Disclaimer: I do now own Kingdom Hearts or Danmachi. Both belong to their respective owners.

...What a way to start off Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary, huh?

We're getting a continuation of Dark Roads and look more into Xehanort's journey. Cool. Didn't really get the chance to play Dark Roads, and I have a rough estimation of the plot. But it's interesting lore to watch.

Kingdom Hearts Missing Link looks interesting, though I have mixed opinions about it. It's a mobile game, so gameplay isn't going to be the highest factor IMO. And based on what I'm looking at, I'm really kind of hoping for Kingdom Hearts Missing Link to be stylized like Pokemon Go. I want to run into fellow Kingdom Hearts fans in real life. I was kind of hoping for Kingdom Hearts Missing Link to be created for laptops/PCs. But as a Kingdom Hearts diehard fan, I'm just going to shamelessly enjoy whatever KH content I get.

And once again, we're going to have our own charachter in Missing Links. Knowing what happened to our charachter in KHX...I'm really afraid to find out the fate of our KHML protagonist, or whatever connection our protagonist has with certain Kingdom Hearts characters.

And last but not least...

KH4! KH4! KH4! KH4!

QUADRATRUM HERE WE COME!

AND OUR BOY SORA LOOKS SO GOOD! HE LOOKS MORE AND MORE LIKE A FINAL FANTASY CHARACTER! BUT NOOOOOO, HE'S PROGRESSIVELY LOSING HIS SPIKY HAIR!

AND THE GAMEPLAY! SORA HAS CHAINS! LET'S GO! AND HE IS CHANNELING THE POWERS OF GURREN LAGGAN TO DEFEAT THE DARKNESS!

I'M ON THE HYPE TRAIN! LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

*BREATHES DEEPLY AND EXHALES*

Whew, with that off my chest, 2022 is certainly looking interesting this year, for both good and bad for obvious reasons.

Now then, regarding the status of my fanfic, it's still going to continue on. Just keep in mind, like I said at the beginning, that this is completely AU to what KH4 has in store. That being said, I may or may not interconnect my fanfic with KH4 if we get enough info in the future.

Now I'm wondering...what kind of worlds are we going to encounter in Kingdom Hearts 4? Specifically, Quadratrum? Because to me, Quadratum doesn't seem to be limited to only Tokyo. I imagine other worlds are in the same plane as Tokyo. There are many rumors and speculations that the MCU & Star Wars are involved in KH4. Personally, I don't mind seeing Sora fighting alongside the Avengers or engaging in a duel with Darth Vader. After all, Xemnas's powers are practically a reference to Darth Vader.

Also, I'm getting some weird Drakengard/Nier vibes when I saw the Darkside(?) appear in Quadratum's Shibuya. You know, with giant monsters appearing out of nowhere in Japan (specifically Tokyo). It's also an interesting parallel/foil to how both series proceed. How the Grotesquerie Queen is purely white, while Darkside(?) is purely black. And yet somehow, I feel more hopeful with the dark demonic looking monster compared to the pure white humanoid 'angel', which I feel an immense amount of dread and horror.

Well, see you in 2030 for KH4.

Let's start the chapter.


Chapter 6: The God of Masses

The moment Shakti said those words was when Sora and Bell visibly tensed.

'I didn't think Ganesha would act this fast upon learning about the Heartless...!' Sora thought in shock.

'This is bad...!' Bell thought in alarm.

Hestia warned Sora about trying to keep distance away from the Ganesha Familia, but to think that Ganesha would send his Captain of all people to retrieve Sora was something that they didn't expect.

Shakti noticed how tense they were, and misread what they were tense about as she held up an arm to placate them.

"Please don't be alarmed, either of you. Neither you nor Sora are in any trouble. You do not have to worry about being detained." Shakti explained.

That did little to put the Hestia Familia at ease.

"O-Oh, um, thank goodness!" Sora nervously replied. "Though, why does Ganesha want to personally talk to me about?"

"I'm not sure on the particular details, but I believe it relates to your participation in stopping the monsters during Monsterphilia. Perhaps Lord Ganesha merely wishes to personally thank you and learn what happened when we weren't around." Shakti simply explained.

Hearing that put the two into more unease. If Ganesha wished to thank Sora for his participation in Monsterphilia, he would've sent one of his Familia members on his behalf. But for Ganesha to send his Captain of all people and being told that Ganesha wishes to personally speak to Sora...is not good at all.

'So much for keeping a distance...' Sora thought while groaning. 'And now I gotta talk to Ganesha about this? And him being a God means lying is a no go...'

The two cannot escape or run either, as that would make things more suspicious. And considering how widespread Ganesha's Familia is throughout the city, it's only a matter of time until they're tracked down.

'I didn't think it would happen so soon...' Sora thought, before he clenched his subtly clenched his fist. '...It doesn't matter. This is something I gotta handle eventually.'

No matter how hard he tried, people from different worlds are going to be affected by the Heartless, which means that there are going to be some questions flying around. Buzz was a prime example of him wanting to learn more about the Heartless and just kept asking questions, no matter how hard Sora and his friends tried to dance around the subject. Seems like he has to deal with this in this world as well.

With his mind made up, Sora gave a small nod towards the Captain.

"...Alright, I'll come and talk with him." Sora answered.

Bell shot an alarmed and worried look towards Sora.

