Hollow Bastion: First Visit - Part 3

At Merlin's, Tails sat at the computer, typing furiously, with Cid seated beside him, arms crossed as he observed the fox's work with a look of hard-earned respect. Behind them, Leon and Aerith watched intently, clearly impressed by Tails' skill.

Tails leaned forward, making one last keystroke.

"That should do it."

A loud chime followed, and the screen flickered to life as new diagnostic lines scrolled by.

Cid leaned closer, nodding with approval.

"So, you actually got it sorted, huh?" he probed gruffly.

Tails beamed, explaining with an enthusiastic gleam in his eyes.

"The Claymore defense system was working in some sectors, but other areas kept going offline because of a fault in the synchronization module. I rerouted the power lines, recalibrated the core code, and re-synced the targeting grid with your mainframe. Now, it's patched to defend even the outermost districts with full coverage."

"Nice work, Tails," Leon commented, nodding thoughtfully.

"You're a lifesaver," Aerith added with a warm smile.

Cid let out a gruff chuckle, but the admiration in his voice was unmistakable.

"Kid's a genius. Wouldn't have figured it out myself, and I don't say that often."

Suddenly, the door swung open, and everyone turned to see Yuffie sauntering in, followed by Sonic, and behind them, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Rouge, and Omega.

"Everyone, meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!" Yuffie exclaimed, gesturing to Leon, Aerith and Cid.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Tails remarked with surprise.

Cid huffed, though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"And the bat spy and the tin can, are here too."

Aerith's face brightened, a genuine warmth in her eyes.

"We missed you all," she said sweetly.

Everyone moved forward to greet the group, Tails and Cid hopping off their chairs.

"We found Sora, Donald, and Goofy wandering around with Rouge and Omega," Sonic explained. "Lucky Yuffie and I were there to guide them here."

Omega's eyes flickered as he raised a hand.

"CORRECTION. MY NAVIGATIONAL CAPABILITIES ARE FLAWLESS. WE WERE ON COURSE TO MERLIN'S HOME WITHOUT ASSISTANCE."

Sonic chuckled, crossing his arms.

"Come on, Omega. You said the same thing when we were wandering around the castle last time, remember?"

Tails laughed, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, Sonic's right," the fox agreed. "We walked in circles around the library for an hour before we figured out where we needed to go."

"They do have a point, Omega," Rouge teased with a smirk.

Omega emitted a faint whirring sound.

"NO COMMENT."

Everyone burst into laughter, even Leon and Cid cracked a faint smile. Once the laughter died down, Leon turned to Sora, his expression contemplative.

"I knew it," he said simply, folding his arms.

Sora tilted his head, puzzled.

"Knew what?" the teen asked.

"A while back… everyone here suddenly remembered you three. All at the same time," Leon explained, glancing around at the others.

"What!?" Sora's jaw dropped. "You guys too?"

Donald's feathers ruffled, his voice taking on an annoyed edge.

"Thanks a lot!" he muttered in annoyance.

Goofy scratched his head, looking concerned.

"Gawrsh, it's all so strange… all of you forgetting us like that."

"Hey, we didn't mean to, guys!" Tails replied, putting his hands up defensively.

"Yeah," Cid agreed, scratching his chin. "It was like a freak thing. One minute, it was like you'd never existed, and the next, bam—you were all back in our memories."

Aerith nodded, her voice soft.

"It was… strange. And unsettling," she admitted.

Cid continued, pointing a thumb toward Tails.

"I mean, if the fox genius had remembered you, he would've sent you invites to Blue's birthday party."

"Cid!" Yuffie exclaimed, giving him a little smack on the arm.

"Hey! Cid shouted, annoyed with being hit in the arm. He gave the ninja a side eye look.

"Dude!" Sonic remarked, looking at Cid. The hedgehog's face was a mixture of embarrassment and exasperation.

Leon sighed heavily, unfolding his arms and rubbing his temples as Aerith looked at Cid, a mix of sympathy and amusement in her expression. Rouge rolled her eyes, and Omega looked as impassive as ever.

"What?" Sora gasped, his face was a picture of surprise. "We missed your birthday party?" He turned to Sonic, clearly dismayed.

Donald let out a dramatic groan.

"That's not fair!"

Sonic shot Cid a look.

