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[Joe: Disney: Hall of the Cornerstone]

The monk had his hand up to his mouth, covering it as he chewed on the inner corners of his mouth. This was the second time...who was talking to them? Who was showing them this vision? Light? Was the Light doing it?

Ugh, this wasn't his forte. Give him a fight and he prospered, but this kind of thing felt way over his head.

He wanted to say something but nothing came to his mind. So he just stood there, mulling over the 'vision' or how it seemed out of his league to figure it out...back and forth like a tennis match in his mind.

[Anthony ~.~ Disney ~.~ Hall of the Cornerstone]

Anthony exhaled loudly. He was holding his breath during the vision, fooled by his own senses to believe the group was momentarily in outer space. That's when Genie burst into the hall and spoke about the Cornerstone boundaries--whatever those were. Though the young man wasn't sure what was going on, Genie's demonstration helped put things in some perspective.

The knight stood quietly, scanning the hall and the people around him. Based on their expressions, it seemed they all had the same experience. It was later confirmed when the others began to speak out and ask questions. "It's just like that dream," he thought. "Back before I met the group."

As concerned about the vision as he was, Anthony's mental prowess wasn't capable of deciphering its meaning. So he did what he'd normally do in situations like these. He stayed quiet until someone else asked the question that was on his mind: "what does it all mean."

[[Rufus : ShinRa Headquarters : Main Office]]

Rufus closed his eyes and opened them half way, obviously in thought as his eyes skimmed over the reports before him as Daniel replied to his inquiry, "Unfortunate," he replied finally with simplicity, "Still, in our confrontation with the darkness, we're in agreement. Regardless of what they think of ShinRa and our business policies, it does not change anything."

The CEO paused and moved his hand to the computer console again. With a click, several powerful, graphic images appeared on the screen behind him, to which Rufus narrowed his gaze to a glare. Dead bodies scattered across battlefields, wounds ranging from what appeared to be animal attacks to being burnt beyond recognition, "ShinRa desperately needs manpower. Despite our efforts to move quickly and gather tools to aid in protecting ourselves, our agents out in the field are dropping like flies."

The young corporate leader stood up from his chair and turned to look at the display with his back to the earthling, "We're not an army, Daniel. The Turks are my private, elite force which I consider you a part of. But not all men are created equal it seems..." he took a deep breath to compose himself, "We nearly lost both you and Tseng in Atlantis... but beyond that, we lost the lives of nearly all of the security crew minus Ms. Helga, the woman you returned with. We may be the largest company in Radiant Garden, but no amount of money can bring back lives. You, and the earthlings, as well as those lucky few from other worlds all possess great gifts that a common man lacks. People like you can survive mortal blows and even revive the recently deceased. If you encounter the earthlings again, I want you to appeal to them on this level... that we at ShinRa will do anything to protect ourselves and the common man and in order to do that, we NEED the cooperation of those with their gifts. Countless lives hang in the balance and in the face of this threat, it is no time to be worried about what they think of me or my company. Whether they will work with us directly, or not, they can not turn a blind eye to our agents in the field."

With a snap he ended the conversation and changed the topic, shutting off the display and returning it to a normal window overlooking the city, causing the hound creature on the floor to perk up before laying its head down again, "On to other business. The papers in front of you detail out information regarding high amounts of energy readings as well as a recent spike in certain regions. I'd like you to look them over and become acquainted with the information we have gathered so far. The first page involves a research camp we had set up in a forest, the scientists there claim to have found some crystals with unique properties but have also requested more capable security detail beyond the locals they've managed to get on their side. The second involves a castle we discovered that radiates energy, however, we lost contact with the research team sent to investigate. Lastly, a massive energy spike recently appeared a few hours ago. We can't be sure what caused it but due to the recent disappearances and the uncertainty involved, I can't risk wasting lives needlessly."

