"I'm not leaving you behind Morgan. Hell or high water, remember?" He said, as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist, so that she wouldn't fall off his back. He grunted slightly as he stood up, and took off after Hoshi as she left. He didn't know what was going on, but given everything that had happened today, he wasn't about to question the literal knight in shining armor who was phasing in and out of reality. Especially not when he was covering their retreat.

Levi wasn't too far behind Hoshi, even if the pace he was moving at was a bit sluggish by his standards. But considering that he hadn't slept in nineteen very exhausting hours, hasn't eaten in six, had blood spilling down the side of his head, and was carrying someone, he was moving fairly quickly. The only sign of his decreasing stamina being how he had started softly panting not long after reaching the others. He turned to briefly address Alias and Lucian. "Good to see you two aren't dead. Morgan here's alive and conscious, but otherwise incapacitated. We shouldn't stick around, looks like these things aren't gonna stop coming anytime soon. We need to get back to the ship." He stated in that serious and somewhat grim tone, turning to face the direction the pair had come from while preparing himself mentally for going on one more run today.

Zac was slowly losing ground. Between his Keyblade and earth magic, he was destroying Heartless by the dozens, but there were far too many for him to take on by himself, forcing him to slowly back up towards the mouth of the cave. Every so often, he would have to knock over a tower of Heartless as they attempted to get to the ship hovering a couple dozen feet above his head. This is starting to go south pretty fast, he thought as he swatted a leaping shadow away with the flat of his Keyblade. His mind suddenly flashed back to when his world was swallowed. He had woken up on the roof of a destroyed building, nothing else in sight except for the orb of darkness and the Heartless rising from the ground...

The Heartless on his right surged and broke through, streaming toward the cave. He aimed his Keyblade at the cave and shouted, "Reflect!" The Heartless suddenly slammed against a wall made of transparent hexagons before the wall exploded a moment later, sending the Heartless flying back as they disappeared, the force of their impact turned against them by the magic shield. "If you guys are still alive in there, hurry and get out here! We need to get into the ship before things go from bad to a heck of a lot worse!"

The fate of this world seemed to be sealed. Despite the overwhelming light shining through with this group the darkness still seemed too strong. Before the Islanders could run for Zac's ship the strange wooden door in the cave opened on its own releasing a powerful black rush of wind. The wind sent everyone flying out of the cave no matter what defenses they prepared for it. It didn't stop however. It continued on its path, catching Zac and his ship in its current. They were saved from the swarm of heartless, but things weren't over for them yet.

Once the group found land beneath them once again they'd open their eyes to see their island home wasn't what it used to be. Pieces of the islands were broken apart and levitating in the air. They were now on one of those floating pieces, a piece that'd feel so familiar to most of them. It all ends where it began. Where their favorite Paopu Fruit tree planted its roots. But while Zac's spaceship seemed undamaged by the storm or new shape of this world the staple of their childhood was now gone. What remained was destroyed remains of trees around them and the dark orb hovering above their heads. But that wasn't the only thing hovering above them.

They'd turn to see a large, dark creature standing silently. It almost appeared human despite being a mass of shadows. It had hair and even a beard, but what was most strange of hall was the large missing piece of its torso. It was shaped in that of a heart, suggesting that it was heartless. The creature knelt down as if to pray, but instead stretched out its arms and created a dark purple orb in the center of the gaping hole. The Agent of Darkness, Darkside has arrived.

No…no, no, no…’

Zac looked around, dread taking hold as he found himself amidst a familiar scene. Nothing as far as the eye could see, the only solid ground being the floating chunk he and the others stood on. He quickly glanced at them and took mental stock of their injuries. Other than a few cuts and bumps, everyone seemed okay, as far as he could tell. Even his ship was more or less untouched, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. He then slowly turned his attention toward the middle of the floating island, toward the massive Heartless. It was the same one that had appeared when his world vanished, something he always considered a harbinger of the end of a world.

He watched as it knelt on the ground, a sphere of dark energy forming in front of the void in its chest. His keyblade appeared in his hand, almost unbidden, as he shouted, his demeanor completely changed from how easy-going he had seemed earlier in the day, ”Everyone! It’s now or never, get to the ship! I’ll keep this thing busy!”

Light appeared around him, taking the form of a ticking clock as he cast Haste on himself before he dashed forward with surprising speed. As the Heartless fired off a volley of dark projectiles from the sphere it had formed, Zac aimed his keyblade and shouted, ”Reflect!” A wall of transparent hexagons formed in front of him just as the projectiles impacted, then shattered, sending them back where they came from.

Morgan was up fairly quickly considering how she had barely been able to move just moments ago. Her eyes had lost their color again though, and her expression was more one of annoyance than fear. She quickly started to walk forward toward the massive creature. She walked right past Zac without a care in the world, simply commenting "You should know better at this point than to tell this lot to run. They are too stubborn to turn tail and run from something like this. Besides, regardless of whether it is too late, this is their world, their home. You know as well as I do, this is likely the last they'll ever see of it."

She held her hand out, and a pillar of ice formed in front of her, only to shatter and reveal the staff that had disappeared earlier. "It matters not what you tell them, that it's useless to fight, that it's already too late, that they are putting themselves in greater danger by staying to fight." She looked back at the group, saying "Unless I am mistaken and do not know them as well as I do, they'll fight regardless. At least some of them will."

She then turned to the monster of a beast as Zac reflected its attacks back at it, and the dark orbs exploded on its body. The world around her became quiet, and the creature raised up to stand again, and locked eyes with hers. "Another false King come to claim the throne." As it stared at her for a moment, it clenched its fists and reared its head back to let out a roar as if enraged, though without a mouth, it was more like waves of darkness washing over the area. "There you go, now you see me..."

Lucian staggered upright, gripping his Keyblade as he scanned their surroundings. His heart sank at the sight of the destroyed remains of his home. He hoped his parents made it out in time… All that was left now was the piece of it they were standing on, and whatever this thing is. Lucian held his keyblade tighter. A part of him wanted to take Zac’s advice and run. But a bigger part of him couldn’t just sit back and let the others fight this by themselves. “Well, what kind of friend would I be if I let you do all the work?” He said with a smirk.
Lucian aimed his Keyblade at the creature’s head. “Freeze!” A wave of frost shot forward, freezing the creature’s arm mid-swing. Taking the opportunity, Lucian dashed in, slashing at the frozen limb with all his strength. The attack cracked the ice, and caused the creature to stumble.

Alias watched as everyone began to fight. Lucian and Zac with their key swords and Morgan had some kind of ice wand or staff. She was also talking strangely again. He felt useless and weak. His friends were putting their lives on the line and he was just standing there like a goof. He hated it. He was their protector, the King of the Beach, but there was no longer a beach and he had no clue where anyone else was. Was his dad okay?

He tried to call out his own strange key, but once again nothing happened. The voice was silent as well. Perfect. The strange voice was just as useless as him. Undeterred by his lack of a real weapon, Alias reached into his pocket to feel the Paopu Fruit that he picked for Kitsu. It was thankfully still intact. Their destiny wasn't over yet. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and reached for the sword in his waistband. He was not going to let his friends fight alone.

He charged forward, taking advantage of Lucian's latest attack. Alias leapt into the air stabbing his wooden sword into the orb in the center of the dark giant's torso. He didn't pass through this time. Instead it seemed like his sword was being absorbed by the dark orb and it was starting to pull him in with it.

Zac allowed himself a brief moment to be impressed by Morgan’s magical display, followed by Lucian, who had apparently already gotten the hang of his own magic. He was about to rush in to capitalize on Lucian knocking the Heartless off balance when someone, Alias, suddenly rushed past him, wooden sword in hand. The veteran Keyblade Wielder watched as Alias leapt and plunged his sword into the dark orb, only to get stuck. Zac rushed forward and leapt at the Heartless, but instead of striking, he hooked his arm around Alias’ waist and used his strength to hurl him away from the fight and back toward the ship. He leapt away, landing next to Alias, and said, ”If you don’t have a keyblade or magic, stay out of the way. All you’re gonna do is get yourself hurt.” He didn’t like being so blunt, but he knew time was not on their side and the fewer people who put themselves in danger, especially if they couldn’t fight, the better.

He dug the tip of his keyblade into the sand and swung upwards as an orange light engulfed his body. Stones sprung up from the ground, leading up to Darkside’s leg, before a large pillar of stone suddenly erupted from underneath its foot, forcing it off balance once more.

Levi could do little more than watch in a mixture of awe and horror as everything happened, this giant creature combating his friends as the world was torn apart around them. He couldn’t help, he couldn’t fight, and it was all he could do to remain steady on his feet, bleeding and exhausted as he was. He hated this, this complete helplessness. Somewhere deep down, a part of him wanted to follow Alias and go out in a blaze, screaming and swearing at this thing that had taken his home and his family from him. He had no doubts about that fact, the world as he knew it was over. However, Levi was always good at keeping his head in a crisis, and this wasn’t an exception, even though he couldn’t do much. So, despite how much he loathed it, he took the only option that wouldn’t actively inhibit the others; as soon as he could find an opening, he made a dash for the ship. ”... I can’t help them. I’m sorry.”

