I'm pushing for at least a chapter a day! I considered waiting for this but na! Why not?

Let's get to it!

Disclaimer: The Kingdom Hearts Franchise, Dragonball and all its incarnations, and the Naruto series, their characters, settings, etc, belong to their respective creators. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME!

Chapter 14: Key of Self

"Hikari!"

Max watched as Hikari suddenly fell to her knees, hugging her form. Her eyes were blankly staring off into something unknown.

"Nice...Very nice…" The possessed Sasuke chuckled. "I'm starting to like this vessel all the more…Eyes that can make someone see whatever you want them to see...Yes...These will definitely come in handy…"

"Oi! Give Sasuke back!" The Hokage finally showed up but he wasn't alone, at least that's what they all assumed so anyway.

"All in good time…" The entity said. "Just give me what I want!"

"He doesn't have it!" Max shouted, causing the entity to look his way. "Naruto doesn't have this realm's key! None of us have it!"

"Well...Seeing as that the last one wasn't who I expected...I'm not surprised…" The entity grinned. "This IS the Realm of Self...A realm of personal growth. Whoever holds this world's Keyblade certainly had much personal growth…" The entity shrugged. "No matter, I've plenty of time…" He gripped the Realm of Strength's Keyblade. "Now...To deal with you two." He aimed it at Shin and Max. "Oh what agony she will have when she wakes up from her nightmare...Only to see she truly is alone…" With insanity in those red eyes, the Keyblade rose to strike…

A hand, enveloped with a golden aura, gave the Keyblade it's pause. With strength unknown, the hand pushed the Keyblade away before it could make it's mark, the hand's owner standing in the process.

"What the hell!?" The entity spoke the phrase all wished to say...For the golden aura hand belonged to Hikari...Whose body was now glowing with golden light, her hair yellow in color and when her eyes opened...There was green.

Hand still on the Keyblade, Hikari glared at the entity with a stare that promised death.

"I believe THIS belongs to...me." She spoke with a thin line of royal decree. The other palm was raised at the possessed Sasuke's chest, a ball of light forming there. In an instant, Sasuke's form was tossed several paces away, and in Hikari's hand was now the Keyblade of Strength.

"What...How…?" Max was at a loss for words. What just happened!?

Shin's eyes recognized that glow anywhere, yet...Who was it? Who was the person…?

When Hikari held her hands out towards her sides and an all too familiar smirk on her lips, Shin gasped. Thinking quickly he pushed Max to the ground.

"Take cover!" He told the man who, in all his awe, did as asked.

"You want power...Fine…" Hikari spoke to Sasuke's possessed form. "You can have it…" She pushed her hands together and spoke the attack...That only a certain Sayajin Prince...Could achieve.

"Final Flash!"

The attack lit up the night sky, making all wonder where the night had suddenly gone. When the moon returned, and all was still, the mountain that held the faces of Hokage's past had been given a cut, though not as deep as one would imagine. Nary a trace of wildlife or trees was within the small ravine that the attack created, spanning as far as the eye could see.

"Vegeta that was reckless!" Shin shouted at Hikari, though it wasn't Hikari he was admonishing.

"Shut up." Came the grunted reply. "Be sure to return MY weapon. And if this happens again, I will not be happy."

The golden aura receded, Hikari's brown hair and blue eyes returning. She looked around for a moment in confusion before setting wide eyes at the fissure before her...And the Realm of Strength's Keyblade in her hand.

"What the heck happened!?" She gapped.

"So the bearers are able to give their power to the wielder...Hmmm...I'll have to remember that." Sasuke's possessed form had returned but he was caught off guard by a wave of sand covering his form, making him imobile in the process.

"Hikari! NOW!" Shin shouted. "Release the entity possessing that man!"

Nodding she rushed to the immoble Sasuke and through the sand thrust the Realm of Strength's Keyblade where Sasuke's heart should be. A scream and the entity was gone, Sasuke's form dropping to unconsciousness.

The threat now officially gone, Hikari slumped to the ground, in shock and awe. She let go of the Keyblade in her hand, allowing it to fall as well to the ground before her. It didn't disappear as the original blade had done which was odd but Hikari paid it no mind.

"Hikari!" Max was at her side, holding her shoulders lightly. "Hikari look at me! Are you alright?"

"Yeah...Yeah…" She managed to breathe out. "I just...What…?"

"Vegeta somehow possessed you." Shin came over as well. "It must have been overwhelming to feel his powers flowing through you." Shin knelt in front of her. "It's alright…" He placed a hand on her forehead.

"She doesn't need healing!" Max protested but Shin disagreed.

"Physically, no…" Shin told him as the hand upon Hikari's forehead began to glow. "But mentally...Yes…Though I can't heal all of it, I can at least heal enough to help you cope with it, Hikari." Her shoulders slumped and a great sigh fell from her lips. "Vegeta is a very proud and prudent man...I'm sure he was quite the...difficult person to deal with." He thought for a moment. "A person that constantly battles the darkness within...Yes...That does sound like Vegeta…No wonder he was the bearer of my realm's key…" Hikari was returning, he could see it in her eyes. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better...Thanks…" She breathed out then turned to Max. "Max…" She hugged the man. "Thank you...For always having my back…"

Max staggered for a moment before returning the hug. "Anytime…" He frowned. "I...Only wish I could do more…"

"You are…" Hikari pulled away from him. "Just being here, right now...You are…"

He smiled. "Thanks...Hikari."

