can only pop one of them?"

The weird Ork cringed and flinched away. "I'z trying, I'z trying." He noticed three people coming, revealed more bindings, a brain swollen head and burned out eye sockets. "Umies!" The Mek sharply turned in shock, revealing a metal wielder mask, a black strap and a cybernetic claw plugged into the tuba like gun. He counted the Guardsmen, counted the altered Lasgun and the few numbers. "You'z actually crumped da Dakkle, Smoke Saw and me best toyz?" He used his fleshy arm to lift the mask, looked dumbfounded, impatient and impressed. "Zog me! I either needz to get bettah stuff, or youz worth roughing up."

He ordered. "Head Poppa, I's going to try something on that dumb lizard. Rough up da Pinkie and the Key runt! Crump the guard!" He turned, saw the Hydra slithering it's many heads at him and flipped his mask back on. Head Poppa danced down the stairs clapped, caused Rekktrasha to vanish and formed a barrier to keep the Hydra in the arena. The Weird Ork approached and spoke in an echo'd voice at Lightning. "Da Bird Brains will have to wait, Pinkie." He deepened his tone. "Now ya deal with me!"

Hank whispered quickly. "He's has dangerous, psychic powers, but he won't be too tough, just keep him from focusing and... maybe only one of us will have our heads blown off." Ken let Firekeeper's Wish burn an intense flame and aimed. "I'm on it! Lightning, run when I fire!" BOOM! He shot a fire ball of chaotic fire at Head Poppa, the Ork waddled out of the way, felt the heat of the explosion and saw lava. Lighting rushed into him and unleashed a quick combo of sword swings and kicks to the head.

The Ork took the sword and parried with his staff. "URG URG!" PEW!

PLOP!

The Ork teleported somewhere, Hank quickly turned to find the Weird Ork aiming his hand. Ken flipped Cadia's Light backwards and fired, shooting the Ork in the chest and annoying him. PEW! POW! A bolt of green lightning hit Ken from behind, the boy was knocked to the ground, landed on his hands and flipped. He landed on his legs, flipped his keyblades and caused them to glow as one, turning into missile pistols. "Surprise!" He aimed and fired, the Weird Ork was pelted with the missiles and in an explosive force, was knocked into the river Styx. Hank thought that was too easy and saw green lightning glowing. SPLASH! "WAAAAAAAAAGH!"

A pillar of foul water flew, a swirl of Orks bellowed as one as the Weird Ork forced his upper torso out of the water. "Ya tink that will end me? Dat you can keep me and mai boiz trapped ere?" The pillar flexed into a form of muscle, grew thick, muscular arms and a watery mouth of fangs, the Soul of the Waagh, yelled with the Weird Ork. "WAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The Soul of the Waagh shot a green bolt from it's mouth at the ranged soldiers, Ken pushed Hank with him, out of the way. Head Poppa raised his free fist and in sync, the Soul of the Waagh's fist clenched with a wild glow. It smashed the fist to the ground, unleashed a shock wave that tipped the males off balance and finished the combo with a beam of power. Lighting sprinted annoyed and enveloped her blade with electricity.

SLASH! BZZ!

The Soul of the Waagh cringed as Head Poppa looked like he was about to stomp. "We'z da Orks! No stinking river iz going to keep us down!" The Soul of the Waagh stomped at something, Ken noticed the spark of energy taking the form of a large foot. "Lightning, look out! Ork foot!" The woman flipped to the right and avoided the stomp. Hank sighed, dashed at the Soul of the Waagh and cut in the collections of souls with his chain sword, splash!

The chain sword cut through water and Lightning realized. "This isn't working as fast!" Ken looked at the focused Weird Ork. "Because you're hitting the body, that Weird Boy is still the brains!" He continued shooting at the Weirdboy until he felt his form change at the limit, a couple missiles made contact, Head Poppa braced himself and the Soul of the Waagh blocked the rest. The Weird Boy crackled again and laughed. "Ya ummie's got's more bite than da others!" The Soul of the Waagh uncovered it's host and roared, Head Poppa fired a laser. Ken back flipped and form changed his pistols to a cannon. "We've fought back the Black Legion and more! You, don't" His eyes turned to a sharp, cold glare. "scare me!" The cannon glowed in fire as Ken smiled. "When we get what we came for and get out of here, give Hades all the hell he wants for me! Got it!"

Head Poppa and the Soul of the Waagh gasped with a collective. "Ooooooh!"

Head Poppa smiled. "Dat an, idea! Dat git's got it coming when we'ze done with ya!" Ken pressed the trigger. "Hank, Lighting, get out of there! We got to get going!" The melee fighters got out of the way and saw the cannon fire an orb. Head Poppa yelped with the Soul of the Waagh, he and the soul readied to punch the fire ball. PUNCH! BOOM! The fire incinerated the hand and sent Head Poppa flying off, the Ork tried to keep a psychic hold on the mass of souls and spiraled out of control.

