//------------------------------//
// Heartless: Gummi Ship 
// Story: Kingdom Hearts: The World's Reluctant Heroes 
// by Blackdrag-rose 
//------------------------------//

After convincing Donald and Goofy to take them on as well, since Sombra intended to stay by Sora's side due to the fact that the young boy carried the Kingdom Key, Leon approached the group and informed them that he, Yuffie, and Aerith had prepared some items for them to take with them.

"Here, we put this together after discovering the Kingdom Key." Yuffie said, where she produced a few items, the first being a tan pouch that contained a small amount of Munny, five hundred to be exact, while the second was a larger pack that held a number of provisions, such as preserved food, a couple of potions, and even a few elixirs, "If you need anything else, be sure to visit the shops in town, as they've got some pretty nice stuff in stock... sure, some of it can be a bit pricey, but it is worth the expense to keep yourselves safe from harm."

"Thanks for the tip. We'll be sure to put all of it to good use." Radiant replied, as she knew that the currency would be used in no time at all, even though it did make her wonder how they could get more Munny since she had a feeling that they would need to visit the various shops multiple times over the course of their adventure.

"Good luck out there. We don't know how far the Heartless have spread, but I suspect that you six will do just fine on your own." Leon remarked, though while part of him really wanted to take the Kingdom Key and find a more worthy wielder, as that part of him still doubted Sora's abilities, the rest of him knew that Sora could handle the adventure that he and the rest of his group would embark on, if their battle against the armor Heartless was any consideration.

After talking to Leon and his friends, who walked over to one of the walls to watch over them in case more enemies came to attack them, Donald informed Sora, Sombra, Fluttershy, and Radiant that their ship, the Gummi Ship, was docked just outside this world. Such a thing caused them to raise their eyebrows for a moment, as it didn't seem possible, where he told them that the main gate for Traverse Town had magic around it that beckoned the lost of the various worlds to this district, to welcome them to a safe location. All worlds were like that, they had magical barriers around them that certain spells interacted with, allowing travelers to safely move from the space between worlds to the surface of the world, and there were special 'warp zones' in each world that allowed travelers to return to their vessels. This was due to the fact that not all worlds had gates for travelers to enter and leave through, so the circular areas in question served that purpose, to which Sombra raised an eyebrow for a moment, as this was the first time any of them had heard of such a thing.

Donald explained why this was the first time they were learning this information, as the residents of the worlds weren't supposed to know that there were any others out there and those that traveled the worlds were supposed to keep the 'world order', by blending into the residents of the world, whatever they might be.

"So I'm guessing that since we can't see these zones, the Gummi Ship doesn't recognize us as travelers?" Sombra asked, as she hadn't seen a single zone like that in her time exploring Traverse Town, and based on the confused looks on Radiant and Fluttershy's faces she could tell neither of them had seen them either, which meant the same was true for Sora.

"Correct. All I need to do is cast a temporary spell on all of you so you can follow us to the Gummi Ship, which will allow us to log the four of you as travelers." Donald stated, though as he said that Sombra got the feeling that the duck still didn't want her or Radiant to come with them, since they weren't Keyblade wielders like Sora and Fluttershy, even though the latter was still shocked by this discovery.

Sombra and the others stood there for a moment as Donald raised his wand for a moment, where they watched as a slight shimmer appeared around their bodies without delay, and based on the smile Donald gave them it seemed like this meant his spell had worked. With that in mind he and Goofy brought them to Traverse Town's main gate and accessed the magical barrier, allowing the pair to vanish without delay before Sora, Sombra, Fluttershy, and Radiant disappeared as well, which showed them that Donald's spell worked like a charm. The area that they appeared in happened to be a decent sized dome area that had three chairs facing what seemed to be the controls of the ship, confirming that the pair had been looking for only the Kingdom Key's wielder and no one else, though beyond the dome rested the depths of space, filled with the stars they had seen previously. As Donald stepped up to the console, however, Sombra glanced back and found a circular sphere behind them, a large one at that, that had what appeared to be Traverse Town, the first district to be exact, taking up the majority of the space, a representation of the world they had just been wandering around.

That told Sombra more than she was expecting, as the transparent barrier, the sphere, vanished without delay and left the rest of the world floating there, meaning each world would be represented by a piece of what they had to offer, or maybe an important landmark, causing her to wonder what other worlds they might discover. At the same time she and the others took a few seconds to study the Gummi Ship, as it was an odd vessel made up of red and yellow blocks, with a few orange ones mixed into everything, while having a pointed tip, small white fins to help with flying, and who knew what else. After glancing out at the rest of space, and Sora roused himself from being stunned by what they were seeing, the pair that owned the ship beckoned them over to the opposite edge of the cockpit and tapped a button, where they found that part of the floor sunk for a time and allowed everyone to see that the Gummi Ship was bigger on the inside. By that Sombra found that there were doors leading to what Donald explained were the bedrooms, in fact she counted six doors that could serve such a purpose, one leading to a bathroom, a dining area for everyone to relax in, a kitchen that the duck claimed could serve the finest food, and a few others.

