The orchestra version of Sanctuary is playing at full blast. You look around and see nothing but darkness. In the background, you hear various voices. You're shocked to find that they belong to the various characters of Bleach and Kingdom Hearts.
"Your mind's made up?"
"Yeah. It's just… they really need me. I have to go. I am who I am… because of them."
"So this is it. This thing in the palm of my hand… is 'heart'."
"Do you know where the heart is, Rukia? No? Well, I think it's here, between us. When two people develop a strong bond, a heart is born between them."
"You may have his body, power, and memories, Espada, but you don't have his heart. Kaien's heart… lies with me!"
"That's not true! The heart may be weak, and sometimes, it may even give in. But I've learned… that deep down there's a light that never goes out!"
Gold letters start flying in front of you.
The heart. A cornerstone in many lives.
Wars have been fought over it.
Families were made and broken.
Light and Darkness have claimed countless hearts in their bid for dominance.
How far would one go to reclaim their heart?
Then scenes start flashing in the darkness. Ulquiorra is fighting Roxas on the side of a building. After pushing him away, Roxas jumps to the ground, with Ulquiorra close behind him. They continue their fight, taking out Heartless in the process.
Grimmjow and Axel are racing toward each other. Grimmjow is in his Resureción, and fires several of his explosive darts. They explode, but we can't tell if they hit Axel or not. Axel answers us by jumping out of the smoke and flies towards Grimmjow. Grimmjow meets his Chakrams with his claws.
Starrk and Xigbar break through an ocean wave, firing shots at each other. Despite the difference in size, Xigbar's arrows are a match for Starrk's ceros. Starrk switches up his tactics and jumps overhead, using his Cero Metrelleta attack as he reaches the height of his jump. As the smoke clears, Xigbar is laughing as purple and black smoke cloaks his body. The power of Darkness. Starrk summons a legion of his wolves, and the sudden army rushes towards Xigbar.
The final scene you see depicts Ulquiorra reaching for a heart that's floating just out his reach. Behind him, a pair of yellow eyes flash open. Ulquiorra turns as he hears the hiss of a Hollow. He's greeted by the eyes and two very familiar swords – Tensa Zangetsu, and Master Xehanort's Keyblade.
In a flash of green light, the Kingdom Hearts logo appears overhead. It's… different, though. On top of the iconic heart symbol is a green silhouette that looks a lot like Ulquiorra's final form. The green silhouette looks like it's about to take to the skies, and in one hand… rests a Keyblade. The sound of something unlocking fills the room, and a title appears above Ulquiorra's head.
Kingdom Hearts: the Search for a Heart
Hello again! Let's pick up where we left off!
Chapter Eight – Coyotes hate Freeshooters
I can't believe I'm saying this, but taking a nap right now is the last thing I want to do. Kind of helps that I'm sharing a room with someone from Organization XIII. Nani said that this guy's name was Xigbar. What kind of stupid name was that?
Xigbar must have gotten over the shock of seeing me and Lillynette here, because he started smiling and holding out his hand. "Looks like I've got a new roommate," he said. "The name's Starrk, right?"
I took his hand, trying very hard not to crush every bone. It would be so easy just to call Lillynette and release, blow this guy away with a few well-placed ceros. But… Lilo and Nani… I can't let them get in harm's way.
"That's right," I said. "So, Lilo tells me you're from Special Services?"
"Yep," Xigbar replied. "My boss sent me over here because… well, we believe that Lilo may have come into contact with something that may or may not pose a danger to Lilo and her family."
That was surprising. Why would he blatantly admit something like that to me? Maybe he knows that I can't do anything to him right now, and is rubbing the fact in my face. However, I'm not done yet.
"If that's true, then why did Special Services become involved?" I asked. "This seems like something that's a little bit out of your league."
His eyes widened. Ha! I found a flaw in his cover story! However, he quickly replied, "Don't know, man. You think my boss would admit his reasoning to me? As if! You've met the guy – he's almost impossible to read."
That's it – I need to get out before I do something I regret. "I'll be right back. I left something at the beach." I walked out the door before Nani and Xigbar could say anything.
