And now, a lot of stuff is about to go down. Enjoy!
Luckily, it wasn't far that Kida wanted to show them something. It was actually only a few feet from where they were standing. To Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Minnie, and Milo, it looked like a large, fish-like object made out of metal which also had some octagon-shaped panel.
"Wow… it kinda looks like a vehicle." Mickey remarked.
"It looks like it can fly to me." Kairi added as she bent down to examine it.
"It looks like Terra's glider." mused Minnie.
Kida sighed as she paced back and forth, saying, "Yes. But no matter what I try, it will not respond."
"Maybe you made a mistake?" suggested Sora.
Mickey then saw some writing around the panel. "Say, maybe these are the instructions on how to make it operate." he told them. "Although… they're in Atlantean." he added before looking at Milo. "Milo?"
"Way ahead of ya." said Milo as he looked at the writing and traced his right index finger over the words. "Ok, 'Place the crystal into slot…'"
"Yes, yes! I have done that!" Kida grumbled.
"'Gently place your hand on the inscription pad…'"
"Yes."
"Ok. Did you turn the crystal one quarter-turn back…
"Yes, yes!"
"...While your hand was still on the inscription pad?"
"Ye-" Kida paused mid response, realising that the very thought Milp had mentioned had slipped from her mond, and instead muttered in surprise, "...No."
Milo shook his head and smiled. "Ah, well, see, there's your problem right there. That's an ebay thing to miss. You know, you deserve credit for even… for even getting this far."
Kida crossed her arms while Kairi placed her hands on her hips and Minnie raised an eyebrow, all three women staring at the linguist. Sora and Mickey both glanced at each other and shrugged with knowing and sheepish smiles.
"...Ok, give it a try." Milo said sheepishly.
Kida nodded as she strolled up to the vehicle. She placed her crystal into the slot and put her hand onto the panel. After turning the crystal the way Milo instructed, the vehicle's design became a light-blue color. The vehicle started to rise into the air. All six of them stepped back surprised, staring in awe.
"Whoa!" Sora gasped.
"Buttons and bows!" Minnie exclaimed.
"That's amazing!" Kairi said in awe.
"Yeah, you got that right." Milo said in agreement as they approached it. "This is great! With this thing, we can see the whole city in no time at all!"
"That would be a sight to see." said Sora.
Mickey, with curiosity getting the better of him, climbed up onto the vehicle to get to its current height.
"Uh Mickey? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Minnie asked, a little nervous.
"Don't worry Minnie." Mickey assured her. "Gosh, I wonder how fast it goes?"
But as Mickey reached out and pressed his finger on the panel, the flying vehicle zoomed away, with Mickey on it.
"Mickey!" Minnie screamed in alarm.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! WHOA!" Mickey screamed in terror as he hung into the vehicle for dear life.
The flying vehicle bounced off a nearby wall, towards the ceiling, then off a nearby corner.
"It's outta control!" cried Sora.
"And heading straight for us!" Milo exclaimed, pointing ahead.
And the linguist was right. The flying object was heading straight for them.
"Jump Mickey!" shouted Sora.
Trusting Sora, Mickey jumped off the vehicle as it almost hit the group as Kairi, Minnie, Milo, and Kida ducked. Sora jumped to the\ right and held out his arms and caught Mickey… only for the force to send him back falling onto the ground while the vehicle sallmed onto the floor a few feet away from them.
"Oops." Mickey chuckled sheepishly as he realized that all eyes were on him.
"Not to worry, huh?" Minnie asked with a sly smirk.
"Guess I shoulda been more careful. Sorry about that." Mickey apologized sheepishly.
"Remind me to be careful with those things." Sora requested with a grin before adding, "And tell Goofy and Myde to be careful with those things."
Later, the group was climbing up the side of a nearby tower close to the Atlantean palace, Kida taking the lead. Milo was directly behind her. Sora and Minnie were to the right while Kairi and Mickey were to the left.
"By the way, we never properly introduced." Milo called up. "My name's Milo."
"I'm Sora." said Sora.
"Kairi." said Kairi.
"My name's Mickey." said Mickey.
"I'm Minnie. Mickey's my husband." Minnie concluded.
"And my name is Kidagakash." Kida said with a smile.
"Ki-Ki-Kidamaschnaga." Milo said, trying to pronounce her name.
Everyone traded glances.
"Uh… gotta nickname?" Mickey asked.
Kida giggled before replying, "Kida."
"Ok, Kida." nodded Milo. "I can remember that."
"Same here." said Kairi.
They soon made it to the top of the tower, standing, their eyes scanning around. The view was amazing and beautiful as they could see the entire city from where they were. In the distance, clouds were suspended by the plateau. Various other towards and ruined buildings were positioned throughout the city. Plants of various forms were growing around.
"Wow…" Milo said in awe.
"It's so beautiful…" said Kairi, smiling warmly.
"It's just like Wakanda; so amazing…" said Minnie.
"Yeah." nodded Mickey before looking at Minnie. "Though not as amazing as you." he said with a smile.
"Aww!" Minnie cooed at those words before giving Mickey a kiss on the cheek, making the king blush.
As Milo glanced around the area, he was showing signs of tears which everyone noticed.
"What is wrong?" asked Kida, concerned.
"Oh, it's nothing." Milo hastily replied, wiping away the tears before wiping his sunglasses on his sweater. "I just… got something in my eye."
"Are you sure about that?" Sora asked.
Milo nodded before admitting, somewhat emotionally, "You know, my grandpa used to tell me stories about this place as far back as I can remember. I just wish he could be here with me."
"Your grandpa is always with you Milo." Sora said with a kind smile. "In your heart."
Milo placed his right hand on the left side of his chest before smiling back at Milo. Kairi, Mickey, Minnie, and Kida smiled too.
"Ya'know Kida, it's the same thing with your mother too." added Mickey.
"He's right. Even though she isn't here, she's always with you too." nodded Kairi.
"Inside your heart." added Minnie.
Like Milo, Kida put her hand over her heart and smiled. The four Keyblade Masters smiled warmly at the two as they all gazed at the city once more.
Eventually, they were back on the ground and were touring around the city.
"Gotta say Kida, your home is a really amazing place." said Kairi.
"Thank you Kairi." Kida said with a smile.
Suddenly, several Nobodies spawned. There were Dusks, Dragoons, Sorcerers, and Samurais.
"Are these the Heartless?" Milo asked in surprise.
"No, those are the Nobodies!" said Sora as he summoned Kingdom Key.
Mickey, Kairi, and Minnie quickly followed suit with Kingdom Key W, Destiny's Embrace and Starlight.
"What are those." asked Kida.
"They're called Keyblades." Kairi replied.
Kida was amazed. "So that's what some of them look like…" she murmured.
"Uh, can I borrow one again?" Milo asked.
"Sure!" said Sora as he said, "Fusegu!"
He summoned Lionheart and tossed it to Milo, who caught it.
"Want one too, Kida?" asked Sora.
"I will be fine Sora." Kida replied, reading her fists. "I know how to fight."
"Got it." nodded Sora as they got into fighting positions.
(Anti-Saïx Boss Fight from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days plays)
Mission: Defeat all the Nobodies
Party Members:
Sora
King Mickey
Kairi
Queen Minnie
Milo
Kida
Sora jumped at two Dusks and quickly slashed them away three times each. He then casted Tornado on two Samurais before he eliminated them with a Firaga spell. Kairi casted Zero Gravity on some Sorcerers before she jumped up and slashed them away in the air. As Kairi landed, she was surrounded by three Dragoons, aiming their lances at her. Quickly, Kairi casted Flower Shoot, eliminating the floating Nobodies.
Mickey slashed some Dusks left and right before he casted Blizzaga on a group of four. Mickey then jumped into the air to avoid some attacking Sorcerers and casted Crawling Fire against them. Minnie slashed at some Samurais before she eliminated them with a Thunder Tracer spell. Minnie then casted Blackout on some Dusks so she could destroy them with Sparkaga.
Milo mainly used Sora's Keyblade as a sword once more, trying to slash away some Sorcerers that approached him. Milo was the face to face with five Dusks. Quickly thinking, Milo tried to do what Mickey did and managed to cast a Blizzard spell, freezing the Nobodies in place and he quickly slashed them away. Kida punched some Samurais in their faces with her fists and jumped into the air to kick away some attacking Sorcerors, sending them back five feet. Kida was able to block a Dragoon trying to slash her with it's lance before taking it, jammed it into its chest, and then threw it into three Dusks in a row.
