A/N: A bit of a lengthy chapter this time round but for me to get in everything I wanted without cutting corners, I thought I might as well give you a something juicy to bite into for a while. Also, a poll has been added to my profile with options for which world you want Sora to visit first. Right now the choice will be between Brave, The Black Cauldron and Middleton(Kim Possible). The poll will likely be up for a good while anyway since I have some plot points I need to lay down before that, but feel free to vote in the meantime.
Chapter 6
Fugitives
Theta District, Radiant Garden
Sora lowered his hands from the door as it swung open to reveal a dishevelled girl with a strand of platinum blonde hair sticking up among the rest of the herd. The girl rubbed her eyes and blinked, and then they grew wide as if she had just seen a ghost.
"Did you miss me?" Sora asked with a grin. It soon faded from his face when Jayne abruptly shut the door again, locking them out. Sora turned around to the others and gave an awkward laugh. "Well, that was unexpected."
The door opened once again and Jayne stood in the doorway once again, searching straight into Sora's eyes. She lifted an arm and let it drift forward until her hand rested on Sora's cheek.
"It really is you," Jayne whispered. "Where have you been?"
"There's plenty of time to talk about that but right now we're not exactly welcome here and we have someone and her daughter who need help," Sora said, gesturing towards the Blue Fairy who was carrying Colette in both arms and Stephanie, who was leaning against Luna and rubbing her eyes.
Jayne suddenly burst to life, looking at them both with worried. "Stephanie? And Colette! What happened to them?"
"House burnt down. It was some guy in a mask," Sora told her. Jayne backed up as the Blue Fairy hurried into her home followed by Luna, Stephanie and the Gullwings. Sora remained however, simply staring at the welcome mat in between him and Jayne. "He must have known we were coming. Otherwise, why choose now of all times?"
"It'll be okay, Sora. As you said, you're not safe outside," Jayne said. Sora nodded slowly and stepped into the house. He walked into the living room to see the Blue Fairy and Luna lifting Colette onto the couch.
He heard the door closing behind him and turned to see Jayne peering through the peephole. "You're sure you weren't followed? I really don't want to get in any trouble here."
"No, we definitely weren't, at least I don't think so," Sora said.
"That doesn't inspire much confidence but okay…" Jayne pulled away from the door and turned to Sora, inspecting him closely. "Aw, you're got rid of your hair?"
"What are you talking about? It's still there," Sora replied with furrowed brows.
Jayne shook her head. "That's not what I meant. You got rid of the spikes. Come on, that's like a defining character trait right there."
"I'm sorry, am I not good enough for the hair not to matter?"
"No one remembers the generic hairstyle. It's like expecting the Spanish inquisition. You just don't," Jayne answered.
"I'm… not quite sure what you're getting at there but hey, at least there are still some small spikes. It's not like it can't grow back," Sora said. "Anyway, how do you know Colette and Stephanie?"
"Oh, we've met a few times. About two months ago, some bombings happened around the town and Colette was immediately on the scene willing to help those who were injured. My friend, Naomi, and I kind of volunteered and she asked us to watch over her daughter while she worked at hospital that day. After that, things just kind of hit off," Jayne explained as they walked into the living room. Colette was stirring about, her eyes fluttering open and her head turning slowly to take in the number of people around her.
Sora rushed to her side and knelt down. "You okay?"
"Sora?" she managed to say softly. It took a few seconds for Sora to register what she was saying.
"I'm here. Luna is too," he eventually said.
"Urgh, I have a throbbing headache right now. Where's Stephanie?"
Luna switched places with the nine-year-old who held onto her mother's hand. "Here, mom. You're going to be alright, aren't you?"
"I'd hope so. I'm not ready to go out yet," her mother replied with a slight chuckle. She suddenly jolted upright and looked around. "Fire! Where's the fire?"
"I'm sorry, Colette. Your house was set aflame by an arsonist. Whatever was left, is probably gone by now," answered the Blue Fairy.
"No… but all the photos of Stephanie's father are-"
"It's okay, mom. I still have one." Stephanie held up Pooh's storybook to show her that a corner of what looked like photographic paper was sticking out in the middle of the book. She slid it out to show them and Sora's heart melted instantly. It was the same photo he, Riku and the Gullwings had found after exploring the underground mining shaft in the town a while back. In it was a young girl blowing out the candles of her cake with a beaming mother and grinning father on either side of her. Judging by the number of candles on the cake, Sora would probably have put Stephanie as four at the time the photograph was taken.
"Hey, it's the photo you gave her, isn't it?" Luna asked.
