*Disclaimer* - I do not own the copyright to Honkai: Star Rail or Kingdom Hearts.
*A/N* - Greetings users! Thanks for stopping by and checking this chapter out. Man, it's been a wild two weeks since the first chapter was posted. The immediate feedback and interest garnered in this story has been crazy. More than I originally thought there would be. It's all been nothing but amazing, and it even has me a bit worried about how I'll go about this story.
Nevertheless, I'll keep on going and working to make an entertaining story. It might be good, bad, terrible, or even possibly great. But I thank you for sticking around. With that out of the way, let's get right back to the story!
"…"
"…"
"…How long are you going to keep staring at the window?"
"For as long as it takes to come up with an answer."
"Oh, come on! You're going to get us in trouble! This entire topic is stupid!"
"It's only stupid to those that are unable to come up with a question like this."
"Mm. She does have a point, March."
"Hey! Don't side with her! You're only picking her side to get at me!"
"…No comment."
Currently, three members of the Astral Express, who were also close friends, were chatting amongst themselves while standing in the lounge area of the express. The topic being discussed had to do with the amount of force it would take to break one of the windows in the express.
This was not a topic meant to linger on the side of betrayal or aggression. More or less, it was focused on the idea of if someone managed to trip while walking and landing face-first into a window. Or in the scenario of if something were to be propelled from inside the room and toward the window. Would things remain calm with nothing broken? If anything, this question was of great importance to the crew members.
Hence, Stelle, Dan Heng, and March 7th were quite focused on this unusual subject.
"I still don't see how this question has any merit" March replied with a huff.
"That's because you're not looking at it from a reasonable point of view" Dan Heng responded while shaking his head. "You're coming at it from a normal position. You forget who our friend is."
As the dark-haired man said this, he gestured over to the grey-haired girl who was currently poking the window with her index finger while thinking to herself.
"*sigh* Why'd you have to point her out like that?"
"Hey, March, here's another question, what if someone was thrown at the window? For instance, an intruder appeared and started causing problems. Then they threw someone at the window. Wouldn't that be a reasonable explanation for testing the window's strength?"
The one who asked such a ridiculous question happened to be none other than the Trailblazer known as Stelle. Though she had garnered many names while on her adventures, the one most people knew her as would be a devoted friend.
"Hm… you're not exactly wrong, Stelle" Dan Heng mumbled.
"This again!" March whined.
"Think about it. When Argenti suddenly appeared on the Express without any warning, we were left stunned and confused about how he appeared..."
"We never truly found out how he got in here…" Stelle quietly said.
Agreeing with what she said, Dan Heng nodded his head while continuing to address March.
"On that note, shouldn't we take precautionary actions to make sure we're safe in here? We do live here on the express after all."
"Err… You have a point. But that doesn't mean we should try breaking the window! What if we get in trouble? What will Himeko or Mr. Yang say to us when they see what we're trying to do? Or better yet, what will Pom-Pom say!?"
Before either Dan Heng or Stelle could reply to March's concerns, the two cast glances at one another as they watched two other individuals quietly enter the room and stand right behind the pink-haired girl.
One of the two who entered the room happened to be a beautiful young woman with a fair complexion, waist-length wavy red hair partially tied into a bun with golden rose ornaments, and golden eyes. She was also wearing a white, sleeveless toga gown dress with a sweetheart neckline and straps that wrapped around her neck. There was also a black coat on her right arm with white ruffles coming out of the sleeves. The dress was lined with red, with golden laurels around her waist, and had a high slit around her ride that exposed her legs.
The other individual who entered appeared to be a small, rabbit-like creature with large ears. This creature had dark gray and white fur, and blue eyes, and wore a modified hog head hat and large-collared coat that concealed their arms. The rabbit's attire consisted mainly of red and black colors, with gold embellishments and some resembling gears.
The two simply stared at Dan Heng and Stelle wide-eyed as their attention was now focused on March and how she had her hands on her hips in a stern kind of way.
"Well? Why are you two just staring out at space?"
Stelle and Dan Heng then broke out into small bits of laughter as March was starting to get upset.
"Haha!"
"Heh…"
"What?! Why are you laughing?"
"March? Is everything alright?"
Without even realizing who was speaking to her, March spoke without concern.
"I don't know! These two are being jokesters messing with me while I'm worried about what Himeko and the others will… will… say…"
March had now realized who she was speaking to and couldn't help the pink tint appearing on her face.
"I…Oh! Himeko! There you are! And Pom-Pom!"
Himeko and Pom-Pom could only glance at the girl with strange looks on their faces.
"Err… March, maybe you should go lie down" Pom-Pom suggested while looking the girl up and down. "Maybe everything that's happened in Penacony is getting to you now."
"That's not the problem! It's those two for egging me on!" March yelled while pointing at Stelle and Dan Heng who were casually minding their business. "Since when does Dan Heng join in on Stelle's pranks?!"
"If I may interject, I'm not joining in on her pranks. I'm merely just giving my support verbally."
"That still counts."
Wanting to get to the bottom of this, Himeko chuckled while starting from the beginning.
"Alright now, you two can tease March some more later."
"Hey!"
"Would you mind telling me what's going on?"
Folding her arms across her chest, Stelle decided to be the diligent one and explain her cause.
"We were curious about the strength of the windows on the Astral Express. Ever since that Argenti situation with him appearing out of nowhere and in the lounge area, the topic of being surprise attacked gained traction."
"And so, the idea of if the windows could be broken was talked about. Stelle then started wondering how much pressure would be needed to break a window" Dan Heng added to the explanation.
"Which soon turned to one of us being thrown at the window!" March yelled while pointing at the gray-haired girl who had a smirk on her face.
A giggle escaped Himeko's lips as she now a clearer picture of the situation. However, the conductor of the Astral Express was quite the opposite.
"Huh?! There's no way anyone is breaking a window!" Pom-Pom shouted while waddling over to the others. "There will be no roughhousing on the Astral Express as long as I'm the conductor!"
"This is a serious matter, Pom-Pom!" Stelle cried out. "What if we're attacked out of nowhere? What if March is thrown at the window? Will it hold? Can it hold her?"
"Hey! Why are you focused on this imaginary scenario? And why am I so involved in it!?"
Dan Heng simply kept quiet and remained stoic, but on the inside, he was also silently chuckling at the thought.
Himeko couldn't help but happily giggle to herself at seeing the trio's morale being high. With everything that had transpired on Penacony and how dangerous things had become in a short time, it was nice to see the crew of the Astral Express staying positive and true to themselves.
"You're looking at it all wrong, March" Stelle commented.
"Explain yourself!" the pink-haired girl demanded with her index finger pointing right at the Trailblazer.
"You're- "
*CLICK*
Suddenly, before Stelle could explain anything further, the door to the lounge area opened revealing a familiar face to the group.
"Mr. Yang! Where have you been?" March asked, seeing the wise older figure enter the room.
"Way to be upfront, March" Dan Heng subtly muttered.
