The Keys of Time

[Alec Harrison]

"Well a prostitute is a... And a fetish... Sisi, you take this one."
--------

"Of course he's a prostitute, how else would he know Sisi?"

The next thing Alec knew, two flames exploded and all he could see was fire. Then all he could see was the sky. He was on his back. The Timelord jumped to his feet, his jacket and hat thoroughly singed, not to mention his face looking as though he'd shoved it into a furnace. Alec wasn't happy with Sisi right now.
"Blue here really had no idea what was going on, but all of you can suffer till we get some cure materia. Next time think before you insult a stranger in this world."

"Gah!" he scoffed, "I'll insult who I like. Blue, I wish I was healed, same for Meds." he nodded at Robin.

"The name is AXEL, got it memorized?"

"Hey, the way you said it, it sounded like-" Alec's near-cursing was censored by the Nobody dissapearing.

"A Nobody, is a person who lost their heart to the darkness. Yet, if one's personality is so strong the body can be willed to remain instead of disintegrate. What is left is an empty shell, a person without a heart because that heart has been turned into a heartless, what is left is a Nobody. And that's what he was."

"Pfft, I could have told you that with a magnifying glass and a textbook." he retorted.

"The man has no heart, no conscience. Or at least that''s what they say. Some of the Nobodies have banded together, calling themselves Organisation XIII, there are 13 of them. They are bad news, one of the most powerful enemies we have. The only one that is remotely negotiable with is Axel."

"Aah, that makes so much sense. Now I uderstand why you two got along so well," He smiled brightly, "They left you're heart in and you're still a nobody."

"And you just ruined it by calling him a prostitute!" She snapped.

"And that was rather rude of me, yes," he agreed. "On the other hand, it's probably for the best that he left with a pyrokinetic display and a fit of pique."

"Where's your dignity?" Alec inquired, arms crossed.

He held up a finger, motioning for silence. "Think about it: from what you said, he is a being composed of nothing but the dark - the evil - aspects of a human mind, paired with a resolve to survive at all costs. And he is the most human of this 'organization' that seeks to control - and, I would assume, create - more of these Heartless. Which are nothing but the evil aspects of the human psyche as well."

"So, yes. I was duly rebuked for the same behavior I rebuked Alec for. But, somehow, I suspect that failure to deal with the - in this case, literal - devil has not harmed us in the slightest."

Alec, course, was eager to change the subject from Axel, to the boy who boomed himself, "I'm just going to assume that Gamma here is going to follow us? If so...Blue, mute him for me, please."

[The 11th Doctor]

Christan scoffed, then let out a cry of alarm as the red-haired "Axel" attacked the three of them. He jumped backwards startled. He was still processing what The Meddler had told him. An alternate universe.

Oh, how he hated that ruddy watch.

The red-haired man spoke. "The name is AXEL, got it memorized?" Christan nodded vigorously. As the red-haired man dissipated into a black portal. The woman who'd been speaking to him turned to them.

"A Nobody, is a person who lost their heart to the darkness. Yet, if one's personality is so strong the body can be willed to remain instead of disintegrate. What is left is an empty shell, a person without a heart because that heart has been turned into a heartless, what is left is a Nobody. And that's what he was."

"The man has no heart, no conscience. Or at least that''s what they say. Some of the Nobodies have banded together, calling themselves Organization XIII, there are 13 of them. They are bad news, one of the most powerful enemies we have. The only one that is remotely negotiable with is Axel."

"And you just ruined it by calling him a prostitute!"


Christan stepped further backwards. "Hey, don't look at me. I didn't call anybody anything. Least of all a prostitute..Now. From where I'm standing, it looks pretty dangerous out there, my Vortex Manipulator was blown to shreds, black...monsters are running around everywhere, and a bunch of soulless nobody-people out there."

He paused for breath.

"And since you.." he glanced at the red-haired woman, the one the called Sisi.


"..Look like the only one who knows whats going on, I'm sticking with you." Christan walked over to her and planted himself next to her.

[Blue]

Blue morphed back into his canine form, feeling slightly awkward in the present situation as a human. He looked up at his master as the man floundered for the correct words. That, however, was brushed aside with an explosion. The Djinn hardly flinched, not quite registering that normal creatures would have been howling in pain. He shrugged off Sisi’s actions, giving her a polite smile as he turned to his master, trying to assess whether or not the Time Lord was injured in any way. His hearted hammered fearfully in his ribcage, frightened that he had managed to lose yet another master.

