Chapter Ten: The Previous Day…
Hayner, Pence, and Olette were relaxing in their favorite spot: a closed off section of a back alley. No one had used it or claimed ownership since they had first discovered it, so it was theirs to use as they saw fit.
"Well, that was a total waste, not one of the spots we checked out was haunted," Pence complained over his sea-salt ice cream.
"It will at least make an interesting report," Olette said.
"Somehow I doubt that," Hayner muttered, not altogether present.
"Hayner? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, you seem really distant today."
"Oh…really?"
Uh-huh," they answered in unison.
"I'm fine, just…tired, I guess." His arm hung limp as his sea-salt ice cream melted away, untouched. Pence and Olette exchanged a look. "It just feels like something is missing. Something we never saw before, and now it's gone. You know?"
They shook their heads. "Maybe you're just nervous about school starting up again?" Olette offered.
"Maybe…hey!"
Someone had appeared in the entrance to the Usual Spot. He was short, barely reaching four feet tall. And that was with the ears, two round discs on top of his head, forming a curious V-shape that none of them was likely to forget.
"Sorry kids, I don't mean to intrude, but I'm looking for someone." His voice was abnormally high pitched, his face very much like a mouse's…was that a tail?
"Who?" Olette asked sweetly.
"A boy – about you age – " he indicated Hayner, "with really spiky blond hair. And bright blue eyes." Only then did Hayner notice the stranger's clothing: a simple black robe. Or was it a cloak? Strange, either way.
"What's his name?" Pence asked.
"Sora." Hayner perked up; that name sounded familiar, but why? He didn't know anyone by that name. A cursory glance at Pence and Olette told him that they felt the same.
"No, sorry. We don't know anyone like that," Pence apologized. "But we will look out for him."
"Thanks. If you do see him, I'll be at the train station. Send him that way." He waved and left.
"Does that name sound familiar to either of you?" Hayner asked quietly.
"No." Pence turned ack to his ice cream, finding it beginning to melt away. "Why?"
"Oh, no reason." Now he knew what he was missing: a person. There had never been a fourth person in their group, but now it felt like their had bee. Only he was missing. "You're my friend, aren't you? I can't believe I've forgotten you…Roxas."
Olette gave him a strange look.
-
King Mickey paced the ground in front of the Twilight Town train station. Something was wrong; Sora should be awake by now. DiZ promised it would only be a week now that they had Roxas.
DiZ… Mickey mourned the loss of his friend. After almost a decade of planning his revenge, Ansem the Wise had completely forsaken his former life. He was now consumed by rage, no longer the kind and gentle ruler he had been when the World Barriers first came down.
The clock tower chimed seven times. Seven o'clock. Way too late. Something must have gone wrong, but where was Riku? Surely he at least would have come to inform him of disaster. Unless…
A wave of fear washed over Mickey, signaling his Keyblade to appear in his hand. It must be the Organization's doing. Abandoning his stealth, the King raced down Market Street. He blazed through the Tram Common, ignoring the curious looks of passerbys. The Forest. Mickey bounded from tree to tree, shaving off precious seconds that could potentially be valuable ahead. The threes ended abruptly and the Mansion loomed only a few yards ahead. He burst through the gates and then the front door.
Silence.
Emptiness.
Mickey did not sense anyone else in the building, but then he wouldn't be able to if they were wearing Cloaks like his, so he set out exploring the top level anyway. All the rooms were empty, even the White Room, where Naminé usually resided. With the first and second levels clear, it was time to examine the basement. The secret entrance in the library was already revealed.
Someone had evidently left in a hurry.
Or they were still here.
The basement lab was just as deserted as the rest of the mansion. The steady hum of electric wires was present throughout the whole sublevel, like as invisible presence. Watching. Waiting. Seductive. DiZ's monitor station was empty, though all of the computers continued to function, showing an image of Sora and a flashing [100% COMPLETE] icon. Below that was another, red icon [CRITICAL FAILURE].
The transfer device to the Digital Twilight Town was still functioning, but he resisted the urge to visit it. Just to see. "What happened here?" Down the hall, he could see two Memory Pods. Inside slept… "Donald! Goofy!" He rushed to his old friends. Both appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Why hadn't they woken up with Sora? Unless Sora never woke up either. "I'll get you out of there, I promise."
There was nothing left here. No signs of a struggle, and no clues to suggest where DiZ and the others went. It was all so frustrating! In an uncharacteristic bout of anger, King Mickey turned on the monitor system and smashed in every one of the screens. The flashing lights ceased, and the low hum quit. The whole room was taken over by an uncomfortable silence. Collecting himself, Mickey exited the Mansion.
"Where do I go now?" He glanced skyward in pleading and saw a dark dot in the sky. Of course: his old Master!
-
The ghost train pulled into the Twilight Station to its own private platform. Mickey was the sole passenger boarding. No one ever gave him or the train a second glance, which made him wonder if they could even see the train, or if it was disguised. As the train pulled away, movement outside on the platform made him turn and look: the three kids from earlier raced into view, one apparently leading the other. They stopped and looked curiously at the train before waving a good-bye. Mickey returned the gesture.
