Chapter 27
Wise Master Yen Sid
Kairi felt a sense of vertigo when she took in her surroundings. The mustard-yellow tower bent off-normal and then back on-normal as she looked up at it. She realized that the entire clearing in which the tower was situated was a small, disconnected land mass with a few trees and bushes placed around the path and against the building. Said land mass floated in a surreal void in which flowed yellow and purple lights. She lost her balance from the sight and nearly fell, but Sora caught her.
"You alright?" he asked.
Kairi stood up with his help and shook her mind clear. "Yeah. Thanks. It's just that this is so weird," she told him.
Sora shrugged. "You'll end up accepting that kind of thing. Wait 'til you get inside," he said with a smirk.
The tower had a green conical roof, with a thinner tower jutting out of it that had a similar roof attached. Another tower segment was attached to the left side of the edifice, with its own green roof, and there was a smaller version of the same design on the front of the upper portion of the tower. Windows were inserted around the upper section of the tower, and there were some with extruded frames built in elsewhere. At the front of the base was a tall set of wooden double doors with iron frames. The left door had a golden star design while the right door had a golden crescent moon design. On either side of the doors, a series of columns surrounded the circumference of the building. There was a set of miniature stairs in front of the tower, leading up to the door.
The party approached the tower and Mickey opened the door. Kairi raised an eyebrow, wondering if they were being rude by simply barging in. However, Mickey seemed to know what he was doing, and none of the others protested. They came into a circular room with a wide spiral staircase, surrounded by columns. In front of the light-blue-colored stairs with lilac walls were two objects that resembled blue conical wizard hats decorated with yellow star and moon designs.
Mickey led them up the staircase, and Riku and Kairi stared in confusion as what appeared to be a glowing green blob floated partway up the flight. Mickey, Donald and Goofy went through without hesitation, vanishing completely, but the teenagers were still perplexed. Sora snickered at this, stepped behind them, and shoved them through before walking in himself. They all found themselves on a section of stairway that floated in midair. The room area was much greater than in the section before. At the top of the section of stairs was a blue-green door with a golden star design. The area behind the door seemed to vanish into a similar void to the one they just stepped through.
The door led into a circular room with a green wall decorated with glowing star designs and a gray floor with a single large, barely-visible star outline. The green door ahead had an arrow design pointing up. Riku turned around out of curiosity and saw that the door behind them had an arrow design pointing down. The party went through the green door and found themselves back in the open area from before, on another section of stairs. These stairs turned counterclockwise rather than the previous section's clockwise. Looking over the ledge, they could see the previous section of stairs beneath them, indeed disconnected from anything that would otherwise hold it up. Looking up, they could see a straight flight of stairs with a door on either end.
They stepped through a door with a golden moon design and found themselves in a room very similar to the Star Chamber, albeit with glowing crescent moon designs all over the wall, crescent moon outline on the floor, and a brown door with an up-pointing arrow. They passed through that door and found themselves on the straight flight of stairs. The door at the top had an isosceles triangle in the same place that the star and moon had been on the other doors.
"That leads into Yen Sid's study," Sora explained to Riku and Kairi, pointing up at the door.
"Cool," Kairi simply replied.
The party climbed the final flight of stairs and Mickey knocked on the door. The door cracked open, and he opened it the rest of the way. They stepped into a circular room with a green floor and a dark-yellow wall. Several bookshelves were strewn about, some being simple ledges and others being unusually-shaped cubbies hanging on the wall. There were large yellow pots in several places against the wall, some of them containing brooms and staffs and others containing scrolls. On the opposite side of the room, two open windows were cut out of the wall, one shaped like a star and the other shaped like a crescent moon. On the right side was a green wardrobe, though Sora, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy knew that it was actually a door to a larger dressing room. Across from the party was a wooden table with a skull-shaped candle on the corner. Behind the desk was a tall chair that rose over eight feet in height.
A tall old man with a long dark gray beard and large gray eyebrows sat in the chair. He wore a wide-sleeved blue robe with light blue trim, along with a blue cone-shaped hat decorated with star and moon designs. The man had sharp facial features and a constantly-stern expression. He had large eyes but small pupils, making him appear all the more imposing.
