"It upsets you doesn't it?"
The fuck?!
"It flows through your entire body…the inability to do nothing, and the ire that comes with it."
Who the hell?
"Constantly it weighs upon your mind like a burden…your ultimate failure."
Hey, fuck you alright?! I did the best I could!
"But you don't believe that. We believe that, but you do not. Why do you continue to torment yourself with that you cannot change?"
Because it was my fault dammit! I could have done more!
"You did everything you knew TO do. The destruction was not your failing; your people are to blame."
And I'm one of my people; therefore the blame rests on my shoulders as well!
"There is no sense to that; there is no logic or reason. Why do you continue to fight? Why do you struggle against the tide of destruction?"
Because what happened to my world…doesn't need to happen to any other. Hell I don't even know how long these other worlds have existed…
"They came into existence due to the end of your world."
Bullshit. Look at these places! They've been around a LOT longer than five hundred years.
"Indeed, because it was your world that spawned them. They were not able to take form until it was ended…you will see…"
The hell are you talking about?! Why am I even talking to you?! I don't even know what the fuck you are!
"I am one who knows and sees all that lies within your heart, Zero. I am always watching, always learning."
Alright you're starting to piss me off.
"Good, it means you are listening. This threat is greater than you know."
NO fucking shit? Really? I never would have guessed.
"The worlds that exist now…many of them are at risk of annihilation."
No bloody fucking shit Sherlock. That's why I was looking into the cause of this!
"At the expense of your own health?"
………
"I thought so. You feel it don't you? The call of Destruction. You are just as vulnerable to its pull as any other, perhaps even more so since you bear its mark upon you."
………
"Tell me…what is the greater threat to these worlds? The Mindless? Or you?"
I am NOT a threat!
"Oh? The glowing of the Mark of Destruction says otherwise."
Shut it.
"What's wrong? Can you not handle the truth?"
SHUT IT!
"…I see…you still have much to learn…but it is alright…I have patience…"
Who the fuck are you anyway?!
"In time…you will learn…for now…your pretty blonde girlfriend is attempting to wake you."
She's not my-
"But you wish it so. You have for many centuries now."
…you're fucking kidding right? I just-
"You did nothing recently that caused your feelings. They have always existed…and I am certain you know what I speak."
Impossible.
"Ha! To hear you of all beings speak such a word…you know it is true. You feel it in your heart, it is why you picked her of all beings to restore to this world."
She was the best candidate!
"You could have just as easily sought out someone else with even greater strength, and you know of many potential beings. But she called to you, and you know why."
Be silent.
"It is because you lo-
BE SILENT! Listen and listen well, you know NOTHING of what is happening. Whatever you believe to be the case is FALSE! Now LEAVE!
"…very well. But this is not the last you have heard from me…you will see…soon enough…that the truth that you refuse to acknowledge…is the truth that will save this universe…"
Alicia stood next to Zero's bed. She saw the marking on his right hand begin to flash black. His eyes twitched as did his muscles, as if agitated. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on his shoulder, prepared for anything. His eyes snapped open, glowing silver, and then returning to their natural brown. He looked over at her and slowly rose.
"We're about to hit a docking point…I thought you might want to be awake to get down there first."
He grabbed his forehead as a small twinge of irritation slammed into his mind like a sledgehammer.
"Yeah…thanks."
"Zero…are you alright? You were constantly twitching in your sleep…"
"I'm fine. I just need to get off this stupid thing…"
"Alright…if you're sure."
She watched him grab a few things and head into the onboard showers. She sighed, knowing he was lying to her.
Why do I have the feeling something terrible is about to happen? "Maybe because it is?" Oh…it's you again. "Well that's no way to treat a Valkyrie." What do you expect? You took over my mind during the fight against Lezard. I didn't know what was going on until after he'd run me through. "I said I was sorry! I didn't think he'd actually…stab us." Right…
She shook her head and walked from the room.
"Not going to wait for him?" Oh come on I'm not going to try to see him without anything on. "Why not? He saw you naked." That was…another circumstance entirely! "Suuure it was. So when are you going to admit you want to jump him?" What?! I don't- "Alicia, I'm in your head, I'm you. You can't hide something like that from me." …not any time soon. "Well I understand that…he does look like he's about to strangle something."