He floated mid air and spun. "Wr...wr...wraaaaaaa!" He screamed into a haunting echo and his eye sockets glowed with his mouth. POP! He explode, a raw mass of waagh energy fell into the river, the Soul of the Waagh, collapsed and slumped back into the river Styx. Ken panted and the adults felt a heart beating rapidly, the missile cooled down and reverted back to the keyblades. The barrier to the arena died down, Ken panted, blinked and asked. "For a bunch of crazy aliens, that was amazing. Miss... might want to hear about this."

Hank cringed. "What good is there to come from these Xenos?" Ken answered. "Their hearts, that... thing they all want, brings them together and allows them to do the impossible. Even trapped down here forever...they just... keep going and don't let go of that fight." Lightning guessed. "You're saying that in their own way, they are pure of heart? Free from the nightmares that would, haunt you?" Ken nodded and readied to sprint. "I'm going to have nightmares from these guys, but... I'll keep fighting that."

Hank felt silent and was ready to follow. "The Endless war, we've endured, became one of survival. That is one of the things, you and your friends are going to need, are you okay with trying anything... to survive?" Ken heard triumphant laughter ahead. "If they get to survive past that, then a brighter future awaits. We need to survive and find a way to be better. Come on, let's not disappoint Rekktrasha."

Lightning hummed and followed the two, to the climax of a puzzling fight, the Hydra had all but one of it's heads shot off, the main head quickly grew more. Rekkthrasha felt a spark of brilliance and sucked all his remaining ammunition into his tuba gun. "Hope ya likes an exploding snotling in the back of ya neck stump!"

PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW!

The tuba gun was on the verge of overloading, the Hydra readied to spit a torrent of toxic spittle, the back connecting the body to the heads, began to rupture in warping energy, it waddled and tried to roar. BOOM! A collection of innards spilled out and sent the neck bits flying, the heads fell out of the arena and the body collapsed. Rekktrasha smiled wide under his mask. "HA! I'z smart, you'z dumb for having so many eads!" He turned to the humans, unplugged his tuba gun and growled. "And ya's crumped Head Poppa? I'm gonna smash ya for dat!"

Lightning readied her blade and used her free hand to taunt the Ork. "Bring it!" Rekktrasha readied to charge and yell. "WRAAAAAARRR!" The Ork was astonished. LEAP! THUD! The trio's confidence became one of pure terror, a large, lizard like lava demon, with four burning eyes, dark scaled skin, a chest glowing in flame, a chain with a demonic lock, a curved cress and a beard of ashes, stood behind the Ork. Rekktrasha turned around as the Magma Demon, raised its hands together and summoned a burning, bronze, key like axe. Rekktrasha's jaw dropped at his imminent demise. The Magma Demon slammed the axe upon the Orks back, crashing him into the ground in a splash of flame.

"Wraaaaaar!" The Magma Demon lifted the axe, Rekktrasha's burning corpse was stuck on it. Hank saw another path out of the arena as Lightning saw the Demon try to shake the Ork off. "We're leaving." Ken took the bitter pill. "We're going to need Ana for this." Hank slowly walked to the exit in hope the Magma Demon didn't notice him, the Demon glared at him, howled and swung his axe in a fling. Rekktrasha's flaming body came loose and flew to Hank in fast speeds. Knocking him on the ground and setting him on fire, the man screamed and rolled, Ken whimpered, blew air magic on Hank to set the fire off and posed for battle with a cool heading Lightning.

The Magma Demon charged. The child and adult sprinted left and right, confusing the Magma Demon to a pause, it opened it's mouth and shot lava at Lightning, the woman back flipped and dashed after it. PEW! PEW! PEW! The Magma Demon felt gun fire on its back and was slashed on the knee, Lightning attempted to attack again, the Magma Demon stepped back and swung at her sword with his key axe, Lightning dropped, rolled and jumped back.

FLING!

Ken leaped at the Magma Demon with his double blades, stabbed it in and was blasted by intense heat. The Magma Demon tried to swat Ken like an insect, Ken back flipped, rubbed the heat off his face and watched the Magma Demon turn to him and dashed, Ken ran for it, the Magma Demon spun upward with his axe, rotated and finished his combo by smashing it to the ground. Ken tried to aim and the Magma Demon rushed him in all fours, the boy enveloped in wind and jumped over the bull rush, he flipped by the axe and looked at it, this was not a weapon like a keyblade, the teeth were too big.

Fling! Boom!

Hank tossed a grenade at the Magma Demon, the shrapnel bounce off the hide, the Magma Demon turned to see Ken analyzing the weapon. It inhaled and shot a fire ball at him, Ken noticed and dashed towards Lightning, who was trying to decide on what element to use. The boy asked. "Figuring out what he can do?" Lightning exhaled. "We're doing next to nothing to this thing. What's special about that axe?" The Magma Demon rushed to it's axe to pick it up and Ken asked. "You see the teeth? That might be a key, but it's no keyblade. What is that design for?" Lightning realized. "It's meant to catch weapons. If that thing disarms us, we're dead meat."

Ken snapped his fingers. "Then we got to break that weapon. He'll have to punch us into the ground."

