The world traveling private eye

by slade017

What it says in the title basically, warning this story isn't for everyone and has an OC as one of the main characters. Will have some dark themes as well

4. Chapter 4

The world traveling private eye 4

Daniel finally left the mansion around nighttime and Emily sped up to the mansion and stopped her car in front of him "You found Thomas?" asked Daniel before Emily could even open her mouth.

"How do you do that?"

"He's at his house, well no time to waste" Daniel got in the passenger seat.

"I won't even ask" said Emily; she just got the car going.

They arrived and found George there already "George what's happening?"

"We received an anonymous call informing us that Thomas had just arrived. I sent Emily to get you right away."

"No idea who made it?"

"No that's why I came to see if it was accurate" said George. "A light came on for a moment and I saw Thomas in there."

"I'll see if I can talk to him then" said Daniel.

"We'll be waiting at any moment, just call out" said Emily.

"Are you sure you want to go in alone, he might try to kill you" said George.

"He wouldn't be the first" said Daniel going forward. He was ready to cast a blizzard spell at any moment as he walked up the stairs to the apartment. Slowly he opened the door and got in and found the place empty. Daniel noticed a record player that had been used recently and after checking he turned it on and Carol's song played.

Daniel looked more and found a female mannequin with a red wig. 'I thought so' there was nothing else so Daniel tried the door that connected to the next apartment, in other words Carol's apartment. He found a series of foot prints from boots on the floor leading to the bathroom. In there, he found Thomas's shoes in the bath tub 'they're wet meaning Thomas didn't have time to take them off.'

"Now I just need to find Thomas and I will have all the proof I need" said Daniel. Something broke in the background. Emily and George broke in.

"Daniel what was that sound?!" asked Emily with her gun drawn.

"Damn it, he's on the run seal all exits out of town!"

"No need" said Daniel "if he was going to run he would've done it already. He still has business here."

Emily and George got in their cars anyway and drove off at top speed.

'Can't blame George, but Emily I expected better from' thought Daniel 'ah well we can sort that out after the case is solved. To think it was right in front of me all this time, there's only one place left in town that Thomas can go to.'

Darkness descended all around him, the entire town had entered the other world and red vines crept up all over the place restricting Daniel's way out of town. Daniel summoned the key glider not even bothering to cast the spell this time and activated his armor to go along with it and got going.

Corpses appeared all along the road but Daniel just kept going and ran over them. He slammed down on the brakes though when he saw Anna in the middle of the road signaling to him. Daniel deactivated his glider and armor and ran after Anna. Every now and then she would disappear and then reappear when he reached cross roads.

She finally stopped in front of the Galaxy of Terror and looked happy to see him, but then she got a look of fright on her face and ran. Daniel sensed the attack coming and rolled out of the way of the raincoat killer's axe. "DIE" he threw his axe right at Daniel who rushed into the bar and slammed the door behind him, the axe blade went partially through the door.

Daniel locked the doors behind him and looked at the Galaxy of Terror. The other world had really altered the interior of this place. It was much larger than before. Daniel got out his keyblade and walked forward and blasted a couple of corpses that came at him through fire and arrived at the stage with the record player playing Carol's song.

'Just need them both and this will all be over' thought Daniel. He took a moment to calm down and then went through another door and entered the dressing room. He heard the sounds of the raincoat killer and exited into another dressing room.

"I see you".

Daniel got out the keyblade and blocked the attack and then the second one and kicked the raincoat killer back. The killer disappeared in a flash of light.

Daniel exited the room and dealt with a corpse in his way and entered a ridiculously long hallway. The killer appeared out of nowhere and struck giving Daniel just enough time to avoid. The raincoat killer laughed and disappeared in a flash of light. Daniel got to the end of the hallway and went out the door which led to the now expanded bathroom. Red Vines sprung up behind him blocking the door.

Daniel walked past the stalls and the doors moved as though something was banging against them. Daniel unlocked the last door that was attacked and found Thomas's police ID stabbed on the wall of the bathroom stall leaving a long trail of blood.

"Where are you?"

Daniel spun around and sliced a corpse in two 'I'm slipping if I let that thing get so close.'

Daniel exited the bathroom and entered another unnecessarily long hallway and was attacked by another 4 wall crawling naked corpses. He had never been so grateful to Aqua for teaching him the land mine spell before.

He fought through the last of the corpses and arrived in what he felt like was the final room before a big reveal. He healed himself up with Cure and consumed Ether to get his magic back and then unlocked the door with his keyblade.

He found himself in the room that the bar usually looked like with an ice pick on the piano. Carol's song then started playing again and red vines went away revealing another door to go down. Daniel ran down the hall and entered the door and found himself in the real world Galaxy of Terror.

'So Thomas is still here' Daniel got out his keyblade to see if it reacted to anything and it reacted to a door behind the counter and in the kitchen. Daniel unlocked the door and walked down the stairway to a hidden basement.

Daniel walked through the last door and found a room of sin in a sense with all kinds of sexualized themes in it: the same kind that he saw from the picture in Anna's room.

"Just as I thought, the killer is exactly who I thought it was" said Daniel "so Harry helped a little I guess, to think all along it was-" he was struck from behind and knocked out.

Daniel found himself in a red room with the twin angels looking at him and Anna, Becky and Diane all behind them whispering to each other. Daniel looked down and saw a small doll that resembled Kayson.

"You are waiting for someone aren't you?"

"The person you are waiting for will be here soon."

Daniel looked up and a saw a large reversed peace mark above him. A tree then cracked in the same sign and started spewing blood.

Daniel woke up again with his hands tied and with a blindfold around his eyes that he could just about see through "well this is peachy, they modified the rope as well so I can't use magic, need to get out the old fashioned way."

"Daniel, is that you?"

"Terra" Daniel recognized the voice "you're here as well then."

"I came here after Aqua figured out where you were heading" said Terra "not the way I planned to find you obviously."

"I should hope not" said Daniel "else you really didn't think it through."

"Like your one to talk you got captured as well."

"Speaking of which we should keep that up, keep ourselves alert and sane" said Daniel.

It was the morning at the time and Emily and George were led to the Galaxy of Terror by Kayson.

"If I hadn't seen Daniel, come into the bar well you wouldn't have found this place, would ya? Now how about that, I've always been lucky when luck was needed. That's why I've been able to stay in business too. Although we have Willie to thank for finding this room I suppose. He's got a great nose, clever too; he'd make a great business man if he wanted to be. I owed you guys one anyway, and I owed Daniel one too. You guys didn't tell anyone about that whole thing with Diane. I want to help you guys out is there anything I can do?"

"Kayson I appreciate the offer but this is a police matter" said George "you can leave everything to us from here."

"Oh…well, okay."

"George" Emily's baton started glowing and then formed into the keyblade.

"What on earth…?"

"First all these murders, then Daniel goes missing and now this, what is really happening here in Greenvale?" asked Emily.

"Emily let's just focus on finding Daniel right now" said George.

"Right, I'll just leave this here" she set the blade down and it teleported right back into her hand "or not."

Willie barked and smelled the keyblade and barked again "what's that boy you say Daniel's scent is on that thing?" asked Kayson. Willie barked and nodded. "Then you can track his scent, what do you think officers? Let him help you out why don't you, I know he'd make a fine police dog."

"I told you we don't-"

"Sounds good Kayson, we need all the help we can get" said Emily.