Chuckling at all the attention he was getting, Welt pushed up his glasses before speaking up.
"I thank you for your concern, March. But I was simply answering a call that had come in for me."
"Oh? A call. Was it something urgent?" Himeko respectfully asked while showing a bit of seriousness on her face.
"Nothing of that sort… well, that's not entirely true. There is a situation that does call for our attention."
A bit confused about Welt's response; the group all looked to him for further clarification on the matter.
"You see, I just received a call from Genius Society Member, Screwllum."
"Screwllum? That's quite unusual" claimed the elegant redhead.
"Indeed. Normally, the one to be reached out to would be Stelle, so in this case it was quite odd to be called by him" Welt reasoned to the group.
"Mm-hm. There have been a few times that Screwllum has called me regarding the Simulated Universe or anything else that he or Herta are planning. In a way, I think I'm their guinea pig?" the gray-haired girl answered which caused a snort to come from March.
"Pfft…"
Rolling her eyes, Stelle focused her attention back on Welt.
"Yes, well, for this call Screwllum brought up a very peculiar subject that would affect the crew."
"Has something happened that concerns us?" Dan Heng carefully questioned.
"Not quite. You see, Screwllum has come across a boy."
"A boy?" Pom-Pom repeated with a head tilt.
"Does he need help or something?" March asked with concern.
Shaking his head, Welt began to give a summary of what had gone down.
"That's a bit trickier to answer. This boy's name is Sora and like Stelle, he was also found in Herta's Space Station with no real memory of how he got there."
"Another amnesia incident?" the Navigator of the express muttered in disbelief.
"Seriously! That's the second time. Someone should call an inspection at the space station. That's unbelievable!" March exclaimed while sounding like a disgruntled customer.
This forced a small smirk to appear on Dan Heng's face as he knew exactly how to respond to this comment from March.
"You'd be putting more weight on Asta's shoulders by doing that."
"Asta's back must hurt from managing the space station all the time" Stelle added.
Hearing this, March simply rolled her eyes before looking over at Mr. Yang to see if he would continue the discussion about this boy.
"What else can you tell us about this boy, Mr. Yang?"
Taking on a thinking pose, Welt gathered his thoughts and made sure to relay all the information he was presented by the Genius Society member.
"Well, from what Screwllum has told me about this Sora, he has brown spiky hair and quite a unique set of clothes. His mannerisms are present along with being quite the respectful individual. He was also said to carry a rather unusual weapon by his side."
"Strange? How so?" Himeko asked, taking interest in this boy based on the tone of her voice.
Unsure how he should go about answering her question, Welt did the only thing he could do and let out a sigh before jumping right into the facts.
"He… he was using a strange key."
"…"
"…"
"…A strange key…?"
"It's hard to fathom, I know. But we don't know the full picture of this boy. I was only told a brief description of him, and I have to say, he sounds quite remarkable."
Letting out a sleek whistle, Stelle nodded her head while grinning wildly.
"That's quite some praise coming from you, Mr. Yang."
"Please. My input isn't all that grand."
"Nonsense! It's not every day that we get to hear you impressed by someone. If anything, it's a testament to how impressed Screwllum is as well" Himeko reasoned to the older gentleman.
"So, why is this boy impressive? And I don't mean to sound rude or anything like that. I'm just curious..." March carefreely asked.
Knowing what March meant, the older gentleman began to relay what was told to him.
"Sora is... a wild card to put it one way. His tale is also quite an interesting one. From what I was told, here's a quick summary of his story. Sora was originally from a small island where his friends and family resided. However, one day a dark force appeared and destroyed his world separating him and his friends. This dark force is known as the Heartless…" Welt explained, making sure to do his best with the information told to him by Screwllum over the call.
The other members of the Astral Express were all silent as their attention was solely focused on Welt's summary surrounding the boy known as Sora. Even Pom-Pom was listening intently to the story.
"Heartless...?"
"As his world was being destroyed, he was gifted a strange weapon. A Keyblade was the name I was given. Based on Screwllum's description of the weapon, it's a blade of light that could destroy the Heartless completely. From there, Sora's story involved visiting many worlds and working to stop the Heartless while also trying to find his friends. He managed to achieve this goal but… eventually he ended up being involved in a war where he lost his friends and even lost himself…"
With this drastic turn in the story, solemn looks appeared on everyone's faces as they let this new bit of information settle with them. Each member of the Astral Express had different reactions while their emotions clearly conveyed how they were feeling.
Himeko had distant look in her eyes as she frowned sadly and began to think about how she would react were she ever put in a position like that. Forced into a situation that she did not want to be a part of and then losing the people she cared about along with herself. To her, it didn't matter if she was the one to lose her life. The kicker would be to see those she cared for to lose their lives. There was no greater feeling of defeat than that thought alone. Alas, that was a situation she would undoubtedly work to never let happen. She would give her all to those close to her heart.
Dan Heng kept his eyes peering out past the windows in the lounge area and into space. There was a heavy feeling weighing down in his chest that forced him to take a deep breath. While his situation was vastly different from anyone else's, the feeling that this Sora must have had to see the people he cared about and even himself lose… he may not know what it feels like now, but could that have been the case for his previous life? That's a question he would put aside for now. Whether it was true or not, he would use his powers to prevent anything from happening to those in this life… his life.
March, for her part, wasn't sure what to think. Were she in Sora's place, she wouldn't even know how to move on. Watching those that are close to you lose their lives followed by losing your own… it was a scary thought to her. Even more than that, while she wasn't sure what her past life entailed entirely, this whole subject caused a pang to be felt in her chest. Whether it was the thought of not knowing the past or fearing what she could lose in the present, she wasn't sure. The only thing that she could be sure of was that she would not stand aside and let anything happen to the people she cared about most. She would not let any of her Astral Express family be hurt. Not now. Not ever.
Stelle's feelings as a whole were mixed. Of course, she was sympathetic to this boy's struggles and what he had to go through. But she couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness course throughout her heart and body. There was still so much about her past that she didn't know. However, this new life of hers was something that she cherished greatly. Whether it was her mysterious past with the Stellaron Hunters or the many adventures she continued to have with the Astral Express, she would not let this life of hers be ruined. She would fight for what she cherished and cared for most.
"That's…" March began to say but couldn't finish.
"However, that wasn't all that Sora had to say" Welt interjected while keeping a positive tone to his words. "Screwllum said that Sora wanted to help as many people as possible. Making sure to stop the Heartless and not let anyone else experience the grief and hardships that he had to."
"He said that. Even with all that he's gone through?" Dan Heng asked, curiosity leaving strung along his words.
With a nod and smile, Welt continued, "Yes, Screwllum relayed to me that Sora mentioned that if he's able to help as many people as he can, then that's worth fighting for. Along with the fact that he mentioned venturing to many worlds and helping the people with their troubles involving the Heartless."
Smiling at this bit of news, Himeko's intrigue in the boy continued to grow.
