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Chapter 9: An Unlikely Alliance (Part 1)

Leon swung his blade upward, knocking a Shadow straight into the air. He spun around and tripped a Soldier with the tip of his blade. He formed a fist, conjuring a powerful flame from within it. After turning around, he launched the attack at the falling Shadow, and then cut the one on the floor in half.

Meanwhile, the Shadow flew right into Sora, who was ready with a powerful strike from the Keyblade; it sent the creature straight into oblivion. Soon, the sounds of Sora and Leon’s panting filled the clear sky. Fighting with Leon was more gratifying than being on the end of his sword. Leon scanned the area for any more Heartless. He noticed Yuffie running towards the Gizmo Shop’s entrance.

“Yuffie?” Leon asked, baffled.

Sora turned to see her, too. “What’s she doing?”

Leon felt a nervous twinge in his chest. He did not like seeing her alone, considering how Heartless continued to fill the empty streets with perpetual malice.

“I-I don’t know,” Leon said. Worry grew in his voice. “Where’s Aerith? I thought she’d be with her.”

“Aerith?”

“Never mind,” Leon said, brushing his hair, as he tried to quell his nerves. “She shouldn’t be out here right now. What is she thinking?”

Up to this point, Leon’s emotions have been reserved. No matter how hard Sora tried to read the pages of his expressions, they were always doused in white-out. But seeing him become distressed over Yuffie showed just how much he cared for her. He noticed a conflicted look in Leon’s eyes. Sora would’ve felt the same way if Kairi or Riku were in a similar situation.

An awful, harsh reminder seared into his skin – he tried to save them, but failed. He didn’t want Leon to experience the same grief he was forced to trudge through. Although he had yet to realize that Leon’s burdens sank into a deeper hole.

“Leon, go help your friend,” Sora said. “Leave the leader to me!”

“You sure?” Leon asked. “Like I said, you’ll probably encounter a lot more on the way.”

Sora smirked. “Hey, if the Keyblade chose me for my qualities, then it’s time I start showing them off.”

A grateful smile appeared on Leon’s lips. More of Sora’s confidence shined through the legions of shadows.

“Alright,” Leon said. “Just stay focused. The leader won’t be a pushover compared to the little guys.”

Sora nodded, and the two went their separate ways, hoping that they’ll be able to see each other later.

--

Entering the Gizmo Shop was like arriving at a waiting area for an amusement park ride: it was bright, colorful, and filled to the brim with unusual but wonderous contraptions that would keep a child occupied during the benumbing shuffle through a long line. Purple cogs spun throughout the room, moving in a clockwise motion, to provide life to the town’s most iconic landmark.

A door was concealed inside one of the walls, which the staff normally occupied. However, someone decided to use it as an acceptable hiding spot; and that was none other than Luigi’s doppelganger. He snuck out of the room, glancing left and right to make sure no one noticed him. In his hand was a card, which contained a picture of Eldstar on it.

With a sigh of relief, the doppelganger hurried for the exit, but was startled as a cloud of smoke covered his vision. He coughed from the particles hovering around in his throat. After it cleared, he noticed his grip was lighter, and looked down to see an alarming sight: a missing card!

His eyes scanned the area with a hurricane of panic and confusion spinning through his head.

“Hey!” Yuffie said.

He spun around to see the ninja standing there, holding the card out with an expression of condescending pride.

“You lose this?” she asked in a mocking tone. “You shouldn’t be so careless with your belongings, ya know. Seems important. Maybe it’d be better off with someone who isn’t so clumsy.”

The doppelganger was startled; he kept looking back at his hand, as if unable to believe that someone snatched it.

“Wh-what?” he asked. His voice sounded as if was talking from underwater. “H-How did yo—that’s not yours! Give it back, you big meanie!”

Yuffie raised an eyebrow. “Big meanie? Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this grown adult was out past his bed time. Are you gonna get mommy to lecture me? I’m sooooo scared.”

“Don’t make fun of me!” the doppelganger said. “You don’t understand! I’ll be in big trouble if I don’t get that back!”

“Well, you’re in trouble, either way,” Yuffie said; she was now angry. “You stole my Materia!”

“Materia?” he rubbed his head in confusion. “Oh! That shiny stuff I stole from that chatty lady? That was you!?”

“Chatty!?”

The doppelganger grinned in triumph. “Now who’s the one acting like a grown up? I will get that Star Spirit back from you! Heartless!”

A mixture of Soldiers and Shadows appeared behind him. Yuffie stood her ground; sure, the Heartless were strong, but she trained her whole life just defend herself against them. It wasn’t going to be for nothing. One of the Shadows leaped at her, but a fireball collided with it, knocking the creature into a wall.

Yuffie turned around to see Leon running up to her.

“No fair!” The doppelganger stomped up and down. “Only I can call for backup!”

“What are doing here?” Yuffie asked in surprise. “You were supposed to help, Sora! I got this!”

“It was Sora’s idea,” Leon said. “He wanted to handle the Heartless by himself. I saw you heading towards the tower. Thought I might lend a hand.”

“Aw, Leon, ya big lug,” Yuffie said with a playful grin. “Who knew you cared so much?”

Leon cleared his throat. “What’s going on here, anyway?”

“Here on a rescue mission,” Yuffie said. “And to kick this little twerp’s butt!”

Leon noticed a smidgen of animosity floating around Yuffie’s pupils. He chuckled in response. “He’s the one who took your Materia, isn’t he?”

“You know me well,” Yuffie said.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” the doppelganger said, grasping his ears in annoyance. “All you grown ups do is talk! Stop being all lovey dovey and hand that card over!”

Yuffie glared at him in anger. “Lovey dovey!? Oh, you’re just looking for trouble, aren’t you? Don’t worry. Got plenty of shurikens to deflate that big nose of yours!”

