Sword Art Kingdom: Heart's Origin

by Jacob Pendra-Huth

A prologue to the first 'Sword Art Kingdom', and taking place at the beginning of 'Kingdom Hearts'. This tells of a forgotten friend of Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy; a girl named Philia. As she was freed from SAO, she ended up in Traverse Town, instead, with no memory of her past. In order to discover it, she joins Sora and the gang on their journey to stop the darkness.

2. Three Worlds! Journey to Come Together!

Here is the second episode. How will the heroes unite? Read and enjoy!

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Chapter 1: The Starting Line

Traverse Town: Cid's Shop

"Eh? There are so many kinds of Heartless." Philia noticed, flipping through a book, seeing the Heartless within the pages, along with the detailed explanations of them. "True, but not all of them prefer to live in one kind of area." Aerith responded, "That's why the Heartless differ depending on the world." "I got it." Philia understood.

(Philia speaking) My name is Philia, and that's pretty much you would get out of me. I don't have any memories of my past, and that's what I'm trying to search for. All that I know is my name, and the fact that I came from a different world than this one. I also learned how to fight with my dagger, and utilize Skills that I had in the other world I came from.

It's been a whole day since I first woken up in Traverse Town. So far, the only things I have been doing were training with Leon, Yuffie, and learning about the Heartless from Aerith. I've already become friends with them, and they accepted me as one of their own. They've taken care of me, despite the fact that I have no memories. Still, I hope to find out who I am, eventually.

"The Heartless come in many forms." Philia noticed, moving onto the section containing some of the more larger and deadlier Heartless, "And there are different ways of taking care of each. Should I really memorize all of them?" "If you are going to fight against the Heartless, then it's best to know them all as best as you can."

"Well, I'll start off with the ones I have fought, so far." Philia stated, flipping back closer to the beginning, "So far, I have faced Shadows, Soldiers, and Large Bodies. Are there any others in this town I should know about?"

"There are a few others, like the Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsodies." Aerith explained, "Those Heartless are part of a certain set of Heartless, each of which specializes in a type of element magic."

"Magic?" Philia questioned, looking at Aerith quizzically. "Right." she answered, "I don't know if you had that kind of magic in the world you came from, but it is useful. Maybe I can teach you how to use magic." "Really?" Philia asked, "You can teach me that?" "Sure, if you are interested." Aerith answered. Philia nodded eagerly. If she could learn some magic, it might help her out in the long run.

"Darn this blasted thing!" Cid growled. Philia and Aerith looked to him as he was fumbling around with a small treasure box. "I find a treasure chest, but I ain't have any way of opening it up!" he grimaced, shaking the box vigorously.

"Maybe you should wait for Yuffie to come here." Aerith suggested, "She might be able to picklock that chest open." Philia looked at the treasure chest as Cid answered, "No way! She would just run off with whatever is in it! I'd rather wait for a Keyblade wielder to show up."

After a few seconds of spacing out, Philia fumbled in her pockets, and pulled out a pair of thin metal pieces. These look like they might be able to pick locks. she thought to herself, I wonder…

"Excuse me, Cid?" she started, "Can I give that chest a go?" Aerith and Cid both looked to her. "Sure, if you want." he answered, causing Philia to move around the counter to the chest, "But these locks are difficult. I don't how you might be able to open it.

Philia used the two metal pieces, and entered them into the keyhole. It took a few seconds of fumbling, but there was a click, and the chest opened up, revealing a few blue-colored stones within.

"How…did you do that?!" Cid asked, both he and Aerith amazed. "I don't know." Philia answered, holding up the metal pieces, "I noticed these in my pocket, and guessed that they were used to pick locks. I guess it was like fighting, and I just knew how to do it."

"That's impressive, Philia." Aerith said, "You did it like it was nothing." "And you got us some Mythril Shards." Cid added, pulling out the stones, "These will be great for synthesizing stuff."

"Wait, synthesizing?" Philia questioned. "Sure. I'm sure you've seen that pale creature with the big nose and red ball antenna, right?" Cid asked. Philia did recall seeing the same little creature wandering around the town at times. "That's a Moogle. They specialize in creating items from materials." Aerith explained, "Those Mythril Shards are materials used to synthesizing stuff, creating accessories, healing items and such."

"Oh, I see." Philia understood, digging into her pockets and pulling out some stones she gained from fighting Heartless. Some were like the Mythril Shards, only black, and some were pale green.

"These were dropped by some Heartless I fought. I was wondering if they were valuable in any way." she stated. "Those are Lucid and Spirit Shards you've got there." Cid stated, seeing the stuff she had, "None of it can make you anything, so far. But hey, it's a start."

"Actually, I can think of something we can make." Aerith stated, digging into her own pocket, and pulling out a green gem that was shaped like a shield. "If we put a couple of your Spirit Shards with my Bright Shard, you can actually make an accessory." "Really?" Philia asked. "Sure, let's try it!" Aerith stated, and they head out of the shop.

They found the Moogle nearby, and he led them to his small shop. "I can make many kinds of items, so long as you have the materials, kupo." the Moogle explained.

"We'd like for you to make an accessory from these." Aerith instructed, and she gave the Moogle two Spirit Shards from Philia and her own Bright Shard. "Coming right up, kupo!" the creature answered, and it gathered the materials, bringing them into the back of the shop. It took a little while, during which they saw some sort of light show happening in the shop. Afterwards, he came back with a bangle.

"Here you are; one Energy Bangle, kupo!" the Moogle declared, placing the item in front of them. "Take it." Aerith told Philia. "You sure?" she asked. "Consider it a friendship bracelet, between you and me." Aerith answered, smiling pleasantly. Philia smiled back, and she took the bangle, placing it on her wrist.

Immediately, she felt the bangle feeding her some energy. "What the?" Philia gasped, "I feel weird, like I am capable of enduring more." "The Energy Bangle is not only an accessory, but it provides a bit of defense, and increases your stamina." Aerith explained, "There are all kinds of accessories out there, and there are just as many materials to find and gather."

Philia looked at the bangle around her arm, amazed. Whatever kind of world she came to, she was certainly amazed by the powers it was able to give her.

"Hey, Philia!" called out a voice from behind them. Yuffie was on top of a roof, waving down at the girls. "Leon is trying to find you." she informed Philia, "He wants to spar with you again!"

"Okay!" Philia called back, then she sighed, "I hope he actually goes easy on me. He was pretty tough on me last time." Aerith giggled at this comment as she responded, "Don't worry. Leon sees great expectations from you. Plus, he wants to help you remember who you are."

"Yeah, well if he hits me over the head again, I might just lose more memories." Philia responded amusingly, and she wandered off to the Third District to search for Leon.

---

Opening

(Cue 'Digimon Adventure Tri Opening 1 - Butterfly TV Size', music on Youtube)

(0:00-0:19) As the viewer zoom in on a grassy field, a red shape passes the viewer, revealing Sora in the distance. A light blue shape passes, revealing Philia, then a green one reveals Goofy, and a dark blue one reveals Donald. The viewer zooms in and circles around to see the four of them standing there, looking off into the distance. The image becomes blurry as the title appears in front of them.

(0:19-0:30) Sora was asleep on the shore of the Destiny Islands, but was awoken by a voice behind him. He turned to see Kairi and Riku standing there by the raft, the latter looking somewhat annoyed by Sora's laziness while Kairi waved him over to help. Sora got to his feet and raced to his friends. The screen fades to white.

(0:31-0:41) The viewer zoom out of the white in Philia's eyes as she practices with her Sword Breaker, with Leon and Yuffie watching her. Her blade glowing yellow-green as she thrusted her blade forward in a Dagger Skill. She holds her position for a moment as Yuffie applauds her, then Philia lowers her weapon, looking up at the sky with a sad expression. The viewer looks into the sky, seeing the stars as they shined for a seconds, before quickly disappearing one by one.

(0:41-0:46) The viewer zooms out as Maleficent comes into view, standing at the table with the shadowy silhouettes of her villainous allies, and Riku at her side.

(0:47-0:55) The scene changes to six of the seven Princesses of Heart, their eyes closed as if they were asleep. Kairi appears in the middle of it, her arms crossed in front of her as she opens her eyes and her body scatters into lights, replacing her position with Sora as he stood there beside Philia, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy on Donald's head as the viewer shifts the angle to behind them, seeing the hundreds of Heartless in front of them.

(0:56-1:06) The four begin to display to the viewers their combat skills against the Heartless one at a time, starting with Sora, then Philia, then Goofy, then finally Donald, who rains down lightning onto the Heartless before the heroes charge in to continue fighting.

(1:07-1:18) The viewer passes the Heartless to see Riku standing at the end, reaching out to Sora as to invite him to the darkness, with the shadowy image of Heartless Ansem mimicking his movements. Philia clears the path for Sora as he races forward, reaching out to his friend. The view shifts to Sora's view, his hand reaching out to Riku as he and the darkness fade away into the light.

(1:19-1:32) The screen shines an image of King Mickey holding the Keyblade as Donald and Goofy looking in from the sides. The view shifts to a dark image of Aincrad as it crumbles away, with Philia's face looking to the viewer. The view zooms out as Sora pats Philia's shoulder, causing her to look and smile at Sora as he grinned back. The view zooms back even further to show quartet and Jiminy standing there, smiling at the viewers as they stood on the same hill as before, before the view shifts back to the sky again, with the flower petals flying by once again.

---

Destiny Islands: Day 1, Sunset

Sora, Riku and Kairi were all at their favorite spot on the island; at the crooked Paopu fruit tree on the separate part of the island. Sora and Kairi were sitting on top of the sideways trunk, while Riku was on his feet, leaning back on the trunk. All three of them watched the sunset in the distance, talking with one another about building the raft.

"So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?" Sora asked, turning to Riku. "Could be." his friend answered, "We'll never know by staying here."

"But how far could a raft take us?" Sora asked, angling himself around Kairi. "Who knows?" Riku answered, waving off Sora's question, "If we have to, we'll think of something else."

"So, suppose you get to another world." Kairi told Riku, "Hehe, what would you do there?"

"Hmm…Well, I haven't really though about it." he answered, "It's just…I've always wondered why we're here on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there are other worlds…Then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?" "I don't know." Sora answered, laying his back on the trunk.

"Exactly." Riku confirmed his point, taking a few steps closer to the shore, "That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing It's the same old stuff. So let's go." Sora and Kairi looked to Riku with concerned looks, thinking about everything he said.

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Kairi asked him. "Thanks to you." Riku answered, turning to Kairi, "If you hadn't come here, I'd probably would've never thought of any of this. Kairi, thanks." "You're welcome." Kairi responded in a half-hearted tone.

Sora looked off into the distant sun, wondering. He thought about everything that had happened. He remembered he and Riku meeting Kairi roughly nine years ago, sometime after an amazing meteor shower.

At first, she was just the 'new girl at the mayor's house' at the island town. However, as time went on, they realized two things about Kairi. One, she was adopted by the mayor, and two, she wasn't a native to the Destiny Islands. Considering no one ever really comes from outside the islands, Sora and Riku believed that she actually came from another world.