"There's quite a lot to say about Sora's character based on what we're hearing. But knowing that he also ventures across worlds to help and fight off these Heartless is quite amazing in of itself."
"That does bring up another staggering fact" Dan Heng added. "These Heartless can travel from one world to another. This means that their forces are strong."
"Not only that, but Sora can travel across worlds. That alone should be something to talk about!" March replied, giving her two cents on the matter.
"Wonder if he has his own train to travel around?" Stelle muttered aloud.
"Are you seriously thinking that!?" March argued.
"It's a serious question. How do you think he travels around to different worlds?"
"…I…"
The gray-haired girl couldn't help but cock an eyebrow up and speak in a teasing tone.
"Got your tongue."
"You're a real pain today!"
Laughter soon filled the express's lounge area as everyone couldn't help but giggle or chuckle at March's reaction to Stelle's teasing. With this pleasant mood settling in, Welt figured that now would be the time to break the last piece of news to the group.
"Hm. There is one last piece of information that Screwllum presented to me during our call."
"What else did he say?"
"Screwllum asked… if the Astral Express would take in Sora."
A moment of silence shot through the lounge as everyone processed this monumental piece of information. Out of everything that Welt could have said, this was far from what anyone expected.
"He… did?"
"That's quite something."
"Yes, well, given Sora's current circumstances, he's about a step away from being just like Stelle's predicament. However, his memory is intact. He just doesn't know where he is in the universe."
Feeling a bit of semblance with that predicament, Stelle couldn't help but sympathize with this mysterious boy. Waking up and not knowing who or what is happening around you was quite the situation she dealt with. But now, she could honestly say meeting and traveling with the Astral Express was one of the best things to happen to her.
"Hm…"
"Himeko? Are you against such an idea?" Welt asked, watching the young woman's face for a reaction.
Brushing some hair off her shoulder, the red-haired beauty kept a vibrant smile on her face as she already had an answer. It didn't take long for her to know what she wanted to say.
"Not at all. In fact, the more I learn of this Sora, the more I'm eager to meet him. But… the Astral Express is made up of the Nameless who venture forth across the stars. This is a decision that I shouldn't be the only one to make."
Understanding what Himeko was saying, everyone then glanced at one another before ultimately looking at a certain conductor who looked quite surprised.
"W-What!? Why is everyone looking at- "
"Pom-Pom! Everyone seems to agree on what we want to do. But what do you want to do? You're the conductor after all" March happily greeted.
Seeing the attention now being shifted, Pom-Pom couldn't help but stammer with a response.
"Well, while I would like to help… won't it conflict with our original schedule even more? We already planned on having March, Dan Heng, and Stelle attending the Luminary Wardance on the Xianzhou Luofu."
Getting what Pom-Pom was saying, the Navigator of the Express decided to ease things to a more grounded level.
"That is true. But as I said before this trailblazing expedition is unlike anything we've dealt with before. Besides, it doesn't necessarily mess with the Express's schedule too much" Himeko admitted to the conductor.
"But won't going to Herta's Space Station then to the Xianzhou Luofu and then back to the space station be a waste of fuel? March asked, wanting to get a clear sense of the situation.
Adjusting his glasses, Welt stepped in to provide some reassurance.
"While that seems like the case, favors are a powerful thing to have. With Himeko's help, we've managed to receive some help from Madam Herta for the Leviathan fossils needing to be delivered from Calenga Abyss to Ruan Mei. Moreover, we'd also be earning good favor with Screwllum. Sora seems to have become quite special in his eyes. To what end… I believe it's a more complex answer than I'm able to come up with on the spot."
"We'd be earning quite the favor from several Genius Society members. That's not something most people can claim" Dan Heng added to the subject.
Being put in the spotlight, the rabbit-like creature couldn't help but blush brightly. All concerns were now met with reassuring solutions leaving only one valid choice left for the conductor of the Express.
"I-I… we should go meet this Sora."
Clapping her hands together, March rushed up and squeezed Pom-Pom into a tight hug causing the conductor to let out a huff of air.
"Oof!"
"The decision has been made!"
"Indeed. Well, I'll call Screwllum and let him know that the Astral Express will happily accept a new member."
"Ha. It feels like we've gained quite a number of passengers in a short time" Himeko said with sincere fondness.
"From picking up Stelle, striking a deal with Black Swan, and now Sora, the Astral Express has grown so much" Dan Heng added to the topic.
"Speaking of her, where is Black Swan?" Stelle asked, looking around the lounge.
"Miss Swan asked that for the preparations to reach The Eternal Land, Amphoreus, she would need some time to get things ready. As such, she'll be residing in Penacony for a bit longer and will contact the express when the preparations are ready" Himeko answered.
Sporting a frown, Stelle couldn't help but say something.
"Ahh… I wanted to travel with her."
"I think you mean you wanted to spend more time with her. Even after everything that's happened in Penacony" March fired back.
"Can you blame me?" the Trailblazer cheekily replied. "I wanted to spend more time with her…"
Folding his arms across his chest, Welt remembered very well the information that Black Swan had relayed to them as the crew was coming up with their next destination along with a way to recharge its engine.
'Should you be able to lay down a new stretch of silver rail, the Express may never have to worry about energy ever again… a world that many across the universe don't even know exists… a world hidden away from outside observation, its presence only revealed by the light from the mirror of the Garden of Recollection… *sigh* I'm clearly in the dark when it comes to this topic. However, I believe our best bet will be to trust Miss Swan. For now, our focus should be on meeting Sora as well as seeing if Herta's Space Station can provide the Express a means of fuel for now.'
As Welt kept on thinking to himself, Stelle continued to ramble on to the group.
"Black Swan played a crucial role in everything that happened, but it does feel like I didn't get much time to hang out with her. I thought that would change now with her accompanying us… boo…"
"You always seem to surprise me" the dark-haired boy coyly commented.
Another fit of laughter filled the lounge as Stelle happily accepted that type of response.
"Mm. Well then, shall we head to Herta's Space Station?" Himeko suggested while getting the conversation back on track.
Nods were shared all around as the Astral Express now had a plan in mind.
"Right! Let's go pick up our new member!"
Meanwhile, back at Herta's Space Station
Sora and Herta were currently in the midst of having an informative conversation.
"And here we have a few of my creations in the Simulated Universe. Created under a complex programming system that is meant to be different through each test of the simulation."
"So, you can just send anyone to the Simulated Universe whenever you want? That's so cool!"
"Was it not so simple when you were sent inside the computer to that simulation?"
"Err… Not exactly. Now that I think about it, there's a lot I still don't know about how Tron's world worked. All I know is that I was able to get sent inside the computer, but things were also able to come out."
"Truly? Simulated creations able to escape their digital prison… how exciting! You are quite odd; you know that Sora?"
Unsure how to respond, the Keyblade wielder simply laughed it off.
"Thanks… I think?"
Just as Herta was about to say something else the door to the room opened revealing Screwllum walking over to them with what could be described as a chipper attitude. That much was obvious based on his body language.
