Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Change of Race
They passed through the portal and came out near the edge of a primal looking village. They looked around to get their bearings and then looked at each other and jumped back at what they saw.
"Look at you guys!" Sora yelled.
"Look at yourself," Zefferia pointed out, "Just a cowlick left of your hair's spiky glory!"
Sora reached up to feel his head. It was true, all of his spikes were gone except one in front. The rest of his hair lay flat and tapered to a point on the side. He couldn't see, but his hair had also changed to a blonder shade that was closer to Roxas's hair. He looked down at himself and then over to Kairi, they both were wearing red and cream colored clothes that looked rather puffy compared to the tropical outfits they were wearing moments before.
Kairi's hair was longer, thicker, and a browner shade than what it had been before. The style had two locks braided up front while the rest was held back in a bandana.
Riku and Zefferia looked like they were wearing animal hides with open toed boots. Riku had blue leather with white fur but his hair was practically the same plus the occasional braided lock. Zefferia had a light blue and pink outfit with a frilly diagonal skirt. Her hair was now grayer in a layered cut that curled out at the bottom.
"How did we change? Before, Donald always used his magic for us to blend in." Sora stated, referring to his duck traveling companion from before, "I don't think I've gotten that good at magic to change us instinctively."
"Well that is a mystery, but as long as we don't scare the natives, I guess that's good," Riku said.
"Well, we better start looking to open a gate so we can work our way back home before it's too late," Sora enthused.
"If it isn't already too late," Riku muttered detachedly while looking across the view of light smog over the forests and prairies.
"Imagine this: two Clavats and two Selkies getting along like they were best friends or something," said a tall creature that resembled somewhat of a bird with a helmet.
The others looked at the creature as it descended the hill. Its skinny arms and big hands flapped back and forth to maintain balance. The group felt out of place confronting this odd looking local as they still looked close to human.
"Oh, hey, hi," Sora stuttered, scratching his head, "We sort of lost our way while traveling; I hope we're not being a bother."
"No bother at all, I wondered why I was hearing unfamiliar voices in the village. I am Tipa, daughter of Elgove. Welcome to Padarak," she welcomed.
The four thanked her and introduced themselves. She gave them a small tour of the village while taking them to the Village Elder to see if he could help the travelers. They were able to gather that there were four races that resided in the village as Tipa pointed out the sections where they lived. By comparison, they concluded that Sora and Kairi were Clavats while Riku and Zefferia were Selkies. Tipa was a Yuke and the other race was a short breed called Lilties that kind of resembled iron-clad turnips.
In the center of town stood a giant, narrow crystal that glistened in the sun. The Village Elder and his wife were mingling in front of it. It was hard to tell their race through their wrinkles, but judging by their style of clothes, the elderly couple appeared to be Clavats.
"Aw, Tipa," the Elder stated, "just the person I wanted to see."
"What is it, Elder?" she asked.
"As you know, every year we need to gather myrrh for the village crystal to protect the village from the miasma. Times have become hard and the monsters have increased. This has been misfortunate as now it is hard to spare any member of the village to go out, but you have been chosen to take a caravan to gather drops from myrrh trees that will help protect our village. I'm afraid with things being as tight at they are, we will be sending you off on your own. We do, however have a Moogle friend that can at least carry your crystal chalice for you as you travel," he explained.
"Oh, Elder!" Tipa exclaimed, "I am honored, but do you think that I would be able to succeed by myself?"
"Hey, don't worry, we can help," Sora volunteered.
"Oh? Did you just move in?" the Elder questioned, noticing the others.
"Well, not really. We got lost and were trying to find our way, but if we go along with Tipa, maybe we'll find what we're looking for at the same time?" Sora explained.
"Thank you, kind travelers, we do appreciate the help," expressed the Elder.
"Yes, thank you. We just met, but already you are like good friends," Tipa said.
The Elder turned and grabbed a leather bound book that was sitting on a pedestal in front of the crystal and handed it to Tipa.
"Be sure to record your journey down," instructed the Elder, "Remember memories fuel the drop and protect our village."
Tipa nodded then led the group to the other side of the village square to where the Moogles had a shop. A small yellow fuzzy creature with a red pompom coming from his head and small bat wings came out to greet them. Knowing what Tipa was there for, he called out another Moogle, the one that was going to join them for their journey.
"Hi, I'm Mog, kupo!" squeaked the little creature, "I want to see the world; I can't wait to start!"