"Thanks a lot, Cid…" Sonic moaned.

"Yeah, dig us a hole, why don't you?" Leon added, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Cid shrugged, unapologetically in his response.

"Just tellin' the truth, Blue."

"You're hardly helping, Cid," Tails sighed, shaking his head.

Aerith laid a gentle hand on Sora's shoulder, her tone soothing.

"It wasn't Tails or Sonic's fault. It was just… one of those strange things that happened to all of us."

"Yeah," Yuffie agreed, giving Cid another light smack again. "Besides, you old grump, you're not exactly being tactful."

"Damn it, Yuffie!" Cid muttered, rubbing his arm where she'd hit him, though he was smirking.

"Well, I just hope we're invited to the next birthday party!" Goofy said, trying to keep optimistic.

Donald, still looking mildly offended, crossed his arms.

"Yeah, just make sure to remember us next time, alright?" the duck said.

Sonic chuckled, putting his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Got it, got it. We'll make sure you guys are first on the list," the hedgehog confirmed.

"Promise?" Sora replied, his tone somewhat teasing.

Sonic's expression softened, and he gave Sora a reassuring nod.

"Of course, pal. You're here now, and that's what matters."

Donald, now in better spirits, grinned mischievously.

"Just don't expect any extra cake. I'll be eating that," the duck admitted.

Most of the group burst out laughing, the tension fully dissolved as they shared in the humour. Even Leon cracked a small smile, though Omega remained silent, and Cid grumbled, still rubbing his arm where Yuffie had smacked him


"Anyway, where've you three been all this time?" Tails spoke up, moving the conversation on, glancing between Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

Goofy scratched the back of his head.

"Well… we were, uh… sleepin'," The King's Captain explained.

"Sleepin'? Where? In cold storage?" Cid replied, his tone somewhat sarcastic.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy exchanged nervous glances, shuffling slightly, unsure how to respond.

"Wow, that must have been one heck of a nap, guys!" Sonic chuckled.

Aerith stepped in, her warm smile breaking any lingering tension.

"It doesn't matter where you were. What matters is that we're all together again."

"Almost everyone, anyway," Sonic added. "Knuckles, Amy, Team Chaotix, Silver, Lucina, Wally —they're still missing from this little reunion."

"And let's not forget Shadow, Blue," Rouge chimed in, crossing her arms.

Omega's red eyes flashed.

"AFFIRMATIVE. SHADOW WAS CRUCIAL IN DEALING WITH ANSEM AND SEALING THE DOOR TO DARKNESS."

"Oh, right, Shadow…" Sonic rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away.

Tails jumped in, nodding thoughtfully.

"We definitely can't forget what he did for the team, even though he was in the Realm of Darkness for most of that adventure," the fox analysed.

Sonic opened his mouth to reply, but Sora interjected, "And if it weren't for Chaos Control, that Door to Darkness—"

"I know, but—" Sonic tried to say, only for Leon to cut in.

"We owe a lot to Shadow," Leon said, folding his arms.

"Yes, I know—" Sonic began, only to be interrupted again.

"THE DOOR TO DARKNESS IS NOW SAFELY SEALED AND INACCESSIBLE," Omega announced in his blunt, booming tone.

Sonic finally threw up his hands.

"I GET IT!" the hedgehog shouted loudly.

Everyone turned to stare as Sonic sighed, taking a deep breath and continuing.

"Yes, I know Shadow was important," Sonic continued, now calmer. "All I meant was that a lot of our friends helped in the Realm of Light too. Shadow was a huge help, don't get me wrong. I'm just sayin' that everyone deserves a little credit."

"Alright, alright, fair enough, Sonic. We'll let you have this one," Yuffie replied with a cheeky smile.

"Makes sense. Besides, we're all glad Shadow was there, but the friends we had here kept things together too," Tails added.

Sonic let out a relieved sigh.

"Phew, thanks. Felt like I was getting grilled there for a second!" Sonic joked.

"I hope he's doing okay. It'd be good to see Shadow again," Goofy remarked.

"Yeah, so where is he?" Leon asked, glancing at Rouge and Omega.

Cid crossed his arms, looking unimpressed as he turned to Rouge and Omega.

"I figured Mr. Broody would be here with you two. What gives?"

