Hey guys! So it's half term! I have a week long break for writing time! Yay! Anyway, I've noticed how close we're getting to the end, and no, I don't like it at all. BUT! I mean like a BIG butt! Like Ursula's size butt! (If she has one!) XD If you don't know, this will be a series! I just love how Charlie has developed and I also love the fact you love this fic so much! And that you like SoLie so much! So thank you! Anyway..
Antex- The Legendary Zoroark To answer your question, Charlie doesn't like Atlantica because she didn't like fighting as part fish. She's also self-conscious as like most girls are at that age. (I was). But thanks for asking! Anyway this gave me an idea...
I introduce you to FACTS OF THE CHAPTER! So here I'll give you a couple of facts about the story, Charlie, Ryan and how I came up with this idea. So in this chapter I'll give you five facts to get started.
1) Charlie IS NOT a self- insert. I'm rather different to Charlie. She's rather tomboyish and I'm much more girly than her.
2) If you haven't have guessed, Charlie's favourite colour is purple!
3) The Sputnick, gimmick was to censor bad language so young readers can read it without swear words. I know it wouldn't stop it but I acually want it to be PG. Also while Sputnick is used negativity, it's to reflect how Charlie thinks of science. She hates it.
4) Charlie's real name is the same name of a close friend of mine. Even though my friend Charlotte is nothing like her, I picked Charlie to add the tomboy personality.
5) Charlie and her mother are quite close but I based this sort of relationship between me and my sister. My mother wasn't really around while I was young because she's working all the time. So my sister looked after me and taught me about growing up and stuff.
There you go! I hope you enjoyed that. Anyway back to the chapter! Enjoy!
They arrived back in Traverse Town and headed back to Merlin's Study. The group speak to Merlin and asked if Sora and Charlie could practice their magic, Merlin was delighted and escorted them to an area where there isn't anyone around to get in the way. When the training session started, Merlin conjured up flying furniture as targets. The teens fired different offensive magic spells at the furniture. The Keyblade wielders surprised themselves as they noticed they have improved their magic by an incredible amount. Soon they finished their session and returned to the others.
"You're making excellent progress. Here's something for your efforts." Merlin complimented.
Merlin gave the two a key chain and Sora added it to their collection. They trekked to Pooh's book and inserted the new page. Sora and Charlie enter 100 Acre Wood and found a new area available to them. They stepped foot into an area that had a swing hanging from a stout tree on a hill which overlooks a river. The teens then see Pooh and Piglet standing on a bridge gazing upon the waters below.
"Look, Pooh. Something is floating this way." Piglet pointed out.
"I think you're right, Piglet. What could it be?"
A gray donkey floats slowly along the current of the river. A sad expression plastered his face. Pooh realised it was Eeyore! Pooh said a kind hello to him and the little donkey asked the bear to pull him out. Eeyore drifts under the bridge and Sora told Charlie he'll fish him out. Sora quickly and gently grabbed Eeyore and placed him on the bank. Charlie joined him along with Pooh and Piglet.
"Thank you, Pooh. Thank you, other yous. You know, floating along out there, it seemed like something was missing… and is still missing." The donkey thanked and Piglet ran behind him.
"Why, Eeyore's tail is gone! Is that's what missing?"
Eeyore looked behind and confirmed it. He claimed that it wasn't much of a tail but he was attached t it. Pooh then asked Sora and Charlie if they all should look for it. Owl then turned up and asked the group if they had lost something. Sora then had a bright idea and asked Owl to fly up high to see if he can find Eeyore's tail. Unfortunately, Owl's eyes aren't as good as they used to be. Fortunately, Owl suggested taking Pooh to the swing on the hill. While Sora and Charlie are too big for the swing, Pooh would fit better.
Owl flew away and the teens lead Pooh up the hill. Owl then perched himself on a branch above and Pooh steadily sat on the swing. Charlie decided to sit by the bottom of the tree and thought it was best that Sora would help out by himself. Sora stood behind the swing, Owl demonstrated how to push the swing and if Sora timed it right, Pooh could swing higher. Sora then began to push.