"S-Sora..." Bell whispered in concern.

Sora turned to Bell with a reassuring grin.

"Relax, it's just going to be a talk between me and Ganesha. Just leave the rest to me. Why don't you take Lili to the Guild and exchange the magic stones and drops?" Sora suggested.

Bell stayed silent while staring at Sora with a troubled look, before he reluctantly nodded and turned around.

"...Let's get going Lili." Bell quietly said as he gestured Lili to come with him.

"R-Right." Lili said, following Bell's lead as they headed towards the Guild.

Seeing the two take off, Sora turned to the Captain of the Ganesha Familia.

"Well, lead the way."


~ Break ~


Sora couldn't help but give an astonished look at the building that serves as the Ganesha Familia's home base.

Before Sora is a massive thirty meter statue in the shape of a human with an elephant head. The statues was sitting cross legged, and the entrance to the building...lead directly to the statue's crotch.

"...You have an...interesting choice of home design." Sora hesitantly commented.

"Please...don't pay too much attention. It's best if you just ignore it." Shakti told him while having a very tired expression. The two guards watching the gate to their Familia home gave long and agonized sighs as well.

"Please, follow me. I'll lead you to where Lord Ganesha is." Shakti said as she walked forward and led Sora to the building. As she did, Sora quietly observed his surroundings, and found that Hestia wasn't kidding when she said that Ganesha's Familia wore toga-like clothing.

When Sora entered the compound and was walking though it, he noticed numerous monsters in cages, all growling and prowling around in their cages as if they're trying to discover a way out. Seeing the caged monsters made Sora feel a bit uncomfortable. It reminded him of his time in Tarzan's world, where many of Tarzan's friends were imprisoned and caged by Clayton.

'They're monsters, so I suppose it's only natural to cage them up to prevent others from being hurt...but it's not exactly right either...' Sora thought.

As someone who uses Summons to rely on the bonds between him and the various non-human partners to persevere against the enemy, seeing the method of caging and forcing a monster to follow one's own will and command was a complete affront to his own methodology and ideals.

'...Hopefully, there will be a time when a Ganesha Familia member is able to form a bond with a monster and fight like me and my friends...' Sora thought, hoping that day would come.

He was soon cut from his train of thought when he and Shakti approached a door. Shakti then knocked on the door.

"Lord Ganesha, I have brought Sora." Shakti informed.

"Yes, am I Ganesha! You can come in!" a rather loud voice called out to her, and Sora blinked at how loud the voice is and how easily he can hear it despite a door being in the way.

With permission given, Shakti turned the door knob and opened the door to Ganesha's office. Sora was greeted with the sight of a muscular man with long shaggy ash-brown hair wearing a red and yellow elephant mask over his face. The God of Masses wore an orange sash that goes over his right shoulder and wraps around his waist. He also sports white pants with dark brown under the knee boots, along with gold accents. He also had gold jewelry, which further made him stand out amongst others.

When the God of Masses saw Sora, he soon gave a grin.

"Ah, so you're Sora! Allow me to introduce myself! I am Ganesha, God of the Masses! A pleasure to make your acquittance!" Ganesha greeted rather loudly as he stood up from his seat and folded his arms in a grandeur gesture.

"U-Um, nice to meet you as well..." Sora greeted, a bit caught off guard at how bombastic the God is before him.

"I thank you Shakti, for bringing the young man here before me." Ganesha thanked the Captain of his Familia.

"I only followed as you commanded, Lord Ganesha." Shakti simply replied as she closed the door behind her and proceeded to stand next to Ganesha.

With that said, Lord Ganesha turned to Sora and gestured him to take a seat before him.

"Now then, I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here in person. Please take a seat, there are some things we need to talk about." Ganesha said as he took a seat.

"A-Alright." Sora said as he took a seat before the God. He gave a tense expression as he faced the God, something the God has noticed.

"Now then, please don't be so nervous! You're not in trouble. If anything, I, Ganesha, wish to thank you for contributing towards protecting the people from the outbreak of monsters during Monsterphilia." Ganesha reassured the young man before him.

"Oh, it's no problem. It's my duty to protect the innocent." Sora immediately replied while waving it off.

Ganesha gave a hearty laugh upon hearing Sora's response.

"Such a splendid sense of justice! How admirable!" Ganesha praised. "Such a shame that you're not a part of my Familia! We could always use another sincere and honest individual who wishes to protect the masses!"

"W-Well, I'm flattered that you think of me like that. But I'm sorry Lord Ganesha, but Hestia is my Goddess, and I don't intend on abandoning my Familia." Sora said with conviction and no hesitation.

Hearing that answer didn't make the God of Masses upset. If anything, he gave a nod of respect and approval towards Sora.

"I see! I, Ganesha, will respect your choice in being loyal to your Goddess! Indeed, loyalty is another positive trait about you!" Ganesha praised.

"Eh he he he..." Sora chuckled while scratching his cheek at Ganesha's compliments. He certainly didn't expect the God before him to be so friendly and amicable, and he honestly liked that.

"Lord Ganesha, please do not forget why he's here in the first place..." Shakti simply reminded.

"Oh, right, right! You're indeed correct Shakti! I, Ganesha, can show my gratitude to Sora at another time! We must get to the main topic of why this young man is here!" Ganesha declared.

