When Ray opened his eyes, he found himself lying at the top of Diamondhead Tower. He sat up and looked around in a daze, trying to remember how he got here. Right, he got beat by some goth dude with a sword...
Ray's eyes lit up as he noticed Gwen sleeping by him, still as neat and tidy as usual. No dark skies...no weird shadow creatures...no dumb key thing. Dawnshine City wasn't engulfed in a storm after all. It was all just one big nightmare.
"Right...it was just a dream." He said with a relieved sigh.
He looked at Gwen's face as she slept, and gently moved some hair off her face. She was almost like a doll, with her frilly dress and angelic smile. It wasn't often Ray got to see her sleeping like this, so he treasured it when he could. He smiled, thinking about how often he could since their relationship was now official.
"Such wishful thinking will get you nowhere." The mysterious man said from behind.
Ray blinked...and Gwen wasn't there anymore. None of that had been a dream after all...He scowled and stood up, turning to the regal figure who had been helping him up until now. He remembered the Black Swordsman saying something about a Royal Key...the Keyblade.
"Why is this happening?" He demanded, summoning the thing. "That guy called this the Royal Key. What even is this, and why do I have it?"
"Calm yourself, child." The man said formally. "Since I have the time, I will tell you what is going on. The darkness, the Heartless, are threatening to engulf the galaxy. Your world wasn't the first to be taken, and it will not be the last. Somewhere out there, there is a person, or even multiple people, foolishly messing with the dark side."
"Let me guess...the Keyblade is supposed to do something about that?"
"That is correct. In every world, there is a Keyhole that leads to the source of their light. If you can seal them before the Heartless find them, you can repel the darkness for a while longer. That is what Keyblades do, Ray. They can open and lock any door, provided that there aren't protections in place."
Ray looked at the gold stick skeptically. This thing could do all of that? Even when it looked so...weird?
"Are you sure this key will even work? What even is it, anyway?"
"Even in its current state, sealing the Keyholes will not be a problem." The regal man assured with a slight smile. "What you hold is Excalibur, the Royal Key of Light. The weapon once held by me, the King of Camelot. Now, it is yours to wield."
"King of Camelot...Wait, now that I think about it...who exactly are you? Why are you giving this to me?"
For a bit, the King had a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was remembering things from the past. Then he blinked and turned around.
"You will get the rest of your answers soon enough. Right now, you need to wake up."
Then he disappeared, and the world around Ray faded into white.
...
As Ray stirred from his slumber, he could hear people talking around him. One he was able to recognize, the annoying pink-haired chick. Liz, he recalled.
"I still can't believe THIS GUY is our only hope! I mean, he can't even use the Royal Key right!"
"Oh hush Liz, he can't be that bad...right?" Silica said uncertainly.
"He got his ass kicked by Kirito, didn't he?"
"I don't think that's a fair point of judgement."
Then the Black Swordsman spoke up, cutting off the conversation.
"Look, he's waking up. Hey blondie, can you hear us?"
Ray slowly opened his eyes and sat up, looking around as he got his bearings. He was on a really soft bed, in a rather fancy-looking home, and he was surrounded by girls. He saw Liz and her blonde friend sitting on one side of the bed, with the former giving him a frown. Silica was on the other side, looking relieved to see him awake. Then there was the Black Swordsman standing at the door with his arms crossed.
Naturally, Ray was quite confused and apprehensive of this situation, so he scowled and hopped off the bed. Only to take a tumble and fall on his face. Liz sighed and shook her head at him.
"See, I told you. Why did that key choose him?" She remarked.
"Shut up!" Ray snapped, getting back up. "Where the hell am I? Who are you people, and why did you bring me here?"
"Settle down, and we can tell you everything." The Black Swordsman said in a low tone. "You just need to tell us what you know about that Royal Key."
Ray summoned the Keyblade and held it up, looking rather skeptical.
"That again...The old man who gave me this...he said it was called Excalibur?"
Everyone shared a look, then the blonde girl started speaking.
"You said an old man? Do you know who he is?"
"He just called himself the King of Camelot. Do you know about that?"