"Wow, you guys are amazing!" said Sora as he casted Dark Firaga on a Samurai.
"You're doing well with the Keyblade Milo." complemented Mickey as he casted Pulse Tracer on another Samuri.
"And Kida, you got good fighting skills." added Kairi as she casted Flare Force on two Dragoons.
"Uh, thanks guys." Milo said as he dodged a Dragoon's lance.
"You are most kind." Kida said as she spin-kicked a Sorcerer in the head.
Sora fired Flare Force on a group of Dragoons. He then finished them off with an Ignite spell. Kairi used Transcendence on two Samurais and two Sorcerers. Kairi then held her Keyblade up and destroyed them with an Exo Spark spell.
Mickey casted Wind Tracer against some Samurais, knocking them away. Mickey then jumped into the air, held his Keyblade up, and destroyed the Nobodies with a Raging Storm spell. Minnie casted Wateraga against some Dusks, bashing them against the ground. She then jumped up and destroyed them with a Perlza spell.
Milo bashed away some Dusks before slamming Lionheart against a Samurai's head. Milo then quickly casted Gravity on it, lifting it into the air and slashed it into oblivion. Kida slashed away some Dusks with the lance she stole from the Dragoon. Kida then jammed it into a Sorcerer and flung it over her shoulder onto two Dusks, crushing them all.
Soon, only two of each Nobody remained.
"Any ideas?" suggested Kairi.
Then, Sora got one.
"I do!" he said.
Then, in a flash of light, Sora was in his Second Form. His clothes were now in the colors of his KHII clothes.
"Is that a new form change?" asked Mickey, surprised.
"I learned how to do many form changes in the MCU for 5 months." Sora smirked as he charged at the Nobodies. (1)
Sora jumped up and casted Lunge 'n' Launch, sending the Nobodies into the air. The brunette then used Hurricane Wilder to damage them further. Finally, Sora fished them off with Ancient Light, destroying the Nobodies with 5 columns of crisscrossing light.
(Anti-Saïx Boss Fight from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days ends)
As soon as all the Nobodies were destroyed, all the Keyblades were dismissed.
"Where did you learn how to fight like that, Kida?" asked Milo.
Kida giggled. "I've trained for years." she replied "What about you?"
"I have." said Mickey.
"Me, Sora, and Minnie just figured it out we went along at first before we trained with our friends." replied Kairi.
Sora and Minnie nodded in agreement.
"That is quite intriguing." mused Kida.
Soon, Kida was showing them around the town. They
"So tell me more about your companions. The two-blonde-haired boys, are they brothers?" asked Kida.
"Ven and Roxas?" Sora asked. "Uh, no they aren't. They're not even related. It's kinda complicated, especially since I look exactly like them, minus the hair, clothes, and voice.."
"The same applies with two girls that look like me." added Kairi. "The blonde-haired girl, Naminé, and the raven-haired girl, Xion, aren't sisters. It's complicated."
"I see." nodded Kida. "What about the two ducks that look exactly the same?"
"It's like the situation with me and mInnie." said Mickey. "Donald and Daisy are both ducks, just not related through blood. Different Duck families, literally and in the sense of their last names."
"But they're engaged." added Minnie.
"Oh how nice." Kida smiled. "And your physician. He is called 'Cookie'?"
"No, that's Sweet." Milo replied.
"What is?" asked Kida, perplexed.
"The doctor. He's Sweet." said Milo.
"Oh! He is kindly." said Kida.
"No, Sweet. B-but he's kindly too." corrected Milo.
"So… all of your doctors are sweet and kindly?" Kida asked.
"No." Milo corrected before adding, "Well, l-I'm sure some are. Ours is, but that's not a requirement. You're missing the point."
"You are confusing me." Kida said as she threw her hands in the air.
As they walked by the made-shift buildings and shops and more, the rest of Sora's team and some of the expeditioners were touring the city themselves.
Roxas, Lea, Xion, Naminé, Audrey, and Cookie were between the shops of different kinds of colorful material and body painters of blue tattoos every Atlantan apparently had on their bodies as part of their culture.
"Just look at all of this stuff." said Xion with a smile. "It's so pretty."
"You can say that again," said Naminé, nodding in agreement. "I don't know which one's my favorite."
"Wow! Look at all of these tattoos." Audrey said behind the four former Nobodies, who turned around and also noticed the body paint.
"They look pretty cool." remarked Lea.
"Yeah. They remind me of the Mark of the Guard Kion and his Lion Guard have." added Roxas, thinking back to the mark of a lion's head on the shoulders of Kion, Fuli, Bunga, and Beshte, and on Ono's wing to show their membership of the Lion Guard.
Cookie on the other hand, scoffed and said, "Shoot. That ain't nothin'. Look here what I got. All 38 United States."
He pulled up his shirt to reveal a large tattoo of several states in America, which somewhat grossed out the five younger people.
"Watch me make Rhode Island dance. Go on, baby, dance. Dance." said Cookie as he made his stomach bounce up and down, which grossed the five of them out, making them turn green as they tried desperately hard not to throw up.
Later, Kida had led Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Minnie, and Milo towards a nearby building that had been built on a large rock just off the shoreline. A series of rope bridges led to and from the building. As they approached, they saw Riku, Donald, Goofy, Daisy, Max, Oswald, Ortensia, Roxas, Lea, Naminé, Xion, Isa, Myde, Audrey, Sweet, Vinny, Mole, Cookie, and Mrs. Packard approach it as well.
The restaurant was crowded as everyone sat on comfy cushions. It was a different kind of food that the 20 worldly-travelers weren't used to, but at least it smelled good. Better than Cookie's Bacon Grease.
Sora, Mickey, Kairi, and Minnie all had salads with special kinds of pasta and orangey mashed food with strange utensils. Despite the weirdness, it actually tasted good.
"Cookies are sweet, but yours is not. Sweet is kindly, but that is not his name. Audrey is sweet, but she is not your doctor." Kida mused before asking with uncertainty, "And the little digging animal called Mole… he is your pet?"
"Close enough." Milo replied after swallowing his portion of his food.
Kida then turned to the four Keyblade Masters and continued, "Riku is the kind young man and you two grew up with him on these islands you live on, Ven and Roxas look exactly the same but are not related, the same with Naminé and Xion, who are kind and caring, Isa is stern but kind as well, Lea is snarky but caring, Donald has a large temper but has a good heart, Daisy has a similar temper but loves Donald all the same, Goofy is like his name, but also a caring father, Max is his son but isn't goofy, Myde is lazy but does have funniness in him, Aqua is motherly, Terra is strong and kindly, and Oswald is Mickey's older half-brother and is married to Ortensia, who is also motherly."
"That's right." said Sora.
Terra, Aqua, Ven, Max, Oswald, and Ortensia sat together eating their meals nearby.
"I gotta say, I never ate anything like this before." said Oswald as he swallowed some orange stuff.
"If it helps, Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Mickey ate some zebra in the Pride Lands." said Ven.
"Why did they do that?" asked Aqua.
"Dad told me it's because they were in animal forms like how we were in toy forms in the Toy Box." said Max. "And since they were hungry and in the bodies of lions, you can tell why."
"That does make sense." nodded Aqua as she ate a kabob. "Wonder what we would look like in the Pride Lands."
"When we're there for a mission, we'll find out." shrugged Terra.
Nearby, Goofy and Mole were chowing down on their food in their bowls, but the same couldn't be said with the others. Riku, Roxas, Naminé, Xion, Isa, Myde, Donald, Daisy, and Vinny picked up small, green, wriggly insect-like things that were alive with multiple gooey eyes. They stared at them with slightly horrified wide-eyed expressions.
"Don't forget to eat the head." Sweet informed them as he willingly and happily chomped off the head of the same thing, cucking it clean from it's now empty shell. "That's where all the nutrients are."
"Thanks Sweet!" said Goofy, doing the same thing.
"...I'm gonna starve at this rate." Myde whispered as he carefully put his "food" back into the bowl, feeling slightly green.
"Me too." Donald said in agreement, feeling slightly green as well.
Riku, Roxas, Naminé, Xion, Lea, Isa, and Daisy did the same, feeling a little green too.
They all shrank back in disgust when Mole swallowed his food and belched loudly. What made it even more disgusting was that the force of it made his goggles go side-ways in the opposite of each other briefly. Only Goofy didn't notice.