"Emily they are civilians…"

"So is Daniel and he could be dying right now for all we know, if you've got a better plan then please share it."

"And what about that" George pointed to the keyblade.

"That I can ask Daniel when we find him, his scent is on it after all" said Emily.

"Go ahead then" said George.

"Thank you George."

"But you had better call for backup at the first sign of not being able to handle something" said George.

"Yes."

"I think we might be missing something here" said George "Daniel finds mistakes criminals make all the time and now it's my turn to try the same, you three go and follow Daniel's trail."

"Okay, Deputy Willie we're counting on you to go and find Daniel, lead the way" Willie barked.

Emily Kayson and Willie went outside the bar "let's get rolling then!"

"Okay I'm counting on you Willie" said Emily.

"Not counting on me though, sheesh" said Kayson.

Willie got moving and Emily and Kayson jogged after him. After a while they stopped as Willie had to pick up the scent again.

"He can be a little selfish but he's a good dog. He stayed with me all this time through all the good and bad."

"How long have you been together?" asked Emily.

"Oh, we go back a long time. I can't even remember a time when he wasn't around."

"I had a dog when I was small too. He was a beagle so I named him Bee, stupid name I know. He hated being left alone and always followed me around. I could tell him anything even things I wouldn't tell my parents. He'd look into my eyes and listen intently to anything I had to say…it's like he sympathized and he didn't make fun of me he would just listen. When I was done talking he would put a paw on my thigh my worries just vanished when he did that. Dogs are just great that way."

"Oh yeah sometimes I think they have more wisdom than us humans. Even if they are betrayed they don't see it that way. Sure sounds foolish but dogs are always happy. I'm positive that even if man perishes off the face of the earth dogs will just carry right on. They see everything you know, from their dog houses they look out and see what us humans do."

"Kayson…"

Willie barked "oh look Deputy Willie calling for us!"

Back in the room Daniel and Terra continued their talk.

"Looking back I should've seen the signs" said Terra.

"Nothing you could've done the mark of mastery was just the last straw" said Daniel.

"But still once this is over you'll be brought back, everyone does miss you."

"With everything I've done so far I'm not sure that's possible" said Daniel.

The door opened interrupting their talk.

"Thomas I know your there. Look your preferences are no concern of mine, but you do need to stop this. It's not too late, let us go and you and Carol can leave, open a bar in a new town, only one person has to fall here."

"Why thank you Daniel, you're so kind unlike…him. If I had someone like you thing may not have come to this. Daniel have you ever been in love with someone?"

"You should know the answer to that" said Daniel.

"Emily right, she is a nice girl" said Thomas "but I should warn you your better off not falling in love with her."

"Is there any reason you had to tie us both up?" asked Terra.

"Thomas, up till now I haven't had to make a threat like this, but when I make one I mean it, touch Emily and I will eviscerate you" said Daniel coldly.

"Oh dear I think I've said too much, it's natural to respond when someone talks to you I guess."

"Which is why you came, to see if I could talk you out of this" said Daniel.

"You just sit there till then with your friend, after tonight none of this will matter anymore." Thomas left the room.

"Was that a supposed friend of yours?" asked Terra.

"No, a fan, I've done a bit since I came here."

"Why not talk about it; we've got plenty of time."

Emily and Kayson stopped in front of the police station this time "what's wrong, something's bothering you" said Emily.

"No it's just…I promised to have tea with Polly, I just remembered."

"What's that got to do with anything?" asked Emily.

"Yep your right this ain't the time I know" said Kayson "but it's well, she reminds me of my mother who passed away."

"Kayson…"

"I've been a salesman for a long time. I never had time to talk with my mother you know. Sales, they were the thing for me. No matter what happened, this was far more important so even when she was sick I put more energy into my work. Which I regret now, and you know when I heard she died I was…I was on my way home. I had just closed a big deal in Jersey. Just when you've got something to give back you've got no-one to give it too. Well, that's when I met her, Polly. I thought Heaven had given me another chance I really did. So I always stay in that hotel whenever I come up here. Sure the rooms are great, but in all honesty I go there because I want to talk to Polly."

"Does she know all this?" asked Emily.

"No way, I'd never say anything so embarrassing to her. She'd think I got some crazy mother complex or something." Willie barked "right let's get going I'll make it up some other time I guess."

Back in the room Daniel and Terra continued their talk.

"You seriously became a private detective?"

"A traveling one as well, but I've stayed on this world so far, I didn't want to get involved in keyblade affairs again."

"Yet I sense you failed at that."

"Yes I did" said Daniel "had I done the smart thing I would've rejected this job but I didn't I felt drawn to it."

"That's your instincts as a key bearer, you can't ignore them" said Terra.

"No I can't but there's also something else I can't ignore."

"And what's that?"

"I'm hungry" said Daniel.

"Even now you think of food."

"You're starting to sound more like Aqua."

"I've grown up a bit since you've been gone" said Terra "so has Ven for that matter and Aqua, they both want to see you again."

"After eating the food here that will be difficult" said Daniel "especially since I've planted a seed here as well. So even if I do take Emily with us, I'll have to put up with her cooking if Aqua won't do it; that will be a test of god more than the other thing."

"This Emily our kidnapper talks about, what is she to you?" asked Terra.

"Important enough that I broke a big detective rule: don't get emotionally involved with any law enforcers" said Daniel.

Emily and Kayson were on the move again and stopped at the train tracks.

"Are you close to the Ingrams?" asked Kayson.

"No, I mean, well I always say hi to them when I see them in their store" said Emily.

"Don't you think they make a wonderful family?" asked Kayson.

"I guess so, including Jim I guess they do" said Emily.

"Indeed they do, they make the ideal family" said Kayson "you know that I look after Isaac and Isaiah pretty often right? They talk a lot when I take them out. Always about their family, just listening to them makes me so happy. I don't have any siblings you know; maybe I'm a little jealous of them. That's why when I come here I always pay them a visit. Greenvale really is like a second home to me."

"I can tell."

Willie barked "Deputy Willie is calling again, enough about me let's get going!"

Back in the room Daniel and Terra continued their talk.

"When I got here Emily was the first person I saw" said Daniel "I was mildly attracted to her back then but now I can't get her out of my head. Even now I keep thinking back, the way she keeps arguing with me when I try to do my job that it isn't safe, even her expectant face when she cooks the most rotten food, how she looks upon success and when she's annoyed with me, and especially how it looked when she came to my hotel room, she really looked just like a goddess of the forest, just like Anna and that really has me worried. Nay it has me scared, everything I've seen so far tells me this story won't have a happy ending."

Emily and Kayson stopped near the clock tower "so Daniel is nearby?"

"Good can we stop running now?" asked Kayson. It started raining as they reached the clock tower. "So he's in there boy?" Willie barked and nodded.

"George we've found out where Daniel is" said Emily into her radio. The signal wasn't clear though "no choice then, I'm going in alone."

"Hey, hey don't you remember what George said?"

"I haven't and that's why you have to stay out here and keep trying to contact him" said Emily "I'm just going in to check things out and to make sure Daniel isn't in imminent danger."

"…ok if you say so I'll take care of this here."