The Magma Demon heard that, laughed at them and rushed them with a mighty swing. Ken sparked in flame as he and Lightning jumped over the swing, Lightning infused her blade with ice and dashed to a blind spot. Cutting away in a cooling power that made the Demon yelp, it flung it's arm to smack her off, the woman took the hit and landed on her feet as Ken sprinted to the Demon and burped out a stream of orange acid. The demon felt nothing, balked at the boy and swung, Ken jumped back and burped out the acid again, the demon tried to smash Ken in the ground, Ken jumped left and saw patches of orange rust on the blades. Chip! The chipping was a good omen, Ken unleashed the acid one more time and watched rust consume the blade and staff. He yelled out. "Hank toss a grenade on the shaft! I'm going to smash the axe!"

Hank maneuvered around as the Magma Demon wondered why the boy was thinking that kind of plan, it looked at it's axe and saw the rust. "RRRW?!"

Ken focused on the earth and stabbed the ground with his blades. PUNT! A pillar of jagged stone rose to hit the axe blade, the blade cracked and it's teeth shattered, Hank reached Ken, tossed a grenade and hoped for the best. BOOM! The shaft splintered, the Magma Demon trembled, tossed parts of his weapon aside and yelled. It went on all fours, after the boy who destroyed his weapon. Hank ran as Ken used his wind to get out of the way. Lightning dashed after the Magma Demon with her blade of ice and quickly cut into it, then again and again, and again. She flipped the blade to a pistol and shot at the Demon's face.

FLING! JAB!

Cadia's Light was flung at the Demon's forehead, Ken twitched his wrists to call it back. The Magma Demon placed it's left hand on it's bleeding forehead in pain, Lightning sprinted to the left to attack again, the Magma Demon smacked at her, the woman skid under the arm and Ken pounced on the shoulder, using his keyblades like katanas, the Magma Demon jumped back and tried to smash the two of them in the ground. The duo skid to the back and attacked again, Ken dismissed Firekeepers Wish and caused Cadia's Light to flicker into a spear, the Magma Demon jumped and spun, it leaped at the two in a desperate attempt to kill them. Ken used his air magic to fling himself to the demon's chest, puncture the demonic lock and impale the fiend. Knocking the Magma Demon on his back and causing it to smoulder. Ken felt something strange about the lock and twisted.

Click! The lock loosened and the chain became undone, a light, enveloped the Magma Demon, the body broke down. Ken and Lightning took deep breaths at their accomplishment as Hank approached. "Think you might have over done it?"

Ken shook his head. "No, somethings happening to it. Phew! Nice work, both of you." Lightning smiled to the compliment as Hank noticed something with in the body, a golden tattoed shoulder. "What... somethings in there!" Lightning turned, saw more of the body, whole and not burned. "Or someone." The trio watched the Magma Demon chip away, faster and faster, until the inner body was revealed, a half naked Dwarf with a curved crown, golden tattoos and mighty, ash grey beard. The Dwarf opened his eyes and sprinted up alive. "What the?!" He jumped and held his head with a head ache. "Blaze me! What happened last night?!"

Hank noticed a faint, spectral essence and waved. "How if I know, but you've ended up in the wrong Underworld." The Dwarf turned and saw the weird uniform, the boy and the pink haired woman, memories came to him, he smiled wide and laughed heartily. "Ha! Ha! Ha! You young un's gave Ol Began an awakening." He wasn't calming down, but he extended his hand to ask. "How are we going to get out of ere?"

Ken looked to the exit of the arena. "I think this way and with that boat, we can get across the River Styx and back to the world of the Living. Ana is up there trying to fix something too."

Began brazenly went to the arena. PUFF! Smoke appeared, heralding the arrival of Hades, who quickly asked. "Leaving so soon?" Began grunted and kept walking. "Aye. Move ya black toga wearing arse outta the way. I need a drink." Hades stopped here. "Woah, woah, easy there short stuff. You've forgotten one little, itty bitty detail." He pointed two fingers at him. "You, are already dead." He pointed, down to his underworld. "In my underworld." He spun his fingers. "And if my little contract was correct, all souls that departed into the Underworld have become the official property of." He pointed his thumbs at himself. "Me!" He snapped his fingers to open a door, leading to a swirling lake of souls. "So... how about you go sit down in the lower dungeon, like a good... short fused fire bomb?"

Lightning growled and aimed her pistol blade at Hades. "Like hell he is!" The Lord of the Underworld gritted his teeth as Ken lowered his keyblades in a battle pose. "Little flaw in your contract, Began isn't the kind of dead person that came here naturally." He whistled. "If he was, he wouldn't have gotten out of the River when he took a dip. Unlike all the Orks, what I did, didn't kill him again." Lightning agreed. "He freed him instead."

Hades twitched his left eye. "I can't believe this is happening again." He tried to hide it. "Okay, new plan." He let loose a wall of flame. "Since you're walking off with two, defacto dead guys, I'll make an exception so you won't go stealing from me." Lightning was ready to fight. "You're going to try to make us, permanent residents of the Underworld?" Ken figured. "Yeah, that's his plan." He pretended to smile. "Sorry, not going to happen." Began exhaled, sparked in fire and agreed. "And I got someone to throttle by the horns, and use his tail to make a sling shot." He cracked his knuckles and Hades pretended to be impressed, his blue glow became red. "Oh, another hot head huh?" He readied for battle. "This is gonna be good."

