Kingdom Hearts: Saving Life in Another World

by GreenWarrior291

After having defeated Xehanort and managed to have saved Kairi from her fate, Sora disappears into a dark abyss of Darkness. Just as it seems like it'll be an endless sleep for having abused the Power of Waking, an outsider manages to teleport the young keyblade wielder into a different world.

76. Tunnel vision

Chapter 72: Tunnel vision

"I'm sorry we couldn't find your parents." Kyda said with a disappointed look, seeing that they were unable to complete such a simple task with the two hours they were given. Subaru noticed and quickly responded in a positive tone,

"Don't worry about it. My dad is pretty strong honestly. Plus, two hours searching a forest is well unrealistic."

"You might have a point. The forest is extremely big." Kyda said. Subaru smiled though in the back of his mind, he was still very worried for his parents sake. He turned towards Sora to see that he looked gloomy.

"Master Sora, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah."

Sora looked away for a bit, just looking at the forest with disappointment in his eyes. Subaru couldn't help but want to cheer his master up.

"Hey, no need to feel like this, Master Sora."

"...Sorry, it's just that it's mostly my fault that your parents are missing. I shouldn't have told them to go off into the forest to look for you." Sora said with guilt in his voice. Subaru quickly tried to reassure his master by telling him,

"It wasn't your fault, Master Sora. What you did might have kept them alive longer."

"...I don't know..."

Subaru disliked seeing his master like this, blaming himself for something that isn't his fault. He took a moment to pause as he looked back at the forest, still worried for his parents sake and yet he was confident as well. As he had these mixed emotions, he remembered something Sora had told him before during one of their training sessions.

("Our hearts connect us to those we care about. No matter how far away we are from them, we will always be connected.")

'So that's what you meant with that, Master Sora.'

Subaru smiled as he finally understood this, having been almost 7 months since he was confused by those words. He turned towards Sora to say,

"Well Master Sora, like you told me once. No matter how far away we are, our hearts are connected."

"Hm?" Sora looked at Subaru as he noticed what he was saying. Having forgotten those words since he had told them during a time of peace, when Subaru had asked him about how he was able to connect with so many people and stay in touch with them.

"I feel this connection in my heart. It's like I know my parents are okay without well seeing it myself. So I trust that they will be okay. We just have to move forward."

Sora was surprised by Subaru's words yet inspired though before he could say anything, someone interrupted their conversation.

"Yes, for once you have a point, jester."

Subaru, Sora, and Kyda all three turned towards Abel's voice, having noticed what he said to Subaru. This got on the boy's nerves, prompting him to respond with,

"Did you really have to call me that?" Subaru questioned since he doesn't get why the mask man is acting in such a way that rivals Priscilla's attitude. Abel just gave the Keyblade Wielder a look before turning around towards the Shudraq camp.

"We have a lot to discuss, especially on how we are going to deal with these 'heartless'."

"Wait a minute, you ignore my question?!" Subaru retorted as he was annoyed by the way Abel was treating him. He just glared at the boy before turning his attention towards Sora, being able to tell that the Keyblade Master has more experience with the heartless than Natsuki Subaru.

"What exactly are the goal of these creatures?"

Sora stood silent as he regained his composure, trying to not think of the guilt that lingers over his head. Once he got his mind back on the problem ahead, he started to answer Abel's question by saying,

"The heartless only goal is to capture hearts."

"Is that all?" Abel asked as he had an eyebrow raised, completely sure that the heartless had some other ulterior motive. Sora crossed his arms while responding in his usual polite manner,

"Unless someone with the power of darkness like the Organization controls them to do something, they really aren't creatures that act for some big motive."

"Think of them as animals, going by instinct." Subaru added as he wanted to be relevant. Abel gave the boy another glare before turning around, thinking on the information he received from the two keyblade wielders.

On one hand, the heartless are nothing more than mindless creatures that can be manipulated and outsmarted or even possibly use them for his own doing.

Though on the another hand, they can be dangerous if those from his council try to take control over them. These were some troubling thoughts but they were eventually pushed aside when he looked back at the two keyblade wielders and the Shudraq warrior that accompanied them.

'Hm. I suppose the jester, his master, and the Shadruq are the key to my success.'

As he thought this, Mizelda approached the four of them, wanting to know what the plan is now. Abel turned towards the chieftain of the Shudraq for a brief moment before looking back at specifically the two keyblade wielders.

"We need a city, a base of operation to start conquering all of Vollachia."

"Conquer?" Sora asked as he didn't like that word. Abel looked at the boy and with just a second of analyzing, he saw that the Keyblade Master shared the same thing as the jester, they both have a hero complex. He closed his eyes in disappointment while responding to Sora's simple question,

"This empire needs to be free of those dark creatures you call 'heartless'. So, we need somewhere to start our goal of pushing those things out of this empire."

"Makes sense." Subaru said with Sora agreeing in silence, understanding what Abel meant but he still is wary of him. Abel looked at Subaru with an annoyed facial expression for the briefest of moments before looking at Mizelda.

"There is a city close by. It hasn't doesn't look like those creatures have captured it yet." The chieftain of the Shudraq said, having listened to what Abel had asked of her to do. Abel stood silent as he thought about what the name of the closest city to his location is. He thought and thought until he figured out what it is.

"Hm. So it seems the city of Guaral will make do then."

"Guaral?" Both Subaru and Sora asked in unison. Abel turned towards the two to quickly give them a respond.

"It is a heavily fortified city, a perfect start for our conquest to conquer back the Vollachia Empire from those creatures."

"So the plan is simply gathering each city until all of the cities are ours?" Sora asked as he figured by the way Abel had been phrasing things.

"That would be ideal, but we would also need the assistance of the divine generals. Their power will be of great use. Especially now when seeing that those in black coats have the Admirer of Kararagi on their side..." Abel paused as he recalled the events of the Vollachia camp, more specifically the Organization members being able to summon and capture the admirer. "Sora, was it? Do you know those people?"

"Yes. They are Organization XIII."

"I presume they are your enemies." Abel said confidently, having critically thought this conclusion by the way Sora spoke about the Organization and his body language when saying this.

"Yes. We are enemies. They need to be stopped."

Abel analyzed the way Sora said this, noticing once again the hero complex he finds both pointless and childish. Despite disliking this kind of behavior, he shrugged it to the side and quickly focus on the important factor.

"What is their end goal?"

"To unlock Kingdom Hearts."

"Kingdom Hearts?" Abel questioned since this is the first he has heard of this concept which also got Kyda's interest. Sora and Subaru turned at each other for a moment, unsure on whether they should explain Kingdom Hearts to Abel.

With Subaru feeling like Abel wouldn't really care for the information while Sora didn't fully trust Abel completely. The Keyblade Master stood silent for a few more seconds before finally giving Abel a response.

"Let's just say it isn't a good thing."

"Hm."

Abel knew that there was some context missing yet he didn't care at this time since it wasn't his main priority to know about Kingdom Hearts itself. Knowing that this shouldn't happen is important but his first priority is to retake the Vollachia Empire from the heartless.

"I understand but for now, the focus is getting back the Vollachia Empire."

"Why is it that important to you?" Subaru questioned, having a feeling that this was important to know. Not only for himself but for his master as well since they don't know Abel's true motives. Abel looked at Subaru but before he could respond in a way to dismiss the boy's question, Sora also questioned this as well.

"I don't want to sound distrusting like Subaru but why are you doing this?"

Abel looked with a blank facial expression, not wanting either keyblade wielder to know what he was thinking at that moment yet he did thought about something.

"――Vincent Abellux"

"…What?" Subaru said with Sora also confused.

"That is my name. At least, until I sit on my throne once again, that is my name. Though, I believe using Abel is most sensible, going forward."

"Your throne...does that mean—?"

"Yes, I'm the Emperor of the Vollachian Empire but right now with these creatures taking over, it is in a way as if I've been overthrown. I suspected at first that it could be possible that Prime Minister Berstetz had done something but learning more about these 'heartless', I see now that there is more at stake."

Abel paused himself while Sora and Subaru both were taking the information they just learned from Vincent. They were surprised but after seeing the way he acted, it started to make sense.

"What do you need from us?" Sora asked as he wanted to know what Subaru and him can do to help Vincent. The mask man looked at the two as he noticed what he was asked.

Before being able to respond to the question, he took off the mask to reveal an attractive black-haired young adult with memorable slit eyes, looking to be in his early to mid-twenties.

"I shall have you two accompany me, Natsuki Subaru, Sora. ――To take back the Vollachian Empire into these hands of mine."

Sora and Subaru stood silent as Vincent declared what he needs from the pair.

Subaru wasn't sure if they should even meddle since he is a Lugnica knight and meddling in another kingdom's affairs could get Emilia herself in trouble though having Vincent, the ruler of Vollachia, as an ally could prove useful on the other hand.

Sora thought on what Vincent said, wanting him and Subaru to be the helping hand in his return to power.

He understands in one hand since the heartless did cause this situation but he isn't sure yet if he can trust Vincent fully.

Regardless of this, they must work together since the heartless aren't the only threat here.

He still as to stop Sephiroth from hurting Cloud and stopping the Organization from using Halibel for their nefarious plans.

The Keyblade Master looked at Vincent, also going by Abel, and began to say to him in a confident tone of voice,

"I understand what is at stake. Seeing that the heartless are my job as a Keyblade Wielder to take care of, I will help you regain your Empire."

Subaru and Vincent were both caught off guard by this, with Subaru understanding his master's point while Vincent appreciated this even though he was confident that he would still get the Keyblade Master to help him out one way or another.

He turned towards the jester to see what he would say, despite how little value his opinion is in general. Subaru could tell that Vincent wants to know where he stands, prompting him to say,

"We already fought together against that large snake mabeast, I don't see why not help you get back to the top...though on one condition."

"What is this condition?" Vincent said with a glare, thinking that it could be something stupid.

"The condition is that you treat me with respect."

"..."

Vincent stood silent since this wasn't the stupidest request but it is something he doesn't see value in. Considering the way Subaru acts, the so called hero, annoys him since heroes are for more childish mindsets until he saw the same kind of thinking with the Keyblade Master.