Leon prepared his Gunblade for battle. “Let’s make this quick.”

“Most sensible thing I’ve heard,” the doppelganger said. “Attack!”

The clock tower shook as a battle rattled around its insides.

--

While Sora relied on his gut for most situations, he needed to step back and analyze his next course of action. Sometimes he would fight the Heartless; other times he would keep his distance, observing how many appeared in certain parts of the area. A plethora marched out from the alleyway that lead to the Third District, so that’s where he needed to go.

After a treacherous battle through the Heartless swarm, he ran through the door and slammed it behind him. Every muscle in his body pleaded for a reprieve, but he had to push forward. Lingering would only make the problem escalate. He hurried down the stairs towards the main area of the Third District.

---

Luigi and Yoshi arrived on a balcony looking out over the Third District. Yoshi’s nose picked up a distinct scent coming from straight below him. Glancing over, he saw what appeared to be a teenage boy with spiky brown hair. A mysterious sword was clenched in his right hand. Had they finally found the ‘key?’ Luigi stood right behind Yoshi, and was ready to open his mouth when he felt a sudden chill

It couldn’t be the weather, he thought. How could the temperature drop in an instant? He then felt the chill glide up and down his spine, like a ravenous creature playing with its pray before striking. Turning around seemed like a bad idea, Luigi thought, but he had little choice. Upon doing so, he saw two Soldier Heartless approach him, swaying back and forth in utter joy at their new targets.

Jumping off the balcony would have been a smarter choice, he thought.

Luigi’s fear rose to staggering levels. His mouth opened, but words refused to leave the comfort of his throat. All he could do was give Yoshi frantic taps on the shoulder. He turned back, seeing the Heartless creep closer to them. Luigi continued tapping Yoshi’s shoulder. Upon turning around, his nose felt the full force of Luigi’s finger.

“Luigi!” Yoshi said. Luigi stopped upon realizing what he was doing. “Me told you before; Yoshi’s nose not a doorbell!”

Luigi directed his attention towards the Heartless. Yoshi had encountered many unusual creatures in the Mushroom Kingdom, but none were as unnatural or nightmarish as these monsters.

“A-Are these Heartless guys?” Yoshi asked as nervousness brushed through his scales. “What we do?”

Luigi took a deep breath, found a small portion of courage, and took out his hammer. Do it for Mario. Do it for Mario.

“They don’t seem scary,” Luigi said with a fierce tone in his voice. “We can take them! Let’s do it!”

Inspired by Luigi’s encouraging words, Yoshi leaned down into an attack position. He didn’t know what to expect, but he wasn’t afraid. Luigi would always be by his side.

“Yeah!” Yoshi said, confident. “Yoshi’s body ready!!!!”

---

BOOM!!!!

Sora glanced up from the startling sound. Two green blurs were plummeting right towards him, screaming at the top of their lungs. Sora tried to move away, but the blurs landed on him. He felt the crushing weight as he crashed onto the ground. The three were dizzy from the rough impact. Soon, everyone regained their senses. Luigi and Yoshi noticed they landed on something soft, and glanced down to see Sora’s spiky hair. And as their eyes trailed further, they saw the Keyblade.

Every ache and pain evaporated from a sudden surge of joy.

“The key!” they both exclaimed.

Sora groaned from their combined weight crushing his spine.

“Ooh, you okay?” Yoshi asked.

“I think he’d be better if we got off of him,” Luigi said.

Yoshi formed a sheepish grin, and they both rose to their feet. Sora sat up, rubbing his back in the process. That injury won’t have any repercussions later in life, he thought with sarcasm. Nope. None whatsoever. Before he could turn to address the two strangers responsible for landing on him, the ground started shaking. Yoshi grabbed onto Luigi’s arms in order to keep his balance.

“Earthshake!” Yoshi said

Giant blocks rose from the ground and blocked the exits. Everyone looked around in a panic. They weren’t sure how blocks appeared from the ground, but had a strong hunch as to who was responsible for them. The familiar Soldier Heartless appeared on top of the formed blocks. One of them leaped for Sora, who was struggling to his feet. Luigi leaped in front of him and swung his powerful hammer right into the creature’s chest, knocking it across the room.

Luigi helped Sora to his feet. “You okay?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Sora said. “But who are—?”

“Look out!” Luigi shouted.

Another one tried to pounce on them, but they both rolled away. Upon standing up again, Sora glanced around the area, staying alert for more of the creatures. Yoshi was walking backwards, also vigilant, and bumped into him. The two spun around to face each other. Sora’s eyes commanded his mouth to shout in surprise at the sight of the strange dinosaur-like creature. Talking racoons and cats seemed pedestrian next to this guy, Sora thought.

“What wrong?” Yoshi asked. “Does Yoshi have something on his face?”

“Wh-What are you?” Sora asked. “Some sort of dragon?”

Before Yoshi could respond, Luigi called out to them.

“Hey, this might not be the best time!” Luigi pointed towards six Soldiers walking towards them.

Sora sighed in annoyance. The sight of these monsters was getting redundant. How many more times would he have to strike them down? But complaining was a fruitless gesture; a remark would not shred these creatures into pieces. However, having some extra hands might abate the roaring storm of this fight.

Sora turned to notice the two strangers glaring at him with confident eyes, as if agreeing with his thoughts.

“Seems like we’re trapped here,” Luigi said. “If we have any hopes of keeping each buttock intact, we’re gonna have to fight together!”

“No complaints from me,” Sora said.

“It’d be worse for Yoshi. He has tail in addition to buttocks!”