Began dashed after Hades in a trail of fire, punched him in the face, knocked him down and tossed over to the whirlpool of souls, Hades almost fell in, grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up. "I'm NOT falling into that one again." He laughed as Ken readied to initiate combat, unaware of a shadow in the whirl pool.

SPLASH!

Hades heard the splash, turned around and found a masked Ork with a mechanical claw, grabbing onto his toga and laughing. "Too bad! Ya owes me a real fight!" Hades shot a flame at the Ork. "Get you're grubby hands of me, this is dry clean on-" Tug! Hades was pulled with brute force, the Ork smiled behind his mask. "Time to go tipsy, ya cheeky git!"

The Ork let go of the edge and let himself fall to pull Hades in, the Lord of the Underworld screamed. "Aaaaaah! Not this agaaaaaaaaaaain!" The scream died down and Ken dismissed his keyblades. "Well..." Began spat on the ground and cursed. "PHFEW! Enjoy ya own mess," He turned. "Ya sleaze bag."

Ken went the way he and the group came from. "Want to help me get the boat over to the other side?"

"That, won't be necessary, Kendry."

The group blinked and turned to the center, Ken felt warmed by the arrival of the Fire Keeper and asked. "I didn't leave a flame behind, so that won't work?" The Firekeeper stood aside and asked. "Are thou certain?" Ken knew that was the clue there was more to it, approached the center, summoned Firekeepers Wish and stabbed the ground, he leaned before the flame and saw a faint ripple of a familiar, two path shore. He signaled the group. "Okay, lean before the flame with me and it's a home clear to the light. Hey Lightning, do you mind if I invite some friends to help you with the Sketsis problem? That can't be ignored."

Lightning shrugged and approached. "After your stunt, I'll give you a couple days." Hank laughed to that. "Don't go pretending that the lad, didn't leave an impression." Ken hummed. "All the others are miles stronger than me. We just need to hear the whole story first." Lightning's lips twitched, she was trying not to give him a warm smile, Began approached the flame last. "If you're the weak one, then I wanta speak with who evers been training ya." The group knelt before the flame and found themselves at the exit from the underworld.

At the ruins in a Jungle.

Ven and his merry band of Animals did battle against a pack of large, feathery raptors that were accompanied by a large flower with a tall, foul smelling spadix, the flower attempted to lick Baloo. The bear pressed his claws over his noes, got far away and threw a bolder at it. With the battle won, the group pressed forward to the ruins, where something formed from the pile of rubble, a forming pyramid. Overseeing it was a floral green Skink with golden wear, riding on top of a Troglodon with dark blue, stone scales. The Troglodon waved his whiskers as the Skink clicked. "You came."

The Troglodon turned, the Skink was tied in a demonic chain that connected him to his steed. "Jungle, danger." He took his staff out for battle. "Heartwalker, we must fight." Ven posed for battle as Bagheera whispered. "What do you know about the lizard?" The boy pointed to the Skink. "Aster' los already has a lot of tricks, but he is without the Slann being his extra voice. He knows a lot of powerful magic."

Bagheera hummed. "I was talking more of the larger one, but it sounds like he has one boon for another." Baloo figured that much one. "He doesn't sound like be a chump without the big guy, either." Stitch spit on a flower, Ven nodded. "Watch out for it's spit, it's a lot more acidic than the ones the plants got."

The Troglodon approached, each step, shook the earth, the Skink glowed in amber. "Ghur..." He paused like he was in a lag. "The Realm of Ghur... will devour you!" He raised his staff, small stalagmites rose from the earth to surround the bunch, Baloo and Stitch found that underwhelming, Bagheera wondered and noticed the pattern. "Let's move," He dashed. "now!"

Ven noticed the pattern and jumped off, the alien blinked, looked down to find even smaller stalagmites forming and looked behind. "Teeth!" Baloo realized what was being done and barreled, he jumped over the outer edge and avoided the earth rising up as a maw of stone and chomping. The Gnashing Jaws of Earth, leaped with a severely stunted body, plopped to the jungle floor and looked like it was drooling at Baloo. Ven slid to the under belly of the Troglodon, smacked it and flipped on the other side. He shot a fire spell at the Skinks back, distracting it for Bagheera to pounce on the rider. The Oracle took a swipe and smacked Bagheera off, Baloo caught his partner and rushed past the Oracle. "Look out, little buddy!"

The Trogolodon looked at the sprinting, Gnashing Jaws and simply side stepped, Ven flowed to a rock and focused on the Gnashing Jaws. He vanished in flame and punctured it from all sides, throwing it off, the Jaws landed side ways as the Troglodon spit spittle. Ven back flipped, pressed his hand on his shoulder pad and armored up. "Come and get me, stink breath!"

The Troglodon took the taunt and sprinted at Ven with venomous jaws as the Gnashing Jaws bit into the ground and munched it's way under. Ven parried the Troglodon in the mouth, formed lightning in his hand and punched the lizard in the chest. The jolt shook the lizard away, the Skink raised his staff to the heavens. "Face the stars!"

WOOSH!