Aerith's gaze shifted to Rouge, a hint of worry crossing her features.

"Is he… out of the Realm of Darkness?" she asked.

"Yeah! Rouge mentioned that he was earlier," Yuffie chimed in, looking expectantly at the duo.

Leon, Aerith, Cid, and Tails all turned to Rouge, who nodded in confirmation.

"SHADOW LEFT THE DARK WORLD MANY MONTHS AGO," Omega affirmed.

"That's wonderful," Aerith said, her face lighting up with this news.

Cid scratched his chin, his brows furrowing.

"Great, but where is he, then?" the gruff mechanic questioned.

Goofy leaned in, a conspiratorial look on his face.

"He went chasin' after an old pain in the neck from Donald and my world," he explained.

Donald's face twisted with frustration.

"Yeah, Pete. That no-good troublemaker," the duck added.

"Sounds like a handful," Cid scoffed.

Sora nodded, thinking back to his own encounter with Pete earlier at Yen Sid's tower.

"I only met him recently, but he definitely seems like he's a bit… much."

"This Pete may be trouble, but Shadow can handle him," Sonic affirmed, turning his gaze to Rouge. "And this new recruit with him. Who is it?"

"Oh, you're definitely familiar with this one, Blue." Rouge admitted with a smile.

"Right, you told me that," Sonic said, leaning in with growing curiosity. "But come on, the suspense is killing me! Who is it?"

Omega's sensors glowed, and he answered in his usual blunt tone.

"THE NEW RECRUIT IS AQUA."


The reaction was instant. Sonic's jaw dropped in surprise, while Tails tilted his head, intrigued by the name. Meanwhile, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the rest exchanged confused glances, clearly lost.

"What, really?! Aqua?" Sonic exclaimed, his surprise barely contained.

Sora raised an eyebrow at Sonic.

"Aqua?" he repeated, clearly confused.

Sonic nodded, his expression softening with a hint of admiration.

"Yeah. She's a friend who was stuck in the Realm of Darkness," he explained. "Shadow was with her there during that whole Ansem mess."

Tails nodded thoughtfully, recalling stories Sonic had shared.

"I remember you talking really highly of her, Sonic. You always said she was one of the toughest fighters you have met."

"She sure was tough, Tails," Sonic replied with a smile. "I'm just glad she's finally out of that place."

Donald furrowed his brow, something sparking in his memory.

"Aqua… that name sounds familiar…"

Goofy scratched his head, nodding slowly.

"Gawrsh, I think I remember the King mentioning her once or twice."

"Wait, you guys know her?" Sora asked, turning to them in surprise.

Donald shrugged as he replied.

"Sort of. The King knows her better than we do. It's been years since I last heard her name."

Sora looked over to Leon, Aerith, Cid, and Yuffie.

"Have any of you heard of her?" he questioned.

Leon shook his head, looking genuinely apologetic.

"Can't say I have," he said. "The name doesn't ring any bells."

"Same here," Aerith said, giving Sora an encouraging smile despite her unfamiliarity.

"Sorry, kid," Cid added with a small sigh. "Doesn't sound like anyone I know."

Sonic paused, glancing down, his gaze thoughtful as he pieced through memories. He went quiet for a moment, and the others exchanged glances, sensing something deeper was on his mind.

"Sonic?" Tails prompted gently, looking at him with concern.

Sonic looked up, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.

"Looks like you've got some competition now, Sora," the hedgehog said, turning his gaze to Sora.

"Huh?" Sora asked, baffled.

Sonic's grin widened as he explained.

"You're not the only Keyblade wielder around anymore, that's for sure."

"What? Really?" Sora's voice rose in surprise, his awe and disbelief evident.

Leon's gaze sharpened with interest.

"So this Aqua… she's a Keyblade wielder?"

Sonic nodded, a proud smile on his face.

"Yeah," Sonic confirmed. "Aqua's got skills and power beyond anything I've seen."

"Like the King?" Donald asked, his eyes bright with excitement.

"Exactly!" Sonic replied with a nod. "She's incredible."

"Wow… I'm a little confused, though." Sora replied, slightly puzzled by it all. "I thought it was just Mickey and me who could use a Keyblade. And Riku… well, when he took it from me that one time…"

Sonic leaned back against a nearby table, crossing his arms thoughtfully.