Alec was, thankfully, all right. The Djinn turned into a large bear, ready to ground this little fiery punk into the ground for even breathing the same air as his beloved master, when the man disappeared. The Djinn growled low in his throat, a large paw slamming down where Axel had once stood.

“ The man has no heart, no conscience. Or at least that’s what they say. Some of the Nobodies have banded together, calling themselves Organisation XIII, there are 13 of them. They are bad news, one of the most powerful enemies we have. The only one that is remotely negotiable with is Axel,” Sisi claimed.

Blue morphed back into his dog shape reluctantly, glaring suspiciously out at any movement. He would not let his master get hurt again. It had been a huge mistake, something he should’ve seen coming and something he should’ve prevented. And over his dead body would something like that happen again.

And Djinns were notoriously hard to kill.

“If he touches my master once more, there will be no negotiations. I am not kind to those that hurt my master,” he told her solemnly, rubbing against Alec’s leg. Some of his energy entered the Time Lord’s body, healing him. He looked over at the other man that Alec told him to heal. Blue walked over shyly, still quite hesitant about the Meddler in general.

There was just something funny about that guy. He extended a paw out hesitantly, offering the lightest of touches – just enough to have the transference of energy – and then scrambled back to Alec, sitting in front of his owner protectively.

[Flynn Delta]

Flynn slumped against a wall, e couldn't find his TARDIS anywhere, he was nothing without his TARDIS, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

"Axel is well.. he's Axel. He has his own agenda. He helped Sora last time he closed up the key hole, it's better to view him as 'neutral'. For as far as a Nobody can be neutral.." She mused off as the strange young man who exploded himself suddenly stood next to her. She raised a brow.

"..Look like the only one who knows what's going on, I'm sticking with you."

She gave him a good stare before she answered "As long as you don't explode yourself again with me in your close vicinity. I have no qualms of you doing so with him close by, though." She motioned to Alec and blew a kiss at him before she grinned and turned around, marching off towards the cave. She pushed the Summon materia into her pocket.

Coming by the cave she patted the ceiling of it, small children played in here, but only three adults at most would fit in.

"This is going to be a tight squeeze.. the cave is small. The door is at the end of it." She said as she crouched down and entered the cave on hands and knees. Indeed, at the end was a small door, the rather large keyhole swirling.

She mused, perhaps it was worth a try.

"Can somebody pass me a sonic screwdriver?" She called out, she wondered if some had followed her into the cave.

[The First Doctor]

The Meddler followed Sisi into the cave, dragging his equipment bag behind him as the going got tight. It was, as most caves are, dark. And damp and cool, but that was all right.

Irritably, he rummaged around in the bag and produced a fistfull of small, crystalline objects. "Let's see if these will work here," he remarked.

Holding them close to his mouth, he whispered two words in a dead language and tossed them into the air. They buzzed and whirred around, shedding a soft, shadowless illumination. In the silver radiance, it was clear that generations of children had decorated the flat stones of the cave walls, and that...

"Wow," the Meddler breathed, staring at the keyhole. Shifting rainbow lights danced within, a blaze of color and false light from the cool end of the spectrum. He stared, entranced. "It... reminds me of something..."

"Can somebody pass me a sonic screwdriver?" She called out, she wondered if some had followed her into the cave.

"Yes," he said absently, producing the requested tool from his bag without looking. "Here."

He held it out blindly, then pushed past Sisi, not even registering her presence. All of his attention was focused on the keyhole.

"It's..." he breathed, reaching out a hand and then stopping. "It's a Schism."

The screwdriver hung from his hand, forgotten.

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

She grunted in discomfort as Robin pushed past her, pushing her up against the stone wall. She was just in time to catch the sonic screwdriver before it fell from his hand and she followed his vision to the door, looking away immediately as her eyes flitted across the keyhole.

"I was told never to look into the keyholes, some people turned insane from staring into an open keyhole.."

"It's..." he breathed, reaching out a hand and then stopping. "It's a Schism."

Her eyes widened in realisation, her mouth opening in a gasp. He was right, it most likely was a schism. She shook her head, her face turning grim. Her lips thinning as she pressed them together, she closed her eyes and pushed past Robin, pointing the sonic screwdriver at the keyhole and pushing down the button to activate it.

