Smaller, More Honest Souls: Arc of Redemption

by MasterCaedus

Jaune Arc would have done anything to get back the woman he loved. And he did do anything; he did everything and it still wasn't enough. He lost his way, and could only find it for the sake of his friends and family. Now he has a chance to fix everything: Sora & Oz send Jaune with Yang to find her mother's Nobody and protect the worlds. But even a past you confront can haunt you.

28. Battle of Midgar

AN:

Hey everyone. Sorry it's been so long. I've been doing applications, helping set up for a family party, helping with the party, getting sick for a week, attending my sister's competition for a week, her confirmation. Long story short, I've been writing this when I could as often as I could, and I just got to finish. Thanks for your patience.

Now, to respond.

To Gamelover41592: I thought it was a fun wrap up for the Abridged world. Don't worry, it's not the last we'll see of Kirito. After the other worlds are finished up, we'll get another chance for everyone to interact.

To Chretner: Sorry I've been a bit quiet lately. I'm glad I could give you a birthday present titled Happy Birthday, that's a real fun coincidence. I'm glad your KHD&D is going well. My hero D&D wrapped up a little while ago when schedules conflicted, but I'm setting up a more standard fantasy setting for a smaller group that I'm really looking forward to. I'm really happy that you like how I did Genie so far. No exaggeration, but every time I write a line for him I am constantly triple guessing myself asking if it's even remotely like the Aladdin movie.

To Soulofnone911: So, replicas. The way that I've decided to shoehorn in the Kingdom Hearts lore for the Aincrad world goes like this: the entire world is essentially a replica, with every being on it constituting a replica. Players have had their Hearts and Souls essentially beamed to these replicas. But yes, if the world of 202X Japan in SAO:A had all the weird pseudo-science of Ansem the Wise's Heart research, they could summon everyone's Hearts back to their real bodies to get them out of Sword Art Online. As for Asuna, since she was in a Replica when she became a Heartless, it's functioning a bit like how Kairi's body behaved in KH1. Since she didn't become a Heartless in that body, it's still in its coma. Her Replica body is her Nobody, and once she's recompleted she'll be in her Replica body until the connection can be cut and she can be returned to her real body. Sorry for the long winded explanation, but if you have any more questions, feel free to message me and I'll do my best to explain.

To Guest: I'm happy that this story has been awesome so far! I'm excited to write more of it!

To Crazytony: SMHS is some of your favorite stories so far? That's really high praise! I can't wait to show all of you what happens next!

To Goldey9058: I try really hard to make the Abridged parts funny and spiritually true to the show. It was a big part of how I bonded with my best friends in college, so getting it right means a lot to me.

To Guest(2): I honestly had not thought of that until you posted your review, but now I can't get over it. The maniac who wanted to ignite a massive, world ending war is the closest Merc can get to a real dad. Well, I guess it's true: Nobody is all bad.

Chapter 28: Battle of Midgar

Jaune, Yang, and Sora moved swiftly but cautiously through the flaming streets of a large city on Gaia. There was a lot of smoke, wrecked cars, broken buildings... and a few bodies. They hadn't run into any of the Heartless that were responsible for any of this, yet, but they knew they had to be around somewhere. And, if prior experience was anything to go by, the largest concentration of the monsters would invariably be wherever Cloud and Tifa were. It happened every time. Worse, something or someone must have left those bodies behind.

An explosion echoed through the air, but they couldn't see the source. "What the hell is going on here?" Jaune asked, holding his Keyblade in front of him in both hands. The magical weapon was now equipped with the Keychain Sora had given him to transform it into a pin tumbler key with two rods jutting out from the top of the guard, bandages covering the bottom third of the weapon. It had a red handle with a gunmetal guard embedded with tiny, circular indents. This weapon was also significantly longer than the Kingdom Key, and made Jaune's muscles feel as if they were bursting with power, almost like he was back at his prime when he wielded the No Name Keyblade.

Gunfire echoed out, followed by screams. "Whatever all this is, it has to have something to do with Sephiroth," Yang growled, slamming her fists together and glaring past the smoke. "Which means I'll get to take him down when we get to the middle of all this."

"If he's anything like I remember, we'll need to work together. Especially now that he has the Black Materia," Sora said worriedly. "He almost killed me tons of times before he had something that powerful, and now? I don't want any of us getting permanently hurt when so much is riding on us." He pulled the Master Keeper up to his shoulder. "The sooner we find Cloud, the sooner we can get rid of Sephiroth."

"Why does Cloud need to be the one who does it?" Yang whined in disappointment. "I wanna do it..."

"They're... connected, remember?" Jaune pointed out. He dismissed his Keyblade for a moment and began to flex his stiff hand. "He needs to overcome his Darkness himself; we just need to be there for him."

