Sorry that I made you guys wait so long. My brain and inspiration were held hostage by another fandom. Then I got distracted by all the excitement of "ReMind"… before my brain was recaptured by the other fandom again. It's been a bit insane and I do apologize. Thankfully, due to the fact that events have already been altered a bit in this story, I don't have to worry about trying to incorporate everything from the DLC. I might snag some bits and pieces if they would fit in, but there will be no stable time-loop heart-hopping shenanigans in this fic.
I do have some good news. There is a planned sequel for this fic. It'll be titled "Parental Instinct" (with the duology being called "Instinctively Family"). It'll be a bit more domestic with less combat than this one. Mostly it'll be focused on the question of "what now" as Lea, Roxas, Xion, and even Isa try to move forward, building a life outside of the Organization and Keyblade Wars while also dealing with the fallout of everything. That should give you something to look forward to.
Lea knew what they were doing. The real Organization XIII was doing the exact same thing that Larxene and Marluxia tried a few days ago. They were throwing as many Heartless and such as possible at the guardians in the hopes of wearing them down. And as soon as the guardians of light were exhausted and vulnerable, that was when Master Xehanort's followers would strike.
It was a good plan. Beat them down with sheer numbers. Wave after wave of Heartless, some scattered Nobodies, and the strange creatures that Ventus hurriedly identified as Unversed at one point. Eventually someone would make a mistake. He could see their logic. Lea might have tried the same strategy in their position.
But none of them were giving up yet.
Once more, Lea found himself in the middle of a cluster of protective Keyblade-wielding teenagers. The rest were spread out, but his self-appointed bodyguards kept close. He did appreciate the gesture and help. But mostly he appreciated that he could keep track of them easier that way.
They'd gotten more coordinated on how they split up the job of giving him backup. Xion had perfected a high-level Reflect spell at some point, the transparent shield similar to the one he'd glimpsed Aqua using. Lea kept finding it around him at regular intervals. Xion cast that spell whenever she thought he might get overwhelmed. Kairi's continuous use of Cura helped with the hits that he couldn't avoid and his general strength. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that he wasn't up to his normal energy levels. And the larger Heartless never had a chance to get close before Roxas drove them back. The boy channeled all his understandable anger and frustration into every swing. And occasionally the kids would team up together to pull off a combo attack, clearing out large chunks of the enemy from around Lea.
He was mildly surprised when Roxas, Xion, and Ventus worked together on a large clump of Nobodies approaching through the stone chasm. Apparently Roxas had set aside his discomfort with the other boy either temporarily or permanently. Or at least enough of that unease was gone that they could compliment each other's fighting styles. It was honestly a relief. There were enough complicated and uncomfortable issues. It would be far easier if at least some of Lea's various friends could get along.
When they got Isa back, he couldn't imagine how awkward that would be.
When. Not if.
None of them had much of a chance to catch their breaths though. The second wave of Heartless were just as numerous as the first. And Lea doubted that Sora would be able to summon up another magic rollercoaster to tear through them.
Not that Sora wasn't already doing an impressive job. While everyone else focused on the task of maintaining the perimeter and keeping more enemies from spilling over, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were in the center of everything. The trio were dealing with the nightmarish amalgamation.
Lea didn't know of a better way to describe the Demon Tide except as a mass of smaller Heartless clustered together. A swarm of Shadows that travel in waves and narrow twisters that thrash and lash out. It twisted and swirled through the air before diving into the ground through patches of darkness, bursting out somewhere else to attack from a new angle. The thing moved like something between a serpent and a thin cyclone. And Sora, Donald, and Goofy managed to corral the thrashing mass of Heartless while the rest of the guardians remained on the outskirts.
And then Sora's Keyblade turned into a pair of arrowguns. Because apparently that was a trick that he picked up somewhere. Almost like that weird suit of armor turning a Keyblade into a whip.
