So, I decided to split this world into two chapters, since the worlds in Kingdom Hearts III are already incredibly long. This might be the case for almost all of the worlds in this story, as I know I got a lot of story to write. So I hope you guys weren't expecting these to be incredibly long. Then again, look at it this way; You'll get to wait less for the next chapters to come out! So read, enjoy, leave a review and tell your friends!
"May your heard be your guiding key..." Kirito muttered, thinking on the phrase. Suddenly, as if by sheer coincidence, he, Sora and Asuna all were sparked with inspiration. They looked to one another, realizing they all had the same idea, and they all raced in between Donald and Yui, pulling out their Keyblades; the Kingdom Key, the Elucidator, and the Lambent Light. They raised the points ahead of them, and concentrated. Sure enough, the Keyblades shined at their tips. In the space in front of them, a swirling vortex of magic energy formed, creating a portal.
"It's a gate!" Donald, Goofy and Yui exclaimed.
"Alright!" Sora cheered.
"That actually worked!" Asuna stated in slight amazement.
Kirito turned to Yui and ordered, "Set our coordinates. You know where to go?"
"Right!" Yui responded, tapping on the keyboard, "Setting a course to the Olympus Coliseum!" Donald guided the ship forward, and sent them into the portal, which vanished behind them, disappearing from view.
Long Time ago...
In a city that is much like New York City, in the middle of the road, a battle was ensuing. It was two different groups of people, four on one side and three on the other. The leaders of each were squaring off, clashing Keyblades with one another. The boy with a yellow shirt and jeans was using a Starlight Keyblade, while the other boy in a black jacket and black pants used a Pain of Solitude Keyblade. And based on how strong their combat was, this was no mere quarrel.
"Shotlock: Union Ragnarok!" The Starlight Keyblade user shouted, and he unleashed spiraling energy arrows that homed in on his opponent. The black-clothed boy raised his Keyblade in defense, and withstood the attack, skidding back to where his comrades were.
"You guys shouldn't even be a faction!" The attacker barked at them, "Face it, you Shadow Faction guys are the ones who don't belong amongst the eleven factions!"
The black-clothed leader stood up as he grimaced, "We're not doing anything wrong! We're doing the exact same things you guys from the Light Faction are doing. Why are we singled out?!"
"Because you guys are users of the darkness!" One of the other Light Faction members answered, as she and the others readied their Keyblades, "Who knows when you will fall into it and turn against us! We won't take any chances!" The members of the Shadow Factions readied their Keyblades, wanting to make sure they didn't get killed, no matter what they had to do.
"That's enough!" Shouted a male and female voice in unison. The Keyblade wielders stopped and turned to the two voices. There was a portal that opened up, and out came two people in robes, with the emblems on the back of them that represent the factions they led. One of them was a woman in her mid-20s, with bronze-blonde hair, tied in a long ponytail, and she had green eyes. Her white robe had a green, heart-like emblem on the back of it, and it was open in front, revealing her black, skin-tight, combat dress with a green skirt. The other was a man the same age as the young lady, with black hair, with two blonde stripes on either side, and violet eyes. His black robe had a white, vapor-looking emblem, but he had his rope tied with a brown cord, hiding what he wore underneath.
"Master Younsol!" the Shadow Faction group leader gasped, seeing the young man approaching them.
"And that's the Bond Faction's Master Berthonda!" The Light Faction leader followed, seeing the woman.
"Stand down, the both of you." Berthonda spoke, looking to the two, "This much conflict will not do any good here!"
"She is right." Younsol agreed, looking to his faction's members, "It will only cause the Heartless to rise up and come after you with this much negative emotion."
"But we didn't even start this!" One of the Shadow Faction members defended.
"Believe me, I know..." Younsol sighed, looking to the Light Faction, "It's not the first time we were accused for who we are."
"I will have to speak with your Mistress about what you guys were starting." Berthonda told the Light Faction, "Have you forgotten the law about our factions fighting one another?"
"But why should we even be friends with them?!" The girl of the Light Faction asked, pointing at the Shadow Faction, "We have no reason to be friends with those who use darkness."
"Darkness and shadows are two different things." Berthonda told them, looking at the member's Younsol's faction with a smile, "Besides, I find them amazing what they are capable of. They control darkness, but are not consumed by it. That just shows how strong their hearts are."
"But is there a difference between darkness and shadows?" The leader of the Light Faction group asked, "I don't see the difference!"
"Well, you're just gonna have to make friends with them to see the difference, won't you?" Berthonda ordered them, "Bonding with them will help you see more clearly, alright?" The Light Faction members looked at one another, unsure to follow her words.
Later on, on top of one of the skyscrapers, Berthonda and Younsol were standing on the edge, looking down at the city below.
"We only became Faction leaders for over a week now, and that was the seventh battle involving my faction that I had to break up." Younsol sighed, "It's no wonder the old leader always looked so stoic and stern all the time. He had to deal with so much."
"It will take time, Younsol, but I'm sure you and the rest of us can break up the conflict involving the factions." Berthonda stated, smiling at him.
"But, time might not be something we have." The Shadow Faction leader retorted, looking at her with a determined glare, "You saw the gateway to Kingdom Hearts. Day by day, the darkness keeps growing. Sure, it's still small, now, but who knows what it'll be like years from now. Not to mention the prophecy..."
"I know about what the prophecy says." Berthonda answered, "But I look at that from another point of view."
"You mean how the collective lights that get snuffed by the darkness with reach out and connect with one another again, right?"
"Exactly. I believe that lights can never die as long as the bonds between one another are strong. And eventually, they with reignite one another, and face the darkness again."
"But still, it might not be enough." Younsol scoffed, looking on ahead, "If only there was a way to prevent this much conflict. Maybe, with the ψ-Heart..."
"We cannot forcefully control people's hearts!" Berthonda retorted sternly, "You know that is not the way to do it!"
"I... I know..." Younsol answered, looking into the sky, "But... It is a thought..." Berthonda looked to her, then up to the sky, hoping he wouldn't think about doing such a thing.
But in many years time, the fears she had at this very moment would come true, and affect many individuals in the process. And three Keyblade wielders would be in the centerfold of that vortex of conflict.
(Insert 'Adamas Amalee ver.', TV version)
Music intro
(Rushing through black darkness, glittering shards of light pass by. As music starts, the three main Keyblades suddenly shoot forward like shooting stars, circling around from a distance, then crossing one another, shining brightly, forming the logo of the series.)
I'm trying to understand it but it's making me numb
(Left half of Sora's serious face, the other half hidden by the teeth of his Kingdom Key.)
This swirl of karma leaving such a bitter taste on my tongue
(Right half of Asuna's determined face, the other half hidden by the Lambent Light's teeth.)
'Cause I know the pain and sorrow, it has only begun
(The upper half of Kirito's face, with glaring eyes, the lower half hidden by the Elucidator's teeth.)
Who-o-oa, Who-o-oa, Who-o-oa
(Flashing through the faces of each hero; Donald, Goofy, Yui, Mickey, Riku, Leafa, Kairi, Axel, and Kayaba.)
Now I'm surrounded by my enemies, but luck's on my side
(In the dusty fields of the Keyblade Graveyard, the camera pans around the circle of the six main heroes as they ready their weapons.)
So I shatter through the walls and change the course of the tide
(In the same field, the camera pans the opposite way around the six other heroes as they ready their weapons.)
Can't stop this surging fate like a volcano set to break, Take a breath until you're set to
(Allies of the multiple worlds they will or have visited pan across the screen, finally ending with the silhouettes of the four Lost Princesses of heart, with the one in the center opening her hands to reveal a bright light.)
face that voice of fear. That god of death that's always looking down on you
(Philia stands on a lone green hill, staring at a card with the picture of Castle Oblivion on it. She feels a hand behind her, and looks to see Flair and Hinata standing behind her, giving assuring smiles, with Tinkerbell coming out of her pocket, and Samson giving a thumbs up.)
