Now in this chapter, our team of world-travelers head to Mysterious Tower and tell Yen Sid about the New Seven Hearts. And at the end, we get a surprise arrival.
Enjoy!
The Gummiship sailed through the Lanes-In-Between with Mickey at the controls, Donald in the co-pilot's seat, and Goofy at the weapon's seat.
Everyone sat or stood around in the back.
"So this is the piece of transportation you use to travel around the worlds?" asked Rapunzel.
"You got that right." nodded Xion.
"I've never seen so many pieces of machinery like this." said Eugene.
"We come from a different point in time in many worlds Eugene." explained Lea. "This here is 21st century technology."
"Fascinating." Rapunzel said as she looked at all the controls, monitors, and seats again.
"I still can't believe we could fit a horse in here." Myde commented to Max, gesturing at Maximus.
"We could fit many members of Donald's family in here if we wanted too. A-hyuck!" chuckled Max.
"Though if Simba's Pride were in here, some would be in here while others would have to be in the engine room." said Riku.
"Why the engine room?" asked Ortensia.
"Because it's the only other area in the Gummiship not as packed as the cockpit." replied Roxas.
Ortensia nodded in understanding.
Riku then looked over at Sora. The brunette seemed to be lost in thought. Riku frowned in concern.
"Hey Sora, are you ok?" he asked.
"Huh?" Sora asked when he heard him. "Oh, yeah, I-I'm fine. I was just… thinking about something."
"Care to share a bit?" the silverhead asked.
"About what Marluxia said before he knocked Donald, Goofy, and I out." Sora replied.
That caught everyone else's attention. Donald and Goofy had an idea what Sora was talking about.
"What did he say?" asked Ven.
Sora turned to Rapunzel, Eugene, Pascal, and Maximus. "Could you guys excuse us for a few moments?" he asked.
"Of course." said Rapunzel. "Where would you like us to go?"
"Just wait in the hallway." Sora replied.
Nodding, the Coronan residents made their way down the hall. Mickey set the ship on auto-pilot as he turned to face Sora.
"So what did Marluxia say?" asked Isa.
"Well, after Gothel took Rapunzel away, Marluxia mentioned that she was keeping her safe for the Organization." explained Sora. "He said that in case we interfere with their plans too often, they'll kill us and go after the other Seven Lights."
"Other Seven Lights?" Roxas and Ven asked in unison.
"What does that mean?" asked Naminé.
"Whatever it is, it doesn't sound good." Oswald frowned.
"Gawrsh, Marluixa did say that they were supposed to be a new version of the Seven Princesses of Heart." said Goofy.
"But why a new version?" asked Donald. "There are already seven other Princesses of Heart like Kairi."
"That's right." nodded Kairi. "Me, Alice, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, and Snow White."
"Do you think that Marluxia's trying to mess with us?" asked Xion.
"I wouldn't be too sure." said Isa.
Everyone faced the male bluehead.
"Whaddya mean Isa?" asked Mickey.
"When me and Myde were in the second Organization, Xehanort mentioned how if you guys didn't get your Seven Guardians of Light, they would have to go down the alternate route." Isa explained.
"I remember hearing about that," said Myde. "Though, since I was benched, I didn't really think about it."
"You think these new Seven Lights are their alternate route?" asked Roxas.
"Most likely." said Kairi. "We need more information about this."
Mickey beamed. "And I know just the person to ask." he said.
He began to press some buttons.
"Next stop, Mysterious Tower." he told them.
"Of course!" Minnie exclaimed. "Master Yen Sid would know about it!"
Daisy turned to the hall.
"You guys can come back now!" she called.
Rapunzel, Eugene, and Maximus walked back in, Pascal still on Rapunzel's shoulder.
"Is everything ok?" asked Rapunzel.
"Everything's fine." said Minnie with a smile. "We're just making a quick stop somewhere before we get back to the castle."
"Where are we stoppin'?" asked Eugene.
"Mysterious Tower." Daisy replied. "Home of the most powerful mage and wizard in all the worlds."
"Master Yen Sid." Sora clarified.