Once again, the trio demonstrated their expertise when it came to facing these sorts of things. Aqua might have used a Keyblade longer and Lea had years of experience dealing with Heartless during his time in Organization XIII, but Sora was the expert at fighting powerful and vicious Heartless in situations like that. And whenever Lea looked up from his own spinning combos, he would spot the boy pulling off some rather impressive acrobatics.
Did gravity actually mean anything to him anymore? Between chaining together long air combos and his new air-stepping trick, Sora didn't seem to touch the ground nearly enough. He could probably even give Xigbar a run for his money and the Nobody's whole deal was manipulating gravity and shooting people.
Eventually, the Demon Tide plunged into the ground and the immediate area was darkened to shades of red and black. Then it rose back up, a whirling tornado of Shadows spinning around a glowing, dark, and deadly-looking orange core. And Sora didn't even blink as he focused on the appealing target at the center of the orbiting mass. He slashed at it, his Keyblade a blur.
Then another Reaper swung a scythe at Lea's throat and he was forced to pay closer attention to his own fight instead.
Though Lea was admittedly not great at that. Especially since paying attention to his surroundings had kept him alive in several sticky situations in the past. So he couldn't help grinning when he spotted Riku and Kairi working together on a couple opponents. The older boy seemed rather impressed by her skills and proud of his friend's achievements. All their training had paid off.
Lea tried to ration his fire-based attacks. The fighting could last a while and he might need something in reserve. But even with the help of Kairi's Cura spells, Lea's energy was starting to waver far too soon. The still-healing damage to his ribs complained with every twist, dodge, and wider swing of his Keyblade. He could keep going, but he needed to rest the next time they got a break in the action. Or else he would be useless for the upcoming battles. He would be useless if he needed to protect the kids. Lea needed to be cautious about not burning through his strength too fast and becoming a hinderance.
It might have been smarter not to come and to leave everything to the other guardians of light. They had enough members. It might have been smarter to focus on recovering instead of diving right back into combat. But Lea refused to let any of them handle things alone. Not his half-pints that he just got back. Not Kairi. Not Ventus. Not even Sora. He wasn't going anywhere.
As Xion called down Thundaga and cleared another clump of Heartless, Lea spotted Sora jumping back and landing lightly on the ground. The boy glared up at the swirling mass, clearly frustrated by the Demon Tide's refusal to shatter to pieces like a proper opponent.
"C'mon," he said, the words coming through clenched teeth.
Almost as if responding to his complaints, the swirling mass began to worsen. Growing. Lea felt the hairs on the back of his neck rising.
"Something's wrong," said Goofy uneasily.
Eyes widening, Donald shouted, "Look out!"
The Demon Tide yanked in other Heartless from the surrounding area, pulling them away from where they were fighting the other guardians. Some were drawn in like the victims of a powerful Magnega. Others were snatched up by smaller clusters of the creatures in the form of spinning tendrils, miniature versions of the Demon Tide's previous form. But regardless of the method, all the Heartless were coming together and transforming into a monstrous storm. More of a force of nature than an actual opponent.
Lea absently noticed that Roxas and Xion were edging closer to him. But he couldn't look away from the swirling vortex of death.
"What now?" asked Goofy.
Looking up, Donald asked, "Sora?"
As if asking the boy what his plan was. As if Sora would naturally know how to handle a giant storm made of Heartless.
And Sora, confident and determined, shouted, "I'll stop it!"
Keyblade raised, he charged forward even as Donald and Goofy yelled after him. Sora kept running, deflecting away the first clump of Shadows without breaking stride. Then, weapon raised, he leapt in the air towards the deadly mass.
Light flared. Too blindingly bright. Lea winced and ducked his head, trying to shield his eyes from the sudden flare of light.
He blinked away the worst of the glare just in time to see Sora landing on the ground and looking up. Lea's jaw dropped as he followed his gaze.
Keyblades. Hundreds of them. Keyblades ripped from the stone and dirt of the Badlands. The remnants of ancient battles and countless deaths. Keyblades with no wielders left. They filled the air, shining like new and racing overhead as everyone watched. The Keyblades from all over the area began condensing into a tight stream circling the Demon Tide.