I've lost track of how many trees I've cut down after I reached three hundred. That piece of… he's deliberately riling me up! He's telling a skeleton of the truth, and I can't do anything to kick his ass into the next several afterlives!
"I'm gonna sick as many of my wolves as I can on his stupid eye patch," I growled. "Beat him to a bloody pulp, and then heal him up so I can do it again."
Some sniffling caught my attention. Making sure to put away my zanpakuto, I walked towards the source of the sniffling. Behind one of the trees I cut in two, I saw Lilo. She was in the fetal position, silently crying (or at least trying to be silent) while holding a picture.
"You ok, Lilo?" I asked gently.
"Nani got a call from Mr. Bubbles," she whispered.
"Strange name to call your dad, Lilo."
She shook her head, a few teardrops falling on the picture in the process. Let's see… Lilo and Nani are in there, but who's the woman and the guy with the ukulele?
"Mr. Bubbles isn't my dad. He's… the man who wants to take me away from Nani."
Did I hear that right? I hope I didn't. "What? Why would he do that?"
"Well…" Lilo wiped her nose on her arm, "a few years ago, our parents were driving at night. I don't remember why. It was raining, and the road was very slippery."
"Did they get into a car accident?" I asked. Damn – should have used a more gentle tone.
Lilo was crying in full now. Oh, man – what do I do now? I wrapped my arms around her in a very awkward hug. I don't know if a Hollow can give off a protective aura or something like that, but I prayed to Spirit King that I was giving that off.
It seemed to do the trick. Lilo stopped crying and… was actually returning my hug! Holy crap, it worked!
"You don't have to continue if you don't want to," I told her. "If it's that painful…"
"No," she interrupted. "It's ok, because you're here to help. Mr. Bubbles wants to take me away from Nani, because she doesn't have a job."
"That's why she seemed so happy to see us," I realized. "Lillynette and I are a potential job for her. But, Lilo…" I propped her up on me knee. "Why is Xigbar here? If Mr. Bubbles is here, shouldn't that be enough?"
"Xigbar… he said that he was assigned to help Nani find a job. All he's been doing, though, is watch Westerns and cop shows. And the way he looks at Nani…" a shiver ran through her.
If Lilo had told me this during my temper tantrum, I would have gone up to that stupid Xigbar and blasted him straight to Hell. However, I saw something in Lilo's eyes that brought me back to my senses. It was a look Lillynette and I ran away from all our lives, right up until Aizen recruited us into the Espada.
Lilo felt alone.
"I don't know how much help we can be," I told her, getting up after setting her down, "but I promise you, we'll do everything we can to keep you and Nani together."
"Stitch too?" She asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.
Man, this girl was sweet! Chuckling, I ruffled her hair. "Sure thing, kiddo. Stitch too."
"Thank you, Starrk!" She exclaimed, hugging me again. Just as a warm feeling was spreading though my chest, Lilo let go and checked her watch. "Oh, no! Movie night starts in ten minutes! Come on, Starrk! It's a monster movie this time!"
"You go ahead without me, Lilo," I told her. "I need to make a call first."
I waited until Lilo was out my sight, and hopefully out of hearing range. I sucked in some air, and then screamed, "CARETAKER! I NEED YOU!"
I'm here, Starrk. She whispered in my head. Hey, I know it's a mind-to-mind thing, but I suck at that stuff! I think more clearly when I think out loud. What do you need?
"I need whatever passes as currency for this world," I said. "And a lot of it."
The Caretaker was silent for a few moments before replying. Why on Earth would you need money? You're supposed to track down the Hogyoku, not go on a vacation!
"Something's come up. I found a girl who's been in contact with the Hogyoku, but Organization XIII got here first. Some guy named Xigbar. I need the money in order to keep my cover intact."
You are a terrible liar. You don't need a cover – you can just blast him when you get him alone! Now, tell me why you've made this request!
Geez, somebody has a dead Hollow in their pants. "I need the money to help a little girl named Lilo. She and her older sister, Nani… they're about to be separated. Lilo has no idea of where she'll go, and neither does Nani."
