Considering the disappointing lack of reviews...I think no one likes this story...

Alas, what I would like has never been up for value though. I am going to keep this story going till I run out of enthusiasm!

Ah well so much for brooding, Review and Constructive Criticism (only) are loved!

P.S. All credit to respective owners

-YARN

P.S. Edited (slightly)

When we passed through the second district - after using he waterway to get back to the alley and beating down a few Blue Rhapsodies and Yellow Operas that cast lightning - several soldier heartless and shadows materialized, making us immediately drop into our various stances.

We broke off from each other and began to engage the heartless, I rolled under a cyclone kick and flung my keyblade at a shadow - exploding it into black smoke - before raising my free hand and firing a fire spell at another. As it was engulfed in flames, I summoned my keyblade in hand and whirled, bring the weapon in a block against the claws of the soldier heartless. I back-stepped from another slash before swiping Abaddon Plasma through the heartless, dispelling it entirely.

We had barely finished off the group when a Large Body materialized surrounded by four green lantern heartless. I jumped back and fired a few fire spells with my keyblade, each of them exploding on contact with the large body. I rushed in to finish it off when I saw the green glow of a healing spell around it. I turned to see Donald and Sora both looking at me in confusion when a green lantern heartless swooped in our path. I blinked before realizing that the green lanterns must have been capable of healing other heartless (given their color scheme). I heard the large body rumble behind me and I quickly moved away as its beady yellow eyes stared at me.

"We need to take out all of the green lantern heartless!" I called as the large body came at me with a stomach charge, "They'll just keep healing the large body until they're gone!"

They nodded as I braced myself and put up a guard with my keyblade. Even with me being 'ready' to intercept the heartless attack, I stumbled back as the force nearly bowled me straight over. Using the momentum of the attack, I jumped back and landed on the edge of the fountain, balancing on the rim.

Sora and Goofy were already taking down the green heartless when Donald let out a cry of 'Thunder!' Lightning crackled down from the sky but the green lantern heartless seemed wholly unaffected as the electricity dispersed into a shower of green energy as it made contact with them.

I sighed as I ducked out from under a haymaker from the large body, of course the damn lanterns were magic proof.

Regardless of the annoying heartless, I was able to give the lumbering large body the runaround long enough for Sora, Donald, and Goofy to dispatch the lanterns. I leapt away from the heartless and swung my keyblade with a shout of 'Deep freeze'; shooting out a barrage of icy bolts that struck the large body and caused several spots on its body to erupt with jagged ice crystals. It struggled to move but I didn't hold back and vaulted into the air before bringing my keyblade down in a devastating slice on its head.

I landed of my feet and backpedaled as the Large Body twitched.

I looked at my keyblade and judged my reserves of magic. I hadn't felt like I put anymore power than usual into my blizzard spell... but it was noticeably stronger than most of my other castings so far.

Was my magic growing stronger?

I didn't have anymore time to think on it as the Large Body toppled only for four new Large Bodies to materialize around us. I growled internally and decided that I wasn't going to draw this out and began to cast multiple fire spells. I hated the fat heartless because despite their lumbering speed they were pretty much immune to physical attacks thanks to their massive stomachs.

Fighting four of them at once using the same duck around and attack tactic, all the while having to avoid body slams and stomach charges?

No. Not even going to consider that; if I wanted this to end now, magic was my best choice.

Sora scowled at the heartless and leapt back as a large body attempted to flatten him; Donald and Goofy both began to back off as my casting grew more and more wild. Soon I felt my reserves of magic dwindle to near nothing, but a strange sensation began to form in my body; it was as through there was a small flame that was building up and running through my bones. It was similar to when Sora and I had been given the thunder and ice spells. It wasn't painful or uncomfortable, but as if my body was feeling a heat that wasn't natural coursing through it like a fuel trail that was about to hit the powder keg and blow up.

And it did.

I let out a shout as the feeling seemed to bubble over and the flames within me exploded outward in a rush of flame. Instead of going out in a wave that I expected to scorch the area around me though, the wisps fire coalesced around me and I was wreathed in what seemed to be burning embers and a warm orange glow of a lit flame. I took a moment to see that even my keyblade was glowing with the same sort of aura. Liquid hot power was flowing through each of my veins like someone had set my blood on fire without any pain. I glanced around to see that in my casting I had destroyed the large bodies and now there were several Blue Rhapsodies darting around in the area in front of me.

I charged at one and swung my keyblade, and to my surprise my keyblade trailed fire and let out bursts of flame that drastically increased the power of my swings. As one heartless fell, the others immediately launched bolts of ice at me. I ducked and weaved in between the ice bolts, keyblade destroying the rhapsodies as they were seared into nothingness. It barely took any time to clear them away and I stared at my handiwork before the feeling of fire that had been within me ebbed. The fiery aura around me faded away and the odd warmth in my body dissipated as well. I let out a harsh breath as my magic reserves twinged uncomfortably and my body felt kinda... off, as thought I was coming down off a mild sugar high and needed a minute to regain my bearings.

