Fanfiction ► Kingdom Hearts 4: Connected Worlds

[KeybladeOrder]

Last chapter’s title was derived from the save point card from Chain of Memories.

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Epilogue: The Hunt Begins:
The Lanes Between – U.W.S. Ava:

The Novus Imperator of the Unchained Legion was furious. While on one hand, the operation to recover the Infinity Stones had been completely successful, that corrupted freak Vanitas and a team of Coalition soldiers had managed to follow Warden Lerena back to their facility on Morag and attack the place. The worst part, however, had to be that the Coalition infidels just had to get their hands on several encrypted files, most of which included both an annotated map of the galaxy and notes on several Unchained safe houses on Earth. Heads would have rolled if the Legionnaires weren’t already functionally immortal.

“I accept full responsibility for the fallout of the Coalition raid on Morag, Madame N.I.,” Lerena said with an overdramatic bow. “I put too much faith in my detachments ability to keep those heathens away from our files, and now we will all pay the price.”

“You were never very good a playing defense, were you, Warden Lerena?” one of the High Praetors commented dryly.

“If I’d been in charge of the Morag facility, they wouldn’t have even made it past the entrance.”

“Well you know what, Commander?” Lerena retorted mockingly. “You weren’t in charge because you felt that your position within S.H.I.E.L.D. was too valuable to abandon for, and I quote “some backwater guard post in the middle of knowhere.” So you have no right to complain when things don’t work out the way we planned. If you’re really tired of working at S.H.I.E.L.D. already, I could just drop by Coulson’s office and leave some incriminating files on his – “

“Enough,” the Imperator interrupted, her voice firm and cold as she looked out at the faces of her inner circle. “We have more important matters to attend to than resurrecting centuries old rivalries. Our attack on the Land of Departure was a costly one. We lost five Legionnaires alone just eliminating that pathetic ninja and the reincarnation of Foreteller Gula. It will take at least two decades for them to return to the fold. In the meantime, the Hellfire Club has learned of our existence. No doubt they will be coming for us in their desire to eliminate all perceived competitors for their goal of universal conquest. If we are to engage them openly, we must bulk up our forces. To that end, I’ve decided to reactivate the Pantheon Project.”

“But Imperator,” Aurilam protested. “We cannot be sure that the Hunstclan were even really destroyed.” The Huntsmaster had attempted to use the thirteen Aztec skulls developed as a Leopardos WMD during the Keyblade War to destroy all magical creatures back in 2007, only for the traitor, Rose, to turn the tables on him and destroy the Huntsclan. The mortal trainees that had been recruited from all corners of the Earth were unharmed by the curse, as they were not full members of the clan and never would be. The true members of the Hunstclan, in reality a subsidiary of the Unchained Legion, were all eliminated. And the power of the Aztec skulls had apparently prevented them from being reincarnated. “Just because we haven’t been able to find them,” the man formerly known as Marluxia went on, “Doesn’t mean that – “

“High Praetor Aurilam, stop denying the obvious,” Madame N.I. interjected. “We all know that the properties of the Aztec skulls blocked Kingdom Hearts from allowing our brethren in the Huntsclan from reincarnating. The Pantheon Project will allow us to change that. Are their any objections?” She looked around the table and found none. “Very well, then let’s get to work.”

“As you command, Imperator Skuld,” Lerena answered as the High Council stood up to leave the room. The raven haired woman in command of the Unchained Legion allowed a small smile to creep its way onto her face at hearing the sound of her true name for the first time in thirty years. While most of her people wore their different identities and faces like masks, nothing could ever compare to the sound of her true name. The one she had when she had first been recruited by Foreteller Ava before the Keyblade War, over eight thousand years ago.

---

That’s right people, N.I. is Skuld. Before everyone starts flooding my review and PM inboxes with complaints about making her a villain, allow me to explain. I first began writing this long universe I’ve come up with several months before Skuld was even introduced, and once she was introduced, I wanted to incorporate her canon story into this universe I’ve created as best as I could. Since in this universe Ava’s dandelions have become an army of quasi-immortal Keyblade Masters, having Skuld as the leader of the Unchained after Braig/Emphemer’s demise at the end of The Xehanort War was the only logical conclusion.