Weapons of light forged to combat the darkness, called upon once more to fulfill their purpose.
No one spoke. They could only stare in stunned awe. No one could possibly know how to respond to the sight.
Except Sora. He laughed briefly before leaping up and riding the stream of Keyblades. As if jumping on a swarm of weapons of fallen Keyblade wielders and using them to fly through the air was the most natural thing in the world. They watched as Sora rode the stream of Keyblades towards the eye of the storm. No sign of hesitation or fear. Then he started hurtling the glimmering weapons at the swirling mass.
"Okay, now that's just cheating," muttered Roxas, startling a laugh out of Lea.
"Don't be jealous, Roxas," he said in a mildly teasing tone. "Pretty sure it isn't a competition on who can use the most Keyblades at once. Besides, you were the one who started duel-wielding them first. Sora's probably just trying to follow your lead."
With no one else left to fight, everyone was drawing together even as they stared up at Sora working his way towards the glowing core. Roxas and Xion were pressed close and nearly touching Lea. Riku was framed by his friends, King Mickey on one side and Kairi on the other. Aqua's hand had drifted back to Ventus's shoulder. As if she needed the reassurance that he was present and safe. Lea couldn't blame her for that. He knew the feeling. But even as they edged in closer together, they were all looking up at the impossible sight above them.
They watched Sora throw the strange Keyblades at a rapid pace, beating the swirling storm back. Driving the clumped Shadows and the glowing core further back. Then with a final shout, Sora tore through the dark orange core. What remained exploded out of existence above them.
Landing lightly on the ground, Sora looked back up at the shining Keyblades. They lingered in the air overhead briefly before shattering into glimmers of light. Their departure just as mysterious and unexplained as their arrival.
As the other guardians broke into a run to join him, Riku shouted, "Sora. Are you all right?"
"Yeah," he said with a short nod.
"What was that?" asked King Mickey, voicing the question on everyone's minds.
Hand clutched to her chest as she and Ventus still stared at the sky in awe, Aqua said, "Keyblade wielders… from long ago."
"It's the light of the past," said Ventus, his smile almost nostalgic for some reason.
And apparently that was all the explanation that Lea was going to receive on the topic. Well, it wasn't the weirdest thing that he'd ever heard. Sora getting help from Keyblade-wielding ghosts? Sure. Why not? Stranger things happened to the kid almost on a daily basis from what he'd seen.
Everyone's attention was still towards the sky, the stunned awe not yet gone, when Kairi noticed something. A new figure approaching through the dust. Shorter than some of the others, but not the one that seemed to radiate pure darkness more so than the others. It wasn't the boy in the mask, unnerving in his absence of any light in a way that mirrored her own absence of darkness. This was someone else. She could tell that much.
"Look!" she called, pointing at the figure with a sword balanced on his shoulder.
Something about the silhouette felt familiar. That didn't stop Kairi from settling into a combative stance. Keyblade not yet summoned, but perched on the balls of her feet. Perfectly balanced to either move into a strike or a dodge. Whoever it was, she was ready for them.
Stepping forward and nearly growling the words as he mirrored Kairi's stance, Lea said, "Just send out the Big Bad."
The dust finally settled enough that Kairi could make out further details on the figure. The shoulder-length silver hair and the dark blade, Soul Eater. Both unmistakable. It was like stepping back in time, when she was hidden in Sora's heart as he fought his way through Hollow Bastion.
And she wasn't the only one who recognized him. Riku visibly startled and gritted his teeth. The darker version of her friend, the one that must have come from another point in time, came to a stop. Then he chuckled and adjusted the blade balanced on his shoulder.
Fury in his voice, Riku snapped, "You!"
"The Organization's been using hearts," said King Mickey, taking a step forward. "Ones Xehanort got to in the past and has influence over. So, that must be you from when Ansem had control of your heart."
Voice quiet and full of regrets, Riku said, "Yeah. How could I forget?"