The Black Swordsman nodded. "Yep...that confirms it. Ray...that's your name, right? I hope you've realized what kind of mess you're in now."
Ray sighed, thinking about all of the monsters he tried and failed to fight up to now, and the task the king had given him.
"Yeah...I have to fight these Heartless things and save the worlds, don't I?"
"Right. The problem though...you have no idea how to use that thing. It's wasted on a punk like you, frankly."
The black-garbed guy walked over and held out a hand. Ray looked at it, then raised an eyebrow.
"What, do you want a handshake?" He asked.
"Give me that key." The other guy demanded.
"Just hand it over Ray, it's alright." The King pitched in.
The blonde hesitated, then sighed in defeat and gave it to the Black Swordsman, who proceded to try swinging it. Almost immediately, it disappeared and turned back up in Ray's hand, much to his surprise.
"Looks like it's yours after all." The swordsman said with a headshake. "But still...why you of all people?"
"Ask the old man, not me." Ray said with a shrug. "I don't quite know myself. But if it means I can find Gwen, then I have no choice but to use this thing."
"You're thinking with the wrong head, you know that?" Liz said in disbelief. "You can't just go around swinging that weapon like an idiot. Oh right, now that I'm at it, why the heck does it look like that?"
Ray looked at the odd state of the Keyblade. True...it didn't really look...well, like a key. In fact, it was like it was...incomplete.
"How am I supposed to know?" He said with a frown. "Whatever, enough with your questions, answer mine. Who are you, and why am I here?"
Silica cleared her throat before finally speaking. "Um...well, do you recall when I said I was a part of the Safety Committee? Well, here they are. I'm sorry you had to meet them like this."
"My name's Kirito." The Black Swordsman said. "And yeah, sorry for the punch."
Liz snickered. "You should see the bruise on your face."
"Can it." Ray muttered. "Liz, right? I really don't appreciate being dragged against my will."
"Well it was for your own good." The blonde girl pointed out. "The name's Leafa, by the way."
"And along with Klein, Agil, and some others, we're the Wayfarer Safety Committee." Kirito concluded. "Five years ago, our world was lost to the Heartless, and we ended up here in the Safe Zone. For the past year, we've made our mark here and kept things running smoothly. That brings us to why you're here."
"A few months ago, the Heartless showed up here in great numbers." Silica continued, looking sullen. "There were too many to deal with, so we were forced to retreat to the First District. We've had to make do with limited supplies, and it's been hard on everyone. Kirito and the others have been trying to clear out the other areas, but they haven't made much headway."
Leafa sighed and put a hand on her forehead. "Yep, the most we can do is keep the Heartless away from the First District. And their numbers started spiking suddenly the other day. That was when we knew something big was coming up."
Kirito pointed at Ray. "Then you arrived in the Safe Zone, the bearer of the Royal Key Excalibur. You have the power to stop the darkness from consuming the worlds. This one included."
Ray frowned as he realized what they needed him to do. Dammit...if they wanted that...
"Then why the hell didn't you just ask me? You didn't need to humiliate me in front of a bunch of people!"
Kirito shrugged and went to the door. "You're the one who picked the fight, not me. So, are you going to help us or not?"
"Hmph, you know I have to do this. This is the only way I'm going to be able to save Gwen."
"Then we are in agreement. Come on, let's meet up with the others outside. We can go over the plan with them."
"Finally, we can end this!" Liz said in relief, getting off the bed.
"I can't really fight, so I'll just be going back to the First District." Silica said with worry. "Be careful, everyone."
The Safety Committee left the building, and Ray followed them after a bit of hesitation. He had an odd feeling about this plan...
...
The Fourth District was a complex of luxury buildings, with rivers of sparkling water flowing and crossing throughout. Dozens of lamps hanging from the buildings provided a soft orange light all around. In a way, it reminded Ray of Dawnshine City...which wasn't a pleasant thought.
After navigating a few paths and walking across a bridge, the group arrived at the gate to the Second District. There, two more girls awaited them.
The first had short light-blue hair. She sported a set of cat ears and a tail, and was dressed rather light in a set of leather armor over a cotton top and short skirt. She kept an arrow notched on her longbow, even as she turned to everyone and nodded.