"You look like you won another intergalactic award. What's up?" Herta asked the robotic gentleman.
"I have great news. The Astral Express has accepted my request and will be arriving shortly to pick you up, Sora."
"That's a relief! I was kind of worried that they'd say no."
"Haha! You have no idea how wrong that assertion of yours is. The Astral Express is filled with respectable and kind members aboard. They have managed to support all who have asked for help. They've even come to the aid of Herta and I many times."
"You say that like I'm utterly useless to solving any problems coming my way" Herta retorted.
"Quite the opposite. You're more than capable of dealing with problems in your way. Your past achievements are more than enough to embolden your name. I merely meant that our dear gray-haired friend has lent her support to you in many ways" Screwllum explained.
Realizing that was the angle that he was going for, the brunette-haired doll simply nodded with a hint of acceptance.
"Eh. Fair enough. Stelle has been quite the help for mundane tasks. I'm well aware that Ruan Mei has her on speed dial when it comes to bizarre problems on the space station. So, I'll give her praise. Don't make it obvious to her or else it'll go to her head."
"Haha. We certainly wouldn't want that of our Trailblazing friend."
Not quite sure who they were talking about, Sora decided it wouldn't hurt to ask.
"This Stelle sounds like quite the character."
"*sigh* You have no idea" Herta mumbled.
"I believe you'll be able to see for yourself just how… lively she is" Screwllum added.
Nodding at his words, Sora began to let his thoughts wander and speculate on how the Astral Express and its members were. He had met many people across his journey from varying backgrounds. From legendary heroes, mythical monsters, power-hungry foes, and everyday citizens, there was always something to learn by meeting someone new.
"I see. How long do you think it'll take for them to- "
*RING*
Suddenly, a sound played out across the room leaving Herta to swipe her hand in the air and summon what looked to be a see-through monitor.
"Yes?"
"Lady Herta, the Astral Express and its members have arrived at the station."
A surprised look appeared on the Keyblade wielder's face as he did not expect that sort of coincidence of timing.
"Whoa. Talk about timing that right."
"Space travel is truly a wonderous topic" Screwllum stated with pleasant intrigue.
"Alright. I'll send him over to meet them."
"Understood, Lady Herta."
*Beep*
The call had now ended along with the door in the room opening. On the other side of the door now stood another Herta doll with a hand on her hip looking quite bored.
"Hey! Let's get a move on. I have things to do."
"Isn't there a bunch of other Hertas around?" Sora questioned with a tilt of his head. "And aren't you able to be everywhere at once?"
"I'm still a busy person thank you very much" the Herta clone responded in a matter-of-fact tone.
Deciding that he shouldn't get on her bad side, Sora turned to Screwllum and offered him a generous handshake.
"Thank you for all your help. I… I don't know what I'd do if you didn't mention me to the Astral Express."
Appreciating the handshake, Screwllum returned the gesture and tipped his hat.
"Nonsense. There was no way I could let an individual such as yourself wander astray without any help. While the discussion of whether I'd be truly able to help you is an interesting one, I certainly believe the Astral Express is the best path for you to charter. Even if you decide to not follow the path of the Trailblaze, they will still undoubtedly help you. There are good people on the Express."
Feeling a wave of reassurance, Sora couldn't help but offer a content smile and relief from hearing that he'd be meeting good people soon. The idea of making new friends also resonated with the Keyblade wielder.
"I can't wait to meet them!"
"They are quite a unique bunch. When you arrive at the station port look for an older gentleman with brown hair and glasses. His name is Welt Yang. Mr. Yang will have been the one I called to discuss your circumstances."
"Wait? You're not coming with us?" Sora questioned, referring to him and the Herta waiting impatiently for him at the door.
"I'm afraid there are a few matters that require my presence. Herta will take you where you need to go. I'd also ask if you could extend a greeting to Mr. Yang and the Express crew on my part."
"Sure. No problem."
"Thank you. And until we meet again, Sora, I'll be keeping an open ear to your achievements."
Hearing this, Sora couldn't help but keep smiling. Knowing that his actions were being noticed was something that made him feel a bit happy. Granted, he doesn't go out looking for attention or glory, but it does feel nice being noticed for the good he does.
Following this train of thought, another substantial idea came to mind.
"Do you think that if you hear a word about strange dark creatures with bright yellow eyes and taking people's hearts you could give me a heads up?"
"Of course! I take it the description of these creatures are the Heartless?" Screwllum suggested using context clues to put two and two together.
"You're right about that. Once we finish working on the Simulated Universe and the other dozens of projects that require our attention, I'll give you a rundown on what the Heartless are thanks to Sora's explanation to them" The Herta standing next to Sora and Screwllum stated.
"Excellent. I am most looking forward to learning about these Heartless. A faction we have never encountered before… how intriguing" Screwllum said before looking back at Sora. "Do you have a means of communication on your person?"
Taken aback by how the robotic gentleman said this, Sora hastily reached into his pocket, pulled out his Gummiphone, and showcased it to the two.
"Yep! I've got a phone on me."
Throughout his last adventure, Sora's use of technology had grown exponentially. From struggling with how to work the device to now having a good idea of it, he was excited to use it again.
"May we exchange contact information?"
"Sure! I'd be happy to do that."
During the exchange of information, Herta couldn't help but cast a side eye at the spiky-haired boy before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone.
"Here."
"Huh?"
Now seeing Herta holding out her phone, Sora knew immediately what she was asking for.
"I'll lend you my contact information. That way if anything interesting comes up with the Simulated Universe, I'll have you be another volunteer to try it out. Besides, you're more familiar with a project like this compared to my other volunteer. I might even get better data from your tests" Herta reasoned in what could only be described as a gambler weighing their options.
Letting out a low sigh, Screwllum shook his head.
"You'll have to forgive her, Sora. When an opportunity is noticed by Herta- "
"There's no way I'm letting it get away from me! With two volunteers testing out the Simulated Universe, we are bound to get even more data. Think of the possibilities! Two different tests are being worked on and conducted by two different people. I'm already getting excited about what kinds of results we can find!"
Unable to break his smile at seeing the girl look so happy, Sora couldn't help but laugh and rest his hands behind his head.
"I'm sure I could work something out in the future. I'd be happy to try out your Simulated Universe."
Ideally, while Sora meant all this in good faith and honoring his word, he also saw it as a good way to get some practice in and stay limber with his fighting prowess. While he still had most of his powers and abilities from his latest adventure, he still wanted to be on the safe side and have a quick way of growing in strength.
After all, he had lost his powers so many times now that it was starting to get frustrating. The first time that he was aware of losing his powers was fine. The second time made sense given that he was taking the Mark of Mastery. However, the third time was completely unfair as Xehanort and the real Organization XIII had stepped in to mess with him.
He was getting tired of having to deal with that hassle.
"You are far too kind, Sora."
"Mm. Plus, I'm also a bit curious about the simulation. I wouldn't mind checking it out later."