The moment Ganesha said that reminded Sora of what the God could potentially be talking about.

"And that is...?" Sora asked worriedly.

Shakti then brought out a few papers and handed it to Ganesha, as Ganesha hummed while looking through the papers.

"According to Familia Member A (Modaka), I, Ganesha, have received reports on these new types of monsters that have shown up out of nowhere. Based on their reports, none of them are recorded in our Familia archive of monsters. It's quite surprising to see these new monsters, considering the fact that no new monster has shown up over so many years." Ganesha explained to Sora, making Sora inwardly wince upon.

Ganesha doesn't seem to skim on details, capturing all of the traits and details of the Heartless. This is making things harder to hide for Sora.

"Is that so...?"

"Indeed. And yet, you seem to be familiar with them to some degree and fought them off and slayed them. But I believe this isn't going to be the first and last time they're going to appear, especially when the reports told me that they literally appeared out of nowhere." Ganesha further explained, before he folded his arms.

"No matter how hard we look through our records, not a single page even hints to their behavior and abilities. We're hoping that you could provide us some information from the fight about these newfound monsters. We're willing to offer you compensation if needed for your cooperation." Ganesha offered to Sora, making Sora blink upon hearing this offer.

Ganesha seems really intent on learning about the Heartless if he's willing to pay for the information.

Which made Sora curious about something.

"...Can I ask you a question?" Sora asked.

"Ask away." Ganesha easily welcomed.

"What are you going to do with the information about these dark creatures?" Sora asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What I'm going to do with the information?" Ganesha repeated, making Sora nod at him. Ganesha simply stood straight up as he looked straight into Sora's eyes.

"It is simple! I, Ganesha, intend on devising countermeasures to ensure that no harm comes to the city! I will have my Familia protect the citizens of this city and prevent any ambushes made from these new monsters since they have the capability to appear out of nowhere! Thus, we need all of the information we can get so no one can be harmed!" Ganesha answered rather passionately while spreading out his arms as if he was trying to protect what's behind him.

Sora could only stare at the God with surprise.

"You're...very intent on protecting the people, are you?" Sora asked in surprise.

"But of course! I am Ganesha, the God of the Masses! It's my sacred duty to protect the people, and bring great joy and festivities to them!" Ganesha passionately declared.

Now Sora is looking at the God before him with a bit of awe, and a much more brighter impression of the God before him.

The God before him is genuine in wanting to protect the people of Orario, and is very open and passionate about it. Add to the fact that he's willing to pay for the information says a lot about how much he wants to protect the masses.

This actually made Sora reconsider about a few things.

Up until now, he and Bell, and if he counts Lili, were the only ones to take on the Heartless and prevent them from hurting the adventurers inside the Dungeon. But what about the Heartless that showed up on the surface recently? They could be attacking the innocents while he is down in the Dungeon.

He may be protecting the adventurers in the Dungeon, but he's not protecting the citizens of Orario.

Sora acknowledged that he cannot do this alone. Even with Bell fighting along by his side, it's not enough to fend off the Heartless. He can't be everywhere at once.

However...if he were to gain the help of others, then that would solve things.

But that would mean telling others about the Heartless. And it's rather risky to reveal such sensitive information. And that would mess with World Order.

'...Then again, the Heartless are already running rampant, no matter how hard I try to cover things up. They've already showed up at the surface, and I don't know if they'll ever appear again. And Ganesha is starting to know about this already...' Sora thought, before he started to realize something.

'...Why am I hesitating on this? This isn't the first time that I've had others help me and I filled them in on the Heartless.' Sora thought. He had countless people help him, and they knew about the Heartless. It was always the case whenever he has gone to a new world.

Perhaps he was hesitant because he hasn't found anyone else trustworthy to confide in. Hestia has always told him how Gods are seeking entertainment above all else, and put anything else as second or last priority. It was upon hearing these reasons that made Sora very hesitant in interacting with other Gods.

But seeing Ganesha being genuine with the people made Sora realize that not all of the Gods are like that. And Ganesha has introduced himself as the God of Masses, meaning he cares about the civilians of Orario without any ulterior motive. Just a pure altruistic drive to protect the people. It matches with Sora's own duties of protecting innocents from being harmed by the Darkness.

He's someone that Sora can trust.

'...I'm going to have to trust my Heart on this.' Sora thought with resolution, deciding on how to proceed from here.

"...Lord Ganesha, I'm willing to share what I know, but I want you to promise me one thing in return." Sora said with a serious look, making the masked God tilt his head slightly upon hearing this.

"A promise?" Ganesha repeated with a confused tone.

"Yes, a promise. I want you to promise me that what I'm about to share with you doesn't become public knowledge. If it does, it may cause some unnecessary panic and fear among the public. This is something that we cannot have." Sora explained to the masked God.

The God of Masses saw no lies coming from Sora, and he sees how serious Sora is regarding the new monsters. There is also the fact that Sora is merely just asking for a promise in return, and not a demand of valis for the information he is about to share. If anything, the young boy before him is more concerned about the people of Orario.

'...What an interesting young man.' Ganesha thought, before he gave a grin towards Sora.

"Of course! I, Ganesha, give you my word that I will not spread what you're about to share to the public! I also wish to not spread fear and panic among the masses!" Ganesha vowed.

Sora gave a relieved smile upon hearing this.

