Argento, the kids, Wall-e and M-O were gathered in the main hall as Cissnei and Luxa worked quickly to pack and Shelke and EVE worked to get the emergency Gummy Ship online.
"What in the name of Mom's fruit cake is going on around here?" Ventus asked confused as Marina and the others turned green at the mention of the infamous killer fruit cake of Kairi.
"No time to explain Venny…just we think that there's something bad about to happen is all." Argento replied as she pulled her massive buster sword onto her back.
"Well it's not like anyone knows where we live do they?" Ventus asked confused as Argento paused.
"A very good point." Argento said as Lulu noticed something in the crook of Venny's collar on the back.
"What's this?" she asked as she pulled a small black metal object with a flashing red light on the back, off of his collar.
"Oh son of a…" Argento mumbled as she quickly snatched the object, threw it on the floor, and smashed it under her boot.
"What was that?" Rikujou asked confused.
"That was a tracking device…I'll bet that Xion girl planted it on you in the mall Ventus." Argento said as Luxa and Cissnei ran into the main hall with the last of the suitcases.
"Xion? What's she got to do with it?" Ventus asked even more confused.
"Ok that's a week's worth of clothes for the kids and ourselves plus all of the important papers and such." Luxa said as Argento ground the remains of the tracking device into the ground.
"Good because it appears that our boy Venny had a tracker on him." Argento said as Luxa face palmed.
"Oh great." Luxa said as EVE appeared from a hatch underneath the floor in the main hall.
"EVE! Is everything ready?" Cissnei asked as EVE gave a nod and quickly hovered over the suitcases, then shortly vanished in a beam of blue light with the suitcases.
Suddenly a red light started flashing on Argento and Luxa's watches.
"Uh oh…someone's approaching the house…whoa they're already past the second checkpoint!" Argento said as Luxa and Cissnei went wide eyed.
"Hurry! Get the kids into the ship!" Luxa shouted as she turned and locked the front doors using her powers of gravity.
"What about you?!" Argento asked as Wall-e and M-O led the kids nervously down the hatch just as there was a loud pounding at the doors.
"I'm going to try and buy you guys some time now HURRY!" Luxa said as she summoned her blade-lock and drew her gunblade.
"Heck if I'm going to leave you here by yourself!" Cissnei said as she drew her shuriken, Rekka, from within her jacket.
"The heck you are!" Luxa growled as she hurled Cissnei down the hatch and closed it with her powers.
The door then started to give way as Luxa pushed against it using her powers. Beneath her feet, the ground began to shake as the Gummy ship hidden beneath the house powered its engines.
Finally the door exploded and out flew a large Shadow-hound heartless which Luxa promptly shot and killed.
Then five more scrambled through the doorway as Luxa fired rapidly and slew them all with one shot each.
Then from the backyard, the ground exploded upwards as a massive Spiran made gummy ship burst from the ground and hovered above the ground as it faced Luxa.
"What are you waiting for?!" Luxa shouted to it as she unleashed a barrage of gunfire at another swarm of Heartless, this time it was a group of Defender Heartless with their hideous shields raised as they approached the Nobody.
"GET OUT OF HERE!!!" Luxa shouted as she flicked her gunblade, transforming it into a dagger, and threw it over the Defenders and back at them from behind, slaying them with one strike.
Then one of the Defender's shields fired a blast of powerful Blizzaga magic, freezing Luxa's feet in place.
On board the gummy ship, Argento was at a loss for what to do. Stay and save Luxa or run like she suggested.
Luxa continued fighting with all her strength as Argento realized that she was quickly being overrun and grimaced as she took the gummy ship into the skies.
Finally Luxa was bashed to the ground by one of the Defenders shields and she blocked another blow with her blade-lock.
"HOLD!!!" a voice ordered as the heartless backed away, revealing a purple and blue robed woman with long yet graying black hair standing in the doorway with two shorter hooded figures standing nearby with her.
Luxa recognized the woman and snarled.
"Xira…I wondered if it was you." Luxa spat as the Unbirths approached.
"You remember our last encounter I see…I for one have never forgotten it either Luxa." Xira said as she held up the remains of her left hand.
"Sorry, my memory's a bit lax…how did it go again? Oh that's right…I kicked your sorry Clammy butt!" Luxa said smugly as one of the hooded figures kicked her in the side of the head, knocking a tooth out in the process.