"I'll be sure to let you know when I'm ready to conduct some tests. I need to make sure the mainframe can handle having a specialized test going through the Simulated Universe. Ah! I wonder what simulation would suit you best. Maybe the second not the third? Or maybe the fourth? Stelle usually has trouble dealing with the fifth simulation. That could be the one I have you run through. Or perhaps I'll need to fine-tune that simulation, and the attributes found in there to match your fighting prowess… but I would need to see just how well you do in battle to get an idea of your battle experience. Perhaps running you through a shortened simulation will have- "
Seeing that Herta was going to keep on rambling, Screwllum gestured for Sora to head on out.
Interpreting the gesture immediately, Sora simply nodded and waved the Genius Society member off while making his way to the other Herta who was waiting for him at the door.
"That Herta is going to be rambling on for the next hour."
"Should we try to stop her? Or can you because you're all connected?"
"There's no point. Let her ramble. She'll be fine. Screwllum can deal with her. Let's go greet the Astral Express."
Deciding to follow this Herta's lead, Sora once again nodded to Screwllum before heading out of the room. He continued to walk next to Herta while also admiring the space station with a newfound perspective.
Everything that had happened to him in such a short amount of time from waking up to now, he would be lying to himself if wasn't excited about what could come his way. The anticipation of meeting the Astral Express made his heartbeat rapidly along with feeling slightly nervous. Screwllum and Herta seemed to have good things to say about the crew, and the fact that they went to different worlds and helped people was something that he looked forward to.
In addition, another thought came to him as he continued to walk next to Herta.
'The Astral Express… if they do go around to different worlds and help the people there, then is it possible that they've encountered the Heartless before? I could also ask them if they've been to a world that I've been to. That could give me a better idea of where I am…'
As Sora was thinking to himself, he didn't notice how the scientists located throughout the space station observed him walking with Herta. The Keyblade wielder was lost in a world of his own.
"Hey, Sora."
Snapping out of it, he looked right at Herta.
"Yeah?"
"When you first encountered one of the other Herta dolls, you seemed quite perplexed about asking if I knew we were in space along with the knowledge of other worlds. Why is that?" Herta asked, slowly but surely prying for more information about the spiky-haired boy.
Sora couldn't help but feel like he walked right into a wall with Herta's questioning. He should have known that the genius girl would ask a question like this, but to be asked it right now was another thing.
"Well, I… that's… kind of complicated…"
"Complicated how? You're not making any sense at all."
Sporting a strained expression, the brunette decided to be honest with his answers.
"Right. Sorry about that. The reason I'm so- "
"Awkward?"
"…right again. It's because there's something that was told to me about not discussing the topic of other worlds when visiting a world that didn't know about."
"A rule revolving around not letting certain worlds not know that there were other worlds in existence. How bizarre…" Herta conveyed with a sense of intrigue.
"I don't really know why that was a rule told to me. But giving it some more thought… I think I now know why it's a thing."
Curious about where the topic was going to go, Herta gestured for Sora to keep on with his explanation. The two also continued to walk through the space station's halls while focusing on the Keyblade wielder's discussion.
Raising his hand and placing it above his heart, Sora decided to give his reasoning.
"Like I told you about the Heartless being able to destroy worlds, the Heartless are also an embodiment in the sense that they are physical manifestations of the darkness within people's hearts. Everyone has both light and darkness within them. But with too much darkness…"
"Then the Heartless are bound to appear."
Nodding at Herta's deduction, Sora continued.
"Feelings such as fear, anger, hate, sadness… those are what the Heartless use to their advantage. They seek and consume hearts due to their desire to return to the greatest heart… the heart of all worlds."
"Heart of all worlds? What sort of nonsense is this?" Herta questioned with an upturned tone. "You're claiming quite a bit of information. As a member of the Genuis Society, there are hundreds of us and with what you're saying one of us should have heard about all or any of this" Herta claimed while placing her hands on her hips and focusing on the boy's reaction.
Feeling the pressure and judgment being directed at him, Sora expected this to happen.
"It's… complicated."
This didn't seem to phase Herta at all as she continued to stare at him with a blunt expression.
"What I mean, is that there's still a lot I don't know about. I only know about the basics of it all."
"Yes, but one doesn't just claim "Heart of all worlds" so casually and expect anyone listening to go along with it without any questions" the Genius Society member reiterated.
"Sorry. I've never really had to explain this to anyone."
"Are you serious?"
Scratching his cheek, Sora could only awkwardly chuckle with the pressure being drawn at him.
"Most of the time, I never have to worry about this topic with friends I meet in different worlds. But others know about the Heartless and they don't need an explanation."
Left with many questions popping into not only her head but the Herta system, Herta could only shake her head and keep her thoughts to herself… for now.
"I see… can you at least explain this "Heart of all worlds" a bit more?"
Nodding his head, Sora began to give a very short explanation of the topic.
"When I say the heart of all worlds, it goes by other names, but the one name that stands out the most is called Kingdom Hearts."
"Kingdom Hearts?"
"Mm. It can be described as an almighty entity of incredible power and untold wisdom formed from a collection of hearts. And… while there's only one "true" Kingdom Hearts, there have been attempts to create a fake one."
"Excuse me? You're telling me that an almighty source of power exists throughout the universe… and there have been attempts to create a fake Kingdom Hearts… and I'm only hearing about this now?!" Herta exclaimed while staring wide-eyed at the Keyblade wielder.
Straining a smile, Sora wasn't sure if he should stop digging the hole to how vast and complicated the history surrounding Kingdom Hearts was. Even with all that he had come to learn and experience, he still had trouble sorting out the information around it all. If Jiminy were here, then he'd be able to explain things a bit more with the help of the data on his Gummiphone.
Another individual who would be the best person to explain things was Master Yen Sid. Now he was someone who could help explain things a lot better than he ever could. However, since it was just him, he would have to make do with racking his brain and sorting things out.
"I… It's complicated…?"
Letting out a deflated sigh, Herta was left at a crossroads. On one hand, she could continue to pry the boy for more information regarding this almighty entity of power, Kingdom Hearts, or she could ease up a bit and organize the information she had already obtained. The things Sora had said already were enough to make up quite an intriguing picture.
"*sigh*"
Deciding to go with the latter, the purple-eyed doll figured she would not push the boy any further… at least this time around.
"Very well. I won't bombard you with any more questions. I can already tell that this topic is going to take a while."
"Haha. Yeah. You have no idea."
"I do have to say one thing though…"
A bit surprised by this, Sora wanted to hear what she had to say.
"This "Kingdom Hearts" sounds an awful lot like an Aeon."
"An Aeon?" Sora asked, not entirely familiar with the term.
Realizing this, Herta decided to give a summary on the topic as they continued to pass through the space station's halls.
"Aeons are mysterious, godlike high-dimensional beings who preside over the universe. Very little is officially known about them. However, they have created what is known as paths that have been discovered upon by mortal beings. To sum it up, Aeons have become an embodiment of highly condensed concepts of philosophy through the word of mouth spread of their legends and powers."