"You finally made it." She said in a cool tone, looking at Ray. "You better not be as disappointing as Kirito said."
Ray sighed in disbelief, but kept his mouth shut this time. Talking back wouldn't help him at all.
The second girl stepped up, giving him a confident smile. Her chestnut hair fell to her back, looking nice with her knee-length red-white patterned dress. At her waist was a rapier, which she kept a hand on.
"I'm sure you'll do fine." She assured. "My name's Asuna, and that's Sinon. It's nice to meet you, keybearer!"
At the moment, Ray just realized something. All of Kirito's friends...He frowned and looked at him skeptically.
"Why the hell are they all girls?" He asked. "Are you a pimp or something?"
"I've been asking that for a long time." Liz said with headshake.
"N-nevermind that." Kirito coughed, looking at Sinon. "Sinon, where are those two newcomers?"
The catgirl frowned and gestured to the gate. "Knuckles got impatient, and Tails went after him. They're probably in the Fifth District by now."
"Why the Fifth District?" Ray wondered.
Kirito sighed and drew his sword. "It's where the Black Iron Palace is, and we think the Keyhole is in there."
"Heartless activity has been especially high in that area." Sinon added. "It's likely that we'll have to fight the leader. It's not going to be easy."
"And that's where your job is. Ray, you're going to do what you do best. Rush in there and be bait, and lead the Heartless into an ambush from us."
Ray gawked at them, hardly believing what he heard. Bait...Bait!?
"You don't trust me to handle it myself!?" He exclaimed. "I'm no more than a meatshield!?"
Liz snickered. "Yes, exactly!"
"Hush Liz." Asuna chastised. "This isn't something to make light of."
"Still, it is true." Leafa admitted. "If you did have a handle on that Keyblade, we would have made you a frontliner like us. But right now, you're too weak to fight anything more than a Shadow."
"She's not wrong." The King said in a matter-of-fact way.
"Fine fine..." Ray relented. "Let's just go already..."
"Sorry about this..." Silica said with sympathy. "I'll have a cake ready for you when you get back, alright?"
The group had barely stepped out when the knight Heartless appeared in dozens. Everyone got their weapons ready, and Kirito started giving commands.
"Leafa, Lizbeth, get Silica to the First District!"
"You better bring me good stuff later!" Liz shouted as she started to the left.
"Good luck, Brother!" Leafa yelled as she helped clear the way.
Silica gave a quick bow before hurrying after them. Kirito and Asuna darted right, slicing and stabbing some Heartless in their path. Sinon followed, picking off some Heartless with quick shots of her bow.
"This way, we don't have time to lose!" Kirito shouted to Ray.
Ray nodded and ran after them, using a couple of Fires to keep the knights away.
...
The Fifth District was an open courtyard. Roses were planted in extending rings, starting from the center where a fountain was placed. At the end of the courtyard, there was a magnificent palace made of obsidian metal, only able to be seen in the night because of the shining crystals on its corner pillars.
Inside the palace was a throne room, with a white carpet running over a black-tiled floor towards the massive iron throne at the end. Sitting there was a giant statue of a fat dog that held an axe and a shield. At its feet, Tails and Knuckles had been fighting Heartless. There was only one left, as the rest of the bunch had been destroyed earlier.
Tails did a Spin Dash and swept the knight off its feet, and Knuckles leaped on it for the finishing strike to its head. The Heartless turned to dust, and that was the end of the battle. Tails sighed in relief and sat on the floor, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"We actually did it." He said wearily. "You're lucky your idea didn't go bad, Knuckles."
The echidna scoffed and crossed his arms. "Hey, I can be smart too, ya know? Now the Keybearer will be free to lock the Keyhole, and then we can take him with us."
Tails got a shiver down his back, and he looked around warily. There wasn't anything else here, but...
"Knuckles...do you feel like we're being watched?"
Knuckles raised an eyebrow and looked from side-to-side. There did seem to be something here, but what was it? Slowly, his gaze went up...to the statue on the throne. The dog was looking down at them...but it wasn't like that a minute ago.
