I don't own Kingdom Hearts. It belongs to Disney and Square! And here we are again the final step before our heroes' next clash with the darkness begins! Now, before we begin, let's reply to some reviews!
Nicochan11: The real question is, what happened to her? Has she already been dealt with? How does the Empire even know about the seven pure hearts? Do you think they would share controlling the universe with her? ;)
VaderSkywalker: True but let's not forget that Riku just gave in one in KH2. No wait, it just happened right there and then. Sure, one could argue that it was when Kairi touched Aqua's Keyblade but then again... they never really explained how Riku just gave her it that quickly rather than it appearing on her own. But don't worry, it will be mentioned in this chapter. And yes, she will learn of some of their feats, starting with this chapter! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Guest: Could be...
Is Og Ild: Let's be honest, it would totally happen in the cannon given the chance. Just come in half-sleepy in his pajamas in front of a royal figure. LOL XD And we'll start to see if Elsa will actually get a Keyblade in this chapter! :)
And with that out of the way, let's roll the chapter!
The next day came, and the three current Keyblade Wielders on the World of Arendelle decided to take a closer look at who killed the guard. Axel discreetly borrowed the poison dart in the evidence room. Seeking into Radiant Garden's Castle had its perks. Kairi spent some quality time with Anna to keep her busy.
Sora waited for Axel in one of the hallways. He leaned up against the wall with his arms crossed, playing on his GummiPhone. He was about to beat his high score in Giantland, when Axel returned, "Tada! One murder weapon successfully acquired!"
Pausing his game, he made a call to Disney Castle, "Hopefully Chip and Dale can get us some answers of which lackey Maleficent managed to recruit this time!"
After waiting for a few rings, Dale appeared on screen, "Hey! Sora!" He then looked away from the phone, "Hey, Chipper! Guess who decided to call!"
Suddenly, they could the quick steps of another chipmunk as Chip appeared on the Screen, "Hey, Sora! Aren't you and Axel supposed to be on vacation with Kairi's family reunion?"
"Is it even called a vacation when visiting someone else's family reunion?" Axel muttered to himself.
"Well, actually, we ran into so trouble," Sora answered, "Along with the Heartless, there's also an assassin here. And we don't think he's from this world."
"Really?" Chip gasped in shock.
Dale declared, "It has to be Maleficent! And that no good Pete! I mean, with Xehanort gone, who else could it be?"
"You've got something we can lead on to identify where the assassin is from?" The other GummiEngineer asked.
Axel presented the dart to the chipmunks, "He used this to kill one of the guards here!"
After a moment of thought, a slot opened up in the GummiPhone, as Chip instructed, "Place the dart in here. If we're lucky, we can identify where it's from and let you know what you're up against this time."
Shocked he never knew the slot was there until now, Sora took the dart from Axel, and placed on the slot, before finally closing it, "Like this?"
"Yup! We're already receiving plenty of data from it," Dale confirmed.
After a few minutes, the slot opened up again. Chip declared, "Alright, we should be able to identify where the murder weapon came from. But we'll need a half hour to figure it out."
"We'll call you back if we discover anything," Dale reassured the two.
"Alright," Sora smiled, "We're counting on you." With that, the call ended, and he sighed, "Guess all we can do is wait now."
Axel took back the dart, "I'll return the dart before anyone misses it."
"Great. Hopefully, we can figure out what Maleficent wants before things get too crazy," The savior of the universe smirked, "Maybe we can even find out if this has anything to do with that black box she's..."
He seemed to lose focus for a moment, from across the hallway, he saw the woman again, humming the same song he heard over the years, giving him a sad smile. He blinked and blinked again, and she was still there. He knew he wasn't dreaming. Axel unsure what Sora was looking at, "Um... hello? Arendelle to Sora? You there, man?"
"Uh... yeah..." The boy answered as he saw her turn around the corner and out of sight, "...I'll be right back!"
He then ran after the woman, leaving a confused Axel behind. Rubbing the back of his head, "Was it something I said?"
Just then, he heard someone clear their throat, he turned to see Gerda standing behind him, "Young man, I do believe it's your turn for fitting..."
"Sora's finished?"
She confirmed with a nod.
"And Kairi already did hers?"
Receiving a nod again, he turned to his hand, holding the poison dart, he mentally wondered if there was a nonfatal amount of poison left to get him out of this...
"Wait! Come back!" Sora exclaimed as he called out to the woman, who was no longer in sight, but continued the chase anyway. He finally stopped near the stairway, "Just... who are you?! Why have you been following me?!"
He received no answer he sighed, picking up his GummiPhone. Maybe Kairi was right. Heck, she usually is. It's very rare when she is wrong about something. Maybe he should contact Master Yen Sid or Ansem the Wise and get to the bottom of this...
...but Pete and Maleficent were still out there. With this assassin and the Heartless. But if he didn't say something now? Would she show up mid-battle or another important event and get him distracted? Make a terrible mistake?
"Sora?" He turned to the source of the voice to see that the soon-to-be Queen, looked upon him with concern. Honestly, he wasn't expecting to see her until tonight, but he guessed the commotion he made got her attention. Causing her to open the door. She asked him, "Are you alright? Who were you talking to just now?"
"It was..." Sora started to answer before shaking his head, "It was nothing. I thought I saw someone but it was nothing. Sorry to disturb you, your Majesty."
He gave a small bow before he turned to leave. She then spoke up, "Wait..." The teenager stopped where he stood, as she continued, "I still have many questions, about what happened to my sister years ago, and the magic that you can do... can you... answer some of them... I have to know."
