Leafa's Side, Alfheim Online
Up in the skies near Aincrad, Leafa was flying below the clouds, looking towards the ground. Where is he? She thought to herself, worried for her stepbrother.
It had been five days since her real world stepbrother logged into Alfheim, along with Asuna, and no one had seen them since. She had been talking to several people, including Klein, Agil, Silica, Liz, and Sinon, only to come up short. She checked the area where the rumored quest was at before, only to have it completely vacant, with no trace of a quest being there in the first place. Leafa checked many secluded spots they might have stopped at, but to no advantage. She kept fearing the worst, believing they died. However, when they were at the hospital with Kirito's comatose body, they said his brain was perfectly healthy, as was the rest of him. Asuna's body was the same. This meant they were still alive, but the question was where were they?
Leafa took a great boost of speed with her wings, and soared towards the mountains. "Brother!" she called out, "Kirito! Asuna! Yui! Please answer!" No response. She stopped in mid-flight, and looked down, worried. Why is this happening to me? She thought, It was bad enough to see my brother disappear for 2 years inside a game, but to now have him and Asuna disappear together? Tears started to weld up in her eyes. She was absolutely worried.
"Leafa!" cried a voice. Leafa rubbed her eyes and turned to see Recon, her now current boyfriend, fly towards her.
"Recon." She responded as he soared next to her.
"Where have you been?!" he asked, frustrated, "I set up reservations at that really hard to get restaurant you've always wanted to go to, and you missed it! Do you realize just how much money and time I had to do in order to get reservations to that place?"
"Look, I'm sorry," she responded, looking down in shame, "But I have been dealing with a lot more important things than a dinner reservation."
Recon saw her sad face, and knew what it was. "Is it Kazuto?" he asked her. Leafa nodded.
"I can't seem to find them anywhere." She explained, "I've talked to their friends, I've tried asking those with great scouting abilities to search, I asked all about that weird Kingdom Hearts quest that appeared for a bit, and got nothing out of it. I even looked at every spot that was hidden away both here and at Aincrad. I'm worried about him."
Recon looked sympathetically at Leafa, then smiled at her. "Well, if that's what you're worried about, then why didn't you ask me about it?" he asked, placing his fists on his hips in a heroic posture, "It just so happens that one of my friends actually saw them."
Leafa looked to Recon, shocked. "You...know where Kirito is?!" she asked him, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him while in mid-flight, "Why didn't you say anything before, dummy?!"
"Leafa, stop shaking me!" he cried out. Leafa eventually did so, though his eyes were spinning.
"So where is he?" she asked him, folding her arms underneath her chest.
"Well, my friend witnessed both Kirito and Asuna at that floor that had the Kingdom Hearts quest installed into it. He was checking out the area around it when he saw the two of them enter the cave where it took place."
"Yeah, my brother told me about that." Leafa remembered, "Supposedly, it wasn't made by any of the ALO, nor the SAO programmers. At least, that's what my brother said."
"Yeah, so he decided to follow them as they went into a dungeon, but he couldn't go in because he wasn't experienced enough." Recon continued, "He decided to wait, looking at the quest, and seeing if there was any information on it. After a while, the quest ended abruptly, which was odd. He waited for them to come out, but they didn't."
Leafa looked worried about her brother and Asuna. She then frowned as she looked at Recon. "I already checked that very same cave, and found nothing. Did you see anything?" she asked.
"Nothing." Recon answered, "I already went to that cave, too, and searched all around. There was nothing."
"Well, let's check again," she told him, "I want to find my brother as soon as possible. Mom and Dad are worried about him, too, so I have to save him, no matter what."
"Well then, count me in!" Recon declared, thumping his chest, "I'll make sure you are safe, Leafa." Leafa couldn't help but smile at him. His spirit was just what she need to get through.
She and Recon were about to take off when a young, female voice called out, "Do you really want to find your brother?" The two of them stopped and looked around. No one was around.
"Who's there?" Leafa asked.
"You said you were looking for your brother." the voice stated, "Do you really miss him?"
Leafa and Recon looked at one another before Leafa answered, "Of course I miss my brother! My parent, our friends, and so many others are missing him and Asuna!"
"I have been watching you." the voice told them, "I know you care deeply for your brother's safety. I've also felt that you might be able to help him and Asuna out."
"So, the two of them are together?" Leafa asked, not even knowing where to speak too, "If you know where they are, then please, take me to them!"