"He was also me and Oswald's teacher in Keyblade training." added mickey.
"Though he's retired now." added Oswald.
"Ooh, that sounds wonderful." Rapunzel said in awe.
"Why are we stopping there?" asked Eugene.
"We just need to confirm with him about something." explained Aqua.
The Coronans nodded in understanding.
A few minutes later, the tower came into view.
"So the most powerful wizard ever lives in a tower like Rapunzel did?" Eugene asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's his own home nowadays." said Goofy.
"He monitors the worlds alongside some other magic users from time to time." said Terra.
"That sounds amazing." said Rapunzel.
Mickey parked the ship.
"Ok you four, we shouldn't be long. Jiminy will keep you company." he told them.
"That I will." the cricket nodded.
"Alright. Have fun." Rapunzle said with a wave.
"We'll try." giggled Kairi.
"Jiminy, take us down." said Sora.
"You got it Sora." Jiminy said as he jumped onto a button.
With a bright flash, Sora and his team were beamed down.
"That is quite the spectacle." Eugene said to Maximus, who nodded in agreement.
Mysterious Tower:
Sora and his team were beamed out of the Gummiship onto the grassland in front of the tower.
"Been a while since we were last here." Sora mused.
"It wasn't that long ago." Riku smirked.
"Come on, let's head inside." said Mickey.
With that, the twenty Keyblade Masters entered the tower.
Yen Sid's Study:
Yen Sid sat looking over a wide chart with Ansem the Wise standing beside him. Angeal and Genesis stood nearby, talking.
Yen Sid wore a regular wizard's hat, colored blue with yellow stars and a crescent moon that were yellow. He wore long, billowing blue robes with sky blue lining, with the insides of his robes being dark red, and black boots.
Ansem wore a white lab coat, a dark grey vest, white collared shirt, and a violet ascot, as well as black pants and shoes. He also draped a red sweater or coat of some sort over his shoulders.
Angeal wore a standard SOLDIER First Class uniform and carries a standard SOLDIER sword, along with an iconic Buster Sword.
Genesis wore a long red leather coat with crossed leather straps, the SOLDIER symbol, black boots, shoulder guards, and a large sword.
"So there's still no sign of those three remnants?" asked Genesis.
"From what President Shinra told me, no." said Angeal. "Barrett also told me that they thought they had a lead on Deepground, but it was a dead end."
Genesis sighed. "So much for that."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"You may anter." said Yen Sid.
One by one, Sora and his team entered the room.
"Ah yes. My young champions." Yen Sid said.
"Greetings Master." said Mickey before noticing the other three. "Oh, Ansem the Wise. I didn't expect you to be here."
Ansem chuckled. "Things are steady at the castle." he told them. "So while my apprentices and the Restoration Committee are helping your army for a little while, I thought I would drop by and pay my old friend a visit."
"That was nice of you." smiled Aqua.
"Angeal. Genesis. Been a while, hasn't it?" Lea smirked.
"Not too long to say the least." Angeal said.
"How's Midgar holding up?" asked Ven.
"It's been doing ok." replied Angeal. "AVALANCHE, SOLDIER, and Shinra have been doing their best to keep things steady."
"I thought some of them were enemies." Naminé said in confusion. "At least that's what Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, and the others said."
"Sometimes alliances are made." said Genesis.
"Indeed." nodded Yen Sid. "Now then, what brings you lot to my tower?"
"It's like this." said Sora. "The last world we visited, Marluxia, one of the Organization members, told us something kinda odd."
"And what might that be?" Yen Sid asked calmly.
"They're after a 'New Seven Hearts'," Sora replied. "which seems to be code for, 'let's go bother more princesses.'"
Lea, Myde, and Max snickered quietly at that last remark before quickly silencing themselves before anyone noticed them.
"Do you know what that's about Master Yen Sid?" asked Terra.
Yen Sid nodded.
"Well, as the original princesses of heart's time for protecting the pure light has ended, they have passed the light to others." the wizard explained. "Our enemy must certainly be cognizant of this. If the 'New Seven Hearts' is what they wish to call them, so be it."