When the approached Master Yen Sid, Mickey, Donald and Goofy bowed immediately, with Sora remembering to follow a few seconds later. Riku was taken aback at the fact that Sora was actually showing respect, but soon followed suit. Kairi simply waved nervously. "Hello," she said. Mickey, Donald and Goofy looked at her in shock. Sora chuckled under his breath, remembering something similar happening to him.
Yen Sid gestured for everyone to stand at ease, and they complied.
Mickey spoke up. "Master Yen Sid, we have come seeking your counsel," he said. "Someone has recruited Maleficent and several others, and now they are looking for a bunch of artifacts that will let them change reality. We're trying to head them off, but we have no idea where to start looking."
Yen Sid closed his eyes pensively. "I have sensed this gathering, and I have heard of the threat it poses." He hesitated for a moment. "However, I fear that there is very little I can do to direct your search."
Mickey, Donald and Goofy gasped in shock. Not even the wise and knowledgeable Yen Sid could aid them? What sort of hidden power could even he not know about? And what did this say about the mysterious antagonist who sought these items and knew quite clearly of their nature?
However, Sora and Riku considered the sorcerer's words with suspicion. He seemed to be dodging the question, but they could only wonder why he was keeping secrets. But they understood that something that could remake the laws of the universe was not something to be divulged easily, so they decided to respect his decision.
"When the stars showed me the alliance forming, I looked into the sinister benefactor and learned as much as I possibly could, though it is very little," Yen Sid continued. "All that I was able to glean is that his name is Zeromast, and he appears to study the state of the worlds as much as I do. I cannot discern how much he knows, or how he knows so much about the worlds' affairs, nor can I read what he intends to do with this forbidden power."
His guests slumped and groaned in disappointment. The only thing they were getting out of this visit was the man's name. Which was helpful, particularly when they return to Radiant Garden to update Leon and the others, but otherwise it did not help them understand what to do to stop him and Maleficent.
"I apologize for not being able to guide you, but perhaps I can prepare you for the struggle ahead," Yen Sid said, regaining their attention. "Thirteen menaces align to a common ambition. These villains of a sort will use their dark powers and resources to attain their goal any way they can. This will be your greatest challenge yet, and the stakes have never been higher. For this reason, you will need new powers to ensure that you have what it takes to oppose this evil alliance. Sora, Riku, Kairi, step forward, Keyblade wielders of Destiny."
Kairi blinked in surprise. "What?" she asked. Sora looked at her, confused. Mickey, Donald and Goofy traded bemused glances. "I'm a Keyblade wielder?"
Yen Sid nodded. "Yes. You were not awakened in your ability to use one, and the sole occasion in which you held a Keyblade, you did not know it was yours. But you have had the potential to use one since you were a child," he explained.
Kairi turned to Riku, who she realized was the only one not surprised by the announcement. "Did you know?" she asked.
Riku nodded. "Do you remember when I gave you a Keyblade to help you fight the Heartless back at the Organization's castle?" he asked. She nodded. "With Naminé's help, I summoned that Keyblade from your heart. Then it vanished after you were done using it, because you unconsciously dismissed it."
Sora's mouth widened into a grin. "Wait, that's what Kairi used to fight back there? That's awesome! Do you know what this means? Now we're all Keyblade buddies!" he exclaimed. Riku and Kairi laughed at his words, causing him to chuckle sheepishly.
Curiously, Kairi held her arm out, trying to summon a Keyblade. However, Yen Sid shook his head.
"I am afraid that you have yet to solidify your connection to your Keyblade," he said, to Kairi's confusion. He answered her questioning stare with a question to Sora and Riku. "Have either of you experienced a sort of dream prior to the awakening of your Keyblades?"
Sora crossed his arms behind his head and turned his eyes upward, thinking back to before he got his Keyblade. Man, that seemed like so long ago, he mused. "I did have this surreal dream with stained-glass platforms where a voice told me to choose between a sword, a shield, and a magic staff," he answered.
"Was that when you were snoozing on the beach when you should have been helping us with the raft?" Kairi asked teasingly.
Sora chuckled, embarrassed. "Maybe…"
"I had a dream like that a couple days after Sora woke up from his year-long slumber," Riku said. "When I woke up to a Heartless ambush, I found that my sword, the Soul Eater—" Sora made a quip about its 'nice name' "—had changed shape, and grew a handle guard, an angel wing on the tip, and a keychain. When I saw that my weapon had become a Keyblade, I understood my place."