Instead of the usual buzzing sound, it now came with the light gathering out from the diode and drawing out a large key that slid it's way into the keyhole. It turned and the door locked with a soft click. The 'light' key withdrew again and turned into mist when she let go of the activation button.

And she hadn't seen any of it since her eyes were closed.

Opening them she looked down at a now ordinary door, locked with the Schism gone.

"Well, that's one. Perhaps we should get a gummy navigation block, some materia and get on our way. There are more worlds out there most likely that have this same problem.."

She looked at Robin again.

[The First Doctor]

The Meddler made a soft, disappointed sound as Sisi shoved past him and raised the screwdriver. Oh, sure, based on everything she had said it was probably a terrible idea to leave it open. But, still... the opportunity to study something like this?

He sighed. "I miss pure research, sometimes."

Instead of the usual buzzing sound, it now came with the light gathering out from the diode and drawing out a large key that slid it's way into the keyhole. It turned and the door locked with a soft click. The 'light' key withdrew again and turned into mist when she let go of the activation button.

"Well, that's one. Perhaps we should get a gummy navigation block, some materia and get on our way. There are more worlds out there most likely that have this same problem.."

He pointed one finger at the screwdriver, opened his mouth, then closed it again. Then he looked at the door, and back at the screwdriver. "That... that is not typical behavior for that device. And it didn't look like a Sidhe bioenergetic manifestation. What was that?"

"That," announced a pleasant voice from the far side of the cave, "was a world gate being sealed."

The Meddler's head whipped around. Leaning against the wall, wearing a white linen suit, stood a dark-haired man with a mustache, his hair slicked back, his face lit up with a smile.

"And who are you?" asked the Meddler.

The man smiled. "I should think you, of all people, would know me. Even if you have hidden yourself from my gaze."

The Meddler observed him for a moment, the burning gold of the vortex flickering in his pupils. Then he dropped to one knee, his head bowed, his hands gripping his cane as if it were the hilt of a sword. "Guardian," he said, respectfully.

[Alec Harrison]

Alec stood, gaping. A schism? He hadn't seen one of those since... Probably before the fall of Galifrey. He almost reached out to tough it, had that not been prohibited by three simple laws of physics and common sense.

1. Touching a schism could give fifty to hundred degree burns, and he didn't fancy having to wish for normal hands between screams of pain.

2. He was standing in the back of the cave. He wasn't Elastic Man.

3. The Meddler, if simply so that Alec would be of greater service in the future (what with his odd quirks of that thing called "compassion"), though Sisilaya wouldn't think twice about pushing him in. Not to say he wouldn't pull her in as well...

So, touching the schism was ruled out. The Meddler sighed. "I miss pure research, sometimes."

Alec tilted his head.
"Agreed." he surprised himself.


"Well, that's one. Perhaps we should get a gummy navigation block, some materia and get on our way. There are more worlds out there most likely that have this same problem..."

The Timelord nodded his agreement. Maybe he would start collecting Materia? It seemed to help him greatly. As far as gummy navigation blocks went...

Robin pointed one finger at the screwdriver, opened his mouth, then closed it again. Then he looked at the door, and back at the screwdriver. "That... that is not typical behavior for that device. And it didn't look like a Sidhe bioenergetic manifestation. What was that?"

That was strange, he noticed. Even in this world, screwdrivers forming shapes and those shapes evaporating so quickly couldn't be commonplace. Not that he knew much about commonplace in this world, however.

"That," announced a pleasant voice from the far side of the cave, "Was a world gate being sealed."

"Was it?" he inquired, "Because as far as I can tell, by chronological standards, it would completely disentegrate a device of that minority to manipulate the schism- and yes, that was a schism -in such a way."

Alec bit his tongue, realizing how rude that sounded.
"Forgive, it seems my curious mind has gotten the better of me. I meant no disrespect, I'm sure I am ignorant to an important factor."

The Meddler's head whipped around. Leaning against the wall, wearing a white linen suit, stood a dark-haired man with a
mustache, his hair slicked back, his face lit up with a smile.

"And who are you?" asked the Meddler.

The man smiled. "I should think you, of all people, would know me. Even if you have hidden yourself from my gaze."

Alec vaguely remembered a mentioning of the Meddler erasing himself from continuity as any semi-intelligent being.

The Meddler observed him for a moment, the burning gold of the vortex flickering in his pupils. Then he dropped to one knee, his head bowed, his hands gripping his cane as if it were the hilt of a sword. "Guardian," he said, respectfully.