If he is able to respect Sora to a mild degree, he should be able to have some respect for the boy who manage to take out the snake like mabeast.

"*Sigh* I suppose I could try to have some respect for a jester like you, considering that you do possess incredible strength...but refrain from any ridiculous ideas."

"Tsk. Fine."

The two shook on it, making sure that their agreement is solid before beginning the discussion on the plan.

"So, what is the plan?"

"We take over the city."

"Take over the city? Do we even have a lay out?" Subaru questioned, seeing this as a bit much. Vincent anticipated such a question, prompting him to explain the plan in much further detail.

"Considering that those under the Prime Minister Berstetz would use this opportunity to pronounce that I'm dead, or that I possibly caused this all to take my throne, we will need to take a more offensive approach."

"Wouldn't those warriors follow your orders?" Sora asked out of curiosity.

"Until we know for sure what those in the capital are up to, I can't risk it. For now, we will need to see them as enemies."

Both keyblade wielders just simply nodded to this, understanding that they can't take any chances for now.

"Do we know how the city layout is? Or how many of those Vollachian warriors are there?"

"That is where you two will come in." Vincent responded to which both keyblade wielders were a bit confused by this. He noticed this, prompting him to continue, "You two will go in to investigate first."

The two keyblade wielders took note on this, thinking on how this plan isn't too bad.

Investigating something is important while also allowing the two to possibly find Kenichi, Naoko, and Louis. This thought prompted the two to ask when they can start heading towards the city.

Mizelda and Vincent both noticed this and quickly responded with Vincent telling the duo that whenever they are ready, they can start to make their way towards the city of Guaral.

Sora and Subaru both turned around to start preparing for the trip towards the city.

Just as they were going to leave, Mizelda quickly told the two,

"Before you both go, I would like to have one of my warriors accompany go to the city as well."

"That's fine. I don't think Master Sora and I would mind."

"Yeah."

"Alright. Just talk to me before you both head off."

"Understood." Both Sora and Subaru said in unison before turning around to prepare for the trip ahead. There wasn't much for the keyblade wielders to prepare except for a couple of supplies for the one day trip to the city.

While they were seeing what supplies they need and which they didn't need, the two keyblade wielders had the chance to speak with each other.

"Master Sora, mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure. What's on your mind, Subaru?"

"Well...I don't like this at all."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked both wanting to know what his apprentice meant by this but also concern as well.

"Vincent, he seems to remind me a lot like—"

"—Priscilla."

"Yeah. That is one thing but does he know about us, being more a part of Lugnica."

"That I don't know..." Sora said in a hesitant tone of voice, knowing that what they are doing, helping the Emperor of Vollachia could put Emilia in trouble since he is aware of how Lugnica and Vollachia aren't in the best of terms.

"We should disguise ourselves, at least to keep this from harming Emilia-tan's chances of winning the Royal Selection."

"And to protect your reputation." Sora added since he knows that Subaru's knightly reputation could get harmed in the process as well should the people currently in charge of Lugnica learn of their deeds in assisting Vincent. Subaru hadn't thought about his reputation, almost not caring for it since the most important thing is Emilia.

"...I appreciate the thought, Master Sora. I hadn't thought about that."

"Well...we should probably avoid using the keyblade for now." Sora said reluctantly since he knows that both himself and Subaru can be identified by their signature weapons. Subaru noticed this hesitation which caused him to ask,

"Are you sure? It's not like you to say that we shouldn't use the keyblade. Plus we will need them if we encounter say that one winged bastard or some powerful heartless or even those Organization assholes."

"I know...but it's just for now. If we encounter any of those you listed then we will use the keyblade but for now, we should refrain from using it."

"...Understood, Master Sora."

Subaru bowed with respect inspecting the supplies one last time. While he started to do this, Sora closed his eyes as he was also hesitant on this decision.

He had relied on the keyblade since he had arrived to this world, knowing just how important his weapon as become against the revived Organization XIII.

Sora waited for a minute before Subaru was done with the last check up of inventory before the duo went to approach Mizelda just like she asked the two.

They approached her just as she was finished speaking with two of her Shudraq warriors.

Once both keyblade wielders were near Mizelda's position, she noticed the two and quickly turned her attention towards them.

"Keyblade wielders, is it time for you to be off?"

"Yes Mizelda-sama, we have all the necessary supplies for the trip to the city of Guaral."

"Good to hear." Mizelda responded in a respectful manner.

"Who will be accompanying us?" Subaru asked. Mizelda stood quiet for a brief moment as she looked at the two Shudraq warriors, both eager to join in the reconnaissance mission.

"Kyda and Kuna both volunteered. Do you mind having two of my best warriors rather than one accompany the two of you to the city?"

Subaru and Sora both looked at each other, both showing that they are alright with it.

"It's alright with me."

"Yeah, the more the better."

Mizelda nodded at the two before turning towards her two warriors, giving them the signal that they both can go together. Kyda and Kuna both nodded back at their chieftain before approaching Subaru and Sora.

Kyda was familiar with the two boys but this is Kuna's first interaction with the two. She had seen Subaru during his initiation with Vincent but hasn't had the chance to speak with them.

"My name's Kuna. I've heard a lot about you, Keyblade Master."

"W-What have you heard?" Sora asked with a bit of hesitance. Kuna took notice of this, making her be tempted to tease the boy as she sensed a strong innocence radiating from him.

"You are a strong warrior, that's as far as I know. I look forward to working with you."

"Same here." Sora said with a smile on his face, happy to meet another friendly face.

"Careful, this one is as a bit of a temper." Kyda said in a teasing manner. Kuna proved Kyda's words by responding with,

"Sh-Shut up! I don't have a temper!"

"Then why are ya raising your voice then." Kyda said in a smug like manner, annoying Kuna. Sora and Subaru both couldn't help but find this interaction a bit funny.

"Either way, I still do look forward to working with you and also looking forward of becoming friends." Sora said with a smile. Kunda's anger completely faded as she experienced kindness from what she could call the most innocent boy she has ever seen.

She smiled back as she put her hand out. The two shook on it before starting their journey towards the city of Guaral. As the four of them began their journey to the city, Vincent and Mizelda both watched from a distance while starting a conversation related to the two keyblade wielders.

"What do you think of Natsuki Subaru's master?" Mizelda started the conversation off with a question.

"Sora. He doesn't seem much by simple looks alone. His eyes tell that he views the world in a childish manner."

"Childish?" Mizelda questioned, unsure on what the Emperor meant by this. Vincent could tell that the Chieftain doesn't understand what he means by Sora having a child like view, prompting him to explain himself.

"The concept of being this hero is a childish viewpoint. The world is much more than just heroes and villains. There are only the strong and weak."

Mizelda took note on what Vincent said with conviction in his voice. She took this moment to think deeply on her thoughts of Sora.

'From the little interaction I've had with the boy, he does have a kind attitude. Also, for a non-Shudraq member, I can feel a strong power within him, like what Natsuki Subaru radiates. That is probably why we all were curious to know Sora, because we wanted to know Natsuki Subaru's master.'

As she finished her thoughts, she recalled of what happened after Natsuki Subaru and Vincent defeated the Mabeast. All of her warriors watched in amazement as they saw Subaru emit a power never seen before with a weapon that they have never seen as well.

("What was that power?" Taritta asked with a curious look.)

("This? It's the power of the Keyblade." Subaru responded in a calm manner.)

("Keyblade?" Mizelda asked as she had never heard of such a weapon.)

("Yeah, it is a power that mostly came from my master. He is more amazing than me when it comes down to using cool abilities with the keyblade.")

Mizelda wasn't sure at first what to think on Sora when she first heard of him but after having some interaction, she understands why Subaru highly respects Sora. She turned towards Vincent to say,

"I understand why you think this but sometimes having heroes isn't a bad thing."

"Hm. He is strong, I'll give Sora that."

Vincent said with respect before turning around to go off into the Shudraq camp. Mizelda stood there for a bit before joining the Emperor of Vollachia.

---

During the one-day trip to the city, Kyda and Kuna were both asking a lot of questions to Sora, wanting to know a lot about the boy despite him not being a part of the clan. Sora avoided specific questions to ensure that he doesn't break the world order anymore than he already has.

Both Shudraq girls were mostly interested in finding out who Sora was deep down, since their trust is already in Natsuki Subaru.

Once it was nighttime, the four took the time to rest with the two Shudraq warriors cooking something up for the four of them.

During their cook, both keyblade wielders could hear the two arguing with Kuna having her voice raised, defending herself from Kyda's criticism and jokes. While that was going on, this gave Subaru and Sora both a chance to speak on their own, Subaru had something he had to ask his master.

"Do you think that you'll ever get home?"

"Hm?" Sora looked at Subaru with a concerned facial expression, caught off guard by what he was asked.

"Sorry, this was out of nowhere but I've been thinking a lot and...well...I have everything I want. My parents with me in this world. I'm engage with the girl I love. I really have everything I could want but you...what do you want, Master Sora?"

"Me?...Well..." Sora for once hadn't thought about himself. He had been so focused in helping all of his friends in this world, stopping both the Witch Cult and the Organization that he really hasn't had the chance to think about himself. "All I want is...to help my friends."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't you?"

Subaru was at a pause for a moment. Ever since he came into this world, he was always saved by those he cared about.

Emilia saved him by the three thugs, Sora saved him in multiple occasions, Otto assisted him when things seemed to be hopeless, Satella reminding him to love himself and to value his life, and all the others who helped him on his journey.

He wouldn't know what to do if he didn't put his faith on those who had his back. He looked at his master for a brief moment before looking up at the night sky, enjoying the stars shinning in the night.

"I would do anything for my friends. You all helped me when I was a nobody...I can't help but want to repay you all for everything you've done for me. Especially you, Master Sora."

"You aren't a nobody. You are Natsuki Subaru. You have a family. You have trusted friends. You are even a knight to Emilia."

"That is true but...I couldn't do it without your help."