Ignoring Yoshi’s random comment, the three turned to face their opposition, who were not intimated by their spontaneous alliance. An electric shock of fortitude flashed through Sora’s body. He wasn’t alone in this fight, and there was no reason he couldn’t trust them; putting your trust in strangers was imperative in perilous situations.

And so, having nothing but their weapons and each other for support, the trio charged right for the Heartless.

Yoshi leaped over a swipe from a Heartless and rolled into a kneeled position. Another one ran for him. Yoshi swung his tail in low, knocking the Soldier over. The Heartless he avoided ran up to him with another fierce swing. Yoshi leaned back to dodge, and countered with a kick to the stomach. While the creature clutched its stomach from the pain, Yoshi grabbed both of its arms, pulled it forward, and rammed it with his head.

Metal wept before Yoshi’s iron-like cranium. A random assortment of purples and blues spun around the creature’s vision as it staggered backwards. Taking this opportune moment, Yoshi decided to unleash one his many innate abilities: sticking out his long tongue. The slimy, thin organ wrapped around the Soldier’s leg, and tripped it over. Next, Yoshi spun it around on the floor, tripping over the other Heartless he fought in the process.

Yoshi’s tongue wasn’t just long, though. It was strong – something that made even the most credible of scientists cry themselves to sleep over its improbability. He spun around like a roundabout, growing faster with each turn; the Heartless ascended higher and higher. Then, Yoshi slammed the Soldier into the other one he tripped earlier. After retracting his tongue, he smacked his lips from creature’s unusual taste; mixed signals were fading in and out of his mind.

“Hm, taste a little rough,” Yoshi said, “but not the worst.”

Luigi bunted his hammer forward to block an incoming strike from a Soldier, and then thrusted the head to his left to hit another one in the face. He brought his hammer forward and swung it straight down at the one he blocked moments ago. The Soldier leaped back to avoid the incoming attack.

It retaliated by leaping into the air, spinning around like a top, and flying straight into him. Luigi held his hammer up to block the fury of swinging swipes. It finished with a powerful kick that pushed him back, straight into the arms of the other Heartless.

"I'm already taken!" Luigi said. "Get off!!!!"

He rammed his elbow into its stomach, spun around, and smacked it right across the face with his hammer. Luigi delivered a kick to the chest, pushing it away. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the other one preparing to strike. He spun around and swung the hammer right into the Soldier's leg, causing sustainable damage; it forced the Heartless to clutch the leg from the pain.

While distracted, Luigi ran in front of the Heartless and rammed the hammer straight into its stomach. Next, he leaned down in front of it and clenched his fist. Luigi closed his eyes, focusing his energy on the middle of his palm. A small warm glow was born from within his hand, and like a wildfire, it soon spread around his entire fist, pulsating in fury.

Luigi unleashed an uppercut enveloped in flames, knocking the creature an incredible distance into the sky. Luigi leaped after him, twirled his body around, and slammed his hammer into its back; it went plummeting into the ground. The creature was paralyzed for a few moments; even lifting its head was an arduous task. To make things worse, Luigi landed right on its back, then leaped into the air and slammed his hammer straight down on the other Heartless.

Sora moved to avoid a Soldier, and kicked it straight in the back as it ran by, knocking it over. Another one swung at him, but he brought his blade up in a diagonal motion to block the strike. The Soldier swung upward; Sora made the blade face upward and brought it close to his chest, catching the creature’s attack. Sora thrust the blade straight up to push its claw off the blade. This was followed by him elbowing the Heartless in the shoulder, which made it stagger backwards. He finished it off, along with the other one in two quick strikes.

Sora looked to see how his new allies were faring against the denizens of darkness. What he saw next continued to skew his perception of reality with a sharp dagger. Yoshi had his tongue wrapped around a Soldier’s neck. An unusual sight on its own, but the absurdity settled in when Yoshi ate the Heartless in one complete gulp. For a moment, he struggled swallowing the massive creature; his insides were trembling from the sheer size and weight of it. But he prevailed in making it a temporary resident of his stomach.

Sora felt a screw around his mouth loosen, which made his jaw start to drop. And the screw only rotated faster as Yoshi forced something out of his backside – a giant white egg with various green spots around it. Every thought in Sora’s head scrambled around a giant room, searching for tiny puzzle pieces that would explain Yoshi’s improbable feat.

“D-Did you just…turn that Heartless into an egg?” Sora asked. “How did you do that? Aren’t you a boy?”

Luigi, who was holding two Heartless back, glanced over his shoulder at Sora. “Oh, you think you’ll get a definite answer to that question. How cute.”

“Hey!” Yoshi said to Sora. “Use ‘key-sword’ on egg! Me round up rest!”

While the ridiculousness of that sentence tickled Sora’s ears, Yoshi’s idea was solid. He hurried over to the egg and slashed it in half. Yoshi ate the next one, turned into an egg, and Sora repeated the same process. Luigi pushed the two Heartless back, giving Sora a chance to swing his blade at one of them, shredding it into dark debris.

After Sora defeated the last imprisoned Heartless, the trio stopped to catch their breath. A vacant district was a welcoming change of pace. They greeted the eerie silence with wide open arms.

But the moment of reprieve didn’t last.

Sora noticed his shadow being consumed by a bigger one. Soon, everything around his personal space grew darker. His instincts clutched onto his legs, forcing him to leap backwards. A giant purple object made of metal landed on the ground. It was vaguely shaped like an hourglass. Sora gritted his teeth in frustration; his blind optimism had left his rational senses at the start of a race. He forgot that there was a leader overseeing the chaos.

“What that?” Yoshi asked, whimpering in fear.

“O-Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing,” Luigi said, refusing to believe that they were blessed by more trouble. “Some giant probably doesn’t know how to use a recycling bin.”

