AN: And we are blasting into action once more with another thrilling adventure in the Galactic Alliance!
Buzz: And this makes it only one chapter away from my big moment, not that I'm really keeping track.
AN: Sure Buzz, whatever you say. So now we see the all girl team of Aqua and Mira flying into action on Tangea, and things are really going to get crazy this time around. In all honesty, I think that part of the reason last chapter felt so short to me was because of the fact that Terra, Aqua, and Ventus have those Command Styles of theirs that I just have to write about when they use them, and Sora and Kairi's fighting style is just so...what's the word I'm looking for? Basic, maybe?
Buzz: Sounds about right. But you know, as I was reading this chapter, I was actually rather surprised by some of the moments in this chapter, or at least one moment in particular.
AN: Oh really? Care to elaborate on that? [gains mischievous grin]
Buzz: Nice try son, but I know full well about that little thing you do to prevent spoilers, and this Ranger wasn't born yesterday, nor was he just promoted from rookie yesterday either.
AN: Well that's both disappointing and a relief actually. Disappointing cause I haven't done that in a while and a relief because I don't want to do it to you.
XR: Oh sure, Buzz can keep that to himself, but I doubt that he's able to hide the fact that next chapter will have a scene that is reminiscent of that one moment in the show's...
AN: There we go! Him I don't mind doing this to. DAH! SPOILER! [hits control]
XR: Wait, what? [gets attacked by Puss in Boots] AH! GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF!
Buzz: [laughing almost uncontrollably] Now that's funny.
AN: Right?! So now that that's done, let's move onto the story. To Infinity...
Buzz: HEY! That's my line, so I say it! To Infinity, and Beyond!
lyokoMARVELanime does not own anything from the Kingdom Hearts franchise or any other franchise mentioned in this story.
AN: Gee, thanks for ruining my fun.
Chapter VIII
As she flew the Alpha One towards her home, Mira took a moment to glance over at Aqua as the blue haired Keyblade Master continued to sit there with her eyes closed in concentration. A moment ago, Aqua had stated that Terra wanted to speak with her about something and she had instantly pulled out a small, star shaped object before she assumed what Mira could only describe as a meditative posture, which she was still in. Mira was beginning to wonder if she should try and snap Aqua out of her trance now, but just as she was about to reach over, Aqua's eyes snapped open and then seemed to gain a small scowl as she brought her attention to the stars outside the window. Of course, that was not the only thing about Aqua's expression that Mira had noticed. "Hey Aqua, are you okay," the Tangean Ranger asked.
"Yeah fine," Aqua replied shortly. "Terra was just telling us that a witness got a small, unhelpful glance of the guy our group is after. Unhelpful because the only description he got was that it was a man in a long black coat with his hood up along with black gloves and boots. Why do you ask?"
"W-well, uh, no reason," Mira replied. "It's just that…your face is all red."
Aqua immediately looked away as she quickly said that it was nothing, not wanting to admit the fact that she was blushing because of what Kairi had implied about her and Terra and the resulting response that she and Terra had given at the same time. Admittedly, Aqua would not deny that at one point she might have had those sorts of feelings for Terra, but after all that happened between them, the only thing that she felt for the taller Keyblade Wielder was anger and hatred. She may have agreed to a small truce with the man, but it would be some time before she could so much as consider them friends again. Hoping to divert the conversation from that particular topic, Aqua quickly composed herself as much as she could before asking, "Why'd you join the Space Rangers, Mira?"
Mira gazed out ahead of her for a few moments in a moment of recollection before she finally replied, "Well I guess I could say that it was because I thought that I could show my people that our world is just as affected by events in the rest of the galaxy as anyone else is, despite their thinking that Tangeans are above everyone else, but really, I was inspired by Buzz after what he did for my people."
"What do you mean by that," Aqua asked.
Mira smiled fondly in reminiscence once again before she began to tell the tale of how she first met Buzz Lightyear a few years ago. "It all started when my people were first being offered membership into the Galactic Alliance," Mira recounted. "Despite the fact that we would gain great benefits by joining, including protection from Zurg's forces, my father, King Nova, and the other councilors were all adamant on saying no. You see, Tangean Royals are a bit, well, stuck-up and think that they're better than everyone else. My father still considers Space Rangers to be like a group of trained monkeys in space suits, and even after a recommendation from Buzz, my father still believed that joining the Galactic Alliance would be like joining a club of lesser beings."