Sora had come across Moogles before in other worlds, so seeing a bit of familiarity was heartwarming in this strange new place. Mog picked up a basket that held a tiny crystal fragment on the top.
Tipa explained that she just needed to say goodbye to her family and they could be on their way. So they returned to the Yuke's residence for Tipa to bid her farewells. The others waited with Mog outside.
"Did you hear? They can see me! Tipa counted two Clavats and TWO Selkies, which means she was able to see me too!" Zefferia whispered in excitement.
Riku tried to calm her by patting her shoulder. Sora however, knowing how Moogles have shops spread across the different worlds decided to inquire of their new companion.
"So Mog, have you ever heard of Traverse Town or Radiant Garden?" Sora asked.
"Sorry, I haven't, kupo!" Mog replied, "What's that?"
"Other worlds. I thought that all Moogles would know about them." explained Sora.
"Oh, I know that there are other worlds, but I haven't been able to travel to them yet, kupo, but I'd love to!" replied Mog.
"Hm, maybe after we find the gateway out of here, you can come with us?" Sora offered.
"Really, kupo? That would be great!" Mog squealed.
Kairi cut in, "I'm just happy that I'm not left behind this time on the adventure!"
"Yeah, so…what are we setting out to do?" Sora asked.
Riku groaned, "You volunteered us to do something, but you don't know what?"
Sora looked sheepish, "Well, they need our help."
Mog took a deep breath as he went into explaining mode, "For some time, miasma, which is a poisonous gas, has flooded this world. The only thing that wards it off is a drop off of a myrrh tree, but the drop only lasts for a year, so villages send out caravans every year to find the trees and gather their drops into a crystal chalice, which is what I am carrying. The small crystal on top is like a miniature version of the crystal in the town's center, so you don't have to worry about the miasma as long as you stay within its aura."
"Wow, good thing Moogles are good at explaining things," Sora said dizzily.
"Yeah, if you didn't catch that, Sora, you'd have to go back to school with the five-year-olds!" Riku teased.
"Hey!" Sora exclaimed, "I understood it…a bit."
Tipa returned to the group with a basket of supplies that she received from her family. With everything in town taken care of, it was time for the caravan to set out.
River Belle Pass
A giant, blue creature with curly horns and six legs pulled the two-wheeled wagon of supplies away from Padarak down the cobblestone path. Tipa lead it by the reigns with Sora and Riku walking beside her while Kairi and Zefferia sat on the back of the wagon, dangling their feet off the side. Mog rested between the two humps on top with the chalice, stabilizing a pocket devoid of miasma around the party as they progressed.
Trees were sparse across the tall fields of greenish brown grass. The air was dry, but the morning was still cool. The puffy clouds in the blue sky promised good weather for the travelers. Besides the wheels grinding against loose rocks, the only sound to be heard was the whirring of bugs in the grass.
Sora looked up at Tipa and asked, "So how do you know where to find myrrh trees?"
"There are places marked on the map where trees have been found. The trees will produce one drop every three years, so we must find one that hasn't been visited in a while," explained Tipa.
"Any idea which one we're going to try first?" asked Sora.
"River Belle Pass," she responded.
"River Belle Pass?" repeated Sora.
"They say that wicked creatures prowl the road along this beautiful riverbank, but nobody has ever seen one. I once asked a man why. He simply replied, 'Because anyone who happens upon one is promptly eaten!' But it is long since anyone has met such a fate. For nowadays, people take another route, far away from the spooky old road. Only we walk the old way now...travelers in crystal caravans," Tipa enlightened.
"That sounds prophetic…and eerie," Sora shuddered.
"What, are you scared?" Riku joked.
"Huh? No!" defended Sora.
A chuckle echoed from Tipa's helmet then she continued to elucidate, "However, other villages also search for myrrh drops for their crystals so we may find one that has been used. Our village is remote enough on this peninsula that we usually don't see other caravans down here, but if that does happen, we'll have to explore to find other locations. Most locations had tribes living around them until the monsters showed up, so abandoned establishments are a good bet."
"How long have the monsters been around?" questioned Sora.
Tipa let out a reminiscing sigh, "As long as I can remember. Life has been this way for ages. However, recently stronger monsters have appeared that have destroyed other caravans, which is why our village is in such desperate need."
Sora and Riku gave each other a knowing look about the stronger monsters which Tipa referred to. It seemed that the danger that threatened their home-world was causing problems in other worlds as well. They would need to be on the lookout for suspicious characters as well as the key to open up the way out of the world.