Sora turned around with a smile, "Sure, what are friends for?"
He followed the Queen to her room, as she shut the door behind them. She then gestured to a chair in her room, "Please, sit..."
Sora sat down while Elsa sat on her bed. After a moment of silence, she spoke up, "About 12 years ago, my sister vanished while with our grandmother one day on a trip to Radiant Garden... we never heard a thing from here until recently, when Ansem revealed she ended up on your islands. Why didn't he say anything before? How'd she come she end up there of all places?"
"Oh, that's right," Sora crossed his arms, "I suppose you were going to learn this sooner or later, but considering what we're giving you to control your gift, I guess I can tell you now." She leaned in deeply interested, as he explained, "Just before you lost contact with Radiant Garden, an unconscious man appeared on the doorstep of the castle..."
Elsa tilted her head, wondering how this had to do with anything, as he continued, "Ansem discovered the stranger had no memory of his past other than his own name: Xehanort. He took the stranger in and made him his top apprentice, but that was a mistake. Xehanort betrayed Ansem, stole his name, and continued research his mentor abandoned, even leading his other apprentices in the coup."
"What does this have to do with my sister's disappearance?" Elsa wondered.
"Everything. The experiments Ansem tried to stop, brought the Heartless to the world," Sora revealed causing the Queen's eyes to widen in horror, "Radiant Garden fell, but Kairi managed to escape at the cost of her memory. We didn't learn about this until a couple of years ago."
"But even you're unsure how she got there," Elsa assumed as she lowered her head.
"We have a theory," Sora admitted causing her to look back up at him, "A Keyblade Master named Aqua met Kairi beforehand, and saved her life too. She cast a powerful spell on her in case something happened, she would end up with someone close to protect her. I guess that someone was me..."
"You?" She tilted her head before her eyes widened, "Oh, because of the Keyblade."
The teenage boy nodded as he placed a hand to his heart, "While I was not chosen at the time, my heart did reside with another Wielder of the Keyblade named Ventus. I gave his heart a safe place to heal within my own."
He then began to realize he was only confusing the future Queen even more, "Yeah, it's kinda my own power... I can keep hearts safe inside of me until there ready to return to their bodies. It's a strange power... I know..."
"It's okay," She reassured him, "I'm... still getting used to the idea that there are other kinds of magic out there... I'll fully understand it eventually... I hope." Clearing her throat, she asked him, "How did you come to know the name Xehanort?"
Sora frowned as he sighed, "A few years ago, Me, Riku, and Kairi planned to see the other worlds. We worked together on building a raft and we hoped to see where Kairi came from. But the Heartless kept us separated, and I just got the Keyblade. During my whole journey to find them, I had multiple encounters with Xehanort. Of course, at the time, I thought his name was Ansem. We've been enemies ever since."
"Okay," Elsa slowly nodded, "Then what happened to the real Ansem?"
"Honestly, we thought he died trying to help us stop Xehanort," Sora admitted, "But he survived and a few months back, reclaimed his title as Radiant Garden's ruler. I guess that's when he received Anna's letter. After we finally put an end to Xehanort's schemes."
Elsa seemed to be relieved at that part, Xehanort was no more. He figured he give her the full details on another day. Or just show on Jiminy's Journey. That seemed to help everyone keep up on everything prior to the Keyblade War. And afterward.
"That explains a lot actually," Elsa nodded, "So, with Xehanort gone, why are those Heartless still attacking?"
"It's the darkness in people's hearts that attracts them," Sora explained, "As long as there is a single person with darkness in the heart, the Heartless will continue to remain..." She proceeded to frown as Sora chuckled, "Don't worry. We've been dealing with the Heartless for years. It's our duty as Keyblade Wielders, soon, it'll be yours as well."
"Mine?" Elsa repeated in concern.
"Relax," Sora reassured her, "We won't force you to start the fight before you have control over your powers..."
That seemed to put her at ease slightly, "Good." Her eyes then narrowed, "Maybe then I can wipe the smug look off his face!"
"So, you didn't hit it off with Axel last night?" He assumed.
"I'm sorry, I know he's a friend of yours and Kairi but he's just so..." She apologized before getting frustrated.
"It's okay," He reassured her, "We didn't exactly get along at first either. But he's a loyal friend once you get to know him. Just give it time. I'll talk to him tonight. Try to take it down a notch before sparing with you again."
Elsa took a deep breath before nodding in apperception, "Thank you..."
"No problem," Sora reassured her, "It's what I do. And deal with that assassin that's bothering you."
"Sora... I don't think you should get involved..." She tried to protest.
"...because I think I know who hired 'em." Sora finished much to her shock.
"You do?" Elsa blinked, "Who?"
"Xehanort used many people for his schemes," The spiky boy answered, "The two with their own goals, however, are Pete and his boss, Maleficent."
"Maleficent?" She blinked in confusion.
"She's a witch. A real one," He explained, "Nasty and evil as they come. Had almost as many encounters with her as Xehanort. Pete's her lackey."
Elsa gasped in horror, "A witch!" She couldn't help but ask, "What did she do? What does she want?!"
"What hasn't she done," Sora questioned before answering her second question, "She's been trying to take over the world for years. I've stopped her before but it always turned out Xehanort used her one way or another. Here's the thing though, she's been unusually quiet lately, last I heard, she and Pete were looking for a mysterious black box."
"Black box?" The Queen whispered to herself.
