Kairi flew across the world, over the forests and past lush hills.
She soared over mountains, and entered a changing landscape.
It grew more barren, empty. Rocky and dark.
She spotted an old town in the distance, at the base of a huge mountain. It had a cemetery on the outskirts.
It looked abandoned, run-down - the whole thing.
As Kairi flew over the town, she suddenly saw the mountain shift.
The top moved - the blackness spread and opened...into huge black wings, revealing a massive monster of a figure! Some giant devil or demon, with swept back horns, fangs, and glowing eyes of pure yellow. Kairi's first instinct was to think it was an actual Heartless - but-
The giant creature lifted its head, and looked out at Kairi...and then it crossed its arms and gave a wide, deliberate smirk.
A deep, powerful male voice echoed out with laughter across the world, as a long clawed finger tapped at its- his arm.
Kairi slowed to a stop in the air, staring out at the monster across the distance. She turned to look at Luxu; he'd stopped too. "That isn't a Dream Eater," she said.
"No - just a part of the dream," Luxu replied, shaking his head. "I don't know what this world had going on in it before it fell, but man..."
"Yeah, he feels like he's going to be a problem, all the same," Kairi said firmly.
"Heh. Alright, then. Let's go be heroes, slay the evil-doer."
"You mean you," Kairi teased. "There's really not much point to me fighting anymore, is there?"
"Nope. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Hey, want to see something cool?"
Kairi grinned. "Sure. Impress me again."
"As you command, my princ...ess," Luxu trailed off, turning in the air with a genuine frown. A look of surprise on his face.
Kairi looked, too.
The huge devil had raised his arms, fingers splayed, like he was conducting an orchestra. And in response...
Innumerous spectral beings and demonic monsters rose up from the landscape. Swathed in cloaks, or nude female spirits with long white hair flowing behind them, riding steeds of darkness.
As Kairi set eyes on the giant devil, she watched as skeletal figures were plucked up by it and then dropped into flames of the volcano. They were scooped back up in the giant's dark hands again as pure fire. Then, in a burst of smoke they became naked flaming women, dancing alluringly in its palm, literally. Another burst of smoke, and they were more monsters, unceremoniously dumped onto the side of the volcano as the giant devil smirked to itself in satisfaction.
Kairi stared in shock, and even a bit of disgust at the callousness of the giant monster. This was a world of beauty, even the people living in it being so free and natural - but this devil just took it and perverted it, twisted it like that... She had found even a part of herself admiring those demon fire women, in their beauty and grace, for a few moments...and now it just didn't matter. Did the devil even comprehend such a thing? That was the real waste, here. This monster's corruption and destruction of natural beauty!
Suddenly a swirling silver stream of energy flowed around the monster, across the land, guiding the spirits and monsters to their master...in the dozens, no, hundreds!
And it wasn't just them: Nightmares were appearing out of thin air in huge numbers, of all shapes and sizes! Rams and dinosaurs and cats and tigers, swarms of bats and birds and owls... Smoke burst and crystal shattered all over the place, seeming to have no intention of stopping.
"What do we do?" Kairi said quickly, getting her head back into the game again. Focusing.
"Darkness's greatest weakness is light - and that's your specialty, not mine - so why don't you fight that thing, and I'll keep the armies off your back?" Luxu said.
Kairi looked at him, in a moment of frozen time. Then she nodded. "Okay!"
She attacked the giant devil, with Fin, Cherry, Beatrice, and the newly created Comet and Spectra!
Luxu created a giant barrier bubble around the giant at the top of the volcano, isolating Kairi and her Spirit companions; the Nightmares and monsters slammed into it with high wails and shrieks, clawing and pounding at it (or squishing against it), before sliding off of it and turning their focus to him.
Floating skeleton heads and winged, bare breasted harpy monsters swirled around Luxu, as multicolored walls of flames burst all around him and became a swirling vortex!
He raised his Keyblade high, then gave it a long slash down in front of him. A purple, warbling beam of energy was torn through the air before him, flying down to the center of the vortex. It hit the center and was sucked in, becoming a spinning ring that exploded outward, washing away the flames and doing away with the vortex entirely.
Luxu aimed his blade out, and hundreds of energy ropes flew out toward the hordes, individual dark barrier bubbles capturing them all. He slashed his weapon sharply, sending them all slamming down to the ground, the barriers bursting with light and power on impact, disintegrating those within, and sending the teeming masses flying everywhere.
He raised a hand to the air, a massive magic circle appearing overhead, spinning and glowing. Then, huge beams of energy came raining down on the world, scorching every inch of it in a continuous barrage! Each strike of a beam obliterated huge swathes of enemies, leaving large holes in their swarming forces.
"Haha! Damn does this feel good!" he crowed, echoing across the land. "Come here you little bastards, I've got enough for everyone!"
Kairi didn't really have the time to contemplate the thought that the man was actually possibly losing his mind now; she twisted and flipped in the air to avoid a swipe from a huge monstrous arm, then darted forward into Seven Wishes, flying back and forth across the devil's face!
Fin and Cherry attacked its exposed stomach, biting and blasting it with magic. Meanwhile, Beatrice and Spectra were blasting its backside with their own attacks - a barrage of stingers, and dual waves of powerful pulsing energy rings. Comet swirled around overhead, casting down what looked like Dream Piece orbs to strike at the monster, which exploded on impact in color and light.
The monster flared his wings and raised an arm, sending out a barrage of fireballs in all directions.
