The offer of power was tempting, but Markus had seen someone he knew let the darkness in, and he certainly hadn't seemed in control. Maybe some day, but today that dark portal in the sky only looked like the black hole he had narrowly avoided back in his own world. The black hole, with its keyhole. Markus thought back to that, when he had unlocked it. That man, Leon Nero had called him, said that his keyblade could unseal any lock.

"Nero," Markus called across to him, "Akira. All of you, do as I do," he commanded, as he lifted his keyblade to point at the heart. He imagined it as the keyhole, and willed his keyblade to emit that same beam of light. He hoped the others would heed his orders, as he didn't think he had enough power on his own.

Asha quickly learns that that her usual strategy is useless on the huge armour since it is consist of separate pieces. Not only that, something is interfering with with her magic. She feels drained already although back on cocoon, Asha can manage to fight far longer than this. "Something is definite not right." says Asha under her breath. she looks around. The rest of the keyblade wielders seem not be as badly affect like her.

But the huge armour started to float above them. A voice gave a speech about the darkness, how keyblade wielder are cursed and blessed but can only bring despair and destruction to everyone they meet. This struck a chord in Asha's heart. From her world of cocoon, She heard of the l'cie, beings blessed with great power by the fal'cie(gods) but have a cursed fate worse than death. If a l'cie fails his/her mission, they turn into a cie'th, a mindless monster and so bringing destruction to everthing around them. But Asha also heard of lightning and her friends whom all become l'cie. But they made the choice to rebel against the fate set in front of them. They fought together against the fal'cie. They won in the end. Though hope and unity, they were able to overcome the toughest of foes. Asha givs a tear and a smile. Asha decided to rebel as well.

"You can take your damn offer and bugger off. I do not need your power of the darkness. All we need to defeat you is hope and unity. I reject your fate for me. I am the only one who can decide what my fate entails."

She heard one of the keyblade wielders command her to do as he does. She does what she is instructed.

The power of darkness? Hmm...

Fion went quite for a minute and began to think as the voice sounded familiar for some reason and he felt like the voice was just trying to trick them into doing something stupid. The keyblade couldn't be the power of darkness could it? It was light was it not it destroys heartless after all.

I have a question for you you creepy yet familiar voice...how would the power of darkness help if the keyblade uses the powers of light?

Fion decided even though everyone clearly wanted to unlock it at the same time it could cause problems as the mysterious voice just said unlocking this is the first step to mastery of darkness meaning that it might do something unexpected and not something they'd want in the end.

Wait he wants us to do this stop I don't think unlocking this heart is the right thing to do there has to be another way...

Fion then aimed at the hand holding the heart and focused the keyblade at it and shot a beam of light towards it similar to how they opened the door to the third district. maybe just maybe making the dark hand lose it's grip on the heart might do something.

"I don't know what the voice meant," Markus grunted, straining at his keyblade, "But if the darkness wants this heart, I will keep it from it."

Nero winced slightly in anticipation, perparing himself for the attack launched his way. Clenching his teeth and closing his eyes, he had prepared for the worst, but when that never came, he slowly opened his eyes to see the figure of Leon before him. As the dark cloud began to disperse around the swordsman, Nero gave a relieved sigh as he stood.

"Thanks, Leon." His remark sincere as he made his way to stand beside the warrior, eyeing over the heartless as he began to steel himself for the oncoming battle... Yet as the Heartless began to change to it's new daunting visage, Nero could only shudder as he gripped his keyblade tighter, "What the world is that?" As he attempted to step forward, Leon blocked his path, causing the boy to narrow his eyes at his mentor, but abide by his command. Only when the heart was exposed, did Nero full grasp the situation. This truly was someone's heart... The heart of a kid as the voice had put it just moments before. As the voice began to speak upon the darkness, he noticed Leon's strike had no effect... But even that didn't garner his full attention. His eyes now lingered upon his keyblade.

"... This? This is what calls the heartless? Were Akira and I the reason that the heartless came to our world? Why so many had to suffer at their hands," Though merely speculation, the thought haunted the boy, gripping onto his keyblade with a renewed mix of fear and hatred for the device, "Darkness lingers in all hearts, I know... But can it truly be used to stop another world from being lost." It was then he noticed his allies all attempting to free the heart, but still his thoughts were clouded.