Touching, but how does this concern…
"I'm not finished yet, so shut up." She actually listened to me and fell silent. Good. "When she told me this – Lilo – I recognized the look on her face. She felt alone. It's the same loneliness I felt when I was a Vasto Lorde. You don't know what it's like, Caretaker. To be so different from everyone else, you either scare everyone away, or attract trouble makers. You never once hear the word 'friend' except in dreams that give you jack squat in real life, and family is a foreign term."
I clenched my fists so tightly, I actually started tearing the fabric on my gloves. "I'm not going to let Lilo go through any of this, Caretaker. Yes, I will find the Hogyoku. Yes, I will stop Organization XIII. But I'm not going to leave people feeling alone – the same loneliness that almost killed me – while I'm doing it."
The Caretaker was silent for a long time. When she spoke again, I was surprised. It seems Ulquiorra isn't the only one getting a heart. You've changed quite a bit since you've been brought back to life, Starrk. For the better. Turn around and you'll find all the money you need.
True to her word, there was a bag of money on the ground behind me. Huh – it looks like the currency used in the World of the Living back home. Then a thought occurred to me. "Caretaker, you've been monitoring me this whole time. You knew about Lilo and her situation. Was this… a test?"
…Perhaps.
I didn't hear anything else after that. Ah, well. Time to go join Lilo for monster movie night.
It's been five days since I've arrived, and there hasn't been one boring moment. Whether it was touring various parts of the Hawaiian Islands, trying to find some way to bust Xigbar, or making sure Stitch didn't destroy the house, Lillynette and I had our hands occupied. I was completely happy for it. Lilo sure could be odd sometimes – she tried to get me to help her with a voodoo spell – but she was a really kind-hearted girl. It got to the point where, one day, I saw her being teased by four girls her age. Around the same time I arrived, a wolf leaped out at them and started chasing Lilo's bullies.
Huh – imagine that.
Xigbar wasn't doing anything himself. However, I had to fight tons of Nobodies along with Lillynette starting the day after we arrived. These guys are just as powerful as the Heartless, and they're a lot smarter. If it weren't for my medic skills (a hobby I took to in Hueco Mundo when I wasn't sleeping), Lillynette and I would have had to answer a lot of awkward questions at the local hospitals.
"We have a real treat for you and your daughter, Mr. Starrk!" Nani gleamed at us. Right now, Lillynette and I were having lunch together. I really like these "Ahi" steaks that were so popular around here. Lillynette had finished arguing with me over whether or not she could have caffeinated coffee and had settled for decaf. She and I looked up, me from my newspaper and Lillynette from the book Lilo gave her about a guy named Elvis.
"What do you have in mind, Nani?" I asked politely. Man, I'm glad I got some cash out of the Caretaker. With Nani working a job (however short term), it looked like Lilo had a really good chance of staying with her sister. Even Stitch was starting to behave. This morning, he bit me once instead of the usual four times.
"We're going to take you to my friend's work tonight!" Nani practically hugged me and Lillynette. What is it with people hugging strangers? "Cobra Bubbles is going to be there too! I'll finally have a chance to show him that I can take care of Lilo!"
"That's great, Nani," I congratulated. "Lillynette and I will be on our best behaviors. Right, kiddo?" I stared pointedly at the little brat.
She sighed, knowing that this was really important. "Yes, I'll behave," Lillynette said. I could tell she was all sore about it, though. Probably thinks that I'll be lazy and not do anything to help Nani.
"That's great! We're leaving in a couple hours!" Nani rushed off to get ready. I never understood that. Hollow or human, it never ceased to amaze me – women always took so long to get ready. Does it really take all that just to put on clothes and make-up? Halibel certainly never explained it to me, and Lilo slapped me when I tried asking Nani two days ago.
"Morning, guys," Xigbar said as he entered the room. Lillynette dropped her book on the table and scooted closer to me. As for me, I never took my eyes off him for even a second.
"Actually, it's 2:30 in the afternoon," I replied coldly. "What were you doing to wake up so late?"
"Just talking to some friends," he casually told me. Walking to the fridge, he opened it up and took out the carton of milk. "They wanted to know how I was doing."