Herta took a second to let this information settle into Sora's mind before continuing.
"In your case, Kingdom Hearts sounds like it shares the qualities of an Aeon. However, were that to be the case, then there would have been others across the universe to have mentioned this before. Let alone the fact that another Genius Society member would have made a publishing piece of work describing the discovery of a new Aeon" Herta reasoned.
Having his brain rattled, Sora could understand the basic gist of what Herta was saying about an Aeon, and the more he gave it some thought, the more he could start to see a loose connection.
"I'm not going to completely argue against Kingdom Hearts sharing qualities to that of an Aeon. However, I don't think it is one."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Based on what I know and have experienced, Kingdom Hearts is more of a special case. I mean, to even reach the real Kingdom Hearts, there needs to be a few things done. When I encountered it, this bad guy had to start a war between light and darkness. Seven of light and thirteen of darkness. Once the war was nearing its end, twenty pieces were formed to create something known as the χ-blade."
Coming to a full stop, Herta had to hear this in full detail.
"χ-blade? Explain."
"The χ-blade is a legendary weapon that coexists with Kingdom Hearts."
Perplexed to a high degree, Herta was left with even more questions and theories popping up in her head about this entire topic. From never even hearing about Kingdom Hearts to learning that there was complexity about it, the Genius Society member was now donning a cocky grin.
"Sora- "
"Whoa! There's a train in that room!"
Examining the train in front of him, the Keyblade wielder couldn't help but be amazed at how beautiful it looked from a distance. The front had a strange design to it that he had never seen but with the gold and black theme surrounding the rest of the train, it looked stunning. Not to mention, the train was also able to traverse across space and go to different worlds. This would be an all-new way of traveling.
Looking at where Sora was pointing, Herta could see the Astral Express parked right where it usually was when it stopped by as well as realizing their conversation had come to a pause.
"I see… that's a real shame. I was only getting to the good part."
"Ahaha…" Rubbing the back of his neck, Sora could understand what she meant.
The entire topic of Kingdom Hearts and the χ-blade was something that he still didn't have a full understanding of. However, there were bits of information on his Gummiphone that Jiminy had collected for him. He would need to read that information soon.
"Maybe next time we can continue this discussion?"
"You can absolutely bet on that! Next time you come back to my space station, you and I are going to have a long talk. I might even need the help of Screwllum on this matter" Herta said with an upbeat tone indicating that she was interested in the subject.
"You got it. Huh? I take it that guy with the glasses standing next to the train is Welt?" Sora questioned while identifying an older man near the train.
Standing next to the train on the docking platform was a man with brown hair that had a small white streak dressed in a gray and white dress coat with a scarf wrapped around his neck. He also had on a pair of glasses, dark brown pants, black shoes, and a black glove on his right hand along with a cane.
"Yes, that is Welt Yang. Seasoned member of the Astral Express. He was the one who Screwllum called about your predicament."
Eager to meet the man, Sora continued to walk toward him and the Astral Express while also feeling a flush of excitement and nervousness. This would be a whole new step on his journey.
Seeing the spiky-haired boy coming his way along with Herta, Welt offered a small yet kind smile on his face.
"I take it the Express was not hard to miss?"
"Haha! Not at all. There's no way anyone would be able to miss it."
"You'd be right about that. My name is Welt Yang."
"It's nice to meet you! I'm Sora!"
"Mm. Just as Screwllum said you'd be."
"I hope he didn't say anything bad."
"You needn't worry. Nothing but good things were said about you. Along with how strange your circumstances are."
Unable to deny that claim, Sora could only shrug his shoulders.
"Ah. Screwllum asked me to give you his regards. He and Herta are working on something, and he couldn't come down and meet you."
"That's understandable. I'm sure the next time we cross paths there's bound to be a lively conversation" Welt replied before shifting his attention over to Herta. "Madam Herta. Always a pleasure."
"Likewise. I take it you and Miss Himeko are still in agreement about that deal?"
"Of course. The Express was just on its way to the Xianzhou Luofu before receiving the call from Screwllum about Sora. Once we make a quick stop there, Himeko and I will be ready to assist."
"Excellent. Well then, I'll leave you two. Sora, I expect you to be ready for our conversation next time. There's still over a hundred questions I'd like to ask you."
Knowing that he had somehow gotten himself into quite the mess, the spiky-haired brunette could only weakly chuckle and nod his head.
"Right. See you."
And with that, Herta was now walking away from the two leaving a calming mood to settle in.
"I hope your… awakening on the space station wasn't too much of a shock" Welt spoke up.
"It was alright. It's not my first time waking up somewhere I'm not familiar with."
"That's… unusual."
"You have no idea."
Agreeing with the boy's response, Welt decided to learn a bit about the boy.
"So, I take it you must have many questions?"
Folding his arms across his chest, Sora answered with a simple nod.
"There's a lot I don't understand. And it's not because of any real sort of memory loss or anything like that. It's more… complicated."
Hearing the tone in his voice, Welt could easily tell that there was a lot on Sora's plate. Having quite the complex history and plethora of experiences of his own, he knew that some things were hard to explain."
"…Believe me, I have a good understanding of what you mean."
"Right…"
Watching the boy's body language shift once more, Welt decided to ease things up and take a lighter approach to learning about him.
"Would you care to tell me a bit about yourself? I'm sure this question will be asked again by the others, but I'd like to hear it if you don't mind."
"Not at all. I'd be happy to do that."
"Thank you. Now then, Screwllum said your situation was a bit odd. Waking up in Herta's Space Station with no idea how you got there. Along with having your memories intact."
Picking up on how he said that Sora couldn't help but wonder something.
"Err… has something like this happened before?"
Chuckling to himself, Welt couldn't help but think of a gray-haired girl that immediately came to mind.
"You'd be quite surprised. Yes, something like this has happened before. One of the Astral Express's members suffered from amnesia and found herself in the space station with nowhere to go. Granted, she could have stayed at Herta's Space Station, but I believe she made the best choice possible by coming along with the Express" Welt explained to Sora.
"Weird… but I get what you mean. I have all my memories with me and most of my powers are still with me. I just… don't know how I appeared on the space station."
"I see… Screwllum also mentioned that you have a good heart. Willing to fight against a dark force that I have never heard about. The Heartless?"
Hearing that Screwllum mentioned the Heartless to Welt, made things a bit easier for Sora to jump right into explaining things.
"Yeah, they're called the Heartless. They pose a great threat to the world but… from how Screwllum and Herta took the news, I'm starting to think that something is up."
Considering how to phrase his next words carefully, Welt could not for the life of him recall any prior mention of the Heartless. Throughout the many events he has gone through, there was no recollection of this dark force leaving him to ponder the topic even more. Moreover, based on how the Heartless were brought up, he was starting to grow weary about the entire subject matter.
Any further conversation would need to be discussed amongst the rest of the crew.
"Sora, I have one more question before we should join the others in the Express."
"Sure. What's up?"
Closing his eyes and then looking directly at the spiky-haired boy, one question was lingering on Welt's mind that would give him a transparent idea of how Sora was as a person.