"It is. 'To the person who is reading this, you have seen my most cherished and beloved family. A value worth more than any trinket or munny in the world. This shall be the hardest decision I have ever made and it pains me to do this but I must leave my wife and child for a long journey. If I do not return, please return this photograph to my wife, Colette and my dear daughter, Stephanie. And please protect them. From a loving father. P.S. Small handwriting is not my forte is seems,'" Colette recited looking up at the ceiling.
"You remember that letter on the back word for word? That's something else!" Sora remarked.
"I've read it so many times and always just before bed," Colette told them with a proud grin. The grin faded her face and she winced. "You don't have any aspirin, do you?"
"Um, no… but I do have ibuprofen," Jayne said.
"That'll do. Thanks," Colette replied as Jayne left them to head upstairs.
Suddenly feeling a tinge of regret, Sora said, "Colette, I'm sorry about what happened to your home. It's my fault."
However Colette laughed this off. "Don't be silly, Sora."
"I'm serious though. I can't help but think that the arsonist who burned your house did so because he knew of your connection to me. That also means that somehow, he knew we were here," Sora said. "Otherwise if he didn't, then this incident was way too coincidental for my liking."
"Sora, even if that were true, it's not your fault. It's not any of our faults. We couldn't predict how bad things were here and while we were stuck on the islands, the world around us kept moving, and not for the better," Luna said.
"Yeah, the only one who's at fault here is that stupid coward in the mask!" Rikku snapped, throwing a few punches at the air. "Ooh, I can just imagine that smug grin behind that mask. When we see him again, I'll wipe it off his stupid face."
Luna chuckled. "All in good time, Rikku. Anyway, that was some quick thinking in there, Sora. How did you know the mattress would work?"
"The mattresses here are flame retardant so they don't catch on fire when exposed to it. I remember reading a while back in a newspaper that Xanatos Enterprises solved one of the problems with the fire retardants in mattresses and that there used to be toxins that posed a health risk," Sora said.
"That was brilliant thinking on your part, Sora. I'm impressed!" Luna praised with a bright smile.
Sora grew a bright red and flashed a cheesy grin. "Aw, well, you know… danger often leads to inspiration."
"Huh. I usually find myself panicking around the room when it comes to things like that. Anyway, what happens now? I mean, we need to make contact with Cid, right? But we don't know where he is," Luna said.
Sora rubbed at his right temple with his index finger while looking at the photo and said, "I can hazard a guess. Whilst I'm not entirely confident, it's pretty much all we have to go on."
"Well, I'll trust your instincts since they did help us out back at Colette's house," Luna said.
Sora nodded. "Well they also say lightning never strikes the same place twice but I'll take my chances. The fact is we can't stay here all night. If that guy knew of our connection with Colette then I won't risk Jayne's safety."
"You don't get to decide that."
Sora and the others looked away from Colette and to the stairs where Jayne was standing, her hands grasping the railing tightly. She finally reached the bottom and walked over to them, handing the tablets to Colette and turning to Sora.
"A good few of us here, and I'm not saying it's everyone, but still, it's certainly quite a bit, don't like this new regime, even with the things they've done for us. It's basically fall in line and you'll benefit. The Radiant Garden they're building is for them and if you play by their rules, you'll get a taste of the pie. Still doesn't change the fact it's their pie. And what I can't figure out is that Leon just handed control over to them so easily. I heard that the other guys in the Restoration Committee were against it but Leon insisted. It's why the committee are now classified as insurgents but Leon… well, he's now CEO of Xanatos Enterprises."
Sora's mouth parted in shock. "What did you just say?"
"He replaced Xanatos as acting CEO after handing over control to Torvald. He's not exactly popular with the majority of the town either. To one half, he's the previous ruler of a failed regime built on cover-ups and a lack of integrity. To the other, the insurgents, he's a traitor," Colette explained.
"Squall wouldn't do something like that without a reason. It's just not like him," Sora said. He could think of numerous reasons for Squall's actions, none of them necessarily hinting at free will.
"I agree, but it's hard to convince those who refuse to listen. We humans do have the tendency to blame anything other than ourselves at times and unfortunately it was Squall and the rest of the Restoration Committee in the crossfire this time," Colette said.
Jayne placed a steady hand on Stephanie's shoulder, giving her a smile before looking at Sora. "Anyway, now that you're here I'm going to say this now. I want to help. What's happening to this town now is scary and I don't want me or anyone else I know living it. I'm not going to go about my daily routine deceiving myself into thinking everything's normal because I know it would only hurt in the long run. That's why I've decided, and this was only about a week ago too, I want to help the Restoration Committee."