"Sounds like they're very difficult to deal with," Aqua commented.
"You have no idea," Mira groaned in reply. "A minute after the presentation had concluded though, Zurg himself burst into the palace and captured my father, trapping him inside his new Hyper Hornet. It was basically like his other Hornets except bigger, and 'more evil', according to Zurg. The council members thought that Zurg was wasting his time trapping my father inside his robot, ya know, since Tangeans can ghost through solid objects, but it turned out that Zurg had planned for that, and his Hyper Hornet was Tangean proof. Buzz was quick to fly into action, but while he was struggling to stop the Hyper Hornet alone, my people, who could see plain as day that they were being brutally attacked, decided that it would be better to form a committee to deal with the situation and try writing a letter to Zurg telling him how upset they were with his invasion of our home."
"Please tell me that they didn't seriously think that would work," Aqua begged.
"Like I said, stuck-up, snooty bunch of people who think they're more evolved than the rest of the galaxy, but I guess I forgot to mention that they're not all that bright when it comes to dealing with threats," Mira replied with a shake of her head. "Aside from me, there's really only one other Tangean member of the Space Rangers, so that should tell you a bit. In the end, it came down to me and Buzz to save my father and my home. In all honesty, I wasn't sure if I could make a difference, but Buzz simply told me that you're never going to win if you're too busy counting the ways you're going to lose. With Buzz's help, my father was freed, Zurg was driven off Tangea, and not long after that, Tangea joined the Galactic Alliance, and I joined Star Command."
Aqua had to smile at the conclusion to Mira's story, as she found the orange haired woman to be rather brave to do something that her people, including her own father, would likely frown upon, especially when that something was protecting the innocent after hearing it. In all honesty though, she was rather surprised by the way that Mira described her people though, as most people she had met in royal positions were actually quite friendly and social, but then again, most of those types of people were either the Princesses of Heart, Queen Minnie and King Mickey, Ansem the Wise, or a number of other people who were like that, so Aqua was not entirely sure how she would be able to handle being around the Tangean people. Still, Aqua had always been taught to be respectful to figures of high authority and royalty, so she felt confident that her best behavior should not make things too difficult for her. Of course, if Mira knew that Aqua was thinking that way, she would immediately shoot that idea down.
Before Mira could say anything to further caution the Keyblade Master about dealing with her people to Aqua, the sensors on the ship started to go off, letting them know that they were approaching their destination. After getting clearance to land at the palace, Mira was quick to bring the Alpha One in for a smooth landing before the two disembarked from the ship and onto the deck that surrounded the Tangean palace. After taking a quick look around the building for a moment, Aqua immediately noticed something strange and immediately pointed it out to Mira as she said, "Um, Mira, I don't see any doors or windows anywhere near us. How are we going to get inside?"
Before Mira could answer, a light blue skinned man in an extravagant, green suit with a cane, and hair like Mira's suddenly came through the wall and began to approach them. "That's how," Mira replied in a small whisper, getting only a nod from Aqua, as the blue haired girl had admittedly forgotten that Mira had mentioned she and her people could go through walls like that.
"Mira," the man called out joyfully as he came up to them. "It is so good to see you! I take it that this means that this whole Star Command phase of yours has finally passed and you've returned home?"
"No father," Mira replied as she gave her father a quick hug. "And that question wasn't funny the first few times you've asked it whenever I came to visit either."
"Well, you cannot blame a man for trying," King Nova shrugged. "But whatever could those monkeys in space suits have sent you here for this time?"
"It's very urgent business, your highness" Aqua replied for Mira as she stepped forward. "There's a group of creatures that have been sighted throughout your galaxy and…"
"Madame, I assure you that no such creature could possibly prove to be any threat to a true Tangean," King Nova interrupted.
"Father, this is serious," Mira told the king. "We received a report that they were here on Tangea, and that's why the two of us got here as quickly as we could."
"Well, however dangerous these supposed 'creatures' may seem to Star Command, I'm sure they will prove no problem for our people," King Nova snorted. "As I've told you time and again Mira, we do not need some monkeys in flying space suits to protect our world."
"Sir, please," Aqua then asked. "These beings are much more dangerous than you realize. If they are not dealt with, it would cause…"
"My dear, please, do not try to interfere in matters that are much too difficult for a lesser beings to understand," King Nova interrupted once more before he turned to his daughter again, making Aqua wonder if he was going to let her finish one sentence while she was here. "Now Mira, just leave your newest pet outside, and we'll try to see if this matter is truly worth all this trouble."