"I guess that makes sense." said Aqua.
"But how could their time be passed?" asked Donald.
"It would've been after our enemy's first attempt at opening Kingdom Hearts." said Ansem. "But whether it would have succeeded or not, they had served their purpose, making way for a new generation to take their place."
Everyone nodded at this. But Kairi was confused.
"I don't remember passing on my power." she said, catching everyone's attention.
"Maybe it passed on without you realizing it?" suggested Lea.
"Or maybe Kairi still is one of the Princesses of Light." said Aqua. "Her heart isn't like theirs. Like Sora's, it's unique."
"And she still chose to wield a Keyblade and fight with us as one of the Guardians of Light." added Mickey.
"Yeah." nodded Sora.
"Indeed." said Ansem. "Kairi still holds a powerful light in her that still allows her to be amongst the New Seven Lights."
"Whaddya mean?" asked Goofy.
"In order to maintain the balance of the Realm of Light, each of the Princesses of Heart will pass down their powers to successors once their duties are fulfilled, just like what happened over two years ago." Yen Sid explained. "The new Princesses of Heart would not know of this as of this moment, and while some of them still hold that power, eventually they would pass on to new Princesses who will continue in protecting the worlds, whether they know it or not. As for their predecessors, while they would no longer be considered Princesses of Heart, their own lights that had grown that will continue to protect them from the forces of darkness."
Everyone exchanged glances.
"Wow…" Sora, Roxas, Ven, Lea, Myde, and Max breathed in surprise.
"That seemed like a lot to take in." commented Oswald.
"You know, when we were in Agrabah, I could still sense Jasmine's light." said Kairi. "But when we were in Atlantis and the Kingdom of Corona, I sensed the lights in Kida and Rapunzel as well."
"So that means… Rapunzel and Kida are members of the New Princesses of Heart…" Xion said in realization.
"Rapunzel had the power of healing and she used the very last drop of it to heal Eugene." said Naminé.
"And Kida had similar healing powers too and she was connected with the Crystal, which was the Heart of Atlantis." added Aqua.
"That would make sense why they're candidates for the Princesses of Heart." said Angeal.
"Wow… we met two of the new Princesses of Heart." said Myde. "That is so cool!"
"I can agree to that." said Daisy.
"But even so, they are in danger if Xehanort tries to use them to forge the χ-blade." said Genesis.
Riku looked at the two. "Don't worry. The only way they'll get to them is to kill us. But we're able to hold our own just fine." he told them.
"As a team." Kairi added in agreement.
Ansem, Angeal, and Genesis smiled proudly at them.
"That's good. Working as a team really can make a difference." said Angeal. "I remember working as a team with Zack and Cloud a few times back when we were still SOLDIER members."
"But what happens if they can't find the New Seven Lights?" asked Sora. "What will happen then?"
Yen Sid looked grim. "If Xehanort fails to have the New Seven Lights come together to forge the Keyblade… it will render their power useless." he said. "And given that during the 5-month period of Thanos' Snap, there is no doubt that he has gotten stronger in power. Him, the Organization, and their allies."
Sora and his team looked worried, as were Angeal and Genesis.
"Master, what are you saying?" asked Mickey.
"If the New Seven Hearts fail to come together… then their predecessors will be in danger." Yen Sid said gravely.
Everyone gasped.
"Oh my..." gasped Minnie.
"So no matter what happens, those meant to be a part of forging the χ-blade are in danger." Riku said.
"We can't let that happen." Sora said firmly.
"Sora's right. As long as we and our friends stick together, no one will be used as a means to forge that Keyblade for Xehanort." nodded Roxas.
"Jasmine, Rapunzel, and Kida are already members of our army." said Terra.
"And our enemies can't get into the Secret Forest thanks to the special magic courtesy of Master Yen Sid, Merlin, and the Good Fairies." added Isa.
"So they're already protected. Good." Angeal said with a smirk.
"I know you lot will protect them as well as the rest of the light very well." said Yen Sid. "Continue protecting the worlds so Xehanort won't have his way."