Hoshi had gotten back onto her feet near Levi. The momentary haze lifted, and she took in the horror of her homeworld warped and ruined, and overcast by the blanket of shadow, and the orb still raging like a hurricane overhead. In the middle of the chaos was the familiar hulking form from her recent night terror. Was it really a night terror? Regardless, the thing was there right that second. And her friends were putting up the fight of their lives to hold it at bay.

The Keyblade flashed back into her hand. She picked up the aluminum bat as Levi made his run for the ship. “Levi!” she called after him and tossed the bat his way. “Better this than nothing.” Though something so simple would mean little in battle, it might hold until he could find a better weapon on another world; if nothing else, the bat would be something saved from their home world.

The rush of power returned to her when she turned back to the giant shadow. A sense of understanding dawned upon her; she knew what she could do, and was starting to feel how it worked. With the same burst of speed she had demonstrated she closed into the fray, ripping past Alias and exacting a precision strike into the orb in the creature’s chest. As if willed by her intent, the Keyblade shimmered with light as it connected, cutting through the orb just enough to free the wooden sword. She plunged her hand in and pulled the piece out. She dropped down, and lobbed the sword back to Alias; again, it was better than him not having a weapon at all. ]“Get to the ship!” She yelled to Alias as she ran to Zac. “That ship can’t go anywhere if you’re not on it.”

Alias caught his wooden sword and stared at it. He recalled the words Zac had said. What they were using was called a keyblade. At least it now had an official name. He couldn't even be mad at Zac this time. He was right. With just this wooden sword he was a liability to his friends, but he couldn't just wait on the ship either. Resolute, he shook his head at Hoshi. “I may not be able to fight right now, but I'm still King of the Beach, what's left of it, and a King doesn't abandon his people. I'm staying until everyone's on board.” Alias sheathed his wooden blade to show that he had no intentions of getting in their way any further.

Morgan all the while, had not yet acted, though the blue on her staff had gotten brighter and brighter as she watched the others face off against the giant. Eventually, she turned her eyes to Lucian, calling to him, before saying "I have something very important I need you to do."

Lucian was panting as he took in all the chaos unfolding around him. “What is it?” He replied.

Morgan walked up to Lucian, her eyes still colorless and her voice sounding not quite right. Staff in hand, she held her other hand over her own chest. "Your light shines brightest of all. And so I am trusting you to protect something very special." She seemed to draw light from herself, which after a few moments, formed into what looked like a heart... not the thump thump kind, but more just, something heart shaped. She then reached out to him, and placed her hand on his chest as it disappeared inside him. "When you escape, seek out an old man of great knowledge. I imagine Zac will know who I mean, so follow his guidance."

Without waiting for any sort of assurance from Lucian that he was able or willing to take on this... quest, she turned back to the giant creature and started walking toward him. "Don't disappoint me little Prince." she said, and continued to approach the enemy.

About this time, a flood of darkness came washing over what was left of the island, as a mass of the smaller creatures everyone had been fighting earlier swarmed toward them.

Stepping past Hoshi and Zac, she planted her staff in the sand, standing between everyone and the creature, and the oncoming tidal wave of darkness. "Well done, you all did well to hold it back. But your part in this is over, and it's time for you all to leave. This world's time has come, and if you stay any longer, so will yours."

Zac glanced between Morgan and Darkside. Part of him didn’t like the idea of leaving anyone behind, especially given how close the world was to being swallowed, but he knew she was right. Besides that, she seemed capable of handling herself. ”Alright. You seem to know what you’re doing, so I’ll leave you to it. Just don’t go dying on us,” he said as he dismissed his keyblade.

Still under the effect of his earlier Haste spell, he sped over to the ship and leapt in as he shouted, ”Last call, everyone! We gotta leave five minutes ago!”

Morgan turned her head at the last bit of what Zac had said, simply offering a simple "You would be surprised how little of me there is left to kill. There is already nobody left." as she started to raise her staff into the air, and everything got cold, very cold. She then spoke to Hoshi while she was still nearby, only saying "Thank you, for saving us. Now it's my turn."

“If you’re sure you’ll be alright…” Hoshi’s reply was reserved and perhaps a little nervous. The person that she heard speaking to her was not like Morgan as she had come to know her. Seeing no point in arguing, she simply nodded, and started running. She first made a beeline to Alias; she wasn’t going anywhere without him.

Lucian felt a strange warmth in his chest where she had placed that light, a sensation both comforting and overwhelming. Whatever burden she had entrusted to him, he didn’t fully understand it, but he knew he couldn’t fail.

The sound of Zac’s voice brought him back to the present. Lucian turned toward the ship and saw the others scrambling to get aboard. He glanced back at Morgan one last time. He felt bad just leaving her there, but he knew she was doing what she had to. “I won’t let you down. I promise.” And then started running towards the ship. He had a job to do.

Alias watched as the others started for the ship. Levi, Lucian, Zac, and Taivas were now safe. All that was left was him, Hoshi, and Morgan. The trio seemed stubborn and self-sacrificial to the very end. He didn't quite understand what happened between Morgan and Lucian, but he wasn't going to leave her behind to face this alone. The giant creature of darkness was one thing, but the swarm was relentless. Where was his keyblade when he needed it? Alias then recalled the moment where he was able to use Lucian's. He glanced down at the hand Hoshi was wielding her keyblade with. He lifted his head to look into her eyes. “May I?” He asked softly while reaching for her hand. He wasn't exactly sure if magic was attuned to the person or the keyblade itself, but her bursts of speed seemed to give him confidence in his idea that the keyblade would react the way he wanted it to.

Once her hand was in his he held onto it, almost afraid that if he didn't, she'd be gone like the rest of their world. Her touch warmed him in this freezing battle terrain. He lifted their arms and by extension her Keyblade into the air. Alias recalled the moment he called the lightning down before. His emotions, the sensation of power, and the strange connection he felt to this dark storm. He let out a deep exhale. “Strike them all.” Showing a strange level of obedience, light shone through the dark clouds above the floating island. In an instant those flashes of light erupted from their clouds striking down the horde of darkness that dared approach Morgan and her friends. The shadows fizzled away, returning to the darkness from whence they came.

Alias fell to his knees, feeling drained once again. The power seemed to still be too much for him. He looked up at Morgan and shouted over the storm. “Whatever you're gonna do, do it now!”

“Alright. Now let’s get ourselves out of here.” As much as she wanted to process what had just happened, the pressing need to get to safety spurred Hoshi to focus on what was in front of her. With any luck there’d be time to unpack everything once they were someplace less Hellish. Her Keyblade vanished, allowing her to haul Alias to his feet. “If you can still walk, that’ll be helpful.” With Alias’ arm over her shoulder she began to trudge their way to their ride off the crumbling world.

Alias appreciated and accepted Hoshi's help to his feet, but he still had no intentions of leaving Morgan behind. He planted his feet firmly in the sand to stop from moving. ”Not until she's on the ship. She's already lost everything once before. I won't let her face the end of our world alone. You know the rules of abandoning ship. Women and children first and the captain always goes down with it. But I promise you, I won't be taken down into the dark depths.” Alias didn't know why, but he felt like he'd be okay. From his flash of memories earlier and his uncanny ability to control this dark storm he knew he was a survivor.

“We can’t just stand here and watch though. We either get to the ship, or we turn back and face that thing with her. And considering you’re not in much shape to fight right now…” Hoshi dug deep and tugged Alias along with her. “This is Morgan’s choice, to stay back and give us our chance.”

The decision of whether to help Morgan or not, and the ability to even do so was suddenly stripped from everyone. The staff flashed in her hand, and a massive wall of ice formed, running both ways and cutting off the island. This didn't just keep the creature and Morgan separated from the ship, but the flood of smaller creatures crashed into it as well, and turned, swarming toward Morgan.

She knew it wouldn't matter if anyone tried to help her. This thing looked big and important, but the reality was there were infinitely more of these things on the other side. The important thing was to let the ship escape, but she couldn't deny there was some amount of pleasure in what she was about to do. She was finally awake.

She raised a hand just as the swarm converged on her, and snapped her fingers, instantly encasing herself in ice. A moment later, the ice shattered, revealing what seemed like nearly a completely different person. The smaller creatures didn't just stop, they retreated, moving away from her. She stepped forward, and they moved out of her way, heads down as if trying to avoid her notice.

When next her staff was raised, multiple rings formed above the giant creature, as it reared back and prepared to launch more orbs. This however, only tilted its head back so it could look at the sky, realize it was about to be struck by magic. She just needed to wait for everyone to be safe... or at least, safe enough.

The darkness started to fight back, refusing to yield to the powerful light that was determined to protect this forsaken world. The floating island began to shake, whatever foundation keeping it afloat now becoming unstable. The ground beneath Zac's Gummi Ship began to break apart, giving anyone preparing to board just a little time to hop into security. Then as if they were at the peak of an amusement park ride, the ship and the ground beneath it began to fall to the abyss below.