"Brave words for someone whose life I hold in the palm of my hand." Xira said as she looked down at her old foe.
"I've faced tougher hags than you Xira…I've even died at the hands of the One Winged Angel himself…I'm not afraid of death…and I sure as hell ain't afraid of YOU!!!" Luxa said as she put the gunblade to her jaw and fired and instantly started fading into darkness.
"Where did she go?!" Xiren asked confused as the last of Luxa faded away.
"She's reunited with her other…and the ones we were after have gotten away…we must now spread out the search…check all the worlds nearby and don't let them escape!" Xira growled as Xiren and Xuka bowed and black portaled away, leaving Xira alone in the old mansion.
On board the gummy ship…
The kids were stunned by what they had just seen happen.
"What were those things?" Ventus asked softly.
"Is grandma ok?" Lulu asked nervously and on the verge of tears as she clutched to Ventus.
"I…don't know." Argento said as she turned mournfully to Shelke, "So where do we go?"
"I believe we should not go to any likely worlds. I downloaded the latest starcharts and uploaded them into the navicomputer…we can go anywhere we want." Shelke replied.
"Ok then…what about this world here…Atlantica…sounds safe enough." Argento suggested.
"Bear in mind that we cannot stay in any one place for long." Shelke said as Argento nodded.
"Perhaps they should get a say?" Cissnei said while rubbing her head and pointing to the kids.
"We really don't know what sort of worlds are out there…it's your choice." Ventus said with a shrug as Argento turned back to Shelke.
"Ok then…Atlantica it is." Argento said as Shelke nodded and Shelke selected Atlantica on the dial.
"If we could drop by Edge or Radiant Garden at some point so we can alert the WRO, it would be much appreciated." Cissnei requested as Argento gave her a glare.
"Oh and get tossed in the pokey for ten years ago?! No thank you." Argento replied.
"You honestly don't think that you're still wanted do you?" Cissnei asked as Argento pulled out a folded up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Cissnei. Cissnei unfolded it, revealing it to be a wanted poster with Argento's face, name, last known location (Midgar), reward of $500.000 Munny, and the date the warrant was last updated…it had been updated only two weeks ago.
"Oh…yeah…well perhaps we can think of something that will get you cleared." Cissnei said as she handed Argento the poster back.
"Thanks but if we can just stick to backwater worlds I think I can survive." Argento replied as she turned back around to the console.
"Wait a second…" Marina said as she realized something, "…Atlantica? Isn't that a world from Dad's stories about Sky-boy, Aqua-girl, and Lando?"
"Hey yeah it is…it's where the mer-people live." Rikujou replied.
"Do you think we should tell 'em?" Cissnei whispered to Argento.
"No…let them figure it out for themselves." Argento replied as the Gummy ship roared through space towards Atlantica.
On the Destiny Islands…
"Zack! What are you doing here?!" Aerith asked surprised at Zack's sudden arrival.
"Well we decided to come early and surprise you guys." Zack said with a smirk.
"Well the surprise is yours actually…come see who's finally come back." Terra said as Zack went wide eyed in shock.
"You're kidding?!" Zack asked as Terra and Aerith both shook their heads with a serious smirk on their face.
"Ru-mo Luf." Zack said stunned as he barreled through his uncle and step-aunt and into the living room. (Holy Cow)
"Oh hey Zack. Long time no yelling." Riku greeted with a smirk as Zack stood there stunned…finally…
"RIKU!!!" Zack shouted as he pulled his cousin into a bear hug, "OH MAN IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"
"You (gasp) to Zack (gasp). Can't…Breathe." Riku gasped as Zack released him.
"Oh sorry cous…I just don't know my own strength is all." Zack chuckled as the blond walked in with a stunned look on her face.
"Zack what's the problem?! I heard you call my name." the blond said as Zack gave her a confused look.
"Huh? Oh no, no, no…I meant that Riku." Zack said as the six's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Rikku?! Is that you?!" Sora asked.
"Yep…it's me…older, grayer, and much less hyper." Rikku replied.
"There's something…off about you…what it is I just can't place." Roxas said as Rikku furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Oh…I think I know what it is." Aqua said mischievously as she stood up and pointed to Rikku's shoulders, "She's actually wearing clothes instead of undergarments."
A unanimous "OHHHHH" went off amongst the six.
"Yeah…having a baby or two can do that to ya." Rikku chuckled.