"Based on what I've heard about you, what is the most important thing to you?"
Not giving an immediate answer, Sora looked down at his hands and clasped them slowly. A rush of memories began to play out in his head from all the highs and lows that had happened in his journey. From the people he has met to the fights he has gone through. He could give over a hundred different answers.
However, one answer seemed to come naturally and was the one his heart yearned for him to say.
"…My whole journey began to save my friends… along the way, I managed to meet so many different people. People I now consider close to my heart. I've had to fight many difficult battles. Some I've won… some I've lost. I managed to get involved in so many lives… if I had to give an answer for the most important thing to me then, my answer would be my friends."
Listening to Sora's words, Welt did not say anything and continued to hear what he had to say.
"I'm proud to be a small part of something much bigger. My friends give me strength and even though they are not with me… and I might not ever see them again… they are still with me. In here…" Sora then held his hand over his heart while looking quite confident. "My friends are my power. And I'll keep on moving forward with them in my heart."
Unable to stop the kind smile appearing on his face, Welt couldn't help but reflect on his own past. The fond memories that he still held onto even now. The faces of all his friends and family… he could undoubtedly understand what Sora had meant.
"On that note, we agree wholeheartedly. Thank you for giving me your honest answer, Sora. I now understand what Screwllum saw in you. The kindness in your heart and honesty in your words is something that's needed more in the universe."
"I just like being myself" Sora replied, scratching his cheek while staying humble.
"And there is nothing wrong with that at all."
*CHOO-CHOO!*
The Astral Express was now ringing loudly across the room indicating that the train was ready to depart.
"Well then, it seems our chat has come to a gracious end."
"Yeah. I'd be happy to talk again anytime like this. But I'm sure everyone on board is going to have questions for me."
Nodding his head, Welt had one thought spur into his mind.
'You have no idea, Sora.'
Gesturing to the door next to him, Welt figured that he had taken up enough time.
"Shall we introduce you to the others?"
"Yeah! Let's go!"
With that, the Keyblade wielder took his first step into the Astral Express and was ready to embark on the next step of his new journey.
Inside the Astral Express
Upon stepping onto the Express, Sora was met with a very stylish and beautiful interior along with several doors leading into various rooms. It was safe to bet that these rooms either belonged to the crew members or were used for other reasons.
"The crew will be in the lounge area. I'm sure they're eagerly awaiting your arrival" Welt said while following behind.
"How many crew members are on the Astral Express now?"
"Counting the ones currently on board, there's six including the conductor. There is another temporary member of the Express, but she's currently in another world now. She'll contact us once she is done with her preparations."
"I see. That's really- "
"Shhh! He'll hear us!"
"I think you mean that he'll see us."
"March. Your hair is giving us away."
"It is not!"
"Hehe. You three are making yourselves stand out quite a bit."
"I'm sure he can hear you three."
"More like see us. Or rather see March."
"Hey!"
From Sora and Welt's perspective, the door leading to the lounge area was slightly opened with pink hair being barely visible while showing that they were doing their best to remain inconspicuous.
Turning his head to look at Welt, the older man sighed while shaking his head.
"You'll have to excuse them. They're quite interested and excited to meet you. They also can't wait a minute for you to come into the room" Welt said a bit loudly for the members to hear.
Shuffling could now be heard as well as someone flopping onto something. The noise caused Sora to laugh and imagine someone jumping back.
"You're in for quite the bunch, Sora."
"Ha. I'm also excited to meet them."
Gesturing for the Keyblade wielder to meet the crew now, Sora did so and stepped through the door and was met with quite the spacious room with two couches on each side. A few tables could be seen along with several windows that offered a great view of space. Furthermore, several individuals could be seen waiting to greet him.
The first person to catch his eye was a very beautiful young woman with a fair complexion, waist-length wavy red hair tied into a bun with golden rose ornaments, and golden eyes. She wore a white, sleeveless toga gown dress with a sweetheart neckline and straps that wrapped around her neck. The dress was also lined with red and had a high slit along the right side that exposed her legs. A black coat was also wrapped around her right arm with white ruffles coming out of the sleeves. In addition, a black miniskirt with dangling black flowers, and black heels could also be seen worn by her. This girl also had an elegant aura about her and smiled sweetly at Sora.
The next person he noticed was a girl with shoulder-length light pink hair and pink and blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of a white top with gold buttons that clipped to a black collar, as well as a loose pink and blue overcoat. A blue and white skirt with a black vest was worn around her waist. There was also a camera next to her hip along with black and blue boots on her feet. She was also smiling brightly at the Keyblade wielder.
Another person he noticed was a tall, slender man with blue eyes, fair skin, and black hair. The man was wearing a black turtleneck decorated with a strange accessory along his white and green coat. A gold piece of armor could be seen on his left shoulder. Moreover, on his right arm was a dark bracer. Dark grey pants and black-high-top shoes with white soles could be seen. Additionally, he was staring at Sora as if he was analyzing him and his actions.
Sitting next to the pink-haired girl and dark-haired boy was another girl with gray hair that reached past her shoulders. Amber eyes could also be seen staring right into Sora's blue eyes. The girl's appearance was that of fair skin and a white shirt with a black and yellow jacket wrapped around her shoulders. A black miniskirt could also be seen worn along with a belt wrapped loosely around her waist. Black heels could also be seen as well as her bare legs crossed. An overall curious look was placed on the girl's face as she continued to watch the Guardian of Light.
And lastly, the final member to catch his attention was a small, rabbit-like creature with large ears and an overall cute appearance. The creature was covered in dark gray and white fur, and blue eyes, and wore a large hat and coat that covered its arms. A theme of red and black colors could be seen along with gold accessories that resembled gears along its clothes. A white satchel with gold buckles could be seen on the creature's right side and it looked to be eyeing the Keyblade wielder closely.
"Uh… hi!"
Unsure of how he should start the introduction, Sora simply waved his hand at the Astral Express Crew.
"Oh! You're friendlier than I thought!" cried the pink-haired girl. "We weren't sure how you were- "
"Weren't you the one pressed up on the window and watching him while he was talking with Mr. Yang?" replied the dark-haired boy.
"Way to mess up the window" added the gray-haired girl.
"You're going to be cleaning that!" shouted the rabbit creature.
"What!?"
Gigging at the group's antics, the red-haired woman got up from her seat and walked over to Sora while offering her hand out and smiling at Sora.
"It's finally a pleasure to meet you, Sora. My name is Himeko. I'm the Navigator for the Astral Express. We've been expecting you."
Happily taking her hand, Sora offered a friendly smile back.
"Same. I've been excited to meet everyone ever since Screwllum mentioned you all to me."
"I hope it was all good things…" the gray-haired girl said while having a goofy grin plastered all over her face.
"Haha. Yep. All good things."
With a fist pump, the gray-haired girl cheered.
Deciding to take the spotlight now, the pink-haired girl cleared her throat and began introducing herself.