When their theories were confirmed, their imaginations went wild. They quickly became friends with Kairi, and started devising ways to get off the islands to find new worlds. And so, all these years later, they were nearing their goal.

Sora was curious about the worlds outside their own, but not like Riku. He was more obsessed to find new worlds. He kept talking about a rumor he heard among the islanders. It was about a boy who left the islands for good. Riku claimed that boy must've left to get stronger, and guessed he must've seen plenty of worlds, getting stronger with every world he went to. So, Riku wanted to gain that strength, to protect the things that mattered.

So, he dared Sora to get stronger with him, and when they left, they could get even stronger, together. In honor of his friend, and in something a woman told him a long time ago, he started to train with Riku. The two would also spar with their friends from the mainlands, Tidus, Wakka and Selphie. Riku's skills with a sword rose exponentially, to the point that he could take on those three guys at once, and beat them. Sora was good, and was eventually able to take all three of them on at once, but he was still no where near Riku's level. But that didn't stop him from trying.

It was time for the three of them to leave, so Kairi walked off, followed by Sora, and then Riku. As Sora crossed the wooden bridge, Riku called out to him. He turned just in time to catch the star-shaped fruit from the tree they were just on.

"You wanted one, didn't you?" Riku asked. "A paopu fruit…" Sora noticed, seeing the fruit in his hands.

"If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined." Riku stated, walking past Sora, "They'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what. C'mon, I know you want to try it."

"What are you talking…" Sora started, hearing Riku laugh as he took off into a run. Sora looked to the fruit, then tossed it aside as he raced after Riku, wondering if he was just fooling with him. Little did he know that what he said was more true than either one could imagine.

---

Disney Castle

Along the corridors of the castle, the wizard, Donald Duck, waddled along to the King's throne room, passing some of the broomsticks as they went to cleaning another part of the castle. It was a normal routine for Donald to greet the king in the morning, and requesting what tasks were assigned to him today.

He reached the extremely tall doors to the throne room, cleared his throat, and wrapped his knuckle on the door. A hole the size of a normal-sized door swung open, and Donald entered in. The room was long, and the throne was in the far back of the room, which made it hard for anyone to see who was actually at the throne.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." Donald called out as he waddled closer to the throne, "It's nice to see you this morn…" He stopped his sentence abruptly when he saw that the throne was empty. He was shocked, wondering where the king was at.

Just then, from behind the chair, the royal hound, Pluto, popped his head out, holding a letter in his hands. Donald wondered why Pluto was here, and not in the study room. He walked up to the dog, taking the letter from his mouth, and opening up.

He examined the letter, reading every word in it. The more he read, the more surprised he was at what it said. When he finished, he was downright petrified. This can't be happening! he thought in shock, I have to tell someone about this! I have to tell Goofy! Squawking in a frenzy, Donald raced out of the throne room, heading to the gardens, where he knew Goofy would be at.

He was right. Goofy, the captain of the guard, was laying on his back, fast asleep, without a care in the world. Donald raced up to Goofy, squawking, "Wake up, Goofy, wake up! This is serious!" Donald was only responded by a snore from Goofy. Irritated, he used his magic, unleashing a lightning bolt from the sky onto Goofy. The shock did the trick, and Goofy woke up, but he was slightly dazed. He rubbed his eyes, and noticed Donald next to him.

"Hey there, Donald. G'mornin'." Goofy greeted him. "We've got a problem, Goofy!" Donald warned him, then he whispered, "But don't tell anyone…"

"Queen Minnie?" Goofy supposedly asked. "Not even the queen." Donald answered sternly. "Daisy?" Goofy questioned. "NOOO!" Donald squawked, "It's top secret!"

"Uh, G'mornin', ladies." Goofy greeted someone behind him. Donald froze, realizing what Goofy was really noticing. He slowly turned behind him, seeing none other than Queen Minnie and a slightly irritated Daisy standing behind him. "What were ya sayin', Donald?" Goofy asked the nervous duck. Donald merely chuckled, not sure what to say first in this situation.

---

Chapter 2: Set Off For Adventure

Destiny Islands: Secret Place

Sora started looking inside the caves behind the waterfalls. It was his and Riku's little hideaway in the island, where they would draw pictures and talk with one another and stuff. Kairi would also join the two in this little hideaway, as well. However, right now, he was searching for provisions for the trip.

I swore there was some mushrooms growing in here somewhere. he thought to himself, I'm sure it's edible…I think. He examined the cave, then discovered them behind some rock. He plucked it out, putting it away in a satchel that he used to gather the food. A slight bit of shaking from the satchel told him that one of the fishes he caught was still alive. Stay put, ya fish! he thought to himself, stabilizing the satchel and tying it up.

He looked to the rock wall, seeing the pictures that he and Kairi scratched on the wall when they were young; their own faces. Kairi was better at making Sora's head than he was at making Kairi's.

He then thought back to what Riku said about the paopu fruit. If he were to share that fruit with Kairi, their destinies would be intertwined. However, he was too embarrassed to asked Kairi to do that. He liked her, but not enough to tell her. I wish I could tell her how I feel. Sora thought to himself, disgruntled.

He looked at the pictures, then had an idea. He sad down, grabbed a rock, and began etching on the wall. It took him a few minutes, but he finished what he was trying to make; a long arm extending from Sora to Kairi, holding a paopu fruit to him. There. he thought, Now my honest feelings will always be shown here. Let's hope Riku doesn't get it.

Just then, he felt a presence behind him. He turned around, noticing a shadowy figure in the cave with him. "Who's there?" Sora demanded. "I've come to see the door to this world." the mysterious figure answered. Sora was confused at this. The door to this world? What did that mean?

"This world has been connected." the figure continued. "Wh-What are you talking about?" Sora stammered. "Tied to the darkness…soon to be completely eclipsed." the figure finished, ignoring Sora's words.

"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this." Sora said angrily. Then something struck him from the man's words, and he asked, "Where did you come from?" "You do not yet know what lies beyond the door." the man told Sora.

These words confirmed what Sora guessed about the man. "So you're from another world!" he claimed. "There is so very much to learn." the figure told Sora, "You understand so little."

"Oh, yeah? Well, you'll see!" said a determined Sora, "I'm gonna get out and learn what's out there!" "A meaningless effort." the man responded lazily, "One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

What does he mean by that? Sora wondered, Wait…is he calling me dumb?! He turned to the mysterious door in the secret room. It was always locked, and there was no way of opening it. His parents always told him that this door was forbidden by anyone to open. If it was, a great darkness would seep through and cover the world.

He thought all of that was completely bogus, but ever since Kairi came to this world, he thought maybe there was something true to that. Neither he, Riku or Kairi ever dared to open that door.

He turned around to question the figure even more, only to find the man gone, without a trace or sound. Just who was that guy? Sora thought to himself. Well, whatever. I will go see the outside worlds. Then, I'll show him I'll learn something! Saddling the satchel, he raced out of the cavern, searching for more provisions for the trip on the raft.

---

Traverse Town: 2nd District

"Please evacuate!" Aerith called to a pair of townspeople. She waved them away as Leon and Philia were ready to take on some Heartless that appeared. It contained a bunch of Shadows, a couple Soldiers, and a Large Body. The Large Bodies were Heartless who's names entitled their figure; large and overweight. It did make them move about slowly compared to its' cohorts, but it was stronger, and the belly was able to bounce back any physical attacks.

"Let's split them up." Leon told Philia, "You make sure you get the Large Body to follow you." "Why do I have to have that thing follow me?" Philia questioned. "Because it's your next test." Leon answered, "You should try defeating it and other Heartless on your own."

With that, Leon took off, distracting the Soldiers and a few of the Shadow Heartless, leaving Philia with the Large Body and six Shadows. "Well, here goes…" she muttered, ready to fight.

The Shadows jumped towards Philia, ready to strike her. Philia countered every single one of them, defeating some, while others were shoved to the side. The Large Body thumped its' belly, and charged at Philia, but she leapt to one side.

She then readied her dagger as she concentrated. I hope this new magic Aerith taught me works… she prayed, and she thrust her dagger forward, shouting, "Fire!" she unleashed a ball of fire from the tip of her blade at the Heartless, burning it and making it topple over. "It worked!" she said happily. "Good one!" Aerith called out to her from a distance. Philia gave her a thumbs up in approval. All that work yesterday was worth it.

Just then, Philia got struck from behind by two claws from Shadows. She toppled to the ground face-first, but she tumbled around onto her back, seeing them about to jump her. She sliced them quickly, defeating them at once.

The moment the dark vapors of the defeated Heartless vanished, the Large Body reappeared, ready to body slam the fallen Philia. She flipped onto her feet and tried avoiding it, but the shockwave of the attack sent her flying. She tumbled a bit, but quickly recovered herself as she came to a halt. "I can't let this thing beat me!" Philia told herself, "I have to overcome it with everything I know!"

She charged at the Heartless as it turned to her, flailing its' arms to take a swing at her. Leon finished off his horde of Heartless, and turned to see Philia leap over the Large Body with great agility. She landed right behind him, glaring as she turned to face it, the blade of her dagger glowing light-blue with energy as she did so. Aerith and Leon were both amazed, not seeing this color before. Philia unleashed two horizontal slashes in quick succession, causing a great amount of damage, and defeating the Heartless.

As soon as it was clear, Leon came up to Philia as she looked down at her dagger, pondering on the move she just used. "That move; What was it?" Leon questioned, "The blade of your dagger glowed just like it did with that Armor Pierce move before. Does this mean you learned a new Dagger Skill?"

"I think so…" Philia answered, looking at the blade, "Give me a sec, and let me figure this out." As Aerith joined the two, Philia concentrated, hoping for some part of her to remember what move that was. Finally, she remembered.

"Side Bite." she said, "That's the name of the Dagger Skill. It's still a minor move compared to other Dagger Skills." "Still, you should be proud." Aerith stated, "Not only are you able to use the magic spell I taught you, but you learned another one of your Dagger Skills!" Leon nodded in agreement.

Philia couldn't help but feel proud for herself. She had barely been in this world for a few days, and already, she was quickly improving on beating the Heartless. She looked up into the sky, seeing the stars up above. She then noticed a star twinkle away and disappear. Seeing it made her sad.

"Another world taken." she muttered, drawing the attention of the two next to her, "Sooner or later, they'll invade this world, and it might be too much to handle."

"We can't give up." Leon told Philia, drawing her attention, "If we stop now, we won't have a chance against them. The Heartless will be stopped, and we'll just have to wait for the wielder of the Keyblade to do that."

"But when WILL this person show up?" Philia asked, "I want to know what kind of person this Keyblade wielder is, and hope that person has what it takes to defeat the Heartless." "Trust me. The Keyblade will choose the right successor." Aerith assured her, "Let's hope that person is ready to the task."

---

Destiny Islands: Day 2, Sunset

While sitting at the docks, Sora sneezed hard, drawing the attention of Kairi next to him. "You okay, Sora?" she asked. "Yeah. Don't know where that come from." Sora answered, rubbing his nose.

