Well guys, being it October, I believe it's time for some Halloween madness!
To start off, here's a somewhat eerie tale of a madman who goes around… stealing pieces of heart.
FF2: If this means what I think it means, bring it on! :D
Sure does! ON WITH IT!
Disclaimer: I wish I owned the guest-stars that are about to arrive!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
*Riiiiiiiiiinnngggg!*
A small alarm-clock rang—
*SLAM!*
That is, until a mallet swung down on it, and ATF shot up in bed. "Oh my gosh!" he exclaimed, then ran over to his calendar. "OH my gosh!" he then quickly got dressed and shot down the street for his shift at the House of Mouse. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!"
He ran circles around Max when he got there, the valet arching an eyebrow. "Where have I seen this before?" he asked, recalling a similar event in Season 1.
"OH! MY! GOSH!" ATF exclaimed as he gripped Max by the shirt and got in his face, then let go and began to do a little happy-dance.
"Um, ATF, before you shoot off into orbit, which I'm sure you'll do, mind telling me what's going on?"
"The night's finally here, Max! Within moments, the cast of one of the best videogames of ever is going to be arriving here at the House of Mouse! I gotta pee!" he then shot inside the club, then zipped back out half a second later. "Did I miss anything?"
"No… um… who exactly is this cast?"
"The cast of Ni No Kuni!"
"OH MY GOSH!" WG and FF2 both exclaimed, popping up on both sides of Max.
"GAH!" Max screamed, shooting up in the air and clinging to the telephone pole. "Will you guys NOT do that?! Sheesh, is this going to be a running gag for EVERY TIME the cast of one of your favorite shows or videogames or whatever visit?!"
"We can't help it! It's going to be the most epic experience since they mixed peanut-butter with chocolate!" WG said giddily.
"I know, I haven't been this excited since I ran into Joel from The Last of Us at GameStop!" FF2 added.
(We then get a clip of Joel standing in an aisle… and FF2 literately running and crashing into him. "Oh, dude! …Can I get your autograph?" he asked, whipping out a pencil and notebook, holding it up to the unconscious videogame character.)
Max climbed down from the pole, sighing. "Geez, guys, can you just relax?" he asked.
"Are you kidding?! We're so excited, we're about to EXPLODE!" ATF exc-
*KA-BOOM!*
Before the paragraph was finished, the authors, literately, exploded… making Max crash through the wall. When the smoke cleared, the three authors stood there, charred, smoking… and smiling like someone gave them all cake.
"*cough* Great… it's going to be another one of THOSE episodes…" Max groaned, then made a face-plant on the ground.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Meanwhile in the dressing room, Mickey sat with Oswald. "Well, Ozzy, it looks like everything's planned for your 'Welcome Back' celebration tonight!" he said.
"Great to hear, Mick! But, one question… why didn't we do this earlier, like after the episode where I returned?" Oswald asked.
"Well, we were… but then a bunch of villainous plots got in the way and made us post-pone. Also, the bakery had been out of carrot-cake because Bugs Bunny was throwing a birthday party for Lola,"
"Ah well, at least we finally have a night of celebration!"
"Yeah… though, brace yourself, something is bound to happen."
"What makes you say that?"
Mickey sighed. "Because every time there's a celebration or something big planned, something ALWAYS goes wrong,"
Oswald shrugged. "Here's to wishful thinking, then."
They walked backstage, going over to Horace. "Hey, Horace! Got all the cartoons ready for tonight?" Mickey asked.
"Yeah, sure… whatever…" Horace grumbled, unenthusiastically.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nah…" Horace yawned, walking up to the projection room. "Just going to take a nap… rest up for… stuff."
Oswald arched an eyebrow. "Wow, he really seems pumped." He scoffed.
"Eh heh, he probably just didn't get enough sleep. Don't worry, Oswald, this will be a night we'll never forget!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Are they here now? How about now? Now? Maybe now? Now, perhaps? Now are they-" WG was asking, excitedly.
"Wherever Girl, if you bring up that gag again, I'm sealing you in cement!" Max snapped.
"Oh c'mon, Max! We're ALL excited!" FF2 said.
"And who can blame us?! Within moments, we'll be spending a night of celebration with the characters of the popular JRPG that included animation from Studio Ghibli!" ATF said, shaking with excitement. "Gosh, do you think Esther is seeing anyone?"
"I'm just hoping I get their autographs!" WG said, holding up her enormous autograph book.
"Me too!" Daisy exclaimed, passing by.
"Oh brother…" Max sighed. "Um, shouldn't you guys be checking the perimeter, in case of danger?"
