Hello again everyone! Hehe..
Phew, this for me was a lot harder to write. Who knew writing is so hard. It looks so easy but once you get to thinking and doing it, it's a heck lot of work. As if college isn't enough. Haha
Also sorry if I got some characters wrong. I really tried. I tried to get everyone in character especially Sora because despite his different past and whatnot, I tried to understand and put his core personality and add some changes into it because of his alternate past.
Anywho, enjoy to everyone who reads this. Hope y'all like it! :)
If you want, you could leave to write a review of what you like and don't, or how I could improve. Any criticism of how to be better is welcome. :) And thanks to Cheri Berry Keyblade who made me think of continuing this and give fanfiction writing a try.
06/15/19: Edited it.
Sora heaved very fast as he stared at the ceiling of the canal that served as Leon's training place. He wondered why Leon even chose this place but those thoughts were quickly gone as Sora's heart panged, he automatically compared the place to his secret cave. They both had the same feel to it, he thought with a sad sigh. No, I don't have time to be sad.
'Hey, Sora. This does give a similar feeling to the cave, doesn't it?' He was quick to turn upon hearing Kairi's voice.
"Kairi?" He called but when the two adults looked at him strangely, Sora immediately dismissed their worries saying he was just missing Kairi.
Oh great, was he imagining things now? Focusing on things around him, he listened to the sound of the flowing water that gave him a sense of peace.
The boy wanted to continue the training but his body was at its limit and he was now resting. Recovering his stamina from their long training. His muscles, joints and possibly every part of him burned but he didn't complain. Even with Aerith's help of alleviating the pain with her magic and his somehow another unexplainable faster than average healing —he remembered a strong punch he gained from a fight when he was younger healed a day before the Doctor's estimation—, it didn't stop all the ache. Though he bears it and thinking throughout the training thinking that everything he is doing is for Kairi, Riku and the recovery of their world and others.
No questions were asked except for if he had any formal training then the hybrid's training commenced with the swordsman teaching him the basics of sword fighting. He didn't exactly know how long they'd train but all he knew was that it was damn tiring. Who knew that Leon was a slave driver when it comes to training.
"Sora," Leon finally asked as the man sat next to him. "What was the transformation that you did earlier?" Ah, His Fury form. The boy really didn't know why he could do it. It's as strange as his existence.
"Fury, I call it Fury," Sora corrected. The brunet boy felt Aerith's magic recede from him and his pain returned but reduced. "When I transform, I could feel myself," he paused, raising his arm then stared at it and liking how it shone by reflecting the light.
Thinking of how to better explain it, he spoke again "I feel powerful. My senses go super sensitive but… I get more angry, more visceral." The hybrid shivered upon remembering how he first activated it. When he first discovered it when, no, he wasn't about to think of that incident days where one he would rather forget. "As you have seen earlier, fur grows, even on parts of me that didn't have one. Claws and fangs that could puncture people and…," he looked away, voice lowering to a near mutter. "It scares me to use it. I don't want to hurt people."
You nearly did, a voice within him said.
The two adults were silent for a while, likely digesting his words.
"Use it," Leon replied bluntly that it surprised him enough to pushed him out of his deep thoughts. Sora looked at the man, frowning at how he said that. Didn't he hear the part where he gets angry? His instincts take over? They were lucky last time it was just mild because if it wasn't? Well, the boy would be injured by the three, he speculated but he wouldn't be too sure about that since he never really did lose himself that bad in the past. It was always on a random interval, of how his instincts take over. First, an urge to do something. Then, he'll transform involuntarily.
"Leon," Aerith was quick on admonishing the man.
The raven swordsman countered by saying, "he needs to use it to learn to control it, Aerith." Sora's massaged his tail, trying to control his annoyance at the man. Does he think that it's easy to control? I practiced with it for many years and still nothing.
Aerith sighed, "still," she responded reluctantly, "let him learn it on his own pace. We don't need to put a lot on his shoulders."
The boy looked at Leon. His trainer crossed his arms. "Time we don't have."
Watching the two argue, they debated how it'll affect him. Aerith's side was him do it on his own terms and Leon argued that he'll need every advantage he had against the Heartless and Maleficent. The argument didn't last five minutes and in the end, they let him decide if he will let them help in training that ability of his.
As much as he loathed it he really did need to train if he was to be successful. "I guess Leon's right. I need to master it if I want to have an advantage against them," he said reluctantly. He just only hoped that it won't end up with someone getting hurt.
"You're right," Aerith said, conceding to the rave swordsman. "But you have to stop when I tell you to."
"Sure," was the man's simple reply.
Sora glancing towards the entrance, footsteps echoed on the wet canal floor approached them. He could smell Yuffie on the forefront followed by… was it a dog? It smelled similar to that yellow dog earlier and the dog Yuffie was with, was it a chicken? He knew the smell of feather if he ever detected one. Also, were they accompanied by broom? The scent of it lingered on them. Who brings broom in a canal?
"Leon, Aerith! I brought his majesty's men, Gonald and Doofy," the teen said, slightly chuckling.
One of the two people squawked. He didn't dare look because he was still sore. "Hey, What's the big idea? Its Donald and Goofy," One replied indignantly with a throaty voice.
A second one laughed, "Hyuk, aw she's just joking Donald. Lighten up."
"We are not here to laugh Goofy," Donald replied seriously. "His Majesty King Mickey sent us to find the key!" He assumed then that Donald tapped his foot in frustration. "So, where is the key?"
Yuffie laughed as she merrily bounced towards Leon. "You're looking at him."
Donald hummed, "he looks strong enough. Big muscles, but he needs to smile more." Sora laughed at this person's assumption that Leon was the Keyblade wielder. Still, he couldn't fault Donald for thinking that, after all, Leon is that mighty powerful. And Leon smiling? He just met the guy but the chances of him smiling was lower than pigs learning how to fly.
"Not me," Leon corrected as the serious man stood up. "Him."
Way to go drop the coconut slowly, Leon.
"Wack! A kid is the Key his Majesty is looking for?"
Okay, okay… Sora didn't know if it was because he was tired or just plain feeling vindictive for the insult of underestimating him but he turned his gaze at the newcomers and gave them the biggest and widest grin he had for calling him a kid. Seriously he was already fourteen, basically a teen. The hybrid made sure to show off his fangs but he willed it to slightly lengthen. He did the threatening look his dark twin had in his nightmare dream.
The brunet boy felt satisfaction when Donald —Sora assumed Donald was the duck wearing blue cap and clothes with yellow wristbands— gulped and slowly retreated beside Goofy, the two-legged walking dog wearing, black vest with a green turtle neck long sleeve clothes paired with yellow cargo pants and brown shoes.
"Nice to meet you both!" He smiled widely.
"Hyuk, Nice to meet ya' Sora! Name's Goofy!" The Anthropomorphic dog greeted him nicely with a big smile as if his predatory smile wasn't there. Goofy was quite friendly, unlike his grouchy friend. "This here's Donald."
Donald for his part greeted Sora with a forced smile just like the many times he'd given people this particular expression. He knew it was forced because it's the smile that he receives when he does that just to get the others to stop bothering him. He called it phase one, phase two involved his claws. As effective as it was to strangers, it wasn't effective on Riku —even the first time Riku made him mad and he did that to his friend— and Kairi.