"Aqua once told Shadow and me that the Keyblade isn't limited to just one person," he explained. "Others can wield it too, if they've got strong hearts and a deep connection to the light."

Tails's eyes widened, looking at Sonic with newfound admiration.

"Really? You kept that information pretty quiet, Sonic."

Cid crossed his arms, looking mildly exasperated.

"Seems Sonic kept all sorts of things quiet. Didn't even tell us about this Aqua!" he moaned.

Sonic scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.

"It wasn't exactly my story to tell," he affirmed. "Aqua wanted to keep it private, and I respected that."

"Fair enough," Yuffie replied with a smile.

"Can't argue with privacy," Aerith added.

Leon, still pondering, turned back to Sonic.

"It does raise a question, though. Just how many Keyblade wielders are out there?"

Aerith looked at Sora, her expression both curious and warm.

"We always thought there was only one wielder of the Keyblade. But now there's you, the King, Riku, and Aqua… I wonder how many more there could be."

"Actually," Sonic began, now standing up straighter, "Tails and I met another one not so long ago."

Donald's jaw dropped.

"You're kidding?" the duck remarked loudly.

"Another Keyblade wielder?" Goofy added, scratching his head.

Sora turned to Sonic, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Who was it, Sonic?"

Rouge's gaze flicked to Sonic, intrigued.

"Yeah, Blue. Tell us more. Who was this other wielder?" she asked.

Sonic and Tails exchanged a look, as if trying to recall the encounter clearly.

"Well, we met a kid who could wield a Keyblade," Sonic began, thinking back to the adventure.

"Really?" Aerith leaned in, intrigued.

"Where?" Leon asked, his expression unreadable but clearly interested in the mystery.

Before Sonic could answer, Sora suddenly spoke up, as if the words slipped out of their own accord.

"That Interstellar Amusement Park... Right?" he said.

Everyone turned to Sora, eyes widening in surprise. Tails looked especially startled.

"That's… that's right," Tails confirmed, but his voice was tinged with confusion. "But… Sora, how did you know that?"

"Yeah!" Donald added, looking thoroughly baffled. "I don't remember us ever goin' to any amusement park out in space."

Goofy tilted his head, scratching his chin in puzzlement.

"Seems like a lucky guess… I guess?" the King's Captain thought.

Sora blinked, realising the oddity of what he'd just said.

"Yeah… lucky guess, I suppose," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as a strange feeling washed over him. Had he actually been there? The place felt oddly familiar, but he couldn't place why.

Rouge narrowed her eyes, studying Sora closely, and Omega's sensors began to glow dimly as he scanned Sora in secret, analyzing for any anomalies. The strange coincidence had clearly piqued his interest.

Cid huffed, placing his hands on his hips and breaking the silence.

"Seems like everyone's gettin' a Keyblade these days. Handin' 'em out like lollipops, I swear."

Yuffie laughed at Cid's words, before she replied.

"I mean, surely there can't be that many more of them, right?"

"Actually, there's one more!" Goofy chimed in, holding up a finger as if he'd just remembered something important. "Master Yen Sid is a former Keyblade Master, too."

"Really?" Sora asked, his surprise evident. "You didn't mention that back when I first met him."

"Yup! The King trained under him," Donald added with a proud nod. "He knows a lot about Keyblades—and all sorts of other magic."

Sonic tilted his head, curiosity piqued.

"Who's this Yen Sid guy?" the hedgehog asked, looking around the room.

The Restoration Committee and Tails exchanged blank looks, all shrugging. Clearly, the name hadn't crossed their radar.

Omega's eyes glowed faintly as he accessed his internal files, his voice taking on a slightly mysterious edge.

"MASTER YEN SID: FORMER KEYBLADE MASTER AND HIGH-RANKING DEFENDER OF THE REALMS OF LIGHT. RECORDS INDICATE HIS PRESENCE ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLDS IN A TOWER DESIGNED TO OBSERVE AND PROTECT AGAINST THREATS TO LIGHT."

"Well then," Sonic replied, impressed. "It seems like you're in some pretty powerful company, Sora."

"Yeah," Sora replied, still processing it all. "It's… strange, but exciting too."

Donald folded his arms thoughtfully, casting a curious look at Rouge.