"Why? No matter how much we do it, some bad-guy always slips in." FF2 said. "But, I do see your point… ATF, you go check."
"What?! Why don't you or WG check?!" ATF demanded.
"Because you're the psychic one who can't die- besides, since FF2 was the one who introduced us to the game, and since I have a more level-head when it comes to being a fan-girl, that leaves you with the job," WG replied.
ATF grumbled, walking off. "When I start writing my own NNK stories, you're not helping,"
He walked into the dining area, where several guests were already there. He passed by Cinderella's table. "C'mon, Cinderelli! Tell us why you won't join the other princesses?" Jacque-Jacque asked, as he noticed the famous princess wasn't sitting with the rest of the princesses at their table, but sat solo.
"Oh, why should I? I don't belong with them…" she sighed, glumly.
ATF arched an eyebrow. Before he could think into the matter, Aladdin bumped into him. "Whoops, sorry!" he exclaimed, and took off running.
"That's alright," ATF replied… then stuck his hand in his pocket. "Hold it… what happened to my Hershey bar?"
He didn't have time to think, as suddenly a plate flew across the room and crashed into his head. He shook off the pain, then looked over, seeing Beast was throwing a major-fit. "You call that a dinner-special?!" he was roaring.
"Beast, please calm down!" Belle pleaded, though he only snarled at her. She stood up and stormed away. "Fine, if you're going to act like that, I'm leaving!"
ATF quickly ran over to Minnie. "Hey, Minnie, I think there's something wrong with the guests! You'd better get Mickey!" he said.
"Oh, why should I help him?! I'm always the one doing all the work, and for what?" she snapped.
"Whoa, Minnie, easy… Is something wrong?"
"Oh nothing's wrong- except we've been running this club for years, and I've wasted too much of my own time supporting his decisions!" she then stormed off.
"Um, okay…" ATF quickly ran to Mickey, seeing him backstage with Oswald. "Hey, Mickey, we've got a problem- everyone's having mood-swings!"
"So we noticed when Beast started chasing Aladdin for trying to swipe his dessert!" Oswald said, peeking out behind the curtain. "It looks like some of our famous Disney stars are having an off-day!"
"It's not just the stars, Minnie's in a mood too!" ATF looked at Mickey. "What did you do wrong?"
"I don't know! She was happy when we got here!" Mickey said in defense. "I don't know what's causing all this trouble,"
"Oy, speaking of 'trouble', here comes Pete." Oswald muttered.
Indeed, Pete was coming by… actually, he passed by them, and hid in Mickey's dressing room! "Uh…" was ATF's response.
"Pete! What's going on?!" Mickey demanded. "Come out of there!"
"I'm not coming out until all these problems are solved! It's mayhem out there!" Pete stammered in fear… which everyone found odd, as if there was trouble, he would always get in Mickey's face about it.
"Okay… Cinderella's losing confidence, Beast is losing his temper all over again, Minnie's losing her compassion, and I just lost my snack to Aladdin! Now our antagonist is acting like a wimp!" ATF exclaimed. "Gentlemen… I do believe we've got a crisis on our hands."
"What do we do?" Oswald asked.
"There's only one thing to do… TO THE BAT CAVE!"
*Transition including the SA symbol in a swirly-background appears*
Mickey, Oswald, and ATF are now standing in the Bat Cave. "Um… what are we doing here?" Mickey asked.
"I don't know. I just felt like saying that!" ATF replied. "Anyway… BACK TO THE STORY!"
*Repeat of transition*
ATF quickly ran outside. "FF2! WG! CODE PINK! CODE PINK!" he was shouting as he ran outside.
FF2 gasped. "They're going to give the Jonas Brothers another show?!" he yelped.
"What? No, something's seriously wrong in the club!"
"Oh geez, ATF, we told you- it's not a 'Code Pink' situation if-" WG began to say.
"SPARE ME THE LECTUR, SIS! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!"
*Whack!*
WG hit ATF with a 2x4. "How many times do I have to tell you not to overdo it with the caps-lock?! That gag can get addicting if you're not careful!" she snapped.
"I thought that gag was just for Fanatic…" ATF groaned.
"Never mind. ATF, what's the emergency?" FF2 asked.
"I was in the club, and things were out of proportion- Cinderella was depressed, Beast was acting crazy, Minnie's probably going through PMS, Aladdin's swiping everyone's food, Pete's paranoid, and I have no idea what's going on because normally I'd have a vision by n… OH MY GOSH, IT'S THEM!"