That did it for Myde. He quickly covered his mouth and ran out of the restaurant.
"Is he ok?" Goofy asked when he saw Myde run out.
"Uh… sure." Riku replied.
"Well alright then!" Goofy said as he swallowed his food before letting out a burp.
*UURRRP!*
Goofy sheepishly covered his mouth.
"Excuse me." he chuckled.
Riku, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Donald, and Daisy gave soft chuckles. At least he was being polite.
Outside, Myde groaned after hurling his guts out. He placed his hand protectively over his stomach as he went back to the restaurant.
"What do these people see in food?" he grunted.
Then, Myde spotted something out of the corner of his eye.
One of the trucks that survived the fire drove by and stopped.
"Huh?" Myde said in confusion. "What's one of the trucks doing here?" Knowing that something wasn't right, he quickly ducked behind some bushes. He peered out of the corner and saw some soldiers get out.
During that time back in the restaurant, Isa saw that Myde hadn't returned yet. Knowing something was up, he set down his bowl and got up.
"Where ya going Isa?" asked Donald.
"To find Myde." said Isa.
"Good luck." said Vinny.
Isa nodded as he walked towards the exit. Ven spotted him.
"Gonna find Myde?" he asked.
"Yes." nodded Isa. "How'd you know?"
"Saw him zoom by trying not to vomit." Ven replied. "I can help."
Isa nodded as the two went through the exit.
They spent a few minutes looking for Myde.
"Where could he be?" asked Isa.
"Maybe he was so focused on not hurling in public he got lost trying to find his way back." suggested Ven.
"That's a distinct possibility." said Isa. He then pulled out his Gummiphone. "I'm calling him."
Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed Isa by his cloak hoot and Ven by his shirt collar and dragged them into the bushes, making them yelp in alarm.
When they landed, Ven and Isa saw that it was Myde who dragged them in there.
"Myde, what are you-?!" Isa demanded.
"Hey! Quiet!" Myde said nervously as he quickly covered Isa's mouth.
Isa looked from side-to-side in confusion.
"Myde why are you hiding in these bushes?" Ven quietly asked, confused.
"Something's up." said Myde, sounding both serious and nervous at the same time. "And it's not a good thing."
Isa and Ven traded glances as Myde pulled his hand away from the latter.
"Whaddya mean?" asked Ven.
"See four yourselves." the mullet-haired man replied.
The three peeked out of the bushes. They spotted the soldiers get a crate out of the truck. To their shock and confusion… the soldiers pulled out guns.
"What the hell?" Isa said in confusion. "What's going on?"
"I don't know." whispered Myde. "I knew something wasn't right so I hid."
"Good call." nodded Isa. "Still, what are they up too?"
Ven's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no… it's my dream!" he said in horror.
Isa and Myde looked at him in confusion.
"What dream?" asked Isa.
"The dream that is becoming reality." came a familiar voice.
Ven, Isa, and Myde's eyes widened. They got out of the bushes and saw Ansem and Xemnas standing in front of them, dark smirks on their faces. It had been Xemnas who spoke.
"You two!" snarled Ven. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"It should be obvious, Ventus." said Ansem. "We're here to take the heart of this world."
"What powers this world holds a great deal of energy." said Xemnas. "One that Master Xehanrot wants for the Organization."
"Pity we're not gonna let you get near it." Isa said with a glare as he and Ven got into fighting positions. Myde quickly followed.
Ansem and Xemnas chuckled.
"Are we?" Xemnas asked.
Suddenly, Ven, Myde, and Isa felt something up against their backs. They froze when they saw that three of the soldiers from the truck were behind them… holding their guns against their backs.
"Oh crud…" Myde muttered scaredly.
During that time, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Minnie, Milo, and Kida were gathered alongside various ruins alongside the water as nightfall descended onto the city of Atlantis. Milo and Kida had two wooden rods that had pink lanterns at the end, filled with fireflies that some of them were gathering and/or watching.
Kairi held out a hand as one of the fireflies landed softly on the side of her forefinger and smiled at the little insect before letting it fly away. "It's really beautiful during the night." she said out loud.
"Cute little fellas." Mickey chuckled as one firefly landed on one of his ears for a minute before flying.
"And so pretty." added Minnie as one firefly did the same on one of her ears.
"You know Kida, the most we ever hoped to find was some crumbling buildings, maybe even some broken pottery." Milo said to the princess as he gathered fireflies for the lantern. "Instead, we find a living, thriving society."
"Yeah, it's pretty cool to find people still living down here." Sora added in agreement as he carefully placed a firefly into the lantern Kida was holding. "You know, these guys are pretty cute like Mickey said, or at least when they're not setting everything on fire." he remarked.
Kida shook her head in sadness. "We are not thriving. True, our people live, but our culture is dying. We are like a stone the ocean beats against. With each passing year… a little more of us is worn away." she told them.
"Oh my…" Minnie said in shock before she and her friends gave Kida sympathetic looks. "We're so sorry to hear that Kida." she said in sympathy.
The five of them understood Kida's words; based on what she told them earlier, with the Great Flood having drowned most of thee civilization and with Atlantis and its people here underground for thousands of years and only being able to have knowledge in how to survive, there was no knowledge of reading or writing, or learning anhting of past history.
Kida and her people were being left to darkness.
"I wish there was something I could do…" Milo said with a nod.
"Us too." said Sora. Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie nodded in agreement.
Kida looked at Milo and said, "I brought you to this place to ask you for your help. There is a mural here with writing all around the pictures."
"Well, you came to the right guys." Milo replied. He planted the lantern into the ground next to him as he examined the crumbled wall. "Ok let's see… let's start with this column right here."
Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie were about to approach Milo when they noticed Kida approach the water. To Sora and Mickey's alarm, Kida was removing her sarong which revealed her blue bikini bottoms and long dazzling legs. Immediately, Sora and Mickey tried to avoid staring at… that and focused on gazing at Kida's face, but both still felt uncomfortably warm. Kairi and Minnie also noticed this and giggled at their expressions. There was one thing they could never doubt about those two; they never wanted to anger a woman.
Milo turned to speak when he felt his face flush, just as flustered as Sora and Mickey. "Uh, Kida? Uh, heh… What are you doin?" he asked nervously.
"You do swim do you not?" Kida asked with a smile.
"Oh, I swim pretty girl. Pr-pretty good! Pretty good. Sw… Good, swim good. Pretty good. I swim pretty good. Good." Milo stuttered and corrected himself.
At that, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie immediately had the feeling that Milo was starting to like Kida more than just a friend. Mickey and Minnie had seen it in Sora and Kairi before.
"I can swim too." said Sora.
"Me too." said Kairi. "The two of us and Riku grew up on the islands."
"I can swim well too Kida." added Mickey.
"So can I." nodded Minnie.
Kida nodded at the four. "Good. It's a fair distance to where we are going." she told them.
Milo removed his shoulder bag, sweater, undershirt, shoes, and pants, leaving him only in his boxers as he clambered into the water, saying, "Hey, you are talkin' to the bully flop champ at Camp Runamuck."
Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie didn't bother taking off their clothes. Instead, they just followed Milo and Kida into the water. But as Milo got in, his boxer shorts caught the air-bubblers that caused them to inflate like balloons over the water. Kida, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie giggled at the sight while Milo sheepishly let the air out, returning his shorts to normal.
With that, Milo was about to jump in the the water when he turned to Kida and suggested in slight embarrassment, "Why don't you lead the way… because I have no idea where we're going."
Kida smiled before taking a deep breath and dove into the water. The other five followed suit.
As the group followed Kida through the dark waters, the light of her crystal necklace being the only source of light, remains of stone structures that had collapsed who knows how long ago laid across the seafloor. No fish could be seen. No sea creatures either, except the occasional purple lobster.
Eventually, they finally reached a large opening in one of the ruined buildings that resembled a mouth of a cavern and into the darkness inside.
The six of them swam straight up to an air pocket above, where they gasped for their breath.
"Are you alright?" Kida asked.
"I'm ok." Kairi replied, though she felt slightly dizzy.
"Same here." said Sora.
"Me too." said Mickey. "Just a bit light-headed, though I should be ok."
"Yeah I'm ok too." said Minnie.
"Well, I didn't drown, so-" Milo began.
"Good." Kida returned before Milo could finish. "Follow me."
She grabbed another breath and dove back down. Sora, Mickey, Kairi, Minnie, and Milo quickly followed, grabbing another breath as well.