Sora would’ve scoffed at Luigi’s poor explanation, but given how bizarre today had been for him, he wouldn’t have been surprised if there was a giant roaming the streets. The strange armor started convulsing, making the ground rattle in the process.

“Uh…it’s moving,” Sora said.

“No, it’s not!” Luigi shouted in denial.

The metal object hovered right above them. Two purple gauntlets, along with two feet, rained down from the sky and placed themselves in certain areas around the object, appearing as body parts around a torso; but they were not directly connected to the torso, so they could move on their own. Sora noticed a wide black heart emblem embedded on its chest. It had a red outline around it and a cross went over the middle area.

A helmet landed on top of the torso, completing the assembly of this armored creature. Its eyes were covered by a silver faceplate, but it could see the three as clear as the night’s sky. It had been disturbed. It was mad. And it sought hearts. Despite its towering size, Sora wasn’t intimidated. Nothing was going to stop him from finding his friends. It didn’t matter the size or quantity of Heartless – his desires towered over the creature itself.

“Finally decided to show up, huh?” Sora said; his blue eyes gleamed with resolve. “Good! Your little friends were starting to bore me.”

Luigi glared at Sora in shock. “Bore him? Wow. That sounds like something only a crazy person would say!”

He turned to Yoshi, and noticed that gleam had been cast upon his eyes.

“Guess that make Luigi and Yoshi just as crazy,” he said.

Luigi chuckled. Sora’s courage was contagious; something about having him and Yoshi around tucked Luigi’s worries away into a closet. Positive energy flowed between the three, and they would use it to slay this Heartless.

Luigi and Yoshi joined Sora by his side. Three people from completely different worlds have formed one unstoppable force.

And this Heartless was set to be their first victim.

--

No matter how hard the Heartless tried, their sharp claws could not penetrate the youthful skin of the great ninja Yuffie. Her maneuvers were quick and elegant; and her cunningness was unrivaled. She pelted the creatures with silent strikes of her throwing stars. At one point, she conjured a magical spell that enlarged one of them, and threw it around the room like a rambunctious saw blade yearning for something to shred. Indeed, the Heartless were shredded to pieces by the relentless shuriken.

The doppelganger’s moves were amateurish compared to Leon’s well-honed sword techniques. All he could do was defend himself from each precise strike. He swung at the ground, releasing a wave of orange graffiti at Leon, who avoided it by rolling to his left. He countered with a fireball, knocking the doppelganger into a wall. Before Leon could strike, the doppelganger pushed his back against the wall, and managed to merge into it.

Leon’s senses were as sharp as his blade. He could hear noise from within the walls; it was as if the doppelganger was scrambling around inside of them, trying to find a feasible angle to attack. Soon enough, the doppelganger emerged from behind him, but Leon put the Gunblade over his shoulder, blocking the paint brush’s strike. All the doppelganger could do was retreat into the floor, move under Leon’s feat, and emerge with an upward swing. Leon leaned back, and countered with a kick to the stomach, sending the doppelganger flying into the wall, and landing on the ground.

“Grrr, stop doing that!” the doppelganger said.

Leon held the blade to his side. “This is a waste of time. Better end this now.”

An orange ball of energy emerged from the tip of the Gunblade, pulsating with incredible power. Terror had chained the doppelganger’s legs to the ground, as he felt an overwhelming heat slap him across the face. After the ball faded, Leon knocked him into the air with his blade, leaped after him, and unleashed a fury of fast, unavoidable combos. Each strike was more impactful than the last. The doppelganger couldn’t even register what was happening – that strikes were that brutal.

Leon held the blade over his head and performed a finishing slash, sending the doppelganger crashing into the ground. Despite being bombarded with sword strikes, he survived the onslaught, but the fruits of Leon’s handiwork were apparent. He tried to stand up, only for his weakened body to collapse in defeat.

Yuffie had just finished off the remaining Heartless. She rejoined Leon. The two watched as the doppelganger used his remaining strength to…..throw a huge tantrum on the ground – pounding fists and everything.

“No fair!” the doppelganger. “You cheated! I would’ve clobbered you!”

“He didn’t cheat,” Yuffie said, as she patted Leon on the back. “Being awesome just comes naturally to him.”

The doppelganger managed to stand up, leaning on his paint brush for support. “But you don’t understand. I’m in big trouble now! I’ll lose my allowance over this! Or worse!”

“Sorry. Don’t care about your first world problems,” Leon said.

The doppelganger stuck his free hand behind him, creating an oval shaped dark portal. He stumbled backwards towards it.

“You big meanies are going to pay for this!”

As soon as the portal engulfed him, it vanished right before their eyes.

Yuffie turned to Leon with a bewildered expression. “Big meanies? What, is his brain still stuck in Elementary School?”

“Just glad that’s over,” Leon said. “Have no idea what his intentions in this town are, but that’s neither here nor there. Are you okay?”

Yuffie grinned. “Fine. Thanks for the help. Not that I could’ve taken care of it myself.”

Leon said nothing.

“I’ve known you for years,” Yuffie said, placing both hands on her hips, “yet I can still never read ya.”

Leon smirked. “One of my most endearing traits, apparently. Anyway, you mentioned something about a rescue mission?”

Yuffie held up the card, explaining how it belonged to the visitors of the Mushroom Kingdom.

“Then we’ll return him to them as soon as possible,” Leon said. “Right now, we should meet up with Sora.”

“Think he needs help?” Yuffie asked.

“No. That kid can handle himself. But it wouldn’t hurt if he had some backup.”

Yuffie smirked. “Aw, you’re growing fond of him. Who knew beating people up brings them close together? Not that I’d want you to try that theory out on me.”

Leon chuckled in responds. Without another second to spare, they left the Gizmo shop in search of Sora.

