With the danger in Agrabah dealt with the group set off in search for the next Space Gate, allowing them a few days of rest in the process since it usually took some time for them to fly through the space between worlds, though no one was worried about it since Sora was a skilled pilot. Such a thing allowed Sombra some time to add the two fragments of Vanitas' light heart to what she had obtained so far, where all six of them seemed to swirl around each other, but they made no move to marge into a single entity, confirming that there was a missing fragment. Of course she had to wonder why the light half had taken on seven forms, though there was a chance that Master Xehanort ripped the light out of Vanitas seven times, just to make the point known he was to be pure darkness, hence seven light fragments. Still, she was interested in what might happen when she found and recovered the final fragment, as some had given her a glimpse into his past and it made her curious as to what he might share with her, before she set out to find the other half of his heart to make him whole.
She did have to look at Seeker Ansem's heart for a time while they traveled, as it was still resonating with Xemnas', which only made her curious as to what the pair were doing right now, since she was sure that the brothers were doing something right now, making Sombra eager to hear what Axel might say on the matter.
When Sora found the next Space Gate they discovered that the inside of it was like the one they had flow through to get to Aladdin's world, it was another 'highway' region with the rails that one of their foes used against them, like the region had been split in half for some odd reason. Sora didn't mind the similarities between this area and the last one he had flown through, rather he engaged the enemies that were flying at them and wiped them out with his weapons, proving that their ship was far stronger than everyone was expecting. In fact another version of the racing vehicle followed after them at some point during their flight, just like the other region they had flown through, though it did little to Sora as the boy zeroed in on it and tore it to pieces with the Gummi Ship's weapons, allowing Sombra to claim another heart in the process. Once he was able to reach the end, signified by a keyhole space opening up in front of them, they emerged from the Space Gate without delay and returned to the space between worlds, allowing them to see what world was up next on their list of places to visit and assist.
This brought a smile to Sombra's face as she realized that it was Halloween Town, one of the few worlds that had been given her approval, because it was a place she could call home if she needed to move worlds or something, while at the same time Fluttershy took a step back.
"Not this world again... maybe I can sit this one out?" Fluttershy inquired, as this was one of the few worlds that she didn't like, mostly because it reminded her of Nightmare Night and the fact that she usually hid under her bed until the event was over, plus this time around she didn't have Seras to take over for her, like what happened during their last visit.
"Come on sis, there's nothing to be scared of... not after everything we've been through. Besides, you'll have me with you this time around." Seras said, because while she knew that her sister could be a scaredy-cat at times, to the point that she had to manifest and take over her body during the last visit to this world, she also knew that having someone like her nearby would help her finally conquer her fears, or at least she hoped so.
Fluttershy stood there for a moment before letting out a sigh as she nodded, as Seras was right, she might be able to help her out, to which Sora brought the ship to a stop before warping them down to the world, allowing him to find that he was back in his somewhat vampire attire, while Donald returned to being a mummy and Goofy was the monster with a screw in his head. Following that he found that their friends were same as before, both Fluttershy and Seras were wearing the same vampire garb they had been given the last time they had been here, while Radiant was still a frost demon or frost dragon, and Sombra remained a feminine suit of armor that was also like a werewolf. The area that they appeared in happened to be the graveyard outside of the town, a smaller one that wasn't like the large one near the weird hill they used to reach Oogie Boogie's domain, and they found that Fluttershy was definitely nervous about facing this world again. For the most part the area around them didn't seem to be any different from the last time they came by, in fact it seemed like they might have timed their arrival either just before the main celebration or they had missed it this time around, it was hard to tell since the town and surrounding area was always so gloomy.
While they took in the surrounding area, and noticed that there were no changes at all, Sombra found that Zero, the ghost dog that looked like a flying sheet, flew into the area they were in, weaved around the group for a time, and then flew off in the direction of the town. The way Zero moved made it seemed like he was inviting everyone to join him, something that caused the group to follow after him without delay, even though they did pause for a time so Fluttershy could get used to the fact that she was going to walk into the town with her own two hooves. Fortunately it looked like the fact that she had gotten used to fighting the forces of Darkness, and maybe even having her body broken into a Heartless and Nobody, might have had an unknown side effect, as she was a lot braver than she had been the last time they came to this world, she just had to work up a bit of courage this time around. As they entered the town, however, it was easy for them to see that there was something off about everything, as there were lights that reminded Fluttershy of an event back home, decorations that didn't belong to the holiday of the town they were in, and a ramp that seemed for something to take off.
