Hello everyone! I'm back! Goodness me it's been a wild ride! But don't you worry! I'm still working on this fantastic story!

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

Chapter 23: The Seireitei

"Run." Rukia pushed Ichigo and Hikari in a direction.

"What-" Ichigo protested but Rukia just gave him a heated stare.

"I said RUN you idiot!" She screamed at him before they were mercilessly attacked. The three booked it, trying their darndest to get away from the strongest people Hikari had ever seen. She didn't need to really fight them to know these guys were strong...She could practically FEEL the power rolling off their robes in waves. It was truly terrifying to know there were such strong people nearby.

"What the hell is going on!?" Ichigo pressed as the three ran for their very lives.

"Those holes in their chests…" Hikari huffed, struggling to keep up with them. Ichigo and Rukia sure were fast! "That's the problem!"

"Is there any way we can stop this?" Rukia pressed and Hikari nodded.

"Yeah but I'm gonna need help!" No way she would be able to do this alone.

With Ichigo and Rukia's help, Hikari managed to free at least one of those captains from the Nothing. There was no time for explanations or introductions as the now four companions had no choice but to separate in the hopes that they might be able to fend off their attackers.

This was NOTHING like the other realms, this was intense and it was wearing Hikari down by the minute. Sure she battled alongside Noctis and his men in the previous realm but it was harder when you were alone. It also didn't help that she knew she wouldn't be able to fend off the people chasing her.

Shin, Max...I hope you two are alright...I'm coming! The thought of helping her friends kept her going. They needed her help and she was willing to come and save them no matter what the cost may be.

Something crossed behind her eye and she stopped in her strides. The alleyway was empty but Hikari wasn't stupid...Something, or rather someone, was there.

"Come on out and face me you stupid jerk!" She held firmly the Keyblade, ready and willing to go all out on whoever or whatever was watching her.

The attack came from above; Hikari made quick to dodge, a crater forming where she once stood. The smoke cleared, revealing her attacker.

Her grip on the Keyblade nearly loosened.

There...Standing amongst the rubble with his back to her...Was Shin.

"Wh...Shin?" In her shocked state she had noticed he was in his normal form, that of a short purple alien creature. Why...Why was he…?

Shin gave her no room to think. Though he wasn't using any of his powers, he was still quick and nimble and his punches and kicks were strong. Remembering her training Hikari blocked what she could using the Keyblade as a shield. During the duel, in all her shocked stance, Hikari managed to notice what was driving Shin to attack her full force...The black hole sitting upon his chest.

The Nothing...Had taken him.

"Son of a-" This pissed Hikari off. That stupid entity had taken her friend! No...He was more like a mentor to her, and that, to her was even worse. She would NOT hurt Shin, no matter what the entity wanted.

Shin backed her into a corner, the Keyblade promptly kicked from her hand, its silhouette ricocheted off the building then onto the ground below. Without her weapon...She was screwed.

"Shin…" Hikari braced herself for the impact to come but it came from behind as strong arms held her in place. She recognized those hands immediately.

"Max?" She didn't need to look to know it was him...The man that had looked after her in the shadows. She also knew that this embrace wasn't kind, for he was sucking wind from her lungs as he squeezed her to him.

The Nothing had taken both her friends.

This was a dire situation. Max holding her firm and Shin approaching with a most calculating walk. The need to survive outweighed everything thus Hikari struggled in Max's grasp but he held firm. She wasn't going anywhere...She was going to die...Die by her friends' hands.

In her moment of terror, a brief memory flashed. Many times she, Noctis, and Gladio had gone out and trained together, at the behest of Gladio himself. After one session, Gladio had given Hikari some valuable advice.

If at any time your attacker grabs you from behind, don't freak out...Remember this one thing...I taught it to my sister a while back. All you have to do...is SING.

Hikari rammed her elbow into Max's gut, took her heel to his toe, rammed a fist into his long nose and though she didn' t know anything about his anatomy, by his reaction her elbow had hit correctly below the belt. Free from Max she dove for the Keyblade. Above her Shin made ready his final blow but Hikari thrust the Keyblade into the hole in his heart.

Shin fell right onto her, groaning.