As they walked, however, Sombra found that there was an odd marking on one of the bare walls, the Cutie Marks of both Fluttershy and Radiant resting together, causing her to turn towards them for a moment as Radiant gestured for her not to say anything, likely something the three of them needed to talk to before doing anything else.

Once the tour was done the group returned to the controls and Donald showed them how they could warp down to the world that they wanted to visit, where some energy gathered around them and everyone teleported back to the main gate of the first district, where Sombra found Leon's group was still there, no doubt keeping an eye on them before they were ready to leave for another world. After they were back where they started Donald revealed that he also had a gift for all of them, identical tomes that could be filled with all sorts of magical knowledge, like the sort of thing that apprentices would be given to study, where it didn't take Sombra long to open it and discover that there was a single spell in it. Donald, as if expecting such a thing, informed all of them that he wanted to start them off small, as too much power could corrupt the user or just be too much for the person to use, so by giving everyone one spell to start with, to practice before getting a new one, they could learn control. The first spell they could learn was 'Fire', which was the one that he had used while they fought all of the Heartless after he, Goofy, and Fluttershy crashed into her, Sora, and Radiant, meaning they had a good idea on how to use it, while Goofy promised that he'd show them some of his skills later, since they might be able to learn a few from watching him use them.

"I'm assuming that this is everything we need to know... or is there something else?" Sombra inquired, because after all of the information they had been told, and the items they had been given, she had to assume that it was getting to the point where they should start their adventure by using the Gummi Ship to head to a whole new world.

"There's one other person we need to talk to before we leave, plus you guys need to meet Jiminy." Goofy replied, where he gestured to something that was close to the ground, a cricket that was standing on two legs, wearing a suit and hat, and had what appeared to be a journal.

"I am Jiminy Cricket, and I'll be keeping track of your adventures in my trusty journal." the cricket said, which told Sombra that there was going to be more odd things for them to see as they visited the other worlds, especially if one of those new things happened to be a cricket that could talk and write, though it seemed like he had a skill that allowed him to remain hidden from sight, until he made himself known to people.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jiminy." Fluttershy said, which reminded Sombra of something she had overheard before the Crystal Empire's barrier had fallen, the shy one was supposed to be well versed in dealing with animals, though she was unsure if that would be helpful in the adventure they were about to embark on.

Sombra noticed that Radiant was quiet, but said nothing about it as Donald beckoned for them to come with him, where they quickly discovered that his destination was a red door with flame designs on it, resting in a back portion of the third district they had been in earlier. As they approached it Donald called forth his staff and blasted it with a bit of fire, where the icon on it lit up and pulsed like it was a living flame, before he walked forward as the others found that it slid up into the area above the frame, allowing them to enter a new area of the town. What they discovered was that it was a large area that almost seemed out of place, as it was a dark cavern with what appeared to be a lake with a decent sized island or patch of land in the middle of it, with what appeared to be a house that had a roof designed to look like a wizard's hat for some reason. The path leading to the main door seemed to be a series of moving stones that they had to jump their way across, which was easy to do if everyone did it one by one, since the stones weren't large enough for all of them to be on at the same time, while the main door seemed to be barricaded with cloth over it, but there was a side entrance they could use to enter it.

What they discovered was that there was nothing inside the building, as if no one had been here for years, while there was a raised circular area in the center of the chamber, all while Sora just seemed to focusing on a wall for some reason, only to come back to reality as Radiant tapped on his shoulder and caused him to look at her.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" a new voice asked, where everyone turned towards the opening they had used to get into the structure and found that a tall figure in a light blue robe, with a long white pointed beard while holding onto a short wand in one hand and a briefcase in the other, was standing there, looking at them, "I'll be honest, you arrived far sooner than I expected. I know you must have questions, but allow me to answer a few right now: I am Merlin, a sorcerer of some skill, and I spend most of my time traveling... so it is good to be home. Here, allow me to get unpacked before we talk further."

Sombra and the others watched as Merlin took his place in the center of the room, set his briefcase down, and then used his wand to direct his magic as he did a little dance, allowing them to observe as items, pieces of furniture, emerged from the container, enlarged to their original form, and set themselves down all over the room they were in, quickly making it a nice living area in no time.

"Ah, much better. Now then, Donald and Goofy, your King has requested my aid in preparing you for the rest of your long journey, providing magic lessons to you and the Keyblade's Chosen One." Merlin continued, where he looked pleased with his handiwork, placing everything in it's correct place with such amazing precision, showing off his years of skill, before he turned towards the group and found that there were more than he was expecting to see, "Oh my, and who might all of you be?"