"Fuu, Namine, and I know the feeling." Kairi said as the six year old boy came running in while bawling to his father.
"Huh? Vernon what's the matter?" Zack asked as he knelt down to his son's level.
"I didn't do it!" the nine year old girl said as she came running in.
"Do what Yuna?" Rikku asked suspiciously.
"Uh nothing." Yuna replied innocently as Vernon started babbling something in Al Bhed.
"Huh?" Zack asked as he listened to his son's explanation, "Yuna you're grounded."
"Tattletale!" Yuna quipped as Fuu cleared her throat.
"Kids?!" she said as Sora nodded.
"Zack we hate to ask this of you but we need a ride." Sora said as Zack arched an eyebrow.
"Leaving so soon?" he asked.
"We've been told by Minerva herself that there's trouble back at home…Calamity trouble." Roxas replied as Zack's eyes widened.
"You're joking?" Zack asked as Riku shook his head.
"Zack we don't kid about thinks like that." Riku replied as Zack groaned and ran a hand over his face.
"Ok then…the Celsius is in orbit, it will fit all of us." Zack said as he whipped out a small device.
"Who's going by the way?" Rikku asked.
"Everyone it seems." Ven said as everyone nodded.
"Except us…Elizabeth and I will stay here." Will said as Elizabeth and Bootstrap nodded.
"Ok then…wish us luck." Mune said as they vanished in a blue beam of light and reappeared on the Celsius.
"Ok folks let's buckle in…where are we heading?" Zack asked as Namine took the helm controls.
"We're heading to Spira…we've been hiding out there for all this time." Namine said as Aqua put a hand to her forehead.
"Holy Mackerel what brought this on?" she moaned.
"What's wrong?" Mune asked concerned.
"This migraine just came out of nowhere." Aqua said as she glowed with a white aura.
"Uh Mom…I don't think it's a migraine." Kairi said as a transparent Luxa emerged from Aqua and materialized shortly afterwards.
"Luxa?! What are you doing here? We left you with the kids!!!" Roxas asked.
"Don't bother going to Spira…they've already fled." Luxa said as everyone looked at her with worry written across their faces.
"Who's fled?" Kairi asked nervously.
"Argento, Cissnei, Shelke, the robots, and the kids…they took the emergency Gummy ship and fled when the Unbirths attacked." Luxa explained as Mune and Zack gave her a stunned expression, everyone else's faces were confused.
"The who?" Sora asked.
"The Unbirths…the old cult that Xehanort and Weiss the Immaculate were raised in." Mune explained.
"How do you know of them?" Zack asked.
"You have to ask me boy? You forget my past." Mune replied.
"All I know of these maniacs is that they've been keeping an ultra low profile for about ten years now." Zack said.
"Until now…" Luxa said as everyone looked at her confused, "…I've got a bit of explaining to do."
"That you do." Mune said as Namine turned back to face the group.
"Where do we go in the meantime?" She asked.
"Let's head to Edge…the WRO is going to want to know about this." Zack suggested as the others nodded in agreement and the Celsius roared into hyperspace.
Meanwhile…
In orbit over a water covered world a Spiran made gummy ship appeared.
"There it is…Atlantica." Argento said with a sigh.
"If I remember dad's stories correctly, Atlantica should have Mermaids living there…a princess named Ariel." Marina said as Ventus nodded.
"Hey can we go down there? Please?" Ventus asked as Argento thought for a moment.
"Well…Cissnei you mind going with them?" Argento asked as Cissnei arched an eyebrow.
"Why can't you go?" she asked.
"I uh…can't uh…" Argento said nervously as Cissnei looked at her in disbelief.
"You can't swim. Can you?" Cissnei asked as Argento sighed and shook her head.
"Not exactly high on the training regiment for Deepground." Argento replied sheepishly.
"It is an irony that you are unable to swim Argento…considering that you were born in a tank." Shelke said as Argento gave her an indignant look.
"Huh?" the kids asked confused.
"Nothing, just stand by to beam down." Argento said as Lulu raised her hand.
"Um can I stay here?" she asked.
"Sure if you want…you can help Shelke, EVE, Wall-e and I move everyone's luggage into their rooms." Argento replied as Lulu smiled.
"Ok then guys...let's go make a splash." Cissnei said as she and the five suddenly vanished in a beam of blue light to the world below.
End Chapter 7
Next up, the kids' first experience with another world…
But as always…
Please R&R…