"That's right," Sora said somberly as he looked around for trouble. "They -" He held his hand out, palms facing the others to tell them to stop. The air around his hand swirled with black and white energy that congealed into No Name in his now clenched fist. Sora twirled the weapons for a moment then readied them in front of him, glaring at the intersection in front of them. Jaune and Yang glanced at each other, then readied themselves as well, waiting for whatever was coming. After a few seconds, a small group of people screaming as they charged into the intersection, followed quickly by an actual river made up of Heartless. One of the people sprinting away held a familiar massive sword. "And there they are. There's that ol' Keyblade Master luck! And we only have to fight one Demon Tower!"

"Didn't you say those could only appear somewhere the Darkness was almost guaranteed to win?" Jaune asked worriedly.

"And given how swingy that luck is, how long until we're each fighting three?" Yang wondered, torn between worried and excited.

"Oh, I think you guys could handle that on your own," Sora said with a grin. The grin slowly vanished and he held his weapons out to his sides. "Let's go." He sprinted forward, vanishing and leaving only a path of flames and ice left by his Keyblades' tips dragging along beside him. Jaune and Yang followed as quickly as they could, shattering the street where they pushed off.

Sora jumped between the river of Heartless and Cloud's group, Firaga and Blizzaga exploding from the edge of his dual Keyblades. The Heartless at the spear's tip of the Demon Tower exploded under the weight of the spells, dozens vanishing instantly and the rest of the Tower blown backwards by geyser of steam. Sora tossed a smile over his shoulder. "I've got your backs!" he told the surprised group of freedom fighters. A pair of golden shapes blurred past Sora, Jaune on the right and Yang on the left with their weapons trailing between them. Jaune slashed upward as Yang's fist flew upward, twin Aero spells sending the rest of the tide flying away and giving everyone some breathing room.

"Aurora!" Jaune shouted, his buckler exploding with a burning wall of deadly energy. He and Yang sprinted forward, Yang in front with a Blizzaga spell that froze the swirling tower's base to the ground. Jaune leaped over her, spinning with his arms outstretched. Fenrir and the glowing buckler carved through the Heartless making up the Demon Tower. Shadows vanished, replaced with glowing Hearts that spiraled to the sky. Jaune continued carving all the way through the Tower, carving off the top portion of the tower.

Sora appeared in the air above them, both Keyblades pointed at the now separated pieces of the swirling Demon Tower. The teeth of the Keyblades overlapped and a swirling orb of golden energy sparked off of both weapons. "Thundaza!" The air around them darkened as a beam of pure electricity the size of a truck exploded out of his Keyblades, vaporizing the remaining Heartless where they were. Sora's attack petered off after a moment he hit the ground a moment later, grinning. "See, you guys? I told you it wouldn't be a problem for us to handle that thing. I bet you guys could have done it yourselves," he said. He brought No Name up to his left shoulder and shrugged. "If we didn't have to hurry here, I'd have let you do it, too. I can't wait to see you guys in action."

"Nox," Jaune muttered, deactivating his buckler. He sighed and buried the tip of Fenrir in the ground so he could lean against the Keyblade. "Well, with you and Yang around there really isn't much we can't beat."

Yang smacked the back of his head. "I mean – Yeah. All three of us together can handle pretty much anything," Jaune said as he began gingerly rubbing the spot where the metal prosthetic had crashed into him. "Jeez, ow."

"Jaune? Yang?"

The group turned to see a very confused Cloud and Tifa standing in front of a group of people, all of them slightly stunned by the newcomers' display of power. "It is you!" Tifa shouted excitedly, rushing forward to hug the pair. Jaune and Yang were pulled into a tight embrace. She pushed them to arm's length. "It's nice to see someone else is surviving... all this." The smile disappeared and she looked around

And that was the point that Sora could no longer contain himself, confronted as he was by the faces of old friends he hadn't seen in years by this point. "CLOUD!" He sprinted forward, coming to a stop right in front of the now very confused blonde. Speaking of Cloud, he was slowly raising the Buster Sword and glancing at Yang and Jaune to see if he needed to defend himself from the crazy brunette. "I can't believe that we get to fight against Sephiroth together this time! You never let me do it before, you were all 'Swing, Slash – Some fights you have to handle yourself!' Well, now you have to let me help you, Cloud!"

"Wha?"

Sora jumped to Tifa, narrowly avoiding a punch she threw at his head and resisting the powerful burst of wind that resulted. "And you're just as quick and fast as before! Do you think that you could still make an entire castle tremble with a kick! I mean, that is what happened the very first time that I met you. That was crazy! I'd only ever seen Keyblade Wielders do something that crazy before that. And then you helped Cloud stay Light when he was fighting Sephiroth!"

"And Yuffie! How goes the ninja training?" Sora shouted, jumping into the center of the confused group. "Oh, Cid! Wow, I haven't seen you in forever! Do you still build Gummi Ships, or are you making some other kind of space ship? I can't wait to see what you built this time!"

"Uh... who's your friend?" Cloud asked Yang and Jaune as he tossed a confused look at the overexcited Keyblade Wielder going around talking about a 'Radiant Garden Restoration Committee' and how they'd fix the city up in no time. "He's weird."

"And that's compared to you two," Tifa agreed. She crossed her arms and looked over at Yang and Jaune's almost... sad smiles. "Whoa, what's wrong?"

