Hey guys! This chapter might seem to drag or seem kind of weird, but that's because I'm looking forward to the next chapter so much! Next chapter, the story really picks up, so stay with me on this one. So read and review please! And thanks to all who have reviewed so far. You guys are the best!
Also, I'm kind of a Gummi ship fanatic, so don't mind me. XD I really love making and driving Gummi ships (but only on KH2, since KH1 Gummis were really bad!) so there's a lot of stuff here that pertains to my itty-bitty obsession! X3
DISCLAIMER: Nope, still don't own. No worries, I'll get enough money some day that Disney and Square Enix shall be MINE. Bwahahaha!
Morning came too soon for Zexion, who hadn't slept in such a long time that sleep just seemed to devour him and trap him in its grasp. 'This is why I don't sleep,' was his first thought as he was forced to open his eyes. The world around him seemed blurry and dark at first until his eyes slowly adjusted.
Dragged down by fatigue, he hesitantly got up and put on his pants, coat, boots, and finally his gloves. He made sure he could still quickly summon his lexicon, just in case. Finally, he grabbed his packet and the notes he had written and exited the room, summoning a portal to enter the hallway where the dungeon and the supposed Gummi hangar were located.
Marluxia was already waiting in the hallway, looking much happier and excited than Zexion. "Good morning sunshine!" Marluxia chortled, grinning at Zexion's fatigued appearance.
"If you value your existence XI, you won't provoke me this early," Zexion threatened, closing his eyes and sighing.
"Aw, someone didn't drink his coffee this morning, did he?" Marluxia teased.
"I simply made the mistake of sleeping despite the fact that I do not need to," Zexion corrected.
"Either way, you're going to have to be a little more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We have a long trip, right?" Marluxia said, a teasing look still on his face.
"Indeed XI. Now, where might the ship be?"
"According to the Dusks, it's right there," Marluxia answered, pointing to a white and silver door with no handle. Zexion cocked his head and walked up to the door, examining it. He experimentally pushed the door with his free hand and scowled when the door didn't open.
"Alright, I'll try to get there by portal," Zexion resolved, opening a portal and stepping through it.
He stepped into a large white room, almost the size of Where Nothing Gathers. In the middle of the room was a large black and white ship with streaks of silver running down the hull and forming the Nobody symbol on the hatches. Four extremely large engines were suspended from the underside of the ship and two smaller engines were divided and perched on the wings. A series of varying thrusters were placed symmetrically on the back, forming a pyramid shape. Underneath the head of the ship were another varying series of lasers and cannons, all of which convinced Zexion that the ship was indestructible.
After several minutes of admiring and inspecting the ship, Zexion opened another portal to go back into the hallway. He walked through it to see a bored-looking Marluxia who had folded his arms in front of him. "What took you so long?" the pink-haired man asked with irritation.
Zexion glared at him. "I was inspecting the ship if you must know. And I wouldn't suggest you speak like that to your superiors, neophyte."
"You know, I really don't like that word," Marluxia hissed back while summoning a portal and walking through it.
"It suits you," Zexion snapped back uncharacteristically, summoning his own portal and going back to the ship.
"Now that is fancy," Marluxia said in awe as he gazed up at the ship.
"It's extremely well-built, in the best condition it could possibly be in, and it's state-of-the-art," Zexion stated, walking up to the ladder which led to the cockpit.
"Thank you Mister Encyclopedia," Marluxia muttered sarcastically, following the younger member up into the ship.
The cockpit itself was especially spacious, containing six seats compared to the usual three in standard Gummi ships. A dashboard filled with flickering lights and buttons glowed at the head of the cockpit, complete with a radar screen, able to show scenes going on all around the ship and containing a warning screen to alert the pilot of oncoming enemies. In the back of the cabin was a miniature refrigerator (although Nobodies hardly had to eat and it was purely optional) as well as a microwave and a small cupboard. A foldout table was embedded in the wall in the farthest corner of the cabin, surrounded by chairs bolted to the floor.
However, it wasn't the layout of the cockpit that caught the duo's attention. Lying on the seats of the front two chairs were identical packages, each large in size and thick and on each was written the name of the respective owner. Marluxia was the first to pick his up. Eagerly, he ripped the package open and pulled out its contents. To both his and Zexion's confusion, he pulled out a coat identical to his own Organization coat. "What's this?" Marluxia asked, turning it over in his hands.
"It's obviously an Organization coat… However, there must be something different about this. Is there any inscription within the package?" Zexion asked, eyeing his own parcel. Marluxia dug through the package until he pulled out another small green note. Silently, he read it over, and then handed it to Zexion.
XI,
The coat you have just received is specially made for your mission. The fibers that compose the material have been enchanted by means I cannot reveal. These enchanted coats that you and your partner have received are able to change your entire bodily composition to help you blend in with the population inhabiting the worlds you shall be landing on. It may change your clothes, your entire facial appearance, your entire body, or even your species. Keep this coat on you at all times, for you may need it in an emergency. Good luck.
-Superior
"Do you have a note?" Marluxia asked, taking his note back from Zexion who began opening his own package. Zexion pulled out his own coat, and then dug around until he pulled out an identical green note. He read it before nodding.
"It's the same exact note, except with my number on it," Zexion confirmed.
Marluxia shrugged and instantly shed his coat, revealing a well-toned body underneath. Zexion's jaw dropped and he turned away, slightly burying his face in the coat he had been given. "Must you be so ribald XI?"