Alias could barely comprehend all that was happening, from Morgan's magical girl transformation to his friends dropping out of the sky in Zac's ship. Everything was falling apart both literally and metaphorically. He couldn't help but blame himself. He could've tried to grab Morgan and get to the ship so they'd all be safe. Instead he stubbornly waited so he could play the hero. This wasn't a game they'd play on a normal beach day. This was real life and he doomed his friends to their demise. Now there was no way for any of them to leave. He slumped to the ground in despair, his weakness being more mental than physical. “No… No… They're gone and we're as good as dead and it's all my fault…”

Morgana let out a sigh, looking back to see the ship fall. She couldn't do anything for them from here, but she had a feeling they would find a way. She raised a hand, turning her back to the giant creature, and began her dramatic incantation. "All will fall before its blazing light, for none withstand the unburning fire of..." she snapped her fingers again to unleash the spell she had cooked up all this time. "Megaflare." This time there was no ice, but rather a massive orb of what looked like fire engulfed the monster, and lit up all that remained of the world. The blast wave likely would have destroyed the islands if the Darkness wasn't already doing so. The magic was beautiful... and horrific, depending on one's point of view. The ice wall hadn't just been to hold back the darkness though, it shattered, and crumbled, but kept Hoshi and Alias safe from the worst of the magic. Morgan however, who now floated high above the ground, faded away with darkness enveloping her.

"Your story is not over yet, 'King' of the beach. I swear... King... what a useless... title..."

And then in an instant, the magic faded, leaving nothing, no giant shadow creature, no island, no Morgana.

Alias looked up to witness the flash of light from Morgana's spell before the defeat of the Darkness’ herald and the destruction caused by Morgana's spell sent him cascading through the air. All he could see was darkness before what felt like a vacuum pulled him in. He tried to scramble to reach what was left of the island. To reach Hoshi and their friends, but he couldn't. Suddenly everything went dark around him.

“Damn it!” Hoshi’s head was scrambled. Between the ground collapsing and the massive blast from where the giant shadow had been, she had lost Alias and her way to the ship was now more daunting and impossible. Defying the urge to lay down and fade, she lifted herself up and moved towards the distant ship. If she could muster another burst of speed she could sprint it out.

But when she set herself for the sprint, a hand caught her arm and pulled her back. She tried to fight the person off of her, but fell still as her body caved to fatigue. The person forced her around. They were a taller person, adorned by a long, black, leather coat with the hood drawn up; their face was masked by what seemed like a veil of purest darkness, making it impossible for her to see. The person merely shook their head and jerked her away from the ship.

“You won’t make it.” They spoke with a distorted voice. They raised their free hand, snapping their fingers loudly. A portal, darker than even the veil over their face, opened behind them. “Be strong. Stay alive… We’ll meet again.” The man spun around, carrying Hoshi with him. From seemingly nowhere he manifested a second black coat, and wrapped Hoshi in it. “This will protect you.”

Unable to fight back, and too confused to protest, Hoshi fell through the portal as ‘Blackcoat’ pushed her through. The portal shut as she fell, stealing the final glimpse of her home as she fell through Darkness, and fell unconscious.

Taivas sat inside the ship, waiting momentarily, watching them struggle to get inside. Part of him wants to get out and help them out. But another part of him didn’t want to have his seat taken by the others. But his heart was about to stop when he saw the enormous shadowy creature approaching the group. A flash of another memory came to him of a similar figure attacking him and others in a familiar place. Apart from this memory, he was welding the “keyblade” and attacking this shadow to protect somebody. Watching Levi and Lucian getting into the ship. Everyone was on board; he didn’t care about the others. He had his spot on the ship and hoped to escape this island finally.

Zac leapt into the ship and settled in his seat, where he immediately started flipping switches, getting the ship ready to take off again. ”Come on, Sigrid. Need you to get up just one more time…” he muttered as the ship began to rattle, coming to life once more. He glanced over to where Alias, Morgan, and Hoshi were, debating whether or not he should give them more time, at least until Morgan and the remains of the island made the decision for him.

As the vessel fell, it was all Levi could do to grab onto a console and hold on for dear life as the momentum left him feeling weightless, and then threatened to launch him out of the open canopy. He was the only one who wasn’t buckled in by this point. His knuckles went white, as he turned his head back to look at the shards of the world and the darkening void around them. I failed them. I was supposed to protect them, and yet only two of us made it out. I should’ve done more. His eyes locked onto the bat in his grip, which Hoshi had tossed to him as he ran for the ship. ... But that doesn’t mean I can’t do more. I don’t want anyone else to face anything like this. Never again.

As the ship plummeted into the void, Lucian clung desperately to the railing, his heart pounding in his chest. His hair whipped wildly in the rush of wind, and his knuckles turned white from gripping so tightly. The sound of the roaring engines trying to restart was deafening, but it couldn’t drown out the voice in his head.
“This can’t be happening… This can’t be how it ends!” His mind raced, a whirlwind of panic.
Still, Lucian knew he couldn’t give up now. He had a job to do. Morgan trusted him with something big, and his parents told him he was destined for something greater. “Get it together Lucian. You can do this.” He told himself.

He felt a rumble as the ground began to give way, followed by feeling as if his stomach was moving into his throat as the ship began to fall. ”Crap, I guess we’re going!” he muttered as he quickly closed the canopy. ”Hang on tight, everyone!” He hit the ignition and the ship shot away from the fight, a sour taste in Zac’s mouth as he had no choice but to leave the other three behind.

Taivas held onto the armrest of the chair he was in. Letting out a breath of relief as the ship started to take off. His eyes looked back at the others that were left behind. “They’ll be okay; they know what they're doing. Right?” A bit of self-doubt came into his mind. Perhaps they should have waited for the others. There was no telling what would happen if the darkness consumed them. Perhaps you should have stayed and let the darkness consume you. It would have made you more powerful. A voice was speaking in his head. But Taivas disregarded this voice. Another memory came to him and was of him floating in complete darkness. A voice wanting him to follow his voice. He followed the voice to a corridor that led to a strange place.

As the ship suddenly went from falling to flying, Levi was made painfully aware of the existence of momentum as his head spiked into the console he had been holding onto for dear life. He pushed himself up with a small groan, rubbing the spot where his head met the metal. “Alright… who’s not dead?” He said softly, blinking a few times as he tried to get his eyes to focus onto… anything, really.

”We’re good, now,” he said as the dark sky of the fallen world gave way to a blanket of stars and a myriad of colors. He let out a breath and sat back as he ran his hand over his face. He glanced over at Levi, saw the growing bump on his forehead, and hit a couple of buttons on the console. A small tray popped out to Zac’s right, holding three vials of green liquid. ”Here, this’ll help,” he said as he handed one to Levi. ”They’re potions, good for minor injuries. If anyone needs one, feel free, I’ve got more stored away.”

Taivas shook his head at Zac’s offer. He was fine for the time being. Although he still had this feeling of dread. “I’m good, thanks.” His eyes looked over at Levi, wondering if he’d be alright. “Hope that stuff works; he’s got a real nugget on his forehead.” The blonde-haired man then looked over at Zac. “Do you think the others are gonna be okay?” He paused, looking out of the window. “Where do we go now?” Finally, asking him after a long moment of silence.

[color=gold]“I’m alright…”[/gold] Lucian responded while staring out the window. There was nothing out there but empty void. “I know they’re still ok. Alias, Hoshi, and Morgan are tough. They can handle anything.” He sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than stating facts. But he needed to hold on to the hope to keep going. “Anyway, uh… what he said. Where are we going?”

”I’ve got some friends on a nearby world,” Zac said as he typed coordinates into his ship’s navigator. ”We’ll head there and see if any of the ones we left behind somehow managed to make their way there.” He hit the “enter” key, then turned in his chair to face everyone. ”Now, then. We’ve got some time to kill and I’m sure you’ve got questions. Ask away and I’ll do my best to answer.”

Lucian perked up. “ These… key sword things? Do you know what they are?”

Zac gave Lucian a grin and held his hand out. Stone appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and gathered together before a flash of light enveloped them. When the light faded, he held his keyblade in his hand. ”Those ‘key swords’ are called ‘keyblades. They have the ability to open or close any kind of lock or door, physical or otherwise. They’re also the most effective weapon against the Heartless, those creatures that attacked your island. They’re pretty picky, though, so not everyone can use one. They’re so picky, in fact, that even if you willingly give yours to someone who isn’t a wielder, it’ll just reappear in your hand a moment later.” He nodded at Lucian and added, ”Honestly, until I met you guys, I thought I was the only one who could use one, so I was pretty surprised when I saw you with one.”

Levi downed the potion, feeling the pounding headache rapidly turn into a dull ache, along with finally closing the cut on the side of his head. It still took him a second before he could focus again, but he was otherwise fine. “So just what are these… Heartless, you called them?” He asked, as he checked his cassette player which, by some miracle, was still intact despite everything.

Zac dismissed his Keyblade and replied, ”Darkness incarnate. And that’s not me being poetic. A Heartless is born when someone loses their heart to the darkness inside, giving it shape and form. They’re incredibly dangerous because their only goal is to find and consume as many hearts as they can, adding the darkness from those hearts to their ranks. It’s like an instinct, an urge they’re born with.”

After a moment, he added, ”The Keyblades are weapons of light, which is what makes them so effective against Heartless, but that doesn’t mean you’re immune. Almost everyone has darkness in their hearts, so if you let your guard down, you can fall to it just like anyone else.”