Then there was a scratching noise as it shuddered. Its body turned from grey stone to purple-red fur, and its axe and shield became gleaming silver. Its yellow eyes flashed as it stood on its canine legs and bellowed with ferocity.
Tails shot up with a scream and made a break for it, his tails turning frantically as he shot towards the entrance. Knuckles hesitated before speeding after him. The Heartless crouched before making a great leap over the boys, landing with a heavy thump and blocking them halfway to the entrance.
It swept its axe, ready to cleave them in two. Knuckles stepped up to block it with his claws, but only succeeded in getting pushed back into Tails. They both shouted as they fell backwards, with the echidna on top. Then Tails watched in fright as the Heartless stomped over to them.
"This is all your fault Knuckles!" He shouted in a panic.
Knuckles growled and stood up. "Complain to me later! We have to give this thing everything we got!"
He quickly grabbed the fox and leaped away as the giant creature swung its axe down, busting the floor where they had been.
...
Upon entering the Fifth District, Ray's group heard a faint 'boom' from a black palace up ahead. Sinon's ears ticked, and she sighed in disbelief.
"Yep, they're in trouble." She said. "They may have ran into the boss already."
When they reached the palace, they were met with the sight of a huge wolfish monster swinging an axe at...a fox and a dog wearing sneakers? Ray shook his head and blinked, but there they were literally gliding around the Heartless. Did that fox have two tails?
"Why am I even surprised anymore?" He muttered.
Then he noticed that Kirito, Asuna, and Sinon were no longer with him. The blonde groaned at the disappearing act, already knowing what he needed to do. It was his death wish...Agil was right. But for Gwen, Ray would do anything.
So after getting himself pumped up, he ran straight in and aimed his Keyblade at the boss.
"Hey, big guy! I'm the one you want!" He shouted.
He cast a Fire spell, which struck the Heartless square in the back and made it stop. Then it turned to Ray and looked at Excalibur, its eyes gleaming menacingly. Then it leaped toward him, and that was when he knew to run away. The Heartless crashed its axe right behind him, and the resulting shockwave made him tumble forward, but luckily out the gate.
Ray rolled away as the monster lunged for him again, narrowly avoiding getting crushed under its feet. Then he was grabbed before he could get up. As he was raised to its opening maw, Kirito and Asuna came leaping off the palace wall for a cross-strike to the back of the head. It roared in pain and dropped Ray, who coughed as his back hit the ground.
As the Heartless recovered from the sneak attack, Kirito and Asuna split up and blitzed its legs. At the same time, Sinon provided support from above with a trio of arrows that stuck in its back. It stumbled, then let out a howl of fury as it swept its axe around, forcing Kirito and Asuna to jump back. Ray scrambled away as the sharp blades narrowly missed him and shaved a bit of his hair off.
Sinon fired another arrow at the monster's head, but it raised its shield in defense. Then right after it leaped to the top of the wall and swung down on her, which made her dive over the edge. She rolled upon landing on the ground, then regrouped with everyone else. Behind her, the fox and the dog came running to join the party, their eyes on Ray and the key.
"Finally, we found you!" The fox said with relief. "I'm Tails, and that's Knuckles!"
Ray frowned at him. "I'm Ray, but why were you looking for-"
They were interrupted by a powerful roar from the monster on the wall. Suddenly, a multitude of knight Heartless appeared out of thin air and surrounded everyone.
"You three go ahead!" Kirito shouted, going on the offensive. "We'll clear a path and take care of the small fry!"
"Ray, you better seal that Keyhole." Sinon said as she dodged a few swords. "And you two keep the boss away from him!"
"Good luck!" Asuna chirped as she stabbed a couple of Heartless.
Working in tandem, the three advanced and slew the knights blocking the entrance. Once the opening was made, Ray ran into the palace, with Tails and Knuckles right behind him. They made it halfway to the throne before the boss came crashing through the ceiling, blocking their path.
With a mighty roar, the Heartless swung its axe down on the keybearer, who raised Excalibur in a weak defense. Then he grunted as Knuckles shoved him aside and blocked the attack with his claws.