"Jayne…" Sora murmured. The girl he saw now, once dedicated to becoming an actress, was potentially willing to throw everything away because of her beliefs. He had watched her struggle, listened to her frustrations first hand, and seen it all come to fruition on the stage that Saturday night over three months ago. Could she really abandon all of that at the drop of a hat? Maybe, but Sora wasn't prepared to see her do that. "I'm sorry, but no. Giving up all your ambitions like that is pointless."
"How can you say that?"
"Because there's always a way. That's what my friend, Aqua, likes to say. You can help the Restoration Committee while at the same time keeping your own life. All you need to do is keep doing what you did when I last saw you. Just act and be happy. In dark moments like this, people always look to the closest source of light available to comfort them. You can be their light. Their happiness. The theatre exists so people can forget the outside world for a while, right? Then help them to forget. That's a power you have that I don't," Sora said.
He walked over to Jayne and took hold of her right hand with both of his own, giving it a squeeze. Jayne smiled at him and let out a light chuckle.
"You know, I've been told a lot of things about my acting over the years, some negative, some positive, and I've taken it all to heart and it's made me a better person for it. What you just said may be the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Rather than trying something else entirely, I should make the most out of the strengths I already have. I agree. Thank you, Sora."
"Hey, I'm just glad I could change your mind," Sora said with a look of relief that made Jayne giggle.
"But my talents are still needed," Colette said with a lot more strength than usual. Sora let go off Jayne's hands and looked over to the mother who had just finished downing the rest of the water Jayne had also fetched for her. "I want to come with you to check on Cid and the others. I worry for them, especially if they're not anywhere that has immediate access to medical help."
"Again, I really don't think that's a good idea-"
"I've lost my house. As far as I know, Steph and I are already in danger," Colette replied.
"Sora, I think if Colette wants to help, we shouldn't stop her. It might be dangerous but we can't deny the world we live in. If Colette feels the best place she can be is with the Restoration Committee then I support her in that," Luna argued in a dulcet tone.
Sora seemed dissatisfied by this but reluctantly nodded the go ahead. Colette was like a tornado anyway. Once her path was set, it was pretty impossible to convince her otherwise to tread it.
"Alright, then we need to get moving again. Blue Fairy, ma'am, do you think you could teleport us to just near the castle gates?" Sora asked.
"So… near the entrance to the castle roof? I should be able to do that but-"
"I think the secret passageway we're looking for is around there. I just hope there aren't too many people out on patrol in that area," Sora said.
"I'll check to make sure our path is clear. Be back in a moment," the fairy announced and disappeared before their eyes, leaving flickering gleams of light like stars behind until they too disappeared.
After a few minutes, the Blue Fairy reappeared and smiled. "Other than the gates, the area is completely clear. I'm hoping your secret passageway isn't near the gate."
"I think we'll be able to make do. Besides, if all else fails there's always running, right?" Sora jested.
"If we even get a chance to run," Luna replied sceptically.
"Optimism is essential to a healthy lifestyle. That said, your chances would indeed be quite slim," the Blue Fairy added with a beam on her face.
"Er- okay, thanks for that, I guess…" Sora grumbled. "Anyway, it's time we get going. Jayne, I know it's only been a few minutes but we have to get going again. It's not safe for us to stop for too long at one place, if that makes sense."
"I'll see you again?" Jayne asked.
"Count on it. I'm going to do my best to get rid of Torvald's guys, but I need Neuge, Riku and everyone else first," Sora said.
"Jayne, could I ask you a favor? I want you to take care of Steph for a while-"
"No!"
The answer did not come from Jayne but a rather serious Stephanie, who had her hands clenched into tiny balls.
"I'm not going to lose you like I lost dad. I won't let you do this by yourself. We're supposed to be a family, aren't we?" Stephanie cried.
"Well, yes, but-"
"Then no buts. I wanted to cry when you protected me from the part of the roof ceiling that fell on you. I thought I had lost you like dad but you're still alive. Now you want to leave me again?" Stephanie asked.
"It won't be for long, Stephanie. I know we're family and I know that means sticking together, but this is different. We're at war. I want to build a future that you deserve and for me to do that means I have to help in any way I can. I'm sorry Steph, but I can't get you involved," Colette said.
Stephanie looked away for a moment. When her eyes returned to her mother they were wet as she struggled to hold back tears.
"I thought we were a team. That's what you said."
Colette smiled and pulled Stephanie in for a hug. "And we always will be, sweetheart. But not this time."
There was a brief silence in which Sora thought that Stephanie was searching for a retort, but instead he heard a whisper over soft sobs. "You'll be back soon, right?"
"As soon as I can," Colette soothed.
Outside the Castle Gates, Radiant Garden
Sora pulled open the manhole that he had opened up about almost a year ago and watched as the others jumped down, staying till last to help Colette. The interior of the mineshaft hadn't changed since Sora had last been here. Here, he took the lead and slipped through the narrow crevice that led to the depths of the cave.