"He's just... You guys remind him of people he lost a long time ago," Yang half-lied.

"He's lost a lot of people. More than almost anybody I know," Jaune supplied somberly. "I could barely take losing one person. I don't know how he's survived."

Tifa and Cloud both looked over at him. "I can understand that," Tifa muttered under her breath, and Jaune realized she was right. She and Cloud had lost literally everyone from their childhood aside from each other.

"We helped him get the people responsible," Yang pointed out. "And we'll help you, too."

At that, Tifa's brow furrowed and a determined smirk stretched across her face. Even Cloud looked like he was close to smiling. "And you bet your materia we'll succeed."

"Sora, come here," Jaune muttered after a moment when he started bothering 'Yuffie' again. He walked over and dragged the Keyblade Master back. He got close to Sora's ear. "Sora, they don't remember you."

Sora stopped speaking, mouth frozen open. "Uh... right. I..." He sighed and righted himself, forcing a grin onto his face. "Right! Sorry, I just..." He shook his head and turned towards Cloud and Tifa, as well as the large dark skinned man with a gun for a hand that had moved over by them. "So, what exactly is happening here?"

"Sephiroth is attacking the city," Cloud explained, strapping his Buster Sword across his back. "Brought a ton of those Heartless things. He's trying to get to the top of Shinra's tower."

"They took some kind of ancient device from the north pole that would let him absorb the Black Materia's power," the dark skinned man explained. "Idiots thought they could use it as a trap."

Tifa clenched her fists and resisted the urge to punch a hole in something. "Instead, Sephiroth is going to cause another Nibelheim." She looked down the street, past swirling Heartless and flaming buildings. A massive building, taller than any of the others,rose into the sky. It was built atop dozens of factories, with golden lights covering the building and the blood red symbol of Shinra at the top. Deadly green smoke rose into the sky, the destructive power of Gaia's Heart burning to create energy. "We have to get there before him, maybe even destroy whatever it is he's trying to use... And then me and Cloud are going to rip his head off."

"Easier said than done, since Shinra's idiots keep attacking us," the gun handed man said.

Cloud nodded. "Barrett's right. We've been getting in fights or getting chased by these Heartless swarms since we got to Midgar," Cloud agreed sullenly. "The city was already burning when we got here, which means he's been here a while. Between the fights and trying to save the people we find, we've been struggling to catch up."

"Then I guess we'll have to hurry," Sora said. He glanced away from the group down the street and frowned. A half moment later, one of the buildings exploded and Sora was deflecting the worst of it. From the smoke and flames drove out a trio of large, dangerous looking tanks with their barrels pointed at the large group standing at the center of the road. There was another explosion not far away... then the sound of screaming.

"Dammit! This isn't helping," Tifa muttered worriedly, glancing over in the direction of the other explosion. "And those people need help."

"We'll split up, then," Barret said.

Cloud and Tifa glanced at him in surprise. "What? You two are the ones with a score to settle, and we won't be as much help as these guys. Someone needs to help those people, someone needs to stop the albino a-hole, and someone needs to watch your backs."

"Yang and I can catch up. Sora, you go with Cloud and Tifa. You three our best bet to handle Sephiroth if no one else can make it in time," Jaune said, summoning Fenrir to his hand. "And Yang and I can handle anything else that comes our way."

Tifa and Cloud traded a look, then grabbed Sora's arm. "Let's go," the brunette said.

Sora looked at her, then at Jaune and Yang. "You guys can handle anything that comes your way."

"You know it," Yang said, tossing him a thumbs up before turning towards the tanks. "Now, get going, Keyboy. And the rest of you, too. You're wasting time."

Sora smiled. "You got it," then turned and ran away with Cloud and Tifa towards the tower. "Jeez, this feels just like old times!"

"What?" Cloud and Tifa asked.

"You two are crazy," Barret said. He grinned. "But good crazy." He turned to the others. "Now, let's get going!"

Jaune and Yang watched them go for a moment, then looked over at the tanks. "Nice of them to not fire on us while we were talking," she said as she threw her arms to the side and activated Ember Celica.

Jaune raised his Keyblade in front of him. "Too bad we can't show them the same courtesy." The two ran forward, keeping an eye on the tanks' charging weapons. When the first one fired, the pair were more than ready. Jaune leaped forward first, using the flat of the Keyblade to send the explosive soaring straight up to explode harmlessly in the open air. He hit the ground beside Yang just as she brought her fist up and shot out a Reflect wall, easily deflecting the attack.

With their speed, the two quickly arrived at the tanks, knowing that meant the end of this fight. Yang stood between two of the tanks and leaped onto one of them, grabbing hold of the main barrel with both hands. With a mighty heave, her hair igniting and eyes turning a ruby red, she tore the barrel off of the tank and swung it back down, caving in the main body of the vehicle and severely damaging the tank. She turned on the other and leaped into the air, a flaming streak of death as she dodged the blast from the other tank. She raised the torn barrel over one shoulder and swiped at the tank as it reloaded, catching it on the side. The tank immediately flew through the air like a golf ball, tumbling through a building's second floor with a huge dent in its side and a twisted weapon that could no longer fire.

