Chapter 79: Master and Jester

Sora felt the soles of his feet become damp from the wet ground. It was cold, befitting of the world's atmosphere – that same cold the Heartless emitted like icy breath. Out of every world the trio have visited, this one was by far the most bizarre. A placed cobbled together like Frankenstein's monster: ineffable.

The water below their feet was crystal clear. Any second, Sora thought he'd fall into the sky. But it was imperative that he remained focused. The illogical must become adaptable. Sora and Luigi followed Yoshi, who used his nose to trace Ansem's scent.

"So, what are you gonna do once you're back home?" Sora asked Yoshi.

"Pie room," Yoshi said without missing a beat.

"Uh, perhaps you can be a bit more specific than that," Sora said, giving him a perplexed look.

"Me no stutter," Yoshi said. "Yoshi been inspired by delicious golden crust! Every house will have a pie room installed! Me can make it happen! Yoshi friends with a princess!"

Sora chuckled. "Not sure she'd be on board with abusing her power like that."

"Fate has told Yoshi go fish once again," Yoshi said, disappointed.

"You two never cease to make my moustache twitch in confusion," Luigi said. "Here we are – on the Heartless' home turf, about to engage in a battle that will decide the fate of every world, and you two are once again having a conversation as if you're at the supermarket. What's the deal?"

"Well, it helps alleviate that nervous feeling of anticipation," Sora said. He smiled. "You should try it. May do wonders for you."

"It not like one of your spooky mansion visits," Yoshi said. "We both here with you."

"Not sure if that's an improvement or not," Luigi said, in a teasing tone. Sora and Yoshi frowned at him. Luigi started laughing. "Just kidding! Say, this does work wonders! Seeing the look on your faces does improve my mood."

Yoshi leaned into Sora, whispering, "Me think this was big mistake to give him that much power."

Sora concurred with a nod.

"So, what else should we talk ab—" Luigi was interrupted as a giant shadow appeared under the three. They looked up to see a massive purple sphere of energy. The outer ring was pitch black. Purple electricity discharged from the sphere, hissing, as to warn the trio of its inexorable descend.

Luigi's eyes bulged out in a panic. "Keep the conversation going! Isn'tthisplacegrand?!RemindsmeofapaintingIoncesawinanartmuseumNothingbutpurplespirals. It'slike,howmuchmorepurplecanthispaintingbe?AndtheanswerisnoneNonemorepurpleSomeonemusthaveastronglikingforgrapesGrapesareasnackIfrequentlyenjoyNotwhenI'mabouttobecrushedbyagiantdarkballofenergyPleaseletmelivethroughthisI'llforeverhaveanewappreciationforthecolorpurpleI'lldomynailspurpleinitshonorI'llfillmydrawerswithpurpleunderwear!"

The group tried to run, but they were consumed by the giant sphere. Darkness' shutters blinded the group's vision for a moment. But they soon raised themselves, revealing a new area. The ground had bright, white hair in the form of snow. It was about an inch in length, allowing for easy maneuverability through the flakes.

Surrounding the trio were small purple mountains with flat tops. Some of the rock formations, however, had different colors, such as light greens and pinks. They were in a strange canyon – a place that could only be fabricated from the wealthiest of creative minds. Every cent went into the production of such a mystical image.

Everyone glanced around the area. It seemed endless. There were various crevasses that formed a path. But which one was correct? One could spend hours lost in the variegated maze of stone and rubble.

Luigi looked up at the sky, sighing in relief. "Mama-mia! My heart can't take much more of this. Last time I listen to your advice."

"That was an extreme circumstance," Sora said, rolling his eyes with a smile. "We'll be fine as long as we keep moving."

Suddenly, Heartless appeared in front of the group. Luigi glared at Sora. "Stop making things worse. I'm already hearing the flatline as we speak."

Some of the Heartless included were the ones with the shields; other types were akin to demons. This ambush wasn't a shock to anyone. Ansem would do everything in his power to prevent them from reaching him. Despite the strength these Heartless wielded, Sora and his friends would persevere. Life itself was at stake. The trio would never see their friends again if they conceded to the odds.

They would not let their last thoughts be of failure.

One of the demonic Heartless thrusted their blade straight at Sora. The boy swung straight down, deflecting the strike. He pressed his hand against the Heartless' chest, unleashing a powerful Fire spell. The creature flailed around in agony, as a paroxysm of angry flames bit their hot teeth into its skin. Sora spun around to face another demon Heartless, but it elbowed him in the cheek.

The boy stumbled backwards; he hurried to regain his footing as the Heartless raised its blade with both hands. But suddenly, the creature's wrists were trussed within a pink, slimy rope: Yoshi's tongue. The Heartless struggled to move, but Yoshi's grip was too strong. A shield Heartless ran over to ram right at the dinosaur. Luigi leaped in front of the creature, swinging inward into its shield, bring a surcease to movement.

He went on the offense with a powerful uppercut straight into the shield, knocking it into the sky. Luigi continued his assault, paralyzing the Heartless with a Thunder spell. He finished off his devastating combo by knocking the creature aside with his hammer.

Meanwhile, thanks to Yoshi's succor, Sora had no trouble eliminating the demon Heartless that attacked him earlier. Feeling a familiar cold presence, Sora spun around to see the demon Heartless he set on fire earlier preparing to attack again, delivering an over the shoulder strike. Sora caught the Heartless' blade with his own, at a horizontal angle. The boy pushed the creature away, and unleashed a Blizzard spell, freezing the Heartless' leg.

The sudden addition in weight impeded the Heartless' ability to fly. Its advantage had been immured within ice. Yoshi ran over, delivering an uppercut with his shield, hitting the Heartless in the chin. Sora finished the creature off with one focused toss of the Keyblade. The Heartless disintegrated into black particles, which were strewn throughout the area by gravity's exhale of downwind.

It seemed the battle was over. They had everything under control. But they had been belied by the sudden quietude. Scions of the fallen Heartless had appeared, fueled by revenge's ignoble desires. One of them was a bell-shaped creature comprised of glass. Much like its brethren, the creature was branded with the familiar Heartless symbol. They had angelic wings colored purple and blue. But they were anything but a messenger from the heavens – a ruse used to give anyone a false sense of security.

Above its glass torso was a pale head that had a lone tentacle on top; eventually, the tentacle curved inward. The Heartless had three yellow eyes; two at regular level, the third in the middle of its forehead. Below the torso was a yellow spike; coupled around it were two blue rings. One of the winged Heartless pointed its spike at Yoshi, releasing a white sphere of energy.

Yoshi deflected the sphere with his shield. Another angel Heartless appeared from the dinosaur's side, and swung a sharp wing at him. Yoshi deflected it with an upward strike of his tail; he then used egg roll to escape from both angel Heartless. Luigi used Gravity to try and force one of the Heartless onto the ground; it would no longer be safe in its sanctuary of air. But the Heartless vanished, reappearing in front of the Luigi.

The angel Heartless thrusted its spike downward; Luigi swung upward to deflect the strike. He leaped into the air, preparing for a direct attack. The Heartless shielded itself within its wings, blocking the strike. As Luigi landed, the Heartless rammed straight into him, and he fell onto the ground, leaving a mark in the snow's elegant coat.