Tapping Kairi on the shoulder, she told the girl that Zero had woken.
"He's in the showers now."
"Somewhere you'd like to be along with him." Dammit Valkyrie shut up!
Her blush didn't go unnoticed by Kairi.
"Wishing you were in there with him?"
"Oh not you too."
The redhead blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Has Naminé ever…teased you…about having feelings for Sora?"
"All the time."
"Yeah well…Valkyrie's doing that to me about Zero."
"Ahh I see…wait, Valkyrie still exists?"
"Well, my body was used as the template for her reincarnation, and my mind as the base for her personality…so…"
"So since you 'died' while in her form, when you came back she came with you?"
"Yes, only mine is the dominant personality."
"So she's like your Nobody."
"I can agree to that…at least in context. I don't like being called a Nobody though; I AM Valkyrie, greatest warrior of Valhalla."
"Something like that."
Sora and Riku came in. "We're ready to go."
"Great! We've just got to wait for-
Zero stormed in, a swirl of faint dark energy trailing around him. The symbol on his right hand was flashing again and as he walked past the group, he vanished into a Dark Corridor.
"I…guess we can go down now then?"
"I guess so."
The Thirteenth Order
Chapter IX: Not So Wonderland
Waddle Dee's…Why are there Waddle Dee's here?
They met up with Alice, who had grown a good bit. No longer was she the little girl Sora encountered and failed to save from the Queen of Hearts. Now she was a similar age to him and the others, and was apparently the new Queen of Wonderland. Instead of a long flowing dress like a queen would wear though, she wore far more casual an outfit, consisting of a pair of blue jeans, a blue denim vest over a white top, and a pair of dark blue shoes.
And a crown, of course. After standard introductions, Zero popped in with a confused and irritated look, and a rather pressing question.
"Why? Why in the Seven Hells of Saturn are there Waddle Dee's here?"
Alice blinked. "Oh, my friend brought them here. Their world was taken over by some weird dark energy so he called over a pink fluff ball called Kirby and brought as many Dee's here as possible."
You're fucking kidding me…
"Ahh…you're beginning to understand…"
Shut it you.
"And your friend…"
"OI! FRED! GET YOUR ARSE OVER HERE!"
…son of a bitch.
A Waddle Dee wearing a red headband trotted over.
"This is Fred. He helped me become Queen of this place not too long ago."
Zero twitched. The mark on his hand started flashing again.
That was when the Heartless appeared.
"Oh shite. Not these buggers again."
"Language Alice."
Alice flung her right arm to the side, in a small flash of light, the Lady Luck keyblade appeared in her hand, surprising everyone.
What the hell?
"Why are you confused? The girl Kairi can use one as well."
But…I thought that was because she's-
"A princess of Heart? Have you not listened to the memories of the Thirteen? Alice is a Princess of Heart as well. Her World's Keyblade was once used by Sora, and is now hers to do with as she pleases."
So what you're saying is that the others can use it too?
"They have the potential, but likely they have not released it from its slumber, for they have no need…but…you are beginning to see…to understand…"
Shut up. What you're suggesting is impossible.
"Impossible…but it still is. You feel it don't you? The power within…"
Shut up.
"…and next thing I know, this little gem was in her hands!"
"I remembered seeing Sora swinging something like this around when he came here last. So I beat one of those bloody tarts over the head with it and it burst to pieces!"
The mark on Zero's hand began flashing slightly faster.
(BGM: Marilyn Manson – Seizure of Power)
A Neo-Shadow leapt at Alicia, claws raised. Alicia readied her sword, waiting for the right time to strike…when the opportunity was taken from her.
Zero, in a flicker of movement, had severed the Neo-Shadow in two…in a single slash. As the small burst of dark energy from the creature's demise cleared, the weapon he was using looked…different.
The weapon itself was white, but with strange black spots on it with jagged red lines reaching all along the blade, as if it had been shattered, then shoddily pieced together. The hilt was round, but looked like it had cracks in it, similar black spots at three points, the top middle of the hilt, and the lower left and right sides. The blade itself looked even more deadly than his original keyblade, this time with a sharp edge on one side, but with a very wicked looking angled portion at the tip. No longer did it look like a child's toy, for this weapon looked more blade than key.