Jaune was doing just as well, sprinting to put one tank between him and the other. The one he was using as cover desperately tried to move out of the way and get far enough away that it could shoot him. Having struggled with that long enough, it decided to just run him over. Jaune raised the Keyblade in front of him, the flat taking the brunt of the force. Jaune grunted and pushed back, and – to his surprise – the tank slid back a dozen feet until it crashed into the other tank. He blinked in surprise; he was that strong again? He shook it off and rushed forward, raising the Keyblade in his right hand over his shoulder and aiming the tip at the tank. Fenrir's tip exploded with a sphere of black, a powerful Gravity spell. "Force!" Upon driving his Keyblade into the tank's hull, the metal twisting at the point of contact, the spell shot out, piercing through the other side of the tank and fully casting. The Graviga sphere burst into reality between the tanks, and they were forced further into each other than they could be. Metal creaked and warped as it was forced to nearly occupy the same space. The pull didn't stop until the tanks were fused together irrevocably, destroyed completely.

Yang nodded grimly at him and he returned the look. "That didn't take long at all," Jaune said quietly before casting a glance at the tanks again.

"The world is falling apart and they attack their own people," Yang said, turning towards the tanks as well. "The guys driving these could have stopped when they got the order."

"It's harder to say no than you'd think," Jaune said quietly. "It's wrong, and they should have said no, but... when you think you're irredeemable, you'll go along with any orders you get. Who else would accept you?"

"You made the right decision." Yang pointed out, and the Keyblade warrior blushed.

"Eventually," Jaune agreed as he turned to her. He smiled softly. "I just wish they had, too."

She walked up and grabbed his arm. "Not everyone's as cool as you," Yang said with a grin, and Jaune's face turned beet red.

"I, er, I mean, that's... Thanks, Yang," he said, clutching her hand back.

He turned towards the city as a painfully strong scent of Darkness suddenly filled the city, overpowering the ocean of death and Darkness that already drowned it. Jaune's fist tightened on the Keyblade. "Something's coming."

"What?" Yang asked, following his gaze. A cloud of Darkness began to congeal where they were looking. As she studied, she noticed what looked like... a tiny person with long white hair and wings. "Sephiroth? Why didn't he run for the tower?"

"I think... I think he wants to be complete. That's what he said in Nibelheim, right?" Jaune asked, glancing at Yang. She nodded. "Then he's spreading all this Darkness for that fight. He wants to feed on this Darkness so he's stronger for that fight. The real fight."

The Darkness began to solidify as they watched, turning a deep, ruby red. It was almost human in shape, with two arms and legs, but it was too long and oddly shaped for that. Its arms were longer than it sbody, and its neck stretched upward with deep yellow eyes burning in its draconian skull. The arms both ended in three, cruel looking claws of steely metal. A black and yellow Heartless emblem was emblazoned on its chest and the crown of its head. "That thing's huge," Jaune muttered as he saw the creature loom over buildings, its claws sweeping smaller ones away.

"When has that ever stopped us?" Yang asked, raising her hands... and Jaune's, which both now realized was still held tight in hers. They glanced at one another, both slowly turning red again. "I mean, let me just get something!" She tore her hand out of his and yanked her Scroll out. "Let's see... here!" A bright green light began to glow in front of them, swirling on the ground. A moment later, Yang's new bike – which she had yet to name – appeared on the ground in front of them. She leaped onto it without another word and kickstarted the engine. "There, now we can get there fast, and in style!" She turned around, still a little red. "Hop on, and no puking."

"Right!" Jaune muttered, jumping on behind her.

"Hold on tight," Yang commanded as his left hand wrapped around her waist, the Keyblade dangling on their right Then she gunned the engine and they shot down the road almost as quickly as their hearts were beating.

R W B Y

Sora, Cloud, and Tifa all tapped their feet impatiently as they ascended in the elevator, listening to the smooth, jazzy tunes of muzak. Sora turned and stared out of the glass elevator, clenching his jaw as he stared out at the city. The smoke and flames from all across the city were more visible up here, as was the burning Darkness that was given form by the terror, rage, and destruction below. He could practically hear the shrieking Heartless, the screams of the dying. It hurt him. A quick look at his new partners and he could see they had the same problem. They, like him, had experienced this before. Darkness and death were unfortunately the common companions to people who fought those forces. Sora had hoped that, upon their Hearts' rebirth, his friends might have had an easier life this time around. He was sadly unsurprised that their lives had gone this way. The death below made him even more sad; no matter how quickly they defeated Sephiroth, countless people below would die, and many already had. "Don't feel guilty, Cloud," Tifa said suddenly, grabbing his arm.

"Sephiroth and I, we're not just connected, Tifa," Cloud said softly. "We're two halves of a whole person. This is my fault."

"Bull," Tifa snapped, startling the swordsman. "Not a whole person? Even if that used to be true, we both know it isn't anymore. Me, Jaune, Yang, Barret, Yuffie, and everyone else – we're your other half now. Even Aerith."