"When I learned the information from Pete, I didn't think anything from it at the time, but Xehanort also seemed interested in it, even if it may not exist," Sora explained, "Whoever the assassin is after may know something of a black box. That's why I asked some friends of mine to take a look at that dart. To see what we could find about him... or her."
"Hold on... how did you..." The eldest sister of Kairi was about to ask before she realized, "It was Axel who took it, wasn't it?" Sora nodded as she sighed, "How soon can these friends of yours get back to you?"
Just as she asked Sora's Gummiphone began to ring. Elsa's eyes widened as she looked around for the source of the music. Sora laughed sheepishly as he pulled out the Gummiphone, "That be them now."
The Queen blinked in confusion, as she recognized that's where Sora had his notes from early this morning. He answered his phone and Chip appeared on the screen, "Sora! What the heck did you end up getting yourself into this time?!"
"Is... is that a talking Squirrel?" Elsa's eyes widened in disbelief, "In your box?!"
Dale then ran on screen with a smile, "Actually, there's two! And we're technically Chipmunks!"
"Wait a minute," Chip realized before he scolded, "Sora! What did we tell you about using that phone around people who haven't even come up with the concept yet? Do we need to talk about the World Order?"
Stunning Elsa more, Sora quickly explained, "Actually, this is Kairi's sister. She has recently been given the ceremony."
Both Chipmunks blinked before a smile appeared on their faces. Dale smiled, "Oh, why didn't you say so?"
"In that case," Chip smiled, "Welcome to the team, ma'am!"
Still stunned, Elsa gave a small wave, "Uh... thank you... nice to meet you..."
"So, why did you ask what I got myself into?" Sora wondered as Elsa leaned in to check out the strange device.
"Oh, right, Sora! What you're dealing with is no common assassin!" Chip warned the boy, "According to our data, the dart came from armor from Mandalorian Gear!"
"Fascinating..." Elsa whispered to herself, lightly tapping the Gummiphone, "How does this work?"
"Your Majesty, trying to focus here," Sora reminded her before turning to the GummiEngineers, "What exactly is a Mandalorian?"
"They're a group of trained warriors on the world of Mandalore," Chip explained, "They're armed to the teeth and skilled with any weapon."
"World? As in alien?" Elsa blinked in shock.
"Yeah, I'll explain later," Sora promised before turning back to Chip and Dale, "I fought all manner of people and monsters before, what makes them so special?"
"Their armor. The world has a unique metal called Beskar," Dale explained, "It's known for its high tolerance to extreme forms of damage."
"In its purest forms, the metal can even repel some of the strongest attacks," Chip warned the two, "In legend, it's said can resist most powerful spells and strikes from the Keyblade!"
Both Sora and Elsa's eyes widened in disbelief as the former gasped, "Woah! The metal is that strong?!"
"Yup," Dale nodded, "And it can only be found on their homeworld."
"Some have taken up the roles as Bounty Hunters," Chip explained, "Rather than many who just want to protect their homeworld."
"So, Maleficent must have hired one to do her own bidding," Sora realized, "She did promise Yuna, Rikku, and Pain treasure before they switched sides."
"If someone did hire one," Chip warned him, "It's probably not her."
"Huh?" Both Elsa and Sora gasped in shock.
"Mandalorians, if they do become Bounty Hunters, don't work cheap," Dale explained, "They only take up top-paying jobs, more the Maleficent has ever had, if any."
"But the Heartless..." Sora rubbed his head, "If Maleficent hired him, then who did? Who else has control over the Heartless?"
Both GummiEngineers crossed their arms and hummed in thought, as Elsa began to think herself, she turned to the teen, "Hey, Sora?" The boy turned to her as she proceeded to ask, "Has this witch made alliances before?"
"Oh, sure," Sora nodded, "On my first journey, she had a bunch of villains from all over working with her."
"Okay, so what if you had the right idea, but she wasn't the one who hired this Bounty Hunter, instead someone who works for her did," Elsa thought aloud, "Someone like a corrupt politician, who would certainly have a large amount of wealth."
"Say, that would make more sense," Dale nodded, "Like a King, or a Prince..."
"Oh, I see what you're saying," Sora realized, "Maleficent could still be behind the Heartless, but it was her ally here, that hired this Mandalorian."
The Queen nodded. Chip proceeded to speak, "Well, guess that solves one mystery. Still, be careful out there. If you end up fighting this guy, aim for the parts not covered in armor, Sora."
Sora nodded before Elsa shook her head, "Wait, maybe you should leave this Bounty Hunter to my guard. He sounds too dangerous."
Chip and Dale blinked as the latter stated, "You serious?" He then turned to Sora, "You haven't told her?"
"Told me what?" Elsa blinked in confusion, "I know Sora's skilled with a blade, probably the best I've seen but I don't think he'd stand a chance against this Bounty Hunter."
"Oh, Sora's being far too modest on that," Chip pointed out, "You're looking at the guy who saved the universe three times over."
The eldest sister of Kairi was stunned by this news, as she turned to Sora in disbelief. He merely shrugged, "If I had told you, would you have believed me?" He then turned to Chip and Dale, "Besides, it was a team effort. I doubt I would have gotten far without my friends by my side."
Elsa blinked again. Guess she was still in the process of finding out that he played a large part in saving the entire universe. Three times over. He supposed it was hard to take in if you're new to all of this. Chip then turned to the Queen, "Regardless, you're in good hands. If anyone can stop a Bounty Hunting Mandalorian, it'd be Sora."