A comet pelted Ven and dealt burning damage, Bagheera was knocked off sprint by another and Baloo was knocked on his stomach. The Troglodon stepped took the chance, sprinted at Ven, clawed into him and dashed to the far end of the arena, by trees. The boy felt wounded and raised his blade to heal, Stitch noticed the stalagmites surrounding the boy and barked.

"Chomp! Chomp!"

Ven hummed, saw the stalagmites rising faster and sprinted out of there. CHOMP! The Gnashing Jaws bit again and body slammed the earth, summoning earth shakes resembling an biting upper jaw. Baloo moaned. "We're never going to get the drop on that lizard, with that around." He tried to find something obvious and noticed nothing of his usual. "Hey, don't these heartless have something that gives them away?" Bagheera groaned. "Baloo, not everything that is summoned is a heartless."

Stitch squinted his eyes and found the Gnashing Jaws had no eyes to speak of, nor an emblem of any kind. "...Daemon?" Ven felt a ding in his head as the Skink turned to Stitch in offense, the Troglodon sprinted after them to do battle. Baloo tried to avoid the claws as Stitch leaped on the Troglodon's back and bite at the Skink, that parried with his staff.

The boy reached into his pocket. "This spells actually alive." The Gnashing Jaws roared and rushed at Ven, he felt he should question something later, placed the crystal in his blade and side flipped. The Jaws of the Earth barreled to a tree, chomped it and crunched it, it flew around, dived in the earth once more. Ven saw a faint tremor, waited for it to come close and flew in the air as he felt a rumble. The Jaws of the Earth burst through, found it had a mouth of nothing and smelled the air. Ven aimed his crystal infused blade and fired. "You're mind now, Endless spell!"

PEW! PUNCTURE!

The beam made contact with the stone form, the rocks scattered and collapsed. The animals brawling, saw the burst of power, Baloo shielded his eyes as Bagheera closed one of his eyes, the Skink simply closed his and clicked. "Quetartsa's spell, won't be that simple." The animals had no idea what the Skink was talking about and Stitch snatched the Skink's staff. "Nada!" He blew a raspberry, the Skink quickly grabbed it and was in a grappling match.

The boy saw the rocks falling apart and an amber glow with in. WOOSH! The mass of amber power flew mid air and turned, revealing a bestial maw of razor sharp teeth. Ven felt he traded one foe for another. "Are you kidding me? It can fly?" The Gnashing Jaws snarled in fury and dived down after him, the jaws raised up for a bite. Ven flowed out of the way and looked upon the crystal. "Was the earth magic in the way?" The Gnashing Jaws bit into earth, flew above and launched at Ven, it wasn't giving him much time to react, the boy side stepped, focused a shot lock and aimed once more, the crystal radiated and enlarged with an appetite, an ethereal rope flew out at the reach of the Jaws and tethered. The Jaws felt a yank and tripped to the ground, Ven pulled his blade back, the rope pulled with precise strength and dragged the Jaws, the spell felt what was happening and jolted right to dash. The boy was yanked back. "WAAAA!" He tried to keep his footing, the spell turned left, Ven nearly tripped, found a low rock and caught himself with his foot. The rope kept dragging, the Troglodon clawed and snapped at Baloo and Bagheera, it sensed something and looked on to the sight of a child capturing the Endless Spell. As if by an unspoken command, it dashed after Ven and shook off it's rider, Baloo jumped, grabbed the dinosaur by the tail and held it down. "Ven, watch out, this dinosaurs on to you!"

Ven's eyes shifted to the Troglodon being tripped, the Jaws back flipped at the boy in a last ditch effort to break free. Ven felt the power coming and raised his blade up as the Troglodon stood back up and tried to shake Baloo off. The Jaws chomped at the boy, tethers of aether spring out from the blade and wrapped it tight, the Endless Spell, dissolved into the aether and was absorbed into the Keyblade, the clear crystal, became that of amber.

Ven took the crystal out and looked with in it, feeling the endless hunger of the Beast. The power almost intimidated him, the realization he holds that power, is a different matter. He turned to the Troglodon about to fling Baloo off, sprinted after it and struck fast. POW! TINK! The dinosaur was hit in the neck and stepped back as the Skink kept his footing, was pushed to a tree and touched something of a sliver. The Skink formed an arcane bolt in his free hand and fired it at Stitch, knocking him off. The Oracle rolled past Bagherra's pounce, glowed with sand and was ready to punch the ground.

"Kroxigor!"

He punched the ground and caused stones to engulf him, drag him into the earth and move him to the front of the rising pyramid, in the stone body of a large, bipedal Crocodile, with a two handed mace. It bellowed and shook the stones, the Troglodon broke down into sharp rocks and slid after the boy, Ven was astonished by the suit up and was caught off guard by a stone cutting into his arm, he gritted his teeth, dodged another and saw the form of the Troglodon breaking apart and cutting into him. The boy jumped back, the Kroxigor armor jumped to the right, sprinted after Ven with it's mace and swung, the boy side stepped to the right and jumped over the armors Kroxigor lunged it's jaws at him.

BASH!