ATF pointed to the sky, and everyone looked up, seeing a large purple dragon wearing a collar swooping down for a landing- it was Tengri, and on his back were the other Ni No Kuni characters: Oliver, Esther, Swaine, Marcassin and Mr. Drippy.
"Must… suppress… fan-girl… squeal!" WG strained.
"Hey, guys! Nice to be back," Oliver said. "Um, no one's going to ask me to have a wizard's duel with anyone, are they?"
"No… and to make sure, WG hit Puggsy with a brick as a warning if he brought it up, again." ATF added.
"Wasn't Shaggy also part of the reason?" FF2 asked.
"Yeah, but she let him go since he chucked a brick at Pete in the Spark of Madness two-parter,"
"So glad to know you don't believe in favoritism!" Puggsy sneered as he walked by the authoress, holding an ice-pack on his head.
"So, this is the club you were telling us about, eh Oliver?" Swaine spoke up as they all walked forth. "Not too shabby a place,"
"Aye, an' there's been talk 'bout a big party goin' on tonight, that correct?" Mr. Drippy included.
"Yeah, but it sounds like some of our guests AND staff are having some problems," ATF added.
"What kind of problems?" Esther asked.
"Well, they're not exactly themselves-"
"GET BACK HERE WITH MY WALLET, YOU STREET-RAT!" Flynn Rider shouted as he ran after Aladdin.
"Someone one call the police! Beast is in a brawl with the Queen of Hearts!" Snow White cried.
"Does anyone have any anti-depressants Cinderella can take?" Prince Charming asked.
"News Flash! Minnie's talking about a break-up with Mickey!" Clarabelle called out.
"Could someone PLEASE tell my ex-husband to stop hiding in the dressing room?" Peg shouted.
"Wow… sounds like you've got quite a bit on your plates, tonight." Swaine commented.
"So a few characters are getting slightly OOC. I think we can handle things," WG stated, walking in…
~Five Seconds Later~
"HOLY SNAP, IT'S GOTTEN WORSE!" WG cried out, running up to the others.
"In just five seconds?! How?!" Marcassin questioned.
"How should I know? I just took a look inside and saw all sorts of madness- it's like I walked into an alternate universe!"
"What's going on now?" Oliver asked.
"I don't know, but no one's acting like themselves! Garfield won't eat, Percy Jackson is challenging everyone to a death-match, Hermoine keeps slapping Ron for no reason, Elsa is spontaneously freezing everything, Tiana's basically a zombie (emotionally speaking), Sailor Moon is hiding under the table and won't come out, and if I went on to list every character it would take up a whole 20 pages!"
"What could be going on?" ATF asked.
FF2 rolled his eyes. "Oh c'mon, guys, we already brought up the plot in the Author's Note- everyone's suffering from heart-break!" he scoffed.
Max arched an eyebrow. "What, you mean everyone just broke up with their love-interests?" he questioned.
FF2 gave his brother a stunned look. "Max… brother… you've never played Ni No Kuni?!"
"Um, no… why?"
FF2 gawked. "That's it. After tonight, we are SO having a videogame night! …can't believe it, my own brother…"
"Uh-huh… And I take it this 'plot' involves us helping out?" Swaine guessed.
"Unless some OTHER wizard and his crew knows how to 'give heart' is here, we'd really appreciate it." WG replied, critically.
Swaine crossed his arms. "I don't think I like your tone,"
"Join the club," Pugs called from inside.
"Shouldn't you be suffering from heart-break?!" WG shouted.
"My heart's been broken since the day you put me in fan-fiction!"
"Something tells me it was a bad idea to come here," Swaine sighed.
"Um, c'mon, lets go talk to Mickey before WG tackles a certain cynical character," ATF suggested.
Swaine nodded. "Right, that loudmouth in there is asking for it,"
"I was talking about you, Swaine." ATF then made him lean down. "PS, watch your back, she has the hots for ya,"
"ANTI!" WG shouted, gripping her brother by the throat and yanking him off-screen.
"Uh, scene-change, please!" FF2 shouted.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
After a quick scene change and off-screen brawl between WG and ATF, everyone went to Mickey and Oswald, reporting to him all the trouble, yet the famous mouse already knew, which makes it pointless for me to be stating all this, but anyway…
"What are we going to do, Mick? Every time I turn my back, some guest ends up changing their personality!" Oswald stated.
"Yeah, it's like everyone keeps getting heart-broken… question is, who's doing it?" WG said.
"Crikey, Shadar en't 'round, is he?" Mr. Drippy gasped.
"No, he changed after Oliver defeated him, remember? He went back to being Lucien, after revealing his past to Oliver and moving on with Alicia in the afterlife," WG stated.