He took a seat, looking across the desk to lock eyes with Daniel, "I realize you've only just returned, but I'm assigning you, Tseng, as well as more Turks if need be to one of these cases. And... I'm giving you the option to chose to which location you'll be investigating. You needn't answer right away, take your time to look over the information. I will be eagerly awaiting your choice."

{Janex .:. Forbidden Mountain .:. Maleficent's Castle .:. Hallways}

It was all she could do to keep her temper in check and not eviscerate this buffoon on the spot. She didn't feel like cleaning up the blood, for one, and she knew that it would stink to high hell if she didn't. For two, she held out some rapidly fading dim hope that he'd get bored and go away. But when he put his arm around her, that was the last straw. She stiffened, nostrils flaring in rage so intense it left her quaking, and she immediately summoned her Frost Armor, covered in as many needle-sharp spikes as she could concentrate on. Then, she spun out of his "embrace," kicking as hard as she could, and used her Ice Spike spell to form a crystalline dagger which she sliced in the direction of his throat as she tried to pin him to the wall. If he dodged the slash, oh well, but if he wasn't quick enough, she would stop it just as it touched his skin.

"Don't. You ever. Touch me. Again." she growled whether she succeeded or not, biting off each fragment, voice trembling.



{Bobbi .:. Disney Castle .:. Hall of the Cornerstone}

Secretly, Bobbi was relieved at how many people had decided to stay. As the last person gave their response, she let out a tiny sigh. A slight, proud smile crossed her face as she looked at her friends, and if she'd been given more time that smile would have probably enlarged into a huge grin. But, much to her surprise, the Cornerstone chose that moment to erupt in a whirlwind of light. She flinched away from the light, raising one hand to block it, but even with her eyes closed she could still see it, filtering red through her eyelids. Plus the spots; gotta love the bright-flash-of-light spots. She managed to open her eyes enough to squint into the magical maelstrom, trying to fathom what was happening, but the moment she realized that one of the tendrils was aiming right for her, it had already pierced her through the heart.

...that should have hurt, she thought dimly. Most things poking through flesh were supposed to hurt, anyway, but in almost the same instant that she had that thought, she realized the beams were benevolent, even harmless. Still, she was a little bit indignant that there wasn't some sort of physical sensation, like heat or pressure or tickling or something. Less than a heartbeat later, though, she was blinded by yet another flash of light, followed immediately by darkness. She stood blinking for a moment, trying to clear the dazzle, but eventually gave up. After a flash that bright, it'd be at least two minutes before her vision cleared again. She could see well enough, though.

She watched the world, supposedly the one they were on by the hodge-podge mix of lands and seas, watched the light and the darkness war with each other, and watched the light lose. Her vision went black again, thankfully without the spots this time.



"Over my dead body," Bobbi growled, completely unaware that she'd said anything. She closed her eyes and shook herself all over, pushing the vivid dream to the back of her mind, and returning to the present. She groaned, took off her glasses, and rubbed her hands over her face and through her hair.

"I will never get used to that. My consciousness being hijacked for an ambiguous vision, that is. Although I wasn't exactly conscious last time. Anyway." She sighed, settled her glasses back into place, and crossed her arms, looking around at the others as they spoke.

"Oh, gawd, Aims, I hope it's that simple. Like, honestly, seriously, please-dear-Lord-let-that-be-a-thing pray it'll be that lucky. But something tells me it won't be. I mean, if it was, we'd be pretty much useless. Sora and Riku could have had it all taken care of by dinner if it was that easy, y'know? No, I figure with all of us here, plus two Keyblade Masters running around trying to save the world, and the fact that we haven't done so yet, I figure we're kinda S.O.L. on the simple solutions. Twenty-some-odd brains are better than one or two, though, so we'll figure it out and get this fixed. It just ain't gonna be easy." She blinked, then ducked her head sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment as she realized how, well, stupid she'd sounded. "Not that Keyhole-sealing or anything we've done up until now has been cakewalk..."