"Niji, what was that?" Sora exclaimed as he approached, eyes wide in excitement before he steadied me with a hand on my shoulder, "That was awesome!"

"I don't know..." I said, absently rubbing my arm as though I could draw out the burst of power with friction-generated warmth, "I just felt this feeling kinda burning hotter and hotter when I kept using fire to clear out the large bodies. The next thing I knew is the feeling exploded and suddenly I was covered in fire and swinging my keyblade as it was coated in flames."

Sora looked at me dubiously, "So you used fire too much and that made you catch on fire?"

I shrugged and cracked my neck before gathering up the scattered munny, "Near enough as far as I can tell. Well, at least my wallet isn't going to be chronically empty anymore."

I tucked my wallet away and looked around the plaza, hoping to catch some indication of Traverse Town's keyhole. If Leon was right, this world needed to be sealed off from falling to the heartless if other's world weren't going to be kept from falling. Traverse Town was practically a safe haven - and if not a safe haven, at least a place that people ended up at - for those lucky few who survived the fall of their respective worlds. As much as I wanted to test out my new fire ability, now wasn't the place for such a thing.

Sora gave me an look, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head as nothing seemed to jump out at me, "Just hoping we find the keyhole soon. We need to be certain that it gets locked as soon as possible."

Sora frowned in consideration of that before shaking off the gloom and grinning, "Don't worry, I know we'll find it! Let's first go to Cid, we still need out what the different gummi blocks do."

I couldn't argue with that, so I shrugged and followed Sora to the first district.

Finding Cid rather easily, we quickly explained about the gummi blocks that we had found but had no idea what they were for.

"You're be kidding me!" Cid exclaimed incredulously as he slapped his forehead, "You mean to tell me you've been flying a gummi ship and hadn't had no idea what navigation gummis are? Bunch of pinheads, interspace ain't no playground!"

We took offense to this and I complained, "Cut us some slack! Two of our group didn't even know what gummi ships even WERE until a few days ago!"

"There are alot of things we don't know, so what?" Sora followed up, summoning Jungle King and holding it out, "We have to use the gummi ship to get to other worlds and seal their keyholes! We have no choice!"

Cid held up his hands in a placating manner, "Woah, easy. I didn't know, no hard feelings, alright? Well, I guess I can lend you all a hand."

Sora smiled, "Thanks."

"Basically, navigation gummi are gummi blocks that allow your ship to travel to new places." Cid explained, "So you want one on your ship?"

We all nodded.

"I'll install it for ya," Cid said, bringing out a small book, "But first I got to deliver this to someone."

"What is it?" Sora said, picking it up.

"It's a book that someone wanted me to fix." Cid said, "It was nearly falling apart when the guy brought it in, and honestly it was too beat up to completely restore to the way it was. That aside, I think I did a pretty decent job of putting it back together."

"We can do that." I said, "It's the least we can do in thanks for all your help."

"Thanks," He said, "It's in the old house past the Third District. Look for a big fire sign, you can't miss it."

Cid gruffly grunted in thanks when a huge ringing echoed throughout the area and Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I jumped at the loud noise.

"Wh-What was that?" Sora said.

Cid had already half-turned to leave but cocked his head, "Hmm? The bell at the Gizmo shop is ringing. Check it out if you want, but the deliver the book first. When you're done, stop by the house in the Third District. I'll be there."

We cut through the large doors to the Third District, and had barely made it halfway across the plaza when heartless began to appear in swirls of darkness. It was a group of soldier heartless and one type of heartless that wore goggles and had wings that allowed it to fly through the air and try to hit us with scissor kicks and dive-bombs. The worst part about it was they constantly flew out of range right after they attacked.

"Sora!" I said, "I'll catch the attack, then you hit it with magic while I pin it!"

Sora nodded and readied himself, angling his keyblade. When the air soldier rushed at me, I moved my keyblade to block its attack before twisting to smash the handguard into its stomach as it was momentarily stunned.

"Now!" I roared.

"Fire!" Sora commanded, a gout of flame erupting from his keyblade to collide with the heartless and sear it into oblivion.

I flinched away from the flames and stepped back as we all carefully watched the plaza to see if anymore heartless wanted to come out and play. After ten seconds of silence, our group decompressed and began to scour the third district for the for the door.

It wasn't really difficult, finding the large door emblazoned with a fire emblem. The only real difficulty was the fact we couldn't open it no matter how hard we lifted.