"Sora, are you sure they're down here. I just can't see it…" Luna said, as she emerged after him. Yuna, Rikku and Paine flew in easily right after her. Sora had completely forgotten how easy it was for the three pixies to get through last time as it was now.
"It's the only place I can think of. Riku and I came here about a year ago and we were so excited when we found it. It was just like when we were kids, exploring the secret place for the first time. Anyway, at the end there's a graveyard or something that looks like one. I think if we keep going in that direction, we'll find them for sure."
The one thing Sora forgot to mention however as they continued on their way to their destination was just how long the cave went on. After walking for what was probably just under an hour, Colette let out a loud groan.
"Please tell me that if I have to leave, I won't be coming back this way. Truth be told, I probably wouldn't have come if I had known it was this far," Colette said.
"Yeah… how much longer, Sora?" Luna enquired, slurring her words whether she realized it or not.
"Um, sorry guys, but we're almost there. For real this time!" Sora promised with fake gusto. True to his word, they soon heard the murmurs of many people nearby. As they came across the first of many, people stopped and stared in shock or even admiration as Sora and Luna passed by them. Sora tried his best to ignore their staring but soon the few passers-by soon gave way to an open community full of people bustling in different directions, all until they spotted the two Keyblade wielders that is.
Noticing the abundance of depleting voices, Aerith who was carrying a bucket, turned in the same direction everyone else was looking and immediately dropped it, the water spilling onto the ground.
"Sora! Oh my… Cid! Yuffie! Over here!" Aerith called as loud as she could. There was some scurrying among the audience. Sora chuckled particularly when he heard a gruff voice say "the heck outta the way!"
Cid and Yuffie soon emerged in front of them, both with wide grins on their faces at the sight of the group. Sora's smile fell short at the sight of Cid however. He was being supported by two crutches, both of which he gripped onto tightly. His right leg was bent at an angle and his foot was wrapped in bandages, pointing downwards like a straight arrow but never touching the ground, forming a perfect isosceles triangle in between both legs.
"Well, look who it is. Figured you two decided to abandon us and start your careers as magicians. That was some disappearing act you pulled there," Yuffie remarked.
"And like true magicians, I suppose the secret's ours to keep. Anyway, what happened to your foot, Cid?" Sora asked.
"A bit of trouble with our new rulers. A few of them were harassing some kid on the street. I couldn't let it stand and well… let's just say now I can't stand," Cid said with a chuckle. "Don't worry about me. It was just a minor fracture. I'd say about another week or two and it'll be right as rain."
"I'll be the judge of that," Colette said, indicating her presence to the tech wizard. Cid let out an audible gulp.
"Well, if all it is a l. So, the fact that you're here means you knew about this place then?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, thanks to Cloud. It's a pretty favorable place and I don't think too many people apart from you guys would be willing to look for it. Unfortunately Cloud couldn't join us. He decided to do his own thing and left. That kid never was a fan of staying indoors too much," Cid said.
"So where is he now? And Tifa and Rinoa, for that matter?" Luna asked.
"Cloud? I have no idea. Not in Radiant Garden anymore, I can tell you that much. Last I heard from him, he said he was going out to find help. That was two months ago. Hope he's alright. As for Tifa, she's probably working up a sweat in her room as we speak."
Sora looked around to see multiple tents surrounding the outer layer of the giant room. So, the underground of Radiant Garden had effectively become a camp for those who refused Torvald's rule and judging not just by the camps but by the crowd of people in front of him, there were quite a few of them.
"And Rinoa?" Luna asked.
Cid looked uneasily over at the Yuffie who backed away slightly before turning around and said, "Best we talk about this somewhere more private."
Sora felt Luna's gaze rest on him from the corner of his eye. He briefly nodded to register it before following Yuffie, Cid and Aerith. Everyone around them soon returned to their previous activities, evoking a sense of relief from Sora. He would much rather prefer to be ignored than stared at like an idol.
The group soon reached a tent that looked more to be of military surplus standard compared to the smaller ones behind them. Other than a few beds, the only other equipment seemed to be a small vintage radio set on top of a desk along with four walkie-talkies, presumably for each Restoration Committee member.
The sound of heavy slamming stopped and Tifa pulled her fist away from the punching bag in the corner of the room before turning to look at them.
"Sora! Luna! You're back! And Colette, I didn't expect to see you here."
"I wanted to help any way I could. I'm just glad you're alright," Colette answered.
Tifa nodded and scanned the group from left to right as if expecting someone else. "Where's Stephanie?"