Calvin, who was playing the DS version of the game, paused and chucked it on the ground. "Thanks for the spoilers!" he snapped, storming off. (ATF quickly snatched up the game and pocketed it).
"So, who could it be, then?" Esther asked.
"I don't know, but we'll figure it out later. Right now, we'd better start mending hearts, before any more guests lose their luster!" ATF said.
"Lose their luster? Who SAYS that, anymore?" Oswald asked.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The first one they went up to was Cinderella. "Hey, Cinder, what's going on? You seem all gloomy," ATF said, sitting down by her. "Your prince is getting pretty concerned, too."
Cinderella sighed. "I don't know… suddenly I'm wondering why he even decided to marry me. I've worked as a dish-maid all my life, talk to animals… there's not really anything too special about me. I think he just likes me for my looks… but I'm not even that beautiful!" she said.
"I don't believe that," Marcassin said. "I think you seem like a very nice woman, beautiful inside and out- the prince wouldn't just love you for nothing."
"Reminds me of how you thought you were ugly, too. You were lacking a lot of belief," WG added.
"And making every fan-girl ask themselves 'WTF' when you said it," ATF added.
"Aye, seems like Cindi-lass is missin' some belief, too, mun." Mr. Drippy pointed out. "Got any in youer locket, Ollie-boy?"
Oliver nodded. "Cinderella, there's something I'd like to give you," he said to her, then cast the Give-Heart spell.
A ball of light rose out of the locket around his neck, sinking into Cinderella's chest. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to have a shine to them again. "Oh my… what happened?" Cinderella asked. "I have a warm feeling in my chest…"
"Someone took the belief out of your heart, and you were beginning to give up on yourself," Esther explained to her, then smiled. "You should be better, now,"
Prince Charming walked up. "Cinderella, are you alright?" he asked.
She smiled at him. "I am now, darling." Cinderella said, standing up. "Now, I believe I'm supposed to be joining the other princesses at our special table,"
The others smiled, then looked around the room. "One down… a lot more to go," FF2 said.
"Aye, looks like Ollie-boy will have to restock," Mr. Drippy said. "Know anyone with a lot o' belief?"
Snow White passed by, and Oliver's locket glowed. "You must be the young wizard who helped my friend! Oh, I just knew she would get better!" she said.
"Really? After acting all depressed?" Oliver asked.
"Why yes. No matter how bad a situation seems, I always believe it will get better,"
"I can see where this is going," WG whispered to the others.
"Snow White, if you don't mind, could we borrow some of your belief?" Oliver asked.
"Why, of course!" Snow White replied.
Oliver cast the Take-Heart spell (which sounds creepy, doesn't it?) and borrowed a bit of belief from Snow White's heart- basically a small bit, as when someone's heart is over-flowing with a certain emotion, they have enough to share (so put away the rosaries, guys).
"C'mon, lets hurry up and- HEY!" FF2 shouted, when the fez on his head was suddenly swiped, and they turned to see Aladdin running off.
"Thanks, FF2!" Aladdin laughed, disappearing in the crowd.
"Who was that?" Esther asked.
"Aladdin. He's a thief from Agrabah- at least, he used to be, and normally he only stole food, until he married Princess Jasmine, now he just uses his thieving prowess against enemies and to do good," WG said, then turned to Swaine. "He might be your soul-mate!"
"Eh, not even close… although, the 'thieving' background was a close call," FF2 said.
"Yeah, plus it's kind of vice-versa. Aladdin's a thief turned prince, and Swaine's a prince turned thief," ATF added.
"Are you guys going to keep comparing us, or are we going to mend his heart?" Swaine sneered.
"It couldn't be avoided," WG stated.
They ran over to the table where Genie, Iago, and Abu were sitting at. "Hey, have you've guys seen Al anywhere? He owes me a fez!" FF2 said.
"Get in line, kid, you're not the only one looking for him!" Iago replied. "Ever since we've got here, that nut-case has been on a stealing streak, like everything in the joint is on sale with a five-finger discount! Every time he lays eyes on something- whoosh! He rushes in and snags it like he can't live without it! It's like he's lost his mind!"
"Or… his restraint," Esther said, looking at Swaine. "Does the case sound familiar?"
"Alright, alright, we all get the joke! Lets find Al and get his restraint back!" Swaine snapped.
"One problem, I didn't load up on any restraint!" Oliver gasped.
"Anyone here got some restraint they want to share?" ATF called.