"Do you believe yourself?" I won't stop til I've won
(Maleficent and Dr. Temna stand together, with Pete and Tears next to them, and a swarm of Heartless and shadowed foes ready to strike.)
A glimpse of that bright future that's just begun!
(Xehanort's maliciously smirking face appears, as he and fifteen others float together in a circle. Screen splits in half as half of Heartless Oberon and Gouxus take the screen, their eyes shining from yellow to violet.)
Shining like a diamond, The emotions in your heart reflect like crystal
(The six heroes team up together, taking down Heartless, Nobodies and Unversed that come across their path with their weapons, skills and magic.)
As we vow an oath that will ignite your light and mine - And we will rise!
(A Demon Tower nearly falls on top of the six, but they get away, with Kirito, Asuna and Sora in the air, performing Soul Bursts and Keyblade transformation, creating Cloud's Buster Sword, Asuna's SAO Lambent Light, and Sora's twin guns, unleashing a sword beam, ice spears, and magic shots as one.)
So many times I've gotten back on my feet to make it to this moment
(A group of dark energy orbs shoots down the trio from a cliff above, hitting them into the ground. The attack comes from Xehanort, Heartless Oberon, and Gouxus.)
It's time our prayer that's waiting in the dark. Is set free so light the spark and let it shine!
(Sora, Asuna and Kirito get back up on their feet, shaking off their injuries, and raising their Keyblades as they charge forward, beams of sunlight shining upon each of them as they all take a leap at the Organization XVI, with their friends, the other heroes, including Roxas, Xion, Recon, Terra, Aqua and Ven, joining them from behind.)
Song ends.
Present Day, Realm of Arrival
The Keyblade Master Gretinal, A middle-aged woman with silvery hair and a petite figure hidden by her robe and armor, was wandering the gardens of her school. She had out a crystal orb, and was speaking to her fellow teacher and former Master, Yen Sid.
"I see. So you already sent them out to help Sora reclaim the Power of Waking." Gretinal understood, "It is a good thing Kirito, Asuna and Yui made it there to pick them up."
"Indeed. Sora is a gifted Keyblade wielder, but he will need the aid of those whom he has traveled with for all this time." Yen Sid closed his eyes, thinking on one other thing, which he vocalized, "Especially if Berthonda's warning turn out to be true."
"Sora carries a strong burden of both saving all those who are lost, while dealing with the pain each carries." Gretinal recalled the very warning that she told Kirito and Asuna, "That is why Berthonda wants to make sure that Kirito and Asuna are pillars of light that help him when he is down. That being said..." she smiled at the crystal orb, "It is safe to say that Sora has a bright heart that gathered all of them in. After all, it guided Kirito, Asuna, Yui, and everyone else from this dimension. And in return, they guided him to their dimension in a time of need."
"The fates of our two dimensions, and those chosen by the Keyblade to protect the light, do seem to intertwine." Yen Sid agreed, "The only question, right now, is if they can gather the remaining lights to combat Xehanort and Organization XVI."
"You forget Younsol, as well. He might be just as big of a threat, if not more so, than Xehanort, since he is seeking something more than just Kingdom Hearts itself."
Yen Sid closed his eyes, reminding of the deepest secret he and Gretinal knew about Kingdom Hearts. It might even be something that Xehanort wasn't fully aware of, either. The future did seem dangerous, and it might even be more so if they were not careful.
Mount Olympus
Shortly after entering through the portal, the Swiftline arrived at their destination. However, when they disembarked, they found themselves in an unfamiliar location. They weren't in front of a coliseum, but near the entrance of a cave, standing on the side of what appeared to be a mountain.
"No fanfare?" Sora questioned, and made an imitation of a trumpeter. Donald listened, but didn't hear anything.
"Did I make a mistake in our coordinates?" Yui asked, puzzled.
"No, I'm pretty sure we arrived at the right destination." Asuna responded,
"But I think we missed the Coliseum." Goofy summed up their results.
"Guys, you opened the gate!" Donald squawked at the trio of main Keyblade wielders.
"Guess we were a little off again. Sorry!" Sora chuckled.
"Come to think of it, wasn't there a mountain in the distance from the Coliseum before?" Kirito recalled.
"If Greek Mythology is correct, we should be on Mount Olympus, and at the top is where the gods reside." Asuna recalled, looking at the top of the mountain, which was hidden by clouds, "Although... looking back on it, this world and what I read were completely different."
"Well, whatever." Sora brushed the topic aside, "We'll find Hercules. But we need to go!" He waved his hand forward as he took the path forward.
"Up the mountain?!" Donald questioned.
"Yeah? Up is the usual direction." Sora stated in an obvious tone.
"Up or down, it doesn't really matter." Kirito followed, "Besides, if what Asuna said is true, I wouldn't mind meeting these gods up above us."
"Well, never hurts to have your head in the clouds." Goofy said in a positive tone.
"Exactly!" Sora agreed.
"Are we really just taking a random path based on that?" Asuna questioned, looking at Kirito and Yui. Kirito shrugged, and followed Sora.
Donald sighed and shook his head, while Yui stated, "We do tend to find trouble when we go on a random path, but it usually leads us to the path we need to take."
"I guess..." Asuna agreed, "We do seem to find trouble, no matter where we go."
"Hurry up, guys! We're leaving!" Sora's call to the trio made them realize they were being left behind, and the pursued the other half of their team.
They arrived in an open area, surrounded by ruins, a mural, and even a statue. There was no other path for them to go but up. They were about to move onwards when darkness appeared in the form of Heartless, surrounding the area. "Heartless!" Donald exclaimed as the six heroes pulled out their weapons.
"Good! I was looking for a warmup before we met Herc." Kirito stated, readying his Elucidator Keyblade.
"I see Shadows, Soldiers, Air Soldiers, and a Large Body!" Yui examined, pulling out her scanning device, and placing it over her eyes, "Be careful!"
"We got it!" Sora answered, and the six of them went to work.
Despite the strength they had before the Mark of Mastery, thanks to what happened during the time, the six weren't as strong as they were then. Kirito and Asuna both retained some of their strength, but their magic was limited. Sora had access to only Fire and Water magic. Asuna had access to Water and Blizzard magic. Kirito had access to Fire and Blizzard magic. However, despite the lack of old skills, they did have gained new ideas.
"Freeze!" Asuna shouted, unleashing an icy shot that left a trail of ice on the ground, striking the Large Body and making it freeze. She saw the ground of ice, and came up with an idea. She leapt upon it, and the power of her Flowmotion activated, causing her to grind on the ice, then unleash a fast jab into the gut of the frozen Heartless, sending it crashing into the wall behind, and making it vanish into darkness.
"Nice one!" Sora cheered as he defeated his Air Soldier.
"Guess we don't have to fully start from scratch." Kirito stated as he and Goofy finished their enemies.
They regrouped as they looked about the place. "No signs of Heartless, but there doesn't seem to be a path around here." Yui noted, looking about.
"There's one up there." Kirito pointed out, seeing a path high above them, near the statue, "Let's try getting up there."
"Isn't it a bit high for us to leap to?" Goofy asked.
"Not unless we do this..." Kirito made a dash to the mural, and raced up the sheer side of the wall, making to the top. He looked down to the others and shouted, "Come on! It's easy!"
"For him, maybe..." Asuna chuckled.
"Come on. It's no different than you running up that clock tower back in the Precure world." Sora recalled, and he made a dash to the mural, using his recently developed athletics to race up the wall and join Kirito. Asuna figured she had no argument for that, and followed the two boys.
"Come on!" Donald told Yui and Goofy, and they took off together, racing up the wall as best as they could. They nearly made to the top, but they didn't have the same athletics as the Keyblade wielders. Fortunately, they managed to grasp the ledge at the top, and pull themselves up.
"I think you guys might need to work on your wall-running." Kirito told the trio as he helped Goofy up to his feet. Donald grumbled as he was too stubborn to admit he needed the practice.
"Let's do that AFTER we find Herc." Sora suggested, who helped Yui up to her feet. Once everyone was set, they went onward, heading up towards the top of the mountain.