Sora paused as he thought about everything he saw in Subaru's book of the dead. Once something came to mind, he countered what Subaru had just said with,

"When the situation with the White Whale came about, you managed to gather everyone together. You were able to help Beatrice all on your own, with the strong bond you formed with her. You solved Regulus' weakness all on your own, saving our lives in the process. You have done many things on your own, Subaru."

"..." Subaru was silent since this was something he still struggled, to define himself by his own accomplishments. Despite doing his best to keep his promise to Satella in regards to loving himself, he still is struggling to find his own path.

"You are right, Master Sora. I guess I'm just struggling to find a way to make a name for myself in a way that I'm satisfied with."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked with a curious tone of voice.

"I know I've done a lot of things that make me a hero but I still feel like I have a long way to go before I can consider myself a hero."

There was nothing Sora could say except support his apprentice and close friend, seeing that Subaru is in search of a path forward for himself. Sora patted Subaru in a shoulder with Subaru appreciating it before the two keyblade wielders looked up at the night sky.

As they watched, Subaru remembered something and quickly went towards the supplies area. Sora was confused until Subaru return to hand him a sword.

"I almost forgot to hand you this."

"A sword." Sora said calmly, noticing that it is recently made. "These seem new."

"They are actually, I asked one of the little Shudraq girls. I think her name was Utakata...Anyway, I asked her while we were looking at the last of the supplies if she can give me two new swords. That way we can avoid drawing attention to ourselves along with causing some crazy conflict with Lugnica and Vollachia."

Sora nodded at Subaru, both appreciating that he managed to get the pair some weapons to use for now and understanding on why they should refrain from using their keyblades. As he was inspecting the weapon some more, Subaru pointed his sword at Sora while asking him in a respectful manner,

"You want to practice with these for a bit?"

"Sure."

Both Subaru and Sora got on their fighting stances with their new weapons, something the two would need to adjust for now. As the pair started to train with only their swordsmanship skills, it was apparent that Sora was more skilled than Subaru.

This prompted Subaru to try to give it his all, knowing that he needs to do better if he wants to stand side by side with Emilia.

The two continued this training session until Kyda and Kuna finished making dinner. Once that happened, the two boys took a break and began to eat with the two Shudraq girls. While having a calm meal, the two girls turned their attention towards Subaru first.

"Are you prepared for the mission?" Kuna asked Subaru, wanting to know how the boy feels. Subaru noticed this but before responding, he quickly finished what he was chewing on. Once he was done, he responded in a calm manner,

"Well...considering we are going in blind, so I think caution is important."

"That's not a bad idea, though we should warn you both. Kyda and I are only here to assist from the outside."

"What do you mean?" Both Sora and Subaru asked in unison, confused on what exactly Kuna meant by what she said. Kuna was going to explain herself yet Kyda took this moment to explain.

"We are Shudraq. If one of those soldiers from Vollachia saw us, we would be too big of targets. We don't want to risk the mission just because of us."

Subaru and Sora both stood silent as they understood what Kyda was telling them.

"We understand. I guess it'll have to be up to Master Sora and I to investigate the interior of the city."

"We are sorry." Both Kuna and Kyda said in unison while bowing at the two keyblade wielders. Subaru and Sora were caught off guard by this, prompting Sora to be the one to say,

"No need to apologize. We understand."

"Yeah, what Master Sora said."

"...we will at the very least provide you cover should you need it." Kuna said as she wanted to alert the two boys what her and Kyda will do for them. Sora and Subaru both appreciated this by giving the two Shudraq warriors a nod before the four stood silent, finishing their dinner before going to sleep. During their sleep with the first on watch being Kuna, Subaru started to have the same dream as before.

A memory that isn't his own. A memory he somewhat recalls but knows it isn't his. This memory in the dream takes place in an island that sounds like something Sora has mentioned before. A spikey blonde haired boy by the name of Ventus, or Ven for short, was about to his something on his shoulder until Vanitas had interrupted him.

"Going somewhere?"

Subaru's subconscious manifested a version of himself in this memory, standing next to Ventus, both of them looking up at Vanitas.

'Damn this asshole!' Subaru thought within the dream-memory sequence, disliking the Organization member. Ventus just glared at the masked boy for a moment before turning around while saying,

"I'm through with you."

As Ventus starts to walk away with Subaru just watching the scene with a critical eye, Vanitas responded to the boy's response with,

"Well, I'm just getting started with you. You're strong enough now to fulfill your purpose."

As Vanitas was saying this, he begins to pull out his keyblade. Subaru was tempted to pull out his keyblade in response, wishing to help Ventus from the asshole that is Vanitas.

'Sorry Ven...sorry you have to deal with this piece of shit.'

"So what are you waiting for? Join with me here and now. Become the X-blade." Vanitas said while Ventus walked for a moment before stopping on his tracks. His attention having been caught by the masked boy.

'The X-blade?' Subaru questioned as this was something he hadn't heard in any of Sora's stories. He crossed his arms and thought for a moment before connecting it to the ultimate keyblade Xehanort had gotten in Sora's last journey before arriving to Lugnica. While this was on his mind, Ventus just nodded with disappointment.

"No, I won't do it. He told me, the only way the X-blade can be forged is if you and me fight. Well guess what? I'm not fighting."

Vanitas was surprised by this while Subaru proudly nodded at Ventus. After a few seconds of silence, Vanitas responded to what he heard from the spikey haired boy by saying,

"You used to be too broke to talk back."

The area went silent after Vanitas said this, Subaru looking at him angrily while Ventus continued to look away. Before anything could happen, someone grabbed Subaru's collar before yanking him away from this memory.

Subaru closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his body within the dreamscape being send flying somewhere until finally everything suddenly stopped.

This confused the boy, prompting him to open his eyes. As he did this, he noticed that he had returned back to the station of awakening, his own station of awakening.

'Hm? Why am I back here?'

"Seems like you stumbled upon something that doesn't belong to you."

Subaru paused for a moment before pulling out Starlight in his left hand and Rebirth in his right, preparing to attack the voice. He waited a couple of seconds before turning around, swinging both his keyblades at the voice only for said voice to block off both attacks with ease.

"Wow, you really are an angry person."

"Shut up! Asshole!"

Subaru continued on his offense, trying to defeat Vanitas with everything he had. The masked boy just looked at Subaru with disappointment, still somewhat annoyed that the keyblade would choose a weakling like Natsuki Subaru as its master.

He waited for the right opportunity to disarm Subaru's left hand by swinging hard enough to cause Starlight to be send flying across the station of awakening before disappearing. Just as this happened, Vanitas pointed his keyblade directly at Natsuki Subaru's face, stunning him for a moment.

"Out of every keyblade wielder I have ever known, why were you chosen? Why is a weakling like you wielding such a worthy weapon? I can understand why that stupid broken brother of mine, Ventus, was chosen by the keyblade. I can at least see someone broken like him use the keyblade but you? You are nothing special but a pathetic boy playing hero."

Subaru just looked at Vanitas with a hateful gaze, remembering this happening back when the royal selection began. He remembered how humiliated he was, the beatdown he received before losing his keyblade.

While these memories were playing, he also remembered how during the battle against the White Whale how he kept fighting against this Organization member, even it looked like he was going to die once again.

This allowed him to reclaim the keyblade, managing to prove his worth as a keyblade wielder. This memory allowed him to hit away Vanitas' keyblade while saying to the masked boy,

"Have you forgotten how you were so damn wrong about that? I proved my own worth, asshole. I don't need you to tell me shit!"

Subaru continued to go on the offense, more motivated than anything to kick Vanitas' ass while also wanting to prove himself that he is still worthy of the keyblade. Vanitas still managed to block each attack with ease though he did took note of the slight power boost the boy with nasty eyes had.

'Well this is annoying.'

Vanitas thought this to himself before starting to go all out on the boy, wanting to remind him that between the two, he is the superior one. He waited for the right opportunity before going on an aggressive offense, forcing Subaru to put up a barrier just to barely keep up with his opponent's overwhelming strength.

While Subaru was barely able to push Vanitas back with this, the masked boy continued to hit the barrier with all of his strength, each of the attacks creating small cracks. As he did this with a ton of force, Vanitas started to say with annoyance in his voice,

"Seems like you are reminded that between the two of us, I'm the superior warrior. You are nothing more than an insect pretending to be strong. Without my superior skill, you and that stupid boy you call a master would've died against the swordsman. You are pathetic, beneath me."

While he said this, Vanitas continued to hit the barrier with all of his strength until finally one of his most heavy hits did the trick. Subaru's barrier was destroyed with the boy left stunned, unsure on what to do next. Vanitas swung his keyblade one last time to take down Subaru. Just as he was doing this, he said with distain in his voice,

"You are useless, Natsuki Subaru. A pretender."

Vanitas swung his blade to finish off Subaru, only for the boy to awaken from his sleep in a panicked look.

"Subaru, are you okay?!"

The boy needed a moment before he was able to process what he heard. He turned towards the direction of the voice only to see that it was his master and friend, looking at him with a concerned facial expression. The boy stood silent for a moment before being able to shrug off the nightmare he was having.

"S-Sorry Master Sora, I was just having a nightmare. Nothing that you should be concerned about."

"Subaru, you were screaming as if you were in pain. Of course I'm concern for the well-being of my friend."

"R-Right. Sorry." Subaru said in an apologetic tone, seeing that he was being a tad bit rude towards his master and friend. Sora stood silent for a brief moment before patting Subaru in the shoulder, wanting him to feel reassured.

"There is no need to apologize. We are friends after all, Subaru. I'm just worried."

"I know you are. I'll try to worry you less." The boy said as he accepted his master's assistance in getting up from the ground he was sleeping on. Once the two were standing, they go and assist Kyda and Kuna in cleaning up before making their way towards the city of Guaral. Subaru and Sora both take a moment during this last few hours before arriving to test out their temporary weapons, seeing that they are alright but not as powerful as the Keyblades they wielded.

"Have you wielded a sword before? Like a real one."

"Mostly just wooden ones." Sora responded. Subaru was unsure of himself as he hadn't had the chance to truly wield a sword since he had been so focused on using the keyblade. Regardless, he was going to make the best of it with his somewhat workable swordsmanship skills.