Kairi wished that she was closer to him so she could put a reassuring hand on his arm, but she couldn't reach him. And it didn't seem wise to relax her guard at the moment. Not with the darker version in front of them, chuckling in a way that screamed arrogance and pride. Far worse than Riku ever seemed during their childhood on Destiny Island.
A brief wish that they could go back to those innocent and simple days flashed through her mind before disappearing.
"I'd say that was our finest hour," boasted the darker version of her friend's past.
Giving the smallest head shake, Riku said, "Wrong. My hour of weakness."
"You sure?" he asked tauntingly before lifting his sword towards the sky. "How about we find out?"
Darkness came off him in waves. Growing thicker with every second. Then a pillar of it erupted skywards. The darkness took shape, shifting into a giant humanoid form with glowing pale eyes. Kairi shivered as the darkness mimicked a huge effigy of Master Xehanort. It looked over them with its arms outstretched as the skies darkened once more.
"A real test," shouted Dark Riku mockingly, "for the Mark of Mastery!"
"What did you say?" he snapped back.
"We gotta make sure you're not blundering your way towards a second failure," said Xigbar, arriving through a dark corridor next to Dark Riku.
He didn't even glance up at the towering shape of darkness. Xigbar just grinned at them. Not a friendly one. He grinned like a predator when presented with vulnerable and easy prey. After being kidnapped so many times by different people, Kairi was well-acquainted with that look. And judging by the glare that she glimpsed Aqua wearing, the Keyblade master didn't appreciate it either.
"Blundering?" said Lea, managing to pull the attention away from Riku and towards himself instead. "I'll have you know we failed with style, chief."
"At least you admit it," he said. "Though I'm surprised to see you here, Axel. Last I heard, you got yourself killed over a couple kids for the second time in a row."
Xigbar smirked at Roxas and Xion as the pair drew closer to Lea. He didn't even seem fazed by their twin glares.
"You two kiddos really cause a lot of trouble for everyone, don't you? And for the people who like you, it tends to be fatal trouble. You didn't think that Axel destroyed himself for Sora's sake back then, did you? As if," he scoffed. "That was all on you."
As Roxas and Xion summoned their weapons, Lea grabbed their shoulders to stop them and said, "First, don't worry about me. Haven't you noticed yet? I tend to bounce back from things." He gave Xigbar a predatory grin of his own, making it clear that he didn't appreciate the attempt to provoke his friends. "So don't go making the same mistake everyone did after Castle Oblivion and thinking I'm gone too soon. You can't get rid of me that easily. And second, the name's Lea. Got it memorized yet?"
Shrugging slightly, Xigbar said, "Well, if you guardians think you brought the goods, you'll have to prove it to the old man one last time. 'Course, he still thinks there's a couple too many of you, so he shouldn't be that disappointed if not everyone makes the cut." He clasped Dark Riku's shoulder as he turned to leave, the gesture almost supportive and encouraging. "Kid, take it away."
As Xigbar vanished, Dark Riku shouted wordlessly and the darkness swelled in power around him. The shadowy form of Master Xehanort lost its distinctive shape. But then hundreds of Shadow Heartless started raining down from the sky. And when they landed, they tried to clump together into smaller versions of Demon Towers. Dark Riku disappearing into the darkness almost felt like an afterthought.
Sounding exasperated, Sora said, "This again?"
Everyone summoned their weapons and immediately started fighting against them. Not complicated combos or powerful spells. Just straightforward and basic attacks. The Shadows weren't particularly strong, after all. It was the numbers that were the problem.
But not the only problem. The guardians were showing signs of weariness. There was a sluggishness to their movements that wasn't there before. It was harder to fend off hundreds of Shadows and the growing numbers of Demon Towers. Kairi knew that they were flagging after handling the first two waves of the creatures from before.
And the hundreds of Heartless kept raining down. The numbers kept increasing faster than they could destroy them. The guardians started slowly moving back-to-back.
"This isn't good," said King Mickey.
Her voice firm and controlled, Aqua commanded, "Form up. Now!"
