Keyblade's Power 2 - Ch 5

Chapter 5: Traverse Town


    I opened my eyes to see Neo. We were back on the stain glass platform, or the "Awakening" as he called it. "Neo, what happened?" I asked.

    "I told you before. Sometimes Keyblade wielders enter the Awakening if they're in danger."

    "Keyblade... Just what is that?"

    "A special tool that only a chosen few are allowed to use. The Keyblade chooses the user, or the power is passed on from another master." Neo stated calmly, yet his eyes remained serious. 

    "So... Does that mean Sora and I were chosen?"

    "Sort of. You've always been gifted with it since it seems to run in our family, and, well, you'll find out at some point. Sora on the other hand is a special case. Anyway, I need to ask you a favor."

    "And that would be?"

    "A Keyblade can unlock anything, including the heart of worlds. Many of the worlds are being torn apart by that storm that was on the island. If you and Sora can find them and use the keyblades, then the world will be safe for a time. Also, I don't know if you remember this, but it's all part of something much greater, so be on your guard, Keke." He said.

    "Ok then. But I still have a few questions."

    "Like what?"

    "Well, first you could tell me where Riku and Kairi are."

    "Riku, you'll surely meet along the way. As for Kairi, she's closer than you think, but it'll be a while until you actually find her." I tilted my head at that. How could she be here if we still have to look for her? "Anything else?"

    "Well... The last time we actually spoke together, you murmured the name 'Ven'. Who is he? I feel like I know him, but..." At this, Neo turned away so I couldn't see his face. He sighed, then turned back around with a sad look on his face.

    "The one you know, just forget about him for now. Keke, you're inside an alternate universe from the one you grew up and fought in. Just forget about the Ven you know, mostly since the one here is still missing."

    "Forget? How could I just forget something. It's one thing to just forget everything like what I did thanks to amnesia, but it makes me want to know who I was, what I am. Who are the friends I used to know, what do you mean 'fought in'?"

    "Keke!" Neo snapped, I closed my mouth, "Listen, there are just some things I can't tell you right now! I'm sorry, but if I had my way, I would have told you everything, but I can't. Just forget about him for now. You'll probably remember him within time. Anyway, it's time for you to wake up."

    "But-"

    "No buts. Also," Neo and the stain glass became fuzzy as I began to wake up, "you can control light and darkness with your keyblade."
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    I opened my eyes. I sitting against a wall in a small room. "Good, you're awake." I looked up and saw a girl with dark brown hair.

    "Huh? Where am I?" I asked, looking around. I saw my Keyblade leaning against a dresser.

    "You're in Traverse Town, it's a world that refuges people who lost their own. I'm Yuffie."

    "Keke. I remember being on Destiny Islands with my friend, and some weird creatures started to attack us."

    "Those were the Heartless. I found them surrounding you, about to attack. I had to get your Keyblade away from you so we could escape." She said, gesturing to the key-shaped weapon, "I'm sorry about what happened to your world. I know what it's like to loose your family."

    "Family? I didn't come from Destiny Islands, actually, I don't know where I came from. I was just found by one of my friends there, washed up on the beach about two weeks ago." I decided to keep my "dreams" about the Awakening and Neo to myself for now.

    Yuffie was about to say something else, when she heard some commotion outside. "Come on." 
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    When we got to the first district, we saw a guy with brown hair holding a gunblade. "Hey, you found it. Nice going, Leon." Yuffie said. I looked past the man and saw someone on the ground.

    "Sora!" I ran over. He didn't look too hurt, but was just knocked out, mostly from exhaustion.

    "Still.." Leon said, looking at us, "It looks like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse."

    "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

    "Of all people, you two were chosen. Now let's go. The Heartless are going to find us soon."
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    It was a while later, but Sora finally woke up. "You ok?" Yuffie asked.

    "I guess..."

    "Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade. But it's your heart that they really want, because you wield the Keyblade."

    "I'm so glad that you're ok, Kairi." Sora said. I looked at the spiky haired boy, confused.

    "Kairi? Who are you talking about? I'm the great ninja, Yuffie."

    "Huh?"

    "I think you might've over done it, Squall." she said, turning to Leon.

    "It's Leon." He stated simply.

    I walked over, "Good to see you're awake."

    "Keke, you're ok!" 

    "Of course I am. I'm just glad you made it off the islands in one piece, although, I guess we have the Keyblades to thank since it was because of them that we managed to survive."

    Sora looked over to where his was resting against the wall next to where mine still was, "The Keyblade..."

    "Yeah, we had to get them away from you and your friend there to shake off those creatures. It turns out, that's how they were tracking you." Yuffie explained.

    Leon crossed his arms, "It was the only way to conceal your hearts from them. But it won't work for long. Still hard to believe that you two, of all people, are the chosen ones." He picked up both blades and they vanished in a flash of light, then reappeared in our hands. "Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

    "Why don't you start making sense! What's going on here?" Sora asked. Then, Leo and Yuffie told us about other worlds, the heartless, a researcher named Ansem, and a little more about the Keyblade.

    "Well, I didn't ask for this." Sora stated.

    "The Keyblade chooses it's master, and it chose you." Yuffie said.

    "So, tough luck." Leon finished.

    "How did all of this happen? I remember being in my room... Wait a minute! What happened to my home? My island? Riku! Kairi!" Sora exclaimed.