“So that is what attacked the island? The heartless.” His mind wondered if he had met these creatures before. They seemed familiar to him when he had first seen them. But again, it was hazy. The only previous encounter he could think of fighting these things was in some jungle. Could he become heartless if he let too much of the darkness consume his heart. He had already shown he could control the darkness inside his heart to fight. Perhaps he was different from the others and was unaffected by the darkness.

“So, do you know who made these keyblades? Where do they come from? How is someone chosen to wield the keyblade? Do you know who had given you your keyblade?” Taivas said, thinking about how he was chosen to be a keyblade wielder. Closing his eyes, he wondered if he had been taught to use a keyblade. An image came into his head of himself and another person. The two stood in a courtyard with a fountain in the middle. This person was an older man who was teaching him how to fight. The wooden weapon in his hand looked similar to the keyblade. Tavias was much younger in this memory; he assumed he was in his pre-teens.

“Even though I’ve been using one for the last three years,” Zac replied, ”I don’t know everything there is to know about them, unfortunately. What I *do* know is that a keyblade wielder has to have a strong heart to be chosen by their keyblade. I don’t know anything about people giving them to others, since mine just appeared in my hand one day, but if there are other wielders out there, then I suppose it could be possible.”

Lucian chuckled. “Heh, I always had a feeling there was more to life than the islands. I just… wasn’t expecting all of this. Hearts, Darkness, Magic. It’s a lot. But… it’s also… kind of exciting. He paused, his smile fading slightly as he stared out the window at the endless sea of stars. “I just wish it didn’t take the islands being destroyed for it to happen… He was still worried about his friends. Morgan, Alias, Hoshi, even his parents. What if they didn’t make it out in time? He shook his head. He couldn’t let himself think those thoughts or he’d never be able to function.

Hearing Lucian, Zac chuckled and responded, ”I know how you feel. I was scared, but excited, when I first set out on my journey, too.” After a few moments, he continued, ”I lost my world, too, so I really can understand how you guys feel. It’s tough not having a place to call home, anymore, but the people you meet and the memories you create help a lot.”

Thinking momentarily about Zac’s works, he wandered towards the locket with the picture of the two people. How does he know them, and where are they even acquainted? The only way to find out is to find them and get some answers. And his words on how one would acquire a keyblade. It just appeared in his hand, or someone passed it down. “Well, I just want to discover who I am and how I lost my memories.” Taivas sat back in his chair, watching the stars whizzing by the ship.

Levi slumped down to a sitting position, leaning his back against one of the walls of the cockpit. He glanced around at the other three, silently as he took in everything that was being said, to the best of his ability at least. Even if he wasn’t concussed anymore, this was still a lot to take in, even more so given that he’d been awake for nearly twenty hours now. Still, he had one more question before he could resign himself to sleep for the rest of their trip. “Is munny worth anything in other worlds? I still have some cash in my wallet, even if I lost most of it when our world went.” He reached a hand into his left pocket, placing it on his wallet and the relatively small sum therein.

Zac thought for a few moments before waving his hand and saying, ”Kinda-sorta? It all depends on who you buy from, really. Places that are specific to a world would take that world’s currency, but there tend to be places where you can spend munny at, too. For example, there are these weird, flying creatures called Moogles that run shops that sell all sorts of things, in addition to letting you make your own stuff, if you’re inclined to. Personally, I haven’t had a reason to shop from anywhere but their places.”

With that, he leaned back in his seat and said, ”It’s gonna take some time for us to get to where we’re going, so go ahead and get some rest. The place we’re heading to is relatively safe, but you’re still gonna wanna be rested up.”

---

@Eviledd1984@Daxam@Crimson Flame

Lucien...

---

Barely clinging to consciousness, Hoshi was in what felt like a free fall from a cold sky. For how long, she couldn't be sure. The seconds stretched like hours, and then to eternity as if time had become meaningless. All the while she dared not open her eyes, knowing full well that all they would open to was a sightless, sceneless veil spanning in every direction. Every moment or two she felt something brush against her chest and ripple away as it grazed off of the leather coat the stranger had wrapped her in. Though her Heart was unscathed and safe, her mind and body were exhausted. Her senses had already numbed. What little willpower she had for thought hung onto her friends, hoping that they would all be ok; just as much, she hoped she could endure long enough to see them again.

When she finally fell through a second portal, she was too far gone to feel the impact of her body upon the hard, brick-layed ground on the other end.

---

Hoshi awoke in a daze of confusion and fear. It was nighttime, a fact that she was aware of even as the haze lingered over her eyes. On either side of her she felt the stone-walled buildings pressing in from her periphery, but found some solace in the orange glow coming from a nearby window; wherever she was, she could hold onto some faith that it would be welcoming, even if for a moment. When she took in the sky above, her eyes locked onto a single point of light in the distance. A star, shining brilliantly among its peers, flickered on the spot before vanishing entirely. A sharp pain cut through Hoshi’s Heart as the last of the far off light faded into the void.

“Gotta get up.” She spoke to herself with hard, heavy breaths. The impact she had been numbed to when she hit the cobblestone street beneath her was beginning to show itself. In abject pain, she pulled herself to her feet, crutching to a nearby barrel. Her spin creaked and cracked into place as she straightened her back into the fold. She winced and grunted as she took her first steps.

She found she was in a back alley of a town or village. But everything from the street underfoot to the rooftops overhead were nothing like what she had seen back home; it seemed more fantastical, like something out of the storybooks parents would read to their children. Puffs of smoke rose out from the brick chimneys, presenting a lived-in warmth that belayed the direness of her situation. Still, she knew that however friendly the people here were, she was still lost and far from home. “Well,” she shrugged, “looks like I made it. This really is another world. Hopefully the other made it out safely too.”

She emerged from the alleyway into a quaint town square. To her left, the stone wall ran to the side of a building; an open ledge was just within reach if she jumped for it, but she instead turned to her right and entered the square. She came to a stop at the top of a set of stairs and looked around more. Over the ledge running down the steps she saw someone: a woman in a white blouse and green dress standing near what seemed to be a restaurant. Hoshi locked eyes with the woman, but when she began to speak, the woman tore her gaze.

Disheartened, Hoshi turned away, and entered the shop at the top of the stairs. It was a cozy space, with a brick and stone fireplace that would have made it more cozy were it lit. Hoshi gravitated first towards a glass casing in the middle of shop floor, and contemplated its contents.

“You looking for something? Or just gawking at my wears?”

Hoshi jumped and turned. Behind the counter stood a stern looking man with blonde hair, goggles resting on his forehead, and a long toothpick held gruffly between his lips. His arms were crossed, and Hoshi could tell that he was sizing her up. “No. No.” She rubbed the back of her head nervously. “Just getting my bearings.”

“Oh.” The man’s arms fell to his side. “Shoulda figured you were another refugee.” He began to busy himself behind the counter.

“Refugee?” Hoshi cocked her head to the side.

The man sighed and pressed his finger and thumb into his temples. “Not many people end up here of their own accord. And the lucky few that DO… well they’re a lot more sure about their surroundings than you are.” He waved his hand, cutting off a would-be protest. “You look like a deer caught in headlights kid.”

“OK then.” Hoshi approached the counter, a bit upset by the man’s tone; nearly tripping over the tail of the leather coat. “So where exactly am I?”

“Traverse Town.” The man spoke pointedly.

“Alright… Come to think of it, I am looking for something… well someone; a few someone’s actually. Did anyone else come through right before me?”

“Can’t say I saw anyone. Not that I’d say otherwise. First lessons of living in Traverse Town kid: it’s best not to ask people about their past, and just as good to not go talkin’ about anyone… especially not strangers, and more so if it’s a stranger askin’.”

“Please, sir! I lost my home and got separated from my friends!”

“Join the club.” The man turned away.

Hoshi stood her ground, staring daggers through the back of the shopkeeper’s head. She had a mind to summon the Keyblade and show him what for, but held back; she was, afterall, alone, and if the shopkeeper had friends around town, she’d be in trouble.

Sensing her frustration, the keep turned back to. He seemed a little softer in his gaze, though still stern, and not about to coddle the girl in front of him. “I’m sorry. I really am, kid. But we all got rough pasts around here; we’ve all lost people we cared about out there in the Dark. My name is Cid. I’d help you find your friends if I could, but there’s other things I gotta do, like run this shop for other lost and traveling folks.”

Hoshi fell still and silent. She slumped her shoulders and lowered her head. What would she do now?

“Now, if I were you, I’d go find Leon and his crew. His lot helps folks like you as best they can. He can at least get you a place to stay while you’re here. And if your friends show up, he can help them too. Anyways, since you’ll probably be here a while, mind sharin’ your name, seeing as I gave you mine?”

“Oh. Yeah. I’m Hoshi. Where can I find this Leon guy?”

“Not sure. But I’m guessing he’ll come around here sooner or later. Best you not wander far so you can catch him.”

“Right.” Hoshi nodded and made for the door back out to the square. “I’ll look around a bit though.” She stepped outside, pulling the coat tight around herself as the night gave her a chill. She did her best to shorten the tail, though the effort was futile. “Well, guess I gotta wait and find Leon.” She shrugged, and turned the corner to the left of the shop, and up another set of steps and to a large set of double doors.