Introductions were done and the group, minus Sora who was still lying down due to fatigue, talked.
"So whatch'a saying 's that Sora here is chosen wielder of them Keyblade? The one who could seal all them worlds Keyholes?" The talking bipedal dog asked for clarification.
Donald very impatiently followed it, "wack, I don't care if it's Leon or Sora. We need to leave now! The worlds are in danger!"
Yuffie shook her head in disagreement, "we can't. We need to train him first in the basics of fighting and magic. We need two days, including now." The brunet lion boy agreed to that. He needs preparation if he ever is to save the countless worlds in danger from the Heartless. Rushing in without training would be suicide even for someone like him.
It looked like Donald will say more but Aerith cut him off, "we understand Donald but we can't let him go unprepared. If you like you two can help in speeding up his training."
"Ah, I don't mean to be rude but dontch'a think their right Donald? Sora is just a kid. I mean, I wouldn't send my own Maxie unprepared," the dog stated scratching his head.
The Duck crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance, "I suppose you're right. Here," said Donald Duck as he handed him a vial of green liquid.
"Ah, what's this?" Sora asked warily as he resisted the urge to cover his nose. Its odor was strong as heck! How can they now notice it?
"That's a hi-potion," Yuffie responded, "you know, it can help you recover your stamina and body much quickly. But I gotta warn you, use it only for emergencies."
He looked at it and wondered why. He thought it must have some kind of side effect but he asked just to be sure.
The fair-skinned woman answered him, "well, potions should not be used as a substitute to natural recovery because while it may help you regain health, strength, stamina, and magic but when its effects will fade, it will leave you more tired than you did originally or with a massive headache."
Yuffie nodded fervently at Aerith's statement.
When Sora chugged it down, energy flowed in him once again and his pain lessened greatly! His joints, muscles felt refreshed. The lion hybrid's only qualm was its weird aftertaste but overall, he liked its taste.
The tired boy stood again but this time without shaky knees and summoning the Keyblade to continue the training. They had no time to lose.
On the second day, Aerith and Donald led the training in the same place. At the end of the canal were four target dummies. Sora was fully healed for training with no short thanks from Donald and his healing skills.
The hybrid was shaking in the excitement of learning magic. Ooh, he can't wait to cast that big spiky ball of ice that Aerith did. Or the huge fireball! The possibilities are endless. He didn't bother to hide his grin.
"Okay Sora, today is your last day for training before you set out in your journey with Donald and Goofy. We'll focus on magic today," Aerith stated seriously as she conjured a small fireball on her palm. "Magic is not the creation of nothing to something. It is merely the conversion of elements and energy to something else entirely. It needs a person's own magical energy and a catalyst to be converted."
It was just the beginning but he was already confused. It must have shown on his face because his two teachers asked him if he needed a second explanation.
Donald tapped his foot as he hummed in deep thinking. "It's like this Sora," the duck started. "Everywhere around us, we have air. Right?" Sora nodded. "What we do we when casting magic is transforming the air or the thing that is most abundant into another element. Even in a place with no air, you can use your own energy but it would be much harder since you can finish your own pool quickly that way since you cast with your own energy then using some to transform it."
"Thank you for clarifying that Donald," his other teacher said gently.
"In casting fire or any elemental spells, it is usually easier to cast it when you think and imagine the thing that is closest to the spell and will it on your palm or any part you wish. But since you are just beginning it is best to use your palms or the Keyblade."
"Now why don't we go easy first. Hit the target on the left with a fireball. You can choose to use the Keyblade or not." Aerith looked at her animal partner who demonstrated it.
Sora closed his eyes and thought back to Destiny Islands. Ignoring his still rampant locked up emotions for the last hours, he imagined the hot sun high up in the sky on a lazy summer's day. He imagined it on his hand, the great big ball of light on the mercy of his palms. Breathing deeply, he focused and put all of his being into willing it. He thought he got it because he felt surging energy within —he doesn't know how to explain it but it's just there, waiting for his command— him and then went to his arm. Gathering like ants going towards their anthill.
The brunet hybrid's smile was wide when upon opening his eyes he saw a red-hot fireball floating on his palm. He could feel the heat licking his gloved hands and his furred arms, not only that, warmth flowed throughout his being especially in his arms.
Not as big as what Aerith did but hey, it was a start. "I did it!" He cried in joy but he resisted the body's movement to slouch as he suddenly felt tired. Not physically at least. This must be the magical energy that they said.
Aerith smiled along with Donald on passing his first trial. "Now, that you have that. Lock that energy in that ball. Feel it do so then when you feel it is compact enough point it towards the target and think of pushing it really hard that it may fly to whatever you want it to."
Breathing deeply again, Sora ignored all the other things that may distract him. He locked down his sensitive senses because he may never know what distractions may come during the midst of their training.
A ball came to his mind. Small, yet can hurt when thrown with the intent to hurt. With a loud grunt nearing a scream he imagined himself playing catch with Riku as he pushed his hands out palms open like pushing something away.
Aiming it at the target, the boy willed it more to be repulsed. Just as he was repulsed by the heartless he thought of the fire wanting to get away from him. There! He mentally screamed when he felt it.
He felt proud of himself when he saw the dummy burned to ashes. "I think I got the hang of it!" The young half-lion said excitedly. But then his vision blurred for a second making him lose his balance too.
"What you've felt now Sora is normal," Aerith stated as if knowing his question which would be likely since she's already good at it while he was just beginning. "The more magic you use the more it'll take your mental and magic energy and you will experience headache, nausea. But with more training, your body will get used to it and reduce its effect."
Behind Aerith, Donald laughed at his plight.
Sora plopped forward and caught himself before he kissed the floor then turning to glare slight at Donald. "Don't worry, it gets easier with each use." The hybrid's duck trainer said, reassuring him.
Donald smirked handing him a small blue vial, "it's just the beginning Sora. By the time we end this day I bet you're gonna find magic harder than any sword techniques!"
By the end of the day, Sora was seriously believing Donald's words.
Their training went the same for all the elements and he had to say by far that ice was his favorite though it was also his hardest element to conjure. Ice was his definite favorite because the brunet boy loved the cold feeling of ice and how it is colder than there world's coldest days. He toyed with the plan of using it as a sort of thing that will help him move faster since he could slide in it.
After the elements, their training went to healing. The young lion found it hard to heal. It took more tries than casting the Blizzard spell. Aerith had said something about magic affinities and that maybe Sora's affinity lied on offensive magic with fire being his dominant and wind as the secondary. Still, he tried and tried that when he finally healed a poor fish, he danced in joy but this left him more mentally winded and feeling weak.
So, there he was now, training in magic for who knows how long. Time in Traverse town was confusing since it was in eternal night. Nor can he smell or hear the outside because of how deep underground the place is. After drinking many potions, he was dead tired. His head freakin' hurt that not even potions and their magic helped a lot. But he would not give up despite the reassurance of both his trainers that it was fine for him to stop if he needed it. Sora would complete it all in one day. One last spell before throwing in the towel and calling it a day.
"The last spell we'll do is the Reflect and Wall," Aerith said patiently who sat in front of him. "Both spells are defensive in nature but the difference between them is that reflect can be an effective all-around defense while wall can only be cast facing a single direction. To cast it easier, think of something hard. Something that protects you. Will it to be true."