"Maybe mastering the darkness is the way... If it'll keep any more people from suffering..." Idly, he'd begin making his way forward, attempting to bypass Leon as he now held his keyblade aloft at his side.

Akira gripped the handle of his keyblade tighter listening to the voice.
"No....No I won't let Darkness take anyone else!" Akira said flourishing his keyblade and aiming it at the heart focusing all of his desire to free the heart from the darkness and channeling it through the weapon. It manifested in the form of the white beam of light described by the computers back on Hollow Bastion.

As Niinii defeated some of the smaller Heartless, something inside him swelled, he had no idea what this feeling was, it was if fargone memories had seeped back into his mind, memories of hearts flying up to the air and suddenly vanishing into nothing. But to his horror these memories seemed to be repeating right before his eyes with the dispersing reminds of the heartless letting loose Hearts and too like his memories vanished.

What is the meaning of this? Has the Heartless been taking these hearts from people they kill? Has he been destroying the Hearts the Heartless has been taking by defending himself? Niinii silently stood in fear looking at the Keyblade in hand. Is the Keyblade responsible somehow?

But his scary thoughts were interrupted by the voice coming out of the armor Heartless, Niinii listened in horror as it spoke. Of being chosen for their role to fight the Heartless but they caused Darkness everywhere they go. Was. Was he why everyone and everything he loved was ripped apart and plunged into darkness? Did he destroy his home? Is he only meant to spread darkness?
Niinii was being overwhelmed with guilt, his eyes started to swell with tears and it started to fall down his cheeks, he tried to wipe them away with his arm but it only made his tears fall harder and made his sleeve wetter.

But his tears slowed when he heard several of the group speak up, wishing to deny the Darkness from getting to this heart, but one of them wondered if Darkness was the right away. No. You can't fix something by using what broke the thing in the first place. But suddenly as a large dark hand grasped at the Heart. Something inside Niinii sparked, Niinii suddenly ran past the group and used his heighten jump to jump up to the hand and held on tight to the hand while swinging his Keyblade madly and furiously at the hand until either the Heartless let go, or he be taken to the other side with the Heart where he will protect the Heart no matter what.

He will not be used by Darkness.

As Tera finished her quick scan she closed her eyes. Inside her head, her brain archived what she'd seen and processed as hard data, similar to recording a video onto a memory card.



The process took only a second or two and her eyes shot back open as her companions fought the monsters. Suddenly the huge armoured thing began dissolving, even as her companions destroyed the smaller cannon things behind it. As she watched hearts slowly rise into the sky, the huge monster broke down, its parts dissolving into darkness. From the smoke appeared a large heart, surrounded by smoke and pierced by thorns. Leon fought it to no effect, but the mysterious, dark voice bade them to give in to the darkness?

She'd seen firsthand the effects of that dark force when her world was devoured by it. And she would not let that control her, much less use it for her own ends.

"Accept the darkness..."

Tera gripped her Keyblade tighter.

"No. Never in a thousand cycles. I saw my world die by the darkness. I won't let it control me."

She nodded and walked forward to where her companions were. She passed Nero, but heard him muttering, doubting the Light. Tera stopped.

"Listen, uh, sir. Put it behind you. These keyblades were given to us by the light. If it attracts darkness then so be it. We just have to fight it every step of the way."

That said she joined Markus, Asha and Fion, standing by their sides as she too raised her key up at the shrouded heart. A beam of light burst forth from its tip and shot straight towards the heart. As she held her key steady, she saw Akira join the lineup, and the cute moogle Nii leaped onto the hand to give it a deserving beatdown.

Perhaps they could save this child's life after all.

The offer of power was tempting, but Markus had seen someone he knew let the darkness in, and he certainly hadn't seemed in control. Maybe some day, but today that dark portal in the sky only looked like the black hole he had narrowly avoided back in his own world. The black hole, with its keyhole. Markus thought back to that, when he had unlocked it. That man, Leon Nero had called him, said that his keyblade could unseal any lock.