That was when she saw them. Emerging from the other side of the door was a pack of at least ten Shadows. Their predatory yellow eyes fixed upon her. She flung her arm out, and the Keyblade appeared back in her hand. Worst. Timing. Ever. She prepared to fight, cutting down the first Shadow to jump at her. A second fell to her as it followed in line behind the first. But the effort was too much too soon. She dropped to one knee, using the Keyblade as a crutch as she tried to force herself back onto two feet. “Please… someone… Alias….Levi… Lucian… Morgan… someone come.”

Alias continued to fall through the darkness unconscious and unaware of his and his friends' fates. Suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere light appeared in the darkness. As Alias descended closer to the light it became larger before a mosaic floor came fully into view. It showed a strange and colorful castle. On one side of the castle stood a blonde man with a goatee, large red scarf, and white lab coat. On the other stood a woman, with short dreadlocks, a smile as bright as the sun, and a wrench in her hand. Alias landed softly underneath the castle and slowly opened his eyes to his new environment.

When he realized he could see and was awake he jerked his head up faster than he should have. "HOSHI!!!" He looked around to see that he was sitting on a mosaic in the middle of nowhere. Besides this all he could see was darkness for miles around. "Where are you? Where is everyone? Where am I? Am I even alive?"

"You're alive." A voice echoed through the darkness.

"That voice... You're the one I've been hearing in my heart. But..." He touched his heart. The voice wasn't coming from there this time. "I'm in my heart?"

"You're very perceptive and wise, Child of Radiance. Just like..." Then the voice fell silent. Saying too much.

"There you go calling me that again. What does that mean? And just like who?" Alias asked, annoyed that this voice was never being straight with him.

"It's not my place. I'm only here to help guide you."

Before Alias could respond three platforms rose from the ground, surrounding him. Each one held a floating weapon. A Sword, a Shield, and a Staff. The latter reminded him of Morgan in their last moments on the island while the sword reminded him of Kitsu and their friends training with their wooden ones. Who knew they were actually training for the real thing.

“Power sleeps within you. If you give it form it will give you strength. Which will you choose? Power of the Guardian? Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Or the Power of the Mystic? Inner Strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Or the Power of the Warrior? Invincible Courage. A sword of terrible destruction. What is the power you seek?"

Alias didn't need to think. If he needed to give the power inside him form it only made sense to go with what he had been training with his entire life. He walked up to the platform with the sword and picked it up. It felt at home in his hand, but the feeling didn't last long as it disappeared in a flash of light. It reminded him of how the keyblade appeared and disappeared.

"Your path is set. Now what will you give up in exchange?" The voice asked.

Alias turned around and looked at the two remaining weapons, thinking about the words that accompanied their introductions. He felt like he needed all three weapons. Or at least what they represented. The power to protect his friends. He recalled the power he felt when he used his, Lucian, and Hoshi's keyblades. He felt the power of all three weapons in just that one. He didn't have to give up anything, did he?

"Nothing. If I'm going to find and protect my friends I'm going to need everything that can help me."

The voice was silent for a moment. "That's not... In trying to have and hold onto everything you risk losing what you hold most precious." The voice finally said, almost as if it were speaking from experience.

Alias grabbed hold of his shirt over his heart. "There are so many other worlds out there. So many that don't know what's coming for them. So many people that can lose the ones they love. I need all the power I can get to make sure no one else has to go through that. I can't afford to be holding myself back by giving up what I might need. I can't be afraid of what I might lose when what I hold most precious is already out there waiting for me. So if I really have a choice, I choose to give up nothing." He spoke confidently. He trusted that his friends were alive out there and with these keyblades they had a way to protect themselves until he found them. A king had to shoulder heavy burdens and he'd graciously carry the weight of worlds for his friends.

There was silence before the pillars and the two remaining weapons forcibly sunk into the mosaic floor, shattering it. Alias fell through back into the darkness, this time awake and aware of what was around him. He looked down to see another mosaic. This time it was something he recognized. There was a warmth, accompanied with a smile before sadness washed over him. It was his home, Destiny Islands. There was the Paopu Fruit Tree where the Beach crew had their last great moment together. Tears started to fall one by one. Once he landed on the Mosaic he wiped away his tears. He had to be strong. He had to focus. If there was a way to bring back their world he'd find it.

"You've gained the power to fight. You've already witnessed the Heartless and the death and destruction they bring. The path you've chosen will be difficult. You have to be prepared. The darkness will try to consume you. Keep your light strong, but be careful. The closer you get to the light, the stronger your shadow becomes."

The mysterious voice was starting to lose Alias. The stronger his shadow becomes? He found his answer when he turned around to see a giant shadow creature forming from his shadow. It looked exactly like the creature that destroyed his home. This was a Heartless.

"The Harbinger of Darkness, Darkside. There are many Heartless as strong or stronger than the one that destroyed your world. But don't be afraid, you have the greatest weapon of all."

Instead of the sword from earlier appearing in his hand, his keyblade appeared instead. It felt easier to wield it now. Before it was like the keyblade was telling him he wasn't ready for it, but now he was. He wished he was ready when the Heartless came for his home. He could've helped his friends more. He wouldn't have been a liability out there on the battlefield. He could've helped Morgan. Hoshi would've been on the ship instead of worrying about him.

His negative self-thoughts seemed to fuel the Heartless. It became larger and stronger. Alias didn't seem to notice.

"Watch out!" The voice yelled, finally catching his attention in time. Alias looked up to see an orb of darkness heading straight for him. He instinctively lifted the keyblade to block the orb. The force of it pushed him back, but he prevented himself from falling over or being overtaken. He rebalanced himself before swinging the keyblade to knock the orb directly at Darkside. The orb connected damaging Darkside, but not finishing him off.

Alias thought about using his lightning ability again, but shook his head at the thought. He had a key blade in his hand and he hadn't used it as a blade yet. His wooden sword couldn't do anything, but this one could. It was time for round two.

Alias walked backwards giving himself space from the shadow king in front of him. Once he got to the edge of the mosaic he started to charge straight for Darkside. Darkside extended his long and powerful fist to punch Alias straight into the darkness behind him. It wasn't what Alias was expecting, but worked out more in his favor. "Thanks for the lift, idiot." Alias said with a laugh before jumping onto Darkside's fist and continuing his run, this time on the shadow's arm.

Darkside tried to grab him with his other arm but Alias leapt into the air once again jumping straight for Darkside's neck, slicing straight through it with his keyblade. There was a flash of light behind Alias as he landed on the edge of the mosaic. He sighed with relief. He really had been training for this his entire life. The dark creature dissolved into darkness that consumed the mosaic and Alias.

Alias opened his eyes to himself back on Destiny Islands with his friends surrounding him. They were alive! He ran up to Hoshi and hugged her, but instead of her hugging him back she asked him a random question. "What are you so afraid of?"

Alias jumped back in surprise. This wasn't Hoshi. He turned to look at his other friends; Levi, Lucian, and Morgan. They were standing there silently as well, not even really looking at him. This was part of this whole process, wasn't it? First the weapons he chose at the beginning of this trial or training tutorial to these questions posed by his friends. He turned his attention back to the false Hoshi in front of him. "Before it was losing my friends, but I quite literally just faced that fear. Now it's not being able to find them or be able to protect them when I do."

Hoshi took in his answer and gave him a response. "Your friends are important to you. Have you ever wondered who you are without them?"

Alias was surprised by the question. He actually hadn't thought about it. For as long as he could remember they were there. He even wanted them to come with him on his adventures to other worlds. Maybe this was all of their opportunities to learn and grow without each other. They'd come back together eventually and when they did they'd have a lot to show and tell for it. Instead of responding he moved over to the next friend in line, Levi.

"What do you want in life?" Fake Levi asked as soon as Alias stepped in front of him.

"A life of adventure with my friends. I love my dad, but the island was all he ever needed or wanted. But my friends? They share my love of adventure and a life beyond our home. I don't know if I infected them or if we were just always meant to be on this journey together, but I'm so happy I found them." With them he had everything he wanted in life, even love. He just needed to find them again.

"Your friends again. You're one-track minded, huh?"

Fake Levi may have been right. But who could blame him? He was blessed with the best people imaginable. Who wouldn't want to spend life with them? He moved over to Lucian next. He remembered that it was revealed to him that his friend was a real prince, also from another world. He didn't see it before, but now that he really looked at him with this in mind he could definitely see the regalness.

"What's most important to you? What do you hold most dear? What drives you?" Fake Lucian asked.

"You should already know the answer to this." Alias started. "But as for what drives me? Before it was more than just my friends and my dad. There was this feeling inside me. This calling that I needed to answer. I was meant for more and I think I'm just starting to touch the surface of it. There's so much more and I want to find out what."

"I hope you find what you're looking for." Fake Lucian responded.

"Thank you." Alias answered without hesitation. He then walked over to Morgan, wondering what her question might be.

But fake Morgan didn't ask him a question. Instead she gave him a warning. "There's something inside of you even I don't understand. You have to be careful not to lose who you are or what you hold dear. That's why you must find out who you are. Protect your light and the light."