"Heh, hard to find restraint these days, kid. The only reason I have any is because I was bound by the lamp for thousands of years!" Genie stated, and Oliver's locket glowed once more. "Only being let out to grant wishes, having to meet one whacko after another-"
"You mean I'm not the only 'Wakko'? Faboo!" Wakko Warner exclaimed, popping up.
"So, you must have enough restraint to spare, right?" Oliver guessed.
"Sure, and if it'll help Al get his act together, I'm willing to lend it!" Genie added.
"Alright!" Oliver cast the 'Take Heart' spell again, borrowing some restraint from Genie. "Now we just have to find Al…"
Aladdin ran by just then, snagging Oliver's wand. "Hey!" Esther gasped. "Stop him!"
"Ha! No one can catch a thief!" Aladdin said.
"Well, it takes a thief to catch a thief," Swaine scoffed, taking out his pick-pocket pistol and shooting it, taking the wand back.
Aladdin turned around. "Hey! …Nice gun, can I have it?"
"Fat chance!"
"Don't worry, Aladdin. We have something more valuable for you," Oliver said, then cast the 'Give Heart' spell, returning some restraint to Aladdin.
Aladdin blinked a few times. "Whoa… what was I just doing the last few minutes?!" he gasped.
"Just having an OOC moment. Better return the stuff you stole, before everyone demands we lock you in the dungeon," WG said.
"We have a dungeon?" ATF questioned.
"No, but I've been asking Mickey about it… he just keeps claiming he has an important matter to attend to and runs out of the room. Weird thing is, he says the same thing when I bring up wanting a raise…"
"Lets just keep mending hearts," FF2 said.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Basically, everyone in the club was missing something in their hearts, involving Belief, Restraint, Love, Courage, Kindness, Enthusiasm, and… um… (FF2, what were the other ones?)
(FF2's A/N: Confidence and Ambition)
(Thank you!)
With every person who lacked something, there was a nearby friend who could help them. When Tiana lacked Ambition, Louis was full of it; when Garfield lacked Confidence, Odie was overflowing with the stuff; And when Shaggy was low on courage… well, actually, that was normal so he wasn't really heartbroken.
Anyway, once they managed to give Beast some Kindness, courtesy of Belle, they walked backstage. "Well, now that all the guests aren't broken-hearted, lets help out the staff," ATF said.
"Can we sit down, first?" Swaine asked, holding an ice-pack on his head, sporting a bandage on his arm, and had a black eye.
"Yeah… sorry for Beast's behavior," WG said, cringing. "Didn't expect him to throw you across the room and into the Rock Titan… who threw you into Megatron… who decked you unconcious."
"He would've done worse if WG didn't give him the Fan-Girl's Glare of Death," ATF added.
"At least it distracted him long enough for Oliver to cast the spell," FF2 said with a shrug.
"Whatever… Oliver, could you spare a Healing Touch, real quick?" Swaine asked.
Oliver nodded and prepared the spell… but nothing happened. "Oh no, I'm out of magic!" he gasped. "I must have used it all while mending hearts,"
"I'll heal him then," Marcassin said… but nothing happened. "Oh dear… I'm low, as well!"
"I'll go get you guys some coffee!" ATF said, and dashed off.
"Esther, could you heal Swaine?" Oliver asked.
"Sure… If he gives me a compliment, first," Esther said with a smirk.
"What?! Nothing doing, just use that harp and heal me up!" Swaine demanded.
"Ah, I dunno, Swaine… She might not do it if you're going to be so bitter," FF2 teased.
"Just give her one compliment, we have a plot to continue!" WG scoffed.
Swaine sighed bitterly. "Fine. You have pretty hair. Now will you heal me?" he groused.
Esther smirked, then strung her harp, healing him. "Now was that so hard?" she asked.
Mickey walked over. "Guys, is everything alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, the guests are back to normal, but we haven't figured out who broke their hearts!" FF2 replied.
"Well, the Staff is getting worse too. Daisy been hunting for autographs like an insane fan-girl, Donald is a wreck, Clarabelle won't go on stage to share her gossip, Horace hasn't been rolling any cartoons, Minnie's acting like she's about to kill someone, and Pete still won't come out of the dressing room!" Oswald added as he strolled over.
"Yikes, it's a heart-break outbreak!" Mr. Drippy commented. "Whoever's messin' 'round is goin' after th' whole club!"
"We'll have to be on the lookout, per the norm," WG said.
"And we'll have to mend more hearts. …I wonder what's taking ATF so long?" Oliver asked.
"We'll go look for him," Marcassin said as he and Swaine walked off.
"C'mon, lets look around for our antagonist for this episode, before he causes any more heart-break…" WG said, then paused. "O-kay, why did that sound like a line from one of those preppy teenage dramas?"