At being called a pet, Aqua finally lost all patience completely, and summoned her Keyblade as she declared, "Sir, my name is Keyblade Master Aqua, and I will not stand for these insults any further!"
At both Aqua's declaration and the moment when the Keyblade Master had raised Stormfall to point directly at him, King Nova had to jump back a little in shock before he regained his composure and stated, "Oh I am terribly sorry for that, Master Aqua. Had I known that you were a wielder of the Keyblade I wouldn't have been so unkind towards you."
"Wait, wait, wait," Mira cut in as she waved her hands in a gesture to hold on for a minute. "Father, you know about this whole Keyblade thing?"
"Oh but of course Mira," King Nova admitted. "It is one of the few things that I find to actually be beneficial to being a member of the Galactic Alliance. All world leaders are told of the existence of the Keyblade Wielders, in the event that they arrive and need to act accordingly on our world with as little interference as possible. Though I must admit, when I imagined my own meeting with a Keyblade Master, I never expected that master to be so young. Your own master must certainly be quite the teacher, Master Aqua."
"Please, just Aqua is fine," Aqua stated as she dismissed her Keyblade. "I'm sorry for my outburst, and you are correct. My master, Eraqus was a wise and great teacher, and an even better father figure."
King Nova raised an eyebrow at Aqua's use of past tense, before he noticed the sad look on the woman's face and immediately adopted an apologetic expression as he said, "Oh, I am so sorry for your loss my dear. As for your earlier outburst, think nothing of it; I understand your reasoning for it, entirely. Now perhaps we should move inside so that you may tell me of these creatures that you spoke of earlier."
Mira and Aqua both nodded in reply to King Nova's suggestion, and they immediately followed the ruler of Tangea into the palace, with Mira ghosting Aqua inside since the Keyblade Master would not have been able to enter otherwise. None of them ever noticed a man in a black coat with sickly, cold, calculating yellow eyes watching them with a smirk on his face as they did the entire time though.
A few minutes later, Aqua and Mira had finally finished explaining the situation involving the Heartless and the Unversed to King Nova, and while her father was a bit skeptical about the matter at first, he could not deny that the fact that both a Keyblade Master and his daughter were very worried about the entire thing. Still, that left one thing unanswered for the ruler of Tangea. "Why in the galaxy would they come here," King Nova asked.
"The Heartless and Unversed have no reason beyond instinct, your highness," Aqua replied. "They act out and attack anyone who dwells in the light, all in an effort to cause a world to fall into darkness."
"But you mentioned that they were being controlled somehow," King Nova pointed out. "So whoever is controlling them must have a reason for sending them here."
"If we knew exactly who was controlling the Heartless I could probably tell you that reason, but unfortunately we're still as much in the dark on that as you are. As for the Unversed, who are controlled by Vanitas, my best guess would be to say that it's merely his way of spreading further chaos amongst the worlds for some reason that only he knows."
King Nova rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, but before he could say anymore on the matter, one of the walls of the palace was suddenly blasted open, and through the resulting hole in that wall, came a group of laughing, pale brown skinned, bald people on motorcycles, who were being led by what appeared to be another Tangean with brown hair and beard, a monocle, and a light orange suit. "Apologies, your highness, but you've just lost your crown," the newly arrived Tangean shouted.
"Angstrom," Mira exclaimed as she raised her wrist laser to both the criminal Tangean while Aqua summoned Stormfall to her hand.
Upon hearing his name being called out and turning to see the princess Ranger, Angstrom had to laugh as he declared, "Well now, it would seem that Zurg was correct in saying that I would have a chance at revenge on you by coming here, Princess."
"Who is this guy, and what's he talking about," Aqua whispered.
"Angstrom was my father's most trusted council member until he betrayed him and tried to seize the throne during my arranged wedding that ended up getting canceled," Mira whispered in reply.
"And his little friends with the big heads?"
"Tangean Grounders," Mira snarled. "Normally, they can fire energy beams from their foreheads, but while their around Tangeans like me or my father, we end up canceling out each others' powers."
"So you won't be able to ghost yourself through anything," Aqua clarified.
"No, but I'm still a Ranger," Mira replied confidently as she fired a shot that knocked one of the Grounders' motorcycles out of the air. Aqua then raced forward as Mira continued shooting in an attempt to reach the Ranger's father, but she soon found herself cut off by a swarm of Neo Shadow Heartless. She did not hesitate for a minute and started slashing her way through the monsters of darkness as she continued to run forward, only to find that the Unversed had reached King Nova first.