Sora tossed his Keyblade at another angel Heartless. Like its brethren, the creature hid itself within both wings, deflecting the blade. The Heartless countered with another sphere. Sora called the Keyblade back with the speed of a thought, and deflected the blast. But the Heartless flew over his head, preparing to fire a beam from its spike. Sora leaped back to avoid the blast. But the creature unleashed a small, purple twister at him.

The boy braced himself as the twisted made contract, sending him flying across the area. Yoshi was able to catch Sora just in time. But it was clear that defeating this new line of Heartless wouldn't be easy. Aches and pains adduced to that concerning notion. But they weren't going to let the Heartless stop them. Sora could see a dark cloud forming in the distance. They needed to dissipate it before black lightning struck the earth, releasing an unstoppable wave of darkness that eradicated everything and everyone.

Sora pulled out one of the summon gems. "I think our friends need a chance to stretch their legs a little bit!"

After raising one of the glass containers in the air, the 2D man appeared from within his cocoon of blinding, brilliant light. The angel Heartless launched multiple energy spheres at the man, who caught every blast within a bucket; he retaliated by tossing oil out of it. The Heartless tried bracing itself with its wings, but they could not withstand the oil's burning substance. The Heartless flailed around in agony, trying to quell the pain that bulldozed the tranquility of its receptors.

Luigi took the opportunity to swing his hammer straight into the creature's side. The Heartless flew straight into a downward strike from the Keyblade, turning into dust. Another angel Heartless flew towards the 2D man. Yoshi was quick to ram his head into the creature, knocking it aside. The 2D man hurried over to the distracted Heartless, tapping it with his hammer. It became incased within ice, and was launched into the air. Sora leaped at the Heartless, delivering multiple strikes, turning it into frozen particles; they slowly descended onto the ground like snowflakes.

More Heartless went on the offense. But the 2D man transformed into an octopus, slapping every Heartless around with its powerful tentacles. This weakened the creatures to the point where Sora and his friends dispatched them without even an annoying weight of difficulty. After the man vanished, the group took a moment to catch their breath. Their bodies were tickled from a brush of fatigue. It brushed itself across every avenue.

Luigi used Cure to heal everyone. Just in time, too, as the giant Behemoth Heartless they faced in Hollow Bastion descended from the sky, landing on the ground with big, strong feet that caused the earth to shiver from distress. It loomed over the three, releasing a fierce roar that rattled against their ear drums, performing an intense musical composition.

"Glad to see Ansem is regaling us with his hospitality," Luigi said, anxious. "I feel so welcomed."

Yellow energy was built up within the Heartless' horn; once replete with power, the Behemoth jerked its backwards, expelling energy spheres, all which converted on the trio. Sora was quick to summon Ness; he conjured a giant blue force field to protect himself and the group. It pulsated from the flow of intense psychic energy, and destroyed each sphere that came in contact.

Before the Heartless could go on the offense, Ness used his PK Flash, and made it hover right over to the beast's horn. Upon contact, the light green energy ball exploded like a fire cracker, causing significant damage to the Heartless. Ness threw his yo-yo like a lasso around the Behemoth's horn, and pulled himself up, flying straight towards its face. Ness clenched his free hand – a sudden warmth radiated around it, as if he slipped on a glove left in the hot sun. As he reached the Behemoth's face, he pressed his hand against it and unleashed PK fire. Flames soon masked the Heartless' face, making it scream from the fire. It raised itself onto its hindlegs in a panic. Ness was sent flying as a result, but Sora and Luigi caught him.

"Whoa! Nice one!" Sora asked.

"Thanks," Ness said, after a taking a deep breath. "That brute is lucky for the moment. My mind could've conjured up plenty of other attacks." He started to vanish, having spent a good portion of stamina. "But I'll save that for next time."

"You have got to show me your yo-yo moves, too," Sora said. "You're such a pro at them. Taking a few notes might help me clobber Riku the next time we have a yo-yo competition."

Ness smiled. "Consider it done." He soon vanished from reality, returning to a warm, cozy sojourn of suspended animation. But, as always, his dreams would be filled with eager anticipation for the moment he was summoned to fight again.

"Gee, Sora," Luigi said, giving the boy a look of disbelief. "Aside from your latest battles with him, is there anything you can do that's better than Riku?"

"Well, I can wiggle my ears better than him." Sora noticed Luigi's expression of disbelief growing like beaming crystals. "I'm serious!"

Yoshi let out a sad sigh. "Have me beat. Yoshi don't even have ears." His eyes widened in surprise upon looking at the Behemoth. "Look out!"

The Behemoth slammed its front hooves onto the ground, performing an encore of the earth tremors. Sora and his friends remained steadfast, refusing to fall. Yoshi raised his shield, allowing Sora to step onto it, and leap into the air, above the Heartless. Sora slammed the Keyblade into the horn, pushed himself against it, leaped over, and landed on the Heartless' back. The Behemoth roared as ripples of pain traversed through its horn.

Sora spun around, preparing to strike again. But the horn unleashed a thin yellow laser. The boy bought brought the Keyblade to his chest (at a horizontal angle), deflecting the blast. Sora felt himself slide back as the Heartless began to stand on its hindlegs again. Wasting no time, Sora thrusted the Keyblade into the Heartless' shoulder blade, hanging on for dear life as it stood up, like a robust person.

Once again, the Heartless slammed both hooves onto the ground, releasing a wave of energy. Luigi hid behind Yoshi, who raised his shield, and they both took the full force, crashing into the ground, sliding across the floor, creating a cicatrize within the snow. The Behemoth jerked back and forth, trying to rid itself of Sora as if he were an unruly mosquito. But Sora's resolve hardened like hot glue; he refused to let it melt, despite his bones rattling from the sudden movements.

"Force!" Luigi shouted, raising his hammer into the air.

The giant sphere of magic appeared above the Behemoth's head, pushing it straight onto the ground. Yoshi curled into an egg, and Luigi knocked him straight into the Heartless' face with a powerful swing of his hammer. The creature winced from the continuous assault of pain. Sora unleashed a flurry of Keyblade strikes against the Behemoth's horn. It was overwhelmed from the teeming residence of agony.

Sora leaped off the creature, spun around, and launched his spiral attack. Every single beam came in contact with the Behemoth's horn. The Heartless became numb from the overwhelming abuse. It soon collapsed onto the ground, vanishing from sight. The battle was won. But residue from it latched onto the group's stamina. The sound of their breathing echoed throughout the still air.

"Man, and that was only one battle," Sora said, between breathes.

"You don't know that," Luigi said. "Maybe any second we'll see Ansem hold up a white flag." He looked around, hopeful. Only the colorful mountains returned their gaze. "Yet again, my dreams have been tarnished."

"Least it wasn't Yoshi's fault this time," Yoshi said.

Navi flew out from Sora's pocket; she gasped upon seeing how disheveled they looked. "Oh, dear. The Heartless have become far more formidable."

"Guess that's one way of saying it," Sora said, with an exhausted chuckle. "But don't worry. We're just as deadly."

"Not looking like that, you are," Navi said. "Here, let me heal your wounds."