Sora and Kairi paused for a moment to take it all in. Sora had wondered how Riku managed to get his own Keyblade for real, since the Kingdom Key, which he had claimed to have been meant for him (according to Ansem/Xehanort's Heartless), rejected him and returned to Sora. Then again, he had absolutely no idea how the whole Keyblade thing worked, considering his Nobody was able to use the same Keyblade while he himself used it, and on occasion both he and Roxas had used two Keyblade simultaneously. Due to this, he never really pressed the topic.
"So, how do I awaken mine?" Kairi asked.
Yen Sid stroked his beard. "We must put you through into a Dive to send you into your heart to complete the connection," he explained. "Forgive me for being abrupt."
"What do you mean send me—" Kairi's question was interrupted when Yen Sid waved his hand, causing his desk to break in half and slide apart. He then stood up quickly and closed the gap between himself and her instantly. He pressed his fingers against her forehead, pushing her head backward. She gasped as her eyes glazed over.
Her surroundings faded away, and Kairi found herself falling through a black void. Her panic subsided as she realized that her descent was slowing down rather than accelerating. She remembered a similar sensation when she found herself thrust into Sora's heart nearly two years ago. She craned her neck down and saw a bright circle approaching.
Within moments, she landed on the platform, and saw that, like Sora described, the surface was made of stained glass. The background was mostly a blue-green color. Around the circumference of the platform, Kairi saw multiple smaller circles, each containing items familiar to Riku from the island, as well as other objects she did not recognize. What caught her eye was that the platform depicted a full-color image of a sleeping Riku, in profile, his legs and head bent as if he were to be leaned against the edge of the circle. Next to his head was a circle with seven smaller circles inside. Aside from the center one, which contained an image of the Heartless emblem without the thorny X, each circle contained an image of a person's face, someone closely connected to Riku. There were Sora and Kairi, as well as King Mickey, Naminé, a man whose face was covered in red bandages whom she guessed was Ansem the Wise in his identity of DiZ, as well as someone she did not recognize. Based on his facial features, the stranger appeared to be slightly older than Riku, and from the shading (the images were all in tones of blue-green), she guessed that he had shoulder-length brown hair that came into some small spikes.
Three grey pedestals appeared around Kairi, drawing her attention away from the designs. Three items materialized, each of them floating over a different platform. One appeared to be a double-edged sword with a blue grip, a gold handle guard and pommel, and a Hidden Mickey in a red circle on the handle guard. Another was a pentagonal black shield with a red border and a scarlet Hidden Mickey symbol with a yellow outline emblazoned on the front. The third was a green rod with tan ends, a wide brown disc at the top and a blue crystal shaped like King Mickey's head on top of that.
Why is King Mickey's head on so many symbols? she wondered.
She looked at each of the items and realized what she was supposed to do. She would choose one of them and determine how her strength would grow. And something in the back of her mind made her think that she would also have to give up one of those items. The sword would symbolize strength and offensive ability, the shield would focus on defense, and the rod would indicate magic capabilities. She studied each object intently, trying to decide what she would choose. Increased strength and offensive attacks held little value to her, and she would prefer to defend others and support her allies, so she decided that she would give up the sword when the time came. Developing defense would be beneficial, but she also valued agility, and she felt that remaining stalwart to constantly block attacks would limit her mobility. Besides that, she also wanted to work in conjunction with Sora and Riku, who were more offensive fighters and seemed to strike a balance between strength, defense and mobility. Lastly, she turned to the rod. She always thought it would be cool to be able to use magic. In terms of tactics and skills, if she became experienced enough, she could cast spells without compromising her mobility, she could hinder and overcome enemies while also providing support to her friends, and a mage who could hold her own in a sword fight would certainly complement Sora and Riku's more warrior-oriented styles with some magic.
She stepped up to the rod and grabbed it out of the air. A voice rang in her mind as she held the staff.
The wand of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you choose?
Kairi nodded, and the rod vanished in a flash of light.
Your path is set. Now what will you give up in exchange?
Kairi smirked, knowing that she had guessed right. She immediately went over to grab the sword.
The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. You give up this power?
"I do," she answered, even knowing that the voice was only in her mind. The sword faded away, and she found herself holding empty air.
You've chosen the power of the mystic. You've given up the power of the warrior. Is this the form you choose?
