Inside his secret room within Mirage Arena, the Emperor was livid. Gabranth had deserted him, Kefka had been beaten by the Keyblade Master, and Sephiroth had beaten Sora but neglected to finish him off. His secret room was a large room with pink hexagonal tiles lining the walls with a few purple bricks at some of the corners. The floor was made mostly of a deep blue hexagonal tile in some places but mostly was a set of bricks of a matching color, though these bricks were deceiving. (A/N: Think the Pandemonium level in Dissidia)

"What is going on? I demand to know what is happening!" Mateus bellowed into the empty room.

"I'll bet you do." A voice said from nearby that made Mateus freeze in silent and unseen disbelief. He knew who was behind him.

"Why, Lord Xehanort. What brings you here?" Mateus asked as Xehanort walked past him, hands clasped behind his back.

"Oh you know why I'm here." Xehanort said slowly as he stopped.

"The Keyblade warriors are here, although they seem to be much stronger than I first expected." Mateus said as Xehanort smirked.

"I predicted as such, but for once, they are not why I'm here." Xehanort said as he slowly turned towards the Emperor with a dark smile.

"Oh? And what is your reason for coming here?" Mateus asked as Xehanort smiled at him and raised a hand. He then snapped his fingers. Almost instantly Sephiroth dropped down from above with his sword raised towards the Emperor.

"What is THIS? Is this a BETRAYAL?" Mateus asked as Xehanort laughed.

"Actually, you were the one scheming on betraying me first. Did you really think I was oblivious to your plans, Emperor? I consider this as merely, getting rid of the competition." Xehanort said before Sephiroth stabbed the Emperor through the chest, causing the traitorous Mateus to let out an agonized…

"UNGAAAAAH!"

"Now then, Emperor, let us see how truly useful you are to me…as a HEARTLESS!" Xehanort said as he placed a hand on Xehanort's blade, causing a powerful stream of black snakelike energy to pour into the Masamune and towards Mateus's chest. As the darkness began to overwhelm him, Mateus lifted his hand and with a single wave, brought all of the warriors of light into the room. Tina was still asleep from her battle with Aqua though.

"Xehanort!" Aqua and Sora yelped in surprise as soon as they noticed the lord of the Heartless standing before them.

"Oh, bold move Mateus. Pity it was your last as a man with a heart, albeit a dark one." Xehanort said before turning to the two Keyblade wielders. Sephiroth even pulled the Masamune from Mateus's chest and turned to face the others.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled as he raised his sword.

"I hold your end of the bargain fulfilled Sephiroth, and I have fulfilled mine. Strife is yours." Xehanort said as Sephiroth's smirk returned.

"Good to see you…Cloud." Sephiroth said before he and Cloud leapt into battle with each other, though fortunately the battle quickly moved away from the others. Firion then noticed the Emperor's limp form, surrounded by a slowly increasing swirling black mist.

"The Emperor! What's happening to him? What have you done?" Firion asked as Xehanort chuckled.

"As much as I would love to stay and chat a while, I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to. But don't worry, Mateus here will be happy to deal with you as soon as I'm gone." Xehanort said as a Corridor of Darkness started to form behind him. He then looked at Aqua and Sora.

"I'll be seeing you two later." He said before letting loose an evil laugh and backing into the Corridor of Darkness and disappearing. The Corridor soon closed as well.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Aqua said as Sora nodded and instinctively activated his armor, again sans-helmet.

"Tina? Come on Tina wake up!" Firion said as he tried to shake the Esperkin awake but to no avail.

"She's too exhausted from earlier. There's no time to explain though." Aqua said as Sora turned to Stitch.

"Stitch, take care of Tina okay!" Sora said as Stitch nodded frantically before picking up the sleeping beauty over his head and running off. They then heard the Emperor let out an agonized yell and they turned back to see a number of shadow heartless gathering around him and swarming up onto him.

"What are they doing?" Firion asked.

"I have no idea." Aqua replied as they backed away. Suddenly in a burst of black energy, the Emperor's face became covered in a hideous snarling black mask with piercing yellow eyes and black snake like hair. (A/N: His Dissidia EX Mode. Check the Final Fantasy Wiki if you're not sure what I mean).

"That's not good!" Sora said as the Heartless Emperor roared with fury and instantly the blue brick tiling on the floor turned black with red outlines of the bricks.