She flew around the group, dispersing shimmering golden light. For a brief moment, it ameliorated the area's dour mood, experiencing joy for the first time. But, as the light faded, the world returned to that plaintive state, feeling empty, questioning its meaningless existence. The trio was rejuvenated from Navi's healing light. It was like an entire sleep cycle had been compressed into seconds. Sora was ready to face any challenge, regardless how wide its imitating stature spread across this world.

"Thanks, Navi!" Sora said.

"Your quite welcome," Navi said. "You must make haste. Even I can sense the darkness growing. But it doesn't elicit me with worry. You overcame the king of evil. You shall do the same with Ansem. Be careful!"

She returned to her spot within Sora's pocket. The group looked around at their new location. There was truth to Navi's statement; the trio felt themselves hug each other as the temperature decent a steep slope.

"Missing the palm trees right about now," Sora said, trying to keep himself warm.

"Then let's get moving." Luigi turned to Yoshi. "Put that nose of yours to work. Which way?"

But before Yoshi could comply, the ground below them warped into a twisted lake of darkness. The trio froze with fear. Luigi's soul wanted to eject from the cockpit that was his body.

"Me think you no like answer."

"I prefer you bury your mouth in the snow than say it," Luigi said, in a panicked tone.

The powerful undertow started dragging the group into its blank form. They struggled to break free, but the darkness' grip was apathetic towards their efforts.

"This….can't…be…happening….." Luigi said.

"Don't give up!" Sora said. "We…can….fight….this…."

Everyone fell through the darkness. But, to their relief, it didn't lead to their untimely demise. Instead, they found themselves in another mountain area. Crystals of various color protruded from the walls, like freckles. Some mountains were connected together with horizontal rock formations, tantamount to bridges. They felt alone in this unnatural place. No one there to show them around or fight by their side against the Heartless. Even places like Zebes and Hollow Bastion gave them a luxury of companionship.

No such thing here. All they had was each other. But that would be sufficient. Nothing had broken them apart before. This world would fail to break the cycle.

"Everyone okay?" Sora asked.

"Aside from having another encore prestation of my life flashing before my eyes," Luigi said, still shaken from the ordeal, "I'm fine."

Sora grinned. "Man, you must be able to recall your entire life with perfect accuracy given how many times that's happened."

Luigi snorted from laughing, and covered his mouth.

"Was that what I think it was?" Sora asked, giving him a sly smirk.

"No," Luigi said, mouth still covered. "You misheard. My allergies are acting up!"

Sora gave him a playful elbow to the shoulder. "C'mon. I know the truth. You actually laughed at one of my jokes."

"Laugh is a strong word," Luigi said. Sora continued staring at him with playful smile. "Fine, fine. You got me. To be honest, it's never a dull moment with you around." His expression was tainted by a crestfallen film. "I'm going to miss those times."

"Same," Sora said, sharing the same roll of film.

Not wanting to be reminded of their final good-byes, Yoshi looked ahead, spotting something particular. "What that?"

Sora and Luigi followed Yoshi's sight. In the distance, they saw what appeared to be a white door beneath one of the tallest mountains – a tooth that fell from the crest.

"Think that where Ansem is?" Yoshi asked.

"Only one way to find out," Sora said. "I'm willing to bet he's in the most dangerous place imaginable."

Luigi became aggrieved, feeling his knees buckle. "Why'd you have to leave it open to interpretation?"

To the group's surprise, they weren't ambushed by any Heartless. Which added a superfluous concoction of anxiety to the emotional beaker. Any moment the denizens of darkness would lunge out from the shadows, delivering a fatal strike. As the ground descended the mountains, their senses were sharp as glass, absorbing every detail; they watched for even the smallest of anomalies.

Soon, the group approached the door. It was akin the one that covered the entrance to the secret place. Back on Sora's Island. The boy placed a firm grip on both handles. They were cold; Sora felt his palms shiver. Although part of that feeling was birthed from nerves. So much was on the line. And this may be his only chance to save Riku. If not….no, there was no 'if.' Riku was coming home. The sandy beaches beckoned for their company. Everything would go back to normal. Sora wouldn't settle for anything less.

He pulled open the doors. Inside was a dark, empty hallway, similar in design to Hollow Bastion. Scones were placed on each wall. The flames were just bright enough to illuminate the hallway. But shadows continued to rein supreme. Dreary, just like Hollow Bastion. Still, the three continued forward; their presence was the only light that could not be extinguished. It eroded the nervous tension that trembled throughout the long hallway like a plank.

They couldn't see what waited for them in the distance; it was pitch black, as if the hall refused to disclose an important secret. Their only chance was to keep walking, keeping a holster of circumspect close to the hip. More Heartless appeared in front of the group. They looked like the same Shadows they were used to fighting. But these forms were evolved, appearing humanoid and muscular. Their antennae traveled down their backside.

The trio sensed that these new variants would be far more dangerous. Indeed, one of them leaped at Sora without a second thought, swinging its long, dark claws. Sora deflected the strike, and countered with a thrust. But the Shadow leaped on top of the Keyblade, following up with a kick to Sora's face. The boy fell onto the ground, sliding across the tiled floor from the intense impact.

The Shadow pursued him, but Sora froze it with a Blizzard spell. Scrambling to his feet, Sora went over to deliver a downward strike. But, to the boy's surprise, the Shadow broke free from its icy confinement, and dove into the ground. It was quick to reemerge, delivering an uppercut to Sora's chin. The boy stumbled back from the force of the strike. But he regained his footing. His prediction about this new variant was true.

However, Sora was not deterred. That image of his island remained vibrant, not losing its luster. It kept Sora going, despite the darkness' attempts at swaying his determination. He would bite back at it. As the Shadow ran at him, Sora tossed the Keyblade at the creature. Once again, it dove into the ground. Sora hopped back, recalled his weapon, and unleashed a Thunder spell. As the Heartless emerged, it was struck by bolt, becoming paralyzed. Sora delivered a horizontal slash, defeating it.

Meanwhile, Luigi and Yoshi faced off against two Shadows. They attack the two at the same time, but the Shadows vanished. Soon, they reappeared on each wall, flew at the duo, and delivered a kick. The force knocked both Luigi and Yoshi into each other. Both Shadows leaped into the ground again. As Luigi and Yoshi struggled to regain rational thought, the two Shadows appeared from behind, slashing them in the back.

Luigi and Yoshi winced as the sharp nails pierced their skin. The two spun around, trying to attack, but the Shadows leaped into the ceiling, avoiding the strikes. Luigi and Yoshi pressed their backs against each other, staying alert. Compared to the other Heartless, these improved Shadows were coordinated. But so were the duo. They had the hearts and minds to overcome any Heartless; for they were still relegated to instinct alone. Limitations could not lengthen to the horizons of imagination and ingenuity.

As one of the Shadows emerged to attack Luigi, Yoshi leaned over, resting his shield on his back. Luigi rolled over the shield to avoid the strike. The dinosaur used his tongue to trip the attacking Heartless. Luigi saw the other one prepared to emerge from the ground; he used his hammer to bash it on the head. Yoshi leaped into the air, delivering his backside attack to the one in the ground. Luigi slammed his fist into the other one, defeating it with a charge attack.