"That's great. Then, I'll tell you what you need to know about the Heartless..." Sora started.


~ Break ~


Ganesha sat on his chair silently, his mind racing through a lot of things and trying to comprehend at what he was told.

To say that the Heartless are a threat is a huge understatement.

These new monsters are capable of causing mass destruction if they're not contained properly.

Ganesha inwardly shuddered, considering how the Heartless have the potential to be the on the same level of threat as those monsters from the Three Great Quests.

They were such a huge threat, that it made made Ganesha very curious as to why he never heard about the Heartless before.

'No...there's a reason why the young man asked me to keep this under wraps...' Ganesha thought.

If this were to become public knowledge, there will be wide mass panic and fear. People will live in fear every single day, fearing how Heartless will show up out of nowhere and attack them, and turn them into the monsters that they fear, which will in turn attack their loved ones and increase this spread.

A nightmarish situation to behold.

This type of knowledge is very dangerous, and could turn disastrous if it were to ever fall into the wrong hands.

Fortunately, thing aren't as dire as it seems, considering who is before him.

'To think this young man is the key to solving all of this...' Ganesha thought as he looked at Sora.

It was to his surprise to learn how Sora has a Skill that is specific for the Heartless.

He possesses a Skill that attracts the Heartless to him, like moths to a flame. At first, Ganesha wondered why such a Skill exists if it's a detriment to the user, only for the God of Masses to learn that there's another aspect to Sora's Skill: the ability to purify the Heartless and set the Hearts free.

Ganesha was entirely confused when Sora talked about Hearts. He was lost on how ripping out someone's beating organ turned them into monsters, because there have been a few murder cases that involved ripping out the heart, but Sora described the Heart to be something else entirely, and different from your typical beating organ in the human body.

According to Sora, the Heart is essentially what gives the individual an identity and allows them to feel emotions. When Ganesha told Sora that he is describing the Soul, Sora said that the Soul is basically the life force that animates and fuels the physical body. The Heart and Soul are two separate and yet interconnected components of an individual.

It was certainly an interesting take on on what the Soul is, in Ganesha's opinion; considering how he's a God and managed some Souls back in Tenkai, but he wouldn't really argue about semantics. Ganesha supposes that everyone has their own form of cultures and views on spiritual philosophy and theology, even if there's a God literally right in front of them to tell them how a Soul works.

Moving on from that, Sora's Skill has the ability to purify the Heartless. When he does, it ends the Heartless's existence while restoring the person back to their original form. It astounded Ganesha that Sora's Skill practically raised people back from the dead, but Sora told him that becoming a Heartless isn't the same thing as being dead.

...His head is starting to hurt with all of this information.

Ganesha made a side glance and saw Shakti's troubled and baffled expression. Seems like he wasn't the only one who felt this.

But Ganesha soon shook it off and focused on the important matters.

Sora is the perfect counter and solution to the Heartless that are currently lurking in the shadows of Orario and the Dungeon. And he's someone that Ganesha couldn't work without. The timing of Sora's appearance was impeccable in Ganesha's opinion, and he's not going to let this opportunity escape.

"...To think such monsters existed..." Shakti whispered with a grave tone.

"...No wonder why you wanted to keep this a secret. This is quite dangerous knowledge indeed." Ganesha acknowledged after spending a good amount of time in silence, processing the information.

"Yeah. We don't want others to find out. Having others find out about the Heartless leads to some rather...bad consequences." Sora carefully said while folding his arms.

"Indeed," Ganesha agreed, "in any case, I, Ganesha, thank you for sharing this information with me. I, Ganesha, intend on keeping this promise. You can also trust Shakti on this matter as well. She's trustworthy to hold this sensitive information regarding the Heartless." Ganesha vouched for his Familia's Captain.

"Of course. I will take this information to the grave if I have to." Shakti said.

"I-I wouldn't go that far, but thanks." Sora said while sighing with relief.

"Now then, from what you've told me, you're currently seeking out the Heartless in the Dungeon and purifying them, correct?" Ganesha asked, to which Sora nodded to.

"Yeah. A majority of the Heartless tend to be found in the Dungeon. I haven't actually found any Heartless in Orario as of late, only during Monsterphilia." Sora answered.

"I see...if that is the case, then that's the best course of action to take right now. Although..." Ganesha said while going through one of the papers.

"Although?" Sora repeated with a confused look.

It was then Ganesha gestured to Shakti, who proceeded to take out a few sheets of paper as she looked through them.

"Lately, we've been receiving these reports from people who live in a district near the area where you and the Loki Familia fought the Heartless, mainly about these strange tremors that have been occurring periodically. We've tried to search for the source of these tremors based on their accounts, but we can never find where exactly the source is. We were completely in the dark. But with you giving us this new perspective..." Shakti explained.

"You believe it's the work of the Heartless." Sora said, realizing where Shakti is getting at. Shakti nodded while Ganesha sat up straight and grinned at Sora.

"You are correct! Thanks to your information, it's possible that the Heartless are the source of these strange tremors! And because you're rather experienced when it comes to these monsters, I'm wondering what your thoughts are on this." Ganesha said .

Sora hummed in thought while folding his arms, trying to think of what kind of Heartless is causing these types of tremors.