Hikari had no time to help him. She frantically pushed his body off of her form and dove for Max, who had produced his shield. Sparks flew as the Keyblade hit the shield. Using her feet she pushed off of Max's shield and did a somersault over him, stabbing the Keyblade in his back in the process.

Max staggered on his feet, a hand gripping his head.

"Huh…? Wha…?" He fell to the ground, his shield disappeared instantly. "Why do I feel like I've been hit by a truck?"

"There's no time!" Hikari helped Max to his feet. "We've gotta-"

"Watch out!" Came the cry before an attack made of pure ice was blocked by the man that Hikari had saved before. This guy's long white hair swayed as he moved, blocking the ice set forth by the child-like captain.

Leaving Max and Shin Hikari joined the fray, weaving to and fro. The guy kept the ice child busy long enough for her to get rid of the Nothing controlling the icy captain. The kid slumped for a moment before he came to, quickly assessing the situation.

"Captain Hitsugaya." The long haired captain regarded the child. "Good to see you've come to your senses."

"Captain Ukitake…" Though he held the body of a child, it was obvious the mind within was much older. "What is going on?"

"Your realm's been overrun by something called Nothings." Hikari quickly explained. "And only I can get rid of it."

Instant suspicion, something Hikari had grown used to, entered into Captain Hitsugaya's cold eyes. "Who are you?"

"We can handle introductions later." Shin had finally recovered and quickly joined the conversation. He ignored the two captain's wide eyes at his form. "We must find the controller...the person who has been possessed."

"Someone's been possessed?" Captain Ukitake asked.

"Yes." Shin stated. "By an entity we have been dealing with. Whoever has been possessed by this entity is the cause of the Nothings." He stared at the two captains. "I know you do not trust us, but you can tell...I am far from normal." He reached hands to them. "Give me your hands and you will know what I mean. Please, do this quickly, as we are short on time."

The two captains glanced at one another before gripping purple hands. Suspicion was replaced with shock and awe.

"Please accept our apologies." Captain Ukitake spoke up first, a bit of reverence in his voice as he spoke. "What do we need to do?"

"Whoever has done this must have access to all of you." Shin explained, ignoring Max and Hikari's gapping looks. "It must be someone higher in rank, one who has full access to the spiritual plane."

Both captains stilled. Ukitake gave a very deep frown.

"That can only be one person...And if it is him...We are in great danger."

New battles forced the group into an open courtyard where they were met with Rukia and Ichigo. Perhaps now with their band of seven they would stand a chance. In minutes they became surrounded by a sea of black clothed people with swords drawn.

"This is bad…" Captain Ukitake stated.

"I think it's about to get worse…" Max pointed to the distance. There the remaining captains came forth, led by a tall overbearing old man.

"Captain Commander…"

"About time you came here, Hikari…" The Captain Commander's words were a sign. He was the controller. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't make it...How do you like my army of Nothings?"

"You aren't getting the Keyblade!" She swore not at the man but at the entity possessing him.

"In due time that which rightfully belongs to me shall be given to me." The entity spoke through the Captain Commander. "This vast army helped me greatly...I've managed to locate this realm's key...Imagine to my surprised delight I discover...This realm...has a princess…"

"A princess?" Rukia frowned.

"Yes...The purest heart in all the realm...And I suppose in this case...The purest soul as well…" The entity stated. "You should be honored to be given such a gift. Not many realms can say they hold a Princess of Heart. And here her highness comes…"

"Let me go! What's going on?"

Orihime was brought forth, held firmly in the grasps of a red haired man and a busty strawberry blonde woman.

"Renji!?" Rukia gapped.

"Matsumoto!?" That came from Captain Hitsugaya.

"Orihime!" Ichigo shouted, getting the girl's attention.

"Kurosaki-kun?" The girl being held blinked at seeing Ichigo. "Rukia? What's going on!?"

"Seems only fair she be alive in this realm…" The possessed Captain Commander stated. "The spiritual plane is much too cold for a pure heart to survive in." Though it was hard to see from the long beard, Hikari knew the entity was grinning.

"I believe it's time to accept the truth, little light...I win."

Next Time: Keys to the Kingdom