Grotesquery

Would you prefer it if he just used more Jack Frost GIF's?

Deadman Wonderland's opening is pretty much none of these things. Except nine, but that's essentially universal. Oh, and birds. Seriously, why are there always birds?

All this really shows to me is that anime people do not exist. I mean, if there was someone in the world who believed they were real, this is probably the weird flip-book that person would be shown in order to brainwash them into thinking otherwise.

It needs to be released for it to be the greatest game ever alright I mean come on we have to prioritize here.

I tried to make something as remotely akin to Kingdom Hearts as I could, for some god knows what reason. I don't think it really worked, but that was to be expected.

So I was thinking to myself recently, “Hey, Mancer, why not make a comic?” I then realized I could not draw a circle. So I decided to take a bunch of other things made by a bunch of other people, put them all together, and make some kind of patchwork monstrosity out of it all. I mean, why not? It isn’t like I have anything better to do. Oh wait, I actually do, The Apocalypse Key. But that just complicates things, so let’s not discuss it here. Anyways, I don’t really think this will become some kind of serial reading experience. If people like it? I’ll think about doing some more. If people don’t? Well, I’ll go back to something people don’t care about. If the police try to arrest me for plagiarism and my Crimes Against Creativity? I’ll be flattered. http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Klathulimancer/KingdomCrude3PART1_zps212d9c4c.jpg~original

Asking them to write meaningful songs is irrelevant to their quality. It honestly doesn't matter if they come out of nowhere or not, all that matters is whether or not they're enjoyable. I'm not going to defend them from you just because I liked them, that's your personal preference. But I do think it's unfair to simply disregard all of the songs as pointless, especially when, in my eyes, so many of them are actually pretty fun. Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say the character is dumb. Personally, I would say it was more innocence and naivety that they were going for. It makes sense in context of the story as well, she's literally had no experience with the outside world at all. Even so, I still won't argue if you think that's idiocy. That plot point was more subversive than anything else. Yes, she wanted to marry someone she had just met. But practically EVERYONE else in the movie acknowledged that it was a bad idea. I don't believe Disney introduced this plot-point to show any kind of genuine love story, they did it so as to mock the concept and once again show the naivety of the character Anna. AGAIN MY OPINION. Making a character complicated is a good thing, if you don't spend too much time trying to figure them out. You don't always have to understand the character to enjoy the character. Once again, this comes off more as your personal preference than anything else, so I really can't complain. Oh, and once more... This is all just my opinion.

I spend much of my life doing nothing. I'd like to think that a vacation wouldn't change that.

Nevermind.

He's just trying to cause us more misery when he announces it isn't actually going to happen. From then on out I will finally be able to say that Justin Bieber ruined Christmas as well.