"Nero," Markus called across to him, "Akira. All of you, do as I do," he commanded, as he lifted his keyblade to point at the heart. He imagined it as the keyhole, and willed his keyblade to emit that same beam of light. He hoped the others would heed his orders, as he didn't think he had enough power on his own.

Striking the sphere around the Heart, Akira's keyblade held it steady while the arm and hand of the heartless tried to pull it with fervor. Without knowing it, Markus opened a direct line from his heart to the captured one. Emotion poured from that Heart, pushing anger, pain, despair, sadness, and fear but also one more emotion far stronger than the others. Markus felt the loneliness inside that heart, a chasm of emptiness reserved for the void. Words would come to his mind. Why? was the most common, the context impossible to tell. This Heart questioned its self, but how could Markus even answer?

Asha quickly learns that that her usual strategy is useless on the huge armour since it is consist of separate pieces. Not only that, something is interfering with with her magic. She feels drained already although back on cocoon, Asha can manage to fight far longer than this. "Something is definite not right." says Asha under her breath. she looks around. The rest of the keyblade wielders seem not be as badly affect like her.

But the huge armour started to float above them. A voice gave a speech about the darkness, how keyblade wielder are cursed and blessed but can only bring despair and destruction to everyone they meet. This struck a chord in Asha's heart. From her world of cocoon, She heard of the l'cie, beings blessed with great power by the fal'cie(gods) but have a cursed fate worse than death. If a l'cie fails his/her mission, they turn into a cie'th, a mindless monster and so bringing destruction to everthing around them. But Asha also heard of lightning and her friends whom all become l'cie. But they made the choice to rebel against the fate set in front of them. They fought together against the fal'cie. They won in the end. Though hope and unity, they were able to overcome the toughest of foes. Asha givs a tear and a smile. Asha decided to rebel as well.

"You can take your damn offer and bugger off. I do not need your power of the darkness. All we need to defeat you is hope and unity. I reject your fate for me. I am the only one who can decide what my fate entails."

She heard one of the keyblade wielders command her to do as he does. She does what she is instructed.

The keyblade emitted light with Markus's. Her heart was connected and she would feel those same emotions, and the loneliness most of all. The depth of this Heart's despair would remind her further of her home world and those cursed by the Fal'Cie. However, the Heartless had a greater influence over all the sky. In every world they would show up one day, her world had merely avoided them until recently. She could at least empathize with that captured Heart.

Then something appeared to her mind as well, Markus's Heart was connected too. They would sense each other there, as if standing beside each other in the void of that Heart.

Leon could only watch as the keybladers tried to free that Heart. He knew there was nothing he could do but watch and wait. In many ways he felt powerless, as evident on his irritated face. Yet there was calmness. He trusted these children to free that heart.

<Snipped quote>

Fion went quite for a minute and began to think as the voice sounded familiar for some reason and he felt like the voice was just trying to trick them into doing something stupid. The keyblade couldn't be the power of darkness could it? It was light was it not it destroys heartless after all.

<Snipped quote>

Fion decided even though everyone clearly wanted to unlock it at the same time it could cause problems as the mysterious voice just said unlocking this is the first step to mastery of darkness meaning that it might do something unexpected and not something they'd want in the end.

<Snipped quote>

Fion then aimed at the hand holding the heart and focused the keyblade at it and shot a beam of light towards it similar to how they opened the door to the third district. maybe just maybe making the dark hand lose it's grip on the heart might do something.

Inside of Fion's heart the soundless voice spoke again.

The Keyblade's power is not light. Nor is the Keyblade's power darkness. It exists in between, following those with the strongest hearts and nothing less.

Fion joined the others, sensing them and the capture heart's emotions. However, Asha and Markus would feel less of that despair. It seemed that the more people who linked their heart directly, the less toil the capture heart contained, as if they siphoned it.

"I don't know what the voice meant," Markus grunted, straining at his keyblade, "But if the darkness wants this heart, I will keep it from it."

Markus could feel Asha and Fion, however only Markus was perceptive of something happening inside of Fion's heart. He knew someone was speaking to Fion but didn't know the words. Asha would remain unaware of the conversation at all.

