(Harmony's) POV:
After Demyx's body fades away, Sora speaks up. "Anyone from the Organization who'd like to be next?" he challenges, making the others and I give him wide eyed looks, thinking that he's crazy for wanting to challenge the rest of Organization 13.
"Hey, Sora! Don't antagonize them!" Donald exclaims.
"You are such an idiot. We were lucky to make it out of that fight because there was only one of him and a lot of us. If the remaining members show up and attack us, we won't even stand a chance," Madison lectures.
"Look, we all know that you want to save Kairi and Chizuru, but if we're going to take care of the Organization, we need a plan first," Harada says, agreeing with what Madison said.
"Besides, we were having trouble with Demyx, because we underestimated him. And if he was that tough, there's no telling what the other members in the Organization are capable of," Luke points out. "Right now, let's just focus on what we can do here."
"Yeah, we gotta go help our friends out first," Goofy says.
"Oh. Sorry," says Sora, as he takes everyone's words into consideration.
"We better hurry. Who knows how long the others will last if we don't get to them," Heisuke points out.
"Then let's go!" Donald exclaims.
We all nod our heads in agreement and decide to get a move on. However...
"Aha! There you are!" a familiar voice exclaims, making us stop in our tracks.
We turn around and see that it really is none other than my dad and the King, who both have angered looks on their faces, with Amaterasu by their side. They come toward us. The others and I become a little nervous, guilty for having to disobey them and running off like that.
"What were you thinking?" Dad asks, facing me and Madison. "The both of you."
"Sorry, Dad. It's just..." I try say, not sure how to explain myself.
"We can't just abandon everyone to save ourselves like that. It wouldn't be right," says Madison. "Even if you decide to punish us, we were just doing what our hearts were telling us to do; help our friends."
My friends and I all brace ourselves, expecting a lecture at best. But what they say next takes us completely by surprise.
"You sure have lotsa friends to help," says the King.
"Seriously?" Nagakura asks.
"Did not see that coming," says Luke.
"You and me both," Harada says.
"For reals? I actually thought you two were going to yell at us," Okita says.
"Wait, you're not mad?" I ask.
"Believe it or not, when I was your age, I was a lot like you. So, I can understand your actions," says my dad, making me glad to hear him say that.
"Are we to assume that means you'll be helping us?" Saito asks.
My father nods his head. "Correct."
"So, I guess we better all pull together and finish this battle for good!" the King exclaims.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Sora, Donald and Goofy exclaim in sync, straightening themselves.
Just as we're about to get going, I notice Stitch's ear twitch a little. Not only that, but Chibi, Kuro and Amaterasu start to bark, catching our attention. I'm not sure what could be wrong, but they look uneasy about something.
(3rd) POV:
What they all fail to realize is that a Heartless and a Dusk face each other in a fight atop of a cliff. The Heartless blasts at the Dusk, causing rocks to fly in the air. One rock ends up heading straight for King Mickey. Goofy notices this, worried about the King's safety.
(Harmony's) POV:
"Look out!" Goofy screams out, pushing King Mickey out of the way.
Then, all of a sudden, Goofy gets hit in the face by a huge rock, causing him to get knocked several feet away from us.
"Goofy!" I exclaim, worried.
While dad helps the King get back on his feet, the others and I all rush to Goofy's side, to see if he's alright or not.
"No..." the King says, not wanting to think of the worse.
"Goofy! Wake up, please wake up!" Madison pleads.
"Hey! You're the King's Captain! You gotta get up!" Donald calls out, shaking Goofy's body a little.
"C'mon, wake up!" Sora yells.
"You've got to! Goofy, please!" I plead, trying to keep myself from crying.
"I'm sorry about the ice cream!" Donald exclaims.
Kuro and Chibi start to lick or nuzzle their heads against Goofy, in hopes that he'll wake up. Even Stitch tries to help by shaking Goofy's shoulder.
"Goofy...?" the King calls out, in a quiet voice, still in shock of how Goofy risked his own life to save him. "He did it to save me..."
"Is he...?" Heisuke asks, too horrified of what the answer might be.
Madison looks up and slowly shakes her head, giving everyone the answer that we're all too afraid of. Goofy is...dead.
Donald lets out a quacking cry, tears taking form in his eyes. "Goofy..." he says, mourning for our friend.
