Gladion awoke to unfamiliar surroundings. In the place of rubble was a polished floor. Imposing buildings gave way to stately walls. The Qliphoth had stopped flooding. In fact, the Qliphoth was not there at all. Only a dark expanse surrounded him.

Gladion stood up a little too quickly. Dizziness exasperated the pain in his head. He reached up and felt where he had been struck. The blood was crusty and dry. His hair was matted into knots. He pushed it aside to get a clearer view. His vision was still bleary.

Gladion slunk through the halls. Sigils he didn’t recognize littered the place. Just where was he? Where was Silvally? Where was… anybody? Only the sound of his own footsteps accompanied him. He passed by a suit of discarded armor. Was that… Sam’s armor? He could scarcely muster the brainpower to even recall.

In time, he found an enormous door. He didn’t think about what may lay behind it. He didn’t think much of anything, at the moment. He opened it just because it was there.

He emerged to a wide-open platform. In the distance were the moon and Earth, much closer than they were from the Styx. And looking at it all, seated on an enormous and frankly dangerous-looking spiky throne was a man clad in armor, long cape draped to his feet. Above him was a glimmering light in the shape of a heart.

“Ah, so you have awakened,” said the armored figure. “Approach.”

Gladion recognized the dulcet tones of his voice. “Xemnas?”

“That is correct.”

Gladion approached. He looked around at this empty, roofless throne room. “Where… are we?”

“This is still Marineford,” said Xemnas. “It has simply taken on a different form. As I have attained Kingdom Hearts, I can alter this world to fit whatever whims I may have. Thus, my city has reached its ideal form.”

“I see...” said Gladion. He didn’t really get it. He kinda got it. But his head hurt. “Where is everyone?”

Xemnas pointed to the heart above him. “They are all here,” he said. “Every Heart in Hell has been absorbed into this, my Kingdom Hearts. Every human. Every demon. Even your familiars.”

“They’re not— never mind.” Gladion squinted his eyes. “In that tiny thing?” he said, unaware of the immense hypocrisy in his question considering his “familiars” were kept in tiny Pokéballs.

“Indeed,” said Xemnas. “And I have you to thank. You and the Son of Sparda.”

- Ragnarust Round 5