"I couldn't get her involved. She's with someone else I know."
"Probably for the best. Hope she didn't give you too much trouble," Tifa said. She was about to return to the punching bag when Sora spoke out.
"Someone burnt her house down."
"You've got to be kidding, right?" Yuffie asked in disbelief. Cid, Aerith and Tifa also had similar expressions of shock on their faces.
"Was it Torvald's folk?" Cid asked.
Sora shook his head. "No idea. It was some guy in a mask. Somehow I get the feeling that he was acting on his own though."
"Either way, it's horrible. Colette, I'm so sorry. While you and your daughter are still alive, I do hope nothing of too much value was taken from you," Aerith said with eyes full of sorrow.
"It's alright, really, but thank you, Aerith. It's all material at the end of the day. I'm just glad Stephanie was alright," Colette assured her.
"Just one more thing we'll have to set right by the end of this. HYAAH!" Tifa jumped back and threw a kick, knocking the punch bag away from her with such force that it caused everyone else to jump.
"So… where exactly is Rinoa?" Luna asked.
"One day she just mysteriously disappeared. No note, no mention beforehand, nothing. We think she might have been kidnapped by Torvald," Aerith said.
"It would explain why Leon didn't tell us anything," Yuffie added.
"You mean about handing the town over to Torvald? Could you expand on that a bit? What exactly happened?" Colette asked.
"You know, we're still not entirely sure ourselves. One day, several explosions went off around the town. There was also a hostage situation at Xanatos Enterprises, led by Irva Torvald's guys as you'd expect. The strange thing about the situation was that we received no demands at all from them," Yuffie started.
"Maybe they were trying to prove some kind of point? Like, we can shut down an entire town with the force we have so don't try anything funny?" Sora suggested.
"Maybe. Either way, our priority was the immediate rescue of the hostages. We planned to infiltrate the tower with me by myself as one team using one route to enter the building and Tifa with a group infiltrating from another more ostensive route. I was supposed to go ahead of the others and scout the building out. It was a pretty meticulous plan but before we could put it to action, the hostages and their kidnappers suddenly emerged from the building, Squall along with them. I thought it strange that we hadn't seen him all morning and that he hadn't even come to the meeting to discuss the hostage takers. Then a few minutes later, the announcement suddenly came, none of it even discussed with us. Leon just went on stage and declared that 'we, the Committee, have failed the people of Radiant Garden too many times. As such, fresh change is needed', just to paraphrase," Yuffie said, mimicking Squall's voice.
"Yes, it didn't make sense at the time. But I've never lost faith in Squall. Rinoa's disappearance coinciding with those events only serves to strengthen that faith. He wouldn't betray us. He was most like threatened. If you don't give up authority, Rinoa… well, you understand," Aerith said. "They probably also threatened him to keep quiet about it, which is why he never told us."
Sora lowered his head to mask him gritting his teeth. The real problem was knowing that he was ultimately powerless to do anything about this. If he had a death wish, he could oh so easily march up to Torvald and reveal himself, but even if he managed to be Torvald, there were still the others to contend with. Knowing that he could only bide his time until the day Radiant Garden would be free again was the thing that ached the most.
"But enough about us. I'm glad you got in contact with us otherwise I don't know how we would have been able to tell you this. We think Riku might be in trouble," Aerith told them, looking more so at Sora than the rest.
And the hits just keep coming, Sora thought, taking a moment to run his hands through his hair before looking up.
"What do you mean?" he asked in a steeled voice.
"Well, it's been over two months since we came into contact with him. Not just him, but Xion too. The last we heard from him, he was escorting Belle back to Prince Adam's castle. I can't help but get the feeling something bad has happened to them. I know it's just a feeling but they usually turn out to be right."
"I'll hope for the exception," Sora said. "Anyway, is there a plan of some sort for taking back the town?"
"We've come up with things using some of the schematics we found in Ansem's library. The problem is we don't have the necessary manpower to pull these off and I don't want to put these people in danger. They all have normal lives to go back to after this is all over. Fighting and dying to not see that is pointless," Cid said. "So right now, the parents are left to fend for their children and the orphans whose parents didn't survive last time around. Can you imagine that? Some of them are only ten, twelve years old? They only got to see the Radiant Garden as we knew it ten years ago for a short while and now they're being taken from that. No, we built it into something even better. Maybe that vision was built with dirty money, of course, we didn't know at the time but… even if not perfect, it was still ours and it was our duty to remedy those imperfections. Now we can't even do that."
Luna shook her head vigorously. "No. You will. We'll find everyone, and then we're coming back. We'll take back Radiant Garden. We'll save Squall and Rinoa. For now though, you have to be their leader Cid. Teach them. Help them."