No longer able to hold back my tears, I start to cry, wishing for it to not be true. I feel a hand on my shoulder, making me look up at Asch, who is also sad. He wraps his arms around me and gently rubs my back as I cry on his shoulder.
"This is not happening..." Sora says.
Hijikata sighs and looks away. "......He's gone, Sora..."
Despite what Hijikata said, Sora still tries to deny Goofy's death. "It can't be happening...It can't..."
I take a glance at the others, and notice that they are just as saddened by this. The King clenches his fists in anger and glares at where all the Heartless and Nobodies are fighting.
"They'll pay for this," the King declares.
My dad and the King then remove their black coats and summon their Keyblades. With determination, they set out to avenge Goofy. Not long after, Donald quacks in anger, him and the others following the King and my dad's lead. Asch helps me get on my feet, but I hesitate; my feet refuse to move. I know that we need to keep fighting, but there's a part of me that wants to stay, hoping for Goofy to wake up, to show that he isn't dead.
Asch notices my hesitation. "I know how you feel. But we need to protect the town. Goofy...He would want us to keep going. We can mourn his death once it's over."
I'm still heartbroken, wishing for it to be not true, but Asch is right. Knowing Goofy, he would encourage us to move forward. So, I look up at Asch and nod my head, letting him know that I understand. With that, we hurry to catch up with everyone. While fighting the Heartless, we end up helping Leon and the others, making the fight easier for them to handle.
Pretty soon, the others and I make it to the Crystal Fissure. Once we regroup, I stop to catch my breath. No matter how many Heartless we defeat, more seem to keep on coming, making me wonder how many there are exactly.
"Are you okay?" the King asks.
"I'm fine...Well, physically fine. It's just..." I try to say.
It doesn't even take a moment or two for the others to figure out what I'm hinting at. Even now, Goofy's death is still affecting us. After everything we've been through, all the memories we have, it's still hard to believe that Goofy is actually gone.
"Ohh, Goofy..." Donald cries out.
"Hey, fellas!" a familiar voice calls out.
Mine and the others' eyes all widen with shock. It's almost too good to be true! When I turn around, I gasp at what I see. Standing several feet away, waving a hand at us with a smile on his face is none other than...
"Goofy!" the others and I exclaim, happy to see that it's actually him.
"You're alive!?" Madison questions, still in shock.
"Ya know, that really hurt!" Goofy exclaims, rubbing the bump on his head.
"Aw, Goofy!" the King exclaims, tackling Goofy in a hug.
"Gwarsh, Your Majesty, I get bumped on the head all the time," says Goofy.
Okita chuckles a little. "That's not something to be proud of."
While the rest of us smile, Donald stomps his feet as he walks towards Goofy.
"Aw, phooey! I was worried for nothing!" Donald exclaims.
Once Goofy and the King stop hugging each other, Donald uses his wand to whacks Goofy right on the knee cap.
Goofy clutches the spot where he was hit. "That hurt, too," he says, crying out in pain.
"Don't you ever do that again!" Donald lectures, almost on the verge of crying.
"He's got a point," Luke says.
Nagakura nods his head in agreement. "Seriously, we all thought you died."
I let out a relieved sigh, glad to see Goofy is still alive. Then I sense a presence, one that belongs to darkness. Not only that, but it's something I'm very familiar with. A year ago in Maleficent's castle, and back when my friends and I started our second journey; there's no mistaking it. It's not Isa, but it is definitely someone from the Organization, and whoever it is, he's definitely somewhere nearby. We head farther into the ravine, but something isn't right.
"What's going on?" Saito asks.
"The Heartless...They're not moving," says Madison.
It's true. There's a huge army of Heartless in front of us, but they aren't making any movements to attack us. It's almost like they're frozen or something.
"Hey!" Goofy exclaims, pointing at something.
We look up to see what Goofy's pointing at, only to see an Organization member. Not only that, but he's also that same presence that I was sensing from a moment ago. He removes his hood, revealing his face. My eyes widen in shock as I recognize that face.
"It's him!" Mieu exclaims.
"It's the guy who's NOT Ansem!" Donald declares.
"You mean it's his Nobody!" Goofy points out.
"The leader of Organization 13..." says Dad. His eyes then widen with realization. "Wait. Now I remember!"
"You do?" I ask.
"I think I do, too!" the King exclaims, nodding his head in agreement.