Alec narrowed his eyes, as if trying to remember the Meddler's deity. The other Timelord was arguably- or not so arguably, admittedly -a lot less rude than him, but he had never seen him so subservient.

"Do I know you? Reincarnated Timelord?" he asked.

[The First Doctor]

Alec narrowed his eyes, as if trying to remember the Meddler's deity. The other Timelord was arguably- or not so arguably, admittedly -a lot less rude than him, but he had never seen him so subservient.

"Do I know you? Reincarnated Timelord?" he asked.

The Meddler sneaked a startled glance in Alec's direction, and the newcomer laughed in amusement. "No, Ioki, I am not a Time Lord." His eyes twinkled with amusement. "Although, I have been called a Lord of Time by some."

"He's the White Guardian, Alec," the Meddler hissed. "Show some respect!"

[Blue]

Blue took the form of a snake, curling around Alec’s neck loosely. His eyes settled on the keyhole curiously. Schism? He knew the word well enough – specifically when it referred to the division between his species. A schism was something that was split, a division between two things. He averted his eyes from it; the keyhole was making him wildly uncomfortable. “If it’s a schism,” he asked quietly, “what was it dividing? The universe?” He turned his beady eyes to his master. “Time?” he guessed meekly, doubting he’d be able to get a clear answer out of them. Alec would either brush off his question or use jargon that Blue wouldn’t learn for another million years.

“That was a world gate being sealed,”[/color] a man announced. Blue lifted his head and hissed automatically, slithering down from his master’s shoulders quickly. He looked up at his master, but Alec didn’t seem very worried about the man. Blue still took the form of a dog, sitting obediently at Alec’s feet. His eyes were still trained on the newcomer, but he’d calmed considerably.

“Guardian,” the Meddler said, dropping on one knee. Blue blinked. That was how Djinn greeted their masters after returning from their Lamps. He tilted his head, confusion veiling him once more. Was this Guardian the owner of Meddler?

“No, Ioki, I am not a Time Lord. Although, I have been called a Lord of Time by some.”

Ioki? He looked up at Alec curiously. Was that another name for him? He looked back to the man leaning against the wall – the ‘White Guardian’, the Meddler called him – and stepped closer to him. “I thought your name was Disney.”[/size][/font]

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

The door had been sealed off easily enough, and afterwards she handed the sonic screwdriver back to the Meddler. She smirked at the face he was making, sometimes his curiosity took the better of him. It was a good thing she had sealed off the door and he hadn't.

"No worries, if my hunches are right, there will be more open doors in the other worlds that need closing."

To be honest, the key that had formed from the sonic screwdriver had surprised even her, but her musings had been cut short by a new voice. For a second, her eyes flitted across Alec, who now apparently had a snake around his neck. She was about to say something before she shut up.

Oh right, Djinn.

Her green eyes turned to that of the new man standing there, herself and the Meddler coming out of the cave to greet the new man. She blinked in confusing at the newcomer just like Robin was. Robin asked who he was before she could.

The man smiled. "I should think you, of all people, would know me. Even if you have hidden yourself from my gaze."

It took a moment to sink in, but in an instant Robin fell to one knee, holding his cane like a sword. She widened her eyes, this was the first time she had seen the Meddler bow to anyone. Her eyes turned to the man in white again, her eyes with surprise and confusion.

"He's the White Guardian, Alec," the Meddler hissed. "Show some respect!"

The White Guardian? It only raised more questions, but if Robin said to show respect she would. He had more experience with these things then she had. She made a mix of a bow and a curtsy, the lack of skirt would make the latter just look silly.

As the man and Alec exchanged words, apparently he wasn't a Time Lord (then what was he?) but she guessed he was someone of importance. So she did what she always did when she met someone blatantly more powerful.

She kept silent.

[The 11th Doctor]

Suddenly the man everyone called the Meddler dropped to his knees.

"What? What is it?"

"Guardian,", said The Meddler respectfully.

The one called Alec made a comment Christan couldn't catch.

"He's the White Guardian, Alec," the Meddler hissed. "Show some respect!"



"Klono's beryllium balls" The White Guardian. There were old rumors. Travelers rumors, of one acknowledged with immense power. Not a time Lord, but a Lord of time, greater than the time Lords could ever have been.

White Guardian.

[The First Doctor]

“I thought your name was Disney.” the Djinn said.