Before he could ask what she meant by that the world around him began to crumble, reminiscent of his last moments in the real world. He fell into the darkness before landing on another mosaic beneath him. This one he didn't recognize. There was another strange castle with red hearts surrounding it. There were armed human sized cards posted outside the castle walls and there was a bipedal white rabbit underneath the castle with a blonde girl chasing it.

"A strange world indeed." A voice came from nowhere before a man in a strange garment and long red cape appeared in front of him. Most of the man's face was covered and if Alias were being honest he looked like a mummy.

Alias conjured his keyblade and got in position to fight. "Who are you and how did you get here?" This voice wasn't like the voice he had been hearing. The last thing that appeared out of nowhere fought him.

"My name is of no consequence, but you may call me DiZ. I... I'm the one who brought you to Destiny Islands and I've always been here. I knew the moment would come when you'd have your Dive to the Heart. The real me placed a fragment of his heart inside you. That is what I am."

A Dive to the Heart? A fragment of a heart? None of that made any sense to him. Was he some kind of Frankenstein's Monster? He knew he was different, but not like that. But this man, or the real version of this man was the one who brought him here so long ago. "The ship... My parents... Are you my real father?" To Alias it was the only thing that made any sense. Why else would he put a fragment of his own heart inside of a baby?

DiZ remained silent for a moment, initially unsure of how to answer the young boy's question. "The people who created you in their love are gone. Nobody to waste time searching for. Focus on your friends and the life you have ahead of you. Defeat the Darkness and save the worlds from the Heartless."

That was a strange way to answer the question, but before Alias could fully think on it the man kept going as if to drown out the previous answer and question. "How exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"Use your keyblade to lock the doors to the worlds, protect the Princesses and Prince of Heart. That girl." DiZ stopped to point at the girl in the mosaic. "Alice... She's one of the Princesses. Your friend, Lucian is the Prince. Find and protect them before it's too late."

Alias was still confused, but was starting to get it. Lucian's parents did tell them he was a prince of something greater. He was relieved to know they weren't talking about a world greater than the island. He couldn't imagine any worlds out there being greater than Destiny Islands. What was greater than reaching your Destiny? That's why he wanted his friends with them as he traveled the world. A life of love and adventure with them was his destiny. "What is a Princess or Prince of Heart?"

"Someone with a heart of pure light. There's seven lights in all. When these hearts are collected a Keyhole will be summoned. One that will grant access to Kingdom Hearts. The Heart of All Worlds, a source of great wisdom and power. There are those who want to use Kingdom Hearts for their own nefarious plans. You must protect the Princesses and stop the one called Xehanort. You won't be doing this alone. You'll have help along the way. Stay strong and courageous and don't lose the light inside you to the darkness."

Before Alias could ask anymore questions he found himself and himself alone being swallowed by the darkness. He could feel himself falling once again and he hoped this time would be the last.

"He looks just like you Elia." DiZ said to himself before he too disappeared into the darkness.

---

Meanwhile a blonde girl in a blue dress and white smoke was presently descending down a very long and strange rabbit hole in a rocking chair. "I don't know how that white rabbit fell down here so quickly." She remarked, bored of the very slow fall, but at least the random things adorning the hole were interesting.

Suddenly a mysterious boy fell out of nowhere down into the rabbit hole and right on top of the girl in the rocking chair, bringing them both down faster than before. The chair was able to take most of their fall before it eventually broke under their weight. Alias stood up and rubbed his head to make sure he was alright and wasn't bleeding. What did he fall on? He looked down to see a girl in a dress brushing off the white smock that he fell directly on.

"First a silly white rabbit with a pocket watch and now rude boys are falling out of the sky! The world has turned upside down." Alice said, annoyed.

Alias, realizing he was the boy she was talking about, helped her up from the ground. "Hey, sorry about that. I'm Alias."

"And I'm Alice. I wish I could say it was nice to meet you, but that hurt and I need to catch up to Mr. Rabbit." She started to run down the hall, uninterested in wasting any more time.

Wait, Alice? Alias thought to himself. The Princess of Heart and there she was chasing the White Rabbit. Was it really going to be this easy? "Hey, Alice! Wait for me!" He yelled before chasing after her.

Leon

Launchpad and Leon's journey to Traverse Town was uneventful. As per orders, they weren't allowed to bring any Space Ranger gear with them. Launchpad had his trusty Trident, whereas Leon had... Circumvented those parts of his orders and stocked up from a bevy of custom-built blaster cannons and other weapons. Not technically Space Ranger equipment.

For the last few weeks, the pair had been working inconspicuously. Leon working at a local Blacksmiths, Launchpad working in a Restaurant, cover that had been arranged ahead of time, he didn't think too much on it. As Launchpad got back to their small appartment, he collapsed in his chair. "Jee, stick a weed-wacker in me, i'm bushed." He wiped his brow. Leon looked up at him, he was behind a small workbench, calibrating his Blaster Cannon. "Haven't had to put up with that kind of beratement since Nega-Duck. People are so mean to waiters. This isn't what i ordered! you got it all over my nice shirt! I get soup all over my shirt all the time, it's great" He licked a small tomato soup stain on his shirt. "Mmmm, Gazpacho." He grinned. As he was about to take off his shoes, a beeping suddenly wrang out. Leon immediately vaulted over to a small computer they had. Pressing buttons, he pointed to a gathering of purple blips on it.

"Heartless..." He growled. Launchpad was on his feet in a second, ripping his waiter uniform off and revealing the armour underneath. Leon threw him his Trident and grapped his cannon as the pair ran over to the door. Leon sapped the computer onto his wrist and was about to try and triangulate the position to figure out the best line of attack, when suddenly, the mighty arm of Launchpad coiled around him and with a mighty *SPROING* Launchpad had lived up to his name and rocketted into the air, the trident shining and a magical construct of the Thudnerquack appearing around them. As they reached the height of the jump, Launchpad pointed towards the scene. A girl with a sword of some kind pointing at a horde of Heartless. Not hesitating for a second, Launchpad aimed himself directly at a clump of 3 Heartless, falling from the heavens like a bolt of lightning, sending the 3 flying. One splattering into a wall, the heart slowly floating up, the second one simply vaporized as the Thunderquack exploded and the last one seemingly having survived the blast miraculously unharmed, it looked around, then wiped its brow in relief, before it realized that Leon had jumped clear just before impact, the diminuitive creature with his enormous laser cannon taking aim and blasting the survivor to oblivion, the force of the shot slowing his descent.

"Have no fear, little girl, for I am the Terror that Flaps in the Night!!!" Launchpad began, he so rarely got to pretend to be Darkwing anymore, it was nice to get back into the swing of things. £I am the..." He pondered for a second, a Heartless jumping at im to attack him, but he put the hand holding the trident to his bill at the perfect time to accidentally skewer the creature, who writhed for a second, before disappearing. "I am the... Turnip... that... No that's no good..." He thought for another second, Leon blasting a 5th one that tried to attack him from behind. "Wait, i got it!" He snapped his fingers, meanwhile, Leon took notice of what the girl was holding. "I am-"

"A KEYBLADE!!!" He yelled in an uncharacteristic burst of emotion.

"No that's not it Leon, you made me lose my train of thought." He groaned. Leon looked at him, seriously doubting he had so much as a Handcar of thought, let alone a whole train.

"No, she's got a Keyblade!" Leon yelled.

"She has a-" Launchpads eyes practically blew out of his sockets at the realization of this. "A KEYBLADE!!!!" He ran over to her Don't worry, Keybarer, we've got this!" He yelled confidently. As he let out the cheer, Hoshi would feel a surge of strength through her body. The big dumb one seeming to buff her using unknown magics. Leon ran to her side. "I'm Launchpad, this is Leon. We're here for..." He had to stop and think again.

"We kill these things." Leon grunted, before blasting another one, it sailing gayly through the air, before landing in a heap, it was about to shake itself off, before noticing that its heart was ascending to the sky, it waved goodbye before melting away.

Zac was reclining in his seat, his eyes closed as he allowed the hum of the ship's engine lull him to sleep. In truth, despite how exhausted he was, having had to deal with a dogfight followed by a crash landing, followed by a collapsing world, then followed by fielding several questions from his passengers, he found sleep difficult to come by. Eventually, he gave up altogether and sat back up in his seat. He glanced at the various screens on his console, at least the ones that still worked, saw that they each displayed an error or a warning of some kind, but none of them told him they were about to crash or end up stranded between worlds, so he ignored them and turned his gaze out into the Ocean Between. He took in the countless stars, the swirling colors, and let out a sigh. "This was always your favorite view," he muttered. "I promise, I'll find you. And we'll spend as long as you want drifting, watching the stars together. Just you and me."

A moment later, one of the instruments that weren't broken on the console began to beep. He hit a button and another screen came to life, displaying the name of the world they were approaching: "Traverse Town." He sat up and took a breath, recentering himself as he began to prepare for landing. "This is your captain speaking. I know you're all enjoying your time in dreamland," he said, putting on his usual happy-go-lucky voice, "but I'm afraid I'll have to cut your naps short. We're approaching our destination, so please place your trays in the upright position, fasten your seatbelts, and prepare for landing."