The same goes for Gula and Ava being friends in canon. I had written The Xehanort War with the idea of him as the traitor in mind, and so the factions lined up as Leopardos and Ursus on the side of Darkness, while Anguis and Unicronis championed the light. The Vulpeus union filled the role that the Dandelions do in canon, staying out of the conflict in order to ensure that there will be survivors, only rather than getting the hell out of dodge, their primary mission was evacuating the civilians caught in the crossfire between the other unions. The Unchained Legion was a third faction using guerilla tactics against the darkness-wielding unions to avenge Ava’s murder, as her death was what kicked the hornets nest and started the war.

All that stuff about the Aztec skulls comes from American Dragon: Jake Long. I don’t know about the trainees surviving, that’s just something I came up with in this universe and serves as my head-canon for the show.

Anyway, this is it folks. The final chapter of Connected Worlds. I'm going to upload the timeline of events right after this so you can all get some perspective on the order of events. Then I'm going to take a day off before starting on the prequel, Before The Storm. Because it's only 14 chapters, it'll be exclusive to my fanfiction.net account under the username DragonKey27. Before The Storm will be a series of One-Shots set over the six year time skip. After that will come the next installment, Kingdom Hearts V: Balance of Power, posted on both KHInsider and Fanfiction.net.

 

[KeybladeOrder]

Alright people, here is the official timeline of this story:

July 31, 2015:
o The Legion celebrates Xehanort’s demise and begins their preparations to gather the Infinity Stones.

· September 17, 2021:
o Rose Long is called into S.H.I.E.L.D. to deal with
o Odin visits Loki in Asgards dungeons and asks for advice on the upcoming meeting with the Dragon Council
o Jake Long meets with the Dragon Council on Draco to discuss the meeting on Asgard about the continued secrecy of the magical world.
o The Dragon Council sends Jake to Asgard as their ambassador, but during the meeting, Eli Panderas attacks Asgard in a poorly planned attempt to gain glory by conquering the Realm Eternal with the aid of the Advent Children.
o While everyone is distracted fighting off Panderas and Sephiroth’s children, Nebula and Diablo break into the palace dungeons to free Loki.
o Loki, knowing that whether he stays or leaves he’s screwed, leaves a message to tell Odin what’s going on and explain that he’s going to go undercover inside the ranks of the Hellfire Club and bring them down from within.

September 18:
o After dating for six years, Sora asks Kairi to marry him, and she happily says yes.
o Loki and Maleficent’s inner circle discuss their plans for the Infinity Stones
o Thor notifies the rest of the Avengers about the attack on Asgard, and the team resolves to hunt the perpetrators responsible as soon as they have a lead.
o J.A.R.V.I.S. notifies the team of a resurgence in HYDRA activity across Europe, and the Avengers head out to stop them.
o The Avengers capture one of HYDRA’s new bases, but not before the Red Skull contacts Captain America to reveal his survival.
o The S.A.C.K. leadership council meets to discuss the attack on Asgard.
o Black Widow and V discuss their status as fugitives.

September 19:
o Kairi and Sora attend a meeting in Radiant Garden to discuss the re-emergence of the Hellfire Club.
o Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz visit their father’s old castle on Maveth where they grew up and commiserate over their lost brother.
o Ansem and Goliath discuss the Club’s resurgence.