Baloo rushed it in the face, pushed it down and roared like a bear, the Troglodon stones reached to the left of the arena and reassembled the body, the dinosaur took the chance and let loose spittle at the half away boy. Ven saw it, deflected the spell and crackled in radiant lightning, he took advantaged of the downed Kroxigor and unleashed ever bit of strength at the armored foe.

The Kroxigor head butt himself up to knock Ven out of his combo and smashed downward once more. PEW! Ven disappeared in lightning and appeared behind him, he grabbed the Kroxigor by the tail and tried to swing with it, that attempt failed with naught a budge. Baloo saw the plan, grabbed the Kroxigor and was pushing against it, Ven felt the idea and swiped the blade at the Kroxigor's legs, tripping it and allowing Baloo the chance to spun with the foe. Stitch cheered as Bagheera looked up the tree, found a slither called to the bear. "Throw him over here and we'll finish this."

Baloo grunted. "You," he tried to aim. "don't" he lessened his grip. "have to tell me," he let go." twice!

FLING!

Stitch and Bagheera jumped out of the way of the boulder's worth of armored Skink. CRASH! The Kroxigor was dazed and tried to get up, Ven sprinted after him, the Troglodon broke apart and tried to cut into him again. The boy was aware of the attack and sprinted left and right, he jumped over the reassembling body, landed on the Kroxigor and smashed his blade into the armor. It shattered, knocked Ven back and revealed the Skink, it floated back on its feet and raised it's staff to the sky, clearly about to use comets call, Ven looked to the tree and saw a particular python waiting behind the Skinks back, with an odd gleam of the eyes. The boy grabbed the Skink by the shoulders and spun him around to the gaze of Kaa.

The Skink was dazed from the shake he awoke to see the snakes gaze. Kaa whispered. "Now, hold sssstill. It will take only a moment." The Skink stopped attacking and stared, hypnotized, Ven went around the Skink, tapped his blade on the demonic lock and turned.

Click!

The lock was undone and the chain fell apart, the Trogloddon reassembling itself, felt a chain break apart and fell apart again. The rocks, tried again and the Skink shook itself awake, the pyramid, crumbled to dust and the shrubbery, shrank and reformed. It was but a simple Jungle once again. Ven smiled under his helmet. "Nice!"

He turned to his companions, who were seeing normalcy return to the Jungle. "We did it guys! We snapped the Skink out of it." Kaa snickered to that. "Quite... now if you'll excussssse me," he slithered away. "I think I'll get going."

The odd animal out of the group disappeared in the jungle, Ven thought nothing of it and Bagheera felt relieved. "And so the Jungle's returned to what was." The rocks reassembled into the Troglodon and the Skink clicked. "It has, but if we do not strike into the Heart of this Chaos, this will play out again." He walked to his companion, Baloo scratched himself to ask. "So what are we going to do about that?"

The Troglodon lowered himself as Ven folded his arms. "This is kind of my battle now, where I'm going isn't the kind of place you and Bagheera should come along to." Baloo groaned. "Are you kidding me?"

Bagheera wished Ven was joking. "It's the law of the Jungle, we cannot interfere with the outside world." Baloo argued back. "Why not?"

Bagheera put his paw over his face. "Because, we don't belong out there. Unless you can suddenly, learn to operate Man's machines, we would be as fitting as a Man Cub, lost in this Jungle."

Baloo took that as a dare. "I can fly it, watch me!" Stitch jumped between the two. "Nada!" Ven approved of that. "Would you knock it off. It really doesn't work that way. The worlds have already gotten caught into this weird stuff, because Man keeps putting things where it doesn't belong. That's what me and my friends are trying to fix." He took a deep breath as the Skink climbed onto his steed and agreed. "With in the Birth of the Chaos, lies the one responsible. Find the nest and you will know the rest."

He and the Troglodon enveloped themselves into sand, they raised their heads up high and ascended to the heavens. Baloo grumbled and put his fist on his paw, Bagheera sighed and lead. "Come along, I know a place where Ven and his friend can leave unnoticed." Tink! He tripped over an unimportant stone , Stitch saw a glitter of something and scrounged to pick it up, finding it in a weird shape and with a symbol of a relaxed brush in the jungle, with a low bearing fruit tree and a branch by the lake. "Huh?"

The group heard and saw the strange stone, Ven saw the markings and thought of an idea. He turned off his helmet and smiled to it. "Is that what I think it is?" Bagheera glanced over. "What is it?" Stitch let Ven take the charm, the boy raised it to the air and saw the sun light trickle upon Baloo and Bagheera, the boy asked. "...I... know we've just talked about this, but if... say... one of us calls you two for help, would you?" Bagheera sighed. "It will have to do." Baloo found the idea strange. "Why'd you ask?"

Ven tried to think of a lie. "Oh... nothing important, your hearts, want you to do something about all this. If it wasn't for the World Order or how dangerous the guys out there are, you would have wanted to come along." Baloo grunted and Bagheera nodded. "If we can make an exception, we'll do our part." He smiled and asked. "Those are the bare necessities of what we can do, for now." Baloo hummed. "We'll forget about those worries and those strives soon." Ven and Stitch, realize the two were getting in rhythm, a song was going to ensue.

In the Skies of Thebes.