She chuckled. "Anytime."

"Are you alright?" A man approached them, one Hikari recognized. Standing with Shin and Max at her side, she approached the red haired man.

"We're fine...Thanks...Though...Sorry about the...mess?"

He chuckled. "You will have to give that apology to Naruto…"

Speaking of the Hokage, he had come from another side, a light smile on his face.

"Gotta say, Gaara...I didn't believe you at first." He regarded the red head like a friend. "But...You were right."

"You…" It clicked. "Naruto...Is the friend you talked about?"

Gaara nodded at Hikari. "Naruto has always been and always will be, my greatest friend." He regarded Shin and Max. "You have some as well, standing at your side."

"Yeah…" She smiled. "I do...Don't I?"

Naruto scratched his head. "Am I...missing something?"

Not saying a word, Gaara picked up the discarded Keyblade, handed it to an astonished Hikari.

"I believe this is yours?"

The Keyblade sparkled and a brilliant light bared forth from it...All gathered and watched as the Keyblade...began to change its form.

It was simple in shape, this new form, with a red cloth tied at the handle and around the circle end. Until Hikari's key or the Realm of Strength's key, this one held no hand guard. In fact, the key itself looked to be fashioned as an actual weapon...with three blades, three kunai blades, springing forth on the side at the top of the blade.

"Whoa…" Max gapped at the new Keyblade...known now as this realm's own version of the weapon.

"It...Was you…" Hikari regarded the red headed man before her.

"Gaara…" Even Naruto was a bit surprised by this revelation.

"I...Do not understand." Gaara was as confused as many. What was this weapon held in his grip?

"You said…" Hikari began. "Someone...Helped you to change...Right? This...Is supposed to be the Realm of Self…So…Maybe changing from bad to good...Is the best change anyone could ever have."

"A person who has changed from dark to light…The greatest self revelation." Shin reasoned. "That...would definitely make sense." He stared at Gaara. "That key is very special...It unlocks a door we need to go through in order to possibly get back home."

"I see…" Gaara nodded, still unable to comprehend the weapon in his hand.

"Do you...Know where the door is?" Max asked him.

"I am afraid I do not." Gaara apologized.

Naruto chuckled. "Well...At least we know the central location!" He grinned. "Gaara's the Kazekage...leader of the village hidden in the sand, Suna. Since he's got the key, seems only fair the door is in Suna."

About a week later Hikari and her crew were in Suna, a village within the desert of this realm. Seeing such a vast desert was quite depressive...How were they going to find one measly little door in all this sand!?

"Seeing as that you are the Keyblade bearer of this world…" Shin spoke to Gaara. "The door must be in a place of great significance to you...And if this is the Realm of Self...Then the door would be in a place where your fate began."

Gaara paused.

They found themselves standing in front of a home in the middle of Suna though it looked quite dejected to say the least. It was well beyond repair, this ghost-like home and as Gaara looked up at it, a sense of deep pain was ebbing.

"This place...Is where it happened…" He spoke out loud to the silent three behind him. "Where I first believed...That love was destructive." Sighing he turned to the three, his eyes set upon Hikari. "Have you discovered your true self? Your ninja-do?"

She nodded slightly. "I think...my ninja-do...Is acceptance…" She stared up at the building before them, wondering exactly what happened here but didn't push the matter. One could tell just by looking at Gaara this place was where his nightmare began.

"I accept my fears…" She confessed. "I accept the fact that I'm on a dangerous journey, that I'll probably end up hurting people...I know I'll get hurt too...But..I won't let my fears control me...In fact...I think...Facing them...Accepting they exist...Makes me stronger."

Gaara nodded. "A fine ninja-do to have."

"Have you...ever accomplished yours?" She asked him and he gave a great pause.

"I have a village to protect." He told her. "It is a given the populace here rely on me...However...No one has truly asked for my reliance...Not because of my position, merely just that they wish for my help. That...I believe...Is what I truly want."

Stepping up to him then held out her hand.

"Apparently, you guys with these keys...I can call on you to help me...So...I'm...asking you…" She stared into his seafoam eyes.

"Can I...Rely on you? Can I...rely on your power...To help me?"

For the briefest of moments his eyes widened before they returned to their stoic state. A gentle smile and a hand in Hikari's confirmed the pact had been made.

"Of course…" His voice had a touch of warmth to it, almost as if his heart was glowing, singing. "You can most certainly rely upon me, Hikari."

The blade in his hand disappeared, reappearing in Hikari's own. Taking the hint Gaara stood aside allowing her to pass. She stood before the doorway to the abandoned home and held the Keyblade before it. A great light shot from the blade and into the door, creating a giant Keyhole that engulfed the door in light. What was once a door, was now a portal...A portal to a new realm.

"Thank you, Hikari…" Gaara smiled at her. "For helping me…"

She smiled back at him. "You helped me first so...we're even…" She looked behind her, where Max and Shin stood waiting. "Let's go guys…"

Off the three heroes went, into the next realm...Into the next adventure.

Next Time: Cars and Leather