About 20 feet below the pocket of air, Kida used the crystal around her neck to illuminate a colorful mural of what the four world-travelers thought looked like a shiny star with four points. A series of symbols were written around the perimeter of the image in the form of sentences. Milo swam closer to get a better look at the text. Kairi, Sora, Mickey, and Minnie swam closer as well, wondering what the linguist was reading. To them, it looked like more gibberish in strange writing.
Milo was amazed as the writing was exactly like in the Shepherd's Journal.. The group approached a large picture in the murla. To the four Keyblade Masters, it seemed to resemble a pair of robotic humans. Like before, there was text written all around the painting. Milo took his time reading the Atlantean sentences.
After he read it, Milo gazed up at Kida's crystal before gesturing to her and the others back up to the air pocket and they all swam up.
"The Heart of Atlantis!" Milo exclaimed when they returned to the air pocket.
"What?" Kida, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie asked together, confused.
"It's the heart of Atlantis! That's what the shepherd w-was talking about. It wasn't a star, it was… it was some kind of crystal… uh," Milo explained before lifting Kida's crystal above the water and explained, "Like these! Don't you get it? The power source I've been looking for… the bright light you remember… - they're the same thing! It's what's keeping all these everything - You, Kida and all of Atlantis alive!"
Everyone was shocked.
"It can do that?" Kairi asked, beyond amazed.
"It cannot be!" Kida gasped, nearly speechless.
"So that's how everybody's been alive for so long." Mickey realized, wide-eyed.
"The Heart of Atlantis keeps them alive through its power source." added Minnie, surprised.
Sora suddenly seemed worried, something they all noticed.
"Sora, what's wrong?" asked Kairi.
"If there are Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed in this world, then tat means they're after something for the Organization and their allies." Sira siad worriedly.
Everyone went wide-eyed.
"The Heart of Atlantis. Of course!" Mickey gasped.
"Where is it now?" asked Kida.
Milo shook his head. "I don't know, I don't know. You'd think something this important… would have been in the Journal, but…" he trailed off when his eyes grew wide and alert. "Unless… The missing page. "
"We'd better get back." said Sora.
"Sora' right." nodded Mickey. "Something tells me that something bad is about to happen."
"Then we have no time to lose." said Minnie. "Lead the way, Kida."
Kida nodded as they all took deep breaths and went back underwater.
One by one, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Minnie, and Milo emerged from the water so quickly they had clambered onto a stone tile, gasping for a few seconds before relaxing a little. Suddenly, their eyes widened as Roukre knelt down before them on dry land.
"You all had a nice swim?" he asked with a semi-friendly grin.
Behind him were several soldiers in gas masks carrying rifles. Helga, Sweet, Vinny, Mole, Cookie, and Mrs. Packard were with them, holding guns as well. Audrey was there too, but she held a large wrench.
"Hey guys." Milo said with a nervous smile. "What's goin' on? What's with… what's with all the guns? Guys?"
"Hey watch it will ya?!" came Lea's voice.
"Quit pressing those guns against us already!" came Max's voice.
Behind the crowd, a few more soldiers appeared. To Sora, Mickey, Kairi, Minnie, and Milo's shock, several Novashadows pushing Riku, Roxas, Lea, Isa, Naminé, Xion, Myde, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Max, Oswald, and Ortensia with guns at their backs.
"You! So you're controlling the Heartless!" Minnie angrily exclaimed at Rourke.
Realizing this and combining what Kairi said, Milo gave a deep sigh, muttering to himself in self-disgust, "I am such an idiot!"
"I knew you were up to no good!" Sora angrily said to Roukre.
"We knew we couldn't trust you!" snarled Kairi.
"You're after the crystal, aren't you?!" Mickey demanded.
"Oh, you mean this?" Rourke asked as he held up a piece of wrinkled parchment, holding it up for the five of them to see.
On the page was a deception of a large sphere surrounded by several stones.
"The missing page!" exclaimed Kairi. "You did steal it out of the journal!"
"You plotted this from the beginning!" added Sora with a glare
"Why are you doing this?!" demanded Minnie.
"For one thing, you should've picked sides more carefully." Rourke said. He looked at Sora and Kairi. "You two, the dog kid, the three blonde kids, and the black-haired girl are too naïve to be soldiers, the mice, rabbit, cat, and female duck are too small, the two blueheads, the silverhead, the redhead, and the oldest brunette are too suspicious for their own good, the older dog and the mullet-haired man are to clumsy, and the male duck, while a bit greedy enough, is also small."
"You were just using Milo from the beginning just to get the heart!" Sora yelled.
"And I bet you used his grandpa too, just so you could find the journal!" Mickey added, furious.
"Well I would've told Milo sooner, but it was strictly on a need-to-know basis, and well… now you know. I had to be sure he was one of us. I was warned that you four and your compatriots wouldn't fall in line, but I just had to be sure. And now I know. At least one of you passed the test." Rourke said as he extended a hand out to Milo. "Welcome to the club son."
Milo backed up a bit, glaring as he said, "I'm no mercenary!"
"How are you even controlling the Heartless, Rourke?!" demanded Kairi. "Your heart would've been swallowed by up the darkness!"
"That's because he had help." came a voice.
Suddenly, Ansem and Xemnas teleported in. It had been Ansem who spoke.
"Ansem! Xemnas!" Sora exclaimed.
"What are you doing here?!" demanded Mickey.
"Commander Rourke and Lieutenant Sinclair are our allies in this world, as are their soldiers." Ansem replied.
"They have been essential in casting this world into darkness as their hearts desire the source of this world's light." added Xemnas.
"This is just like what Vanitas told me." Ven muttered.
Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie looked at Ven in surprise.
"Whaddya mean Ven?" asked Mickey.
"Before the fire, Vanitas appeared to me in a dream and said that Xehanort was looking for the heart of this world." Ven replied.
"And now this dream is becoming a real nightmare." added Terra as he glared at Rourke.
"Of course…" Sora said in shock. "This is just like when they were after the cells of Jenova back in Midgar! They want to use the Heart of Atlantis to boost the power in Xehanort and his vessels!"
"Smart boy." Ansem smirked. "Commander Rourke was more than happy to help us, as were his soldiers."
"We struck a deal with Xehanort when he approached us to join his side." said Helga. "After we get the crystal, we'd sell it, re-steal it, and then give it to them for their use."
"You sick bastards." Mickey snarled. "This is all just another treasure hunt for you!"
At that moment, Kida emerged from the water. But before anyone could warn her, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie were grabbed out of the water by eight soldiers and held tight grips on their upper arms to keep them from escaping, and Kida in return was grabbed by two Heartless. Milo was about to reach out to help her, but many rifles were aimed at him to stop and all he could do was glare.
Kida threw one Heartless into the water and grabbed her spear from the ground and grabbed her spear from the ground. But just as she was about to fight back, the sound of a gunshot filled the air. The spear went flying into the water. Kida spun around to see Rourke's crystal smoking as the Heartless grabbed her and held her in place.
"'Mercenary'?" Rourke said to Milo. "I prefer the term, 'Adventure Capitalist.'"
"Up your ass, you denying bastard!" Sora shot back.
"Besides, you're the one who got us here." Rourke continued. "You led us right to the treasure chest."
"You don;'t know what you're tampering with Rourke!" Milo said firmly as he clambered out of the water, ignoring Sweet who tried to hand the linguist his clothes and instead Milo stormed up to Riukre.
"What's to know?" Rourke shrugged carelessly. "It's big, it's shiny, it's gonna make us all rich."
"You think it's some kind of diamond, I thought it was some kind of battery, but we're both wrong!" It's their life force!" said Milo, shaking his head.
"That crystal is what's keeping everyone in Atlantis alive!" added Mickey.
"It's not an object! It's a powerful light that lightens the darkness!" added kairi.
"You take that away, every single Atlantean down here will die!" added Minnie.
"And then the entire world will be destroyed and sent into darkness!" Sora concluded.
Riku, Roxas, Naminé, Xion, Lea, Isa, Terra, Aqua, Ven, Myde, Donald, Goofy, Oswald, Max, Daisy, and Ortensia were shocked by what the five said. The heart of this world was their life source as well?!
Rourke paused for a moment, pretending to think. He turned to Helga. "Well that changes things. Helga, what do you think?"
Helga smiled evilly as she took the page and studied it before replying, "Knowing that, I'd double the price."