"Anyways," Dale turned to Sora, "Let us know there's anything else you need anything else."
With that, the phone went blank, and Sora put away the device. He smiled, "Well, now we know what we're up against." The Queen merely continued to stare at him, "...what?"
"You saved the universe?" She asked him.
"Like I said it was a team effort, but yes," The teenager admitted.
"Three times?" She continued.
"Yup!" The boy nodded.
"..." Elsa merely continued to stare at him, "...you?"
"Okay, why is that so hard to believe?" Sora generally wondered.
"I'm sorry but..." She started before asking him, "...how old were you when you first made this accomplishment?"
"Fourteen," He answered.
"Well, isn't that a bit young to risk one's life for the safety of... everything?" She asked him.
"Why, yes," Sora smiled as he nodded, "Yes, it is."
Elsa blinked once again, as she shook it off, "Okay, I guess this is the new normal..." She cleared her throat, "Anyway, how are you not shocked that these Mandalorians are from another world? Another planet?"
Sora knew this topic was coming around. He sighed asking her, "Do you know remember your grandmother's story? The one she used to tell Kairi?"
"Oh, that was Kairi's favorite story," She recollected before nodding, "Of course, I remember it. Why are you asking?"
Sora turned to Elsa with a serious expression, "The legend is true." Elsa's eyes widened in disbelief, as he continued, "It is a common belief that people believe the only world, the one they live on, is all there is, and yet, you can see them every night. You see them shining in the evening sky."
"The stars... they're...?" Elsa gasped in disbelief.
"Other worlds," Sora explained, "The light is their hearts, shining brown on us. However, they're not easy to travel to. The Islands. Radiant Garden. Those are other worlds."
Elsa blinked in shock, "Wait, are you saying... all this time... Kairi's been on another planet?
"That is exactly what I'm saying," Sora confirmed with a nod, "Kinda... the worlds were once one, but when darkness consumed everything... the children rebuilt the worlds... separated and distant from each other. I'm no more alien than you are. Still very much human."
"But... impossible for anyone to get to... right..." The Queen slowly realized before wondering, "But if that's the case... how did Grandma... and the letters..."
"I actually have a friend, who has an uncle who is a rich entrepreneur who tried to start a transit system to across other worlds and I believe he did the same with mail," Sora explained, "I guess we have him to thank for that."
Elsa didn't seem to understand what it was at first before slowly nodding, "Okay... I guess that explains a few things... still have a lot of questions."
"Jiminy wrote journals chronically our adventures," The teenager reassured her, "He put it on all our GummiPhones as well. I'll talk to Chip and Dale to see if they can provide you with one as well. It should answer anything other questions regarding the other worlds and our journey."
The Queen smiled in apperception, "Thank you..."
"Anything else I can do for you," Sora asked her.
"Actually, a few things came to mind," Elsa admitted, "Did... when you first got your powers... have you ever lost control?"
"Oh, sure," He admitted, "I can't tell you how many times I accidentally set Donald's tail on fire or froze Goofy's legs... by accident..."
"Donald's tail?"
"He's a duck." Sora quickly explained.
"Oh," She blinked recalling the talking chipmunks, talking ducks didn't seem as strange by comparison, "Okay... how about exactly did you..."
"Get the hang of things?" Sora assumed before answering, "Donald and Goofy were constantly supportive and I had a lot of good mentors. Phil taught me how to use my Keyblade properly and Merlin helped me gain control over my magic. It also took a lot of practice but I got the hang of these powers in practically no time!"
"So..." She slowly nodded, "You think I have a chance of controlling this burden?"
"Elsa... You're powers are not a burden..." The teenager sighed, "From what you told us, it was just an accident..."
"An accident that could have cost Anna's life," The Queen pointed out.
"And yet, she's okay," He counterpointed, "Besides, you were a kid. No one with common sense would have blamed you for something that was just an accident." He gave her a friendly smile, "You remind me of a friend of mine."
Elsa recalled the events of last night and the name Kairi mentioned, "Riku... he also struggled with his powers?"
"In a way, yes," Sora nodded before admitting, "You know, the Keyblade I wield, it was meant for Riku." Elsa looked to him stunned, "That's right. I was never meant to wield the Keyblade, Riku was supposed to be the better candidate."
"What happened?" She wondered.
"He... we were planning to see where Kairi came from, explore the other worlds. That was our dream." Sora explained, "But Riku... he started to get desperate, and made deals with Maleficent and Xehanort... and he opened his heart to darkness."
Elsa's eyes widened in horror, as Sora explained, "Since I held the values Keyblade Weilder, the Keyblade ended up with me instead. Riku didn't take that well, and did a lot of things he's come to regret as a result." He looked to her with a Grimm expression, "Xehanort's Heartless took advantage of that and possessed Riku for a time."
Elsa's eyes widened in horror, "He... possessed him..."
Sora nodded as he continued to explain, "Even after his defeat by my hand, his Heartless continued the haunt him. As a result, Riku feared his own power, and feared that he would lose control over it like you do now."
"What changed?" The Princess asked him.
"When Kairi and I reunited with him, he looked like Xehanort when he was in control but was still Riku in heart. Apparently, he was helping us in the shadows, but was ashamed to show his face. He didn't want us to see what he had become, but we never gave up on him." Sora explained before smiling, "Now, he's back to his old self, his powers are under his control, and he's more than made up for what he's done. He's now a respected Keyblade Master. If he could pull it off, I don't see why you can't."