Emily went into the Clock tower, when she closed the door behind her she saw a rotting interior and even more frightening was what she saw in front of her. It looked vaguely like a woman but that's where similarities ended, it had a widened mouth that looked cut and no eyes and bloody grey skin "Freeze! Stop right there, or I will shoot!" the corpse kept coming and Emily fired hitting it in the head but it kept coming. It got closer and closer and then the Keyblade moved on its own and cut the corpses head off killing it. "Starting to wish I took that fencing class now."

Back in the room the door opened and Thomas came in "Daniel, Emily is here. This is good bye then."

"Thomas, it's not too late" said Daniel "I know people I have connections I can help you."

"It's already too late; it was always too late" said Thomas "as a world traveler you should know that everyone travels along a path preordained by fate."

"Bullshit, fate is an excuse, a defense the weak use for their own failures" said Daniel.

"I can see why you would think so, perhaps if I had met you first this might not have happened, but it's too late now" Thomas went to the door "I can only speculate who will open this door next" Thomas left.

"So now all we can do is wait" said Terra.

"Someone will die and then the winner will find us, I only hope the winner is Emily" said Daniel.

Emily shook the shock off of herself and got back into police mode, whatever these things were this new weapon was the only thing that hurt them. 'Daniel you have a lot of explaining to do when I find you' she thought as she went forward. She ascended to the next floor and saw a small army of corpses wandering around some barrels of gas. Emily took aim and fired a bullet causing an explosion leaving two left. She ran cut them both down before they could properly respond. 'So fire and this weapon can hurt them, good to know.' Emily ascended three more flights of stairs without encountering any more then turned the corner and found one. It screamed and bent over and began to walk backwards towards her. Emily reacted cut the corpses head off.

"Is this what Daniel does every time he goes at it alone?" she climbed up four flights of stairs and found another corpse waiting for her. Emily reacted and cut him in half in instinct. She climbed up another flight and saw a corpse with a lit torch that smelt like gasoline.

"I saw you" the thing moved damn quick for a zombie. Emily retreated and the corpse chased and tripped down the stairs Emily jumped over him and the corpse was set on fire at the bottom and moaned as the fire consumed him "don't want to die!"

"Pull yourself together you've gotta keep going" said Emily. She climbed up another four flights of stairs and was spotted by a corpse with a shotgun. Emily quickly cut the arm off and then beheaded him. She walked up the stair and saw another small army of corpses surrounding gasoline barrels. Emily shot one like earlier and then cut down the survivors.

Emily went up the stairs and through the door which led to a stair way going up to the very top of the tower where all the gears were at work. Emily went out onto the observation platform and saw Thomas dressed like his sister "…you sure took your time" he turned around and revealed his own pistol.

"Thomas you have nowhere to run! Surrender yourself!"

"Emily, I have been waiting for you."

"Where's Daniel is he okay?"

"He's just fine with the friend I caught for him, he's quite the handsome one that one, I liked him the moment I saw him, he likes someone else of course. Who do you think that is, hmm?"

"So he is okay? And you captured someone else as well?"

"Oh yes he is handsome but me and Carol, we love not him but a different person…my lovely…G."

"Cut the crap do you know what you're doing?!"

"Why yes, even more than you know about that new weapon of yours" said Thomas.

"This…"

"It has Daniel's scent on it doesn't it, wonder why, wonder why he can do all those things, make motorcycles disappear, make people go blind and fall asleep? It's because he's special Emily, he's not of this world; it shows just how little you truly know."

"Thomas, don't make me shoot you."

"You still don't understand" said Thomas "this world belongs to darkness now, all worlds begin in darkness and all so end. Daniel came to this world to stop it but not even he can prevent the inevitable, none of us can" tears fell from his eyes.

"…Thomas your sick, but there's still time. We can get help, I can help you!"

"You are kind Emily as kind as a goddess" said Thomas "but it's a meaningless effort, one that knows nothing can understand nothing everything was much better you see before you came, I won't let you have him!" he glowed with a dark aura. Emily fired in retaliation "you can't kill me that easily" the dark aura dimmed slightly. Thomas jumped to different gears but Emily kept firing to get that dark aura down.

"No I won't let you have him; I'll turn you into hamburger meat!" Thomas started shooting different hooks and gears while jumping all over the place and sending them at Emily. Emily either dodged or knocked them away with the keyblade and kept firing till the dark aura around Thomas was gone.

"Thomas, don't make me shoot you again surrender and turn yourself in!"

"Emily…Emily…I'm" Thomas broke down in tears.

"Thomas…"

"I'm sorry…so sorry…I knew it was wrong…I shouldn't have listened but I…" tears drowned out the rest.

"…that's enough Thomas, just come over here."

"Emily…I…I…oh, I…hate you so much!" he drew a knife "die you skanky swine" he leapt at her and Emily brought up the keyblade. Thomas impaled himself on it. Emily let go shaking at seeing Thomas in that state. Thomas drooled out some blood and fell backwards over the railing.

"Thomas!" Thomas fell face first on a hook and hung there as it was taken up by the gears for all to see.

"Oh" Kayson came in "is that Thomas hanging there, oh my god. He looks like a strung up turkey." The keyblade vanished from Thomas's chest.

Back in the room Daniel and Terra talked again "were those gunshots?" asked Terra.

"Emily and Thomas are both armed, if the gunshots have stopped that means one of them is now dead" said Daniel.

"But which one?" asked Terra.

The door opened and Willie walked in "Willie, man I'm glad to see you, can you get these ropes for me?" Willie barked and went around and got the ropes off of Daniel's hands. Daniel took the blind fold off and stood up and summoned the keyblade "good" then he freed Terra. "Consider yourself an assistant detective, until those red seeds and the murderer are taken care of leaving isn't an option."

"If those red seeds are as dangerous as you said there was no need to tell me" said Terra.

"Let's hope it's not too late" they left the room and went down stairs to the main clock and saw Emily and Kayson.

"Hey?!"

Emily turned and saw Daniel and Terra walk towards them "Daniel" she hugged him tightly "are you alright?!"

"I wasn't tortured this time" said Daniel "and I got to catch up with my friend Terra."

"You're the other one Thomas captured?" asked Emily.

"Yep he got me from behind when I came here yesterday" said Terra.

"Enough on that Emily did you catch the killer?" asked Daniel.

"Daniel…Thomas is dead, I had to kill him and there was this weird weapon with your scent on it and…and…"

"So this was the fate you spoke of then Thomas" said Daniel looking at the hanging corpse "Sad, but that wasn't the question I asked, I asked if you caught the killer."

"I just told you I killed Thomas!"

"And I'm asking if you caught the killer" said Daniel "so you got his accomplice, but you didn't let the actual killer get away did you?"

"Daniel, are you saying Thomas isn't the killer?" asked Kayson.

"But that makes no sense!"

"Emily where was Thomas when Diane was being killed?" asked Daniel.

"He was…at the police station…"

"What about when Becky was being killed, he was outside with Quint the whole time. In other words he has airtight alibis for 2 of the murders. He was an accomplice sure, but he's not the killer."

"Then who, who else could it be?" asked Emily.

"Emily, remember when I said I couldn't let bias interfere with a crime?"

"Yeah…"

"I need you to keep that in mind now more than ever" said Daniel "the killer is a cop, it's a male, he's strong enough to use the raincoat killer's weapon, he has free access to the Sherriff department record room, and he has no alibi for any of the murders. Think carefully, who do we know that fits that criterion exactly?"