"Tifa's right, Cloud," Sora said, interjecting despite the pair's unsure feelings at hearing a complete stranger's advice. "You've made decisions to stop him, to fight him. I had a friend who was just like you, once. Ven and Vanitas weren't the same person by the end of things, because Ven made the right choices and Vanitas didn't. That sounds like you and Sephiroth to me."

Cloud glanced at his feet, then back up at Sora. "Have we... met before?" he asked suddenly. "I know Jaune and Yang said we just remind you of someone, but that pep talk worked, and I feel like I've gotten one like it before."

Sora grinned wide at Tifa and Cloud. "Maybe we were friends in another life," Sora said with a laugh. He turned back to the door just as the elevator beeped and it came to a stop. The Keyblades appeared in his hands again and he exited the elevator with Cloud and Tifa at his sides. "Where to now?"

"We follow that," Cloud muttered, pointing towards one hallway. The lights were dim, many destroyed.

Tifa glanced over. "Can you tell how close Sephiroth is?"

Cloud's eyes shut tight and his face contorted in concentration. "I think... I can feel him in the city." His eyes opened and he frowned. "But he's not at the tower yet."

"Isn't that good news?" Sora wondered, pulling the Master Keeper up onto his shoulder as he raised a confused eyebrow.

Tifa and Cloud glanced at one another. "Not really, no," Tifa said. "If he's already in the city and he's not here, that means he's up to something."

"I hate to give him a compliment, but he isn't stupid," Cloud said with a growl. "He enjoys the death out there, but he focuses on what he deems important. He's doing this for a reason." He shook his head. "But we can't stop that right now. We have to hurry to the roof before he gets there."

"Don't worry about what he's doing out there," Sora said as he saw Cloud and Tifa's anxious looks. "Jaune and Yang are out there, and they can handle whatever is coming. When those two are together, no one in the World could beat them." He readied the Keyblades and moved towards the darkened hallway.

He responded the moment a Neoshadow jumped out of the wall, spinning its claws in attempt to tear his Heart from his body. The No Name in his left hand dispersed it before it could get close to him. He lowered the weapon and frowned. "Is there another way around?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the hallway.

"I wish," Cloud muttered. "This is it."

Tifa glanced past Sora and sighed. "Jeez. Just my luck." She put her fist on her hip. "Cloud leads me in to crazy bullshit yet again."

"You're the one that got me involved in a terrorist cell."

Sora looked over, completely lost. "Terrorists?"

"We're freedom fighters!" Tifa snapped. She glared at Cloud for a moment, then sighed. "Yeah, we're always getting each other into messes, aren't we?"

"... Wouldn't trade it," Cloud said. He turned to the hallway. "Right?"

Tifa nodded. "Not for the world."

"Then let's go," Sora said, grinning at them. He turned back to the hallway and crossed his blades in front of him. "If you keep me safe, I can weaken anything that comes after us so we can get through faster."

"Cloud's sword in a hallway? Ha! Your funeral."

"I trust you guys," Sora responded before channeling Light through the blades and around them all. "We're friends after all." The Light surrounded them, a glowing shield that pushed the Darkness in the hallway backwards, giving them enough breathing room that not every Heartless would attack them all at once. "Let's go."

The trio advanced through the hallway, Sora's Keyblade shield keeping the Heartless' at bay in the walls, their yellow eyes glaring hungrily beyond the wall of Light. Shadows and Neoshadows hissed and clawed at the wall, enraged by the invasion. Sora set his jaw and pushed back, and the weakest Heartless that attacked disappeared as soon as they tried to attack, while the stronger were forced back into the shadows. "I think this might hold," Sora said with a grin. And then the hallway ended and they were in the middle of a large, circular room, the stairs to the roof sitting at the center. Inky Darkness coated the walls, tendrils of it spreading across the ground and towards the stairs. The Darkness began to coil around and around, building upward. Sora began to uncross his Keyblades, getting ready to fight, but shouted in surprise as a burst of Darkness crashed into his wall from the hallway. He turned on his heel and shoved his Keyblades towards the incoming waves of Darkness, managing to hold it back. He was surprised by the intense power of the wave, as if it was nearly strong enough to overtake even him. "Gah... You – you guys are on your own."

"Of course," Tifa muttered, sliding her right foot back and raising her fists to glare at the growing Heartless. "Because why not?"

The spire of Darkness solidified, the Heartless emblem glowing on its face. Liquid began to leak from the base of the item, rivers of glowing blue-green that stretched all around the room. The spire uncoiled from halfway up, blooming like seven petals of a flower with the Heartless emblem emblazon within each, framing a creature within. Its head was a faceless mask with glowing red eyes, one built as an exact copy of the one Cloud had worn on that fateful mission to Nibelheim so long ago. In its right hand was clutched a massive trident with jagged, serrated tips. In its left, what looked like a cannon ready to blast them apart.