"Leader? Pfft. I can't say I know nothing about leading. That said, not like I have a choice either. This world is ours dammit and we're not giving it up this time!" Cid snarled, driving his right crutch into the ground. A barely visible imprint remained when he lifted the crutch's tip from the point of impact.
"That's the spirit, gramps!" Luna teased, elbowing him playfully on his right arm.
"Hey, watch who you call gramps! I'm not that old." Cid retorted. Luna stuck her tongue out at him before looking back to Sora. "So what's the plan for us?"
"Well, since Kairi's doing something on her own, I think she'll be okay. For now, we need to find Riku and Xion so… off to Prince Adam's castle then?"
The Blue Fairy waved her wand about in a fluttery motion and said, "Then if I may suggest something. Cid, do you have any Gummi Ships left?"
"Well, yeah… not like I can access them though. The Hangar's being held under surveillance by those asshole Keyblade wielders. No offence," Cid said.
"None taken," Sora said. "But is there a reason, ma'am?"
"A fairy is always yearning for time. Why, tomorrow I have an appointment with King Triton. Big things are happening."
"That's an understatement. King Triton, huh? Say hi to Ariel for me if you can," Sora said.
"Of course. But you understand? Since I won't always be able to be with you, I think it best we acquire some method of transportation for you. Slower than magic, but it'll have to do," the Blue Fairy said.
"See, Sora? If only you had actually taken the time to learn how to do that corridor of light thing like Riku can do, we would be able to get around faster," Luna pointed out.
"Sue me. Besides, with Donald and Goofy travelling with and then you, it didn't really feel necessary when we had the Gummi Ship," Sora replied. "Besides, you can't tell me you wouldn't rather travel by air. I know how you work."
"Excuse me!"
At this sweet sound, Sora and Luna turned their gazes toward Aerith who stepped forward with a proud smile on her face. "I think I know a way you can get to the hangar."
Outside the Ruins of Villain's Vale, Radiant Garden
Sora could almost recreate the feeling of discovery second by second as he opened the manhole cover to reach Maleficent's old castle, or what should have been her castle anyway. Perhaps the reason his surprise resonated with him as much as it had a year ago was because of the condition of the building. The building had completed disappeared, leaving only stone and brickwork in its wake.
What had once been a twisted malignant reminder of a dark past for the town, a tumor that had bloated an already devastated landscape, was now a pile of smithereens. Sora would have laughed if the others hadn't been nearby to hear him. It was fascinating how something so sinister could be taken down so easily. It seemed unreal, like he was living in some alternate version of the world he knew.
"Was this done by Torvald's men?" Luna asked from behind him. Sora couldn't imagine any other possibility. He wondered if this was their way of cutting off the ties to the past, the sins that had plagued Radiant Garden perpetuated by the proclaimed manipulations of Ansem the Wise, the darkness brought by Maleficent, and the cover-ups of the Restoration Committee. Or maybe its repulsive aesthetics were simply looked upon in disgust. Either way, it symbolized a new era for Radiant Garden for sure. But they were sadly mistaken if they thought it was an era they would be a part of.
"Sora, are you listening?"
Sora snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Tifa who showed a look of concern on her face. She had volunteered to escort them to the Gummi Hangar after Aerith had suggested they use the manhole to reach Villain's Vale. They would then use the rope that Tifa had brought along to scale up a certain mountain and arrive right behind the Gummi Hangar. They had already said their goodbyes to the others, with Colette staying behind to help. Sora hoped that it would not be long before he could see them again.
"Sorry. It's just weird not to see something that's always been there before. Anyway, let's keep moving," Sora said. After travelling around for a few minutes, they eventually reached the destination Aerith had pointed out for them. Tifa knelt down and set about with the preparations, tying a knot with the rope around the grappling hook she'd also been given.
"I'm going to throw this up there. Miss Blue Fairy, do you think you could teleport up there and attach it to something sturdy for me?" Tifa asked.
The Blue Fairy chuckled. "Miss… I quite like the sound of that. You know, I've always wanted to be a teacher and-"
"That's fine and dandy but let's not get distracted from what we came here to do," Tifa said. The Blue Fairy looked a little disappointed by Tifa's lack of interest but put on her best smile soon after and nodded before teleporting up to the top.
"I'm ready," called the Blue Fairy. Tifa nodded and spun the grappling hook in circles before throwing it upwards with as much force as she could muster. The Blue Fairy managed to grab the hook before it could slip away from her and disappeared from the edge of the mountain for a few seconds, returning thereafter to alert them to her success.
"Alright, Luna, you're probably lightest so you go first," Tifa said.