"You can meet him." the voice continued, "But, the problem is that they are in a place outside of your world. Once you arrive, it will be very difficult for you to return. Do you still want to go?"
Leafa was very concerned about the warning, but curled her fists to steel herself. If Kirito, Asuna, and Yu were there, then there was no reason she shouldn't go and help them get out of wherever they were. "Yes!" She replied, "Take me to where they are!"
"L-Leafa!" Recon exclaimed, startled at her strong response.
"Very well then." the voice answered. Suddenly, in front of Leafa and Recon, a black portal came out of the blue in front of them, swirling with data, startling the duo. "Step into the portal." she told them, "I shall meet you on the other side."
Leafa was a bit hesitant. This was not a quest, for there would have been a quest marker on this portal. She had never seen anything like this before. Still, if this was a portal to Kirito, she would want to take that chance.
"Hold on, Leafa." Recon said abruptly, "I don't like this. What if it's a Salamander or a Spriggan trap?"
"I don't really care." she answered, surprising him, "Besides, she knew about my connection with my brother. That's something they wouldn't know about. Even if they did know, I will still take the chance. Anything to find them!"
Recon looked hesitant, but then his face looked determined as he said to her, "Well, it's just like I said, I'm coming with you." Leafa nodded to him, and the two entered the portal, which closed up behind them.
Not a moment the portal closed than did something else happened; their wings disappeared. They found themselves tumbling in the dark, unable to see where they were going. The fell, screaming, wondering if Recon was right. Was this really a trap?
Sora's Dimension, Gummi Ship
Sora, Kirito, Asuna, Donald and Goofy all were about to head off to the next world, when suddenly, the Gummi ship started to move on its' own. "Huh?" said Goofy, looking around.
"Hey, wait a minute..." Sora said abruptly, "Is the ship moving all on its own?"
"Yui, you didn't do something to it, did ya?" Kirito asked. The little pixie partner shook her head.
"So, where's are heading?" Asuna asked, looking at the monitor.
"Looks like we're headed toward Hollow Bastion." Goofy answered. He was right. The ship was moving back to Hollow Bastion again. Once they got there, they stopped.
"Guess we should go down." Donald suggested. Yui set the transporter ready, and the gang teleported down to the surface.
Once down there, they were greeted by Aerith, who said that Merlin was waiting for them, and asked to head to his house. So, with an understanding set, they headed to the lower levels of the town, towards Merlin's house.
"I wonder what's up." Sora asked as they neared the place. They got in closer, and saw that the door was wide open. They also saw three Soldier Heartless come out of the house and disappear. The group looked at each other, worried. "C'mon." Sora told them and they entered the house.
Inside, they found the place somewhat messed up, and there on the ground was Merlin, rubbing his back. The five heroes rushed to him as he stood up, heaving slightly. "Well, now..." he started, "took your time. did you?"
"What do you mean 'took your time'?" Kirito asked.
"Oh, was it you who summoned us, Merlin?" Goofy asked.
"Yes, yes..." Merlin answered, "But it seems I used too much power in doing so, and those infernal Heartless..." He sighed in exhaustion.
"So what's up?" Sora asked him.
"Well, I happened to stumble across this in the Zero District." he explained. He then raised his palm to one side, and a book came in a puff of smoke. Donald reached up and grabbed it from him, the others looking at the cover. It was a picture of, to Kirito's, Yui's and Asuna's amazement, a slightly younger Sora, wearing the same clothes he wore the first time they met him, holding hands with a small yellow bear in a red shirt, a tiny pig of some kind, and a tiger that looked as if it was bouncing on its' tail. The title said 'Winnie the Pooh' on it.
"It looks like a children's book." Asuna stated.
"Pooh's storybook!" exclaimed Sora.
"That's right" Merlin answered, "I know you're a good friend of Winnie the Pooh, Sora, that's why I summoned you. And when I did, I was attacked by the Heartless. Of course, I fought back with some rather powerful magic, but then I began to fear the book would be damaged, so I..." He then stopped himself and said, "Now, just a moment. Leon and the others need to hear this too. I-I'd better go find them. Be back in a jiffy." Merlin disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Okay, now someone should fill us in on why this book is so special." Kirito asked the group.
"Well, Pooh is a friend of mine," Sora explained, "And he lives in a world inside that book."
"Wait. There's a world inside the book?" Kirito repeated.
"Now we've see it all." Asuna answered.