"I gather wondering about as you were, that you already have your own weapons to defend yourselves with," Tipa implied.
"Oh yeah, don't worry about us," Sora said, "We're well acquainted with fighting tough monsters."
When the paved road turned to dust and they arrived at some worn stakes in the ground, Tipa halted the party. They looked at the remains of the pass while Tipa tied the cart to one of the stakes. The pathway was narrow with weeds growing along it. Rotted wood of an old fence framed the walkway, leading up to a broken bridge. They could hear a babbling brook flowing through the crevice.
To the left, a pathway forked off. The grass was shorter and greener and the trees were lusher than in the prairie they crossed. It offered shady protection from the sun with a few welcoming bird calls. Despite the serene scene, it gave off an ominous impression.
"We've arrived at the pass, be on your guard," Tipa warned, leading the others into the woods.
"What about the miasma, won't it hurt the wagon and the ox?" Kairi asked.
"The miasma won't affect him, he'll be fine," Tipa reassured.
They proceeded slow and cautiously so Mog could keep up with the chalice. As they circled around a hill, Tipa slipped out her mallet that was hanging from her back.
"Meow!" exclaimed Zefferia.
Tipa, Sora, and Kairi jumped and turned towards Zefferia, who was pointing up at a tree branch. The branch appeared normal.
Excited, Zefferia said, "There's a cat up there!"
Kairi squinted, "Really? I don't see anything."
"Neither do I, you got us all worked up over nothing," Sora exhaled.
"Really! I saw a sleek, black kitty cat with a giant orange ribbon and bells!" Zefferia giggled and continued making cat calls.
Riku placed his hand on Zefferia's head, ruffling her hair.
"You probably scared it off," he sighed.
Finding amusement in her travel companions' antics Tipa muffled a soft laugh, "You probably saw the old ghost of the immortal cat Sherlotta."
Suddenly an odd noise sounded behind Tipa. It was the sound of Heartless being summoned. Beside the gang, three goblin-looking Heartless shot up from the ground. The trio stumbled a bit and then charged the travelers.
Tipa gasped and struck one on the head with her mallet. Other than the force pushing him away, the hit had little effect on the Heartless. Sora and Riku were quick to pull out their Keyblades and launch themselves on the enemy.
The goblin Heartless could take a better beating than the shadows they encountered on Destiny Islands, but were still sluggish and clumsy in their attacks. With a few hits and some dodging, Sora and Riku wiped out the opponents in fair time. The last one to fall left a small green orb on the ground.
"You weren't kidding when you said you've had experience with monsters," Tipa said in awe.
Sora gave a big smile and said, "It was nothing. We'll get that myrrh drop for you in no time!"
Tipa walked over to where the last Heartless stood and picked up the orb.
"This is magicite," she explained, "It lets me cast magic spells. I'm more efficient in attacking with spells than physical contact, and rather quick to cast as well."
"Wow, cool! In that case, let Riku and me handle the front lines so you can attack with spells from behind," Sora suggested.
Riku walked over to Kairi and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"There's bound to be more trouble ahead," he whispered, "Remember the Keyblade I gave you; you better keep it ready. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Right. Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Kairi smiled.
Zefferia snuck up behind Mog and asked, "You weren't scared of those Heartless at all, were you, Mog?"
"Of course not, kupo," Mog chirped, "Technically, I'm a monster as well, so they never attack me!"
"Well isn't that convenient?" Zefferia chuckled.
She stood behind him, patting his head, her hand passing through his antennae. Unaware of this action, he continued contently flapping in the air, chalice in hand.
Drop of Myrrh
The group encountered many other groups of goblin Heartless along the trail, but they proved more of a nuisance than a problem. A few times the group had to cross the stream along the remains of bridges. While navigating through different paths, they ended up at some dead ends with monsters, but the Heartless at those points left orbs or armor that the travelers could use.
Eventually, they reached a sign that pointed two different directions, but time had worn both trails away. The way through the pass seemed to run straight into the rocky bottom of a cliff while the way to the myrrh tree lead down to where a waterfall fed the stream. Still, sensing they were close to their goal, they investigated the stream.
"The tree must be nearby, it couldn't have just vanished," said Tipa.
She ran her hands against the cliff in search of clues.
"It doesn't seem like a bridge use to be here," observed Riku.
"Well, the path must have gone somewhere," Sora stated.