[ Kyle ; Canons : Disney : Hall of the Cornerstone ]

Yen Sid opened his eyes to gaze at James and the others with a raised brow, his expression... curious.

"So, then," he began. "You do not know everything."

He paused to consider his words, when Amy and the others spoke up with their own concerns. He nodded, but it was not optimistic.

"We have no control of the world merger, I'm afraid. If we did, we would have ended it as soon as it began. As for sealing the worlds... that was already done three years ago. In Sora's first conflict, against Xehanort's Heartless, he sealed Kingdom Hearts, and thus sealed all world hearts. That, however... will not prove meaningful in the days to come, I fear."

"Because individual world hearts are no longer a factor," Kyle posited, looking to Yen Sid for confirmation--which was given by another nod. "Because all the worlds are merged now. This is all one world, made of all worlds. One world, one heart. And the heart of all worlds is Kingdom Hearts. Still... this Kingdom Hearts, the Heart of Worlds, was sealed that day, wasn't it?"

"Correct. But all that means is that Darkness cannot tear the worlds down... yet. So when it spreads to consume, it taints the worlds... corrupts them, bringing that world into the sphere of its domain. Already, some worlds have been taken this way," he explained. He stroked his beard. "Still, you seem to know that there is more than one form that Kingdom Hearts takes."

"The Heart of Worlds and the Heart of Man," Kyle said, though Yen Sid's eyes seemed to be searching. "Right? We saw the second one in Sora's fight against the Organization, when they were collecting mortal hearts into one mass--which he and Riku freed."

"Also correct," he said, closing his eyes for moment as he thought. "But there is a third. Tell me, what is it that you know from your..."

He chuckled, as if amused. "'Interactive archives'?" he said, glancing over the group them. "A creative way to describe them. On that note, I must thank you for heeding Mickey's words and sustaining what little of the world order remains. However, from this point, I believe it safe to drop the facades. As I mentioned, the world boundaries are shattered beyond what we expect to repair. You may say as you please, but I personally advise against attempting to convince people they are fictional. You'd likely do little more than ruin your credibility, as I'm sure you can imagine by being in our shoes."

Kyle deadpanned, unsure what to say. "How...?"

"Mickey explained some initial reactions to arriving here. It was a simple deduction."

Behind him, Alan elbowed Kichi in the side. "Told you."

"Uh--right, um, okay. So... we know the story of Sora's conflict with Xehanort's Heartless, his and Riku's journey through Castle Oblivion, and Sora's conflict with the Organization," he began, still reeling a bit from Yen Sid pulling the rug from under them. "The last image we saw was him opening a letter from the King... and... I seem to remember a vision of three armored figures, surrounded by Keyblades? It's been years and the memory's foggier than I'd like."

"I see," he responded, nodding. "Then allow me to bring you up to speed and, in doing so, explain the significance of the lights and darknesses we saw."

"Long ago, in the age of fairy tales, the World was filled with light--a gift, many believed, from an unseen power known as "Kingdom Hearts." You see, Kingdom Hearts was protected by its counterpart, the χ-Blade, so that none could ever lay hands on its mysteries," he explained, putting emphasis on the chi. To elaborate, he waved his hand--conjuring the Greek letter χ in mid-air. "It was so named for that was the shape it took. Some say "kye", though the meaning is the same. But in time, the World was overrun by legions who wanted the light all for themselves, and the first shadows were cast upon the land."

"These warriors crafted "Keyblades", as you know them, in the image of the original χ-Blade, and waged a great war over Kingdom Hearts. We call this the "Keyblade War"," he continued, and the large X was extinguished. "But though the war extinguished all light from the World, the darkness could not reach the brightness inside every child's heart. With that light, the World was remade as we knew it, with countless smaller worlds shining light stars in the sky."

"As for the real χ-Blade, it did not survive the battle. The two elements that created it, one of darkness and one of light, shattered into twenty pieces--," he explained, looking to James momentarily to emphasize he was answering the corsair's question. "Seven of light; thirteen of darkness."