"Aren't you going to help?" Sora asked.
"Nope. You seem to have things covered." A smug grew on Charlie's face.
Sora couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Now he knew how Riku and Kairi felt when he took a nap while his best friends were working on the raft. He continued to watch Charlie leaning back on the tree while her hands were behind her head.
"Uh, Spike? You're pushing too hard. If you keep doing that Pooh is gonna fall off the…"
Crash!
"Swing…"
The teens winced at the sound and opened their eyes to see Pooh landing in front of Rabbit and crashed onto a house made of sticks, knocking Eeyore over. Pooh stood up and Eeyore caught a glimpse of something under the sticks. The teens run and jump off the hill to catch up with Pooh and the gang.
"Hm? That looks familiar…" Eeyore said.
Sora takes Eeyore's tail and repins it on him. Pooh asked how it was looking when Sora finished placing thee tail on the donkey. Eeyore swings his tail and said his thanks to everyone. Then Pooh said out loud that he wished that they all could put the 100 Acre Wood back together the way it was as well.
"We will, Pooh. I promise." Charlie smiled.
"Thank you, Charlie." The bear replied.
The teens left the hill and returned to Pooh's house. The bear was sitting on a log in front of his house. The little bear was shivering and believes that being on the swing for too long made him cold. Sora ignited a pile of sticks and lit them on fire. Pooh then extended his arms and greeted the warm like an old friend. The bear said thank you to the teens and gave them a Mythril stone. Sora and Charlie waved goodbye and left the storybook.
Sora and Charlie met up with Donald and Goofy and returned to the ship. Charlie was really excited and couldn't wait for the next world. She really wanted to know what Donald would turn her into. Maybe a ghost? Or a zombie? She didn't care the fact that Donald was driving instead of her.
"Are you okay Charlie?" Goofy asked.
"I'm great!"
They landed in Halloween Town. It was obvious that this world would have a major spooky factor as a lifestyle. Goofy appears to be in a sort of Frankenstein's Monster version of himself, Donald is a mummy but with his stomach missing from bandages and his belly is invisible. Sora was a vampire with a pumpkin mask nearly covering his eye and finally Charlie was in a mauve coloured witch's dress that has ripped sleeves, black fish-net tights, black Mary-Jane's and a hair band with a small purple witch's hat sitting on the band on the left side of her head. Her skin also turned into a more grey tone.
"This is sure a spooky place. I'll bet the people here are scary-lookin' too!" Goofy said.
"Don't worry. We look spooky, too. I they scare us, we'll scare them right back!" Donald smiled.
"You think so?" Goofy asked.
"I dunno. I think I look rather cute! What do you think, Spike?" Charlie spun around to look at herself.
"Uh…" Sora gulped.
What was he supposed to say? His cheeks started to tint crimson and he turned away slightly. If he said no, he would expect another noogie but if he said yes, then she may get the wrong idea.
"Well, I think you fit right in." Sora replied sheepishly.
Before she could think about his answer, Sora ran off into the Town Square. Luckily for him, Charlie didn't think much of the answer as when she caught up with him, they just stared at the scene in front of them. This world screamed eeriness around them. Suddenly and explosion happened in a building nearby and a horde of a new type of Heartless appeared. This new type was called a Search Ghost. Sora started attacking but the creatures didn't retaliate.
"Uh… guys?" Charlie grabbed everyone's attention.
"They aren't hurting us…" Charlie then poked them.
Sora then poked the Heartless just to confirm what Charlie said was true, He wasn't complaining but he was curious to find out what is going on. He suggested to the group to check to see if the explosion had anything to do with it. Just as they headed up the stairs to the laboratory, a voice from a man in a suit and a tall top hat began speaking in a megaphone.
"And now, allow me to introduce…" The man began.
Apparently this man had a second face…
"The master of terror… the king of nightmares- Jack Skellington!"
In front of the fountain in the centre of the Town Square were the Search Ghosts. They waved their hands and a tall, thin figure emerged from the green liquid, was wearing a black suit with white pin-stripes and has long, bony fingers. His head was nothing but a skull and in his eye sockets was an empty, black abyss. He strikes a pose and smiles and the man from before runs over to him.