They pass a couple of barren trees to reach a cliff, looking out into the open world beyond. However, it was clear they were not making as much progress. "I think we might be goin' in circles." Goofy assumed.
"To put it more accurately, we went up in a helix circle, but..." Kirito couldn't deny that they really didn't make much progress.
"Sora?" Donald started, glaring at their point-man.
"Did I make a turn at the wrong rock?" Sora questioned, walking near the edge, then calling out into the distance, "Hey, Hercules! Where are youuu?!" Despite his voice going far and wide throughout the mountainside, there was no response to his call... At least, not one any of them wanted.
Suddenly, Kirito sensed something from above and behind them, and looked to where he sensed. A billow of black smoke was coming towards them from what appeared to be the very top of Olympus. "Heads up, guys!" Kirito warned the others, who turned to see the smoke hit the ground near their position. A familiar, blue flame-haired character appeared, growling, "All right, I know I dotted my I's, crossed my T's, zeroed the hero. So what gives? Who could possibly be trying to give me a migraine by yodeling that yutz's name?" It was none other that the ruler of the Underworld himself, Hades.
He just noticed the six heroes when Sora said, in a sort of exasperated tone, "Really? Hades?"
"Oh, it's just you. Oy, vey." Hades sighed.
"It's just us?" Sora echoed, "Even for you that's cold."
"Last time we saw him, Yui blew him into that green pool abyss." Asuna recalled.
"Oh, yeah. I did do that..." Yui realized. Course, that was when she was a pixie during their first adventure with Sora. It did feel like forever ago, considering the immense amount of adventures that in between then and now.
"Don't forget... I can always turn up the heat!" Hades warned the two girls and Sora.
"Wait. If Hades is here, then where's Herc?" Goofy asked, looking about.
"What is everyone's infatuation with that dolt?!" Hades demanded, turning red in fury.
"It's not like you gave us any reason to care about you." Kirito stated bluntly, with Donald and Sora nodding in agreement.
"Oh, I'm hurt... If I gave two drachmas to care about what you say!" Hades spat, turning away from the team, "You know what? Never mind. Never mind. I'm cool, I'm good. Because Wonderboy'll be outta my hair soon enough."
"So you're up to no good again!" Sora growled as he and the others readied their weapons.
"Of course he is!" "You bet!" Goofy and Donald agreed, respectively.
"A bad coin always lands on the same side, no matter how many times you flip it." Kirito quoted.
"Whoa, easy. What is this, Sparta?" Hades questioned, looking casually back at the heroes with their weapons drawn, "Kind of on a schedule. Don't have time to toss around the ol' fire and brimstone. The whole cosmos is basically waiting for me to, you know, conquer it!"
"Really? And here I though just opening the Underworld Coliseum and beating Herc was already too much to handle." Kirito recalled his last goal.
"Poor Hades." Sora scoffed sarcastically, "He thinks he can actually pull it off this time."
"Uh, guys...?" Asuna started, seeing Hades walk away and look to the sky above.
"Where are my Titans?" Hades called out, "Show me your power!"
Suddenly, sky darkened above them, and from above, they could see four towering figures, too dark to full notice, shadow them. The ground began to shake like an earthquake, and the wind began to stir. While trying to figure out what to do to counteract this, chilling winds suddenly made the wind grow stronger, pushing the six of them to the edge. Lava started to fall down the mountain opposite from where the cold winds were coming from, and the heat increased the intensity of the stormy winds even further. They struggled to hold themselves together against the hurricane that pushed against them, while Hades looked utterly content, saying, "Ahh! Love the breeze."
Kirito stabbed his Keyblade into the ground, holding onto Yui as she almost flew away. Donald's body was also flapping against the wind as he held onto Sora's waist. However, the result ended up what Hades wanted; the six of them were suddenly blown off the mountain and far away from his sight.
The storm stopped, and Hades looked to look at the direction they flew. "Ahh. That sent 'em sailing." Hades stated, then he calculated which direction he actually sent them, "Sailing right to where I left... Eh, no biggie!" He turned to the four shadowing monstrosities as he called out, "Nice work, boys! So, back to the whole cosmic coup thing?" With that the four figures disappeared back up the mountain.
Hades waved them off goodbye, when he suddenly sensed a dark portal opening up behind him. The fact that more intruders from another world suddenly started to appear did not uplift his mood. "Ugh. Really? Are you kidding?" He grumbled, "Geez Louise. Seriously, when it rains it pours. Okay, who's the new pest?"
Out of the portal came two figures he knew well. The bulging, cat-faced character, wearing the same attire he wore back in the past was none other than Pete. The woman with horns and a green orb-headed staff with him, whom he served, was the Evil Queen herself, Maleficent.
"Hey, now, that ain't no way to say hello, 'specially to your old friends." Pete huffed.
"Oh, perfect. Now I gotta put up with you two." Hades sighed, walking towards them, "Funny, I don't remember you doing me any memorable favors. So, you can keep your Heartless this time. I'm going back to my original plan. All right? So... toddle-of! Exit's thataway. Hey, it was great seein' ya! Happy traaails!" He sang the last two words.
"We are not here for you." Maleficent retorted, "I have my own business to attend to. All I need to know is if there is a distinctive... black box somewhere in this world?"
"Black box, huh?" Hades echoed, pondering on what this box was for a moment, then assuming, "Wait. Don't tell me... You're after the one Zeus hid on earth?"
Maleficent's eyes flashed, intrigued as she answered, "Possibly. If I were, where might it be?"
At the same time during the confrontation between villains, the team was still flying in the air, now making their descent into a smoking city off in the distance. "How do we land safely from this?!" Sora questioned in a panic.
"We're gonna crash into that city!" Yui noticed.
"Our fairy wings would be really helpful, right now!" Asuna cried out.
Suddenly, Goofy saw someone off in the distance, who had just noticed the falling heroes. The incredible muscles, burnt orange hair, brown clothing, blue cape and sandals gave away his character easily. It was none other than their buddy, Hercules.
Herc made a huge bound, and grabbed Sora and Goofy out of the sky. Donald flew towards a lion statue, while Kirito, Asuna and Yui all ended up nearly hitting a wall, had Yui not summoned her tessen, and unleashed wind magic to cushion them from impact. The trio fell to the ground, recovering from their near death experience.
Herc landed nearby them, with Sora and Goofy on each shoulder. "See? Found him!" Sora pointed out.
"Yeah, guess this counts!" Goofy chuckled.
"It was just pure luck, as usual!" Asuna argued.
"Thanks for the save, Yui." Kirito thanked his daughter.
"I'm glad I calculated the timing of that magic right..." she sighed, rising to her feet.
"Get me down!" Donald squawked, raising a tantrum as his cape was stuck on one of the lion statue's teeth.
"Just a second!" Hercules called to Donald.
Once he got Donald down, the team gathered together in front of Herc as he started, "You guys are here! Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kirito, Asuna! You literally dropped in. Gotta say, I'm impressed."
"Thanks!" "Like the catch!" Donald and Goofy answered, respectively.
"Hey, what about me?" Yui questioned, seeing that Herc didn't seem to notice her.
"Oh, uh..." Hercules looked to her, finding her familiar.
"This is Yui. Remember, the small pixie that gave Hades the literal final blow in our last fight?" Asuna recalled, kneeling down and placing her hands on Yui's shoulders.
"That was you?!" Hercules questioned in amazement, "You've grown up."
"A lot happened..." Kirito replied, not wanting to say too much.
"So, what's going on?" Sora asked, looking at the burning city around them.
The Demi-god sighed as he answered, "Take a guess. Starts with an 'H'." Didn't take them long to know what he meant.
"Now I understand what he meant." Kirito recalled what Hades meant before about 'Wonderboy being outta his hair soon enough'.
"Actually, we bumped into the H-ster on the way here." Sora pointed out, with Donald nodding in agreement.
"He said somethin' about conquerin' the whole cosmos." Goofy recalled.