A set of glowing tracks led the train off the main track, then into the air. The whole world stretched beneath the phantom locomotive. Not much later, the tracks led the train through a shimmering doorway into the sky. On the other side, a pitch-black, star speckled canvas replaced the golden-orange sky of twilight. The train came to a halt beside a lone patch of land floating high above the highest clouds of Twilight Town. Here, Mickey disembarked.
A solitary tower climbed up to the dark starscape, dominating the view. A crooked and bent tower, it would have (and probably should have) fallen over in any number of ways many years ago, but Yen Sid's magic kept it up, however haphazardly. Mickey was preparing the questions he was going to ask Master Yen Sid when he saw a large figure leaning against the tower's front doors, face pressed up to a barely open entrance.
"Pete?" Mickey exclaimed, and then dove into the bushes. What was going on here? Pete was supposed to be imprisoned in another dimension. He should not have been able to escape at all, let alone by himself. Then he saw dark figures rise up from the ground. Heartless! At first Mickey thought that the Heartless were going to attack Pete. If they had, he probably would have ran to his old foe's aide. This however, was not the case. Instead, Pete shouted orders at them, and, amazingly, they obeyed. Only one person had been able to have such control over the Heartless. Well, two, but both were dead…right?
Not wanting to risk a confrontation with Pete or the Heartless, Mickey drew the Black Cloak tight, summoned his strength, and opened a Corridor of Darkness. He put up his hood and stepped in, letting the darkness enfold him.
-
The other end of the Corridor opened up to Yen Sid's chamber on the top floor of the tower. His concern lessened (as his surprise heightened) when none other than king Mickey stepped forth and threw back his hood. "What a surprise, Your Majesty. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"
"Please, Master, you know you don't have to use such formalities with me."
"In any case, what brings you here?"
Mickey gave him an incredulous look. "Master, Pete is outside your Tower."
"Yes, I am aware of this."
"And he is giving orders to Heartless."
"I am also aware of this. Did you come all this way to warn me?" he chuckled.
"Well, yes, Master. Doesn't that worry you?"
"Not particularly, no. Pete is an amateur. He was all those years ago, and his imprisonment has done nothing to benefit him."
"But the Heartless – "
"The Heartless will not get above the first floor, not in this tower." This did little to assure the tiny king. "Something else troubles you?"
"It's just that," Mickey took to pacing the study, a nervous habit he was falling back into more and more these days. "Only Maleficent had been able to give the Heartless such commands. They followed her unquestioningly, because of her power. But now they're obeying Pete." He paused in his speech to look at his master, who appeared to be following. "Why would they do that?"
Yen Side grinned. "Is it that you cannot see the obvious, or that you refuse to see it?"
Mickey sighed. "I don't want to see it, Master, but its true, isn't it?"
"Yes, my young apprentice, it is true. It seems that she has returned or is returning." Right on cue, the door swung open and the three fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather rushed in.
"Master Yen Sid!" they exclaimed. "She's back! She's back! That old witch is here! In there!" Yen Sid stood up and flicked a hand in the direction of the door. A spell flew forward, just in time to stop the door from flying open.
"There isn't much time, You Majesty. Time the girls and flee."
"But Master – "
"Go!"
"I can't take them all through a Corridor!"
"Then you will have to fight past the Heartless and Pete. Wait, before you go," he waved his hand again. "Take this with you." A Keyblade materialized out of the air. "You remember the Star Seeker, do you not?"
Mickey nodded. "I do master. And thank you." He took the weapon and started out the door. "Wait, Master I need to talk to you about Sora!"
"No time!"
"But – " The door slammed shut in his face. From inside he could hear a loud crash and two people talking."
"Come, Your Majesty! Let's not waste the chance Master Yen Sid has given us!"
"Right." With two Keyblades, Mickey and the three fairies raced down the staircase. Few Heartless were encountered on the way, and barely anything stronger than a Shadow or Soldier. Perhaps Pete wasn't as powerful as he once was. Even so, the Heartless problem should have been cleared up a year ago, with the sealing of the Door to Darkness. But, he supposed, that since he found a way to the Light, so had the Heartless. Once they cleared the entrance, they came face to face with Pete.
"Stand aside Pete." Mickey demanded, brandishing both Keyblades.
"Oh, that's a good one. You think you can get past me!" Pete's big belly jiggled as he laughed. "Not this times Your Majesty. Not while I have the Heartless under my control." He waved his arm and Shadows lifted up from the ground. They all rushed Mickey at once; a few swift strikes sent them flying away. "What?" Pete apparently expected that to be enough.
"I'll ask again Pete, move."
Pete opened his mouth to say something smart, but closed it quickly. "Fine, if you want to run away, be my guest. Maleficent is calling me up anyway." He pushed pat Mickey and the fairies and strode into the tower.
"Do you think he was bluffing, Your Majesty?"
"I don't know, but I don't want to find out." He pressed a button on his belt, and a Gummi ship slip up into view.
"What about Master Yen Sid?"
"He'll be just fine." Mickey assured them. If not, then we're all in more trouble then I thought.
Author's Note: Um... The thing with Hayner was more for fun than any real plot development. If I decide to do somehting with it, you'll know, but otherwise, it was just to be CLEVAR.