Okay, new plan. I've actually been thinking this over a bit for the last couple of days. And in that time, I've realized two things about this story. First off, it isn't updating fast enough. It's good that I've managed to keep a monthly schedule so far, but frankly, I don't think that's good enough. I'm not entirely sure if I can commit to writing chapters any faster than I have, but at the very least, I want to start updating the story more frequently. Secondly, the chapters themselves are too dang long. Normally, I wouldn't have an issue with this, but the fact of the matter is that practically every chapter is over 3000 words in length. Even for the most committed of readers, I think that can prove to be a daunting task the first time through. Which is why I've decided to try and update the chapters in smaller, more manageable segments. Remember chapter 6? Yeah, well, it's still coming along, but the first part of it is actually all ready to go. So, instead of keeping it from you guys and periodically adding on to it like I've been doing for the previous chapters, I've decided to put it here first. The hope is that the chapter itself will overall be easier to digest, and that the story can end up maintaining a more productive update schedule. As always, I would love to hear your feedback. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ~Chapter 6: Reflections~ Kairi walked beside Fauna as they moved towards the mirror chamber, with Flora and Merryweather trailing not far behind. After accepting Yen Sid’s offer, Kairi had been told she would need a new set of clothes if she was ever going to stand a chance against the dangers of the outside worlds. And as such, Yen Sid had assigned a trio of seamstresses, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, whom would be responsible for developing her brand new wardrobe. After Kairi had been introduced to the fairies who would be outfitting her, the three wasted no time in whisking her out of the room and through a corridor off to the side. From what they told her, this passageway led towards what the fairies called “the mirror room”, which they said was going to serve as Kairi’s dressing area. Kairi was curious as to how such an unnecessarily long hallway managed to be constructed within the tower, but her thoughts were put to rest as the group finally came upon a large door leading out. “Alright, we’re here!” Merryweather spoke up from behind Kairi as Flora pushed the doors open and entered the chamber. And before Kairi could even move to join her, she was ushered forward by the other two fairies passing into the new room. As everything started to calm down, Kairi spared a look at her new surroundings. There wasn’t much different in the scenery when compared with other areas of the tower, with the only real stand out decoration being several large mirrors of varying sizes scattered about the room. Which, as Kairi could only guess, were the key to the room’s namesake. “Okay girls, let’s get busy!” Said Flora, with the others voicing their agreement. They all lined up in front of Kairi, and began looking her over. Kairi stood before them, awkwardly shifting her eyes between the three as an odd period of silence enveloped them all. Suddenly, Flora’s face turned slightly troubled. “This may be harder than we thought, girls.” She said. “Indeed,” Fauna spoke up, “It’s been a long time since we’ve had to design garments such as this.” Merryweather continued with, “Yes, it seems like 30 years ago… And even that was only for a special occasion. The ones we made then were never really designed for battle.” Flora perked up slightly, her downtrodden expression replaced with one of determination. “But that won’t stop us, now will it, girls!” “No!” They all cried out in unison, with Kairi looking on in bewilderment. “First things first,” began Merryweather, “We need to iron out a design for you.” Flora glided around the young girl with a pensive look upon her face. “This will be a very delicate process, ladies. We should start from the ground up.” “I agree,” said Fauna, “We’ll go with the base design for her starting out, and then add on to that.” “Good idea!” said Merryweather, “Let’s get all of the boring stuff out of the way first!” Flora flew up beside a very confused looking Kairi, placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “Now my dear, you’ll need to know that to start out, we’ll be designing your under armor first. Since it’s been so long since we did this, we’ll need to use you as the model. That means we’ll be removing your current get up, and replacing it with one of our own. Are you okay with that?” Kairi nodded. “Yes, of course.” She said. “Whatever works best for you.” Flora smiled, and went to join the other fairies facing Kairi. “Alright, we’ll need you to stand very still. On my count girls, we go at three!” “One… Two… Three!” They all called out in unison, sending three swirling bursts of color off towards Kairi. A brilliant influx of light filled the room, consuming Kairi’s frail form and casting a shadowy outline on all that stood within it. However, almost as soon as it came, it faded into nothing, returning to the room all of the color and form that it had stolen away. Kairi was the last figure to take shape, her newfound outfit slowly being pulled forth from the dying luminance that surrounded her. As her visage slowly became clearer, the fairies looked upon the girl’s altered clothes, a strange sense of fulfillment in their eyes. Kairi’s new clothes were somewhat lacking in substance, as they still appeared rather plain. Her new ensemble, skin-tight and dyed purple, could be broken into two segments, divided by her mid-section. Starting just underneath the chest, the first piece of clothing extended around her upper torso, yet stopped at the shoulder joints. It wrapped around her back and ran slightly up the back of her neck, yet left the front of it exposed. At her waist, she wore a set of skin-tight shorts that extended down her legs and broke off at the knees. Another piece of fabric continued on past the knee joint and came down to rest at her ankles. Around her biceps, she also wore small, bracer-like armbands that began at the end of her shoulder joints and stopped at her elbows. Like the rest of her get-up, they were dyed purple and made of the same curious fabric. Merryweather clasped her hands together and smiled wide. “Oh yes,” she piped up, “I just knew that tone would look wonderful on you!” beside her, Flora spoke the same sense of approval. “You do look lovely,” she said with a nod, “I think we may end up outdoing ourselves this time.” Kairi, a little flustered under all the undesired attention, hesitantly replied with, “I’m sorry, but, If it isn’t too much of a bother, could we please continue?” she asked, her words bookmarked with a shiver, “No offense, but these aren’t exactly the most comfortable of conditions.” Fauna jolted at Kairi’s words, a newfound look of concern for the girl adorning her face. “Oh, we’re so very sorry!” she replied, “I’m afraid we simply got caught up in the moment, right, everyone?” The other fairies took on similar expressions, and spoke their apologies as well. Flora spoke up. “You’re right, Kairi, we should hurry this along as fast as we can.” “Now again, stand still.” She continued. “This part will be much more difficult. Ready, girls? On three!” Once again, they all shouted in unison: “One, Two, Three!” Kairi was again caught up in a blinding outpour of light, as her figure was consumed once more by the magic of the fairies. This time, the flash took slightly longer to subside, but the wait was still markedly short. As her form became clearer, the altered outline of her clothes became ever more apparent. At her waist, she had gained a new pair of loose fitting pink shorts, which reached down to just above her knees. On her torso, she now wore a short, white dress, somewhat akin to a camisole, which was pulled taut around her waist and tied together at the middle of her back. After a few seconds of recovering from the flash of light, Kairi took the opportunity to examine what had changed. After examining the dress tied around her torso, she had the fairies confirm that it was indeed the same one she wore underneath her old clothes. Once they were finished exchanging a few more pleasantries, Fauna decided it was time to wrap things up. “Alright,” she started, “we’re going to add the final layer now. This one will be the most difficult, and will likely take the longest, so I’ll need you to stand absolutely still on this one, dear.” Kairi nodded. “Of course.” The three fairies exchanged glances with one another, before Flora spoke up once again. “Alright, everyone ready? On three!” Once again, they all chanted the numbers leading up to their final spell. And once the last note was hit, they all consecutively released their own brand of vibrant energy off towards Kairi. As Flora suspected, this step took the longest out of all the others. Once the light broke out, it failed to subside for a good 30 seconds. Nothing significant, but to the fairies orchestrating the endeavor, it was a lengthy, and delicate process. Finally, the light faded, and Kairi stood upright, adorned in her newly fashioned clothing. Now present over her white camisole, Kairi wore a thin, red and silver garment that wrapped around her upper body. Like the dress beneath it, it was also joined together at the middle back by a wide array of strings, tied and pulled together. At her hips, a large piece of fabric jutted out at the back, forming a small half-skirt that left the front exposed. At the middle of her upper body, the semi-dress she wore broke off into two directions, wrapping around her shoulders, yet coming together at her upper back to tie everything up. This left the first two layers of clothing, her white dress and the strange purple fabric wrapped around her neck, exposed. Over all of that, she wore a small, pink and white jacket that failed to extend past the middle of her ribs. In addition, it curiously left Kairi’s already uncovered shoulders exposed once again, with the sleeves forming around her upper arms with the shoulders absent. Finally, she wore a pair of white and pink fingerless gloves, both incredibly reminiscent of Sora’s, yet still slightly unique in their own way. Merryweather clasped her hands together excitedly, and rushed forward to meet a startled Kairi. “Oh, you look wonderful, darling! Really, truly… Why, I can barely find the words!” Flora came up behind her, smiling in a sense of approval. “You do look rather striking, my dear.” She was joined by Fauna at her side, who chimed in with, “And to think, we actually believed we had lost our touch!” Kairi was a bit flustered at all the attention, but she appreciated their words nonetheless. Deep down, she herself really didn’t know what to think about the change. She supposed she looked a bit more battle-ready than before, but when considering her old outfit, that was almost always going to be a given. Steadily, she looked at her hands, than took a moment to glance once more at her newfound wardrobe, before finally shaking her head in dismissal. “Maybe it’s just the style around here.” She shrugged. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Yen Sid cleared his throat before the crowd of people gathered around him in the mirror chamber; Kairi, Riku, Mickey, The Fairies, and Zangan. Swiftly, they all turned their eyes towards him, as he prepared to speak. “First of all, I would like to thank you all for coming here. To Kairi and Riku, for leaving their homeland behind in order to combat the dark times that lie before us, and to all of you,” he said, motioning towards Mickey, Zangan, and the Fairies, “for giving of your own accord so that we could make it this far. Without your assistance, none of this would be possible.” “And lets us also thank both Merlin, as well as Sora, for doing the same. While they may not stand here beside us yet, their contributions deserve no less appreciation.” At his words, Kairi’s eyes widened slightly. She remembered that she had neglected to ask about Sora’s whereabouts, as well as when he would be coming back. She knew that now wasn’t the best time to ask, so she remained silent. “Now,” Yen Sid continued, “We shall begin the training of both Kairi and Master Riku, in order to prepare them for the harrowing trials that they will surely face in the days ahead. But first, I believe an explanation is in order. While I’m sure most of you are aware of how these mirrors function, it would be best if we started by giving Riku and Kairi some insight, seeing as they have no experience with this method.” Yen Sid beckoned for Kairi, as well as Zangan, to come and join him. “First of all, and undeniably the more chieftain among our priorities, we should begin Kairi’s training post-haste.” After both Kairi and Zangan were standing before him, Yen Sid turned his attention towards one of the many mirrors laid out within the room. He turned towards Kairi, and said, “As I’ve told you, there is little time. We must make every moment count, which is why you must be willing to accept every order we give you without hesitation. Now, are you ready, Kairi?” Kairi nodded, her expression unwavering. “Of course, Master. I’m determined to accomplish what I set out to do, and none of your words have nor ever will change that.” Beside Yen Sid, Zangan gave a light smile. “Ah, so you can be bold, as well.” He whispered beneath his breath. “This one may be more interesting than either of us had anticipated.” At Kairi’s words, Yen Sid nodded, and turned his head back towards the fairies. “Now, Fauna, Flora, Merryweather! It is time to open the chamber!” At his words, the Fairies all nodded in unison, and flitted over towards the mirror that Yen Sid, Kairi, and Zangan were all facing. The three of them took their places at the corners of the mirror, and with a burst of light, and a slight murmur of words, all three began channeling their energy into the reflective surface. Kairi looked on, a mixture of shock, wonderment, and intrigue all plastered upon her face simultaneously. She turned her gaze towards Yen Sid as he began to speak once again, saying, “There are many things I wish for you to know, young one.” “But the burden of knowledge is heavy, and the responsibility it carries weighs upon me especially. In time, I have faith that all of your questions will be answered. But for now, have faith in my words when I say that you do not need to hear it all from me. Much lies ahead on your path, I know it to be true. Now go, your answers await you.” At Yen Sid’s order, Zangan stepped forward. Hesitantly, yet with a slight breadth of excitement etched upon her face, Kairi moved to join him. Stopping before the ominous mirror, Kairi took one last chance to look deep within it. What she saw she could only describe as some kind of frozen star-lite night, a radiant display of far-off glittering crystals plastered on a background of brilliant red. It was calm and comforting, yet at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel intimidated by its looming, wondrous mystery. She would have loved to peer even deeper into the mirror, to see farther than its border allowed. She almost felt as if she was being drawn into it, slowly, yet surely. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a harsh jolt on her upper back, Zangan, pushing her closer. She fell forward, straight into the mirror, and in a split moment, felt the world fade. Immediately, it gave rise to a new, strange sensation that filled her with the most foreboding sense of merriment she believed it possible to feel. It was at this moment that she realized her adventure had finally begun. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ... I've gotta tell you, I was honestly thinking about scraping that entire "Kairi dress-up scene" all-together. In the end, however, I once again said "screw it" and took my creative license into play. I don't/can't know if leaving the description bare-bones and then letting you guys fill in the design for yourselves with your own imaginations would have been better, but I think you were probably going to do that anyways, so why not? Let's just go ahead with what could possibly be the most awkward scene in the entire story so far. It's not like I was going to miss that opportunity. I mean, come on. ... Anyways, now that I've posted the first part of the chapter, I'll later update this post with the second half. SO, LIKE ALWAYS, STAY TUNED FOR THE FUTURE. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I've finished the second part of chapter six. Just wanted to give you guys something before new years arrived, so here. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Kairi slowly drifted through the odd world she now found herself in, floating among a vast plane of crimson that encompassed the entirety of her vision. Suddenly and without warning, she could feel her feet making contact with the ground. At least, she thought it was the ground? The young girl honestly couldn’t be sure herself; the entire place looked to be some kind of endless expanse, comprised of the exact same image she saw reflected in the mirror earlier. Kairi still found it beautiful, but right now her attention was drawn more towards what the mysterious place actually was. Kairi looked down below her feet, and she saw much of the same. Kairi glanced around once more, and in every direction, it seemed as though the crimson background extended onwards to infinity. There was neither break nor outline within it; there was no floor for her to stand upon. Yet she could clearly feel a foundation beneath her feet, an invisible plane that separated her from the vast below. Suddenly, Kairi felt a great pressure on her back. Without warning she had been pushed forward by some kind of unseen force, and brought face first with the floor of the strange world. Suddenly, she heard a commanding voice resound within her mind, which she instantly recognized as Zangan. “We’ll begin with a few tests of your endurance and strength-building. 30 push-ups.” “H-hold on!” Kairi called out beneath her breath, “What is this place, and… Where are you?” “That can come later, or I can explain while you work. In any case, we won’t get anywhere if you just lay there.” Remembering her promise to Yen Sid, Kairi reluctantly started pushing herself up from the ground repeatedly, all the while muttering, “Okay… Can you tell me what this place is now?” Once again, the voice resounded within her head. “There’s no need to speak. It wastes both energy and breath. All you need to do from now on is think your questions, and then desire for me to hear them.” Kairi nodded slightly, and continued her regimen as the voice picked up with, “Now, to answer your first question, this is a specially designed pocket world. Under most circumstances, it does not exist. However, when supplied with the correct kind of energy, it will take form, and we may shape it to our liking. At the moment, we possess six mirrors. All were designed by an elder master long ago, the senior of even our esteemed Yen Sid.” Suddenly, Kairi collapsed onto the ground in a heap. “19…” She muttered, out of breath, “That’s… all I can do…” Before she could waste even a moment resting on the ground, she was forced up to her feet. “That will be enough. Now run as fast as you can in that direction. Do not stop until I tell you to do so.” Still determined, Kairi nodded her head and continued onward. While sprinting forward, she posed Zangan the question of, “Wait, if you can control any element of these mirrors, does that mean anything is possible within them?” “No. Like the outside worlds you’ve seen, they also function by a set of rules. Each mirror has a different set of limitations, all designed for a specific purpose. It is quite literally impossible to create a world where anything can be possible.” “So, what are the limitations of this mirror?” Kairi asked. “This is known as the mirror of Valor. Its environment is designed for the training I’m subjecting you to. I’ll elaborate more on that later, but for now, you should be aware of how time functions within this mirror when compared to the outer world.” “You see, these realms are temporally flexible. We can shift and manipulate the flow of time here to better suit our needs. A single moment in the real world could translate into an entire hour within this world.” “But, wait.” Kairi said, “That can’t mean you can keep this mirror open for days on end, and get months of work done in that time, can it? That seems a tad too good to be true, if you ask me.” “You are correct. The greatest down side to the mirrors is that they all require substantial amounts of energy to maintain. When taking into account that all of the fairies are keeping this one open, I would say that, at the most, we have around two minutes before they run out of stamina and need to close the chamber. Realistically speaking, that will give us about five days within this world.” “Five days…” Kairi muttered to herself, “Will that be enough time to get everything done?” “Of course not. There is an unfathomable amount of material I have to work with. Just the physical aspect of wielding the Keyblade has the potential to fill years of effort. What I will teach you is a grossly abridged version. You will not receive anywhere near the same benefit, but at the same time, neither have the others.” “Who are the others?” Kairi panted. “Are you talking about Sora and Riku?” “They’ve never used the mirrors. More likely, I was referring to a young man who we trained before you arrived here. Of course, that’s behind us all, and none of it should matter to you now.” Kairi gasped for breath as her pace began to slow. Finally, she decided she could run no farther. At a loss for air, she halted abruptly and collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. “I’m sorry… That’s as far as I can go. Forgive me, I’ve never been the most athletic out of our group, or, of anyone, for that matter…” “That does not matter. I am well aware of your physical limitations, and they do not matter. Your strength will not come from any kind of power that crude, simple exercise can give you. Rather, this was little more than a warm up.” Kairi’s attention was suddenly caught by the appearance of a large burst of light not far from where she rested. Slowly, it took shape as a large and complex series of objects, and what appeared to be some odd kind of obstacles. “I will allow you to rest for now. Within the next 5 minutes, you will continue.” As Zangan said, Kairi took a moment to catch her breath and recompose her thoughts. She was still curious as to where exactly Zangan was, so she decided to continue from there. “I asked you where you were earlier. Could you please tell me now?” “Very well. Much like you, I have also entered the mirror. However, I have been given special privileges over this world; I have control over many of its rules and preside over what can be brought into it. In many ways, I have been appointed as the “master” of this realm. You simply cannot see me because I have deigned my presence a distraction, and will not allow you to see where I am.” “Yeah,” Kairi thought, “and as if this booming voice in my head wasn’t a distraction…” “I heard that.” Kairi jolted up straighter than usual, her expression both surprised and slightly flustered. “Oh, um, sorry about that.” She stammered, “I guess I’m just feeling a bit frustrated right now.” “It would be best to learn how to guard your thoughts from others. Such powers are not beyond the understanding of Xehanort and his colleagues. I recommend you inquire Merlin of it when he arrives, that field is one of his specialties.” “Who’s Merlin?” Kairi asked. “I know the Master mentioned him before, but I don’t think I’ve ever met him.” “I believe you have, once, long ago. He’s mentioned meeting you before, so I suppose he just didn’t leave much of an impression on you. As impossible as that sounds.” “In any case, he is a wizard that we’ve associated with many times before. He was here not long ago, but briefly had to return to Radiant Garden. Yen Sid believes he should return shortly.” Kairi nodded, her mind suddenly pre-occupied with thoughts of her home-world. Casting aside the sentiments for now, she rose from her place, and said, “Alright, I believe I’m ready to continue.” “Then walk towards the training grounds I’ve established for you. We will continue from there.” __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Riku watched as Zangan pushed Kairi into the mirror. He instinctively reached out in concern, but managed to pull himself back. Silently, he watched as Zangan continued to leap through the portal himself. Suddenly, Yen Sid turned towards him, and in an urgent tone, said, “Now, Riku, it is time for your training to begin as well.” Yen Sid glanced over at Mickey, who nodded as if receiving some kind of voiceless order. Swiftly, Mickey dashed over towards Riku, and grabbed him by the arm. “We don’t have much time, Riku!” He said, “We need to be finished with the Anti-Mirror before Kairi’s training is complete!” Riku looked confused. “What are you talking about…?” He asked, before being ushered over towards a mirror adjacent to the one Kairi had entered. Mickey spoke up once again, as Yen Sid came up beside them. “I’ll tell ya’ later!” Said Mickey, “Right now, we’ve gotta get in here!” Yen Sid formed a turbulent ball of energy within the clasp of his hands, and wasted no time in connecting it with the mirror Mickey and Riku stood before. Yen Sid’s energy formed a stream between the two, and Riku actually had to move to cover his face from the violent clash brewing between them. Yen Sid looked over towards Riku and Mickey, his voice and expression strained, “Go!” he said, “I can only keep the mirror open for so long, and you are wasting precious time!” Mickey nodded once again, and turned Riku’s attention towards the mirror. He peered into its reflective surface, and saw that it looked nothing like the one Kairi entered. It almost seemed to exude a harmful nature, its every corner filled with a deep, treacherous, black fog, that felt… Riku’s thoughts were brought to a halt as Mickey leaped forward into the mirror, his momentum pulling them both in. Riku was suddenly hit with a harrowing chill of wind that forced his eyes shut, and filled his heart with dread. Yet at the same time, he felt as though it wrought his body to life, giving him a sense of exhilaration and awareness. Riku’s heart lurched as he began to fall through the darkness that now surrounded him, as the light of the world was stolen away and replaced by the harsh brutality of a realm clad in shadows. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Kairi ran towards the large collection of structures, as Zangan’s voice continued to resound throughout her head. “I would advise starting with those ring structures over there. Summon your Keyblade, and attempt to hit them all within a five-second time frame.” Kairi nodded, and ran towards the landmark he described. Swiftly calling her Keyblade, she drew it back and prepared to strike at the suspended rings. “While you’re busy with that, I’ll take this opportunity to explain what purpose this all serves.” Kairi jumped up, and brought her Keyblade crashing down on the first of the rings. As the next one came floating towards her, she readied another back-stroke in anticipation. “Is now the best time, though? Shouldn’t I focus all of my attention on the training itself?” “That’s a good point, but it does not apply here. The idea is for you to know these strikes so fluently, that they become instinctual. Over time, you won’t need to focus in order to competently attack these targets. Think of this as a way of grooming you for that goal.” Kairi struck at the fast approaching ring, knocking it back, and consequently sending another one barreling forward. “All right, if that’s what you say.” “Now, allow me to return to the matter at hand. First of all, I will pose the question; do you know what a heart is?” “A heart? I… I suppose so. I mean, I’ve seen them before, and Sora’s told me…” “That’s not what I’m talking about. The heart is more than a wellspring of emotion. Ansem The Wise once believed that they were sources of great power. Do you know why?” “No… I don’t. Not at all. In fact, I don’t really know much about them at all. I don’t know where they come from, nor do I know what other purposes they serve.” “You are not the first to carry those sentiments. I’ve no doubt that Ansem himself once held thoughts much the same. He reached out to other worlds, and spent his life caught in nothing more than research regarding the heart and its processes. Fortunately, not all of that effort was wasted with his demise. Yen Sid, as well as Master Mickey, have archived a great deal of his research. And now, in order to properly understand your own power, you must learn the truth behind the heart as well.” “Now, I’ll begin by telling you that the heart is not actually the centerpiece of your existence. It is essential, of course, and it is indeed a source of great power, but there are many factors that all play important parts on par with the heart. The first of those would be the soul.” “All living things possess a soul. They are you. They are who you are. You are born with them, and they define who you will be as a person. All things that you feel and think, they are merely reflections of what was first felt within. If there is a centerpiece of the body, then it is the soul, not the heart.” “The second piece is the heart. In essence, it is the physical manifestation of your soul. It is the purest energy you have to give, and can be seen as the power radiated by your own soul. It is the centerpiece for all energy flow within your body. Without it, the energy most often cannot flow normally, and the body collapses. It is built upon by your memories and emotions, yet unlike the soul, can be destroyed or taken. But in return, it can also be rebuilt, nurtured, and born anew.” “The third piece is the mind. The mind is your will, and it is inherently linked with your soul. In this way, the mind also acts as a kind of vault. All memories are born in the soul, but the soul cannot keep them. You must continue to experience new things, and those experiences will cause you to forget other memories and cast them aside. The mind is what stores these memories. It is what allows you to think, learn, experience, and remember.” “The final piece unites all of the others, and is known as the body. Like the heart, the body can be destroyed. However, do not take this to mean that the pieces it houses are dependent upon it. You can destroy the body, but the heart will live on. You can corrupt the body, yet the mind will resist. Just as all of the parts rely upon one another, so does the body rely upon them.” Kairi yet again prepared another strike as the next ring came barreling towards her. As she struck the hanging objects and listened to Zangan’s explanation, she noticed that her attacks were in fact growing easier to perform. Kairi had honestly lost track of how long she had been attacking the rings, but strangely, she also could not recall ever growing anymore tired since she had begun. “Okay,” She thought, But why are you telling me this? What does any of it have to do with my training?” “For one, knowing such things is a utility most Keyblade Wielders should possess. Throughout your training, you’ll learn many things that build upon these concepts. Overall, it is simply another piece of your education that will bring you closer to understanding the Keyblade.” “Are you saying that there’s more you want to teach me that builds on this?” Kairi asked. “Of course. I told you that the idea was to help you understand your own power, and I intend to explain it to you now.” Suddenly, the large construct of floating rings that stood before Kairi vanished. She forced herself to stop mid-swing, and upon doing so found herself alone amongst the vast crimson void. Without warning, she felt her Keyblade forced away. Surprised, she attempted to summon it once again, but found herself unable to do so. “For now, let us focus on the heart, and its connection to your own strength. Tell me, have you ever wondered how your friends could perform such impressive feats of strength as they do? Have you ever found yourself curious as to how possession of the Keyblade gives them such capabilities? “Now that you mention it,” Kairi said, “I was always wondering how those two could be so strong. They never let me spar against them on the Island, but whenever they did fight, I could tell they were on a whole different level than anyone else I had ever seen before.” “Indeed, Keyblade Wielders have far greater physical prowess than normal people. However, this does not specifically stem from the Keyblade itself. For those who possess a Keyblade, the might of the body only goes so far. A vast majority of their strength is derived from another source, the energy you yourself possess.” “What’s energy?” Kairi asked, “Is it some kind of magic source?” “That is one usage, yes. But its capabilities go far beyond that. The flow of energy throughout your body is what makes you strong. The greater and purer the flow, the stronger you are. And that potential is gleamed by your heart.” “The heart?” Kairi said, as she placed a hand over her own. “What does that have to do with my energy?” “Do you remember what I said about the heart? It is the purest form of energy you have to give. In a way, it is also the centerpiece of all the energy within your body. By understanding the strength of your heart, you can grasp the true potential of all your body’s energy.” Kairi started, a look of realization dawning upon her face. “Wait, is that why Keyblade wielders are stronger than normal people? Because their hearts need to be stronger in order to wield a Keyblade?” “Yes, exactly. In a sense, the Keyblade is an extension of the heart. The two are intrinsically linked, only those with powerful hearts may manifest one.” Kairi gave a wide smile. “And the stronger the heart, the more powerful our energy is!” “Indeed. That is the basis of this training. So far, your energy has stagnated as a result of disuse. In order to realize your true potential, it must be made to flow correctly once again.” Suddenly, several large spheres of light appeared around Kairi. She looked around at them in a panic, and attempted once again to summon her Keyblade. However, like before, she failed. “Think of your energy much like your Keyblade, as an extension of yourself. By utilizing it in such mundane attacks as a simple punch, you can turn even the most pathetic strike into a blow of devastation. The enemies before you will not be harmed by simple physical damage. You must destroy them using nothing more than the power at your disposal, bar the Keyblade, as well as magic.” Still in a panic, Kairi tried to compose herself as the balls of light began to close in. Taking as strong a stance as she could manage, she girded herself before the oncoming threat. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Riku glanced around at the dark haze he found himself in. In every direction, as far as he could see, there appeared to be nothing but a deep fog of twisting shadows and deep-night pallets. From where he stood, it didn’t seem to be a regular kind of darkness, however. To test the visibility, Riku raised a hand before his face. For some odd reason, it seemed as though the impenetrable darkness was unable to touch him, making him feel like the only bastion of light in a vast plain of shadows. Riku turned to look for Mickey, but his eyes were unable to penetrate the deep veil that surrounded him. “Mickey!?” he called out, “Where are you? What is this place? Why am I here?” Riku stopped, as he heard a small voice ringing in his ears the moment he began to speak. “Don’t worry yourself, Riku. If everything works out, you’ll know everything you need to by the time we’re done.” __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Kairi swerved to her right, throwing her entire weight away just in time to avoid a stream of light aimed at where she once stood. Kairi clumsily rolled to her feet, yet stood at the ready before her numerous attackers. Panting in exhaustion, she barely managed to evade yet another strike from a sphere farther away. Kairi knelt on the ground, struggling to catch her breath. She knew this wasn’t going to get her anywhere, but no matter how hard she tried, none of her attacks were able to connect. The ethereal globes may as well have been balls of air. Every time she struck, she felt as though she was striking at the wind. Suddenly, this thought gave Kairi an idea. She sensed a wave of energy aimed at her direction, yet managed to evade it once more, just in time. Swiftly, she turned to face her attackers, and stood up straight once again. “Remember, Kairi.” She thought to herself, “This all has to be about willpower. There can’t be any other way to bring out my energy, not after all of the attacks I’ve made. Somehow, I need to will my energy to strike them, but even when I try that, it won’t work… There has to be something I’m missing, then.” Kairi looked down at her open palm. Forcing all her concentration upon it, she tried once again to summon her Keyblade. However, this time, rather than envisioning her Keyblade, she instead pictured the enemy she faced. Before she could, though, another beam of light suddenly came careening towards her. Kairi once again ducked to the side, managing to dodge it. She knelt on one knee, and again attempted to focus all her attention on creating some kind of weapon. As she continued to imagine the ball of light within her hand, she gradually began to notice a strange invigoration well up her arm. She felt an odd sense of warmth and comfort, as the mysterious force began to surface within her palm. Surprised, Kairi struggled to channel the energy throughout her hand. Feeling its presence spread, she cautiously balled her hand into a fist. With a new found look of determination on her face, she readily charged at the numerous spheres of light surrounding her. The first one fired off a lightning fast bolt of light at her as she approached, barely grazing her shoulder. Undeterred, Kairi leapt forward and brought her clenched hand crashing into the ball of energy. With a gentle pop, the sphere vanished like a delicate bubble. Without taking a moment’s rest, Kairi moved to dodge the other orbs’ attacks. In retaliation, she burst through once again, placing her weight into every hit as she continued to shatter the spheres. And whenever the energy within her palm began to weaken, she simply forced more of her strength into it and continued on. Finally, Kairi struck down the final sphere. With a yell, she brought her hand crashing down upon it, causing the orb to burst into numerous fragments of light. Slowly, Kairi took a deep breath, and dismissed the energy within her hand as she stood up straight once more. “Excellent work.” Kairi offered a light smile. “Thank you.” She said, “Although, I’m still not entirely sure what I did.” “I can assume you summoned that energy by envisioning it in the same way you did your Keyblade. Is that correct?” “Yeah, but it felt different, somehow.” Kairi replied. “It felt like I was summoning my Keyblade, but at the same time, I wasn’t really trying to summon the Keyblade. If that makes any sense.” “What did you envision during the process of calling forth your energy?” Kairi placed a hand below her chin, in a pensive look. “Well,” she started, “I think it was those balls of light you made me fight.” “Yes, that would make sense. Those spheres are nothing more than simple constructs crafted from Light Energy and made to do their master’s bidding. It would be entirely possible you thought of them in the same way, as masses of power. If that’s true, then it would make sense your own Light Energy reacted to the thought of them.” “Wait, Light Energy?” Kairi said. “You mean there’s more than one kind of energy?” “Don’t get ahead of yourself. What I’ve told you regarding energy is all that I intend to tell you for the remainder of your time here. Now, we will continue by attempting to hone the energy you have now awakened.” Suddenly, another large group of training structures appeared a ways away from Kairi. She sighed in exhaustion and slight protest at the sight. “This is going to be a really long day, isn’t it?” “Yes.” __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Looks like we all had to settle for a new years miracle. Unfortunately, not even that could bring out the entire chapter. Truly, this is a force to be reckoned with. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This is going to be a really long day? I'm afraid you might be underestimating the might of the 6th chapter. I honestly don't know what to say. There's something about me and putting off really long chapters. Even though I tried to break this one into smaller, more manageable pieces, it wasn't enough. It STILL took as long as homecoming. Yeah, it's just as long as that chapter now that it's complete, but I don't think that's justification. If I was really committed, I believe I could have had it done in 2 weeks. Instead, it wound up taking months. It's getting to the point where I'm beginning to fear I have commitment issues. I mean, I still intend on continuing with the story, but I honestly have no idea how long it's going to take. Even a monthly update schedule isn't good enough for me. I'm not going to stop or anything, I just need to pull some more motivation for myself. I'm not sure how to do this, but I'll certainly give it a try. If any of you have any suggestions, I would ask that you please offer them up. Now, without further ado(AKA 3-MONTH WAITS) I present to you the final chapter of chapter 6 of the Apocalypse Key. SIX AND TIRED OF YOUR EXCUSES IS MORE LIKE IT __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sora stretched out his neck upon exiting the portal from Traverse Town, casually rolling his shoulders back and forth as his eyes adjusted to the world he found himself in. After the pathway of light behind him closed shut, he took the opportunity to scan the tower, and the surrounding locals. “Huh, that’s weird…” He thought. “Donald and Goofy said they would be waiting for me when I got back… I wonder where they wandered off to?” Sora shrugged it off, though, and began walking towards the tower’s entrance. “Master Yen Sid probably just needed them for something. Guess I can’t expect everyone to wait up…” Sora started to open the tower’s front doorway, when suddenly, his attention was drawn away by a vibrant spark of blue radiating from far behind him. Curious and caught off-guard, Sora turned to examine the mysterious light, only to be pushed aside violently by a swift gust of wind. “What the…?” Sora muttered, as he struggled to keep his footing. Confused, he glanced around the outside of the tower, searching for some kind of culprit. It was only then that he noticed, a short old man clad in a blue colored robe, dashing towards the tower in a panic. Sora arched his eyebrows in disbelief. “Merlin…?” He muttered audibly. The old man turned his head towards Sora in response, and slowed his pace slightly. “Ah, sorry about that, Sora!” He exclaimed. “But I’m afraid I don’t have the time to be as courteous, at the moment! Again, I beg your pardon, as I really must get back post-haste!” At his last word, Merlin suddenly shot forward with an incredible burst of speed. He passed through the set of doors Sora had opened with ease, as he rapidly escalated up the stairs of the tower. Sora looked on in both silent shock, and quiet confusion. He blinked his eyes rapidly, and then shook his head in disbelief. “Well,” he began, “guess that’s my cue to head up, too.” Wordlessly, he stood, and slowly walked towards the tower’s open doors. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Kairi took her opportunity to glance around at the newfound environment. As opposed to the Mirror of Valor, the one she found herself in now was defined by an ever-present tone of blue. It matched the other mirror almost to a tee in terms of looks; it still maintained the vast, cosmic-like expanse of light and color, and retained its invisible floor-like surface that consistently found its way beneath Kairi’s feet. After her training in the other mirror had been completed, Kairi had found herself back in the real world, as she was hurried along towards the next mirror. This time, instead of Zangan, she was ushered in by the three fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Supposedly, Merlin was the one who was supposed to keep the mirror open for them. However, as he hadn’t returned by the time Kairi entered, Zangan was forced to assist Yen Sid in keeping it open, using his energy. Unfortunately, as he confirmed with the four that he never had much experience with magic, it’s unlikely that they’d be able to hold out for very long. “So, how do you like it?” A voice resounded from behind Kairi. Caught completely off-guard, she turned on her heel in panic and alarm, only to be met with the startled faces of the three fairies. “Oh, my!” Merryweather exclaimed, as Flora continued on for her, “I-I’m terribly sorry, we didn’t mean to frighten you!” After noticing them, Kairi breathed a sigh of relief, and relaxed. “No, it’s fine.” She replied. “I was just a little but surprised, is all. You see, in the mirror before this one, Zangan never showed up in person. I guess I just wasn’t used to seeing someone else in here with me.” “Oh, yes.” Fauna began. “That sounds very much like him, so impersonal, always trying to be distant for the sake of others. In fact, it reminds me of someone we met a long time ago.” Kairi lifted her eyebrow in a questioning glance. “Oh, really? Who was that, if you don’t mind me asking?” She inquired innocently. Flora casually swatted the question away. “Oh, you wouldn’t know him. His name was Noxus, an old acquaintance of Yen Sid. But that was so very long ago, and we haven’t heard anything about him since.” She answered. Kairi shrugged, “Alright, if you say so.” Merryweather clapped her hands together audibly. “Well then,” she started. “Shall we get down to business then?” Fauna followed suit. “Oh, yes!” she said, “I can’t wait to! Do tell, dear,” she motioned to Kairi, “are you prepared?” Flora continued from there. “Yes, we have quite a bit of material to cover. In truth, I’m afraid you’re in for quite a lengthy lecture.” Kairi giggled slightly at their comments. “Of course, that’s fine.” She replied. “It’s not like I’m not used to it, after what Master Zangan had me listen to.” “Alright, let’s get started, then!” Flora stated, a bit extravagantly. “First off, we’ll begin by explaining my field, Red magic!” Flora nodded at her two acquaintances, who returned the gesture. Slowly, they began to fade away, undeniably hiding themselves, just as Zangan did. “Now,” Flora began, as Kairi looked on intently, “as I’m sure you’ve guessed, this is the mirror opposite the one you were in last. It’s called the Mirror of Wisdom, and focuses on the principles of magic.” Kairi nodded, a well of excitement brewing within her heart. Magic had always been her favorite aspect of wielding the Keyblade, and the fact that she would finally be learning how to properly control it excited her to no end. “First off, I should firmly establish a solid definition of what magic actually is.” Flora continued. “Magic, in essence, is the manipulation of the energy around us to perform remarkable feats. For the sake of organization, the art of using magic is separated into three different schools.” Flora turned, and with a wave of her hand, called forth a massive, all-consuming sphere of crimson light, as Kairi looked on in wonder. “The first of those schools is Red magic, which is the one I follow, and the one I’d guess is the kind you’re most familiar with.” Flora continued. “Red magic is defined as the act of exerting our influence over the thirteen natural elements, for our own personal means. Those natural elements which comprise the entire world are Light, Darkness, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Lightning, Ice, Plant, Gravity, Space, Time, and Magnetism.” She spoke, with the sphere before her shifting and changing to correspond with every element she introduced. “Yeah, I remember Master Zangan mentioning something about different kinds of energy.” Kairi spoke up. “So, you mean there are thirteen kinds, and they all have their own corresponding element?” Flora nodded, a smile finding its way upon her face. Apparently, she was just as happy to discuss the subject as Kairi. “Yes, that’s exactly right. I’m sure Zangan also told you about the nature of the heart, as well?” She asked. Kairi nodded in response. “Yes, it’s comprised of energy, right?” Flora nodded in response, and continued with, “That’s right, the purest energy you have. However, there’s another side to that power. You see, hearts also have their own corresponding elements, as well.” Kairi’s eyes widened. “So, you’re saying that every heart has its own element, out of thirteen different ones? How is the element determined, then?” Kairi asked. “Well,” Flora began. “to be frank, it really all depends on the kind of person. The heart’s element takes form in response to the emotions that a person portrays most dominantly. You see, each element has its own corresponding emotion. As a princess of heart, the element of your heart is predetermined. As I’m sure you could guess, all of the princesses have light as their element, naturally.” Kairi nodded. “Okay, but what about the other elements?” She asked in return. “What are all the other emotions you talked about?” Flora laughed slightly at Kairi’s eagerness, then replied, “Oh, I’m sure you’ll find that out for yourself. After all, you seem quite interested in the art of magic, such perception should come naturally to you, in time. And with all the different kinds of people you’re sure to meet out on your journey, I feel confident in saying that you’ll be witness to all different kinds of personalities and their own special brands of magic!” Kairi grinned excitedly. “Alright,” she said, “But how do I actually use it? I’ve been going off of what Sora and Riku taught me for so long, and I’m afraid I’d be doing it wrong if I tried any now.” Flora offered a nod of agreement, before continuing with, “Yes, I suppose I’ve kept you busy with my lectures long enough. Now, let us move onto the core of the learning experience, actual energy manipulation.” Kairi nodded, now full of verve, despite her relentless training under the command of Zangan not long ago. “Okay, I think I have a little bit of experience with this.” She said to Flora, as the fairy drifted down to Kairi’s side. “Master Zangan walked me through a little bit about energy before I came here… How did it go again…?” Kairi trailed off, as she lifted her hand in an attempt to replicate what she experienced fighting Zangan’s machinations. However, her thoughts were cut short by Flora, placing her hand upon Kairi’s outstretched arm. “My dear,” She said, “No doubt, what you’ve dealt with so far isn’t much like what I’m trying to teach you. “ Kairi looked confused, to which, Flora responded by continuing, “What Zangan taught you was most likely the bare basics of the school of blue magic, which is the manipulation of the energy within ourselves.” Kairi cocked her head slightly, yet nodded in response. “Yeah,” she said, “It made me a whole lot stronger. I became faster, more agile, and overall more powerful whenever I used it. Are you saying that’s blue magic?” Flora nodded. “Yes, and I’m afraid it isn’t what we’re covering today. You see, red magic focuses on controlling the elements to obtain a desired effect; it has much less to do with the focus on energy that’s within the body, like blue magic does. Red magic relies much more on the process of controlling and projecting energy, rather than the energy itself.” “Okay,” Kairi said, nodding slightly in added affirmation. “So, how do I use red magic, then?” Flora smiled at her. “I’m sure you have before, you just don’t know how you did it. You said you’d used magic previously, but have you ever really guessed about where it comes from?” Kairi looked up and away, briefly letting herself get lost in thought. “I can’t say, it’s definitely something I’ve wondered about, but I never really thought up an answer for where it came from.” She said. Flora took Kairi by the hand, slowly drifting beside her. Calmly, she said, “Close your eyes, and relax. Listen to what I say, and try to envision what I tell you.” Kairi offered a questioning glance, yet showed no other hesitation. She steadily shut her eyes, and began to calm herself. Suddenly, Kairi felt as though something had changed, as though she was no longer located within the same world as she was a moment ago. Instead, she felt like the blackness she saw with her eyes shut, was her world. It felt as though the darkness was a vast canvas, blank and consuming, simply waiting for something to be painted. Far off, like a distant memory, Kairi recognized Flora’s words calling out into her void. “Now, I want you to imagine a something warm. A fire, a light, even the embrace of someone you love. Let it fill your mind, as if you could almost see it in front of you.” Kairi heeded the faint words, and as she did so, she saw wisps of red imprint upon the fabric of the darkness, almost like the imprint of light upon her eyelids. However, this was different. She could see the evanescent wisps as clearly as she desired, they seemed so real, it felt as though she could reach out and touch them. “Now,” the voice beckoned once more, “I want you to take the red lines into your hand.” Kairi was skeptical, yet regardless, she raised her hand up towards the red streams, almost as if guided by some unseen force. Slowly, steadily, she reached her hand out, and took hold of the closest hint of red. Suddenly, an overwhelming heat surged through her arm, as every stream that floated around zipped into her hand. Kairi’s eyes shot open in alarm, just in time to bear witness to burst of flame shoot forward from the palm of her hand. Flora, who was still holding onto Kairi’s arm, jolted back in shock. The force of the expulsion even managed to push Kairi back a few feet, as the ball of fire she launched continued forward. Slowly, it vanished into the abyss, as parts of its flame died out and were consumed by the surrounding energy. Kairi huffed in taxation, her eyes opened wide in shock. Flora flew in near her, brushing soot off of her dress. While she certainly didn’t look ecstatic, there was an undeniable tint of pride in her eyes. “Well, I certainly can’t say I was expecting that big of a response.” Kairi still looked stunned, yet managed to turn her head towards Flora. “What… What was that? What just happened?” She exclaimed, turning her hand over to examine it for anything strange. Flora turned Kairi’s attention towards her before she explained, “Kairi, my dear, you just reshaped the element of fire into a fire ball.” Kairi still looked stunned. “How did I do that?” She asked. In response, Flora proceeded to motion towards the vast expanse of swirling blue that surrounded them both. “This place is special, Kairi.” She answered. “The make-up of this world is a heavy concentration of energy; a mix of all thirteen different elements, in their purest forms. In the real world, you’d be able to find the elements in their ethereal states as well, but not as easily here.” She turned back towards Kairi. “What you did was locate a trifle amount of fire energy within this vortex, reach out to it, and channel it through your arm as a minor spell. That is the essence of red magic; that is the basis of manipulating energy that exists outside of your body.” Kairi opened her hand and held it out in front of her face, gazing fixated upon its surface. Her arm still shook slightly from the surge of energy, so she tried her best to stifle the shivering. She placed another hand upon her forearm, closed her eyes, and tried as hard as she could to calm herself. Meanwhile, Flora floated nearer to her, and placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder. “It’s okay, dear.” She said. Kairi opened her eyes and turned towards the fairy, who smiled lightly at her. “Take your time, the last thing we want is for you to rush yourself.” Kairi looked back at her hand, as her expression turned stalwart. She clung once again to her arm, saying, “No, I’m ready.” Slowly, but surely, the shaking in her arm subsided. She looked back at Flora, and said, “I can continue. Please, tell me more.” If Flora was surprised by Kairi’s conviction, she