To make it easier for him to know what the spells were, the older brunette demonstrated the spells. Wall, was rather straightforward. It was a single slab of a clear light blue magical wall. He tried to run and hit it but it was strong that he nearly fell down.
So cool! So, he settled for gushing at it as he bore the headache and smiled excitedly. The things being taught to him were still the basics! How much more if it was the more advanced ones!? Ooh, he can't wait for it!
As for Reflect, the spell itself was a dome consisting of small hexagonal shaped magic shields. Can the reflect spell be used like the wall spell he used as a platform to soften his jump? In Sora's mind, he wondered if there was something magic cannot do. Oh, the things he could do with it! Like cooking food easier, or creating a light in the dark.
"Okay, now you try it," Aerith ordered.
Sora's eyes scrunched in focus as he suppressed the pain and held both arms out. He tried to cast the simpler wall first. Breathing deeply, the energy from his already strained core moved towards his arms and by now he was familiar with the feeling of what magic is. Hard. Something hard. He repeated like a mantra.
A house? No, he retracted that. The door from the cave. The brunet lion hybrid thought surely. The door that cannot be opened in any way. The door that weathered through anything be it hammer, nails, and anything he used to destroy it. That specific door that opened when their world fell.
Feeling the magic sufficiently gathered, he released it. His mind throbbed painfully as he focused the released energy to form the same rectangular wall that Aerith did.
The sound of what he familiarized as summoned magic swooshed and lo, before him an ethereal looking blue wall appeared but after trying so hard for it, he fell backward. He frowned when he saw, cracks at it. He then sighed because that took a lot of his magic and the result was a fluke. But his disappointment didn't last long because he knew his body had reached its limits.
"Dammit," the boy muttered but Aerith was quick to reply as the woman soothed his pain. Every blink he did made his vision darker than before and his mind sluggish like a worm. The lion hybrid boy couldn't resist it and only take so much before his own body gave up.
"Don't worry Sora. We'll stop here for now so that you could rest for tomorrow's journey," the woman cheered and that was the last thing he heard. She may have said something else but that's when his eyes closed and his still body fell.
On the morrow, Sora woke up early feeling refreshed as if the draining of his magicka was not exhausting yesterday. After a quick breakfast and bath, he left the place.
As he exited the hotel Leon was already standing with his back facing him. Damn, what is Leon's secret to hiding his scent? Lately Sora had been pushing his senses to its limit but still, Leon and Yuffie can still surprise him and that brought the questioned as to how it can be done, because if these two can then definitely some of his future enemies will.
"G'morning Leon," Sora greeted with a big yawn. "You're up early."
"I'm always early," he replied not bothering to turn around. "You can never be too prepared when it comes to heartless." Sora wished he could somehow help the man lighten up. He knew that the four of them were hit hard ten years ago but atleast what the raven swordsman could do was be happy at the little things, the hybrid kept his opinion to himself not wanting to be a hypocrite.
Sora approached Leon and stood on his right and keeping his senses on alert just in case another batch of heartless attacks. He thanked that in the two days of his crash course training none attacked them. Who knew what would happen if it did. Maybe they would be forced to let him go unprepared. "That so…," Sora wished that Traverse town was not on eternal night, he really could use some sunlight about now. And some wind. It always felt good to his fur and numbing his senses as if it could let him pretend he was just another boy and not someone with no obvious past. "Uhm…. say Leon," the brunet lion boy hesitated.
The man's grunt was the response he got to go on and because Sora translated it as "Go on," in Leon speak in the two days he knew the swordsman, he silently chuckled.
"What was it like….," he could feel his body heat up in discomfort in asking someone so private despite knowing them shortly. "Your world. What's it looked like. And how your homeworld fell to the darkness?"
Silence reigned over two males. If Squall Leonheart—he knew his full name when Aerith called him out for going overboard with his training on the first day—ever felt anything by his query, he didn't blatantly show it. Not one twitch nor a release of a small sound or breathing, anything that can give Sora a clue to how the guy thinks. He was just impassive. Heck, he already mastered the art of impassiveness, Sora thought as he waited for his reply.
"Why do you want to know?" The man finally asked after a minute or more long silence.
Sora shrugged nonchalantly and smiled. "Dunno. Just curious I guess. Before Destiny islands fell, you know that we wanted to go to other worlds and maybe even find Kairi's and mine," he said muttering the last part. But with how serious the situation was, with Maleficent's Heartless army, he already knew he wouldn't be able to enjoy it that much. Many things were at stake.
"Radiant Garden," Squall said. Radiant Garden. Has a nice ring to it. "That place, it's beautiful and bright. The way the sun shined on it made the garden's sparkle." The half animal boy imagined the world just going by Leon's few descriptions of it. Though he wasn't sure he got the image right in his head.
True to his personality of being a man of few words that was all Sora got from him. Still, "Ever found your friends there here in Traverse town?" Sora wondered if Leon was different when he was little. Was he happy like Kairi or somehow serious like he is now like Riku? He didn't know what that feeling in his chest was when just thinking of how even Leon fitting in with everybody. How no one-, shaking those unwanted words and feelings away he focused on the man's words.
"No," he said curtly.
"Boo," a voice whispered behind him. Immediately he tensed as he pushed the person back.
Ah! Sora screamed internally and verbally as gathered his wits and gathered a hasty defense. Seeing who it was, he sighed in defeat, "damn it, stop scaring me Yuffie." He scowled at the older girl who was grinning down on him.
"Got you good, didn't I," Yuffie said still beaming wide at him.
Sora shook his head in denial as he uncoiled his body and tail, feeling his heart rate slow down. "I was distracted," he replied grumpily. No way was he admitting open defeat from Yuffie who loves to toy with him who can't detect her using his sensitive hearing and smell.
The ninja girl rolled her eyes, "right, let's go with that."
"It was," he grumbled.
"Is it time?" Leon asked cutting off their jesting. Yuffie nodded as confirmation.
Okay, it is time for that. Sora could feel his excitement along with his worries and a whole flurry of emotions he can't explain. Excitement for the adventure of a lifetime but at the same time worried; worried for Kairi's safety. What if Traverse town gets attacked when you're not here? A paranoid nagging voice belonging deep within him said. It belonged where his hidden feelings are stacked. Buried in the deepest part of him by his positivism and smile.
He was reluctant to leave his friend alone.
"Sora! Hurry up!" Donald called from the gate to District 1 with Goofy beside him.
"You guys go on. I've got to see Kairi first," the boy stated and the Kings' men nodded as they went first to the gummy ship. He still hadn't seen what it looked like so the only image he could form in his mind is a normal looking ship with sails.
Running towards the three's safehouse located on District three where Aerith was keeping a close eye on Kairi. There Kairi lay on the bed while the woman was sitting beside the bed reading a book. "Sora, what are you doing here? I thought you three had to leave early."
"Yeah, but-," Sora replied as he sat on the space next to Kairi and held her hand.
Aerith without word stood up and left the house. The young half lion had to smile in appreciation to her. "Hey Kairi, I bet you can hear me. So," he sighed, smiled and then continued, "I gotta leave to save the other worlds along with my new friends, the one I told you about, Goofy and Donald. I can't wait to see other worlds Kairi so that I have lots of stories to tell you. I hope that Riku is somewhere out there so that I can rescue him. Who knows maybe more." He smiled sadly because Kairi said nothing. He could just imagine that if she were awake then she would want to come too. Alas, that can't happen with her in a coma and he cannot wait for her to wake up so that he could tell his stories. From the weirdness of Traverse town and its food to all his still untold adventure against the Heartless.
