A Serendipitous Key of Hope
Disclaimer: My imaginary lawyers tell me I do not own products owned by Disney, Masahi Kishimoto, anything from Shonen Jump, or Square Enix.
Omake
It's a bright day in the world known as the Land of Departure. In a hallway, two individuals in ancient yet otherworldly clothing stand side by side. One of them is a blue haired female with a white flower in her hair while the other is a red haired male with a taller and slightly bulkier disposition than her. Standing before them in similar attire is a black haired man with a grey appearance. He speaks, "Today we will begin your examination for the Mark of Mastery. You two are both fine Keyblade Wielders and befitting the title of Keyblade Master. This is a test to prove the strength of your hearts, so while both of you can succeed then the reverse result of failure exists as well.
"But I'm sure our esteemed guest Master Xehanort didn't come all the way over here for nothing." As he speaks, he gestures to the dark skinned bald man as grey as him over by the throne chairs of the hallway. His golden eyes focus on the two chosen wielders, before going to a corner where a lone male watching.
This boy with spiky orange hair feels as if he's having a heart attack staring at him. This scares him to a point where he steps back and looks away.
"Are you both ready, Konan and Nagato?" asks Eraqus while summoning his Keyblade, the silver and brown key known as the Master's Defender. "Then let the examination begin!"
He taps into his light affinity and summons ten balls of light. Konan and Nagato draw their Keyblades, the former being a blue yet slim one with the latter heavier looking and brown. Without warning however the balls become shrouded with darkness and attack with a vicious force.
The one other person without a name jumps in and slashes one coming his way. "Yahiko, stay back! You're in danger here!" says Konan using her magic to repel one orb.
"I'll be fine; you guys focus on your exam, and I'll protect myself!"
- End Omake -
Kenshin: So, I see that we're doing something different in this omake.
Yusei: Why not? It helps tell a story, and we can also utilize the omake better.
The XXIII Keyhole: This is Halloween?
"So, this is the Gummi Block you guys found?" says Kaiba as he examines the piece Naruto, Donald and Goofy received in Atlantica. He, the three mentioned, Yugi, Kakashi and Sakura are inside his workshop giving a meticulous examination on his computer. "This is a Navi-G Piece of a Navi Gummi."
"Navi Gummi?"
"You mean you guys travel worlds without knowing about the Gummi pieces? You trying to die or something?" Kaiba's insult ticks off Donald, who is held back by Naruto. "Navi-G pieces are two halves of a whole needed to travel further across the darkness of space. This will help you find a way to reach other places."
"Gee, I didn't know it was that important," Goofy says with gladness.
"Can you install it on our ship?" Naruto asks.
"That damaged Kingdom model? You probably got in a battle against those Gummi Heartless didn't you?" This makes them reminisce of the ships they fought against on their way back.
"Those were Heartless?"
"The Heartless can take many forms, so it's obvious they can do that. You need to deal with them first if you ever want to hope to make it to other worlds, and it's gonna take more than that outdated pile of blocks to pull it off." He takes the piece and moves away from his computer. "You can borrow mine until you put everything back."
"Wait, really?" Naruto sounds ecstatic.
"That's awfully nice of you Kaiba-kun," says Yugi in his more pure voice.
Kaiba looks back down at Yugi, his cold blue eyes piercing into those innocent purple ones. "Don't be mistaken Yugi! These Heartless are in the way of my triumph over you. The score between us will be settled within our world, no one else's!"
Naruto scans their expressions to each other and smiles. 'Just like Sasuke… I really miss that.'
"I'll have my ship ready tomorrow. Get ready by then." Kaiba then steps out the room, leaving everyone else inside thinking of what to do.
"Alright, before we go let's stock up on supplies," Donald says before counting on his fingers, "Food, water, med kits and a new weapon."
"A new weapon?" Naruto looks at Donald's staff. "What's wrong with yours?"
"It needs more firepower! My nephews should be here selling stuff." Donald runs off looking for his nephews' store.
"Huey, Dewey, and Louie are here? Wait up, I need a new shield!" Goofy follows suit, leaving only Naruto and the other human characters in the room.
"I didn't know he had three nephews. How old are they?"
"You don't have to be that old to be an uncle," says Yugi to Naruto as they head out the door.
"I guess… Hey Yugi, wanna come with us to take down the Heartless?" asks the Keybearer of the young duelist.
Yugi looks to the side, his star hair blowing in the outside breeze as he says, "As much as I'd like to, I can't."
"Why?"
