Kingdom Hearts: The World's Reluctant Heroes

by Blackdrag-rose

Interlude: Pieces Moving

"So, what do we do first?" Aqua asked, because while she was still coming to terms with everything Sombra had said, not to mention the fact that the strange dark figure had the heart of one of her friends in her possession like it was nothing to her, she felt that she could trust her and whatever plans she was thinking of.

"For now we need to remain hidden. Seras said that the Organization wanted me out of the picture, so I didn't interfere with their plans in Castle Oblivion, so that's what I'll do." Sombra replied, though she had plans for the area in question, as the Organization's desire to keep her away from the mysterious structure only increased her desire to know what sort of plans Xemnas had in plan for that place, before she glanced out at the dark beach, "That would be no problem if we could return to the Realm of Light and use our Gummi Ship, because then we could have a mobile base of operations that our foes would be unable to track."

"Not to mention some food... it's been a while since I've eaten anything, since Ansem didn't bother to eat anything while he was in control of my body." Riku added, as that was the good thing about teaming up with Sombra again, not only was she a great warrior, if her skills were anything to go by, but her cooking was out of this world, and he assumed that Aqua felt the same, as she said that she had been trapped in this realm for a long time.

"I'm just not sure how we'll get out of here, since the only path I'm aware of has been sealed." Mickey admitted, because while he had to admit that leaving this realm would be a good idea, since it looked like there might be something far more dangerous lurking in the depths, he had no idea how to get out of the realm they were currently trapped in.

Sombra thought about that for a few seconds, because if she knew how Seras and the Nobodies were able to open those dark portals she could easily open one and get them out of here, but she didn't and that meant she would have to find another way out, causing her to glance at the mouse.

"Mickey, you had a Keyblade that looked similar to the Kingdom Key, which Sora is using... may I see it?" Sombra asked, as she knew that Sora's weapon was the Realm of Light's Keyblade, which was why it was so important for the World to send her and the others to help the boy learn how to fight and aid him in his quest, and Mickey's looked like it was identical to the Kingdom Key, which made sense since it was this realm's Keyblade.

The mouse looked at her for a moment before calling forth the Keyblade and handed it over, allowing Sombra to grab the handle and pull it close to her, where she found that it was identical in form to the Kingdom Key that Sora carried, down to the charm that was at the end. The difference between them was that the colors were inverted between the two weapons, as the Kingdom Key's blade was silver and the Darkside Key's, as she was going to call it, blade was golden, while Sora's had a red ring near the base of the blade and this one had a blue ring. She also found that the guard of the Darkside Key was golden colored, as opposed to the silver coloration of the Kingdom Key, while the charm, which resembled Mickey for some reason, was silver on Sora's and gold on this one, completing the inverted color scheme. She could even tell that it had some sort of power to it that wasn't just unlocking and locking things, like the other Keyblades they had seen so far, a fact that made her wonder if Xemnas might have made a mistake in having Seras send her here, something that caused her to stand up as an idea came to mind.

Riku and the others watched as Sombra dismissed the barrier that was around them as she raised the Keyblade and just focused her mind for a moment, allowing energy to arc around the blade for a few seconds before she pointed it right at the space in front of her, causing an oval portal to tear itself open before her eyes.

"I was right: the Darkside Key has the power to open small portals between the realms." Sombra remarked, where Riku found that she was telling the truth, as on the other side was none other than Traverse Town, a place that was currently in the middle of seeing people depart as their worlds were restored, causing Sombra to wave her hand for a moment and let the portal close before anyone used it, "Now, let's see if I can pick where to go."

In the following moments she focused on her destination and held the Keyblade out again, where they discovered that the world she opened a portal to was Hollow Bastion, Riku noticed that right away, and when she beckoned them through all three of them appeared on the outskirts of Maleficent's castle, where Sora and the others had started when they first came to this world.

"And just like that, we have escaped from the Darkworld... Xemnas really screwed up, didn't he?" Sombra stated, because this was hilarious in her eyes, the leader of Organization XIII had thought he was getting rid of her by having Seras send her to the dark realm, but the reality of the situation was that he had merely separated her from the others, which was fine since Radiant was with them.

"Are we... really in the Realm of Light?" Aqua asked, as she had been trapped in the Realm of Darkness, or the Darkworld as everyone seemed to be calling it these days, for so long that she had started to lose hope that she would ever escape, but now it looked like it had been wrong to even consider such a thing, as Sombra had freed her and the others within moments of finding them.

"Yes, we're no longer in the Darkworld." Mickey said, where he found that Sombra returned the Darkside Key to him not a few seconds later before she focused on another spell that seemed to do nothing to the world around them, causing him to dismiss the Keyblade as he turned to face her as Riku made sure Aqua was fine, as she started to tear up at the thought of actually being in this realm again, "What are you doing?"