"Um, have I ever mentioned I'm not too good with heights? I mean, I've climbed a fair few things while I was in the realm of darkness and I really don't have a choice in the matter do I?" Luna said really quickly. She had a habit of talking really quickly when she was nervous, something Sora found both hilarious and cute.
"Well, think of it like walking upwards instead of forwards-"
"Oh, it is not like that at all!" Luna snapped.
Tifa beamed. "You're right. Hmm, well, just don't look down then."
"Come on, Luna. Time to put Phil and Neuge's training to good use," Sora said.
"Fine… but you'll catch me if I fall, won't you?" Luna asked.
Sora scratched at his chin. "I'll consider it."
Luna chuckled at this and turned her attention to the thick rope. Griping it tightly with both hands, she backed away a bit before swinging forward and planting her feet on the mountain. Sora could hear murmurs of "Don'tlookdowndon'tlookdown" over and over again as she climbed upwards.
"So what's the story with you and Luna?" Tifa asked as he watched Luna ascended higher up the mountain.
Sora took his eyes off her and looked at Tifa questioningly before realizing what she meant. "Oh. Yeah, well things kind of hit off between us the last time we were here. I was pretty clumsy at first when it came to it but Luna helped out and we just went from there. I'm lucky to have her. Heck, I'm even lucky to have met her in the first place. And to think, it all started when she fell on top of me back in Traverse Town."
"That's one way of meeting your girlfriend. Well, I'm happy for you. She deserves it after everything that's happened to her," Tifa said.
"Yeah, I agree. She's certainly made me happy so I want to return the favor. And you, Tifa? How are you and Cloud doing?" Sora asked.
Tifa shot Sora a look as if he had grown two heads and quickly looked away. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Of course you don't. But just remember that guys like Cloud don't exactly catch on to the obvious. If you're expecting him to act first, don't," Sora advised.
"Hmm, maybe you're right," Tifa said. Sora grinned and looked back up to the mountain to see the Blue Fairy helping Luna up as she reached the last few hurdles of her climb. "You're next, Sora."
Sora nodded and repeated the same motions as Luna, gathering enough momentum to launch himself off the ground. Planting his feet firmly against the mountain's surface, he began hoisting himself upward. By the time he reached the top, both his arms were aching. He caught sight briefly of the lamp post with which the grappling hook was attached around, but he paid it little else attention.
The group waited for Tifa to re-join with them before continuing onwards. The walk was a short three minutes and before Sora knew it, he was facing the back of the side of the Gummi Ship Hangar. Sora craned his neck slightly to the side to search the area, but any trace of life eluded him.
Sora summoned Oblivion and cut a hole through the barbed wire fence, allowing them to slip in under night's cover.
As they entered the Hangar, Sora could immediately tell that something was not right. It probably didn't take a genius to figure out that the Hangar was too quiet, and very much lacking in security. His eyes set sight on the several gates lined in up a row that led to separate Gummi Ships. Only two remained, one in Gate 3 nearby and the other in Gate 9, the latter immediately catching his attention as being the first Gummi Ship he had ever travelled on. Compared to later models, it may have seemed inferior what with its simple red and yellow motif but to Sora it was a personal reminder of his first few journeys.
"So which one should we go for?" Luna asked.
"You'll be going for neither."
The group spun around to see three armored figures approaching them arranged in a triangle formation. The one in front seemed more important than the other two judging by his gold armor plates in contrast to their silver ones.
"You're with Irva Torvald?" Sora asked.
"Hold your tongue, fool. You are speaking to General Sabbat of the Hauteclaire Division!" a furious female's voice came out of the armored figure on the left behind Sabbat. Her anger seemed reside when Sabbat held up a swift hand before looking back to Sora.
"And what of it?"
Luna stepped forward and yelled, "Why are you doing this?"
"That's hardly your concern given you won't live long enough for an answer to matter," the man replied. He looked over to Tifa and extended a hand forward. "And to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit? Are you ready to finally admit your surrender? To be quite honest, the Garden could still use your talents. Let us work together and restore peace to these once civil streets."
"Don't you dare talk like you knew what this town once was. We were perfectly fine without you and we'll be perfectly fine after you're long gone and buried," Tifa said, driving a fist into her palm.
Sabbat let out a lasting sigh that seemed to bleed in to the factory noises around the building. "Alas, the people may be of a different opinion. Very well, if you will not be penitent to your failures, Horus has no need of you any longer."
"Horu-" The word was barely out of Sora's mouth before a wave of energy was unleashed forward. Tifa jumped in Sora's way and crossed her wrists, the energy smashing into her with so much force that Sora's legs suddenly felt wobbly. The wave of energy soon became too much for Tifa to handle and she was blown back, taking Sora along with her to the floor.
