World of Hearts: Linked as One (Book 1)

3-6: The Aftermath of Revelations

Kizuna, Kain, and 2B were on the rooftop of a building. Kizuna looked understandably furious after everything that had happened. The boy was pacing back and forth, his anger billowing out from the top of his head. He wanted answers, and he wanted answers now.

"Look, I know you're angry and you want to know what's going on, but calm down," Kain said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Calm down? Calm down?" Kizuna looked at Kain, shaking his head in disbelief. "After I almost died and found out that the guy I was fighting was my father's brother, who betrayed my father and got him murdered, you want me to calm down?"

Sora projects himself in front of Kizuna. "Look, Kizuna, hear him out--"

"Shut up, Sora!" He yelled. "Did you even have a dad, Sora? Did you?"

Sora was about to say something, but then he pondered the thought for a while. He shook his head. "That's got nothing to do with this, especially when I want to know what the heck is going on as well! But you need to chill the heck out first!"

Kizuna stopped as he looked at Sora. He looked into Sora's eyes and took a deep breath. He looked at the ground. He looked back up to see Kain as Sora faded from Kizuna's view.

"What do you know about Golbez?" Kizuna asked. "Aside from the fact that he's... my uncle."

Kain took off his helmet, and his purple hair flowed out. Kain's violet eyes lock with Kizuna's emerald green eyes.

"Golbez serves only one master," Kain said. "And that man was Garland."

"Garland? Y-You mean the Chaos Bringer Garland?" Kizuna asked. "Wait, there's no way a guy like him exists, right?"

"He is as real as you and I are," Kain said. "2B can confirm this with me, as she saw the man kill your father in cold blood."

Kizuna looked at 2B, who stood there, looking at Kizuna. She gestured to the Pod next to her, and it started to show a projection of a video. The footage looked corrupted, as there was plenty of static. Despite that, he could make out two individuals, one dressed in armor and the other who looked bruised and bloodied. The man who looked injured had white hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and a tinge of purple on his lips. The man in the armor looked just as the Grimoire described Garland's appearance. An armor resembling a demon holding a menacing great sword.

"Garland's not holding a Keyblade..." Kizuna said.

"That is his keyblade," Kain insists. "Formchanges can only last for a while, but for someone like Garland, who has a strong will over his Keyblade, he could keep his keyblade in the form it is in now."

"And that man... the one who's fighting Garland... is that... my father?" Kizuna asked.

"Positive," 2B said. "That is Master Cecil Harvey. Kazama Daichi was an alias he was using to hide himself from his enemies after he participated in the Chaos War 20 years ago."

"F-Father..." Kizuna said.

Garland held his sword, pointing it toward a panting Cecil. "You put up a good fight. Your brother spoke highly of you; regardless, you should have known that this was coming, that I, Garland, would knock you down and end your life with my sword."

"And I'll gladly accept that fate if it means standing against you and making sure that you won't pull the world into never-ending conflict again..." Cecil said. "As long as I can draw breath... I will not allow you to harm my loved ones..."

"Ah, yes, your wife and your son," Garland said, chuckling. "I cannot wait to have them join you in the Otherworld."

Kizuna saw his father charge at Garland, brandishing a white keyblade in his hands...