A few seconds later they understood the ramp's purpose as Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, rode in on what appeared to be a sleigh made out of components from around Halloween Town, pulled by three bony reindeer no less, which used the ramp before coming to a stop in front of them.
"Guys! Welcome back... and Merry Christmas!" Jack said, which just confirmed that something weird was going on, since he was the King of Halloween, the scariest time of the year, not the King of Christmas, the merriest time of the year, as that was what Sombra had learned while they were giving Seras time with the Organization.
'Wh... 'Merry Christmas'? I mean, thanks, but... don't you mean 'Happy Halloween'?" Sora asked, because he was weirded out right now, since it seemed strange to have him talk about another holiday, while at the same time Sombra had to wonder if there was another holiday themed world either nearby or connected to this one, given Jack's change of attitude.
"Of course! Halloween greetings from Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King!" Jack replied, where he shifted his stance and took on what appeared to be a sort of scary form, which was per the usual given that this was his town, before he pulled back for a moment with a smile on his face, like he knew something that none of them knew, "Sorry, but I'm in a Christmas mood. Oh, whose your new friend... and where is Riku?"
"Riku's busy right now, and this is Seras, who is Fluttershy's twin sister, who was busy the last time we came by." Sombra said, though she knew that it wouldn't be long before they caught up with Riku and the others, they just needed to check out all of the other worlds that the World wanted them to visit during this adventure, mostly because of Pete, before regrouping with everyone else for the final push against the Organization.
"I see. Well, that's a shame... and nice to meet you, Seras. You see, I'm running the show again this year, but with what I have in mind this year I need Sandy Claws' blessing." Jack stated, something that caused the group to raise their eyebrows for a few seconds as they listened to him talk, while at the same time Sora tilted his head as he tried to put the information into a more reasonable explanation, "Which is why I'm off to Christmas Town to talk to him... though there have been some of those 'Heartless' around lately. What do you say that we go pay him a visit?"
Sora was immediately excited by this fact, as this meant visiting Santa Claus, someone he had been told didn't exist and had told Riku that he didn't believe in his anymore, back when they were having their rivalry before they were swept up into the wider World that they had dreamed of traveling. Now that Jack had confirmed that the figure was real Sora's wonder from all those years ago had returned in full force, causing him to agree to the idea of heading into 'Christmas Town' and speak with the figure in question, since it might allow them to learn a few things. There was something Jack needed from Sally, which was the reason that he wanted to visit her first, even though Sombra had a feeling that allowing Halloween Town to even make an attempt to handle another holiday was just foolish, since it might disrupt the natural order of the world. The area he brought them to was the Doctor's lab, who seemed to be working on a creature of some kind and had the three little troublemakers working for him, who tossed something onto the table and caused a small explosion that ruined what the figure was working on.
Sombra found that nothing had changed in this world, save for Jack, and the trio of troublemakers ran off without delay, to which Jack turned towards Sally and discovered that what she was working on would take some time to finish, causing the group to head back outside so they could follow Jack to the other town he had discovered.
As they expected there were Heartless outside now, where Sombra found that the enemies were Wights, the mummy type that seemed to be common on this world, causing the group to lash out at them like they had done in the past, crushing the Heartless before they could do anything more than worry the Mayor. Of course there were a few Shadows mixed into the group of enemies, but other than that Sombra didn't see anything new for them to worry about, unlike how some worlds had a few new Heartless for them to face, which was actually a little sad in her mind. As they took down the Heartless, and calmed down the Mayor that was cowering in the corner, there was something interesting that happened outside the town, Sombra felt Maleficent's energy for a few seconds, meaning that she was actually getting involved now and that Pete was either exiled or was visiting another world. With that in mind the group followed Jack out of town before heading out into the woods that were nearby, fighting off more Wights and Shadows, along with a little toy type of Heartless that was shaped like a mole with a drill nose, hence 'Driller Nose', while they did so.