Tifa and Cloud sprinted in separate directions, splitting the attention of the Heartless. The rivers of green on the ground snapped up towards them, balloons of water magic appearing spontaneously in their paths. Cloud screamed in pain and was thrown backwards by the multicolored spheres of magic, tumbling through the air until he landed in a pool of water. One way too deep to be possible. A tentacle of solid water, glowing in the green of the pool, wrapped around his chest and grabbed tight, forcing all the air from his lungs. He tugged at the tentacle, yanking as hard as he could.

Tifa had managed to avoid her balloons, kicking out with her right fist in a Fire spell that altered her trajectory, letting her flip into the air. She barely managed to notice Cloud getting pulled into the pool and another Fire spell exploded from her feet. She rocketed towards the pool and went in, finding her old friend struggling. Hang on, she mentally commanded as she raised an icy fist. She lashed out at the tentacle grasping Cloud, the Blizzard spell exploding from her fist and creating a massive pillar of ice and freezing the tentacle. The watery limb shattered as the two were thrown out of the water, gasping for air.

They didn't have any time to recover, as the rivers shot towards them again the moment they landed. Tifa tackled Cloud out of the way and they rolled to a stop just beyond the edge of the waters. "Cloud, will you stop acting like an idiot and not get caught five seconds in?" She jumped to her feet and turned to attack again. "I can't save you every time, 'Hero.'"

Cloud rolled his eyes before scrambling to his feet, swinging the Buster Sword at the incoming form of a massive tentacle of water. The honed edge of the sword, combined with the Light of his Heart, cleaved easily through the attack. Water splashed down all around him, but he was already rushing through the light rain to attack the Heartless. He jumped around the nearest river and rushed the Heartless. He swung his sword in front of him, sending out a short range blade-shaped laser that cleaved through the Balloons already sprouting up where he was heading. He continued the momentum of the Buster Sword until it was back in an attack position again, massive edge pointed at the Heartless.

Tifa had made her way through without any problems, and now the two of them were jumping at the same time with magic coating their weapons. The Heartless dodged backwards with the wriggling of a dozen octopus like tendrils and raised its canon arm in front of it. Large, solid spheres of Darkness flew out towards the pair while the trident waited to defend if they came too close. Tifa dismissed her magic and swung around, her foot catching Cloud's. Their joint kick sent her to the ground and him into the air, passing over the blast. Cloud spun his sword around him, firing off another blast that let him soar towards the Heartless. Its trident lashed forward, jagged teeth each the size o the Buster Sword in Cloud's hands. He angled his body and sword, catching the trident between to of its teeth, then twisting his sword to the side to lock the trident in place.

Tifa ran up after this, dodging whips of water as she got close. Her fists began to glow with flame energy, bright orange creating steam from the falling water in the air. The trident tried to drag away from the floating Cloud, but his blade was held too tight between the teeth and Cloud, despite having no ground, was able to pull hard enough to force the Heartless to stand still. Tifa took her chance and leaped right at the Heartless' chest, her hand glowing a bright white as she punched through. She landed softly on the ground and slid a few feet until she came to a stop. She stood tall and placed one hand on her hip, just before a pillar of flame exploded from the ground beneath the Heartless, consuming it completely. The Heartless screeched in pain while Cloud flew backwards, descending to the ground and bringing up the Buster Sword just in case. The shadow within the flames spasmed, seizing as the connections between its very atoms were burned away by magic. Then the pillar of flames vanished, leaving only some smoky Darkness that began to wisp into the air.

Cloud lowered the Buster Sword and nodded at Tifa. "Good job, Tifa," he said.

She turned and gave him a thumbs up that she quickly jerked over her shoulder. "Thanks, but don't you think we should hurry to the stairs before... that guy over there loses the wall he's holding up?"

Cloud turned towards Sora, who was staring at her, aghast. "'That guy?' We're friends! It's Sora!"

"Right! Right, sorry. Forgot," Tifa said, rushing up to grab Cloud's shoulder to drag him to the stairs. "Now hurry, Sora. We need to get to the roof!"

"You forgot my name!" Sora shouted as he turned and sprinted or the door, letting the wave of Darkness lick at his heels. The trio ran up the stairs, avoiding the Heartless. "Come on, Tifa!"

"That is a bit rude," Cloud agreed, earning an annoyed glare from Tifa.

"Shut up, 'SOLDIER.'"

R W B Y

The boy's Key was different now, Morrigan noted as she watched Yang and Jaune ride that little motorcycle towards the massive Heartless. The Nobody let her leg dangle off the edge of the skyscraper as the pair approached the nearby giant Heartless, the boy's Keyblade and the bike's speed combining into a deadly blade that carved through any attacking Neoshadows. Morrigan turned away from the two to glance over at the white haired maniac flying towards the central building, fighting off the urge to shiver at the sudden familiarity. What was it with Darkness fueled, white haired maniacs in the universe? Xehanort, Salem, this guy, anyone with the last name Schnee?