He got down on his knees and felt the ground, pushing blades of grass aside, while looking for traces and hints of the path. He crawled along until he hit the pebbles on the bank. Exasperated at not finding anything new, he flopped back. Kairi walked up to him and picked up one of the pebbles.
"The river use to be a lot deeper, these stones were smoothed by the constant flow of water," Kairi speculated.
"So the area around here has changed," said Riku, "but less water should make it easier."
Sora stared at the flowing water. A rainbow caught the corner of his eye and he looked over where the waterfall sprayed and misted where it hit the stream. Under the white foam, it seemed like there was tan sand at the cliffs foot instead of gray stones.
"Yeah," he agreed with Riku, "A path right over there would be less likely if there was more water coming down."
"That's it!" Kairi realized as she looked down at the river bed.
She tossed the pebble at the waterfall. A splash could be faintly heard over the river's noise shortly after the pebble passed through the waterfall. The boys looked at Kairi with puzzled expressions.
"Don't you see?" she exclaimed, "When there was more water, there was more force pushing it over the waterfall, so it fell further out. The path use to be where the water now is!"
"Aw, very clever," Tipa concurred, "The hidden trail gives the tree natural protection."
Tipa walked up to the waterfall and parted a section with her hand. She looked into the darkness on the other side, nodded, then walked under the waterfall. Sora sprung up and followed her with Riku, Kairi, Zefferia, and Mog.
Under the waterfall was a small tunnel. They followed it into a lush grove, enclosed by cliffs. On the far side was a tree with long, narrow leaves that curled down to a point. Tipa pointed at it.
"There is the myrrh tree!" she exclaimed.
The group started running but lost their footing as the ground quaked beneath them. A few rumbles could be heard and felt. They drew their weapons as they managed to stand back on their feet.
Suddenly, a giant crab sprung down from the cliff and intercepted the travelers from their goal. It was taller than the tree and took up most of the grove. It had a pink shell with a design swirled on its forehead. One claw curved like a scythe in front of its mouth while it used its two pincers to snap at the group.
Sora and Riku each fended off a pincer. The creature spat green, gaseous bubbles from its mouth that floated through the air. Tipa shot spells at the bubbles to counter them.
"Keep away from those, they'll paralyze you!" she warned.
Sora knocked one of the crab's pincers up and struck one of its legs. It let out a wail as it flailed its limbs. Its legs gathered under it and it sprung high in the air. The noon sun made it hard to follow it as it apparently shot straight up. It landed with a rumbling thump behind Kairi, causing everyone to loose their balance again.
The colossal crustacean lifted its lower claw and swung it around, hitting Kairi in the spine. Despite the pain, she swung her Keyblade at it as it drew her closer to its mouth. The blade dispersed many of the gas bubbles, but she was getting too close to have room to swing her attacks. She pulled her Keyblade back and shoved it into the small round mouth of the monster, plugging up the paralytic channel. She could hear its teeth try to chew through the foreign object.
Enraged at Kairi being in danger, both Sora and Riku charged to free her. Its pincers blocked their attempts as well as their view of Kairi's struggles. Still, they continually slashed at the creature with all of their might against its impenetrable shell. Tipa pulled out a blue and white sphere from her pouch and cast an ice spell on the creature. It didn't harm it, but it did slow its movements down, so she continued repeatedly casting the same spell.
Sora spotted the soft part of its arm and aimed for the small area between its shell and claw. The crab seemed to squirm and squeal again, but Sora kept alternating hits between the claw and its legs to prevent it from leaping into the air again. Riku caught on to what he was doing and started hacking at the legs on the other side.
"Riku, up here!" Zefferia called from on top of the crab, "There's space between two of these armored plates."
In the commotion, Zefferia had mounted the crab to look for a weakness, even if she was unable to afflict it. She had tried with the Selkie racket she was equipped with, but like the rest of her, it could pass through the crab like a ghost. However, she was solid to Riku, so she stretched out the hide-covered racket for him to grab onto and pull him up.
"Right. Sora! Try to find a soft spot underneath," Riku called out.
He mounted the crab and straddled its back. He jabbed his Keyblade between the plates that Zefferia mentioned. The crab let out a muffled screech as it used the last of its power to battle on.
Below, Sora could see Kairi's unconscious body behind the claw and pincers. Desperate to get her back, he gave the crab a boosted hit. As the blade stretched the claw from its base, he noticed there was a top and bottom layer to the armor with a fleshy area in between. He spun and thrust his Keyblade into it.
