----Sleeping Realm-----

----Traverse Town, District 1----

Soren stepped into district one and there were nightmares everywhere. Gasping as he saw a moogle cowering in the middle of the square Soren charged into the fight. Letting off a fireball in front of him and destroyed a few nightmares which cleared a way to get to the moogle. Hoping over a few more he grabbed the moogle and dashed up casting areo to boost the jump. The nightmares hissed and yelled as their prey soared to a roof. "Stay here and I'll take care of these." The moogle nodded and choked out a kupo before soren lept off and fired a stream of water then ice to freeze a path. Skidding to a halt he swung way to dawn in a wide arc and let it fly out and into the crowd of nightmares gathering there. He then cast thunder right before catching way to dawn. There was no use though...they were still coming with no end in sight. Covered in nightmares Soren dropped his keyblades and both dismissed into light. For a few horrible second Soren felt the never ending sleep and the darkness beckon to him. He remembered all the times he had died and fell to darkness...not anymore. Power surged through him and with all his might he willed the darkness taking him into a tool of his own and filled one of the keyblades with it. The sleeping lion disappeared turning into the spellbinder for a second then the keyblades true power came into being. The spellbinder turned purple and black as the key peice turned into three pages with luminous green text, the shaft turned into a books spine as a black chain wrapped around it and down to the guard which locked like an old fashioned lock. Between the lock guard and the book looking shaft was a hexa emerald that glowed green the chains crossed over it whinding down into the guard. With a burst of the green light the nightmares were thrown back and vaporized. "This is one of my keyblades' true form. I forged this with my heart and my dark power that will use me no longer. Instead it'll be my tool!" Soren's mind filled with all his old spells and ways to use them. With a smirk he charged at the nearest nightmare unleashing a torrent of water "Waterza!" Then he flipped back and spun unleashing fire "Firaza Barrage!" Fire balls hurled out and down on the nightmares. Then Soren dove to the ground casting quake as his keyblade slammed the ground.

The rest if the nightmare were defeated and Soren smiled. "I now wield The Grimoire." Its emerald glowed faintly as it disappeared into purple light and green smoke. He then floated up to the moogle grabbed him and sat him down on the ground. "There ya go. Hope they didnt rough you up little buddy. I'm looking for a friend of mine. Think you can point me to him?" The moogle shook his head sadly but perked up and took out a small keychain with a moogle attached to it. As soon as Soren took it the moogle faded away with a "Thank you, Kupo!" Strange but he would just add it to the collection. Soren then went and entered District two yelling for Kazen.

Soren took the attack to his back and the breath was knocked out of him. Gasping he saw the barrage of spells that Kazen had knocked him into. Was it Kazen though? This was the realm of sleep. Soren would just have to beat him down anyway since Kazen was apparently going to do the same.

Before the barrage hit him Soren threw up a barrier in reaction but allowed some hits to smash the ground and kick up a dust cloud. Breathing deep he shot out three thundaga shots then iced the ground beneath Kazen. "We are going to do this again I see. Well this time I'm not going to go easy. I'll make you remember it's me." His voice had come from everywhere and with a charge of areo magic Soren burst from dust cloud straight up and then shot off a gravity spell raising Kazen off his feet then fired a shot lock where words of dark light crisscrossed through his ally dealing status ailments to his opponent. It would now be hard to focus on magic and slightly harder to see along with the sensation of draining.

They did this. If it wasn't his deliberately coming here for something then it had to be Luxu or the master that sent him here. He doesn't believe it's me because he has been lied to so many times. Soren jumped up to higher ground and ran towards the fountain from the side.

-----The Second District-----

"That's it Soren! Let's fight it out; Keybearers bring ruin and discord in their wake; it's always been our way. Why shouldn't this be any different?!" He called out just before the Thundaga spells struck him. He stood firm and took the brunt of each blast. He was jolted and chuckled as a Star Charm on his jacket gleamed and absorbed the energy from Soren's magick.
"A gift from those Moogle friends of yours, they really like rare items." He chuckled as he sidestepped the Blizzaga spell and rolled over the ledge towards the low-ground and dashed free of the Gravity spell. He didn't clear the gravity spell completely however, and was sent spirling out of control.

"You've learned some new tricks, my friend. Let's see how many." He said as he cast a hastega spell on himself and shadow stepped to the rooftop above Soren. He stepped again, leaving numerous after-images surrounding his target. Each of the images bore a different version of Kazen; a cloaked Nobody bearing a fractured version of his Twilight Steel Keyblade, there was an Anti-form version, each version of Kazen that surrounded his foe weilded a different Keyblade; save for Kazen himself who held the Derelict Tetra in his hand. The Kingdom Key wielding version struck first, followed by the others in unison. Whether they wielded Magick or Might; they struck. He laughed and each of the images laughed.
As he moved the after images moved and steadily they solidified into reality.
"Phase-Shift." Kazen said calmly and each form unleashed an attack of it's own. Some of them fired Flare spells, some of them fired Shotlocks of varying elements, but the vast majority of his copies launched volley after volley of powerful combos at Soren.

"Take this!"
"You're mine."
"Flare"
"Blizzagun"
"Dark Thundaga"
"Ultima"
Kazens numerous voices echoed around Soren, but most of these attacks were illusions themselves. And Almost casually Kazen stepped forward and swiped Soren's legs out from under him. As he made these movements each of his forms made contact with himself and vanished; leaving the two young men alone as the dust settled around them. Kazen pointed his Keyblade; still charged and glowing red hot at his target.
"Speak to me." he said flatly.