"I promise to at least bring you and Riku a souvenir from the worlds I visit." He said grinning. "That way when you wake up you'll be so jealous of me and want to visit those worlds."
'You know, I'd like that Sora,' A voice said. He recognized it! It was Kairi. But she didn't speak. Did she? Okay, seriously. I think I'm going crazy. Sora scratched his head in confusion. His journey didn't start yet he was already hearing things.
Calling Aerith back he decided to leave now and say his quick wish me luck to Kairi before he changed his mind and just stay instead.
Sora took the shortcut to District one. On the large gate on the plaza, his new befriended duo waited for him by chatting with Yuffie and Leon. The hybrid kept his senses vigilant in case of ambush.
The park of the first District was filled with people chatting or walking. They seemed happy enough as if the darkness did not take their world. That made Sora think of them being just strong or accepting their fate already. Strangely enough, the people ignored their group. As if a walking and talking duck and dog are normal. They didn't give him a side glance, which he found out that he liked.
Approaching the group Yuffie waved at him. "Ready for your trip, Sora?" Yuffie beamed at him and he reciprocated it by giving her a thumbs up.
"Ya bet!" I can't wait to see the world out there!"
"Donald, Goofy, Sora," Leon called, "I wish I could do this but we need to guard the town. I would ask you to look for Ansem's report on other worlds."
Ansem? Sora thought in confusion and his eyebrows scrunched obviously.
"Who?" Donald asked curiously his large eyes narrowing in deep thought.
"Ansem the wise, was the king of Radiant Garden and it was said that written on his notes was his research on the Heartless. They were scattered when our world fell."
"Uhmm, if we could find it, it would shed light on why the Heartless are attacking the worlds. Maybe he even knows how to stop them," Yuffie added. An answer would indeed be great. He was swimming in the dark here that he wished for any answer.
Goofy gave a big smile and saluted the man, "ya got it, Leon. Team Gummy is on it."
Sora couldn't stop his laugh, "Team Gummy?" Team Gummy? Really? His laughed intensified as he hunched. That was funny for him. He could imagine Kairi's laughter and Riku's smirk that says "lame".
Donald quacked in indignity, "wack! Who made you the leader to name our group, Goofy?!" Sora shared Donald Duck's sentiments. Gummy? That's not an awesome name.
Goofy scratched his head and blushing as he scratched his head. "Hyuk, I thought it was a good name."
Donald harrumphed arms crossed, "Well, it's not ya' big palooka. Team Donald is a better name." Said the duck beating his chest proudly.
"Team Donald?" Sora snorted as he recovered from his fits of laughter. "Well, who made you leader Donald?" Sora said smirking, hand on his hip, "Team Keyblade is better."
"You know, I like that better," Yuffie said agreeing and Sora's smirk widened and Donald scowled rolling his eyes with a very reluctant "fine," when Goofy added his vote too.
"Wish me luck, guys," Sora said as he followed the two Anthropomorphic animals. "Oh, and take good care of Kairi while I'm gone."
Yuffie waved back and shouted, "Sure do!"
It took a whole lot of Sora's self-control not to squeal in the excitement of seeing the Gummy ship. The ship was awesome! Unlike anything he's ever seen in all his life! The ship had a sharp bow hull and it had wings. Wings! He drooled just at the sight of it.
The boy ran inside of it and just taking everything. Absorbing every sight unfamiliar to him. He nearly touched one of the many things but a squeaky voice got his attention. They introduced themselves as the Gummy ship's engineers, Chip and Dale, two little talking critters (but Sora had the decency not to say it in front of them).
Another one, Jiminy Cricket his name was, a small talking cricket wearing fine clothes and hat introduced himself as the one that will scribe their journey. The cricket settled on Sora's hoodie. Their last groupmate, which surprised him somehow, was the same dog that woke him up and pointed him to Cid's shop. His name was Pluto. Though he was happy that despite him being part cat Pluto still liked him.
It was an odd sight for him, seeing three taking small creatures. No, he corrected his thought. Not just those three, overall, we're a group of weirdos. A half lion boy wielding the only weapon that could defeat the Heartless, a magic using duck, a shield using dog, engineer chipmunks, a scribe cricket, and a yellow dog, Sora thought wryly and his lips quirked upwards just the thought of their party. Their group sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.
After a quick debriefing, they then left.
When it was time for them to leave, flying in the stars was… Words cannot describe how it feels. All he knew it was, it was breathtaking! Stars. Stars everywhere! They said every star represented a world then there could be a million worlds! He wanted to go there with his friends!
"Gosh Sora, you really can't stop smilin' can ya?" The tall dog said.
He turned to Goofy with a smile, "yeah, it just… everything is so mind blowing. I just wish Kairi and Riku could be here."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Donald squawked prompting Sora to cover his ears due to it echoing in the cockpit of the ship. "No frowning!" The duck said pointing at the smile-o-meter's pointer arrow which wavered from full to not full by one point.
"Sorry," the young lion chuckled abashed. "Anyways, where' we going?"
The duo shrugged at the same time as if they practiced it.
"Anywhere to look for clues about his Majesty's disappearance and look for this Ansem guy's notes," Donald responded at his question. Sora chuckled upon knowing that. How're we supposed to know where we're going if we don't plan? He wanted to say that but couldn't because these two were more experienced than him, or so he thought, in so many ways.
"Hey, Donald," the hybrid boy asked pointing at the circular object that has a constant arrow circling. "What's that?"
"That's the radar, we used it to detect any monsters coming, but it's mostly Heartless," the duck responded quickly not taking his eyes off the front.
Sora narrowed his eyes and looking curiously at the many blinking spots approaching the center. "Hmm, then what're those blinking things?"
"That's the Heartless," he replied offhandedly. "Wack! Heartless! Goofy, man the guns! Why didn't anyone tell me?!" said Donald as his voice rose with every word. Heartless has spaceships?! Sora didn't know whether to be impressed with that fact or to be scared. As if those things aren't enough on the ground now they're in space too? Luckily, they were inside a ship lest he smelled the repulsive odor of those lot if the beeping is any indication.
"Chip, Dale, Heartless incoming!" Goofy called the twin squirrels as he gripped the wheel in front of him.
Sora didn't make a noise to disturb their concentration and he could only bury his claw in the chair's armrest. Maybe later he'd asked the two to teach him to drive the ship but not now because he thought he'd be a hindrance.
It didn't take long for their ship to rattle as quick round big pellets pounded them from afar and Goofy, despite his well… goofiness was alert as the security from their Mayor's house that seemed to hate him. He pressed the buttons on the wheel and bang after bang came from the Gummy ship launching fast projectiles.
Every loud bang that came from their guns was like lightning. It penetrated his hearing even as Sora covered his ears. Their shots fired only added to the chaos of flying rounds and lightning-like energy. Donald rolled their ship to the side and dodging a meteor that it sent him hitting his head on the glass with a hard thump.
Sora couldn't think, as he tried to regain his senses and pushing back the incoming headache from the overstimulating crackle of the battle. It was worse than any lightning storm he'd ever experience. Dammit. Damn Heartless. He cursed those damned Heartless space ships.