Nero winced slightly in anticipation, perparing himself for the attack launched his way. Clenching his teeth and closing his eyes, he had prepared for the worst, but when that never came, he slowly opened his eyes to see the figure of Leon before him. As the dark cloud began to disperse around the swordsman, Nero gave a relieved sigh as he stood.

"Thanks, Leon." His remark sincere as he made his way to stand beside the warrior, eyeing over the heartless as he began to steel himself for the oncoming battle... Yet as the Heartless began to change to it's new daunting visage, Nero could only shudder as he gripped his keyblade tighter, "What the world is that?" As he attempted to step forward, Leon blocked his path, causing the boy to narrow his eyes at his mentor, but abide by his command. Only when the heart was exposed, did Nero full grasp the situation. This truly was someone's heart... The heart of a kid as the voice had put it just moments before. As the voice began to speak upon the darkness, he noticed Leon's strike had no effect... But even that didn't garner his full attention. His eyes now lingered upon his keyblade.

"... This? This is what calls the heartless? Were Akira and I the reason that the heartless came to our world? Why so many had to suffer at their hands," Though merely speculation, the thought haunted the boy, gripping onto his keyblade with a renewed mix of fear and hatred for the device, "Darkness lingers in all hearts, I know... But can it truly be used to stop another world from being lost." It was then he noticed his allies all attempting to free the heart, but still his thoughts were clouded.

"Maybe mastering the darkness is the way... If it'll keep any more people from suffering..." Idly, he'd begin making his way forward, attempting to bypass Leon as he now held his keyblade aloft at his side.

Nero's Keyblade connected with the others, and he would feel far less than the others. However, the loneliness inside of that Heart was still apparent. He could sense those who were connected, this Heart felt like a room now, instead of a void. The walls of this room were the walls of the heart. However, it was expansive still, reaching outwards without the visual range to see any one wall.

Akira gripped the handle of his keyblade tighter listening to the voice.
"No....No I won't let Darkness take anyone else!" Akira said flourishing his keyblade and aiming it at the heart focusing all of his desire to free the heart from the darkness and channeling it through the weapon. It manifested in the form of the white beam of light described by the computers back on Hollow Bastion.

The beam of light connected with the heart, the room now smaller. The keyblade wielders would realize that this heart was filling with their emotions, the loneliness had nearly vanished and the other emotions were far too weak for Akira to even notice. The walls were almost in view, obscured by the darkness remaining in the Heart.

As Niinii defeated some of the smaller Heartless, something inside him swelled, he had no idea what this feeling was, it was if fargone memories had seeped back into his mind, memories of hearts flying up to the air and suddenly vanishing into nothing. But to his horror these memories seemed to be repeating right before his eyes with the dispersing reminds of the heartless letting loose Hearts and too like his memories vanished.

What is the meaning of this? Has the Heartless been taking these hearts from people they kill? Has he been destroying the Hearts the Heartless has been taking by defending himself? Niinii silently stood in fear looking at the Keyblade in hand. Is the Keyblade responsible somehow?

But his scary thoughts were interrupted by the voice coming out of the armor Heartless, Niinii listened in horror as it spoke. Of being chosen for their role to fight the Heartless but they caused Darkness everywhere they go. Was. Was he why everyone and everything he loved was ripped apart and plunged into darkness? Did he destroy his home? Is he only meant to spread darkness?
Niinii was being overwhelmed with guilt, his eyes started to swell with tears and it started to fall down his cheeks, he tried to wipe them away with his arm but it only made his tears fall harder and made his sleeve wetter.

But his tears slowed when he heard several of the group speak up, wishing to deny the Darkness from getting to this heart, but one of them wondered if Darkness was the right away. No. You can't fix something by using what broke the thing in the first place. But suddenly as a large dark hand grasped at the Heart. Something inside Niinii sparked, Niinii suddenly ran past the group and used his heighten jump to jump up to the hand and held on tight to the hand while swinging his Keyblade madly and furiously at the hand until either the Heartless let go, or he be taken to the other side with the Heart where he will protect the Heart no matter what.