(3rd) POV:
(flashback to several years ago)
Back when Hollow Bastion was a still a peaceful place, Kratos and King Mickey pay a visit to Ansem the Wise, in his own study.
"Wise Ansem. We're here to seek your advice," says Mickey.
"I'm glad we have the opportunity to speak like this, my friends," Ansem the Wise says, holding an ice-cream pop in his hand. "I'm intrigued by your hypothesis...and I'm finding it difficult to stave off the urge to test it. Still, I'm concerned about the stability of the worlds."
The King nods his head, with a concerned expression. "Yep, that's what worries us too."
"Ansem, you've seen it yourself, haven't you? All the strange events that have been happening lately, I get the feeling that it might be connected to some of your research," Kratos says.
Ansem the Wise nods his head. "The doors that appeared. The place the Heartless seek. I fear my research may have brought this upon us..."
Before the conversation can go any farther, they hear a knock at the door. That's when HE appears, one of Ansem's apprentices, who bows in respect.
"Master Ansem. Regarding the experiment I presented the other day...With your permission, I'd like to proceed--"
Ansem the Wise immediately stops the man from saying anything further by slamming a hand on his desk. "I forbid it! Forget this talk of doors, and the heart of all worlds. That place must not be defiled!"
"But, Master Ansem! I've been thinking..." the man says.
Ansem the Wise slowly shakes his head. "Xehanort...Those thoughts are best forgotten."
The man, Xehanort, tries to make another attempt on trying make his Master change his mind. But he quickly stops himself, soon giving in to Ansem's decision. As much as it frustrates him, he bows to his master respectfully, and then leaves.
(flashback ends)
(Harmony's) POV:
"Now I remember!" the King exclaims. "Xehanort! Ansem's apprentice! The leader of Organization 13 is Xehanort's Nobody!"
"So if we take him out, we can finally finish this once and for all!" Heisuke exclaims, determined.
"That is the idea, but we also need him to tell us where he's keeping Kairi and Chizuru," my father points out.
My dad and the King summon their Keyblades and start to go after the man called Xehanort, with Amaterasu following right behind him.
"Let's go!" I exclaim, earning nods of agreements from all of my friends.
Before we can get a move on, however, the Heartless begin to surround us. We all get into fighting stances.
"Get out of our way!" Asch yells out.
"Dammit! We can't let Xehanort get away!" Harada exclaims.
"Then all we need to do is clear a path..." Madison says, while her Chimera Heartless comes out from her shadow. She then gets on its back. "...By taking care of these guys first."
With that, my friends and I end up fighting the Heartless army. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but at least we managed to clear a path for ourselves, in hopes of catching up to the King and my dad. I lean against a rocky wall, trying to catch my breath. Fighting all those Heartless left me pretty exhausted. The others and I soon regroup, but there are two people missing.
"Where my father and the King?" I ask. Stitch taps my shoulder and speaks in a language that I don't understand. "What?"
Stitch sighs and points a finger in one direction. "Over. There."
We look and see my dad, the King and Amaterasu fighting side-by-side against some more Heartless.
"There they are!" Mieu exclaims with a smile.
My friends and I then rush to their side.
"Dad!" I call out.
"Your Majesty!" Donald exclaims.
We arrive at where they are and see that Xehanort is here, too. Instead of turning around to face us, he stares down at the ravine.
"Xehanort! This is the day where you will answer for your crimes!" my father exclaims, glaring at the man in front of us.
Xehanort looks up at the sky. "How long has it been since I abandoned that name..."
"Out with it, Nobody! Where's Kairi and Chizuru? Where's Riku!?" Sora questions.
"I know nothing of any Kairi or any Chizuru," says Xehanort.
"Don't lie to us! One of your members kidnapped them!" Hijikata yells.
"As for Riku..." Xehanort says, turning around to face us, ignoring Hijikata's words. "Perhaps you should ask your king and his companions."
The others and I turn our attention to Madison, my dad and the King, wondering what Xehanort is talking about. Instead of an answer...
"Stop!" the King exclaims, going after Xehanort, who begins to leave through a corridor of darkness.
The King, my dad and Amaterasu go after him. We try to follow after them, but the corridor disappears.
"They're gone..." I say.