"And we know he won't kill you." said Ansem. "You lot are strong, especially when you're together."
"That's because we don't back down." said Donald, smirking.
"All for one and one for all. A-hyuck." added Goofy.
"Thank you for your time Master Yen Sid." said Mickey in gratitude.
"You are most welcome." said Yen Sid. "Now then, I suggest you return to Disney Castle. Rest will do well after what you all experienced in the Kingdom of Corona."
"Yes Master." nodded Aqua.
After waving goodbye to Ansem, Angeal, and Genesis, Sora and his team exited the tower.
"We'd better head back to Midgar." said Angeal. "Gotta make sure Sephiroth or any other bastards haven't tried to do anything funny."
"After the stuff that went down when I was on the wrong side, I wouldn't want anything to happen again either." nodded Genesis.
Yen Sid nodded as he opened a corridor of light. The two Midgar residents walked through it.
"I'd best head back to Radiant Garden." said Ansem. "Me and my apprentices have work to do once they return from training the Army of Light."
Yen Sid nodded again as he summoned another corridor of light. Ansem was about to walk through when he looked back at Yen Sid.
"Do not worry my old friend." Ansem said with a smile. "They are a good team. The worlds are in good hands. They won't let anything happen to any of the Princesses of Heart."
"I know Ansem." nodded Yen Sid. "That is why I trust them."
Ansem chuckled softly as he stepped through the corridor. Yen Sid sat up and looked out the window as he saw the Gummiship fly away.
"May your hearts be your guiding keys, my young champions." he said softly.
Secret Forest, several hours later:
After arriving and giving Rapunzel, Eugene, and Pascal a small home to stay in and a stable for Maximus in the back, the Keyblade Masters and their allies were helping the army train.
Sora clashed Keyblades with Woody. Aqua did the same with Rapunzel, Roxas with Milo, Riku with Aladdin, Kairi with Jasmine, Naminé with Kida, Ven with Buzz, and Terra with Eugene. Nearby, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid spared with each other.
They spared for a little while as they drew to a close.
"You guys are really getting the hang of this." praised Terra.
"Yeha, you're fast learners." added Aqua.
"Well we do have the best teachers." said Aladdin with a smile.
"Yeah. You guys." Milo said in agreement.
"Thanks guys." smiled Sora. "Now then, let's practice those Fire spells."
"Hayner, bring in the targets." said Ven.
Hayner came over with a large sack and set out some targets in front of the Keyblade Wielders.
"Ok, fire away." he told them.
Grippig their signature Keyblades, Aladdin, Jasmine, Woody, Buzz, Milo, Kida, Rapunzel, and Eugene stood in front of a target each.
One by one, each of them called out "Fire!" and a Fire spell blasted the targets.
"Good work." Terra said approvingly.
"Yeah, you guys got those down nicely." added Naminé.
"Well we do practice when we get the chance." said Buzz.
"Like you guys requested." Kida said in agreement.
"Keep up the good work and maybe you'll master Fira by next week." said Sora.
"Thank you Sora." smiled Jasmine.
"Alright, let's move onto Water spells." said Aqua. "They'll be useful for water-based enemies like the Water Core Heartless."
"Pence, bring over the flaming pole-torches!" called Hayner.
In another area, Cassim, Genie, Audrey, Sweet, Mole, Cookie, Vinny, and Mrs. Packard were training alongside Leon, Cloud, Dilan, and Aeleus in a make-shift battle arena. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Xion, Olette, Even, Ienzo, Tifa, Zack, Reno, Rude, Tseng, and Elena watched nearby.
"This make-shift battle arena was a nice idea." said Xion.
"Yeah. This way everyone can practice what they learned on moving targets." nodded Mickey.
"Was this what training was like in the Organization?" Donald asked Even and Ienzo.
"Not necessarily." Ienzo replied. "For one thing, we were inside."
"And the training rooms usually had magic-like objects." added Even.
"What about you guys?" Goofy asked the Turks.
"We have training rooms." said Reno. "They help us keep in shape whenever we go on missions for Shinra."