Their destination was a special clearing with a bunch of identical trees sitting in a circle, though what was special about them was that they had doors inside their bark, shaped to match the holiday it was associated with, such as a heart, a four leaf clover, an egg with decorations, a firecracker, a jack-o'-lantern, a turkey, and a present, which Sombra guessed were what could be called the 'Holiday Doors'.
Jack opened the Christmas Door and they were sucked into the Holiday World he was interested in, where it took only a few seconds for them to appear in a winter filled world that reminded Sombra of the Frozen North, before she spotted a town at the bottom of the hill they were on, with a large factory that seemed important. Sure enough they found that the area they were in had a ring of identical trees, more Christmas themed with decorations and looking lively, which meant that each of the Holiday Worlds had an area like this that would lead someone into their town. In fact their attire was different in this world, as Sora was wearing a black Santa outfit, Donald had been turned into a snowman, and Goofy looked like he had been crossed with a reindeer, with the antlers and hooves. Fluttershy and Seras, on the other hand, wore green robes with red pants and a black belt buckle, plus a pair of pointed hats, while Radiant's more rigid frost dragon form had turned far more smooth with a top hat and a scarf, like a snow elemental or something, and Sombra appeared to be dressed in what appeared to be a rich business owner's attire, with a top hat, though she was also a ghost.
Sombra found that she could still interact with the world around her, as her hands could grip the snow and her hooves could kick the material, but at the same time she was somewhat amused by how both worlds had her in a spectral form, such as possessed armor and now a Christmas ghost.
The town was definitely nice and festive, befitting the fact that this was Christmas Town, while at the same time being totally different when compared to Halloween Town and what they were used to, which allowed them to see why Jack was so eager to do something with everything new he had discovered. Of course there were Heartless here as well, more Driller Noses and two toy box types, one that was a reaper with two scythes while the other was a soldier, so 'Graveyards' and 'Toy Soldiers' based on what Sombra was seeing right now, though so far none of them seemed to have any unique skills for her to gain from their hearts. Fortunately the group of enemies were no match before their might, allowing them to clear out the area before Jack headed into the workshop, meaning he must have come here several times and knew where to go next, to which the group followed after him. Inside the structure they found a person with a round form, dressed in a red version of what Sora was wearing, who had a beard and seemed far more magical than what they had seen so far, meaning that this had to be Santa Claus, exciting Sora to no end as they approached him.
Santa was pretty chill, rather he expected them to be there to see which list they were on and told them that Donald, Goofy, Radiant, Fluttershy, and Seras were on the 'Nice List', even though Donald betrayed everyone during their first adventure, while Sora wasn't on that list and was nearly ready to leave the 'Naughty List', for telling everyone seven years ago that he didn't believe in Santa.
"And what about you?" Santa asked, speaking to Sombra, who had been silent since they entered the building, showing them that he was more than happy to help the entire group out with knowing their place on his lists, only for him to find that the last person of the group held her hand up.
"No need. I am Sombra, and I know I'm at the bottom of the Naughty List." Sombra replied, she knew her placement easily, without having to be told anything, because she knew that after everything she had done before her defeat that she was never going to be on the Nice List, regardless of what the World said.
"Actually, you're one of the rare ones: right now you're in between lists." Santa said, as it wasn't often that someone was able to so drastically change, in such a short period of time, that it made him reconsider where he was placing them, which was a surprise to everyone in the group.
Sombra had to pause for a time as she heard that, as it didn't seem real when she thought about it, and yet there she found that there was no deception in Santa's words, something that made her wonder what was going on while wondering what else might happen while they were visiting the Holiday Worlds.
Xemnas found himself floating in what could only be described as a sea of darkness, like his existence was fading or had faded entirely, though at the same time he felt something... no, someone else... reaching out to him, a familiar presence he hadn't felt since the figure's fall.