Description

Chapter 9: An Unlikely Alliance (Part 1)

Leon swung his blade upward, knocking a Shadow straight into the air. He spun around and tripped a Soldier with the tip of his blade. He formed a fist, conjuring a powerful flame from within it. After turning around, he launched the attack at the falling Shadow, and then cut the one on the floor in half.

Meanwhile, the Shadow flew right into Sora, who was ready with a powerful strike from the Keyblade; it sent the creature straight into oblivion. Soon, the sounds of Sora and Leon’s panting filled the clear sky. Fighting with Leon was more gratifying than being on the end of his sword. Leon scanned the area for any more Heartless. He noticed Yuffie running towards the Gizmo Shop’s entrance.

“Yuffie?” Leon asked, baffled.

Sora turned to see her, too. “What’s she doing?”

Leon felt a nervous twinge in his chest. He did not like seeing her alone, considering how Heartless continued to fill the empty streets with perpetual malice.

“I-I don’t know,” Leon said. Worry grew in his voice. “Where’s Aerith? I thought she’d be with her.”

“Aerith?”

“Never mind,” Leon said, brushing his hair, as he tried to quell his nerves. “She shouldn’t be out here right now. What is she thinking?”

Up to this point, Leon’s emotions have been reserved. No matter how hard Sora tried to read the pages of his expressions, they were always doused in white-out. But seeing him become distressed over Yuffie showed just how much he cared for her. He noticed a conflicted look in Leon’s eyes. Sora would’ve felt the same way if Kairi or Riku were in a similar situation.

An awful, harsh reminder seared into his skin – he tried to save them, but failed. He didn’t want Leon to experience the same grief he was forced to trudge through. Although he had yet to realize that Leon’s burdens sank into a deeper hole.

“Leon, go help your friend,” Sora said. “Leave the leader to me!”

“You sure?” Leon asked. “Like I said, you’ll probably encounter a lot more on the way.”

Sora smirked. “Hey, if the Keyblade chose me for my qualities, then it’s time I start showing them off.”

A grateful smile appeared on Leon’s lips. More of Sora’s confidence shined through the legions of shadows.

“Alright,” Leon said. “Just stay focused. The leader won’t be a pushover compared to the little guys.”

Sora nodded, and the two went their separate ways, hoping that they’ll be able to see each other later.

--

Entering the Gizmo Shop was like arriving at a waiting area for an amusement park ride: it was bright, colorful, and filled to the brim with unusual but wonderous contraptions that would keep a child occupied during the benumbing shuffle through a long line. Purple cogs spun throughout the room, moving in a clockwise motion, to provide life to the town’s most iconic landmark.

A door was concealed inside one of the walls, which the staff normally occupied. However, someone decided to use it as an acceptable hiding spot; and that was none other than Luigi’s doppelganger. He snuck out of the room, glancing left and right to make sure no one noticed him. In his hand was a card, which contained a picture of Eldstar on it.

With a sigh of relief, the doppelganger hurried for the exit, but was startled as a cloud of smoke covered his vision. He coughed from the particles hovering around in his throat. After it cleared, he noticed his grip was lighter, and looked down to see an alarming sight: a missing card!

His eyes scanned the area with a hurricane of panic and confusion spinning through his head.

“Hey!” Yuffie said.

He spun around to see the ninja standing there, holding the card out with an expression of condescending pride.

“You lose this?” she asked in a mocking tone. “You shouldn’t be so careless with your belongings, ya know. Seems important. Maybe it’d be better off with someone who isn’t so clumsy.”

The doppelganger was startled; he kept looking back at his hand, as if unable to believe that someone snatched it.

“Wh-what?” he asked. His voice sounded as if was talking from underwater. “H-How did yo—that’s not yours! Give it back, you big meanie!”

Yuffie raised an eyebrow. “Big meanie? Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this grown adult was out past his bed time. Are you gonna get mommy to lecture me? I’m sooooo scared.”

“Don’t make fun of me!” the doppelganger said. “You don’t understand! I’ll be in big trouble if I don’t get that back!”

“Well, you’re in trouble, either way,” Yuffie said; she was now angry. “You stole my Materia!”

“Materia?” he rubbed his head in confusion. “Oh! That shiny stuff I stole from that chatty lady? That was you!?”

“Chatty!?”

The doppelganger grinned in triumph. “Now who’s the one acting like a grown up? I will get that Star Spirit back from you! Heartless!”

A mixture of Soldiers and Shadows appeared behind him. Yuffie stood her ground; sure, the Heartless were strong, but she trained her whole life just defend herself against them. It wasn’t going to be for nothing. One of the Shadows leaped at her, but a fireball collided with it, knocking the creature into a wall.

Yuffie turned around to see Leon running up to her.

“No fair!” The doppelganger stomped up and down. “Only I can call for backup!”

“What are doing here?” Yuffie asked in surprise. “You were supposed to help, Sora! I got this!”

“It was Sora’s idea,” Leon said. “He wanted to handle the Heartless by himself. I saw you heading towards the tower. Thought I might lend a hand.”

“Aw, Leon, ya big lug,” Yuffie said with a playful grin. “Who knew you cared so much?”

Leon cleared his throat. “What’s going on here, anyway?”

“Here on a rescue mission,” Yuffie said. “And to kick this little twerp’s butt!”

Leon noticed a smidgen of animosity floating around Yuffie’s pupils. He chuckled in response. “He’s the one who took your Materia, isn’t he?”

“You know me well,” Yuffie said.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” the doppelganger said, grasping his ears in annoyance. “All you grown ups do is talk! Stop being all lovey dovey and hand that card over!”

Yuffie glared at him in anger. “Lovey dovey!? Oh, you’re just looking for trouble, aren’t you? Don’t worry. Got plenty of shurikens to deflate that big nose of yours!”