"Hehe. Maybe someone is talking about you." she giggled. "You really believe in that stuff." Sora questioned, "No way. Must've been some sea salt or somethin'."

The two looked out into the sunset, thinking. "We finally have everything ready for our trip!" Kairi cheered. "Yeah. Now we can leave, and find where you come from." Sora responded, "I bet you can't wait to find where you come from, don't you. And I'm sure Riku can't wait to see it, too."

"You know, Riku has changed." Kairi noticed. "What do you mean?" Sora questioned. "Well…" Kairi started, but she didn't know how to explain it to Sora. In her eyes, Riku ambitions were growing stronger, but it didn't feel right to her. She didn't want to say anything to Sora that would upset his friendship with him.

"You okay?" Sora asked her. Kairi pondered for a second, and started, "Sora, let's take the raft an go, just the two of us!" Sora was shocked at these words. Kairi wanted to go with Sora alone, without Riku? What gave her that idea?

Before he could question this goal, Kairi giggled, "Just kidding!" Sora felt like Kairi was just fooling around with him this afternoon, and he was downright confused. "What's gotten into you?" he asked, "You're the one that's changed, Kairi." "Maybe…" Kairi agreed.

There was silence between the two for a while, then Kairi said, "You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I can always come back here. Right?" She looked to Sora, who had the answer instantly. "Of course!" he responded.

"That's good." Kairi sighed in relief, then she added, "Sora, don't ever change." Sora looked confused at these words as Kairi stood up on her feet. "I just can't wait." she stated, "Once we set sail, it'll be great." Sora looked to Kairi, then to the sunset beyond them. The two felt their connection to one another would always stay together, firm and strong, no matter what.

---

Disney Castle: Mickey's Study

"Donald. Sorry to rush off without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but the stars have been blinkin' out, one by one. And that beans disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all but I've gotta go check into it.

There's someone with a 'key'; the key to our survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him, and stick with him. Got it? We need that key or we're doomed! So go to Traverse Town and find Leon. He'll point you in the right direction.

P.S. -Would ya apologize to Minnie for me? Thanks, pal."

Donald finished reading the letter out loud to Goofy, Daisy and Minnie, and looked up to them. Pluto was asleep in his dog bed.

"Oh, dear! What could this mean?" Daisy questioned in a worried manner. "It means we'll just have to trust the king." Queen Minnie answered, although she sounded a little worried and sad that Mickey left in such a manner.

"Gawrsh, I sure hope he's all right." Goofy muttered. "Your Highness, don't worry." Donald assured Queen Minnie, placing a feathery hand on his heart, "We'll find the king and this 'key'."

"Thank you, both of you." Queen Minnie answered. Donald then turned to Daisy as he started, "Daisy, can you take care of the…" "Of course." Daisy interrupted Donald, "You be careful, now, both of you." Donald nodded in reassurance.

"Oh, and to chronicle your travels, he will accompany you." Minnie informed the two, waving a hand to Mickey's desk. Donald examined the desk, not sure who she was waving to, until someone hopped into appearance, getting the attention of Donald and Goofy. It was a bug of some kind, wearing a top hat, a black blazer with a red vest underneath, a yellow ascot, tan pants, yellow shoes, white gloves, and he carried a red umbrella.

"Over here!" he called out to the two, "Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket, at your service." He took off his top hat, bowing to the two. He then hopped over, landing on the bridge of Donald's magician hat. Donald did not look amused at where the bug placed himself.

"We hope for your safe return." Minnie told Donald and Jiminy, "Please help the king." Donald placed his hand on his heart assuringly, looking to Minnie, then Daisy, and then Goofy, who stood next to the ladies, saluting Donald in departure. "You're coming, too!" Donald squawked angrily, grabbing Goofy by the arm and pulling him out the door.

They went back to the gardens of the castle, and entered a secret door that led down a spiraling staircase to the lower levels of the castle. As they walked, Jiminy shifted onto Goofy's helmet, and started to explain about how he came to be at Disney Castle.

"Gawrsh, Jiminy, your world disappeared, too?" Goofy asked. "It was terrible. We were scattered." Jiminy moaned, "And as far as I can see, I'm the only one who made it to this castle."

"Goofy?" Donald warned his friend. "Oh, right…" Goofy remembered, "I gotcha. Ya mean while we're in other worlds, we can't let on where we're from, huh? We gotta protect the world border." "Order!" Donald corrected Goofy's last word. "Right. World 'order'." Goofy chuckled. Donald sighed at the dimness of his friend.

As they reached the bottom floor, Goofy stated, "I guess we'll need new duds when we get there, huh?" Donald nodded in agreement, and they entered the Gummi mechanical sounds of gears grinding and objects moving about rang in their ears as they entered in. Up in the control tower, Chip and Dale were preparing for the crew's arrival. At the platform, the Gummi Ship, the Kingdom, was prepped and ready to go.

Donald reached the speaker to the control tower, and spoke into it, "Hello up there? Donald Duck to launch crew! Anytime you're ready!" One of the chipmunk engineers saluted in response as the other chipmunk pulled a lever.

As Jiminy hopped into Goofy's pocket, two large hands came out, grabbing Donald and Goofy by the tail ends, and carrying them into the Gummi Ship. Then out of nowhere, Pluto appeared at the station, bounding to the ship and leaping into it. With everyone prepared, the platform underneath the ship rose and spun itself to an opening door, shaped like the king's head.

Donald looked down at the station below to see Queen Minnie and Daisy watching them leave. Donald winked and gave a thumbs up to Daisy, reassuring her. He then started up the Gummi ship's rockets, ready to launch forward. At his command, he pointed forward, and shouted, "Blast-off!"

Lights suddenly appeared in front, forming an arrow pointing down, and the Gummi Ship suddenly dropped through the ground below. Donald and Goofy yelled in panic as they fell the long way's down. The Gummi Ship came out of the far side of the world, restarting its' engines, and taking off into the empty space beyond, starting on their quest to search for the king, and the 'key'.

---

Chapter 3: The Dark Tide of Destiny Island

Destiny Islands: Day 2, Nighttime

In one of the homes at the mainlands, Sora was resting on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. There were so many things that happened that day, from the race he and Riku had to share a paopu fruit with Kairi, to the conversation he and Kairi had before, to the mysterious figure he met in the cave. Not to mention that tomorrow was when they were about to take off to find Kairi's home. Sora was too anxious and concern about so many things.

He looked at one of his hanging ornaments on the ceiling, thinking about Kairi's final words. I can't help but feel concern about Kairi. he thought, Despite what she said, she did seem a bit…off. He then thought about how she joked about how the two of them should set off without Riku. He then sat up abruptly, blushing a bit. Wait, is she…choosing me over Riku? he thought, Could it be that she… Sora shook his head, waving off the theory. No way, that can't be right. he thought, Could it?

He looked to the window, and saw something that startled him. Dark clouds and lightning were starting to form on the islands where the raft was. "A storm?" he spoke up, seeing it, then he gasped, "Oh, no! The raft!" He was fortunate that he was still fully dressed. Grabbing his wooden sword, he took off out of the window, sneaking out of the house.

Sora got to his dingy, and paddled over to the island as quickly as he could. If the raft drifts away, then that'll be the end of the trip! he thought, I can't let that happen! It took him a little longer than usual since the waves were kicking up from the storm.

He looked up at the clouds, seeing something that didn't look right. A swirling ball of dark red clouds started to form in the center of the storm, hovering over the island. "What's that?" Sora asked, seeing the swirling cloud.

He docked his dingy to the pier, and hopped out of it. There, he noticed two more boats, and they were familiar to him. "Riku's boat! And Kairi's!" Sora recognized, looking into the island, "I wonder if they're around."

As he was about to head to the shoreline, Sora saw something through the darkness. A few pairs of yellow eyes appearing aways from him. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that the eyes came from creatures with black bodies, which looked like a cross between a human and an insect.

No way! Sora thought in horror, These things…I recognize them from that nightmare I had! The creatures came towards Sora as he pulled out his wooden sword, ready to fend them off. The creatures bounded at him, but Sora smacked them away with his weapon. The attack didn't destroy them, but it opened a path for him into the island. He raced forward, seeing more and more of the creatures form from the ground, attempting to attack Sora. He did his best to keep them away from him, calling out to Riku and Kairi as he did so.

He then noticed someone by the crooked paopu tree. It was Riku, and his back was turned to Sora, facing the waters. "Riku!" he shouted, and he made his way up to the wooden bridge, racing towards his friend.

"Where's Kairi?!" Sora demanded when he was within ear shot, "I thought she was with you!" Riku didn't respond to this. Instead, he said calmly, "The door has opened…" "What?" Sora questioned, not sure what Riku meant. He turned to face Sora, who noticed something was different in Riku's eyes. They were different. Darker.

"The door has opened, Sora!" Riku called out, "Now we can go to the outside world!" "What are you talking about?!" Sora demanded, "We've gotta find Kairi!"

"Kairi's coming with us!" Riku sharply answered, silencing Sora, "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fears stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

Riku reached a hand out to Sora, beckoning him to join him. "Come with me." he told his hesitant friend. "Riku?" Sora muttered. Something was definitely wrong with Riku. This wasn't like him at all. Sure, he was obsessed with seeing the outside world, but this was now even beyond that. He wanted Sora and Kairi to join in his obsessed nature.

Just then, darkness started to encircle Riku's feat, forming dark vapors to rise up around him. "Riku!" Sora called out, racing to his friend. As he got close, the darkness started to spread around his feet. Desperate to break free, Sora reached out to Riku, hoping to grab ahold of his hand. This isn't right, Riku! Sora thought to himself, I don't know why, but this isn't the right way to reach the outside world! No…darkness is not the way to go! Sora reached as far as he could to Riku, who was stock still in his position, not even phased as the darkness enveloped the two of him.

Sora could see nothing but darkness, but he desperately wanted to find a way out. Suddenly, he noticed a glimmer of light, which started to shine brighter and brighter. He reached out to it, grasping it in his hands.

Suddenly, he reappeared back on the islands again, only now, Riku was gone, and he held something in front of him. It looked like an oversized key, with a silver shaft and the crown-shaped teeth, a golden, rounded hilt, and a blue stripe between it and the shaft. At the back of the hilt, there was a silver chain, with a crown medallion that looked like the one around his neck.

He looked at the weapon, surprised that it suddenly appeared in his hands. What the heck is this?! Sora thought to himself, looking about for Riku. He then started to hear a voice, similar to the one he heard in his dream. "Keyblade…Keyblade…" the voice kept calling. Keyblade? Sora thought, Is that what this is called?

He then turned to see more of the monsters he fended off before form around him. Using the weapon he just obtained, he swung at the monsters, and saw that they disappeared with every strike. Hey, it's actually working well against these things! Sora thought to himself in amazement.

He looked back at where Riku was at before, then looked into the island. Riku said something about a 'door' opening. he thought to himself, But what door? Maybe…that door I saw in the secret place? Sora raced to the cave, searching for answers and for Kairi.