"You never know what you would face in a world like Midgar." said Rude.
"You got that Rude." nodded Zack. "Midgar is full of crazy stuff."
"And it was nice of you to let us help design this." added Tseng.
"And thanks for helping us build it." said Mickey.
"Alright. Let's start her up." said Tifa, pressing a button on a consol.
Several mannequins popped up. Leon and Cloud ran over and slashed one manikin each several times with their swords. They turned to Cassim and Genie, who were holding swords as well.
"Alright, give it a go." said Leon.
"Oh yeah!" Genie cheered as he and Cassim ran at the mannequins.
The genie and former King of Thieves slashed around the manikins, slashing them to smithereens.
"Good work." Cloud said approvingly.
"Thank you Cloud." smiled Cassim.
And just like that, the dummies were engulfed in bright lights and were returned to normal.
"Thanks again for using your magic on the arena Genie." said Mickey.
"Any time my little mouse king friend." Genie said with a happy grin.
Two crates then appeared in front of Dilan and Aeleus.
"I'll start." said Dilan as he summoned his six lances. Dilan then used his powers to summon the wind and the crate was lifted into the air. Dilan motioned his lances in many directions and they destroyed the crate after they drove right through it in all directions.
"Would ya look at that?" said Cookie.
"Now that is wind power." joked Audrey.
"Good work Dilan." Even praised.
"Thank you Even." Dilan said humbly. He turned to Aeleus. "Alright Aeleus, give it a go."
"I shall." nodded Aeleus.
Aeleus walked up in front of the crate and then slammed his axe-sword on the ground, causing the earth to bash the crate into the air. Aeleus then threw his axe-sword at the crate, smashing right through it.
"Ooh, he is strong." remarked Sweet.
"He knows how to use such earth very well." Mole said excitedly.
"Good display Aeleus." said Ienzo.
Aeleus just nodded with a small smile.
"Ok you guys." said Olette. "Show the oncoming targets what you got."
"You can count on us." said Audrey.
"And try not to shoot anyone by accident." pleaded Xion.
"Yeah, the last thing we need is unnecessary injuries." added Elena.
"Don't worry. We're professionals." assured Sweet.
The Atlantis expedition crew stood together as several mannequins on wheels spawned around them. Audrey rolled out of the way of one trying to lunge at her and bashed it with her giant wrench. Sweet dodged some punches from another and shot it down with his gun. Mole rolled away from two mannequins before shooting them from the ground. Vinny used his smoke bombs to confuse another mannequin before he shot it down. Cookie was able to load and reload his shotgun quickly as he fired at some more mannequins. Mrs. Packard was able to fire at some more without any fear at all.
"You got some guts Mrs. Packard." commented Zack.
"I've been on a lot of expeditions." said Packard.
"Which means she's basically been through it all." said Vinny.
Everyone nodded.
Later, the army had gone to rest in their homes for the remainder of the day. Dilan, Even, Aeleus, Ienzo, Leon, Cloud, Aerith, Yuffie, Tifa, Cid, and Zack headed back to Radiant Garden while Reno, Rude, Elena, and Tseng made their way back to Midgar. The 23 Keyblade wielders had headed back to Disney Castle and were currently in the hall.
"I'd say that was another good day of training." said Terra.
"Yeah, the army is coming along just nicely." said Aqua.
"Well after all that and what went down in the Kingdom of Corona, I think we need some rest from all of that." said Lea.
"You're speakin' my language." Myde said thankfully, making everyone roll their eyes.
"By the way, where were Seifer, Fuu, Rai, and Vivi?" asked Roxas.
"They were helping Professor Von Drake with an experiment." said Pence.
"I'm surprised the castle didn't burn down." joked Hayner.
Just then, the front doors opened. Scrooge, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Webby, Lena, and Violet entered the hallway, carrying various treasures. The kids seemed to be pushing a large chandelier.
"Back from another adventure huh?" asked Kairi.
"Sure have Kairi." said Webby. "We found a sunken ship full of large treasures in the Pacific Ocean!"
"Legend had it that the ship was carrying stolen treasure across the sea when it was bombed by an enemy plane during the first World war." said Huey.