"I gotta stay here and help those who end up here. As you can see, Kaiba-kun isn't really a people person."
"Well, you're not wrong." He laughs in agreement. "It'd be nice to meet others out there."
The night comes and goes quickly, and by morning in the nightfall town all three are ready to make their exit. A large Gummi ship appears overhead, this one with the appearance of a sheer white dragon. It's a little weird. "No kidding!"
"Are we ready to go?" Donald asks holding up the supplies they bought.
"I sure am!" Goofy says while holding up the other half they bought.
Naruto looks back at Sakura and Kakashi, who, just like Yugi and Kaiba, are seeing them off. "So, you guys ready?"
"Ready?"
"You're coming with us, right?"
Sakura places a hand on his shoulder. "No point. I feel you've gone to a level where I can't hope to reach. If I tried, I'd still just be getting in your way. You go ahead."
"Eh? But, Sakura-"
"It's for the best Naruto," Kakashi tells him, a satisfying tone over her maturity. "Sakura is our only medic, and you can essentially use magic to cure your wounds. We need to stay here to hold down the fort."
The silver-haired jonin then places a hand on top of his head. "Naruto, you'll be fine. You don't need me to stand in front of you anymore. Prove that you can become Hokage with this."
Naruto moves his hand aside, smiling before nodding. "Thanks, sensei."
"Naruto, take this." Sakura hands him a stone. "This is something I found as I was falling through the darkness. It kept me safe in the dark, so I want you to hold onto it. Make sure you stay safe out there; Hinata and Elsa want to see you under no harm."
He grasps the stone and smiles. "No problem Sakura. I'll be back safe-ttebayo." He then steps inside the ship with Donald and Goofy.
After setting up they take the ship outward to space. They hover over the world for a while with everyone looking up. "Ready guys?"
"Blast off!" The white dragon Gummi takes off at high speed, jetting off for their next world.
…
In another world covered in shadows, a grim and dusk town can be seen. A skeletal figure walks out from the town into the even creepier forest, before coming across the Heartless. A ghost dog with a red shining nose floats in front of them, barking in defense of his master.
"Oh my, what's this?"
…
Time passes through the depths of space, where Donald spots a new world just up ahead. "Found a new spot!" He impulsively fires up the engines and moves in close. As they do, the Heartless ships float in their way. "Uh oh."
"Alright, Kaiba said that this will be strong enough to overpower them," says Naruto as he takes up the controls.
"Shoot 'em all!" Donald hits the missiles and blows up an opening. Goofy follows suit by maneuvering the ship out of the way of enemy fire, only hit by lasers five times before eventually all the enemies seemingly disappear. "WE DID IT!"
"Not yet." Overhead, the shadow of a much larger fleet of Heartless ships come down from above. Naruto looks among the buttons looking for something to use. He sees a bright white one. "What's this one?"
Pressing it, the words 'Horobi no Burst Stream' appear on the screen. The dragon head opens up charging a white laser. It then fires a widespread beam of destruction that eradicates the entire fleet. Eyes widen and jaws drop.
Naruto breaks the silence with, "Holy hell! That's so serious fire power!"
"Hey look, it's starting to charge up," says Goofy pointing to the screen. "Guess we can only do it so many times."
The Gummi Ship flies in towards the world to make a landing. "Alright, this world seems different than the others like Atlantica. I'll cast a spell to change our appearance as the worlds require."
"Don't turn me into a girl this time!"
Eventually they enter the new world, a dark, dusky cemetery being their surroundings. Naruto looks around taking in the scenery. "Huh. This is dark and spooky."
"I'll bet the people here are scary lookin' too," says the dog man.
"Hey, look at us!" Donald notes their appearances, akin to them being dressed in Halloween like outfits. Naruto is dressed like a vampire with a pumpkin mask on the left side of his face, Donald is a mummy with the top half of his body floating, and Goofy resembles Frankenstein's monster. "We look pretty spooky too, so we'll scare them right back."
"Ya think?"
They go out away from the cemetery, and come across some of the locals. Like them, they're monsters. But instead of attacking, they're actually pleasant people who wave and chat. Naruto waves back as they walk by. "What now?"
"We look for any of the Princesses here. Hopefully they didn't kidnap them all," Goofy says with a hopeful nod.
"Hey, come on! Jack's about to unveil his new idea in Guillotine Plaza!" says a tree man leading them off to the center of the town.
"Great! I hope it's better than last year's," says a wolfman. They soon make it to the center of town where a horde of Heartless gather. These Heartless look more along the lines of ghosts and gargoyles.