Marluxia paused and turned his head. "What the heck does that mean?"
"It means indecent," Zexion snapped back, resuming his ostrich-like head burying.
The Assassin snorted before easing the new coat onto his frame. "Oh come on, we're both guys."
"It's still very rude," Zexion mumbled back.
Marluxia zipped up the coat and examined the sleeves. "Y'know, I think this coat fits better than my regular one. Maybe I should get refitted."
Zexion ignored him and examined his own coat for any abnormalities. Finding none, he hesitantly took off his coat and unfolded the new one. He heard a quite giggle behind him and turned his head to see Marluxia with a gloved hand over his mouth. "What?" Zexion asked.
"Zexy, you're like a twig, you know that? Do you ever eat?"
Zexion took a moment to examine himself. Yes, he could see his ribs that stuck out prominently and his stomach seemed more concave than flat. He frowned and shook his head, quickly putting the other coat on. "Fast metabolism," he excused.
"Right…" Marluxia teased, rolling his eyes. Zexion frowned at the pink-haired man before zipping up the coat and standing in front of the dashboard. He memorized the position of all the controls and then examined the area outside of the Gummi ship.
"Now how do we exit? There's no opening here," Zexion whispered. He heard Marluxia cough once behind him and he turned to face him. "Yes XI?"
"Look above you," the Assassin merely stated. Zexion tipped his head back to see a small shimmering light above them. The Schemer sighed and shook his head, cursing his momentary obliviousness. Quickly, he found the control to make the ship ascend vertically and struck it with no hesitation.
The ship grumbled to life and the soft whirring sound of a pressure change in the cabin filled the air. A deafening roar of the engines igniting rumbled outside of the cockpit but was thankfully muted by the almost soundproof glass. In the blink of an eye, the ship ascended at such a speed that it made Zexion suddenly realize that he was not immune to gravity unlike certain free-shooters. He was crouched on the floor before he could realize what was going on. Pushing against the physical forces attempting to crush him, he managed to see the change in the outside world. The white and silver setting he was so used to was soon changed to a dark blue and black outside world, reaching far outside the swirling tower that composed his home.
He heard a soft murmur from Marluxia who also seemed momentarily stunned by gravity's unexpected forces. He was pushed down in his seat uncomfortably and fought to prop himself up. "Sheesh," he mumbled, stretching himself out. "They really need a warning for this thing."
"I suppose so," Zexion said, pressing several switches that began equalizing the pressures inside and out and managed to bring the Gummi ship to a safe height above the ground and the castle. The ship hovered in space for a moment and Zexion sighed with relief. "Alright, XI, we are headed to…Wonderland first, am I correct?"
Marluxia reached over to the small bundle of notes Zexion had composed and glanced at them before nodding. "Yeah, Wonderland. Have you ever been there?"
"No, I have not, though I have read about it."
"Alright," Marluxia muttered, flipping through some of the notes. "So what are we looking for there?"
"Unfortunately, I found it difficult to pinpoint a single object, or even an idea. From what I have read, Wonderland is not only flexible with what it contains, but apparently is also very…different from other worlds. Objects and people will change without warning and it often requires the smallest catalyst to do so. In other words, the smallest change in environment and setting in Wonderland can cause the entire world to change."
"And why are we going there if it's constantly changing?" Marluxia asked, going through more notes without bringing his eyes up.
"Because some of the objects, settings, and ideas are permanent. One of the residents we might attempt to find is the Queen of Hearts. She seems to be the permanent ruler of Wonderland."
"So she's going to tell us everything we need to know?"
"I can't say that such an event will occur. However, I am hopeful now that our appearances will change. Should these coats be able to change with the surroundings, we may be able to extract more information than if we had landed in just our regular uniforms, understand?"
"Yeah, I guess so," the Assassin said, going back to the first page. "Wait, what's with this cat?"
"Cat? You mean the Cheshire Cat, I assume?" Zexion asked, beginning to set the course for Wonderland.
"Whichever one is supposed to smile a lot," Marluxia stated, eyeing a small sketch of a cat with an almost grotesque smile on its face.
"Yes, the Cheshire Cat. Yet again, that is another unfortunate aspect of Wonderland. It's a highly confusing place with highly confusing occupants. The cat is supposed to be the Sphinx of Wonderland, if you wish to call it that."
"The…Sphinx?"
Zexion shrugged, keeping his eyes ahead as the ship began to move forward and pick up speed. "He's full of riddles and seemingly unanswerable questions. Honestly, I hope to encounter him to see if I could possibly answer his riddles and questions. He may contain useful information."
"He looks pretty creepy if you ask me," Marluxia responded, grimacing at the nearly frightening appearance of the cat.
"That may just be another aspect of Wonderland," Zexion answered briskly, seeming to brush off the subject.
"Great, this just seems more promising every minute," the pink-haired man grumbled, setting the notes aside and leaning back. "Anyways, so what if we don't get what we're looking for?"
"I just hope that Superior will be merciful and let it pass. If we collect all objects from the other worlds, one world may just be brushed off as a mere accident and others may be sent to retrieve the object," the Schemer answered, satisfied with the directions he had given the ship. Instantly, the ship's monitor flashed the words 'Auto Pilot' before picking up more speed. Zexion sat down in the opposite chair from Marluxia and looked through his notes. "I feel as though this shall be a success."
"I hope you can predict the future or something because I'm really not getting that feeling."