"All of it, huh?" Herc scoffed, "Nice of him to show a little self-restraint. Well, whatever he's planning, I'll send him running back across the Styx."
"That's our Herc!" Sora declared.
"Glad you're still optimistic." Asuna noted.
"So Sora, is there a reason you guy are visiting?" Herc asked as they wandered down the steps, going towards the statue of himself in the town square, "I'm guessing it's not just for the cheese and olives."
"Oh, yeah!" Sora realized.
"You really forgot?!" Asuna questioned him exasperatedly.
"That's Sora!" Donald sung.
"I just...took my time remembering." Sora answered, trying to think of the best excuse for his absent memory.
"I'm getting a sudden case of deja vu." Yui muttered, recalling on the day when they first met. Even then, Sora nearly forgot they were going to go on the train out of Twilight Town just minutes after King Mickey told them to do just that. Some things didn't change.
Sora brushed the issue aside as he turned to Hercules and started, "Herc, I came here so I could ask you something."
"Ask me?"
"Yeah. Do you remember the last time we were together? You were feeling down and out. How'd you get your strength back, when you jumped in and saved Meg?"
"Hmm... that's tough." Hercules started, "All I know is that she was in trouble. Suddenly, I wanted to save her with all my heart, but... it's not like I could tell you how."
"Oh, man..." Sora sighed, not getting the answer he was hoping.
"What's wrong?" Herc asked him.
"All my strength is gone from me, too." Sora looked at his hands, feeling how much weaker he was compared to what he was like before the Mark of Mastery, "That's why I need you; because I was hoping you might have a solution, or something."
"I'm sorry, Sora." Herc apologized.
"Well, back to square one..." Kirito muttered, placing his hands behind his head.
Donald suddenly noticing something in the sky, and cried out, "Heartless!" They all turned to see several fireballs raining down from the sky, hitting the ground around the central square, and even knocking over the statue of Hercules. They appeared to be black balls with bat-like limbs, fire for hair, yellow eyes, and mouths that spewed fireballs all about them.
"Never saw those before..." Asuna noted as Yui pulled out her scanner.
"They're Flame Cores." Yui analyzed, "Fire magic is their specialty."
"Right. Let's not use Fire magic, and take them out!" Kirito ordered the team, and the six of them, plus Hercules, went to work.
The Heartless were not making it easy for them, as they not only spewed fireballs, but even ignited themselves into flames and flew around the place. Fortunately, Blizzard and Water magic were useful at taking out the flame from their attacks.
The pillars around the area did help them to their advantage, as Kirito, Asuna and Sora all used them to pull off their Flowmotion techniques, spinning around them like a vortex, dragging in a couple of the Heartless into the swirl, before unleashing a midair discus spin that sliced them up.
Hercules also placed in a lot of effort, working together with the others by unleashing his god-like strength, sending energy shockwaves and tossing loose boulders around at the enemy. All in all, the team was able to overcome the flames of their opponents, and win the fight.
"Hercules!" Shouted a familiar, female voice. The team looked to the sky and saw none other than Pegasus, Herc's friend, along with two characters on its' back. One of them was Phil, a saytr and Herc's coach. The other was a well-endowed young woman with long brown hair and a pink dress. This was Herc's love-interest, Meg.
As soon as Pegasus landed, Meg hopped off as she sighed in relief, "You're okay!"
"Meg!" Herc greeted her in surprise.
The young lady looked about the state of the place after their fight as she noted, "Boy, that didn't look so fun."
"No, not with the Heartless involved." Herc answered, looking to his comrades, "We're just lucky our friends showed up."
"Well, whaddya know." Meg noticed the team, "It's you guys. Guess I owe you a big thank you." Sora chuckled, glad to feel the appreciation.
"Hey there, kids." Phil greeted, approaching Kirito, "Seems like you help Herc here clean up."
"Well, we may not be true heroes in your eyes, but that doesn't stop us from doing our best." Kirito answered. Phil huffed a chuckle at these words.
"Meg, you need to stay someplace safe." Hercules told her, "We'll search the city and make sure everyone manages to get clear of the fire."
Meg looked a bit worried as she responded, "Be careful, Wonderboy."
"I will." He answered, looking to his allies, "So, you guys in?"
"Of course we're in!" Sora declared.
"Like we'll walk away from this situation." Asuna followed up.
"We're heroes!" Donald pointed out, with Goofy and Yui nodding in agreement to this.
"Break a leg then... heroes." Meg told the team before retreating to Pegasus's back.
Herc turned to Phil as he ordered, "Phil, you should go with Meg."
"Got it, champ!" He answered, "Before we go, I got two words for ya: Make them monsters pay!" Herc nodded as Yui counted four fingers for each word he said, knowing the contradiction in Phil's words.
As Phil climbed on Pegasus's back, Hercules looked to his horsey companion as he ordered, "You gotta keep her safe!" Pegasus whinnied and nodded in response, before taking to the sky again.
"Heeelp!" shouted a girl's voice that caught Goofy's sensitive ears, "Is anyone there?!"
"Hey! I hear a voice!" Goofy told the team.
"From which way?" Hercules asked.
"Over that way!" Goofy answered, pointing to the higher part of town. Asuna and Hercules looked to the direction he spoke of. Asuna's eyes glowed as she activated her ability to see further, thanks to her body being a former ALO avatar. Sure enough, both she and Hercules saw a girl on top of some broken rubble.
"There's a girl up there!" Asuna noticed.
"Oh no! She must've been caught in the fire!" Hercules realized.
"Let's go!" Sora declared, racing headlong towards the destination.
"Wait!" Herc called out to him, "Running's too slow!"
"Then what's the other choice?" Sora questioned him.
"It's not like we can fly over there." Kirito stated.
Hercules looked about the area, saw his fallen statue, and came up with a solution. "Maybe we can." He stated, "Get on that!"
"A-All of us?" Asuna asked.
Sora and Kirito looked to one another, understanding what the other was thinking. "Asuna, Yui and I will make sure that the other citizens around here aren't in trouble. You, Donald and Goofy make sure that girl is safe!"
"Got it!" Sora answered, racing to the statue. Donald and Goofy were already on top of it as Sora climbed on.
"Is it safe?" Donald questioned.
"Hope so." Goofy prayed.
"Hercules, what do you plan on doing?" Yui asked him.
"Just watch." He answered, then he called up to Sora and shouted, "Now hold on tight!" He suddenly reached underneath the statue and started to lift it up, startling the six heroes.
"Herc, m-maybe we should..." Sora stammered, scared of what was to come.
"You cannot be serious!" Asuna exclaimed, "You're gonna throw them and the statue over to the little girl?!"
"I don't think this is a good idea!" Sora pleaded.
"What if you miss?!" Yui questioned the muscular hero.
"Trust me. I know what I'm doing..." Herc answered, adjusting his hands as he lifted the statue over his head, "I've done this training with Phil a lot." He took a deep breath, took careful aim, and threw the statue, making it look like Superman as it flew through the sky, with Sora, Donald and Goofy crying out in a panic as they flew.
Kirito, Asuna and Yui watched the statue make an arch through the sky, before falling into the area near where the little girl was at with a loud crash. They could see the dust and debris from the damage.
"They're...going to be alright... right?" Asuna questioned with a sweat-dropped expression.
"Well... I know they've walked out of worse attacks, so I think they'll be fine." Kirito assured her, though he did seem unsure.
"We should go and see if there are any other citizens in danger." Hercules told the trio, "Come on!" He raced on ahead, with the SAO trio following right behind them.
Meanwhile, Sora's team not only miraculously survived, but saved the girl that was in danger. Once they brought her to a safe place, she bowed as she said, "Thank you for saving me."
"Yeah, no prob." Sora answered, and she left the trio. He turned to his team as he followed up with, "We'd better check and see if anyone else needs us." Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.
"Well, if it isn't Sora and the King's pawns." Said a familiar, sinister voice. The trio turned to see Maleficent and Pete appear from a corridor of darkness.