"I was thinkin' triple." Rourke smirked in return.
The 20 world-travelers glared angrily at the two, as well as Ansem and Xemnas.
"You idiots really don't know what you're messing with!" shouted Roxas.
"This is madness!" Aqua said in agreement. "You're giving this entire world a death sentence just for money and power!"
"And I thought F.O.W.L. were monsters." muttered Donald.
"You really are stupid of you think this'll be good for anyone." huffed Myde.
"You're evil, black-hearted, dishonest, cold, and cruel monsters!" added Goofy.
"Rourke, don't do this!" Milo pleaded.
Rourke rolled his eyes. "Academics. You never want to get your hands dirty." he muttered before looking at Milo. "Think about it. If you gave back every stolen artifact… from a museum… you'd be left with an empty building. We're just providing a necessary service… to the archeological community."
"Archaeological community?!" Riku snarled in disgust. "What utter bullshit!"
"Damn straight you big liar!" Lea said in agreement.
"Not interested." Milo said with a glare.
Rourke frowned at Milo. "I got to admit, I'm disappointed. You're an idealist, just like your grandfather. Do yourself a favor, Milo. Don't be like him." he said as he tapped the side of his head. "For once, do the smart thing."
Milo just jared at the commander, not willing to budge at all.
"I really hate it when negotiations go sour." Rourke sighed as he looked at Ansem and Xemnas. "You two ready?"
"Gladly." the Heartless and Nobody said in unison as they snapped their fingers.
The Heartless tossed Sora, his team, and Kida onto the ground, surrounding them and pointed their weapons at the twenty one of them who could only glare at all of the villains and the people they thought were their friends but had all been a lie. Milo was horrified when he saw all of this, knowing that all of his friends were in danger.
"Let;'s try this again." Rourke smirked as he held the torn page of the journal in front of Milo.
Ansem and Xemnas chuckled in amusement.
Milo sighed, knowing that there was no other choice. If he didn't show them the way, Sora, his team, and Kida would all get killed and he would never forgive himself for that. So he took the page.
BOOM!
The dynamite Vinny had used to blow open the doors of the throne room exploded. Vinny stood tossing a few sticks of dynamite in his hand and jokingly said, "Knock! Knock!"
"Room service!" Cookie said, continuing the taunting humor as he held up his shotgun.
Kida had her hands tied behind her back with rope as Sora, Riku, Kairi, Ven, Terra, Aqua, Roxas, Lea, Naminé, Xion, Isa, Myde, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, Daisy, Max, Oswald, and Ortensia were pushed in by the Novashadows using their guns. Ansem and Xemnas stood alongside Rourke and Helga. Milo stood by Sweet, a guilty look on his face knowing that it was his fault that this was happening.
The two guards stood form and determined despite what was going on. Helga held Kida's arms and then held a gun to her back.
"Tell them to drop their weapons! Now!" Helga demanded to King Kashekim, who was sitting on his throne.
Relaxing the situation his daughter was in and knowing he now had no other choice, Kashekim commanded his two guards in Atlantean to drop their weapons, which they reluctantly did so.
"Spread out! Search everywhere!" Helga ordered to the rest of the mercenaries.
With that, the crew began the raid as they pulled and wrecked everything that was in sight, throwing things aside, ripping plants out of their vases, and simply making a mess. Sora and his team were held in place by the Heartless soldiers, knowing that if they moved, something bad could happen.
With no sign of the Crystal, Rourke turned to Milo and snapped, grabbing him back the back of his shirt and shoving the journal in his face, "You're not applying yourself, son! There's gotta be something else!"
"Well there isn't!" Milo replied, reluctantly reading the page. "It just says… 'The heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of her king.'"
Rourke scowled before tossing Milo to the ground behind him and stormed over to the Atlantean King who was now trapped between Ansem and Xemnas.
"Well maybe Old King Cole here can help us fill in the blanks." he smirked.
"Get away from him!" yelled Terra, knowing that something bad was about to happen. The nervous looks on his teammates faces suggested that they thought the same thing.
Roukre ignored him and looked at Kashekim with a smug look. "How 'bout it chief? Where's the Crystal Chamber?" he asked.
"You will destroy yourselves." Kashekim replied, not at all intimidated. He turned to Ansem and Xemnas. "You and your master will as well if you continue to go down this path."
Ansem and Xemnas glared at the king.
"Maybe I'm not being clear." Rourke said with a dark grin.
Suddenly, Rourke punched his right fist right into the king's chest, making him collapse to the ground, gasping in pain.
"NO!" Sora and Co. gasped in horror.
"Gawrsh! Goofy gasped, hoffied.
"Your Majesty!" cried Terra.
Kida gasped in horror and angrily swore in Atlantean at Rourke as Helga held her back.
Sora's expression went from horrified to enraged.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Sora yelled as he kicked the Heartless back in its groin and ran at the commander.
Rourke turned around with a glare and fired his gun at Sora, shooting him in the shoulder.
"AH!" Sora cried in pain as he fell back onto the ground, clutching his bleeding shoulder in pain.
"SORA!" his team cried in horror.
"NO!" cried Riku.
Kairi glared at Rourke and ran at him.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" she yelled furiously.
Suddenly, Helga fired her gun at Kairi's leg, making the Princess of Heart exclaim in pain as she fell next to Sora on the ground, clutching her leg.
"AH!" she gasped in pain.
"KAIRI!" her teammates exclaimed in horror.
Without a care, they punched and kicked the Heartless back and ran towards the two. Riku and Ven held Sora while Xion and Naminé held Kairi.
"Elder Gods damn you monsters!" Aqua yelled at the mercenaries. (2)
Sweet ran towards the group in horror. He looked at Sora and Kairi.
"Are you ok?!" he asked.
"We'll be fine!" Sora said in pain. "Help the king!"
Sweet nodded and ran over to the wounded Kashekim. He bent down to examine him to see how bad the damage was and then felt the man's ancient heart before glaring at Rourke.
"Rourke, this was not part of the plan!" Sweet said angrily.
"Plans change, Doctor." Rourke said as he casually sat on the throne, completely unfazed by his actions. "I suggest you put a bandage on that bleeding heart of yours. It doesn't suit a mercenary."
No sooner did Donald heal Sora and Kairi from their bullet wounds, they tried to go help Sweet when the Heartless surrounded them. Ansem and Xemnas then lifted the wounded king away from Sweet and had him face Rourke.
"Well, as usual, diplomacy has failed us." Rourke said as he aimed his gun at Kashekim. "Now I'm going to count to 10… and you're going to tell me where the crystal is." he said darkly.
Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Naminé, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Myde, Minnie, Daisy, Max, Oswald, Ortensia, and Milo stared in horror.
"No! Stop!" cried Mickey.
"You can't do this to them!" cried Xion.
"They did nothing to you!" added Daisy.
"If you lot know what's good for you, you'd keep your mouths shut." Ansem said with a glare.
"It would be useful unless you'd like to meet the same fate as the King of Atlantis." Xemnas added darkly.
"That does seem tempting." Rourke mused as he cocked his gun. "And you lot are gonna watch this." he added darkly.
Sora, Milo, and the world travelers noticed that Sweet, Audrey, Vinny, Cookie, and Mole stared in alarm at this as well.
"One… Two… Nine…" Rourke began. "Te-"
Rourke then suddenly stopped and stared at the middle of the room in surprise.
Sora and his companions were confused until they saw that Rourke was staring at the swirl of stones in the middle of the pond. To Sora and his friends, it looked like the symbol on the Shepherd's Journal. Rourke confirmed it when he held the journal out in front of him to see for himself.
"'The Heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of our King'?" Rourke repeated from memory. That was when he realised the final piece of the puzzle and was actually amazed by his own sudden mind skill. "This is it! We're in!" he said as he tossed the book at Milo.
"Ok, how did he manage to do that?" Maybe asked, shocked.
"With a mind like his, cleverness always works." Isa said with a frown.
"Ansem, Xemnas, leave the king on his bed. Have Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie come with us." said Rourke.
"Gladly." said Ansem, snapping his fingers.
Two of the Novashadows shoved Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie away from their group before blocking the others once more as Rourke got off the throne, allowing Ansem and Xemnas to set Kashekim onto it. Sweet immediately ran to tend to him.
"Rourke for the last time you've gotta listen to me!" Milo begged as he followed Rourke to the water. "You don't have the slightest idea what this power is capable of."