"Definitely not good!" Aqua added as both hers and Sora's helmets appeared on their heads.

"Don't step on the bricks!" Firion shouted as he knocked an arrow into his bow, causing a swirling white and green energy to appear before he fired, but the Emperor dodged the attack and instead hurled a giant floating blue fireball towards them, although it moved slowly but continued moving. The three quickly leapt clear of the flare but it continued following them, homing in on Sora.

"Which one of us is he after?" Aqua asked as she hurled a Blizzaga at the flare, detonating it safely.

"I don't think he has a specific target!" Firion replied as the Emperor raised his scepter, moving the tip of it around with a purple glow, creating a large square shaped purple symbol in the air. Suddenly five glowing bolts of purple energy shot from within the symbol, headed straight for the three of them. Aqua and Sora quickly used Reflega while Firion summoned a simple wall of hexagonal energy tiles. The bolts impacted harmlessly against the defenses. The Emperor then lunged at them with an enraged roar and his scepter raised. The three leapt out of the way before the Emperor swung at them with the end of the scepter. Sora then leapt up and charged at him, firing off a stream of Firaga spells at the Emperor, finishing up with a Firaga shield that caused the Emperor to stagger backwards. The Emperor attempted to take another swing at Sora but as he swung his scepter, it hit Sora's Keyblade but this time the Keyblade was engulfed in flames. Sora had entered the Fire Blazer Command Style. Every time Sora swung the Keyblade, it let off a small explosion of flames that caused the Emperor to back away. The Emperor suddenly did something unexpected and moved his scepter over the ground, creating a strange glowing blue circular symbol on the ground that moved under Sora's feet.

"SORA! IT'S A TRAP!" Firion shouted but it was too late. Sora was hit by several powerful bolts of lightning from the symbol before getting launched into the air and crashing down onto the ground, smoke coming from the openings in his armor.

"SORA!" Aqua shouted in horror as she witnessed her apprentice get knocked out by the attack.

"Aqua!" Firion shouted. She spun her head back around to see the Emperor raising his scepter and pointing it at her. A swirling golden orb of magic started to form at the tip of the scepter, quickly growing before it flew straight at her. She leapt up and out of the way just in time as the orb exploded shortly after it hit the wall.

"Thanks." Aqua replied as she landed next to Firion.

"We've got to end this! We can't let the Emperor win!" Firion said determinedly.

"You got anything in mind?" Aqua asked as Firion nodded.

"Yeah. It'll take a second though. Think you can distract him long enough?" Firion asked as Aqua nodded and leapt into battle. Firion then started to glow with a bright cyan hued aura as his weapons started to slowly glow with the same aura and start to swirl around him. Aqua started hitting the Emperor with various magic attacks until she entered Magic Wish. She then started bashing the Emperor almost relentlessly until finally her Keyblade transformed into the giant glowing sword blade of the Blade Charge Command Style. Aqua then attempted to attack the Emperor again but just as she charged at him, he thrust his scepter forward and created a strange floating purple object. Aqua crashed into it, only for it to explode and launch her back some distance.

"Firion! I hope you're ALMOST READY!" Aqua shouted as she looked over at Firion who was still meditating. She looked back up to see the Emperor about to draw the lightning symbol on the ground again but suddenly something slammed into him, knocking him back. Aqua was much relieved to see it was Sora, but something was different. His armor had changed colors. Instead of the red, black, and blue, it was now a steel blue, black, and gold.

"Sora! You're okay!" Aqua said with a relieved smile, until she noticed he was holding his Keyblade in a reversed grip. The helmet then disappeared, revealing a familiar spiky haired blond within.

"Ven?" She asked in a surprised whisper. Ven only looked over his shoulder at her with a grin before turning back as the helmet reappeared. The Emperor had recovered now and had raised his scepter over his head, spinning it like a helicopter blade. As he did this he started emitting a glow and a large purple hued circular symbol appeared on the ground around him. Almost instantly a small swarm of Neoshadow Heartless appeared within the symbol. Ven quickly leapt into action, attacking the heartless with his Keyblade in rapid succession as Aqua watched in shock, especially when she realized that, upon looking around, Sora was nowhere to be seen.