"As for the source of all light--the one true Kingdom Hearts--it was swallowed by the darkness, never to be seen again," he said. "As long as it remains there, even the brightest world will have its dark corners. After all, light begets darkness, and darkness is drawn to light. For this reason, some decided to use the Keyblade--a weapon designed to conquer the light--to defend the light instead. These were the first heroes of the Keyblade. And so it has been for ages since."

Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Mickey mostly stood to the side, watching all parties. They'd heard all of this before.

"So then, those seven lights and thirteen darknesses... come together to reform the χ-Blade, giving access to the true Kingdom Hearts--and if this is the 'true' version, then it must be the Heart of the Cosmos, or of Life, or... some equivalent of "everything"," Kyle mused, lowering his gaze for a moment before looking back up. "The seven lights of the χ-Blade are passed down from Princess to Princess, aren't they?"

"That is correct. Thirteen years ago, Xehanort once attempted to recreate it with only two, a heart of light and a heart of darkness, both born from a young Keyblade apprentice named Ventus," he explained. "He split the boy in two, creating an entity of pure Darkness known as Vanitas--much like your replicas. I would assume they likely have the same abilities as he--that is, he could create creatures of negativity and emotion, called Unversed."

"This process of separation left Ventus with a heart of pure Light, though shattered and without his memory. The χ-Blade they created, however, was not whole, and the endeavor failed, thanks to the efforts of Ventus and his companions, Terra and Master Aqua, at the Keyblade Graveyard."

"Keyblade Graveyard... wait--that's the place--with the three armored people, facing off against a balding man and a dark wielder," Kyle said. "And the woman, she--"

"Indeed, that was the scene of their final conflict... and meeting," Yen Sid said with a sigh. "We are still recovering from what happened after. Their Master and my old companion, Eraqus, was slain. Ventus' heart left his body to sleep within the person who gave him the strength to survive the original tampering of his heart... Sora. His body remains lost, and only Master Aqua can find it. She was trapped in the Realm of Darkness shortly after her battle with Xehanort... who had taken possession of Terra's body for his new, younger vessel."

Kyle reeled, looking over to Sora for confirmation. The younger teen just shrugged and looked down, lightly kicking the ground. Shaking his head, Kyle turned back. "So... okay, well, we have the Princesses, but what about the thirteen darknesses?"

"Entities who fill their hearts with darkness, searching to obtain Kingdom Hearts for themselves. Yet, Xehanort is cunning. He sought to rig the game, so to speak, by fulfilling not one, but all thirteen roles. His original attempt, Organization XIII, was mostly a failure due to our interference," he explained. "And so he has used intricate time magic to take variations of himself across the timeline and bring them forward. However, with the world convergence, such temporal alteration has become... unpredictable, at best. We are not sure if he still holds all twelve."

"Thirteen hearts of darkness...," Kyle mused, narrowing his eyes in remembrance. "Would it be a stretch to call these entities Fiends of Heart?"

The wizard stroked his beard. "Not at all. That would be a rather apt title. Why?"

Riku suddenly spoke up, locking eyes with Kyle as he realized what the dragoon was saying--and for the first time since the conversation started, he seemed to grin. "Because last we heard just a couple hours ago, there were only seven."

Yen Sid turned to face Riku, his expression urgently curious. Merlin turned as well, though it was the Master who spoke up. "Where did you hear this?"

"From a replica in his dying breath--before he was interrupted and stolen by Seymour and Kuja," Riku said, turning to his master with focus. "He was a menace, but--"

"Is. Is a menace. We didn't see him die," Joe interjected, speaking up as his one eye looked around, focusing in on Yen Sid. Joe grunted this out while rubbing the stubble on his cheek and jaw. "Hell, the way things work, even if we had seen him vaporize into nothing, I'd still be cautious." He looked tired as he said this, as if he was overwhelmed by something. Which wasn't too far off from the truth.