After all that searching, after having to finally find my dad and the King, they disappear on us again. Even Kuro and Chibi are sad, because their mother disappeared, too. I'm not even sure if Xehanort was just trying to mess with us just so he could escape or something, but my dad and the king definitely know something about Riku. But we'll never find out because they're gone.
"Madison, what is going on?" Luke asks.
Madison sighs. "It's a long story. And I mean a really really long story. I'll explain everything later, but right now we've got bigger problems right now," before any of us can ask what she means by that, she points to the ravine. "The Heartless...They're all gone."
We all look at the ravine ourselves and find out that she's right. There's not a single Heartless anywhere. How is that even possible?
"What's goin' on?" Goofy asks.
"Maybe they gave up and left?" Mieu suggests.
"Way to fall right into their trap," a new voice says.
We all turn around and see a man with fiery red hair leaning back on a rock with his arms crossed. My eyes widen as I recognize who he is; Lea. I know my father mentioned how the Organization's members are people who used to be Ansem's apprentices, but I'm still shocked to see that one of Organization 13's members is Lea, another person that I am familiar with.
"Axel!" Sora yells, ready to tackle the man.
"Axel? You mean the one who kidnapped Kairi and Chizuru?" Saito asks.
Madison nods her head. "The same one."
"Hey, Madison. Been a while hasn't it? Haven't seen each other since Twilight Town," Lea--er, Axel says with a casual tone. "How have you been doing?"
"At the moment, pissed off, especially after hearing the stunt you pulled by kidnapping the girls. You are so going to get it big time for doing that. But first, what do you mean by 'trap'?" Madison questions.
"C'mon, it's a set-up by Organization 13. Xemnas is using you to destroy the Heartless--that's his big master plan," Axel answers.
"Xemnas?" Donald asks.
"The guy you just saw. He's their leader. Got it memorized?" Axel asks. "X-E-M, N-A-S."
"I thought his name was Xehanort," Asch points out.
"That was his name when he was human. He goes by Xemnas now. Not that it matters anyway," Axel says.
"Hold on, Organization 13 wants to get rid of the Heartless?" Okita asks, confused as the rest of us.
Axel sighs. "Man, you're slow."
If looks could kill, Axel would no doubt be a goner by now, considering the glare Okita is giving him. My guess is that Axel's comment really made him mad.
Axel ignores Okita and points to the Keyblades that Sora, Madison and I wield. "Every Heartless slain with those Keyblades releases a captive heart. That is what the Organization is after."
"What?" I ask, shocked to hear this. "...So, this whole time, we've been helping the Organization which each Heartless we've defeated..."
Axel shrugs his shoulders. "That's about the size of it."
"So what are they gonna do with the hearts?" Nagakura asks.
"Something evil, I bet!" Donald exclaims.
"I'm not telling," says Axel.
Donald begins to quack in anger at Axel's response. "Wha--!? Why I oughta...Wak! Tell us!"
After seeming to be deep in thought, Madison's expression soon turns to realization. "To end up with hearts of their own. Nobody's don't have hearts, because they are nothing more than husks of who they used to be. So, in order to regain their hearts, they're planning on collecting the ones the Heartless are in possession of!"
"Wow! Give the little witch a prize!" Axel exclaims with a smile. "But not quite. You are close, though. So, I'll give you pointers for that."
Despite the conversation we're having, I can't help but have this weird feeling in my chest as I look at Axel. I mean, I'm definitely not happy with the fact that he kidnapped Kairi and Chizuru, or that he's not the same person I used to know in my childhood, but...I'm not sure how to explain it. I feel sadness, like my heart is being overcome with great pain.
Axel soon looks in mine and Sora's direction. "I'm not gonna give up, Harmonyx, Roxas," he says.
Even though he mumbled those words, the others and I were able to hear him as clear as day. Not only that, but I could've sworn I saw Madison's body stiffen at the mention of those names.
"The heck are you talking about?" Luke questions.
"Sorry, just talking to myself," Axel answers.
I then force myself to speak up. "Where's Kairi?" I ask.
"And while we're at it, where's Chizuru?" Hijikata questions, with a stern look.
At the mention of their names, Axel's eyes begin to fill with regret as he looks down and scratches his head.
"Please. Just tell us!" Sora pleads.
Axel looks up at the sky. "Look, about Kairi and Chizuru..." he then looks at us. "I'm sorry."