"Bravo, Jack! Bravo! Those ghosts will be a big hit at this year's Halloween!" The man congratulated the skeleton, known as Jack.
"Thank you, Thank you! But their movement still needs work. It's not scary enough." Jack said.
"I want to strike bone-chilling terror!" Jack then performed yet another pose.
Jack told the man, the Mayor, that he will seek help from the doctor. The Mayor then claimed that he will see the decorations. The Mayor was so excited that he first traveled the wrong direction and had to turn around. Sora and the gang followed Jack into the lab of Doctor Finkelstein. They enter the lab to find the doctor examining a Search Ghost on the table in the comfort of his wheelchair. The machines connecting to the wall begin to spark and hiss.
"I don't understand. Maybe the guidance system was damaged in the explosion." Jack suggested.
"Nonsense. My devices are always perfect!" The doctor disregarded the comment.
"Oh, I've got it! Why, of course! The Heartless need a heart! Doctor, do you think we can add a heart to that device?" Jack asked after searching through a book.
The doctor said yes, claiming a heart isn't all that complicated. He traveled to the end of the table before he got to work. Jack read out that they need a container with a lock. Doctor Finkelstein pulls out a human heart shaped container with a keyhole in it.
"We need the key to this thing first!" The doctor threw it on the table.
"You're really going to help them?" Donald asked Sora.
"Why not? If they succeed, we won't have to fight the Heartless, right? Besides, I want to see the Heartless dance, too. Don't you?" Sora replied.
"Not really." Donald said and Charlie knocked on the male Keblade wielder's head.
"Hello? Is Sora in there? The Heartless are trying to hurt us! You muppet." Charlie reminded.
Sora ignored her and she rolled her eyes at him. The male teen summoned his weapon and unlocked the container, much to Jack's surprise. The king of nightmares asked who they all are and the outsiders introduced themselves. Jack said his thanks and told Sora he would like him to be a part of this year's Halloween. Sora asked about the Heartless and Jack informed the group that the creatures had only just appeared and he wanted them to dance but they couldn't get it right. Now that the container's unlocked, they can continue. Jack then read out the ingredients for a heart: pulse which was a frog and different types of emotions. Terror, which they use a spider, fear, the doctor drags his hand down a glass pane, hope and despair, using two snakes about to eat each other, and after mixing all the ingredients together, Doctor Finkelstein pulls the lever. The machine sparks to life. Electricity engulfs the Heartless, who suddenly sits up with its arms stretched in front, only to fall limp after.
"It failed!" The doctor cried and Jack looks disappointed.
"Maybe we're missing some ingredients. Let's try adding more memory." Doctor Finkelstein suggested and opens his skull cap and scratches his brain.
"Ew." Charlie thought.
The doctor calls out for a Sally but with no response, he admitted he didn't know why he created her. He slams his fists on the arms of his wheelchair and closes his skull. He whirls to the group and explains to them that Sally has the memory they need and asks Jack if he could find her.
"No problem. Sora, Charlie, would you like to come along?" Jack asked the teens.
"Sure." Sora immediately accepted.
"I guess I would like to see how it turns out." Charlie replied.
Before they left the laboratory, Charlie turned to face the lifeless Heartless. She then turned to see the doctor at his desk. She shook her head. There is more to a heart than negative emotions. There's happiness, curiosity and love. Her heart ached at that word. She can feel the distance ripping Ryan and herself apart. She wished things weren't like this.
"Charlie, you comin'?" Goofy asked.
"I'll be right there! Just got a little side tracked!"
She left the lab and joined the others. Sora tilted his head to the side and wondered if she was okay. Out of the corner of her eye, Charlie feigned a smile at him, hoping he believed it. The group then see the Mayor at the bottom of the stairs with his unhappy face on. They wondered what was wrong.
"Jack! Jack! We have a major crisis! The Heartless are completely out of control! We can't stop them!" The mayor panicked.