    "You know what, I really don't know. We were only able to find the two of you."

    I stood up and walked over to Sora, and put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure they made it off."

    "How do you know?" he asked. 

    "Just a hunch." I said, remembering my dream.

    After that, Sora and I began to learn that the Keyblade can open any lock, and he tried it on a treasure chest. Leon looked at us, "Sooner or later, the Heartless will find you. You'd best prepare yourselves."

    "Prepare ourselves?" I asked.

    "To fight for your life. Are you ready?" We nodded, "Yuffie, let's go join Aerith. She should be there by now with the other visitors."

    "Leon!" Yuffie pointed to where a Heartless had appeared.

    "Yuffie, go!" Leon got out his gunblade. Yuffie ran through a door where someone exclaimed her name. "Sora, Keke, let's go!" Leon said before jumping out of the window, after the Heartless. Sora and I soon followed. When we got down to the street below, he said, "Don't bother with the small fry. Find the leader! Let's go!" He ran off. Sora and I were about to follow him when more Heartless showed up.

    "Let's stick together this time." I said.

    "Right." We managed to fight our way to the first district where Leon and a girl in a pink dress were waiting for us.
    
    The girl introduced herself to us as Aerith, "So you're the Keyblade Masters... Please be careful." She said, giving us Mega-potions. Somehow, I didn't like the feeling of being called a Keyblade Master, as if I despised the title.

    We ran toward the third district. It seemed to be empty, there weren't even any Heartless roaming around and jumping at us. We stopped in the middle of the plaza when an explosion came from one of the balconies. We looked up and saw an anthropomorphic duck and dog fall. Sora and I attempted to run, but they still crashed on us. 

    They saw our Keyblades and snapped out of the daze from the impact, "The key!"

    We got up just as the stones on the ground began to rise around us, blocking the exits, and Heartless appeared. Sora and I got into fighting stances, the duck got out a magic staff, and the dog got out a shield.The Heartless attacked us, but we managed to fight them off.

    A Guard Armor Heartless appeared in front of us. The battle wasn't over. The hand tried to grab us, while the feet tried to stomp on us. The body itself avoided our attacks, striking back with it's other appendages.

    "How're we gonna beat it?" The dog asked, blocking an attack with his shield.

    "Let's try this! THUNDER!" The duck shouted, raising its staff. It glowed a bright yellow, and a strike of lightning came from out of nowhere. However, the body blocked it using it's hands, the feet kept us at bay. 

    "Got any other ideas?" Sora asked us, dodging a swat from the left hand. 

    "I do. Sora, take out the left hand, you two, go for the feet, I'll go for the right hand. Maybe if we can get rid of them, then it'll be wide open for an attack!" They nodded, and we managed to do that. "Great! Now let's head for the body."

    We attacked it, barely avoiding it's attacks, and it was soon defeated. It fell, the head falling off, and a heart rose from it, vanishing as it flew away. The body and the head disappeared.

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    "So, you were looking for me?" Sora asked, the duck and dog nodded.

    "And you were looking for a double-sided Keyblade, like mine?" I asked. They nodded again.

    "They, too, have been looking for the wielders of the Keyblade." Leon said, coming up to us.

    "Hey, why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel." The dog said, smiling.

    "I wonder if I could find Riku and Kairi..."

    "Maybe I can find where I came from and who I am..." Sora and I wondered out-loud.

    "Of course." the duck said.Sora and I looked up at once, hopeful. The dog bent over.

    "Are you sure?" He whispered.

    "Who knows. But we need them to come with us to help us find the king." The duck whispered back.

    "Sora, Keke, go with them. Especially if you want to find your friends." Leon encouraged.

    "Yeah, I guess..." Sora said quietly, his head down.

    "Sora..." I said, looking at him.

    "But you can't come along looking like that. Understand?" The duck said, "No frowning. No sad face. Okay?"

    "Yeah, you gotta look funny, like us." The dog laughed, but was pushed away by the duck.

    "This boat runs on happy faces." 

    "Happy?" Sora asked. We stayed quiet, wondering what the spiky-haired boy would do. He looked up, with a silly (yet frightening) face. It fell when we stayed quiet, but we immediately laughed. "Okay, why not? I'll go with you guys."

    "Same here, you can count me in." I said, recovering from the laughter.

    "Donald Duck." the duck greeted, putting his hand up.

    "Name's Goofy." The dog said, putting his hand on the duck's.

    "Keke's my name." 

    "And I'm Sora." Sora and I put our hands on theirs.

    "All for one, one for all." Goofy cheered.

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    Inside a dark room, an image of Sora, Keke, Donald, and Goofy glowed as shadowy figured looked on.

    "Those little squirts took down that Heartless. Who'd have thought it?"

    "Such is the power of the Keyblade. The children's strength is not their own."

    "Why don't we turn them into Heartless? That'll settle things quick enough."

    "And the brats' friends are the king's lackeys. Swoggle me eyes, They're all bilge rats by the look of them."

    "You're no prize yourself."

    "Shut up!"

    "Enough. The Keyblade has chosen him. Will it be he who conquers the darkness? Or will the darkness swallow him? Either way, he could be quite useful... And then there's the other one. She will not be as much as a threat, her powers aren't developed yet..."