Donald and Goofy talked to each other but he could barely hear the two even as he put his focus there.
He felt his insides turn upside down and his tail rolled to his waist like an anaconda as he screamed eyes closed not wanting nausea hitting him. A quick lurch to the right let him pull the seatbelt to its limit that left him breathless due to its tightness. Never had he felt travelling at such speeds. It was a simply extraordinarily heart-wrenchingly scary ride.
Sora swore if he barfed out all of his breakfast after this he was gonna make a roast duck out of Donald. More thought and curses came some more but his train of thought was once again disturbed when the Gummy ship rolled again but this time he opened his eyes involuntarily and immediately regretted it. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Everything around him was a blur but he felt the ship rolled.
Even from behind them, he could hear the destruction of the large space stones. Every round passing them, his grip became tighter. His heart threatened to fly out of his chest for every moment the ship shook He feared for every moment they were hit would be their last but it wouldn't last long because he just had to have faith in both Donald and Goofy's skills.
He didn't know how long the fight lasted. An hour? More than an hour? He didn't know because between after many claps of thunder on the battlefield and the last shot had been fired he lost track of time. All he knew was that he breathed a huge sigh of relief. The boy didn't know when it was gonna finish! It seemed to last forever and he didn't even know how long it took until every Heartless pursuing them were eradicated. Pound after pound of continuous rumblings made him thought he was going deaf! And he checked if this was the case.
Still, when he asked Goofy if there was more he was reassured that from there on in it was smooth sailing. Sora had to resist the urge to regurgitate and so he slept to save his breakfast from being a pile of mush on the clean floor and be scolded by the two chipmunks.
Sora swung on the swing watching the clouds pass and the sun gave way for the moon. Sighing, he looked at the empty spare swing beside him. Why? Was the question that rang to his head. He'd been nice. He'd been a good boy and always trying to befriend everybody but still, no one would accept his acts of friendship.
He didn't turn to look behind him even if he knew there were other kids not far from him. Five, he thought surely. Whispering and saying bad things about him.
"Aw, the freak got there first!" a boy whispered from there spot on the bushes.
The others murmured their agreement. "We could beat him. There are five of us and one of him." He tensed when he heard that suggestion.
Sand scuffled beneath their feet. The five-year-old Sora sighed some more.
"What do you guys want." The way the hybrid said it was resigned. Tired. He tried time and time again but still nothing.
Someone scoffed derisively as his knuckle met the palm. "Beat it, freak. We want to play," the boy who said it was older than him.
"Yeah, beat it, witch boy! We don't need your presence tainting the playground."
"If I don't?" He was tired of taking it in stride. For once he just wanted to lash out. The boy just hoped his mother would forgive him.
The group laughed, "You know-"
Sora's dream became fuzzy just as he was seeing what was to happen next. Terrified screams of kids followed but he knew he didn't need the image to know what happened next. Every time he thought of it, his chest gets heavier.
"Hey Sora….," Someone said.
The boy groaned and got up with a big yawn, "Mornin' Goofy."
His dog companion smiled at him, "Mornin' too Sora. We're here already." The boy tilted his head in curiosity.
"Here?"
Donald whacked his head, "come on, Sora. Get up Sora. We've arrived in our first world." On the big screen, a white and red planet with a large castle on the upper side, a grass beside it, and a house on the opposite side of the castle were shown. The description on it says Wonderland. He didn't know if it was an apt name for the world. Sora wasn't sure if it was bizarre as Traverse town since the place that has eternal night, but he guessed that he'd know soon enough.
As soon as Sora and the group got out of the ship they got a very surprise greeting. They fell immediately. Donald screamed along with Sora and Goofy only snored as they fell. The winds blasted on his ear. He really didn't want to die as a blood splatter on the floor, dammit! Casting an Aero, he slowed down their descent but it was not working! He screamed as he fell on the endless hole.
"Donald! Create an Aero barrier to slow down our descent!" The brunet lion boy shouted. His companion just looked at him and flapped his arms.
The hybrid focused ignoring out everything. Summoning the Keyblade, he raised it trying again and imagined the winds' gentle embrace covering them. He struggled quite hard on his concentration with the wind gushing loudly everywhere. Come on! Come on!
"Aero!" the boy shouted. Pride swelled up in him when he cast it right in his first try outside training. The sphere of wind encircled them and he could feel their fall slowing slightly.
"Way to go, Sora!" Donald complimented him wiping off his sweat in obvious relief. "I knew you can do it."
Sora swallowed hard, he knew it wouldn't last long. He couldn't do it. Yet. Please. Let me be wrong! Let my luck hold. He prayed that he was wrong but alas it was not meant to be because their wind barrier dissipated and their fall sped up again. The boy waited. He waited for the right time to conjure another spell. I can't afford to waste my magic, in case those big Heartless shows up.
Their speed gradually stopped and the half lion had to sigh in relief and grinned at the two just as they touched the floor. "That was awesome," he said happily despite their rough start. It was very unexpected and he liked it. Checking where they were at a red and white checkered hallway.
His nose twitched, and fur stood. Something was wrong. The heartless, their scent was very strong here. It was all over the place, the walls the ceiling, and the floor. The scent of darkness overpowered this ones' natural one that he could barely identify it. It polluted the air with its repulsiveness making Sora wrinkle his nose in disgust. "Heartless are here guys," he warned the other two making them summon their own weapons and nod as they traverse the place.
At the end of the hallway was a door. It irked Sora somehow that a door was within a door and another door was within the door but that wasn't the worst part, the door became smaller as the go on that by the time they got to the last one the three of them were pretty much crawling.
"Phew, thought that'll never end," Donald said.
The room they ended up in was a very small bedroom but it was messy. The door beside the bed with a smaller door was a small door with a golden knob. A table and chair were turned with two bottles. The weather outside was dark and thunder rumbled when he looked out made the room darker. It was somehow hard to see, so he relied on his senses to see what's around him.
The very foreboding and familiar scared him of what was to become of the world. All the more reason for us to hurry, he thought determinedly.
"Gawrsh, what do ya think happen here," Goofy said as they split up to examine the room. Sora checked the small dented wall behind the bed but when he pushed it, it disappeared in a poof of pink smoke.
"How do we fit in there? It's too small," Donald said tapping his foot in frustration.
"No, you're simply too big!" Someone corrected. Sora's eyes went big at the sight of the talking doorknob. He approached it curiously. He looked at his comrades to see if he was going crazy.
Donald turned to Goofy, "did you say something Goofy?"
"Guys! The doorknobs talking!" He said loudly making them gaze at the door too. The talking object yawned loudly as if it was still drowsy. The brunet lion didn't question it, knowing how strange it is for a doorknob to talk, he already prepared himself for more strange things to come. He could only imagine what sight they'll see next.
"Must you be so loud," it yawned some more.
"Good mornin'!" Goofy greeted waving at it.
"Good night!" It said back. One heck of a sleepy knob, reminding Sora of the time he shirked his duties.
"Mr. Doorknob sir, how do we enter the door?" The knight in their group asked politely.
"Try the bottle on the table," the gold doorknob replied as its eyes closed gradually. In a matter of seconds, it snored away.