After taking out a few more of the monsters, he reached the secret place. He noticed a double door that was not there before, but it looked exactly like one of the doors in his dream. It opened up for him, and Sora entered through. There, he noticed someone at the door in the back of the cave. It was Kairi, facing the closed door.

"Kairi!" Sora called out. Kairi turned to him, and Sora noticed the blank, half-sleepy look on her face, as if she was in a trance. "Sora…" she muttered, seeing her friend.

Sora thought for a second on what was wrong with her. Then the door behind her swung open, unleashing a burst of dark wind into the room. Sora shielded himself, then saw Kairi being pulled along with the darkness. Sora reached out with both hands to save her. But as he wrapped his arms around her, she disappeared. Vanished as if she was never there. Confused, Sora looked ahead at the dark wind, and suddenly found himself getting pulled along with the gust, carrying him out of the cave. He blacked out for a second as he was pulled along.

Next thing he knew, he toppled onto the sandy ground outside. He got onto his hands and knees, and he looked about in horror. The sea had vanished, replaced by an ocean of darkness. Practically most of the island vanished, too, with the only remaining part being the piece he was on right now.

"Whoa!" he gasped, looking about, then looking into the sky. The same swirling ball of clouds was now closer than before. His gaze then followed the arc, and was horrified. Right behind him was a massive humanoid being of darkness that he fought in his nightmare before, now standing behind him. It had a muscular body, wild hair on top of his head, and a heart-shaped hole in his chest.

(Cue KH1.5 OST 'Destiny's Force')

"Wha-wha-wha-what?!" Sora cried out in panic, seeing the monster's face above him. He looked about, seeing there was no where to go. He looked to the Keyblade in his hands, then up at the monster. "I don't know what's goin' on here…" Sora started, getting into his fighting stance, "…but I don't think backin' off from this fight is an option!"

Sora charged forward, seeing the monster raise a fist. It slammed it down where Sora was at, but he avoided the attack barely. Sora saw a dark pool of energy form on the ground, followed by more of the smaller creatures he fought before. Sora used his Keyblade to knock them out, then he started attacking the hand of the giant beast, hoping to damage it. The attack didn't do much to phase the monster, who slowly relinquished his hand from the ground, standing straight back up again.

It then reared back a bit, and a ball of darkness formed in the hole of his body. "That doesn't look good!" Sora spoke up in panic. He was right. The monster started shooting energy balls from the hole in its' chest, which started to home in on Sora's positions. Sora rolled and dodged the attacks as best as he could, the final attack barely grazing the back of his feet.

He toppled forward as the attack finished, then he noticed the monster straightening itself again. This is not gonna work! Sora thought to himself, How do I defeat something that monstrous?! He then remembered something from a book he written about combat. When facing an opponent with superior physical bulk, attacks should be struck at the face. Sora recalled, But it's so high up there! How in the heck do I do I get there?!

Sora noticed the monster rear back its' fist again, ready to slam it down at Sora. It was then that Sora was hit with inspiration. He stood there, determined to follow through with the plan in his mind.

The monster slammed down its' fist at Sora, but he avoided the strike by jumping backwards, then he struck the hand again with everything he got, stopping the dark vapors seeping from it. He then bounded up onto the hand, running up the arm.

"Hey, ugly!" Sora shouted, making a leap to the beast's eyes, "Your face is wide open!" Sora raised the Keyblade above him, and with all the strength he could muster, slammed the tip at the head.

The attack dazed the monster as Sora fell back to the ground again, seeing his handiwork. "Yes!" Sora cheered, "One more hit like that should…" But before he could finish his sentence, the ground shook violently. Sora toppled to the ground, seeing cracks form along the ground.

He then felt himself being pulled up into the dark orb high above. Desperate, he grabbed a plank of wood stuck into the ground, and held on. The monster was still dazed by the attack, and was carried into the dark orb, where it disappeared.

Sora desperately tried to hold on, but he could feel his grip slipping as the suction above him was too strong. His hand slipped, and he cried out in panic as he flew into the vortex above, disappearing from view.

---

Chapter 3: Gathering at Traverse Town

Philia's Side

Yuffie was racing on the rooftops, then she stopped, turning to the nearly exhausted girl behind her. "C'mon, Philia! Don't tell me you're giving up, now!" she called to her. Philia desperately reached Yuffie, doubling over as she caught her breath. "You…haven't been…constantly fightin'…those Heartless…like me." she panted, then she toppled onto her butt, trying to regain herself.

"Can't we just take a break, please?" Philia asked longingly. "Okay." she answered, understanding Philia's condition, "You have been pushing yourself a lot. I guess we can call it a day, or night. I can't tell in this world." Philia sighed in relief, glad to get a break.

"Philia! Yuffie!" Aerith's voice called out from below. The two looked down to see her waving up at them. "We have big news!" she informed them, "Come down here so I don't have to yell!" Yuffie and Philia did as they were told, and descended down to Aerith.

"What's up?" Yuffie asked. "We've got word from Cid." Aerith explained, "A Gummi Ship arrived to this world. We think it might be the king's men." "They're here?!" Yuffie asked.

"Who's this king?" Philia asked. "King Mickey is from another world." Aerith answered, "It was thanks to him that we learned about the Keyblade." "Yeah. And before he left, he told us that he would send his most trusted friends to come and find the Keyblade wielder." Yuffie explained, "Though, it still sucks that we haven't found that person."

As Aerith and Yuffie discussed what the best plan of action was, Philia turned to the sky once more. She had continuously done it before, expecting to see more stars in the sky disappearing, thanks to the Heartless. However, she noticed something else. It looked like a falling star, leaving a glittering trail as it fell. Philia noticed its' trajectory, and saw that it was landing in the First District. Neither Aerith and Yuffie noticed.

What the heck was that? Philia thought to herself, Was it a falling star? No…I could've sworn I saw someone in that light. Maybe I should investigate.

"Okay, then I'll go tell Leon about it." Yuffie told Aerith, "Why don't you and Philia go join up with the king's men, and inform them of what we know so far." "Okay, then." Aerith answered, "Philia, come with me, and…" She turned to where Philia was, but she disappeared. "Philia?" Aerith asked, looking about.

"There she goes!" Yuffie noticed, seeing Philia open the doors to enter into the First District. She entered through, and the doors closed behind her. The two ladies looked at each other, wondering what was up.

---

Donald & Goofy's Side
The two partners and Pluto had just arrived into the First District, now fully clothed in their new set of garments. Donald was in a blue uniform with a light blue cape, and a blue beret. Goofy was in a green turtleneck with a dark vest, yellow pants, metal-toed shoes, and he had on a stove-top hat with goggles around it.

Goofy stopped and looked into the sky above. Donald stopped and looked to him as he pointed up. "Look, a star's goin' out!" Goofy noticed as the two watched a star disappear before their eyes above. "Come on, let's hurry!" Donald told Goofy, who nodded in response, and they wandered through the district.

As Pluto started to sniff about, Donald looked frustrated as he asked, "Where's that key…" "Hey, ya know, maybe we ought to go find Leon." Goofy suggested.

As they walked up the steps, Goofy saw Pluto go down an alleyway, while Donald went another direction. "Uh, Donald." he called out, "Ya know, I betcha that…" "Aw, what do you know, you big palooka?" Donald silenced Goofy with the question. "What do I know?" Goofy pondered, looking at the alleyway, "Hmm… Come on, Pluto." He then turned and raced after Donald.

Pluto ignored the order. Instead, he sniffed through the alleyway, and discovered a passed out Sora behind some barrels, laying down with his back to the wall. Pluto sniffed the boy, then licked his face.

Sora woke up slightly, but he was incredibly groggy. He looked around dazedly, and saw Pluto sitting there, panting. "What a dream…" Sora moaned, and he was about to fall back asleep when Pluto pounced on him, making him fully awake. "This isn't a dream!" Sora realized, seeing Pluto fully in front of him.

He got to his feet, looking about. "Where am I?" he asked himself, "Oh, boy…" He then looked to Pluto and asked, "Do you know where we are?" The dog raised an ear, as if he heard someone, and he bounded away from Sora. "Hey!" Sora called out, racing after him out of the alleyway. When he got into view of the First District, he stopped and looked about. "This is totally weird…" he muttered, then he realized, "I'm in another world!"

While Sora walked about to investigate the place, he was unknowingly being watched over by someone that saw him leave the alleyway from above. It was Philia, hanging over the railings, then moving to one corner of Cid's shop to watch the boy.

From Philia's view, she saw a boy that was slightly younger than her, with spiky brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a red, sleeveless jumpsuit with baggy bottoms, a black, white and blue over jacket, a sagged dark blue belt with a silver buckle around his waist, large yellow and black shoes, and white gloves with a blue stripe and a round metal piece on the back of each hand. He also had a chain link hanging around one side of his pants, with crowns as part of the chain, and a chained necklace with a silver crown pendant hanging from it.

So this boy was the falling star? Philia questioned in her mind, Where is he from? Maybe a survivor from the Heartless, like me? She followed the boy quietly as he started investigating the place, talking to people as he went about. He entered into the Item Shop, introducing himself to Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

Philia noticed how he started collecting some Postcards that were about the area, and remembered hearing about the mailbox special, 'Send 10 Postcards, get items in response'. Sora managed to find a couple in the District, and after discovering this, placed the two into the mailbox, gaining a folded Cottage set, and a Mythril Shard. That's what I get for not looking about. Philia thought in a disgruntled manner, I really should be better at this. Those are treasures that I should seek out.

Suddenly, Philia's head started to throb. She gasped as she grasped ahold of her head, falling to her knees. The pain was so much, she could barely see or think. Unbeknownst to her, Sora had made his way to Cid's shop, and he entered in without noticing Philia's condition.

Inside the shop, Sora looked around, wondering what this place was. "Hey, there." Cid greeted, "How can I…" He then noticed Sora's appearance, and said, "Aw, it's only a kid." "I'm not a kid!" Sora retorted angrily, "And the name's Sora!"

"Okay, okay, simmer down." Cid responded, "So why the long face, Sora? You lost or somethin'?" "No! …Well, maybe." Sora answered, second-guessing himself, "Where are we?" Cid looked questionably at Sora, confused at what he meant.

Cid got the rundown of how Sora got to be there, and Cid responded in explaining what the world was called. "Traverse Town…" Sora muttered, "So, gramps, is this really another world?" "Don't call me gramps! The name's Cid!" Cid retorted, "Anyway, I ain't sure what you're talkin' about, but this sure ain't your island."

"Hmm… Guess I'd better start looking for Riku and Kairi." Sora decided. "Well, good luck with whatever it is you're doing." Cid told Sora, "If you ever run into trouble, you come to me. I'll look out for you." "Thanks!" Sora replied, and he took off out the door. "First Philia, now that kid, Sora." Cid muttered, "I swear to you, these youth's are just fallin' all over the place into this town."

While Sora was in the shop, Philia was struggling with the pain in her head. "Hey, Philia!" called out a voice. It was Yuffie, leaping down from the rooftop, kneeling right next to Philia with a worried expression. "Get ahold of yourself!" Yuffie called to Philia, shaking her shoulder. As if her touch was magic, Philia's pain died away, and she looked up and about, seeing Yuffie next to her.