"No, I don't think so." Kirito responded, sighing because he knew he was right.
"I wonder how Pooh's doing?" Sora asked Donald.
"Wanna find out?" Donald asked him.
"Yeah!" Sora eagerly answered. Donald unsnapped the buckle holding it, and he opened it to a page full of different locations. Sora turned to Kirito, Asuna and Yui. "You guys want to come along?" he asked them.
"I think we'll pass." Kirito responded.
"You should hang out with your friend right now." Asuna suggested to him. Sora nodded.
He was about to somehow go in, when they heard the sound of Heartless outside. "Sora!" Goofy exclaimed.
"Cover for me, okay?" Sora told them.
"Another benefit for us being outside the book." Asuna told him. Sora readied himself, and suddenly the book started to glow brightly, enveloping Sora, and suddenly he disappeared.
"I've heard of people having their nose stuck in a book, but not actually going into one." Kirito said amusingly, making Asuna and Yui giggle.
They saw a few Soldiers attempt to go inside the house, but Kirito produced his Oblivion, and knocked them out. "Come on, you guys!" he cried to the others. Donald placed the book on a work table before he and the others joined Kirito outside. Upon stepping out together, they found themselves surrounded by a lot of Heartless. "We have to take them out!" Kirito told them, and they divided into pairs; Kirito and Goofy, Asuna and Donald. Each side were attacking the horde of Heartless that were coming one after another.
"There's no end to them!" Asuna cried as she and Donald used magic to take out a couple.
"Don't talk!" Kirito responded, slashing another Heartless out, "You'll make me lose count."
"Lose count?" Donald repeated, "On what?"
"The amount of Heartless Goofy and I take out." He answered as he saw Goofy sending his shield spinning like a disc at the Heartless, "So far, I'm at sixteen."
"Geez, Kirito." Asuna said exasperatedly, "Are you really that childish...Donald and I have eighteen."
The two Keyblade wielders looked at one another and smiled. "We're starting to get a bit insane here." Kirito told her.
"No," she corrected, "We've just been around Sora a bit too long." The two turned back to their opponents and fought a little more.
After a minute of this, Kirito was slaying a couple who got too close to the door when he heard a thunk from inside. "Is Sora out of the book already?" Kirito asked.
"Sora! Hurry up!" Donald cried out inside as he was running low on magic. The four backed off some Heartless from Merlin's house, keeping them at bay.
Suddenly, Sora came flying out of the house, brandishing his Keyblade. "What'd I miss?" he asked them.
"Well, I counted twenty-seven Heartless I've defeated." Kirito told him.
"Same here. Twenty-seven." Asuna added.
"That make fifty-four Heartless!" Yui counted.
"You've been counting?" Sora asked them.
"You've been making us develop bad habits." Kirito answered. Sora smiled innocently at them, rubbing his head.
"Did ya bring the book, Sora?" Goofy asked.
Sora turned and saw, to his horror, a couple of Soldier Heartless racing out of Merlin's room. One of them was carrying the book. "Hey!" Sora barked, racing to them.
"Give that back!" Donald demanded, joining Sora.
"Goofy, go with Sora and Donald." Asuna told him, "We got this." Goofy raced off to help the others while Kirito and Asuna were facing the set of Heartless they've cornered.
"I see odd numbers." Kirito noticed, "Loser buys lunch?"
"Your on." Asuna smirked, and the two charged at the Heartless.
Leafa's Side
Leafa blacked out for a while. What difference did it make since they were already in the dark. They couldn't tell where anything was. Leafa and Recon found themselves on the ground, unconscious. They flew into a black portal, losing their wings, and were sent flying to who knows where.
Leafa was the first to move. She lifted herself up, and shook her head. She looked all around, but saw nothing but black. She then noticed Recon right next to her, his face directing itself towards Leafa. She crawled over and shook him. "Recon." She called to him, "Hey, Recon! Wake up!" She heard Recon moan a bit, then he opened his eyes, and without warning, raised himself fast. They hit each other on the head, and they both recoiled in pain, rubbing the spots they hit each other.
"What was that for?!" Leafa scolded him.
"I didn't see you there, Leafa!" he retorted, opening his eyes and looking around, "So, uh, where are we?"
"I don't know." She answered, raising herself to her feet and looked around. Recon got to his feet, and he started to look around.