"Hmm… maybe out experiment may have triggered something. Everything will be fine, Mayor. You have nothing to worry about." Jack assured.
Donald taps his foot as the outsiders stared at Jack. Charlie then regretted to agree to help him. She should have known this, but she concluded she got distracted by the way these people think of what a heart is. They enter Guillotine Plaza and defeated the rogue Heartless. They then started to search the Graveyard. Only to find more Heartless. Out of nowhere, a ghostly dog that has a glowing pumpkin for a nose, flies out of his doghouse grave, greeting Jack with excitement.
"Zero! Have you seen Sally?" Jack asked.
Zero flies over to a gravestone, startling someone behind it. A rag doll with stitches and long hair stands up and steps out, looking over at them. She asks Jack if something is wrong but the skeleton says no and gleefully tells her that this will be the best Halloween ever and to make that happen, is that he needs her memory. Sora was quite curious on how they would acquire someone's memory and just watched the scene before him.
"Memory"? You mean this?" She suggested as she displayed withered flowers.
Sally give the Forget-Me-Not flowers to Jack but warns him that she has a bad feeling about what they are planning. Jack kindly ignored her warnings and excitedly tells how the Heartless will dance just as he envisioned and that Sally will love it.
"I have a bad feeling about this. If only Jack would reconsider… I'm happy if he's happy, but I'm just worried about him. I'm worried about him because I… well, I just am. Jack, why not have these kids star in the festival instead? They both look rather frightful. And funny, too. They'd be better than the Heartless." Worry filled Sally's heart.
They all left the Graveyard, including Sally. At the end of the Graveyard, stood a coffin. Laughter erupts before the lid slides open with three youngsters jumping out as they call out their names. Lock was the devil, Shock a witch and finally Barrel is a skeleton. They huddle together and recall that Jack is making a heart. They laugh and decide to inform this 'Oogie'. Sora and company return to the lab with flowers in hand.
"Yes. This is it. Now, just one more ingredient. We need 'surprise' to complete the heart. The mayor should know where it is." The doctor said.
Meanwhile, the three youngsters tremble at the presents of a monster in front of them. The 'monster' is none other than the 'Oogie' they mentioned previously. He has the appearance of a burlap sack that's been poorly stitched together by thread. The only facial features were two curved eyes and an opening for a mouth hat has also been stitched. Oogie laughed at the fact that Jack was making a heart.
"Ohh, when I get my hands on that…" Oogie then looked at his pointed extremities.
"Well, I've got no hands, but I'm still gonna nab that heart and control the Heartless." He cackled in hysteria.
Sora, Charlie, Donald, Goofy and Jack make their way to the Boneyard and find the Mayor near a giant pumpkin. They talk to him about the surprise they need. The Mayor explains that ghost rise from the tombstones, he tells them to check the tombstones in the right order and if they fail, they get a surprise. The group watch the ghosts and check the correct graves. The pumpkin explodes behind them, causing Charlie to hump and cling onto Sora. He just stares at her.
"Uh… sorry…" Her cheeks tinted red before she turned away.
"Splendid! Now go look at the pumpkin." The Mayor ordered.
Sora obliged, trying to forget about that moment with Charlie. Inside the remains, was a treasure chest and inside was a simple Jack-In-The Box. They returned to the lab and gave the toy to the doctor. The doctor assembles the ingredients, assured that this time, it was going to work. He places the heart on his lap before wheeling over. Only to have Barrel appear from underneath the table and trips the doctor over. The doctor yells as he falls, causing the heart to slip out of his grip and bounces into Lock's arms. Doctor Finkelstein growls and shakes his fist at them before Lock snickers and escapes with the other two.
"The nerve of those hooligans, stealing my work!" The doctor shouted.
The others, with the exception of Sally, race out of the lab into the Guillotine Square. Unfortunately, they lost the trio but Jack called his loyal dog and asked him to find them. Zero shoots off and they all follow the ghost dog through the Graveyard to Moonlight Hill. In the centre of the area stood a curved hill. Lock, Shock and Barrel sat in a walking bathtub and as the hill uncurls, the trio ride the bath over the hill. The outsiders arrive with Jack and a group of Heartless appeared but was quickly disposed of. They examine a grave which turns out to be a switch for the hill which uncurls for them. They travel across to a bridge to Oogie's Manor.