"Summoning our base of operations. We're going to remain in the shadows for a time, letting Xemnas play his games as we gather information on the Organization," Sombra explained, causing the others to focus on her for a moment as they found a ship appearing above them, one Riku recognized as their Gummi Ship, where she smiled as she thought about the plan that was in her mind, since it combined the information Aqua had given them earlier as well, "and, when the time is right, we will swoop in, gather our allies, and then decimate the Organization before they even knew what hit them. But first things first..."

Aqua found that Sombra's remark was followed by them warping aboard the ship, no doubt due to the systems as the odd figure told them, where she had Riku move them out into space as she went to the last place Aqua expected, she walked right into the kitchen area and started to make something.

"I... I don't understand." Aqua commented, as this was the last thing she thought someone like Sombra would do, given all of the information that had been handed to her since they stopped to talk, and while she was hungry, starving really since it had been some time since her last meal, this was the last thing on her mind right now.

"Trust me, it will be well worth the wait." Riku replied, due to the fact that neither Aqua or Mickey was aware of the sheer culinary skill that Sombra possessed, in fact he couldn't wait to see what sort of dish she put out, causing him to beckon for them to follow him so he could show them around the ship, since it seemed like the meal would take some time before it was ready.

Sombra chuckled as she focused on her work, while at the same time expanding a bit of her magic into the walls to make a brand new room for Aqua, since she was sure that the new wielder had to be exhausted after everything she had been forced to endure, though she did hear the shower start. She wasn't too surprised by that fact, as she could only imagine how long it had been since the other lady had taken the time to care for her body, especially since the Darkworld had nothing for her to use to tend to her body, so she decided to say nothing as she focused on her current task. Sombra also knew that Riku would show them to the area that Fluttershy's Heartless was resting in, no doubt allowing them to see that the stakes were higher than either of them currently knew, though getting through the animals would be another thing entirely, because Sabor and all of Fluttershy's animal companions were very protective of her Shadow. When the trio did return to the eating area, however, Sombra did explain more of her plan to them, as she wanted Xemnas to think that she was still trapped inside the Darkworld, so before they departed from their current position she was going to detonate an attack inside the realm and make the Nobodies think she was still trapped.

As Aqua agreed with the plan, since blinding their foes seemed like the best thing right now, she finally got to taste what was being made as Sombra served four dishes to the table, allowing her and Mickey's jaws to drop when they sampled her food, causing Riku to chuckle as he waited for them to implement the first part of Sombra's great plan.

---

Seras glanced around the area of the castle that she was in for a moment as she spun and loosed a burst of fire at one of the targets that were around her, blasting one of the Dusks, the most common Nobody in existence, backwards as a few more rushed at her. Such a thing caused her to hold her right hand out as she struck the trio that were coming at her with her Keyblade, hard enough to knock them away from where she was standing while soft enough to make sure that none of them were actually harmed, since they did serve the Organization and taking them out would weaken their forces as a whole. The reason she was training was due to the fact that Xemnas wanted to send her out into the field now that their 'problem child', Sombra when she thought about it, was trapped in the Darkworld, just as he ordered her to do, so with a thorn in their side dealt with he wanted her, Roxas, and Xion to start heading out into the field. They needed hearts to be freed from the Heartless so they could be gathered and brought together in Kingdom Hearts, as in the one that was right outside their home, because their end goal was to gain the power to give every Nobody a heart.

She, of course, knew there was more to it than that and was hoping to gain more information by working with the other members of the Organization who could wield the power of a Keyblade, though as she thought about that she turned her weapon for a moment and struck the electric throwing knives out of the air as Larxene landed nearby.

"Man, you are good. Totally unlike most Nobodies when they're born... you skipped being a zombie." Larxene remarked, as Seras was a natural when it came to combat, in fact she was able to react to the changes in the air and deflect attacks that were coming at her despite her not seeing them coming in the first place, and while she should be annoyed by the fact that she couldn't hit Seras, she was actually having fun with her training, "You are far more skilled than Roxas, or even Xion... I know Xemnas said she can use a Keyblade, but why hasn't she tried to summon it yet?"

She was referring to the other two that were in the training area, as Roxas was currently training with Axel, who seemed to know which buttons to press to try and get Sora's Nobody to focus on battle, wielding a Keyblade that resembled Sora's as well, while Xion was being treated like dirt by Saix, who was annoyed that she was focusing on magic and had yet to use her Keyblade.

"To be fair, Xion was brought in shortly after Roxas and I showed up. She's probably still remembering how to fight." Seras replied, though she had to agree with Larxene, it was weird that she and Roxas could call their Keyblades so easily, where Roxas needed some prodding while she required no time at all, while Xion was unable to summon hers, before a smile appeared on her face, "Though you shouldn't lower your guard."