"Come on, brother, you can wake up now." a voice said, where Xemnas found that he could open his eyes and discovered that he was in a room, one that twisted and turned like he was in a mental landscape of some kind, before he found out who was speaking to him, as it was Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, his other half, "Finally. I've been trying to resonate with you for some time now... I was worried that you were going to fade away and disappear on me."
"Ugh, I feel like something ran me over. What... no don't answer that, I know what happened." Xemnas remarked, though in the following seconds he found that he was able to sit up, even though he had been on a bed for some reason while his twin, in a sense, was sitting in a chair, even though he did have to groan a little as he started to overcome whatever had struck him recently, "Sombra found and revived Terra... didn't she?"
"That's right... caused quite a lot of backlash for us as well." Seeker Ansem replied, where Xemnas came to understand one important fact, the reason that his twin was able to resonate with him was because Sombra hadn't done anything to his heart, which was odd all things considered, before he found that his twin sighed for a moment, "I honestly thought I was going to lose you... but I was able to push back Xehanort's claws and pull you out of his clutches, or the clutches of his dark memories."
"What? How did you do that?" Xemnas inquired, because half of both him and his twin was Terra, which was why they had suddenly suffered so greatly after Sombra had revived Terra by whatever method she had used recently, though the other half was Master Xehanort, the very person that Xemnas refused to bend to.
"After observing Sombra for a time, and seeing how she's used her power over Darkness, I came to realize that there is more for me to learn and that I'm nothing like Xehanort, so I rejected his influence." Seeker answered, where he glanced at his twin for a few moments with a smile on his face, as both of them, in their own way, had grown after encountering Sombra, to the point where they were able to separate themselves from his dark sinister influence and his evil plans, before he let out a light chuckle, "Also, I've decided to give myself a true name... none of this 'Seeker Ansem' business."
Xemnas thought about that for a few seconds and briefly nodded his head, because if they were actually becoming their own individual persons, with their own identities, it stood to reason that his brother might want his own name, since they had stolen the original Ansem's name, even though he quite liked the name 'Xemnas'.
"Fair enough, since 'Seeker' is more of a title than a name. If I may ask, what name did you have in mind?" Xemnas said, as it felt good to talk, even though it seemed like he was in his own mind, or a special connection that had been forged between him and his twin brother, because it felt like it was helping him get over whatever had knocked him out, meaning that it was only a matter of time until he woke up for real.
"I was thinking... 'Sairaine Salvatore'." Seeker replied, as he was serious, he was done with Xehanort and the plan, he didn't care anymore, not after seeing the depths of power that could be obtained if one mastered the Darkness, truly mastered it, and what it could be used for, especially in service of the World, a perversion of Xehanort's thoughts that those who sought Darkness were truly evil, before he found that Xemnas was chuckling, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, just... I never thought you'd pick such a cool name." Xemnas answered, because while he had no idea why his twin wanted a last name as well, he was sure that there was a reason behind the decision, he honestly wasn't expecting such an interesting name, especially one that sounded like a warrior of some kind, like he was reinventing himself, "Though that does make me wonder: would I be 'Xemnas Salvatore'?"
"The Salvatore Brothers... I like the sound of that." Seeker, or Sairaine as he preferred to be called now, said, where Xemnas could see that his twin was pleased with the idea that both of them had the same last name, in fact it made both of them smile, because instead of them being driven by Xehanort's darkness they were now forging their own paths, and even now he assumed that Sairaine had a plan to restore his physical body.
As that happened the darkness was sundered by a burst of glorious light, like a sign that they were stepping out of the vast darkness that Xehanort's memories cast on them, causing Sairaine to keep the smile on his face while Xemnas found that he was getting lighter, and was starting to float for a moment.
"Well, it seems that you're waking up. Don't worry about me, I'll find some way to join you." Sairaine stated, as he intended on restoring his physical form at some point in the future, he just wasn't sure how yet, but he wanted to make sure that his brother knew that he would be catching up with him at some point in the future.
All Xemnas could do was nod as his world went white, his eyes opening to see his room in the castle while feeling fine for the first time in days, though instead of getting up, and speaking to the others, he decided to sleep a little more and then worry about whatever the future held in store for the Organization.