"Riku! Release your Keyblade's energy!" Sora yelled.
Both boys held their blades with both hands uses their weight to hold the blades in while the energy surged out of the blade and into the crab. While they had it pinned, Tipa pulled out a red orb and cast a fire spell that hit the crab directly on its forehead symbol. The monster shook uncontrollably until it collapsed into a lifeless heap.
Having vanquished the foe, the companions would have loved to take a breather, but Kairi's safety still pressed their minds. Sora began prying away the limbs. Riku slid down to help him. Together they removed one pincer, then pulled the other one away, revealing Kairi pinned between the claw and mouth of the creature.
"Oh no, Kairi!" Sora exclaimed as he tugged at the claw.
Riku grabbed the end of the claw while placing his other hand against the crab to push them apart. When they opened it enough, Kairi slid to the ground. Sora ducked under the claw to grab her while Riku got her legs and they pulled her out and laid her down on the soft grass. Sora felt her forehead while Riku's fingertips reached for her neck to feel her pulse.
"Will she be okay?" Zefferia asked, biting her thumb.
Riku's voice quavered, "She's still breathing, but she seems to have gotten hurt really bad."
"May I have a look at her?" Tipa asked.
Riku sat up, allowing Tipa to kneel over Kairi. Slowly, she waved her hand above Kairi, analyzing the full extent of the injury.
"Her spine has been damaged and is paralyzed by the monster's gas," she diagnosed.
The surrounding faces cringed at the thought. Sora's fist hit the ground as he tried to hold back tears.
"This is so wrong. I couldn't even protect her," sobbed Sora, "It's not fair!"
Tipa reached into her pouch and brought out the green orb that the first batch of Heartless dropped. She pressed it between two of her fingers and held it over Kairi. The orb began to emit a warm glow. Kairi's eye blinked open and looked around. She sat up and put a hand to her head.
"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed, "You're all right!"
Tipa nodded, "Healing spells are my specialty.
"Thank you," said Riku.
"Yes, thank you so much," Kairi expressed, "Now that's over, let's get that drop for you!"
Tipa helped her stand up. Kairi dusted herself off then looked towards the myrrh tree. Mog was already making his way over so the others walked after him. Tipa grabbed the chalice from Mog and slid it onto a root that popped out under the leaves. The leaves glistened as dew gathered over them and slid down and dripped into the chalice, passing through the tiny crystal and forming a liquid sphere that held in the center.
Riku sighed, "All this for one drop of myrrh."
"One drop, but it will continue to protect the village, we are indebted to you for your help," Tipa thanked the group.
Caravan Commemoration
The caravan hobbled down the road back to Padarak. Having completed their mission, the day seemed brighter and more cheerful. Even the bug noises seemed more friendly and welcoming to the traveling group.
When they approached a crossroad, they saw a man sitting under a tree. He wore a long, red coat with black boots and cylindrical furry hat. He stoked the fire in a makeshift pit in front of him while stirring the bubbling kettle that was held up by iron sticks. As the caravan drew near, he looked up and waved a hand to them. Tipa halted the ox and dismounted the wagon.
"Greetings travelers!" the man said in a deep bass voice, "My name be Persak. What's a fine group such as yours be off to today?"
Tipa introduced herself and her companions then explained how they were returning home. Persak laughed and said he was going the same way. He then patted the ground by him, inviting the group to rest with him.
"Come join me for lunch, comrades! It ain't much, but the more you share, the more there is!" he requested "Besides, I can't finish it all off so I'd either have to store and carry what's left or waste it."
Tipa rummaged through the wagon for bowls and utensils while the others sat down around the kettle. Sora looked at Persak and noticed a golden emblem on his left breast pocket. The lines were woven and swirled, forming four knots that resembled a cloud or aerial view of a flower.
"That's and interesting design," Sora inquired, pointing to it, "It looks familiar, but I'm not sure where from."
Persak looked down then touched the patch, "Oh this? It's a pretty little symbol, isn't it? I hear this design is becoming quite popular."
"It is pretty," Zefferia admired.
Tipa passed out bowls and spoons then sat down between Persak and Zefferia with her bowl and the journal the Village Elder gave her. She opened it up and started scratching down her travels with a quill pen while waiting for the food.