"I knew Oogie was behind this!" Jack told the group.
"Well, then. What are we waiting for?" Charlie asked.
They dash across the bridge and trekked through the entrance of the manor. Charlie found a Red Trinity Mark and grabbed Sora's, Donald's and Goofy's attention. They smashed into the door to reveal a treasure chest. Inside the chest was a Mythril Shard. Donald lit a platform on fire to activate and the four continued to travel upwards. Along the way they fight the Heartless including other types like Gargoyles and Wight Knights. They make their way to the topmost room called the Evil Playroom. They find the mischievous trio who tossed the heart down the pipe. They all turn to see the intruders and separate. Sora and Jack went straight for Lock, Donald and Goofy tried to catch Shock and Charlie went after the easiest; Barrel. Thanks to teamwork, all three youngster were subdued.
"We were just following orders! Oogie Boogie told us to steal the heart. It's all Barrel's fault! It was his idea to tell Oogie Boogie about the heart." Shock explained.
"Yeah, that's right!" Lock agreed.
"B-but you guys said-" Barrel started.
"You should be ashamed!" Shock scolded.
Lock said that Oogie made them do it and Barrel told them that they aren''t allowed to talk about Oogie's hiding place or about the lever either. Sora pulled the lever and insisted the kids to tell them about OOgie's hiding place. Charlie was desperate to tell them but she remembered the situation she was in. She can't let them know where she's from or how she knows about their journey. Luckily, Sora's persistence got through and Lock revealed about a green door. They left the room to find it.
"Now where could this green door be?" Jack asked.
"We've looked all throughout the manor." Sora said.
"Not necessarily. We've looked from the bridge up. Who knows what's underneath?" Charlie asked.
They searched underneath and Charlie was correct. It was strange how in times like these, Charlie would always point in the right direction. They entered through the door into Oogie's Torture Chamber. Inside, was a giant roulette wheel and on a platform beside it, stood Oogie Boogie with heart on his arms.
"Oogie Boogie, give me back the heart!" Jack demanded.
"You want it? Well, then come on over and get it!" To everyone's surprise, the villain ate it!
Oogie then called the Heartless but was disappointed when only two Gargoyle Heartless appeared behind him. The villain grows angry and claims that noone disobeys him. Bars rose up, trapping Charlie as Oogie pulls a switch causing an explosion from behind Sora and the others, knocking them into the pit of the roulette wheel. Charlie calls out to them and turns to Oogie.
"Hey ugly! Why have you trapped me in here?!" Charlie asked Oogie.
"I've been told there's something special about you. They say you have a special something." Oogie smirked.
Special? What's so special about her? Sure, she has a different Keyblade, So what? And who are 'they'? Does she mean Ryan? She looks to see how Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jack are doing and it turns out they are only fighting Heartless for now. She helps out by casting Blizzara which quickens the time in defeating the creatures.
"C'mon baby!" Oogie called.
The villain then tossed a pair of dice into the pit but the group quickly dodge. Charlie can only watch and help from a distance. Sputnick! She hates feeling so useless! Sora activates a switch allows to the platform to raise up, this gave them an opportunity to deal a few hits to Oogie. Suddenly Sora holds his hand against his heart and raises his Keyblade. The weapon lights up and a bubble appears from above. The bubble pops, revealing a young elephant with large ears. Sora jumps on Dumbo and the elephant sprays a torrent of water at Oogie. Charlie also helped with a couple of Thundara spells, which was recently upgraded after Atlantica. Oogie had enough and activates another explosion; causing Dumbo to disappearSora is sent back into the pit along with the others.
"Buzz saw!" The villain cried out.
A spinning blue and yellow blade zooms past Sora, nearly cutting him in half. Charlie gasped and felt her heart skip a beat. With Keyblade in hand, she tried rapidly attacking the bars. Sparks flew but there was no sign that she would be free anytime soon. The roulette wheel begins to spin, forcing the boys in front of three slot machines.