"Sure is dark here. Quiet, too." he stated, "Was there a bug in the system? Are we in some part of ALO we don't know about?" He waved his hand in front of him, trying to produce his menu, but it didn't appear. "Hey, what gives?" he asked, waving his hand a few times, trying to produce his screen. Leafa saw him trying, and she tried as well. Nothing.
"Why can't we produce our menus?" Recon asked, furiously waving both of his hands all around him, now desperate. Then, by accident, one of his flailing hands smacked Leafa's butt, who screamed and kicked him in retaliation, knocking him over.
"Hey, don't take advantage of this!" she yelled at him.
"I didn't mean too!" he responded, getting back to his feet. Suddenly, he figured something out. "Hey, I don't see a life bar on me or you." he noticed. Leafa looked to see if hers or Recon's were there, but they weren't.
"Ok, this is very strange." She said nervously, looking down herself. "I mean, we're still in our ALO avatars, yet we don't have life bars, we don't have menus." She looked to Recon, and realized, "It's almost as if this is..."
"Real life?" finished a voice. The two of them turned to where it came from. There, standing alone, was a young girl with blond hair and a simple white dress.
The two stared at her as she walked to them. "Yes, everything you see right now is real," she continued, "Your bodies, this place, even me, well sort of."
"Who-who are you?" Leafa asked, recognizing her voice as the one who beckoned them in, "And what do you mean this is all real?"
"Forgive me," she answered, "My name is Namine. As for what I said, it is nothing but the truth. This place is not a virtual world, nor even part of your world. This place exist beyond your dimension. Even so, it is still reality."
Leafa and Recon gasped. They couldn't believe it. Leafa hadn't been this shocked since she discovered Kirito to be her brother. "No..." she stammered, falling back to the floor, "This can't be true. This is...just some glitch in the game, isn't it?" Namine shook her head, making Leafa's heart sink.
"But why are we in our avatars?" Recon asked, waving to his attire, "If this is reality, surely we must go back to our normal looks."
"I used a special program. A program that a man name DiZ created." Namine explained, "It digitizes your beings from the game world, and sends your data through a wormhole into our dimension."
"Wait a minute, you said 'our dimension'." Leafa quoted, hearing it twice already, "Does that mean..."
"You are in a different dimension, yes." She answered, "And I wasn't lying when I said that your brother, Kirito, as well as Asuna and Yui, are here, too."
Hearing Kirito's name made Leafa stand up once more. "Where is he?!" she asked, racing to Namine, "You have to take me to him!"
"I'm afraid he is out of reach at this point." she responded, "However, I can show you what he's done."
Namine turned and waved a hand. Suddenly, another black portal opened up in front of them. She stepped towards them, then turned to the others, who didn't move. "If you want to know more, you're gonna have to trust me." she told them.
Leafa and Recon turned to each other. While it was preposterous, insane, unbelievable, every word under the book in what she was saying, the fact that they were there, and the fact that she knew who Kirito, Asuna, and even Yui were was undeniable. Plus, it's not like they had any way of going back the way they came. Leafa then turned backed to Namine, and nodded.
"Good." she answered, "Now before you enter, let me just do something." She waved her hand towards the two, and suddenly their bodies started to glow a bit. Suddenly they flashed brightly, and the next thing they knew, their looks changed somewhat. Neither of them had pointy ears anymore, but normal ones. Their uniforms were less frilly, and a different hue of green. Their boots, however, were the same.
Leafa's sleeves were less puffy, and had yellow stripes with her white ones, and had metal horizontal stripes. Her collar now had small red ribbons hanging down on it. Her skirt part of her clothes became knee-high. Her center ribbon tying her hair was white, while the others were still normal. Her wrist rings had green stripes. Her stockings had also lost their frills, and were replaced with green rings.
Recon's uniform were a bit less baggy, but still had some in him. He had lost his hoodie on his cardigan, so the white stripes on his sleeves reached his shoulders. His dark blue vest now had silver lining on the top and bottom, and one that connected them down the middle. His arm-guards now had silver stripes, too. His pants shortened, but still had armor plating on the bottom with dark green hemming.
Both looked down at each other, then looked at one another as Namine continued, "These clothes should suffice in this dimension. They have been given new magical properties."
"Just who are you?" Leafa asked her.
Namine smiled a bit as she answered, "Some people refer to me as a witch."
"A witch?" Leafa and Recon repeated. Namine stepped into the portal and disappeared. The two looked at one another, and then followed Namine into the portal. For a while, they were walking a bit in the portal, then they stepped out into a dimly lit room. Inside, they found themselves surrounded by technology, with a computer in one corner with several monitors. It was rather odd-looking.