It didn't take much effort to follow her directions, settling into a circle formation. It was better protection for them, allowing everyone to cover each other's backs as the numbers kept growing. They needed that. Everyone was getting tired. Kairi's arms ached and felt like they weighed a ton. She vaguely noticed a short and quiet exchange between Riku and the king, but most of her attention was on the fight. Everyone needed to concentrate on it.
Kairi didn't know how they were going to get through this many enemies. It reminded her too much of defending the secret lab with Lea, Donald, and Goofy. And she remembered that ending in a limp body lying on the ground, bleeding and dying.
"I'll try and break through," shouted Aqua. "Everyone, get ready!"
Smashing a couple Shadows, Ventus yelled, "Alone? That's crazy. I'll help!"
Kairi dashed forward to destroy a Heartless of her own. Then she jumped back in formation. Three more Shadows were already taking its place.
"Two is no better," she said. "Then you'd both be overwhelmed."
Taking out a pair of his own Shadows with a twist of his Keyblade, Lea added, "Yeah, splitting up's a bad idea."
"Then does anyone have a good one?" asked Roxas. "Because they aren't slowing down."
They really weren't. The Heartless kept raining down. Shadows scrambling on the ground were beginning to resemble a dark ocean of the creatures. And more and more of the Demon Towers were rising up on all sides. There was no end in sight.
"There's too many!" shouted Goofy.
A larger Demon Tower formed in front of them. Growing larger and stronger as the thin spiraling figure turned towards them.
Panicking, Donald yelped, "We're finished!"
She glimpsed Sora gritting his teeth before Lea tried to move in between some of the younger Keyblade wielders and the diving Demon Tower. She braced herself and—
Light.
A bright pale green light burned through the dark clouds. The orb of light plunged towards the ground, landing in front of them with an intense flash. The explosive light blasted away the Heartless and shook the ground beneath Kairi's feet. She could feel the power radiating off it.
But eventually the light dimmed, and everyone could stop shielding their eyes. And what was left standing in its place was Master Yen Sid, his back towards them as he faced down the swarm of Heartless. Everyone shouted in name in unison, completely shocked by his arrival.
Hands glowing, Master Yen Sid raised and spread his arms. Pale, glowing, and transparent walls formed and blasted away the Heartless. Driving them back and even cutting a path through the mob.
"Go, my young champions," commanded Master Yen Sid. "I will hold them all here for as long as I can."
Moving towards his former teacher with a worried expression, King Mickey said, "We're not gonna leave you behind."
Donald and Goofy exchanged brief looks, clearly not happy with the idea either. Then, with a quick nod, they ran towards the front of the group. Only when they took up position right behind Master Yen Sid did they turn and meet Sora's confused expression.
"You guys go on," said Donald.
"Me and Donald will stay here." Sounding certain with their decision, Goofy said, "The two of us'll back up Master Yen Sid."
Quiet and worried, Sora said, "Donald… Goofy…"
Donald smiled up at him proudly. Rather like how Kairi's adopted parents did when she told them about her plans to train with a Keyblade, even if they didn't quite understand.
"You're a whole pint by yourself, Sora."
"Don't worry," reassured Goofy. "We'll catch up with ya in just a bit."
Sora looked like he wanted to ask them to come. She was familiar with his current expression and knew exactly what he was thinking. He never did like leaving his friends behind. And yet circumstances kept ripping him away from those he cared about again and again. He didn't want to leave Donald and Goofy behind, uncertain what might happen to them and how long it might be before they were reunited. Sora almost looked like he was afraid that he might never seem them again at all.
But then he let his outstretched hand drop and he took a deep breath.
"Okay."
"We'll regroup later," said King Mickey, trying to sound reassuring.
The path had started shrinking, letting the endless mass of Shadows draw near again. But Master Yen Sid sent another flash of power through the barrier. The sea of Heartless parted again as the flare of magic cleared the path once more.
"Make haste," he ordered.
No one needed further encouragement. The guardians ran, following the safe route through the swarm as quickly as possible.