Leon prepared his Gunblade for battle. “Let’s make this quick.”

“Most sensible thing I’ve heard,” the doppelganger said. “Attack!”

The clock tower shook as a battle rattled around its insides.

--

While Sora relied on his gut for most situations, he needed to step back and analyze his next course of action. Sometimes he would fight the Heartless; other times he would keep his distance, observing how many appeared in certain parts of the area. A plethora marched out from the alleyway that lead to the Third District, so that’s where he needed to go.

After a treacherous battle through the Heartless swarm, he ran through the door and slammed it behind him. Every muscle in his body pleaded for a reprieve, but he had to push forward. Lingering would only make the problem escalate. He hurried down the stairs towards the main area of the Third District.

---

Luigi and Yoshi arrived on a balcony looking out over the Third District. Yoshi’s nose picked up a distinct scent coming from straight below him. Glancing over, he saw what appeared to be a teenage boy with spiky brown hair. A mysterious sword was clenched in his right hand. Had they finally found the ‘key?’ Luigi stood right behind Yoshi, and was ready to open his mouth when he felt a sudden chill

It couldn’t be the weather, he thought. How could the temperature drop in an instant? He then felt the chill glide up and down his spine, like a ravenous creature playing with its pray before striking. Turning around seemed like a bad idea, Luigi thought, but he had little choice. Upon doing so, he saw two Soldier Heartless approach him, swaying back and forth in utter joy at their new targets.

Jumping off the balcony would have been a smarter choice, he thought.

Luigi’s fear rose to staggering levels. His mouth opened, but words refused to leave the comfort of his throat. All he could do was give Yoshi frantic taps on the shoulder. He turned back, seeing the Heartless creep closer to them. Luigi continued tapping Yoshi’s shoulder. Upon turning around, his nose felt the full force of Luigi’s finger.

“Luigi!” Yoshi said. Luigi stopped upon realizing what he was doing. “Me told you before; Yoshi’s nose not a doorbell!”

Luigi directed his attention towards the Heartless. Yoshi had encountered many unusual creatures in the Mushroom Kingdom, but none were as unnatural or nightmarish as these monsters.

“A-Are these Heartless guys?” Yoshi asked as nervousness brushed through his scales. “What we do?”

Luigi took a deep breath, found a small portion of courage, and took out his hammer. Do it for Mario. Do it for Mario.

“They don’t seem scary,” Luigi said with a fierce tone in his voice. “We can take them! Let’s do it!”

Inspired by Luigi’s encouraging words, Yoshi leaned down into an attack position. He didn’t know what to expect, but he wasn’t afraid. Luigi would always be by his side.

“Yeah!” Yoshi said, confident. “Yoshi’s body ready!!!!”

---

BOOM!!!!

Sora glanced up from the startling sound. Two green blurs were plummeting right towards him, screaming at the top of their lungs. Sora tried to move away, but the blurs landed on him. He felt the crushing weight as he crashed onto the ground. The three were dizzy from the rough impact. Soon, everyone regained their senses. Luigi and Yoshi noticed they landed on something soft, and glanced down to see Sora’s spiky hair. And as their eyes trailed further, they saw the Keyblade.

Every ache and pain evaporated from a sudden surge of joy.

“The key!” they both exclaimed.

Sora groaned from their combined weight crushing his spine.

“Ooh, you okay?” Yoshi asked.

“I think he’d be better if we got off of him,” Luigi said.

Yoshi formed a sheepish grin, and they both rose to their feet. Sora sat up, rubbing his back in the process. That injury won’t have any repercussions later in life, he thought with sarcasm. Nope. None whatsoever. Before he could turn to address the two strangers responsible for landing on him, the ground started shaking. Yoshi grabbed onto Luigi’s arms in order to keep his balance.

“Earthshake!” Yoshi said

Giant blocks rose from the ground and blocked the exits. Everyone looked around in a panic. They weren’t sure how blocks appeared from the ground, but had a strong hunch as to who was responsible for them. The familiar Soldier Heartless appeared on top of the formed blocks. One of them leaped for Sora, who was struggling to his feet. Luigi leaped in front of him and swung his powerful hammer right into the creature’s chest, knocking it across the room.

Luigi helped Sora to his feet. “You okay?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Sora said. “But who are—?”

“Look out!” Luigi shouted.

Another one tried to pounce on them, but they both rolled away. Upon standing up again, Sora glanced around the area, staying alert for more of the creatures. Yoshi was walking backwards, also vigilant, and bumped into him. The two spun around to face each other. Sora’s eyes commanded his mouth to shout in surprise at the sight of the strange dinosaur-like creature. Talking racoons and cats seemed pedestrian next to this guy, Sora thought.

“What wrong?” Yoshi asked. “Does Yoshi have something on his face?”

“Wh-What are you?” Sora asked. “Some sort of dragon?”

Before Yoshi could respond, Luigi called out to them.

“Hey, this might not be the best time!” Luigi pointed towards six Soldiers walking towards them.

Sora sighed in annoyance. The sight of these monsters was getting redundant. How many more times would he have to strike them down? But complaining was a fruitless gesture; a remark would not shred these creatures into pieces. However, having some extra hands might abate the roaring storm of this fight.

Sora turned to notice the two strangers glaring at him with confident eyes, as if agreeing with his thoughts.

“Seems like we’re trapped here,” Luigi said. “If we have any hopes of keeping each buttock intact, we’re gonna have to fight together!”

“No complaints from me,” Sora said.

“It’d be worse for Yoshi. He has tail in addition to buttocks!”