"Bone Soldiers!"
The eyes of the slot machines glow and they raise their pistols, shooting at the boys. Sadly, they didn't dodge out of the way quickly enough. This was going terrible! All she could do was use her magic and even then, she had to save it. She raise her Keyblade in the air.
"Cure!" Charlie called as she healed them.
Sora stepped on another switch and raised the platform. Everyone gave it all they had to defeat Oogie. Donald was using his magic but Charlie was worried. She knew there was a bigger fight waiting for them. Soon Oogie was defeated and the villain's burlap sack was ripped open while bugs fled and squirmed all over the floor. The bars of Charlie's cage descended and she ran to the group.
"Sora, you're okay!" Charlie hugged him tightly.
The boy didn't know what to do! This was the second time Charlie had done this but this time, she was glad he was safe. Charlie realised what she was doing and cleared her throat before letting go. She didn't know what came over her! Her cheeks were stained with red again.
"So, that heart was a failure after all." Jack said.
They leave Oogie's manor and cross the bridge. And explosion occurred behind them, making the group lose their balance slightly. Dust billows out of the mansion and the party hear Oogie moaning. When the dust settles, they turn to see Oogie's body taken over and becoming his house! However, orbs of darkness covered his body like a rash.
"Whoa! How did he get so big?" Sora asked.
"Look! It's brimming with the power of darkness! Oogie Boogie is drawing power from those dark globs!" Jack explained.
"So we just have to destroy those things, right?"
The five of them dropped down as the bridge is destroyed. Charlie suggested splitting up and the group obliged. Charlie headed for the top and attacked the nearest orbs. She didn't see the others as darkness poured out of Oogie's cages. Speaking of which, one of them attacked Charlie and hung onto it for dear life!
"Charlie!" Donald called.
"Protect!" Charlie casted on herself.
She lost her grip and she started to fall. She closed her eyes and braced for her body to break once it would hit the ground. But it didn't. She opened her eyes to see Jack had grabbed her wrist just in time. He pulled her up with his slender arms. She said thank you to him before heading back. They all took down the orbs with ease.
The mansion quakes and rumbles before it crumbles to the ground as Oogi vanishes. A large Keyhole is visible from where the mansion once stood. Sora and Charlie summoned their weapons and sealed the Keyhole. They return to the lab, where Sally is waiting for them.
"Sally, why didn't I listen to you?" Jack asked her.
"Don't feel bad, Jack. We'll come up with another plan for Halloween. Next time, we'll do it together."
Sally smiled and the two hold hands and stare into each other's eyes. Charlie smiled. Deep down she's rather soppy. Not that she will admit to anyone, especially Sora. After that scene the outsiders speak to Jack. The skeleton was a little disappointed since he couldn't use the Heartless but gave Sora a Keychain and told the group to come back anytime. Charlie started look through the bookshelves and found yet another Torn Page.
The outsiders waved goodbye, Charlie filmed the area and headed back to the ship. The group returned to their normal attire and all sat down. Charlie suddenly grew nervous. She knew what world was next and she was worried what was going to happen. They were going to see Riku again. That means she will see Ryan, too. Sora then gave her a nudge which snapped her out of her thoughts.
"So… you hugged me." He smirked.
"So?" Charlie narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't like wwhere this was going.
"You care about me!" He smiled.
"Yeah, right! I was just trying to suffocate and squeeze you to death." She lied.
She left to go to her room to record what happened. Sora watched her as she left. He didn't care what Ryan said; they are friends! But something still bothered him. How did she know what to do or where to go where ever they were stuck? Was this something to do what she had said in Traverse Town? He was getting tired of waiting! His patience was wearing thin and he will find out!
Right I hope you enjoyed that! Anyway just a heads up: The next chapter is important! Oh and for those who prefer SoLie, I'm not promising but I'm keeping in mind for more SoLie moments in the future. Well, see you in the next chapter!
AquaAngelx out!