September 20:
o Sora, Donald, and Goofy coordinate the attack on the Hellfire Club base in Zootopia with ZPD Precinct 1.
o During the battle in Zootopia, members of The Legion steal Yzma’s potions and a supply of Night Howlers, leaving Sora and company with cryptic warnings before departing.
o Yuffie informs Cassim of Hellfire Club operatives being sighted by C.I.N. agents in Saint Canard.
o Loki offers to provide Vanitas with intelligence on Maleficent’s goals and troop movements.
o Terra and Ventus are dispatched to San Fransokyo to investigate the reports of Hellfire Club activity.
o Because the police department is busy, they have to continue the search on their own with only San Fransokyo’s C.I.N. base for assistance.
o Kairi, Aerith, Tifa, and Selife discuss her engagement to Sora.
o Madame N.I. berates the Legionnaires for exposing their faction’s existence.
o Terra and Ven arrive in San Fransokyo to investigate Hellfire Club attacks just as Malekith launches an invasion of the city.
o The two Keyblade wielders fight the Dark Elves off with the aid of Big Hero 6, but in the chaos of battle, the local C.I.N. base is destroyed and most of its personnel killed.
o Kairi and Aqua discuss marriage and children at the Land of Departure.

September 21:
o Terra and Ventus bring Fa Zhou’s body home to his family before being called to Agrabah to deal with a Dark Elf attack.
o Maleficent and her inner circle discuss Malekith’s personal agenda and whether or not they can eliminate him as a threat.
o Sora, Donald, and Goofy discuss the revelations of the Legion and its prejudice against those who wield the power of Darkness.
o The trio travels to St. Canard, where they raid what they believe to be a Hellfire Club base, only to discover a laboratory being used by The Legion to research brainwashing techniques.
o The Legionnaires order the brainwashed Taurus Bulba to stall for time while they initiate the self-destruct sequence in the building and escape.
o Malekith, Algrim, Seymour, and Demona discuss the Legion’s activities and how they can gauge the enemy’s strengths and capabilities before deciding on their course of action.

September 22:
o Since there have been no further sightings of Hellfire Club activity, Sora, Donald, and Goofy return to Radiant Garden for a short break from the chaos of the last couple days.
o While visiting the castle library with Kairi, they all end up being sucked into a storybook containing a world where toys come to life.
o Vanitas’s research into the “Gauntlet of the First Keyblade Master” uncovers information about the Infinity Gauntlet that rocks him to his core.
o Sora and Donald end up at Al’s apartment with Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete.
o Kairi and Goofy land out in the streets where they team up with Buzz and the other toys from Andy’s room to search for Woody and hopefully find Sora and Donald.
o Acting on intelligence from Loki, Riku and Mickey arrive in the Kingdom of Prydain to secure the Black Cauldron before Malekith does.

September 23:
o Kairi, Goofy, and the toys search Al’s Toy Barn for Woody and sneak back to the apartment building in Al’s bag.
o Dark Elf forces land in the forests of Prydain and make their way towards the witches’ cottage, only to walk straight into an ambush by the Legion.
o Woody convinces Jessie and Bullseye to return to Andy’s house with him, but the prospector summons a swarm of Heartless to keep them busy until Al returns and places all of the toys in his suitcase.
o Vanitas and Loki meet at a restaurant in Agrabah to discuss the Infinity Stones and Maleficent’s plans to acquire them.
o When Al leaves, Sora and Donald reunite with their friends in the air vents and attempt to rescue Woody from the roof of the elevator, only to be thwarted by Stinky Pete.
o The Legion manages to destroy the Black Cauldron, leaving Mickey and Riku to deal with the wrath of the Hellfire Club.
o The toys commandeer a pizza delivery truck to chase Al to the airport, and proceed to rescue Woody and stop Stinky Pete.
o Donald and Jessie are trapped in the case as it’s driven towards the plane, forcing Sora, Buzz, Woody, and Bullseye to race to the rescue.
o They get off the plane just in time, and everyone returns home.