The ship began to rattle as it entered the atmosphere of the world, but held together long enough to break through. Above, a dark, night sky sparkled with a blanket of stars and below lay a town bathed in the warm glow of streetlamps. He guided the ship over the rooftops until he found what he was looking for: a large, open lot, his usual landing spot not too far from the First District. Right as the ship touched down with a thud, the cockpit suddenly went dark as the Stardust Core suddenly shut down, followed by a loud *boom* as smoke began to spill out from the engine. Zac patted the console and said, "You did well, girl. I'll get you fixed up and you'll be flying again in no time, as good as new! That said..."

He turned in his seat to address his passengers while the canopy lifted open. "We're not gonna be flying anywhere until then, so you're all free to explore. Just stay out of the Second and Third Districts if you can't call a Keyblade or use magic, since those aren't exactly safe, for the moment. I'm gonna get in touch with a fellow mechanic and see if he can't give me a hand with Sigrid. Before you go, though, let me know if you'll be flying with me again so I can get enough provisions for the trip."

Levi opened his eyes to reveal that he was floating on his back in an endless black void. He felt himself… fall? No, it was gentler. Descend was a better word for it, as the sensation was akin to sinking, except he could breathe perfectly fine. Slowly, he shifted from his back until his body was vertical, landing feet-first onto a platform of some kind. He looked down to see a massive, colorful mosaic that seemed to be crafted of stained glass, displaying a highly detailed illustration of himself, with a sea-foam green backdrop. Next to this was six circles, four of them holding an image of one of his friends, and two that appeared to be filled by black silhouettes that he knew, but couldn’t exactly place. Finally, in the hand of this mosaic portrayal of himself, there was a sharp and angular silhouette that he still couldn’t place.

“Son of a lost world, there is much to do and very little time to do it.”

Levi was caught off guard by the voice. It was one he’d never heard before, and yet it was… intimately familiar. As if he’d known it his entire life. He let himself relax, and though he couldn’t place why, he felt safe here.

“There is a power that sleeps within you. You must give it form.”

Three separate, highly detailed stone dias rose from the ground, and atop each, a weapon appeared in a flash of light.

“The Power of the Warrior. Invincible Courage. A Sword of Terrible Destruction…”

“The Power of the Mystic. Inner Strength. A Staff of Wonder and Ruin…”

“The Power of the Guardian. Kindness to Aid Friends. A Shield to Repel All.”

Levi examined the three, but he didn’t take long to make his choice. He’d always protected others with everything he had, and he wasn’t about to stop now. Carefully, he lifted the shield.

“For that which is chosen, another must be given away.”

Levi thought for a moment, before walking over towards the staff. He didn’t need to rely on magic to protect anyone before. Besides, a simpler approach still allowed for a surprising amount of nuance. He took the staff in his hands, and it disappeared in a flash of light.

“You have chosen the Power of the Guardian. You have given up the Power of the Mystic.”

---

There was a bright flash of light, and Levi was suddenly back on that familiar beach. He looked around, and felt all of the emotion welling up inside. He knew this was a dream, and he desperately didn’t want to be reminded of everything they had just lost, and yet… it was home. Instead of allowing himself to be overcome by his emotions, he took a deep breath in, counted to four, and exhaled, letting out the emotions with it. He then looked around, and saw his friends. First was Hoshi, standing by the shack that her brother had built. The second was Morgan, sitting on the dry sand of the beach. Third was Lucian, leaning against a Paopu tree. Finally, there was Alias, standing in the shallows with the waves gently lapping against his shoes. Levi first approached Alias, however Alias spoke before he did, without turning to face him.

“What’s most important to you?”

Levi took a moment to think, before speaking with conviction. “The people I care about.” He then took a moment, remembering that this, as weird as it was, was still a dream, before turning to speak to Hoshi.

“What do you want out of life?”

Again, Levi paused thoughtfully before responding. “To broaden my horizons, know what other people experience.” Hoshi nodded, and he walked over to speak to Morgan.

“What are you the most afraid of?”

Levi sighed, but unlike the others, he didn’t think about this one. It was one he knew off the top of his head. “Being left helpless.”

Finally, he went to speak with Lucian. But before he could, he was enveloped by another flash of blinding light.

---

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing on yet another mosaic. This one showed Destiny Islands as it fractured and broke, circled by the faces of his friends and himself. He shakily let out a breath as he took it in, before looking up.

“You will need to defend yourself and others. But you already knew that.”

Forms then rose out of the ground, figures that, despite their simple form, admittedly frightened him. Those heartless, the Shadows, rose and glared at him, ready to strike. Suddenly, the shield from before appeared on his arm with a flash of light. As the first shadow lunged at him, he intended just to knock it away, thinking he couldn’t harm it. He was surprised when the rim of the shield caught the shadow by its small neck, and kept going through as the creature burst into a cloud of darkness. I can hurt these things? He then turned to face the other two, his fear quickly melting away to reveal that confidence he typically carried, mixed with a righteous fury. ”Now you messed up. Because I can kill you now. So, I’m going to make you regret taking my world, my family, and my friends.” It didn’t take him long to dispatch the next couple of Shadows as his shield moved with an unpredictable and wild fury, striking with its boss and slashing with its rim.

He smiled as he looked over the shield with some pride, then looked up from it to be met with one last flash of blinding light.

---

Levi looked around as he took in the circular platform he stood on. He looked behind him, and saw people. First, they were his friends. Then, they were family and acquaintances from around the island. Then, they were the few people he had detested. Then, people he didn’t recognize. From there they remained in constant flux, always unrecognizable, and always changing.

He then looked at his environment. First the beach, then the town, then the secret place. After that, the broken remains of his world. Then, constant flux yet again. Places alien to him that he couldn’t recognize. The hanger of a massive vessel, a wild jungle, a desert, a densely packed city. Always unfamiliar, always changing.

Finally, he looked ahead as he saw the one constant thing here other than himself and the circular shape of the platform. That same creature that had come to his home in its final moments and dragged it into oblivion. The Darkside. It dropped to it’s knees and let out a burst of dark energies from the heart-shaped hole in it’s chest, and Levi raised his shield, letting the projectiles splash against it.

He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know why he was here. He didn’t even know who was behind him. All he knew was that these people were facing down the same thing he had just faced. ”Stand back… I’ve got this.” He said to the ever-changing mob, before raising his shield and charging at the seemingly insurmountable foe, who's coming brought with it the end of the world. A simple mantra then came from deep within himself as first a whisper, then a call, then a roar, as it resonated within the depths of his heart.

Do not go silent into the night.
But rage, rage, against the dying of the light.

---

Levi wasn’t awakened by Zac’s warning, but instead by the ship shaking violently as it went to land. He braced himself against the console he had been leaning against as the ship came down, hoping that he wouldn’t have a second concussion in the same day. As the ship finally set down, he took a moment to register what he had just dreamed. That’s weird. By all rights, I shouldn’t remember that so clearly. It’s like what Lucian described to me. He stretched, winching slightly as he realized just how sore he was from last night’s events, combined with an odd sleeping position. He pushed himself up to his feet, and listened carefully as Zac laid out the ground rules. He was admittedly annoyed that he had been called out without being directly addressed, but didn’t feel the need to express that. Instead, he picked up his trusty bat and hoisted himself out of the cockpit and to the ground.

”Well, I for one think it’d be a good idea to travel together. Safety in numbers, right?” He then walked over towards the gate to this first district. ”That said, I’m gonna have a look around. I want to be a little better equipped than I am now. I’ll try to stay around the first district… shouldn’t be hard if they’re as obviously marked as this one is.” With that, he started into the first district, intent on finding some way to be useful.

He eventually found a strange creature with white fur, small stature, and a red pom-pom on it’s head, running a stall. He walked over to the strange creature, and it greeted him. “Hello there, kupo! Welcome to the Moogle Emporium. We have everything you could ever need, kupo!” Levi was initially wary, but he then noticed the prices were written in munny and not any other currency, in addition to the very reasonable prices. So, he pulled out his wallet.

By the time he was done, he had managed a decent amount of items. He grabbed a couple of those potions for himself as he figured they’d be useful and that Zac wasn’t going to let him mooch off of his stockpile forever. He also managed to get himself a small-ish tarp, some simple metal rods, a day’s worth of non-perishable food, a canteen, and a couple bundles of 550 cord. This still left him with… exactly a hundred munny. He considered himself broke, as that wasn’t his munny. He owed it to someone else. He then turned to look at the Moogle before he left. “By the way, I’m looking for a few people. A young man, roughly yay high, typically wearing greys, named Alias. A young woman, roughly yay high, typically wears white, named Morgan. And another young woman, roughly yay high, typically wears blue, named Hoshi. Seen any of them?” The Moogle tapped it’s chin with a stubby appendage. “Can’t say that I have, sorry kupo.” Levi sighed and shrugged. Of course it wasn’t going to be that easy. Levi started turning to leave. ”Well, if you do, could you let them know that Levi and Lucian are okay and looking for them? I think they’d appreciate knowing that their friends aren’t dead.” The moogle nodded, which made the red pom-pom bob back and forth quickly. “Will do, kupo! Good luck finding them!” With that, Levi found himself an outdoor dining table that no one was using, and got to work on making himself a new rucksack, this one having an extra loop of cord down by his waist to he could secure the bat to it.

