KINGDOM HEARTS III: Final Mix
Disclaimer: I do not own the story or characters featured in this story. They are the sole creation of the Walt Disney Co., PIXAR, Marvel Comics, Tetsuya Nomura, and Square Enix. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy.
WARNING! Contains story spoilers for Kingdom Hearts III, so read with caution if you haven't played the game yet.
Chapter 24: Just Play Nice
After some backtracking in the store, Sora and the others made it back towards the district of the store where they had previously freed Wheezy and the Aliens from the Heartless UFO and saw a hatch open by a higher part of the plastic mesh windowsill.
"Looks like Sarge and the others did what they could; now let's roll," Woody told Sora and the others as they climbed the wall and landed on the other side of the store, finding a Gigas figure and green building blocks blocking the door leading out.
"How'd those get there?" Goofy wondered out loud.
"Hey, maybe that toy could move them for us," Jessie suggested.
"It's worth a try!" Sora answered as he leapt in and used a magnet feature to draw the blocks away from the door, unlocking it as it swung open. "That worked out, now there has to be more of them somewhere."
"Look ahead, Sora!" Donald pointed out as they saw more green blocks and also the dark portal hanging in a air vent several tens of feet above them. "How do we get up there?"
"There's some more blocks over there," Sora told his friends as he saw the blocks lying on the floor surrounded by darkness. After fighting more possessed toys that appeared from them, Sora used the magnet feature to make the blocks form a piece of a larger structure. "If we keep looking, those blocks could help us get up there!" the teen proposed as everyone began searching around the play area for blocks, fighting Heartless until eventually the blocks gathered together and made a giant toy statue of a walking cactus that fell upright next to the air grate.
"Uh, is that cactus moving like it's alive?" Donald squawked.
"Doesn't matter; what's important is that we can get up there now and save Buzz!" Woody answered. Going up the statue with wall running, Sora and the others entered the portal and saw an unconscious Buzz suspended in mid-air by dark tendrils while Young Xehanort held his control over Buzz as Woody ran forward to approach the Nort.
"What have you done with Buzz, you monster?!" Woody demanded.
"Isn't it a sight to see, the darkness coming from a toy separated from the boy he loves most?" Xehanort asked. "Now this is the power I've come to expect from the forces of darkness."
"So you're saying we'll end up like Buzz if we don't find Andy?" Woody murmured.
"You can't think like that!" Sora assured the cowboy. "Andy's still a part of all your hearts, just like my friends are a part of mine. You have to believe that!" Woody then paused and observed the Sharpie writing of Andy's name on the bottom of his plastic boot.
"Spare me your mushy drivel, boy. But consider: if friends are power, then the pain of loneliness must be one that is stronger still," Young Xehanort told Sora unamused.
"Listen, whatever you're going on about, I really don't care. Now put my friend back the way he was, and get lost!" Woody remarked.
"Or what will you do, toy?" Xehanort asked in bemusement.
"Yeah, I am a toy. But wanna know what else I am? I'm a loyal friend," Woody answered defiantly as he stomped through the shadows closer and closer, Jessie and Bullseye slowly joining him in the approach. "If I had to guess, nobody's ever loved you before, because somebody like you knows nothing of hearts and love."
"How does it feel to know that you're just dead inside like those monsters you brought here? Even when Emily started to forget about me, I knew that somewhere in her heart, I was still hanging on to the memories we made. And now, me and Bullseye have a new family, and we won't let someone like you tear it apart!" Jessie added seething her words.
"There are hearts all around us trying to connect, and despite everything you did, you only made Woody's, Jessie's and Buzz's connections stronger. They would never give up on each other, and wherever Andy and the others are, they haven't given up either," Sora continued.
"It doesn't matter what you do, we are going home and bringing Buzz with us!" Woody told the villain as he could feel his hold on Buzz slipping.
"Xehanort, you were so caught up in looking for the shadows, you keep forgetting about the light that casts them!" Sora added as he and Donald and Goofy charged forward, blocking the Nort from attacking. "Get Buzz, now!" Without a moment to waste, Woody and Jessie jumped onto their trusty horse, ready to ride.
"Ride like the wind, Bullseye!" Woody proclaimed, as the toy horse galloped forward towards Buzz. Woody then turned towards Jessie and spoke "Jessie, get ready to jump on my count! One... two... three!" At Woody's three, Jessie leapt into the air, and lassoed a loose block before swinging forward and catching Buzz as she landed back on Bullseye and the four of them came to a halt. In a matter of seconds, Buzz came to and looked at his friends.
"Woody, Jessie, I... what happened and why am I here?" Buzz asked.
"Oh, I don't know! Somebody must've switched you into 'Dark and Stormy' Mode or something," Woody sarcastically joked.
"But I don't have a- oh." Buzz then got on his feet as Woody and Jessie helped him up. "Thank you, you two."
"It's good to have you back, Buzz," Woody cheerfully told his friend, when their attention was diverted by Young Xehanort knocking Sora and his two partners aside. He stopped as he took notice of Buzz's laser pointed at his back.
"So, even empty puppets can be given hearts. I'll have to be sure to remember that," he mused.
"Remember this, you sad, strange little man: our hearts will always be connected to Andy; no matter what you do!" Buzz replied to the villain.
"And that's something you'd never understand, because you're more hollow than any toy," Woody added with pity.
"But now I have the knowledge that a vessel can given a strong heart of our choosing. For that, let me give you all a parting gift to play with: something you might be familiar with." Young Xehanort told the others as he faded away. Sora tried to attack him, but only found his Keyblade go through him like smoke. "Find the hearts joined to yours, Sora. It is the only way to fulfill your destiny..."
"Ya better run, you loony!" Goofy remarked, before turned in shock to see a giant UFO Heartless toy, with a purple villainous looking action figure standing at its helm.
"So, we meet again, Buzz Lightyear; for the last time!" the figure spoke in a booming voice.
"It's Zurg!" Buzz exclaimed.
"Who?" Donald and Goofy asked.
"In a word: trouble!" Woody answered.
"Then we have a rough fight on our hands!" Sora remarked as he got into battle position and was ready to fight, hopefully to bring back Andy and all the other toys that were lost because of Xehanort.
And that finishes this another chapter. I hope you enjoyed this little update and please remember to leave a review to let me know what you think about the story! See you all next time, and may your heart be your guiding key.