"Sora?" Aqua asked in surprise as she realized that it wasn't really Ven she was seeing, but actually Ven in Sora's body. Ven/Sora suddenly started glowing with a white aura before leaping into the air and attacking with the Keyblade from overhead. Aqua recognized this as Ven's unique command style, Speed Rave, cutting through dozens of Heartless. Aqua quickly leapt up and joined in the battle, eventually reactivating Magic Wish but the Heartless kept on coming and the glow around the Emperor was getting more and more noticeable and the room was starting to shake with increasing violence.

Finally Sora/Ven turned towards Aqua, reaching out his hand. Aqua took a hold of it and they both entered the one Command Style that both Aqua and Ven shared…Air Rider. They both started floating above the ground, delivering lightning fast blows to the Heartless until finally they both had eradicated the heartless. They turned to the Emperor who roared in fury. Before he could make a move they heard Firion say…

"There is no meaning in strength used only to hurt others…" Firion said as he started to stand to his feet with a powerful aura around him, catching the Emperor's attention. Firion's weapons were spinning around over his head at a fast rate before he locked his eyes on the Heartless Emperor.

"…I have dreams! Dreams worth DYING FOR!" Firion shouted before his weapons all launched themselves towards the Emperor in a swirling vortex of powerful energy.

"This decides it!" Firion shouted as he recalled his weapons. He then leapt at the Emperor, attacking with each of his weapons, shouting as he used them…

"Lance! Slash! Shatter! Shoot! Sword! It's THE END!" Firion shouted as he knocked five glowing red arrows into his bow and fired them all at Mateus, resulting in a massive explosion. The Emperor screamed in a mixture of fury and pain with a final…

"UNGAAAAAH!"

And with that the Emperor burst open, releasing a glowing pink heart which soon faded away. Aqua and Ven/Sora watched in awe until the remainders of their Command Styles wore off. Suddenly Ven/Sora collapsed onto his back.

"Ven!" Aqua exclaimed as she turned and knelt down next to her apprentice. The helmet disappeared on Ven/Sora's armor, revealing only Sora underneath. She then noticed that Sora's colors had returned to his armor as well.

"Something wrong?" Firion asked as he approached.

"It's Sora. He's so close to finally becoming a master." Aqua said with a proud smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Is there anything I can do?" Firion asked, neither of them noticing as Tina and Stitch approached from behind.

"Afraid not. But he'll be fine. We just need to finish up his training is all." Aqua said as she stood up, her helmet disappearing.

"So what do we do now?" Tina asked as everyone turned to her.

"We've won a great victory. We've defeated the Emperor and freed ourselves from this prison." Firion said as he looked around the room.

"Uh, where's Cloud? Wasn't he battling Sephiroth?" Aqua asked.

"Looks like they've disappeared still locked in battle once more. We'll go and search for him. When we find him we'll bring him to Radiant Garden." Firion said as Sora groaned.

"What-…-what happened?" Sora asked as he climbed to his feet, with help from Aqua.

"I'll explain on the way." Aqua said with a smile. They then noticed that they were back in the main room they had all met in earlier.

"I guess this is goodbye for now." Tina said as Aqua and Sora both nodded.

"Afraid so. But it's been an honor knowing each of you." Aqua said as Firion and Tina both smiled and nodded.

"Likewise." Firion said before Stitch hopped forward to the two Keyblade warriors who knelt down to his level.

"Stitch say goodbye?" Stitch asked before Sora and Aqua pulled him into a group hug.

"Take care of yourself little guy." Sora said as Stitch gave him a lick on the cheek and then gave Aqua one too before hopping back and climbing up onto Tina's back.

"See you guys later." Sora said as both his and Aqua's helmets appeared on their heads and they summoned their Keyblade Riders.

"Oh hey, I almost forgot. How are the three of you getting back?" Aqua asked as Firion and Tina both looked at Stitch. Stitch reached into his mouth and pulled out a set of car keys. He pressed a button on the remote and they heard the "Blip-blip" of a car alarm before a large red gummy ship with a white stripe down the center appeared hovering overhead.

"Oh…he took the red one." Aqua said in awe.

"Nice ride." Sora said as Firion and Tina climbed in with Stitch at the controls.

"ALOHA!" Stitch shouted with a maniacal cackle before the gummy ship screamed into the distance.