"It would be great to meet this Aqua sometime. Properly, I mean."

Rouge gave him a nod, her expression softening.

"You probably will," she replied. "She's on her own mission right now—something important, even a bit personal. But she's helping us out with the rising darkness and these sudden appearances of Nobodies. G.U.N. has her pulling double duty, really."

Omega's sensors flickered again, his voice unwavering.

"MISSION ASSIGNED BY COMMANDER TOWERS: INVESTIGATE THE DARKNESS AND NOBODIES!"

Tails's eyes gleamed with admiration and intrigue.

"Wow… sounds like it's a big mission if Aqua's helping out. It must be serious," he mused.

"AFFIRMATIVE," Omega replied, his tone grave.

The room grew quiet as everyone absorbed the weight of their recent revelations. But it was Sora who broke the silence, moving the reunion forward.


"So, speaking of our friends...we're actually looking for Riku and the King. Have you seen 'em?" he asked, glancing around hopefully.

Leon, Aerith, and Cid shook their heads.

"Right," Sora muttered, his face falling slightly.

"What about Silver?" Donal said, perking up.

"What? Silver didn't go back to the future?" Tails commented, his eyes wide with surprise.

Sonic crossed his arms, his expression serious.

"Seems not, Tails," the hedgehog replied.

Goofy nodded, "Yeah, Master Yen Sid told us when we saw him, telling us about Silver being stuck here."

Cid sighed, rubbing his chin.

"Sorry, Duck, but no luck on that one either. Haven't seen hide nor hair of Silver around here."

"But let us know if there's anything we can do to help, okay?" Aerith added, her face softened with sympathy.

"Okay. Thanks," Sora said, giving a small, grateful smile.

Cid suddenly stepped forward, narrowing his eyes as he got right up in Sora's face.

"Don't go thankin' us just yet, kid," he said gruffly.

Leon crossed his arms, his face grim as he began to explain further.

"Hollow Bastion's got a problem. A big problem."

"You mean... like Nobodies? And Heartless?" Sora quizzed.

"That's right!" Yuffie answered, nodding her head.

Rouge stepped in, her expression serious.

"And that's exactly why we're here—to talk to you guys, the Restoration Committee, and gather intel on the Heartless and Nobodies."

"AFFIRMATIVE," Omega added, his robotic voice echoing in the quiet room.

Sonic sighed, crossing his arms with a smirk.

"Same old G.U.N…"

Sora glanced around the room, nodding.

"So, sounds like you could use our help," he mused.

Leon gave a nod of approval before he continued.

"Then let's cut to the chase. Sora, Donald, Goofy… we were hoping you three might lend us a hand around here." He paused, glancing over at Sonic. "And you too, Sonic. That is, if you're in?"

Sora puffed his chest out proudly, grinning.

"Like we're gonna say no?" he said with pride.

Sonic gave a casual shrug, flashing a confident smile.

"Meh, I'm always up for kicking evil's butt. So yeah, I'm game!"

Leon couldn't help but smirk at Sora and Sonic's attitude and response.

"Right. Guess I'd forgotten who I'm dealing with," he said.

Donald frowned, his feathers ruffling.

"Hey… what's that supposed to mean?" the duck questioned with annoyance.

Aerith gave him a reassuring smile.

"Just think of it as a sort of 'Leon compliment," she explained.

Sonic laughed, glancing over at Leon.

"Don't be getting soft on us now, Leon," he teased.

Leon's smirk widened just slightly, a glint of amusement in his usually stoic eyes.


Just then, the front door to Merlin's creaked open, and in walked Carol, holding the gleaming blue Chaos Emerald tightly in her gloved hand. Her gaze scanned the room, and she lifted the gem slightly with a casual grin.

"About time you got back, Danvers," Sonic quipped, crossing his arms with a smirk. "I was just about to send a search party."

Carol rolled her eyes, smirking back.

"Oh please, hedgehog. I found your emerald, didn't I?" She held it out proudly. "Wasn't easy, but here you go."

Tails's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward.

"Great work, Carol! One down, six more to go!"

Sonic took the emerald from her, watching its blue glow shimmer in the light.

"Sweet! Thanks, Carol."

As he held the gem, Sora took a step forward, his eyes drawn to the emerald with a mix of wonder and nostalgia.