He will not be used by Darkness.

His strikes beat the hand away, harming it -proved by its weakening grip. It seemed Niinii would not connect with those who's hearts were linked. But his influence would clear away some of the darkness inside that Heart.

Those connected could see the walls of the heart, a large room big enough to fit the third district. But a haze remained and figures appeared in the darkness. Light didn't shine in this place, instead those who were inside illuminated it with their hearts' strength.

As Tera finished her quick scan she closed her eyes. Inside her head, her brain archived what she'd seen and processed as hard data, similar to recording a video onto a memory card.

>run catalogue.exe
>archiving data...5%
>...15%
>...46%
>...64%
>...87%
>...100%
>data archived

The process took only a second or two and her eyes shot back open as her companions fought the monsters. Suddenly the huge armoured thing began dissolving, even as her companions destroyed the smaller cannon things behind it. As she watched hearts slowly rise into the sky, the huge monster broke down, its parts dissolving into darkness. From the smoke appeared a large heart, surrounded by smoke and pierced by thorns. Leon fought it to no effect, but the mysterious, dark voice bade them to give in to the darkness?

She'd seen firsthand the effects of that dark force when her world was devoured by it. And she would not let that control her, much less use it for her own ends.

"Accept the darkness..."

Tera gripped her Keyblade tighter.

"No. Never in a thousand cycles. I saw my world die by the darkness. I won't let it control me."

She nodded and walked forward to where her companions were. She passed Nero, but heard him muttering, doubting the Light. Tera stopped.

"Listen, uh, sir. Put it behind you. These keyblades were given to us by the light. If it attracts darkness then so be it. We just have to fight it every step of the way."

That said she joined Markus, Asha and Fion, standing by their sides as she too raised her key up at the shrouded heart. A beam of light burst forth from its tip and shot straight towards the heart. As she held her key steady, she saw Akira join the lineup, and the cute moogle Nii leaped onto the hand to give it a deserving beatdown.

Perhaps they could save this child's life after all.

>run sysdiag.exe [+]

>system diagnostics scan in progress
>...
>...
>...
>query "does this unit have a heart"
>processing
>...
>...
>...
>unknown query
>query "does this unit have a soul"
>processing
>...
>...
>...
>unknown query
>search C: "heart"
>searching
>...
>...
>...
>1 entry found
>C:/users/self/body/heart.exe
>search C: "soul"
>searching
>...
>...
>...
>24685314685258447325676358624973746184583726485927365839395839275659283758695837164
>error
>overload
>system power down
>...

When Tera joined inside the Haze seemed barely a problem at all. Figures were people locked in a single moment of time. At the center of this room was a young boy standing still, looking down at his hand which held a toy robot. As the keyblade wielders looked closer they would see something begin to glow from that young boy. Another light rose out from the young man, illuminating the room.

Color was painted across the room, showing the world of Radiant Garden. They were in the court yard and this young boy was enjoying a festival. Behind him was a stand were the prizes were toys and this young one had won something for himself. However, when they noticed the shadow behind him, they realized it didn't belong to him for its shape was that of a monster.

However, Niinii's continued attacks on the arm loosened the captured Heart. The room moved, as if time unpaused.

They could see the young boy walk through the festival with the fake shadow underneath him.

It jumped out, a small creature no bigger than the boy. Those who knew the Heartless would understand this was among the weakest of heartless, a shadow.

Then just before the Heartless could scratch the boy, time froze again.

"To save this Heart is to accept the darkness into one's body. For it is not that this mere Shadow only stole this boy's heart but that this heart is one with the darkness. It has been plunged deep into the abyss and lost all of its bonds yet here you are connected to this Heart, forging your own Bonds with it.

If you wish to save this Heart then you must also purge the darkness from it.

Will you master the darkness and command it to flee or will you try to remove it by force?

Answer carefully with your actions, children, before the darkness manifests.

The Keyblade Wielders stood around the boy. He remained frozen however, the shadow seemed to move. Its claw pulled back before it attacked. Looking around it could see the keyblade wielders surrounding it on all sides.

It wasn't attacking, only waiting for them to act.