"Heartless?!" Naruto summons his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy gather their weapons: Donald's new scepter is a red swap of his first one while Goofy wields a pentagonal yellow and red shield.
They get near the Heartless, which remain stationary. "Huh. What's with them?"
"Yeah, they usually fight us!"
A round man wanders into the plaza with a microphone, adjusting his tiny top hat. His appearance screams a mayoral figure. "Featuring the master of ceremonies, the undisputed Pumpkin King! Jack Skellington!"
The Heartless part way to reveal the fountain, and up from its green mush rises a towering skeletal man decked black and white. He waves out and bows to the crowd, who cheer for his appearance. Naruto and the others withdraw their weapons before joining in on the applause.
With the ceremony over, Jack leaves to enter a curving building just atop some steps with the mayor. Seeing the Heartless are still motionless, Goofy asks, "Ya think he did something to control the Heartless?"
"Must have. I've never seen them stay still while the Keyblade was right in front of them," says Naruto before waving at one. "Let's see what's up."
The trio follow after Jack towards the building, staking out by the gate. There the mayor cheers. "Bravo, Jack! Bravo! Those ghosts will make this year's Halloween amazing!"
"Thank you mayor," Jack says, before cupping his skinless chin. "But, their movements still need work. It's not scary enough." He then contemplates an idea, before saying, "I'm gonna go consult the doctor!"
With that, he enters the building just above, while Naruto and the others watch. Nodding, he leads them inside. To a staircase of steps. "Crapbaskets."
After a minute of climbing, which is allot despite how it sounds, the trio make their way to a laboratory. There, they see Jack with a scientist looking person in a wheelchair standing before a Heartless laid on a table. The kind of table used for building Frankenstein.
"Doctor Finkelstein, what do you think? Maybe the guidance system was damaged in the explosion?"
"What? My devices are always perfect," replies the creepy doctor. His voice is harsh and nasally.
Jack looks over a book, before coming upon something. "I got it! The Heartless need a heart. You think we can do that?"
"Certainly. A heart's not all that complicated." He moves his automatic wheelchair ahead to a counter. "Let's get to work."
Reading the instructions, Jack says, "First, to make a heart, take a container with a lock."
Finkelstein pulls out a pulsating container shaped like a heart with a lock on it. Though examining it, he discovers something ill. "Uh oh. We need the key for this first!"
Naruto looks back at Donald and Goofy. "That's my cue."
"You're really gonna unlock it for them?" asks Donald.
"Hey I don't know about technology, but it worked enough to control them this much. If they pull off this heart thing we won't have to fight them. Besides, don't you wanna see 'em dance?"
"Not at all."
"Maybe." This is Goofy.
With all said and done, Naruto steps in to unlock the container, using the Kingdom Chain instead of his newer ones. Jack is flabbergasted with their appearance and help. "Wow, that was amazing! And you are..."
"Naruto. That's Donald, and he's Goofy." He points over to his friends naming them.
"Well done Naruto. I'd like for you to be a part of this year's festival."
Ignoring the offer, Naruto asks, "What's with the Heartless all around town?"
"Oh, the Heartless came to town just recently. We were using a guidance system to control their movements, but I can't seem to get them to dance with me."
The doctor collects more stuff. "Alright, what's next?"
"Let's see, the ingredients for a heart: pulse, emotion, terror, fear, hope and despair. Mix them all together, and we have a heart!" Jack and the doctor add the collection of ingredients, composed of a frog, a spider, glass, and two snakes eating eachother, to the heart. The doc then pulls a lever, starting up the machine using the heart. It electrifies the Heartless, but it falls down.
"IT FAILED!" The doctor flips his lip in anger, scanning over the book through his tiny black spectacles. "Maybe we're missing some ingredients. Let's add memory." He then opens the top of his head and massages his brain. This immediately grosses out Naruto and the others. "Sally? Sally! Oh, where is that good for nothing girl? Don't know why I bothered making her! She's got the memory we're looking for!"
"No problem, let's find her. Naruto, you wanna come along?"
"Hell yeah, let's go!" The four make their way out the door and down the steps. On their way out however, Naruto stops for a moment. "Something's up."
"What's wrong?" Donald asks.
Naruto opens the door, and sees the mayor running up to them. "Jack! Jack! It's terrible!"
'Did his face change?' They just stare at him in confusion. Naruto asks, "What's wrong?"
"The Heartless are completely out of control! We can't stop them!"
"Oh no," complains the Keybearer. "Back to the usual."
"Maybe our experiment triggered something. Don't worry, we're on it."