"True. But I think he was trying to tell the truth. He'd been forcefully possessed by the Darkness and resisted it long enough to let us beat it--and him."

"Then it seems we were right!" Merlin piped up, jubilant. "The convergence must have completely set Xehanort back! We still have more time to train!"

"You're training the Princesses?" Kyle asked, baffled.

"No. We plan to keep the Princesses out of this as much as possible, hence their haven here," Yen Sid explained. "We are training our Keyblade wielders to take their place as the representatives of light."

"Wait--you're going to go through with the clash? Why not avoid it outright?"

"Because eventually, Xehanort will force our hand. And that will put everyone here at risk," he explained. "We are still searching ways to avoid such an outcome--hence the gathering of wise people you have endeavored to aid. But until such a discovery is made... the clash you saw is the inevitable outcome."

Kyle paused momentarily, wondering. The battle in Atlantis came to him more and more; it seemed that battle had been more pivotal and informative than he'd thought. "You mentioned our replicas were similar to Vanitas. Is it possible they were created to act as new vessels, much like the possession earlier today?"

Yen Sid nodded, his features grave. "That's what we believe to be the case, though it seems not all share the sentiment."

[[??? : Disney Castle : Inside Bobbi]]

There was a long silence from the voice in the girl's head. There was allot to take in, and it seemed to be a bit overwhelming for the male presence. From the parade to the award ceremony, the cornerstone vision to the current conversation, there hadn't been a peep from him. Till suddenly as the new boy was talking, the girl could hear an abrupt, elongated sigh as well as a clear mental image of a boy with his upper torso laid out over an invisible surface, eyes glazed over with lids half covering his irises, "Uuuugh, waaaat? So much talking... too long didn't read... skip to the summary at the end of the chapter. Can someone please simplify all this? Seriously... thirteen whozawhatzits? Darknesses... good lord that's an awkward way to put it. Is that really the proper plural term? You would think you could do without the extra 'E' 'S'. And keyblade... Keeeeblade? What's the difference? Who came up with this nonsense nomenclature... they need to be fired. Seriously, you guys must have gotten allot more out of a buncha blurry pretty lights than I did cuz you people are talking crazy talk. There isn't a test on this later, right? I'm so screwed if there is."

[Kyla: Disney: Hall of the Cornerstone]

The history lesson was not lost on the artist and everything Yen Sid imparted was jotted down in Kyla’s sketchbook with as much detail as she could retain- along with the memory of the vision. Every detail, from the outsider’s look of the world they know explored, to the size and shape of these darkened hands which seemed poised to rip it apart. It was hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer weight of this news.

Already she knew some semblance of it, but she done her best not to dwell on it- worrying would just make it harder to be productive. But now just the thought of it made her fingers shake at times, forcing the girl to erase and correct her scribbled mistakes.
The sight of the lights, the world convergence- paralleling earth- it too would suffer the same fate as their home if nothing was done to prevent it.
But things were being done.

The X blade-

7 Lights and 13 Fiends.


And if the princesses were not to fight- then it would be the keybladers?


But they only had three right now- but more, more could be found. Ventus. Terra, and Aqua- So that’s why they were looking for her. As for the other two-…

But there was no telling if all three of them could be restored, so if not them- then who else?

For the 13th time- figures- Kyla made a mark with her quill pen and with a frustrated mutter she tried to fix it. Bringing the thought of the brief flash she saw of the screen above their heads- the girl with blue hair- she did her best to sketch what she could into her book as the others continued to talk.

In light of the world being at stake it made all her worries seem like small potatoes.

"Forgive me for stating the obvious-"

"Aside from Master Aqua- with only 4 keybladers you're obviously short still-" she side glanced Sora a moment before looking back to the wizened magician over the rim of her book-" is that all to know about the current state of this -Terra? And Ventus as well?"