Her half joking reverie was shattered when the large Heartless roared, raising one of its massive claws and swinging it around, taking off the top chunks of buildings around it before it began to advance. A burst of wind flew past her, pushed by the Heartless' massive form moving through the city. Yang's little motorcycle got caught up in the blast of air's path, but it seemed that the bike was worth more than the Nobody had expected, for it carved through the wind and carried the blondes towards the Heartless. Yang hooked a turn and shot towards a large ramp made of broken building. The bike skidded side to side for a moment as it hit the ramp, and once it was stable Yang gunned the engine. Flames shot out from the back of the bike, and the sound of exploding fuel accelerating the machine could even be heard from where the Nobody was atop the building. The motorcycle shot forward, leaving a trail of flames behind it as it reached the crest of the ramp. The bike shot upward, arcing towards the claw of the Heartless to land heavily on the creature and begin their ascent.

The Heartless' eyes immediately angled directly towards the motorcycle on its arm, and it let out an echoing roar. Its other arm shot towards them, glistening claws whistling as they carved the air. The boy's Keyblade shot up just before the Heartless' claw got in close, a dome of glowing hexagons catching the claws; the wall exploded upon contact and the Heartless shrieked as one of its claws was burned away by the Light, leaving only a smoking stump behind. The cycle continued its path up the Heartless' body, undeterred by the monster's enraged shaking. Morrigan pushed off of the skyscraper and fell through an open Corridor below, landing softly closer to the fight. Ah, the bike's wheels had magnetic dust spikes in them, piercing the Heartless' flesh and keeping them stuck on.

A long black container on the side shot upward suddenly, and Yang's right hand shot out to grab what it launched, a long... A long red katana glimmering with Ice Dust. Yang turned it around and buried into the Heartless' arm, the weapon carving through the monster at high speeds and leaving an ever lengthening streak of solid ice. On the left, Jaune's Keyblade had done the same, buried halfway into the Heartless' body, but with a streak of flames trailing the weapon. The rapid expansion of the flame and the contraction caused by the ice collided, shattering the arm of the Heartless just behind the bike as it continued to climb, barely a moment ahead of the collapse.

The Heartless was momentarily stunned by the intense pain and it let out a massive roar as it fell to its knees. Wind and dust flew everywhere, shaking the city to its foundations. The bike soared into the air as it was tossed from the Heartless, flipping through the air. The katana swiped into its scabbard, then back out now coated in Gravity Dust. The air shimmered around the bike and it leveled, hitting the ground on its wheels without an issue. And then the other claw of the Heartless arced up before slamming down on the bike.

Morrigan shot to her feet, a shiver of terror running down her spine. Her sword appeared out of Nothingness, and her legs tensed to leap in an help.

It was a pointless effort, however. The boy – Jaune – had already rescued Yang. A flash of Light exploded from beneath the Heartless' claw and its remaining arm was vaporized, the Refleza wall surrounding the blondes was all that remained. The white hexagons shimmered for a moment, then vanished. Yang leaped out, entire body coated in flames, and punched through the Heartless' chest. Jaune leaped after her, Keyblade at his left hip in both hands glowing with a blade of Light that extended it to a length that was unmanageable for one without a Keyblade. It came forward in a quick, fluid swipe that carved easily through the wounded Heartless' neck.

The two blondes flipped and landed one after another, their feet barely making a noise as they hit the street. The Heartless was smoke in the wind, a glowing, crystalline Heart floating towards the sky.

Morrigan's sword dipped to scrape against the top of the skyscraper, dragging the blade's edge across the steel. "You are really having a hard time letting go, aren't you?" Morrigan's head slowly turned so she could gaze behind her with her peripheral vision. It was the blonde – the other version, if she assumed correctly. His hair was longer than the one with Yang, and his eyes weren't the same blue, instead tinged with gold. "I guess I'm not one to talk, though. I won't let go of Pyrrha."

Morrigan turned and raised her sword, aiming the tip at OJ's throat. "What do you want?" she wondered coolly.

OJ raised one hand and shook it in front of him. "Oh, it isn't a fight I'm looking for. Not with you," he explained simply. He placed both his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I thought Nobodies were supposed to have an easy time letting go of old connections."

"What connections do I have to let go of?" Morrigan growled back.

OJ gave her a dry glare before he sighed and shrugged. "Well, I'm not here to argue about that," he explained. "I'm here to make an alliance."

"I have no interest in helping you destroy the universe," Morrigan responded, annoyed. She lowered her blade.

"It won't destroy the – ugh. Fine, but you do have an interest in two things: surviving, and ridding yourself of your weakness," OJ pointed out with a shrug. "As it happens, I have an interest in you doing both of those things."

Morrigan couldn't help but scoff at that. "And what would a Keyblade warrior like you want with me?"

"Simple. I need you to kill Yang," he explained. "She keeps getting in the way." He turned and began to pace along the roof. "And I'll help you shut out the feelings that keep you from hurting her."

"I have no feelings keeping me from hurting Yang," Morrigan dismissed.

OJ turned and pointed at her. "But you called her Yang just now. What happened to 'my weakness?'"

Morrigan didn't have a response for that.

OJ stopped pacing and grinned at the Nobody. "Now, as I was saying, I can help you get rid of those pesky feelings that make you want to give her snuggles, and when we have everything we need, I'll take you to the next universe and you can do whatever you want."