Watching her intent on filling in the book reminded Sora of how devoted Jiminy Cricket was to writing down his adventures before. But Jiminy was back at Disney Castle with King Mickey and his other friends. Seeming to be on another adventure, keeping track of what they've done and where they went wouldn't be a bad idea either.
"Hey Kairi, Riku, we should keep a journal of our travels too," Sora suggested.
"Great idea," Kairi replied, "If you write down everything, then we can go back and remember it!"
"Oh, hold on," Sora fumbled, "I didn't mean I'd write it."
"Why not?" chided Riku, "Who else is going to do it?"
"Hm, well," Sora thought as he looked around the circle, "How about Zefferia?"
Zefferia stopped looking at Persak's emblem and pointed to herself, "What, me?"
Sora tried to back up his decision, "Yeah, it would give you something to do to help us out! Also, having a journal, someone would have to have written it, so you being the one who wrote it, you produced something that exists which would mean you would have to be alive and real, right?"
"Well, I guess I could give it a shot…" Zefferia pondered, "But what would I write on?"
"Oh, I guess we don't have a journal that we can take with us," Sora thought.
Persak chuckled and reached into his jacket. He pulled out a small brown notebook with a writing utensil sticking out of its spine. He passed it over. Zefferia looked at him quizzically then down at the book in front of her.
"Here, you can use this," offered Persak, "I haven't used it yet, so I probably never will."
When the meal was done, the travelers picked up and loaded the wagon. Zefferia stayed, hunched on her hands and knees, peering at the book. She lowered her face to examine the side. She blew and blew in attempts to open the cover with her breath. Riku approached her and bent to pick up the book.
"You can at least go through the motions of writing in it, even if you can't touch it yet," Riku sighed, "Come on, I'll help you get started while we get back to Padarak."
"Goodie!" Zefferia shouted.
She sprung up and grabbed Riku's arm, dragging him to the wagon.
The evening they returned to the village, torches were lit for Tipa and her companions to hold for the festival ceremony. Villagers gathered around the crystal in the town square as the Village Elder recited ancient text. The crystal glowed as it absorbed the drop of myrrh, warranting another year of protection against the miasma. The torches were raised in gratitude.
The ceremony concluded with a quartet playing folk music to the side. The quartet consisted of a Clavat strumming a mandolin, a Lility blowing on a clarinet, a Yuke clasping an accordion, and a Selkie beating a tambourine. Their tune was light and bouncy, adding to the joyous celebration.
With the music, the villagers started dancing in a circle around the giant crystal. Each race had their own dance. The Yukes lifted their arms expressively mixed with flowing spins. The Lilities had many hops and jumps, with their little feet tapping in the air. The Clavats did a jig with a lot of footwork while the Selkies focused on arm and hip movement that led up to a back flip. The children did a simplified dance of alternating kicking their legs forward while bringing their opposing arms forward to maintain balance. Four racial dances were going on but all four parts spun and kicked at the same time, unifying the dances into one dance.
The locals attempted to teach Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Zefferia the tribal dances so they could join in. Sora kept tripping on his feet when they needed to be brought around each other. Kairi was able to pick up the steps, but never managed to get it quite up to tempo. Still they laughed at each other in their attempts. Riku had a harder time. While Zefferia enjoyed the Selkie flip, Riku refused to do it, claiming she didn't have to worry about gravity while he had to deal with the injury in his back that he received from his previous battle with Xemnas.
When the festival drew to a close, the villagers returned to their homes. Before departing, Tipa again thanked Sora for helping her and the village. She was sad she wasn't able to be of more help to them, but Sora tried to convince her it was no big deal.
Just then the clarinet the Lility had played shimmered and ascended to the sky. Sora's Keyblade compelled him to aim for it which caused a crown-shaped outline to illuminate in the night sky. A new gateway was opened.
"It looks like we found what we were looking for after all," Sora said, "We have to go now, but it was nice meeting you!"
"Likewise, feel free to come back and visit," Tipa invited, shaking Sora's hand.
Sora smiled and the others bid their farewells to Tipa. Sora waved Mog over.
"You coming with us, Mog?" he asked.
"You bet, kupo!" Mog chirped, fluttering over.
The group waved to Tipa as they left. She then made her way back home as well.
From the shadows, Persak's eyes watched the group and then Tipa leave. The town center was now empty. Casually, he strolled up to the crystal and took hold of the chalice that was still sitting in front of it.
"For the small price of a meal and a book," he chuckled.
He picked up the crystal chalice and disappeared back into the shadows.