"Man, you looked like you were in serious pain." Yuffie stated, "You okay?" "Y-Yeah…" Philia answered, finding the strength to get to her feet again, "What happened to me?" "That's what I want to know." Yuffie answered, "You looked like you were having a headache there. Does that mean you remember somethin'?"

Philia closed her eyes, thinking. She was right. There were things about herself that she started to regain. "It's only a little bit, but…" she started, "It's more of WHAT I was before coming here. My occupation, I mean."

"So what were you?" Yuffie asked in a concern manner. "I…was a treasure hunter." Philia explained, "I was clearing areas that were undiscovered, or had rare treasures in it."

"So, you're a treasure hunter, eh?" Yuffie asked, "Well, that explains a lot. Being a ninja and a thief, I guess you could say we fall along the same line of work." "I don't steal from others… At least, I don't remember doing stuff like that." Philia retorted.

"But at least you remember a little more about yourself. That's something you should be proud of!" Yuffie stated proudly, "Now, back to why I chased after you. Why did you run off like that?" "I saw something fall from the sky, but it turned out to be…" Philia started to explain, but she was silenced by the sound of Cid's door opening. "Quick, hide!" she told Yuffie, and they ran.

Sora came out, and barely saw the two girls leave. "Who was that?" he asked, running around the corner to the back of Cid's shop, but the people he saw were gone. What he didn't know was that they scrambled their way up to the rooftops again, looking down at Sora.

"Who's the kid?" Yuffie asked, "I've never seen him in town before." "He was what fell out of the sky." Philia explained, watching the boy, "He's just like me. Although, he seems to remember who he is. I'm watching him just to see if he is a friend or foe. So far, no hostile attempts."

"I gotcha. Just bein' cautious." Yuffie stated, "Well, he doesn't seem like a bad kid. Let's follow him. It'll be fun." Philia rolled her eyes, and saw the boy run to the door, going to the Second District. Yuffie led Philia over the rooftops to follow him.

When they got to the other side, they saw a man being pursued by Heartless. He toppled over, and as he flipped around, a Heartless came in, striking him and stealing his heart. Sora witnessed this before him, and watched as the heart transformed into a Soldier Heartless. He raced forward, and found himself surrounded by Shadow Heartless. "It's those creatures from the island!" Sora gasped, and he produced the weapon he gained from the island into his hands.

Yuffie was shocked as Philia looked at the weapon carefully. "A key-shaped weapon?" she noticed, "Could that be…" "It's the Keyblade!" Yuffie stated, "We found the wielder!" Philia looked to Yuffie in amazement, then back at the boy, who begun fighting off the Heartless.

Suddenly, she saw a couple Soldier Heartless appear from behind the boy, but he was too busy facing the ones in front. Philia bounded onto her feet, ready to leap. "What are you doing?" Yuffie asked. "Well, someone has to back him up!" Philia answered, and she leapt off the roof to the boy.

Sora had just taken care of the creatures, then heard some clanking behind him. He turned and was introduced to a spin-kick by one of the armored creatures, making him topple back. As he regained himself, he saw the monsters close in. Just then, a girl appeared in between him and the monsters. She was dressed in an unusual blue, black and brown battle garments, and she had ruffled dandelion. She carried a dagger in her right hand, which looked like a short sword with a saw-like blade on one side.

She twirled her dagger, and made a horizontal slash that tossed the Heartless back. With incredible agility, she bounded forward, slashing repeatedly at one of the airborne Soldiers, damaging numerous amount of times before it was defeated. She then turned to the other Soldier, who had just recovered itself. She charged up her weapon, making it glow green-yellow, and unleashed an 'Armor Pierce' Dagger Skill, destroying the Heartless and its' armor in one go.

With the Heartless gone, Philia turned to Sora, who was amazed at the display of combat. "You doing okay?" she asked, walking up to him, "Those Heartless can be a bit dangerous to face on your own." She reached out to Sora, who took her hand. "Thanks." he responded as he was pulled to his feet, "You saved me there." "But I couldn't save that other guy in time." Philia stated, looking at the spot where the man was before.

There was a pause between the two, then Philia turned back to Sora, gazing at his weapon. "So that's the Keyblade everyone was talking about, huh?" she questioned, "How did you get it?" "I don't know." Sora answered, "It just…appeared."

Philia then walked around the boy, examining him closer. "When I heard about how picky the Keyblade is about choosing a wielder, I was expecting someone more…matured." she stated. "What do you mean by that?!" Sora asked, slightly wounded by the words.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." she defended herself, "Let's start this over. My name is Philia. And you are?" "I'm Sora." the boy answered. "Nice to meet you, Sora." Philia stated, "C'mon, I'm sure there are a few more Heartless about. Let's clean them up before we get back to the First District." Philia led Sora on around the Second District.

Up above, Yuffie watched the two walk away, slightly amused. "All of a sudden, Philia's become the more experienced one, here." she stated, "I should tell Leon about this. I'll leave these two alone to get to know one another." With that, Yuffie ran off to find Leon.

Philia wasn't kidding about the Heartless. There were plenty more Shadows and Soldier Heartless still about the area. Fortunately, Sora and Philia had each other's backs as they fought them off. They also found items around, like potions and even Postcards to add to the mailbox.

Philia found Sora's fighting style unusual. He mainly held his Keyblade in a two-handed, reverse grip, which showed a lack of proper training with a sword. Despite this, he was very good at fighting, and was able to defeat Heartless as he fought.

At one point, he was fighting off a Heartless while others were surrounding him. All of a sudden, Sora's body gathered energy, and as if by instinct, Sora unleashed a dome of energy around him, which not only knocked the Heartless back, but stunned them. With several quick strikes, Sora finished off the Heartless affected by the attack.

"What the heck was that move?" Philia asked. "I don't know." Sora answered, "But I think I remember reading about that technique in a book Riku gave me back home. If I remember right, they called that move a 'Stun Impact', or something." "Well, whatever it was, it sure came in handy." Philia stated, "Let's keep it up!"

Sora, meanwhile, was amazed at Philia's skills. From her fighting with a short sword, to the skills she was unleashing, to even shooting fireballs from the tip of her dagger. There was no doubt this girl was experienced in fighting.

When the coast was cleared, the two came together. "You've got skills, Sora." Philia complimented, "Color me impressed." "Thanks. You're pretty awesome, yourself." Sora replied, "Do you live here?" "Not really. I came to this world a couple days ago." Philia explained, "Although, I don't remember about anything before that."

"You don't remember anything?" Sora asked, surprised. "Nope. Just my name, and nothing else." Philia answered, "I've slowly regained some things, like my fighting skills and stuff, but I still don't know anything else about myself."

"Sorry to hear that." Sora apologized. "Nah, it's nothing you should worry about." Philia answered, "C'mon. Let's head back to the First District. I'm sure the Heartless are cleared there." With that, Sora and Philia made their way back through the large doors to the First District.

No sooner did they arrive there, the Shadow Heartless suddenly appeared in front of them. "I thought you said they were cleared from here!" Sora reminded Philia. "I did!" she answered, readying her dagger, "I don't know what the heck is going on!"

They started taking down the Heartless as they raced to the front of Cid's shop. "Hurry, get inside!" Philia told Sora as they entered into the shop. "Welcome…" Cid started, then he saw the two, "Oh, it's you again. And Philia, what's up?"

"Heartless are appearing in the First District." Philia warned him as Sora caught his breath, "Do you have any idea why?" "Heartless in the First District? I don't remember ever gettin' this close to my shop." Cid stated with a look of concern, "Well, why don't you take care of it? You have been training to take care of 'em."

"Why? Can't you?" Sora asked. "I'm already having my hands full with other things." Cid stated, and he pulled out a newspaper and begun reading it, "B'sides, I ain't the fightin' type, like I use to be." Philia huffed at Cid's lazy demeanor. Just what had he been doing all this time before her arrival?

Just then, the two noticed that the streets were silent outside. Looking at one another, they slowly crept the door open, looking about. No sign of Heartless. "The coast is clear." Sora stated, "Let's keep going." "Keep your weapon ready." Philia warned him as they stepped out, looking about, their blades at the ready.

Just as they reached the stairs, a voice called out, "They'll come at you out of nowhere." The two turned to see Leon step out from around Cid's shop. "Who are you?" Sora asked. "Leon!" Philia noticed.

"The Heartless will keep on coming at you, as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade." Leon told Sora, pointing at his weapon at hand. Philia wondered what he meant, then she quickly recalled what Leon said the first time they explained the Keyblade, about how it attracted the Heartless.

"But why? Why would it choose a kid like you?" Leon questioned, looking from Sora to Philia, "Did you get an answer?" Philia looked taken aback at the question, but she shook her head in answer. "Hey, what's that suppose to mean?" Sora demanded, looking at the two with him. He wasn't following what they were saying.

"Never mind, then." Leon stated, stepping towards Sora and Philia, "Now, let's see that Keyblade." "What?" Sora realized, stepping away from Philia and Leon, "There's no way you're getting this!" He turned to Philia and demanded, "Was this what you were trying to do? Were you trying to take away this thing from me?" "N-No! I would never…" Philia answered quickly as Leon stopped right next to her.

"All right then. Have it your way." Leon sighed, and he pulled out his gunblade. Philia looked between Leon and Sora, and felt that she should back off from the fight. So she ran down the steps, watching the two from above as they were about to engage. This does not bode well for Sora. she thought to herself.

(Cue KH1.5 OST 'Night of Fate')

Sora charged in first, ready to take Leon out. Leon pointed his gunblade at Sora, shooting a large fireball at him point-blank. Sora didn't expect the attack, and was sent flying backwards, singed. He toppled onto his back, moaning as he got back up. "Is this really the best you got?" Leon sassed. "Just watch!" Sora spat, and he flipped onto his feet, charging in at Leon.

Leon huffed, slashing at Sora. He blocked with his Keyblade, struggled to hold his defense against Leon. Sora then disengaged his defense, ducked underneath the blade's swing, and slashed at Leon repeatedly, knocking him away from Sora. "How's that?!" Sora barked, curling a fist forward. Leon brushed off his clothes, then glared back at Sora, irritated at his cockiness. Sora hesitated at his glare, but he buckled himself down for the fight, and charged forward for the next assault.

Philia watched as the two guys went at each other, amazed at Sora's tenacity, and his ability to quickly adapt to Leon. Despite this, it was clear that in regards to strength, long-ranged and skill, Leon was in a league way above Sora. However, he was holding back on Sora, a bit. It was clear he wanted to see what Sora was made of. So far, Philia was impressed.

They moved down the steps from Cid's shop, and were battling in the middle of the center square of the First District. Sora was clearly wearing down, while Leon still had some energy left in him. "This is clearly one sided." Philia muttered, "Sora, don't you know how strong he is?"

Apparently, Sora didn't hear Philia's words from a distance. However, he did feel as if Leon was holding back on him. But that didn't stop him from trying. "I won't give up this fight, no matter what." Sora told himself, "I'll give him a taste of his own medicine."