"Careful, WG! Most NNK fans shoot people for saying that!" FF2 said… then noticed several guns pointed at WG. "She didn't mean it, guys! She's still a beginner!" the gun-holders backed off, and he sighed in relief. "Okay, now lets get searching!"
"While you do that, we'll go see what pieces of heart everyone needs," Oliver said, and he, Esther, and Mr. Drippy took off.
"What should we do?" Oswald asked.
"Keep running the club, and PRAY something horrible doesn't happen next!" Mickey replied, concerned.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Swaine and Marcassin peeked into the kitchen, then snuck in. "Why are we sneaking around?" Marcassin asked.
"In case any of our fan-girls are trailing us," Swaine answered. "And I don't want to re-live what happened at that San Diego Comic Con!"
"Ah, good point…" Marcassin looked over, seeing ATF. "There he is! Anti, what's going on? Did you get the coffee?"
"Yeah, here," ATF said, sighing heavily as he numbly handed the Sage a cup of espresso.
"Are you alright? You were upbeat a minute ago."
"Yeah… until I suddenly looked at my life and realized I can't die, can't age, and can't choose whether to like guys or girls… I'm an immortal, under-age loser…"
Swaine and Marcassin exchanged looks. "Uh, oh," they said at the same time.
"C'mon, ATF, lets grab some more coffee, go find Oliver, and mend your heart." Swaine assured.
"Right, once you get your belief back, you should be okay." Marcassin added.
ATF winced. "It's not just my belief… They took my confidence, enthusiasm, ambition, and courage too. They would've taken my love too if it wasn't already given to Christ."
"What about your kindness?"
"Dude, I'm an author, we're barely kind."
"O-kay, what about your restraint?" Swaine asked.
"Again. Author. Restraint is basically limited- by the way, can I give you an OC before my sister does?"
"Uh… lets go get the others, come on!" Swaine ran out quickly. Marcassin grabbed ATF and dragged him along.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
FF2 and WG searched the cat-walk… namely because a lot of their antagonists have been lurking up there the most. Mickey's actually planning on making it the new hang-out spot for villains, though the only problem is it would hard to see the screen from such a high angle and-
"Narrator, you're rambling again!" FF2 cut in.
(Oops, sorry, force of habit…)
FF2 shrugged, then looked around, pausing when he noticed something on the ground. It was a book, titled The Zodiarchs' Guide. "Hel-lo, what do we have here?" he said as he picked it up, flipping through the pages. "It's full of spells about removing pieces of heart!"
"It looks like someone was trying to learn how to be a heart-breaker," WG punned… and got hit by a sock with a coconut in it. "Ow!"
"Careful, WG, you remember our rule about making puns…"
"Right, right… so, that book is some guide to teach people how to break hearts like Shadar did?"
"Yes, almost like it's the evil-counterpart of Oliver's Wizard's Companion. Look, the spell they use is 'Break Heart', almost like 'Take Heart' only they remove a whole piece of the heart… or even several in order to kill the person!"
"Lord Almighty! So, who could own this book? The Zodiarch's were wiped out ages ago, being only a figment of the White Witch's mind," she paused, then turned to the audience. "Sorry for all the spoilers, guys."
"Yeah… but look, it says it will only work for beings who, like Oliver or Shadar, know how to access the heart. No one else in the club may know it!"
"True, heck the only ones who come close are the KH cast, but that's a whole different-"
FF2 paused. "WG, I think you just gave us a hint! C'mon, lets go find the others!" he then rushed off, WG following.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Oliver, Esther, and Mr. Drippy had been talking with most of the staff, finding out what the problems were: Minnie was missing her Love, Horace was missing his Enthusiasm, Clarabelle was missing her Ambition, Daisy was missing her Restraint (they found this out as she hyperactively asked for their autographs 12 times), Donald was missing his Confidence, Pete was missing his Courage, and Goofy was missing his lunch- though that was namely because Aladdin had swiped it before his heart was mended.
They couldn't wait around for coffee, so Oliver had Al-Khemi, the alchemy-genie, make him a Sage's Secret to give him a magic-boost. "Thanks, Al, that'll be all," Mr. Drippy said.
"What?! But this is my only cameo in this story! Surely I could hang out for a while?" Al-Khemi pleaded.
"Okay, but no challenging people to battle, like you did at that Comic Con!" Oliver told him.
"YES! Thank you, young master!" With that, Al-Khemi hopped away in his cauldron.
