The Resolve of All
Chapter 4: The New Quest
"Gee, I hope Sora's okay." Donald quaked worriedly in Master Yen Sid's study with the attendance of King Mickey, Goofy, and Yen Sid himself.
"He'll be just fine as long as Riku's with him." Goofy responded.
"Oh! You don't think- No!" Mickey realized. "Master Yen Sid!"
"What is it Mickey?" The Sorcerer replied.
"I think that Xehanort could be up to something right now!" Mickey stated.
"No, it can't be..." Yen Sid pondered. "The timing is too perfect... could Xehanort possess such foresight?"
"We can't take any chances." Mickey simply responded.
"Very well, as a precaution I-!" Yen Sid was cut off as Roxas, Xion, Lea, and Drex entered the study.
Mickey exclaimed. "You're here!"
"Hey guys, we're here to help." Roxas declared.
"Ah, you must be Roxas." Yen Sid deduced.
"Yep, and those guys are Xion, Drex, and Axel." Mickey introduced.
"It's Lea now. Got it memorized?" Lea corrected.
"You all have arrived at a pivotal moment. You have my deepest gratitude. But nevertheless, I should inform you of our situation." Yen Sid stated.
"We need to tell you some stuff too." Xion stated.
"...As I am speaking, Sora and Riku are performing their Mark of Mastery exams by traversing the Sleeping Worlds. If they are successful in unlocking the seven Sleeping Keyholes and find their way back here then they will have become True Masters of the Keyblade." Yen Sid explained. "But unfortunately, there are troubling signs that something foul is afoot. Do you four know of a man named Master Xehanort?"
"Master... Xehanort...?" Roxas repeated feeling that the name sounded familiar.
"Yeah. Xehanort was Xemnas' Somebody right? As a matter of fact... he and Isa and even Braig didn't show up when I as revived..." Lea remembered.
"Indeed, but I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that." Yen Sid replied.
"You don't know the half of it..." Donald quacked.
"Yeah, my brain hurts just thinking about it." Goofy said as he rubbed his head.
"We can get the details later. Now what was it you wanted to tell us?" Mickey inquired.
"Well, I was attacked by a man in a black coat and some Nobodies." Drex stated. "The guy in the black coat was somebody I know."
"Another one of Xehanort's pawns... His reach knows no bounds..." Yen Sid responded. "An impending threat from the great darkness is upon us. I ask you four to help us with our cause."
"Of course we'll help. We want to help keep the worlds safe too." Xion smiled.
"Then present to me what weapons you will wield in combat." Yen Sid requested.
Roxas summoned his two Keyblades, Oblivion and Oathkeeper. Xion summoned her own special Keyblade which was an almost Oblivion look-alike which she called Twilight's Amity.
"Sorry, I don't have a Keyblade." Lea stated.
"Me neither." Drex added.
"Gosh, I guess they're going to need some help." Mickey addressed to Yen Sid and he nodded in agreement.
"What? We're going to need Keyblades too?" Drex questioned.
"They are the best weapons of choice to fight the Darkness." Yen Sid reminded. "Go ahead Master Mickey."
Mickey then walked up to Drex and summoned his Kingdom Key D Keyblade and turned it around so that Drex could grab the handle.
"In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love." Mickey recited.
Drexbann nervously grabbed ahold of the handle of Mickey's Keyblade and it remained within his grasp...
"You have a strong heart, and the Keyblade finds you worthy to wield it." Yen Sid nodded.
"Way to go, Drex." Xion praised.
"Welcome to the club." Roxas stated.
"Now we just gotta get your own Keyblade." Mickey said as he dismissed his own weapon.
Then suddenly something twinkled inside Drex's coat... He took out the source of the light to see that it was the item Leon had gave him from yesterday...
Drex revealed to the others that it was a silver keychain with a lion's head for a token. And in a flash of light, Drex was granted with a Keyblade of his own... Sleeping Lion.
"Whoa!" They all said in awe.
"That's... convenient..." Drex marveled at his new weapon. "Humph... Thanks Leon..."
"Hey, what about me?" Lea piped up. "Don't I need one too?"
"Of course, but I will grant you that power myself in due time." Yen Sid assured. "But before we go any further, I would like to assign each of you a task to complete."
The four of them nodded in agreement and respectfully waited to listen to the jobs they would need to carry out.
"Master Yen Sid, did ya know Roxas and Xion had the Keyblade almost as long as Sora and Riku? With the time that they had, they deserve a chance too." Mickey stated.
"I agree... Roxas... Xion... I think that it's time to test both your skills for the Mark of Mastery as well..." Yen Sid declared.
"Us? Masters?" Xion questioned at which the Sorcerer nodded in response.
"No problem." Lea said with pride. "Our little buddies here can take on any test you dish out."
"Yeah." Drex agreed. "Lea and I have seen firsthand the experience they have and the fighting skills they possess."
"Very well. Roxas and Xion, do you have any objections?" He asked the couple.
"No. We're ready for anything." Roxas confirmed.
"Roxas and I will ace that exam." Xion said confidently.
"Then before we can begin, I have another request for you both to complete." Yen Sid said.
"What is it?" The couple inquired.
"Bring Sora and Riku's friend Kairi to this Tower." The Sorcerer mystically asked.
"Alright, how come?" Roxas questioned.
"Kairi is in great danger from the forces of Darkness as she is a Princess of Heart." Yen Sid informed.
"Kairi's a Princess?" Xion said.
"Yup." Mickey confirmed.
"Then let's go find her, back in the Destiny Islands, right?" Roxas stated.
"Uh-huh." Mickey affirmed.
"What about us?" Lea motioned to himself and Drex.
"You two will remain here for the time being and learn how to wield your Keyblades. If I see that you are skilled enough with the weapon then you can join back up with your friends." Yen Sid explained.