"I'm not too sure. Usually, fighting Heartless that cause large tremors tend to be very large and shake the ground with every step they take due to their weight. But if that were the case, there would've been sightings of the Heartless running rampant. But there hasn't been any destruction yet, has there?" Sora asked, making Ganesha silently nod at him.

"Then...another thing that comes to mind are Heartless that burrow underground and cause tremors. But their scale is rather small..." Sora said, scratching his head on trying to figure out the mystery before him.

"Underground..." Ganesha muttered when he heard Sora say this, before realization came to him. "That's it! If we can't find the sources up on the surface, then we need to investigate under the city!"

"Under the city?" Sora repeated with a confused look.

"It's under the city! More specifically, within the sewer systems!" Ganesha clarified.

"It certainly puts more into perspective. We have the dismissed the possibility of the sewer system due to the tremors being rather inconsistent with the underground layout locations. But with the Heartless in mind..." Shakti pointed out.

"Then it's possible then," Sora said, "If the Heartless are truly involved, then there's no way that I'm going to turn a blind eye towards this! Lord Ganesha, please allow me to be in this investigation! " Sora requested with determination as he stood up from his chair while clenching his fist in front of him.

Ganesha gave a hearty laugh as he stood up alongside Sora.

"Of course! If it's indeed the Heartless, then we need your particular set of skills in eliminating them and keeping the people safe! Shakti and I look forward to your assistance!" Ganesha exclaimed.

"Likewise!" Sora returned as he held out his hand towards the God. The God of Masses in turn gave a grin as he clasped his hand with Sora and shook hands with him.

Their lighthearted atmosphere mood was suddenly interrupted when a frantic knock was made on the door. Everyone in the room blinked and turned their attention towards the door.

"You can come in!" Ganesha called out to the unexpected visitor.

The door opened, and revealed to be a person that Sora recognized from Monsterphilia. Modaka looked rather troubled and panicked as he entered the room.

"What is it Familia Member A? What has gotten you so worked up?" Ganesha asked in confusion.

"It's Modaka, Lord Ganesha!" Modaka immediately corrected. "N-Never mind that, we have trouble!"

Hearing this immediately had everyone tense, making Sora gain an alarmed look.

"Is it the Heartless!?" Sora asked in concern and alarm. Modaka blinked when asked the question, but soon shook his head to focus on the topic at hand.

"I-I don't know what that is, but we have trouble at the front gate! It's...!"


~ Break ~


"Let me through! I demand to speak to Ganesha and have him release my child!"

"P-Please calm down Goddess! You're choking him!"

One of Ganesha's gate guards was on his knees, being comically chocked by Hestia's twin tails as they were tightly wrapped around his neck. He was also being throttled by Hestia as she was shaking him back in forth in anger. One of the other Ganesha gate guard was absolutely lost on what to do, not sure on how to deal with a volatile and angry Goddess before him. He can't exactly apply force or violence to a divine being before him, even if his fellow Familia member was losing air at the moment.

Bell seems to be doing the job for him, as he was trying to placate and trying to pull away the Goddess from the poor gate guard. But for some reason, Hestia's twintails has a firm grip on the poor guard's neck.

Fortunately for the gate guard, help came in the form of Sora, who ran up towards them.

"Bell?! Hestia!? What are you doing here!?" Sora asked in surprise.

Seeing the sight of Sora immediately had Hestia release her grip, allowing the gate guard to finally breath in some air. Bell followed after her while looking at Sora with a relieved expression as well.

"Sora!" Hestia exclaimed with relief and joy, making her way past the guards and her way towards Sora. She looked all over Sora with concern, similar to how a mother is checking a child if they injured themselves after falling.

"Are you alright!? Ganesha didn't do anything weird to make you spill, did he!?" Hestia questioned.

"N-No, why would he-!?" Sora answered with a flabbergasted look.

"Thank goodness! When I see that elephant headed God, I'm going to-!" Hestia started, but was soon cut off when Ganesha entered the scene.

"Oh, Hestia! I certainly didn't expect you to visit at this time!" Ganesha greeted with surprise.

"You!" Hestia comically snarled as she attempted to pounce at Ganesha, only to be held back by Bell.

"Please Goddess, calm down before you do something that you'll regret!" Bell desperately cried out as he was holding back his Goddess.

"Um..." Sora looked a bit lost on why Hestia was angry with the God, but soon shook that off as he joined Bell in trying to calm down Hestia.

Ganesha looked rather confused as to why Hestia is rather angry with him, while Shakti approached the scene while looking between her patron God and the angry Goddess before her. Suddenly, her mind clicked when she recognized what was going on.

Shakti sighed while rubbing her forehead, and then turned to her patron God with a deadpanned look.

"Lord Ganesha...did you forget to send one of our Familia members to inform Lady Hestia that we were going to talk to Sora?" Shakti questioned.

As soon as Ganesha heard the question, he froze a bit and went silent. Stiffly, he turned his head away while sweating a bit.

"I...Ganesha...may have neglected that part..." Ganesha, uncharacteristically, quietly admitted.

Shakti promptly face palmed upon hearing this.


~ Break ~


After the whole situation has calmed down, everyone was led to Ganesha's office once more. On Ganesha's side, Ganesha was giving a sheepish laugh while scratching the back of his head, while Shakti looked rather apologetic at what occurred. On the Hestia Familia's side, Hestia was in a rather bad mood as she was glaring at Ganesha, while Bell could only mirror Shakti and be apologetic on their behalf.