Sora charged in at Leon, ready to strike at him. Leon pointed his gun forward, and was about to fire another flame orb from it. I need to get in quickly! Sora thought to himself, mustering energy into his feet to move faster. He saw Leon charge up the attack, and he bounded forward. The moment he unleashed the fireball, Sora raised his Keyblade, and struck the fireball just as it came out of the barrel. Philia gasped as Leon looked surprised at the reckless attack. The fireball came right back at the gunblade, and exploded in front of the boys' faces.

Philia shielded herself from the explosion, then unfurled her arm to see Sora and Leon backed away from one another. Sora was panting heavily, and was clearly singed by the attack, but both were in their fighting stances. Suddenly, Leon stumbled and fell on one knee. "No way…I can lose…" Leon moaned, feeling the battle take his tole on him. "I don't believe it…!" Philia gasped, amazed at how much Sora did to him. She was now more impressed at Sora's skills than before, especially his tenacity.

Sora straightened himself up, stumbling a bit. "Now, you're…gonna…you're gonna…" Sora stammered, trying to hold on. Suddenly, he fell backwards, and went unconscious. The battle took its' tole on Sora, too, only he couldn't go on any more.

"Sora!" Philia cried, racing past Leon as he got on his feet again, regaining his strength. Philia knelt down to Sora's side, feeling his neck. She felt his pulse, and knew he was okay. "He's alive…" she sighed, "But he's overly-exhausted. All this fighting today really did a number on his stamina."

"Aw, you're slipping, Leon." said Yuffie, coming down the steps to meet the group. "I went easy on him." Leon replied, confirming Philia's notice, "But it looks like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse."

"What do you mean?" Philia asked, turning to the two. "The fact that this boy has a Keyblade, someone inexperienced in fighting and saving the worlds from the Heartless, does not bode well for what is to come." Leon stated. Philia looked from the two to the unconscious Sora, worried. In the harsh reality of it all, he was right. Sora doesn't look like he has any experience with this stuff. He doesn't even know how to use magic, and the fact that he was able to fend off Leon like this was only because he went easy on him.

"Well, what should we do with him?" Yuffie asked Leon. "Take him back to the hotel." Leon answered, "We'll give him some answers, and explanations on what is to come." Leon walked over and picked up Sora's body.

He reached down to pick up the Keyblade, but Philia took it instead. "What are you…?" he started. "I think I'll hold onto the weapon for now." Philia answered, looking down at the weapon in her hands. Despite the size and strength of it, it was just as light as her dagger. With the Keyblade at hand, she followed Yuffie and Leon back to the hotels, waiting for Sora to wake up.

---

Chapter 4: Ansem & the Key

Donald & Goofy's Side:
Along the Alleyways of the hotel, the king's men kept searching about for any signs of people in the vicinity that fit Leon's description. However, there was nobody there. It almost seemed deserted.

"Hey, Mister Leon! Where are you?!" Goofy hollered, not receiving any reply in response. "This city is way too big." Donald moaned, "Come on! We'd better hurry up and find him!"

"Gawrsh, there's nobody here." Goofy pointed out with a shutter, "Sure is spooky!" "Aw, phooey." Donald huffed, "I'm not scared." However the moment he said this, he received a tap on his shoulder that caused him to leap into the air, landing on Goofy's back.

"Excuse me. Did the king send you?" asked a woman's voice. Donald and Goofy turned to see Aerith standing there, smiling slightly.

"Who are you?" Donald asked. "Don't worry." she answered, "I know your king. He sent you to find us, didn't he?" Donald and Goofy looked at each other, then nodded in unison.

"Come. I need to tell you a few things." Aerith told the two. "I'll lead you to my room." With that, Aerith led Donald and Goofy into her room.

---

Sora's Side: Green Room

Sora was completely out of it for a while. He started to regain consciousness again, and he moaned. "Come on, lazy bum." said a familiar voice, "Wake up." Sora opened his eyes, then he sat up, shaking his head. He turned to see none other than Kairi standing right next to the bed he was in.

"You okay?" Kairi asked. "I guess…" Sora muttered, nodding to Kairi. "Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade." Kairi explained to Sora, "But it's your heart they really want, because you wield the Keyblade."

Sora wasn't sure what to make of anything Kairi was telling him, what with him being out of it. Still, the one thing was on his mind, and said it out loud, "I'm so glad that you're okay, Kairi."

"Kairi? Who are you talking about?" Kairi asked, her voice suddenly changing, "I'm the great ninja Yuffie." "Huh?" Sora said confused, and he rubbed his eyes, waking himself up a bit, then he blinked, and saw the girl, Yuffie, standing in front of him, looking at his face carefully. He looked about the small hotel room. It was elegent, and the walls were mainly that of a green color. Leon was leaning against the wall next to the door. Philia was walking up from behind Yuffie, a worried look coming across her face.

"I think you might've overdone it, Squall." Yuffie stated, turning to Leon. "Squall?" Philia questioned, wondering if that was a nickname. "That's Leon." the man responded with a glare. Philia knew the glare meant she shouldn't pry into what the name meant.

Sora then noticed his weapon in Philia's hand. "The Keyblade…" Sora muttered, seeing the weapon. "Oh, yeah. I picked it up for you." Philia responded, looking down at the weapon in her hand, "Leon and Yuffie told me to keep it away from you, so as to not attract the Heartless." "It turns out that's how they were tracking you." Yuffie explained. "It was the only way to conceal your heart from them." Leon added, "But it won't work for long."

Leon walked over and took the Keyblade out of Philia's hand as he continued, "Still hard to believe that you of all people are the chosen one." He whipped the Keyblade to one side, and Philia was shocked to see it disappear in a flash of light, only to reappear in the surprised Sora's hands once again. "How…?" she started. "That's how the Keyblade works." Yuffie answered simply, "Only can be wield by those it chooses."

"Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers." Leon sighed, walking up to Sora, who glared up at him. The battle against him still weighed on his mind, and so did everything he had said up to now. "Why don't you start making sense!" he ordered, "What's going on here?" Leon looked from Sora to Philia, knowing that some parts were gonna be new to her as well. Philia looked back, wondering what he might say to Sora and her.

---

Red Room

In the room next to the others, Aerith invited Donald and Goofy inside to explain everything to them. Aerith sat down on the bed, while the other two stood in front of her.

"Okay, you know there are many other worlds out there besides your castle and this town, right?" she asked. "Yeah." Donald answered. "But they're supposed to be a secret." Goofy added, covering his mouth as if muffling the fact.

"They've been secret because they've never been connected…until now." Aerith explained, "When the Heartless came, everything changed." She closed her eyes, reminded of what the monsters had done.

---

Green Room

"The Heartless?" Sora questioned. "Those creatures that attacked you and I in the Second District, remember?" Philia reminded him, sitting on the opposite side of Yuffie, between Sora. "Those without hearts." Leon explained.

"The darkness in people's hearts; that's what attracts them." Yuffie explained. "And there is darkness within every heart." Leon finished. "I'm still learning about them myself." Philia told Sora, "The ones that we've fought so far? They're not the only kind. There are countless other kinds of Heartless out there, in multiple worlds. Some are small-fries like the ones we fought, and others are much more powerful than the average one."

Sora had to contemplate all of this. The Heartless were attracted to not only those with darkness in their hearts, but also to the Keyblade, to which he carried. And the fact that there are other multiple worlds with their own set of Heartless was shocking, too.

"Hey, have you heard of someone named Ansem?" Yuffie asked Sora. "Ansem?" Sora and Philia echoed, both hearing the name for the first time.

---

Red Room

"Ansem?" Goofy questioned. "He was studying the Heartless." Aerith explained, "He recorded all of his findings in a very detailed report."

"Gawrsh, uh, can we see it?" Goofy asked. "It's pages are scattered everywhere." Aerith answered sadly. "Scattered?" Donald echoed in surprise. "To many worlds." Aerith responded.

"Oh, then maybe the king went to find 'em." Goofy believed. Donald nodded in agreement. "Yes. Those were my thoughts exactly." Aerith answered.

"We gotta find him quick!" Goofy suggested hurriedly. "Wait!" Donald squawked, "First, we need that 'key'!" "That's right. The Keyblade." Aerith responded.

---

Green Room

"So, this is the key?" Sora realized, holding his Keyblade aloft. "Exactly!" Yuffie answered him. "The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade." Leon explained, with Philia hearing this a second time, "That's why they'll keep coming after you, no matter what."

"Well, I didn't ask for this." Sora said in a disgruntle manner. He did not like the fact that he basically had a target on his back thanks to this weapon. "The Keyblade chooses its' master. And it chose you." "So tough luck." Leon finished, walking away and leaning his back on the wall.

"Well excuse me if I'm the only one here who will sympathize with Sora's situation." Philia huffed at the two, "Seriously, Aerith is the only other person here who actually cares." "We feel sympathy." Yuffie retorted, "We just know that things like this happen, and there is no way we could've avoided it." Philia didn't think of that as a sound response.

"How did all this happen?" Sora asked, confused, "I remember being in my room…" He thought for a few seconds, then he gasped and jumped onto his feet, "Wait a minute! What happened to my home? My island? Riku! Kairi!"

"You know what? I really don't know." Leon answered, "I have no idea what happened to your home, or Philia's." Sora looked to Philia, who looked down in concern. "I don't even know what my home is." she repeated, "I can't remember anything at all, remember?"

"You remember you're a treasure hunter." Yuffie stated, "You just discovered that about yourself, right?" "Really?" Leon asked, turning to Philia. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I remember the skills behind it." Philia answered, "I mean, I did open that one treasure chest before with the tools I have on me, and I can fight Heartless, but that's all. Nothing else about myself."

"Well, Sora will have it easier opening chests than you." Yuffie stated, looking to Sora, "His Keyblade can unlock any lock, no matter what it is." "Really?" Sora asked, amazed. "Sure! That weapon design isn't just for show." Yuffie answered, "If you find any locked chests or doors, you can just use your Keyblade to open them!" "Woah…" Sora gasped, looking at the Keyblade in amazement.

"Sora, you'd better prepare yourself." Leon told Sora, "The Heartless will come and find you, so prepare for the fight of your life." Everyone looked to Sora, who looked down, thinking. Finally, he answered, "I didn't ask to do any fighting like this, but if it means finding my island again, then I'm ready to go!" Yuffie and Philia both looked happy at Sora's resolve.

"Okay, then." Leon stated, lifting himself off the wall, "Yuffie, let's go join Aerith. She should be there by now with the other visitors." "Visitors?" Philia questioned, "Oh! You mean those men the king sent, right?" Leon nodded in answer.

Suddenly, Philia felt something, and she pulled out her dagger. "Look out!" she called just as a Soldier Heartless popped into existence. "Yuffie, go!" Leon shouted to his comrade just as he pulled out his gunblade. Philia raced to the Red Room door just as Donald reached it on the other side. He got smashed into the wall as Yuffie flung the door open, surprising Aerith.