"Having doubts?" Kuna asked, having noticed that Subaru looked doubtful of something. Subaru took noticed of what he was asked by the Shudraq warrior.

"A little. I feel like this sword doesn't fit me...(despite the fact that I'm a knight)."

"No need to worry, I may wield this bow and arrow, but this isn't my strong suit."

"Agreed. Your anger is your best quality." Kyda chimed in as she teased her fellow Shudraq friend, causing Kuna to get mad.

"Sh-Shut up! My best quality is making traps!"

"Sure it is." A sarcastic yet teasing tone could be heard by Kyda. Kuna just got fumed with anger before looking away while also pouting. Kyda, Sora, and Subaru chuckled and laughed at this for a moment, enjoying this nice calm interaction. As they chuckled and laughed, Kyda took this moment to truly add on to what Kuna was saying to Subaru.

"Although the point wasn't shown fully, what Kuna wants to say is that the weapon isn't what makes you a warrior. It is what's inside the person that does."

Subaru was at a lost for a moment since he feels like he is learning this lesson twice. The first time being when he was left in the capital after the Organization attacked.

This would be his second time, when he can't use the weapon that as helped him aside from Return By Death. He looked at the sword once more before having a smile on his face. He turned towards Kyda with a slightly better look while saying,

"I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Thank you Kyda."

"Of course." Kyda says this in a respectful manner while bowing in respect towards the boy. Subaru turns his attention towards Kuna to also tell her,

"I appreciate what you were trying to tell me."

"Y-Yeah...th-that's what I was trying to say!" Kuna said in a flustered like tone, feeling slightly embarrassed for once again showing her angry side. Subaru stood silent for a moment before giving her a smile. Kuna was unsure how to take it this but she di felt comfortable seeing a friendly face. She nodded at the boy before the rest of the road was completely filled with silence up until they reached the outside of the city. As they reached the outside, Sora turned towards the two Shudraq warriors to ask them,

"Are you sure you don't want to join us? It is possible to get you both inside."

"We appreciate the thought but our clothes would give us away. Especially with those Vollachian men looking for our people."

"We understand." Subaru said with Sora agreeing, understanding that the risk is probably high. The two keyblade wielders nodded at the two female warriors before watching the pair hide themselves in the forest. Just before they did this, Kuna looked at the pair of keyblade wielders to tell them,

"We will be here should you require our assistance."

"Understood. Thank you."

Subaru and Sora both got themselves in line as they waited to be checked into the city. While they waited in line, Sora couldn't help but remember the last time he waited in line. During this wait, the two discussed on what they should say to the guards.

"The idea Master Sora is we represent ourselves as two mercenary brothers looking for a place to rest from our travels."

"Mercenary brothers?" Sora asked with a curious tone. Subaru smiled with confidence as he continued to say,

"Yeah. We could wing it. It's possible. We just have to find a perfect last name."

"That isn't needed, Subaru. Let's just say we are, as you said, mercenary brothers looking for a place. I think that should be enough."

"Okay." Subaru said with a hint of disappointment, wishing to go all out on this fake identity. The two turned towards the line and waited for 30 minutes before finally arriving at the front.

The two looked at the Vollachian guards, noticing that they are tense for some reason. The two keyblade wielders looked at each other for a moment, both of them aware that they'll need to proceed with caution. The two look forward again to have one of the Vollachia warrior approach the two with an aggressive look.

"What's yer business here?"

"My brother and I are looking for a place to stay!" Subaru spoke in a strong voice, trying to sound intimidating. The Vollachian soldier just looked at him with an annoyed facial expression before turning towards Sora. He observed the attire the two were wearing, finding it both weird and suspicious.

"How did you survive the night?"

"We fought for most of the night." Subaru answered quickly, trying to sound confident. The Vollachian warrior noticed this, prompting him to turn his attention directly towards Sora.

"Where did you came from?" The Vollachian warrior asked Sora, wanting to see what the spikey brown haired boy would say. Sora was stunned since he didn't know what he had to say while Subaru was worried that his master wouldn't be able to handle this interrogation.

The Keyblade Master closed his eyes, calmed his heartbeat while trying to think of someway to answer this without drawing the guard's suspicion. Eventually Sora came up with something.

"We just need a place to stay. The he—creatures have been blocking the roads home, so me and my brother just need to stay for the night."

"That doesn't answer my question." The Vollachian soldier said while he was preparing to pull out his sword, viewing Sora and Subaru as possible threats. The two keyblade wielders were on edge since they see that they might have to fight their way through. Just as things looked like a fight was about to break loose, someone spoke behind the two.

"I don't mean to interrupt but my two mercenaries are being too modest. They are hired to protect my sister and I."

Subaru and Sora both turned towards the gentleman speaking on their behalf, a bit skeptical on why he would do this. Even the guard is skeptical of this, prompting him to ask the gentleman with long bangs and long cream blonde hair,

"Then why didn't they mention you?"

"They had accomplished their goal of helping my sister and I in arriving here. Before you ask, we are just simple merchants here to sell some things off."

"Okay smartass, let me see this 'stuff'." The Vollachian soldier spoke in annoyance as he went to check the wagon of the 'merchant'. While investigating, Subaru and Sora were both unsure on why this person was helping but they do appreciate the assistance.

After the Vollachian soldier inspected the wagon and its supplies, he was annoyed but he approved.

"If any of you do anything suspicious, you'll regret it. Now get in already."

"Thank you, kind sir." The merchant said as he signaled the two keyblade wielders to go inside while they have the chance. The pair were stunned for a moment before noticing the meaning behind the signal they were given, prompting the two to enter the city of Guaral. As they were heading inside, the two looked amazed by how different the place was compared to Lugnica's cities and the city of Priestella. The two continued to look around for a moment until they saw the man in blue attire approach them with the wagon inside the city.

"Thanks for the assistance there...why did you assisted us?" Subaru asked out of curiosity. The man looked at the two keyblade wielders with a smile, seeing their curiosity as intriguing. He turned to make sure that the wagon was in one piece before answering the boy's curious question.

"I just couldn't help but feel like you two are good people and need some assistance. I also wish to make the world a better place."

"That's nice of you to say." Sora said as he started to trust this man. Subaru was a little skeptical but he felt a little ease with the response he received. "What's your name anyway? I assume you have a name."

"Well of course, I doubt someone wouldn't have a name. Mine is Flop. Flop O'Connell."

"Flop? What an interesting name."

"Thank you. Mind if I get both your names as well? I'd like to know what to call you." Flop spoke in such a polite manner that Sora and Subaru couldn't help but trust the man a bit more.

"My name is Sora." The boy spoke in such a happy tone.

"And my name is Natsuki Subaru." He spoke with complete confidence.

"Natsuki Subaru and Sora, what intriguing names. Well then, it is nice meeting you both."

"Nice meeting you as well Flop."

Sora and Subaru bowed at Flop before starting to make their way deeper into the city, preparing to leave until they heard Flop speak.

"Do you two need a place to stay?"

"Hm?" Both keyblade wielders turned back in confusion.

"Pardon me, I don't mean to sound rude but you both seem too new here. I can help you settle and get a place for the night. At least so you can rest before traveling the Empire. It has gotten a tad bit more dangerous lately."

"Wait, you'd really help us? But why?" Subaru asked as he was a bit skeptical at this. Sora was about to say something in response to Subaru's questions until another person answered.

"My brother is genuinely nice. It can be a problem at times but I feel you two aren't the ones to abuse such kindness."

Subaru, Sora, and Flop turn towards the direction of the voice, noticing that it was from the woman in the wagon that Flop came from.

As they turned to see the woman, they noticed that she was a warrior type that's attire is revealing.

She approached the two keyblade wielders and her brother, wanting to see the two boys up close.

Once she closed the gap between herself and the boys, she inspected Sora's attire first since she was curious of his weird clothing before looking at Subaru's attire.

After inspecting the two boys, she bowed at the pair in respect before introducing herself.

"I'm Medium O'Connell, pleasure to meet you both."

"The pleasure is ours." Subaru said in response, liking the friendly company he is getting.

"It is nice to meet you as well." Sora said as he felt that he can trust her.

"So, what are you two up to? What brings you here to the city of Guaral?" Medium asked with a curious look, wondering what response she would get.

Both Subaru and Sora were unsure on how to respond since they don't fully know who Medium and Flop are despite their kindness.

The two take a moment before Sora answers Medium's question in a friendly manner,

"Subaru and I are looking for some of our group members. We were separated."

"Ah, I get ya. You want to find your people. That's respectable." Medium said as she had her hands crossed, eyes closed, and was nodding. Flop took a moment to think on what Sora had said before responding with,

"I hope you find those you were separated from."

"Who were they?" Medium asked.

"Mother, Father...a-and sister." Subaru said with the last one being a struggle since he hated the idea of calling Louis his sister.

Sora took note of this, knowing that another talk with Subaru is in order since he could tell that his friend and apprentice had some resentment towards Louis Arneb.

Flop and Medium both stood silent for a moment, looking at each other as they felt sympathy towards the two boys they have just met.

"So the members you were separated were your family. I'm sorry."

"I-It's fine. I'm sure they will be alright. I know Ma—Brother here and I will find them."

"W-Well, if you want, we can at least escort you to the nearest place to stay...though from the looks of it, you guys might not have enough money, do you?"

Sora and Subaru couldn't help but look a bit dumbfounded by this comment since they were broke.

The pair look at each other before weakly laughing at this fact, seeing that they are in need of assistance once again.

Flop just smiled at the two boys before asking the two if they wish to assist him in selling some of his stocks in exchange for helping them get a place for the night.

The two keyblade wielders agreed to this and started to help Flop and Medium set up shop.

While this happened, Medium approached Sora as she found something interesting in the boy.

Sora noticed this, starting to feel a bit tense since he isn't sure what Medium is inspecting him for.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, just noticing that something is different about you."

"Different?" Sora questioned.

"Yeah...I challenge you to a little sparing match."

"Huh?"

"Sister, what are—?"