The trio regrouped, broadcasting an encore presentation of sonorous panting to the hallway. Sweat dropped down from the splits of Sora's hair like dew. His chest was heavy from exertion. But he and the others ignored the sensation of fatigue. Their minds were focused on the present.

Before they could take another step forward, more muscular Shadows appeared. Sora moaned. Those inexpressive yellow eyes have become a nuisance. They no longer struck at the heart with fear. To Sora, they were an inconvenience, like a road detour, delaying progress. The boy summoned Takamaru and his deadly blade. The samurai focused on his body and spirit. White hot energy started to manifest itself with Takamaru's blade.

But the Shadows were not obedient to the call of patience. They ran towards their opponent, overjoyed by the prospect of consuming another heart. But Sora and Luigi combined their Stop magic to freeze the Shadows in place. Takamaru felt the energy reach its peak, and deliver a powerful horizontal slash, causing significant damage to the Shadows

Sora used his dash attack to move back and forth between each Heartless, shredding them into dust. With another battle won, the group took a moment to catch their breath. In the process, they thanked Takamaru for his assistance.

"None needed," Takamaru said. "Just contributing to the cause. But even one focused strike was not enough to vanquish our enemies. Be vigilant, my friends. It's going to take every bit of effort peace's petals bloom again."

After Takamaru disappeared, the trio once again took a moment to catch their breath. Fatigue was determined to make them melt into an immobile puddle. But a cold determination circulated through them, debarring the notion.

"At this point," Luigi said, "I'm going to lose my voice from shouting so many spells before anything else. And I have a tendency to scream a lot."

"Wait, why do you two shout spell names out?" Yoshi asked.

Luigi frowned. "To make each other aware of the next attack. Have you been paying attention to any of Kraden's lessons? Or were you daydreaming about the pie room during them?"

"Gosh, me not that obsessed with it," Yoshi said, blushing, in denial.

"Um, guys?" Sora said, interrupting their frivolous conversation. Distressed trembled in his voice.

He pointed down the hallway. More Heartless appeared, and they started to approached the trio.

Luigi reeled back in fear. "Then again, a good daydream about pies does keep me from dreading the inevitable end."

"Well, we're not standing around here to continue being the Heartless' source of amusement." Sora pulled out another gem. "We've gotta keep moving!"

Sora summoned Jill to assist them. She powered on her drill, which squeaked in excitement as it rotated around at an accelerated rate.

"How's it going, fellas?" Jill said, sharing in her drill's sentiment of zeal. "Who's in need of a few holes this time?"

Sora spun around to face the others; he spoke in a sense of urgency. "Everyone, hop on!"

"Wait, what!?" Jill asked, in surprise. The three climbed onto Jill's robot, scrambling to find a seat. "Hey! Watch the paint! I just had it redone! This thing ain't cheap, y'know! Stop squirming! You'll make her fall over! She's a delicate daisy!"

"Sorry, Jill," Sora said, as he found a spot. "We're in a hurry! Can you drive us to the other end of this hall?"

"What am I, a taxi service!?" Jill asked, growing offended. "My pride and joy is made for one backside only!"

Sora narrowed his eyes, feigning disappointment. "I thought you said your drill was top of the line. Guess I misheard. Didn't know it was incapable of carrying a few people and slaying Heartless at the same time?"

"Hmm," Jill said, glaring back at Sora. "I see the game you're playing with me. And I'd say you made every right move. Fine. You're lucky we're in this to save the day. Otherwise, I'd be charging you for the ride, and those wallets would be going through my extensive diet program. Hang on tight, boys! It's gonna get messy!"

Jill engaged the acceleration, and the four zoomed down the hallway. More Heartless appeared on the path. They heard the menacing screeching sounds of the drill echo throughout the walls, growing louder with each passing moment – a ravenous beast growling in pure rage, running right towards their prey. It was implacable, like a freight train. Instinct commanded the Heartless to brace themselves for the incoming opposition.

The drill rammed into the Heartless, shredding through them like wool. Some flying Heartless tried to attack from above. Sora delivered an upward swing to defeat one of them. The second one that tried to attack was the devil-like Heartless. Sora thrusted the Keyblade straight into its stomach. Luigi hurried over, swinging his hammer right into the Heartless' chest, knocking it onto the ground. It was consumed by the drill's spiral fang.

An angel Heartless flew at the group. Sora used Gravity to make it descend to the ground; the Heartless met the same fate as its brethren, being torn apart by the drill. Another devil Heartless appeared from the side and swung inward towards Yoshi. The dinosaur raised his shield to block, but the force of the strike knocked him off the drill.

Sora used Fire to damage the devil Heartless, sending it flying into a nearby wall. Jill brought her drill to a halt. Yoshi tried to hurry over, but Heartless soon blocked his path. There was no time to linger. Not when more Heartless were being expelled from the hallway's long esophagus. He'd have to rely on the dice roll of improvisation. Yoshi extended his tongue pass the Heartless, latching onto the drill, and leaped onto his shield, using it as a skateboard.

"Go! Go!" Yoshi said, his words just barely decipherable.

Trusting the dinosaur's judgement, Jill hit the acceleration, and they continued. Yoshi lowered his head, ramming it straight into the Heartless, knocking them aside like bowling pins. He kept his balance as he rode the shield down the hall. The ground screeched in pain from the friction. Another devil Heartless appeared above Yoshi, and tried thrusting straight down at his head. The dinosaur jerked left to avoid the strike. He countered by ramming his shoulder straight into the creature; it crashed into a wall.

An angel Heartless appeared ahead of the group. It launched balls of energy straight at them. Sora and Luigi combined their Aero magic to encase the drill within a shield of white whisps. They deflected the incoming blasts. Sora lunged at the angel Heartless, defeating it with one focused slash.

After landing, Sora saw two shield Heartless appear in his path. But there was no time to fight them – he could hear the drill's warning screeches growing louder behind him. He rolled out of the way to avoid becoming a causality in the drill's path. Much to everyone's shock, both Heartless were able to halt the drill's process – a stubborn metal stud that would not budge.

"No way!" Jill said, startled. "How are these flimsy shields stopping my pride and joy!? You bozos are not going to let humiliation perch itself on the Red Dozers' shoulders! Kiss your shiny metal keisters good-bye!"

Jill pushed on the acceleration with all her might. Still, the Heartless wouldn't budge; the drill let out a pathetic squeal as it was held in place. For the first time in her life, Jill felt a sudden scorch of inadequacy. Nothing had never stopped her drill before. It was a vital part of herself. At least in her eyes. Without it, what did she have?

Sora hurried over to help, but a muscular Shadow knocked him onto the ground. Luigi tried to intervene; an angel Heartless obstructed his path towards assistance. Before the muscular Shadow could pounce on Sora, a familiar long, red tongue lassoed itself around the creature's chest. The Shadow was pulled towards Yoshi, who knocked it back with a fierce tail swipe. As the Heartless fell onto the ground, Sora hurried over and cut it in two.

Luigi used his hammer to knock the angel Heartless into a wall. Yoshi reeled it in with his tongue. There was no struggle from the Heartless; it was a wounded fish forced to endure the inevitable. Sora slashed straight through the Heartless at a horizontal angle, destroying it for good. The boy then used his dash attack to slash through the shield Heartless.