"What is this place?" Leafa asked, looking all around as Namine went to the computer.
"This is a computer room underneath a mansion." She told them, typing away at the computer. "I spent some time piecing back the memories of someone here."
"Piecing who's memories?" Recon asked as he and Leafa walked up to Namine at the computer.
"Someone who is actually helping Kirito and Asuna out." She answered, causing the two to be surprised.
"So is my brother here?" Leafa asked, looking up at the monitor.
"No." she answered, "At least, he was here, but now he's traveling to different worlds."
"Traveling to different world?" Leafa echoed, absolutely shocked. Not only was she drawn to a different dimension, but now worlds too?
"What, they're flying in space right now?" Recon asked Namine.
"Technically, yes and no. They are traveling between realms, visiting worlds that would usually not encounter each other." she explained, "They are right now traveling from world to world, saving them from beings called the Heartless and Nobodies. Not only that, but they are also looking for the one who brought them here; a man named DiZ."
"DiZ?" Recon echoed.
"He was the one...who found your virtual world." Namine answered, "He discovered about how the heart can enter the world you live in, and found it interesting. Not only did he research the heart, he wanted to understand it further. That's when he discovered about the tragedy that plagued your world..."
She then tapped the keyboard, and pulled up a video of Aincrad. "He learned about the ten-thousand people who entered this world, and who were stuck there for two years." She continued as the monitor showed scenes in that time period. "It was through here that DiZ discovered the boy, Kirito, and his in-game wife, Asuna." The monitor showed both Kirito and Asuna fighting together against the Gleam Eye. Leafa and Recon were transfixed, for they never actually seen Kirito and Asuna in SAO during the two years.
"He discovered how they saved the remainder of people who were alive in the game." Namine continued, "He also discovered on how you and Kirito saved three hundred minds from being controlled, along with Asuna's." She then pulled up a video of Leafa and Kirito flying through the air and climbing to the top of the World Tree. Leafa was surprised on how much this DiZ person knew about their history. She blushed when she wondered if he knew her feelings towards Kirito during that time. True, she gave up on those feelings, but still...
"He learned of your other endeavors, such as the trials during the world of guns, and of the girl known as Zekken." Namine said, bringing Leafa back to reality, "It was through seeing this that he decided to choose those with strong hearts, who have experienced all sorts of hardships in the many virtual worlds. In the end, he chose Kirito, Asuna, and you, Leafa, to be brought over to join other heroes to combat a group called Organization XIII, a villainous group whose goals are still unknown. That's when he sent his own 'quest' to your world, to see if that would draw you three to it. Turns out, he was right."
"So that quest was really meant for me, Kirito and Asuna?" Leafa asked.
"Yes." Namine, pulling up the video of Kirito and Asuna facing the Guard Armor, "They defeated the Heartless he sent, just as he predicted. So he sent them to this dimension, where he discovered another hypothesis he made to also be true."
"A hypothesis?" Leafa asked, turning to Recon, who was just as confused as she was, "What kind of hypothesis?"
Namine turned around to Leafa. "One that was a guess not only for Kirito and Asuna, but for you as well."
"Me?!" Leafa exclaimed, stepping back in surprise.
Namine got off the chair and looked at her. "I think it's time for you to awaken, Leafa… no, Suguha Kirigaya. You must do a Dive into your Heart."
Sora's Side, Hollow Bastion
Kirito, Asuna were taking out the last of the Heartless in front of them. Sora, Donald and Goofy were doing so as well. "Well, that's that." Kirito stated, putting his Oblivion away once he saw no Heartless.
"Same here." Asuna agreed, putting her's away, "So how many did you get?"
"Well, if we only counted the ones to end the tiebreaker, about eight. You?" Kirito asked. Asuna grinned as she had her hands out wide, only one of her thumbs curled in. "Nine?!" Kirito exclaimed, then he sighed deeply.
"You'll pay for our next lunch, right?" Asuna asked him eagerly as Yui landed on her shoulder. Kirito nodded in remorse for the bargain he made.
The two looked up and saw Sora pick up Pooh's storybook, and they all gathered around him. The book looked a bit torn, but apart from that, it looked fine on the outside. "Think it's okay?" Sora asked.
"Gawrsh, maybe ya better go back and make sure Pooh's all right." Goofy suggested.
"But what about Merlin?" Donald asked.