"It's good to see a Chaos Emerald again… but, uh, who are you?"

Carol's gaze shifted to the young Keyblade wielder, then over to Donald and Goofy, who both looked at her with similar curiosity.

"Right, introductions!" Sonic exclaimed, putting the emerald into his blue quills for safe keeping. "Guys, meet Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel." He gestured proudly at Carol. "Carol, meet Sora, Donald, and Goofy—three of the best friends a guy could ask for. And these two are Rouge and Omega."

Carol offered a friendly but firm wave.

"Good to finally meet you all," she said, giving Sonic a sly glance. "Though I only heard about you all recently… you know, once everyone remembered you again."

"Yeah, It's weird, right?" Sora said with a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head.

"Totally," Carol agreed, still looking a bit baffled. "But I'm glad to finally put faces to the names."

"So, how did you meet Sonic?" Donald asked, his eyes wide.

Goofy nodded eagerly wanting to know more

"Yeah! Did he save you from somethin'? Or did ya save him?" he questioned.

Carol glanced at Sonic and Tails with a smile as they both jumped in to explain.

"Well," Sonic began, "Tails and I met Carol during our last adventure at the Interstellar Amusement Park. We were there, rescuing Wisps from some Heartless that were causing trouble."

"Lisps?" Yuffie interjected, her brow raised.

Tails chuckled, shaking his head.

"No, Wisps—with a W," he explained. "They're these little creatures who helped us out. They've got some pretty amazing abilities themselves."

Carol nodded in agreement.

"Yep, and they're all safe now, thanks to mainly these two," she said, nodding toward Sonic and Tails.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy listened in awe, their expressions a mix of amazement and admiration.

"Wow…" Sora said, looking Carol up and down with a newfound respect. "That sounds amazing! So, what exactly can you do?"

Sonic jumped in again, his face lighting up with excitement.

"Oh, you're in for a treat, Sora. "Carol here can fly faster than anything I've ever seen, shoot pure energy from her hands, and when she goes full Binary? She's unstoppable."

"Binary?" Goofy asked, scratching his head.

"Basically, it's when she taps into a cosmic power that makes her glow and gives her, like… infinite energy," Sonic explained, practically beaming.

"Whoa," Sora murmured, his eyes wide as he looked up at Carol. "That's… incredible."

Omega's eyes flickered, his sensors focusing on Carol as he pulled up her profile.

"CAPTAIN MARVEL, AKA CAROL DANVERS," he began in his steady, robotic tone. "HIGHLY TRAINED AND POSSESSES IMMENSE COSMIC ENERGY THROUGH KREE-HUMAN HYBRIDIZATION. RECORDS SHOW STRONG AFFILIATION WITH AGENCIES INCLUDING S.H.I.E.L.D. AND S.W.O.R.D., CLOSE PARTNERS OF G.U.N."

Rouge smirked, clearly impressed by the intel.

"Not bad, Captain," she admitted.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all looked at Carol in awe, their faces reflecting both admiration and a bit of bewilderment.

"So… you can fly, shoot energy, and you've got cosmic powers?" Donald asked, clearly in disbelief.

Carol chuckled, crossing her arms.

"That's the gist of it," she affirmed.

Goofy leaned in, eyes sparkling.

"Gawrsh, that's mighty impressive, ma'am. You must be really somethin' in a fight."

Sonic grinned, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, she is. We wouldn't have gotten through half that mission without her," he declared.

Carol shrugged, smiling humbly.

"It was a team effort," she said, glancing around at everyone. "But it's good to finally meet all of you in person."

"Sounds like you've met some pretty amazing people lately," Sora said, looking at Sonic and Tails with a grin.

"Yeah," Sonic replied, his gaze shifting between his friends. "And now that we're all together, things just got a whole lot better."

"So," Carol said, glancing around the room with her hands now on her hips, "what's next?"


Leon stepped toward the open doorway, his expression unreadable. He glanced outside, then gestured for them to follow.

"Let's head to the bailey—there's something you need to see."

Without another word, Leon turned and walked out, disappearing from sight.

Sonic scratched his head, glancing around.

"Was he talking to all of us?" the hedgehog asked.

Carol shrugged, "Looks like it," she replied.

Tails gave Sonic a quick pat on the shoulder.