"You think they'll make it in one piece?" Aqua asked as Sora nodded.

"Yeah. Stitch is driving. They'll be fine." Sora said as the two set off on their Keyblade Riders into the night sky.

"So…what was it that happened to me Master? What happened during the battle?" Sora asked as Aqua looked at him for a second.

"Well…tell me what you remember first." Aqua said as Sora thought for a moment.

"I remember getting hit by the Emperor's attack and falling unconscious…I think I even dreamt something too." Sora said as Aqua shook her head.

"You don't dream when you're unconscious, Sora." Aqua said as Sora pondered.

"But it felt like a dream. Like I was walking around in my own body but…I wasn't the one in control." Sora said as Aqua nodded.

"You weren't." Aqua said as Sora looked at her confused.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"You weren't in control. Ven was controlling you." Aqua said as Sora stopped mid-flight, causing Aqua to stop and turn around towards him.

"Ven was…controlling me?" Sora asked as Aqua nodded.

"Indeed he was. His heart is very close to awakening completely within you. I can feel the power within your own heart, Sora. You are very close to becoming a Master. But…" Aqua said, earning a concerned, though unseen look from Sora due to the helmets.

"But?" Sora asked worriedly.

"But there is one small problem I probably should mention." Aqua said as Sora cocked his head to one side.

"What?" Sora asked as Aqua sighed.

"Once Ven's heart is ready…it won't matter. I don't know what to do." Aqua said.

"That's easy; we restore Ven's heart to him." Sora replied.

"How? How do we do that Sora? Do you know how? Because I…I just don't." Aqua said despairingly. They hovered in the void for a while in silence.

"What ever happened to your old master?" Sora asked, earning a look from Aqua.

"He died at Xehanort's hands." She said mournfully.

"What would he do if he were in our position?" Sora asked as Aqua shrugged.

"I don't know. I just wish that we could find a way to ask him personally." Aqua said with another sigh. They then heard something, a distant rumble like thunder. They turned to see a massive multicolored storm cloud barreling towards them.

"Uh-oh!" Aqua yelped as she and Sora quickly rocketed off through space again in an effort to escape the cloud.

"What is that?" Sora asked as he looked over his shoulder only to notice that the storm was actually gaining on them.

"I don't know! Just keep flying!" Aqua replied. Suddenly they found themselves surrounded by the cloud itself but they could still see the star filled sky before them.

"Aqua! What's happening?" Sora asked as large glowing green ribbon like tendrils started snaking in and around them. Aqua didn't have a chance to respond as the cloud overtook them and they were both blinded by a bright white flash of light. When they opened their eyes they were stunned at what they saw.

"What the-…where are we?" Aqua asked as Sora shrugged.

"I dunno. I've never been here before." Sora replied. The land around them was a vast and seemingly endless range of grass covered hills, some of them covered in flowers of different sorts. Sora and Aqua were standing on a dirt covered pathway that led to nowhere in particular. Their Keyblade Riders and armor had disappeared except for their shoulder pieces.

"Did that storm send us here or something?" Aqua asked.

"It may have." Sora said as they started walking down the path. They remained on the path until they passed a large tree with a large grey stone rock shaped like a large letter L. Sora recognized it.

"Hey, it kinda looks like Pride Rock." Sora said as they both came to a stop.

"Where?" Aqua asked.

"Nice place. You get transformed into a Lion there but that gets itchy. It's a good story. It's ruled by a king Lion, named Simba." Sora said.

"Simba?" Aqua asked.

"Yeah. He helped me out during my first adventure and then I helped him reclaim his throne during my second adventure." Sora said as Aqua smiled then froze with her Keyblade summoned.

"Sora…don't make any sudden movements." She said as Sora froze.

"What is it." He asked trough clinched teeth. He then heard a soft guttural growl and felt something breathing on his neck.

"I heard you mention the name Simba." A deep and powerful bass voice said. Aqua was caught off guard.

"You talk?" Aqua asked before Sora leapt up and next to his master but froze when he saw what it was behind him. It was a large male lion with a majestic red mane.

"What the-? Simba! It's you!" Sora exclaimed as the lion shook his head.

"No, Simba is my son. I am his father. My name is Mufasa." The lion replied.

End Chapter 28.

What is this world that they have come to? Find out in the next chapter. I do not own Mufasa.