"Well, I guess we could explain..." Kirito suggested.
"Great!" Sora answered as he looked to him.
Sora handed Donald the book, and he opened it to the page it was on before. A light bursted out of the book, and it sucked Sora in. Just as the light disappeared with him, Asuna looked in the book pages, and noticed that it changed slightly.
"It seems like parts of the book have been torn out on the inside." she examined.
"You're right." Kirito agreed, also looking at it.
"We better bring it back into the house." Goofy told the group, who nodded in agreement. They walked back into the house, and place the storybook back onto the table again.
Just as they did so, a puff of smoke appeared behind them, and Merlin appeared before them.
"Oh, I see that Sora couldn't wait to go it, did he?" he stated to them.
"He's just checking on Pooh right now." Goofy told him. "We were attacked by a bunch of Heartless, and they grabbed the book during the struggle." Kirito explained, "We don't know what kind of damage they did to the book, so Sora's going in to check it out."
"Oh, my," the old wizard gasped, "If the Heartless tampered with the book, then obviously something must me wrong. Please, do tell more."
Donald and Goofy were explaining on their end about what happened during the fight. Kirito and Asuna, who were fighting separately from them, only filled in parts about what they did.
Suddenly, they heard something come out of the book, and the group turned to see Sora pop out of the book. "Couldn't be bothered to wait up for an old wizard, eh?" he asked Sora.
"Sorry about that..." Sora apologized as the book closed behind him.
"How are things in there?" Merlin asked him as he walked to them.
"Well..." Sora started, looking a bit worried, "Pooh seems to have forgotten all about me. And not just me, all his other friends, too." Donald and Goofy were startled at this news. Kirito, Asuna and Yui weren't as surprised, but they were concern.
"I was afraid of that..." Merlin moaned. He walked over to the book and opened it up, and examined the pages.
"I suspect it has something to do with those pages the Heartless stole." he suspected, "You'll have to collect the torn pages and repair the book to put things right." He closed the book and turned to them. "This book is one of the world's most cherished elements." he told them, "I'd been meaning to tell Leon I'd found it, but perhaps we should keep it between us for now."
"We will!" Sora and the others responded
"Good, good..." Merlin muttered, walking over to them, "Now the book isn't all that's cherished. This is for you, Sora." He handed a pendant to Sora, and it had a picture of a baseball and bat on it.
"What is it?" Sora asked him.
"Simply concentrate on it with all your heart, and you need only say the word to summon an ally who will help in times of need."
"Like Simba and Mushu did, the last time we were here?" Goofy asked.
"Precisely." Merlin answered.
"Summons?" Kirito repeated.
"Yes," Merlin responded as he turned to Kirito and Asuna, "Now, I assume you've never heard about summons before, right?"
"I mean, there are some games where you can summon a creature to your side to aid in battle." Kirito explained, looking to the Navigation Pixie on Asuna's shoulder, "Do you know, Yui?"
"Let me think here..." she muttered, then she concentrated, thinking about everything she knew, then answered, "Ok, I have the answer. Basically, it's like a person's heart is connected with those charms. You need to connect your heart with the ally you want to bring forth, and he or she will come to you."
"Wow, very handy." Asuna stated.
"Yes, but just like your Valor Form, there is a time limit to how long you can keep the ally out." Yui warned him.
"I think maybe Sora should hold onto those charms." Kirito stated, "It's more than likely he can connect with people's hearts better than us." Asuna nodded in agreement.
Kirito turned to Sora. "We'll let you use the summons in the group, ok?" he told him.
"Sure," Sora responded with his usual smile, "I'm sure you'll be good friends with them, too." Kirito, Asuna and Yui smiled in agreement.
"Now go forth, with your friends by your side!" Merlin told them.
"Thanks, Merlin." Sora thanked him, "We're worried about Pooh, so we'll be back once we've found those torn pages."
They were turning to go back to their ship when Asuna cried, "Wait! Hold on!"
"What is it?" Sora asked. Asuna turned to Kirito, who realized what she was about to say. He sighed, then told them, "I'm gonna get us some lunch at this town. Just pick the place and I'll pay for your meal."
"Oh, boy!" Donald cheered.
"Come to think of it, I am a bit peckish." Goofy realized as he rubbed his stomach.
"Then lets go eat!" Sora exclaimed. Asuna and Yui giggled as Kirito sighed deeply again. Sora and the others rushed out to the upper part of town, Kirito slowly following behind them.