"I am Sombra, along with Sora, Fluttershy, and Radiant Hope. Also, it's not the 'Keyblade's Chosen One', rather it's the 'Kingdom Key's Chosen One', which happens to be Sora." Sombra stated, while at the same time Sora stepped forward as he called forth his Keyblade, something that made Merlin study it for a time, as this had to be the first time he had seen such a weapon, either in a long time or the first time ever.

"I see. Well, at least you found the very Key that we were looking for." Merlin said, with what appeared to be relief quickly appearing on his face, showing that he didn't care what the weapon was called in the slightest, meaning that as long as they had the one that everyone was interested in, which Sora was currently holding, he was content to allow them to go about their business, before he remembered something, "Oh, one more thing: you see the small carriage on the floor? It is the home of the good Fairy Godmother, who has also been called in to help you on your adventure. Other than that you can start training whenever you like."

Sora decided to take him up on the offer immediately, either because he was interested in the idea of using magic or he wanted to learn how to do everything that was offered to him, to which Merlin lowered part of the ceiling for them, as in it made a platform for them to climb onto so it could take them into the house's attic space. Merlin joined the group in the attic and explained that he had a number of helpful spells that would allow them to practice to their hearts content, as in he could create copies of some of his furniture and animate them to make moving targets, while at the same time he had another spell that granted them unlimited mana while they were in this room. Sombra found that to be an overpowered sort of skill and almost felt insulted that Merlin would introduce himself as a 'sorcerer of some skill', since this reminded her of Star Swirl the Bearded, who was busted in magical terms for a unicorn of his era, like how Twilight Sparkle was the same for her era. While she thought about that Merlin beckoned for Sora to come closer as everyone else stood nearby, as he simply wanted only those interested in training inside the large ringed area, while he and the observers remained in a safe area so they weren't hit by any magical spells.

Such a thing allowed Sombra, Fluttershy, and Radiant to see how to use the spell they had been given, as they had to gather a bit of their magic before loosing the spell from their weapon, since Sora fired fireballs from the tip of his Keyblade while he focused on the moving furniture. Merlin told them why that was, as one's weapon served as a focus for novice magic users to learn how to tap into their magical power, though he also explained that most of the experienced practitioners could, in fact, cast magic without the need of their wands or staffs, but the majority of them preferred using a focus since it made a lot of things easier for them. He and the Fairy Godmother, for example, had learned how to use magic with their wands and remained that way for most of their lives, while the likes of Yen Sid, another powerful sorcerer, only used his hands, it was just a matter of preference, so he was sure that, once they had enough experience in using magic, the group would figure out their own unique paths. With that in mind Sombra found that Fluttershy could use the top of her staff to do the same thing, as she figured that all three of them could spend some time practicing as well, since there was no telling when one of them might need an edge in battle, while Radiant had to point the tip of her bow at her targets, just like how she had to use the tip of her scythe.

Of course she and Radiant also had an unfair advantage over everyone else, as they still had their horns, so they were able to shift their magic into their off hands and throw it or even summon it as a separate entity that exploded on their targets, where Merlin nodded as he watched them, showing that he seemed impressed by their unique abilities.

After some time training, as everyone wanted a few moments to practice the new magic that had been given to them, the group thanked Merlin for his time, where he gave them a light chuckle as he told them it was his pleasure to have such good students, before they returned to the ground floor. From there the group returned to the first district and found that Leon's group had moved around, as in it looked like they were sitting at the tables that were to the left of where he fought Sora and Sombra earlier, either relaxing or waiting for something to eat. Donald, as per usual, didn't seem to care all that much as he made his way back to the Gummi Ship, causing the others to follow after him since no one wanted him to take the ship without them, as Sombra was sure that the duck would leave them behind if he found the chance to do so. The only good thing about this was that Goofy's presence with Sora and the others prevented Donald from leaving, since both of them were a team on a mission and he didn't feel like leaving his comrade behind, meaning everyone else was able to pass through the main gate and return to the Gummi Ship.

Once everyone was aboard Goofy told them that they'd figure out who got what bedroom later as he showed Sora to the console that controlled the entire ship, as having another pilot would be great and he seemed to think the boy would be a good one, while Donald went into the kitchen to prepare something, leaving Sombra to follow the other two back down to the area with their marks.

"We weren't ready to say anything about this in front of the others, but the World has given us a few benefits." Radiant explained, though as she said that both she and Fluttershy raised their hands towards the marking and Sombra watched as a golden oval, a magical portal, opened before her eyes, leading to what appeared to be an open area with a mountain off to their left, a forest to the right, a river ahead of them, and who knew what else, "The World told me that it granted Fluttershy something special and I asked her about it earlier while the others were talking about Sora's quest, though you were distracted by something else. Go ahead, tell him."