"Go...ahead!" He groaned. "We'll take...care of this!"
Tails aimed his cannon and launched a glowing blue projectile, which struck the boss in the face and exploded into block of ice. It shook its head as it was frozen solid, leaving itself wide open. Knuckles took the chance and winded up his arm, charged mystical power into it, then unleashed a ball of ruby-red energy at the boss's chest. The attack was powerful enough to knock the thing off its feet, and the ice encasing its head shattered as it hit the floor.
Ray watched with a mixture of awe, envy, and self-consciousness. These two were small...but they seemed like veterans in battle, just like the Safety Committee. How come he wasn't so strong? This key...it was supposed to be powerful, right?
"You are but a fledgling, Ray." The King said with sympathy. "Do not be ashamed to let more experienced people help you."
"Then what's the point of me even holding this?" Ray retorted, looking at Excalibur.
Before he could get an answer, Knuckles rounded on him with a worn scowl.
"Why are you talking to yourself? Get moving and find the Keyhole!"
At that moment, the Heartless staggered up and roared in fury. Tails grimaced and shot another ice bomb, only to yelp in surprise as it got deflected by the boss's shield. It retaliated by throwing the axe at him, making him dive away in fright.
"This thing is smarter than it looks!" He cried.
"Get back Tails, let me at him!" Knuckles declared, leaping into action.
Ray kept standing and watched as Knuckles punched with less energy than before. The wolf's lips curled in a sneer as it easily blocked him with the shield, then grabbed him in midair and threw him at Tails, who yelped and tried his best to make a safe catch. They both went down with shouts of pain, becoming a crumpled heap on the floor.
That was enough. In a spur of anger and fragile confidence, Ray moved into the beast's sight and brandished Excalibur at it.
"Ray, what are you doing!?" The King said in shock.
"This is my fight too, isn't it!?" The blonde shouted. "I'm not going to seal that damn Keyhole unless I beat this thing! Are you with me, or was that all crap!?"
The Heartless loomed over him with a snarl and raised its fist, then brought it down on him hard. As Ray shut his eyes and brought up the Keyblade, he felt a surge of power in his body. With an echoing clang, the fist struck with enough power to shake him, and he winced from the pressure being put on his muscles. However, he managed to hold himself up.
"I am with you." The King said with warmth. "I can only give you a portion of my strength, but I am not the only one you can rely on."
Then the beast roared in pain and stumbled back as it was blasted with electricity. Ray gasped in relief and fell forward, only to be caught by Tails and Knuckles. Despite how beaten they looked, they still had eyes of determination.
"Don't think you can do this alone, you nutcase!" The canine grumbled. "We were sent to help you, got it?"
"You can count on us!" The fox assured. "Let's do this together!"
Ray's confidence was renewed as he felt this new camaraderie. He nodded at them, now ready to take this on. Then the boys focused on the boss as it let out a howl, having recovered from the shock. It leaped over them to land by the thrown axe and pick it up, then lunged at them with a wide swing.
While Tails and Knuckles leaped aside, Ray jumped high over the attack and made a strike over the boss's head. It blocked him with his shield, but was open to a fireball from Tails. It exploded on its belly, knocking it back a bit. Knuckles came up next for a punch to its chest, and it staggered as it barely blocked in time. He then vaulted over to kick it squarely on the snout, forcing it back again.
As he dropped down, Ray and Tails came forward and shot more balls of flame at the Heartless. They struck its unsteady legs and made them buckle, causing it to collapse on its knees. Knuckles then winded up a fist again, and once it was charged he leaped up and unleashed a hefty uppercut on the boss's jaw.
It howled as it feel backwards, hitting the floor with a heavy thump. Knuckles huffed tiredly as he landed, then stumbled and nearly fell. That was when Ray and Tails caught him.
"Returning the favor." The blonde said with a slight smirk.
"Nice one Knuckles!" Tails praised.
"We're not done yet." Knuckles muttered, though with a smirk.
They watched as the Heartless slowly got back up. It was shaking, most lilely very weakened, but it still looked rather feral. It definitely wasn't going to stop until it was put down.