"Don't worry brother, I won't do anything reckless. I just want to test his skills with a sword."

Sora and Subaru looked at each other, having noticed what Medium said to her brother. The two keyblade wielders weren't sure how to take this except go along with it, seeing it as a harmless training session.

Sora was about to pull out Kingdom Key until he remembered that he and Subaru aren't allowed to use the keyblade.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them with determination while also pulling out the sword given to him by the Shudraq. As he drew his sword, he got into his fighting position while Medium pulled out two swords.

"You are a dual wielder?" Subaru asked with curious tone, finding it rare to see people that use two swords. Sora had dealt with someone like this, that being Xemnas. With that in mind, he prepared himself for the match ahead of him. Medium smiled at Sora, excited to see what the young warrior was capable of.

"Try not to hold back. I want to see you at your very best."

Sora was uncertain about this but he nodded nonetheless, seeing that this is a request from his new friend.

The two looked at each other for a moment before finally beginning their sparing match. Medium started it by charging at Sora with incredible speed, showing that she is taking this serious.

This prompted the keyblade master to also take the fight serious, using his training from all of the adventures he has been to his advantage.

He deflected all of the heavy attacks thrown towards him in great speed. While Sora was managing to hold his own pretty well, he did felt a bit weird using a sword rather than the keyblade.

'The keyblade was surprisingly light despite the power that it gives off. This sword is pretty strong but a little heavier than I expected. Still, I should be able to keep up.'

With this in mind, Sora blocked each attack with everything he had, showing that he is a capable warrior. Subaru observed this and took notice that something was off about this fight.

He could tell that his master was fighting as expected but he could also see that something was different about this fight.

'He doesn't look like he is struggling but...he does seem a bit slow, as if the sword he is wielding is holding him back from going all out...'

While Subaru had this thought in mind, Medium was impressed by what she was seeing, such a young boy able to keep up with her. The two continued their duel with some of the people from Guaral city starting to notice.

Subaru and Flop both saw this, causing the two to be unsure on whether this is a good thing or not.

"This is some unwanted attention." Subaru said, seeing that Sora isn't in full disguise mode.

"Let's just keep an eye on things. If those guards start heading here, we will stop the fight."

"That doesn't sound bad. Alright."

Subaru nodded at what Flop had said before the two started to look around for any Vollachian soldiers nearby. While they were looking out, Sora and Medium both managed to get into a blade lock after clashing swords many times.

"Wow, you are pretty impressive, Sora." Medium spoke with high respects to her opponent.

"Thank you. You are a pretty awesome fighter yourself." Sora responded back with a respectful and friendly tone of voice.

The two stayed in the blade lock for a moment before pushing each other back.

As their distance was only a few feet away, Sora finally made his move to go into the offense side of the fight.

As he was throwing a barrage of attacks towards Medium's location, Sora could feel that he needs to put more effort into his attacks.

The warrior girl continued to block each attack but after a while, she was able to notice that Sora's attacks were both losing strength and speed.

Although not rapidly, it was still barely noticeable enough for her to take the opportunity in changing the fight for her favor.

She waited for the right moment before managing to switch from defense to offense, forcing Sora to go into defense. Subaru turned towards the fight to see his master struggling to keep up on defense.

'Come on Master Sora, I believe in you.'

"Why believe in that weakling?" Vanitas chimed in, having been watching the whole time.

'Shut your mouth. Master Sora is just...having some difficulty wielding a different weapon.' Subaru thought as he tried to defend his master's honor.

"That's such a stupid defense. Even then, you are blinded to the problem at hand."

'What the hell are you trying to say?' Subaru said with both resentment and curiosity.

"Wielding a sword would be a little tricky since the abilities a keyblade wielder would normally use with a keyblade wouldn't be possible, but that's such a small thing that it's stupid to use as an actual defense. The only two reasons here is his mental state is weak and unfocused or he is just simply weak." Vanitas spoke as he hated having to explain to Subaru. The boy looked at his master with some concern, trying to figure out what could be the reason that Sora's suddenly weak.

'Well, if this asshole is telling me is that there has to be something weakening Master Sora. But what exactly?'

The boy thought back towards the beginning of his journey in the Vollachian Empire. The first thing was after the fight with the Witch of Envy, Sora was extremely weak and barely recovering from the fight.

After the events with Sephiroth, Sora was asleep for a while. And now, after having dealt with someone like Halibel, he is back to a weaken state.

'But why? Was it because of his fight with the witch of envy? Or maybe the effects of having been turned a few years younger? That could've messed up Master Sora's power...'

While Subaru was thinking this, he continued to watch as Sora just barely escaped Medium's intense attacks.

As he was able to dodge the attacks, Sora was wondering why he was struggling but before he could even think properly, Medium turned towards his direction before once again going into an overwhelming offense.

As the boy was forced to go back into defense, he started to remember something he was telling Donald and Goofy during the battle against the large amount of heartless in Radiant Garden,

("Maybe everything we've done... maybe it was for nothing. What am I supposed to do if I can't use the Keyblade?")

'Since I came here, I've drawn a lot of attention to Subaru, Emilia, and my other friends here...maybe all of this is my fault...'

Sora's defenses were starting to weaken once again, having felt helpless similar to how he was feeling in his fight with Sephiroth. He felt like he wasn't going to be able to win, to help his friends until he felt something in his heart speak to him.

("You can do it...you are my hero, Sora-kun, I believe in you.")

'Rem!'

("Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you.")

'K-Kairi!'

Sora's motivation had spiked as he couldn't let her down, prompting him to move with great speed to the point that he was moving faster than Medium was able to process.

"What...?"

Medium was completely caught off guard by this since she hasn't seen someone like this. She turned around once she figured out where Sora was going to attack only to lose both her swords with the boy's attacks.

"Wow...th-that was amazing."

Medium said with an amazed voice. The civilians watching the fight were all cheering as they saw this sparing session as entertaining, even handing Subaru and Flop some money for the entertainment.

"Well...isn't this surprising."

"I mean hey, we are earning you and your sister some money."

"This is for all of us. Your brother there worked hard to entertain these people too."

"I suppose..." Subaru said with a bit of reluctant, but his reason was because of the fact that his master is having moments of weakness. Medium approached Sora after having gathered her swords. The Keyblade Master wasn't sure what he was in for until he felt a slight fist hit his arm with some force while saying,

"That was so cool! I knew you were quite the warrior the moment I saw you! How long have you been training?"

"A long time." Sora responded with a smile, surprised by how excited Medium was.

"That's pretty cool. We got to spar more!"

Sora just smiled at Medium, not sure what to say but he just gave the woman in front of him a friendly smile. Medium also smiled back at the boy before the two assisted Flop and Subaru in selling some things.

After a while, the four reached a point where they could go and get a place to stay. During the walk towards the nearest building they could stay the night, Subaru approached his master, having the chance to speak just the two of them.

"Master Sora, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm alright." Sora spoke with a smile on his face, making Subaru hesitate whether or not his master was really having a weak set of mind like Vanitas said or if some outside force was controlling his power at the moment. Sora could see that his apprentice and friend was worried for his sake. He patted him in the shoulder while saying,

"Don't worry Subaru, I'll be okay. I need you to trust me on that."

"...okay. Though remember Master Sora, to be honest with me just like I promised to be honest with you should I...you know."

"What...return by—"

The world paused as both Sora and Subaru's eyes widen with fear. The keyblade master had forgotten that speaking the actual thing is forbidden in that very moment. The two waited for the witch's hand to appear, both ready to defend themselves.

As they waited, the two eventually noticed one of Satella's shadow hands appear though it didn't seem threatening. Despite this, they had their guards up.

'What is she up to?' Subaru thought since normally she would aim for his heart, but considering this is the first time his master broke the taboo that he would be punished and yet it wasn't trying to aim for Sora's heart.

The shadow hand was mostly approaching the Keyblade Master's face, as if she was trying to communicate with a simple gesture than with words. Sora stood still with Subaru preparing his Rebirth keyblade should he need to use it.

The pair waited a moment until they saw that Satella's hand wasn't being aggressive like usual but was instead giving Sora a warning by placing a finger on the boy's lips, implying that he should be quiet about this.

Sora understood immediately that he needs to be careful when speaking about the taboo but to make sure he truly understands, the two saw the shadow eventually form itself into what seemed to be a shadow figure of Rem.

The two were unsure on what Satella was trying to tell them until another shadow hand appeared to destroy Rem's shadow figure. The two boys realized that this was Satella telling them that should this happen again, Rem would pay the price.

'Rem!' Sora thought, starting to remember that she also knows about Subaru's Return By Death ability.

'Shit! That's right! Rem also knows!'

The two boys understood the warning clear as water, should they break the taboo once again by speaking of such things in a public place where anybody could hear them, Rem will be killed since she is also aware of Subaru's ability. Sora bows as he starts to say,

"I'm sorry, I was careless. Please, don't punish Rem..."

The shadow hand just stood still for a moment, having notice Sora's plead and apology. The atmosphere was tense at first before it calmed down with Satella showing her compassion by just patting Sora's head, showing that she accepts the apology.

As she does this, two shadow hands appear behind Subaru to hug him. The boy was caught off guard by this but quickly calmed down, seeing that Satella is in control rather than the Witch of Envy.

'At least she is giving us a warning...damn, I should've warn Master Sora to be careful with his words. This can't happen again.'

After a moment, the shadow hands disappear with time returning to normal. Sora looks at Subaru briefly before looking forward.

"S-Sorry Subaru, I should be more careful when speaking about...such things."

"I-It's okay Master Sora. It is my fault as well for not having properly warn you about it."

"Well I did saw the penalties when reading your book of the dead, I should know better." Sora said this with a gloomy face, knowing that he put Rem's life in danger for being careless. Subaru hated seeing his master in this state, prompting him to try to cheer him up but someone beat him to the punch.

"What's with that look, Sora-san? You can't just go around looking sad. There is a lot to be happy about."

Sora and Subaru both turned to see that it was Flop, having caught up with the two. Sora quickly changed his facial expression into his usual calm one.

"S-Sorry about that. You are right."