Meanwhile, Sora was just staring at his Familia with confused and lost expression.

"So...how exactly did all of this happen?" Sora couldn't help but ask.

"W-Well..." Bell started while looking rather embarrassed.

When Sora left the group, Bell immediately headed to the Guild and exchanged the magic stones for Valis. As soon as he was done, he parted ways with Lili and made a beeline towards their home and informed Hestia on what just happened. As soon as the Goddess was told of this, she exploded into fury and immediately went for a beeline towards Ganesha's home base, with Bell following after her.

As soon as she arrived, she was met with the front gates being closed and one of the guard asking what her business is. She demanded to speak to Ganesha, to which the guard responded that Ganesha is currently busy at the moment (speaking to Sora). She didn't take kindly to that answer, and then proceeded to choke the guard and demand to let her through.

"...Huh." Sora lets out while looking befuddled upon learning about this. "I didn't think she'd react this badly to me being taken away..."

"I-I'm really sorry for what my Goddess did!" Bell cried out while bowing in apology towards Ganesha.

Ganesha, on the other hand, simply gave a hearty laugh, showing that he's not at all offended.

"Ha ha ha! It's alright! This misunderstanding was an error on my part." Ganesha waved off easily. "In hindsight, I should've talked to Hestia first before I brought Sora in. I was just rather eager to learn about the Heartless from Sora!"

As soon as Ganesha said that, the Hestia Familia (save for Sora) froze upon hearing this. Bell paled a bit upon hearing this. Hestia froze in her spot as well, before she stiffly turned towards Sora with an unreadable expression.

"...You. WHAT!?" Hestia questioned with a stiff expression.

Sora gave a sheepish and nervous chuckle as he scratched his cheek.

"I...voluntarily told Ganesha about the Heartless." Sora confessed to the Goddess.

Silence rung throughout the room, before Hestia proceeded to close the distance between her and Sora and proceeded to shake him around in comical fury.

"Why!? After all the effort we're going through to keep this under wraps, you just decided to reveal it like that!? That defeats the whole purpose of what you're supposed to be doing!" Hestia yelled in irritation.

"H-Hestia, please calm down...!" Sora sputtered as he was being throttled by the Goddess before him. 'Geez, she's acting like Donald when he finds out that I'm breaking the rules! And if I know anything about Donald, it'll take some time for her to calm down...!'

"G-Goddess, please calm down!" Bell exclaimed as he once again had to serve as the placater to Hestia's fury.

Fortunately for Sora, Ganesha decided to speak up to spare the boy from his Goddess's fury.

"Hestia." Ganesha called out to the Goddess of the Hearth, making Hestia momentarily stop shaking Sora and turn her attention towards him.

"I understand all too well why Sora wanted to keep the Heartless hidden. Information like this is too sensitive to share, and could cause public discord if news of the Heartless were to spread." Ganesha told the Goddess, before he folded his arms.

"However! Please be assured that I, Ganesha, already promised Sora that I will not share this information about the Heartless to the public or anyone else for that matter! And because of his duties to defeat the Heartless, I, Ganesha, fully intend on supporting Sora and his endeavors against the Heartless in order to keep the city safe!" Ganesha declared.

This made Bell look at the God in surprise, while Sora gave a grin in appreciation for the support the God of the Masses is giving him. Hearing all of this come from Ganesha made Hestia pause and stare at Ganesha for a bit, before she gave a sigh and lets Sora go from her grasp.

"*Sigh*...Honestly, we're supposed to keep this under wraps and not let anyone else know about the Heartless. But I guess it's too late for that. I guess I have no choice but to accept this. It could've been worse if Sora told any other God. But with you, it's the least consequential." Hestia reluctantly relented while sighing.

"I, Ganesha, am glad to have your approval!" Ganesha heartily replied with a grin.

"Thank you for your acceptance, Lady Hestia." Shakti replied as while bowing in thanks.

"Thank goodness that's settled with." Sora said with relief, making Bell nod in agreement with him.

Hestia, however, simply cleared her throat, showing that she's not done yet.

"Even with this approval, there need to be a few ground rules if our Familias are going to work together." Hestia declared, making Bell and Sora look at her in surprise, while Ganesha simply nodded in understanding.

"Fair enough. What sort of rules do we need to establish?" Ganesha asked.

"While I can't name everything at the moment, the first thing that needs to be said is that whatever activity that you're going to involve Sora in, you need to tell me as well. My child doesn't mind helping you out with the Heartless, but I certainly don't want him to be exploited for his power!" Hestia stated with a serious tone.

"Of course! I, Ganesha, would never dream of such a thing! My Familia and I are more than happy to receive Sora's assistance, rather than exploit him for our benefit! Our goals align in protecting the masses, after all!" Ganesha declared, making Hestia sigh in relief upon hearing this.

"Good. Then concerning how we'll go from here..."


~ Break ~


The meeting between Hestia and Ganesha lasted for a good amount of time, before both parties found the agreement and rules between them to be of satisfactory.

As of now, the Hestia and Ganesha Familia are in an unofficial and unspoken alliance when it comes to the Heartless.

When the meeting came to an end, they were let go from Ganesha's Familia and headed home. The trio were currently walking through the streets of Orario, with the magic light lamps lighting up the streets as night has already fallen.