"Maleficent! Pete!" Sora gasped, readying his Keyblade, "Are you the reason the Heartless are here?"
"Certainly not." Maleficent answered simply.
Pete examined the trio carefully before pointing out, "Say, Maleficent, I dunno about his sidekicks, but Kid Keyblader here looks way punier than the last time we saw him. I say we finish him off while we still can." Sora growled at the harsh words delivered to him.
"Waste no time with the boy. He's inconsequential." Maleficent brushed away her lackey's suggestion, "We have a far more pressing matter to attend to."
"Oh!" Pete realized, "We gots to find that black box."
"Be silent, you fool!" Maleficent hushed him, causing Pete to realize his mistake. She then turned to the trio as she continued, "As for you three: we shall meet again... when I have time for such trifles."
She opened up another corridor of darkness as Pete finished, "Yeah, and youse better get your act together before then. Later, twerps!" With that, he exited behind Maleficent, and the Corridor of Darkness vanished before Sora could rush in and stop them.
When the two villains left, Sora felt a bit depressed. Even Pete, the guy who they knocked about all over the place in the past, was not taking Sora seriously thanks to his lack of strength. The words he said about him really hurt him hard.
"Sora?" Donald called to him, worried.
"It's fine. I can take it." Sora sighed.
"Gawrsh, it sure don't sound like it." Goofy noticed, "Did Pete sayin' mean things bother ya?"
"It's fine! I can take it." Sora repeated, stubbornly.
"You're gonna get stronger!" Donald cheered.
"We know ya! You CAN take it!" Goofy declared.
"Don't say that!" Sora argued.
"I just said what he said." Goofy stated, looking at Donald.
"He can take it." the duck echoed.
"Ugh, whatever!" Sora growled, racing past them, "Let's just... go help find more citizens!" He raced on ahead, with Donald and Goofy looking at one another, knowing this was just Sora determination coming back. They followed after him, down the steps, and towards where the trouble was.
Back in an area near the town square, Kirito, Asuna and Yui were split up from Hercules as they each went to rescue more citizens.
"This way!" Yui cried out to a couple of citizens, helping them escape from the Heartless Kirito and Asuna were fending off.
"These guys are pretty tough..." Asuna grumbled, countering two fireballs from Flame Cores with her Water spell.
Kirito examined the amount of opponents. There were at least a dozen of them, and there were not only Flame Cores, but Air Soldiers and Soldier Heartless, too. He then came up with an idea. "Say, Asuna. Why don't we try the new powers that Mistress Gretinal bestowed upon us?"
"Huh?" Asuna questioned, then quickly caught on, "Oh! I got it! The powers she told us about on our way to picking up Sora and the others!"
(Flashback) Back on the Swiftline, when they got a bit of a tour of what the ship had to offer during their travel. Yui sat back at the control panel when she suddenly noticed one of the buttons flashing, and a ringtone that came with it ('Swordland' from 'SAO OST')
"What is that?" Asuna questioned.
"Sounds like someone calling us." Kirito answered.
"Let me see who it is." Yui decided, pressing the button. A circular hole appeared in the center of the room, and a pillar with a familiar crystal orb appeared from it. It reached a level as the orb glowed, and a holo-image of Mistress Gretinal appeared from it.
"Good! Looks like you figured out how to use the communication device." She noted, "I figured this would be the best way to communicate with all of you on your travels, since the ones I already gave you only really worked in our dimension."
"So, this crystal can be used to communicate with you, even if we're in Sora's dimension?" Kirito asked.
"That's pretty handy." Asuna stated, "And we won't have to huddle over someone's shoulder to see."
"Agreed. Having too many close faces like that would be too much." Gretinal stated, "I only have ones for me, Yen Sid, and this ship. Don't break it." The team nodded in understanding.
"Now, to why I am trying to call you. There's something else I have to speak with you about. It is about your Soul Drives that you once had. Thanks to your Mark of Mastery exam, your ability to perform Soul Drives is no longer available to you."
"Seriously?!" Asuna gasped, surprised that they lost this power thanks to the Mark of Mastery.
"But, what'll that mean about he souls that are already within us?" Kirito questioned.
"Calm down! I said your Soul Drives are no longer available to you anymore." Gretinal stated, "However, What HAS happened is that your power has changed to something else. Especially thanks to those new garments I have given you." The team inspected their new garments, wondering how they affected their old powers.
"Thanks to my powers bestowed upon you by wearing those garments, your Soul Drives have evolved into a new form." She continued, "I dub it 'Soul Burst'."
"Soul Burst?" Yui questioned.
"Think of it like using the souls connected to you, and with the power of your Keyblades, you are able to use the soul's weapons, skills and techniques. For example, you already are able to tap into the power of your 'Second Form'."
"Second Form?" Asuna questioned, summoning her Lambent Light Keyblade.
"Basically, summoning the power of your skills from Sword Art Online and Alfheim Online." Gretinal explained, "They will start at the basic level, but use that power enough, and you can evolve it into unleashing more powerful forms. You might even get something even more special if you get it to its' max potential."
"But, what about the other souls within us?" Kirito questioned, "Does this mean we can tap into the powers they have?"
"Sadly no. At least, not at the moment." Gretinal answered sadly, "They will sleep within you, until they are suppose to be needed again. However, I was able to produce something for you. Yui, please open up the storage compartment underneath the left control panel."
The young girl went over and discovered the compartment Gretinal spoke of. She found a small box within, and opened it up. Out of it came three glowing orbs of swirling white energy, slowly spinning around in the air above the group.
"What are those? Souls?" Kirito asked.
"They are pieces of people's souls, like the ones you gained to unleash Soul Drives. I call them Soul Pacts." Gretinal explained, "Thanks to my assistants, I was able to procure these three from some familiar faces you knew from your past. They will lend you their power for the battles ahead."
"There are three of them?" Yui questioned, then realized, "Wait. Does this mean I get to use Soul Burst, too?!"
"Yes, you can. The garments I gave you, plus your Keyblade, do allow you that power. However, let me remind you Yui that you are not allowed to use your Keyblade for anything else other than this in the battles ahead, unless you feel you absolutely have to use it in battle."
"I know." Yui understood, "Mommy and Daddy promised to train me in using the Keyblade when we have break times. For the moment, I'll use my tessen for main combat." Gretinal nodded in acknowledgement of Yui's words.
Suddenly, the Soul Pacts flew down, and went to each of the trio, entering through their chests. Their bodies glowed as they felt the Soul Pacts bond with them.
"Kirito, the Soul Pact you have gained comes from a young man named Cloud Strife." Gretinal explained, "Do you recall him?"
"Y-Yeah!" Kirito answered, recalling the blonde, spiky-haired boy from Hollow Bastion, wielding the large, two-handed Buster Sword, "It's been a long time since I remembered that guy."
"Asuna, your Soul Pact came from a young lady named Tifa Lockhart." Gretinal continued.
"Tifa... Oh!" Asuna recalled the raven-haired girl with incredible strength who was looking for Cloud back in Hollow Bastion, too, "That's right... that girl from then. So I have her power, now?"
"And Yui, your Soul Pact comes from a young lady named Yuna." Gretinal stated, "You may not remember her well, but you have met her."
"Let me see... Yuna, Yuna..." Yui tried to recall who she was, then finally it clicked, "That fairy girl of the Gullwings! I remember her!"
"Yours is special, as it came from a past life before she became what she was now." Gretinal explained, "I can't explain it clearly, but it will come in handy for you." Yui nodded in agreement.
The Keyblade Master looked to the trio as a whole as she finished, "You will learn to discover more and more Soul Pacts out there. Some might be made from bonding strongly with other. Some are just wandered and lost. Others might even be possessed by the Heartless. And some are just waiting to awaken from within you. However, you can only use three souls at a time. Having too much power within ones heart would be confusing and unhealthy, so while you can use three of them, the others will wait in your subconscious. You can tap into your own heart and choose what souls you would like to use in battle."