The Meddler winced, but the White Guardian laughed. "I take on forms that suit the role I play," he said. "If I were to manifest exclusively to the Djinn, perhaps I would appear as Soloman. But here? Here, I appear as Walt Disney."

He stood away from the wall. The cave should have been crowded, with so many people in it. But there was room for him to walk. "Rise, Meddler. The Grandfather Paradox is beyond my authority, even if the Living Schism is not."

Slowly, the Meddler stood. "What would you have us do, Guardian?"

He did not answer at first. "It is an impressive group you have assembled. Three Time Lords. A Sidhe. A Djinn. A time agent. A guide, already familiar with this universe." He smiled. "You may even be equal to the task I must set."

There was no dramatic display for what happened next. One instant, the Guardian's hand was empty. The next, he held a slim crystal rod and a small block of what appeared to be yellow gelatin. He the rod to the Meddler, and the block to Sisi.

"A tracker," the Meddler stated.

"Yes," agreed the Guardian. "And a navigational gummy." He produced a second rod and block, identical to the first, and handed them to Alec.

"Space and time are coming undone in this universe," the Guardian announced. "The Keyholes, once sealed, are coming unlocked in greater and greater numbers with each passing year. And the Keyblade bearers, valiant as they are, are fighting a losing battle." His face looked grim. "Within one year, if this is not reversed, Kingdom Hearts will yawn wide and consume all the worlds of this cosmos. And everything, everywhere, will fall into Darkness."

He gestured at the group. "The navigational gummys will enable your TARDISes to find their ways between the worlds. The trackers will enable you to locate and assemble the six segments of the Key to Time. And it must be found, and assembled, and used within one year. Or all is lost."

[The Master]

Goofy sat on a fragment of shattered masonry, watching the last of the Heartless dissolve like fog. The battle had been hot, even with the Mousketeers coming to the aid of their king, and casualties had been heavy. The worst of the enemy had been the new Heartless, the "Exterminators" as they were starting to be known. But the Mousketeers had prevailed, and the Magic Kingdom was safe.

For the moment.

"Hey, dad!" A chuckle. "Or should I say, 'Lord Protector, sir'?"

He looked up. "Gawrsh, Max," he answered with a hyucking chuckle of his own, "Ain't nobody else 'round to hear you. Have a seat."

"I think I'll stand, dad."

"Suit yourself."

Max was a good kid - no, he corrected himself, a good man. He'd also had the good fortune to inherit his looks from his mother. Standing there, the ruddy light of the setting sun striking fire from his dulled armor, he looked like the sort of man you would want to imagine as the hero of an epic poem. And even better, Goofy thought with a touch of pride, he is that kind of man.

"What's up, dad?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're staring."

"Aw," Goofy said, waiving his hand. "I wuz just thinkin' how your ma woulda been proud of you."

Max smiled a little at that. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't.

Goofy smiled at the unspoken question. "And you've always made me proud, Max." He pretended not to notice as Max looked away and wiped at one eye.

"You all right there, Goofy?" Mickey asked. He and Donald had approached, unnoticed. "How's the leg?"

"Gawrsh," Goofy said, waving it off. "T'weren't nuthin'. The megapotion's doin' its work."


Max fell to one knee. "Your majesty."

King Mickey smiled. "No need to kneel to me today, Sir Max. You fought bravely." He laughed at Max's startled expression.

"He did, indeed," a new voice observed.

The group wheeled as one to see a man with slicked-back dark hair and a mustache, wearing a white linen suit. They all gaped for a moment, then Mickey and Donald dropped to one knee before him. A second later, unsure what was going on, Max followed suit. Goofy struggled to do the same, his wounded leg making it difficult.

"No, my friends, rise," the Guardian said with a smile. "Goofy, please, allow you leg to rest."

"How can we serve you, Lord?" Mickey asked.

"There is a crisis developing," the Guardian said. "The Keyholes are opening in record numbers."

"I know, Lord," Micky answered. "The Keyblade Wielders have been working to keep back the darkness."

"And you have done well," the Guardian assured him. "But now my counterpart, the Black Guardian, has brought aid from another world. He seeks the Key to Time, and will use it to cast all of Kingdom Hearts into Darkness."

Donald squacked something angry, shaking his fists.

"Do not blame his tools, Donald," the Guardian said. "They believe they serve the Light, and that their actions will bring about the salvation of Kingdom Hearts. But they must not be allowed to succeed."