"I hope I gathered enought munny." he moaned, then he closed the door behind him.
Leafa's Side, Twilight Town
Recon was looking down at the sleeping Leafa, who's back was leaning on the wall. "How long is this gonna take?" he asked, impatient and worried.
"It shouldn't be long now," Namine answered, walking up next to him, "Unless she is having difficulty fighting the darkness." Recon looked at Namine, wondering what she meant. After all, this was unusual to see and understand.
(Flashback) "Dive into my Heart?" Leafa asked, confused.
"Yes," Namine answered, "Kirito and Asuna have endured the same trial, and have both come out successful. This trial allowed them to wield special powers in order to fight the Heartless and Nobodies."
"So, you think I might be able to take this trial, too?" Leafa asked. Namine nodded.
"Give it a try, Leafa." Recon asked, "Who knows what kind of power you might get, but it might help improve you in ALO." Leafa really wasn't thinking of the game back home. But still, her stepbrother did take it, and so did Asuna. I wonder what they are like with their powers? She came to a decision, and nodded.
"Very well then." Namine responded, walking to one of the walls, "You should probably lay back here. The trial requires you to fall asleep." Leafa did so, leaning her back up against the wall as she sat down. "I'll cast a spell so you can go into a slumber. There, your trial will begin." Leafa was a bit hesitant, but she nodded. Namine waved her hand across Leafa's face muttering, "Sleep". Suddenly, Leafa felt a powerful wave of drowsiness enveloping her. Her eyelids started to droop slowly, and she fell asleep. (Flashback Ends)
"Say, what kind of power will she gain from this trial?" Recon asked Namine, who went to the computer again.
"A power that very few people are allowed to have." she responded, "DiZ was fortunate to guess that Leafa, Asuna and Kirito all have this power."
"Do you think I have it, too?" Recon asked excitedly. Namine turned to him and shook her head, making him bow his head in despair.
Suddenly, the two heard Leafa moan. They turned to see her turn a bit, and open her eyes. "Your awake!" Recon exclaimed, rushing over to meet her as she stretched her arms and yawned, "How do you feel? Anything different?"
Leafa got to her feet and looked groggy for a second, then she smacked her cheeks to wake herself up. "That was a weird dream I had." was the first thing she said, "I really don't know what just happened. There were all these trials I had to go through. I saw dark creatures, a copy of myself, Recon was in my dream asking me a question."
"What'd I ask?" Recon asked her.
"Something about what my wish was." she answered, rubbing her eyes, "That was very confusing."
"That was the trial." Namine told her, walking up to the two, "Now you have passed it, I believe you have the power to summon your Keyblade."
"My key what?" Leafa asked, confused.
"Imagine you are trying to produce a weapon into your hand." Namine explained, "The Keyblade shall come to you if you concentrate."
Leafa was a bit confused, but she was willing to give it a shot. She looked down at the spot where her sheath and sword should have been, but they were no longer there. She decided to try acting like she was about to pull her sword out. She placed her hand inward, like she was grasping her sword, and whipped her hand out. Suddenly, out of the blue, a weapon was produced into her hand. It was a large key, with a green stem and a light blue and light green hand guard. the teeth of the weapon looked a lot like pan pipes. It also had a keychain on the hilt, with a red feather on the end.
Recon had to step back in order not to get hit by her newly produced weapon, and he looked stunned. Namine, on the other hand, looked pleased at this result. Leafa looked at her newly produced weapon, startled by its' sudden appearance. "Is this the power you said my brother and Asuna have?" she asked, tilting her Keyblade around.
"Indeed, it is." Namine responded, "They each have a different Keyblade, and each have their own power to fight the Heartless. That Keyblade there is called 'Fairy Harp'." "Fairy Harp..." Leafa echoed, holding it out like she would with any of her swords.
"Awesome!" Recon cheered, "That's a pretty cool weapon you have there."
"Looks a bit childish to me." Leafa observed, looking specifically at the pan pipes at the end, "I mean, it doesn't even have a blade to it."
"Keyblades are powerful, regardless of appearance." Namine explained, "And although it doesn't look it, the Keyblade had the same functions as a sword."
"Well, if you say so." Leafa responded, swinging the Keyblade opposite to the others. It felt pretty light.
"Now that you have your weapon, and I have mine," Recon stated, pulling his dagger from his back, "We can definitely find big bro Kirito again, and stop whatever comes our way."