"Axel!" a familiar voice shouts. A new corridor appears, not that far from us. And from it, Isa, or rather, Saix appears. "There you are, Axel."
"Uh-oh!" Axel exclaims, his face turning pale. He quickly makes his own corridor of darkness appear, and grabs me by the wrist for some reason, making me move towards the corridor. "Come on! We can't let him catch us!"
"What're you--!?" I ask, shocked by his actions.
Before anything else can happen, I feel myself get yanked away from Axel. The one who did it is none other than Saix.
"I won't let you have her," Saix declares.
Axel clicks his tongue. "I'm coming back, Harmonyx! Don't forget that!"
With that, Axel then disappears. Once he's gone, Saix tosses me to my friends. Because of his rough treatment, I end up getting caught in Asch's arms.
"Are you okay?" Madison asks, worried.
I nod my head. "I'm fine."
"Hey, I know you guys don't have hearts, but watch it!" Asch yells, glaring at Saix.
"Hmph. He got away," he says, ignoring Asch. "...Well, then. Let's have a little chat...Princess of Heart, Wielders of the Keyblade."
"Like we have anything to say to bastards like you," Harada says, glaring daggers at Saix.
"Regarding Axel, we'll ensure he receives the maximum punishment," Saix says.
"I don't care about any of that!" Sora exclaims, his voice nearly cracking. "Just let me into the realm of darkness, okay!?"
"Sora!" I exclaim, shocked that he would say such a thing.
"Are you crazy!?" Heisuke questions, just as shocked.
"You can't!" Mieu exclaims, earning barks of agreement from Chibi and Kuro.
"If it's Kairi and Chizuru you're all worried about, don't be. We're taking very good care of them," says Saix.
"Somehow, I doubt that," says Madison.
"Take us to them," Sora pleads.
"Hey, Sora! I know how you feel, but we can't just make deals with them!" Hijikata points out, reprimanding Sora for his actions.
Saito nods his head in agreement. "For all we know, he could be lying."
"You don't understand! I was supposed to protect them, but I couldn't! It's my fault Kairi and Chizuru got captured in the first place! I have to do something about it!" Sora exclaims.
"Are they that important to you?" Saix asks.
"Yeah. Chizuru's my friend. And Kairi means more than anything to me," Sora says.
"Show me how important," Saix challenges.
Sora thinks for a moment, then gets down on his knees, bowing his head down to Saix. The others and I are taken completely surprise by this. I mean, we all know that Kairi means a lot to Sora, but we never thought he would go this far to prove it.
"Please," Sora says.
"Are you not going to do the same, Harmony?" Saix asks. "I thought that you, someone who claims to treasure her friends more than anything, would do the same."
"I do. Kairi has always been like a sister to me, ever since we were little girls. And since Hijikata and the guys care a lot about Chizuru, that makes her my friend, too. But I'm not going to prove myself to you by bowing before you. I won't do it," I say.
"So, are you to say that you don't care what happens to them, unlike Sora here?" Saix asks, as though he is challenging me.
"That's not it. I'm just sick and tired of going along with these stupid games of yours. Ever since I started this journey, I was told that Nobodies don't have hearts. Even if they show emotion, it's nothing but a lie. I thought I understood that, but I was wrong," I say. "And you're a prime example, showing me just how wrong I was to think I actually knew what being a Nobody meant."
At this Saix begins to show some interest. "Oh? Do tell."
"Before, I knew you as Isa, a kind person who would never stoop so low as to make people do this. I even hoped for it to not be true, about you being a Nobody and a member of Organization 13. But it was just my naivete getting in the way. The Isa I knew is gone. Your Saix, a member of the Organization, someone who no longer has a heart to feel any sort of emotion with. And it's precisely because of that that I am not going to prove anything to you! I care about Kairi more than you will ever know. And I also know that if she were here, she would give me one hell of a lecture to not let myself be pushed around by jerks like you! So, either you tell us where she and Chizuru are at, or we'll just have to beat the answer out of you. Because, like I said, I'm done playing into yours and the Organization's stupid games."
(Madison's) POV:
The others and I all smile at Harmony. After hearing that speech of hers, we're really proud of her. She never gives in to anything, proving that what she feels in her heart is real, and keeps her pride in tact. It's because she's able to do these things that makes people want to fight alongside her, because she inspires them to stand strong and keep moving forward.
She really is a strong person.