"Well if it's not Thomas the only one left would be…would be…no…G-George?"

"Love G himself" said Daniel.

"George, George is the killer?!"

"He's the only one left that it could be" said Daniel "think back, and look at all the evidence Emily it all points back to him."

"Emily, Emily come in" came George's voice from the radio.

"Emily here, I have rescued Daniel and another civilian from the clock tower, Thomas is dead, I was forced to kill him."

"I see…and everyone is alright?"

"Daniel is a little weak but we're heading back to the department now along with the civilian for light questioning."

"Alright I'll do the same" the radio died.

"Emily, I can take care of arresting George under citizen's arrest if it's hard to deal with" said Daniel.

"Daniel I am still the Deputy Sherriff, this might be a small town but I take pride in that" said Emily "I knew this case would be dangerous but I swore to stick with it till the end even if…even if it means that I have to arrest George."

"Then let's get moving, Terra you as well."

"No way just you is bad enough" said Emily.

"George isn't going to go quietly Emily we'll need as many able bodied people as we can get to bring him down" said Daniel.

"I am capable of handling myself officer there is no need to worry" said Terra.

"Speaking of that Daniel, I do have some questions for you. About some strange weapon that can appear and disappear about some of the strange things you can do and how Thomas said you came from another world."

"Emily, it is true that I have kept some things from you" said Daniel "once this is all over we'll sit down and I will tell you everything, a lot of it will sound unbelievable but I'll be able to prove it, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that then" said Emily.

They arrived at the entrance of the Sherriff's department "Terra, guard the entrance if he comes out that way take him down" said Daniel.

"Got it" he responded, he understood he didn't know the interior that well so he would be better suited for the role.

"Emily, can you go in through the back?"

"And what are you going to do dare I ask?"

"Go through the front door" said Daniel "if nothing else I'll push George in your direction."

"Yet now George will really-"

"You've felt the kind of weapons and power I wield when you stormed the clock tower Emily I'll be fine" said Daniel.

"I expect that explanation when this is all over" said Emily.

Daniel summoned his keyblade "you'll get it" Daniel went through the front doors and found himself in the other world version of the Sherriff's department. "Well that tells me I'm right." 'Now if I were a megalomaniac serial killer in a supernatural nightmare world, where would I hide?' Daniel remembered Carol was incarcerated down below and rushed towards the cells.

He found Carol's cell and saw Anna inside standing in front of a door inside the cell. Anna phased through the door and Daniel unlocked the cell with the keyblade and went in. The door had to be pushed open with great amount of strength and let Daniel go to a hidden basement.

It was some kind of circular chamber filled with red trees and a kind of ritual platform covered in blood.

"Well if this isn't proof I don't know what is" said Daniel. He took a picture of it all.

"It took you long enough" the masked one came onto the scene.

"You again, haven't I beaten you up enough?" asked Daniel.

"Oh I'm well aware you're not intimidated by me" said the masked boy.

"Then piss off, I don't like having my time wasted."

"Time wasted, oh no need you've done enough of that yourself, already you can't see that it's too late" said the masked boy.

The real world resumed and Carol stood in front of Daniel with her back turned while she brushed her hair.

"Carol" Emily appeared. Carol didn't make any move to say she heard anything but kept brushing her hair. Some blood fell on Emily's face and they looked up and saw a reverse peace sign painted on the chamber sealing, and they doubted it was paint.

Carol turned around to face them and then collapsed without a word.

"Carol are you okay" Emily went to help "George, George did this to you" Carol's tongue was cut out but she wrote a name on the floor with her blood "Thomas? He's…dead I was…forced to kill him" Carol wrote 'we were substitutes' on the floor. "Carol?"

(George really loves…) "YOU!" Carol lashed out at Emily and shoved red seeds into her mouth. Daniel quickly reacted and cut Carol's head off.

"Emily, Emily, speak to me!" Emily passed out. Daniel took her to Kayson "take her to the hospital quick, she need a full stomach and liver cleansing and don't stop for anything!"

"Daniel she needs you to be there" said Kayson.

"No, George is still in there, I can't let him run free and escape now" said Daniel.

"But wha-"

"Kayson, get going!"

"Alright, alright" he got the car going at top speed.

"Now just one left" said Daniel.

"Keep calm you'll lose control of darkness if you keep this up" said Terra.

The night sky changed color and the town was thrown into the other world again. The doors to the Sherriff's Department opened and the raincoat killer was there, he laughed at them and walked back letting the doors close behind him.

"Terra, if he comes out without me kill him" said Daniel.

"Daniel…"

"Also tell Aqua she owes me for covering her medical bill" he added.

"There's no telling how strong he is."

"If I can't beat him I can't call myself a detective" said Daniel.

"You know there's more to being a master than strength right?"

"Says our master who was the strongest keyblader we knew, kind of off coming from him" said Daniel "we'll debate on that later, but this is between me and George" he went through the doors to the Sheriff's Department. The interior was different this time due to the other world.

"And to think I left my own world to put all this weird supernatural crap behind me, but it seems to follow me anyway. I wonder if I can convince Emily to come to my world with me, then again if she is pregnant with my kid she won't have much choice; my dad wouldn't let his grandchild go free that easily, and Aqua would enjoy being an aunt."

Daniel heard the sound of the raincoat killer's axe being dragged along the floor. He headed the way to George's office and found a large room instead with the heads of Elk on the wall and a blocked door at the very end. Daniel cut through the antlers and broke the door down and went through it. Daniel walked down the hall and then the Raincoat killer walked out of a door in front of him and laughed at him and then ran back through the door he just came out of. 'Not this time George' thought Jack.

Daniel went through the same door and saw only one room with a desk that had one of Thomas's biscuits on it. 'I never did get that recipe' he thought sadly. He took it and used an old spell he knew to get it written down.

Daniel left the room and got to the end of the hallway and walked through the door into another room where the raincoat killer was waiting for him. He threw his axe and Daniel knocked it back with the keyblade "not this time" the raincoat killer threw it again as Daniel advanced and got the same result and fled to the next room "Stop running you coward!"

Daniel got through to the next room and deflected the axe that was thrown at him while the killer made a new one from darkness and threw it again only to have it deflected and Daniel run at him with the keyblade. He fled through the door again once Daniel got too close.

Daniel followed and fought through a room covered in flames and continued on. Then he found the Raincoat Killer in the next room. Daniel pursued and made him flee to the next room again.

Daniel followed and went to a side room after seeing the killer had disappeared again and found Emily's desk this time, and one of her sandwich bagels. "Other world or real her cooking still tastes awful" he said "guess I'll be the one doing that in the future" he got back to his mission and followed the Raincoat Killer keeping up with the sound of his axe.

There was about four corpses in his way that did little but slow him down but Daniel saw that was the point when a large security door shut in the hallway. 'No lock no problem' Daniel cut through the door Starwars style and kept going along.

He heard loud moaning and saw a corpse dressed like a SWAT team member and holding a shot gun. He was in the shooting range and on the wrong side of it. Daniel cast an Aero spell on the gun so it faced the corpses face before it went off. He did the same to the other 11 corpses that were waiting for him.

He found another security door in his way and cut through it the same way. The Raincoat Killer then appeared and struck at him. Daniel blocked the attack and kicked him back. The Raincoat Killer then fled in a flash of light.