Surprise appeared on Larxene's face as she turned and was kicked to the side by Seras, as she could rapidly move from one spot to another if someone wasn't paying attention to them, plus she was able to identify that she was distracted by how bad Roxas and Xion were doing right now. This just confirmed Larxene's thoughts on the matter, Seras was a warrior from the very beginning, making her wonder how in the world she was Fluttershy's Nobody, as the two were night and day when compared to each other, while she righted herself and sent lightning at her opponent. That was when she became the focus on the other power Seras had, as her magic was also incredible, not as much as Sombra's based on what she had heard, and by that she meant that a great force of gravity forced her into the ground before she could get away, a fact that showed her just how good her foe actually was. As that happened Marluxia rushed at Seras from behind and swung his scythe at her, as that was his weapon, though it failed to hit Seras as she turned into a red substance that he slashed through, allowing her to reform into a solid state as Marluxia landed near Larxene, only to be knocked down into the floor with a kick.

Larxene knew that each Nobody had a unique power, a unique skill of sorts, like hers was lightning and their boss' was the power of Nothingness, and Seras' was said to be 'Blood' due to her vampire-like appearance, but it just amazed her that the newly born Nobody was able to wield her unique power like it was nothing, with little training, though both she and Marluxia chuckled as Seras removed her power and helped them up.

"Seras, you are definitely ready for field work. I'm looking forward to working with you in the future." Marluxia remarked, as it was simply amazing that she could move like this, and hold this much power when compared to her original self, and he knew that if she was on their side the three of them might hold the cards necessary to take control of the Organization, or at least take out Xemnas.

"I know I'm certainly eager to work alongside you." Larxene added, because she and Seras had bonded a little since she and Roxas showed up, especially since she had been another girl for her to talk to, though Xion didn't seem to care right now, as if she was unsure of everything, and she had to admit that she liked the pony girl Nobody, "Say, we still have some time before Saix gives us our next missions... want to go visit one of the worlds, maybe take a break before we're sent out on whatever tasks he and the boss might have in store for us?"

As Seras opened her mouth to reply she and everyone else in the castle felt the sudden powerful surge of energy that just washed over everything, as if they were shaking or something, causing her to rush towards the edge of the chamber so she could look out at the space that surrounded their home. That was when she noticed a twinkling light off in the far off distance, one that exploded out into a violent surge of magical energy, where Seras realized that it was Sombra, firing off an attack at something in the Darkworld, causing her to realize what was going on. She knew a fight wasn't happening, as this seemed far too excessive for a fight, not unless there was something massive lurking in the dark realm, but Xemnas and the other Nobodies didn't know that fact, meaning they would think Sombra was fighting something and that she was unable to interfere with their plans. This was a trick, plain and simple, and Organization XIII was going to fall for it without even thinking if there was anything else to the sheer amount of energy being put out, something that caused her to grin for a moment, as it meant that she would need to play her part as well, before her expression returned to normal.

There was a lot of work for her to do, though at the end of it all she hoped that she, Sombra, and even Sora found success in what they were doing, and maybe even make new friends along the way, causing her to look forward to what the future held in store for them.

Comments

[Xalok]

Now it's time to see just how much trouble Sombra can make before they realize she is not trapped.

[Xarmar13]

One thing about Org XIII are the personalities of the members. Xemnas more or less still behaves like the treacherous old man Xehanort, Xigbar still has Braig's personality quirks and most of the others as well. Roxas is different from Sora since he was born without Sora's memories and developed his own which helped him develop his own personality.

The biggest unsolved mystery lies in the 4 who came after Axel: Luxord, Demyx, Marluxia and Larxene. It is said that they have ties to the ancient Keyblade War but the former 2 are still enigmas in that regard. The thing is that the latter 2 have personalities that don't seem to add up to their originals: Lauriam and Elrena. Their originals were much nicer and not treacherous. Not to mention that those two, and likely Demyx and Luxord, were once keyblade wielders. Reference to this being Union X, even though Luxord and Demyx's originals never premiered in the series.

My personal theory is that Xigbar(Luxu) found them and altered their memories somehow before turning them into nobodies to keep the truth of the Keyblade War hidden. I mean, Marluxia didn't once mention his sister, Strelitzia.

[Black--Soul]

There is beauty in darkness, I wonder if that is one thing that Sombra can teach.

There are many dark art pieces one can experience in the modern time after all:

Sombra the mastermind or anti hero arey favorite versions of him in Fimfiction for me to read about.

[Ze1a7in]

11811102
I think the leading theory on Luxord is that he's from Quadratum? As in the cutscene after fighting Yozora in KH3, apparently Yozora's driver sounds like him and has similar hair? Demyx is straight up the biggest unknown.

[Hexan Tronic]

Yes Seras! Make friends, hopefully make them see the grey!

[Blackdrag-rose]

11811102 Considering that we know memories can be altered or even fabricated, even turned into data, the idea that Luxu might have done such a thing to Larxene and Marluxia's Somebodies is very interesting, not to mention entirely possible.

11811196 There aren't many theories on who Demyx is, but after Luxu's reveal everyone seems to have jumped on the train that Demyx is the Master of Masters... due to mannerisms, gestures, some of the phrases he's said, and even his power over water.

[Moonlight_Mist]

11811061
Oh yeah! The boys are back in town!