Alright everyone, I think I'm doing pretty well in the writing fights department. I had a little help (Thank you Rayne Hall for your fabulous "Writing Vivid Settings" book! You all should check it out! It's amazing!) so I think I've got a bit of a handle on writing fights.

We're almost done with the Bleach world ya'll. Which means the next world is just around the corner! (grins) I wonder where they'll be going next… (heh, heh, heh).

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 24: Keys to the Kingdom

There they stood, their measly little band of seven, against an army of thirteen shinigami squads.

With the entity possessing the captain commander, there was nothing that could stop it. It had already infected the entire Seireitei with it's Nothings...Now it was at the cusp of getting what it wanted. There was just one more thing it needed to accomplish its goal and the bearer of the object was standing right next to him, held firm in the grasp of two people dressed in black.

"Now...Let's have the key…"

The Captain Commander plunged his large hand into Orihime's back, her body arching from the blow.

"Orihime!" Both Rukia and Ichigo were shocked as her body fell to the cold ground, an object now within the possessed captain commander's aged hands.

A jagged black handle and a sleek white blade. The blade itself appeared to be hollow, with black designs holding it together...The realm's Keyblade.

"The Keyblade of Soul…" The entity admired the weapon. "One can only imagine the power this one holds…" It grinned. "I'd say...It's probably more powerful than the heart...for the soul guides the heart, wouldn't you agree...little light?"

What was this thing talking about?

"You are wrong." Shin finally spoke up.

"Go away. You've no power here, creation kami." The entity snorted.

"I may not have the power to fight here, but I have something much greater...Knowledge." He looked at Hikari. "Hikari, listen to me...Remember, you've a power hidden within you. Now is the time to call it forth."

She gave him a frown. "You mean...All this time, I haven't been using it?

"You have been using your power, but this power, the one I speak of, runs deep. THIS power is truly inherited." He sighed. "I admit...I did lie to you but I did not know what exactly that power was that slept within you. But now, I know…" He smiled. "It is the power to connect to others...The power of waking…"

What…?

"Though it may seem everyone here is nothing, you know deep down that is not true...NO ONE can take away everything from you. It's an illusion mortals created to explain those times when it appears the situation is bleak. Their hearts, their very souls, are merely sleeping...You...Need to wake them...All you have to do...Is believe that you can."

Hikari stilled her own beating heart, how was she supposed to connect to people she hadn't even met!?

"I will help you." Shin held out his hand to her. "I will be the soul."

"And I'll be the mind." Max took her right. "Remember? You aren't alone, Hikari."

Hikari smiled at them both. Taking a breath she grabbed their hands and the three drowned out the world.

Listen to me...Everyone...With her mind, soul, and heart as one, she sent out the call. Most of you don't know who I am, but I'm the only one that can help you right now. I need you to trust me...I am...I am a child of light...Pure and rare...My soul is clean, my heart is pure.

She felt the Keyblade lift from her form; those watching saw the weapon float above her.

Help me release you from your nightmare...I can't do it alone...A soul can't live, can't function, without a heart...Let me be your heart...At least, for this one moment.

A flash of energy shot from the Keyblade. It burst into several small lights, each one falling to the ground below. Any Nothing it touched was stripped of its black hold, returning the person to their normal state.

"What!? How...How is this possible!?" The entity was shocked by this turn of events. Nothings were no more, replaced by a sea of angry shinigami bearing their swords towards their new enemy. At the front were the captains, each one ready and willing to fight the possessed captain commander.

Through the captain commander, the entity grinned.

"You've forgotten one last detail…" He held out the Key of Soul. "I STILL have this realm's key! AND currently, I AM THE STRONGEST!"

A force pushed the army well to their knees. This was the power of the Captain Commander's reiatsu, or spirit. It was all encompassing.

"We need to get that thing out of that guy!" Max shouted.

"How are we to do that?" Captain Ukitake shouted back.

"We have to get the Keyblade from him!" Hikari yelled. "And I think I know how to do it! Can you distract him long enough for us to get Orihime?"

Despite the overwhelming power engulfing all, swords were at the ready.

"You have five minutes!" Captain Hitsugaya stated.

"More than enough!" Hikari replied. "Shin! You're the fastest!"

He needed no explanation. It was quick to get the fallen form of the girl who had possessed the Keyblade within her. Shin set the girl's body down near Hikari. Orihime's body safe, Hikari went to her side.

"Is...she…?" Ichigo asked and Hikari shook her head.

"No…But I'm probably going to need your help." She looked towards Orihime. "Orihime? That's your name right? My name's Hikari...We're kind of like sisters, sort of...You see...Like me...you're special...So special that right now, you're the strongest person here! And NO ONE can take away what belongs to you. NO ONE can take away your power, Orihime. YOU decide how it's used, YOU decide who wields it!"

"She's right, Orihime!" Rukia immediately understood. "Listen to her! Only YOU can control yourself! Don't let others stand in your way!"

"Orihime…" Ichigo knelt down as well. "You're stronger than this...I know it…"

There was a brief moment…

"NO!" The group turned and saw that the entity no longer held the Keyblade, instead it was in a surprising...Location…

Ichigo held one half, white and pure...But Rukia...Held the other, one black as night.

"Two!? There's two here!?" Max gapped.

"One of the dead and one of the living…" Shin gasped.

"How the hell do we use this thing anyway?" Ichigo frowned at the white Keyblade in his hand.

"Just...Think of it as a really bulky sword!" Hikari stood and held out her own. "Follow me! Aim for the chest, where the heart is!"

"Right!" Rukia was more than ready. "Ichigo!"

A grunt and the three were off towards the battlefield, Hikari taking the lead. They passed by captain after captain, dodging and sometimes even helping when needed until they finally came to the captain commander himself.

"So, it's come down to this...What are you now, little light...A master? Ha! Don't make me laugh!"

"Ready? NOW!" Hikari screamed and both Rukia and Ichigo took off. While Hikari kept the entity's attention, the other two made their move.

"Ichigo!" Rukia managed to get behind the captain commander.

"Yeah! Do it!" Ichigo took a leap in front of the old man.

Back and front the Captain Commander was stabbed by the Keyblades of both death and life. There was a monstrous howl before a dark orb floated out of the Captain Commander's body.

All...Was safe…

At least...For now.

"Hikari!" Shin rushed to her. "Now is your chance! We might be able to defeat this entity before it goes to another realm!"

Nodding she changed keyblades; the Realm of Self keyblade to be precise. A tower of sand sent her high in the sky. Using the momentum she jumped, heading face first for the black orb that was causing so much grief.

"I've had about enough of you and your Nothings!" She raised the keyblade, intent on slicing the entity right through.

The entity moved fast enough to where it passed right into her head. It made no chance of possessing her, rather it tore out through her hair and rushed into the clouds above.

The sand guided her back to the ground, Shin and Max rushing to her side.

"What happened!?" Max asked but Hikari didn't budge. Instead she kept her eyes toward the skies.

"Max…" She finally looked his way. "Am...I...Really-?"

Before Hikari could speak another word fatigue creeped within. Suddenly she was falling into the arms of her companions, her body, heart, and mind too exhausted for her to even think to breathe. Yet, a thought lingered still...a thought not of her own...but that of the entity…

She stole it! It's all her fault! She needs to die before I can get it back!

Next Time: Realm of Soul