Ignoring Yoshi’s random comment, the three turned to face their opposition, who were not intimated by their spontaneous alliance. An electric shock of fortitude flashed through Sora’s body. He wasn’t alone in this fight, and there was no reason he couldn’t trust them; putting your trust in strangers was imperative in perilous situations.

And so, having nothing but their weapons and each other for support, the trio charged right for the Heartless.

Yoshi leaped over a swipe from a Heartless and rolled into a kneeled position. Another one ran for him. Yoshi swung his tail in low, knocking the Soldier over. The Heartless he avoided ran up to him with another fierce swing. Yoshi leaned back to dodge, and countered with a kick to the stomach. While the creature clutched its stomach from the pain, Yoshi grabbed both of its arms, pulled it forward, and rammed it with his head.

Metal wept before Yoshi’s iron-like cranium. A random assortment of purples and blues spun around the creature’s vision as it staggered backwards. Taking this opportune moment, Yoshi decided to unleash one his many innate abilities: sticking out his long tongue. The slimy, thin organ wrapped around the Soldier’s leg, and tripped it over. Next, Yoshi spun it around on the floor, tripping over the other Heartless he fought in the process.

Yoshi’s tongue wasn’t just long, though. It was strong – something that made even the most credible of scientists cry themselves to sleep over its improbability. He spun around like a roundabout, growing faster with each turn; the Heartless ascended higher and higher. Then, Yoshi slammed the Soldier into the other one he tripped earlier. After retracting his tongue, he smacked his lips from creature’s unusual taste; mixed signals were fading in and out of his mind.

“Hm, taste a little rough,” Yoshi said, “but not the worst.”

Luigi bunted his hammer forward to block an incoming strike from a Soldier, and then thrusted the head to his left to hit another one in the face. He brought his hammer forward and swung it straight down at the one he blocked moments ago. The Soldier leaped back to avoid the incoming attack.

It retaliated by leaping into the air, spinning around like a top, and flying straight into him. Luigi held his hammer up to block the fury of swinging swipes. It finished with a powerful kick that pushed him back, straight into the arms of the other Heartless.

"I'm already taken!" Luigi said. "Get off!!!!"

He rammed his elbow into its stomach, spun around, and smacked it right across the face with his hammer. Luigi delivered a kick to the chest, pushing it away. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the other one preparing to strike. He spun around and swung the hammer right into the Soldier's leg, causing sustainable damage; it forced the Heartless to clutch the leg from the pain.

While distracted, Luigi ran in front of the Heartless and rammed the hammer straight into its stomach. Next, he leaned down in front of it and clenched his fist. Luigi closed his eyes, focusing his energy on the middle of his palm. A small warm glow was born from within his hand, and like a wildfire, it soon spread around his entire fist, pulsating in fury.

Luigi unleashed an uppercut enveloped in flames, knocking the creature an incredible distance into the sky. Luigi leaped after him, twirled his body around, and slammed his hammer into its back; it went plummeting into the ground. The creature was paralyzed for a few moments; even lifting its head was an arduous task. To make things worse, Luigi landed right on its back, then leaped into the air and slammed his hammer straight down on the other Heartless.

Sora moved to avoid a Soldier, and kicked it straight in the back as it ran by, knocking it over. Another one swung at him, but he brought his blade up in a diagonal motion to block the strike. The Soldier swung upward; Sora made the blade face upward and brought it close to his chest, catching the creature’s attack. Sora thrust the blade straight up to push its claw off the blade. This was followed by him elbowing the Heartless in the shoulder, which made it stagger backwards. He finished it off, along with the other one in two quick strikes.

Sora looked to see how his new allies were faring against the denizens of darkness. What he saw next continued to skew his perception of reality with a sharp dagger. Yoshi had his tongue wrapped around a Soldier’s neck. An unusual sight on its own, but the absurdity settled in when Yoshi ate the Heartless in one complete gulp. For a moment, he struggled swallowing the massive creature; his insides were trembling from the sheer size and weight of it. But he prevailed in making it a temporary resident of his stomach.

Sora felt a screw around his mouth loosen, which made his jaw start to drop. And the screw only rotated faster as Yoshi forced something out of his backside – a giant white egg with various green spots around it. Every thought in Sora’s head scrambled around a giant room, searching for tiny puzzle pieces that would explain Yoshi’s improbable feat.

“D-Did you just…turn that Heartless into an egg?” Sora asked. “How did you do that? Aren’t you a boy?”

Luigi, who was holding two Heartless back, glanced over his shoulder at Sora. “Oh, you think you’ll get a definite answer to that question. How cute.”

“Hey!” Yoshi said to Sora. “Use ‘key-sword’ on egg! Me round up rest!”

While the ridiculousness of that sentence tickled Sora’s ears, Yoshi’s idea was solid. He hurried over to the egg and slashed it in half. Yoshi ate the next one, turned into an egg, and Sora repeated the same process. Luigi pushed the two Heartless back, giving Sora a chance to swing his blade at one of them, shredding it into dark debris.

After Sora defeated the last imprisoned Heartless, the trio stopped to catch their breath. A vacant district was a welcoming change of pace. They greeted the eerie silence with wide open arms.

But the moment of reprieve didn’t last.

Sora noticed his shadow being consumed by a bigger one. Soon, everything around his personal space grew darker. His instincts clutched onto his legs, forcing him to leap backwards. A giant purple object made of metal landed on the ground. It was vaguely shaped like an hourglass. Sora gritted his teeth in frustration; his blind optimism had left his rational senses at the start of a race. He forgot that there was a leader overseeing the chaos.

“What that?” Yoshi asked, whimpering in fear.

“O-Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing,” Luigi said, refusing to believe that they were blessed by more trouble. “Some giant probably doesn’t know how to use a recycling bin.”