I let out a grunt of frustration as I toppled back onto my ass, "Damn! Why won't it open?"

"Maybe it's locked?" Goofy replied, bending down to inspect the symbol.

I frowned at the door and then I realized something so obvious that I felt like hitting my head against a wall, "Oh my god, I am such an idiot."

Sora looked at me, "What?"

I gestured at the symbol, "It's a door that has a flame on it! We need fire to open it."

Sora looked at the fire symbol and facepalmed, "Well at least your not alone in stupidity."

I summoned my keyblade and pointed it at the door, "Fire!"

The fireball erupted from my keyblade and hit the door, which glowed a bright orange and then gave a loud click. The slab of rock slid up and I rolled my eyes.

Clearly, I needed to think before I act, I was starting to rely too much on might.

We made our way in to see a rather dilapidated house across the way from some shifting rocks. Easily leaping across the platforms, we inspected the house to see the blanket that hung across the side could be shifted to enter the building. We all looked around and I immediately noted that this house was abandoned for quite some time. Dust coated every surface and was kicked up in a cloud with every step, I turned around and saw Sora gawking at empty air.

"Kairi?" He said softly.

Goofy and Donald noticed this and Goofy called out, "Sora?"

He turned to look at Goofy and Donald but turned away only for his face to fall in utter despair and disappointment.

I walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Sora, what's going on with you? You've been staring off into space and keep talking as though you see Kairi."

He was about to give me a response when a voice interrupted, "Well, well."

We all turned to see a old man with a beard that was incredibly long dressed in blue robes and a same color pointy hat. He seemed to fit the stereotypical aesthetic of a wizard or magician in the stories my mother sometimes read to me when I was a child. I wasn't sure if I was right, but I could sense magic radiating off of him like a furnace producing heat, I had no doubt that he was just as strong as Donald (maybe even more-so) when it came to magic. He had a wand in his right hand and was carrying a brown bag in his left.

"You've come sooner than I expected." He continued.

"Wha..." Sora gaped for a moment before moving past the confusion, "You knew we were coming?"

"Of course." The man said cheerfully.

"Are you... A heartless?" Sora asked cautiously.

I facepalmed at the question, "Really Sora?"

"He doesn't look like one." Donald commented, rolling his eyes.

The man laughed a bit, "Oh my. No. My name is Merlin, and I am a sorcerer, as you can see."

I blinked.

Well, at least I was right.

"I have spent much of my time traveling." He once again continued, "However it is good to be home. The king hd requested that I help you on your journey."

"King Mickey?" Goofy inquired.

"Yes, indeed." He said, nodding in greeting to the magician and knight, "Donald, Goofy. And what would your names be?"

I stepped forward and held out a hand, "I'm Niji."

Sora followed and said, "I'm Sora."

The old sorcerer's eyes lit up, "Ah, so you have found the key!"

Donald nodded before asking, "What did the king ask you to do?"

Merlin inspected me and Sora before he replied, "He wanted me to lend a hand by teaching you magic and a getting a better handle on some of the skills that keyblade wielders should know. But one moment."

He set his bag down and went to the middle of the room, and raising his arms like a music conductor.

"Presto!" He commanded.

He began to wave his wand and dance, and his bag opened and we watched in amazement as furnishing began to fly out and arrange themselves in the room while expanding to regular size as they exited the bag. A bed landed on the side and blankets tucked themselves under the mattress, falling neatly and tidily. A tabled landed quietly before books began to fall onto it and stacked themselves haphazardly. soon the place was a lot more like a livable and cozy room than a dark and dusty abandoned shack.

"There we are." Merlin said with a satisfaction before turning to us, "Now, as I told you, I am here to help you with your magic and teach you some skill that King Mickey told me were necessary for all fledgling keyblade wielders such as yourselves. We can begin at anytime, but I do have one last thing you should know."

He pointed to what seemed to be a miniature toy carriage, and before our eyes, motes of blue light coalesced into the form of a blue robed woman with a wand.

"I am the fairy godmother." She said happily, "I have also been instructed to give you aid on your journey."

With that she evaporated into blue light and left the toy carriage behind.

"Uhm..." I began, "Well, I suppose we could train for a bit."

"Very well!" Merlin said, clapping his hands together, "Follow me!"

After we rode a ceiling tile to the second story we found a large hall that was empty. It turned out that it was a magically enhanced and enlarged training room.

And it was perfect for Sora and I to spar and practice magic when we had some free time on our hands. To help our aim with magic, Merlin would conjure furniture for us to practice on and they could be set on stationary or moving, and even better we could cast magic without our reserves running out due to an effect Merlin himself enchanted the room with. Deciding to try what had happened before, I began to cast fire over and over, making sure that the odd warmth within me began to build.

I grinned.