[This is a critical moment in which your attempts must be short. I have a lot going on with these scene. You don't want to miss a single part of it! Markus, Asha, Fion, Nero, Akira, and Tera will undergo something that Niinii will just have to do on another occasion ;) ]

On the outside, Niinii's strikes were brutal. The Arm seemed to be leaking darkness but its grip was still there. Noticing his surroundings begin to fall down, he could see the portal above him come closer. It was actually him who was moving, and it was toward the portal!

Leon tried to assist Niinii, instructing him to hit the fingers instead of the arm.

"I choose to fight it!"

Tera's anger with the darkness was all that she felt. She didn't want to see another innocent fall to it like her entire world had. No more would she hang back because she couldn't fight.

Now she would.

Nero paused a moment as he looked over the shadow and the boy, thinking silently on the words that had just been spoken. 'Will you master the darkness and command it to flee or will you try to remove it by force?'

"... I-I," Nero shook his head, attempting to clear his mind of the now clouded thoughts that plauged it. All at once, something became clear. If he was allowed to move in this reality, he'd place himself between the child and the shadow, making sure to face the beast, either way "I will make the shadows fear me."

Fion without hesitation grabbed the boy and moved him to a safe spot and began to prepare to fight back hoping he could prevent any dangers that may befall the child.

I don't know what your trying to do but I'll play along for now and protect this boy.

Fion begin feeling like it was a test or something but still wasn't sure he also was curious if the voice that said the keyblade is neither light or dark meant the keyblade is dependant on it's master.

Niinii attacks had hit's target, but he was moving towards the dark portal, he was scared but he still wanted to help.
The Hume yelled for him to attack the fingers around the heart. He had made his choice, He glided as hard as he can to the heart, and he wrapped himself around it where the Large hand hasn't gotten ahold of yet, and he swiped at the fingers with his keyblade.

"I believe we can do this, Kupo..."

Despite feeling the despair and loneliness from the heart, this gives Asha a renewed sense of hope. She stands straight up and challenge the voice. "I will never submit to the darkness. I shall stand firm against it. It may push me down but I will get back up and will continue to fight back." Asha takes a battle stance and activates her ravager set.

The emotions from the heart staggered Markus. The despair and the loneliness were things he had never felt at this magnitude before, even after the apparent demise of his crew. He was close to giving in when he felt Asha's heart(he didn't even know her name, but he knew her so intimately now) joined him in the void.

Then another, and another. The two boys he had met outside, and several others from the group at the jeweler's. As the void filled, it defined itself into a room, and then a courtyard full of frozen people. And as the haze lessened, so did the horrible emotions that had threatened to consume him when he had entered this void alone.

There was a boy in the center of the courtyard, and the voice gave them the same ultimatum it had made moments ago. And just as before, Markus' companions defied it. Markus recovered his composure and his stoic facade, and joined them.

"I must agree," he intoned, stepping confidently toward the shadow. Though it seemed weak, he knew there was more to it, having seen the creature outside of this strange little world. "We've all seen that we can fight the darkness." He stood to Nero's left and pointed his keyblade at the pitiful thing before them. He didn't even waste his effort with a fencing stance.

"Why risk letting something consume us when we have the power to destroy it?"

Akira stood watching the scene unfold before him. Within moments he stood next to Nero and Markus in front of the shadow hefting his Keyblade to his shoulder reminding himself of Cloud a man he and Nero once knew from back home.
"their right. I lost this very world to darkness and I won't let anyone else get hurt"

"I choose to fight it!"

Tera's anger with the darkness was all that she felt. She didn't want to see another innocent fall to it like her entire world had. No more would she hang back because she couldn't fight.

Now she would.

The Keyblade in her hand vanished. At her disposal was but her own body. However, upon moving she was frozen like the statues. She cold only witness events unfolding in front of her now.

Nero paused a moment as he looked over the shadow and the boy, thinking silently on the words that had just been spoken. 'Will you master the darkness and command it to flee or will you try to remove it by force?'