Xion bit her bottom lip. She should say something. She wanted to say something, and she knew that Roxas wanted to say something. He saw the same things that she did. And he would probably bring it up soon. He didn't hold back as much as she did. Xion knew that she could simply wait and let him bring up the problem.
Well, one of the problems. The slightly more immediate problem. Not the looming problem with Sora that he wanted the kept quiet for now. The other one.
But this wasn't Organization XIII. She didn't have to be afraid. It wasn't like when she couldn't use her Keyblade or Roxas was losing his strength. Weakness and vulnerability wouldn't make someone disposable.
And besides, it wasn't about her. It was about Lea.
The group had made it past the Heartless and the dark overcast skies. Now the sun was back out, beaming down on the flat and dusty landscape. They no longer needed to run. So everyone had settled into a cautious walk, remaining on guard as they moved even if the pace had slowed. They didn't see any immediate threats; their surroundings seemed empty except for the increasingly-thick patches of dull and rusting Keyblades embedded in the ground on either side of the "road" with the occasional small boulder to break up the monotony. But their enemies could appear through dark corridors. Empty surroundings meant nothing. They wouldn't have much warning if there was an attack, so they needed to stay alert.
Her current attention, however, was on Lea.
He was upright and walking. And he was trying to act normal. But Xion was watching for signs of trouble. He was a little too slow and his posture slightly slumped. His breathing was too heavy. She knew that he had more endurance than that. And when he thought no one was looking, his hand would drift up to press at where the knives had hit him a couple days ago. She spotted every wince.
Lea was still healing. He was hurt and the drawn-out fighting without a break had taken its toll on him.
When she spotted a decent-sized rock next to the path, Xion decided that enough was enough. She marched over to Lea and grabbed his arm.
"Wait," she said, loud enough that the others turned to look. When Lea gave her a questioning glance, Xion pushed him until he was forced to sit on the rock and said firmly, "Rest, Axel."
"I'm fine," he said, though Lea didn't immediately try standing back up. "Just a little sore. It's nothing to worry about."
"She's right," said Riku. "They want us to arrive exhausted. Too exhausted to keep up with them. Don't let the Organization control everything. We have a moment and we should take this opportunity to catch our breath."
Ventus nodded and said, "It's not like they can start their Keyblade War without us. And we could probably all use a quick break."
Everyone slowly relaxed, settling into a loose circle. Sora and Riku started talking with Kairi, showing her some movements with their Keyblades. Xion suspected that they were teaching her a few new tricks. New attack moves or how to perform higher-level magic, maybe. The king was encouraging Aqua and Ventus to sit down and rest properly, though the young woman seemed determined to remain on guard. Xion and Roxas sat on the ground next to Lea. They pulled out their stash of items and started sorting out what they had left.
"It's really not that bad," said Lea quietly. "The cuts are more or less healed. All that's left is some bruising and my ribs."
"None of which makes it easy to fight." Roxas handed Xion one of his extra hi-potions and continued, "Are you sure that you don't want to go back to Radiant Garden? We don't want you to get hurt again."
Xion added, "No one will blame you if you need more time to heal. And Roxas and I can free Saïx for you."
"Of course we can," said Roxas, though the tension in his voice suggested that any rescue attempt would involve plenty of violence against him first.
Lea reached over and ruffled their hair. Neither of them could help laughing a little at the gesture. Then he gave them both a reassuring smile before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm right where I'm meant to be."
Xion nodded, not even slightly surprised. Nothing could ever stop him when Lea was determined to do something and especially when it came to his friends. But at least he could rest and recover a little before they continued forward. And they did have a plan. She, Roxas, and even Kairi would stay close to him when the fighting started in case anything happened. They would keep him safe.
Her attention drifted towards Sora, the Keyblade wielder currently explaining to Kairi how to upgrade her spells to Curaga. Xion didn't remember much about what happened earlier. But she knew that things went wrong, that he did something to save them, and that there was a high cost. She could feel the damage to his heart as Xion shared her strength with Sora, helping to hold him together. Just as she could feel Roxas and Ventus doing the same thing.