"True." Helga said as she untied Kida and pulled her along before adding, "But I can think of a few countries who'd pay to find out."
"And we will enjoy said power as well when it flows through the vessels of the Seekers of Darkness." added Ansem.
"Tell Xehanort and Maleficent we've found the Crystal's location," said Helga. "After we sell it and make a profit, we'll let you know when you can come and claim it for yourselves."
"We shall, Lieutenant." said Xemnas.
With that said, Ansem and Xemnas teleported away.
Rourke stepped onto the platform which began to rumble upon being stepped on. Before anyone knew it, the platform beneath the commander began to descend. He quickly pulled both Milo and Sora onto it. Helga did the same with Kairi and Kida. Seeing that they had no other choice, Mickey and Minnie hopped on as well.
The stone column descended like an elevator, Somehow, everyone managed to maintain their balance. After roughly 40 seconds, the platform reached an enormous cavern. On the far end of the cave as a pool of water so deep, only a series of reflections could be seen in it. When the platform reached the cavern floor, Rourke, Helga, Milo, Kida, Sora, Mickey, Kairi, and Minnie stepped off of it.
The group looked toward the ceiling on the far side of the cavern. A glowing, blue sphere that resembled a ball of burning matter was hovering motionless above. A number of huge stones with images of faces floated around it like a series of planets orbiting a parent star.
"Jackpot." Rourke grinned at the sphere.
"Is that it?" asked Sora, staring in awe, despite the situation.
"I think it is." said Mickey, equally in awe.
"The heart of this world." Kairi breathed.
"It's so… majestic…" Minnie said, amazed.
Kida, in the meantime, stared at the sphere above. Her eyes made her look like she saw a ghost as she muttered, "Kings of our past."
She then fell to her knees and started speaking Atlantean. The four Keyblade Masters ran over to her, worried. They then realized that she must've been apologizing to her ancestors and to the great heaven for her and everyone's tespasses onto this ground.
Roukre rolled his eyes and said to Milo, "Thatch, tell her to wrap it up. We got a schedule to keep."
Milo glared at Rourke before he walked over to Kida and the others who helped Milo gently bring her to her feet.
"Um… Kida… I'm sorry." Milo said sadly.
"We all are." said Sora, sad as well.
Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie nodded in agreement. Had they and their friends knew about Rourke's plan earlier, none of this would've happened. But now it was too late.
Rourke stepped over to the edge of the lake that the Crystal was floating over, and as though to test something, kicked a small pebble into the water. As though reacting tot he noise it made when it landed in the water, the Crustal suddenly changed from a bluish light to a red one.
"Huh?" What's goin' on?" Mickey asked in confusion.
Sensing something was off, Helga said in an uneasy tone, "Come on, let's get this over with. I don't like this place."
Rourke turned to Milo and asked, "Alright Thatch. What's next?"
Milo checked the journal and said, "OK, there's a giant crystal… hovering 150 feet above our heads… over a bottomless pit of water. Doesn't anything surprise you?"
Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie traded concerned glances before turning back to Kida, but to their surprise, one of the red lights in the Crystal was flashing turned back and was now shining on the princess. The crystal around her neck suddenly began floating and glowing in blue light as the blue light on the crustal returned.
"Kida?" Sora asked, blinking.
"Are you ok?" asked Minnie, concerned.
"Mother." was all Kida said before her eyes glowed blue.
"What's happening to her?" Kairi asked in concern as she was about to step up to Kida.
Mickey, suddenly sensing something very powerful and unusual light was controlling the Atlantean Princess, quickly grabbed Kairi's hand and pulled her back slightly to stop her.
"Hold on Kairi. I think this is Crystal's doing?"
"The Crystal's doing this?" he asked.
To the foru's concern, Kida, as though hypnotized, strolled up to the water, which was then noticed by Milo, Rourke, and Helga.
"Talk to me, Thatch. What's happening?" Rourke asked.
"Look, all it says here… is that the crystal is alive somehow. It… I don't know how to explain it. It's their deity. It's their power source." Milo said, pointing to the journal.
"Speak English Professor," Rourke muttered.
"They're a part of it, it's a part of them." Milo replied. "I-I'm doing the best I can here."
"Well do better." said Rourke as he reached for his postol.
Milo glared at the commander and angrily suggested sarcastically, "I know! Why don't you translate and I'll wave the gun around?!"
Suddenly, a voice spoke out. Everyone turned to Kida. She was turning to face all of them still in a trance. Her voice sounded like an echo, even though she was clearly speaking Atlantean.
"All will be well, Milo Thatch. Sora, Kairi, King Mickey Mouse, Queen Minnie Mouse. Have faith in yourselves and in your army in stopping Master Xehanort. You will prevail. Be not afraid, either of you."
"What did she say?" Roukre asked Milo.
Milo shrugged, a bit before replying, "I-I dunno. I didn't catch it."
Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie shared stunned and confused expressions, none of them understanding what Kida was saying, and even though they suddenly felt she was telling them not to be afraid… they couldn't help but feel afraid of this experience. Kida turned away and strolled onto the water, and quite literally too. Everyone stared in silent shocked and wide-eyed expressions, with both Rourke and Helga admittedly dumbfounded.
Kida walked away from the group, step-by-step, on the water. She continued as she approached the Crystal. Within minutes, she was directly underneath the sphere and the stones around it seemed to rise until they were floating on their sides.
Right before Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Minnie, Milo, Rourke, and Helga's eyes, a series of light-blue light beams circled the cavern. They closed in around the young woman below the Crystal. When they collided, there was a bright flash of light. Kida went unconscious. Her body was lifted into the air like it had been picked up by an alien spaceship. Her hair was blowing like it had been caught in a gust of wind. Kida's body finally entered the glowing sphere above. Sora was certain this meant the Atlantean princess was now inside the world's heart. The stones around it started to spin faster and faster and quicker. The result was a light display so brilliant, most of the group had to shield their eyes with their arms.
The lights dimmed down. When everyone looked up again, a figurine was descending from above. It was light-blue like the Crystal's sphere, only it seemed to have taken the sphere's place. That, and it looked like a perfect replica of Kida. When she set down on the water below, Sora, Mickey, Kairi, Minnie, and Milo were stunned in surprise and worry.
Milo tried to go to Kida, but Rourke held him back and saud in a mocking tone, "Hold your horses loverboy."
"Kida… Kida..." was all Milo could say.
"Did she… did she just… merge with the Crystal?" Mickey asked in shock, awe, and horror.
"I-I think she did." Minnie said, stunned.
As soon as the Crystalized Kida opened her eyes, she came walking towards the group. Behind her, all the stones floating in the air fell and splashed into the water, her glow fading.
As she grew closer, Roukre reached out to grab her, but Milo stopped him and said, "Don't! Don't touch her!"
Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Minnie, and Milo could only watch in concern as their crystalized friend approached the platform.
Not long after exiting the cavern, the Crystallized Kida had been guided out by the Heartless towards the two trucks waiting outside before the long, wooden rope bridge. The canvas had been removed and a special made ramp was in position to lift the Crystal aboard one of the trucks. Audrey had just finished creating a metal "container" to carry the Crystal with out damaging it, locking it away with the twist of her wrench.
Sora, Kairi, and Milo glared at her. Audrey just looked away.
All around the crew were Sora, Milo, and the world-travellers. The sky was dark, but showing signs of early sunrise. Milo and Sora both tried to reach Kida, but were forced back by the soldiers as Mole and Vinny lifted the container onto the truck with a winch.
Sora and his friends watched as Vinny and Mole secured the container onto the truck's bed. Cookie and Packard sat in one car while Roukre and Helga sat in the other.
In defeat, Sora, Milo, and Co. glared at the crew members they thought were their friends.
"So I guess this is how it ends huh? Fine You win. You're wiping out an entire civilization, but hey you'll be rich." Milo said disgustedly.
"Congratulations Audrey. Now you and your dad can open up that second machine shop." muttered Sora.
Audrey, trying to ignore the pmags of anger inside, slammed the door shut angrily int he driver's seat. But no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, something was telling her that this was wrong.
"And Vinny, you can open up a bunch of flower shops now." added Riku with a glare. "Your family's gonna be real proud of you."
Vinny just looked at the 21 before looking away. And if they had noticed, his face had a sombered look.
In fact, even Cookie and Mole were feeling the same feelings as Audrey and Vinny. Even Mrs. Packard.
"But that's what it's all about right? Money." Milo spat in disgust.