"There we go, much better. A smile is all you need to face this world." Flop said. Subaru was unsure on what to think of this while Sora nodded. The three looked forward for a moment before Flop took this opportunity to ask,

"What brought you two to Vollachia?"

"Hm?" Both Sora and Subaru were a bit confused by this question. Flop noticed the confusion on their faces, prompting him to say,

"Pardon the random question, I just mean that you both don't seem to be from around here. So I wanted to know you both better."

"Ah...right. Well M—Sora and I are from one of the other countries. We traveled here with our parents and s-sister only to be separated by those creatures."

"Ah, so a family vacation of sorts?"

"...I guess."

"Hm. Well I can imagine that you both are still worried for your parents and sister's sake. Perhaps my sister and I could help you two find them."

"Really? You two would do that?" Subaru asked with a slightly curious and appreciative tone.

"Why not? You and your brother helped my brother and I get more money than expected, hell Sora made me even more excited to fight him again so yeah, Flop and I will help you two out."

"Th-That's...thank you." Subaru bowed with respect as he appreciated the assistance and kindness Flop and Medium were showing him and Sora. Sora also bowed as well as he also appreciated their kindness. The two O'Connell siblings just smiled at Subaru and Sora before the four arrived to one of the buildings to start preparing for the nighttime.

---

As nighttime hits, Sora and Subaru both take this opportunity to speak with each other one last time, both trying to come up with a plan for the next day. The conversation starts with Subaru asking in concern,

"Do you think the Kyda and Kuna will be alright for tonight?"

"They'll be fine."

"Right...Well then, we should probably search around the city all day tomorrow. The important thing is to find out every inch of this city."

"So looking for hidden paths into the city?" Sora asked with a curious tone.

"Yes, something like that. We need to make sure we find every single one in case the heartless appear and we need to help get everyone evacuated out of here."

"True...but what about Flop and Medium? Do you think we should tell them about the keyblade?"

"Well it would be nice to have another trusted ally to know about the keyblade but for now we should wait. We still don't know a lot about those two and I would rather them be left in the dark should someone like Todd question the two on them." Subaru said this knowing that Todd could be around and might ask Flop and Medium questions about him and Sora.

The Keyblade Master crossed his arms for a moment, taking the time to process what his apprentice and friend had mentioned. He understood that Todd would do something like that but he also felt that Larkin might also do the same. This prompted him to respond with,

"I see what you mean. If we stay silent then we should be careful from this point on. The heartless will be difficult to defeat without the keyblade." Sora spoke with a worried tone of voice, knowing that the path they are currently in will be difficult.

Subaru noticed this and couldn't help but also worry since he knows how annoying those creatures are. He closed his eyes and thought back of the time he didn't had the keyblade, when he was left behind in the capital.

He knew exactly how tedious the task would be but because he had Rem, Yabuto, Waraki, and Kishida by his side, he didn't felt powerless. He looked at Sora with renewed purpose before patting him in the arm while saying confidently,

"Together, we will overcome this hurdle, Master Sora."

"Pfft. As if you can do anything, pathetic weakling." Vanitas chimed in as he wanted to get Subaru angry.

'Shut the hell up!' Subaru said in his mind towards Vanitas while having his facial expression remain in a confident state.

"You think so?" Sora asked as he wasn't sure of himself. Normally he would be the one who has been hopeful but at this moment, he was unsure of himself.

He got lucky he found the strength to fight back Sephiroth, his fight with Zarestia left him worn out, he was barely able to keep up with Halibel, he barely won his fight with Medium, and now he almost put Rem's life at risk for speaking of the forbidden taboo out loud.

All of this was causing the keyblade master to feel somewhat hopeless and yet seeing Subaru determined also left him oddly determined as well.

"Yeah. We have faced a lot of danger, Master Sora. Hell, you faced a lot more than I have honestly. So just because we can't use the keyblade doesn't mean we can't win. It just means we will have to rely on each other a lot more, have each other's backs."

"...You are right." Sora said as he felt hope in his heart, the strength his friend was giving him. "It won't be easy, especially against the harder ones but together we stand a better chance."

"Agreed."

The two keyblade wielders fist bumped each other, showing their determination for whatever comes next. As they do this, Sora prepares to head back to his room to sleep for the night but was stopped when Subaru said,

"Oh...I probably should tell you that...I sorta looped."

"Looped? As in—!"

"Yes! I went back but this was before we met up in the camp, before you fought that wolf man but after I got knocked out by that woman with wind powers."

"Oh..." Sora was at a pause, understanding the time frame his apprentice was talking about. Which begs to question..."How many times?"

"Hm?"

"How many times did you...loop?" Sora was hesitant to even ask this question, worried that the number would be high since he wasn't there to save his friend from dying. Subaru looked down as he had to recall the number of times he died.

"Two. One was against a Mabeast for this tribute thing the Shadruq have and the second was during the attack on the camp." Subaru paused as he closed his eyes to recount how the events happen. "The first one involved a lot of effort on my part since I tried to fight alone against the Mabeast, thinking it to be easy only to be caught off guard by its venom. The second one was Larkin's fault. I went in thinking that I could make peace with the Shudraq and Vollachian soldiers only for that to go to hell basically."

"Wait, where was I in that one?" Sora asked with a curious look, wondering what prevented that loop's version of him from saving his friend.

"You weren't there because I believe you escaped with my parents in that loop."

'That's right...' Sora recalled as Kenichi and Naoko both wanted to leave that night. The boy was left in silence since he didn't know what to think since in one hand, that loop should it continue has him protecting Subaru's parents but on the other hand, he had let his friend's fate be one of death.

"No more..."

"Huh?"

"I won't let you keep losing your life...no more, Subaru. I told you that I would do my best to stop you from dying and I meant it. I won't let another life be taken from you!"

Subaru was taken aback from this, once again seeing the determination of Sora, wanting to save his life no matter what.

He felt happy when he heard this since his closest friend knows and is willing to help him but at the same time, he knows that he will die no matter how hard the situation is.

He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking on how disappointed his master looked when he learned the first time ever since coming to this empire that he had looped.

Seeing this for a second time made him at first question whether he should even say that he has been looping but after much thought, he knows his master would figure it out eventually.

He just nodded and respected his master's wishes before watching him leave his room, full of determination.

'Even if everything comes crashing down, I know I can always count on you, Master Sora.'

Subaru thought this to himself before he went straight to bed, knowing that the next day will be the most difficult. As he closed his eyes and allowed the darkness to take his conscious, he returned to the island of the previous dream where he saw Vanitas and the guy called Ventus though this time neither of them were there.

"Huh? What's going on?"

"This place is tied with darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed."

Subaru was caught off guard by this voice since it was one he wasn't aware of. He turned to see who was speaking to him only to find some mysterious looking guy in a brown coat.

"The hell are you babbling about."

"...One who knows nothing, can understand nothing."

"Yeah, and the sky is blue. Get to the point."

The mysterious guy faded away for a moment, surprising Subaru until he saw what seemed to look like Xehanort.

"Th-The hell are you doing here?"

"I see. So you and I are briefly connected. That's intriguing." The old man said after taking a moment to hear Subaru's voice.

"The hell is that suppose to mean?!" Subaru spoke in a hostile tone, prompting him to pull out his keyblade.

"Although I can't see you, we are connected through some means. Does this mean you have accepted my offer?" The old man asked in a curious tone, wondering what the boy would say.

"Like hell I would! I would never turn on Master Sora." Xehanort's smile faded as he heard what the boy had to say. He had anticipated something like this but what bothered him a little was hearing how he addressed Sora as master. This would normally not bother him but for some reason, he didn't like hearing it.

"You have a stubborn loyalty to that boy. It is amusing if not pathetic."

"I don't give a shit what you think. I follow those I call my friends."

"Hm. Then let me ask you this, what will happen the day your 'Master' can't help. The day he becomes useless. What will someone like you do?"

"Ha! Master Sora won't ever faulter! Even if for some one out of one million chance he does, I'll be there to lift his spirits!" Xehanort closed his eyes and kept a blank facial expression to avoid showing what he thought about the boy's comment.

This silence remained for a minute before the old keyblade master finally responded to Subaru's comment.

"That's a very stubborn look. Allow me to ask another question, what will come the day darkness prevails and light expires? What then? Not even your master can save you from such a travesty."

"..."

Subaru remembered seeing those words in the book of prophecies, hearing them from the mysterious figure in a failed loop. He doesn't fully understand the meaning of this aside from something that would just end all life. The boy crossed his arms and responded with a question,

"And what, you think you can do something about that day?"

"Hmph. You understand nothing boy. All you see is a blinding light that'll consume you and your master."

"Hey! I've dealt with a lot of shit, so has Master Sora. And if I recall, he beat you before. He can do it again."

"Ah yes, he sure has." Xehanort spoke with his tone being suddenly respectful, having recalled the power Sora demonstrated time and time again that leads him to victory. "He has a way to win his battles but he hasn't won this current battle he is in."

"Yeah because you guys aren't the only problem. We still have the witch cult."

"That may be true but he is helping me get closer and closer to my goal, unlocking Kingdom Hearts."

"Yeah but...what's the point of this talk?" Subaru asked as he figured that things will go nowhere if he doesn't ask the main question to the old man. Xehanort took note of this and went straight to the point.

"You should really rethink the offer I have given you. You would server better as a seeker of darkness rather than a guardian of light."

"And why is that?" Subaru spoke in a hostile manner, still not convinced at all by what he was hearing yet he was curious to see what bullshit the old man was going to say.

"That darkness in your heart, the stench it gives along with that witch's scent, it hasn't faltered. You still have a dark emotion in your heart, one of self-loathing."

"—tsk!" The boy did not like hearing this since there was a part of him that hated himself for being so weak, an incompetent hero.

"A-And what? Everyone hates themselves at some point."

"Keep telling yourself that. I will tell you this one last time, boy. The power of darkness can serve as a benefit to someone like you. Someone who has nothing real going for him aside from following in someone's footsteps, someone that you will never be able to reach."