Ana and Loru traded blow for blow for what felt like forever, little they do seemed to do lasting damage for it to matter. Loru crackled in lightning and smacked Ana across the face, sending her rolling back and to the breath of Nightscale. Ana shined her wings in a barrier, deflected it and yelled. "Why isn't anything working?"

Loru shrugged. "Well, just because you elevated yourself to a Hammer Blade, doesn't mean you've elevated yourself past me. What... happened to Moonfang?"

Ana growled. "She turned into energy and lurks somewhere in my heart. I can't go riding her everywhere with all the narrow places we got to go through." Nightscale growled, tilted his head and asked something, Loru understood. "Like the skies itself? You're wings... make her redundant even if you try."

Ana got annoyed with the criticism. "Grr! You're always doing this! Have you learned nothing from your time meeting the Keybearers?"

Loru answered. "I don't think I have, they are still mortals compared to us. We are meant to go, where they cannot." Ana yelled, inhaled and felt a sharp jolt in her lungs, she cringed in pain, tried to keep it in and felt it bursting out of her wind pipe. "AAAAAH!"

PEW!

A ball of lightning shot at Nightscales face, the Stardrake roared in a shocking pain in the eyes and Loru found himself shrouded cloud covering his vision. He swipe the cloud, found Ana gone and felt a light coming at his left. POW! He was hit in the chest with the hammer blade and was knocked off his Stardrake. Ana caught him and held him with both hands. "And your not suppose to be here. Why are you not fighting that chain?"

Loru was dazed, Nightscale felt his master was in danger and clawed Ana from behind, he grabbed Loru and flew back with him. Nightscale growled, faced the Stormcast and caused the dark lock to appear on his chest. The drake flapped his wings and flung comets, Ana flew left and right to avoid that and guessed. "So you are? Well, thanks for making such a big-" she gritted and swung. "Target!"

The Drake blocked the blow, Loru woke up to the fighting and saw his lock was missing, he tried to climb back onto Nightscales back and shot lightning from his hammer. Ana blocked it with her right wing and yelled again, blasting Nightscale in the chest. Loru kept climbing and was cursing something. "Why haven't I gotten wings?"

Ana flew back, panted and allowed Loru to get back on. "Darn it, if I keep doing this, Loru is just going to fall to his death. If I can get to that lock, I can end this." Nightscale inhaled to breath back lightning, Ana flew back and rolled right, the drake blocked the lock with his claws and tried to break again. On instinct, Ana glowed in moon light, bolted at Nightscale and smacked the claws as hard as possible, she swiped one claw away and smacked the other, with the chance, she grabbed the lock, raised her key and tried to insert it in.

CHOMP!

Nightscale bit down with his cavernous jaws, engulfing her upper torso, the Stormcast growled, hit Nightscale in the jaw and was blinded by the inside of a mouth. A vision came in the glow of the moon, a hands view of the lock. Ana saw it as her chance and with one mighty thrust, sank her key into the lock. She twisted it and caused the lock to disappear, the chains collapsed and a burst of lightning threw a limping Drake off course, Nightscale lost balance, consciousness and fell. Ana pulled herself out of the dragons maw and kept flight. Nightscale was falling and Loru was holding on for his life. Ana puffed her cheeks under her helmet and she flew after him. "Grab on! Nightscale will be fine!"

The Drakesworn didn't hesitate to let her catch him, fly him off the drake and felt relief, Ana flapped after the Stardrake. Who was waking up and realized he was falling out of control, he flipped to his claws and raised his wings to try and slow the fall.

Finding himself piercing the clouds, dispersing them and heading straight to a town bellow, where a fiery Duardin looked up for a battle, a pink haired woman was realizing something and a blonde boy with a soldier, talking with a particular man in armor. The dragon roared a warning. (Look out bellow!) The group looked up and ran to keep clear of the impact.

CRASH!

The woman, boy and guardsmen were knocked off their feet, the Drake felt the pressure of gravity taking hold on his bones and felt some of them sore. He tried to stand tall, shook and fell on his stomach.

From Ken's point of view.

He was speechless at the sudden dragon from the sky and found no one else. "Where did Ana go?" A faint call from above shouted. "Don't attack him!" He looked up to find Ana holding a fellow, silver armored stormcast by the torso, his mouth dropped to the sight as Lightning sighed. "Great, now we're working with Valkyries." Hank cringed. "Watch your tongue. This one is like a Space Marine in status."

Hercules finished bracing himself and wanted to finish a conversation. "Anyways, that's what was happening." Began grumbled. "A pity we didn't get to fight any of those drakes. So would you mind telling me, why we were sent here?" Ken was hypnotized by Ana descending like an angel and Lightning realized that. "Beats me, all I got told was you were going to cause trouble. Looks like more damage was done out here than the Underworld."

Herc agreed with that. "Those Orks would handle their own problem, but the Underworld isn't going to let them out unless Hades gets control over them." Began laughed. "Ha! Good luck with talking anything with those Greenskins." Ken snapped out of the divine image and agreed. "So even if Hades gets out of that mess again, those Orks are going to give him trouble. Over and over and over again. If he tries anything, it's going to be with a lot less compared to all the titans I heard about."