Morrigan cocked her head to the side. "Is that so?" OJ nodded. Morrigan frowned and asked, "And just how would you remove those feelings? That is, if they did exist."

"Well, if they did exist," OJ began, pulling a hand out and gesturing at her, "I would use the Night Howler Core."

"And you have this Core?"

OJ's face turned red. "Well, not... not right now," he explained sheepishly, his hand moving to the back of his head.

Morrigan turned to leave. "No, wait! We can get it, if you give me a bit of help!" OJ rushed forward and grabbed her arm to turn her around. "Look, they have a trap for me, but not for you. And not for what I'm going after. They'll give it to me when all is said and done, then we can wipe away any desire you have to keep her safe, and we can move on to the next timeline. In fact, that's one reason I'm here. For the next piece. By the time I have it, I should already have another one. Over halfway there. Odds are in my favor, Morrigan. Use that Nobody logic."

Morrigan glared at him but did as he suggested, and... it did look as if he could win. At the very least, he could give her a far better chance of exterminating Ya – her weakness. And if she helped him and he succeeded... well, she would be free. A stronger being in a new world that could... simply be free. "It's a good deal," OJ pointed out nervously.

"... So it is," Morrigan agreed. She dismissed her katana and held her hand out to the Keyblade wielder. "We have a deal... but I won't be left behind to possibly die if the next timeline isn't the one you want. You take me as far as you go, and I'll help you get there every time."

OJ stared at her hand for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Sounds like a fair deal," he finally said. His hand came up and grasped hers, giving it a single shake. He looked up into her eyes. "Partner."

"Partner," Morrigan greeted in return as she let go of his hand. She turned and looked at her weakness again. She and Jaune were on the bike again, heading towards the center of the city. "Now what?"

"I go hide and steal the Black Materia from whichever side is lucky enough to win it," OJ explained. "And you meet with my... hired help. I believe you have worked with Emerald before."

"I am surprised that she would agree to help you. Did something happen to the boy?"

"She didn't decide to help. But she is."

Morrigan nodded. "As long as you are aware that her allegiance is your responsibility."

"Then she won't be a problem, and she'll be less of one when we get the Core." He pulled out his Scroll and swiped to a map. "Head to this location in the Emerald Forest. If I'm right, she should be back already. Oh! And before I forget, you need to tell her a passphrase so she won't attack. It's 'Cinder sent me.'" He laughed. "Thought it would be funny to use that monster as the phrase to control her."

Morrigan didn't find it all that funny. "Then I shall head out now." She turned and vanished through the newly summoned Corridor of Darkness. "And know that I would not take betrayal... well."

"Me neither, Birdy," OJ responded darkly.

R W B Y

The Black Materia hummed quietly in its container, energy pulled from the ingot powering the entirety of Shinra's main building. Sora could feel the energy traveling through the tubes now that he was this close. It was dark, deadly. It was calling to the Heartless in the city, summoning them from dozens of other worlds. Worse, it was calling Sephiroth. Even at Sora's strongest, Sephiroth had been a difficult enemy to battle. And the white haired jerk had been going easy on him back then. But, this was a different Sephiroth, one that had less experience with his abilities, and one faced with a Cloud far more willing to connect with the Light within his friends. With them and his improved abilities, the Sephiroth he had fought would be hard pressed to win.

But Sora still thought that his unlimited flying was cheating.

Sephiroth was rocketing towards them, the air whistling behind him. The large wing on his back flapped every so often, propelling him, while the smaller ones extending from his hips moved slightly to maintain his balance. "He's coming in fast," Tifa said as she walked up to the edge of building, keeping herself between the incoming madman and the stairs leading up to the materia. "If anyone has any ideas to slow him down when he gets here, I'd voice them now."

"I can set Mines and Balloon magic," Sora said, already moving to place mines around the roof and floating balloons in the air.

"That'll have to be enough," Cloud said. He pulled the Buster Sword out, twirling it until he could hold it out to his side.

Sephiroth was floating above them, observing the trap spells with a disinterested smirk. "Oh, it won't be," he smugly stated before turning his eyes on Sora. His smirk slowly vanished, replaced with an annoyed snarl. "You remind me of an annoying dream I had once. I'll like killing you."

"God. Edgy much?" Tifa growled, leaping up behind him and bringing her fist around at his head. "How about you just die!?"

He twirled around her attack, kicking her in the back. She hit the ground and tumbled back to her feet between Sora and Cloud. The three glared up at the former SOLDIER, defiant with wills steeled against the coming fight. "This already isn't a fair fight," Sephiroth said with a smirk.

"I know," Sora responded with a grin. "And once Yang and Jaune get here, it'll be more of a massacre with how easy we'll get rid of you." His Keyblade collided with Sephiroth's sword before the blade could reach his throat. Sora's grin grew wider as he met the glare of the white haired warrior. "After all, Cloud could beat you one on one. With us, it's a done deal."

"Could you stop taunting the world's deadliest warrior?!" Tifa snapped as she and Cloud got into their combat stances. "For five minutes!?"

Sora laughed. "No."