"This is getting really confusing..." Kirito sighed, realizing how difficult it was to use this Soul Burst compared to the Soul Drive.
"But still, the more variety of souls means we have a wider range of powers to choose from." Asuna pointed out, "We just have to make sure we set up the right souls for the right scenarios." She turned to the holo-image and responded, "Mistress Gretinal, we won't let you down!"
"Glad to hear that." She answerd, "With this power, you can unleash the potential of the hearts ability to bond, and unleash the powers of many onto the darkness. Use them well, and use them wisely." The trio nodded in understanding, realizing how important this new power was. (Flashback ends)
"...Guess it's time to see what this new Soul Burst can do for us!" Kirito declared, "I'll try my Second Form."
"Right, and I'll try Tifa's power." Asuna stated, readying her Keyblade.
"Soul Burst: Second Form!" Kirito shouted, and his Keyblade shined, producing a glowing, ghostly image of himself back in his SAO attire above him, before it dived into his Keyblade, suddenly transforming it into his classic Elucidator sword in his hands. He whipped it around, and readied himself to use it in battle.
"Soul Burst: Tifa Lockheart!" Asuna shouted, raising her Keyblade high. Her weapon shined as Tifa Lockhart, wearing the same attire they met in before, stood as a ghostly form, before diving into Asuna's Keyblade. The blade vanished, and shining leather gloves appeared around Asuna's hands. She tugged at the sleeves on them, before taking a martial arts stance, much like Tifa does.
"Let's go!" Kirito declared, whipping his sword to one side, causing it to glow, and unleashing a Sonic Leap at one of the Flame Cores, slamming it to the ground with great force, making it disappear into ashes.
He then unleashed his string of slashes with the opponents around him, even slashing a fireball in half that came near him. Then, he finished his combo by unleashing a Horizontal Square Sword Skill, creating four slashes that unleashed a square-shaped shockwave that sent the Heartless around flying.
Meanwhile, Asuna charged forward as a Soldier attempted to unleash a spinkick at her, but she deflected the attack with her somersault kick, knocking the Heartless off balance, giving her the opportunity to unleash a punch that set it crashing into an Air Soldier.
Asuna kept the Heartless around her on their toes with her quick and powerful punches and kicks, even embedding her attacks with Water and Fire magic. At one point, she even unleashed a backwards somersault kick that summoned a dolphin made of water.
"Time to end this!" Kirito declared, unleashing his Finale move, Starburst Stream. He summoned his holo-menu from SAO, and summoned out his Dark Repulser. With both blades glowing, he unleashed his sixteen-hit Dual-Blade Skill in the area about him, ending the lives of many Heartless.
"Now!" Asuna declared, and she dashed at a Flame Core, grabbing it and making it spin as she leapt high. She then performed her Finale move, Meteor Strike, hurling the monster down at the remaining Heartless, creating an explosion upon ground impact, with the shockwaves ending the Flame Cores, and the fire ending the rest.
With their Finales used, their weapons reverted to Keyblades once more. Yui joined the pair as she exclaimed, "That was incredible, mama, papa!"
"So that was a Soul Burst, huh?" Kirito questioned, looking at his Keyblade, "Using my old Sword Skills did feel pretty good."
"Same with me and using Tifa's powers." Asuna stated, looking at her free hand with a smile, "It's like the moment my Keyblade transformed into those gloves, I felt her soul take over how I fought and thought. Pretty handy to have to throw off my opponent."
"Agreed. But it does look like we can't just spontaneously unleash it." Kirito noted, "We have to actually engage our opponents a bit before unleashing its' power. Plus, there's a time limit in using it."
"Seems like I might need to practice these Soul Burst powers on our off-time, too, so I can understand the strength and limits." Yui summed up, "But even so, I cannot wait to see what I can do with my Soul Burst!"
"Right. You never did use the Soul Drives, so this experience is new to you." Kirito realized, smiling down at her, "You'll get use to it, just like us."
"Yeah, but right now, let's go and see if there are any more citizens in danger!" Asuna told the two, and she led them down the streets towards the back alleys, making their way towards the Big Olive district of the city.
At this point, Sora, Donald and Goofy had just made it past beds of flames by sliding on Goofy's shield like a sled. They then went over some rooftops, making their way to the next level of the city, which they found out was called Thebes, saving citizens along the way.
What Sora also figured out was that he and his companions were also able to perform unified attacks when one or both of them were ready. At one point, Sora and Goofy were able to perform the technique, Goofy Bombardment, where Goofy rocketed himself and Sora high into the air, before Sora tossed Goofy back to the ground, shield-first, creating a destructive shockwave as a result.
They were able to save a guy who was hiding in a building near the gardens of Thebes, who thanked them and gave them a Hi-Potion for them to use. "That's another rescue taken care of!" Goofy stated as they raced along the marble road.
"Hopefully Herc and our friends are doing just as great of a job as we are!" Sora stated, running past a fountain with a string instrument leaning against it.
Just then, the trio heard the sound of a woman crying out, "Someone, heeeelp! Where did all these monsters come from?!"
"Sounds like trouble!" Donald realized, and the team readied their weapons as they dashed down the steps towards the scene. Sure enough, there was a bunch of Flame Cores about, and on top of a pillar was a blue-dressed woman, cowering at the sight of the monsters.
"Hercules, where are you?!" She cried out in desperation.
"Help is on the way!" Goofy declared as they dashed down the last few steps.
"We'll put these hotheads out!" Sora assured the woman.
"Hang on up there!" Goofy added.
The woman looked surprised and confused as she called down, "Huh? Who are you three? WHERE is Hercules?"
"Hey, we're heroes, too!" Donald argued as the trio went to work, taking out the Heartless left and right. They gave the woman a good distraction for her to slowly crawl down the pillar, but out of sight from the Heartless. It took the team a couple minutes, but they cleared out the area.
Once they were done, the woman dashed towards the trio, beaming happily at them. "Thank you. You're so kind." she told them, "Keep training and one day you'll be great heroes just like Hercules." She giggled and waved goodbye, then ran to safety.
"Keep training? Is it that obvious?" Sora asked, twisting around to look at his figure.
"Just for you!" Donald sassed, getting a 'Hey!' From Sora.
"II think we all have a ways to go." Goofy stated, "And I bet Kirito, Asuna and Yui are the same, too. But we'll get there together!"
"Yeah, we will!" Sora agreed, while Donald rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
As they took off, the trio failed to notice someone sitting on top of the opposite pillar from where the woman hid herself on. All that could be seen at this moment was that she wore a black and purple-trimmed coat, with the hoodie covering her face. "So, these are the little pipsqueaks that Pete spoke about, huh? Not really that threatening to me." She sassed, "Maybe I should make things a little more desperate for them. Enough to snuff out their and the other 'heroes' lights!"
She stood up on the pillar, and from dark energies, summoned a large, two-handed greatsword. She then held it like a bat, pulling it back before unleashing a horizontal slash that sent an energy beam of dark energy towards another building. Sora caught the sight of the attack, and saw it slice the pillars, causing the building to crumble, and start to fall, only to be caught by something within.
"What the-!" He gasped, looking behind, but all he saw was a Corridor of Darkness vanish on top of the pillar.
"What's up, Sora?" Goofy asked.
"I thought... I saw someone unleash something at that building!" Sora stated, looking back at the crumbling building, "We gotta make sure no citizens are in trouble!" He made a mad dash towards the building, with Donald and Goofy following behind him.
They slid down a hill, finding herbs of sorts that Goofy decided to pick up, saying that these looked good for ingredients for cooking. Why he was thinking about food at a time like this was beyond Sora or Donald.
They went through another ruined building, then dealt with more Air Soldiers while doing a wall run over a pit of flames. It was pretty difficult, but Sora figured that it was a good training session to deal with aerial opponents in big situations. Sure, Donald ended up falling in the flames, but rebounded back up to safety with his fail on fire. He quickly slammed it on the ground until the fire was out, but was so angry, his magic was bursting at the seems, which Sora helped unleash, performing Flare Force together, sending rockets flying and exploding everywhere. "Keep moving Sora shouted, and the trio kept going after ending the Heartless.