Kairi nodded. Just then, the pedestals sank into the ground, shaking the platform and causing her to stumble. She turned around and saw the stained-glass shatter. When the platform fell to pieces under her feet, she was sent falling into the abyss.
She soon landed on a blue-colored platform with the sleeping figure of Sora integrated into the design. The smaller circles around the edge all had the same crown shape incorporated within them. The circles near Sora's head included head images of Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, another boy who looked exactly like Roxas, and a dark-haired girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to a slightly younger Kairi. Kairi smiled warmly when she realized that her own image was in the center, but she found herself looking at the two Roxas-es and the raven-haired Kairi clone curiously.
She was soon shaken out of her thoughts by the voice from before as the Dream Rod appeared in her hand.
You've gained the power to fight. Your magic is growing, and there will be times when you must use it to fight. Keep your light burning strong.
A Red Nocturne, a Blue Rhapsody, a Yellow Opera, and a Green Requiem appeared. Kairi smirked, as she knew how to handle these foes. The Nocturne and Rhapsody's weaknesses were easy to exploit; the Opera could be harmed by Blizzard, but not to the same extent as the Nocturne; the Requiem absorbed all of the three main magic spells, so blunt attacks worked best. That worked fine for Kairi, since she wanted to be able to use physical sword-fighting along with incantations.
She decided to start with the Red Nocturne. She imagined a cold sensation, like touching metal, or eating ice cream and getting a brain freeze. She pointed the crystal head of the Dream Rod at the red Heartless.
"Blizzard!" she shouted. She knew that Sora usually said 'Deep Freeze', but it probably did not matter what she actually said. The ice crystal hit the Red Nocturne head-on and sent it through the air. However, the Green Requiem wasted no time in healing it.
Kairi turned and ran toward the green Heartless and jumped at it. She delivered a swift aerial combo that knocked it out of the air. Before it could regain its composure and heal itself, Kairi pointed her rod at it and, thinking of falling, like when Sora took her off the cliff in Corona, shouted, "Gravity!" A black hemisphere descended on the Heartless and pinned it to the ground, flattening it briefly. Kairi then leapt at it and brought the crystal head of her rod down on the Heartless, obliterating it.
The Yellow Opera surrounded itself in electric charge and threw itself at her, but she swung the Dream Rod like a baseball bat, hitting it and knocking it into the Blue Rhapsody. She turned around and cast Blizzard at the Red Nocturne. After the spell made contact, she ran up to it and jabbed the head of the rod at the Heartless, finishing it off. She then cast Fire at the Blue Rhapsody. She tried casting it a second time, but the crystal head went dull.
Right, magic power isn't infinite, she thought. I'm going to have to let it recharge.
She rolled out of the way of a Blizzard spell cast by the retaliating Blue Rhapsody, cartwheeled away from a lightning strike, and leapt into the air to strike at the Blue Rhapsody, which dissipated when she dealt the combo finisher. The Yellow Opera hurled itself at her, once again wrapped in lightning. Instead of running away or trying to block it, Kairi ran toward it, then slid underneath it at the last second. The Heartless slowed down, confused. In the meantime, Kairi stood up behind it, then wheeled around and whacked it over the head. The final Heartless faded away before it hit the ground.
Before Kairi could breathe a sigh of relief, pools of shadow materialized on the floor, expanding until the platform was covered in darkness. Kairi began to sink into the pool, but she struggled.
Darkness! Get off of me! Wait, I'm a Princess of Heart. Darkness shouldn't hurt me, she thought.
With a burst of determination, Kairi lifted her leg, and the pool of darkness exploded into a burst of light.
When the light faded, Kairi found herself on a pink and purple platform. There was a deep red silhouette that looked a lot like her. The bordering circles depicted images such as flowers, a drawing booklet, Thalassa shells, and Paopu Fruits. A set of pale yellow double doors appeared before her.
Kairi approached the doors and instinctively held her hand out toward it. A tilted rectangle with jagged edges like a crown on one of the shorter edges flashed in front of her palm, then the doors cracked open, and beams of light seeped out. When the doors fully opened, Kairi covered her eyes from the blinding glare, then stepped through the door.
She found herself in a square white room, which soon transformed into a representation of the islet on which she and her friends played. Glowing white chains flew around the area, then transformed into phantom representations of Mayor Braska, Selphie, and Naminé.