Daniel walked through the halls and saw various cells on either side of him all covered up by red vines but he noticed one was open and had a pair of doors in it. Daniel had a feeling that was the right way to go and went through those doors and red vines came up behind him to stop him from going back as if confirming that theory.

Now in front of him was a long and wide staircase leading up to a door. 'This could be it then' he walked up it with his keyblade out looking for any signs of a trap or ambush. After a long climb and wondering why country folk had never thought of elevators Daniel reached the doors at the top and went through them.

Daniel found himself in a kind of forest ground with a ritual marking ground they were standing on and sky of the other world in clear view. The Raincoat Killer stood with his back turned to him and threw off his raincoat revealing a shirt with an open back revealing scars that resembled a reverse peace sign shape. "Welcome to Greenvale" George turned to face him "Daniel Ignis Renko, warrior of the keyblade."

"So finally you and Greenvale reveal your true selves" said Daniel "I've heard of Crap Saccharine worlds before but this is my first time seeing one."

"Daniel this is a beautiful powerful town, especially when it rains."

"I've never liked the rain that much, but I am thankful to it, people like you George have a habit of showing your true faces in it."

"Ha, ha, such a great detective and yet you can never see what's right in front of you can you?"

"On the contrary George I suspected you from the beginning" said Daniel "Showing up so soon after the attack and having the physique matching the guy that attacked me earlier. Regardless of my thoughts and actions you were always the number 1 suspect."

"Yet even so it took you so long, but then again I can't blame you, this town nay this world has plenty of power to soak up and two great treasures to behold. Do you know what they are?"

"I take it the red seeds are one of them, but I wouldn't call them a treasure" said Daniel.

"An ordinary Outworlder like you could never understand their true value" said George.

"But others did, didn't they?" asked Daniel.

"Ones with vision Daniel, ones with thoughts of the entire universe, I don't expect you to see that Daniel, but you'll agree with my selection for the second treasure."

"Right you are, Emily sparkles like a diamond in the ruff."

"This town changed when she arrived" said George "the goddess from the city gave us the "fruits of knowledge" and gave us "sin." When I first saw her I realized I was such a fool; a fool for being satisfied with the petty country girls in this town."

"I agree you were a fool and I still think your one even now" said Daniel "making deals with Outworlders that rarely works out."

"Shut it Daniel! You're the fool here, Becky, Diane, and Carol! They all died right in front of you! For all your power for being the chosen one of the keyblade you were still powerless to save them. But me…" George turned around "unlike you I am strong. I have power, my mother taught me. The strong who can overpower the others is always right. My mother stepped on my face with her stiletto heels because she had power. And when that heel pierced my cheek I learned to respect her. Since then I achieved power of my own and found my own disciples! Then the ones from the different worlds came to me and told me the truth about how small and insignificant this world truly was, and I knew I was destined for bigger things than this world I was to become divine. All I need now is for the goddess of fate to reach out and grab me with her hands. I want Emily, in her Stiletto heels!"

"You should've made your move earlier then George, she will never smile for you again" said Daniel "I made sure of it."

George looked down and then back up "…Daniel, have you ever shot a deer? It's so different from shooting a man. Deer hunting is great, they can be erotic creatures. Those back eyes, slender legs, and firm hips. Hunting is a sign of power especially deer hunting. Did you know Daniel, from time to time there's a family of deer that come down to the graveyard. I shot them full of bullets but still they remained standing. First I thought they were zombies, but when I snuck up on one and cut open its stomach, I found the truth."

"Let me guess it was full of red seeds" said Daniel.

"Exactly, those seeds had made those deer invincible."

"Tsk, tsk George, that's the department drug test failed" said Daniel.

"Shut your crap Daniel, I have these seeds because I am the chosen one!"

"No George you have them because the other keybladers felt you would be a good experiment to test out their effects, that's all you are to them."

"Then I shall make all of you see" he got out two handfuls of red seeds and out them all in his mouth. George's scar started to glow red and he turned around and bulked up big time getting bigger. Now his back scars were glowing red making the reverse peace mark stand out. "This is the mark my mother gave me" he said in a deeper voice "proof of power…the red tree!"

"Bad boy George, don't you know steroids are bad for you?" asked Daniel. "I mainly came to give you a choice, the choice Emily wanted to give you, either surrender and put your hands up or become just another name on my kill record. If you want the latter tell me now so I can write your name down."

"Ha, ha, ha you can't kill me now Daniel, Carol's death made sure of that, I can no longer be killed I am immortal now" he turned to face him "and now we can test my new power against the keyblade and its chosen" he grabbed his axe and tore it from the ground. Daniel cast a fire spell at him and it barely fazed George at all. "You're wasting your time" he raised his axe and Daniel cast a Thunder spell and struck the axe which stunned George. Daniel attacked with the keyblade but it just bounced off George's skin. "Aha, see not even the keyblade can hurt me now!"

"We'll see" Daniel cast Scan and scanned George and found his weakness "gotcha, fire."

"That won't work" George mocked.

"Not on you" Daniel covered his blade in flames "round two."

"Do whatever you want you can't win now!" George charged him and swung and Daniel used the reversal ability to dodge the attack and get behind George. Daniel then struck George in the back right on the scar. That hurt George and made him move. "You think you're so clever don't you?"

"Considering my record I would think so George" said Daniel.

"Then record this" George threw his axe at him and Daniel did another Reversal as George got a new axe. They clashed in close combat and Daniel overwhelmed him and took out his balance and then struck his back again. George got away and Daniel teleported to the back and struck him there again leading to George getting a good amount of distance this time.

"Getting Anna and Becky involved was all too easy. Carol and Thomas built a secret club for me. All we had to do was tell them about it and they were giddy to join us immediately" said George "and that's where I used the seeds on Anna and Becky…amazing results I tell you they went berserk, like cats in heat" he licked his lips "Anna especially loved the seeds. So I made my decision, she would be the first sacrifice for my immortality."

"Here's what I got out of that, you just admitted to premeditated murder" said Daniel "and then attempted to frame an officer of the law of your crime" George chuckled "you knew Thomas would take the fall."

"You saw him didn't you, all made up, poor fellow."

"He and Carol both knew they were substitutes for Emily and they played along anyway, all because of unrequited feelings."

"Oh boo hoo, your making me cry" George fake cried "Thomas told me about the raincoat killer and about how to become divine too. I didn't believe it at first but then they came, those from the other worlds they told me the truth, and that's when I knew the legend was real. After all why else was I born in such a rundown dump, why did my mother beat me every day, why didn't Emily want me? It was all training for my real purpose, to escape this world and rule over it and others with the power of the red tree and the keyblade! Once I kill you I shall take its power and conquer this world and the others!" George started to change again and soon became a 12ft tall beast with white glowing hair.

"Halloween came early this year?" asked Daniel.

"Time to get serious, Daniel!"

"Yes let's" said Daniel. George was slower in this form but more powerful. He threw his axe and Daniel teleported behind him and targeted the back with his Shotlock and hit it multiple times.

"Why, why, why, why!? Mama, I didn't do anything bad! Why, why are you doing this to me?! It wasn't me, I didn't do anything wrong! I knelt and apologized in front of Anna didn't I? I know I didn't with the others but still. I didn't do anything wrong! You know who it was; he made me do all this. He's the one that gave me the wonderful present! And it filled me with confidence and that's when I realized! I realized that I am blessed" he turned to face Daniel again "Daniel I know you have it, you have no right to hang on to it!"