The angled portion reached up about a fourth of the length of the blade, long enough to ensnare a weapon…or…as Zero is about to demonstrate…
Flipping the blade around he swung the weapon like a hook, catching the head of another Neo-Shadow in the gap on the weapon. He wrenched the blade back, towards him, pulling the Heartless with it. He then slammed his free hand into the Neo-Shadow's face, before blowing it away with a flash of black flame.
"That urge to kill…the urge to destroy…it lay within your heart."
Shut up.
"The power of Death, the power of Destruction...they say that a Keyblade reflects the heart of the wielder…"
I said, shut up.
Ducking under a claw swipe from a Shadow, Zero cut through a set of Knights before pivoting on his foot and loosing a torrent of lightning from his fingertips. Waving his left hand in the air, he traced a small glowing symbol. As it dissipated, and with a quick gesture of his hands, a giant slab of earth erupted from beneath another group of Knights, throwing them into a pit of flame he conjured seconds later.
A massive wave of black appeared, hundreds, no, thousands of Heartless on the horizon. Before anyone could react, Zero took off at a run, the marks on his hands blazing.
"Desolation…a keyblade matching the power that lies within you…the power that courses through your veins at this very moment…"
Shut up!
Kairi dropped to her knees. A powerful throbbing feeling coursed through her mind.
"Kairi! What's wrong?"
"I…I don't know…it just…hurts…so much…"
"It bothers you doesn't it? Knowing that you were so close to saving your world. That failure runs through your mind constantly doesn't it? Reminding you of your weakness, your failure to protect your people, your world. The very darkness that you were trapped within for centuries courses through your veins, the very power that ended your home at your command…"
Shut up! Shut up!
"And now…to see the changes brought…you know what it means…you know where it came from…but you can't admit it…"
SHUT UP!
Ducking under the swing of a Knight, he stabbed through a Shadow before whirling around and throwing a literal wall of air to his side, crushing a group of Neo-Shadows. A Red Rhapsody spun in place, launching three fireballs in rapid succession at Zero who twirled his keyblade in front of him like a disk, catching the flame. Then, he slammed his left heel into the ground and spun, creating a blazing ring of death that raced outwards for a few meters, engulfing and obliterating anything in its path. The fires were even too much for the Red Rhapsodies to absorb, the creatures bursting into wisps of darkness.
"It flows through you…the pain…"
Shut up!
"The anger…"
Shut UP!
"The hatred…"
Shut up shut up shut up!
"Release it…release it all…"
Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up…
The markings flared black as Kairi's headache suddenly vanished…but in its place was knowledge…and fear.
"Oh…fuck…"
Everyone around her blinked as a blank look appeared on her face with her statement.
"…shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!"
The markings blinking stopped as they became solid black. Around him a deep aura of darkness swirled as a beam of pure dark energy erupted into the sky from where he stood.
From the beam emerged a massive dome of black, the explosion gradually making its way towards the group, devouring everything in its path. Heartless, trees, grass, flowers…even Waddle Dees were destroyed as the wall of death came near.
"NAMINÉ!"
Kairi screamed out the name of her other half, as streaks of blonde suddenly overtook her red locks. A series of black domes surrounded the group, and they vanished…just as the explosion passed over where they stood…
(BGM: Wild Arms – After the Chaos and Destruction)
"Bloody hell!"
"For once…I'm not going to bother…I'd have said something a lot worse."
The group stood at the edge of a massive crater. Where once there was a beautiful field of flowers…was now a barren waste…however what was strange about it was that the crater reached to the edge of the tree line…and stopped. What remained was what looked like a giant bowl surrounded by trees.
"My gods…this…is Zero's power?"
"Speaking of which, where'd he go?"
Sora frowned. "You don't think he's…dead…do you?"
They turned to Kairi. Well, those that understood did, Alice and Fred seemed to lean forward, squinting.
"I…I don't know…I can't tell…I just keep hitting a wall…"
"I think that means he's alive…but he's blocking you out. If you were in here you'd understand, there's a giant…well…barrier I guess…made of black fire. I can't get past it, so I'm guessing that's his mental shields."