certainly didn’t show it. Rather, she smiled calmly at her ward, and replied to her with, “Yes, of course. Now then, let’s move on.” Flora took Kairi by the hand once more, and urged the hesitant young girl forward. Looking back, Flora spoke to her, a warm smile upon her face. “We have a lot to show you, my dear.” __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Zangan looked Merlin up and down. The exhausted wizard was doubled over, barely able to catch his breath after his tedious sprint up the expansive tower. His face had a look of guilt and genuine apology, yet in spite of the man’s feeble appearance, Zangan wasn’t particularly in the mood for letting him off easily. “You’re late.” He grumbled. “I don’t know what exactly you were up to over in Radiant Garden, but I’m sure you’d agree this commitment of yours should have held greater precedence.” “Ah, yes… Well, I…” Merlin mumbled still trying to catch his breath, all the while with Zangan peering at him, unfazed. Finally, Merlin stood prostrate as he could manage, before slowly answering, “You see, I was unfortunately held up by some… unforeseen consequences. Terribly sorry for being late, but as I’m sure you can understand, it was only by powers beyond my control!” Zangan shook his head, exasperated. “And what exactly was so important that you had to stay, against Yen Sid’s request that you return immediately?” At Zangan’s question, Merlin simply swatted the inquiry away. “Oh, never mind that.” He replied. “Nothing that concerns any of us, all you need to know is that the situation is in perfectly capable hands now.” Merlin passed Zangan, who still stood before the valor mirror. His stalwart expression hiding his inner exhaustion after so much time spent within the mirror’s surface. He walked up beside Merlin, who now stood before the mirror of wisdom. Cautiously, Merlin peered into its depths, trying to spot something of use, yet still making an attempt to stay as far away as possible. “Hmm…” He muttered. “Yes, it looks as though this one has some talent for the arts! I would be glad to help in any way I could.” Zangan turned Merlin’s attention towards Yen Sid, who stood between the Wisdom mirror and the Anti-Mirror at the other end of the room, two solid streams of energy flowing from his hands, his eyes forced shut in concentration, as he struggled to keep both portals open. “Perhaps you could begin by lessening his burden.” Zangan said. Merlin jolted at the sight, and hastily nodded his head. “Ah, yes, o-of course!” Quickly, he reached forward and cautiously took hold of the energy formulated within Yen Sid’s hand, the brand which led to the Mirror of Wisdom. Merlin’s already drained expression contorted into one of even greater taxation, as he began holding the portal open. Meanwhile, Zangan walked up beside him. “You understand what is required of you today, correct?” Merlin was unable to avert his attention away from the mirror, yet he still managed to reply, “Well… Would it be so much to ask that… you… help, jog my memory…?” Zangan nodded, and then responded, glancing over at the mirror, “It’s been about a minute and a half since they entered that chamber, so I presume they’re nearly finished. Once they emerge, you’ll take her to the third mirror. The fairies are the only ones who can keep it open at the moment, as I’m afraid Yen Sid is too drained to assist us any longer. However, they’re sure to be exhausted as well, considering everything they’ve done so far. Even if I lend them some of my own energy, as I did with Yen Sid, I can’t guarantee you’ll get more than a few moments from us. Whatever you need to teach this one, make it fast.” Merlin struggled to nod in acknowledgment, still trying to focus as heavily as he could on the mirror. Suddenly, he smiled lightly, and then said, “Ah, wonderful timing, my boy! It seems as though they’re nearly finished. Alright then, let’s wrap this up, shall we?” __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Yen Sid doubled over in exhaustion, swiftly, Zangan went to hold him up. The old master had a look of strain etched upon his face, unusual and off-putting given his respectable and stoic stature. As he struggled to catch his breath, Zangan asked of him, slightly concerned, “Are you well, old friend?” Yen Sid muttered quietly in response, “It would seem… These old bones have little left to be proud of… but their age…” Slowly and cautiously, Yen Sid turned his head back towards the fairies, who lingered behind him at the third mirror in the room, struggling to keep it open just a little longer for Kairi and Merlin to wrap up their training. “They should be done shortly…” Yen Sid muttered, “and I imagine both Mickey and Riku are already on their way, as well.” Yen Sid turned his attention back towards the entrance-way to the chamber. “Zangan, if you would be so kind, could you help me back to my seat?” Zangan nodded in response. “Of course.” At that moment, the fairies collapsed in fatigue, and as a consequence, the mirror they were channeling their energies into lost its glow, and turned dull. Flora spoke up on all of their behalf, between strained breaths, “I’m afraid that’s as far as we go, as well… We can no longer keep the chambers open. Both Merlin and Kairi have been forced out of their realm, they should arrive soon.” Yen Sid briefly took a moment to glance back at Flora. “Excellent, then we are nearly finished. Please inform Mickey, once he arrives, to meet me within the observatory… There are some matters I feel we need to discuss. Once Merlin returns, feel free to come join us. Riku and Kairi have less experience travelling between these realms… They may take a bit more time to emerge from their portals.” Flora nodded at Yen Sid, and replied, “Should we wait for them, guide them back towards your room?” Yen Sid shook his head. “No, you all need your rest. After such taxation, it would be foolish to ask even the most mundane tasks of any of you.” After saying this, Yen Sid turned his gaze towards Zangan, who still struggled to keep the both of them standing. “Forgive me of asking this of you, especially, Zangan.” In response, Zangan merely shook his head, and began walking forward, towards the exit-way of the chamber. “Don’t be. I’ve always had to carry the weight of others, but only because I choose to. It’s no shame to fall short, so long as you have someone willing to hold you up.” Yen Sid chuckled slightly at the man’s words. “You always spoke the most brutal words of us. I’m glad you, at the very least, still hold on to who you are.” Zangan fell into silence. And in silence, they both remained, as the two men staggered through the exit-way and into the next room. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Kairi stepped out of the final mirror. Being back on normal ground felt so strange to her, almost as if it had changed somehow, instead of her. Steps that once seemed so heavy were now like walking on air, and her arms almost felt as though they were branches, flowing in the wind. As Kairi moved through the room, she could feel the surrounding energy flow around her. She was blind to it before, yet now, if she closed her eyes, she could see clearly. She could see everything she was missing. Kairi wondered to herself if this is what Sora and Riku felt like. She couldn’t speak for them, but the experience of wielding the Keyblade like this had so far made her feel so distant to the people on the islands. Kairi felt almost guilty being able to see and feel so much more without them ever having the chance to know the same; it made her feel different from them. Which, in a sense, she was. Kairi’s train of thought was interrupted by a steady hand, placed upon her shoulder. Kairi turned her eyes towards the source, and was met with Riku’s face, smiling back at her. Kairi couldn’t explain why, but she felt as though he seemed different, too. His eyes were much calmer, yet for some reason, he still seemed as stoic as ever. “Riku…”She muttered. “You… Look different.” Riku chuckled slightly at her words, and replied with, “I could say the same to you. But I suppose it makes sense, considering we’ve both been through some pretty similar circumstances.” Kairi looked confused. “What, do you mean that the Master had you train, as well?” She asked. “I thought you passed the exam. What else was there for you to learn?” Riku shrugged slightly. “Just a little bit more, I suppose.” He answered, before turning his attention towards the exit of the mirror chamber. Kairi shrugged at his explanation and, in turn, followed his gaze. “The others are waiting.” Riku stated, before looking back at Kairi. “Yen Sid has one final test for you.” At his words, Kairi’s expression turned sour and she immediately looked dumbfounded. “Wait, what?” She asked, incredulously. “Isn’t it proof enough that I’ve made it through their training? What else could they possibly have that I still need to pass!?” She exclaimed, with Riku laughing slightly at her outburst. He raised his arms up in defense, and slowly answered her inquiry as calmly as he could manage. “Don’t worry yourself, it isn’t anything that’s pass or fail anymore.” Riku looked Kairi in the eyes, as she began to settle. He continued, “You pretty much cemented your position as a Keyblade Wielder from the moment you said yes to Yen Sid’s training. After that, the only person who decided when you were through was you, no one else. This is just the Master’s way of measuring your progress. And can you blame him? At this point, I’m sure we all want to see just how far you’ve come.” Kairi looked back at Riku, now a little bit embarrassed at her outburst. Quickly, she nodded, then motioned for Riku to lead the way. “Alright, I understand. Let’s get going then.” Riku nodded in response, and went to open the door. Kairi followed, as they both passed through the passageway into Master Yen Sid’s chamber. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After Kairi entered the room with Riku, she started off by exchanging a few pleasantries with the various people who taught her how to wield the Keyblade. While Riku was away discussing matters with Mickey, she seized the opportunity to thank Zangan, Merlin, as well as the fairies for all of their help, before turning her attention back at Yen Sid. And even though his expression was haggard and tried, he still sat prostrate as ever within his chair, with pride and dignity. Within his commanding presence, Kairi stood straighter than usual, as Riku finally took a place beside her. With both his student and master in training present, Yen Sid decided it was time to begin. He cleared his throat, and started off by saying, “Firstly, I would like to commend you both for the conviction you have shown to the paths you each follow. Because of your commitment, I can rest easy, knowing that another corner of every world shall be safe beneath your watchful eyes.” “To you, Kairi,” He motioned, “I hold both great pride, as well as relief, that you have not only weathered the storm, yet claimed its power for your own. From this day forward, I proclaim you to be a fully-fledged Keyblade Wielder, and let none dispute your capability to defend not only yourself but the things that matter most.” Kairi inwardly beamed with pride at the Master’s words, yet tried her best not to show it. Yen Sid turned his attention towards Riku. “And to you, Master Riku, for your uncanny capability to conform to adversity as well as constraint. From what Mickey has told me, you have learned your ways in a most admirable measure of time. It is up to you from this point onwards, to master the power and knowledge you’ve been shown.” Riku nodded in response, yet Kairi still felt as she was left in the dark as to what exactly he and the Master were referring to. “And now,” Yen Sid continued, “it has come time to conclude your stay here. I have nothing more to teach either of you; all that you can learn from here on out, you must learn yourself. However, there is one final thing that remains for you, young Kairi. One final…” Suddenly, Yen Sid was interrupted by the sound of the entranceway to his chamber being forced open. Sora stumbled in, causing everyone within the room to turn their attention away from the master, and towards him. “Man,” He started, scratching his head in a dumbfounded manner. “I swear this place gets more confusing every time I leave. I mean, I still don’t understand how you fit so many stairways inside a…” Sora stopped, and after glancing around curiously at everyone staring at him, finally took account of Kairi’s presence. Yen Sid, upon taking notice of Sora’s entrance, smiled and looked ahead at the boy. “Ah, Sora!” He said, “Excellent timing.” Sora’s expression, still fixated upon Kairi, turned from one of confusion to shock, as his jaw suddenly hit the floor. Despite his reaction, Kairi slowly began to grin at him, as it slowly started to register just exactly who barged in. “Kairi!?” Sora finally blurted out, all the while with Kairi responding in sort. “Sora!” She exclaimed as she bound forward, wrapping her arms around his waist in a crushing embrace. Riku let out a slight and awkward laugh at the display, still a bit surprised at Sora’s sudden entrance. Mickey chuckled, with the fairies beside him merely giggling in unison, as Zangan simply sighed audibly in exasperation. Sora, still caught in Kairi’s embrace, tried his best to bend his neck down to look at her, his face still etched with confusion. Likewise, Kairi turned her gaze back up at him. “Kairi…” Sora stumbled, “What are you…?” Finally, Yen Sid stood and intervened, then stated, “As I was saying before,” he continued, “Kairi, for your final test, you will be facing your fellow student in battle!” He proclaimed, motioning towards Sora. “We will gauge your progress based on how you compare to an experienced wielder of the Keyblade.” Sora only grew more confused at Yen Sid’s words. He looked around, wide-eyed, at everyone still staring at him. Riku, the fairies, Merlin, Mickey, and people he didn’t even recognize, before ultimately breaking down. In desperation, he cried out one final time: “What is going on!!??” __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ That's what I'd like to know.