"You mean this" Daniel held up the locket "why so concerned about this?"

"I told you I'm the chosen one, only the chosen one can hold that locket. That's what he…that's what he told me" George threw his axe and missed. "I am special I know I am! Give it to me; give me the locket and the keyblade!" George threw his axe again.

"Not on your life, reflect" Daniel cast the spell as he hit the axe with his keyblade. The axe went flying straight back and went straight into George's chest.

George stumbled in shock "How…how can this be…? I am the chosen one…I…am divine…"

"No George, you are a first degree murderer and I am a detective" said Daniel "and a warrior of the keyblade, you were doomed to lose as soon as I showed up George."

Lightning flashed and struck George in the chest multiple times. Lightning flashed for the final time and the real world resumed and George was a charred smoking corpse with the axe left in his chest. Terra flew down onto the roof and saw the mess.

"So it's over?"

"Not…" Daniel collapsed.

He woke up in the white room again, there was an envelope on the table; he opened it and read 'your princess is in another castle.'

"You do not understand the rhyme yet" the old man from before appeared "therefore you cannot leave just yet, there is still something you must do."

"Right catch the source of the seeds" said Daniel.

"Then you shall learn the truth of the door" there was a flash of white and Daniel woke up. He was in the hospital.

"Mr. Renko finally your awake" said Ushah.

"Daniel about time" said Terra.

"How long?"

"A whole day plus ten or so hours" said Ushah "I wanted to challenge you to a game but you were asleep."

"I'll have to get back to you on that then" said Daniel "now which room is Emily in?"

"That's what's urgent" said Terra "I didn't see Kayson bring her to the hospital."

"What?!"

"Oh Kayson visited earlier" said Ushah "he said to give you this" he handed Daniel an envelope. The words 'your princess is in another castle' came to mind as Daniel opened it. It was a map to George's house.

"What is it?" asked Terra.

"I don't know he just said to give it to him after he woke up" said Ushah "anyway you solved the case right?"

"Not yet apparently" Daniel got up "Terra, we need to go."

"Go? Go where?"

"To the location on this map our job isn't finished remember" Daniel got his jacket and left the hospital with Terra following.

"I don't understand you beat the killer" said Terra.

"He was just another piece in the game, the maker of the red seeds, the one behind George he's still at large and I think he was in front of me the entire time" said Daniel.

They exited the hospital and the world became the other world and a giant black dog landed on the ground and howled. Terra and Daniel got their keyblade out and took it down as it charged. "No more time to waste" said Daniel as corpses started to emerge from the ground. He changed his keyblade to the glider and got on it and Terra did the same and followed him. 'God please let Emily be alright.'

They arrived at George's house after dodging more giant dogs and used the keyblade to open the front door.

"Not one for decorating" said Terra. The interior wasn't much, all the windows were boarded up, and there was no furniture, only mannequins; they explored the house and took the coverings off of a few things. Terra found one over a wall and Daniel knocked on it and found it was hollow and pushed revealing it was a hidden door to the basement.

They got down there and found a room with lots of wires going everywhere and a wall covered in photos of Emily. "I've heard about having a crush but this isn't normal" said Terra.

"You're telling me" said Daniel.

"There's someone in the next room" said Terra.

"Let's go and introduce ourselves then" Daniel got a cabinet out of the way and went ahead and saw the person in the chair was a corpse in a dress that had plants growing out of the eye sockets. Terra turned green and did his best to hold it down. "Always sucks meeting the mother after you kill her son" said Daniel. "Wait a minute" he thought back a bit and took one of the plant stems from the corpse's eyes and held it up to the light "it wasn't a peace mark it was a tree just like a George said a red…tree…Kayson!"

"This photo" Terra grabbed one of George and Kayson that had been written on recently. Go to the Theatre, there the final curtain shall rise.

Slowly everything came into focus with heavy breathing; there were dead bodies all around him. He looked down at and saw an axe in his hands, hands that came from red sleeves.

"There, over there!" yelled a civilian. Two others yelled in agreement and ran at him with their weapons. Daniel was prepared with his axe and swung straight through the first civilian and ran out of the way of the other two and took them down in one slash. Then the bell at the clock tower chimed once. 'To the clock tower' he thought. He broke into a run dragging the axe behind him. He ran past all kinds of people that had gone mad and were either butchering or burning their neighbors alive. Daniel stopped once and slaughtered a blockade of civilians waiting to ambush him and kept going as the clock struck 9 chimes. He kept counting as he ran.

10

He struck another group of civilians in his way.

11

He had to go around a badly damaged vehicle with dead kids inside.

12

He reached the gates of the clock tower and saw plenty of mad civilians already there that broke through. Daniel tore through any in his way knowing he didn't have long to reach the tower.

He reached the right distance and looked up to see the soldiers and Kayson in a military outfit laughing as the gas spread out to the town. He could only scream in hatred and disappear.

Daniel looked down; he was himself again and in the present day.

"Are you alright?" asked Terra.

"I think" said Daniel, he saw a new keychain in his hands and added it to his keyblade making it change to resemble an axe.

"Everyone" said Terra. All the townspeople had been affected by the gas and were there holding weapons.

"Help" Isaac and Isaiah ran to Daniel "Daddy, mommy and grandpa…everyone's acting weird!"

"It's okay just stay behind us" Daniel grimaced in pain and threw the twins off him and saw they now had the same look in their eyes. They laughed as Daniel pulled a bloody pair of scissors out of his leg and healed the wound.

"Now what?" asked Terra.

"Try to take them down without killing them, I need to get inside the theatre" said Daniel.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I" Daniel ran inside the theatre while Terra held off the townspeople.

Daniel found himself in the white room again only there was a different door from what he usually saw. He went to it and heard the old man's voice. "Open this door and you shall never be the same, do you still wish to enter?"

"Of course I do" said Daniel.

"Very well then off you go Mr. Renko."

Daniel entered the theatre and found Kayson on the stage next to Emily who was sitting down with a cover over her legs "finally you arrive Daniel."

"George is dead Kayson, you have nothing to hide behind now" said Daniel.

"George? Oh right George he was a funny one" said Kayson "I gave him a toy locket and he was so impressed, so moved! But he wasn't that intelligent he was born in this town, and it took him too long to discover the red seeds. Binding down people with rules is a sign of small mindedness and that was what George represented in life."

"Emily is coming with me" said Daniel taking out the keyblade.

"Oh but I can't allow that now can I? You left her in my care remember?" a Thunder spell just missed him.

"This isn't a negotiation Kayson, it's a notification, give Emily to me now or you'll know what George felt" said Daniel.

"Will I now? Or will I know what you felt not too long ago, for you see my fun with Emily ended not too long ago" said Kayson "such a great moment, I fed her a fake story about my past and she took in every word of it like a…"

Daniel fired a beam of light that cut into Kayson's left shoulder.

"I told you to let her go, or else the next shot will be fatal" said Daniel.

"Yes there you go now, that's the spirit, feel that hate burning inside of you that's what makes human beings create such immense history. Just like tiny ants that make giant ant hills" he chuckled a bit "You know I just had dessert and yet I'm hungry again, no wonder I keep failing at keeping a diet" he turned back to Emily.

"You touch her and I'll take your head off" said Daniel.