September 24:
o Madame N.I. gives High Praetor Aurilam authorization to retrieve the Mind Stone by force.
o Maleficent and her inner circle meet with Taneleer Tivan on Knowhere to negotiate for the Mind Stone.
o In the midst of the meeting, the Guardians of Light attack the colony to stop the deal and keep the Infinity Stone out of Maleficent’s grasp.
o During the battle, the Legion arrives to claim the Mind Stone.
o Coalition troops storm the spaceport and systematically eliminate the Hellfire Club ground forces while the heroes fight off the leadership.
o Kairi and Dilan duel High Praetor Aurilam, revealed to be the human self of Marluxia, while Sora ends up dueling both Maleficent and Loki while Vanitas makes contact with Cassim.
o Jake and Rose return home from helping Jake’s sister, Haley deal with Hobgoblins attacking Magus Bazaar, the social and cultural hub of New York’s supernatural community.
o Recognizing that the battle is lost, the Hellfire Club’s leadership finally flees. In the chaos, Demona “accidentally” trips Maleficent, causing her to drop the Tesseract.
o Sora grabs the Tesseract, only to be violently transported to Earth, in the apartment of Jake and Rose Long, immediately after Rose is abducted by The Legion.
o Jake and Sora get to know each other but have to leave just before a Legion hit squad storms the apartment.

September 25:
o Sora and Jake stop at an IHop in Albany, New York to talk about their next move and where to go next. Jake decides to tell Sora about the Nine Realms.
o After some discussion Jake and Sora decide to visit the Avengers, figuring that they can help figure out how to activate the Tesseract from long distance the way that Loki did before.
o Rose is given an impromptu court martial by The Legion for her crimes against the Huntsclan, but escapes before the sentence can be carried out.
o Thor explains the legends of the Keyblade War to the rest of the Avengers, and introduces Sora to the team.
o Yuffie and Ven spend the day together after the battle of Knowhere subsides.

September 26:
o Namine comforts Kairi after Sora’s disappearance and helps her calm down and focus on looking for clues to find where he ended up.
o Lea meets up with Roxas and Xion at Arendelle Spaceport on their way to the Land of Departure.
o Tony Stark wakes up in the middle of the night to find Sora on the roof of Avengers HQ venting his pain and frustration with his situation, and does what he can to cheer the Keyblade Master up.
o The Hellfire Club’s leadership discusses the aftermath of the battle and begin preparations for finding a new base.
o Aurilam reports to Madame N.I. on Rose’s escape, and she advises him on how to proceed with the recovery of the Infinity Stones.
o Sora tells the Avengers the entire story of how he ended up on Earth, from how he first got his Keyblade to the Battle of Knowhere.
o Captain America reveals that he’s part of a secret society of people who know about the Keyblade.

September 27:
o Jake, Sora, and the Avengers tour S.A.C.K. Headquarters, where they receive word of HYDRA preparing to launch an attack against a biological research facility in Lagos, Nigeria, and head off to intercept them.
o Jake stays behind to provide the S.A.C.K. council with Rose’s intel on the Unchained Legion.
o Rose’s escape pod crash lands on Montressor, where Sarah Hawkins helps her inside and offers her a place to stay until she recovers from injuries sustained in the crash.

September 28:
o HYDRA attacks the Institute for Infectious Diseases in Lagos, Nigeria, only for the Avengers to arrive to stop them.
o HYDRA brings in reinforcements consisting of Leroys, Dark Elves, and one of the other Winter Soldiers to turn the tide in their favor, forcing the Avengers to call for back up.
o Loki and Kairi meet in San Fransokyo at the Lucky Cat Café to discuss Sora’s status and the location of Earth in relation to Coalition Space.
o Thor and The Hulk arrive and are able to turn the tide against the Dark Elves and Winter Soldiers while Stitch plays Aloha Oe to deactivate the Leroys.
o Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz visit the Underworld in an attempt to revive their father, only to learn that they require Jenova’s regenerative cells in order to do so.