But now, Ray knew that with these two guys, and the King too...this thing was nothing. As long as he had allies like them, there wasn't anything that could stop him from his goal. So he stepped forward and held up Excalibur, narrowing his eyes at the Heartless.
"As long as we stick together, we can beat this." He declared.
Then suddenly, he felt something stirring within him. Power was flowing from him, to the tip of his Keyblade. Not only that...he could feel Tails and Knuckles power flowing through him. They looked at each other in surprise as they started glowing.
"That is right, young one." The King said. "Even the greatest warriors cannot fight alone. The bonds you make...that's where true power reveals itself."
Ray looked at that swirling ball of gold energy on his Keyblade, then at the Heartless in front of him. It growled moved forward, its axe ready for the kill.
"Alright guys, we got one shot!" Ray shouted, aiming Keyblade. "Let's combine our strength!"
Tails and Knuckles nodded, then frowned as they concentrated. The ball grew as more energy flowed into it, becoming half of Ray's size. The boss was right on them now, swinging its axe downward. That was when the King shouted...
"By your powers combined-"
"Trinity Blast!" Ray finished.
The ball of power shot out, hitting the Heartless point-blank in the chest and exploding upon impact in a shower of sparkles. A hole was blown in its chest, spilling out black smoke and a crystal heart. The wolf gave one last howl before its eyes darkened and it faded into nothingness.
The boys stood still for the moment, awed by what had just happened. Then they collapsed in a symphony of exhausted groans and sighs.
"That was...whoa..." Ray panted.
"You pulled through for us there..." Tails said with a headshake.
Knuckles nodded. "He's the real deal after all."
Just then, Kirito's group came in. Asuna knelt down and handed each boy a Potion. Though the medicine was bitter, it still brought them relief from their tiredness.
"I knew you could do it!" She said happily.
Sinon crossed her arms. "I admit, you did surpise me."
"So you really are the Chosen One." Kirito mused, holding out a hand to Ray. "Sorry for doubting you, keybearer."
Ray tilted his head, then grinned and accepted the hand. After he was pulled up, he gave the Black Swordsman an appreciative nod.
"Water under the bridge." He said. "Now then, there's one last thing left to do."
He turned and looked around for the Keyhole. However, the only thing of note was the iron throne. Curious, he walked over to investigate it. Then as he neared it, his Keyblade suddenly started acting weird. It shuddered and moved on its own, dragging his arm so it could point to the throne.
"What the hell is it doing?" He wondered.
"The throne is hiding something" The King informed. "Yes, the Keyhole is here. Now, reveal it!"
Ray nodded, then concentrated on the throne. He felt a power surge through his Keyblade, and it came out as a beam of light. It struck the throne, and it became enveloped in the light, then disappeared in a shower of particles. He looked down in surprise as a huge keyhole in the floor was revealed.
"It's literally a keyhole." He muttered. "Somehow, this is the most normal thing I've seen all night."
The King chuckled. "Yes, it is quite surprising. Now, seal it so this world will be safe from the darkness."
Once more, Ray aimed his Keyblade and concentrated, and another beam of light shot into the Keyhole. There was the telltale "click" of something being locked, and then the Keyhole faded out of existence. He looked around, trying to see any changes, but there didn't appear to be any.
"So that's it?" He asked.
"Yes, that should be all." The King assured.
"I guess the job's done." Kirito concluded. "Now we can work on retaking the lost areas of the Safe Zone. Thank you, Ray, Tails, and Knuckles."
"Don't mention it." Ray said nonchalantly.
"We're happy to help!" Tails said with merriment.
"So do we get a reward or something?" Knuckles asked.
Asuna giggled. "Well Silica did say she would have a cake ready."
"Good enough for me. Come on, let's go to the First District."
With that, the dog began to walk away, with Tails quickly following. Sinon shook her head, then went after them along with Asuna.
"Let's go." Kirito said, beckoning Ray. "After we've had dessert, we can talk about that Royal Key and what it exactly is."
Ray nodded, remembering what the King said about getting answers soon. Then he went with everyone to the First District.