Elsa blinked in disbelief before smiling in apperception, "Thank you. I can't say I fully understand yet, but I'm glad your friend is doing well now."
Sora chuckled before asking her, "So, any luck with the Keyblade yet?"
Elsa frowned as she shook her head, "Nothing..." She explained, "You, Kairi, and Axel make it look so easy. I tried doing the way you do it but even without the gloves, I just have my own power."
"Hey, that's totally normal. Axel had trouble materializing his own at first too," He reassured her, "Perhaps I can help. Could you explain your process of trying?"
"Um, sure," Elsa nodded as she removed one of her gloves, "I removed one of my gloves, then I stretched forth my hand, and try calling out to it..."
As Sora watched her do as she retraced her steps, however, no Keyblade appeared in her hand. She sighed in defeat before admitting, "I don't know what I'm doing wrong..."
"Okay, quick question," The Keyblade Wielder asked the future Queen, "When calling out to your Keyblade, were you using your head or your heart?"
"Um... head..." She answered, "Was... I supposed to use my heart?"
"Yep!" The boy nodded with a smile on his face, "That's exactly what you should be using!"
"Sora... you must understand... I've tried to keep my emotions in check for years," Elsa pointed out, "You expect me to just let it go? It's not that easy?"
"I'm not saying it is," Sora smile remained, "But you can make it easier!" Still seeing how unsure of herself, he asked her, "Do you have a dream?"
"A... dream...?" She repeated before thinking about it, "To get my powers under control?"
"No, no... that's what you want," Sora shook his head, "I'm talking about something you wish to achieve!" He then gave a light tap on his chest, "With all of your heart!"
Elsa closed her eyes for a moment. After a long moment of silence, she smiled, "I... I wish... to play with Anna again..."
"Good. Good," The Keyblade Weilder nodded, "Keep going..."
"To let Kairi join us in the sun and open up the gates," She continued with her smile remaining, "With no fear of what's to come! Make new friends, become a great ruler as my parents were! Enjoying building snowmen with my family!"
"Perfect!" Sora beamed as he nodded, "Now, reach out for it..." Without the glove in her hand she stretched out her hand, "...with all of your heart!"
Suddenly, light and snow seemed to mike before grew and transformed into a long beam of light. And with a final flash, a Keyblade made of ice appeared in her hand. The handle of the blade resembled a palace of ice and on the keychain was a friendly looking snowman. He chuckled, "You might want to open your eyes now, your Majesty."
Puzzled, she slowly peeked an eye open before both eyes widened as she stared at the Keyblade before her, "What...?" She looked to Sora in disbelief, "Is this...?"
"Yep!" Sora proudly beamed, "A Keyblade of your very own! Congratulations!"
As she observed her newly acquired Keyblade, a small chuckle came out, "Wow..." She took a few swings out of it before smiling, "Just wait until next time I go up against Axel!"
"That's the spirit!" He cheered as he hopped off his chair, "I'll let Axel and Kairi know so you know how to use your magic through the Keyblade tonight, so you'll be ready first thing tomorrow for your Coronation, your Majesty!"
He turned to leave back the way he came, when he heard the Queen speak up, "Elsa..."
"Hmmm?" Sora turned to her in confusion.
"Call me Elsa," She told him with a smile as her Keyblade vanished.
"Oh, okay..." Sora smiled and nodded, "You think you could let the others know you said I can call you by name..." He slightly blushed in embarrassment, "I have a little bad habit of not doing all the proper educate for being around royalty..."
"How often does it happen?" Elsa couldn't help but wonder. Sora merely rubbed his head, which pretty much summed up to her that he did it quite frequently. Shaking her head in amusement, "I'll let them know. Thank you..."
Sora merely chuckled, "Hey, what are friends for?"
"Friends..." She slowly repeated, "...it's... nice to have some again..." She then wondered, "...by the way, before you came in here, it sounded like you were looking for someone. Who were you looking for?"
Looking down, the thought of that mysterious woman recalled what he saw before Elsa asked him for help. Forcing a smile, he shook his head, "It was nothing. I thought I saw someone, but there was no one there."
The Queen didn't seem entirely convinced but ultimately just shrugged it off, "If you say so... I'll see you tonight then."
Sora gave a nod as he told her, "May your heart be your guiding key." Blinking in confusion, as Sora explained, "It's an old saying Keyblade Wielders say to each other... to follow the guidance their heart gives... hopefully in the right path anyway..."
Elsa smiled and nodded, "Alright then... thank you. ...to you as well... I guess..."
Sora chuckled as he left the room, he turned around the corner to where the woman vanished only for her to appear again. Alert, he was about to say something when the woman placed a finger on her lips as if she were shushing him. She then finally spoke with a soft voice, "It's almost time... our worlds will finally clash with each other... be ready, Sora... he is coming."
"Huh?" Sora blinked in confusion. The woman didn't speak to him too often. Other that haunting lullaby, she hardly said a word. This was different though, her worlds? Where was she from? Who did she mean by he? What did he have to be ready for? All these questions floated in his head until with a flash of light, the woman vanished leaving Sora on his own once again.
Just who was this woman? Just then, several footsteps could be heard, as Kairi approached him, "Hey, Sora! You just missed the struggle to get Axel fitted for the Coronation! It was hilarious!" However, when she didn't get a response, she blinked in concern, "Sora?"
After another moment, she realized, "It happened again didn't it? She was here..."