"Sora! Tifa!" Luna yelled, she was about to run over to them when the Blue Fairy stopped her.
"No. You mustn't lose focus. One small mistake and I fear it may be your last," the Blue Fairy said. Luna nodded and summoned Dream Seeker before transforming it into Artemis' bow. She fired off a few arrows, all of which were deflected by Sabbat and the other soldiers as they approached. Luna quickly changed her Keyblade back to its original state and locked blades with Sabbat. Sabbat lifted his Keyblade off of Luna's and then back down again, repeating the process with slow, methodical but heavy strikes that kept Luna on the defensive. His height made it so that Luna was always blocking his vertical swings from above, exposing the rest of her body to any attack.
He lifted his Keyblade away but instead of bringing it back down, used his elbow thrust it into Luna's chest, causing her to lose her balance. About to make his first horizontal strike, a beam of light from the Blue Fairy's wand connected with his arm and knocked him backwards. Luna quickly regained her balance and swung, her Keyblade tearing into Sabbat's torso area.
Meanwhile, Tifa was fending off the female armored figure and Sora was taking on the one who had remained silent throughout. Sora's eyes quickly scanned his surroundings and he began to put a plan into motion. Sora didn't attempt to parry his adversary's attacks but rather sidestepped out of their way. He made sure he was close to the wall where some of the pipes were running and cut through them, quickly jumping out of the way. Steam poured and engulfed his opponent, who was forced to retreat as quickly as possible.
The figure spun around in all directions, unable to see due to the hot blast. Sora got in from behind and struck as quickly as possible, slashing up, down, left, right… everywhere he could until he discovered the secret. Upon striking that pauldron on their left shoulder, the armor shattered completely, revealing a startled man.
"What the hell? Bah, this isn't worth my life!" He cried before booking it fast for the exit. Did he really have that little confidence without his armor? A certain sitar-wielding individual popped into Sora's head. He shrugged it off and turned his attention to Luna and the Blue Fairy who were fending off Sabbat. He was about to run in to help then when his eyes fell on the Gummi Ship instead.
Tifa slid around behind her opponent and delivered several fast blows, aiming more so at forcing the woman back with her palms rather than delivering blows she knew could end up hurting her fists in the long run. Many years of experience and training made her the vastly superior fighter of the two, her speed almost unparalleled to any in the room. Tifa jumped high and delivered a well-aimed kick to the helmet. The woman was unable to block in time and was sent almost tripping in the opposite direction.
Not allowing her out of arm's length, Tifa landed back on the ground and began to glow a bright aura.
"Time to break the limit!" Tifa said. She raced forward and performed her Final Heaven move. She struck at the woman in five different directions like a trail of light before reappearing and unleashing a massive blast of energy with her fist that shattered the woman's armor and sent her flying into a wall. "Couldn't keep up with the beat, could you?"
"LUNA, GET DOWN!"
Tifa turned to see the Gummi Ship from Gate 3 firing off several Thunder-G shots. Luna did as she was told. That said, the weapon hadn't been aiming for her or Sabbat. Sora wasn't so careless or stupid to do that. He instead aimed for the roof directly above Sabbat. The general tried to move but a quick stun from the Blue Fairy's wand prevented him from doing so and he was crushed by the falling debris of the roof.
"In other news today, the enemy forces suffered a rather crushing defeat," Sora joked through the Gummi Ship's headset.
"Sora, ignoring the pun, I honestly think I love you right now," Luna declared through some breathiness.
"Ow! How do you feel the other times then?" Sora's voice oozed mock offence, causing Luna to laugh.
"You two need to get going before more show up. I can't stay here for long either," Tifa said.
"Are you heading back to the hideout now, Tifa?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, but first I'm gonna bring that one along with me," Tifa said, pointing towards the unconscious woman she had fought with. "Maybe she can tell us about Torvald's plans. Of course, I'm sure she'll need a lot of convincing."
"You really love using those fists of yours, don't you?"
Tifa grinned at Luna. "Well, these fists were made for punching."
"Ha-ha-ha, I'll take your word for it. Alright, see you hopefully soonish I guess. Thanks for coming with us," Luna said, starting on her way towards the Gummi Ship along with the Blue Fairy.
Tifa saw them off with a smile before turning to the unconscious woman. "Just telling you now that my punching bag is starting to wear out."
A/N: Something I was really interested in while reading about the backstory for the restoration committee was that Cid was the one who rescued them prior to their world's destruction. Expect to delve deeper into Cid's father-like relationship with the others (particularly Squall) as the story continues. Anyway, next time, Sora and Luna will start their search for Riku and Xion. Until then, thanks for reading!