Kairi approached the figure of her adoptive father.
"What are you so afraid of?" he asked.
Kairi thought for a moment. "Being indecisive," she answered.
"Being indecisive? Is that really so scary?" the figure of Braska asked before fading away.
Kairi stepped over to Selphie. "What do you want out of life?" the phantom of her friend asked.
Kairi answered without hesitation. "To see what the worlds have to offer, alongside my two best friends."
"To see what the worlds have to offer, alongside your two best friends, huh?" Selphie parroted, before fading away.
Kairi walked over to Naminé, who looked at her nervously. "What's most important to you?" she asked.
Kairi smiled. "Friendship," she said definitively.
"Is friendship such a big deal?" Naminé responded uncertainly, almost as if she was obligated to respond cryptically like this. Unlike the other two, she did not vanish after saying her piece. Instead, she continued talking. "You're afraid of being indecisive. You want to see rare sights. You want friendship. Your adventure awaits. As long as the sun shines upon you, may your journey bear fortune."
The setting faded into a white light, followed by Naminé. Kairi found herself back on the same stained-glass platform from before she stepped through the door. The only differences were that the silhouette in the middle now contained a full-color image of Kairi herself, and that next to the silhouette was a circle containing seven more circles, much like with the Riku and Sora stations. The center circle contained a representation of her Lucky Charm. The other six circles contained head images of Sora, Riku Naminé, Braska, Selphie, and the mysterious raven-haired Kairi clone. Kairi saw that the doors had changed into a deep red coloration and also bore a different shape and design, with heart-shaped crystals taking the place of doorknobs.
Kairi approached the doors and pulled them open. She stepped into the light and everything went blank.
"What did you do?!" Sora shouted in horror. Before his eyes, Kairi stood motionless, with her head tilted back, mouth slightly open, and eyes glazed over. Her breathing was steady but very weak. Even her arms and legs were in the same position they were in when Yen Sid put her into the trance, as opposed to falling limp.
"She will be alright. I merely placed her into a Dive to the Heart to awaken her Keyblade potential. Once she completes the test she will regain consciousness and return to us unharmed," Yen Sid explained.
Sora, Riku, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy remained tense, watching Kairi's form uneasily. Minutes passed with no change.
"So, uh, how long is it supposed to take?" Goofy asked.
"Rarely has it been for longer than thirty minutes," the sorcerer answered.
"In the meantime, could you tell us about this?" Riku asked, taking the broken bangle out of his pocket.
Yen Sid stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I have found sparse mentions of that bangle, but I am afraid that items like it are from a time before measurable history, and their nature has faded into obscurity long before anything in my library was ever written," he lamented.
"What? But that means it could only be from before the…" Mickey trailed off, remembering that Sora and Riku knew nothing of the event he was talking about.
"Before the worlds were divided?" Sora finished. Mickey, Yen Sid and Riku looked at him with surprised and confused glances. "When Kairi was in my heart, I saw her grandmother telling her a story about how people fought over the light only for darkness to grow in their hearts and consume the world, but the light survived in the hearts of children," Sora explained.
"Ah, yes. That became known as the age of fairy tales," Yen Sid said, secretly glad that he did not have to go into too much extra exposition.
"That woman must have lived a long time, if she had this in her possession," Riku mused, deciding not to press the issue of her knowing about Keyblade wielders.
The conversation ended after that, and they stood in silence. They continued to wait for Kairi to complete her Dive. Yen Sid had restored his desk into one piece. Riku took to reading through one of Yen Sid's books. He read through the chapter titled "The Beginning" with curiosity, perused "The Interlude" in a mix of boredom and confusion, and simply skimmed through "The Future Story". He showed it to Sora, wondering what the point of it was, to which Sora simply shrugged.
Within twenty minutes of the test's initiation, Kairi gasped and returned to her feet, startling her comrades.
"You alright?" Sora asked, rushing to her side.
"How did it go?" Donald asked, intrigue mixed in with his concern.
"Now, Kairi, do you feel the power of the Keyblade coursing through you?" Yen Sid asked.
Kairi held her hand out and imagined a Keyblade in her hand. Nothing happened. "I feel something. But how do I get it to work?" she questioned.