Aqua was about to charge forward once again, when a Corridor of Darkness suddenly appeared between her and King Nova, causing everyone's attention to move from the battle to the figure that had just appeared. When said figure had stepped out of the portal, everyone could see he had tan skin, long silver hair, and amber colored eyes that were much like those of Xehanort's, and he was wearing a white shirt that was opened to reveal a black, heart shaped symbol on his chest, a long black coat, belt, and boats, and a pair of white gloves. "I suppose that I should have expected this," the figure smirked as he threw his gaze between Angstrom and Aqua. "After all, the Keybearers always have been a thorn in my side whether it be as myself, my Nobody counterpart, or as our original self."
The way the man was speaking seemed to throw Aqua off into confusion for a minute, but the Keyblade Master was quick to shake herself out of that moment of confusion before she pointed her Keyblade directly at the man as she demanded, "Who are you? Are you the one that Sora and Kairi came back to stop?"
The man simply chuckled at Aqua's question as he mused to himself, "How long has it been since I last heard those names?" He then brought his full attention to Aqua as he stated, "I am the Heartless of the one you know as Xehanort, but you may refer to me as Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, and you will find that I am much more true than the false Keyblade Hero and Princess of Heart that you and your comrades had foolishly allied yourselves with."
"False Keyblade Hero and Princess of Heart," Aqua muttered, now even more confused than before. "What do you mean?"
"I did not simply come from the future," Ansem told Aqua. "I came from the future that would have been had history unfolded as it should have been originally. I'm sure you've realized this by now, but the Sora and Kairi you have met and fought beside are from the timeline that resulted from mine and my ally's interference, which naturally means that they are nothing compared to the ones I had fought against."
"You're wrong," Aqua immediately shouted. "Sora and Kairi are both true Keyblade Masters, and they will stop you and whoever this partner of yours is!"
"Is that so? How can they stop me, if they aren't even able to save you from your destruction," Ansem asked before he summoned a Dark Guardian that then threw a powerful blast of dark magic at Aqua. Aqua was just barely able to form a shield around her in time to block the first blast, but she was completely unprepared for the blast that came after it, and was thus knocked off her feet and across the room. "I will deal with the Keybearer, Angstrom. You may have your fill of revenge on King Nova and his daughter."
Angstrom merely smirked with joy at this as he pulled out a blaster and began firing at both father and daughter, leading Mira to pull her father to safety behind some of the debris from the collapsed wall. After telling her father to try and either stay where he was or stay out of the way, Mira immediately blasted into the air with her jetpack and commenced in a dog fight against the Grounders while avoiding the attacks that Angstrom sent her way. Despite the fact that neither Mira nor her opponents could use their powers, both of them proved that they were more than able to deal with that problem, as the Grounders tore through the room on their bikes while firing their blasters and Mira swiftly avoided enemy fire while disabling or disarming the Grounders. Soon enough, the aerial battle came to an end with Mira proving victorious, and the Tangean Princess was quick to follow up that victory by flying right at Angstrom, hoping to bring him down upon landing as she did.
Angstrom was quick to react to Mira's attack though, and merely fired a few shots from his own laser gun, until he finally hit Mira's jetpack, knocking the woman out of the air and onto the ground bellow. Mira had to rub her head for a minute after her fall, but before she could attempt to rise up, she saw that Angstrom was now standing above her with his laser gun held towards her at point-blank range. "Finally, my revenge will be complete," Angstrom snarled. "And with both you and your dear father out of the way, I will be able to assume the throne myself."
"That'll never happen," Mira immediately protested as she tried fruitlessly to ghost through the floor, despite the fact that the Grounders were still in the room. "The people of Tangea will never accept you as the king! They all know what you've done in the past, Angstrom."
"Perhaps, but then again, that is why both you and your father shall also serve as examples as to what will happen to those who defy me," Angstrom sneered as he prepared to fire his gun. Just as he was beginning to squeeze the trigger though, something suddenly hit him in the head, and he fell to the floor unconscious as a result.
Mira immediately spun to see that her rescuer was actually King Nova, with his cane still raised up from hitting Angstrom with it. "Father," Mira exclaimed in surprise. "But I thought you would never resort to violence."