"Sora, Philia, let's go!" Leon ordered the two, and with one swipe, he sent the Heartless shattering through the window. He leapt out of the balcony outside, followed by Philia and Sora. Goofy opened the door to reveal Donald smashed into the wall, dazed.

In the Alleyway, Leon and Philia took out a pair of Soldier Heartless, with more coming their way, along with the Shadow Heartless. "Don't bother with the small fry." Leon told Sora and Philia, "Find the leader!" He ran past some Heartless, drawing their attention to him as they raced after him.

Sora and Philia stood back to back with one another, surrounded by the Heartless. "Despite what he said, we should at least take out some." Philia told Sora, "The less there are, the better." "Right!" he answered, and the two engaged in combat with the Heartless.

The Soldier kept appearing in the alleyway and on the balconies in the hotel. Sora was good at jumping to reach the balcony and fight them off. Philia was able to get there easier, thanks to Yuffie's training. The Heartless weren't exactly tough, and were great experience. Plus, they manage to find a few things scattered about the area, like synthesizing material, potions and even postcards.

"Hurry! We'd better head to the other Districts to take down more Heartless!" Philia ordered to Sora. "Right behind you!" Sora answered, and the two took off to the Second District, taking on more and more Heartless that appeared.

In the midst of the fighting, they bumped into Aerith as she cleared some Heartless herself. "I heard the news from Leon and Yuffie." she said as she looked to Sora, "So you're the Keyblade's chosen one. You'd best be careful out there." "Don't worry." Sora answered, "I'll take care of myself."

"Where's everyone else?" Philia asked. "Leon and Yuffie are clearing up all the remains in the First District." Aerith answered, "The king's men went to the Third District, but I don't know how long they'll last without support."

"We can help them!" Sora decided, "Where's the Third District?" "I'll show you." Philia answered, "Come on!" She led Sora as they made their way through the back alley to the Third District.

Meanwhile, in the said District, Donald and Goofy slipped down to one of the balconies of one of the houses, looking for any info on where the 'key' might be. Goofy heard pattering feet down below, and he raced to the ledge to see a boy and a girl race out of the alley of the Second District into the central square of the Third. He then heard something, and turned to see a Soldier Heartless appear out of nowhere, ready to fight.

Goofy magically produced his shield as he asked, "Gawrsh, are these the Heartless guys?" Donald produced his wand, not even hesitating at the sight of them. "Let's go get 'em, Goofy!" he declared, and he charged in at the Heartless.

It took about maybe three seconds after this moment before Sora and Philia heard to screaming voices fly from one of the balconies. They turned in time to see the two fly out, falling towards their exact location. "Oh, no!" Philia cried out as she and Sora attempted to run away from the landing spot.

There was a crash as all four people hit the ground. Sora was on the bottom, his Keyblade out in front of him. Philia was right next to him, and Donald Goofy were piled on top of the two. Sora and Philia moaned in pain while Donald and Goofy were seeing stars. "Who landed on top of us?" Sora asked. "Clearly, my next victims." Philia answered, blushing in humiliation from the awkward position the dog of the two put himself in on top of her.

When the stars faded from Donald and Goofy, they looked at who they landed on, and at the weapon in Sora's hands. "The key!" they cried out in unison, beaming with joy. They had finally found it.

Suddenly, the pile of characters heard and felt rumbling, and they looked about. Rectangular pillars started appearing all about, blocking the access ways to the Second and First District. Heartless popped out after they appeared, ready to fight the bearer of the Keyblade.

"Get off!" Philia barked as she shoved Donald and Goofy off of her and Sora. They both got up and readied their weapons, followed by Donald and Goofy, both ready to fight. Regardless of how things started between the four, they knew one thing; In order to beat these Heartless, they needed to quickly work together.

---

Chapter 5: The Guard Armor Heartless

The four of them charged in at the multitude of Soldier Heartless, each of them doing their own thing to defeat them. Sora started smacking them away with his Keyblade, while Goofy was providing defensive support for the ones behind him until he was able to take care of them.

Meanwhile, Philia was giving Donald frontal support, since he specialized in magic. He was great with the Fire spell, much more so than Philia. However, he wasn't as experienced in close quarters combat as Philia, so she had to take it from there. It didn't take very long for the crew to defeat the enemies about.

"There, that should do it." Sora sighed, placing his Keyblade away. "But the walls haven't come down." Goofy noticed. Just then, the crew heard clanking from above, and they all turned, looked up, and were shocked.

A set of large armor pieces fell from above, all white, blue, red and yellow. The leggings hit the ground, bounced up to the main armor pieces, and converged underneath it, making the armor float. A pair of gauntlets floated right on either side of the armor. Although not connected, they all fit perfectly as its' feet fell to the ground. The helmet landed on top of the main armor, then hover on its' own, completing the set.

"What the Donald?!" Donald gasped, wide-eyed. "That's a huge Heartless!" Goofy hollared, seeing the Heartless emblem on the chest. "Not again…!" Sora moaned, finding himself against another huge monster.

Philia recognized the look of the Heartless from the book given to her. She remembered reading about the Soldier Heartless, and remembering a higher grade Heartless that controlled them. "If I remember correctly…that's the Guard Armor!" she recalled.

"You know it?" Sora asked, hoping for info. "Yes. It's among some of the stronger Heartless out there." Philia explained, "It's arms and legs are separated from the body, but they all act as one." "That's all you know?" Sora asked. Philia sighed and nodded. It wasn't much, but it was gonna work.

"Watch out!" Goofy hollared, and he blocked a clawed fist that came at the two with his shield, making him skid back. "Let's stop yammerin', and start hammerin'!" Donald squawked angrily, racing forward and smacking the Heartless in the chest, but it did very little to it. It flicked off Donald, making him topple to one side.

"Sora, let's start attacking the arms and legs!" Philia ordered. "Roger that!" Sora answered, and the two raced at the Heartless. The Guard Armor stomped towards the two, creating shockwaves with its' feet. The two split up, avoiding the shockwaves it created. Sora then slashed the legs of the Heartless, while Philia leapt up, slashing at the gauntlet. The Heartless retaliated by spinning its' arms around, slashing at the two and sending them flying.

Philia was up first, still ready to go. The Energy Bangle equipped to her was really helpful. Unfortunately, Sora only had a Protect Chain, and the attack did a number on him. "Sora!" Philia shouted, tossing a potion high into the air, arcing over to Sora. He caught it, and downed the drink, knowing what it was. He felt his stamina replenish. "Thank you!" Sora replied. Donald and Goofy were also ready to go. The four charged in from four different directions, continuing the fight.

The Heartless was a formidable and powerful opponent, utilizing its' size and weight to its' advantage. It was capable of controlling the arms and legs to do separate attacks; the gauntlets either punched forward or spun around its' body like a buzzsaw, and its legs merely stomped about, creating shockwaves. At one point, it even jumped into the air, angling itself towards Sora and Goofy's position, then slamming down towards the spot. Fortunately, the two panicked and scattered before it crushed them.

"Guys, keep hitting the limbs!" Philia shouted, "Forget about the body for a second!" Sora saw Philia slash at the feet, but fail to see the Heartless raise a fist at her. "Watch out!" Sora shouted, racing towards her. Philia looked to Sora, who came right next to her, using the swing of his Keyblade to not only stop the fist, but repel it to the head. It became dazed, and its' body parts collapsed to the ground. "Thanks!" Philia thanks Sora gratefully. "No prob." Sora answered, "Now, let's beat it while it is down!"

Sora, Philia, Donald and Goofy all started targeting the limbs of the Heartless, able to take down both of its' legs and one of its' gauntlets before it got back up again. "Shoot! That was so close!" Sora moaned, seeing it ready to fight.

Philia was right next to Goofy, looking to the shield, then at the position of the remaining gauntlet on the Guard Armor. "Hey, you there." Philia called to Goofy, "Hold the shield above your head. Make sure it is flat." "Uh, okay." Goofy answered.

Philia backed away, making sure there was a straight path between her, Goofy and the Heartless. She then took a run, making her dagger glow yellow-green, then she leapt up, using Goofy's shield as a springboard, getting right to the gauntlet. The Heartless saw her, raising the fist to attack. "Take this!" she shouted, unleashing her Armor Pierce Dagger Skill. It connected with the swung fist, stabbing right through the metal fingers.

The attack from the Heartless caused Philia to go flying into one of the raised walls, crashing into it with enough force to make a crater. "Philia!" Sora shouted, worried. The Guard Armor recoiled its' fist, watching it as it shattered and broke. The limbs were gone.

Philia slid to the ground, moaning in pain. Sora saw that she was alive, and sighed in relief. He then turned at the sound of the other two companions, and saw the Heartless come spinning like a top at the two as they ran. Fueled with anger from the attack done to Philia, along with the protection of his allies, Sora charged in, passing Donald and Goofy as he did so.

He grasped his Keyblade tightly as he attempted to stop the attack with his Keyblade by pressing the side of the blade against the spinning Heartless. Sparks could be seen as he tried to stop it, and his feet were digging into the ground as he was being pushed back by the Heartless. "Sora!" Philia shouted as she, Donald and Goofy witnessed this reckless move. "Back…you…go!" Sora grunted, pushing the Guard Armor with all of his might. Then with one final push, he stopped the spinning Heartless, making it dazed.

Sora roared as he charged in. Donald and Goofy looked at each other, then joined Sora in the attack. Philia got to her feet, and stumbled towards the Heartless. Sora smacked the Heartless, which made him bounce away from it. Donald and Goofy then joined in, hitting the Heartless as hard as he could. They bounced off as Philia leapt in, stabbing the Heartless with all her might. "Sora, now!" she shouted. Sora bounded back into the battle, and did a jumping uppercut slash that struck the Heartless right up the middle.

Everyone backed off as the Heartless shook violently, attempting to hold on. The helmet toppled over, falling to the ground, followed by the rest of the body. Suddenly, what looked like a crystalized heart flew out of the hole in the Guard Armor's body, flying into the sky, then disappearing. With the heart gone, the Heartless' body vanished, disappeared in a sparkling of lights.

"We did it!" Goofy cheered, raising his shield. "Hooray!" Donald followed, hopping up and down in joy. Sora and Philia were less energetic as the two, but they looked at each other, sighing in relief, but smiling at their accomplishment. They had won the fight.

The walls around them suddenly sunk back into the ground, returning the Third District back to normal. Philia then noticed a pair at the stairs. It was Yuffie and Leon, looking down at the four.

"Hey, guys!" Philia called to them, drawing the attention of the other heroes, "How long have you guys been there?" "Since you started the fight against that giant Heartless!" Yuffie answered.

Philia was stupefied, then she demanded, "And you didn't bother to come down and help us?!" "Leon wanted to see you guys work together to defeat that thing!" Yuffie explained, while Leon walked down the steps towards the group, "Not bad taking it down! Leon may not look it, but he's impressed, too!"

Sora looked up at the two descending, then he stepped on something. It looked like a ring, with a spear-shaped emblem on it, although it looked more like a pointing arrow. He picked it up, examining it. "What is this?" he asked, examining the ring, "Did that Heartless drop it?"