"Well... I..." Sora finally came out of his thoughts but was unable to figure out a proper sentence. He finally sighed in defeat, confirming Kairi suspicions.
Placing a hand on his shoulder, she suggested, "This is getting way too frequent. We should call the King and Master Yen Sid and..."
"Not yet," Sora shook his head, "Elsa just learned how to materialize her Keyblade, the Coronation is tomorrow, and we just got a glimpse of an idea of this Bounty Hunter that's on this world."
Kairi blinked in confusion, "Bounty Hunter?"
"We think someone who was invited to Elsa's Coronation hired him," Sora revealed, "Whatever's going on with me can wait."
"Are you sure?" The Princess of Heart asked him, "What if this woman shows up when we have to fight this guy or the Heartless? It could throw you off-"
"It can wait," He said again turning to her, "I promised you. After the Coronation, I'll speak to them. I promised you that, Kairi."
Kair crossed her arms, she didn't like it, "Fine. But if it happens again during an important situation then I'm calling Riku and we'll drag you to Master Yen Sid if we have to."
Blinking in shock, she lightly chuckled, "That's fair... but let's not bring this up to your sister just yet... she's worried enough as it is."
The red head smiled back nodding, unaware that the soon to be Queen over heard the conversation from the other side of the door...
Later than evening, the four met up where they were the other night. Elsa presented her Keyblade to the others. Gesturing to her, she gave a soft, "Tada..."
Kairi cheered as she clapped for her, "Alright, Elsa! We knew you could do it!"
"Yeah, it certainly didn't take as long as it did for me," Axel nodded, "Might be a new record even."
Elsa blinked in confusion, maybe because she was unfamiliar with the term record. Instead she asked, "How long does it usually take?"
"Umm..." Kairi hesitated before admitting, "Roughly ten years... Depending on age..."
Elsa's eyes widened as her Keyblade vanished, "You mean to tell me this could have taken ten years to get one of these things?!"
"But it didn't!" Sora beamed, "Besides, you'd likely worry if we told you that possibility earlier." He then gestured to her, "Doesn't matter now. You have one now. We can finally move on to the next step."
"What's that?" The soon to be the Queen wondered.
"Using your magic through the Keyblade," Kairi answered, "So, that you won't unintentionally use them with just your bare hands..."
"Oh, right," Elsa nodded before wondering, "What am I aiming for then."
"I tried to get some spare barrels and vases this morning," Sora spoke up before frowning, "But I couldn't get my hands on any..."
"Fortunately," Kairi smiled, "Axel has graciously volunteered to be your target!"
"Oh..." Elsa nervously smiled, "Joy..."
"Relax, Snowflake," Axel walked towards the trees in the distance, "I won't be fighting back this time..."
"...and you'll be on your best behavior," Sora added as he crossed his arms, "Right, Axel?"
"Yeah, yeah, I've got it memorized," The former Organization member nodded.
Elsa mouthed Sora another, 'Thank you.'
Nodding in response, Sora went with Kairi as they sat upon a log. Elsa summoned her Keyblade as Sora instructed, "Now, what your going to do, is use your ice magic, but this time... your going to channel it through your Keyblade."
"And the goal is to hit Axel," Kairi added, "Try to avoid hitting anything else within the forest."
"Okay," Elsa nodded as she aimed her Keyblade at Axel.
The fire user smirked as he gave a taunting grin, "Bring it on, Snowflake!"
Sora groaned, his little chat with him apparently went through one ear and out the other, "Axel..."
"What?" He shrugged acting innocent.
Elsa's eyes narrowed with determination, aiming her new Keyblade at him, she focused her power through the Keyblade and fired her ice magic at the fire user... only for it to hit the tree beside him. He called out, "Missed!"
The Queen groaned in frustration and projected another icy blast towards the former member of the Organization...
Axel smirked as he pulled up his wrist to look at a non-existent watch, lightly patting his foot as another icy blast struck the ground. He told her, "A little to the left..."
This time the ice stopped below his feet, "A little higher..."
The ice magic zoomed bast the very tips of his hair, "Too high..."
Snowflake merely groaned in frustration as she aimed her Keyblade at him yet again. An hour had passed and she was nowhere near closer to actually hitting him. The lovebirds watched as the Elsa continued to practice using her power. Soon enough, after another missed blast, the spiky hair boy asked, "So... who do you think Maleficent convince to join her little schemes?"
"Trying to focus here," Snowflake spoke up as she casted another ice blast.
"Hey, I think I felt it this time!"
The naive Queen perked up, "Really?"
"No!" Axel smirked.
Blonde groaned in frustration as Sora looked to her with sympathy, "Sorry! I thought I reached him that time!"
She sighed rubbing her eyes before answering his question from before, "To answer your question, I'm not quite sure myself... Arrendelle has many business partners and alliances but my parents knew them better than I do. I never met them personal because..." She then gestured to herself, "You know."
"Okay, so it very well could be anyone," Kairi realized before adding, "Or at least anyone rich enough to hire a Mandalorian Bounty Hunter."
"Numerous of guests fit that description," Snowflake replied, "And as far as I know... have nothing against Arrendelle."
"Maleficent had to convince 'em somehow," Axel spoke up getting everyone's attention, "Who knows? Maybe she offered 'em something they couldn't resist. Or perhaps they're interested in that Black Box she was interested in and Arendelle holds a clue how to find it."
"Guess while the party is going on tomorrow, we'll have to do a discrete investigation to find out who it is," Sora suggested, "Or find the Bounty Hunter first and make him tell us who hired him..."