"So we took the liberty of tracking it down and finding it." said Violet.
"And boy was it filled to the brim with treasures." said Louie as he showed some golden coins.
"Sounds fantastic." said Sora.
"Was this all the treasure you found?" asked Minnie.
"No this is half of it." said Scrooge. "Goldie and Launchpad are taking the rest to the Bin now."
"You're trusting Goldie with that task?" asked Lea, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't worry. I called in some favors to make sure she doesn't try anything and gain more than her share." said Scrooge.
Scrooge's Money Bin:
Launchpad watched as the workers moved the rest of the treasure inside the Bin.
"Things seem to be goin' smoothly." he mused as he unwrapped a burrito. "How about you Goldie?"
Goldie was seen surrounded by Gyro with a blaster, Gizmoduck, Quackfaster with a sword, Manny, and Li'l Bulb.
"Better than Vegas." Goldie shrugged dismissively.
Disney Castle:
"Guess you can't be too careful." shrugged Terra.
"Especially with a con like Goldie." said Donald.
"That woman does have skills." Lena smirked.
"We figured that Uncle Ludwig and Gadget can fix this chandelier and it can be added to any room in the castle." said Huey.
"Sounds good." said Mickey.
"Here, we'll help move it to the lab." said Sora.
Sora, Riku, and Lea tried to move it. But it proved to be too heavy.
"Dang it." groaned Lea as he rubbed his sore gloved-hands.
Before anyone else could help them move it, Beakley came over… and lifted it over her shoulder without even breaking a sweat.
"I'll take this to the lab." she said as she walked into the elevator.
Sora, Riku, Kairi, Lea, Roxas, Naminé, Xion, Isa, Terra, Aqua, Ven, Myde, Hayner, Pence, and Olette stared, speechless and in disbelief.
"I… feel like I've lost all confidence as a man." Sora said softly.
"Me too…" Riku said softly.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie patted their legs.
"We feel your pain." Dewey said sympathetically.
Kairi, Aqua, Naminé, Xion, Olette, Minnie, Daisy, Ortensia, Webby, Lena, and Violet giggled.
"With that said, we should get ready for dinner." said Minnie.
"Sounds good to me." said Huey.
"I concur." nodded Violet.
Daring duck of mystery
Champion of right
Swoops out of the shadows
Darkwing owns the night
Somewhere some villain schemes
But his number's up
(3-2-1)
Darkwing Duck!
"Who's playing the Darkwing Duck theme song?" asked Max.
Daisy giggled.
"Oh sorry. That's my new ringtone." she said sheepishly as she answered her phone. "Hello? Oh hi girls! Yes, I'm at the castle." Daisy then paused. "Wait, what do you mean 'already here'?" she asked.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
"Wonder who that could be." said Xion.
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy walked to the doors and opened them.
And there, standing on the top step… were three girl ducks. They looked to be 11 years old like Huey, Dewey, and Louie. In fact, they looked like the girl versions of them.
It was Daisy's nieces: April, May, and June Duck.
April wore a light blue striped t-shirt underneath a yellow cardigan with a dark green skirt and wore a yellow ribbon over her head.
May wore an orange tank above a light orange full-sleeved shirt similar to Dewey but with the left sides being slanted down a little, an orange ribbon over her head.
June wore a purple hoodie similar to Louie along with a matching ribbon.
All three had the same hairstyles with bangs.
"Girls?!" Daisy asked in surprise.
"Hi Aunt Daisy!" April, May, and June greeted at the same time with smiles.
To be continued…
And now we know more about the New Seven Hearts, which Kairi, Rapunzel, and Kida are a part of. And we also know that if the villains don't get all seven together if they kill Sora and his friends, the original ones will be in danger as well. Let's hope Sora and his friends can keep them safe.
We also saw some more training as well.
And to top it all off… we have finally met Daisy's nieces, April, May, and June Duck!
Special thanks to Super Sayian 3 Odd for the "Lost all confidence as a man" dialogue.
Rate and review and I'll see you all soon!