"I'm afraid your weapon won't work as well against the Heartless." Namine told him, "Your weapon doesn't work as strongly as the Keyblade."
"I don't care." Recon responded, pointing his dagger out, "I can still fight to defend Leafa. I've been training to do so." He slashed his dagger around, demonstrating his skills with it. However, he failed to notice the crack in the floor, and he stumbled on it, causing him to fall into Leafa. They both dropped their weapons onto the ground, Recon's dagger landed on top of the Keyblade.
"Watch it!" Leafa shouted, shoving him back, "You could've actually hurt me with that! Remember, we're in a real world." She looked a bit shaky when she realized what she had just said. She was right. If she died here, she could die in the real world.
"My bad." Recon answered, reaching down to pick up Leafa's Keyblade and his dagger on top of it. He lifted the two blades up of the ground, holding it longways. "Here." he said, presenting her sword in both of his hands as if he was a knight presenting a blade to a king.
"Thank you." she responded, grasping both the dagger and Keyblade.
At her touch, both weapons started to glow a bit, more the Keyblade was glowing onto the dagger. All three people in the room were shocked as to what was happening. Leafa dropped the dagger into Recon's hands, where it still glowed a bit. Suddenly, the dagger's blade lengthened a bit, and a small keychain produced at the end of the hilt, along with, what looked like, a symbol of a fairy on the end. It stopped glowing after its' transformation, and Recon looked down at it.
"Wha-what just happened?" he asked, holding his new dagger out, and examining it.
"I...don't know." Leafa answered, looking just as surprised as Recon was, then she looked at Namine, who also looked surprised, "Do you know what just happened, Namine?"
"I-I've never seen this happen before." she answered, "Let me see your weapon."
Recon gave his dagger to Namine, and she examined it. Finally, she handed it back to Recon as she stated, "I'm not sure if this is correct, but I think I understand what just happened. Your hearts share a close bond with one another, I assume?" Recon looked at Leafa, who blushed a bit as to say yes. "When your weapons and yourselves touched one another, the Keyblade detected this bond." Namine continued to explain, "When it did, it somehow granted a fragment of its' power over to your dagger, making it not only stronger, but also capable of fighting the Heartless."
"Really?!" Recon asked excitedly, "So I can fight like Leafa can?"
"That's not to say that your dagger is a Keyblade." Namine told him, "I'm saying that it has one of the Keyblade's powers."
"I don't care." Recon retorted, the flare of ambition glowing in his eyes, "I now can fight with Leafa and defend her, too. As long as I have that, I don't care if I have a Keyblade or not."
Recon turned to Leafa, and smiled eagerly. "I promise you, Leafa, I won't let anything happen to you." He stated, "I may not be as strong as you, but I want to do everything I can to protect you. This I swear!"
Leafa looked a bit surprised at these words, and she couldn't help but blush a bit. Finally, she smiled as she said, "Sounds great to me. Let's find my brother again so we can go back home." The two raised their weapon's and they crossed them in front of one another. Namine could definitely see the strong connection they have through this, and giggled a bit.
"I'm glad to see your cooperation in this." she acknowledged, watching the two as they put away their weapons, "Here's something that also might help." She waved her hand again, and out in front of her came a pair of green orbs with four yellow stars around each. "In the game world you came from, you can cast magic." she recalled, "When you came to this world, you lost the ability to do so. However, these are this dimension's magic. Once given to you, you are granted its' power." The two orbs floated to Recon and Leafa, and dove into their bodies. Both looked a bit startled to see the orbs go straight into them.
"These orbs grant you the 'Aero' spell." Namine continued, "They are wind-based attacks."
"Cool." Recon said, tapping his chest where the orb went into.
"Simply say which spell you plan to use, and you will do so. Simple." Namine explained, turning to the computer again and tapping away, "There are other magic orbs I haven't found, but they will come in due time. For now, we must be prepared to save someone now."
"Save someone?" Leafa asked, walking Recon over to the computer, "Who would that be? My brother?"
"No, your brother and Asuna are doing just fine." Namine responded, "Though this person is more important." She then pulled up on the screen a picture staring out to the ocean from a beach, a girl that looked a lot like Namine with auburn hair. She had a pink, strapless mini-dress with a white halter top underneath and black straps around her waist. She also wore pink shoes.
"Who's that girl?" Leafa asked, staring at the girl on the screen.
"That girl's name is Kairi." Namine responded, "And she plays an important role in this adventure."