At the same time, the SAO trio were close to the building that nearly collapsed, and made their ways through the aqueducts to make it to the scene. "This way!" Yui cried out, racing to the building.
Kirito then noticed some Heartless on the cliff near them that held bows in their hands, and saw them draw their arrows, pointing at Yui. "Yui, heads up!" he shouted, quickening his haste towards her. The Heartless fired their arrows, and as Yui saw it coming, Kirito got in the way and deflected them with his Keyblade. "You gotta be more careful!" he scolded her.
"S-Sorry, papa." She apologized.
"Keep away from my daughter!" Asuna shouted, unleashing Water spells at the Heartless, knocking them off to the ground. Kirito joined his girlfriend, with Yui right behind them, eliminating the Heartless.
"What were those?" Kirito asked, "I never saw those Heartless before.
"They are Bizarre Archers." Yui analyzed, "They tend to be in high places, out of reach, so they can attack from a distance." She looked down, feeling guilty as she stated, "Sorry for rushing in without thinking."
"It's not your fault." Asuna assured her, looking to Kirito, "After all, your father is someone who does the exact same thing almost all the time. I'm sure you just learned THAT from your father's behavior."
"Why am I the one to blame for this?" Kirito asked in a bemused manner.
Suddenly, the building behind them was starting to crumble more, reminding them why they came. "Let's save the blame game after we save those inside that building!" The black swordsman told the girls, and he rushed in towards the building.
When they entered, they saw a few citizens in there, cowering in fear. They also saw what was keeping the ceiling from fully collapsing; Hercules. He was holding up the largest piece in there, and it seemed to be the only thing he could do at the moment.
"Oh, no!" Asuna gasped, just as Sora, Donald and Goofy arrived from the other entrance.
"Herc!" Sora called out to the Demi-god.
Hercules looked to see that the other six arrived on the scene. "Guys!" He then grimaced as more of the ceiling started to break apart, adding more weight on top of him. However, what really caused the team trouble was the fact that the path behind Sora's team was blocked by another part of the ceiling.
"No!" Donald exclaimed, seeing their back way blocked.
"We gotta help Herc, and save the citizens!" Kirito ordered the team.
Suddenly, a batch of Heartless suddenly appeared on the scene, scaring the citizens even more. "More Heartless!" Sora noted in a panic.
"You take them." Hercules ordered the group, "We need to save these people!"
"But what about you?!" Asuna asked as the six readied their weapons.
"Can you hold the building?" Sora followed.
"No problem!" Herc answered, smirking as he was under the strain of holding the ceiling up.
"We might have a few minutes, so let's make this quick!" Kirito told the group, and they all took on the Heartless.
It started off with just Flame Cores to start, but then Shadow Heartless arrived on the scene to also add in their own terror. The six unleashed all they could onto the Heartless, but it was clear they needed to do more. Fortunately, their Mark of Mastery did give them a nice new bit of powers to work with.
Asuna used the Water spell several times, before feeling the spell could be used to an even stronger level. "Time to see if I can't unleash this spell at its' max limit!" Asuna declared, pointing her Keyblade at three Flame Cores. She then unleashed the even stronger Watera spell, which made a bigger splash upon impact, defeating all three Heartless at once.
"Alright!" Sora cheered, turning to his group of Heartless, then feeling a surge of energy from his Keyblade. "Let's go! Second Form!" Sora then bursted with energy, and started to glow. He could feel familiar skills and techniques coming back to him thanks to the power he unleashed. He then went into a combo of moves that quickly knocked out the Heartless about him, ending with his familiar Ripple Drive, creating a sphere of energy that blasted Heartless upwards.
"My turn!" Yui declared, backing away from the Heartless, and summoning her Keyblade momentarily, "Soul Burst: Second Form!" Yui's Keyblade shined as the ghostly image of her original self from SAO appeared above her in a curled up ball, before diving into her Keyblade. Her Keyblade shined and exploded into flames, transforming into the large, deletion-programmed sword she summoned many times before. She floated in the air as she readied to fight.
She then flew in, unleashing sword swings in a combo with the sword that was longer than her height. She even created shockwaves when unleashing the final moves to her combos, sending all the Heartless that came in its' wake vanishing, with the exception of the Flame Cores, who withstood the attacks due to Yui's attacks being more fire-elemental. Fortunately, the others were able to make up for this with their own skills.
"Let's end this, Yui!" Sora shouted as the two Second Form users were ready to perform their Finisher/Finale moves.
"I'll start things off, and you finish it, okay?" Yui told him, and she raised her Keyblade high, encircling some Air Soldiers that came into the fight with an orb of flames. She then performed her Finale, Program Delete, ending not just the Air Soldiers, but also other Heartless within the vicinity, with the exception of the Flame Cores.
"Let's go!" Sora declared, and he unleashed Sonic Blade, dashing blade first into each Flame Core several times in a row before finishing with one blow, ending the final Heartless.
"Those two are unstoppable!" Donald exclaimed.
"Way to go, you guys!" Goofy cheered. Sora and Yui reverted back to normal as they high-fived one another for successfully clearing the Heartless.
"Get the people out!" Hercules called to the team, really struggling to hold up the ceiling.
"Way ahead of you!" Kirito responded as he, Asuna, Donald and Goofy were first to the citizens, making sure they were getting out of the place safely.
"It's okay. Just come with us to safety!" Asuna told the little boy in the group in a sisterly tone, holding her hand as she raced her out of the place.
Sora and Yui stopped to see Hercules, wondering if they should help him. However, they didn't have the strength like he did. After a few seconds, they begrudgingly left the hero to hold up the ceiling, joining the others outside.
They raced towards the grassy area where Kirito's team fought the Bizarre Heartless before, before hearing the sound of the building giving full way, shaking the ground around them. The building sent dust and debris flying, but Kirito and Goofy raised their weapons in defense, protecting the people behind them.
When the dust settled, they looked to the citizens they rescued, seeing them all were still okay. However, what worried them was the sight of the fallen building. There was no sign of any detail that showed them that the one they left behind was still okay.
"Hercules!" Shouted the six heroes, calling for their friend. No response. They looked at one another, worried for the worst. However, their worries were dashed away when through the dust, they saw the familiar, muscular figure. Hercules came out of the debris, brushing off pieces of the building, but miraculously unscathed.
He smiled as the six heroes raced up to him, with Sora exclaiming, "You scared us!"
"We thought you became Greek flatbread!" Asuna followed, giving a sigh of relief.
"It's nothing. That's what THESE are for!" Hercules replied, pumping his arms and showing his muscles. Donald and Goofy imitated him, chuckling at his ability to brush off something so crazy.
Suddenly, Kirito sensed the darkness forming near him, and turned to see a Corridor of Darkness forming. And out came a man that was giving them a round of applause. A man with black and silver-striped hair, tied in a ponytail, and wore an eyepatch over his right eye. It was the marksman of the Organization, Xigbar.
"Oh, wow! Very nice, full marks." he told Hercules and the others.
"Go away!" "No Organization!" Donald and Goofy barked fiercely at him.
"Looks like we get to meet one of the Organization members already." Kirito growled, readying his Keyblade.
"You're Xigbar!" Sora noticed.
"All this altruism is giving me the warm and fuzzies." Xigbar sarcastically stated, "So then, does having a heart of light come with an extremely good insurance policy?"
"Why don't you get straight to the point!" Asuna barked at him.
"Oh, but I did though." he replied, "No good will ever come from putting other people first."
"What?!" Asuna snapped, getting a sense of deja vu. It reminded her of what Gouxus told her during her Mark of Mastery.
"I was able to save Meg's life because I was ready to risk my own." Hercules argued.
"Because you've got friends in high places, you mean." Xigbar retorted, "Tricks like that don't fly for your average joe." Hercules wanted to make a counterargument, but couldn't find one. Xigbar did speak the truth.