"D…Daniel" Emily woke up.

"I'm here Emily everything will be fine" said Daniel.

"Daniel…is that you" Daniel noticed she wasn't looking in his direction but Kayson's. "Daniel…thank god, I wanted you. I want you to stay…"

"Emily, stop, that isn't me!"

"Daniel…" Kayson took her in a kiss, the only reason Daniel didn't attack was because he might hit Emily as well.

"Emily!"

They broke the kiss and Kayson licked her face with an unnaturally long tongue and Emily snapped out of it and pushed him away. "Daniel, I'm sorry…I…"

"It's alright Emily he won't hurt you anymore, I'll make sure of it" said Daniel "now come on, I can get you to the hospital."

"I can't, I can't go with you" said Emily "I've…I've been…soiled…"

"That's not true Emily, your heart could never be soiled, not by a swine like him, whatever happened to your body I still love you Emily" said Daniel.

"Daniel, I…I…" she stood up and Daniel could only look in horror at what had been done to her. She had a red sapling growing out of her stomach.

"Didn't I tell you, getting these saplings to grow requires a certain…technique" said Kayson.

"You bastard!" Daniel had his keyblade pointed at Kayson who just laughed.

"Ladies and Gentlemen as you can see tonight we have something special for you, a comedy and tragedy at the same time! Because whether he kills Emily or not it's a comedy for me but a tragedy for them!" Kayson laughed.

"Daniel, do it, kill me" said Emily.

"Emily…"

"Please…let me die, don't let…don't let this thing kill me…"

"Oh here it comes, it's almost the finale what will he choose, how will she die? Oh can't you just taste the tension in the air?" asked Kayson.

'What do I do, what do I do?!'

Daniel shut his eyes and found he was in the white room again with that door in front of him "It's time Daniel, now you can open the door and see the truth and then you can make your decision."

"The truth?" the door opened and Daniel was back in the Land of Departure. He saw himself when he was about four years old. The four year old version was sneaking closer to the private family living room. Daniel followed and saw his father with his keyblade out standing over a woman.

"I'm sorry, my darling I've…I've…" Daniel thought his father was going to kill her but he got a closer look and saw another sapling growing from her stomach.

"Let her go!" Daniel looked along with his four year self and saw Kayson standing behind the woman "remove that sapling from her body Kayson, now!"

"Oh it's too late for that Eraqus, why once it's like this, not even I can stop it" said Kayson.

"Please, Eraqus…kill me…let me die" the woman begged "if you love me then…please don't let this…kill me!" Eraqus struggled but ultimately couldn't do it. Kayson laughed as the sapling grew out of control and drained all the life out of the woman.

"NOO!"

"MOM!" his younger self yelled.

"Sometimes to do what is right Daniel, we must hurt others even those you love are not exempt" said Eraqus "I couldn't do it, but you can, I'll make sure you'll be able to when the time comes."

"Not if he doesn't live" Kayson got to his younger self first and slashed him across the forehead. Daniel touched his forehead scar as he was back in the white room. His younger self was there with his father.

"What you saw has forever scared you son, as you are now you won't recover without this, I'm going to seal your memories behind this door so you can build up from scratch. Then when you are ready you will learn the truth, and hopefully you'll be able to correct my mistake and do what I couldn't."

Daniel came back to reality "that's right I remember now, that event was sealed from me all for this moment."

"Daniel, please, please…kill me!"

Daniel raised his weapon and looked at both Emily and Kayson 'what do I do, am I strong enough to do the right thing?' he kept looking between Emily and Kayson knowing time was running out. His hand was shaking as he made his decision. "You…" he turned to Kayson "you don't deserve to live."

"No, Daniel!"

"I don't deserve to live? Go on then after all I'm not the first kill am I?"

"No, and yet" he turned to Emily "sometimes to do what is right we must hurt others, even those you love are not…EXEMPT!" he rushed forward and grabbed the sapling in Emily's stomach and tore it out. All the blood that came gushing out sealed her fate. Daniel caught her on the way down with tears coming from his eyes now "Emily, please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive" said Emily "you saved me after all, from such a fate, I…I wasn't soil after all."

"Never, I could never let that happen Emily, you are one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen, not just literally either" said Daniel "in all the darkness you were the light that shined."

"Th…ank you Daniel…I wanted to… be with you…" the life slowly faded from her eyes.

"Emily" Daniel saw they were in a forest all of a sudden; all of the dead girls were there in red dresses watching them. Daniel then noticed he wasn't holding onto anything and saw Emily in her red dress walking over to them. "No, Emily no, that's not the way, come back Emily, come back!"

Emily turned around and spoke "Daniel Ignis Renko, finally I understand. You are one of the good people out there in the universe, you can go where you like, I do feel a little jealous."

"It figures, just when I get conformable I solve the rhyme and now I have to leave" said Daniel.

"No, you can't leave yet you have unfinished business here" said Emily "and then you can help other worlds like we all know you can."

"Yes Daniel" the woman from his memory was there as well "you have the power to make a real difference out there, and I am proud of you for making it this far, and when you see your father again tell him I will kick him for not raising you well."

"Will do" Daniel took his jacket off "but before that I still have a case to finish" he was back in the real world, he put his jacket over Emily.

"My sapling, my baby you killed it" said Kayson in anger "you were supposed to be as weak as your father! How did you get so strong?!" he roared and started to transform and became a morbidly obese giant with grey skin.

"Aqua I will never eat junk food again if that's what it does" said Daniel. Kayson laughed and jumped up and grabbed onto the ceiling above the audience seats. Daniel shot a beam of light at the fat ass and took him down. Kayson struggled to get up and Daniel cast a Flare spell on him.

"You'll pay for that" Kayson bounced like a ball towards Daniel who simply rolled out of the way. Kayson bounced back off the stage and fell on his back. Daniel cast Flare again and Kayson got back up to the ceiling where Daniel shot him down again.

Kayson bounced right back onto the stage and stood in front of him "Your luck has run out now! Soon you'll join your mother in death! And then I'll deal with that senile old man in the white room."

"With how weak you are Kayson I'm amazed you can kill a glee club" said Daniel.

"Aha, ha, ha you humans are so foolish, so, so foolish, there's nothing to compare them too!"

"Oh there is Kayson, it's the fat ass in front of me that thought he could get away with his crimes while I was in town" said Daniel.

"You actually think you can do anything, one whiff of that gas makes everyone happy" said Kayson "so happy they'll gladly kill each other, even the ones they love! True it's not much compared to the full effects of the seeds themselves, but I still got a good laugh out of it! It used to be my seeds couldn't reproduce in other worlds but now thanks to the other keybearers they can, and once me and my new friends spread them to the other worlds, oh I'll never get enough laughs, just like a jolly old bumble bee spreading pollen wherever I go!" he smashed the floor and Daniel fell through.

Daniel got up and saw a door in front of him and then Kayson fell through transformed into a kind of giant bug thing walking on all fours. Daniel made a run for the door and got through with Kayson in pursuit.

Daniel ran down the spiral stair case he was given while Kayson traveled along the wall after him.

"Run, run, run as fast as you can, you can't escape me I'm the sapling man!" Kayson lashed out at him and Daniel turned and deflected the hand and hit Kayson right in the face stunning him long enough for Daniel to get running again. "I'll squash you like a frog!" Kayson caught up with him again and fired black smog at him and Daniel simply cast Reflect around himself sending the attack right back into Kayson's face slowing him down for Daniel to get running again. Kayson soon caught up with him again only for Daniel to throw the keyblade right into his face stopping him long enough for Daniel to get through the doors at the bottom of the stairs.