"Naminé thinks he's alive…but blocking me out."
"Damn…so where is he?"
"Oi! Sora!"
The spiky hared brunette looked up to Alice. "Ya think he might be on that pillar over there?"
Everyone shared the same thought. Pillar?
They all looked to where Alice was pointing. Indeed, there was what looked like a giant pillar sticking out of the ground, in the center of the crater.
"Huh…well I'll be…maybe he's there."
Alicia frowned. "Well that's all well and good, but how are we supposed to get over there? I don't think there's anything I can warp with…"
Sora looked confused for a moment. What's she talking about?
"Well, I could probably Glide over…"
"I've got the Mad Hatter's hat, and my Parasol…and Fred's pretty light, so I can carry him along…"
"I could probably open up a dark corridor…so I can at least take Kairi…I haven't done it in a long time, so I don't think I can take more than one…"
They all looked over to Alicia.
"Well this is a problem." I wouldn't have guessed. "It's mostly a problem because outside of my form, we can't really fly…and Valeth never did teach us that Teleport spell…" I think we'd have to know where we were going in the first place anyway…what about photons? "You said it yourself earlier, it's unlikely anything living is over there, so you wouldn't be able to warp…"
They watched as a series of emotions cycled over her face, settling on a perturbed frown.
I know I can manifest wings for Nibelung Valesti…but that's after gathering quite a bit of spiritual power through attacking… "It doesn't help that we don't know much about Dark Corridors, or I could probably devise a way to use them…or maybe even an opposite…Pity we can't use Light to do anything…" Well wait a moment…
They watched as her eyes narrowed and she nodded to herself.
"I can get over by myself. You go on ahead, I'll catch up."
"You sure?"
"I'll be fine, don't worry about me."
The group nodded. Riku pulled Kairi close to him and focused. A portal of black opened up, a mirrored portal appearing on the far edge of the 'pillar.' Sora jumped off the edge of the crater and twirled in mid-air before spreading his arms. Somehow using powers unknown to even him, he managed to catch the air beneath him and quickly glide over to the 'pillar'.
At the same time, Alice pulled out a strange top hat from…somewhere, and held it over her head. Fred grabbed on to her legs as the hat lifted her off into the sky, before she switched it for a simple looking parasol…which somehow supported her weight and gently floated her over.
"Now I've seen everything." "Indeed."
Alicia closed her eyes and focused…remembering what it was that Zero had taught her.
"The element of light is comprised of a fusion between two other elements, wind and fire. Fire, which creates a glow which is basically light, and wind to blow away anything that would obstruct the flame. Because Light as an element can be created by a proper fusion of Fire and Wind, you can also break it down into its respective elements."
All I have to do…is focus on the wind…
Tapping into the currents of air around her, she lifted herself into the sky, before slowly pushing herself towards the 'pillar'.
"Zero would be proud of you right now…"
As it turns out, the 'pillar' was a rather decent sized stretch of land…the one that Zero stood on when he blew the place to hell.
"Find anything?"
"Nothing. He's nowhere."
"Well…he was able to get to other worlds without a ship before he brought me back…so maybe he was teleported somewhere?"
"…We should probably tell the King about this…"
"Yeah…"
"Hey, Sora. Fred and I can let the other Dee's know what happened here, and have them keep an eye out for your friend if you want. I mean, it sounds like you've got something rather important to do, so don't worry about it, we'll handle things here."
"You sure Alice?"
"Of course! I mean, we won't really have any way of being able to tell you he's here…but…"
Alicia interrupted. "You won't need to. He and Kairi have some form of mental link. All you'd have to do is find him and tell him we were looking for him…he'll come to us through her…or he'll contact her."
"Well that sounds pretty chill right there. We'll head back to the castle and spread the word ok?"
"Yeah…thanks Alice…and…sorry…for…"
"Hey don't worry about it. It took out the bloody Heartless so it can't be all bad. I figure this is a nice enough place for a lake anyway…just need the rain to come."
"And remember…no matter what…there is ALWAYS a light within the darkness. That's a lesson…I still have yet to fully learn…"
Zero…
"Alicia…what do you want to do? Do you want to-
"I'm going with you. Even if he's here, I probably wouldn't know until it was too late. At least with you…I can do what he brought me back to do."