September 29:
o After a night of rest at a S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house in Lagos, the Avengers receive confirmation of a HYDRA base in Vienna, Italy. The team sets out to confirm the location of the other Winter Soldiers.
o Loki, Malekith, and Nebula are sent to Thanos’ Sanctuary to recruit the remaining Chitauri, but the alien warriors sense Loki’s duplicity and attack him, forcing them to eliminate the hive.
o While the Anvegers raid HYDRA’s Vienna facility, S.H.I.E.L.D. and various world militaries storm the terrorist group’s other bases, cutting off the organization’s leadership until only the Siberian base remains.
o Captain Amelia and Rose arrive at Radiant Garden spaceport after a two day journey. Captain Amelia has agreed to transport Kairi to Earth and meets with the princess to discuss the final terms of her contract.
o Sora and the Avengers arrive at the HYDRA base in Siberia and are confronted by the Red Skull, all five Winter Soldiers and an army of HYDRA goons. The Hulk, Iron Man, Sora, Stitch, and Bucky perform admirably, but the tide quickly begins to turn against the heroes.
o As the meeting concludes, the Hellfire Club invades Radiant Garden to take back the Tesseract. Kairi, Rose, and Amelia immediately aid in the city’s defense.
o Meanwhile, the Unchained Legion launches a surprise attack on the Land of Departure to steal the Mind Stone. Terra stays inside to protect his son while Ventus and Yuffie hold the line.
o Rose and Kairi continue to fight off Maleficent’s Heartless and Leroy armies, until Rose begins to suspect that the frontal assault is a diversion so another group can steal the Tesseract.
o During the battle, Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz break into Ansem’s laboratory in search of Jenova’s remains, only to discover that someone else has already beaten them to the punch.
o After valiantly holding off the Unchained Legion, Ventus and Yuffie are eventually overwhelmed and killed. Aurilam proceeds to enter the Land of Departure’s castle and steal the Mind Stone after a brief skirmish with Terra.
o Rose, Kairi, Amelia, Vanitas, Dilan, Aeleus, Cloud, Violet, and Even battle the Unchained, but fail to prevent them from escaping with the Tesseract. Vanitas leads Cloud, Violet, and Even in a retaliatory strike on the Unchained base.
o With coordinates provided by Loki, Coalition forces storm the Kiln hoping to capture the Hellfire Club’s leadership once and for all.
o Vanitas’ team manages to cause some damage to the Unchained base and steal encrypted files before being expelled via a Corridor of Light that takes them to Earth.
o Maleficent’s inner circle escapes to Thanos’ Sanctuary to regroup. Angry at having another rival, Maleficent decides to temporarily redirect her focus towards eliminating the Unchained Legion.
o Vanitas’ team arrives at the Siberian HYDRA facility in the middle of The Avengers’ battle with the Winter Soldier.
o Recognizing the Red Skull as the enemy’s leader, Vanitas assassinates the HYDRA commander while Cloud, Even, and Violet help the Avengers push on to victory.
o With the Red Skull dead, most of HYDRA surrenders, but a few, like Brock Rumlow and Gideon Malick, still escape and remain loyal to the Hellfire Club.

September 30:
o Sora, Vanitas, and the Avengers all get caught up on each other’s situation. Sora and the original Avengers prepare to travel to Coalition Space and bring the Keyblade Master home, while Vanitas and his team decide to stay on Earth for a few weeks to gather information on the Hellfire Club’s influence.
o Kairi, Riku, Donald, and Goofy set off from Radiant Garden aboard the RLS Legacy to bring Sora home.
o Imperator Skuld and her inner circle discuss the fallout of the previous day before Skuld decides to move forward with the Pantheon Project.

 

[Master Exin]

Good luck on the prequel. :wink:

 

[KingdomKey]

I finally caught up on this story! I'm really glad Sora could see some familiar faces after being separated from everyone by being on planet Earth. Vanitas personally rocks. And it seems like we'll continue to be seeing Maleficent and her family. Including Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz. I feel a bit bad for them finding out the remains they need aren't where they thought they were in order to bring back Sephiroth. And gosh, I felt like I was hit right in the chest with Ventus and Yuffie's death. Damn it, Marluxia. I cannot believe he's returned, but it makes a whole lot of sense. Same with Larxene. (I forgot what their original names are. xD) Anyways, this was a roller coaster of backstabbing, triumph, and desperation rolled up in one huge and compelling story . I'm really excited to see what happens next in the following story you've posted here on KHI. And it's a good thing I have a FanFiction.Net account to read your prequel of one-shots. Well done, KeybladeOrder. And the additional of a timeline really helps me keep things straight too btw!