Soren took all the hits and felt the swoosh of the illusions then felt his legs come out from under him but a quick areo spell righted him. Then he dusted himself off. "Aye, and what would you like to speak about? Ehh? Shall we talk about how many lives we have lived? Or how about how we used to be dandelions? Maybe we should ask some questions? I've got one! What the fuck are you doing here!?" Soren glared his friend slightly. "Or how about what's wrong with your heart. Something has entered it and corrupted you. Recently I might add. Who did you have to see when you left the waking Traverse Town?" Soren kept his keyblade ready and the jewel glowed brighter.

------Second District------

Kazen shrugged his shoulders and dispersed his Keyblade.
"Well all this time I thought I was doing the good work of our friend The Chirithy, but it seems it was yet another ruse. Ive used you and the others, so i would say I belong here. Lost with the rest of these worlds; there's no changing the things I've done. The things I've thought we're right." He said with a sigh.

"We've been around a long time, yes. Many vessels, many trips round this ride. But somewhere along the way they got their hooks in me. And I don't know if I can shake em this time." He said as he shook his head and opened his eyes; the left one was bright amber again. His hair had also changed, adding that silver line at his temples.
"Something's happened. This IS my heart, I'm ME. But they gave me something else...something that a voice inside says that I need." He said finally.

"As for our past as Dandelions; I don't remember much. Lauriam, he asked me about his little sister once. But that's all I know. Either way, the Dandelions failed for the same reason the original unions failed. Strife within the ranks. That's all we are man, were supposed to fight each other. Don't you see that? We all are. It's what these are for." He said as he summoned his Keyblade and stabbed it into the bricks on the street.
He summoned The Twilight steel and did the same. Next came his Convergent Fate. The Kingdom Key. Oblivion. Oathkeeper.

"This. This is what we'll be reduced to in the end of all this. Keyblade and dust." He said as he dispersed the blades and scooped up a handful of gravel and let it blow free from his gloved hand.

"It's our fate, we're Keybearers. We serve the great Heart of all things. And In the end; we will have to give that strength back one day." He said as he took a seat on the ledge and lit a cigarette.
"It's all we are, pawns in a game that shall repeat itself over, and over again. World after world, Kingdom Hearts after Kingdom Hearts."

He took a long drag and exhaled.
"Or have Merlin and Yen-Sid tried to tell you otherwise? Surely you feel it. The past creeping in towards the present, eventually it shall overshadow the future once the war breaks out again. All I'm saying is, You'll have to be ready to fight anyone. We can't all be friends in the end of this, some of them will have to be cut down for their traitorous ways." He said directly.

Soren shook his head. His friend was on the verge of being taken over but by what he didnt know. "Merlin and Yen-Sid have only trained me. I told the ex masters I wanted nothing to do with with the book of prophecy. I told them that this time around things would be different that we could protect instead of sow discord, but it seems the dark has finally worked its was into the goodness you used to have." Soren turned letting the dream eater that he didnt know was there show as he looked off to the gizmo shop.

"Remember when we first came here? Trying to figure out the secrets of that shop. So very long ago. I can't remember my home Kazen and I can't remember what happened to us and why we have lived so long. If we are pawns then we have to make it to the other side of the board and beat this. We in another life destroyed the destiny corporation that held our leashes. Now you are just going to throw our freedom away and be a puppet again? Look at yourself Kazen." Soren demanded as water flowed from the fountain and inbetween the two but off to the side. It became solid and mirror like. Showing Karen's reflection. "Is this what you want to become?" Soren let the mirror hang in midair for a second so Kazen could look then let it fall turning back to water. "They put you here more than likely so you wouldn't age or to incubate the dark inside you somehow allowing the full take over. We are not Eraqus and Xehanort. We can do what is right without the destruction." Soren knew this would probably be the last he could try to convince him before he dismissed the conversation.

------Traverse Town-----

Kazen shrugged his shoulders and watched as his reflection faded.
"Whatever it is that they did, or plan on doimg, do you really think I would go along with it willingly?" He asked with a wave of his hand.
"Regardless of what it is inside, I've got my heart back. I'm stronger than this, and whatever it is in this tell they want; I'm gonna find it." He said with determination.
"He told me I would meet people here. People I know, and somebody important that I need to find." He said calmly. As he spoke he took a drag off of his cigarette and flicked the butt.
"So, how about instead of trying to stop me? We work together in this? Like old times." He proposed to his friend.
"Look, it's still me. I haven't been taken over, yet. But until then how bout you watch my back." He said as he looked around.

----Traverse town----

Soren stood there and unsure about several things he nodded cause he was sure that right now Kazen was lucid. If he was supposed to find people then Soren would follow. After all he was supposed to get Kazen out if here and it wasnt like they didnt have time to explore and see what the fuck was going on. It would take a while for Soren's plans to move forward anyhow. "Alright Kazen I'll follow you and back you up but you must promise me that you'll fight back the control if they influence you. You can use the dark as a tool but you mustn't become its tool. Also you and I need to figure out a damn way to show each other we are who we are besides trying to kill the other." Soren gave a light smile and dispersed way to dawn but kept Grimoire out though the light from the emerald dimmed. "Where to next? Our search in the world of light didnt bear much fruit. I wish we could find remnants of the data world that the dandelions lived in for so long." Soren leaned on his keyblade thinking and waiting for Kazen to make his next move.