Daniel saw he was now in a large bell tower at the very top of the building; the other world swirled all around and covered the bottom of the bell tower like an endless void. Kayson broke through and tore the roof off of the bell tower before falling into the void below. Daniel knew he wasn't finished yet though.

"Emily I'll avenge your death" said Daniel "and yours as well mom. Today Kayson shall face justice."

"Oh but it's not just him" the masked boy appeared keyblade in hand and then Kayson rose up as a giant holding a doll version of himself.

"Today you die" said Kayson.

Daniel took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one "as my mentor said when things get way to crazy it's always best to get a quick drag to calm down" he breathed out some smoke.

"The last cigarette of your life, by all means take your time" said the masked boy.

"Not my last" Daniel chucked it to the side "the fact that I rarely ever smoke should tell you how serious I am" he summoned his keyblade.

"You're not the only one" the masked boy rose his keyblade "you die here we shall make sure of it."

"If only I had a dollar for every time I've heard that" said Daniel, he cast Scan and scanned both the masked boy and Kayson for their weaknesses.

The masked boy now identified as Vanitas struck first and Daniel parried the attack and struck the helmet knocking him back and then Kayson sent shockwaves along the battle field. Daniel leapt over those and cast Reflect on a dark fire Vanitas threw at him and then hit Kayson's doll with a light beam making him scream.

Daniel landed and then rolled away once Vanitas came down from above, Vanitas was on the attack in an instant with Daniel just dodging the first strike and then parrying the next one. Kayson recovered and sent dark mist at them. Vanitas went into the shadows at that moment and Daniel cast Aero on himself making a wind shield blocking the mist. Vanitas then came at him through the floor and tried to jump up. Daniel jumped up at that moment and turned upside down in the air and blocked Vanitas's swing and had the keyblade pointed at Kayson and shot another light beam at the doll.

Kayson screamed again "pain what's this pain?"

Daniela and Vanitas continued their mid air combat and Vanitas tried grabbing his tie but it came right off and then Vanitas eventually got in a kick and forced Daniel up in the air and charged at him, but wasn't prepared for another light beam that went straight through him.

Daniel landed and activated a new command style 'White Fire' he glowed white and his keyblade was covered in white flames. Daniel charged at Vanitas and leapt over the shock waves Kayson sent and cut through the dark thunder Vanitas sent at him and punched Vanitas in the mask hard enough to crack the helmet and then hit him directly with his keyblade over and over. The darkness healed Vanitas's wounds but it was trouble with the constant barrage. Vanitas froze and tried the above attack but Daniel just avoided and continued as though it didn't happen. Kayson sent a dark mist but Daniel cast fire and set the mist on white fire and used Aero to make it hit Vanitas. Then Daniel shot another light beam at Kayson's doll.

Kayson turned around and put the doll away and slammed his fist down trying to flatten Daniel, Daniel just jumped and landed on Kayson's shoulder and cast thunder on the doll hiding in Kayson's shirt pocket and leapt off.

Kayson screamed and opened his mouth wide and a large red eye ball came out "why, why can you cause me pain?"

"Oh that reminds me, I have a message from the first Raincoat Killer" said Daniel, he threw his axe like keyblade the same way and the blade went true, and the axe blade embedded itself right in Kayson's eye ball.

"I…I was…by one…one…" the eyeball swelled up and exploded in a shower of gore. Kayson's body fell into the void below the real world resumed.

Terra fought hard outside trying to take down the insane townspeople without killing them but it was getting harder. One man raised his axe and then blinked and dropped it. Many other townspeople that had been fighting up till that point stopped and separated and looked around confused at what had happened.

"Cutting it a little close" said Terra.

Daniel picked up Emily's body in his arms and spotted a Kayson doll on stage; he glared at it and then stomped on it on his way out.

Daniel and Terra gathered at Harry's mansion the following morning. Daniel stood in front of the painting with all the dead girls wearing red dresses.

"She's in a better place now" said Terra.

"One can hope" said Daniel.

Harry wheeled in without the mask revealing that he was the old man in the white room "are you leaving today?"

"I'd like to leave as soon as possible" said Daniel "though I can't go home."

"Why not?" asked Terra.

"I'm not ready to face everyone not yet, and there are still places I have to go as a keyblader, people that have to be stopped, Kayson wasn't alone he had other world backers, I need to find those people before I can really call myself a keyblade master. My f-my master was right, I wasn't ready so I need to prove that I am."

"Emily's death brought that to light then" said Harry "I am sorry about her Daniel, truly. It is a strange picture this one, it gives a calm beauty while exuding sadness."

"Harry, your last name isn't Stewart is it?" asked Daniel.

"Correct, it is actually Woodman, Harry Woodman."

"So George, he was you're…"

"Yes he was my son."

"And it was you in the white room all along, why?"

"Because long ago I was unable to kill the woman I loved" said Harry "so I lost the woman I loved and I lost my son. My wife suffered from a mental illness but I still loved her. I wanted to save George too; if I could…everything was my fault if I only I had the courage to make the right decision…then all of this would've been avoided. But you have put an end to all of that."

"Are they happy where they are now?"

"There is no need to worry about that, your mother is there with them, she will guide them all into the forest into a peaceful rest. I would know I used to be a keybearer along with her before I lost the use of my legs. Everything will be fine with them Daniel."

"I'd best be going then" said Daniel.

"What will I tell the others then?" asked Terra.

Daniel tossed Terra a phone "I'll keep in touch and give the others this" he handed him a letter too "once I track them down I'll be back for everyone. Vanitas won't be their only fighter."

"Did you just say Vanitas?!"

"I take it you know him, he was on Kayson's side."

"Yes, Master Xehanort told me to go and find him" said Terra.

"Tell me what happened" said Daniel, Terra explained the conversation. "So he has something to do with this as well."

"You're not saying…"

"I detected something off with Master Xehanort after his last visit" said Harry "you should seek out Yensid, Terra and ask him about Xehanort's recent actions."

"So many things are off about his actions now that I know this" said Daniel "one way or another he is connected to Vanitas and his allies. Tell me if you find anything on that lead and be sure to tell the others about him as well, I'll see if I can find any more of Vanitas's friends."

"What is going on?" asked Terra.

"A possible war" said Daniel before he left for a new world.

Elsewhere Xehanort and others in the shadows faced Vanitas in fury "Vanitas so good of you to join us. At the very least you're competent enough to do that."

"Couldn't even save George" said a voice.

"George was beyond help" said Xehanort "he was never supposed to be survive against Daniel anyway; he was simply a test at how effective the red seeds were. Kayson on the other hand, he was necessary, I sent you to ensure he lived and that Daniel died so he would never be able to stop the plans and you failed in the worst way possible, even though Daniel hadn't trained for a year and even though you and Kayson fought together he still defeated you both! True I did underestimate Daniel and it seems he did train, but now thanks to your failure the red seeds are forever beyond our grasp thanks to Harry placing a field over the world only letting those he wishes enter, how am I supposed to react to such a failure."

"Do what you like I won't grovel" said Vanitas.

"Oh I will, you can be sure of that."