"...or her! Could be a her!" Axel lifted a finger only to be hit by Elsa's ice magic.
"Ha!" Snowflake cheered, "I got you!"
"Only my finger!" The red head smirked as the ice already melted, "Doesn't count!"
"Oh, that is completely ridiculous!" She snapped before calming herself, "Well, we should discuss it before we make a move or call the guard. If we're get it wrong, we could start an international incident, and one of the last thing I want to do as my first night as Queen is to start a pointless war."
"Don't worry, I'm a pretty good judge of character," Sora reassured her, "If someone is acting suspicious, I'll know. And Axel knows how to snoop around unseen, he could find someone who made a deal with the darkness."
Kairi smiled as she placed a hand to her heart, "And I have an ice up my sleeves, I will be able to tell as well." She then added, "Still, we won't make a move unless we're all in agreement..."
"...or if the guy summons the Heartless," Sora pointed out, "Whichever comes first."
Snowflake sighed as her Keyblade vanished, "It won't matter anyway... I have a Keyblade and I'm nowhere closer to keeping these powers under control."
Sora then lifted up a pinecone and a stick, before tossing them over to snowflake, "Catch."
Blonde, shocked at the sudden toss, quickly caught the two items thrown at her. She asked the teenage boy, "What was that for?" Suddenly the lovebirds smiled brightly, confusing the poor woman, "What? What are you two smiling about?"
"Elsa... look..." Her youngest sister pointed to her hands.
Blinking in confusion, she observed the objects she caught, and much to her surprise... there wasn't any ice on them. Not even a trace of frost. Snowflake looked to them in disbelief, "Wait... I... did it?" Even Axel couldn't help but smile at her, "But I only barely hit... how..."
"The goal was for you to use your ice magic through your Keyblade," Sora explained, "We didn't actually expect you to hit Axel with them... just have an alternative method of using them."
"And I think it's safe to say, your more than ready for tomorrow," Kairi smiled brightly.
A faint laugh escaped from Elsa's mouth, looking at the objects again, still unfrozen. She then cheered, "YES!"
This time ice consumed them objects, causing her to wince, before Kairi added, "Maybe don't get too excited... just until your used to it at this point..."
Dropping the now frozen objects, she nodded, "Yeah... that's... that is doable..."
"Alright, let's celebrate," Axel smirked before pulling out four sea salt ice cream bars, "The icing on the cake!"
"Sweet! Ice Cream!" Sora beamed as the fire user gave one to the each of them.
Snowflake stared at her ice cream, as Axel asked, "Not your fav, huh?"
"Er... no... it's fine... it's just..." She tried to be polite despite the way he acted earlier, "...a little getting used to..."
"Hmmm..." Axel thought for a moment.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Knowing Axel," Kairi smiled, "Probably trying to guess your favorite ice cream flavor..."
"Maybe chocolate..." He hummed, "Nah... too simple... something tells me you into a more unique flavor..."
Snowflake blinked as her youngest sister finished, "...even if you never had that flavor is yourself."
"What's wrong with just a simple-"
Suddenly, Axel placed a finger on her lips, "Ah, Ah, Ah! No hints!"
Snowflake merely gave him an annoyed expression, while the lovebirds merely enjoyed their icy treat. The teenage boy just patted her on the shoulder, "Just enjoy your first steps to controlling your gift tonight and that your ready to get ready for your big day."
"Yep!" Axel nodded taking a bite of his ice cream, "Hopefully all that annoyance of preparation will be all worth it."
"Oh, thank God, you finally have a grip of decent-" Snowflake began before realizing, "...you were referring to the fitting for your outfits, weren't you?"
"Hey, cut me some slack," Axel raised his hands in defense, "I'm not really into that fancy dressing stuff."
"We're guys," Sora added, "What can we say?"
Snowflake sighed as she clutched her forehead, Kairi reassured her, "Hey! I'm sure you'll do great tomorrow! And if you still want us to help you get a handle on your powers, you can always let us and some of our other friends help train you."
A small smile appeared on her face, "Thank you." She even turned to the guys, "All three of you... I'm almost certain I would have started an eternal winter without your help."
All three of her fellow Wielders of the Keyblade nodded, before Axel stretched his arms, "You know what I'm call it! It's going to be a long day tomorrow!"
"True," Kairi nodded, "There's a good chance that Bounty Hunter and the Heartless will show up tomorrow... we'll need to be the top of our strength tomorrow."
Snowflake nodded, taking a small bite of her ice cream, "And what of me? I can't fight like the three of you can... and I'm unsure the guard will be able to handle an army of monsters and an Bounty Hunter. What should I do to help?"
"Oh, I have another brilliant idea," The spiky hair teen raised his hand.
"Another brilliant ideas from Sora? In two nights in a row?" Axel was skeptical, "Why push our luck?"
"Come on, Axel," Kairi defended her 'totally not boyfriend,' "The Keyblade ended up working well, let's hear what he has to say."
Deciding to be the tiebreaker, Snowflake turned her attention to Sora, "What is this idea of yours?"
Sora brightened up as he answered, "You can use one of my Heartbinder!"
"Oh, that is a good idea, Sora!" The Princess of Heart beamed.
"Huh?" Axel shrugged, "Guess it could work..."
"Umm... I'm sorry but..." Snowflake hesitated to ask, "What's a Heartbinder?"
"Basically, if your in trouble," Kairi smiled, "You can use one to call a friend to help you out... even if they're a world away."