The one thing I never wanted Kingdom Hearts 3 to be was more of the same predictable story-telling that didn't add anything, risk anything, or show deeper interaction between the characters. That's why I was so ecstatic when I saw Kairi in the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts 3D, I saw it as proof that Kingdom Hearts 3 would be taking things farther than any of the other games had. What am I supposed to expect of Kairi at this point? Do you really expect me to WANT her to stay on that god-forsaken Island for another whole game? I'm excited for it, because we finally get to see her interact with the characters we've been told for so long are her best friends. We finally get to see more of what kind of person she actually is. Could any of that even have the potential to happen if she was trapped on that Island for the entirety of the next installment? You make it sound like Kairi has no "place" in the majority of Kingdom Hearts at all. Do you really believe that shutting her out from all of the other characters is a good thing? Do you really want just more of the same? Well, I'm afraid I can't vouch for you there.

While secretly plotting our destruction.

In an RPG, the only ones I can really respect are the bosses that are so insanely hard, that even when you hit the maximum level, they don't get any easier. This is why I prefer the secret bosses in Birth By Sleep, it takes real skill or concise cheating to beat them up. Of course, that could also be seen as a down-side. (P.S: I know it's unrelated but just because I respect Feral Chaos doesn't mean I don't hate that Hell-Spawn with every fiber of my being)