Once they were annihilated, the drill regained full range of motion. Jill's confidence had been somewhat rejuvenated now that she had control again. Although it still limped from that brief moment of helplessness. But Jill tried to ignore that dispirited sensation. Her focus was on going home. To see her father, and the other members of the Red Dozers. There was no way she'd quit on everyone.

The group continued further into the depths of the hallway. They saw a dead end approaching. It took the form of a giant, floating Heartless emblem. To their left was a lone door, guarded by two tall candle holders, parallel to each other. The flames on both let out an inviting flicker, providing an additional warm light in the deary hallway. They had reached their destination. But where it led to remained ambiguous. To Ansem, or maybe a trap? All they could do was brace themselves for the outcome from opening the door.

But it wasn't over yet. Familiar cold bristles brushed across Sora's neck in an unruly manner. Everyone looked over their shoulder to see stragglers approaching them posthaste. Jill spun her drill around, tearing through a few that approached them. Sora and his friends disposed of the remaining ones that kept their distance.

Another battle concluded. Progress was made, but the ghosts of fatigue remained behind to disturb their stamina. Sora and his friends sat down to catch their breath. Their loud gasps meandered throughout the hallway. Jill sat back in her seat, staring at the control panel, pensive. Her mind was looking through passages of discouragement.

Sora stood up, stretching both arms, letting the tension slide down his neck like rocks. "Ansem might not be playing around. But neither are we. Look, we're still in one piece. Nothing's going to slow us down!"

"I can't feel my legs," Luigi said, groaning.

"Erm, well, except for being denied basic bodily control," Sora said. "You guys take it easy for a moment. Look at it this way: it could've been worse if Jill hadn't given us a lift, right?" No response. "Jill?" He turned to see her donning a crestfallen expression. "You okay?"

"W-What? Oh yeah," Jill said, regaining focus. "Peachy."

Sora gave her an incredulous look. "Sure. About as okay as Luigi's legs."

"I'm getting high school flashbacks," Luigi said, as he grasped one leg, rotating it to regain movement. "I can hear my coach's whistles right now."

Yoshi rolled his eyes.

Ignoring Luigi, Jill sighed. "For a bandit, I'm not very conspicuous, huh? In that moment, when the Heartless held back my drill, I felt…ordinary."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"Like, that drill is the only thing that makes me special," Jill said, sounding dejected. "I'm a whizz at using it. But, without it, what good am I? What other skills do I have?"

"Hey, you know that's not true," Sora said, with an encouraging smile. "I felt the same way when I lost the Keyblade. But I was forced to take a hard look at myself – it reminded me of everything else that makes me who I am. And I know that's the same for you."

"He's right," Luigi said, as he slowly got to his feet; movement had returned to his legs. "Your heart never faded when your world did. That has to mean something."

Jill smiled as their reassuring voices crooned the negativity in her mind. They were right, she thought. The drill alone isn't what made her special – it was her sharp wit and intelligence. Jill's own father wouldn't have made her an integral member of the Red Dozers if those qualities were reticent; they shouted with pride from the hindmost part of her heart. Her drill was a prized possession. It had to be earned.

Just like how Sora reclaimed the Keyblade from Riku. His greatest strength came from within himself – a live, pulsating engine that bellowed with confidence.

"You fellas sure have a way with words," Jill said. "That perked me up. Thanks." She started to fade back into suspended animation. "Well, see you soon. Keeping bustin' up those Heartless for me."

"With pleasure," Sora said.

After Jill left, the trio faced the door next to them. The hallway was calm. Not a single noise was uttered. Sora placed both on the door handles. This could be it: their final confrontation with Ansem. Sora's heart leaped into his head, swaying back and forth in from nervousness. But he silenced the sensation, reminding himself of his mission: fighting to see the two most important people in his life again.

He opened the doors. To their surprise, they arrived in a decent sized room. Connecting purple and gray pipes rested near the walls. But everyone's eyes had been attracted to a strange contraption in the middle of the room. Five human-sized bronze capsules sat on top of a light, aqua blue ring. In the middle of the ring was a computer – the brain that gave this esoteric device its basic functions.

Bronze pipes stuck out from the contraption, exhaling purple mist into the air. Behind and above the contraption was a giant globe-shaped monitor. At the moment, it only displayed the color blue, having texture akin to ocean water. The trio approached the device in wonderment. Although their steps were moist from puddles of caution.

"What is this thing?" Sora asked.

"In Yoshi's expert opinion," Yoshi said, in thought: "it giant TV monitor! Perfect for watching 'The Mushroom Kingdom's Wildest Watermelon Gardens.' Me favorite show." He licked his lips, just thinking of seeing every delicious detail of that delectable fruit on the big screen.

"You kidding?" Luigi asked, scoffing. "The only thing Ansem would get on this monitor is darkness; he'd think of it as the next breakthrough in cinematic art."

While Luigi and Yoshi engaged in their usual frivolous discussions, Sora approached one of the capsules. His chest started to tighten as he gazed at every detail of the surface. A sudden, claustrophobic feeling squeezed at both his shoulders, growing tighter the longer he stared. It was like his soul found itself trapped within one of the capsules. He thrashed around, banging against the walls, in a desperate attempt to escape. But he was a prisoner, forced to watch the outer world continue its peaceful existence without him.

A trapped animal stuck in a paradise of absolute anguish.

"Sora?" Yoshi asked, in concern.

Sora took a deep breath, which trembled from the overwhelming, uneasy sensation. But he reminded himself that everything was fine. He wasn't confined to anything – a free spirit that had infinite space to spread his wings and explore the vast world.

"Everything alright?" Luigi asked, with the same homogenous worry.

"It's weird," Sora said, placing a hand on his chest. "For a second, I felt that strange warmth again." He glanced at Yoshi. "And no. It's not because of hunger."

Yoshi lowered his head. "Me not upset. Just disappointed."

"Any other stowaways in your heart you're not telling us about?" Luigi asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"No," Sora said. "I just thought Kairi was here again for a second. That's all."

"Must have her on your mind," Luigi said. "I'm sure she's fine. Leon and the others are looking out for her."

"Y-Yeah," Sora said. Although a part of him wasn't sure if that's what trigged the sudden distress. His mind was in a loud debate between different theories. None could reach a proper answer. But he had to focus on the now. If he wanted to see her again, Sora had to stop Ansem. It would bury the worry beneath his subconscious forever. "Just getting myself shaken up for nothin' Not when we're close to giving Ansem a good beat down."

Luigi let out a playful smirk. "There's the Sora I know and tolerate."

"Don't you worry," Sora said, chuckling. "I can make things unbearable for you in seconds. Just let Yoshi and I warm up."

Luigi smiled. He was going to miss their fun banter. Without Sora around, a small sense of joy would fade from the painting of their friendship. But life kept moving forward. A new coat would be added as things returned to normal. Luigi and Yoshi would go home, to be in the company of their family and friends again. Although, right now, that dream was postponed; the trio seemed to have reached a dead end in their mission. Luigi examined the computer, searching for any clue to help them on their journey.