Ana finished descending and heard that. "If those Orks are like the greenskins we know of, then he has a choice between ignoring them and getting beating up, or dealing with them, try his scheme again, failing and coming back to them getting out of control. I'd say he deserves it."

Loru slowed his breathing as Ana let him make the first step, he looked quite humbled. "Then your mission here is finished?" Hank guessed so. "Looks like it." He leaned. "Lord Stormcast." Loru cringed. "I'm not the one you should be doing that to." He exhaled and looked to Ana. "The one who saved this city was her, I was the one trying to destroy it. That accursed chain makes me do what I would do, but to the whim of that demonic madman. I can only do as much as I can to let Ana break my chain."

The Hammerblade nodded. "And when that wasn't working, Nightscale took over. So now we got to find Garland and bring him to justice. Do you know where he is?" Loru nodded. "It is where the Forces of Chaos, first made themselves known to the worlds. The heart of all Strife, build over the corpse of a town." Ken cringed. "Traverse Town!? Why would Garland hide over there?"

Began growled. "Because it is the one place no one wants to look. So how are we going to go after him?" Loru tapped his head to figure what to say as Nightscale groaned in agony. "We and the other two, must spear head into the strong hold and set this right. If any of you could heal Nightscale, we would get going."

Ana flipped her Hammer blade in the air, shined bells of green light and enveloped the Stardrake, Nightscale felt his legs not like acidic jelly and stood up, embarrassed to what he helped unleash. Herc pitied the two and asked. "Do you need anymore help? Garland can't keep getting away with this."

Loru exhaled and got on his Stardrake. "If you would like, but this business is to the Keybearers. They are the ones with the true power to best what lies in there." Lightning growled. "Oh come on! Like we're going to sit by and let this happen!"

Hank put his hand on her shoulder. "Easy, your better off elsewhere to defend the connected worlds." Lightning grumbled, thought about it and asked Ken. "Are you sure you can handle what's in there? If it's another war zone, you're going to scare your friends like you did in the Underworld." The boy folded his arms. "They'll know why." He asked. "Began, good luck up there, we'll catch up."

The Dwarf King growled. "You mean to tell me I have to go with this ponce, self entitled cloud lover?" Loru exhaled. "It would save us time and we're the only ones who can travel up there in the way we can." He looked to Lightning with a glitter in his eyes. "Unless, someone really does want to take the fight to them right now, among us."

Lighting closed her eyes and folded her arms upward, behind her head. "Think I'll pass that." Hank whistled. "Phew! She's a tough one." Began stubbornly refused to accept the aid, Loru signaled the group to wait, the Dwarf exhaled. "This isn't going to get us anywhere." He went to the Stardrake and hop on. "Don't make me do this again. A Fyreslayer is of the molten earth, not the sky."

Loru nodded. "I know." The Drake crouched, his wings envelope in stormy wind and he roared, the Drakesworn, glowed with his steed as Began sparked in fire. "Do not delay for long, we won't have this chance forever."

WOOSH! The two ascended to the heavens like a twin tailed comet. Leaving the group behind and for Ana to salute her former rival. "Don't go dying on us." Herc whistled. "Looks like your about to go into the legends, along with those who came here before." Ken hoped so. "This is all going into a book one day. Alright guys, lets get back to the Bastion first."

Ana approved and noticed Hank flickering away. The puzzled look warranted the others looking by, Hank stared to the sky with a smile and asked. "Looks like your all enroute to setting this right." He exhaled. "Looks like you all don't need me anymore." He turned to leave, Ken and Lighting knew what was happening to the Guardsmen, the boy took out Cadia's Light and called. "Hey, wait." Hank stopped, turned around and was fading more, he saw what was his lasgun and asked. "What is it? You got a war to finish."

Ken understood. "I know, this is just so we can get back to our bigger one." He saluted him. "One way, we will end that war and look on to a bright tomorrow. If anyone from back home, understands this, will they be glad that somewhere, there battle hasn't gone to nothing?"

Hank looked the boy in the eyes and confessed. "The Imperium of Man has been rotten for ten thousand years. Those bureaucrats wouldn't care less about the worlds." He smiled. "But, all the men and women who give their lives, so that others will live another day. Those who truly believe in the Emperor's cause, they would smile back, knowing that someone is finally giving the Chaos gods what's coming to them." He saluted the boy back. "Tell your friends that there will be dark times ahead, but that will one day lead to the dawn of a new age. Fight true and with courage, if not for the Emperor, then for your friends. That power can make all the difference."

Ken agreed back. "I'll keep fighting and give it my all. For our friends and those I love!" Hank almost choked and felt some tears trinkling. "May you shine with them!" The guardsmen vanished in the light, Ken stopped his salute and picked up his keyblade, it felt a little lighter. Herc was impressed by the scene. "I don't know what kind of battles he or Hofneil have fought, but when they do what they can to make a difference, that is how they both become heroes."

Ana nodded. "We sometimes forget that, but it's the smaller things that make the difference." She offered to lead Ken and Lightning out. "Come on, we got some catching up to do." The boy and woman agreed and followed her out, to the shine of a mid day sun.