A small blast shook Hoshi off of her feet, nearly dropping her to the ground. She barely managed to catch herself upon the crutch that was her Keyblade. Between herself were two of the most bizarre folks she had ever seen. One, a tall, broad-built, bird looking thing with orange hair. The other was a comically small... were they a gnome? She was still too far out of it to fully process either of them. All she knew off the bat was that the pair's sudden arrival and subsequent attack had taken out three of the Shadows; if they were here to help, Hoshi couldn't have cared less what they looked like.

She propped herself upright and watched the pair work, a gaping, dumfounded expression dominating her face. Her mouth and eyes contorted with slight annoyance when the bird called her a "little girl," though he left her little opportunity for to retort properly. Is... is this guy ok? If not for exhaustion and the anxiousness of her circumstances, Hoshi might have been able to laugh at the bumbling of the feathered one; she nearly let out a dry chuckle when he unintentionally impaled another Shadow on the tip of his trident. Wait... did he just say...?

A burst of energy rushed through her once more when the larger one spoke again. It wasn't her own though; he had given her a boost with his own magic. Not wanting to squander the momentary strength, she charged one of the two remaining Shadows, cutting it half. She rounded on the last one. As she approached it, it backed away, and continued to evade and avoid her as she pursued it. "Ugh! FINE!" She wound up, and flung her Keyblade through the air towards the Shadow. The weapon flew true, spinning perfectly and crashed hard into and through the creature's head.

The Shadow dispersed, and the Keyblade clanged and clattered onto the stone street. It lay still for a few seconds before vanishing and reappearing in her hand. Hoshi breathed in and sighed long and heavy. "Thanks for the help." She turned towards her rescuers. She immediately set upon the shorter one. He different than she had imagined him; she had pictured someone a bit... taller. But if he was who Launchpad had said he was, then she wasn't going to judge. "So... you're Leon? So like, you can help me get settled in here? That's what the guy in that shop told me."

Leon and Launchpad watched Hoshi take her newfound strength and end the last 2 Heartless. As she asked about helping getting settled in, Leon looked at Launchpad, who simply shrugged back. Launchpad was the chatty one, Leon just... Well, he did what was necessary. Launchpad watched the diminuative ally struggling to come up with a response so he stepped in. "Oh yeah, Leon and me are the pinnacles of the community. We are here to help fight those guys and help anyone in need, especially if they've got a..." He guestured to the Keyblade in her hands. Leon, in the meantime was looking the Keyblade in her hands over. Taking out a monacular magnifier and putting it in his eye, before looking it over, not particularly taking Hoshi's personal space into account. "Don't worry about that, he's a Blacksmith, he loves all kinds of unique weapons and stuff." Launchpad explained. Leon ran his nose down the blade. "Yeah, Lilties are... Were... The umm..."

"We were the masters of the forge and the earth on my world." He began, before testing the edge of it with his finger. "The Mines of Cathuriges was the crucible from which the finest weapons my world has ever seen flowed and yet..." He then ran his tongue up the blade and smacked his lips a couple of times to distribute the flavour, before looking confused and saying something in what Hoshi could only assume to be his native language. "How... Did you get this weapon?" He asked, a very serious look on his face. The blade didn't taste of any kind of forging technique he knew of. Granted, Keyblades were a weapon of legend. Legends that the Lilties forbade even researching the creation of such items. He knew that, deep down in his soul... He knew something that was... He just couldn't remember... Flashes, faces, names... But that was it... Maybe an answer could help those memories to surface.

"Hey!" Hoshi recoiled from Leon, and pulled her Keyblade away from him... them? Master of the Forge or not, she wasn't liking how he was treating her only weapon. New to her as it was, she was feeling protective of the sword. She gawked at the small person as they went on in a language she couldn't understand. She looked to the gullperson, but he seemed unconcerned by the procedings. What luck. I find the guy that's supposed to help me and he's making out with my sword. A visible eye roll rounded Hoshi's face at the thought.

"I don't know how I got it. I mean not exactly." Her mind flashed back to the stained glass floors and the eerie, phantom scene upon the island. Echos of her friends questioning her motives filled her head as fully as the strange voice from the Dark expanse. "Those Shadows... they showed up back home. I tried to fight them with another weapon... it wasn't working. Then there was this flare of light around me and next thing I knew," She gave the Keyblade a half swing, "I had this in my hand."

She took a look around before adding, "Is there anywhere else we can go to talk? This is feeling a bit expised. Plus, I need to figure out a place to stay; if those things are stalking around, I can just live on the streets."

@Daxam

Taivas

Taivas dreamed of himself as a teenager speaking to an older man. The two of them were discussing whether Taivas had found the princess. Taivas reported that he had not but felt he was close. The older man looked annoyed but smiled at Taivas. “I would hope so, but you have not disappointed me before. So I have faith that you will find the princess.” The older man looked around before looking back at Taivas.

“I’ll find her; you don’t have to worry about that.” Taivas shook his head before walking away. The older man soon disappeared into a shadowy portal, leaving Taivas alone. Walking further into the forest, he was stopped by a weird-looking cat smiling at him. His answer could have been more straightforward and understandable when asked where the princess was. Angrily, Taivas walked away, hoping he could find some sort of clue to her location. For a second, he thought he had seen the girl from the picture inside the locket.

Waking up from his dream, he looked at Zac and the others before leaving his chair. He could find some clues to who he was here. “I’ll keep that in mind." he said before leaving the ship. He felt a sense of deja vu being in this place. He was sure that he had been here before. Closing his eyes and trying to remember the reason he was here. An image of a woman in a black coat speaking to him about finding something, or was it someone. “Why the heck did I need to find a princess?” He muttered to himself while wandering the town. Quickly finding himself in the second district. Walking into a cozy-looking home. “Nice place.” He thought, walking through a door and noticing a pair of dogs lying on the ground.

Walking closer, one of the dogs lifted its head, looking up at Taivas. “Sorry to bother you. I was looking for someone and wondered if you had seen them.” He showed them the picture. The other dog opened its eyes, staring at Taivas.

“I think we saw the man in the picture before; he asked for someone tall with blonde hair.” The dog’s eyes scanned Taivas before smiling. Its voice was female. “We said we didn’t see someone like that, but you could check the third district or the town square. You might be able to catch him since he was here a few minutes ago.”

“Thank you. I will check to see if he is there.” He turned around but was stopped by the male dog speaking.

“Before you go, Would you do us a favour? We have lost our children, and we cannot leave the house. If you see any of our children, would you please bring them back home? Your efforts will be rewarded greatly.” The male dog smiled, to which Taivas smiled back. He was lost too so he didn’t like the idea of helpless children being lost in hostile worlds.

“I will do that. I appreciate your help. By the way, my name is Taivas.” Both dogs slowly got up to their feet.

“My name is Pongo, and this is my mate Perdita.” With that, Taivas made his way over to the third district. Standing in the square of the third district, the place was eerily quiet.

“Adian Adian, where are you? It’s me, Taivas.” Yelled out loud, but his only response was the echo of his voice. Taking a deep breath before slamming his hand into a near by wall. Shadowy figures crawling towards him. Slowly coming out from the ground and starting to surround Taivas. “Not you guys again. Looks like you're back for round two.” Summoning his keyblade while holding out one hand. This extended hand becomes engulfed in shadowy darkness. The shadows moved towards his keyblade. Moving at inhuman speed, making quick work of the lowly, heartless. His eyes shone bright yellow as he was combating the heartless. A lone figure was standing on the rooftop watching Taivas.

Leon and Launchpad listened to Hoshi as she told them about her experiences back home. "Hey, don't worry about your pals and family back home. I'm sure they're all alright." Launchpad laughed, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. Leon, on the otherhand simply had the 1,000 yard stare. Remembering the horrific things that the Heartless did in legend. Nope, he was thoroughly convinced that all of her friends and family were DEFINITELY dead. But he simply snapped out of the thousand yard stare and said nothing. "Yeah, we've got a place" Launchpad replied, walking back towards the more populated part of Traverse Town with Leon following the pair of them, looking around and bringing up the rear. "So, what's your next move?" Launchpad asked. "Trying to make it home? Got any friends out there you wanna go lookin' for? Because whatever it is, we are here to help you." He thumped his fist to his chest.

"What Launchpad means-" Leon butted in "Is that we have searched far and wide for a Keybarer and are dutybound to assist you in any way we can." He said. Launchpad nodded, before thinking for a second, he then pulled Leon to one side were Hoshi wouldn't be able to hear them.

"Ummm. I thought Nebula wanted us to-" But before he could finish, Leon interrupted.

"Nebula said that the Heartless would be making a move and someone wanted specifically us here for that very reason. Heartless appear and suddenly someone with the power to kill them also happens to wash up here from some world that was just killed? Put 2 and 2 together, Launchpad." He replied in a hushed whisper. Launchpad began counting on his fingers.

"5?" Leon shook his head disappointedly. "You know i'm bad at maths."

"Point is, i think it's obvious to anyone that she's clearly why we were sent here. Someone knew she'd be here and she'd need our help. Our protection." They both then looked at Hoshi.

"So yeah, we're here to help you out in any way you need. Just name it!"