There was a monitor attached to the main control panel. A whole paragraph of words appeared on the screen.

"Hey, check this out," Luigi said. The others huddled around him to view the paragraph. Luigi began dictating every word. "'Ones born of the heart and darkness, devoid of hearts, ravage all worlds and bring desolation. Seize all hearts and consummate the great heart. All hearts to be one, one heart to encompass all. Realize the destiny: the realm of Kingdom Hearts. The great darkness sealed within the great heart. Progeny of darkness, come back to the eternal darkness. For the heart of light shall unseal the path. Seven hearts, one Keyhole, one key to the door. The door of darkness, tied by two keys. The door of darkness to seal the light. None shall pass but shadows, returning to the darkness. Ones born of the heart and darkness, hunger for every heart until the dark door opens.'"

There was silence as the trio pondered over the paragraph's meaning.

"Kingdom Hearts?" Sora asked, as he began stacking thoughtful, cohesive bricks on top of each other. "Is that….the door to darkness? The same one Bowser was after?"

"Sounds like it," Luigi said. Trepidation hummed within his bones, causing them to shiver. "And if Ansems succeeds in opening it…."

"Hey, you should stop thinking ahead," Sora said. "It may help you live longer. But we're not going to let Ansem have that same courtesy. We have to stop him now!"

"If we knew where he was," Luigi said, annoyed. "I don't think we're gonna get far in this room. Not unless we walk all the way back. And Jill probably isn't ready to complete the round trip." He turned to Yoshi. "Dust off that saddle of yours. You're about to put that iron back of yours to work."

Before Yoshi could respond, a sudden, cold wind prodded the trio's skin, like a plethora of branches.

"Okay," Yoshi said, growling in aggravation. "Who decided to be rude by opening windows?"

"Yes," Luigi said, bracing himself. "Those darn nonexistent windows!"

The wind howled in excitement, growing stronger by the second. Soon, it pushed them out of the room, straight into a giant portal that appeared in the hall. Once on the other side, the three landed on a large platform. Sora winced as his back rattled from the intense impact. It was like every bone had spun through a cyclone. The group stood up, groaning from the pain. But that was the least of their concerns.

The trio glanced around to see darkness was all around them – an amorphous audience here to be amused by new entertainment. The only source of light came from the platform itself. It was a large, floating, mechanical island. Circular patterns of red energy were embedded within the platform, flowing around the circles like blood. Metal structures stuck out from behind the platform like nails. They, too, had lines filled with red energy flowing through them.

Sora leaned over the platform's edge; dark blue crystals, mixed with an assortment of mechanical parts, made up the bottom half, pointing outward like tall bushes. Unfortunately for the trio, there was no escape. They were stuck on the island. Well, unless they took the lethal option and jumped into the void below them.

"What trap have we fallen into now?" Luigi said, as his knees buckled.

Sora summoned the Keyblade. "Whatever it is, let's stay alert!"

Sinister laughter echoed throughout dark vicinity. The group's nerves had reached the crest of an unstable mountain. If they didn't stay focus, it would crumble into fearful rubble.

"W-Well, at least someone finds our situation amusing," Luigi said. "And let's hope they don't want to share those chuckles with us."

But such a sentiment was denied. An unidentified entity appeared in the distance. Right now, it was an obtrusive white speck in a field of darkness. Soon, it got closer, growing bigger in size. It took shape. The group were baffled by its appearance as the entity loomed over the three.

It was a giant gloved hand. The fingers were somewhat bent over, like tendrils prepared to grab their victims, and squeeze out every ounce of life juice. It continued hovering over the three, large and imposing.

Luigi's voice box had been lodged into a tube of confusion for a brief moment, before releasing itself by saying, "A giant…hand? I-Is Ansem trying to be funny right now? Or did he not have an imaginative childhood?"

"Well, maybe he needs to watch giant TV more," Yoshi said. "There's whole world of wonder out there."

Luigi noticed Sora staring at the hand with the biggest, most unnatural smile on his face. He then turned to Luigi, still frozen in that unnerving countenance.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Luigi said, feeling himself reel back in fear. "You're 'out-scaring' the giant hand. That somehow became a scientific possibility."

Sora made his famous grin. "Gotta 'hand' it to this guy – he caught us by surprise."

"No." A spotlight of absolute dread was placed on Luigi's face. It seeped into the pores. He grabbed Yoshi by the shoulders. "We must destroy this giant sentinel hand immediately! Sora must not ride this high of hand puns! I won't allow it!"

"Don't be like that," Sora said, with a teasing smile. "You can 'hand'le a few puns."

Unable to stand the verbal fracturing of comedy anymore, Luigi ran right at the hand, hammer held high, letting out the loudest scream possible; its echo enjoyed a nice cruse into the dark abyss all around them.

Sora pouted. "Party pooper."

The hand pressed the tips of its middle and index finger into the ground. It 'walked' across the arena towards the trio. Luigi swung inward, but the hand lifted its index finger to catch the strike. The force was strong enough to knock Luigi into the air. Sora watched in horror as the hand flew above Luigi, clenching its fist, prepared to punch him into the ground.

"Stop!" Sora said.

The spell froze the hand within its temporal cuffs. Luigi used this moment to land on his feet. He leaped back towards his friends as the hand broke the spell's shackles and slammed itself right into the ground. Yoshi curled himself into egg, and Sora caused it to combust with a Fire spell. He swung the Keyblade into the flaming egg like a golf club, sending it flying into the hand. Despite not having a mouth, the hand shouted in pain as the egg grinded against its dorsal side like a wheel on fire.

But the hand was quick to retaliate, smacking Yoshi towards the edge of the arena. Luigi was quick to catch him before the dinosaur could take that perpetual descent into darkness. Sora went on the offense, throwing the Keyblade at a vertical angle towards the floating appendage. The hand spun around at a horizontal angle, taking on the appearance of a drill. The tips of its fingers collided with the Keyblade, engaged in struggle. Sparks flew out like firewires from the intense clash.

But the Keyblade lost the round, as the hand pushed it back towards the three. Sora immediately called the Keyblade back to his hand. Their opponent flew into the air, formed a finger gun, pointed downward towards them, and fired giant yellow bullets. Luigi and Yoshi dove towards the side of the arena to dodge. Sora leaped forward, ran right under the hand, and conjured a Thunder spell.

The hand moved forward to dodge the incoming electric rain storm. Upon rotating around, it flew right at Sora, trying to swipe him away with a giant palm. The boy dove onto his stomach to avoid being launched into the abyss. After the hand came to a halt, Yoshi leaped at it, preparing to attack with his shield. The hand ascended somewhat to avoid the strike. Once the dinosaur landed, he saw the hand flying straight for him with an index finger. Yoshi raised his shield to catch the fingertip. The hand extended its pinky to unnatural lengths, and swung at the dinosaur from the side. Once again, Yoshi was quick to block the attack. But the hand's assault didn't cease; clenching into a first, the hand flew at a downward angle towards Yoshi. The dinosaur curled into an egg, rolling backwards to dodge the attack.