Kairi flipped around his body and put herself right behind the neck, focusing on slashing and stabbing into it as much as she could, growling and grunting! She flipped back and sent out a dozen Light Blades into its neck, then swiped her hand and twirled her body, tearing them out the side and forming them into a ring around herself. She flew forward and began to spin them furiously, casting off light and electricity as they grew into bright, huge blades that ripped into the dark monster's form!
The monster flared his wings with a roar, and a blast of fire shot up around it. The wave of heat and force sent Kairi flying back to slam into the inside of Luxu's barrier dome. Her Spirits had all been pushed far back away, too.
Ow.
She pulled her legs up under her, put her feet to the barrier, and kicked off again, flying straight for the monster!
She noticed Comet wrap themself in a barrier and vanish quickly - reappearing a good distance away from the monster. They flipped in the air and raised their broomstick like a magic staff, the end glowing brightly. Pink lightning bolts streaked in the air from nowhere, and swirling little pink magic circles began to appear around Comet! From out of the faces of the circles rose...Spirits? More Spirits! One, two, three, four, five, six...and after they'd emerged, another round of them spilled out too! They were all the same kind: big, majestic birds with green and gold color schemes, and armored helmets on their heads.
The armored birds immediately went to attack the monster from all angles, sending out energy attacks, or going into diving teleports that saw them disappearing and reappearing too fast to keep track of!
Kairi beamed at Comet in wonder-
And a giant, dark fist slammed into her entire body.
Kairi flew back through the air, flipping and flipping - until she hit hard on a rocky path that wound up around the top of the volcano peak.
She gasped and climbed to her feet again, staring up at the monster.
He was staring back down at her, for a moment - smiling to show pointed fangs.
Then he was being set on by the Spirits again, turning and swiping at them, and blasting out with fireball barrages.
Fight now, give that magic bird all the love and attention they deserve later! Kairi told herself firmly.
She surged straight up into the air, surrounded in a golden aura. She raised her Keyblade and flashed forward, slashing across the monster with a huge beam of energy. She flipped back and sent out a stream of dozens of fiery orange orbs of light, bombarding the devil's backside and causing explosions on impact. She ducked and weaved as it spun around with a wave of flames. She tossed her Keyblade out and teleported to it, right in front of the monster's face, and then transformed it into her blasters. She shoved them in his face and unleashed a flurry of bolts, point blank. He reached up with a giant clawed hand for her-
Only for Beatrice and Spectra to come flying into it, knocking it aside! Beatrice twisted around and fluttered her great wings, then she opened up a little mouth and shot out a stream of glowing gold strands that wrapped around the monster's arm. She lifted up and backwards into the air, pulling it taut.
Spectra rose up directly in front of the monster, and aimed her energy wave cannons, the thin barrels pointed right at his face. Kairi leapt out of the way, and the rings of purple energy waves were unleashed on the monster, damaging him continuously!
Fin was darting around the monster's lower half like a frenzied, well, fish, biting and chomping at every bit she could, with bursts of dark energy. She did a backflip, opening her mouth wide, and sent out a stream of intense energy at the monster's body.
Cherry, floating along the path below, did a twirling dance and threw up their little leaf arms, and a healing glow shrouded Kairi's body.
Kairi felt a wave of gratitude as she readied herself for another attack.
She flew up high, raising her hands and focusing her light. An orb of fiery energy grew above her head - to the size of a baseball, then, a big beachball...and then a really big one. Kairi held all that power, channeled it, glaring down at the monster...and then she let it go, swinging her arms down!
The fiery orange ball of light traveled down, down...and slammed into the monster's face - and then exploded with a wash of light and force that sent Kairi skidding backwards in the air, wobbling!
When the light faded...the devil was holding an arm up over his face, wisps of smoke trailing off his body, which was now beginning to vibrate and fade...
The monster looked up, right at Kairi, with a snarl of a face. Then the look cleared, and he brought his great arms in around his body - followed by his vast wings, covering himself completely. Then...he vanished in a shimmer of air, sinking down into the volcano.
The barrier dome suddenly fell away, and a light shined above, casting away the clouds and lighting up the landscape.
Kairi sighed in relief as she looked upward, seeing a Keyhole forming there.
"Well that should not have happened at all..." came the voice of Luxu. "Must've been those hundreds of Nightmares I exterminated in the background of your epic battle."
Kairi turned, looking down to see him floating up to her.
Her Spirits also came floating in, drifting around them in the air now. The others, the ones summoned by Comet...they dispersed, disappearing in puffs of smoke all around the volcano.
Kairi waved to them, then turned and gave Fin a pat. She gave Cherry a stroke of a leafy arm. She beamed up at Beatrice, then gave Spectra a wave. She finally looked to Comet. She drifted over to them and gave them a hug. "You were all great - but you were the best," she whispered secretively, grinning at them. "You really came through for all of us in this fight. Thanks, Comet!"
"You done playing with your new pets, or are we going to still be here when this world transitions back into the Realm of Light?" Luxu spoke, a humorous tone to his voice now.
Kairi drifted away from Comet, looking to Luxu now. She smiled at the man, tilting her head. "We can go, if you're so impatient."
Luxu laughed a single, barking laugh. He rolled his neck, giving a gesture of an arm. "I've had enough of this 'beautiful' little world for one day, if it's all the same to you."
"If you say so. Come on - two more worlds left, then we'll be able to find Ephemer!"
Kairi turned and held out her Keyblade, vanishing into light.
"It's not a guarantee!" Luxu's voice came echoing to her, exasperated. A pause. Then- "But I guess that's more of your boundless hope and optimism, isn't it?"