"... I-I," Nero shook his head, attempting to clear his mind of the now clouded thoughts that plauged it. All at once, something became clear. If he was allowed to move in this reality, he'd place himself between the child and the shadow, making sure to face the beast, either way "I will make the shadows fear me."

Moving quickly enough, he stood in between the shadow and the body. However, summmoning his keyblade was impossible now as his body was frozen in place, unable to move. He could only witness events unfolding.

Fion without hesitation grabbed the boy and moved him to a safe spot and began to prepare to fight back hoping he could prevent any dangers that may befall the child.

<Snipped quote>

Fion begin feeling like it was a test or something but still wasn't sure he also was curious if the voice that said the keyblade is neither light or dark meant the keyblade is dependant on it's master.

Upon touching the body Fion's body froze in place, his keyblade locked from him and only able to witness events unfolding in front of him.

Niinii attacks had hit's target, but he was moving towards the dark portal, he was scared but he still wanted to help.
The Hume yelled for him to attack the fingers around the heart. He had made his choice, He glided as hard as he can to the heart, and he wrapped himself around it where the Large hand hasn't gotten ahold of yet, and he swiped at the fingers with his keyblade.

"I believe we can do this, Kupo..."

Her Keyblade struck the fingers, breaking them in. Quickly the hand shuttered until letting go of the heart completely. Niinii was doing it! However, the hand was not done. It retreated into the portal of darkness, throwing Niinii down.

The captured Heart remained in place, locked by the hearts conntected to it. Niinii's companions were around her, in a trance like state.

Looking back at the portal would reveal something else, instead of coming out at the bottom, two arms reached out from the top, followed by elbows, the tip of a head covered in black vines, and then the face wrapped in them.

The portal became a spring of darkness, spilling dark liquid around it. The Heartless's upper body was sticking out of the top of the portal, looking at Niinii with its bold yellow eyes.

"You've missed the opportunity. You'll just have to wait until it's over, keyblade wielder." The voice was the one from before, obviously pointing out that the others were doing something that Niinii wasn't.

The heartless reached into the air, the moon's light behind it. Between its palms a red orb formed like balls of gum conjoining. Small orbs of energy surrounded it then fell toward the center. In moments the small red orb was enormous.

"That's!" Leon's yelled, unable to hold back any more he unleashed the power of his weapon again, trying to slice the creature's body with the large magical blade. Niinii witnessed the warrior jump high into the air with the weapon rising and swung with the power of an airship's cannons.

The blade penetrated the monster's body, however it wasn't going to undo the orb of darkness that now rose far above the third district. Around them the air lifted light weight objects higher and higher until they flew into the orb.

Leon was standing back on the ground now, pulling out a cell phone.

Despite feeling the despair and loneliness from the heart, this gives Asha a renewed sense of hope. She stands straight up and challenge the voice. "I will never submit to the darkness. I shall stand firm against it. It may push me down but I will get back up and will continue to fight back." Asha takes a battle stance and activates her ravager set.

Inside her body the magic resisted her commands, once realizing this she froze in place, unable to move. She could only bear witness to the events unfolding. Her keyblade wasn't working either.

The emotions from the heart staggered Markus. The despair and the loneliness were things he had never felt at this magnitude before, even after the apparent demise of his crew. He was close to giving in when he felt Asha's heart(he didn't even know her name, but he knew her so intimately now) joined him in the void.

Then another, and another. The two boys he had met outside, and several others from the group at the jeweler's. As the void filled, it defined itself into a room, and then a courtyard full of frozen people. And as the haze lessened, so did the horrible emotions that had threatened to consume him when he had entered this void alone.

There was a boy in the center of the courtyard, and the voice gave them the same ultimatum it had made moments ago. And just as before, Markus' companions defied it. Markus recovered his composure and his stoic facade, and joined them.

"I must agree," he intoned, stepping confidently toward the shadow. Though it seemed weak, he knew there was more to it, having seen the creature outside of this strange little world. "We've all seen that we can fight the darkness." He stood to Nero's left and pointed his keyblade at the pitiful thing before them. He didn't even waste his effort with a fencing stance.

"Why risk letting something consume us when we have the power to destroy it?"

His keyblade vanished from his fingers. Then with his arm held outward he was frozen in place. Only able to see the events unfolding in front of him.