While the hand took a moment to unclench, Luigi leaped straight at it; he prepared to attack with a downward swing of the hammer. With a snap of its finger, the hand disappeared, and rematerialized behind Sora, grabbing him. It wrapped every finger around him like strong rope, and began to squeeze. Sora winced as his bones started to tremble from the hand's tight grip. If he didn't act soon, Sora would be crushed like dry leaves.

"I like…making new…friends," Sora said, grunting. "But I'm not…at the…touchy feely stage yet."

Sora unleashed Fire from the Keyblade, which spread across the hand's entire being. A burning pain pummeled every receptor. It was so strong that the hand released Sora. Luigi and Yoshi jumped right above the hand; the former slammed his hammer down, while the latter performed a backside attack. They sent the hand crashing into the ground. Sora stepped through the threshold of opportunity, and dashed through the hand numerous times.

Although it was accruing a plantation of pain, the hand grew aggravated and slammed all fingers onto the ground, stunning the trio in the process. It hovered above the group, releasing bright blue lasers from each fingertip. Yoshi slid in front of Sora, deflecting one of the lasers with his shield. Sora, along with Luigi, maneuvered through the lasers and prepared to attack. With a snap of its finger, the hand vanished again.

The trio saw that the hand had reappeared to their left, in the distance. Their opponent tossed giant fireballs at them. Everyone moved around the arena, dodging each one. Becoming scorched was the last thing they needed right now.

"Me like fireballs," Yoshi said, as he dove onto his stomach to avoid one of them, "but even these ones would give Yoshi indigestion."

"Glad to know you have your limits," Luigi said, leaping back to avoid another one.

Once its attacks were spent, the hand appeared above Sora, and tried slamming straight down on him. The boy used his dash move again to speed away from the incoming strike. After the hand landed, it began ascending again. Sora wasn't going to let the hand face impunity from defying gravity.

"Force!" Sora said, raising the Keyblade into the air.

The Gravity spell sent the hand straight back onto the ground. Sora performed an over the shoulder strike, dealing significant damage. The hand flew back a fair distance. Raising an index finger into the air, it summoned two giant, jagged, yellow rings. They spun around its finger like hula hoops. The hand tossed the first one straight at Sora; he swung the Keyblade straight down, destroying it.

Once the first ring vanished, Sora saw the second one approaching him at a rapid rate. The boy performed a corkscrew flip to avoid it. Luigi and Yoshi, who were behind Sora, leaped away from each other to dodge the ring, too. The hand formed a gun again, charging another blast with both the index and middle finger. But Sora and Luigi were ready this time; they combined their Blizzard spells, and froze the fingers right before firing. It resulted in an explosion that knocked the hand onto the ground, weakened as a result.

"Sweet!" Sora said, triumphant. "That was quiet a 'handy' trick, wouldn't you say?"

Luigi glared at Sora; his eye started to twitch.

"Tsk, tsk," Yoshi said, shaking his head in disproval of Luigi's behavior. "Me told you to lay off the Pixy Stix."

"C'mon, let's wrap this up!" Sora said, in an urgent tone.

The three hurried to deliver the final blow. But another set of giant yellow bullets landed right in front of them, exploding on impact.

"Now what!?" Luigi asked, becoming annoyed.

Wild cackling disrupted the quietude of the air. Everyone looked to see a second gloved hand descending towards the arena; this one twitched and contorted its fingers, maniacal in nature. But it had the same objective: total annihilation of any foreign bodies. The second hand landed in front of the first, continuing its spasmodic movements, tickled with enthusiasm to destroy.

Yoshi let out a nervous gulp. "Guess Luigi not the only that need to cut back."

"Looks like our friend needed a hand," Sora said. He saw Luigi's face tighten from aggravation. "Oh, come on! We walked right into that one!"

Luigi scoffed. "We? I'm sorry. I didn't remember being mutually involved in stomping on the toes of comedy."

Sora pouted in responses to the scathing remark. As he turned to face both hands, a sudden sense of Deja vu clicked in his head, louder than a chain lamp. He felt like had fought both hands before. In another time, another place. It was strange. But he didn't mull over it. Sora had faced so many opponents already; his battles were starting to blend together. He disregarded such an inconsequential thought. Winning this battle stood at the head of the line in his mind.

The Crazy Hand snapped its fingers, performing the same teleporting technique. It appeared right above the trio and caused naval mines to rain down from the fingers. The trio hurried away to avoid becoming engulfed within the blasts. The Master Hand recovered and swung its fingers straight into Sora's back, knocking him onto the ground. The boy gritted his teeth as pain poured down his spine like a raging water fall.

Fighting through the agony, Sora looked over his shoulder to see the Master Hand thrusting an index finger at him. Sora rolled over onto his back, dodging the attack, and countered by unleashing the Aero spell. White whisps flew straight towards the hand like livid hornets, slashing through the fabric of its glove, inflicting damage.

As Sora kicked himself up, he failed to notice the Crazy Hand preparing to extend its finger straight at the boy's back. Luigi hurried over, deflecting the fingertip before making contact. Yoshi tried to attack Crazy Hand, but it vanished, reappearing at the hindmost part of the arena. Sora noticed the Master Hand waving with a beckoning gesture.

Yoshi noticed the Crazy Hand forming a fist; the knuckles were pointed straight at him.

"Duck!" Yoshi cried.

Everyone obeyed the command by diving onto their stomachs. The Master Hand caught its companion within the palm. It flew into the air while still holding onto the Crazy Hand. Master Hand tossed it straight into the ground, releasing a shock wave of yellow energy. Everyone braced themselves as they had no choice but to take the hit. Luigi and Yoshi flew off towards one side of the arena; Sora went off towards the other side, stopping right by the edge.

The boy scrambled to his feet as Master Hand hovered and tossed a rolling spike ball right at him. Enhancing the Keyblade with his Fire Spell, Sora was able to cut through the ball with ease, like a steak knife through tender meat. Master Hand performed its drill attack again, at a downward, diagonal angle. Sora dodged it by doing a back flip. Upon land, he tossed the Keyblade straight at the hand. With a single, loud snap, Master Hand teleported away, appearing behind the arena. It rocketed towards Sora with a first. Sora was quick to dodge the incoming attack.

Luigi and Yoshi ran straight for the Crazy Hand, who slid its finger across the ground, releasing a yellow shockwave. The two rolled away from each other to dodge the blast. Crazy Hand chose its target: Luigi. It flew above him, and then swung down with a karate chop. Luigi side stepped to the left, spun around, and delivered a power strike with his hammer; it managed to knock Crazy Hand back a fair distance.

Like its comrade, Crazy Hand prepared to fire bullets. Yoshi wrapped his tongue around Crazy Hand's fingers, veering them off course, missing Luigi by a few feet. Enraged by their persistence, Crazy Hand tossed blue fireballs at the two. Unlike Master Hand's fireballs, these ones swayed back and forth, uneven, like a ship traversing rough waves. But Luigi and Yoshi stayed focused, dodging every last one.

Crazy Hand landed on the arena, walking across the ground like spider, and thrusted its index finger at Yoshi. The dinosaur blocked the attack with his shield. Luigi tried to attack with his hammer, but the Crazy Hand vanished again. To Luigi's horror, Crazy Hand reappeared behind Yoshi, and grabbed him by the tail.