She didn't know how things with Master Xehanort and the rest of the Organization would end, but Xion did know what would happen to Sora. It was as inevitable as her own fate back when she was in Organization XIII. One way or another, she would have ended up losing her existence. Sora's fate was set in stone. She didn't know how to fix things. What they were doing for him was a temporary measure, not a permanent solution.
Xion swept her gaze across the resting guardians. How many would survive the day? How many would fall?
After their short break, the guardians resumed their trek across the dusty landscape. Broken, dull, and rusting Keyblades lined both sides of their path, silent testimony of those who fell long ago. They had been jammed into the ground and left there for the dust and wind to wear away at them. An ancient battlefield and a forgotten graveyard all in one.
They came to a crossroads. And almost feeling like he was responding to a silent signal, Sora and the others stopped. Something was about to happen. He could feel it.
Then he gasped slightly, spotting the thirteen figures approaching. Only Master Xehanort wasn't wearing a black coat, positioned in the back and at the tip of the V-formation. Other than a couple shorter ones, the members in the black coats looked identical with their hoods up. Though Sora suspected that Lea, Roxas, and Xion could spot the differences. But other than Master Xehanort strolling forward with his hands tucked behind his back, Sora couldn't identify anyone specific.
Not until one stumbled briefly, slipping out of the perfect formation for a moment when he caught sight of Lea. It almost seemed like he wanted to stop moving and just stare. But that moment passed. He resumed walking, but his steps were stiff, hesitant, and awkward until the entire group came to a halt on the far side of the crossroads.
"There you are, Isa," said Lea under his breath.
"Today," announced Master Xehanort solemnly, "we join these other wielders and leave our mark on fate." Straightening, his gaze moved across his audience. "I have waited patiently," he continued, raising his hands, "but together, we shall unlock the Keyblade War's secrets."
No one responded to his declaration, the old man phrasing it like they'd agreed to his crazy and dangerous idea. They just silently glared at him.
He summoned his Keyblade, a dark and spiky thing with a creepy blue eye near the tip. Something about its gaze sent an uncomfortable shiver down Sora's spine. It felt like the Keyblade was watching him.
"Now we forge it."
Master Xehanort raised the weapon towards the sky.
"The ultimate key…"
The old man twisted the weapon around as it began to glow, gathering power.
"The χ-blade!"
He slammed the blade down, dark lines spreading across the ground. Then the shockwave hit them, making the guardians stumble and stagger. The impact tossed the dull and rusty weapons into the air before they fell everywhere, the clanging of metal almost deafening.
Stone pillars and segments burst out of the ground. They rose to staggering heights, coming together to form the walls of a growing maze. They were old walls. He could see carvings on them, worn down and faded from the passage of time. Master Xehanort was resurrecting an ancient structure. A large stone platform carried the Organization skywards, moving higher than the rest of the maze. And a rock column lifted Master Xehanort even further until he towered over everyone.
"Here we go," said Sora quietly.
But the shifting stone wasn't finished quite yet. The shaking underfoot, which had begun to fade, but had not stopped. The guardians had been scattered a bit by the previous shockwave and the falling discarded Keyblades. And before they could draw back together again, new walls slammed up between them and cut the Keyblade wielders off from each other.
"No!"
Sora slammed his Keyblade against the walls, but the damage was practically nonexistence. He was alone. All his friends were separated, making them easier targets for Organization XIII to pick off one at a time. A smart strategy, but a frustrating one when he was on the receiving end.
He couldn't go back. He couldn't smash his way through the walls and reach his scattered friends. His only option was forward. All he could do was head deeper into the maze and hope that he could find the others along the way. And hope that they would be strong enough for whatever the Organization threw at them. Sora knew that they weren't weak, but he couldn't help worrying.
"Hold on, guys. I'm coming."
Because I'm going to give these guys a better excuse to be divided and fighting the real Organization XIII in smaller groups. Why would they all decide to split up and run ahead of Sora like that when it is smarter to stick together? The Organization already outnumbers them. Why risk making that worse? So no, they're going to be purposefully divided this time around instead of splitting up.