Sora would’ve scoffed at Luigi’s poor explanation, but given how bizarre today had been for him, he wouldn’t have been surprised if there was a giant roaming the streets. The strange armor started convulsing, making the ground rattle in the process.

“Uh…it’s moving,” Sora said.

“No, it’s not!” Luigi shouted in denial.

The metal object hovered right above them. Two purple gauntlets, along with two feet, rained down from the sky and placed themselves in certain areas around the object, appearing as body parts around a torso; but they were not directly connected to the torso, so they could move on their own. Sora noticed a wide black heart emblem embedded on its chest. It had a red outline around it and a cross went over the middle area.

A helmet landed on top of the torso, completing the assembly of this armored creature. Its eyes were covered by a silver faceplate, but it could see the three as clear as the night’s sky. It had been disturbed. It was mad. And it sought hearts. Despite its towering size, Sora wasn’t intimidated. Nothing was going to stop him from finding his friends. It didn’t matter the size or quantity of Heartless – his desires towered over the creature itself.

“Finally decided to show up, huh?” Sora said; his blue eyes gleamed with resolve. “Good! Your little friends were starting to bore me.”

Luigi glared at Sora in shock. “Bore him? Wow. That sounds like something only a crazy person would say!”

He turned to Yoshi, and noticed that gleam had been cast upon his eyes.

“Guess that make Luigi and Yoshi just as crazy,” he said.

Luigi chuckled. Sora’s courage was contagious; something about having him and Yoshi around tucked Luigi’s worries away into a closet. Positive energy flowed between the three, and they would use it to slay this Heartless.

Luigi and Yoshi joined Sora by his side. Three people from completely different worlds have formed one unstoppable force.

And this Heartless was set to be their first victim.

--

No matter how hard the Heartless tried, their sharp claws could not penetrate the youthful skin of the great ninja Yuffie. Her maneuvers were quick and elegant; and her cunningness was unrivaled. She pelted the creatures with silent strikes of her throwing stars. At one point, she conjured a magical spell that enlarged one of them, and threw it around the room like a rambunctious saw blade yearning for something to shred. Indeed, the Heartless were shredded to pieces by the relentless shuriken.

The doppelganger’s moves were amateurish compared to Leon’s well-honed sword techniques. All he could do was defend himself from each precise strike. He swung at the ground, releasing a wave of orange graffiti at Leon, who avoided it by rolling to his left. He countered with a fireball, knocking the doppelganger into a wall. Before Leon could strike, the doppelganger pushed his back against the wall, and managed to merge into it.

Leon’s senses were as sharp as his blade. He could hear noise from within the walls; it was as if the doppelganger was scrambling around inside of them, trying to find a feasible angle to attack. Soon enough, the doppelganger emerged from behind him, but Leon put the Gunblade over his shoulder, blocking the paint brush’s strike. All the doppelganger could do was retreat into the floor, move under Leon’s feat, and emerge with an upward swing. Leon leaned back, and countered with a kick to the stomach, sending the doppelganger flying into the wall, and landing on the ground.

“Grrr, stop doing that!” the doppelganger said.

Leon held the blade to his side. “This is a waste of time. Better end this now.”

An orange ball of energy emerged from the tip of the Gunblade, pulsating with incredible power. Terror had chained the doppelganger’s legs to the ground, as he felt an overwhelming heat slap him across the face. After the ball faded, Leon knocked him into the air with his blade, leaped after him, and unleashed a fury of fast, unavoidable combos. Each strike was more impactful than the last. The doppelganger couldn’t even register what was happening – that strikes were that brutal.

Leon held the blade over his head and performed a finishing slash, sending the doppelganger crashing into the ground. Despite being bombarded with sword strikes, he survived the onslaught, but the fruits of Leon’s handiwork were apparent. He tried to stand up, only for his weakened body to collapse in defeat.

Yuffie had just finished off the remaining Heartless. She rejoined Leon. The two watched as the doppelganger used his remaining strength to…..throw a huge tantrum on the ground – pounding fists and everything.

“No fair!” the doppelganger. “You cheated! I would’ve clobbered you!”

“He didn’t cheat,” Yuffie said, as she patted Leon on the back. “Being awesome just comes naturally to him.”

The doppelganger managed to stand up, leaning on his paint brush for support. “But you don’t understand. I’m in big trouble now! I’ll lose my allowance over this! Or worse!”

“Sorry. Don’t care about your first world problems,” Leon said.

The doppelganger stuck his free hand behind him, creating an oval shaped dark portal. He stumbled backwards towards it.

“You big meanies are going to pay for this!”

As soon as the portal engulfed him, it vanished right before their eyes.

Yuffie turned to Leon with a bewildered expression. “Big meanies? What, is his brain still stuck in Elementary School?”

“Just glad that’s over,” Leon said. “Have no idea what his intentions in this town are, but that’s neither here nor there. Are you okay?”

Yuffie grinned. “Fine. Thanks for the help. Not that I could’ve taken care of it myself.”

Leon said nothing.

“I’ve known you for years,” Yuffie said, placing both hands on her hips, “yet I can still never read ya.”

Leon smirked. “One of my most endearing traits, apparently. Anyway, you mentioned something about a rescue mission?”

Yuffie held up the card, explaining how it belonged to the visitors of the Mushroom Kingdom.

“Then we’ll return him to them as soon as possible,” Leon said. “Right now, we should meet up with Sora.”

“Think he needs help?” Yuffie asked.

“No. That kid can handle himself. But it wouldn’t hurt if he had some backup.”

Yuffie smirked. “Aw, you’re growing fond of him. Who knew beating people up brings them close together? Not that I’d want you to try that theory out on me.”

Leon chuckled in responds. Without another second to spare, they left the Gizmo shop in search of Sora.