"I, um, was given two skills, in addition to my Keyblade: 'Tower Farming' and 'Animal Friendship'." Fluttershy said, though as she said that both she and Radiant walked through the portal, causing Sombra to follow as she found that it seemed to be a pocket dimension of some kind, before she pulled out a ball shaped device that allowed her to summon a group of five white rabbits that were larger than the ones back home, but not by too much, "I was told that I could grow by learning how to fight, hence the Keyblade, but... I can also grow by planting and harvesting anything in this world, so we won't have to buy certain things, plus I gain more power for every critter I befriend. I can even call on some to aid us in battle, but so far all I have are these worker rabbits."

"I see." Sombra commented, as she had to assume that the rabbits would help Fluttershy in whatever farming she would be doing, which told her that the World must have given her a really crappy skill and then gave her a second one to give her a better chance of getting stronger, before she glanced at Radiant, "What about you?"

"It gave me 'Grand Walking' and 'Equipment Creator', basically meaning the more I explore the various worlds the greater I grow, plus I gain power by creating accessories for everyone... along with this." Radiant answered, where she held a hand out for a moment as a weapon materialized before their eyes, where Sombra stared at the light blue crystalline guard that protected the handle, with a light blue crystalline blade that matched the length of the Kingdom Key and a bladed area that looked like a snowflake that matched the color of the blade and had golden sections, "I, too, gained a Keyblade while I was training, one the World called 'Diamond Dust', like how Fluttershy's is the 'Divine Rose'. Did the World give you one as well?"

"No, I was not given the honor of wielding such a weapon... also, my skill is essentially 'the more enemies I take out, the stronger I get'." Sombra said, where she had to raise her eyebrow for a moment as she stared at Radiant's blade, since it made her wonder why she didn't use it back when they were dealing with the Heartless and the Armor, though at the same time she decided to lie to the pair about her new ability, just to keep her true ability a secret.

Radiant frowned for a moment, as it sure sounded like Sombra was lying to them, why she had no idea, though before she had a chance to question it they heard a sound as Donald noticed the portal and questioned where it came from, though he cut himself off as he beckoned for them to follow him to the kitchen. The trio glanced at each other before Fluttershy told the rabbits to settle in, as she'd be back at some point to get started on her area of the world, since Sombra assumed that the mountain was for Radiant and her material gathering. With that done they crossed through the portal again and found that a frame formed around it, likely keeping the area secure so nothing from the other side invaded the ship, but for the time being they headed to the kitchen and discovered that both Goofy and Sora were there as well. There was a bowl of soup resting on the counter, as he wanted to make sure it was good for everyone before he made a bigger batch, and he made sure to give everyone a spoon, only for Sombra to stop Radiant and Fluttershy as she found that it seemed to stretch weirdly as Sora tried to eat it.

She then shoved the bowl into Goofy's hands, so he could dispose of it, before looking around the kitchen for a moment, to which she pulled out a couple of fruits, vegetables, and a few other items, and got to work as she moved to the cutting board and started working on something. It was a diced fruit dish she had eaten a few times in the past, after she took the throne of the Crystal Empire, combined with a light soup that would keep them going as well and some vegetables that were lightly cooked after being diced. Radiant raised one of her eyebrows for a moment as everyone observed Sombra's actions, moving all sorts of items around to make the dish she was focused on, as this was the first time she had seen Sombra do anything like this, yet she seemed totally focused, as if she was in her element or something. Despite not knowing the various items of the kitchen that were around her Sombra guessed at each of their functions rather easily, even though Goofy also told her everything she needed to know, and they found that it wasn't long before she served several plates of her finished meal to everyone.

The group sat at the dining table that was near the kitchen and Sombra found that they sampled the light meal, where it was easy to see that it was well received, not that such a thing was hard to do since Donald's attempt was completely foul in comparison, causing her to lightly chuckle as she joined them in enjoying the meal.

"Wow, this is delicious. Where did you learn how to cook?" Goofy asked, because part of it reminded him of some of the dishes and meals that he and Donald had enjoyed back in the castle, before the King disappeared to track something down, and he could see that everyone else was enjoying the meal.

"Believe it or not, but I'm actually self taught." Sombra replied, which was actually the truth, she had learned from reading a number of books, watching the kitchen staff of various places, and even made a few dishes of her own before taking over the Crystal Empire, before she glanced at the duck for a moment, "Donald, are you enjoying the meal?"

"It's alright... it just needs some work to be really good." Donald stated, showing that he was definitely sore over Sombra having a better and more received meal than what he had made while they were doing whatever it was that they were in the middle of earlier, though his words caused Sombra to resolve to show him something better next time.

Sora immediately told everyone that Sombra was in charge of food preparation, causing some of them to chuckle since it meant Donald would have to find something else to do, though at the same time Sombra, Fluttershy, and Radiant found themselves wondering what was next on their grand adventure.