FF2 and WG ran up to the trio. "Guys, we did some investigating, and I think I know who's behind this!" FF2 said to them. "We spoke with the cast at the Kingdom Hearts table, and the members of Organization XIII claim their leader is missing-"
"WHOA! Slow down, mun! Who's this organization, an' what's this kingdom of hearts youe're talkin' bout?" Mr. Drippy questioned.
"Well, Kingdom Hearts is ALMOST like your game, only… well… ah, let me just show you," FF2 took out his laptop and pulled up the official Kingdom Hearts web-page.
"Ohhhhh…" Everyone said in understanding.
"Anyway, we figured someone from the KH universe learned how to break hearts, with this book," WG explained, handing Oliver the book they had found.
"But, how did they attain it?" Esther questioned.
"More importantly, when did those Zodiarchs write a book?" Mr. Drippy added.
"We'll find out once we hunt Mr. Heart-Breaker down," WG said.
"Someone talking about Marcassin?" Swaine joked as he, Marcassin, and a depressed ATF walked in.
"Brother, you promised you wouldn't make that joke…" Marcassin groaned.
"Guys, what's with ATF?" Esther asked.
"It appears he's been robbed of his heart- he's lacking so many pieces of it,"
"Crikey! How's he still alive?" Mr. Drippy questioned.
"He's immortal, remember?" Swaine scoffed.
"Immortal or not, no one breaks my brother's heart and lives to tell it!" WG sneered, whipping out her machete. "Now lets track down Xehanort!"
"Who?" Oliver asked.
"He's the guy who leads Organization XIII, but apparently he must have abandoned them to seek a new career mimicking Shadar," FF2 replied.
"Speak of the devil, and he'll appear," came a voice, and Xehanort appeared out of nowhere.
"Alright, Xehanort, what's your game this time? Shouldn't you be preparing some scheme for Kingdom Hearts 3?" WG sneered.
"Yes, but someone left this book for me, and I came up with an idea- if I break the hearts of all the Disney heroes, plus others, Sora wouldn't have much help… and while they were busy wondering what was wrong with their friends, I figured I'd break their hearts as well," he then glared at ATF. "However, your twin brother there foiled my plan! I tried to break his heart, stealing so much out of him… but he pulled a rotten trick and the wand I had been given turned to ashes!"
"Wand? Since when do you use a wand?" FF2 questioned.
"It was required, and Voldemort owed me a favor… Anyway, enough talk, I believe it's time for me to get rid of you pests!" he summoned his key-blades, and lunged.
Oliver acted quick, using his spell Evenstar, blasting Xehanort back. FF2 summoned his own keyblade and lunged at him, both of them dueling it out, WG leaping in and swinging her machete like a homicidal maniac at the villain.
Xehanort was strong though, blasting the authors back with every opportunity, being too quick for them to catch as he zipped around, striking them and the Ni No Kuni heroes. Esther and Marcassin stayed on the sidelines, using their magic to heal up everyone and keep them healthy as the battle raged on, until Xehanort knocked Esther unconscious, then struck Marcassin into the wall. He then saw ATF running to Esther's aid, then shot forward and struck him in the face.
"No one messes with my brother and lives to tell it!" Swaine sneered, then shot Xehanort with a Rot-Shot, poisoning him. He and Oliver then summoned their familiars, Gunther and Mitey, to attack the villain.
A golden glim floated down, and Oliver caught it, becoming super-charged and using his ultimate move, 'Burning Heart', on Xehanort, making him burst into flames for a moment, severely wounding him.
Xehanort stood, clenching his fists, breathing hard as he prepared to strike, but the team wouldn't give him the chance to get his wind back. "All Out Attack!" Oliver ordered, and everyone lunged at once.
Xehanort was soon being shot, stabbed, and blasted, dodging only a couple attacks and getting only a couple blows in. Finally, black smoke began to whirl around him- a sign that he had been defeated. "Don't think this is over… we have more than one way to get that book!" he snarled, then disappeared as the smoke engulfed him.
"Who's 'we'?" Oliver questioned, as he used his Healing Touch to help Marcassin, Esther, and ATF get back on their feet.
"Methinks Xehanort is also working for the Phantom Blot," FF2 said, pondering. "Question is, how is this guy recruiting such bad-ass villains so easily?"
"And what's this book they're trying to find?" WG wondered.
Mickey and Oswald rushed in. "Guys! What's all the commotion back here?" Oswald asked.
"We found out Xehanort had been the one breaking hearts. Luckily the wand he had turned to ashes after he tried to use it on ATF…" Esther replied, then looked at said author curiously. "Question is… how?"