"What do you know?" Sora butted in, "You weren't even there! If you were, you'd admire Herc's courage."
"Right, and his courage brought forth a miracle to overcome the odds, so don't say it was a fluke!" Yui added.
"Miracle, fluke... It doesn't matter." Xigbar responded, walking away from the group, "I don't admire one guy leaping into danger if it means someone else might have to jump in to save him. You're all just lining up to lose out. Dooming others to take the fall with ya." He then stopped and turned his head around to look at them, "Oh, and you can spare me the usual party line. Yes, hearts are powerful when they're connected. But if you put too much of that power in one place, some of those hearts might end up breaking."
He pointed at the spiky-haired Keyblade wielder as he continued, "Still, Sora, that doesn't mean you should change. Accept the power you're given. Find the hearts joined to yours."
"Why would I ever take advice from YOU?!" Sora demanded.
"As if!" Xigbar threw his catchphrase as he walked away, "You don't have any choice but to follow this sweet little trail of bread crumbs. And at the end, you'll finally realize what destiny has in store for you." He stopped walking as he finished, "In fact, your reward might be right around the corner. You're so close!" He chuckled as he disappeared into the dust, vanishing from sight.
"Hearts breaking? Whose hearts?" Sora wondered out loud, looking down at the ground in confusion.
"Hey, don't let his words get the better of you, Sora." Kirito told him, patting his shoulder.
"Yeah. All he's doing is trying to get under your skin, just like how the Organization members all try to do that." Asuna stated, walking to Sora's other side, "But were stronger than he is. Let's prove him wrong, okay?"
Sora looked to his two friends as Hercules approached him as well, adding, "Your friends are right. We'll show him that our sacrifices haven't been for nothing."
Sora eventually smiled as he responded, "You're right." Kirito and Asuna looked pleased at Sora's positivity returning.
Goofy nodded in agreement, then said, "Besides, we're already proof enough!"
"We're a team! When we're together, we can do anything!" Donald declared.
"And as long as our hearts are filled with hope and light, we can overcome any obstacle!" Yui finished.
"Yeah!" Sora responded. It was always great to have his allies help overcome his doubts. Yet, as they wandered back to the center square, he stopped, looking back at where Xigbar left. One thing he said before still bothered him. "...What reward?" He muttered, wondering what could he gain for following this path. Deciding to shrug it off, he continued following the others back to the aqueducts.
Just as they were making their way back to the center of town, they could feel the ground rumbling. However, this was not an earthquake, but something that felt like heavy footsteps. Something big was out to meet them. They exited the aqueducts to a fountain, where they came face to face with a monster Heartless that was huge, large shoulders with spikes protruding from them, and a heavy axe with a face on it.
"What is that?!" Sora exclaimed as Donald squawked in a panic.
"A Rock Troll Heartless!" Yui analyzed, "They are as big as they are strong, but slow as well!"
"We gotta make sure it gets taken out before it does more damage to Thebes!" Hercules told the team, and they charged in to fight it.
Just then, Soldier Heartless appeared out of nowhere, and came in to support the Rock Troll as it used the long reach of its axe to hammer down at the oncoming opponents. Kirito and Goofy attempted to block the attack, but the shockwaves did send them and Sora flying. Asuna quickly avoided the attack as she raced forward and unleashed slashes and stabs with her Keyblade, striking the Golem. Yui and Donald used their combined Wind and Fire spell to knock back a couple of Soldiers. Hercules went for the Troll, and punched it hard, sending it tumbling a good distance away from him.
Sora recovered from the attack, and came at the Rock Troll in full force, unleashing a Fire Spell at its' face. When it connected, Sora felt a new power that emanated from within. It felt like he could summon something that would aid him in his next attack.
"Let's see if this works. Attraction: Pirate Ship!" Sora raised his Keyblade high, and he summoned a spiral of lights. All of a sudden, the ground underneath him became water as he jumped up and dove in. A second later, a large glowing pirate ship, littered with lights, came out of the water, and started swaying back and forth, like one of those amusement park pirate ship rides. Everyone stood clear as he swayed the ship back and forth, creating magic balls of water front and behind, depending on which way he was swaying. He was taking out the Soldiers with his attack, and was knocking the Rock Troll back with this attack, too.
"Time to end this!" Sora shouted, and he sent the pirate ship looping several times, sending magic balls of water everywhere, taking out any remaining Soldiers, and leaving the Rock Troll near death's door. As soon as the attack stopped, the pirate ship vanished in a glitter of lights, and Sora landed on the ground, smirking.
"That looked like tons of fun!" Yui said with glee.
"An unorthodox way of fighting, but it did the job." Kirito pointed out.
"It reminded me of those carnival rides that I use to see when I was a child." Asuna stated, "Quite an interesting twist to how to use it to fight."
"I know, right? But it was fun!" Sora replied.
"Heads up!" Goofy cried out, as the Rock Troll Heartless hopped onto his axe and started spinning around like a top, slowly nearing towards the team. They nearly forgot it was still alive. They managed to avoid getting hit by it, while Hercules picked up some rubble and tossed it at the giant Heartless, causing it to falter as it span.
"Now's your chance!" He called to the heroes.
"Right! Asuna!" Kirito shouted, and the two went into a Team Attack, Great Separation. They dashed forward with their Keyblades glowing like they activated a Sword Skill, and blitzing right past the Rock Troll, forming a glowing X underneath it. They created two more sets of Xs, forming a twelve-spoked circle with no circumference. Suddenly, an illusion of Aincrad rose from the center of the spokes. Kirito and Asuna sheathed their blades like they would in the virtual games, and energy surged from the Aincrad illusion, creating a wide-ranged blast of energy that destroyed the Rock Troll once and for all.
"Nice!" Sora cheered as he, Donald, Goofy, Yui and Hercules joined the pair.
"Glad that worked out." Kirito sighed, "That move had us use the lore of Aincrad to defeat it."
"I guess our past helped us create a new move to use for the future." Asuna stated, "Can't wait to see what else we can do when we pair up with others."
Just then, the team heard a whinny, and saw Pegasus fly down to meet them, with Meg and Phil still on his back. They landed near them as Meg looked to Hercules and said, "Nice job, Wonderboy. We checked the whole area. It looks like everyone's safe."
"That's great. We did what we could." Herc replied, with the others pleased that things calmed down around town.
Meg looked to the group as a whole as she stated, "You heroes have been busy little bees." Sora, Donald, Goofy and Yui looked proud at their achievements, with Kirito and Asuna acting a bit more humble than them.
Just then, Pegasus whinnied again, pointing something out to Meg and Phil. They looked as Meg muttered, "Oh... Look. More trouble!"
"Guess your hero's duties ain't over, champs!" Phil told the team, pointing towards the direction they were looking. Dark clouds were swirling about the upper parts of Mount Olympus, consuming the sky in darkness.
"That's not a good sign..." Asuna muttered, her eyes narrowing in seriousness.
"It's Hades!" Herc realized.
The six heroes looked at one another, and understood in unison what had to be done. "Herc, let's go!" Sora declared.
"Right." He answered, and they raced on ahead, with Pegasus taking his pair to the sky once more. They made their way out of the city, towards the mountain off in the distance.
What they didn't notice was the same person that attack the building before with her sword was sitting on top of a nearby building, looking down as the heroes left. "Looks like that wasn't enough to snuff out their lights, huh?" She noticed, "Well, whatever is waiting for them at the top of that mountain, it's sure to take them out for good. It should give those two the time they need to find that box."
She stood up, and brushed her lavender hair back. Her coat opened to reveal her variant purple dress hugging her well-endowed figure. She opened her eyes to reveal deep red color, and a mischievous expression on her face.
"Oh, well..." She said, summoning her greatsword again, sticking it blade first into the marble and leaning her body onto it, "I guess if they survive this ordeal, I might just have to ask daddy if I'm allowed to officially say 'hi' to them. Then, I'll personally destroy their disgusting light!"
Next Time on Sword Art Kingdom III:
Realm of Gods! Clash of the Titans!