The potion the doorknob indicated was on the floor strewn. There were two of them, a blue and red one. Sora looked dubious which one would make them smaller. He then looked at Donald silently asking if he had any idea which was which but the duck shrugged. The same with Goofy, so the lion hybrid shrugged and drank the blue one.
Shrinking, he looked in wonder as he shrank. Everything became bigger and the echoing thunder was suddenly threatening. Sora prepared his Keyblade, ready to kill Heartless as he was wary of the surroundings. The three of them walked in formation, Goofy in the center and both him and Donald covering Goofy's rear side, as they approached the door. And Sora wished he was wrong because as soon as they got near it, Heartless jumped out of nowhere with new additions. A big rotund one, a flying red hat wearing one, along with the shadows and armored shadows.
Not wasting time Sora, took a second to focus as he pointed his weapon forward, "Wall!" he declared as the defensive spell made the Heartless made the charging large one crashed to it with a loud thud. The shadows just simply passed under it with ease in its shadow form as the young half lion dubbed it. The flying ones circled around but were disposed of by Donald with a cast of Blizzard.
"Thunder!" Sora called, he timed it as close as he can to when the little Heartless jumps out of the ground. The boy cursed when he cast it early hitting the floor when they returned to the floor. He ignored the drain of his magic energy and ran towards them, meeting them head. A single slashed killed the one on the front and jumped when another came from the right, he quickly rotated upon landing and ending its Heartless life. Behind him, he sensed, a monster with loud footsteps charging but he rolled to the side as the round type ran passed him. Seeing its exposed back, he cast a Blizzard but his sense detected an ambusher.
Crap! He cried internally, I can't move when I cast a spell! I need to take the large one first.
Expecting a painful wound now, but a loud banging against a metal met it.
"That was a close one, Sora. Ya better be careful," cautioned Goofy.
He muttered thanks when he released his spell. The ice froze the floor upon flying to his desired target and freezing its back and part of its legs. Dashing towards it, he swung the Key but it rebounded when it turned making him skid backward. The giant Heartless ran once again like a mad dog with him as the target. Casting a wall, it bounced back but it cracked greatly. The boy then threw his Keyblade aiming for its head.
Sora smirked when it reared its head back in pain, he yelped ducking when he barely identified an attacker. But with a swipe of his claws, it disappeared. Sora grimaced when his wall shattered with a glass screech. Summoning the Keyblade, he met its charge, when he was close he slid between its legs and made to stop his momentum and once again threw it and he was surprised when it cut through its thick body making it a floating heart and disappear.
A quick scan revealed that Donald faced off with the elusive floating type which launched fireballs against him. The three of them finished the remnants quickly and entered the door.
Chaos. Chaos was what greeted them. Card guards were huddled in the center were battling against a horde of Heartless that surrounded them. Without prompt, the three of them moved. Sora began by casting thunder, it circled a small outer group that decimated them. Beside him, Donald threw a large fireball and Goofy with his shield, tackled the enemy scattering them.
"They won't hold for long! We've gotta hurry," Donald shouted amidst the chaos of the battle. Sora swung his weapon and vanishing three in front of him. The lion flexed back upon seeing a claw as it passed him and he flipped back when those round things came charging from somewhere and his eyes bulged when its belly hit him sending him flying.
"Oof," He groaned quickly standing. His head and back pounded him badly. "That hurts really bad," he swung his tail, checking its state and grimacing badly as he coiled it. The boy growled, glaring at the perpetrator. Sora conjured multiple fireballs and launching it towards the group, only satisfied when one of the defeated ones was the huge one that attacked him.
"Sora!" Goofy called. Looking up he tried to push away the pain as he saw something shiny heading to him and caught it with his free hand. Recognizing the potion, he chugged it down with haste and joined the fray once again as his injuries healed but not enough.
The hybrid jumped as high as he could and focused on the one thing he wanted. With a scream of the spell, he landed on it. The boy grinned, proud of it, but he felt the strain of his magic did to his own small pool. Beneath him, wall spell used as a platform. He could see the raging battle below him. It was a struggle to defeat them all even with Goofy and Donald's help without expending everything he had.
Still, Sora had to try. He jumped back down cutting down some of those annoying floating heartless as he did so. "Aero!" he chanted to slow his descent. Creature pounded on his windshield and knocked them away. He spun cutting those around him and he blinked when a roaring ball of heat knocked his barrier away and blinded him. Imagining the reflect spell, he screamed when a shock of pain from his sides came.
The let go of the Keyblade when he fell to the side, another to his left. Came but he rolled and gritting his teeth when the pain doubled. He kicked an armored Heartless about to pounce on him. An automatic relaxing breath came out of him when he felt his wound closed as he quickly stood up.
"Thanks, Donald!"
Goofy was fending off his fair share of Heartless well and beating it with his shield, he saw on his peripherals. He made a dash towards him, cutting off the smallest Heartless on his behind. He stood back to back with the shield-wielding dog, the Heartless paused at the sight of his Keyblade. "You alright, Goofy? Where's Donald?" He asked quickly as he then stabbed forwards proceeding to slice horizontally to the left. "We can't defeat all of them. There's too many of them!"
"Thundaga!" A wide circular array of electricity exploded on their far left. It was deafening! Briefly glancing at it, Heartless was sent flying everywhere! Both him and Goofy looked at each other in the eye then nodded at the same time, Sora charged first swinging the only weapon that could really hurt their dark opponents.
Every swing he does Goofy follows it by defending and sending those Heartless back. They were a storm, the young lion hit a floating Heartless by as he slashed upwards, Goofy moved beside him and smacking an armored one. With his slight reprieve, raising the Keyblade, the brunet lion hybrid summoned thunder. His spell destroyed some but left the others in a seizure that was cut down easily.
By the time they finished everything, Sora was huffing somehow. He was beaten slightly. Not nearly close to his limit but going there. There was just too much Heartless even with the help of those card people.
"Whew, that did it," he said breathing between words.
The cards then gave way for a rabbit to hop towards them. "Thank you." The suit and glasses wearing rabbit repeated his thanks.
"What happened here?" Donald asked.
Yeah, what did happen? It looked like they were fighting the Heartless before they came. Some of the card men laid on the ground resting.
The rabbit dabbed its forehead with a handkerchief as it stuttered to say, "Oh it was bad! One minute we were about to cut Alice's head off but then the queen was attacked by those creatures and ate by them! Then, a boy grabbed Alice! You have to help us rescue the queen," the rabbit cried. Sora filed away the cutting head off of someone for later. They have a mission to do first.
"Gawrsh, that's bad," Goofy reacted.
Bad is an understatement, Goofy.
"Where did they go?" Donald asked. Sora envied Donald, he didn't look that tired after casting magic but then again, I'm still new to magic. I'll get used to it, the boy rationalized.
With his shaky furry hands, he pointed towards the only other exit out of the room, the one on the left. Before going Sora asked for anything that had their queen's scent that will help them track her down faster, they gave him the queen's staff. With little rest, their group moved.
The room they entered was a forest. A small forest room and just like the rooms before, the walls were painted with whatever theme each room had. This time it was a forest. Sora doubted that if they were normal sized they'd ever fit in there. The hybrid sniffed the air, he wrinkled his nose. "No luck, I can't get a hold on the queen's scent. Heartless have overtaken every scent. I can't even smell the plants unless I'm close to it," Sora said disappointedly. His greatest asset turned against him.