"Focus on the power within you. Reach out to it. Allow it to take shape, and call it to your hand," Yen Sid instructed. Kairi tilted her head in confusion.
"Imagine what gives your heart strength," Sora advised. "What is it you fight for? What do you care about? Or, to say it another way, think lovely thoughts."
He grabbed hold of her hand supportively. Immediately, a flash of light appeared in front of Kairi. She found herself holding a Keyblade decorated with warm colors. One side of the hilt was formed in the shape of a breaking ocean wave, and the other side was formed of a vine of sand that wrapped around the shaft, which was yellow toward the handle guard but turned red toward the tip, resembling a sunset. The teeth were shaped like a bouquet of colorful flowers that entwined to create the outline of a heart. The Keychain was a line of red silk, and the token resembled a Paopu Fruit.
When Kairi recognized the Keyblade from her fight at the Castle That Never Was, she gave it a flourish, getting a feel for handling the blade. It was perfectly balanced for her fighting style, deft, lightweight and aerodynamic.
Destiny's Embrace, Kairi determined the name of her Keyblade's form.
"There you go," Riku said.
"Nice!" Sora complimented.
"Purdy," Goofy chuckled.
"Excellent. Now, Sora and Riku, you must receive gifts of your own, that you may have the power to stand up to this new threat," Yen Sid informed them.
Sora and Riku each raised an eyebrow curiously.
"Sora, you no longer require your Drive power to compensate for your imbalanced strength, now that your heart has fully sealed its synchronization to your body. But you will need to draw more strength from those whom you call friends than ever before. Enter through the wardrobe, where you will meet familiar faces and obtain new garments that will aid in unlocking this talent," Yen Sid advised. Sora blinked and adopted an expression of worry and embarrassment. The sorcerer smirked, the first time he changed his expression at all during the meeting. "Do not worry. I have already helped them come to an agreement on the design." Sora breathed a sigh of relief, causing Riku, Kairi and Mickey to look at him in confusion. Donald and Goofy, however, laughed amongst each other.
Sora, followed by his friends, entered through the wardrobe doors, which led to a round room littered with mirrors and mannequin torsos. The group saw three short old women with dark gray hair. They wore similar robes and pointed hats held on with thin sashes that wrapped under their chins, but they each wore a different color, either red, green or blue. They carried thin wands and had wings on their backs.
The Three Good Fairies turned around to greet the party. "Well, look who's here, dears! Sora, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey too! And you two must be Riku and Kairi," Flora, the plump fairy in red, greeted.
"Oh, Sora, we are sorry about the colorful way we treated you the last time you were here," Fauna, the thin fairy in green, said.
"But we've got it right this time," Merryweather, the chubby fairy in blue, assured.
"Are you ready for your new clothes, Sora?" Flora asked. "I'm sure you've grown attached to your current garb and the powers that come with them, but you do need an update, if I say so myself."
"Sure. Awesome magic clothes that let me absorb the power of a friend or two to transform and wield two Keyblades at once, with the occasional side effect of turning into a Heartless version of myself that is balanced out and rendered moot by a final form that lets me fly. So last season, right?" Sora joked.
"The rest of you might want to step back," Fauna advised. "I don't believe any of you would like to suddenly find yourselves in a ball gown." This caused the others to warily step away.
"All together, now. One, two, three!" Flora instructed. The three fairies each sent a colored beam of magic straight at Sora. When they hit, his body lit up like a star, momentarily blinding his friends. When the dazzling glow faded, everyone stared in wonder at Sora's new clothes.
Sora wore a black hooded short-sleeved jacket with grey pockets and red lining. There were three yellow buttons on either side, with the top buttons going through the upper flap. A dark gray stripe ran down either sleeve. The inside of the jacket had a plaid design, and underneath the jacket was a black V-neck shirt. He wore gray gauntlets with red lining, yellow buckled straps around the wrists, and grey circles on the back. His fingers and palms were exposed. He wore black baggy shorts with multiple gray pockets that had yellow buttons as well as a red strap going around each pant leg but stopping at the pockets. His pants were held up by a blue belt with a steel buckle. His shoes looked similar to the ones he wore before, but they were less baggy at the front and also lacked the blue straps and zippers. His crown pendant remained in place.
Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, as well as the three fairies, admired Sora's new clothes. Sora did the same, flexing his muscles and moving around to test the feel of his new garments.