Blonde hummed in thought as Sora went through his Heartbinders, he paused for a moment when he found one, he looked up to Snowflake, "How good are you at swimming?"
Taken back by the seemingly random question, Snowflake gave him a puzzled face, "Uhhh... I spend the last 14 years in my room in isolation..."
"Yeah... I'll keep looking..." The teenage boy was about to put said Heartbinder back.
Just then, Kairi asked him, "Actually, could I have that one? I never received one before the war."
"War?" Snowflake gasped in concern.
"Oh, sure, Kairi," The boy smiled brightly as he tossed over the Ocean Heartbinder.
"Hey," Axel raised his hand in protest, "You're giving your girlfriend one, and Snowflake one, but not me?!"
"Wha...?!" Sora face turned as red as Kairi's hair and the latter soon followed, "But... Kairi and I... we're not...!" Snowflake glanced back and forth between the two, likely gathering that wasn't the case, not officially anyway. The boy sighed, "Look if you wanted one so bad, why didn't you ask for one?"
"I could have done that?" The long spiky hair redhead asked.
Snowflake facepalmed. While Sora sighed as he pulled out the Pride Binder, "Look, you can have one if you want. I'm sure Simba is more than willing to lend you a hand- er paw, if you really need it."
"Sure, why not," Axel shrugged to himself as he accepted the Heartbinder as Snowflake looked puzzled when Sora said paw instead of hand.
As he went to look for one for the soon to be official Queen, Kairi told him, "Try to get her one that won't unintentionally destroy the castle or freak people out."
"Right, so Stitch and Ralph wouldn't be good options," The spiky hair teen nodded before nodding, "Which just leaves this one."
He then pulled out the Dream Heartbinder, he smiled, "Yeah, this will do." He then offered it to Snowflake, "Here."
After staring at it for a moment, Elsa accepted the Heartbinder, and couldn't help but notice the Dream Eater symbol on it. It was unfamiliar to her unlike the more experienced Keyblade Wielders, "How... how does it work?"
"Just simply call upon them within your heart and A friend will be there," Sora instructed, "Pretty simple. Oh, and try keeping an eye out for more. You never know who will be willing to fight with you as a new friend."
Snowflake stared at the Heartbinder for another moment before placing it away, "Noted." She sighed as she turned back to the castle, "Okay, now let's start heading back. It'll be a big day tomorrow."
Axel yawned as he walked ahead of the group, "Yeah... hope I have a chance to sleep right through this craziness..."
"Oh no," Snowflake glared at the fire user, "You're here so I expect you to be up bright and earlier!"
"Yeeash, Snowflake, you can be almost as bad as Isa sometimes..."
"STOP CALLING ME SNOWFLAKE!"
"YOU GOT IT BLONDE!"
"UGH!"
Kairi shook her head in amusement, as she went to follow the two back to the castle, when she noticed Sora wasn't following. Turning back, she spotted him looking up to the evening sky. She asked in concern, "Sora? You coming?"
"Yeah..." He nodded, "I just... something's coming. Something big. And dark."
Kairi wanted to protest, tell him he was wrong but now that he mentioned it... she could feel it too. She sighed, "It's probably Maleficent. C'mon. We'll deal with her tomorrow, then finally we can go back to our vacation."
"Yes," The Keyblade hero nodded, "Finally..."
He then followed one of his oldest friends back to the Kingdom just as a massive Corridor of Darkness opened up in the sky and a massive ship came out of it...
Floating in a tank of bacta, the fire scar limbless warrior floated as he thought about the past few weeks since he discovered this strange new power. The legends were confirmed to be true. And now, the Bounty Hunter he hired has lead him to the four Princess of the purest heart. With all seven, he would gain a source of all power and knowledge.
Knowledge to regain what he had lost, and bring Order to the universe. Of course, they had their own guardians, but they would be no match for him and the power he already commands.
Just then, the voice of Vaneé spoke to him, "My lord, we approaching the new world now. Boba Fett is ready to make his report and requests your presence."
The Dark Lord lifted his head and opened his eyes. Narrowing with anger, he mentally activated the machine the drain the tank of the bacta. Once completely drained, the tank was lowered into the ceiling above. The machines did their work as they placed mechanical limbs were his used to be. Soon after his life support systems, armor, and black cape were placed upon him. Finally, his helmet lowered down and sealed himself with in his own armor.
With that, the mechanical breathing helped with supply himself with oxygen. Turning to the table aside from him, he saw where his weapon was placed. Reaching out to it, it came flying into his hand as he clipped on to his belt.
Marching past his cloaked servant, the automatic doors opened, where several of his white armored soldiers stood at attention. Waiting for the command of the Emperor's right hand. The Dark Lord of the Sith. Darth Vader...
(And cue the Imperial March)
And that will conclude today's chapter! Good news, Elsa has a Keyblade and has better control over her power than before. Bad news, Vader is here with a huge army. That's not even mentioning the Heartless! As the Coronation begins, Anna believes she found the love of her life! Will things play out the exact same as the film or will there be a new twist in here? And what happens when the Empire makes their presence known?
Stay tuned!
Oh, and the ice cream moment is a reference to Is Og Ild's Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza. Check out this author's stuff when you get a chance, as well as the author's community: Fire and Ice and Everything Nice!
On that note, has anyone else played the new Spider-Man game yet? Loving it so far! And we finally got the Missing Link news! Hopefully more will follow!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Be sure to leave a review! Also, if you haven't already, be sure to leave a fav. and follow as well! See ya real soon!