"Hello! I'm March 7th. But everyone usually just calls me March. It's nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too, March!" Sora positively beamed at the girl.
Stepping forward, the dark-haired boy also offered his hand.
"I'm Dan Heng."
"Sora."
Once the brief exchange between the two was done, the gray-haired girl stepped forward with a sly smirk on her face.
"Yo. My name is Stelle. Nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too, Stelle."
Facing the rabbit-like creature, Sora watched as it walked up to him while also having an unreadable expression on its face.
"Welcome to the Astral Express! My name is Pom-Pom. I'm the conductor of the Express. I hope you can get along with the crew."
Smiling happily at Pom-Pom, Sora nodded wholeheartedly.
"Nice to meet you, Pom-Pom. And I look forward to getting to know everyone."
With introductions done and over, Welt made his way into the lounge area and stood next to the gathered group.
"Now that introductions are over, I'm sure you all have some questions for our spiky-haired friend here."
Raising her arm at impeccable speed, March was the first to jump at the chance.
"Ooh! Ooh! I have a bunch of questions!" Turning her attention to Sora, March began firing away. "What sort of weapon do you use!? What path are you following!? How many other worlds have you been to!? What's the craziest place you've been to!? Where did you get your cool clothes!? Mr. Yang said that you fight strange monsters. What kind of monsters!? What kind of…"
Stumped on where he should start, Sora tried to give a reply but wasn't able to get a word in.
"March. Perhaps you should let him answer one question at a time?" Dan Heng said, drawing March's long list of questions to a stop.
"O-oh! Sorry about that. I was just really excited! It's not every day the Express brings aboard someone new!"
"But… Black Swan has joined the Express…?" Stelle questioned with a tilt of her head.
"Yeah, but Miss Swan is a bit… intimidating."
"No, she's not!" cried Stelle while waving her hand in the air. "Black Swan is a wonderful addition to the Express!"
"That's only because you're easily- "
"Is Black Swan the temporary member you mentioned?" Sora asked Welt.
"Yes. Miss Swan is away on Penacony preparing the necessary steps for the Express to enter another world. One that's proving quite the challenge to find."
"Oh? That's a bit interesting."
Intrigued by his response, Himeko's attention was caught.
"Why do you say that Sora? From the way you said that it sounds like you have some experience dealing with worlds that are hard to reach. Based on Welt's summary from Screwllum, you're also familiar with traversing the cosmos as well."
Catching interest in this subject, March and the others listened intently to this new topic.
"Yeah, but my old way of traveling to different worlds is a bit different from the Astral Express."
"How so?"
Smirking at this question, Sora began to recall the many fond memories he had of piloting the Gummiship across space and flying to different worlds. Moreover, he also recalled the many space battles he, Donald, and Goofy encountered with the Heartless and Nobodies.
"I used to use a ship called a Gummiship and it was outfitted with guns and magic to fight against the Heartless that prevented me and my friends from going to another world."
Perplexed by the boy's answer, Stelle couldn't help but awkwardly chuckle.
"A Gummiship? Was it made of gummies?"
"Actually, yeah, it was. Gummi blocks to be sure."
The group was taken aback by this admission.
"So, wait, these Gummi blocks were used to build a ship that was then outfitted with guns and magic to traverse space and help defeat these Heartless that blocked you from going to another world?" March asked, trying to wrap her head around this topic.
"You're right, March. Sometimes the paths found to travel to another world were blocked or locked by the Heartless or Nobodies which forced me and my friends to fight and open a new path forward" Sora explained as if this was nothing.
"Such technology…?" Welt murmured while thinking to himself.
"You have my attention, Sora!" Himeko chimed positively while donning an intrigued look on her face. "The materials needed to build a ship that could not only withstand space travel but also fight back against foes is remarkable. Do you recall how strong these Gummi blocks were by chance?"
Going into a thinking pose, the Keyblade wielder tried to remember if there was ever a time he weighed or heard Chip and Dale mention how strong the Gummi blocks were.
"Hm…"
After giving it some thought, he couldn't recall a time when he heard anything about how strong the Gummi blocks were. However, he did consider how strong the blocks were along with the materials he needed to gather in space to make a stronger Gummiship.
"Err… I'm sorry, Himeko. I don't remember ever hearing about how strong the Gummi blocks were. Just that by collecting various gems and minerals I was able to make stronger Gummi blocks to make a stronger ship."
"Ah. That's alright, Sora. You tried and that's all that matters to me."
It was at this point that Welt wanted a few of his questions answered.
"Sora, while the others have questions of their own, I'd like it if you could answer one that I have."
"Sure! What is it?"
Making sure he knew how to ask this question; Welt began to speak.
"Screwllum mentioned that the Heartless were capable of destroying worlds and that you held a special kind of weapon. One that could destroy them for good. Could you please elaborate on this?"
Knowing just how to elaborate on this topic, Sora nodded and held his right hand out.
*FWOOSH*
Out of nowhere, a flash of blue light appeared, and now in his hands was his Keyblade. Taking on the appearance of Kingdom Key, Sora showcased the weapon for everyone to see.
To say intrigue was on everyone's faces would be an obvious assessment. However, Stelle couldn't help but flip the entire situation up on its head.
"Whose house key did you take?"
*A/N* - Hey there, thanks for reaching the bottom of this chapter. Originally, I planned on making this way longer but decided to go with the method I've been using for my other stories. Start a story with shorter chapters but gradually increase the length of new chapters. Granted, when I first started writing I started with really short chapters which I now feel as unnecessary. However, it's all a learning curve. Plus, it's also all for fun. You know? Anyway, this chapter involved the Astral Express and how their reaction to taking in Sora was. As mentioned before, this story will pick up right after Penacony and lead into what's going on the Xianzhou Luofu. Things won't be happening exactly as they are now in the actual game, but that does give me a bit of a sandbox to play in. I also hope to progress the story with a sort of upbeat and entertaining element to what's going to happen in Sora's new adventure.
Furthermore, I'd also like to offer an in-advanced apology for the timing of this story being updated. I don't want to give any sort of schedule or timing for the next chapter as I'm quite prone to miss deadlines. However, know that I'm always working on a story even though things might seem slow or stagnant. I hope you can forgive this cook for his slow cooking. And with that, I'd like to thank everyone for checking this story out and giving it a chance. Along with another bit of thanks if you'll stick around to see what's next for Sora in this new journey across the Honkai: Star Rail universe. Thanks, and until next time, take care!
*P.S.* - We need Kingdom Hearts 4 news… or Missing Link news… it's been ages! Lol. Nah, I'm honestly ok waiting a bit longer. Even though it hurts being in a dry period of no news or coverage. It's pretty much looking like KH4 could be coming out in 2026 along with 2025 being the year we see news or even footage of the game. I'd rather wait a bit longer so that when KH4 is shown we actually have a solid release date. My expectations for the next game are quite high and while that is a dangerous thing to do… I can't help it. I'm a Kingdom Hearts fan lol. Thanks again!