ATF grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest where his heart was… or, should have been. "I don't have my heart," he said. "I had a vision of what Xehanort was going to try to do to me as I was going to the kitchen…" he reached under his hat… pulling out a chest and opening it. "So I ripped off Davy Jones and hid it away."
"So… what was with your depression? You said he stole pieces of your heart!" Swaine snapped.
"Eh… I was sort of lying. He didn't steal any pieces of my heart, but that doesn't mean he didn't hurt it. He claimed I was an abomination- a zombie with a transsexual demeanor who deserves to rot in hell, and claimed I'd never find love because the world abhorred my kind."
"Damn, if I knew he said that to you, I would have crammed my machete up his-" WG began.
"So, yeah, I was in a depression- I'm a really emotional person, what can I say?"
"Well, he's wrong. True, you have a weird habit, but we still like you!" Oliver said.
"Yes, and I'm sure you'll find love someday," Esther said, giving him a hug and making him blush.
"Now that that's resolved, can you help the staff now?" Mickey asked.
"Sure, my locket is full. Lets go!" Oliver said.
"Might I suggest saving Pete for last?" Oswald quipped.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Once everyone's hearts had been mended, the club was back to semi-normal. The celebration for Oswald carried on with a showing of his cartoons and best scenes from Epic Mickey 1 and 2, and several musical numbers performed by the mended-hearted Disney stars who wanted to do something for a tribute to him.
Meanwhile outside, the Ni No Kuni cast was preparing to leave. "We'd stay longer, but I promised my mom I wouldn't be out late," Oliver said.
"Cool, tell her I said 'hi'," FF2 said. "Oh, and see if she can talk Level-5 into making the sequel game about her days training as a young sage, that would be cool."
"Aw, I was hoping for one where we'd find out who Swaine and Marcassin's soul-mates are!" ATF whined.
Oliver chuckled. "We'll see what they decide on," he said.
"Meanwhile, lets celebrate another victory," WG said, boldly… and you could tell she had a speech prepared (Lord help us). "Though our foes still hide in the mists, plotting and planning, we still stand strong, armed to the teeth and ready for a fight, willing to give our all to assure the safety of our patrons, family, and friends- never ceasing for a breath as we charge into the shadows of the night, staring Death in the face and making him blink, as our God-given strengths see us through…"
"Huh, boy, th' lass is on a roll, en't she?" Mr. Drippy scoffed.
"I have a way to get her to stay quiet," Puggsy chimed, stepping up with a smirk on his face.
"And we shall raise our swords against evil forces, saying muffins for my men, cake for my horses-!" WG was continuing (by this point even FF2 was plugging his ears, sighing).
"What's your plan?" Swaine asked. Puggsy whispered something in his ear, and the thief glared at him. "No way! Not happening!"
"I'll give you 50 bucks," Puggsy bribed.
"Deal."
"And with God on our side, victory shall always be ours, for evil men shall be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord shall inherit the land, and we shall keep showing how true that is as we continue to-" WG kept on going.
Swaine walked up to her. "Excuse me," he said… then hugged her.
WG froze, the pupils of her eyes growing wide as she stood there, stunned and blushing. Swaine pulled away, gave her a pat on the back, then walked off.
"O-kay… that was weird," FF2 said.
"I'm jealous," ATF muttered, pouting. He turned to FF2. "Aren't you going to kick Swaine's ass for hugging your girlfriend?"
"We'll let you fly Tengri if you forget it!" Swaine called to FF2.
"I'll let it slide this one time!" FF2 said, then giddily ran and climbed on Tengri, taking off.
"OI! He hi-jacked our ride!" Mr. Drippy shouted.
"Great, it's Comic Con all over again..." Marcassin sighed, then gave his brother a look. "Nice going, brother!"
"I didn't say he could take the dragon himself!" Swaine retorted.
"FF2, come back!" Oliver called, as they ran after him.
"Yeah! I want a ride, too!" ATF added.
As everyone ran to catch up to Tengri and FF2, WG still stood there in a stunned pose. Her eyes darted left, then right, making sure no one was around… then she sighed dreamily as hearts bubbled over her head and she passed out.
…Not knowing Puggsy was standing there, catching her reaction on his iPhone and putting it on Youtube. "That reaction may serve as good pay-back," he chuckled as he walked off.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
ATF: Pugs, I don't know whether WG will thank you, or kill you.
FF2: She might thank him… but Swaine may kill him once he finds that video. Anyway, guys, hope you enjoyed! Next episode should be closer to the Halloween-spirit.
ATF: Yeah, you think for an episode that involved pieces of hearts being removed, it would be more cryptic… but oh wells! Review please!
FF2: But don't flame unless you want a vital organ removed!