"We can always take you back to your world."
"I know, he said the same…but what is the point if I'm not strong enough to keep it from falling like his? Those things…the Mindless…nothing is stopping them from attacking my world…but if we defeat them at the source…then I can go home knowing it will be safe."
"Zero told you that?"
"It's logical isn't it? He offered to bring me back immediately, but noted the possibility of my world falling…at least…with you…with him…on this quest…I can gain the strength to protect it should it come under fire…my training isn't complete yet…I can tell I can still get stronger…and I will."
"Alright…so to Disney Castle then?"
"To see the King."
Kairi looped an arm around Alicia, who had a few tears running down her cheeks.
"Don't worry ok? I'll let you know the second that wall drops."
"I know…I just…got rather attached to him."
"He seems like the type that can affect people that way doesn't he?"
"Alice, thanks again."
"No problem mate. See ya around."
"Stay safe you guys! It'd break Alice's heart if anything happened to you!"
A green glow appeared beneath the group's feet, and Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Alicia were warped off to their ship, to make way to Disney Castle…
"The grip of Destruction has weakened. Now…the two are in balance once again. Your wish to return to your love is strong, but there are things that must be done first. You must strengthen the hold of Creation, for always must it be one step ahead of Destruction. Follow my light to the worlds you must go. We will return here once your control has increased."
That such a beautiful land had to be sacrificed for a larger purpose ill sits with me.
"I promise you this; we can do something about it once you have visited these worlds and obtained that which you require. The Balance is shifting to its true state, but with such a shift comes a change in the universe. We must move quickly, for their numbers grow."
Alicia…
"She mentioned a lack of wings. Perhaps…you can fix that."
I still don't understand how this is possible…
"You were the soul survivor of such a horrid event…your life linked to Existence itself, it is no surprise you have had a hand in the flow of the worlds."
But to such an extent…
"Your return to the known world has shifted things slightly, yes. For good or bad is yet to be seen, but stronger have the inhabitants become from it."
To think…my theories as a child were right…
That these worlds…
Were created…
By my people…
As you can see, there's been a change. A small shift…but even the smallest of ripples can become a massive wave. More of the side plot has been revealed! A connection between the destruction of "Earth" and the existence of the other worlds? Wonder what it is…and where Zero falls into it. There will be a return to Wonderland later on…and there you will see more of the skills the new Alice has picked up…and whether or not she can actually use the keyblade she's been given.
D&S Master: It took a while, but finally the main enemy has been revealed…or has it? Remember, in the first two games, events had been orchestrated from an outside force…someone…else. What is seen…isn't always what is.
RCRS: Not sure if this is the injustice you were seeking…but hey, shit got blown up! Believe me, she's won the random contest…just…hoo…trust me on this, she's like…I can't even describe it. Besides, she breaks into song nearly every half hour…about the most inane of things…I too hated Wonderland, if only because the enemies were assholic for that point in the game. I just went through the RE:CoM version of it…god DAMN was that irritating!
Those friggin flowers and their friggin 6's! And it's still early so you can't kill them off too easily, not to mention anything higher than a six is hard to come by…but I've been lucky so far…at least attack card wise. GOD DAMMIT YOU FUCKING MOOGLE! STOP GIVING ME DUMBO'S AND SIMBA'S! GIVE ME FUCKING CLOUD'S!
xXJust Fly A KiteXx: I'm calling you Kite until someone else with Kite in their name shows up. I'm glad you like the fic, it's gonna get a bit batshit in the next chapter…but then it'll make sense again.
I'd like to give a special shout out to FredMSloniker of the Something Awful Forums. I don't know you personally, but I read your Alice in Wonderland LP, and holy fuck it was awesome. I hope you don't mind me pulling your rendition of Alice in here and twisting her to fit the story a bit. Plus, fucking Waddle Dee?
From this point on, I'll have a link to the Archive of LP's in my Profile. I keep forgetting. By the way, D&S Master, what was that other thing I meant to send to you other than the link to the LPs? Can't bloody remember for the life of me and I can't be assed to slog through the reviews of all the stories we might have mentioned it on…