"..." The boy was left silent once again, annoyed by what Xehanort was saying and yet he knew that it was partially true. Sora had done a lot in his adventures compared to him. Even if he trained for twenty years, he might never reach Sora's full power. With this silence in mind, Xehanort smiled as he knew from just the tense atmosphere that he hit a nerve.

"You should consider my offer. If you wish to protect that half-elf, the path of darkness will lead you to the future you most desire. All you would need is to become one of my thirteen vessels."

"—tsk!" Subaru was filled with hate when he heard this, feeling annoyed by Xehanort's tactics of getting him to switch sides. This slightly reminds him of when Echidna tried to get him into a contract with her. Before he could even deny the offer in a more aggressive tone, he noticed that the world was starting to fade into darkness.

"Huh? What in the world is going on?"

"Hm. Seems like the connection is breaking. Allow me to tell you this, Natsuki Subaru. You are better off as my vessel because no matter what you do...you'll never be a hero."

Subaru opened his eyes, full of hate has he remembered the exact words that he was told by the old man.

("...you'll never be a hero.")

'Fuck you, Xehanort.' Subaru thought with a hateful gaze, knowing damn well that he has earned the right of being a hero. Regardless if he hasn't thought of himself a hero, he knows that his friends have viewed him as one.

"He is right. You'll never be—"

'Shut your fucking mouth! What would you even know?! You died! You are just a figure of my imagination.'

As Subaru was walking away, he felt his body trying to do something on its own.

"Oh no you don't!"

Subaru fought back this take over, knowing full well that it was Vanitas' doing. He kept resisting his body from acting on its own, knowing that this is his body and that he won't allow some asshole organization member take control anymore.

'You...won't have...my body...asshole!'

After a bit of fighting with himself, he was able to take full control of his body once again. This made the boy feel relief since he knows now that he is able to resist Vanitas' attempts in taking over.

'Ha! Take that jackass! What do you have to say for yourself?!' Subaru said in his mind in both a prideful and antagonistic tone.

"Let this be a reminder that I will haunt you, I will take over your body. Once my soul as firmly been placed in your subconscious."

Subaru was left standing as he heard what Vanitas had to say, making him realize that he has a lot of problems to deal with. The first being Sephiroth, knowing that he is probably at the top of the list.

The Second being the heartless invading the Vollachia Empire. The third being Todd, knowing that he along with Jamal and Larkin would view himself and Sora as a threat.

The fourth being the Organization itself, having a feeling that they aren't going to make it easy for his master and him regarding taking back the empire for Vincent's sake.

And lastly being this internal problem, trying to find some way to free himself from Vanitas' hold permanently.

As all of these problems started to overwhelm the boy, he remembered to take a deep breath, calming his heart rate before thinking to himself,

'Calm down, Natsuki Subaru. One problem at a time.'

Once he was able to calm himself down, he grabbed the things he needed before leaving his room. Once he was out in the hallway, he turned to see that Sora was also leaving his room at the exact same time as him.

"Oh. Morning M—Sora."

"Good morning, Subaru. Slept well?"

"...yeah, more or less."

"Good. Do you think Medium and Flop are awake or still asleep?"

"Who knows but we should probably go and start looking around. We can't keep Kyda and Kuna waiting too long."

"Agreed."

Both keyblade wielders understood each other and quickly started to make their way down the second floor all the way towards the first, preparing to leave the building.

Once the two keyblade wielders had left the building, they were both filled with determination as they began their search around the city.

During this search, they had notice that oddly enough this city wasn't filled with heartless unlike the other cities Vincent had told them about.

This caused the two to ponder on why that could be the case.

"Could it be that this place is filled with light?"

"I don't think so." Sora responded as he felt like there was another reason behind this.

"Then what could it be?"

"We will need to investigate to learn more."

"I know but having a theory to go off of would help."

"Yeah but we should go investigate. That way we can gather some clues for a working theory."

"Fair."

Subaru nodded at what his master had said which prompted the two to begin their investigation around the city of Guaral.

The pair first walked around the large building, what seemed to be the main building of the city where most of the leaders are held in.

Seeing how peaceful it was and that it was full of Vollachia guards, the two moved on towards the stores, seeing that it was a usual day for the city of Guaral.

Eventually this roaming around would lead the pair towards the entrance of the city just to see that more people are trying to enter the city, some looking completely worn out while others looked hurt by something.

"Those poor people..." Sora spoke with sympathy, feeling some of their pain as if it was his own.

"This as to be the work of the heartless...it has to be."

As Subaru said this, he noticed something different about today. When they arrived yesterday, the place was calm and well organized but now with many people, it seemed a bit too chaotic.

"Master Sora, do you think that it is possible that the reason the city hasn't been attack is because it was peaceful."

"Why do you think that?" Sora asked with a curious look.

"...just call it a hunch. We should keep looking around, hopefully we can find some more answers soon."

"Okay."

Sora nodded at this before following Subaru around to check some more buildings, wanting to also learn what the city of Guaral have.

As they explored a bit, Subaru had this feeling that they were being watched, prompting him to turn around for a moment in a casual way, trying to not gain any suspicion from whoever might be watching him.

As he looked, all he saw was just a group of people talking with one another.

"Seems like we got more folk."

"Yeah."

"Those creatures are being relentless."

"I wonder if the Emperor is doing something about it."

Subaru managed to overhear this small conversation from what he can assume to be the locals.

From what they were saying, he was able to pinpoint that other cities have been attacked aside from this one, considering how they don't mention anything related to their city but something had his attention.

One of them mentioned that they got more people, implying that this isn't the first time.

Given with the fact that this town hasn't been attacked, Subaru started to theorize but he needed to confirm one thing.

"M—Sora, how does one attract the heartless?"

"Hm?" Sora turned towards Subaru, not having noticed the question he was asked. "What?"

"Is there a way to attract the heartless?"

"In what way? Like summoning them?"

"Yeah, something around those lines."

"Hm. Well having darkness in your heart would attract the heartless but I don't see why that's important."

Subaru crossed his arms as he began to puzzle everything together.

"I think that—"

Subaru was interrupted as he and his master started to hear some screaming coming from the courtyard. The two keyblade wielders were stunned for a moment before quickly getting their swords out and rushing towards the direction of the screams.

As the two arrive, they noticed that a horde of soldier and shadow type heartless have started their attack on the city.

'The hell?! Just as I solve this, they start to attack? What kind of stupid luck is this?'

With this in mind, both his master and him went off to attack the heartless, preventing them from spreading around or from trying to attack the citizens to collect more hearts.

"I'll take the ones on the left, you take the ones on the right."

"Got it, Master Sora."

"Let's do this!"

Subaru and Sora both charged at their designed location with Subaru mostly focused on the shadow type heartless while Sora was focused on the soldier type heartless.

As both keyblade wielders were fighting with everything they got, Subaru felt his vision start to clear up.

'What the hell?! Why am I—?'

"No more..."

"Huh?" Subaru was more confused than anything, leaving Sora to speak with more determination behind his voice.

"I won't let you keep losing your life...no more, Subaru. I told you that I would do my best to stop you from dying and I meant it. I won't let another life be taken from you!"

"..."

Subaru needed a moment. He was sure that he didn't die since this transition was too abrupt and out of nowhere.

'The hell? I looped back? But I didn't even feel myself dying. What happened?'

As Subaru was lost in thought, Sora looked at him with his determination still in full display though he did find it weird that something has gotten his friend's attention.

He tilted his head as he asked his friend,

"Hey, Subaru, are you alright?"

"Eh? Oh. Um. Yeah. I'm just a bit tired."

"I understand. I should probably let you sleep."

As Sora finishes his sentence, he nods at Subaru with respect before turning around to leave the room.

Subaru was conflicted since he can't just ruin the confidence his master had when declaring for a second time that he will make sure he doesn't die and yet he knows that he can't do this on his own.

He moves his hand has he prepares to stop his master from leaving until something prevented him from doing so.

Because of this, he ended up seeing Sora leave his room and close his door, leaving him on his own to ponder on what caused him to loop.

'Damn, just as I got hopeful the last time I spoke with Master Sora, now I have this to deal with...what the hell caused me to die?!'

Subaru was still thrown off about his death, having been completely abrupt with the only thing he can really think of is the fact that his vision was blurry for a brief moment.

'I'll just have to be very careful tomorrow then...'

---

Sora and Subaru both left their rooms the next morning around the same time, similar to what happened the last loop.

"Good Morning, Subaru."

"...Morning, M—Sora."

"You okay?" Sora asked as he noticed something was off with Subaru. The boy stood silent as he turned his attention towards Flop and Medium's door, wondering if they are alright.

"We should check on them."

"You sure? I think they might be asleep." Sora responded while also having taken note that Subaru had ignored his question. Subaru knocked on the door, wanting to know if they are asleep or if they are even in their room.

As he knocked on Flop's door first, he began to wonder something. He doesn't really know if they were asleep last time, he just assumed with Sora as they went on their own search of the city.

What could have the two O'Connell siblings been up to while he and Sora were looking around. He knocked the door one last time as he wanted to make sure that Flop could hear him.

"Hey! Flop! Are you awake?"

"..."

"Hello?"

"..."

Subaru received no response. Normally, he wouldn't just go open doors but seeing as something feels off about this, he turned towards Sora to tell him,

"Keep a look out, I'm going to check the room."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sora asked with a hesitant tone of voice.

"Trust me on this Master Sora, it is necessary." As Subaru finished speaking, he tried to open the door to check if it was locked. To the boy's surprise, the door was actually open.

This caused him to be wary since nobody in their right minds would just leave the door open. Before going inside the room, he inspected the door itself to notice something odd with it.

"Something wrong?"

"It's just that...someone forced their way into Flop's room, Master Sora."

"What?" Sora asked with a concerned and shocked tone of voice, now worried for Flop's sake. He wanted to check on the merchant's well-being but Subaru advised against this.

"Hold on, allow me to go inside alone."

"Why? I want to help—"

"I know but if there is something bad in here, I want to be the only one to get hurt."

"Now hold on." Sora said in a stern voice. "I'm not letting you get hurt! I know for sure Emilia would be mad at you for even considering this."