"Normally, I wouldn't," King Nova admitted as he held out a hand to help Mira to her feet. "But if someone is threatening my daughter, then I will not hesitate to do what is necessary."
Mira smiled at this and immediately wrapped her father in a hug as soon as she was standing up again, which King Nova was more than happy to return. The small father-daughter moment was soon interrupted when they heard Aqua cry out in pain, and then turned to see the Keyblade Master was lying on her side with Ansem floating over her as if he were gloating about how he was so easily victorious over the girl, and her Keyblade just out of her reach. "So this is the mighty Master Aqua, the only one of Eraqus's students to ever achieve the Mark of Mastery," Ansem asked rhetorically. "How unimpressive. To think that a child that is years younger than you could bring about my original defeat while you yourself fall before my might so easily."
Aqua could only glare at Ansem in response, but she had to admit that she was having trouble just getting to her feet, as the Dark Guardian held her down in its powerful grasp, squeezing the life out of her. Aqua felt like she was about to pass out at any moment when the Guardian was suddenly hit from behind by a red laser blast, distracting it long enough for Aqua to summon her Keyblade to her hand in a flash of light, and then knock the Guardian off her completely with a quick Blizzard spell. Aqua glanced over to Mira in order to give the Tangean Ranger a nod of thanks for a moment before she raced back into action.
Upon reaching Ansem, Aqua was quick to fire off a few more spells before she finally focused the magical energy that was building up inside of her into her Keyblade, and then began to glow a faint purple. As soon as she was completely enshrouded by the glow, she immediately charged forward, and much to everyone surprise, she began floating in the air as she spun her Keyblade around, even levitating it through the air and unleashing a series of strikes against Ansem and the Guardian before she finally called the blade back to her hand and used it to fire off an orb of light in the direction of the villain. Aqua then unleashed a series of Thunder and Magnet spells until her glowing aura suddenly intensified and changed to a light blue, almost white color. The next thing anyone knew, they saw multiple Aquas appearing around Ansem and his Guardian as they attacked in rapid succession, but Mira was the first among them all to realize that Aqua was not duplicating herself, but rather she was moving so fast that she was leaving afterimages as she attacked. Soon enough, Aqua had leapt into the air and shouted, "Command Style: Ghost Drive Finisher!"
What followed after was Aqua suddenly teleporting around Ansem in rapid succession and leaving spikes of bright energy around him as she did until he was completely surrounded. When Aqua next appeared in the air, she merely swung her Keyblade back as a sudden shockwave of light energy was released, causing the Guardian to disappear and Ansem to fall unconscious. With her attack completed, Aqua soon landed on the ground and allowed the glow of her Command Style to fade away as its energy finally disappeared. The Keyblade Master took a small moment to catch her breath before she jogged up to Ansem in order to capture him or at least get some more answers from him.
Just as she was about to reach him though, Ansem began to rise up, and upon seeing Aqua coming towards him, he immediately fired an orb of dark magic at her. Having thought Ansem was defeated, Aqua was not expecting the sudden attack, and was thus caught completely off guard when it was launched at her, allowing the blast to hit her dead on. Mira was quick to react by firing a series of shots from her laser, but Ansem merely crossed his arms and formed a Dark Shield around him as he opened a Corridor of Darkness behind him. "Impressive," Ansem admitted to Aqua. "But not enough if you truly wish to stop us. Nothing you or any of your friends do can stop what we've already set in motion."
Aqua was able to raise herself up just in time to see the Heartless of Xehanort vanish into the Corridor of Darkness, and could not help but curse under her breath at the fact that the villain of the future had escaped her grasp. After using a quick healing spell to treat her injuries, Aqua accepted an offered hand up from Mira as she said, "Thanks for the assistance back there."
"Anytime Aqua," Mira nodded modestly. "But was that guy really who he said he was, and what was all that talk about the future?"
"It's a long story," Aqua replied as she pulled out her Wayfinder. "But I'm afraid we don't have time for it right now. I have to get in touch with Sora, Kairi, and the others right away."
Mira nodded and quickly moved to help her father and the guards lock up Angstrom and throw the Grounders out of the palace, leaving Aqua to close her eyes as she focused on the D-Link she shared with her fellow Keyblade Wielders. "Well that was quick," Ventus's voice remarked in her head as she soon felt his, Terra's, and Kairi's presences in her heart. "Did you already take care of everything on Tangea or something?"