"Hey, let me go!" Yoshi said. Crazy Hand began ascending into the sky; its plan was to drop the dinosaur from a great height. All Yoshi could do was dangle back and forth like a key, helpless in escaping from the unbreakable chain. "Sora, help!"

"Yoshi!" Sora said, in alarm.

Master Hand tried bringing its entire palm down on Sora. The boy leaped back to let it slam into the ground; he then jumped onto Master Hand's dorsal side, and dug his fingers into the fabric. Agitated, Master Hand flailed around the arena to rid itself of Sora. But the boy remained obstinate, squeezing the glove with all his might.

He managed to direct Master Hand into the sky, pursuing Yoshi. When Sora was close enough, he used Thunder to strike down Crazy Hand. Overwhelmed from the intense tingling, Crazy Hand dropped Yoshi, who plummeted towards the ground, scramming in terror. Luigi used Stop to freeze Yoshi right before hitting the floor; he hurried over, grabbing the dinosaur before the spell's time limit expired.

Crazy Hand flew above Sora, firing another laser from its index finger. Sora jumped off Master Hand, who was hit with the blast instead. Luigi and Yoshi caught their friend before hitting the ground. Angered by incompetence, Master Hand slapped its twin as punishment. It then pointed towards the trio. Regaining composure, Crazy Hand followed its superior back towards the arena.

The two rubbed their palms together; electricity danced around their being as they rubbed faster and harder. They slammed onto the ground, dispersing electricity into the arena. Sora and his friends jumped into the air to avoid the sparking waves. Luigi and Yoshi tried attacking Crazy Hand, but it thrashed around, forcing the two to retreat.

"Aw," Sora said, in a mocking tone. "It's throwing a tantrum. Must be mad for losing its diamond ring."

"Sora, I swear on Star Haven—" Luigi said, growing more irritated from the puns.

Yoshi gasped, offended. "Luigi no do that! Star Kids live there, and are very innocent. Luigi should be ashamed."

Luigi sighed in exasperation at Yoshi's continued inability to understand a figure of speech. Meanwhile, Sora prepared to strike Master Hand, as its palm rested on the ground. But, before the attack could connect, Master Hand rolled onto its side, and moved towards Sora with the palm; Sora caught it with the Keyblade, but Master Hand started pushing him across the arena. Regardless of what Sora did, he couldn't quell Master Hand's wanderlust for the edge of the arena.

To make matters worse, Sora needed time for his magic to recharge. There was only one option. He pulled out a summon gem and tossed it into the air. The blinding light startled Master Hand, allowing Sora to escape. Riki emerged from the light, landing right in front of Sora.

"In times when sidekicks struggle, Riki here to pick up the slack," Riki said, brandishing his staff. "Fear not! Heropon will take on your burden!"

"Um, thanks," Sora said, unsure if he should feel insulted by those comments.

"Roly-Poly, keeping on rolling!" Riki said, waving his staff around.

Master Hand was soon encased within a multicolored aura. Once it vanished, Master Hand toppled over onto the ground. Sora ran over to deliver a flurry of slashes. Riki used a different spell on Crazy Hand to cause temporary sleep. Luigi used his powerful uppercut to knock Crazy Hand into the sky. Next, Yoshi raised his shield, allowing Luigi to jump off it, pursuing the opponent.

Luigi slammed his hammer straight into Crazy Hand, who crashed right into its master. Riki ran over and froze the two within a block of ice. With a mighty swing from his staff, Riki slammed it straight into the block, causing the ice to shatter like glass. Both hands received heavy damage as a result.

Riki hopped up and down, prideful. "Haha! Take that, giant hands. Gloves cannot protect you from Riki's might."

But Master Hand recovered and flicked Riki straight into the group. They managed to catch him. The damage inflicted was just as hard. Riki groaned in pain as the three placed him on the ground. His muscles trembled as he tried to move.

"You okay?" Sora asked.

"Riki has received worse pain from being divebombed by littlepon," Riki said, with a weak chuckle.

Everyone noticed the two hands floating into the air, flailing their fingers around, furious. Sora's stomach tensed; he had a feeling that both hands were about to take this battle into its third and final act. Tensions would run high as both opposing force gave it their all.

"I h-hope Heropon was of assistance," Riki said.

"Absolutely," Yoshi said.

Riki started to vanish. "And I'm not worried. Sidekicks are strong together. Even Riki can't keep up with strength you possess. Win this battle for Heropon."

"We promise," Sora said, with a sincere expression.

Although Riki had an ego, deep down, a big heart pounded with kindness and empathy. Just like all their other friends, Riki believed in the trio. He knew that they would end the war against the darkness. Soon, Riki would be reunited with his family; he could already picture their smiling faces as they came together for a warm embrace. Riki would feel whole once again, no longer in the unpleasant company of loneliness' aloof disposition.

Sora faced the hands, livid. "You're gonna pay for hurting him! You two are another pathetic curtain for Ansem to hide behind! We'll slow you how flimsy you two are at keeping him safe!"

The two hands assumed the finger gun position. They combined their index and middle fingers together. A large sphere of light started to form at the tips. Sora and his friends stood their ground, prepared to deflect the next attack. The sphere pulsated from the blood flow of pure energy. Any second it would unleash a powerful burst. The wind awoke from its peaceful slumber, circulating throughout the vicinity in an aggressive manner.

Energy continued building. The trio felt the pressure slap against their faces. But they weren't deterred. Sora glanced at Luigi, then Yoshi; he was never afraid. They had been by his side from the beginning. Darkness' immoral denizens haven't come close to smearing the bright polish of their bond. It was incapable of growing dull. A beautiful luster of their friendship impeded their foes confidence, preventing them from becoming victorious.

Although their time together was growing short, their relationship extended and wrapped around the entire world. It would never erode. They were confident in that belief.

The hands fired a large laser at the trio. They caught the blast with their weapons. It wasn't an easy struggle, to say the last. The group felt their feet start to slide across the arena. Their muscled trembled as they fought to push back against the energy. But they never quit; the thought of having each other support prevented the discouraging notion from snapping at them. Sora gritted his teeth as his muscles ached; still, his mind espoused to the mantra of, 'ignore the pain.'

Even the hands started to tremble as they exerted every ounce of energy. Sora and his friends were formidable foes.

Actually, no. They were better.

Screaming at the top of their lungs, the trio started to push the beam back towards the hands. Every trembling muscle was tantamount to an earthquake. But they still turned an ear to the body's cries for respite. They sent the blast right back at the hands. Both screamed and wriggled from the immense pain. Sora delivered one final diagonal slash. They had been overwhelmed by the trio.

White light discharged from the hands like electricity. They flew off into the distant. Miniature explosions of light burst from their gloved form as they hollered in agony. Then, there was a massive explosion of light. The trio shielded their eyes as it consumed their vision. For a moment, only light existed.

But soon, it would be consumed by darkness' omnipresent form. Deep at the center, a final confrontation was about to ensue.

Twitter: kingdomkey23

Facebook: kingdomkey23

Discord: Send me a message

Instagram: kingdomkey23

Deviantart: kingdomkey23

Twitch: kingdomkey_23

Cover Artist's Twitter: jitart1