Akira stood watching the scene unfold before him. Within moments he stood next to Nero and Markus in front of the shadow hefting his Keyblade to his shoulder reminding himself of Cloud a man he and Nero once knew from back home.
"their right. I lost this very world to darkness and I won't let anyone else get hurt"

His keyblade vanished, and his body was locked in place. He could only continue to bear witness to what was happening in front of him.

But then darkness covered their eyes, the boy was gone and so was the heartless.

The children were alone, separated from one another.

Unable to sense each other they would feel the sensation of falling down. They would not see anything as it was impossible to move.

However much they willed themselves to escape, this was the abyss of darkness where no one could escape.

Leon's phone rang in his ear. When someone picked up on the other end he watched the orb overhead while speaking.

"Traverse Town is under attack. Yes, I can see the Darkside. No, Keyblade Wielders are with me, new ones that don't know much of anything. Six of them are trying to unlock a heart swallowed by darkness but there's one beside me.

Yeah, that would be our best option. But I can't leave these kids here. That Darkside is standing in a portal of darkness which is currently flooding the ground. I can see the pool form underneath him, its just in front of me.

So this is what Sora fought before he disappeared? You're wrong; I am ready. The Heartless aren't going to win. I trust these guys.

Even if they fall into darkness then I'll be the one to... Yuffie you're breaking up. I'll call you when I can. Goodbye."

Leon looked over at the moogle.

"You should get off this planet before the darkness swallows it whole."

But how would Niinii flea if he didn't even know how he arrived?

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Niinii felt something inside, a call. However, there wasn't much he could do to answer it at the moment. It seemed he could try to do something about that Darkside but with Leon's attack it seemed too busy being knocked out. Maybe that was his chance. What could he do?

Fion didn't quite expect to freeze in place and have everything go into blackness it felt somewhat lonely but not like he failed as if it's just a test to see what he can do suddenly he began to feel like he was falling then a voice...

Wake up. It was a soundless voice, speaking to his heart.

This is the heart station. Underneath you is an illustration of your heart. It showed Fion sitting at the top of Twilight Town's tower. The familiar dusk covered the sky.

Before you are three forms of the Heart. The strength of your heart can manifest into these forms. However, your Heart is unique. You lack true light where another lacks true darkness.

Will you manifest it with the warrior's power. You can make any foe bow to you but your allies must also bow.

Perhaps the Mystic's wit. You are a clever boy, if you can convince your enemy to back down you don't need your allies to fight at all.

Hmm maybe the Gaurdian's endurance. Protected by the strength of your heart nothing can get close to you, friend or foe.

You'll need to choose one to give up, and another to embrace. Take your time, there's no need to rush in this place.

Embrace one but give up another? hmm...I hope I don't regret this but I choose to embrace Mystic's wit and give up the Guardians endurance...

Fion then was curious what this would mean really does it mean how his strength will grow or is it more a question of opinion beacuse he gave what in his opinion would be good decision having a good magic ability would help augment and weak defences he may have.

Asha looked down at the glass. Could these Crystals be Vanille and Fang from the stories that she has heard? The two l'cie who stayed behind after the defeat of the fal'cie. They sacrificed to become crystal in order to save all of humanity on Cocoon and Gran pulse. Asha looked at the three pedestals. She is thinking to chose mystic and give up warrior. She is not much of a close combatant. Asha calls out " I embrace mystic and forsake warrior."

Markus did as the voice asked and woke up, but there was no one for the voice to belong to. There were three weapons, and as he approached them, a voice spoke aloud. He whirled around to look for the voice but found no one.

Apprehensive, he knew he must take up a weapon right now. He put his hand around the hilt of the sword, the obvious choice.

Choose two? And what had the voices said? Warrior, guardian, mystic? He didn't think of himself as any of these. Even if he had already chosen the sword.

So which to give up? Well, he reasoned, he had never needed a shield to deflect blows before. He could parry with his sword, or dance out of the way. He pushed the shield gently away, and turned to grab the rod. He didn't know what to do with it, and began looking around for the voice.

"Hello?"