"Alright." They all understood.
"What's our Mark of Mastery going to be about after we find Kairi?" Xion inquired.
"...You two will seek out the other six Princesses of Heart and bring them here where it is safe." Yen Sid assigned. "They are in the greatest of dangers from Xehanort and his forces."
"Okay, who are these other Princesses of Heart?" Roxas asked.
"Well, there's Snow White, Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, and Alice." Mickey answered.
"You two better get going!" Donald quacked.
"See you in a bit." Drex stated.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Drex and I will to have to get used to calling you both Masters soon." Lea grinned.
"Thanks guys." They both smiled.
They waved off Roxas and Xion as they created a dark corridor to the Destiny Islands to retrieve Kairi and continue their quest of securing the Princesses of Heart for the Light.
"Alright, let's get Keyblading." Lea chuckled as he and Drex commenced their training.
The World That Never Was became their temporary HQ until they led Sora into their clutches, intent on making him another vessel of darkness. The white room which lay only one patient was being watched over by two others...
"How is her health fairing?" Saix inquired.
"Little to no improvement..." Mark responded. "So this leads me to believe that her body is rejecting the fragment of Xehanort's heart."
Mark was a 16-year-old boy with medium-length spiky black hair, and a pair of amber eyes to match the rest of the Organization. He is fairly skinny, but the look on his face said that he can handle more than his own in a battle.
"No matter, if she cannot sustain her existance and she slips away, Sora will be a more than suitable replacement." Saix coldly retorted.
"I'd rather not let that happen." Mark replied. "Mona is a valuable ally."
"We will see then if she can prove herself and survive in the field." Saix challenged. "Send her out with Xylersk tomorrow."
"...Fine." Mark reluctantly agreed.
Saix took his leave to report to the other superiors within another part of the Castle while Mark turned his attention back to Mona who was stirring from her slumber.
Mona was 17 years old with light ash blonde hair which was straight and at shoulder-length with straightened side swept bangs. When she opened her eyelids, Mark noticed the colors of her eyes were flickering from icy blue to cold amber until finally they settled on the appropriate shade of gold.
"Mark... Hey... what's up?" She groggily greeted her friend as she sat up from her bed.
Mark gave a smirk at her tenacity and how she is even still breathing. "Nothing... how are you feeling?"
"I'm pretty good." She yawned.
"Then rejoice Mona, you're finally going to be able to contribute to our Master's cause." Mark stated.
"Great!" She perked up. "What do I have to do?"
"Tomorrow, you will go with Xylersk and, along with a few of our other members, will begin collecting the Princesses of Heart."
"Alright... What about you? What are you going to do?" She inquired.
"...I need to find someone named Kairi..." He answered.
"Is she one of the Princesses of Heart too?" Mona pried.
"...Yes. And also... a very important variable to our plan..." He ominously stated.
"What about Brendan? Did you find him yet?" She questioned.
"He and his friends are our primary objective... I'm sorry Mona, but the Master says we need to eliminate him..."
She gasped. "...But why...? No..." She then turned away from Mark to lie back on her bed.
"Get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day..." Mark said stoic as he walked away and disappeared into a dark corridor...
Kairi was simply appreciating this gorgeous day here on their little island. The sun was shining and the beach was still beautiful. Sora and Riku were still taking their test, so she was just sitting on the old Paopu Tree listening to the waves peacefully...
"I hope they come back soon..." She wished.
She decided to go for a walk and headed towards the dock. She crossed the small wooden bridge which to the shack and when she went down the stairs, she was surprised to see two kids her age making out with each other... awkward?
"Umm... excuse me?" She finally recognized them as Roxas and Xion!
"Oh! Hi Kairi!" Xion separated from Roxas as her face blushed a deep red.
"Hey..." Roxas waved to the red-head still sort of in a daze.
"What are you guys doing making out in an old shack?" She chuckled.
"Actually, we're here to see you." Xion rubbed her neck sheepishly.
"Me? That's a first." She replied.
"We need to take you somewhere." Roxas informed.
"What? Where? Is Sora in trouble?" She worriedly inquired.
None of the three kids could have expected what had happened next. The shack they were taking shelter in was blasted by an energy beam of darkness!
The shack was destroyed and out of the wooden debris, Roxas, Xion, and Kairi crawled back onto the sandy beach to find the source of this violent attack.
Roxas was looking for a Giant Heartless or even someone just as powerful as Xemnas, but instead the perpetrator was identified as a young man with spiky black hair...
"It looks like this little venture will be a bit more interesting than I expected." Mark smirked.
"Who are you?!" Roxas shouted as he summoned his Keyblades.
"Oh, where are my manners?" Mark continued to grin. "My name is Mark Flynt and I understand that we both have a friend in common..."
"Mark... Roxas! He's one of Drex's friends!" Xion remembered.
"So, Brendan gave himself a new name like Skyler, has he lost his heart as well?" Mark pondered to himself.
"Xion! Go take Kairi to safety, I'll hold him off!" Roxas declared.
"Okay!" She nodded in trust and complied as she took Kairi through a dark corridor.
"So Roxas... you think you can take me on?" Mark inquired as he summoned his weapons which were a blizzard-white sword in one hand and deathly jet-black sword in the other.
"I know I can." Roxas gritted through his teeth.
He took his battle stance. "Very well then. Allons-y!"
And then they clashed...
A/N- The battle between Roxas and Mark will take place next chapter! If anyone is wondering Allons-y means 'let's go' in French. (A request made by the OC' creator ;) Who will win? Find out next time! Reviews=Updates :)
And why did I give Drex a Keyblade? Oh, because there are too many OC's already who are going to have dual swords. And the Sleeping Lion Keyblade is a personal favorite.