"Phooey, let's search for her the old fashion way!" Donald declared.
Their mission to find the queen was hindered much by the small hordes of Heartless along the way. Sora was beginning to grow impatient, not because he was tired but because they only served to annoy him. Plus, the fact that they'd search every part of the room and the next one and the next one to it was annoying.
"Dammit, it's harder to find the queen than I find thought," Sora huffed in annoyance.
"Such strange creature you are," Sora's heart hastened when he registered it as behind him and quickly moved away. "A cat but not a cat! A real wonder in Wonderland! Marvelous! Such strangeness in one indeed," It purred seductively. Great. Sora groaned silently. Another one that can dodge my senses. Also, that may be a cat but it can be a Heartless cat, the brunet reasoned.
Sora tensed as he analyzed the purpled streak cats' words. It was a widely grinning cat doing a weird pose. The cat swayed like it was dancing and its head rotating three sixty degrees as if it's not part of its body! The cat was amazing and weird. It was the strangest thing that Sora had ever seen in this world in his honest opinion but he focused on its words. Did he know something about him? Or was he just referring to him being a half-human half-lion hybrid by stating the obvious? But, judging by the cats' playful disposition, he suspected it was the former.
"If what you want is to find the queen, look no further than to where you've been. Make the beacon no longer hollow to beckon the shadow," the cat's words were very playful. Deliberately confusing them. Which annoyed him somehow.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the cat."What do you mean, where we've been? And who are you?" Also, how did it know we were finding the queen? It just screamed suspicious to him.
The cat clicked its tongue in mock disappointment then said, "first Alice, then the queen. The shadows are everywhere, eating hearts. Oh, what is to come next? Will Wonderland cease to wonder? Only those wonderful people know." Who are "those"? What does that refer to?
"How do you know about the Heartless!?" Donald demanded at the cat waving his staff in obvious annoyance.
The purple cat's body disappeared leaving its head. Sora shivered upon seeing this and stood closer beside Goofy who seemed unaffected by the sight. "The Cheshire cat knows many but never reveal its secrets," the now identified Cheshire cat teased, its head caught by its now visibly hand then body.
"Hey, what do you mean earlier?" Sora said impatiently, Wonderland was in danger and they had no time for riddles. Any other time would Sora be glad to play the cat's game but it was not now when he'd seen firsthand signs of a world nearly swallowed by those dark beings.
"I mean what I mean," Cheshire chuckled as it vanished like a cloud of smoke. Its body becoming ethereal until none was left where it once stood.
"What do ya suppose this Cheshire meant, guys?" Goofy stated looking confused. Who wouldn't? Sora like games, but riddles were never his forte, it was always Kairi, maybe even Riku.
"Ah Forget it," Donald said dismissively with a flap of his feathered arms. "Let's just keep looking. Maybe we missed something."
"Can we trust it?" Sora asked, "I mean, what if it was tricking us."
"To trust or not to trust," Sora touched his chest in fright as the Cheshire cat appeared again, "But I trust you'll decide," Cheshire stated with that grin of it as it vanished once again. The brunet hybrid was wary and kept observing his surroundings vigilantly.
"I got it," Goofy proclaimed loudly. "Cheshire cat said them beacon, right? Lights are beacon, right? Didn't we see lights earlier on that ceiling room?" The dog scratched his head in deep thought as he looked at both him and Donald.
Sora had to hand it to Goofy, he never thought of it that way. He did say that make the beacon not hollow. Meaning, filled it with light. "I never thought of it that way," he chuckled smirking at Goofy.
"I guess we could try it." Their group wizard answered after a second of thinking. They went back to the upside-down room where there were two lights in the center. After a quick-fire spell and making the room a bit brighter, they waited. A minute and nothing happened. Donald's foot tapping was the only sound aside from their conversation to stall for time as they waited.
"Nothing happened," the dryness in Donald's voice evident as he said this. "Ah, let's just go back and ask the rabbit for more clues." Said the duck as he started walking ahead of them muttering words irritably. Sora had to chuckle at his choice of words describing Wonderland. If he said that he'd be no doubt be scolded greatly.
"Congratulations!" Cheshire cat said pooping into existence once again with his finger pointing upwards. Following his direction, they looked up. "The shadows will reveal itself soon but somewhere else in this room. Might go after the doorknob too," There, on the ceiling? Floor? Ah upwards, the shadows moved. Wiggled. And they saw it clearly even from where they're perch. When they turned their attention back at the strange cat, it was gone.
"Of course, why didn't he just said so at the beginning instead of speaking in riddles" Sora grumbled. Cheshire cat seemed to like to play with them by appearing whenever he wants to. "Come on, guys." The hybrid said running ahead. Time was of the essence for Sora. Before this one's ruined too.
The situation in the courtroom was still the same when they came back. Card soldiers stood guard actively, prepared for another attack against the Heartless. They were protecting the white rabbit who looked shaken for some reason and kept glancing at his watch but they quickly passed it and went to the bedroom
The Cheshire cat waited for them at the table, not set upright again. Sora jumped to it easily with the two catching up with him by using the table as a step.
"The shadows should be here soon," Cheshire said dancing weirdly. "Are you prepared? If not, too bad." He said disappearing just as two large objects from fell. The three of them got into their stance. The First one, on the left, was a tall pink and purple Heartless with multiple faces and long slender arms with two pairs of foot.
The second, a round red and black checkered Heartless half the size of Slenderman Heartless. Larger than any of the ones they'd fought before. It wielded a staff with a heart on the tip.
"Guys, any plans?" Sora asked urgently not taking his eyes off of them because he had no idea what these two were capable of. He prepared to cast a wall spell in case one of the Heartless attacks them with spells.
No one moved, they stood facing them unmoving. Sora's heart raced in anxiety. He barely defeated the Darkside Heartless (an official name he'll call it from now on), much less a large slim Heartless with a subordinate? Luckily, Goofy and Donald were with him because he doubted he could defeat them with his current skills.
"We take on the tall one first," Donald whispered.
"How do we do that?" Goofy replied and Sora nodded involuntarily at his statement. If they all attack one, it will leave them open from the other. No, someone needs to take or possibly distract the fat one.
"I'll distract the short one, that way you can attack the tall Heartless without problem," Sora quickly suggested.
His two companions couldn't even reply when the two moved towards them. The tall one launched a fireball against them and its partner, from out of nowhere, sent them cards. Sora, fast as he can, released the wall spell he'd been holding and putting less magic power into it as he could without losing its hardness. "Go!" Sora ordered as he didn't look back as the sound of his barrier breaking when he to confront his chosen enemy. The hybrid, summoned a wall to be used as a platform and from it he jumped, Keyblade ready to swing. Sora timed his fall and swung hard enough on its head when passed it and landing in a crouch on all fours softly.
With a raise of its staff, swift as the winds, cards too fast for him to catch flew to target him. He batted away the first five with ease but he gritted his teeth when he felt the scratches inflicted on him. It's too many to be deflected by the Keyblade alone, he thought bearing it as he then released an Aero spell. The wind bounded the cards as he charged ahead.