As Jack tries to calm down the mayor, Donald turns to scold Naruto. "See what happened?"
"Yeah, yeah," he responds, before they head out the door. There they see the Heartless scaring off the townsfolk. Naruto, Donald and Goofy bust out their tools and battle against the Heartless.
One of the mummy Heartless, a Wight Knight, jumps down at Goofy, who blocks using his stronger shield to deflect the claws. He sees a group of Shadows coming up behind it, and charges in knocking the mummy into them. He then performs the Goofy Tornado, spinning so fast he slices through all of them.
Donald engages a fight against a Gargoyle, who swats at it with his new scepter. He fires Fira, but it flies overhead dodging him. Seeing it travel, Donald unleashes Thundara, knocking it down to the dusk floor stunning it. Seeing it landing in a guillotine, Donald rushes over and burns the rope, causing it to drop down on its head.
Naurto swings left and right deflecting the two Heartless attacking him. Looking behind him, he kicks one of the Search Ghosts back before throwing a Strike Raid. The ghost turns invisible and disappears, dodging it. 'This isn't working. I need more power, more magic.' He raises his Keyblade and expels his energy, transforming into his Wisdom form. As if adaptive to his new costume, the only change is his mask turns into a wizard hat.
As the ghost reappears, Naruto slides along the ground to avoid its claws before firing shots at it. He then raises his blade while spinning it, casting Thundara all around, before dashing forward through a group using Fira around him. "Takes care of that."
A blaze erupts behind him, and a Wight Knight hits the ground. He turns around to see Jack. "You can use magic?"
"How else do you think I can perform such amazing stunts? The Pumpkin King delivers." Jack swirls to the left and avoids an attack, before kicking aside a Shadow.
The remaining Shadows gather together into a tower and dogpile onto Naruto. "Gather!" He uses Magnera to stick them in the air, and then digs in deeper to draw out Thundaga and fry them all. They explode, leaving nothing left. "That should give us space for now. Let's get back to work."
"Right." Together they leave,
Jack looks around the entrance of the cemetery, where his ghostly dog floats by. "Zero! Come here boy!" After calling his dog over, he asks, "Have you seen Sally?"
His dog barks happily before flying over to a coffin. Shining his light, he reveals a rag doll lady. "Sally, how good to see you."
"Is something wrong Jack?"
"Not at all! We're going to have the best Halloween ever! We just need your memory."
Sally holds up myosotis flowers, also known as Forget-Me-Not. "You mean this?" He takes it, and smiles knowing they're close to completing their job. She's not as happy about this however as he is. "Jack, I'm not so sure about this. We could still try something else."
"Nothing can beat what I've got planned. Trust me; you'll love it!" says Jack with a smile before heading off.
Sally watches as he leaves, before Naruto asks her, "What's wrong?"
"I often have premonitions. I can see in the future a bit, and I have a feeling something terrible will happen by the end of the year."
Naruto cups his chin taking in her warning. Goofy then says, "Gawrsh, maybe this was a bad idea."
"Let's just keep an eye on everything so far. If the Heartless can't be stopped we'll just destroy them," Naruto states, before they follow after Jack.
With their leave, the coffin Sally hid by moves. The top opens up, revealing three little misfit kids dressed in costumes: one is dressed as the devil, another being a witch, and the last a skeletal zombie. In order they jump out:
"Lock!"
"Shock!"
"Barrel!"
The trio look among themselves thinking. Lock then says, "You heard that?"
"Right, I sure did! A heart! What should we do?" Barrel asks.
Shock smacks them in the back of their heads. "Sheesh, you really are stupid! Isn't it obvious?! Tell Oogie Boogie!"
Laughing, they head out to a new location. Pass the cemetery and the curly mountain, they reach a huge mansion, which resembles a mash up of weird and spooky things. Inside they reach the basement floor. The three little minions cower in fear at the sight of their master, a walking talking pillow bag. It has a head shaped like a ghost, and three hollow holes for eyes and a mouth. This laughing villain flips one of its fingerless arms. "That bonehead Jack is making a heart? Perfect!
"Just wait until I get my hands on that..." He looks down at his arms. "Well I don't have hands. But I'm still gonna nab that heart and control the Heartless completely! And with them gone, I'll be that much closer to rebuilding Bug Day!"
"How are you gonna do that Mr. Oogie?" asks Lock, still crouching in fear.
"What do you think you're here for?"
Clair: That brings this to an end. Next time, we finish the Halloween Town arc with Naruto and Jack taking down Oogie Boogie.