"Yeah, we did, but something else happened over here as well," Aqua thought in reply.
Kairi and the others must have sensed the worry and fear in Aqua's voice as she thought that to them, and Kairi was quick to request that Aqua tell them everything that happened. Aqua merely nodded and began to recount the events that had transpired since she had spoken with Terra and Kairi.
"What?! Ansem, Seeker of Darkness is behind this," Kairi exclaimed when Aqua had finally finished her story.
"Yes, at least that's who he said he was," Aqua replied.
"Well judging by how you described him, it sounds like he was doing more than just claiming to be him. Still, this doesn't make any sense at all."
"I know," Terra agreed. "I mean, when I first met Ansem, he was anything but the type of person who would succumb to darkness. I doubt he would've become the ruler of Radiant Garden if that were possible."
"Yeah, I got that same impression from when we met him," Ven agreed. "What made him turn to that?"
"He didn't," Kairi told them. "Weren't you paying attention when Sora and I told you guys our history? In the future, Xehanort had split himself into a Heartless and a Nobody, and the Heartless stole Ansem the Wise's name to use as his own since Xehanort had become one of Ansem's apprentices after losing his memory. The strange thing is Xehanort was able to retain his original form even after splitting himself like that."
Aqua thought over what Kairi said for a minute, knowing that from what Kairi and Sora had told them that it was impossible for someone to be turned into a Heartless and Nobody and still remain as they were, even if an artificial Nobody was used, until she suddenly gasped in realization and exclaimed, "Unless he never really needed to! If this Ansem, Seeker of Darkness is from the future, and he has a partner, then wouldn't that mean that his partner is Xemnas, and that the original Xehanort of this time is still himself?"
"Yeah…Yeah that's right," Kairi immediately exclaimed. "With his Nobody and Heartless coming back from the future, Xehanort wouldn't necessarily need to split himself into the two, and even if he ended up having to do so anyway, the other two could simply rejoin themselves and become Xehanort in his place!"
"Uh guys," Ven then interrupted. "This is all really good to know, but if Ansem, Seeker of Darkness really has a partner, and none of the rest of us have encountered him while Ansem escaped from Aqua, then wouldn't that mean…"
Ven did not need to finish his question for everyone to know what he was asking. "Oh Kingdom Hearts," Aqua whispered aloud and through the D-Link. "We've got to get to Planet Z, now! Buzz and Sora might be in trouble."
"W-what," Mira stuttered in surprised response to Aqua's sudden outburst, but the Keyblade Master did not respond as she simply grabbed Mira's hand and began racing towards the ship, leading the two to only be able to give a quick farewell to King Nova on the way out as they went.
"We'll meet you guys on Trade World and then head directly for Planet Z. In the meantime, we'll just have to hope that Buzz and Sora will be alright until we get there," Aqua told the others through the D-Link.
"Don't worry," Kairi reassured them just before the D-Link ended. "If I know Sora, he'll be able to hang on long enough. Even if the odds are stacked against him, Sora never gives up on anything, or anyone."
Aqua merely nodded through the D-Link as it ended, and upon seeing that she and Mira were right outside the Alpha One, she immediately told Mira to open the door and take off as soon as they were inside and buckled up. Mira was not really sure what had gotten Aqua so riled up all of a sudden, but if her earlier statement was anything to go by, and Buzz really was in trouble, she was not going to argue, so she did as Aqua said and immediately blasted off in the direction of Trade World. "Okay, you mind telling me what's going on," Mira asked as soon as they had left Tangea's orbit.
"Short version: Ansem was not alone in his efforts, and both he and his partner are the ones that my friends and I are after. Not only that, but that same partner is likely on Planet Z with Zurg right now, and is likely waiting for Buzz and Sora to come to them with a trap ready and waiting for them."
It may not have answered all of her questions, but it was definitely enough for Mira to open the thrusters to their maximum so that they would reach Trade World sooner. No one messed with a member of Team Lightyear without dealing with the whole team, especially in the case of their leader, and she was not about to let anyone hurt their friends either, a sentiment that she knew for a fact was shared with Booster and XR. Shortly after arriving at Trade World, she easily spotted Star Cruiser Forty Two in orbit and immediately brought the smaller craft into the ship's hangar bay before racing to the bridge with Aqua right behind her.
As soon as they reached the bridge, they saw that Booster, XR, and their respective Keyblade partners had already arrived and taken their seats. After giving a nod to each of them, Mira immediately jumped into her own usual seat on the bridge and immediately blasted off to the same destination that Buzz and Sora had gone off to: Planet Z, the home planet of Evil Emperor Zurg himself.