He placed it on his finger, and felt a surge of energy come from it into his body. He felt slightly stronger, and his stamina seemed to be better than ever. "Woah!" he gasped, looking at his body, feeling the new power. "That's the Brave Warrior." Leon explained, getting Sora's attention, "It'll give you a stamina boost, as well as a bit of strength."

"So it's like my Energy Bangle." Philia compared. "Yep, but you have the defense, and he has the strength." Philia examined the bangle, then looked at Sora's ring. "These accessories really come in all forms." she stated, chuckling a bit.

---

Chapter 6: United! Departure and Magic

When everything was calm, Donald and Goofy explained to Sora that they were looking for the wielder of the 'key', which turned out to be the Keyblade Sora carried. "So, you were looking for me?" he asked, pointing at himself. Donald and Goofy nodded in response. "They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade." Leon explained, with Yuffie and Philia at his side.

"Hey, why don't you come with us?" Goofy suggested, "We can go to other worlds on our vessel." Sora looked down, thinking on the proposal. "I wonder if I could find Riku and Kairi?" he muttered, a solemn look on his face. "Of course." Donald promptly answered, getting Sora to look up, hopefully.

Goofy pulled him aside and asked, "Are you sure?" "Who knows?" Donald replied, pointing to Sora, "But we need him to come with us to help us find the king." "You know we can hear you." Philia called out to them, and she was right.

Leon stepped forward as he stated, "Sora, go with them. Especially if you want to find your friends." Sora looked to Leon, then down, worried about the consequences of the adventure.

Leon turned to Philia and added, "You go with them, too, Philia." "Me?" the girl in question asked, perplexed. "This might be your best chance to discover who you are." Leon explained, "You might even discover where you are from. Plus, they might need all the help they can get." He pointed to the other three when he said 'they'.

Philia looked down, thinking. It's true she thought the Keyblade might unlock her memories, but join these guys to go to other worlds? This was something she wasn't fully prepared for. Still, if it led to discovering more about herself, along with finishing off the Heartless for good, then who was she to not give it a shot?

"Well, I'll go if Sora goes along." Philia decided, turning to Sora, "What do you say?" "Sure, I guess." Sora sighed, not looking excited one bit.

"But you can't come along looking like that. Understand?" Donald told Sora, "No frowning. No sad face. Okay?" "Yeah, ya gotta look funny, like us!" Goofy added.

"What do you mean 'look funny'?" Philia questioned. "Nothing!" Donald squawked, shoving Goofy's face away from him, "This boat runs on happy faces."

"So just look happy?" Philia asked, "Well, okay. How about this?" She gave a happy grin, displaying it to the two. "Good." Donald responded, then everyone looked to Sora. He was too busy thinking about everything that he had to deal with. The Heartless. Riku and Kairi. Finding a king. This seemed a bit much for him. Nevertheless, he wanted to show the others that he was gonna join them.

Donald, Goofy and Philia all watched Sora hopefully. He lowered his face from view, and when he showed it, he gave off the most obviously fake smile ever, with crooked eyes as well. The trio looked at him, dumbfounded by the expression. Sora's face fell a bit, wondering if it was too much.

Donald and Goofy chortled at the sight of his face, while Philia chuckled happily. Since she came to this world, she had not laughed as heartily as she did now. "That's one funny face!" Goofy giggled. "I'll say!" Philia added through her laugh. Sora looked at the three, then began to laugh as well, replacing his former expression with a genuine smile. "Okay, why not? I'll go with you guys." he voiced his approval.

"Donald Duck." the duck introduced himself as he raised a hand. "The name's Goofy." the hound added, placing his hand on Donald's. "Nice to meet you. My name is Philia." the girl greeted, placing her hand onto Goofy's. "I'm Sora." the Keyblade wielder introduced himself, and he placed his hand onto their's. "All for one, and one for all." Goofy declared.

(Philia speaking) And that's how we all joined together for the incredible journey ahead. We were gonna face trials, and deal with all kinds of foes, but we felt we could overcome all kinds of battles if we were together. Little did we know that the enemy was already witnessing our actions as we speak…

---

Dark Room

On a table, a green, magical circle revealed the four heroes to a group of people masked in the dark. Although it was not seen, the sense of darkness and evil was clearly felt.
"That little squirt took down that Heartless! Who'd have thought it?" said a male voice, with blue flames slightly showing from his head. "Such is the power of the Keyblade." a second male voice explained, "The child's strength is not his own."

"Why don't we turn him into a Heartless?" a female voice proposed, "Haha! That'll settle things quick enough." "And the brat's friends are the king's lackeys." a third male voice pointed out in a piratey accent, "Swoggle me eyes, they're all bilge rats by the look of them." "You're no prize yourself." a fourth male voice chortled to the third. "Shut up!" the third voice barked, raising a hook to the other.

"Enough." boomed a second female voice, which had a sense of authority, "The Keyblade has chosen him. Will it be he who conquers the darkness? Or will the darkness swallow him? Either way, he could be quite useful." Her face was visible through the darkness. A pale-skinned woman with sharp, yellow eyes, carrying a staff with a green orb. This woman's name was Maleficent.

---

Traverse Town: Red Room

Philia had packed up everything she needed into the special pouch given to her by Yuffie, which was able to contain all that she gathered. She placed potions, ethers, materials, and such into the satchel, along with the book about the Heartless, just for something to read about.

"You really are leaving, aren't you?" Aerith asked, sitting at the bed. "I hope to come back and visit again." Philia replied, "But…if I'm going to find out who I am, and where I came from, what better way to do it than to join Sora and those guys."

"Well, I won't stop you." Aerith replied, standing up, "I really wish the best for you, out there. But if you need to place to call home, you are always welcome back here." "Thanks, Aerith." Philia thanked her. The two embraced one another, saying goodbye. The two really did become close to one another during the last few days.

Philia and Aerith exited the hotel, joining up with Sora, Donald and Goofy in the First District. The trio were preparing themselves for the journey, with help from Yuffie and Leon. Once Philia joined them, Leon and Yuffie said their farewells to her.

"Good luck!" Yuffie told the group. "I hope you find your friends." Aerith told Sora. "Look out for each other." Leon told the team, "Keep your spirits up." Sora and Philia nodded in response to this. With the final message sent, the trio left the heroes alone in the central plaza.

"Looks like we're all set!" Sora stated, "Let's go!"

Before they left, Philia requested that she and Sora should drop off the postcards they have gathered so far into the mailbox. Sora agreed, and they dropped them in. The prizes they got out were a Mega-Potion, a Mega-Ether, a Mythril, and an Elixir. Philia placed them in the special pouch, deciding to be the carrier of the supplies.

"So where is this 'vessel' of yours?" Philia asked Goofy. "Oh, our gummi ship is actually floatin' above us." Goofy answered, pulling back his sleeve to show a watch of some kind, "All we have to do is use this to bring us up there again."

"The 'gummi ship'?" Sora questioned. "That's our ship." Donald answered. "Wait 'til you see it!" Goofy said happily. "I wonder what it looks like?" Philia asked.

"Now, hold on!" Donald halted, "Sora, this is for you." Donald held up a small ball of light, giving it to Sora. He took it, confused, then felt something warm from it. "It feels…kinda hot." Sora noticed. "That's a magic orb." Philia noticed, "Aerith gave one to me. With it, you can cast magic." "Woah, really?!" Sora gasped, amazed, then he thought, Guess going to Merlin's house wouldn't be such a bad idea now.

The orb floated and entered into Sora. "That's the power of fire." Donald stated, "You can now use the Fire spell." "Hey, just like me." Philia compared. "There are all kinds of magic out there." Donald told Sora, "Just say the name of what move you want to use, and it'll produce itself." "I usually use my weapon or hand to unleash the spell." Philia explained, "My dagger give me better accuracy, but you never know."

"What you should know is that magic is limited." Donald explained, "If your magic is low, fighting enemies or using ether and such will replenish your magic energy." "Got it…I think." Sora understood slightly. "You'll get use to it." Philia assured him.

"Well, I see big adventures coming their way!" said a voice down below. Sora and Philia looked down and were shocked to see a small bug with a tuxedo, top hat and umbrella near them. "What in the…?" Philia gasped. "Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket." the bug introduced himself, "Looks like it's up to me to keep track of all the adventures in my journal!"

He hopped onto Sora's shoulder with surprising ease, then asked, "If you don't mind, I'll settle myself in your pocket, writin' every bit of detail down. I'll also help you on analyzing certain things, such as materials, accessories, and even other kinds of Keyblades."

"There are other kinds?" Sora asked. "Sure. From the king's notes he left for me, Keyblades come in all shapes and sizes." Jiminy explained, "I'll do the best to see what they are."

"Well, I don't know much about those kinds of things." Philia stated, "But I do have a book on Heartless. I'll memorize as many as I can, and detail it to everyone. I might even add some notes to it if there isn't enough info." "Good!" Donald understood, "Then I'll analyze the magic we find!"

"Let's head out!" Sora declared, "Goofy, send us to your ship!" "You got it!" Goofy answered, tapping on the device. There was a glowing green light, and the four suddenly teleported away.

When they arrived, they found themselves in the inside of the ship. Sora and Philia were amazed as they stared about, recognizing them being in the bridge of the ship. "This is the Kingdom." Goofy told the two, "This is where we control the ship. The engineering room, kitchen and bathrooms are through the door behind us." The two turned to where the door was.

"Here is the controls." Donald explained, settling down at the steering wheel of the ship, "I'll drive us outta here!" Goofy got into the side seat, while Sora and Philia took the back seats. "So this is how we're gonna travel, huh?" Sora noted, looking about, "Well, compared to the raft, it sure is spectacular." "I'm hoping we'll find places that haven't been ravaged by the Heartless." Philia prayed.

"Blast off!" Donald declared, and with several presses of the the buttons, he launched the gummi ship into space. Sora and Philia looked about into the endless space, then at one another. For each of them, this was going to be an adventure of a lifetime.

---

Whoo! A long episode, this one is. How do you like it so far? The team is assembled, and it is time to explore worlds!

Just as a plug out to anyone who enjoys Pokemon & RWBY; my buddy of mine, Coral the Leviathan, created a story called 'A Trainer in Remnant' and a sequel called 'Huntsmen in Kalos'. These stories are fun, in my case, and I recommend having you guys read them, too. In fact, the 'Huntsmen in Kalos' features an OC of mine in it! Go support her work.

As for this story, leave a review, tell your friends, and be patient for the next episode!

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Next Time on SAK: HO

Donald: We aren't suppose to interefere with the world order!

Sora: But that person's giving that girl an unfair trial!

Philia: It looks like Heartless are involved with this. We might need to make an acception.

Sora: I totally agree. Let's save that girl!

Goofy: Gawrsh, we better do somethin', or she'll be locked away in that birdcage!

Donald: What did I just say before?!

On the next 'Sword Art Kingdom: Heart's Origin'

Wonderland! The Queen of Stolen Hearts!

Philia & Sora: Let's go chart our next adventure!