"Honestly, I thought that meeting was going to last all night..." Hestia grumbled while looking exhausted.

"I'm just glad we were able to resolve it without any issue." Sora said with a grin as he crossed his arms behind his head.

"Y-Yeah, without issue..." Bell muttered, his mind still lingering how it could've been an issue if he wasn't there to hold back his Goddess's wrath.

"Yeah, about that." Hestia said as she turned towards Sora with a complex expression. "I know that I've agreed to work with Ganesha, but I'm still having some doubts about this. Sora, are you positive that it's a good idea to trust Ganesha with the information about the Heartless? As a Keyblade wielder, you're supposed to keep everything about you under wraps. Why did you decide to confess it to a God that you just met?"

Hearing that question made the islander hum while folding his arms in thought.

"Well, at first, I wanted to keep the Heartless under wraps as well. But after talking with Ganesha, I came to realize he isn't like the other Gods at all. He's the God of Masses, so he's more interested in protecting the people rather than try to exploit me for my powers like other Gods. So our interest align with each other." Sora explained.

"Even if that is the case, you could've given some half truths about the Heartless, like how they're abnormal monsters and just leave it at that. But you decided to give the full truth about the Heartless and their potential for mass destruction." Hestia pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but I believe being honest with each other will help build up a strong relationship between us. Plus, I believe informing Ganesha of the truth will be beneficial for us in the long run." Sora explained, making Hestia look confused upon hearing this.

"W-What do you mean by beneficial?"

"Well, I can't be everywhere at once. Once I'm in the Dungeon, I have no knowledge on what's occurring on the surface. The Heartless may attack the citizens while I'm gone. The Ganesha Familia will help keep a lookout for the Heartless, and they'll update me on any Heartless activity." Sora explained to his Goddess.

Hestia blinked upon hearing this.

"Y-You make a valid point. But still, it's rather risky to entrust Ganesha with this type of information. He may learn about how you're not from this world." Hestia pointed out.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. I haven't given him any information regarding my origins. And besides, I feel Ganesha isn't going to dig too much into my background. Ganesha is a cool guy once you get to know him." Sora said with a grin.

Hestia stared at Sora with a bit of disbelief, as she can't believe Sora finds a weird and eccentric God like Ganesha 'cool'. Then again, with someone like Sora who possesses such an out-of-this-world common sense and perspective, it's only natural that Sora gets along with those types of people.

Hestia soon shook that off and she sighed in an exhausted manner.

"...If you're sure, that's fine then..." Hestia relented. "I suppose it could've been worse. At least Loki or some other God didn't drag you away and demand the truth out of you."

Sora simply chuckled. "I guess."

It was then Bell found it the perfect time to bring up a topic that has been on his mind.

"So Ganesha has already assigned you to investigate some Heartless activity in Orario?" Bell curiously asked, making Sora nod at Bell.

"Yeah, Ganesha has told me that there have been reports of unusual tremors that have been occurring in a certain section of Orario. They're having a rather difficult time trying to track down the source of the tremors, and he wants me to check it out and see if it's related to the Heartless." Sora explained.

"Tremors in the city..." Bell muttered while gaining a pensive look, trying to figure out if that is related to Heartless activity.

"Do you think it's possible Sora?" Hestia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe. The only way to find out is checking the area out."

"I suppose that's the point of investigating." Hestia quietly commented. "Is there anyone else coming to investigate the tremors?"

"Yeah. As it turns out, Ganesha is going to have Shakti work alongside me in the investigation." Sora revealed, making Bell and Hestia look at Sora in shock.

"Ganesha is sending his Captain alongside you!? That seems like overkill if you ask me!? And why didn't he tell me during that meeting!?" Hestia exclaimed in shock and irritation.

"Well, he said that he wants the Captain to gain experience on what it's like to deal with Heartless, and having her learn from me about the Heartless will help them gain a better understanding on the patterns of Heartless. So I don't really see the problem with it. As for the last part, I think he assumed that I was going to tell you." Sora said while shrugging.

Hestia groaned while rubbing her forehead.

"Honestly, we're already dragging in people from high places into our business already, and it hasn't even been a month since you joined our Familia." Hestia said while groaning.

Meanwhile, Bell gained a determined expression as he turned to Sora.

"If Heartless are lurking in the city, then I should help out as well-" Bell started

"Actually Bell, I need you to do me a favor and keep an eye on the Dungeon for me." Sora cut off Bell, making Bell look at Sora in shock.

"W-What?" Bell responded with shock and confusion.

"Heh heh, out of nowhere, huh?" Sora chuckled as he scratched his cheek.

"I-It kind of is!" Bell replied. "What exactly do you mean keep an eye on the Dungeon?"

"Well, here's the thing. The Heartless are attracted to me with the Keyblade. Even if that's the case, the Heartless do things on their own when I'm not around. Because I'm going to investigate Orario, that means I'm not going to be in the Dungeon. I want you to be my eyes and ears to see if the Heartless are going to move up floors on their own." Sora explained to him.

"Hey, wait a moment." Hestia immediately spoke up on hearing this from Sora. "Isn't it dangerous to have Bell dive into the Dungeon alone and face the Heartless? I know Bell has been growing a lot as of late, and his stats are already in the above average for a Level 1, but it's still rather risky, isn't it?" Hestia pointed out with concern.