Waste my free time.

That sounds quite interesting and potential if you could make it work.

Ugghhhh there's a part of me that really just wants to be a jerk and say "You'll find out in due time", but there's another part that really doesn't want to lead anyone on. So I'll say this. Yes, I do intend for the Final Fantasy aspect of Kingdom Hearts to play a significant part in the story itself. However, I can't say that they'll be partnered with the main characters any time soon. Let me explain why I decided to do this. You see, at the moment, I believe that for the story's sake, it would be best to keep the characters of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts distinct from one-another. For the most part. Right now, my priority is to emphasize the interaction between the main Kingdom Hearts characters. In my eyes, I feel as though they need to be more solidly established personality-wise before I make the Final Fantasy characters a significant part of their interaction with other characters. Don't expect that to happen any time soon, either. Oh, and Final Fantasy villains? Yeah, they'll show up in awhile, don't worry.

UH-OH LOOKS LIKE I'VE GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO Okay, here's the situation. As it happens, Chapter 6 is taking me much longer than the other chapters have, so much so, I don't believe that I'm going to be able to get it out to you guys in quite a while. (Although, when factoring in procrastination hours and how much I usually write in a single sit-down, I've been making pretty good time so far.) Of course, this wasn't entirely uncalled for. Right at the start, I knew that the upcoming chapter would probably take me a lot more time than the others, especially when considering how long it's shaping up to be. I mean, seriously, maybe the longest chapter yet. Maybe not as long as a longbow or the summer solstice (let's not go crazy here), but still on par with something like, say, Homecoming. In the meantime, I've prepared a little side entry that covers an aspect of the story I've really been looking forward to starting on, The Organization. It's not much, but I hope it's enough to keep things on track for now. By the way, for those of you confused about the timeline so far, let me take a moment to hopefully help straighten things up a bit. The first chapter, Meeting of the Lost, takes place an undefined amount of time after the beginning of the story. For right now, we'll just classify the "beginning of the story" as Kairi waking up on Destiny Islands in Chapter 2. This "Interlude" takes place about three weeks before the story starts, and before the events of Kingdom Hearts 3D. Yeah, if I have to explain the story to you outside of the actual story, I'm probably not doing my job very well, am I? Don't know when I'll get done with the next chapter. Just hope for a Christmas Miracle at this point. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ~Interlude I: Initiation~ It was a dimly lit room; having been illuminated by the glow of computer monitors alone. Where exactly it was, no one could be certain, nor could anyone say it was really that important to know so. The floors and walls were mechanized and lifeless, but carried a dull sheen that belied their plain nature. There were present three doors in the chamber, two facing one another on the left and right-hand walls, and one that served as the exit. While few had actually left the area yet, one could assume from their slanted structure that the stairs led upwards. What would lie on the other side however, no one knew for sure. On the final wall of the bland and pale room, there rested a large array of computer monitors, which seemed to be powered by some kind of unseen source. Displayed on the screens for all to see were several brief snapshots; which seemed to focus on a specific group of people. Over the course of these highlights, a common factor could be seen between all of the people observed; they were all clad in cloaks of a dull black color. Xigbar typed away at the computer with careless abandon, trying to take in as much information as he could about Xehanort’s chosen recruits. In all honesty, he didn’t really care about any of them. But the old man actually had the nerve to appoint him as the guy in charge of briefing all the newbies about what was going down. This started to get especially frustrating after a while, since a lot of the people who showed up were “technically” only supposed to be there to fulfill some sort of menial task; and for some reason, they would always need to know everything about what was taking place. To make it even worse, the second they finished, they would be sent straight back to whatever time they came from; only to inevitably come back later on for another mind-numbing exposition about their jobs. It was all a real bother, but someone had to do it. And unfortunately, Bratty Xehanort had his hands full on the time-continuum pretty much 24-7. Xigbar couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at the nickname given to Xehanort’s youngest incarnation. But really, what were they supposed to call him? Xigbar was seriously getting curious. He didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea of course, Bratty Xehanort obviously had a nice ring to it and everything, but it’s not exactly the name that invokes fear in anyone. Not even that bunch of whiny little kids that had gotten the boss so anxious. Suddenly, Xigbar slapped himself in the face as hard as he could manage, and proceeded to mentally chide himself, “I’m putting way too much thought into this.” In fact, if he had spent any of that time actually paying attention to his surroundings, he may have noticed that the occupancy of his small room had inexplicably increased in the fraction of a second. But it didn’t really matter when he noticed what he did, as his guests just so happened to have all the time in the world. Xigbar turned around to face his new-found company. Two men who were dressed in coats much the same as his, with their hoods raised over their faces. One of them was relatively short, while the other was more Xigbar’s height. Based off of his well-earned alias, Xigbar came to the conclusion that the shorter of the two was Xehanort; while the taller one was likely another of Young Xehanort’s little time-traveling companions. He wasn’t particularly surprised that Xehanort’s younger self had managed to enter the room in such a quiet and effortless manner, but he would admit that his curiosity was piqued by the one who accompanied him. His gag reflex was piqued as well, once he realized that he would have to be briefing yet another time-displaced incarnation. Shaking off his feeling of inevitable doom for now, Xigbar managed to arch an eyebrow at his acquaintances. “Okay, so, who’s the new guy?” He asked. Since all it did now was obscure his view, Young Xehanort removed the hood draped over his head, freeing his taut and messily arranged hairdo. “This one isn’t new. You’ve met him before.” He said. Xigbar scrunched his eyebrows, doubtful of Xehanort’s statement. “That so? He doesn’t look familiar.” The man accompanying Xehanort huffed, “It’s me, you ingrate.” Xigbar still gave the two a confused look. “Nope. Not ringing any bells here.” He said. Tired of Xigbar’s irritating charade, Saix removed the hood obscuring his face, revealing his oddly colored blue hair as well as the stern and serious face beneath. “There.” He said. “Now you have no excuses with which to continue playing this ridiculous game.” A look of realization dawned on Xigbar’s face, as well as his trademark condescending smirk. “Oh, right!” He said. “I remember you now. You’re the guy who always has to ruin everyone’s fun.” Saix scoffed. “I suppose this is the reason I was brought here prematurely?” He stated. “To entertain your outlandish behavioral patterns?” Young Xehanort turned to leave. “It looks as though you have everything under control here.” He said, motioning to Xigbar. “I shall take my leave while it is still most convenient.” Xigbar feigned the slightest of gasps in Young Xehanort’s direction. “What’s this?” He questioned. “Is the kid finally starting to grow a sense of humor?” He asked incredulously. Xigbar slumped over to his chair at the large set of computer monitors. “Oh, no no no!” He chided. “This won’t do at all! Hold on, let me see if I can get the old man to come over here and beat some sense into you.” Young Xehanort looked back with disdain as he prepared to leave, his face betraying his inner irritation. “You always were the most in-sufferable of our group.” He said. Xigbar rolled his eyes in a condescending manner. “Better get used to it, kid.” He replied. “Afraid you’ll be spending quite a bit of your life dealing with my snarkiness.” Xigbar let loose a faux sigh. “Shame you won’t remember half of it.” Young Xehanort pulled up his hood as he walked away from his two acquaintances. “More like a blessing." He muttered. Xigbar looked back at Young Xehanort as he ascended the steps, with a cocky grin etched upon his face. “Be sure to close the door on your way out.” He said sarcastically. But of course, Xigbar knew that Xehanort’s ascension of the stairs was just to portray a faux sense of realism. In reality, the kid could have just time-traveled to his next destination right in front of everyone. But that would honestly just be kind of inconclusive, might as well give the illusion that he really is leaving. At least, that’s how Xigbar viewed everything. Xigbar shook his head and clicked his tongue in an artificial display of disappointment. “We all think he just needs someone to talk to.” He said to no one in particular. But it was only then that he remembered; there actually was someone to talk to here. With a passing glance, Xigbar looked over at Saix; and needless to say, the man was less than pleased at all the pointless, time-consuming banter that was being thrown around. He had already posed the question of why exactly he was here, and quite frankly, was getting tired of waiting for an answer to that question. Xigbar looked Saix up and down with an inquisitive glance. “Why are you here again?” He asked. The deep frown on Saix’s face only grew more intense at the question. “You can’t be serious.” He said. Suddenly, a look of revelation dawned on Xigbar’s face. “Oh, yeah!” He exclaimed. Leaning forward slightly, he rested his arm on his knee, his arm in turn supporting his drooping head. “So, you’re the recruiter’s little errand boy, hmm?” He said. Saix raised an eyebrow towards Xigbar in a questioning glance. “Errand boy?” He asked. “What do you mean?” Xigbar let loose a sigh. “It’s a long bit of exposition, and I’m not really in the mood to be explaining everything to you, but…” He continued to lean back in his chair, at least attempting to get into a comfortable position. “Someone has to do it.” He said. He leaned forward once again, and looked over at Saix. “Might want to sit down.” He said. “This could take a while.” Saix shook his head in refusal. “I’ll stand.” Xigbar shrugged. “Suit yourself.” Turning towards the large set of monitors, Xigbar began his explanation of why Saix was here. “Alright,” He started, “remember what I said a bit earlier? I mentioned someone called, “The Recruiter”?” Saix nodded. “I remember, vaguely.” He said. “Well, that position is actually filled by two people. Xehanort’s youngest incarnation, and myself.” Xigbar continued. “My job is to anoint kid Norty over there with all the information he needs, so that he knows just exactly where to go and when to do so.” Saix nodded, all the while motioning for Xigbar to continue. Xigbar returned the gesture, and then continued by saying “But, there are some certain cases that fall out of the kid’s jurisdiction.” He said. “And those would be the rare occasions when there’s actually someone in the present time that we need to recruit.” “And who would that be, exactly?” Saix asked. Xigbar’s face took on a slight grin, as if this was the kind of question he was expecting. Suddenly, he turned towards the computer monitors behind, and once oriented properly, began typing away on the keyboard in front of him. Suddenly, a screen popped up showing several areas for passcode entry; obviously placed in order to safe-guard the information beneath. Slowly, Xigbar began entering the numerous passwords required. Saix walked up behind him, his interest caught by the large set of screens. “Will I need to know these passwords?” He asked. Xigbar chuckled, and without averting his gaze replied, “Not really. You won’t be around long enough for it to really matter.” He said. Saix looked away. “Well,” He said, “that’s good to know.” After a couple minutes of typing, Xigbar finally finished entering all 12 passwords for the system. Within a brief moment of silence, the computer database was open to him at last. Xigbar smirked; and quickly began cycling through the various files in search of whatever it was he was looking for. “Sorry this is taking so long.” He said to Saix, a bit of sarcasm in his voice. “If I knew you were coming, I would have gotten these out in advance.” Saix’s only response was to huff in affirmation. For a brief moment, Xigbar turned to face his accomplice. “Look, if you’re gonna blame anyone, pin it on the kid.” He said. “He’s the guy who decided to pop up out of nowhere with the clueless, blue-haired clout.” Saix looked at him in disbelief. “But you said that you were anticipating someone like me.” He replied. “You at the very least could have done better to prepare.” Xigbar looked at him with a surprised glare, and then proceeded to concede and scratch his head in an odd display of embarrassment. “Alright, you got me.” He said. “In all honesty, I was just being lazy.” Saix huffed once again at his host’s behavior. “It’s so very much like you to act like that.” He said, before turning his head towards Xigbar and continuing, “But it’s even more like you to just come out and say it in such a snide manner.” Xigbar turned back towards the computer and raised his hands in defeat. “Alright,” he said, “I get it. You clearly know me better than everyone else in our cute little circle of friends.” Saix sighed in exasperation. “Just find what you’re looking for, and let me go about my business.” He said. Offering no response, Xigbar continued clicking away at the keyboard, as his eyes darted across repeated flashing images plastered on the screen. After entering a few more commands into the computer, he wordlessly got up, and walked towards a small box in the corner of the room. Curious, Saix followed, as Xigbar bent down, typed in a passcode for the small lock upon the box, and opened it up. Sifting through multiple different cards in the box, he finally found one to his liking. After an exaggerated “Aha!”, he nabbed the card and swiftly closed the box once again. Walking up to a less than amused Saix, Xigbar gave the scolding man his much needed answers. Holding the card in front of Saix’s face, Xigbar stated with a smug look on his face, “This is one of our data keys. Think of them as an easy access to all of our stored information.” Saix gave him a confused look. “You mean you can’t access it from the computer alone?” Xigbar chuckled, and slide the card back into his hand. “That’s not complicated enough for our standards. It needs to be as winding and unnecessarily complex as possible, direct words from the boss himself. Yep, you can quote me on that.” Saix, once again, wasn’t having any of Xigbar’s antics. After raising his hands in defeat, Xigbar replied, “Alright, come on. Do you really think we would do all this for nothing? I mean, I don’t know how much you yourself value intelligence, but to the rest of us, it’s basically the mission statement. Keeping that much data stored safe and sound is essential, and you really can quote me on that.” Saix looked up at the computer that Xigbar had been typing away on only a few moments ago, and said to him, “So, this thing stores the information for which card opens which vault of intel?” Xigbar gave the thing a dismissive wave, saying, “Among other things, but that isn’t really important right now.” Xigbar once again held the key card out in front of Saix’s face. “Follow me.” He said. Xigbar led Saix through the door at the right hand side of the room, entering a small dark area filled to the brim with oddly shaped filing-cabinet like structures that exuded a faint blue glow. Xigbar continued through the small room, pensively scanning the large cabinets with his eyes, before finding one that looked right to him. “Okay,” he said, placing his hand on the tall box, “basically, this room is where we keep all of our information about potential members for the organization.” He gestured towards the area they found themselves in, and continued, “Your files are here, too.” Turning back towards the box, Xigbar began fiddling with the key in his hands, all the while continuing his tangent. “Most of these are useless by now, since I know you all by heart at this point.” Upon placing the key into a small slot on the cabinet, Xigbar finally managed to pull the top drawer open. Sifting through the numerous files located within, he picked out a seemingly random piece from the collection. “Alright, here she is.” Xigbar said, all the while handing the file to Saix. Saix looked at Xigbar inquisitively. “And, who might this be?” He asked. Xigbar smirked at him. “Number XII.” He said. “XII…” Saix muttered, while looking down at the folder in his hands. “So, the Organization is nearing completion, I presume?” He asked. Xigbar nodded at him. “That’s right.” He said. “The big man is still working on procuring our eleventh member though, and while that one could take some time, he’s assured us it’s pretty much a sure fire deal at this point.” Saix looked up from the folder in his hands. “So, that just leaves the Thirteenth Dark Vessel…” He said. Xigbar clucked his tongue in a disapproving manner, and said, “There’s no need to waste your time thinking about those ones, they don’t concern you anyways.” Xigbar turned Saix’s attention back towards the folder in his hand, and continued, “Like I said before, the only thing you need to worry about at the moment is helping us to recruit the person in this folder. Everything you need to know about why you were chosen, what you’ll be doing, and how you’re to go about doing it, are all laid out in here.” He said, adding even more emphasis to the folder in his hand. “Of course, I’ll need to explain a few areas, so you at least have a feel for what you’re getting yourself into.” Steadily, Xigbar continued to explain the contents of the file. “You’ll be heading over to Destiny Islands, to retrieve something crazy important. Once you have it, you’ll come back here, give it to us, and we’ll take care of the rest. Once that’s done and over with, you’ll be sent on your merry way back on track to getting yourself killed by that key-toting numbskull. You can pick up a ride to the Islands by heading through the door adjacent to this room.” “And that’s it.” Xigbar said, deftly closing the folder in Saix’s hands. “Initiation complete. Wonderful work. I am so proud of you. Now go out and make something of yourself.” With that, Xigbar turned back towards the door, and walked away. Saix’s eyes darted towards the folder in his hands, and then back at Xigbar. “You mean that’s all?” Saix asked, slightly irritated at Xigbar’s brevity. Xigbar looked back at him, a condescending smirk etched onto his face as he replied, “Well, that’s it for me, at least. Now you’ve gotta understand, most of the time things aren’t this simple. So don’t think I’m gonna give up a little leniency in my schedule just to babysit you a little longer. Like I said, everything you need to know is in the file. And before you ask any more questions, I suggest actually looking at it a bit more before harpin’ on my teaching methods again.” Xigbar continued on, leaving Saix alone in the room, quiet and eyeing the folder he held in his hands. Slowly, he took hold of one side’s edge, and pulled the file open. Xigbar sighed as the door behind him closed shut once more. He once again plopped down in his chair at the computer monitors, mentally preparing himself for yet another tedious, mind-numbing conversation. Almost immediately, he noticed Xehanort’s younger self pop up within the space behind his chair. He groaned audibly, practically yelling, “Seriously!? You just showed up, like, 15 minutes ago! I don’t know how time works in your messed up, backwater world, but I…” Suddenly, Xigbar’s tirade was cut short by Xehanort, who interrupted him with, “Silence. We have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment.” It was only then that Xigbar noticed that Xehanort was alone. “Yeah, and what would those be?” Xehanort’s tone was lifeless as he replied, “The Subject has escaped. And he’s freed Roxas.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Like I said. Christmas Miracle.

... Is the symbol above the Sesame Street sign supposed to be a nuclear mushroom cloud, or is that just how it normally is?

I tell ya, no respect for what the Holidays are supposed to represent. It's becoming less about the people around you, and more about the things around you. This pretty much already happened in the media with Christmas and Halloween (although that was never really a "family" holiday to begin with), so I'm not very surprised that the marketability giant is consuming yet another one. But come on. Even THIS is a bit unnecessary.