Yen Sid Report 8:
Xehanort did indeed attempt to interfere with Sora and Kairi's Mark of Mastery Exam, and as a result, we nearly lost them both to darkness. However, the two proved that their lights were far stronger than any darkness that Xehanort possessed, and not only were they able to break free of the fallen Keyblade Master's trap, but they also discovered a new power within them that neither of them knew ever existed before. Somehow, during their attempts to break free of the trap, they had touched the spirits of the lost pupils of Eraqus, Masters Aqua, Terra, and Ventus, and that brief moment awakened a new and brighter light within them that they had never known the likes of before.
Their quest accomplished, and their new power now in their hands, Sora and Kairi emerged from the deep spell of sleep that Naminé and I had cast upon them so that they may enter the sleeping worlds, and seeing as how well they had done in this great trial of theirs, I believe even now that my choice was clear. They both braved the Realm of Sleep and the dangers they encountered both there and in Xehanort's trap without ever faltering or succumbing to darkness, and as such, I was proud to inform them both that I had decided to grant them both the Mark of Mastery.
This news was shocking to all who had gathered here in my tower for this test, but that surprise was soon replaced by joyous cheers and celebrations for the twos success, right to the point where Mickey had even insisted upon throwing the two a grand party in Disney Castle, to which the two happily agreed to after seeing how adamant my former apprentice was. I will admit that even I myself was happy to attend the celebration along with our other warriors of light, but I cannot help feeling that Sora and Kairi's encounter with their predecessors within the Realm of Sleep may serve as a sign of what is still yet to come.
AN: Well how's that for a change? Both Sora and Kairi are full-fledged Keyblade Masters, as if I hadn't already implied that, and they have some sort of strange power that they have yet to awaken. What could this be? You'll find out soon enough, assuming I don't decide to be mean and make you wait forever before revealing it.
Other than that, uh-oh, Ansem and Xemnas are the big bads from the future that are working with Xehanort, and not only that, but Sora and Buzz seem to be flying into a trap on Planet Z! Oh lyokoMARVELanime, why must you be so cruel to the characters in this way?!...If that's what you guys are thinking, then stop thinking it. Seriously, if you didn't see this whole walking into a trap thing coming then you're probably either nuts or just didn't watch Buzz Lightyear of Star Command when it was around. Well if you think it's going to stop with just a fight against Zurg and the last of those Buzz Lightyear bad guys that have shown up on Yen Sid's doorstep, then you've got another thing coming, because things are going to get really bad when they finally find out what Zurg's end game is.
Buzz: Question. Why did you make the villains from my show in this chapter the Grounders and Angstrom? The Grounders I kind of understand because of how they've always been on an antagonistic front with Tangeans, but why Angstrom, the guy who only had two appearances in the show?
AN: Well I wanted a villain that had a personal connection to Mira, cause in case you haven't noticed, that's sort of been a kind of theme I've had going with the Buzz Lightyear villains; they've all had some kind of personal connection with each Ranger. Booster had Torque, who was supposed to be his first collar on Trade World, XR had XL, which I doubt that I really need to explain, you've got Zurg, again no explanation necessary, but when it came to Mira, it was a little harder to come up with an enemy for her, mostly because all of her enemies were the enemies of another member or the team in general. Angstrom was really the only one that could count as a direct arch enemy to Mira, given his past.
Buzz: Oh, well, that makes sense. Well that does it for my questions, so onto the...
AN: Hey! That's my line, so I say it! HA! Payback! Onto the preview!...
At last we travel to Planet Z, as Buzz and Sora brave the terrors that await them on Zurg's homeworld. They'll encounter overwhelming armies of both Zurg's and Xehanort's, old enemies of both their pasts, and a shocking plot that may very well allow Zurg and Xehanort to plunge the Galactic Alliance into darkness, securing an alliance between the evil emperor and Xehanort once and for all, and destroying the two heroes and their friends and comrades in the process. Who will win, who will lose, and can the rest of their respective teams make it to them in time? The answers to these questions and more, next time.
Buzz: Real mature on that little payback bit there.
AN: Yeah, yeah whatever. So anyways...
AN&Buzz: Please read and review and see ya real soon!
AN: No seriously, please review, I haven't gotten any for this story for since Chapter 5.