"You guys go on ahead. I need to double-check some data with Cid."

Rouge folded her arms, exchanging a look with Omega.

"We'll stay behind too. Got some questions for the Restoration Committee."

"AFFIRMATIVE," Omega replied with his usual stoic tone.

Sonic turned to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, grinning.

"Alright, team, let's get moving!" Then he gave Carol a quick glance. "You coming, Danvers?"

"Wouldn't miss it," she replied with a nod. "I'd like to see more of this world."

Before they could head out, a sudden burst of light flickered beside them, and a figure appeared seemingly from nowhere. He was an elderly man with a long white beard, wearing a deep blue robe and a pointed hat. His appearance was so sudden and unexpected that Tails nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Whoa!" Tails exclaimed, catching his breath.

Donald and Goofy's eyes widened in delighted surprise, while Carol's eyes narrowed slightly, intrigued. Rouge raised an eyebrow, curious about the new arrival, but Omega simply remained still and unbothered. Sonic, however, couldn't hide his grin.

The old man nodded warmly at the group, his eyes twinkling with wisdom and kindness.

"Ah, just as I thought! Right on time," the man said warmly.

Donald practically bounced in excitement.

"It's Merlin!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with delight.

Carol tilted her head, her curiosity piqued.

"Merlin?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's a powerful wizard we met on our last adventures together," Sonic explained with a grin. "Knows a thing or two about magic."

Merlin's eyes sparkled as he looked around the group.

"Wonderful to see you all again, my friends." He turned to Tails, giving him an encouraging smile. "And you too, Tails. Sorry about the scare, my boy."

"No problem, Merlin," Tails replied with a small chuckle.

Yuffie chimed in with excitement, "Sora and the gang said they're in to help out!"

"Splendid!" Merlin clapped his hands together, clearly delighted. "We'll be counting on all of you."

"Happy to help!" Sonic added, giving Merlin a thumbs-up.

Carol gave Merlin a respectful nod.

"Count me in. I'm here to help where I can."

Merlin's gaze shifted to Aerith, his expression softening.

"Aerith, did you give them the cards, dear?" he asked.

Aerith's face brightened, and she reached into her dress.

"Oh! Right—these are for all of you." She handed out six cards, one to Sora, Sonic, Donald, Goofy, Tails, and Carol. "Leon thought you might like these."

Sora took his card, turning it over to read the inscription with a growing smile.

"Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee Honorary Member!"

Donald's eyes lit up.

"Membership cards!" he said with glee.

"Sweet!" Sonic said, admiring his card.

Carol held up her own card, a small smile crossing her face.

"Looks like I'm part of another team now."

"Kinda cool, huh?" Goofy added, holding up his card with pride.

Donald and Sora both nodded eagerly.

"We really appreciate it," Tails said with a grateful smile.

"You said it, Tails," Sonic agreed, giving his card one last look.

Sora turned toward the doorway, wanting to thank Leon.

"Hey, thanks, Leo—"

But when he turned fully, he realized Leon was already gone.

"Oh no!" Sora's face shifted from gratitude to alarm. "We're supposed to be at the bailey!"

Merlin chuckled, his eyes twinkling.

"You'd better get a move on, then. We'll catch up once you return."

Yuffie grinned, nudging Sora with a playful smile.

"Leon's waiting!" she said playfully.

Cid smirked, crossing his arms.

"Well, don't just stand there. Get a move on!"

Omega's sensors flickered as he turned toward the door.

"HURRY UP," he said bluntly.

Donald puffed up with enthusiasm.

"Come on! Let's get to the bailey and find Leon!"

Carol gave a nod toward the door, her voice calm but charged with energy.

"Let's move out, team."

With a shared sense of purpose and excitement, the group turned toward the open door, stepping into Hollow Bastion with renewed determination to see what awaited them in the bailey.


Another chapter down!

This is mainly a huge chapter on exposition and bridging some gaps between stories.

I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Part 4 is on it's way and the last chapter on the gang's first visit to Hollow Bastion.

Can't wait to write all the worlds the team will visit in this new story.

Did anyone get the lollipop reference?

There was some trivia throughout this chapter. Did anyone find any other easter eggs?

Thanks again for all the support, reviews, favourites and follows.

Onwards to Part 4!