"Well, now that will do quite nicely," Fauna commended.
"Now, we've got a little something extra for you," Merryweather said. She waved her wand and a diamond-shaped spark of light appeared in front of Sora.
"Go ahead, dear. Grab the spark and think of one of your companions," Flora advised.
Sora grabbed onto the spark. Energy coursed through his body. A soft halo also materialized around Goofy, which Mickey and Donald noticed curiously. Sora shook with the force of a new power coursing through him, with a whirlwind blowing around him as its effects took shape. A phantom image of Goofy appeared behind Sora.
Sora summoned his Keyblade, which to his surprise reshaped itself into a shield with a yellow outline, a silver front, and a crown design on the front. The keychain hung from the bottom of the handle.
"Awesome!" Sora shouted, impressed. "My Keyblade can change shape?!"
"Oh, yes. Unlike before, when you could change the appearance of your Keyblade with tokens in order to gain new abilities and adjust the power levels, you can form Dimension Links with your friends so your weapon can take on new functions based on the skills they possess," Flora said.
"As an added bonus, you can take abilities and skills from your friends to use as your own," Fauna added.
"Is that so…" Sora said to himself, then his face lit up with an idea. "Would you three mind stepping to the side?" The fairies looked at one another curiously and complied. Sora turned partway to the side, lifted his left leg, and threw his Keyblade Shield under his leg. The shield, facing upward, spun as it flew out the window, then stopped, while still spinning, then quickly returned to Sora's hand.
"I can get used to this!" he cheered.
"But like your Drive Forms last time, that won't last indefinitely; you'll need to charge up your Dimension Energy by fighting alongside and bonding with friends," Merryweather informed him.
Mickey seemed to look jealous. "Did Master Yen Sid happen to leave instructions to help others learn to do that?" he asked nervously.
The fairies frowned, embarrassed and apologetic. "Well, Master Yen Sid said that he had not seen a Keyblade wielder capable of Keyblade transformations in a long time, and he never learned to do that himself prior to abandoning the mantle, so this is more of an experiment for him," Flora explained.
"Maybe you can figure it out from how Sora does it on your journey. Riku too," Merryweather suggested.
"Speaking of which, you probably ought to get back to Yen Sid so Riku can receive his gift," Flora said.
"Okay. Thank you," Sora said, waving good-bye as he and his friends exited through the wardrobe doors.
When they had gathered in front of Yen Sid's desk once again, the sorcerer pulled a strip of black fabric from his sleeve. "Riku, take this," he commanded, throwing the fabric to the young man, who caught it. Riku examined it and recognized it as being very similar to the blindfold he had used when trying to contain the remnant of Ansem's power.
"I am aware that the last vestige of Xehanort's Heartless has been purged from your heart," Yen Sid said. "That means that you are no longer tied so strongly to the darkness, and your power over it has greatly diminished, to the point where you can no longer conjure Corridors of Darkness. Wear that band. It will allow you to rely on your deeper senses, to recognize the light and darkness that surrounds you. It should reestablish your connection to the darkness, and you may access your dark powers once again."
Riku nodded. "Thank you, sir," he said.
Yen Sid stroked his beard. "Now, the dangers you face have increased greatly. To even hope to match this new challenge, you must learn to use your newfound abilities. To that end, I have requested Merlin's assistance in reopening the Mirage Arena. That training ground will offer every eventuality necessary to ensure you learn what is necessary. And what is more, time that passes within that field is compressed significantly, so a day of training will constitute a mere minute in this plane, and whatever relative rate of time occurs in the other worlds."
The six heroes stood at attention and gave Yen Sid a respectful bow. "Thank you, Master Yen Sid," Mickey said. The sorcerer waved his hand and a rift opened in the air behind them. The six guests turned around and stepped through the rift. When they had all gone through the rift shrank to a small pinpoint, and the former Keyblade Master was left alone to think.
If this Zeromast character truly may be able to find the items, perhaps they should have been permitted to know the truth, he thought. However, I have been sworn to secrecy, and I have sworn not to delve into the secrets kept by the others.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry that Yen Sid was uncooperative, but he has his reasons. And besides, I can't go explaining everything just as the ball gets rolling. At this stage in the game, I have no idea what Sora's new duds in KH3 would be for, so I threw my own spin on it. Let me know what you think of these developments.