"And that's all you care about, not caring that you're condemning an entire civilization to death." huffed Kairi.
"We hope you're happy." Daisy said in disgust.
"There are more important things than money." huffed Donald.
"But in the end… that's not enough for you lot." huffed Goofy.
Terra, Ven, Aqua, Roxas, Naminé, Lea, Isa, Xion, Myde, Mickey, Minnie, Max, Oswald, and Ortensia nodded in agreement with their friends.
"Get off your soapbox Thatch." Rourke said as he climbed out of this truck and stepped up to Milo. "You've read Darwin. It's called 'Natural Selection.' We're just helping it along."
"Spare us your lies you jackass." snarled Lea. "It's people like you that give soldiers a bad name."
"You're a disgrace to this world." added Isa worth a glare.
Rourke shrugged. "Hey, sometimes that's the price you pay."
Everyone glared.
"Commander! We're ready!" Helga called.
"Yeah, give me a minute." Rourke said as he counted on his fingers. "I know I'm forgetting something. I've got the cargo, the Crystal, the crew… oh yeah."
Rourke then spun around and punched Milo in their face, sending him flying on his back. Sora and his team were alarmed before Sora, Ven, Riku, Lea, Terra, Roxas, Isa, Donald, and Oswald all made a charge to give Rourke a piece of their minds. But remembering what happened lat time, kairi grabbed Sora's arm and held him back, Aqua and Myde held Terra back by his arms, Mickey grabbed Riku's left arm, Xion pushed Ven back by his chest, Naminé wrapped her arms around Roxas' wait to stop him, Goofy and Max stopped Lea and Isa by pulling them back by their hoods, and Daisy restrained Donald, and Ortensia held Oswald back.
"Look at it this way son." Rourke began as Milo saw a picture from his shoulder bag had fallen out and tried to grab it, but Rourke stepped over and rushed the frame with his foot, grabbed Milo's glasses from the ground and cleaned them off. "You're the man who discovered Ataltnius, and now you and your friends are gonna be part of the exhibit." he said as he tossed Milo back his glasses.
Milo glared at Rourke.
"You are such a sick bastard." snarled Lea.
"You act as though other lives don't matter." added Oswald.
"Just like Xehanort." Sora added.
Audrey, Cookie, Mole, Vinny, and Packard were staring at the 21 asd though they witnessed a shocking and tragic event. Milo looked at the picture as though longing for comfort and possibly mentally apologizing to his late grandfather. Sora and Co. walked over to Milo with sympathetic and guilty looks. Mickey placed a hand on Milo's shoulder as a sign of comfort.
"Let's move people!" Rourke called.
When no one moved, Helga snapped, "That was an order, not a suggestion! Let's go!"
Still, no one moved. Except for Audrey who sighes, finally accepting this had been the wrong decision. She kicked the door open and climbed out of the truck. She approached the 21 and helped Milo to his feet before glaring at Rourke.
Seeing this and knowing that this was wrong too, Vinny left his post and put his hand on Milo's shoulder.
Mole and Cookie looked at each other and joined the group, the latter scowling at Packard.
Packard put out her cigarette and muttered, "We're all gonna die."
But she willingly got out of the truck and joined everyone sle.
Sora, Milo, and Co. were surprised, but were glad that Audrey, Vinny, Mole, Cookie, and Packard had come to their senses like Sweet.
"Oh, you can't be serious." Rourke groaned in disbelief and annoyance.
"This is wrong and you know it!" Audrey snarled.
"You said it girlfriend!" Daisy agreed.
Rourke shook his head as he got out of the truck and said to the five crew members, "We're this close to our biggest payday ever and you pick now of all times to grow a conscience?"
"We've done a lot of things we're not proud of." Vinny told him as he counted off his fingers. "Robbing graves, plundering tombs, and double parking. But, nobody ever got hurt... Well, maybe somebody got hurt, but… nobody we knew!"
"I was once a bad guy myself, but I did question if what I did was right." said Lea. "But it was my friends here who helped me realize I was wrong."
"Same here." said Myde.
"I did far worse than them and I regret it all." said Isa. "All you care about is being rich. You don't even care about your own men."
"Your own selfish desire will destroy you as it has destroyed many of our enemies in the past." said Sora.
"You keep messing with the light and that will happen." nodded Roxas.
"Your heart is too cluded in darkness." said Aqua. "You'll never understand that there are more important things than money."
"Some things are greater than others." said Mickey.
"But money isn't one of them." nodded Minnie.
"Well if that's the way you want it, fine! More for me!" Rourke said dismissively as the 26 glared at him. He and Helga got into the trucks and he muttered, "P. T. Barnum was right."
As the villians drove off and were already halfway onto the long bridge, the Keyblade wielders and Milo felt changes taking place around them. The sky suddenly transitioned to complete darkness. Next, the waterfalls on the edge of the enormous plateau stopped flowing. After that, the glows on each of the Atlantians' crystals faded to the point where they were super dim. It made the world travellers realise the world's Light was fading.
"Oh no…" gasped Oswald.
"Without the Crystal… this world is falling…" gasped Ortensia.
"It's losing its light!" gasped Xion.
"Rourke, stop!" Myde shouted and to the groups' surprise, the mullet-haired man began to give chase to the wooden bridge.
"Wait a minute!" Vinny warned as he grabbed Myde's shoulder to stop him.
Without warning, the rope bridge exploded into a fiery shower of sparks and debris.
"Hit the deck!" scramed Naminé.
Everyone fell to the ground to avoid being hit as Rourek, Helga, the Heartless, and the soldiers drove off into the tunnels on the other side.
Once things calmed down, Vinny turned to Myde and said, "Ok, now you can go."
"Too late. They're already gone." grumbed Myde, angrily kicking the ground.
"We have to get to the other side!" said Goofy.
"We could use our gliders." said Naminé.
But before anyone could do anything else, Sweet's voice called out from the palace.
"Milo! Guys! You'd better get up here!"
Knowing that something was up, Sora, Milo, and Co. ran to the palace.
When they got inside the ransacked Throne Room, Sweet was on the other side of the room with his medical bag. He was checking the king for his injuries as he laid on a makeshift cot.
"How is he?" asked Milo.
Sweet shook his head, admitting, "Not good, I'm afraid." Internal bleeding. There's nothing more I can do."
"Oh no!" gasped Mickey.
Everyone else gasped in horror as well. The Atlantean King… was dying!
"This can't be happening!" cried Kairi.
"We have to save him!" cried Sora. He summoned Kingdom Key and yelled, "Heal!"
But nothing happened.
"What?!" Lea exclaimed.
"Why didn't it work?!" exclaimed Roxas.
"Heal! Heal! Dammit HEAL!" Sora screamed.
But still, nothing happened.
"Why isn't it working?!" cried Minnie.
"He should be ok!" said Ortensia.
"I don't think… I don't think they work on fatal wounds like that…" Aqua gasped.
"No…" gasped Naminé.
"This is not happening…" Ven muttered.
"What a nightmare… and I brought it here." Milo sighed in guilt.
The 20 world-travelers sighed in guilt and sorrow.
"We all did." Sora sighed as he dismissed Kingdom Key.
"This is all our fault." Mickey said sadly.
"He's right. We all helped in this expedition." Terra said somberly.
"Yeah." Kairi agreed, sorrowfully.
Riku, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, Daisy, Max, Oswald, Ortensia, Ven, Aqua, Roxas, Lea, Isa, Naminé, Xion, and Myde nodded in sadness.
"Ah, don't go beating yourselves up." Sweet said to them, explaining, "He's been after that Crystal since Iceland."
Everyone just sighed.
Then, Kairi's eyes lit up. "Wait… the Crystal!" she exclaimed.
"Huh?" everyone asked, confused.
Sora and Milo's eyes widened as well.
"She's right!" exclaimed Milo. "These crystals have healing magic! Kida used it on me, Sora, and Kairi to heal our cuts after we fell from the fire! We can use it to save-"
"No." the king's voice sounded out. Everyone looked at him in surprise and worry.
"King Kashekim? Are you ok?" asked Aqua.
"Where is my daughter?" he asked weakly.
Sora, Milo, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie hesitated to answer.
"She has been chosen. Like her mother before her." said the Altanean King.
"What?" Sora, Ven, Roxas, and Milo asked in unison, surprised.
"In times of danger, the Crystal would choose a host, one of royal blood, to protect itself and its people. It will accept no other." the king weakley explained.