"Y-You aren't wrong on that..." Subaru hesitated since he didn't expect Sora to use Emilia as a reason for him to not go into danger willingly. Because he couldn't respond back to Sora, he reluctantly allowed his master to join him in checking if Flop is alright.

As the two open the door slowly, they were at first overwhelmed with an odd but horrifying smell.

"What is that?"

"I-I...don't know..." Subaru said with a hesitant voice since he has smelled this disgusting odor before...from a previous loop. He entered first to see that nobody was there expect some odd stains on the ground. This was Subaru's only clue he needed to know that something had happened in the room.

"Stand back Master Sora."

"Wait why? I want to help."

"I know but first, I want to see something."

"Okay...?"

Sora listened to Subaru as he trusted his friend and apprentice. Subaru appreciated this and quickly started to investigate on what could've been the cause of this. He looked at the bed first, noticing how messy it is before prompting himself to look underneath it.

As he did this, all he found was Flop's headwear. This helps push the fact that something bad happened here since nobody would just leave their headwear underneath the bed.

"Master Sora, could you check Medium's room? I have a bad feeling that something might've happened to her."

Sora nodded and quickly went to investigate Flop's room on his own, hoping to know if the merchant was alive or not. He inspected the room some more until he noticed a door that his room had, a closet.

'Well...fuck. If I see a body, I will not be happy. It's literally straight off a damn horror movie!'

Subaru got up and started to make his way towards the closet with his sword out, ready should he encounter something dangerous while mentally preparing himself should he encounter Flop's body.

He walked slowly and slowly towards the closet door but before he could even open the door, he heard his master shout his name.

"Subaru! Come quick!"

"Huh? On my way!"

Subaru instinctively got out of Flop's room to head towards Medium's room, wanting to see what Sora had found. As he made his way into Medium's room, he paused when he saw one of the woman's sword on the ground, covered in blood.

"Is...is there anything else in there...?" Subaru asked with a concerned tone of voice, worried that his master had found a dead body. Sora stood silent for a moment before responding to Subaru's question,

"I don't see Medium here...Subaru, what's going on?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" Subaru asked as he was going inside the room, noticing that there were some things broken.

"You've been acting weird since last night and the way you are acting, it's as if..." There was a pause as the Keyblade Master was able starting to puzzle a couple of things together. "...Subaru, what happened in the last loop?"

"Huh? What are you—?"

"I thought you were acting weird yesterday when you looked confused but now I understand. Something happened, didn't it?"

"..."

Subaru stood silent, only giving a blank expression as he realized his mistake in not telling his master the previous night that he just came back from death.

'I should do this on my Master Sora...but then again, that would be disrespectful to Satella wouldn't it?'

("Don't fret all alone. Fight alongside the people who care about you. Don't forget that there are people who grieve when you die.")

'Satella...I'm idiot, aren't I?'

Subaru expected a response from her but all he heard was nothing. It was alright, he understood that she would just tell him the same words she did back in Echidna's tea party. He closed his eyes as he began to say,

"I didn't know what hit us. The heartless appeared in the courtyard. Just as we were going to take care of them, I suddenly came back here."

"Suddenly?" The keyblade master asked with a confused facial expression, not understanding what Subaru meant.

"The end of last loop was too brief. I didn't even know what caused me to di—lose."

"..." Sora stood silent as he didn't know how to process this yet he needed to get the two of them focused. "Did you find Flop?"

"...oh shot, I forgot to check somewhere. Wait here, Master."

As Subaru said this, he ran out of Medium's room to return back into Flop's room only to notice that someone was there this time.

'The hell is this person?'

Subaru had his sword out and ready for battle, he felt a threatening aura in two different directions. One in front of him while the other was behind him. Feeling the darkness behind, he quickly reacted by deflecting the attack thrown towards him. As he did this attack was an arrow with quite the aim.

'Shit! That was too close!'

Just as Subaru was barely able to dodge the attack, he felt something on his back side hitting him.

"Fu—ck!"

He turned around to try and stab the one that attacked him from behind only for his attack to completely fail. The man hidden within some bandages dodged the attack before pulling out a knife. The boy tried to stab the man once again but due to one of the arrows hitting his back side, he was left open for the man to slice the boy's throat.

"AHHH!"

Subaru shouted weakly in pain as his throat was hurting like hell. Feeling that a lot of blood was being lost, he knew it was a matter of time before this loop ends. He looked at the man in front of him with anger as he let go of his sword to summon his keyblade.

'I'm going to end this loop warning Master at the very least...meaning that I'll do this!'

"F—i—r—a!"

Subaru did this just in time, managing to shoot a fireball to the ground before the man hidden in bandages cut off his hand holding the keyblade. Subaru would've screamed in pain if his voice still worked.

The fireball hit the ground which caused the room to immediately set itself a blaze of fire. Sora was able to detect this and knew that something was wrong, prompting him to go to the hallway to check.

As he was there, he instinctively dodged an arrow thrown towards him before sensing a few sword attacks thrown his way.

Sora pulled out the sword given to him and deflected each attack, barely. As he was doing this, he saw someone jump out of the fire that was once Flop's room.

Sora noticed that this person was barely clinging on to life, prompting him to try and pull out Kingdom Key to hell the person only for the two attackers to continue their relentless attacks on him.

After a moment, Sora and the burned person on the ground locked eyes, Sora immediately realizing that this person was Subaru.

"Subaru..."

"M—M...ast...er..."

---

Subaru's life ended in misery as he died from the blood loss while also having been burned alive. He was returning to the checkpoint from last night, with Sora saying his declaration once again that he will protect him from death.

"No more..."

"..."

"I won't let you keep losing your life...no more, Subaru. I told you that I would do my best to stop you from dying and I meant it. I won't let another life be taken from you!"

"...a little late for that, Master." Subaru said as he was able to control the pain that was from his previous death. Sora noticed this, causing him to pause for a moment.

"Wh-What do y-you mean?" He asked with a worried tone of voice. Subaru closed his eyes as he knows this is going to be hard for his friend and master to hear.

"I just came back...from well, the previous loop."

"What?" Sora's eyes looked with shocked.

"Yes...this is my second time doing this. I think I know what we must do."

"...you do?" Sora spoke with horror in his eyes, feeling like a failure that he couldn't even save his closest friend. He closed his eyes as he allowed Subaru to explain the things that are to come.

"Flop and Medium are in deep trouble. Someone is going to harm our friends...Once again, I need you, Master. You are the only one capable of helping me stop this threat."

"...anything else?"

"The heartless will also appear but later on in the day, we will need to prepare for that battle as well."

"..."

Subaru noticed this silence, seeing that hearing that he had died once again must be filling Sora with extreme guilt. This caused Subaru to quickly act on this by patting his master in the shoulder while saying,

"I get it, you feel guilty."

"..."

"I know...that it must be hard feeling powerless but I really need your help."

"..."

"Without you...I'm nothing...I can't fight...hell, I can't even stand a few seconds without failing. I need my friend's help."

Sora looked at Subaru as he can tell that he is asking for his assistance, his strength, his friendship to get through the fight that's coming to them.

He closed his eyes and took this moment to burry the guilt, knowing that he needs to help Natsuki Subaru, not because he wants to make up for his failure on the previous loops but because he wants to, because his friend is asking for his assistance.

"Okay Subaru, I won't let you down!"

"I know you won't! You are the strongest person I know, I trust that with the two of us working together on this, we will make it through this loop I'm stuck in now."

Sora nodded at Subaru with determination before the two started to plan for a counterattack.

"First thing is that Flop and Medium are attacked for some reason. They were gone when we woke up so tonight we have to get out of here with them before the threat arrives."

"Then shouldn't we warn them right now?" Sora questioned since they don't know when this threat arrives.

"Not yet since we still need to have a plan for when the heartless arrive."

"What do you think we should do?"

"Hm..." Subaru crossed his arms as he took this moment to think on the first go round of things. The first one being that he was killed out of nowhere while the chaos of the heartless was going around.

The second death allowed him to realize that the attackers were a skilled killer who had two weapons, one that was used to attack his back side while the other was a knife. The second attacker was an archer, and a skilled one at that.

There was a third as he noticed someone was attacking Sora, vaguely. From what he could barely recall, it was one with a sword, which means that there were three attackers.

'Three attackers...three skilled attackers...one with a bow...another with a sword...and the last one being...are you fucking kidding me?'

Subaru opened his eyes in annoyance as he figured out how he possibly died in the first go around in Guaral.

"Master Sora. Todd, Jamal, and Larkin all three know we are here."

"Really? How?"

"I...don't know how but in the last loop, they attacked us. They knew we were here..."

'...because Flop and Medium.'

Subaru concluded to this since the two were missing. Although it is unknown whether or not they were killed in the events of that loop or the previous one, the fact that they are targets tells him that they should act now like Sora said.

"If we want to deal with the heartless, we will have to hide and wait for the right moment to attack. Going in just when the heartless have started to attack will for sure draw the attention of those three."

"...but we can't just let the people get hurt." Sora spoke as he worried of the casualties that may be caused should they do nothing. Subaru was aware of this, prompting him to say,

"I am aware of this, that's why we will ask Medium and Flop for their help. I think they will be willing to help us out should we talk to them about it."

"Alright. I understand. I think this plan will work...no, it will work."

"Yes, with you by my side, it will." Subaru said with a confident tone of voice. Sora took note of this confidence, filling him up with confidence as well while also managing to suppress more of the guilt he was feeling for allowing Subaru to die in the previous loops.

He nodded at Subaru before the two began their plan, knowing that they have to first talk to Flop and Medium while the two are still awake and safe. As the keyblade wielders were leaving Subaru's room, the boy closed his eyes as he had something in mind.

'I miss Emilia-tan.'

---

Author's Note:

Hello guys, it's been a while since I've done one of these for this story. So, the story is starting to expand a bit with some plot points going to last this entire arc. Since there is a lot I want to cover, it will take me time to write the long chapters so hopefully you all can wait just a little bit longer. On that note, I do want to say that I hope you all have a great start of 2022.