"Who said anything about facing the Heartless?" Sora replied. "I want Bell to keep an eye on the first eight floors. He's more than capable of handling himself with the Dungeon monsters, plus he's well equipped to take on the Heartless if they were to move up." Sora said with confidence.

"Y-You think I'm ready?" Bell asked with surprise.

"I trust you can keep an eye on things. Plus, even if the Heartless don't show up, which is a good thing, you can use that time to practice with your Trancheuse." Sora pointed out, making Bell blink upon hearing this.

Now that Sora has pointed it out, his knife throwing skills could really use some work, considering how his success rate with them is below-average. And considering the fast-pace battles and environment that Bell often finds himself in, he doesn't exactly have the leisure to properly adjust his throwing.

'Perhaps taking a step back might be best for me...' Bell thought, seeing how he needs to step away from intense battles at the moment and focus on a lighter practice environment to hone his skills.

Seeing the benefits from this, as well as the fact that Sora has enough faith in him to keep an eye on the Heartless while he's not around has already made Bell feel even more driven to go forth with his given task.

Bell gave a determined nod towards Sora.

"Right! I'll do my best!" Bell answered.

Hestia looked rather hesitant when she heard Bell's answer for a couple of reasons.

The first reason is that Bell could be fighting the Heartless on his own if the Heartless do decided to move up floors. Sure, he's been improving a lot lately and his the best equipment to handle them, but the Heartless are monsters that you cannot underestimate. Reason why Bell lasted this long is due to the fact that Sora is around to make sure things are alright. But considering the fact that Bell is going to stick to the floors that have been liberated from the Heartless, she supposes it's safe.

The second reason is that Bell and Sora are going to be separate from each other. She needs Sora and Bell to be together in order for Sora's Link to All to improve Bell's already ridiculous growth. If they far apart from each other, then Bell won't grow as much.

'Though, Bell's own Skill is nothing to sneeze at either...' Hestia thought, her mind recalling Liaris Freese. Bell will certainly grow bigger than anyone else, but not as much as before without Sora's Link to All.

And now that she thought about it, they're just going to spend a day apart from each other. It's not going to hurt that much in the overall grand scheme of things.

It was upon those thoughts that Hestia decided to let them do what they're planning, but not without giving Bell proper warning.

"Even though Sora is entrusting you to keep on eye on the upper floors Bell, make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew! Do not, under any circumstances, enter the 9th floor on your own! And if the Heartless are moving up and the numbers and strength are against you, do not hesitate to run! That's Sora's job to take care of them!" Hestia sternly told Bell.

"I-I understand Goddess!" Bell straightened up when hearing this from his Goddess. Pleased to hear the answer from her first and beloved child, Hestia then turned to Sora.

"As for you Sora, make sure you give only the appropriate amount of information to Ganesha's Captain. We don't want Ganesha and his Familia pick up any clues about your origins. Or worse, just you spilling everything about you." Hestia told Sora.

"Hey, I'm not that hopeless! I know how to keep secrets when needed!" Sora protested with a pout.

Hestia gave him a flat stare, telling him she doesn't buy it.

She leaves him alone for a moment and Sora has already revealed the truth about the Heartless to another God, despite the benefits coming from it. She cannot be blamed for feeling this way towards Sora.

Hestia sighed while rubbing her forehead.

Why is it that she's putting in the most effort to keep Sora's status a secret, when Sora himself should be doing it instead?

'This Keyblade wielder is more trouble than he is worth...' Hestia thought with a mental groan.

She could already feel another headache forming.


And that's a wrap to this chapter.

Once again, not the most exciting of chapters, but I promise you that this chapter is the buildup to something exciting, which is gonna happen next chapter.

Originally, I was going to write the chapter with Sora and Ganesha finishing their meeting, and then have Sora return home and tell Hestia and Bell what happened afterwards. But TheBeatles211 has suggested a rather fun idea/segment to add in where Hestia is quite furious with Ganesha on how he practically took Sora to him without consulting with her first, and barge in. But I modified it a bit.

Also, originally, I was going to write dialogue between Sora and Ganesha, with Sora explaining about the Heartless. But I soon found that a chore, and 95% of the conversation was just Sora explaining and Ganesha being shocked and confused with the information. It looked to be pretty boring and repetitive, so I've decided to just summarize the conversation.

So yeah, Sora filled in Ganesha about the Heartless, which is honestly a good call, considering how Ganesha is a really benevolent God compared to the rest of the other Gods. He is a God who genuinely cares about the masses and protecting the innocent, just like Sora. So of course their goals would align with each other.

And because of this, Ganesha has already gave Sora some work in Orario.

Sora now has the Ganesha Familia backing his efforts in suppressing the Heartless. Quite an upgrade for our Keyblade Wielder.


Fun Fact of the Day

Nomura confirmed at the 20th Anniversary event that he heavily considered making a Verum Rex game, after the in-universe video game of the same name from Kingdom Hearts III, before the fourth numbered installment, focused on Yozora and the cast of characters from his universe. He decided against it out of fear it would confuse players, worry fans of Sora, and push development of Kingdom Hearts IV further back after III spent a considerable amount of time in Development Hell.

...Perhaps we would get a Verum Rex spin off in the future? Fingers crossed.