"Fire!" Sora launched three fireballs at its head but cards moved to protect it. Cards continued to target him, he rolled aside and nearly cutting him again. The half animal boy watched the patterns of the attack and jumped, using a card as a stepping stone then proceeding to another one until he was near its face, and rolling to the left midair as another attempted to skewer him and landing on its shoulder. Sora slashed swiftly and bashed its head making it go unbalance by wobbling back and forth. He held on to its hair, but shivered slightly and nearly let go when it gave a very slippery like feeling upon touching.
His hold didn't last long when it fidgeted making him fly forward, he screamed and rolled facing it and parrying cards. The boy gnashed his teeth in frustration and cursing inwardly. The attacks kept sped his fall and he couldn't cast a spell with his attention on defense.
Sora landed hard on the concrete floor. Groaning, he got up quickly only to slide and fall backward when a card hit where he was. Rolling to the side, cards landed and continuously try to pin him but he made sure to tuck his tail around his waist to not repeat the earlier injury on his sensitive appendage. Stopping, he rolled backward and jumping further back. Concentrating, he launched fire and following it with a blizzard but was intercepted again. Smirking, as he ran towards it, he quick as he can use a wall as a platform again to get close as he can. The lion threw his Keyblade at its face and jumped on its shoulder going behind it. If those big one's weakness is its back then there's a chance it's the same with this one.
Cards now encircled the round Heartless, preventing a head-on charge. On his Peripherals, the duo kept the Slenderman Heartless away from him. Sora launched fire again and again but cards were always countering it, he noticed and trying to keep the headache at bay. Wait, he quickly drank a potion and noticed that it didn't protect its arm wielding the staff. Only the body.
Making a plan in his mind, he summoned the Keyblade parrying and dodging left and right as the cards went into the offensive. Using the same technique, he jumped using the cards reach higher heights. In midair, a reflect spell saved his hide from being cut everywhere. When he landed on its shoulder, the lion hybrid aimed or at least attempted to cut its hand with a thunder spell because he moved disturbing his balanced perch and he jumped when cards target to maim him.
The boy landed softly, on all fours a few feet away from the card using Heartless and cast a simple blizzard towards its feet. His ice spell froze its foot and it tried balancing itself.
Sora sidestepping left where a card whooshing his earlier position then rolled backward when the thin but sharp cards rained on him full frontal assault. Pointing his weapon forward, "Wall!" he casts and the spell did its job as it stopped the cards but not without going halfway through first making him breathed easily for a second.
"Blizzard," the ice he launched flew downwards instead to his opponent. Ice trails were left by the spell in its wake as it dissipated. He only noticed that earlier when the ice spell was cast near the floor. The lion boy felt proudness swell in his chest because of his little discovery as he slides in it and greatly reducing the distance between them. Cards were attacking him, but an Aero spell helped him greatly. Forward flipping, dodging the seemingly infinite amount of cards the Heartless is capable of dishing out, he landed in front of it just below its belly.
The half animal froze its feet once again but with no cards reaching him below it, he used his Keyblade to trip the large round monster. Its fall shook him slightly but he stood strong as the force of the impact back pushed him.
He launched a flash of simple lightning towards its staff wielding arm as he landed on the stomach making the Heartless let go of the staff.
When it didn't move, the boy grinned and became wider, when the card shielding and every other card dropped. Another thunder spell, but this time it targeted the head. It rained electricity three times until it wobbled like having a seizure. It started hissing and smoking as it started to disappear. His gaze turned to look at Donald and Goofy, who seemed to have everything under control but nonetheless, he ran to help them.
"Goofy! Give me a boost!" He said dashing in his direction who stood on guard before his taller enemy. The dog ducked and raised his shield above his head. Sora felt the knight pushing upwards as he too jumped. A strong thunder spell with a blizzard following sent it skidding back against the chimney.
Taking the chance given by Donald's spell he threw the Keyblade at its really tall head. Sora chuckled when he noticed the pattern of his attack, he had to thank Riku for teaching him to go for the head, especially disabling the vision. Sora fired ice at it, he cleared his thought as it took longer for him to cast.
His aim was accurate enough that it hit the middle part of the long face. His landing was close enough to its arms that he grasped it and swing upwards climbing it.
"Sora, get off it!" Their wizard warned. He didn't question as he jumped off as a very strong Blizzard hit it. Sora, just to make sure, summoned and threw his Keyblade at it again. The brunet lion hybrid was impressed by it as it disintegrated into wisps of black smoke. When all of it was gone a huge heart floated to where it used to be and it flew away. That made Sora wonder what was that because the same thing happened when he killed those normal Heartless. They turned to hearts and disappear.
He huffed, recovering his breath and fighting the pain his mind is going through for using magic. Plus, all that moving around took a toll on him! Too much adrenaline for one day, he said to himself.
"Whew, that blew me," he heard Donald say wiping off his forehead.
Goofy, the nice person (where they persons or does Sora had to call them animals?) as he was, gave the duck a potion who gulped it with vigor. Sora felt his tongue was really dry and his breathing haste.
"Must you be so loud! How's a doorknob to get any sleep," The doorknob said yawning. Three of them approached it to asked what happened but Sora felt his arms moved on its own. The Keyblade pointed at something glowing inside its mouth. Sora felt power flow within him as a ray of light went from him to the glowing keyhole? A clicking sound echoed just as he felt the power wane. Looking up, after the clicking sound the skies cleared making him smile victoriously despite his fatigue. The thunder ceased and the scent of darkness lifted enabling him to smell the real scent of the world's air for the first time and it was as the worlds name suggested; a Wonderland. It didn't have any defining traits. A mix and match of everything, a chaotic, the good kind of chaos unlike the dark one earlier. Like an artwork. If abstract art had a smell he bet it would be Wonderland.
"What was that?" Sora turned to asked Donald. The duck shrugged.
"Hey guys, a gummy block! And it ain't like the others," Goofy said looking at a strangely colored object and picking it up. Sora wondered what a "gummy block" was so he asked them and was answered by Donald.
Someone clapped behind them only for it to be Cheshire cat who leaned on its tail and with what he believed was his always grinning expression. "Splendid. You're quite the hero," it had said. "If you're looking for the queen, oh poor dearie swallowed by the darkness. And Alice. Gone with the darkness." The cat said lastly before doing the disappearing act.
"Who's Alice?" Goofy asked the two of them. Donald shook his head while the brunet hybrid shrugged and answered.
"Don't know. Must be a citizen of this world. Hopefully, we would find her on the next one," When he said this, he scanned the environment for anything. Anything that might be used as a souvenir. A quick run to where he defeated the card using Heartless was where a staff laid. It was the staff if the Heartless he battled but only smaller. Shrugging, he picked it up and said, "Souvenir."
Sora yawned as they returned to their ship. Even though tired and beaten, he still smiled with his arms behind his head and his tail was moving back and forth happily and mirroring his current emotions as he looked upwards wishing Kairi and Riku would soon join him. No matter, I know Kairi will wake up and I will find Riku somewhere along the way.
So, ah how was it? I'm not sure about the magic system and potion thing portion that I wrote because I thought it seemed kind of an insignificant little detail but a necessary device to not let Sora and the gang be reliant on spells and potions a lot of time. I wanted them to be strategic in a sense but I'm thinking that I didn't capture that so well. Haha. Also, the wall spell, I got the idea from Final Fantasy type-0. Not sure if other FF games had it but I like that spell in that game and thought "hey, why do they only have one defensive spell (or so I remembered in KH games but maybe I jsut missed some.) in the game," so I added it.