"Wait a minute. Choose?" asked Milo.
"Your Majesty, are you saying that the Crystal is alive?" asked Sora, astonished.
Everyone traded surprised glances.
"In a way." Kashekim answered. "The Crystal thrives on the collected emotions of all who came before. In return, it provides power… longevity... protection." he explained, holding up his own crystal. "As it grew, it developed a consciousness of its own."
"So when Rourke kicked that tiny pebble into the water in the chamber, the Crystal reacted and sensed danger from him and Helga." Minnie said in realization.
"Wow… the Heart of Atlantis is alive." Naminé said in awe.
"An entire world's heart… alive. It's incredible." said Aqua.
"That's why Kida merged with it." said Kairi. "She was royal blood and was needed to help protect it."
"Too bad it backfired." Myde grunted.
"Badly." Max said in agreement.
Roxas then realized something.
"Now that I think about it… the Crystal is kinda like a Nobody." he told them.
"Whaddya mean Rox'?" asked Lea.
"It can develop a heart and feelings of its own." Roxas replied. "When we were Nobodies, we would've been able to do the same, except Xemnas lied to us about it."
Sora then remembered what Xemnas told him during his Mark Of Mastery Exam.
"A heart is never lost for good. There may have been variances in our dispositions, but a number of us unquestionably showed signs of a burgeoning replacement. Once born, the heart can also be nurtured. Our experiments creating Heartless were attempts to control the mind, and convince it to renounce its sense of self. But understand, one can banish the heart from the body, but the body will try to replace it the first chance it gets, for as many times as it takes. And so I knew, even after we were divided into Heartless and Nobodies, it was just a temporary separation."
The king then added, "There was once a great war for the Light of the world. Young warriors with the weapons known as Keyblades fought to protect it, but all began to turn against one another, believing one another was trying to steal the light, collected to prevent the war from happening."
"Wait… do you mean the Keyblade War?" Terra asked in alarm.
"Yes…" Kashekim nodded. "Five Unions turned against one another, through the belief that a traitor was amongst them. Their master came to Atlantis to warn me about the dangers outside our world. But now, I question his intentions. But in my arrogance, I sought to use the Crystal's power as a weapon of war. But it's power grew too great to control; it overwhe;lmed us, and led to our destruction."
"That's why you hid the crystal." Aqua said in realization. "To keep anyone from using it and repeat history."
"This is just like Wakanda." said Goofy.
"Indeed." said Kashekim. "The past kings of Wakanda feared that the outside world would come to Wakanda to take what they had and use it for war against their enemies, as I feared the outside world would do with the Heart of Atlantis. I am aware of King T'Challa willingly opening Wakanda to the world. But unlike them, we do not have the technology they use to protect their kingdom from the selfish and wretched, especially during a time of war."
"That does make sense." nodded Donald, the twenty world-travelers remembering that this was 1914, during World War 1.
"As well as, to prevent Kida from suffering the same fate as my beloved wife." added Kashekim.
This took everyone aback.
"What do you mean?" asked Milo, now puzzled and worried. "W-What's going to happen to Kida?"
Kashekim was now struggling a little to speak as he answered, "If she remains bonded to the Crystal, she could be lost to it… forever."
Everyone gasped.
"Oh no…" gasped Minnie.
"She could die…" Daisy whispered in horror.
"Your Majesty, we're so sorry." Sora said in guilt.
"This is all our fault." Mickey added sadly.
Sora's team felt tears in their eyes as Milo and Sweet looked at them sadly, feeling guilt in their hearts as well.
"Master Sora… King Mickey… do not blame yourselves." Kashekim whispered.
Everyone was shocked.
"You… you know us?" Sora asked in shock.
"Me and my people know about the other worlds, as does Kida." said Kashekim. "And I know your teacher, the most powerful mage in all the worlds… the sorcerer Master Yen Sid. He came… years ago in his youth… I taught him what I'm telling you now… do not make the same mistakes as I have done… you have family and friends to protect… do not lose sight of the love you have for them… the love of my daughter is all I have left…"
He then looked at Milo. "My burden would have become hers when the time was right." he said as he took off his crystal and handed it to Milo. "But now… it falls to you."
"Me?" Milo asked, surprised and shocked.
Milo held the crystal in his hand as the king placed his own over it. "Return the Crystal… save Atlantis… save my daughter…"
He then looked over at Sora and said, "Save the worlds… have faith in your army… I know you can win…"
And with one final breath, King Kashekim's hand fell from Milo's as his eyes closed one last time, his breathing ceasing. He was gone.
All 21 gazed sadly at the now dead king, the guards watching over them, bowed and closed their eyes too. The sound of a trumpet shell echoed in the distance.
Kairi, Naminé, Xion, Aqua, Minnie, Daisy, and Ortensia softly cried into Sora, Roxas, Ven, Terra, Mickey, Donald, and Oswald's shoulders as they softly cried too. Goofy put a hand on Max's shoulder as they shed silent tears. Riku, Lea, Isa, and Myde let tears fall from their eyes as well as they hung their heads sadly. They felt that they had failed Atlantis. The world's heart had been taken away and it's king had died. Milo just hung his head sadly.
Sweet finished packing his medical bag. He walked towards the gaping hole in the stone doorway. "So what's it gonna be?" he asked.
Sora, Milo, and Co. looked at him.
"I followed you in, and I'll follow you out." said Sweet. "It's your decision Milo."
"Oh, my decision?" Milo began, suddenly realizing he was just made the leader. "Well, I think we've seen how effective my decisions have been. Let's recap. I lead a band of plundering vandals to the greatest archeological find in recorded history thus enabling the kidnap and/or murder of the royal family. Not to mention personally delivering the most powerful force known to man into the hands of a mercenary nutcase who's probably going to sell it to the Kaiser before it's gonna be used to power up a whole villainous Organization for domination over the light! Have I left anything out?!"
"Well you did set the camp on fire and drop us down that big hole." said Sweet.
"Thank you! Thank you very much!" Milo said sarcastically as he sat down on a nearby rock.
Sora and Co. looked at Milo sympathetically.
"C'mon Milo, this isn't the time to beat yourself up!" said Sora.
"We were all tricked and the Crystal was stolen. But so what? We can still get it back!" said Riku.
"Yeah! No matter how deep the darkness is, there's always a light that never goes out!" Sora nodded.
"Rourke probably hasn't gone far yet." said Mickey. "I'm sure we can catch up to him if we follow our hearts."
"Yeah, they'll show us the way!" said Ven.
"Of course, it's been my experience… when you hit bottom… the only place left to go is up." said Sweet.
"Who told you that?" asked Milo.
"A fella by the name of Thaddeus Thatch." said Sweet. "And that thing about hearts, he probably would've said the same thing."
"I bet he would have." nodded Mickey.
Milo looked at the crystal. After a few moments, he looked determined. He clutched it on his hands and knew that Sora, Sweet, Mickey, and Riku were right.
Molo got up and marched out of the doorway where on the other side stood Audrey, Cookie, Mole, Vinny, and Packard. Sora, Sweet and Co. followed him.
"Where are you going?" asked Audrey.
"We're going after Rourkre." Milo replied.
"Milo that's crazy!" Audrey protested.
"I didn't say it was the smart thing." Milo replied. "But it's the right thing."
"He's right." said Sora. "It's our job to protect the worlds. And will not let those villains get away with casting this one into darkness."
Sora's team nodded with determination.
"IIn that case, we'll help too." said Vinny. Audrey, Cookie, Mole, Sweet, and even Packard nodded in agreement.
"Thanks fellers." Goofy smiled.
"But how are we gonna get across that bridge that isn't there anymore?" asked Cookie.
Milo smirked. "I have an idea." he replied.
Sora, Kairi, Mickey, and Minnie traded knowing glances.
The mission to save Atlantis was just beginning.
To be continued…
Kida's merged with the crystal, Rourke and his men have stolen it, and the king is dead. But now, Sora, Milo, Sora's team, and the six redeemed crew members are out to get that Crystal back and save Atlantis once and for all!
Rate and review and I'll see you all soon!
(1) Before the Snap was reversed, Sora learned how to do his Second, Guardian, Strike, Element, Blitz, Light, Dark, and Double formchanges in the MCU on various missions, as demonstrated in Kingdom Hearts: Endgame when he did the last three. He has yet to do Rage Form.
(2) Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath: Kitana realizes Sindel's betrayal.