Time to use pesquisa. Let's see… good, Lilo and Nani aren't in the house. Time to let the truth out. "What did Xemnas have to say?"
He turned to me, surprised. This was the first time I've spoken the truth since we've arrived on this island. "That's pretty bold, Mister Primera Espada. I thought you wanted to keep your cover intact."
I don't know if I'm too angry to care or if my time spent with the Caretaker dulled me to things like this, but the fact that he knew who I was didn't shock me. It'll probably hit me later. "Nani and Lilo are gone. Now, give me one good reason why I shouldn't Cero your ass into whatever afterlife you Nobodies have."
By that point, I had my sword out and pointed at Xigbar. He just shrugged and poured himself a glass of milk. "Because I know what the Hogyoku did to this world, and something tells me you need to know what it is in order to fix it."
"Then you have three seconds to tell me before you lose your hands," I snapped.
"As if!"
That's it! I'm gonna kill his ass! I swung at his right hand, ready to chop it off. Right as my blade got within three inches of it, though, his hand disappeared! Right where his wrist was, there was a black hole, with rings around it like a bulls-eye.
"Let me give you a heads up about Organization XIII," Xigbar told me. The smile was gone, replaced with deadly seriousness. "Each of us controls a different part of reality, like we're elementals. I control Space. So, for example, I can make my hand tap your shoulder from behind, like this."
Holy… he did tap me on the shoulder! From behind, too! But… but… he's standing right in front of me.
This is going to be tough. He really can control space. But I don't think he can control someone else's space, otherwise I'd be at the bottom of the ocean floor right now.
"Another thing," Xigbar added. "Some of my friends are paying Lilo a visit. You might want to think about visiting her too."
Oh, no. Lilo!
I don't think I've ever gone this fast with Sonido in my life. Good thing I decided to take to the sky. Nobody blocking my way. Just please, please, let Lilo be ok!
I got to the school just in time to see it in flames. Nobodies were flying around, throwing more fuel into the fire. The firefighters were being taken apart, one by one.
Wait, there's Lilo! She's running out of the building! She doesn't look hurt, thank Spirit King, but she looks like she's coughing a lot.
I came to a stop in the air above the school. The smoke wasn't going straight up, so I had a clear view. Let's see… it's only Nobodies here, no Heartless. Let's get to it.
A Nobody leapt at Lilo. This one dressed a lot like a samurai, wielding a katana made of a material I couldn't identify. For its sake, I hope it stands up to my zanpaku-to.
Flying down, I blocked the Nobodies sword strike with my own sword, sending up a cloud of dirt and dust. I have to say, now that I'm face to face with this guy, he truly fit the profile. Even with what little I know about the World of the Living, if anybody was caught wearing something like that in public, they would have been laughed at for the rest of their lives. He wielded two swords, but they were katanas the way a cartoon animal is a real animal. The helmet was like the top part of a stovepipe hat, with six holes divided between two columns for eyeholes. The most notable thing on its person was its insignia. It was the classic Nobody symbol, but it was colored blue for some reason.
"You must be the man Master Xigbar told us about," the Nobody/samurai/whatever said. Its voice… this guy must pride himself on being a real gentleman. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Yeah, well, it's not going to be a pleasure for much longer, pal." I turned to Lilo. She was standing there, with a look of wonder in her eyes. I didn't have time to question why she wasn't shocked. "Lilo, get out of here. Find Lillynette, and stay with her until I come get you." Lilo did as I said and started running. Strangely, the other Nobodies didn't follow her.
"I apologize for placing your young friend in danger," the samurai Nobody told me, taking several steps back, "but it was the only way to draw you out. You see, we require your help. And we don't require you to be conscious for it."
"What do you mean?" I demanded.
The other Nobodies started flying at me. I couldn't see the samurai Nobody's face, but I could tell it was smiling. "If you beat all of us, I will tell you. This I swear, and Muramasa the Nobody Captain doesn't break his promises." (Author's note – this isn't the Muramasa from Bleach! This is an OC!)
And that ends this chapter. I wanted to write more, but I couldn't come up with anything after the fight. I'll save the fight scene for the next chapter. Until next time, Viva Templar!